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Senator Patty Murray has criticized President Trump’s proposed budget for 2027, particularly his plans to cut funding to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation. She believes these cuts will lead to an “infrastructure cliff”, and she condemned the administration’s “politicization of key water resources.” Murray is particularly concerned with Trump’s intention to reduce funding and staffing at Army Corps, which she believes will leave communities at risk, and his plans to cut funding to the Bureau of Reclamation by a fifth.
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Senator Murray criticizes President Trump’s budget proposal for slashing vital funding
During a Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development Subcommittee hearing on President Trump’s fiscal year 2027 budget request for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Senator Patty Murray voiced strong concerns. As the Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, she expressed her criticism of Trump’s proposal to significantly reduce vital funding, leaving behind the rapidly approaching infrastructure crisis, and politicizing essential water resources.
Adam Telle, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works), United States Army; Lieutenant General William H. “Butch” Graham, Jr., Chief of Engineers and Commanding General, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and Andrea Travnicek, Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, Department of Interior were the attendees of the hearing.
Key Statements Made by Senator Murray
In the opening statements, Senator Murray emphasized the critical role of these agencies in supporting local economies and families. She recognized their efforts in mitigating threats like droughts, floods, and power outages. Murray drew attention to their assistance in controlling extensive flooding in her state the previous year.
Senator Murray was concerned about Trump’s proposal to drastically reduce funding for the Corp, eliminating funding for work on Howard Hanson. However, she was relieved that she was able to work with Chair Kennedy to reject these cuts in the last funding bill and secure strong investments in the Army Corps and Bureau of Reclamation. These efforts ensured that Howard Hanson and the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan received necessary funding.
Murray expressed her disappointment in the proposed budget cuts targeted at water resources. She was critical of Trump’s budget proposal to cut funding for the Bureau of Reclamation by a fifth, pointing out the looming ‘infrastructure cliff’ due to the drying up of funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. She was equally concerned about the proposed slashing of funding for the Army Corps by over a third.
Murray argued that these cuts would leave communities at risk due to delayed construction and critical repair work. She highlighted the ongoing drought in Washington state, the Colorado River Basin, and Corpus Christi, Texas, as examples of the critical need for water projects.
The Senator also expressed concern about staffing cuts in the Army Corps and the suspension of hiring, noting a 12 percent loss in workforce since 2024. She criticized the Trump administration for politicizing key water resources, citing the freezing of funding for Army Corps projects in Democratic states.
Lastly, Murray addressed the issue of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, expressing her resolve to ensure full funding for states like Washington. She voiced her opposition to allowing defense contractors to receive the majority of funding while families and farmers barely receive anything.
Questions Raised by Senator Murray
During the hearing, Senator Murray questioned Assistant Secretary Telle on the drastic underfunding of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund and how it impacts donor ports. She also pressed Assistant Secretary Travnicek on the ongoing drought in the western United States and the underfunding of the Bureau of Reclamation.
She further inquired Assistant Secretary Telle regarding the Army Corps’s ignoring of Congressional appropriations and termination of essential Corps projects. Finally, she questioned Telle on the Army Corps’s commitment to funding critical projects in Washington state.
In her closing remarks, Senator Murray emphasized that she would keep a close watch on the execution of funding for these projects. She reiterated her commitment to support families back home and address the approaching infrastructure cliff.
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