Before leaving for the Memorial Day holiday break last week, the House and Senate advanced their spending priorities. The House had already passed its version of the Energy and Water Appropriations bill, primarily funding the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Energy. Last week, the Senate moved its companion bill out of Committee and included many of the same priorities as the House. The Senate version of the bill included higher funding levels for many significant programs in the Department of Energy, including Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, the Advanced Manufacturing Office, and the Weatherization Assistance Program. NEMWI's overview of the bill is available here. It also included approximately $40 million more to the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund for operation and maintenance of ports and harbors. Policy provisions:

• Encourage the Corps to complete the study to prevent invasive species from moving from the Mississippi River to the Great Lakes in three years, and not the expanded time schedule currently proposed;
• Prohibit open lake disposal of dredged materials unless the materials meet the environmental standards of the State;
• Require a GAO study of the cumulative economic impact of shallow draft ports along the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri to Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and
• Allot $50 million for "Donor Ports and Energy Ports," as defined under the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014, to use for expanded uses including dredging outside the federal navigation channel.

When Congress returns in June, the House and Senate are expected to move on other spending bills, including the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill, which has already moved through Committee on the House side.