The Senate passed the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2013 last week, 83-14. The passage marks the first time since 2007 that a WRDA bill has passed the chamber. The bill stands to greatly affect the NEMW region, especially in relation to harbor operations and maintenance, invasive species, flood control and planning, and watershed restoration. The NEMWI reviewed the original bill passed out of Committee and has updated the review ("Summary of the Senate-passed S. 601 Water Resources Development Act of 2013") to note the changes incorporated during consideration of the bill by the full Senate.

For more information, contact Danielle Chesky or Mark Gorman at the Northeast-Midwest Institute, or Kate Ostrander, Legislative Director of the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition.

NEMW Coalition Members co-led bipartisan programmatic appropriations letters supporting funding for programs important to the region in the FY2014 appropriations process, including letters for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), and the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)/State Energy Program (SEP). Senators Sherrod Brown (OH) and Chris Coons (DE) led the MEP letter and were joined by 32 Members urging strong support and "robust funding" for the program. Senators Jack Reed (RI) and Susan Collins (ME) joined 37 other Members in calling for "no less than $4.7 billion" for LIHEAP, the program's FY2011 funding level. Senators Reed and Collins also led the WAP/SEP letter, which was signed by 38 other Members, asking for $230 million for WAP and $57 million for SEP in FY2014.

For more information, contact Colleen Cain, Senior Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute, or Mike Gaffin, Legislative Director of the Northeast-Midwest Senate Coalition.