ASCE submits letters on federal funding priorities
ASCE has submitted letters to the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittees on Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 funding for a number of federal agencies. While Congress just recently completed work on FY 2025 funding, work is under way pulling together the 2026 budget. ASCE’s letters touched on federal agencies involved in infrastructure and called for Congress to continue the funding levels of recent years which helped increase the nation’s infrastructure grade in the most recent ASCE Report Card.
The letters promote funding for the Department of Transportation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The letters also express support for critical research and data collection at the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and U.S. Geological Survey.
ASCE questions proposed federal cuts to NOAA and NIST
In two letters sent to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on April 21st, ASCE advised against proposed and on-going funding cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). One letter expressed the importance of continued support and robust funding for NOAA. ASCE noted that NOAA is indispensable in protecting public safety and ensuring that limited federal spending is dedicated to building infrastructure that is resilient to increasingly severe weather events.
In the second letter, ASCE raised concerns over decisions to cut funding and personnel at NIST. Noting that NIST is the premier, and in most cases, the only federal institution conducting resilience research focused on the impact of multiple hazards on buildings and communities.
Trump administration fires climate report scientists and cancels EPA grants
At the end of April, the Trump administration fired nearly 400 scientists tasked with producing the next National Climate Assessment, a report which details the effects of climate change on the United States and, is mandated by Congress to be written every four years. The last National Climate Assessment, released in 2023, warned that the effects of climate change would continue to worsen over the next 10 years and that increasingly severe weather events were the result of a warming climate. The next assessment is due to be released in 2027, but its future remains uncertain in light of the administration’s actions.
It was also reported that the Trump administration was in the process of canceling nearly 800 previously approved Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants, including all grants provided through EPA environmental justice programs. Many of these grants support communities disproportionately affected by climate change in combatting the effects of increasingly severe and unpredictable weather. The number of grants reported to be headed toward cancellation is more than twice the number of grants cancelled than the administration had previously reported.
House subcommittee holds hearing on brownfields program
On May 7th, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources & Environment held a hearing focused on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Brownfields Program. The Brownfields Program provides grants to communities to support cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated former industrial sites.
In his opening remarks, Subcommittee Chairman Mike Collins (R-GA) expressed support for the program, but stated his belief that providing additional funds for the program should be accompanied by environmental regulatory reform to improve program efficiency. The hearing follows the release of an overview of the White House’s budget for the 2026 fiscal year, which proposes a cut to EPA of approximately $5 billion- or nearly 55% of the agency’s budget.
ASCE strongly supports continued financial assistance for redevelopment of brownfields sites. This includes support for full funding for the EPA’s Brownfields Program.
ASCE sends letter to Congress in support of National Climate Assessment
On May 12th, ASCE sent a letter calling on Congress to ensure that federal law is followed and the sixth National Climate Assessment be completed by 2028. The National Climate Assessment details the effects of climate change on the United States. On April 28th, the Trump Administration announced that nearly 400 scientists working on the National Climate Assessment had been dismissed from their positions.
In 2023, the fifth National Climate Assessment warned that the effects of climate change would continue to worsen over the next decade and that increasingly severe weather events were a direct result of a warming climate. Under federal law, the National Climate Assessment is required to be released approximately every four years; however, in light of the recent dismissals, it is unclear whether the administration will meet this deadline. ASCE’s letter notes the importance of being able to assess the effects of climate change to design and build sustainable, resilient infrastructure systems that can stand up to increasingly harsh conditions.
EPA announces $31 million in grant funding for rural drinking water and wastewater infrastructure
On May 20th, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the provision of nearly $31 million in grant funding for training and technical assistance to improve water quality in small and rural communities. Funding will support technical, financial, and managerial needs for small public water systems and assist in achieving compliance with the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act.
These funds are being provided through EPA’s Training and Technical Assistance to Improve Water Quality and Enable Small Public Water Systems to Provide Safe Drinking Water Grant Program.Grants are expected to be awarded to the National Rural Water Association, the Rural Community Assistance Partnership, and the University of New Mexico’s Southwest Environmental Finance Center.
Supreme Court rules in favor of limiting scope of NEPA reviews
The United States Supreme Court issued an 8-0 ruling in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County that will narrow the scope of environmental review allowed under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Specifically, the court ruled that environmental reviews conducted pursuant to NEPA do not need to consider certain broader downstream impacts when evaluating an infrastructure project. Writing for the court, Justice Kavanaugh noted how some federal judges have wrongly applied NEPA and turned into a “blunt and haphazard tool employed by project opponents” to halt or otherwise delay “new infrastructure and construction projects.”
In Seven County, the court ruled in favor of a coalition of local counties supporting the construction of 88-mile rail project that would link Utah’s Unita Basin to the national freight rail network. The court’s verdict is not the final hurdle for the local county coalition – the project must undergo additional review by the federal Surface Transportation Board before it can proceed. Justice Neil Gorsuch did not join his colleagues in the court’s decision - he recused himself from the matter in December before the court heard oral arguments.
Administration’s proposed 2026 budget aims to slash discretionary spending
Late afternoon on May 30th, the Trump administration published additional information on its proposed budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. The latest documents build on the "skinny budget” request—released May 2nd — and provide more details on how the White House would like Congress to fund the government in the coming fiscal year. Overall, the Trump administration is asking lawmakers on Capitol Hill to cut the federal government’s discretionary spending by 22 percent in FY2026 when compared to funding levels enacted for FY2025.
Among the requested cuts are a 54 percent decrease in funding for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a 17 percent cut to the overall Department of Commerce budget, and an 11 percent decrease in discretionary funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act at the Department of Transportation. The proposed spending cuts are not uniform department wide. The White House is seeking greater reductions at certain programs housed within larger departments, such as the proposed 27 percent cut to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and a 28 percent spending cut at National Institute of Standards & Technology for the coming fiscal year.
The White House’s proposed budget for FY2026 is not a done deal - Congress has ultimate authority on government appropriations.
As FAA nominee advances, Trump taps Katherine Scarlett to lead CEQ
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on June 25th approved Bryan Bedford’s nomination to lead the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) by a 15-13 party line vote. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Aviation, Space, and Innovation Subcommittee Ranking Member Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) expressed opposition because Bedford declined to commit to maintaining the FAA’s requirement that commercial pilots receive 1,500 hours of flight training.
Bedford currently serves as CEO of Republic Airways. Since the Senate Commerce Committee’s June 11th hearing on his nomination, Bedford has acknowledged that he does not possess a commercial pilot’s license, despite previously claiming to have one. Bedford’s nomination awaits confirmation by the full Senate.
As his picks for agency leadership continue to advance, President Donald Trump nominated Katherine Scarlett to lead the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). During Trump’s first administration, Scarlett worked at CEQ and later served as a staff member for the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW). Scarlett’s nomination was received in the Senate and referred to the EPW Committee on June 16th. If confirmed, Scarlett will play a major role in overseeing the federal environmental review process that impacts various infrastructure projects.