HR-10533-119
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Sponsored by Everton Blair (D-GA)
What it does
This bill would add Newton County, Georgia to the list of projects in Section 219(f) of the Water Resources Development Act of 1992. It would authorize $23,900,000 for water and wastewater infrastructure there, including water supply and distribution systems. The bill authorizes funding only; money would still have to be provided through separate appropriations.
Who benefits
Residents and businesses in Newton County, Georgia, who could gain from upgraded water supply, distribution and wastewater systems. Local water utilities and the county government, which could receive federal help with project costs. Construction and engineering firms that may win contracts for the work.
Who is hurt
Federal taxpayers would bear the cost of up to $23.9 million if Congress appropriates it. Other localities competing for limited Army Corps environmental infrastructure funds may see their projects delayed or receive less. Local ratepayers could still owe any required non-federal cost share.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that Newton County, in the fast-growing Atlanta region, needs reliable water and wastewater capacity to serve residents and new development, and that local ratepayers alone would struggle to fund it. They contend that Section 219 has long been the established vehicle for this kind of targeted help, so the bill fits an existing, accepted program.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that naming a single county for $23.9 million adds a locally targeted spending item to a federal program that already has a large backlog of authorized but unfunded projects. They contend that water infrastructure is primarily a local and state responsibility, and that such projects are better financed through local rates, bonds or existing state revolving loan funds.
Constitutional context
Congress's authority rests on the Spending Clause (Art. I, §8, cl. 1) and its Commerce Clause power over navigable waters and water resources. South Dakota v. Dole (1987) upholds conditional federal spending for the general welfare, and this bill raises no significant constitutional question beyond that.
Checks and balances
Congress authorizes the project and must separately appropriate funds, while the executive branch (the Army Corps of Engineers) would administer any assistance; appropriations committees and oversight can limit or condition the money.
Historical precedent
Congress has repeatedly added location-specific projects to Section 219(f) of the Water Resources Development Act of 1992 through later water resources bills, which is how the list reached its current length.