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OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS

Clyburn Statement on Army Corps of Engineers Funding

Washington, DC – Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn today issued the following statement on Army Corps of Engineers Funding Announcements:

“Yesterday, the Army Corps of Engineers announced its allocations of the funds provided in the omnibus appropriations bill for 2017, passed earlier this month.  I am pleased that $4.66 million is included to expand the Lake Marion Regional Water Agency.  These funds, combined with significant state and local funding, will extend the agency’s reach to Ridgeville, South Carolina in Dorchester County.  The WIIN Act, passed last year, authorized the expansion of this project, which will eventually serve the new Volvo site in Berkeley County.  The Volvo manufacturing facility is expected to create over 4,000 new jobs and is one of most significant economic development project for South Carolina in decades.  Without critical infrastructure like the Lake Marion water agency, companies like Volvo would locate elsewhere.

“Additionally, the Corps is allocating $17.5 million to begin the Charleston Harbor Deepening project, one of the most important infrastructure projects for South Carolina and the entire Southeast region.  While this funding is welcome news and will allow the project to begin, I am concerned about future funding of the project.  President Trump’s budget request for 2018, released this week, fails to include any funding for the Charleston Harbor Deepening, instead prioritizing funding for harbor and navigation projects elsewhere.  To ensure its expeditious completion, adequate funding in 2018 and subsequent years will be needed.

“Finally, yesterday’s announcement included an additional $7.2 million for beach restoration at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina following erosion and damage from Hurricane Matthew.  Myrtle Beach is a tourism and economic engine that benefits our entire state, and maintaining it is vitally important to communities all over South Carolina.

“The omnibus appropriations bill for 2017, that funded all of these projects, was a win for South Carolina and the nation.  Congress negotiated a bipartisan agreement that rolled back many of President Trump’s proposed cuts.  Unfortunately, President Trump’s draconian budget for next year would not only be devastating for families and communities across the nation, it also turns its back on South Carolina’s critical infrastructure needs.  I will continue to fight in Congress to support our state’s infrastructure like the Charleston Harbor, the Lake Marion Regional Water Agency, the new Volvo facility, and the Grand Strand.”

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