Senate Passes First Appropriations Bill of 2016 with Rounds Support

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today supported the Fiscal Year 2017 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act of 2016, which passed the Senate by a vote of 90-8. This is the earliest the Senate has taken up an appropriations bill on the Senate floor in more than 40 years. The Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act funds critical Department of Energy programs and infrastructure projects managed by the Army Corps of Engineers.

“The federal government has a duty to spend Americans’ tax dollars wisely,” said Rounds. “The most responsible way to do this is through a regular, incremental budget process that allows us to debate and amend the appropriations bills individually. I’m pleased the Senate is taking steps to return to regular order and avoid a last-minute, end-of-year omnibus that we have become all too familiar with in modern times.

“The energy and water appropriations bill we passed today is both fiscally responsible and assures important investment projects, such as the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility/Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, are adequately funded. Further, it provides additional direction to help federal agencies do their job more effectively, including my amendment authorizing funds for the Army Corps to implement flood and drought monitoring systems along the Missouri River.”

Included in the bill is Rounds’ amendment to authorize up to $2 million within the Army Corps’ existing budget to implement Upper Missouri Basin flood and drought monitoring systems. It also includes $55 million for the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility/Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, which directly affects the scientists working at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead. Earlier this year, Rounds sent a letter with several of his colleagues encouraging the appropriations committee to include this funding. 

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