White House Releases Fiscal 2021 Budget Request

On Monday (2/10), President Trump released the fiscal 2021 White House budget request. The budget continues to ask for decreased funding for EPA, cutting expenditures and continuing the downward funding trend from past budget requests. The President’s 2021 Budget requests $6.7 billion for EPA, a $2.4 billion or 26% decrease from the 2020 enacted funding.  

Below are some of the funding requests for drinking water programs:

• Public Water Supply Supervision (PWSS) Grants –  $67.9 million from fiscal 2020’s $106.25 million enacted level, a decrease of about 36%;
• Underground Injection Control (UIC) –  $6.99 million from fiscal 2020’s $10.2 million enacted level, a decrease of about 31%; 
• Drinking Water SRF – $863 million from fiscal 2020’s $1.13 billion enacted level, a decrease of about 24%; 
• Clean Water SRF – $1.12 billion from fiscal 2020’s $1.64 billion enacted level, a decrease of about 32%; 
• WIFIA – $25 million from fiscal 2020’s $ 60 million enacted level, a decrease of about 58%; 
• PFAS – provides an additional $6 million for research and development; 
• HABs – establishes new $15 million grant program.

The presidential budget request summarizes the Administration’s priorities for the upcoming fiscal year. As usual, Congress controls the purse strings and can approve, modify, or reject the request. As with proposed EPA budgets in FY19 and FY20, this budget will likely see major alterations before being passed into law.  

Visit EPA’s FY 2021 EPA Budget in Brief for more information.