President Biden Unveils 2025 Budget Request Including an 8.4% Increase in Funding for EPA

March 12, 2024 Stephanie Schlea

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Drinking Water Headlines, DWSRF, Legislative

On March 11, President Biden released his $7.3 trillion budget request “detailing his vision to protect and build on the Administration’s progress and invest in all of America to make sure the middle class has a fair shot and we leave no one behind.” While the request outlines the President’s funding priorities, Congress determines federal agencies’ and programs’ final funding levels.

The President’s budget proposes to provide EPA with an 8.4% increase from fiscal 2023 levels and add more than 2,000 Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs) relative to the 2023 Operating Budget. This would bring the Agency to more than 17,000 FTEs working on regulations, oversight, enforcement and compliance, land clean-up, grant deployment, public communication and engagement, and scientific research.

EPA Administrator Regan’s statement on the President’s FY 2025 budget outlines the priorities for the Agency, including:

Invest in Critical Water Infrastructure. The budget provides $2.4 billion for the State Revolving Funds (SRFs) for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, an increase of more than $1 billion over the current levels. The budget also includes $30 million for a new program that addresses resource gaps to help improve the Federal response to water-related emergencies.
Support the President’s Goal of Replacing All Lead Pipes. The budget includes $101 million for two EPA grant programs dedicated to remediating lead contamination in drinking water—the Reducing Lead in Drinking Water grant program and the Voluntary School and Child Care Lead Testing and Reduction Grant Program—an increase of $53 million over 2021 levels.
Safeguard Against Dangerous Chemicals and Protecting Public Health and the Environment. The budget invests nearly $132 million, an increase of $49 million above current levels, to continue building core capacity and modernizing information technology and data software for the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Program. Additionally, the budget proposes approximately $170 million for EPA to continue addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) through actions highlighted in the Agency’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap.
Advance Environmental Justice. The budget bolsters the Agency’s efforts to achieve environmental justice in communities across the Nation by investing nearly $1.5 billion in environmental justice-related programs. This investment supports the implementation of the President’s Justice40 commitment, which ensures at least 40 percent of the benefits of federal investments in climate and clean energy as well as infrastructure work reach disadvantaged communities, including rural and Tribal communities.

Additionally, the budget provides $4.1 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which assists families with costs associated with home energy bills, energy crises, weatherization, and minor energy-related home repairs. The budget proposes to allow States to use a portion of their LIHEAP funds to provide water bill assistance to low-income households.