Inhofe slams President Obama budget request over State Revolving Fund allocations

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) criticized President Barack Obama following a POLITICO report suggesting that he will seek to increase the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Drinking Water State Revolving Fund while cutting the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.

“It took the media bringing to light the crisis in Flint, Michigan for the President to become concerned with the EPA’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund,” Inhofe, who chairs the Environment and Public Works Committee, said. “Every year previous, the President’s budget proposal has sought to short change this fund while increasing funding for subsidies for his corporate friends that share his global warming views. Now the President is seeking to increase this program’s budget only by robbing Peter to pay Paul by tapping the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.”

According to the report, the fiscal year 2017 budget request includes a $158 million increase for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, for a total of just over $1 billion, and a $250 million decrease for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, based on the 2016 enacted levels.

“Both of these funds are fiscally responsible in how they provide low interest loans to communities in need of addressing critical water infrastructure. The federal government can responsibly help Flint, and help prevent another Flint from happening by supporting infrastructure investment," Inhofe said. "I will continue working with my colleagues to find a bipartisan solution to help the children and families in Flint, and any similarly affected communities, as well as work to ensure these EPA accounts are responsibly funded.”