Spending Bill Rejects Trump Effort To Gut Water Cleanups
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) -- President Donald Trump has gotten nowhere in his push to kill federal support for cleaning up some of the nation's most prized waterways.
A $1.3 trillion spending package approved by Congress includes nearly $448 million for Environmental Protection Agency programs benefiting regional waters degraded by pollution, overdevelopment and exotic species invasions.
That's an increase from $436 million in the previous budget.
The programs support nearly a dozen waterways, including the Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay, the Gulf of Mexico and Puget Sound.
Trump has tried to kill or deeply cut funding for the programs, saying they should be paid for locally.
But members of Congress in both parties have refused to go along.
The spending bill cleared the House on Thursday and the Senate early on Friday.
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