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Rep. Wasserman Schultz Presses Corps on Everglades Funding After Budget Reclassification; Assistant Secretary Cites New Transparency
Summary
Representative Wasserman Schultz questioned Corps leaders over a substantial apparent rise in 'salaries and expenses' for South Florida ecosystem restoration and whether separating salary costs from program funding will delay projects; witnesses said the change aims to provide transparency and pledged follow-up.
Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz used her time to press the Army Corps on the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration line in the FY27 request, noting what she described as a large shift from program construction dollars into a separately labeled "salaries and expenses" account.
"How did we go from $50 million to $150 million in salaries and expenses from one fiscal year to the other?" she demanded, citing numbers in the FY26 work plan and the FY27 budget. She warned that the separation could mask cuts to project funding and delay shovel-ready projects such as the C-11 canal in Weston.
Assistant Secretary Adam Tell and other witnesses responded that the FY27 submission is the first time the administration has delineated district salaries and overhead separately to provide Congress with a clearer accounting of what is purchased with appropriations. "This is transparency that the committee has never had access to," Tell said, adding that the move is intended to ensure decision-makers understand how much of an appropriation pays for direct project delivery versus salaries and overhead.
Tell and other witnesses acknowledged members' concerns and said they would provide more detailed follow-up data. Representative Wasserman Schultz said she needed a written explanation on the record explaining the sharp increase and how the separation will not reduce actual project delivery.
The exchange ended with the committee requesting supporting documentation from the Corps and Reclamation to clarify the line items and confirm that projects already planned or underway would not be canceled or delayed due to the FY27 budget presentation.
The subcommittee recorded strong interest from members across regions in seeing the accounting detail and directed witnesses to return more complete justifications and district-level breakdowns.
