Kennedy secures major Louisiana wins, cuts wasteful spending, and strengthens defense priorities in FY 2026 Energy and Water Development spending bill

WASHINGTON - Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, today voted in favor of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Energy and Water Development Appropriations conference bill, which curbs wasteful spending, strengthens America's energy and national security, and locks in critical investments for Louisiana's energy and water infrastructure. In his first year leading the Energy and Water Subcommittee, Kennedy negotiated a final bill that spends less than the previous year, demonstrating that Washington can cut costs without compromising results. The U.S. Senate passed the bill by a vote of 82-15.

"President Biden left Americans with sky-high electricity bills, a drained national fuel reserve, and a mountain of red tape that strangled energy production and cut good-paying jobs. That wasn't governing-it was failure. President Trump's energy agenda brings common sense back to Washington and puts American energy dominance back within reach.

"The FY 2026 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill delivers real results for Louisianans and the American people by reducing waste, strengthening our nation's energy and nuclear security, and providing real flood protection. I'm proud this bill is becoming law. The era of Biden's anti-energy policies is over, and President Trump should sign this bill without hesitation," said Kennedy.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, strongly backed Kennedy's fiscally responsible legislation.

"This legislation will help strengthen America's energy independence, supporting an all-of-the-above approach to energy research, development, and deployment efforts. The bill provides strong support for our national defense by meeting the needs of our nuclear deterrence posture during this period of growing geopolitical tensions.?At home, the bill funds critical Army Corps of Engineers water infrastructure projects, which provide for safe navigation and flood control," said Collins.

Key Louisiana Wins in the FY 2026 Energy and Water Development Conference Bill:

• Morganza to the Gulf Project ($131.5 million)
  • Advances critical flood protection features for coastal Louisiana.

• West Bank and Vicinity Project ($43.6 million)
  • Supports additional operations and maintenance, including sector gate dewatering.

• Upper Barataria Basin Project ($23 million)
  • Begins architect-engineer design work for levees and other key flood control features.

• Southwest Coastal Protection ($20 million)
  • Supports the construction of two additional miles of rock stabilization at the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge.
    
    
• Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) ($7 million)
  • Advances the design of the MRGO Ecosystem Restoration Project.

• Lower Mississippi River Basin ($5 million)
  • Develops recommendations for comprehensive basin management focused on flood risk reduction, navigation, and ecosystem restoration.

• Atchafalaya Basin (Corps) ($4.77 million)
  • Supports additional operation and maintenance of drainage systems, including assessing the needs for Bayou Vista in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana.

• St. Tammany Flood Risk Management Project ($3.25 million)
  • Continues pre-construction engineering and design work to reduce flood risk.

• Pointe Celeste ($3.2 million)
  • Funds water and wastewater infrastructure, including the rehabilitation of the Pointe Celeste Pumping Station to improve local flood protection.

• Houma Navigation Canal ($1.65 million)
  • Continues pre-construction engineering and design work for dredging of the Houma Navigation Canal to support navigation and economic activity.

• Grambling Community Energy Grid Strength ($1.5 million)
  • Strengthens and modernizes the energy grid infrastructure between Grambling State University and the City of Grambling, enabling shared utility support during key emergencies and natural disasters.

• South Central Coastal Flood Mitigation ($1 million)
  • Advances the design of flood mitigation projects to protect Iberia, St. Martin, and St. Mary Parishes from storm surge and flooding.

• Southeast Louisiana Flood Risk Reduction ($500,000)
  • Funds critical design and planning strategies to develop flood reduction measures for Jefferson Parish and the surrounding communities, strengthening long-term protection for Louisiana families and businesses.

• Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity Flood Reduction Study ($500,000).
  • This funding will be used to assess the feasibility of providing 200-year flood protection for the New Orleans area.

• Lake Pontchartrain Storm Surge Reduction Study ($500,000)
  • Begins a comprehensive study to evaluate long-term storm surge mitigation options.
    
    

FY 2026 Energy and Water Development Conference Bill Highlights:

• Responsible Spending: Provides a base discretionary total of $58 billion, including $34.2 billion in defense funding and $23.8 billion in non-defense spending, while prioritizing core national energy and defense needs.

• Stronger Water Infrastructure: Delivers $10.4 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Civil Works program to reduce flood risk, strengthen coastal resiliency, improve port navigation, and restore damaged ecosystems.

• National Security and Nuclear Deterrence: Provides $25.4 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration-nearly $1.3 billion (5 percent) above FY25 enacted levels-to strengthen America's nuclear deterrent, bolster nonproliferation efforts, and support our nuclear naval fleet.

• American nuclear energy leadership: Invests $1.8 billion for the Office of Nuclear Energy-$100 million above FY25 enacted levels-plus an additional $3.1 billion for small modular and advanced nuclear reactors.

Bottom Line:

The FY 2026 Energy and Water Development Appropriations conference bill cuts waste, strengthens American energy and national security, and delivers concrete wins for Louisiana.

Text of the bill is available here.