NOTE TO STUDENTS:  Read the "Background" below before answering the questions.

1. a) What is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers?
b) What does the Army Corps of Engineers do?

2. a) How are Senators Barbara Boxer and David Vitter attempting to protect the Corps of Engineers budget from budget cuts all government agencies face in addition to the across the board sequester cuts?
b) Why do supporters say the Corps of Engineers budget should not be cut?
c) What does reporter Andy Sullivan imply is the Senators' motive for attempting to exempt the Army Corps of Engineers from the budget cuts?

3. a) Why did the Senators include a provision in the proposed bill which requires the taxes shipping companies pay to be used for their stated purpose?
b) What do you think about the fact that this must be included in a law?

4. From para. 12: "Vitter staff members say the Corps' dredging operations are especially crucial, as too-shallow waterways can hurt commerce in the 30 states that rely on the Mississippi River system to ship cargo. The worst U.S. drought in a half century has threatened shipping on the river this past winter." How could an opponent to the Boxer/Vitter bill refute this seemingly reasonable (or fear-mongering depending on how you view it) statement?

5. How would exempting the Corps' increased spending on harbor maintenance from any cuts affect spending for other government agencies?

6. From paragraph 5: Steve Ellis, an analyst at the watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense said: "I've never seen anything like this. It's basically saying everything the Corps does is more important than anything else." What do you think? Should the Corps be exempt from the additional budget cuts all agencies face, while those including the Defense Department and FBI are cut? Explain your answer.

7. From paragraph 7: Senators Boxer and Vitter's bill could come up for a vote on the Senate floor in April. The House has not yet drafted a version of the bill. Do you think this bill should become law? Why or why not?