Today, the U.S. House of Representatives is considering H.R. 8, the Water Resources Development Act of 2018 (WRDA), bipartisan legislation that provides for improvements to the Nation’s ports, inland waterways, locks, dams, flood protection, ecosystem restoration, and other water resources infrastructure.
For additional information about WRDA, visit the Committee’s page on H.R. 8.
The following are Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Garret Graves’ (R-LA) opening remarks for today’s floor debate:
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the distinguished Chairman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Shuster, for his leadership on restoring biennial consideration of Water Resources Development Acts and for yielding me time.
Today, I rise in strong support of H.R. 8, the Water Resources Development Act of 2018.
H.R. 8 strengthens our Nation’s ability to withstand the unexpected, authorizes the construction of key water infrastructure projects throughout the Nation, creates jobs here at home, and directly contributes to our economic growth and national security.
The Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, which I have the honor of chairing, has jurisdiction over the water resources development missions of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). H.R. 8 authorizes vitally important Corps projects for navigation; flood control; shoreline protection; recreation; water supply; environmental protection, restoration and enhancement; and fish and wildlife management.
Each project authorization contained in H.R. 8 was proposed by non-federal sponsors and underwent a rigorous planning process before Congressional review. Each Chief’s Report was recommended to Congress by the Corps’ Chief of Engineers.
Mr. Speaker, currently the Corps of Engineers has an uncompleted project backlog of $100 billion. In years past, a project authorization from Congress meant years, even decades, of the Corps quite literally studying projects to death.
Instead of wasting decades caught up in process, we should focus on outcomes: completed projects, more resilient communities, modern ports, and a healthy environment.
That’s what this bill does – and it’s why WRDA works. H.R. 8 works to ensure that more of these vital projects make it over the finish line while empowering local entities to play a larger role in the process.
The Committee-passed version of H.R. 8 contains nine specific Corps project authorizations. My subcommittee held multiple hearings to discuss the Chief’s Reports in depth and provided strong congressional oversight of the proposed initiatives.
This bill further expedites 20 feasibility studies to help locally developed needs and contains new study authorizations for 12 potential Corps projects.
H.R. 8 is also fiscally responsible, with new project authorizations fully offset by deauthorizations of projects that are outdated or no longer viable.
This legislation represents a commitment to regular order by continuing a two-year cycle of consideration for water resources projects. Regularly overseeing the improvement of our Nation’s infrastructure is one of the most important responsibilities of the Congress.
H.R. 8 contains no earmarks, strengthens our water transportation networks, and increases transparency for non-federal sponsors and the public. This is a good, common-sense, bipartisan bill, and I want to thank Chairman Shuster, Ranking Member DeFazio, and Congresswoman Napolitano for their partnership in its creation. I urge all Members to support H.R. 8.
