Press Releases

Today, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Sam Graves (R-MO), Chair of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA), and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Bruce Westerman (R-AR) applauded House passage of the Water Resources Development Act of 2020 (WRDA). This bipartisan legislation, which Congress has developed and passed on a biennial basis since 2014, is essential to our country’s ports, harbors, and inland waterways, as well as ecosystem restoration and flood mitigation in both rural and urban communities. The legislation passed today is the result of negotiations with the Senate since House passage of H.R. 7575 in late July.  

More information, including bill text and a section by section, can be found here.

“I applaud my colleagues in the House for passing the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act of 2020. This legislation—which the House unanimously approved earlier this year—is key to boosting America’s competitive edge. It includes provisions to invest in our ports, harbors and inland waterways; build more resilient communities; address affordability concerns for communities; unlock the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund; and ensure that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers carries out projects in an economically and environmentally responsible manner keeping equity in mind,” Chair DeFazio said. “I want to thank Ranking Member Graves, Subcommittee Chair Napolitano, and Subcommittee Ranking Member Westerman for their continued dedication to moving this critical bill forward. It’s now time for the Senate to follow the House’s lead and pass this legislation so it can finally go to the President’s desk to be signed into law.”

“WRDA 2020 will help strengthen the Nation’s global competitiveness, grow the economy, protect our communities, and create jobs.  In particular, the vital flood control and risk reduction improvements in this bill will help safeguard communities throughout North Missouri and around the country.  I want to thank all of those in the House and Senate who worked on this final bill and ensured that Congress maintains regular oversight of important water resources infrastructure projects and policies. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation demonstrates what Congress can do for America’s infrastructure when we leave politics at the door and work together to find common ground,” Ranking Member Graves said. 

“Our bipartisan Water Resources Development Act will create much needed American jobs and boost our economic recovery, while upgrading our nation’s water infrastructure and safeguarding our environment,” Subcommittee Chair Napolitano said. “I am pleased it dramatically increases funding to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach for dredging, cleanup, and maintenance, something for which I have fought for many years. This bill also includes the language necessary for my district and other wildfire prone regions of the country to improve efforts by the Army Corps of Engineers to remove unauthorized, human-made flammable equipment and materials from Corps property. As we in the West are in a continuous fight against drought, I am proud to have secured provisions to give the Corps more ability to focus on long-term water reliability of arid communities and local water supply. I thank Chairman DeFazio, Ranking Member Graves, Subcommittee Ranking Member Westerman, and all of the members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for their important work over the past two years on this bill, which will benefit communities in every corner of the nation.”

“WRDA is a great example of commonsense, bipartisan policy in action. Water infrastructure is essential to our daily operations, whether you live in downtown New York City or on a farm in rural Oregon. I’ve collaborated with my Transportation and Infrastructure Committee colleagues to put together a bill that funds critical water projects, including areas in Arkansas that were impacted by severe flooding in 2019. I’m glad to see all of Congress working together on this bill to get it to President Trump’s desk. I look forward to seeing it implemented across the country,” Subcommittee Ranking Member Westerman said.