|
AGC Encouraged by House Subcommittee Approval of Water Resources Legislation
The House Water Resources and Environment today reported from Committee a $10 billion reauthorization of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). A bipartisan coalition of House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee members, led by Subcommittee Chairman John Duncan (R-TN) and Ranking member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) approved the bill (H.R. 2864) by unanimous vote. AGC has long called for passage of this critical legisation and has made it a priority issue for the 109th Congress.
The bill would authorize funding for major navigation, flood control and environmental restoration projects carried out by the Army Corps of Engineers, is nearly identical to the version of WRDA passed in the House in 2003. This bill also includes an additional $3.34 billion for lock expansion, including $1.58 billion for ecosystem restoration, and restoration on the Upper Mississippi River, the Indian River Lagoon in the Everglades; and environmental work along coastal Louisiana.
The full Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is expected to mark up the bill next week, and the bill is expected to be considered on the House floor the week of June 27.
In April, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee reported its version of WRDA, S. 728, with total authorizations ranging between $7 billion and $17 billion over the next 15 years. It is not yet scheduled for floor action.
For more information contact Marco Giamberardino at (703) 837-5325 or giamberm@agc.org.
[
return to top ]
|
