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Senate Passes Water Resources Development Act Reauthorization
Long-Awaited Reauthorization Bill Approved by Voice Vote
Last Wednesday night the U.S. Senate passed the long-awaited $12 billion reauthorization of Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). The measure, long advoated by AGC, would authorize funding for major navigation, flood control and environmental restoration projects carried out by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).
WRDA reaffirms the government's pledge to authorize, modify, and improve projects, programs, and policies protecting the nation from floods and keeping waterways open to navigation. This critical legislation, which should pass every two years, is nearly six years overdue. The House passed its version of WRDA (H.R. 2864) in July, 2005.
Much of the Senate debate centered on "Corps Reform." After much discussion, the Senate approved an amendment offered by Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and John McCain (R-AZ), would establish external independent reviews of all USACE projects that cost more than $40 million. The Senate soundly defeated a proposal by Senator McCain that would have created an additional layer of bureaucracy charged with prioritizing Corps projects, agreeing that the approach by Senators James Inhofe (R-OK) and Kit Bond (R-MO) was reasonable and achievable.
AGC looks forward to working with House and Senate leaders as they prepare for a productive conference. The sooner we have an agreement, the sooner we can have a WRDA that will finally set the nation back on the track of reaping substantial returns on investment.
For more information, please contact Marco Giamberardino at (703) 837-5325 or at giamberm@agc.org.
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