Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leaders on Friday introduced the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2018, legislation that provides for improvements to the nation’s ports, inland waterways, locks, dams, flood protection, ecosystem restoration and other water resources infrastructure.
WRDA 2018 (H.R. 8) was introduced by Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster, R-Pa.; Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Peter DeFazio, D-Ore.; Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Garret Graves, R-La.; and Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Ranking Member Grace Napolitano, D-Calif.
The committee will hold a markup of H.R. 8 at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
“WRDA positively impacts every single state and district in the country,” said Shuster. “This infrastructure is vital to moving goods throughout the country, from the products we all use in our daily lives, to the crops, resources and goods we produce locally and send overseas in foreign commerce. WRDA works because it improves critical water resources infrastructure, strengthens the economy and protects our communities.”
DeFazio added, “This legislation will authorize water infrastructure projects developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that will strengthen our coastal communities and our environment and create and sustain jobs. But more importantly, H.R. 8 includes my provision to ensure the funds collected in the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund will be used for their intended purpose — harbor maintenance.
“This proposal, which was approved by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the last Congress, is just commonsense. Unlocking the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund is key to ensuring we’re not just adding to the $100 billion backlog of projects at the Corps of Engineers, but are actually using existing funds to make real investments in our nation’s ports, harbors and waterways,” DeFazio said.
Graves said, “Nearly every aspect of American life — our economy, safety and our ability to endure the unexpected — hinges on the quality and performance of our ports, navigation channels, flood protection structures and other water infrastructure investments. We have to make sure we’re building these projects in a way that reflects the urgency of the needs, using the right solutions in the right places at the right times.
“Instead of wasting decades caught up in process, we have to focus on outcomes: completed projects, more resilient communities, modern ports and a healthy environment. This legislation is a step toward the federal government being a partner instead of an obstacle, allowing for efficient planning and construction of projects alongside state and local counterparts,” Graves said.
Click here for additional information about the Water Resources Development Act of 2018.
WRDA 2018 (H.R. 8) was introduced by Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster, R-Pa.; Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Peter DeFazio, D-Ore.; Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Garret Graves, R-La.; and Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Ranking Member Grace Napolitano, D-Calif.
The committee will hold a markup of H.R. 8 at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
“WRDA positively impacts every single state and district in the country,” said Shuster. “This infrastructure is vital to moving goods throughout the country, from the products we all use in our daily lives, to the crops, resources and goods we produce locally and send overseas in foreign commerce. WRDA works because it improves critical water resources infrastructure, strengthens the economy and protects our communities.”
DeFazio added, “This legislation will authorize water infrastructure projects developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that will strengthen our coastal communities and our environment and create and sustain jobs. But more importantly, H.R. 8 includes my provision to ensure the funds collected in the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund will be used for their intended purpose — harbor maintenance.
“This proposal, which was approved by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the last Congress, is just commonsense. Unlocking the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund is key to ensuring we’re not just adding to the $100 billion backlog of projects at the Corps of Engineers, but are actually using existing funds to make real investments in our nation’s ports, harbors and waterways,” DeFazio said.
Graves said, “Nearly every aspect of American life — our economy, safety and our ability to endure the unexpected — hinges on the quality and performance of our ports, navigation channels, flood protection structures and other water infrastructure investments. We have to make sure we’re building these projects in a way that reflects the urgency of the needs, using the right solutions in the right places at the right times.
“Instead of wasting decades caught up in process, we have to focus on outcomes: completed projects, more resilient communities, modern ports and a healthy environment. This legislation is a step toward the federal government being a partner instead of an obstacle, allowing for efficient planning and construction of projects alongside state and local counterparts,” Graves said.
Click here for additional information about the Water Resources Development Act of 2018.