WRDA

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I thank and acknowledge the work of the Senator from California, as well as the chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, not only on this WRDA bill but on previous matters relating to our water, resources, and our infrastructure--

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Our highway bill. This has been a collaboration that has been recognized in the Senate. I think sometimes we joke that sometimes we have some polar opposites in the Senate on certain issues, but when there is a desire and a will to create something, to create legislation and make good things happen, that good will rises to the surface. I think we have seen that play out with our colleagues from California and Oklahoma.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. MURKOWSKI. I thank the Senator from California and do recognize that tough issues come to us. If they were easy, they wouldn't be here, and so it is our job to kind of thread that needle and do that.

I know the Senator mentioned the people of Flint being happy with a resolution here. It is not just the people of Flint and the communities you have named in California. I can tell you that when we successfully pass this, the people in the small communities of Craig, the Pribilof Islands, Seward, and Little Diomede are looking for this infrastructure that will allow them, as very small communities, to have an economy because they now have a port, a harbor, and some infrastructure they can rely on.

When we think we are not making a difference, all we need to do is look to measures such as this WRDA bill.

I commend my colleague for working with me, working with Senator Sullivan, including many of the priorities we had tried to advance on behalf of the good people of Alaska.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source