Water Resources Development Act of 2016

Floor Speech

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Mr. OLSON. Mr. Chairman, I say a special thank you to my cosponsor, co-chair of the House Corrosion Prevention Caucus, Congresswoman Esty, for introducing this amendment that will help the taxpayers protect America's aging infrastructure.

Corrosion in our Nation's infrastructure reduces the lifespan of our investments, costs our taxpayers billions of dollars, threatens our environment, and endangers our public safety. If left unchecked, corrosion affects many sectors of our economy, including defense projects, energy development, ports, water infrastructure, utilities, roads, rails, bridges, and other critical American assets.

The good news is that corrosion is an issue that can be tackled to extend the life and value of our Federal investments. When properly maintained, corrosion is largely preventable.

I have dealt with corrosion my whole adult life. Serving in our Navy for 9 years, I have seen young sailors fighting corrosion on our ships with a paint scraper, a paint brush, and a bucket of gray paint--the glory of the so-called paint and chip detail.

Working for the Houston region, I know how corrosion can impact our investment in our ports and waterways. Investing in corrosion prevention now will save the taxpayers billions down the road.

If my colleagues want to know more about corrosion prevention, come to Houston, Texas, headquarters of NACE, National Association of Corrosion Engineers, International.

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Mr. OLSON. This amendment would simply require the Army Corps to submit a report on corrosion prevention activities for our Nation's infrastructure, including water and sewer systems. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan, commonsense amendment.

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