Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016
Floor Speech
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Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I rise as the vice chair of the Appropriations Committee to express my appreciation to the majority leader of the Senate, Senator McConnell, and Senator Cochran, the chair of the Appropriations Committee, for moving the process forward.
We have on the floor today the Energy and Water Committee bill. This is the first bill of the Appropriations Committee to come to the floor. It signals that we are ready to do regular order. I so appreciate the leaderships' commitment to do that, so we don't end up with a big omnibus bill at the end. Every bill comes, they can be amended, and everyone can have their day and their say.
It is an excellent kickoff to what I hope will be the ability to move all 12 bills and some crucial, urgent supplementals. I also compliment Senators Alexander and Senator Feinstein for the excellent job they have done on this particular subcommittee. They have followed the bipartisan agreement. They have a bill that is free of poison pill riders. When you look at what they have done in terms of energy and water, it is an excellent bill from the standpoint of national security and economic development, whether it is the funding for the Army Corps of Engineers that is so important to those of us who have ports, to science in terms of our fields of energy. We win Nobel prizes, but we need to win the markets. It has an excellent approach in terms of tech transfer.
Maryland benefits from this bill. It provides over $100 million for the Port of Baltimore. That is going to support the port's nearly 14,000 jobs and a tax base of over $300 million. The Port of Baltimore has always been the gateway to Ohio and the West. First, supported by the B&O--Baltimore and Ohio--Railroad and now CSX. Funding in this bill dredges the port's 50-foot channel, making it ready for megacontainer ships coming through the expanded Panama Canal and supporting the port's competitive edge over its East Coast competition. The bill also funds construction of Poplar Island, where clean dredge material is rebuilding the natural ecosystem of a former Chesapeake Bay island.
This bill exceeds the target level for the harbor maintenance trust fund, providing approximately $1.3 billion. Dredging is the primary activity of the trust fund. This funding is knocking out the nationwide backlog of dredging projects, supporting the U.S. economy and local economies.
Across Maryland, this bill makes critical investments, protecting Assateague Island, a national seaside treasure, for future generations, protecting Cumberland from flooding, and protecting this area's water supply at the Jennings Randolph Lake in Garrett County.
This bill also supports a unique public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy and commercial truck manufacturers. Together, they are developing the next generation of fuel-efficient heavy-duty trucks. Total funding is $20 million. Volvo has been a partner and is competing again for a portion of this funding. Its Hagerstown, MD plant produces Mack Trucks with 1,600 jobs. Their talented professionals have been leaders on truck engine research and development, discovering technologies to reduce oil consumption and decrease greenhouse gas emissions.
For the Appalachian Regional Commission, this bill provides $75 million for the base program, an increase of $5 million. The commission meets both physical and human infrastructure needs. This is a hands- across-the-aisle program that all Appalachia Senators support. There are 13 States in the commission.
Maryland has three counties in the commission: Washington, Allegany, and Garrett.
Maryland's mountain counties receive nearly $5 million annually, making investments to rebound from lost manufacturing jobs. The recession was another setback.
Now, through their community colleges, they are retraining and retooling their residents. The commission's grants, matched with local and other Federal funding, are making a big difference.
I recently visited Garrett College where I announced two grants. The first was to establish new allied health programs with a simulation manikin. This was a grant award for $110,000.
The second grant was to buy Westernport a new water tank. This grant for $400,000 was matched with $2.4 million in other Federal loans and grants. It means more capacity for Westernport, new service to nearby towns of Luke and Bloomington, and a huge cost savings to Luke Mill. The paper mill has been supplying drinking water to the town of Luke. This grant is protecting the 880 employees at Luke Mill and 3,000 regional jobs in timber and trucking.
If this is the way it is going to be to move appropriations, I think it is a good day. It is not only a good bill, but it shows when the Senate practices the ability to work together to bring legislation to the floor, to follow regular order, we can get our job done. It can be open, it can be transparent, and we can have amendments. I so look forward to this being the tone and the tempo of the rest of the appropriations season.
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