Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017

Floor Speech

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Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I would like to start by thanking Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Kaptur for their hard work on this important legislation.

My amendment transfers $2.2 million from the Department of Energy, Departmental Administration account, to the Army Corps of Engineers' construction account.

The intent of this amendment is for additional construction funds to be used for the Army Corps' shore protection mission.

Shore protection projects are critical safeguards for life and property in coastal districts like mine, protecting millions of lives and billions of dollars of property.

These projects protect against storm surge, erosion, and flooding, which are all too common. Not only are our beaches an important safety buffer, but they are also economic drivers.

The State of South Carolina knows this well after suffering the devastating flood event associated with Hurricane Joaquin last October.

As a result of this major disaster, the authorized Myrtle Beach shore protection project suffered damages of approximately 700,000 cubic yards of sand and $17 million. My amendment would protect projects across the country like the Myrtle Beach project.

I want to thank the chairman for working with me in the wake of the disaster on pertinent flood and storm damage accounts in this year's funding bill.

I also want to thank the Army Corps for working with project sponsors for inclusion in this year's work plan.

Two of the reaches of the project fit Public Law 84-99 emergency criteria, resulting in a Corps recommendation of action. The Corps, while they recommended action, did not have available resources to address both reaches this year, imposing a safety and property vulnerability in our area.

For that reason, I think it appropriate to increase the Corps' construction account to allow significant projects like the one in north Myrtle Beach, which lost 241,850 cubic yards of sand in October, to compete for funding.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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