Water Resources Development Act of 2018

Floor Speech

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Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and I thank the committee Democrats and Republicans for bringing this bipartisan bill to the floor.

One of the most important pieces of infrastructure in my particular district in the State of Michigan is the Saginaw River. This Federal port allows for raw material from around the world to be brought into our communities to be used in manufacturing and agriculture and is really the lifeblood of the economy there.

The depth of the river, however, currently limits the size of the ships that can use this very important port. Our dock owners on the Saginaw River have joined with the local government and businesses to propose deepening the Saginaw River to increase business opportunities and grow jobs in our region.

The Army Corps process to authorize deepening of the river, however, can sometimes be rather time-consuming. While millions have been spent by dock owners, under current law, the Army Corps construction plan for considering construction projects does not allow those investments that have already been made.

So I am supporting this legislation, in part, because of the reforms in the bill. It changes the way the Army Corps does their cost-benefit analysis on a project. It will greatly benefit many projects, including the Saginaw River's deepening project.

This will grow jobs in my district, in our State, and in our country. It is a step in the right direction. I encourage the Corps to work with those local members and that local coalition on the deepening of this river using the reforms in this bill. This is really important for my district.

I really appreciate the work of the committee in coming together and delivering these reforms and delivering a good bill to the floor in a bipartisan fashion. I encourage my colleagues to support it.

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