CONGRESSWOMAN JOHNSON SECURES FINAL PASSAGE OF WATER RESOURCES BILL
Today, the House passed legislation, originating in Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson's Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee, which authorized around $15 billion for water resource projects by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Congresswoman Johnson was one of the principal authors of the legislation, known as the Water Resources Development Act or WRDA, which passed 394 to 25. In addition to new rules for the Army Corps, it includes more than 600 flood control, navigation, and environmental restoration projects. Most of these had accumulated over six years, despite the fact that the bill is usually reauthorized every two years.
"Since Congress last passed a Water Resources Development Act in 2,000, we have seen Hurricanes Katrina and Rita tear through the Gulf Coast and my home state of Texas, flooding cities, damaging economies and businesses, and threatening public health," Congresswoman Johnson said in support of the bill. "This bill also contains smaller projects that may be less publicized, but just as vital, to communities that rely on various water resources for their livelihood."
One such project, funded through the bill and crucial to Dallas, is the plan to improve the Trinity River and its surrounding area. Enhancements to levees and bridges will control flooding and make the river more navigable. The city also hopes to make the Trinity and the corridor around it a recreational destination for residents and tourists.
"Every day we delay makes these projects more expensive," Congresswoman Johnson noted, stressing that the initiatives had each been thoroughly vetted through the House's committee process - some multiple times.
"Last year, we came very close to resolving our differences with the other body in conference negotiations," she said. "However, we ultimately ran out of time. I hope this legislation that we consider today can take us to that point and further, releasing this backlog of authorizations to fix our existing infrastructure and to authorize new flood control, navigation and environmental restoration projects.
"I urge my colleagues to once again support these provisions, so we may engage the other body and together produce the best package for corps reform," said Congresswoman Johnson.
Both the House and Senate passed legislation similar to what was approved in years past to ease the bill's passage through conference. However, the administration issued a statement decrying the bill's cost and stopping just short of a veto threat.
Congresswoman Johnson said the bipartisan legislation was too important to fall victim to political differences since the larger-than-usual price tag was really the result of a six-year backlog of needs.
"This is not a Democratic or Republican bill, it's a human bill that benefits the entire nation" Congresswoman Johnson said.