Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2014

Floor Speech

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Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Chair, the dispatch with which the committee has moved forward made it not possible for me to offer the amendment that I was going to offer formally, but I just intend to deal with the issue very briefly for the committee and look forward to trying to work with the committee going forward.

Six years ago, in section 2032 of WRDA 2007, Congress directed the President to issue a report describing the vulnerability of the United States to damage from flooding. In addition to examining the risk to public health and property, Congress instructed the President to undertake an assessment of existing programs to address flooding, the effectiveness of those programs, and recommendations about how to improve them. Unfortunately, despite almost daily reminders that we see about flooding in the news, this report has yet to be written.

The President has requested funding for this study in its annual budget requests for the Corps of Engineers. The fiscal year 2014 budget calls this study a ``high priority evaluation of the Nation's vulnerability to inland and coastal flooding and of the effectiveness, efficiency, and accountability of existing programs and strategies.'' I agree. And the amendment that I would have offered would seek to provide funding for the Corps to finally undertake the study.

The need is clear. Flooding is America's most common natural disaster. From 2002 to 2011, total flood insurance claims averaged more than $2.9 billion a year. Last month, a new FEMA report indicated that rising sea levels and increasingly severe weather are expected to increase the areas of the United States at risk by 45 percent by the end of this century.

The Federal Government, led by FEMA and the Corps of Engineers, plays a significant role in flood damage reduction and emergency response. Reducing flood damage is one of the core missions of the Corps. It builds levees, floodwalls, shore protection projects, and restores natural floodplains. However, our current understanding of the actions necessary to reduce vulnerability to flooding and, therefore, reduce the amount that we spend to respond to flooding is lacking.

If we could do this report, it would be very helpful. The Corps of Engineers spent $1.5 billion annually on flood control activities for the last decade, and Congress has provided over $26 billion in additional supplemental appropriations responding to flooding and other natural disasters over the same period.

Despite massive expenditures on flood control, flood damages have increased at alarming rates. Long-term average flood damages are more than double what they were earlier this century. Obviously, we're not doing everything right.

The cost of this study would only be $1 million. The Investigations program is being funded at $90 million. In order to reduce government spending, we need to know how much money we are continuing to throw at projects that may or may not help.

I would hope that we could work with the committee to make sure that we have the best information available before the Corps commits to even more projects. I would hope that we could work to make sure that this comes to pass. It will make the job of the committee easier and will make a difference for Americans across the country.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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