    [Senate Hearing 118-719]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                                                            S. Hrg. 118-719

                                BUSINESS MEETING

    =======================================================================

                                    MEETING

                                     OF THE

                                  COMMITTEE ON
                          ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS

                              UNITED STATES SENATE

                        ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

                                 SECOND SESSION

                                   __________

                                  MAY 22, 2024

                                   __________

      Printed for the use of the Committee on Environment and Public Works

            Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov

                                  __________

                       U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
    61-831                  WASHINGTON : 2025

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                   COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS

                        ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

                                 SECOND SESSION

                      THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware, Chairman
              SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia, Ranking Member

    BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland         KEVIN CRAMER, North Dakota
    BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont             CYNTHIA M. LUMMIS, Wyoming
    SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island     MARKWAYNE MULLIN, Oklahoma
    JEFF MERKLEY, Oregon                 PETE RICKETTS, Nebraska
    EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts      JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas
    DEBBIE STABENOW, Michigan            ROGER WICKER, Mississippi
    MARK KELLY, Arizona                  DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska
    ALEX PADILLA, California             LINDSEY O. GRAHAM, South Carolina
    JOHN FETTERMAN, Pennsylvania

                   Courtney Taylor, Democratic Staff Director
                   Adam Tomlinson, Republican Staff Director

                               C O N T E N T S

                                  ----------
                                                                       Page

                                  MAY 22, 2024
                               OPENING STATEMENTS

    Carper, Hon. Thomas R., U.S. Senator from the State of Delaware..     1
    Capito, Hon. Shelley Moore, U.S. Senator from the State of
      Virginia.......................................................   389

                                  LEGISLATION

    The text of S. 4397 to consider the Water Resources Development
      Act of 2024....................................................     2
    The text of the Carper-Capito Amendment Number One in the nature
      of the substitute..............................................   392
    The text of the Capito Amendment Number One......................   590
     The text of S. 3880, H.R. 4688, by S. 3564, S. 4293, and S. 4359   595
    The text of Carper-Capito Kelly-Cramer Amendment Number One to S.
      3880 an amendment in the nature of a substitute, and the text
      of Carper Amendment Number One to H.R. 4688, also an amendment
      in the nature of a substitute..................................   632

                              ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

    Letters to Senator Carper and Senator Capito from:
        U.S. Chamber of Commerce.....................................   651
        Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI)................................   652
        Associated General Contractors of America (AGC)..............   653
        American Shore & Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA)......   654
        Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).............................   655
        National Waterways Conference (NWC)..........................   657
        North American Concrete Alliance.............................   659
        National Wildlife Federation.................................   660
        Portland Cement Association (PCA)............................   662
        Dedicated to restoring and protecting America's Everglades
          from various organizations.................................   663
    Letter to Senators Carper, Capito, Kelly and Cramer from the
      Nature Conservancy (TNC).......................................   665

                                BUSINESS MEETING

                                  ----------

                            WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2024

                                   U.S. Senate,
             Committee on Environment and Public Works,
                                                        Washington, DC.
        The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:47 a.m. in room
    406, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Thomas R. Carper
    (chairman of the committee) presiding.
        Present: Senators Carper, Capito, Cardin, Whitehouse,
    Merkley, Markey, Stabenow, Kelly, Padilla, Fetterman, Cramer,
    Ricketts, Boozman, Wicker, Sullivan.

              OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. THOMAS R. CARPER,
                U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF DELAWARE

        Senator Carper. I am pleased to call this business meeting
    to order.
        Today, as you know, we will be considering the Water
    Resources Development Act of 2024, along with three bills
    related to the management of public buildings, a bill to name a
    Federal courthouse in Kentucky, and reauthorization of the
    National Dam Safety Program at the Federal Emergency Management
    Agency.
        Before we do that, I am going to take a moment to just
    briefly discuss each of these items.
        First, we will consider the Water Resources Development Act
    of 2024. As my colleagues know, it is one of the major pieces
    of legislation that this committee deals with, in fact, that
    the Senate and the House deal with. I am excited. This is an
    exciting day for us. By unanimous consent, I request that we
    replace the committee-drafted Water Resources Development Act
    on the agenda with S. 4367, which is the identical introduced
    text of WRDA, without objection. Hearing no objection.
        [The text of S. 4367 follows:]
       [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Carper. The Army Corps' work protects us from
    floods, helps shippers navigate our water safely, and provides
    critical infrastructure to communities across this Country of
    ours. As sea levels rise, driven by climate change, and extreme
    weather events increasingly threatens our communities and their
    economies, the Corps' work will take on an even greater
    importance.
        We must continue to equip the agency with the tools that it
    needs to invest in our Nation's water infrastructure and to
    make our communities more resilient. The Water Resources
    Development Act of 2024 is a critical step, big step, in the
    right direction.
        The committee received more than 1,200 WRDA requests. I
    will say that again: the committee received more than 1,200
    WRDA requests this cycle, impacting programs in all 50 States.
    This bill is the product of an extensive bipartisan process to
    find agreement on as many of these requests as possible. While
    we were not able to find agreement, we are committed to keeping
    the conversation going in future WRDA bills.
        I just want to take moment to thank the staff on both sides
    of the aisle for, really, an incredible bipartisan effort that
    went into the drafting of this particular legislation. I
    particularly want to thank, on Senator Capito's team, Murphie,
    Libby, Dan, Dom, and Adam. I hope I am not forgetting anybody,
    but if I am, forgive me, but Murphie, great job, and big thanks
    to you and your team. I also want to recognize the leadership
    of John Kane on the majority side, along with Linnea, Nicole,
    Jordan, and Courtney, our staff director.
        Next, we are going to consider three bills that seek to
    improve the Federal real eState disposal process. The second of
    these three bills is the FASTA Reform Act, a bipartisan
    legislation sponsored by Senators Kelly and Cramer. In 2016,
    Congress passed the Federal Asset Sale and Transfer Act, also
    known as FASTA, which recognized the need to improve the public
    buildings disposal process.
        That law created an independent board called the Public
    Buildings Reform Board, whose job is to identify opportunities
    for the Federal Government to reduce its inventory of civilian
    real eState property. The FASTA Reform Act authorizes the
    Public Buildings Reform Board through 2026. It also improves
    the FASTA process based on lessons learned over the Board's
    first 5 years of operation.
        The second of these three bills is sponsored by
    Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton of the District of
    Columbia. This legislation, which the House of Representatives
    passed by a voice vote, I think, late last year, directs the
    General Services Administration to dispose of a historic school
    buildings in our Nation's capital, in Washington, DC.
        The Daniel Webster School is located in downtown Washington
    and has been vacant since the 1980's. This legislation directs
    GSA to either sell the building or use it for public benefit by
    2026. Making better use of this building will be a win-win for
    the District of Columbia economy and for the surrounding
    community.
        The third bill is the GSA Disposal Procell Tribal Parity
    Act, legislation that Senator Alex Padilla of California and
    James Lankford of Oklahoma introduced earlier this year. This
    bill gives Tribes the same opportunity that State and local
    governments have to access surplus Federal property during the
    Federal disposal process. Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona and
    Senator Cramer of North Dakota and John Hoeven, our colleague
    John Hoeven of North Dakota, have cosponsored this piece of
    legislation.
        Next, we are going to consider a bill from our minority
    leader, Senator Mitch McConnell, to name a United States
    courthouse annex in London, Kentucky after Eugene Siler, Jr.
    Judge Siler is a senior judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals with
    the Sixth Circuit. He has served on the Federal bench for
    nearly half a century. Prior to his service on the bench, he
    was U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
        Judge Siler also served as U.S. Navy midshipman in 1957,
    and as a lieutenant in the U.S. Naval Reserve from 1958 to
    1983. This retired Navy captain salutes him, along with many of
    you. This legislation honors Judge Siler's distinguished career
    in public service.
        Finally, we will consider a bill to reauthorize the
    National Dam Safety Program. This program is operated by the
    Federal Emergency Management Agency. Through this program,
    States, Federal agencies, and other stakeholders work together
    to promote the establishment and maintenance of effective
    Federal and State dam safety programs to reduce risk to human
    life, property, and the environment from dam-related hazards.
    This bill would reauthorize the program through 2029.
        I want to thank our members and their staffs for their hard
    work and partnership in advancing these important bills. We
    look forward to reporting each of these bills to the Senate
    floor with strong bipartisan support. I would be remiss if I
    didn't say, again, a huge thank you to our Ranking Member,
    Senator Capito, and her team for the wonderful collaboration
    and for your leadership that has brought us to this day.
        Senator Capito, you are recognized.

            OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO,
              U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA

        Senator Capito. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Today is an
    exciting day. Once again, we have worked together on a
    bipartisan basis to develop the biennial Water Resources
    Development Act, or WRDA, legislation that we are considering
    today.
        I want to thank you and both of our staffs for putting
    together a tailored bill that authorizes critical water
    resource studies and projects for the Civil Works Program of
    the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. From navigation improvements
    to flood risk management to ecosystem restoration, the work of
    the Corps protects the lives and livelihoods of millions of
    Americans and facilitates commerce throughout this Country and
    internationally.
        Since 2014, Congress has passed WRDA legislation every 2
    years, so today, we are taking the important step to keeping
    that 10-year streak alive through our bipartisan agreement to
    address our Nation's water resources needs. I also want to
    recognize the leadership of the EPW Subcommittee on
    Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Mark Kelly and
    Ranking Member Kevin Cramer for you and your staff's dedication
    to this legislation.
        WRDA 2024 reauthorizes many new feasibility studies and
    projects, as well as modifications of existing projects. The
    bill avoids that one-size-fits-all solutions while maintaining
    important flexibility for the Corps in developing projects in
    consultation with non-Federal partners.
        It contains directives for the Corps to develop
    comprehensive implementation plans for this WRDA and prior
    WRDAs. This will enable the Corps to focus its energy and
    resources on fully implementing this WRDA and prior WRDA
    provisions in order to better reflect the intent of Congress
    and ensure the agency continues to be responsive to water
    resources needs.
        With that table setting about how WRDA is important to all
    of us, I would like to take a moment to highlight some of the
    ways this bill will directly address the needs of my home State
    of West Virginia. Almost 8 years ago, in June 2016, West
    Virginia experienced flooding at historic levels, leading to
    tragic deaths and devastation. Today's bill provides support
    for future projects identified by the Corps Feasibility Study
    for Flood Risk Management and the Kanawha River Basin.
        This legislation also increases the ability of the Corps to
    carry out smaller projects, such as emergency stream bank and
    shoreline protections, ecosystem restoration, and debris and
    obstruction removal, which are critical to many areas in our
    State. WRDA 2024 directs the Corps to expedite feasibility
    studies for the Upper Guyandotte and Kanawha River Basin, as
    well as to expedite projects in Milton and at the Bluestone Dam
    in Hinton.
        This bill supports drinking and wastewater projects across
    West Virginia and authorizes the Corps to restore rivers and
    streams impacted by acid mine drainage in West Virginia and in
    our neighboring States of Ohio and Pennsylvania. Increased
    partnership with West Virginia University and improved
    education and outreach to communities in modernization of how
    the Corps assess communities' ability to pay will improve the
    Corps' activities and outcomes in my State.
        I think every member on this committee could probably go
    through the litany of where we have worked with you, all the
    numerous projects that the Chairman said were submitted to us,
    and I know you have a lot of good successes in this bill for
    your homes States, as well. I urge my colleagues to support
    WRDA 2024, and I look forward to get our WRDA legislation into
    law.
        As the Chairman mentioned, we are authorizing five other
    bills. I am pleased to report that the FEMA, the National Dam
    Safety Bill, and the FASTA Bill, and also the naming of the
    courthouse by Leader McConnell to name after Sixth Circuit
    Senior Judge Eugene Siler, Jr.
        With that, I thank you for your teamwork, and on all six
    bills we are considering today, I am proud that we are going to
    be reporting them out under your leadership.
        Senator Carper. Thank you so much.
        Did you say Hinton, West Virginia?
        Senator Capito. Hinton, West Virginia.
        Senator Carper. You said Bluestone Dam?
        Senator Capito. Yes.
        Senator Carper. Where my sister and I learned to fish, and
    with our dad, a million years ago, great memories.
        Senator Capito. Yes, we used to, when we wanted something,
    our parents would look at us and say, Hinton is up the river.
        Senator Carper. I won't mention what my parents would say.
        Well, I see that a voting quorum is present. As we proceed,
    I would ask Senators to hold their statements on the bill until
    after the voting is complete.
        First, I want to call up S. 4367, The Water Resources
    Development Act of 2024. An amendment in the nature of a
    substitute to this legislation is Carper-Capito Number One. The
    amendment makes several changes agreed to on a bipartisan
    basis.
        As the Ranking Member and I have agreed, I ask unanimous
    consent to use this amendment in the nature of a substitute as
    the base text for the purpose of this business meeting.
        Hearing no objection, the committee will now use the
    Carper-Capito Amendment in the nature of a substitute as the
    base text for the purpose of this committee's action.
        [The text of the Carper-Capito Amendment Number One
    follows:]
    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Carper. Does any Senator wish to offer another
    amendment to this legislation? Senator Capito?
        Senator Capito. I have an amendment at the desk.
        Senator Carper. Please.
        Senator Capito. Thank you.
        I would like to call up my amendment, Capito Number One. My
    amendment would change the title of this bill to the Thomas R.
    Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024.
        As we all know, Chairman Carper will be retiring from the
    Senate at the end of this session. Over the past three and a
    half years that he has served as Chairman, this committee has
    worked in a bipartisan way to exact a number of major pieces of
    legislation, including the Surface Transportation
    Reauthorization Act, the Drinking Water and Wastewater
    Infrastructure Act, and the Water Resources Development Act of
    2022.
        Before Chairman Carper leaves, I am confident we will add
    to this list the WRDA Bill, the ADVANCE Act, hopefully, and a
    legislation reauthorizing some conservation economic
    development programs. We will all have occasions to discuss the
    committee's achievements and to add to them, but this WRDA
    Bill, being perhaps the last major infrastructure bill that we
    will mark up during this committee, I think it is fitting that
    it bear our Chairman's name.
        I hope all my colleagues will join me in supporting this
    amendment and in thanking Chairman Carper for his service and
    leadership on the committee.
        [The text of the Capito Amendment Number One follows:]
        [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Carper. That is very, very kind. Thank you very
    much. I accept this honor on behalf of all the folks sitting
    behind me and the members, Democrat and Republican, who helped
    make these successes possible. It has been just such a joy
    working with you. Thank you so much.
        I said several times, in the last several weeks, people
    have been so nice to me. If I had known people were going to be
    this nice to me, I would have quit a lot sooner.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Carper. You think I am kidding.
        Are we ready?
        Senator Sullivan. Mr. Chairman?
        Senator Carper. Yes, please.
        Senator Sullivan. Mr. Chairman, I would like to call up
    Amendment Sullivan Number Two.
        Senator Carper. Could you hold just for one moment, Dan? We
    have to vote on Senator Capito's Amendment Number One.
        Senator Stabenow. Mr. Chairman, I would ask unanimous
    consent that there be a unanimous vote for Senator Capito's
    amendment.
        Senator Carper. Is there objection? In that case, the ayes
    have it. Thank you.
        Does any other Senator wish to offer an amendment? Senator
    Sullivan?
        Senator Sullivan. Mr. Chairman, I would like to call up
    Sullivan Amendment Number Two.
        I want to begin by thanking you and the Ranking Member on
    the excellent leadership on this bill. A lot of us know that
    this committee, despite having Senators from kind of far ends
    of the political spectrum, we all work together really well and
    pass a lot of really important legislation. I think this is
    going to be another important milestone that way.
        This WRDA bill is very important to my State. I would like
    to say, Alaska, we are resource-rich, infrastructure-poor. We
    have less road miles than Connecticut, and yet, we are almost
    120 times bigger than Connecticut. These pieces of legislation
    are really important.
        Mr. Chairman, my Amendment Number Two goes through the
    issue of contaminated lands, Alaska Native lands, American
    Indian lands. I have been working closely with Senator Kelly on
    this.
        We had a really big land settlement in Alaska over 50 years
    ago called the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Over 44
    million acres of Federal and State land went to Alaska Native
    corporations, probably the largest Native Indigenous land
    settlement in the history of the world, and yet, as you know,
    Mr. Chairman, a lot of that land was actually polluted.
        So, the Federal Government gave Alaska Native corporations
    very polluted land. You and I worked together a couple years
    ago, Mr. Chairman, I really appreciate thank. Believe it or
    not, under CERCLA the EPA was going to sue to Alaska Native
    corporations to clean up the land that the Federal Government
    had polluted. Pretty crazy.
        We fixed that liability issue, but the estimates of the
    cleanup just in Alaska are well over $10 billion. We need
    innovative solutions on how to clean up those lands, and that
    is why Senator Kelly and I introduced the Contaminated Lands
    Reclamation Act of 2024. This would provide applicants, whether
    Alaska Native corporations or Indian Tribes in Arizona, an
    opportunity for innovative solutions on land cleanup.
        However, Mr. Chairman, knowing that this bill is of limited
    scope and the GAO is still reviewing the nature and extent of
    the cleanup on Indian lower 48 lands and Alaska Native lands, I
    am going to withdraw my amendment, but I wanted to just speak
    to it with Senator Kelly here, because we have made a lot of
    good progress on this.
        This committee has made a lot of good progress on this. We
    are hoping this is not a controversial bill at all, but an
    innovative bill. Maybe you don't need Federal dollars, but
    other ways to clean up these contaminated lands to our Nation's
    first peoples.
        But we are going to be respectful, because we know the
    limited scope of this bill, and given that the Chair and the
    Ranking Member ask that we withdraw it, we will withdraw it.
    But it is a really important bill for, I think, all of us. I
    just wanted to speak to it.
        With that, I withdraw Sullivan Number Two.
        Senator Carper. Thank you so much.
        Senator Kelly. Mr. Chairman?
        Senator Carper. Senator Kelly?
        Senator Kelly. Mr. Chairman, I want to echo Senator
    Sullivan's frustration that we were unable to get this language
    from our bipartisan bill included in the base text of the WRDA
    bill.
        I understand that we are waiting for some GAO studies back
    from the prior WRDA bill related to this specific topic, and I
    agree that it is important that we get this policy right, so we
    get that, but tribal communities in Arizona, in Alaska,
    throughout the Country, have struggled with contaminated land
    for decades. I hope that, as this bill goes to the floor, we
    can continue to work on this issue, because it is important to
    get this done.
        Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Carper. You bet. Senator Capito, anything you want
    to add at this point?
        Senator Capito. I am just committed to working with the two
    of you to see that we can work to a better conclusion, a more
    welcome conclusion for you all, but I appreciate the fact that
    this does have limited scope and this amendment was beyond the
    scope of the original bills. I appreciate that, thank you.
        Senator Carper. Does any other Senator wish to offer an
    amendment to our legislation? Any other amendments?
        There are no further amendments. I move to approve and
    report this bill favorably. Is there a second?
        Senato Capito. I second.
        Senator Carper. It has been moved and seconded. The Clerk
    will call the roll.
        The Clerk. Mr. Boozman.
        Senator Boozman. Yes, aye.
        The Clerk. Ms. Capito.
        Senator Capito. Aye.
        The Clerk. Mr. Cardin.
        Senator Cardin. Aye.
        The Clerk. Mr. Cramer.
        Senator Cramer. Aye.
        The Clerk. Mr. Fetterman.
        Senator Fetterman. Aye.
        The Clerk. Mr. Graham.
        Senator Capito. Aye, by proxy.
        The Clerk. Mr. Kelly.
        Senator Kelly. Aye.
        The Clerk. Ms. Lummis.
        Senator Capito. Aye, by proxy.
        The Clerk. Mr. Markey.
        Senator Markey. Aye.
        The Clerk. Mr. Merkley.
        Senator Merkley. Aye.
        The Clerk. Mr. Mullin.
        Senator Capito. Aye, by proxy.
        The Clerk. Mr. Padilla.
        Senator Padilla. Aye.
        The Clerk. Mr. Ricketts.
        Senator Ricketts. Aye.
        The Clerk. Mr. Sanders.
        Senator Carper. Aye, by proxy.
        The Clerk. Ms. Stabenow.
        Senator Stabenow. Aye.
        The Clerk. Mr. Sullivan.
        Senator Sullivan. Aye.
        The Clerk. Mr. Whitehouse.
        Senator Carper. Aye, by proxy.
        The Clerk. Mr. Wicker.
        Senator Wicker. Aye.
        The Clerk. Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Carper. Aye.
        The Clerk. Chairman, the yeas are 19, the nays are zero.
        Senator Carper. Can you say that again?
        The Clerk. The yeas are 19, the nays are zero.
        Senator Carper. Is there objection? Anybody want to object
    to that? It doesn't get any better than that.
        With that in mind, the bill is reported favorably.
        I now call up five bills for committee consideration. The
    first of those, I mentioned it earlier, S. 3880, then H.R.
    4688, followed by S. 3564, and S. 4293, and finally, S. 4359.
        [The text of the legislation follows:]
       [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Carper. I also call up two amendments. They include
    the Carper-Capito Kelly Cramer Amendment Number One to S. 3880
    and amendment in the nature of a substitute, Carper Amendment
    Number One to H.R. 4688, also an amendment in the nature of a
    substitute.
        [The text of the amendment and the amendments in the nature
    of a substitute follows:]
    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Carper. I ask that both amendments be agreed to by
    unanimous consent. Is there objection? Hearing none.
        Without objection, I now move that the committee vote on
    all five bills en bloc by voice vote. Without objection, I move
    to report favorably S. 3880 as amended, H.R. 4688 as amended,
    S. 3564, S. 4293, and S. 4359. All in favor, please say aye.
        [Chorus of ayes.]
        Senator Carper. All opposed, please say nay.
        [No audible response.]
        Senator Carper. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have
    it. These five bills are favorably reported. I note for the
    record that a quorum of the committee is present. That
    concludes the committee's votes for this business meeting.
        I want to thank again Senator Capito. I want to thank our
    staffs, both sides of the aisle. We have a couple folks, a
    couple of our members who want to speak after we finish this,
    after I finish my statement, but I just want to thank
    everybody. A lot of work has been done, and great work has been
    done.
        People say to me, even today on the train, why can't you
    guys figure out how to work together down there? I wish they
    could see this committee, because that it what we do.
    Bipartisan solutions are lasting solutions, as we know.
        With that having been said, I think I can yield to Senator
    Cardin, please. Thanks, everyone.
        Senator Cardin. First, just to our Chairman and Senator
    Capito, thank you for your extraordinary leadership. Senator
    Cramer, Senator Kelly, thank you for your leadership on the
    subcommittee. This is a good day for our committee. It is a
    good day for our Nation. I want to thank you.
        There are many provisions in the WRDA 2024 that affect my
    State of Maryland, and I thank you for the cooperation in
    including those provisions, including dealing with feasibility
    studies on flooding problems on Coastal Highway and Ocean City,
    which the Chairman is very familiar with, since he gets caught
    in that flooding situation every once in a while, as well as
    Route 50 in Prince George's County secret loop, which is
    extremely important to move forward. That will make the
    shipping channel in the Baltimore Harbor much more efficient.
        We have issues that deal with the following up of our small
    harbors and underserved harbors that was in WRDA 2022, the
    rewatering issues dealing with ability to pay.
        But I want to mention one specific issue that we have had
    conversations about that is extremely important to our State,
    and that deals with the Baltimore coastal storm risk
    management. Included in the bill we just passed is to expedite
    the completion of the Chief's Report in regards to that storm
    risk management study. We expect to have that report done by
    next month.
        It is the practice of this committee that we do not
    authorize until the Chief's Report is completed. I just want to
    point out that we do expect to have that completed by June,
    assuming that that is as indicated, I would expect that we
    would be able to include it prior to the WRDA 2024 being acted
    on by the floor. I just want to get the Chair's understanding
    on that.
        I just point out one additional point, Mr. Chairman. This
    report moving forward by committee authorization on WRDA 2024
    becomes even more important today, because the risk management
    studies include the two tunnels, which are now the only route
    on the north-south corridor because the Francis Scott Key
    Bridge will not be completed for a couple of years.
        So I would just ask the Chairman's cooperation and the
    Ranking Member's cooperation that, assuming the Chief's Report
    is back, which is the practice that we would include that as an
    authorized project if it can be done in a timely way. You say
    yes.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Cardin. I appreciate the Chair and Ranking Member's
    encouragement that that would be done.
        Senator Carper. Unfortunately, they don't want me to stay
    here forever, but you are stuck with me for at least another
    six or 7 months, and I will do my best, my friend.
        Senator Kelly, and then after Senator Kelly, Senator
    Padilla would like to be recognized.
        Senator Kelly. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and congratulations
    on negotiating your fourth WRDA Bill. I value your partnership
    on this, and the entire Country has benefited from your
    leadership. I want to thank Ranking Member Capito and my
    partner on the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee,
    Senator Cramer, for working together on this important
    legislation.
        One year ago, I led a hearing as Chair of the
    Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee focused on how
    the Army Corps could respond to long-term drought in the
    western United States. We heard a lot of solutions in that
    subcommittee hearing, and thanks to a lot of hard work, this
    year's bipartisan Water Resources Development Act takes big
    steps to improve how we can prepare for long-term drought in
    the west.
        For example, this bill creates a new pilot program to allow
    the Army Corps to modify how a dam or reservoir operates in a
    drought-stricken region. This could let reservoirs, like
    Roosevelt Dam in Arizona, store additional water during wet
    winters and to be better prepared for future years when drought
    conditions are worse.
        It also gives the Army Corps the ability to respond to
    invasive plant species in drought-prone regions, such as the
    invasive salt cedar tree in Arizona, which both exacerbates
    drought and increases wildfire risks.
        It also allows the Army Corps and Bureau of Reclamation to
    work more closely together when updating flood control curves
    at Reclamation facilities, which could increase water storage
    further. It creates a new program to allow the Army Corps to
    partner with Tribal communities to construct and manage Corps
    projects. Many of these projects were included in my
    legislation, the Drought Resilience Infrastructure Act, which I
    was proud to introduce with Senator Padilla and many of my
    colleagues from the western United States.
        Finally, today's bill also includes direction for the Corps
    to expedite the completion of more than 15 infrastructure
    projects in Arizona, including critical flood control projects
    in Winslow and Flagstaff, Arizona where I chaired a
    subcommittee hearing earlier this year. I know the process of
    negotiating this bill wasn't easy, but it was through hard work
    and bipartisan cooperation that allowed us to get to this
    point.
        I look forward to working together with Chairman Carper,
    Senator Capito, and Senator Cramer to get our bipartisan bill
    with these important priorities signed into law, which will
    make a real difference in the State of Arizona. Thank you.
        Senator Carper. Thank you for those words.
        My dad used to say, he was also a Navy guy, Chief Petty
    Officer in World War II, but my dad used to say, the harder we
    work, the luckier we get. You are right; there is a lot of hard
    work that has gone into this. I just want to salute everybody,
    including you and your team, very much.
        Senator Kelly. Thank you.
        Senator Carper. Senator Padilla, please. Thank you.
        Senator Padilla. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        I, too, wanted to highlight the committee's passage of
    three bills that the State of California will benefit greatly
    from, including the now Thomas R. Carper Water Resources
    Development Act. I love that, along with legislation that I
    introduced to reauthorize the National Dam Safety Program, as
    well as the GSA Tribal Parity Act.
        In particular, I am proud to see the authorization of
    funding to support environmental infrastructure and restoration
    for the Tijuana River Valley watershed. Since I joined the
    committee, I have worked to provide additional funding to
    address the flow of toxic sewage and waste that crosses the
    border and jeopardizes not just the environment and health of
    local communities, but the health and safety of Homeland
    Security personnel and military personnel in the region.
    Ensuring the Army Corps' partnership in this effort is another
    important step toward addressing this crisis.
        I was also glad to work with my friend, Senator Cramer, to
    reauthorize FEMA's National Dam Safety Program, which expired
    at the end of September, leaving thousands of high-risk dams
    across the Country more vulnerable to failure and endangering
    the people who live in their vicinity. This program supports
    States with resources for training, for emergency planning, dam
    inspection, and monitoring.
        Of California's 1,530 dams, more than 800 are classified as
    high hazard potential, so the threat is real. The concern is
    real. As climate change increases the risks of extreme flooding
    and threatens our Nation's water infrastructure, we can't
    afford to let up on dam safety, but we are making progress here
    today.
        Finally, I want to celebrate the committee passage of the
    GSA Tribal Parity Act, which I introduced with Senator
    Lankford, to dramatically improve the ability of tribal
    governments to acquire surplus Federal buildings below market
    value if properties are being used for public purposes.
        As our Nation works to strengthen tribal sovereignty and
    our relationship with Tribes across the Country, bills like
    this will ensure that we improve the Federal Government's
    relationship with tribal government and ensure that they have
    the same land acquisition opportunities as State and local
    governments currently enjoy.
        So thank you again, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Capito,
    for working with me on these bipartisan wins for our States. I
    look forward to working with all of my colleagues to move these
    bills to the President's desk as soon as possible. Thank you.
        Senator Carper. Congratulations on the good work, and thank
    you for being, you have been a great member of this committee.
    Thank you so much for being a part of us. Thank you.
        Any other Senators wish to speak? If not, I am going to
    yield to Senator Capito for any comments she would like to
    make, please. Senator Capito?
        Senator Capito. Well, just briefly, I think that we see
    when we work hard and work out the differences, that we can
    come to a unanimous conclusion in this committee. We have done
    it under your leadership more than a few times, so I thank you
    for that.
        I would also like to thank the Army Corps of Engineers,
    because we couldn't have such a good, I think, product without
    all the technical advice that they give us and our staff to be
    able to work out some of the details that only they know the
    best way to do, so I want to give a shoutout to them as well,
    because this obviously impacts their work. But at the same
    time, it wouldn't work as well without them weighing in heavily
    on the front end.
        So, thank you very much.
        Senator Carper. To that last point, I just want to say
    amen. In our State, the Army Corps of Engineers plays a huge
    role. We are very, very grateful for what they have done in
    years gone by and what they are doing even today.
        We have people on this committee who served in uniform
    before. Marines, Danny, others, and we have folks who are
    veterans of the Army, Air Force, Navy, and there is a fair
    amount of good-natured ribbing that goes on, as Senator
    Sullivan knows.
        Sometimes, when somebody is an Army veteran who is taking
    shots at the Navy, my service, I will say to him or her, I will
    say, different uniforms, same team. We are different parties on
    this committee. We are divided equally, but at the end of the
    day, same team.
        The folks that we represent in the States across this
    Country, I think, can feel proud of the work that we have done.
    I know that I am. I know that Senator Capito is.
        Again, we get credit for things that come out of this
    committee, bills and laws that come out of this committee, but
    we would be nowhere without our staffs. I have mentioned the
    names, I think, of every key staff member who has worked very,
    very hard to get us to this point in time.
        With that, I have a short closing statement, here. We are
    going to call it a day.
        A little bit of housekeeping to wrap it up. I have three
    unanimous consent agreements. The first, I ask unanimous
    consent for members to submit their statements for the record
    on the legislation that we have considered today, without
    objection.
        Second, I would like to ask unanimous consent to submit for
    the record a number of letters of support for the legislation
    that our committee is approving today, without objection. I
    also ask unanimous consent that our staffs have authority to
    make technical and conforming changes to the legislation that
    our committee has approved today, without objection.
        [The referenced information follows:]
       [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Carper. With that, my thanks to everyone,
    especially this lady sitting next to me. Thank you all for your
    participation, to our staffs, everybody that has provided input
    to us as we have gone through this extraordinary process. With
    that, the business meeting is adjourned. Thanks so much.
        [Whereupon, at 10:23 a.m., the business meeting was
    adjourned.]

                              [all]