[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 32 (Tuesday, March 14, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H892-H893]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXTENDING AUTHORITY TO EXPEDITE PROCESSING OF PERMITS
Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4826) to extend through December 31, 2006, the authority of
the Secretary of the Army to accept and expend funds contributed by
non-Federal public entities to expedite the processing of permits.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 4826
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FUNDING TO PROCESS PERMITS.
Section 214(c) of the Water Resources Development Act of
2000 (33 U.S.C. 2201 note; 114 Stat. 2594; 117 Stat. 1836;
119 Stat. 2169) is amended by striking ``March 31, 2006'' and
inserting ``December 31, 2006''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Louisiana (Mr. Boustany) and the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie
Bernice Johnson) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Louisiana.
General Leave
Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Louisiana?
There was no objection.
Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4826, to authorize an
extension of the Army Corps of Engineers' section 214 program. Section
214 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 allows the Army
Corps of Engineers to accept and expend funds provided by non-Federal
public entities to hire additional personnel to process regulatory
permits.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4826 is urgently needed since authority for this
program expires on March 31 of this calendar year. If this program
expires, the corps will have to fire some regulatory personnel,
reducing its ability to process permits in a timely manner.
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has heard from
Members on both sides of the aisle supporting this section 214 program.
H.R. 4826 is nearly identical to section 2003 of the Water Resources
Development Act of 2005, which passed the House on July 14, 2005 by a
vote of 406-14.
While the other body has not yet acted on the Water Resources
Development Act this year, I am hopeful, in the wake of Hurricanes Rita
and Katrina, they will move quickly to pass the bill providing for the
water resources needs of the Nation. But because the authority for
section 214 program is expiring, it is necessary to move this piece of
legislation separately.
I thank Representative Baird and our colleagues from the western
United States for introducing this bill, and I urge all Members to vote
in favor of H.R. 4826.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such
time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I would like to express my heartfelt
condolences to my good friend and subcommittee chairman, Representative
Jim Duncan, on the passing of his 89-year-old mother, Ms. Lois Swisher-
Duncan. I want Jimmy and his wife, Lynn, and the entire Duncan family
to know that my thoughts and prayers are with them. It is my prayer
that God brings peace to each of their respective hearts during the
days ahead.
Mr. Speaker, I support the passage of H.R. 4826. This bill extends
through December 31, 2006, the authority of the Secretary of the Army
to accept and expend the funds contributed by non-Federal public
entities to process permits under the Clean Water Act and the Rivers
and Harbor Act of 1899. This program is popular and well received,
particularly in the northwest part of our country.
I congratulate my committee colleague, Mr. Baird, for his attention
to this issue and for securing today's consideration of this bill. I
can think of no other Member who has served his local and regional
issues with more enthusiasm and effectiveness.
The language in H.R. 4826 is similar to language contained in H.R.
2864, the Water Resources Development Act of 2005, which passed the
House on July 14, 2005, by an overwhelming vote of 406-14. The
difference between the language contained in this bill and that
contained in the comprehensive Water Resources Development Act is that
this provision only extends the program for 9 months. The water
resources bill is a full 12 months longer, but 9 months is all the
Senate would agree to. However, this bill should likewise receive
strong support.
Today's consideration of one section of the larger Water Resources
Development Act should not be viewed as an indication that the larger
bill will not be enacted this year. I remain optimistic that the other
House of Congress will soon consider this vital legislation,
particularly in light of the vital role of flood damage reduction,
navigation, and storm damage reduction projects in protecting lives and
property and enhancing economic well-being.
The tragic events associated with Hurricane Katrina indicate how
important our water infrastructure truly is. However, the Senate is not
likely to act on the broader legislation before the Secretary's
authority to accept funds expires March 31, in just a little over 2
weeks from now. By providing this extension, the program can continue
uninterrupted.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, we have no further requests for time, and
I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as
he may consume to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baird).
Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman, and the gentleman
from Louisiana as well, and want to begin by extending my condolences
to Jimmy Duncan and his family at the loss of Congressman Duncan's
mother.
I rise today to support H.R. 4826, a bill to extend section 214 of
the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 until December 31 of this
year, 2006. This is a commonsense bill that will save jobs and continue
to promote economic growth.
Section 214 was enacted in WRDA 2000 to permit non-Federal public
entities to contribute funds to the Army Corps of Engineers to help
expedite the processing of corps permits. This provision has allowed
municipalities and ports to move forward with vital infrastructure
projects; and in doing so, these entities that are providing funding
are given no partiality by the corps in their review of the projects.
By funding additional staff to work on specific time-intensive permits,
the staff in the corps' budget is freed up to work on the permit
backlog.
Let me give an example of this: the Army Corps' Seattle district has
been utilizing this authority very well. They have seen their total
average review time per project reduced from 804 days
[[Page H893]]
to just 69 days in the first 3 years of implementation. The city of
Seattle alone estimates that for $114,000 spent, they have saved over
$5 million.
{time} 1600
This is particularly urgent as the Corps staff have volunteered to
assist in Hurricane Katrina response efforts, as well as reconstruction
and rebuilding efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Seattle Corps alone
has deployed a total of 233 civilian and military staff, or
approximately 29 percent of their staff, to these areas, and that
leaves a limited number of staff to handle the urgent needs of local
areas.
It is during times of emergency response that expedited processes
such as 214 become particularly vital in continuing to support regional
growth and economic need.
Let me underscore a few points. Section 214 was extended last year
unanimously as H.R. 3765 in both the House and the Senate, and is
currently set to expire on March 31, 2006. That is the need we face
today. An extension of the provision was also passed in the House WRDA
bill in 2005, and a permanent extension is included in the other body's
WRDA bill. Unfortunately, WRDA is not likely to pass both Chambers
before March 31 when the provision expires, so we are seeking an
essential short-term extension until the end of this year.
This provision is absolutely vital to Corps activities. Although the
authority exists for all regions, it has been utilized primarily in the
Pacific Northwest by the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, the city of
Seattle, the Port of Los Angeles, as well as the city of San Diego, and
by public entities around Sacramento due to the huge backlog of Corps
permits in those regions. In addition, it has been utilized by a number
of ports in my home district along the Columbia River.
In the Pacific Northwest, we have seen the backlog of permits with
the listing of endangered species grow to over 1,000 permits in the
last years, and the residual effects have been harmful to our region's
economy, resulting in expensive and costly delays.
Without extension of this authority, the Corps will need to make up
the shortfall in funding the analysis of projects either through
project delays or layoffs in Corps staff.
I am pleased to have the support of this legislation of all of the
House Members representing my home State of Washington, our friends and
neighbors in Oregon and Idaho, as well as Members representing
California. I want to join my colleagues in thanking Chairman Young and
Ranking Member Oberstar, reiterate my gratitude toward Mr. Duncan and
the gentlewoman, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson. I appreciate their
leadership. I also want to acknowledge the outstanding work performed
by the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, and my own staff, Katie
Stevens, on this issue.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I also want to express my condolences to Chairman Duncan
on the loss of his mother. I want to thank the ranking member on the
subcommittee, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson),
and I also want to thank my colleague from Washington State for
introducing this very important piece of legislation and I urge its
passage.
Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support H.R. 4826, a bill
to extend authority of the Secretary of the Army to accept funds from
non-Federal public entities for the consideration of permits under the
Clean Water Act and the Rivers and Harbor Act of 1899.
This language is modeled after language which the House approved last
July as a part of H.R. 2864, the Water Resources Development Act of
2005. While I remain optimistic that the Senate will soon act on its
version of the Water Resources Development Act, the authority of the
Secretary that this bill would extend expires on March 31. This bill
will continue the program through the end of December, 2006.
Mr. Speaker, I have been carefully monitoring the implementation of
this authority. While it is very popular for those that have used it, I
remain concerned that allowing a regulated entity to pay the costs of
its regulator could affect the objectivity of that regulator.
As a track record of implementation develops, the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure will have an opportunity to review
the implementation of this authority and ensure a fair and equitable
process.
I support the passage and quick enactment of this 9 month extension.
Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Walden of Oregon). The question is on
the motion offered by the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Boustany) that
the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4826.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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