[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 1 (Thursday, January 4, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S125]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. LANDRIEU:
  S. 123. A bill to authorize the project for hurricane and storm 
damage reduction, Morganza to the Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana; to the 
Committee on Environment and Public Works.
  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita revealed the 
Gulf Coast's vulnerability to storms and flooding. With the help of 
generous Americans, the people of the gulf coast have been working hard 
over the last year and a half to rebuild their economy, their 
communities, and their lives.
  Since these devastating storms struck in 2005, Congress directed the 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to better protect America's gulf coast. 
Yet Congress's failure to pass a Water Resources Development Act WRDA, 
has delayed much of the needed protection. Of all of the many worthy 
projects throughout the Nation awaiting WRDA passage, there is one 
hurricane protection project that stands out and cries for immediate 
congressional authorization with or without a WRDA bill. Accordingly, I 
am introducing legislation to singularly authorize this long overdue 
project known as ``Morganza to the Gulf of Mexico Hurricane 
Protection.''
  This project includes a series of levees, locks and other systems 
through Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes in Louisiana. When complete, 
the Morganza to the Gulf project will protect about 120,000 people and 
1,700 square miles of land against storm surges such as those caused by 
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
  The Morganza to the Gulf project is distinguishable from all other 
projects awaiting WRDA passage because it was originally authorized in 
the last enacted WRDA bill in 2000, with the requirement that the Army 
Corps of Engineers deliver a favorable feasibility report by December 
31 of that year. The Corps eventually submitted its report more than a 
year late, causing the authorization to expire despite the Corps' 
favorable recommendation.
  Though repeated attempts have been made, Congress has been unable to 
deliver a new WRDA bill since 2000. As a result, vital hurricane 
protection for a portion of southeast Louisiana that the Corps 
recommends after years of environmental and economic analysis is 
awaiting congressional action, and an area of America's gulf coast 
remains needlessly vulnerable. Notably, every failed WRDA bill that the 
Senate, the House, and its committees have separately passed since 2000 
has authorized the Morganza to the Gulf Hurricane Protection project. 
Simply stated, there is no other item in WRDA that has been kicked down 
the road as many times as this.
  This bill that I introduce today fully authorizes the Morganza to the 
Gulf project in accordance with the plans and subject to the conditions 
of the Corps' report.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and ask unanimous 
consent that a copy of my statement and the bill appear in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 123

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. MORGANZA TO THE GULF OF MEXICO PROJECT.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Army shall carry out 
     the project for hurricane and storm damage reduction, 
     Morganza to the Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana, substantially in 
     accordance with the plans, and subject to the conditions, 
     described in the Reports of the Chief of Engineers dated 
     August 23, 2002, and July 22, 2003, at a total cost of 
     $886,700,000, with an estimated Federal cost of $576,355,000 
     and an estimated non-Federal cost of $310,345,000.
       (b) Credit.--The Secretary shall credit toward the non-
     Federal share of the cost of the project elements the cost of 
     design and construction work carried out by the non-Federal 
     interest before the date of the partnership agreement for the 
     project elements if the Secretary determines that the work is 
     integral to the project elements.
       (c) Operations and Maintenance.--The operation, 
     maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, and replacement of the 
     Houma Navigation Canal lock complex and the Gulf Intracoastal 
     Waterway floodgate features of the project described in 
     subsection (a) that provide for inland waterway 
     transportation shall be a Federal responsibility, in 
     accordance with section 102 of the Water Resources 
     Development Act of 1986 (33 U.S.C. 2212).
                                 ______