[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 83 (Tuesday, June 5, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E982]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  2013

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                               speech of

                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 31, 2012

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5325) making 
     appropriations for energy and water development and related 
     agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, and 
     for other purposes:

  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chair, I strongly support two important provisions in 
this bill, included at my request, which provide necessary direction to 
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This bill withholds Additional 
Funding for Ongoing Work until the Corps provides this Committee with 
an acceptable explanation of their allocation decisions. The 
accompanying report from the Committee also recommends various national 
domestic priorities for additional funds, including harbors that 
support domestic manufacturing. This language will greatly enhance the 
Corps' ability to ensure that our maritime infrastructure meets the 
changing needs of our nation.
  The Fiscal Year 2013 Energy and Water Appropriations bill provides 
$325 million in additional funding for the Corps to address priority 
projects throughout the country. When given a similar allocation last 
year, the Corps disregarded this Committee's directive to establish a 
rating system of projects to be funded and explain why each project was 
given priority.
  This is unacceptable. I share the concern of the Chairman and many of 
my colleagues that the Corps must be accountable for their distribution 
of these extra funds.
  Given significant backlogs in many of our nation's ports, these 
additional funds provide an opportunity for improved maintenance of our 
water borne infrastructure, which is so crucial for growing our economy 
and creating jobs.
  But it would be irresponsible to provide these dollars without 
exercising proper oversight to ensure that these funds are spent 
responsibly.
  The Committee report already included direction to the Corps to 
report to the Committee their decisions regarding the use of these 
funds, but given the previous disregard for this directive last year, 
it became necessary to include this directive in the bill itself and 
establish consequences for the Corps, should it fail to meet this 
obligation.
  Additionally, the report accompanying this bill recommends several 
priorities for the rating system to be created by the Corps. In 
particular, I strongly support the inclusion of domestic manufacturing 
as a component of the economic assessment for determining funding.
  The significant backlogs of Corps maintenance activity across the 
country, especially in the Great Lakes region, greatly reduce the 
competitiveness of American manufacturing.
  In the Great Lakes region, which has long been the heart of 
manufacturing in the U.S., heavy manufacturers are severely affected by 
light loading restrictions in our harbors. Bulk commodity shipments, 
which are essential to heavy manufacturing, are being transported 
inefficiently, preventing domestic manufacturers in the region from 
competing with foreign manufacturers.
  The directive language in the report establishes this necessary 
manufacturing-oriented priority in determining which projects are to be 
funded by the additional funds provided in the bill.
  The Corps' work is critical for maintaining critical U.S. maritime 
infrastructure. The language in this bill and the accompanying support 
will ensure that this work meets the needs of our nation.
  I appreciate the willingness of the Chairmen and the Ranking Members 
of both the full Appropriations Committee and the Energy and Water 
Subcommittee to work with me to include this language. In response to 
the Army Corps' disregard for Congressional directives during fiscal 
year 2012, language in this bill demand proper compliance to the 
Constitutional authority of Congress.

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