[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 153 (Wednesday, October 30, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1601]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           WATER RESOURCES REFORM AND DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2013

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. SUZANNE BONAMICI

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 23, 2013

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3080) to 
     provide for improvements to the rivers and harbors of the 
     United States, to provide for the conservation and 
     development of water and related resources, and for other 
     purposes:

  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of the DeFazio/
Blumenauer/Jackson Lee/Pingree/Edwards/Bonamici amendment to H.R. 3080, 
the Water Resources Reform and Development Act. Our amendment would 
delay the so-called environmental streamlining provisions of the bill 
until the backlog of approved projects is meaningfully reduced. 
Environmental reviews are essential to the construction of better 
designed, more cost effective projects that meet important federal 
priorities like protecting public health and the environment. 
Unfortunately, the bill as written offers a false promise of expediting 
projects and reducing the backlog by paring back environmental reviews. 
The reality is that this will only lead to projects that damage the 
environment and ultimately cost more in the long run.
  This WRRDA bill contains essential authorizations that will invest in 
our ports, waterways, and flood protection systems. The changes it 
makes to the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund will benefit our nation's 
small ports and I am cautiously optimistic that we will soon be able to 
leverage all of the HMTF funds to the benefit of our ports both large 
and small. It also begins to reduce the project backlog by 
deauthorizing some older projects that have not yet begun. And even 
though I am disappointed in the environmental streamlining provisions 
of the underlying bill, it represents a bipartisan agreement that will 
keep us moving forward and allow House and Senate negotiators to bring 
this matter to a speedy resolution.
  I urge my colleagues to support the DeFazio/Blumenauer/Jackson Lee/
Pingree/Edwards/Bonamici amendment to improve this bill, and to support 
passage of H.R. 3080.

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