[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 22, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2801-S2802]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   AMERICA'S WATER INFRASTRUCTURE ACT

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, on another matter, this morning, the 
Environment and Public Works Committee is concluding its work on 
America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018.
  Chairman Barrasso has led an open, bipartisan process that has 
generated a strong proposal. It builds on President Trump's 
infrastructure approach, encouraging local control over local 
priorities and leveraging Federal resources to ensure that each dollar 
spent goes to major water infrastructure improvements. It cuts redtape 
and empowers the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to break through 
bureaucratic backlogs.
  Thanks to Senator Boozman, it enhances the investments in our 
Nation's failing drinking water and waste water infrastructure.
  My State of Kentucky contains more than 1,900 miles of navigable 
inland waterways. Our water resources support more than 13,000 jobs in 
the maritime industry. Paducah, KY, serves as the heart of America's 
inland waterways system, and Western Kentucky is also home to major 
water civil works projects like the Olmsted Locks and Dam and Kentucky 
Lock.
  This bipartisan legislation is good news for communities throughout 
the Commonwealth. One provision, the Freedom to Fish Act, will help 
safeguard an important part of Kentucky's cultural heritage. 
Generations of Kentuckians have fished the Cumberland River and the 
tailwaters of the Barkley and Wolf Creek Dams.
  I remember my dad and his friend taking us to fish there at a young 
age. They were experienced fishermen. The last thing they needed was 
advice from Federal bureaucrats on where to cast their lines, but, in 
2012, in a typical display of Obama administration overreach, the Army 
Corps threatened to restrict access to these cherished waters. I didn't 
know anyone in Kentucky who thought it was a good idea. The farmers 
didn't, the anglers didn't, the area businesses relying on fishing 
tourism didn't. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife certainly 
didn't. So I worked with community leaders like my friend Lyon County

[[Page S2802]]

judge executive Wade White and my colleagues in the Kentucky and 
Tennessee congressional delegations to put a stop to this government 
interference. We introduced legislation to prevent the Army Corps from 
robbing our fishers and anglers of this beloved pastime and damaging 
this key component of the local economy. The measure passed with 
overwhelming support and was signed into law. It has been successful, 
but its provisions are set to expire soon.
  That is why I worked with Chairman Barrasso, Ranking Member Carper, 
and the committee to secure a new 
5-year extension of the Freedom to Fish Act in this year's water 
infrastructure bill. It is just another achievement among the many 
victories this bill will deliver for communities across the country.
  I am grateful to the supporters of this legislation, such as the 
National League of Cities and the National Rural Water Association, and 
the bipartisan coalition of Senators who worked to craft it. I look 
forward to the committee's vote today and to supporting this bill once 
it reaches the Senate floor.

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