[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 23, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2862-S2863]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                   America's Water Infrastructure Act

  Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, over the past 50 years, our country has 
gone from being a construction society to a consumption society. As a 
result, our bridges, our roads, our dams, and our waterways have 
suffered. President Trump has said that rebuilding America's 
infrastructure is a priority for his administration. He said that we 
will build ``with American heart, American hands, and American grit.'' 
That is what President Trump said in the State of the Union this year.
  Yesterday the Committee on Environment and Public Works took a big 
step toward meeting that goal. We voted to approve the America's Water 
Infrastructure Act.
  There are a lot of people in Wyoming and around the Rocky Mountain 
West, as well, who say that--well, it was originally attributed to Mark 
Twain, and it goes like this: ``Whiskey is for drinking; water is for 
fighting over.''
  Surprisingly, in this case, we actually didn't fight over the water 
of the United States. This legislation was written by Republicans and 
Democrats, and it passed with unanimous, bipartisan support of 21 to 0. 
Both parties

[[Page S2863]]

agreed that there is a lot we can do to improve America's water 
infrastructure.
  Basically, the bill comes down to three big things. It grows the 
economy and creates jobs, it cuts redtape by getting more control out 
of Washington, and it keeps communities safe.
  The first way this legislation supports America's economy is by 
increasing water storage. That is a big concern in my home State of 
Wyoming and across the West. We have had a serious problem over the 
years where sediment builds up behind dams in the lakes where water is 
stored. That sediment limits the amount of water the lakes can hold. We 
are telling the Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies to develop 
plans to deal with this sediment at Federal reservoirs. That is a 
simple thing that Washington can do, and now it is going to get done.
  We are also expanding water storage capacity by making it easier to 
get permits for additional reservoirs. We have a facility in Lincoln 
County, WY, that is called the Fontenelle Reservoir. We have been 
trying to expand the water storage at that reservoir for years. This 
legislation makes sure the expansion will finally occur.
  Farmers, ranchers, and communities nearby will get a new, reliable 
supply of the water they need. Of course, the water doesn't do much 
good if people can't get it where they need it. So we fix the failing 
irrigation systems that are so important in rural areas.
  We are also improving America's inland waterways, which people rely 
on to move products to market. On the coasts, we deepen some of the 
most vital ports, and we can ship goods from there around the world.
  The pro-growth policies, like the tax cuts we passed last year, have 
helped America's economy take off. Now we need to make sure that we 
have the water infrastructure in place to keep it growing, to keep 
people working, and to keep American raw materials and American-made 
products moving.
  The second thing this legislation does is to cut some of the 
burdensome and unnecessary redtape that does nothing but get in the way 
of economic progress that we need. We are going to make sure that these 
water projects reflect the priorities of the American people, not the 
priorities of Washington bureaucrats. That means more local control 
over which projects get built. Local leaders know what they need, and 
they know which projects will make the biggest difference.
  Once we identify the best projects, then we need to make sure that 
they actually get built. Today, the permitting process can drag on for 
years, while people get more and more desperate for projects to be 
finished.
  The America's Water Infrastructure Act will push the Army Corps of 
Engineers to complete all feasibility studies for new projects within 
less than 2 years. We also eliminate the need for multiple benefit-
cost-ratio assessments for a single project. These are expensive, and 
they take lot of time. Often, the Army Corps of Engineers will require 
new assessments several times for a single project. This legislation 
gets rid of these redundant studies. It is going to make a big 
difference in getting things built on time and on budget.
  The third big thing that this legislation does is to help keep 
American communities safe. We are going to repair some of the old 
drinking water and wastewater systems across the country. We provide 
help for places that need to clean up pollution in their water and to 
keep the pollution from getting into the water in the first place. As a 
doctor, I can tell you that this is extremely important for the health 
of our families and for our communities. That is why it is a priority 
in this legislation.
  We also take some important steps to reduce floods in rural areas. In 
my home State of Wyoming and in other parts of the West, this is a 
continual threat for many people. Every spring they have to worry about 
floods caused by snow and ice melting. We have dams and levees where 
maintenance has been put off for so long that people are anxious every 
time the water starts to rise. We are addressing the backlog of 
maintenance as well. We are looking for ways to permanently fix some of 
these areas where ice backs up along the rivers and cause serious 
damage.
  Most people don't give a lot of thought to the water that comes into 
their home. They turn on the faucet, water comes out, comes into the 
house, and water goes out of the house. This legislation makes sure 
that people don't have to worry about that changing. Their water will 
be safe, reliable, and abundant so they will not have to worry about 
it.
  For most of us in the West, water is always on our minds. It is vital 
to our way of life. We rely on irrigation and water storage for our 
livestock and our crops. We rely on water to transport our products to 
markets far away. We rely on dams and levees to protect us from floods. 
This legislation makes sure that people in rural communities can still 
count on the water being there when we need it.
  That is good for all of us. Republicans and Democrats agree. We know 
there is a lot of work to be done to address America's water 
infrastructure needs. We know we need to get the job done right. We 
need to get it done faster, better, cheaper, and smarter. The America's 
Water Infrastructure Act does just that. This cooperative piece of 
legislation passed the committee 21 to 0. Now it is time for the entire 
Senate to act.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio.
  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, I wish to start by congratulating my 
colleague from Wyoming on reporting out this legislation on water 
infrastructure and, particularly, for the help he has given us with 
regard to the Great Lakes. What the Senator has done to help us to 
maintain and to protect the Great Lakes is very much appreciated. It is 
the No. 1 tourist destination in Ohio, and there is a $6 billion 
fishing industry in the Great Lakes, with Lake Erie being the No. 1 
lake for fishing.
  The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative the Senator supported is 
incredibly important, as well as keeping the dredge material out of the 
lake and helping us with the Army Corps. We thank the Senator. We also 
hope to keep invasive species out of the lake, including bighead carp, 
which would ruin that $6 billion fishing industry. We thank the Senator 
for his support. We look forward to getting that bill to the floor soon 
for a vote.