[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 168 (Wednesday, October 10, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6748-S6749]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
S. 3021
Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, I rise to convey my strong support for the
America's Water Infrastructure Act, which passed Congress earlier
today.
With communities throughout Massachusetts and the country working to
improve the quality of their drinking water, bracing for rising seas
and more intense storms, and seeking to be more competitive in the
global economy, this legislative package will provide welcome relief
and support for critical infrastructure.
I have long focused on providing resources needed to improve the
maritime linchpin of my State's economy: Boston Harbor. But this
economic engine needs direct Federal funding to fire on all cylinders,
especially as we transition to a new, supersized shipping era.
Two years ago, the Panama Canal completed an expansion project that
allows bigger vessels, called post-Panamax ships, to pass through the
canal. These ships, which are the length of aircraft carriers and can
carry more than three times as much cargo as their competitors, are too
large to dock at Boston Harbor today. That is why, in the 2014 Federal
water resources bill, I fought to authorize $216 million in Federal
funding for the Boston Harbor improvement project, which will deepen
the harbor to accommodate those post-Panamax ships. I am pleased that
my provision dedicating an additional $16 million to this crucial
project was included in the 2016 water resources bill.
The Boston Harbor improvement project is projected to double the
harbor's container volume, protect and grow 7,000 jobs, and generate
$4.6 billion in economic activity throughout the New England region. It
is a simple formula: Larger ships mean more cargo, more cargo means
more commerce, and more commerce means more jobs for Boston and the
State of Massachusetts.
I am pleased that the Corps has to date allocated $91 million of
funding to this critical project thus far, but deepening the harbor
alone does not ensure that the Port of Boston can accommodate these
new, gargantuan giants of the seas. We must also deepen the berths, the
area where the ships dock. That is why I am proud to secure a provision
in this bill that will allow the port to construct more expansive
berths, and I am pleased to help secure
[[Page S6749]]
a $42 million Federal grant to expand these berths.
By no means is Boston Harbor the only coastal gem in Massachusetts.
In 2020, we will be celebrating the 400th anniversary of the voyage of
the Mayflower and the settlement at Plymouth, but the celebration won't
be complete if the ships can't get into and out of Plymouth Harbor.
Regrettably, Plymouth Harbor has filled up with so much sand that ships
are having trouble navigating--including the centerpiece of the
celebration, the newly restored Mayflower II. That is why I secured a
provision in this bill requiring the Corps to dredge this important
landmark for the 400th anniversary. Just a few months ago, I helped
secure $14.5 million needed to ensure that this hallmark of American
history is swiftly deepened.
With this statutory requirement and funding, Plymouth Harbor will be
able to host a great birthday party in 2020--one that Americans from
all corners of the country and people from around the world are going
to attend. But those Bay Staters living on Cape Cod will most likely
experience a little traffic on the way to the event because Cape Cod is
only accessible by two bridges, which span the Cape Cod Canal. If Cape
Cod is the arm of Massachusetts, then these two bridges are the vital
arteries delivering the island's lifeblood. The strength of those two
bridges will determine the strength of the island's economy and health
and well-being.
Regrettably, these two 80-year-old bridges, which are owned by the
Army Corps, are structurally deficient. That is a problem for
businesses that need an uninterrupted flow of commerce and residents
who must have a safe means of evacuation in the event of an emergency.
Imagine if there were an accident at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station
or the equivalent of a Hurricane Maria. These two bridges are the only
way for many Cape Cod residents to escape to safety.
I am proud that this bill includes my provision directing the Corps
to replace these critical evacuation routes, helping preserve the very
safety of island residents. In a time of emergency, Massachusetts
residents shouldn't have to think twice about the best way to get their
families to safety.
The bill also includes legislation that I have authored to help
protect consumers from unjust and unreasonable increases in their
electricity rates. Right now, if the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission has a vacancy--as is currently the case--and deadlocks 2 to
2 on whether to improve a rate increase, the increase goes forward. To
make matters worse, the public can't even challenge a decision in this
circumstance. That is exactly what happened in New England in 2014,
leading to a $2 billion increase for our region's consumers.
My legislation would fix that by allowing the public to bring a
challenge when FERC deadlocks, as they can for every other FERC
decision. In sports, a tie isn't a loss, and the Fair RATES Act will
ensure that a tie at FERC won't mean consumers lose with higher
electricity rates. We must ensure that ratepayers are protected from
unjust and unreasonable increases in energy prices. The legislation
will help return the power to the people when it comes to energy prices
by providing an outlet for consumers to challenge rate increases.
I thank Senators Murkowski and Cantwell for working with me to move
this legislation forward, and I thank my great partner in the House of
Representatives, Congressman Kennedy, for his tireless work to address
this issue and to protect consumers.
I am pleased that this legislation contains several other key
provisions that increase the funding caps for three coastal protection
programs, allowing the towns of Salisbury, Newbury, and Sandwich to
implement larger beach-nourishment projects--pumping sand onto the
beach--to protect their communities; reevaluate the Muddy River
environmental restoration project to pave the way for reauthorizing
this crucial project; permit the town of Sandwich to use sand pumped
from the Federal Cape Cod Canal that otherwise would be dumped in the
ocean to fortify their town from rising seas; ensure that the Corps
takes on all the costs to repair the town of Sandwich's beaches, which
experience severe erosion due to the jetties at the mouth of Cape Cod
Canal; and require the EPA to appoint liaisons to minority, Tribal, and
low-income communities so these disenfranchised groups can have better
access to the resources and tools provided by the Federal Government to
improve the quality of our Nation's drinking water.
From fortifying our communities, to dealing with the present-day
impacts of climate change, to eradicating the environmental
contaminants of the 20th century from our water infrastructure, this
legislation package will provide the funding and direction needed to
help modernize the Commonwealth's water infrastructure.
I thank Chairman Barrasso and Ranking Member Carper for working with
me on this important legislation. I was proud to vote in favor of
America's Water Infrastructure Act today. It is something that I think
is going to work very successfully for the State of Massachusetts. It
is something that, in my opinion, is the quintessential example of how
bipartisanship should, in fact, animate the legislative process in this
body.
With that, I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.