[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 126 (Thursday, July 28, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3756-S3761]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
______
WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2022
Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to legislative session and consider H.R. 7776, as provided for
under the previous order.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The clerk will report the bill by title.
The bill clerk read as follows:
A bill (H.R. 7776) 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.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, amendment No. 5140
is agreed to.
There will now be up to 1 hour of debate equally divided in the usual
form.
The amendment (No. 5140) in the nature of a substitute was agreed to.
(The amendment is printed in the Record of July 20, 2022, under
``Text of Amendments.'')
Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, with that, I would please yield to the
chairman of the subcommittee that has jurisdiction over the Water
Resources Development Act, Ben Cardin.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland.
Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, let me thank Chairman Carper and Ranking
Member Capito and my counterpart on the Subcommittee on Infrastructure,
Senator Cramer, for bringing us to this moment where we will soon be
voting on the Water Resources Development Act.
I must tell you, this is an extremely important bill that gives the
Army Corps the authorization they need to advance critically important
water projects in our country.
Mr. President, this was passed by a unanimous vote in the Environment
and Public Works Committee. Due to the leadership of Senator Carper and
Senator Capito, this bill involves the input of all the members of our
committee and--dare I say--all the Members of the U.S. Senate. So I
want to thank them for getting this bill to the point where we will be
able to vote on it this afternoon.
This bill is truly bipartisan. It incorporates the input from every
single Senator and reflects priorities for our
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water resources in States and communities across the country. It
provides crucial authority for projects and guidance for the Army Corps
of Engineers to engineer better solutions to our Nation's toughest
water infrastructure supply and quality challenges.
The work of the Army Corps of Engineers is vital for keeping commerce
flowing in our waterways, for restoring aquatic ecosystems, and for
helping communities deal with the risks and impacts of flooding.
In my State of Maryland, we have challenges in all of these areas,
and we are partnering with the Army Corps to address them. The Port of
Baltimore, for example, is critical in our national supply chains and
an economic engine for the State of Maryland.
To enhance the port's ability to serve commerce and provide safe
navigation, the Army Corps is moving forward with a Mid-Chesapeake Bay
Island Ecosystem Restoration Project, or Mid-Bay, which will put
dredged material to beneficial use restoring our ecosystems in the
Chesapeake Bay, a major win-win for commerce and the environment. Here
we are taking dredged materials and using it for environmental
restoration, providing a very popular place to put dredged material so
we can keep our harbors and our channels dredged but we also can
restore our environment at the same time.
A project the size of Mid-Bay also has the opportunity to benefit
smaller channels along the Chesapeake Bay. In Maryland, we have dozens
and dozens of smaller channels that support economic activity,
recreational opportunities, and are an integral part of the identity of
the small communities they serve, but these channels have not received
the maintenance that they require.
I am proud that this year's WRDA bill provides the Corps with new
authorization to address these underserved harbors and channels,
directing the Corps to take a closer look at them according to the
significance to their community and not just based on the total amount
of cargo they move. This is going to help many of our communities
around America.
In doing so, this bill adds new perspective to the Army Corps'
thinking so that the Chesapeake Bay is fully understood not just as an
artery for commerce but as a national environmental treasure that is
home to living waterfronts that support a variety of community,
economic, and nature-based activities. The WRDA reauthorization takes
an important step in that direction with its provisions for underserved
harbors.
I am also proud that this bill includes a new statewide authorization
for the Army Corps to provide assistance to Maryland on environmental
infrastructure. We very much will take advantage of this opportunity.
We know that we have challenges with the Chesapeake Bay, and this
environmental study assistance will certainly help us in meeting our
obligations.
This authorization will also help communities across my State deal
with the impact of aging infrastructure and move forward on the backlog
of critical repairs and upgrades to water supply, wastewater, and
stormwater infrastructure.
The bill recognizes that because the Army Corps work is in high
demand around the country, the Corps needs to be accessible to
communities and engage with them directly on the challenges they face.
The Planning Assistance to States Program, which has been so important
to Maryland, will now include a new authority for the Corps to conduct
this outreach to communities.
The Army Corps is carrying out its important work on navigation,
flood risk mitigation, ecosystem restoration, and environmental
infrastructure against the backdrop of a worsening climate crisis.
This reality is forcing us to act with new urgency to protect our
communities from multiple hazards that our country is already
experiencing with increased frequency and severity, including
concentrated catastrophic rainfall events, sea level rise, and the
associated erosion and flooding that these impacts bring. It is also
forcing us to prioritize the restoration of ecosystems harmed by
climate change that can still play a role in building resilience. All
of that is incorporated in this bill, and we will be able to have those
tools that are available.
I just want to mention that one example is marshlands, which absorb
tons of carbon dioxide in the United States each year. They buffer
waves and reduce flooding during storms. We had a hearing in the
Environment and Public Works Committee yesterday--it was a good
hearing--on how we can get carbon capture. Well, one of the ways we can
get carbon capture through natural causes is to restore wetlands, which
trap carbon, and this bill will allow us to move forward in that
direction.
Finally, I want to note that, this year, the Army Corps' Baltimore
District is celebrating its 175th anniversary. I congratulate the
Baltimore District on this important milestone. The district has played
an instrumental role in the history of our Nation and the State of
Maryland, dating back to the construction of Fort McHenry, and I am
proud of the ongoing partnership of Colonel Pinchasin, the current
regional director.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I again applaud the
great leadership we have on our committee, the very open way that we do
business, the way that we listen to each other and are able to get the
priorities accomplished.
To Senator Carper and Senator Capito and Senator Cramer, it is a
pleasure to work with you, and thank you for making this possible.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia.
Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. President, I would like to thank the Senator from
Maryland, Mr. Cardin, for his good, hard work with Senator Cramer on
the subcommittee. Senator Cardin and I share the Chesapeake Bay. He has
got a lot more of it than I do, but we have worked on those issues for
years together, and I think that shows his dedication not just to his
State but to the environment. So I appreciate all of his efforts.
I am very pleased to rise today in strong support of the bipartisan
Water Resources Development Act of 2022. This is the bill we are
considering today. We call it WRDA. Most of us know it as WRDA.
Congress authorizes water resource projects and sets national
policies for the Civil Works Program and for the U.S. Corps of
Engineers. The work of the Corps facilitates commerce throughout the
country and internationally. Projects along our inland waterways, which
are important in my State, and in our ports enable the movement of
cargo while also bolstering our supply chain. Their support and
partnership during this process were integral for us to reach a solid
agreement.
So, Mr. Chair, I would like to thank you and your staff, and I am
going to go through our staff list really quickly: Mary Frances Repko,
John Kane, Jordan Baugh, Mayely Boyce, Tyler Hofmann-Reardon, Milo
Goodell, and Janine Barr from your staff.
So thank you all very, very much.
Today proves, again, the ability of our EPW Committee to develop
bipartisan infrastructure legislation that addresses the needs of
Senators in the communities that we represent. Our colleagues submitted
more than 800 policy and project priorities to the committee. We worked
hard to thoughtfully incorporate a majority of their requests into this
legislation, and I think that shows with the vote we got in committee.
True to the Corps' tradition, the bill moves forward projects that
benefit local communities and the entire country.
We know that natural disasters such as floods and hurricanes can
strike at any time and have devastating consequences for our
communities. The Corps' work to protect the lives and livelihoods of
millions of Americans is furthered by congressional authorization of
flood and coastal storm risk management projects.
Since 2014, Congress has enacted WRDA every 2 years, and I am
thrilled that we are here again continuing that tradition. I again want
to thank Chairman Carper for his leadership and dedication to this
critical piece of legislation, as well as--and I think I already
mentioned them, but I will mention them again because Senator Cardin
and Senator Cramer have been
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very integral as the subcommittee chairs.
Specifically, the WRDA bill authorizes 30 projects around the
country, including projects for navigation, flood and coastal storm
risk management, and ecosystem restoration. One such project is a
coastal storm risk management project along the eastern coast of Texas.
Think of all of the hurricanes and damage that we have heard over the
years that have come in on the eastern shore at Galveston and Houston.
This will help mitigate the impacts of future hurricanes and ensure
that critical port assets can continue to serve our country's shipping
and supply chain needs as we are moving forward.
The bill also directs the Corps to expedite the completion of 24
previously authorized projects, and it authorizes 36 studies that will
develop solutions to water resources challenges that we have ahead.
While this bill is very much oriented toward advancing critical
projects and studies in our States, it also includes several policy
changes that I would like to highlight. At the beginning of this
process, I outlined areas in which I believe changes would be
beneficial. I said we needed to reduce the confusion that some
communities experience when they are dealing with the Corps and ensure
more effective delivery of our projects--and efficient delivery. So the
bill bolsters the Agency's technical assistance authorities,
specifically the Floodplain Management Services and Planning Assistance
to States Program--again, one that impacts my State greatly.
This bill authorizes the Corps to conduct outreach to ensure that our
communities are knowledgeable of the ways in which the Agency can help
them with their water resources needs. It directs the Corps to
designate staff in each district that can do this outreach.
The bill makes important improvements to the Tribal Partnership
Program and other authorities to assist Indian Tribes. It also expands
existing programs and includes new authorities to assist communities
that are economically disadvantaged, including those located in rural
areas.
It requires reporting on timelines for the environmental review
process for projects. The bill directs the GAO to conduct a study: a
review of projects that are overbudgeted and delayed--find out what is
going on--as well as a review of the Corps' mitigation practices for
projects.
The bill includes several provisions that improve flexibility with
regard to financial accounting; for example, the bill allows Federal
Agencies to provide funding to help satisfy the non-Federal sponsor's
contribution for a project or study under certain circumstances. It
authorizes, for the first time, a dedicated research and development
account for the Corps to spur innovation and provides contracting
flexibility in undertaking these activities.
The bill directs the Corps to support science, technology,
engineering, and math--STEM--education and recruit individuals for
careers at this Agency. The input of non-Federal entities is crucial to
successfully resolving water resources challenges now and in the
future.
This bill establishes a new advisory committee for non-Federal
interests to voice their opinions on how the Corps can better meet
their needs.
We preserve the integral part of the non-Federal cost share partners
in the project delivery process by avoiding mandates from Washington,
DC, and ensuring that the Corps continues to evaluate a full array of
solutions during the feasibility study phase.
In addition to my role as a ranking member, I represent the great
State of West Virginia, and I worked to address the needs of my home
State. Here are just a few highlights before I close.
This legislation advances a critical flood control project of the
city of Milton, WV. Authorized in the 1990s, this project is longtime
coming, and I am proud to have helped move it forward.
The bill also supports flood control studies for the Kanawha River
Basin and the city of Huntington. And it continues to provide
environmental infrastructure assistance to communities throughout the
State.
Finally, the bill will provide additional critical support to
riverbank stabilizations such as those on the Kanawha River.
In closing, there is a lot in this bill--I could go on and on, but I
won't--for communities across the country. It is the culmination of a
true bipartisan agreement and represents our shared goal of addressing
the Nation's water resources needs.
I am very proud of our committee. I am very proud to be here today
with you. We are active; we are cooperative; and we are fruitful. We
get things done. I like that. It is a testament to the values and goals
that Chairman Carper and I share, and it is a testament to our personal
friendship and our working relationship. Thank you for that.
Before I close, I would like to thank my staff as well for all of
their hard work and dedication to seeing that we get this across the
finish line: Adam Tomlinson, Murphie Barrett, Max Hyman, Kim Townsend,
Katherine Scarlett, Jacob Mitchell, and Haden Miller.
I would also like to thank the technical assistance that we received
from the U.S. Corps of Engineers staff: Amy Klein, Dave Wethington, and
countless other technical staff.
And, then, from Senate legislative counsel, we would like to thank
Deanna Edwards.
I look forward to a rousing vote here in a few minutes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota.
Mr. CRAMER. Mr. President, I could not improve upon what has already
been said about the work on this important bill. Senator Capito has
articulated much more eloquently than I all of the priorities that are
important in the bill.
I am just going to add my thanks to Chairman Carper and to Ranking
Member Capito and, of course, to subcommittee Chairman Cardin as well.
It has been a great team effort, as is, I think, illustrated in the
final product and the overwhelming vote. Let's keep the team together.
And let's just pass a really big, important WRDA bill.
And I emphasize again, we did this through regular order, colleagues.
We stayed on the 2-year schedule, colleagues. And when we work
together, we can do good work for the people we serve.
With that, I urge a strong vote.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware.
Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I want to thank Senator Cramer not just
for his words but--I will take my mask off--not just for his words but
for his great participation, he and his staff, in this effort.
I don't think it has been said in our short time we have been on the
floor here this morning: In the subcommittee, we don't just make up
this legislation. We have a tradition of reaching out to other Senate
offices. We reached out to all 100 Senate offices. We ask everybody--
Democrat, Republican, a couple of Independents--and say: What are your
priorities? What would you like to see prioritized, included in this
legislation?
We received feedback and input from, I think, every single office.
And we have tried to reflect that input in this legislation.
So this is very much a community effort. And for everyone who has
participated, thank you for doing so and putting us in a position today
to vote and, hopefully, in an affirmative way.
Before we do vote, I just want to express one more time my very, very
strong support for the Water Resources Development Act of 2022. As we
have heard before this bill: Affectionately known as WRDA, it is an
ambitious, bipartisan water resources package that ensures the timely
reauthorization of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer studies and
projects. The bill also equips the Corps with critical authorities to
restore ecosystems and protect communities from climate-change-
exacerbated events like flooding and drought.
This legislation is a product of tireless commitment to
bipartisanship and doing the right thing. Senator Capito, Senator
Cardin, Senator Cramer, and myself and our staffs look past the party
differences and find, once more, a path forward on critical
infrastructure needs, just as we did last year on the bipartisan
infrastructure bill that the President signed into law late last year.
This is not the first time we have done this, and it won't be the
last. This Congress, the Environmental Public Works Committee, has
consistently advanced bipartisan legislation on drinking water;
legislation on wastewater;
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legislation on transportation--roads, highways, bridges--and on
recycling just today, just today. All of those bills passed EPW
unanimously, just like this Army Corps of Engineers bill passed
unanimously.
As EPW chairman, I am quite proud of the committee's work. I just
wish that everybody in the country who thinks that all we do is fight
around here and agree on nothing--I wish they had a chance to kind of
tune in and maybe be a fly on the wall and hear how when you work
together, you can get some amazing stuff done and really important,
really important things, as well, for all of our States, for every
corner of this country.
A word, if I could, about the Army Corps of Engineers. I am a Navy
guy. I spent something like 23 years Active Reserve Duty. I am the last
Vietnam veteran serving here. But I have huge respect--huge respect--
for the Army Corps of Engineers. I like to say: Different uniforms,
same team. And in my State and, frankly, all 50 States, they do
extraordinary work--sometimes without a lot of recognition, without a
lot of thanks. And I just want to say, we recognize you in Delaware; we
recognize you even in the Navy; and we are deeply grateful for the work
that you do, the great work you do. We couldn't do a lot of what we do
without your help. And this legislation is needed for the Army Corps to
meet their responsibilities and obligations.
But all the bills that I mentioned earlier passed committee
unanimously, as did this bill. And, again, we are so proud of the
committee's work.
What a joy it is to work with Senator Capito. And I wish I could say
the same thing about her staff. No. I am just joking.
Adam, you know we love working with you and your team, and we are
really privileged.
We were privileged to be led on our side of the staff by Mary Frances
Repko, who is new at this. She has not worked long for many weeks or
months on the Hill. Actually, she has probably for a quarter of a
century or so, and I think she started at the age of 12. She has done a
lot, and she still has a lot of gas in the tank.
But going back to the Corps--the Corps is the principal steward of
our Nation's water infrastructure, and it serves both as a facilitator
and protector of our diverse economy.
This bill--WRDA 2022--recognizes that the Corps is an essential part
of our lives. This bill takes critical steps to better support the
Agency as it serves all parts of our country. From navigation to
ecosystem restoration and flood control, the Corps is the backbone--
really, the foundation, if you will, on which our country was built.
I would like to reiterate that every provision in this bill is the
result of bipartisan work. I can confidently say that WRDA 2022 will
benefit all corners of our nation--from Alaska to California to
Kentucky to New York, from Maryland to rural towns and every place in
between.
Again, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to staff on the
Democratic side, the majority staff, and to Senator Capito's staff on
the minority side, the Republican side.
Actually, you can walk into a meeting, some of the meetings we have
with Senator Capito and myself and our staffs, and if you didn't know
who worked for whom, you wouldn't know. You wouldn't know, which I
think is an amazing thing, a wonderful thing.
With that in mind, again, I want to thank again my staff and Senate
Capito's staff who worked so hard. I want to recognize, again, Mary
Frances Repko and Adam Tomlinson for their dedicated leadership on the
Democratic side and the Republican side of our committee.
I also want to thank Murphie Barrett, Max Hyman, Kim Townsend,
Katherine Scarlett, Jacob Mitchell, Haden Miller, Mayely Boyce, Tyler
Hofmann Reardon, Jordan Baugh, Milo Goodell, Janine Barr, and John
Kane--especially John Kane--for their tireless efforts.
John, you are a force of nature. And thank you very, very much for
your great leadership.
I would like to say, again--I just said that, so I am not going to
say that again. I also want to thank Amy Klein and David Wethington of
the Corps--Amy Klein and David Wethington of the Corps--for their
countless hours of technical assistance and support as the bill was
developed.
In closing, I want to encourage all of our colleagues to join us in
supporting this excellent bill, because every State stands to benefit
from the legislation before us today.
Mr. President, the Senate is now considering the Water Resources
Development Act of 2022, affectionately known as WRDA. Not only is this
biennial legislation an ambitious water resources bill, it is also the
product of a tireless commitment to bipartisanship. Earlier this year,
we reached out to all 100 Senators to solicit their input for this
legislation. We developed this legislation using that feedback, and in
May, we advanced this legislation out of the Environment and Public
Works Committee by a vote of 20 to 0, something I am quite proud of as
EPW chairman.
In these times of partisan divide, it is not often we see legislation
receive unanimous support. But, as we all know, bipartisan solutions
are lasting solutions. That is how I think we should approach much of
our work in the Senate--by reaching across the aisle to find lasting
solutions, where possible, to the problems we face as a nation. The
bill before us today is a result of that partnership.
Before I delve into all we accomplish in this bill, let me thank
everyone who played a role in its development--especially our EPW
committee ranking member, Senator Capito, our Transportation and
Infrastructure Subcommittee chair, Senator Cardin, our subcommittee
ranking member, Senator Cramer, every member of our committee, and the
members of our staffs. I also want to thank the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers for supporting us throughout the drafting process.
This legislation continues the 2-year cycle for WRDA. By passing it,
we will ensure timely authorization of the Army Corps' studies and
projects. This work is critical in supporting our economy, restoring
critical ecosystems, and protecting communities from climate change and
extreme weather events like flooding and drought.
When we talk about WRDA, I cannot overstate just how important the
Army Corps' work is in the lives of Americans across the country. The
Corps is the principal steward of our Nation's water infrastructure.
That includes our beaches, our waterways, and our flood control
systems. Without the enactment of WRDA, our economy could well grind to
a halt.
The Corps operates and maintains America's water highway, a 12,000-
mile-long system of inland waterways with 209 locks that are vital to
domestic and international commerce. Each year, more than 500 million
tons of commodities move through this system, including 60 percent of
our Nation's agricultural exports. Operating and maintaining this
extensive network results in an economic benefit of nearly $14 billion
each year for our country.
In addition to managing the waterways that connect our ports to world
commerce, the Army Corps of Engineers is also responsible for ensuring
safe, reliable, and efficient navigation at our coastal ports. As we
have seen over the past 2 years, navigable shipping channels are
essential to keeping global supply chains moving.
More than 99 percent of U.S. overseas trade volume moves through the
13,000 miles of coastal channels maintained by the Corps, supporting
over 30 million jobs across the country. Cargo activity at our Nation's
ports supports more than a quarter of the U.S. economy. And, over the
next decade, an estimated $66 billion in future investment will be
needed to ensure continued domestic job creation and economic growth.
Recognizing the economic importance of our Nation's inland shipping
channels, WRDA 2022 adjusts the Inland Waterways Trust Fund cost share
to expedite much needed project improvements.
The legislation also addresses the harbor deepening and maintenance
needs of commercially significant ports, as well as underserved
community harbors. While commercially significant ports are vital to
our Nation's economy, community harbors are similarly important to
local and regional economies.
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WRDA 2022 ensures that these community harbors, which provide
essential fishing, recreation, and navigation services, will continue
to receive maintenance that will allow for their continued use.
As a recovering Governor, I often like to say that it is our
responsibility as elected officials to create a nurturing environment
for job creation and job preservation. Maintaining our ports and
coastal waterways is a cornerstone of that nurturing environment.
The Corps is also a leader in flood and storm damage mitigation and
ecosystem restoration. In addition to managing over 700 dams and more
than 13,000 miles of levees and floodwalls, it restores and nourishes
the Nation's dunes and beaches, constructs and maintains wetlands and
floodplains, and protects shorelines and riverbanks.
In total, the Corps' flood and coastal storm risk management
activities, and infrastructure portfolio, provide the nation an
economic benefit of nearly $260 billion in damage prevention and
reduction. This is critical to understand because more than 40 percent
of our Nation's population lives in coastal counties. If coastal
counties were their own nation, they would rank third in the world in
gross domestic product--beaten out only by China and the United States
as a whole.
This work is especially important for the communities I represent in
Delaware. Earlier this year, on the Saturday before Mother's Day, a
nor'easter pummeled beaches up and down the Delmarva Peninsula. When I
toured the damage, it was staggering to think that in 2 weeks, these
communities needed to be ready for the first real beach season since
the start of the COVID pandemic.
While many beaches had experienced severe erosion and destruction,
the dune system that the Corps had built worked as designed and
protected Delmarva communities from the storm. Homes and buildings
remained intact. Businesses could still operate. States were prepared
to handle the storm because of the work that the Army Corps had done.
Now, we are working with the Corps to rebuild these beaches, which are
the lifeblood of our States' economies.
Water, as we all know, is essential for life and a critical input
into virtually all economic activity. It is hard--in fact, it is
impossible--to have life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,
without the use of water and water-related infrastructure.
Unfortunately, climate change is fueling extreme weather in the form of
longer and stronger noreasters, hurricanes, and droughts. This
threatens the Corps' ability to be a good steward of our water
infrastructure, as well as that infrastructure's ability to protect and
support our economy.
And this is not just a problem for coastal communities. For inland
communities like those along the Missouri River, climate change means
heavier and more frequent precipitation events, inland flooding,
riverbank erosion, and the inundation of water treatment systems with
sediments and contaminants in some areas. For other communities out
west, climate change means historic droughts, water shortages, and
deeply destructive wildfires.
The Water Resources Development Act of 2022 recognizes these
challenges posed by climate change. It accounts for the new realities
that the Corps faces in carrying out its primary missions and takes
critical steps to address these looming concerns. How?
First, WRDA 2022 overhauls the Corps' project development
authorities, allowing the agency to better address the impacts of
climate change. This will make a big difference in States like Arizona,
where we are witnessing the worst drought conditions along the Colorado
River in 12,000 years.
Under our legislation, the Corps and local project sponsors will, for
the first time, be able to partner and develop cost-shared plans to
address drought risk management and water supply conservation during
the planning, constructing, and operating of water resources
development projects.
Communities in coastal States will also be able to develop projects
that address their specific climate-related impacts. This means that we
will see projects better formulated to combat sea level rise, as well
as back bay flooding or even sunny day tidal changes instead of just
storm surge protection.
In addition to overhauling the Corps' project development
authorities, WRDA 2022 makes clear that the protection and restoration
of shorelines and riverbanks from erosion and other damaging forces is
a primary responsibility. It also improves the Corps' ability to make
shorelines and riverbanks more resilient.
In crafting this legislation, we also made equity a top priority. I
am pleased to report that WRDA 2022 builds on the significant inroads
made in WRDA 2020 to rectify historical inequities for Tribal and
disadvantaged communities.
WRDA 2022 establishes a new Tribal and Disadvantaged Communities
Advisory Committee to help the Corps more effectively deliver projects,
programs, and other assistance to these communities. It also makes
permanent the 2020 pilot programs that cover cost shares for
economically disadvantaged communities.
In addition, this legislation reauthorizes the Corps' Tribal
Partnership Program and makes a series of targeted improvements to
increase opportunities for Tribal communities to partner with the Corps
on essential projects in a more cost-effective way.
Finally, WRDA 2022 establishes a new workforce development and STEM
outreach program at the Corps with a priority to recruit new engineers
from historically disadvantaged communities.
As we move to the consideration of the Water Resources Development
Act of 2022, I am reminded of an old African proverb that goes
something like this: ``If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to
go far, travel together.'' On this bill, we can proudly say that we
have chosen to travel together.
With that in mind, I would like to take a moment to thank my staff
and Ranking Member Capito's staff who together spent tireless hours
drafting and negotiating each provision in this bill.
I would like to recognize our staff directors, Mary Frances Repko and
Adam Tomlinson, for their dedicated leadership.
I would also like to thank Murphie Barrett, Max Hyman, Kim Townsend,
Katherine Scarlett, Jacob Mitchell, Haden Miller, Mayely Boyce, Tyler
Hofmann-Reardon, Jordan Baugh, Milo Goodell, Janine Barr, and John Kane
for their tireless efforts.
I like to say that if you walked in a room and saw our staff in
discussions, you would be impressed at how well they work together--
even when discussing difficult issues.
I would also like to thank Amy Klein and David Wethington of the
Corps for the countless hours of technical assistance and support as
this bill was developed.
In closing, I urge all of my colleagues to join Senator Capito and me
in supporting this excellent bill because every State stands to benefit
from the legislation before us today.
I yield the floor.
With that, Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that all time be
yielded back.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Under the previous order, the bill, as amended, is considered read a
third time.
The amendment was ordered to be engrossed and the bill to be read a
third time.
The bill was read the third time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The bill having been read the third time, the
question is, Shall the bill, as amended, pass?
Mr. CARPER. I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. SCHUMER. I announce that the Senator from Illinois (Mr. Durbin),
the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Leahy), and the Senator from West
Virginia (Mr. Manchin) are necessarily absent.
Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator
from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), the Senator from Alaska (Ms.
Murkowski), and the Senator from Nebraska (Mr. Sasse).
The result was announced--yeas 93, nays 1, as follows:
[[Page S3761]]
[Rollcall Vote No. 273 Leg.]
YEAS--93
Baldwin
Barrasso
Bennet
Blackburn
Blumenthal
Blunt
Booker
Boozman
Brown
Cantwell
Capito
Cardin
Carper
Casey
Cassidy
Collins
Coons
Cornyn
Cortez Masto
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Daines
Duckworth
Ernst
Feinstein
Fischer
Gillibrand
Graham
Grassley
Hagerty
Hassan
Hawley
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Hoeven
Hyde-Smith
Inhofe
Johnson
Kaine
Kelly
Kennedy
King
Klobuchar
Lankford
Lee
Lujan
Lummis
Markey
Marshall
McConnell
Menendez
Merkley
Moran
Murphy
Murray
Ossoff
Padilla
Paul
Peters
Portman
Reed
Risch
Romney
Rosen
Rounds
Rubio
Sanders
Schatz
Schumer
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)
Shaheen
Shelby
Sinema
Smith
Stabenow
Sullivan
Tester
Thune
Tillis
Toomey
Tuberville
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Warren
Whitehouse
Wicker
Wyden
Young
NAYS--1
Braun
NOT VOTING--6
Burr
Durbin
Leahy
Manchin
Murkowski
Sasse
The bill (H.R. 7776), as amended, was passed.
Change of Vote
Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, on rollcall vote No. 273, I voted no.
It had been my intention to vote yea. Therefore, I ask unanimous
consent to change the vote since it will not affect the outcome.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
(The foregoing tally has been changed to reflect the above order.)
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. King). Under the previous order, the
motion to reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table.
The majority leader.
Order of Procedure
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to executive session to consider the following nomination:
Calendar No. 1063, David Pressman, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Hungary; that the
Senate vote on the nomination at 1:45 p.m. today, without any
intervening action or debate; that, if confirmed, the motion to
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table; that any
statements related to the nomination be printed in the Record; that the
President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; further, that
the July 19, 2022, order with respect to the Milstein nomination remain
in effect.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Without objection, it is so ordered.
____________________