Water infrastructure bill nears House vote

The House of Representatives on Tuesday began debating the Water Resources Development Act, which would provide resources to the Army Corps of Engineers for waterway improvement projects.

   The House of Representatives on Tuesday began debating the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which is anxiously awaited by the maritime industry and port authorities to get several large harbor deepening projects started and provide continued funding for maintenance dredging, inland waterway improvements and other water infrastructure.
   A big stumbling block to coming up for a vote was removed when House leaders agreed on an amendment to add emergency funding for communities like Flint, Mich., that are dealing with lead-contaminated drinking water – something that Democrats insisted on in order to support a continuing resolution to fund the government beyond the Sept. 30 fiscal year deadline.
   Some House Democrats remain upset about another provision removed from the bill by Republican leaders that would have placed the Harbor Maintenance Tax trust fund off-budget so that revenues collected on shipping could not be diverted for non-dredging purposes.
   House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster, R-Pa., took to the floor Wednesday to encourage his colleagues to vote for the water infrastructure legislation.
   “I agree with Ranking Member [Peter] DeFazio that user fees paid into the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund should be used to improve our transportation system,” Shuster said. “However, we found ourselves in a position where section 108 conflicted with House rules. We worked to find another resolution to this one issue, but were unable to do so within the rules. I appreciate the Ranking Member’s passion for this provision, and thank him for his tireless support for infrastructure investment. I want to continue working with him and others to find a solution as we work with the Senate.
   “However, we cannot lose sight of the larger, more important issue,” Shuster added. “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.”
   “Only three WRDAs were enacted between 2000 and 2014. That record is unacceptable. Each delay placed America another step behind our competitors. We simply can’t afford more delays.”