House overwhelmingly passes bill for Sacramento levees

House overwhelmingly passes bill for Sacramento levees

By Curtis Tate
McClatchy Washington Bureau
Published: Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013 - 5:05 pm

WASHINGTON -- The House of Representatives voted 417-3 Wednesday to approve a bill authorizing a broad array of water-related infrastructure projects across the country, including the completion of levee improvements to protect Sacramento from a catastrophic flood.

The Water Resources, Reform and Development Act aims to shorten the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers review process, which critics say delays projects such as the Natomas Levee Improvement Program and increases the cost to taxpayers.

The bill authorizes work on the nearly $1 billion federal share of the $1.4 billion project. Local funds have completed close to half of the 42-mile levee system, designed to protect California’s capital from a 200-year flood.

Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., who has spent five years trying to get a bill through the House to protect California’s flood-prone capital, called Wednesday’s vote “a long time coming.”

“We hoped we would get it done sooner rather than later,” she said just before the final tally came in.

The Senate approved its version of the bill with a bipartisan vote in May after a push by Sen. Barbara Boxer. The California Democrat is the chairwoman of the Senate Environment andPublic Works Committee, which drafted the Senate bill.

Matsui said she hoped that the two chambers would to move quickly to reconcile their versions and get it to President Barack Obama’s desk by year’s end.

With the drama of the government shutdown and debt limit over, at least for now, the bill presented an opportunity for lawmakers in both parties to come together on major legislation.

Congress last passed a water infrastructure bill in 2007 with overwhelming bipartisan support. In May, the Senate approved its version on an 83-14 vote. Last month, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed it unanimously.

House leaders Wednesday hailed its reforms, which include an expedited project approval process aimed at clearing a $60 billion backlog of corps projects. The bill would limit corps studies to three years and $3 million. It de-authorizes $12 billion in projects that have languished for years.

The bill also contains no earmarks, or pet projects in lawmakers’ home states or districts. The last bill had hundreds.

But fiscally conservative groups such as Taxpayers for Common Sense and Heritage Action warned that the legislation would give too much authority to the corps and hide pork barrel spending in other ways.

Environmental groups such as the National Wildlife Federation said the bill would weaken longstanding environmental protections.

The White House said in a statement that Obama supports the House bill, but expressed concern that it would authorize marginal projects, shift too much cost to taxpayers and undermine the environmental review process.

http://www.sacbee.com/2013/10/23/584...#storylink=cpy

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013...six-weeks?lite

Committee Passes Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA)


SEPT 19, 2013


Washington, DC – The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure today unanimously approved bipartisan water resources reform legislation that cuts federal red tape and bureaucracy, streamlines the infrastructure project delivery process, fosters fiscal responsibility, and strengthens our water transportation networks to promote America’s competitiveness, prosperity, and economic growth.
H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013 (WRRDA), was introduced in the House by Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA), Committee Ranking Member Nick J. Rahall, II (D-WV), Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Bob Gibbs (R-OH), and Subcommittee Ranking Member Tim Bishop (D-NY).
Through WRRDA, Congress authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to carry out its missions to develop, maintain, and support the Nation’s vital port and waterways infrastructure needs, and support effective and targeted flood protection and environmental restoration needs. Historically, Congress has passed such legislation every two years to provide clear direction to the Administration and the Corps, but no bill has been signed into law since 2007.
“WRRDA is the most policy and reform focused legislation of its kind in the last two decades,”Shuster said. “This bill contains no earmarks and makes reforms needed to increase transparency, accountability, and Congressional oversight of federal water resources development. At its heart, WRRDA is about jobs and improving America’s competitiveness. A strong water transportation network is critical to keeping pace with other nations that are improving their own infrastructure networks and gaining ground in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.”
“This bill invests in our infrastructure and represents one of the only jobs bills that has been considered in this Congress,” said Rahall. “It boosts our ports, allows commodities to move more efficiently along our inland waterways, and enables our water transportation network to support increased economic opportunity. I hope that the full House can approve this measure with the same strong bipartisan spirit that our Committee has displayed in advancing it today.”
“Today the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee considered the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013. Historically, Congress has passed legislation pertaining to these issues every two years, but a WRRDA bill has not been to the House floor since 2007,” said Chairman Gibbs. “This bipartisan legislation cuts red tape and streamlines the infrastructure project process while promoting fiscal responsibility and strengthening our maritime transportation networks. WRRDA champions job growth that will uphold our transportation infrastructure, and preserves our nation’s competiveness. I look forward to WRRDA heading to the House floor this fall.”
“This markup continues our bipartisan work to spur job creation and lay the foundation for sustained economic growth with strategic investments in America’s aging harbor and inland waterway infrastructure,” said Bishop. “America needs a 21st century infrastructure to compete in a global economy, and I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure we make the necessary investments in our ports and rivers.”

Highlights of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013

Reforms Bureaucracy, Accelerates Project Delivery, and Streamlines Environmental Reviews
• Sets hard deadlines on the time and cost of studies
• Consolidates or eliminates duplicative or unnecessary studies and requires concurrent reviews
• Streamlines environmental reviews
Fiscally Responsible
• Deauthorizes $12 billion of old, inactive projects that were authorized prior to WRDA 2007
• Fully offsets new authorizations with deauthorizations
• Sunsets new authorizations to prevent future project backlogs
• Reduces the inventory of properties that are not needed for the missions of the Corps
Strengthens Oversight, Transparency, and Accountability
• NO earmarks
• Establishes a new, transparent process for future bills to review and prioritize water resources development activities with strong Congressional oversight
Increases Flexibility for Non-Federal Interests
• Maximizes the ability of non-federal interests to contribute their own funds to move authorized studies and projects forward
• Expands the ability of non-federal interests to contribute funds to expedite the evaluation and processing of permits
• Establishes a Water Infrastructure Public Private Partnership Program
Improves Competitiveness, Creates Jobs, and Strengthens Water Resources Infrastructure
• Authorizes needed investments in America’s ports
• Supports underserved, emerging ports
• Reforms and preserves the Inland Waterways Trust Fund
• Authorizes priority water resources infrastructure improvements recommended by the Chief of the Army Corps of Engineers to improve navigation and commerce and address flood risk management, hurricane and storm damage risk reduction, and environmental restoration needs
Click here for more information about WRRDA, including bill and amendment text, as well as a document describing the importance of WRRDA and how it will improve American infrastructure and competitiveness.

http://transportation.house.gov/pres...ment-act-wrrda

House Passes $8.2 Billion Water Projects Bill

By AP / Henry C. JacksonOct. 23, 2013Add a Comment

(WASHINGTON) — The House has bucked some of the outside conservative groups that stoked the partial government shutdown and passed an $8.2 billion bill mapping out plans for dams, harbors, river navigation and other water projects for the coming decade.

The House voted 417-3 Wednesday to approve the measure six years after the last water bill was enacted. The bill must now be reconciled with a similar Senate measure passed in May before it can be sent to President Barack Obama.

Democrats and Republicans say they back the measure because it will spur job growth and encourage much needed investment in the nation’s infrastructure.

Conservative groups, including FreedomWorks, Taxpayers for Common Sense and Heritage Action for America, had opposed the bill saying it doesn’t do enough to block unneeded projects.

http://swampland.time.com/2013/10/23/house-passes-8-2-billion-water-projects-bill/#ixzz2ib3FI56D