WRDA 3rd Hearing: Members Promote Home Projects

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee, held a third Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA) hearing on March 16, providing a chance for Representatives to seek local project funding.

Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (OR-4), in opening remarks, noted large recent spending increases for water projects, e.g., the new infrastructure bill and harbor trust fund policy changes in WRDA 2020. Still, he commented that even this new money cannot pay for the backlog of the Corps' projects. Hence the continuing need to be selective.

Indeed, members' requests showed communities across the nation struggling with project funding. An inherent challenge, of course, is to present a convincing case that a local project also has national value, or at least regional value.

Some projects meet this test easier than others. Rep. Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), for example, noted that Houston "has as many ship calls annually as the next three largest U.S. ports combined, and it provides $801.9 billion in national economic value."