Title: Commemorating the unofficial start of the inland waterway system navigation season and the role of the Corps of Engineers in facilitating access and increasing efficiencies in the American agricultural and trade economy.
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
This resolution (1) recognizes the start of the inland waterway system navigation season, (2) acknowledges the work of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in maintaining the inland waterway system as vital to the nation's economy, (3) recognizes that more than 78% of the locks and dams operated by the Corps on the system are well beyond their 50-year design life, and (4) expresses that investment in the inland waterway system is needed and would significantly impact the competitiveness of American commodities in international markets.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 484 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 484

   Commemorating the unofficial start of the inland waterway system 
      navigation season and the role of the Corps of Engineers in 
    facilitating access and increasing efficiencies in the American 
                    agricultural and trade economy.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 11, 2019

  Ms. Craig (for herself, Mr. Rodney Davis of Illinois, Mr. Kelly of 
 Pennsylvania, Mr. Bost, Ms. Finkenauer, Mr. Lipinski, Mr. Balderson, 
    and Mr. Loebsack) submitted the following resolution; which was 
     referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Commemorating the unofficial start of the inland waterway system 
      navigation season and the role of the Corps of Engineers in 
    facilitating access and increasing efficiencies in the American 
                    agricultural and trade economy.

Whereas the navigation of the inland waterway system is part of the United 
        States marine transportation system, which provides for both passenger 
        transport and domestic freight transportation infrastructure and coastal 
        gateways for global trade;
Whereas the St. Paul District of the Corps of Engineers considers the first tow 
        to arrive at Lock and Dam 2 as the unofficial start of the inland 
        waterway system navigation season, because it means all locks are 
        accessible to commercial and recreational vessels;
Whereas, on April 24, 2019, the first tow to reach Lock and Dam 2 was the Motor 
        Vessel Aaron F. Barrett, pushing 12 barges en route to St. Paul, 
        Minnesota, and it was locked through Lock and Dam 2, near Hastings, 
        Minnesota;
Whereas, up and down the river, shippers and consumers from 38 States depend on 
        the inland waterways to move about 600 million tons of cargo valued at 
        over $300 billion annually;
Whereas American farmers are reliant on the inland waterway system as a low-cost 
        transportation mechanism for their goods traded internationally;
Whereas 541,000 jobs are directly tied to our inland waterway system;
Whereas the work by the Corps of Engineers to maintain the inland waterway 
        system is vital to the Nation's economy;
Whereas the Corps of Engineers is responsible for maintaining 192 commercially 
        active lock sites with 238 lock chambers, providing a minimum 9-foot 
        navigation channel on nearly 12,000 miles of inland and intracoastal 
        waterways;
Whereas, in addition to lock maintenance, the Corps of Engineers promotes 
        environmental enhancement, river navigation, flood damage reduction, 
        water and wetlands regulation, recreation site preservation, and 
        disaster response;
Whereas more than 78 percent of the locks and dams operated by the Corps of 
        Engineers on the system are well beyond their 50-year design life, and 
        nearly half of vessels experience delays;
Whereas the Mississippi River contributes the largest percentage into the Inland 
        Waterways Trust Fund to contribute in the construction and 
        rehabilitation of locks and dams, yet has received limited investment 
        return to its infrastructure; and
Whereas proportional investment in the inland waterway system infrastructure 
        would directly result in efficiency and productivity gains across 
        sectors and significantly impact the competitiveness of American 
        commodities in international markets: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the start of the inland waterway system 
        navigation season;
            (2) acknowledges the work of the Corps of Engineers in 
        maintaining the inland waterway system as vital to the Nation's 
        economy;
            (3) recognizes that more than 78 percent of the locks and 
        dams operated by the Corps of Engineers on the system are well 
        beyond their 50-year design life; and
            (4) expresses its sense that investment in the inland 
        waterway system infrastructure is needed and would 
        significantly impact the competitiveness of American 
        commodities in international markets.
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