Date: 2008-06-23
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. H.R. 6040. introduced by the ranking member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Mr. MICA. and the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Water Resources Environment. Mr. BOOZMAN. makes a technical change to title IX of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007. Title IX of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 establishes the framework for the creation of the National Levee Safety Program to enhance the safety of levees and those living in leveeprotected areas. In the 3 years since hurricanes Katrina and Rita. the Nation has refocused its attention to the safety and reliability of floodcontrol structures and how lives and livelihoods can be affected by their failure. It is especially evident that to our colleagues from the States of Iowa. Missouri. and Illinois. who have been experiencing the challenges of flooding from the Mississippi River and its tributary system over the past few weeks. The Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment has held numerous hearings on the condition of the Nations levees and other floodcontrol structures. Throughout these hearings. one consistent theme was readily apparent. the condition of the Nations flood control infrastructure is. at best. unknown. and in a few notable instances. is in desperate need for repair and upgrading. The subcommittee received testimony from noted experts in flood control infrastructure that of the thousands of miles of Federal. State. local. and privately owned levees. in this country little is known about the current condition. including whether levees were designed to meet current conditions or whether they have been properly maintained by the nonFederal interests. Although rare. failure of flood control structures. such as levees. does occur. and has become more frequent in recent years. and actually. in the last recent weeks. Levees are typically built in a certain location and to a specified height to provide a certain level of protection. However. the level of protection provided by a lev ee may change with time. due to natural or manmade changes. Natural changes may include land subsidence. sedimentation. vegetative growth in the floodway. or the potential implications of climate change. Land use changes in an area such as upstream development. and the loss of natural upstream storage capacity. can induce hydrologic changes. including faster runoff that will reduce the level of protection provided by a levee. Given the important flood damage reduction and development opportunities provided by levees. it is important for the Nation to understand the true nature and condition of our flood control infrastructure. as well as to develop a comprehensive national policy to address issues related to the construction. operation and maintenance of projects and other management techniques for flood damage reduction. In that light. the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure included language in the Water Resources Development. Act of 2007 for the creation of a national Committee on Levee Safety. The committee would be chaired by the Corps of Engineers and would inelude experts from around the Nation. working towards a shortterm recommendation to Congress for the ere-: ation of an effective and efficient National Levee Safety Program. The House and Senate conferees on the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 agreed on the ifnportance of soliciting the recommendations of the Nations leading experts in levee safety to aid in the drafting of a future National Levee Safety Program. Whatever recommendations are made by the Committee on Levee Safety. these recommendations will be referred back to the Congress for enactment in future legislation. It is my understanding that the Corps has been working towards the creation of the committee. including the identification of a broad array of experts in levee safety. Unfortunately. the Corps believes it has hit a roadhlock due to the specific wording of the authorization language that has prevented the Corps from utilizing available funding to pay for the travel expenses of the committee members. H.R. 6040 is a simple modification to the existing authorization language to ensure that the Corps can utilize already identified funding to pay these expenses so that the Committee on Levee Safety can formally be assembled and begin its important work. I applaud my colleagues on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Ranking Member MICA. and the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment for volunteering to move this legislation through the House. It is my hope that the other body can. also. quickly move this legislation to the Presidents desk so that the Levee Safety Committee can begin its important work and complete it later this summer. I urge adoption of this legislation. Madam Speaker. I submit the following for the RECORD.