Date: 2013-10-23
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank the distinguished gentleman from Florida. the manager. for yielding the time. He knows how important this whole bill is to the Texas gulf region. Mr. Speaker. let me say that there are many things we would like to fix in this bill. but I know that there are many Texans who are waiting for this bill to pass. and I was delighted to work with the Texas delegation to strengthen the bill by encouraging nonFederal entities to invest in their harbor maintenance and step in when the Army Corps of Engineers cannot. I am also delighted that we have addressed the question of dredging. and we should do it even better. I thank the Rules Committee for consenting to my amendment that deals with consultation. with stakeholders and water districts. local city. county government. I know my local governments are waiting to have the Army Corps of Engineers actually listen to them as well as Historically Black Colleges and minority institutions. I am also looking forward to making sure that the $20 billion in projects in the DeFazio amendment is included and not rejected. And finally. I hope that we can work together. Mr. Speaker. on ensuring minority- and womenowned businesses and the billions of dollars that are used by the Army Corps of Engineers are actually getting the opportunity to work. I ask my colleagues to recognize the importance of this legislation. Mr. Speaker. I thank the Chairman and the Ranking Member for bringing this important legislation to the House floor. Smart investments in water infrastructure are critical to the Nations economic wellbeing. Water infrastructure is vital to my home State of Texas. For example. waterways and ports support 207.970 Texas jobs. Additionally. it generates $34 billion dollars in economic activity to the Texas economy. As the Representative of the 18th Congressional District. which is adjacent to the Port of Houston. I understand how critically important it is to make smart investments to create jobs and keep our economy growing. Texass commercial deepwater ports connect 152.000 miles of rail. 460.000 miles of pipelines. and 45.000 miles of interstate highways. In addition. the State of Texas has 11 deepwater ports. but hurricane damage and age threaten their ability to handle the next generation of postPanama vessels. Mr. Speaker. over half of Texas port facilities require maintenance to fully accommodate the next generation of maritime shipping vessels. Without these investments. Texas and the Nation will be at a competitive disadvantage in the global economy. That is why I support H.R. 3080. I also want to thank the Rules Committee for making in order my amendment. This amendment provides that in making recommendations pursuant to Section 118 of the Act. the Secretary shall consult with key stakeholders. including State. county. and city governments. and. where applicable. State and local water districts. and in the case of recommendations concerning projects that substantially affect underrepresented communities the Secretary shall also consult with historically Black colleges and universities. Tribal Colleges and Universities. and other minorityserving institutions. Mr. Speaker. as you are aware. it is an essential tool in our desire to improve the lives of low income and minority communities as well as the environment at large. I am sure we will never forget the critical impact from Hurricane Sandy that crippled the Northeast area from Massachusetts to North Carolina. And not long before Hurricane Sandy. as we were working to learn how to prevent another Hurricane Katrina that crippled the great City of New Orleans. Our nation was still healing from Hurricane Ike and Hurricane Rita which crippled Houston. Texas. As my colleagues are aware. a healthy environment sustains a productive and healthy community which fosters personal and economic growth. This highlights the importance of not only giving greater attention to our underserved communities but also how we can help our citizens by educating them on the areas in which they live. That is why my amendment requires the Secretary of the Army to consult with key stakeholders. including State. county. and city governments. and. where applicable. State and local water districts. and in the case of recommendations concerning projects that substantially affect underrepresented communities. I regret that the Rules Committee did not make in order my amendment that directs the Secretary of the Army to encourage the participation of minority- and womenowned businesses in such projects and requires the GAO to submit a report to Congress within 2 years on the participation of minority- and womenowned businesses in such projects. I recognize the value of a diverse supplier base and its impact on the community and population at large. Therefore. I will continue to work directly with the Secretary of the Army to establish an opportunity for Minority and Women Owned Businesses to participate on specific projects and to ensure that the United States Army Corp of Engineers continues to creatively seek new supplier sources. particularly among minority and women owned businesses. to fulfill the business opportunities at a number of Ports throughout our great nation. Lastly. I appreciate the Committee making in order an amendment cosponsored with Congressman DEFAZIO of Oregon that conditions the application of Section 103 of the bill on a reduction in the backlog of Corps of Engineers projects to less than $20 billion in construction costs. This amendment highlights the fact that it is a lack of funding not the environmental review process that has led to a backlog of authorized projects that are not being constructed. We have spent enough energy arguing over the budget and the National Environmental Policy (NEPA) streamlining. but not enough time in making the hard decisions and investments that are going to create economic growth and create jobs. Mr. Speaker. H.R. 3080 is not a perfect bill. But no compromise legislation ever is. But this bill is a good start and merits my support.