Date: 2007-08-01
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of the conference report for H.R. 1495. the Water Resources Development Act of 2007. I congratulate Chairman OBERSTAR. Ranking MemberMICA and the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. Mr. BAKER. for your work on reaching this agreement in the vital infrastructure investment bill for the Nations water resources needs. I especially express my appreciation to the staff. to- Congressman YOUNG. Congressman DUNCAN. and Congressman COSTELLO and other distinguished members ofthis committee. because we have all worked together in a bipartisan manner. All of us assembled here this evening understand. the magnitude of this moment. The clock is working against the infrastructure of our country. The 7 years we have waited to enact a water resources development bill have led to significant increases in cost to adequately address the Nations deteriorating water resources and flood control infrastructure. As such. I am delighted that we as conferees have come to an agreement on the issues independent of review. environmental issues. environmental infrastructure and individual projects that have." up until now. prevented .us from crafting a final conference report. We do right and good by this country when we invest in its infrastructure. I agree with the chairman that enactment of a water resources bill .this year is critical to economic prosperity. job creation. protection of the environment and public safety. Since Congress last passed a Water Resources Development Act. we have seen Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita devastate the gulf coast and my home State of Texas. flooding. cities. damaging economies and businesses and threatening public health. No water resources bill. has been enacted since the year 2000. the entire term* of this current administration. While I am fully aware of the veto threat that this administration has issued on the conference report. I want to remind -my colleagues that since the start of the Iraq conflict in 2003. nearly $42 billion has been ipropriated at the request of the administration for Iraqi reconstruction. onethird of which. or $14 billion. is going towards Iraqi economic infrastructure. I would daresay that if this level of attention is adequate for Iraqi water and road infrastructure. my State. as well as my constituents. who are constantly beleaguered.by outdated flood protection. are as equally deserving of the attention afforded by H.R. 1495. I deeply regret that the administration has decided to turn its back on a bill that would put Americans to work with goodpaying jobs. protect lives and property and bolster our Nations infrastructure. A recent report by the Texas Section of Civil Engineers assessed my States infrastructure and rendered a dismal Qfimulative grade of below average. The assessment of the States flood control fared even worse. with the State receiving a failing grade of D minus. Over the past decade. Texas has experienced 15 federally declared disasters. most involving flooding. Moreover. Texas leads the Nation in terms of dollars paid for flood claims. second only to the State of Louisiana. The population of Texas is expected to double in the next 30 to 40 years. Development in and near flood plains can be expected to increase. as developers continue to build near the States rivers. lakes and coastlines. In my district. the Dallas Floodway accepts 1.600 square miles of Trinity River watershed runoff and safely moves the floodwaters through the City of Dallas by virtue of levees that form both sides of the 2.000footwide Floodway. The Floodway levees protect the downtown vicinity from a potential flood damage loss to properties and infrastructure at a price of $8 billion or more. This is a major economic area. The 23 miles of .levees for the Dallas Floodway were originally constructed by local interests in 1932 and- reconstructed by the Corps in 1960. But. since 1960. the upstream watershed has experienced exploding population growth. afid that was not expected. which has significantly increased runoff. overwhelmed our antiquated drainage pumps. and greatly reduced the flood protection afforded by the Dallas Floodway levees. My districts flood control needs are great. and. like the other communities across this Nation. they are anxiously anticipating the resumption of a predictable. consistent. and 2year water plan. I am glad our work here today brings us one step closer to this reality. The product before us authorizes a number of studies and projects. particularly for the restoration of. coastal Louisiana. the restoration of Florida Everglades and the restoration of the upper Mississippi River andthe Illinois Waterway System. Again. we do right by this country when we invest in its infrastructure. Commnunities across the country have beenwaiting 7 long years to begin their noteworthy flood control and water infrastructure projects. I am pleased that we have been able to put our heads together and once and for all advance this vitally important and longoverdue legislation for the American people. I want to extend my thanks again to the bipartisan committee leadership of both Chambers and. most especially. the efforts of our dedicated staff persons who have spent countless hours in crafting the conference report. - I strongly urge my colleagues to vote "yes" on this conference report to H.R. 1495. The time to act is now.