On the recordMay 14, 2013
The point is this legislation represents jobs. This legislation represents moving products. This legislation represents flood control. This legislation represents fixing our ports, making sure we have some reforms that work well. This makes sure that when the Army Corps sets a project timeline, the resources agencies are in the room. It is very important. I have to say, as this country sees, there is a lot of partisanship going on; this is a bipartisan bill. The bill made it through the Environment Committee without a single ``no'' vote. Since then, Senator Vitter and I have been working with all Senators, whether they are on the committee or off the committee, to meet the needs of their States to work with them. I think we have done everything in our power to help every State. We know the last WRDA bill was 2007. We used to have a WRDA bill every couple years, but everything has gotten so controversial. What happened between then and now is a ban on earmarks. This bill used to be a bill that listed projects. We can't do that anymore. What we have to do is figure out a way to fund the needed projects while averting earmarks. We did it by saying if there is a completed Corps report then, in fact, the project can go forward. We set up a way for future projects to be handled with the local communities coming forward. I think we handled that issue well. We focused on flood control, ports, and environmental restoration. We have a piece that deals with the Everglades.…
