Doris Matsui: “I thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the bipartisan WRRDA…”

“I thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the bipartisan WRRDA bill. I want to commend Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member Rahall, along with Chairman Gibbs and Ranking Member Bishop. I would also like to thank Senator Boxer for leading the Senate in passing its WRRDA bill earlier this year. Mr. Speaker, my district of Sacramento is the most at-risk metropolitan area for major flooding, as it lies at the confluence of two great rivers: the American and the Sacramento. We have a lot at risk. We waited too long for this bill, and we need Congress to act. Since the last WRRDA in 2007, a number of key flood protection investments have been carefully studied by the Army Corps of Engineers. One such project that has been thoroughly studied by the Corps of Engineers and holds a Chief's Report is the Natomas Levee Improvement Project. Levee deficiencies were found in the area in 2008, and it was remapped by FEMA in 2008. The Corps of Engineers put the level of protection at 1 in 33 years, a third of the national standard. Since then, costly flood insurance has become mandatory. The area to be protected by the project is home to over 100,000 people, two interstate highways, and an international airport. It is heavily urbanized, and home to dozens of schools and hundreds of small businesses. If a levee broke, the damage would be similar to that experienced in New Orleans.…”