On the recordJuly 29, 2020
I thank the chairman and the ranking member. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the 2020 Water Resources Development Act, a bill that includes language that I fought for to ensure that the Federal Government not just supports and funds flood control projects, but also supports those projects in economically disadvantaged communities. For too long, the Army Corps has relied on an outdated metric when making decisions whether or not to invest. Unfortunately, it is a metric that doesn't always capture the project's full value, including the potential loss of valuable agricultural land, like that in the Pajaro Valley in my district on the central coast of California. Mr. Speaker, I have to say, though, with continued pressure by me and many other stakeholders, I am proud that the 2020 WRDA contains language that directs the Army Corps when they re-scope projects to take into account non-Federal interests, especially in economically disadvantaged communities. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chair and ranking member for their leadership on WRDA, and I look forward to working with them to reach a final compromise with the Senate that maintains this language to properly invest in all communities, not just to save money, but to save lives.
