Tom Carper

I will confess that my patience is at an end, as a Senator from the Ocean State, with continuing to put up with passing WRDA bills that countenance my State, the Chairman's State, Senator Wicker's State, and other coastal States losing out…

Your message is loud and clear and received.

Good point, good point.

We must overcome the Corps' entrenched over reliance on structural solutions.

We shouldn't be waiting for the storms to address these projects; we should be addressing these initiatives before the storms ever arrive.

We need to do more for communities that depend on Federal investment for essential flood and storm protection.

Thus, from the perspective of the White House Office of Management and Budget, these projects oftentimes don't make the cut.

As Senator Whitehouse said just yesterday, this year is the worst year of the last 10.

The Corps needs to take a longer view with climate consequences in clear focus.

For some time, I have spoken about how the current process for evaluating benefits and costs of the Corps projects shortchanges our abilities to address the critical needs in smaller, economically disadvantaged communities.

My hope is that today's hearing will provide us with important insights into all of these challenges as we begin to work on the next WRDA Bill.

Color me more hopeful today than I have been in a while, so we will see how that works out.

I am very proud of our successful bipartisan work on water infrastructure so far this Congress, including passage of our Drinking Water and Clean Water Bill by a margin of 89 to 2 in the Senate.

Understanding that our concerns with the adequacy of Corps funding are universal and will be a key focus of negotiations with the Administration and our colleagues on the Appropriations Committee.

The backlog of authorized but not completed projects has grown to over $100 billion.

Let us keep moving forward and thinking of new ways to continue to incentivize employers.

Having matching contributions would be very helpful.

Research shows that--part of my background, I used to be Treasurer of the State of Delaware for about 6 years, and I focused a whole lot on a pension system, but focused a lot on a deferred compensation program to encourage folks to save…

I also worked here in the Senate with Rob Portman, Senator Portman from Ohio, to make some changes in the Thrift Savings Plan to encourage greater participation, and I think to good success.

Coverage and auto enrollment are absolutely the key.

I think it is automatic enrollment. I think it is auto-escalation.

I think it is important that States which have really taken the lead on this now be allowed to continue to do what they are doing across the country.

I think there is a huge opportunity for Congress to provide leadership here.

Your budget request for $1.2 billion for investments in modernizing ports of entry, more security and technology, will this amount of money improve our ability to counter fentanyl and other illicit drugs coming through our ports?

I remember when I was new in the Senate, presiding over the Senate, and Mike Enzi got recognition and started speaking.