Rob Woodall: “I would like to believe that you requested this time today after having been with the Rules Committee last night…”

“I would like to believe that you requested this time today after having been with the Rules Committee last night debating this measure. The rule, House Resolution 892, provides for structured debate of H.R. 5303, the Water Resources Development Act of 2016. Now, for Members who have been here for more than one term, you are thinking: Didn't we just do a Water Resources Development Act of 2014? Well, we absolutely did. We were supposed to. This is getting us back on track to--Congress after Congress after Congress--focus on the water resources of our Nation. In this rule today, we are going to make in order the general debate on the WRDA bill, the Water Resources Development Act, as well as a number of amendments on both sides. But I want to make it clear that the Rules Committee is not done. When Congressman Hastings and I finish here on the floor, we will head back to the Rules Committee and we will make even more amendments in order for debate. There are 25 amendments, bipartisan amendments, made in order by the rule that we are debating today. And, again, we will return to committee to make additional amendments in order this afternoon. It would, no doubt, have been easier to make all the amendments available in one package. But as so often happens, Mr. Speaker, when you have a bill of this magnitude, of this importance, as the Water Resources Development Act is, you have an abundance of interest from across this Chamber.…”