On the recordJune 7, 2022
I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise in support of the fiscal year 2022 Water Resources and Development Act, legislation which will invest in America's ports, harbors, and inland waterways, as well as build more climate-resilient communities. For the first time ever, WRDA includes Section 219 environmental infrastructure projects for the State of Hawaii, which will ensure that Maui, Kauai, Hawaii and Honolulu County are able to address wastewater infrastructure and confront these challenges head-on today, because the cost of waiting is too great. This WRDA will also, for the first time ever, include a provision that will enable NHOs, or Native Hawaiian Organizations, to waive local cost-sharing requirements of up to $200,000 for critical environmental projects, which will open the doors to new environmental restoration projects and career opportunities in every county. This provision will help to provide more parity between indigenous communities, and I applaud its inclusion in this bill. I am proud to support this bipartisan effort to invest in our ports and harbors, build more resilient communities, and support our indigenous brothers and sisters across the country.
