Dick Durbin: “today the Senate will act to make major improvements to our water infrastructure for commercial and recreational…”

“today the Senate will act to make major improvements to our water infrastructure for commercial and recreational navigation while protecting and maintaining many environmental treasures for future generations. The Water Resources Reform and Development Act--which the House passed 412 to 4--is one of the few bipartisan accomplishments of this Congress. I wish there were more. Nevertheless, I would like to thank Chairman Barbara Boxer and Senator Vitter of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and Chairman Bill Shuster and Congressman Nick Rahall on the House side for their hard work in getting this bill to us today. I would also like to thank my Illinois delegation colleagues on both sides of the Capitol and on both sides of the aisle for their assistance in advancing Illinois priorities in this bill. I am pleased that in the final bill there are many provisions that will benefit our home State. It was just a little over a year ago that we dealt with a major drought in the Midwest that caused record low water levels on the Mississippi River and threatened to disrupt the crucial transport of millions of dollars in goods and commodities on the river. After the initial threat had passed, thanks to better-than-expected rainfall and quick action by the Army Corps of Engineers at the behest of Congress, Representative Bill Enyart and I introduced the Mississippi River Navigation Sustainment Act.…”