Political Quotes

“This amendment is about setting priorities. The Army Corps of Engineers construction account has a serious backlog of over $60 billion. According to a recent CRS report, there is a backlog of more than 1,000 authorized studies and construction projects. The President's budget inadequately addresses this backlog, only allocating $1.1 billion for these important infrastructure projects, a 32 percent reduction over fiscal year 2014-enacted levels. Now, I applaud the committee for providing $48 million more for Corps construction over the 2014-enacted levels, but more needs to be done. This is especially prevalent with the recent passage of the bipartisan water resources conference report, which contained authorizations for existing projects, such as the Louisiana Coastal Area, and new projects, such as Morganza to the Gulf. Mr. Chairman, my amendment transfers $5 million out of the Department of Energy's administrative account and moves that money into the Corps of Engineers construction budget. The goal is to move more projects forward, to reduce the backlog, and to open up the door for projects across the country vital to our Nation's waterways, our economy, and our ability to export. Louisiana, for example, contains 3 million acres of coastal wetlands. Louisiana's coast is home to over 2 million people, supporting vital ecosystems, national energy security, thousands of jobs, and a unique culture. As you may know, our coastal wetlands are rapidly disappearing.…”