Amy Klobuchar: “I come to the floor to speak in support of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act, also known as the WRRDA bill.…”

“I come to the floor to speak in support of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act, also known as the WRRDA bill. I thank Senator Vitter for his work on this bill. Of course, I also thank Chairman Boxer for her leadership in shepherding this bill through, when I think many people thought it would be a very difficult year to get a major infrastructure bill done. She was able to do it, work with Senator Vitter, work with the House most significantly, and we are very pleased with this bill. I support this legislation because it will keep invasive carp out of Minnesota's northern lakes. It will help towns across the country advance critical flood protection projects. It will address overdue port and harbor maintenance on the Great Lakes. It will also ensure that navigation will remain strong on the inland waterways system, including the powerful and important Mississippi River, which of course starts in my State in Itasca State Park, where one can literally walk over the mighty Mississippi. Minnesota's fishing and boating industries contribute around $4 billion to our State's economy every single year. For Minnesotans, being on the water is more than just a way of life. It is also part of our State's culture, part of our heritage, and it is certainly part of our economic engine, but that way of life is under threat right now because of invasive species of carp, also called Asian carp.…”