Blaine Luetkemeyer: “In recent months the Midwestern United States has been pummeled by severe weather that has destroyed land, homes, and…”

“In recent months the Midwestern United States has been pummeled by severe weather that has destroyed land, homes, and even lives, particularly along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Citizens living in communities along the Missouri River have endured what is beginning to be referred to as the worst flooding in history. Just in this year alone, millions of taxpayer dollars have gone towards environmental restoration and recovery programs, while operations and maintenance of our infrastructure has been terribly neglected. Because of this neglect, this year's record rainfall, snowfall, and subsequent snowmelt have created extremely dangerous conditions that are growing more serious with each passing day. President Obama in his fiscal year 2012 budget requested more than $72 million for the Missouri River Recovery Program, which would primarily go towards the funding of environmental restoration studies and projects. This funding dwarfs the insufficient $6.1 million that was requested for an entire operations and maintenance fund that supports the area covering the entire region from Sioux City to the mouth of the Missouri in St. Louis. It is preposterous to think that environmental projects are more important than the protection of human life. The Missouri River Ecosystem Restoration Plan, or MR-ERP, is slated to receive $4 million of the more than $72 million in Federal funding that will go towards the Missouri River Recovery Program.…”