James M. Talent: “I rise today to as a cosponsor of legislation to modernize our aging waterways infrastructure on the Upper Mississippi…”

“I rise today to as a cosponsor of legislation to modernize our aging waterways infrastructure on the Upper Mississippi River and the Illinois River. I am glad to join my colleague from Missouri, Senator Bond as well as Senators Harkin and Grassley in introducing a bill to upgrade and modernize the failing infrastructure on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. This $2.9 billion authorization will also bring great benefits to the fish habitat along the river through construction of fish passages, floodplain restoration and side channel restoration. I commend Senators Bond and Harkin for working to find some balance in this important issue. I have always said, navigation and habitat restoration do not have to be mutually exclusive. The locks and dams that are in place today are vital to our national economy. These national waterways serve as our competitive advantage to our overseas competitors, and this a clean and efficient way to move goods and commodities for export. The Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway carry approximately 60 percent of the country's corn exports and 45 percent of our soybean exports, providing a significant positive balance of trade benefit for the Nation. Over half of the Soybeans produced in Missiouri head down the Mississippi River to the Gulf where they are shipped to markets overseas. To me, this issue is a question of common sense. Water transportation is safe, clean and efficient.”