Jason Smith: “Missouri's Eighth District has more than 200 miles of the Mississippi River and is dependent on barge traffic to move…”

“Missouri's Eighth District has more than 200 miles of the Mississippi River and is dependent on barge traffic to move our crops. This year, with one of the largest harvests on record, the Army Corps of Engineers closed a stretch of the Mississippi River that gets the harvest to market and did not adequately notify shippers. This is absolutely unacceptable. My colleagues and I sent a letter this week urging the Corps to notify industries in advance of construction, and also to take market factors into consideration when planning construction in the future. The work the Corps does protecting our river system is vital, and we need to work to secure the Corps more resources to complete its mission, but construction must be scheduled appropriately and not at the expense of America's farmers and shippers. ____________________”