Grace Meng: “First, I thank my partner in offering this amendment, Representative Elise Stefanik. Our bipartisan amendment is simple.…”

“First, I thank my partner in offering this amendment, Representative Elise Stefanik. Our bipartisan amendment is simple. It is identical to language in the Senate-passed WRDA that allows the Army Corps of Engineers to pursue projects and technologies that prevent and mitigate flood damage that is associated with ice jams. Every year, flooding that results from the piling up of frozen ice in rivers across the United States costs our economy millions of dollars. When free-floating ice catches on obstructions, such as bridge pilings, rocks, or logs, flooding can result upstream from the blockage and, again, downstream when the ice finally releases. During my time in the New York State Assembly, I can remember hearing horrible stories from my colleagues in upstate New York and wondering what more could be done to prepare for these events. I know that my friend Representative Stefanik's district has been directly impacted by such floods in the recent past, and I am glad that we could come together today to offer this amendment. Currently, research is ongoing regarding the best practices in planning, design, and construction of Army Corps projects that would help alleviate future ice jam flooding. I support those efforts and look forward to new technologies and designs that are being developed by local universities, State and local agencies, and even private industry.…”