Marcy Kaptur: “I rise to express my opposition to the gentleman's amendment and my support for a river system that works. The Water…”

“I rise to express my opposition to the gentleman's amendment and my support for a river system that works. The Water Resources Development Act of 2007--which was passed with such bipartisan support that it overcame a Presidential veto-- authorized the Corps to undertake the Missouri River Ecosystem Restoration Plan and develop the Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee to consult on the study. This authority provided a venue for collaboration between a 70-member stakeholder group of tribes, States, stakeholder groups, and Federal agencies to develop a shared vision and comprehensive plan for the restoration of the Missouri River ecosystem. By prohibiting the Corps from expending any 2013 funds on a study and a committee, we continue the delay that started with the same shortsighted amendment that was adopted last year, sadly. This will lead to further erosion of trust in the delicate partnerships in the basin. While the Corps will continue to comply with the endangered species requirements through other activities, I believe there is a role for a long-term plan for the basin. We face the same sort of issue in my part of the country where we have rivers and lakes that carry commercial trade, but we also have an ecosystem that we are a part of. And we are learning, as a world, how to deal with the natural systems of which we are all a part.…”