John Thune: “I thank the chairman. I congratulate the chairman of the committee and Senator Jeffords and Senator Bond and others who…”

“I thank the chairman. I congratulate the chairman of the committee and Senator Jeffords and Senator Bond and others who have worked so hard to get this measure to the floor. Congress is long overdue in reauthorizing this important measure. As a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, I am pleased to be part of efforts to improve the functionality of the Army Corps of Engineers. While my home State of South Dakota doesn't have any new specific projects in this bill, I appreciate the hard work that has been put in on the part of Chairman Inhofe, Subcommittee Chairman Bond, and Senators Jeffords and Boxer in getting this long overdue legislation to the floor for consideration and hopefully a favorable vote. I express my appreciation to the bill managers for their willingness to extend the provisions having to do with the Missouri River Restoration Act that was authorized in the 2000 Water Resources Development Act bill. This particular provision will allow the State of South Dakota to move forward with a task force report from State, tribal, and Federal entities concerning siltation, erosion, and the status of Native American historical and cultural sites along the Missouri River. My colleagues will be interested to know that my home State of South Dakota has four dams along the Missouri River which resulted in the flooding of hundreds of thousands of acres of State, tribal, and private lands.…”