Sheila Jackson Lee: “I am going to take this opportunity just to show this picture to my colleagues on the floor of the House and the…”

“I am going to take this opportunity just to show this picture to my colleagues on the floor of the House and the headline that says: ``Urban Flooding in Houston is on the Rise.'' I clearly just used the city of Houston by coincidence, but I will tell you that this is what we are facing, really, across America. The opening sentence of the article says: ``Before you can fix a problem, you need to know what's causing it.'' My amendment is just that. My amendment--as I thank Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Kaptur for their work on this legislation in doing the best that we can under the circumstances of trying to preserve the balance--speaks to the need for robust funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' investigations account by redirecting $3 million for increased funding for postdisaster watershed assessment studies, like the one that has been contemplated in many areas around the country. As the Federal agency that collects and studies basic information pertaining to river and harbor, flood and storm damage reduction, shore protection, aquatic ecosystem restoration, and conducts detailed studies, plans, and specifications for river and harbor and flood and storm damage reduction, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plays a critical role in building, maintaining, and expanding the most critical of the Nation's infrastructure.…”