Ron Kind: “Today, I, along with the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) and the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Baldwin)…”

“Today, I, along with the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) and the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Baldwin), introduced the Corps of Engineers Reform Act of 2000. The purpose of this legislation is to reform the project review and authorization procedures at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and let the sun shine in through greater civilian oversight of Corps projects. Through this legislation we hope to persuade our fellow Members of Congress to act this session to clarify the mission of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and to restore the public's severely eroded trust in the Corps. The Corps of Engineers is the primary Federal agency responsible for construction and maintenance of our Nation's water resources infrastructure. The Corps' civil works mission is large and vital, with projects in the areas of flood protection, navigation, irrigation, hydropower and recreation. In recent years, the Corps has assumed a more significant role in the areas of environmental protection and restoration. Despite its historic reputation for professionalism and integrity, the Corps is at present an embattled agency.”