Russ Feingold: “I rise today to join the Senator from New Hampshire, Mr. Smith, in introducing the Corps of Engineers Modernization and…”

“I rise today to join the Senator from New Hampshire, Mr. Smith, in introducing the Corps of Engineers Modernization and Improvement Act of 2002. I am very pleased to be working with him on this issue, and admire his dedication to fiscal responsibility as embodied in this measure. As the Senator from New Hampshire, Mr. Smith, and I introduce this bill, we realize that Corps Reform is a work in progress. Reforming the Corps of Engineers will be a difficult task for Congress. It involves restoring credibility and accountability to a Federal agency rocked by scandals and constrained by endlessly growing authorizations and a gloomy Federal fiscal picture, and yet an agency that Wisconsin, and many other States across the country, have come to rely upon. From the Great Lakes to the mighty Mississippi, the Corps is involved in providing aids to navigation, environmental remediation, water control and a variety of other services to my state. My office has strong working relationships with the Detroit, Rock Island, and St. Paul District Offices that service Wisconsin, and I want the fiscal and management cloud over the Corps to dissipate so that the Corps can continue to contribute to our environment and our economy.”