Scott Fitzgerald: “I rise today with Senator Bond in support of a bill to put into place recommendations by the Army Corps of Engineers for…”

“I rise today with Senator Bond in support of a bill to put into place recommendations by the Army Corps of Engineers for navigation capacity improvements and ecosystem restoration for the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers Waterway System. Modernizing the inland waterway transportation system is a high priority for the Upper Mississippi River basin and for agricultural, commercial, and labor interests that rely on the river to transport their products. Without modernization, Midwest producers will not be able to fully participate in growing world markets. On April 29, 2004, the Army Corps of Engineers released its proposal to upgrade the locks and to provide for ecosystem restoration on these two waterways. I have consistently fought for funding to revitalize these locks to help Illinois producers more easily transport their products to market. I have joined Senator Bond as a cosponsor to this bill because our country's agriculture and business interests have waited far too long for these improvements. The Mississippi River plays a vital role in our economy. The Mississippi and Illinois Rivers are two of the major routes by which Illinois agricultural commodities are distributed to the world. In fact, roughly 70 percent of U.S. agricultural products are transported through the Mississippi River system. More than 60 million tons of commodities are transported on the Illinois River alone, including more than half of Illinois' annual corn crop.”