An amendment offered by U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) to support a key port in Eastern Washington received approval for inclusion in a bipartisan bill advanced by the U.S. House of Representatives to reform the nation’s water resources infrastructure.
The House on June 6 overwhelmingly approved by a vote of 408 to 2 the Water Resources Development Act of 2018, H.R. 8, which would authorize improvements to the nation’s ports, inland waterways, locks, dams, flood protection, ecosystem restoration, and other vital water infrastructure.
H.R. 8 included House Amendment (H.Amdt.) 698, introduced the same day by Rep. McMorris Rodgers to add her bill, the Port of Whitman Economic Expansion Act, H.R. 5742. The congresswoman, who introduced H.R. 5742 on May 9, proposes a land exchange in her home state between the federal government and the Port of Whitman County, Wash., according to the congressional record.
“I’m proud to say that in this bill we are also getting an important win for the Port of Whitman so they can continue their mission of economic development and business expansion in Whitman County,” Rep. McMorris Rodgers said in a June 6 statement following passage of the larger H.R. 8 that contained her amendment.
According to her staff, the inclusion and subsequent passage of H.R. 5742 as an amendment marks the 10th bill of the year that Rep. McMorris Rodgers, who also serves as House Republican Conference Chair, has had approved by the House.
In a speech on the House floor urging adoption of her amendment, the congresswoman explained, “In eastern Washington, we rely on rivers, locks and dams to move goods through ports and to markets abroad. I represent the Columbia-Snake River system, and this system is crucial to moving Washington State wheat and potatoes.”
The proposed land transfer between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Port of Whitman County, she said, “would simply allow the port to accomplish its goals of providing additional jobs and opportunities in rural, eastern Washington.”
The larger H.R. 8, introduced on May 18 by U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA), chairman of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, is the second phase of President Donald Trump’s infrastructure agenda and addresses the needs of America’s harbors, locks, dams, flood protection and other water-related infrastructure. Among numerous provisions, the legislation would authorize both reforms of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as its proposed civil works activities.
“Our waterways drive commerce and support American jobs. That’s why the Water Resources Development Act is an essential part of the House’s ongoing work to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure,” Rep. McMorris Rodgers said. “This bipartisan legislation will help tackle the backlog of water projects, reduce long-term costs, streamline processes, and maintain safety and quality for the American people.”
H.R. 8 has 32 cosponsors, including U.S. Reps. Sam Graves (R-MO), Jeff Denham (R-CA), and Peter DeFazio (D-OR), who is the ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Garret Graves (R-LA) and Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Ranking Member Grace Napolitano (D-CA) also signed on as cosponsors of H.R. 8.
Rep. Shuster sung the bill’s praises and said H.R. 8 “works because these are investments in the type of infrastructure that is vital to every American and every part of the country.”
“The health of this infrastructure directly impacts how efficiently the things we buy get onto store shelves, how quickly the goods we produce get to markets around the world, how competitive our businesses and farmers are, and how effectively our communities are protected from floods,” said Rep. Shuster.
H.R. 8 now heads to the U.S. Senate for consideration.