By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
A major legislative piece outlining management of the nation’s
rivers as well as funding improvements to the country’s ports and harbors has
passed both the House and Senate in Washington, D.C.
The versions from the two chambers differ, though.
Northern Missouri Congressman Sam Graves guided the
legislation, called the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), through the
House as chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
“This is extremely important to those of us in north Missouri,
whether you’re on the east side of my district along the Mississippi or the
west side of my district along the Missouri River, this has huge impacts when
it comes to river management,” Graves tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.
Graves, a Republican, says the legislation takes significant
steps toward making sure flood control and navigation are the top priorities in
managing the Missouri River as well as the Mississippi. The House version makes
changes to the federal PL 84-99 program managed by the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers. The program guides the repair and rebuilding of river levees. Graves
says it will give local communities more control in rebuilding levees damaged
by floodwaters, such as those harmed during the 2019 Missouri River flood.
Graves has been fighting to change the priorities governing
how the Army Corps of Engineers manages rivers. The Congressman wants the Corps
to consider flood control and navigation higher priorities that environmental
concerns, such as protecting endangered species.
“This goes a long way toward supporting policies that
encourage that and push for that and makes sure that that happens rather than pushing
policies and projects that obviously benefit other priorities instead of
managing the river to make sure that we don’t devastate people’s lives,” Graves
says.
The House approved WRDA by a nearly unheard of 359-13 vote on
July 22nd. The Senate approved its version Thursday.
Graves feels confident differences between the House and
Senate can be worked out this year so the bill can go to President Biden.
“There are some differences, not significant, but there are some
differences in the way we approach projects and reporting by the Corps of
Engineers,” Graves says. “There are a few differences, but nothing insurmountable
that we can’t get worked out.”
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