Water Infrastructure Bill Protects Jobs, Port of Baltimore

Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed key legislation authorizing funding for improvements to America’s ports and waterways, as well as projects tied to drinking water, dams and levees, and environmental restoration.  It passed in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote – 417 to 3 – which is rare for such a substantive bill in today’s politically toxic climate. The bill now goes to a conference committee to reconcile differences with the Senate version, where I hope we can get the best of both bills.

 

It’s been more than six years since Congress last passed a Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), leaving critical projects like harbor dredging in limbo. I am pleased that the Army Corps of Engineers can now begin to address this backlog and that the bill paves a way for the State of Maryland to continue using dredged material from the Port of Baltimore channels to restore Chesapeake Bay islands. This effort is absolutely critical to keeping the Port competitive and protecting the 122,000 local jobs it provides for hard-working families every year. 

 

I am also pleased that the bill will help prevent future raids of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund to offset other federal spending. This funding belongs with our ports and our ports alone. 

 

After a 16-day government shutdown and near default, it was refreshing to see Members of Congress reach a compromise that bridges differences among groups like shippers, environmentalists and even budget hawks. This is ultimately a jobs bill and I hope that we can continue working together on common sense investments in infrastructure to get Americans back to work.