Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2005

ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2005 -- (House of Representatives - June 25, 2004)

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 694 and rule XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union for the consideration of the bill, H.R. 4614.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, I would like today to rise in strong support for what the gentleman from Wisconsin was so eloquently up here speaking about before, the Environmental Management Program.

This is a program that provides critical resources to keep the Mississippi River healthy and enjoyable for all of our citizens. The Mississippi River is a working river, and it is a river, which, when navigation takes place and projects by the Army Corps are put in effect for flood control projects, we quite often find ourselves with unintended consequences to the river's habitat.

Without additional funding, the river habitat will continue to be lost and hundreds of species that depend upon the health of the river will struggle to survive, but it is not just fish and wildlife at stake. Millions of visitors spend annually billions of dollars on recreating along the Mississippi-Illinois rivers supporting thousands of jobs.

The Mississippi River is also a source of drinking water for millions of Americans. The Environmental Management Program is the Nation's premier large-river monitoring and restoration program. It is a model for interagency and interstate cooperation on an equal system level national resources management.

This is a very important management program; and as the committee moves forward, I would encourage it to look for
any additional funding dollars.