Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013

Floor Speech

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Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the 2013 Water Resources Reform and Development Act.

Our Nation's infrastructure is critical to a thriving economy. In Florida alone, civil works projects improve navigation at our many ports, assist with flood control, restore the Everglades ecosystem, and help protect our pristine beaches, which are central to our $65-billion-a-year tourism industry. Yet Congress has, unfortunately, passed only one WRRDA bill in the last 13 years, so this legislation is certainly long overdue and much needed. I am grateful for the committee's leadership in championing this effort.

WRDA 2000 launched the visionary Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, or CERP. This 30-year Federal-State partnership is the largest environmental restoration project in our Nation's history. After much delay, projects are now underway. This bill authorizes four additional much-needed components.

One of those is the Broward Water Preserve, located in my congressional district. This project will help capture, store, and distribute surface water runoff from the Everglades and assist with flood protection and groundwater recharge.

I am also pleased the manager's amendment will allow non-Federal sponsors to prefund projects prior to authorization, and I appreciate Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member Rahall's flexibility that this amendment affords my community. This will assist Port Everglades, a major economic engine in south Florida.

Port Everglades generates nearly $26 billion a year in economic activity, but needs to be deepened from 42 feet to 48 feet to allow it to be competitive in attracting deeper draft cargo ships in the post-Panama Canal expansion market.

The Army Corps, after considerable urging from the Florida delegation, is close to completing a long-delayed dredge study to make this happen. Despite years of intense efforts, the final study is not yet ready for authorization by this bill.

Again, I want to thank Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member Rahall for their commitment to returning to a more regular WRRDA process. We simply cannot wait another 6 or 7 years to authorize the next step of public infrastructure projects. We need to start the next WRRDA bill in a timely fashion.

In Florida alone, there are four critical projects almost ready for authorization, including Port Everglades, two other Florida ports projects, and the Central Everglades Planning Project. All four of these initiatives are critical to our State and should not have to wait many years to receive authorization simply because of either Congress' or the Army Corps' delay.

I urge my colleagues to support this important bill that will focus on our ability to create jobs and make sure we can move our economy forward.

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