House Overwhelmingly Passes WRRDA Bill, Senate Prepares for Vote
The House passed the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) with overwhelming support on May 20, following the release of the bill’s conference report in recent days (see 14051612). Four Republican House members opposed the legislation. The Senate is due to vote on the measure on May 22. The report aims to put into law mandates for full use of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) for harbor maintenance and dredging by 2025, with annual increases in use over the next 10 years.
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“The overwhelming 412-4 vote indicates strong bipartisan support and recognition of the critical need to better maintain and improve our seaports to enhance America’s international competitiveness,” said American Association of Port Authorities President Kurt Nagle in a statement. The report’s passage represents “a major victory for ports as it includes numerous AAPA policy priorities, including the need to modernize cost-share requirements and set a path to full use of the Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT)." The HMT finances the broader fund. Only half of the $1.8 billion paid by users and collectors into the fund annually is currently dedicated towards maintenance and dredging.
The report also authorizes priority infrastructure projects recommended to Congress by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that aim to improve navigation and commerce, according to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “This legislation supports our water transportation network to keep our Nation competitive, improve the flow of commerce, and provide a foundation for job growth,” said Committee Chairman Bill Shuster, R-Pa. (here). “WRRDA is also the most policy and reform-focused measure of its kind in decades, and the most fiscally responsible water resources bill in history. It cuts red tape, reforms the federal bureaucracy, accelerates project delivery, and more than fully offsets authorizations for needed infrastructure improvements by deauthorizing unnecessary, outdated projects.”