Ranking Member Napolitano’s Floor Statement in Support of the Water Resources Development Act of 2024

WASHINGTON, DC - House Transportation and Infrastructure Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Ranking Member Grace F. Napolitano (D-El Monte) delivered the following remarks on the House Floor today during consideration of H.R. 8812, the Water Resources Development Act of 2024, to meet the water infrastructure needs of communities throughout America:

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Larsen, Chairman Rouzer, and Members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in bringing HR 8812, the Water Resources Development Act of 2024, to the House floor.

The Water Resources Development Act is our legislative commitment to investing in and protecting our communities from flooding and droughts, restoring our environment and ecosystems, and keeping our nation's competitiveness by supporting our ports and harbors.

Through the biennial enactment of WRDA legislation, this Committee has addressed local, regional, and national needs through authorization of new U.S Army Corps of Engineers projects, studies, and policies that benefit every corner of the country.

I am particularly thankful that we were able to include in this WRDA policies to improve upon and address the needs of water supply. The bill for the first time makes water supply a primary mission of the Corps. I want to thank Representative LaMalfa for joining me in authoring this important provision, as we have seen the need for the Corps to play a bigger role in water supply with local communities, especially in drought prone regions such as the West. This provision will prevent the bureaucratic and logistical roadblocks that many communities have faced when trying to work with the Corps to improve stormwater capture, groundwater recharge, and other water supply improvements.

This legislation further includes a provision requiring the Corps to consider opportunities to reclaim, treat, and reuse stormwater in future small flood control projects. The bill also expands the Corps' authority to modify existing dams, basins and channels for drought resiliency measures, including water conservation measures, removal of sediment, planting of native vegetation, and other actions that increase water efficiency.

Two months ago, the Corps finally funded the donor port provisions of WRDA 2020 in their Work Plan. This bill requires the Corps to provide an annual report on the WRDA 2020 Harbor Maintenance provisions to make sure the direction of Congress on negotiated HMT expenditures is followed.

The bill also provides for hundreds of local concerns throughout the country. We took input from over 300 Members of Congress who improved this bill with their insights into the needs of their communities.

For my community, I am proud that this bill transfers the authorization of 44 channels in my region to the Los Angeles County Flood Control District. These channels are locally owned, and have been successfully operated and maintained by Los Angeles County for decades. This provision will formalize the current operation of these channels.

The bill further creates a GAO study on the growing issue of homeless encampments on Corps properties. This has become an increasing concern in my district and across the country with the danger of homeless encampments in active flood channels. The study will propose options for the Corps and partnering federal, state, and local agencies to address this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support HR 8812, the Water Resources Development Act of 2024, and I reserve the balance of our time.

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