Letter to Mike Mulvaney, Director of Office of Management and Budget - Rubio Urges OMB to Clarify Commitment to Providing Resources Necessary for Herbert Hoover Dike Rehabilitation

Letter

Dear Director Mulvaney:

Thank you for your recent commitment to expediting the rehabilitation of the Herbert Hoover Dike as directed by President Trump. As a Dam Safety Action Class (DSAC) I structure, the dike is among the most critically vulnerable in the nation, and probability of failure is extremely high. After 10 years of work by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the rehabilitation remains nearly a decade from completion, and residents along the lake feel no more secure. In fact, in the weeks following Hurricane Irma, lake levels climbed nearly four feet and peaked at 17.2 feet. Recent rainfall from Tropical Storm Philippe may raise water levels even higher.

President Trump's decision to accelerate the rehabilitation project is vital to minimizing the risk of a deadly breach. As you know, the USACE has developed a fast track plan to complete the Herbert Hoover Dike rehabilitation by 2022. That plan requires specific funding levels of $212.4 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2019, $242.1 million in FY20, $203.9 million in FY21, and $118.2 million in FY22. Given that budget requests below these funding levels would threaten to leave South Florida communities along the dike vulnerable for longer than necessary, I am seeking to clarify that your commitment to an expedited rehabilitation timetable includes your support for these required funding levels.

The president's concern for the integrity of the dike is well-founded and sincerely appreciated. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I stand ready to help President Trump fulfill his commitment to expedite the rehabilitation of the Herbert Hoover Dike through the next hurricane disaster supplemental package and as necessary in future annual appropriations.

Sincerely,

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