Water Resources Development Act of 2018

Floor Speech

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Mr. BOST. Madam Chair, I wish to thank Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member DeFazio for their support of the amendment.

The purpose of this amendment is to help local communities recover from flood disasters. Under current law, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can only repair a non-Federal levee if the flood protection benefit outweighs the cost. However, the standard can't always be met, especially in rural communities, with specific economic and demographic changes.

The Len Small Levee in southern Illinois is a perfect example. The levee breached in the winter floods of January 2016. Several thousand acres of infrastructure and agriculture land were destroyed when the levee gave way. The Corps estimated the cost of repairing the levee would be higher than its flood protection benefits, leaving local residents with no recourse.

My amendment provides new hope in my district and elsewhere. It allows local sponsors to pay the difference between the cost of repairing a levee and its projected flood protection benefits.

My amendment does not increase the Federal Government's share of the costs for repairs. Let me repeat that. My amendment does not increase the Federal Government's share of the costs of the repairs. This is a fiscally responsible way to give a lifeline to rural communities struggling to rebuild after a disaster.

The amendment is supported by the National Waterways Conference and the American Farm Bureau.

Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. BOST. Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman for his support of the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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