Water Resources Development Act of 2022

Floor Speech

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Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, maintaining and improving our ports, waterways, and water infrastructure is critically important to the 14th District of Texas, as well as to our great State and Nation. Our families, our businesses, and the critical infrastructure along the upper Texas Gulf Coast will benefit from WRDA 2022.

Of particular importance to Texas, and the Nation, quite frankly, is a coastal spine. I have heard it several ways. It will mitigate the impact of major hurricanes and other significant water events in and around Galveston Bay, just south of the Houston Ship Channel, and all the families and the vast petrochemical industry that surrounds it.

In September 2008, Texas 14 was slammed by Hurricane Ike along a track similar to the deadly 1900 Storm of Galveston that cost 5,000 to 8,000 lives and billions of dollars in damage.

The damage from Ike, and the even more catastrophic Hurricane Harvey, could have been reduced significantly by the proposed coastal barrier that we call the Ike Dike. After years and years of pushing for this vital barrier system, I am proud that it is included in WRDA 2022.

While this bill does not reflect all the priorities we might prefer, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill. I, too, add my order of thanks to both sides. This has been a great task, a great staff we have.

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