Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026

Floor Speech

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Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Mr. Chair, my amendment increases and decreases $50 million for the Corps of Engineers in order for me to bring attention to the failure of the Corps of Engineers to dredge a particular section of river that winds through the heart of my district.

The Vermilion River, for a 17-mile stretch, is prone to flood. The Flood Control Act of 1941 established that this river should be maintained at 9-feet deep and 100-feet wide.

In 1956, the Army Corps of Engineers classified the project as an operation and management project to be maintained at 9-feet deep and 100-feet wide for a 17-mile stretch of a river that runs through a density of population and has never been maintained. The river has been dredged one time in that period of time. In 1997, they dredged 1 mile.

When I came into office, I focused on getting it done. The Corps said they needed money. I asked how much. They said: Well, we really need science first. We need to study it first.

All right. How much do you need for studying it?

I got them that, a quarter of a million. They had data done by a top IT university in the entire world with 500,000 data points. Across 17 miles of river, it was determined that dredging needed to happen, so the Corps of Engineers said: Okay, we need $50 million to accomplish this.

I got them the $50 million. They have been sitting on that money, Mr. Chair, for 4 years, and we have had enough. I believe the Corps of Engineers is not in compliance with Federal law nor are they in compliance with the will of this body nor are they performing according to the funding of this body, and I intend to do something about it.

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