Flood Protection Public Safety Act of 2012

Floor Speech

Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, Sacramento's flood risk is well documented. It is the most at-risk metropolitan area for major flooding in our nation. It is home to California's State Capitol, an international airport, and half a million people. If Sacramento were to flood the economic damages could reach up to $40 billion dollars.

A critical component for protecting Sacramento from a disaster is the Natomas Levee Improvement Project. Local taxpayers have voted to tax themselves on two separate occasions to pay for this project. Moreover, in the absence of federal participation, the state and local governments have already completed 18 miles of levee improvements and will have spent upwards of $350 million on the project by the end of this year.

The federal government has not been able to support this crucial flood protection project, because of the current ban on earmarks and this Congress's challenges in investing in our nation's infrastructure. The result of this is that construction is expected to stop this year leaving 100,000 of my constituents at risk.

While I realize and appreciate that the authorization of Army Corps of Engineers projects is not within the purview of the Appropriations Committee, the topic is nonetheless important to raise. The underlying problem is the absolute prohibition against ``earmarks'' our Majority has imposed on this body, which is impeding our ability to our job. This moratorium has resulted in the stopping routine authorizing legislation our constituents badly need: a new Water Resources Development Act bill. Working with the Corps of Engineers, we have accomplished every conceivable review, documentation and approval requirement for this project to go forward, but Congress has still yet to act on the legislation necessary to move forward with these badly needed projects.
The completed Chief's Report for this project was sent to Congress by the Corps over a year ago yet no action has taken place. One hundred thousand people, an international airport, hundreds of small businesses, a number of schools remain at risk. It is my sincere hope our Majority will reexamine its current moratorium to ensure local needs can be met. Everyone can agree that we must bring an end to wasteful, unjustified projects. But in our effort to throw out the wasteful, we've also thrown out the very worthy, and people's lives and livelihood are in jeopardy.

To address the unjustified yet real prohibition resulting from the ``earmark'' label, I introduced legislation last month that is in full compliance with the House's rules: H.R. 4353, the ``Flood Protection Public Safety Act of 2012.'' This bill authorizes flood protection projects that have a completed Army Corps of Engineers Chief's Report that have been sent to Congress for approval. The bill would allow a small number of flood protection projects across the nation to move forward including those in Sacramento, Topeka, Cedar Rapids, and North Dakota.

Congress faces a choice. Invest in our infrastructure today, or pay the price of recovering from a disaster tomorrow. We can all agree that preventing a disaster is a much wiser and cheaper solution.

Though an authorization is outside the scope of the bill pending before us, I ask that this body forge a responsible, sensible policy on so-called earmarks, a policy that continues to stop wasteful projects but allows and even promotes worthwhile initiatives.

For 200 years the federal government has been a partner with the states to provide for the public's safety. I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to revise the current moratorium that is preventing Congress from responding to urgent public safety needs across the nation. I believe these matters are integral to the House of Representatives as a body and deserve each of our attention.

I have written to the House's leadership urging them to revise this body's rules and provided responsible ways to ensure taxpayer money is protected, while allowing fully vetted projects to move forward.

I look forward to working with you and our colleagues in the House in a bipartisan manner to address responsible reforms that will ensure critical public safety challenges are met, while ensuring taxpayer money is being spent wisely. It is my hope we can responsibly resolve this issue in a timely manner.

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