OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, 2014

Floor Speech

Date: July 10, 2013
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Government Operations

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Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

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Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. First, I want to express my thanks to the chairman for saying that he would accept this bipartisan amendment, and to my colleagues who have spoken about it.

The decision to eliminate many of the functions from the Chicago and the Buffalo offices were done without consultation with the local communities and without seeking the approval of the Congress, which is what they are supposed to do.

The downsizing just in Chicago could cause as many as 200 jobs lost in our area, and it certainly could affect the health and safety of our waterways. Chicago is the point of entry from the Mississippi River to the Great Lakes, and its harbors are of major economic importance not just to Chicago, but to the entire Great Lakes region. As my colleague pointed out, it's a shoreline greater than either the Pacific or the Atlantic Coast. Actually, I just learned that from you today. Thank you for that important information.

Its harbors are of major economic importance to all of us, and it assists in the rehabilitation of the Chicago shoreline. It also, from the Chicago district office, leads the fight against the spread of the Asian carp into Lake Michigan.

I have very serious concern about the downsizing of the Chicago district and the impacts it would have on those efforts. Like the chairman, I understand the Corps' efforts to reduce costs and our interest in doing that; but the minimization of the Chicago and Buffalo areas would trade short-term savings with much more significant and lasting long-term costs.

As my colleague pointed out, Senator Kirk and Senator Durbin passed a similar amendment in the Senate. I urge all of my colleagues to join in supporting us in this important bipartisan amendment to prevent the Army Corps from reducing its Chicago and Buffalo offices.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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