Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013

Floor Speech

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Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013, and to commend committee Chairman Shuster and ranking member RAHALL, as well as subcommittee chairman GIBBS and ranking member TIM BISHOP, for their efforts in crafting and bringing to the floor this very important water infrastructure bill.

Mr. Chair, according to the American Association of Port Authorities, U.S. seaports move 99.4% of the country's overseas cargo by volume. Every one of the 50 states relies on seaports for imports and exports, totaling some $3.8 billion worth of goods moving through U.S. seaports each day. And our ports support the employment of more than 13 million Americans.

As the Representative from the 8th Congressional District of Massachusetts, I represent the Port of Boston. In fact, my District Office is actually located on a pier within the industrial port.

Observing the day to day operations of the Port, and also being a Member of the Congressional Ports Caucus, I know firsthand that ports and waterways are vital to our economic prosperity.

For instance, the Port of Boston generates $2.4 billion in economic benefits annually and 34,000 jobs are connected to port activities. With the expected 2015 completion of the Panama Canal expansion project, those numbers should only increase as larger container ships utilize our ports on both coasts.

Mr. Chair, the Boston Harbor Navigation Improvement Project, recently recommended and approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will allow the Port of Boston to keep pace with what lies ahead and with our global competitors.

I look forward to working with the authors of this bill to move this important project forward.

Mr. Chair, we all have a stake in the success of our ports and waterways and need to more frequently address our critical water infrastructure and flood control projects. That is why I also applaud the authors for including in the bill a Sense of Congress that we consider a water resources bill no less than every two years.

Getting this bill to the floor required making difficult choices. I Want to again thank its authors for their efforts.

Mr. Chair, the Boston Harbor Navigation Improvement Project, recently recommended and approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will allow the Port of Boston to keep pace with what lies ahead and with our global competitors.

I look forward to working with the authors of this bill to move this important project forward.

Mr. Chair, we all have a stake in the success of our ports and waterways and need to more frequently address our critical water infrastructure and flood control projects. That is why I also applaud the authors for including in the bill a Sense of Congress that we consider a water resources bill no less than every two years.

Getting this bill to the floor required making difficult choices. I Want to again thank its authors for their efforts.

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