Durbin: WRRDA Conference Report Invests in Illinois Waterways Infrastructure Priorities

Statement

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today said that the Conference Report of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 invests in Illinois priorities and will make Illinois, the Midwest, and the country better prepared for extreme weather events like droughts and floods. Text of the Conference Report was released earlier today by members of the bipartisan, bicameral House Senate Conference Committee tasked with working out the differences between the Senate-passed Water Resources Development Act of 2013 and the House-passed Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013. The Conference Report must now receive a vote by the full House and Senate, which could happen as early as next week.

"After coming so close to economic catastrophe due to severe storms and flooding in several parts of Illinois, we need to be better prepared for extreme weather events that are increasing in frequency and severity," Durbin said. "This critically important legislation will help move goods on Illinois waterways, protect communities from flooding and preserve the precious natural resources that are our rivers, streams and wetlands."

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