Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014

Floor Speech

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Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Rahall.

I rise in strong support of this bipartisan WRRDA bill. This is a really good day.

I want to commend Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member Rahall for their very, very strong leadership.

Mr. Speaker, Sacramento is the most at-risk metropolitan area for major flooding, as it lies at the confluence of the Sacramento and the American Rivers.

Since the last WRRDA in 2007, a number of key flood protection investments have been carefully studied by the Army Corps of Engineers. One such project that is included in this conference report and holds a Chief's Report is the Notomas levee improvement project.

The area to be protected by the project is home to over 100,000 people, two interstate highways, an international airport, dozens of schools, and hundreds of small businesses. If a levee broke, the damage would be similar to that experienced in New Orleans. This project is critical for Sacramento, and my constituents have waited too long for this day to come.

The conference report also includes language to require the Corps to shift from its one-size-fits-all approach to now consider regional variances to the national levee vegetation policy.

The conference report also includes language that accelerates flood protection projects by allowing Federal crediting.

There is no question that this bipartisan congressional action puts our Nation's flood protection policy on the right path.

I urge my colleagues to support this conference report.

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