Griffin Votes To Upgrade America's Critical Infrastructure

Press Release

Congressman Tim Griffin (AR-02) issued the following statement after House passage of the conference report to accompany H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA):

"The infrastructure crucial to our nation's businesses and industries must be improved, and this agreement on H.R. 3080 is an important step toward upgrading and modernizing our infrastructure. This bill authorizes the completion of critical water resources development projects, such as ports and navigation, flood risk reduction, and environmental restoration and protection. It will save hardworking taxpayers money, streamline the review process and eliminate red tape. This is the first time in history that a major water resources infrastructure bill contains no earmarks whatsoever, and I support this bill to strengthen America's competitiveness and grow jobs here at home."

Arkansas has 1,860 miles of inland waterways. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, waterways and ports support 9,640 jobs in Arkansas and directly contribute $1.2 billion to the state's economy.

On October 23, 2013, the House passed the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013 by a vote of 417-3. The Senate passed the bill, with an amendment, by unanimous consent and requested a conference on October 31, 2013. The House adopted a motion to disagree to the Senate amendment and agree to a conference on November 14, 2013.

The conference report signifies that House and Senate leadership came to an agreement on H.R. 3080. Today, the House passed the WRRDA conference report to H.R. 3080 by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 412-4.

The WRRDA conference report to H.R. 3080 is supported by the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Society of Civil Engineers, American Soybean Association, American Waterways Operators, Arkansas Waterways Commission, National Association of Manufacturers, National Waterways Conference, Water Resources Coalition, Waterways Council and National Governors Association.

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