Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, when I was elected by the great people of the 3rd District of Tennessee in 2010, I vowed to come to Washington, D.C., to fix broken systems. This bill today--and I thank Chairman Shuster--does that. The Inland Waterways Trust Fund is a flawed, broken system.

For those who might not know, all the funds have been going to one lock, starving out the other locks in the entire system. In my beloved city, my home city of Chattanooga, there sits a lock that has been mothballed because this system has been broken.

Finally, this great House has solved this problem. It is a huge step in the right direction, ladies and gentlemen, to make sure that we ultimately fund all of the locks in this system. The fixing of the Inland Waterways Trust Fund, which is so flawed and broken by this bill, ultimately will get the needed funds to Chickamauga Lock and other locks and infrastructure in this country.

I am proud to support this bill. I am so proud to be part of a body that after 4 years of tireless work has acknowledged this situation.

Thank you.

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