Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. DAINES. I want to thank the gentlewoman for her leadership on this amendment, as well as the chairman for allowing us to have this debate.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment. In the appropriations process, we must prioritize funding for necessary projects and balance those with spending reductions to reduce the national debt.

In Montana, we depend on a steady supply of water to irrigate our crops, to water our livestock, and to provide energy through hydropower--a renewable resource.

The struggle for clean water continues to create health challenges for Indian Country and nearby communities, in addition to making economic development more difficult.

Without this critical funding for Rocky Boy's-North Central Mountain Rural Water System and the Fort Peck Reservation-Dry Prairie Rural Water System, thousands of Montanans in rural communities could go without quality water accessibility.

The President's budget requests for these critical projects continue to decline each year, while prioritizing other accounts that are not related to the basic needs of our rural communities.

Mr. Chairman, every year that we wait to delay the funding of these essential projects, the more expensive construction, operation, and maintenance become.

For instance, the Fort Peck project's reduced funding levels have doubled the authorization period, and inflation has nearly doubled the overall cost of construction, but the projected savings is still $11 million.

However, overhead will consume the projected savings on the project to date and will encroach upon the authorized construction ceiling.

The CBO has just scored this amendment. This decreases the net budget outlays. Passing this amendment is the responsible stewardship of tax dollars and is important to rural communities.

It is also a nonpartisan issue. Funding these projects is supported by the entire Montana delegation--both Republicans and Democrats--and last year, a similar amendment passed by voice vote. I urge the support of this amendment.

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