House Passes Bipartisan Water Resources Development Act

On July 30, the House passed the 2020 Water Resources Development Act (H.R. 7575) which will help strengthen America’s water transportation networks and contribute to economic growth. The legislation also aids communities in restoring their eligibility for assistance from the U.S Army Corps of Engineers.

“The 2020 Water Resources Development Act is a bipartisan, commonsense bill that works for America. Water resources tend to be out of sight and out of mind, but that’s exactly why WRDA is so important. When severe flooding hit Arkansas last year, the historic rains breached many of our levees and devastated our water infrastructure, destroying homes and farmland,” said U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) in a press release. “We need legislation like WRDA to shore up our infrastructure, improve navigable waterways and ensure people across America are safe from flood threats. I’m honored to have spent the past year and a half working on this legislation with my committee colleagues, and I hope to see it quickly signed into law.”

The passing of the legislation comes just weeks after another infrastructured-focused bill (the Moving Forward Act) also was approved. Despite the Moving Forward Act approaching murky waters in the Senate, the conversation of addressing the nation’s deteriorating infrastructure seems to be at the top of the list for government officials.