Washington, D.C. — The following are opening remarks, as prepared for delivery, from Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Rick Larsen (D-WA) and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Frederica Wilson (D-FL) during today’s hearing titled, “Water Resources Development Acts Implementation: Review and Oversight of Past Provisions.”
Video of Ranking Member Larsen’s and Wilson’s opening statements are here and here.
More information on the hearing can be found here.
Ranking Member Larsen:
Thank you, Chairman Collins and Ranking Member Wilson, for holding this hearing.
Congratulations, Assistant Secretary Telle, on your confirmation last month. I’m happy to welcome you to the T&I Committee for your first appearance at a hearing since your confirmation.
Congratulations, Lieutenant General Graham, on your promotion to Chief of Engineers. I know this is not your first time in front of the Committee, but I believe it is your first as Chief.
Since 2014, this Committee has honored its commitment to meet local water resources needs across the country through the bipartisan and biennial enactment of Water Resources Development Acts (WRDAs).
Predictable passage of WRDAs support Corps projects while creating jobs in construction and the industries and businesses that benefit directly from these projects.
Regular enactment of WRDA bills also allows for the timely implementation of critical policy reforms that improve the function and flexibility of the Corps to respond to local water resources challenges.
WRDA 2024 builds on the historic bipartisan success of this Committee. This law successfully authorized the construction of 21 new projects, covering every facet of the Corps’ missions, as well as over 150 new feasibility studies for future water resources development projects.
WRDA 2024 also authorized more than $5 billion in environmental infrastructure assistance for community-driven projects, including $242 million for water and wastewater infrastructure requested by local officials in western Washington state.
These federal, state and local partnerships are critical to help address the growing water and wastewater infrastructure needs throughout the country.
Lastly, WRDA 2024 continued to expand America’s navigational capacity, strengthen its supply chains, ensure our communities are resilient to the challenges posed by climate change and increase opportunities for the Corps to partner with rural, Tribal and economically disadvantaged communities in addressing their unique needs.
However, the authorization of projects or studies is only the first step for communities to realize the benefits of water resource improvements.
The Administration must request, and Congress must provide, sufficient funding for project planning, construction and operation and maintenance to realize the benefits of authorized Corps’ projects and activities.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was a great example of how this should work. The BIL provided a large downpayment—about $17 billion—for critical WRDA projects, making a positive impact on communities and creating and supporting good-paying American jobs and the U.S. economy.
Contrast that with the significant reductions in Corps’ funding included in this Administration’s fiscal year 2026 budget request.
This 24 percent reduction in Corps funding will significantly slow project delivery, delay the realization of critical transportation, flood control and environmental benefits, worsen supply chain delivery challenges and leave communities vulnerable to extreme weather events.
The FY2026 budget also ignores the legal requirements of WRDA to spend 100% of annual Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) collections for critical port maintenance work, as well as to dedicate 12% of expenditures to donor and energy transfer ports.
This $1 billion cut in maintenance and dredging work will lead to more costly imports and exports, further increasing costs for U.S. families and businesses.
And this cut will equally affect our largest container ports, such as Seattle/Tacoma, Los Angeles/Long Beach and New York/New Jersey, as well as the ports critical to domestic energy production, such as Mobile, Alabama; Houston, Texas; and New Orleans, Louisiana.
Robust and sustained federal investment is necessary for timely implementation of flood control, navigation, environmental restoration, water supply and other water resources development projects.
Cuts to Corps funding will lead to higher costs for communities and families down the road.
Deferred maintenance becomes disaster recovery; preventable failures become national emergencies.
I look forward to a continued partnership with Chairman Graves, Chairman Collins and Ranking Member Wilson in developing a new, bipartisan WRDA 2026 and welcome the leadership of the Corps here today as part of that discussion.
Ranking Member Wilson:
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for hosting the leadership of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The Corps plays a critical role for communities across the country, especially in my home state of Florida. Our ports, beaches and hurricane preparedness depend on the Corps. We also are home to the Corps’ largest environmental restoration endeavor in history—the restoration of the Florida Everglades.
Assistant Secretary Telle and Lieutenant General Graham, you each carry a huge responsibility. However, I am concerned with your ability to be successful given the conditions you are facing.
In just nine months, the Trump Administration has put the Corps under tremendous pressure.
First, Corps funding and budgets are getting slashed, with the President recommending major cuts to the Corps’ most essential missions.
Second, the Corps is losing thousands of seasoned professionals through the deferred resignation programs, with over 3,000 Corps employees leaving since the beginning of this administration. Meanwhile, the federal hiring freeze means there is nobody new coming in to fill these roles.
Third, the Administration is forcing the Corps’ hand for political gain by pushing for unscheduled water releases, requiring legally questionable permit expedites, blocking reasonable permit requests for renewable energy, and telling them to look the other way while a detainment camp is constructed in the middle of the Corps largest project, the Everglades Restoration.
Simply put, I question how the Corps is going to fulfil its mandate to address the navigation, flood control and environmental restoration needs of our communities with too little funding and too few Corps employees, and going against its own careful, science- and engineering-based practices.
Now that you have been confirmed, Secretary Telle, I hope we can see better leadership and decision-making from the Corps.
The Corps needs consistent, robust funding to carry out its mission areas. In the next Budget Request, I hope to see full utilization of the available Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund dollars, to keep our ports running efficiently and smoothly. This is essential for our local and national economies.
I also hope to see funding for the Environmental Infrastructure projects that have become extremely popular in the last couple WRDAs. There is a clear need and desire for water infrastructure funding, especially for our Tribal and minority communities facing affordability challenges.
Lastly, I need assurances that the Corps will stand up for itself and not allow things like “Alligator Alcatraz” to be constructed. I remain appalled that this detainment camp was allowed to be expanded and operated in the heart of the Everglades! The risk of disturbing the Everglades, and therefore reversing decades of federal investment and progress, is far too high.
The Corps simply cannot sit by idly when something will have such a detrimental impact on the hard work of the Corps.
And I will look for your commitment that no federal Everglades restoration funding will be spent to address any lingering consequences of this misguided decision.
Secretary Telle, I am glad you are here and hope you have been getting up to speed on all the critical projects that I’m sure my colleagues will be asking about.
I look forward to working with you and getting the Corps back on track. There is a lot of work to be done, and our ports, waterways, communities, and ecosystems are counting on you.
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