In the News

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the EPW Committee, today announced plans for the EPW Committee to mark up the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA 2024) on Wednesday, May 22, 2024.

The Water Resources Development Act is biennial legislation that authorizes flood control, navigation and ecosystem restoration projects for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). The legislation was developed in partnership with U.S. Senators Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Chairman of the EPW Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Ranking Member of the EPW Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee. 

“From protecting our communities in the face of increasingly powerful storms and intense droughts to keeping our waterways active at our ports, the work of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the backbone of America’s economy,” said Chairman Carper. “I believe that bipartisan solutions are lasting solutions, and that’s why Senator Capito and I worked together to consider the requests of all of our colleagues in the Senate while developing this legislation. In addition to authorizing projects and programs that will impact all fifty states, this bill directs the Corps to expedite implementation of important provisions in prior WRDA bills. These provisions include programs to assist disadvantaged communities, extreme weather adaptation measures and individual project solutions that the Corps has yet to execute. For more than a decade, the EPW committee has led the effort to pass this biennial legislation with overwhelming bipartisan support, and my hope is that we once again replicate that pattern with WRDA 2024.”

“The Army Corps of Engineers conducts critical work in communities across the United States by building out water resources infrastructure, including projects that manage risks posed by flooding. Every two years, the Environment and Public Works Committee supports the Corps in carrying out its civil works mission through the Water Resources Development Act. This year’s WRDA 2024 contains significant wins for West Virginia and I’m proud of the EPW committee’s bipartisan work once again on this important legislation,” said Ranking Member Capito.

“Next week, we’ll have an opportunity to strengthen water resources across the country and to expand Army Corps of Engineers operations to respond to water management issues, including droughts and floods,” said Senator Kelly, Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure. “As the senator of a state with critical water challenges, I look forward to the inclusion of provisions I worked on to help Arizona tribes and communities respond and adapt to drought conditions. I appreciate the bipartisan work from Chair Carper, Ranking Member Capito, and Ranking Member Cramer that went into drafting this legislation and remain committed to working with them to get it signed into law.” 

“This year’s Water Resource Development Act is an example of timely, regular order, reflecting member’s input and delivers wins for communities across North Dakota. Our state and tribal nations will benefit from the Corps’ ability to better support local flood control projects and enhance outdoor recreation opportunities. I commend my EPW colleagues for their bipartisan work on another WRDA and urge its swift passage,” said Senator Cramer, Ranking Member of the Senate EPW Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

The bill text is available here.