WRRDA passes easily in the House
May 20, 2014 | 04:17 PM
The House passed the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 today with a 412-to-4 vote.
The vote was a major defeat for Heritage Action for America, a conservative group, which had told members it would make their votes on WRRDA part of their record that voters would use to decide whether to re-elect them. It was a major victory for transportation and farm groups that supported the bill. It will reauthorize modernization and construction of locks and dams on the inland waterways and harbors through which goods including food products are exported.
The American Farm Bureau Federation today joined the other farm groups in announcing it supported the bill.
The National Corn Growers Association today praised the vote and urged the Senate also to pass it.
“We thank our representatives in the House for their near-unanimous support and work to ensure passage of this important legislation, which makes concrete steps toward repairing and improving our inland waterways,” said NCGA President Martin Barbre.
“WRRDA is crucial to farmers as more than 60 percent of the nation’s grain exports are transported by barge,” Barbre said.
“The locks and dams we depend upon to transport our cargoes today were built in the 1920s and 1930s. It is imperative that we improve this crucial infrastructure. The need is urgent; U.S. farmers and businesses rely upon this transportation channel. Infrastructure improvements fuel our domestic economy and improve our ability to compete in markets abroad.”
The vote was a major defeat for Heritage Action for America, a conservative group, which had told members it would make their votes on WRRDA part of their record that voters would use to decide whether to re-elect them. It was a major victory for transportation and farm groups that supported the bill. It will reauthorize modernization and construction of locks and dams on the inland waterways and harbors through which goods including food products are exported.
The American Farm Bureau Federation today joined the other farm groups in announcing it supported the bill.
The National Corn Growers Association today praised the vote and urged the Senate also to pass it.
“We thank our representatives in the House for their near-unanimous support and work to ensure passage of this important legislation, which makes concrete steps toward repairing and improving our inland waterways,” said NCGA President Martin Barbre.
“WRRDA is crucial to farmers as more than 60 percent of the nation’s grain exports are transported by barge,” Barbre said.
“The locks and dams we depend upon to transport our cargoes today were built in the 1920s and 1930s. It is imperative that we improve this crucial infrastructure. The need is urgent; U.S. farmers and businesses rely upon this transportation channel. Infrastructure improvements fuel our domestic economy and improve our ability to compete in markets abroad.”
