Meehan-backed Water Infrastructure Bill Clears House

WASHINGTON, DC– The House of Representatives today passed overwhelmingly the bipartisan compromise agreement for H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act. The legislation approved today is the result of bipartisan House-Senate negotiations to resolve differences between versions originally passed by both chambers in October.

Rep. Patrick Meehan (PA-07), a cosponsor of the legislation, issued the following statement after passage:

“America’s waterways are vital arteries for the transportation of goods and raw materials,” said Rep. Meehan. “Infrastructure projects like the continued deepening of the Delaware River shipping channel will keep our region competitive in the global economy and make it easier for businesses to export goods to markets overseas. This means more jobs and more opportunity for Pennsylvania families.

“The legislation passed today will streamline these projects. It will modernize our ports, dams and other water-related infrastructure in a fiscally responsible way. It will reduce flooding in southeastern Pennsylvania. It improves transparency, cuts red tape and Washington bureaucracy and will lead to a total cost savings of nearly $6 billion,” Meehan said.

“I’m also proud of the bipartisan, inclusive process used to reach an agreement on this legislation. This is how it’s supposed to work: the House passes a bill, the Senate passes a bill, and representatives from both chambers work together to iron out differences and reach a compromise. Neither side gets everything that it wants, but we were able to keep partisan politics from getting in the way of progress on a bill that means jobs. I commend my colleague from Pennsylvania, Chairman Bill Shuster (PA-09) on his leadership in moving this legislation through the House.”

The legislation will likely be passed by the Senate and will head to President Obama’s desk for his signature.