Cornyn, Cruz Vote to Fix Water Resource and Development Act

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) today released the following statement regarding today's vote against the Water Resource and Development Act (WRDA):

"Texas has taken significant steps to ensure a robust water infrastructure in the years to come as our state remains one of the fastest growing in the nation. The WRDA legislation that passed through the Senate today contains numerous meritorious projects we support, including those of national scope and that are important to Texas. However, this bill fails to fix an incredibly ineffective system.

"For instance, the bill neglects to reduce a substantial backlog of projects, to the detriment of projects with national implications, such as the Sabine-Neches Waterway that has taken 14 years to get approval just to begin construction. Additionally, it expands the Army Corps of Engineers' responsibilities without providing adequate measures for state participation, and eliminates measures designed to ensure projects stay on budget.

"Our hope is that we can work with our House colleagues to fix the problems in this bill and ensure an effective and accountable system for water supply and navigation needs in Texas.”

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