Sen. Cruz Secures Major Victories For Texas Communities in 2022 Water Resources Development Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz released the following statement after voting to support the 2022 Water Resources Development Act, which included numerous provisions to help Texas that he and his staff worked to ensure were included in the bill.
“Strong coastal protection and water infrastructure is vital not just for the Texas Gulf Coast, but for the economy of the entire Lone Star State. I was proud to fight for the needs of Texans, and make sure that the Houston and Corpus Christi communities have the resources and tools they need to further economic development and public safety. I look forward to using my position in the U.S. Senate to continue fighting for policies like this, not just for the Texas Gulf Coast and our port communities and employers, but for Texans across the state.”
Below is a list of the pro-Texas provisions that Sen. Cruz and his office ensured were included in the final bill:
- Coastal Texas Resiliency Improvement Plan
- Under this plan, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is authorized to construct a protection system along the Gulf Coast, to better protect coastal Texas communities and infrastructure from major hurricanes and other storms and natural disasters.
- Waiver of Interest Accrual
- This one-year waiver will help the Gulf Coast Protection District (GCPD) temporarily reduce expenses for its Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay project and provide the GCPD additional time to consider funding options for the non-federal financial share of the project.
- Nueces County Conveyances
- This provision directs the Army Corps to release any easements held by the United States for purposes of navigation in Nueces County, Texas. The Army Corps holds a number of old easements that are no longer considered necessary, and the property interest would be returned to the Port of Corpus Christi, allowing for further economic development.
- Real Estate Conveyance
- This provision directs the Secretary of the Army to convey the vacated USACE-Galveston District Regional Office in Corpus Christi to the Port of Corpus Christi.
- Section 203 Feasibility Study
- This provision directs the Secretary of the Army to expedite its environmental impact review of the Sabine-Neches Waterway Navigation Improvement Project.
- Section 7001 Corpus Christi Packery Channel
- This provision authorizes the City of Corpus Christi’s 7001 proposal to change the Packery Channel project’s purpose, clarifying that FEMA is responsible for any damage caused by natural disasters.
- Payment of Repair, Rehabilitation, and Replacement Costs by Non-Federal Interests Under the Water Supply Act of 1958
- This provision provides flexibility for non-federal sponsors to finance their share of the repair, rehabilitation, and replacement (RR&R) costs associated with certain USACE water supply projects.
- Lower Clear Creek and Dickinson Bayou Watershed Section 7001 Feasibility Study
- This provision authorizes the Army Corps to study flood mitigation concepts in the Lower Clear Creek Watershed and Dickinson Bayou. A 500-year storm event in the area has estimated damages over $1.75 billion affecting over 20,000 structures.
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