House to take up WRRDA as Heritage says no, NAM says yes
May 20, 2014 | 10:03 AM
The House of Representatives will take up the Water Resources Reform and Development Act today, while Heritage Action for America is telling members it will attempt to punish those who vote against it and the National Association of Manufacturers says it will reward those who vote for it.
The bill authorizes modernization of the locks and dams on the Mississippi River and harbor projects that are important to agriculture. Last week the Waterways Council, the National Grain and Feed Association and American Soybean Association endorsed the bill.
The bill will be brought up under suspension rules, which means that the House leadership believes it is noncontroversial and can be handled with limited debate and no amendments.
In a news release Monday, Heritage Action said it “opposes the [WRRDA] conference report and will it as a vote on our legislative scorecard” because “This massive piece of legislation crosses five out of six red lines laid out by the Heritage Foundation.”
The Heritage Foundation said the conference report:
Meanwhile, the National Association of Manufacturers sent members a letter urging a “yes” vote, The Hill reported.
“The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the largest manufacturing
association in the United States representing manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states, urges you to support the conference report Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014,” the letter said.
“Our nation needs investments and a modern infrastructure that keep us globally competitive and manufacturers will continue to champion investments and improvements to our nation’s infrastructure that help manufacturers’ compete and create jobs,” the letter continued.
“The NAM’s Key Vote Advisory Committee has indicated that votes on H.R. 3080, including procedural motions, may be considered for designation as Key Manufacturing Votes in the 113th Congress.”
▪ The Hill — Congress pressured to approve $8.2B water bill ▪ Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 — Conference Report ▪ Heritage Foundation — Necessary Reforms in the Water Resources Development Act Conference Bill
The bill authorizes modernization of the locks and dams on the Mississippi River and harbor projects that are important to agriculture. Last week the Waterways Council, the National Grain and Feed Association and American Soybean Association endorsed the bill.
The bill will be brought up under suspension rules, which means that the House leadership believes it is noncontroversial and can be handled with limited debate and no amendments.
In a news release Monday, Heritage Action said it “opposes the [WRRDA] conference report and will it as a vote on our legislative scorecard” because “This massive piece of legislation crosses five out of six red lines laid out by the Heritage Foundation.”
The Heritage Foundation said the conference report:
- Does not aggressively deal with the project backlog by enacting sufficient deauthorizations.
- Makes changes to the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund that “are geared toward spending as opposed to structural reforms that would provide for a better reflection of the cost of harbor and port maintenance and the potential for future devolution.”
- Lists 34 newly authorized projects for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers “while failing to set in place a satisfactory means of prioritizing future projects.”
- Increases the federal cost-share for the Olmsted Lock and Dam from 75 percent in the House bill to 85 percent, “thus increasing taxpayer liability.”
- “Fails to fix the problem of benefit-cost analysis for new projects in that the Corps often overstates the benefits and understates the costs.”
Meanwhile, the National Association of Manufacturers sent members a letter urging a “yes” vote, The Hill reported.
“The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the largest manufacturing
association in the United States representing manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states, urges you to support the conference report Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014,” the letter said.
“Our nation needs investments and a modern infrastructure that keep us globally competitive and manufacturers will continue to champion investments and improvements to our nation’s infrastructure that help manufacturers’ compete and create jobs,” the letter continued.
“The NAM’s Key Vote Advisory Committee has indicated that votes on H.R. 3080, including procedural motions, may be considered for designation as Key Manufacturing Votes in the 113th Congress.”
▪ The Hill — Congress pressured to approve $8.2B water bill ▪ Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 — Conference Report ▪ Heritage Foundation — Necessary Reforms in the Water Resources Development Act Conference Bill
