For Immediate Release:

Tuesday, April 20, 2004

Senator Murray holds up a budget sheet that shows the President's budget provided zero dollars for the Columbia River Channel Improvement (Dredging) project during a hearing of the Senate Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development on the fiscal year 2005 budget for the Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation. Although all the necessary studies and Chief of Engineers Report on the project are complete, the administration denied the Corps of Engineers request for funding for this project.

Senator Murray has made channel deepening one of her highest priorities because of its enormous impact for job creation and economic competitiveness and will continue to push for the funding this project needs and deserves. News Release