For Release: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Contact: David Gillies: 202-225-5661

COSTELLO WELCOMES SENATE ACTION ON WRDA

Washington - U.S. Congressman Jerry Costello (D-IL) today expressed relief that the U.S. Senate had approved its version of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), legislation that authorizes water infrastructure projects for the Army Corps of Engineers.  Usually adopted every two years, there has not been a completed WRDA bill since 2000, due largely to the inability to move the legislation through the Senate.       

"I am pleased that the Senate has followed the House's lead and passed its WRDA bill so we can proceed to conference and get a final version to the president.  We overwhelmingly passed the House bill one month ago, and it includes $3.6 billion to construct seven new locks and environmental restoration work on the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.  Since 2000, the House has routinely passed WRDA bills, only to see our momentum stalled in the Senate.  The House bill is very good for Illinois and the bi-state region, authorizing tens of millions of dollars for sewer upgrades, storm water management and levee maintenance and repair.  I will again seek to be a conferee, as I was last year, to help keep these important provisions in the bill.

"I am also pleased that the Senate bill retains the $3.6 billion I included in the House bill for lock construction and environmental improvements as well as other local projects.  I've been working on these provisions for years and first included them in WRDA several Congresses ago when I was the senior Democrat on the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee."

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