House Passes Rep. Peters’ Amendment to Reduce Government Waste in Water Bill

Washington, DC – Today, an amendment proposed by Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) to the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA), H.R. 3080, passed the House along with the final bill. WRRDA, which authorizes improvements to our country’s ports, waterways, projects ties to flood protection, dams, levees, and environmental resoration, passed on a bipartisan 417-3 vote.

“Rather than reinvent the wheel with each new situation, the Army Corps of Engineers should work with a well-practiced Federal partner in FEMA to disseminate information,” Congressman Peters said. “Instead of duplicating the platforms that already exist, this amendment ensures that we get necessary information to those potentially at risk for flooding, or other disasters, without costing the taxpayer more money. It’s time to maximize the resources we already have in place to handle this task.”

Congressman Peters’ amendment improves resiliency efforts while reducing the potential for duplicative programs and government waste. The amendment instructs the Army Corps of Engineers, tasked with implementing many of the programs in WRRDA, to work within the preexisting Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) guidelines and communications networks to disseminate information through widely used and readily available means, including the internet, to local governments and the public rather than creating the channels themselves. This makes the communications more streamlined, effective, and saves precious taxpayer dollars in the long run.

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