The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unanimously approved H.R. 5303, the Water Resources Development Act of 2016, last week. The approval of H.R. 5303 symbolizes Congress’ return to the regular, biannual process of authorizing projects and activities related to the key missions of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, including developing and maintaining waterway infrastructure and supporting effective and targeted flood protection and environmental restoration needs.
 
Ports and waterways in the U.S. moved more than 2.3 billion tons of goods in 2014. These ports and waterways require dredging, maintenance and modernization to ensure the efficient, safe and timely movement of goods. Returning to the two-year cycle of considering WRDA legislation ensures proper congressional oversight of the Corps and enables Congress to address water resources development needs in a timely manner.