Cotton Statement on the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014

Cotton Statement on the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cotton (R-Dardanelle) released the following statement on the passage of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 (WRRDA):   “Today the House passed legislation that ensures Arkansas waterways remain open for business, while saving taxpayers money and increasing efficiency. This legislation streamlines required environmental studies and caps the time in which they must be completed, ultimately allowing for more infrastructure projects.  It also provides private businesses with the flexibility to fund infrastructure development, providing additional funding for projects across Arkansas.   “This legislation also includes two amendments I offered last year during debate on the House-passed version of WRRDA.  The first addresses a discrepancy between population growth and water supply in small, rural communities. This amendment empowers communities across Arkansas to determine the most cost-effective water-management strategy for their needs.  The second allows the Army Corps of Engineers to enter into cooperative agreements with local groups such as Friends of Lake Ouachita to maintain recreational facilities that would otherwise be closed because of budget cuts.  I appreciate my colleagues’ work on this legislation and their continued support of Arkansas’s water infrastructure.”