Bill Shuster

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Mitchell), my good friend and another hardworking member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I have three more speakers. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton).

Mr. SHUSTER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. McMorris Rodgers), our conference chair.

Mr. SHUSTER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Bucshon).

Mr. SHUSTER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I thank my partner in this, Ranking Member DeFazio, for his efforts on the bill, but also Ranking Member Napolitano and Subcommittee Chair Garret Graves for their great work on this bill. I thank the entire Republican staff on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The following staff spent hours working on behalf of the Members of Congress to produce this final product: Ian Bennitt, Elizabeth Fox, John Pawlow, Victor Sarmiento, Peter Como, Geoff Gosselin, Fred Miller, Chris Vieson, Kathy Dedrick, Ryann Seiger, Joe Sheehy, Alex Burkett, Mike Brian, Richard Russell, Brian Clifford, Lizzy Oslen, Pauline Thorndick, Andy Hardy, Craig Thomas, Marry Francis Repko. John Drake, Andrew Rogers, Chris Baysinger, Mary Martin, Jerry Couri, Mike Bloomquist, Ryan Long, Karen Christian, Brandon Mooney, Annelise Rickerts, Jackie Cohen, Rick Kessler, Jean Fruci, Kakuti Lin, Allison Hartwich, Geoff Antell, Kiel Weaver, Cindy Herrle. Madam Speaker, I thank the Democratic staff for their partnership in crafting this legislation and now passing on the floor, and, hopefully, ultimately, we get it to the President's desk and signed into law. Thanks to all the folks on the other side of the aisle, the staff, for their willingness and hard work and the effort they put into it. I want to point out, though, Chris Vieson and Geoff Gosselin, the staff director and deputy staff director, for their great work and leadership on the committee. But also the Water Resources staff, Ian Bennitt, Jon Pawlow, Elizabeth Fox, Victor Sarmiento, and Peter Como for their efforts and long hours that I know they took to put this all together. And finally, I would just like to say, passing WRDA is personally very gratifying to me. When I became chairman, we had not passed a WRDA bill in 7 years. Prior to that, for over 20 years, WRDA bills were passed every Congress. It was regular order. Today, we will pass the third WRDA bill in three Congresses, and I want to thank the leadership on both sides of the aisle for working with us and helping us to get it to the floor. I thank all of my colleagues in the House. As I think we maybe said earlier, when we passed it out of the House, it was 408-2, overwhelmingly. And again, I can't thank my colleagues enough for working with me and helping to bring back regular order to WRDA. I ask all my colleagues to support this bill, and let's move on to the next bill. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition to the amendment, although I am not opposed to it.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed to it.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chair, I object to the modification.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague for offering the amendment. The amendment expresses a Sense of Congress that construction of a new lock at the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, is vital to our national economy, national security, and national need for new critical infrastructure. Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague for bringing this to our attention, and I am prepared to accept the amendment. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment, even though I am not opposed to it.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chair, I claim time in opposition, although I do not oppose the amendment.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, this amendment is the result of a lot of work between a number of Great Lakes members. I appreciate everyone's work and consensus on this important issue. I am prepared to accept the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the motion to recommit.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I oppose the motion to recommit. This bill, H.R. 8, has many benefits to all 50 States and the territories, including Puerto Rico. It was put together in a bipartisan manner. We just here today adopted over 50 amendments in a bipartisan manner. This bill asserts congressional authority and continues regular order of the Corps of Engineers in authorizing these programs. It is fiscally responsible. We fully offset new projects. Finally, it keeps American jobs by strengthening our competitiveness ensuring that our transportation system remains attractive to private-sector jobs, so I oppose the motion to recommit. This being my last WRDA bill that I will ever be able to shepherd through the House, I am proud to be here. Hopefully we are going to have a conference report in the near future to be able to pass that on the House floor, but I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, I am very, very proud of my term as chairman. One of the accomplishments I am most proud of is getting WRDA back on regular order, every Congress authorizing these important programs so that the Corps can move forward and the American people can benefit by these programs. Again, I want to, first off, thank my Democratic colleagues and the Democratic staff on the other side of the aisle for their work, working together closely on this bill. Of course, I couldn't get this done without my dedicated staff who have worked so tirelessly, not only on this bill but over the past 5 years, and I thank them from the bottom of my heart. Mr. Speaker, a personal point of order that I would like to take is that in 2016 when we passed the WRDA bill, September 28, 2016, I woke up that morning and found out that my mother had passed away. But I could hear her voice in my head saying: Go to work. Do your job. We came to work that day, and we were able to pass the WRDA bill in 2016. I was so proud that, as always, she was on my shoulder. This morning I woke up and didn't think about the date until I realized today, June 6, is my mother's birthday. It would have been her birthday. So, again, my mother who was always my greatest supporter and my greatest cheerleader was here again with me today. I can hear her voice telling me: Make sure you do your work. Our family chain is broken, and nothing seems to be the same. But as God calls one by one, that chain will link again. And today, as strong as ever, that link with my mother is with me. I want to thank my mother. I know she is watching down. Patricia Shuster, as always, is sitting on my shoulder, rooting me on to victory. So, again, today I am very, very proud of the WRDA bill. I am proud we are doing it on June 6, my mother's birthday. Again, I thank everybody on both sides of the aisle for their efforts. Again, I oppose the motion to recommit and urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 8, the Water Resources Development Act of 2018. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that during further consideration of H.R. 8 in the Committee of the Whole pursuant to House Resolution 918, the following amendments printed in part A of House Report 115-711 may be considered out of sequence: Amendments numbered 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 8.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to bring to the floor today the Water Resources Development Act of 2018. This marks the third Congress in a row that the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the House will consider a water resources bill, so we are back to regular order when it comes to WRDA. I hope we bring it to the floor today, and I hope we pass a WRDA bill. That is good news for the American people and the American economy, because WRDA works. WRDA works because it ensures that Congress carries out its clear Federal role in addressing infrastructure that is critical to our commerce and competitiveness, and to protecting communities throughout the country. WRDA authorizes targeted investments in America's harbors, ports, locks, dams, inland waterways, flood protection, environmental restoration, and other water resources infrastructure. This infrastructure, maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is vital to every part of the country and every American benefits from it. You don't have to live near a port or a major waterway to experience these benefits. The health of this infrastructure directly impacts how efficiently the things we buy get onto our store shelves, and how quickly the goods that we produce get to markets around the world. WRDA improvements originate at the local level. They grow our local, regional, and national economies, and they create good-paying jobs. Restoring WRDA legislation to a 2-year congressional cycle was one of the first goals when I became chairman in 2013. By working together, we passed WRDA into law in 2014 and 2016. Both of these measures attracted broad bipartisan support, and this bill is no different, passing out of our committee unanimously 2 weeks ago. I want to thank Ranking Member DeFazio, Water Resources Environment Subcommittee Chairman Garret Graves, and Subcommittee Ranking Member Grace Napolitano for working with me to introduce this bill. Our bipartisan legislation follows the fiscally responsible, transparent process for considering Corps activities that Congress established in 2014. It maintains strong congressional oversight and the constitutional authority of the Legislative Branch. It deauthorizes old projects to fully offset new authorizations, and sunsets new authorizations to prevent future backlogs. WRDA also builds on past reforms of the Corps and explores new ways to deliver projects more efficiently. In keeping with traditional WRDAs, my cosponsors and I agreed to narrowly focus our bill on the civil works program of the Corps. Preserving the civil works focus of this bill increases the likelihood of final passage. If we don't enact a bill into law this year, we will delay necessary water infrastructure improvements and increase project costs. Let's approve this vital bill today. Let's build our water infrastructure. Let's grow our economy, and let's create jobs. Let's pass WRDA, because WRDA does work, and let's ensure that WRDA continues to work for the American people. Mr. Chairman, I look forward to a good debate today and to moving this bill to the Senate, so I urge all of my colleagues to support the bill. Mr. Chair, I include in the Record a cost estimate from the Congressional Budget Office for H.R. 8. U.S. Congress, Congressional Budget Office, Washington, DC, June 4, 2018. Hon. Bill Shuster, Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 8, the Water Resources Development Act of 2018. If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased to provide them. Sincerely, Keith Hall, Director. Enclosure. H.R. 8--Water Resources Development Act of 2018 As reported by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on June 1, 2018

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Graves), who is the chairman of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Graves). The other Mr. Graves from the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is the chairman of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis), a member of the committee.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Sanford).

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Rouzer).

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa).