House committee OKs reauthorization for Water Resources Development Act

The 2016 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) reauthorization bill was passed by the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee on June 2. 

One change of note is the language to move the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) to mandatory spending, which benefits the American Soybean Association and ports through increased funding for expansions and upgrades. The committee compromised when it came to established increase amounts for the trust fund through the discretionary appropriations process.

An amendment by Rep. John Duncan Jr. (R-TN) and Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL) to increase spending for a major rehabilitation project was withdrawn after committee leadership promised to address the issue. An amendment from Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL) to start a Government Accountability Office investigation on alternative models to manage the Inland Waterways Trust Fund passed.

WRDA is now on the Senate Legislative Calendar after being introduced by Sen. James M. Inhofe (R-OK).