▶ 0:14:39Chair Capito: Good morning, everyone. It is a good day for the committee. It's a good day me personally, because today, even though she's notice longer with me, my mother would be 100 years old today. And her name was shelly, so happy birthday, shelly. So I know the presence of air quorum, and we'll call this business meeting to order.
▶ 0:15:01Chair Capito: For information of the committee, ranking member whitehouse and I will deliver our opening statements, and once we have sufficient attendance, we will immediately proceed to the consideration of the legislation. That would be 10 members, I believe. After the vote, senators who wish to be recognized to speak on the legislation or the nomination may do so. Before we get started on today's agenda, I would like to take a moment to remember our good friend and influential member of the e.p.w. Committee, senator lindsey graham.
▶ 0:15:28Chair Capito: He was a fierce advocate for the people of south carolina and used his position on this committee to advance critical issues for his state. On the water resources front, he tirelessly fought for improvements to the port of charlton, worked closely with the core on studies and projects to address coastal storm flooding and inland flooding in the city of charlton and partnered with his colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure needs across south carolina were met.
▶ 0:15:54Chair Capito: He was also an advocate for nuclear energy and a champion for his state's nuclear energy industry. He will be greatly missed by this committee, as we know he will be by the full body. I would like to thank my colleagues for attending today's business meeting to senior s.4949, the water resources development act of 2026.
▶ 0:16:15Chair Capito: S.4949 is a bipartisan legislation that consists of two divisions, division a is our biennial water resources legislation for the united states corps of engineers, and division b, reauthorizing water infrastructure programs and geographic programs under the purview of the e.p.a. I would like to take a moment to sincerely thank ranking member whitehouse and his great staff for his efforts on this important legislation. We've worked very well together.
▶ 0:16:44Chair Capito: In division a, we authorize critical water resources studies and projects for the corps to carry out across the country and provide additional to the secretary of army when carrying out the civil works program. Since 2014, the e.p.w. Committee has don't a biennial schedule of passing bipartisan water resources bills, and I'm pleased we are continuing that track record today from. A national perspective, division a enables the timely and efficient delivery of corps studies and projects.
▶ 0:17:13Chair Capito: It enhances the corps' ability to identify and carry out solutions that are tailored to the needs 6 each community and preserves the role of nonfederal sponsors. As you have heard me say before, we received a significant number of requests from our colleagues on this legislation. Our staff has worked diligently over the past few months to address those results. And those requests. As a result, the legislation includes wins for states across the country.
▶ 0:17:38Chair Capito: I'm going take a few minutes to highlight some of the benefits for my home state of west virginia. It authorizes two new feasibility studies so that the corps can address flood risk in the northern and southern part of our state. The bill provides support for future projects identified by the corps' feasibility study for flood risk management in the upper river basin.
▶ 0:17:59Chair Capito: It establishes new authorities for the corps to help expedite the delivery of small but impactful water resource projects in our state and enhances existing authorities that support drinking and waste water projects. The bill also directs the corps to expedite the ongoing feasibility study for the canal river basin, as well as projects at the blue stone dam. I would like to briefly highlight some of the important provisions in division b, which is focused on the e.p.a.'s water infrastructure programs and geographic programs.
▶ 0:18:28Chair Capito: The water programs that were last authorized in the iija will strengthen underserved community's ability to deliver water projects, reinforce the cooperative federalism principle embedded in our laws, and focus on outcomes that prioritize safe water and sound infrastructure. It is vital we continue to provide solutions that ensure communities across the country have access to safe and reliable water and sanitation services.
▶ 0:18:56Chair Capito: Improving my state's water infrastructure remains a top priority for me. This bill will help address the state's significant needs while ensuring that we provide the right tools and flexibility to address the unique circumstances faced by rural and small communities in my state.
▶ 0:19:14Chair Capito: Significantly, the bill increases the annual authorized funding levels for the drinking water and clean water state resolving funds, provided resources to address cybersecurity vulnerabilities in our water systems, and you'll recall we had a hearing on that issue, and supports the e.p.a.'s water workforce development initiatives. The bill also reauthorizes the e.p.a.'s geographic programs, including the great lakes restoration initiative.
▶ 0:19:39Chair Capito: Finally I'd like to say a few words about the nominee, kevin lilly, whose nomination we will vote on at a later committee meeting. Mr. lilly was nominated to be assistant secretary for fish and wildlife at the U.S. department of interior. Mr. millly brings decades of leadership experience gained from his time in the private sector, state government, the military, and most recently at the department of interior in the role of assistant secretary. In this role he will provide senior policy leadership for both U.S.
▶ 0:20:08Chair Capito: Fish and wildlife service and the national park service. Agencies that play a pivotal role in our conservation efforts and bolstering recreation and tourism opportunities. Mr. lilly, in my opinion, is an excellent choice for this role. I look forward to supporting mrs I look forward to supporting mrn I look forward to supporting mrt I look forward to supporting mra later committee meeting and I strongly encourage my colleagues to support our water bill today. With that, I'll turn to ranking member whitehouse for his opening statement.
▶ 0:20:33Sen. Whitehouse: Thank you, madam chair. This is the first gathering of this committee since the death of senator graham. And I want to join the chairman in a brief reflection about lindsey. For many of us, he was a genuine personal friend. People sometimes think that that's crazy, because they see our political disagreements.
▶ 0:21:02Sen. Whitehouse: But lindsey never allowed our political disagreements, even fast ones -- vast ones, to interfere at all in our friendship. He never even put any pressure on me to diminish our areas of vast disagreement.
▶ 0:21:21Sen. Whitehouse: We just enjoyed each other, and particularly enjoyed what I think was one of lindsey's signal characteristics, which was his enterprising and curious willingness to try to expand the political zone of what is possible in the senate.
▶ 0:21:46Sen. Whitehouse: Office not constrained by his party's political boundaries, and he hoped that he would not be constrained by any party's political boundaries. That kind of enterprise is kind of a gem around here. Plus, he was just an unforgettably funny, affectionate, cheerful, and intelligent friend.
▶ 0:22:15Sen. Whitehouse: The senate is both a dumber and a grimmer place without lindsey graham. So on to the topic of this business meeting. Where we show that sometimes the senate can still work like it used to, and like it's supposed to.
▶ 0:22:34Sen. Whitehouse: I want to thank you, madam chair, particularly for your leadership, your staff director adam, and his team for working with us to produce a truly strong bipartisan water infrastructure package. I would also like to thank pamela and kara on my staff for their tireless efforts to produce this bill.
▶ 0:22:59Sen. Whitehouse: We were joking beforehand that shelly and I were able to overcome the disability of our terrible staffs to pull this together. Because we're so individually wonderful. The fact of the matter, when we're not teasing, is that senators depend enormously on the quality of their staffs, and it was a lot of staff work on both sides of the aisle that have made this bill a success.
▶ 0:23:28Sen. Whitehouse: The chairs and ranking members of the water and infrastructure subcommittees are also owed our gratitude, and indeed, all members of the committee engage constructively toward this success. Our package consists two parts, one that will authorize water projects by the army corps of engineers and the other that will reauthorize water programs at the environmental protection agency.
▶ 0:23:51Sen. Whitehouse: Congress is not known for completing tasks on a regular schedule, yet for over a decade congress has authorized army corps projects on a biennial cycle. I'm proud that our committee is taking an important step to continue this long-standing streak. Similarly, we've worked to carry forward the momentum of five years ago when we authorized many important programs for water infrastructure at e.p.a. I strongly encourage all members to support this water package.
▶ 0:24:18Sen. Whitehouse: Like any bipartisan bill, it doesn't contain everything democrats would want or everything republicans would want. But even still, it contains substantial wins. It contains reforms my elevate flood-prone communities act on nonstructural projects, like structure elevation and flood proofing.
▶ 0:24:40Sen. Whitehouse: These reforms will provide for voluntary buyouts, temporary relocation assistance for structural elevation projects, and a pilot program to expand the scope of eligible costs for certain structure elevation projects, including the coastline and river projects. The phrase cooperative federalism is often misused these days, e.p.a.'s clean and drinking water state revolving funds embody that concept. The s.r.f.
▶ 0:25:07Sen. Whitehouse: Has proven to be one of the most effective programs at generating a return on federal investment. Agency estimates put every dollar spent through these programs as producing $3 in investment directly in our communities. It's no wonder they receive such strong bipartisan support in congress.
▶ 0:25:28Sen. Whitehouse: Much work remains to be done on replacing lead service lines and addressing emergency contaminants, such as pfas, but our bill authorizes the creations for both the clean and drinking water state revolving funds to help us continue with those efforts.
▶ 0:25:44Sen. Whitehouse: Our bill also creates a pilot program to put point of use filtration systems in homes, at the other end of the pipeline from the plant, to help further mitigate pfas and lead exposure. I look forward to seeing the results of that pilot program and provide the basis for expansion in future years. Alongside the s.r.f., our bill authorizes nearly $7 billion in e.p.a.
▶ 0:26:11Sen. Whitehouse: Programs to address a number of pressing issues facing our country. These programs will improve the digitization and the cybersecurity of our water utilities, provide targeted assistance to small and disadvantaged communities, and support environmental restoration efforts to combat pollution in our waterways.
▶ 0:26:30Sen. Whitehouse: Some of our nation's greatest waterways will benefit from the geographic programs we reauthorized, including the southeast new england program, which will long received appropriations thanks to the work of my colleague, senator jack reed. Personally, I'm glad to have secured reauthorizations for microplastic remediation grants from save our seas 2.0 and would recognize senator merkley for his efforts on microplastics. I thank senator sullivan for his lead on save our seas 2.0.
▶ 0:27:02Sen. Whitehouse: And we have also enhanced the national estuary program. It addresses long-standing challenges in rhode island, including hydrilla infestation, beachway erosion, fish passage on the lower blackstone river, pilings removal in the providence river, and long-term comprehensive flood and coastal storm risk management solutions for the city of providence and surrounding areas.
▶ 0:27:32Sen. Whitehouse: Many members have similar lists of achievements that they have managed in this bill. So there's a lot of good to be accomplished because of this bill. I look forward to supporting its passage through our committee today. I also look to the appropriate fors on the committee, notably our chair, and encourage them to seek these substantial authorizations as a clear signal from this committee that congress wants to see more funding for army corps and e.p.a. Water programs and projects, not less. Thank you very much, again, madam chair.
▶ 0:28:01Sen. Whitehouse: It has been a pleasure working with you on this effort.
▶ 0:28:04Chair Capito: Thank you, senator whitehouse, and thanks for your statement. I would like to, before we move to more business, to recognize my staff director, adam, but also libby, murphy, patty, jack, andy, and jay. It is his birthday today. He's half my mother's age. So happy birthday, jay.
▶ 0:28:33Chair Capito: And then dan, kara from your great staff as well. Thank you for that. So, we are, I will now call up s.4949, the water resources development act of 2026. Next I will call up the substitute amendment, which have agreed upon by the ranking member and me. The substitute includes the following amendments, alsobrooks one as modified. Husted one. Merkley one. Merkley three as modified. Merkley four.
▶ 0:29:03Chair Capito: Merkley nine as modified. Ricketts two as modified. Sullivan one. Wicker one. Is there a discussion on the substitute amendment? If not, I move that the committee adopt the substitute amendment. Is there a second? All those in favor, say aye. >> aye.
▶ 0:29:21Chair Capito: All opposed no. The aye do have it. The substitute amendment is adopted. We do have a quorum, so in the interest of time, I know senator curt and I say probably others have a comment that they want to make, but I would ask senators who would like to offer additional amendments to hold up on speaking until after final passage, if that's suitable. So does any senator wish to be recognized to offer an additional amendment? I now move that the -- yes?
▶ 0:29:56Chair Capito: Sorry. Senator blunt rochester.
▶ 0:30:00Sen. Blunt Rochester: Thank you, chairman capito. I'd like offer and ultimately withdraw amendment blunt rochester padilla one.
▶ 0:30:14Chair Capito: While I support this legislation wholeheartedly, I think there is an area where it falls short.
▶ 0:30:22Sen. Blunt Rochester: That is meeting our country's growing affordability crisis. Americans are seeing higher costs everywhere, from the gas pump to housing, and they shouldn't have to choose between their groceries and utility bills. This is why senator padilla and I, with the support of utilities and community organizations, have been working on the water affordability program modeled after the highly successful lighting program.
▶ 0:30:49Sen. Blunt Rochester: Water affordability has been a mounting crisis for years, and it's only getting worse. From aging infrastructure to higher operational costs, water rates are skyrocketing and americans are struggling to pay their bills. This water affordability program would provide much needed relief to families and give our water utilities the reliable revenue streams they need for regular maintenance.
▶ 0:31:16Sen. Blunt Rochester: There's no question that clean, safe, reliable and affordable water is a basic right and is essential to public health. Chairman capito, I hope you will continue to work with me and senator padilla on this very important effort, and I yield the remaining of my time to my colleague and partner in this very, very important work on behalf of the american people, senator padilla.
▶ 0:31:44Sen. Padilla: Thank you, senator blunt rochester. Thank you, madam chair. I will try to be brief. Water affordability is a critical issue. It's not a red state-blue state thing. This is for working families across the country. As senator blunt rochester said, so many families across the country are struggling to get by to pay the bills and afford basic goods, and that includes water and waste water utility bills.
▶ 0:32:08Sen. Padilla: A lot of focus on gas and healthcare costs and housing, etc., but water and waste water utility rates have been growing at twice the rate of inflation for 25 years. And we know there's programs that can work, because we did it during the pandemic. We offered support for families that didn't just help them pay their water bills or prevent water shutoffs.
▶ 0:32:36Sen. Padilla: They hoped folks reinstate their services. 1.4 million household as cross 49 states were helped, but that program has come to an end. We're trying to reinstate it and improve upon it. I also remind us all that when we don't help, everybody else pays the price. Because the past due bills that go unpaid are then covered by the rest of rate payers in that utility or district's service area.
▶ 0:33:07Sen. Padilla: So the bill that we have proposed and offered as an amendment is inclusive of working with not just rate payer advocates and local governments, but water utilities and others, and we crafted a bill that everybody agrees would be helpful. So I understand that there was a time or capacity to move it in this bill.
▶ 0:33:29Sen. Padilla: Madam chair, I appeal to you to keep working with us in good faith to find a way forward for our water affordability proposal. Thank you.
▶ 0:33:37Chair Capito: Thank you. I'd like to thank both senators blunt rochester and padilla for offering the amendment and withdrawing it, and I understand the concern. We all hear this from our constituents, the impact of water costs. I would note that by passing this bill, I do believe with the modernization of systems, I can speak for my own state, an independent study that said 50% of the water does not even make it to the end because of the aging infrastructure. That adds to the cost as well.
▶ 0:34:07Chair Capito: So we will continue. I pledge to continue to work with you on this bill, so thank you.
▶ 0:34:13Sen. Whitehouse: I'd love to express support for senator blunt rochester and senator padilla's effort here. States like mine and senator blunt rochester's are facing sea level rise and rain burst activity that causes both coastal and riverside flooding, and one of my municipalities, the town of warren, they're having to relocate the entire
▶ 0:34:44Sen. Whitehouse: Waste water cleaning plant because of its risk of being flooded. Those expenditures to meet the risk of sea level rise and of the rain burst flooding require investments by the water utilities and the clean water utilities that have to raise rates, and that's only going to get worse as the climate upheaval continues.
▶ 0:35:07Sen. Whitehouse: In western states, like senator padilla's and senator kelly's, they have the opposite problem, which is drought and evaporation destroying long-standing water supplies and creating very significant conflicts over water use, but obviously with less water to go around, the cost then go up, so once again, we face the price problem at the consumer level.
▶ 0:35:34Sen. Whitehouse: In new england, there's a vital resource, so I think that's a good model to work off of, and I appreciate very much the efforts of senator blunt rochester and senator padilla and their supporters and cosponsors in moving this forward. We'll keep working with you.
▶ 0:35:49Chair Capito: Does anybody else have additional amendments? All right, I can now move the committee report of the bill as amended favorably. Is there a second? >> second.
▶ 0:36:00Chair Capito: Thank you. The clerk will call the roll.
▶ 0:36:03The Jerk: Ms. alsobrooks. Ms. blunt rochester. Mr. boozman. Mr. cramer. Mr. curtis. Mr. husted. Mr. kelly. Ms. lummis. M. Merkley. M. Markey. Mr. padilla. Mr. ricketts. Mr. sanders.
▶ 0:36:34The Jerk: Mr. schiff. Mr. sullivan. Mr. whitehouse. Mr. wicker. Madam chairman. Madam chairman, the yeas are 18 and the nays are 0
▶ 0:36:54Chair Capito: Senator white how fast, we have unanimous result here -- senator whitehouse, we have unanimous result here. So thank the staff and everyone. This is no small feat. I will note that the roll call vote on presidential number -- I should say, with that, the legislation as amended is favorably recorded. The roll call vote on pn806-5 of texas to be assistant secretary for fish and wildlife will be held at a later committee meeting.
▶ 0:37:20Chair Capito: So now, I would like to recognize members who would like to speak. I know senator curtis, I'll go to you first since you mentioned to me first.
▶ 0:37:31Sen. Curtis: Thank you, madam chair. I'll be very brief. I would like to echo some of the remarks made by and the ranking member, as the ranking member alluded to, utah is in a record drought. Everywhere I go, it's water, water, water, water. And I think in some cases, as many pressing problems as we have in a country and the state, water still rises to the top.
▶ 0:37:54Sen. Curtis: So I'm very pleased, particularly for the communities of centreville who will benefit from this in their ability to bring clean water to the residents who otherwise would not be able to do it without this bill. So I'd like to thank the committee, the staff, the ranking member and yourself for making this possible. I'd also like to point out the great salt lake and the impending needs there.
▶ 0:38:17Sen. Curtis: I look forward to further discussions with this committee and other members to see how we can save a very, very important asset in the west. It's an environmental issue. It's a standard of living issue. On many levels, this is important. And a very important role, and what I'm pleased with with the great salt lake, my state is not just waiting for the federal government. I have thrill anthropic help. I have local community help.
▶ 0:38:48Sen. Curtis: I have state government help. Everybody is leaning into this, and I'm grateful the federal government is willing to lean in as well. I yield. Thank you. >> thank you, madam chair. I want to join in the remembrances about our colleague, senator graham, and the flowers at his seat. It symbolizes his passing.
▶ 0:39:16Sen. Curtis: And on the budget committee, as he sat as chair and I as ranking member, we had vociferously different viewpoints on some of the issues that have come through this chamber over the last year and a half. And after we got through thoroughly advocating for our viewpoints, we would be laughing and joking about many other things.
▶ 0:39:43Sen. Curtis: Kind of emphasizes the point that my colleagues were making about the ability to argue over policy, but share a connection that this chamber needs so much more of, and he will be very, very much missed. And thank you, madam chair, and ranking member for the work.
▶ 0:40:10Sen. Curtis: When you look at the details, it is so much, every state affected by dozens of factors, and a few of them that will be well noticed in oregon include the aquatic structures for the lower river. When you denial a river, which is portland, oregon is further inland water deep port in the world, which means you have to do a lot of dredging to keep the ships coming up the river as ships get bigger and bigger.
▶ 0:40:38Sen. Curtis: It also means you have a place to put those dredge spoils, so that's very important, and the change of the cost share in this bill is much appreciated. We'll continue to pursue that question right on through the conference. The step channel in the bay, enhancing navigation, the prioritization of the coal river hatchery.
▶ 0:41:04Sen. Curtis: This hatchery, it's where one of the most wildest, incredible rivers in the world, but when it comes to the dam, that wild river ends. You can see where the fish swim in to concrete pools, and they can find no other passage up the river.
▶ 0:41:24Sen. Curtis: And when that dam was built, there was a commitment to this nation to the hatchery process, because we are talking about salmon, spring and summer, or summer and winter steel head, and they don't do it just for the rogue river, they produce it for other rivers as well.
▶ 0:41:45Sen. Curtis: So the clean water for this hatchery, because 2 is all essential, not just for the runs on the road, but others as well. I appreciate bipartisan support for this commitment that was made when these dams were built to keep all the hatcheries operating, but this one plays an incredible role.
▶ 0:42:12Sen. Curtis: The challenge of algae at ross island, the river basin, the geographic basin, which helps use toxins in the basin, and as mentioned by my colleague, the study to identify, capture and remove microplastics, figuring out how to manage that threat, we get more and more studies about how those plastics are entering our bodies.
▶ 0:42:39Sen. Curtis: First it was a litter and trash problem, and then it was an aquatic, ecosystem problem. And you would see pictures of the various fish and ma even mammals with their stomach full of plastic. Now it's a human health problem as well. Much can be done in that area. The list goes on and on, actually, of factors, so I'll stop -- well, I'll almost stop with that. I think there was one other -- well, no, that's plenty, ok.
▶ 0:43:11Sen. Curtis: Thank you. Thank you for this diligent work.
▶ 0:43:14Chair Capito: Thank you. Senator sullivan.
▶ 0:43:17Sen. Sullivan: Thank you, madam chair, and I want to thank you. Actually my good friends, senator cabbity owe, chairman capito, and senator whitehouse on your leadership. It's not surprising, but it's not always typical you get a unanimous outcome on a bill of this size and importance, so I want to thank both of you for your leadership. We are kind of, not kind of, but we are still very much in mourning.
▶ 0:43:45Sen. Sullivan: These flowers are representing my good friend, all of our good friend, senator lindsey graham, who we are still in shock and have tremendous heartache over the loss of him, and I think it's appropriate as we get this bill over the goal line in a huge bipartisan way that we have a reminder of our good friend, senator graham, with these beautiful flowers. I want to thank the committee staff, my team, who's worked really hard on this.
▶ 0:44:16Sen. Sullivan: You know, this committee hears it a lot, my state has a lot of unique challenges. We are resource-rich, but infrastructure poor. Alaska has less road miles than connecticut, and we are almost 120 times bigger than connecticut.
▶ 0:44:35Sen. Sullivan: With vast differences, limited road, this bill is absolutely critical to my state and you appreciate the support for many of the big initiatives that we're able to deliver for the great state of alaska. Certainly building infrastructure is an important way, a critical way in my state to bring dunn the cost of living when you have over 230 communities, n alaska that are not connected by roads.
▶ 0:45:03Sen. Sullivan: And most states can't even comprehend that. There's no communities that are not connected by roads in the lower 48, and we have over 230. So costs are very high and infrastructure is a critical way to keep down the cost. So I want to thank everybody.
▶ 0:45:21Sen. Sullivan: We are cutting it right through the red tape to fast track a permanent engineering solution for juneau, alaska, which is currently preparing for yet another devastating glacial lake outburse flood.
▶ 0:45:35Sen. Sullivan: We are keeping our foot on the gas in this bill to build america's very first arctic deep water port in nome, and we are focusing the corps' attention on building resilience along western alaska's coast, which has faced increasingly severe storms and erosion over the last several years.
▶ 0:45:55Sen. Sullivan: We are also making alaska district for the corps of engineers to have the permanent resource it actually needs to handle our unique challenges, ensuring our local harbors aren't penalized by unfair cost benefit metrics that ignore massive economic advantages to our communities, even when they have small populations.
▶ 0:46:25Sen. Sullivan: But this bill doesn't stop there. We are reauthorizing critical e.p.a. Water and sewer funding, including $240 million through 2030 for the alaska native village sanitation program. This is one step closer to achieving the goal that we all have in alaska, which is putting the honey bucket in the museum and making it a relic of the past.
▶ 0:46:48Sen. Sullivan: I have over 30 communities in my state, some of the most patriotic communities in america, because alaska natives serve at higher rates in the military than any other ethnic group in the country. Over 30 communities that don't have water and sewer and flush toilets. Imagine that. The richest country in the world, and people use honey buckets to take out their sewage. That's just unacceptable in america, and we're trying to get that done.
▶ 0:47:17Sen. Sullivan: And I really appreciate the focus of this committee to doing that, and that's a big, big, big advancement, and it's exciting and needed in my state. And finally, senator whitehouse is here. We are keeping up the momentum on our save our seas 2.0, the most comprehensive ocean debris clean-up legislation ever passed in the history of the country, signed into law a couple of years ago, and we are continuing that critical effort.
▶ 0:47:46Sen. Sullivan: So again, I want to thank the leadership on this committee, all my colleagues. It's an important day for everybody. Every stated has big wins in this bill, and I'm very excited about the wins for alaska. Thank you, madam chair.
▶ 0:48:00Chair Capito: Thank you. Senator alsobrooks.
▶ 0:48:02Sen. Alsobrooks: Thank you. I want to thank chair capito and ranking member whitehouse and their staff for leading the bipartisan process to develop this important piece of legislation. I was very proud to join them as ranking member of the transportation infrastructure subcommittee along with chair cramer.
▶ 0:48:24Sen. Alsobrooks: Water infrastructure has long been an area where congress can find common ground and solve real problems for communities, and this committee's track record to that effect is one of the reasons that I wanted to join. Every family, every business, every school, and every community depends on safe, abundant, reliable water, and on the partnership that is cross municipal lines and unite rural and urban communities to manage flood risk and harness the economic opportunities afforded to us by our water waist.
▶ 0:48:54Sen. Alsobrooks: In maryland, whether you're from the eastern shore or mountain, maryland, baltimore or the suburbs, we're all connected by the same rivers, the same streams, and the chesapeake bay. This legislation builds on the historic investments congress made through the bipartisan infrastructure law, by reauthorizing and strengthening our nation's core drinking water and waste water programs.
▶ 0:49:18Sen. Alsobrooks: It ensures states and local communities continue to have the tools they need to modernize aging infrastructure, improve resilience, and protect public health. I'm especially proud our bill includes provisions that deliver real results for maryland, from moving the cumberland flood risk management project one step closer to completion, to addressing and authorized funding increase for the chesapeake boy oyster recovery program.
▶ 0:49:46Sen. Alsobrooks: We're working together to modernize our infrastructure, protect our environment, strengthen our economy, and ensure the communities across the country in maryland are safe. So I look forward to advancing this legislation and continuing to work with my colleagues to get it signed into law. Thank you.
▶ 0:50:07Chair Capito: Thank you, senator alsobrooks, for all of your help and getting this as far as we are hold. Senator husted.
▶ 0:50:14Sen. Husted: Thank you, and that the members of the committee. Very much appreciate the inclusion of the great lakes restoration initiative in this legislation. I want to say thanks to my partner in this, senator gary peters from michigan. The great lakes restoration initiative is an example of success.
▶ 0:50:36Sen. Husted: Since its inception, we've seen the great lakes improve in terms of their water quality, address emerging threats. So many people, I know I'm the only member of the committee that represents the great lakes state, so many people rely on their water from the great lakes, and I know in ohio we've had initiatives like ht ohio, which are designed to improve the relationship between the lake and the agricultural
▶ 0:51:07Sen. Husted: Community by creating more buffer zones through wetlands and other things that have improved water quality, but the great lakes restoration initiative is an essential part of protecting the largest source of fresh water in the western hemisphere, and we are grateful, I'm grateful to the committee members for supporting this. It's very important to my state and to the entire country. Thank you.
▶ 0:51:32Chair Capito: Thank you very much. I know how important the great lakes are, so I appreciate your initiatives there. And senator padilla.
▶ 0:51:39Sen. Padilla: Thank you. First let me join the chorus in thanking you and senator white white house your staffs for all the work that it's taken to get this bill to a successful point and agreement. And I appreciate your words of commitment earlier on the water affordability concern that several of us in the committee have shared.
▶ 0:52:00Sen. Padilla: I just wanted to take an opportunity to highlight one other issue of importance, and it's continuing the critical flood protection work for the cities of temuculah, with loss of life, just last week, the army corps of engineers completed a general reevaluation study that provides certified cost estimate for the project.
▶ 0:52:26Sen. Padilla: So as we move forward, I ask that the committee use the corps' completed study increase the project's costs ceiling, which is so critical for the work to be able to continue. I also want to highlight the delays in approving loan applications under this. In my state, multiple applicants, including the city of heyward and valley water, have been literally waiting for a year or even longer for o.m.b. And e.p.a.
▶ 0:52:55Sen. Padilla: To approve the fully completed loan applications. These are important projects that should be reviewed in a timely manner. Time is money. But also the longer we wait, the more we risk further damage and devastation. Increasing transparency of administrative reviews is also help. As well. I appreciate today's bill provides a provision tracking the average amount of time it takes to process these loans, not just for the benefit of these projects, in my state, but for everybody.
▶ 0:53:25Sen. Padilla: Thank you, madam chair.
▶ 0:53:27Chair Capito: All right, well, I want to thank all the members for being here. Thanks for this successful thanks to senator whitehouse and all of you for being here. With that, this business meeting is adjourned.