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Official title: To provide for improvements to the rivers and harbors of the United States, to provide for the conservation and development of water and related resources, and for other purposes.
This bill authorizes and modifies certain water resource infrastructure projects and programs of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and makes related requirements. For example, the bill authorizes and modifies various water resources feasibility studies and projects of the Corps of Engineers, such as studies or projects to
maintain ports and harbors,
make certain waterways more navigable,
reduce flood and storm damage,
restore aquatic ecosystems and protect fish and wildlife,
protect shorelines,
address harmful algal blooms,
rehabilitate dams,
manage recreational sites and facilities,
support water supply and storage projects, and
support other water resources infrastructure.
The bill also directs the Corps of Engineers to establish an Office on Alternative Delivery Methods in order to accelerate project delivery of infrastructure.
In addition, the bill directs the Corps of Engineers to issue a rule that establishes categorical permissions for certain harbor or river improvements that will cause only minimal adverse environmental effects.
House floor actionsMr. Graves moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Library of CongressPassed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 415 - 9 (Roll no. 313).
Floor Vote
Passed the House
House floor actionsReported (Amended) by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H. Rept. 119-795.
House committee actionsSubcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Discharged
House committee actionsReferred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
Library of CongressIntroduced in House
House floor actionsReferred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Introduced
Committee
Comments
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What Congress Said
Members who spoke about this bill on the floor, in their own words from the Congressional Record.
Republicans8 spoke
Today, I rise in strong support of H.R. 9497, the Water Resources Development Act of 2026, or WRDA 2026.
With this bill, we aim to strengthen the Corps' ability to achieve its mission, including safe navigation of America's inland and coastal waterways and improving flood control systems.
Reliable water supply is essential to our Nation's economy, our manufacturers, our communities, and our future. In Georgia, we understand that firsthand.
This legislation hits close to home, as I represent the Port of Houston, the Houston Ship Channel, and Cedar Port, some of our Nation's most critical and busiest maritime assets.
This is an example of great bipartisan leadership. It is delivering on the issue of water. Water is the lifeblood of our communities, it feeds our farms, and it provides drinking water. It is critical. We in this House, Congress, and this Republican majority are delivering for California.
Congress has enacted a bipartisan WRDA every 2 years since 2014. At a time when this institution too often struggles to find agreement, that record is worth noting. This is basic governing, identifying real infrastructure needs and working across party lines to address them.
I rise today to strongly support H.R. 9497, the Water Resources Development Act of 2026, a bipartisan bill adopted by Chair Graves, Ranking Member Larsen, the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Chair Collins, Subcommittee Ranking Member Wilson and members of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
I rise today to speak in support of the Water Resources Development Act, which you and I had the opportunity to work on directly together as members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
In the WRDA 2024, in fulfillment of the wishes of our community for equal treatment for all four creeks, the legislation included direction to the Corps to carry out Alternative 7 of the Westside Creeks Project in accordance with the final General Reevaluation Report for the project, dated January 2014, which detailed the traditional cost sharing for the…
As the seventh consecutive WRDA that the committee has produced since 2014, this bill builds on the ongoing bipartisan efforts to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of ports, harbors, and inland waterways; the resiliency of communities; and the protection of natural resources.
This past summer, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, two reservoirs in the Southwest, reached historic lows. Projections show that they will continue to decline in the years to come.
I also rise today in support of the Water Resources Development Act, and I personally thank Ranking Member Larsen, Chairman Graves, and the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee for their important work on this legislation.
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