House members press for WERDA authorizations and targeted water investments for flooding and sewage projects
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Summary
Members urged the committee to include projects in the Water Resources Development Act and to protect investments in flood control and drinking‑water infrastructure, highlighting Metro East (IL) sewer projects, Cahokia Heights, Corpus Christi desalination and emergency responses in Connecticut.
Several representatives used the member‑day hearing to press for inclusion of water‑resource and water‑infrastructure projects in the 2026 Water Resources Development Act (WERDA).
Representative Budzinski asked the committee to build on the 2024 Thomas R. Carper WERDA authorization that raised Army Corps resources for Metro East from $100 million to $150 million and cited a $7.3 million appropriation secured for the Cahokia Heights East Interceptor Sewer. “When an interceptor of this scale fails… the entire system backs up into streets, yards, and homes,” Budzinski said, urging continued federal partnership to address chronic sewage backups.
Representative Gonzales urged prioritizing the Raymondville Drain in South Texas — an approximately 63‑mile drainage improvement — and asked Congress to support a desalination plant near Corpus Christi to avert a projected municipal water emergency by November 2026. Representative Sorensen described small towns that cannot afford manganese filter plants (one village faced an $18 million filter for fewer than 1,000 residents) and asked that environmental infrastructure requests be accepted for WERDA.
Representative Hayes described Winter 2025 water‑system failures in Connecticut that left more than 100,000 people without water; she urged preservation and expansion of Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds and WIFIA tools. Representative Molnar and others also asked for expedited Army Corps actions and waivers where studies or authorizations require updates.
Committee members emphasized authorizations and funding pipelines rather than immediate appropriations and requested that Army Corps prioritization and clearer stakeholder coordination be part of the WERDA drafting process.
The hearing included no formal decisions; members were encouraged to submit specific project requests through the committee’s portal.
