Issues
Water Resources Development Act (WRDA):
IFPTE has been a strong advocate for passage of the WRDA bill. If passed at a $6 billion level, WRDA would create and maintain at least 156,000 critical high quality American jobs, and go a long way toward modernizing and preserving our homeland critical infrastructures such as ports, inland, and coastal waterways.
As homeland issues are evolving daily, securing these critical Federal functions are essential to maintaining America's economic, defense and homeland security. Last July the House Transportation Committee passed HR 5892, the Water Resources Development Act of 2010. The legislation authorized $6 billion over two years to support about 300 water projects.
Unfortunately the full House failed to act on the bill, leaving it, and IFPTE backed language included in it reiterating that functions performed at federal lock and dams should continue to be performed by federal employees, to die at the conclusion of the 111th Congress.
For its part, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held hearings on WRDA, but failed to move any companion legislation. The WRDA bill, which is expected to be passed every two years, was last reauthorized in 2007 and IFPTE is urging the 112th Congress to pass a robust WRDA bill that creates jobs and respects worker rights.