WRDA 2020 Alive in Lame Duck Session

The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) 2020 remains in play as debate continues in Congress during the lame duck session. The latest is WRDA 2020 may be attached to an omnibus or continuing resolution (CR) spending bill.

An omnibus spending bill means many smaller ordinary bills are combined into a larger single bill that could be passed with only one vote, speeding up the legislation process. A continuing resolution spending bill is a type of appropriations legislation that sets aside money to specific federal government departments on an annual basis. 

The current continuing resolution is set to expire on December 11, so the clock is ticking for something to move. 

 

Acquiring funding to enable a new lock and dam construction project is a published 2020 priority for the Illinois Corn Growers Association.

“It has taken years of work from our membership, but we finally have consistent bipartisan support for WRDA from the majority of Illinois’ congressional delegation,” said Randy DeSutter, President of ICGA. 

ICGA spent nearly two decades talking to members and the public on the importance of Illinois’ Inland Waterways system, including the importance of the locks and dams. The members and public have in turn made countless calls to their respective elected officials on the issue. 

With rehab work completed on the Illinois River in late October which addressed the immediate reliability of the locks and dams, timing is right for passage of WRDA 2020 to expand the system overall and improve efficiency.