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The Administration is committed to enacting a responsible Water Resources
Development Act (WRDA) in this Congress that is consistent with preserving
a balanced budget, authorizes those projects and programs vital to the
Nation, and adopts other needed program reforms. The Administration,
however, has concerns about the total cost of S. 2131 and the efficacy of
authorizing a sizeable number of new projects and programs in view of the
existing backlog and continuing constrained budget resources. The
Administration looks forward to working with Congress in determining the
scope of the program and to resolving differences that move the Nation
closer to a mutually satisfactory program.
Cost of S. 2131
The Administration welcomes continued dialogue with Congress to align the
number of projects under construction with a reasonable expectation of
future resources. The existing backlog of Army Corps of Engineers
construction projects is already very large. It will require over $21
billion in FY 1999 and future Federal appropriations to complete the Corps
construction projects already underway. In addition, over half of the
almost 300 projects authorized in WRDA 1996 will not have received any
construction funding through FY 1999.
The Administration believes it is appropriate to authorize an amount of
construction spending equal to what can reasonably be funded within the
two-year WRDA reauthorization cycle. To do more would only add to the
existing backlog.
Additional Concerns
The Administration urges Congress to make additional WRDA reforms and
improvements to continue improving the direction and focus for the Corps
water resources projects and programs. These changes include:
- "Contingent" Project Authorizations: The Administration
appreciates the inclusion of an expedited authorization of a critical
flood control project to address the urgent needs of the communities
of Grand Forks, ND, and East Grand Forks, MN, that were devastated by
last year's floods. The Administration is concerned, however, about
the inclusion of a large number of additional "contingent" project
authorizations. Although the projects may be important and their
authorization may be sought in the future, they have not completed
the normal Corps study and review process. In fact, many of these
projects are unlikely to complete the study phase by the deadline set
in the bill. The Administration is concerned that, in the
implementation phase, such projects would suffer if denied the
benefit of a full and thorough study by the Corps. If continued,
this practice could weaken the Corps' study process, the Army's
project recommendation responsibilities, and the purpose of biennial
WRDA authorizations.
- "Challenge 21" Flood Hazard Mitigation and Riverine Ecosystem
Restoration: The Administration appreciates the inclusion of
authorization for the Challenge 21 program, which has strong support
from many communities. The Administration, however, strongly prefers
that the program be authorized for six years at the requested level
of funding. The two-year authorization contained in the bill is not
sufficient to both implement projects and evaluate their
effectiveness.
- Shore Protection: The Administration appreciates the changes
that have been included in the shore protection program. In order to
maximize the number of new projects that will benefit from shore
protection funding, however, the Administration would prefer the
cost-sharing proposed in the Administration's bill. S. 2131 could
delay implementation of this change for several years, thereby
postponing Federal cost savings that could support additional shore
protection projects sooner.
- Sardis Reservoir Prepayment: The Administration believes that
determination of the terms and conditions for prepayment of the
Sardis Reservoir is a governmental function that should be the
responsibility of the Secretary of the Army, in consultation with the
Secretary of the Treasury, and should not be assigned to an
independent accounting firm.
- Project Authorizations: The Administration supports
economically justified projects that conform to the Corps'
cost-sharing requirements. Consequently, the Administration suggests
deleting provisions with special exemptions to Corps cost-sharing
requirements and provisions authorizing projects that are not
economically justified or a traditional Corps mission, or are
premature.
Pay-As-You-Go-Scoring
S. 2131 would affect direct spending and receipts, therefore, it is subject
to the pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) requirement of the Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1990. The preliminary OMB PAYGO estimate of the bill
is displayed below. Final scoring of this legislation may deviate from
this estimate.
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