WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, today led a full committee hearing to consider stakeholder views for the development of the biennial Water Resources Development Act of 2024.

HIGHLIGHTS:

ON THE CORPS’ ROLE IN CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION:

“In the first half of 2023, the federal government responded to more than 30 extreme weather events … As we will discuss today, the Army Corps’ projects serve as our primary line of defense against these now all-too-frequent events and help protect vulnerable communities as well as our economy. The Corps' work to enhance and restore our nation's coastlines demonstrates how the agency's mission is critical in the fight against climate change. Increasingly powerful storms lead to the erosion of beaches, which make coastal communities more vulnerable to flooding. The Corps safeguards coastal towns from flooding by restoring, or nourishing, beaches.”

ON THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE CORPS’ WORK:

“The agency and its partners also maintain our nation’s inland waterways and the navigation systems for our ports, which play a critical role in keeping our nation’s economy moving. In fact, 99 percent of our overseas trade moves through channels that the Army Corps of Engineers maintains … Last Congress, through critical funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and WRDA authorizations, we made historic progress in advancing the Army Corps’ ability to support infrastructure that is vital to commerce and vital to job creation.”

Click here to watch Chairman Carper’s first round of questions.

Click here to watch Chairman Carper’s second round of questions.

Click here to watch Chairman Carper’s opening statement.