CONTACT:
MARC MORANO 202-224-5762
MATT DEMPSEY 202-224-9797
matthew_dempsey@epw.senate.gov
 
 
INHOFE STATEMENT ON KERRY’S
CLIMATE AMENDMENT TO WRDA

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ranking Member of the Environment & Public Works Committee, today commented on the failed Floor vote on Senator John Kerry’s (D-Mass.) climate amendment #1094 to Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) which would consider the impact of climate change in designing water resources projects. The amenmdent failed 51-42.

"Today’s vote was even more meaningless than Senator Bingaman’s Sense of the Senate vote in 2005 which was supported 53-44. Today’s amendment was nothing more than a free vote to make a political statement that ‘I care’ without having to vote on something substantive that will have any effect. It was a vote for an amendment that was clearly not going to pass and would not have granted the Army Corps of Engineers any additional authorities that is does not already possess," Senator Inhofe said.

Background on Army Corp’s existing authority:

John Woodley, Jr., the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) testified before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on May 11, 2007 that the Army Corp of Engineers "has the capacity and necessary authorities to comprehensively examine the uncertainties, threats and vulnerabilities on water infrastructure and to implement the necessary adjustments as part of a proactive adaptive management program."

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