Yesterday, Senate Environment and Public Works Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-OK) stated that he expects a Senate Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) reauthorization bill to be ready for introduction early next week. WRDA bills, which authorize Army Corps of Engineers projects and polices, are supposed to come out every two years, but passage of the legislation has been irregular over the past decade.
The legislation could become a vehicle for aid for the Flint, Michigan water crisis. Efforts to attach a $220 million deal for the city to Senate energy legislation fell through in recent weeks. The House is also working on its WRDA text, which House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) said would be a "pamphlet" light on policy initiatives.