Press Releases

Washington, DC – U.S. Rep. Marc Molinaro (NY-19) today announced the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA) was voted out of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure with bipartisan support and will advance to the House Floor. Rep. Molinaro passed the WRDA and advocated for inclusion of strong conservation measures and flooding protections for Upstate New York. 

WRDA authorizes water development projects and studies carried out by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) to address flood and storm control, ecosystem restoration, waterway navigation, water infrastructure, and improve our nation's ports and harbors.

Rep. Molinaro said, "WRDA delivers big wins for Upstate New Yorkers. I'm proud to have fought for effective bipartisan measures in this bill that protect our ecosystems, improve climate resiliency, and prevent costly flooding. I'm happy to see such a crucial bill for our environment and drinking water advance to the House Floor with immense bipartisan support."

Rep. Molinaro advocated for the following priorities:

• Improve flood preparedness in Upstate NY by directing the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a review of Army Corps disaster preparedness and response plans.
• Support workers in skilled trades by directing the Army Corps to partner with apprenticeship programs when implementing corrosion prevention projects.
• Improves the response and prevention of coastal storm flooding in New York by expanding the NY-NJ Harbor and Tributaries Study. 
• Requires the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center to reduce microplastics in our environment.
• Directs federal funding toward flood and storm infrastructure to prevent costly flooding.
• Streamlines Army Corps infrastructure projects by giving more flexibility to local project sponsors.