FB Urges Senate Approval of Waterway Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C., August 3, 2007 – The American Farm Bureau is urging the Senate to approve the Water Resources Developments Act of 2007 (H.R. 1495) when it is brought to the floor for a vote.
The legislation authorizes key flood control, dam safety, storm damage reduction and environmental restoration projects across the country and will enhance the use of America’s waterways as shipping channels for agricultural products, according to AFBF.
“We strongly endorse these provisions, which are critical to U.S. agriculture,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “Modernizing locks and dams on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers in particular is long overdue,” he said.
About one-third of American agricultural production is exported, which means the continued movement of farm products to market depends on these improvements, according to AFBF.
“Outdated locks and dams make our transportation system less efficient. Our competitors in countries such as Argentina and Brazil are aggressively modernizing their own infrastructure. American agriculture needs this bill,” Stallman said.
The House passed its version of the bill in May.
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| Contacts: | Tracy Taylor Grondine (202) 406-3642 tracyg@fb.org |
Cyndie Sirekis (202) 406-3649 cyndies@fb.org |
