WRRDA Bill to Improve Mississippi Ports and Waterways (USA)

Yesterday, U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Thad Cochran, R-Miss., made the following statements after the President Obama’s signing of the Water Resources and Reform Development Act (WRRDA) into law.

“Many Mississippi industries rely on a navigable and cost-effective transportation network to do business,” Wicker said. “This law will provide these businesses and our state with long-term certainty for job growth and economic competitiveness. Modernizing and improving our ports in Gulfport and Pascagoula, as well as upgrading many of our commercial waterways, ensures Mississippians will continue to have access to affordable products that they use every day, such as corn, grain, and petroleum.”

“This new law will allow work to improve our ports and strengthen flood protections,” Cochran said. “Our goal has been to ensure that Mississippi’s needs are met, whether on the coast or along our river systems.  I believe we’ve achieved that goal in a responsible way.  In the years to come, I look forward to working to provide funding for the important programs and projects authorized in this law.”

The law includes provisions championed by Wicker and Cochran during Senate consideration and passage of the legislation in May 2013, including hurricane and storm damage risk reduction, as well as harbor maintenance reforms.

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Press Release, June 11, 2014