Mid-Atlantic River Basin Commissions Review Act

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to introduce H.R. 3428, the Mid-Atlantic River Basin Commissions Review Act.

This legislation will bring much-needed oversight and clarity to the activities and funding streams for the Delaware River Basin Commission, Susquehanna River Basin Commission, and the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin.

The river basin commissions in the Mid-Atlantic work across State lines to regulate the river systems within a watershed. Since their inceptions after World War II, the rivers they manage have grown in importance as our populations have grown and water usage has increased.

Millions of people rely on these rivers for water and wastewater needs, including my constituents in Pennsylvania's Eighth Congressional District.

These commissions also play a role in protecting rivers from pollution and ensuring the ecosystems remain vibrant and resilient.

As their roles have grown, Congress has not always had insight into the exact responsibility and tasks the river basin commissions are undertaking.

My legislation directs the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study and compile recommendations for the Mid-Atlantic river basin commissions to ensure they have proper ethics policies in place, conduct an inventory of their Federal responsibilities, and look to see if any of their responsibilities have become duplicative since their inceptions.

My legislation then directs these river basin commissions to report back annually on how they are complying with these recommendations. GAO is the gold standard for Federal reports and has conducted numerous reports and studies of government agencies. In fact, according to the GAO, 75 percent of their recommendations are implemented over a 4-year period.

I trust this proper oversight will help these river basin commissions find ways to improve their services to their citizens and the rivers they serve.

I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3428, a bill to direct the GAO to review the three Mid-Atlantic River Basin Commissions and report on the practices and Federal responsibilities of each commission.

The Mid-Atlantic River Basin Commissions serve an important role in the region by managing, protecting, and improving their respective river basins.

The commissions were created to consolidate a complex web of State, interstate, and Federal efforts into one.

For example, the history of the Potomac Basin Commission reminds us how the commission was formed in response to extreme pollution levels in our Nation's River that required a regional, cooperative response by all jurisdictions.

Similarly, the Delaware River Basin Compact, signed in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy and the then-Governors of Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York, created a commission with the force of law to oversee a unified approach to managing the river without regard to political boundaries.

As a result of these commissions, water quality on the Delaware, Potomac, and Susquehanna Rivers has, in many ways, vastly improved, but threats such as population increases, land use changes, and the growth of impervious surfaces, chemical contaminants, and nutrient and sediment enrichment still require focused, regional attention.

This GAO study will review these partnerships and how responsibilities are split between the commissions and the Federal agencies, as well as examine the transparency and communication practices of the commissions.

Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 3428 and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Pennsylvania for his leadership on this issue. I support H.R. 3428, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3428) to require the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a review of the Mid-Atlantic River Basin Commissions, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on H.R. 3428.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Bresnahan), for his hard work on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, the Mid-Atlantic River Basin Commissions, for the Susquehanna, Delaware, and Potomac Rivers, came into existence before the creation of the EPA and mandated Federal involvement in the commissions.

H.R. 3428 is a good government bill that directs the GAO to review the ethics, practices, funding, and Federal responsibilities of the commissions.

Congress has a duty to conduct oversight of these commissions, and I thank Mr. Bresnahan for ensuring that we fulfill that role.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Bresnahan).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3428, the Mid-Atlantic River Basin Commissions Review Act, is legislation that will ensure important rivers in our communities have proper oversight and utilize taxpayer resources to carry out their missions responsibly.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this bill and yield back the balance of my time.