Carolyn Bourdeaux

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the minibus appropriations bill the House passed earlier today.

This legislation includes my bill to support the revitalization of vacant shopping malls like the Gwinnett Place Mall in my district. This provision would catalyze additional investment in these projects and enhance economic activity, access to housing, and mobility for local residents.

The minibus also includes six of my community project funding requests, including funding for the acquisition of African-American books and historical artifacts at the Hooper-Renwick Memorial Library, as well as projects to increase wraparound services for Latino families and youth through Ser Familia, provide transportation to low-income students through Corners Outreach, and enhance access to transit and clean drinking water for many communities in Georgia's Seventh District.

Altogether, the T-HUD bill and the minibus include important investments that will make our communities stronger.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of the Water Resources Development Act of 2022. I am grateful for Chairs DeFazio and Napolitano and Ranking Members Graves and Rouzer as well as the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee staff for working with my office and me to ensure that some key needs for Georgia were met.

My district specifically is home to Lake Lanier and the Buford Dam, which are critical resources in the Chattahoochee River Basin. The Chattahoochee River supplies 70 percent of metro Atlanta's drinking water, and it is hard to overstate how essential the lake and river are to the metro area. The river is also a key source of water for farmers and agriculture throughout the State. But according to the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, more than 1,000 miles of waterway within the watershed do not meet water quality standards.

This bill would authorize a watershed-based study for the Chattahoochee River Basin which will allow the Army Corps of Engineers to assess the water resource needs of the basin, including ecosystem protection and restoration, flood risk management, watershed protection, water supply, and drought preparedness.

This bill also includes my important legislation, Lake Lanier and Upper Chattahoochee River Safety Act, which would direct the Army Corps to carry out a review of potential threats to human life and safety from the use of the river. Unfortunately, there are parts of the river that are extremely dangerous, and during a release of water from Buford Dam, the Chattahoochee can rise as much as 11 feet in 1 minute. Based on the findings of this review, the bill would authorize the Corps to take measures necessary to make the river safer and minimize or eliminate some of these hazards.

Finally, I am proud to see Lake Lanier included as a focus area in the previously authorized harmful algal bloom demonstration program which will allow the Corps to work with local stakeholders to research tools for freshwater HABs detection, prevention, and management which is critical to protecting the drinking water of millions of people.

Mr. Speaker, the bill before us today delivers for my constituents and the people of Georgia. It delivers for the people of this country. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, my vote via voting card was not recorded for the House vote on H.R. 7500, Roll Call Number 201. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 201.