Speaking to reporters on February 6, Senate EPW Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said lawmakers negotiating a final Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) had reached a key agreement in the bill’s project authorization language. This issue had been a major roadblock in negotiations, she said, and expressed confidence that work on the bill is now “back on track.”
House and Senate negotiators have been trying to develop a final WRDA bill for months, but it is unknown whether this agreement will mark a major breakthrough. Boxer has declined to predict when a final agreement might be reached.
Congressional staffers familiar with the bill have told AMWA that negotiators still have not had substantive discussions over many parts of the massive bill – including a proposed Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) that would offer low-interest loans for major water and wastewater infrastructure projects.