Doing More with Less to End Corps Backlogs

[Draggingtree]

David_Vitter:

 

Dear Friend,

Backlogs and red tape have plagued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, especially since Hurricanes Katina and Rita, and I want to start implementing necessary reforms that will cut through the red tape and speed up critical flood control and navigation projects.

Last week we secured a significant victory in our fight to reform the Corps by getting bipartisan sponsorship of my bill that would begin to reform the Corps’ delivery of projects by delegating more project management responsibility to state and local governments. The Times Picayune wrote over the weekend that my bill was a “reasonable approach,” and a “sensible step.” (Click here to read their full editorial)

 

Click here to watch a clip of my remarks about reforming the Corps.

This isn’t an entirely new concept, either. We already do this for federal highway projects, letting states take the lead to allow projects to be completed more quickly and cheaply.

I’m also working to get the Government Accountability Office to conduct a full audit of the Corps’ funding and contracting practices from the past several years. The GAO agreed to my request and we’ll be meeting later this month. By opening up the Corps’ books and reforming the way they do projects, we can save a lot of taxpayer money and ensure that crucial flood protection projects are actually finished on time.

 

Sincerely,