House on tap to vote for water projects - but Fort Worth’s draws fire | McClatchy Washington Bureau

The House is hurriedly taking up a $5 billion water projects bill Tuesday -- which includes $526 million for a Fort Worth project - because Democrats are threatening to hold up a must-pass bill that funds the federal government after Friday.

The water projects bill, the Water Resources Development Act, had passed committee last May on a bipartisan basis. With many Democrats unhappy that the short-term government funding fill did not include money to resolve the Flint, Mich. drinking water crisis, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis, ordered the WRDA bill moved. It does not include Flint funding either, but the Senate-passed version does - meaning, say GOP leaders, that it will be taken care of in conference.

“The sooner we get the WRDA bill through in the House, the sooner we can begin conference,” House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Calif., told reporters Monday.

Meanwhile, Fort Worth’s Trinity River Vision project - a flood control/economic development program - also drew sniping Monday. Rep. Pete DeFazio, D-Ore., unhappy that the GOP removed a provision that freed up a harbor maintenance trust fund, asked for an amendment that would cut the Texas project’s Army Corps of Engineers funding because it includes recreational facilities.

Fort Worth Democrat Rep. Marc Veasey defended the project Monday evening before the House Rules Committee, which decides which amendments will go before the House for a vote. The panel is due to complete the list of amendments Tuesday afternoon with House consideration of the bill and amendments expected later this week.

“It’s a very critical piece of infrastructure that will provide needed flood protection and economic stimulus to that particular region of Fort Worth,” said Veasey. He said he agreed with DeFazio that the Army Corps monies should not go “to fund soccer fields, baseball fields, basketball courts or splash parks.”

“The federal government will not be footing the bill for any of those items,” said Veasey. The city of Fort Worth would be funding the parks and recreation in that area, he said.

The project has strong bipartisan support. Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, has been a proponent of the project since it was first announced over a decade ago.

The so-called Continuing Resolution will keep the government operating from Oct. 1 through December 9.