As the 117th Congress headed into its final days, infrastructure advocates scored another legislative victory with bipartisan congressional approval of a new Water Resources Development Act, or WRDA, authorizing $37.8 billion in federal funds for 30 new or modified U.S. Army Corps of Engineers storm protection, harbor dredging and other civil-works projects.
Final congressional approval came Dec. 15, when the Senate passed a combined WRDA-Defense Dept. authorization package on a strong 83-11 vote. The House had cleared the bill seven days earlier, by 350 to 80. President Joe Biden signed the new WRDA/Defense measure on Dec. 23.