Capito Supports Water Bill Expected to Pass U.S. Senate

The U.S. Senate will vote this week on a $9 billion water bill that West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito defended on the chamber floor Tuesday.

The Water Resources Development Bill is expected to pass with almost no opposition from the Republican controlled chamber.

Like many pieces of Congressional legislation, the bill includes funding for a variety of projects.

It creates a new Federal Emergency Management Agency program that will focus on renovating thousands of dams across the country and funds 29 Army Corps of Engineers projects, some of which will increase flood protection.

The bill also includes funding to update water infrastructure systems, which Senator Shelley Moore Capito said is important for West Virginians.

“WRDA provides assistance to small, disadvantage and underserved communities. It will replace lead service lines in these communities and address sewer overflows,” Capito said during a floor speech Tuesday morning. 

WRDA also provides federal funding to Flint, Michigan, for children’s public health initiatives after high levels of lead were found in the city’s drinking water.

Editor’s Note: This story originally reported that WRDA would be up for a vote Tuesday in the U.S. Senate. It has been updated to reflect that the bill will likely be voted on this week in the chamber.