,,iv  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,h4 ,,res4 #dhd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of
 ,,representatives  ,july #aa1 #bjai    
,ms4 ,craig 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,rodney  
,davis of ,illinois1 ,mr4 ,kelly of     
,pennsylvania1 ,mr4 ,bost1 ,ms4         
,finkenauer1 ,mr4 ,lipinski1 ,mr4       
,balderson1 and ,mr4 ,loebsack7         
submitted the following resolution2     
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,transportation and ,infrastructure     
,,resolution  ,commemorating the        
unofficial start of the inland waterway 
system navigation season and the role of
 the ,corps of ,engineers in            
facilitating access and increasing      
efficiencies in the ,american           
agricultural and trade economy4         
,whereas the navigation of the inland   
waterway system is part of the ,united  
,states marine transportation system1   
which provides for both passenger       
transport and domestic freight          
transportation infrastructure and       
coastal gateways for global trade2      

,whereas the ,st4 ,paul ,district of the
 ,corps of ,engineers considers the     
first tow to arrive at ,lock and ,dam #b
 as the unofficial start of the inland  
waterway system navigation season1      
because it means all locks are          
accessible to commercial and            
recreational vessels2 ,whereas1 on      
,april #bd1 #bjai1 the first tow to     
reach ,lock and ,dam #b was the ,motor  
,vessel ,aaron ,f4 ,barrett1 pushing #ab
 barges en route to ,st4 ,paul1         
,minnesota1 and it was locked through   
,lock and ,dam #b1 near ,hastings1      
,minnesota2 ,whereas1 up and down the   
river1 shippers and consumers from #ch  
,states depend on the inland waterways  
to move about #fjj million tons of cargo
 valued at over #cjj billion annually2  
,whereas ,american farmers are reliant  
on the inland waterway system as a      
low-cost transportation mechanism for   
their goods traded internationally2     
,whereas #eda1jjj jobs are directly tied
 to our inland waterway system2 ,whereas

 the work by the ,corps of ,engineers to
 maintain the inland waterway system is 
vital to the ,nation's economy2 ,whereas
 the ,corps of ,engineers is responsible
 for maintaining #aib commercially      
active lock sites with #bch lock        
chambers1 providing a minimum #i-;foot  
navigation channel on nearly #ab1jjj    
miles of inland and intracoastal        
waterways2 ,whereas1 in addition to lock
 maintenance1 the ,corps of ,engineers  
promotes environmental enhancement1     
river navigation1 flood damage          
reduction1 water and wetlands           
regulation1 recreation site             
preservation1 and disaster response2    
,whereas more than #gh percent of the   
locks and dams operated by the ,corps of
 ,engineers on the system are well      
beyond their #ej-year design life1 and  
nearly half of vessels experience       
delays2 ,whereas the ,mississippi ,river
 contributes the largest percentage into
 the ,inland ,waterways ,trust ,fund to 
contribute in the construction and      

rehabilitation of locks and dams1 yet   
has received limited investment return  
to its infrastructure2 and ,whereas     
proportional investment in the inland   
waterway system infrastructure would    
directly result in efficiency and       
productivity gains across sectors and   
significantly impact the competitiveness
 of ,american commodities in            
international markets3 ,now1 therefore1 
be it  ,that the ,house of              
,representatives-- 7#a7 recognizes the  
start of the inland waterway system     
navigation season2  7#b7 acknowledges   
the work of the ,corps of ,engineers in 
maintaining the inland waterway system  
as vital to the ,nation's economy2  7#c7
 recognizes that more than #gh percent  
of the locks and dams operated by the   
,corps of ,engineers on the system are  
well beyond their #ej-year design life2 
and  7#d7 expresses its sense that      
investment in the inland waterway system
 infrastructure is needed and would     
significantly impact the competitiveness

 of ,american commodities in            
international markets4