Walden: Bush budget includes money for channel

February 04, 2008

U. S. CONGRESSMAN GREG WALDEN
OREGON 2ND DISTRICT
PRESS RELEASE: : February 4, 2008

President includes money to complete Columbia River channel deepening
in FY 2009 budget justifications
Walden: Time for Congress to uphold its end of the bargain

- WASHINGTON, D.C. -
The President’s proposed Fiscal Year 2009 budget justifications includes $36 million to provide the final leg of funding to complete the channel deepening on the Columbia River, which the President hailed as a “vital project” for the economy of the Pacific Northwest in a visit to the Port of Portland in August 2004. Congressman Greg Walden (R-Ore.), who in November organized a bipartisan group of Northwest lawmakers to urge that the administration include the funding, said it is time for Congress to make sure that money stays in the final budget that the President will sign into law.

“The completion of the channel deepening on the Columbia River will maximize the waterway’s economic potential for the entire Pacific Northwest,” Walden said. “That means more jobs, more trade, and smarter use of energy. The Columbia River handles more than $16 billion annually of traded goods and is the largest gateway in the world for wheat growers and the third largest for other grain commodities. The President deserves a lot of credit for wanting to see this project to the end. Completing the project in 2009 rather than 2010 will save significant costs and allow the people of the region to reap the channel’s economic benefits even sooner. This news is incredibly positive, but there is still much work that remains before this money is committed to the project. I’m ready to get to work with the rest of my colleagues to make sure the President’s vision is fulfilled by this Congress and is included in the bill signed into law.”

The administration included $15 million in the FY 2008 budget for the project. Congressman Walden and nine of his colleagues — including the rest of the Oregon House delegation — sent the letter to Office of Management and Budget Director Jim Nussle on November 16, 2007 asking for funding in the FY 2009 budget to complete the deepening. After sending the letter, Congressman Walden followed up with a personal call to Director Nussle.

When the President visited the Port of Portland in August 2004, he said: “By deepening the channel of this river from 40 to 43 feet, we will create new export opportunities at Columbia River ports, we’ll help our farmers and ranchers, we’ll help our manufacturers remain competitive, we’ll protect and restore jobs — really good paying jobs — and we’ll help conserve and restore the river ecosystem. This is a vital project.”

The letter sent on November 16, 2007 is attached.

Congressman Greg Walden represents Oregon’s Second Congressional District, which is comprised of 20 counties in eastern, southern, and Central Oregon. He is a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and a member of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.
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