Despite the looming threat of a presidential veto, the U.S. Senate today passed the Water Resources Development Act conference report by a vote of 81-12. The Senate passage follows House approval in August by a vote of 381-40. The bill authorizes flood control, navigation, and ecosystem restoration projects.

The legislation authorizes nearly $7 billion for wetlands restoration and flood control projects to put Louisiana on the path to Category 5 storm protection, and authorizes dozens of other critical water projects nationwide.

The WRDA legislation provides authorization for seven 1,200 foot locks on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers that WRDA is crucial to farmers who depend on the inland waterway system to deliver their crops to the global marketplace and to businesses who rely on the system to move their raw materials and products.