WASHINGTON – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced today that it plans to move forward with disaster recovery efforts in Cedar Rapids, Iowa with funding allocated in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 for Fiscal Year 2018 Supplemental Short-term Damage Repairs & Long-term Disaster Recovery Investment Plan. The working estimate for the project is currently $117,480,000.
“Today’s announcement from the Army Corps of Engineers is an answered prayer for the people of Cedar Rapids who have rolled up their sleeves and pushed forward for the past decade to rebuild the city after the devastating floods of 2008, despite facing overwhelming and ongoing challenges," Grassley said. "For many years, I have worked with my Iowa colleagues to highlight the importance of this project to both the Obama and Trump administrations, and advocated for disaster recovery resources. This is a positive step forward toward flood prevention and a safer environment for Iowans in Cedar Rapids to live, work and raise their families.”
Grassley has been a vocal advocate for disaster relief funding on behalf of Cedar Rapids since the floods in 2008. Earlier this year, Grassley, along with Sen. Joni Ernst and Congressman Rod Blum pressed the Army Corps of Engineers for answers on funding for the project. This was the latest in an ongoing effort to hold the Army Corps of Engineers accountable for delays in flood control projects, such as Cedar Rapids, including joint letters in September and October of 2016.
Grassley also met with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mick Mulvaney and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, R.D. James to advocate for funding this flood reduction project.
A timeline of Grassley's efforts on this issue is available here.
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