U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9) has successfully passed two amendments that were part of the Fiscal Year 2012 Energy and Water Appropriations Act passed today by the House that prohibit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) from spending taxpayer dollars on the Missouri River Ecosystem Restoration Plan (MRERP) and the redundant Missouri River Authorized Purposes Study (MRAPS).

Luetkemeyer’s first amendment prohibits funding for MRAPS, a redundant study of the authorized purposes of the Missouri River that follows on the heels of a comprehensive, 17-year, $35 million study of the Missouri River’s authorized purposes completed just seven years ago during the fiscal year that begins on October 1, 2011.  Earlier this year, the House endorsed a similar amendment offered by Luetkemeyer to prohibit funding for MRAPS in the Fiscal Year 2011 Continuing Resolution, which expires on September 30, 2011.

For river communities, few issues are as important as flood control, water supply, power and navigation. People in and around these communities rely on the river for their livelihoods. 

“We need to focus on protecting human life and property, and maintain the safety and soundness of our levees.  We must also support the important commercial advantages provided to us by the Missouri River and our inland waterways system,” Luetkemeyer said, also highlighting the fact that the Missouri River serves as an important tool in both domestic and international trade.

Luetkemeyer also secured passage of an amendment on the same bill that prohibits the Corps from spending $4 million for MRERP, another Corps study that has turned into an effort to put ecosystem restoration on the Missouri River before the protection of life and property.  Luetkemeyer used the opportunity to highlight the stark disparity between the President’s respective budget requests for operations and maintenance (O&M) of the Missouri River and fish and wildlife recovery.

On the Missouri River alone, the president’s budget request calls for almost $73 million for fish and wildlife recovery but less than $6.2 million for operations and maintenance.  “Too much emphasis has been placed on recreation, habitat restoration and compliance with the Endangered Species Act,” Luetkemeyer said.  “As our nation continues to come to grapple with addressing a national debt of over $14 trillion, Congress has a duty to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely. As we move forward, I will urge further support for these amendments and other measures that reduce wasteful government spending.”