As part of his ongoing efforts to save taxpayer dollars by reducing government waste, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9) successfully led the effort to pass an amendment that would prohibit funding for the redundant $25 million Missouri River Authorized Purposes Study (MRAPS), which has already cost Americans $7.6 million. The amendment was attached to a continuing resolution that passed the House this morning.

The Luetkemeyer amendment halts the study through the end of Fiscal Year 2011 because it repeats work completed seven years ago by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a comprehensive, 17-year, $35 million study. Earlier this year, Luetkemeyer and 14 of his congressional colleagues sent a letter to House and Senate appropriators seeking to halt the new round of funding for MRAPS.

For river communities, few issues are as important as water supply, power and navigation. MRAPS puts in jeopardy the flow of the lower Missouri and the Mississippi Rivers, which could mean devastating consequences for navigation and transportation along both rivers, resulting in barriers for agriculture, waterways operators and every product that depends on the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers to get to market.  The current authorized uses of the Missouri River provide necessary resources and translate to continued economic stability not only for Missourians, but also for many Americans living throughout the Missouri and Lower Mississippi River Basins.

“We have a duty to Americas to spend their money wisely, which is why we should not be funding a redundant $25 million river study. I am extremely pleased that my colleagues in the House agreed with me to halt funding for this wasteful study,” Luetkemeyer said. “As we move forward, I will urge further support for this amendment and other measures that reduce wasteful government spending at a time when our deficit and debt continue to balloon out-of-control.” 

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