House Passes Water Resources Development Act of 2026, 415–9
The House of Representatives on September 16, 2026, passed a broad water infrastructure bill that authorizes projects to maintain the nation's ports and harbors, reduce flood and storm damage, and support local water supplies. The vote was 415 to 9, with nine members not voting.
Known as WRDA, the Water Resources Development Act of 2026 authorizes and modifies water resource infrastructure projects and programs of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The bill would provide for improvements to the rivers and harbors of the United States and for the conservation and development of water and related resources. It includes studies and projects to maintain ports and harbors, make waterways more navigable, reduce flood and storm damage, restore aquatic ecosystems and protect fish and wildlife, protect shorelines, address harmful algal blooms, rehabilitate dams, manage recreational sites, and support water supply and storage. The bill also directs the Corps to establish an Office on Alternative Delivery Methods to speed up project delivery, and to issue a rule creating categorical permissions for certain harbor or river improvements that would cause only minimal adverse environmental effects.
The measure had bipartisan backing. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee ordered the bill favorably reported to the House on July 14, 2026, by a recorded vote of 66 to 0. During floor debate, committee leaders framed it as a bipartisan infrastructure measure. Committee Chairman Sam Graves of Missouri said the legislation authorizes the Corps to construct resilient water infrastructure projects across the country and makes what he called commonsense reforms to Corps policies. He said it was the seventh straight water resources bill Congress has taken up since returning to a two-year schedule in 2014. Representative Scholten of Michigan, who managed floor time for the measure, described it as a jobs bill and an environmental bill that would create jobs, address rising costs and safeguard water supplies. The House took up the bill under suspension of the rules, a fast-track procedure that requires a two-thirds majority to pass. The bill now heads toward negotiations with the Senate, which is considering its own version.
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