Collins to Chair Army Corps of Engineers Reform Caucus

U.S. Rep. Doug Collins will serve as Chair of the Congressional Army Corps of Engineers Reform Caucus for the 116th Congress.

The Caucus, formed by Rep. Collins in 2013, will serve as an informal group of Members dedicated to ensuring the Corps operates in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

Collins said the Caucus will focus its attention on ideas to overhaul the Corps of Engineers to better serve as a responsive and fiscally responsible agency.

“While the Corps has been vital in strengthening America’s water infrastructure, it’s recent record demonstrates significant room for improvement. On issues ranging from efficiency and management of reservoirs, lease agreements on Corps properties, and relationships with states and local stakeholders, Congress has a role to play in ensuring the Corps is operating as intended and making reforms where necessary,” he said.

In announcing the formation of the Caucus in 2013, Collins said Corps projects are too often mired in bureaucracy, which means higher costs for taxpayers and delays in important public works projects.

He said the Corps constantly undertakes new projects before completing ongoing construction, and as a result, the Corps has a construction backlog estimated at more than $60 billion.

Collins says Congress needs to transform the high-spending, low-transparency Corps into a responsive and fiscally responsible agency.

“The Army Corps of Engineers Reform Caucus will provide a forum for Members of Congress to review Corps operations and develop meaningful solutions to ensure the Corps serves as a responsible steward of our nation’s resources,” Collins said.

The Savannah office of the Corps of Engineers is currently working on a number of projects, including the dredging of Savannah Harabor and also repairing the spillway gates at Lake Thurmond Dam.