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After a long summer recess, Congress came back into session this week, and one of the first pieces of legislative activities has centered on the reauthorization of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA)—a key program for the recreational boating industry that authorizes and funds the Army Corp to make improvements and upkeeps for our nation’s waterways and harbors.  Senate leaders have brought the package to the floor for debate, which was viewed as the biggest hurdle to clear; the bipartisan bill has strong support in the Senate and leaders are confident the bill has enough votes behind it to pass this month.

NMMA has been pushing for Congress to reauthorize WRDA before it expires at the end of the year—the bill was a major goal at the American Boating Congress and in subsequent advocacy and grassroots outreach. Additionally, next week, in conjunction with the Congressional Boating Caucus and a coalition of industry stakeholder groups, NMMA will be hosting two Congressional Briefing for Members of Congress and staff to learn more about WRDA’s impacts on our industry.