ADVANCING WATER RESEARCH AND COLLABORATION ACT OF 2025

On 2026-09-14, Representative Bruce Westerman (R-AR-4) delivered a floor speech titled "ADVANCING WATER RESEARCH AND COLLABORATION ACT OF 2025" in the House.

ADVANCING WATER RESEARCH AND COLLABORATION ACT OF 2025

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 144 (Monday, September 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 144 (Monday, September 14, 2026)] [House] [Pages H5575-H5576] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] ADVANCING WATER RESEARCH AND COLLABORATION ACT OF 2025 Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7889) to amend the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 to reauthorize the water resources research and technology institutes program, and for other purposes, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 7889 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Advancing Water Research and Collaboration Act of 2025'' or the ``AWRC Act of 2025''. SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL DECLARATION OF PURPOSE. Section 103(4) of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 (42 U.S.C. 10302(4)) is amended by inserting ``, including the growing artificial intelligence industry,'' after ``private industry''. SEC. 3. WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTES. Section 104 of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 (42 U.S.C. 10303) is amended-- (1) in subsection (f)-- (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``subsection 104(g) of this Act'' and inserting ``subsection (g)''; and (B) by striking the subsection designation and all that follows through ``Any sums'' in paragraph (2) and inserting the following: ``(f) General Authorization of Appropriations.-- ``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), there is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $16,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029. ``(2) Failure to obligate.--Any amounts''; and (2) in subsection (g)-- (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``(2) Research funds'' and inserting the following: ``(4) Competitive grants.--Research funds''; (B) in paragraph (1)-- (i) in the third sentence, by striking ``Funds made'' and inserting the following: ``(3) Availability of funds.--Funds made''; and (ii) by striking ``by institutes which focuses'' in the first sentence and all that follows through ``Such funds when appropriated'' in the second sentence and inserting the following: ``by institutes with respect to any of the following: ``(A) Research that focuses on water problems and issues of a regional or interstate nature beyond those of concern only to a single State. ``(B) Research that relates to specific program priorities identified jointly by the Secretary and the institutes. ``(C) Research that relates to water problems identified by Congress as being of an interstate nature. ``(2) Federal cost-share.--Funds made available under this subsection''; and (C) by striking the subsection designation and all that follows through ``only'' in the first sentence of paragraph (1) and inserting the following: ``(g) Additional Funds for Research Focused on Water Problems of Interstate Nature.-- ``(1) In general.--Of the amounts authorized under subsection (f)(1) for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029, not more than 20 percent is authorized to be used''. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from Maryland (Ms. Elfreth) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas. General Leave Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 7889, the bill now under consideration. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Arkansas? There was no objection. Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7889, the Advancing Water Research and Collaboration Act of 2025, sponsored by Representative Wittman from Virginia. Water is one of our Nation's most important resources, and the challenges facing our water systems are becoming more complex. This legislation takes a practical approach to strengthening the science and partnerships we need to manage those challenges. The bill reauthorizes the Water Resources Research Act Program, which [[Page H5576]] supports water research and education through a network of university- based institutions. It extends the program through fiscal year 2029 and increases funding from $15 million to $16 million annually, consistent with currently enacted levels. By investing in research at the universities across the country and encouraging collaboration on State and regional water issues, the bill helps ensure that policymakers, communities, and water managers have the science and tools needed to find solutions before water challenges become crises. Mr. Speaker, I support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. {time} 1700 Ms. ELFRETH. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7889, the Advancing Water Research and Collaboration Act, which would reauthorize the Water Resources Research Act and continue support for national water research institutes. Across the country, our water supplies are facing growing challenges, from increased demand and pollution to drought and other natural disasters. As these pressures strain our water resources, we need to make sustained investments in research, conservation, education, and new technologies to overcome these challenges and strengthen our long- term water security. Water research institutes play a critical role in developing and advancing solutions to our Nation's water challenges by supporting water research and education while also building the workforce needed to address pressing challenges. This work grows in importance as drought, wildfire, and other natural disasters become all the more frequent, straining water resources for communities across the Nation. Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, as we consider water in our country, I want to point out a couple of trips that I have made recently. One was to the little town of Beaver, Utah, where they had a 100,000-acre forest fire, and a few weeks later, they had an inch to an inch and a half of rain, which normally would be very welcome there, but because this forest fire basically clear-cut this whole canyon that provides the water for the town of Beaver. Instead of replenishing their water supply, what it did was wash vast amounts of soil and debris into the watershed. It took out three hydropower plants. It washed mud and debris across bridges and took them out. It also washed all this debris into the town and had their water system offline for an extended period of time. We often don't associate forest health and water as much as we should. This is a crisis that is facing us across the country. That is why it is important to have legislation like Representative Wittman has proposed here. I was in southwest Colorado at the end of last week, and we flew over another 100,000-acre fire. We saw, again, how when the land is denuded, to use a word from Teddy Roosevelt, and soil is no longer held in place and we get rain, it causes catastrophes. It doesn't have to be this way. We can have safe, healthy drinking water all across this country. Actually, about two-thirds of our water comes from forested landscapes. We have seen how important this is, even in places like New York City, where they have a tremendous water system that people, putting a lot of forethought into this many, many decades ago, protected the watershed and protected the water going into New York. We see it in Boston. We typically think of these forest issues out West, but the Quabbin Reservoir in Boston is another forested area that is protected and managed strictly for water. It is because of research and efforts that have happened for many years that give us the science to understand how to manage the landscape to produce the water that we all need. When we talk about an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure, we know that managing our forests gives us that ounce of prevention. It saves a lot of money in the long run and saves a lot of headaches and hard work to restore these systems in the long run, and it is important that we continue to do the research and fund these programs so that we can provide safe, clean water to all Americans. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. ELFRETH. Mr. Speaker, I concur with everything the chairman just said, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wittman), the lead sponsor of this bill. Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support today of H.R. 7889, the Advancing Water Research and Collaboration Act. This legislation would reauthorize the Water Resources Research Act, better known as the WRRA, and it will strengthen Federal investment in the water research that our communities depend upon. It supports a nationwide network of research institutes that address State and regional water challenges. This is locally driven, nationally significant research. It helps safeguard drinking water supplies, reduces nutrient pollution, and addresses emerging contaminants that we may find in critical water resources. With growing water demands from advanced manufacturing, data centers, and artificial intelligence infrastructure, the need for sound water science has never been greater. In Virginia, the WRRA supports research that helps to address water challenges that matter most to our communities, including efforts to improve the health and resilience of our great natural resource, the Chesapeake Bay. Reauthorizing this program will help ensure that every State has the science-backed information it needs to address its own unique water challenges. By investing in scientific research tod

Referenced legislation: HR7889, HR7889