WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ted Cruz (R-TX), and U.S. Representative Randy Weber (TX-14) today released the following statements after introducing the Texas Coastal Spine Authorization Act which authorizes the construction of the coastal barrier protection system known as the Coastal Spine:  

“Protecting the Texas Gulf Coast isn’t just an important local priority – it’s a national imperative,” said Sen. Cornyn. “Our coastal communities are home to millions of Texans and pivotal industries that fuel our country and economy. This bill will ensure our coastline has the necessary infrastructure to help protect against future storms and I will continue fighting for this project.”

“In Texas, we know how destructive storms and natural disasters can be. A coastal barrier protection system will reduce the impact of hurricanes and tropical storms, and help keep Texas communities safer,” said Sen. Cruz. “It’s not only an important safety measure, but it will save money in the long term by softening the destructive power of storms along the Gulf Coast. This is a win-win, not just for Texans, but for taxpayers nationwide.”

“The coastal barrier is a matter of national security. The Texas Gulf Coast is home to millions of people, countless homes and jobs, and numerous refineries. The Texas Coastal Spine Authorization Act will strengthen the resiliency of the Gulf Coast,” said Rep. Weber. “It’s imperative that we complete this critical barrier protection as soon as possible, since it’s a question of when—not if—another big storm barrels up the upper Texas Gulf Coast.”

Background:

The Coastal Spine is a large-scale coastal storm risk management and ecosystem restoration project that will help protect Texas’s coast from storm damage.  Last year, Sen. Cornyn praised the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Chief’s Report signing of the Coastal Texas Study making the project eligible to be authorized by Congress in the upcoming Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA). In Congress, Sen. Cornyn secured full funding in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 to ensure the completion of this study. Sen. Cornyn introduced legislation to accelerate the study and worked to obtain a critical exemption from statutory costs and time limitations. Last fall, Sen. Cornyn penned an op-ed discussing current coastal Texas projects and the steps to authorize and fund them.