Chuck Fleischmann: A Commitment to Chickamauga Lock

May 2015

Since his first day in office, Congressman Chuck Fleischmann has made the Chickamauga Lock his number one local priority. From learning the issue inside and out to educating his fellow elected officials toleading the fight to pass key legislation, Rep. Fleischmann has demonstrated his commitment to funding this vital infrastructure project.

Rep. Fleischmann inspects the dewatered Lock during a September 2012 visit.

Learning the Issue and Being Proactive

Rep. Fleischmann made it a priority to visit the Lock immediately after being elected to Congress.He worked to learn as much as possible and to resume construction of this stalled project. On the right, he is pictured attending a February 23, 2011 briefing at the Chickamauga Lock with representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers.

Rep. Fleischmann fought for a seat on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committeein order to have direct oversight of our waterways infrastructure. On June 16, 2011, he was awarded a seat on this coveted committee. Through his role on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, Rep. Fleischmann pressed the Army Corps of Engineers on funding for the Lock. Now, as a member of the Appropriations Committee, he directly oversees funding of the Corps of Engineers.

Rep. Fleischmann questions the Army Corps of Engineers about Chick Lock funding at a March 27, 2012Committee hearing.

Rep. Fleischmann worked with local groups to educate the community and build support for the reforms needed to restartconstruction on the Chickamauga Lock. At right, Rep. Fleischmann is pictured briefing the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce on August 14, 2013.

Working with Colleagues in the House and Senate

Rep. Fleischmann brought Rep. Bill Shuster, the current Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, to visit the Lock on March 23, 2012.

Chuck weighs in heavily in talks with me, in talks with other members about the Lock, Shuster said. Thats why hes going to be successful. Chattanooga Times Free Press, 6/17/2013.

Sen. Alexander has been a true leader on Chickamauga Lock, and Rep. Fleischmann has proudly worked hand in hand with the Senator to lead the fight to resume Lock construction.I especially congratulate Congressman Fleischmann for his work on [Chick Lock user fee] legislation. Without his support and that of Sen. Corker and Congressman Duncan, this would not have happened. Sen. Alexander Press Release, 12/3/14

Rep. John Duncan (R-TN) statement:Rep. Fleischmann has played a key role in passing legislation that will free up the funding needed to replace the aging Chickamauga Lock. I have enjoyed working with him on this issuehe has been a great champion for the people of the Third District.Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) statement: Rep. Fleischmann has been a true advocate in Congress for funding our nations locks and dams. Our work co-leading a bipartisan letter to leadership on barge fees was critical to getting key legislation passed to fund locks in Tennessee and Illinois.

Taking the Lead and Getting Results

Rep. Fleischmann has been a strong proponent of a three step process to fund the Chickamauga Lock and Dam: 1. Maintain or improve Chickamauga Lock position as number 4 on the list of Army Corps construction priorities; 2. Reform the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF), which is the funding mechanism for Chick Lock construction. Until 2014, virtually all of the money in the IWTF went to one project; 3. Once the funding formula is fixed, increase revenue to the IWTF by enacting a barge industry supported user fee increase. This adds roughly $40 million per year into the IWTF.

In January 2014, Rep. Fleischmann led a bipartisan letter to the Army Corps of Engineers requesting that the Corps prioritize funding for locks where a replacement is needed due to significant wear and tear. Chickamauga Locks current state makes it a top candidate for replacement due to this condition. Every member of the Tennessee Congressional delegation andthree Members from Alabama signed the letter.

Speaking about Rep. Fleischmanns letter, Cline Jones of the Tennessee River Valley Association said, This is a critical lock that needs to be replaced and hopefully this widespread support by so many in Congress will help ensure that work resumes soon. ChattanoogaTimes Free Press,1/30/14

Rep. Fleischmann specifically sought a position on the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee so that he could work to secure funding for Chickamauga Lock. From his position on the Subcommittee, Rep. Fleischmann helped write H.R. 4923, the Fiscal Year 2015Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, which increased funding for waterways construction by $112 million. This legislation passed the House on July 10, 2014.

Rep. Fleischmann was able to work very effectively to increase funding for capital investment in the waterways in Fiscal Year 2014, and to push hard to provide an additional $112 million toward priority navigation projects that include Chickamauga lock in Fiscal Year 2015. Statement by Mike Toohey, CEO of the Waterways Council in a letter to the Editor. Chattanooga Times Free Press, 12/12/14

Speaking on the House floor, Rep. Fleischmann encouraged his colleagues to support H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act, which fixes the funding formula for the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF). The IWTF funds construction for projects such as Chickamauga Lock, however, all the money in the IWTF had been going to Olmsted Lock on the Ohio River. The reform to the funding formula redirects money to additional projects and is a major step toward securing funding and restarting Chick Lock construction.

Rep. Fleischmann urges passage of H.R. 3080

Rep. Fleischmann speaks on the House floor, urging passage of H.R. 3080.

From day one, Chuck realized the importance of passing the Water Resources Reform and Development Act. He helped lead the fight to pass this bill, explaining the importance of these reforms to Members of Congress from across the political spectrum. His leadership was an integral part in building a coalition that understood the importance of our nations waterways infrastructure. Statement by Rep. Bill Shuster, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman

Rep. Fleischmann had the honor of presiding over the House floor as H.R. 3080 passed the House by a wide bipartisan margin of 412-4. The legislation passed the Senate on a 91-7 margin and was signed into law by President Obama on June 10, 2014. Rep. Fleischmann is pictured at right during the final vote count on the House floor on May 20, 2014.

After the passage of H.R. 3080, Rep. Fleischmann began urging Speaker Boehner and other key Congressional leaders to increase the Inland Waterways User Fee from 20 to 29 cents per gallon of diesel fuel. This industry supported user fee adds $40 million in funding to the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF). In November 2014, Rep. Fleischmann teamed up with Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) to craft a bipartisan letter urging an increase in the user fee as part of an end-of-the-year agreement. Rep. Fleischmanns letter was successful, and the House of Representatives passed H.R. 647, the ABLE Act, which included the fuel fee increase.

Rep. Fleischmann speaks in favor of the ABLE Act and increased Chick Lock funding

Today Congressman Chuck Fleischmans leadership has resulted in a vote in the House of Representatives that is a crucial step toward guaranteeing resources will be available to replace the Chickamauga Lock.Olin Chemical Press Release, 12/3/14

Fleischmann has been a true champion and been very supportive of efforts to move an increase [through the House], said Mike Toohey, CEO of the Waterways Council. Chattanooga Times Free Press, 12/12/14.

Securing sustainable funding for the Chickamauga Lock has been years in the making, and without the strong representation we have in Congress, this may never have happened. Sen. Alexander and Congressman Fleischmann saw a broken system. Rather than simply covering up the problem, they dug to the roots and have instituted real reform. There has been no greater champion than Fleischmann. Mike Arms, Executive Director Association of Tennessee Valley Governments. Chattanooga Times Free Press, 12/14/14

In March 2015, Congressman Fleischmann briefed leaders from around Chattanooga at the Chamber of Commerce on the status of the Chickamauga Lock. He also received an award for his work from Cline Jones, Executive Director of the Tennessee-Cumberland Waterways Council.

Cline Jones presents an award to Rep. Fleischmann for his progress in securing Chick Lock funding.

When the Presidents budget request provided no funding for Chickamauga Lock, Rep. Fleischmann decided that wasnt good enough. As Vice-Chairman of the House Energy and Water Appropriations Committee, Rep. Fleischmann worked to both increase inland waterways construction funding by $108 million, and insert language to ensure that Chickamauga Lock retained its place in the Army Corps of Engineers priority order. This leaves Chickamauga Lock well positioned to receive funding in Fiscal Year 2016. Getting a shovel in the ground

Rep. Fleischmann speaks about the Energy and Water Appropriations bill on the House floor. The bill recently passed by a large majority.

"You have moved this project forward 13 years with a tremendous savings and benefit to the taxpayers," Waterways Council President Mike Toohey told Fleischmann. Chattanooga Times Free Press, 6/9/15

On July 1, 2015, after consistent urging by Rep. Fleischmann, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that they would resume construction on the Chickamauga Lock by immediately allocating $3 million in excess Inland Waterways funding for Fiscal Year 2015 construction. Thanks to reforms that Rep. Fleischmann helped pass, these funds ensure that Chickamauga Lock construction will resume and is on path to be fully funded when Fiscal Year 2016 starts on September 30, 2015.

A tugboat pushes a barge through Chickamauga Lock. Nearly 2 million tons of cargo traverses the lock every year. The new Chickamauga Lock will have increased capacity, letting more goods travel for less cost and benefitting East Tennessees economy.