Pou-Backed Flood Protections Pass House

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Nellie Pou (D-NJ-09), a member of the House’s Water Resources Subcommittee, spoke on the floor of the House in favor of the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). The legislation includes over a dozen priorities Pou championed to help protect North Jersey from flooding and advance critical local water infrastructure projects. The legislation passed the House overwhelmingly, 415-to-9.

The passed legislation includes provisions that will help move long-delayed flood mitigation projects forward, launch new studies, and strengthen protections for communities across North Jersey that have endured repeated flooding. 

The bill also incorporates Congresswoman Pou’s bipartisan CLEAN-UP Act, legislation she introduced earlier this year to remove barriers that have stalled environmental remediation projects.

“In our North Jersey communities, flooding is not some distant threat. In just the last few weeks, our communities have seen terrible flash floods turn streets into rivers, destroying homes, cars, and small businesses, and upending lives,” said Congresswoman Pou. “This bill takes action by moving long-delayed flood protection projects forward across Bergen and Passaic Counties. I am especially proud this package includes my bipartisan CLEAN-UP Act. We cannot keep waiting until after disaster strikes to act. We must be proactive and give our communities the tools to protect themselves before the next storm comes.”

Since taking office, Congresswoman Pou has made flood mitigation one of her key priorities in Congress. 

Earlier this year, she introduced the CLEAN-UP Act to remove barriers delaying Army Corps projects and authored the Water Crisis Prevention Act to improve the federal response to infrastructure failures. During the Surface Transportation Reauthorization mark-up, Pou also secured an amendment into the bill that would direct the Government Accountability Office to review Department of Transportation PROTECT grants and produce a report identifying best practices and strategies to prevent flooding, improve safety, and strengthen infrastructure resilience.

Additionally, the annual spending bill for FY2026 included $500,000 in federal funds supported by Pou to improve the Lower Saddle River channel. 

The House’s passage of the Water Resources Development Act builds on that record and represents another significant step toward delivering long-awaited relief for communities living with chronic flooding.

###