Harkin: Cedar Rapids flood protection funds could be budget war casualty

Cedar Rapids' flood protection plans may be an indirect casualty of the Washington budget war whether or not the federal government shutdown is avoided.

It doesn't bode well for getting federal funding for the $375 million east- and west-side flood protection plan proposed by the city to build flood protection along the Cedar River through the downtown area, Sen. Tom Harkin said April 8.

“With the cuts House Republicans are insisting on, it's going to be pretty darn hard to get the money we need to help us with our flood recovery in CR,” Harkin said Friday afternoon, just hours ahead of a midnight shutdown.

Harkin was hopeful of averting a shutdown and a budget covering federal spending through the end of the federal fiscal year could be approved. Short of that, the Iowa Democrat was hoping for continuing resolution to fund the federal government through the end of next week.

However, Harkin said that regardless of how the budget fight is settled, getting money appropriated for projects like Cedar Rapids' plan to protect the city from future floods will be more difficult. House Republicans, especially the Tea Party wing of the caucus, will be emboldened and are insisting on spending cuts.

House Republicans sought $100 billion in cuts and the Democratic-controlled Senate has agreed to trim $73 billion, perhaps as much as $78 billion from the $3.8 trillion federal budget Obama proposed. House Republicans, he said, initially proposed $100 billion in cuts from the current year budget.

So regardless of the outcome of the budget negotiations, it will be much harder to secure money for flood control, Harkin said.

“But we're not going give up,” Harkin said. “I'm going to keep trying for it. It's just going to be harder.”

Cedar Rapids' plan - or at least the east-side portion of it - has won the approval of the Army Corps of Engineers after a two-year study, making it eligible for congressional funding.

The city is working with Harkin and other members of the Iowa congressional delegation to get the Cedar Rapids project placed in Congress's Water Resources Development Act.

City officials say it is essential the funding is approved in this cycle because the Water Resources Development Act is not an annual appropriation.

“If we miss this train, it may be a long time before another engine comes along,” Mayor Ron Corbett has said.

The Corps has proposed a $99 million flood-protection system that would require a 35 percent city match. It's a no-frills approach featuring tall concrete flood walls in the downtown and protects only most of the east side of the river.

Cedar Rapids' preference is a $375 million plan to protect both sides of the river and use more expensive, more attractive removable flood walls in the downtown and at Czech Village. Anything over and above the Corps' plan will require local and state funds.

Toward that end, the city is seeking help from the Iowa Legislature, proposing Cedar Rapids and Linn County be allowed to retain $200 million in future sales tax revenue to pay for the flood protection.