Iowa lawmakers remain confident on Cedar Rapids flood project assistance

Iowa lawmakers who continue to push for millions in federal dollars for Cedar Rapids flood protection say they remain confident, but much work remains.

In a Monday media call, Republican Sens. Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley and U.S. Rep. Rod Blum, R-1st District, discussed their meeting earlier that day with Mick Mulvaney, White House director of the Office of Management and Budget.

All three lawmakers said they were encouraged by the meeting with Mulvaney, a former South Carolina Representative. But they also said securing the $73 million being sought for the roughly $630 million city project is far from a done deal.

'We have a person who understands the problems we presented to him, specifically in Cedar Rapids. He's well aware of similar situations in his former congressional district,” Grassley said. 'Quite frankly, we didn't get any promises. I'm not sure we expected any promises.”

State and Cedar Rapids officials have been working since 2008 to acquire federal funds for flood mitigation efforts, after the flood that year caused some $5 billion in losses. Last year's flood - in which the Cedar River crested at 21.9 feet, the second highest on record - cost about $35 million.

The Iowa lawmakers are working to secure funds through the nearly 3-year-old Water Resources Reform and Development Act, which was passed in 2014, but never funded. Meanwhile, legislation signed by President Barack Obama in December urged the Army Corps of Engineers to help fund the Cedar Rapids effort.

In addition, Blum said President Donald Trump's plans for a $1 trillion infrastructure plan and the Iowa Governor's Office's inclusion of the Cedar Rapids flood mitigation project on the state's top infrastructure priorities list this past January all present positive momentum in securing federal dollars.

However, financial requests nationwide greatly exceed available funds and Ernst said property values are a significant factor in project prioritization, which does not work in Iowa's favor when compared to coastal communities.

Ernst said the first step is adjusting that process.

'We'll never come to the top of the list if that remains the policy,” she said. 'This is going to be quite a process, but I will tell you we do have the ball moving and we hope we have the ball moving in our direction.”

Blum said the hope is to see funds in the Fiscal Year 2018 budget, which takes effect Oct. 1.

'We're working every angle possible and sometimes the squeaky wheels in Washington get the grease and we're going to remain squeaking,” Blum said.

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