Mississippi Mayors Buoyed By D.C. Meetings

Colin Wellenkamp, executive director of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI), returned from a recent trip to Washington, D.C., “feeling very positive” after a flurry of meetings with members of Congress and White House officials.

“I feel we are in a good place with both the White House and Congress,” he told The Waterways Journal.

Some key allies in Congress with whom MRCTI has forged good relations over the years now hold important committee chairmanships, he said.

“We had a great meeting with [Rep.] Rick Crawford,” who has represented Arkansas’ First District since 2011 and currently chairs the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Wellenkamp said.

Wellenkamp and three Mississippi River mayors also met with White House officials to outline their goals for Mississippi River policy.

The Arkansas delegation in the House recently celebrated the rare achievement of all six members chairing important committees. Besides Crawford; Rep. Bruce Westerman chairs the House Natural Resources Committee, Rep. Steve Womack chairs the House Appropriations Committee Cardinal as well as the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development; Sen. Tom Cotton chairs the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence; Sen. John Boozman chairs the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee; and Rep. French Hill chairs the House Financial Services Committee. Boozman also chairs the Mississippi River Caucus.

One suggestion the MRCTI mayors made at the White House was to revive the Water Sub-Cabinet, an office in President Donald Trump’s first administration that coordinated water policy across federal agencies. Wellenkamp said there seems to be a good appreciation in the White House of the need for, and benefits of, an integrated approach to water management in the Mississippi basin.

“We think we can work well with the Trump administration on the upcoming Farm Bill,” he said.

MRCTI supports the Safeguarding the Mississippi River Together, or SMRT Act.

“We expect the SMRT Act to be introduced imminently,” Wellenkamp said.

“The Biden administration never seemed to grasp the importance of the Mississippi River basin,” he added. “All their water efforts were focused on the Colorado River basin and the west. That‘s important, of course, but the Mississippi River basin has much more economic and ecological impact. We have great hopes that the Mississippi River basin will no longer be the neglected step-child.”

Wellenkamp said MRCTI was hoping that someone from the Mississippi River basin might be named assistant secretary of the Army for civil works. That position has not yet been filled.

Tariff Concerns

MRCTI members did register their concerns about Trump’s tariff policies and their impacts on farm commodities and river commerce.

“Our position has always been that any tariffs should be targeted, limited and temporary,” Wellenkamp said. “China is the Mississippi River basin’s third-largest trading partner. Some of our farmers only trade with China. Tariffs are the only economic tool that increases price and decreases access at the same time. Our farmers are already operating on a very thin margin. I understand the reasons for taking a tougher line with China and making the trade relationship fairer, but the danger lies in incentivizing them to shift markets over the longer term.”

Recent United States Department of Agriculture reports say farmers are losing money on most major commodities.

Support For Shipbuilding

Along with other maritime interests, MCRTI is a strong supporter of Trump’s recently announced initiative to support domestic shipyards.

“To boost our defense industrial base, we are also going to resurrect the American shipbuilding industry, including commercial shipbuilding and military shipbuilding,” Trump said during his address to Congress. “And for that purpose, I am announcing tonight that we will create a new office of shipbuilding in the White House and offer special tax incentives to bring this industry home to America where it belongs.”

A draft proposal is currently circulating in Washington with details being worked out on the new office and the initiative to support shipbuilders.

Wellenkamp said that both Viking and American Cruise Lines are experiencing high demand, with a potential need for additional vessels.

“If the river cruise line industry is looking to add more cruise vessels, then they could benefit from increased support,” he said.

The Trump administration’s cuts to federal spending, though, could result in a reduced level of service of about 30 percent from all agencies.