Congress authorizes Army Corps of Engineers water resources studies and projects before appropriating funds to them. The 109th Congress is considering authorizing Corps activities through a Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) -- H.R. 2864 and S. 728. The House passed H.R. 2864 in July 2005; S. 728 was placed on the Senate calendar in April 2005. Reportedly some Senators are pushing for a vote by the August recess. Hurricane Katrina increased support for hurricane protection and flood control, and Louisiana and other Gulf Coast projects, while increasing interest in streamlining federal spending. The pending WRDA bills have not been acted on since before Hurricane Katrina. The Administration has expressed concerns both about the level of authorizations in WRDA bills creating false expectations for federal appropriations, and about WRDA bills not addressing the backlog of authorized Corps projects. The Administration's position has been one factor shaping the debate on the pending bills; authorization of a few controversial projects (e.g., Everglades restoration projects) and possible changes to Corps policies and practices have also been factors. A Manager's amendment to S. 728 and other amendments are anticipated during consideration on the Senate floor. Amendments may address water resources policy issues and projects receiving ...