[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2073 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2073

 To prohibit the use of Federal funds to allow or study the breach or 
   alteration of the Lower Snake River dams, and for other purposes.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 11, 2025

Mr. Newhouse (for himself, Mr. Baumgartner, Mr. Fulcher, and Mr. Bentz) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
 Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation 
 and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

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                                 A BILL


 
 To prohibit the use of Federal funds to allow or study the breach or 
   alteration of the Lower Snake River dams, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Defending our Dams Act''.

SEC. 2. LOWER SNAKE RIVER DAMS.

    (a) Prohibition on Use of Federal Funds.--No Federal funds may be 
used to allow, lead to, or study the breach or functional alteration 
of, including study of power, flood control, or navigation replacement 
of, or provide dam removal technical assistance for, the Lower Snake 
River dams.
    (b) Prohibition on Spillage Operations.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of the Army, acting through 
        the Chief of Engineers, may not carry out any spillage 
        operations on any of the Lower Snake River dams unless such 
        operations are approved by the Secretary and the Administrator 
        of the Bonneville Power Administration.
            (2) Considerations.--In determining whether to approve 
        spillage operations under paragraph (1), the Secretary and the 
        Administrator shall consider all Columbia River System 
        operations.
    (c) Definition.--In this section, the term ``Lower Snake River 
dams'' means the following dams in the State of Washington, authorized 
by section 2 of the Act of March 2, 1945 (chapter 19, 59 Stat. 21):
            (1) Ice Harbor Dam.
            (2) Lower Monumental Dam.
            (3) Little Goose Dam.
            (4) Lower Granite Dam.
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