Capito, Shelley Moore: Okay. Good morning, everybody. I'd like to call this hearing to order. And I appreciate everybody being here. And I would like to welcome our witnesses, Secretary Tal and General Graham. I appreciate both of you being here. And I also appreciate your the back and forth that we've had with your offices over the last several months. The purpose of today's hearing is to help the committee develop the next Water Resources Development Act. Yes, it's that time again. We call that WRDA. WRDA not only authorizes water resources studies and projects, but sets national policies for the U.S. Corps of Engineers Civil Works Program. Since 2014, this committee has kept to a biennial schedule of passing this bipartisan legislation. And I look forward to continuing that track record today. Earlier this year, or this Congress, I should say. Earlier this year, Ranking Member Whitehouse and I sent a letter to our Senate colleagues soliciting their requests for WRDA 2026. I'm pleased to say that we received a significant number of requests, more than last time, which demonstrates the strong interest and the necessity of this legislation. To help us kickstart the WRDA process, this hearing will allow the committee to learn more about the Trump administration's recently announced priorities for the Corps, examine the agency's implementation of prior WRDAs, and then discuss ongoing projects and programs of the Corps. Secretary Telle, I appreciate and applaud your willingness to closely examine what changes need to be made to allow the Corps to better deliver water resources solutions with our non-federal partners. I look forward to learning more about those changes today. The Corps does critical work across the nation through its navigation, flood risk management and ecosystem restoration missions. This work protects the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans and facilitates commerce throughout our country and internationally. Last week, actually, I visited the Winfield Locks and Dams to see the great work the Corps is doing on the Canal River there. So, it's nothing like getting an eyes on a project. As I've previously stated, it is important that any WRDA bill supports the timely and efficient delivery of water resources projects while continuing to meet national missions. Flexibility is key to ensuring that the Corps can identify and carry out solutions that are that are tailored to the needs of each community. We must also continue to preserve the role of our non-federal partners and sponsors in this process. To achieve this goal, WRDA 2026 will advance studies and projects without forcing a one-size-fits-all solution. In September, I stressed the importance of the timely implementation of WRDA 2024 and prior WERDAs consistent with congressional content. Secretary Telle, throughout your two decades as a senator staffer and your confirmation process, you heard how important the Corps' work and policies enacted in WRDA are to communities across the country. Now that you've had more time on the job, on the Corps' implementation efforts. I also want to acknowledge and thank the staff across the Corps enterprise for their ongoing efforts to provide the committee with technical assistance on WRDA requests that we received from our Senate colleagues. Technical assistance is a vital part of our legislative process, and we greatly appreciate timely responses from the Corps. The work of the Corps has and will continue to make a difference in communities, and that is certainly true in West Virginia. The Corps is actively working on a number of studies and projects that are critically important to my home state, excuse me. The fifth and final stage of the Bluefield Dam Safety Assurance Mega Project, and it is a huge project, in the city of Hinton continues to make significant progress. Once completed, that project will protect more than 150,000 people and $20 billion worth of infrastructure. I'm also pleased that work on the Lower Mud River Flood Risk Management Project in Milton, where Secretary Telle joined us there, could resume this summer. Unfortunately, there is still more work to be done. West Virginia continues to experience devastating flooding. I'm thankful to the Corps and the Huntington District in particular for the progress they're making on the Kanawha River Basin and Upper Guyandot Feasibility Studies. These studies are exploring potential solutions to manage the flood risk in those areas. I look forward to making sure that the next WRDA bill contains the necessary authorizations and authorities for the Corps to continue to carry out this important work, and I thank the witnesses for being here today. Our ranking member, as you notice, is not, here's his little sign, I'll put it up here. He's not here virtually today. He's in Rhode Island, where he has snowed in with 37 inches of snow. While we do not typically, which sounds like nothing in North Dakota.