WASHINGTON — Senators and representatives from Virginia have come together to send a letter to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requesting a New Start designation for the Norfolk Harbor widening and deepening project in the Army Corps Work Plan.
A New Start designation would allow the Norfolk Harbor Project to advance to its next stage of construction and receive Army Corps funding. Currently, the project is progressing using a combination of state and local funds.
U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) along with U.S. Reps. Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Rob Wittman (R-VA) led the entire Virginia congressional delegation to write the letter.
The Port of Virginia has is an important asset to Virginia commercially and economically. It generates over $78 million annually.
In the letter to the Office of Management and Budget, the members of Congress reiterated that the funding is critical to ensure timely completion of a two-way traffic channel to better accommodate commercial ships and vessels deploying from Naval Station Norfolk.
View the full letter below:
In addition to Sens. Warner and Kaine and Reps. Scott and Wittman, the letter was signed by Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Don Beyer (D-VA), A. Donald McEachin (D-VA), Ben Cline (R-VA), Elaine Luria (D-VA), Denver Riggleman (R-VA), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), and Jennifer Wexton (D-VA).