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Virginia congress members request Office of Management and Budget's support for Norfolk harbor project

The goal is to allow the Norfolk Harbor Project to advance to its next stage of construction and receive Army Corps funding.
Credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
The US Capitol is seen in Washington, DC, December 17, 2018, as the Deadline for lawmakers to agree on a new spending deal to avert shutdown on Dec 22 approaches.

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:

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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).

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