Senator Cramer Advocates for Army Corps of Engineers Efficiency and Streamlined Projects

Praising Efficiency and Streamlining Bureaucracy

• 🎯 Senator Cramer commends Assistant Secretary Adam Telle for his efficiency, particularly in establishing the Western Water Cooperation Committee, which had faced over two years of delays.
• 💡 He emphasizes that many projects do not require new reports, as the land and knowledge are already well-understood, advocating for a more streamlined approach.
• 💰 The administration's focus on "doing more with less" and using taxpayer money efficiently is seen as a "breath of fresh air."

Addressing Army Corps of Engineers Inefficiencies

• ⏳ Cramer criticizes the past tendency of the Army Corps of Engineers to stall projects by simply adding more staff, leading to redundancy and longer delays.
• ⚖️ He advocates for streamlining processes, eliminating unnecessary regulations, and reducing workloads rather than just increasing personnel.
• 🚫 The default approach at the Corps for decades has been "no," even when laws require action, contrasting with a more proactive, "get to yes" mindset.

The Noxious Weeds Report Example

• 🗓️ A specific example of inefficiency is a congressionally mandated report on noxious weeds in North Dakota, which is over three years late.
• 🚜 Cramer highlights that local farmers possess the practical knowledge to manage these weeds effectively, suggesting a reliance on local expertise.
• 🤝 He calls for leveraging local knowledge from farmers and tribes to steward land effectively, moving towards a default of "yes" and creative solutions within the law.

Staffing Levels and Modern Technology

• 📊 Assistant Secretary Telle agrees that larger bureaucracies don't guarantee better results and notes that Army Corps of Engineers staffing levels are similar to pre-pandemic levels.
• 💻 He believes that with modern technology and better cooperation with non-federal sponsors, the Corps can deliver more to taxpayers with existing staff.
• ✅ The focus is on delivering more for taxpayers with a staff that mirrors pre-pandemic levels, supported by technological advancements and collaboration.