The damage wrought by Hurricane Katrina has underscored how important it is to incorporate global warming and sea-level rise into the planning of water resources projects. During the consideration of H.R. 1495, the Water Resources Development Act reauthorization bill, Senators John Kerry (D-MA), Russ Feingold (D-WI), Susan Collins (R-ME), and others offered an amendment requiring the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to consider the long and short-term effects of global climate change and to use the best available modern climate science in planning water projects.

When Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) threatened to filibuster the bill, Senate leaders agreed the amendment would require 60 votes to pass. On May 15, 2007, the amendment failed by a 51-42 vote (Senate roll call vote 166). YES IS THE PRO-ENVIRONMENT VOTE. The Water Resources Development Act became law on November 11, 2007 without this change.