President Trump has moved to fill a key infrastructure job, picking longtime Mississippi River Commission member R.D. James to be assistant Army secretary for civil works. While Industry officials praise James, environmentalists worry that, if confirmed, he may harm ecosystems by seeking to revive some sidetracked projects. James, whose selection was announced on Oct. 3, is a New Madrid, Mo., farmer-businessman with a civil engineering degree. If confirmed, he would oversee Army Corps of Engineers' river-lock, flood-control, environmental and other non-military projects. The program's 2017 funding was $6 billion. Industry officials cite James' 36-year commission tenure.
展开▼
