Rep. Chris Collins is hoping for votes as soon as Friday or at least next week to move toward confirming three new American commissioners to the International Joint Commission.

He said the new leadership needs to start addressing high water levels quickly or Upstate and Western New York could face a repeat of the devastating flooding it saw two years ago.

"Absent leadership, status quo seems to rule the day and I'm afraid that could lead to some devastation," Collins, (R) NY-27, said.
 
Lake Ontario is at similar levels as two years ago when there was significant flooding along its southern shore.

"The homeowners, the businesses and others on that southern lake shore are worried they're going to see this again, the erosion and all the devastation and so it can't happen soon enough," Collins said.

The terms of all members of the IJC have expired. Two of the six, both American, have stayed on until new commissioners are appointed.

"We've been anxious to get our new commissioners in place. The Canadians are waiting until the three U.S. commissioners are approved before they even bring their three on," Collins said.

The congressman has sent a letter to U.S. Senate leadership asking it to expedite the confirmation of three of President Donald Trump's appointments. They include one from Michigan, one from North Dakota, and former New York State Assembly Member Jane Corwin who would come on as the new U.S. chair.

"These aren't controversial," Collins said. "Hence, we could do it with unanimous consent and at least then that would break loose the Canadians to make their nominations."

The nominations have already expired once. Collins said it has nothing to do with the nominees' credentials but rather a backlog of unconfirmed appointments including federal judges and ambassadors.

"To be honest, the priorities would not normally swing you to the IJC of three commissioners in a fairly esoteric treaty with Canada. It just wouldn't, but now it is forefront," he said. "I've put the letter out."

While the IJC has maintained the 2017 flooding was the result of extreme rain, Collins and others believe the controversial Plan 2014 — which called for higher and lower water level limits than previous plans — was at least partly to blame. He expects new commissioners would begin to move away from it.

"We need to get somebody in charge in place to deal with what could be a tough spring," he said.

On Thursday, a dozen state lawmakers also sent a letter to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell requesting he bring these nominations to a vote.

Meanwhile, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's office said he looks forward to the opportunity to vote on these nominees whenever the Republican majority puts them up, but the IJC should be taking action now to maximize water outflows at the Robert Moses Dam in Lewiston near Niagara Falls.