House Committee Directs Action on California Water

Washington, DC – House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) released the following statement on the House Appropriations Committee approval of the Fiscal Year 2016 Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. This legislation includes an amendment offered by Representative David Valadao (CA-21) that puts a hard deadline on multiple feasibility studies for California water storage projects, which have been languishing in the Bureau of Reclamation’s regulatory process for years:

“The water crisis in California demands action. The failure to capture and store water during times of rain and snow has left our communities in a state of crisis. For years, House Republicans have advanced legislation that would update California’s water system—once one of the most sophisticated in the world—and unleash California’s spirit of innovation and ingenuity to overcome times of drought. Along with legislative roadblocks from Senate Democrats, bloated bureaucracy in Washington has stymied progress to building additional water storage projects in California. If built, these five storage projects could increase water storage capacity in our state between 1 million to 1.5 million acre-feet, almost the same amount of water being saved by Governor Brown’s mandatory rationing order. David’s amendment holds the government accountable and demands answers to projects that have been in limbo for years. This bill will now head to the House floor for consideration next week.

“Californians cannot wait as Washington drags its feet on these projects. I applaud David for his proactive and positive leadership on solutions to our water crisis.”