McCarthy: excessive environmental regulations exacerbates California's long drought

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, House Majority Whip, gives us his weekly view from Capitol Hill. In his own words:

 "Governor Brown’s emergency drought declaration is an important recognition of an issue that families and farmers in the Central Valley have been dealing with for years.  Our families, farmers, and small businesses know firsthand of the impacts of limited water supplies.  Federal and state officials must

follow up on Governor Brown’s declaration with solid action to help restore water to our communities, refill our reservoirs and recharge our water banks, and help ensure Central Valley farmers get the water they contract and pay for.

 "I have not only called on President Obama and Governor Brown to take action on this issue, but also the Secretaries of the Interior and Commerce.  There must be an operational plan developed that maximizes water supplies to communities in the San Joaquin Valley.  Restrictive environmental regulations reduce our supplies when water is available in wet years, but exacerbates the negative impacts during years of drought.  At a time when we are in dire need of water, we must provide flexibility and allow water to flow around the state.

 "This week, the House once again acted on its commitment to holding the President accountable on transparency.  Let’s not forget that in 2008, President Obama promised to lead the most transparent Administration in history.  After the passage of Obamacare, however, and a disastrous launch of the exchange website, the Administration has only sporadically provided the American people with incomplete enrollment data that only serves as a facade covering up the real disaster that is Obamacare.  I refuse to accept the President’s Twitter feed as the primary source for enrollment figures and urge the Administration to replace their smoke and mirrors with real transparency.

 "With a lack of reliable data met with new reports suggesting a sense of uncertainty in the demographics of who exactly is signing up for Obamacare, the House took action and passed H.R. 3362, the Exchange Information Disclosure Act.  This bill would immediately require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to submit to Congress and make available to state governors, states insurance commissioners, and the public, weekly reports that describe the consumer interactions with the Obamacare exchanges.  While we are all too familiar with the climate of inaction that plagues the Senate, I urge Senator Reid to take the commonsense steps necessary for providing the American people with the transparent and accountable government they deserve, and pass this legislation.

 "The time is now to act.