Friday, February 7, 2014

House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy challenges Feinstein, Boxer, to support House legislation to deal with California's crippling drought

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

 "This week, the House passed vital water legislation, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Emergency Water Delivery Act, by a 229-191 vote.  Since 2007, the state water project has lost 2.6 million acre-feet of water because of onerous Federal and state policies. Now how much water is 2.6 million acre-feet? It is enough for the annual water needs for every resident of Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago combined. Where’d that water go? Out to the ocean.  Why would we send it out to the ocean when we could store it for the drought that we knew would happen?  I tried to prevent this from happening when I voted for legislation in the last Congress that would allow us to store this water, but unfortunately, the Senate refused to act.  The bill that passed this week would restore the consensus 1994 Bay Delta Accord to help ensure that when it does rain and snow, our communities get the water they contract and pay for, rather than it being wasted out to sea, which current Federal and state regulations require.

 "It is imperative that the Senate act. And we now have word that Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell will invoke a procedure that will advance this vital legislation. It will place our legislation directly on the Senate’s legislative calendar. If a motion to proceed is approved by three-fifths of the Senate, the bill then moves to the Senate floor for a vote. It is time for Senators Feinstein and Boxer to act.

"They say a picture is worth a thousand words.  So take a look at the real impact this drought is having on our local economy and on all Americans:




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