Rep. David Valadao and 11 other California Republicans, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, are bringing back a proposal to address water needs in the state.
Valadao has reintroduced the Working to Advance Tangible and Effective Reforms (WATER) for California Act, which the California Republican House delegation proposed last September. According to a release from Valadao’s office, the bill “promotes water conveyance through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, consistent with the Endangered Species Act, and advances key surface water infrastructure projects.”
Valadao, a member of the Ag Appropriations Subcommittee in the last Congress, said the bill would “bring more water to the farmers, businesses, and rural communities in (California’s Central) Valley and throughout California doing everything possible to survive these man-made water shortages.”
McCarthy said House Republicans “will deliver commonsense solutions” to the affected counties in the region.
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The 2022 legislation lacked a Senate companion bill. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., introduced legislation of her own with Arizona’s two senators to authorize $750 million for storage funding.
In addition to McCarthy and Valadao, the WATER bill is also cosponsored by California Republicans Doug LaMalfa, Kevin Kiley, Tom McClintock, John Duarte, Jay Obernolte, Mike Garcia, Young Kim, Ken Calvert, Michelle Steel, and Darrell Issa.
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