Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today with Mr. Newhouse and my colleagues to discuss the catastrophic drought situation facing the Western United States. In my home State of Arkansas, we usually have plenty of water throughout all four seasons, but the West is different. As the lead Republican on the House Natural Resources Committee, I have heard personal accounts from folks across the West about the crippling effects of the Western drought both in the past and the present. This map shows the vast majority of the West is under severe drought. While we can certainly take short-term action to mitigate drought, we must ask ourselves two questions to solve this issue long-term. First, how did we get here; and, next, how can we avoid another situation like this one? Before we answer these questions, some important context is necessary. Decades ago, water engineers understood that the arid West would remain dry and its rivers went through boom and bust cycles of floods followed by intense drought. Under the initial direction of President Teddy Roosevelt, who signed the landmark Reclamation Act of 1902, dams were built to capture water in wet times for people to use during the dry times. Major metropolitan areas like Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, and Denver, would not exist today if it weren't for these projects. Consumers nationwide still enjoy the fruits, nuts, and vegetables produced by these waters.…”