Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the bill Congressman Tipton and I have worked closely on, H.R. 2842, the Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act of 2011. Arizona has been hit hard by the recent recession. The rural counties that I represent are faced with unemployment rates that far exceed the national average. This bill could provide a little of the much-needed relief for these communities. The Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act of 2011 is commonsense legislation that will create jobs in rural Arizona, increase our country's renewable energy portfolio, and generate revenues for the Federal Treasury by cutting duplicative, bureaucratic redtape. Specifically, it would allow Arizonans that operate existing irrigation canals and ditch systems, man-made canals and pipes as you can see from here, to install hydropower generators. To be clear, we are not talking about free-flowing rivers or streams. These are man- made structures that have already gone through environmental review. These canals, as you can see, do not contain endangered fish or wildlife. I worked very closely with the Irrigation & Electrical Districts Association of Arizona, the special districts, municipalities, Indian utility authorities and project managers that are engaged in the management and delivery of water and power in my State as Congressman Tipton and I crafted this legislation.…”