Barbara Boxer: “We all share deep concerns about the current drought in southern Oregon and in northern California. My constituents have…”

“We all share deep concerns about the current drought in southern Oregon and in northern California. My constituents have also been hard hit by this very dry year. But I think we cannot legislate on an issue that is so far-reaching by bringing an amendment to the floor before we have even looked at the possible remedies. I joined my colleague from Oregon in seeking $20 million in economic relief for losses facing Klamath Basin farmers, and I certainly pledge to continue working with him to seek more funding and a long-term solution to this very vexing problem of getting enough water for everyone who needs it and everyone who deserves it. The whole history of my State is, in many ways, built around the water issue. It is something we deal with all the time because we have more ag than any other State. It is one of our biggest businesses in California. We also know our State thrives because of tourism, our environmental ethic is very strong, and because we have such a magnificent State we get the tourists. Of course, we have more people than any other State in the Union--now almost 34 million people.”