Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 23. Yet, again, it seems that instead of addressing the issues underlying California's water supply, some of my colleagues are more interested in fanning the flames of century-old water disputes. The city of Sacramento, which I represent, sits at the confluence of two major rivers, the Sacramento and the American. Because there is no such thing as an average water year in California, living under the threat of drought and flood has become a way of life for Sacramento residents. We are working with the Army Corps to invest billions of dollars in flood protection, and we are collaborating with the Bureau of Reclamation to build a groundwater bank and a water recycling facility to increase access to drinking water. Congress should explore real solutions to drought challenges, as the Sacramento region is doing. In the short term, we must be efficient about fixing leaks and waste while also continuing conservation efforts. In the long-term, we should be taking advantage of new technologies to monitor our water use and making investments in wastewater cycling in above- and below-ground water storage. Last Congress, I introduced a commonsense bill that removed barriers to wastewater cycling projects, making it possible for them to move forward more quickly and efficiently with Federal support. It ultimately became law.…”