George Miller: “I rise in support of H.R. 2203, making appropriations for energy and water development for fiscal year 1998. This bill…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 2203, making appropriations for energy and water development for fiscal year 1998. This bill provides funds for critical flood control and navigation projects in Contra Costa County and the San Francisco Bay Area of California. I appreciate the committee's continued support for these projects. I am particularly pleased that the committee's bill will assist in funding the initial share of Federal participation in the Bay-Delta Environmental Enhancement and Water Security Act. Funding the Bay-Delta programs will allow us to begin a comprehensive effort to restore the many components of this huge area that have been damaged by human activity. The California Bay-Delta Environmental Enhancement and Water Security Act went into effect when California votes approved proposition 204, which sets aside nearly a billion dollars for Bay-Delta water programs and guarantees that the State of California will pay a fair share of its costs. The Bay-Delta initiative is one of the boldest ecosystem restoration programs ever conceived. Funding for Bay-Delta programs in fiscal year 1998 has the full bipartisan support of the entire California congressional delegation, and I believe this initial appropriation deserves the full support of the Congress.”