On the recordMarch 13, 2014
I am certainly grateful for the opportunity to have this dialogue, and I think it is very important for the American people to listen in and understand that one bill that was meant to cover a specific issue has been turned into a gigantic--I would say--mess. We understand the reasoning behind it, to some extent, and we trust that our colleagues understand and are prepared to vote on something that may have unintended consequences in their own backyards. This bill is flawed. It is flawed on process, on policy, and in claiming that it does protect State water rights. The Governors Association has indicated that they wanted to ensure that the states' water rights remain protected. We welcome legislation that devises a real solution to a targeted problem, which the amendment that Mr. Polis has on the floor will address. We are supportive of that amendment and hope others will support his amendment, which was made in order. We, unfortunately, feel that H.R. 3189 does not solve the problem. It creates more problems and has no chance of being enacted into law, and I trust that we will do the right thing by the people because we are talking about protecting the U.S. public, their lands, and their water. I yield back the balance of my time.
