"The water challenges--one of your 7 initiatives for 2013--how were those proposed reductions in spending for basic data-gathering... impact your ability to fulfill statutory mandates?"
"We have squandered enormous amounts of money and precious time proving that the policies of the 1970's do not work, and we now face devastating water shortages as the cost of that lesson."
"If we are looking for solutions to our water problems, and for certainty for our communities, we must have the full consideration of all options."
"The Majority will argue that the environmental regulations have hindered construction facilities in the West. That may be so. But then the world has changed."
"Any authorization of new storage projects will have to compete for funding in Reclamation's limited budget and add to the Federal debt associated with the water projects."
"I think we need a water infrastructure bank in the future to be able to do these projects."
"The biggest impediment to dam construction is limited federal funding."
"And how much water has been brought online, due to the Reclamation's various conservation actions?"
"But many of the traditional tribes do not get to be at the table, unfortunately, and that is what I am finding out."
"We cannot gamble away our water on oil shale speculation. We cannot risk our farm economy."
"I am not against the high-speed rail. I am against the projects funding being inadequate."
"The high-speed rail separation should be made first, because that will help not only speed the delivery of services."