Jared Huffman: “Just to clarify, our environmental laws are not preventing new dams from being built. In fact, the Bureau of…”

“Just to clarify, our environmental laws are not preventing new dams from being built. In fact, the Bureau of Reclamation, the GAO, and the Congressional Research Service have looked at this and haven't been able to identify a single--nor my colleagues across the aisle have been able to identify a single dam project that somehow was blocked because of environmental laws. What has been stopping many of them--not all, but many of them--has been the financing challenge because many of these projects just don't make a lot of sense. It is important to realize that projects that do make sense have moved forward. They have secured financing. They haven't needed special shortcuts from the environmental laws. And they have happened, projects like Diamond Valley, projects like Los Vaqueros, probably the coming expansion of Los Vaqueros. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Costa).”