Jeff Denham: “The amendment that I'm offering is intended to fortify the underlying appropriations bill. Under the bill, the National…”

“The amendment that I'm offering is intended to fortify the underlying appropriations bill. Under the bill, the National Marine Fisheries Service and this amendment seek to ensure that funding doesn't have a detrimental impact on my district. This amendment was adopted on the floor by a voice vote last year and added to the Energy and Water appropriations bill. Further, it was also supported in H.R. 1837 earlier this year, and you would have supported what this amendment will achieve. The San Joaquin River Restoration Program continues to push forward on an ill-advised path of wasting water out of the ocean under the guise of saving salmon. Every year, the San Joaquin River Restoration Program would require the reintroduction of salmon into the San Joaquin River if this ill-advised attempt to introduce the species fails. {time} 2120 The problem is that the river is not yet in a condition where the salmon can survive. There's still a number of different problems and projects along the river that need to be completed, from a bypass to several fish screens, and even in one section of the river the administration hasn't even designated a channel from where the river will flow--and will not for another 2 years. Premature introduction of salmon in the river will only lead to their death at a high cost to taxpayers and the local community. This amendment simply prohibits the premature reintroduction of an endangered salmon species into an uninhabitable river.…”