Jim Costa: “I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. We, in the San Joaquin Valley, know that where food grows, water flows. That…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. We, in the San Joaquin Valley, know that where food grows, water flows. That is not just a saying; that is the truth. It takes water to grow the food that we rely on to sustain ourselves. Luckily, this year, we have been blessed with an abundance of rain and snow on the mountains--a record year. However, it is only because of the wettest year in California's historical record that the agricultural heartland of California, a place where half of our Nation's fruits and vegetables are grown, is, this year, free from drought. Only 1 year ago, over 83 percent of California was in a moderate drought or worse. We know that the next drought is sure to come, threatening valley families and farm communities. It is either feast or famine. We measure water on 10-year averages. That is why we need solutions that solve this long-term challenge. I commend Congressman Valadao for continuing this effort. As I noted in a letter I wrote to him in February, though, I have concerns that this legislation, without some improvements, will fail to be that long- term solution that the valley and our State so desperately needs. This solution must be, at the end of the day, multifaceted, must not pick winners and losers, as California water policies in the past have so frequently done, to the detriment of both the agricultural economy, which we have felt, and California's ecosystems.…”