Jim Costa

I want to applaud these parties here today who have worked together to achieve a better future for their communities.

I thank the gentleman. This amendment would try to respond to those thousands of households that have lost their source of drinking water. This amendment would require the Department of Defense to provide a report to Congress on the well…

I thank the chairman for yielding me the time in today's debate. Mr. Chairman, as part of the Department of Defense's Innovative Readiness Training, a mission that provides military training and resources and supports local communities…

On a separate matter, I rise today to recognize Denim Day, which is observed in April throughout the world as being Sexual Assault Awareness Month. My staff today is wearing denim, joining other organizations throughout the district and…

Something has to be wrong with that part of the process, I would think.

I support all of the energy tools in our energy toolbox, including renewable sources of energy.

Do any of these recommendations that you have outlined in your testimony do such a thing?

You have a responsibility to deal with all of these issues, right?

It is very frustrating, because we look at trying to do all the tools in our management toolbox during devastating drought conditions.

Do you think politics might be a problem with this, Dr. Hanson?

I think this provides flexibility for Congress to try to deal with issues that are particular to our various congressional districts across the country.

Last year, we stopped the movement of water because of 1 degree of temperature on the Sacramento River.

The San Luis Drainage Act that we will hear today helps ensure the land in the San Luis Unit of the Central Valley Project has the opportunity to continue the long-standing history of productivity while saving the Federal Government…

This is food that goes on all of our constituents' dinner tables, period; and that needs to be understood.

Half the Nation's fresh fruits and vegetables come from California.

This settlement agreement is much larger than the issues that we will be discussing here today because it is food on America's dinner table.

I think I have made my point.

There was $50 million in drought funding for California, alone. It seems to me that a priority ought to be to deal with a species recovery plan that would not rely solely on the use of water.

Those zero water allocations have devastated the communities I represent.

I think that the Endangered Species Act is an important law in our Nation.

Over the past 8 years, the Fish and Wildlife Service conducted nearly 90,000 ESA Section 7 consultations, exactly zero of which found that a project would result in adverse modification of critical habitat.

Critical habitat designations under the ESA do not prevent development, period.

Congressional Republicans--the same ones who say they love the Constitution--do not even believe the President should be able to exercise authorities clearly listed in that document.

At this point the President can't eat a sandwich without being accused of gross executive over-reach and illegal infringement on congressional authority.

I wish today's hearing was going to be a thoughtful discussion about the importance of habitat in protecting and recovering imperiled American fish and wildlife.