Mike Thompson: “I thank my friend for yielding time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the amendment to the Senate bill that is…”

“I thank my friend for yielding time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the amendment to the Senate bill that is before us. California is in a true state of emergency when it comes to water. We are in a multiyear drought. And even after this winter's El Nino, only one of our State's reservoirs are filled to capacity. The drought is having a serious impact on families, on farms, on farmers, on fishers, and on businesses across California. We need science-based, long-term solutions to our State's water challenges, and this bill is not the solution. It won't help our State to improve water efficiency and make the most of the water that we have. It is based on the misguided assumption that our water crisis can be remedied by pumping more water south. The truth is we haven't pumped more water south because there simply isn't enough water. We are in a drought. The provisions we are debating today redefine the standard by which the Endangered Species Act is applied. This will weaken the law, increase the risk of species extinction, and lead to costly litigation. You will hear the other side talk about how this is necessary because we are letting millions of gallons of water wash out to sea in order to protect fish when that water could have been pumped to farmers in California's Central Valley.…”