On the recordSeptember 29, 2020
water is the most basic element of human life. In Montana, we depend on a steady supply of water to drink, to irrigate our crops, to water our livestock, and to provide energy through hydropower. Water is a precious resource, but there are still rural communities in Montana that face challenges to access and that are in dire need of Federal assistance. The health and economic risks associated with the lack of reliable water have increased because of the current pandemic. I stand here today to highlight three bills that would ensure rural Montana communities have access to water. S. 1882 would allow the 130 family farms in the Kinsey Irrigation Company and Sidney Water Users Irrigation District to continue the use of Pick-Sloan power, which they have reasonably relied on for more than 74 years. Thankfully, this bill has been passed out of the U.S. Senate and now awaits House consideration. I thank both Senate and House leadership for getting this bill to the finish line, and I urge my colleagues in the House to pass it. Another Montana water priority is the bipartisan St. Mary's Reinvestment Act, which supports the St. Mary and Milk River Project by allowing the reconstruction and restoration of the over 100-year-old infrastructure. I am proud to be working with the entire Montana delegation on this important bill that supplies over 18,000 water users and municipalities along the Hi-Line, including the Blackfeet Reservation and Fort Belknap.…
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