Steve Pearce: “Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1711, sponsored by Congresswoman Heather Wilson, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to assist…”

“Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1711, sponsored by Congresswoman Heather Wilson, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to assist the State of New Mexico in developing comprehensive water plans. New Mexico is experiencing record drought, and limited Federal assistance will help provide a water-use roadmap to overcome this and future droughts. This legislation specifically authorizes water resources mapping assistance in the State and allows for a comprehensive study of New Mexico's groundwater resources to assess the quantity and quality of the groundwater. Ultimately, the State and local entities will make the water-use decisions, but this bill helps provide the scientific data needed to make such decisions. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.”