Political Quotes

“I thank the ranking member for his help on this legislation. I, too, agree in terms of the harbor maintenance trust fund. I rise in support of America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018. This legislation includes really important language to assist irrigators in the Klamath Basin who are enduring another challenging drought year, and it helps ensure we are prepared if our farmers are hit again with severe drought conditions in the years ahead. This bill provides the Bureau of Reclamation with the authority to use the funds we secured earlier this year, about $10 million, to implement measures such as groundwater pumping and other priorities for our irrigators, and ensures that they have the authority to survive difficult water years we may face over the next 4 years. I also want to express, as chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, our support for a couple other titles in this bill. Title II of the legislation modernizes the Safe Drinking Water Act to address regulatory compliance and infrastructure challenges facing communities across our country. It brings greater investment to improve our aging drinking water systems and supports State-led efforts in large cities and rural communities alike. For the first time in 22 years, Mr. Speaker, it authorizes capitalization grants for State drinking water revolving loan funds-- $4.4 billion over 3 years, to be exact. This is a big infrastructure bill.…”