Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, this bill is a result of settlement negotiations between the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Oroville-Tonasket irrigation district, which is located in my district in central Washington. As explained by my colleague from California, H.R. 412 transfers the title of the irrigation facilities to the local authorities and relieves the Bureau's responsibility for any repair, which is substantial, and future operational costs to the district. It also ends the current lawsuit against the Bureau of Reclamation. Let me assure my colleagues that this settlement is a fair solution for all parties involved. These facilities have not performed as the Bureau promised, and the district, after lengthy negotiations, has agreed to fix the current problems and pay for future operations of the facilities. To me, that is fair. The Bureau has said that they do not have the money to fix the problems of the Oroville-Tonasket irrigation district. They want the district to start paying for something that is not finished. That is a very important point, paying for something that is not finished.”