Maria Cantwell

I definitely view you as two critical assets to the future of our country and the future of economic opportunity for individual workers.

You mentioned something that is very much on my mind and many people's here and that is the notion of energy security and how we switched from being an importer to creating a domestic supply.

It is an embarrassment that we are not spending more time and energy in the United States of America and our territories providing real solutions to the people that live within our boundaries.

We need to look no further than Puerto Rico where electricity costs are over twice the national average.

Energy is the lifeblood of any economy.

I do think that it gives others around the country in the West, a glimmer of hope that perhaps after decades of their own water wars they might be able to come to legislative solutions that will prevail for all stakeholders.

We knew we could do it cooperatively, together.

What I like about this Plan is that you can get agreement on the lowest hanging fruit.

The fact that everybody was there meant that it was going to be a serious approach.

Well, Mr. Iseman, we have already had a line item for the Yakima Basin for several years now, correct?

This legislation is an example of how some of the best and brightest are working hard on solutions at a local level.

I cannot say how impressed I am and excited by the Plan that you have put forth that is now incorporated in this legislation.

I think having a seat at the table for everyone certainly conveyed that.

We are very collaborative; I mean, the Klamath Basin comes to mind. Why isn't the Klamath Basin pursuing a similar approach?

Do you think that our previous efforts on management within the region taught us a lot because obviously we have had many people here on other water settlements that have been through extensive legal battles?

We will incur costs.

Doing nothing is not free?

S. 1694, the Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project Act of 2015 is critical for the State of Washington.

I think looking at this as, if nothing else, an example for how low hanging fruit can be something that we prioritize in our most stricken drought areas.

It was time to move forward and come up with a way that we could solve the problems.

This Plan is identifying the activities and how we're going to fund them in partnership to build resilience to drought.

It seems just like yesterday. And definitely I would say that the transformation of delivery of goods and services has been quite impressive.

Thank you, Madam Chair. And thanks for holding this hearing.

It would have been great if you would have said it was about Seattle-Tacoma instead of L.A.-Long Beach.

We actually can increase the cargo shipments, because there is that demand and product to be shipped.