Russ Feingold: “My amendment is supported by the administration because it improves the bill. It actually makes the bill comply with…”

“My amendment is supported by the administration because it improves the bill. It actually makes the bill comply with Federal reclamation and environmental laws. It makes it clear that only the features of the latest version of the Animas-La Plata Project will be constructed, and the result of that, my colleagues, will be a better return for the taxpayers than the underlying measure. This is important. The Ute and Navajo tribes will have their claims settled and paid for, even under my substitute, 100 percent by the Federal Government, but the nontribal water recipients will have to repay their share of the construction, fish and wildlife mitigation, and recreation costs. That kind of repayment is only fair. It is what other water users and other projects such as the California central valley and central Utah have to pay. If my colleagues will look at the fact, this is not unprecedented. This is actually the way other water projects are handled now. The water users have to pay these fair costs. This amendment not only does not kill the bill, it just makes sure there is a fair opportunity for court review. The bill does not undercut; the non-Native American users actually pay their fair share. Most importantly, this greatly expanded project that has now been scaled down to a reasonable level does not somehow get put back into this large wasteful project. It is both strong in terms of environmental concern and very strong in terms of the taxpayers.”