WASHINGTON – California congressional Republicans escalated the anti-drought pressure Wednesday, introducing an ambitious California water bill that includes controversial provisions immediately dismissed by the state’s two Democratic senators.
Authored by San Joaquin Valley lawmakers, but backed by the state’s united GOP House delegation, the far-reaching water package would repeal a San Joaquin River restoration program, lengthen irrigation contracts and cap the delivery of water for environmental purposes, among many other provisions.
And within hours of its introduction, the bill also incited bad blood, harsh words and doubts about its long-term prospects.
“It’s a comprehensive bill,” Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Tulare, said in an interview Wednesday. “It’s what we have to do to fix the state’s water problem.”
Freshman Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, took the lead and joined with Nunes and House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield in crafting the new legislation, following their failed effort earlier this week to add California water language to a big farm bill.
“I, along with my Central Valley colleagues, will do everything in my power to ensure a real solution at the federal level.” Valadao said in a statement.
But the new legislation, dubbed the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley Emergency Water Delivery Act, also goes much further than the earlier House language proposed at the last minute for the farm bill, which had already raised Senate hackles.
The previous House water language, for instance, would have temporarily halted through 2015 a program to restore San Joaquin River water flows and salmon population below Friant Dam. The new House bill would permanently repeal the river restoration and replace it with something significantly smaller.
Opponents say the Republican efforts would undermine endangered species, threaten crucial habitats and wreck delicate compromises reached in the past, all while steering more Northern California water to San Joaquin Valley farms.
Full story by Michael Doyle at fresnobee.com.
