Earth Science Lesson on Evapotranspiration

Floor Speech

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Mrs. LEE of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about evapotranspiration.

Perhaps you are not used to getting a mini Earth science lesson on the floor of the House, but hear me out for a minute.

Nevada boasts 300 sunny days a year. It is great for hiking and biking, not so great when it comes to precipitation and our growing severe drought. But we can't just rely on precipitation data in understanding our drought because we are losing water with all of our sunny days.

Evapotranspiration, or ET, is the combination of water lost through evaporation from the land and transpiration from plants. It is a critical measurement that we need to plan for the future of western water.

Until recently, and frankly, to my surprise, water managers could not access this data. But a group of scientists, academics, advocacy organizations, and even corporations are working to change that.

OpenET is filling the biggest data gap in water management by giving everyone access to ET data, and I mean everyone. You can Google it and pull it right up on your computer.

From water managers, to utility providers, to farmers and ranchers, to conservationists, this data will help folks across the West make better water decisions to protect our most vital resource for decades to come.

That is exactly why I have introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Open Access Evapotranspiration Act with Senator Cortez Masto to fill these critical data gaps and inform drought solutions across the West.

I am all in when it comes to finding solutions for Nevada's drought. We must explore every option and make these investments before it is too late. The Time Is Now to Lower Drug Prices

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Mrs. LEE of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as we continue to negotiate the Build Back Better Act.

When I ran for Congress, I promised my constituents that I would do everything to fight for lower drug prices.

Over and over again in townhalls, I hear from my constituents that they are so extremely worried about how they are going to pay for prescription drugs. In fact, one in five seniors reports not taking their medicines as prescribed because of the cost. I have even heard from constituents who say they skip meals so they can afford the prescriptions they need to stay healthy.

This is outrageous. I urge my colleagues to address this problem with the urgency it deserves.

With the Build Back Better agenda, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change the status quo and make good on our promise that no one should have to choose between affording their prescription drugs, or putting food on the table, or paying rent.

We must enact legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs. The time is now. Our constituents all over this country are counting on us.

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