Drought in California

Floor Speech

DROUGHT IN CALIFORNIA -- (House of Representatives - March 25, 2009)

(Mr. COSTA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)

Mr. COSTA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to call for immediate response and Federal action to assist California in the drought crisis that we're facing today. Clearly, the entire Nation is feeling a financial meltdown with home foreclosures and many other challenges we face, but in California, beyond that, we have a drought that also involves a dairy meltdown.

We have reservoirs that are low, Federal allocations that are set at zero in the San Joaquin Valley, which I represent, along with many of my colleagues, 20 percent for State water deliveries. As a result, we could lose as many as 80,000 jobs. The economic impact could be as much as $2.2 billion in the San Joaquin Valley that we represent.

Small communities have been crippled. Communities that I represent like Mendota and Firebaugh have 36 to 40 percent unemployment. Delano, with over 50,000 people, has over 34 percent unemployment.

Naming a drought task force is helpful but it is not enough. Plain and simple, we don't need words, we need water. Federal and State collaboration is urgently needed and needs to be improved to make stimulus funds available for immediate relief and to relax standards that prevent water supplies from going to those who most need it.

We ask for your help to increase the water supply for California's future.

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