Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Program Expansion Act Of 2009

Floor Speech

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Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, under normal circumstances, the legislation before us would be approved without much attention or controversy. The bill simply authorizes water recycling projects, which I strongly support.

However, we are not living under normal circumstances. We are living in the midst of a crisis. The ongoing water crisis in California has created an economic downturn up and down the State. Statewide, the unemployment rate has risen to more than 12 percent. In the Central Valley, regional unemployment has reached 20 percent, with some communities' unemployment now over 40 percent.

California's water crisis is the result of water conditions, on top of the federally imposed pumping restrictions that have been placed on our State's critical water infrastructure. While the water pumping restrictions are undeniably hurting California's water economy, there is no clear evidence that endangered species are actually benefiting from the measures intended to protect them.

The fact remains that the flaws and shortcomings of the Endangered Species Act have tied the hands of judges and water resource planners, creating a man-made drought that is killing jobs in California. So what is the majority of the House doing to address the clear and obvious deficiencies in the Endangered Species Act? The answer is absolutely nothing.

The reality is that the leadership of the House is too afraid to allow an open and free debate on these policies because they know if reasonable people are given a chance, they would overwhelmingly reject failed policies aimed to protect fish and support efforts to give water to people who are struggling just to survive.

There are a number of bills sponsored by Members in the minority that would restore some common sense to our water and environmental policies. Perhaps if the Democratic leadership would allow these bills to come to the floor, legislation like this would be approved without much attention or much controversy.

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