Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley Water Reliability Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Chairman, someone needs to stand up and defend the delta. I'm standing to express my strong opposition to H.R. 1837. This legislation will do tremendous damage and harm to the San Joaquin Delta, an area that I'm honored to represent.

The San Joaquin Delta is a treasure for California and the entire Nation. The delta flows through five counties and sustains major cities, small towns, and lush farmland. Agriculture is the economic backbone of the delta, generating nearly $800 million per year revenue in 2009.

Unfortunately, the delta ecosystem is now in decline due to excessive water shipments to the south. Poor water quality is a threat to the region's entire agricultural economy and heritage. H.R. 1837 would even ship more water out of the delta, turning this precious estuary into a salty, stagnant marsh, crushing the local economy, and costing the delta region thousands and thousands of jobs.

This bill is a blatant water grab meant to help some communities at the expense of others. Contrary to the conservative principles that this bill's proponents claim to cherish, H.R. 1837 uses the power of the Federal Government to undermine states' rights.

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