Rep. Gosar Introduces Bill to Increase Transparency within Bureau of Reclamation

Statement

Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following statement after introducing bipartisan legislation, the Bureau of Reclamation Transparency Act, which would require the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) to do a thorough inventory of its assets as well as prioritize major repairs necessary at the agency's facilities:

"The practice of good governance requires periodic evaluations of federal programs and expenditures to review and prioritize their necessity. Taxpayers deserve accountability from their government and oversight on how it spends their money. Despite numerous requests from members of Congress and others, the agency has failed to provide adequate information about BOR's maintenance backlog and lacks an efficient system for reporting their maintenance needs to Congress.

"Our good governance legislation increases transparency, consolidates multiple reports and requires the Bureau of Reclamation to open their books. I applaud Senator Barrasso and Senator Schatz for their leadership on this issue. Our commonsense bill will allow Congress to better prioritize funds for critical infrastructure projects for the purposes of ensuring an abundant supply of clean water and power for future generations."

Senator John Barrasso, Chairman of the Senate Western Caucus, released the following statement following introduction of the bill:

"Aging water delivery systems make it harder for people in Wyoming and throughout the West to have access to a clean, abundant and reliable supply of water. Before we can move forward with modernizing these important systems, we need to have a better idea of what specific repairs are needed in our states. Our bill requires Washington to provide a detailed report of the work needed to keep our aging Bureau of Reclamation water facilities operating safely and effectively."

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