Western Water and American Food Security Act of 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. Chair, I rise to express my strong opposition to H.R. 2898, the so-called ``Western Water and American Food Security Act of 2015''.

I represent a portion of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the largest estuary west of the Mississippi and the source of roughly half of California's fresh water. Nearly 25 million Californians rely upon the Delta in one form or another for their drinking water supply. Additionally, many species depend on the habitats in and around the 700,000-acre estuary for survival. Species in the Delta include birds and waterfowl like sand hill cranes, and fish like Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead and green sturgeon. Many of these species are unique to the Delta and found nowhere else on earth. H.R. 2898 would dramatically weaken protections for these ecosystems and for salmon, migratory birds, and other fish and wildlife in California's Bay-Delta estuary, as well as the thousands of fishing jobs in California and Oregon that depend on the health of these species.

California's ongoing drought--not federal environmental laws--is the primary reason for low water supplies across the state. California's drought is real, and we need real solutions. However, H.R. 2898 does nothing to solve California's severe water shortage or address drought across the West. Instead, this bill preempts state laws, reduces management flexibility, eliminates protections for salmon and other endangered species, and rolls back our nation's fundamental environmental laws.

H.R. 2898 is not a temporary response to drought. It permanently amends and overrides the requirements of the Endangered Species Act and other federal laws. The bill would also limit National Environmental Policy Act review for water projects, reducing transparency and eliminating the opportunity for local communities to provide input in the planning process. Moreover, several provisions of the bill would preempt state law, including section 313, which would override state laws, federal laws, a court order, and a binding settlement agreement to restore the San Joaquin River.

This measure would undermine the State of California's groundbreaking work to address the drought through the equitable implementation of water conservation programs, infrastructure improvements, and innovative water recycling initiatives. Water shortages are a result of four dry years, not the landmark environmental protections that this bill seeks to undermine. This bill will not make it rain. Permanently repealing proper environmental review will not solve the drought.

Ultimately, this bill would not fix our biggest problem--the lack of water--and would instead set a dangerous precedent of federal overreach for our state, and a repeal of America's longstanding and effective environmental protections. As a Californian and a Delta member, I strongly oppose H.R. 2898, due to the negative impact that this bill would have on my constituents and the environment.

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