[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 113 (Thursday, July 29, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H6286]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           WATER SUPPLY CHALLENGES IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY

  (Mr. COSTA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COSTA. Madam Speaker, as we return to our districts with the 
August recess, I want to call attention to the ongoing water supply 
challenges facing the San Joaquin Valley that I represent.
  This year, we pushed the administration to use all the flexibility 
and power within the law to increase pumping to move water to our 
valley. We pushed to find additional water supplies that were not 
previously available at contract rates, and we were able to increase 
the water allocation for farmers in our valley significantly. We also 
pushed to bring critical water infrastructure projects, like the 
Intertie that we will have groundbreaking next month.
  Our efforts have produced more than four times the amount of water we 
received last year, but our fight for water, for valley jobs, and for 
our economy is far from over. Unemployment is still unacceptable. This 
administration and Congress must continue to step up its support for 
the San Joaquin Valley, as farmers and farm communities need a 
sustainable water supply to grow the country's fresh fruits and 
vegetables, our Nation's food supply.
  That is why it is more important than ever in the next water year for 
Federal and State agency leaders to use every tool in their water 
toolbox to ensure that water flows. That means we must work together 
with our local water agencies.

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