[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 32 (Wednesday, February 29, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H1031]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   SAN JOAQUIN RIVER RELIABILITY ACT

  (Ms. SPEIER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 
1837, the so-called San Joaquin River Reliability Act. This bill should 
be called the San Joaquin River Runs Dry Act. It will literally divert 
water from fishing and farming communities in California and send it 
right into the open arms of agribusiness.
  The author and backers of this bill don't want a sustainable water 
policy for California. Instead, they want to overturn a century of 
California law that protects healthy waterways for fish, crops, and 
drinking supplies.
  This bill should be called the GRAB Act, Give Rights to Agribusiness. 
It represents an unprecedented intrusion on States' water rights by the 
Federal Government. This goes beyond California and would affect water 
policy across the Western States.
  Taking water away from farmers and fishermen struggling to make ends 
meet is bad for our economy and bad for our country. I urge my 
colleagues to protect States' rights, to support farming and fishing 
families, and vote against this extreme overreach of a bill.

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