[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 10 (Friday, January 17, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S242]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                   TRIBUTE TO CAMILLE CALIMLIM TOUTON

  Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize Camille 
Calimlim Touton as she concludes her distinguished public service as 
the 24th Commissioner of the United States Bureau of Reclamation.
  Born in Quezon City, Philippines, as the daughter of a U.S. Air Force 
airman, Camille Calimlim Touton and her family eventually settled down 
in Nevada. There, she would go on to earn her bachelor of arts and her 
bachelor of science from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, before 
moving east to earn her master's in public policy from George Mason 
University.
  Throughout her public service career, whether learning from my friend 
and colleague Congresswoman Grace Napolitano on the House Natural 
Resources Committee, working on the House Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources 
Committee, or at the Bureau of Reclamation, Commissioner Touton has 
served the American people with great distinction.
  Since she was sworn in as Commissioner on December 15, 2021, 
Commissioner Touton has improved the Bureau of Reclamation's reputation 
across the West and around the world by effectively leading the 
Bureau's 6,000 employees during an unprecedented time of drought and 
aridification. By rolling up her sleeves and working with partners to 
address some of the most challenging issues of the American West, 
Commissioner Touton leaves behind a proud legacy of service to the 
American people.
  At the helm of Reclamation during the implementation of the historic 
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, Commissioner 
Touton worked to drastically increase water conservation and 
infrastructure improvements and help make communities more resilient to 
climate change impacts. Under her leadership, Reclamation made use of 
these generational investments to provide more than $1.4 billion to 
improve drinking water for rural and disadvantaged Americans who have 
waited decades for access to clean, affordable water and worked to 
improve the lives of countless families in the American West.
  In 2022, when prolonged drought led to historically low water levels 
in Lake Powell and Lake Mead, Commissioner Touton pressed the States 
and Tribes who rely on the Colorado River to find a compromise that 
would protect water supply throughout the basin. Her leadership was 
instrumental in achieving a historic, consensus-based proposal to 
conserve more than 3 million acre-feet of water and protect the system. 
To this day, 7 States and 30 Tribes have continued to engage on a 
longer-term agreement that will serve the 40 million people who call 
the Colorado River Basin home.
  Commissioner Touton delivered outside of the Colorado River Basin as 
well, including with a South-of-Delta drought plan in 2024 that is 
benefiting water users, addressing their drinking water needs, 
protecting Wildlife Refuges, and improving the future resilience of the 
San Joaquin Valley.
  An invaluable resource to Members of Congress, a trusted partner to 
water agencies and stakeholders in the West, a dedicated public servant 
to constituents, and a beloved boss, Commissioner Camille Calimlim 
Touton has made a tremendous difference for the present and future 
quality of life for millions of Americans.
  Today, I want to thank not only Commissioner Touton for her service, 
but also wish her and her husband Matt and their three daughters Lexi, 
Ella, and Sophie success and happiness in the future as they move back 
west--and back home--to Nevada.

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