[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 17253]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            CALIFORNIA EMERGENCY DROUGHT RELIEF ACT OF 2014

  (Mr. LaMALFA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, I represent a very rural district in 
northern California which has been greatly impacted by the drought. The 
town of Redding, for example, has had its water supplies cut to 50 
percent this year. Farmers along the Tehama-Colusa Canal received no 
water at all from the Central Valley Project, leaving thousands of 
acres of productive farmland fallow.
  After the third year of historic drought--the worst drought in 1,200 
years, historic in California--it is imperative that we act immediately 
to prepare for another dry year.
  H.R. 5781 by David Valadao takes immediate action to store more water 
and start on this remedy. This legislation is just 18 months in 
duration, giving us time to continue working with the Senate on a 
longer-term solution.
  H.R. 5781 has two simple components: creating flexibility so we can 
store more water in preparation for the coming year; and preserving the 
most fundamental water right of all, the idea that those who live where 
water originates should have access to it.
  We also protect northern California to ensure that those who live 
where our water originates do not have to have their water cut off 
while other areas of the State receive deliveries. Under this measure, 
northern California will be guaranteed access to the water that rains 
on their communities.
  Mr. Speaker and Members, we have worked in good faith to negotiate a 
bipartisan bill to address California's drought. Nothing in this 
measure is controversial. It leaves the Endangered Species Act intact, 
it respects water rights, and it helps every region of California. 
Twenty million Californians will benefit in some fashion or another.
  After several years of drought, it is imperative we get on the ball 
and prepare California for the coming year. We are prepared to continue 
negotiating, but there is no water to waste, and there is no time to 
waste. California needs us to act today by passing this measure while 
we continue to work through the process.

                          ____________________