California Water Legislation

Floor Speech

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Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform that even if the El Nino rains and snows continue, the drought crisis in California is not over. The need to get California water legislation passed and signed into law in Washington and Sacramento is more urgent now than ever.

While the people I represent are hurting and over 1 million acres of some of the most productive farmland in the world goes unplanted, people in our country and around the world, sadly, go hungry. If this El Nino effect continues, there will be an opportunity to move water to arguably the driest part of California, which I represent a part of. Therefore, Congress must pass legislation that can provide short-term relief so water can be delivered to the San Joaquin Valley, because the livelihood of our farmers, farm workers, and farm communities depend on it. There still is time.

We have a broken water system in California. It is time we fix it. Failing to pass legislation to fix our broken water system is irresponsible and a disservice to all Californians, including the people who I represent.

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