Congresswoman Stansbury Statement on New Western Drought Study

Statement

In response to a new study featured in the New York Times, which finds that the Southwest is experiencing its driest two decades in 1200 years due in part to climate change, U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01), a longtime water policy expert and member of the House Committees on Natural Resources and Science, Space and Technology, released the following statement:

"The science is clear and confirms what New Mexico's communities have been experiencing for decades--climate change is here, and our water systems are ground zero. In New Mexico, our communities are already experiencing prolonged drought, changes in snowpack and hydrology, extreme weather events, and catastrophic fires. We must tackle the climate crisis now and support our communities as they are facing these changes on the ground, while investing in building a more sustainable and climate resilient future. That's why Congress must pass the historic climate investments in the Build Back Better Act and why we need a national Water Data Act that will allow us to manage our water systems in real time while planning for resilience in the face of a drier future. Our communities in New Mexico are counting on us to act with the urgency that the moment demands."

Rep. Stansbury is the lead sponsor of the WaterSMART Access for Tribes Act and previously introduced and passed the New Mexico Water Data Act during her service in the New Mexico state legislature. Rep. Stansbury is currently working collaboratively to develop national legislation to bring better science, data, and tools to address the impacts of climate change on our water systems, as she has throughout her career, working on water science and policy at the local, state, and national levels.

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