The House of Representatives today passed a comprehensive water bill, the GROW Act (H.R. 23), that would resolve the perpetual water crisis in the San Joaquin Valley. Introduced by Rep. David Valadao, this legislation is vital for many Valley families and communities that are suffering from the debilitating effects of our water crisis. Although the Valley is still benefitting from our recent big rainfalls, don't be fooled -- since we can't save nearly as much water as we need due to a lack of storage capacity, the crisis will revisit us in full force in the near future.
The House has already passed numerous water bills that would bring meaningful relief to the Valley, only to see the legislation die in the Senate. Once again, I urge the Senate, and California's senators in particular, to quickly pass this bill or propose their own solution that would end this government-inflicted disaster and eliminate the Valley's 2.5 million acre-foot water shortfall. Without that kind of solution, nearly a million acres of land will be forced out of production.
To see my remarks about the water bill on the House floor, click on the picture below:
