In their own words…

by DEVIN NUNES

Although actions speak louder than words, it is important to listen to the way our nation’s leaders describe the water crisis in California (the government-imposed drought).

Here are some clips from the public forum held at the Department of Interior in Washington, DC on September 30th.

If you missed my remarks, you can listen here.

Senator Dianne Feinstein
“We have a problem and it’s not going to be solved by saying turn the pumps on or turn the pumps off…”
“The pumps have been on since June 30th…”
“I think the National Academy study is really important.”
“I also know that the Delta is under enormous stress.”

Congressman George Miller
“Somebody must be in charge of this effort.”
“We have an opportunity with David’s leadership…” (the water czar)
“Today we are going to have a bill on the floor, Devin I don’t know if you are going to ambush the bill or not, but its 26 billion gallons of water for the Bay Area...companion bills have been already passed for Southern California.”
“To restore the functions of the Delta is key to that process.”
“We all know and recognize that we have a badly overprescribed system.”
“I don’t think I have lost many lawsuits in court over the last 10 or 15 years.”
“There has been no clear winner.”

If you prefer to listen to the entire forum, you can do so by clicking here.

A meeting at the Department of the Interior

For those who didn’t already know – the lines in the ongoing water debate are now clearly drawn.  Earlier today, I attended a meeting at the Department of Interior.  Those in attendance were a virtual ‘whose who’ in the leftist environmental movement.  Included among them was the water czar himself, David Hayes, as well as his patron, Bay Area Congressman George Miller.

At this meeting, Secretary Salazar again denied the existence of a man-made drought in California (click here to hear the Secretary).  Flanked by George Miller, Dianne Feinstein and a host of liberal lawmakers, the Secretary dismissed the need for immediate relief in our region and reiterated tired arguments about the complex nature of California water policy.  In other words – expect more lip service but no help from Washington. 

During my brief remarks (click here), I told the Secretary in no uncertain terms that he and the Democrats in Congress were waging war against the people of the San Joaquin.  They have rejected seven separate efforts in the House and one in the Senate – each of which would have provided temporary relief to our region. 

Earlier this year, the Delta pumps were turned off and hundreds of acres of farmland became desert – all because of a three inch minnow.  While those pumps are running today, they will soon be shut down again.  Congress must pass a temporary measure to protect our water supply.  Only after this can we move forward in search of larger solutions. 

Honesty is needed in water debate, not intimidation

Last week, I worked with Senator Jim DeMint (South Carolina) to move an amendment that would have temporarily restored water deliveries in California. The Senate defeated the effort with California’s Senators leading the opposition. Since that time, there has been a lot of discussion about the vote – including a dishonest campaign that must be challenged.

Firstly, the notion that the DeMint amendment was tantamount to Pearl Harbor – that it was a sneak attack – is pure fiction. Senator DeMint approached Senator Feinstein at 12:20 pm on the day in question and provided her the language of his amendment (see video). This gave Feinstein and her advisors approximately six hours to read the amendment’s ten lines of text before the vote.

Secondly, it is not possible for anyone who claims to be involved in California water policy to be ignorant as to the needs of our rural communities and farms. Put simply, they need water. This requires a temporary restoration of normal pumping operations so that water can be delivered when it is needed. I have been calling for action in this regard for two years, have participated in numerous debates, and forced votes in the House on seven occasions.

Furthermore, organizations associated with agriculture from throughout California have pressed for immediate relief from the man-made drought. They have done so publically and they have done so privately with their Congressional delegation. These requests have been reported by the national media – including an hour long broadcast on the Hannity program.

Yet, despite these facts the Senator and her allies are today exerting pressure on California agriculture interests. Instead of working to provide California immediate relief, the Senator is trying to convince the people of our state that we need more studies and deliberation. Unfortunately, in the past “study” has been code for inaction or worse – additional water takings.

Where the water goes

Unfortunately, there have been a number of inaccurate and misleading statements over the past few weeks on the man-made drought in the San Joaquin Valley.  For example, there have been allegations that agriculture is the using too much Delta water.  The image that I have uploaded shows water distributions.

Some have also mentioned the story of a “farmer” selling his water for $77 million, claiming this is the problem – not the environmental restrictions.  It was a Bay Area businessman that sold the water.  He sold 14,000 acre feet of water for the next ten years at $5,500 an acre foot.  The water is going to the Mojave Irrigation District for groundwater banking.  It can be frustrating to see water sold from of the Valley at this time.  But this sale pales in comparison to the environmental losses we have seen just this year. "Protecting" the Delta smelt has blocked over 600,000 acre feet of water from being delivered.  Starting October 1, 2009, another 250,000 acre feet will be released from Friant Dam to bring salmon back and won't happen.

California farmers again denied water. This time by Senators Feinstein and Boxer.

This evening, Senate Democrats – led by Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer – defeated a California water amendment offered by South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint.

 

The amendment was simple.  It would have prevented the federal government from spending any money to implement biological decisions that are denying Californians access to essential water supplies from the Delta.  This prohibition would have lasted one year. 

 

Despite the clear suffering of people in California, my state's senior Senator blocked passage of urgently needed relief.  She even went so far as to compare our efforts to the attack on Pearl Harbor. The defeat of the DeMint amendment today is shameful.  The fact that California's Senators are responsible adds insult to injury.

 

These two Senators opposed the amendment, despite having voted for a similar provision in 2003.  That provision, related to the silvery minnow, was meant to protect the water supplies of New Mexicans.  It suspended the Endangered Species Act for two years.  In sharp contrast, Senator DeMint’s effort on behalf of Californians was limited to one year.

 

During the debate, Senator Feinstein eluded to the complex nature of the California water debate.  She expressed dismay that a South Carolina Senator would meddle in California’s affairs and pointed to a $750,000 earmark she is supporting to study the California water crisis.  Senator DeMint countered that the issue was national in scope and that our nation’s food supply was in jeopardy.  He further argued that farmers needed immediate relief.

 

How can anyone purporting to represent the interests of Californians not know that our state’s farmers and rural communities need immediate relief?  Studies are not the answer.

 

While infrastructure is urgently needed, including a canal to bypass the Delta, these projects are years from completion and have not even begun despite years of promises.  The only real answer is a temporary waiver to the ESA or some other provision, such as the one before the Senate today, which restores the flow of water until alternatives are realized.  Californians should be very disappointed in the outcome today.  But they should be reassured that some in Congress are working on their behalf – including the Senator from South Carolina.

There they go again

Yesterday the Department of Interior released a document in an attempt to confuse the water issue. I find it unbelievable that Interior denies a man-made drought exists! They defend the biological decisions that have devastated our region and make no secret of their belief that our water shortages are not their problem. Check out the document here.

I do agree with Interior in one respect: we are experiencing a drought. But the drought devastating the San Joaquin is not the fault of Mother Nature or global warming. It is a man-made.

The Northern Sierra’s precipitation (where Delta water comes from) has reached 95% of average and many of the reservoirs responsible for delivering our water were forced to spill as they became full. Overall, statewide precipitation is 81% of normal (see for yourself here).

California is naturally arid. Significant portions of our population centers were desert-like before water delivery systems were built. Once Democrats and Republicans worked together to create the world’s largest water storage and conveyance system. But no longer. Radical environmentalists who control the Democrat Party have forced on us a water shortage that is unique to the developed world: a government imposed drought that you would see in a dictatorship like Zimbabwe. If they win this battle in California, no one in our country is safe.