Fox News story and other water wars updates

The effects of Governor Jerry Brown’s water restrictions continue to reverberate across the state. A lot of the media coverage blames farmers for the crisis without even mentioning the environmental regulations that have been decimating the Central Valley water supply for decades. I offer a corrective to the media’s reporting in a new article here, and I argue my points in a Fox News report here. And in case you missed it, you can see my comments on the House floor last year on the water crisis by clicking on the picture below:

 

 

Water woes

The national media suddenly took notice of the California water wars this week after Governor Brown announced state-wide water restrictions. It’s nice to see some media interest in the problem, though they’re coming pretty late to the game. It’s amazing how a decades-long crisis in the Valley turns into a big story once the effects hit San Francisco and other coastal enclaves.

Governor Brown, President Obama, and many others are blaming the water crisis on global warming, but I have a different take. To watch my remarks during a water debate on the House floor last year, click here. For a comprehensive rebuttal of our opponents’ arguments, click here.

Additionally, take a look at articles by Victor Davis Hanson on this issue here and here.   

Thoughts on my Middle East trip and new water restrictions

I just returned from a trip to Europe and the Middle East, where a highlight was the chance to meet with U.S. troops stationed overseas. I also spoke to representatives of our Middle Eastern allies, who are rightfully worried by spreading instability and violence. Aside from the battle against ISIS in Syria, Iraq, and northern Africa, Iran is a major concern. Using proxy militias as well as their own special forces, the mullahs are aggressively expanding their influence in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, and elsewhere.

The specter of Iran gaining nuclear capabilities hangs over the region. Unsurprisingly, the framework agreement that the Obama administration recently signed with Iran did not ease our allies’ concerns. Instead of forcing the mullahs to completely abandon their nuclear program, the Obama administration will allow numerous nuclear sites, thousands of centrifuges, and other key parts of the program to remain intact. Our allies struggle to understand why the Iranian regime – the world’s biggest sponsor of terrorism –  can extract so many concessions from the world’s superpower. This is part of a strange pattern with the Obama administration – stridently anti-American regimes in Iran and Cuba are persistently courted, while relations with close allies like the Kurds, Jordan, Israel, and Egypt are diminished.

Separately, as you know, Gov. Brown has announced mandatory water restrictions for the first time in California history. This provoked the New York Times to dutifully parrot talking points that connect the drought to global warming. As I mentioned in a press statement, neither the drought nor global warming has caused the water crisis in the Central Valley, where the irrigation system was designed to withstand five years of drought. The crisis exists because our water is being diverted for environmental causes, as Victor Davis Hanson explains here. Now that the Governor resorted to water rationing, I hope he will reconsider his opposition to all the bills we passed in the House of Representatives that would alleviate the water crisis.            

On another note, I wanted to draw your attention to the Fresno Bee article here about Pete Dern, the Fresno firefighter who was critically injured after falling through a roof while battling a blaze. The article provides information on where you can donate to Dern and upcoming blood drives for him.  

Finally, the Nunes Digest is updated for your weekend reading here.

Real Heroes in Fresno

I recently attended the Red Cross Real Heroes program in Fresno, where exceptional individuals are recognized for acts of courage, heroism, and service. An amazing group of people was recognized – soldiers, law enforcement officers, and numerous everyday people who performed extraordinary acts in their communities.

Along with U.S. Marshal Albert Najera, I had the honor of presenting the Congressional Badge of Bravery to Deputy U.S. Marshal Stephen Mroczka, who was shot twice while apprehending a dangerous fugitive in Fresno. The suspect, who was wanted in connection with a violent sexual assault, opened fire on U.S. Marshals who came to capture him at a house where he was staying. Despite being shot in the chest and abdomen, Deputy Mroczka fired back and immobilized the fugitive. It was one of many astounding stories we heard about a truly extraordinary group of Americans. My thanks to the Red Cross for hosting this outstanding event.  

A week in the Valley

 

 

I was back in the Valley this week, where I enjoyed having a townhall meeting with around a hundred Cigna employees who discussed ObamaCare, jobs, water, and other issues with me. Hundreds of Cigna jobs in Visalia had been jeopardized by ObamaCare regulations that put U.S. insurers at a disadvantage with foreign-based companies in issuing health plans for Americans living overseas. However, a bipartisan group of House members passed a law I co-authored to cancel those regulations, and the cancellation was enacted into law in December. You can read about the townhall meeting here and here.  

 

I also had some good exchanges this week with local media and radio callers, who questioned me on ISIS, Hillary Clinton’s private emails, Netanyahu’s speech to Congress, and other topics. Here are some quick links to my interviews:  

 

·         ABC 30

·         CBS 47

·         KMJ’s Ray Appleton

·         Powertalk’s Christopher Gabriel
 

·         Connect with Me’s John Malos 

The FCC's Internet power grab

Democratic commissioners on the FCC have adopted net neutrality rules, which will allow the FCC to regulate Internet Service Providers as public utilities. It’s hard to see the need for this action, since the Internet has been thriving without these regulations. Furthermore, these rules may stifle innovation and could be exploited to ram through Internet taxes and price controls. A Forbes article discusses the many drawbacks of net neutrality here.

 

Separately, the Tax Foundation published an analysis of my tax reform proposal, finding that it would expand the economy by 6.8 percent and create “more jobs, higher incomes, and better opportunities.” You can read the write-up here. National Review’s Ramesh Ponnuru comments on my plan here.

 

Finally, the Nunes Digest is updated here.