Costa Praises House Passage of Emergency Water Legislation

Washington, DC — Congressman Jim Costa (Fresno-D) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 5781, the California Emergency Drought Relief Act of 2014, of which he is an original cosponsor.

"Today's passage of H.R. 5781 is another attempt to provide some relief to the drought-ravaged San Joaquin Valley. Our farmworkers, their families and our farming communities have suffered far too long because of our broken water system. This short-term legislation would provide increased flexibility to bring more water to the Valley while preserving discretion to prevent additional harm to endangered species.

"As a third generation family farmer, I know the effects of this drought, and I will not stop working to bring more water to our Valley. This isn't some esoteric argument about environmental precedent; people's lives and livelihoods are at stake. The additional flexibility to increase pumping to capture more water during storms contained within H.R. 5781 is crucial for California's recovery from this devastating drought. I urge the Senate to move this legislation before the end of the Congressional session so that Californians do not continue to suffer. By every measure, this is a crisis, and that crisis demands action."

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