Media

Costa Responds to Updated Water Allocation

Fresno, CA — Rep. Jim Costa commented today on the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's announcement of an update to the 2014 Central Valley Project water supply.

WASHINGTON, DC— The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a bipartisan amendment, authored byCongressman Jim Costa (D-CA), which would give the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs additional resources to address the shameful disability claims backlog. The majority of California veterans have their cases processed by the Oakland and Los Angeles offices where the average time a case is pending is 385 and 317 days, respectively.

FRESNO, CA – Congressman Jim Costa cheered Governor Jerry Brown's decision to suspend the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for water transfers. In January, Costa called on the Governor to take this specific step to accelerate water exchanges that would move resources to areas where they are most needed.

WASHINGTON— U.S. Congressman Jim Costa (CA-16) and U.S. Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) sent a letter to Speaker John Boehner asking for an immediate vote on the Senate-passed unemployment insurance extension.

Rep. Costa and Rep. Schneider led the letter, which 131 of their colleagues signed, to underscore the urgent need to extend this critical lifeline for millions of Americans.

Legislation would expedite expansion of Los Vaqueros Reservoir

WASHINGTON, DC— In response to California's ongoing drought and the State's immediate need for increased water storage capacity and long-term water solutions, U.S. Reps. George Miller (CA-11) and Jim Costa (CA-16) introduced new legislation today to expedite construction to expand the Los Vaqueros Reservoir, an existing State water storage project.

FRESNO, CA – Congressman Jim Costa expressed his deep anger during a hearing in Fresno over the lack of progress on solutions to bring additional water to the Valley. Costa has time and again supported policies advanced by his colleagues on both sides if they meet the simple test that they have the potential to improve water reliability. During the hearing, Costa urged his colleagues to put aside sound bites, stop playing the blame game, and get to work on a compromise bill that can clear both the House and the Senate.

FRESNO, CA – Congressman Jim Costa praised the State Water Resources Control Board for their prudent decision to increase operation flexibility, which will help balance the water needs of all water users, including agriculture, refuges, and municipal uses. In early March, the Board was reviewing a proposal that could have ended deliveries to Valley agriculture except during times of extremely high outflow.

Washington, DC—Rep. Jim Costa will travel with a bipartisan group of Senators and Representatives to the Mississippi Delta and Selma, Alabama,with civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis. The trip will mark the 50^th anniversary of Freedom Summer and commemorate the 1965 crossing of the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Fresno City Councilmember Oliver Baines will accompany Costa on the pilgrimage.