This week, the House of Representatives passed the “Western Water and American Food Security Act of 2015” (HR 2898), introduced by Rep. David Valadao (R-CA). The bill passed by a vote of 245-176.
All Republican Members of the California Congressional Delegation voted for the bill, as well as Democratic Member Jim Costa. The bill would loosen environmental restrictions on how much water can be pumped from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to agricultural communities in the Central Valley, and municipalities farther south. The bill would also repeal the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement Act, require the federal government to finish studies on certain water storage projects, and streamline review and permitting processes for future projects. Now that the bill has passed the House, all eyes are on Senator Dianne Feinstein to see how much of the House bill she will put into her drought bill. On Tuesday, the White House issued an official statement saying it strongly opposed the bill and would veto it if presented to the President in its current form.