Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has significantly revised her drought relief bill by stripping the emergency spending provisions and making it applicable to other states. By cutting the bill’s costs and making other changes, the Senator was able to bypass committee consideration and hopes to soon garner enough support to take it to the Senate floor for a vote.
The bill mandates that federal agencies operate water projects in drought-stricken states with maximum flexibility to boost water deliveries. At least five Republican senators are now supporting the bill, which differs significantly from a bill passed in the House earlier this year to waive certain environmental mandates in order to increase water deliveries.