The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power received testimony this week on western drought legislation. The subcommittee examined five pieces of legislation, including S. 2533 authored by Senator Feinstein and S. 2902 authored by Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ).
Senator Feinstein’s testimony before the subcommittee focused on two general themes: 1) the persistent nature of exceptional drought in California and other parts of the western United States demands federal action and; 2) many of S. 2533’s provisions apply not only to California, but to all 17 Reclamation states, and Alaska and Hawaii. To emphasize the latter, Senator Feinstein defended the bill’s provisions on water supply, water reuse, and water efficiency that would apply to the entire west. These water bills are expected to be combined into a west-wide drought relief bill to be considered by the committee later this spring.
Meanwhile, Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) has introduced H.R. 5247, a companion bill to Senator Feinstein’s S. 2533. The bill is cosponsored by three other California Democrats. The House will likely remain focused on H.R. 2898, authored by Representative Valadao (R–CA ), adopted last year with strong Republican support for easing environmental restrictions on pumping and water delivery. Many of those provisions were included in the House version of the Energy and Water Development Appropriation in an attempt to force negotiations on a must-pass spending measure rather than relying on the Senate to pass a drought relief bill.