The legislation was put forward by San Joaquin Valley Republican Reps. David Valladao and Devin Nunes and other members of California's GOP delegation. The bill aims to secure more water for agriculture by suspending provisions of various federal and state water and endangered species laws and allowing more pumping from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Many of the provisions existed in earlier versions of the legislation, sponsored by Nunes, that predated the drought.
Most Northern California Democrats and their environmental allies have fought the bill. Seven members of the delegation issued a statement Thursday applauding Feinstein "for stepping away from this deeply flawed legislation."
The statement -- from Reps. Jared Huffman, Mike Thompson, Ami Bera, Jerry McNerney, George Miller, John Garamendi and Doris Matsui -- repeated criticism that Feinstein had conducted clandestine talks that excluded input from the public, environmental and fishing-industry advocates and members of her own party:
As Members of Congress who represent districts that would be directly affected by this legislation, we have been raising serious objections to both the secretive process and the harmful content of this legislation. We will continue to demand next year that any water legislation responding to California’s severe drought be balanced and take into consideration the array of stakeholders in California.
John McManus, executive director of the Golden Gate Salmon Association, expressed similar sentiments:
"Any federal legislation that seeks to shift the balance of water distribution has to consider the interests of salmon and fishing communities since they've been hurt the worst by past water allocation decisions. This legislative effort didn't do that. The next time legislators consider California water issues, the interests and views of salmon fishermen need to be included.
Feinstein pushed back against suggestions that she had been secretive or working on behalf of corporate agricultural interests that have supported her in the past.
Claims that this has been some kind of secret process are false. In order to come up with a bill that is ready for public comment, back-and-forth negotiations and consultations are often necessary, including extensive technical assistance from federal and state agencies. That process is ongoing. ...
... It’s my hope that groups critical of this effort will strive to be productive rather than destructive. It’s clear that we need to get more water to our cities, businesses, farmers, households, fish and the Delta. And it’s equally important that we continue to protect wildlife and the environment. Only together will we stand a chance of agreeing on a bill that can help accomplish all of these goals.
