Congressmembers Garamendi and McNerney blast Republican Attack on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

Last week, Congressmen John Garamendi and Jerry McNerney, who represent large portions of the Sacramento Delta, blasted attempts by San Joaquin Valley Republicans David Valadao, Devin Nunes and Kevin McCarthy to hijack the Energy and Water Appropriations bill by inserting into it a separate bill, H.R.2898 (Valadao). This legislation would gut the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act and the biological opinions that protect the sensitive ecology of the Delta. If the appropriations bill were to become law, it would destroy the environmental protections of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and allow massive and extraordinarily destructive increases in exports from the Tracy pumps.

“This week, the Republican majority in Congress will pass two bills that gut the environmental protections for the Delta to take more water for private interests,” said Garamendi. “We will do everything we can to stop it, but make no mistake: the Republicans control the House of Representatives, and they will pass these bills and send them to the Senate. They will stop at nothing to gut the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, and the biological opinions that protect our precious Delta ecosystem.”

“I will do everything I can to work with the Senate to make sure these provisions never become law. These disastrous riders are not the solution to California’s drought. Instead, we need a solution that relies on the most accurate science while investing in the long-term infrastructure California needs to build a more resilient water future. Senator Feinstein and I have introduced legislation to do exactly that, and I look forward to defeating these bills and working with my colleagues on a much better path forward.”

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