WASHINGTON – Today, the House of Representatives voted on a drought and wildfire bill that Congressman Valadao made several attempts to amend to bring more water to the Central Valley. Congressman Valadao offered his bill, the RENEW WIIN Act, as a motion during House Floor debate to force its immediate consideration. Congressman Valadao’s legislation would be a simple extension of the storage and operations provisions of Subtitle J of the WIIN Act and authorization of funds for critical water storage projects.

“If this drought bill was truly about solving the water crisis in the west, the House majority would include the RENEW WIIN Act in this package instead of actively blocking its consideration,” said Congressman Valadao. “I am once again urging the House majority to consider this legislation that will bring water to the people in my community doing everything possible to survive this terrible drought.”

“We thank Congressman Valadao for his tireless efforts to continue the progress the 2016 WIIN Act provides to his constituents and the communities in San Joaquin Valley,” said Chris White, Executive Director of the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority. As we stated earlier this year, significant progress has been made since the passage of the WIIN Act in 2016 with the advancement of needed drought resiliency storage projects, while providing for science-based adaptability in the operation of our water delivery system for the Central Valley and California. These actions need to continue in order to support the viability of our communities.  We support the Congressman in his effort to get the RENEW WIIN Act passed by the House this year.”

“Congressman Valadao has been steadfast in his support of the San Joaquin Valley and we applaud his continued efforts to extend the WIIN Act,” said Jason Phillips, CEO of Friant Water Authority. “The WIIN Act not only authorized hundreds of millions of dollars in water infrastructure funding, but it also allowed for enhanced management of California’s water projects by requiring the best available science and real time data to be used to deliver water to communities in our Valley. Friant Water Authority is grateful to have received funding to repair the Friant-Kern Canal made possible with the WIIN act and we strongly support Valadao’s introduction of the RENEW WIIN Act.”

“Increasing demands being placed on California’s limited water resources demand that every drop be efficiently used. This includes the use of water for the protection of fish, wildlife, and the environment.  Subtitle J of the WIIN Act was bipartisan legislation that furthered this objective,” said Tom Birmingham, General Manager of Westlands Water District. “It restored flexibility to operations of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project the capability of the State’s two major water project to deliver water, while providing reasonable protection for at-risk native fish species.  Extending provisions of the WIIN Act makes perfect sense, particularly in light of the State’s ongoing drought and the impact of water supply shortages in every region served by the CVP and SWP.”

“The nearly 2.5 million Californians, 1.2 million acres of land that feeds our nation’s families, and the last wetlands complex in the San Joaquin Valley reliant on the water provided by the Authority’s member agencies are dealing with the impacts of one of the worst droughts in California’s history,” said Federico Barajas, Executive Director of the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority. “Six years ago, Congress passed the WIIN Act, which provided much-needed additional operational flexibility and funding for projects to increase drought resilience.  Congressman Valadao’s leadership was instrumental in passing that legislation and we appreciate his ongoing commitment and relentless pursuit to deliver what California needs – more water infrastructure and a more flexible water system.”

Prior to floor consideration, Congressman Valadao submitted four amendments to this bill which would have:

- Extended storage provisions of the WIIN Act for 1 year to address capacity issues
- Established a grant program to repair canal conveyance
- Codified the 2019 Biological Opinions (BiOps) which would provide operational certainty for Valley farmers.
- Prohibited the Secretaries of the Departments of the Interior and Commerce from reinitiating consultation on the 2019 BiOps.

Watch Congressman Valadao’s remarks on the House Floor here. 

Remarks as prepared for delivery:

My constituents have faced drought conditions for years. Communities throughout the Central Valley and the entire American West are running out of water for daily use in homes, businesses, and agriculture production. Farmers are being forced to fallow their fields and dry out their orchards, and hundreds of thousands of acres of produce will be unable to be planted again this year.

Instead of coming to the table to work on real solutions that would give families and farmers in my community the water they desperately need to survive, the majority has decided they would rather play politics with the most critical resource in the Valley.

Apparently, passing political messaging bills to check a box is more important to my democratic colleagues than trying to save the livelihoods of thousands of Valley farmers trying to put food on the table for Americans across the country.

This bill is completely silent on the desperate need for enhanced water storage infrastructure to better prepare for wet years.

It does not cut red tape, decrease time delays, or address increased project costs due to redundant requirements under NEPA.

The bottom line is this bill is bad policy and bad for the Central Valley. My colleagues don’t seem to understand that the fewer agriculture products the Central Valley produces, the worse off our own domestic food supply will be. Reduced ag means more of a reliance on other nations for food, which is an issue of national security. We must do better to address the severe drought we are suffering through in the American West.

The WIIN Act, which passed with bipartisan support under President Obama in 2016, provided real relief to Valley farmers by increasing operational flexibility of the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project.

It also authorized millions of dollars for important water infrastructure projects to improve the Friant-Kern Canal, Delta Mendota Canal, and the California Aqueduct.

The WIIN Act was critical in ensuring families in rural communities and our farms in the Central Valley have access to clean, reliable water. We made great progress because of this legislation.

Unfortunately, authorities under the WIIN Act expired in 2021. This is why I introduced the RENEW WIIN Act – to extend storage and operation provisions of the WIIN Act and authorize funds for critical water storage projects.

Over three quarters of democrats in this House supported these positions in 2016. But this week, they refuse to include my bill in this so-called drought relief package. They are blocking an actual solution to the crisis in the name of environmental justice. Madam/Mr. Speaker, where is the justice in letting thousands of Valley farmers lose their livelihoods because they cannot get something as basic as water?

If this drought bill was truly about solving the water crisis in the west, the House majority would include the RENEW WIIN act in this package instead of actively blocking its consideration.

I am once again urging the House majority to consider this legislation that will bring water to the people in my community doing everything possible to survive this terrible drought.

I urge the democratic majority to stop playing politics with a resource that our entire country is so reliant on. 

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