Governor Opposes Federal Water Legislation

Sacramento, CA — Governor Jerry Brown is calling on Congress to oppose a bill introduced by a group of California Republican lawmakers in response to the drought.

HR3964 would create a House-Senate Committee to address water issues, and allow for additional pumping from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. GOP leaders have stated that it would be a way to help Central Valley farmers. Brown has sent a letter to the House Natural Resources Committee, in which he calls the legislation “unwelcome and divisive.”

One of the co-authors of HR3964 is Mother Lode Congressional leader Tom McClintock. Brown feels the federal legislation would interfere with the state’s plan to address the drought situation, and rollback environmental protections put in place for the Delta. The House Natural Resources Committee is scheduled to vote on HR 3964 this afternoon.