GRAY ADVOCATES FOR CENTRAL VALLEY’S WATER AND AGRICULTURE PRIORITIES IN HEARING WITH INTERIOR SECRETARY
This week, Congressman Adam Gray (CA-13) pressed U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on the Central Valley’s water and agriculture priorities in a House Natural Resources Committee oversight hearing.
“California water policy, especially as it relates to agriculture, is extraordinarily complex. The Central Valley project remains one of the most important water infrastructure systems anywhere in the country,” said Congressman Gray during the hearing.
During his remarks, Congressman Gray reaffirmed the importance of making real federal funding investments in water infrastructure. Previously, Congressman Gray offered an amendment to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) reconciliation proposal that would have directed $8 billion in funding for water storage projects in the Central Valley, which Republicans opposed. This would have funded 26 water storage and conveyance projects both north and south of the Delta. Ultimately, the OBBBA would include $540 million in funding for California water infrastructure projects, which is why Congressman Gray was the sole Democratic vote in favor of sending the Committee’s package to the House Floor for a final vote.
“That’s certainly a start, although I’ll note, it falls far short of the scale of the problem we’re dealing with and what is necessary,” said Congressman Gray during the hearing.
Congressman Gray would go on to note how the reconciliation bill not only failed to make necessary infrastructure investments but also failed to maintain adequate staffing levels at the Bureau of Reclamation, which is responsible for reviewing permits and moving projects forward.
“In my district alone, at least five water projects are effectively stalled because there aren’t enough staff to process approvals. Mr. Secretary, that undermines the work this Committee is trying to do, the bipartisan work I’ll note, on permitting reform through legislation like the SPEED Act which I’m a cosponsor. The ESA Amendments Act. My bill, the Valley Water Protections Act. So, from where I sit, there's just a real gap between what California farmers are being told and what they are seeing on the ground,” said Congressman Gray during the hearing.
Congressman Gray asked Secretary Burgum to answer what specific steps the Department would take to make sure the investments Congress has already approved actually translate into more water reliability and real infrastructure improvements for Central Valley producers.
Secretary Burgum committed to working with Congressman Gray on Valley water issues, stating, "If there's five projects that you're looking at, we should go one by one, find out where the permitting issues are, find out if it's being held up because of staffing or some other reason why it's not getting done. We're interested in working with you to solve all of the issues that you described.”
“Water is critically important, and the agriculture in your area is renowned around the country. It's important that we make sure we're managing those scarce water resources in a smart way,” said Secretary Burgum.
In his first term in Congress, Congressman Gray has prioritized safeguarding water access for Central Valley farmers and producers.
Earlier this Congress, Congressman Gray introduced the End the California Water Crisis Package, a suite of bills that would authorize additional California water storage projects, ease permitting restrictions, and create enforceable timelines for environmental review. He also introduced the Valley Water Protection Act, a bill to amend the Endangered Species Act to ensure Central Valley farmers and producers can receive the reliable water deliveries necessary for their operations.
He has also introduced the bipartisan Create Expedited Reviews to Transform American Infrastructure Now (CERTAIN) Act. The bipartisan legislation would simplify the permitting process for infrastructure development by streamlining approval timelines, and requiring federal agencies to review all projects fairly and with transparency.