Water and Power Subcommittee Ranking Member Tom McClintock (R-CA) released the following statement today regarding Subcommittee Chairwoman Grace Napolitano’s (D-CA) recent announcement to hold a Southern California field hearing on the state’s water crisis:

“I welcome Chairwoman Napolitano’s public focus on the California water crisis. It is important that the Water and Power Subcommittee finally ventures to California during the Obama Administration and in this Pelosi-led Congress. While the Natural Resources Committee has held field hearings on metropolitan Southern California’s water supply before, I nevertheless commend the Chairwoman for acknowledging that Congress can and should do something to resolve this man-made water crisis. I hope it is not too late.

“However, I am concerned that the Democrat majority continues to ignore the plight of those at ground-zero in the devastating water scarcity situation: the San Joaquin Valley. Time and again, we have asked this Subcommittee to visit the Valley to hear firsthand from those impacted by this regulatory drought. Many in these rural communities have been forced to believe that their government values a three-inch fish over people. That is unacceptable. Congress needs to hear their pleas and act immediately.

“We need to turn the pumps back on. We need to build more water storage and get back to the idea of promoting abundance rather than managing scarcity. I welcome my Democrat colleagues to join us in this effort.”

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