U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) voted Friday with a bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives to move the Fiscal Year 2016 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill through the House with a passing vote of 240-177.
Calvert aid the budget for funding water-based infrastructure projects is of particular importance as the state of California continues to suffer through a historic drought and resulting water shortage crisis.
“The drought in California continues to highlight the importance of investing in critical water infrastructure projects,” Calvert said. “The bill approved by the House (on Friday) will help fund a number of projects, both in California and around the country, that are essential to maintaining water supplies and flood control.”
Calvert said many potentially helpful infrastructure projects planned within the past few years have been stalled by bureaucratic red tape and have been subjected to lengthy research and review analysis. Therefore, an additional provision in the pending legislation will require projects to be moved along via a strict timeline.
“Despite (many investments), far too many projects, especially water storage projects in California, continue to be studied to death,” he said. “Thankfully, California members of the Appropriations Committee have inserted language in the bill that will require federal agencies to complete these studies by specified dates in the near future.”