House Proceeding 10-15-09 on Oct 15th, 2009 :: 0:05:25 to 0:11:25
Total video length: 1 hours 1 minutes Stream Tools: Stream Overview | Edit Time

Note: MetaVid video transcripts may contain inaccuracies, help us build a more perfect archive

Views:125 Duration: 0:06:00 Discussion

Previous speech:

Next speech:

0:05:11 to 0:05:31( Edit History Discussion )

Doc Hastings: agreed to the conference report accompanying h.r. 3183, making appropriations for water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending september 30, 2010, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the ge proceed. mr. hastings: mr. speaker, i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: without

0:05:25 to 0:11:25( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Doc Hastings

0:05:32 to 0:05:53( Edit History Discussion )

Doc Hastings: objection. mr. hastings: mr. speaker, i rise are you luck contaminantly to oppose this bill. i say so reluctantly because i and colleagues on my side of the aisle do support water recycling. we think it's a valuable tool in providing watt tier to our farmers and communities a-- water to our farmers and communities across america just as water storage is a tool for providing water for our

0:05:54 to 0:06:14( Edit History Discussion )

Doc Hastings: communities. mr. speaker, e democrat sponsor of this legislation and the manager of this bill, the gentleman from california, has said previously and is correct that republican water recycling bills have passed this house. that is correct. the question is, then, why is this bill different? and the answer, mr. speaker, is very simple -- simple. wen there is an economic

0:06:15 to 0:06:36( Edit History Discussion )

Doc Hastings: disaster occurring in the san joaquin valley of california, when manmade and government enforced drought has dried up farm after farm in that valley, with 40,000 workers unemployed, standing in food lines and being ignored by the leadership in this house, when solutions to bring water and relief to this area have been blocked and

0:06:37 to 0:06:58( Edit History Discussion )

Doc Hastings: stymied again by the leadership in this house, then a point comes, mr. speaker, when members of this house havto say, enough is enough. the water recycling bill before us benefits the san francisco bay area. the speaker of the house represents the city of san francisco.

0:06:59 to 0:07:19( Edit History Discussion )

Doc Hastings: and one of her top deputies who happens to be the spopser of this bill, is also from the bay area. this bill provides millions of federal taxpayer dollars for the bay area. all the while, tens of thousands of their fellow citizens suffer economic devastation just a few

0:07:20 to 0:07:40( Edit History Discussion )

Doc Hastings: hours south and inland in the san joaquin valley. all that was sought by the two republican members from the san joaquin valley was the express support, i might add, of one of their members from california in the same area on the rules committee, was to have a chance, just a chance, to make their case on the house floor and vote

0:07:41 to 0:08:01( Edit History Discussion )

Doc Hastings: for a solution to this in the san joaquin valley. mr. speaker, they didn't ask that the amendment that they wanted made in order to be passed, they just asked for the ability to be heard so they can persuade others to perhaps vote with them. that's all anof us could ask. mr. speaker, that chance has

0:08:02 to 0:08:24( Edit History Discussion )

Doc Hastings: en denied, it's been blocked. their amendments were deemed nongermane. it's been labeled as irrelevant to the bill before us. mr. speaker, might does not make right when it comeso who controls the house because what the leadership is unwilling to do is potentially provide relief to those that have been hurt by

0:08:25 to 0:08:45( Edit History Discussion )

Doc Hastings: joaquin valley. a government. it's been stated also that the drought is a california issue. the implication of that is t this is not of a concern to other americans. mr. speaker, that simply is wrong.

0:08:46 to 0:09:08( Edit History Discussion )

Doc Hastings: what's happening in the san joaquin valley of california does affect all americans. if this water recycling bill to benefit the bay area is worthy of consideration by the representatives of all 50 states in this house, then so is the drought disaster issue. mr. speaker, if this can happen

0:09:09 to 0:09:29( Edit History Discussion )

Doc Hastings: in california then what of the farmers in the central washington districts that i represent? hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland are irrigated in my district with water deli federal pumps and from federal reservoirs. i do not ever want to see the

0:09:30 to 0:09:50( Edit History Discussion )

Doc Hastings: government forced drought devastates these communities that i represent. now, mr. speaker, this isn't the first incidence when federal policies have threatened to cut of people. earlier in this decade the city of queark in new mexico was that -- albuquerque in new mexico was threatened with the

0:09:51 to 0:10:12( Edit History Discussion )

Doc Hastings: loss of its water supply due to the presence of the silvery minnow. congress acted to provide relief to new mexico when the house and the senate, in a bipartisan way, voted for a remedy to albuquerque's problems. today, unfortunately, there is no relief to joaquin valley, as relief did

0:10:13 to 0:10:34( Edit History Discussion )

Doc Hastings: come to those in albuquerque. and the relief that is being sought, i might add, mr. speaker, is not a bailout. the amendments that were offered simply were a plea, and not a plea for stimulus funding or any m it was simply for an opportunity to get provide for water flow.

0:10:35 to 0:10:55( Edit History Discussion )

Doc Hastings: it didn't cost anything. but yet it was not given an opportunity. but, mr. speaker, if the house is going to provide authorization to spend tens of millionof taxpayer dollars to provideecycled water to the this house should be voting on

0:10:56 to 0:11:16( Edit History Discussion )

Doc Hastings: legislation that brings relief to californians suffering from this devtating manmade drought. so, mr. speaker, it's on these grounds, even though i support the concept of water it's on these grounds that i have to stand here and urge a no vote on this bill and with that i reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from washington

0:11:17 to 0:11:25( Edit History Discussion )

Doc Hastings: reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. miller: i yield m minutes for the purposes of entering into a co the gentlewoman from california,