"WASHINGTON — A bitterly divided House approved a sweeping California water bill Wednesday that puts the Senate on the spot and splits the drought-ridden state into several competing camps."
"Forgoing the usual oversight and hearings, Republican leaders pushed the drought-inspired bill through at warp speed and largely along party lines. The 229-191 House approval of a bill introduced last week now sets up a clash with the Senate, where Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., has been promising for some time to introduce her own ideas.
“We have to make sure the crisis we’re facing today is addressed,” said Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., “If the other side has a solution, bring it to the table. I’m happy to negotiate. Until then, I’m going to continue to fight.”
The House bill introduced by Valadao is both far-reaching and, critics say, politically far-fetched. The White House on Wednesday threatened a presidential veto, echoing the opposition previously raised by California Gov. Jerry Brown and lawmakers close to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Some provisions in particular seem doomed in the Senate. One in particular is opposed by water districts on the San Joaquin Valley’s east side."
Michael Doyle reports for the McClatchy Washington Bureau February 5, 2014.
SEE ALSO:
"California Governor Slams GOP Water Proposal" (Aljazeera)
"California Drought: Why Jerry Brown Doesn't Want US House To Help (+video)" (Christian Science Monitor)
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