Here are the reactions from California legislators to President Obama’s visit, listed in alphabetical order:
From Senator Barbara Boxer:
U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today praised President Obama for the executive actions announced by the Administration to provide assistance to ranchers, farmers, families and communities in California hit hardest by the unprecedented drought. Senator Boxer will be joining the President today on his trip to the Central Valley, where he will see firsthand the effects of the drought. Senator Boxer said, “I applaud the President for coming to California during this very difficult drought, and I thank him for moving so quickly to provide relief for our state.” … ” Read more here: Boxer Praises President Obama’s Executive Actions to Provide Drought Relief to California
From Congressman Jeff Denham:
“I appreciate the President’s long overdue visit to the Valley. He can now see firsthand the devastation to our economy and our community. While I’m grateful for his willingness to direct money, what we need is more storage to withstand the impacts of drought – a drought that is predictable and will come again. “No more excuses. No more delays. We need bipartisan leadership before any more jobs are lost.
From Congressman Kevin McCarthy:
“
The President’s decision to use his visit to California as an opportunity to launch a massive spending initiative to explore the impacts of climate change will simply leave California Central Valley communities dry,” said Rep. McCarthy. “Unfortunately, nothing the President proposed today changes the underlying issue that our communities are not receiving the water they have contracted and paid for; thus exacerbating the impacts of the current and future droughts. House Republicans on the other hand are continuing to work to find a bipartisan, bicameral solution to ensure our communities are not crippled by future droughts. We look forward to coming together with the Senate to find areas of common ground and commonsense to finally achieve a solution that allows desperately needed water to flow in our state.”
From Congressman Devin Nunes:
“To blame the California water crisis on global warming is ludicrous,” Rep. Nunes said. “The state has an incredible irrigation system designed to supply water through five years of drought. But as a result of excessive regulations and lawsuits by environmental extremists, we cannot fully use this system, and billions of gallons of water have been flushed into the ocean that could have supplied drought-stricken farmers and communities. Invoking global warming shows ignorance of California’s irrigation system and of basic math and engineering. President Obama could have taken the lead in solving this crisis, but he is apparently more concerned with placating his radical environmentalist allies.”
From Congressman David Valadao:
“The President missed a prime opportunity today,” said Rep. Valadao. “As farmers, farm workers and communities in the San Joaquin Valley suffer, this Administration has chosen handouts and a climate change lecture over real solutions. We feed the world and all we ask for is a reliable, clean water supply. I will remind the President that my constituents are part of the environment too, and the lack of a long-term solution could spell economic and social destruction for the Central Valley.”
