Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies (113th Congress)
[[{"fid":"64","view_mode":"full","fields":{"format":"full","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Rep. Marcy Kaptur","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Rep. Marcy Kaptur"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"full","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Rep. Marcy Kaptur","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Rep. Marcy Kaptur"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"alt":"Rep. Marcy Kaptur","title":"Rep. Marcy Kaptur","height":"320","width":"205","style":"float: left;","class":"media-element file-full","data-delta":"1"}}]]Marcy Kaptur (OH), Ranking Member
Pete Visclosky (IN)
Mike Honda (CA)
Jurisdiction
Department of Energy
Department of Defense-Civil; Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers-Civil
Department of the Interior; Bureau of Reclamation; Central Utah Project
Related Agencies
Appalachian Regional Commission
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
Delta Regional Authority
Denali Commission
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board
Tennessee Valley Authority
Mr. Lopez, welcome to your first hearing before the Subcommittee. I look forward to your testimony and thank you for joining us today.
The Bureau of Reclamation is responsible for providing agricultural, municipal, and industrial water supply in the West. Economies, ecosystems, and communities all rely on the availability of clean water. At a time when demand is increasing and many regions have been hit by extended drought, the Bureau is being asked more and more to provide solutions to the West's water needs while being good stewards of our natural resources. I hope to hear today how the fiscal year 2016 budget request reflects this responsibility with a reduced budget.
Assistant Secretary Darcy and General Bostick, we appreciate you appearing before the Subcommittee this afternoon.
I look forward to our hearing today on an issue of acute interest to me: the stewardship of our nation's precious water resources.
Over the last few years, the Western part of our country has been ravaged by drought. Meanwhile, the freshwater-rich region I represent has fallen victim to troubling mismanagement.
The Corps of Engineers has an important role to play in building a water secure future for our country and I am eager to hear about progress in adopting innovative approaches to make that future a reality.
The Corps' work also provides a great opportunity for job creation. Federal support of water resource projects creates construction jobs and indirect economic benefits that encourage local businesses and individuals to make critical investments in their communities.
2014 Total enacted level: $34.1 billion
2015 Committee mark: $34.0 billion
2015 Omnibus: $34.2 billion
Highlights and key points:
I thank Chairman Simpson for his leadership.
This energy, water, and nuclear security bill is liberty's business. It is about national nuclear security, about energy security, about jobs and economic growth here at home through upgrading our ports, preventing flooding, assuring fresh water from coast to coast, and inventing the new energy technologies required to reposition America for energy security in our homeland for a new century. Bottom line: our bill is about the business of ensuring liberty for our country.