Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Resources Conservation and Improvement Act of 2009

Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Subcommittee on Water and Power of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The hearing will be held on Tuesday, April 27, 2010, at 3 p.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills: S. 745/H.R. 2265, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Magna Water District water reuse and groundwater recharge project, and for other purposes; S. 1138/H.R. 2442, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to expand the Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Program, and for other purposes; S. 1573/H.R. 2741, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the city of Hermiston, Oregon, water recycling and reuse project, and for other purposes; S. 3099, to reinstate and extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project involving the American Falls Reservoir; S. 3100, to reinstate and extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project involving the Little Wood River Ranch; H.R. 325, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Avra/Black Wash Reclamation and Riparian Restoration Project; H.R. 637, to authorize the Secretary, in cooperation with the City of San Juan Capistrano, California, to participate in the design, planning, and construction of an advanced water treatment plant facility and recycled water system, and for other purposes; H.R. 1120, To amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Central Texas Water Recycling and Reuse Project, and for other purposes; H.R. 1219, to make amendments to the Reclamation Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992; H.R. 1393, to amend the Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Resources Conservation and Improvement Act of 2000 to authorize additional projects and activities under that Act, and for other purposes; and H.R. 2522, to raise the ceiling on the Federal share of the cost of the Calleguas Municipal Water District Recycling Project, and for other purposes.

Because of the limited time available for the hearing, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send it to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150, or by email to [email protected] .gov.

For further information, please contact Tanya Trujillo at (202) 224- 5479 or Gina Weinstock at (202) 224-5684.

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Subcommittee on National Parks. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, May 5, 2010, at 2:30 p.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

The purpose of the hearing is to review the National Park Service's implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Because of the limited time available for the hearing, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send it to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150, or by email to [email protected] .gov.

For further information, please contact David Brooks at (202) 224- 9863 or Allison Seyferth at (202) 224-4905.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from my wonderful congressional class of 1996 for giving me this time and opportunity to speak about an issue that is very important to us in Texas.

I rise in strong support of H.R. 1393, a bill that will authorize a variety of water conservation projects, including several in my congressional district in Texas and other projects all the way up to El Paso.

I want to thank Chairman Rahall and Ranking Member Hastings for bringing the legislation to the floor.

I represent a region of the country that is subject to periodic droughts but yet is experiencing phenomenal population growth. When I came to Congress in 1997, we had 7 years of drought that made it impossible for our farmers to be able to make a profit. The 2000 census showed that the population of Hidalgo County, in my congressional district, increased by 48 percent. The 2010 census is expected to show a very similar growth of 48 to 50 percent.

On the Mexican side of the border, millions have come to work in the maquiladoras to take advantage of the economic boom that has come from NAFTA. This growth has placed an enormous strain on water delivery systems along the Texas-Mexico border.

Agriculture irrigation water often flows through open dirt ditches, and studies show that much is lost to seepage. Much of it is also lost to evaporation. Municipalities rely on the water from the irrigation delivery systems to meet the water needs of growing communities.

This bill, H.R. 1393, will authorize 19 projects that will allow border water districts to continue upgrading and modernizing our antiquated water delivery systems through the installation of water pipes--PVC pipes and canal linings. That is what we have been doing during the last 10 years, saving anywhere from 38 to 42 percent of water that we would have lost to seepage and evaporation. Similar projects were authorized in the 106th and 107th Congresses. This identical bill was passed in the 109th and 110th Congresses, but it has always stalled in the Senate. I am hoping that the third time is the charm.

We have already made a great deal of progress because this has been a collaborative effort. The irrigation districts have provided matching funds. The Texas Water Development Board and Texas A&M University have paid for many of the engineering studies. Federal appropriators have provided close to $20 million for previously authorized projects. These funds are being put to good use. Numerous projects are already under way, and some are almost completed.

Mr. Speaker, as a result, we are seeing a water savings of as high as 80 percent in the projects that have been completed. When the metering system is fully installed, irrigation districts have a much clearer picture of water usage and of water savings. This type of investment is bringing us the state of the art in irrigation systems in agricultural regions like the ones we have in deep south Texas. This data will be vital to improving water management throughout our region.

Most importantly, Federal authorization has allowed us to tap into the resources of the North American Development Bank. To date, NADBank has approved almost $24 million for these kinds of projects, and the passage of H.R. 1393 will make these new projects eligible for NADBank assistance.

In closing, I wish to say that, as south Texas moves back into a drought cycle, I urge my colleagues to support this critical legislation. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support

Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has scheduled a hearing entitled, ``Wall Street and the Financial Crisis: The Role of Credit Rating Agencies.'' This hearing will be the third in a series of Subcommittee hearings examining some of the causes and consequences of the recent financial crisis. This third hearing will focus on the role of credit rating agencies in the financial crisis, using as case histories the credit rating agencies of Standard and Poor's and Moody's. A witness list will be available Monday, April 19, 2010.

The Subcommittee hearing has been scheduled for Friday, April 23, 2010, at 9:30 a.m., in Room G-50 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. For further information, please contact Elise Bean of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations at 202-224-9505.

Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has scheduled a hearing entitled, ``Wall Street and the Financial Crisis: The Role of Investment Banks.'' This hearing will be the fourth in a series of Subcommittee hearings examining some of the causes and consequences of the recent financial crisis. The fourth hearing will focus on the role of investment banks in the securitization of residential mortgage related products, and the development, marketing, and trading of residential mortgage related structured financial products such as collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) and credit default swaps (CDS). The hearing will also review certain investment and trading activities of investment banks that involve residential mortgage based securities and related products. A witness list will be available Thursday, April 22, 2010.

The Subcommittee hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 27, 2010, at 11 a.m., in Room 106 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. For further information, please contact Elise Bean of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations at 202-224-9505.

committee on indian affairs

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1393) to amend the Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Resources Conservation and Improvement Act of 2000 to authorize additional projects and activities under that Act, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to add extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1393 amends the Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Resources Conservation and Improvement Act of 2009 to authorize the construction of several water conservation projects in Cameron, Hidalgo, Willacy, Hudspeth, and El Paso Counties in Texas. I commend the bill's sponsor, Mr. Hinojosa, for bringing this measure to our attention. I urge the passage of this noncontroversial bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I now want to yield as much time as he might consume to the sponsor of the bill, to my classmate, Mr. Ruben Hinojosa of Texas.

I yield back the balance of my time, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. President, I would like to announce that the Committee on Indian Affairs will meet on Thursday, April 22, 2010 at 2:15 p.m. in room 628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building to conduct a hearing on a discussion draft of the ``Indian Energy Promotion and Parity Act of 2010''.

Those wishing additional information may contact the Indian Affairs Committee at 202-224-2251.

committee on rules and administration