Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the City of Delano, California in honor of its centennial.

After its founding by the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1873, Delano was incorporated on April 13, 1915. It is an extremely culturally diverse community, with residents who have ties to Mexico, Spain, China, France, Japan, Yugoslavia, the Philippines, Russia, and India.

Delano is also an area with rich history. During World War II, a prisoner of war camp was located in Delano. Additionally, a squadron of Northrop P-61 Black Widow planes that protected the Pacific coast from invasion during the war was based there. Delano played an important role in ensuring the safety of the homeland throughout this conflict

Located in the Central Valley, Delano plays a substantial role in our nation's agricultural industry. The local farmers in Delano are known for the grapes, oranges, almonds, pistachios, and cotton they farm. Without the hard work of Delano's farmers, the economy of the Central Valley and the food reserves in the United States would be dramatically compromised.

In honor of Delano's centennial, the city will be hosting a 100th Year Gala Celebration on January 31, 2015. The celebration will provide the people of Delano with the opportunity to look back on their city's past with pride and look forward to its bright future with excitement.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in congratulating the City of Delano on their centennial and honoring the city for its immense contributions to our nation.

Section 4:

``The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Tony Barba on his retirement after 20 years of dedicated service to the people of Kings County, California.

Mr. Barba was born on June 13, 1935 in Hanford, California. He spent his entire youth in Hanford, where he attended local schools. He attended College of the Sequoias and later joined the U.S. Army.

In 1964, after completing his service in the U.S. Army, Mr. Barba began his career with the California Highway Patrol (CHP). Mr. Barba was initially assigned to the Baldwin Park area, however, in 1965 he was transferred back to his hometown of Hanford, where he was the first Latino CHP officer. He would serve the Hanford community as a CHP officer for the rest of his 26 year career with the patrol.

Mr. Barba was elected to represent District Four on the King County Board of Supervisors in 1994. He was the first Latino to serve on the Kings County Board of Supervisors. Mr. Barba has been reelected to serve on the board five times and is the longest serving District Four Supervisor.

After completing his fifth term, Mr. Barba is retiring on December 31, 2014.

District Four and the entire Kings County community have been extremely fortunate to have a dedicated representative such as Mr. Barba to ensure the wellbeing of their community.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in commending Tony Barba for his 20 years of dedicated public service in Kings County and congratulating him on his recent retirement.

Thank you, Chairman Hastings. I appreciate the opportunity to speak on behalf of my legislation.

Mr. Speaker, since taking office, ensuring the Central Valley has reliable access to clean, high-quality water has been my number one priority. My constituents are suffering through a drought, and they have suffered more these last few years because of the laws that are in place today.

We have got regulations that require that we basically send water that should be going to communities, to homes, and to farms that create jobs and grow food, and that water is being diverted out to the ocean all in the name of a fish.

We have got so many different people living in this valley, from farm workers, to farmers, and to business owners, all different types of folks that represent this, and this has affected every single one of them. It has affected everybody down to their just regular daily lives.

When you think about how simple it is for someone to just turn on the faucet, be able to take water, put it in a cup, and put it in their coffeepot in the morning, that is what we are talking about today.

We have had wells go dry. We have got communities in my district today that are literally watching and in the process of looking to drill four, five, sometimes six wells, just to get enough water into the household. It is something that is very frustrating.

Mr. Speaker, this piece of legislation is a very, very simple patch. It is a short-term bill. As the chairman mentioned, the bill expires at the end of September next year, or when the Governor decides the drought declaration is over.

The bill is simple, and it is very specific that it does keep in place all protections of the Endangered Species Act, the biological opinions and others that have been put in place to protect the environment, but this does give a little more flexibility to those agencies to allow some pumping to help these poor communities.

We have got people in food lines today. We have got people who are trying to feed their families and trying to earn an honest day's wage, and this is actually hurting those people, the people that my friends across the aisle always claim to want to help the most.

This is a simple, very small piece of legislation, the majority of which was introduced by a Democrat in the Senate, with just a few provisions that were changed. This isn't a surprise legislation that we passed out of the House, a lot more complicated, a lot more comprehensive. It covers the issue, and it creates a long-term solution. Again, this is a short-term solution that helps provide some security.

The bill helps all Californians, especially those south of the delta, including those in southern California, because there is about 20 million Californians that rely on water from northern California. Across the board, this is a piece of legislation that helps all people in California be successful, feed their families, and take care of their daily life. It is something that I feel is very reasonable.

Mr. Speaker, we work across the aisle as much as we can. We have worked on this issue for 6 months now, but it is a complicated issue, and we have a lot of outside interests that want to see this prevented, but it is all, again, over a few bad laws that need to be changed.

All we are asking today is for a short-term fix, give us enough time to give these people a little bit of breathing room, a little bit of fresh water for their houses, and something that could really, truly make a difference in their lives, and they are trying to stop it. It truly is sad. We are here at the last possible minute.

The most important aspect to this bill and the reason why it is so important that we pass it today is, if we don't get something done this week, we have to wait for the next Congress. The next Congress starts in January. From there, we have got to wait a few more weeks before a bill gets introduced, passed, and goes through the process again, and we start all over.

In that time, we will miss out on all the rain that could possibly-- we are in a drought, but we did have some rain last week. We could have some more rain in the next 2 weeks, maybe a month, and that is an opportunity that we will be wasting if we don't take care of this legislation today and get this passed.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the City of Firebaugh, California as they celebrate their Centennial on Friday, September 12, 2014.

The City of Firebaugh, located in Fresno County, was incorporated on December 17, 1914 and has seen enormous growth in the past 100 years. The city was named after Andrew D. Firebaugh who owned the local ferry that transported locals and visitors across the

San Joaquin River, many of whom were prospectors looking to strike it rich in gold country.

Although small, Firebaugh is home to a thriving community. Known as the ``Jewel of the San Joaquin,'' Firebaugh is home to a rich agricultural industry. The major crops grown in the region include tomato, garlic, cantaloupes, and cotton, as well as various other fruits, vegetables, and nuts. In addition to agriculture, Firebaugh has seen new growth in manufacturing, packing, and processing plants in recent years.

As one of the oldest historical towns on the Central Valley's Westside, Firebaugh has a rich history and certainly has a bright future ahead.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I congratulate the City of Firebaugh, California on their centennial celebration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Miya Family for being named the 2014 Agriculturalist of the Year by the Kings County Farm Bureau. The Miya Family's history exemplifies the hard work and dedication of California's farmers.

The Miya Family, of Hanford, California, has been farming in Kings County since the early 1900s. The family farm was started by Katsunosuke Miya, a recent immigrant from Japan, who settled in Kings County in 1914 and first started working at Vierra Ranch in Hanford. By 1920, Katsunosuke began farming property for Lacey Milling Company. In 1932, Katsunosuke was ready to purchase his own property and began farming 40 acres independently. This was the first establishment of the Miya's farming operation in Kings County. By the late 1930s, the Miya family had expanded their operation to include over 200 acres of land, growing and drying apricots and peaches, as well as cultivating Muscat grapes and oats for horses on the farm.

Katsunosuke built a great foundation for his eight children, but with the start of World War II, the family, including Katsunosuke's two sons Harry and Kiyoshi, was forced to evacuate to the Fresno Assembly Center and was later moved to Jerome, Arkansas. By 1946, Harry and Kiyoshi had both returned to Hanford to join their parents growing walnuts, grapes, apricots, peaches, and cotton. Harry and Kiyoshi worked side by side with their father and later became partners, taking over the family business that their parents had worked hard to build.

In 1976, Miya Farms, Inc. was established by Harry and Kiyoshi, who worked together on the farm for almost 60 years. Today, Harry's children run the daily operations at Miya farms, growing walnuts and pistachios. The Miya family has persevered and thrived and truly embodies what it means to achieve the American Dream.

Mr. Speaker it is with great pride that I congratulate the Miya Family for being named the Kings County Farm Bureau's 2014 Agriculturalist of the Year.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Kings County and Bob Beede for being named the 2014 Agriculture Supporter of the Year by the Lemoore Chamber of Commerce.

For 100 years, UCCE advisors and specialists have worked with communities across California to solve economic, agricultural, natural resource, youth development, and nutrition issues. UCCE has 64 offices in California that act as local problem-solving centers bringing together local issues and UC research. Across California, more than 300 campus-based specialists and county-based farm and youth advisors work together to provide solutions to agriculture related problems. UCCE helps farmers develop more efficient growing methods, solve pest management problems, and institute irrigation methods that require less water. UCCE also promotes the importance of healthy eating habits and regular exercise to adults and children through the 4-H Youth Development Program.

Mr. Bob Beede, UCCE Emeritus Farm Advisor, has been an instrumental part of UCCE success for many years. In 1980, after two years as Staff Research Associate for tree crops and grapes at the Kearney Agricultural Center, Bob became a farm advisor for grapes, tree fruits, nuts, and vegetables in Kings County. Since 1980, Bob has served in many capacities, including advisor of Tulare County nut crops, which was his main focus until his recent retirement. Bob has had an incredible impact on the booming nut crop industry and is a world authority on pistachio production as well as a key advisor for walnut culture.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I congratulate the University of California Cooperative Extension Kings County and Bob Beede for their recognition as 2014 Agriculture Supporter of the Year by the Lemoore Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the City of Corcoran, California as they celebrate their 100th Anniversary this summer.

Corcoran was incorporated in 1914 and has grown tremendously over the last 100 years. The city is located in the middle of California's fertile Central Valley and has played an important role in supporting this region's vibrant agricultural economy.

At the turn of the 20th century, the area where Corcoran now stands was a major component of the state's economy as it served as a junction for the San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railroad. The city began when H.J. Whitley, a land developer from Southern California, purchased 32,000 acres and moved his colleague, J.W. Guiberson to the area. Guiberson and his family were responsible for building the city's first home and business and establishing the first church in the community. Agriculture was, and still is, the highlight of this area. At its infancy, the most successful crops in Corcoran were alfalfa, grains, and sugar beets.

Despite its size, the city is home to a thriving community. For example, the J.G. Boswell Company, founded in 1925, has ties in both agriculture and real estate and is one of the largest irrigated farming operations in the world. The area also offers many educational opportunities for its youth including West Hills College and College of the Sequoias. In 2009, the Technology Learning Center opened at Corcoran High School to serve students in the community. There are also many organizations that work hard to cultivate an interest in and further understanding of agriculture in our children, such as the Future Farmers of America program and the Corcoran 4-H Club. This wonderful city is rich in history and certainly has a bright future ahead.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I recognize the City of Corcoran, California in celebrating a successful and prosperous 100 years.

Mr. Chairman, this bill brings a lot of common sense to Washington. In my district currently today, they have basically shut down agriculture because of this tiny fish there. We have seen food products coming in from other countries, and we see people standing in a food line.

What has caused all of this? Under the Endangered Species Act, a species was added to the Endangered Species Act list.

And do we know if that listing actually helped that fish, if turning off the pump has actually helped save that fish? We know it has put people out of work. We know it has changed where we are getting our food from. And for all we know, it hasn't even saved that little fish. That is something that needs to be looked at. What this bill does, it brings some transparency to this.

When we pass these rules and regulations on these industries that affect these people at home and put them in the food line, are we actually basing it on real science? Are we basing it on the fact that we are actually going to save this species?

This is a tragedy. What we see going on in my hometown right now, in my district is a tragedy. We have an opportunity to actually make a difference today with some common sense. Make sure that we know that the science is honest and transparent before we pass these laws.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to recognize the National Turkey Federation's 25th anniversary of Turkey Lovers' Month this June.

In the 1780's, Ben Franklin wrote a letter to his daughter, extolling the virtues of the turkey. In this letter Franklin said the bird's roots are grounded in America and its courage, when in the farm yard, is without contest. For this reason, and many more, it is fitting to remind Americans that June is Turkey Lovers' Month. Turkey consumption in the United States has increased 110 percent since 1970. At that time, 50 percent of all turkey consumed was during the holidays. Today, more turkey is consumed year round, with just 31 percent of all turkey being consumed during the holiday season. Over the years, turkey producers and processors have diversified their product lines to include ground turkey, breakfast sausage, tenderloin, turkey leg, breast, and fresh-sliced deli meat.

The average American consumer enjoys 16 pounds of turkey annually. Residents of the great State of California eat more turkey than any other state, exceeding more than 600 million pounds per year. In fact, California's per capita consumption of turkey meat is 21 pounds, five pounds higher than the national average. In 2012, California turkey producers raised over 15.5 million birds, ranking our state among the top 10 highest turkey producing states and home to household names such as Foster Farms, Zacky Farms, Willie Bird Turkeys, and Pitman Farms.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 25th anniversary of Turkey Lovers' Month.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, along with my colleague Mr. Nunes, to congratulate Andrew N. Schultz on his retirement after 38 years of dedicated service to the children and parents of Tulare County, California.

Mr. Schultz grew up as the son of a farmer and historian in the Zion Lutheran Colony located near Terra Bella, California. He attended Zion Lutheran School, Porterville High School, Porterville College and California State University at Chico. He also obtained a Master of Education from California State University, Bakersfield.

Mr. Schultz started his career as a teacher at Rockford School District. He later became the Superintendent and Principal of Ducor School District in Southern Tulare County. For the last 13 years, Mr. Schultz has served as the Superintendent and Principal of Rockford School District, near Porterville, California. His tenure at Rockford School District makes Mr. Schultz one of the longest serving Superintendents in the history of Tulare County.

Over the course of his career Mr. Schultz enabled thousands of students to obtain a quality education. His leadership allowed students and teachers to thrive and his district has been bestowed numerous honors and awards. In 2010, the Rockford School District received the California Distinguished School Award for its substantial gains in narrowing the achievement gap.

In addition to serving as Superintendent and Principal, Mr. Schultz has also been active in the Small Schools Superintendent Association.

The children of Tulare County have been extremely fortunate to have a dedicated servant such as Mr. Schultz to aid in their education. He has set very high standards for himself, his staff, and his students.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join Mr. Nunes and me in commending Andrew Schultz for his 38 years of dedicated public service in Tulare County and congratulating him on his recent retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleague, Mr. Costa, to recognize and honor the memory of Mr. Leslie Arnold Collins. As a veteran, a community leader, and philanthropist, Mr. Collins was a true pillar of the Hanford community. His presence in our community will be greatly missed, but the example by which he lived his life will not soon be forgotten.

Les was born in Danville, Illinois, on April 25, 1922. He was the fourth child born to his parents, William Howard Collins and Mable Arnold Collins. He met his wife, Alice Smith, while visiting his mother in New Mexico and soon married her on December 3, 1949. He and his wife traveled in 1960 to Hanford, California, where they raised three children. He had five grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild on the way. Les Collins passed away peacefully in his sleep at home on June 1, 2014, at the age of 92.

Les spent his life serving his country, family and his community. Les served as a combat medic in the Pacific Theater and helped liberate the Philippines during World War II. For

his valor, he was awarded numerous medals, including the Bronze Star.

His service to our nation did not end when he left the military, as he worked tirelessly to support veterans in his community. As a volunteer member of the Honor Flight Network, he raised funds to allow veterans to fly to Washington, D.C., to visit and reflect at the World War II memorial. He made the trip himself on his 91st birthday on April 25, 2013. In 2009, he was honored as the 30th Assembly District's Veteran of the Year.

As a lifetime member of the Optimist Club, Les embodied the organization's mission of ``Bringing out the Best in Kids,'' by participating in many youth programs and being a positive role model for the young people in our area. In 1984, he was honored as the Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year. Throughout his years of living in Hanford, he was actively involved in various community projects, including being an avid supporter of the Boy Scouts and serving on the Eagle Scout review board. As a civic leader, he was a Hanford planning commissioner, a lifetime member of the Kings County Historical Society, and an election worker for 30 years. It is impossible to list all the contributions Mr. Collins made over his lifetime because there are simply too many to mention.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to join Mr. Costa and myself in honoring the memory of Mr. Les Collins. He was an inspiration for all, and he led a long life of serving both his country and community. We should all strive to leave such a significant imprint on our communities as Mr Collins did during his lifetime.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall vote number 38, the DeFazio Amendment No. 6 to H.R. 3590, the Sportsmen's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Acts of 2013, I was recorded as an ``aye.'' It was my intention to vote ``no'' on the amendment.

As an avid sportsman, I strongly oppose legislation that would threaten opportunities for recreational fishing, hunting, and shooting on our Nation's public lands.

Mr. Speaker, as a farmer in the Central Valley, I grew up there--born and raised--on my own personal farm with my family. We have struggled with this water fight for years, even before I was born. This isn't a new issue. It is something that has been talked about for years. The problem is we have talked about it long enough. We have got to do something. We have got to make a difference for these people.

When they talk about unemployment benefits, these people in my district would rather have a job. You turn on that water and they will be back to work. We have got farmers in my district that are literally laying people off today, putting more people on the unemployment line, because of environmental regulations.

Yes, there is a drought going on. That has been going on. It has happened in the past. We have got at least 10 in our recorded history in California.

When you look at what our forefathers have done, they created an infrastructure to allow us to prepare for those droughts, and what these regulations have done is allowed water to go out into the ocean and not be in place to prevent us from this disastrous situation we face today.

That is what we are fighting over today. We want to make sure that that infrastructure is used and our taxpayer money is put in place so that when those projects are there, we have water to supply our farms and our communities.

Over the last year, as a Member of Congress, and the 2 years before that as a member of the State house, and before that as a farmer, I have always dealt with and talked with my locals--and especially my local elected officials. My city councils, my city managers, my board of supervisors all come to me with the same issue:

What are we going to do? We have got 40 percent of our water this year for our city; we have got 50 percent of our water for our city; we have got 20 percent of our water for our farmers. How are we going to take care of our communities? How are we going to take care of these people. How are we going to allow them to be successful?

This is one of the solutions.

When we talk about solutions, I am fine and happy to work with Members on long-term solutions like the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, as long as it delivers water. I am fine talking about the water bond, as long as it delivers water infrastructure for our Valley.

We have to make sure that the crisis that we are facing today is addressed. Because it is a crisis; it is affecting people today. We are seeing people being laid off. Yes, that is putting a huge dent in our resources because we have to pay these people because they are not working because of a program, because of regulations that were put into place that allowed that water to go out into the ocean for absolutely no good reason.

So this has had an impact on my district. We are going to continue to fight, and yes, this is a solution. If the other side has a solution to bring to the table and be part of the conversation, I am happy to hear it and happy to negotiate. Until then, we are going to continue to fight on our side and push this forward.

Mr. Chairman, the reason we are here today is we have heard talk for long enough. We have seen negotiation after negotiation, and the last one that we are asking to go back to happened in the mid- nineties. There was an agreement made that allowed water to go for the environment and for agriculture, and now we are not even getting that.

What we are asking for is for a little attention. Many of the viewers probably don't find this interesting. It is just a bunch of trees, but these trees are dead. They have been pulled out of the ground.

That probably doesn't mean a lot to the Chair or to a lot of other people in this room, but these are trees that grow crops. Those crops create jobs. The people that do those jobs are these people right here.

We hear so many people talk about unemployment insurance. These people want to work. They want to earn a paycheck. They want to go home at the end of the day with their money in their pocket and be able to buy food that is grown around them, natural, good, wholesome American food. These people do not like standing in line and do not like waiting for government handouts. They want to work and be productive members of today's society.

I know that a lot of people watching today will think, well, this is just a California problem, but this is the food grown in California: 99 percent of the almonds; 99 percent of the artichokes; 99 percent of the figs; 99 percent of the olives; 99 percent of the pistachios.

So when we talk about helping the people who need help and giving them the resources to feed their families, if we cut off water to California, it has a direct impact on the money that they do receive from the government. Because they aren't working because of the drought, it makes food more expensive. It limits what they can buy to feed their families.

Anybody that claims to be helpful to those who need our help the most and votes against this bill is literally saying, I want to raise the cost of food for everybody in the United States.

Mr. Chairman, what we are asking for here is a little understanding of the situation we have got.

This graph here shows how much water was in storage at the end of 2013. There was quite a bit of water, but the allocation was this much.

What this amendment does is continue to waste all the water here that should have been used for families at their homes, because people need clean water to drink. They also need water to grow food. Farmers don't farm for fun, they farm for food, because people like to eat. It is a funny little concept we have got going on here. We cannot continue to waste water.

I have enjoyed seeing the pictures of all the dams and everybody referring to the drought as the only issue that we have got. We have got a waste of water. We have got to stop wasting that water. That is what our goal is, and that is why I oppose this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, as someone who farms myself, I understand the value of water, and when the State Water Resources Control Board issues a cease and desist order in the gentleman's district for illegally diverting water--that was something when I spent some time up in Sacramento, I actually got on a boat and went around the delta and noticed so many pumps out there with no meters pumping water and pumping above their right, taking more water than they were supposed to to the level of 77.7 cubic feet per second illegally. So when we talk about stealing water, there is a lot going on there that needs to be talked about.

More importantly, yes, water is an important resource, and we should respect that and appreciate the quality, but to insert more bureaucracy in the middle to prevent us from taking what is rightfully ours and then have the audacity to dump sewage in this water and then claim you are trying to protect it and keep it clean, we are talking sewage from these communities, 380 million gallons per day being dumped in the delta, and then they come and tell us they are trying to protect and keep this water clean.

Mr. Chairman, we are coming to an end here and this bill is about to get voted on. What we have got going on here, and we have all figured it out from all the colorful presentations and all the pictures on both sides, we are in a drought. We know that. We can't make it rain; we also know that. But we also know that over the years our forefathers invested to make sure that we can alleviate the pain of what we are going through

today. We did not use that the way we were supposed to.

This is the third time this graph is coming up, and I think it is important. All the different years that we have gone through a drought, we have had decent allocations. The green here is the allocation for 2013, of 20 percent. Yet we had all this water in storage. What happened to this water? When everybody talks about how their communities are running out of water, this water should have been going to those districts, should have been going to those homes.

Kids, parents, families, farmers, this water should have been going to you to grow crops, to feed families. This is important. That is the most important part about this. We had a lot of water. We lost it all. It was dumped out into the ocean in the name of a fish.

I yield to the gentleman from California.

Reclaiming my time, the most important thing I have noticed over time with the studies and the reports is that the food prices do not affect the people in this room. We all know from all the news articles, at least half of the people in this room, money is no issue to you. For the average person sitting at home watching today, this has a direct impact on you at home. It has a direct impact on you at your grocery store, on your grocery bill.

This is an important piece of legislation, and I would love to see some other ideas that could actually deliver some water, not more ideas to take water from the valley and send it out to the ocean. We have seen that. We have done that. We have survived on that. We need to come up with some actual ideas and help protect water for our futures, for our communities in southern California like the author would like to see.