Floor Statements

Mr. President, I am pleased to reintroduce the ``Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act'' along with my California colleague Senator Padilla.

This legislation, based on a Congressionally-authorized National Park Service study, would increase the size of the Santa Monica Recreation Area by 191,000 acres, accomplishing multiple goals of expanding access to green space for underserved communities and conserving and connecting wildlife habitat corridors, while maintaining private property rights and existing land-use authorities.

In 2008, Congress passed the Rim of the Valley Corridor Study Act, which directed the National Park Service to study the area. The park expansion in our bill is based upon this six-year special resource study.

This bill also takes into account more than 2,000 comments received by the public, elected officials, local organizations, and other stakeholders.

The ``Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act'' would add 191,000 acres to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation area. This addition, known as the Rim of the Valley Unit, would provide improved recreational, educational, and outdoor opportunities to the local communities.

The proposed expansion would also better protect natural resources and habitats, including valuable habitat for endangered wildlife, such as the California red-legged frog, mountain lions, bobcats, foxes, badgers, coyotes, and deer.

Notably, the ``Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act'' would only allow the Department of the Interior to acquire non-Federal land within the new boundaries through exchange, donation, or purchase from willing sellers.

As I mentioned, this legislation will significantly expand outdoor recreational opportunities for residents of Los Angeles County, one of the most densely populated and park-poor areas in California. The impact of the coronavirus pandemic has only underscored the importance of having access to green spaces close to home.

In fact, 47% of Californians--that's six percent of the total U.S. population--live within two hours of the proposed expansion area. Enlarging the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, at no cost to U.S. taxpayers, will provide these communities with increased access to public lands and boost the local economy.

In light of President Biden's January 27, 2021 Executive Order on ``Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad'' setting the goal of protecting ``30 percent of our lands and waters by 2030'', this legislation aligns with that goal and provides an opportunity to advance it based on federal agency recommendation and a robust public process.

Last Congress, we successfully advanced this legislation out of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee in the Senate.

My colleague, Representative Adam Schiff, reintroduced this legislation in the House, where it passed as part of a larger package in a bipartisan vote last February.

I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the ``Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act'' out of the Senate as well.

Thank you, Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today in support of the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure

Act, S. 914, introduced by my colleague Senator Duckworth. This bill would provide much needed funding for drinking water and wastewater cleanup across the country, addressing climate change and assisting underserved communities.

Millions of Americans do not have access to clean water. In California alone, it is estimated that nearly 1 million Californians do not have access to clean water from their tap. California faces unique water challenges, and in the face of climate change, drought per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances contamination, and population growth, my State's aging water infrastructure, like many others, is in need of support.

The Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act authorizes more than $35 billion for updating and repairing aging infrastructure, and also assisting historically underserved and marginalized communities.

Communities of color and low-income communities are more likely to lack the infrastructure to provide safe drinking water to households and prevent water contamination. For example, the farming communities of the San Joaquin Valley face a frequent danger of drought that threatens to dry up their groundwater supply.

These predominantly Latino communities also face the threat of growing nitrate levels in their ground water supplies, forcing families to forego using tap water for drinking, cooking, and even showering.

This bill would fix these disparities by funding investments and advancements in infrastructure to ensure that families have access to clean water, no matter where they live.

I am pleased that my amendment to Section 203 was included in the substitute bill. Section 203 of the base bill creates a new EPA grant program for water recycling and other sustainable water supplies that will complement the existing Bureau of Reclamation water recycling program.

In the base bill, section 203 prohibits water recycling projects that have received any Bureau of Reclamation funding from receiving EPA funding. I think it is reasonable to prohibit water districts that have received Bureau of Reclamation construction funding from also receiving construction funding from EPA.

But the base bill would also prohibit water districts from applying for EPA grants if they received even preliminary Reclamation funding years ago for feasibility studies, planning, or design.

The new EPA program is needed precisely because there is a backlog of $800 million to $1 billion for water recycling projects under the Bureau of Reclamation's program.

I don't believe it makes sense to prohibit water districts from accessing available EPA funding to build needed water recycling projects just because they got a little Reclamation study funding years ago.

My amendment, which Senators Padilla and Kelly cosponsored, would ensure that water recycling projects that received Bureau of Reclamation funding for studies would still be eligible to apply for EPA funding.

I thank the bill managers for accepting this amendment into the substitute bill.

I am also pleased to vote for Senator Shaheen's bill and thank the Senator for her efforts to improve our nation's water infrastructure.

Mr. President, I rise today to reintroduce bipartisan legislation that would better align the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) homeless assistance programs with other federal agencies' homelessness programs and provide greater flexibility to local communities to address youth homelessness.

According to the latest estimate from HUD, there are over 580,466 homeless individuals in the United States. This number includes an estimated 161,548 individuals in California, including children and youth.

However, if you compare that with data from other federal agencies, a different story is told.

For example, the Department of Education identified 1.3 million students experiencing homelessness during the 2018-2019 school year. This includes an estimated 271,528 public school students in California, almost double the total number of homeless individuals (including adults) identified by HUD in California.

The disparity between the homeless numbers reported by HUD and the Department of Education are not just mere statistical differences; they have real consequences.

For instance, only those children and families considered ``homeless'' under HUD's definition are eligible for vital homeless assistance programs. Those children and families who do not meet HUD's definition will therefore continue to fall through the cracks.

Our bill would allow HUD homeless assistance programs to serve extremely vulnerable children and families, specifically those staying in motels or in doubled-up situations because they simply have nowhere else to go.

These children are especially susceptible to abuse and trafficking because they are often not served by a case manager, and therefore remain hidden from potential social service providers.

Communities that receive Federal funding through HUD's competitive application process are also unable to prioritize or direct resources to help children and families who don't meet the current definition of ``homelessness.''

In addition to fixing the issue with competing federal definitions of homelessness, our bill would provide communities with new flexibility to use Federal funds the way they see fit to address local needs. Our bill requires HUD to assess the extent to which Continuums of Care use separate, specific, age-appropriate criteria for determining the safety and needs of children and unaccompanied youth and divert people to safe, stable, age-appropriate accommodations.

Finally, our bill would improve transparency and give a better sense of the homeless crisis facing our country by requiring HUD to include data on all categories of homelessness in its Point in Time count and Annual Homeless Assessment Report.

Mr. President, we must do more to meet the needs of homeless children and youth and stop the vicious cycle of poverty and chronic homelessness. As the ongoing coronavirus pandemic threatens to push more children, youth, and families into homelessness and continues to pose potentially lethal health risks, it is imperative that we do not impose more barriers for these children and families to access services. I believe this bill is a commonsense solution that will ensure that homeless families and children can receive the help they need.

I would like to thank Senator Rob Portman for his support on this critical issue and for joining me in introducing this bill, and I implore our colleagues to support the ``Homeless Children and Youth Act.''

Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today to reintroduce bipartisan legislation that would better align the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) homeless assistance programs with other federal agencies' homelessness programs and provide greater flexibility to local communities to address youth homelessness.

According to the latest estimate from HUD, there are over 580,466 homeless individuals in the United States. This number includes an estimated 161,548 individuals in California, including children and youth.

However, if you compare that with data from other federal agencies, a different story is told.

For example, the Department of Education identified 1.3 million students experiencing homelessness during the 2018-2019 school year. This includes an estimated 271,528 public school students in California, almost double the total number of homeless individuals (including adults) identified by HUD in California.

The disparity between the homeless numbers reported by HUD and the Department of Education are not just mere statistical differences; they have real consequences.

For instance, only those children and families considered ``homeless'' under HUD's definition are eligible for vital homeless assistance programs. Those children and families who do not meet HUD's definition will therefore continue to fall through the cracks.

Our bill would allow HUD homeless assistance programs to serve extremely vulnerable children and families, specifically those staying in motels or in doubled-up situations because they simply have nowhere else to go.

These children are especially susceptible to abuse and trafficking because they are often not served by a case manager, and therefore remain hidden from potential social service providers.

Communities that receive Federal funding through HUD's competitive application process are also unable to prioritize or direct resources to help children and families who don't meet the current definition of ``homelessness.''

In addition to fixing the issue with competing federal definitions of homelessness, our bill would provide communities with new flexibility to use Federal funds the way they see fit to address local needs. Our bill requires HUD to assess the extent to which Continuums of Care use separate, specific, age-appropriate criteria for determining the safety and needs of children and unaccompanied youth and divert people to safe, stable, age-appropriate accommodations.

Finally, our bill would improve transparency and give a better sense of the homeless crisis facing our country by requiring HUD to include data on all categories of homelessness in its Point in Time count and Annual Homeless Assessment Report.

Mr. President, we must do more to meet the needs of homeless children and youth and stop the vicious cycle of poverty and chronic homelessness. As the ongoing coronavirus pandemic threatens to push more children, youth, and families into homelessness and continues to pose potentially lethal health risks, it is imperative that we do not impose more barriers for these children and families to access services. I believe this bill is a commonsense solution that will ensure that homeless families and children can receive the help they need.

I would like to thank Senator Rob Portman for his support on this critical issue and for joining me in introducing this bill, and I implore our colleagues to support the ``Homeless Children and Youth Act.''

Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

Madam President, I rise today in support of the joint resolution of disapproval, which would reinstate critical regulations on methane emissions from the oil and gas industry.

Last summer, the Trump administration finalized a midnight rule that weakened and in some cases altogether eliminated requirements that oil and natural gas companies limit methane and volatile organic compound emissions from their operations. This action was taken despite methane's proven harmful impacts on air quality, health, and climate change.

Methane leaks from oil and gas wells are often accompanied by leaks of harmful carcinogens like benzene, resulting in health effects for the most vulnerable, including children and seniors. My home State of California is still dealing with the fallout of the Aliso Canyon gas leak--the worst gas leak in U.S. history-during which more than 100,000 metric tons of methane was emitted into the air. Many nearby residents reported having headaches, bloody noses, nausea, and rashes.

Methane also has more than 80 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide and accounts for 10 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. According to one study, the Trump aministration action will result in methane leaks equivalent to up to 592 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. This will have irreversible effects on our climate.

In California, we are already experiencing the destructive effects of climate change. California has seen recordbreaking and devastating droughts, floods, and wildfires. These disasters cannot be separated from global warming and the emissions of greenhouse gasses that cause it.

I am glad to see Congress taking action to reinstate necessary regulations on methane emissions, and I look forward to taking additional action, along with my conngressional colleagues, to combat climate change and ensure clean air for all Americans.

I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of this resolution.

Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the ``Clean Commute for Kids Act,'' which I introduced today.

I know firsthand how outdated diesel school buses expose our children to harmful and unnecessary pollution. I grew up in the San Fernando Valley and for many years, I rode a bus to school. I can still smell the diesel exhaust that my classmates and I would breathe in on our way to and from school.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 25 million American children were exposed to this same diesel exhaust when they ride over 500,000 predominantly diesel buses to school nationwide. This pollution not only harms our children's health, but it also impacts student achievement. Studies show that transitioning to cleaner bus fleets can spur both health and academic improvements.

As we work to build back better and combat climate change, we must help school districts accelerate the deployment of zero-emission buses to reduce the exposure of our children to pollutants and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

That is why I am proud to introduce this bill together with Senator Warnock to authorize $25 billion for a new grant program to help school districts replace existing buses with clean, zero-emission buses.

This funding represents an essential aspect of building more equitable, sustainable transportation infrastructure, and it represents an investment in our children, our environment, and our future.

This legislation recognizes the disproportionate impact this pollution has on underserved populations by setting aside 40 percent of the grant funding for replacing school buses serving environmental justice communities.

Some of California's school districts have already begun the transition to zero-emission buses. The California Air Resources Board has leveraged federal funding to assist school districts and local air boards with the costs of school bus replacements. This bill will accelerate this transition and provide funding to reach more schools in California and across the nation.

I want to thank Senator Warnock for co-leading this bill with me, and I hope our colleagues will join us in support of this bill that would transform our nation's school bus fleet, protect air quality, and improve the health and wellbeing of our children.

Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the ``Canal Conveyance Capacity Restoration Act,'' which I introduced today. Representatives Jim Costa (D-CA) has introduced companion legislation in the House.

The bill has two major provisions, benefiting both drought resilience and the environment:

First, it would authorize more than $653 million to restore the capacity of three canals of national importance. Restoring these canals would improve California's drought resilience and help the nation's leading agricultural economy comply with limits on groundwater pumping under the state's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.

Second, the bill authorizes an additional $180 million to restore salmon runs on the San Joaquin River. The funding is for fish passage structures, levees and other improvements that will allow the threatened Central Valley Spring-run Chinook salmon to swim freely upstream from the ocean to the Friant Dam.

The bill authorizes a \1/3\ Federal cost-share for restoring the capacity of the Friant-Kern Canal, the Delta-Mendota Canal, and the California Aqueduct.

Coordinated legislation in the State legislature introduced by State Senator Melissa Hurtado would authorize a \1/3\ state cost-share for restoring the canals' capacity. Under the coordinated Federal and State legislation, the locals would also be responsible for a \1/3\ cost- share for the canal restoration projects.

This legislation would help California water users and California's nation-leading agricultural industry comply with a recent State requirement to end the overpumping of groundwater. The stakes are huge: bringing groundwater into balance will reduce the water supply of the San Joaquin Valley by about 2 million acre-feet per year.

Unless local water agencies and the State and Federal governments take action, a recent U.C. Berkeley study has projected severe impacts from these water supply losses:

798,000 acres of land would have to be retired from agricultural production, nearly \1/6\ of the working farmland in an area that produces half the fruit and vegetables grown in the nation; and

$5.9 billion would be lost in annual farm income in a region that is almost entirely reliant on agriculture and has been called ``the Appalachia of the West'' due to its severe economic disadvantage.

One of the most cost-effective and efficient ways to restore groundwater balance is to convey floodwaters to farmlands where they can recharge the aquifer. California has the most variable precipitation of any State. When we get massive storms from atmospheric rivers, there is plenty of runoff to recharge aquifers--but only if we can effectively convey the floodwaters throughout the San Joaquin Valley to recharge areas.

Here is where the challenge arises. For a variety of reasons, the ground beneath the major canals has dropped by as much as 10 to 20 feet, which has caused canals designed to convey floodwaters to buckle and drop in many places. Other parts of the canals have not subsided, so the amount of water that the canal conveys must be reduced so that the canals don't overrun.

As a result, these essential canals for conveying floodwaters have lost as much as 60% of their conveyance capacity. The bill I am introducing today would provide Federal assistance to help fix these Federal canals.

Specifically, the bill would authorize $653.4 million in a Federal funding-cost share for three major projects to repair Federal canals damaged by subsidence to achieve their lost capacity:

$180 million for the Friant-Kern Canal, which would move an additional 100,000 acre-feet per year on average;

$183.9 million for the Delta Mendota Canal, which would move an additional 62,000 acre-feet per year on average; and

$289.5 million for California Aqueduct repairs, which would move an additional 205,000 acre-feet per year on average. While parts of the California Aqueduct are state-owned, the majority of the repairs are on its federally-owned portion.

If the Federal government covers a portion of the cost of restoring these three essential Federal canals for conveying floodwaters, it will give local farmers a fighting chance to bring their groundwater basins into balance without being forced to retire massive amounts of land.

Critically, the ability to deliver floodwaters through restored Federal canals will allow the water districts to invest in their own turnouts, pumps, detention basins and other groundwater recharge projects. The South Valley Water Association, which covers just a small part of the Valley, provided my office with a list of 36 such projects for its area alone.

The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) has determined that groundwater recharge projects are the best option to help the San Joaquin Valley comply with the new state groundwater pumping law. PPIC projects that the Valley can make up 300,000 to 500,000 acre feet of its groundwater deficit through recharge projects.

A study commissioned by the coalition group called the ``Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley'' estimates that required reductions in groundwater could cause a loss of up to 42,000 farm and agricultural jobs in the San Joaquin Valley. Another 40,000 jobs or more could be lost statewide each year due to reductions in Valley agricultural production, putting the total at approximately 85,000 jobs statewide. Most of these impacts will fall disproportionately on economically disadvantaged communities. These impacts will be significant unless we address them through collaborative planning, policies, infrastructure, recharge and necessary financial support.

Let me now turn to the three critical canals that the bill would authorize assistance to restore. The Friant-Kern Canal is a key feature of the Friant Division of the Federal Central Valley Project on the Eastside of the San Joaquin Valley. For nearly 70 years, the Friant Division successfully kept groundwater tables stable on the

Eastside. This provided a sustainable source of water for farms and for thousands of Californians and more than 50 small, rural, or disadvantaged communities who rely entirely on groundwater for their household water supplies.

But unsustainable groundwater pumping in the Valley has reduced the Friant-Kern Canal's ability to deliver water to all who need it. Land elevation subsidence caused by over-pumping means that not all of the supplies stored at Friant Dam can be conveyed through the canal. In some areas, the canal can carry only 40 percent of what it's designed to deliver.

In 2017, a very wet year in which we should have been banking as much flood water as possible, the Friant-Kern Canal couldn't deliver an additional 300,000 acre-feet of water that it would have been able to convey had its capacity not been limited by subsidence. This significant amount of water would have been destined for groundwater recharge efforts in the south San Joaquin Valley, where the impacts of reduced water deliveries, water quality issues and groundwater regulation are expected to be most severe.

The California Aqueduct serves more than 27 million people in Southern California and the Silicon Valley and more than 750,000 acres of the Nation's most productive farmland. But despite its name, much of the California Aqueduct is owned by the Federal government and serves portions of Silicon Valley, small towns and communities in the northern San Joaquin Valley, and farms from Firebaugh to Kettleman City. The aqueduct represents a successful 70-year partnership between the Federal Government and the State of California.

In recent years, particularly recent drought years, the California Aqueduct has subsided. It has lost as much as 20% of its capacity to move water to California's families, farms and businesses. California is leading efforts to repair the aqueduct and is working to provide its share of funding, but the Federal government will also need to pay its fair share. The bill I am introducing today would authorize $289.5 million toward restoring the California Aqueduct.

The Delta-Mendota Canal stretches southward 117 miles from the C.W. Bill Jones Pumping Plant along the western edge of the San Joaquin Valley, parallel to the California Aqueduct. The Delta-Mendota Canal has lost 15% of its conveyance capacity due to subsidence. The bill I am introducing today would authorize $183.9 million toward restoring its full ability to convey floodwaters to farms needing to recharge their groundwater, and to wildlife refuges of critical importance for migratory waterfowl along the Pacific Flyway.

This bill responds to a potential crisis that very possibly could cause the forced retirement of nearly 1/6 of the working farmland in an area that produces half of America's fruits and vegetables.

These are Federal canals, and the federal government must help give these farmers and communities reliant on the agricultural economy a fighting chance to keep their lands in production.

In addition, this legislation helps to restore an historic salmon run on California's second-longest river, the San Joaquin.

I hope my colleagues will join me in support of this bill. Thank you, Mr. President, and I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the ``Canal Conveyance Capacity Restoration Act,'' which I introduced today. Representatives Jim Costa (D-CA) has introduced companion legislation in the House.

The bill has two major provisions, benefiting both drought resilience and the environment:

First, it would authorize more than $653 million to restore the capacity of three canals of national importance. Restoring these canals would improve California's drought resilience and help the nation's leading agricultural economy comply with limits on groundwater pumping under the state's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.

Second, the bill authorizes an additional $180 million to restore salmon runs on the San Joaquin River. The funding is for fish passage structures, levees and other improvements that will allow the threatened Central Valley Spring-run Chinook salmon to swim freely upstream from the ocean to the Friant Dam.

The bill authorizes a \1/3\ Federal cost-share for restoring the capacity of the Friant-Kern Canal, the Delta-Mendota Canal, and the California Aqueduct.

Coordinated legislation in the State legislature introduced by State Senator Melissa Hurtado would authorize a \1/3\ state cost-share for restoring the canals' capacity. Under the coordinated Federal and State legislation, the locals would also be responsible for a \1/3\ cost- share for the canal restoration projects.

This legislation would help California water users and California's nation-leading agricultural industry comply with a recent State requirement to end the overpumping of groundwater. The stakes are huge: bringing groundwater into balance will reduce the water supply of the San Joaquin Valley by about 2 million acre-feet per year.

Unless local water agencies and the State and Federal governments take action, a recent U.C. Berkeley study has projected severe impacts from these water supply losses:

798,000 acres of land would have to be retired from agricultural production, nearly \1/6\ of the working farmland in an area that produces half the fruit and vegetables grown in the nation; and

$5.9 billion would be lost in annual farm income in a region that is almost entirely reliant on agriculture and has been called ``the Appalachia of the West'' due to its severe economic disadvantage.

One of the most cost-effective and efficient ways to restore groundwater balance is to convey floodwaters to farmlands where they can recharge the aquifer. California has the most variable precipitation of any State. When we get massive storms from atmospheric rivers, there is plenty of runoff to recharge aquifers--but only if we can effectively convey the floodwaters throughout the San Joaquin Valley to recharge areas.

Here is where the challenge arises. For a variety of reasons, the ground beneath the major canals has dropped by as much as 10 to 20 feet, which has caused canals designed to convey floodwaters to buckle and drop in many places. Other parts of the canals have not subsided, so the amount of water that the canal conveys must be reduced so that the canals don't overrun.

As a result, these essential canals for conveying floodwaters have lost as much as 60% of their conveyance capacity. The bill I am introducing today would provide Federal assistance to help fix these Federal canals.

Specifically, the bill would authorize $653.4 million in a Federal funding-cost share for three major projects to repair Federal canals damaged by subsidence to achieve their lost capacity:

$180 million for the Friant-Kern Canal, which would move an additional 100,000 acre-feet per year on average;

$183.9 million for the Delta Mendota Canal, which would move an additional 62,000 acre-feet per year on average; and

$289.5 million for California Aqueduct repairs, which would move an additional 205,000 acre-feet per year on average. While parts of the California Aqueduct are state-owned, the majority of the repairs are on its federally-owned portion.

If the Federal government covers a portion of the cost of restoring these three essential Federal canals for conveying floodwaters, it will give local farmers a fighting chance to bring their groundwater basins into balance without being forced to retire massive amounts of land.

Critically, the ability to deliver floodwaters through restored Federal canals will allow the water districts to invest in their own turnouts, pumps, detention basins and other groundwater recharge projects. The South Valley Water Association, which covers just a small part of the Valley, provided my office with a list of 36 such projects for its area alone.

The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) has determined that groundwater recharge projects are the best option to help the San Joaquin Valley comply with the new state groundwater pumping law. PPIC projects that the Valley can make up 300,000 to 500,000 acre feet of its groundwater deficit through recharge projects.

A study commissioned by the coalition group called the ``Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley'' estimates that required reductions in groundwater could cause a loss of up to 42,000 farm and agricultural jobs in the San Joaquin Valley. Another 40,000 jobs or more could be lost statewide each year due to reductions in Valley agricultural production, putting the total at approximately 85,000 jobs statewide. Most of these impacts will fall disproportionately on economically disadvantaged communities. These impacts will be significant unless we address them through collaborative planning, policies, infrastructure, recharge and necessary financial support.

Let me now turn to the three critical canals that the bill would authorize assistance to restore. The Friant-Kern Canal is a key feature of the Friant Division of the Federal Central Valley Project on the Eastside of the San Joaquin Valley. For nearly 70 years, the Friant Division successfully kept groundwater tables stable on the

Eastside. This provided a sustainable source of water for farms and for thousands of Californians and more than 50 small, rural, or disadvantaged communities who rely entirely on groundwater for their household water supplies.

But unsustainable groundwater pumping in the Valley has reduced the Friant-Kern Canal's ability to deliver water to all who need it. Land elevation subsidence caused by over-pumping means that not all of the supplies stored at Friant Dam can be conveyed through the canal. In some areas, the canal can carry only 40 percent of what it's designed to deliver.

In 2017, a very wet year in which we should have been banking as much flood water as possible, the Friant-Kern Canal couldn't deliver an additional 300,000 acre-feet of water that it would have been able to convey had its capacity not been limited by subsidence. This significant amount of water would have been destined for groundwater recharge efforts in the south San Joaquin Valley, where the impacts of reduced water deliveries, water quality issues and groundwater regulation are expected to be most severe.

The California Aqueduct serves more than 27 million people in Southern California and the Silicon Valley and more than 750,000 acres of the Nation's most productive farmland. But despite its name, much of the California Aqueduct is owned by the Federal government and serves portions of Silicon Valley, small towns and communities in the northern San Joaquin Valley, and farms from Firebaugh to Kettleman City. The aqueduct represents a successful 70-year partnership between the Federal Government and the State of California.

In recent years, particularly recent drought years, the California Aqueduct has subsided. It has lost as much as 20% of its capacity to move water to California's families, farms and businesses. California is leading efforts to repair the aqueduct and is working to provide its share of funding, but the Federal government will also need to pay its fair share. The bill I am introducing today would authorize $289.5 million toward restoring the California Aqueduct.

The Delta-Mendota Canal stretches southward 117 miles from the C.W. Bill Jones Pumping Plant along the western edge of the San Joaquin Valley, parallel to the California Aqueduct. The Delta-Mendota Canal has lost 15% of its conveyance capacity due to subsidence. The bill I am introducing today would authorize $183.9 million toward restoring its full ability to convey floodwaters to farms needing to recharge their groundwater, and to wildlife refuges of critical importance for migratory waterfowl along the Pacific Flyway.

This bill responds to a potential crisis that very possibly could cause the forced retirement of nearly 1/6 of the working farmland in an area that produces half of America's fruits and vegetables.

These are Federal canals, and the federal government must help give these farmers and communities reliant on the agricultural economy a fighting chance to keep their lands in production.

In addition, this legislation helps to restore an historic salmon run on California's second-longest river, the San Joaquin.

I hope my colleagues will join me in support of this bill. Thank you, Mr. President, and I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment.

The bill before us today fixes a drafting error from legislation enacted last December. The unintentional error occurred accidentally against a longstanding rule under which California is able to use Medicaid funding to reimburse hospitals serving uninsured and Medicaid patients.

Today's bill fixes that drafting error. It makes no other changes to law and does not provide additional funds to California or any other State. CBO says that this provision has no budgetary effect.

Because of the sheer number of Medicaid and uninsured patients that receive care in California's safety net hospitals, Congress, in 1997, granted the State additional flexibility. It can use Federal funds it receives to cover hospital expenses for those in need.

If the Scott amendment passes, hospital care for half of the children in California and the vulnerable populations most affected by COVID would be at risk.

Please vote no on this amendment.

Vote on Amendment No. 1411

Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the ``Battleship Iowa National Museum of the Surface Navy Act,'' which I introduced today.

This simple bill would designate the Battleship USS Iowa Museum located in Los Angeles, California, as the ``National Museum of the Surface Navy.''

The Battleship, USS Iowa Museum, would be the official museum to honor the millions of Americans who have proudly served and continue to serve in the United States Surface Navy since the founding of the Navy on October 13, 1775.

The Battleship USS Iowa is an iconic ship that served as a home to hundreds of thousands of sailors from all 50 states. Commissioned in 1943, the Battleship Iowa has received accolades as the ``World's Greatest Navy Ship'' and had several namesakes, including the ``Mighty I'' and the ``Big Stick,'' which referred to President Teddy Roosevelt's famous adage: ``Speak softly and carry a big stick.''

The USS Iowa was also known as the ``Battleship of Presidents.'' In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt used the ship for meetings with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet Primer Joseph Stalin. President George H.W. Bush re-commissioned the USS Iowa in 1984 while serving as Vice President of the United States. Prior to the USS Iowa's decommissioning in 1990, President Ronald Reagan used the ship for our nation's Celebration of Liberty in New York City on July 4, 1986.

The USS Iowa earned nine battle stars for service in World War II and two for service during the Korean War. The ship was also awarded the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Navy Occupation Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and the Navy ``E'' Ribbon--four times.

In 2012, the Navy donated the Battleship Iowa to the Pacific Battleship Center, which established the Battleship USS Iowa Museum at the Port of Los Angeles. Since its opening, the Museum has welcomed millions of visitors.

The Museum also hosts numerous military activities, including enlistments, re-enlistments, commissionings, promotions, and community service days. The museum also provides on-site training for federal, state, and local law enforcement personnel.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the museum has closed all of its indoor exhibits and has struggled to attract visitors. As a non-profit organization, the museum is supported solely by admissions, donations, event space rentals, and gift shops.

How the bill would help

Our bill would designate the USS Battleship Iowa Museum as the ``National Museum of the Surface Navy'' to raise awareness and educate the public on the important role of the United States Surface Navy.

The ``National Museum of the Surface Navy'' would build on the success of the Battleship USS Iowa Museum by introducing new exhibits and programs with a focus on education, veterans, and community.

Conclusion

It is imperative that we preserve the legacy of those who have served on the Battleship USS Iowa and all Surface Navy ships.

I hope my colleagues will join me in support of this bill. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

Mr. President, nationally, psychostimulant overdose deaths, including methamphetamine-related deaths, increased by nearly 42% between July 2019 and July 2020. This increase is second only to synthetic opioids, a category which includes fentanyl.

My home State of California has been particularly hard hit. Between 2014 and 2019, methamphetamine-caused deaths in San Diego increased from 262 to 546, a stunning 108 percent increase in just five years. Similarly, in Los Angeles County, methamphetamine was involved in 44 percent of all drug overdose deaths in 2018.

Unfortunately, these figures are not unique to California, as other localities throughout the country are also seeing increases.

That is why I am introducing the Methamphetamine Response Act, which was passed by the Senate unanimously during the last session of Congress, with my colleague, Senator Grassley.

This bill does two things. First, it declares methamphetamine an emerging drug threat. Second, it requires the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to develop and implement a national plan that is specific to methamphetamine, in accordance the ONDCP Reauthorization, which I was proud to co-author, and which was enacted in 2018 as part of the SUPPORT Act.

This plan must include: An assesment of the methamphetamine threat, including the current availability of, and demand for, the drug, and the effectiveness of evidence-based prevention and treatment programs, as well as law enforcement programs;

Short- and long-term goals focused on supply and demand reduction and the expansion of prevention and treatment programs;

Performance measures related to the plan's goals; and

The level of funding needed to implement the plan, including an assessment of whether available funding can be reprogrammed or transferred, or whether additional funds are needed.

It is clear that methamphetamine is re-emerging as a major drug threat to our Nation:

Data shows that methamphetamine use is no longer limited to Mid-West and Western States, but is increasingly prevalent in Northeastern States.

Between 2018 and 2019, psychostimulant overdose deaths, including methamphetamine deaths, increased in 27 of the 38 States that provide drug-specific data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This amounts to a 27 percent increase nationally.

Methamphetamine continues to be highly potent, pure, and cheap. By the end of 2019, its availability and use had both increased.

Between 2016 and 2019, the number of individuals aged 12 and older with a methamphetamine use disorder increased from 684,000 to one million. That's a 46 percent increase in just three years.

Emergency room admissions for suspected stimulant overdoses, including methamphetamine, increased by 23 percent between January 2019 and 2020. These increases occurred in 36 States and the District of Colombia.

Two of the largest methamphetamine seizures on record occurred in 2019: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized 3,000 pounds of methamphetamine at the port of Otay Mesa while the Drug Enforcement Administration seized 2,224 pounds of methamphetamine in Riverside County. Both of these seizures were in California.

Given the increasing size of these seizures, it is not surprising that in the first five months of fiscal year 2021, CBP has already seized more than 75,000 pounds of methamphetamine.

In a one year span, psychostimulants, including methamphetamine, killed more than 21,000 Americans. Absent immediate action and a comprehensive plan, these fatalities will continue to increase.

I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate and in the House to see Methamphetamine Response Act enacted.

Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today in honor of Women's History Month to recognize the extraordinary achievements of past generations of women, and to pay tribute to the vital role they have played in the political, economic, and social development of this nation.

Women's History Month provides a special opportunity to reflect upon women's countless accomplishments that touch all aspects of our society--from government, to business, the arts and sciences, the military and much more. I look upon the courage our predecessors displayed with great admiration, and I continue to be inspired by those who blazed the trail for women like me.

In December of this past year, I was incredibly proud to see the Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act, which I co-led with Senator Susan Collins, enacted into law. This law will create a long overdue, permanent museum to collect, study, and create programs that celebrate women's experiences and contributions.

However, the last year also brought with it the loss of a number of pioneering women, including Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, and the brave Civil Rights Movement champion Lucille Bridges. Though these icons are no longer with us, their contributions will live on and their accomplishments have shattered glass ceilings for future generations of women. May we honor their work and memory with a commitment to elevate and support future women leaders.

This past election year marked a new high water mark for women in politics, as more women ran for and were elected to office in 2020 than ever before. Of the many notable wins, I was overjoyed to see my friend and former Senate colleague, Vice President Kamala Harris, elected to the nation's second-highest office. The election of more women to places of power is crucial for our continued progress.

I am eager to work with Vice President Harris and the 144 women serving in Congress in 2021 to address the challenges before us.

One of our first priorities must be to address the ongoing pandemic, which

has had devastating consequences for the health of our country and economy. The pandemic has also uniquely harmed women and girls-- especially women of color. A disproportionate number of women have lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic, and are often unable to maintain work commitments with children learning from home while schools are closed. As far as we have come, this unequal harm borne by women during the pandemic reminds us of the work toward equality that is yet to be done. We must continue our work to ensure fairness and equity for women everywhere.

As we undertake to celebrate Women's History Month, I ask my colleagues to celebrate with me how far we have come and to continue the fight for the progress of all women--especially those who are struggling during these trying times.

Thank you Mr. President and I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today in support of Xavier Becerra's nomination to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

I am proud to have known Xavier Becerra for many years as both a friend and colleague. He has spent decades serving California, including as the State's attorney general and as a 12-term Congressman from Los Angeles.

Mr. Becerra was the first in his family to receive a 4-year college degree, earning his bachelor of arts in economics from Stanford University and, later, his juris doctorate from Stanford Law School. As a member of the House of Representatives, he was a strong advocate for the healthcare of his constituents and fought to make the Affordable Care Act law. And as California attorney general he has been a staunch defender of the Affordable Care Act, leading 20 States and the District of Columbia in defense of the Affordable Care Act before the Supreme Court.

As part of his focus on protecting the health of Americans, Mr. Becerra has worked on a bipartisan basis with multistate coalitions of attorneys general on issues still affecting our country today. These include the need to reduce youth exposure to tobacco products like e- cigarettes, increasing access to COVID-19 treatments, as well as addressing the opioid epidemic and the considerable harm it has caused families.

As our State's attorney general, Mr. Becerra has led the Nation's second largest department of justice behind only the U.S. Department of Justice. His experience leading large and diverse organizations will position him to successfully lead the Department of Health and Human Services, which is the Nation's largest Federal agency by budget.

As Secretary, he will lead the Nation's top health agency charged with enhancing the health and well-being of all Americans. In this global pandemic, he will play a lead role in overseeing the implementation of President Biden's national strategy for COVID-19 response, which is vital to defeating the virus that has plagued our country for far too long. His history-making nomination as the first Latino to manage this Department comes at a time when this pandemic is affecting communities of color at much higher rates than white Americans. And those of us who know him personally know the level of his concern and the strength of his dedication to protect the health and safety of all hard-working Americans and their families.

In short, Xavier Becerra is the right candidate to lead the Department of Health and Human Services at this time, and I strongly urge the Senate to confirm his nomination. Thank you.

Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the ``Help Independent Tracks Succeed (HITS) Act,'' which Senator Blackburn and I introduced today. Representatives Linda Sanchez (D-CA) and Ron Estes (R-KS) have introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have consistently heard from independent musicians and producers in California who have lost a large percentage of their incomes due to concerts, festivals, and other events being cancelled.

With many live performance stages and venues across the Nation closed for months as a result of the pandemic, independent musicians and music makers such as technicians and creators have suffered significant loss of income.

According to a survey by the Copyright Alliance, 88 percent of creators have lost income due to the coronavirus pandemic, which is more than double the national average. Approximately half of survey respondents had lost 90 percent or more of their income.

Our bill would provide some relief to music creators by allowing independent musicians, technicians, and music producers to deduct the cost of producing new musical recordings, putting them on a level playing field with other arts productions.

The U.S. Tax Code allows film, television, and theater productions to fully deduct production expenses in the year they are incurred.

However, recording artists are not given the same treatment, and are forced instead to amortize their production expenses over a number of years.

The HITS Act would allow qualified sound recording producers to deduct 100% of recording production expenses--up to $150,000--in the year they are incurred, rather than in later years.

Because this change would simply accelerate a tax deduction that already exists, the bill's expected cost would be minimal.

In addition, because the deduction would be capped at $150,000 per production, our legislation would benefit smaller, independent musicians and music producers rather than large companies.

The coronavirus pandemic has had a dramatic impact on music creators around the Nation. Our bill would help create parity between musical creators and other creative producers, stimulate the economy, and get music makers back to work.

I hope my colleagues will join me in support of this bill. Thank you, Mr. President, and I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today to re-introduce the ``Border Water Quality Restoration and Protection Act.''

For over two decades, cleaning up the Tijuana River Valley has been one of my top priorities for Southern California. The wastewater, trash and sediment that continues to flow into San Diego and Imperial Counties is an alarming danger to public health and our economy. Although we have made recent strides in cleaning up this pollution, there is much work remaining.

That's why I am proud to introduce this important legislation, once again, to help address this decades-long issue. I am very pleased Senator Padilla has joined me as an original cosponsor and I look forward to working with him on this important issue.

Polluted water from the Tijuana and New Rivers flows north across the border into the United States causing unsanitary water conditions, pollution and beach closures across Southern California. It also jeopardizes military training exercises for Navy Seals in Camp Pendleton.

Three-quarters of the 1,700-square-mile Tijuana River watershed lies in Mexico. However, the watershed, along with all its pollutants, drains into San Diego County and the Tijuana River Valley.

In addition to jeopardizing human health and safety, two of the most drastic effects from this cross-border water pollution are harm to wildlife and damage to the tourism industry, integral to Southern Californian communities. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to threaten our nation's health and economy, it is critical we work to address the pollution in the region so California can welcome visitors back to their beaches when it is safe to do so.

The beaches in the region are central to San Diego's tourism economy. In recent years, beaches in the communities of Coronado and Imperial Beach were closed for more than 200 days in a single year due to pollution.

Health and safety of residents and workers are also at risk. In recent years, local Border Patrol union officials reported that 80 officers suffered from contamination, rashes, infections, chemical burns and lung irritation due to toxic cross-border flows.

In addition, pollution from Mexico harms sensitive areas that provide critical habitat for more than 300 species of birds as well as marine animals like leopard sharks and bottlenose dolphins. The region is home to multiple parks and public lands, including the Tijuana River's National Estuarine Research Reserve, the River Mouth State Marine Conservation Area and River Valley Regional Park Preserve.

The harmful effects of pollution in the Tijuana River Valley on our residents, businesses, economy and environment are simply unacceptable.

In February 2020, the Government Accountability Office issued a comprehensive report, ``International Boundary Water Commission: Opportunities Exist to Address Water Quality Problems.'' My office worked closely with the GAO to utilize their findings to craft meaningful change through this legislation.

Simultaneously, we were able to secure $300 million in the U.S.- Mexico-Canada trade agreement to address pollution in the Tijuana River Valley Watershed.

With significant funding and detailed findings by the GAO investigation, we developed this legislation in concert with federal, state and local agency input. As beaches in both the United States and Mexico continue to close due to high levels of pollution, it is as imperative as ever to advance a solution that engages all stakeholders.

The Border Water Quality Restoration and Protection Act includes key reforms to advance concrete solutions.

One of the problems is that no one agency is in charge of this problem. A whole range of agencies--EPA, International Boundary and Water Commission, State Department, Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, Defense Department--all have jurisdiction or interest in this international issue.

What we need is one agency in charge, taking input from the others so decisions can be made. This approach is similar to other large, regional environmental challenges like the Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico, Everglades and Chesapeake Bay. Here in California, we have also seen great success with this model of interagency coordination at Lake Tahoe.

Here's how the bill would work:

The EPA would be officially named the agency with overall control of this effort.

The EPA, along with its federal, state and local partners, would be directed to identify a list of priority projects. It also would be authorized to accept and distribute funds to build, operate and maintain those projects.

The bill would permanently authorize the Border Water Infrastructure Program to manage storm water runoff and water reuse projects.

State and local authorities would also be authorized to contribute funding to federal projects, which is currently not allowed.

The International Boundary and Water Commission would be authorized to mitigate storm water from Mexico and the pollution that comes with it and is required to construct, operate and maintain projects on the priority list developed by the agencies within the U.S. that improve water quality.

We need a new and comprehensive approach to this issue that has plagued border communities for too long. This bill creates a formal process to consider effective, long-term solutions and additional wastewater infrastructure to mitigate cross-border pollution and I hope the Senate can move on this bill quickly.

I want to thank California Environmental Protection Agency, California Natural Resources Agency, San Diego and Imperial counties, cities of Imperial Beach and Coronado, Mayor of Chula Vista, Mary Casillas Salas, the City of San Diego and the Port of San Diego for supporting this legislation. These communities, and others, have been negatively impacted by this issue for far too long.

It's past time that we finally solve this problem to safeguard local health and economic growth.

Once again, I thank Senator Padilla for his cosponsorship. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the ``Affordable Housing Redevelopment Act,'' which I introduced today.

I want to thank Senator Padilla for joining me on this important bill, and Representatives Jared Huffman and Mike Thompson for leading a companion measure in the House of Representatives.

Established in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, the Neighborhood Stabilization Program was created by Congress to help provide assistance to communities hit hard by the recession by funding the acquisition and rehabilitation of troubled residential properties.

The program helped States, local governments, and nonprofit organizations acquire properties and rehabilitate or repurpose them as long-term affordable housing.

Between 2008 and 2019, Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds have facilitated the construction or rehabilitation of more than 50,000 homes, and the program has generated $1.8 billion in return income, allowing communities to stretch Federal investments even further.

Today, more than 7.4 million units of affordable housing are needed across the U.S. to meet the needs of low-income renters. In my home State of California, more than 1.4 million units are needed to address the State's affordable housing shortage.

Due to financial burdens and loss of income resulting from the COVID- 19 pandemic, millions of people in the United States are at risk of eviction or foreclosure, and the need for more affordable housing is expected to increase dramatically.

In addition to making long-term investments in building new affordable housing in the United States, it is also critically important to focus resources on more immediate solutions, such as acquiring and rehabilitating existing buildings.

Acquisition and rehabilitation provides two distinct advantages: it lowers per-unit construction costs and makes affordable housing units available to low-income households much faster.

The ``Affordable Housing Redevelopment Act'' would reauthorize and expand the Neighborhood Stabilization Program to help State and local governments purchase blighted, vacant, abandoned, foreclosed, or surplus properties, and convert them into affordable housing. Eligible projects would include mixed-use development and conversions of non- residential office and retail properties.

All new units would have to serve households whose income does not exceed area median income, and at least 25 percent of units would serve households whose income does not exceed 50 percent of area median income. Long-term affordability requirements would apply in all cases.

The bill would authorize $1.5 billion in discretionary appropriations to be allocated as a competitive grant program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

This bill provides a targeted and cost effective way for the Federal government to help communities build more affordable housing, while also stimulating local economies and creating jobs.

I hope my colleagues will join me in support of this bill. Thank you, Mr. President, and I yield the floor.