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Water and Power Resources

House Passes Water Bill to Promote Abundant Water Supply to California and the West

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the House passed H.R. 23 (Rep. David Valadao, R-CA), the “Gaining Responsibility on Water Act” or “GROW Act.” The bill addresses underlying federal policy, regulatory and administrative failures that have contributed to the mismanagement of water supplies across the West.   “Dogmatic paradigms and failed federal policies that promote water indigence must end,” Chairman Rob…

Bishop Statement on Senate Passage of WIIN Act

| Posted in Press Release

Early this morning, the Senate passed S. 612 (Sen. John Cornyn, R-TX), the “Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act” (WIIN), by a vote of 78-21. Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) issued the following statement: “I'm pleased the Senate swiftly passed historic federal water policy legislation that will deliver much-needed relief to drought-stricken communities across the West. This…

Bill Preventing the Next Flint Passes Committee

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources held a markup on four bills including H.R. 5032 (Rep. Dave Brat, R-VA). The bill removes a federal land-use restriction on a piece of land in the town of Louisa, Virginia so that it may be repurposed to provide residents with a safe supply of drinking water.   Louisa has spent millions of dollars studying ways to comply with…

Federal Regulatory Process Clouds Renewable Energy Growth

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans held an oversight hearing to examine the limited growth of hydropower and barriers to expansion. Hydropower is clean, renewable and emissions-free yet still faces large hurdles in the federal regulatory process. Washington state witness Jessica Matlock, Director of Government Relations for Snohomish County Public Utility District No. 1,…

Bold Thinking Needed on Title Transfers

| Posted in Op-Eds and Speeches

OP-ED: Bold Thinking Needed on Title Transfers By Congressman Rob Bishop Chairman, House Committee on Natural Resources Throughout much of the last century, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation projects have played a significant role in western settlement and development. These projects have provided those in Utah—and elsewhere in the West— critical…

Members Call Out Administration for Following the Fixed-Pie Fallacy

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans held a budget oversight hearing to review irresponsible spending and harmful regulation under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Bureau of Reclamation and the Power Marketing Administrations (PMAs). Members criticized the Administration for continuing  to curtail…

Bishop: If the President Cared About the Will of the People He Would Reverse Course on WOTUS

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the House passed S.J. Res. 22, Congressional Disapproval of the “Waters of the United States” Rule. Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) released the following statement: “When 27 states object to an action of the President we know something is wrong. Waters of the United States is the President’s latest unilateral act to extend the power of his Administration beyond constitutional limits.…

Bishop Statement on Court Decision to Halt Waters of the U.S. Rule

| Posted in Press Release

Today, Chairman Rob Bishop (UT-01) responded to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling regarding the Environmental Protect Agency’s (EPA) Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rule. “It is sad that we need the courts to tell the Obama Administration to rethink this issue and do the right thing. Why can’t the agencies just work with Congress to do the right thing the first time? This…

Committee Pushes Back on Potential Marine Monument Designations

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans held an oversight hearing on the designations of Marine National Monuments, which are unilateral executive actions that usurp established regional fisheries management plans and impose significant economic and environmental impacts regionally and nationwide. In particular, the hearing focused on the threat of Marine National Monument…

Bishop: “You violated the law. Period.”

| Posted in Press Release

Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources held a joint hearing with the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Animas River spill, which resulted in 3 million gallons of toxic water spilling into the Animas and San Juan Rivers from Colorado and into New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona. Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) questioned EPA…