House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy told fellow Republicans to expect a floor vote this month on a bill to release more water from federal projects to farmers and communities in the West by reducing the amounts guaranteed for wildlife. The bill also would speed up water-storage projects. The bill, HR 2898, was filed on June 25 by Republican David Valadao and co-sponsored by Republicans from the Golden State. It is similar to the bill passed by the Republican-controlled House last year that died in the Senate, which was then run by Democrats.
In a memo, McCarthy listed 12 pieces of legislation that the House is expected to consider this month, including the water bill. A large amount of time would be devoted to debate and passage of the annual funding bills for various parts of the government.
The Valadao bill was referred to the Natural Resources and Agriculture committees, neither of which has acted, according to the bill-tracking Congress.gov site of the Library of Congress.