Ahead of a House vote scheduled for today, the White House threatened to veto a water bill backed by California Republicans, saying it overrides state water law and the Endangered Species Act, “thereby resulting in conditions that could be detrimental to the Delta fish and other species.” The water bill, HR 2898, is the only legislation on the House agenda today, with leaders expecting passage by early afternoon after eight amendments are considered.
Sponsored by Rep. David Valadao, the bill would allot less water for wildlife and make more water available for city and farm use. It also would speed up consideration of new water reservoirs. The House passed a similar bill by Valadao last year and it died in the Senate, where it was opposed by California Sen. Dianne Feinstein. The Los Angeles Times has editorialized against the Valadao bill.
The 170-page bill “remains a work in progress. Its approval Thursday, mostly along party lines, will effectively set a GOP negotiating stance for future haggling,” says McClatchy.