Congressman Jerry McNerney’s first bill passed the House floor
Thursday, authorizing $125 million in funding for projects aimed at
conserving and reusing water.
Morgan Hill – Congressman Jerry McNerney’s first bill passed the House floor Thursday, authorizing $125 million in funding for projects aimed at conserving and reusing water.
The bill was sponsored by Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-San Ramon, and passed 369 to 55. The next step is to find a sponsor in the Senate.
The bill, titled “The Healthy Communities Water Supply Act of 2007,” provides grant funding for cities and water districts to implement strategies to conserve, reuse and reclaim water. The grants require a 50 percent match from local agencies, which could include Gilroy, Morgan Hill and the Santa Clara Valley Water District.
“We encourage as much conservation as possible,” said Rosemary Kamei, noting there are no new water sources in California as the population soars. “Reusing water for agriculture, irrigation and industry is crucial. It really is an important bill.”
The bill authorizes funds to develop alternative sources of clean drinking water as well as water for agricultural and industrial uses.
McNerney, who represents District 11, which includes about 356,000 registered voters and covers parts of Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin and Santa Clara counties, said the bill is particularly important given California’s relatively dry winter and below-average snow pack.
“That’s an important consideration with lower than normal rainfall totals and a Sierra snowpack just 65 percent of its normal size, sources that are essential to the state’s water supply,” McNerney said in a press release.
However, the legislation won’t take affect until it passes the Senate and is signed by the president. A spokesman for McNerney said there isn’t a timeline for when this will happen.
McNerney said he’s excited that local governments will be able to develop types of projects to conserve, manage and reclaim water that work best for them.
Rep. Ellen Tauscher put a political spin on the bill’s passage.
“I’m glad that the Congress has finally taken the initiative and passed this legislation,” Tauscher said. “I’m glad to have leaders like McNerney among our Democratic majority that allows us to pass common-sense legislation protecting our natural resources.”
McNerney’s bill was only the second by a freshman member of Congress.
