Representative Mike Garcia (R-CA), House Committee on Natural Resources Republican Leader Bruce Westerman (R-AR), Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (R-WA), and fellow lawmakers sent a letter to Secretary of the Department of Interior (DOI) Deb Haaland and Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Tom Vilsack about the need for action to address the current drought crisis in California and across the West. 
 
“This is a dire situation for many of our constituents, threatening communities, economies, the environment, and our way of life. It is also impacting the availability of food for the region, the rest of the nation, and the world,” the lawmakers wrote. 
 
The lawmakers highlighted the Biden administration’s development of the “Interagency Working Group,” created specifically to address the drought crisis, but stated this group has yet to propose any plans or comprehensive solutions.  
 
“We remain committed to working across the aisle with the Biden Administration to mitigate this and future droughts. However, we are concerned that the Biden Administration lacks a comprehensive plan…” the lawmakers wrote. “As a result, we and many of our constituents are left with the perception that this Administration has no comprehensive drought plan and that the Interagency Working Group announcement was nothing more than a window-dressing exercise for the press.”
 
The letter comes after House Republican lawmakers, including Garcia, held a forum on the Western Water Crisis to discuss solutions such as emergency funding, flexibility for water transfers, and federal and state disaster declarations.
 
Earlier this year, Garcia introduced legislation that would extend the bipartisan California water provisions from the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act.
 
Click here to read the letter.