Devin Nunes

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. I would just say, Mr. Chairman, that I wish that my friend, Mr. Costa, was the Speaker and not our current Democrat leadership because it's the current leadership that's destroying the economy of the San Joaquin Valley--not Mr. Costa and Mr. Cardoza, who are trying their best to deal with their leadership to try to bring some attention to this problem.

Mr. NUNES. I yield back.

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Chair, I appreciate my other friend from California. But the facts are, it's absurd to think that pumping some water out of a delta is killing killer whales, and that's what is in this biological opinion. When the government gets to the point of blaming killer whales for problems, the government has much bigger problems than just this little amendment. So when you look at the fisheries in California that have been destroyed, the fishing industry was run out of San Diego a long time ago. There used to be Portuguese American fishermen that controlled the tuna industry in San Diego. The Democrats ran them out back in the seventies and eighties. So to now blame little minnows and pumping water to allow people to work are now destroying all the fish and killer whales in the ocean is absurd. We have starving people in the Valley. When is this Congress going to act? When? How many more days? It's been going on for 2 years. How much longer? Is 40,000 people enough people out of work? Do we need 80,000 people out of work? How many more people must starve because of the inaction by this body? That's what I want to know.

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Chair, how much time do I have remaining?

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Chair, excuses, excuses, excuses. What we've had throughout my entire career in Congress is more and more excuses. I appreciate the gentleman spent three decades in this body systematically destroying the Valley's economy. And so to hide behind the courts, to hide behind the bureaucracy, to hide behind the Obama administration, it may sound good to the gentleman from California. But the reality of it is, there are people living in their cars. People don't have food. Food banks are out of food. Workers are trying to have work. Farmers are going bankrupt because of the actions that Mr. Miller has taken throughout his entire career. It's okay. It's okay to value fish. That's okay. But understand that you're starving families while you value the fish. It's unfortunate. Mr. Chair, I appreciate my colleagues' support of this amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Chair, today it's been 628 days since many of my colleagues and I requested this Congress to take action to avoid a collapse of civil society in the San Joaquin Valley. Only 3 months ago I again warned Congress that an economic catastrophe was looming. Despite this warning, the leadership of this Congress sat back and did absolutely nothing. The result, 40,000 workers laid off, unemployment nearing 20 percent with some Valley communities nearing 50 percent. This man-made drought in California is the direct result of this government's action to protect the 3-inch minnow. The situation has now been compounded by a recent Obama administration action that now blames cities and farms in California for the plight of the killer whale. This is absolutely absurd. What is wrong with this government? We are starving people to save the killer whale now. This highly controversial opinion was rushed into print by the Obama administration without public comment or debate. This is a clear violation of the Endangered Species Act and has since been challenged in court. Nevertheless, the Obama administration, just like the captain of the Titanic, declared full steam ahead and mandated further reductions on California's water supply. This has caused water shortages to spread not only in the San Joaquin Valley but now to Los Angeles and even to San Diego. The Democrat Congress is directly responsible. You were warned, you failed to act, and now this Congress must accept the responsibility for their actions. A government that cannot provide water is a government that has failed. Throughout history, dictators like Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe have used water as a weapon to starve their enemies of water. But what we've never seen in history is a democracy starving its own people of water. Mr. Chair, my constituents are not enemies of the state. Quite honestly, offering this amendment today is the worst of all options. But because of the actions of this Democrat majority, I had no other choice. They have refused to allow debate on this issue or even a vote on a bill that would end this crisis for good. This amendment is a small step in a long process that must be made to build a case that this Congress has failed its constitutional duties to provide for the general welfare of its citizens. Mr. Chair, this is a bipartisan amendment. I would urge support of this amendment. My colleagues Mr. Cardoza and Mr. Costa have been very helpful in drafting this amendment. I hope that the Congress would adopt it. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. NUNES. Looks like we won't get an answer once again, Mr. Chairman, but I want to thank my Democrat colleagues, Mr. Cardoza and Mr. Costa, for supporting this amendment. I know it's been hard for them, and I appreciate their friendship and their work on this issue. I also want to thank the Republican leadership in this body for supporting this amendment.

Mr. NUNES. I thank the gentleman from Texas for giving more time to this amendment. As you know, we had to go to the Rules Committee last night to try to get this amendment made in order. We had many of our colleagues who weren't even allowed to offer amendments. The Republicans have completely been shut out of the process, and I don't know how we're supposed to come to commonsense resolutions to the problems in this country if we don't even have time to debate issues. My friend, Mr. Cardoza, wanted to have time to come out and debate these issues; my friend, Mr. Costa, had to fight with his leadership to have time to come down and debate these issues. What's wrong with the leadership over there? How long are you going to let these people starve? How long? Two years. It's 2 years now since we've asked. The pumps in California have to run, and sooner or later, your colleagues in Los Angeles--whether they like it or not--the Democrats in Los Angeles who have refused to do anything, their water rates are going up. They're running out of water. San Diego's water rates are up 40 percent this year. So you can run, but you can't hide. This isn't going away. I would encourage the leadership of this body to get some people with common sense to get control of this body.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Well, I would hope the gentleman would yield again.

Mr. NUNES. I have a question for the gentleman because I know he has spent a lot of time on approps. I know you're from California, and we've talked a lot about the water issue in California. Because this bill is going to go to the President and become law, this is one of our last opportunities to actually make law and get pumping levels back up to historic levels so we can provide water not only to San Joaquin Valley, but also to Los Angeles and San Diego. Do you think there's any possibility we could amend this bill and get something changed here so it will go to Obama's desk?

Mr. NUNES. If the gentleman will yield.

Mr. NUNES. Thank you.

Mr. NUNES. As we go through the approps process, I know you will be helpful in trying to get the point across that we have 40,000 people right now without jobs in the San Joaquin Valley, long food lines, 20 percent unemployment. These are very serious issues, and I would hope that your committee will be helpful.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Madam Speaker, on the legislative day of Thursday June 11, 2009, I was unavoidably detained and was unable to cast a vote on a number of rollcall votes. Had I been present, I would have voted: rollcall 334--``yea''.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of G.A. Gindick--an inspirational community leader and philanthropist who touched the lives of all who knew her. Madam Speaker, I had the honor of representing Mrs. Gindick in Congress. I witnessed her impact on the community of Visalia first- hand. She and her late husband Frank were instrumental in starting the Visalia Boys and Girls Club--an organization that has touched the lives of both the young and young at heart. She was a true booster--a financial supporter and active volunteer. Mrs. Gindick's dedication to Visalia was full-time. She was a powerful advocate for local art and cultural institutions and was constantly engaged in the defense of Visalia's heritage and quality of life. She was a tenacious woman; a woman it was hard to say no to; a woman who understood what community meant, and always strove to help those in need. Madam Speaker, Mrs. Gindick will be sorely missed. But because of her enormous heart and lifelong commitment to others, she will not be forgotten.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to offer my gratitude on behalf of the people of the 21st Congressional District for the lifetime service of Dr. Terry Bradley. He is retiring from his position as superintendent of the Clovis Unified School District. I have known Terry for many years as his Representative in Congress. His hard work and commitment to the students and faculty of Clovis Unified has always impressed me. Indeed, Terry's legacy is one that should be celebrated. During his tenure, he presided over faculty investments amounting to over $1 billion. These improvements, as well as his commitment to excellence, have made a real difference in the quality of education for the students. While the parents and students of Clovis will miss him, Terry can leave his position with full confidence that Clovis Unified School District, a school district that has helped lead the valley into the 21st century, will continue to thrive for future generations.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. I want to rise in opposition to this rule. Madam Speaker, when our government can't ensure water to the people that live in this country, the government has failed. And I want my colleagues to know, particularly those in the Democratic leadership, that this government is presiding over a manmade drought in California. Thanks to this, my district is at 20 percent unemployment. Some communities are at 50 percent unemployment. And despite this crisis, today, the Obama administration announced a new biological opinion that will end water deliveries in California, laying waste to billions of dollars worth of infrastructure and starving the State of water. We must not allow this to happen, and this body must act. I would like to conclude by addressing my friends in the Democratic leadership in this country. I want to express my congratulations for dealing with this crisis. You have managed to make the crisis worse. Madam Speaker, we need to stop the spending, stop the bailouts, and get back to the basic responsibilities that this government has, like providing water to people. With that, Madam Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on this rule.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Madam Speaker, on the legislative day of Thursday, May 21, 2009, I was unavoidably detained and was unable to cast a vote on a number of Rollcall votes. Had I been present, I would have voted: Rollcall 289--``yea''; Rollcall 290--``yea''; Rollcall 291--``nay''.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and congratulate the faculty and students of Riverdale High School for a truly remarkable achievement. On May 12, Riverdale High will be awarded the National College Board's Inspiration Award--an award that recognizes America's three most improved secondary schools. As many of my colleagues will recall, the National College Board's Inspiration Award seeks out schools with high academic standards, as well as schools that encourage students to prepare for college. Once selected, recipients are afforded national recognition and a check for $25,000. Madam Speaker, Riverdale High School has approximately 1,500 students. More than 80 percent are on free or reduced lunch. Almost half of the school's students are migrants and a quarter of the population is learning English for the first time. Despite these challenges, Riverdale High offers an academically rigorous environment, including 12 AP courses, a choral and music program, as well as ROP, and drama and agriculture curriculum. With this academic rigor has come great academic achievement. Riverdale High School has achieved a graduation rate of 98 percent over the past three years. Of these young men and women, 90 percent are continuing their education. Simply put, they are doing amazing work in this small community. You cannot argue with results and I would like to extend my congratulations to all of the people who have made this honor for Riverdale High possible.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. I am in its current form.

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit.

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, to put it bluntly, the people of the San Joaquin Valley are experiencing an economic disaster, the scope of which is unprecedented. In fact, it has surpassed the worst levels of the Great Depression. Indeed, over the past 2 years, I have pleaded with this body and State officials and my colleagues here in Congress to avoid this man-made disaster. In January of 2008, I testified before the Water and Power Subcommittee and asked that the Democrats that controlled Congress overturn a court-imposed, man-made drought in California. In February, and again in June of 2008, I asked the Governor and Interior Secretary to declare states of emergency and focus State and Federal resources to develop new water supplies to avoid this economic disaster. In July of 2008, I again returned to the Water and Power Subcommittee to testify about the unfolding disaster and pleaded that the committee take action to increase the water supply. Despite my pleas, this Congress and our President have done nothing. Unemployment in the San Joaquin Valley now averages close to 20 percent, with some communities nearing 50 percent. An economic disaster is not looming for the people of the San Joaquin Valley, it is here, and it is here as a direct result of government action, namely, the use of precious water resources in an attempt to value fish over families. There is a solution to the poverty and economic havoc confronting the San Joaquin Valley, but it doesn't come from a new study of an old problem. Relief won't come from a long-winded stump speech, a chant at a water rally, or an impassioned speech on this floor. It has to come through legislative action by this body. I have introduced a ``no cost'' bill that would provide immediate relief to suffering Californians. And just last week, Secretary of the Interior Salazar announced $260 million of stimulus money to address the crisis in California. But not $1 came to mitigate the effects of the southern San Joaquin Valley. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle should be outraged. They expressed outrage for the last administration's alleged failure to deal with the consequences of Hurricane Katrina, but they have said nothing about the current administration's failure to undertake a single act to address this ongoing disaster. The folks in the San Joaquin Valley have had to resort to finding assistance from food banks. I'd like to draw your attention to this picture here. Kristian Reyes, age 3, and his brother, Kelvin Reyes, age 5, were turned away from a local food bank just recently. Additionally, there was an additional 50 families that were turned away that day. Let me make it clear. We're not asking for a $1 billion bailout. We're not even asking for $1. All we need is this Congress to move emergency legislation that would allow the delta pumps to return to historic export levels. Unfortunately, the underlying bill does nothing to resolve this crisis. Therefore, the Republicans have had to resort to offering a motion to recommit that directs the President to account for the economic impacts of cutting off water to families and dedicating this precious resource to a 3- inch minnow called the Delta Smelt that I want to draw your attention to. This is absolutely ridiculous. This is a national disgrace when the breadbasket of the world cannot even feed the people that live and work there. When a government is unable to provide citizens access to a reliable water supply, the government has failed. We need to be part of the solution, not the problem. It's time to stop valuing fish over families. Pass this motion to recommit, and send a message to the people of the San Joaquin Valley that, at a minimum, you are willing to own up to the problem that this Congress has created. With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. NUNES. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. NUNES

Mr. NUNES. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I had to come back down here because I heard folks on the other side of the aisle saying that there was no energy tax in here, and last night out here on the floor late in the evening we talked about cap- and-trade. A lot of Americans don't know what cap-and-trade means, but cap-and- trade is an energy tax. It is not a baseball cap, it has nothing to do with international trade. It is an energy tax. It is a tax on everything that you use. So I would ask my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to please explain to me where this $2 trillion comes from if it is not a tax. Does it come out of the sky? Do we print it at the Federal Reserve? Do we borrow it from the United Nations? But there is $2 trillion in this bill that has got to come from somewhere. So it is disguised as cap- and-trade, but it is a flat-out energy tax, unless someone can explain to me what it may be. So what do we know about this budget? We know that it has a cap-and- tax, energy tax, $2 trillion. We know that we are going to have the largest tax increase in American history. We know that at the end of President Obama's first term that he will have amassed more debt than every single President that this country has ever had. More debt. Those are the things that we know. So unless the majority can tell us what is going to happen, where this money is going to come from, I don't know what they are smoking but somebody's hallucinating, and we need to figure that out, Madam Chair. So I would urge a ``no'' vote on this budget. Let's go back, let's determine where these taxes are coming from, because this is absolutely reckless.