March 8th-- Sites Reservoir Speeding Up Construction

This past week, the House passed H.R. 240, a measure to fund the Department of Homeland Security through September. I was one of 167 members to vote against the "clean" measure. I could not in good conscious vote for a bill that allows the President’s immigration plan to move forward. There is nothing clean about this bill. For it to be clean, it would not include radical changes to our nation’s immigration system, such as those the President is attempting to enact outside of our laws. The President has said 22 times that he lacks the power to change the law without working with Congress, and yet his immigration plan would do just that by giving legal status to millions who entered the country illegally.

I am continuing to support legislation to bring lasting reform and relief to California. Below I have included some highlights from DC and our district. To learn about how I can serve you and to follow me throughout the week, please visit my website and stay in touch with me on my Facebook page.

Sincerely,

Doug LaMalfa

As California faces its fourth year of drought, the need for long-term water storage is apparent. On February 25th, I introduced legislation to speed up the commencement of construction of the widely supported and much-needed Sites Reservoir. Located in Colusa and Glenn counties, Sites Reservoir is a proposed off-stream reservoir that would store up to 1.8 million acre feet of water, generating an additional 900,000 acre feet of water during droughts for cities, agriculture, and the environment. H.R. 1060 — cosponsored by Representative Garamendi — would accelerate the completion of a feasibility study of Sites Reservoir, and authorize construction of the project should it be found feasible. Two-thirds of Californians voted to invest in new surface storage projects like Sites Reservoir. It is time to fulfill the promises made to voters, and it is time to bring drought relief to California.

In the wake of VA scandals in California and across the nation, the House passed two measures last week to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs. HR 280 would authorize the VA secretary to recoup bonuses for VA employees, granting the ability to rescind bonuses awarded to employees under false pretenses or based on fabricated performance data. The second measure, HR 294, allocates funds towards long-term care in foster health facilities for approximately 900 eligible veterans. Last year, the VA paid more than $380,000 in cash bonuses to top executives at 38 hospitals that are under investigation for falsifying wait times for medical care.  VA employees who are responsible for fraud and mismanagement should not be receiving benefits while thousands of claims languish and veterans await basic care.

Last week, I had the great honor of welcoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the House floor to address a joint meeting of Congress. His speech is a wake-up call to those who haven’t yet accepted that Iran’s determined pursuit of nuclear weapons is dangerous not just for Israel, but also for the United States. Our enduring friendship with Israel, one based upon mutual trust and respect, demands that we stand against those who threaten Israel’s existence. To read my full statement on the Prime Minister's address, please click here.

Rep. LaMalfa visits with Future Farmers of America students at the 101st Annual Placer County Farm Bureau Dinner on Saturday, February 28th.