10 



and groups who want the water for their own goals. We are not de- 

 nying the Secretary power to use restoration funds to buy water for 

 projects, but we do think he should be able to use all the restora- 

 tion money for projects including those specified in the 1992 bill or 

 other purposes that get us the most environmental improvement 

 for the dollar. We are not content to live with the suggestion that 

 the San Joaquin River study ought to be completed because it is 

 just a study. We know what Secretary Babbitt believes the outcome 

 should be and see no reason to waste more money on a known out- 

 come. 



We are not cutting off water for wildlife refuges as represented. 

 That is completely incorrect. What H.R. 1906, Mr. Chairman, does, 

 as you well know, allows water supplies to refuges to be reduced 

 by only 25 percent during droughts. Farmers are still subject to the 

 law which allows Interior to cut their water supplies by as much 

 as 100 percent. 



Perhaps most important, we want to provide clear legislative 

 guidance to the Department of Interior on the 1992 law because 

 the legislative history and guidelines issued by the Bureau of Rec- 

 lamation since 1992 are not clear. Congress should legislate clearly 

 so we won't have to trust bureaucrats who are not elected by the 

 people. 



Mr. Chairman, I look forward to working with you on this legis- 

 lation because, as you well know, it is crucial to California's future. 

 Agriculture is the foundation on which my district is largely built. 

 The only way farm families can continue to grow the crops that 

 people want and provide the jobs that Central Valley residents 

 need is to revise the 1992 law so that it provides water for wildlife 

 without disrupting the lives of those who have worked, saved, and 

 built on the economic promise the Central Valley Project rep- 

 resents. I believe very strongly, Mr. Chairman, that H.R. 1906 

 makes those kinds of revisions. 



I want to thank the Chairman and other members of this com- 

 mittee, both Republicans and Democrats, for their leadership in 

 producing what I think is an eminently reasonable compromise. It 

 brings the pendulum back to the middle and hopefully will stop the 

 pendulum swings dealing with California water. Thank you very 

 much, Mr. Chairman. 



Mr. DOOLITTLE. I thank the gentleman. Our next witness is Mr. 

 Vic Fazio from California. 



STATEMENT OF HON. VIC FAZIO, A U.S. REPRESENTATIVE 

 FROM CALIFORNIA 



Mr. Fazio. Mr. Chairman, I will try to be brief and to the point. 

 First, let me thank you for having this hearing so we all have a 

 chance to air our views on this measure and, frankly, on the under- 

 lying law it seeks to amend because I don't think we had enough 

 input on the specifics of this legislation when it was passed in the 

 last Congress. 



By balancing all interests in a fair and unbiased fashion, the re- 

 sult of this effort can be I think a bill that is both credible and 

 broadly supported, one that reinforces a commitment to the many 

 objectives of the CVPIA; not in every instance, but to many of 

 them. 



