{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://boebert.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-boebert-introduces-bill-complete-arkansas-valley-conduit", "Rep. Boebert Introduces Bill to Complete the Arkansas Valley Conduit", "2024-09-10", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "House", "CO", "Lauren Boebert", "B000825", "boebert.house.gov", "boebert", "https://boebert.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "\u201cSoutheast Coloradans have been waiting for decades for the completion of the Arkansas Valley Conduit and the Finish the AVC Act will help local governments finally finish this major project,\u201d said Congresswoman Boebert. \u201cRural families and businesses need access to clean, sustainable water they can depend on every day. It\u2019s time we get the AVC done for Colorado, and I look forward to working with Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper to getting this bill through both chambers of Congress.\u201d\n\nOnce completed, the Arkansas Valley Conduit will provide water to as many as 50,000 Coloradans across 39 communities in Pueblo, Otero, Bent, Kiowa, Prowers and Baca Counties. While the AVC was originally approved for construction in 1962, the project was never completed because local communities were unable to cover 100% of the costs. By eliminating interest payments, The Finish the AVC Act will ease the burden of inflation costs that have caused the original $640 million estimate of construction in 2019 to rise to over $1.3 billion.\n\n\u201cThis bill will ensure the federal government makes good on its promise to Southeastern Coloradans to deliver a safe and reliable water supply,\u201d said Senator Bennet. \u201cWe have invested over $300 million to build the Arkansas Valley Conduit over the past decade and now we must ensure increased costs don\u2019t stop this project in its tracks.\u201d\n\n\u201cWater has been the lifeblood of Colorado\u2019s Arkansas River Valley since long before JFK promised to deliver them clean drinking water,\u201d said Senator Hickenlooper. \u201cSixty years later, our bill will help Southeastern Colorado communities harness their resources to get the job done.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis bill is needed to help the Arkansas Valley Conduit be economical enough to supply clean drinking water to communities in the lower Arkansas Valley,\u201d said State Senator Rod Pelton, whose district covers Southeast Colorado.\n\n\u201cAs someone who represents the communities that will directly benefit from the Arkansas Valley Conduit, I am proud to support the efforts of Congresswoman Boebert to finally finish this critical infrastructure project,\u201d said State House Assistant Minority Leader Ty Winter. \u201cAccess to clean water is not a luxury, it is a necessity, and Southeast Colorado families and businesses deserve a reliable and sustainable water supply. The Finish the AVC Act is a vital step towards fulfilling a promise made to our region decades ago and I look forward to seeing this project completed for the future of our communities.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis is another very important step for the people of the Lower Arkansas Valley who have struggled to get the Arkansas Valley Conduit moving ahead for more than 60 years. Now that the AVC is finally under construction and given the current estimated cost of the AVC project, this legislation is absolutely necessary to make this dream a reality. We are grateful for our entire congressional delegation stepping up to make it happen,\u201d said Bill Long, President, Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District.\n\nFull text of Rep. Boebert\u2019s House legislation can be found HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://boebert.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-boebert-introduces-bill-complete-arkansas-valley-conduit"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9370883926749229, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}