{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.heller.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=8AE456C2-A9E0-4E7D-9CBC-04706B1380C9", "Heller, Other Western Senators Applaud  Committee Passage of Drought Bill", "2016-07-13", "2016", "2016-07", "Republican", "House", "NV", "Dean Heller", "H001041", "www.heller.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Legislation would address water rights, infrastructure, and \r\nconservation in drought-stricken states\r\n(Washington, DC) \u2013 Today, U.S. Senators Dean Heller (R-Nev.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), James Risch (R-Idaho), and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) applauded the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee\u2019s passage of the Western Water Supply and Planning Enhancement Act (S. 2902), their jointly-introduced bill to combat the Western drought. The legislation provides forward-looking measures to help drought-stricken states make better use of existing water infrastructure, increase conservation efforts, and protect state-issued water rights.\r\n\u201cUnfortunately, Nevada is no stranger to drought. The importance of Nevada\u2019s water supply cannot be understated. It serves as the catalyst for our communities to grow and flourish. I\u2019m proud to stand in unison with my western colleagues here on Capitol Hill to ensure every drop of western water is stretched as far as it can go,\u201d said Senator Heller.\u00a0\r\n\u201cAfter today, the most impressive thing I\u2019ve ever seen moved by water isn\u2019t a barge or an aircraft carrier; it\u2019s the United States Senate,\u201d said Senator Flake. \u201cWith the committee\u2019s approval of this forward thinking proposal, Congress is finally poised to confront the drought and ensure reliable access to water in the West. This bill ought to be brought to the floor and passed without delay.\u201d\r\n\u201cToday\u2019s vote brings us one step closer to further developing and enhancing our water resources\u2014which is critical to economic development, job creation and our environment,\u201d said Senator Barrasso. \u201cDeveloping and maintaining a clean and abundant water supply is not just an issue for other parts of the country. It's the lifeblood of our western communities.\u201d\r\n\u201cI thank the members of the committee for approving this legislation, which is essential to combating catastrophic wildfire and historic drought \u2013 two top issues for Arizona\u2019s future,\u201d said Senator McCain. \u201cI look forward to working with my colleagues to push this bill forward so we can strengthen forest management, safeguard our water supplies, and ensure Arizona\u2019s lands are enjoyed by generations to come.\u201d\r\n\u201cIf I told you that today, over 22,000 Montanans lack access to a steady supply of water, you\u2019d be shocked.\u00a0That\u2019s why it was important to me to include measures that will improve the efficiency of existing water supply infrastructures and\u00a0protect\u00a0water rights in this bill,\u201d said Senator Daines.\u00a0\r\nSpecific provisions in the bill would:\r\n \r\nDirect the re-evaluation of flood control operations to western storage reservoirs (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, or non-federal) in order to use up-to-date forecasting methods and hydrology to enhance water storage.\r\nDirect a study by the National Academy of Sciences and an implementation plan by the Department of Interior (DOI) on how to best control water-intensive invasive species like tamarisk, also known as salt cedar.\r\nEncourage voluntary efforts to conserve water in order to protect Lake Mead from falling into shortage by building on a successful pilot program.\r\nApply a streamlined permitting process for forest and wildland restoration efforts to help protect watersheds in critical water supply areas.\r\nEnsure that DOI and the Department of Agriculture respect state-issued water rights and abide by state groundwater laws when managing groundwater under federal lands. This language was originally introduced as\u00a0S. 982\u00a0by Heller, Barrasso, Flake, McCain, and Risch. \u00a0\r\n \r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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://www.heller.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=8AE456C2-A9E0-4E7D-9CBC-04706B1380C9"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.3207138292491436, "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"}