Press Release

Earlier today, Congressman Ami Bera, M.D., offered the final amendment to the energy and water funding bill for fiscal year 2016 (H.R. 2028) to bring more emergency drought relief to California families, farmers, and small businesses. The amendment also sought to help communities modernize their water infrastructure to use their water more efficiently and prepare for future droughts. Click here to watch his remarks supporting the amendment on the House floor.

Bera made the following comment:

"The Sierra Nevada snowpack is at just 5 percent of normal and we're entering our fourth year of drought conditions. There are families, famers, and small businesses who are feeling the pain of our prolonged drought every single day and we need to focus on bringing emergency help to the people who are being hurt now. This issue is too serious to play games and pit Republicans against Democrats or place southern delta interests ahead of Northern Californians. We need immediate relief now and long term, comprehensive solutions to secure water access and storage throughout our state."

Bera also voted for the energy and water bill that, among many other things, included funding to continue upgrades at the Folsom Dam, a project that creates infrastructure jobs while boosting Folsom Lake's water storage capacity to hold onto more water during drought years. He has been fighting for long-term and comprehensive solutions to address California's drought since coming to Congress, supporting not only the Folsom Dam project, but other legislation to increase water storage at other California reservoirs, and supporting water recycling efforts. He has also fought the governor's ill-conceived water draining tunnels in the Bay-Delta Conservation Plan. Visit bera.house.gov/ca-drought to learn more.

Bera has represented Sacramento County in Congress since 2013. Born and raised in California, he is a physician and the only Indian American currently serving in Congress. He's fighting to rebuild an economy that works for middle class families and to reduce our country's debt in a responsible way. One of Bera's first acts in Congress was to help lead the effort to pass the No Budget No Pay Act, which says if members of Congress don't pass a budget, they don't get paid. As a leader of the No Labels' Problem Solvers, he's working with people from both parties to find bipartisan solutions to our nation's challenges. He and his wife Janine live in Elk Grove with their daughter Sydra. For more updates on Rep. Bera follow @RepBera on Twitter, like Congressman Bera on Facebook, or visit https://www.bera.house.gov.