Democrats are lining up against a major water funding bill over California drought-relief language that poses concerns for endangered species, according to the Senate’s second-ranking Democrat.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Tuesday that opposition to the water bill is “probably” enough to block the legislation from being passed.
The Senate and House issued a comprehensive water bill late Monday as a bicameral deal to move the legislation forward before the end of the year. But Sen. Barbara Boxer of California, the top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee, said the drought deal for her state was an affront to the Endangered Species Act and vowed to do everything in her power to block it.
Her Democratic colleague, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., were okay with the language and urged swift passage.
But Durbin is raising concerns, telling reporters Tuesday that what Feinstein and McCarthy are doing “is very controversial within our caucus.”
Durbin said “there’s pretty strong sentiment opposed to it,” warning that Democrats have the votes to defeat a procedural vote to begin consideration of the bill on the floor.
Democrats’ concern is a provision in the bill, which funds water projects throughout the country, that would allow the release of large amounts of water from dams to relieve the most impacted communities in the Golden State. Boxer argued that the large releases would damage habitat meant to support threatened and endangered wildlife. It also would significantly alter congressional jurisdiction over the region’s dams.
The water bill also includes funding for Flint, Mich., which has suffered from lead contamination of its drinking water supply for more than a year and became a prominent issue during the presidential campaign.
Some Democrats said they could look past the California drought language if Flint funding is maintained in the bill.
“My focus from day one continues, which is all about Flint,” said Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., who has been supportive of the Flint funding in the Senate. “If the Flint package is in there, that’s going to be the driver for me.”
Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., who has led the charge for Flint in the Senate, said the “divisive California drought provisions” threaten to jeopardize the town’s lead contamination funding. The bill secured $170 million for Flint, but it still needs to be appropriated in a must-pass spending bill that has to be approved by Friday.
“There is no reason to jeopardize passing urgently-needed assistance to address lead poisoning issues in Flint and other communities,” Stabenow said. “We will continue working to reach a final agreement and will hold Republican leaders accountable to their promise to pass assistance by the end of the year.”
The White House said it doesn’t support the latest version of the bill, but came short of issuing a veto threat, according to White House spokesman Josh Ernest. He warned Republicans not to “use the disagreement in California to break their promise to the people of Flint, Mich.”
The administration doesn’t “support that measure that’s been put forward, but we’ll review the bill in its totality,” he said.
