Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) announced that she would join a bipartisan delegation trip along the Colorado River with U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper (D -Colo.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.). The senators will be joined by U.S. Department of the Interior Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau and Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton to discuss the urgent work ahead to secure the future of the Colorado River.
“As a third generation Nevadan, I know we need to work together to protect our water supply. I’m glad to partner with my colleagues who understand that every state in the Colorado River Basin is affected by the ongoing drought and we can’t wait any longer to take serious action,” said Senator Cortez Masto.
“The Colorado River is the lifeblood of the American West and a cornerstone of Colorado’s recreation and tourism economies — and it is running out of water. We have to act soon, and together, to protect the 40 million people that rely on this incredible river,” said Senator Bennet. “I look forward to honest and constructive conversations throughout this trip about how all of the Basin states can step forward and be part of the solution.”
“The best solution to this crisis appears to be all seven basin states working together to find a solution that honors Tribal sovereignty, supports our agricultural producers, strengthens communities, and protects our most precious resource. This trip is about getting out and talking to the people on the frontlines of aridification in the West,” said Senator Hickenlooper.
“The future of the Colorado River and the states that rely on it is the most pressing issue of the moment for western states like Wyoming. I am looking forward to this trip and the opportunity to learn more about the challenges upper and lower basin states face and ensuring states remain in the driver’s seat on finding solutions to ensure the Colorado River is usable for generations to come,” said Senator Lummis.
Senator Cortez Masto has been a leader in the Senate working to combat drought. She fought to deliver $4 billion to combat drought in the states bordering the Colorado River in the Inflation Reduction Act and she helped pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which will continue to make a historic amount of funding available for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements across the country over the next five years. Cortez Masto also passed into law a $450 million competitive grant program for large-scale water recycling projects across the Western U.S.
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