Congress & The Klamath Water Crisis, revisited

Yesterday I posted Congress weighs in again on Klamath water crisis, but isn't likely to act and commented:

Gotta love that headline.  They'll "weigh in" but "do nothing".  Pretty typical, and this time blaming the current budget environment.

Wyden and Merkley should offer an alternative that costs nothing.  Either legislatively remove the two species of sucker fish from the endangered list, or exempt the Klamath River from the provisions of the ESA during times of drought.

That's what Congress would do if they really wanted to help the ag producers.

Today the subcommittee on Energy and Water Development of the Senate Appropriations Committee has the markup on their approp's bill, and this would be an opportunity to insert language aimed at resolving the issue.  Senator Merkely of Oregon sits on the Appropriations Committee. Would an amendment similar to the ones suggested above pass?  Probably not.  But the question is will he even try to help the ag producers?

The other thing this approach does is pinpoint the problem: the Endangered Species Act.  The problem is not the "current budget environment", the problem is the ESA.  Now that they can't buy their way out of these type conflicts, the focus should be on the damage caused by the ESA. Do you want to protect two species of sucker fish or allow families to be productive on their own property?

In the meantime ag producers will have their water cut off.  This will be replicated across the West this year and continue into future years until and unless the people of the West stop sending these gutless types to represent them in Washington, D.C.