At Key Hearing, Sen. Franken Pushes to Complete Lewis and Clark Water Project

Senator Presses Bureau of Reclamation to Fund Rural Water Projects

WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 19, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Today, U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) again pressed the Obama Administration to invest in rural water projects like the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System in southwest Minnesota. He said that states and local communities have put in their fair share of funds to complete the project and it’s time for the federal government to step up to its commitments.

In a Thursday hearing in the Senate Energy Subcommittee on Water and Power, Sen. Franken pressed an official from the Bureau of Reclamation—the government agency that oversees funding for water projects like Lewis and Clark—on why the federal government has yet to meet its commitments to fund rural water projects.

“Rural communities in southwestern Minnesota have critical water needs,” said Sen. Franken.“The state of Minnesota and local communities have put in more than their fair share to bring this project to completion, but funding at the federal level has been woefully inadequate. I’ve cosponsored legislation which would guarantee annual federal investments for Lewis and Clark and projects like it. I’ll keep fighting for funding until the project is completed.”

You can download a video of Sen. Franken questioning at the hearing here.

Sen. Franken, a member of the Senate Energy Committee—which has jurisdiction over projects like the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System—has been fighting for funding to complete the project throughout his time in the Senate. Last month, he helped introduce legislation called the Authorized Rural Water Projects Completion Act, which would provide dedicated funding for rural water projects. This funding would speed up the completion of projects like Lewis and Clark and would reduce the overall costs by reducing costly delays.

Sen. Franken has also pushed the Bureau of Reclamation to give the economic impact of the project stronger consideration when funding is prioritized, and he’s repeatedly questioned both the Interior Secretary and Bureau of Reclamation officials in Senate Energy Committee hearings. Sen. Franken has also made repeated budget requests for the project and has regularly visited with local officials to discuss how to keep the project moving.