September 25, 2021 - WASHINGTON – Congressman Jim Costa (CA-16) released the following statement on his vote to keep the federal government open, help communities devastated by natural disasters and help resettle Afghan refugees fleeing persecution. His vote also secures funding for critical water storage projects in California.  

“As our economy continues to rebound from the COVID crisis, we cannot afford to derail our economic growth and put at risk the livelihoods of American families,” said Costa. “This vote keeps the government open while we negotiate a better, long-term deal and helps fund critical water projects for California. It’s the right thing to do.”

 The legislation includes more than $200 million dollars to build, expand and repair water storage projects in California that will improve the state’s ability to withstand with the devastating impacts of sustained drought. The bill provides:

• $60 million for the B.F. Sisk Dam expansion project near Los Banos to develop more than 130,000 acre feet of additional water storage;
• $80 million for construction of the Sites Reservoir, a 1.81-million-acre-foot off-stream surface storage reservoir in the Sacramento Valley;
• $50 million for the Los Vaqueros Reservoir expansion project in the Bay Area to develop an additional 115,000 acre feet of water storage and new conveyance infrastructure;
• $15 million for the construction of the Del Puerto Canyon Reservoir near Patterson, an 82,000 acre feet off-stream storage reservoir. 

This bill also ensures that the government can continue to deliver essential services that families depend on, while also preventing a first-ever default on the federal debt that would have a catastrophic impact on the American economy. This legislation:

• Secures government funding through December of this year, ensuring the uninterrupted operations of essential government services;
• Delivers emergency funding for communities devastated by this summer’s record-breaking natural disasters;
• Helps resettle Afghan refugees after the historic evacuation effort in August;
• Suspends the debt ceiling through December 2022, so that the federal government can continue to meet the financial obligations it has already made, including Social Security and Medicare benefits, services for veterans and paychecks for members of the military.
  Source: Congressman Jim Costa