U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) applauds the Fiscal Year 2024 Energy and Water Appropriations bill for addressing California's water priorities, including flood protection.
The new bill that Calvert on June 22 voted to advance, along with a majority of the House Appropriations Committee, would benefit water operations throughout the state of California, he said in a recent news release from his office. Besides directing sizable funds at flood relief, the bill addresses a wide range of issues, such as dam safety, water storage, drought-relief measures and grants for recycling and reuse.
“The FY24 Energy and Water Appropriations bill includes a number of California water priorities that will help our state provide families, farmers and businesses with a more efficient and reliable water supply as well as critical flood protection...," Calvert, a Congressional District 41 representative, said in the release. "The bill provides nearly $700 million for Riverside County flood protection projects, including the Murrieta Creek project and improvements to Prado Dam."
The bill also takes into account the impact of extreme weather like the unprecedented rainfall levels that hit the region this past winter.
"This winter’s record level of rainfall only underscores the value of expanding water storage projects such as the Shasta Dam Raise, which is why I am pleased to see the bill includes $134 million for authorized storage projects," he said in the release. "The bill also includes significant changes to modernize federal water regulations to ensure California’s water project operations maximize water supplies to ensure our record rainfall is not wastefully flushed out to the Pacific Ocean.”
In another water and energy measure, the Committee on Appropriations reported on its approval of Fiscal Year 2024 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Bill in a June 22 press release. The bill covered numerous areas, representing both defense and non-defense expenditures. The focus of this bill, according to the release, is to build up national security, economic competitiveness and energy security.
A member of the House of Representatives since 1992, Calvert is one of the Legislature's senior members and the dean of the California Republican Delegation, according to his house page biography. Chair of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Calvert also serves on the House Appropriations Committee, the biography said, citing his specific interests as the promotion of growth policies, military support, immigration reform, veterans' affairs, remedies for California's water concerns and more.
Calvert hails from Riverside County, where he went to local public schools before graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics from San Diego State University in 1975, according to the bio. He invested 17 years as a small business owner in the real estate and restaurant sectors, the website said. Beyond his business and political contributions, Calvert has demonstrated commitment to his community, holding leadership positions in various local volunteer organizations like the Corona Chamber of Commerce, the Corona Rotary and the Corona-Norco Family YMCA.