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<br />22124
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<br />CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE
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<br />Mr. ANDERSON. Well. I would have With respect. to the pending bill, I said
<br />to-- In the beginning that I wish It were pos-
<br />Mr. PROXMIRE. The WPA was es- sible for every Senator to be present. I
<br />tabl1shed to take care of various proj- know It Is not. I know that Senators
<br />eets. There might have been some In- must eat. I know that Senators must
<br />cidental water studies. but not any really attend committee meetings, which are in
<br />significant amount such as In this bUl. progress throughout the Capitol. We
<br />Mr. ANDERSON. Not of this compre- are doing our best to try to wind up this
<br />henslve type. 1 was a part of the WPA. session. Believe me, Mr. President. when
<br />and I had responslb11lty for all the 11 I say that what we do here today on the
<br />Western States. The work on the Orand pending bUl will eventuaJIy a:fIect the
<br />Coulee Dam started as a WPA project. water rights and the water uses of every
<br />Therefore, It had some of these aspects. State in the unton. As the years go by
<br />However, this Is the first time that this and the pressures bulld up in the Mld-
<br />kind of comprehenslve approach has west, the East, and the South, and ac-
<br />been made by legislation. celerate and come Into the foreground,
<br />Mr. PROXMIRE. I thank the Sen- to that extent the economics and the
<br />ator. lives of those States will be affected.
<br />Mr. ALLOTT. Mr. PresIdent. may I After consultation with the distin-
<br />first Inquire whether the Senator from. gulshed Senator from New Mexico, I pre-
<br />New Mexico has completed his presenta- pared a series of amendments, which I
<br />tlon? propose to the pending bill. I believe
<br />Mr. ANDERSON. Yes. those amendments would improve it. I
<br />Mr. ALLOTT. This Is not a late hour must be completely frank. Ii1 saying that
<br />In this legtslaUve day. but It Is a late I do not believe that those amendments
<br />hour in this legJslatlve session. I regret would make It a good blll. I know that
<br />very much that It Is not p0S5lble to have the Senator from New Mexico realizes
<br />a greater number of senators In attend- my position. What we needed In this
<br />ance for the consideration of the pend- country many years ago was the estab-
<br />Ing b11l. lIshment of a departr.lent of government
<br />In my opInJon, the bill would affect under a Cabinet head, in t.he form of a
<br />the lives of more people In the United department. of natural resources.
<br />St.ates, their economics and their re- The dIstinguished Senator from New
<br />sources, than any other bUl that this Mexico, as I reca.ll-and he often alludes
<br />Congress will consider this year. I am to It both as a matter of humor and with
<br />sure the Senat.Qr from. New Mexico has - respect to some experiences he had-was
<br />. this In rnJnd and realIzes It 8S well as the Secretary of Agriculture under Presl-
<br />I do. dent Tnunan. He Is aware,' as I am
<br />The reason why the bill will affect aware. that with the prollferat.ion of In-
<br />the Uves of people, theJr economics and terest In resources throughout the varl-
<br />their resources, is t.hat It deal drastl- ollS departments of government the
<br />cally, and almost dramatically, wIth their amalgamation of natural resource's de-
<br />. water resources. To those of us who, partment under one Cabinet member
<br />. like t.he distinguished Senator from New . which in my opinIon and in the opin1o~
<br />Mexico and I, lIve In the West, dealIng of many others would be the proper way
<br />with water Is not a new thing. We fight. to do It, Is for all practical purposes an
<br />to conserve It. We fight to obtain It.. impossibility. .
<br />. We fight to get the best beneficial use I do not know how the Department of
<br />out of it. There are many interstate Agriculture and the Department of the
<br />compacts whIch have been beat out on Interior could ever be amalgamated, par-
<br />the anvil. Just as a piece of brass Is ticularlY with respect to the Bureau of
<br />beaten out on the anvil, to obtain those Publlc Lands, the Park Service, and the
<br />agreements. Forest ServIce into one department. I
<br />This Is a new situation, particularly am sure no o~e else knows. It Is all so
<br />to the people of the Midwest. The dIs- set In the pattern of this country, and
<br />tingulshed Senator from Wisconsin rMr. the Interests are so vested, that the result
<br />PROXMIRE] asked a few Questions a few Is a situation of inertia whJch seems to
<br />moments ago. The situation is new for be impossible to change
<br />the people of the East and of the South. .
<br />They have never been In the position. Therefore, what the pending bill does
<br />In which water Is l1terally B lifeblood. Is to offer an alternatiVe to what 1B: not
<br />The growth of New Mexico-and I am within the bounds of practIcal reaUty.
<br />sure the Senator from New Mexico does It 15 an attempt to set up a means of
<br />not mind my saying this-depends upon' dealing wJth the situation.
<br />how well It serves Its water uses as much I wish to refer very briefly to several
<br />as on any other dozen factors. points In the bill, and then I shall get to
<br />The same thing Is true In my State the amendr:nents, which should not take
<br />and In every other reclamation State. too long a tIme to consider.
<br />It Is hard to put this in context with TiUe I of the bUl would establish a
<br />sufficient weight for the people of the' Water Resources Council, which Is re-
<br />Midwest., the East, and the South be- ferred to In the bill as the Counell. It
<br />cause they have never faced these prob- is to be composed of the Secretary of the
<br />lems. They think eBSentially of W'ater Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture.
<br />in terms of something that :Is .obtained the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary .
<br />by the turning of a tap. of Health, Education, and WeUare. and
<br />In t.he great arid and semiarid areas the Chairman of the Federal Power Com-
<br />of the West, that is not true. It Is the mission.
<br />subject of constant litigation and con- Mr. LAUSCHE.. May I ask the 5ena-
<br />stant attention. It.1s one which we place tor from what page he Is reading?
<br />at the top priority of the things we must Mr. ALLQTT.' I am reading from
<br />watch and attend to Q881duously. page 3 of the blll, Une 7 and subsequentll'.
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<br />December .4
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<br />I believe the reason for the selection of
<br />these part.lcular agencies Is apparent
<br />from the functions they perfonn. I shan
<br />not try to explain that section further,
<br />unless It Is desired that I should do so. .
<br />What concerns me Is that ult.lmately
<br />the bill, even In spite of the amendments
<br />I propose to offer, would vest within the
<br />Council such great powers over the plan-
<br />ning, use, and development of water
<br />that we who have been reared In the
<br />tradlUon and the law of States' rights
<br />and state control of water are fearful
<br />oflt.
<br />I must say this because the rebuttal
<br />could be made to that state::1ent that
<br />many interests In this country, wBter-
<br />wise, have looked at the bill, studied It,
<br />and now approve of It.
<br />I am not atternpt.lng to chastise my
<br />good frlendlS of the National Reclama~
<br />tlon, who, after examining the original
<br />bill In 1961, opposed certain phases of
<br />it. The present bUlls a rewriting or the
<br />earlier bJU, in an attempt to eliminate
<br />some of the objections. But I am some-
<br />what surprised that my good friends In
<br />the National Reclamation Association,
<br />which has in Its membership many out-
<br />standing, able water lawyers and others
<br />. who are knowledgeable In the water field,
<br />cannot see the potential dangers in the
<br />bill. I do not believe that I am seeing
<br />an Indian behind every bush.
<br />By the bill. the Council would be given
<br />the authority to-- .
<br />(a) maintain a continuing study a.nd pre.
<br />. ptu"e a biennial ll88ellllment of the a.dequacy
<br />of supplies of water necessary to keep the
<br />water requtrements In eo.ch water resource
<br />region In the United. States and the na-
<br />tlonal Interest therein: and
<br />(b) maintain a continuing study of the
<br />relation of regional or river basin plans and
<br />programs to the requirement. of larger re-
<br />gions of the Nation. . ..
<br />It. then gives to the Councll certain
<br />other power3 with respect to the ex-
<br />penditure of funds, planning, and so
<br />forth, 88 might be expected from 6uch a
<br />bU!.
<br />On page 7, title 2 provides for the es-
<br />tabllslunent of river basin commissions.
<br />The subjugation, If I may call It that. of
<br />river basin commissions to the Council,
<br />which would be an all-Federal agency, Is,
<br />I believe, the feature of the biJI that con-
<br />cerns me the most. The bill defines how
<br />the Comm1ssl.0ns shall be organized, and
<br />I shall discuss that provision later, when
<br />I offer my amendments. Incidentally,
<br />the Chairman of each Commission would
<br />be appointed by the President and would
<br />have consldera.ble powers under the bill.
<br />Then provision Is made for the organi-
<br />zation of the Commissions and the du-
<br />tIes of the Commissions to:
<br />Engage In such activities and make such
<br />Btudles and investigations 1UI are neceesary
<br />lUld deslrable In carrying out the policy set
<br />torth in seCtion 2;
<br />The Commissions shall:
<br />Submit to the Council &D.d the (JQvernor .
<br />of each pa.rtlclpo.tlng State a report on Its
<br />wo:rll: at least once each yeu. Such report
<br />shaH be transmitted through the Preatden~
<br />to tho Congress.
<br />The Commissions shall:
<br />Submit to t.he Council for tn.nsmLsIJton to
<br />the President a.nd bJ him to the COngrC58
<br />and the Governors and the leglalatures of th~
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