Congressman Dennis Cardoza
18th Congressional District of California

Washington DC – Congressman Dennis Cardoza (D-Atwater) cast an “aye” vote Thursday evening for a spending bill that will allow California to move forward on critical water storage projects under CALFED. The measure also provides funding for U.C. Merced and for completion of the New Bus Maintenance Facility and the Virginia Corridor Greenway Pilot Project in Modesto.

Specifically, the measure authorizes feasibility studies and provides funding for three storage projects which would greatly improve water supply in the Central Valley: Sites Reservoir - $1.5 million, Los Vaqueros Enlargement – $2 million, and Upper San Joaquin - $1.75 million. Moreover, $2.5 million was earmarked for Shasta, which had previously been authorized.

“I am pleased to finally see storage projects within the CALFED process move forward. For far too long, our farmers and the livelihood of our communities have been threatened by a severe lack of long term solutions to the water supply problems that plague the Valley,” Cardoza said. “This is a big step in the right direction but I will be working closely with Senator Feinstein and Congressman Pombo to ensure these projects move forward without delay,” said Cardoza, who recently secured a slot on the Resources Water and Power Subcommittee which closely monitors CALFED.

Additionally, the appropriations bill includes a total of $500,000 for UC Merced - $250,000 targeted for science equipment and $250,000 for the Sierra Nevada Research Institute. These funds, which were requested in January of this year, mark the first formal request that Cardoza has submitted as a member of Congress.

“As a freshman member, I am thrilled to have secured funding for such an important project in my district so early on,” said Cardoza. “I entered the California Legislature fighting for U.C. Merced and I am taking that same approach in Congress. I will fight for funding every year until we build the world class facility that children in the Valley deserve.”

Cardoza was also successful in delivering funds for the City of Modesto. He met late last month with City officials in response to their funding requests which were submitted in 2002. With Cardoza’s continued commitment to these priorities during the FY03 Omnibus deliberations, Modesto’s priorities were funded above and beyond the levels included in the reported Senate language.

“I am thrilled that we were able to increase the funding for these two important projects. The $1.7 million for the New Bus Facility and the $400,000 for the Virginia Corridor will bring the City of Modesto’s transportation and recreation facilities to a new standard of excellence,” said Cardoza.

Cardoza cautioned that despite passage of the omnibus bill, the President has the final authority on whether projects move forward. “The Congress has done its part in passing this measure to the President. It is now his responsibility to protect the projects that are so vital to the 18th District,” said Cardoza.

Cardoza and his staff will be contacting local governments and organizations throughout the 18th Congressional District in the coming weeks to collect appropriations requests for the FY 2004 Appropriations Bill. The FY 2003 Omnibus Appropriations Bill included eleven spending bills that stalled in the Congress last year. In an effort to enact them in an expedited manner this year, the House and Senate agreed to put them into single bill, rather than deliberate them separately.