at the time the democratic interior secretary is bruce babbitt assured parties this would be honored by the state and federal governments. his promise was broken first by his own department and most recently when a federal court deemed the delta smelt to be more important than the livelihoods of thousands of central valley farm workers. hundreds of billions of gallons of water that these communities had already paid for and depended upon were simply expropriated and blissfully and cavalierly dumped into the pacific ocean turning much of california's fertile central valley into a dust bowl. this redeems the promise made to the people of california and restores the allocations that were agreed to. that was then and this is now and the science is changed, we hear. what they are referring to is not science. it is ideology masquerading as science. in 2010 the claims were thrown out of the federal court which cited ideological zealots which attempted to, in the words of the court, mislead and deceive the court into expecting what is not only not only the best science, it's not science. >>

nunes: as many will say, secretary of interior, bruce babbitt, made a deal with republican governor, pete wilson. a deal is a deal. the only problem was is there was some dishonest brokers at the table that never went to congress to get this implemented. the chair: the time of the gentleman has expired. the gentlelady from california. mrs. napolitano: may i inquire of the speaker how much time is left? the chair: the gentlelady from california has 1/2 minutes remaining. the gentleman from washington has 2 3/4 minutes remaining. the gentlelady from california. mrs. napolitano: what? mr. hastings: mr. chairman, i am prepared to close when she has done -- mrs. napolitano: i have one more speaker. do you? mr. hastings: i am the last speaker. mrs. napolitano: reclaiming my time. i say i will take a moment and then turn it over to mr. dare mendy. mr. hastings: mr. chairman, the gentlelady, counting herself, has two speakers? mrs. napolitano: correct. mr. hastings: i'll reserve. the chair: the gentlelady from california. mrs. napolitano: mr. chairman, i'd like to introduce into the record a

when that aagreement commanding broad bipartisan support was signed, interior secretary bruce babbitt assured all parties, and i quote, a deal is a deal. and if it turns out that there is a need for additional water, it will come at the expense of the federal government. the water diversions shattered that promise. this bill redeems it. the federal central valley project is part of a coordinated operating agreement with the state water project at california's request and consent. the two are inseparable in order to protect the water rights of every californian, this bill brings the full force of federal law to protect those rights so that there is no ambiguity. this protection is earned -- this provision has the support of the northern california water association, representing the water districts that serve the farms and communities and families throughout the areas of origin in california. popes have just said this preempts state water rights. it doesn't preempt state water rights, it speci