Senator McCain Leads The Country In Water Conservation

 

A valiant veteran, prisoner of war and highly respected senior U.S. Senator, John McCain has devoted his life to serving the American people and tirelessly fighting to do what is best for the country. For thirty years, Americans have turned to Senator McCain’s leadership and expertise in diplomatic and military policy. However, his accomplishments extend far beyond foreign affairs. Hailing from the Grand Canyon State, McCain has amassed a clean energy legacy that will protect the natural environment and strengthen the nation’s economy for future generations.

 

Understanding that the majority of Republican and Independent voters support efforts to reduce emissions, Senator McCain recently joined other moderate Senate Republicans in voting to maintain current federal methane emission rules. This decision was indicative of McCain’s pragmatic leadership and his ability to reach across the aisle to advance market-based clean energy reforms that strike a balance between revitalizing manufacturing jobs and protecting the environment.

 

Senator McCain has also supported legislation critical to securing funds for Arizona’s clean water and hydropower initiatives. Working in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as well as the Arizona Game and Fish Department to repair the water intake system at Willow Beach National Fish Hatchery, McCain helped generate 1,700 jobs and $75 million in economic activity.

 

Last year, Senator McCain supported two amendments to the Fiscal Year 2017 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill that secured critical funding for water conservation initiatives. In fact, it’s projected that McCain’s amendments would reclaim an estimated 860,000 acre feet of water and provide $50 million to water conservation projects at Colorado River storage reservoirs, including Lake Mead. The adopted amendments not only improved Arizona’s clean waters, but also harnessed the state’s water supply, relieving cities suffering from a fifteen-year drought.

 

In addition to working with U.S. and Arizona environmental agencies to implement clean energy solutions, McCain has also built a good rapport with Native American tribes across the country, joining forces to develop renewable energy innovations that create jobs and bolster the local economy while conserving natural resources. For instance, last summer McCain called for the U.S. Senate to amend the White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights Quantification Act of 2010 to allow for the construction of the Miner Flat Dam by the Apache tribe and the U.S. Department of Interior. The dam would ensure clean and abundant drinking water for the tribe, whose people faced a drastic and sudden 50-percent decrease in the amount of available drinking water.

 

Following the model of “The Conservationist,” President Teddy Roosevelt, Senator John McCain has created a strong clean energy legacy by preserving the quality of our natural resources. Thanks to his work in promoting conservative principles and active Republican participation in these important conversations, Arizonans and Americans will enjoy our nation’s abundant clean water supply and historic lands for years to come.

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