Representative Paul Cook issued press releases on votes he cast this week, on two separate bills that passed the House of Representatives, both with his support.
The Veterans Entrepreneurship Act would waive the upfront guarantee fee on a Small Business Administration express loan after October of this year, provided that the express loan program continues to cost the government nothing to run. The House vote in favor was 410 to 1.
The Western Water and American Food Security Act of 2015 passed 245 to 176, almost strictly on party lines. An official summary of the bill, from congress.gov, is still being prepared. A Thursday story by L.A. Times reporters says, “The House bill aims to funnel more water to San Joaquin Valley growers by reducing the amount used to support endangered fish populations, among a number of other provisions.” Supporters of the bill, which include almost all Republican house members, including Cook, as well as the California Farm Bureau, the state’s largest agricultural industry organization, argue “that it would modernize the state’s system of water regulations. It also would analyze proposals for new reservoirs.” Opponents, which include almost all House Democrats, environmental organizations, and commercial fishermen, “called the measure a bid to override legal protections for salmon, migratory birds and other fish and wildlife”, according to the Times article. The Times reporters wrote that even if the bill passes the Senate, the White House has indicated it would veto it in its current form.
