While I was waiting to speak with U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., earlier today, spokeswoman Jude McCartin told me the atmosphere of Washington, D.C. requires a thick skin. She told me, and I’m paraphrasing, “You’re yelling at somebody one day, but then you’re introducing a bill with them the next.”
The night’s not even over, and she’s already been proven right.
I was in attendance at Tuesday morning’s water field hearing at the Clovis-Carver Public Library, where Bingaman, D-N.M., and Pete Domenici, R-N.M., heard testimony on the Ute Water Project.
Domenici was none too kind on the Bureau of Reclamation, who he felt was dragging feet when it came to support of the pipeline project that would move reserved water from the Ute Reservoir to participating communities.
Here are his exact words following testimony from the BOR representative:
“I don’t have much faith in the Bureau of Reclamation. I don’t have it now, I didn’t have it last week, I didn’t have it last year.”
Pretty harsh words. Of course, tonight’s e-mail also included one from Domenici’s press office, unrelated to the field hearing.
“U.S. Senator Pete Domenici today announced that he will join Bureau of Reclamation officials in hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony and tour of the new Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility at Alamogordo later this week.”
Maybe McCartin does press for Domenici, too.