NEVADA, USA — A big visit from Vice President Kamala Harris to Lake Mead happened Monday in Nevada as part of a campaign to advocate for the Biden administration's "Build Back Better" agenda.
She and other representatives followed the latest on the region's drought conditions and explained how the federal government plans to douse the problem in a $3.5 trillion spending plan.
Vice President Harris toured Lake Mead and surrounding facilities to gauge how the drought has been affecting the lake's water supply.
"This is a fundamental issue, the issue of water," Harris said. "Every living thing depends and requires water and its existence and prevalence."
The vice president along with other dignitaries noted the climate crisis around the world, largely affected by human behavior, that has impacted large bodies of water like Lake Mead.
"We're looking at this beautiful American landmark, the product of a lot of thought over generations of how we can supply the states of Nevada, Arizona, California and Mexico with the water that 25 million people rely on," she said.
Even with an active monsoon this year, experts like Doug Hendrix with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said it'll take time and a lot more rain to reverse the drought's lingering effects.
"What you're seeing on this reservoir here at Lake Mead is the result of two, little over two decades of drought, about 22 years," he said.
With that said, the below-average lake levels are now demanding the attention of our nation's leaders as they focus on their “Build Back Better” agenda.
"It's about climate, it's about families and it's about jobs, and it’s about health and all of these issues are present when we look at the issues that are impacting Lake Mead, as an example of what's happening around the country," Harris added.
Right now, 90% of Western states are facing some sort of drought, according to Nevada state leaders who are looking for tools available to conserve water.
"To invest in things like water recycling and reuse, what we can do in terms of water desalination, what we can do about implementation in drought contingencies plans," Harris said.
Harris added that there is an urgency behind these plans and how to protect the nation's water supply while creating jobs and building infrastructure. The vice president is hoping to get the "Build Back Better Act" spending plan passed in Congress, all in an effort to help future generations.
Democrats have been struggling to win universal support in Congress for the plan.
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