Opinion ID: 343208
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Floor Debates

Text: 79 The floor debates in both legislative bodies support this conclusion. It was unquestionably the understanding in both chambers that the upper basin was eventually to receive the lion's share of CRSP power. While CRSP § 16, 43 U.S.C. § 620o defines the term States of the Upper Basin as including Arizona, it is quite clear that Congress, like the committees, did not have Arizona in mind when it referred to the upper basin in the context of power marketing. 53 80
81 Several groups opposed CRSP in lengthy debates on the Senate floor in 1955. Senator Douglas led the eastern interests opposed to appropriating money for projects of no direct benefit to them. Senator Kuchel represented the California interests who did not want their cheap source of secondary power diminished. Both groups phrased their arguments in terms of the adequacy of power revenues to reimburse most of the CRSP outlay. They also took advantage of the successful nationwide opposition to the large Echo Park project based on scenic and conservationist grounds. 82 One of Senator Douglas' arguments was that the CRSP irrigation benefits in the upper basin were high-cost and would be reimbursed only to a limited extent. 101 Cong.Rec. 4576 (1955). Subcommittee member Senator Watkins of Utah, floor manager and cosponsor of S.500, pointed out that the landowners of the upper basin would also be in the same community as the power users. The power users would reimburse a large portion of the project through payment for power. Thus members of the same community would cooperate in paying for CRSP. Id. Senator Douglas' later comments indicated that both he and Senator Watkins were referring to power users in the four upper division states. Id. at 4578. Subsequent exchanges further clarified this understanding. 54 83 We recognize that the remarks of opponents of a bill may not always be authoritative. Schwegmann Brothers v. Calvert Distillers Corp., 341 U.S. 384, 394-95, 71 S.Ct. 745, 95 L.Ed. 1035 (1951). But Senator Douglas' inferences are certainly relevant and helpful, particularly when Senator Watkins made no response to Senator Douglas' description of the states to be benefited by CRSP. Arizona v. California, supra, 373 U.S. at 583 n. 85, 83 S.Ct. 1468. More importantly, the statements of Senator Watkins, as cosponsor and floor manager, are entitled to substantial weight in construing the power marketing provisions of CRSP. National Woodwork Manufacturers Ass'n v. NLRB, 386 U.S. 612, 640, 87 S.Ct. 1250, 18 L.Ed.2d 357 (1967). Senator Watkins' representation of Utah, which stood to benefit from his interpretation of the primary power marketing area, does not diminish the probative value of that interpretation. Federal Energy Administration v. Algonquin SNG, Inc., 426 U.S. 548, 564 n. 17, 96 S.Ct. 2295, 49 L.Ed.2d 49 (1976). 55 84
85 Arizona Power's position does not fare any better when measured against the House debates of 1956. They demonstrate without question that the intent of the House in passing H.R. 3383 was to favor the upper basin states. 86 Representative Miller, a member of the Subcommittee, gave an introductory speech on the need for water and power in the growing upper basin. 102 Cong.Rec. 3471 (1956). He referred to the Colorado River Compact which allocated 7,500,000 acre-feet of water a year to both lower and upper basins and stated that CRSP would enable the upper basin to utilize effectively its share of water and the electric energy that could be generated from its water. 56 Id.; see id. at 3299 (remarks of Committee Chairman Engle). Subcommittee Chairman Aspinall, author of H.R. 3383, specifically stated that the area intended to receive CRSP benefits was composed of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico. Id. at 3510; see id. at 3610 (remarks of Subcommittee Member Dawson). 57 87 Opponents of the bill did not dispute this basic proposition, repeatedly reaffirmed throughout the course of the debates. As in the Senate, they attacked the power aspect of CRSP as not competitive with alternative energy sources in the upper basin area. During the lengthy debates not one member argued in favor of a position similar to that advocated by Arizona Power. We think what Arizona's representatives did advocate is significant. Immediately after ridiculing an argument against the power aspects of CRSP, Representative Stewart Udall remarked: 88 I want to tell you why my Republican colleague from Arizona (Mr. Rhodes) and I have supported this bill. We regard the Colorado River Basin as a community. This community sat down many years ago to work out a development plan. Unfortunately, southern California got ahead of us when work began. Why, then, are we here supporting this measure? Not because our State benefits from it but because we are keeping the agreement that our State made at that time. 89 Id. at 3736 (emphasis added). 90 In some cases a committee's unambiguous and unaltered treatment of an issue is more probative of congressional intent than the casual remark of a single Senator (or Representative) in the floor debate. Chandler v. Roudebush, 425 U.S. 840, 858 n. 36, 96 S.Ct. 1949, 1959, 48 L.Ed.2d 416 (1976). Our review of the extensive floor debates on CRSP convinces us, however, that in the present case those debates are highly probative of congressional intent. 58 Further, the message of those debates is clear: both legislative bodies intended the upper (northern) division states to be eventually the primary beneficiaries of the legislation. Our review of the floor debates leads us to believe that Congress intended some type of geographic preferences in favor of the states of the upper division.