WASHINGTON – Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) backed the bipartisan, bicameral Help Hoover Dam Act to allow the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) to access $50 million in unused, long-stranded funds for Hoover Dam operations, maintenance, and improvement projects.
“For too long, red tape has kept $50 million tied up that should have gone toward maintaining and upgrading the Hoover Dam,” said Senator Gallego. “Unlocking these funds will strengthen critical infrastructure in Arizona, ensure the dam keeps delivering clean power and water, and offset rising energy costs for Northern Arizona – especially as drought continues to strain the region.”
Tens of millions of dollars in the Colorado River Dam Fund have been inaccessible for decades due to bureaucracy, federal red tape, and government inefficiency. 40 million people depend on the Colorado River for water and 1.3 million people in Arizona, Nevada, and California depend on the Hoover Dam for electricity.
The Help Hoover Dam Act will:
- Invest $50 million in unused funds in the Hoover Dam, helping save taxpayer dollars and protect Western water and other natural resources.
- Give Reclamation clear authority to partner with Hoover hydropower contractors in recovering and utilizing these stranded funds for authorized activities — including operations, maintenance, capital improvements, and clean-up actions — at Hoover Dam and lands connected to the dam.
The bicameral legislation was introduced by Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Congresswoman Susie Lee (D-NV-03). Gallego also supported the act when he was a member of the House.
Read full text of the legislation HERE.
Senator Gallego has long championed funding for Arizona’s water infrastructure. He helped pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which delivered historic investments for Western water systems, including funding for Colorado River conservation projects that Gallego has successfully pushed to unfreeze. At a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing earlier this week, Gallego highlighted the urgent need for drought relief in the Colorado River Basin and asked a Reclamation nominee to commit to releasing all previously appropriated drought funds.
5/2/25