Northwest lawmakers introduce bill that would stop federal money from funding Snake River Dams removal

IDAHO FALLS, IDAHO (KIFI) - House Republicans recently accused the Biden administration of reaching a hidden deal that could remove four dams on the Lower Snake River.

A coalition of Northwest lawmakers has introduced the Defending Against Manipulative Negotiators Act. The bill would stop federal funds from being used in removing or changing the Lower Snake River Dams. It would also stop the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative from moving forward.

Local News 8 spoke with Washington state Congressman Dan Newhouse, who leads the coalition.

"I think most people in Idaho understand that the dams provide us with a lot of benefits, and certainly we want salmon. But I don't think that they're mutually exclusive," Newhouse said. "And we have been [able] to provide benefits for salmon [that] work. In fact, I was just at Ice Harbor Dam Saturday and Saturday morning, viewing some of the changes that they're making to the turbines, putting in more fresh fish-friendly turbine blades, and all the other things that we've been investing in as it relates to salmon."

Congressman Newhouse says the bill is still in committee and has not had a hearing yet. He says he and other northwest lawmakers are working on building support.