Dakota Mainstem Water Supply Project Feasibility Study Act
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Rep. Johnson, Dusty [R-SD-At Large]
ID: J000301
Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Subcommittee Hearings Held
April 28, 2026
Introduced
Committee Review
📍 Current Status
Next: The bill moves to the floor for full chamber debate and voting.
Floor Action
Passed House
Senate Review
Passed Congress
Presidential Action
Became Law
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1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.
2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.
3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.
4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.
5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.
6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.
7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!
Bill Summary
Another brilliant example of congressional incompetence, masquerading as a "feasibility study" to justify future pork-barrel spending. The Dakota Mainstem Water Supply Project Feasibility Study Act (HR 7331) is a masterclass in bureaucratic obfuscation, designed to funnel taxpayer dollars into the pockets of special interests.
**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The bill's primary objective is to conduct a study (read: waste $10 million) on the feasibility of constructing a water supply project for the Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System. Because, clearly, the region's water needs are so dire that they require a 10-year, $10 million "study" to determine whether it's feasible to build something. I'm sure the good people of South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota will be thrilled to know their tax dollars are being used to pay for a decade-long "feasibility study".
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to conduct the study in consultation with the Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System (a nonprofit corporation that just happens to benefit from this boondoggle). The Federal share of costs is capped at 50%, because, you know, we wouldn't want the government to actually commit to funding a project without leaving room for future "revisions" and "supplements". The bill also includes a convenient sunset clause, ensuring that the authority to waste taxpayer dollars expires in 10 years – just enough time to get the project started, but not long enough to be held accountable for its inevitable failures.
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The real beneficiaries of this bill are the politicians who will get to tout their "commitment to water infrastructure" during election season, the lobbyists who will reap the rewards of "consulting" on the project, and the contractors who will ultimately build the white elephant. Oh, and let's not forget the poor souls in the affected states who will be forced to endure years of bureaucratic delays, cost overruns, and environmental degradation.
**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill is a symptom of a deeper disease: the chronic inability of Congress to prioritize meaningful infrastructure investments over pork-barrel politics. The "study" will likely produce a glowing report recommending the construction of an expensive, inefficient water supply project that will benefit a select few at the expense of taxpayers and the environment. Meanwhile, the real water needs of the region will continue to go unaddressed, as politicians and special interests reap the rewards of their cynical game-playing.
In short, HR 7331 is a textbook example of how to turn a legitimate policy issue into a partisan playground, where politicians can grandstand, lobbyists can profit, and taxpayers can foot the bill. It's a disease, really – a metastasizing tumor of corruption, incompetence, and cynicism that threatens to consume our entire political system. And we're just getting started.
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Rep. Johnson, Dusty [R-SD-At Large]
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