Dannemeyer, Cox Oppose Santa Ana River Funding Bill : Congress: It contains $90 million to continue flood control project. Cox had lobbied for the money earlier, but objected to an amendment. The measure passed the House.

WASHINGTON — Two Orange County congressmen have voted against a major energy and water appropriations bill that includes more than $90 million to continue construction of the massive Santa Ana River flood control project.

Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach), who had lobbied the House Appropriations Committee for the flood control funds, and Rep. William E. Dannemeyer (R-Fullerton) voted against the water bill when it came before the House late Wednesday night.

The other three representatives for the county--Reps. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove), Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) and Ron Packard (R-Oceanside)--supported the $21.8-billion measure, which won final approval by a margin of 365 to 51. Packard represents South County.

Cox said he voted against the bill in part because members earlier had deleted nearly all of the $434 million that had been set aside for the so-called superconducting super-collider, an $8.2-billion atom smasher that Cox strongly supports.

Dannemeyer said he opposed the measure to protest government spending. “It is my way of expressing my deep concern about runaway spending that in my judgment threatens the stability of the government,” Dannemeyer said.

James F. McConnell, Orange County’s Washington lobbyist, said the “no” votes could hurt the county’s bid for the flood control funds when the bill comes before a House-Senate conference committee. The Senate has not yet considered its version of the legislation, which provides money for water projects in the 1993 fiscal year, beginning Oct. 1.

“When it comes to the Santa Ana River, those are the chips, and when the chips are down, we’re very disappointed when the delegation cannot support the most important and the biggest public works project in the history of Orange County,” McConnell said.

“Dornan and Packard and Rohrabacher stood up to the plate and batted a hit for Orange County,” McConnell said. “I don’t know why Chris Cox has chosen to take a strike here.”

The House-passed bill provides $90.8 million for new construction on the Santa Ana project, and another $2.3 million to operate and maintain those portions of the project already underway. It is the largest single appropriation for any California water project.

The Army Corps of Engineers has identified the Santa Ana River as the largest single flood threat west of the Mississippi. More than 3,000 lives and billions of dollars in property could be lost in the event of a catastrophic flood, the Corps has said.

McConnell said he was disappointed that Dannemeyer did not support the legislation, but added that Cox, and not Dannemeyer, had lobbied the appropriations committee for the flood control funds. “The damage that occurs in the appropriations committee occurs when you ask for something and then don’t vote for it. At least Dannemeyer didn’t ask,” McConnell said.

Cox, however, said he expects no fallout from his negative vote. He said the energy and water bill that he voted against ceased to be a committee-backed bill after the House stripped out the super-collider funds.

“The vote on the final (bill), after the committee-manufactured bill had been destroyed, was no longer a test of committee loyalty,” Cox said, “and certainly there would be no reprisals.”

Nevertheless, a senior appropriations committee staff member said negative votes cast by members whose requests for money have been honored do not go unnoticed. “It doesn’t make any of my members happy,” the staff member said.

Dornan and Rohrabacher said they both have concerns about the cost of the legislation, but decided to support it anyway to ensure funding of the Santa Ana River project.

“I vote for the bill (every year) because the Santa Ana River project is so important for our local area,” Rohrabacher said.

“Every year, I go up to (Rep.) Tom Bevill (D-Ala.) and say: ‘You know how much it pains me to vote for spending bills, but thank you so much for your support for the Santa Ana River project.’ And right in front of him I put my (electronic voting) card in, and vote yes,” Rohrabacher said. Bevill is the chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on energy and water.

Dornan said he supports the legislation for the same reason. “I always go out of my way to send Tom fresh flowers when I think of it, particularly to his” administrative assistant, the congressman said.

“I want him to think positive. When he sees Bob Dornan, I want him to think water, Santa Ana River project, save Mickey Mouse from drowning.” A portion of Disneyland is both in Dornan’s district and the Santa Ana River flood plain.

The flood control project, which ultimately will cost nearly $1.5 billion, includes building the new, 550-foot Seven Oaks Dam in San Bernardino County, raising by 30 feet the Prado Dam in Riverside County and improving the flood channel along the entire 100-mile sweep of the river from the San Bernardino Mountains to the Pacific Ocean in Huntington Beach.