To amend the Irrigation Project Contract Extension Act of 1998 to extend certain contracts between the Bureau of Reclamation and certain irrigation water contractors in the States of Wyoming and Nebraska.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on October 15, 2003, at 9:30 a.m., to conduct a markup of S. 811, the ``American Dream Downpayment Act'', of S. 300, the ``Jackie Robinson Congressional Gold Medal bill.'' The committee will also vote on the nominations of Mr. Harvey S. Rosen, of New Jersey, and Ms. Kristin J. Forbes, of Massachusetts, to be members of the Council of Economic Advisors; Ms. Julie L. Myers, of Kansas, to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement; and Mr. Peter Lichtenbaum, of Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration.

Following the votes, the Subcommittee on Securities and Investment will meet in open session to conduct a hearing on ``The Future of the Securities Markets.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet on Wednesday, October 15, at 9:30 to conduct a business meeting to consider legislation S. 1643, S. 1066, S. 1663, and S. 1669, and the nomination of Michael O. Leavitt, to be Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The meeting will take place in SD 406, hearing room.

committee on finance

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Wednesday, October 15, 2003, at 10 a.m., to hear testimony on ``Company Owned Life Insurance.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, October 15, 2003, at 2 p.m. to hold a hearing on The Middle East Road Map: Overcoming Obstacles to Peace.

THE PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

committee on indian affairs

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday, October 15, 2003, at 10 a.m. in Room 485 of the Russell Senate Office Building to conduct a Hearing on S. 550, the American Indian Probate Reform Act of 2003.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a Judicial Nominations hearing on Wednesday, October 15, 2003, at 10:00 a.m. in the Dirksen Office Building room 226.

Agenda

Panel I: Senators.

Panel II: D. Michael Fisher to be United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit.

Panel III: Dale S. Fisher to be United States District Judge for the Central District of California; Gary L. Sharpe to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of New York.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on Wednesday, October 15, 2003, at 2:00 p.m. on ``Indecent Exposure: Oversight of DOJ's Efforts to Protect Pornography's Victims,'' in the Dirksen Senate Office Building room 226.

Witness List

Panel 1: Mr. John Malcolm, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division, Department of Justice, Washington D.C., Mr. J. Robert Flores, Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Department of Justice, Washington D.C.; Mr. Lawrence E. Maxwell, Inspector in Charge, Fraud and Dangerous Mail Investigations, United States Postal Inspectors, Washington D.C.; Honorable Mary Beth Buchanan, U.S. Attorney

for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, PA.

Panel 2: Mr. Bruce A. Taylor, President and Chief Counsel, National Law Center for Children and Families, Fairfax, VA; Mr. Victor Cline, Emeritus Professor, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; Mr. Steve Takeshita, Officer in Charge, Pornography Unit, Organized Crime and Vice Division, Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles, CA.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Water and Power of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, October 15, at 2:30 p.m.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on S. 943, a bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into one or more contracts with the city of Cheyenne, Wyoming, for the storage of water in the Kendrick project; S. 1027 and H.R. 2040, bills to amend the Irrigation Project Contract Extension Act of 1998 to extend certain contracts between the Bureau of Reclamation and certain irrigation water contractors in the States of Wyoming and Nebraska; S. 1058, a bill to provide a cost-sharing requirement for the construction of the Arkansas Valley Conduit in the State of Colorado; S. 1071, a bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior, through the Bureau of Reclamation, to conduct a feasibility study on a water conservation project within the Arch Hurley Conservancy District in the State of New Mexico, and for other purposes; S. 1307, a bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation, to assist in the implementation of fish passage and screening facilities at non Federal water projects, and for other purposes; S. 1308, a bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to pursue and complete actions related to the implementation of a U.S. District of a U.S. district court consent decree; S. 1355, a bill to authorize the Bureau of Reclamation to participate in the rehabilitation of the Wallowa Lake Dam in Oregon, and for other purposes; S. 1577, a bill to extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project in the State of Wyoming; H.R. 1284, a bill to amend the Reclamation Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992 to increase the Federal share of the costs of the San Gabriel Basin Demonstration Project; and S. Res. 183, a resolution commemorating 50 years of adjudication under the McCarran amendment of rights to the use of water.

Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that a hearing has been scheduled before the Subcommittee on Water and Power of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

The hearing will be held on Wednesday, October 15, at 2:30 p.m. in Room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on S. 943, a bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to enter into one or more contracts with the city of Cheyenne, WY, for the storage of water in the Kendrick Project; S. 1027 and H.R. 2040, bills to amend the Irrigation Project Contract Extension Act of 1998 to extend certain contracts between the Bureau of Reclamation and certain irrigation water contractors in the States of Wyoming and Nebraska; S. 1058, a bill to provide a cost-sharing requirement for the construction of the Arkansas Valley Conduit in the State of Colorado; S. 1071, a bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior, through the Bureau of Reclamation, to conduct a feasibility study on a water conservation project within the Arch Hurley Conservancy District in the State of New Mexico, and for other purposes; S. 1307, a bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation, to assist in the implementation of fish passage and screening facilities at non-Federal water projects, and for other purposes; S. 1308, a bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to pursue and complete actions related to the implementation of a U.S. District of a U.S. District Court consent Decree; S. 1355, a bill to authorize the Bureau of Reclamation to participate in the rehabilitation of the Wallowa Lake Dam in Oregon, and for other purposes; S. 1577, a bill to extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project in the State of Wyoming; H.R. 1284, a bill to amend the Reclamation Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992 to increase the Federal share of the costs of the San Gabriel Basin demonstration project; and S. Res. 183, a resolution commemorating 50 years of adjudication under the McCarran Amendment of rights to the use of water. Contact: Shelly Randel 202-224-7933, Kellie Donnely, 202-224- 9360, Erik Webb 202-224-4756 or Meghan Beal at 202-224-7556.

Because of the limited time available for the hearings, witnesses may testify by invitation only. However, those wishing to submit written testimony for the hearing record should send two copies of their testimony to the Subcommittee on Water and Power, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510- 6150.

committee on indian affairs

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2040. As has been mentioned, this extends irrigation contracts between the Bureau of Reclamation and the irrigation contractors in Nebraska and Wyoming.

A proposed cooperative agreement between Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming was established in 1997. Parenthetically, I might just mention that this agreement was to provide additional water in a 50-mile stretch of Platte River in Central Nebraska. This water is to provide habitat for the whooping crane, the least tern, the piping plover and the pallid sturgeon, all of which are either endangered or threatened, according to the Endangered Species Act.

However, less than 2 percent of the whooping crane population ever visits the Platte River during their migration. As a matter of fact, many years the whooping crane is not seen at all on the Platte River. The least tern and the piping plover do not seem to nest in this area of the river, and the pallet sturgeon is located 150 miles away in the Missouri River. Therefore, there is considerable confusion as to whether this is really critical habitat.

Therefore, the cooperative agreement, which has been formed to preserve water for critical habitat, is under study. We currently have a National Academy of Sciences study, which you have graciously encouraged and we appreciate that. Until this study is completed, the cooperative agreement really cannot move forward.

Therefore, we are requesting this 2-year extension. Because of the delays in finalizing the cooperative agreement, it is necessary to extend existing irrigation contracts until such time as the cooperative agreement is finalized. So I urge passage of 2040.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the chairman and ranking member for their support and urge passage.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2040) to amend the Irrigation Project Contract Extension Act of 1998 to extend certain contracts between the Bureau of Reclamation and certain irrigation water contractors in the States of Wyoming and Nebraska.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2040, introduced by the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne), extends specific water contracts between the Bureau of Reclamation and water contractors in Nebraska and Wyoming. This legislation responds to continuing work on a multiparty agreement aimed at restoring habitat for endangered species on the Platte River.

While these good-faith efforts take place, the irrigators have asked for repayment certainty until a clear regulatory water-use road map is put in place. This is a good bill, and I urge my colleagues to support this consensus-based bill.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne), the author of this bill, to explain this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2040 would extend for 2 years the term of 10 water contracts between the Bureau of Reclamation and several irrigation districts in Nebraska and Wyoming. This is the third time Congress has been asked to extend these contracts. This bill would enable the Department of the Interior to complete an environmental impact statement containing information relevant to the renewal of the water contracts. This EIS is expected to recommend an alternative that will allow the irrigation districts to receive water and satisfy the consultation and recovery requirements under the Endangered Species Act.

We support the bill and recommend its adoption.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.