Central Texas Water Recycling Act of 2006

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Forestry, Conservation, and Rural Revitalization of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry be authorized to conduct a hearing during the session of the Senate on July 27, 2006, at 10 a.m. in SR-328A, Russell Senate Office Building. The purpose of this subcommittee hearing will be to conduct an oversight hearing on the U.S. Department of Agriculture use of technical service providers.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 27, 2006, at 10 a.m., in open session to consider the following nomination: Lieutenant General James T. Conway, USMC, for appointment to the grade of General and to be Commandant of the Marine Corps.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation meet to consider the following nominations on Thursday, July 27, 2006, at 11 a.m.:

Charles Nottingham to be a Member of the Surface Transportation Board; Robert Sumwalt to be a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board; Nathaniel Wienecke to be Assistant Secretary for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs, Department of Commerce; Jay Cohen to be Under Secretary for Science and Technology, Department of Homeland Security; and Sean Connaughton to be Administrator of the Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that on Thursday, July 27th, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. the Committee on Environment and Public

Works be authorized to hold a hearing to discuss the Stafford Act: A Path Forward for the Nation's Emergency Preparedness and Response System.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Thursday, July 27, 2006, at 10 a.m. in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building, to review and make recommendations on proposed legislation implementing the U.S.- Peru Trade Promotion Agreement, and to consider favorably reporting S. 3495, to authorize the extension of nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) to the products of Vietnam.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 27, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. to hold a nominations hearing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 27, 2006, at 2:30 p.m. to hold a nominations hearing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be authorized to hold a hearing during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 27, 2006, at 10 a.m. in SD-430.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Thursday, July 27, 2006, at 10 a.m. for a business meeting to consider pending committee business.

Agenda

Legislation

1. S. 2590, Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006;

2. S. , Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006;

3. S. 1838, Federal and District of Columbia Government Real Property Act of 2005;

4. S. 3492, Federal Workforce Performance Appraisal and Management Improvement Act of 2006;

5. S. 3584, Federal Supervisor Training Act of 2006.

Post Office Naming Bills

1. S. 3613, to designate the facility of the USPS located at 2951 New York Highway 43 in Averill Park, New York, as the ``Major George Quamo Post Office Building;''

2. H.R. 4246, to designate the facility of the USPS located at 8135 Forest Lane in Dallas, Texas, as the ``Dr. Robert E. Price Post Office Building;''

3. H.R. 5104, to designate the facility of the USPS located at 1750 16th Street South in St. Petersburg, Florida, as the ``Morris W. Milton Post Office;''

4. H.R. 5169, to designate the facility of the USPS located at 1310 Highway 64 NW in Ramsey, Indiana, as the ``Wilfred Edward `Cousin Willie' Sieg, Sr. Post Office;''

5. H.R. 5540, to designate the facility of the USPS located at 217 Southeast 2nd Street in Dimmitt, Texas, as the ``Sergeant Jacob Dan Dones Post Office.''

Post Office Naming Bills--Tentative

1. H.R. 4646, to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 7320 Reseda Boulevard in Reseda, California, as the ``Coach John Wooden Post Office Building;''

2. S. 2555, to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 2633 11th Street in Rock Island, Illinois, as the ``Lane Evans Post Office Building;''

3. S. 2719/H.R. 5107, to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 1400 West Jordan Street in Pensacola, Florida, as the ``Earl D. Hutto Post Office Building.''

Nominations

1. Paul A. Denett to be Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy, Office of Management and Budget;

2. The Honorable Anna Blackburne-Rigsby to be Associate Judge, District of Columbia Court of Appeals;

3. Phyllis D. Thompson to be Associate Judge, District of Columbia Court of Appeals;

4. Jennifer M. Anderson to be Associate Judge, Superior Court of the District of Columbia;

5. The Honorable Mickey D. Barnett to be Governor, U.S. Postal Service;

6. Katherine C. Tobin to be Governor, U.S. Postal Service;

7. Ellen C. Williams to be Governor, U.S. Postal Service.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a markup on Thursday, July 27, 2006, at 10:45 a.m. in Senate Dirksen Building Room 226.

Tentative Agenda

I. Nominations

Kimberly Ann Moore, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Federal Circuit; Frances M. Tydingco-Gatewood, to be Judge for the District Court of Guam; Steven G. Bradbury, to be an Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel; R. Alexander Acosta, to be U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.

II. Bills

S. 2453, National Security Surveillance Act of 2006, Specter;

S. 2455, Terrorist Surveillance Act of 2006, DeWine, Graham;

S. 2468, A bill to provide standing for civil actions for declaratory and injunctive relief to persons who refrain from electronic communications through fear of being subject to warrantless electronic surveillance for foreign intelligence purposes, and for other purposes, Schumer;

S. 3001, Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Improvement and Enhancement Act of 2006, Specter, Feinstein;

S. 2831, Free Flow of Information Act of 2006, Lugar, Specter, Graham, Schumer, Biden, Grassley;

S. 155, Gang Prevention and Effective Deterrence Act of 2005, Feinstein, Hatch, Grassley, Cornyn, Kyl, Specter;

S. 1845, Circuit Court of Appeals Restructuring and Modernization Act of 2005, Ensign, Kyl;

S. 2679, Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act, Talent, DeWine, Cornyn.

III. Matters

Subpoenas Relating to ABA Reports.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate for a markup on ``The Small Business Reauthorization and Improvements Act of 2006,'' on Thursday, July 27, 2006, beginning at 10 a.m., in room 428A of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 27, 2006, to hold a hearing to consider the nominations of Patrick W. Dunne to be Assistant Secretary for Policy & Planning and Thomas E. Harvey to be Assistant Secretary for Congressional Affairs, Department of Veterans' Affairs. The hearing will take place in room 418 of the Russell Senate Office Building at 10 a.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 27, 2006, to hold a markup to consider the nominations of Patrick W. Dunne to be Assistant Secretary for Policy & Planning and Thomas E. Harvey to be Assistant

Secretary for Congressional Affairs, Department of Veterans' Affairs.

The meeting will take place in the Reception Room off the Senate floor in the Capitol following the first rollcall of the Senate after 1 p.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 27, 2006, at 2:30 p.m., to hold a closed meeting.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Special Committee on Aging be authorized to meet tomorrow, July 27, 2006, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. in Dirksen 106 for the purpose of conducting a hearing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs' Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International Security be authorized to meet on Thursday, July 27, 2006, at 2:30 p.m., for a hearing regarding ``Responsible Resource Management at the Nation's Health Access Agency''.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on ``Detecting Smuggled Nuclear Weapons'' on Thursday, July 27, 2006, at 2:30 p.m. in Dirksen 226. The witness list will be provided when it becomes available.

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 Thursday, July 27, 2006, at 2:30 p.m.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on S. 3638, to encourage the Secretary of the Interior to participate in projects to plan, design, and construct water supply projects and to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to encourage the design, planning, and construction of projects to treat impaired surface water, reclaim, and reuse impaired groundwater, and provide brine disposal in the State of California; S. 3639, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Prado Basin Natural Treatment System Project, to authorize the Secretary to carry out a program to assist agencies in projects to construct regional brine lines in California, to authorize the Secretary to participate in the Lower Chino Dairy Area Desalination Demonstration and Reclamations Project, and for other purposes; H.R. 2341, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Goundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the design, planning, and construction of a project to reclaim and reuse wastewater within and outside of the service area of the City of Austin Water and Wastewater Utility, Texas; and H.R. 3418, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the central Texas water recycling and reuse project, and for other purposes.

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 Thursday, July 27, 2006 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. 3638, to encourage the Secretary of the Interior to participate in projects to plan, design, and construct water supply projects and to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to encourage the design, planning, and construction of projects to treat impaired surface water, reclaim and reuse impaired groundwater, and provide brine disposal in the State of California; S. 3639, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to provide standards and procedures for the review of water reclamation and reuse projects; H.R. 177, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Prado Basin Natural Treatment System Project, to authorize the Secretary to carry out a program to assist agencies in projects to construct regional brine lines in California, to authorize the Secretary to participate in the Lower Chino Dairy Area desalination demonstration and reclamation project, and for other purposes.; H.R. 2341, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the design, planning, and construction of a project to reclaim and reuse wastewater within and outside of the service area of the City of Austin Water and Wastewater Utility, Texas; and H.R. 3418, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Central Texas Water Recycling and Reuse Project, and for other purposes.

Because of the limited time available for the hearing, 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 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150.

For further information, please contact Joshua Johnson at 202-224- 5861 or Steve Waskiewicz at 202-228-6195.

Mr. Speaker, let me thank Mr. Udall for his kind comments, and both Mr. Udall and Mr. Pearce for their excellent floor management of all of these bills today.

Mr. Speaker, our communities and Nation have a responsibility to be good stewards of our water resources. That is why I introduced H.R. 3418, the Central Texas Water Recycling Act of 2006. This bill will authorize Federal matching funds, 25 percent Federal, 75 percent local, to help build an innovative water recycling program partnership in my home town of Waco, Texas, and several neighboring communities in McClennan County.

Instead of wasting valuable drinking water for use in factories and on golf courses, we will be able to use lower-cost recycled wastewater for those purposes and save enough drinking water for 20,000 family households in McClennan County. The bottom line is this: being good stewards of our water supply, we will reduce water costs for businesses, save central Texas taxpayers millions of dollars, encourage economic growth in our area, and improve water quality in our central Texas rivers.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Pombo and ranking member Rahall for their support of this measure, and the subcommittee chairman, Mr. Radanovich, the ranking subcommittee member, Mrs. Napolitano, for their key role in this bill's passage. This is the kind of bipartisan effort that shows what Congress can accomplish when we work together on a bipartisan basis.

I also want to thank the mayor, city council, and staff in the cities of Waco, Lorena, Robinson, Hewitt, Woodway, Bellmead and Lacy-Lakeview for their cooperative efforts that made this bill's passage possible.

Finally, I want to extend special credit to the city of Waco, my hometown, to its city manager, Larry Groth, for his extraordinary leadership on this bill. Without his leadership, hard work and professionalism, we would not be here today. And as a citizen of Waco, I am grateful for his outstanding service to my hometown.

Mr. Speaker, I urge bipartisan passage of H.R. 3418.

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

(Mr. UDALL of New Mexico asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, we support passage of H.R. 3418. We commend Congressman Chet Edwards for his persistence and hard work to secure authorization for this important project. The city of Waco is keenly aware that additional sources of water will be required to meet future water demands.

The city has decided to meet the expected water supply shortfall in part by implementing aggressive water conservation and water recycling and reclamation programs. The water recycling project identified in this bill will be eligible for limited financial assistance under the Bureau of Reclamation's title XVI water recycling program.

Water recycling and desalinization projects are proven technologies that can help stretch limited water supplies in areas such as Texas and the West.

I want to express our full support for this legislation. I offer my congratulations to Congressman Edwards for his leadership.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the hardworking Member from Texas (Mr. Edwards), who works tirelessly for his district.

Mr. Speaker, having no further speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3418) to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Central Texas Water Recycling and Reuse Project, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3418, introduced by Congressman Chet Edwards, authorizes Federal participation in a water reuse project in McLennan County, Texas. As central Texas cities experience rapid population growth and increased water demand, these communities are being proactive to better utilize their existing water supplies.

This legislation is part of the effort to create new water supplies. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I say thank you to my colleagues, Mr. Edwards and Mr. Udall, for their work on this bill and yield back the balance of my time.