Wichita Project Equus Beds Division Authorization Act of 2005

Mr. President, I ask Unanimous consent that the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry be authorized to conduct a business meeting during the session of the Senate on Thursday, October 6, 2005 at 9:30 a.m. in SR-328A, Russell Senate Office Building. The purpose of this meeting will be to review spending levels to meet reconciliation expenditures as imposed by H. Con. Res. 95, establishing the Congressional Budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2006, revising appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal year 2005, and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2007 through 2010, and to agree on recommendations with it will make to the Committee on the Budget thereon.

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 6, 2005, at 10 a.m. to conduct a hearing on ``A Review of the CFIUS Process for Implementing the Exon-Florio Amendment.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, October 6 at 3 p.m. The purpose of this hearing is to receive testimony on S. 1025, to amend the act entitled ``An Act to Provide for the Construction of the Cheney Division, Wichita Federal Reclamation Project, KS, and for Other Purposes'' to authorize the EQUUS Beds Division of the Wichita Project; S. 1498, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain water distribution facilities to the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District; S. 1529, to provide for the conveyance of certain Federal land in the City of Yuma, AZ; S. 1578, to preauthorize the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basin Endangered Fish Recovery Implementation Programs; and S. 1760, to authorize early repayment of obligations to the Bureau of Reclamation within the Rogue River Valley Irrigation District or within the Medford Irrigation District, and for other purposes.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, October 6 at 10 a.m.

The purpose of this hearing is to receive an update on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita's effects on energy infrastructure and the status of recovery efforts in the gulf coast region.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet on October 6th, 2005 at 9:30 a.m. for a business meeting to consider the following nominations: Santanu K. Baruah, of Oregon, to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development; George M. Gray, of Massachusetts, to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; Lyons Gray, of North Carolina, to be Chief Financial Officer, Environmental Protection Agency; H. Dale Hall, of New Mexico, to be Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and Edward McGaffigan, Jr., of Virginia, to be a Member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the term of five years expiring June 30, 2010.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet on October 6, 2005 at 9:35 a.m. to conduct a hearing to receive testimony on the actions of EPA, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Highway Administration as they relate to Hurricane Katrina.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Thursday, October 6, 2005, at 10 a.m., to hear testimony on ``The Future of the Gulf Coast: Using Tax Policy to Help Rebuild Businesses and Communities and Support Families After Disasters.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Thursday, October 6, 2005, at 2:30 p.m., to hear testimony on ``U.S.- Bahrain Free Trade Agreement.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, October 6, 2005, at 11 a.m., to hold a hearing on Nominations.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, October 6, 2005, at 2:30 p.m., to hold a hearing on Nominations.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Thursday, October 6, 2005, at 9 a.m., for a hearing titled; ``Hurricane Katrina: How Is FEMA Performing Its Mission at This Stage of Recovery?''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Thursday, October 6, 2005, at 10 a.m., for a hearing titled; ``FEMA Status Report on Recovery Efforts in the Gulf States''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a markup on Thursday, October 6, 2005, at 9:30 a.m. in Senate Dirksen Office Building Room 226.

Agenda

I. Nominations: Timothy Flanigan to be Deputy Attorney General; and Susan Neilson to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit.

II. Bills: S. 1088 Streamlined Procedures Act of 2005. Kyl, Cornyn, Grassley, Hatch; S. 1789 Personal Data Privacy and Security Act of 2005. Specter, Leahy, Feinstein, Feingold; S. 751 Notification of Risk to Personal Data Act. Feinstein, Kyl; S. 1326 Notification of Risk to Personal Data Act. Sessions; S. 1086 A Bill to Improve the National Program to Register and Monitor Individuals Who Commit Crimes Against Children or Sex Offenses. Hatch, Biden, Schumer; S. 956 Jetseta Gage Prevention and Deterrence of Crimes Against Children Act of 2005. Grassley, Kyl, Cornyn; S. 1699 Stop Counterfeiting in Manufactured Goods Act. Specter, Leahy, Hatch, DeWine, Cornyn, Brownback, Feingold; S. 1095 Protecting American Goods and Services Act of 2005. Cornyn, Leahy; H.R. 683 Trademark Dilution Revision Act of 2005. Smith-TX; S. 443 Antitrust Criminal Investigative Improvements Act of 2005. DeWine, Kohl, Leahy; S. 1787 Relief to Victims of Hurricane Katrina and Other Natural Disasters Act of 2005. Vitter, Grassley, Cornyn, DeWine; and S. 1647 Hurricane Katrina Bankruptcy Relief and Community Protection Act of 2005. Feingold, Leahy, Durbin, Kennedy, Feinstein.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized

to meet to conduct a hearing on ``Executive Nominations'' on Thursday, October 6, 2005, at 2:30 p.m., in the Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 226.

Witness List

Panel I: Members of Congress.

Panel II: Wan Kim to be an Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division; Steven G. Bradbury to be an Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel; Sue Ellen Wooldridge to be an Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division; and Thomas O. Barnett to be an Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on October 6, 2005, at 2:30 p.m., to hold a closed briefing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International Security be authorized to meet on Thursday, October 6, 2005, at 2:30 p.m., for a hearing regarding ``How Does the Federal Government Lease Needed Space?''

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

subcommittee on oversight of government management, the federal

workforce and the district of columbia

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia be authorized to meet on Thursday, October 6, at 2:30 p.m., for a hearing entitled, ``From Factory to Foxhole: Improving DoD Logistics.''

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from North Carolina. He has not only been a good leader, but a great friend, and I appreciate his yielding the time and the work he has done in favor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in favor of the Wichita Project Equus Beds Division Authorization Act, S. 1025. The bill authorizes the Equus Beds aquifer recharge project in south-central Kansas and will help meet the water needs of nearly 500,000 people in the State. This is an environmentally sound project, and it will help ensure local residents, agricultural irrigators, and industrial businesses have access to clean water for decades.

I want to thank Chairman Pombo for his leadership in assisting me over the past few years on this important water project. Both he and the staff on the House Resources Committee have been very good to work with.

Chairman Pombo has helped ensure authorization for the needed recharge of the Equus Beds aquifer, and ensured that it was done right away. I appreciate my colleague and good friend, Senator Pat Roberts, for his championing this effort in the authorization bill in the Senate. He got the job done in the other body. Now it is time to finish the process in the House today.

Because the House has already approved authorization language contained in S. 1025 last year, passage of this bill today will be the final step needed to send it to the President for his signature.

I should also thank the city of Wichita officials for their effort in helping move this project forward. Their vision to ensure the greater Wichita area has a sustainable source of water both now and in the future is why this project started. Wichita's water supply projects administrator, Gerry Blain, has been great to work with. Gerry has been especially helpful to me and my staff in navigating the details of the recharge project. I appreciate his dedication to public service.

The Equus Beds aquifer recharge project involves taking floodwater from the Little Arkansas River and depositing that excess water into the aquifer through water supply wells, after going through a filtration system. Since the 1950s, the water levels in the aquifer have dropped 40 feet because of water rights and pumping excesses. The aquifer's natural recharge rate of 6 inches per year will not keep up.

Due to this overusage, saltwater from the Southwest and oil field brine from the Northwest have threatened the aquifer. When the aquifer's levels were higher, the elevated levels created a natural barrier to keep the contamination at bay.

But now that the water levels have dropped, the natural barrier is no longer there. If the aquifer is not replenished, the maximum chloride levels will eventually exceed what is permitted in both agricultural and municipal usage. This aquifer recharge project is a win-win project for all of the communities that depend on its water.

The city of Wichita and surrounding municipalities benefit because water can be safely stored to meet short-term

and long-term water supply needs. Agricultural irrigators benefit because the risk of saltwater contamination is reduced. Without this natural barrier, an elevated water level in the aquifer, the water would eventually become contaminated to the point where it would not be suitable even for use on crops. Irrigators should see reduced costs associated with pumping, since the water levels of the aquifer will rise.

The Little Arkansas River and its ecosystem will also benefit. During the times of drought, a natural discharge from Equus Beds' aquifer into the river will occur, creating a more stable base flow.

Under S. 1025 the city of Wichita will be required to maintain and operate the recharge project, which ensures the Federal Government will not bear the cost associated with this ongoing operation.

Recharging the Equus Beds is the most cost-efficient means to provide water for the communities in south central Kansas. And it is the best option available to keep salt and oil field brine out of its critical water supply without greatly restricting water usage. So I urge my colleagues to join me today in supporting S. 1025.

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, October 6, 2005 at 3 p.m. in Room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on S. 1025, to amend the Act entitled ``An Act to provide for the construction of the Cheney division, Wichita Federal reclamation project, Kansas, and for other purposes'' to authorize the Equus Beds Division of the Wichita Project; S. 1498, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain water distribution facilities to the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District; S. 1529, to provide for the conveyance of certain Federal land in the city of Yuma, Arizona; S. 1578, to reauthorize the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basin endangered fish recovery implementation programs; and S. 1760, to authorize early repayment of obligations to the Bureau of Reclamation within the Rogue River Valley Irrigation District or within the Medford Irrigation District, 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 Kellie Donnelly 202-224-9360 or Shannon Ewan at 202-224-7555.

committee on energy and natural resources

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 1025) to amend the Act entitled ``An Act to provide for the construction of the Cheney division, Wichita Federal reclamation project, Kansas, and for other purposes'' to authorize the Equus Beds Division of the Wichita Project.

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.

S. 1025, introduced by Senator Pat Roberts and supported by our Kansas colleague Todd Tiahrt, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to assist in the funding and implementation of an aquifer recharge program near the city of Wichita.

The Equus Beds aquifer has supplied water to Wichita for over 60 years, but groundwater levels continue to decline. The bill's project will use excess water flows from the Little Arkansas River to recharge the aquifer and would provide significant new water storage capacity for area water consumers. This enhanced aquifer recharge and storage concept will help impede saline water intrusion and enhance the region's long-term water needs.

I urge support of the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Tiahrt).

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

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

The hearing will be held on Thursday, October 6, 2005 at 10 a.m. in Room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive an update on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita's effects on energy infrastructure and the status of recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast region.

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

I would also like to announce that the hearing to evaluate and receive a status report on the Environmental Management programs of the Department of Energy which was previously scheduled before the Committee for this date and time has been postponed and will be rescheduled at a later date.

For further information, please contact Lisa Epifani 202-224-5269 or Shannon Ewan at 202-224-7555.