Central Texas Water Recycling Act of 2009

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 Tuesday, April 27, 2010, at 3 p.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills: S. 745/H.R. 2265, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Magna Water District water reuse and groundwater recharge project, and for other purposes; S. 1138/H.R. 2442, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to expand the Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Program, and for other purposes; S. 1573/H.R. 2741, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the city of Hermiston, Oregon, water recycling and reuse project, and for other purposes; S. 3099, to reinstate and extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project involving the American Falls Reservoir; S. 3100, to reinstate and extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project involving the Little Wood River Ranch; H.R. 325, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Avra/Black Wash Reclamation and Riparian Restoration Project; H.R. 637, to authorize the Secretary, in cooperation with the City of San Juan Capistrano, California, to participate in the design, planning, and construction of an advanced water treatment plant facility and recycled water system, and for other purposes; H.R. 1120, 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; H.R. 1219, to make amendments to the Reclamation Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992; H.R. 1393, to amend the Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Resources Conservation and Improvement Act of 2000 to authorize additional projects and activities under that Act, and for other purposes; and H.R. 2522, to raise the ceiling on the Federal share of the cost of the Calleguas Municipal Water District Recycling 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 it to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150, or by email to [email protected] .gov.

For further information, please contact Tanya Trujillo at (202) 224- 5479 or Gina Weinstock at (202) 224-5684.

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

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 National Parks. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, May 5, 2010, at 2:30 p.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

The purpose of the hearing is to review the National Park Service's implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

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 it to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510-6150, or by email to [email protected] .gov.

For further information, please contact David Brooks at (202) 224- 9863 or Allison Seyferth at (202) 224-4905.

Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands for her courtesy and for her kind comments and support for this legislation and for her leadership on the committee.

Mr. Speaker, our communities and Nation have a responsibility to be good stewards of our water resources. That is why I introduced H.R. 1120, the Central Texas Water Recycling Act of 2009.

This bill will authorize approximately $8 million in Federal funds to help build an innovative water recycling program in partnership with my hometown of Waco, Texas, and with several neighboring communities. It supports efforts to manage water resources efficiently in McLennan County by strategically locating regional satellite water treatment plants that will not only provide for the conservation of our community's water supply but will also reduce costs to the taxpayers.

This project can provide up to 10 million gallons per day of reused water, thereby reducing the water demand on Lake Waco. Instead of wasting valuable drinking water for use in factories and on golf courses in July and August in Texas, which doesn't make much sense, we will be able to use lower-cost recycled wastewater for those purposes, and will be able to save enough drinking water for over 20,000 households.

The bottom line is this: By being good stewards of our water supply, we will reduce water costs for businesses and for working families. It will save taxpayers millions of dollars, and it will encourage economic growth and jobs.

I want to thank Chairman Rahall and Ranking Member Hastings for their support of this measure, and I want to thank the subcommittee chairwoman, Mrs. Napolitano, and the ranking subcommittee member, Mrs. McMorris Rodgers, for their key roles in this bill's passage.

This legislation, Mr. Speaker, is a kind of effort that shows what Congress can do when we work together on a bipartisan basis.

I also want to thank the mayors, city council and staff from the cities of Waco, Lorena, Robinson, Hewitt, Woodway, Bellmead, and Lacy- Lakeview for their cooperative efforts that brought us here today.

Finally, I want to extend special credit to Waco's city manager, Larry Groth, for his extraordinary leadership on this bill. Without his leadership and that of his staff's, without their hard work and professionalism, we would not be here today. As a citizen of Waco, I am grateful for his and his staff's outstanding service to my hometown.

I urge a ``yes'' vote on H.R. 1120.

Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has scheduled a hearing entitled, ``Wall Street and the Financial Crisis: The Role of Credit Rating Agencies.'' This hearing will be the third in a series of Subcommittee hearings examining some of the causes and consequences of the recent financial crisis. This third hearing will focus on the role of credit rating agencies in the financial crisis, using as case histories the credit rating agencies of Standard and Poor's and Moody's. A witness list will be available Monday, April 19, 2010.

The Subcommittee hearing has been scheduled for Friday, April 23, 2010, at 9:30 a.m., in Room G-50 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. For further information, please contact Elise Bean of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations at 202-224-9505.

Mr. President, I would like to announce for the information of the Senate and the public that the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has scheduled a hearing entitled, ``Wall Street and the Financial Crisis: The Role of Investment Banks.'' This hearing will be the fourth in a series of Subcommittee hearings examining some of the causes and consequences of the recent financial crisis. The fourth hearing will focus on the role of investment banks in the securitization of residential mortgage related products, and the development, marketing, and trading of residential mortgage related structured financial products such as collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) and credit default swaps (CDS). The hearing will also review certain investment and trading activities of investment banks that involve residential mortgage based securities and related products. A witness list will be available Thursday, April 22, 2010.

The Subcommittee hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 27, 2010, at 11 a.m., in Room 106 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. For further information, please contact Elise Bean of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations at 202-224-9505.

committee on indian affairs

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1120) 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. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1120 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to participate

in the Central Texas Water Recycling and Reuse Project. The project will treat and recycle wastewater generated by the city of Waco and six neighboring communities. Similar legislation was passed by the House under suspension of the rules in the 109th and 110th Congresses.

I urge my colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 1120, and I commend the bill's sponsor, Mr. Edwards of Texas, for his persistence and hard work to secure authorization for this very important project.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would now like to yield such time as he might consume to the sponsor of this act, to our colleague, Mr. Edwards of Texas.

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

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

The Democratic bill manager has adequately explained this bill, which authorizes limited Federal participation in a water reuse project in McLennan County, Texas. We have no objection to this well-intended bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I will just reaffirm the support that this bill has from our side of the aisle, I yield back the balance of my time.