To make 2 percent across-the-board rescissions in non-defense, non-homeland-security, and non-veterans-affairs discretionary spending for each of the fiscal years 2010 and 2011.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 726 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Lincoln Diaz- Balart). All time yielded during the consideration of this rule is for debate only.

General Leave

I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 726.

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

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 726 provides for consideration of H.R. 965, the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network Continuing Authorization Act. I want to recognize my colleague from Maryland, Mr. John Sarbanes, for his leadership on this issue. He has worked diligently in a bipartisan fashion to protect the Chesapeake Bay so that it remains a vibrant recreational and economic network.

H.R. 965 will continue the important restoration and conservation of the Chesapeake Bay watershed by permanently authorizing the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network. The Chesapeake Bay is our Nation's largest estuary. Many people often think of the bay as only part of Maryland and Virginia. But the bay's watershed covers 64,000 square miles in five States and the District of Columbia. In fact, the watershed's most northern point, or what we in upstate New York would call the starting point, extends into a significant portion of my congressional district in the village of Cooperstown.

As a result of its size and location, the Chesapeake Bay has played an important role in our country's history, from early settlement and commerce, to military battles and transportation development, as well as recreational uses. It truly is worthy of preservation, both for its natural beauty and its impact on our Nation's culture and economy.

The Chesapeake Bay Network is a comprehensive protection program for the bay. The programs authorized serve to identify, conserve, restore and interpret the natural, historical, cultural and recreational resources within the watershed. These programs also educate local communities on the significant sites in the region and how their community impacts the overall health of the bay. This law requires a full matching requirement for grants awarded by the National Park Service to State and local agencies and not-for-profit corporations and organizations for such projects.

The resulting network is a system of over 150 parks, museums, historic communities, scenic roadways, water trails and water access points located within the vast Chesapeake Bay watershed. Each of these sites tells a piece of the vast Chesapeake story, while providing Federal support for the preservation and improvement of these sites to enhance both the historical and recreational user experience. The network is overseen by the National Park Service, but the Park Service only manages 10 of the network's sites. Other gateways are managed by local State and nongovernmental organizations.

The Chesapeake Bay Network has always been a bipartisan program. The legislation that created it in 1998 passed the House on suspension by voice vote, was agreed to by unanimous consent in the Senate, and signed into

law by President Clinton. In 2002, a clean 5-year reauthorization received similar unanimous support in Congress and was signed into law by President Bush. Last year, an identical bill, H.R. 5540, passed the House by an overwhelming bipartisan vote.

H.R. 965 will permanently reauthorize this bipartisan program, which the White House Conference on Cooperative Conservation, headed by the Department of the Interior, has called a success story. It's worth noting that the National Park Service has also recommended permanent reauthorization of the network.

I encourage all my colleagues to vote for this rule and the underlying bill and to continue to support the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network.

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

Mr. Speaker, we are here today to reauthorize the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network. This is a program that did not have a single Member of Congress oppose its creation or its subsequent reauthorization. The program has been heralded as a success by the Bush administration and was unanimously reauthorized during that administration. This rule provides for consideration of the legislation that would now permanently extend the authorization for this bipartisan program, a move endorsed by the National Park Service.

We all agree that the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network is a good program that has had a positive impact on preservation and recreation within the Chesapeake Bay watershed, but it's clear that some of us disagree on whether to make the reauthorization permanent, which is why we've made in order a substitute amendment that would reauthorize the program for 5 years to allow a full debate.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the previous question and on the rule.

I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

The previous question was ordered.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from New York, my good friend, Mr. Arcuri, for the time.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the House of Representatives is spending 1 hour debating the rule that will be used to consider the underlying legislation being brought to the floor today, the Chesapeake Bay Watertrails Continuing Authorization Act. That simple and noncontroversial legislation, barely two pages in length, passed last Congress, as my good friend has mentioned, by an overwhelming vote. In fact, it passed by 321-86. That is a pretty impressive margin. I believe it will pass today by, at the very least, that margin.

So I would ask why the majority is going through all of this trouble of having the House consider a special rule for a two-page bill. Why is the House going to spend 2 hours today, approximately, discussing a bill that could have been handled in just a few minutes under suspension and ultimately pass by an overwhelming majority vote in this House?

I'm not sure of the answer. But I think it's noteworthy that the majority spends a week's worth of Congress' precious time on water trails and the Chesapeake while Americans face unemployment levels we have not seen in 26 years.

The majority is requiring the House today to consider the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network Continuing Authorization Act, a bill that spends $5 million over 5 years through a process that requires hours of debate. But yesterday, we considered the Wind Energy Research and Development Act of 2009 with only 40 minutes total of debate, and that bill authorized the expenditure of $1 billion.

So I would ask, how is it appropriate for the majority to require up to 2 hours of debate to spend $5 million, but it authorizes 40 minutes of debate for $1 billion? It may not be appropriate, but it is certainly common practice under this majority to rush important legislation through the House. I fear we may see that again when the House considers the majority's health care reform legislation.

Consider that this Chesapeake Bay water trails bill was introduced in February; it has remained unchanged since then, giving Members months to consider and read the two-page bill. And that is consistent with the Speaker's pledge, still on her Web site, that ``Members should have at least 24 hours to examine bills and conference reports and texts prior to floor consideration.'' But will the majority live up to their pledge to allow Members time to read the health care bill when it finally comes together?

Perhaps if the majority had lived up to their promise, Members would have had time to properly read and consider the cap-and-tax as well as the so-called ``stimulus'' bill and voted them down. So let's see, Mr. Speaker, let's see if they live up to their promise when we consider the health care legislation. I won't be holding my breath.

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