Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Extension Act of 2017

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4465) to maintain annual base funding for the Upper Colorado and San Juan fish recovery programs through fiscal year 2023, to require a report on the implementation of those programs, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which 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, today we are considering my bill, H.R. 4465, the Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Extension Act of 2017.

This bipartisan bill extends efforts to promote the dual goals of recovering certain fish species protected under the Endangered Species Act, while ensuring the continued reliability of water and power operations in the West.

I would like to thank the Members of Congress, both Republican and Democrat, who have cosponsored my bill. I also appreciate the work of Rob Bishop as chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee and his help over the last several months to move my bill through the legislative process.

I think it is also worth mentioning that we have received over 20 letters of support for this bill from a wide range of stakeholders, including water conservation districts, Indian Tribes, conservation organizations, State governments, and more.

With a total water storage capacity of more than 30 million acre-feet and a capacity to generate over 5 billion megawatt hours of energy annually, the Colorado River Storage Project, or CRSP, has been vital to the economics of the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basin States of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and Arizona.

Four fish species listed under the Endangered Species Act also call the basin home, and the threat of water and power restrictions resulting from these listings prompted the affected States to enter into an agreement with Federal and non-Federal partners to ensure the continued reliability of the water and power operations in the West.

These agreements resulted in the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program and the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program. In 2000, Congress enacted legislation to establish Federal participation and cost-sharing agreements, including the authority to use CRSP power revenues, to support these two programs.

Congress reauthorized the programs in 2012, but also added necessary oversight and accountability reforms to ensure that funds are going towards recovery.

H.R. 4465 extends the use of CRSP power revenues through 2023, which aligns with the recovery deadline for these programs and does not require any new Federal spending of Americans' hard-earned tax dollars.

In addition, the bill extends the existing transparency improvements and adds a report to highlight the programs' performance. This reauthorization is necessary to ensure that the more than 2,300 water and power projects in the five-State region can continue to operate in compliance with the Endangered Species Act.

I am hopeful that at the conclusion of this reauthorization through 2023, these programs will have accomplished what they are seeking to achieve: the recovery and delisting of four endangered fish species.

Mr. Speaker, I believe this bill is a great example of how Members of Congress can work across party lines to solve an issue facing their respective

States. I look forward to working together with my colleagues and solving other problems with a similar commonsense and bipartisan approach.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

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

Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in supporting this bipartisan legislation and urge its adoption by the House.

H.R. 4465 extends the authorization through 2023 of the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program and the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program.

These two multiagency partnerships bring together local, State, and Federal agencies; water users; utilities; and environmental organizations to help restore four endangered fish species, while also maintaining water delivery, hydropower generation, and protecting economic development along the Colorado and San Juan Rivers.

This legislation will allow for the continued funding of projects that improve habitat, support crucial research and monitoring, and remove non-native species, which will both benefit endangered fish species and protect the many other uses of the rivers.

Healthy rivers are vital to a region's overall environmental and economic well-being. When our rivers are healthy, our communities are healthy. We all share a responsibility to sustain and preserve the integrity of these resources for future generations.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud the bipartisan cosponsors of this legislation for this leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, March 13, 2018, I regret not being present for two vote sessions. Had I been present, I would have voted in support of the Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Extension Act of 2017, H.R. 4465, Roll Call No. 103, and against the Trickett Wendler, Frank Mongiello, Jordan McLinn, and Matthew Bellina Right to Try Act of 2018, H.R. 5247, Roll Call No. 102.

Mr. Speaker, on March 13, 2018, I was not present for votes due to flight delays. If I had been present, I would have voted:

On Roll Call vote 102, on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 5247, I would have voted No.

On Roll Call vote 103, on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 4465, I would have voted Aye.