To reauthorize the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Trust Fund, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5715) to reauthorize the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Trust Fund, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my legislation, H.R. 5715, which will authorize the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Trust Fund.

Congress established the Udall Foundation in 1992 as an independent executive branch agency to honor Morris K. Udall's lasting impact on the Nation's environment, public lands, natural resources, and his support for the rights and self-governance of Native Americans and Alaska Natives.

In 2009, Congress enacted legislation to honor Stewart L. Udall and add his name to the name of the foundation.

The agency is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, and maintains an additional office in Washington, D.C.

The Udall Foundation accomplishes its mission through five major programs.

The important one is the John S. McCain III National Center for Environmental Conflict Resolution, which provides impartial collaboration, consensus building, and conflict resolution services on a wide range of environmental, natural, and cultural resources, Tribal and public lands issues involving the Federal Government.

In addition, the foundation runs numerous graduate, intern, and focus programs for Native American and Alaska Natives throughout the country, of which many here in Congress have benefited from those internships and fellowships within committees and in individual offices.

I thank the 13 members of the board of directors of the Udall Foundation for their support, the Council on Environmental Quality for their support, and urge consideration and support for the legislation.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Education and Labor,

Washington, DC, December 2, 2022.

Hon. Raul Grijalva,

Chair, Committee on Natural Resources,

House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chair Grijalva: I write concerning H.R. 5715, a bill

to reauthorize the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Trust

Fund, and for other purposes. There are certain provisions in

the legislation that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of

the Committee on Education and Labor.

In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed

expeditiously to floor consideration of this important bill,

I am willing to waive this committee's right to sequential

referral. I do so with the understanding that by waiving

consideration of the bill, the Committee on Education and

Labor does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the

subject matters contained in the bill which fall within its

Rule X jurisdiction. I request that you urge the Speaker to

name members of the Education and Labor Committee to any

conference committee which is named to consider such

provisions.

Please place this letter into the committee report on H.R.

5715 and into the Congressional Record during consideration

of the measure on the House floor. Thank you for the

cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this

matter and others between our respective committees.

Sincerely,

Robert C. ``Bobby'' Scott,

Chairman.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Leger Fernandez), the chair of the subcommittee.

Madam Speaker, I, as well, would like to thank my colleagues across the aisle for their thoughtful and important suggestions to the legislation. I am happy to incorporate them. Their suggestions make the program healthier and stronger, and I appreciate that.

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

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5715. This bill would reauthorize the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation through 2029. The bill does not increase the funding authorization level of this program, which received approximately $5.1 million in funding last fiscal year.

In 1992, Congress passed the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation Act to award scholarships and select Native American congressional interns.

In 1998, Congress amended the Udall Foundation to create the United States Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution.

The institute provides mediation and related services to help resolve environmental, resources, and lands conflict involving the Federal Government. Congress has twice reauthorized the Udall Foundation, in 2009 and again in 2019.

I thank Chairman Grijalva for working with the Committee Republicans to include good government language we proposed in H.R. 5715 that would require the Department of the Interior's inspector general to conduct an audit 4 years after this reauthorization. Similar language was included in the Udall Foundation's 2019 reauthorization.

The Udall Foundation is making steady progress toward implementing recommendations previously raised by the inspector general to ensure they are fully complying with Federal requirements. Requiring another audit in 4 years gives the foundation time to implement the new standards and reforms they are working to put in place and advances this committee's role in conducting proper oversight of Federal funds and programs.

Republican amendments have been made to this legislation that would help ensure continued oversight of the program and the implementation of good government practices prior to a future reauthorization.

Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues across the aisle for their bipartisan work on this bill. I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank Chair Grijalva for keeping the vision alive of educating our future leaders that will bring to us the solutions and resolutions of conflict issues around Native American self-determination and so much more.

We feel the Udall Foundation's impact across our country, and certainly in New Mexico, from the Halls of Congress to environmental conflict resolution to our universities and students. In fact, New Mexico's very own Congresswoman Stansbury is a Udall Foundation alum, and over 255 American Indian and Alaska Native interns have worked in more than 60 congressional offices thanks to the foundation.

This bill from Chair Grijalva will ensure that the Udall Foundation can continue to implement its valuable mission and work for years to come. I thank Chairman Grijalva for keeping this vision alive.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill.