Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, today I am proud to introduce, on behalf of myself and my colleague Adrian Smith of Nebraska, the House companion bill to S. 639--bill to help farmers and ranchers transport their commodities more easily.

Being a member of both the Agriculture and the Transportation Committees, I understand how critical it is that both sectors be able to work together to facilitate the movement of commodities. Representing a largely agricultural district, I know the struggles farmers go through to transport their crops, especially in this time of ever fluctuating gas prices. We need to be doing what we can to relieve farmers of unnecessary transportation rules and regulations when they follow safe and responsible procedures.

When a farmer drives goods of over 10,001 pounds across state lines, they becomes subject to the rules and regulations of commercial motor vehicles. Within their own State, the farmer is not violating any laws; however, once they become an ``interstate carrier'' the farmer is then responsible for all of the requirements of an operator of a commercial motor vehicle. These requirements include having a commercial driver's license, Department of Transportation certification on the vehicle, being subject to drug and alcohol testing in addition to having a medical examination certificate, and recording hours of service. For those farmers who are occasionally transporting their goods across state lines and are not driving trucks for a living, these requirements are an unnecessary burden. These costly regulations are taking an unfair toll on farmers and this legislation will correct that. This legislation would exempt farmers from the 10,001 pound definition of a Commercial Motor Vehicle when traveling between States and will reduce undue burdens on farmers.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of Congressman Boren's amendment for natural gas vehicle research. Natural gas has an important role to play in United States energy policy because it is more domestically abundant and cleaner-burning than traditional transportation fuel. We cannot afford to continue sending billions of dollars overseas while neglecting the vast energy resources right here in America. It is critical to our long-term economic prosperity that we invest in our own domestic sources of energy. By increasing research and development funding for natural gas vehicles we can ensure American innovation moves us toward greater energy security while decreasing our carbon emissions. I urge all my colleagues to support Congressman Boren's amendment to increase funding for the DOE's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Vehicle Technologies program for natural gas vehicle research.

Madam Speaker, today I introduced The Small Business Growth Act along with Representatives Blaine Luetkemeyer, Alan Grayson, Ron Paul, Ginny Brown-Waite, Vern Buchanan, Bobby Bright, and Ann Kirkpatrick. I thank them for their support.

As we all know small business is the economic backbone of America; small businesses provide nearly 70 million workers employment and 80 percent of all new jobs in America. Small businesses are struggling in these tough economic times. We must do more to help small business which will turn our economy around.

Under Section 179 of the Internal Revenue Code small business can expense machinery, equipment and furniture but not ``real property''-- new structures (buildings), renovations and structural components; this legislation corrects this matter.

The Small Business Growth Act is targeted to small businesses which have gross receipts of less than $5 million for the past three years. The legislation makes permanent a tax deduction for capital improvements that small businesses make to their facilities allowing them to take up to $125,000. An immediate tax deduction, rather than depreciation, will help small businesses to put money towards expanding their facility, purchasing a new piece of equipment, or hiring another worker--all of which creates jobs and stimulates our economy.

I urge all members to support The Small Business Growth Act.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 510 on the Agriculture appropriations bill, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the transmission

siting section of the manager's amendment to the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. Yesterday, Congressman Inslee and I offered this amendment to strengthen siting authority within the Western Interconnection, which extends from Colorado to the west coast.

My home state of Colorado has enormous renewable energy potential, but our outdated transmission infrastructure is inadequate to bring these resources to where they are needed. According to the Renewable Resource Generation Development Areas Task Force, Colorado has eight potential high concentration wind development areas and two potential high concentration solar development areas capable of generating more than 96 GW and 26 GW of energy, respectively. These estimates show that Colorado is more than able to generate excess renewable electricity for export to other states, and does not take into account smaller scale projects or distributed generation.

For western states like Colorado, the renewable energy potential is there, but the areas with the best wind and solar resources are often in remote areas that lack adequate transmission lines to transport the energy to where it is needed. As I travel to the Eastern Plains of Colorado, the landowners often tell me they are more than willing for wind and solar developers to install wind turbines and solar panels on their property, because for them it is an economic development tool. Ranchers can receive compensation by putting wind turbines on their land and their cattle can still graze under the towers.

Our current transmission system has evolved from local demands without an integrated national plan. Implementation of interstate transmission lines requires coordinating the regulatory permitting processes in each of the individual states and localities that the line will traverse. Our amendment builds upon the existing regional planning section of the American Clean Energy and Security Act and adds a siting plan for the Western Interconnection. This siting plan gives the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission backstop siting authority to ensure the construction of high-priority interstate transmission lines. Self identified regional planning entities will build a national transmission plan from the bottom up and with higher priority given to meet the demand of deploying renewable electricity generation projects. Our amendment will give ample deference to states and will encourage state and local participation throughout the planning and siting process.

In addition to the Inslee/Markey transmission siting amendment, I would like to express my strong support of Chairman Peterson's agriculture amendment. My district in eastern Colorado contains some of the best agricultural land in Colorado. Weld County, in the 4th CD, is the number one ranking county in the state for agricultural products sold and eighth in the nation. I worked hard with my colleagues on the Agriculture committee to ensure that Colorado's farmers and ranchers will be able to benefit from the programs in this legislation.

I support authorizing the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out the agriculture and forestry related offsets programs in Title V of the American Clean Energy and Security Act. The United States Department of Agriculture conservation programs and the Department's extensive knowledge of optimizing agricultural practices leave them well poised to establish measurable and reliable offsets. Furthermore, the multitude of USDA offices near likely offset projects leave the Department in a better position to provide regulatory and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers.

Finally, I would like to express my support of amending the definition of renewable biomass in the renewable electricity standard and the renewable fuels standard of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to include infested trees removed from public lands. The Forest Service expects this bark beetle outbreak will kill most of the mature lodgepole pines covering 2.2 million acres in Colorado and southern Wyoming within the next 5 years. Some estimates indicate almost 2 million acres the have already been decimated. While it is not our intention to incentivize unnecessary cutting in our public lands, work is already being done in our public lands to remove trees killed by bark beetles to reduce the threat of wildfires and preserve forest health. We should utilize this available waste.

We have an opportunity to be smarter about the way we create and use energy. By utilizing the great renewable electricity potential in the west, we can invest in our future and put Americans back to work.

Mr. Speaker, Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel once said, ``I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.'' I rise today to do my part to prevent that silence. I rise today to condemn the horrific attack on the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and to extend my deepest thanks and sympathy to the family of Officer Stephen Johns and to all those at the Holocaust Museum. These men and women spend their days educating visitors from across the world about the tragic events of the Holocaust. The museum and its staff keep alive the memories of those lost and act as a reminder to our society's conscience of the devastating acts that humans are capable of. The events that occurred at the museum yesterday should only strengthen our resolve to combat anti-Semitism and the prejudices that still pervade our society. We must carry the memory of both the Holocaust and yesterday's events with us as we seek to form a more tolerant world. It is only in creating positive from the abhorrent that we can properly honor the lives of those who were lost.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present for the vote on S. 454, I would have voted in favor of the bill. As my daughter and son are graduating from college and high school respectively, I am unable to be present for the vote.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support the Small Business Assistance in Debt Bill (Small Business AID Bill). The Small Business AID Bill will expand the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 504 loan program to be used to refinance conventional, non-SBA loans. This bill will permit small business owners to access capital and tap into equity that is locked in their commercial real estate due to the financial and banking crisis. Market conditions have changed and are making it harder for small businesses to gain access to capital to continue investing in and expanding their businesses. My bill reduces risk to banks from conventional, non-SBA loans on their balance sheets while simultaneously infusing cash into the banking system. This change will not require additional taxpayer support or an additional Congressional allocation, since this program is self-supporting.

Many small businesses have been ham-strung by today's economic conditions. Due to changes in the banking industry's ability and willingness to lend, small businesses are being squeezed out of capital markets. Banks, like most Americans, have been forced to tighten their belts; and banks have had to limit access to capital. With a lack of available capital, small businesses, the economic engine of America, are in crisis. Within the next year, approximately $2.5 billion in commercial loans will come due. Many banks will not be willing or able to renew these loans for small businesses, many whom will be unable to raise the necessary financing to survive. Other small businesses are being forced to stay in loans that are higher than today's current interest rates. Small businesses need another means to refinance their loans to weather this financial storm and potentially expand through new capital. By allowing SBA-backed lenders to extend financing small businesses will be able to: acquire land, construct buildings, or purchase equipment and collateralize fixed assets, avoid prepayment penalties, financing fees, and other costs. Small businesses will receive these benefits while obtaining better loan terms and lower interest rates for existing debt.

A good way to illustrate how my bill works may be helpful to my colleagues: Acme Company owns a building that an appraiser values at $100,000. Acme owes $70,000 on the building to their local bank. Due to the economic and financial crises bank regulators require the bank to downgrade their loans with Acme. The bank severely restricts or eliminates Acme's line of credit. The absence of the line of credit causes a very real hardship, impacting Acme's cash flow. With the inability to manage cash, Acme is severely impacted and encounters problems with operating day-to-day. While Acme has equity in their building, their bank cannot and would not allow them to access this equity due to the downgraded borrower status. With my bill, the SBA would be able to offer a new 504 loan to Acme for up to $40,000 (since the bill limits lending up to 40% of the value of the property). With this new load, Acme would be able

to unlock up to $20,000 worth of equity which they could use to maintain the business, retain jobs, or purchase new equipment to help the business grow again.

There was very little immediate impact for small businesses from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Banks' inability and sometimes unwillingness to assist small businesses will continue for some time and we must act now to help small businesses stay afloat. My bill assists small businesses by providing SBA guarantees for a portion of certain loans coordinated through Certified Development Companies (CDCs). These non-profit organizations work with local lenders to provide secure SBA-backed loans to small businesses. The SBA then guarantees a portion of the loan, reducing the risk to lenders and dramatically increasing small businesses' access to capital. Until this bill, CDC loans were only available for new businesses or business expansion; but with this bill these loans would be available to refinance existing debt. By refinancing small businesses will continue to be current on their existing loans with SBA lenders. The lack of access to working capital depresses small businesses, resulting in a corresponding increase in unemployment rates.

In today's economy, small businesses are struggling. My bill assists small businesses to pull themselves up without any government handout or bailout. They will be able to refinance their current debt so that they can invest in new facilities, equipment, or hire additional workers. I urge all members to support the Small Business AID Bill.

Madam Speaker, I would like to state for the record that had I been present for the vote on H.R. 915, I would have voted in favor of the FAA reauthorization. As my daughter and son are graduating from college and high school, respectively, I am unable to be present for the vote. As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I was proud to approve the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2009 in our committee.

Being from Colorado, I fly in and out of Denver International Airport. Denver has struggled recently with a dearth of properly trained air traffic controllers. Denver TRACON is struggling with staffing problems because of: retirements, resignations, trainee failures and an inability to recruit and retain both the experienced veteran workforce and high quality trainees that have the ability to succeed in the training program. Air traffic controllers are required to retire by age 56, and of late, 98 percent of controllers have retired before that age because their salaries are not competitive. I am pleased that H.R. 915 addresses the mediation issues between the National Air Traffic Controllers Association and the FAA.

Additionally, the inclusion of funding to accelerate the implementation of the NextGen system is critical. It is important that we seize any opportunity that we have to make our airways not only safer but also more efficient.

I am also pleased to see that the bill increases funding for Essential Air Service. Coming from a rural district, I understand how critical EAS is to economic development. Rural communities across America count on EAS to preserve affordable, reliable air service. The EAS program is a major piece of our rural transportation infrastructure and greatly enhances the ability of these communities to attract and retain new business investment. I support continued efforts to maintain this vital program and urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

As the designee for Mr. Polis, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of my colleagues' amendment. I thank Representative Shuler, Representative Velazquez, and members of the Small Business Committee and their staff for bringing forward this legislation that will promote entrepreneurship at a time when our Nation needs it most.

As a former small business owner, I know that starting a new business is an exciting experience. I know also that with the steep learning curve involved in managing and building a business, all too important details are left unattended. It is these details, however, that can determine whether a business will succeed or fail.

The educational and networking programs established by this bill will help small business owners attend to these details with the assistance of dedicated professionals.

Each community and each business presents a unique set of challenges and rewards. By creating specialized Small Business Development Centers, the modest funds we allocate in this bill will yield strong results through targeted counseling and training. This amendment simply adds training on reducing operating expenses through energy savings to the existing list of educational programs under this bill.

Entrepreneurs will greatly benefit from targeted training on energy use, a detail that represents 19 percent of the cost of running a small business. This high recurring cost can be inconsistent, unpredictable, and fluctuate seasonally.

High energy costs in periods of reduced revenue can be a frustrating challenge for a small business--but it's also avoidable.

Many communities and utilities offer programs to help businesses reduce energy consumption and many also offer tax breaks and incentives to reduce energy use. Some of the incentive programs available include assistance in acquiring efficient office hardware and installing renewable energy projects, but they can also help business owners with simple solutions, such as installing fluorescent light bulbs, turning off unused equipment, and closing doors and windows.

However, as common sense as it may seem to turn off a light when not in use, during the intense activity of starting a new business, ordering inventory, and hiring new employees, the lack of attention paid to an open window can quickly morph from a harmless oversight to an expensive habit.

Mr. Chairman, I want to remind my colleagues that 19 percent paid for energy is 19 percent that is not being reinvested in the business. That is 19 percent less cushion a business owner has in the event of an economic downturn. Nineteen percent may seem small, but it could be smaller.

Energy, of course, is a necessary expense. Compared to good employees and quality projects, however, this expenditure yields marginal returns. There is a reason that our utility companies call us valued customers and don't call us wise investors. Imagine if that 19 percent could be 9 percent.

To put it a better way, what if we could offer entrepreneurs an additional 10 percent capital? That 10 percent of additional resources can be invested in aspects of the operation that generate revenue.

The accumulated cost savings from moving the thermostat just a few degrees and reinvesting those funds into the business over time can be the difference between new supplies, expanding, or hiring a new employee.

This amendment strengthens our investment in small businesses by helping them with low-cost ways to improve their operations and increase their profits. The most exciting aspect of small business is the spirit of entrepreneurship, but finding creative solutions to reduce costs and save energy are possible only when business owners are made aware of the opportunities available to them.

This amendment, by simply creating awareness of energy-saving techniques and programs, will help small businesses thrive. Reducing energy consumption is not only smart environmental policy, it is sound economic policy.

I ask my colleagues to support this amendment and this important bill. I once again thank Representative Shuler, Chairwoman Velazquez, and members of the Small Business Committee

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2187 and to speak on behalf of my amendment with my colleague Ms. Titus of Nevada.

The 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act is important and necessary legislation that will improve the learning environment for our children, reduce energy costs and create new jobs across the country.

Green schools not only save school districts money but also teach the importance of sustainable living to children at a young age.

I know that schools in my own district of Colorado have been forced to make tough decisions in today's economy.

The Poudre school district in my hometown of Fort Collins, Colorado, has seen firsthand the benefits of green schools. In 2007 the district received 19 ENERGY STAR awards from EPA and Department of Energy. I am proud to say that Kinard Junior High is the most energy-efficient school in Colorado.

Over the past 15 years, the school district has saved nearly $2 million through its energy conservation efforts and has seen improved performance and attendance for students who attend these healthier schools.

This amendment would create an advisory council for the Secretary of Education to evaluate the benefits of these greener schools and identify the roadblocks schools face in achieving these benefits.

On the eastern plains of Colorado, we also have several schools that have incorporated wind power into their energy systems and educational curriculum. These schools have installed wind turbines to minimize their energy costs and to teach students about renewable energy firsthand.

One of the biggest hurdles the district faces is the lack of technical assistance in becoming more energy efficient.

I am pleased that the bill and this amendment specifically provide technical assistance to school districts, and I look forward to modernizing Colorado schools with the help of this legislation.

I thank Chairman Miller and Congressman Chandler for their leadership on this bill and Congresswoman Titus for her efforts on this amendment.

I urge my colleagues to vote yes on the bill and the amendment.

Mr. Speaker, Matthew Shepard died in a hospital less than 5 minutes from my home in Fort Collins, Colorado. The depth of hate that drives such an act of violence leaves all of those it touches bereft in the knowledge that such ugliness can exist on this Earth.

Angie Zapata was an 18-year-old transgender woman who was brutally murdered in Greeley, Colorado this past July. It took a jury just 2 hours to convict Angie's killer under Colorado's first application of the hate crimes statute earlier this month.

This bill does not punish speech, thoughts, words or beliefs. It does not even punish hate speech. It punishes actions. It provides State and local authorities with Federal assistance in investigating and in prosecuting hate crimes. In this country, 45 States already have hate crimes legislation on the books. Many of these statutes are more robust than the current Federal law.

Matthew Shepard and Angie Zapata were two victims of hate crimes in my district. I have a duty to their memories that I take seriously.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today because we are at a crossroads in the way we power America. Breaking our dependence on foreign oil will not only create new domestic jobs, but it will ensure our economic recovery is sustained for future generations.

The American Solar Energy Society recently released a report that stated in 2007, the renewable energy and energy-efficiency sectors created 9 million jobs in the United States and over $1 trillion in revenues. In my home State of Colorado alone, the energy-efficiency field added 81,000 jobs in 2007, and we all know it is cheaper to use less energy than to make it.

Innovation and entrepreneurship have always been the backbone of the American spirit. As I travel to the eastern plains of Colorado, the landowners often tell me they are ready to install wind turbines on their property as an economic development tool. However, we must update our fragmented transmission system to transmit these vast resources.

By becoming a leader in renewable energy and energy-efficiency technologies, we can invest in our future and put Americans back to work.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of our amendment, numbered 10, to the National Water Research and Development Initiative Act.

In the West, and especially in the state of Colorado, water is a resource more precious than gold. For the many farmers and ranchers in my district in Eastern Colorado, finding ways to reuse and conserve water in urban areas is a matter of survival. For them, the idea of water recycling is not a new one.

In the Rocky Mountain region, we use recycled water for everything from Public Park landscaping, commercial and industrial uses, to fire protection. Reclaimed domestic wastewater serves as industrial water at power plants, helps to restore wetlands and even assists with dust control at construction sites--something that anyone who drives I-25 from Denver to Fort Collins on a windy day can appreciate.

As communities in the West, and especially in Colorado's fourth congressional district, continue to grow, the issue of water conservation and reuse becomes even more urgent. Most conservative estimates tell us that Colorado's Front Range will face soaring water prices to pay for new water systems by the year 2058. Cities will become super dense to shrink lawns and shorten water pipelines.

As the Front Range grows along with Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado's Eastern Plains will face increasing competition for their already scarce water sources. Large swaths of farmland will go dry if we don't work to actively protect the water for our agricultural communities. A whole way of life that has existed since families first started homesteading on land in the West will disappear if we don't find ways to reuse and recycle water.

For the people I represent, investing more resources in creating a wastewater and stormwater reuse and recycling technology demonstration program within the Environmental Protection Agency is a matter of our future survival.

I urge all members to support my amendment to H.R. 1145.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of our amendment to the National Resource Development Initiative Act.

In the West, and especially in the State of Colorado, water is a resource more precious than gold. For many farmers and ranchers in my district in eastern Colorado, finding ways to reuse and conserve water in the urban area is a matter of survival. For them, the idea of water recycling is not a new one.

In the Rocky Mountain region, we use recycled water for everything from public park landscaping, commercial and industrial uses, to fire protection. Reclaimed domestic wastewater serves as industrial water at power plants, helps restore wetlands, and even assists with dust control at construction sites--something that anyone who drives I-25 from Denver to Fort Collins on a windy day can appreciate.

As communities in the West, and especially in Colorado's Fourth Congressional District, continue to grow, the issue of water conservation and reuse becomes even more urgent. Most conservative estimates tell us that Colorado's Front Range will face soaring water prices to pay for new water systems by the year 2058. Cities will become super-dense to shrink lawns and shorten water pipelines.

As the Front Range grows, along with Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado's Eastern Plains will face increasing competition for their already scarce water sources. Large swaths of farmland will go dry if we don't work to actively protect the water for our agricultural communities. A whole way of life that has existed since families first started homesteading on land in the West will disappear if we don't find ways to reuse and recycle water.

For the people that I represent, investing more resources in creating a wastewater and storm water reuse and recycling technology demonstration program within the Environmental Protection Agency is a matter of our future survival.

I thank Chairman Gordon for his leadership on the committee.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce legislation to adjust the boundaries of the Roosevelt National Forest in Colorado to exclude 7 acres of the Crystal Lakes Subdivision. In 2006, the Forest Service notified Crystal Lakes landowners bordering the Roosevelt National Forest that due to an inaccurate 1975 land survey, parts of their properties were within federal land. Landowners were advised they could buy the land from the Forest Service at market value. This is simply unacceptable. These property owners already bought their property in good faith and paid taxes on it. Many of the Crystal Lakes subdivision landowners have owned their property for over twenty years. Some even for 30 years. While we in the west respect the need for open space and national parks, the Crystal Lakes landowners should not be penalized for a mistake the federal government has waited for over thirty years to rectify. For the federal government to ask these landowners to purchase land they already bought is unconscionable. I encourage all members to support this legislation.