Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of Reverend Father Christian R. Oravec and to remember this dedicated man of faith who did so much for the people of Pennsylvania.

Father Oravec made it his life's work to give back to the community through service. He was a respected leader, serving as President of St. Francis University for 27 years. During that time he was instrumental in driving the school's continued growth, as well as offering guidance to generations of students as they passed through the university's doors each year. His leadership allowed St. Francis to thrive, and his frequent sightings across campus were a cherished part of the college experience for countless students. He was someone that students could look to for guidance, and was a person that they knew they could trust.

Father Oravec's leadership extended far beyond campus. He maintained a deep commitment to the community, serving as a leader and role model with involvement in over 16 different civic organizations. He was a devout man who dedicated his life to humbly serve a higher calling, and ministered at parishes both in the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown and overseas in Europe. With Father Oravec's passing, Pennsylvania has lost one of its most beloved sons, but the memory of his work will remain with all those whose lives he touched. I invite my colleagues to join me in commemorating the life of Father Oravec and remembering the lasting difference that he made for so many.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 5021.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 669, I call up the bill (H.R. 5021) to provide an extension of Federal-aid highway, highway safety, motor carrier safety, transit, and other programs funded out of the Highway Trust Fund, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

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

H.R. 5021, the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014, extends Federal surface transportation programs and ensures the solvency of the highway trust fund through May 2015. H.R. 5021 is a clean extension of the surface transportation programs and continues the MAP-21 reforms.

We have an immediate, critical need to address the solvency of the trust fund and extend the current surface transportation law. This bill does that in a responsible way, with policies that have all previously received strong bipartisan and bicameral support. If Congress fails to act, thousands of transportation projects and hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country will be at risk. This legislation provides much-needed certainty and stability for the States.

This bill in no way precludes Congress from continuing to work on addressing a long-term funding solution and a long-term reauthorization bill, which remains a top priority for the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. However, this legislation is the responsible solution at this time, ensures that we don't play politics with these programs, and enables us to continue making improvements to our surface transportation system.

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

Committee on Education and the Workforce, House of

Representatives,

Washington, DC, July 14, 2014.

Hon. Bill Shuster,

Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,

Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing to confirm our mutual

understanding with respect to H.R. 5021, the Highway and

Transportation Funding Act of 2014. Thank you for consulting

with the Committee on Education and the Workforce with regard

to H.R. 5021 on those matters within the committee's

jurisdiction.

In the interest of expediting the House's consideration of

H.R. 5021, the Committee on Education and the Workforce will

forgo further consideration of this bill. However, I do so

only with the understanding this procedural route will not be

construed to prejudice my committee's jurisdictional interest

and prerogatives on this bill, or any other similar

legislation, and will not be considered as precedent for

consideration of matters of jurisdictional interest to my

committee in the future.

I respectfully request your support for the appointment of

outside conferees from the Committee on Education and the

Workforce should this bill or a similar bill be considered in

a conference with the Senate. I also request you include our

exchange of letters on this matter in the Congressional

Record during consideration of this bill on the House floor.

Thank you for your attention to these matters.

Sincerely,

John Kline,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri), chairman of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Crawford), from a State in which a referendum arose that increased the user fee to fund the highway system.

Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Barletta), one of the committee's true experts on infrastructure, a mayor of a small city, and a construction business owner.

Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Bucshon), who is from one of the most innovative States in funding and moving projects forward at a very fast pace.

Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from West Virginia (Mrs. Capito), a long-term member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, someone who fights every day for West Virginia.

Mr. Speaker, I do agree with the distinguished minority whip that we need a long-term solution to the trust fund and a long- term bill to provide certainty to this Nation when it comes to our transportation system.

With that, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis), one of the newest members of the committee but one of the hardest-working members of the committee.

Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica), the distinguished former chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

We have no more speakers on our side.

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

Mr. Speaker, how much time is left?

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

First, I want to start off by expressing my condolences to a former chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. I guess, back then, it was Public Works and Transportation. Chairman Bob Roe, who chaired the committee in the eighties, passed away this morning, at 9:30, at the age of 90. I just want to say that my thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time.

I want to start in closing by thanking Chairman Camp and Ranking Member Levin and the entire Ways and Means Committee for passing out, on a voice vote, H.R. 5021.

I would like to reiterate that H.R. 5021 is a clean extension of the surface transportation programs that continues the MAP-21 reforms. This extension is necessary to provide much-needed certainty and stability for States while we continue to work on addressing a long-term funding solution and a long-term reauthorization bill.

I am committed to that. I know that the Transportation Committee is going to work diligently with the Ways and Means Committee on funding a long-term solution to the funding and also to passing a strong long- term reauthorization bill.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all Members to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

I object.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve a point of order against the motion to recommit.

Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my point of order and seek the time in opposition to the motion.

Mr. Speaker, I do rise in opposition to the motion to recommit, and I just want to say I have high regard and great respect for the gentleman from Oregon and his passion for infrastructure. As long as I have been here, he has certainly been a strong advocate. Leaving the committee to go to Ways and Means, I know his passion is on the Transportation Committee, but now he is on the committee that certainly can help the process and move it forward.

But I strongly oppose this motion to recommit. It shortens the length of the time of the extension, and I am afraid that putting all our eggs in a lameduck basket will cause us great problems, and I don't believe it will be successful. And then what do we do then? We are going to be doing another short-term and another short-term extension. So shortening the length is not appropriate, I believe.

I think this is the best strategy. It cuts funding. I don't believe that that is in our interest. If we don't get this into next year, we are going to lose that funding because somebody will take it for something else, and if we are not successful in lameduck, then we are going to be going into the next construction season and then we will have trouble working out a solution to that when you cut the funding. It also increases taxes, and that is something right now that I just don't believe this country can accept.

We have an immediate, critical need to address the solvency of the trust fund and extend the surface transportation law so that we can get through this construction season and we can continue with the planning season to move us into next year. I am confident that we are going to be able to do something next year because I believe we have to do something, not on just this issue, but on many issues that we have kicked the can down the road.

As the distinguished former chairman of the Transportation Committee pointed out, my colleagues, not Mr. Blumenauer, but many of my colleagues on the other side, went and kicked the can down the road and passed a massive stimulus bill that put about 5 or 6 or 7 percent of that into highway funding when we all know that was where the need was.

Former Chairman Oberstar wanted to do a bill, but again, his own party left him. His own party was irresponsible on that and, again, passing a stimulus bill which I believe hasn't worked, and if it would have been directed to transportation and to infrastructure, we would see a very, very different economy today.

I also add that extending these programs through May in no way precludes Congress from continuing to work on addressing a long-term funding solution--which I believe we have to do. It in no way precludes us from moving on a long-term reauthorization bill, which we continue to work on in the committee, and which is a top priority for the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

However, I believe this legislation is the responsible solution at the time and ensures we don't play politics with these programs, and it enables us to continue to make improvements to our surface transportation system.

So, Mr. Speaker, I strongly oppose this motion. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'', and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I submit the following exchange of letters:

House of Representatives,

Committee on Energy and Commerce,

Washington, DC, June 20, 2014.

Hon. Bill Shuster,

Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Shuster: I write concerning S. 2086, the

``Reliable Home Heating Act,'' which passed the Senate on May

21, 2014. I wanted to notify you that the Committee on Energy

and Commerce will forgo action on the bill so that it may

proceed expeditiously to the House floor for consideration.

This is being done with the understanding that the

Committee on Energy and Commerce is not waiving any of its

jurisdiction, and the Committee will not be prejudiced with

respect to the appointment of conferees or its jurisdictional

prerogatives on this or similar legislation.

I would appreciate your response to this letter, confirming

this understanding, and ask that a copy of our exchange of

letters on this matter be included in the Congressional

Record during consideration of S. 2086 on the House floor.

Sincerely,

Fred Upton,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 271, I was unable to vote.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 269, I was unable to vote.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 242, I was unable to vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 241, I was unable to vote.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the Republic of Azerbaijan in celebration of the 96th anniversary of Republic Day on May 28th.

Azerbaijan and the United States have developed a robust and growing relationship over the last two decades. Today we remain indispensable friends, which is an asset as we face many common challenges.

Although located in a geopolitically tough location between Russia and Iran, Azerbaijan has consistently looked to the United States as an ally despite these difficult neighbors. A secular country with a predominantly Muslim population, Azerbaijan has also been home to vibrant Christian and Jewish communities representing a role model for peaceful coexistence and harmony of different religions and ethnic groups. It is remarkable that Azerbaijan provides roughly 40 percent of Israel's oil consumption. Azerbaijan's relations with Israel can serve as a model for many countries.

Azerbaijan was also the first country to open Caspian energy resources to development by U.S. and European companies and has emerged as a key player for global energy security. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline project, supported by successive U.S. Administrations, is the most successful project contributing to the development of the South Caucuses region. Currently Azerbaijan plays a leading role in opening up the Southern Gas

Corridor, which will provide additional natural gas to Europe.

On a security front, Azerbaijan has been a key ally in a post 9/11 era, emerging as one of the first countries to offer strong support and assistance to the United States. Actively participating in joint operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Azerbaijan has also extended important overflight clearances for U.S. and NATO flights and provided key supply routes to Afghanistan by making available its ground and Caspian naval transportation facilities. The transit route through Azerbaijan accounts for some 40 percent of the Coalition supplies bound for Afghanistan.

As the Co-Chairman of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, it is my distinct pleasure to honor the Republic of Azerbaijan in celebration of the 96th anniversary of Republic Day and to recognize the valuable bilateral relationship between the United States and Azerbaijan. I also encourage my colleagues who are interested in supporting Azerbaijan to join me as a member of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, a bipartisan group of more than 60 Members of Congress working to help foster the growing partnership between the United States and Azerbaijan and to advance U.S. interests in this pivotal region.

Mr. Speaker, I submit a list of supporters for H.R. 3080: the Water Resources Reform and Development Act.

America's Cement Manufacturers, American Gas Association,

American Association of Port Authorities, American Council of

Engineering Companies, American Concrete Pavement

Association, American Concrete Pipe Association, American

Concrete Pumping Association, American Concrete Pressure Pipe

Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, American Iron

and Steel Institute, American Public Power Association,

American Public Works Association, American Road and

Transportation Builders Association, American Society of

Civil Engineers, American Soybean Association, American

Waterways Operators, Arkansas Waterways Commission,

Associated Equipment Distributors, Associated General

Contractors of America, Association of California Water

Agencies, Association of Equipment Manufacturers, Association

of State Dam Safety Officials, Big River Coalition,

California State Assembly, CH2M HILL, City and Port of Los

Angeles, City of Sacramento, Edison Electric Institute,

Everglades Foundation, Everglades Trust, Friends of the North

Natomas Library, Great Lakes Maritime Task Force, Harbor

Maintenance Trust Fund Fairness Coalition, Heritage Park

Owners Association, Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort,

International Union of Operating Engineers, International

Union of Painters and Allied Trades, Lake Carriers

Association, LiUNA, National Asphalt Pavement Association,

National Association of Clean Water Agencies, National

Association of Flood & Stormwater Management Agencies,

National Association of Home Builders, National Association

of Manufacturers, National Committee on Levee Safety,

National Governor's Association, National League of Cities,

National Precast Concrete Association, National Ready Mixed

Concrete Association, National Rural Electric Cooperative

Association, National Rural Water Association, National

Stone, Sand & Gravel Association, National Utilities

Contractor Association, National Waterways Conference,

Natomas Chamber of Commerce, Natomas Charter School, Natomas

Community Association, Natomas Unified School District,

Nature Conservancy, North Natomas Little League, Sabine

Neches Navigation District, Sacramento Area Flood Control

Agency, Santa Clara Valley Water District, Sutter Butte Flood

Control Agency, Texas Department of Transportation, Tennessee

River Valley Association, Transportation Construction

Coalition, Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO,

Portland Cement Association, United Association of Plumbers

and Pipefitters, United States Society on Dams, U.S. Chamber

of Commerce, Valley View Acres Community Association, Vinyl

Institute, Water Infrastructure Network, Water Resource

Coalition, Waterways Council, Inc., Westlake Master

Association, Witter Ranch Community Alliance.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 222, I was unable to vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 221, I was unable to vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the conference report to the bill (H.R. 3080) to provide for improvements to the rivers and harbors of the United States, to provide for the conservation and development of water and related resources, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the conference report to accompany H.R. 3080.

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

Mr. Speaker, today we are on the floor passing the Water Resources Reform and Development Act's conference report. I am very proud it is a bipartisan bill. We have worked this out through the Senate, and I think what we have here is a jobs bill, a good jobs bill that is going to create not just construction jobs, but it is going to keep America competitive by investing in and upgrading our water infrastructure to keep us competitive in the world so that our companies and industries can go out into the world economies, gain market share, and then hire people on the factory floor in America. That is what this bill is all about.

I am proud that it is the most reform-driven water bill in the last 20 years--significant reforms. The name reflects that landmark legislation, Water Resources Reform and Development Act.

We should be proud that this is the most fiscally responsible WRRDA in history. We have deauthorized as much as we authorized in this bill, and there are no earmarks in this bill, Mr. Speaker.

Finally, it does not cede any of Congress' constitutional authority to the executive branch, which is one of the top priorities that I had in this bill, to make sure that Congress keeps its role front and center as we make sure that we are making those investments and upgrading the locks, the dams, the ports, the harbors, and the flood protection all across this country.

I would like to thank the original cosponsors of the bill, Ranking Member Rahall for his efforts, Water Subcommittee Chairman Gibbs from Ohio, and the Water Subcommittee ranking member, Mr. Bishop of New York. Thank you all for your hard work.

I would also like to thank my Senate counterparts, the chair of the conference for the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Senator Boxer, and Ranking Member David Vitter.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Gibbs), the subcommittee chairman on Waters Resources.

I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Hanna), a member of the committee, a true expert on infrastructure, and a conferee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Barletta), another member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I want to make a point of clarification regarding section 1036 of the conference report.

Section 1036 states that, when the locally preferred plan is chosen, the cost to the Federal Government shall be no more than the Federal share of the national economic development plan.

I want to clarify the intent of this provision. When the Corps of Engineers carries out a locally preferred plan, the non-Federal sponsor is responsible for all costs above the cost of the national economic development plan.

I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Mullin), another member of the committee and another expert on infrastructure and a conferee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 40 seconds to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey) for a colloquy.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to engage in a colloquy, but first I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Westmoreland) for a colloquy.

I yield 20 seconds to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Woodall) for a colloquy.

I will engage in a colloquy, but I first must yield 15 seconds to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston) for a colloquy.

Mr. Speaker, I thank all of my colleagues, and at this point I will respond and yield myself such time as I may consume.

I thank the gentlemen from Georgia for raising these issues. The intent of this section is to encourage States to resolve interstate water disputes through interstate water compacts.

Section 1051 in no way alters any existing rights or obligations under law. Further, section 1051 places no limits on the Corps of Engineers' existing statutory authority to manage water projects under its control. This section is in no way intended to express a view on any pending request or to prohibit or interfere with the Corps of Engineers' ongoing efforts to update its water control plans and manuals for the ACF and the ACT basins.

Regarding future WRRDA legislation, interstate water disputes are most properly addressed through interstate water agreements or compacts that take into consideration the concerns of all affected States. I do not believe that WRRDA legislation is the appropriate vehicle for these issues to be adjudicated.

With that, I thank the gentlemen for engaging in the colloquy, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Fleischmann), the great advocate for the Chickamauga Lock in the Tennessee River.

I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from West Virginia (Mrs. Capito), a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and also a conferee on the water resources bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 90 seconds to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry), the champion of the Keystone pipeline.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise), the chairman of the Republican Study Committee.

It is now my pleasure to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), an important member of the committee and also a conferee.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time both sides have remaining.

I am prepared to close. Could the gentleman from West Virginia let me know how many speakers you have.

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

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have remaining?

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

I want to, again, thank my colleagues, my partners across the aisle-- Mr. Rahall and Mr. Bishop--for working so closely with us on this bill to make it a truly bipartisan bill.

I want to thank some of the key staff on the other side of the aisle who were really instrumental in moving this forward--Jim Zoia, Ward McCarragher, Ryan Seiger, Dave Wegner, and Eddie Shimkus.

Thank you, guys, for all of your efforts. I really appreciate what you put into it, and we really were a team when negotiating with the Senate. I can't thank you enough.

I also thank Mr. Gibbs, the subcommittee chairman, who worked so hard on this bill in working up to it, with the hearings he had not only this year, but last year. I thank him for his hard work.

I want to thank the staff on our side--Chris Bertram, Steve Martinko, Jennifer Hall, John Anderson, Geoff Bowman, Jon Pawlow, Tracy Zea, Clare Dohery, Beth Spivey, Denny Wirtz, Jim Billimoria, Justin Harclerode, Michael Marinaccio, and Joe Price, who worked with Mr. Gibbs.

All of them put in countless hours to make sure that this bill came together, and I can't thank them enough for all of their efforts.

To my colleagues, I thank you for the big vote that gave us the strength to go to conference with the Senate and to come back with a bill that is reform driven, that focuses on reform. There are no earmarks in it. It is fiscally responsible.

It does not yield Congress' constitutional authority to the executive branch, and it is going to strengthen our infrastructure, so that we can remain competitive. It is about economic growth. It is about jobs.

Congress has not enacted a WRRDA bill since 2007, but we can't afford to delay without improving our water system. It is becoming obsolete every day, and it becomes less competitive. That is what this bill, as I said, is all about.

It is about making America competitive so our businesses can be competitive, and it saves American taxpayers money when they are buying products in the stores in our communities.

Again, this is about economic growth, and this is about jobs. I encourage all Members to support the Water Resources Reform and Development Act.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I submit the following exchange of letters with the Committee on Rules:

Committee on Rules,

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC, May 15, 2014.

Hon. Bill Shuster,

Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Shuster: I am writing regarding section 7004

of the conference report to accompany H.R. 3080, the Water

Resources Development Act of 2013. The provisions contained

in section 7004 were in neither the House bill nor the Senate

amendment. As you know, the provisions in that section

constitute rules of the House of Representatives and Senate,

respectively, and as such, fall within the jurisdiction of

the Committee on Rules.

Because of your willingness to actively consult with my

committee regarding this matter, I do not object to the

inclusion of these provisions in the conference report. By

agreeing to the inclusion of the section, the Rules Committee

does not waive its jurisdiction over those provisions now or

in the future. In addition, the Committee on Rules expects

that it would receive a referral on any measure or matter

addressing these provisions in the future.

I request that you include this letter and your response in

the Congressional Record during consideration of the

conference report on the House floor.

Thank you for your attention to these matters.

Sincerely,

Pete Sessions.

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

I thank the gentleman from California.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4005, the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014.

The United States Coast Guard enforces all U.S. laws on U.S. waterways and, when necessary, on the high seas. This service saves the life and property of those who sail in our waters for recreation and commerce.

They protect our marine natural resources and secure our borders against illegal drugs and against human trafficking. They have a huge job, and they deserve our thanks.

H.R. 4005 provides the service with our support. This bipartisan legislation authorizes the Coast Guard to carry out all its vital missions, improves its mission effectiveness, and helps replace and modernize aging Coast Guard assets in a cost-effective manner; it enhances oversight and reduces inefficiency to save taxpayer dollars.

Additionally, the bill strengthens U.S. maritime transportation, reduces regulatory burdens to create jobs and encourage economic growth, and improves the Nation's competitiveness.

Specifically, it authorizes funding for Coast Guard activities in 2015 and 2016 at fiscally responsible levels that will allow the Coast Guard to continue updating its fleet of aging cutters and continue operations, supports Coast Guard servicemen and women, and encourages the Coast Guard to work with the private sector; it enhances Congressional oversight, improves Coast Guard acquisition activities, requires development of a national maritime strategy, creates opportunities for our veterans, and it reforms the Federal Maritime Commission.

I would also like to make note, as Chairman Hunter noted, this is our colleague Howard Coble's last term as a member of the Coast Guard Subcommittee. The gentleman from North Carolina has served on the subcommittee and its predecessor, the Merchant Marine Committee, since he came to Congress in 1985.

He is the only former coastie now serving in Congress. I know the Coast Guard appreciates his strong support for the service, particularly during his term as subcommittee chairman on this committee. I know all the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee members join me in wishing Howard a well-deserved and happy retirement.

I want to thank and commend Subcommittee Chairman Hunter for introducing this bill and working with Ranking Member Rahall and also Ranking Member Garamendi for their work on this bill.

I also will take notice that our good friend from the Virgin Islands is in the Chamber working on a couple provisions that I know are going to be very beneficial to the U.S. territories and to the U.S. Virgin Islands. I thank her for her hard work on this legislation.

I look forward to working with the Senate to get the final version of this bill enacted this year.

Mr. Speaker, Azerbaijan is a key strategic partner of the United States, and I am honored to be Co-Chairman of the House Azerbaijan Caucus. Azerbaijan has been a key ally in a post 9/11 era, emerging as one of the first countries to offer strong support and assistance to the United States.

I would like to take a moment to recognize the anniversary of the tragedy that took place in Khojaly, Azerbaijan, a town and townspeople that were destroyed on February 26, 1992.

We just marked the 22nd anniversary of that devastating and heartbreaking day. Sadly, today there is little attention or interest paid to the plight of Khojaly outside of Azerbaijan. However, one of our greatest strengths as elected officials is the opportunity to bring to light truths that are little known and command recognition. As a friend of Azerbaijan, I am proud to remind my colleagues that we must

never forget the tragedy that took place at Khojaly.

At the time, the Khojaly tragedy was widely documented by the international media, including the Boston Globe, Washington Post, New York Times, Financial Times, and many other European and Russian news agencies.

Khojaly, a town in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, now under the control of Armenian forces, was the site of the largest killing of ethnic Azerbaijani civilians. With a population of approximately 7,000, Khojaly was one of the largest urban settlements of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.

According to Human Rights Watch and other international observers the massacre was committed by the ethnic Armenian armed forces, reportedly with the help of the Russian 366th Motor Rifle Regiment. Human Rights Watch described the Khojaly Massacre as ``the largest massacre to date in the conflict'' over Nagorna-Karabakh. In a 1993 report, the watchdog group stated ``there are no exact figures for the number of Azeri civilians killed because Karabakh Armenian forces gained control of the area after the massacre'' and ``while it is widely accepted that 200 Azeris were murdered, as many as 500-1,000 may have died.''

Azerbaijan has been a strong strategic partner and friend of the United States. The tragedy of Khojaly was a crime against humanity and I urge my colleagues to join me in standing with Azerbaijanis as they commemorate this tragedy.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4076) to address shortages and interruptions in the availability of propane and other home heating fuels in the United States, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 4076.

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

I was proud to introduce H.R. 4076, the Home Heating Emergency Assistance Through Transportation Act of 2014. This bipartisan legislation will provide relief for millions of Americans suffering from the current propane and home heating fuel emergency.

An exceptionally cold winter has increased demand for propane, which is used for heating approximately 12 million homes in the United States, and for other home-heating fuels. In my district, more than 9,000 households rely on propane for home heating; and across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, there are more than 200,000 households that do the same.

So according to the National Propane Gas Association, supplies are expected to remain tight through the end of the winter because the infrastructure to deliver propane to high-demand areas is insufficient.

On February 5, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a temporary emergency declaration to allow tank truck operators delivering propane and other home heating fuels to drive longer hours in order to speed up deliveries to the affected States. However, these emergency declarations can only last 30 days at a time, creating great uncertainty and limited relief.

Extreme weather conditions are not expected to subside any time soon, threatening the lives and livelihoods of those with homes, farms, and businesses that depend on heat from propane and other home heating fuels. Just yesterday, we saw another severe winter storm.

H.R. 4076 provides a guaranteed extension of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's emergency declaration until May 31, 2014. This certainty is required to address the transportation distribution issues to give much needed relief to the affected States.

Should the crisis subside prior to May 31, 2014, the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with the Governors of the affected States, can determine that the guaranteed extension is no longer needed.

I would like to thank the National Propane Gas Association and the New England Fuel Institute for supporting this legislation. I will be entering their letters of support into the Record.

This bill has strong bipartisan support, and I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 4076.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

First, I want to thank the gentleman from Minnesota for his kind remarks. I appreciate it greatly and look forward to continue working together with you on many other legislative endeavors.

With that, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from West Virginia (Mrs. Capito).

I now yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Mullin), an important new member of the committee and someone who really knows about infrastructure firsthand because he actually builds it out there in Oklahoma.

I now yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelly).

Mr. Speaker, I again thank the gentleman from Minnesota for his work on this.

I also thank the original cosponsor on this bill, Mr. Ryan from Ohio, who may be stuck in the snow out there, or maybe it has slowed down his progress to get to Washington; but the gentleman hails from eastern Ohio, right on the Pennsylvania border.

I know that this is going to impact his district, and I was glad that he and I were able to work together on this commonsense piece of legislation that is going to help hundreds of thousands of people--if not millions of people--all up and down these corridors who have had a very, very difficult winter.

I know that, looking at The Weather Channel or one of the weather stations out in Minnesota, they may need propane until the end of May because of the kind of winter they have had up there. There have been very, very, very cold, extreme weather conditions.

Again, H.R. 4076 provides the ability of the Transportation Department to extend this and help with this crisis and, as we have all said here today, strong bipartisan support; so I would urge all my colleagues today to vote on H.R. 4076.

I now yield 2 minutes to another gentleman from northwestern Ohio (Mr. Latta).

I thank the gentleman from Ohio and encourage all Members to support H.R. 4076, and I yield back the balance of my time.