Floor Statements

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1029, offered by Congressman Steube of Florida, would waive the application fee associated with special use permits for any veterans' demonstrations or special events at war memorials located on Federal land.

Each year, hundreds of veterans' groups and Gold Star families visit our national war memorials in Washington, D.C. This is done through arranged visits sponsored by veterans' organizations. To obtain a permit for any special events they hold, these veterans' groups may be required to pay administrative fees and other processing costs to the National Park Service. The Free Veterans from Fees Act waives these special use permit fees for veterans' groups so that they may hold their demonstrations and special events at war memorials administered by the National Park Service in the District of Columbia free of charge.

The last thing veterans and their families should worry about is paying administrative fees when visiting memorials and monuments built in their honor. These brave men and women fought to defend our Nation, and we should honor their sacrifices by making it as simple as possible for them to visit these sites.

I commend Congressman Steube for his work on this bill, I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, this is a great bill to honor our heroes and to say thank you in another way. I urge a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

H.R. 1154, offered by Congressman McEachin, requires the Secretary of the Interior to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating a national heritage area comprised of cities and counties in Virginia and counties in North Carolina to be known as the Great Dismal Swamp National Heritage Area.

While many think of Washington, D.C. as a great dismal swamp, it is actually a marshy region on the coastal plain of southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina that stretches roughly 37 miles north to south and covers an area approximately 750 square miles. The Great Dismal Swamp has a long history of Native American inhabitants and was a known route and destination for freedom seekers.

This measure already passed the House as an amendment to H.R. 803, the Protecting America's Wilderness and Public Lands Act earlier this Congress. I did not support the measure then because it had not gone through regular order and was being added to a package that created 1.5 million acres of new wilderness. You could say this measure was bogged down here in the swamp.

While this is not how the process should work, I am happy that this bill has now gone through regular order, and I would, therefore, urge adoption of the measure.

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

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

H.R. 1664, offered by Congressman Veasey, would authorize the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation to establish a commemorative work on Federal land in the D.C. area to recognize Medal of Honor recipients.

The Medal of Honor is our Nation's highest medal for valor in combat awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces. The medal was first authorized in 1861 for U.S. Navy sailors and marines, and the following year for Army soldiers. Since then more than 3,500 Medals of Honor have been awarded to members of all Department of Defense services and the Coast Guard. Medals of Honor are awarded sparingly and only bestowed on the bravest of the brave whose courage and valor in combat is well documented.

According to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, at least 10 Arkansans have been awarded the Medal of Honor since its inception. This includes John Henry Pruitt, an Arkansan who is one of only 19 soldiers to ever be awarded the Medal of Honor twice. Our State Capitol in Little Rock also boasts its own Medal of Honor Memorial, which depicts a bronze eagle surrounded by plaques honoring each individual Medal of Honor recipient from Arkansas.

I would like to thank Congressman Veasey and Congressman Blake Moore of Utah, a freshman on our committee, for their leadership on this important bipartisan bill. I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill and strongly

support creating this memorial, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2365, offered by Congressman Kim, would extend the authorization of the Gold Stars Mothers National Monument Foundation to construct the Gold Star National Mothers Monument. Legislation signed into law during the 112th Congress authorized the Gold Star Mothers National Monument Foundation to erect a monument on Federal lands in Washington, D.C., that would honor mothers whose children gave the last full measure of devotion defending the United States as members of the Armed Forces.

This bill would allow more time for the Foundation to ensure the monument's construction and completion by extending the authorization until January 2, 2027.

We can never fully understand the lifelong grief that these Gold Star Mothers must face, and I hope that this new memorial serves as a collective place for them to heal and remember their brave children who valiantly fought to defend our country.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2497, offered by my friend, Representative Neguse from Colorado, would establish the Amache National Historic Site in Colorado as a unit of the National Park System.

In 1942, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued an executive order, later enforced by law, to forcibly remove tens of thousands of Japanese Americans, including nearly 70,000 American citizens, from the West Coast to internment centers further inland during World War II. The smallest internment camp was located a mile from Granada, Colorado, and was officially known as Amache. Over 7,000 residents of Japanese ancestry, most of them American citizens, were imprisoned at Amache from 1942 to 1945. The Amache site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 2005.

Amache is currently owned by the town of Granada, Colorado, and maintained by a group of student volunteers who, led by their high school social studies teacher, are known as the Amache Preservation Society.

During a hearing on the bill in the Natural Resources Committee earlier this year, we heard testimony from an Amache survivor, Mr. Bob Fuchigami. Mr. Fuchigami was just 11 when his family was forcibly relocated to Amache and during his powerful testimony, he said the following about the bill: ``Designating Amache a national park site would shine a light on our forgotten history and help tell a more complete story of America. Amache is our collective story. It is an American story.''

Adding the Amache site to the National Park System will help educate Americans about this dark chapter in

our Nation's history and help us not to repeat the mistakes of our past. Sites like Amache help to remind us of the challenges our Nation has faced and the mistakes we have made as we have endeavored to form a more perfect Union.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill so that in Mr. Fuchigami's own words we can ``help shine a light on this forgotten history.''

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to speak today in support of H.R. 4300, the Alexander Lofgren Veterans in Parks Act, also known as the VIP Act, which is sponsored by Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks from Iowa.

This bipartisan bill, which currently has 150 cosponsors, would provide free annual passes to our national parks and public lands for current military servicemembers and free lifetime passes for veterans and members of Gold Star families.

We can never fully repay the debt owed to our military servicemembers, veterans, and Gold Star families. However, as a small acknowledgment of their sacrifice, this bill will ensure that they can always access over 2,000 Federal recreation areas across the country that they fought so hard to defend free of charge.

By codifying these passes under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, it guarantees this benefit can never be taken away from these brave men and women.

This bill is important not only because it honors the sacrifice of the men and women of our military and Gold Star families but because our public lands hold a special value for veterans, particularly those wounded in combat.

Captain John Paluska, a constituent of Representative Miller-Meeks and a Purple Heart recipient, summed up the purpose and meaning of this bill perfectly when he testified before our committee earlier this month: ``I mentioned the word `freedom' earlier. Is it a concept? Is it a place? Is it the result of an action? What does it mean for

each of you on this committee? For me, it is all of those, and I find this each and every time I am so very fortunate to visit the outdoors and our national parks.''

This bill would not only allow our veterans and Gold Star family members to always enjoy the freedom of our national parks, but it will remove any financial barriers they may face to accessing places they use to heal the emotional and physical burdens they carry with them.

In addition to the 150 bipartisan cosponsors of this bill, there are also 60 organizations currently endorsing the measure. These organizations represent a diverse variety of interests, from the outdoor recreation industry to veterans groups, and include The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, REI, Vista Outdoor, Audubon Society, and The Nature Conservancy.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record five letters in support of the bill from the Outdoor Industry Association, Sierra Club, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, American Cultural Resources Association, and Evangelical Environmental Network.

Outdoor Industry Association,

July 9, 2021.

Hon. Joe Neguse,

Chairman, Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public

Lands, Washington, DC.

Hon. Russ Fulcher,

Ranking Member, Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and

Public Lands, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Neguse and Ranking Member Fulcher, On behalf

of our 1,200 manufacturer, supplier, sales representative and

retailer members, Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) is proud

to support the ``Veterans in Parks (VIP) Act'' to give

veterans and members of the Armed Forces free access to

national parks and public lands.

Spending time in nature can provide countless mental and

physical health benefits for everyone, including our nation's

servicemembers. Through studies and anecdotes, we know

outdoor activities are linked to improved mental health and

long-term psychological well-being. Additionally, increasing

access and opportunity to outdoor spaces is an important way

to honor those who have risked their lives to protect us and

this country.

The outdoors can be a restorative force for all, helping

individuals and communities thrive. We are pleased to see the

commitment to ensuring those who served our country have the

resources they need to participate in outdoor activities and

experience everything our beautiful national parks and public

lands have to offer. OIA is committed to honoring and

respecting servicemembers through access to the outdoors and

outdoor recreation, and we look forward to seeing this bill

become law.

Sincerely,

Lise Aangeenbrug,

Executive Director, Outdoor

Industry Association.

Mr. Speaker, I also include in the Record several news articles that speak to the importance of this bill that have appeared in papers all across the country.

Honoring America's Real VIPs

(By Reps. Bruce Westerman (R-ARK.) and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-

IOWA), Opinion Contributors)

[From The Hill, July 4, 2021]

This year, we celebrate the 245th birthday of the United

States. Independence Day is a great day to picnic with

friends, spend time outside, and enjoy a fireworks show, but

it is also much more than that. It is our duty to honor the

men and women who, for the past two and a half centuries,

have kept our county free.

We owe a debt of gratitude to American military members and

their families and we want to repay them in a very small way

by giving them lifetime access to our national parks.

There are few things that instill American pride quite like

watching the sun set over the Grand Canyon, seeing bison roam

through Yellowstone, or hiking through the forest in Acadia.

From sea to shining sea, we are a nation of incredible beauty

and biodiversity. Congress recognizes the mental and physical

health benefits of outdoor recreation for current

servicemembers and veterans. Last December Congress passed

and President Trump signed legislation establishing an

interagency task force to identify barriers and make

recommendations to increase the use of public lands and other

outdoor spaces for veteran medical treatment.

Removing barriers and increasing access to our public lands

is exactly why we have introduced the bipartisan Veterans in

Parks (VIP) Act: to give servicemembers, veterans, and Gold

Star families free passes to all national parks and federal

recreational lands for life. It is the least we can do for

those who gave so much for our country. Currently, active

duty servicemembers and veterans are able to receive a one-

year free access pass to all parks with entrance fees. With

more than 135 co-sponsors, the VIP Act would codify the

active duty and veterans passes, as well as make the pass for

veterans a lifetime pass. It would also amend the previously

codified Gold Star families annual pass and make it a

lifetime pass.

As a veteran of the U.S. Army who served for 24 years,

Congresswoman Miller-Meeks is no stranger to the myriad

hardships that come from being a member of the military. We

both are also privileged to represent a host of

servicemembers in Congress and want to make it even easier

for them to enjoy time with family and friends in America's

most beautiful landscapes.

Our national parks are for all of us. No one is more worthy

of experiencing open access to these incredible places than

the men and women who fought to keep us free and the families

who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Unfortunately, it is often all too easy to pay lip service

to the military's sacrifice but then not follow through with

action to recognize their service. We aim to change that, one

legislative recognition at a time.

If you or a member of your family has been a member of the

U.S. Armed Forces, we are grateful for your service, today

and every day. We hope to see you in a national park soon.

Mr. Speaker, I would note that at our committee markup earlier this month, as the gentlewoman has stated, we added a bipartisan amendment to name this bill after a wounded veteran who, sadly, passed away earlier this year.

Alexander Lofgren was a military and veterans' liaison for Chair Grijalva through the Wounded Warrior Fellowship Program and a lover of the outdoors. I was happy to cosponsor Chair Grijalva's amendment to name the bill after him and hope that this fitting tribute helps carry on Alex's legacy and provides some level of comfort to his family and friends.

Before I close, I thank Representative Miller-Meeks for her leadership on this effort. A veteran herself who served 24 years in the Army as a private, nurse, and doctor, Congresswoman Miller-Meeks is the perfect champion of this legislation. I commend her for her commitment to bipartisanship and for her work on behalf of our Nation's veterans and her constituents.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Herrell).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks), the author of the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson).

Mr. Speaker, I again urge adoption of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 325, which would amend the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children Act, to extend the deadline of the Commission's report from 3 years to 5 years after the Commission is fully appointed and fully funded.

In 2016, the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children Act was signed into law.

The purpose of the legislation was to establish, within the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Tribal Justice, a commission on Native children and to conduct a comprehensive study regarding the Federal and local programs, grants, and support available for Native communities and Native children.

The legislation stipulated that 3 years after the date on which the Commission is fully appointed and funded, the Commission shall issue a report to Congress with its recommendations on how to achieve better use of existing resources, increased coordination, measurable outcomes, stronger data, enhanced private sector partnerships, and implementation of best practices.

Funding for the Commission was not authorized in the enacted version. However, the fiscal year 2019 Consolidated Appropriations Act provided $400,000 to the Commission.

With delays in securing funding and the full appointment of Commission members, the Commission was not able to hold its first meeting until December 2019. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed much of the Commission's work.

In response to these challenges faced by the Commission, my good friend, Mr. Young, introduced the House companion bill to S. 325, to ensure that the Commission has adequate time to produce a complete and comprehensive report.

I would like to commend Mr. Young for his continued tireless work on behalf of American Indian and Alaska Natives.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), the dean of the House.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 18, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2021.

Earlier this month, President Biden released his budget, which does not include the Hyde amendment, an amendment that prohibits Federal taxpayer dollars from funding abortions through Medicaid. Hyde has been included in every appropriations package since 1976 and is a longstanding, bipartisan common ground bill between Republicans and Democrats to protect the conscience of taxpayers.

President Biden has consistently expressed support for the Hyde amendment throughout his career, and I am disappointed that his recent shift signals to the American people that he will cave to the political pressures of his left wing and force our tax dollars to pay for the eugenics of our Nation's poorest individuals who are on Medicaid. We cannot stand for this and must codify Hyde's restrictions on taxpayer- funded abortions.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 18, and I ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 2467, but not necessarily in defense or in critique of PFAS.

Unfortunately, this legislation puts the cart before the horse. It would establish a PFAS standard before the EPA has the information to determine the best regulatory action.

While written and passed by the Energy and Commerce Committee, this bill contains provisions within the jurisdiction of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, of which I am also a member. However, T&I never considered this bill, which greatly concerns me. Our committee didn't hold one hearing or one markup on this bill or on the provisions contained in it. T&I Democrats completely ceded the committee's authority and expertise.

If we had held a hearing or a markup, Republicans would have pointed out that the Clean Water Act, which is squarely in the jurisdiction of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, grants ample authority to the EPA and contains a long-established process for evaluating chemicals and regulating the discharge of those substances when they pose a significant risk to water quality.

We would have noted that the EPA already has efforts under way to evaluate PFAS substances pursuant to the Clean Water Act, including managing risks from PFAS.

However, this bill short-circuits the long-established regulatory review process under the Clean Water Act and it ignores the expertise of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

H.R. 2467 imposes unrealistic deadlines on the EPA and asks the EPA to regulate before it has the necessary data to make a legally and scientifically sound regulatory plan.

Legislating in this careless fashion undermines the confidence in both the bill and the legislative process to develop it.

I urge a ``no'' vote on this bill, and I encourage us to continue looking at this issue.

Mr. Speaker, the bill that passed the committee was partisan and wasteful.

As expected, the Speaker succeeded in making a bad bill even worse. That is crazy, but that is how it goes.

And things are going wrong for rural America in this bill. In fact, it specifically bans building new roads and lets road and bridge funding expire while playing favorites with urban transit funding, like Amtrak and Speaker Pelosi's pet train project. It mandates policies that make us more dependent on Chinese supply chains while Democrats refuse to allow development of our own resources.

The bill is more focused on the Green New Deal than the well-being of hardworking Americans--spending now with promises to tax later.

Speaker Pelosi said it herself last week. According to the Speaker: ``There ain't gonna be no bipartisan bill, unless we have a reconciliation bill. Plain and simple. In fact, I use the word `ain't.' There ain't going to be an infrastructure bill, unless we have the reconciliation bill passed by the United States Senate.''

Mr. Speaker, listen to that. The Speaker is hellbent on raising your taxes and using them to increase wasteful spending. House Democrats, led by Speaker Pelosi, can't even get on board with their Democrat colleagues in the Senate and administration.

Maybe it is not too late to learn and do better. The STARTER Act is one way to move forward.

Mr. Speaker, whatever path we choose, it would be better than going off the rails on a crazy train bill like this one.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Madam Speaker, in her opening remarks, the gentlewoman quoted Maya Angelou earlier. And since Maya Angelou spent her childhood in my district in Arkansas, I wholeheartedly agree with the words of Maya Angelou that we can do better.

But I am not convinced that H.R. 3005 is actually doing better. Madam Speaker, this bill would remove all statues from the U.S. Capitol of individuals who voluntarily served in the Confederate Army or, it appears, who are now otherwise deemed by Democrats as racist and unfit for any type of honor.

One of the statues named for removal is James Paul Clarke, a Democrat from Arkansas, who served as a U.S. Senator and the 18th Governor of Arkansas. His statue was placed in the Capitol by Democrat majorities in both the Arkansas House and Senate.

The Speaker might be interested to learn that the Republican Arkansas State legislature voted in 2019 to replace James Paul Clarke and its other statue, which depicts Uriah Rose. Speaker Pelosi is already familiar Uriah Rose. You see, last year, on June 10, Speaker Pelosi sent a letter to the Joint Committee on the Library requesting it remove 11 statues which depict Confederate soldiers and officials, which she says involves Uriah Rose.

Uriah Rose was an Arkansas attorney, who was a founder and two-time president of the American Bar Association. Uriah Rose also founded the Rose Law Firm in Little Rock, at which Hillary Clinton began her legal career and became the firm's first female partner.

The Speaker will be pleased to know that neither Uriah Rose nor James Paul Clarke were commissioned into the Confederate Army. Uriah Rose never fought for the Confederacy, and James Paul Clarke was 7 years old when the Civil War began.

However, following the established procedures for placing statues in the Capitol, Arkansas has recognized racist beliefs held at least by the Democrat Governor and Senator James Clarke and, in 2019, began the process of replacing our two statues with those who have made significant, meaningful contributions to Arkansas and our Nation: Country music legend Johnny Cash and civil rights activist Daisy Bates.

Madam Speaker, every State can follow that process. Many have and many are. Daisy Bates was a civil rights activist who was an unstoppable force during the desegregation of Arkansas, and I am proud that Arkansas chose her as one of the statues to replace James Paul Clarke and Uriah Rose.

Daisy Bates was instrumental in securing safe entry into Little Rock Central High School for the ``Little Rock Nine'' in September of 1957, one of the first high schools in Arkansas to integrate following the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision in 1954.

Arkansas has been working with the Architect of the Capitol and the Joint Committee on the Library to replace these statues for 2\1/2\ years, complying with every step in the process.

H.R. 3005 also names other statues, such as Charles Brantley Aycock, a Democrat from North Carolina who did not serve in the Confederate Army, but has racist ties, who North Carolina has been trying to replace with Reverend Billy Graham since 2015.

This bill naming statues that are in the process of being replaced is nothing more than what I believe is an attempt by Democrats to prematurely thwart the authority of States in order to claim the moral high ground for themselves. If Democrats were serious about cleansing the U.S. Capitol of statues depicting those with racist views, Speaker Pelosi would insist the Joint Committee on the Library make it a top priority to work with Arkansas and North Carolina to expedite the replacement of these statues that are already in process.

Madam Speaker, I am glad to hear the gentlewoman is going to work to see the Billy Graham statue is quickly added, and I ask that she does the same for Arkansas statues of Johnny Cash and Daisy Bates.

Madam Speaker, we don't need a do-nothing messaging bill from Democrats. We don't need another nanny-state mandate from House Democrats telling States what they need to do. What we need is a get- something-done attitude and real leadership, and these statues will be gone out of the Capitol.

Madam Speaker, l rise today to honor two exceptional students of Arkansas' Fourth Congressional District. These two young men recently accepted appointments into United States Service Academies,

bringing their home district extreme pride in their academic excellence, desire to serve, and commitment to patriotism.

I take this time to congratulate Harrison Brownlee of Hot Springs on his acceptance of an appointment to the United States Military Academy and Cody Lambert of Redfield on his acceptance of an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy. These young Americans embody qualities of academic excellence and service above self which are necessary for military service.

These two young men are a tremendous source of pride not just for their hometowns, but for the entire Fourth Congressional District. Their commitment to excellence is to be commended, but it is their love of country, defense of liberty, and pursuit of a freer America that truly sets them apart from all others.

I take this time to honor them for their successes, encourage them on this new pursuit, and thank them for their example to the rest of the country of what a patriot truly is.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to extend my sincere congratulations to William and Ida Mae Allen of Jefferson County, Arkansas, for their 50th wedding anniversary.

Having grown up in Moscow, Arkansas, William and Ida Mae Allen married on June 13, 1971. As adults, they made their home in Jefferson County, raising three sons and two daughters. They later adopted six boys into their family, teaching them all to fear a righteous God and seek always to be like Him.

The Allens believe that their successful marriage can be best attributed to their reliance on Christ, the Church, and good leadership. As they told their children and grandchildren, one must always live their life to please Christ. Giving advice to younger married couples, the Allens said that troubles will come, but one should always stay and fight them out together.

I take this time today to congratulate William and Ida Mae on fifty years of marriage and to thank them for being an example to generations of young Arkansans. The Allens epitomize what can be accomplished through perseverance, commitment, family, and faith. I thank them for their dedication to the most sacred of American values.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 70th wedding anniversary of Lewisville, Arkansas, natives, Fred and Christine Ivers. Mr. and Mrs. Ivers exhibit strong values of family, commitment, and sacrifice which set them apart as an example in their community.

After meeting at ages 21 and 17, the couple dated for a little over a year before getting married on May 26, 1951. As newlyweds, they faced many obstacles together, but they soon became the proud parents of four children--three boys and one girl. Mr. and Mrs. Ivers raised their children in church and always lived by their motto: ``those who pray together, stay together.''

The couple believes the secret to their 70 years of marriage is keeping God first. Family is very important to the Ivers, and their children attest to this. In the words of their oldest son, ``They set such a tremendous example for myself and my siblings and lived their lives to the fullest''.

I take this time today to celebrate Mr. and Mrs. Ivers for the example they have set for generations of Fourth District Arkansans and to congratulate them on 70 years together. May we always look to them as the picture of true love, commitment, and selflessness.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Washington not only for holding this important forum tonight but also for his tremendous leadership with the Western Caucus, where we look at real solutions for rural America.

Madam Speaker, America is blessed with an incredible abundance of wildlife. Many of these animals have become icons of our country. Look no further than the majestic bald eagle, the national symbol of freedom and American pride.

With such rich biodiversity, we have a responsibility to respect and protect the species that call the United States home. When President Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act into law in 1973, its stated intent was simple: protect wildlife most at risk of extinction.

While the law had just intentions, ambiguous language and lawsuits have allowed special interest groups to hijack the ESA, using it as a weapon against any projects or actions they oppose. This has had a particularly devastating impact on rural economies across the country as red-tape lawsuits block important projects and essential agency actions.

One example of this, as my colleagues from California know, is continual ESA lawsuits over the 3-inch Delta smelt that have diverted trillions of gallons of water away from farmers in the San Joaquin Valley of California to create a man-made drought and double-digit unemployment in recent years.

Despite these diversions, the fish populations of the Delta smelt continue decreasing, and more farmers are throwing in the towel because of the uncertainty.

We can find another example in the Pacific Northwest. The 1990 listing of the northern spotted owl economically devastated rural communities in Oregon and Washington by virtually decimating the timber industry in the region. The collapse of the timber industry has actually hurt the northern spotted owl by making these forests into dense, overgrown powder kegs. Now, decades later, Americans are paying higher prices for building materials because much of our mill infrastructure was wiped out, never to return.

ESA litigation has also prevented delisting of animals that have fully recovered, like the grizzly bear. The Western States that house grizzly bears undertook a herculean effort to recover them, to the point that the Fish and Wildlife Service found that grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem are fully recovered.

This is not a new issue, as they first moved to delist the Greater Yellowstone population back in 2007. However, due to ESA lawsuits from radical special interest groups, both population segments are still listed.

Unfortunately, examples like this now fill the endangered species list. This is diverting critical resources away from animals that actually need protection.

This should be common sense. If an animal recovers and is thriving in its environment, it should be delisted, plain and simple. Yet, Democrat lawmakers and administration officials are so intent on pleasing the whims of special interest groups that they refuse to follow the science and to look at the facts. We must work together to close these loopholes.

Earlier this month, the Biden administration announced it is rolling back significant ESA reforms. It is another example of how out of touch this administration is with rural Americans and endangered species as well. Under these policies, rural America is now what is in the most danger.

Many of the reforms put in place under President Trump were born out of input from local communities most affected by the policies created in Washington. Yet, this administration seems bent on reinstating burdensome regulations in order to open up the door for environmental groups to again weaponize the ESA.

Republican or Democrat, we can all agree that we want our most vulnerable species not just to survive but to thrive for generations. Using the ESA as a political battering ram will not accomplish this goal.

We must return the ESA to its original intent: protecting wildlife that is most at risk. Anything more than that is a bureaucratic overreach and a giveaway to radical environmental groups.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman again for hosting this forum.