Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sheriff Harvey Gjesdal of Douglas County, Washington, for his significant contributions to the safety of the constituents in the Fourth District and to congratulate him on his recently announced retirement.

Sheriff Gjesdal has served in Washington State law enforcement for over 30 years. He began his career in 1985, at the Garfield County Sheriff's Office, and he spent 8 years in the Bellevue Police Department before landing in Douglas County in 1995. He was promoted to sergeant in 2000 and elected to his current position in 2006.

Additionally, he served in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve for 26 years, where he was activated four times, including two tours in the Middle East.

For the last 22 years, Sheriff Gjesdal has been promoting safety and building strong relationships in central Washington. I am thankful for his leadership and compassion, and I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating him on a successful career.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce my legislation, the Bureau of Reclamation and Bureau of Indian Affairs Water Project Streamlining Act. As my constituents know all too well, communities across the western United States are often faced with the detrimental impacts of droughts and water shortages. In states where the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) hold jurisdiction for the development of water projects, communities are left waiting due to a lack of a streamlined process. These communities need BOR and BIA to accelerate studies and provide more accountability in the agencies' processes to study the feasibility of new or expanded surface water storage, water recycling, and rural and Title XVI water projects. This legislation will streamline BOR and BIA's environmental planning and study process for these water projects and ensure that communities in the West can address the critical need for water supplies that continue to grow with demand.

In order to meet existing human and environmental needs, we must update current water supply infrastructure. This legislation applies the same streamlined water project development process used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which was established under the ``Water Resources Reform Development Act of 2014,'' to BOR and BIA's processes for surface water, storage, infrastructure, and recycling project development. This legislation will improve both water storage and conservation infrastructure, as well as the reliability of our vital water supply for communities across the nation. A dependable supply of water is an indispensable resource in the West--from farming and ranching, to recreation and municipal uses, to manufacturing and wildfire response needs, this resource truly is vital. Conducted in concert with improving stream flows, protecting headwater areas, rebuilding fish runs, and boosting continued conservation efforts, this streamlining effort will provide great relief for my constituents and constituents across the western United States.

In addition, the legislation authorizes several key water development projects across the West, including projects in California, Kansas, Montana, as well as my home state of Washington. One of these is the third phase of a vital effort in my District in Central Washington, the Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project. The Yakima River Basin is one of the leading agricultural regions in Washington State and throughout the country. However, the demand for water in the region currently exceeds the resources available, especially during times of drought, which have hit the state especially hard in the past few years. After years of tough negotiations, the Yakima River Basin Plan is a model of collaboration that offers a solution to give water users more certainty, while also recognizing the concerns of conservationists and the various stakeholders in the Yakima Basin. The authorization of this project is vital for my District, just as water projects are in states across the West. This legislation will allow the next major step to addressing our water crisis to become a reality.

This commonsense bill reforms the current cumbersome and lengthy process so that there is a mechanism to build new water and infrastructure projects in Central Washington and across the west. I welcome all members to join me in supporting this legislation, and I urge its swift passage through the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the Rules Committee, my friend, for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this rule as well as the underlying legislation, H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

This legislation demonstrates a commitment to my constituents and all of the American people to provide relief.

Our current Tax Code contains over 70,000 pages of rules and provisions. Within these pages are hundreds of loopholes and carve-outs that only special interests can fully understand and access.

At the very core of this legislation is a matter of fairness. By passing this rule and supporting the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, we will be making a profound reform of our Tax Code toward a system that is simpler, flatter, and fairer to American families across the country.

According to analysis by the Tax Foundation, which is an independent, nonpartisan tax policy nonprofit, this legislation would stimulate GDP growth up to 4 percent and provide more than 3 percent of a wage increase.

In my home State of Washington, it is projected that almost 22,000 new jobs will be created and a middle class family in my State is projected to gain over $3,000 in after-tax income, should this bill be signed into law.

This means real and significant economic growth, with tens of thousands of new jobs in my State alone, and more money staying in the pocket of central Washingtonians.

Mr. Speaker, I have been disappointed in the dialogue surrounding this legislation from my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. The accusations that this will be a massive tax hike on the middle class are patently false.

Unfortunately, these claims are being made by Federal officials right here in Washington, D.C., all the way to my State capital in Washington State.

In my congressional district, over 80 percent of the people file their taxes using the standard deduction. This bill actually doubles the standard deduction for middle class families and for all Americans. This allows families I represent in Moses Lake, Omak, and Tri-Cities to save more money on their tax bill without having to jump through complicated loopholes and pore over their tax preparations for hours. However, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle refuse to acknowledge that fact.

This bill lowers individual tax rates for low- and middle-income Americans and continues to maintain the highest rate of 39.6 percent for the wealthiest of Americans. It eliminates special interest deductions, expands the child tax credit, establishes a new family credit for families taking care of a loved one, and it preserves the adoption tax credit.

It allows a small business in Othello or a farmer in Yakima to immediately write off the full cost of new equipment. It repeals the unfair estate tax, which hurts family farms and small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, the American people need relief, the people of central Washington need relief, and this bill provides it. I proudly rise in support of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, first, I want to thank my friend, the gentleman from Alabama, for letting me participate in this very important debate today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule, but specifically to voice my very strong support for one of the bills of the underlying legislation. That would be H.R. 3043, which is the Hydropower Policy Modernization Act of 2017.

This legislation, which is sponsored and spearheaded by my good friend and fellow Washingtonian, Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, will improve the licensing process for U.S. hydropower resources by promoting accountability as well as transparency, by requiring greater cooperation among Federal and State agencies, as well as by reducing needless duplication of efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I am a strong, steadfast supporter of hydropower--I admit that--which, as America's first renewable electricity source, has provided our country with low-cost, clean, reliable energy for over a century. In my own home State of Washington, nearly 70 percent of our energy is derived from hydropower.

While there are still some misguided, extreme efforts to breach our dams and remove these critical sources of electric generation, I believe we need to increase our use of clean and renewable resources. By passing the Hydropower Policy Modernization Act, we can take a very major step in doing just that.

Mr. Speaker, FERC, or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, serves as the lead agency to coordinate hydropower reviews and convene stakeholders to participate in collaborative,

transparent public proceedings. However, FERC lacks the authority to improve the hydropower licensing process, including the ability to resolve disputes among agencies and enforce scheduling deadlines.

Far too often, it is those Federal and State agencies, as well as other bureaucratic bodies, that stand in the way of moving these licensing efforts forward. In fact, in response to a House Energy and Commerce Committee's subcommittee hearing, FERC reported that there are 26 separate cases where the Commission has finished its environmental review and is currently waiting for action to be completed by another agency before FERC can issue a decision on any particular project.

Mr. Speaker, the licensing process for these projects should not be taking 10 years or more. Natural gas-fired facilities and other carbon- based energy sources are being approved in considerably less time. Meanwhile, less than 3 percent of the dams in this country produce electricity.

I will continue to support efforts to increase hydropower generation that will provide our country with reliable, stable, and clean energy. We can usher in a new era of U.S. energy independence derived from our very first renewable energy source by streamlining these processes.

I urge all of my colleagues to support this rule and, particularly, its underlying legislation, H.R. 3043, the Hydropower Policy Modernization Act of 2017.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 595 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, just yesterday, the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 595, providing for consideration of an important piece of legislation, H.R. 2936, the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017.

The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 2936 under a structured rule, with four Democratic amendments made in order and two bipartisan amendments and one Republican-led amendment made in order.

Mr. Speaker, this rule provides for consideration of H.R. 2936, the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017, a bill that is critically important to my district in central Washington State and to rural, forested districts like it across the United States who continue to face devastation from catastrophic wildfires as we have seen, just this last year, a great example of.

This bipartisan, comprehensive legislation is aimed at addressing the disastrous consequences of wildfires by utilizing the tools the Forest Service and other agencies have to reduce the threats posed by these wildfires, by insects, by disease infestation, and by dangerous old forest overgrowth that serves as a literal tinderbox for wildfires. This legislation will expedite and improve forest management activities in Federal forests to counteract these threats.

This legislation, spearheaded by my friend and colleague from Arkansas, Representative Bruce Westerman, who is a trained forester himself, is comprised of a truly comprehensive effort developed here in the people's House. It is bipartisan. This bipartisan support demonstrates that the threat of catastrophic wildfires does not just impact a red or a blue district, but, rather, it poses a threat to communities across the United States.

H.R. 2936 would provide Federal land management agencies immediate tools to increase the pace and the scale of forest management projects to dramatically improve the health and resiliency of our national forests, ensuring robust protection of the environment. Active management leads to healthier forests. It is that simple.

This legislation also allows expedited review for collaborative projects in Federal forests and removes incentives for special interest groups to file frivolous lawsuits. By requiring litigants opposing active management projects to propose an alternative management option, we can instill accountability into a system that is wrought with litigation.

Additionally, the legislation bolsters locally led forest management and hazardous fuel reduction projects to improve forest health.

By engaging local stakeholders, we can lessen the severity and the costs of wildfires, while protecting the communities and the environment.

Mr. Speaker, another major component of our Nation's wildfire crisis is the broken system with which we fund firefighting suppression. When these firefighting costs exceed the existing budget, the U.S. Forest Service transfers funds from other vital forest management program accounts in order to pay for wildfire suppression. I and a lot of other people in this Chamber have been outspoken critics of this dangerous broken cycle known as fire borrowing. That also is a very bipartisan position that is taken. H.R. 2936 provides a major step forward in ending this cycle. By raiding accounts that provide for forest management programs which help prevent wildfires, we tie one hand behind our back in an effort to both prevent and suppress these catastrophic wildfires. This legislation will help to put an end to this longstanding problem.

Mr. Speaker, my constituents know as well as anyone the immense threat that wildfires pose to local communities. In just the past 4 years, the fourth district of my State, my district, has seen the two largest fires in Washington State's history. We have lost hundreds of homes and businesses and structures. My constituents are still struggling to recover from the Carlton Complex Fire of 2014 and the Okanogan Complex Fire of 2015. We lost three firefighters that year. That truly is a high cost.

Active forest management is a matter of saving lives and livelihoods, of protecting our communities, and ensuring our constituents' health and safety, which is why I am proud to support this rule and the underlying legislation that it represents today.

Mr. Speaker, as I have often said, we cannot continue to limp from one devastating fire season to the next. We must take significant steps toward reforestation, rehabilitation, and overall forest management. This legislation will allow us to do just that. We must begin to prevent, to suppress, to mitigate the threat of catastrophic wildfires, and the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017 will be a momentous opportunity to turn around our diseased and overgrown Federal forests. This legislation is essential and desperately needed to change the current path of forest management on public lands. It is outdated, unsustainable, and dangerous.

Mr. Speaker, this is a straightforward rule allowing for consideration of this critical piece of legislation that will help protect our rural communities and ensure that we are prepared to respond to devastating and catastrophic wildfires that have plagued many areas of our country in the last few years.

Mr. Speaker, I support the rule's adoption, I urge my colleagues to support both the rule and the underlying bill.

Mr. Speaker, before I yield to my colleague from Florida, I would like to share one last note. Just a few weeks ago, the new chief of the U.S. Forest Service, Tony Tooke, came to Capitol Hill and briefed some of my colleagues, including me, regarding this year's devastating wildfire season.

He reported to us that over 8 million acres, just this year, have burned. We have also lost dozens of lives, thousands of homes. Chief Tooke left us with the stark fact that while more than 8 million acres burned this year, another 80 million acres across the United States are at high risk of catching fire--80 million acres. Mr. Speaker, if that does not show how dire this problem is, then I certainly can't tell you what does.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would just note that the admonition of my friend from Florida, that to bring bipartisan proposals forward, this absolutely is a bipartisan bill; support from both sides of the aisle, because, as I said in my opening comments, these kind of fires know no political boundaries, know no political lines. So I am very happy to report that we have a strong bipartisan effort right here in front of us.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from the Maine (Mr. Poliquin).

Mr. Speaker, we do deal with a lot of important issues on this floor. Today we are talking about something that, in this country, people are losing property, we are losing our natural resources, and, certainly, people are losing their lives.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) to talk further on this important topic.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman), the prime sponsor of the bill in question today.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from Arkansas.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. Cheney).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert), the chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, to demonstrate the importance of this particular piece of legislation to the whole country.

Mr. Speaker, most all Western States were impacted in one way or another by catastrophic fires this summer. Particularly hard hit was the great State of Oregon.

I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden), the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from Oregon.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentleman from Oregon for his passionate words about the impact of catastrophic fires in his State.

He is right. The fire from Oregon did jump the Columbia River into Washington, but that is not the only thing that they shared with us this summer. My own community, the Yakima Valley, was filled with smoke for probably 6 weeks this summer, causing all kinds of health issues for the citizens of central Washington, not just from Oregon, but smoke also from as far away as Montana and Idaho, and other parts of the Northwest.

In fact, I was just handed a news article, I would like to note, from the Methow Valley News, which if you have never been to the Methow Valley, it is one of the most pristine, beautiful places on the face of the Earth. They are talking about the quality of air in the Methow Valley in the community of Twisp.

The air pollution in Twisp, Washington, is considered among the worst in the State, if you can imagine that, in some of the most beautiful, clean, pristine areas that you can imagine. The air quality, largely due to these catastrophic fires year round, has been impacted negatively. That is something that, thanks to the Methow Valley News, they are making very clear to all of us that we need to do something to address this particularly important issue.

I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. McMorris Rodgers), my neighbor to the east, the Congressperson from the Fifth Congressional District of the State of Washington.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the good gentlewoman from Washington State for her remarks.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I just want to quickly show this is an example of some of the fire damage. If you can see that, this is from the Carlton Complex Fire that happened 3 years ago in my district in central Washington, taken just yesterday.

The Carlton Complex burned through State, private, and Federal lands. So you can see that these dead, fire-damaged trees have not been logged, they have not been removed, and what they do is provide the kindling for the next catastrophic fire.

So that is what we are talking about here, not disarming local communities but actually arming them and giving them the ability and the tools that they need in order to prevent these catastrophic fires.

I would invite the good gentleman from Florida to come with me to witness firsthand the devastation and the potential devastation that we have and to really understand the nature of the issue. I would reciprocate with a visit to his State to see the damage done by the devastating hurricanes as well.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the newspaper article from the Methow Valley News, dated October 27.

[From the Methow Valley News, Oct. 27, 2017]

Smoke Is a Year-Round Problem in the Valley

(By Ann McCreary)

Autumn in the Methow Valley brings cool, crisp weather,

bright days and colorful foliage. And smoke. Just like every

other season of the year.

The Methow Valley's clean, clear air--one of its key

attractions--is anything but clean and clear for extended

periods of the year. In fact, the Methow Valley has four

seasons of smoke, said Liz Walker, head of the Methow Valley

Clean Air Project.

And it is not insignificant amounts of smoke, Walker said.

Air pollution in Twisp is among the worst in the state, based

on data from the Washington Department of Ecology.

Each season in the Methow Valley brings its own source of

air pollution. In recent years, the all-too-familiar pall of

wildfire smoke has hung over the valley for days or weeks

during summer. As wildfires are put out by cooler, wet

weather of fall, the valley enters another phase of smoke

produced by prescribed burning in national forests, outdoor

burn piles and wood stoves for home heating.

In spring, prescribed burning begins again, as well as more

burn piles. ``Maybe a respite in June and early July, and

then wildfire season will be upon us,'' Walker said.

Although wildfire season can bring health-threatening

amounts of smoke to the valley, like last summer's Diamond

Creek Fire, poor air quality is a real concern in winter as

well, Walker said. ``We're susceptible to inversions and

stagnation in the winter months'' that trap wood stove smoke

on the valley floor, she said.

Smoke is the air pollutant of greatest concern in the

Methow Valley, and is monitored by the Department of Ecology.

It is known as PM2.5, which means particulate matter that is

2.5 microns or smaller. These tiny particles are most

frequently caused by incomplete combustion, and can stay

airborne and can travel long distances, increasing the

likelihood that humans and animals will inhale them.

Data collected by a Department of Ecology air monitor in

Twisp ranked air quality at that site among the eight most-

polluted places in the state in 2016, Walker said. ``By

several of the measures the Department of Ecology uses to

look at PM2.5 pollution reported at air quality monitors

across the state, Twisp ranks among the worst in air

pollution--worse than metro Seattle or Tacoma. This is even

after PM2.5 from wildfire smoke is subtracted out,'' Walker

said.

There was insufficient data from the air pollution monitor

in Winthrop to assess air quality there last year, ``but it

is typically only slightly better than Twisp,'' Walker said.

Public cost

``Our valley cares a lot about this, and we're working

together to improve it. There's a real public health cost to

air pollution. Anyone who has sat around a campfire, or gone

for a strenuous hike on a smoky day has had a firsthand

lesson in the toxicity of smoke,'' Walker said.

Walker's concern about health impacts come from her

training as an environmental health toxicologist. Harmful

effects range from the inability to exercise outdoors, to

respiratory distress and infections, to increased risk of

cancer.

``For vulnerable populations--babies, children, pregnant

women, elders, and anyone with heart or lung issues--bad air

days can mean serious health repercussions. For everyone,

chronic exposure to high levels of PM2.5 can potentially

trigger or exacerbate conditions such as headaches, asthma,

bronchitis and cardiovascular disease.''

There are economic costs of air pollution in the Methow

Valley as well, she said. ``We're a tourist economy,

dependent on the natural beauty of the valley,'' Walker said.

The Methow Valley Clean Air Project was launched in 2015 by

Raleigh Bowden, a local physician, after she saw people

suffering health effects of poor winter air quality, Walker

said. A key goal of the project is improving air quality

during the home heating season, October through March.

``Due to our valley's frequent winter inversions, smoke

from woodstoves and outdoor burning pollutes our air to

frequently unhealthy levels,'' Walker said. ``We've focused

on the home heating season because this is when we can make

behavioral changes to improve our air quality. This is a

controllable source of pollution, as contrasted with

pollution from wildfires.''

The Clean Air Project outlines measures residents can take

to reduce pollution from wood stoves, including: Properly

season wood so that it is dry and burns cleaner; clean

chimneys yearly; build small, hot fires and don't damp them

down; comply with burn bans; upgrade to certified stoves or a

wood-burning alternative; weatherize homes.

The organization is also working to reduce outdoor burning

of yard waste and provide alternatives, including

``vegetation drives'' sponsored by the Clean Air Project,

Walker said.

Successful drives

Vgetation drives, supported by grants and partnerships,

were held in the fall of 2016 and spring of 2017, and another

drive is scheduled next spring. Past drives have collected

about 20 tons of vegetation, which prevented hundreds or

thousands of hours of smoke, Walker said.

The yard waste was dropped off by residents and hauled to

the county landfill during the first drive, conducted over

two days. During the second drive, conducted over eight days

in partnership with the Town of Twisp, residents delivered

vegetation to a site near the Twisp wastewater treatment

plant, where it was chipped and offered free for landscaping

and mulching.

``The most unusual community participant brought his load

strapped to the back of his bicycle--now that's commitment to

clean air!'' Walker said.

The Clean Air Project also partnered this year with the

Pine Forest Homeowners Association to provide support for

chipping branches and slash created when underbrush and trees

were thinned and limbed as part of Pine Forest's ongoing

Firewise efforts. The debris would otherwise have been

burned.

Next spring's vegetation drive will be conducted in

partnership with the Okanogan Conservation District, Walker

said. She suggested that residents who have been accumulating

yard waste cover their piles this fall instead of burning

them, and haul them to the vegetation drive in the spring to

be chipped.

Walker acknowledged that it takes extra effort, and a

different mindset, to participate in a vegetation drive

rather than burn yard waste. ``It's hard. Our valley is long.

It requires a truck, loading it up and hauling it in,'' she

said. ``People have been outdoor burning in the valley

forever. It's how you get rid of your stuff when you live out

in the country.''

However, Walker said, many valley residents have been

supportive of the vegetation drives. ``People really

appreciate this as an option. They don't want to impact the

health of families and the community,'' she said.

For people who want to continue the longstanding local

tradition of burning yard waste, the Clean Air Project

suggests ``best practices for burning outdoors in the most

safe and clean way,'' Walker said.

``Make sure the pile is as bone dry as possible. Make sure

you know what is a good day, with good ventilation, but not

too much wind. We've interacted with Fire District 6 and

smokejumpers. There are lots of folks with tons of knowledge

about how to build a hot, clean pile,'' she said.

The Clean Air Project is overseen by a volunteer advisory

group. The Methow Valley Citizens' Council is fiscal sponsor

for the organization. More information is available on the

Methow Valley Clean Air Project Facebook page.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend from Florida for today's debate.

The issue of proactive management of our Nation's Federal forests is critically important to the future and economic well-being of our whole country as well as to the health of our Federal lands and safety of our rural communities.

Let me say that, if you have never been through a rural community that has had to face the devastation of a catastrophic fire, you are welcome to come to the State of Washington and see firsthand exactly the kind of damage that these fires can do.

This is of the highest priority, and I urge all my colleagues to support this rule as well as the underlying bill in order to combat these catastrophic wildfires and reform the way in which we manage our forests.

This rule provides for consideration of H.R. 2936, the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017. This is bipartisan, it is comprehensive, and it aims at addressing the disastrous consequences of catastrophic wildfires by utilizing the tools the Forest Service and other agencies have to reduce the threats posed by these fires, by insects, by disease infestation, and by dangerous old forest overgrowth.

As I said, my district in central Washington and millions of acres across our great country continue to face this threat. We must take steps to prevent and address these fires, which this bill will do by reforming the way we prepare for, respond to, and fund wildfire response and mitigation efforts. These threats will only continue to worsen not only for my constituents, but for people all around the country.

We are recognizing sustained drought conditions. Mismanagement and failure to conduct maintenance of our forests on Federal lands will continue to plague this issue. The underlying legislation is essential and desperately needed to change the outdated, unsustainable, and untimely dangerous system of Federal forest management on these lands.

Mr. Speaker, this is a straightforward rule allowing for consideration of a critical piece of legislation that will help protect our rural communities and ensure we are prepared to respond to these devastating, catastrophic fires.

I appreciate the discussion we have had today. I believe that this is a critical measure, and I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 595 and the underlying legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that it be in order at any time to consider H. Res. 599 in the House, if called up by the chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs or his designee; that the resolution be considered as read; that the previous question be considered as ordered on the resolution and preamble to adoption without intervening motion or demand for division of the question except for 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by Representative Royce of California and Representative Khanna of California or their respective designees; and that notwithstanding any previous order of the House, the provisions of section 7 of the War Powers Resolution, 50 U.S.C. 1546, shall not apply to H. Con. Res. 81.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and memory of Leslie Amundson from my hometown of Sunnyside, Washington. Les was a decorated war veteran, a small-business owner, a farmer, and, truly, a pillar of our local community.

Les served this country honorably. As an Army Air Corps pilot during World War II, his plane was shot down over Holland. He and his crew spent a month hiding underground and being cared for by the Dutch people before being captured by the Nazis. Les served 18 months at a prisoner of war camp and earned a Purple Heart.

His family's roots were only strengthened when Les married and bought a farm in Sunnyside where he and his wife, Helen, raised their five children. He would often find opportunities to contribute and to help those around him, and his appreciation for the community showed in his actions.

Les leaves behind a legacy of devotion to the people of Sunnyside and to our Nation.

My thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time, and I ask my colleagues to please join me in remembering my friend Les Amundson.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, as well as all of the men, women, and families that have been affected by this devastating disease.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. Research, early diagnosis, and modern treatments are raising survival rates, but it remains the second leading cause of cancer mortality for women.

During the month of October, we reflect on the lives lost and the families affected by this cancer, including my own family and my own beautiful wife, Carol, who we just lost this last spring, but we also bring light to the actions that we can take to fight against it.

I encourage all women to talk to your doctor about breast cancer screenings for early detection.

I admire the unmatched courage of the survivors and those currently suffering from this disease.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Perry Technical Institute for receiving the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges' 2017 School of Excellence Award.

Perry Tech has continually provided high-quality education and technical training for students in the Yakima Valley of central Washington, and this award is well deserved.

On top of that, I would like to recognize Tyler Andringa, who received the commission's 2017 Outstanding Graduate Award. Tyler graduated from Perry Tech in December 2016 with a certificate in information technology and communication systems.

Tyler has cerebral palsy and has overcome many challenges to obtain his certificate. He has served as a role model and a leader among his classmates.

Applying the resources and guidance he received at Perry Tech, Tyler is currently employed with Continuant, a telecommunications service provider, where he is succeeding in advancing his career goals. His achievements are commendable, and I wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Please join me in congratulating Perry Technical Institute on their achievements as they continue to provide excellent education and job training to equip students just like Tyler Andringa.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Arizona, my good friend, Mr. Gosar, for holding this Special Order and for giving us the opportunity not only to address the House on this very important issue, but also to address our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, this year alone, over 8 million acres have burned across our country. And get this: ten times that, another 80 million acres, are considered high risk to threat of catastrophic wildfires.

If this doesn't amount to a national disaster, nothing does. If we don't acknowledge that it does, this will only continue to devastate our rural communities across the Nation.

The previous speaker, my friend from Oregon, talked about the impact of the health to people living in these communities. I could attest to you myself, living in central Washington, we had smoke where the visibility was less than a quarter of a mile for weeks at a time. I knew people who had chronic coughs as a result of this smoke. Myself, get this: I had to come back to our Nation's Capital for my cough to clear up over our August break. The air was that bad.

So, Mr. Speaker, this evening, as you have heard from my colleagues from across the Western United States, as we gather to draw attention to this devastation, these catastrophic wildfires, what they pose to our communities, so States from Arkansas to Arizona, from Colorado to California, Montana to New Mexico, from Wyoming, from Oregon, to the great State of Washington, we are here to stress the importance of addressing the broken funding systems as well as the lack of resources that are necessary to adequately prevent and then suppress and fight these wildfires.

So we gather to highlight the dire need to reform the mismanagement of our Federal forests, which leads to the exacerbation of this devastation. Mr. Speaker, we gather to give voice to our often forgotten communities and our constituents.

Now, you have heard these Special Orders before. We as Members of Congress take these good opportunities to simply speak about a problem and bring light to its actuality, to let people know about it, but tonight is different, because my colleagues and I are here not just to talk about this, not just to highlight the major problem of wildfires across the country, but, in fact, we bring good news as well. We offer solutions to this important issue.

So this evening, I rise in support and urge support of two provisions originating right here in Congress, the people's House, to address these issues.

First of all, H.R. 2936, the Resilient Federal Forests Act, which is sponsored by my good friend from the State of Arkansas, Mr. Westerman, which addresses the disastrous consequences of catastrophic wildfires by utilizing tools the Forest Service and other agencies can use to reduce the threats that are posed by wildfires, by insects, by disease infestation, and dangerous old forest overgrowth that serve as a tinderbox for wildfires.

This legislation would enable the necessary management techniques to address our forest health crises and significantly improve the resiliency of our Nation's forests.

On top of that, H.R. 167, the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act, which is sponsored by my good friend and colleague from Idaho, Mr. Simpson, fixes the way that we budget for wildfire suppression by treating these catastrophic wildfires like any other natural disaster, which they are.

Currently, agencies like the Forest Service are forced to borrow funding from accounts outside of their firefighting in order to address these fire suppression costs. This has become known as fire borrowing. This tool was intended to be an extraordinary measure, but in the past 8 of the last 12 years, the Forest Service has had to move funds from other operating accounts to fight these fires.

Mr. Speaker, this problem is systemic, it is dire, and we must address it.

The Wildfire Disaster Funding Act is a necessary solution to solve the crisis.

Mr. Speaker, the fourth district of the State of Washington, which I am proud to call my home, has been devastated by wildfires in recent years, from the Carlton Complex Fire of 2014, which at the time was the largest in State history, to the Okanogan Complex Fire, which only the next year surpassed that record. In addition to that, we lost three firefighters in the process.

Our communities know what it means to live with the overwhelming consequences of continual disastrous wildfires year after year after year, and it doesn't have to be this way. We can solve this problem.

My colleagues and I gather tonight to shed light on this problem and to offer solutions and to let our constituents know that we will not give up in this effort.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life and memory of Major General Timothy Lowenberg, former Adjutant General of the Washington State National Guard.

After attending law school, Tim served on Active Duty at McChord Air Force Base before joining the Washington National Guard as a Judge Advocate Staff Officer.

He was promoted to Adjutant General, honorably serving Washington State and our Nation. He stood up for our citizen soldiers, worked to ensure that the National Guard had the resources it needed, and oversaw multiple deployments to the Middle East.

In addition, Tim established the Washington Youth Academy, providing an education and opportunity for at-risk youth across the State.

As a member of the Washington legislature, I was pleased to work with him on this, a cause that he was very passionate about, and was able to see his vision become a success.

Upon retirement, he continued to serve his country and community. He will be missed by many, but his legacy of determination, kindness, and dutiful service to Washington and these United States lives on.

Please join me in remembering Major General Timothy Lowenberg, my friend.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize National Hispanic Heritage Month. Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15 to celebrate the contributions of Americans of Hispanic descent to our Nation's diverse history and culture.

Our central Washington communities are blessed to include a growing number of Hispanic Americans, and I have witnessed firsthand the many ways Hispanic Americans strengthen our communities and our way of life. Hispanic Americans have greatly contributed to our country's history. These Americans have enhanced our economy through entrepreneurship, and many have served our Nation honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces.

America is truly the world's melting pot where people of diverse backgrounds and cultures come together as one people united by shared values. We cherish our unity and diversity. In the upcoming month, we will celebrate Hispanic Americans' patriotism and the traditions they add to American culture.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring National Hispanic Heritage Month.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a constituent, Neil Norman of Richland, Washington, for receiving the National Society of Professional Engineers Award in honor of his extraordinary contributions to the engineering profession.

Mr. Norman is one of only 65 engineers to receive this award since 1949, and his substantial career demonstrates that he has earned this achievement. He has worked on several state-of-the-art projects since he began his work in 1952, including the plant design and construction for the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository. In central Washington, he designed the Fast Flux Test Facility, which is the Hanford nuclear site's former research reactor.

Neil has received several local, State, and national awards over the years. In retirement, he continues to serve his community. He gives lectures to engineering students in colleges across the State of Washington to promote professionalism, ethics, public health, and safety. His outstanding career is one to be admired.

Please join me in congratulating Neil Norman for his contributions to the engineering profession and to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a respected constituent of mine, Ron Van Gundy.

Since 1968, Ron devoted his time and energy to the Roza Irrigation District in the Yakima Basin. His collaborative efforts throughout the years have guided the district through several major droughts, enhanced water quality, and improved conservation efforts.

In Central Washington, water is often times a luxury, and it takes an intelligent, visionary mind to navigate the unique irrigation challenges that face our farmers. Ron exhibited an unmatched sense of leadership and cultivated strong relationships throughout the region and state-wide. He did all of this to gain support for one of Washington's most important and vulnerable agricultural districts.

Ron will be missed by many, and I am proud to have worked with him. We can honor his legacy by continuing his work and demonstrating the passion he had for water solutions in Washington's 4th District.

I ask my colleagues to please join me in remembering Ron Van Gundy.