Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today I missed rollcall vote No. 441 due to family commitments. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' to provide necessary relief for victims of Hurricane Harvey.

Mr. Speaker, one year after Colorado became the 38th state, in 1877 a group of Denver journalists formed the nation's first press club. Now celebrating its 150th Anniversary, the Denver Press Club is significant to our community and our country in a number of ways.

What started as a means for frontier-town rival reporters to play poker, tap into a barrel of Taos Lightning whiskey and debate the news of the day became a magnet for some of the most famous names in the field, defenders of the First Amendment and strong advocates for the values of journalism that are so critical to our democracy.

In its early years, the club met in various spots, including the ``cyclone cellar'' of Wolfe Londoner's grocery store before he was elected mayor of Denver, a term cut short due to a scandal that his journalist friends covered with gusto. He was later elected president of the Colorado State Press Association.

As the club grew, it met in local hotels, among them the prestigious and famous Brown Palace. The club's own prestige increased as it brought national speakers and performers to Denver, awarded honorary membership to several U.S. presidents, brought the International League of Press Clubs to Denver in 1906 and served an instrumental role in elevating Denver's profile and meeting the needs of national media when the city hosted the 1908 National Democratic Convention.

A permanent home for the club was built with the help of an architect team that included the designer of the Denver Public Library, Daniels & Fisher department store and Red Rocks Amphitheater. In 1986, this structure was named a Historic Landmark, and the Society for Professional Journalists designated the club a ``significant historical place in journalism'' in 2008. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places this year.

Oh, and of course the building includes a card room, home to one of the oldest card games in Denver.

But the Denver Press Club's nearly 500 members do a lot more than play games and socialize, though. They work to strengthen and promote journalism while educating the public on matters that reflect the importance of empowered and free media.

Through the years, the membership has included renowned reporters, editors, cartoonists, and authors, several of them Pulitzer Prize winners, who made their mark in the pursuit that has long been the watchword of many journalists: comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable.

Among the luminaries on The Denver Press Club's historic roster was Damon Runyon, for whom the club has named its cornerstone award, given to people whose careers have embodied his style and verve. Recipients have included Molly Ivins, Tim Russert, Jill Abramson, Frank Deford, Katie Couric, Carl Hiassen, Bob Costas and many others.

The club also awards scholarships in Runyon's name to Colorado's top journalism students, as well as a separate award in coordination with the University of Colorado Boulder for outstanding crime reporting that's named for the late Al Nakkula, who was on the police beat for decades. These activities and others serve to raise awareness of what good journalism means to Colorado and the United States. And that cause is more relevant now than ever, amid vast changes to the media landscape in recent years and new, unexpected challenges.

The Denver Press Club has long played its part in shining a light on our city and helping democracy thrive. As it celebrates its sesquicentennial, I am proud and honored to congratulate the club's members on its legacy, and to wish them all the best in the future.

Mr. Speaker, today I wish to honor the contributions to Colorado of an extraordinary constituent and friend, David A. Fogel, who on July 27th will receive the Elaine Wolf `Dor V'Dor Award for outstanding service to Kavod Senior Life.

``Kavod'' is the Hebrew word for ``honor'' or ``respect.'' Kavod Senior Life is an inclusive, Denver-based non-profit providing affordable and subsidized housing, community activities and services to more than 400 low-income people of all faiths age 62 and up who have qualifying mobility impairment disabilities.

David has served Kavod Senior Life as a member of the board since 2009 and was its president from 2013 to 2015.

A man of faith with a commitment to serving others, David has dedicated his time and his considerable energy to our community through leadership positions in Denver B'nai B'rith, the South Denver Optimist Club, the Anti-Defamation League, and more.

David's wide-ranging career in the law has also been imbued with the ideal of service and making life better for others. He has served as Assistant U.S. Attorney for Colorado and Assistant Public Defender, had two assignments as Special Assistant Attorney General for Colorado, and is now in private practice at his firm, Fogel & Bluestein.

David is also a part-time instructor at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. His commitment to education and his desire to share his experience extends for many years, 16 of which he spent as an instructor at the University of Denver College of Law.

David has been a mentor, not just to his former law students, but to many people across the community. I met David years ago when he was Chair of the Denver Democratic Party, and his wisdom and upbeat disposition inspire me to this day.

I'm among countless Coloradans who, through the years, have been lucky enough to get to know David and to work by his side. We appreciate his compassion, kindness and generosity in all his professional and community roles. His spirit and energy have helped make Denver a city with a welcoming spirit that embraces diversity and justice.

Mr. Speaker, in the spirit of bipartisanship, I won't talk exclusively about the Broncos today. Instead, I want to thank Representative Hudson for working with me on the bill. It has been a pleasure.

I also want to thank Chairman Upton and Ranking Member Rush and Energy and Commerce Chairman Walden and Ranking Member Pallone for helping us work on this important bill. It is really an example of what we can accomplish when we put partisanship aside and work to address our country's needs.

Hydropower is a clean, domestic energy source. Over the last 2 years, it has provided almost 6 percent of U.S. electricity and almost half of all renewable electricity. It also supports hundreds of thousands of good jobs across the country.

As a westerner, I know how important water is to our environment and to our communities, and I am committed to advancing hydropower in a way that both respects existing water rights and minimizes environmental disruption.

Hydropower is often associated with large-scale projects like dams, but I have been particularly interested in

smaller-scale projects attached to existing infrastructure, including irrigation canals and municipal water supply systems.

As Mr. Rush noted, in 2013, I worked with Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, another westerner, to pass the Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act. That bill became law, and it established a process for qualifying conduit hydropower facilities to move forward without requiring a license from FERC.

A lot of people in western Colorado told me that this was one of the most important bills that they had ever seen come out of Congress, only demonstrating that all politics is local. Even though maybe it didn't seem so important to some people here at the time, 83 hydropower projects have been successfully promoted using the new process, including 23 projects in Colorado. This progress is encouraging, but there is even more we can do.

The Colorado government estimates that existing agricultural irrigation conduits in our State could support an additional 30 megawatts of hydropower, and municipal water supply systems could support another 20 to 25 megawatts. But to realize this potential, we need to listen to the advice that the Energy and Commerce Committee has heard on how to make the process as simple and flexible as possible.

We have heard testimony from FERC that the existing comment period is rarely used for comments that have a bearing on determining whether the project qualifies under the statute. In response, the bill we are considering today would shorten the comment period from 45 to 30 days to avoid unnecessary delays.

Second, FERC suggested lifting the megawatt cap on qualifying conduit projects. The amount of energy demonstrated by a hydroelectric project is not a good indication of its environmental impact. In fact, any project built on existing conduit infrastructure will have little to no environmental impact because it is using water that has already been diverted from its natural course.

The bill would not change the requirement in existing law that the project be built on a conduit that is primarily intended for non-power generating uses, further limiting the potential for any environmental impact.

Together, these two changes will open the door to more conduit hydropower projects without compromising important environmental protections.

Mr. Speaker, again, I would like to emphasize that bill shows what Congress can accomplish when we work together in a bipartisan manner to address our country's needs now and in the future. I urge everyone to support it.

Mr. Speaker, at a time of hyperpartisanship when traditions of consensus are seldom upheld, I am pleased to see Congress continue its tradition of passing FDA user fee reauthorization with broad bipartisan support.

It is absolutely critical that the FDA continue to promote medical innovation and support public health. To do so, it must have consistent funding, which this bill helps assure. I am also so proud that this bill builds directly on the 21st Century Cures Act, which I coauthored with Representative Fred Upton.

Consistent with Cures, the bill before us today ensures that both the patient's voice and evidence from clinical practice can be considered during drug development when it is appropriate. It also helps establish a process for the FDA to qualify so-called biomarkers, which will facilitate the development of future cutting-edge therapies.

By reinforcing these key provisions of the 21st Century Cures Act, I am fully confident that the bill will help deliver on our bipartisan promise to jump-start treatments for families and for patients with unmet needs.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank Chairman Walden and Ranking Member Pallone for incorporating provisions into the bill that will deepen our understanding of the psychosocial impact of disease. These provisions are based on the bipartisan Patient Experience in Research Act which Representative Lance and I coauthored.

As more is learned about the social and emotional effects of disease, we can deliver better outcomes for patients by improving medication adherence, tailoring treatment regimens, and enhancing participation in clinical trials.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 446, a bill to extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project, introduced by Mr. Griffith.

On March 13, 2012, FERC licensed the Gathright Hydroelectric Project to be located at the Army Corps of Engineers' Gathright Dam on the Jackson River in Alleghany County, Virginia. The licensee for the Gathright project was not able to commence construction by the already- extended deadline in March 2016.

The bill would, therefore, authorize FERC to extend for up to three consecutive 2-year periods the date by which the licensee is required to commence construction. Similar legislation passed the House of Representatives by voice vote twice during the last Congress.

I hope everybody will support passage of H.R. 446. I hope we can get this thing built.

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

Mr. Speaker, 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.

I again rise in support of legislation by Mr. Griffith, H.R. 447, which would extend the deadline for commencement of construction of the Flannagan Hydroelectric Project, to be located at the Army Corps of Engineers' John W. Flannagan Dam on the Russell Fork River in Dickenson County, Virginia.

The licensee for the Flannagan Hydroelectric Project did not commence construction by the already-extended deadline in January 2016. Legislation is now required for the project to move forward.

The bill would authorize FERC to extend for up to three consecutive years the date by which the licensee is required to commence construction.

During the last Congress, the full House of Representatives passed similar legislation by voice vote. I once again hope my colleagues will help me in supporting passage of H.R. 447. Let's get this one built, too.

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to voice my strong support for H.R. 627, Mr. Cartwright's Streamlining Energy Efficiency for Schools Act. This is a great bill that will provide a coordinated structure for our Nation's schools to help them better navigate available Federal programs and financing options.

Across the country, K-12 school districts spend literally billions of dollars on their energy bills each year while an estimated 14 million American children attend deteriorating public schools. By upgrading these systems, we can increase efficiency and focus school funding to achieve better educational outcomes.

This legislation passed the House previously with broad bipartisan support, and I urge everybody to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Cartwright), the author of the bill.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, the legislation before us, sponsored by the gentlewoman from North Carolina, would authorize FERC to extend for 6 years the date by which the licensee for the W. Kerr Scott Hydropower Project is required to commence construction. This is necessary because the project's licensee was not able to commence construction by the already-extended deadline of July 17, 2016.

Similar legislation authored by Ms. Foxx passed the House during the 114th Congress by a vote of 406-3. I hope my colleagues will support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

I rise in support of H.R. 1109, sponsored by Representatives Walberg and Dingell, which would add a $10 million threshold to trigger FERC review of a merger or consolidation. This is a significant change to current law as established through the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

Obviously, FERC should not have to rely on trade publications or on word of mouth to know that merger or consolidation activity involving regulated utilities is occurring. This bill, as reported by the Energy and Commerce Committee, includes language requiring FERC to undertake a rulemaking to develop a short, simple, notification process for transactions above the $1

million mark that fall below the new $10 million threshold.

This addresses a problem, in that FERC lacked a standardized way to acquire the information necessary to know that these below-threshold transactions were occurring. Without that knowledge, it would be too easy for someone looking to evade the new $10 million threshold to break their transaction into smaller pieces and, thereby, escape review.

I want to commend the gentleman and the gentlewoman from Michigan for their work to address this matter. I think this is sensible legislation that reduces the burden on industry and on the government, while ensuring the public good is fully protected.

I urge the passage of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, 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 H.R. 2122, a bill to extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project involving the Jennings Randolph Dam, sponsored by my Energy and Commerce Committee colleague, Mr. McKinley.

In March 2012, FERC licensed the construction of a hydroelectric facility at the Army Corps' Jennings Randolph Dam located on the Potomac River's North Branch in Maryland and West Virginia. The licensee for the Jennings Randolph Dam project was not able to commence construction by the already-extended deadline of April 2016. The bill would authorize FERC to extend for 6 years the date by which the licensee is required to commence construction.

FERC has no objections to this legislation, and similar legislation passed the House by a 418-2 vote during the 114th Congress. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting H.R. 2122, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, 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 H.R. 2274, the HYdropower Permit Extension, or HYPE, Act.

I am pleased that the House is considering this legislation, which was recently introduced by my colleague, Mr. Peters, of the committee, to provide the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission with the authority to grant longer periods for preliminary and construction permits and associated extensions under sections 5 and 13 of the Federal Power Act.

Right now, as we have seen from the debating of these six bills today, this is something that can only be done by an act of Congress on a case-by-case basis.

As much as we have all enjoyed debating these extensions of time today, it is clear that it would be more efficient and it also would save more time in Congress if these extensions could be done directly by FERC. I commend Mr. Peters. I hope all of my colleagues will join me in supporting this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I am now pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Peters), the author of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I would do the same, 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 H.R. 2292, a bill to extend the deadline for commencement and construction of a hydroelectric project involving the Cannonsville Dam.

On May 13, 2014, FERC licensed construction of a hydroelectric facility at the Cannonsville Reservoir located on the west branch of the Delaware River in Delaware County, New York. The licensee for this project was not able to commence construction by the deadline of May 2016.

The additional reviews and repairs to the dam, which are necessary to begin construction of the hydroelectric project, will delay construction commencement beyond the expiration date of the original license and the 2-year extension which FERC is authorized to grant.

The bill would, therefore, authorize FERC to extend up to 8 years the date by which the licensee is required to commence construction.

Similar legislation passed the House during the 114th Congress by a vote of 417-2. I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, this is the last bill in our cohort of six extension bills that we are considering today, which I hope Mr. Peters' bill will absolve us from having to do in the future.

This bill, the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway Hydropower Extension Act of 2017 was introduced by the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Johnson) on May 16, 2017. It would extend the time period during which the licensee is required to commence the construction of the project for up to three consecutive 2-year periods from the date of expiration of the original extension.

Additionally, the legislation defers the obligation on the licensee to pay any annual charges required under section 10(e) of the Federal Power Act until the project actually commences construction.

Finally, the legislation allows for the prospective reinstatement of the license should that license expire prior to the legislation's date of enactment.

I just have to add a few words to what Mr. Peters said earlier. Hydropower is so important. It is such an important renewable energy source in this country. We need to do everything we can on a bipartisan basis to make sure that we expedite these dams, that we really work together to get hydropower, even more important in our energy portfolio.

Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will favorably consider this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased we are considering this bill sponsored by my friend and colleague, the ranking member of the Energy Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr. Rush.

I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rush).

Mr. Speaker, my home State of Colorado has an economy strongly based in the energy industry. Of course, my district, which is primarily an urban district, has many, many workers who could be working in this industry, so I want to commend both of these gentlemen for sponsoring this legislation.

It is a good bill. We need to get it across the finish line. Hopefully, because we are doing it early in this Congress, we can get that done. Please vote ``yes.''

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