Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Katko).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I don't have any other speakers, so I would view this as my closing.

When you see a small community get hit by disaster, it just breaks your heart. I remember, as chief of staff to Governor Daugaard, being on the ground in Wessington Springs just hours after a tornado ripped up that town. I was struck by this young mayor, Melissa Mebius, a part- time mayor, as small-town mayors are. She was not an expert in disaster recovery. She didn't know how to navigate the FEMA process.

I was reminded of her strength and her persistence just a couple of weeks ago when I was in Castlewood and was able to meet with that mayor, Brian Ries, and get his sense of how their town had been devastated by a tornado.

Mr. Speaker, these are not big towns. To be specific, Castlewood is 627 people, and Wessington Springs has 956. These are good mayors. These are good public works directors. These are good city councilors. These are able leaders, but this is not an area of their expertise.

The gentleman from New York says it right when he says that this is about fairness. H.R. 7211 makes sure that FEMA will have an advocate who will help these small communities better collect and present the information that is vital to a disaster declaration.

We all get it. If the information that is filed with FEMA is deficient, if it does not prove a certain amount of damage, then you are not going to get the declaration that is needed by these communities so that they can move forward with the recovery that these small and rural communities need every bit as the larger, more sophisticated communities do.

Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from New York for his leadership on this issue, and I ask my colleagues to support this legislation.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, one of my favorite movies is the 1993 comedy starring Bill Murray, ``Groundhog Day.'' In that movie, every day when Bill Murray wakes up, he goes through the same set of activities and processes. I can't help but feel a little bit like Bill Murray, given that this is the fourth time this body is taking up the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, but I think we are going to get it done this time.

We first passed it in December as a standalone bill with strong bipartisan vote totals. Then, in January, it was attached to a larger bill. A few weeks later, it was attached to yet another larger package of legislation.

Now, we have before us the Senate bill, and I do think that we are well positioned to get this across the finish line.

I thank the chairman for his kind words earlier. He mentioned the word ``tireless.'' When it comes to talking about Mr. Garamendi, I would also use

the word ``tenacious.'' He was a wonderful partner to try to actually get something done.

There are so many Members of Congress that are more interested in complaining about problems or about having the hot tweet of the day. But in John Garamendi, there is a Member who actually wants to get things done. What a delightful characteristic to have in a Member of Congress.

Our version of H.R. 4996, of course, I thought it was the perfect piece of legislation. But the Senate is entitled to their own opinions, so we will bring up their version.

I think it is worth us reminding ourselves, how did we get here? We talk about a supply chain crunch. We talk about a supply chain crisis. How did we get here, and will this bill actually help?

The influx of Federal dollars injected into the economy and the way in which the pandemic shifted consumer spending has forced U.S. ports to face unprecedented volumes of cargo, just stuff incoming, nonstop, at a level at which this country has not seen.

This pressure on our ports has trickled down to other parts of the supply chain that has led to delays in product arrivals. It has led to product shortages, just as all the capacity in our system has been overwhelmed.

Those soaring freight rates and capacity shortages have made it difficult not only to receive imports but also to get our American agriculture and manufactured goods exported for timely delivery abroad. U.S. importers and exporters, U.S. consumers, have been hit on both fronts.

Some might be wondering why a Congressman from South Dakota cares so much about maritime law. The reality is that 60 percent of South Dakota's soybeans are exported, as are a tremendous amount of dairy, beef, and corn.

This is not just a coastal issue. This impacts lives from the farm gate to Main Street. Whether people realize it or not, this supply chain crunch is impacting them.

I got most involved in this issue when I heard from South Dakota businesses like Strider Bikes, out of Rapid City, or Valley Queen Cheese, out of Milbank, about how their ability to do business was seriously impacted by the crunch at the ports.

Valley Queen Cheese had 2 million pounds of lactose. It already had a buyer in Asia. They couldn't get it on a container. At a time when 60 percent of containers going back to Asia were going back empty, they couldn't get space on a container headed back to their customers. Strider couldn't get the parts they needed so that they would be able to sell finished products to American consumers and consumers elsewhere.

These are real impacts that take millions and billions of dollars out of the American economy. The American Farm Bureau estimates that more than $25 billion of ag sales have been forgone because of this problem at the ports. One industry, the U.S. dairy industry, in just 6 months last year, experienced a $1.6 billion hit.

So, Mr. Speaker, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act addresses these problems in a few ways. It addresses the supply chain bottlenecks, it promotes American competitiveness, and it holds foreign-flagged ocean carriers accountable for any unfair practices that they engage in.

I just said that this bill is about U.S. competitiveness, and that is exactly right. My sense is that if you are a foreign-flagged ocean carrier, and you are using U.S. ports, you need to submit yourself to some basic rules of the road.

This legislation provides the appropriate authority to the Federal Maritime Commission so that they can better protect U.S. shippers who import and export items. They should be able to do that free from unreasonable anticompetitive actions.

So this bill does a lot, Mr. Speaker, but I want to hit just on three that I think are most noteworthy. First off, under this legislation, the FMC will be able to set minimum contract standards for ocean shipping service contracts. That is critically important. Again, those are the basic rules of the road we need to make sure are in place.

Secondly, it increases protections for U.S. shippers from retaliation if the shippers file a complaint with the FMC. There has been a fair amount of discussion in committee about how loath shippers are to file complaints against carriers because of concerns about retaliation.

Third, this bill sets standards for detention and demurrage charges levied by foreign ocean carriers. These are perfectly reasonable requirements. This bill says that the charges must be accurate, and of course, they should be, and the bill sets penalties for false or inaccurate fees.

The House-passed bill placed even more weapons in the FMC's arsenal. Again, the Senate version is not quite that robust, but Mr. Speaker, I see no value in us having perfect be the enemy of the good. This does move us in the right direction, so I would ask my colleagues to vote for S. 3580, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022.

A ``yes'' vote is a vote to put U.S. shippers, farmers, manufacturers, truckers, retailers, and consumers first. I support this crucial legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

I would like to engage in a brief colloquy with my majority colleague to ensure that we agree on section 7(b)(1) of S. 3580.

I would ask Chairman DeFazio: Section 7(b)(1) of the bill requires the FMC to initiate a rulemaking ``further'' defining prohibited practices by common carriers, marine terminal operators, and ocean transportation intermediaries under section 41102(c) of title 46, United States Code.

Section 7(b)(2) states that the contents of the additional rule required under paragraph 1, ``shall only seek to further clarify reasonable rules and practices related to the assessment of detention and demurrage charges to address the issues identified in the final rule published''--by the FMC--``on May 18, 2020, entitled, `Interpretive Rule on Demurrage and Detention Under the Shipping Act.'''

So, Mr. Chairman, my understanding is that any rule prepared under paragraph 1 of section 7(b) is subject to the limitation set in paragraph 2, and such rule shall only clarify the May 18, 2020 rule.

I also understand that any rule prepared under section 7 shall be in addition to, not in place of, the May 2020 rule and that that May 18 rule shall remain in place during the preparation of the additional rule after the promulgation of such an additional rule unless the FMC chooses, unrelated to the requirements of section 7, to undertake any amendment to the May 18, 2020 rule.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that, though characterized as an ``interpretive rule,'' this final rule was promulgated through notice and comment and is changing ocean carrier behavior with respect to these fees and has already led to enforcement cases by the Commission to address unreasonable detention and demurrage charges.

Does the Chair share my understandings with respect to section 7? Of course, I yield time for the gentleman to respond.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Oregon.

Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time.

I appreciate the gentleman's comments, our agreement as well as your engagement.

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

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

It has been a bit of a journey. The gentleman from California was right, it is almost a year to the day, but we are here, and we are about ready to punch this into the end zone.

Mr. Speaker, S. 3580 provides the FMC the crucial tools they need to help protect U.S. shippers. Both Mr. Garamendi and myself are former regulators at the State level, and we had shared that it is unusual in this kind of a highly complex and sophisticated commerce environment that the FMC has lacked these basic authorities in the past.

This bill moves us in the right direction. It is going to help during this current crisis. And even more importantly, Mr. Speaker, it will make a future crisis less likely. People will understand that the cop on the beat, the FMC, has the authority they need to shave the most jagged edges off of unreasonable behavior from these foreign-flagged ocean carriers.

Mr. Speaker, I sincerely thank my colleagues across the aisle for working with so many of us on this side on this important legislation. It is a strongly bipartisan and strongly bicameral success. I think this time we are going to get it across the finish line, signed into law by the President. I urge support.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 2022 Truman Scholars.

These 58 individuals were chosen from an applicant pool of 705. These students were nominated based on their records of leadership, public service, and academic achievement.

They are: Haleemat Y. Adekoya, Cameron H. Adkins, Julian R. Applebaum, Lorena Bonet Velazquez, Jilkiah L. Bryant, Fatimata D. Cham, Ji Hye Choi, Mariah Choiniere, Alton Coston, Gabriel Echarte, James H. Elliott II, Adam H. Elzarka, Tal Feldman, Rosalie Fish, Andy A. Flores, Beatrix A. Frissell, Robyn L. Griffitts-Harper, Christine J. Groves, Avi Gupta, Beyonce Hammond, Abril N. Hunter, Bhav Jain, Alixandria James, Jack Jowers, Sawa Kamara, Amisha A. Kambath, Hana Kamran, Eshika Kaul, Liana S. Keesing, Liberty R. Ladd, Jamie Landy, Jessica S. Lau, Allen Li, John C. Lin, Erin Lowe, Madison I. Marsh, Kelsey E. Matthews, Ranen Miao, Armando A. Montero, Abrianna E. Morales, Owen Mortner, Mariama L. Mwilambwe, Xalma M. Palomino, Veronica Bonifacio Penales, Emily Quan, Natalia V. Rios Martinez, Dawry Ruiz, Oksanna Samey, Maddi S. Schink, Katie Sleichter, Cooper E. Smith, Irene Soteriou, Rachel Stewart, Emma Story, Loyal D. Terry, Cassandra J. Thompson, Rebecca Townley, and Sydney J. Walker.

The Truman Foundation was established by Congress in 1975 to honor President Harry S. Truman's legacy of extraordinary public service. The Truman Scholarship serves as a living monument to that legacy. As a former Truman scholar myself, I look forward to seeing how this class continues that legacy.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and include in the Record the words of Rabbi Mendel Alperowitz of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, honoring the life and legacy of Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson.

Remarks by Rabbi Mendel Alperowitz:

Today we recognize the life and leadership of the global

spiritual leader Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, known

universally as ``the Rebbe'' and head of the Chabad-Lubavitch

movement.

Rabbi Schneerson arrived with his wife, Rebbetzin Chaya

Mushka Schneerson, to our shores in 1941 from the Nazi

inferno, just as our nation was celebrating our independence

on July 4--a bearded, Yiddish-speaking, childless and

penniless Soviet emigre.

Yet, without the benefit of material resources or political

power, only the force of his convictions, a selfless

dedication to the Supreme Being and to every human being, the

Rebbe resuscitated and guided a demoralized and depleted

world Jewry to rebuild and even to flourish after the

Holocaust. Though he came to this country with nothing,

through his work the Rebbe became the most influential rabbi

in modern history.

One result of his leadership is the Chabad-Lubavitch

movement, which, by following his teachings and example,

became the world's largest Jewish educational organization.

Today there are more than 3,500 permanent Chabad-Lubavitch

centers providing educational, religious, and humanitarian

programming, serving people in all 50 States, including in my

home state of South Dakota, and in over 100 countries around

the world.

The Rebbe's message to all peoples everywhere in the world

community calls for focusing serious concern on the values of

education and acts of charity, to provide an education which

is imbued with ethical, moral and spiritual values. The

recognition that there is ``an Eye that Sees and an Ear that

Hears,''--that all humankind is accountable to the Creator

who provided us with the only true guide for life. The Rebbe

teaches that these moral and ethical values, as enshrined in

the Seven Laws given to Noah, must be an integral part of any

educational system if humankind is to live in harmony with a

fellow human and if humanity is to realize G-ds expectation

of her or him. When does this education begin? The moment

life starts. When does education end? It never does.

The Rebbe always extolled America's unique role and mission

on the world stage and had meaningful relationships with

several of our nation's leaders who saw him as the moral

guide to so many. For the Rebbe, America was a beacon of

light with a historic prominence to be utilized in

influencing the betterment of all humanity. The Rebbe called

America ``a nation of kindness'' and pointed to the words

``In God We Trust'' enshrined on all American currency as a

defining element of the great American story.

It is to the eternal merit of our country and this august

body that we honored the Rebbe's outstanding and enduring

contributions toward world education, morality, and acts of

charity, by awarding him the Congressional Gold Medal

posthumously. His efforts for the betterment of education for

all Americans are also recognized annually by the President

of the United States, marking Education and Sharing Day USA

each year on his birthday, calling on all Americans to

reflect and act on the critical importance of moral and

ethical education, especially for our youth.

This year, our country will celebrate Education and Sharing

Day on April 12, corresponding to the llth day of Nissan on

the Jewish calendar. This year is a milestone year when we

celebrate the 120th anniversary of the Rebbe's birth.

As our minds and hearts are never far from the people of

Ukraine and the brutal war they are enduring, it is surely

Providential to recognize and reflect on the life lessons of

someone so exceptional, who was himself born and raised in

Ukraine.

The Rebbe was born in Nikolaev, Ukraine in 1902. to Rabbi

Levi Yitzchak and Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson. His family

moved to Yekatrinislav, now Dinepr, where his father served

as Chief Rabbi. During the Bolshevik revolution the Rebbe's

childhood home became the epicenter for the many refugees

flocking through Dinepr. In an act of love and sacrifice, the

Rebbe, though only a child, gave away his own bed and food to

allow those he had never met before to have a more

comfortable and dignified life. That was the example his

parents set. This was the life he lived.

His mother would recall that once, when the family was in

hiding during a brutal pogrom, the Rebbe who was three years

old at the time, walked around the cellar of a pharmacy, and

consoled and calmed the other terrified children who were

hiding there. Later when he was nine years old, the Rebbe

dived into the Black Sea to save the life of a boy who had

fallen from the deck of a moored ship. The adult onlookers

didn't feel confident enough to jump in. Those who witnessed

this heroic act recalled the sacrifice the Rebbe had made

that day. He himself collapsed, almost lifeless, soon after

bringing the young boy to shore.

These stories are emblematic of the Rebbe's life; the

sacrifice and deep sense of responsibility for all who cry

out for help. The call of those drowning and no one hearing

their cries. For people calling out for moral guidance in a

world engulfed in darkness, the Rebbe rose to this historic

calling offering guidance and leadership,

The Rebbe grew up under the oppression of communism, his

father stood firm, displaying courage and sacrifice, leading

his family and community in the Jewish religious resistance

across Ukraine.

From his humble one room office in New York, the Rebbe

built and maintained a clandestine network of operatives

throughout the USSR. Young couples were inspired by his

teachings, and he sent them to make what was then significant

sacrifices for western raised kids, to devote themselves

completely to the needs of others, in foreign lands.

With the fall of communism, the Rebbe was able to ensure

that those underground activities sprouted forth and quickly

developed thriving Jewish communities, creating unprecedented

Jewish infrastructure, serving hundreds of communities across

the USSR, and resulting in the golden era of Ukrainian Jewry

for the last 30 years.

Right now, during the current Russia-Ukraine war, it is the

hundreds of Chabad-Lubavitch representatives of the Rebbe,

and their thousands of employees and volunteers, who are at

the forefront of the humanitarian, social and religious

efforts being provided for the refugees and their loved ones

left behind.

Overnight they have transformed their schools, synagogues,

and orphanages into centers for humanitarian relief,

shelters, and call centers.

The Rebbe's message is clear and serves as an important

calling for all of us. We must put ourselves aside and be

ready to sacrifice for the needs of others. With this urgent

sense of responsibility and love, we will make the world a

better place. This is what the Rebbe's people are doing in

Ukraine. This is the life he exemplified. This is what we can

all do.

Madam Speaker, I oppose the previous question so that we can, instead, consider the American Energy Independence from Russia Act.

In recent weeks, we have all seen Europe struggle to navigate its dependence on Russian energy. It is terrible to be beholden to, to be dependent on an adversary. And so, like so many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I pushed to ban Russian energy imports into this country, and I am grateful that we have done that.

But rather than look to other countries to fill that gap, we should be looking here at home. The resources that we need for energy security are already located right here. Now, yes, of course, renewables will play an important role, but so will North American oil and gas.

The President made a terrible decision on day one to cancel the Keystone XL project. But this bill will move us back in the right direction by, once again, allowing the permitting and the leasing of oil, gas, and mineral development on Federal lands and waters.

Developing a plan for that energy security, which this bill would also do, to better utilize North American oil and gas, it would reduce prices; it would increase energy security; and it would increase national security as a result.

Now, of course my colleague on the other side of the aisle is right. Passing this bill would not reduce energy prices overnight. But the reality is, the second best time to plant a tree is today. The second best time to make this kind of an investment in energy security would be right now.

We did miss too much time. We lost too much time during the first year of the Biden administration, but we can get it right now. And doing that doesn't just bear security benefits, it is also cleaner.

Giving the world an opportunity to displace dirty Russian oil with 23 percent cleaner North American oil would save the equivalent of 100 million cars' worth of emissions. We can do that. Our stuff is cleaner.

And so, Madam Speaker, we know that we can build a cleaner, a better, a safer energy future, and we can do it by focusing right here at home, and that is what H.R. 6858 would do.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and include in the Record a proclamation from the County Commission of Fall River County, South Dakota, designating March 29, 2022, as ``Welcome Home Veterans Day.''

A Proclamation Designating March 29, 2022, as ``Welcome Home Veterans

Day''

(By Fall River County Commission)

Whereas, the Vietnam War was fought in Vietnam from 1961 to

1975, and involved North Vietnam and the Viet Cong in

conflict with the United States Armed Forces and South

Vietnam; and

Whereas, the United States became involved in Vietnam

because policymakers in the United States believed that if

South Vietnam fell to a Communist government then Communism

would spread throughout the rest of Southeast Asia; and

Whereas, members of the United States Armed Forces began

serving in an advisory role in the South Vietnamese in 1961;

and

Whereas, as a result of the Gulf of Tonkin incidents on

August 2, 1964, and August 4, 1964, Congress overwhelmingly

passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution on August 7, 1964, which

effectively handed over war-making powers to President

Johnson until such time as ``peace and security'' had

returned to Vietnam; and

Whereas, in 1965, United States Armed Forces completed the

withdrawal of combat troops from Vietnam; and

Whereas, by the end of 1965, there were 80,000 United

States troops in Vietnam, and by 1969 a peak of approximately

543,000 troops was reached; and

Whereas, on January 27, 1973, the Treaty of Paris was

signed, which required the release of all United States

prisoners-of-war held in North Vietnam and the withdrawal of

all United States Armed Forces from South Vietnam; and

Whereas, on March 29, 1973, the United States Armed Forces

completed the withdrawal of all United States Armed Forces

from South Vietnam; and

Whereas, more than 58,000 members of the United States

Armed Forces lost their lives in Vietnam and more than

300,000 members of the Armed Forces were wounded; and

Whereas, members of the United States Armed Forces, who

served bravely and faithfully for the United States during

the Vietnam War, were caught upon their return home in the

crossfire of public debate about the involvement of the

United States in the Vietnam War; and

Whereas, it was also the first time in history America

failed to welcome its veterans back as heroes; and

Whereas, the establishment of a ``Welcome Home Vietnam

Veterans Day'' would be an appropriate way to honor those

members of the United States Armed Forces who served in

Vietnam during the Vietnam War; and

Whereas, Hot Springs, SD, in Fall River County is known as

the Veterans Town; and

Now, therefore be it resolved that the Fall River County

Commissioners do hereby recognize March 29, 2022, as

``Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day.'' The Fall River County

Commissioners further honors and recognizes the contributions

of veterans of the Armed Forces who served in Vietnam.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Colonel Josiah Wallace of Rapid City, South Dakota who passed away on November 18, at the age of 97.

Following high school, Josiah received an appointment to West Point. He served in the military for 30 years, completing tours in both the Korean and Vietnam wars. Josiah was a well-decorated veteran, receiving the Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star with valor, two Legion of Merits, and two Purple Hearts.

After retiring from the military, Josiah spent his time volunteering in the Rapid City community. He organized ``Operation Evergreen,'' which planted thousands of trees in Rapid City and created the tree canopy that Rapid City enjoys as a Tree City USA. He also gave back to the community by being an active member of the Catholic Church. Josiah spent time volunteering his knowledge and efforts to help educate the next generation on the topic of leadership in the workplace by volunteering as an Adjunct Professor at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology.

In 1946, Josiah married his high school sweetheart, Beulah ``Vicki'' Mae Housiaux, whom he was married to for 72 years. Together, they had six children, 12 grandchildren, and many great-grandchildren.

Josiah's impact on lives and his dedication to serve and mentor others is evident throughout his life. I would like to thank Josiah and his family on behalf of South Dakota for his service to our Nation. He will be deeply missed by all.

Madam Speaker, some have suggested that the supply chain crisis has eased. Now, to be sure, important progress has been made, but serious problems still exist, and now is not the time for us to take our foot off the gas.

Notably, although this body has passed the Garamendi-Johnson Ocean Shipping Reform Act, the Senate has not yet acted. Let's be clear: Action is needed.

Earlier this week, the dry peas and lentils producers told me that 30 to 40 percent of their shipments are still being canceled by the foreign-flagged ocean carriers. Now, remember, this is an environment where 60 percent of the containers that were hauled back to Asia last year went back empty. They were empty at a time when American agriculture products were aging and, in some cases, spoiling right there on the docks.

Carriers are discriminating against American manufactured and agricultural goods.

This is not a conceptual threat. These practices have already cost the American dairy industry more than $1.3 billion, and things could get a lot worse.

Our producers have worked hard to build foreign markets in the commodities that Mr. Garamendi mentioned as well as beef, beans, corn, and dairy. If those producers cannot meet their obligations, then buyers will look elsewhere for food. This has already cost us an estimated 22 percent of market share for our ag producers. This is unacceptable.

Now, Mr. Garamendi is right. A functional market has reciprocity. It also has basic rules of the road, and the Ocean Shipping Reform Act establishes those basic rules of the road. This amendment would add OSRA to the underlying bill.

Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the amendment so that we can continue to build momentum.

Now, in fact, our partners in the Senate, Amy Klobuchar and John Thune, are expected to introduce OSRA in their Chamber this week. Yet another House vote in support of OSRA will send a clear message to Leader Schumer that our bill should be put on the floor for a vote.

Madam Speaker, we do need to better align the interests of the foreign-flagged ocean carriers with those of American manufacturers and American ag producers. That is what this amendment does.

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

It is impossible for any American to ignore the supply chain crunch, a supply chain crunch that seemingly impacts most every part of the American economy.

In that kind of an environment, I want to echo so much of what my friend from California said. I am indeed thrilled that the House is taking up this bill today. I am grateful for his leadership. I am grateful to be the lead Republican on this, and I am grateful that this bill has been endorsed by 360 national, State, and local groups. This is much-needed legislation.

How did we get here? With a massive influx of Federal dollars into the economy and with COVID-19 changing how Americans purchase goods, for more than a year, United States ports have faced unprecedented volumes of cargo. Some estimates say that American demand for consumer electronics has gone up 40 percent compared to prepandemic. This pressure on our ports has trickled down to every other part of the supply chain, leading to what Americans have seen: delays and product shortages.

Now, those constraints and the resulting extremely high shipping rates have made it more difficult not just for our country to receive imports but also for us to ship our manufactured goods and agricultural goods out to the rest of the world.

We have seen unprecedented rejection of American container loads by the large ocean carriers. They are in contravention of their contractual obligations, just refusing to haul that cargo, preferring instead to take the empty containers and get them back to Asia for a quick turn. That has caused serious problems, not just conceptual dollars, real dollars, real cents. The American dairy industry has seen $1 billion worth of losses just in the first 6 months of this year.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I am a big fan of the free market, but the free market is many buyers and many sellers, and that is not in place today. Mr. Garamendi so rightfully talked about the consolidation we have seen in this industry. And indeed, 30 years ago the largest foreign-flagged ocean carriers controlled about 15 percent of this traffic. Today, they control about 75 percent. That is not quite the free market that we used to have.

And so, H.R. 4996, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021 helps to address these supply chain bottlenecks. It helps to promote American competitiveness. And it holds accountable these foreign-flagged ocean carriers, which I would note are increasingly dominated by Chinese state-backed firms.

Now, let me be honest and let me be clear, this bill is no silver bullet, but shame on us if we fail to act. This supply chain crunch has laid bare the deficiencies in the marketplace, and we have an opportunity today to address many of those deficiencies.

Probably the most common question, Mr. Speaker, my colleagues ask of me about this bill is why a Congressman from the plains of South Dakota would be so interested in maritime law. I would just remind them of the world's great hunger for American beef, American beans, American corn, and American dairy. Indeed, 60 percent of South Dakota's soybeans are exported abroad.

In that environment this is not just a coastal issue, but it is an issue that impacts lives from the farm gate to every Main Street.

And indeed, I have been hearing from South Dakota businesses like Strider Sports International in Rapid City to Valley Queen, a cheese processor in Milbank, and they are telling me about how these issues are having a real impact on dollars and cents.

Valley Queen has two million pounds of lactose. This is a product that has already been sold to Asian markets, and it is just sitting there in their warehouses waiting for an opening at

the ports. A recent container load of this lactose waited on the ports, Mr. Speaker, for 75 days. The lactose began to turn, and, of course, that meant a big deduction on the price that Valley Queen could get for that lactose. Just a destruction of American value.

This bill is about American competitiveness. Broadly speaking, the legislation provides the Federal Maritime Commission--that is the cop on the beat--the tools they need to make sure that this system runs more efficiently and runs more fairly and makes sure that the interests of the foreign-flagged ocean carriers are better aligned with the interests of American shippers.

So the bill does a number of things, but I will quickly hit on just five.

First off, under this bill the FMC can set minimum standards for ocean shipping that makes sure that U.S. shippers are protected from the actions of others which leave export cargoes stranded at U.S. ports.

Number two, it protects U.S. shippers from retaliation if they file a complaint with the FMC.

Number three, this bill prohibits the foreign-flagged ocean carriers from unreasonably denying American export cargo on their vessels.

Number four, it requires foreign ocean carriers to certify the accuracy of the detention and demurrage fees. These are fines they can hit shippers with; they have to certify that those fines are accurate.

And number five, it would authorize the National Academy of Sciences to study how best to improve transparency in the supply chain.

Now, I just don't know, Mr. Speaker, how any of my colleagues can allege any of these things are not reasonable. These are very basic guardrails. These are very basic rules of the road that people who are using American ports should be obligated to follow.

And so the choice for my colleagues is simple, a vote for H.R. 4996 is a vote to put U.S. shippers, manufacturing, farmers, truckers, retailers, and consumers first. That is where they should be.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would just note Mr. Costa's unyielding advocacy of this project, this issue and thank him for that support.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Smith).

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Carbajal for his leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Gibbs), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.

Mr. Speaker, I want to take an opportunity to thank Chair DeFazio and Ranking Member Graves for the various hearings they have had in talking with Chairman Maffei, Commissioner Dye, and others on the FMC about these issues. I thank Mr. Garamendi and others for bringing up this legislation in a number of hearings we have had on the supply chain crunch. I think it has helped to fill out the record on these incredibly important issues and the role that this legislation can play in advancing this cause.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen).

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, there are a few things that I know for sure. The first is that when you use American ports you should be subjected to some very basic rules of the road. Things like not being allowed to unreasonably discriminate against American cargo, that is one thing I know for sure.

Another thing I know for sure is that although this bill is not a silver bullet, and nobody is alleging that it is only the ocean carriers that are responsible for this supply chain crunch, this will help. This better aligns the interests of the ocean carriers with the interests of American manufacturers and American farmers and ranchers. That will go a long way toward helping to resolve the supply chain crunch.

Mr. Speaker, finally, one more thing that I know for sure, and that is when you have 360 national, State, and local groups, when you have 90 Members of Congress, when you have a bipartisan coalition that has come together to embrace this concept in what is all too often a partisan environment, then I think you know you have a good policy solution.

With that in mind, I once again thank the gentleman from California for his leadership, and I urge all of my colleagues to support the bill, and ask the Senate for their expeditious consideration of it.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would just echo the thoughts of Mr. Garamendi that there have been so many who have worked together, and really a broad national coalition, and he is exactly right to call attention to the people who do the work behind the scenes.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson).

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

Mr. Speaker, let's be honest. It has been a pretty difficult few years to be a cattle producer. People in that business understand the cyclical nature of prices, so that is not so much their beef, if you will.

But in that environment, it is much more difficult to have black swan event after black swan event hit these hardworking men and women. From

the Holcomb fire to COVID-19 disruptions, it has been an incredibly volatile marketplace. They are trying to make a living and they are trying to pay their bills in that kind of environment with less price transparency than they have ever had.

Now, it used to be relatively easy. Of course, I think we all know that price discovery is a critically important part of any fully functional marketplace. It used to be easy. You just went down to the sale barn, you sat in the seats, and you were able to see exactly what Mr. Mann was selling his cattle for and exactly what Mrs. Hartzler was buying them for.

But as we have seen a migration of sales away from the sale barn and to alternative marketing agreements, that has left our producers less prepared to understand what is going on in the marketplace.

That is why I was so grateful to see a broad cross-section of stakeholders come together in Phoenix a few months ago. They said: Gosh darn it, we are tired of having the livestock industry fight amongst each other. Let's settle on what we can agree on, things that we can actually get done in the 117th Congress.

Mr. Speaker, they came out of that meeting with a clear clarion call for what Congress can do to help. There were three majors items, but the cattle library, along with the bill we just passed, the Livestock Mandatory Reporting program, were the heart of one of the three recommendations.

What this bill does is takes the information, basic nonconfidential information, from those alternative marketing agreements and makes it available, and it makes sure that there is a mechanism for that information to be put into resources that can actually be used by the independent cattle producers and the small feeders that are so critically important to this marketplace.

This has been widely bipartisan, and this is embraced by a fantastic cross-section, from the U.S. cattlemen to NCBA to Farm Bureau to National Farmers Union to the Livestock Marketing Association, good people who have come together and understand that while this does not solve the problem, it is a critically important step in moving us in the right direction.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler).

Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize the real leadership that Mrs. Hartzler has shown on these issues for years and thank her for that.

One of the great things about Congress is most of us were just normal people before we got here, leaders in our industry, and the next speaker is certainly that. He is somebody who understands the finance of ag operations and the operation of these farms and ranches. He is one of the strongest freshman voices in Congress.

I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Mann).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Miller), a Member who has firsthand experience with the true operation of America's farms and ranches.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I don't know that I can say it any better than the Members of Congress here who have so much firsthand experience with working ranches and farms. This is a beautiful bipartisan solution.

If you believe in the marketplace, then you understand the importance of price discovery, and you cannot have price discovery if you don't have transparency. This just provides additional leverage and additional tools to the hardworking, independent cow-calf operators and small feeders who have seen their position, their leverage, in the marketplace erode in recent years.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to enthusiastically support this promarket legislation. I look forward to the Senate expeditiously taking up this issue as well.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa), the lead Republican on H.R. 4489.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Rosendale), another leader in this effort.

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

I think it has been said very well. Mr. Rosendale just reminded us that this only mirrors the authority that other agencies have to be able to gather up the interest from those interest-bearing accounts.

Ms. Schrier did a good job of reminding us that had this been in place in recent years, it would have been $7 million more that could have been invested in forest management and in forest health. And I just want to echo all of those findings.

This is absolutely a commonsense, bipartisan bill, and I am looking forward to its passage.

But I can't let the passage of this bill, which would be a big success, go by without calling attention to how much more needs to be done with regard to forest health.

I remain disappointed, as so many do, of the fact that this Congress, this administration has not prioritized highly enough forest management.

Mr. Speaker, here is what I know from the Black Hills of South Dakota: A managed forest is a healthy forest. And I want to say that one more time because there will be no truer statement spoken on the House floor on this day: A managed forest is a healthy forest.

Today, millions of acres in this country are at risk of severe wildfire with potentially catastrophic impacts to our communities. Six of the worst fire seasons on record have occurred just over a period in the last few years.

Our agencies, Federal partners, communities, and our States need more tools to proactively manage and mitigate this threat. Again, a managed forest is a healthy forest.

And so, yes, by all means, let's celebrate this bill. It is an important technical fix that will improve in a narrow way the funding needs of the Forest Service. But let us keep in mind, to an even greater extent, in the days that follow that the resiliency of our forests remains a critically important national priority, and one that deserves greater attention from this body.

Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation, I encourage the Members to vote ``aye,'' and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I hope the body will forgive me a digression before we talk about chronic wasting disease, which is, as the chairman says, critically important. I do also want to talk about Mr. Kind.

So many Americans believe that every Member of Congress is a kind of villain with scales and fangs and horns, and that they are all just despicable people, or at the very least somebody who belongs to the opposite tribe is a despicable person. I just don't know anybody in Congress who believes that is true of Ron Kind.

I will recount a story about a dinner where I had my two oldest boys with me. One of them was seated next to Mr. Kind. My son stole Mr. Kind's dessert, and rather than erupt in anger or an accusatory finger wag, he handled it with great grace and friendship. My boys remind me still of that evening spent with Mr. Kind.

Mr. Speaker, as he seeks, certainly, a less stressful and perhaps a better and more rewarding future, let us remark on the type of impact that a decent person can still have in these Halls, and this bill before us today is ample evidence of that.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he would consume to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber), one of this body's leading voices in policing, in mining, in infrastructure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thought Mr. Kind, Mr. Stauber, and Mr. Scott said it all very well. This is important because chronic

wasting disease can wreak such havoc upon our herds.

I want to start by thanking Chairman Scott for facilitating the timely consideration of this bill, and not just this bill, sir, but also livestock mandatory reporting, the cattle contract library, and Ms. Schrier's forestry bill.

These came together, sir, and I want to thank you for that. I want to recognize Mr. Kind, as well as Mr. Thompson, for the work that they put into this important bipartisan solution.

I also want to express my appreciation for the coalition that Mr. Kind mentioned, such a broad coalition of stakeholders from the farmed and wild deer stakeholder groups and the sportsmen community at large. They provided a tremendous amount of insight so we could get this legislation right, and they were relentless in working with all of us to find common ground to craft this legislation and make sure that it was able to pass out of committee unanimously, and, hopefully, we can get a similar vote off the House floor.

As it has been said, but as it bears repeating, chronic wasting disease is a contagious, neurological disease that affects deer and elk and moose. It is always fatal. Unfortunately, it is not a highly localized disease particular to a particular State or region of the country. CWD has been detected in 27 States. Given the lack of any known cure, I fear that that number of States will only continue to grow.

H.R. 5608 authorizes up $70 million of much-needed appropriations each year with the funding split evenly between CWD research and management efforts, all of this with the hope of one day eradicating this disease altogether.

The funding would support high-priority research to improve CWD detection methods and to continue invaluable research on genetic resistance. It would support the use of the latest and most effective on-the-ground management tools and strategies at the State and Tribal levels.

The bill would also help improve public awareness of the disease by requiring the development and dispersal of educational materials which would be based, obviously, on the latest available science.

Mr. Speaker, I know combatting this devastating disease would be a slow and challenging process, but I think we should all acknowledge that passage of this bill would be a critically important step in that journey and can help us protect those vulnerable deer populations.

I appreciate my colleagues' attention to this matter, and I urge the entire House in casting a resounding ``yes'' vote on the bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. LaTurner for yielding.

It has been said before, but it bears repeating: 24 days. That is how long Tribal Governments have to utilize their CARES Act funding before the December 31 deadline.

I talked to a number of Tribes that, rather than rushed to spend this money in recent months, tried to be thoughtful and deliberate about how to make these critically important investments. As a result, a number of them have millions of dollars left unspent.

In that kind of environment, it is proper and prudent for us to extend the deadline, and we should do so. That is why I wholeheartedly support this bill.

But I wouldn't feel right if I didn't point out that there is a better way, and it is, indeed, right before us, Madam Speaker. The solution is S. 3011, the State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act.

Now, the House companion to that Senate bill has been led by Democratic Representative Carolyn Bourdeaux and myself. It has overwhelming support--125 bipartisan cosponsors.

Our bill would do the exact same thing as the one before us tonight. Well, that is not quite right. I think our bill is superior in a few ways.

First off, it doesn't just provide flexibility to Tribal Governments as this bill would rightfully do. It also provides that kind of flexibility to States and localities that also desperately need it.

That is not the only way in which the Bourdeaux-Johnson bill is superior, and the dean of the House alluded to it earlier when he was talking. Our bill has already passed the Senate. This bill has not. In fact, the bill that I am talking about passed the Senate unanimously, and it has been sitting on the Speaker's desk since October 20.

Yes, it is true we find ourselves with only 24 days for Tribal Governments to act, but it didn't have to be that way, and it doesn't have to be that way.

My question for the Speaker would be: If our bill was good enough for 100 Senators, why is it not good enough for the House?

And this legislative approach just means that we are going to go a few more days until tribes have the certainty they need.

So Madam Speaker, I would close with this. If we brought S. 3011 up tonight and passed it, it could be law before midnight and tribes would not have the uncertainty that they continue to face.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the life of Marcella Rose Ryan LeBeau, Wigmu>ke Waste Wi> (Pretty Rainbow Woman), of the Cheyenne River Oohenu>pa (Two Kettle) Lakota Nation. Marcella LeBeau, a decorated veteran of the Second World War and a constant advocate for Indian country, passed away on November 22, 2021 at the age of 102.

Mrs. LeBeau was born in 1919, in Promise, South Dakota, and was a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. After the death of her mother and grandmother, LeBeau attended an Indian boarding school where she faced much discrimination and was barred from speaking the Lakota language.

When LeBeau was 23 she enlisted in the Army Nurse Corps and served in England, France, and Belgium during the Second World War. As a nurse with the 76th General Hospital Unit, she treated frontline soldiers during the Invasion of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. According to Mrs. LeBeau, ``it was the greatest honor of my life to serve.''

After the war, LeBeau continued to serve her community as an R.N. for 31 years until she retired as the director of nursing for the Indian Health Service on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. Marcella also served on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Council from 1991 to 1995 where she succeeded in leading a campaign to ban smoking in tribal buildings.

Mrs. LeBeau remained active in organizations and advocacy for Native Americans' rights and health and was a co-founding member of the North American Indian Women's Association.

Mrs. LeBeau married Gilbert LeBeau in 1947 and together they had eight children, 29 grandchildren, 46 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

LeBeau has been recognized and honored in many ways throughout her life. In 2004, LeBeau was awarded the French Legion of Honor for her service in World War II, which is the highest honor given by the French government. She was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 2006 and awarded the Women in History Award from the Spirit of the Prairie Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 2016. LeBeau also received an honorary doctorate degree in Public Service from South Dakota State University in 2018. In 2020, the National Congress of the American Indian recognized her with a leadership award, and USA Today named her as one of the most influential women of the century. On November 6, 2021, she was inducted into the National Native American Hall of Fame.

Madam Speaker, Marcella LeBeau dedicated her life to the service of her family, her tribe, and her nation. I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring her contributions to our nation and the people of South Dakota. I extend my deepest condolences to the LeBeau family, Marcella will be deeply missed.

Madam Speaker, October 11 is, in South Dakota, Native American Day.

Now, when America turns its eyes to Indian reservations, so often-- too often--the focus is on poverty, despair, dysfunction. But there are wonderful stories from Indian Country as well, stories of hope, opportunity, hard work, success, entrepreneurship.

With that in mind, I want to talk to you about Tashina Red Hawk. She is a 17-year-old member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. She is an excellent student, and she is a rodeo queen. She is my friend, and let me tell you, Madam Speaker, she is impressive.

Tashina graduated early from high school, and then, when the pandemic hit and her college classes went online, rather than do what so many teens did, spending more time on social media or video games, she decided to become an entrepreneur. It is just an amazing story.

Her local coffee shop had remained closed during the pandemic, so Tashina saw an opportunity. She wanted to save money for college.

Again, as I said, she is an excellent student. She wants to be a veterinarian. Now, she knows that path is not going to be easy, and it is going to take a few dollars in the bank. She knew that this business opportunity would give her a wonderful chance.

Here she is in front of Tashina's Coffee. She also wanted to make sure that her local community, her small town, had the same amenities that large towns do, and I think we can all agree that a powerful cup of coffee is a great amenity. From firsthand experience, I can tell you that her coffee really is excellent.

She works so hard, Madam Speaker, long days, long weeks, to make this business a success. Tashina is passionate about instilling a sense of independence and hard work among other young people on her reservation.

This woman is going places. I am proud to say that she is my friend.

Her father sums it up well. He said, Tashina ``is not a victim. She is an advocate.''

Now, Tashina's story is one of many throughout Indian Country and the State of South Dakota that don't get the attention that they deserve. I think of so many Tribal leaders that I have met with over the years who choose self-reliance: Leslie Crow, our office's inaugural Ben Reifel fellow. She is a teacher, a college instructor, a small business woman.

I think of Lakota Vogel. She is the executive director of the Four Bands Community Fund, and she works with Tribal members to build economic opportunity on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.

I think of Myrna Thompson, secretary of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, whose long-term service as secretary of that Tribe has been a consistent and reliable source of leadership for her people.

Madam Speaker, there are so many others. It has been clear to me that Native American people across this country are resilient. And those who choose hard work and independence over reliance, they are so often successful, and they are so often strong.

They provide us a great opportunity. We can be more like them. We can be more like Tashina and Lakota and Leslie and Myrna.

This Native American Day, we should all take a moment to admire their hard work and entrepreneurship, and we should follow their example. If there were more Tashina Red Hawks, we would have a better Nation.