Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, next week is National Forest Products Week, which the Nation observes from October 15 through October 21. Each year since 1960, our Nation has celebrated the achievements of the forest product manufacturers and organizations throughout this country.

The forest products industry is an integral part of U.S. manufacturing competitiveness and is among the top 10 manufacturing sector employers in 45 States. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, this industry is home to 265 wood products, paper, and packaging manufacturing facilities that make more than $16 million in products, annually, and contribute nearly $3 million to State and local economies through wages and compensation. More than 53,600 hardworking men and women in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are employed by the forest products industry.

Forest products continue to meet the evolving needs of people across the country and around the world. The forest products industry directly employs about 900,000 people and supports 2.4 million jobs. It is 4 percent of the total U.S. manufacturing GDP. The industry meets a payroll of approximately $50 billion, annually, and manufactures almost $240 billion in products every year.

One-third of the United States is forested--751 million acres. Privately owned forests supply 91 percent of the wood harvested in the United States; State and Tribal forests supply approximately 6 percent; and Federal forests supply only 2 percent of the wood used by the forest products industry. More than 56 percent of U.S. forests are privately owned, much of it by family forest owners who manage their lands to provide value to future generations.

The industry has tremendous impact on our environment, too. A single tree can absorb more than 10 pounds of CO2 each year. In the United States, forests and forest products store enough carbon to offset approximately 12 percent of the Nation's CO2 emissions.

Forest products play a valuable role in the life of every American every day. Two-thirds of the Nation's drinking water comes from forests. From paper and packaging to wood products, tissue and other personal care items, these products are at the heart of modern life and a modern economy.

Paper products allow us to communicate, teach, and learn. They provide safe packaging for goods and consumables, as well as personal hygiene and cleanliness. Wood products provide shelter and necessary components of daily life.

Mr. Speaker, because the industry plays such an important role in the life of everyday Americans, in 1960, Congress designated the third week in October as National Forest Products Week. Next week, the country celebrates with events and advocacy campaigns to mark that occasion. Mr. Speaker, I wholeheartedly join those across the Nation who applaud the forest products industry for its many contributions.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend 42 members of the Pennsylvania National Guard who are currently in Puerto Rico assisting with hurricane relief efforts.

Thousands of National Guard members are working in both Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands to help our fellow Americans recover from devastating hurricanes.

Hurricane Maria, with its Category 5 winds, was the fifth strongest storm to ever hit the U.S. and the strongest storm to hit Puerto Rico in 80 years. What it left behind was vast devastation and great damage to infrastructure and energy distribution systems.

Mr. Speaker, I am tremendously proud of our Pennsylvania Guardsmen who are on the ground assisting with this humanitarian disaster. They welcomed the call to action and are working to restore Puerto Rico's infrastructure, install additional telecommunications equipment to connect families and businesses, and deliver more than 300 generators to provide electricity to those who need it.

We are working on rebuilding, and the Pennsylvania National Guard is there to aid in the recovery effort. It is the American way to have all hands on deck, and I am grateful for their efforts.

Mr. Speaker, over the weekend, I had the opportunity to participate in both the opening and the closing ceremonies for the traveling version of the Vietnam War Memorial Wall. The traveling wall was in State College last Thursday through Sunday, and it was a truly moving experience for all those who visited.

The theme for Centre County was ``Welcome Home.'' We all know that in many instances, our Vietnam veterans did not receive a warm welcome home when they returned from war. This is a scar on our history and one that we are working to heal.

The traveling wall serves as a reminder of the efforts to promote liberty and freedom that our Vietnam veterans put forth. It finally recognizes their struggles and thanks them for their service after years of underappreciation.

Mr. Speaker, the wall tells the story of so many Americans. They were sons and daughters. They were our friends and our neighbors. They are American heroes.

It is never too late to honor our veterans to ensure that they receive the recognition that they deserve.

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, October is National Farm to School Month. It is time when we celebrate food education, school gardens, and lunch trays filled with healthy, local ingredients.

Farm to School brings healthy foods from local farms to schoolchildren nationwide. The program teaches students about the path from farm to fork and instills healthy eating habits that can last a lifetime by introducing children to real food.

At the same time, use of local produce in school meals and educational activities provides a new direct market opportunity for family farmers in the area and lessens environmental impacts of transporting food long distances.

More than 31 million children eat a school lunch 5 days a week, 180 days a year. If school lunch can taste great and support the local community, everybody wins. In the early 1990s, there were merely a few Farm to School programs, and today there are thousands.

Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the Nutrition Subcommittee, it is encouraging to see this program grow and our schoolchildren's diets improving. A lifelong love of healthy, locally grown food from your local farmer is something we can all support.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the Department of Veterans Affairs for proposing a rule that will allow VA-credentialed healthcare providers to practice telemedicine across State lines. This is excellent news because our veterans should receive the best care possible no matter where they live or are located.

With advances in technology, we see new opportunities for veterans to obtain coverage through telemedicine, especially in some of our most rural areas.

The VA rule is similar to a bill that I introduced together with Representative Julia Brownley, called the VETS Act. The existing licensure requirements for VA service providers are not in line with the technology and care available today.

Outdated regulations prevent individuals who receive care within the VA system from accessing qualified providers who utilize telemedicine simply because of the geography and a State border. That is wrong, and we must change it.

I urge my colleagues to cosponsor the VETS Act and work to give our veterans access to the best care possible. Our servicemen and -women answered their country's call. Let's be there for them when they return home.

Mr. Speaker, this Friday is National Manufacturing Day. We celebrate Manufacturing Day annually in order to recognize the manufacturing industry's part in the growth and prosperity of the United States economy, as well as raise awareness of the important investment and career opportunities within the manufacturing sector.

Manufacturing Day started in 2012 as an annual celebration of modern manufacturing meant to inspire the next generation of manufacturers, and it has done just that. According to a 2016 survey of students who attended Manufacturing Day events, 89 percent were more aware of manufacturing jobs in their communities; 84 percent were more convinced that manufacturing provides careers that are interesting and rewarding; 64 percent were more motivated to pursue careers in manufacturing; and 71 percent were more likely to tell friends, family, parents, or colleagues about manufacturing after attending the event.

Mr. Speaker, the manufacturing industry impacts every community in the United States, and that is certainly true for Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District. Pennsylvania has a rich history of being a manufacturing leader, especially our storied Pennsylvania Steel. The Commonwealth has been an important cog in the wheels of this country's industrial revolution thanks to industries like iron, coal, and lumber, in addition to steel.

Our Pennsylvania farmers have fed and continue to feed generations of Americans, providing safe and nutritious food for all our neighbors.

From heritage companies to newer rising stars, we have a wide cross- section of products produced in the Fifth District of Pennsylvania, and Mr. Speaker, I would like to highlight just a few.

Brookville Equipment Corporation in Jefferson County is the leading American manufacturer of diesel locomotive engines, street trolleys, and mining machinery. Brookville's mass transit resume includes fully refurbishing streetcars for cities, including New Orleans, Philadelphia, and San Francisco.

Since 1889, W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company has been fashioning handcrafted pocketknives and sporting knives in McKean County.

Zippo Manufacturing Company, makers of the world famous Zippo windproof lighter, owns Case Knives today. Zippo is another family- owned business, based in the city of Bradford, McKean County, since 1936.

Major leaguers have been swinging our fine Pennsylvania hardwoods thanks to Jefferson County company BWP Bats. BWP's slogan is ``Built With Pride.''

Huntingdon County's Bonney Forge has a state-of-the-art forge facility capable of manufacturing our entire line of forged steel fitting and forged steel valve products since 1875.

A new manufacturer is DiamondBack Truck Covers. Two Penn State students started this company in their garage in 2003. They make heavy- duty, utility-oriented, diamond plate aluminum truck bed covers for pickup trucks in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, in Centre County.

Mr. Speaker, this is just a handful of the manufacturers in my district who produce quality, American-made products. As co-chair of the Career and Technical Education Caucus, I am proud that the manufacturing industry employs scores of career and technical education students in family-sustaining careers. These are great family- sustaining jobs.

As we celebrate National Manufacturing Day on Friday and draw attention to the roles manufacturers play in our communities, I commend all those who keep our economy booming through manufacturing.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Old Gregg School Community and Recreation Center on its 10th anniversary. I recently had the opportunity to visit the repurposed school in Spring Mills and partake in the anniversary celebration.

For more than 80 years, the Old Gregg School building in Spring Mills educated children and young adults throughout the eastern Penns Valley in the time-honored values and responsibilities of community and service. The traditions of the historic Gregg Township School have been celebrated and expanded in the Old Gregg School Community and Recreation Center, which is now a multipurpose, nonprofit facility benefiting the entire Penns Valley community.

Old Gregg School Community and Recreation Center is regarded as a treasure in the heart of Penns Valley. It supports small businesses with affordable office space, offers athletic facilities for recreation, open space for meetings and events both indoors and out, and has well-maintained grounds and outdoor play areas.

Mr. Speaker, Old Gregg is an example of how to repurpose a space to benefit the entire community. It truly is a gem of Penns Valley that all residents treasure.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2316) to amend the Mineral Leasing Act and the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to repeal provisions relating only to the Allegheny National Forest.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank leadership for allowing H.R. 2316 to come to the floor.

The Allegheny National Forest, located in my district in northwestern Pennsylvania, is located near the first commercial oil discovery in the country. The Allegheny National Forest is Pennsylvania's only national forest and, since its creation in 1923, has been home to numerous recreational and commercial activities.

Oil and gas has been produced from privately owned subsurface minerals within the forest for decades, and mineral owners worked cooperatively with the Forest Service to safely produce oil and gas within the national forest boundaries.

Mineral owners routinely provided 60-day notification of drilling plans

prior to the commencement of operations, and the Forest Service then issued a notice to proceed, or NTP. However, in 2006, the Forest Service deemed issuance of an NTP to be a major Federal action that triggered the application of the National Environmental Policy Act.

This designation requires a full environmental analysis of the Allegheny National Forest, and environmental groups were quick to sue the Forest Service to enforce the new rule. After settling with these groups, the Forest Service issued a moratorium when issuing NTPs until the full environmental analysis was completed. This moratorium had immediate and severe impacts on the mineral rights owners, who were unfairly denied access to their mineral property.

The oil and gas industry sued, claiming that the Forest Service did not have the authority to preclude the development of privately owned minerals, and in 2009 the U.S. District Court of Western Pennsylvania agreed and lifted the moratorium in the Allegheny National Forest. The lower court's decision was confirmed on appeal in 2013. This bill fully repeals the invalidated language from the Mineral Leasing Act and the Energy Policy Act of 1992 in accordance with these court decisions.

Throughout the litigation, the Forest Service claimed section 2508 of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, codified in the Mineral Leasing Act, provided them with the authority to restrict mineral development. It is critical to strike this language. Had this regulation not been challenged, over 11 million acres of split estate minerals throughout the country would have been locked up, devastating mineral owners and local and State economies.

A similar version of this bill passed the House during the 114th Congress, demonstrating the support for protecting private property rights in the Allegheny National Forest.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to implementing this crucial solution. I urge adoption of the measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1547) to provide for the unencumbering of title to non-Federal land owned by the city of Tucson, Arizona, for purposes of economic development by conveyance of the Federal reversionary interest to the City.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1547 completes the transfer of the Bureau of Land Management's reversionary interest in Udall Park, located in Tucson, Arizona, nearly three decades after the city donated $4 million worth of land to the Bureau of Land Management to complete their portion of the exchange.

Twenty years after the exchange took place, the Bureau of Land Management threatened to invoke its reversionary interest because the city dared to hold a local farmers market in the park. The city of Tucson has invested millions of dollars in this community park, building swimming pools, recreation centers, and athletic fields, and it deserves to have clear title to the land and complete jurisdiction over the uses of the park.

The bill is bipartisan and has nearly unanimous support from the Arizona congressional delegation. I urge adoption of the measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. McSally).

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 965) to redesignate the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site as the ``Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park'', and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, Augustus Saint-Gaudens is one of the most prolific sculptors in our Nation's history. His work includes Boston's Robert Gould Shaw Memorial, Chicago's Standing Lincoln, and New York's William Tecumseh Sherman Memorial. Most notably, Saint-Gaudens designed a $20 double eagle gold piece for the U.S. Mint, considered one of the greatest American coins ever issued.

The Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site is a 190-acre historic site in Sullivan County, New Hampshire. The site encompasses the summer home and studio of this renowned American artist, whose annual presence in Sullivan County helped spawn the Cornish Artist Colony in nearby Cornish, New Hampshire. This colony, which was

comprised of painters, sculptors, and musicians, helped drive a period of American artistic resurgence called the American Renaissance in the years following the Civil War.

The main house and surrounding gardens were initially designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1962, which was converted to a National Historic Site in 1964, when the grounds were donated to the National Park Service. The current property contains 21 buildings, a number of Saint-Gaudens' sculptures, and miles of hiking trails.

This bill simply changes the designation of Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site to a National Historical Park, allowing the National Park Service to better relay the impact and legacy of this historic American artist.

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

Mr. Speaker, I encourage support for this piece of legislation and thank the gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Kuster) for putting this forward, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2582) to authorize the State of Utah to select certain lands that are available for disposal under the Pony Express Resource

Management Plan to be used for the support and benefit of State institutions, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2582, introduced by the gentlewoman from Utah (Mrs. Love), seeks to resolve an ongoing standoff between the State of Utah and the Bureau of Land Management over statehood-era land grants to promote responsible land management and enable the United States to fulfill its commitments to provide land for the support of Utah's higher education system.

Since 1998, the Bureau of Land Management has cited an administrative technicality to favor land exchanges over State selections of land, which has held up the State of Utah's selection of roughly 500 acres of Bureau of Land Management land classified for disposal.

The land in question has been selected by the State for the benefit of Utah State University, and this bill makes it clear that State selections are equally acceptable as land exchanges and would confirm that the Bureau of Land Management may process the State's current selection as well as future State selections in the immediate area.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Utah (Mrs. Love).

Mr. Speaker, being from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2937) to amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to authorize partnerships between States and nongovernmental entities for the purpose of reclaiming and restoring land and water resources adversely affected by coal mining activities before August 3, 1977, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5

legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I thank leadership for allowing H.R. 2937 to come to the floor. This legislation, introduced by my friend from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), will help address the challenge of abandoned coal mines present in many affected communities across the Nation.

The Community Reclamation Partnerships Act enables States to partner with Good Samaritan entities to reclaim abandoned mine sites and facilitate acid mine drainage cleanup. H.R. 2937 creates more opportunities to address this challenge.

Mr. Speaker, representing the Pennsylvania Fifth Congressional District, just to note, my congressional district has more abandoned mine sites than any congressional district in the country, so I am very grateful for the leadership that Mr. LaHood has shown in bringing H.R. 2937 forward.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I would just ask my colleagues to support this piece of legislation. I am very appreciative to the author of this bill for his leadership. Having a congressional district that has significant presence of abandoned mine lands, I know that the authorities and the protections he is seeking here will be good for all, for the communities, for the environment, and for the economy.

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

Mr. Speaker, October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and it is a time when we celebrate the numerous contributions and skills of American workers with disabilities.

Many Americans with disabilities struggle to find employment opportunities despite the wealth of skills they have to offer. In 2016, only 27.7 percent of working-age Americans with disabilities were employed.

More employers should recognize the fresh perspectives and skills that these men and women can add to an organization.

Workers with developmental disabilities tend to be reliable, dedicated, and loyal employees with a positive attitude and a strong work ethic.

Right here on Capitol Hill, my office participates in the Congressional Internship Program for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. This program is designed to give students with varying intellectual disabilities an opportunity to gain congressional work experience, and it has been rewarding for everyone involved.

Mr. Speaker, hiring an individual who has a disability can have a profound impact on their life. They experience the independence, economic self-sufficiency, pride, and community that come with a job.

These individuals promote workforce diversity and can truly enhance the workplace for the better.

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.