Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, I bring to the floor a topic very near and dear to my heart, and I rise today to recognize the entire month of May as Mental Health Awareness Month.

I cochair the Congressional Mental Health Caucus along with my Republican colleague, Mr. John Katko from New York, and we work to educate Members of Congress and their staff on the work still needed to expand mental health access and protections, and also to reduce the ever-present stigma.

The topic of mental health in Congress has and is building momentum, and it is spurring action to increase delivery of mental health services, something I have worked to do for over 2 decades.

This year alone, our House Mental Health Caucus has grown from 47 Members of Congress to 92. However, mental health still affects millions of Americans of all ages, genders, races, and remains woefully underfunded and misunderstood.

Suicide currently plagues our veteran community. Roughly 20 veterans per day take their own lives, according to the VA.

A 2005 to 2016 Department of Veterans Affairs' Suicide Data Report found that the veteran suicide rate is 1.5 times greater than the nonveteran population, with over 6,000 veterans dying by suicide each year.

In the Hispanic community, my own community, approximately one in ten individuals with mental illness use

mental health services from a general health provider, while only one in 20 receive such services from a mental health specialist.

Machismo and other cultural tendencies are preventing our loved ones from being open and honest about what might be troubling them. The stigma ranks high.

We must continue to let our loved ones know that there is absolutely zero, I reiterate, zero shame in asking for help and that seeking support is a sign of strength.

We also have seen that one in four Latina adolescent children, I say children because they are still children, report contemplating suicide, a rate higher than any other demographic.

The increasing diversity of our country underlines both the need and the importance of assessing culturally and linguistically appropriate services.

The 2018 election focused on healthcare and the future of the Affordable Care Act, ACA.

One of ACA's most critical successes was increasing mental health service and delivery. Insurance companies for decades denied coverage for patients needing mental health services.

We inserted provisions to end this appalling practice and made mental health an essential part of basic coverage, including screenings and other preventive services.

Together, we made sure that no American is discriminated against when seeking mental health care, and that mental health and substance abuse, these disorders, are covered equal to physical illnesses like diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, and other illnesses.

As we head into 2019, these reforms and the ACA must be strengthened so more Americans seek the lifesaving care they need.

We must also continue to look at what is being done locally to support access to mental health services.

In 2001, Pacific Clinics, a nonprofit, and I started a school-based mental health program with $500,000 seed money from SAMSHA, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The program began in three middle schools and one high school. The schools were very reluctant at first, because of the stigma connected to it and the fear of being labeled ``crazy schools.''

We kept pushing forward, and the program has now grown to 35 schools, with a waiting list.

The program serves as a model for H.R. 1109, the Mental Health Services for Students Act, which would provide $200 million for 100 school-based mental health programs nationwide.

Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota has also introduced a Senate companion, S. 1122, and we are very grateful for her support.

We knew that if we started early with children, we could help them succeed and save lives. But stigma remains a big barrier preventing many parents from getting their children the care they need.

We all need to continue sharing the message that it is always okay to seek help. If we address issues early, we can help students and their families succeed in and out of the classroom.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the County Department of Mental Health have been instrumental in the success of this program. The Department of Mental Health for Los Angeles County took on funding the program when SAMHSA funding ended in 2009.

Seeing the success of this program, Supervisors Barger and Hahn, in January 2019, directed the Department of Mental Health to identify funding and to develop a countywide plan to provide school-based mental health services. Countywide means to 14 million people.

In April 2019, the board of supervisors formally adopted a plan to funding for pilot sites, to hire additional mental health professionals, and to develop a Mental Health First Aid pilot program that would educate students.

Beyond stigma reduction and educating loved ones of warning signs and symptoms, we need to ensure that we have a reliable workforce to be able to deliver lifesaving services to all in need, regardless of their ZIP Code. There is a national shortage of trained mental health professionals, and the California Future Health Workforce Commission has stated that, without dramatic policy changes, California will have 41 percent fewer psychiatrists and 11 percent fewer psychologists, marriage and family therapists, clinical counselors, and social workers than needed by 2030.

Recognizing this, I, along with my colleague, Mr. Katko, reintroduced H.R. 2431, the Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2019.

My Mental Health Caucus co-chair is wonderful in this sense, and I thank him for that.

This bill would expand the mental health workforce by providing loan reimbursement to mental health professionals who commit to working in underserved areas.

Our work continues, but it can't be limited to this Congress or any other Congress. I encourage all to get involved, educate yourselves, and share resources with friends and family. If you see somebody who has fallen on hard times, reach out, help them out, and, if needed, refer them to a mental health services provider. Together, we can continue to build a movement and eventually live in a world where there is no stigma, or it is very much reduced.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Katko), my friend.

Mr. Speaker, it is wonderful to hear all the work that Mr. Katko has done on mental health. He has been exceptional in this field, and I thank him for all his support. Working together is a pleasure.

What is mental health? If somebody says you belong in a crazy house, not so. It could be a child in school, a middle school, suffering the effects of bullying, or somebody who has had trauma, a shooting or something that affects them, and it won't go away and it festers when they grow older.

Forty percent of the incarcerated need mental health services. Foster children, who are unaware of what their next step will be after they are emancipated, need mental health support.

That can just go on and on. It is something that is needed. Somehow, we are not doing our job.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Mrs. Craig) for yielding.

I rise in very strong support of H.R. 1331, the bipartisan Local Water Protection Act, and I wish to thank Representatives Craig and Mast for their leadership in introducing this bill that will help many communities in Minnesota, Florida, California, and around the country manage and treat pollution in our rivers, lakes, and seas.

The bill authorizes $200 million annually for EPA to provide grants to States to address nonpoint source water pollution. This is pollution that comes when rain runoff carries toxins, fertilizers, metals, and other contaminants from farms, roads, and forests into the water bodies.

Today, according to the data provided by the State of California, my home State, approximately 89 percent of my State's assessed rivers and streams currently do not meet the State water quality standards. That is pretty high. And of that number, somewhere between 30 to 60 percent are impaired because of nonpoint sources of pollution in the State, both urban and rural sources. The number is staggering and has remained relatively constant over the past decade.

As Mrs. Craig mentioned, States around the country are experiencing the same level of unacceptable pollution entering their waterways, and this bill will address it.

Mr. Speaker, I again thank the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Mrs. Craig)

and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast) for introducing this bipartisan bill, and I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation, which will help all of our congressional districts.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Grijalva for yielding.

I also rise in very strong support of H.R. 2030, the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan Authorization Act, and I thank Mr. Grijalva for his leadership on this issue that is so vital to the seven Colorado River Basin States including: Arizona, California, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

The Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan, known as DCP, is a great achievement of collaboration, compromise, and foresight agreed to by the seven basin States after 2 years of negotiations.

As stated by my colleague on the other side of the aisle, it is quite an important matter to the States. It reflects a realistic appraisal by water managers in the Colorado River system of increasing water scarcity with the watershed in its 19th year of drought. That is a long time, and I think this will help prevent it.

Collectively, the basin States developed a practical, workable approach that provides for enhanced conservation and new management tools to address shortages on the river system.

This will allow California and other water users to store water in Lake Mead for the good of the entire system and habitat, and increase conservation measures in the basin, and bank--of all things--bank excess water supplies for future use.

The drought contingency plan is supported by the California Natural Resources Agency, the Colorado River Board of California, California Native Tribes, and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

This legislation will authorize the Secretary of the Interior to implement what the seven basin States have agreed upon. The legislation protects all environmental laws and existing environmental documents that govern the river.

Enactment of this authorizing legislation will not only support the interstate agreement, but would also implement Minute 323 of our treaty with Mexico to address transnational water cooperation on the Colorado River. This allows Mexico to bank water in Lake Mead for the benefit of our country to prevent shortage conditions and maximize power production.

Mr. Speaker, we are blessed that we have a good snowpack in the Upper Colorado River watershed this year. The legislation also provides us the opportunity to take advantage of this extra water by beginning implementation immediately of the DCP.

We must also support collaborative approaches to manage our most precious natural resource: water. The DCP creates increased dependability to the water users in southern California and the seven basin States.

I urge my colleagues to strongly support H.R. 2030, and I urge the Senate to pass this legislation immediately.

Mr. Speaker, as the chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, I rise to celebrate Clean Water Week. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the importance of water for our communities, not only in my home State of California, but across the country. Americans depend on clean water for their health, the health of their communities, and the health of the economy.

Our water resources are precious, and every drop matters, which is why we need significant Federal investment in our Nation's infrastructure and strong Federal protections for our Nation's water resources.

We need to protect our waterways, large and small, from pollution; ensure we conserve our water resources; recycle water where we can; and protect our groundwater resources for long-term reliance.

There are tremendous clean water infrastructure needs facing our country. Our communities, large and small, urban and rural, and tribal, as well as our American families are facing great challenges in meeting these needs.

Today, our Nation's network of sewers, stormwater conveyances, and treatment facilities are aging, often very outdated, and, in many places all over the country, not meeting the needs of our communities or water quality standards.

We, in Congress, need to do more, not only to renew the Federal financial commitment to repair, replace, and upgrade our water-related infrastructure, but also to ensure that this work remains affordable to all of our communities.

Today, too many Americans are uncertain whether their drinking water is safe for themselves and for their families. Now is not the time to cut back on the protections of our Nation's clean water. Yet, this administration is proposing to do just that.

For more than 45 years, the Clean Water Act has helped to protect our streams, our rivers, our wetlands, and our lakes, and provided States with the tools to keep our waters clean. This administration has proposed eliminating longstanding protections for small streams and wetlands, which play a very important role in feeding our drinking water resources. They also help store water during storms and alleviate flooding, which, in turn, protects communities. These small streams and wetlands help recharge our groundwater supplies. They also filter pollution and provide habitat for fish and wildlife.

Clean and safe water is a very basic human need. Unfortunately, this administration has made it a priority to dismantle the Clean Water Act, regardless of what the science or the law provides. The President's #DirtyWaterRule puts our water and health at risk and must be stopped.

Our drought cycle in southern California continues, even though we have had repeated rain in March. We must continue to conserve. This must be the new norm for us in the West.

Madam Speaker, I thank Ms. Norton for that great introduction.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 66, the Route 66 Centennial Commission Act, and I thank Mr. Davis for being so kind as to begin the sponsorship of this bill because it is something that we all share, and we are proud of it.

I also want to thank Chairman DeFazio and Ranking Member Graves for their support in moving this bill quickly in this Congress. Last Congress, we put it through--we almost got it through. But here we are again, and we hope this time it will go through.

Route 66 runs east to west through my whole district as Foothill Boulevard and Huntington Drive in the cities of La Verne, San Dimas, Azusa, Duarte, and Monrovia.

My district's restaurants include great food, tacos, Mexican food, Asian food, and great meals. And I challenge my friend to come and visit us, so we can take him through the whole area.

The shops and businesses, like so many others dotting the interstate, from the heartland to the West Coast, provide rest breaks for travelers, allowing them to sample local flavors of the communities that are proud to be connected with this iconic road.

The city of Duarte, home to the fabulous City of Hope, a cancer treatment center, also celebrates Route 66 every September with a parade of classic cars, equestrian groups, marching bands, and the whole gamut. In fact, Route 66 signs have been a part of these communities for many years.

The theme of the Los Angeles County Fair last year was Route 66, with memorabilia and Route 66-themed movie nights. They also have indicated strong support for again, next year, highlighting Route 66, so that more people can be made aware of how important this route is.

States and local governments across the country are reinvesting in Route 66 as an icon of American history and culture. The Federal Government should be involved in this effort as well.

H.R. 66 creates a national commission to recommend activities to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Route 66 in the year 2026. It will also direct the Department of Transportation to develop a plan on the preservation of Route 66. The Department is required to consult with the eight States through which it travels, which include California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois.

Madam Speaker, Route 66 is a significant part of America's past, but it also continues to provide transportation, economic, and community benefits to our societies today. We must continue to improve this historic road so that many more generations can, in the words of Chuck Berry, get their kicks on Route 66.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 66, not only because it is the right thing to do, but it is a preservation of an iconic portion of our history in the United States.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 461.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7279, the very bipartisan, as my colleague was saying, Water Infrastructure Improvement Act.

Let me first start by thanking the primary sponsor of the bill, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Gibbs), for his great cooperation on this. Let me say that it was a pleasure doing it, and I associate myself with his remarks. It is very bipartisan and something that we all agree on that needs to happen for the people of this Nation to finally reach a bipartisan agreement on this

very important issue after more than 4 years.

This legislation codified the concept from the Obama administration known as integrated planning that can assist communities in meeting their requirements under the Clean Water Act, while maintaining their obligation to achieve improvements in local water quality.

EPA's integrated planning framework provides communities with a voluntary opportunity to prioritize local clean water investments with the greatest benefit to human health and the environment. This is incredibly important to communities in my congressional district, as well as many others, as they meet the challenges of the Los Angeles County MS4 stormwater permit, and also across the Nation.

To be clear, the integrated planning is not about diminishing communities' existing obligations under the Clean Water Act; rather, it provides an opportunity for communities to work with Federal and State regulators to optimize their clean water infrastructure investments.

The sad reality is that, until the Federal Government increases its investment under the Clean Water Act, communities will still struggle with affordability challenges. We can and must do better.

First, we need to reauthorize the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, known as SRF, and I am hopeful that this is one of the first things we will accomplish next year on, again, a very bipartisan basis. We passed similar reauthorization of the drinking water program by voice vote in September. Now is the time for a similar effort to protect local water quality.

Second, we need to address the cost of water and sewer services to these households with the least ability to pay. No hardworking American family should be forced to go without water and wastewater services simply because their local rates are too high. Clean water is a basic human right.

Yes, utilities should be able to recover the costs necessary to upgrade their local systems, but when those costs disproportionately affect individual households, we can and must do much more to help struggling families afford these basic services.

That will be another issue I hope this next Congress will address in the coming year: protecting our Nation's clean water and making it affordable for all American families.

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank, first of all, our respective staffs for working together on this. They did a great job, and they did an awful lot of work on it.

Mr. Chabot is right; it has been a long time coming. I have been on the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment more than 20 years, and this is something that came up over 10 years ago that EPA was forcing California restrictions. And California has the strictest rules on air and water.

So this is really an efficient way of being able to help California and other States deal with it.

This bill before us is a very good first step toward ensuring the protection of our Nation's rivers, lakes, and streams and deserves our very strong support.

We have worked with cities, mayors, water agencies, sanitation districts, environmental groups, as well as our colleagues on the other side on this legislation. We are aware of no opposition--none--to this bill.

We thank all stakeholders for their input and support throughout this process.

However, it is my hope that early in the next Congress we can return to the House floor with similar bipartisan legislation to address the funding needs and affordability concerns we discussed earlier. Only then can we say we have delivered on our responsibility to provide clean, safe, and affordable water to all American families, including Native Americans.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to wish all Taiwanese Americans and the people of Taiwan a very happy 107th National Day.

Taiwan is an extraordinary friend of the United States, and it is important that we continue to build upon our critical partnership economically, culturally, and politically. The United States is lucky to have an ally in Asia to further promote peace and stability in the region, and to serve as a strong example of democracy. Taiwan is also the United States' 11th largest trading partner and has imported $3.57 billion in food and agricultural products.

The state of California has deep and ever-growing ties with Taiwan. California exports over $7 billion worth of goods to Taiwan, which serves as its 5th largest export market in the world. The Greater Los Angeles region represents the largest Taiwanese community in the United States, and many have gone on to settle in the San Gabriel Valley providing our local communities with new traditions, employment opportunities, and economic growth.

With continued commitment to this important relationship, I am happy to recognize Taiwan's 107th National Day and look forward to our many years of prosperous relations.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 404.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 3021, America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018. I thank Chairman Shuster, Ranking Member DeFazio, Chairman Graves, and our own respective staffs for their work on this legislation. It is encouraging to see the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee continue in a bipartisan fashion on this legislation every 2 years.

The bill authorizes Army Corps of Engineers' feasibility studies; chief's reports; and section 7001 water resource projects across the country for a diverse array of purposes, including flood damage reduction, ecosystem restoration, water supply, navigation, and other things.

The bill also includes important provisions that both the House and the Senate have worked on to improve EPA water programs.

I am pleased to have coauthored several provisions that will assist communities experiencing stormwater challenges and drought with additional water supply and water treatment options.

Section 4106 authorizes $450 million in grants to cities over the next 2 years to plan, design, and construct stormwater, water recycling, and sewer overflow projects. This is incredibly important in my area in Los Angeles, which is addressing a new MS4 stormwater permit and is implementing water recycling projects as a way to address long- term drought and climate change.

Section 1164 requires the Corps to work with local governments on integrated water resources planning to incorporate locally developed plans for stormwater management, water quality improvement, and water recycling in Corps projects.

Section 1146 makes permanent my provision from WRDA 16 that allows public agencies or private companies to remove sediment from Army Corps dams in order for the dams to be more efficient for water supply and flood control operations. There was a particular problem of sediment buildup in several of our dams, including the Santa Fe and San Gabriel Dams in my region.

Section 4304 creates an EPA water infrastructure and workforce investment program, which will provide grants to educational institutions, workforce development organizations, and water agencies to provide training in the water sector. The water agencies in my district have been strongly supportive of creating this program, because many employees in the water sector are retiring and workforce training is needed for new water technologies.

Section 4306 formally authorizes and improves the EPA WaterSense program, which creates a national standard for the labeling of water- efficient products. Local, State, and Federal agencies can then give rebates to individuals and businesses that purchase these WaterSense- approved products, in order to decrease overall water consumption demands.

Section 1222 requires the Corps to assess forecast-informed operations in water control manuals to ensure that dams are being used effectively to maximize local water supply. Some of them are more than 40 years old.

I am confident that this bill, if enacted, will provide drought-prone regions like mine with the tools necessary to increase water supply through water recycling and capturing and treating stormwater.

I want to thank my constituent water agencies for their input throughout this process, including the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District; the Three Valleys Municipal Water District; the San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District; the San Gabriel Valley WaterMaster; the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works; and my local Corps leadership in General Helmlinger, Colonel Gibbs, and David Van Dorpe.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the retirement of a distinguished constituent of mine, Robert P. Ghirelli, of West Covina, CA. Mr. Ghirelli is retiring after almost four decades of public service to the citizens of Southern California. His career exemplifies the work of water quality professionals who every day advance the health of our nation's waters to provide economic, recreational, and environmental benefits to us all. He is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles with an undergraduate degree in bacteriology and a doctorate in environmental science and engineering, and he holds a master's degree in health science from California State University, Northridge.

Most recently, Mr. Ghirelli has served as the Assistant General Manager at the Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD), the third largest clean water agency west of the Mississippi River. In this role, he has overseen the day-to-day operations of six hundred employees and a $164 million annual operating budget that delivers water quality improvements to the regions rivers, streams, and coastal waters for the 2.6 million residents served by OCSD .

Prior to joining OCSD, Mr. Ghirelli had a distinguished role serving for 13 years as the Executive Director of the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles/Ventura Region. He reported directly to a nine-member board of directors appointed by the California Governor and confirmed by the State Senate. In this position, he administered the region's clean water programs and the management of one hundred water quality professionals that ensured the approval of water and waste discharge permits, compliance with federal and state water quality mandates, and effective monitoring of water quality. Following the Regional Water Quality Control Board, Mr. Ghirelli entered the private sector to provide his expertise in demystifying the regulatory process and enhancing efficient and effective compliance with our state's water quality protection programs.

Mr. Ghirelli returned to the public sector in 1998 when he joined OCSD as its Director of Technical Services where his responsibilities included managing the District's environmental affairs and regulatory compliance programs, environmental laboratories, and industrial waste control programs.

Mr. Ghirelli has dedicated his life to advancing the professionalism of his vocation by actively participating in regional, state, and national public agencies and trade associations related to water quality, water resources, and utility management. He has served in the following organizations: Board of Directors of the San Gabriel River Watermaster; Board of Directors of the California Association of Sanitation Agencies; Member of the California Association of Sanitation Agencies; Valencia Heights Water Company, West Covina; Commissioner and Past President of the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project; Board Member and Past President of the Southern California Alliance of Publicly Owned Treatment Works; Board Member of the National Water Research Institute; Board Member of the Southern California Salinity Coalition; Board Member of the Orange County Business Council; Member of the Science Advisory Panel of the American Association of Environmental Engineers and Scientists; Member of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies; Member of the American Public Works Association; Member of the Water Environment Federation; Member of the California Water Environment Association; and Member of the Executive Advisory Council of the Environmental Science & Engineering Program at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Mr. Ghirelli has been a leader in providing common sense solutions to waste water problems and delivering the highest level of water quality to the citizens of Southern California. He has also mentored the next generation of water professionals. After decades of dedicating his time to improving our water resources, I wish Mr. Ghirelli the best in his retirement.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support of H.R. 66, the Route 66 Centennial Commission Act.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Congressman Rodney Davis, for introducing this legislation with me; and I thank Chairman Shuster and Chairman Graves and Ranking Member DeFazio and Ranking Member Norton for their support in moving this bill along through the committee.

Route 66, as was pointed out, runs east to west through my district as Foothill Boulevard and Huntington Drive in the cities of La Verne, San Dimas, Azusa, Duarte, and Monrovia. Our local restaurants, shops, and businesses, like so many others dotting the interstate from the heartland to the West Coast, provide rest breaks for travelers, allowing them to sample the local flavors of our communities that are proud to be connected by the iconic road. Other cities are doing this as well.

The city of Duarte celebrates every year in September with a parade of classic cars, equestrian groups, and marching bands. Along the highway, there are signs still there from long ago showing Route 66 lives there.

The theme of the Los Angeles County Fair this year, which is a very popular fair, is Route 66, with memorabilia and Route 66 movie-themed nights.

States and local governments across the country are reinvesting in Route 66 as an icon of American history and culture. The Federal Government should be involved in this effort as well.

H.R. 66 creates a national commission to recommend activities to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Route 66 in 2026.

The bill will also direct the Department of Transportation, as was pointed out, to develop a plan on the preservation needs of this iconic Route 66. The Department is required to consult with eight States through which Route 66 travels, which include California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois.

Mr. Speaker, Route 66 is a significant part of America's past, but it also continues to provide transportation, economic, and community benefits to our society today. We must continue to improve this historic road so that many more generations can, in the words of Chuck Berry, get their kicks on Route 66.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support Route 66, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Will the gentleman yield?

My communities, as of now, are very excited about this bill and the celebration of the 100th birthday.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, because I rise in support of H.R. 3906, the Innovative Stormwater Infrastructure Act of 2018.

This bipartisan bill, as was pointed out, was introduced by our colleague from Washington, Congressman Heck, aimed at addressing one of the ongoing concerns facing our communities, an unfunded mandate--very unfunded: how to address and pay for controlling ongoing sources of stormwater that empty into our local water bodies.

According to EPA, runoff from urbanized areas is a leading source of water quality impairments on local water bodies. In urban and suburban areas, buildings and pavement cover much of the land and prevent rain and snowmelt from soaking into the ground. Instead, these developed areas rely on storm drains to carry large amounts of water runoff from roofs and paved areas to nearby waterways, and with it, as was pointed out again, high levels of pollution, such as oil, dirt, chemicals, and lawn fertilizers released directly into local streams and rivers.

Congress needs to do more to help communities come into compliance with the goals of the Clean Water Act, the unfunded mandate. We need to encourage the development of new technologies and practices for addressing stormwater runoff. We need to encourage the implementation of cost-effective, low-impact development and nature-based infrastructure alternatives.

Finally, we need to provide additional Federal assistance to communities to help address their local water quality challenges. Many of the communities are small and could not afford them. It will bankrupt them if they have to follow the letter of the law.

Mr. Speaker, while H.R. 3906, as introduced, would have addressed some of these challenges, the bill was modified by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. This modification removed the authorization of a new EPA stormwater grant program and replaced it with a new study on how existing sources of Federal, State, local, and private funds are being used to address local stormwater challenges.

As amended, H.R. 3906 would direct the EPA administration to partner with Federal, State, and local agencies and stakeholders in the creation of a new stormwater infrastructure funding task force. This new task force will look at funding and affordability issues related to the construction, rehabilitation, operation and maintenance of the stormwater infrastructure necessary to meet the goals of the Clean Water Act.

The task force will be required to inventory the available public and private sources of funding for stormwater infrastructure and to assess how the use of these sources of funding might affect the affordability of the infrastructure to a municipality, which sometimes is floundering.

While there may be several financing options available to communities to address local stormwater challenges, the actual cost of these options to a community may vary greatly.

For example, it is far cheaper for a community to obtain a Federal grant for water infrastructure than a loan, but it may also be more affordable for a community to borrow from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund than to borrow the same amount from the private market. So the question is not simply about whether funding is available to the community, but is that funding also affordable to the community.

I expect that the results of the task force will show how the Federal Government needs to be an active player in financing affordable stormwater infrastructure. Perhaps this information will guide future Congresses to take a greater role in financing our water infrastructure challenges.

Mr. Speaker, while I am disappointed that this legislation does not provide additional Federal resources so desperately needed to address our local water infrastructure challenges, the bill is a very good first step in further refining the scope of the stormwater challenges facing our Nation.

I am pleased to support the bill, and I heartily urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting it.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, just one last word, I think this is a very important bill. We have been dealing with the stormwater issue for at least 7 years in my area, and because it is an unfunded mandate, the cities are crying out for help. I think the two cases set forth by my colleagues point out the need for Federal help.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I was absent during roll call votes No. 314-321. Had I been present, I would have voted ``Yea'' on H.R. 5793 the Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration Act, ``Yea'' on H.R. 5749, Options Markets Stability Act, ``Nay'' on ordering the previous question on H. Res. 965, ``Nay'' on H. Res. 965, Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 200) Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act, ``Nay'' on H. Res. 985, ``Nay'' on H. Res. 985, Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 50) Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3281) Reclamation Title Transfer and Non-Federal Infrastructure Incentivization Act, ``Yea'' on the Motion to Recommit H.R. 200, and ``Nay'' on H.R. 200, Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I congratulate Chairwoman Granger and Ranking Member Visclosky for this great bill.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of my bipartisan amendment, which increases the funding for the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program by a mere $6 million to match the program's 2018 funding of $180 million. This increase in funding is made possible by reducing the operations and maintenance defense-wide account by the same amount.

An increase in funding would allow the Department of Defense to continue three Job ChalleNGe programs in Georgia, Michigan, and South Carolina that were previously funded through a Department of Labor grant that is currently ending. It will also help start new pilot Job ChalleNGe programs in Alaska, California, Louisiana, and West Virginia that have demonstrated initiatives in combining education credentials with job training courses.

The Job ChalleNGe program acts as a post-residential program for Youth ChalleNGe graduates to gain job skills and/or apprenticeship training.

For States that cannot expand or open another program at this time, the funding would allow them to focus on the next step for their graduated cadets. It would also help prepare them with essential skills to go join the workforce after completion of both the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program and the Job ChalleNGe program.

The Youth ChalleNGe program has graduated more than 150,000 of our Nation's high school dropouts. The voluntary 22\1/2\ week program is directed at 16- to 18-year-old youth, and comes at no cost to them or their families. It is led by National Guard cadre who help enhance the cadets' life, physical, and education skills, and they assist them in obtaining their high school diplomas or GEDs. The program has grown from 10 to 40 programs nationwide since 1993.

A 2012 RAND study found that every dollar spent on the program results in a return of $2.66. This further shows that the program has distinguished itself as the most effective and cost-efficient youth intervention program for the lives of troubled, at-risk young men and women.

The program is supported by the Youth ChalleNGe Caucus here in Congress. With my co-chair, Mr. McKinley, the caucus provides a forum for Members of Congress and their staffs to learn more about the program and work toward solutions to address the epidemic of dropping out of high school.

Mr. Chairman, I thank Mr. McKinley, my partner, for working with my office on this amendment and for being its cosponsor. I urge Members to support this amendment, which would provide at-risk youth with a second chance, and I yield back the balance of my time.