Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Gary Germundson of Scobey for the Montana Congressional Veteran Commendation for his service to his country and leadership in his community.

Mr. Germundson joined the United States Army in 1957 and served in Vietnam. In 1965, he ended his military career but continued to serve as a community leader in Montana.

Mr. Germundson spent 45 years as a public educator. He became an alderman of the Scobey City Council and served as president of the Scobey Lions Club. Mr. Germundson remains active in his local American Legion and is treasurer of the Daniels County Color Guard.

In addition to raising their four children, Gary and Bonnie Germundson were foster parents to fifteen children.

I ask my colleagues to join me today in commending Mr. Gary Germundson for his dedication and service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize William ``Bruce'' Charles of De Borgia for the Montana Congressional Veteran Commendation for his service to his country and leadership in his community.

Mr. Charles was a United States Air Force pilot during the Vietnam War, having joined the Air Force in 1965 as a result of the Gulf of Tonkin incident.

Following his military career, Mr. Charles volunteered for various community service organizations, including 25 years as a member or officer in the local Kiwanis.

In De Borgia, he was instrumental in preventing the closure of the local post office and revitalizing the volunteer fire department. He also led a successful effort to create a fuel mitigation plan to protect the De Borgia area.

I ask my colleagues to join me today in commending William Charles for his dedication and service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Montana veterans who have served our country and continue their service in our communities.

I recently asked Montanans to nominate a veteran for the 2017 Montana Congressional Veteran Commendation, a tribute to recognize those who have served honorably in uniform and in our communities. The response from Montanans was overwhelming. Fourteen veterans are receiving the 2017 Montana Congressional Veteran Commendation:

Richard Allgood of Big Sky;

Gene Bell of Belgrade;

William Charles of De Borgia;

Richard Gale of Bozeman;

Gary Germundson of Scobey;

Theron Gertz of Butte;

Michael Lawson of Butte;

Phillip Lyons of Butte;

Daniel Ritter of Bozeman;

Frank Stoltz of Miles City;

Kevin Strickler of Belgrade;

Kyle Sukhbir of Livingston;

Loice Trotter of Libby;

Stanley Watson of Forsyth.

On behalf of all Montanans, I thank the recipients of the 2017 Montana Congressional Veteran Commendation for their sacrifices and selfless service.

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

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to modify the amendment in the form I have placed at the desk.

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

A longer probationary period for new Federal hires is important to give supervisors the time they need to evaluate whether a new hire should gain career employee status. But a longer probationary period will not accomplish anything if supervisors don't use the extended time properly.

Managers often don't know the end dates for probationary employees under their supervision. Because probationary periods end automatically, without action by a supervisor, an employee can be hired without a complete assessment of whether the employee is qualified for full Federal service.

A 2015 Government Accountability Office report recommended automated systems to notify supervisors when the end of an individual's probationary period is imminent.

Agencies have these systems. They just need to use them. My amendment requires supervisors to be notified at a series of regular intervals in advance of the expiration of a probationary period. The notifications occur at 1 year, 6 months, 3 months, and 30 days before the scheduled completion of a probationary period.

This notification will remind supervisors of their responsibilities to observe employees and provide feedback throughout the probationary period. It will also remind supervisors to decide whether the employee is fit for Federal service.

Mr. Chairman, I urge Members to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I thank my friend from Virginia. I urge adoption of this amendment and the underlying bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will increase paychecks for hardworking Montanans, create Montana jobs, and unleash economic growth.

In fact, analysis from the nonpartisan Tax Foundation finds the bill will create nearly 2,900 Montana jobs and will increase income for median Montana households by $2,200.

Hardworking Montanans will see a big tax break by cutting their rates and by doubling the standard deduction. Montana families will benefit from an increased child tax credit.

Today, only about one in four Montanans itemize their deductions-- filling out stacks of paperwork for hours after saving piles of receipts. With tax reform, those days are over. Under the new plan, nine out of ten Americans won't have to itemize to see their full tax benefit, and they will file their taxes on something like a postcard.

I am proud to vote for tax reform that will create thousands of Montana jobs, ensure hardworking Montanans keep more of what they earn, and help small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, for 110 years, the Lower Yellowstone Intake Project has provided a dependable supply of water to over 58,000 acres of family farms in Montana and North Dakota. It has created over 10,000 acres of wildlife habitat.

To protect the endangered pallid sturgeon, Congress funded a bypass channel and weir improvement so that the fish could circumvent the diversion that had been there for 110 years. The proposed construction would also protect regional groundwater, the environment, and agricultural communities.

Unfortunately, a U.S. district judge blocked the project this summer because, as he claims, it does nothing for the sturgeon. His ruling to halt construction does nothing to help the sturgeon. His ruling does nothing to help the communities that rely on the project's irrigation water.

I urge the Army Corps of Engineers to move forward with the work on the Lower Yellowstone Intake Project. The completion of this project is urgent to protect species' habitats and agricultural activities in Montana.

Mr. Speaker, with Veterans Day approaching, I want to recognize the life, service, and heroism of Jack Henley from Hamilton, Montana.

Jack was on the front lines in the Second World War. During the battle in the Philippines, he led a squad of men through heavy fire to fill a gap in the line, without losing a single man. He twice reentered the field of fire to save the lives of two wounded men.

For his actions, Jack earned the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. He reenlisted in 1948, training troops for the Korean war. Jack continued to serve in the Army Reserve until 1984.

During his 28 years of service, he was awarded 18 medals and decorations. His name is included in the Hall of Valor here in Washington, D.C.

I am proud to have this man as a fellow Montanan, and I am honored to recognize his extraordinary life. May we always remember Jack's story and those of all our Nation's veterans.

Mr. Chair, I rise to join my colleagues in supporting the Hydropower Policy Modernization Act.

Nearly one-third of the electricity generated in Montana comes from hydropower. The Libby, Hungry Horse, and Noxon Rapids projects each have the generating capacity of more than 400 megawatts. There are dozens more smaller hydropower facilities in Montana, from Thompson Falls to those around Great Falls, to Tiber and Fort Peck and Yellowtail.

This legislation will ensure that existing projects will have timely relicensing and enhance consultation between Federal, State, local agencies, and our Indian Tribes. It will also help provide certainty for new projects.

I know, in my home State, there are proposals to electrify existing flood control and irrigation dams, like the Gibson Dam, that face ongoing licensing issues. I have introduced legislation to address that particular one.

This bill is a step in the right direction for hydropower nationwide, and I am happy to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a special place: Montana.

From our snowcapped mountains to our nearly endless prairies, Montana is an awe-inspiring place of tremendous beauty. We call it Big Sky Country, the Treasure State, the Last Best Place, and we call it home.

When Montana first became a territory in 1864, it was the Wild West. Prospectors, cattle ranchers, and settlers overcame scorching sun and blistering cold to establish our Nation's 41st State.

But there is something even more special than the beauty of an eastern Montana sunset or being knee-deep in a crystal-clear mountain stream. It is the people of Montana. Montanans are kind, warm, generous, and hardworking people.

On November 8, 1889, our special place became part of something even more special, the land of the free and the home of the brave. Today, Montanans celebrate the 128th anniversary of our statehood.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I also thank the gentleman from Arkansas, a trained forester, for his efforts to reform how we manage our forests.

Montana faced a devastating wildfire season. Over 1 million acres have burned in our State. Lives were lost. Our livelihoods were threatened. Wildlife habitats were destroyed. We breathed the smoke as the clouds hung in the air.

Earlier this week, the gentleman from Arkansas and I met with conservationists, the Forest Service, local leaders, and key stakeholders, including the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. They all affirmed that litigation and an inability to inappropriately manage our forests are the problem that lead to severe wildfires.

When catastrophic wildfires strike, we keep treating the symptoms-- suppressing the fires--and somehow think that the next wildfire will be different. We have to address the underlying issues. We have to reform how we manage our forests. We have to make our forests healthier and our wildfires less severe. We can begin that process today.

The people of Montana need relief and a long-term solution. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Chairman, I include in the Record a letter of support for the legislation from the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association, and a statement of support from the former Chief of the Forest Service, Tom Tidwell.

NLBMDA Praises Reintroduction of Resilient Federal Forests Act

Washington, DC.--The National Lumber and Building Material

Dealers Association (NLBMDA) praises the introduction

yesterday of the Resilient Federal Forests Act by (H.R. 2936)

Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR). The legislation helps protect

the national forest system by implementing best practices

intended to lessen the threat of wildfires. Original

cosponsors for the bipartisan bill include Reps. Raul

Labrador (R-ID), Tom McClintock (R-CA), Cathy McMorris

Rodgers (R-WA), Rick Nolan (D-MN), Collin Peterson (D-MN),

and Scott Tipton (R-CO).

Rep. Westerman introduced the legislation during the

previous Congress in 2015, where it passed the House of

Representatives by a vote of 262-167 with support from 21

Democrats who crossed the aisle to support the bill.

The U.S. Forest Service manages over 190 million acres. Of

this, 46 million acres is designated as allowable for timber

harvest. Timber harvests from federal forests declined by 78

percent between 1987 and 2015, from 11.3 to 2.5 billion board

feet. This is far below the long-term, sustainable capability

of these lands of 12.2 billion board feet per year.

Poor land management during the past 30 years has led to

declining health of national forests. This has resulted in

fewer jobs and productivity in the forestry sector, fewer

board feet of domestically produced lumber entering the

market, and a marked increase in acreage ravaged by insects,

disease and fire.

``The Resilient Federal Forests Act strikes a balanced

approach in managing the national forest system by making

more land available for logging in an environmentally

sustainable way,'' said Jonathan Paine, NLBMDA President and

CEO. ``NLBMDA thanks Congressman Westerman for his leadership

on this important issue.''

NLBMDA supports greater sustainable harvesting of federal

forests to meet long-term demand for lumber as part of a

comprehensive plan that does not place U.S. private forests

at a competitive disadvantage.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an educator who touched the lives of thousands of Montanans with his love for our State as well as his knowledge and passion for Montana politics. As one of Montana's foremost political scientists, Dr. Craig Wilson was well known across the State and across both sides of the aisle.

For 34 years, Professor Wilson spent his days in front of students in a classroom at Montana State University Billings, helping them understand the world in which they lived.

He conducted reliable and respected surveys that engaged Montanans on issues that mattered most to them. His method was honest and straightforward, a welcome approach in today's politics.

Craig was a loving husband to Kristianne, a proud father of Collin and Evan, and a doting grandfather to Blair and Jett.

Dr. Wilson was an educator in and out of the classroom. He was dearly loved and will be missed.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1858) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4514 Williamson Trail in Liberty, Pennsylvania, as the ``Staff Sergeant Ryan Scott Ostrom Post Office''.

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, I rise today in support of H.R. 1858 introduced by Congressman Marino from Pennsylvania. The bill names the Liberty, Pennsylvania, Post Office at 4514 Williamson Trail the Staff Sergeant Ryan Scott Ostrom Post Office in honor of Staff Sergeant Ostrom, who, in 2005, was killed in the line of duty in Iraq.

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

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill in recognition of Staff Sergeant Ostrom's sacrifice to our Nation, 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. 452) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 324 West Saint Louis Street in Pacific, Missouri, as the ``Specialist Jeffrey L. White, Jr. Post Office''.

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, I rise today in support of H.R. 452 introduced by Congressman Luetkemeyer from Missouri. The bill names the Pacific, Missouri, Post Office at 324 West Saint Louis Street the Specialist Jeffrey L. White, Jr. Post Office in honor of U.S. Army Specialist White, who, in 2012, was killed in action in an IED attack in Afghanistan.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Luetkemeyer), the sponsor of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill in recognition of Specialist White's sacrifice to our Nation, 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. 2254) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2635 Napa Street in Vallejo, California, as the ``Janet Capello Post Office Building''.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2254, introduced by Congressman Mike Thompson from California. The bill designates the post office located at 2635 Napa Street in Vallejo, California, as the Janet Capello Post Office Building.

Janet Capello was a prominent citizen in her Vallejo, California, community. Born in 1935, she served on the city's Planning Commission, the Civil Service Commission, and the Charter Review Committee, among others. She loved her community, and she gave back in whatever way she could before passing away in 2012.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2464) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 25 New Chardon Street Lobby in Boston, Massachusetts, as the ``John Fitzgerald Kennedy Post Office''.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2464, introduced by Congressman Stephen Lynch from Massachusetts. The bill designates the post office located at 25 New Chardon Street Lobby in Boston, Massachusetts, as the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Post Office.

John F. Kennedy was the 35th President of the United States. During his tenure, he is possibly most famous for his handling of the Cuban missile crisis, preventing a thermonuclear conflict with the former Soviet Union.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of President Kennedy's birth, and we thank him for his service to our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to make the gentleman from California aware that I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill in recognition of President Kennedy's sacrifice for our Nation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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