Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, by refusing to renew the Federal county payments program, Congress has broken its promise to rural, timbered America. Counties like Wasco County in Oregon are affected. It has laid off nine people from its road department, seven full-time, two part-time. That's one-third of its entire road department.

The county has more than 700 miles of road, and not a single road construction project is now underway. County Commissioner Sherry Holliday said, ``Counties can't do any strategic planning when our budget is totally up in the air.'' Well, there is a solution, H.R. 3058, a bipartisan 4-year reauthorization of county timber payments. It's been on the Union Calendar and ready for a vote since January 15. The administration has put forward a variety of offsets to pay for it, and yet the Democratic leadership of this House has refused to bring it up for a vote. That's 126 days that H.R. 3058 has been held hostage by the leadership of this House.

It's time to restore the Federal Government's century-old commitment to rural, timbered communities where Federal lands make up so much of their county.

I call on the leadership once again, free H.R. 3058, bring it up for a vote, keep the roads and schools open in rural America.

Madam Speaker, on the occasion of the change of command this weekend at the 173rd Figher Wing at Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls, Oregon, I rise to share with you and our colleagues my pride in an outstanding officer and a great American: Colonel Tom Schiess, United States Air Force, Commander of the 173rd Fighter Wing at Kingsley Field. I will have the honor of attending the change of command ceremony in Klamath Falls this weekend, and before Colonel Schiess relinquishes his command I want to express our nation's gratitude for his service. My comments today echo the admiration of residents of the Klamath Basin community and the respect and affection of the men and women who serve in his command. Colonel Schiess is the type of leader who makes a difference in any endeavor he pursues, and he has made a tremendously positive impact at Kingsley Field.

Colonel Schiess, who is approaching 5,000 flight hours, spent eight and a half years in the United States Air Force before joining the Oregon Air National Guard in 1991. His active duty assignments include: Tyndall AFB as a T-33 Instructor Pilot; McDill AFB as an F-16 Student Pilot; Hill AFB, UT; and AL Minhad AB, United Arab Emirates as an F-16 Pilot. He flew 34 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm while deployed in support of the war effort. While stationed at Kingsley Field, he has been Chief of Wing Standardization and Evaluation, 114th Fighter Squadron Operations Officer, 114th Fighter Squadron Commander, 173rd Operations Group Commander, and 173rd Maintenance Group Commander. Colonel Schiess excelled in each of these roles.

Madam Speaker, in the course of his unselfish service to his country and the State of Oregon, Colonel Schiess has earned many awards, including the Meritorious Service Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal, Air Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, Combat Readiness Medal, Air Force Longevity Award, National Defense Service Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal, Southwest Asia Campaign Medal, and Oregon Faithful Service Medal with ``M'' device.

Colonel Tom Schiess has clearly distinguished himself with awards and recognitions, Madam Speaker, but he is most proud of the collective accomplishments of the 173rd Fighter Wing, which he has led so ably. With the motto of ``Land of No Slack,'' Colonel Schiess leads a world class training facility of more than 1,000 Oregon Air National Guard personnel and state and contract employees at Kingsley Field.

As Wing Commander, Colonel Schiess is essentially the Chief Executive Officer and top leader of a very large and highly successful organization. Colonel Schiess is responsible for the production of F-15 sorties to generate student-flying training to graduate the best air- to-air F-15 pilots in the world. The 173rd Fighter Wing serves as one of only two professional F-15 schoolhouses in the United States for Air Force and Air National Guard fighter pilots.

The 173rd Fighter Wing accomplishes its primary mission, F-15 flight training, on the leading edge of innovative training technology and techniques, setting the standard for military training centers worldwide. The Wing flawlessly provides over 4,700 hours and over 3,500 sorties for the training mission as well as training opportunities for the Combat Air Force. The Wing has received a Lockheed Martin award for its generation of 20,000 accident-free F-15 sorties since it converted to the F-15 in 1998.

The Wing, under the command of Colonel Schiess, has not only distinguished itself as a world class training facility, but has also proven itself to be a significant international ambassador, deploying to Plovdiv, Bulgaria to participate in Sentry Lion, an air-to-air exercise with the Bulgarian Air Force. Subsequently, the 173rd Operations Group hosted six Bulgarian officers for a week as part of a familiarization program in the United States.

The Wing consistently earns outstanding ratings in accomplishing its mission. The high morale and job satisfaction of Colonel Schiess' team are reflected in extremely high retention rates, reenlistment rates, and manning and training rates in the unit career advisory program.

Colonel Schiess and his team have endeared themselves to the community, rendering over 45,000 volunteer hours annually. Each year they welcome the community onto the base with their Sentry Eagle Exercise open house or hosting an outstanding air show. The men and woman at Kingsley Field are not visitors to the Klamath community; they are active and deeply involved neighbors who do a great deal to make the Klamath Basin the very special place that it is.

Madam Speaker, I know that my praise of Colonel Tom Schiess and his exceptional team not only represents the gratitude of the local community, but of a nation well served and protected by highly trained and highly motivated individuals. The time that Colonel Schiess has dedicated in commanding the 173rd Fighter Wing will long be remembered as a period of unmatched accomplishment and stellar service at Kingsley Field. Tom has achieved his goal of seeing that the men and women of the 173rd Fighter Wing are citizen airmen who are second to none, and are constantly ready, reliable, and relevant in answering America's needs through brave, confident, and unselfish service.

My colleagues, please join me in thanking Colonel Tom Schiess for his dedication, his commitment, and his tremendous success in a very big and important job.

Madam Speaker, by refusing to renew the Federal county payments program, Congress has broken the bond with rural areas all across this country. Counties such as Crook County in Oregon have been affected.

Congress' inaction means that county's road department's been whacked. It's half what it was 10 years ago. Road improvements needed for the future are being shelved. Maintenance projects are being put on hold.

Crook County Judge Scott Cooper said: ``Congress just passed a new farm bill to help get products from farm to market, but without county payments, the products won't have roads or bridges to go over.''

H.R. 3058 would help solve this. It's a bipartisan, 4-year authorization for county payments; yet the leadership of this House has held it hostage on the Union Calendar since January 15. That's 121 days that the Democratic leadership has prevented the House from voting to reauthorize the county payments program.

It's time to restore the Federal Government's century-old commitment to rural timbered communities, where Federal lands make up the bulk of the area.

I call on the Democratic leadership once again, free H.R. 3058 for a vote, and keep the roads and schools open in rural America.

Mr. Speaker, by refusing to renew the county payments program, Congress, this Congress, has broken its pledge to rural areas all across this country, such as Harney County, Oregon.

County payments account for 70 percent of the road budget in Harney County, in part because 78 percent of Harney County is Federal land. That's an area nearly the size of New Jersey.

Now, imagine if the tax revenue from 78 percent of the land in New Jersey suddenly dried up. It would be paralyzing, just as paralyzing as the loss of county payments is proving in the rural West.

Harney County Judge Steve Grasty said, ``It is now so bad that we've got fewer road crew employees than snow removal equipment. Our road department is now 50 percent of its historic staffing level.''

H.R. 3058 would give some relief to this problem and would help keep the roads open in Harney County and schools open across the West.

Yet the Democratic leadership in the House has held this bill hostage on the Union Calendar since January 15. Today is day 120 that this bill could have been brought to the floor and voted on. It is a bipartisan bill. The lead sponsor is my colleague from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio).

Keep the commitment to these rural communities. Pass H.R. 3058.

Mr. Speaker, by refusing to renew the county payments program, Congress has broken its pledge to rural areas all across this country like Lake County, Oregon, where Federal land covers 61 percent of the county.

Lake County has had to cut its road department from 42 people to 14, the equipment is aging and overworked, it needs maintenance on the roads that's being deferred. In this winter's record snowfall, or near- record, Lake County had to call in the Oregon Air National Guard to come in and help plow the streets so the safety vehicles could get through this county that's larger than the States of Connecticut and Delaware combined. Now they will be forced to let paved roads revert to gravel.

H.R. 3058 would solve this problem and would help keep the roads open in Lake County and schools open throughout the west. Yet H.R. 3058 is still held hostage on the Union Calendar. It's been approved by the committees of this House. It has been held hostage since January 15. This is day 114.

All we're asking is that the majority schedule it for a vote on this House floor. Let us vote on secure rural schools and roads just to vote. That's all. Let's keep the commitment of the Federal Government for 100 years to these rural communities where Federal land makes up the bulk of their counties.

I call on the Democrat leadership, day 114 held hostage, H.R. 3058, bring it up for a vote.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Speaker, by refusing to renew the county payments program, Congress has broken its pledge to rural areas all across this country like Grant County, Oregon, where Federal land covers 61 percent of the county. That's 300 square miles larger than the entire State of Delaware.

The school children of Grant County rely on the Federal Government to be a good neighbor. During my most recent visit to Prairie City School and the eighth grade class of Andy Demko, I was told by the school superintendent, Newell Cleaver, that only the county payments funds through the Road Department have kept the schools going.

Our Speaker has said she would like this to be ``The Children's Congress.'' So why won't the Democratic leadership bring a vote on H.R. 3058, which is a bipartisan, 4-year reauthorization timber program, keeping a 100-year-old commitment from this government to these counties?

It has been 112 days since H.R. 3058 was made eligible for a vote. It's here on the Union Calendar of the House. We have had 51 legislative days when it could have been brought up for a vote to help secure rural schools, and yet the leadership of this House refuses to even schedule it for a vote on the House floor.

When will the Democrat leadership of the House keep its commitment to rural communities?

Madam Speaker, of all of the counties in the Second Congressional District, perhaps none has been more profoundly impacted by Congress' refusal to reauthorize county payments than Josephine County.

Nearly half of the county workforce has been cut in recent years. Public safety has been hardest hit. Overnight patrols by the Josephine County Sheriff's Office are down to one 10-hour shift split among six deputies who cover 1,640 square miles. That's six deputies patrolling an area the size of the State of Rhode Island.

Maybe you remember the frantic search after Thanksgiving of 2006 for the James Kim family in the Federal forests off southern Oregon. The search-and-rescue funds for that operation came from this very program that Congress has refused to reauthorize.

Why won't the Democrat leadership bring a vote on H.R. 3058? It's a bipartisan, 4-year reauthorization bill for county payments. It has been 3 months since the committees of jurisdiction have sent it to the full House, and yet no votes have been scheduled.

So I again call on the Democratic leadership to do the right thing. Keep the commitment to the timbered communities of this country and pass a reauthorization or attach it to a vehicle that's moving. Restore faith with rural counties all across America. Keep the Federal commitment to the people of timbered counties like Josephine.

Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to rise today to recognize the 2008 National Teacher of the Year, Mr. Mike Geisen, whom I am proud to represent in Congress. I want to take the opportunity to draw the attention of our colleagues in the United States House of Representatives and our Nation's citizens to the tremendous contributions Mike has made to his students, the State of Oregon, and the profession of teaching. This morning, I have the great privilege to join Mike at the White House where the President will acknowledge his outstanding achievement.

Mike and his wife, Jennifer, have two children, Johanna and Aspen, and together they make their home in beautiful Crook County, Oregon. Mike is a native of Washington State and made his way to Oregon's Second Congressional District by way of a job with the United States Forest Service, which took him to Grants Pass, Oregon. Fortunately for Oregon's students, Mike decided to translate his love of nature and desire to give into a career as a science teacher. After working as a student teacher at Crook County Middle School in Prineville, Oregon, he was hired as a seventh grade science teacher and has made a tremendously positive impact there for the past 7 years. It is remarkable that someone who began teaching such a short time ago could rise so rapidly to an honor such as the National Teacher of the Year.

The Crook County School District is located in Central Oregon and includes all of Crook County and much of southeast Deschutes County, an area totaling approximately 3,000 square miles--the size of Rhode Island and Delaware combined. It is a rural district with its main offices located in Prineville, the oldest town in central Oregon. The school district itself has 3,200 students and Crook County Middle School, where Mike teaches, has 700 students.

Mike is known for his extraordinary dedication and creative ways of engaging his students. For example, he and his students turned the dead grass, weeds and peeling paint of their school's courtyard into an outdoor learning lab. This ``naturescape'' is an area that students maintain and use to conduct experiments. He makes use of every resource available to him to engage his students and inspire them to learn. He is known for designing fun review games, performing demonstrations, helping students get involved with hands-on labs, acting out scientific principles, and even bringing his guitar to school and singing songs about the lesson at hand, such as gravity, atoms, and ``The Bacteria Blues.'' Mike's dedication to his students goes beyond just his science classroom curriculum; he fundraised to have a climbing wall installed at the school for the students. Mike's philosophy, in his own words: ``Teaching just doesn't happen inside the classroom, it happens all over the community.''

As chair of the science department at Crook County Middle School, Mike helps create assessments and design curriculum, and has earned the high respect of his colleagues. Mike's passion for teaching and engaging lessons makes learning fun for students and has led to increased test scores. Prior to Mike becoming science department chair, the school had reached a plateau, with 55 percent of students meeting the State's science benchmark. During his first 2 years as department chair, scores jumped from an average of 55 percent to 72 percent, meeting the State science benchmark. Mike's formula for success is putting a bit of himself, a bit of Prineville, and a good dose of humor and creativity into each activity, project, and assignment.

The National Teacher of the Year must serve as an inspiration to students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn, have the respect and admiration of students, parents, and colleagues, play an active and positive role in the community as well as in the school, and be poised, articulate, and possess the energy to withstand a taxing schedule. Recipients of this rare honor are knowledgeable and skilled. Above all, they are exceptionally dedicated. Mike Geisen certainly exceeds each of these characteristics.

The National Teacher of the Year award is obviously a tremendous honor, and I couldn't be more pleased that Mike has achieved this top status in our country. While he will surely be missed at Crook County Middle School during his year of national service as a spokesman for the teaching profession, Oregon's temporary loss of Mike in the classroom will be a significant gain for the United States as a whole. As the first Oregon teacher to be awarded this prestigious honor since 1973, I know that when Mike returns home to Prineville, he will bring a host of new experiences and ideas to share with his colleagues and students and will continue to excel and make learning fun for generations of Oregonians to come.

Please join me in congratulating Mike Geisen for being chosen as the 2008 National Teacher of the Year and in thanking him for his deep commitment to educating our children.

Mr. Speaker, this Congress continues to break the Federal Government's promise to America's timbered counties, including Klamath County in southern Oregon, by not reauthorizing the county payments program. Klamath County usually receives upwards of $19 million annually from county payments. The lapse of this program obviously has created a major budget shortfall for that rural county. It's been forced to deplete its operational reserves. It's cut over 10 jobs in areas like the sheriff's office, juvenile justice, administration, and planning.

If revenues fail to meet projections and with the operational reserves depleted, the next rounds of cuts could easily result in more than 25 people in the sheriff's department alone losing their jobs. Klamath County is known for running a tight ship so each new cut carries serious consequences to public services.

Since January of this year, the Democrat majority in this House has sat on H.R. 3058, a bipartisan 4-year reauthorization bill for county payments. Nothing's happened. No vote.

I, again, call on the Democratic leadership: Do the right thing. Keep the commitment to the timbered communities of this country and pass the reauthorization or put it in the farm bill or put it in the supplemental. Don't strip it out. Restore faith with rural counties all across America. Keep the Federal commitment to these timbered counties.

Mr. Speaker, in Deschutes County, Oregon, 78 percent of the land is owned by the Federal Government. That's an area 50 percent larger than the State of Rhode Island. Yet the Federal Government has pulled the plug on its commitment to this central Oregon county, by allowing the county timber payments program to expire.

A full 10 percent of Deschutes County's annual budget is comprised of county payments. Faced with the possibility of losing those funds, the county last year laid off employees and cut services in its road department. This year the county's grappling with a similar choice, lay off more employees, cut vital services, or find a balance of the two.

Deschutes County Commissioner Dennis Luke said, ``It's not only our roads that will take a hit. More importantly, it affects our ability to reduce the threat of wildfire, provide search and rescue services to folks who enjoy recreating on the vast stretches of federal lands.''

All the while, the House has had a solution in waiting in H.R. 3058, a 4-year reauthorization, but its approval has been stymied by the Democratic leadership, which, for some reason refuses to allow it to come up for a vote.

H.R. 3058 languishes while we name post offices, honor sports teams and rename roads. There's time for that, but not time to vote on H.R. 3058.

I hope the health of rural America can find a spot somewhere tucked in among those priorities, and that the leadership will allow the House to vote to reauthorize county timber payments.

Mr. Speaker, more than a year ago I warned this Congress in a series of speeches how its failure to reauthorize and fund county timber payments would hurt the counties of Oregon's Second Congressional District, and that even a 1-year extension in last year's emergency supplemental, while helpful, was not enough to stave off dramatic impacts.

Jackson County closed all of its libraries. Some of these libraries now have reopened, but with decreased operating hours at limited locations.

During an already difficult economic time, the County has eliminated 117 jobs in roads, parks, human services, public safety and planning. Real services have been cut.

Meanwhile, the Natural Resources and Agriculture Committees have discharged H.R. 3058, which is a 4-year reauthorization of county timber payments. But the Democratic leadership in this House has yet to schedule it for a vote. Why?

Since January 15, this bill has been eligible for a vote on the House floor. The leadership has found time to name Post Offices and roads and many other things, but not to schedule this important legislation for a vote and keep the Federal Government's commitment to timbered counties.

Today I, once again, call on the leadership to schedule a vote on

Madam Speaker, on April 10, 2008, I was not present to cast a recorded vote on Rollcall No. 182, an amendment offered by Representative Jeff Flake to

H.R. 2537, the Beach Protection Act. As you know, in advance of debate on the Flake Amendment, House leadership announced that further consideration of H.R. 2537 would be postponed until the week of April 14th, 2008. Had I been present to vote on the Flake Amendment, I would have voted ``aye.''

I was scheduled to be in Medford, Oregon, for a series of events that began at 8 a.m. on Friday, April 11, 2008, including two economic stimulus tax clinics with senior citizens and a presentation at Jewett Elementary School. This schedule of events required that I travel from Washington, DC, to Medford on the evening of April 10, 2008, prior to the time that the House voted on the Flake Amendment.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay special recognition to someone who has dedicated his adult working life to a career of helping people in Oregon's Second Congressional District, my chief of staff, Brian MacDonald.

Brian is one of those rare individuals in this process who puts the needs of others ahead of his own. For new staffers and interns he is the ultimate coach, helping them grow into their jobs, undertake their responsibilities with proper attitude and professionalism and prepare for future opportunities. In short, he cares deeply about the people he works with and works tirelessly to help them be the best they can be.

And when it comes to helping Oregonians, I've never worked with anyone who is more dedicated and effective. Forget time zone differences between the east coast and the west coast. Forget what day of the week or weekend it is. When Oregonians call for help, Brian is there, Blackberry in hand, ready to respond.

All of us who have the great privilege of serving in the Congress know that we cannot do it alone. Given the enormous volume of incoming requests for assistance, the extraordinary list of complicated issues to understand and vote on, and the sheer confusion of the schedules we keep, it takes a talented team of thoughtful and capable staff to make it all work. Over the course of nearly 10 years as my Chief of Staff, Brian has distinguished himself as one of the best at pulling everyone together and juggling it all successfully.

But Brian MacDonald is more than just one of Capitol Hill's finest. He is a caring husband to his wonderful and talented wife Poppy, and a very proud papa to his son Gill and daughter Marley. Before Gill arrived in the world, I remember Brian remarking about how he didn't think the addition of a child would significantly affect his time commitment to his work on the Hill. In fact, he said that because he requires less sleep than most, he didn't foresee many changes at all. To which I suggested the hours he usually set aside for sleep might not be the same ones that his yet-to-be-born son would choose. As the parent of a soon-to-be 18 year-old son, I remembered the days of bottles, diapers and sleepless nights all too well. And, of course, we all know ``the rest of the story.'' Now, in addition to having to juggle the daily flurry of activities in a Congressional office, Brian and his wife have two wonderful children to raise.

Madam Speaker, on April 19, 2008, Brian will reach a milestone in his life. He will turn 40. And as much as he would not want anyone to know or celebrate such an occasion, those of us who consider him a dear friend and colleague cannot let this significant--well, historic--mark pass without notice.

Therefore, I rise today to both wish him the very best on the occasion of his 40th birthday and to thank him for his friendship, his leadership, and his thoughtfulness. He is truly a trusted friend, a terrific chief of staff, and the living definition of what ``public service'' is all about.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment made in order under the rule.

Mr. Chairman, almost 9 years ago, the Department of the Interior proposed designating Steens Mountain in Harney County, Oregon, as a national monument. This designation would have harmed the cooperative management and preservation successes on the mountain and would have choked the local ranching way of life while allowing little public input into the management process.

So I met with the people of Harney County out at Frenchglen, and we challenged then-Secretary of Interior Bruce Babbitt to let us attempt to write a plan, rather than suffer the consequences of a top-down Federal designation. That would have been a way that would not only preserve the ecological treasure of Steens Mountain but also the way of life out in that part of Oregon.

To his credit, Secretary Babbitt allowed for our request. He gave us a shot at coming up with something better, and the residents of Harney County rolled up their sleeves and we all went to work.

This effort produced an historic bipartisan, legislative success. Working with State and Federal officials, representatives from the environmental community, my colleagues in the Oregon congressional delegation, the governor and others, we crafted a unique piece of legislation that not only satisfied the environmental concerns, or ``lands legacy'' initiative, of the Clinton administration but also allowed for a way of life to continue on the mountain that has existed for more than 100 years since the first settlers started arriving in this rugged part of the West in the 1800s.

Moreover, the bipartisan legislation established an historic agreement between conservation groups and the local ranching community, implemented a unique cooperative management system with oversight by a citizens' advisory council, and among many other things, designated the first grazing-free, cow-free wilderness.

The bill was crafted with so much local and bipartisan support that it was approved by the House on voice vote and unanimously by the United States Senate. In the years since, management principles in that legislation have proven that they can work; although it has not always been easy.

Unfortunately, many in Harney County who have dedicated much to the successful implementation of the Steens Act worry that Washington, D.C., again may derail the very specific purposes and objectives laid out in that Act. Without consulting the formally recognized stakeholder groups in the region, I'm concerned the underlying legislation would include the Steens in the National Landscape Conservation System.

Given my experience in creating the historic Steens Act, I understand the delicate balance between providing additional protection for deserving areas, while also ensuring the opportunities for other, historic uses. That is why I drafted the amendment today to strike the reference of the Steens Act from H.R. 2016, the National Landscape Conservation System Act.

The problem is simple. The Steens already has a set of strongly supported, congressionally mandated management purposes and objectives from the 106th Congress. I'm concerned that the Steens Act, specifically noted in this legislation, would give the Steens a duplicative set of management principles that would prove to be bait for unproductive lawsuits.

I certainly don't want clauses in H.R. 2016 to be used to upend the delicate balance all parties, including conservation and ranching groups, achieved with the writing and passage of the Steens Act.

So, Mr. Chairman, if I might engage in a colloquy, can you assure me and the good people in Harney County that your bill, H.R. 2016, if it becomes law, will not in any way supersede, undermine, or be used as a reason to change any of the purposes established in section 1(b) or the objectives established in section 102(b) of the Steens Act, Public Law 106-399.

I yield to my colleague from Arizona.

Chairman Grijalva, I appreciate your commitment to the Steens Act and recognition of all that went into its development and approval by Congress.

I thank you for your assurances here today on the floor of the House of Representatives to me and to the people of Harney County and this country.

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.