Floor Statements

Mr. President, today I rise to introduce the Gold Butte National Conservation Area Act of 2013. This legislation will designate the Gold Butte National Conservation Area in Southern Nevada and designate wilderness within Gold Butte.

I am proud to introduce this important bill, which has been in the making for at least a decade. The establishment of the Gold Butte National Conservation Area has been supported by Clark County, the City of Mesquite, Friends of Gold Butte, the Moapa Band of Paiutes, the Nevada Resort Association, and thousands of Nevadans.

By establishing the Gold Butte National Conservation Area as a unit of the National Landscape Conservation System, managed by the Bureau of Land Management, we will conserve, protect and enhance this unique part of Southern Nevada's landscape.

The proposed National Conservation Area is located in Clark County, south of the City of Mesquite and surrounded on three sides by the Lake Mead National Recreation Area and the Grand Canyon Parashant National Monument in Arizona. Gold Butte, deemed by locals as ``Nevada's piece of the Grand

Canyon'', is recognized for its amazing sandstone formations, critical habitat for desert tortoise, mining heritage and the ancient Native American rock art that is so prevalent throughout the area. The land is home to a number of rare plants and animals such as desert tortoise, desert bighorn sheep, golden eagles, and bear poppies. The legislation will also protect current uses which include camping, hunting, hiking and riding off-highway vehicles on previously designated routes.

Gold Butte is named for the mining town of the same name comprised of approximately 1,000 miners in the early 1900s. Long since abandoned, Gold Butte shows the remnants of an early pioneer history of ranching and mining. Even before the early settlers, however, Native Americans depended on this area. The evidence of ancient people can be found nearly everywhere in Gold Butte--petroglyphs, agave roasting pits, hunting blinds, rock shelters, stone tools, pottery shards and charcoal are found across the landscape.

For decades, the Gold Butte area has been a special place for those in the surrounding community. Over 10 years ago people started noticing the impacts of increased unmanaged visitation such as litter, fires, waste and degradation of cultural and natural resources. Unfortunately, these human impacts were becoming a common occurrence in Gold Butte. It was then that a group of conservationists, sportsmen, archaeologists, tribal members, ranchers and community members formed Friends of Gold Butte and started advocating for a higher level of protection for the area. Since 2000, Friends of Gold Butte has worked to create and shape a proposal for protection of these important resources.

The National Conservation Area will also benefit the local economy by bringing tourists and outdoor enthusiasts to explore the natural beauty of this desert landscape. Nevada already benefits from $14.9 billion annually in consumer spending directly related to the outdoor recreation industry, which directly supports 148,000 jobs. Designation of the Gold Butte National Conservation Area will draw more people to the area and bring in vital tourist dollars to the City of Mesquite and to Clark County.

The legislation also designates wilderness areas within the Gold Butte National Conservation Area. These wilderness areas provide key habitat for a number of critical species, protects the cultural resources and the many primitive places in Gold Butte.

The Gold Butte National Conservation Area Act is an ambitious piece of legislation, built on years of hard work by local advocates and stakeholder input. It protects vital natural and cultural resources and preserves an important area of recreation for future generations.

I understand that more work will need to be done on this bill and I anticipate feedback by stakeholders to improve the legislation.

I look forward to working with my colleagues to move this important legislation through the legislative process.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to executive session to consider these nominations: Calendar Nos. 93, 94, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, with the exception of COL Joseph J. Heck, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, and 140, and all nominations on the Secretary's desk in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy, that the nominations be confirmed en bloc, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid on the table with no intervening action or debate, that no further motions be in order to any of the nominations, any related statements be printed in the Record; and President Obama be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate then resume legislative session.

I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to consider Calendar Nos. 11 and 12; that the Senate proceed to vote on the nominations listed with no intervening action or debate, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening debate; that no further motions be in order to the nominations; that any statements related to the nominations be printed in the Record, and President Obama be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate then resume legislative session.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 129 and the Senate proceed to its consideration.

I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the Hirono amendment to the preamble be agreed to, the preamble, as amended, be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to S. Res. 158.

Mr. President, the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has received a request from a Federal agency seeking access to records that the subcommittee obtained during its recent review of the expenditures of U.S. funds related to U.S. efforts in Afghanistan.

This resolution would authorize the chairman and ranking minority member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, acting jointly, to provide records, obtained by the Subcommittee in the course of its review, in response to this request and requests from other government entities and officials with a legitimate need for the records.

I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to S. Con. Res. 17.

I ask unanimous consent the concurrent resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I am told there are two bills at the desk. If that is the case, I ask for their first reading.

I now ask for a second reading and object to my own request, all en bloc.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that from Friday, May 24, through Monday, June 3, Senators Levin and Rockefeller be authorized to sign any duly enrolled bills or joint resolutions.

I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the Senate's recess, committees be authorized to report legislative and executive matters on Tuesday, May 28, from 10 a.m. to noon.

I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the upcoming recess or adjournment of the Senate, the President of the Senate, the President pro tempore of the Senate, and the majority and minority leaders be authorized to make appointments to commissions, committees, boards, conferences, or interparliamentary conferences authorized by law, by concurrent action of the two Houses, or by order of the Senate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn to convene for pro forma sessions only with no business conducted on the following dates and times and that following each pro forma session, the Senate adjourn until the next pro forma session: Friday, May 24, at 12:30 p.m.; Tuesday, May 28, at 12:00 p.m., and Friday, May 31, at 12 p.m.; and that the Senate adjourn on Friday, May 31, until 2 p.m. on Monday, June 3, 2013, unless the Senate receives a message from the House that it has adopted S. Con. Res. 17, the adjournment resolution, and that if the Senate receives such a message, the Senate adjourn until 2 p.m. on Monday, June 3, 2013; that on Monday, following the prayer and the pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; and that following any leader remarks, the Senate be in a period of morning business until 4 p.m. with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each; that following morning business, the Senate resume consideration of the farm bill, S. 954.

Mr. President, Senator Stabenow and Senator Cochran have arranged two votes that will begin on Monday, June 3, at 5:30.

If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

Mr. President, following leader remarks the Senate will be in a period of morning business for 1 hour. Republicans will control the first half, and the majority will control the final half. Following morning business the Senate will resume consideration of S. 954, the farm bill, managed by Senator Stabenow and Senator Cochran. We will continue working through amendments to the farm bill today. Progress was made yesterday, and we need to continue working on the amendments. At 4 p.m. today we will proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 65 regarding Iran sanctions, and the vote on that resolution will be at 5 p.m.