Floor Statements

Madam Chair, I claim the time in opposition.

Madam Chair, I have great respect for my friend from the Sacramento Valley and the water users he represents, but I must rise in opposition to this amendment. However well-intentioned, it has two fatal flaws. The first is that it is completely unnecessary. Second, it directly interferes with the Federal court's ability to administer the law.

So let's start with the first one, the unnecessary part. It is true that the Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in this pending litigation because these long-term Sacramento River contracts were signed on the basis of an invalidated biological opinion. But what my colleagues should know is that no party in this ongoing litigation is seeking to terminate water deliveries, nor is anybody asking for the immediate alteration or interruption of deliveries. The litigation has been going on for years, and my understanding is that there is no court action scheduled that could have any effect on water deliveries in the coming years.

If the contracts are ultimately changed to protect California salmon fisheries, that would be many years down the line, and the Sacramento River contractors will have the opportunity to negotiate changes directly with the Interior Department in a public process. That is how it works.

So this amendment puts us in a strange position of trying to bar the Bureau of Reclamation from terminating water deliveries that nobody has asked them to terminate in anticipation of a court order that nobody is seeking. It is completely unnecessary.

Second, this amendment interferes in a court case in a way that should worry all of us in this body. The amendment claims to be about preserving the status quo on the Sacramento River. That is all fine, but if that is the concern that contracts might be terminated--even though nobody is asking them to be terminated and they don't expire for another 30 years--why come to Congress?

The Sacramento River contractors are represented by astute and capable lawyers who could easily go to the court and seek interim relief to do this, and yet they have not sought that relief. Instead, they have come here to the House floor asking to be treated differently than every other Central Valley Project contractor. Seeking a rider to circumvent a court case that is still in its very preliminary stages is no way to make public policy. In fact, I am not aware of Congress ever taking an extraordinary step like this.

There have been many Endangered Species Act challenges to water contracts over the years in California. Never has a court simply vacated any contracts. In fact, even after finding the contracts invalid under the Endangered Species Act, courts have always given the agencies and the contractors time to do their work and renegotiate the terms without terminating anything in the interim. That is exactly what will happen in this case if we simply let the litigation play out, as we should.

Madam Chair, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Contra Costa County (Mr. George Miller), who has been such a leader on California water for his 40 years in the House of Representatives.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, California and the rest of the West are facing a historic drought right now. Nearly 80 percent of California was under extreme drought conditions in June, and 36 percent of our State is in ``exceptional'' drought in that category, the highest category, in fact, on the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Emergency water conservation plans are being adopted across the State, including many mandatory measures. Cities and counties are dealing with uncertain water supplies, farmers and ranchers are facing incredibly difficult decisions, and tribes and those who depend on healthy fisheries for their livelihood are facing shortages like they have never seen.

Congress can't make it rain. What we can do is invest in drought- resistant water supplies through smart, sustainable investments in conservation and water reuse, and that is what this amendment is all about.

My amendment directs $52 million to the Bureau of Reclamation for title XVI water conservation and reuse projects. Through this program, Reclamation works across the West to support municipalities, farmers, fish and wildlife, and recreation through water-saving conservation, reuse, and recycling infrastructure projects.

Although the Energy and Water bill before us today does fund the program, this drought is showing us that we have to do a lot more.

California's State water board is stepping up. They made an $800 million investment in water reuse projects earlier this year, but we on the Federal side should be able to add more to that. We should add $52 million to combat this urgent problem in California and other Western States.

This amendment is offset through a reduction in the Department of Energy's nuclear energy account. We have tough choices to make. I think we all understand that. Responding, however, to this drought should be a national priority.

I urge my colleagues to support my amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, we either believe that this critical drought in California and other Western States, the most extreme drought that many of us have seen in our lifetime, we either believe it is a national crisis and a national priority, or we don't.

A few months ago, House Republicans put forward a bill that represented itself as a response to this drought, and yet it offered no immediate relief to the folks who are suffering in California.

Instead, what it did is hack away at environmental laws and try to do some violence to 100 years of deference to State policy on water rights and otherwise pick winners and losers in ways that was not responsive to this drought.

What this amendment offers, though, is something that can make an immediate difference. The water that we save through conservation, the water that we can save in the years ahead through water recycling, is some of the firmest, most reliable, most cost-effective water that you can provide. It is one of the smartest investments you can make in a State like California.

We need it to respond to this drought, and we need it to make our water supplies more reliable and resilient for future droughts, which we know are coming with more severity and more frequency.

I will close by urging my colleagues to vote ``yes'' for this important amendment which does respond to the critical drought that is facing California and other Western States.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to recognize Richard (Dick) Butler on the occasion of his retirement celebration on June 5, 2014, after a long and distinguished career with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

Early in his service with NOAA, Dick spent several years as a tuna- porpoise observer and under difficult working conditions he and his fellow observers brought back new information about the magnitude of dolphin mortality, setting the stage for profound changes in fishing practices management of incidental marine mammal take.

While serving as the North Coast Branch Chief, Mr. Butler led several notable efforts such as addressing gravel mining in the Russian River, and he would go on to play an important role in the development of the Russian River Biological Opinion, leading to the successful establishment of Warm Spring hatchery and other key conservation actions in the Russian River. Mr. Butler also helped build a strong conservation partnership with the Sonoma County Water Agency resulting in direct conservation benefits on-the-ground.

Mr. Butler's leadership and expertise have greatly benefitted NOAA and USFWS and will have lasting impacts on our ecosystem and natural resources for years to come. Please join me in expressing deep appreciation to Dick Butler for his long and impressive career and his exceptional record of service to our community.

Thank you, Mr. Thompson.

The Federal Government has a responsibility to ensure our food safety and to make sure that the meat we barbecue this summer doesn't come with harmful diseases.

It is the responsibility of the inspectors and the oversight agencies to stop unsafe practices from occurring in the first place and to proactively address problems before they require massive recalls.

Unfortunately, it doesn't always happen that way. The facility in my district that is now experiencing a sweeping recall of 8.7 million pounds of meat does not represent a simple breakdown in the inspection process.

The Office of the Inspector General has launched a criminal investigation into improper activities that include deceptive practices by the owners of the slaughterhouse. We know, from a CNN investigation, that misconduct may even include some of the very USDA inspectors that were charged with protecting the public.

This incident clearly demands a serious investigation. The public has a right to know what happened, how the process broke down, and who will be held responsible for it. Unfortunately, to date, we have received virtually no information about this from USDA.

This sweeping recall, coupled with a complete lack of information, not only shakes public confidence, it affects, in a very serious way, many of the ranchers in my district whose livelihoods have been harmed. They deserve answers from the USDA, too.

I have many constituents who are facing serious financial losses, and they can't get any information about what happened. Many ranchers in the North Bay had tens of thousands of pounds of their premium beef recalled, and the USDA won't tell them what happened, whether their beef was actually contaminated, or even when this case will be closed.

We have gotten far more information, frankly, from CNN than we have gotten from USDA. This is completely unacceptable.

Our amendment transfers $1 million from the USDA's administrative account to the inspector general's office, so that we can have the resources needed to swiftly complete this investigation, close the case, and make sure we get answers, so that we can prevent this from happening again.

I yield to the gentleman from Alabama.

Reclaiming my time, thank you very much.

I thank my colleague from southern California for his leadership on this issue.

Mr. Chairman, like many people, I did a lot of reflecting after I saw the documentary ``Blackfish.'' Specifically, I looked into whether our Federal authorities were using the most updated science-based information in their regulation of marine mammal captivity.

I was disappointed to find that our government has done virtually nothing to update these regulations in the last two decades.

APHIS, the agency charged with this responsibility, has not updated the Animal Welfare Act regulations since 1995, and these rules should have been updated 10 years ago, when APHIS opened up a rulemaking process. Unfortunately, they dropped the ball, so it is time to try again.

As Congressman Schiff mentioned, we recently led a sign-on letter with three dozen of our colleagues to Agriculture Secretary Vilsack, demanding action on that issue.

In that letter, we urged him to complete the updating of these regulations for captive marine mammals, including publishing the proposed rule and allowing a public comment period, so that we can incorporate the latest science.

We have had no response to that letter, so today, we are offering an amendment to provide APHIS with the funding needed to start that process again and ensure that our regulations for captive orcas and other marine mammals are based on modern science.

This amendment reminds APHIS that inaction is unacceptable. The agency must use the funds provided to ensure that we have on the books the best possible standards for captive marine mammals based on solid modern science and informed by all of the information that we have gleaned in the past two decades.

I ask my colleagues to support this amendment

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to recognize the Marin Shakespeare Company on the occasion of the organization's 25th Anniversary Celebration on May 31, 2014.

For the last twenty-five years, the Marin Shakespeare Company has worked to achieve excellence in the staging and study of Shakespearean plays, to celebrate Shakespeare, and to serve as a cultural and educational resource for the people of Marin, the San Francisco Bay Area, and beyond. Through programs such as Will Power and Play Power, Actor Intern Program, and various summer camps, the Marin Shakespeare Company has helped foster an appreciation and love of performing arts throughout the community and will continue to benefit Marin County for many years to come.

The Marin Shakespeare Company is a community treasure, and Marin County has benefitted greatly from this organization's many years of experiencing, studying, and performing Shakespeare. Please join me in expressing deep appreciation to the Marin Shakespeare Company, and congratulations on 25 years of service.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, this bill represents a massive step backward for transportation and infrastructure funding, reducing funds for rail, transit, and highway programs that our communities desperately need.

In addition to slashing TIGER grants by 80 percent, the bill restricts eligibility for these grants, effectively locking out public transportation and passenger rail projects from this critical funding stream.

In my district, Sonoma and Marin Counties have come together to support the SMART rail project. This is a new public transit project that will provide a critical service to commuters, to students going to school, to tourists that are visiting and spending money in the local economy.

The counties are putting a significant share forward in local funding. Over 90 percent of the cost of the project has come from these local sources, but they need the ability to access Federal assistance like TIGER grants to extend the first phase and close gaps in this important new system.

This bill puts roadblocks in the path that the SMART project and projects similar to it all over this country. In addition, this bill contains a rider blocking funding for California's high-speed rail project. We shouldn't undermine State and local efforts to invest in transportation infrastructure and to promote economic development, and I urge a ``no'' vote on this unwise and unwarranted bill.

With my remaining time, Mr. Chairman, I also want to encourage the FHA to expand their PowerSaver pilot program to address the unique condition of many Native American communities, where housing is often in great need and capital is difficult to access.

Congress should enable homeowners to make cost-effective energy- saving improvements to their houses. This body took an important step in 2009 by creating the PowerSaver pilot program, which has helped in financing and construction of energy-efficient homes.

Since that time, homeowners all over the country have taken advantage of the program, worked with private lenders to purchase ENERGY STAR- certified furnaces, air conditioners, improve insulation, and install solar units.

This, in turn, has spurred investment in our housing sector. It has created jobs and saved money for homeowners. These are goals all of us should support.

We should be expanding this program to Native American communities. Native American communities across the country, including the Karuk Tribe in my district, have embraced sustainable and energy-efficient housing. This is lowering their electrical bills, increasing the value of their homes, and reducing dependency on dirty energy sources.

To enable other tribes, though, to make similar investments in their homes, the FHA will need to make substantive changes to the PowerSaver program, and I am very pleased that this underlying bill that we are considering already demonstrates support for Native American communities by fully funding the Indian Housing Block Grant and section 184 programs, but I encourage the FHA to go further to build on that support by ensuring that these programs, like PowerSaver, are implemented with all communities in mind.

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

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

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

Mr. Chairman, I want to begin by thanking two of my colleagues, Mr. DeFazio and Ms. Herrera Beutler, for their hard work. I have been collaborating with them on this and related efforts to bring relief to our west coast fishermen.

This is a simple amendment. It would defer for 1 year the collection of a cost recovery fee in the west coast trawl program and provide some relief to groundfish fishermen who are facing mounting costs at a time when they can ill afford it.

The west coast groundfish industry has been rebuilding its stocks for several years. They have made hard decisions and taken hard cuts to ensure the long-term sustainability of that fishery, and they should be commended for that.

One aspect of that rebuilding plan was the adoption of a catch share program which, under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, required the collection of a fee to cover costs of managing the program, and that was implemented this year.

I yield to the gentleman from Virginia.

I thank the gentleman. I yield back the balance of my time.

Offered By: Mr. Huffman

Amendment No. 32: At the end of the bill (before the short

title), insert the following:

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Little River Inn in recognition of its 75th anniversary celebration on May 25, 2014.

Since 1939, five generations of family and staff have worked tirelessly to make the Little River Inn a tranquil coastal destination where guests are charmed by spectacular coastal views and family hospitality. The inn is an outstanding example of entrepreneurial spirit and community involvement, supporting community organizations in education, the arts, and the environment.

The Little River Inn is a gem of the Mendocino Coast that honors the region's history and surroundings, draws tourists from far and wide and supports local jobs, the tourist economy and many, many non-profits and organizations in the region.

Please join me in congratulating the Little River Inn on seventy- five years of success and wishing them continued success for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to recognize Kenny Jowers, owner of Physical Gym in Gualala, California, and a dedicated community member as he is honored for his community service on May 8 and May 15 in Mendocino County.

Mr. Jowers has worked to integrate the ``South Coast'' from Timber Cove to Irish Beach which spans Mendocino and Sonoma Counties into a single cohesive unit. He has brought forums on health care and other timely issues to the residents of the South Coast and has supported the Senior Center and other community issues with care, compassion, and a focus on improving community service for the many groups in the region.

Mr. Jowers' commitment to civic engagement and leadership in the community are worthy of high commendation. He has used his tireless energy to promote civic engagement and educate the community about important issues and it is appropriate to thank him for his volunteer efforts and generosity of spirit.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to recognize Ruth Valenzuela, who has served as field representative for California State Assemblymember Patty Berg from 2005 to 2008 and Wesley Chesbro for six years thereafter as she is being honored for her civic engagement on May 8 and May 15 in Mendocino County--from the coast to the inland valleys.

Ruth's commitment to improving the quality of life for the residents of Mendocino County and California's Second Assembly District serves a model for public servants. Well-respected and appreciated for her ability to assist constituents with local and state matters in a calm and efficient manner, she has served the community with intelligence, patience and the highest caliber of professionalism with a variety of vexing issues.

Acting as California State Assemblymember Wesley Chesbro's eyes and ears in Mendocino County, as a volunteer for the Area Council on Aging and many other community organizations, Ruth is a trusted public resource and an indispensable asset to Mendocino.

Please join me in expressing deep appreciation to Ruth Valenzuela for her invaluable service to Mendocino County and the people of California.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to recognize Ms. Mary E. Baker of Eureka, California, on the occasion of her retirement as Team Leader of the Redwood Vet Center.

Ms. Baker began her career with the Readjustment Counseling Service in 1999 as a Readjustment Counselor for Veterans in Kansas City, Missouri. With a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Kansas, she has an extensive background in the treatment of Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder and is a Military Sexual Trauma Therapist and Bereavement Specialist. Since 2005, she has ably led the Redwood Vet Center in providing counseling services to combat Veterans and their families, helping them adjust to life after deployment.

A 20-year Army Veteran, Ms. Baker's awards include the Korean Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal, and Army Achievement Award, amongst other awards and decorations. She is a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, for whom she also served as the Women Veterans Committee National Chairwoman, District 21 Commander, Department of California Surgeon, and Department of California Woman Veterans Chair. She is a life member and Adjutant of the Disabled American Veterans, member of both the Women's Army Corps Veterans Association and Vietnam Veterans of America, and has served as President and Treasurer of the Korean War Veterans Association. Ms. Baker also belongs to the National Association of Social Workers and University of Kansas Alumni Association.

Ms. Baker's contributions to her community and fellow Veterans extend well beyond her military and public service. She formerly served on the North Coast Stand Down Board of Directors and North Coast Veterans Resource Center Advisory Board. One of her most significant qualities is her demonstrated passion for helping women Veterans embrace their role in American history, including her work to start the annual ``Honoring Women Veterans'' Program in 2009, serving as Women Veterans Lead Social Worker of the Women's Odyssey Project, and Committee Member of Women Veterans Retreat Region 4A-4B. The Soroptomist International of Eureka recently acknowledged Ms. Baker's efforts with their Ruby Award, which honors a woman who makes extraordinary differences in the lives of other women.

Ms. Baker is known for being a vocal and tireless advocate for her fellow Veterans with a talent for helping them to take pride in their service, heal from their wounds, and access available resources. Please join me in expressing deep appreciation to Ms. Mary E. Baker for her long and impressive career, and her exceptional record of service to our great Nation.

Mr. Speaker, we rise today in memory of John Kramer, who passed away on February 26, 2014, after a battle with cancer. A longtime Sonoma State University political science professor and icon of the North Bay progressive community, Mr. Kramer was a champion of social justice and environmental causes and an outspoken advocate for the issues in which he passionately believed.

After a childhood in suburban Cincinnati, Kramer earned a bachelor's degree from Miami University and a master's degree in physics from the University of Illinois. In 1961, he volunteered with a program that was the precursor to the Peace Corps and helped build a community building in Guinea, West Africa. After receiving a Ph.D. in political science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, John joined the faculty of Sonoma State in 1970, lecturing hundreds of students during a distinguished career spanning more than 40 years. In 1987, he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study public broadcasting policy in Europe.

Together with his wife, Nancy Dobbs, Kramer co-founded local public television station KRCB and was an active board member of Sonoma County Conservation Action, the political arm of the local environmental movement, in addition to his involvement in many other community organizations and pursuits.

Mr. Speaker, John Kramer leaves a legacy of political action, education, and community service that will not soon be forgotten. It is therefore appropriate that we pay tribute to him today and express our deepest condolences to his wife Nancy Dobbs, and his children Annie Dobbs Kramer, Andrew Dobbs Kramer, and Ian Dobbs Dixon.

Mr. Speaker, I want to offer my congratulations to Paul Monroe who, after 43 years of dedicated service, will be retiring from Fireman's Fund Insurance Company on Friday, April 11.

Paul began his career at the Fireman's Fund Houston office in 1971 as a loss control trainee, following his graduation with a degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas in Arlington. He subsequently became the head of the Loss Control Department in Houston before becoming trained in property casualty insurance sales and underwriting. Over the years, he made a series of transitions and promotions within Fireman's Fund, which included moves to San Antonio, Texas; Greensboro, North Carolina; and New York City. In 2002 he came to the Fireman's Fund headquarters in Novato, California and in his latest job served as Assistant Vice President for Underwriting Quality. In this capacity, he and his team were instrumental in creating a number of systems designed to enhance and provide better consistency in the underwriting process.

Successful people are typically characterized by their discipline and their desire to constantly improve and Paul exemplifies these virtues. He received his Masters in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Houston in 1976 and while living in Greensboro, he obtained his MBA. He has participated in several industry groups and has served as a Board Member of the Pennsylvania Joint Underwriting Association since 2002. His hobbies include golf and running, and he has run seven Marathons, including five in New York City. He has been happily married to his wife Druella (Dru) for 42 years and they have two grown children, Jay and Molly.

43 years is a long time and the world has changed significantly from when Paul first started. Paul Monroe's career has spanned a remarkable period of time, and his dedication to Fireman's Fund and his adherence to the finest virtues of solid character, integrity, mentorship and personal kindness is truly inspiring.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in offering my praise and congratulation to Paul Monroe, and extend our best wishes for a happy retirement to Paul and Dru as they

prepare for the next chapter of their life together.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

In response to the gentleman from Texas, I think it is important that we be careful in the rhetoric we use on these subjects. It is incorrect to say that, by law, there is an automatic increase in the Federal budget and that that applies to the discretionary budget. That is absolutely incorrect.

What we are talking about here and what this bill concerns is the CBO baseline that is used. The CBO reflects inflation in that baseline as does every serious budgeting professional and forecaster and economist in the real world, but they don't do it because the law has told them they have to or because Democrats have told them they have to; they do it because that is what serious budget forecasters do. They know that inflation is a reality, and they believe that the baselines they use and the projections and forecasts they use should reflect that reality. I think that is an important clarification. We choose to budget and to spend at the level that we choose to do so each and every year. What the CBO does as a matter of baseline projections is a different matter.

At this time, Madam Speaker, I would like to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Bishop), a distinguished member of the Education and the Workforce Committee.

Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman such additional time as he may consume.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I think this may be one of the more oversold bills we have heard in a while.

We keep hearing references to autopilot spending in mandatory programs. This bill doesn't have anything to do with them.

We keep hearing references to automatic annual increases in spending. We don't have such automatic annual increases.

This is about the budget baseline that the CBO assumes for purposes of helping us make our decisions.

We keep hearing about families and how they budget. I would submit, Madam Speaker, that any family that has reason to believe that some part of their budget is going to increase in the coming year had better reflect that in the reality of their budget or else they are not going to be able to meet their needs.

If they have reason to believe their rent is going up, if they have reason to believe that their utilities are going to cost more, if they have reason to believe that anything that they spend money on is going to cost more, in the real world of America, families do include that in their budget. That is called reality, and that is what the CBO does.

I would love to face a future in which Big Macs cost the same thing 10 years from now as they do today. I wish I were still paying $2.71 for a Big Mac, as Mr. Van Hollen's chart showed. But the truth is, in the real world, we know that is not how it works. We know that inflation is reality. If we were in a deflationary or a zero-inflation environment, then I suspect the CBO would create its baselines differently. But we are not, and no one is arguing that we are.

They are just asking us to suspend disbelief and try to legislate away the reality of inflation. Why? So that the budget-cutting, government-reducing agendas that we hear in this House year after year might appear to be a little less draconian in the outyears. That is not a very compelling argument when you think about it.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

This bill does not create any jobs. It doesn't save one dime. It doesn't reduce spending. It simply asks the CBO to pretend that the reality of inflation does not exist. It is not a serious proposal. It is a bill that was heard and passed largely on party lines in the last Congress. It didn't go anywhere. It is not going to go anywhere this time either. This is political theater at a time when we really need to be talking in this institution about the real needs of America.

With that, I request a ``no'' vote on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to recognize the Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Excellence on the occasion of the organization's 50th Anniversary Celebration on April 5, 2014.

For the last five decades, the Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership (CVNL) has advanced nonprofits and volunteerism by strengthening leadership, encouraging innovation and empowering individuals to develop a vital and engaged community. CVNL is committed to creating a stronger nonprofit sector and a more engaged community by offering comprehensive leadership programs, organizing community fundraisers, coordinating volunteer opportunities, and providing many other resources and services.

The Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership is a community treasure, and Marin County has benefitted greatly from this organization's many years of fostering volunteerism and supporting the nonprofit sector. Please join me in expressing deep appreciation to CVNL, and congratulations on fifty years of service.