Floor Statements

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 789, the Repealing Existing Substandard Provisions Encouraging Conciliation with Tribes Act, also known as the RESPECT Act. This legislation would repeal several antiquated and outdated Federal laws directed at Native Americans. It is a bill that is long overdue.

During the mid-1800s and the mid-1900s, the Federal Government attempted to assimilate Native Americans by disrupting traditional community structures and ways of life.

S. 789 repeals 11 statutes passed during that time that are obsolete and have been unenforced for decades.

Federal Indian policy today recognizes the unique sovereign status of Tribal governments and supports government-to-government relationships between the United States and each of the hundreds of recognized Tribes across our country.

S. 789 is part of that policy, acknowledging that these laws unfortunately existed and that they should be formally repealed and removed from the United States Code.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Saline Lake Ecosystems in the Great Basin States Program Act.

Although we are considering the Senate version of this bill today, I commend my colleague from Utah, Mr. Blake Moore, for his tireless advocacy for both the House companion bill, which he sponsored, and the Senate bill before us today.

This bill requires the U.S. Geological Survey to establish an assessment and monitoring program that would address the hydrology of saline lake ecosystems in the Great Basin of the Western United States. There are 20 saline lakes located in parts of Utah, Nevada, Oregon, and California, several actually in my district. Across this area, saline lakes and their associated wetlands support an important network of habitat for migratory birds and other species.

This bill will inform and support coordinated Federal, State, and local management and conservation efforts to benefit those ecosystems, migratory birds, and other wildlife.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2551 is a commonsense piece of legislation, sponsored by Representative John Curtis of Utah, that would improve access along a popular bike trail in Utah known as the Bonneville Shoreline Trail.

Approximately 326 acres of the trail are currently inaccessible for bikers due to overlapping wilderness designations. Representative Curtis' bill simply swaps these 326 acres out of the Mount Olympus Wilderness Area and adds in equal acreage in separate areas to ensure access to outdoor recreational activities.

This is a great example of commonsense types of bills that the House should be considering. It is locally supported. It is a solution that will allow for more outdoor recreation and enjoyment of our public lands.

During a hearing on the bill, the Biden administration testified in support of this legislation. The bill also enjoys the support of more than 30 diverse stakeholders, including the Governor of Utah, The Trust for Public Land, the Outdoor Alliance, the Bonneville Shoreline Trail Committee,

PeopleforBikes, American Trails, the International Mountain Biking Association, and several others.

Letters from these organizations state, in part, that the bill will help create opportunities for new extracurricular activities for students at a local high school, provide equitable access to the outdoors, and support local small businesses.

The Outdoor Alliance also wrote a letter supporting the bill, which states that: ``Common sense, modest adjustments, offset by new wilderness additions, can be an important tool for ensuring that existing boundaries do not create insurmountable obstacles to sustainable recreation in places where relatively minor adjustments can be made without undercutting the values that animate the Wilderness Act. We believe that these conditions are met here.''

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Curtis).

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

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5715. This bill would reauthorize the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation through 2029. The bill does not increase the funding authorization level of this program, which received approximately $5.1 million in funding last fiscal year.

In 1992, Congress passed the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation Act to award scholarships and select Native American congressional interns.

In 1998, Congress amended the Udall Foundation to create the United States Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution.

The institute provides mediation and related services to help resolve environmental, resources, and lands conflict involving the Federal Government. Congress has twice reauthorized the Udall Foundation, in 2009 and again in 2019.

I thank Chairman Grijalva for working with the Committee Republicans to include good government language we proposed in H.R. 5715 that would require the Department of the Interior's inspector general to conduct an audit 4 years after this reauthorization. Similar language was included in the Udall Foundation's 2019 reauthorization.

The Udall Foundation is making steady progress toward implementing recommendations previously raised by the inspector general to ensure they are fully complying with Federal requirements. Requiring another audit in 4 years gives the foundation time to implement the new standards and reforms they are working to put in place and advances this committee's role in conducting proper oversight of Federal funds and programs.

Republican amendments have been made to this legislation that would help ensure continued oversight of the program and the implementation of good government practices prior to a future reauthorization.

Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues across the aisle for their bipartisan work on this bill. I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Red River National Wildlife Refuge Boundary Modification Act, a bill sponsored by the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Johnson).

H.R. 6427 would revise the boundary of the Red River National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana and expand waterfowl conservation opportunities on a 3,300-acre tract. This parcel has been actively managed to provide increased habitat for migrating waterfowl in the Central Flyway of North America.

Although this legislation would authorize the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to acquire these lands from a willing seller, this bill would not increase the refuge's 50,000-acre statutory cap.

I thank Mr. Johnson for introducing this measure and also thank Ducks Unlimited for its work on this bill and for its longstanding advocacy for waterfowl conservation and hunting access.

Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill and reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Johnson), the sponsor of the bill.

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

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

Madam Speaker, H.R. 7496 would require the National Park Service to install a plaque on the Ram Head Trail in the Virgin Islands National Park recognizing a slave rebellion that began on St. John in 1733. I applaud Delegate Plaskett for leading this effort along with the support of Congressman Reschenthaler.

In 1733, the island of St. John in Danish West Indies was occupied by roughly 200 European settlers and more than 1,000 African slaves, most of whom were starving following a major drought and a devastating hurricane.

To quell disorder amongst the slaves, strict mandates were imposed that inflicted severe punishments against rebelling slaves.

On November 23, 1733, a group of slaves took possession of a Danish fort while another group overtook plantations, resulting in rebel control of most of the island. Danish troops could not manage the revolt, and French troops came to aid, assisting in the capture and execution of the rebels. Rather than be captured, some rebels chose to instead commit collective suicide, involving 11 rebels whose bodies were found at the Ram Head rebel camp.

The plaque authorized by H.R. 7496 would include important facts about this rebellion. Information about the tragic suicide that occurred during the rebellion, and the significance of the slave rebellion to the history of this island.

The Ram Head Trail is a popular tourist destination, and the marker commemorating the 1733 slave rebellion will serve to educate the public about this heartbreaking event in world history and the freedom fighters who bravely took a stand against the evils of slavery.

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

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7952. This is a bipartisan bill that authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to issue a right-of- way permit to relocate a natural gas distribution pipeline segment in the Valley Forge Historical National Park located in Pennsylvania.

This bill is necessary to allow the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to realign a road at the park's entrance to a new location within the park boundary, which will require moving the utilities in the existing roadbed to the new roadbed. This project is part of a larger effort by PennDOT to improve the area surrounding the park.

The Valley Forge Historical Park is the iconic location of the famous Revolutionary War encampment and contains numerous significant cultural and natural resources, including 40 historic monuments and memorials, as well as several diverse habitats.

This bill's authorization of a responsible relocation of an integral natural gas pipeline demonstrates the important truth that we can effectively balance the energy needs of local communities with our equally important goal of conserving our treasured Federal lands for future generations.

Madam Speaker, I support this bill because it recognizes the necessity of energy infrastructure like natural gas pipelines, and the important role that they serve for communities to meet their needs for dependable, affordable energy.

It is very encouraging to me to see this bill brought to the House floor today, and it is my hope that my friends on the other side of the aisle will support additional legislation to facilitate the timely siting and approval of a pipeline infrastructure consistent with this bill which has been championed by my Democratic colleagues.

H.R. 7952 offers hope going forward that we can pursue additional commonsense solutions to address the significant energy challenges facing our Nation.

We remain committed to this important work, and I encourage all of my colleagues to join us in this effort.

Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of this commonsense, bipartisan legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Bill Holland, who is completing his final term with the Hesperia City Council. Bill has dedicated a lifetime of public service to Hesperia, serving twelve years on the Hesperia City Council, including as Mayor, 22 years with the San Bernardino County Sheriff Department, and 5 years with the Hesperia Unified School District Police Department.

As Mayor Pro Tem of Hesperia, Bill served on the Board of Commissioners for the Victory Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority, where he advocated for the protection of public health and the environment for the residents and businesses of the Mojave River Valley. He has also served on the Governing Board at the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District and the San Bernardino CountyTransportation Authority Board of Directors, where he fought for policies that would support this growing rural city.

In addition to his extensive years of public service, Bill has a strong commitment to his family. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Lynnette and together they have raised their 3 children in Hesperia. They are the proud grandparents of 8. I would like to thank Bill for his remarkable career of public service and wish him all the best in this new chapter of his life.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 100 year anniversary of Soroptimist International, a worldwide volunteer service organization for women who work to provide access to education and training to achieve economic empowerment. Soroptimist was formed in 1921 in Oakland, California, when women were not permitted to join service organizations. The name Soroptimist--loosely translated from Latin means best for women.

Today the organization has over 72,000 members and supporters in over 120 countries and territories across the world. The Golden West Region of Soroptimist International of the Americas provides administrative support to clubs in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, with multiple locations inside California's 8th Congressional District, including in Big Bear and Twentynine Palms. In total, the Golden West Region has 38 clubs and nearly 1,000 members, all working to improve the lives of women and girls.

Organizations like Soroptimist International provide vital services to our community and we owe them tremendous gratitude for the work they do to support women. Their fundraising efforts have allowed the various clubs across California to raise millions of dollars to improve the lives of Southern Californian locals through their various projects and programs. I congratulate this amazing organization on their 100 years of service to our communities and hope that they continue the great work they do for many years to come.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 75th Anniversary of the City of Barstow, California. This city, home to 25,415 residents in California's 8th District, serves as a unique pillar of the High Desert culture and a crossroads of opportunity within our desert community.

Barstow had its beginnings in 1947 as the Mojave Desert hub of Route 66 and the U.S. railroad system. Today, the city still serves a critical role in our nation's transportation and logistics systems as home to the BNSF Railyard with the potential for great expansion and growth in our future that could forever change the landscape of this High Desert community.

Barstow also plays a critical role in supporting our military and military families. The city is home to the only veterans home in the Inland Empire and High Desert region. It also serves as a transportation hub for the U.S. Marine Corps with Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow located just up the street and supports the U.S. Army as the closest town serving the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, where almost every soldier deployed to Afghanistan has trained.

Furthermore, the city remains a critical waypoint as the last major town travelers pass on their way from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. The city's work to preserve this unique cultural input as we approach the 100 anniversary of historic Route 66 has helped to keep California culture and American history alive and strong.

As we celebrate Barstow's 75th Anniversary, I am proud to partner with local officials, including Mayor Paul Courtney, to help shepherd in economic growth, and the potential for a new golden age. Congratulations to the City of Barstow on its rich history and long future ahead.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the city of Barstow, California.

Barstow got its genesis in 1947 as a key stop on Route 66 and has since grown to form an iconic part of California's diverse landscape. It is the home of the BNSF rail yard, one of the most important logistics hubs in our rail system.

It is also the home of the Marine Corps Logistics Base at Barstow, as well as the transit point for every piece of equipment and soldier who trains at the Army's National Training Center in Fort Irwin, where almost all of our soldiers who were deployed to Afghanistan have gotten their training.

As Route 66 approaches its 100th birthday, I have no doubt that Barstow will continue to be a key component of the Mojave Desert's diverse infrastructure and economy.

I join Barstow Mayor Paul Courtney in wishing the city a very happy birthday and many years of prosperity in the future.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Sergeant Henry Salazar. Sergeant Salazar lives in Highland, California and served our country faithfully during the Vietnam War.

Sergeant Salazar began his army career on June 8, 1966, when he enrolled for basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. After completing basic training, be was sent to Huntsville, Alabama for missile base training where he specialized in ammunition. Sergeant Salazar then traveled to Fort Benning, Georgia for paratrooper school after which he was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division. Sergeant Salazar was sent to Vietnam in November 1967 on Thanksgiving Day and was stationed at such notable locations as Bien Hoa Village, Phuc Vinh, and Nam Hai.

I am honored to recognize Sergeant Salazar's incredible career, and to welcome him home during his visit to Washington, DC as all Vietnam veterans should have been decades ago. Our veterans have earned our undying gratitude and their heroic service to our country will never be forgotten, I wish Sergeant Salazar a safe and memorable trip to our nation's capital and thank him again for his dedicated service.

Madam Speaker, I thank the Member for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I stand deeply concerned today about the state of our economy. Last week, the Department of Labor released the latest statistics for inflation in the United States. It shows that inflation continues to occur here at a rate above 8 percent, a 40-year high.

Even more alarmingly, the Department of Labor says that core inflation has increased in August over the month of July and that real wages have declined 3.4 percent on an annualized basis.

What that means is that my constituents cannot buy the same quantity of the things that they need this year as they could last year, even if they got a raise for the labor that they produced.

Madam Speaker, every single day I hear of constituents who are desperate because of the results of this inflation. Imagine my embarrassment when I have to tell them that inflation was caused by actions of their own Federal Government. Economists already answered why we are experiencing this inflation. It is a combination of several things.

As our economy emerges from the pandemic, there has been an increased demand for goods and services, and a constrained supply chain which restricts our ability to respond to that increased demand. An economist will say that will make prices go up.

The other thing that has occurred is that this Federal Government has dumped almost $5 trillion of excess government spending into our economy over the last 18 months--$5 trillion. To give you an idea of how big that number is in context, normally our Federal Government only spends about $5 trillion in a given year. So we are increasing government spending by a rate of almost double that of the normal rate. Madam Speaker, when that occurs, you put even more pressure on goods and services, and that causes prices to increase further.

Earlier this year, the San Francisco branch of the Federal Reserve Bank wondered why inflation was so much worse here in the United States than that experienced by other countries, particularly in Europe. They did a study and several months ago they released the results of this study, and their findings were stark. They said that deficit government spending is at the root cause of why inflation is so much worse here in the United States than it is in other countries.

Madam Speaker, when the actions of government result in people paying more--that is called a tax. Inflation in the United States represents an unseen tax paid by every single American family. Unfortunately, this is a tax that is borne disproportionately by those who can least afford to pay it--the impoverished and the working poor in this country.

I have an even deeper concern this evening, Madam Speaker. Several weeks ago the Congressional Budget Office released their long-term fiscal forecast in which they analyze the finances of the United States over the next 30 years. They do this every year, and Congress, frankly, never pays attention. Madam Speaker, Congress and

the American people need to start paying attention to what the CBO has to say.

The CBO says that our current national debt stands at over $30 trillion. If you do the math, that is over $90,000 for every single American man, woman, and child--over $90,000 each--and that is today.

The CBO says that right now our Federal Government runs a deficit of about 30 percent of all Federal spending. That represents about 4 percent of our gross domestic product. At the end of the forecast period, the CBO says that our deficit will nearly triple to 11 percent of our GDP.

At that time, just paying interest on the national debt will eclipse all of our Federal spending on Social Security. It will eclipse all of our Federal spending on Medicare. In fact, it will become the single largest expenditure of Federal Government, requiring over half of all Federal tax revenue to pay--over half. That is under the current fiscal conditions.

Ironically, the Federal Reserve Bank is being forced to raise interest rates as a result of the inflation that this Federal Government has caused. Every time the Fed takes the action that they are likely to take this week in raising the discount rate by three- quarters of a point, it increases the cost of our interest payments on our national debt by $180 billion a year, which makes the problem even worse.

In fact, the CBO says that if the Federal Reserve is forced to raise interest rates by 3 percentage points--and we know that they have already gotten to about halfway there--that by the end of their forecast period, just paying interest on the national debt will consume over 100 percent of Federal tax revenues.

In other words, Madam Speaker, we won't even have enough money to pay the interest on the debt that we have rung up. That is unacceptable. This should be something that everyone in this Chamber is talking about because what the CBO says is that sometime in the next 30 years there will come a day of reckoning. The sooner it comes, the less painful it will be. It will be painful no matter what we do, but if we wait it will be extremely painful.

Madam Speaker, we must get our fiscal house in order. The only way to solve this problem is to reduce our habit of deficit spending. Now, I know my colleagues on the other side of the aisle like to say this is an easily solved problem. The problem is that we don't tax Americans enough. Well, the CBO had an answer to that, too.

They said that over the next 30 years, in their forecast period, average Federal tax revenues will be over 18 percent. That is a substantial increase over the current Federal tax revenue over the last 50 years. In other words, Madam Speaker, what we have is not a revenue problem, we have a spending problem. The only way we can get this problem under control is to reduce our Federal spending and control our deficit.

Madam Speaker, almost every year in this Chamber multiple bills are introduced attempting to impose a balanced budget requirement-- sometimes within our House rules, sometimes within our Federal Constitution. I, myself, introduced a balance budget amendment last year in this Chamber.

We try to do it in a responsible way that won't disrupt the economy. We do it over a 5-year phase-in period. We allow for periods of fiscal emergency to be declared in which the President, with the concurrence of Congress, can override the requirement that the Federal budget be balanced in times of warfare and times of economic crisis.

Madam Speaker, we must pay attention to this problem. We must balance our Federal budget. If we do not, not only us but our children will pay the terrible consequence.

Madam Speaker, new data from the Department of Labor released this week indicates that inflation in America remains at a 40- year high.

Numerous studies, including one by the San Francisco branch of our Federal Reserve Bank, indicate that the reason why Americans disproportionately are suffering from this inflation is reckless levels of deficit spending by our Federal Government.

Only the United States Congress could respond to the situation with a bill that increases Federal spending by over $700 billion at the same time it increases taxes on Americans.

To add insult to injury, our own Congressional Budget Office, as well as the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business, and hundreds of economists, tell us that this bill, the so-called Inflation Reduction Act, will not actually reduce inflation at all.

We need to get our fiscal house in order and solve the reckless spending that is causing this inflation instead of taking action that makes the situation even worse. I urge a ``no'' vote.

Madam Chair, last year, my home State of California experienced the worst year for wildfires in the entire history of the State.

As of this morning, the Oak Fire is burning just outside my district. It has consumed over 100 homes and displaced tens of thousands of people.

Science tells us that the only way to reduce the intensity of these wildfires is to reduce the density of the fuels through either mechanical thinning or prescribed burns. But unfortunately, this bill makes the situation even worse by locking up over 58 million new acres of forest with a wilderness designation that would prevent the use of mechanical thinning or prescribed burns to reduce the density of the fuels.

This bill is called the Wildfire Response Act, but, Madam Chair, our response to wildfires cannot be to take actions that make future wildfires even more destructive.

I urge a ``no'' vote.