Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my legislation, H.R. 2600, the Accessing Satellite Capabilities to Enable New Discoveries Act, the ASCEND Act.

This bill builds on a model that already works. In 2017, NASA launched the Commercial Small Satellite Data Acquisition Pilot Program to test whether commercially available Earth observation data could support NASA's scientific missions. The results were clear: Participating scientists found the data reliable, valuable, and highly effective across a broad range of research applications.

The ASCEND Act takes that successful pilot and makes it permanent. It directs NASA to formally establish a commercial satellite acquisition program within the Science Mission Directorate so that the agency can routinely access cost-effective commercial data to complement its own Earth observation missions.

This is a practical approach. Instead of duplicating capabilities, NASA can leverage private-sector innovation. Through commercial licensing, researchers gain access to high-quality satellite data that supports wildfire response, agricultural monitoring, disaster preparedness, reforestation, and environmental tracking. That data translates directly into better decisionmaking on the ground.

This is a model where private investment strengthens public missions, and it supports American jobs, including in Colorado's growing commercial space sector.

The bill also includes appropriate oversight. It requires an annual report to Congress detailing the data acquired, its sources, how it is used within NASA, as well as its measurable impact. That transparency ensures accountability while allowing the program to grow.

At a time when commercial space innovation is accelerating rapidly, Congress should ensure NASA has the flexibility to use the best tools available. The ASCEND Act strengthens America's scientific leadership, supports our domestic space industry, and ensures taxpayer dollars are used efficiently.

I thank Chairman Babin for advancing my bill to the floor. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2600.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate the 47th Annual Latino Chamber of Commerce of Pueblo Dinner Dance Awardees for 2025. Over the past 47 years, the Latino Chamber of Commerce of Pueblo has grown into a well-respected and accomplished organization that continues to support and strengthen small businesses in the Pueblo community.

I congratulate this year's awardees: Caitlin Alcon, for the Victor Navarro Outstanding Board Member of the Year; Dr. Chato Hazelbaker for the Gil Sanchez Outstanding Professional of the Year; Pueblo City- County Library District, for the Lorraine K. Salas Outstanding Community Partner of the Year; Vectra Bank Colorado, Outstanding Corporate Member of the Year; Rebecca Gomez, Gil Padilla Outstanding Ambassador of the Year; El Pomar Foundation, Outstanding Non-Profit Member of the Year; and Freddie Martinez Agency, for the Joseph P. Roybal Outstanding Small Business of the Year.

I congratulate all the awardees and to the Chamber for their tireless efforts in the Pueblo community. It is Coloradans like these awardees who make Southern Colorado so special and inspire those around them. Please join me in celebrating them once more.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate three extraordinary athletes from Colorado's Third District who are headed to the 2026 Olympics to represent our country.

A half-pipe skier from Aspen, Alex Ferriera, already has two Olympic Games under his belt, and I am confident his experience will lead to success.

Charlie Mickel is a men's freestyle skier who specializes in moguls. Hailing from Durango, his dedication to competitive skiing has led him to this incredible milestone. We are very proud of his journey.

Hailey Swirbul began cross-country skiing in her hometown of El Jebel at just 10 years old. She made her Olympic debut in 2022, and we can't wait to see her back in action. The best is yet to come for Hailey.

On behalf of Colorado's Third District, I congratulate Alex Ferreira, Hailey Swirbul, and Charlie Mickel, and I wish them the very best as they make our Nation proud in Milan this month.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 10 a.m. tomorrow.

The SPEAKER pro tempore(Mr. Moore of North Carolina.) Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Colorado?

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate the life of former Colorado State Senator Lewis H. Entz, who passed away on December 10 at the remarkable age of 94.

Senator Entz was a deeply respected member of the San Luis Valley and a steadfast advocate for Colorado communities. Before serving as Colorado senator from 2001 to 2006, he dedicated 16 years to the Colorado House of Representatives. His lifetime of service also includes fighting in the Korean war as a member of the Marine Corps, serving as an Alamosa County Commissioner, and as a member of the Colorado Water Conservation Board.

During his time in public office, Senator Entz carried 70 water bills and earned recognition as a national leader in water conservation.

Those who knew him remember him as a mentor, a conservationist, a farmer, and a friend. He touched countless lives, and his legacy will continue to live on through his four children and through the many Coloradans he served.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of former United States Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado who passed away at the age of 92.

Senator Campbell lived a remarkable life. He was a decorated veteran, a champion for Native American communities, and a trailblazer in Congress. He was the first Native American elected to the Senate in more than 60 years, and he never forgot who he was or who he served.

He represented Colorado's Third Congressional District in this Chamber and then served two terms in the Senate. He was always guided by integrity, independence, and a deep sense of duty. He didn't care about party lines. He cared about doing what was right.

Colorado has lost a great leader. Our country has lost a great public servant. I join many in keeping his wife, Linda, and their family in our prayers.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to vote to override the President's veto of H.R. 131, the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act.

This is not a symbolic vote. It is not messaging. It is not partisan. This is a test of whether Congress keeps its word not just to southeastern Colorado but to every community in every State and district that depends on Federal commitments being honored.

For those of us who represent the American West, this vote is personal. In the West, water means survival. It means whether communities grow or disappear, whether agriculture survives, and whether moms can trust the water they give their kids out of the tap. Westerners understand something instinctively: When the government makes a water promise, it should keep it.

In 1962, Congress authorized the Arkansas Valley Conduit to deliver safe drinking water to rural communities in southeastern Colorado. These communities grow amazing watermelons, cantaloupes, and chilies, and support families who ranch and raise livestock.

When we talk about honoring Federal commitments, we are talking about whether the people who grow our food can have clean water.

Decades later, that promise remains unfinished. More than 50,000 Coloradans, across a distance spanning more than some Eastern States, still rely on contaminated and radioactive groundwater. Eighteen systems are under enforcement orders for violating EPA standards. These are real families, real towns, and real public health consequences.

Rural Colorado and rural America more broadly voted overwhelmingly for this President and for an agenda that promised they would not be forgotten. They expected Washington to keep its word, not abandon them midway.

H.R. 131 doesn't expand this drinking water project, authorize new construction, increase the Federal share, or create any new entitlement. It doesn't bail out any mismanagement. It simply gives rural communities more time and flexibility to repay the Federal Government. It extends the repayment period and lowers the interest rate in cases of economic hardship. It prevents hundreds of millions of dollars from being stranded mid-construction. It lets communities doing their part and repaying the government finally access clean water.

This bill passed both Houses unanimously. Republicans and Democrats from across the entire country all agreed: This is a project worth completing, not abandoning.

Mr. Speaker, veto overrides are rare, and they should be. However, the Constitution gave Congress this authority for moments exactly like this: when the legislative branch speaks with unity and clarity, and the executive branch says no anyway.

In modern congressional history, it is extraordinarily rare, and perhaps unprecedented, for a President to veto a bill that passed both Chambers unanimously while his party holds unified control of the government. That should give every Member pause.

If Congress cannot keep a clear, longstanding, bipartisan commitment like this, then what message does that send to communities in every State and every district relying on similar commitments? What certainty do they have that our word means anything?

Yesterday, the administration issued a statement opposing this override, claiming it continues failed policies of the past and burdens taxpayers with a local water project. This is not a new water project. It is a federally authorized water system underway for decades with consistent bipartisan congressional support. This exact project was previously celebrated by this President himself. On October 3, 2020, President Trump's Department of the Interior issued a press release titled: ``Trump administration breaks ground on long-awaited Arkansas Valley Conduit to bring safe, clean water to rural Colorado communities.''

Earlier that year, the President visited Colorado and praised the Arkansas Valley Conduit. He said that we got the money to begin construction. His own Secretary of the Interior broke ground on this project.

If the project was worth supporting in a campaign rally and celebrating at a groundbreaking, then surely it is worth finishing. It was the right position then, and it is the right position now.

Mr. Speaker, if a bill that passed unanimously that costs almost nothing and fulfills a 60-year Federal promise and protects public health can be vetoed under these circumstances, then bipartisan work in this institution is at risk.

I ask my colleagues: How would you feel if a project like this in your district that was passed unanimously and fulfilled a decades-long promise was vetoed anyway? That is what these rural communities are facing.

Mr. Speaker, my constituents are watching, and your constituents are watching, to see whether Congress means what it says. This vote is not about defying a President. It is about defending Congress. It is about strengthening this institution and standing for the people who trust us to fight for them.

For those of us who represent the West, this is also about standing together. Western water projects are long-term, complex, and federally driven by necessity. If Congress walks away from a 60-year commitment mid-project, then no Western project is truly secure, and no district anywhere in the country can trust that a Federal infrastructure promise will be kept.

I ran for Congress to fight for my district, even when it is difficult, even when it is uncomfortable, and even when the outcome is uncertain. This is one of those moments.

Mr. Speaker, some of my colleagues may be feeling pressure today to accept the veto. I get it. However, I would ask every Member to consider the pressure felt by the communities they represent, especially those in rural America who need infrastructure built, who need clean water, and who need Washington to mean what it says.

What does it say to them, to all of our constituents, if this institution makes this kind of commitment and walks away when it matters most?

This override is about finishing what we started, honoring commitments, protecting taxpayer dollars, and standing by rural communities. Yes, it is also about protecting this institution.

For these reasons, I respectfully urge my colleagues to vote to override the veto of H.R. 131.

Mr. Speaker, our colleague Doug LaMalfa passed away on Monday, and I want to take just a minute--he would have liked that--to honor him the best way that I know how: plainly.

Doug believed that we should speak clearly, not in jargon. He had a whiteboard in his office labeled unacceptable words, and he meant it. The words ``stakeholders,'' ``empower,'' and ``equity'' were banned. He thought government should sound more like the people it serves. He hated what I called LaMalfa-isms, overcomplicated government explanations for simple things, like saying that the transportation infrastructure is undergoing a temporary operational suspension pending structural optimization instead of just saying that the bridge is closed for repairs.

Doug loved this institution. He loved the West. He loved 1-minute speeches. I will miss his humor, his directness, and the clarity he brought to a town that too often hides behind big words. May he rest in peace.

Mr. Chairman, I support the SPEED Act because it fixes something that people back home understand instinctively: It takes too long to build anything in this country--water infrastructure, roads, power lines, housing, or energy projects. When it takes just a decade to get a permit, families pay more, and America falls behind.

NEPA was meant to ensure that agencies look before they act, not to function as a litigation strategy to stop reasonable projects. Today, it too often stalls projects and advantages competitors like China.

The SPEED Act restores common sense. It focuses on real impacts, ends endless delays, and brings predictability back to permitting. Just as important for me as chairman of the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs, it respects Tribal reviews and was developed with Tribal consultation to ensure that NEPA does not block Tribal economic development.

This isn't about weakening environmental protections. It is about ending unreasonable delays so America can build again and so we can lower energy costs, build reliable infrastructure, and compete globally.

The SPEED Act is balanced reform, and it is long overdue. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I am an original cosponsor of the Pet and Livestock Protection Act because it delists the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act. This gives wildlife managers more control in States while protecting domestic animals from wolf attacks.

For years, Republican and Democratic administrations alike under Presidents Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden have all reached the same conclusion: The gray wolf population is healthy, has exceeded all recovery goals, can sustain life from a variety of threats, and should be delisted.

The Endangered Species Act was never meant to be a permanent listing statute. It was designed to recover species, and once recovery is achieved, to step back. That is not what is happening.

Environmental groups have repeatedly run to courts to block delisting, ignoring the science and overriding bipartisan agency findings. The cost is regulatory whiplash, uncertainty, and paralysis while ranchers, landowners, and rural communities pay the price.

Mr. Speaker, I will respond to something that was said at the beginning of this debate. One of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle criticized this Congress for discussing wolves and said we should be focused on affordability.

First of all, we have been and are voting on bills that improve life and make it more affordable for every American, but here is the thing: For the ranchers, outfitters, and rural Coloradans I represent, this is affordability. This is their livelihood. This is how food gets to tables across America, whether you live in a small town or in the largest city. This is a way of life that America depends on, and it deserves respect, not dismissal.

H.R. 845 is supported by science. It respects each State's circumstances. It delivers protection for rural America.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this bill.

Mr. Chairman, I am proud to cosponsor the PERMIT Act, commonsense legislation to help America build the infrastructure we need faster and more responsibly.

I am especially grateful that my bill, the Jurisdictional Determination Backlog Reduction Act, is included as a part of this package. Across the country, Americans depend on timely answers from the Army Corps so they know whether their projects require Clean Water Act permits, but the Corps is not keeping up. Right now, thousands of determinations and wetland delineations are stuck in a backlog, leaving projects in limbo.

My proposal directs the Corps to clear this backlog so that landowners and builders get the determinations and clarity they need to move forward in a timely and responsible way.

I thank Chairman Graves, Chairman Collins, and the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee staff for their work putting together a bill that cuts red tape, reduces duplicative reviews, and gives farmers, ranchers, utilities, and communities in Colorado and across the country the regulatory certainty that they need to build.

I look forward to advancing this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 655) to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain Federal land to the City of The Dalles, Oregon, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 655, the bill now under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 655, sponsored by my colleague, Representative Bentz.

This straightforward legislation would transfer 150 acres of U.S. Forest Service land to the City of The Dalles, Oregon.

The area encompassed by the legislation includes a dam and reservoir that the City currently operates under a special use permit from the Forest Service.

The Crow Creek Reservoir, located in the Mount Hood National Forest, is key to providing clean water for drinking, residential, and commercial uses in The Dalles. In fact, the existing infrastructure provides 80 percent of the City's annual water supply.

However, in order to access and maintain this critical water infrastructure, the City must perpetually reapply for special use permits from the Forest Service, a time-consuming and expensive process.

In addition to wasting time and personnel resources, the renewal process is estimated to cost the City at least $150,000.

Between 2010 and 2020, the population of The Dalles increased by more than 11 percent. To address the needs of its current and future population, the City plans to increase the Crow Creek Reservoir's capacity from 900 to 3,000 acre-feet. Allowing the City to take full ownership of the land within the reservoir's watershed will allow local leaders to move ahead with planned capacity and safety improvements to the Crow Creek Reservoir without running into red tape and wasting taxpayer money.

This is a fiscally responsible bill that will cut costs for the local community and for the Forest Service. A land transfer will allow the City to advance upgrades to the Crow Creek Reservoir. H.R. 655 is a simple, practical step that saves money immediately and decreases costs over time by shrinking the Federal estate.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Bentz for his leadership on this issue and for his steadfast work on behalf of his constituents.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 655, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Bentz), the lead sponsor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation will eliminate the City's need to reapply for a special use permit to access land within its own municipal watershed and allow local leaders to move forward with a vital expansion of its reservoir capacity, which is necessary to serve its growing population.

Expanding the City's water supply will support the growing number of businesses and families that call The Dalles home. This legislation is straightforward, timely, returns power to local government, and saves taxpayer money. I thank Representative Bentz for sponsoring this critical measure.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 655, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2293) to require the Secretary of the Interior to reissue certain regulations relating to the taking of double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2293, the bill now under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2293, the Cormorant Relief Act of 2025, sponsored by Representative Ezell from Mississippi. This legislation would require the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reinstate the Aquaculture Depredation Order for double-crested cormorants, which was in place from 1998 until 2016, until it was vacated by a judge in response to yet another activist lawsuit.

Double-crested cormorants are waterbirds common to the Great Lakes States and the Southeast. They are opportunistic and intelligent predators that often feed at aquaculture facilities, where fish are easy to catch. A variety of studies have determined that predation from double-crested cormorants costs the aquaculture industry nearly $65 million annually in economic losses.

This legislation would streamline the permitting process to take double-crested cormorants, restoring protections for aquaculture producers without negatively impacting cormorant populations.

Mr. Speaker, I commend Representative Ezell for his continued leadership and urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2293. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Ezell), the lead sponsor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, this commonsense bill allows aquaculture producers to effectively manage the overpopulation of double-crested cormorants, which threatens their way of life and harms coastal economies. I once again thank Mr. Ezell for his diligent work and attention to this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of H.R. 2293 and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3857) to amend the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Authorization Act, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 3857, the bill now under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3857, the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Reauthorization Act.

In Colorado and in the West, we don't measure water by what comes out of a faucet. We measure it by what falls on our mountains. Snowpack is our reservoir, our lifeline, and our future, but water managers are still forced to make major decisions with incomplete data and outdated tools.

This bill reauthorizes the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program so that we can use modern technology, lidar, satellite imagery, and other remote-sensing tools to build accurate 3D models of snowpack across entire watersheds. Better data means better reservoir planning, better support for agriculture, better protection for our cities and towns, and better management across every industry that depends upon water in the West.

We cannot manage what we can't measure. H.R. 3857 gives Western communities what they need to plan ahead and protect the water resources that sustain our way of life.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill reauthorizes a vital program that helps water managers promptly and effectively plan for and respond to drought.

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

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate the town of Rico, Colorado, for being named the 2025 Small Community of the Year by the Economic Development Council of Colorado.

Rico, known by its town motto, A Slice of Paradise, is home to just under 300 residents and sits along the beautiful Dolores River, nestled among the San Juan Mountains. The town of Rico was established in 1880.

Originally a mining community, the area has become known throughout Colorado for its gorgeous scenery, its incredible outdoor recreation, and its unique tourist attractions.

This year's award honors Rico for excellence in both leadership and economic development. The town earned this distinction through its commitment to revitalizing critical infrastructure, including a new sewer system and reinvesting in community spaces like their town park. These efforts reflect the vision and determination of a community that takes pride in where they live and works hard to build a stronger future.

Rico exemplifies what it means to be a small-town community in western Colorado. Its commitment to progress and service will continue to enrich the lives of many Coloradans.

I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the town of Rico for this well-deserved recognition.