Floor Statements

Mr. President, I rise today to recognize and honor the distinguished career of Dr. Brian Fontes, who recently announced his decision to step down as chief executive officer of NENA: The 9-1-1 Association after a remarkable decades-long career in public service, telecommunications, and 9-1-1.

Dr. Fontes received his undergraduate and master's degrees at Brigham Young University and his Ph.D. at Michigan State University. He then began his career as a communications professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, establishing the groundwork for his future contributions to the field.

Transitioning from academia to public service, Dr. Fontes served as senior adviser and chief of staff to FCC Commissioner James H. Quello. In this role, he was instrumental in shaping telecommunications policy during a time of rapid technological advancement.

In 1994, Dr. Fontes joined the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association as senior vice president for policy and administration, where he continued his involvement with international telecom policy. He was tasked with developing policies and guiding regulation for wireless services in South Africa, working with the transitioning new government under F. W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela.

In 1995, President Clinton appointed Dr. Fontes as the head of the U.S. Delegation to the International Telecommunication Union's World Radio Conference held in Geneva, Switzerland, granting him the rank of Ambassador. Following the 1995 Dayton agreement in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Dr. Fontes served as chairman of the Communication Regulatory Agency Council, working to develop policies and ensure wireless spectrum access in the newly formed country, thus guaranteeing wireless availability for its public.

Before joining NENA, Dr. Fontes was vice president of Federal relations for Cingular Wireless, continuing in that role following its merger with AT&T.

In 2008, Dr. Fontes took the helm at NENA, where he has been instrumental in advocating for the development and adoption of Next Generation 9-1-1 technologies and services. His leadership has helped ensure that Americans have access to reliable emergency services, that 9-1-1 centers have access to state-of-the-art technologies, and that 9- 1-1 professionals receive best-in-class training.

As Dr. Fontes moves on to an exciting future, we reflect on his legacy of service, innovation, and dedication to public safety. His visionary leadership has left an indelible mark on emergency communications systems at home and abroad, and his work will continue to benefit future generations.

I ask my colleagues to join me in expressing our deepest gratitude to Dr. Brian Fontes for his unwavering commitment to enhancing public safety and telecommunications.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my bill, the Colorado River Salinity Control Fix Act, a critical piece of legislation addressing a longstanding challenge to the people of Utah.

High salinity levels in the Colorado River have far-reaching consequences. They threaten the beauty and the integrity of Utah's national parks, impact our ranchers and farmers, and jeopardize drinking water for millions of Americans.

Decades ago, Congress recognized the urgency of this issue. In 1974, the Colorado River Salinity Control Program was established to combat harmful effects of salt discharged into the river from natural saline rock formations.

However, we now face new challenges, including reduced water flows and increasing pressures on the Federal budget. The Colorado River Salinity Control Fix Act makes vital adjustments to this program, ensuring its continued effectiveness while adapting to modern realities.

I am pleased to see this important bill before us today. It represents a significant step toward preserving Utah's iconic landscapes, safeguarding our water resources, and ensuring a clean and reliable water supply for Utahns and all who depend on the Colorado River.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this critical bill and join me in protecting one of our Nation's most important resources.

Mr. Speaker, I first would like to return the appreciation to the chairman of the Natural Resources Committee and for the opportunity to work with him. I think he is a great example of what a chairperson should do in Congress. To my good friend from Michigan, I thank her. I am not going that far away, and I look forward to continuing to work with her. She is a wonderful example to me of passion and love for what she does, and the people of Michigan are fortunate to have her represent them.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the Recognizing the Importance of Critical Minerals in Healthcare Act. I also thank Congresswoman DeGette for her partnership in advancing this important initiative.

This legislation addresses a critical gap in the process for identifying minerals essential to our Nation.

Under current law, the U.S. Geological Survey collaborates with various government agencies to assess and designate critical minerals vital to our national security. However, one key agency is glaringly absent from this process: the Department of Health and Human Services,

Mr. Speaker, I was delayed due to travel conflicts. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 442 (S. 3764); YEA on Roll Call No. 441 (H.R. 8958); and YEA on Roll Call No. 440 (S. 2228).

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Spanish Fork's Keir A. Scoubes, who was recently promoted to Land Component Commander with the Utah Army National Guard. Scoubes served in Iraq and Afghanistan and has been serving as a Lieutenant Colonel with the National Guard. In addition to his military career, Scoubes has also been a City Councilman and a teacher at Spanish Fork's Larsen Elementary. He is a perfect example of someone bringing their talents to the community and finding a way to contribute.

I congratulate Colonel Scoubes on his tremendous accomplishment.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the GEO Act. Utah is a leader in geothermal energy, but many companies are being held back by the current regulatory environment.

My bill simply requires the Department of the Interior to continue issuing all authorizations as long as the underlying lease remains unchallenged. Geothermal energy is affordable, reliable, and clean energy.

After companies have invested substantial time and resources in obtaining permits, the Department of the Interior sometimes withholds notices to proceed, drilling permits, and other authorizations due to litigation threats against the project.

To be clear, these pauses have occurred without any evidence of wrongdoing by the Department of the Interior or the operators. Instead, they result from unsubstantiated threats made by private organizations. This isn't sustainable if we want geothermal to be part of our clean- energy future.

The chart to my right demonstrates how important this is throughout the West, particularly rural parts of the West, where economic development can be enhanced dramatically by these projects.

The Department of Energy projects that enhanced geothermal systems could contribute up to 90 gigawatts of electricity by 2050, accounting for almost 9 percent of U.S. energy-generation capacity.

Utah is a case study in geothermal energy, and I was proud to support the establishment of Utah FORGE in southern Utah, a dedicated underground field laboratory sponsored by the Department of Energy focused on developing, testing, and accelerating geothermal breakthroughs.

Mr. Speaker, the GEO Act is a critical step toward ensuring that Utah and the United States lead in geothermal energy and technology.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the Great Salt Lake Stewardship Act.

The Great Salt Lake is essential to the ecological and economic fabric of Utah. Residents have worked tirelessly to protect the lake, but severe drought now threatens its long-term survival.

Recognizing this urgent challenge, the Great Salt Lake Stewardship Act would extend the existing Colorado River Water Conservation Program to include the Great Salt Lake. This would grant the Secretary of the Interior greater flexibility to allocate unused funds from other sections of the Central Utah Project Completion Act, also known as CUPCA, to the water conservation program.

By expanding the program's geographical scope to cover the entire Great Salt Lake drainage basin, the bill would support State government of Utah, local communities, and water districts north of Salt Lake County in their conservation efforts to replenish the lake.

The Great Salt Lake is a national treasure and a vital part of Utah's way of life. The bill demonstrates our commitment to protecting this valuable resource without requiring new Federal funds.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge Russell M. Nelson Day in my home state of Utah as well as President Russell M. Nelson's 100th birthday.

President Russell Marion Nelson was born on September 9, 1924, in Salt Lake City. While a student at the University of Utah, he met and married Dantzel White. They shared nearly sixty years together, raising ten children before Dantzel's passing in 2005. He later married Wendy L. Watson in April 2006, and together they are grandparents to 57 and great-grandparents to over 100.

President Nelson is an internationally renowned heart surgeon and medical researcher. Dr. Nelson received his B.A. and M.D. degrees from the University of Utah. He served his residency in surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and the University of Minnesota, where, in addition to earning his Ph.D., he served on the research team that developed the heart-lung machine which successfully aided the first human open-heart surgery in 1951.

During the Korean War, he served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps and worked with surgeons focused on improving treatment methods for the wounded. He left with the rank of Captain.

His accolades include the American Heart Association's Heart of Gold Award and the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement. He has held prestigious positions such as president of the Society for Vascular Surgery and chairman of the Council on Cardiovascular Surgery.

Russell M. Nelson was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 7, 1984. He was called again as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints in 2018. Under his leadership, the church has played a large role in both domestic and international humanitarian aid efforts, with the faith often being among the first groups to respond with food, medical, and other practical aid for those enduring the effects of conflict and natural disaster.

I again thank President Russell M. Nelson for a lifetime of achievement, service, and leadership and invite myself and my colleagues to look to his exemplary behavior as we find ways to better the lives of those we serve as members of Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 155th anniversary of John Wesley Powell's daring expedition of the Green and Colorado Rivers. These findings literally put Utah's Canyonlands on the map. These rivers and canyons are vital to Utah's economy, agriculture, and recreation.

First, the expedition successfully navigated Flaming Gorge. The expedition then mapped and survived the vast canyons and open sagebrush flats of the present-day Uintah County and the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservations.

The expedition continued through Desolation Canyon, into eastern Utah, before meeting the confluence of the Colorado River in present- day Canyonlands National Park in San Juan County.

This year, Uintah County will commemorate the expedition with a musical, ``Let's Go--a John Wesley Powell Story,'' in addition to the sixth annual John Wesley Powell River Festival.

These Western heroes created the records for the lands and rivers we are now so grateful to recreate in and enjoy safely.

Mr. Chair, I rise in favor of the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act, which establishes a much- needed regulatory framework for digital assets.

Currently, the lack of clear direction from Congress, combined with broad definitions of securities and commodities, has allowed the SEC to insert itself into the regulation of cryptocurrency. This has created uncertainty and hindered innovation.

Meanwhile, other countries like Singapore, UAE, and even China have capitalized on our unclear regulatory environment. They have developed their own framework, positioning themselves as hubs for the digital asset ecosystem.

I believe the United States, and particularly Utah's Silicon Slopes, which boasts a growing and thriving blockchain industry, should be the global center for digital assets.

This bill creates an appropriate framework for cryptocurrency regulation that fosters innovation and ensures U.S. leadership in blockchain technology while also protecting against bad actors like

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of National Police Week.

For me, Police Week started solemnly. On Monday, I attended the funeral of Santaquin Police Officer Bill Hooser. Sergeant Hooser is a hero, killed in the line of duty by a felon with a 20-year criminal history who had no right to be on Utah's roads.

At the funeral service, the Santaquin police chief said Hooser was the best field training officer he had ever seen. His work and dedication to other officers on the force undoubtedly have kept many safe.

This Police Week, I also remember Master Officer Joseph Shinners of the Provo Police Department, who I worked alongside during my time as mayor. He was tragically killed in the line of duty in 2019.

I would like the family to know I still keep his picture on my desk in Provo in remembrance of his sacrifice and contribution. The Provo police chief described Shinners as one of his all-star officers.

These men, and all of our officers killed in the line of duty, are heroes who gave their ultimate sacrifice to keep our communities and our families safe.

We owe our deepest gratitude to police officers and their families who wonder every morning if that will be the last time they see them.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in favor of H.J. Res. 109 which would repeal the SEC's unnecessary regulations on cryptocurrency and the banking industry.

The SEC and its chairman, Gary Gensler, have repeatedly overstepped their authority and targeted cryptocurrencies.

The SEC's latest unnecessary regulation was implemented outside of the regular rulemaking process and bypassed established procedures, and it shows.

This rule will limit banks' ability to offer digital assets as part of their custodial services. This makes it more challenging for Americans to safely engage with digital assets under the advisement of their local banks who are able to accurately inform them of risks of investments.

Crypto is a legitimate market used by millions of Americans. Hundreds of thousands of those are in my district. Unfortunately, today they have been referred to as ``criminals and drug dealers,'' and I take offense to that.

We should be giving investors opportunities to take part in cryptocurrencies, not putting up artificial barriers.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and repeal the regulation.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor an exemplary figure in education from Utah, Mr. Ed Mulick, of Park City High School.

Just like the Olympians who go for gold on the mountains of Park City, Mr. Mulick has achieved the Sarah and Stephen Doilney Teaching Excellence Award for an unparalleled fifth time.

Awarded by the Park City Education Foundation, this achievement is not just a testament to his excellence but his enduring impact on generations of students.

Like a champion returning to the field season after season, Mr. Mulick has continually elevated educational standards and inspired countless students through his dedication and passion for biology.

Mr. Mulick has not always been a teacher. After college, he worked as a weekend recreation counselor in Alaska. He then transferred to the State's Municipal Parks and Recreation Department.

Ed and his wife, Dana, moved to Park City after he completed his teaching degree at the University of Utah. Dana grew up in Heber, where her father worked as a miner. They fell in love with Park City, where they purchased their home.

Mr. Mulick has worked solely at Park City High School during his 34- year career.

On receiving the award for a fifth time, Mr. Mulick was humbly quoted as saying: ``It is quite an honor because there are so many great and deserving teachers in the school district.''

I commend Mr. Mulick for his outstanding contributions to education and the lives he has positively shaped.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the Western Economic Security Today Act of 2023, or the WEST Act.

My bill, as has been discussed, would require the Bureau of Land Management to withdraw their proposal regulating conservation of landscape health.

Utah's farmers and ranchers for generations have worked on this land, leaving it better than they found it. They understand how to live in a way that strengthens the landscape but allows for them to provide for their family and their community. I like to tease them that they are the original environmentalists. They don't always like that term.

Ironically, this rule also undermines the work of these individuals who keep the land in good health and help prevent the risk of wildfires to instead lock the public out of Utah's lands.

Let me be clear: I have immense respect for Utah's local land managers who do their best with the resources they have. I appreciate their commitment to integrating into each unique community and working hard to find consensus. They are not the problem. The problem is Washington politicians who think they know better than the generations of families who actually live in Utah.

The question isn't whether or not we want to protect these lands but who gets to make the decisions.

Since coming to Congress, one of my favorite experiences has been connecting with Utah's rural communities. They give so much and ask for so little. They work hard to feed our families, protect American energy, and lead in manufacturing. We should be making it easier for them.

Instead, the Biden administration is pushing this rule to allow environmental groups funded by Swiss billionaires who pretend to be representing Utahns to lock up public lands. This is completely backward.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record two stories about how this foreign dark money is funding environmental groups in Utah.

ADVENTURE . . . What's in a Name?

Recently I Googled ``Moab'' and ``adventure'' on my

computer and came up with 480,000 hits. Apparently there are

adventures enough to be found in Moab to keep tourists

entertained and spending their money until the next

Millennium. Just to mention a handful, I found the Moab

Adventure Center, Moab Adventure Xstream, Moab Adventure

Headquarters, Moab Adventure Inn, Moab Adventure Package,

Moab Adventure Guide, Moab Desert Adventures, Adventure

Xscapes, Adventure Racing Retreats, Moab Resort Adventure

Package and a link to the Moab Adventure Park, from WWTI

Newswatch50 in, of all places. Watertown, New York. They

reported the following:

MOAB, Utah--Riding down the ski lift from the highest point

on the red-rock rim overlooking the Moab Valley in Utah, our

feet dangled some 800 feet in the air as Scott McFarland

talked about the latest project for his Moab Adventure Park.

``We're applying for permits for a zip-line, a 2,500-foot-

long cable that goes from the top of the hill to the

bottom.'' McFarland said. ``You get into a harness on the top

and cruise to the bottom, kind of like you're flying.

``Without a braking system, you'd hit about 145 miles per

hour. With the system, you'll go 50 or 60. That's on the

computer, anyway. We'll see.'' One of the city's concerns in

considering the permits is its noise ordinance. Nearby

residents are worried about screams coming from riders

zipping down the cliff.''

Sad to say that's one adventure we'll never have to

embrace, thanks to one of my favorite environmental groups,

The Nature Conservancy, who bought the tram and removed it

from the face of the earth.

By comparison, if you travel just 55 miles south to the

sleepy Mormon/cowboy hamlet of Monticello, the ``adventure''

falls off dramatically, to just 759. What do you expect nom a

town without a brew pub? I kept searching for an adventure-

free town and the best I could hope for was Benkelman,

Nebraska that could only muster 154 hits and Gnaw Bone,

Indiana with a paltry 64.

At the other end of the adventure scale, nearby Aspen,

Colorado kicks Moab's relatively passive as with 1,890,000

adventure hits and New York City, the Gotham of all Thrills,

generates an incredible 8,370,000 hits. But if you can

believe this, according to Google, you can find four times as

many adventures in New York as You can in Baghdad, which

produced less than 2 million hits. That is a telling piece of

information. Just what kinds of adventures are we talking

about?

And what exactly is an ``adventure?'' According to one

internet dictionary, an adventure is ``an undertaking or

enterprise of a hazardous nature,'' or ``an undertaking of a

questionable nature (both sound like Baghdad to me as well as

certain areas of the Big Apple).''

Or . . . ``an unusual or exciting experience.''

This is the definition I was looking for. This is the kind

of adventure that tourists are in search of when they come to

places like Moab. Most if not all of the ``Moab Adventure''

Google hits are commercial enterprises, anxious and eager to

provide an ``exciting and unusual experience'' for the paying

public. Their businesses certainly CANNOT be, to even a

modest degree, ``hazardous in nature.'' I doubt if any

adventure tour company could survive if its owners faced

their first customers of the day and announced, ``Listen up

people . . . we want all of you to understand that there's a

real good chance only half of you will survive this hike to

the Fiery Furnace . . . the rest of you will probably die in

free falls or rock collapses. So call your friends and family

now and tell them how much you love `em.''

And forget about experiences of a ``questionable nature.''

Add to the previous warning this addendum: ``And don't forget

our climbing equipment is as old as my granny and she passed

on in 1965, so don't be surprised if that ol' rotten frayed

rope we use snaps like a dry twig.''

No . . . none of this would pass muster. Instead, the

adventure tour companies must endure all kinds of

inspections, meet various federal standards, and pay

substantial insurance premiums, to insure that the

``adventure'' is as free of hazards as humanly possible. It's

okay for the customer to get excited, and compared to the

workaday/cubicle life he or she leaves behind to come on this

adventure vacation, how could it be anything but? But is it

really an adventure?

I have my own adventure definition--I would call it a

``spontaneously sought, poorly planned, even stupidly

conceived exploration of a mystery.'' Spontaneity is critical

to an adventure. How can an adventure be planned and

scheduled? And a real adventure should have an unknown

component to it . . . maybe there will be hazards ahead . . .

maybe not. Who knows? It's a Mystery!!

But this is what it's become:

``Now let's see Kimberly . . . I'm thinking . . . an

adventure that starts around 10am would be perfect because I

want to have a leisurely breakfast at the Jailhouse Cafe.

Love the eggs benedict! Then maybe a rappel somewhere? Or

would you rather do a boat thing? No more than $100 . . .

$150 tops. And back here by four for drinks at McStiff's . .

. does that sound perfect or what?''

I know . . . I know! Once again, I'm out of touch with

Mainstream Adventure America and how can I argue with 480,000

Google hits and a booming adventure economy? (I think even a

couple of my advertisers have ``adventure'' in there

somewhere). But like so many other words--wilderness--for

instance, an adventure just isn't what it used to be, or even

mean, I'll take my adventures as they come, unplanned,

unscheduled, free, and if it kills me, I just hope I don't

die with a cell phone clutched in my hand, frantically

punching 911 as I hurtle toward the greatest adventure of

them all.

Mr. Speaker, the link to the second story can be found here: https://www.eenews.net/articles/quietly-philanthropic-tycoon- makes-his-mark-in-the-west/.

Mr. Speaker, the Biden administration didn't even pretend to care what rural Utahns thought about this rule. I sent a letter nearly a year ago with my Natural Resources Committee colleagues, asking the agency to hold more public listening sessions on this rule, including a session in Utah. Instead, the agency ignored this request and finalized the rule.

Over 60 percent of Utah's land is federally managed. I have counties with 90 percent, yet no public listening session was held in Utah.

This rule has an oversized impact on our State. That is why the WEST Act must pass today.

We must fight to stop this rule and then immediately repeal it under the

next administration. It is critical that Utah's lands remain under the stewardship of those who have tended it for generations.

There is a lot of hyperbole in Washington, and I am genuine when I say this is one of the most offensive attacks on rural Utah I have seen in my career. I will continue to work tirelessly to repeal this disastrous effort.

My bill, the WEST Act, is pushing against this flawed rule. We should be empowering local communities, not punishing them.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6976, the Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act.

I have personally been to the southern border and seen the crisis firsthand. I don't care your political persuasion, all of us know what is happening down there is wrong and needs to be corrected.

The first duty of the Federal Government is to protect American citizens, and this cannot be done without securing our border. I am pleased that the House has taken the steps this week to do so.

It is not clear under current law that individuals illegally in this country can be deported for driving while intoxicated. This legislation would ensure any noncitizen convicted or admitting to driving under the influence would no longer be allowed to remain in the United States. This shouldn't be controversial.

When you drive drunk, you are putting your neighbors and the broader community at unacceptable risk, and that we cannot allow.

Also, this week, we passed legislation that would allow law enforcement to prosecute criminals who intentionally refuse to stop for Border Patrol agents. The practice of running from Border Patrol agents is dangerous for residents, patrol officers, and the fugitive. I hold deep compassion for those who are in circumstances that they feel the need to enter the United States illegally. However, we are a country of laws and need to ensure individuals know they need to enter the United States only through the legal manners.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Self).