Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5853) to expand the boundary of the Minute Man National Historical Park in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to include Barrett's Farm, and for other purposes.

Madam 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 the bill under consideration.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 5853, the Minute Man National Historical Park Boundary Revision Act, was introduced by our colleague from Massachusetts, the honorable Congresswoman Tsongas. This bill would modify the boundary of the Minute Man National Historical Park in Massachusetts to include the historic site of Barrett's Farm.

Colonel James Barrett was a leading Revolutionary War patriot and military figure, and his farm in Concord played a significant role in the events leading up to the opening battles of the Revolutionary War at Lexington and Concord in April 1775.

A 2007 study from the National Park Service concluded that the boundary adjustment was important to ensure the protection of these nationally significant resources and values. And this bill enjoys extensive public support, as well as the support of the entire Massachusetts congressional delegation.

I thank Representative Tsongas for her leadership on this legislation, and I ask my colleagues to support passage of this measure.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlelady from Massachusetts, Congresswoman Tsongas, the sponsor of the bill.

Madam Speaker, I again urge Members to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6176) to authorize the expansion of the Fort Davis National Historic Site in Fort Davis, Texas, and for other purposes.

Madam 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 the bill under consideration.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 6176 was introduced by our colleague from Texas, Representative Ciro Rodriguez. The bill increases the acreage ceiling for the Fort Davis National Historic Site in west Texas and authorizes the National Park Service to acquire from willing sellers approximately 55 acres adjacent to the park.

Fort Davis National Historic Site, authorized in 1961, is regarded as one of the best preserved forts in the American Southwest. The fort was strategically located to protect emigrants, mail coaches, and freight wagons traveling through the Southwest. The fort is also known because the famed all-black ``Buffalo Soldier'' regiments established after the Civil War were stationed there.

The bill would expand the boundary of the park to encompass some already completed acquisitions and to permit the acquisition of three parcels that total approximately 55 acres on the southwestern boundary of the park.

Madam Speaker, Congressman Rodriguez is to be commended for his tireless efforts on behalf of this legislation, and I would also note the administration supports this bill.

I urge my colleagues to support passage of this measure.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this piece of legislation, and I yield back.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6159) to provide for a land exchange involving certain National Forest System lands in the Mendocino National Forest in the State of California, and for other purposes, as amended.

Madam 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 the bill under consideration.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 6159 provides for a land exchange between the Forest Service and Solano County, California.

Solano County has a special use permit for the Fouts Springs Youth Correctional Facility on 82 acres of land in the Mendocino National Forest. The county has been working diligently for many years to acquire wilderness quality forest lands to exchange with the Forest Service in order to acquire the lands occupied by the youth correctional facility.

Madam Speaker, we believe that there are numerous public benefits to this land exchange. An analysis produced by the Forest Service found that this land exchange would benefit their hazardous fuels program to reduce the threat of catastrophic fire, and the land exchange would be of equal value.

Furthermore, the lands the Forest Service would acquire are wilderness-quality lands bordering the Snow Mountain Wilderness Area and have been identified as priority areas for land acquisition by the Forest Service dating as far back as 1992.

Madam Speaker, the chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, Representative George Miller, is to be commended for his efforts on behalf of Solano County and this youth facility.

I ask my colleagues to support passage of this measure.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I again urge all of the Members to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5335) to amend the National Trails System Act to provide for the inclusion of new trail segments, land components, and campgrounds associated with the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, and for other purposes, as amended.

Madam 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 the bill under consideration.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 5335, introduced by our colleague from Tennessee, Representative Wamp, implements the recommendations of a National Park Service study that examined the possibility of adding several side trails associated with the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail.

Congress designated the original National Historic Trail in 1987 to commemorate the two main routes used during the forced removal of more than 15,000 Cherokee Indians from their ancestral homelands in the southeastern United States. At that time, many of the side routes used during the removal were not well documented.

Subsequent research has identified these routes, and in 2006 Congress directed the National Park Service to determine which, if any, of these routes would be eligible for addition to the existing trail.

The National Park Service found a number of components eligible for designation and recommended adding routes in Tennessee and Alabama. H.R. 5335 adds those routes to the existing trail.

I ask my colleagues to support passage of this measure.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I again urge Members to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3336) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to carry out a study to determine the suitability and feasibility of establishing a historic district to the Camp Hale on parcels of land in the State of Colorado, as amended.

Madam 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 the bill under consideration.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 3336 was introduced by our colleague from Colorado, Representative Doug Lamborn. The bill directs the National Park Service to study how best to preserve Camp Hale near Leadville, Colorado.

Camp Hale operated from 1942 to 1965 as a winter and a high-altitude training venue for the 10th Mountain Division and other elements of the U.S. Armed Forces.

The 250,000-acre camp was also used by the Central Intelligence Agency as a secret center for training Tibetan refugees in guerilla warfare to resist the Chinese occupation.

The lands were returned to the Forest Service in 1966. Today, the camp is part of the White River and San Isabel National Forest. Camp Hale was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support passage of this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3849) to provide for the conveyance of parcels of land to Mantua, Box Elder County, Utah, as amended.

Madam 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 the bill under consideration.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 3849, introduced by Representative Bishop of Utah, requires the Secretary of Agriculture to convey, without consideration, approximately 31.5 acres of National Forest System land in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest in Utah to the town of Mantua, Utah.

The conveyed land will be used by the town of Mantua to develop a new town cemetery, a new town hall, a fire station, an elementary school, a court and law enforcement facilities, and a memorial park.

Madam Speaker, the Committee on Natural Resources amended this measure to require that, as a condition of the conveyance, the town of Mantua shall use the land for public purposes only, and the land shall revert to the Secretary if used for another purpose.

We have no objections to H.R. 3849.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, again, I urge all Members to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3299) to provide for a boundary adjustment and land conveyance involving Roosevelt National Forest, Colorado, to correct the effects of an erroneous land survey that resulted in approximately 7 acres of the Crystal Lakes Subdivision, Ninth Filing, encroaching on National Forest System land, as amended.

Madam 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 the bill under consideration.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 3299, introduced by Representative Musgrave from Colorado, would provide for a boundary adjustment in land conveyances involving the Roosevelt National Forest in Colorado to correct the effects of an erroneous land survey.

This bill responds to an ongoing boundary dispute between the Forest Service and private land owners with property adjacent to the forest.

Madam Speaker, we have no objections to H.R. 3299.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I again urge all Members to support this important piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1374) commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Grand Coulee Dam and recognizing its critical role in the national and economic security of the United States and the contributions of hydroelectric power to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Madam 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 the resolution under consideration.

Madam Speaker, House Resolution 1374 recognizes the 75th anniversary of the Grand Coulee Dam in providing for an important source of energy generation in the Northwest.

I would like to commend my colleague, Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers, for her sponsorship of this resolution and her efforts to champion hydropower as an important source of energy generation.

I ask my colleagues to support passage of this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers. I again urge Members to support the bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6685) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide an annual grant to facilitate an iron working training program for Native Americans.

Madam 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 the resolution under consideration.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 6685 would provide an authorization for appropriations that has been made for many years for an Interior Department program which makes grants available to fund a Native American ironworker training program. This program would provide members of federally recognized Indian tribes with both classroom and on-the-job ironwork training.

With unemployment rates increasing to a staggering rate of over 80 percent on some Indian reservations, this program is desperately needed. It will provide the program participants with the knowledge and the ability to join a skilled labor force as a career.

I want to commend our colleague Mr. Lynch of Massachusetts for his hard work and for his dedication to this piece of legislation, and I ask my colleagues to support its passage.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers. I urge all Members to support this resolution.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1907) to authorize the acquisition of land and interests in land from willing sellers to improve the conservation of, and to enhance the ecological values and functions of, coastal and estuarine areas to benefit both the environment and the economies of coastal communities, and for other purposes, as amended.

Madam 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 the bill under consideration.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 1907 would authorize the existing Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program, which is administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

This very popular program was first established under the fiscal year 2002 Appropriations Act for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, State, and Related Agencies.

Since its inception, the CELCP program has awarded more than $176 million in matching grants to eligible coastal States and territories to acquire properties or conservation easements from willing sellers to protect fish and wildlife habitat from future development and to preserve scarce coastal open space.

This bill was introduced by Congressman James Saxton and was subsequently reported by the Committee on Natural Resources. This legislation would formally authorize the program consistent with past appropriations acts and with NOAA's own program guidelines.

Madam Speaker, the existing CELCP program is both targeted and effective, and it addresses a critical habitat conservation need in many coastal States

and territories. The bill is strongly supported by the administration, by the Coastal States Organization and by several respected conservation organizations, including the Nature Conservancy and the Trust for Public Land.

I commend Congressman Saxton for his steadfast efforts to authorize this program and to protect and to conserve the coastal zone of the United States. I ask my colleagues to support the passage of this important legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to my friend, the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps).

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I too would like to go on record as commending Mr. Saxton for his long and

distinguished career as a champion for the oceans. We will all miss him and his passion for protecting the marine environment.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the bill before us today. In closing, I would like to thank the gentleman from Alaska, the distinguished ranking member of the Natural Resources Committee, Mr. Young, for managing the bills with me today.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and service of the late Austin J. ``Sonny'' Shelton, who passed away on September 7, 2008, after a long illness. Sonny was 59 years of age. Sonny was a member of the 19th Guam Legislature, from 1987 to 1989, where he served as the chairman of the Committee on Rules, vice chairman of the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Consumer Protection, secretary general to the Asian Pacific Parliamentarian's Union and as a member of the Association of Pacific Island Legislators.

In 1995, Sonny was appointed as the director of the Government of Guam's Department of Parks and Recreation and as the Guam Public Auditor from 1999 to 2000. In 2001 he served as the acting director of the Department of Administration.

After graduating from Father Duenas Memorial High School in 1967, attending the University of Guam and Texas State Technical Institute, Sonny returned to Guam and joined Shelton Music Company, his family's business. He later established AJS Incorporated and expanded his business interests to include other vending machines, amusement devices and real estate.

Sonny Shelton was a civic minded individual who devoted much time to community organizations including the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and the Guam Shrine Club, Aloha Temple. He was a volunteer for the University of Guam's 4-H Summer Youth Fishing Program. He served as president of the Father Duenas Memorial School's Football Booster Club. He was active in his church where he served as a brother of the 2nd Community of the Neo-Catechumenal Way of Nino Perdido Catholic Parish in Asan.

Sonny was an avid fisherman who participated in many deep sea fishing events and his love of outdoor sports extended to off-road racing where he enjoyed success as a driver.

Austin J. ``Sonny'' Shelton was the only child of the late Austin James Shelton, a successful Guam entrepreneur and Amanda Pangelinan Guzman Shelton, a professional nurse. He is survived by his widow, Graciella Shinohara Shelton, his children, and their spouses, Raymond and Melinda Shelton Slattery; Madeleine Shelton, Austin Shelton II, and Amanda Shelton; and his grandchildren Trinidad, Kaya, Mariana, Raymond and Gabryelle. He is dearly missed by his family and friends, and our community extends our sympathy to them.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the students, administrators, staff, and alumni of the Academy of Our Lady of Guam (AOLG) as they celebrate their sixtieth anniversary. Founded in September 8, 1948 by Bishop Apollinaris William Baumgartner, OFM Cap. and Sister Inez Underwood, RSM the AOLG is renowned for its college preparatory curriculum and continues as the sole Catholic high school for young women on Guam.

The AOLG is named after the patron saint of Guam, Santa Marian Kamalan, also known as Our Lady of Camarin. The 300 year old statue of Our Lady of Camarin is an icon in Chamorro culture. The AOLG lives the name of Our Lady of Camarin through the school's Christian centered approach to education and through a curriculum focusing on the development of the overall well being of its students.

The AOLG continues to excel in both academics and athletics. Over 90 percent of AOLG graduates pursue post-secondary education, and a growing number are accepted by the leading educational institutions.

More so, the AOLG has produced distinguished alumni in the fields of law, medicine, government, and engineering, as well as leaders in the business community.

I commend the Academy of Our Lady of Guam for its 60 years of continued service and excellence to the people of Guam. I congratulate Academy of Our Lady of Guam President, Sr. Francis Jerome Cruz, R.S.M. and Principal Mary Meeks for their stewardship in the education of Guam's exceptional women. God bless the Academy of Our Lady of Guam and may they enjoy many more years of service to the people of Guam.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3437) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to carry out the Jackson Gulch rehabilitation project in the State of Colorado, 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 the bill under consideration.

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

(Ms. BORDALLO asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

The Mancos Project delivers water from Jackson Gulch Dam to residents, farms and businesses in Montezuma County, Colorado. The project and the Jackson Gulch Dam provide supplemental agricultural water for about 8,650 irrigated acres and at least 237 agricultural businesses. The project is also a domestic water supply for the Mesa Verde National Park.

For almost 60 years, the project has outlived its expected life and is in dire need of rehabilitation. This bill will aid the repair and the rehabilitation of this vitally important project in southwestern Colorado.

I would like to commend our colleague from Colorado, Congressman John Salazar, for his hard work on

the bill before us today. I urge my colleagues to support its passage.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2535) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on the feasibility and suitability of constructing a storage reservoir, outlet works, and a delivery system for the Tule River Indian Tribe of California to provide a water supply for domestic, municipal, industrial, and agricultural purposes, and for other purposes.

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 the bill under consideration.

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

(Ms. BORDALLO asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, the Tule River Water Development Act, sponsored by our colleague from California, Congressman Devin Nunes, would authorize the Secretary of the Interior, through the Bureau of Reclamation, to complete a feasibility study that would evaluate alternatives for a water supply for the Tule River Tribe of the Tule River Reservation. The Tule tribe views this as a very important first step in settling their water rights claims.

This bill has received bipartisan support and I ask my colleagues to support its passage.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Salazar) who will speak on the previous bill.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill

(H.R. 5350) to authorize the Secretary of Commerce to sell or exchange certain National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration property located in Norfolk, Virginia, and for other purposes, 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 the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5350 is noncontroversial legislation introduced by our colleague from Virginia, Congressman Bobby Scott, to authorize the Secretary of Commerce and the City of Norfolk, Virginia, to negotiate and complete a conveyance of Federal property located in the city that is under the control of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The purpose of this fair market value conveyance would be to enable the city to fulfill its plans for the economic redevelopment of the Fort Norfolk waterfront area.

I commend my colleague from Virginia, Congressman Bobby Scott, for his tireless efforts to assist the City of Norfolk as it revitalizes its downtown waterfront core. This legislation also was approved by our colleagues on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The helpful revisions offered by Chairman Henry Waxman and his staff will protect the interests of NOAA and ensure that any future conveyance is consistent with standard terms of terms and conditions found in similar General Services administration contracts.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support the passage of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), the author of the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I commend the other side for their views and agree that we should consider energy legislation, and we will.

The difference is that when the Democratic majority brings up legislation this week, we will make very sure that the oil companies that are drilling for America's resources are held accountable. I would like to repeat that, accountable.

The gentleman raised the issue of government regulations. What regulations?

Last week we heard from the Inspector General and the GAO that the very office in charge of regulating the oil companies and the royalty- in-kind program were not doing their job, and here are some of the examples.

The Lakewood Marketing Group, a group of government employees who were in charge of selling the public's oil and gas at the highest price possible were, instead, were concerned with partying, dining, attending golf and ski junkets and a lot more.

There was a Mr. Gregory W. Smith, the head of the royalty-in-kind program, who was also doing illegal things.

One of the top officials at the Minerals Management Service arranged for her assistant to be able to retire and then win a lucrative contract with the agency for his new consulting firm. Not only did the assistant help write the contract before leaving MMS, but another top MMS official in charge of overseeing that contract later retired and joined the consulting firm.

On top of these serious ethical violations, we also learned from three Government Accountability Office, GAO,

reports, that MMS is not carrying out its most fundamental mission, making sure the American taxpayer gets a fair return for the use of the public's oil and gas resources.

There is an inadequate Federal royalty system. The GAO found that the United States, one of the safest and most lucrative areas to operate, receives one of the smallest shares of oil and gas revenues in the entire world. Not only that, the Interior Department does not even evaluate how the United States compares to other countries, to ensure we remain competitive while still keeping the taxpayers from being cheated.

There is no diligent development, despite industry false claims that they are diligently developing the 68 million acres of Federal land they hold leases on. GAO found that over a 10-year period, only 6 percent of nearly 48,000 onshore Federal oil leases were actually drilled. While States and private landowners use a number of strategies such as shorter lease terms to encourage faster production and payments, the Federal Government lets the industry sit on valuable resources for years.

There is sloppy royalty collection. The GAO found that the Department of Interior utterly fails in providing certainty that companies are paying the royalties that they owe the American people. Due to an inadequate computer system, a reliance on company self-reported data and an insufficient number of field inspections, these reports indicate that this administration has been absolutely derelict in its duty to the American people and that serious reforms are needed to the Federal oil and gas royalty program.

This, then, should be a part and parcel of any energy legislation to ensure that American interests are represented in American resources, and that will be part of our energy bill on the floor this week.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I again urge all Members to support the bill.