Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of retired United States Marine Corps Sergeant Major Ray V. Wilburn, who passed away on January 2, 2018 at the age of 98. Born in Wolf City, Texas in 1919, Sgt. Maj. Wilburn hitchhiked 75 miles to enlist in the Marine Corps in 1939. Following the outbreak of World War II, he was assigned to 3rd Artillery Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment in the Solomon Islands. His unit eventually saw combat on the islands of Guadalcanal, Tarawa, and Tulagi.

At the beginning of the Korean War, Sgt. Maj. Wilburn was an artillery instructor at Camp Del Mar, California, but in 1951 he received orders to serve with the 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment in Korea. His unit was assigned to Artillery Valley where they endured constant barrages of enemy fire from 122mm rounds.

In 1967, Sgt. Maj. Wilburn was sent to Vietnam with the 1st Medical Battalion where he was lauded by his superiors for his leadership and mettle. Nightly Viet Cong mortar attacks forced he and his fellow Marines to perform their duties in flak vests and helmets.

The Marine Corps granted Sgt. Maj. Wilburn's request to serve more than 30 years, however in 1971 he was forced to medically retire after 31 years of service. If given the opportunity, I have no doubt that Sgt. Maj. Wilburn would have served his beloved Marine Corps another 31 years. I would like to pass along my condolences to his family and friends, and I thank God everyday for men like Sgt. Maj. Wilburn. Semper Fi.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in strong support of Mr. DeSantis' resolution, H. Res. 259, and Mr. Engel's bill, H.R. 2658, which both speak to the ongoing political economic, social, and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela under the dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro.

Once the richest country in South America, Venezuela now has a total unpaid bond debt of over $1 billion and is in default on multiple loans.

The Maduro regime is responsible for widespread human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, mass arbitrary detentions, and torture of the political opposition. They have detained five Citgo executives who are dual U.S.-Venezuelan citizens, as well as U.S. citizen and religious missionary Joshua Holt, who remains unjustly imprisoned.

American adversaries are among the main supporters of Venezuela. More than a dozen high-ranking Cuban officers as well as thousands of Cuban intelligence agents are reportedly in Venezuela.

Venezuela continues to receive financial support from Russia and China. Venezuela also possesses 5,000 Russian-made, man-portable surface-to-air missiles and is the largest operator of Russian arms and military hardware in Latin America.

The humanitarian crisis is not limited to Venezuela alone. The crisis in Venezuela has led to mass immigration. Last year, the U.S. received 18,000 requests from Venezuelans seeking to escape the brutal regime. Waves of Venezuelan refugees have also fled to Chile, Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil, threatening to create a regionwide migration crisis.

The regime refuses to accept humanitarian aid from the international community, preferring instead to use its citizens as political pawns at the expense of their health and safety.

I commend the efforts of the Trump administration to take a principled stand to support the Venezuelan people and sanction the most dangerous actors in the Venezuelan Government. Just yesterday, the regime threatened that elections in Venezuela would only take place if these sanctions were lifted. I wholeheartedly reject this threat and remain committed to the sanctions and to continuing to put pressure on the Maduro regime.

I express my strong support for these two bills. The U.S. supports a free, democratic, and independent Venezuela that is accountable to the people. We stand ready to assist the Venezuelan people and provide humanitarian assistance, and we urge more action from our partners in the region and the international community to resolve the crisis in Venezuela.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3279) to amend the Mineral Leasing Act to provide that extraction of helium from gas produced under a Federal mineral lease shall maintain the lease as if the helium were oil and gas.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within 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, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3279, the Helium Extraction Act of 2017. This straightforward piece of legislation will incentivize helium production on Federal lands, help ensure the future of America's helium supply, and provide a fair return to the taxpayer.

Under existing law, the Mineral Leasing Act only permits helium extraction as a by-product of an existing oil or natural gas lease. As a result, if oil and gas production on a Federal site is not economically viable, the lease will expire, regardless of the revenue brought in by helium sales. The Helium Extraction Act of 2017 would correct this error and authorize helium production activities where economically viable.

Helium is used for much more than balloons. It is a rare and unique element which has become an indispensable part of our medical, space, and defense industries, such as its use in MRI machines, semiconductors, and air-to-air missile guidance systems.

Unfortunately, the future of our domestic helium supply is uncertain. The Helium Stewardship Act of 2013, which details a commonsense privatization process of the Federal helium reserve, also specifies that all helium in the Federal reserve must be auctioned off by September 30, 2021, and the facility closed.

This crucial source of helium has been relied upon for almost half a century, but in a few short years, it will no longer be available. Our country needs another way to access this critical natural resource; otherwise, we will be relying on hostile interests such as Qatar, Algeria, and Russia. Each of these countries presents security and geopolitical challenges made even more apparent by recent unrest among Qatar and its regional neighbors.

Unless something changes, foreign facilities are predicted to become our chief source of helium by the end of the decade. This is why H.R. 3279 is such a necessary piece of legislation.

By authorizing the Bureau of Land Management to lease land for this valuable nonrenewable resource, this legislation will raise $9 million for the American taxpayer and help secure our supply of helium for years to come.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1074) to repeal the Act entitled ``An Act to confer jurisdiction on the State of Iowa over offenses committed by or against Indians on the Sac and Fox Indian Reservation''.

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 the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1074. This bill would rescind criminal jurisdiction from the State of Iowa over crimes committed by or against members of the Sac and Fox Tribe on their lands. In doing so, the Tribe or the Federal Government would exercise exclusive jurisdiction under the Major Crimes Act. This is the most common legal situation for most tribes in America today.

In 1948, Congress granted jurisdiction over all crimes committed by or against Indians on the Sac and Fox Reservation to the State of Iowa. In 1949, there was no mechanism in the Federal Government concerning criminal jurisdiction on the Tribe's land, and up until that point, the Tribe had largely policed themselves.

Today, the Federal Government has criminal statutory authority on Indian lands, the Tribe is again ready to police itself, and the State of Iowa has

agreed that its Federal grant of criminal jurisdiction can be repealed.

Accordingly, under H.R. 1074, the Federal Government will have criminal jurisdiction over crimes, especially major crimes, by or against Indians on the Tribe's lands. The Tribe would have jurisdiction over Indian offenders for crimes over which it exercises jurisdiction, and the State of Iowa would retain exclusive jurisdiction over crimes where both offender and victim are non-Indians.

I thank the sponsor of H.R. 1074, the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Blum), for his work on this bill, and I urge adoption of the measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Blum).

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2600) to provide for the conveyance to the State of Iowa of the reversionary interest held by the United States in certain land in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, and for other purposes, 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 the bill under consideration.

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

I rise today in support of H.R. 2600, sponsored by my colleague, Representative David Young of Iowa.

H.R. 2600 directs the Department of the Interior to convey to the State of Iowa the reversionary interest held by the United States in certain land in Pottawattamie County.

By the way, there is going to be a test afterwards on this pronunciation.

In 1989, Congress authorized the Secretary of the Interior to provide for the development of a trails interpretive center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Six years later, in 1995, the National Western Trails Center donated property to the Federal Government, and the National Park Service later constructed a trails center on the property to interpret the history of the Lewis and Clark

National Historic Trail, the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail, and the Oregon National Historic Trail.

In 1998, the Federal Government donated the trails center and surrounding property to the State Historical Society of Iowa. Federal ownership was transferred to the State subject to a condition that if the trails center is not being used for the purposes specified in the 1989 Act, the land and the center would revert to the United States.

Since 1998, the State has owned and operated the trails center. Presently, visitation at the center is very low, the hours of operation are limited, and maintenance is falling behind. The State of Iowa would like to remove the trails center from its responsibility and possibly transfer the property to the city of Council Bluffs.

The National Park Service currently does not own or directly manage any of the land associated with the 1989 Act. Moreover, it is the Committee's understanding that the National Park Service does not have any interest in taking over operation of the trails center or ownership of the property.

I commend Representative Young for his outstanding work on behalf of his constituents. I would also like to thank the minority for their help and cooperation moving this legislation forward.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Young).

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1488) to retitle Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore as Indiana Dunes National Park, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days 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. 1488 would redesignate Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore as Indiana Dunes National Park.

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore was established by Congress in 1966. The designation of the national lakeshore as a unit of the National Park Service was the culmination of decades of work by conservationists, area residents, and elected officials.

The original law included 8,330 acres of land and water. The National Park Service conservation advocates continued to seek expansion of the boundaries, and five subsequent laws increased the size of the national lakeshore to more than 15,000 acres.

In October 1916, shortly after the National Park Service was established, NPS Director Stephen Mather held hearings in Chicago to gauge public sentiment on a Sand Dunes National Park. In a Department of the Interior report published after the hearings, Director Mather stated: ``No national park or other Federal reservation offers this phenomenon for the pleasure and edification of the people, and no national park is as accessible. Furthermore, the dunes offer to the visitor extraordinary scenery, a large variety of plant life, magnificent bathing beaches, and splendid opportunities to camp and live in the wild close to nature.''

Despite Director Mather's support, the national park proposal was abandoned at the onset of World War I, and

several years later, in 1925, Indiana Dunes State Park was established. Redesignation of the national lakeside as a national park would make Indiana Dunes the 60th national park in the United States.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the exceptional career of General Chairman William Hannah of the Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Union, a Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who retired on October1, 2017.

Bill Hannah gave his heart and time to the Labor movement working on better working conditions for the membership for over 35 years and 46 years in the industry. He began with Southern Pacific Railroad in May of 1971, was promoted to Engineer in 1978, and was a member of Division 5 from 1979 to 1981.

Bill became a charter member of Division 56 in 1981, and is still a proud member in good standing. For over 35 years he was a union leader for the Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Union as a Local Chairman of Division 56 from 1982 to 2001 and a General Chairman from 2001 to Oct. 1, 2017, covering 18 divisions and covering over 2000 members.

For over 16 years, he was involved in On-property Negotiations, as well as arbitration involving discipline, claims, rules and wages on the Union Pacific and Pacific Harbor Lines.

On Behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, I would like to congratulate and thank Bill Hannah for his 35 years of service to his committee. Bill is a true professional in every sense of the word, and I wish him the best of luck as he embarks on a new chapter in his life

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the exceptional law enforcement career of California Highway Patrol (CHP) Captain Oscar Medellin, who will retire on September 30, 2017.

After serving honorably in the U.S. Air Force, Captain Medellin was hired by the CHP in 1988. Captain Medellin worked in a number of capacities during his CHP career, which include the Inland Division Critical Incident Team, Inland Division Investigative Services Unit, and, most recently, Area Commander for Victorville.

On behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, I would like to congratulate and thank Captain Medellin for his 28 years of service to the citizens of California. His professionalism and dedication to the profession of law enforcement reflects great credit upon himself and the California Highway Patrol.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding law enforcement career of Timothy W. Tompkins, who will retire from his position as the Assistant Chief of Protective Services Division for the California Highway Patrol on September 30, 2017. Born and raised in Minnesota, Assistant Chief Tompkins graduated from the California Highway Patrol Academy in 1989.

Assistant Chief Tompkins served in a variety of capacities during his career, including Field Training Officer, Drug Recognition Expert, Special Response Team Commander, and member of the Governor's Protective Detail. Most notable for me was the time he spent as the Area Commander for the Morongo Basin, a region that I call home. Assistant Chief Tompkins was an integral part of our community and represented the highest values of the California Highway Patrol.

On behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, I would like to thank Assistant Chief Tompkins for his 29 years of service to the citizens of California. His professionalism and dedication to the profession of law enforcement reflects great credit upon himself and the California Highway Patrol.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding career of John Miller, who retired from his position as the U.S. Forest Service Public Affairs Officer for the San Bernardino National Forest on July 31, 2017.

My office has had the pleasure of working with John over the past four and a half years. On numerous occasions, John demonstrated a willingness to go above and beyond to serve my constituents and forest visitors. He has repeatedly shown his dedication to the Forest Service's mission and has been instrumental in balancing multiple and sometimes competing uses of the most heavily urbanized forest in the nation.

In addition to his work as a Public Affairs Officer, John was the Public Information Officer for a Federal Interagency Management Team, and served on the U.S. Forest Service Honor Guard. John is a true professional in every sense of the word, and I wish him the best of luck as he embarks on a new chapter in his life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the exemplary career of Apple Valley Town Manager Frank Robinson, who officially retired from his position on July 30, 2017.

Since his hiring by the Town of Apple Valley, California in 2008, Frank worked diligently to make Apple Valley's motto of ``A Better Way of Life'' a reality for the citizens he served. During his tenure, a number of crucial Town projects were completed, including a state-of- the-art animal shelter, Development Services Building, and the installation of renewable energy sources to power municipal buildings. Perhaps Frank's most important accomplishment, however, was construction of the Yucca Loma Bridge, which will significantly ease traffic congestion throughout the Victor Valley.

On a personal note, I would like to thank Frank for allowing my district office staff to work out of the Apple Valley Town Hall for the past four years. He has been a gracious host and I cannot thank him enough. While Frank's leadership and vision will be missed, perhaps the greatest loss will be his penchant for always having the perfect joke ready to go. On behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, I would like to wish Frank and his wife, Lisa, the happiest of retirements as they enter this new chapter of their lives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding career of John Miller, who will retire from his position as the U.S. Forest Service Public Affairs Officer for the San Bernardino National Forest on July 31, 2017.

My office has had the pleasure of working with John over the past four and a half years. On numerous occasions, John demonstrated a willingness to go above and beyond to serve my constituents and forest visitors. He has repeatedly shown his dedication to the Forest Service's mission and has been instrumental in balancing multiple and sometimes competing uses of the most heavily urbanized forest in the nation.

In addition to his work as a public affairs officer, John was the Public Information Officer for a Federal Interagency Management Team and served on the U.S. Forest Service Honor Guard. John is a true professional in every sense of the word, and I wish him the best of luck as he embarks on a new chapter in his life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the contributions of U.S. Army Colonel G. Scott Taylor, who will relinquish command of the Fort Irwin Garrison on July 12, 2017. Colonel Taylor is leaving for his next duty assignment as the Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3--Operations for the 8th Army in Camp Humphrey, South Korea.

I've had the pleasure of interacting with Colonel Taylor the past two years, during which time I saw the passion he possesses for his soldiers and his support for the vital training mission of Fort Irwin and the National Training Center. Colonel Taylor was a driving force behind efforts to improve combat readiness and the quality of life for soldiers under his command. His work culminated in $6.4 million in improvements to barracks on the installation, and his leadership resulted in the repair of essential base infrastructure that was severely damaged by flooding.

In addition to thanking Colonel Taylor for his service at Fort Irwin, I would also like to recognize his outstanding military career. Colonel Taylor is a decorated combat veteran with over 25 years of service, which includes three combat deployments. I wish Colonel Taylor and his family the best of luck as they embark on a new chapter at Camp Humphrey, but they will be sorely missed back home in the California desert.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 497) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain public lands in San Bernardino County, California, to the San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District, and to accept in return certain exchanged non-public lands, and for other purposes, 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 the bill under consideration.

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

I am proud to sponsor this bipartisan, commonsense piece of legislation, the Santa Ana River Wash Plan Land Exchange Act. This bill reflects a compromise negotiated at the grassroots level among the cities, county, mining companies, wildlife agencies, and water organizations for over two decades in the Upper Santa Ana Wash area.

The bill simply authorizes a land exchange of 327 acres of Bureau of Land Management land for 310 acres of land currently owned by the San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District. This exchange facilitates the implementation of the broader Upper Santa Ana Wash Land Management and Habitat Conservation Plan, which identifies opportunities to expand existing aggregate mining operations to support new infrastructure developments; enhance water storage for the surrounding communities; and establish protected habitat for certain threatened and endangered plants and species.

After the exchange, the Bureau of Land Management will use the land to protect critical habitat and will enhance the region's water conservation and storage efforts by recharging more than 77 water basins. The land acquired by the Water Conservation District, which is currently adjacent to two aggregate mines, will allow local mining companies to expand and create greater efficiency in their current mining operations.

The companies estimate that this small exchange will result in approximately $8.5 million in new infrastructure projects and a $36 million increase in annual payrolls from the new sites.

This bill is supported by a wide variety of stakeholders in my district, including the San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District, the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District, San Bernardino County, the city of Highland, California, the city of Redlands, California, CEMEX, the Endangered Habitats League, Robertson's Ready Mix, and Inland Action.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I support the bill, obviously, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 220) to authorize the expansion of an existing hydroelectric project, and for other purposes, 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 the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young).

Mr. Speaker, I was going to say a few words about this bill here, but I would be in fear of my life if I changed anything on Congressman Young's statement.

So with that, I think he did an outstanding job presenting, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.