Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today is a historic day for our water resources and for bipartisan and bicameral work in the Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a joint explanatory statement to accompany the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 and a letter to Chairman Smith.

House of Representatives, Committee on Transportation and

Infrastructure,

Washington, DC, December 8, 2022.

Hon. Adam Smith,

Chair, House Committee on Armed Services,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Smith: I am writing to further explain the

intentions of Section 11252, Strategy for Retention of

Cuttermen, of the James M. Inhofe National Defense

Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023.

In 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in

Bostock v. Clayton County (590 U.S._(2020)) that the term

``sex'' included sexual orientation and gender identity for

purposes of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Specifically, the Court determined that ``homosexuality and

transgender status are inextricably bound up with sex. Not

because homosexuality or transgender status are related to

sex in some vague sense or because discrimination on these

bases has some disparate impact on one sex or another, but

because to discriminate on these grounds requires an employer

to intentionally treat individual employees differently

because of their sex.''

This rationale is applicable to a range of laws that

prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex or gender.

Indeed, federal courts both prior and subsequent to the

Court's decision in Bostock have determined that our nation's

federal laws that prohibit sex or gender discrimination also

prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity

including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972,

Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, the Fair Housing

Act, and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. The Supreme Court

in numerous decisions, such as United States v. Virginia (518

U.S. 515 (1996)), has used the terms sex and gender

interchangeably.

Our nation's nondiscrimination laws must be construed

broadly to achieve Congress' aim of eradicating

discrimination. In keeping with these cases and the current

understanding of gender, I want to explicitly state on the

record that the reference to discrimination based on gender

in Section 11252(c) of the James M. Inhofe National Defense

Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 also includes

discrimination on the basis of gender identity. I understand

that the Coast Guard shares this view and understanding of

Section 11252(c).

It is critical that the Coast Guard attract and retain a

qualified workforce serving on Coast Guard cutters and that

such a workforce includes underrepresented minorities and

servicemembers from rural areas. I thank you for including

this important section in the NDAA and look forward to

reading the Commandant's strategy for retention of cuttermen.

Sincerely,

Peter DeFazio,

Chair.

Mr. Speaker, this bill makes history as the fifth consecutive water resources development bill, the first time in the history of the United States Congress this has been done.

It authorizes 25 construction reports of the Chief of the Corps of Engineers, essential to Portland, Oregon; Tacoma, Washington; Selma, Alabama; and right here in Washington, D.C.

The bill also meets the challenge of climate change, even though some deny it exists, by rebuilding and maintaining critical navigation jetties and breakwaters to dimensions necessary to address sea-level rise and extreme weather events, impacts of coastal storms, and inland flooding. It also addresses future water supply needs in the arid West and works to make communities more resilient.

For the first time in over a decade, it significantly expands the Corps' environmental infrastructure authorities to assist more communities in addressing their drinking water and wastewater needs.

Finally, it also includes the Don Young Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2022, authorizing $13.6 billion and $14.5 billion for the next year for much-needed shoreside infrastructure.

It also authorizes a third polar security cutter. The Russians have 20 icebreakers. The Arctic is opening up. We need a third cutter, and then we need the smaller cutters.

I thank Ranking Member Graves, Chair Napolitano, Ranking Member Rouzer, Chair Carbajal, Ranking Member Gibbs, and all of my staff for their tremendous work on this committee.

Mr. Speaker, this will be a parable to greed and modern predatory capitalism.

We used to have the most efficient, reliable freight network in the world. Freight was delivered safely, at a reasonable rate, and on time. They had a large skilled workforce reasonably compensated, and the railroads were all moderately profitable.

Then came Hunter Harrison, now deceased. He thought there was something wrong with this. He took over CSX. There is something wrong here. He invented precision scheduled railroading, which is anything but. He slashed the workforce and started running trains that were 4 and 5 miles long. They don't have sidings that are that long, so they block intersections all across the country.

He found new ways to gouge the customers with a host of new fees and jacked-up rates and, as a side effect, as the agriculture, energy, and construction customers have all testified to the Surface Transportation Board, delayed deliveries, disrupted businesses, and increased costs, which ultimately get passed on to consumers.

But he accomplished his goal. Profits are up. In the last decade, railroads bought back $230 billion worth of stock and dividends. In 2021, it was $26 billion in dividends and buybacks and $29 billion in profits. The CEOs, like the now-gone Hunter Harrison, are making out like bandits. They all earned $16 million a year on average or more.

The Wall Street jackals, well, they are just thrilled with the stock price. Warren Buffet was bragging on making $6 billion last quarter with BNSF, which has become the most abusive railroad in the system. They used to be the best. They were the star. I don't know what happened.

Last week, we had to legislate here on the floor of the House. 115,000 rail workers had gone 3 years without a contract. The railroads were intransigent. They couldn't afford pay raises. What? Oh, and no paid sick time. Oh, we couldn't do that.

They testified to the Presidential Emergency Board that record profits were not due to ``any contributions by labor.'' I guess the trains run and maintain themselves.

Despite massive layoffs and a 600 percent increase in productivity of the remaining workforce, I guess it is their just fabulous business acumen that is making all this money.

Because they cut the workforce to the bone, they are particularly adamant that there can be no paid sick time--well, no sick time at all, in fact. They are forcing workers to come to work sick and fatigued in an industry where one little mistake will lose you a limb or might cause a catastrophic accident. There is a 60 percent increase in the violations of time by the railroads.

If they gave all the workers 7 days paid leave, it would take 1 cent off of their profits, 1 cent per dollar of those profits.

Last week, the House voted to lock in the tentative agreements that provide historic pay raises and guarantee reimbursement for work expenses, and they prevented a massive disruption. In addition, 221 Members of the House voted to impose 7 days of paid sick leave--with only three Republicans. Pretty pathetic, guys. Pretty pathetic.

Congress took action because we recognized who makes this country great, who makes it run. It is frontline workers. Without them, just under one-third of our country's freight would sit idle.

It is time for the railroads to face the music. Precision scheduled railroading is an abject failure. Your service is atrocious. You treat your workers with no respect. Don't come crying to the Federal Railroad Administration and Congress to bail you out for your ineptitude, greed, and profit taking. If you can't provide your workers with paid sick time because you don't have enough people working, well, then, maybe the CEOs could take a shift in the rail yard to cover them.

It is time for this to end. Unfortunately, it didn't last week because the Senate overrode us.

I thank my staff who worked so hard on this legislation last week: Auke Mahar-Piersma, Andrea Wohleber, Frances Bourne, Katherine Ambrose, Alice Koethe, Jill Harrelson, Kathy Dedrick, and all the other fabulous members of my team.

Madam Speaker, I include in the Record the cost estimate prepared by the Congressional Budget Office for H.R. 5641, the SPEED Recovery Act. The cost estimate was not available at the time of the Committee report filing.

U.S. Congress,

Congressional Budget Office,

Washington, DC, August 22, 2022.

Hon. Gary Peters,

Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental

Affairs, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has

prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 5641, the SPEED

Recovery Act.

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be

pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Jon Sperl.

Sincerely,

Phillip L. Swagel,

Director.

Enclosure.

H.R. 5641, SPEED Recovery Act--August 3, 2022

[By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars] ------------------------------------------------------------------------

2022 2022-2027 2022-2032 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Direct Spending (Outlays)........... 0 0 0 Revenues............................ 0 0 0 Increase or Decrease (-) in the 0 0 0 Deficit............................ Spending Subject to Appropriation 0 1 * (Outlays).......................... ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Madam Speaker, on Friday, July 29, 2022, I was unavoidably detained and missed some of the day's votes. Had I been present, I would have voted:

Yea on Roll Call Vote 416, H.R. 7283--To amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to make certain activities eligible for grants from the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund, and for other purposes.

Nay on Roll Call Vote 417, S. 3451--To include certain computer- related projects in the Federal permitting program under title XLI of the FAST Act, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 338.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Pell Grant Program.

All Americans, regardless of their income, should have the right to access quality education, which is invaluable for accessing good jobs, financial stability, and economic mobility. Throughout my career, I have strongly supported the Pell Grant Program, which provides direct financial assistance to low-income students to ensure they have the same access to higher education and opportunities for success as their higher-income peers.

Since its creation, more than 80 million students have received a Pell Grant. Today, nearly 7 million students are going to college with Pell Grants, including over 17,000 students in my district who are receiving $71 million to pursue their higher education goals.

As a recipient of financial aid who couldn't have attended college without help, I understand the need for the federal government to ensure students have access to higher education. I believe that a college education--

whether from a vocational school, a community college, or a four-year college--should open doors for students, not weigh them down with insurmountable debt.

When the program was created 50 years ago with bipartisan support, it could cover more than 75 percent of the cost of earning a four-year degree at a public university. But today, it doesn't even cover 30 percent of the cost. That's why I've fought throughout my career to increase Pell Grant funding in order to help current and future students with the rising costs of higher education.

Our investment in the Pell Grant is an investment in our children's and our nation's future. As we mark 50 years of the Pell Grant program and recognize the success of graduates who have benefitted from it, I look forward to continuing my support for the program to ensure future students have access to invaluable opportunities without being saddled with burdensome loan debt.

I urge my colleagues to support the bipartisan resolution declaring June 23, 2022, as National Pell Grant Day, as well as to work towards protecting the right for all Americans to pursue a higher education should they choose, regardless of their financial status.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6270) to direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a pilot program to provide grants related to advanced air mobility infrastructure, 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 H.R. 6270, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6270, legislation sponsored by the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Larsen) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Graves).

With the recent passage of the landmark Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Congress renewed its commitment to robust Federal investment in the Nation's airport infrastructure to address the rising demand for air travel. As the needs of the traveling public evolve, we must build on this momentum to leverage innovative aviation technologies, such as advanced air mobility, called AAM, to help address future challenges.

The success of these efforts depends on early and consistent engagement with State and local communities to ensure that AAM infrastructure is safely integrated into the national airspace system, accessible to all, and built to the appropriate Federal standards.

H.R. 6270 continues Congress' thorough oversight of the emerging AAM industry and helps local communities across the country prepare for and take advantage of the tremendous potential of this technology.

The bill invests $25 million to establish a 2-year U.S. Department of Transportation pilot program to fund comprehensive planning grants for State, local, territorial, and Tribal governments to prepare for the deployment of AAM vertiports and related infrastructure in their communities.

These comprehensive plans may include details on potential vertiport locations; physical and digital infrastructure needs; potential environmental effects; connectivity to existing transportation systems; and strategies to ensure community engagement and equity.

The bill's pilot program would also provide limited funding for some public vertiport construction activities, such as design, bidding, and environmental study activities, only after the FAA has certified at least two AAM aircraft models, issued airworthiness determinations for at least two AAM operators, and published an advisory circular on vertiport design and performance and siting standards, among other criteria.

H.R. 6270 has the support of cosponsors from both sides of the aisle and the endorsement of several organizations representing the U.S. aviation and aerospace sector, and State and local governments.

Mr. Speaker, I support this bipartisan legislation, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. 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 yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, to reiterate, we have an emerging technology. For once, we need to get ahead of the curve, including the FAA, so that we are not impeding the tremendous potential of AAM across so many sectors and virtually every community in America.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 516) to plan for and coordinate efforts to integrate advanced air mobility aircraft into the national airspace system, 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 S. 516, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 516, the Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act.

Last November, this Chamber took a critical first step in fostering innovative advanced air mobility, AAM, in the U.S., by passing with an overwhelming majority, H.R. 1339, companion legislation also titled Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act.

That bill would establish an interagency working group comprised of the Federal Government, States, localities, the aviation industry, labor unions, and other key stakeholders to plan and coordinate efforts to safely integrate AAM operations into our airspace system.

Today, we are one step closer to making what was once only thought of as a figment of the imagination--as people used to refer to flying cars and things like that. S. 516, as amended, reflects a bipartisan, bicameral agreement that will make this a reality.

It will require the development of an AAM National Strategy; include a Government Accountability Office study on the interests, roles and responsibilities of Federal, State, local, and Tribal governments affected by AAM aircraft and operations; and direct the Department of Transportation to conduct an evaluation of whether the AAM working group should be terminated after the group submits its required recommendations to Congress. It will incorporate relevant language and technical corrections from H.R. 1339; and clarify the key stakeholders with whom the new AAM working group will collaborate.

The Federal Government industry stakeholders alike recognize the potential for AAM aircraft to alleviate traffic congestion, reduce the current burden on surface infrastructure, create good-paying U.S. jobs, and provide a more environmentally sustainable mode of daily transportation.

As these new aircraft emerge in an already complex national airspace, we must be certain that they are safe for

those on board, those on the ground, and fully and safely and effectively integrated into the national airspace system.

The interagency working group and subsequent AAM National Strategy on safety, security, and infrastructure will help support the development and deployment of AAM and advance U.S. leadership in this growing global industry.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the sponsors of the original House bill, Representatives Sharice Davids and Garret Graves, for their bipartisan effort.

Mr. Speaker, I support S. 516, as amended, and I urge all my colleagues to do the same.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, we have just heard the bipartisan consensus expressed by the two speakers on that side about the looming extraordinary importance of this industry and how we have to get it right as we move forward to not impede it but also to protect safety.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly recommend this legislation to my colleagues, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2020) to provide for an online repository for certain reporting requirements for recipients of Federal disaster assistance, and for other purposes.

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 H.R. 2020.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2020. This bill would create a new online system for tracking Federal disaster projects and assistance.

When a major disaster strikes, the American people should know how and where their disaster funds are being spent without wading through reams of governmental paperwork. This legislation simplifies the data collection process for Federal disaster recovery projects.

To increase transparency to the public, the bill would also create a page on USAspending.gov where everyone can track agency disaster recovery activities and the amount of assistance expended by an agency on a quarterly basis. Federal agencies need to be held accountable to the victims of disasters so that they can have peace of mind when they are at their most vulnerable.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides to join me and support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Small Business,

Washington, DC, June 10, 2022.

Hon. Peter A. DeFazio,

Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,

House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman DeFazio: I am writing with respect to H.R.

2020, the ``Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability

Act''. Thank you for consulting with the Committee on Small

Business regarding the matters in H.R. 2020 that fall within

the Committee's jurisdiction.

As a result of your consultation with us on this measure

and in order to expeditiously move the bill to the floor, I

forego further consideration of H.R. 2020. The Committee on

Small Business takes this action with our mutual

understanding that we do not waive any jurisdiction over the

subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and

the Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as

the bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may

address any remaining issues that fall within our

jurisdiction. Further, I request your support for the

appointment of an appropriate number of conferees from the

Committee on Small Business during any House-Senate

conference involving this or similar legislation.

Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter

confirming our understanding regarding H.R. 2020 and would

ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be

included in the Committee Report and the Congressional Record

during floor consideration of the measure. Thank you for the

cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this

matter and others between our respective committees.

Sincerely,

Nydia M. Velazquez,

Chairwoman.

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

Mr. Speaker, again, as the gentleman has just said, having some transparency when you have a number of Federal agencies coming into a community that has just been devastated, whether it is in my region by wildfire or on the Gulf Coast by a hurricane or in the Midwest and the South by tornado, people need timely and good information about how the disaster relief is flowing from the Federal Government, in what amounts, and to what places so that there can be actual oversight by people who were directly impacted by the disaster.

That is why I believe this legislation has tremendous merit. I recommend that my colleagues lend their full support to it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2020, the ``Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act.''

H.R. 2020 is a bipartisan initiative to establish an online repository for reporting requirements for recipients of Federal disaster assistance.

I would like to thank my colleague, Delegate Gonzalez-Colon, for introducing this legislation to increase transparency of post-disaster assistance.

The Office of Management and Budget (0MB) along with the Sectretary of the Treasury and the head of each covered Federal agency will collaborate to create a subpage within the website, www.usaspending.gov, to make the following information available to the public:

Total amount of disaster assistance provided by the agency during quarter;

Amount of disaster assistance provided by the agency that was expanded or obligated to projects or activities; and

Detailed list of all projects or activities for which disaster assistance dispersed by the agency was expended including:

Name and description of project or activity;

Evaluation of the completion status;

Any award identification number assigned;

Catalog Disaster Assistance number assigned by FEMA;

Location of the project, including zip codes; and

Any reporting requirement information collected by a covered Federal agency with respect to that agency's disaster assistance.

H.R. 2020 will require the submission of information by covered federal agencies every 3 months.

When enacted, H.R. 2020 would include natural disasters that are major disasters or emergency declared by the President as well as any other natural disaster made by the Federal Government.

Within the past decade, we have witnessed an increase in the number of natural disasters and extreme weather as a result of climate change.

In 2021, the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) found that the United States experienced 20 separate billion- dollar weather and climate disasters.

Houston alone has been the site of 7 federally declared disasters since 2015 notably including Hurricane Harvey and Winter Storm Uri.

The growing number of natural disasters makes this legislation increasingly relevant to maintain accountability of post-disaster funds.

H.R. 2020 creates a necessary online reference portal that will be accessible by mayors, legislators, and residents to know the status of funds and their use.

These funds are vital to communities devastated by natural disasters and it is important that we ensure the funds are used for their assigned use.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2020.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7211) to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, review a final rule of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and for other purposes.

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 H.R. 7211.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7211. This bill amends the Stafford Act to expand the responsibilities of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Small State Rural Advocate so they can better assist smaller States and rural communities that have difficulty dealing with the forms and all the requirements to apply for disaster funding.

When disaster strikes the heart of a small or rural community, a significant percentage of the overall infrastructure or housing stock is often damaged or destroyed. However, the community's size may make the total dollar amount of damage seem too low for FEMA to authorize Federal assistance.

This legislation will enable the Small State Rural Advocate to better help States demonstrate localized impact when applying for Federal disaster aid. It also directs the advocate to consider factors such as the impacted jurisdiction's per capita income and poverty status, among other factors.

Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I, too, thank the gentleman from New York for his leadership on this issue and his friendship on the committee. We are both moving on to maybe greener pastures, but this is an important piece of legislation as part of his legacy. There is much more to it, but at this point, this will be something that will help people around the country.

I lost the entire town of Blue River in my district in the Labor Day fires just 2 years ago. We had winds that we had never experienced before, gusting up to hurricane force down and out of the Cascade Mountains. A power line broke and started an inferno that moved at an incredible pace down the valley.

We are lucky a lot of people didn't die. The evacuation--there is only one way in and one way out of that town, and it is a miracle that more people weren't trapped. It was an extraordinary effort.

The town, except for the high school, which was a little way out of town, was totally devastated. They are now struggling back. They didn't have any technical expertise, in terms of a professional city manager or a grant writer or anything like that.

The State has rendered a lot of assistance to them, as has the county and as has the regional FEMA office. So, they are beginning to rebuild. This legislation will make it a lot easier for communities like that in the future.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3580) to amend title 46, United States Code, with respect to prohibited acts by ocean common carriers or marine terminal operators, and for other purposes.

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 S. 3580.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 3580, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022, bipartisan and bicameral legislation to strengthen our Nation's supply chain and address unfair shipping practices, which became broadly apparent during the pandemic.

Once again, we have come together to find common ground to address the needs of the American people. I particularly want to express great appreciation for the extraordinary leadership of my colleague from California, John Garamendi, and Dusty Johnson, for their tireless work fighting for this legislation.

I would also like to acknowledge Sam Graves, the ranking member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Chairman Salud Carbajal, and Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Ranking Member Bob Gibbs. Their contributions were many, and I appreciate the time they took to work with all the stakeholders.

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the practice of business worldwide, perhaps permanently. It shuttered factories, changed consumer demand, and inundated our ports with containers. In no other time have we had such an unprecedented need for a resilient supply chain, yet if anything, the trials of the past 2 years have highlighted the inefficiencies of our transportation system, both domestically and internationally.

One response will be, hopefully, with the COMPETES Act, to onshore critical industries and components in the future. But the other is to deal with the inefficiencies of the existing system during that transition.

The importance of the maritime sector as part of America's supply chain cannot be overstated. $4.6 trillion in activity takes place annually at all the U.S. seaports.

Despite historic demand and profit levels, we have been alerted to instances of large ocean carrier conglomerates taking advantage of American exporters and importers. In fact, the three largest shipping conglomerates in the world enjoyed more profits last year than the total of their profits in the previous decade. We might call that price gouging.

Foreign-flag commercial carriers transport more than 98 percent of U.S. foreign commerce. Again, we need more significant steps to rebuild a U.S. maritime industry so, as a maritime nation, we are not dependent upon Communist China and other places, a whole bunch of developing or even nonexistent countries with flags of convenience that are substantially under the thumb of the Chinese.

Foreign-flag commercial carriers transport 98 percent, as I said, which means we must be robust in our approach to the oversight and enforcement of trade to secure fairness and economic prosperity.

The Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 gives the Federal Maritime Commission updated authority to protect exporters, importers, and consumers from unfair practices by expanding its oversight and enforcement capabilities, and it amends title 46 to increase penalties for retaliation against shippers and encourage reciprocal trade. It ensures that ocean carriers cannot refuse U.S. export cargo bookings for arbitrary reasons and makes several reforms to the way carriers levy detention and demurrage charges.

These reforms include requiring written confirmation that the fees charged are fair and comply with Federal regulations and establishing that shippers have straightforward and appropriate recourse in the event of improper detention and demurrage charges or other unfair shipping practices.

This legislation also authorizes funding levels that would adequately equip the Federal Maritime Commission to utilize its expanded oversight and enforcement capabilities. Specifically, the legislation increases the FMC's authorization from $32.9 million in 2022 to $49.2 million in fiscal year 2025, a 50 percent increase over 4 years.

This increase would ensure that key leadership positions remain filled at a time when one in five current FMC employees are eligible to retire and allow for the hiring of additional staff to improve the Commission's enforcement actions and provide timely informational and dispute resolution assistance to consumers.

The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has held multiple hearings focusing on relieving the strain on our supply chain. One recommendation we heard repeatedly is that increased data transparency and information sharing are essential to reducing lag time at trade-off points in the supply chain.

The supply chain consists of thousands of moving pieces--vessels, trucks, trains, planes--that are controlled by small teams of people making their decisions about cargo loading, timing, and routes based on weather, pricing, and other factors. We need to make it easier for all players in this system to talk to each other and share real-time information with their supply chain partners so that the goods keep flowing even when a shipper's transit plans change.

This bill works in harmony with actions taken by President Biden, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Homeland Security to make pathways for the shipping community to improve its internal communication and, in turn, relieve congestion at ports.

In closing, I stress that this legislation is vital for ensuring fair and efficient shipping, which is integral to the well-being of our economy.

Allow me, once again, to thank Representatives Garamendi and Johnson for their leadership. I look forward to unanimous passage in the House, even if a vote is called for.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Garamendi), who played a very principal role in this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 2 minutes to the gentleman.

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

Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman. I thank him for the colloquy.

Yes, I totally agree with the gentleman from South Dakota's understandings with respect to any additional promulgated rules pursuant to section 7 and to the May 18, 2020 rule now in place.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back to the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time because I had one additional speaker, but I think he is delayed in transit.

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

Mr. Speaker, I will just expand a little bit on the gentleman from California when he raised the MFN for China in 1990, most-favored- nation status. Until then, we had been able, on an annual basis, to threaten China with substantial retaliation restrictions if they violated international norms in trade.

The Clinton administration mistakenly felt that if the Chinese were given most-favored-nation status and put into the World Trade Organization that somehow they would reform their practices. They haven't; they didn't; they won't.

Interestingly, I was cleaning out a drawer in my desk today and came across a headline story where it said, ``DeFazio predicts the largest export to China will be U.S. jobs,'' and it has been. We have hemorrhaged hundreds of thousands, millions of good, family-wage manufacturing jobs in this country, developed extraordinary dependence.

The Senate version of the COMPETES Act, thanks to Senator Toomey, would actually make us more dependent on China, do away with all tariffs, including on medical protective gear and other things.

Did we learn nothing during this pandemic?

This bill is just one first step in beginning to reestablish the United States' competitive position in the world with free and ``fair'' trade--fair, underlined eight times--including the shipping companies and those who utilize or dominate those shipping companies.

This is critical legislation. I am hoping that we can make even more progress in the COMPETES Act on the Senate side and not adopt their pathetic, total kowtowing to China.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7776) to provide for improvements to the rivers and harbors of the United States, to provide for the conservation and development of water and related resources, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 7776, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, this will be the fifth consecutive 2-year authorization of the Water Resources Development Act since 2014, a tradition revived by our former chair, Bill Shuster.

I am grateful for the partnership of Ranking Member Sam Graves, Subcommittee Chairwoman Grace Napolitano, and Subcommittee Ranking Member David Rouzer for all their work in developing this historic Water Resources Development Act.

This legislation builds on the successes of previous water bills, moving projects from feasibility to construction. This 2-year cycle is critical to addressing future water resource needs of our Nation.

This bill authorizes construction of 18 reports of the Chief of Engineers that were studied and transmitted to Congress since the last water bill was signed into law. These Chief's reports represent thoroughly vetted, locally driven projects with highly engaged cost- share partners. Corps projects

cover a myriad of purposes from navigation, flood control, levees, ecosystem restoration, that will benefit communities all across the United States of America.

The bill also authorizes 72 new feasibility studies and directs the Corps to expedite the completion of 14 ongoing studies. It is critical that we keep our infrastructure in this Nation up-to-date with new challenges--with severe weather events, sea level rise, and other things--and deal with the challenges that communities across this country endure.

For two decades, I spent two decades--actually, I started longer than that--Bud Shuster in 1996--trying to free up the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund. That is a tax paid by shippers, which ultimately is passed on to consumers on the value of imported goods which have been impounded for years, totaling nearly $10 billion, while our harbors need dredging, jetties need rebuilding. We finally got that done in 2020. That was historic.

It gives the Corps more resources on the harbor side, which means they can devote a little more of their allocation to the inland waterways and to their other 40-some-odd billion dollars of backlog of critical projects across the country.

It will meet the challenge of climate change by rebuilding these navigation jetties and breakwaters to new heights and dimensions necessary for sea level rise and extreme weather. It will study the impact of coastal storms on inland flooding--which is a particular concern of the ranking member--address future water supplies in the arid West, which is a particular concern of all of us in the West, but particularly those further south and the chair of the subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, 21st century challenges should have 21st century solutions. The Corps has been hamstrung in their ability. We have worked with other Members who have heard similar concerns. We included a solution in this bill that will allow the Corps to be the innovation expert they need to be to address our Nation's ongoing new challenges.

I am also proud it will continue building upon efforts to provide equitable project outcomes and flexibility for communities with affordability concerns. It will address the needs of economically disadvantaged minority rural Tribal communities in an affordable manner.

In particular, the bill creates a Tribal liaison position within each Corps' district office. The Corps often fails to consult meaningfully with the Tribes. Tribal leaders will have a direct line of communication now into the regional office and back to the national office to get consultation, technical assistance, and information to them.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Subcommittee Chairwoman Napolitano and Representative Stanton for their tireless work advocating for our Tribal communities.

For the first time in over a decade, it significantly expands the Corps' environmental infrastructure authorities to assist more communities in addressing drinking water and wastewater needs. We need major work in these areas. Communities all across America--red, blue, whatever--are suffering, and we need these tools to help them.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Napolitano for her effort to help the Corps with flexibility and additional authorities that will help them meet future water supply needs of the arid regions of this Nation. We are rationing the Colorado River for the first time in history this year. Her input and advocacy also brought many of the environmental justice provisions to this bill--support for Tribal communities. She has been a tireless advocate for meeting the needs of her district and her State and the Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Sam Graves--I couldn't have asked for a better partner working on this bill--for his steadfast support which has made it possible. I thank the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Rouzer) for his support and wise input on the bill before us today. Their input brought in critical perspectives.

We had the subcommittee vice chair from Georgia, Representative Bourdeaux, who brought recreational safety concerns at local dams to our attention. We had the gentlewoman from Georgia (Ms. Williams), who supported a watershed-wide study of the Chattahoochee River.

I thank the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Kahele), who was an ardent advocate of native Hawaiians and ensuring their participation in activities. I thank the gentleman for giving us new perspectives on that. Representative Newman of Illinois worked hard for all the Great Lakes.

Representative Carter came to the table with fresh policy and project ideas to help Louisiana deal with natural disasters, sea level rise, and severe weather events.

Mr. Speaker, this is essential legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support it. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a list of organizations that support H.R. 7776, totaling 51 very diverse organizations. I am certain there are more.

Organizations/Letters in Support of H.R. 7776, the Water Resources

Development Act of 2022

Alabama Rivers Alliance, American Association of Port

Authorities (AAPA), American Canoe Association, American

Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), American Rivers,

American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA),

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), American Soybean

Association (ASA), American Waterways Operators (AWO),

American Whitewater, Appalachian Mountain Club, Associated

General Contractors of American (AGC), Association of

California Water Agencies (ACWA), Association of Fish and

Wildlife Agencies, California Outdoors, California

Sportfishing Protection Alliance, City Council of the City of

Newport, Oregon.

Fairfax Water, Florida Ports Council (FPC), Idaho Rivers

United, International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE),

Interstate Council on Water Policy (ICWP), Iowa Confluence

Water Trails, Laborer's International Union of North America

(LIUNA), Lake Carriers' Association, Los Angeles County

Department of Public Works, Metropolitan Washington Council

of Governments (COG), Metropolitan Water District of Southern

California, Michigan United Conversation Clubs, Multnomah

County Drainage District (MCDD), National Association of

Flood & Stormwater Management Agencies (NAFSMA), National

Audubon Society, National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA).

National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), National

Water Supply Alliance (NWSA), National Wildlife Federation,

Outdoor Alliance, Pacific Northwest Waterways Association

(PNWA), Port of Long Beach, Port of Portland, Portland Cement

Association (PCA), Public Power Council (PPC), Rafting

Magazine, The Nature Conservancy, Theodore Roosevelt

Conservation Partnership (TRCP), Trout Unlimited, U.S.

Chamber of Commerce, United Association of Union Plumbers and

Pipefitters (UA), Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI), Wild Salmon

Center.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Napolitano), who is the chair of the subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, may I ask as to how much time remains on my side.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Georgia (Ms. Bourdeaux).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Garamendi).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Kahele).

Mr. Speaker, I again inquire as to the remaining time just to check here. We are tight on time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Carter).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), who has done some extraordinary work for her district and Florida on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Schrader).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

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

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

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

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

Most of what we do here would not be possible without the hard work of staff, so I would like to take a moment specifically to thank the staff of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment that took the lead in developing WRDA 2022 and ensuring that Members' priorities and national priorities were included: Ryan Seiger, the staff director of the subcommittee, who worked to enact more of WRDA than any other staffer on Capitol Hill; Alexa Williams; Logan Ferree; Michael Bauman. On the minority side: Ryan Hambleton, the minority staff director; Leslie Parker; Tim Petty; and Melissa Beaumont. Without them and their work, we would not be here today.

Paul Sass has already been thanked a number of times, but I congratulate him on his 20 years on the Hill and wish him well in his next endeavor.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 88) authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby.

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. Con. Res. 88.

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

Mr. Speaker, today, we are again considering legislation, H. Con. Res. 88, to authorize the use of the Capitol Grounds for the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby. I thank Majority Leader Hoyer for introducing this resolution on behalf of the Washington regional delegation.

The Greater Washington Soap Box Derby is an annual competitive event that encourages boys and girls, ages 9 through 16, to construct and race their own soap box vehicles.

On Capitol Hill, the event has become a great tradition in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area over the last quarter of a century. It provides a terrific opportunity for children to appreciate the workmanship necessary to build the vehicles and enjoy the thrill of competition.

The Greater Washington Soap Box Derby organizers will work with the Architect of the Capitol and the Capitol Police to ensure appropriate rules and regulations are in place and the event remains free to the public and safe for all those involved.

Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation and urge my colleagues to join me. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the majority leader and sponsor of this legislation.

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

Again, I thank the majority leader for bringing this legislation. I misspoke earlier. I thought it had only been a quarter of a century. It has been 29 years.

That is extraordinary, and this is a wonderful event for youth. It does bring a little something to Capitol Hill other than the day-to-day business, which can sometimes be suffocating.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation unanimously, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5689) to improve the provision of Federal resources to help build capacity and fund risk-reducing, cost-effective mitigation projects for eligible State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments and certain private nonprofit organizations, 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 H.R. 5689, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5689, the Resilient AMERICA Act. This bill reflects a bipartisan agreement that will significantly enhance U.S. mitigation and resilience efforts.

Federal policy that focuses on investment in mitigation and bolstering resilience is basic good governance and will lessen the impacts of future disasters. For years, studies have demonstrated that taxpayers save up to $11 for every single dollar invested in mitigation before a disaster strikes. There is no better investment.

This legislation builds on existing mitigation efforts and will make our Nation more resilient.

First, this legislation increases the amount of mitigation funding FEMA may make available to States through the Pre-Disaster Mitigation program, also known as BRIC, and makes nonprofits eligible recipients of these funds.

Second, it expands the kind of projects eligible for mitigation assistance through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. This includes enhancing the resilience of utilities to risks from wildfire, which will be of great benefit in the Western States.

Third, this legislation sets aside funds for the implementation and enforcement of the latest building codes and standards. Building codes make our buildings safer and more resilient. Proper building codes that account for climate change can mean the difference between saving a family's home and a total loss during a disaster. I strongly support efforts to prepare buildings for actual hazard risks and climate change with updated codes.

Lastly, this legislation creates a pilot program to fund resilience projects at private homes. Often, homeowners cannot implement recommended mitigation efforts, such as creating defensible space to protect against wildfires or removing overhanging branches to remove the risk of damage from severe storms, because they are too expensive.

This pilot program will create the first Federal grant program that allows homeowners to proactively take mitigation into their own hands. I am confident that empowering individuals through this program will make families and their homes more resilient and, again, in the end, save taxpayers money.

Representing a district that was impacted by catastrophic wildfires, particularly in 2020, has made me painfully aware of the importance of the provisions within this legislation. I wish that this bill and the mitigation investments it authorizes could have been enacted prior to the 2020 fires. It may have saved some of my constituents from the trauma of losing their homes.

I thank Ranking Member Graves, as well as Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Chair Titus and Ranking Member Webster for their support and for working with us on this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides to join us and support the Resilient AMERICA Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record two letters of support for H.R. 5689, one from the Build Strong Coalition and one from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Buildstong Coalition,

Washington, DC, March 1, 2022.

Hon. Nancy Pelosi,

Speaker, House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Hon. Kevin McCarthy,

Minority Leader, House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Hon. Dina Titus,

Subcommittee Chair, House T&I Committee,

Washington, DC.

Hon. Daniel Webster,

Subcommittee Ranking Member,

House T&I Committee, Washington, DC.

Dear Speaker Pelosi and Leader McCarthy: The BuildStrong

Coalition writes to express our strong support for H.R. 5689,

the Resilient Assistance for Mitigation for Environmentally

Resilient Infrastructure and Construction by Americans

(AMERICA) Act, which was passed out of the Committee on

Transportation and Infrastructure on October 27, 2021, with

almost unanimous backing. The undersigned organizations, as

part of the BuildStrong Coalition, urge you to schedule

consideration of the bipartisan legislation on the House

floor as soon as possible.

This legislation builds on the resilience initiatives

contained in the bipartisan infrastructure package and

provides additional tools for families, businesses, and

communities to reduce climate risks ahead of the next crisis.

As our nation's disaster profile becomes increasingly

volatile and the instances of severe climate events grow, it

is critical that Congress act on this issue.

Important mitigation measures like those included in the

Resilient AMERICA Act save lives, property, and taxpayer

money, and are crucial for reducing environmental disaster

impacts. Multiple studies have demonstrated that for every $1

spent on preventative pre-disaster mitigation and resilient

construction, there is a return of as much as $11 in savings.

Such policies are good for the environment and the economy.

This comprehensive bill contains a host of provisions

designed to create a significant number of new resources for

communities to better protect themselves ahead of natural

catastrophes. This includes policies that would increase

funding for the National Public Infrastructure Pre-Disaster

Mitigation fund (commonly known as Building Resilient

Infrastructure and Communities, or BRIC, Program) created by

the Disaster Recovery Reform Act to provide grants to local

governments for risk-reducing mitigation projects that make

homes and infrastructure more resilient in advance of severe

climate events, as well as those that would harden

communities by creating new resources and incentives for

states and localities to adopt and enforce modern

constructions standards and building codes. Importantly, the

bill will also establish a new pilot program under the

Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide resources to

communities and homeowners for the purpose of retrofitting

existing homes and buildings.

The BuildStrong Coalition, formed in 2011 to respond to an

increasing number of severe disasters, is made up of a

diverse group of members representing firefighters, emergency

responders, emergency managers, insurers, engineers,

architects, contractors, and manufacturers, as well as

consumer organizations, code specialists, and many others

committed to building a more disaster resilient nation. The

BuildStrong Coalition has been a partner to Congress's work

to investigate causes of, and devise the solutions to, the

rising costs and impacts of disasters in the United States.

Our organization represents the broad, bipartisan, public-

private, and nonprofit stakeholder support for H.R. 5689.

Therefore, the BuildStrong Coalition and its allied partners

again ask that it be brought to House floor for consideration

under suspension of the rules. We look forward to working

with you and are prepared to offer our institutional

expertise throughout the process.

Sincerely,

Natalie F. Enclade, Ph.D.,

Executive Director, BuildStrong Coalition.

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus).

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

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

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

We have just heard very telling testimony from the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Graves) about the issues with the frequent problems they have had with hurricanes down there, and then the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa) talking about wildfires, which have become more and more intense and widespread and persistent in the West.

On both sides of the aisle, I think almost any Member who has had a disaster, a natural disaster in their district, can attest to the fact that if his or her community had been better prepared, if they had taken steps toward resilience, if the Federal Government had given them that guidance and perhaps some funding incentives to put in place those mitigation measures, that lives would have been saved, property would have been saved, and ultimately the Federal taxpayers would save a lot of money.

This legislation has tremendous merit, and I urge my colleagues to support it unanimously; although, of course, we will have someone on that side of the aisle who will call for a vote even though they might even vote for it. Hopefully, the Senate, in its total dysfunction, will look favorably upon this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5641) to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to increase the threshold for eligibility for assistance under sections 403, 406, 407, and 502 of such Act, 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 H.R. 5641, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5641, the SPEED Recovery Act. This bill will expedite the approval process for FEMA's small projects within the public assistance program.

The public assistance process is often slow and impeded by bureaucratic red tape, so FEMA offers a simplified approval procedure for small projects that cost $139,000 or less. When this program was implemented over 40 years ago, it was intended to capture 95 percent of public assistance project worksheets. There has been a little inflation since then.

Today, as we noted earlier, many disasters are more widespread and more expensive. Today only 75 percent of projects are being captured by the $139,000 threshold. This legislation will ensure that, once again, 95 percent of project worksheets are eligible for expedited review by raising the qualifying project threshold to $1 million.

By updating the threshold for what qualifies as a small project, barriers to relief and recovery will be alleviated and so will the time it takes communities to get back on their feet post-disaster, and it will allow the limited staff at FEMA to turn their attention to more difficult, expensive, and problematic programs.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to join with me and support this legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus), the chair of the subcommittee.

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

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

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

This is a needed adjustment in the cap, very long overdue. It will expedite assistance to individuals, but it also will free up FEMA staff for more meaningful chores and work on ongoing and future disasters, mitigation, recovery, et cetera.

It has tremendous merit, and I urge that all of my colleagues support this legislation.

It will pass by voice vote, and then someone on that side will jump up and call for a recorded vote because that is why they think they are supposed to be here.

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