Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate an incredible achievement by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas cheerleading team, who once again won the All Girl Division 1A Game Day Championship title last week.

This isn't the first time these amazing women have taken the top spot in one of the most prestigious championships for cheerleading. With this year's performance, an iconic Elvis-inspired homage to our city, they have reaffirmed themselves as not just national champions, but a national powerhouse for years to come.

I congratulate every cheerleader, coach, and family member who made this success possible.

Go Rebels.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the life of retired Chief Warrant Officer Daniel Peterson, a champion for southern Nevada's veteran community.

Chief Peterson was a highly decorated Army veteran and unrelenting advocate for those around him. After flying helicopters in the Army for more than 20 years, he came home to serve as the commander of the Henderson chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, to be a member of the Henderson Vietnam Veterans of America, and attend as many unaccompanied veteran burial ceremonies as he could find. He also went to every Veterans Treatment Court graduation and never hesitated to offer his support to fellow veterans in need.

To be clear, it is impossible to sum up Chief Peterson's decades of service in just one speech on the House floor. That is part of the reason why I had the privilege of working with the Library of Congress for his story to be part of the Veterans History Project.

While he has too many medals to name here, I can say this: Chief Peterson was a mentor, a father, a spouse, a leader, a friend, a protector, and a servant to both southern Nevada and our entire country.

I extend my condolences and prayers to Dan's wife, Eileen, and his four children and stepchildren. We all owe Dan a debt of gratitude. We will all miss him.

Unconditional Aid for Eaton Fire Victims

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor the loss of retired Chief Warrant Officer Daniel Peterson--a champion for southern Nevada's veteran community.

Chief Peterson was a highly decorated Army Veteran and unrelenting advocate for those around him.

After flying helicopters in the Army for more than 20 years, he came home to serve as Commander of the Henderson Chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, be a member of the Henderson Vietnam Veterans of America, and attend as many Unaccompanied Veterans Burial Ceremonies as he could find. He also attended every Veterans Treatment Court graduation and never hesitated to offer his support to fellow veterans in need.

To be clear: it is impossible to sum up Chief Peterson's decades of service in just one speech on the House floor. That's part of the reason why I had the privilege of working with the Library of Congress for his story to be part of the Veterans History Project.

But while he has too many medals to name here, I can say this: Chief Peterson, you were a mentor, leader, a friend, a protector, and a servant to both southern Nevada and our entire country.

We all owe him a debt of gratitude, and we will all miss him.

Mr. Speaker, my vote was not recorded on Wednesday, December 11. Had it been recorded, I would have voted YES on Roll Call No. 499.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mrs. Peltola and Ms. Maloy for their leadership.

Abandoned hardrock mines are scattered all across the American West, including in my own district, which is home to some of the oldest mine lands in Nevada. Their pollutants are poisoning our waters, threatening Tribal lands and resources, and creating hazardous landscapes that have injured and killed Americans.

A range of highly qualified partners, from State and local agencies to the nonprofit guardians of America's great outdoors, such as Trout Unlimited, stand ready to work with the Federal Government to clean up these sites.

Today's bipartisan, bicameral legislation will safely and responsibly cut through red tape currently preventing these Good Samaritans from doing so. It has taken 25 years of consensus building to craft this version of the Good Sam bill now on the floor. That is a quarter century of collaboration that has earned this version of the bill the support of every Member of the U.S. Senate; our Transportation and Infrastructure Committee; a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers, myself included, who have led the charge to get this legislation across the finish line in this Congress; and stakeholders from The Nature Conservancy to the National Congress of American Indians and the Western Governors' Association.

Mr. Speaker, here is a sobering reminder: Across these multiple decades, abandoned hardrock mines have continued to send mercury, arsenic, lead, and other toxic materials into our rivers and communities.

Let's take a look back in history to highlight just one example.

When the Senator from Montana first proposed the Good Sam legislation back in 1999, officials from the State were hoping that it would provide a pathway for them to help clean up an 1800s-era abandoned mine polluting Montana's Corbin Creek. After 25 years, with Good Sam bill after Good Sam bill dying here in Washington, Corbin Creek still remains on Montana's list of impaired waters to this day, and for no good reason since Good Samaritans have been willing to actively assist.

The time for talking is over. It is now time for the House to act. Before Congress adjourns, we have a historic opportunity to put our Nation on an accelerated path to cleaner waters and safer landscapes. This Good Sam bill is a good bill.

The Clean Water Act and Superfund both aim to restore and maintain

the integrity of America's waters, and this bill moves us

closer to that objective. It also includes multiple

protections and provisions to prevent any abuse or

backsliding.

Mr. Speaker, I ask both my Republican and Democratic colleagues to join me in voting at long last to pass it.

Mr. Speaker, my votes were not recorded today. Had they been recorded, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 470, YEA on Roll Call No. 471, YEA on Roll Call No. 472, and YEA on Roll Call No. 473.

Mr. Speaker, my votes were not recorded today. Had they been recorded, I would have voted YES on Roll Call No. 466 and YES on Roll Call No. 467.

Madam Speaker, my vote was not recorded today. Had it been recorded, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 465.

Mr. Chair, I am not sure how familiar everyone is with the committee proceedings on this legislation, but just in case, I want to offer a little refresher.

This is not the first time that I have spoken out on the majority's either inability or outright refusal to do what is right by our Nation's firefighters.

In August 2023, my friend and colleague, Representative Joe Neguse, who is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Federal Lands, introduced the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act of 2023. This bipartisan legislation would permanently fix the pay cliff that our firefighters, our hometown heroes who are actually out there fixing our forests, are facing at the end of this week.

We have known about this pay cliff for well over a year, but here we are, nearing the end of 2024, and the majority has still failed to enact a permanent fix. There is certainly not one in this bill, the Fix Our Forests Act.

Right now, the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act of 2023 has over two dozen champions on both sides of the aisle, evenly divided by Democrats and Republicans, myself included. Yet, all we have to show for this is yet another temporary fix in this week's CR, with Republican leadership once again stringing along these

men and women in uniform for another few months without a permanent solution.

As appropriators on both sides of the aisle have emphasized, these temporary patches end up costing taxpayers more than simply locking in a permanent pay fix. Strangely, this all comes after the House Republicans actually did vote for a permanent fix, as the chairman has stated.

Let me clear this up: It was part of the fiscal year 2025 Interior appropriations bill, which stands no chance of making it to the President's desk because of the majority's insistence on including over 80 poison pill policy riders to appease partisan extremists. If they were serious, they would have dropped these partisan riders.

Now, in spite of the bipartisan support for both the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act and my own amendment to this bill to achieve the same goal, the majority is now claiming that that permanent pay fix is somehow not germane to the Fix Our Forests Act.

I ask, again, who exactly are the people on the front lines doing the work of fixing our forests? Answer: Our wildland firefighters.

Men and women are being paid less than a living wage in one of the wealthiest countries in the world to literally jump out of planes and contain fires before they burn down our homes and businesses.

Mr. Chair, instead, we are going to slap a Band- Aid on this and revisit the pay issue after another congressional recess, which just got longer.

Meanwhile, these firefighters will hold their breath for another torturous 3 months, or even worse, they will get fed up and walk off the job, and our country will be less safe as a result.

What is happening is not just wrong, but it is nonsensical. We have firefighters risking their lives, needing a fix, with Republicans and Democrats both supporting a fix. Either a standalone bill or an amendment to this bill would provide that permanent fix, yet we don't have one. No more excuses.

Mr. Speaker, my votes were not recorded today. Had they been recorded, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 436, YEA on Roll Call No. 437, NAY on Roll Call No. 438, and YEA on Roll Call No. 439.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to congratulate the first woman in history to score 1,000 points in a single WNBA season, the Las Vegas Aces' very own A'ja Wilson.

I had the honor of witnessing A'ja make history last Sunday against the Connecticut Suns, where her signature fade-away mid-range jumper landed her in the history books once again.

A'ja and the rest of the back-to-back world championship Vegas Aces are well known for breaking records, but this one felt particularly special.

I thank A'ja and everyone in the Vegas Aces family for making their city proud. We look forward to cheering them all on as the Aces get one step closer to going back to back to back this year.

Madam Speaker, today I rise in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month to recognize the vibrant Hispanic community that makes southern Nevada an incredible place to live, work, and raise a family.

Hispanic Americans make up nearly one-quarter of my district and about 30 percent of Nevada. They are a testament to the American Dream that makes our Nation so strong.

From businesses of all sizes, southern Nevada would not be the same without the entrepreneurship and dedication of our local Hispanic community. Folks who literally built Vegas from the ground up continue to be an enormous part of our one-of-a-kind 24/7 economy.

Of course, these proud Nevadans aren't just creating businesses. They are transforming our local economy, fostering inclusive growth, and bridging cultural gaps between our communities.

I look forward to continuing to work alongside our families to strengthen our Hispanic voices and complement their hard work at home with the economic resources they need.

I look forward to being back in southern Nevada soon to celebrate this important month together.

Child Tax Credit

Ms. LEE of NEVADA. Madam Speaker, today I rise on behalf of working families across southern Nevada. I am talking about casino workers who work weekends, healthcare workers who often work through the night, or the entrepreneurs who take no breaks trying to launch their new businesses.

Each and every one of these parents are trying to do what should be a basic right in this country: to work one job and to raise a family. However, in order to do that, they need more money in their pockets and access to quality childcare.

We have a tool that can help make that a reality. It is expanding the child tax credit. That is why I was proud to vote for exactly that in the bipartisan tax package earlier this year that will lower costs and keep more money in Americans' pockets. Sadly, there are extremists right here in Congress who disagree. They want to cut the child tax credit, a proven tool for helping families who are struggling to make ends meet.

If Congress does not act, these extremists will win, and the child tax credit will be slashed.

I am calling on the Senate to get this legislation to the President's desk and deliver the relief that working parents in southern Nevada and beyond need.

Mr. Speaker, my vote was not recorded on Tuesday, July 9. Had it been recorded, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 340.

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

H.R. 897 would establish the Alabama Underwater Forest National Marine Sanctuary, which would safeguard a remarkable and ancient natural reserve.

In 2004, Hurricane Ivan unearthed a well-preserved ancient cypress forest, still rooted in the mud, 60 feet underwater in the Gulf of Mexico, south of Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Scientific analysis of the cypress trees reveals that they are over 50,000 years old, dating back to a time when the sea levels were approximately 400 feet lower than today.

This forest is a unique relic of our planet's past and the only known site where a coastal forest of such antiquity remains preserved.

The Alabama underwater forest is a valuable source of information, offering insights into ancient climate conditions, regional rainfall patterns, insect populations, and plant life on the Gulf Coast before humans inhabited the Americas.

However, its preservation is under threat.

In 2020, a furniture company applied for a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers to harvest the ancient cypress wood for profit.

Establishing this marine sanctuary will prevent commercial exploitation and protect this irreplaceable ecosystem for future generations. It will ensure that the site remains undisturbed, allowing for continued scientific research and environmental education.

Additionally, the sanctuary will provide opportunities for ecotourism and research, boosting the local economy while fostering a greater understanding of our natural heritage.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation to protect and preserve this unique piece of natural history. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

H.R. 5441 would reauthorize the Long Island Sound programs at the current funding level of $40 million annually through fiscal year 2028. These vital programs include the Long Island Sound Grants and the Long Island Sound Stewardship Grants.

The Long Island Sound is a tidal estuary and marine sound, and it is a unique and irreplaceable natural resource. It stretches approximately 110 miles across the north shore of Long Island and the coast of Connecticut.

Its extensive watershed reaches into Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Quebec.

The sound was formed around 15,000 years ago when a terminal moraine dam failed, allowing freshwater from glacial Lake Connecticut to mix with the Atlantic Ocean. This newly formed estuary supported indigenous communities for over 11,000 years before European colonization.

Today, the areas surrounding Long Island Sound are heavily developed, leading to significant degradation of its water quality and ecosystems due to pollution from industry, agriculture, sewage, and runoff.

Despite this, the sound's unique hydrology and geology support diverse coastal ecosystems, including marshes, tidal pools, dunes, and eelgrass meadows.

These habitats are home to abundant wildlife, including the endangered shortnose sturgeon. Protecting these ecosystems and species remains an ongoing and critical challenge that requires continuous support.

The management of Long Island Sound falls to the States, not the Federal Government. In 1985, Congress established the Management Conference of the Long Island Sound Study to address significant environmental issues affecting the sound.

This conference brings together the EPA, New York State, Connecticut, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions to restore and protect the sound and its watershed.

The conference oversees numerous initiatives, including monitoring and pollution control programs, grant coordination, public education, outreach, and policy development.

Reauthorizing these programs through H.R. 5441 is essential for the sound's continued recovery and conservation. These efforts will help restore water quality, protect vital ecosystems, and ensure the sound remains a vibrant and healthy resource for future generations.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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