Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 670, congratulating and saluting the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary for celebrating its 75th anniversary, commending the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary for its contributions to the preservation of wildlife and the native ecology of the Appalachian Mountains and eastern Pennsylvania, and commending the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary for its dedication to educating the public and the international community about wildlife conservation.

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is a wild bird sanctuary near Kempton, Pennsylvania, in my district. Hawk Mountain is located along the Appalachian flyway, which is one of several very important flyways located in the U.S. It has been called the ``center of the universe'' for hawk watchers along the Appalachian flyway, bringing an average of 20,000 hawks, eagles, and falcons past the lookouts during late summer and fall every year.

Visitors to the sanctuary, who number about 60,000 annually, learn about conservation of the raptor population. Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is the world's oldest wildlife sanctuary exclusively committed to the protection and observation of birds of prey. The sanctuary's annual count of hawks, eagles and falcons, which is the world's longest record of raptor populations, provides valuable information on changes in raptor numbers in northeastern North America.

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary plays an important role in conserving birds of prey worldwide, providing leadership in raptor conservation science and education, and maintaining a model observation, research and education facility. Therefore, I am pleased to honor the 75th anniversary of Hawk Mountain Sanctuary.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 317) recognizing the region from Manhattan, Kansas, to Columbia, Missouri, as the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on this resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 317. This resolution recognizes the contribution that the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor makes to our Nation's livestock industry. Regional efforts like this encourage businesses to innovate and use best practices developed by the bioscience industry.

Livestock is an important value-added industry that brings in millions of dollars of revenue nationwide. Ensuring that producers have access to cutting-edge products and information to improve animal health is essential to the continuing success of the livestock industry. Our entire Nation benefits from having the most competitive livestock industry worldwide.

I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 317 to recognize the Corridor's outstanding contribution to animal health.

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

Mr. Speaker, I recognize for 5 minutes the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Stupak).

Mr. Speaker, I now yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell), the dean of the House.

(Mr. DINGELL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I now recognize the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moore) for 4 minutes.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I join my colleague from Kansas in urging adoption of the resolution.

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. 95) recognizing the importance of the Department of Agriculture Forest Service Experimental Forests and Ranges.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on this resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, H. Con. Res. 95 recognizes the 100th anniversary of the first experimental forest established by the United States Department of Agriculture in Fort Valley, Arizona, and recognizes the importance of these living laboratories.

Today there are 77 experimental forests and ranges within the National Forest System. Experimental forests and ranges are valuable and dynamic resources that serve as long-term research sites.

As part of the U.S. Forest Services' research and development efforts, these experimental forests and ranges provide valuable data about various climates, forest types, vegetation, soils, ecosystems, glaciers and watersheds and other essential components of our Nation's vast natural terrain.

I want to congratulate the United States Forest Service for their outstanding work to establish and maintain this nationwide network of experimental forests and ranges over the past 100 years and encourage my colleagues to support this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Childers).

Mr. Speaker, I join the ranking member of the full committee, Mr. Lucas from Oklahoma, in urging adoption of this resolution and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 511) to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to terminate certain easements held by the Secretary on land owned by the Village of Caseyville, Illinois, and to terminate associated contractual arrangements with the Village.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on this bill.

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

H.R. 511 would provide a limited authorization regarding the administration of a flood plain easement in the village of Caseyville, Illinois. The village of Caseyville and the United States Department of Agriculture executed a warranty easement deed in 1999 under the Emergency Watershed Protection Program. However, differences in approach on how to best protect and restore the flood plain led Caseyville to seek termination of the easement, including paying back the entire easement purchase price of $60,000 to the United States Department of Agriculture.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 511 would allow the National Resource Conservation Service the flexibility to release the terms of the easement so that the village can use the land for flood prevention. This bill passed the House Agriculture Committee by voice vote earlier this year, and I encourage my colleagues to support it today.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I join the gentleman from Oklahoma in encouraging our colleagues to pass this bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3175) to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey to Miami-Dade County certain federally owned land in Florida, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on this bill.

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

H.R. 3175 was introduced by Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart of Florida to facilitate the sale of 2 acres of land at the USDA Agricultural Research Service's Subtropical Horticulture Research Station in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The land would be sold at market value to the county for the purpose of building a fire station in the village of Palmetto Bay, a community of 25,000 people. This area currently faces below-average firefighting response times when compared to other municipalities in the region.

This ARS station was established in 1898 as a plant introduction garden on 6 acres, and it has grown to about 200 acres today. The ARS station has worked with the county and the village to identify land that could be used for the fire station, and I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, so I reserve the balance of my time.

I will continue to reserve, Mr. Speaker.

I continue to reserve, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 940) to provide for the conveyance of National Forest System land in the State of Louisiana.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on this bill.

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

H.R. 940 was introduced by Congressman Rodney Alexander of Louisiana. This bill would authorize the Forest Service to sell certain residential parcels of land in the Kisatchie National Forest, located in Winn Parish, Louisiana. The total land sold would be just over 50 acres, and a local nonprofit group already living in residence on the site would have the right of first refusal to purchase the land at fair market value. H.R. 940 has the bipartisan support of all seven members of the Louisiana congressional delegation as well as the support of the U.S. Forest Service, and I urge its passage.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, so I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 81) recognizing the importance and sustainability of the United States hardwoods industry and urging that United States hardwoods and the products derived from United States hardwoods be given full consideration in any program directed at constructing environmentally preferable commercial, public, or private buildings.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on this resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 81 recognizes the importance of the U.S. hardwoods industry and recognizes the value of sustainable, abundant hardwoods as an important building material.

In the United States hardwood trees are grown primarily by small- family forest landowners who use long-term sustainable practices to grow and manage their trees.

I encourage my colleagues to support this resolution recognizing the important role of hardwood producers in the United States of America.

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

Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Ellsworth).

Mr. Speaker, I now yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Childers).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Perriello).

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1002) to adjust the boundaries of Pisgah National Forest in McDowell County, North Carolina.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1002 was introduced by Congressman Heath Shuler of North Carolina. This bill would authorize the Forest Service to purchase privately held land and modify the boundaries of the Pisgah National Forest in McDowell County, North Carolina. This will improve access to Catawba Falls, a prime recreational and tourist site in the region. The Forest Service has already purchased adjacent land for preservation, and this purchase would allow for parking and trailhead expansion in the falls area. A fiscal year 2010 appropriations request was made for the funds needed to purchase this land, and the money was included in the Interior appropriations bill that passed the House on July 7.

H.R. 1002 has the bipartisan support of the entire North Carolina congressional delegation, as well as the support of the U.S. Forest Service, and I support its passage today.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the author of the legislation from North Carolina, Mr. Shuler.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 2008-2009 Steelton-Highspire Steamrollers, from Steelton, PA in my congressional district. They completed an undefeated season with a victory over Clairton High School to become PIAA Single A State football champions.

The Steamrollers certainly had a season to remember setting school records in wins, points, and games played. They established the longest winning streak in school history with 25 wins dating back to last year. The Rollers capped off the season by winning their fourth straight District 3 title and their second consecutive PIAA State Single A Championship.

The Rollers were led by a group of seniors who will go down in Steelton-Highspire history as the most successful class in the great history of Steamroller football. In 4 years this group compiled a record of 51 wins and 9 losses winning the district title all 4 years and two state championships. The offense was led by senior tailback Jeremiah Young, who ran for 2,812 yards and 30 touchdowns on 283 carries. Mr. Young broke the State's all-time career rushing record and stands seventh all time in the Nation with 9,027 yards.

I congratulate Steelton-Highspire High School and Coach Rob Deibler on a season to remember.

I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank the gentleman for his leadership as well as the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran) and the ranking member, Mr. Goodlatte, and Chairman Peterson.

This is a pretty timely debate, Madam Speaker. I just came from a meeting with Deputy Secretary Conner about this very issue. The deputy secretary said that he would like to be helpful and Secretary Schaeffer would like to be helpful. They're just having difficulty struggling with the legal interpretation of what ``congressional intent'' was.

So it's very important that we pass this legislation today by as strong a vote as possible. The deputy secretary promised to go back and look and see if there's a way they can interpret it for what I told him that was my understanding of what congressional intent was.

I remember that evening in conference when the gentleman from North Carolina offered an amendment and a discussion came about. It was pretty clear to me, and I think everyone else in the room, that it was the intent of the conference to have this be in the aggregate. We're still having difficulty working with the department, as I mentioned. They just promised me 10 minutes ago to continue to work on it.

But I think one way that we can send a clear message is to pass this bill tonight by as overwhelming a vote as we possibly can and send it over to the Senate.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the farm bill and I rise to congratulate and commend the chairman and ranking member of the committee, and really all the members of the committee and the staff.

I think this is a shining example of how this House should work its will. This bill is bipartisan. This bill has been worked together by both sides of the aisle as we traveled around the country and listened to what producers had to say and people concerned about conservation and every title of this bill as we put this together.

This bill reflects the diversity that we have in agriculture all across this country. No one can say they got 100 percent of everything they wanted in this bill, but every region of the country has benefited from this legislation.

As was spoken about previously in the commodity title, there has been significant reform in the commodity title. Could we have gone further? Maybe we could have, but we would have lost votes in other regions of the country. In the conservation title, there is an additional $4 billion in investment in conservation that will be beneficial all across the country.

In my short time here, Mr. Speaker, the one point I would like to make is that throughout this whole day we have been hearing an awful lot of people talking about the need for the Congress to do more for energy independence. This bill reflects that with the energy title.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to control the time on behalf of Mr. Peterson.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Boswell), the chairman of the Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Subcommittee.

(Mr. BOSWELL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to recognize the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Etheridge), the chairman of the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management, for 1 minute.

(Mr. ETHERIDGE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

I thank the chairman for yielding to me and I rise in support of the conference report. But I also rise to congratulate and commend our chairman and ranking member for a job well done.

This is a bipartisan product. This committee, we very seldom have partisan disagreements, but we have regional differences, and this bill reflects those regional differences. It also reflects that all of us had to give, all of us had to compromise. Every title of this bill is a compromise that all of us worked together so that we can accomplish.

In title I, we were able to maintain the safety net at the same time to have reform written into this law. Title II on conservation, an increase of $4 billion of investment in conservation programs.

Everyone is talking about the price of energy in this country, and for the first time in an ag bill we have a significant investment in energy. We have a loan guarantee program for cellulosic ethanol that's going to allow us to begin to wean ourselves off dependency on foreign energy.

And the nutrition title in this bill is over a $10 billion increase in investment in nutrition programs in the Department of Agriculture. This is a good bipartisan agreement, and I urge its adoption.

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

Madam Speaker, it appears that my friend from Michigan's motion is to instruct the House to recede to the Senate's definition of renewable biomass. The House conferees have receded to the Senate on their definition of renewable biomass. That definition of renewable biomass that is included in the farm bill applies only to farm bill programs. This definition does not apply to H.R. 6.

The farm bill conferees report does not amend H.R. 6, that despite the fact that several members of the Agriculture Committee, including myself, are supporting efforts to amend the shortcomings we see in that bill. And I say to my friend from Michigan that I am going to have to oppose this motion to instruct at this time. And I agree with your position on this. But yet you know there are multijurisdictional concerns that have to be addressed with the Energy and Commerce Committee. And we are trying to work through all of these.

The farm bill conference is all but done. Over the last few weeks, I have been saying we need to dot our I's and cross our T's. The I's are dotted and we are crossing our T's. So even though I agree that the argument that my friend is making on the problems of H.R. 6 are correct and on target, we cannot do it on this farm bill. The hour is too late. So I would oppose my good friend's amendment at this time.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Again, the argument that my friend makes is credible. But at this time, we just cannot accept it. The conference is all but over. And I would oppose my friend's motion.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 2954) to amend Public Law 110-196 to provide for a temporary extension of programs authorized by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 beyond May 2, 2008.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this 2-week extension of the current farm bill. The conferees have been working hard, particularly Chairman Peterson and Ranking Member Goodlatte, and the chairman and ranking member in the other body. And we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but we still need some additional time to dot all the I's and cross all the T's, as we try to prepare the American people for a sound farm policy over the next several years. I think that we are going to present a farm bill to this body and to the American people that will do just that. I think this will gain overwhelming support in both bodies and will be signed by the President of the United States.

In the commodity title, we will not only sustain our safety net, but we will see significant reform. In the conservation title, where I have the privilege of chairing the subcommittee, along with Mr. Lucas who is the ranking member, we will see significantly more investment of about $4 billion into our conservation programs. And, in nutrition, which has been so important to our leadership, we will see an additional $10 billion in investment in nutrition programs.

And, finally on the energy title; we hear so much talk about our need to be less dependent upon foreign energy, we need to step up to the plate and do something. We should have done it years ago. But we cannot let this farm bill go without having a significant investment in energy. And we are proud of the work that we have been able to do on the energy title, particularly in the area of cellulosic ethanol. We think that we are going to have a program that is going to allow us to begin to wean ourselves off the dependency upon foreign energy.

So, Mr. Speaker, I believe that the conferees are working hard, they are making significant progress, but we need a little bit more time to accomplish our product.

I urge support.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on