Floor Statements

The current language in the substitute amendment provides a tax incentive to employers hiring veterans who have been discharged from the armed services in 2008, 2009, and 2010.

My amendment would expand this tax incentive to employers to include veterans discharged from the armed services between September 2001 and December 2010, including veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

This group of veterans has a 6.1-percent rate of unemployment. Expanding the tax incentive to employers will help ensure that we do not leave these veterans out in the cold. It ensures that employers are encouraged to hire these men and women and to put them back to work. I hope my colleagues will join me in adopting this amendment. I thank both sides for working with me on this.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendment be set aside so that I may call up amendment No. 359.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. President, as I rise today, our Nation is in the midst of a deep recession. Families across America are losing their homes and business owners are being forced to close doors. In my home State of New Mexico, local workforce solutions offices are besieged with calls from people who need help. Customer service centers are cutting jobs and parents can't pay for their kids' school lunches.

Our responsibility is to act, and we must do so with the accountability and oversight the American taxpayers deserve.

For months, I have been advocating for an economic recovery package that puts the American people first, one that is carefully targeted to create jobs and stabilize our economy by making the long-term investments economists have said we need now. For years we have neglected to make the needed investments in energy and in conservation, infrastructure, health care, and so much more. Today we have the opportunity to change course. We have the opportunity to make these necessary investments and help shore up our economy at the same time.

I wish to thank Chairman Inouye and Chairman Baucus for their hard work in bringing this bill before us.

Make no mistake, the package we have before us is not perfect. There are many improvements that, after all the hours of work and all the hours of debate, could make it better. I rise to bring forth one more improvement we can make now.

Today I am offering an amendment which both helps address our current economic crisis and takes care of the very individuals who have been fighting for us: our veterans. My amendment, which I am proud to be joined in offering by the distinguished Senator from Louisiana, Ms. Landrieu, will help ensure that our veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are remembered as we push for job creation in our country.

The current language in the substitute amendment provides a tax incentive to employers hiring veterans who have been discharged from the armed services in 2008, 2009, and 2010. I strongly applaud this amendment and thank Chairman Baucus for his leadership on this issue. However, the numbers show veterans discharged before the years included in the underlying language are also struggling to find employment. In fact, in September 2007, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that of those veterans who served in our military since September 2001, 6.1 percent were unemployed. As we know too well, since the study was completed in September of 2007, the economy has only worsened.

Therefore, I offer this amendment to expand the tax incentive to employers to include veterans discharged from the armed services between September 2001 and December 2010, including veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Those soldiers leaving the military after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, serving with great distinction and honor, are finding themselves back in a shrinking workforce. Yet we know from study after study that these men and women have substantial capabilities in technology, mathematics, management, crisis response, and so many other areas that are critical to employers. Expanding the tax incentive to cover employers who hire any veteran who has served since September 11 will help ensure that we do not leave these veterans out of our recovery package. It ensures that employers are encouraged to hire these men and women and put them back to work for our Nation.

The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America are strongly supportive of this expansion. I urge my colleagues to join me in adopting it today.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, as I rise to give this maiden speech in our Chamber, we all know we are living in very difficult times. Our current economic crisis has only accelerated problems that have been growing for years. America's manufacturing sector was declining before this crisis, and when this crisis has passed, we will still need a blueprint for creating high-paying jobs and growing the middle class.

Meanwhile, our energy policies pose a threat to the economic, environmental, and national security of our Nation and the world. I believe these two problems, our economic stagnation and our energy irresponsibility, demand a common solution. We must put Americans to work building the energy economy of the future, and we must do so now.

I often say our energy policies have produced a perfect storm, a combination of three extraordinary challenges

that collectively threaten our future. First, America's dependence on fossil fuels threatens our economy. As natural gas provides a growing share of America's electricity, the price of gas has more than tripled since 1995, and growing demand promises to make matters worse.

Second, America's energy policies threaten our security. America has 3 percent of the world's natural gas reserves, but we consume 25 percent of the world's supply. That increasingly means sending American dollars to Russia and Iran, two countries that sit on more than 43 percent of the world's gas reserves and two countries that have shown their willingness to use energy as an instrument of coercion.

Finally, humans have managed to overwhelm the Earth's carbon cycle. The balance that sustained life on Earth for millennia has been radically altered. In New Mexico, this means fewer farms and more forest fires, more thirst and less water, the end of a unique and treasured way of life.

Some people say the world's demand for fossil fuels has not yet begun to outstrip supply, or that the climate is not changing back that quickly. I look at it this way. We are driving toward the cliff. I do not want to spend a lot of time arguing about how far off the cliff is. I want to stop accelerating.

So what do we do? In the short term, we need to do it all. We need to drill responsibly for domestic energy, we should promote conservation, and nuclear power has to be part of the mix.

But we also need reforms to prepare us for the future. When I was in the other body, I fought for and we passed a renewable electricity standard, an RES. This plan would demand that large utilities generate a portion of their energy from renewable sources and conservation. Thanks in large part to my colleague who is on the floor today, the senior Senator from New Mexico, Mr. Bingaman, the Senate has passed this proposal three times. Similar policies have succeeded at the State level. In fact, 28 States have renewable standards, including my home State of New Mexico. But a national RES has never become the law of the land. It is time for Congress to make it so.

There are many reasons to support this plan. To start, it is good for consumers. With a 20-percent standard, utility customers could save $31.8 billion. It will strengthen rural communities and provide new income for farmers and ranchers. This plan will make America safer. The billions of dollars it would generate are dollars that will stay in America and cannot be used to hold our foreign policy hostage. But most importantly, a national renewable standard will create hundreds of thousands of high-paying jobs, jobs that cannot be outsourced. Study after study shows that shifting capital to renewable energy increases job creation.

Not only will this plan stimulate job creation today, it will put us on a path toward dominance in the industries of the future. These benefits will come from the actions of private businesses making the RES a distinctly American solution to a global problem. That is why it will succeed. As one writer has put it, the only thing stronger than Mother Nature is ``father profit.''

Because it works with the private sector, an RES is more than a government program. It is an appeal to the spirit of innovation. I know we have enough of that innovative spirit to tackle any challenge we face. I see it in the people of New Mexico. I see it in the scientists chasing new ideas, in entrepreneurs betting their time and capital on the hope of a better world, in engineers searching blueprint sketches for the submerged outline of a revolution. My constituents are eager to tackle the problems that face our country. I know yours are too. But these citizens have been poorly served by their Government. Just last month, a renewable energy company from my State was forced to lay off most of its workforce. After investing in a new technology, the company could not afford to begin manufacturing. As a result, the progress of their innovations has been delayed, and the dreams of their workers have been deferred.

It did not have to be this way. Countries that have done more to shape their energy markets have created driving green energy industries. With a population roughly a quarter as large as America's, Germany has twice as many workers developing wind energy technologies. Spain has almost 5 times as many workers in the solar thermal industry as America, and China has more than 300 times.

Today our markets do not accurately price the social cost of burning fossil fuels. As a result, the private sector is effectively being told to send American dollars overseas, to ignore the coming decline in fossil fuel supplies, and to radically alter the world's climate. It is a credit to America's energy companies that so many of them have invested in alternative fuels and conservation. But individual acts of responsibility cannot compensate for a market that encourages irresponsibility. If we are going to make the changes we need, conservation cannot be an act of personal virtue, and renewable fuels cannot be luxury alternatives. An RES would structure the marketplace so those decisions that are best for the American people are also the best for the bottom line. This approach will make the market a powerful force for progress because Government cannot tackle this problem alone.

New Mexico contains two of America's preeminent national labs. We know these public institutions have an incredible innovative capacity, but we also know Government needs private sector partners to achieve its goals. From 1970 to 1996, Los Alamos National Lab, the institution that harnessed the power of the atom and launched America's national lab system, developed a technique for cleanly and efficiently using the Earth's heat to generate energy. Estimates indicated that the technique could eventually power the Earth for hundreds of years. But without market incentives to encourage continued development, progress stagnated.

Only recently have American businesses rediscovered the geothermal technologies this country pioneered. Because our markets do not appropriately value renewable energy, we lost more than a decade while the world raced ahead. America cannot afford to let another country become the world's green energy leader. Someday soon, green energy will no longer be an alternative; it will be the standard. The CEO of GE Energy recently testified before Congress that wind and solar energy are likely to be among the largest sources of new manufacturing jobs worldwide during the 21st century. The question is whether these jobs will be in America. That is what I want, and that is what we need to do.

America has always succeeded by being one step ahead. We mass produced the car, and American manufacturing built the middle class. We sparked the IT revolution, and our high-tech industry fueled American prosperity for years. Today being one step ahead means developing the green energy economy of the future before anybody else does. The challenge is huge but so is the payoff if we succeed--a stronger economy, a more secure future, and a chance to reclaim the mantle of world leadership by the force of our example and the unmatched capacity of our people. It is clear these are difficult times. I devoted this speech to a proposal I believe will allow us to meet these difficulties head on and to emerge a safer, stronger, more prosperous Nation. I believe the American people are ready for change, and they are ready for the change this plan represents. It is up to us to rise to the challenge.

Should we do so--and I am confident we will--we will remember today as a time when America again turned a global threat into a national opportunity. We will remember the day when our Government set free the power of American industry to tackle one of the world's toughest problems, and we will celebrate the time when American businesses and American workers rose and together rebuilt a newer world, a clean energy world.

I also wish to thank today a number of my colleagues and friends: My cousin, Mark Udall, from the great State of Colorado; Senator Bingaman, whom I mentioned, who has been a leader on these renewable technologies and has gotten this proposal that I talked about today through the Senate three times. I see Jeanne Shaheen, who is also in my class; Jeff Merkley, Debbie Stabenow, Sherrod Brown, Bob Casey, many Members who are here. I am grateful.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam Speaker, Like so many New Mexicans, Alice King's biggest contribution to our state was her children. Unlike other New Mexicans, though, Alice's children include thousands of young New

Mexicans helped by her work over nearly three decades.

Every girl who has experienced New Mexico's Girls Ranch; every boy treated at Carrie Tingley Children's Hospital; every child protected by the Children, Youth and Families Department: all owe a debt of gratitude to the inimitable Alice King. She will be remembered for her charm; her down-to-earth dignity; and, her fierce commitment to public service.

Alice's journey from the ranches of Moriarty to the Governor's Mansion might have changed a woman with less courage and confidence. But Alice never forgot the values she had been raised with. She never turned her back on the small towns of our state. And she never lost the strong sense of community obligation that she learned in Moriarty. She remained rooted in a place and a time where your neighbor's children were your responsibility, and she brought that sense of duty to her work in Santa Fe and around the State.

Jill and I send our prayers to Alice's son Gary and the rest of her remarkable family. They, and the rest of New Mexico, have lost a truly great woman.

Madam Speaker, with all of the rhetoric about today's loan package, it is easy to lose track of the decision we have to make. We can, as some have suggested, decide to let two of America's largest businesses go bankrupt in the coming months. If that happens, more than 2 million workers will likely lose their jobs. Communities across this country will be devastated. According to estimates, New Mexico alone stands to lose roughly 10,000 jobs. New Mexicans who ask nothing more than to work hard and provide for their families will be forced to put their dreams on hold.

Or, we can pass this bill.

Nobody disagrees that the auto industry has made mistakes. Car company CEOs have been reckless and short-sighted. While Japanese companies were rushing to produce hybrids, American companies were suing states like New Mexico to stop energy efficiency standards. While other companies were investing in the cars of the future, Big Three executives were trying desperately to turn back the clock. They refused to anticipate rising energy prices. Today, their irresponsibility threatens their companies, their employees and millions of American workers.

But we should not punish 3.3 million American workers and their families for the errors of a few executives. Yes, car company CEOs have been reckless and short-sighted. But that ends today. If this proposal passes, American car companies will trade in their Hummers for hybrids. And in the process, they will build an industry ready to compete in the 21st Century. But all these changes will not be possible unless we act now.

Unlike TARP, which I opposed, this plan tells executives that if they do not change, they will not survive. If the auto industry does not have an acceptable viability plan in three and a half months, they will not see another dime of taxpayer money. Whatever money they have received will have to be repaid immediately.

Today's vote does not spend one additional taxpayer dollar. We have already approved $25 billion to help the American auto industry build energy efficient cars. I supported that because it was necessary to force Detroit to modernize. Today's legislation simply provides some of that money right now to make sure that there is an American auto industry to modernize. More importantly, this bill provides increased oversight to ensure that taxpayer dollars help American workers and drivers, not stockholders or executives. It mandates that our money will not be spent on executive salaries, dividends or corporate jets. It institutes unprecedented controls to protect the people's money from misuse. Most importantly, it ensures that Detroit can no longer continue with business as usual.

Madam Speaker, we face great economic challenges, some of the most difficult in decades. Job reports last week showed half a million jobs lost in November alone. This is not a perfect bill; it is just the best we could get from this president. But given the current climate, we cannot afford to risk another 3 million jobs by refusing to act. That is why today I will be voting yes.

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, we cannot allow the understandable focus on Wall Street to distract us from the struggles facing America's working families. The families of more than 5,000 New Mexico workers who are still looking for jobs in our struggling economy could soon face destitution. On this day when we consider legislation providing $700 billion in taxpayer dollars to bail out Wall Street, we must do something to help the working families and to make our economy start producing jobs again.

The Unemployment Insurance extension bill we are voting on today does what is right for New Mexico workers who need a helping hand so their families can make ends meet while they look for jobs in our struggling economy. It also does what's right for every New Mexico family concerned about our state's economy, because it will boost economic growth so we can start producing jobs again. Experts consider extending unemployment insurance to be one of the quickest and most efficient ways to make the economy produce jobs again, since the benefits go to workers who need the money and will spend it quickly. Moody's Investor Service's Economy.com Chief Economist Mark Zandi estimates that every $1 increase in UI benefits results in a $1.64 infusion of economic activity.

Numbers released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that America has lost jobs for 9 straight months. New Mexico's unemployment rate rose from 4.1 percent to 4.6 percent in August, the last month for which numbers are available. It is up from 3.1 percent in January. Since the beginning of the year, the economy has lost 760,000 jobs. The job loss in September was the largest one-month jobs loss in 5\1/2\ years, more than twice the average of the previous 8 months.

These numbers make two things clear. First, the Bush administration's economic policies have failed, and we need to go in a new direction. Second, American workers need our support. They are suffering because of economic policies they had nothing to do with. As I continue to work for real reforms to fix our financial system, I will not forget New Mexico's working families.

Madam Speaker, 4 days ago, I opposed a bailout plan that did too little for homeowners, too much for executives, and nothing to prevent Wall Street from repeating the mistakes that got us into this crisis. That bill would have put the U.S. taxpayer on the hook for $700 billon to bail out Wall Street, the very people whose irresponsibility helped to undermine America's economy and threaten the jobs and life savings of millions of American families.

Make no mistake: America faces a serious crisis. We must do something, but we cannot let fear drive our decision-making. Our solution should meet the demands of the day without producing more suffering in the future. We have the time to get this right, but the proposal we considered on Monday had significant problems.

At that time, I suggested several commonsense changes to Monday's bill. Those changes have not been made.

I said we must do more to protect taxpayers. Today's bill still falls short.

I said we should do more to protect responsible homeowners and their neighbors from foreclosures and plummeting property values. This bill still falls short.

I said we must ensure executives who ran their companies into the ground cannot walk away with millions in taxpayer-funded golden parachutes. This bill still falls short.

And I said that while American taxpayers continue to struggle we should not bail out foreign companies whose governments are doing nothing. Again, this bill still falls short.

Perhaps most importantly, this legislation does nothing to protect us from facing a similar crisis in the future. Today's situation is the direct result of a culture in Washington that allowed Wall Street to gamble with America's future. This legislation sends the message that when Wall Street's gambles do not pay off, the taxpayer will bail them out. Imagine for a moment that you send a friend into a casino and tell him: if you win, you keep the winnings; if you lose, I'll pay your losses. You would expect nothing but irresponsibility, and that is exactly what this bill will give us. We need commonsense rules to protect against that irresponsibility, and this bill provides none.

For all these reasons, I will vote against today's proposal, just as I voted against very similar legislation 4 days ago. The only difference between this bill and the bill we rejected on Monday that has anything to do with America's financial markets is an increase in FDIC insurance limits. This may do something, but it is nowhere near enough to justify supporting today's bill.

Whether or not this legislation passes today, Congress must keep working on a new framework for our financial system. Experts have produced good proposals on a variety of issues. Some have even passed this House. But we also need to begin working on a systemic overhaul of our regulatory structures, our financial rules, and the incentives that govern our markets. In this hour of crisis, we have a rare opportunity to protect future generations from the turmoil we have seen. We must seize this opportunity.

Unfortunately, the Senate has chosen to add unrelated provisions rather than fixing a deeply flawed proposal. I want to note that my vote today does not suggest any disagreement with the important package of tax cuts that was added in the last few days. I have consistently supported tax cuts for the middle class, including fixes for the Alternative Minimum Tax. I have advocated mental health parity legislation, and voted for it repeatedly. I have fought for tax credits to spur green industries and produce jobs. And I have worked to protect the Secure Rural Schools and Payment In Lieu of Taxes programs that would be extended by this bill. However, even with these provisions, I cannot support a $700 billion taxpayer bailout--a plan that will have a large and widespread impact for generations--that has been rushed through with so many serious flaws and so many problems left unaddressed.

Today's vote is difficult, but I believe it is what's right for New Mexico's Third Congressional District, and the people of New Mexico and our Nation.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to introduce a bill today that will extend authorization of the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basin fish recovery programs. I am pleased to be joined in doing so by Representatives Mark Udall, John Salazar, Jim Matheson, Marilyn Musgrave, Diana DeGette, and Heather Wilson.

The Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program and the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program were established under cooperative agreements as multiagency partnerships in 1988 and 1992, respectively.

This bill will allow the continuation of two already very successful programs. Established in 1988 and 1992, the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program and the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program are run as partnerships between water users. These partners include the States of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming; Bureau of Reclamation; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Western Area Power Administration, Bureau of Land Management; National Park Service; Bureau of Indian Affairs; Southern Ute Indian Tribe; Ute Mountain Ute Tribe; Jicarilla Apache Nation; Navajo Nation; environmental organizations; water users; and power customers. The cooperation and compromise that emerges from the union of such diverse parties has been key to the past success of these programs, and to the preservation of western fish species.

State, tribal, and community partnerships have allowed these fish recovery programs to succeed without compromising the rights and wellbeing of surrounding communities and water users. Recovery programs have actually helped 1,600 Federal, tribal, and non-Federal water projects meet Endangered Species Act, ESA, compliance in their consumption of three million acre-feet of San Juan and Colorado River basin water per year. Passage of this bill would help ensure the recovery of endangered fish and the continued compliance of water users to ESA standards. Water and fish habitat, so scarce in the arid West, can only properly be managed through the kind of cooperation and coordination that is made possible by the Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Improvement Act.

Upper Colorado and San Juan River basin recovery programs focus on four fish species, including humpback chub, bonytail, Colorado pikeminnow, and razorback sucker. Successful restoration projects have included the construction of fish passages, fish screens, hatcheries, flood plain and instream habitat, and even a reservoir to provide flow augmentation. These facilities, costing approximately $100 million to date, will require rehabilitation and replacement into the future as the natural impact of floods and debris wears on them. Extended authorization and increased funding, as included in this bill, will allow for continued upkeep of these facilities, and completion of other habitat preservation projects.

With bills such as this, we are clearing a sound path for addressing our future water scarcity issues. Through the programs authorized in this bill, western water users are able to gain access to this vital resource while not compromising the habitat and survival of the species who share that water.

Madam Speaker, for Joey Hagerty, one of my constituents from the City of Rio Rancho, this year has been the best of times, and it has been the worst of times.

In March, Joey's dad was in a terrible car accident.

Like any other son in a similar situation, Joey found himself traveling back and forth between his work and his family's home, where his father was slowly recuperating. Unlike most of America's sons, however, Joey's work was at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. While his father was healing, Joey was training to be an Olympian.

Joey kept up his training even as he helped comfort his father. In June, Mike Hagerty got to watch his son qualify for the Beijing Olympics. Last month, he saw something he never thought he would see. Mike watched his son help propel the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team to a bronze medal.

Joey showed a commitment--to family and to excellence--that should inspire all of us. He represents the true spirit of the Olympics.

I rise today to honor Joey Hagerty, the first Olympian from Rio Rancho, a talented athlete and a devoted son.

Mr. Speaker, history will remember Stephanie Tubbs Jones as a trailblazer. News reports about her death are littered with firsts: first black woman to represent Ohio in the House, first black woman on Ways and Means, first woman and first African-American prosecutor in Cuyahoga County.

Those who worked with her will remember her electric smile, the kind of smile that made you feel like everything would be alright. We will remember her warmth, how she could hug somebody and give them a piece of her high spirits. She had that uncanny ability to make everybody she encountered--from presidents to homeless constituents--feel like they had known her for years. Her gift was to connect with people on a purely human level. No pretense. When confronted with immensely powerful men and women, she would treat them

with the same casual kindness that won her the love of her constituents back in Cleveland.

Most importantly, we will remember her courage. Stephanie was never intimidated by anybody or anything. When she saw injustice, she did something about it, even when the battle would be difficult and victory uncertain. She spoke for those in need of a champion. In her career, she transcended the barriers of race, class and gender that continue to undermine the great American creed of equal opportunity. In her work, she helped ensure that those barriers will not stop future generations of Americans from achieving their potential.

Stephanie loved warm words, but she preferred strong actions. Let her example help us to speak truth to power and stand up for justice. The best tribute we could offer to so passionate and committed a public servant is to continue her work.

Today I rise to introduce a bill to complete two major tribal water settlements in northern New Mexico, the Aamodt and Abeyta settlements. Introduction of this bill represents a major milestone in the completion of these important settlements. Years of work and negotiation have gone into each of these, and I am pleased that the tribes, villages, cities, counties, acequias, and community groups involved were able to come to an agreement that is mutually beneficial.

New Mexico is a state rich with tradition and culture, where the water resources are scarce and precious. As is common in most of the arid west, this vital but limited commodity can foster conflict between communities and individuals, and in a state where the history is long and complex, disputes over water are equally complicated. But, despite the complications surrounding water tenure, New Mexicans are united in a common respect for this resource. From the pueblos and tribes of New Mexico, to the historic acequias and growing communities, water is fundamental to both survival and cultural traditions, and is respected as such. Both the Aamodt and Abeyta settlements are examples of communities and tribes coming together to resolve their differences and find a way to ensure that everyone has access to this precious and respected resource.

The bill being introduced today consists of two titles, the first outlining the Aamodt Settlement, and the second outlining the Abeyta Settlement.

The Aamodt title resolves the water claims of the Pueblos of Nambe, Pojoaque, San Ildefonso, and Tesuque, and the needs of the surrounding communities in Santa Fe County. The settlement is a result of long negotiations between the county and pueblos, and will result in the development of a mutually beneficial water infrastructure system. This system will ensure that the pueblos and surrounding communities have access to clean running water into the future. I applaud the efforts and success of these groups in coming to an agreement that both settles disputes and benefits each community.

The Abeyta title establishes the water claims of the Pueblo of Taos, the Taos Valley Acequia Association, the Village of El Prado, and the Town of Taos. These communities depend heavily on agriculture and irrigation for both traditional practices and subsistence. The settlement ensures water for both agricultural and domestic use, and facilitates the rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure. Additionally, the Abeyta settlement helps to protect the quality of water in the watershed by protecting and recharging the wetlands areas of the Taos Pueblo's buffalo pasture. After years of negotiation, the parties involved in this important settlement have come to an agreement based on respect of cultural practices, and a commitment to live as good neighbors sharing a common resource.

It has been said that the wars of the future will be fought over access to water. In New Mexico, we are setting a different precedent--a precedent of respect and compromise, one that will help us move into the future with well established partnerships and a commitment to conserve and manage this vital resource to the benefit of all. I am honored to introduce this legislation today that will bring the pueblos and communities involved in the Aamodt and Abeyta one step closer to establishing a secure water future.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 5710, The Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System Authorization Act. In so doing, I would like to thank Chairman Rahall and Chairwoman Napolitano for their efforts in bringing this legislation to the floor today. This important bill will authorize the Bureau of Reclamation to help communities in eastern New Mexico develop the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System (ENMRWS).

There has long been a recognized need for a reliable and safe supply of potable water for eastern New Mexico. After years of drought and ever-increasing community growth, this water supply project is now absolutely critical for the continued economic well-being of Curry and Roosevelt counties in eastern New Mexico.

These eastern New Mexico counties are built on a strong agricultural heritage, and the communities are known for their great sense of unity and mutual support. With the threat of extreme water scarcity, eastern New Mexico counties are rallying to ensure community survival.

The Ogallala aquifer currently provides 100 percent of the municipal and industrial water supplies and the vast majority of agricultural water for eastern New Mexico. However, both the quantity and quality of this groundwater reserve have declined severely in recent decades. It is estimated that this groundwater supply will not be able to sustain current use into the next decade, and may be functionally depleted within 25 years.

For 45 years, water users in eastern New Mexico have worked to develop an alternative source of municipal water that will be sustainable into the future. The Eastern New Mexico Rural Water Supply Authority, consisting of nine communities in the Curry and Roosevelt counties of eastern New Mexico, was formed in 2001 to oversee the development of a rural water system. This Authority has expeditiously and effectively finalized the studies and planning necessary to move forward with this project.

The Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System Authorization Act is the result, and it has come after years of research, years of consultation, years of planning, and years of negotiation. The legislation is strongly supported by the communities involved, by the state of New Mexico, and by the entire New Mexico Delegation. H.R. 5710 passed by unanimous consent in both subcommittee and full committee, and it is my hope that the bill will continue to garner strong bipartisan support on the floor today and in the Senate as it moves to that chamber.

I applaud the efforts of the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water Supply Authority, of the state of New Mexico, and of the counties and cities involved in this project. They have worked expeditiously and tirelessly to finalize the studies and planning necessary to move forward with this project.

The establishment of the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System is essential to the socio-economic survival of communities in eastern New Mexico. While vital to New Mexico, H.R. 5710 is just one piece in the larger puzzle of water resources in the arid west and across the nation. As our nation is confronted with changing and extreme weather, states and communities must work to address water scarcity with conservation efforts, with new technology, and with negotiation of water rights.

H.R. 5710 builds on the ongoing efforts of the 8 cities and counties participating in the

project. These communities are working to establish innovative approaches to conserving water both agriculturally and domestically. They are part of a movement in the west to recognize the limitations of this precious resource and to work within these limitations to build strong communities.

The Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System Authorization Act is key to the survival of numerous New Mexico communities, and is part of a wider national approach to sound water management. We cannot stand by and watch vibrant communities dissolve into western ghost towns, especially when solutions exist. I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 5710 and help provide a positive, long-term solution to a pressing water need in the rural West.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Frank Thompson, who passed away last week. Thompson served as a code talker in World War II. He and other Navajo soldiers used their native language to craft a nearly unbreakable code. We don't know how many American soldiers survived that war because of Thompson's gift, nor do we know how many civilians were liberated because Thompson and his fellow code talkers helped America achieve success. What we do know is that Thompson and others like him are owed a debt of gratitude we will never fully pay back.

With all of the injustice that Native Americans have experienced at the hands of the U.S. Government, they have always given their all to defend this country. When Thompson joined the Marine Corps, the U.S. Government had only recognized Indians as American citizens for 18 years. Yet 45,000 of the 350,000 Native Americans in this country joined Thompson in America's Armed Forces during that conflict. Native Americans have the highest rate of service of any ethnic group, and today there are more than 181,000 Native American veterans.

The code talkers brought unique skills and a unique cultural heritage to the Allied cause in World War II. As Americans who faced bigotry and injustice, they eagerly signed up to free Europe from oppression. As individuals who had lived with the legacy of aggression against their people, they felt keenly the need to prevent other acts of aggression, even if these acts were being perpetrated on the other side of the world. In a sense, the Allied fight against tyranny was as much a Navajo struggle as a European one. The values of the Navajo soldiers played a crucial role in liberating Europe and Asia.

Code talkers like Frank Thompson showed that courage has no color. Our respect for their service is increased by our recognition that they risked everything for a nation that too often failed to show them the same loyalty. Their actions should remind us that when we treat any group of Americans as second class citizens we dishonor the memory of all those brave soldiers who died to defend American values, including that sacred creed that ``all men are created equal.''

By recognizing those who have bravely served this country, we encourage ourselves to be just a little bit better. We remind ourselves to celebrate the values that make America a beacon of hope to men and women around the world. Today, I recognize Frank Thompson. His heroism has won him immortality. For his service and his sacrifice, he will live forever in our hearts.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to encourage my colleagues to support passage of this legislation to designate as wilderness the lands in and near the Sabinoso Wilderness Study Area (WSA), located in my district. The Sabinoso WSA is one of New Mexico's special places and deserves to be protected and accessible to all.

The Sabinoso WSA comprises approximately 20,000 acres and is situated in San Miguel County, 40 miles east of Las Vegas, New Mexico, and 25 miles northwest of Conchas Dam State Park. During a trip I took to the area, I was immediately struck by the ecological, scenic and recreational value of the land. Sabinoso's soil includes a thick section of colorful sedimentary rocks, typical of desert rock formations throughout the West. The area's scenic and densely vegetated landscape is also home to a rich diversity of wildlife, such as red- tailed hawks, western scrub-jays, broad-tailed hummingbirds, mule deer, bobcats, and gray foxes. All of these natural resources will provide outstanding opportunities to hunt, hike, horseback ride, take photographs, and simply experience the unspoiled lands of our ancestors.

During the 2007 session of the New Mexico State Legislature, House Memorial 53, which calls on the New Mexico Congressional delegation to support the establishment of the Sabinoso Wilderness Area, was introduced by State Representative Thomas Garcia and passed unanimously by a vote of 66-0.

Unfortunately, this beautiful piece of land is currently inaccessible to the general public. Designating the area will help provide access to the land for everyone. Opening Sabinoso will also create important new economic development opportunities for the surrounding communities.

The bill that comes to the floor today is a result of compromise and open dialogue. It is a bill that addresses the concerns of, and is supported by, all parties involved. It is an example of the positive results that come from Federal agencies, local landowners, and wilderness groups working together towards a common goal. I would like to thank Chairman Grijalva and his staff for their tireless efforts to find compromise between these different groups, and to ensure that the rights of local private landowners would not be compromised.

I again encourage my colleagues to support this bill to establish a wilderness area that will help to preserve the natural beauty and cultural heritage of New Mexico.