Mark Amodei

Mr. AMODEI

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Speaker, can I inquire as to how much time is remaining on either side?

Mr. AMODEI. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 756, I call up the bill (H.R. 4364) making appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. AMODEI. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4364, and that I may include tabular material on the same.

Mr. AMODEI

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Speaker, there has been some indication of concern because the bill on the floor lacks language to prohibit a cost-of- living increase that doesn't exist, that was not given, and which has no appropriation in the existing fiscal year budget. Normally, that would be the end of the discussion. However, I guess, being generous here, out of an abundance of caution and respect for those bill-drafting experts in the Senate, fixing that to include the Senate's genius language in this measure is something that is eminently doable in short order unless it becomes midnight because we have to have a couple more September State of the Unions. Therefore, even though it was not included in our legislation, even though there is no existing COLA or appropriation for it, if that is the only thing--I am going to say that real slowly--if that is the only thing that is wrong, then it is eminently fixable for that belt-and- suspenders insurance policy for those who would support the bill but for the lack of that language. We shall see.

Mr. AMODEI

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Connecticut.

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Speaker, as the chairman of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee in the Appropriations Committee which has very specific jurisdiction over Member pay, I want to say plainly and unambiguously, in the 70 pages in this thing, directly or indirectly, there is nothing that will lead to a Member pay raise. That will be next week when it is appropriately considered on the floor in terms of cost of living or other things.

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time. With all due respect, the definition of a CR is you go forward. There is nothing to block in going forward with last year's language. That language still applies. Thank you, good morning, and God bless America.

Mr. AMODEI

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Speaker, on July 1, 2023, the Bonanza Casino in Reno will celebrate its 50th anniversary. In anticipation of this major milestone, I would like to highlight the contributions this family operated business brings to our community and recognize the leadership of one of its original owners and current partner, Russ Sheltra. The Bonanza Casino is one of Northern Nevada's most successful gaming properties, but its beginnings were quite humble. As a student at the University of Nevada, Russ Sheltra worked at the local Food King. After graduating with a degree in business, Russ bought the Food King with no formal contract--just an agreement etched out on the back of a napkin. Russ turned the Food King into his V&T Market. In 1973, he made the decision to transform the V&T Market into the Bonanza Casino when another supermarket was built across the street. The casino thrived, quickly becoming a favorite for locals. Today, the casino has nearly 400 slot machines and two successful restaurants. Russ's son, Ryan, now works alongside his father in the family business. Both Russ and Ryan believe in the importance of giving back to the community that has given them so much. For the past 22 years, the Bonanza Casino has provided multiple $1,500 college scholarships to graduating students at North Valleys High School. Additionally, the Bonanza Casino supports the mission of the Prostate Cancer Foundation by hosting the ``Cruisin' for the Cure'' car show, a fundraiser to raise money for prostate cancer research. To date, the Sheltra family and Bonanza Casino has donated over $165,000 to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Mr. Speaker, as the Bonanza Casino celebrates its 50th year of operations, I want to thank Russ Sheltra for his lifetime of commitment to Northern Nevada, and this Nation. His ingenuity and dedication serves as an inspiration to us all.

Mr. AMODEI

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. AMODEI

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my Happy Birthday wishes to Mr. David Fulstone, who will celebrate his 100th birthday on Saturday, April 1, 2023. David Hill Fulstone was born on April 1, 1923, in San Francisco, California as the second of five children to the late Fred and Dr. Mary Fulstone. Raised in Nevada's Smith Valley on the family sheep ranching operation, the values of hard work and service were instilled in David at an early age. Throughout his youth, he worked as a ranch hand, and especially loved sheep camp. He was also the star of the Smith Valley Bulldogs basketball team, before graduating in 1942. After high school, David pursued his passion and bought his own farm, growing hay, garlic, and onions. In 1945, David married his best girl and forever dance partner, Angelina Margaroli. They were faithfully married for 63 years until Angelina's passing in 2008. Over the years, they were blessed with two children, DeeAnn Fulstone and David Hill Fulstone II, and four grandchildren. David was an active member of the Farm Bureau, traveling across the country to many of the annual meetings and advocating on behalf of Nevada's farmers and ranchers. He even received the Farmer of Year Award, the result of his tireless support of the agriculture community. While David retired from farming in 2010, he continued to love gardening and often shared the rewards of his labor with everyone in town. David's contributions to his community go beyond farming. From becoming the longest and oldest member of the Yerington Rotary Club to serving as a board member of the Lyon County Hospital Council, northern Nevada has benefited greatly from his time and commitment. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to join me and the people of Nevada in honoring this outstanding citizen and family man on his 100th birthday.

Mr. AMODEI

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Sky Tavern, a local nonprofit that is celebrating the 75th season of their Junior Ski Program. Located just 30 minutes from Reno, Sky Tavern was one of the area's earliest ski resorts. Motivated by her belief that sports were good for children, local skier and schoolteacher Marce Herz convinced the resort owners to begin an affordable learn-to-ski program in 1948. Since then, Sky Tavern's Junior Ski Program has taught over 100,000 area youth how to ski and snowboard. Sky Tavern has switched hands a few times over the decades; most recently in 1991, when a group of dedicated parents formed the current non-profit organization that manages the Junior Ski Program and maintains the property. Today, the Sky Tavern Junior Ski Program is the oldest and largest volunteer staffed ski school in the United States. Notable alumni of the program include David Wise, Olympic gold medalist in the halfpipe, and Tamara McKinney, one of the top American alpine racers. While this program has turned out some of our nation's best skiers, I would suggest that Sky Tavern's most significant achievement has been to make skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports more accessible for local children. Winter sports are a way of life in northern Nevada. From keeping the prices low to helping children with disabilities enjoy the slopes alongside their peers, Sky Tavern has reached countless children who would not otherwise have had the opportunity to participate in this great northern Nevada tradition. I commend the team at Sky Tavern for carrying on Marce Herz's noble vision and positively impacting the lives of Nevada's children.

Mr. AMODEI

Mr. AMODEI. Madam Speaker, on Roll Call No. 409, I mistakenly voted NAY when I intended to vote YEA.

Mr. AMODEI

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 26) authorizing the use of the catafalque situated in the Exhibition Hall of the Capitol Visitor Center in connection with memorial services to be conducted in the rotunda of the Capitol for the Honorable Harry Mason Reid, Jr., a Senator from the State of Nevada, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. AMODEI

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 25) authorizing the use of the rotunda of the Capitol for the lying in state of the remains of the Honorable Harry Mason Reid, Jr., a Senator from the State of Nevada, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. AMODEI

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. AMODEI

Mr. AMODEI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the service of U.S. Mint Director David J. Ryder as he prepares to depart the Mint. As a Boise State Broncos alum, Director Ryder has served with distinction in both the government and corporate worlds. In 1991, President George H.W. Bush nominated him to serve as the 34th Director of the U.S. Mint. He served until 1993. In 2017, he was nominated by President Trump for a second tenure as Mint director. Madam Speaker, that was something the Bushes and the Trumps agreed upon. Under Director Ryder's leadership, the Mint has introduced more new products than ever before. The Mint's bullion and numismatic programs reached their highest levels of revenue in over 10 years. The Mint's customer base grew to more than a half a million people--530,000, an increase of over 100,000 in 2 short years. I was particularly impressed by Director Ryder's leadership when we worked together on the 2021 Morgan and Peace Commemorative Silver Dollars program, which produced 875,000 Morgan silver dollars and 200,000 Peace silver dollars, all under the 2021 date. Carson City and New Orleans mintmarks were resurrected for the first time in years, even though those Mints had been closed by using them in a privy mark. Collectors went nuts, and rightfully so. The program netted over $30 million for the U.S. Treasury and profits from this program when they all sold out in less than 20 minutes. As he moves on to greener pastures, I wish Director Ryder success in all future endeavors he takes on. I thank Director Ryder for his all- American performance as the 39th Director of the United States Mint. Madam Speaker, although it pains me to do this as a proud University of Nevada Wolf Pack alum, Director Ryder, thank you for your service again, and go Boise State Broncos.

Mr. AMODEI

Mr. AMODEI. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of the life and memory of my friend, Major General Robert T. Herbert, of the Nevada Army National Guard. An adopted Nevadan, Bob began a 42-year career in the U.S. Army in 1975 at the age of 18. After serving along the East-West German border, Bob moved to Nevada as a test pilot at the age of 25. Later in his career, Bob served as senior policy adviser and director of appropriations for Senator Harry Reid, from 2001 to 2017. Bob loved anything with a loud engine, having accrued more than 7,000 flight hours as a pilot of both fixed and rotary-wing aircraft. He loved to ride his collection of motorcycles, took great pride in his customized truck, and was in the process of rebuilding a Pontiac Firebird. Both as a civilian and a soldier, Bob was respected and admired by anyone he interacted with, myself included. Simply put, Bob Herbert was an all-American consensus at everything he tried. I offer my condolences to his wife, Karen, his parents and family, and anyone else who was lucky enough to call him a friend, including you, Madam Speaker. We will miss you, General.

Mr. AMODEI

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the career of Bob Gastonguay, who has been with my office since I was elected in 2011. Prior to his first retirement, Bob had a long and successful career in telecommunications as the executive director of the Nevada State Cable Telecommunications Association. Why did he come out of retirement? He wanted a Federal job. No matter the difficulties that came with serving as the face of my front office, Bob has been the perfect person to greet people or take their calls. He greets everyone with a warm welcome, and shows them respect, and makes them feel heard. As a new member of the octogenarian club, Bob hasn't let his age slow him down. He is always the first one in, constantly on the move, and always striking up a conversation with whomever he meets. In addition to his long career, Bob raised a family of two sons, a granddaughter, and three great-grandchildren with his loving wife of 60 years, Barbara. Mr. Speaker, I thank Bob for his service to Nevada and to the country.

Mr. AMODEI

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues from Missouri and Ohio for their graciousness in granting me some time, and also my colleagues from Tennessee for their comments. In short, this bill is about savings. It has already been mentioned, H.R. 7995 wants to save money when it comes to the fact that it costs the Mint almost a half-cent to make a nickel. It costs them 1.75 cents to make a penny. The dime and the quarter are not far behind. No disrespect to anybody here who has spoken before, but quite frankly, when all else fails, read the Constitution and read the bill. The Constitution says that we have the ability to coin money, to regulate the value of the money, and foreign money, and we also have weights and measures. H.R. 7995 is not a long bill, ladies and gentlemen. Essentially, it is two pages long, and it talks about changing the metal content. Nowhere in Article I does it say anything about the content of the metal of the coin. So when my colleague from Missouri says this is a commonsense measure that is just meant to save money, it is like that is it. There is no mystery here. We lose money on every one of those pennies and nickels that we coin. We want to regulate. We want to give the Mint the ability to regulate the metal content. I am going to say it once more, and then I will stop. We want, through H.R. 7995, to give the Mint the ability to regulate the metal content of the coin. None of the things that are covered in this provision are in the Constitution, with all due respect. But guess what? It is not like: Okay, that is it. End of analysis. Please support the bill. The last part is this. Despite the fact that it is not in there about metal content and changing any of the specifically enumerated constitutional provisions, there are still provisions in this bill that say: But out of an abundance of caution, let's go ahead and make sure that the Congress knows when we change the metallic content of a coin, with the idea of saving money for taxpayers, and make sure that other stakeholders don't have objections. So, if anything, we have expanded the meaning of that provision in the Constitution to say, oh, by the way, let's talk to Congress and make sure they are okay, even though it is not in this section. So, with all due respect, I would request your favorable consideration. I thank the committee of jurisdiction for its look at this, and I urge your support.

Mr. AMODEI

Mr. AMODEI. Madam Speaker, had I been able to make the journey to Washington, D.C., I would have voted AYE on the Senate Amendment to H.R. 748--CARES Act.

Mr. AMODEI

Mr. AMODEI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mr. Lee Gibson on his retirement from the Washoe County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC), where he served as Chief Executive Officer since September 2009. Having begun his career at Washoe RTC during the height of the Great Recession, Mr. Gibson immediately restructured the agency's transit service to cut costs, preserve service, and build a stronger footing toward sustainability. With a career spanning 36 years, Mr. Gibson has become a recognized leader in the transportation community, earning some of the highest awards from the Nevada Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA), including the prestigious DeBoer Award for his planning leadership in Nevada. Mr. Gibson has also served on the American Public Transportation Association's (APTA) Board of Directors, as Chairman of its Policy and Planning Committee, and as an APTA speaker on performance-based planning. During his tenure at the Washoe RTC, Mr. Gibson's organizational leadership, planning policies, and innovative project delivery methods have successfully resulted in well over $750 million of multimodal highway projects in Washoe County, eventually leading the RTC to earn a Silver-level of recognition from the APTA's Sustainability Program in August 2017. Today, Washoe RTC's transit service employs cutting-edge electric buses, customer service information technologies, and is preparing to expand service. Additionally, our region's highway system supports connectivity that has greatly improved the traveling public's accessibility to jobs, while offering new opportunities to move throughout the region. Without a doubt, Mr. Gibson's investment in our community's infrastructure projects have significantly improved Nevadans' ability to travel more safely and efficiently. On behalf of Nevada's Second Congressional District, I offer my sincerest appreciation to Mr. Gibson for his service and wish him all the best on his retirement.

Mr. AMODEI

Mr. AMODEI. Madam Speaker, on July 31st, an era will end. After a long and successful career in government and the gaming industry--the last 18 years of which he spent at Boyd Gaming--William J. Noonan will retire. Bill's long career--truly an American success story--has midwestern roots. A graduate of Missouri State before receiving his master's in public administration from the University Kansas, Bill spent years managing cities all across this country. From Springfield, Missouri, to small towns in Florida, and eventually to Las Vegas in the 1990s, Bill's positive energy and inspiring leadership guided cities large and small through some of the toughest and most exciting of economic times. When Bill first landed in Las Vegas in 1990, it was a city of just under a million people. Gaming was not widely legalized throughout the country, but was about to be . . . and Bill sensed a boom coming. He worked with city leaders to prepare for what was to come and would soon take his skills into the private sector for a number of companies who needed to understand the key relationship that exists between the gaming industry and the communities in which they operate. Bill was exactly the right person for the job. Since those humble beginnings of his youth, Bill has actually run a casino, dined with US presidents, overseen corporate philanthropies that have donated millions to communities and worthwhile causes, successfully recruited a professional football team to Las Vegas, and helped a city gather itself together after the horrific events of October 1 in his role as chairman of the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce. For his leadership to community and country, Bill's been recognized numerous times--by his industry as the Gaming Professional of the Year; by his alma mater as an outstanding alumnus; and by his state by serving on a number of prestigious boards. But if you know Bill, you know he really only cares about the appreciation of those with whom he works and the recognition of his lifelong love Sylvia and their beautiful family . . . with whom he now gets to spend a lot more time. I wish my friend well. I thank him for his contributions, and I congratulate him on his retirement.

Mr. AMODEI

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, it is good to hear that my colleagues from the Golden State think that the administration is doing a good job in this area in some respects, and it is good to hear about concerns about the State of Kentucky. But let's talk about what is actually in the amendment. So let's talk about what is not in the amendment first. First of all, there is nothing in the amendment that says you must approve a request to be considered a strategic critical mineral. So when we talk in the context of, oh, gee, this could be sand and gravel, some Federal land manager in the executive department, under the provisions in this amendment, has to find that. By the way, there are multiple pages saying how they go about that. So it is 30 months. Guess what? After that 30 months, you don't get a yes. So when we talk about how the sky is going to fall, let's keep in mind that if you can't satisfy them on whatever it is that is critical, then guess what? You may get a no, as should be done if it doesn't satisfy that. So to indicate in context that this is something that is going to make everything critical omits the whole application process and omits the consideration process that goes over 30 months. Now, I just want to point out a couple other things, because, quite frankly, although maybe the other side thinks that the crystal ball that the administration has is an excellent one, I beg to differ. Since we are talking about things that happened in specific States, let's talk about the Loma Prieta earthquake that happened in northern California a while back that, quite frankly, shut down freeways--major arteries--in the bay area. Now, I don't know if sand and gravel would have been appropriate and critical for that, but guess what? To those people in the bay area who wanted that transportation infrastructure open, they wanted it open as soon as possible. So if we have to wait for 30 months to haul loads of sand and gravel and make concrete to get the 580 or the 680, or whatever it was, in the East Bay open, then perhaps there was an argument for that. I don't know, unless something like that happens again. But for those minerals that are critical to our healthcare industry, our defense industry, and all of those sorts of things, they ought to have the opportunity to apply and see if they get told yes or no in 30 months. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar).

Mr. AMODEI. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 1 minute. My amendment would streamline the permitting process for production of minerals deemed critical and strategic for national security and other infrastructure needs. What does the word ``streamline'' mean? If you read the amendment, it means 30 months. Now, I am a little embarrassed to tell you that streamline is 30 months, but unless the parties agree to something longer, it is 30 months. When you say ``deemed critical,'' if you read the amendment, you will see multiple pages basically paying respect to the NEPA process and also setting forth due process and asking for a Federal representative of the lead agency to coordinate Federal permitting actions so that we proceed as expeditiously as possible when there is, in fact, a need that affects the Armed Services of our country for supply chain and things like that that are critical. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.