Madeleine Bordallo

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank my colleague from Florida (Mr. Rooney) for managing the bills on the floor today. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

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

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 845) recognizing the United States Air Force and Dyess Air Force Base for their success in achieving energy savings and developing energy-saving innovations during Energy Awareness Month, as amended.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 3804 is a package of reauthorizations and technical corrections introduced at the request of the National Park Service by Representative Paul Tonko. The bill includes 10-year reauthorizations for the National Park System Advisory Board and the National Park Service Concession Management Advisory Board. H.R. 3804 also increases the authorization for the popular Volunteers in Parks program, which provides reimbursement for travel costs and other small expenses to volunteers whose contributions to our parks are enormous. Among other provisions, H.R. 3804 also changes the designation of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta, makes several minor boundary adjustments, and allows park staff at the USS Arizona Memorial to work with other organizations to ease visitors' admission to the many historic sites at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Mr. Speaker, Representative Tonko is to be commended for helping the National Park System with this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support it. House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Washington, DC, December 2, 2009. Hon. Nick Rahall, Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Rahall: I am writing about H.R. 3804, the ``National Park Service Authorities and Corrections Act of 2009'', which the Committee on Natural Resources ordered reported to the House on November 10, 2009. I appreciate your effort to consult with the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform regarding those provisions of H.R. 3804 that fall within the Oversight Committee's jurisdiction. These provisions include matters related to snow and ice removal within the District of Columbia. In the interest of expediting consideration of H.R. 3804, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will not object to the consideration of this bill in the House. I would, however, request your support for the appointment of conferees from the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform should H.R. 3804 or a similar Senate bill be considered in conference with the Senate. This letter should not be construed as a waiver of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform's legislative jurisdiction over subjects addressed in H.R. 3804 that fall within the jurisdiction of the Oversight Committee. Finally, I request that you include our exchange of letters on this matter in the Committee on Natural Resources report on H.R. 3804 and in the Congressional Record during consideration of this legislation on the House floor. Sincerely, Edolphus Towns, Chairman.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I again urge Members to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 118 is sponsored by our colleague, Representative Frelinghuysen of New Jersey. The bill would expand the authorized acquisition ceiling for Morristown National Historic Park, which was the first unit of its kind in our national park system. The park is currently limited to a maximum of 615 acres and is under severe pressure from surrounding residential development. H.R. 118 would allow the National Park Service to acquire up to an additional 100 acres as land or easements become available from willing sellers. Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill and I urge Members to support it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 118) to authorize the addition of 100 acres to Morristown National Historical Park, as amended.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1672) to reauthorize the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Act to promote the protection of the resources of the Northwest Straits, and for other purposes, as amended.

Ms. BORDALLO. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, for more than a decade, the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative has fostered innovative, citizen-driven restoration and conservation programs that protect critical marine, coastal and island resources in the Northwest Straits. Despite hugely successful programs, such as the Derelict Fishing Gear Removal Program, the initiative's original authorizing statute has lapsed. H.R. 1672 would reauthorize the initiative and would codify aspects of the initiative's operating body, the Northwest Straits Commission. I commend the bill's sponsor, Representative Rick Larsen of the State of Washington, for his leadership in reauthorizing the initiative and for enhancing the ability of the commission to produce locally driven, coordinated restoration projects with measurable results. With that, I urge Members on both sides to support the passage of this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, this bill has been authored by my colleague and my friend Mr. Brown of South Carolina. The Multinational Species Conservation Funds support conservation activities in a wide range of countries to protect, recover, or restore threatened and endangered species, specifically, tigers, rhinoceroses, African elephants, Asian elephants, great apes and sea turtles. H.R. 1454 would require the U.S. Postal Service to issue a Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp to generate additional funding to support the wildlife grant programs under these funds. Considering the high demand for grants under these programs and the fact that they commonly leverage three or four times as much funding from non-Federal contributions, this additional funding, Mr. Speaker, will be put to good use to protect these keystone species. With that, I ask Members on both sides to support the bill's passage. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I again urge Members to support the bill, and I congratulate my colleague for authoring this fine piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1454) to provide for the issuance of a Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp, as amended.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my friend and colleague and the sponsor of this resolution, the gentleman from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (Mr. Sablan).

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3603 is sponsored by my friend and colleague Representative Marshall of Georgia. The bill is very simple. It changes the name of the Ocmulgee National Monument to the Ocmulgee Mounds National Monument. The new name will more accurately portray the resources at the monument, which is located in Macon, Georgia, and which was established in 1934 to protect a collection of Native American mounds, including a large ceremonial center, that encompassed burial and residential mounds, a large earthen temple, and political meeting chambers. H.R. 3603 has wide support in the community, and those supporters believe the name change will help the public better understand the nature of the monument and encourage increased visitation. I urge all Members to support this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I recognize the sponsor of the bill, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Marshall), for as much time as he may consume.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3603) to rename the Ocmulgee National Monument, as amended.

Ms. BORDALLO

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

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I again urge Members to support this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.