Ken Calvert

Mr. CALVERT

Mr. CALVERT. I would be happy to work with the gentlemen, and I would urge acceptance of this amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Chairman, I claim time in opposition, but I don't oppose the amendment.

Mr. CALVERT. I thank the gentlewoman for her generosity, and I will continue to work with her as this process moves forward. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Chairman, I rise in reluctant opposition to the gentlewoman's amendment only because of the offset. The offset that we are talking about is taking money of the inspector general's office, which is our auditors, and we desperately need auditors in the Federal Government. We, as appropriators, are very reluctant to cut the inspector general's office in general. I want to work with the gentlewoman. I recognize her passion to make sure that the good work that the Smithsonian does gets out to the general community throughout the United States. I am a big supporter of the Smithsonian. We have level-funded the Smithsonian Institution this year. Obviously, we are operating under difficult budget constraints. We certainly support what the gentlewoman wants to do; we just don't support the offset in which she wants to do it with.

Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition.

Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.

Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Chairman, I oppose the amendment, and I yield back balance of my time.

Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I rise in reluctant opposition to the gentleman's amendment. I want the gentleman to know that I understand that the territories would benefit greatly from additional funding. We funded the assistance to territories at the FY15-enacted levels. We level- funded that because we know that the money is needed, and we know that we have responsibilities in the territories. However, the offset right now, we have cut back that particular operation considerably, so I would oppose that offset. But I would be more than happy to work with the gentleman as we move this process along, along with the ranking member, to see if we can't get additional funds as we move this process along. Mr. Chairman, I certainly appreciate the gentleman's intent, but we would have to reluctantly oppose this amendment at this time, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Chairman, I know there is no doubt that Indian Country, especially Indian education, is a nonpartisan priority of this entire subcommittee. We are committed to building upon the bipartisan work of former subcommittee chairmen Mike Simpson, Jim Moran, Norm Dicks, and certainly Ranking Member Betty McCollum. We all agree that there are great needs in Indian Country, especially in education. In fact, we were in Arizona recently at both the Navajo and Hopi reservations and saw firsthand the need for education in this country. Although I am proud of what we have done for Indian Country in this bill, that said, I understand where the gentleman is coming from. I recognize there is so much more to do on Indian education that can and should be done. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.

Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Chairman, I would just reluctantly oppose this amendment at this time. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Chairman, the committee, as the gentleman knows, has included this as a pilot program to test in a few States how community and economic redevelopment can combine in conjunction with reclamation of abandoned mine lands. These funds will be provided to States with the largest unfunded needs to date. If you expand that to include six States, this pilot then starts to look more like a program, and that is not the committee's intent. The committee believes that the lessons learned from this pilot will inform changes, both pros and cons, under the reauthorization of the underlying law. I want to work with the gentleman in the future as this pilot moves forward. When we have more information, we can potentially, next year, reexamine this. I would ask the gentleman if he would withdraw the amendment. I would certainly be happy to work with him in the future. I know the full committee chairman is certainly in the interest of him to address the needs of his constituents. We are certainly sympathetic to that. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Chairman, I rise in reluctant opposition to the amendment.

Mr. CALVERT. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Chairman, I would urge a ``no'' vote on this amendment. I don't agree to the offset. The fact that we have an Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, that should be accessed. I will be happy to work with the gentlewoman to work with the authorizers where we can get more immediate response to these kinds of activities that happen from time to time around the country, but I urge a ``no'' vote on this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment.

Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Chairman, I make a point of order that the amendment proposes a net increase in budget authority in the bill. The amendment is not in order under section 3(d)(3) of House Resolution 5, 114th Congress, which states: ``It shall not be in order to consider an amendment to a general appropriations bill proposing a net increase in budget authority in the bill unless considered en bloc with another amendment or amendments proposing an equal or greater decrease in such budget authority pursuant to clause 2(f) of rule XXI.'' The amendment proposes a net increase in budget authority in the bill in violation of such section. I ask for a ruling from the Chair.

Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order on the amendment.

Mr. CALVERT. Yes, too many, that is the problem. I would be happy to support this amendment. I would urge an ``aye'' vote when it comes up.

Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the gentleman's amendment. I know he has been a champion for the Everglades. It is certainly a concern of this committee. I want to get out there and look at those pythons in the Everglades. I understand they are all over the place.

Mr. CALVERT. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Chairman, I think this is a good amendment. I certainly support it and would ask Members to vote ``aye'' on the amendment.

Mr. CALVERT. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Chair, as the gentleman knows, the bill already provides $87 million for other land acquisition. Our intent was to needle a Federal land acquisition program that has strong support in the East--certainly, in New Hampshire--and lukewarm support in the West, where the government already owns a significant amount of real estate in the Western United States. When the conference begins on this bill with the Senate, Congress will exercise its power of the purse by selecting projects from the President's budget to improve recreational access that have strong local, State, and congressional support. I will work with the gentleman. I know he is a strong advocate of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, but this amendment might leave advocates on both sides of the aisle with some difficult and unnecessary choices. Therefore, I ask the gentleman to consider withdrawing his amendment, knowing I will be working with him in the future to see if we can't be of assistance through the conference process. I yield back the balance of my time.