Donna Christensen

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. 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.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 411, the Great Cats and Rare Canids Act, was introduced in the 111th Congress by our colleague from Washington, Congressman Jay Inslee. The bill before the House today is identical to noncontroversial legislation that passed the House during the 110th Congress. The overall purpose of the bill is to assist in the conservation of 15 imperiled cat and canid species such as the lion, cheetah, and jaguar and the African wild dog and Darwin's fox. The bill would establish a new Great Cat and Rare Canid Conservation Fund to finance Federal matching grants that support critical conservation projects to conserve these highly endangered wildlife species and their shrinking and fragmented habitats. Moreover, this legislation is patterned after other noteworthy wildlife conservation funds authorized by the Congress that help conserve and recover critically endangered populations of rhinoceros, tigers, African and Asian elephants, great apes, and marine turtles. Mr. Speaker, great cats and rare canids are no less deserving than these other keystone wildlife species, and I ask Members on both sides to support the passage of this noncontroversial bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to yield such time as he may consume to the sponsor of this legislation, Congressman Jay Inslee of Washington State.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to once again yield such time as he might consume to the sponsor of the bill, Congressman Inslee.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. I have just a brief closing statement.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Just for the record, I think it's important to note also that this legislation has the full support of the cochairs of the bipartisan International Conservation Caucus, which includes Congressman Norm Dicks, Congressman Harold Rogers, Congressman John Tanner and Congressman Ed Royce, as well as the Safari Caucus. Mr. Speaker, I ask that Members on both sides support the passage of this noncontroversial bill.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, President Theodore Roosevelt in a message to the Congress once said, and I am quoting, ``To waste, to destroy our natural resources, to skin and exhaust the land instead of using it, so as to increase its usefulness, will result in undermining in the days of our children the very prosperity which we ought by right to hand down to them amplified and developed.'' H.R. 411, the Great Cats and Rare Canids Act, is legislation that embodies the central tenet in President Roosevelt's message by conserving our natural resources. By conserving our natural resources today, we will ensure the prosperity of future generations.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. 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.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I will submit for the Record the following exchange of letters between the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Foreign Affairs concerning H.R. 388 and H.R. 411. House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Washington, DC, April 21, 2009. Hon. Nick J. Rahall II, Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing to you concerning H.R. 388, the Crane Conservation Act of 2009, and H.R. 411, the Great Cats and Rare Canids Act of 2009. These bills contain provisions within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. In the interest of permitting your Committee to proceed expeditiously to floor consideration of these important bills, I am willing to waive this Committee's right mark up these bills. I do so with the understanding that by waiving consideration of the bills, the Committee on Foreign Affairs does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in the bills which fall within its Rule X jurisdiction. Further, I request your support for the appointment of Foreign Affairs Committee conferees during any House-Senate conference convened on this legislation. I would ask that you place this letter into the Congressional Record when the Committee has these bills under consideration. I look forward to working with you as we move these important measures through the legislative process. Sincerely, Howard L. Berman, Chairman.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 388, the Crane Conservation Act, was reintroduced in the 111th Congress by our colleague from Wisconsin, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin. The bill is identical to noncontroversial legislation that passed the House during the 110th Congress. The overall purpose of the bill is to assist in the conservation of the world's 15 crane species, including the two crane species found in North America, the whooping crane and the sandhill crane. The bill would establish a new crane conservation fund to finance Federal matching grants that support critical conservation projects that conserve these highly endangered birds and their scarce and shrinking habitats in Europe, Asia, South Asia, Africa, and North America. The legislation also mirrors other highly popular and effective wildlife conservation funds authorized under the Multinational Species Conservation Fund that support other critically endangered wildlife species and their habitats. Mr. Speaker, cranes play an important iconic role in cultures around the world. These birds are viewed as universal symbols of peace, happiness, and good fortune. I ask Members on both sides to support passage of this noncontroversial bill that will help to conserve this family of large, charismatic birds. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 388) to assist in the conservation of cranes by supporting and providing, through projects of persons and organizations with expertise in crane conservation, financial resources for the conservation programs of countries the activities of which directly or indirectly affect cranes and the ecosystems of cranes.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to yield such time as he might consume to the distinguished sponsor of H.R. 1694, Congressman Rush Holt of New Jersey.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1694, the Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Battlefield Protection Act, was introduced by my colleague on the Natural Resources Committee, Congressman Rush Holt of New Jersey. This bill will provide Federal matching grants that will help in the acquisition and preservation of nationally significant battlefields and sites associated with the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Rapid urbanization and suburban sprawl have increasingly encroached upon these battlefield sites, threatening the historic integrity and resulting in the loss of some sites altogether. H.R. 1694 will enable State or local governments to obtain Federal grants to leverage matching private funds to acquire these endangered sites and work to restore, protect and preserve them for future generations. I commend our colleague, Representative Holt, for his leadership on this issue, his patience and his perseverance, as well as his commitment to the preservation of these historic places which influenced the course of our American history. I ask my colleagues to support the passage of this measure. I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. 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.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1694) to amend the American Battlefield Protection Act of 1996 to establish a battlefield acquisition grant program for the acquisition and protection of nationally significant battlefields and associated sites of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. H.R. 1219 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation, to participate in the Lake Hodges Surface Water Improvement and Reclamation Project. This project would pre-treat 13,000 acre-feet of impaired Lake Hodges water currently unavailable for consumptive use. We have no objection to this noncontroversial bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

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

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time as well.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 39) to repeal section 10(f) of Public Law 93-531, commonly known as the ``Bennett Freeze''.

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