Donna Christensen

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

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

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 853 simply removes outdated restrictions on lands owned by Mammoth County Water District in California. We have no objections to this noncontroversial bill.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

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

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 125 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the design, planning, and construction of the Santa Margarita Conjunctive Use Water Project in San Diego County in California. The project would provide water for irrigation, municipal, domestic, military, and other uses. Mr. Speaker, we have reviewed the legislation and have no objection. A similar bill passed in the House of Representatives in the 108th Congress.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

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

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

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

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3443 would authorize the title transfer of specific features of the Colorado-Big Thompson project from the United States to the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District. This proposed title transfer will be similar to a bill that was enacted in the 106th Congress, transferring other Bureau of Reclamation facilities to this water district. We have no objection to this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

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

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay), the sponsor of this legislation.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the majority has already explained the purpose of H.R. 452, which was introduced by my friend and colleague from Missouri (Mr. Clay). The gentleman from Missouri is to be commended for his efforts to preserve this memorial and museum, which was built to honor those who lost their lives in service to our country. It is our expectation that the study authorized by H.R. 452 will help determine the most appropriate means to preserve and maintain the Soldiers' Memorial and thus help to continue to honor the sacrifice of those who have fought and died for our country. Mr. Speaker, we support H.R. 452 and urge its adoption by the House today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4388, legislation which amends the Internal Revenue code of 1986 to extend certain expiring provisions. I want to express my profound gratitude to the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Bill Thomas, for including in the bill a provision to extend the cover-over of the additional $1.50 of the taxes on distilled spirits produced in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico for another year. While the amount of the revenue generated by this tax is minuscule in relation to the overall federal budget, it is critically important to my constituents because the government of the Virgin Islands utilizes this funding as security for the bonds that are used to provide for improvements to our public infrastructure. I am eternally grateful, as well, to my good friend, the Ranking Member of the committee, Charlie Rangel, for his steadfast support. Mr. Speaker, my constituents and I look forward to the day, which we hope will not be too long in coming, when we will be able to see the return of the full tax and that it be made permanent, as was originally the case, so that we won't have to annually vie for its extension. I urge my colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 4388 and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the majority has already explained pretty much the purpose of H.R. 323, which was introduced by our colleague from New York (Mr. Engel). Bob Hope and his family immigrated to the United States in 1908, and like millions of other immigrants entered the United States through Ellis Island. As all of us know and many of us have had the opportunity to enjoy, Bob Hope went on to have an illustrious career as a comedic entertainer and is remembered by many for his work over nearly six decades traveling the globe to entertain American servicemen and - women. Mr. Speaker, we wholeheartedly support H.R. 323 as a means to honor the contributions of a great entertainer and great American and urge the adoption of the legislation by the House today. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to our colleague from New York (Mr. Engel), the sponsor of the bill.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mrs. CHRISTENSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, the majority has already explained the legislation. I would only add that we on this side of the aisle have no objection to its passage. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to congratulate both sponsors, including the cosponsor on this side, Congressman Lincoln Davis, for their leadership in getting this bill to the floor today. The majority has already explained this legislation. I would only add that we on this side of the aisle also support it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Davis), the cosponsor of the legislation.

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

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, we on this side on the aisle again have no objection to the passage of this bill for the Pechanga Tribe of California. Resources Committee Ranking Member Nick Rahall worked hard last Congress with the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) to have land put into trust for this tribe so they could preserve an area vital to their ceremonies and culture. We expect the tribe to manage this land in a similar manner and do not object to its consideration today.

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

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the majority has again already explained the purpose of H.R. 3721, which deals with truck traffic on a park road within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. The Congress has dealt with this issue on three different occasions in the past. It is our hope that this will be the last time we will need to address this subject. Mr. Speaker, we have no objection to its adoption as amended by the House today. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, S. 161 directs the Secretary of Agriculture to provide for a land exchange of various parcels between the United States Forest Service and the Yavapai Ranch Limited Partnership in Arizona. While S. 161 is not ideal, it is an improvement upon legislation considered by the House in the past. Specifically, efforts were made to address water use concerns with the Camp Verde parcel, lowering the watering use limitation from 700 acre feet per year to 300 acre feet per year. Furthermore, a parcel in the city of Cottonwood was removed from this legislation. Mr. Speaker, we, therefore, have no objections to S. 161. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that the House today is considering H.R. 318, legislation that I introduced to provide for a study to determine the feasibility and suitability of designating Castle Nugent Farms in the United States Virgin Islands as a unit of the National Park System. Castle Nugent Farms is a unique 1,350-acre property located on the southeastern shore of my home island of St. Croix. It contains natural and cultural resources which could provide an unparalleled insight into the plantation period of the Virgin Islands. Castle Nugent Farms is presently operated as a cattle ranch by owners who are very interested in preserving and interpreting the natural and cultural resources of the area. Caroline Gasperi, whose family members have been stewards of this land for more than 50 years, has been an enthusiastic supporter for the preservation of this site. The passage of this bill today would bring her one step closer to her long-held and also hard-fought-for dream. The owners are justifiably proud of their ranch, which contains more than 4 miles of pristine oceanfront with a large and healthy fringing coral reef. The interior of the property consists of Caribbean dry forest and pasture lands with cultural resources from both pre- Colombian and post-European settlement. A large Danish estate house, dating to the 1730s, sits on the property. That house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. At various points in its history, Castle Nugent Farm has been operated as a cotton plantation and a sugar cane plantation. Its current use as a cattle ranch involves raising unique Senepol cattle, a breed which is well suited to the climate and vegetation of the area. H.R. 318 is a noncontroversial bill. Identical language, as we have heard, passed the House in the last Congress. The National Park Service has no objections to the legislation, and the property's owners not only support a park study of the site but are enthusiastic about the opportunity to preserve the natural and cultural resources of the farm. Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that the park study will provide the blueprint by which we can preserve and interpret this unique piece of island history and resources for the benefit of present and future generations. I thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle for their support, and I strongly support the adoption of this bill by the House today. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3981 directs the Secretary of Agriculture to exchange two small parcels of National Forest System land in the Tahoe National Forest in California. We do not object to the two land exchanges included in H.R. 3981. We had concerns with an earlier version of this legislation, H.R. 1905, that included generic amendments to the Small Tracts Act, but those are not included in this bill, and we have no objection to H.R. 3981. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, my colleague has already explained the purpose of H.R. 326, which was introduced by the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva). Representative Grijalva is to be commended for his leadership on this legislation. He has worked closely with the local community and others to determine the most appropriate means to preserve and interpret the history of the area. Mr. Speaker, we support H.R. 326 and urge its adoption by the House today. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.