Barbara Cubin

Mrs. CUBIN

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

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 700) to remove the restriction on the distribution of certain revenues from the Mineral Springs parcel to certain members of the Agua Caliente Band of Agua Caliente Indians.

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 700 would remove a revenue distribution restriction created in Public Law 86-339, a 1959 statute which related in part to the distribution of certain revenues to certain members of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. This bill is an amended version of H.R. 700 which we passed last year. Since we passed H.R. 700 last year, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Agua Caliente Band have discovered that a different piece of legislation is needed. H.R. 700, as amended, reflects the changes which the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs has made to the bill which we passed last year. I agree with those amendments. H.R. 700, as amended, finds that equalization allotments on the Agua Caliente Reservation have been completed and that the regulations governing the equalization allotments under the 1959 Agua Caliente Equalization Act were rescinded in 1983. H.R. 700, as amended, provides that the special entitlements of certain members of the Band have expired and, thus, that any per capita distribution of tribal revenues of the Band shall be made to all members of the Band in equal amounts. This is a fair and equitable bill. It will have no impact on the Federal budget, contains no intergovernmental or private sector mandates, and would impose no costs on state, local or tribal governments. I recommend that H.R. 700 be adopted by this body. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 1995.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize American POWs and MIAs. In my home state of Wyoming, there is a deep feeling of respect and grattitude to all the men and women who have defended this country when they were called. Two thousand eighty-six of these brave Americans are still missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War, including six from the state of Wyoming. Although faced with the terrors and deprivations of war, they answered their nation's call. They bravely served even when some of their countrymen reviled and unfairly criticized their efforts. These soldiers are Americans. They did their duty. The least we can do for them and their families is insist on nothing less than a full accounting for every one of them. I urge President Clinton and my colleagues in the Congress to press Vietnam for unilateral actions to locate and return to our nation remains that would account for hundreds of American POW/MIAs and records to help obtain answers on many more. I am pleased that patriotism is alive and well in America today. Governor Jim Geringer has issued a proclamation designating September 18, 1998, as POW/MIA Recognition Day in the State of Wyoming. These soldiers are not forgotten. Their families are not forgotten. Their priceless contributions to our freedom are not forgotten. Mr. Speaker, I as that the text of this proclamation be inserted in the Record for every American to read. Governor's Proclamation TWO THOUSAND EIGHTY-SIX Americans are still missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War, including 6 from the State of Wyoming, and their families, friends, and fellow veterans still endure uncertainty concerning their fate. UNITED STATES Government intelligence and other evidence confirm that Vietnam could unilaterally account for hundreds of missing Americans, including many of the 446 missing in Laos and the 75 still unaccounted for in Cambodia, by locating and returning identifiable remains and providing archival records to answer other discrepancies. THE President has normalized relations with Vietnam, believing such action would generate increased unilateral account for Americans still missing from the Vietnam War, and such increased results have not yet been provided by the Government of Vietnam. NOW, therefore, be it resolved that the State of Wyoming calls on the President to reinvigorate United States efforts to press Vietnam for unilateral actions to locate and return to our nation remains that would account for hundreds of America's POW/MIA's and records to help obtain answers on many more. FOR THESE SIGNIFICANT REASONS, I, JIM GERINGER, Governor of the States of Wyoming, do hereby proclaim September 18th, 1998, to be ``POW/MIA Recognition Day'' in Wyoming, and encourage all citizens to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Wyoming to be affixed this 29th day of July, 1998 Jim Geringer, Governor.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to introducer a bill which is of vital importance to my State of Wyoming as well as a number of other Western states, including Colorado, North Dakota, Montana, New Mexico, and Utah. As some of my colleagues may be aware, on July 20 of this year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit reversed a lower court ruling that had affirmed the rights of landowners in the production of coal bed methane (CBM). The Appeals Court decision in the case of Southern Ute Tribe v. Amoco Production Company asserts that CBM is part of the local rather than a separate natural resource. The ruling contradicts two previous U.S. Interior Department Solicitor General opinions that provided the legal basis for large- scale investment in CBM development and production in Wyoming and the other states mentioned previously. Based on these opinions, numerous private citizens and corporations entered into lease and royalty agreements to devleop CBM. Now thousands of small landowners face the risk of losing their royalties, which could lead to mortgage defaults and losses of retirement savings. Additionally, CBM producers face risks to their long-term investments. Delays in drilling caused by this ruling will also impact state and local economies and tax revenues and deter the production of a domestic clean burning fuel--coal bed methane. In order to protect the rights of landowners and lessees, I am today introducing a bill which will ensure the validity of existing lease and royalty contracts. This legislation simply states that all contracts entered into prior to the date of enactment of the bill are legal and valid. The legislation would do nothing with regard to any future contracts nor would it negate the rights of any recognized Indian Tribe. My colleagues in the Senate, Messrs. Thomas and Enzi, are introducing an identical measure in that body. I also intend to add this language to the Omnibus Parks bill which the House may consider in the very near future. I commend this legislation to everyone in this chamber and encourage their support of it.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the House is considering this legislation today under suspension of the rules. It is vital that both the House and the Senate act on it and send it to the President in order to ensure that water contracts for the Glendo Unit of the Pick Sloan Missouri River Basin program don't expire. This legislation is supported by the Administration and by extending the water contracts, H.R. 2795 will improve the Interior Department's ability to complete the environmental impact statement on a plan to provide additional river flow and improve the habitat for the benefit of the whooping crane, interior least tern, piping plover and the pallid sturgeon in the Central Platte Region in Nebraska. In addition, contract extension will enable appropriate consultation to take place consistent with the Endangered Species Act. I'd like to thank Representative Barrett for all his efforts on this legislation. He and his staff have worked very hard to get this bill enacted. Thanks also to Representative Doolittle for moving the bill out of his Subcommittee and through the Resources Committee. This is an important initiative and one which merits the support of everyone in this chamber.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, since Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr has delivered a report to Congress with evidence of possible impeachable offenses, the House of Representatives is required by the United States Constitution to review this information. Along with the power to declare war, the power to draft articles of impeachment is among the most solemn and serious powers given to the House by the Constitution. The vote today to release the report is not an indictment against the president. The House has not voted to impeach the president, nor to proceed with an inquiry of impeachment. We have voted to make this report available to members of Congress, the President, and the American public. We have also voted to give the Judiciary Committee the authority to review all of the supporting documents to determine if there is evidence that the President has committed impeachable offenses. Our decision today on how to handle the report is fair. The law requires Judge Starr to submit information to Congress if he has found credible evidence of impeachable offenses. The President, like the Congress, did not get an advance copy. Like any other American, he will not receive special treatment, he will receive fair treatment. The public has a right to review the report, and innocent parties have a right to have their privacy preserved. The Judiciary Committee will be the only body with access to the supporting documentation. However, by making the report public, the American people will be able to decide for themselves what the report says rather than having the information filtered through media or government sources. For the stability of the country and the preservation of our democracy, we must proceed with a spirit of bipartisanship that rises above politics and ideological differences. If the Judiciary Committee determines that there are impeachable offenses, and forwards its findings to the entire House, Members of the House will effectively serve as jurors. We must look at the facts in an objective and fair manner. We must leave our own personal and political predispositions at the door. Our decisions must be made on the evidence and the law. Like every other member of the House, I plan to review the report in its entirety over the weekend. I urge every American to read the report and make their own judgements in a sober, serious manner. To make the report more easily accessible to people in Wyoming, I want them to know that an electronic copy of the report will be posed on the Internet on the following official government sites: Library of Congress--THOMAS--http://thomas.loc.gov/icreport. Government Printing Office--http://access.gpo.gov/congress/icreport. House Committee on Judiciary--http://www.house.gov/judiciary. House of Representatives--http://www.house.gov/icreport.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Madam Speaker, now that both Houses of Congress are back in session, I believe one of the primary goals that we should set our sights on is providing an across-the-board tax cut for all Americans. The Clinton administration has said that they do not support any tax cuts until Congress has made sure that Social Security is solvent for the so-called baby boomer generation, of which I am one. Madam Speaker, I believe we can achieve both of these goals. With an anticipated budget surplus of $1.6 trillion over the next 10 years, there is no doubt in my mind that we can continue to have a balanced budget, begin paying down the national debt, provide tax relief for hard-working Americans, and maintain the solvency of our Social Security program. Simply by paying off our $5 trillion national debt, which probably is not all that simple, and maintaining budgetary balance, the future of Social Security will be secure for Americans into the next century. There is a plan being offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sam Johnson) and the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Mrs. Nancy Johnson) which will achieve these worthy goals. While their proposal is not everything I would envision in the way of tax reform, it is a good step in the right direction.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to a dedicated member of the U.S. Forest Service as he concludes 32 years of service to his country. We are proud to have had this man serve as District Ranger in Jackson, Wyoming Ranger District for the past 10 years. Mr. Charles G. Jones deserves this honor. We owe our gratitude for his contributions to the wise and sustainable use of our national forests and water resources. Chuck Jones' personal and professional career accomplishments are as diverse as they are noteworthy. His loyal service and sacrifices for over three decades, working in the small communities of the Rocky Mountain west, are a testament to all who use and appreciate our public lands. I would like to take a moment to reflect on Chuck's career as he makes the transition to life beyond government service. Upon graduation from Michigan Technological University in 1964, with a degree in forestry, Chuck moved west and began work as a timber forester with the Northern Pacific railroad and Seeley Lake, Montana. Two years later, and then married to the former Carolyne McCollum, he embarked on public service work as a forester with the Kaniksu National Forest in Newport, Washington. Following a transfer to Noxon, Montana, and serving as a forestry specialist, he moved in 1971 to the Red Ives Ranger District in Saint Maries, Idaho, as a timber management officer. Helping further our nation's dependence on wood products from the national forests, he spent the next several years in Troy, Montana, and Mountain Home, Idaho, on the Boise National Forests respectively. In 1982 Chuck was appointed as the District Ranger in Cascade, Idaho. Following five years of success in that position the Forest Service assigned Chuck as the District Ranger in Pinedale, Wyoming, a state where we appreciate his brand of leadership and his abundant talents. Quickly adapting to the unique life-style of rural Wyoming, he then became the ranger in Jackson where he has served with distinction for the past 10 years. Chuck's last tour of duty has been as remarkable for its challenges as it has been for his ability to find solutions that mirror public interests. The Jackson Ranger District, located in close proximity to the Tetons and well known national parks, offers the most complex combination of multiple uses of the land and heavy public visitation of any district administered by the Forest Service. A well known and highly regarded member of the Jackson Hole community, Chuck's fairness and problem solving will be hard to replace. Whether dealing with the catastrophic fires of 1988, coordinating with world class ski areas, managing heavy public use in the Snake River canyon, or hosting Presidential visits, Chuck always demonstrates the highest ideals of public service. I am especially proud to mention his initiative and compassion in bringing the nine families together for a memorial service the year after their loved ones perished on a tragic C-130 crash in the Gros Vente Wilderness. Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor for me to present these credentials of Chuck Jones before the House today. It is clear through his stated, and unstated, accomplishments that he has dedicated himself to furthering the benefits we enjoy from our public lands. All of his actions reflect a true leader with a sense of purpose, commitment, and conscience. As Chuck departs from public service I ask my colleagues to join with me in delivering an appreciative tribute from a grateful nation, and best wishes to he and Carol for a productive and rewarding retirement.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, today we gather here to show our respect and honor for the two men who died Friday heroically in the line of duty. I knew both of them. They were both very fine men, family men. Their sacrifice needs to remind all of us how very much we owe to all policemen and law enforcement officers across this Nation who similarly put their lives on the line every single day for the public safety and to protect the freedom that so often we take for granted. It is very sad that it takes something like this for us to express our appreciation to those people who protect us and look out for us every day, as we cross the street and the officers stop the traffic. There are so many things that we just take for granted. From the bottom of my heart, I thank them both, and their families as well. Last Friday, I was in my office until late. I instructed my staff to lock the doors, because we did not know how many shooters were there. We did not know how many shooters were out there. We did not know what was happening. I instructed them to lock the door and call their families and tell their families they were okay. When I called my mother, she said that certainly she was grateful that I called and that she could go to bed and her life would go on as usual but that the families of the people who were shot and the person who shot them would be forever changed. I express my sincere condolences to all of them and thank them for the sacrifice that they have made for us.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Madam Speaker, I am a mother myself and married to a physician. There is very little that any of the previous speakers can tell me about abortions and about pregnancies and about life that I do not already know. One thing I do know is our Constitution guarantees us the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The most fundamental of those things is life. In our State laws in many States, the sanctity of unborn life is already regarded as a right. Let me tell my colleagues how. Criminally, if a woman is assaulted and loses her child, the person who assaulted her can be charged with manslaughter, can be charged with murder. Even if the mother survives, that child, that unborn child, has a right to live. If someone negligently kills the father of an unborn child, the mother or a guardian can sue on behalf of that unborn child for negligence. So in the civil courts, we recognize that unborn children have a right to live. And to think of delivering a child up to its head and then removing the brain from that child that is viable and that can live out of the womb. There is a home in America where that child could be loved and wanted. To deliver a child that could live and kill it is absolutely a mortal sin. It is a legal wrong. It is against everything that we stand for in this country. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote to override the President's veto.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here today to speak on behalf of the Child Custody Protection Act, and I want to thank the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) for her hard work in bringing this important issue to the forefront today. I believe this Federal law is long past due. I am a parent as well. As a parent, when my children were in school, I used to have to sign a release form to allow them to go to a museum 6 blocks from the school. If they had a headache at school and they wanted to take an aspirin, that required parental consent. How can a parent think that those acts are acceptable, and yet a life-changing act like having an abortion is something that a child should and could decide on their own? We have heard some very tragic cases, and there are very tragic cases on all sides of this issue. An unwanted pregnancy in and of itself is a tragic situation, but I want to talk to my colleagues about another group of young women, of minors, that have not been discussed here today, and I think they are girls like I think I would have been had I been faced with an unwanted pregnancy when I was a teenager. I had a good relationship with my parents, I had a good relationship with my family. I still do. If I had found that I was pregnant when I was a minor, I would probably have wanted to have an abortion not because of what it would do in my life, and not because I was considering this unknown child that I was carrying, but because I would not want to hurt my mother and my father and my family. That is the wrong reason to get an abortion, and I venture to say there are many, many, many young girls out there who would get an abortion for that reason. When in the life of a girl does she need the wisdom, guidance, love and support of her parents more than when she is facing an unwanted pregnancy? While I know, I believe there are tragic situations out there that have occurred because parents, some sick parent was notified that the daughter was going to get an abortion, that is the minuscule minority. We have to look at what is best for the vast, vast majority of our young people, and facing an unwanted pregnancy and making the decision to kill one's own child when one is 12, 13, 14 years old is wrong. Those girls need their parents. They need all the love and guidance they can get. They deserve it. Let us pass this law.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, it is a great pleasure for me to rise here today in support of passage of this legislation designating the Dick Cheney Federal Building in Casper, Wyoming. I should note that by naming this building after Dick, in some respects we are passing on a family heritage. Dick's father worked in that building when it was first opened, when it was a brand-new building. So I am very grateful, and it has special meaning to those of us from Wyoming. As my colleagues may know, I introduced the bill in March to rename the Federal building and post office in Casper, Wyoming, in recognition of Mr. Cheney's many contributions to our country. I can think of no one who is more deserving of this honor. Dick has served this body in a number of capacities, including policy committee chairman, conference chairman, and minority whip. He also very ably served our country as Secretary of Defense in the Bush administration and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his leadership during Operation Desert Storm. Mr. Speaker, there are few things in our lives that happen where we remember forever and ever where we were sitting and what we were doing when a national event occurred. The tragic death of President Kennedy was one of those things for me. When Anwar Sadat was assassinated, that was another thing for me. I remember very well when Operation Desert Storm started. I was in the State legislature in a committee meeting in the Capitol, and the news came in that the bombing had started, and I remember having brothers that served in Vietnam and thinking about the young people that were there. I remember thinking, well, thank you, God, that Dick Cheney is in charge of those troops over there, because they could not be in better hands, and I truly felt that way, and I believe that today. I know my colleagues will join me in thanking Dick for his leadership, for his statesmanship, but, most of all, for his friendship. I would also like to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), the gentleman from California (Mr. Kim), and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure staff for working with me to enact this legislation. I urge the Senate to act on it expeditiously and hope that when it comes before that body that it will come into law.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3097, the Tax Code Termination Act. I intend to vote for the passage of this legislation, not just because I am a cosponsor of the bill, but also because it makes sense. I have to just take exception with some statements by the speaker from California who talked about increasing people's taxes because of the possibility of not being able to deduct mortgage interest from their income and charitable contributions. There is in no way an intention to increase, nor decrease, revenues to the Treasury of the United States by changing the Tax Code. We simply want to make it more fair, more equitable and simpler so that the American public can do their own taxes and understand exactly what they are doing. I am also glad that the fine gentleman from New York is on record as saying that if anyone did take money from the Chinese Government, that it would be a felony, and I know that when the time comes that he will see, if that is exposed, he will see that the full force of the law is enforced. Mr. Speaker, I recently held two public forums in my State of Wyoming on the Internal Revenue Service and the experiences that people have had, both good and bad. One person told us about having underpaid her taxes in the amount of 3 cents, and she received a bill for over $1400 from the Internal Revenue Service. Time and time again I heard how the Internal Revenue Service abuses its power, and in lieu of attempting to work with people and provide some flexibility on how to address a certain tax problem the Internal Revenue Service seemed to always take a hard-line approach. Mr. Speaker, we can and should make the Internal Revenue Service personnel more accountable for their actions. Finally, the Tax Code must be simplified. The average person is increasingly frustrated with the time and expense involved in the preparation of their tax return. I urge my colleagues to support passage of this bill, and I look forward to participating in the subsequent debates on how to address the challenge of replacing the current Tax Code.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation which opens to federal oil and gas leasing certain parcels that have prospective value for oil and gas development. This bill will correct an error made by the BLM in leasing parcels of land near Big Piney, Wyoming which were subject to the 1964 Public Land Sale Act's statutory closure of the mineral estate to leasing. BLM has agreed that there is no current reason for the closure to continue and believes that the holder of the lease should be allowed to move forward with development. The lands affected by this provision were sold at auction under the 1964 Act that required the mineral estate to be reserved to the United States in the patent to the high bidder. When BLM classified the lands for sale, BLM and the USGS recognized that the lands were ``valuable for oil, gas and coal''. That 1964 Sale Act provided that the reserved federal minerals would be closed to mineral leasing, apparently because the lands were expected to be improved as part of expected local community growth after the sale and patenting of the surface. The lands here remain grazing lands that are currently of the same type that are under multiple use for grazing and oil and gas exploration and development throughout southwestern Wyoming. Air quality, wildlife and other public resource concerns can and will be addressed and protected through federal lease stipulations, just as was and is done for all the federal acreage currently under lease throughout the Big Piney-Labarge area, including one of these parcels that was already mistakenly leased by BLM. I ask my colleagues to support me in this effort to correct the error by BLM and to further oil and gas development in southwestern Wyoming. Natural gas is the fuel of choice for many Americans today, and this bill would in a very small way contribute to our nation's energy needs by allowing prospectively valuable federal mineral rights to be competitively auctioned and to recognize the validity of an improvidently issued lease.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution. There is one fact that Americans must always bear in mind: The government spends their money because it does not have any money of its own to spend, period. It is their money when they earn it. It is their money when it is taken out of their paycheck before they ever see it. And it is still their money when the government spends it. And when it is their money that is spent, the government ought to be more accountable to them. Do my colleagues know what we have done with the spending habits in this government? The average American family pays 40 percent of their income in taxes. What that means is we have stolen the choice of many of our young families as to whether or not one parent will stay home and raise the children and the other one go to work to support the family. Now, as it is, one has to support the family and the other one works full-time to support the government. That means that they cannot be the room mother, they cannot stay home to take care of their ailing elderly parents, they have to work because they have to feed the government.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to introduce a bill that would preserve the sacred monuments to our fallen soldiers. This legislation would prevent the conveyance of any veterans memorial, or any part of any memorial, to a foreign government without the express consent of Congress. This has become an issue in recent months with the Bells of Balangiga, part of a veterans memorial at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in my home State of Wyoming. I strongly believe we should protect this and every other monument to the sacrifice made by our Armed Forces. Since the founding of our Republic over 200 years ago, our brave soldiers and sailors have been called upon to defend our liberties and preserve the vital national security interests of the United States. Many have given their lives in the line of duty. Many monuments dedicated to our veterans commemorate events that occurred abroad. As time passes, the memory of those who fought so gallantly in the service of our nation often fades. I believe it is absolutely essential to preserve the memory of our veterans who served their country when they were called. In an attempt to satisfy a request from the Philippine Government, there is a movement afoot to return the bells from the monument at F.E. Warren AFB. The Philippine Government would like the bells in time for its centennial celebration of independence from Spain. However, the bells are completely unrelated to the Spanish-American War. The bells, once used to call the faithful to worship were converted to instruments of war in 1901 when they were used to call insurgents to massacre unsuspecting American soldiers stationed in Balangiga, a village in the Philippines. Fifty-four Americans died in that attack. The twenty survivors of that brutal attack brought the bells back to Fort D.A. Russell, now F.E. Warren Air Force Base, as a memorial to their fallen comrades. When I harbor no malice towards the people of the Philippines, I believe the United States has an obligation to protect the memory of those who fought and died for their country. The Bells of Balangiga should not be simply dealt away in the conduct of foreign policy. This war memorial represents the blood and sweat invested by America to bring about an independent Philippines. I hope my colleagues will join me in prohibiting the conveyance of the Bells of Balangiga or any other veterans monument to a foreign government.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2186) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide assistance to the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper, Wyoming.

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this bill would establish the National Historic Trails Center and Interpretive Center in Casper, Wyoming. H.R. 2186 was introduced in an effort to preserve and interpret several historic trails which crossed western America during the 1800s. These historic trails represent valuable historic and cultural themes that help shaped the West. This bill is the result of a cooperative partnership with Federal and non-Federal interests which will help fund, construct, operate and maintain the trails center. The partnership includes the Bureau of Land Management, the City of Casper, the State of Wyoming and the nonprofit National Historic Trails Foundation, which have been invaluable in their contribution to this effort. The non-Federal partners have made a clear commitment to share approximately one-half of the total cost to construct, maintain and operate the trails center. At this point the design work is done, the land is available, and most of the non-Federal funds have been accrued. Now the actual interpretive center needs to be constructed. H.R. 2186 authorizes the appropriation of funds to complete this construction. This bill really is a showpiece of what can be accomplished as a result of cooperative partnerships between Federal and non-Federal interests. This bill is noncontroversial, Mr. Speaker, and is supported by the administration. I urge my colleagues to voice support for passage of H.R. 2186. H.R. 2186, the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center Authorization Act, requests an amount of $5 million be authorized for use by the Bureau of Land Management in the Department of the Interior to construct the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper, Wyoming. Over a century and a half has now passed since the historic overland migrations of people across America's western frontier began. Their stories of hardship, perseverance and courage are legendary, and they figure prominently in the history of the West. The trails they traveled, especially in Wyoming, still remain a visible testimony to the great struggles of these early American pioneers. During the mid-1800's, Casper, Wyoming was the only geographic location in the western United States where the Oregon, Mormon, California and Pony Express trails, as well as many Indian trails converged. A fork of the Bozeman Trail and the beginnings of the Bridger Trail also originated in Casper. These trails are a distinctive part of our nation's past and they possess important historical and cultural values representing themes of migration, settlement, transportation, and commerce that shaped the landscape of the West. Congress has recognized the historical significance of these trails. The National Trails Systems Act, as amended in 1978 and 1992, designates the Oregon, Mormon, California, and Pony Express Trails as National Historic Trails. The Act also directs the Secretary of the Interior to protect, interpret and manage the remnants of these trails on federal lands. While large segments of these trails, and their associated historic sites, lie on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands in Wyoming, no interpretive center is available in Wyoming, or any adjacent state, to educate the public on the role of these trails in our nation's history. In an effort to preserve and interpret this important history, I have introduced H.R. 2186 to establish the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center (NHTIC) in Casper, Wyoming. The bill encompasses a unique partnership of federal and non-federal interests to jointly construct and operate this Center. These interests include the BLM, the city of Casper, and the nonprofit National Historic Trails Foundation. These entities came together in 1992 to build a center to memorialize and interpret the national historic trails in the West. The interpretive and educational programs that will be associated with the Trails Center in Casper will enable visitors to discover and appreciate the miles of untouched trails that lie on public lands in the West. The Center will identify and help protect sensitive historic trail remnants to prevent degradation. The National Historic Trails Centers will also provide an opportunity for the BLM to showcase public lands emphasizing the bureau's commitment to preserve lands of historical value. Under the cooperative agreement, there is a clear commitment of non- federal partners to share costs to construct, maintain and operate the Trails Center. City, state, foundation and private interests will bear approximately half of the total costs of the project. The City of Casper provided funds to initiate work on the Center. The city has also donated more than 10 acres of prime land overlooking the site of the North Platte River crossings of the historic trails for the Center. Furthermore, the citizens of Casper increased local sales taxes and have raised the required 1.5 million of construction dollars to meet their financial commitment under the cooperative agreement. The State of Wyoming has joined the partnership by giving $700,000 for the Center. The cooperative agreement also requires non-Federal entities to establish a $1 million endowment, the interest thereof to maintain exhibits for the life of the Center. The overwhelming amount of non- federal support for the Center is precisely the kind of cooperation Congress intended in managing and interpreting the historic trails of the nation. The BLM, under the cooperative agreement, has an important but limited role in establishing and operating the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center. The BLM has already completed a striking design as well as the engineering blueprints of the Center. With this work completed, the land available, and most of the non-federal funds in hand, the Center is now ready for construction This legislation provides congressional authorization of funds for the BLM to do so. Once the Center is completed, the BLM will own and operate the facility. However, with the endowment, the authorization to charge visitors a modest entrance fee, and commitments for volunteer staffing, the facility will be largely self-sustaining from a financial perspective. This is important in view of the present and anticipated future funding restrictions of the Federal government. In Wyoming, we are experiencing great interest in the historic trails that cross the state. In 1992, a year when visitation to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park was down, the Wyoming Department of Tourism reported an increase in tourism along the Oregon Trail route during the sesquicentennial of that trail. This year is the sesquicentennial of the Mormon Pioneer Trail. BLM officials have estimated that between 200,000 and one million visitors participated in ``trails'' events in Wyoming this year. We expect similar interest in trails during the sesquicentennials of the California and Pony Express historic trails. In truth, an increasing number of Americans are discovering, enjoying, and learning the history of these treks and are seeking to experience natural settings, landmarks, and physical remains of the trails. I am pleased with the broad level of support the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center enjoys. Wyoming State Representative Dorothy Perkins, who testified on behalf of the bill before the Resource Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands, along with Executive Director of the Center, Edna Kennell, have both worked tirelessly to make this project a reality. As noted earlier, the city of Casper and the State of Wyoming have provided tremendous assistance to the effort--for that I thank them. The governor of Wyoming, Jim Geringer, as well as Wyoming's former governor, Mike Sullivan, have endorsed the Center from the beginning. Wyoming's U.S. Senators, Mike Enzi and Craig Thomas, support the project. Especially gratifying has been the support and encouragement from interests outside of Wyoming, such as the Oregon-California Trails Association. I deeply appreciate the support of my respected colleague from Utah, Representative Jim Hansen, Chairman of the House National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee. The establishment of the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center is in the public interest. The project contains the best elements of private and public cooperation. The construction and operation of this Trails Center is altogether consistent with the BLM's criteria for projects of this kind. I urge my colleagues to help advance our efforts to preserve and interpret a significant chapter of American history by lending their support for this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I wish to thank my colleague from American Samoa for his support and work on this bill. I do not have any further speakers, so is the gentleman prepared to yield back the balance of his time?

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank the fine gentleman from Indiana for his support, and I congratulate him on his creativity in debate. I would add one little bit of information. Actually there is 20 minutes of time allocated to each side, so if it makes my colleague feel any better, it is 40, but I doubt that is the case. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, so I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2186.