Barbara Cubin

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I am honored today to present to the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives a concurrent resolution providing for the placement of the Chief Washakie statue in Statuary Hall located in the U.S. Capitol. As the resolution states, Chief Washakie, leader of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe, contributed greatly to the settlement of the west by allowing the Oregon and Mormon trails to pass through Shoshone lands. Chief Washakie was well known as a distinguished leader and a stately warrior who bravely defended the Shoshone and their allies. Additionally, Chief Washakie was the only chief to be awarded a full military funeral. On behalf of the people of Wyoming I am proud to put forth this legislation providing this commemoration of one of the State's most celebrated names.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the measure under debate today and in support of the rule. Our Tax Code, the one that we currently live under, has been tweaked and modified and transformed to such a point that all that remains is layer upon layer upon layer of incoherence and inconsistency. We have allowed confusion to replace common sense. Our garden has become so overrun with weeds that we do need to tear it up and start anew. I have heard several of my colleagues today express their concerns about tearing our Tax Code out by its roots. I guess I cannot fault them for their hesitancy. This is a monumental piece of legislation we are considering. As we work in the coming years to craft a new Tax Code, this legislative body will have no choice but to accept accountability for how much of the American family's paycheck the Federal government collects, and for all of the frustrations that they have to experience in filing their tax returns. For those Members who prefer big government and increased Federal spending, that will be a heavy burden for them to bear, as well it should be. But please, Mr. Speaker, do not be fooled by those today who try to dismiss this measure that we are debating as a political act. This bill does not establish a new tax policy. We will have plenty of time to determine what policy we should pass once we have begun debate on this bill. Where we will have time to adopt a realistic tax policy. Committing ourselves to replacing an overwhelming and inconsistent Tax Code is not a political issue, it is about making a promise to the American people that is long overdue. Passage of this measure clearly proclaims to American families in every congressional district that we know this Tax Code is broken, and that we are going to do everything that we can to replace it with one that works.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, as an original cosponsor of the loan guarantee program, I am particularly pleased with the bill's fiscally responsible plan that will ensure that all consumers, specifically those in medium and small markets, will have access to local broadcast signals. The only cities that will enjoy local network broadcasting over their satellite systems under the current system will be those with millions of television households. As we all know, the largest TV markets are currently enjoying local into local service over their satellite systems because of the hard work of the Committee on Commerce in passing the Satellite Home Viewers Act. The legislation before us today allows Congress to finish the job by providing that same service to rural Americans. Wyoming is a perfect example of why we need to pass this legislation. The two largest TV markets in Wyoming are Cheyenne and Casper. They rank number 196 and 199, respectively. Even under the most optimistic local into local plans, Wyoming television viewers would probably never receive local into local service without the loan guarantee provision that is included in this bill. I can only say that in lieu of mandating that satellite and cable providers serve rural areas, this is our only option. I am committed to moving this piece of legislation so that rural television customers can enjoy the same local television programming as our urban friends.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Chairman, like most Americans I was disappointed and angry to hear of the administrative abuses taking place under the Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson Acts. These are very popular programs that I support, which permit collection of funds through the Federal excise taxes on hunting and fishing equipment, a worthy cause, and two activities that my family holds dear, that my entire family enjoys as do the vast majority of the people in my State of Wyoming. These funds are tremendously beneficial to the State and to other States that use them for on-the-ground fish and wildlife conservation projects. The House Committee on Resources learned of the mismanagement of the 6 percent and the 8 percent administrative funds over a year ago. Since that time, the GAO and the Committee on Resources' own review of the mismanagement indicates that widespread abuses have continued to be discovered. It is my understanding that part of these funds were even used to introduce the wolf into Yellowstone which was something the States of Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana; the governors; and the legislatures strongly opposed, as did most of the people that lived there. The plain truth is that the Fish and Wildlife Service has misused millions of taxpayer dollars. I have to say that I find it a little less than amusing that in this Chamber the misuse of these funds has been characterized as ``exaggerated'' and the previous speaker saying the administration ``may have been a little lax'' when in fact the GAO report says that this program, quote, ``if not the worst managed, is one of the worst managed programs we have ever seen.'' Now, excuse me. Hello? That is worse than ``maybe a little lax'' or that the other side is exaggerating this problem. When money is misused that taxpayers pay in under certain circumstances, it should be distributed according to the law. Sportsmen and women have every right to expect that their hard-earned money will be returned to them in the form of the services for which they pay it. Clearly this kind of abuse cannot be justified, and it cannot be tolerated. As an original cosponsor of the legislation of the gentleman from Alaska, I am committed to bringing an end not only to this particular kind of Federal abuse of dollars but other abuses that are prevalent in our Federal Government. I do not care who is in office, I do not care who is in the seat of the presidency, I do not care who is in the majority of the Congress. To say that just because they did it means it is not so bad that we did it is ludicrous. I am offended by that as every American should be.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Chairman, over the past year we have watched this country slide further and further what could very well be described as a full-lown energy crisis. Gas prices have increased dramatically over the past year to the point of being the largest price increase in history. American oil inventories are at their lowest level in 4 years. This has all occurred under the Clinton-Gore administration's watch. This administration's lack of an energy policy and its resistance to allowing oil and gas exploration on public lands has brought us to this point. Clinton and Gore pay lip service to energy policy but in reality they do all they can to prevent domestic industries from meeting our energy needs. This administration has locked up one of the largest clean coal sources in the lower 48 States, in Utah's Grand Escalante National Monument. This administration has been opposed to any new nuclear power plants and has been opposed to waste disposal. This administration is importing more oil than ever with regulations and taxes designed to close our domestic oil industry. It is closing vast areas to gas development in the outer continental shelf. Due to extreme environmental policies, domestic reserves of oil and gas in the Rocky Mountains are too expensive to produce. And possibly more importantly, in the Rocky Mountains, pipelines are tougher than ever to permit. We must be able to increase domestic crude oil production not only to help alleviate the risks to our national security but also to make energy in the United States more affordable. This administration is importing more oil than ever, with regulations and taxes designed to close our domestic oil industry. We have a wealth of untapped energy resources in this country and yet we can't get at them because this administration keeps throwing up barriers through needless rules and regulations. Why should we have to depend on any foreign energy resource when we have it setting right here in our backyard. I implore this administration to wake up and start working on a solution to this crisis so that our national security will not be jeopardized, and our constituents can know and appreciate stable energy prices. This bill, the Oil Price Reduction Act, is a step in the right direction.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, Susan B. Anthony is well remembered as one of our Nation's greatest champions, not just of the rights of women, but the rights of all Americans. In addition to her work for women's rights, she was also a leading voice speaking out against the evils of slavery. She considered her work in turning women away from abortion as some of the most important in her life. She declared that amongst her greatest joys was to have helped ``bring about a better state of things for mothers generally, so that their unborn little ones could not be willed away from them.'' Today, on the 180th birthday of her death, I rise in honor of this great human rights crusader and to bring her wisdom to bear on one of the great human rights issues of our day, the right of preborn children to live. Susan B. Anthony was clear: abortion for her was nothing less than, quote-unquote, ``child murder,'' and she devoted much of her energies toward making women independent of what she termed the ``burden'' of abortion. As we celebrate this day, let us also recommit ourselves to her goal of relieving women of the burden of abortion.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, the marriage penalty is one of the most unfair tax burdens the Federal Government places on American people today. Under the current Tax Code, the marriage penalty taxes the incomes of a married couple at a much higher rate than that of an unmarried cohabitating couple. The most onerous thing about the tax penalty is that it punishes working women and lower income couples with children. In essence, it taxes the income of the second wage earner, typically the wife, at a much higher rate than if she were filing only individually. A married couple pays an average of $1,400 per year more than an unmarried couple with the same income under the current Tax Code. That money could be going toward paying bills, putting a down payment on a car or a house, saving for college tuition for their children. We have a chance today, Mr. Speaker, to do the right thing. By ending the marriage penalty, we will help the middle class; we will help their families lead better lives. I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 6.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, on February 8, 2000, I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall vote numbers 8, 9, and 10. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on H.R. 1451, the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission Act; ``yes'' on S. 632, the Poison Control Center Enhancement and Awareness Act; and ''yes'' on H. Res. 418, honoring former Speaker Carl Albert.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by thanking the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Bliley), the chairman of the Committee on Commerce, for his remarkable work in getting this very important piece of legislation on the House floor tonight. I am particularly pleased with the bill's rural provisions, which include a fiscally responsible plan that will ensure that all customers, including medium size and small markets, will have access to local broadcast signals by way of satellite. The conference report includes a $1.25 billion Agriculture Department loan guarantee to help support the launch of satellite systems dedicated to provide television service to hundreds of rural and underserved markets. Without this plan, only the largest television markets in America will be able to receive local-into-local service which is authorized by this legislation. The cities that will be served will only be those with millions-of-television households. Even under the most optimistic local-to-local plan, it will require 2 to 3 years to put into service, and then it will only be available in about 70 of the 210 television markets in the United States. The two largest television markets in Wyoming are Casper and Cheyenne. They both rank under 177. They would probably never receive local-into-local service without the loan guarantee provisions that are included in this bill. Once again, I want to thank the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Bliley), the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin), the gentleman from North Carolina (Chairman Coble), and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Boucher) for all of their hard work in getting this bill to the floor in a timely manner.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1528) to reauthorize and amend the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992.

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 1528.

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1528, a bill to reauthorize and amend the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992. That law established a cooperative program between the United States Geologic Survey, the various State geologic surveys, and academia to prioritize geologic mapping needs for the Nation, and to ensure that a small cadre of trained mappers continues to flow from our universities. This bill represents the second authorization, the second reauthorization of the initial program, which was enacted by the 102nd Congress. Mr. Speaker, just in the last few months we have witnessed earthquakes in Turkey, Greece, and Taiwan, with devastating loss of life and quality of life. The planet we live on is a dynamic one. Having modern geologic maps of our country is a foundation of good Earth science application to natural hazards identification and abatement, as well as for broad planning efforts for resources utilization. Such mapping is also key to delineation and protection of sources of safe drinking water and sound land use planning. The National Geologic Mapping Act has fostered a spirit of cooperation between the Federal Government's Earth scientists and those employed by the 50 States, as well as academia. No one agency or group has all the answers. Through the workings of the Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, priorities based on real needs are advanced, and funding is made available to the States on a 50/50 matching basis from a small portion of the annual USGS appropriation. Since the program was initiated, the States have demonstrated a greater ability to come up with the matching funds in their own State legislatures, a sign that the program is indeed successful. Of course, we realize that geologic mapping will not stop earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions from happening, but it does provide new insights into the likelihood of their occurrence, so that the impacts to society may be ameliorated. I would like to thank our colleague, the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall), a cosponsor of this bill and a sponsor of the original act in 1992, for joining with me in support of this new and improved act, and likewise for our colleague, the gentleman from the Second District of Nevada (Mr. Gibbons), who is a geologist himself and a cosponsor of H.R. 1528. Lastly, I would like to acknowledge the efforts of Dr. David Wunsch, who is a congressional science fellow who worked with the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources during the last year. David has returned to the Kentucky Geologic Survey to do important research in the hydrogeology of coal-bearing terrains, but he was instrumental in seeing this bill come this far. H.R. 1528 has the full support of the administration, and I urge its passage. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes, to the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons). (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1753, a bill to authorize a program of the Department of Energy fostering research and development of a peculiar form of energy minerals, natural gas hydrates. This bill is a blended version of the legislation reported by the Committee on Science and the Committee on Resources. It reflects a role for the Department of Interior's Mineral Management Service, the agency which is charged with resources disposition from our continental shelves. That is where the lion's share of methane hydrate minerals occur, there and in the permafrost regions of the Earth. This bill integrates the role which the scientists of the Marine Minerals Research Institute, an adjunct of the Minerals Management Service, may play in gas hydrates research. The Institute, which has three branches, one for continental shelf research, one for deep ocean basins and near island environments, and one for arctic and cold water regions, is well positioned to provide expertise in the quest to make what is now a drilling hazard for some OCS operations and turn it into an energy resource. Mr. Speaker, without a doubt, if this Nation is to reach a sustained use of 30 trillion cubic feet of natural gas by the end of the next decade, which is a Clinton administration projection, then we will need to develop unconventional sources of natural gas as well as the traditional accumulations. Coalbed methane being developed in my home State of Wyoming is one of those unconventional sources. But methane hydrates in our Alaskan permafrost regions and our OCS also hold great promise to help our country meet this demand with domestic gas. I would like to thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Chairman Sensenbrenner) for his willingness to incorporate several Committee on Resources' adopted provisions to strengthen this bill. I would also like to thank the committee staffs for their work to iron out the differences. Lastly, I would like to acknowledge the efforts of our former congressional science fellow, Dr. David Wunsch. He was critical to the formulation of my subcommittee's hearings and amendments to this bill. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill and to help us move toward the goal of energy self-sufficiency.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, very soon an extraordinary individual, earth scientist, and mentor of many who followed in his field, Dr. J. David Love, born and raised in my home state of Wyoming, will receive the ``Legendary Geologist Award'' from the American Geological Institute, a federation of 34 earth-science societies with a collective membership exceeding more than 100,000 persons. Some of Dr. Love's accomplishments include creating the modern geologic map of my home state of Wyoming, and the geologic map of Grand Teton National Park. My home state of Wyoming is rich in geologic wonders, and the people of Wyoming have a great appreciation the importance these maps and their value with regard to identifying geologic treasures, providing for the prudent use of our natural resources, hazard mitigation, and the expansion of our economy. With this in mind, I introduced legislation earlier this year that will reauthorize the National Geological Mapping Act (NGMA), which established a highly successful cooperative program between the U.S. Geological Survey and Geological Surveys of the 50 states and U.S. Territories. The maps produced under NGMA auspices provide society with information useful for the abatement of natural hazards such as floods, earthquakes, landslides and volcanic eruptions; the broad delineation of mineral potential, including groundwater resources, and candidate areas for waste burial sites for land-use planning purposes, as well as a better understanding of ``how the Earth works.'' As such, I rise today to recognize the American Geological Institute's adoption of October 10th through October 16th, 1999, as ``Earth Science Week.'' Earth Science Week was initiated last year by the American Geological Institute as a way to educate society about the Earth, the earth sciences, and the importance of earth scientists' work in solving the challenges we face with providing for the prudent management of our resources. This week, an Earth Science Week activity is taking place in schools in every state, and to date, 25 states have made official Earth Science Week proclamations, including my home state of Wyoming. Therefore, let it be known that: Geology and the other earth sciences are fundamental to the safety, health, and welfare of the United States economy and its citizens. The earth sciences are integral to finding, developing, and on serving mineral, energy and water resources needed for the Nation's continuing prosperity. The earth sciences provide the basis for preparing for and mitigating natural hazards such as earthquakes, floods, and landslides. The earth sciences are crucial to environmental and ecological issues ranging from water and air quality to waste disposal. The earth sciences contribute directly to our understanding and appreciation of Nature. Geological factors of resources, hazards, and environment are vital to land management and land use decisions. Mr. Speaker, our ever-changing world challenges us to wisely manage the earth and its resources. During this week, let us pay tribute to the important role that earth science plays in the economic success, safety, and welfare of this Nation.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation to amend the Mineral Leasing Act (MLA) to grant the Secretary of the Interior the discretion to increase the number of federal leases which may be held by any one producer in a single State. The present acreage limitation for sodium leases of 15,360 acres has been in place for five decades--longer than any other existing law. In fact, sodium is the only mineral subject to the MLA which has not had an increase in acreage since the law was amended in 1948. My bill would increase that limitation to 30,720 acres per producer. Frankly, the current limit is just out of step with the competitive and technological advances of this industry and must be changed as we move into the next century. The MLA set forth acreage limits to ensure that no single entity held too much of any single mineral reserve. This remains an important objective. A lease limitation ensures that there is sufficient competition, while providing an incentive for development of these reserves and ensuring a reasonable rate of return to the Federal and State Treasuries. My bill is consistent with these objectives and seeks only to grant the Secretary of the Interior the discretionary authority to adjust the present lease limitation to current economic and international conditions. Mr. Speaker, I offer this bill after carefully reviewing current conditions of the trona industry in my State. In the course of that review, I have been reminded that U.S. soda ash producers, four of which are in Wyoming, are extremely competitive with one another for a share of the relatively flat domestic market. They are also faced with strong international competition. With that in mind, I believe this legislation is critical to the domestic industry to sustain its global competitiveness. Wyoming is the Saudi Arabia of the world in terms of trona deposits, generating some 12 million tons of soda ash per year and $400 million to our balance of trade. But I have also learned that we cannot take this industry for granted. Like so many industries basic to our economy such as steel, paper, aluminum, copper and coal, the soda ash producers must take measures to stay competitive. Many countries, including China and India, with vast supplies of trona, have erected tariff and non-tariff barriers to support their own less efficient producers, making it difficult to export U.S. soda ash. For this reason, U.S. producers have formed the American Natural Soda Ash Corporation (ANSAC), a Webb-Pomarene trading association, in recognition of the fact that growth of the U.S. soda ash industry is directly tied to its ability to effectively export. ANSAC is the sole authorized exporter of soda ash and is wholly owned by the six U.S. sodium producers. It accounts for the employment of some 20,000 people in the U.S. and exports to 45 different countries. This is but one example of how our domestic industry has taken the steps necessary to compete effectively abroad. In addition, the producers in my state are making major investments in modernizing their facilities and sustaining the level of capital investment necessary to continue to be competitive both at home and abroad. The start up cost for a new soda ash operation is estimated to be at least $350 million dollars and to develop a world class mine, $150 million. Putting this in perspective, our Wyoming soda ash producers invest on average twice as much as their counterparts in the Powder River coal basin. This is largely due to the fact that soda ash is mined underground and thus requires a sophisticated processing plan to turn raw ore into finished products. That is simply the reality of what is required to stay competitive. But more importantly, at these costs, a new entrant, as well as existing producers, must have a predictable mine plan. A primary component of such a plan is a predictable level of reserves that will last several decades. My bill would help provide this predictability by giving the Secretary of the Interior the discretion to raise lease limits on a case-by-case basis if the producer can show it is in need of additional reserves to maintain its operations. In short, what discourages new entrants into this process is not available acreage, but the realities of capital investment required to sustain a competitive soda ash operation. Because domestic consumption is only anticipated to grow at about one percent over the next ten years, a new producer must have the wherewithal to build an operation which can effectively compete in international markets, where a 60 percent growth rate is expected over the next decade. Soda ash prices have been declining about 1 percent a year since 1991. Any company coming into this industry has to recognize that their investment will take a while to realize returns. In summary, the bill I am introducing today is necessary for a number of reasons. It is consistent with good mining and environmental practices and it is good public policy. I commend it to my colleagues for their support.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I would like to make the record straight on part of the testimony that has been given on hardrock mining. First of all, I have to say that I have very, very little hardrock mining in my State, but I do know the history of what has gone on with the hardrock mining law. In my opinion, the Interior Department Solicitor and Vice President Gore are attempting to rewrite our mining laws without the benefit of congressional sanction nor public input. Why? Perhaps it is because the 104th Congress passed significant amendments to the mining law. Let me say what some of those amendments were, the very things that my colleague, the gentleman from West Virginia, complained about. The law that we passed in the 104th Congress imposed a 5 percent royalty on all the minerals that were extracted. It required fair market value payment for lands, including the millsites. Also it established an abandoned hardrock mine land fund which would reclaim, which would clean up and restore any of the mining lands that had been deserted, that anyone who currently is mining could be forced to clean up and to reclaim. However, the President vetoed it. Why did he do that? He did that because the Congress refused to give the Secretary of Interior unbridled authority to just say no to mining. This Solicitor has been wrong before when it comes to hardrock mining. As a matter of fact, there is a Supreme Court decision seven to one against the Solicitor on the way he has interpreted some of the regulations for hardrock mining. So Mr. Chairman, let me get to the specific issue. On the issue of millsites, he recently concluded that our mining laws contain a limit on the ownership of such millsites, despite the fact that no previous Solicitor ever nor any court ever has interpreted the law to limit the number of millsites, the number of 5-acre millsites that are available. The law is very, very clear. A mining claimant may only utilize non- mineral-bearing lands as millsites, and only as much as is necessary in the conduct of one's mining and milling operation. If more than 5 acres is necessary, then they have to get another site. That is exactly what the Solicitor and the Vice President are trying to stop, which will basically truly impede hardrock mining, and in some cases, stop it. In no way is the miner limited to only as many millsites as he holds mining claims. No one ever has made that ruling except the current Solicitor. I challenge anyone to show me in the United States Code, title 30, section 42, where a mining claimant is so limited. It is not there, and the Solicitor knows it. He argues in his opinion that a 1960 amendment makes clear that Congress intended to limit ownership of millsites to one for one, but this law references placer mining, not lode claims. So in truth, Congress has had the opportunity not only in the 104th Congress, where they took the opportunity to reform the mining law, but in 1960 to legislate the very rule that this amendment would impose, and in 1960 they affirmatively chose not to do it. Mr. Chairman, the Rahall-Shays-Inslee amendment is an attempt to cede legislative branch authority to an unelected lawyer who is working for the Interior Department, and he is and has continued to work feverishly to impose his unorthodox views about mining before he and the Vice President leave office. But the property clause of the Constitution is very, very clear. I quote: ``The power to dispose of and make all needful rules and regulations respecting the territories and public property lies with the Congress.'' So I implore the Members of the House to not abandon our power, not abandon our responsibility. It is up to us. Yes, I believe that we need mining law reform. I believe that we need royalty. I believe that we need an abandoned mines fund. I believe that we need to get fair market value. Had the President not vetoed that, we would have that in place today.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this minute to talk about two things that are very near and dear to my heart, child protection and parental rights. As a mother of two sons, I think I know a lot about both of those things. This bill and those issues come together on the floor of the United States House today in the form of the Child Custody Protection Act. I think it is a frightening reality that thousands of adults of every year take minor girls across State lines for the purpose of getting an abortion, in secret, behind the backs of their parents, in direct violation of parental involvement laws of a minor girl's home State. Eighty-five percent of Americans agree it is wrong to take a minor across State lines for an abortion without their parents' knowledge. No one, not friends, not relatives, not a counselor at a clinic should be allowed to take our children across State lines for an abortion. Let us support laws that bring families together, not tear them apart. We must do what the American people want and what is best for our children, and that is pass the Child Custody and Protection Act.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 233, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. (Mrs. CUBIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to the amendment offered by the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio). I want to talk about just a couple different areas. I represent the entire State of Wyoming. Here is a little history lesson that I would like to give. A lot of people think that the public lands in the West are all national parks and national forests. Well, they are not. BLM land, or Bureau of Land Management land, makes up about half of the State of Wyoming, and it is owned by the Federal Government. The reason that is public land is because it is land that no one claimed when the Homestead Act expired. Now, why did not anybody claim that land? They did not claim it because, for the most part, it does not have water on it. It is not very productive. There is alkali on it and sagebrush. It is not productive land, so it was not claimed. No one wanted it. So it was put in trust for the Bureau of Land Management. That is now what is called the public lands in the West. Now if my colleagues stop and think about this for a minute, if my colleagues think about the ranchers and the public land that they have or the private land that they have, the private land is private because they homesteaded it because it has water on it. Then because there is water on it, there is grass, and there is feed for the cattle. But do my colleagues know what else? There is grass and feed and water for the wildlife as well. I am talking about deer and antelope, elk, moose, bear, and all of those kinds of species that we regard very highly that we want to take care of. Well, the USDA predator control, or Wildlife Services Program is there to protect that wildlife as well. So I think that the gentleman from Oregon's opposition to this comes from the fact that private landowners are helped by this service on their private land. But when my colleagues consider that 80 percent of the wildlife out there, the deer, antelope, elk, and so on is on private land. And yet the public is the owner of that wildlife. I think it is our responsibility, since we are the owners of that wildlife, to help take responsibility in caring for them. Another point I want to make, in Gillette, Wyoming, and Campbell County, we have a serious problem with rabies. Rabid skunks have gone into the City of Gillette, Wyoming, and this program is helping us with that problem. A cougar in Casper, Wyoming, was spotted just last week very near a playground. People in a city like Casper do not necessarily have the expertise to be able to deal with this without the help of this program. So it is very shortsighted to cut this program. It is a matter of public health, and it should also be a matter of public conscience.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, production of oil and gas from our public lands is fast becoming a rarity. Today I am introducing a bill, together with Rep. Joe Skeen of New Mexico, which we trust will stem this decline, and encourage investment in federal mineral leases. We call it the Federal Oil and Gas Lease Management Improvement Act of 1999. Senator Murkowski has already introduced a companion bill in the other body. The ``oil patch'' in the United States is in tough shape. Consumers blissfully enjoyed record low gasoline prices until very recently, but producers have suffered immeasurably from the diminished proceeds they have received for their crude oil for many, many months. Even the recent slow climb back to semi-respectable oil and gas prices in the last few weeks has turned back down again in the last week of trading. Our bill, is will provide some incentives to federal oil and gas lessees to ``stay the course'' when prices drop below $18 per barrel, or $2.30 per million BTU's for natural gas. Furthermore, our bill says to producers ``you know better than the government what your make or break price threshold is, so if low prices are sustained your lease terms are suspended, at your option, not the Secretary of the Interior's.'' But, Mr. Speaker, its not just producers who are being squeezed by today's global oil price environment. So are the oil patch states for which their share of federal mineral receipts are critical in meeting budget priorities. For many public land states, these receipts are dedicated to education trust funds, yet since 1991 these states have had to ``share'' in the burden of the federal government's costs to administer the Mineral Leasing Act before receiving their half of the remaining revenue. My home state of Wyoming has had over seven million dollars annually taken from the receipts flowing into its Treasury because of this law. And, these states, until now have had no option to take over the federal government's responsibilities and perform the same tasks more cost effectively. That will change with the Federal Oil and Gas Lease Management Improvement Act. This bill offers states the opportunity to take over post-lease issuance duties from the federal Bureau of Land Management and allow the state's oil and gas conservation commission to perform those functions on federal leases within their borders, if they so choose. As an incentive to take over the fed program, thereby saving federal budget outlays, volunteering states would no longer have to share in the federal administrative burden which unfairly diminishes their school funds. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues from other public land states to cosponsor this legislation and work with me toward its passage. This bill seeks the balance necessary to keep a domestic oil and gas industry working to explore and develop our public mineral resources. Without such balance, the long term decline in domestic production will continue to worsen and the royalties the taxpayers receive for such production will decline as well. Our oil patch states have shown the way this year by passing numerous severance tax reductions and other legislation designed to keep production on-stream and the workers associated with that production paying taxes. The Federal Oil and Gas Lease Management Improvement Act of 1999 is a small step in that direction by the federal government, and I urge its adoption.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Madam Speaker, as a Member of Congress and a woman, I am frequently asked why I am a Republican. After all, we all know about the gender gap. As a woman, a wife and a mother of two sons, my values and beliefs are the beliefs that are mirrored in the traditional ideals of individual freedom and personal responsibility. The Republican party best reflects my values and opinions. I believe the strength of our Nation lies with the individual, and each person's dignity, freedom, ability and responsibility must be honored. I believe in equal rights, equal justice and equal opportunity for all; that every single child has a right to live in an environment where they can achieve their fullest potential. I believe that free enterprise and the encouragement of individual initiative have brought prosperity, opportunity and economic growth to our country. I believe that the government must practice fiscal responsibility and allow individuals to keep more of the money that they earn. I believe that the proper role of government is to provide for people only those functions that they cannot perform for themselves, and that the best government is that which governs the least. I believe the most effective, responsible and responsive government is the best for the people and closest to the people. I believe Americans must retain the principles that have made us strong while developing new and innovative ideas to meet the challenges of a changing world. I do believe that Americans value and should preserve our national strength and pride, while working to extend peace, freedom and human rights throughout the world. Finally, I believe that the Republican Party is the best vehicle for translating these ideas into positive and successful principles of government. As America faces tragedies like the shootings that we have seen across the country in the last few months, I remain even more convinced that a return to traditional values and personal responsibility that made this country great are absolutely essential. I think President Reagan said it best when he said, We must reject the idea that every time a law is broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions. As a wife, a woman, a mother of two sons, I believe that only a return to values and personal responsibility will end this sort of violence. That is why I am a Republican.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 883, and I thank the chairman and the committee staff for getting this bill done in such good form and to the floor so quickly. I am glad that I am speaking right after the gentleman from Minnesota because he made the statement that we all know this is about Yellowstone National Park, and I represent Wyoming which has the most of Yellowstone National Park, and he said that the U.N. is doing a good job by these designations, that the reason that Yellowstone was designated, because a mine was going to be developed north of Yellowstone that might affect the watershed. Mr. Chairman, let me tell my colleagues the rest of the story. For 2 years an environmental impact statement had been going on, and professional scientists were not able in 2 years time to determine whether or not that developing that mine would put Yellowstone National Park in jeopardy. They were working toward that, but they still had more work to do before they professionally could say that was true. In 3 days' time, the United Nations came in. Three days later they determined that this indeed was an area in jeopardy, and then it was designated an area in jeopardy. So if that is what the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Vento) thinks is a good job, I certainly would have to disagree with him. I do agree with him, however, on the fact that what this argument boils down to are these transboundary issues. As far back as 1818, the United States Supreme Court ruled in the United States v. Bevins that a State's right to control property within its borders was an essential part of its sovereignty, and I think that H.R. 883 is yet another affirmation of that principle. What was done when this designation was made around Yellowstone was it virtually built a buffer zone around Yellowstone. It is something the administration had been trying to do for a long time but they could not get it done legislatively, even though it is clearly legislative responsibility to designate public land use. So they went around the back door and had the U.N. committee in 3 days make that designation. This is a good bill. This is something that Americans have the right, the Congress has the right and the responsibility to make these designations, and all we are asking is that these designations be approved by the Congress. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 883.