Jason Chaffetz

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Would cap-and-trade be one of those?

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to thank my colleague, the gentleman from Utah, Mr. Jim Matheson, for introducing this important piece of legislation. It's been a pleasure to work with him and his staff in moving this bill forward as it does benefit both the districts and, truly, the population of the State of Utah and, consequently, the United States of America. The facilities and beneficiaries of this bill are located, like you said, in both districts. And we, again, appreciate Mr. Matheson and his leadership on this issue. The Diamond Fork System of the Bonneville Unit was constructed under the Central Utah Project Completion Act. The Bonneville Unit is a system of dams and pipelines and tunnels that transports water from the eastern mountains in Utah to the Wasatch front population centers. This legislation allows for a hydropower developer to install up to 50 megawatts of clean, renewable, and emissions-free electricity at the existing Federal facilities in the Diamond Fork System. This will benefit the people of my district and the U.S. taxpayers in a variety of ways. This legislation expands on the historical benefits of a proven green technology. Hydropower is the original green electricity that time and again has kept the lights on in the western United States. With an additional 50 megawatts of hydroenergy, combined with other wind, geothermal, and natural gas facilities, my district will again be at the forefront of America's balanced energy future. This bill will be paid for by the power users, not the taxpayers. Once signed into law, this bill will generate money for the Federal Government by allowing a non-Federal developer to pay for the right to generate hydropower. Without passage, the Congressional Budget Office determines the existing facilities would not be developed anytime within the next decade because the initial investment would be uneconomical for potential developers. This is a good, bipartisan bill that benefits the environment, the taxpayers, and the people of Utah. I urge my colleagues to support it. I again appreciate the bipartisan approach in developing this piece of legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I commend the Democrat majority for scheduling H.R. 1061 under suspension of the rules today. Today, the House is setting a valuable precedent by removing certain lands managed as part of Olympic National Park from Federal ownership to meet a legitimate need. The National Park Service has expressed support for conveying these Federal lands to the Hoh Indian Tribe without consideration. To date, we have not been made aware of any opposition lodged by environmental groups to this national park land transfer. The Hoh Tribe has demonstrated a compelling need to add lands to its existing reservation to provide a safe area in which to construct housing and other facilities for its members. The tribe's reservation currently lies within one of the rainiest areas of the country on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington. Classified as a tsunami zone and prone to major flooding, the reservation receives 140 inches of rain per year. The transfer of land by H.R. 1061 enables the tribe to expand the eastern side of its reservation a little further upland and a safe distance from major flooding. The lands so transferred are currently part of Olympic National Park, one of the most beautiful and pristine parks in the United States of America. The precedent we set today should encourage the House to consider additional Federal land transfers that have the potential to benefit communities for safe, affordable housing, access, and other economic development interests. Again, Madam Speaker, I am pleased to express my support for H.R. 1061 and urge the House to pass it in a bipartisan way. With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I again urge passage of this important bill and support its passage. I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. House Resolution 518 recognizes the life of Jacques Cousteau for bringing the underwater world to the living rooms of the Nation through his television shows and documentaries. I, like countless others, was impacted by the dramatic way in which he showed us a world that was so foreign and so far away. The work that he did, with that staff and that crew, had a profound impact upon countless people, including myself. It's an honor to stand here in support of the passage of this important resolution and thank him and the great impact that he had for the deep appreciation and education that he gave relating to our oceans. We urge passage of this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the author of this legislation, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros- Lehtinen).

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The Hoover Dam may be 85 years old, but its legacy of providing emissions-free electricity, water for cities and farms, recreation for millions of boaters, flood control, and environmental protection remains to this day. It is a symbol of what our Nation's legendary infrastructure has done and will continue to do for generations to come. This legislation specifically continues the promise of delivering clean and renewable hydropower generated at the legendary Hoover Dam. This hydropower helped make the southwest United States what it is today. This bill costs nothing, which is an important aspect in these tight financial times since all of the costs to generate and deliver this hydropower will be borne by the electricity ratepayers. This bill is a reminder of the ``beneficiary pays'' principle that western water and power projects are based on can still work and thrive today. I appreciate the gentlewoman for bringing this bill forward, the bipartisan manner in which it was crafted, and I urge my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, briefly, I am very supportive of this piece of legislation. I think it is important for the continuity of government and interoperations. I think it can be a cost-saving measure for a lot of our agencies, but it is not necessarily right for every single employee. I don't want this to be perceived, and I think the legislation does this, in any way, shape, or form for this to be an excuse to spend more money within our own human resources departments. I am a little worried about the scoring of this. Certainly large agencies will need to have somebody who helps shepherd this and move this forward. But for the smaller agencies, some of the other agencies, it doesn't necessarily warrant that. I do appreciate during the process being able to offer an amendment that would allow for some flexibility within the different agencies so that they have the internal control and don't necessarily have the excuse to go out and hire another person to try to manage this. But with that said, I believe in and support this piece of legislation because, as I said before, the continuity of our government, this is a critical component to that. But it is also incumbent upon the executive branch to make sure that we have the safety, security, and the privacy components firmly in place. I believe that OPM, the Office of Personnel Management, will do that. This legislation strengthens their ability to do that, and that is why I am supportive of it. I appreciate the good work on both sides of the aisle. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to my colleague, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf) who has been a long-time advocate and has worked tirelessly on this issue. (Mr. WOLF asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to my distinguished colleague from the State of West Virginia (Mrs. Capito).

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, H.R. 1722 would require each executive agency to establish a policy under which employees may be authorized to telework to the maximum extent possible without diminishing employee performance or agency operations. Telework has been shown to save money on infrastructure, transportation, and other costs. At the Patent and Trade Office, for instance, millions of dollars have been saved through the reduction of office space due to increased use of telework. In addition, telework has proven to be an effective way to attract and retain highly qualified, skilled, and motivated employees. As the baby boomer generation begins to retire, these types of tools will be essential to ensuring that the Federal Government can attract the next generation of employees. This bill would require the Office of Personnel Management to maintain a central, publicly available telework Web site, including regulations regarding telework, and a confidential hotline and email address to report abuse. It will also help ensure telework is included in continuity of operations planning. We saw earlier this year the amazing amount of snow that fell upon Washington, D.C. If we had more extensive telework plans in place, I think the cost to the government would have been certainly diminished. We must ensure that privacy and security is maintained. That is paramount. It was one of my deep concerns, as we reviewed this bill within the committee, that privacy and security is maintained at all costs and that there be specific rules and regulations in place that are highly enforceable to make sure that the information is secure and private. This bill appears to take these factors into consideration as it is fully implemented. Historically, the Federal Government has not been at the forefront of deploying technology to permit alternative work environments, lagging behind the private sector in this important recruitment and retention tool. This bill will help close that gap. I want to thank Members on both sides of the aisle for their great work on this, including Mr. Wolf of Virginia and Mrs. Capito of West Virginia, as they seek to make sure that these types of policies are put into place and that we, as the Federal Government, with the millions of Federal employees, are doing the right thing in expanding this type of work and making sure that we have the proper rules, regulations, and the safety and security that we need for the confidential information that our Federal employees deal with. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I simply want to say that the foundation, the future of our country, is rooted in our families--and that starts with mothers. The mother of our children, my wife, I can't thank her enough for what she does and for what the literally millions and millions of mothers do and sacrifice every day for the sake of their children.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my distinguished colleague from the State of Georgia (Mr. Gingrey).

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my distinguished colleague from the State of Alabama (Mr. Bachus).

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of House Resolution 1295. Now, this is something I can actually get really excited about and proud of the body for taking up because the celebration of the role of mothers in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of Mother's Day is something that I am sure we can be unified on. This Sunday, May 9, many Americans will take a moment to pay tribute to the estimated 82 million mothers for their immeasurable contributions toward building strong families and successful communities throughout our country. The first Mother's Day was celebrated in Grafton, West Virginia, 102 years ago on May 10, 1908. From there the custom caught on, quickly spreading to 45 other States. In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson declared the first national Mother's Day as a day for Americans to celebrate a woman's role in the family and as a day for citizens to show the flag in honor of those mothers whose sons had died in war. Celebrated on the second Sunday in May, this holiday has grown to include all mothers in times of war and peace and is now celebrated in many countries across the globe. Throughout history mothers have traditionally represented the strength of families. Their nurturing spirit transcends any differences in every culture as mothers protect, guide, and teach their children. As Washington Irving said, ``A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness and cause peace to return to our hearts.'' It is with joy in our hearts that once again we honor the women who most of us hold dear, to recognize the steadfast love and support of our mothers who helped shape us throughout our lives. On a personal note, I miss my mother. She passed away some years ago. I love her and I miss her. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. I urge the passage of this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I would like to yield 5 minutes to my distinguished colleague, the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry), the chief sponsor of this resolution.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 1247, commending public servants for their service and dedication to our Nation during Public Service Recognition Week. Every day, millions of hardworking and highly talented Americans serve their country and help make the United States even stronger. As a Nation, we owe public servants everywhere our gratitude for the work that they do. Americans rely on public employees to keep us safe. Every day, men and women in uniform worldwide protect our freedom and allow us to live our lives in peace and security. When we have an emergency, we depend on firefighters and police officers to help us out in a dangerous and difficult situation. Only a few days ago, we witnessed the heroic actions of the Coast Guard in coming to the rescue of over 100 oil workers trapped on the burning Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. During many natural disasters, the dedicated members of the National Guard leave their own families and help people and their communities recover and rebuild in times of peril. On normal days, all American lives are enriched by public employees. Whether it's the postal employee who delivers our mail regardless of the weather or the public schoolteacher whose constant enthusiasm inspires our children to succeed in school, we enjoy the benefits of the work our public servants give us constantly. Much of the work of public employees we take for granted and do not even realize. There are people on every corner in this country who step up and do the right thing. Now, from time to time we hear about a public employee who does the wrong thing, and that usually will make the news, as it should, because it is not the norm. It is not regular for that to happen. We will highlight those. We will be vigilant in making sure that our public servants are doing what they're supposed to be doing in serving the public. Whether it's at the local, State, or Federal level, pubic servants are a significant part of the fabric of this country, and we could not be the great Nation that we are today without their tireless efforts on our behalf. Madam Speaker, it is my honor to support this resolution today which commends the service of the millions of Americans who serve our country daily. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I also encourage all Americans to take some time to thank the public employees that they see for all they do to improve our lives and strengthen our country.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. I thank the gentleman. Mr. Chair and my colleagues, this amendment should pass unanimously. I don't care where you are on this issue. If you fundamentally believe that the people of Puerto Rico should be given a voice, then the voice that they should be able to allow, one of the boxes they should be allowed to check is ``none of the above.'' Last time, 50.3 percent of the residents there voted in favor of this. It is not right for us to deny them the opportunity to check the box that says, ``none of the above.'' This should pass unanimously. I urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote for this.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for the time. Isn't it ironic that a bill about self-determination has got to have the heavy hand of the United States Congress dictating to the people of Puerto Rico about this vote. I find that terribly ironic. There is no need for the United States Congress to pass this bill. No need. Four times, in 1952, in 1967, in 1993 and in 1998, the people of Puerto Rico were able to vote on this. They didn't need the approval of the United States Congress to do it; they don't need it today. But it is a manipulation of the process to try to get a desired outcome. If you want to vote on statehood, take a straight vote. Do the people of Puerto Rico, yes or no, do the people of Puerto Rico want statehood? Simple, straightforward, to the point, and let's understand if that is truly what they want. I am a conservative person. I do not believe that I should be trying to manipulate what is happening in Puerto Rico and what they want. Finally, I will end with this. Please, as you consider this bill, understand that you are empowering people to vote in this election that have no business voting in this election. If you were born in Puerto Rico, you lived there 2 months and then you suddenly moved to the United States and you've lived here for the last 30, 40 years, you get to vote in this election. Why should a resident of Utah or Indiana vote in an election in Puerto Rico? That is fundamentally wrong and it is there because they want to manipulate the end result. This is about Puerto Rico and the vote should be taken in Puerto Rico by the people of Puerto Rico if the people of Puerto Rico choose to do so, and not because of the heavy hand of the United States Congress. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Chairman, I'd just encourage my colleagues to listen to the argument on the other side. They don't want the status quo to be one of the options. This is supposed to be a bill about self- determination, yet it's this Congress that's going to force its will to determine what is even going to be on the ballot. This is fundamentally wrong. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this amendment.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of this amendment. I believe that English should be the official language of the United States of America, but that's a different issue. Let's be realistic. The people in Puerto Rico predominantly speak Spanish. Let's provide a ballot to them in Spanish so that they can know what they're voting for. And the amendment provides that if anybody wants an English ballot, they can get an English ballot. I think that's fair. I think that's reasonable. It just allows the people of Puerto Rico to know what they're voting on. I think that's a simple request. And there is no additional cost to the people of the United States of America, because I was able to pass an amendment in the committee that said that there will be no cost to the United States taxpayers here in the continental United States. So again, I think it's reasonable. I rise in support of this and urge its support.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I believe this is a rushed process. This should be considered under an open rule, as it has in the past. Even Louise Slaughter, the chairwoman of the Rules Committee, was cited in Congress Daily today saying she didn't know why the House is even taking up the bill. I offered an amendment that said two-thirds of the people of Puerto Rico should vote affirmatively for statehood in order to move forward, yet that was not ruled in order. Believe me, we want to make sure that more than 51 percent of the people want this before we move forward. You don't want to get married to someone who is only 51 percent sure, for goodness sake. Nobody necessarily even knows what is in this bill; sovereignty and association with the United States has been pointed out. I don't think the people understand what that necessarily means, certainly in this body. And there is no need for a federally sanctioned vote. In 1967, 1993 and 1998, the people of Puerto Rico voted. They voted against statehood. There is no reason that the heavy hand of the United States Congress needs to come down and force the people of Puerto Rico to vote on this. They can do it themselves. And if they do it, they should do it with a very simple question: Are you in favor of statehood, yes or no? That simplicity would go a long ways with people like me and a lot of others. Let's have that kind of straight vote. We love the people of Puerto Rico. They're fellow citizens; they've served in our military. There is a great kinship. But it doesn't necessarily mean that the people of Puerto Rico want statehood. If they're going to have a vote, they should do so in Puerto Rico. They don't need the heavy hand of Congress; let them vote on that straight vote. I stand in opposition to this rule and in opposition to this bill, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, the most fundamental responsibility of the Federal Government is to ``provide for the common defence.'' America's national defense strategy fundamentally depends on supremacy in space. Our troops on the battlefields in Afghanistan and Iraq depend on crucial intelligence-gathering and communication capabilities, which in turn rely on a robust space program. But the current Administration proposal would cancel the Constellation program, NASA's safest and most proven means to return to space. We've spent billions to build an International Space Station. Do we want to rely upon the Russians whenever we need to return? Under the Administration's proposal, we would. Do we want to be buying rocket parts from China because we have decimated our national industrial base? Or do we want to maintain the strong industrial sector on our own? Do we want our military to rely on others to send vital navigation and communication satellites into orbit? Or do we want our country to decide when and how those vital coordination satellites are launched into space? We need to restore the Constellation program and maintain our superiority in space.