Rick Crawford

Mr. CRAWFORD

Mr. CRAWFORD. I yield to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Aderholt).

Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman.

Mr. CRAWFORD

Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Command Sergeant Major William E. High, Jr., of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization, or JIEDDO, who will retire from the United States Army on May 22, 2014, after 32 years of distinguished service. Today, one of the greatest threats faced by our servicemen and -women is the IED. While serving at JIEDDO, Command Sergeant Major High worked tirelessly to ensure our men and women serving in harm's way have the necessary capabilities and training to protect them from this lethal threat. His contributions made a profound difference and enabled the organization to achieve tremendous success in countering the IED threat. Command Sergeant Major High's numerous awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation, and Army Commendation Medal, among others; and he also served as a drill sergeant during his 32-year career. I am proud to share in the celebration of Command Sergeant Major High's military career. I would also like to congratulate his wife, Ingrid, and his children--Brant, Jared, Nathaniel, and Gabriel--whose love and support has aided and strengthened Command Sergeant Major High as he served our great Nation. I wish him all the best in his retirement.

Mr. CRAWFORD

Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, I'm honored to be joined here by my colleagues from Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Kansas, Tennessee, Alabama and the states that have been impacted by the devastating storms that occurred earlier this week. While we had hoped that the entire Mississippi and Arkansas delegations could join us, Representatives Gregg Harper and Alan Nunnelee from Mississippi, and Representative Tim Griffin from Arkansas, are back home today coordinating with the federal, state and local officials who are organizing disaster assistance efforts. Tomorrow Representative Griffin will be touring the devastation in Arkansas' second district with Secretary Johnson from the Department of Homeland Security. All these delegations have spent hours keeping close contact with one another and with officials in Arkansas, in particular regarding the tornado that ripped through Vilonia, Mayflower, El Paso and Perrin, leaving a path of destruction in central Arkansas and the same is true for the other affected states. The destruction we've witnessed is heartbreaking and our prayers go out to those affected by all these devastating storms, especially those who lost loved ones. All of us would like to thank the first responders, volunteers and neighboring communities for all their assistance, donations, prayers and tireless efforts during this difficult time. Their hard work and dedication has saved countless lives. We also urge those who can to continue to help in any way they can to assist in the recovery and rebuilding of neighborhoods and communities that were impacted by these storms. We also honor and remember those we lost. Representative Griffin asked that I share a story of one of his constituents, U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Daniel Wassarn, who served as load master instructor with the 138th airlift wing at the Little Rock Air Force Base. The master sergeant lived in Vilonia, Arkansas with his wife, Suzanne, and his two young daughters. According to reports, Master Sergeant Wassam sacrificed his own life to shield his 5-year-old daughter from falling debris. His example of selflessness and bravery during this disaster is one all Americans and Arkansans can admire. I now ask for a moment of silent prayer to honor all the victims of those recent tragic events.

Mr. CRAWFORD

Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to be joined here by my colleagues from Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Alabama, and the States that have been impacted by the devastating storms that occurred earlier this week. While we had hoped that the entire Mississippi and Arkansas delegations could join us, Representatives Gregg Harper and Alan Nunnelee from Mississippi, and Representative Tim Griffin from Arkansas are back home today coordinating with Federal, State, and local officials who are organizing disaster assistance efforts. Tomorrow, Representative Griffin will be touring the devastation in Arkansas' Second District with Secretary Johnson from the Department of Homeland Security. All these delegations have spent hours keeping in close contact with one another and with officials in Arkansas, in particular, regarding the tornado that ripped through Vilonia, Mayflower, El Paso, and Paron, leaving a path of destruction in central Arkansas. And the same is true for other affected States. The destruction we have witnessed is heartbreaking, and our prayers go out to all those affected by all these devastating storms, especially those who lost loved ones. Our delegations would like to thank the first responders, volunteers, and neighboring communities for all of their assistance, donations, prayers, and tireless efforts during this difficult time. Their hard work and dedication has saved lives. We also urge those who can to continue to help in any way they can to assist in the recovery and rebuilding of the neighborhoods and communities that were impacted by these storms. We also honor and remember those we lost, and Representative Griffin asked that I share a story of one of his constituents, U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Daniel Wassom, who served as a loadmaster instructor with the 189th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base. Master Sergeant Wassom lived in Vilonia, Arkansas, with his wife, Suzanne, and his two young daughters. According to reports, Master Sergeant Wassom sacrificed his own life to shield his 5-year-old daughter from falling debris. His example of selflessness and bravery during this disaster is one all Americans and Arkansans can admire. I now ask for a moment of silent prayer to honor all the victims of those recent tragic events. Amendment Offered by Mr. Blumenauer

Mr. CRAWFORD

Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. CRAWFORD

Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of National Women's History Month, honoring Arkansas' first female Supreme Court Chief Justice, Betty Clark-Dickey. Born and raised within Arkansas' First Congressional District, Mrs. Dickey has served as an educator, attorney, prosecutor, commissioner, and chief legal counselor to the Governor. In 2004, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee appointed Dickey to fill the position of chief justice for the Arkansas Supreme Court, making her the first woman to ever occupy that position. Mrs. Dickey has not only succeeded professionally, but she has done it all while raising a family. She reared four biological children and one foster child: John, Laura, Ted, Rachel, and Cindy; and she has 11 grandchildren. Mrs. Dickey's son, Ted, called her a ``high achiever who is never afraid of big things,'' and said of his mother, ``She embodies love and justice simultaneously.'' A little more than a decade after Mrs. Dickey first took office, Arkansas will have its first Supreme Court female majority in 2015, further cementing Dickey's status as a pioneer in a multitude of areas in the State of Arkansas. Mr. Speaker, please join me and the entire State of Arkansas in honoring the service of all women, including Betty Clark-Dickey.

Mr. CRAWFORD

Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, March 6, 2014 I was inadvertently detained on rollcall votes 101, 106, 109, and 113. Had I been present to vote, I would have voted ``yes'' on each. In addition, I was inadvertently detained on rollcall votes 102, 103, 104, 105, 110, 111, and 114. Had I been present to vote, I would have voted ``no'' on each.

Mr. CRAWFORD

Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 311) to direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to change the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure rule with respect to certain farms.

Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 311.

Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the Farmers Undertake Environmental Land Stewardship Act--or the FUELS Act--is an important piece of legislation that brings much-needed relief to the Nation's agricultural community. H.R. 311 is a bipartisan bill that currently has 73 cosponsors from Members on both sides of the aisle. It passed the House unanimously last Congress and again last year as an amendment to the farm bill. Additionally, this legislation has gained the support of more than 30 producer organizations, including every major farm group. The EPA-mandated SPCC--or Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure--rules requires that oil storage facilities with a capacity of over 1,320 gallons make costly infrastructure modifications to reduce the possibility of oil spills. These mandated infrastructure improvements, along with the necessary inspection and certification by a specially licensed professional engineer, would cost farmers tens of thousands of dollars. The SPCC program dates back to 1973, shortly after the Clean Water Act was signed into law. In the last decade, it has come down harshly on agriculture, and the rules have been amended, delayed, and extended dozens of times, creating enormous confusion in the farming community. On top of that, the EPA has failed to engage in effective outreach to producers and cooperatives on SPCC's compliance. The FUELS Act is simple. It revises the SPCC regulations to be reflective of a producer's spill risk and their financial resources. The exemption level would be adjusted upward from an unworkable 1,320 gallons of oil storage to an amount that would protect small farms, 10,000 gallons. The bill would also place a greater degree of responsibility on farmers and ranchers to self-certify compliance if their oil storage facilities exceed their exemption level. To add another layer of environmental production, the producer must be able to demonstrate that he or she has no history of oil spills. The University of Arkansas conducted a study, concluding that this bill would exempt over 80 percent of producers from SPCC compliance, saving up to $240 million in costs in Arkansas alone. For the entire country, it could save small farmers up to $3.36 billion. The last thing the government should be doing is imposing an expensive regulatory burden on farming families. There is no scientific justification for such action, bolstered by the fact that the EPA cannot provide data or even anecdotal evidence of agricultural spills. A 2005 USDA report found that more than 99 percent of farms surveyed haven't experienced a single incident. In fact, one year after this report was published, EPA endorsed the 10,000-gallon exemption threshold I am proposing in this bill. Unfortunately, they moved the goalpost again a few years later. By the nature of their occupation, family farmers are already very careful stewards of the land and water. No one has more at stake than those who work on the ground from which they derive their livelihood. I urge support of the FUELS Act and our Nation's small farmers. With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CRAWFORD. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlelady for her comments. I would say that the 10,000-gallon threshold that we have described here is actually taken right from the EPA. Up to 2005, they were perfectly comfortable with the 10,000-gallon threshold, so we are basically saying that we definitely want to work with the EPA and use the thresholds that they see as viable or that they did see up to that point. The other thing is that, in agriculture, it is not a one-size-fits- all type of a scenario, where there are different scales of production and different levels of production. Economies of scale are certainly better equipped and use lots more fuel on their farm, and so we are trying to implement some guidelines that do respect the financial resources as well as the size of the operation. And, again, there is no empirical evidence that there have been any kind of spills that would warrant this level of regulation for farmers and certainly not to the degree that 1,320 gallons calls for, and that would catch up virtually every farmer in the United States. What we are trying to do is to implement some common sense into this in a way that even the EPA has already agreed to in past rules; so I just would, again, urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important legislation. This will be, I believe, in total, the sixth time that we will have passed this out of the House. Again, I think this is good commonsense legislation. I urge my colleagues to join in supporting H.R. 311. With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CRAWFORD

Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, March 5, 2014 I was inadvertently detained on rollcall vote 97. Had I been present to vote I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. CRAWFORD

Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, March 4th, 2014 I was inadvertently detained on rollcall Votes 91 and 92. Had I been present to vote I would have voted ``yes'' on both.

Mr. CRAWFORD

Mr. CRAWFORD. I thank the gentlelady and her staff for arranging this Special Order to discuss this issue that we have been talking about-- the egregious overreach of the Environmental Protection Agency. I want to talk about an issue that is very close to you and near and dear to you and that you have helped me on, and that is the spill prevention and containment countermeasures issue, which is facing farmers across the country. Mr. Speaker, we have taken action on this. If you are like me and if your staff is like my staff, we have fielded countless phone calls from farmers who are concerned about these new rules that the EPA was attempting to roll out with respect to on-farm fuel storage at, really, an unmanageable level. 1,320 gallons was the threshold that would require that the farmers construct these spill prevention and containment countermeasures. For those who don't know what those are, those are berms, or protective dikes, around a storage facility that can cost tens of thousands of dollars to ag producers. Farmers may be land rich--capital rich--but they are not cash rich by any stretch of the imagination, so this adds cost to their operations. Really, who pays for that? We have talked about it with our power plants. The ratepayers pay. The American people pay for that because prices go up. Generally, while the farmer bears the burden initially, ultimately, those costs are passed on to the consumer, which is the case in nearly every one of these issues where we see the EPA engaging in overreach. So we took to the floor to try to change this, and we were successful, not once but twice, in passing by voice vote the FUELS Act. That would have changed the threshold from 1,320 gallons to 10,000 gallons. Between 10,000 and 42,000, you would be required to build the structure, but above 42,000, you would then be required to engage the services of a professional engineer for certification in order to meet that standard for EPA's compliance. Now, the University of Arkansas did a study on the FUELS Act which addressed the spill prevention and containment countermeasures, and they estimated nationwide that this bill, which was passed successfully on the House floor, would save American farmers $3.3 billion. I don't know about you, but I think this $3.3 billion could do our economy a heck of a lot better service than chasing this problem that really doesn't exist. Why do I say this problem doesn't exist? A decade ago, the USDA did an analysis of the spill prevention and containment countermeasures, and they discovered there was little, if any, evidence of farms having any oil spills. In fact, 99 percent of farmers had never experienced an oil spill, and that means that the compliance cost of $3.3 billion is essentially a solution in search of a problem. It really doesn't exist. What we did was we took that 10,000-gallon threshold directly from the underlying law--the Clean Water Act--that regulates on-farm fuel storage, and they defined, in their own words, 10,000 gallons as being a proper definition of a family farm, of small farm fuel storage. The commodities at this scale are certainly storing more than 10,000 gallons on their farms. Being a farmer yourself, you know that you store in greater quantity than 10,000 gallons, particularly if you are engaged in a larger scale operation. So, number one, the evidence just isn't there to support the 1,320-gallon threshold. Number two, we had over 30 commodity organizations and agricultural organizations that were in support of the bill. We passed it twice on the floor. The Senate will not move. The EPA continues to move forward, and we continue to be concerned about the EPA's drive to overregulate on-farm fuel storage. Again, I want to thank the gentlelady for her leadership on this and for bringing this to the attention of the American people, because everything that we have heard tonight and everything that has been talked about has a direct impact on their bottom lines and on the quality of life for their farmers. I would also like to echo what my colleagues have said. We certainly don't want to see poor air quality or poor water quality. I have kids at home. I love my kids. You love your kids. I know you have small ones at home, too. We are just as committed to a clean environment as anybody is, but we are also committed to the quality of life, to the costs incurred in that quality of life and to a more responsible approach.

Mr. CRAWFORD

Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the service of Arkansas State University Agricultural Economics Professor Dr. Bert Greenwalt. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Arkansas State University Agribusiness Conference, which Dr. Greenwalt has faithfully directed the past two decades. This premier agribusiness conference gathers attendees from across the country to focus on global agriculture, farm policy, commodity market outlooks, and biofuel research. While maintaining a global focus, Dr. Greenwalt also manages to make the conference pertinent to Arkansas' agricultural producers, regularly bringing State ag leaders and university alumni to the event. While attending Arkansas State University myself, I had the privilege of having Dr. Greenwalt as an ag policy professor, where I developed the skills necessary to serve on the Agriculture Committee in this body. Each day serving Arkansas' First District, I experience the same kinds of concepts and examples I learned in Dr. Greenwalt's classroom. Mr. Speaker, please join me and the entire Arkansas State University community in honoring the service of Dr. Bert Greenwalt.

Mr. CRAWFORD

Mr. CRAWFORD. I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I consume. My amendment will provide a limited exemption related to the taking of migratory game birds over farm fields. In short, it clarifies a recent interpretation by the Fish and Wildlife Service about what constitutes a ``baited field.'' In 2012, the agency warned rice growers that some of their fields that had been rolled--as farmer often do after the harvest to prepare the field to be planted the next spring--could be off limits to waterfowl hunting. That summer's drought led to an early rice harvest in several parts of the country, and heavy rainfall then caused a rare secondary ``ratoon'' crop to sprout. The Fish and Wildlife Service cautioned that should rice heads emerge in those fields, their guidelines stated that any field work, such as rolling, would make it a baited field where waterfowl hunting would be unlawful. Waterfowl hunting is a vital industry in my State. Hunters come from the world over to Arkansas' First District, and farmers, small businesses, and the rural communities that dot the delta all rely on the millions of dollars hunters bring with them every year. My amendment is a commonsense solution that simply states that a field may not be considered baited as the result of normal agricultural practices, as determined by the State Office of the Cooperative Extension Service at the request of the Secretary of the Interior, with concurrence from that State's Fish and Wildlife Service. I ask for your support for this important amendment that will protect farmers from being punished for simply carrying out long-recognized and responsible agricultural practices. With that, I yield to the chairman.

Mr. CRAWFORD. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CRAWFORD. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CRAWFORD

Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Lucas and Ranking Member Peterson for putting in so much hard work and dedication and getting where we are today, and I echo the ranking member's sentiments to the staff. Thank you very much for everything that you have done. After more than 3 years of being involved in the farm bill process, I am proud to support a final product that not only greatly benefits producers but deploys investments and jobs to rural America. Despite our sharp regional differences, we prevailed in crafting commodity programs that promote regional fairness by providing a strong safety net that protects all producers from market risk. We can finally provide relief to our cattlemen by permanently reauthorizing disaster assistance programs after years of hardship. Rural development funding will bring critical investments to our rural communities, while conservation and forestry programs will preserve our natural resources for years to come. While I am pleased with the farm bill before us today, I am disappointed that we left some important issues on the table like reforming harmful GIPSA regulations and fixing Country of Origin Labeling for the meat industry. We could have gone further in relieving burdensome EPA regulations on small farmers, and I believe that the environmental activists in the Senate had far too much input. Even though I believe we could have done more, I am proud of the conservative reforms we made to the food stamp program by eliminating waste and loopholes, setting the stage for work requirements. The Agriculture Committee accomplished the tough goal of cutting billions from our budget by repealing or consolidating dozens of programs. I appreciate the patience of all of our Arkansas producers and rural communities through this process. I strongly urge a ``yes'' vote on this farm bill conference report.

Mr. CRAWFORD

Mr. CRAWFORD. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor the 50th anniversary of my good friends and fellow Arkansans, Benny and Nelda Speaks. Benny and Nelda first met in Mountain Home, Arkansas, Benny fresh out of the Navy, Nelda having returned home from business college in Springfield, Missouri. They were married on December 6, 1963. They have one daughter, Ladonnia Speaks Moranz; two grandchildren, Natosha and Brandon; and were blessed with one great-grandson, Logan. Madam Speaker, it is no easy task making it to the 50-year anniversary. It takes great commitment, a willingness to compromise and to listen, and a loving spirit. These qualities embody the relationship of the Speakses' marriage, serving as a testament and example to the rest of us. The Speakses are involved community leaders who truly care about Arkansas and have devoted much of their time and effort giving back to their community. I thank the Speakses for their friendship over the years, and I am so glad to be able to wish them a happy 50th wedding anniversary this December 6.

Mr. CRAWFORD

Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, the Mershon family of Gassville, Arkansas, is yet another tragic example of the terrible toll the ObamaCare law is taking on the American people. Small business owners and young parents, this couple has never asked their government for anything more than just to let them make a good life for their kids. Here are their words: We regret to inform you that we have lost our health care coverage. It was not ObamaCare compliant. Granted, it wasn't Cadillac-style insurance, but it was all we needed. So we go to the Web site. ``Sticker shock'' does not begin to cover how we felt. This is an absolute outrage. We counted on what was assured to us, promised to us--that our insurance would stay intact, period. Our shoestring budget has now turned to floss. Seriously, it is beans and cornbread time. Mr. Speaker, a politically motivated administrative fix does nothing to solve the underlying issues with this disastrous law. Sadly, it looks like it may be beans and cornbread time for millions of families across our country. Is this really the affordable care we were promised?