Paul Cook

Mr. COOK

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding career of John Miller, who retired from his position as the U.S. Forest Service Public Affairs Officer for the San Bernardino National Forest on July 31, 2017. My office has had the pleasure of working with John over the past four and a half years. On numerous occasions, John demonstrated a willingness to go above and beyond to serve my constituents and forest visitors. He has repeatedly shown his dedication to the Forest Service's mission and has been instrumental in balancing multiple and sometimes competing uses of the most heavily urbanized forest in the nation. In addition to his work as a Public Affairs Officer, John was the Public Information Officer for a Federal Interagency Management Team, and served on the U.S. Forest Service Honor Guard. John is a true professional in every sense of the word, and I wish him the best of luck as he embarks on a new chapter in his life.

Mr. COOK

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the exemplary career of Apple Valley Town Manager Frank Robinson, who officially retired from his position on July 30, 2017. Since his hiring by the Town of Apple Valley, California in 2008, Frank worked diligently to make Apple Valley's motto of ``A Better Way of Life'' a reality for the citizens he served. During his tenure, a number of crucial Town projects were completed, including a state-of- the-art animal shelter, Development Services Building, and the installation of renewable energy sources to power municipal buildings. Perhaps Frank's most important accomplishment, however, was construction of the Yucca Loma Bridge, which will significantly ease traffic congestion throughout the Victor Valley. On a personal note, I would like to thank Frank for allowing my district office staff to work out of the Apple Valley Town Hall for the past four years. He has been a gracious host and I cannot thank him enough. While Frank's leadership and vision will be missed, perhaps the greatest loss will be his penchant for always having the perfect joke ready to go. On behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, I would like to wish Frank and his wife, Lisa, the happiest of retirements as they enter this new chapter of their lives.

Mr. COOK

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding career of John Miller, who will retire from his position as the U.S. Forest Service Public Affairs Officer for the San Bernardino National Forest on July 31, 2017. My office has had the pleasure of working with John over the past four and a half years. On numerous occasions, John demonstrated a willingness to go above and beyond to serve my constituents and forest visitors. He has repeatedly shown his dedication to the Forest Service's mission and has been instrumental in balancing multiple and sometimes competing uses of the most heavily urbanized forest in the nation. In addition to his work as a public affairs officer, John was the Public Information Officer for a Federal Interagency Management Team and served on the U.S. Forest Service Honor Guard. John is a true professional in every sense of the word, and I wish him the best of luck as he embarks on a new chapter in his life.

Mr. COOK

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the contributions of U.S. Army Colonel G. Scott Taylor, who will relinquish command of the Fort Irwin Garrison on July 12, 2017. Colonel Taylor is leaving for his next duty assignment as the Assistant Chief of Staff, G-3--Operations for the 8th Army in Camp Humphrey, South Korea. I've had the pleasure of interacting with Colonel Taylor the past two years, during which time I saw the passion he possesses for his soldiers and his support for the vital training mission of Fort Irwin and the National Training Center. Colonel Taylor was a driving force behind efforts to improve combat readiness and the quality of life for soldiers under his command. His work culminated in $6.4 million in improvements to barracks on the installation, and his leadership resulted in the repair of essential base infrastructure that was severely damaged by flooding. In addition to thanking Colonel Taylor for his service at Fort Irwin, I would also like to recognize his outstanding military career. Colonel Taylor is a decorated combat veteran with over 25 years of service, which includes three combat deployments. I wish Colonel Taylor and his family the best of luck as they embark on a new chapter at Camp Humphrey, but they will be sorely missed back home in the California desert.

Mr. COOK

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 497) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain public lands in San Bernardino County, California, to the San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District, and to accept in return certain exchanged non-public lands, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am proud to sponsor this bipartisan, commonsense piece of legislation, the Santa Ana River Wash Plan Land Exchange Act. This bill reflects a compromise negotiated at the grassroots level among the cities, county, mining companies, wildlife agencies, and water organizations for over two decades in the Upper Santa Ana Wash area. The bill simply authorizes a land exchange of 327 acres of Bureau of Land Management land for 310 acres of land currently owned by the San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District. This exchange facilitates the implementation of the broader Upper Santa Ana Wash Land Management and Habitat Conservation Plan, which identifies opportunities to expand existing aggregate mining operations to support new infrastructure developments; enhance water storage for the surrounding communities; and establish protected habitat for certain threatened and endangered plants and species. After the exchange, the Bureau of Land Management will use the land to protect critical habitat and will enhance the region's water conservation and storage efforts by recharging more than 77 water basins. The land acquired by the Water Conservation District, which is currently adjacent to two aggregate mines, will allow local mining companies to expand and create greater efficiency in their current mining operations. The companies estimate that this small exchange will result in approximately $8.5 million in new infrastructure projects and a $36 million increase in annual payrolls from the new sites. This bill is supported by a wide variety of stakeholders in my district, including the San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District, the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District, San Bernardino County, the city of Highland, California, the city of Redlands, California, CEMEX, the Endangered Habitats League, Robertson's Ready Mix, and Inland Action. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I support the bill, obviously, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. COOK

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. COOK

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 220) to authorize the expansion of an existing hydroelectric project, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young).

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I was going to say a few words about this bill here, but I would be in fear of my life if I changed anything on Congressman Young's statement. So with that, I think he did an outstanding job presenting, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. COOK

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1500) to redesignate the small triangular property located in Washington, DC, and designated by the National Park Service as reservation 302 as ``Robert Emmet Park'', and for other purposes.

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1500, offered by our colleague, Representative Joseph Crowley of New York, renames a small triangular property owned by the National Park Service in Washington, D.C., as Robert Emmet Park. Robert Emmet, sometimes referred to as the George Washington of Ireland, was a prominent historical figure known for his role in the Irish rebellion of 1803 and for his classic ``Speech from the Dock'' that inspired future efforts to gain Irish independence. The small National Park Service reservation that is redesignated by this bill includes a statue of Robert Emmet, originally cast in 1916 by Irish-American artist Jerome Connor. In April of last year, the statue was rededicated at a ceremony that also jointly marked the centennial of the 1916 Easter Rising. The statue and park, located just a few blocks from the Irish Embassy, are a source of pride to the Irish community. I wish to thank Representative Crowley for his sponsorship of this bill, and also Mr. Jack O'Brien of the Ancient Order of Hibernians for his tireless work in support of this legislation and his lifelong dedication to Irish cultural projects. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. COOK

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1073) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a structure for visitor services on the Arlington Ridge tract, in the area of the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, and for other purposes.

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1073, brought to us by our Natural Resources Committee colleague Congressman Don Beyer of Virginia, authorizes the National Park Service to construct a visitor services center at the United States Marine Corps Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. The United States Marine Corps Memorial is one of the emblematic sites of our Nation's Capital. As a marine, the memorial is especially near and dear to my heart. It represents our Nation's gratitude and esteem for the Marines and those who have fought beside them. While the statue depicts the flag raising on Iwo Jima--one of the most iconic events in World War II--the memorial is dedicated to all marines who have given their lives in defense of the United States since 1775. Each year, the memorial attracts over 1 million visitors and hosts several popular events, including Summer Sunset Parades and the Marine Corps Marathon. Despite this popularity, the memorial lacks basic visitor services such as permanent restroom facilities. The bill before us authorizes the construction of a visitor services center that includes permanent restroom facilities, thus allowing those visiting our Nation's Capital to visit and appreciate this grand memorial with increased comfort. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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