John Curtis

Mr. CURTIS

Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, today we are considering my bill, H.R. 4465, the Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Extension Act of 2017. This bipartisan bill extends efforts to promote the dual goals of recovering certain fish species protected under the Endangered Species Act, while ensuring the continued reliability of water and power operations in the West. I would like to thank the Members of Congress, both Republican and Democrat, who have cosponsored my bill. I also appreciate the work of Rob Bishop as chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee and his help over the last several months to move my bill through the legislative process. I think it is also worth mentioning that we have received over 20 letters of support for this bill from a wide range of stakeholders, including water conservation districts, Indian Tribes, conservation organizations, State governments, and more. With a total water storage capacity of more than 30 million acre-feet and a capacity to generate over 5 billion megawatt hours of energy annually, the Colorado River Storage Project, or CRSP, has been vital to the economics of the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basin States of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and Arizona. Four fish species listed under the Endangered Species Act also call the basin home, and the threat of water and power restrictions resulting from these listings prompted the affected States to enter into an agreement with Federal and non-Federal partners to ensure the continued reliability of the water and power operations in the West. These agreements resulted in the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program and the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program. In 2000, Congress enacted legislation to establish Federal participation and cost-sharing agreements, including the authority to use CRSP power revenues, to support these two programs. Congress reauthorized the programs in 2012, but also added necessary oversight and accountability reforms to ensure that funds are going towards recovery. H.R. 4465 extends the use of CRSP power revenues through 2023, which aligns with the recovery deadline for these programs and does not require any new Federal spending of Americans' hard-earned tax dollars. In addition, the bill extends the existing transparency improvements and adds a report to highlight the programs' performance. This reauthorization is necessary to ensure that the more than 2,300 water and power projects in the five-State region can continue to operate in compliance with the Endangered Species Act. I am hopeful that at the conclusion of this reauthorization through 2023, these programs will have accomplished what they are seeking to achieve: the recovery and delisting of four endangered fish species. Mr. Speaker, I believe this bill is a great example of how Members of Congress can work across party lines to solve an issue facing their respective States. I look forward to working together with my colleagues and solving other problems with a similar commonsense and bipartisan approach. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. CURTIS

Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1800) to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer certain Federal land to facilitate scientific research supporting Federal space and defense programs, as amended.

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

Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop).

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

Mr. CURTIS

Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3469) to designate the bridge located in Blount County, Tennessee, on the Foothills Parkway (commonly known as ``Bridge 2'') as the ``Dean Stone Bridge''.

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

Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan).

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

Mr. CURTIS

Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4266) to clarify the boundary of Acadia National Park, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Poliquin).

Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maine.

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

Mr. CURTIS

Mr. CURTIS. 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. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1350) to modify the boundary of Voyageurs National Park in the State of Minnesota, and for other purposes.

Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, Voyageurs National Park, established in 1975, is a 218,200-acre national park located on the northern border of Minnesota. The name ``Voyageurs'' commemorates the French-Canadian fur traders who were the first European settlers to frequent the area. The park has remarkable water resources and islands and is popular with canoeists, kayakers, other boaters, and fishermen. The Bureau of Land Management currently manages lands within the boundaries of the park that were not transferred to the National Park Service at the park's establishment. H.R. 1350 formally transfers these Bureau of Land Management lands to the National Park Service. Enactment of the legislation is expected to save taxpayer money and agency time by eliminating duplicative land management. In addition, this legislation resolves an outstanding land management issue faced by the State of Minnesota and a county by authorizing a land exchange between the State and the National Park Service. Certain State tax-forfeited tracts within the boundaries of Voyageurs National Park will be traded for a National Park Service-owned tract outside the park boundary. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. CURTIS

Mr. CURTIS. Madam Speaker, I realize that few policy topics are more tenuous and challenging than immigration reform, but I believe, before us now, is a unique window of opportunity that will allow us to solve some of these complex problems. We can make this a historic time for our country. As we come together to find solutions for more than 800,000 DREAMers, we need to take advantage of this moment to also address additional aspects of our broken immigration system. My hope is that Congress will pass a bill that provides certainty for DREAMers while also bringing meaningful improvements to our visa programs for seasonal workers and our highly skilled immigrants, along with providing resources for enhanced border security. We know that not every special interest group will get everything they want, but I believe, if we work together, we can give the American people exactly what they expect: an improved immigration system that we desperately need.

Mr. CURTIS

Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the burdensome medical device tax. Originally passed as part of the Affordable Care Act, this ill-conceived tax places a 2.3 percent sales tax on manufacturers of medical devices. Although Congress successfully suspended the tax, it, unfortunately, went back into effect on January 1, 2018, and is beginning to derail much of the progress we have made to foster job growth and innovation. The medical device industry has a significant impact in my State's economy. It employs more than 4,000 individuals. Merit Medical Systems, Inc., a local Utah company, believes this tax could cost them over $7 million, having a devastating impact on their ability to expand jobs and continue medical research. The current situation is a lose-lose for everybody. Not only does it increase medical healthcare costs, the tax is stifling job growth of our best medical technology innovators and slowing the cutting-edge research that leads to breakthroughs in patient care and treatment. Surely, we can do better for the American people. I call upon my colleagues to join me and, together again, repeal this tax once and for all.

Mr. CURTIS

Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a beloved worldwide leader, Thomas S. Monson, who served as the president and prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints until his passing last week. From an early age, President Monson led a faithful life serving those most in need and seeking out those who often went unnoticed. His loving service spanned over half a century. On a personal note, while I was mayor of Provo, our historic tabernacle burned down in a tragic fire. The devastating loss of such a treasured building in our community was palpable. But President Monson had the unmistakable foresight to know that something even more remarkable could one day stand in its place. I will never forget the audible gasp from thousands of church members when President Monson announced that, from the ashes of the tabernacle, a new temple would be built in its stead. Today, that temple stands as an extraordinary reminder of his unmatched leadership that led us from loss and sorrow to hope and joy. My wife, Sue, and I express our deepest condolences to President Monson's family and the many members of the church around the world that grieve at the loss of this important leader.

Mr. CURTIS

Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Garrett for his leadership on this issue and for arranging this today. Mr. Speaker, I want to take a few minutes to express my concern about the way the Government of Iran has trampled on the rights of its people to express their discontent with the current regime, which has resulted in at least 21 deaths and more than 450 arrests. It is, quite frankly, disturbing the way the Iranian Government has used its military might to show an unacceptable and a disproportionate amount of force to quell and to attempt to control protests. Additionally, Iran's judiciary has disregarded the rights of protesters to express themselves and to peacefully assemble, by threatening harsh punishments. I have read reports that the government has blocked the Internet and social media services which, I believe, constitutes a violation of fundamental rights of free speech. People in Iran are suffering. Their economy is stagnant, and their wages aren't keeping up with the costs of living. People are hungry, and they have grown weary of a radical and a corrupt regime set on sponsoring terrorism and pursuing an ill-advised plan for nuclear capabilities rather than focusing on improving the lives and stability of the people and their nation. The people of Iran were hopeful that Iran would see some relief from the sanctions and would see economic improvement after their government entered into a deal in 2015 regarding its nuclear program. But because of widespread corruption and failed economic policies of Iran's Government, as well as its failure to live up to its commitments to the international community, Iran's people have only continued to suffer from poverty, high unemployment, and inflation. It should be no surprise to the leadership of Iran that its people are calling for change because of its failure and poor leadership that have led the people to protest. Mr. Speaker, I stand with those protesters in Iran who have lost faith in their increasingly failed government. They deserve a country that ensures their freedom to express disapproval. They deserve a government with equality and justice, to improve the lives of Iranians. Although Iran's Government may, by force, ultimately be successful in putting an end to these public protests, this dissatisfaction with the regime will continue. I hope that someday the people of Iran will see the freedom and the kind of leadership they seek and they deserve.

Mr. CURTIS

Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, the House is in the midst of historic tax reform. Now that the House and Senate have almost reached agreement, I would like to take a moment to express a few ideals that I hope will be guiding principles as we complete this process. The final tax bill should cut taxes for all Americans while also retaining important incentives making homeownership, raising a family, and obtaining higher education possible. Additionally, the bill should continue to uphold American values by encouraging our people to be generous and charitable. The lowering of our corporate tax rates is critical. As a former business owner, I know firsthand the difficulty of the tax burden. Most importantly, the bill must help working American families keep more of their hard-earned money. I am confident that Congress will deliver on its promise to simplify the Tax Code and to cut taxes for all Americans. I know that this historic legislation will spur economic growth and prosperity.

Mr. CURTIS

Mr. CURTIS. Mr. Speaker, as you can see in this picture, Indian Creek, located in southeastern Utah in my congressional district, is home to some of the most beautiful and majestic scenery in the world, but it has also become an epicenter of an ongoing conflict between those whose livelihoods depend on multiple uses of these public lands and groups focused on advocating for limited use of those lands. Almost exactly 1 year ago, President Obama, over the objections of many stakeholders, utilized the Antiquities Act to unilaterally designate 1.35 million acres of land as the Bears Ears National Monument. Last week, President Trump came to Utah to help resolve this issue by reauthorizing this monument into two much smaller national monuments, the Indian Creek and the Shash Jaa National Monument. Although both executive actions have ignited widespread anger and resentment on each side of this issue, I still believe that both sides share many common goals and values and can work together for the benefit of Utah. We can all agree that these important lands must be responsibly managed for future generations to appreciate. Now that Utah has two, more manageable monuments, the time has come for Congress to act to ensure that these archeological treasures and sacred Tribal lands are protected the right way. I believe the right way to manage these lands is to have input from Utah's Tribal members, local citizens, and government officials. Additionally, there needs to be a management plan that protects important archeological sites and sacred Tribal land while also maintaining multiple uses of these lands, such as recreation, hunting, and grazing. Lastly, the legislative process and constitutionally mandated system of checks and balances are the best way to both determine the best management of these lands as well as the creation of any new national parks, monuments, recreation, and conservation areas. That is why I have joined other members of Utah's House delegation to introduce the Shash Jaa National Monument and Indian Creek National Monument Act, which creates the first tribally comanaged monument area. It will safeguard these new monuments by establishing management councils comprised of representatives of local government and Native Americans. This bill also authorizes law enforcement officials to protect these sacred and significant archeological sites and antiquities from looters, while preserving the multiple use and access to these lands for recreation, grazing, and hunting. As a Member of Congress, my job is to bring forth solutions that add stability to this region and complement our mutually shared goals. That is the Utah way. It is my hope that, as Congress considers my Shash Jaa National Monument and Indian Creek National Monument bill, we can we bring all sides together to manage these important areas in the right way. Net Neutrality