Angie Craig

Mrs. CRAIG

Mrs. CRAIG. 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 material on H.R. 1331.

Mrs. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1331. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1331 is a bipartisan bill to reauthorize appropriations for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's nonpoint source management grants program. I thank my colleague, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast), for introducing this bill with me. I also thank the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Napolitano) for her support in moving this legislation through committee. The Clean Water Act was enacted in 1972 to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters. In 1987, the Clean Water Act was amended to add section 319 to create a nonregulatory program through which EPA administers annual grants to help States develop and implement their own programs for managing nonpoint sources of water pollution. Under EPA's 319 program, States retain the primary role for addressing nonpoint source water pollution caused by snowmelt and rainfall runoff, which they do largely through monetary means and financial incentives. However, according to the Government Accountability Office, the extent of available incentives has declined in recent years, as grants to States under the section 319 program have declined by more than 30 percent from a high of about $240 million annually in fiscal year 2004. The section 319 program was initially authorized at $70 million annually in fiscal year 1988, and its authorization level steadily increased to $130 million in fiscal year 1991, the last year of authorization for this program. This bill, H.R. 1331, would reauthorize $200 million annually for the 319 program's grant fund, which gives local and State governments the flexibility to make conservation practices improvements aimed at decreasing water pollutants through partnerships within their local communities. In Minnesota, we take the quality of our 10,000 lakes very seriously, and we all want to preserve the quality of these important waterways for generations to come. We also know that local communities are the experts on the most effective and innovative ways to keep these waterways clean. That is why this bill is so important. It gives local and State governments authority to create best voluntary conservation programs that work for their communities. Here are just a few of the examples of section 319 grants in action from Minnesota's Second Congressional District. The Scott County Soil and Water Conservation District saved native plants and the shoreline protecting McMahon Lake. The grant also significantly helped reduce pollution throughout the county by planting filter strips, building control grade structures, lining waterways with grass, and planting native grass. Dakota County created and implemented projects to validate, demonstrate, and refine best management practices for nitrogen fertilizer for corn production that will lower nitrate levels in Dakota County's groundwater and surface water. The Goodhue County Soil and Water Conservation District is currently working to reduce pollutants in the Mississippi River-Lake Pepin watershed by 20 percent. In Wabasha County, the Whitewater Watershed Project worked with communities to increase awareness of water contamination and provided low-interest loans to improve residential infrastructure and help farmers come into compliance with pollution standards. The South Washington Watershed District integrated a storm water reuse plan that captures roadway storm water in two existing ponds. This integrates into two golf course irrigation systems and provides new water amenities with the public golf courses. This is estimated to reduce potable water usage by more than 40 million gallons annually. Finally, in Rice County, the Cannon River Watershed Partnership is working to engage local, regional, and State programs and organizations to develop a way for their local community to engage in pollution reduction in a meaningful and long-term way. Again, I thank the gentleman from Florida for introducing this bipartisan bill with me. This legislation passed out of committee with bipartisan support. It is a good bill, and I am pleased to support it. I urge my colleagues to do so as well. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter of support for H.R. 1331 from Trout Unlimited. Trout Unlimited, Arlington, VA, April 8, 2019. Re Trout Unlimited supports HR 1331, The Local Water Protection Act. Hon. Angie Craig, House of Representatives. Hon. Brian Mast, House of Representatives. Dear Representatives Craig and Mast: On behalf of Trout Unlimited (TU), I am writing to strongly support the above referenced bill, to urge its swift passage through the House, and to thank you for introducing it. Section 319 of the Clean Water Act has provided our field staff with valuable funds which they have leveraged many times over to accomplish a number of valuable nonpoint source pollution projects across the nation. But as you know there is much more work to be done, and passage of this bill will be a big step in a positive direction for the health of the Nation's watersheds. Trout Unlimited has over 300,000 conservation-minded members and supporters, organized into 380 chapters in 35 state councils. Our mission is to conserve, protect and restore the Nation's trout and salmon fisheries and their watersheds. We have 250 staff spread across America who work with our members and a wide variety of partners--including farmers, ranchers, miners and state and local agencies--to accomplish our mission. Section 319 has become an increasingly important tool for our work. Working with our partners, we have used Section 319 funds in a variety of ways to control nonpoint pollution. Of special note is our recent use of funds to control abandoned mine pollution in Pennsylvania and Colorado. Abandoned mine pollution is especially insidious problems in coal country and in the mining regions of the Rocky Mountain West, but we have developed a number of techniques which are restoring formerly dead streams to healthy streams. TU and other conservation groups are pressing Congress to provide more funding for natural infrastructure funding and projects. Section 319, and your bill, are delivering on that request. Abandoned mine cleanup, sediment control, and nutrient runoff control, are model examples of natural infrastructure projects. Thank you again for introducing this bill. We urge its speedy passage. Sincerely, Steve Moyer, Vice President, Government Affairs.

Mrs. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Napolitano).

Mrs. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time and urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mrs. CRAIG

Mrs. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 639) to amend section 327 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to clarify that National Urban Search and Rescue Response System task forces may include Federal employees.

Mrs. CRAIG. 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 H.R. 639.

Mrs. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 639 introduced by the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler). H.R. 639 is a technical correction bill which will amend section 327 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to explicitly clarify that Federal employees are able to participate in the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System task forces coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA has developed the National USAR Response System over the last several decades to act as a force multiplier for disaster rescue missions. The system is comprised of 28 task force teams from across the country and includes highly skilled volunteers who are constantly training for a variety of hazard scenarios, both man-made and natural. Task force teams have proven their effectiveness time and again across this Nation. Following enactment of the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System Act at the end of the 114th Congress, certain Federal agencies that employ members of some of these task forces have, unfortunately, been misinterpreting language that granted liability protections for non-Federal task force members equal to Federal first responders only when their task force was called into Federal service, resulting in an impediment to those Federal employees serving on a task force. This bill will simply clarify that nothing in section 327 of the Stafford Act shall be interpreted to mean that a task force cannot include Federal employees and that, in instances where a Federal employee is detailed to a National USAR Response System task force, the sponsoring agency shall enter into an agreement with the relevant employing Federal agency. The critical emergency services provided by the National USAR Response System and these highly skilled operators are too important for us to delay this fix any longer. I strongly support this bill and urge my colleagues to join me. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this, and I reserve the balance of my time as well.

Mrs. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Meadows), and I encourage all of my colleagues to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CRAIG

Mrs. CRAIG. Madam Speaker, as mother of four, the wife of an educator, and the daughter of a teacher, I know that we should never underestimate the power of a high-quality education. In the nearly 40 years since the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was passed, the Federal Government has not fulfilled its funding promise to our special education students. Not once. This failure leaves our schools with extreme budget cuts that impact every student and forces them to turn to our communities to bear the burden through local tax levies. That is why I am so proud to work with Representative Jared Huffman and Minnesota Congressman Pete Stauber on a bipartisan basis for IDEA full funding, to make sure that every student, including those with special needs, receives a high-quality education in their neighborhood. Providing a high-quality education to all of our students is something that we can all agree on, and we must work together to get this done on behalf of our communities.

Mrs. CRAIG

Mrs. CRAIG. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mrs. CRAIG. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment to H.R. 1585, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act. Every student deserves to learn in an environment that is safe and free from harassment and violence. Yet, we all know that domestic violence and sexual assault remain prevalent threats to women, and especially young women, on college campuses across our country. College-aged students are at greater risk than any other age groups for domestic and sexual violence. These instances of violence are vastly underreported. A study of college students by the U.S. Department of Justice found that around one in five women are targets of attempted or completed sexual assault. The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019 increases funding for grants to combat violent crimes on campuses and allocates funding to train campus health centers to recognize and to respond to these crimes. My amendment directs the Secretary of Education to study and submit a report to Congress on best practices regarding the prevention of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking on college campuses. This includes an evaluation of programs, events, and educational materials related to preventing acts of violence and harassment. Preventing violence against young people on college campuses starts with education. Sharing information for best practices and guidance for educators on college campuses opens the door for collaborative work among experts in intimate partner and sexual violence prevention. My amendment does not change the enforcement and implementation responsibilities of the Department of Education. Congress needs a report on best practices for prevention of these acts of violence, not on the agency's recent efforts to change regulations and requirements under Title IX. None of us can address sexual and domestic violence on our own. That is why this amendment provides a commonsense approach toward solving the problem by forcing the agency to continue to review best practices and prevention methods for combating acts of violence. Colleges and universities, sexual violence prevention experts, and the Federal Government should share resources and information, learn from their peers, and take steps toward eradicating sexual and domestic violence altogether. When it comes to the safety of our students, we cannot afford to work in silos. Every student deserves to feel safe in their community and we must be proactive and collaborative in our work to end sexual and domestic violence on our college campuses. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and support the underlying bill. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CRAIG

Mrs. CRAIG. Madam Speaker, we have an urgent problem that we must immediately find common ground on to solve. If healthcare isn't affordable, it is not accessible. That is why I led the introduction of the State Health Care Premium Reduction Act, a bill to lower the cost of health insurance premiums in the individual market by 10 percent, on average, across the country. But that is only part of the solution. Fifty-one percent of nonelderly people in my congressional district have a preexisting condition. That is why it is critical that we pass the bill that I have cosponsored, the Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions and Making Health Care More Affordable Act of 2019. I will fight this administration every day if they roll back healthcare in this country. It is not perfect, but we have to put aside the petty politics of the past and quit thinking that if we fix our Nation's healthcare, somehow we are handing the other side a victory. People across this country need our help. They need us to fix the cost of prescription drugs. They need us to unleash generic competition.

Mrs. CRAIG

Mrs. CRAIG. Madam Speaker, I rise today in celebration of Jazz and Friends National Day of Readings. And I continue: ``Mom said that being Jazz would make me different from the other kids at school, but that being different is okay. What's important, she said, is that I'm happy with who I am. ``Being Jazz caused some other people to be confused too, like the teachers at school. ``At the beginning of the year they wanted me to use the boys' bathroom, and play on the boys' team in gym class, but that didn't feel normal to me at all. ``I was so happy when the teachers changed their minds. . . . '' ``Even today, there are kids who tease me, or call me by a boy name, or ignore me altogether. This makes me feel crummy. ``Then I remember that the kids who get to know me usually want to be my friend. They say I am one of the nicest girls at school. ``I don't mind being different. Different is special. I think what matters most is what a person is like on the inside. ``And inside, I am happy. I am having fun. I am proud. ``I am Jazz.''

Mrs. CRAIG

Mrs. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I was proud to be joined by Katie Brenny at the State of the Union Address this week, a fifth-generation cattle farmer from Mazeppa, Minnesota. In order to maintain their farm, Katie and her husband, Ted, work day jobs to afford healthcare and retirement savings, and farm by flashlight in the early morning and late at night. Like Katie's family, too many hardworking and middle-class Americans face similar barriers to economic security. We should be working in Congress to find common ground and solutions on the issues that affect America's working families: Affordable healthcare no matter where you live; Reliable options for you to get to work; Broadband at home; Farm policy that prioritizes family farmers; and The promise of retirement security. I will work with anyone who has a good idea on these issues when it benefits the lives of Americans. I hope that we take seriously the spirit of collaboration to get results for the middle class.

Mrs. CRAIG

Mrs. CRAIG. Madam Speaker, like many of my colleagues, I came to Washington to work across the aisle and create economic opportunities for Minnesota families. Since I have gotten here, I have regularly met with Democrats and Republicans to discuss the issues so many Americans talk about around the kitchen table: better schools for their children, a fair shot at economic security for their family, and healthcare they can afford. We have also discussed over the last several weeks the shutdown. This must never happen again. Yesterday, I joined many of my colleagues, freshman colleagues, to introduce a bill to prevent another shutdown, the Shutdown to End All Shutdowns Act. This would prevent Federal workers from being used as pawns in future political negotiations. Our bill creates strong incentives to prevent another shutdown from occurring by withholding pay from Members of Congress and the executive branch, while forcing lawmakers to remain in Washington until a deal is reached. Additionally, the bill ensures that the government will continue running, even if we can't get to an appropriations bill. Americans deserve better. We can do better for them. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the Shutdown to End All Shutdowns Act and take a stand to never put politics over the American people again.

Mrs. CRAIG

Mrs. CRAIG. Madam Speaker, today, air traffic controllers in a regional facility in Farmington continue to work without pay, while support staff is furloughed. Adding insult to injury, in the last few hours, they received regularly scheduled earnings statements that read zero dollars and zero cents. Earlier this week, I met with them in Burnsville and again in Washington. I heard their stories. Joe, a new father with a baby born 10 weeks early still in the NICU, had his leave canceled because of the shutdown. Jeremy, a father of three, may have to take out credit card debt just to pay the bills. And Kelly, a trainee with student loan debt, doesn't know how she is going to make ends meet. Each of them, on behalf of communities and passengers they may never know, remains committed. It is time to end the shutdown and stop playing politics with people's lives.