Eni Faleomavaega

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

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

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I want to compliment and thank my good friend from New Jersey (Mr. Saxton) for his management of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased with the cooperation and progress that has been made to improve the provisions of H.R. 4318 since it was ordered reported favorably by the Committee on Resources in July of this year. It is my understanding, Mr. Speaker, that the final maps depicting the proposed acquisition boundaries for this new refuge have been agreed to by the bill's sponsor, my good friend, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. McCrery), and by the Fish and Wildlife Service. I support these boundaries; and with this last remaining issue resolved, I am comfortable with moving this bill forward with passage today. This legislation, Mr. Speaker, will help restore and protect in perpetuity, valuable wetlands and wildlife habitats along the Red River in northern Louisiana. This bill is supported by the administration and has strong bipartisan support on both sides of the aisle on the Committee on Resources. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, again I want to compliment and thank my good friend, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Greenwood), for his comments, especially as the author of this legislation, and thank also the chairman of our subcommittee for managing the bill now before the floor. I want to note also so many things relative to oceans policy of our Nation. I think our Nation is one of the few nations, if we look at the geography alone, are from the Atlantic coastal States, the State of Florida in particular, the Gulf States and then the entire Pacific coast. Probably no other nation, in my opinion, has had this direct exposure to the problems, whether it be the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf Stream, the areas relative to the Pacific area where ocean policy needs to be really firmly established as far as our Nation is concerned. And I thank the gentleman for bringing this legislation, hopefully, as a means of complementing what we are trying to do with other pieces of legislation. I recall I recently attended a Conference on Marine Debris; the billions of dollars in costs for some of the things that I had listened to represented from some 20 nations in the Pacific region, and one of the things that I noticed quite well was their response in looking up to the leaders of our Nation to take the leadership in this effort because of the fact that we do have the resources and, hopefully, that we will commit such resources to assist in this effort. I do not know if our colleagues are aware that every year we have to import over $9 billion worth of fish from other countries. My question is: Why are we not producing enough of our own domestic consumption demand of fish in the States and in our own domestic consumption needs? The situation of ornamental fish, it is about a $6 billion industry. The point is that with the economics of all of this dealing with fisheries, I do think we do need to establish that policy. I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Greenwood) for this legislation and my good friend, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Saxton). I do urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I again compliment and thank my good friend, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans for his management of this legislation, and I do commend the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Greenwood) as the chief author of this legislation, H.R. 2090. Mr. Speaker, the world's oceans are critical to human health, as well as the vitality of our entire planet. The establishment of an advisory panel to examine the feasibility and value of a coordinated domestic and international oceanography program makes good sense. With this in mind, I do support the principles and the provisions behind the passage of the Exploration of the Seas Act. I just have a little concern about the relevance and the need of the legislation, given the fact that earlier this year we did pass the Oceans Act of 2000 which was passed by the Congress and subsequently signed by the President on August 7 of this year. This law already establishes a commission to evaluate and make recommendations on oceans policy. And I just thought that maybe there may be a little duplication here, but on the other hand I think on anything relevant to the situation affecting the oceans policies, where over the years we really have not given really any real substantive examination of this very, very important issue, perhaps the gentleman's legislation will add on to what we are sincerely trying to bring about this real coordinated effort with all the agencies involved between the White House and especially with the Congress so we can really look at a national oceans policy having the participation and coordination of all relevant Federal agencies that should be a participant in this effort. I just wanted to express that concern. I urge my colleagues to pass this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, in my capacity as the ranking Democrat of the Subcommittee on Fisheries and Oceans and Wildlife and Refuge, I also want to certainly compliment my good friend, the chairman of our subcommittee, for his leadership and for the cooperative way that we have worked closely for the past 2 years since my membership in that capacity in this subcommittee. Again, I thank my good friend for working together and cooperatively on this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speaker, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I certainly want to compliment my good friend, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Saxton), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Fisheries, for his authorship of this legislation. I also want to thank the full committee chairman and the gentleman from California (Mr. Miller) for their support of this important legislation. Mr. Speaker, Atlantic coastal fishery resources that migrate or are widely distributed among the coast are of substantial commercial, recreational, environment importance and economic benefit to the Atlantic States and our Nation. Unfortunately, proper management of these species is often hampered by the fact that no single government entity has exclusive authority over them. Because of this, harvest and management of the Atlantic coastal resources has historically been subject to disparate, inconsistent, and intermittent State and Federal regulations. To help address this complication, Congress passed the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act since 1993. Since its inception, Mr. Speaker, this law has been an effective mechanism for supporting and encouraging the development, implementation, and enforcement of effective interstate conservation and management measures for the Atlantic coastal fishery resources. I fully support the reauthorization of the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his authorship of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen), my good friend, the chairman of the Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands for his management of this legislation. I want to personally commend the chief author of the sponsor of this legislation, the gentleman from New York, (Mr. Rangel), my good friend. Mr. Speaker, the 99th Congress approved legislation reauthorizing the Black Revolutionary War Patriots Foundation to establish a memorial on Federal land in Washington, D.C. The specific purpose of the proposed memorial is to honor the roughly 5,000 slaves and free men who fought against Britain during the American Revolution, although its broader theme is to honor all African Americans who have fought and died while serving in the U.S. military. Mr. Speaker, the proposed site for the memorial is north of the Reflecting Pool on the Mall, between the Washington and Lincoln Memorials, an area where more than 100,000 people once gathered in that summer of 1963 to hear Dr. Martin Luther King's historic speech, ``I have a Dream.'' Mr. Speaker, from the outset, the project has complied with all aspects of Commemorative Works Act and has received all the approvals necessary to move forward. Unfortunately, the private efforts to raise an estimated $9 million needed for the construction of the memorial have yet to reach their goal, and without congressional action, authorization for the project will expire this month. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4957, as I said earlier, which was sponsored by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel), my good friend, will amend the existing law to extend an authorization for the foundation until the year 2005. While previous extensions have been for 2 years only, it is our hope that this 5-year extension will provide sufficient time for this project to raise the funds necessary to move this project forward. Again, I urge my colleagues to approve this legislation; and I urge my friends to support this bill.

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

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden), for management of this legislation, and certainly want to commend the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs. Cubin), a member of the Committee on Resources, for her strong support of this legislation as introduced by the other body. Mr. Speaker, Senate bill 1374 authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to convey up to 90 acres of land in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Teton County, Wyoming, to the town of Jackson. In exchange for the land, the town will construct an administrative facility for the Forest Service and other Federal, State and local agencies and organizations within 5 years of the exchange. The value of the facility is estimated to be around $7 million. The bill also provides for the Game and Fish Commission of Wyoming to convey nearly 1.5 acres of land for the future site of the facility in exchange for 3.2 acres of a parcel of Federal land. The bill contains several other contingencies. While this bill represents a creative public-private partnership, I have some concerns about the precedential and public interest value of relinquishing Federal land in exchange for the construction of an administrative facility. The need for such a facility has not been thoroughly examined in the context of existing maintenance costs. Nevertheless, despite these concerns, the administration does support this legislation, it has bipartisan support, and I thank the chairman of our committee, the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Miller), the ranking member, for their support of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Oregon for his management of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I wish that every bill could be passed in such a fashion and with such strong bipartisan support and the spirit of cooperation on both sides of the aisle. This bill amends the Pacific Northwest Power Planning and Conservation Act to allow the administrator of Bonneville Power Administration to sell electricity at wholesale to Joint Operating Entities, the acronym JOEs. JOEs are comprised of public power bodies or cooperatives that aggregate their power contracts into a single contract for administrative and operational efficiencies. Under the bill, the power is sold solely for the purpose of meeting regional firm power consumer loads of regional public bodies and cooperatives that are members of the JOE. Other Federal power marketing agencies currently make similar aggregate sales. The Bonneville Power Administration, for example, also makes aggregated sales for transmission contracts and nonfirm and surplus power sales. Mr. Speaker, the bill is narrowly drawn to allow only JOEs that were in existence as of the date of enactment to participate. It does not expand purchasers' rights or ability to resell power other than to their own retail customers or other JOE members, or as otherwise permitted by law. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, the gentleman from Oregon, for management of this legislation. I thank our Chairman of the Committee on Resources, the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), and our ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. Miller), for their sponsorship and support of this bill as well. Mr. Speaker, this bill resolves an ongoing dispute between the Forest Service and a radio station, KATY, regarding the station's unauthorized use of a Forest Service site. H.R. 3657 would require the Secretary of Agriculture to convey for fair market value 1.06 acres within the San Bernardino National Forest in Riverside County, California to KATY. The bill requires KATY to pay $16,600 (representing rent for 1996-99 without interest) to the Secretary. It also provides that the Forest Service is not required to provide access to the site as it would for an official communications site. I urge my colleagues to support it.

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

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, the gentleman from Oregon, for the management of this legislation. I thank the good Senator from Oregon, Senator Gordon Smith, for his chief sponsorship of this bill. I thank also my good friend, the gentleman from Oregon, for his passage previously of similar legislation. Mr. Speaker, Senate bill 1027 is to extend participation of the Bureau of Reclamation in the Deschutes Resources Conservancy. The Deschutes Resources Conservancy was authorized in 1996 as a 5- year pilot project designed to achieve local consensus for projects to improve ecosystem health in the Deschutes River Basin. Mr. Speaker, S. 1027 will reauthorize funding of these activities for another 5 years and increase the authorization ceiling to $2 million annually. This is a highly successful, inexpensive, and popular program involving the cooperation of irrigators, ranchers, environmentalists and State, local and Federal Government agencies. I urge my colleagues to support the bill. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, the gentleman from Oregon, for the management of this legislation. I do want to compliment and commend the gentleman from Montana, Senator Conrad Burns, for his sponsorship of Senate bill 624. The bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to plan, design, construct, operate, maintain, and replace the Assiniboine and Sioux rural water systems within the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana, and directs the Secretary to enter into a cooperative agreement with the tribe. All costs of the Indian system would be nonreimbursable. The bill also authorizes the Dry Prairie Rural Water System, a project to serve non-Indian residents in the area, with the Federal Government paying 76 percent of those project costs. The Dry Prairie system would be interconnected with the Fort Peck Reservation system. I note that S. 624 is opposed by the administration, primarily because the administration believes the costs of non-Indian water supply projects should be fully reimbursed by the project beneficiaries. While I agree we should make every attempt to comply with this policy goal, I believe that in this case some Federal cost- sharing is appropriate. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.