Jim Gibbons

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to again encourage my colleagues to cosponsor H.R. 2131, a resolution that will bestow President of the Government of Spain, Jose Maria Aznar, with the Congressional Gold Medal. Shortly after the September 11 attacks on the United States, President Aznar made the following comment: ``Our battle is a battle for the same ideas, for the same freedoms, for the same society and civilizations, and we will share all those efforts as long as it is necessary.'' President Aznar of Spain has stood by the United States and, despite heavy political pressure, has never wavered from his staunch commitment to the ideals of freedom, liberty and democracy. I urge my fellow Members to join me and over 100 cosponsors of H.R. 2131, a bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal to President Aznar. Join us in honoring a man who is a great leader in global democracy, a great leader in the war on terrorism, a notable ally of the United States, and a champion of freedom.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding me this time. I want to rise in strong support of the rule for the authorization of the intelligence bill, H.R. 2417. I want to take just a moment to explain the issue of compensation reform which I think is important and critical to the future of the intelligence community. Over the years we have had a system of pay for the men and women who are doing the hard work of gathering intelligence for the people of this country. And yet we have not been able to find a way to adequately compensate them. These are individuals who are dedicated to this mission. They are not there because they want more money. They are there because they like what they do. They feel it is important for the future of this country and for the security of the American people. We have opportunities now to make sure that when we pay these individuals, we pay them correctly, we pay them adequately for their services. It is important that Congress continue this oversight. We have an important part of this bill that addresses the issue of compensation reform. I am hoping that all our colleagues will rise and support this bill because of the important aspect of compensation reform for the men and women who are doing the valiant job of representing this country in faraway places in the dark of night, doing things that most other people would not do. These are true heroes in the American legend. We should all stand up and thank them for the work they have done. And I thank the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Goss) for the opportunity to speak out on this rule and hope that everyone will support the rule.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Intelligence Authorization bill, and I want to thank my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss), for granting me this time to speak on it. This is a very good bill, Mr. Speaker. It represents a lot of hard work by very dedicated staffs on both sides of the aisle. It addresses intelligence needs that this committee has highlighted for many years. The good news is, Mr. Speaker, that some of the most crucial needs of our intelligence community, the human intelligence and analysis, are getting the funding and attention that they deserve. We are fighting a war on terrorism, and I cannot overemphasize how important human intelligence, also known under the acronym of HUMINT, is to the security of the American people and to our national interests. The satellites of the Cold War were key intelligence collectors, and our current reconnaissance vehicles are even better today than they have ever been in the past. However, in the world we live in right now, an overreliance on overhead photography and other technical programs would be a mistake. They cannot provide America with plans and intentions of terrorists who plot in secret, hide in civilian populations, and communicate with messengers. What you have to have is HUMINT, collected by professionals possessing foreign language skills, foreign cultural knowledge, and specialized training necessary for success. This committee encourages the enhancement of these critical skills areas. And this bill authorizes essential funding needed to accomplish these goals. The second crucial area in the war on terrorism is analysis. Our committee has expressed time and again the importance of a well- trained, experienced analytic cadre. Like the HUMINT capability, building a truly professional analytical cadre takes years of investment in people, technology, and training. The critical skill sets and professional cadres are still too thin and still too few in number. We are still paying the price for the mistakes of the mid-1990s. The good news is, Mr. Speaker, that this bill commits great resources to correct those mistakes. CIA, FBI, Homeland Security, and other intelligence and law enforcement agencies desperately need qualified analysts. It takes years to develop them, but the development is under way. This committee has seen to that. And this bill is a key measure. In conclusion, I want to emphasize that the bill before you will significantly help the intelligence agencies increase and sharpen their effectiveness, especially against terrorist groups. I strongly support this measure, Mr. Speaker. I urge its passage and once again thank the chairman and the ranking member for their leadership in this.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the rule, yet with some strong reservations also regarding final passage of the Energy and Water Appropriations Conference Report. But before I explain my reservation, I would like to recognize the many efforts of the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Hobson), the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky), ranking member, and other hardworking Members and their staffs who have made, over the past year, an effort to work with the Nevada delegation to address our serious concerns with the Yucca Mountain project. For example, during initial House floor consideration of the energy and water bill this past July, the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Hobson) was gracious enough to grant the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Porter) and I a colloquy on the issue of early acceptance of spent nuclear fuel at Yucca Mountain. In response to our concern, the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Hobson) agreed not only to strip the early acceptance language from the bill, but also to dedicate $4 million in additional Federal spending to bolster security at our Nation's nuclear power stations. I am heartened by the gentleman from Ohio's (Chairman Hobson) willingness to ensure that the early acceptance of spent nuclear language did not remain through the conference on this measure. However, the conference report still dedicates $580 million in taxpayers' dollars to the Yucca Mountain project, in my opinion, a fatally flawed Federal boondoggle that a majority of Nevadans, millions of Americans, and the Nevada Congressional Delegation strongly opposes. Madam Speaker, I will vote yes on this rule; however, I will remain opposed to frivolously spending taxpayers' dollars and will never give up the fight against wasteful Yucca Mountain project spending.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss), the chairman of the committee, for the way he has handled this committee. I think it goes above and beyond what we would have expected. Chairman Goss has led this committee through some rather difficult times in this war on terrorism and, indeed, our war in Iraq. There is no question in my mind that a lot of statements have been made this evening about the substance of the intelligence, the quality of the intelligence. Let me say that our committee has undertaken to review the intelligence. We have not made any conclusions at this point. We have not reached any determinations. I may have my own personal opinions about the quality of the intelligence, as I am sure we all do. However, the committee has not done so in a formal basis. I wanted to make sure that that was clear. But there is sufficient intelligence out there, and I think we all have agreed over the time that I have been there and listened to the cases being made why Saddam Hussein and this war in Iraq was essential to the people, to the efforts of the people of America to go forward. But I just wanted to take the time to stand here and sort of challenge the idea that there was a flawed intelligence process. I think intelligence is a form of art, and it is not something that is in concrete. It is an evolving process. We have not yet determined all of the facts. We will look into that. Our committee is doing so. And I certainly hope that we can continue to do this in the fair and bipartisan fashion that this committee has been known for, and especially our chairman has been known for over the past 8 years that he has been in charge, or 7 years that he has been in charge of this committee that I have served on. This is an important time for all of us. I think we have an opportunity here to do what many of us want and that is to learn what it is that we can do to help the intelligence community around the world. And by doing our job, and our job is to ask the tough questions, we will be better prepared to do just that. And I think under the leadership and the guidance of the chairman, we will be able to bring to this House a very sound conclusion, a very reasoned approach on what it is our Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence should be doing, what it is our intelligence community should be doing, and how we can best support them.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, we always seem to find the words to express our gratitude for heroes, and today I rise in strong support for H.R. 425, a resolution to recognize those heroes, honor the brave men and women who responded to the horrendous wildfires that plagued Southern California last month. While we all recognize that hundreds of first responders from the State of California bravely risked their lives to fight these wildfires, many Americans were less aware that hundreds of Nevada's first responders were also enlisted in this fight. In fact, during the course of this deadly natural disaster, the State of Nevada deployed over 450 brave Americans to Southern California to join our neighbors in this effort to quell this deadly natural disaster. These Nevadans included dozens of firefighters, paramedics, and highly skilled mechanics. Northern Nevada-based crews from the United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, along with engine crews from the Nevada Division of Forestry, Reno, Sparks, Storey County, Elko County, and North Lake Fire Protection District, were dispatched on October 27 to fight the Southern California fires. Two strike teams composed of firefighters from Las Vegas, Clark County, Henderson, Pahrump, the Nevada Test Site and the Naval Air Station at Fallon drove by personal car to offer their support to a base camp in Santee. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution. The brave first responders from all over the western States and Nevada have earned this honor, and I am pleased to recognize their selfless efforts today.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman of the committee for yielding me time. No doubt all of us in this Chamber realize and recognize the fact that our veterans risk their lives for our great Nation, and especially for the freedoms we all enjoy. We owe them much. Today, we take yet another step toward providing them with the health care services they deserve. For example, H.R. 1720 authorizes funding for a Veterans Administration medical clinic in Clark County, Nevada, allowing the VA to lease space and provide desperately needed health care services to one of the fastest growing veterans populations in the country. While this authorization best serves the short-term needs of Nevada's veterans, the long-term needs recognized by myself and Veterans Administration Secretary, Anthony Principi, call for the construction of a permanent, full-service veterans hospital in southern Nevada. Until this long-term goal is realized, the establishment of a medical clinic in Clark County will provide critical health care services to those veterans in southern Nevada. I applaud my colleagues for bringing this bill to the floor, and remain committed to providing our veterans with the best health care services we can afford.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to express my strongest support for H.R. 3365, the Fallen Patriots Tax Relief Act. This bill addresses one of the most outrageous and unjust practices that I have ever witnessed as a Member of Congress. Mr. Speaker, as a Member of this body, as a veteran of two wars, but more importantly as an American, it angers me to think that after losing a loved one in combat, a grieving family could be ordered to pay taxes on a gift presented to them on behalf of a grateful Nation. Our men and women in uniform and the families who love them deserve the tremendous respect and gratitude of this Nation. We can show our respect and gratitude by repealing this onerous and unjust tax. Our Nation is truly grateful for the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting our veterans and vote yes on H.R. 3365.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment, and I commend my colleague on the Subcommittee on Human Intelligence, Analysis, and Counterintelligence for his work on this issue. Today, our Nation is fortunate to have General Abizaid leading our troops in Central Command. General Abizaid is an expert on Middle Eastern affairs, and fluent in Arabic. He is the perfect man to have leading our troops in this region. Unfortunately, people like General Abizaid are rare in the United States. Our Nation has neglected programs that build proficiency in those languages, and we are struggling to catch up. Last year, the GAO reported that the FBI had thousands of hours of audio tapes and pages of written material that have not been reviewed or translated due to the lack of qualified translators. The GAO also noted that the State Department suffers from a language proficiency shortfall whereby Foreign Service officers are put in positions with lower-than-desired levels of proficiency. These shortfalls have not existed without cost. These shortfalls have weakened the fight against international terrorism and drug trafficking; and resulted in less effective representation of U.S. interests overseas. The lack of trusted interpreters and human intelligence sources is slowing down the work to expose Saddam Hussein's weapons programs. Most critically, the lack of skilled interpreters has slowed our efforts in the war on terrorism. This amendment will help alleviate these problems by focusing on the critical need to address the shortfall. We cannot ignore this shortfall--the need for improved HUMINT is an emergency that I urge my colleagues to support with this amendment.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Chairman, today, I am pleased to rise in support of a plan of action that will help fulfill the hopes we have for our Nation's security. For twelve years, the United States spent over ten billion dollars to enforce No-Fly-Zones and sanctions in Iraq that did little to diminish the threat that Saddam Hussein posed to his neighbors and the world. From 1996 until 2001, the Taliban pillaged a nation and overtly supported terrorists with little effective opposition from the international community. This inaction did not deter or prevent terrorists from attacking the Khobar Towers, our embassies overseas, the USS Cole, the World Trade Center, and Washington, DC. Our limited action in Iraq did not prevent Saddam Hussein from deceiving weapons inspectors, evading sanctions to enhance his personal wealth, and attacking coalition aircraft almost daily prior to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Mr. Chairman, today, we are at a fork in the road in the war on terrorism--do we take aggressive action to win the war, or do we do something less and hope that somehow things will be different in the future? This supplemental personifies a strategy to enhance our Nation's security for future generations. This plan will help rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan so that these nations will become nations that enhance security rather than threaten security. We can act, and provide our troops with the tools they need to win this war. Or, we can hope that these brave people can somehow do something with nothing. We can act, and provide Iraq and Afghanistan with the means to rebuild shattered societies. Or, we can hope that these people will prosper without basic necessities and with more crippling foreign debt. We can act, and give these nations the best possible chance at democracy. Or, we can hope that the Taliban and Ba'ath party will no longer be interested in returning to power through terror and intimidation. We can act, and pay the cost for security. Or, we can hope that security will come at no cost. Mr. Chairman, I hope that these nations will soon be free democracies . . . I hope our troops are home soon . . . I hope that other nations will join these efforts . . . but we must act first for the hope for the security of the United States.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo), the chairman of the committee, for allowing me this time to speak on this piece of legislation, and I rise today in support and urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1092, the Nevada National Forest Disposal Act. Mr. Speaker, this piece of legislation is important to the people of the State of Nevada, and as a lifelong resident of the great State, where the Federal Government manages almost 90 percent of all land, I am committed to promoting sensible public lands management policies that allow for responsible economic growth while protecting our precious natural resources and scenic vistas. This legislation, the Nevada National Forest Disposal Act will require the Secretary of the Interior to sell in a public auction six parcels of land in Nevada, ranging in size from three acres to 75 acres. Each parcel borders private lands on at least two sides, and each is located within residential areas or next to a busy highway. None of these lands are pristine forest lands. In fact, barely any vegetation and no forest characterization can be found on some of the lots recognized in this legislation. This bill would remove these lands from the Federal management and sell them to the local community at fair market value to allow for much-needed economic development in Carson City and Douglas County, and the revenues of the sale will benefit the entire State as well as the United States Forest Service. Sixty-five percent of the revenues from the land sales will go towards a fund to build an Interagency Dispatch Center to serve as a joint facility for the Forest Service and Nevada Division of Forestry to fight wildland fires. Twenty-five percent of the revenue will be used for development and maintenance of parks, trails and natural areas in Carson City, Douglas County and Washoe County. Five percent will go into Nevada's general education program, and 5 percent will go to the Carson Water Subconservancy District. This commonsense bill has the support of the counties, the State of Nevada and both of Nevada's U.S. Senators as well. The intent of this legislation, and in truth, as smart public lands management, is to dispose of public lands which do not make sense for the Federal Government to manage and to use the revenues from the land sales to better manage and protect other Federal lands. H.R. 1092 accomplishes this goal. Mr. Speaker, let me also take this opportunity to quickly explain two changes that were made to the bill before it came to the floor. First, the State of Nevada requested to limit access on one parcel which borders a major freeway in order to prevent a major disruption in freeway traffic. As one can imagine, it would be a disaster if the future owner of the land put a driveway right into the middle of this heavily-used freeway. This legislation protects against such a scenario and ensures the integrity of the existing freeway. The second change simply requires the Secretary to sell these parcels in a public auction. These changes only strengthen the bill which is a win-win for everyone. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1092 is a model of efficient public lands policy. It is important to the State of Nevada, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the committee, the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo), for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of a bill which will authorize the building of a visitors center at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. I am proud to have assisted and supported the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo) and the leadership and the staff of the Committee on Resources in bringing us one step closer to making the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Visitors Center a reality. In this body, Mr. Speaker, I am but one of many who served our great Nation in uniform during this period of our country's history. And today we debate long-overdue legislation to create a visitors center at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the most popular memorial in Washington with more than 4 million visitors a year. Etched row upon row the heroes listed on the wall continue to serve our Nation still today. They serve to remind us of the price of freedom. Throughout the United States, teachers and students are benefiting from the educational programs of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. We must ensure that this noble effort continues beyond America's classrooms. It must continue when those students visit our Nation's capital. It must continue when they visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The underground visitors center must be there on that sacred site. The visitors center will create a profound learning experience for all Americans, a place where veterans and family members come to remember and often to mourn, a place where love is openly displayed, love for those lost in Vietnam. The visitors center will teach our children the lessons we learned as soldiers and as a country. In the best traditions of war memorials, the visitors center will ensure that future generations will always remember the sacrifices that were made by our servicemembers for their country, for their freedom. It will educate our country's youth and continue the wall's work of healing our Nation. I cannot think of a more appropriate place for a visitors center than on the hallowed grounds of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The Vietnam War was controversial. However, there is no controversy about the bravery and sacrifice of the men and women who answered the call of duty. Former President George H.W. Bush, himself a former combat pilot, wrote of the legislation that we debate today, ``This center will remind all Americans that we owe these soldiers a debt of gratitude.'' I echo the President's sentiments. Let us take up this historic step. Let us create a center to recognize our courageous Vietnam veterans. Let us establish this visitors center so every future generation understands the sacrifices made and as a Nation we will never forget. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to pass this historic legislation as a tribute to those who have served our country.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the Capps motion to instruct, and I rise in opposition on two bases. First of all, the Capps motion would prevent the Outer Continental Shelf inventory; and, secondly, it would prohibit section 325 from merely stating that the Secretary of Commerce has a specific time in which to act on an appeal of a consistency determination within the context of the CZMA, Coastal Zone Management Act. Mr. Speaker, let me say that the energy bill conference draft does say that the Secretary shall conduct an inventory, and that is all. It does not say that the moratoria on drilling should be lifted. It does not say that there should be drilling. This conference draft does not add anything new to the existing laws. The Secretary of Interior has the discretionary authority to do the inventory anyway. Mr. Speaker, we owe it to this Nation, we owe it to the energy needs of the American people, to know what our resources are so that we can make informed decisions. Let me talk a little bit about section 325. Section 325 of the proposed energy bill conference draft merely sets forth specific time frames for which the Secretary of Commerce must act on an appeal of a consistency determination within the context of the CZMA. It appropriately ensures that the Secretary of Commerce will consider any appeal of a consistency determination in a timely manner so that all concerned will have the certainty of a decision, and this provision is not outcome determinative but merely sets forth a time for the processing of one appeal in a regulatory process that involves various Federal agencies, each dealing with its own area of expertise. Mr. Speaker, let me be literally free and take license with this comment, that inconsistency, lack of knowledge, and delay are the hobgoblins of the energy industry in America. We owe it to the Nation to put knowledge, consistency, and certainty into America's energy needs. I would urge all of my colleagues to vote no on the Capps motion to instruct.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained due to committee business and missed 2 votes. Had I been present, I would have voted: 521--``yes'' and 522--``no.''

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 519 I was inadvertently detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to pay tribute to a distinct man of service and to join Nevadans and Americans in honoring the memory of retired Air Force General Wilbur L. ``Bill'' Creech. Bill Creech started at the bottom as a private in the Air Force in 1944, and he retired forty years later as four-star general, and commander of Tactical Air Command, or TAC. However, he will not be remembered only as a man who rose from the bottom to the highest of heights. He will be remembered as a man who changed the United States Air Force. The current Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General John Jumper, who served as Creech's executive officer at TAC, said, ``No single officer has had greater influence on the Air Force in recent times than General Bill Creech. He transformed the way the Air Force conducts warfare.'' Bill Creech did indeed change the Air Force. The General revitalized TAC by improving its efficiency, modernizing the forces with transformational weapons and tactics, and developing the teamwork that still exists in our Air Force. As a fighter pilot, I personally experienced the impact Bill Creech had on the Air Force. His leadership philosophy made everyone in a unit-flyers, maintainers, and support personnel-believe in the value of making things better. This philosophy spread beyond TAC to the entire Air Force. The men and women who are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan today are the beneficiaries of his wisdom and leadership. For Nevadans, General Creech is probably most appreciated as the ``father of the Thunderbirds''. After a tragic accident on January 18, 1982 claimed the lives of four team members, many people questioned the value of the Aerial Demonstration Squadrons. But Bill Creech believed in the Thunderbirds. He saw the values that the team demonstrated and knew they were important for the Air Force and our nation. General Creech put himself on the line to back the team and make it the great organization it is today. Even today, in the shadow of the accident on September 14, 2003, the first major accident since the tragedy in 1982, there is no question about the value of this team. The earth will continue to tremble under the great wings of the Thunderbirds because of Bill Creech. To Bill's wife, Caroline, I offer the condolences and admiration of Nevadans and- Americans. The loss of Bill Creech is a loss for our great Nation. We all join together to express our gratitude for the service and sacrifice of a great man.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my great support for H.R. 13, the Museum and Library Services Act of 2003. This compromise bill will provide libraries, throughout our nation with an additional $232 million in funding. Libraries are at the forefront of promoting our reading and family literacy efforts. This additional funding will allow libraries to maintain their traditional commitment to educating all Americans, young and old, while also furthering their work to keep pace with the development of technology by adding electronic media and new computers. This bill will also greatly benefit our museums, which showcase our heritage, art, and accomplishments. This year, more than 865 million people will visit a museum in America. Similarly, millions of students will check out their first book from their local library, and millions of families will gather for community literacy and learning programs. The role of libraries and museums in American society is critical. I personally remember my hometown library and my hometown librarian, Marther Gould, who now serves on the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. She stands as a stalwart supporter of our library system and works diligently to ensure that they keep up with 21st century technology. I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 13, so it can be signed into law to ensure that our libraries and museums can continue to serve our nation and future generations of Americans.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Chairman, I thank the subcommittee chairman for his agreement to strike and remove the interim storage provisions regarding this troubling language that is in the bill. I look forward to working with him as does my colleague, the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Porter), on ensuring our constituents of this point as well. Amendment Offered by Mr. Udall of Colorado

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, I wish to engage the chairman of the subcommittee in a colloquy regarding the early acceptance of spent nuclear fuel at Yucca Mountain. Mr. Chairman, this issue is of the utmost importance to me and, as my colleagues know, each and every year that I have been a Representative of the State of Nevada, for the last 7 years, I have adamantly fought against the storage of nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain. This is a critical issue and vitally important to the rest of the Nevada congressional delegation, as it is to our constituents. While I could go on and speak for hours on the reasons why the committee's unprecedented level of funding for Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository is an outrage to Nevadans, I choose rather to focus my attention and my opinion on the most irresponsible and alarming of the committee's report: the $4 million in taxpayer dollars to study early acceptance or interim storage of high-level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain. I clearly remember debating this interim issue of storage during the 105th Congress. I remain strongly opposed to the notion that storing nuclear waste in a temporary facility on-site at Yucca Mountain is a solution to a problem of nuclear waste. I adamantly oppose the committee's opinion that transporting high- level nuclear waste from over 100 power plants across this Nation through our neighborhoods and in yet unproven dual-use casks will further secure our Nation against the threat of terrorism. The Energy Department's resources and taxpayer dollars could be far better utilized in securing our Nation's high-level nuclear waste if they were to spend this $4 million on bolstering security at the existing storage facilities. Mr. Chairman, before I go on, I would like to yield to my colleague from the Third Congressional District of Nevada (Mr. Porter) for his comments as well.

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson), the chairman of the subcommittee, for his response to our colloquy.

Mr. GIBBONS

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

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 74) to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain land in the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Nevada, to the Secretary of the Interior, in trust for the Washoe Indian Tribe of Nevada and California.

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 74 directs the Secretary of Agriculture to convey a 24-acre parcel of land in the national forest system at Lake Tahoe to the Secretary of Interior who will then hold it in trust for the benefit of the Washoe Tribe of the California and Nevada Paiute Indians. The tribe will use the property for customary and traditional cultural purposes just as they did when their ancestral homelands encompassed a 5,000-square-mile area around the Lake Tahoe Basin. H.R. 74 was developed after a 1997 meeting among Federal, State and local officials who recognized the tribe's historic connection to the area before it was included in the national forest system. Under the bill, permanent residential development or commercial use is prohibited. It also contains provisions designed to ensure the continuation of public and administrative access to adjacent national forest lands. The tribe will also receive an easement to permit vehicular access on a forest development road for access to the property for safety and administrative purposes and for the convenience of tribal members who have difficulty walking. This legislation has been passed by the House or the Senate in different forms in the last two Congresses. It is time now for this bill to be passed into law. I am hopeful that it will arrive on the President's desk this year so the people of the Washoe Tribe will finally be able to enjoy a piece of their rich cultural heritage. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a brief moment to thank my friend and colleague from New Mexico for his support and leadership on this important bill as well. I urge a positive vote on this bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would also like to congratulate and thank my friend from New Mexico for his support and leadership on this very important issue to the people of Nevada, and I ask for a positive vote on this bill. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.