Wayne Gilchrest

Mr. GILCHREST

Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I appreciate the effort on the part of the gentlewoman from New Mexico to limit the impact on the Arctic slope in oil drilling. I am here to speak now on another perspective. First of all, I think when we use this oil up, we will be more dependent on foreign oil. Once this is gone, a tiny fraction of the world's oil and when it is gone, we will be more dependent on oil from the Middle East and other places. But I am speaking on behalf of the effects of the human environment here, and I want to quote an Arctic elder. ``The land can tell us everything we want to know.'' We might think of an Eskimo saying that. ``The only problem is that it does not have a voice. We cannot hear it. But the spirit of the land is always there.'' Many parts of our country that depend on hunting and fishing also have agriculture and forestry. This is one of the few places on the planet where there is no agriculture, there is no forestry. The entire culture, nutritionally and economically, depends on whales, polar bears, seals, and caribou. They depend on what the pristine wilderness gives them. Even a 2,000-acre imprint would cause, because of the sound and because of the disturbance, the migration routes of all these things to change. This one 2,000 acres in this narrow area has a great impact, a difficult impact on the culture of this community. So I am speaking on behalf of the culture of the northern Native Alaskans.

Mr. GILCHREST

Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time. This is not the perfect bill. There are very few bills that come before the House that are perfect. I think there is a recognition that within a 20-year time frame the administration would like to relieve ourselves of the burden of fossil fuels, become independent of foreign sources of energy, and protect and improve the environment by burning hydrogen, fusion and other alternative sources. There are a number of things in this bill that we can work on and improve, and this is not our only shot at it. Our shot at the energy resources of this country and energy policy comes on an annual basis. The things that are good about this bill are, they do promote, maybe not as much as all of us want to, but they do promote alternative sources of fuel. One of the most exciting is fusion, which is not necessarily 50 years away, but maybe within a couple of decades. Another interim fuel source or another interim mechanism is hybrid vehicles. Another powerful, positive reachable energy source of fuel is hydrogen. Hydrogen is probably the most pervasive element in the universe. It is one of the most pervasive elements on the planet. And if we can do what the administration wants to do, perfect this technology, when you burn hydrogen, it is a source of independence for the United States; when you burn hydrogen, the exhaust is water. So there are a number of alternatives, there are a number of positive things about this bill.

Mr. GILCHREST

Mr. GILCHREST. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 273) to provide for the eradication and control of nutria in Maryland and Louisiana.

Mr. GILCHREST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to close. Madam Speaker, I thank the leadership on the other side of the aisle for moving this legislation. We appreciate the cooperation we have had from the Democrats, as well as staff on both sides. I urge Members to vote for this very important piece of legislation.

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

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

Mr. GILCHREST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to offer this measure along with the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin). The fundamental goal of this legislation is to effectively address the growing problem of nutria that are destroying thousands of acres of essential wetland habitat. It also reauthorizes a 1998 law that created a pilot nutria program in Maryland at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Fishing Bay Wildlife Management Area, and Tudor farms. Since that time, Federal, State and local partners have worked together in Maryland to develop a nutria eradication strategy and to test restoration methods on the damaged marsh. Louisiana is working on a nutria control strategy and monitoring marsh recovery. These are both carefully crafted proposals which will systematically address nutria population control and marsh damage. They represent the culmination of scientific understanding about nutria population, dynamics and marsh impacts. Because of the nutria's incredible ability to proliferate, partnerships in both States must act aggressively to avoid population increases that could nullify previous effort and investment of public and private resources. Both Maryland and Louisiana are serious about nutria control and have contributed several million in non-Federal funds, and both are committed to providing models for the control of nutria in the 14 other States in which they are found. Full commitment from both Federal and State partners is needed to complete these models over the next 5 years. This semi-aquatic, nonnative rodent has no natural predators in Maryland, and they have consumed nearly half of the marsh lands on Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. These marshes are vital to the survival of millions of migratory waterfowl, bold and golden eagles, and neotropical songbirds. The remaining acreage of Blackwater is in serious peril. Unless nutria are stopped, they will continue to destroy wetlands in Blackwater and other refuges on the Delmarva peninsula, and marshlands along the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico. H.R. 273 will authorize Public Law 105-322, and it will implement the next step in the process, which is the eradication of nutria in Maryland as well as the restoration of damaged wetlands. In their testimony, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stated: ``We recognize the need to continue cooperative efforts to eradicate nutria in the Chesapeake Bay region and will continue as a key Federal member of the nutria eradication partnership.'' In addition, H.R. 273 authorizes money to alleviate the tremendous problems that nutria have caused in Louisiana. According to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, these pesky rodents have damaged or destroyed over 100,000 acres of wetlands in their State. Under the terms of the bill, the Secretary of the Interior will undertake steps to control or eradicate nutria in the two states and together with the National Invasive Species Council develop a long-term nutria control and eradication program. Madam Speaker, H.R. 273 will help to solve serious problems facing Maryland's Eastern Shore and Louisiana's marshlands. It will serve as a model for other States that may face the prospect of fighting against an invading population of nutria. I urge Members to vote for H.R. 273. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GILCHREST

Mr. GILCHREST. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 733) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acquire the McLoughlin House National Historic Site in Oregon City, Oregon, and to administer the site as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes.

Mr. GILCHREST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, H.R. 733, introduced by the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hooley) authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire the McLoughlin House National Historic Site in Oregon City, Oregon, and to administer it as part of the existing Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, which has already been established as a unit of the National Park System. I would like to say after reading some of the information before us here this morning that I want to thank the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hooley) for bringing this to the floor's attention and that the ``father of Oregon,'' as it is stated here, Dr. John McLoughlin from the Hudson Bay Company, provided many weary travelers with the goods and the resources and the comfort that they needed as they traversed this great continent. H.R. 733, introduced by Congresswoman Darlene Hooley, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire the McLoughlin House National Historic Site in Oregon City, Oregon, and to administer it as part of the existing Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, which has already been established as a Unit of the National Park System. The McLoughlin House, an Affiliated Area of the National Park System, has long been the beneficiary of a close working relationship between the managing entity, the McLoughlin Memorial Association, and its partner, the National Park Service. The McLoughlin Memorial Association is no longer in a position to be able to support and manage the National Historic Site. Consequently, this bill will enable the National Park Service to essentially exchange roles with the association to preserve this important historical treasure, while continuing to use the association as a resource. At the same time, the bill does not create a new park unit, but rather allows the House to be administered as part of an existing unit. The McLoughlin House National Historic Site is named for Dr. John McLoughlin, the ``Father of Oregon'' who established the famous British Hudson Bay Company in Vancouver, Washington in 1825. Dr. McLoughlin supplied American pioneers with the goods they needed to settle and survive at their new home in Oregon. The House passed the same language in this bill during the 107th Congress as part of a larger package. The bill still enjoys the same broad support that it did last Congress and I urge my colleagues to support it. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GILCHREST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 733. I thank my friend, the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen), on the other side and the staff on both sides of the aisle, and certainly the two Members that spoke here this morning. I urge passage of this important piece of legislation. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GILCHREST

Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 289. This proposal has been the subject of two congressional hearings. We have heard from a diverse group of witnesses testifying in strong support of expanding the boundaries of these two existing refuges. One of those witnesses is the director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. In his statement, Mr. Samuel Speck noted that this measure will ``ensure an abundance of ecological and conservation improvements that will truly benefit this ``Great Lake'' and the millions of Americans who benefit from it''. The fundamental goal of H.R. 289 is to conserve the wetland resources of the western basin of Lake Erie. This shallow body of water is, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, the 11th largest fresh water lake in the world and it has the most productive fishing habitat in all of the Great Lakes. While sadly more than 98 percent of the original wetlands in Northwest Ohio have been lost, the remaining 12,500 acres provide irreplaceable habitat for 325 species of birds, 300 species of plants and 43 fish species. In fact, the western basin is used by 70 percent of the black ducks that migrate in the Mississippi flyway and it provides nesting habit for 79 breeding pairs of bald eagles. The remaining wetlands should be protected and the most effective way to accomplish that goal is to include available habitat within the National Wildlife Refuge System. Furthermore, it is my hope that by expanding these refuges, all interested parties will work together to devise a comprehensive strategy to protect and restore the physical and biological integrity of the Lake Erie western basin ecosystem. I urge an ``aye'' vote and I compliment my colleagues Marcy Kaptur and John Dingell for proposing this innovative legislation.

Mr. GILCHREST

Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. I would like to tell my colleagues on actually both sides of the aisle that none of us are rubber stamps over here. We are actual human beings and Members of Congress. We do not rubber-stamp what the President wants or does not want us to do. I would also like to say to my colleagues, and, if I may, to the people of Iraq, we will stay with you to not only feed you in the interim. announcement by the chairman pro tempore

Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Chairman, to give a man a fish, he eats a day. To teach a man how to fish, he will eat for the rest of his life, and the oil in Iraq will be used to improve the quality of life for people in Iraq. Mr. Chairman, this has been one of the best, well-planned operations in the history of the world. It has been open for debate for months and months and months; and, yes, we support our troops in Iraq. The United States Government's major role is to defend this country, but also to ensure that those in need are taken care of: those that are hungry, the sick, the infirm, the homeless, and the children. And what is the government's role as far as the economy is concerned? The government's role as far as the economy is to create a structure that stimulates economic productivity in the private sector. Support the resolution.

Mr. GILCHREST

Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I thank him and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), my good friend, the two of them, for bringing this resolution to the floor. We all remember the words of Thomas Jefferson: ``We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights and among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.'' And we remember the words of Abraham Lincoln: ``With malice toward none, with charity for all, let us work together to bind up the Nation's wounds.'' And another century passing by, we remember Martin Luther King, Jr. and his dream that little children will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. This great Nation of ours has seen periods of great joy, wretched despair, and great sacrifice. And still, we come, children of democracy, again here tonight to find our place in history. Our young men and women, once again on the front lines of history, once again in anticipation of great joy, although for some there will be wretched despair because some will not come home, we give them our praise and support for the sacrifice that they are now enduring as they bear the greatest burden of preserving and restoring freedom during this present crisis. Mr. Speaker, I would like to close with a very familiar poem by a Canadian soldier during World War I who did not make it home: ``In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row by row That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. ``We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields.'' Those who lie in Flanders fields said, ``Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.'' The Americans in the Middle East are bearing the burden of the present crisis, and we come here tonight to mix and to mingle and to speak and to have differences, but the unity of this Congress, the unity of this Nation will linger for decades to come. I stand here tonight to support the resolution.

Mr. GILCHREST

Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, and I will not object, but I just want to take this moment to tell the gentleman from Utah, the chairman of the Committee on Resources, that he has stayed the course, he has given that committee dignity, he has worked to improve the resources and nature's bounty and the approachability to use those resources for human progress; and I just wanted to say, Jim, thank you for your service to your country. I enjoyed serving on your committee.

Mr. GILCHREST. I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. GILCHREST. I yield to the gentleman from Virginia.

Mr. GILCHREST. I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. GILCHREST. I yield to the gentleman from Washington.

Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I would say to Wes Watkins, Dick Armey, Jim Hansen, thank you from the country's heart.

Mr. GILCHREST. I yield to the gentleman from Utah.

Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

Mr. GILCHREST

Mr. GILCHREST. I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding time to me, Mr. Speaker; and I urge my colleagues at the end of the debate to vote for the resolution that is now before us for the following reasons: Blessed are the peacemakers, who freed the prisoners at Auschwitz; blessed are the peacemakers who freed Europe from the yoke of Nazism; blessed are the peacemakers who saved the people of Kuwait from Saddam Hussein; blessed are the firemen, the policemen, the medical personnel, and others who sought and brought comfort to those wounded and to the families of those who were killed on September 11; blessed are those men and women over the generations who sought peace. We are not in a panic tonight about Iraq; we are moving deliberately and methodically in a way to understand and to base our decisions on the following facts: Saddam Hussein has waged aggressive war, brutal war, against his neighbors over the last 20, 25 years; he is pursuing weapons of mass destruction to do it again; he is pursuing weapons of mass destruction against his own people on a tragically experimental basis; he has launched ballistic missiles against his neighbors; he is brutalizing and torturing his own citizens; he is harboring a network of terrorists. The list goes on, and it is endless. It is not a matter for us as peacemakers of if we go into Iraq. It is a matter of when we do it, how we do it, and who we do it with. The world has had, for thousands of years, three main enemies that have wrought despair and destruction. Those enemies are ignorance, arrogance, and dogma. When we put them together in the form of a man like Stalin or Pol Pot or Hitler or Milosevic or Saddam Hussein, we wreak despair and destruction. The solution to those things in a democratic process is knowledge, humility, and tolerance. Those are the tenets upon which a democratic process finds its strength. They are absolute, in an absent way, in a dictatorship like Saddam Hussein's. Absent democracy, we have an Auschwitz, we have Pearl Harbor, we have September 11. It is difficult for us, yes, as we debate this to understand naked brutality, a psychological nemesis like Saddam Hussein; it is not difficult to understand what must be done. What must be done now is for the United States, the only country in the world that can do it, to take a leadership role in this time now, with the international community, to remove Saddam Hussein from his power and restore peace, life, hope, and dignity. Blessed are the peacemakers.

Mr. GILCHREST

Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 422 I was inadvertently detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. GILCHREST

Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Village of Allen's 300th birthday. This Maryland community is located in the First Congressional District, which I have the distinct honor of representing. Established in 1702, I recognize this village for its longevity, and through that longevity, for influencing the unique flavor of Maryland's Eastern Shore. Allen sits in Wicomico County, along Wicomico Creek. Central to its establishment was the Grist Mill, which was originally built and operated by the Brereton family. The mill was fully operational until 1919 when, after 217 years, it finally closed. The mill dam formed Passerdyke Pond, still a local landmark, and it was the spillway, or trap, that gave the settlement its first name. Trap eventually became Upper Trappe, and then it was changed to Allen in 1882, named after a prominent resident at the time that was a storekeeper and served as postmaster. With the mill and its location on the lower Eastern Shore, Allen developed into a considerable market during the 18th and 19th centuries. A post office helped give it status, along with the several general stores that have operated throughout its history and the introduction of the canning industry. And like most settlements on the Delmarva Peninsula, agriculture drove the local economy, and Allen residents have found fame over the years with strawberries, apple and peach orchards, tomatoes, and especially string beans. The Asbury Methodist Church is another important Allen institution. Founded in 1829, the present sanctuary was built by local carpenter Caleb Twilley in 1848. In 1999, the church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The first African-American church, formed in 1864 as a community of freed slaves led by Roger Dutton and Rufus Fields, settled in the area. The county provided a public school for the African-American community in the 1870s. Of course, it is people, not buildings, that really form a community, and the people of Allen have been clearly successful in that regard. Without local family heroes--the Breretons, the Allens, the Pollitts, the Messicks, the Huffingtons, the Twilleys, the Polks, the Duttons, the Fields, and the Malones, to name but a few--Allen surely couldn't have survived its 300 years. The people of Allen not only helped to develop a thriving village, but also shared their talents with greater Maryland. From within Allen's boundaries have grown community and regional leaders, sports heroes, and successful business entrepreneurs; Allen's people have served Maryland for centuries. In fact, Allen's citizens began establishing and building a community before the birth of the United States. Allen is a true American village. It represents community, tradition, heritage and permanence. Peppered with historic buildings, Allen's pride in its history is evident, a history I honor today. Allen, however, is much more than its history; it is a thriving residential village with strong leadership and an active community. Contributing to the strength of Allen's community spirit are the Lion's Club, the Allen Volunteer Fire Company, the Allen Historical Society and the Asbury and Friendship United Methodist Churches. These organizations preserve history while moving Allen forward into its fourth century. Allen is certainly one of Maryland's hidden treasures, so please join me in recognizing and celebrating the history of Maryland's charming Village of Allen in this it's 300th year.