Raúl Grijalva

Mr. GRIJALVA

Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim the time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Chairman, I just want a point of clarification, that we didn't attack the 2005 Republican energy bill because it was done behind closed doors. I think the point on the attack is relative to the fact that it was shortsighted, Big Oil driven, and an utter failure.

Mr. GRIJALVA. I thank the Chairman. With regard to the Bishop amendment, we have no opposition after reviewing it, and we would accept this amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim time in opposition to the Flake amendment.

Mr. GRIJALVA. Upon review of the amendment of my good friend from Arizona (Mr. Flake), we are prepared to accept it and will not oppose the amendment. I reserve.

Mr. GRIJALVA. I yield back.

Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Chairman, I move that the committee do now rise.

Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. H.R. 3667, the Missisquoi and Trout Rivers Wild and Scenic River Study Act, was introduced by our colleague from Vermont, Representative Welch. This bill would amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to authorize the National Park Service to study specific sections of the Missisquoi and Trout Rivers in Vermont for their potential inclusion into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. I want to thank our colleague from Vermont, Congressman Welch, for his hard work on this measure. This is a good piece of legislation, which will help showcase the natural heritage of Vermont. We are coming upon the 40th anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in October. It's important to celebrate the legacy of this act, the preservation of some of our wildest rivers and the safeguarding of our scenic waterways for generations to come, and to acknowledge the essential role that stewardship and a conservation ethic play in the management of our Nation's rivers and streams. The Missisquoi is a tributary of Lake Champlain, located in northern Vermont. The Trout is a tributary of the Missisquoi. With its headwaters in Lowell, Vermont, the Missisquoi extends almost 100 miles, flowing north into Quebec, then returning to Vermont to flow west before finally ending its journey at Lake Champlain. As it runs its course through open pastoral fields, scenic gorges and native hardwood forests, the river is a remarkable example of a northeastern ecosystem. It is bordered by the largest and perhaps highest quality silver maple floodplain forest remaining in the State of Vermont. American elm, white ash, white oak, and red maple are found along its banks. The river is home to diverse fish and wildlife, including native rainbow and brown trout, rare freshwater mussels, spiny soft-shell turtles and river otter. While on the river's banks, bobcat, white- tailed deer, and moose can sometimes be spotted, and the surrounding marshes host large flocks of migratory birds. In addition to these natural qualities, there are numerous Abenaki Indian archeological sites along the floodplain. And the river is well-known for its outstanding recreational opportunities as well. It is part of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail--a historic 740-mile water trail through New York, Vermont, Quebec, New Hampshire, and Maine--and outfitters consider the northern part of the river to be the preeminent flat-water paddling spot in Vermont. It is also renowned for its waterfalls, and the Great Falls on the upper river is recognized as Vermont's largest undammed waterfall. Simply put, this river is a superb illustration of Vermont's postcard perfect national scenery. During a hearing on this bill, the administration testified in support of the bill, but recommended that changes be made to clearly specify which segments should be included in the study, as not all of the sections of the river in the original bill were appropriate for consideration. They recommended other technical changes as well. The Natural Resources Committee amended the bill to respond to those recommendations and clarified which sections of the river would be studied for the wild and scenic attributes. Mr. Chairman, H.R. 3667 simply authorizes a study of this river. It is a preliminary step, not a final designation. Its enactment would simply trigger a process which will allow the National Park Service the opportunity to gather information from, listen to, and coordinate with State officials and local communities; with farmers, business owners, and river outfitters; and with hunters, anglers, birders, paddlers, and hikers--all those who value this river. Only then, after careful consideration and with input from all the stakeholders, will the National Park Service provide recommendations to Congress about the potential of this river. That is all the legislation does. It is that simple. Let's not lose sight of what this bill is about. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3667. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Chairman, I'm encouraged by the newfound populism of my good friend from Utah. And I agree that a comprehensive approach to energy has to be something that this Congress accomplishes within the week. This does not negate what I believe to be a good piece of legislation that is before us. And it is considerable work. We have to unravel 8 years of failed energy policies. We have to unravel the relationship between Big Oil and the administration so that the consumer, the average Joe out there, will get the kind of break and attention that he needs and she needs with regard to energy costs and the rising cost all around us. Having said that, let me now turn to the sponsor of this good piece of legislation, the gentleman from Vermont, Congressman Welch, for as much time as he may consume.

Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Chairman, I realize the political statements that are being made by my friends on the other side of the aisle. I understand them. I think relative to this bill I don't appreciate them, but I really believe that there has to be an understanding that our leadership and the Democrats on this side of the aisle can actually walk and chew gum at the same time, that we can deal with an issue that we are dealing with here today that affects the State of Vermont and deal with the very pertinent issue which is the energy policy for this country. With that, Mr. Chairman, let me yield to the gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Shea-Porter) for such time as she may consume.

Mr. GRIJALVA. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Perlmutter).

Mr. GRIJALVA. I yield the gentleman 30 additional seconds.

Mr. GRIJALVA. Let me yield 3 minutes to my colleague from Ohio, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur.

Mr. GRIJALVA. I yield the gentlewoman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. GRIJALVA. We have no additional speakers.

Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer the amendment as the designee for Mr. Rahall.

Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the chairman of our full Resources Committee, the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall).

Mr. GRIJALVA

Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. GRIJALVA. I object.

Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I move to table the appeal of the Chair.

Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I make a point of order that the motion to recommit contains nongermane instructions in violation of clause 7 of rule XVI. Let me add, Madam Speaker, the Office of the Inspector General just released an investigation that they conducted on the office responsible for protecting the taxpayers in the royalty collections on our public lands. Let me just give a couple of quotes from the summary of the report. ``A culture of ethical failure. The single most serious problem our investigations revealed is a pervasive culture of exclusivity, exempt from the rules that govern all other employees of the Federal Government. In other cases, the results of our investigation revealed a program taxed with implementing a business model program, such as royalty-in-kind marketers, donned a private sector approach to essentially everything they did. This included effectively opting themselves out of the Ethics in Government Act, both in practice, and at one point even explored doing so by policy or regulation. We also discovered a culture of substance abuse and promiscuity in the RIK program, both within the program, including supervisors who engaged in illegal drug use and had sexual relations and consort with industry in the oil business.'' I mention those because the gravity of this particular problem, this pathological behavior, should be noted and looked into by this Congress. When we get our new energy policy on the floor--soon--I hope that the other side will join with me in ensuring that ethical reform of the agency responsible for the protection of the taxpayers' investment are part and parcel of any comprehensive energy reform. With that, I insist on the point of order, Madam Speaker.

Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I reserve a point of order on the motion.

Mr. GRIJALVA

Mr. GRIJALVA. 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 regarding H.R. 3667.