Paul Gosar

Mr. GOSAR

Mr. GOSAR. And nearly 100 acres of private land adjacent to the culturally important Apache Leap is being placed into Federal stewardship. This proposal truly has bipartisan support on the ground in our State and across the country. We can preserve lands that advance the public interests and objectives of protecting wildlife habitat, cultural and historical resources, while enabling development of a project that will generate significant economic and employment opportunities for State and local residents. I hope it will garner your support. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 687, the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, this is another amendment that's well- intentioned but misguided. An amendment to include a savings clause assumes that my legislation circumvents existing laws protecting water quality and availability. That is simply not the case. The NEPA process on the mine plan of operation required by my legislation will be managed by the United States Forest Service, where they oversee an independent third-party consultant to assess all environmental impacts of the proposed resolution project, including impacts to groundwater and surface water. The NEPA process allows for considerable public as well as other Federal EPA, State, county, and local input all along the way. Any issues pertaining to water will be addressed once Resolution Copper files a mine plan of operation and the subsequent State and Federal and environmental analysis is conducted, in accordance with existing law. This is like government overseeing government. That's ludicrous. And I ask my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this amendment.

Mr. GOSAR. I thank the chairman for allowing me to briefly address this amendment. Mr. Chairman, the Lujan amendment is well-intentioned but misguided. It would put forth a policy that would undermine existing law that ensures tribal consultation and protection of sacred sites. By giving the Secretary of the Interior unilateral discretion to determine what a sacred site is, Congress would unwittingly undermine a variety of public laws Congress put in place to protect verified sacred sites. Let me be clear that this land exchange is crafted in such a way as to protect relevant Native American historical and cultural sites. Section 4(i) and 4(j) explicitly require compliance with Federal environmental laws and regulations pertaining to conveyances of Federal land and approval of mine plan of operation. That includes the National Historic Preservation Act, Endangered Species Act, and executive orders pertaining to wetlands, floodplains, and hazardous material surveys. I see my colleague may have a picture of Apache Leap. My bill explicitly protects Apache Leap. The bill protects Apache Leap by the following: It conveys 110 acres of Apache Leap currently owned by Resolution Copper to the U.S. Forest Service, section 5(a)(e); it explicitly prohibits any type of extraction activity at Apache Leap, section 5(c); withdrawing Apache Leap and any land acquired by the U.S. under this act, section 7; requiring the Secretary to develop a management plan for Apache Leap that preserves the natural character of the site and protects agricultural and cultural resources, section 8. Before I conclude, I want to underscore, H.R. 687 does not exchange any reservation lands. The next Federal parcel is located over 20 miles from the boundaries of the San Carlos Apache Tribe's reservation. While well-intentioned, the Lujan amendment actually undermines that very mission. Please join me in opposing the amendment.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I want to reiterate that this isn't a new mine. This mine of operations exists currently there today. The modern-day practices Resolution Copper plans to implement at the Pinal County site are not new. Many mines across the world implement them. In fact, there is a similar project, albeit half the size of our proposed project, that uses the same strategy and technology and employs nearly 1,000 people. That is real-life proof that humans will work at this mine at the site in Arizona. I thank the chairman for yielding me time.

Mr. GOSAR. Thank you, Chairman Hastings. I appreciate the House spending time to consider this important jobs legislation this week. My home State of Arizona is known for its five Cs: cattle, citrus, climate, cotton, and, ultimately, copper. People have been digging in Arizona for precious metals like copper for centuries. In the 1850s, nearly one in every four people in Arizona were miners. Without a doubt, miners fueled the growth that makes Arizona the State it is today. Today, the Arizona mining industry is alive, but it's not what it used to be. Nevertheless, a wide array of other minerals, such as copper, coal, uranium, lime, and potash, are mined throughout my district. These projects employ hundreds of my constituents with high- paying jobs, jobs that pay over $50,000 to $60,000 a year, plus benefits. In rural Arizona, those types of jobs are few and far between. Rural Arizonans recognize the major benefits this project will bring to our region and our State, which is why it was one of the first initiatives brought to my attention when I came to Congress. The Southwest Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act is a bill that protects important, environmentally sensitive lands in the State and opens up over 3,700 jobs at Resolution Copper Mine. My legislation is the result of years of negotiation and compromise that achieves a careful balance between conservation and resource utilizations, and Arizonans just want Congress to get it done. That is why my colleague on the other side of the aisle, Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick, and I came together at the beginning of this Congress and jointly introduced this legislation. In fact, just last week, the largest paper in the State of Arizona, The Arizona Republic, issued an op-ed on House consideration of our bill. In the column, entitled, ``Stop Dawdling on Resolution Copper,'' the editorial board stated: Congress needs to get this done. A copper mine proposed near Superior is a winner. It has bipartisan support from Arizona's congressional delegation. (How often does that happen?) It also has the potential to be an economic bonanza for our State and a national security boon to our country. The proposal has been around so long it has old-timer status in Arizona. Congressional approval is overdue for the land swap necessary to make this happen. I guess that says it all. Our bill is a win-win for Arizona. That is why it has strong bipartisan support in Arizona and across the Nation. That support includes Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, four-fifths of the highly polarized Arizona Legislature, nearly every municipal government in central and southern Arizona, national business interests like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the general contractors, the truckers and the manufacturers, and conservation organizations like the Sonoran Institute and the Arizona Game and Fish Commission. Why so much buzz about this project, you ask? It's called jobs, jobs, and jobs. Upon passage of the bill, Resolution Copper estimates it will be able to employ nearly 3,000 workers during a 6-year construction period, and that's just the start. The mine, given the company's mine plan of operation when it complies with all environmental laws, will directly employ around 1,400 people. These are high-paying jobs ranging from $40,000 to $120,000 salaries per year in a region that is struggling economically. As many people familiar with mining communities know, an influx of over 1,000 mining jobs will spur additional economic growth in a community. These mine workers need restaurants to eat at, convenience stores to shop at, and homes to live in. A recent economic study estimates an additional 2,300 jobs could be created due to these demands. That brings the estimated total number of permanent jobs resulting from this legislation to about 3,700. Overall, independent analysis estimates that the total economic impact of the project will be around $61 billion. That is over $1 billion per year over the life of the mine, which equates to over $19 billion in Federal, State, county, and local tax revenue--$19 billion in tax revenue. In these tough fiscal times, I think we can all agree that local governments, and certainly the U.S. Treasury, could use those funds. This legislation also has national security implications. The U.S. currently imports 30 percent of its copper, and its demand is skyrocketing. This critical mineral is used in virtually all modern-day technology, ranging from renewable energy and hybrid cars to your everyday electronics like cell phones and iPods. Our country must use domestic resources to meet this growing demand, and this project, as was said earlier, could yield enough cooper to yield 25 percent of our current demand. This legislation is not only a jobs bill, it's a conservation bill. The lands the Federal Government acquires in the exchange are highly coveted recreational and conservation lands. It protects one of the few remaining undammed rivers in Arizona, the San Pedro River. The Dripping Springs property is a superb hiking and climbing location. The Cave Creek property will protect a riparian corridor, as well as numerous archaeological sites.

Mr. GOSAR

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Hastings for the time, for his leadership on our committee, and for including my bipartisan wildfire legislation--the Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention Act--in this forest health package. Mr. Chairman, we have a forest health crisis in this country, and this bill will go a long way toward restoring the environment, improving public safety, and putting thousands of people back to work. Due to redistricting, I have represented nearly all of rural Arizona in Congress--nearly 48,000 square miles of U.S. Forest Service land. These areas have been some of the communities most devastated by recent wildfire. In my first year, the Wallow Fire, now the largest fire in Arizona's State history, ravaged half a million acres of our treasured Ponderosa Pine Country in just a few weeks; and this year, our State was struck by the recent loss of 19 firefighters in the Yarnell Hill Fire. That fire was one of many to burn over 103,000 acres this year. We must come together, change the status quo, and facilitate conditions that minimize the chance that fires start, and we must reduce their size and intensity once they burn. The bill before us today does a few important things to achieve that goal: First, it prioritizes responsible timber production, and it ensures a reliable revenue stream for local governments. The Feds made a promise to our forest communities, and it must uphold that promise. Secure Rural School dollars ensure our counties can provide essential services, such as public safety and education to our constituents. H.R. 1526 would not only provide certainty in the program, but it would increase timber revenues threefold; Secondly, it implements my bill, the Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention Act. These provisions, parts of title II and title V of the act, reduce red tape and provide the land management agencies a variety of tools, specifically stewardship contracting and good neighbor authority, to conduct smaller projects in high-risk areas that need immediate attention. While long-term, active forest management will protect our communities in the long run, we have to protect our people and our assets today. These provide an expedited arrangement to streamline thinning and grazing projects needed in immediate, at-risk areas like our forest communities, critical water delivery and electrical infrastructures, and our schools. The solutions in our bill are supported by nearly every county in my rural district, in particular Yavapai and Gila Counties, and many affected stakeholders, including the Cattlemen, the Natural Resources Conservation Districts, and the Farm Bureau. This bill has commonsense solutions to our forest health crisis that should garner the entire support of this body. You may look at this bill and think it's not perfect, but it will do a lot to prevent the suffering that communities like the ones I represent have been experiencing. I would welcome any Member of this body to come down to my district and meet with the families who have lost their homes, their fathers, their mothers, their husbands and wives, their kids, and their livelihoods. I think you will see why we have to act.

Mr. GOSAR

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire regarding the amount of time remaining?

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Schweikert).

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to acknowledge that out of our committee this bill was reported 35-1 in favor of this bill, so a heavily bipartisan bill reported to the House. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee).

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Trust is a series of promises kept. That's the basis of all government functions. And that is the same thing that is required of the Tohono O'odham. When they entered into the agreement in 2002, they publicly supported the compact which limited the amount of casinos in the Phoenix-Greater Phoenix area. Yes, it is true there are other precedents behind it, but contractual law always follows and subjugates itself when you look at this. The speaker from Arizona spoke about the dialogue with the courts. The courts had to rule because the Tohono O'odham hid behind sovereignty in which the tapes and discussion in which they were truly negating or negotiating behind closed doors in dire dissent against this compact would not be disclosed. So the court only had one way to look. Congress has the ability to rectify this answer, and that's why we are here today. This is good legislation. It doesn't prohibit any of the jurisdictions over that, except just complying with the compact to the end of the compact, 2027. Once upon that time, then they can renegotiate, and everybody is fairly into the game. This is about trust, but it is trust from the Tohono O'odham to the Federal Government, to the taxpayers of Arizona, to the Governor, and to the other tribes of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1410) to prohibit gaming activities on certain Indian lands in Arizona until the expiration of certain gaming compacts.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 1410, the Keep the Promise Act, introduced by a bipartisan group of Members from the Arizona delegation, would preserve Arizona's voter- approved gaming compact by prohibiting any Indian casino on land acquired in trust after April 9, 2013, in the Phoenix metropolitan area. This prohibition would expire on January 1, 2027, when the current gaming compact negotiated with the Arizona Governor expires. This bill helps to resolve public promises that were supposedly made in good faith to the voters of Arizona. In 2002, the voters supported the passage of Proposition 202, which limited the number of tribally owned casinos in the State, and it granted tribes exclusive rights to operate casinos in Arizona. During the Proposition 202 campaign, a public promise was made by a coalition of 17 Arizona tribes, including the Tohono O'odham Nation, to limit casino gaming in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Unfortunately, it appears that a tribe is on the verge of breaking that commitment, and more than a majority of the tribes in the State are upset. The immediate effect of the bill is to block the Tohono O'odham Nation from opening an off-reservation casino in the Phoenix area. This is a modified version of a bill passed by an overwhelming majority of the House last year. As mentioned earlier, the bill has bipartisan support, including a majority of the House delegation, the Governor of Arizona, and six of the tribes that took part in the Proposition 202 agreement: the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, the Gila River Indian Community, the Hualapai Tribe, the Pueblo Zuni, the Cocopah Indian Tribe, and the Fort McDowell Yavapai Tribe. It is important to point out that it is not just Arizona tribes that support this bill. I have met tribes from other States, and they are very concerned about what is happening in Arizona. They believe that if our legislation is not signed into law, a dangerous precedent could be set, leading to the expansion of off-reservation casinos in Arizona and other States. They want to see Congress protect State gaming compacts. For me, today's deliberations are not about stopping one casino or gaming as a whole. I support gaming. The Keep the Promise Act is about protecting the integrity of my State's gaming compact, the future of gaming in Arizona, and, ultimately, the future of Indian gaming in this country. I urge adoption of the measure and reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona, Mr. Trent Franks, the author of this bill.

Mr. GOSAR

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, this week, all eyes will be upon us as we debate the use of force in Syria. This decision is not one that should be made lightly, as ultimately there are many factors to be weighed. Make no mistake that what is happening in Syria is truly a human tragedy. That nation has been torn apart by civil war. It is without a doubt that Assad is not a friend or ally of ours. But things are very complicated. A large number of those who oppose the Assad regime are affiliated with al Qaeda. In the case of Syria, Assad, and the rebels, it cannot be said that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. In this dangerous civil war, the enemy of our enemy is still and will always be our enemy. It is this dynamic which has led to the overwhelming response of people throughout my district and our Nation to say without an imminent threat to national security, without a plan, without a goal, without unified international support from our allies, we must stay out of Syria.

Mr. GOSAR

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Arizona State University president Dr. Michael Crow on the impressive progress that ASU has made since Dr. Crow began leading there in 2002. I would like to recognize the Arizona State University Biodesign Institute, which I was able to visit and tour on July 11th. The Biodesign Institute is an outstanding example of success in transdisciplinary research, with the Institute's technologies and fields of research coming together to address national and global challenges with ``bio-inspired'' solutions in: new vaccine discovery and delivery; early detection and treatment of cancer and infectious diseases; techniques for detecting and removing contaminants from air and water and the application of nanotechnology for biomedicine and electronics. Arizona State University Biodesign researchers generate an average of 50 invention disclosures and patents annually and have fostered more than a dozen spinout, startup companies. In 2009, the institute won Arizona's ``Excellence in Economic Development Award'' for its innovative contributions to the state's economic growth. The Biodesign Institute embodies the guiding principles of the New American University, as defined by Arizona State University President Michael Crow. ASU is a comprehensive metropolitan university that has become the largest in the U.S. and recently ranked among elite 100 world universities. ASU ranked #17 in the country for research expenditures at a university without a medical school. The Wall Street Journal asked corporate recruiters which schools produced the best qualified graduates in the country and they ranked ASU #5. There has been significant progress at ASU. Congratulations to Dr. Crow and to the Arizona State University Biodesign Institute for successfully fusing intellectual disciplines to conduct use-inspired and impactful research which are advancing our country's technology development and economy.

Mr. GOSAR

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address Attorney General Holder's misinterpretation of federalism and his disregard for our system of checks and balances. The Supreme Court was clear in Shelby v. Holder that States have the ability to run fair elections. Did anybody tell Attorney General Holder? I can't say it better than Texas Governor Rick Perry, whose efforts to implement commonsense election standards are under attack from Mr. Holder: Once again, the Obama administration is demonstrating utter contempt for our country's system of checks and balances, not to mention the U.S. Constitution. If Holder continues to go unchecked and if he is not held accountable, what sort of precedent does that set? As Supreme Court Justice Brandeis said: In a government of laws, the existence of the government will be imperiled if it fails to observe the law scrupulously. If government becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law: it invites every man to become a law unto himself. It invites anarchy. So I ask you, has the Attorney General invited anarchy? I will continue to make my case here in the people's House at the people's pulpit. I will be back.

Mr. GOSAR

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address Attorney General Holder misleading Congress with deceptive testimony. If I or any other ordinary citizen did what the Attorney General did, we would be thrown in jail for perjury. In front of the House Judiciary Committee on May 15, Holder said he knew nothing of the targeting of journalist James Rosen, yet Holder himself signed the subpoena for Mr. Rosen's records. Does the Attorney General suffer from Sergeant Schultz syndrome-- where he hears nothing, sees nothing, and knows nothing? How convenient for Mr. Holder--but at what cost to our Constitution? We are a Nation of laws, but the Attorney General has created an atmosphere of lawlessness in America. Nobody is above the law. He must be held accountable. As Supreme Court Justice Brandeis said: In a government of laws, the existence of the government will be imperiled if it fails to observe the law scrupulously. If government becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for the law. It invites every man to become a law unto himself. It invites anarchy. I ask you: Has the Attorney General invited anarchy? I will continue to make my case here in the people's House, at the people's pulpit. I will be back.

Mr. GOSAR

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address truly disturbing comments President Obama made during his hour-long speech on July 24. He mentioned ``an endless parade of distractions and phony scandals,'' as if to belittle the significance of these stories. Well, there's nothing phony about the deaths linked to Attorney General Holder's Operation Fast and Furious. Beside me is a photo of blood running through the streets of Mexico, the blood of high school students murdered by guns Holder's DOJ sold to Mexican drug cartels. This massacre is far from phony, Mr. President. Brian Terry, the Border Patrol agent murdered by violent criminals whom Holder's DOJ gave the guns to, is definitely not phony. These deaths are real. What else is real? Attorney General Holder's violation of the law, the ramifications of which are far from phony. As Supreme Court Justice Brandeis said: In a government of laws, the existence of the government will be imperiled if it fails to observe the law scrupulously. If government becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself. It invites anarchy. I ask you, has the Attorney General invited anarchy? I will continue to make my case here in the people's House, at the people's pulpit. I will be back.

Mr. GOSAR

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. GOSAR

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to shed light on Attorney General Eric Holder's less than glamorous tenure as Attorney General. As the chief law enforcement officer of our Nation, Mr. Holder is expected to govern by the principle of seeking justice. As a sworn Federal official, he has one primary job: to enforce the laws of the United States fairly and impartially. It is for that reason that Lady Justice wears a blindfold. The blindfold represents objectivity and that justice should be dealt out without fear, favor, or impartiality. How come Mr. Holder dispenses his version of justice impartially? How come the Attorney General overlooked injustices and with disregard for the rule of law? As Supreme Court Justice Brandeis said: In a government of laws, the existence of the government will be imperiled if it fails to observe the law scrupulously. If government becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law: it invites every man to become a law unto himself. It invites anarchy. I ask you then, has the Attorney General invited anarchy? I will continue to make my case here in the people's House at the people's pulpit. Folks, I will be back.

Mr. GOSAR

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to shed light on Attorney General Eric Holder's blatant disregard for the rule of law. Mr. Holder's violations of the law are egregious, and he should not be immune from prosecution or given license to act without restraint. An ordinary citizen would go to jail for selling guns to Mexican drug cartels. An ordinary citizen would go to jail for secretly obtaining phone records and emails. An ordinary citizen would go to jail for lying to Congress about an investigation. What would happen to an ordinary citizen for lying to a judge? This is just a small part of what Attorney General Eric Holder is responsible for. As Supreme Court Justice Brandeis said: In a government of laws, the existence of the government will be imperiled if it fails to observe the law scrupulously. If government becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law. It invites every man to become a law unto himself. It invites anarchy. I ask you, has Attorney General Eric Holder invited anarchy? I will continue to make this case here in the people's House at the people's pulpit. Folks, I will be back.