Paul Gosar

Mr. GOSAR

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Vice President, I, Paul Gosar from Arizona, rise for myself and 60 of my colleagues to object to the counting of the electoral ballots from Arizona.

Mr. GOSAR. Yes, it is. Senator CRUZ. It is.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, the probability of these ectopic curves, you have a better likelihood of winning the Mega Millions lottery than you do having statistical issues here. Over 30,000 illegal aliens voted in Arizona using the Federal ballot, yet our secretary of state refused the public access to review the ballots. Over a thousand residences were visited for proof of residency and address; 456 failed that test. They were vacant lots. Even the Recorder's office was used as an address. What are they hiding? If the process was fair, these would be improbable. These would be once-in-a-lifetime-type applications. So let's look at the ballots, the signatures, and the adjudicated records. Until this is done, Mr. Speaker, we should not count this slate. You have a letter from the Arizona Legislature stating its intent to review the issue on January 11. Our Governor has refused to allow the State to properly convene to do its proper oversight. Mr. Speaker, I ask you one question today: Are you a ceremonial figurehead in your current role, or did the drafters of the 12th Amendment and Congress, in the Electoral Count Act of 1887, envision a role where you made discretionary decisions about ballot fraud and fair elections? If you are merely ceremonial, then let's be done with this. Let's eat our tea and crumpets and witness our national decline. But if you are not merely ceremonial but vested with discernment, rationality, and legal authority to not just count from 1 to 270, then do not accept Arizona's electors as certified. Remand the slate back to the secretary of state, back to the Governor, with the following instructions: Until a full, complete electoral forensic audit is allowed by the secretary of state, the electors currently certified will not be counted. It will then fall on the State of Arizona to decide are its electors in the game or not. Anything less is an abdication of our constitutional Republic and our ethos: one man, one vote. We ask: Why? What is there to hide? Shouldn't the lawful victor of an election be proud, open, and transparent about an election audit? I would. Instead, we are met with denials, cover-ups, and contempt of subpoenas. There is too much evidence of fraud, demonstrated by statistical anomalies that experts have determined cannot happen in the absence of fraud, to accept such a slate. I am not asking these electors never be counted; it is just that they need to be certified the proper way. Our beloved Constitution is but a mere piece of paper if we do not follow the law, upholding the law. But now, alas, we find ourselves lawless, destroying the very thread that binds us together. But we need to get back to the rule of law. That is what has been violated, truly, by the actions in these States. Recess

Mr. GOSAR. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of my objection.

Mr. GOSAR. Madam Speaker, I filed my challenge on the slate of electors from the State of Arizona that was actually put forward by Governor Ducey of Arizona. My ask to you, the Speaker, through the Vice President, is simple. Do not count these electors until and unless the secretary of state allows a forensic audit of the election, a request she has denied repeatedly. We have been told over and over that even though this was a public election using public money and public machines utilizing public employees, the public today has no ability to simply double-check the veracity of these results. If the Presidential election was a football game, we would get a slow-motion review from multiple angles and a correction of a controversial decision. But not so, we are told by our secretary of state, for the Presidential election, no review for you. No access to the Dominion voting machines with a documented history of enabling fraud through its now discredited adjudication system, a system that literally allows one person to change tens of thousands of votes in mere minutes. In the only audit done in Arizona, a court found 3 percent error rate against President Trump. Vice President Biden's margin of error was one-tenth of that, at 0.03 percent. By the way, a 3 percent error rate at minimum is 90,000 ballots. After finding the 3 percent error rate, the court stopped the audit and refused to go further. In Arizona, as my attachments make clear, mail-in ballots were altered on the first day of counting as shown in data graphs we have provided, as concluded by data analysts. Over 400,000 mail-in ballots were altered, switched from President Trump to Vice President Biden, or completely erased from President Trump's totals. The proof is in the counting curves, the curves that cannot occur except with odds so rare and unlikely that winning the Mega Millions lottery is more probable. Mr. Speaker, can I have order in the Chamber? Recess

Mr. GOSAR

Mr. GOSAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the distinguished career of Buckeye, Arizona's Mayor, Jackie A. Meck, as he prepares for a much-deserved retirement. A native and lifelong resident of Buckeye, Mayor Meck has dedicated his life to public service. Buckeye and Maricopa County have been well served under his leadership. Mayor Meck's retirement comes as he concludes his third consecutive term as Mayor of the City of Buckeye. Three terms is a mere drop in the bucket of the lifetime of work he has given this great city, as he was previously Mayor in 1973 and a two-time member of the city council. His dedication to the advancement of his community runs not just through Buckeye, but also into West Valley and all of Arizona. A member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Maricopa Association of Governments Regional Council, Gila River's El Rio Restoration Project Executive Committee, Interstate-1 Coalition, and much, much more, Mayor Meck continues to be an active member of the governmental and non-governmental associations which work for the benefit of Buckeye and its surrounding areas. Mayor Meck exemplifies the fierce patriotism and unwavering commitment to country that exists in Arizona's Fourth Congressional District. Under Mayor Meck's tenure, Buckeye has grown stronger and more prosperous. We are grateful for his service to Buckeye, Maricopa County, and the great state of Arizona. Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to join me in thanking Mayor Meck for his service to Buckeye and in wishing him a very happy retirement.

Mr. GOSAR

Mr. GOSAR. Madam Speaker, I am here today to recognize the 99th birthday of my constituent, Garland James, on October 3rd, who is turning 99 years young. An active member of the Arizona community, Garland is a veteran, loving husband and father, and business owner whose life is symbolic of the American dream promised to all. A member of the greatest generation, Garland arrived in Europe in 1944 in our great struggle against fascism. Landing at Normandy and serving through France, Germany, and Central Europe, Garland was a light truck driver, retrieving young Americans who had fallen on the battlefield. Returning from the war in 1945, Garland met his wife Mary while working as a truck driver across the Eastern part of the U.S. Their new family moved out West, and over the course of the following decades, Garland would find success in the tire industry, opening a series of stores in Arizona and California. In fact, his stores in Apache Junction and Tuba City still stand today, with the Apache Junction store remaining in the family, managed and owned by his son. Madam Speaker, it is a great honor to represent Garland James, a true patriot and shining example of a good man, father, and citizen. I urge all my colleagues to join me in wishing Garland a very happy 99th birthday, to thank him for his service to this great nation, and to wish him well as we wait for this time next year to share in his 100th birthday celebration.

Mr. GOSAR

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I thank the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman), my friend, for organizing this Special Order and for his leadership and expertise on forestry issues. The events of the last month and the last decade plus show how poorly our current forest management policies are and that they are broken and in drastic need of reform. Nearly every corner of the West has been touched by catastrophic wildfire. My district has been home to several major fires this year, including the Bush fire that burned over 193,000 acres. 700,000 acres of land has been burned across my State. Even before this year's fire season, the evidence of our forest management practices being broken are clear. In the last 10 years alone, wildfires have burned over 74 million acres of land in the West, and our Federal Government's reaction to this has been extremely lacking. These catastrophic fires have devastating impacts on the environment and human health. For example, one large wildfire is roughly the equivalent of a major volcanic eruption, releasing large amounts of dangerous particles into the air. This increase of air pollution exacerbates respiratory illnesses, such as COVID-19. Because of this, earlier this year, I wrote a letter to Agriculture Secretary Perdue and Interior Secretary Bernhardt. This letter urged them to act quickly to secure contracts with private businesses to ensure that firefighters could be properly protected from COVID-19 and that the aerial support they needed to adequately fight catastrophic fires was there. Recent studies conducted at George Mason University showed that on average, a fire stands a higher probability of being contained within 24 hours if air tankers are deployed on that fire within the first few hours. Fires that do not receive air tanker support for a period of 13 hours or more are likely to take days or weeks to achieve containment. I also wrote a letter to Attorney General Barr that urged him to ensure that the Justice Department's Natural Resources Division was adequately resourced to fight frivolous lawsuits from radical leftwing environmental organizations. Lawsuits from radical environmentalists are nothing new. We have seen this already in Arizona with the disastrous WildEarth Guardians lawsuit regarding the Mexican Spotted Owl. In that case, a U.S. District Court judge in Tucson issued a ruling based on bad and debunked science that stopped active forest management activities in six national forests, including the Tonto National Forest in Arizona, which was the home of the Bush fire. This decision was a massive setback, and it is directly contributing to the enhanced fire risk that threatens our communities that we are seeing across the West. A devastating wildfire season is not inevitable. It isn't something that we must just accept. There are steps that can be taken now to ensure that our communities are protected. I will continue to urge the Federal agencies tasked with managing our forests and fighting catastrophic fires that bold action is necessary. Lives depend on it. Just last year, as chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus, I had the opportunity to visit the district of my friend from California, Mr. McClintock, where aggressive forest management practices in the Lake Tahoe Basin have prevented catastrophic fire. This active management was made possible by getting unnecessary red tape out of the way and putting what is most important first: protecting our communities from the destruction of wildfire. Just in the last 2 years, this administration has taken steps to manage vegetation inside utility corridors, build additional firebreaks, and reform the NEPA process within the Forest Service. However, after so many years of inaction, there is a long road to hoe to where we have to get, which is why I am so pleased we are here tonight calling for serious action by this House. There are a few pieces of legislation that have been introduced. Just to name a few: H.R. 7978, a bipartisan, comprehensive forestry reform bill led by the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa), as well as H.R. 2607, the Resilient Federal Forests Act, by Mr. Westerman, both of which I am proud to support. The Democratic leadership in this House has been transparent about the fact that they do not view forest management to prevent wildfires as a legislative priority, and that has deadly consequences. Again, Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Arkansas for holding this Special Order and for his leadership and expertise on this issue.

Mr. GOSAR

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Biggs for yielding to me. In 1928, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis said: ``In a government of laws, the existence of the government will be imperiled if it fails to observe the law scrupulously. . . . If the government becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. . . . Crime is contagious.'' Mr. Speaker, let's just look at the lawlessness perpetrated by our own government that the American people have had to endure and for which, regrettably, I have had a front-row seat for in my career here in Congress: Fast and Furious; the IRS attacks on conservatives; Benghazi, where four Americans died; Hillary Clinton's email scandal; the attacks on the press of James Rosen, James Risen, and Sharyl Attkisson; the unmasking of American citizens; Russia-gate; Ukraine- gate; and now, Obama-gate. Who has paid the time for the crime? What we are witnessing today in many of America's Democratic-run cities are the repercussions of years of lawlessness and amnesty in Washington, D.C. Recently, I had a woman leave me a voice mail saying she ``thinks it is totally okay for her to come with her gun and shoot me in the head.'' Only a couple days later, two L.A. County sheriffs were shot in the head. Do you know what happened as those deputies were fighting for their lives? The mob was blocking the entrance to the emergency room, chanting: ``We hope they die. We hope they die.'' That is how little regard the mob has for the rule of law and their fellow man in their disavowment of the greatest country in the world, the United States of America. President Trump is right: We must restore law and order. We must defend our police, not just by fully funding them but by increasing the criminal penalties for assaulting officers, bringing violent groups like Antifa and BLM to justice, and applying existing Federal laws like RICO statutes to combat the patterned commission of violent crime. Ronald Reagan wisely said: ``We must reject the idea that every time a law is broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable'' for his or her actions. I strongly support law enforcement. I firmly disavow the groups and individuals funding, enabling, and partaking in mob violence. And I call on my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I say to the men and women in blue and brown: Thank you.

Mr. GOSAR

Mr. GOSAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui, revered as Mr. Democracy. As the first democratically elected leader of Taiwan, Lee is an icon for democracy and pluralism to not just Taiwan, but freedom loving people around the world. Well known for the symbolism of his election and his strong maneuvering which kept Taiwan from the grasps of the People's Republic of China, we cannot forget his extensive service to Taiwan. Beginning as mayor of Taipei, he would go on to serve as the governor of the Taiwan province and vice president before assuming the presidency in 1988. It was from this position he would oversee the 1996 election, becoming the first democratically elected president. Even in the face of Chinese aggression, Lee preserved this advancement and upheld the integrity of his election. Today, Taiwan is a strong, key member of the global community of nations and serves as a symbol of freedom, human rights, and democracy for all. Madam Speaker, I express my deepest condolences to the family of Lee Teng-hui and the people of Taiwan on his passing, and I encourage my colleagues to join me in celebrating his life and legacy as a beacon of democratic advancement

Mr. GOSAR

Mr. GOSAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the valor of Clarkdale, Arizona Police Officer Carlos Godina on February 27, 2020. Officer Godina's selfless action in the midst of a confusing and dangerous scene relieved a family in deep distress. Responding to assist a medical call, Officer Godina found an active crime scene as a suspect had attacked a grandmother and her grandchild with a blunt object. In fact, shortly after arriving, the suspect charged Officer Godina with the same object, forcing Godina to use nonlethal force to push the suspect inside and away from the woman. It was this time that Officer Godina learned that the injured child was also inside the home, and without hesitation, he rushed into the house, again confronted by the suspect who was now also wielding a butcher knife. Determining that the child was in a critical state, Godina called upon the suspect to subdue so the child could be cared for. Instead, the suspect charged with both weapons, requiring Godina to use lethal force. Officer Godina's composure saved the grandmother's life and preserved the suspect's life as long as possible. While I am heartbroken to announce that the child succumbed to his injuries, Godina's selfless action allowed medical attention to provide enough time for the mother to spend the last minutes of their child's life with them. Madam Speaker, I am here to recognize Officer Godina's bravery and professionalism in this active and dangerous situation. Officer Godina displayed the best qualities of our country's police officers, and at a time when police across the nation are wrongly looked down on, Officer Godina reminds us of our officers' service to the nation and the constant safety we take for granted on the backs of their sacrifice.

Mr. GOSAR

Mr. GOSAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the retirement of Bullhead City Chief of Police Brian Williamson, ending a career serving our country for 32 years in law enforcement. Chief Williamson began his honorable career in 1988 by enlisting in the U.S. Army as a military police officer. He would leave the Army in 1992, only to enter public law enforcement to protect the people of Western Arizona. After serving with the Mohave County Sheriffs Office, Chief Williamson became a patrol officer with the Bullhead City Police Department, working his way through the ranks to eventually achieve the position of chief of police, where he has served for the last nine years. This year, Chief Williamson is entering a much-deserved retirement and we in Western Arizona deeply thank him for his tireless service to Mohave County. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Chief Williamson for his lifetime of service to our nation and offer my warmest wishes for a happy retirement. Western Arizona is safer and stronger on the back of the service provided by Chief Williamson and his officers, and I urge my colleagues to join me in wishing Chief Williamson well in the next adventures life brings.

Mr. GOSAR

Mr. GOSAR. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to this amendment.

Mr. GOSAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition, very strong opposition, to this amendment. The amendment continues the efforts in this House to halt enforcement of a Federal court action on this matter in order to build a massive 400,000-square-foot off-reservation gaming complex for the benefit of Genting, a foreign Malaysian gaming company. Since we considered this legislation last year, there have been a number of important events, including just last month when the U.S. Attorney's Office in Boston served a Federal grand jury subpoena to the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe last month for a hefty number of documents and financial records. Yet, here we are once again, misguidedly considering the establishment of two separate reservations for the Mashpee Tribe of Massachusetts. One reservation will be the town of Mashpee, the Tribe's historic reservation lands. No casino will be allowed within ``the geographic boundaries of the town of Mashpee.'' The other reservation will be 50 miles away from Mashpee in the city of Taunton. This site is not part of the Tribe's historic reservation and was selected by the Tribe and Genting for a billion-dollar casino project because of its proximity to the Providence, Rhode Island, casino market, a 20-mile distance. There is no reason for the second reservation other than to build an off-reservation casino 50 miles away from where the Mashpee Tribe currently resides. In 1988, Congress enacted the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act with the intent to restrict casinos to Tribes' original reservations in order to protect the States and the rights of citizens of those States. By placing land in trust for the Mashpee Tribe for gaming in Taunton, this amendment creates an off-reservation casino, which is inconsistent with congressional intent. This is often called reservation shopping, and it is an abuse of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Now, the Tribe's lawyers knew that reservation shopping was a political headache, so they went to bureaucrats within the BIA to obtain the two reservations through administrative action. But let's be honest, this isn't about the Mashpee Tribe. This is about Genting Malaysia. This amendment is really about just a financial bailout for Genting. The Tribe is swamped with more than $500-plus million in debt to Genting, and there is no way the Tribe can ever pay this back and still make enough money to sustain itself. Genting, therefore, will be the real owner of the project, not the Tribe. This kind of arrangement, where the creditor practically controls the financial futures of a debtor Tribe, is contrary to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which requires every Tribal casino to be 100 percent tribally owned. Moreover, the American Principles Project reports on the ties between convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, stating, ``The expansive Abramoff investigation uncovered major corruption within the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. Its chief, Glenn Marshall, pled guilty in 2009 to multiple Federal charges, including embezzling Tribal funds and campaign finance violations committed while working with Abramoff to secure Federal recognition'' in 2007. This disastrous project has garnered its broad share of opposition, including President Trump, Democrats, and Republicans. The project is also strenuously opposed by the other federally recognized Tribe in Massachusetts. For Members on both sides of the aisle, do you really want your name tied to a Tribe that only received Federal recognition in 2007 as a result of shady lobbying by Jack Abramoff? Do you really want to vote for a $500 million bailout for a foreign gaming corporation? More importantly, while everyone is innocent until proven guilty, prudence suggests that Congress wait until the completion of the ongoing Federal grand jury investigation before acting on any gambling legislation related to a foreign entity and an Indian Tribe that appears to be the target of that investigation. In short, this amendment attempts, once again, to force an off- reservation casino, bails out a foreign corporation from major financial problems of its own making, undoes the judgment of a Federal court, and contradicts a Supreme Court ruling. Madam Speaker, I urge all Members of both sides of the aisle to vote against this amendment. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Granger) for yielding and for all her hard work on the committee. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this en bloc package. I particularly want to highlight my two amendments, both of which protect integral Trump administration executive orders. The first protects Executive Order 13807, which pertains to streamlining environmental review and permitting processes for infrastructure projects. This executive order was the basis for new NEPA regulations that the Trump administration announced just last week. Mr. Speaker, we need to get back to building things in this country. It seems every week is like groundhog week, it is infrastructure week, but if we are serious about addressing the problems with our aging infrastructure, we must get serious about modernizing outdated processes that unnecessarily slow down infrastructure projects. Whether it is offshore wind, building electrical transition lines, or building solar energy projects on public lands, outdated regulations cause countless delays and cancellations of these important projects, costing jobs and economic opportunity for our constituents. My second amendment protects Executive Order 13817, which directs the Federal Government to develop a strategy to ensure a secure and reliable supply of critical minerals. The facts are, Mr. Speaker, that we are completely reliant on China for 20 critical minerals that go into producing everything from parts for fighter jets to cellphones. Cobalt is a great example of the dangers of becoming reliant on China to meet these mineral needs. Sixty percent of the cobalt supply is mined in the Congo, where abhorrent child labor practices are well documented, and China now controls at least half of all cobalt production in that country. Fortunately, the proposed Twin Metals mine would serve as a rare source of domestic cobalt, but, of course, my colleagues aim to shut that project down as well by including language in this bill aimed at preventing this project. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to wake up and face the facts. We must harvest our own domestic resources and ingenuity before it is too late. Our long-term economic, energy, and national security depend upon it, even the climate change the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey) talked about.

Mr. GOSAR. Madam Speaker, once again, the facts are the facts. I know there are gut-wrenching applications. I dealt with Tribes my whole life. But the facts are the facts. This amendment is egregious. The facts are the facts. Two reservational applications is incomprehensible. It violates the very law that we actually passed. Now, if you disagree with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, be my guest, change it. But that is not what we do. We follow the law. The law is the law. Madam Speaker, with that, I would ask everybody to vote against this amendment. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GOSAR

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the rule and the underlying bill. The underlying bill contains a wish list of provisions from far-left environmentalists that prevent job creation and energy development in rural communities. One in particular is the proposed buffer zone around the Chaco Canyon national park. This provision is an assault on the private property rights of hundreds of Navajo allottees who own oil and gas rights in the area surrounding the park. This buffer expansion in this bill would make these assets worthless, taking away valuable royalty payments from these impoverished communities. To put this in perspective, in 2015 alone, the Federal Indian Minerals Office distributed $96 million to 20,835 allottees around the country. Instead of listening to all voices, the proponents of this provision have only listened to environmental groups who claim to represent all the relevant stakeholders on this matter but clearly do not. Allottees in the Chaco region have consistently expressed opposition to this proposed withdrawal. Any uncertainty amongst the oil and gas industry when it comes to the ability to extract oil and gas from this region has negative consequences for them and the local economy. In my role as the ranking member of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, I sent two of my staff to meet with Navajo allottees in New Mexico. The response from these allottees was overwhelming, as hundreds and hundreds of people showed up to express their opposition to a proposed buffer zone around Chaco Canyon national park. The facts are, Mr. Speaker, there are already laws on the books to protect Chaco national park and the pristine artifacts that may lay outside of its borders. The oil and gas industry has both a legal and moral obligation to protect the artifacts of the Chaco people, as well as avoiding impacts on newly discovered artifacts, which has always been done. This provision is clearly unnecessary, and I would urge that it be removed in conference if this bill is passed by the House. It would also be remiss of me not to mention the equally egregious provision in the legislation that prevents copper, nickel, and iron mining in northern Minnesota. Copper, nickel, and iron mining is the historic lifeblood of the economy in northern Minnesota and has the potential to create thousands of good-paying jobs that can be done in an environmentally safe way.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, we, as Congress, need to wake up and stop talking out of both sides of our mouth. In fact, we cannot continue to rely on foreign adversaries to take care of our mineral needs. We can take care of our own needs with our own domestic resources in the most environmentally safe way. We do it better than anyone in the world, and yes, we do it without slave child labor like they do in the Congo with cobalt as China does. Mr. Speaker, I, once again, urge my colleagues to oppose the previous question, the rule, and the underlying bill.

Mr. GOSAR

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, today is a very swampy day, and I am not talking about the weather. Today, Congress will pass a bill that is, frankly, a demonstration of everything that is wrong with Washington. The Great American Outdoors Act is a product of special interests, written not by committees, but in back rooms, full of special interest provisions, and now being forced through this Chamber without the opportunity for us to amend it. This is permanent legislation, yet we can't take an extra hour in the House to consider amendments to make this legislation better? Why? Because the special interests that have paid nearly $100 million in lobbying can't be denied another day from their victory. Well, I guess they got what they bought. Are we not allowed to amend this bill because House leadership is afraid to offend the Senate? We can decide that the Senate isn't perfect, their product isn't wonderful, that the House can make amendments to make it better. Let's be clear. This bill is nearly nothing like the legislation introduced by the supporters in the House. The gentleman from South Carolina may think he has got a great win, but the repeal of the 100th meridian provision, which is in this bill, allows the U.S. Forest Service to steer millions of Federal spending away from his State. Like the Comptroller of the United States told us in December, left to their own devices, the U.S. Forest Service will spend 80 percent of their funding to the west of the meridian. And that was with Congressional oversight. Once passed and set on autopilot, this program will only get worse. If your goal was to expand recreational opportunities to more Americans, then you have failed miserably if you vote for this bill. But that is not the only problem with this legislation. I proposed a bipartisan amendment that would require the construction done under this act to adhere to Buy American provisions. It was endorsed by the United Steelworkers, the AFL-CIO, American Iron and Steel Institute, and a broad coalition of trade associations and unions. The underlying bill includes billions in new spending on infrastructure. Those billions could be spent on products manufactured by American workers. Can Congress consider this today? No. Why? Because the Speaker rejected the amendment, rejected American workers, and rejected American manufacturing. At a time when America needs jobs, a failure to include Buy American provisions in this bill is a shame on this House. I had amendments dealing with the infrastructure challenges facing our Native American reservations, including funding for Indian education and Indian health. In areas where COVID-19 was destructive, they need funds desperately to get back into the 21st century from their current dilapidated state. Will Congress consider these amendments? No, because the special interests behind this legislation don't want us to consider those needs on the floor of the House. Considering this legislation sets the Federal Government on a massive land buying spree like never seen before, I prepared an amendment to protect our counties by ensuring full payment in the Payments in Lieu of Taxes program. Do you remember that contract? Can we honor it? That won't even be considered, as well as anything else. This legislation isn't a victory for America; it is a loss. Good process builds good policy builds good politics. It is a shame that we didn't go there. I ask everybody to vote against this legislation.

Mr. GOSAR

Mr. GOSAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my amendment, floor amendment No. 154 of the NDAA. Currently, the United States relies on China for 20 different critical minerals, which includes several rare earth materials defined by the Department of Defense. Rare earth materials are used in numerous modern technologies, including missile guidance, control systems, lasers for enemy mine detection, satellite communications, radar, and sonar on submarines, to name a few. Any interruption of rare earth exports from China would drastically impact defense manufacturing, American economic growth, and overall combat readiness. Madam Speaker, as a producer of nearly 80 percent of the world's rare earth materials, China wields considerable leverage against our country and its allies and did so with Japan earlier. My amendment would direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment to issue guidance that ensures the elimination of the United States dependency on rare earth materials from China by fiscal year 2035. This very same amendment was made in order last year and passed by voice; however, it was not included in the final conference report. Madam Speaker, I strongly urge adoption of my amendment. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record an article from Department of Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette. [From the Hill, July 20, 2020] A Safe, Prosperous Nation Requires Secure Supply Chains (By Dan Brouillette) The coronavirus pandemic opened Americans' eyes to the vulnerability of our supply chains and our over-reliance on critical goods from foreign nations. Many people suddenly realized, at the height of the pandemic, that the important medical products we urgently needed--like masks and ventilators--were coming from abroad. And it is not just medical products. We are dependent on countries that are not reliable trading partners for automotive parts, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and even naturally occurring materials like uranium and critical minerals. The United States must take strong action to secure our most critical supply chains, and, predominantly through research and development, the Department of Energy (DOE) is playing an important role in the Trump administration's efforts to do just that. Three areas of recent focus, in which DOE is striving to reduce import reliance, are critical minerals, uranium, and critical infrastructure components. Critical minerals, including rare earth elements (REEs), are used in electronic products like smart phones, computer and TV screens, and LED lights. But they are also needed to build important defense systems like aircraft and guidance systems, make batteries, and refine crude oil. Currently, the United States imports more than half of the annual consumption of nearly all critical minerals, and we rely on China for 80 percent of REEs. Our lack of domestic supply for these minerals is an economic security threat we must take seriously. DOE is developing solutions to our critical mineral challenges by finding ways to diversify supply, develop substitutes, and drive recycling and reuse of critical minerals and REEs. One promising project will test the economic viability of extracting these minerals from our coal reserves in Appalachia and the western basins. Our research shows that there may be as much as 10 million tons of critical minerals in these reserves. Another effort underway involves using a highly absorbent material to capture lithium--a key component in batteries--from the working fluid used in geothermal power production. And there are numerous other ongoing projects which we believe in time will greatly reduce America's reliance on foreign-sourced critical minerals and REEs. After decades of neglect, the U.S. commercial nuclear sector is at risk of insolvency. Meanwhile, other nations, notably Russia and China, are moving to advance their nuclear capabilities and export their technology to gain increased geopolitical influence. If we are to regain our place as a world leader in nuclear technology, we must start at the beginning of the nuclear fuel cycle and start mining and converting uranium on a wide scale again. The element uranium not only fuels 95 civilian reactors, providing about 20 percent of U.S. electricity each year, it powers the U.S. Navy's fleet of nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers. Despite its importance, the United States currently relies on imports for 90 percent of its uranium. Our lack of a significant domestic uranium supply chain threatens energy reliability and national security. To reverse this trend and reinvigorate the entire nuclear energy industry, DOE recently unveiled the Nuclear Fuel Working Group's ambitious ``Strategy to Restore American Nuclear Energy.'' An important component of the working group's strategy is boosting domestic uranium mining and conversion. To that end, the working group recommended, and the president's 2021 budget included, funding to establish a domestic uranium reserve. Like the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the domestic uranium reserve will boost the domestic uranium mining industry, support strategic nuclear fuel cycle capabilities, and provide critical assurance of uranium availability in the event of a market disruption. Finally, we must secure our Nation's Bulk Power System (BPS) supply chain from the threat of foreign interference. The BPS includes power substations that transmit electricity to the distribution system before it reaches homes and businesses, and the automated industrial control systems that are used in water treatment facilities and manufacturing operations. Our BPS may be vulnerable to malicious advanced cyberattacks by countries like Russia, Iran, and China, threatening the backbone of our nation's electric power grid. To meet the challenge, President Trump recently signed an executive order directing DOE to lead an interagency effort aimed at eliminating vulnerabilities within the existing system and developing policies to keep it safe for years to come. The first important action we will take is to prohibit future use of BPS equipment from any country or individual deemed a foreign adversary by our national security experts, the failure of which would pose a risk to the safety of Americans. The department will also review federal energy infrastructure procurement to ensure that safeguarding national security is at the foundation of our policies. A safe, prosperous nation requires secure supply chains. The Department of Energy is leading the way in protecting our economic and national security by advancing the Trump administration's policies to produce more critical minerals and REEs, uranium supplies, and BPS components within the United States' borders.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I feel like I am in the movie ``Groundhog Day.'' My colleagues on the other side of the aisle are repeating one of their famous mantras, ``Not this mine, not this place,'' their standard refrain because they do not support any mining anywhere. This amendment is nothing short of a full-scale attack on the livelihoods of many of my constituents. It sets back our Nation's national security and strengthens Putin's Russia. This amendment imposes a million-acre land grab permanently banning mining in an area nearly the size of Delaware. However, none of this land is in the district of the sponsor of this amendment, Mr. Speaker. My colleagues falsely frame this amendment as an effort to protect the Grand Canyon, which is, of course, completely disingenuous. No one wants to mine within the Grand Canyon. This entire area is miles away from the boundaries of the buffer around the Grand Canyon National Park. Bipartisan negotiations led to the Arizona Wilderness Act in 1984, which set aside this area for multiple-use activities, including mining. It placed 387,000 acres of land into the National Wilderness Preservation System in exchange for leaving 540,000 acres for multiple use, which now makes up a large portion of this withdrawal. Estimates show that the passage of this amendment would cost the six directly affected counties in Arizona and Utah between 2,000 and 4,000 jobs and $29 billion in economic activity. This would completely and utterly devastate these rural communities. The area in question is home to the highest grade and largest quantity of uranium deposits in the country, so this amendment does not just negatively affect Arizona, it harms the national security of the entire country. By passing this amendment, we play right into the hands of Russia, who along with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, are deliberately trying to corner the global uranium market. China is also joining in the game, buying up uranium mines in Africa. Successful uranium mining occurred in the 1980s in this exact area. These mines were reclaimed so well that you can't even tell where they once existed. And there was no damage done to the Grand Canyon watershed--in fact, it may have improved it. Mr. Speaker, I think this House is slowly becoming fully aware of the problem we face as a nation when it comes to our reliance on foreign sources of critical minerals, especially in light of the current pandemic. In fact, many Democrats are starting to come to the table to work with us to rectify this problem. However, there are still many hurdles to cross, like the fact that my colleagues continue to try to block mining in northern Arizona, much like they do in northern Minnesota and the Resolution Copper Mine in the southern part of my district. There is no question that this amendment will hurt local revenues, kill jobs, and undermine American energy security. It is opposed by the people of my district, and, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in opposition. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record two letters: one being a veto threat from the administration related to the bill form of this amendment, H.R. 1373; and the other being a letter from a number of industry groups opposing this amendment. Statement of Administration Policy H.R. 1373--Grand Canyon Centennial Protection Act--Rep. Grijalva, D-AZ, and 122 cosponsors The Administration strongly opposes H.R. 1373, the Grand Canyon Centennial Protection Act. This bill would permanently make more than 1 million acres of Federal lands in Arizona off limits to development and uses that would otherwise be permissible under Federal laws governing public lands, mining, mineral, and geothermal leasing. The Administration opposes such a large, permanent withdrawal, which would prohibit environmentally responsible development, as determined through site-specific analysis, of uranium and other mineral resources. The United States has an extraordinary abundance of mineral resources, both onshore and offshore, but this legislation would restrict our ability to access critical minerals like uranium in an area known to have them in large supply. Moreover, the size of the withdrawal included in H.R. 1373 is inconsistent with the Administration's goal of striking the appropriate balance for use of public lands described in two executive orders. This withdrawal would conflict with the objectives set forth in Executive Order 13783, Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth, and Executive Order 13817, A Federal Strategy to Ensure Secure and Reliable Supplies of Critical Minerals. Development of our Nation's mineral resources is essential to ensuring the Nation's geopolitical security, and this bill would not help us achieve that goal. If H.R. 1373 were presented to the President, his advisors would recommend that he veto it.

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Tipton).

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, once again, this is about the management of the land. As we stated earlier, the buffer around the Grand Canyon, this is miles away from this. And this is about national security. Critical minerals, uranium, they are very important to the makeup of this country and its energy sector. We cannot be reliant, and we saw that all too easily displayed in this COVID crisis. We have to be the purveyors of our future. Mr. Speaker, I ask everybody to vote against this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.