Doc Hastings

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Pryce) for yielding, and I congratulate her on the way she excellently laid out the main provisions of this bill in her opening remarks. I support this bill, Mr. Speaker, and this bill includes several important improvements to Medicare in addition to making prescription drugs available and affordable for seniors. But I am particularly pleased that this bill contains the largest, most comprehensive rural health care package ever considered by Congress to ensure that seniors in rural America are able to get the care they need. I often hear from seniors they are having a hard time finding a doctor will accept Medicare patients. Now, doctors and hospitals in rural areas provide the same quality care as in urban areas, all too often Medicare fails to pay rural health care providers enough to cover their costs. This often forces doctors to consider whether they can continue accepting Medicare patients and, therefore, causes hospitals to cut back on their services. As a member of two rural health care caucuses, I have met repeatedly with committee leaders and Secretary Thompson to stress the importance of ensuring that rural areas receive the Medicare payments that they deserve. Mr. Speaker, until the disparity between rural and urban reimbursement is fixed, seniors in small town America have fewer and fewer health care options. I commend the conferees for recognizing this need. I am pleased that the National Rural Health Care Association has endorsed this bill saying, quote, ``This is a strong step forward this strengthening the health care system for nearly 60 million rural Americans,'' end quote. By passing this bill, we will permanently end the disparity in Medicare payments between urban and rural hospitals. We will provide more money to rural hospitals for the care of uninsured patients, we will increase funds for critical access hospitals and home health care agencies and raise payments to doctors to encourage them to provide services in physician-short areas. Simply put, Mr. Speaker, after years of effort H.R. 1 will finally give doctors, hospitals, home health nurses, and other care providers the resources they need to provide seniors who live in rural areas like my district in central Washington the medical care they deserve. Accordingly, I urge my colleague to support both the rule and the underlying bill.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the bill that this rule allows to be taken up is a very significant piece of legislation, and I just want to make one point that I do not think has been made in the debate on this rule regarding this underlying legislation, and that is that this legislation is geared towards what we call multiple use areas within our national system, our national forests and our BLM lands. Multiple use by definition means it should be open for recreation, commercial activity, and so forth. But, unfortunately, with policies that have been enacted de facto in the past 10 or 15 years, in fact, we have closed up these multiple use areas. This legislation addresses these problems that have built up for a time and as a result has built up to unhealthy forests and unhealthy BLM lands. So it is a significant first start, an extremely significant first start. With that, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the rule and support the underlying legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. McInnis), who has worked extremely hard on this issue and has been working on this issue.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 457 is a rule providing for the consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 1904, the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003. The rule waives all points of order against the conference report and its consideration and provides that the conference report shall be considered as read. Mr. Speaker, recent reports of catastrophic wildfires in the West have helped millions of Americans to understand what Members of western districts have known for years, that steps must be taken to improve our management of national forests in order to reduce the risk of runaway forest fires that threaten lives, property and even entire communities. H.R. 1904, the Healthy Forests Restoration Act, contains several key measures that will enable Federal land managers to better manage potentially explosive stands of timber and underbrush. Passage of the bill would also enable local communities to play a more meaningful role in the management of lands that pose potential threats. H.R. 1904 would authorize the removal of dead, dying and diseased trees and underbrush from Federal lands. It would also strengthen the ability of land managers to pursue fire prevention strategies under an expedited system that would limit excessive court challenges to proposed changes in management plans for Federal lands. The bill authorizes $760 million annually for fire prevention, suppression and management activities, a significant increase over current allocations. Mr. Speaker, the conferees have done an excellent job of protecting the House position on this legislation, which passed the House by a large margin back in May 2003. The conferees should be commended for moving to complete the work on this important legislation before Congress adjourns and we in turn should pass it without further delay. Accordingly, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support both the rule and the underlying conference report. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to my good friend and namesake, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. (Mr. HASTINGS of Washington asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 457 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 4 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), chairman of the Committee on Agriculture.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, this is an important bill and it will be a historic step when we vote on the bill after we dispose with the rule. Let me just go through the extensive hearings that the committees involved with this have had over this year. As was mentioned by the chairman, the Committee on Energy and Commerce Committee held 28 public hearings, four markups, 43 hours in total, and considered 159 amendments. The Committee on Resources held 32 hearings, three markups, over 100 hours, and considered 38 amendments. The Committee on Science held 16 public hearings, two markups. They have considered 21 amendments. The Committee on Ways and Means held six hearings, four markups, and they had six amendments offered to their part of the bill. It is an important bill, Mr. Speaker. I urge the Members to support the rule, defeat the previous question, and support the underlying legislation.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller).

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis). (Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlemen from Florida (Mr. Stearns).

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan).

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Norwood).

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Gutknecht).

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert).

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. I thank the chairman for these clarifications and his leadership in the development of national energy legislation. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Pryce), a member of the Committee on Rules.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes. Mr. Speaker, I want to engage in a colloquy with the chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce concerning provisions of the conference report of importance to the citizens of the Pacific Northwest who receive the majority of their electricity from hydroelectric dams. Mr. Speaker, I commend the chairman and conferees for agreeing to section 231 of the conference report, a set of long overdue reforms to the process for the relicensing of non-Federal hydroelectric projects. However, I want to ensure that these provisions are intended to apply immediately. Can the chairman provide this assurance?

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Madam Speaker, House Resolution 443 is a rule providing for the consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 6, the Energy Policy Act of 2003. The rule waives all points of order against the conference report and its consideration and provides that the conference report shall be considered as read. Over the past several months, more and more Americans have experienced firsthand the crippling effects of America's outdated energy systems. For example, natural gas supply shortages resulting from conflicting government policies have caused home heating bills to skyrocket and forced businesses to lay off thousands of workers. In addition, this summer's great blackout exposed the vulnerability of our Nation's deteriorating electricity grids. It is absolutely critical that Congress approve a comprehensive national energy bill this year so that all Americans will have access to more efficient, affordable, and environmentally responsible energy supplies. As a Nation, we simply cannot afford to wait any longer for this important legislation. I am pleased, therefore, that later today the House will have an opportunity to pass a conference report on H.R. 6 that clearly meets these imperatives. The conference agreement improves our Nation's electricity transmission capacity and reliability. It promotes a cleaner environment by encouraging new innovation and the use of alternative power sources. The bill also authorizes $200 million for the Clean Cities program, which will provide grants to State and local governments to acquire alternative fueled vehicles. The agreement promotes clean coal technology and provides incentives for renewable sources such as biomass, wind, solar, geothermal and hydroelectricity. It also provides leadership in energy conservation by establishing new mandatory efficiency requirements for Federal buildings and higher standards and stricter labeling for a variety of energy-consuming commercial products. The conference report allows for stepped up natural gas exploration and development in the Gulf of Mexico and permits construction of a natural gas pipeline from Alaska's North Slope to the Lower 48. The bill also decreases America's dangerous dependence on foreign oil by increasing domestic oil and gas exploration and development on nonpark Federal lands and by expanding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve capacity to 1 billion barrels. The bill encourages more nuclear and hydropower production by authorizing the Department of Energy to develop accelerated programs for the production and supply of energy and sets the stage for building badly needed nuclear power plants by reauthorizing the Price-Anderson Act. Finally, Mr. Speaker, as a Member who represents a region heavily dependent on hydroelectric power, I am pleased that the conferees included bipartisan reforms of the lengthy and costly hydrorelicensing process. These reforms will maintain environmental standards while providing utilities the flexibility to reduce their costs in achieving those standards. Mr. Speaker, the Nation needs this energy bill, and it needs it now. Accordingly, I urge my colleagues to support both the rule and the underlying conference report. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Madam Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the ranking minority member of the Committee on Rules, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Frost), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. (Mr. HASTINGS of Washington asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Madam Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 443 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I will be closing, so I have one more speaker.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), the subcommittee chairman handling this legislation. (Mr. BARTON of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin), chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.