Doc Hastings

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 2719 directs the Department of the Interior to ensure public access to the summit of Rattlesnake Mountain, located within the Hanford Reach National Monument in my district. At 3,600 feet, Rattlesnake Mountain is the highest point in the region and provides unparalleled views for miles around the monument, the Hanford Site, the Columbia River, the Yakima River and the Snake River. Unfortunately, it took the Fish and Wildlife Service 8 years to write a management plan that effectively closed Rattlesnake Mountain to public access, despite the public comments favoring just the opposite. After I introduced this bill last Congress, the Fish and Wildlife Service, in October of 2010, offered two public tours for selected individuals, and then suddenly reneged on the offer just days before the tours were to occur without any explanation. During a recent committee hearing on the bill, the Interior Department's testimony suggested that the Fish and Wildlife Service supports tours of Rattlesnake Mountain, but very carefully didn't go the extra step of ensuring that the Service would allow public access to the actual summit. Access to the mountain and access to the summit are two entirely different matters. To put it bluntly, Mr. Speaker, the Service has had more than 10 years, and they say it will take several more before they can determine if it will allow the American people to have access to this portion of the monument. That is why this bill is so necessary to guarantee public access by law and to do so in a very timely manner. Mr. Speaker, I might add the tallest mountain in Washington State is Mount Rainier at 14,410 feet. People have access up to that under certain conditions. This is a mountain that has no trees; it's 3,600 feet. There's no reason why people shouldn't have access. And to that extent, the legislation is supported by the Tri-Cities Development Council, the Board of Benton County Commissioners in which Rattlesnake Mountain is located, the Tri-Cities Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Tri-Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau, and the Back Country Horsemen of Washington. The American people deserve to have access to public lands, including Rattlesnake Mountain. I ask that the House pass this reasonable legislation today to help make that possible. I note that the bill was reported by the Committee on Natural Resources by unanimous consent, and I appreciate the support of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for this measure. With that, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I again urge adoption of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I just note to my friend from Colorado, he said that the bill passed the House last year and the Senate didn't act on it. I think it's very good strategy on his part to take the Senate bill. Now we, of course, have to perfect it, but we'll send it back and maybe this will be easier for them to act. I certainly hope so. With that, I urge passage of the bill. I advise my friend that I am prepared to yield back if he yields back.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. 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. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 278) to provide for the exchange of certain land located in the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forests in the State of Colorado, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 443) to provide for the conveyance of certain property from the United States to the Maniilaq Association located in Kotzebue, Alaska, as amended.

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

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the author of this legislation, the gentleman from California (Mr. Campbell).

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. 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. HASTINGS of Washington. I have no further requests for time, and I am prepared to yield back if the gentleman from New Mexico is.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The Ysleta del Sur Pueblo was originally based in New Mexico and then relocated after the 1860 Pueblo Revolt to its present location in El Paso County, Texas. In 1967, Congress enacted Public Law 90-287, terminating the Federal trust relationship with the tribe and placing the tribe under the jurisdiction of the State of Texas. In 1987, the Federal trust relationship was restored by Public Law 100-89. The Restoration Act limited the tribe's membership to individuals listed on a certain tribal membership roll and to descendants of such individuals as long as they have a minimum of one-eighth degree of Ysleta del Sur Indian blood. In recent years, the tribe has passed resolutions in favor of legislation to eliminate this limitation which is consistent with the modern congressional policy of allowing recognized tribes to set their own membership when they enroll Indian people. H.R. 1560 permits the tribe to enroll Indian members with a minimum blood requirement. Similar versions of this bill have been passed by the House in the last two Congresses. The Committee on Natural Resources has not heard any objection to passing this bill again. I think it's a good idea to treat the tribe consistently with how Congress treats other federally recognized tribes. With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 683) to provide for the conveyance of certain parcels of land to the town of Mantua, Utah.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. S. 683 would convey approximately 31.5 acres of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest to the town of Mantua, Utah. The lands in question are primarily open grasslands surrounded by agricultural lands. The town is seeking these lands for expansion of the cemetery and construction of a town hall and fire station. National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee Chair Rob Bishop is the author of the House version of this bill, and I commend him and Senator Mike Lee of Utah for their efforts in seeing this small, but important, conveyance enacted into law. I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the author of the House version of this legislation, the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop).

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. 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. HASTINGS of Washington. I urge my colleagues to support the Senate bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2351) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to continue stocking fish in certain lakes in the North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. I, again, urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Senate Concurrent Resolution 32 is an enrolling correction for H.R. 470, bipartisan legislation introduced by our Nevada colleague, Dr. Joe Heck. Dr. Heck's bill, which allocates hydropower generated at Hoover Dam to a number of utilities in California, Arizona, and Nevada, has been passed by both the House and the Senate. However, some in the Senate insisted that a number of technical changes needed to be made to the bill even though the affected agency indicated that it could implement H.R. 470 as passed by both Chambers. Nevertheless, we'll not object to this enrolling resolution making such technical changes because the base legislation is important for that area. So I urge adoption of this measure. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 32) to authorize the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make technical corrections in the enrollment of H.R. 470, an Act to further allocate and expand the availability of hydroelectric power generated at Hoover Dam, and for other purposes.

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the author of this legislation, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Landry).

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield back my time and urge adoption of the bill.