Stephanie Herseth Sandlin

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to share with you and to share with all of our colleagues some truly wonderful news about a good friend and his health, a friend who is a former Member of this body, and the senior Senator from the State of South Dakota. This announcement is news of our friend, Tim Johnson. Last week, Senator Johnson was welcomed home by his constituents for the first time since suffering a debilitating brain hemorrhage last December. It was a joyous day, full of smiles, laughter and tears. And after 9 months of hard work, determination, and strength of mind and spirit, all qualities that have marked his tenure in public service, tomorrow Tim Johnson will return to the Senate Chamber. In Senator Johnson's recovery, the prayers of South Dakota families, the prayers of all of us, and indeed the prayers of countless people across the country have been answered. And Tim, his loving wife Barbara, and their beautiful family will continue to move forward as resilient and remarkable as ever.

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Would the gentleman yield?

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Mr. Chairman, let me say at the outset, the gentleman from Arizona said this is a sole-source contract to one entity and we already have an entity in USDA an agency that would make these grants based on competition. This is not a sole-source contract. Four universities are involved in the consortium, and it's a competitive-based program. So my colleague from Arizona's attempting to strike from the bill an extremely modest amount of funding for an outstanding program that's provided tremendous benefits to ranch families in one of the most remote and economically challenged corners of the United States. The economy of this area of the country, western North and South Dakota and eastern Wyoming and Montana, is probably more dependent on animal agriculture than any other region of the country. It's beautiful rangeland and beautiful country, for that matter, but it isn't suitable to grow much other than grass. We have dozens of small, rural communities in that area that rely almost completely on the ability of ranchers to raise cattle and sheep and bison; and I consider them to be among the best livestock producers in the country, given the climate they have to contend with as well. This modest program, again funded at $489,000 in this year's bill, is a model of what we should be trying to fund in our appropriations bills. This program stretches a few dollars a very long way. It targets its efforts on addressing specific needs. The results of the program benefit all regions of the country and its collaborative effort among four highly respected universities: South Dakota State University, North Dakota State University, the University of Wyoming and Montana State University. By distributing grants through a competitive awards process, let me repeat, the program is competitively awarded, the consortium promotes interstate cooperation and collaboration among ranchers, farmers, scientists and educators. Research addresses subject areas that are identified as needs by producers living in the target region, which means results are directly applicable to those producers; and I'm proud of my efforts to secure funding for this program. Research funded by this consortium is developing new methods to add value to common grain and forage crops through the use of ruminant livestock, again cattle, sheep and bison. The projects enhance economic return and positively impact the regional environment by integrating rangeland, annual crops, and livestock resources. Like many, if not all, of my colleagues, I carefully vet the projects for which I request funding to ensure that the program requests that I make are effective, important, valuable projects. I'm proud to put my name on this project and on the handful of other projects that I've supported in this bill. I know my State. I make every effort to know the needs of the farmers and ranchers I represent and ensure that we are spending their tax dollars wisely on programs that get results. This is one of those programs, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it and rejecting this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. May I inquire how much time I have remaining?

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. I thank the gentleman. Mr. Chairman, I too grew up on a farm. I have moved my share of cattle. We still have cattle on that farm, but it's in eastern South Dakota. It's not nearly as remote as the region that we are talking about. There are different types of grasses than the grasses we are talking about. This is a consortium. I think it's very important we recognize the uniqueness of this particular area of the country.

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Mr. Chairman, I will yield the balance of the time to the gentleman from California, but let me just say, he can point to the certification letter, but this is a consortium. There is a lead university, but it's a consortium of four. With that, I yield the balance of the time to the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr).

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California for yielding. I rise today to express my strong support for Senate bill 975. As the chairwoman of the subcommittee, Ms. Zoe Lofgren, and the ranking member, Mr. Cannon, have described, this important legislation stands to provide immediate assistance to wildfire-fighting crews in South Dakota, Colorado, and Wyoming. Passage and enactment of S. 975 is the final step in the fire compacting process, which allows States covered by the compact to more effectively share firefighting personnel and equipment in response to wildfires. The compacting process begins with State approval but also requires consent from the Congress. Further, this legislation enjoys the support of South Dakota's Senators Tim Johnson and John Thune, as well as the entire Colorado and Wyoming Senate delegations. Companion legislation that I introduced in the House also enjoys similar support from the congressional delegations within the compacted States. The need for this legislation is underscored each fire season as we undoubtedly watch communities struggle to cope with forest fires. In my own district, I recently visited areas devastated by the Alabaugh Canyon fire near Hot Springs, South Dakota, which consumed over 10,000 acres and destroyed more than 30 homes. Tragically, one man lost his life. Only the tireless and professional work by emergency response staff in South Dakota with the help of volunteers across the State and region stopped this fire from becoming even worse. The fire season is, however, far from over, and I am pleased that the passage of this bill in the House today will be the final legislative step towards enacting this important bill into law. The new authorities contained in the bill will let compacted States work directly with each other increasing the efficiency and, most importantly, the speed with which firefighting crews in South Dakota, Colorado, and Wyoming can mobilize resources in response to fires. The compact also leaves space for North Dakota to join at a later date. Finally, I would like to thank Chairman Conyers and his staff for their swift consideration of this bill and their willingness to work with me to bring it to the House floor this evening. Their work, and a joint effort from State officials in South Dakota and the State's entire congressional delegation, has facilitated this progress. I stand in strong support of S. 975 and urge my colleagues to join me.

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the distinguished ranking member of the full Committee on Agriculture, Mr. Goodlatte, for his support of this bill. We have Senate colleagues who we have served with here in this body previously who have already been working hard on this legislation. I am pleased that we have bipartisan agreement on our intention in providing this disaster assistance and certainly acknowledge and agree with the gentleman from Virginia's statements as it relates to future disaster assistance and the importance of further developing the pilot project programs for livestock producers to have adequate coverage for their losses I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of S. 1716, legislation that would ensure that U.S. livestock producers will be able to utilize the vital disaster assistance recently approved by this Congress. The effect of this bill is essentially identical to an amendment last week by my colleague and friend from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas) to the Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act, which I supported and which was unanimously accepted. This legislation is critical to deliver on the promise we made to American livestock producers just this past May. After more than a year's effort and despite several veto threats from the President, we were successful in passing much-needed disaster assistance through this Chamber and enacted into law. Then, several months after the bill's passage, the Secretary of Agriculture determined that a certain phrase in the bill effectively denies aid to all livestock producers that didn't participate in the Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance program or a crop insurance pilot program for rangeland. I assure my colleagues that this was not the intention of this Congress and, regardless of the accuracy of USDA's legal interpretation, we need legislative action to fix it. This bill simply strikes the one sentence in the disaster bill that is causing the problem. I appreciate the leadership of the Agriculture Committee in working with me to find a solution to this problem, and I am pleased to have the opportunity to offer this legislation. I also shared this problem with the leadership of the Appropriations Committee to ensure that this year's Agriculture appropriations bill contains language to address this as well, and I am pleased to report that it does. That would be unnecessary, however, if we can pass this stand-alone legislation and get it directly to the President. Doing so will solve this problem in time to prevent any delays in delivering much-needed assistance to American producers. I urge my colleagues to support it. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 1716) to amend the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007, to strike a requirement relating to forage producers.

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3006, a bill introduced by Congressman Simpson of Idaho and cosponsored by Congressman Sali, also of Idaho, that addresses an Idaho-specific problem. The University of Idaho would like to construct a Center for Livestock and Environmental Studies to research environmental issues facing the dairy industry in central Idaho, but current law prevents the university from using proceeds from endowed lands toward funding for the center. The dairy industry faces a number of significant EPA regulation, animal health and environmental issues, including nutrient management and odor control. Idaho is now the fourth largest milk-producing State, with 477,475 cows and 686 dairies in 2006. To support the Idaho dairy industry and help address the challenges facing it, the University of Idaho, in collaboration with the College of Southern Idaho, Idaho Dairymen, Kimberley ARS/USDA and others, is seeking to develop the Center for Livestock and Environmental Studies in the Magic Valley area. The total cost of the center is projected to be $25-$35 million. The State of Idaho and the dairy industry have been willing to put forward a large percentage of funding, and the University of Idaho is responsible for the remaining portion. The university would like to use the proceeds from endowed lands granted to the university by the Morrill Act. In order to do this, the Idaho Admissions Bill must be amended. Currently, lands granted to the University of Idaho through the Morrill Act can be exchanged and managed with the proceeds going only to the operation of buildings, not construction. This bill will lift that restriction within the Idaho Admissions Bill and will leave the Morrill Act untouched, making it Idaho specific. Governor Otter and the Idaho Legislature have approved a $10 million appropriation for the center, contingent upon the passage of H.R. 3006, and additional funding is being raised by the Idaho dairy community. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3006) to improve the use of a grant of a parcel of land to the State of Idaho for use as an agricultural college, and for other purposes.

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Washington, (Mr. Larsen), an original cosponsor of the bill.

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the Puget Sound is home to over 4 million people and numerous species of fish, birds and other wildlife. It is the economic and environmental driver of the region and an ecological wonder. Sadly, the health of this national treasure has been steadily in decline. The water quality is suffering with areas of deadly low oxygen and levels of harmful toxics that are now being detected in some aquatic species. However, there is hope. The State of Washington has been leading the charge in fighting this problem and working to restore the Sound to where it should be. This legislation will provide critical support to those efforts by developing a comprehensive conservation project to help determine the right conservation planning efforts for local agricultural producers. It will provide the capacity that local conservation districts simply don't have in meeting the unique challenges of the Sound. This project would mirror others that have occurred or are occurring in nationally important watersheds. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3184) to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out a competitive grant program for the Puget Sound area to provide comprehensive conservation planning to address water quality.

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2874, and I'd like to once again thank Chairman Filner for his focused and effective leadership in advancing this important legislation. Ranking Member Buyer and especially subcommittee Chairman Michaud and Ranking Member Miller are also to be commended for their hard work and bipartisanship and for including Services to Prevent Homelessness Act, a bill which I introduced, in the Veterans' Health Care Improvement Act. This legislation would authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide financial assistance to nonprofit organizations and consumer cooperatives to provide and coordinate the provision of supportive services that address the needs of very low-income veterans occupying permanent housing. While Federal programs exist to help enhanced veterans homeownership, there is no national housing assistance program targeted to low-income veterans. Permanent housing opportunities for veterans ready for independent living are limited. In addition, the VA currently is not permitted to provide grants for affordable permanent housing, and the resources that are available for providers are inadequate and highly sought after by competing housing programs. So I thank the chairman once again for supporting this legislation. I thank the committee staff on both sides of the aisle for their excellent work as well on this bill and others considered today, and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on the Veterans' Affairs Committee to support efforts to meet the housing assistance needs, among other needs, of our Nation's low-income veterans. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2874.

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank our distinguished chairman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1315, the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2007. As the sponsor of H.R. 1315, I want to thank Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer, as well as my good friend subcommittee Ranking Member Boozman, for their strong leadership and unwavering dedication to our veterans and for working hard to craft this bipartisan bill. I would also like to thank Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee of Texas and Congressman Dave Reichert of Washington and Congressman Tim Walz of Minnesota who have contributed substantially to this important legislation. As more and more of our troops are deployed in missions around the globe, additional steps must be taken to promote and protect the health and welfare of our veterans. Their honorable, courageous and patriotic service demands no less. In light of increasing numbers of disabled veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, the already urgent demand to pass legislation to meet the needs of these new veterans is rising. Mr. Speaker, this legislation would provide specially adaptive housing assistance to disabled servicemembers who have not yet been discharged from active duty and therefore have not reached veteran status. Under current law, a temporary grant is available to disabled veterans who are or will be temporarily residing in a home owned by a family member. Our original intent in the last Congress was to allow servicemembers in transition prior to discharge to also use this benefit. However, the law, as currently written, does not qualify transitioning servicemembers for these housing grants. This legislation seeks to clarify congressional intent and provide assistance up to $14,000 to adapt the family member's home to meet the transitioning servicemember's special needs. In addition, this legislation would direct the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a scholarship program for students seeking a degree or certificate in blind rehabilitation under the Health Professional Education Assistance program. In exchange for the scholarship award, students will be required to work for 3 years in a health care facility within the Department of Veterans Affairs. This bill would also require the Secretary of the Department of Labor and the Secretary of the Department of Defense to coordinate their sharing of and reporting on the complaint data filed by National Guard and Reservists facing difficulty in obtaining employment. It would require the use of uniform categories in tracking and reporting the data, including the difficulty of obtaining employment experienced by veterans with service-connected disabilities. These provisions will enable Congress to better identify trends in the reemployment challenges faced by our returning Guard and Reserve forces, and the corrective actions needed to ease their transition back into the civilian workforce. Finally, H.R. 1315 would add a representative from the National Governors Association to the existing 15-member Advisory Committee on Veterans Employment, Training and Employer Outreach located under the auspices of the Department of Labor. This has been a priority for both the chairman and the ranking member of the full committee. During the last Congress, we passed legislation which became Public Law 109-46 that was intended to add the National Governors Association representative to the Advisory Committee on Veterans Employment, Training and Employer Outreach. However, a technical error did not increase the total authorized membership to 16, preventing the National Governors Association from being added to the Advisory Committee on Veterans Employment, Training and Employer Outreach. In summary, this bill will provide our injured servicemembers the resources needed to live with the comfort and independence they deserve, expand education programs to more effectively address the rehabilitative needs of our veterans, bolster reemployment aid for returning veterans, and strengthen the advisory committee membership within the Department of Labor. I commend the leadership of Chairman Filner and certainly the great bipartisan working relationship that Mr. Boozman and I have enjoyed over the last two Congresses. I urge my colleagues to vote favorably on the final passage of H.R. 1315.

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the bill just adopted.

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days with which to revise and extend their remarks on the bill just adopted.

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the bill just adopted.

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. I thank the gentleman very much for his commitment and support for this initiative. It will obviously be very helpful going forward.

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. I thank the distinguished chairman for yielding for the purpose of a colloquy. Chairman Peterson, as you know, I have introduced legislation with the support of over 50 colleagues to fund the reduced-price school meal pilot, authorized in the 2004 Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act through the efforts of the Education and Labor Committee. My legislation also enjoys support from a broad range of organizations that feel, like I do, that many low-income children across the country aren't participating in the school nutrition programs because they cannot afford the reduced fee. My legislation would provide the resources needed to test the effectiveness of harmonizing the WIC income guidelines, which are 185 percent of poverty guidelines, with the free school lunch guidelines, thereby eliminating the reduced-price meal category and expanding eligibility for free school meals. While this proposal wasn't included in the committee bill due to its cost and committee jurisdictional concerns, I would welcome the opportunity to keep working with you and see how we might accomplish the objective of the legislation.