Jared Huffman

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. I am honored to rise in support of my first piece of legislation as a Member of Congress: H.R. 1411. This bill will add Mendocino's Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands to the California Coastal National Monument. Those of my colleagues who have visited the Mendocino coast appreciate the true unspoiled beauty of this region, and understand why it's so important to protect it for future generations. This bill will preserve a complex and fragile ecosystem on the Mendocino coast, approximately 130 miles north of San Francisco. It will serve as the first land-based addition to the California Coastal National Monument. It will also add 10 miles of connectivity to the California Coastal Trail. The Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands encompass 1,255 acres of pristine coastal wetlands, including habitat for several endangered species. The bill will also protect the Garcia River estuary and 2 miles of the Garcia River itself. This river is critical habitat for coho salmon and steelhead. In addition, we will maintain the existing ranching, recreation, and research uses of this land, preserving much of it as a sustainable working landscape. But safeguarding this national treasure isn't just good for the environment; it is also good for the economy. Environmental tourism is critical to the economy of the north coast of California, and expanding the Coastal National Monument will bring new visitors and new economic activity. Tourism is already the number one source of jobs on the Mendocino coast. We get close to 2 million annual visitors in the region, and that supports more than 5,000 jobs and generates more than $110 million in economic activity annually. The Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands are a perfect gateway for visitors to experience the California Coastal National Monument. That is one of the reasons why the effort to protect this amazing stretch of the Mendocino coast has such broad public support from State and local elected officials to the Manchester-Point Arena Band of Pomo Indians, conservation groups across the country, and business and civic leaders in the community. In addition, hundreds of individuals in this rural area have expressed their support by way of petition. My friend and predecessor in representing the north coast in Congress, Congressman Mike Thompson, initiated the effort to protect this area in the last Congress, and I am very pleased that he is joining me as a cosponsor of this bill. I am also very appreciative of the support of the chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, Chairman Doc Hastings, and also of the newest Member of our Senate and our former ranking Democrat, Ed Markey. In addition, I want to thank Chairman Bishop and Ranking Member Grijalva of the Public Lands Subcommittee for not only hearing the bill, but for inviting my constituent, Scott Schneider, who is president and CEO of Visit Mendocino, to come and testify in support of this legislation. This bill was reported by the Natural Resources Committee by unanimous consent, and I am grateful that we have come so far to preserve this iconic landscape. I look forward to continuing to work with the committee, with Senators Boxer and Feinstein, and with my colleagues to ensure that we fully and permanently protect this magnificent coastline. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1411, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands (Mr. Sablan).

Mr. HUFFMAN. I thank the gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands. Mr. Speaker, I would yield as much time as he may consume to my colleague, the gentleman from Monterey, California (Mr. Farr).

Mr. HUFFMAN. I thank the gentleman and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. HUFFMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, we agree, the Three Kids Mine is an abandoned manganese mine and mill site located in Henderson, Nevada. This bill designates the combined 314 acres of private land and 948 acres of public land as the 1,262-acre Three Kids Mine Project Site and provides for the conveyance of the public lands to the Henderson Redevelopment Agency. The bill requires that standard appraisal practices be used to determine the fair market value for the Federal lands to be conveyed. Once that determination has been made, the bill would require the Secretary of the Interior to determine the ``reasonable approximate estimation of the costs to assess, remediate, and reclaim the Three Kids Mine Project Site.'' That cost would then be deducted from the fair market value of the public land that has conveyed. The Henderson Redevelopment Agency would pay the adjusted fair market value of the conveyed land, if any, and the Federal Government would be released from any and all liabilities or claims. The BLM supports innovative proposals to address the cleanup of the Three Kids Mine, and we do not oppose this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. HUFFMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HUFFMAN. I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlelady from Nevada, Representative Titus.

Mr. HUFFMAN. I would tell the chairman I have no further speakers and am prepared to yield back if the chairman is prepared to close.

Mr. HUFFMAN. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks in strong opposition to the farm bill rule and the underlying bill because it hurts the working poor.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, after President Obama's historic announcement of his climate action plan 2 weeks ago, we returned home to our congressional districts for a week, and some of us saw record- high temperatures and drought. Others witnessed unseasonably heavy rainfall and tidal flooding. And yet this week we return to a House that's heading in the wrong direction. The Energy and Commerce Committee is debating a bill that would give the Department of Energy veto authority over EPA's public health rules. The Energy and Minerals Subcommittee spent yesterday in a hearing on the wonders of subsidized coal production. Fighting climate change is the biggest imperative of our time. The stakes are high, and ignoring it will not make the problem go away. President Obama's plan is a step in the right direction, and I'm encouraged that EPA is moving quickly on meaningful standards for power plants. Strong power plant standards are an imperative if we're going to avert the worst impacts of climate change. We've got a lot of work to do, Mr. Speaker, and it's time to get this House headed in the right direction on climate policy.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to recognize Mr. Dixon Long on the occasion of his 80th birthday on June 21, 2013. Mr. Long's many contributions as a board member and donor of the Strybing Arboretum in San Francisco, supporter of the Holden Arboretum in Mentor, Ohio, and supporter of the Trust for Public Land, have been a great benefit to our Nation's environment. In addition to his extensive involvement in these organizations, Dixon was also a professor of Political Science and dean of Western Reserve College, helping to educate the next generation of political thinkers and office holders. During his academic tenure, Mr. Long wrote extensively about the intersection of science, technology and public policy. Dixon's passion for writing moved beyond academia. He published a number of novels, short stories, and travel guides since returning to Mann County. His love of learning, passion for teaching, commitments to public engagement, and preserving the environment are worthy of commendation. Please join me in expressing deep appreciation to Mr. Dixon Long for his long and impressive career, and exceptional record of service.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise with my colleague Mike Thompson to honor Martin James (Marty) Lombardi, an outstanding human being, committed youth advocate, consummate civic leader, and a model community banker. A native of San Francisco, Marty was born of immigrant parents from Malaga, Spain, and Luca, Italy. A graduate of St. Mary's College, he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics before moving to the northern California town of Ukiah in 1975. Exemplary as the consummate small town banker, Marty Lombardi earned the respect of home buyers as well as business leaders, small and large. During his tenure at the Savings Bank of Mendocino County where he is Senior Vice President, Marty has been a forward thinker supporting projects with far reaching beneficial effects. Marty served as President of the California Independent Bankers and the Community Bankers of California and as chair of the Mendocino County Workforce Investment Board. He was President of the Ukiah Education Foundation and served on the Boards of Directors for the Ukiah Valley Medical Center; American Red Cross: Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake Counties Chapter; Mendocino County Public Safety Foundation; both Ukiah High and Mendocino Community College Mathematics, Engineer, Science Achievement (MESA) Board; Mendocino Community College Bond Oversight; Mendocino Winegrowers Foundation; United Way: Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake and Humboldt Counties Chapter; Tapestry (Foster Care); Ukiah Chamber of Commerce; Ukiah-Boys and Girls Club; and Nuestra Casa. He has been a visionary who established the Mendocino Agricultural Families Scholarship, spearheaded the Ukiah Valley Cultural & Recreational Center, and was on the steering committee for Leadership Mendocino. Marty, who is retiring as a banker, is regarded for his ``kind and loving heart'' by his family including his wife Kathleen, their six children, and by our extended local community and the hundreds of students who benefitted from his counsel. The residents of California's Second and Fifth District are better off today thanks to the work of Marty Lombardi, and it is appropriate that we honor him as an energetic, gregarious, forward thinking and optimistic civic leader. He is a mentor to many and a model for all.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, because of climate change, we're facing stronger and more destructive storms and natural disasters than at any other time in American history. And at the same time, the sequester is slashing funding for the agencies that are critical to helping our communities protect, adapt, and rebuild. NOAA will lose $271 million in funding this year, and that includes $50 million for the geostationary weather satellite program. That's the program that provides continuous monitoring for severe weather. So less than a year after Hurricane Sandy, a month after the devastating tornadoes in Oklahoma, we're cutting the agency responsible for forecasting and monitoring severe weather. But it's not just severe weather disasters on our shores that threaten American communities. My congressional district has seen debris from the 2011 Japanese tsunami wash up on our shores, and our regional economy is inextricably linked to the health of our oceans, which are jeopardized by climate change. Our planet is warming. We're beginning to feel major impacts, and it will only get worse unless we act to protect our climate.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize John Records, who is transitioning from his position as Executive Director of the Committee on the Shelterless (COTS) after 21 years of tireless work providing services for the homeless and at-risk in Petaluma, California. Since he joined the staff of COTS in 1998, John has provided the vision and management that has enabled COTS to serve more than 20,000 people with a wide range of services, including food, shelter, counseling and career coaching. John is a national leader in taking a comprehensive approach to ending and preventing homelessness by providing services for the whole person. Through a partnership with the University of New York at Albany School of Social Welfare, John has enabled organizations across the country to learn from the COTS approach to serving its customers. John has helped make Petaluma a welcoming community that supports its residents throughout times of need and crisis. The residents of California's Second District are better off today thanks to the work of John Records. As he moves on, I want to express my deep appreciation for his dedication and contributions to the people of Sonoma County, and convey my best wishes for a long and happy future.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise with my colleague Representative Mike Thompson to recognize Dr. Carroll L. Estes, PhD, on the occasion of her 75th birthday on May 30, 2013. Dr. Estes's many contributions as a distinguished scholar, inspiring teacher, influential policy advisor, institution builder, and advocate for the most vulnerable in our community have benefitted many community members throughout the Second Congressional District, the State of California, and the Nation. Over her 40 year career, Dr. Estes has been passionately devoted to improving the health and economic security of vulnerable and underserved populations, with special concern for women, older persons, and ethnic and racial minorities. Through research, teaching, and public service, she has steadfastly worked to advance the public good and the interests of America's most powerless and disenfranchised populations. Fittingly, Dr. Estes was recently honored at a symposium celebrating her 40 years of policy research and leadership in health and aging. Dr. Estes's service extends far beyond academia. She is a long-time member of many advocacy organizations, including the Gray Panthers, Responsible Wealth, and the Older Women's League. In 2006, Dr. Estes received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, where she is currently vice chair. She is also a current member of the Sonoma County Council on Aging. Please join us in expressing deep appreciation to Dr. Carroll Estes for her long and impressive career, and her exceptional record of service.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. I thank the gentleman. What a wonderful bill if you happen to be the Canadian oil company that reaps all the benefits, but it comes at the expense of the American economy and the global environment. We should reject this bill out of hand. This sweetheart deal approves the northern route of the Keystone XL pipeline and exempts it from the rigorous public analysis and scientific standards that American companies are held to, including the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, among others. Bear in mind that tar sands oil is already exempt from paying into the trust fund that covers oil spill cleanup. So with this bill, my colleagues are saying we should have no front- end environmental protection for this project and no backstop funding for when things go wrong--and things will go wrong. You just have to look at what happened at the Mayflower, Arkansas, spill a month ago. When that happens, American taxpayers are going to be on the hook for cleanup, and where is the offset for that? Meanwhile, TransCanada, the Canadian corporation proposing to build this pipeline, is on record before the Canadian energy board as saying that this project will increase the price of oil in the United States. So let's be very clear about what we are doing. This House is considering a bill to cut corners for a foreign corporation to transport dirty fuel and raise gas prices for Americans. Why would we spend our time on this? Well, we're told it's about jobs, but the fact is we don't even know how many jobs this pipeline project will create. The estimates are all over the map. You could believe Fox News, which says it will create a million jobs, or TransCanada, which says around 13,000 construction jobs, or the State Department, which says it will directly create fewer than 4,000 jobs, and fewer than three dozen of those will be permanent jobs. We don't even know the massive security risks and security costs that this project will foist upon the American taxpayers. At a minimum, we should approve the Connolly amendment to, at the very least, generate a threat assessment if this bill is to move forward. This bill, colleagues, is a betrayal of our priorities as Members of the United States Congress.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, we are in dangerous and uncharted territory. At 400 parts per million, there is now more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than at any time in the past 3 million years. Now here in the United States, more than a quarter of our greenhouse gas emissions come from the transportation sector, so it's urgent that we make our cars and trucks cleaner, but also that we invest in clean modes of transportation, such as rail. Saturday was National Train Day, which celebrates the rail networks that efficiently move freight and passengers across our country and reduce the number of cars on our roads. In California, we're building high-speed rail with renewable energy. When complete, it will move millions of people far more quickly, cleanly, and efficiently than we do today. And in the North Bay, we're connecting Sonoma and Marin Counties with 70 miles of rail, meaning 1.4 million fewer car trips along Highway 101. Investments in rail at the national scale can increase efficiency, reduce traffic, and fight climate change. It's time for Congress to get ``all aboard'' with this climate solution.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose the impossibly misnamed Full Faith and Credit Act, a bill which would actually make a mockery of our country's full faith and credit. It prepares our country for default by prioritizing payments to Wall Street and foreign governments over nearly every other national obligation. We've seen the disastrous effects on our credit rating, our stock market, and our economic recovery when Congress plays political games with the debt ceiling, but here we go again. Why would my colleagues across the aisle prioritize paying the Chinese Government over paying our troops in Afghanistan? What about air traffic controllers, FBI investigators, disabled veterans, small businesses who contract with the government, doctors who treat Medicare patients? This bill says it's okay to stiff all of them, as long as Chinese bondholders are paid in full. Mr. Speaker, it's time to move forward with House-Senate negotiations on a final budget resolution that strengthens the economy and avoids default. That's what we've been asking Speaker Boehner to do. Instead of taking that responsible step, we are here today considering a bill that will take us closer to the brink of economic chaos. For the sake of American workers and businesses, I urge my colleagues to reject this dangerous bill.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, on Friday, April 26, 2013, I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall votes numbers 125-128. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: Rollcall No. 125: ``yea'' (On motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 1765, Reducing Flight Delays Act), but we must do more to avert the sequester's impacts to all Americans. Rollcall No. 126: ``nay'' (On Agreeing to the Amendment to H.R. 527, Dent of Pennsylvania amendment No. 2). Rollcall No. 127: ``yea'' (On Motion to Recommit with Instructions, to amend the Helium Act to complete the privatization of the Federal helium reserve in a competitive market fashion that ensures stability in the helium markets while protecting the interests of American taxpayers, and for other purposes). Rollcall No. 128: ``yea'' (On passage of H.R. 527, to amend the Helium Act to complete the privatization of the Federal helium reserve in a competitive market fashion that ensures stability in the helium markets while protecting the interests of American taxpayers, and for other purposes).

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, across this country, we are seeing the ruinous effects of climate change, from more powerful storms in the East, to persistent drought and catastrophic wildfires in the West. We are not powerless in the face of this threat. We know what we have to do: slow our emissions of greenhouse gases, deploy clean energy solutions. But we also must do another thing. We must manage our forest lands to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem. Healthy forests can actually help remove carbon dioxide from the environment, from the atmosphere. We sometimes hear about technologies that, in the future, may be able to do this, may be able to capture and store carbon dioxide; but we have natural infrastructure that can do it right now. And a great example of that is from my own district in California, the Pacific Forest Trust. They've been working for over 20 years with landowners, as well as local, State and Federal officials, to conserve and manage forests to capture carbon. Their work with forest conservation easements is paying off for wildlife, for landowners, and also for our climate. Their Van Eck forest in Humboldt County was the first forest emissions reduction project registered under California's climate change law.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, tonight many of my colleagues will be participating in a special order in observance of Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israel's Independence Day. I want to join them in celebration and wish the Israeli people a very happy and blessed 65 years of independence. The road traveled by the people of Israel required extraordinary and unimaginable sacrifice. And still this struggle continues every day for Jewish people in countries across the world. I am proud to stand with Israel and continue our nation's support of democracy and peace in the Middle East. A personal hero of mine, President Truman, bonded our countries together when he made the United States the first nation to recognize the State of Israel. Since that time we've worked together to promote peace in the region and stand up to threats and acts of aggression. Today Israel faces new challenges and uncertainty. But by acting together the United States and Israel can--and will--overcome. Again, I would like to offer my sincere congratulations to Israel on its 65th year of independence, and my hope that we will continue to strive towards a stable and peaceful Middle East and North Africa.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to recognize the 150th anniversary of Fireman's Fund Insurance Company, which was established in the city of San Francisco in 1863, and which is now headquartered in my Congressional District in Novato, California. A celebration of this important milestone will be taking place on April 4th at the Old San Francisco Mint. Fireman's Fund has been one of the nation's premier insurance companies, protecting the future for individuals, families, and businesses. Its own history parallels that of both this state and country. Fireman's Fund has insured the construction of national landmarks including the Hoover Dam, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis. It survived the Chicago Fire of 1871 and the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, playing a critical role in rebuilding after the devastation. The company was also there when it mattered for many displaced people after the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989. This company is a true innovator--the first insurance provider to write a standing grain policy in the U.S., the first carrier to offer nationwide automobile insurance and standardized homeowners insurance, and the first company to add ''green'' insurance to their offerings for homes and businesses. The Fireman's Fund name, which is heralded in California, emanates from the founder's arrangement to pay 10 percent of the company's profits to support the widows and orphans of firefighters who died in the line of duty. That tradition continues today through the company's Heritage Program ', providing fire departments throughout the nation with life-saving equipment and training. Working in combination with its employees, agents and brokers, the company has distributed more than $30 million to support firefighters for safer communities since 2004. The company has also been a benefactor of numerous charities in the San Francisco Bay Area and its generosity has added tremendously to the vitality of our communities. More than 1,200 Californians work for Fireman's Fund, with the majority of them residing in my own Congressional District. They are not only dedicated professionals who partner with agents and brokers to provide high quality insurance services, but many spend countless hours engaged in volunteer work for a variety of causes. I look forward to being at the 150th Anniversary Celebration of Fireman's Fund on April 4th. It is a great company with outstanding people and it remains one of California's most enduring financial institutions. Given the time of rapid change in which we live, it is comforting to know that companies like Fireman's Fund still endure, and I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing them well with the hope that they will still be with us for another 150 years.

Mr. HUFFMAN

Mr. HUFFMAN. I rise to oppose the Republican budget for a very fundamental reason: it would be devastating to the health and well- being of America's seniors. This budget raises seniors' costs for preventive services; it reduces access to nursing home care; and it reopens the Medicare prescription drug doughnut hole, which means that, for seniors with high prescription drug costs, they could end up paying on average $13,000 more over the next 10 years. The Republican budget also tries, once again, to end the guarantee of affordable coverage under Medicare by converting that program into a private sector voucher that will not keep up with costs; and that's going to leave seniors, who are on fixed incomes, holding the bag. The Republican study group budget is even worse. It forces chained CPI on Social Security. What ``chained CPI'' means is, quite simply, reduced benefits for seniors who've paid into the system, earned those benefits, need them, and are counting on them. Mr. Chairman, I cannot vote for a budget that protects billions of dollars in special interest tax breaks for the wealthy and for the most powerful corporate interests while reducing benefits for seniors and shredding the social safety net. My 83-year-old mom is like millions of seniors around this country. She did her part by working hard all her life, paying into the system, paying her taxes; and when she retired, she counted on a guarantee that her government would honor its end of the bargain. I intend to make sure that it does. We can reduce the deficit without forcing extra costs on the middle class, seniors and the most vulnerable in our society, and that's why I'm supporting the Democratic budget alternatives, which do four essential things: One, they honor our commitment to seniors; two, they focus on jobs and economic growth, which is a far better way to balance our budget; three, they maintain our safety net; finally, fourth, they keep us on the path of health care reform, which is going to bend the costs that are creating these problems.