Doug Lamborn

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin).

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for his words. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman).

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin for his remarks on Deuteronomy which contains, among others, the passages, the reciting of the Ten Commandments. I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Budd).

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his remarks. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Jody B. Hice).

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to inquire from the Speaker how much time is remaining.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank everyone who came here. I appreciate their great comments. Thousands of years ago, Isaiah said: ``The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.'' Civilizations have come and gone; people have come and gone; and generations have come and gone. Here we are in the year 2018 still celebrating, commemorating, and depending on the Bible, the Word of God. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4033) to reauthorize the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992.

Mr. LAMBORN. 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. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to sponsor H.R. 4033, the National Geologic Mapping Act Reauthorization Act. This commonsense measure will continue funding for advanced digital geologic maps in three-dimensional models by reauthorizing funding for the program through 2023. An identical companion bill, S. 1787, was introduced in the Senate by Senator Murkowski and has been favorably reported out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Geologic maps provide valuable information needed for identifying energy, mineral, and water resources, geologic and environmental hazards, unstable grounds subject to landslides, swelling soils, floodplains, and abandoned mine lands. With this knowledge, communities and citizens are able to plan for septic systems in rural areas, water treatment facilities, road construction and maintenance, home construction, and other infrastructure. The Geologic Mapping Act of 1992 established the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, or NCGMP. This program allows for coordination between the United States Geological Survey and the various state geological surveys, allowing for geologic maps to be produced efficiently and cost-effectively. The original authorizing act also created the National Geologic Database, which catalogs data on most geologic maps ever produced in the U.S., which to date has resulted in more than 100,000 products. Each State and Puerto Rico has an advisory committee and a review panel to analyze the effectiveness of these projects. More than 8,500 new geologic maps have been produced through the NCGMP, with an average of 350 new maps and reports created each year. That is about one a day. About 53 percent of the United States now has been mapped as a result. The benefits from this program have been felt by end users across the country. Geologic maps in Kentucky, for example, have assisted city planners, water systems developers, and producers of coal and other mineral resources. In Ohio, developers and engineers who used geologic maps were estimated to save an average of $50,000 on each project. In my home State of Colorado, this program resulted in the production of an advanced geologic map and companion report that showcased recreational and historical mining, leading to efficiency opportunities from Leadville to Salida. Reauthorizing the National Geologic Mapping Act through H.R. 4033 will continue to provide the economic and developmental benefits of geologic mapping, with effects enjoyed across the Nation. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and friend across the aisle, Mr. Brown, for his work on this bill. It was a good collaboration. I appreciate his remarks tonight, and I appreciate what he did. I look forward to working with him in the future. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5787) to amend the Coastal Barrier Resources Act to give effect to more accurate maps of units of the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System that were produced by digital mapping of such units, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. LAMBORN. 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. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5787, the Strengthening Coastal Communities Act of 2018, sponsored by our colleague from Florida, Congressman Neal Dunn. This legislation codifies modernized, digital maps under the Coastal Barrier Resources Act and was developed in a collaborative manner with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Members whose districts are impacted by the map revisions. Only those maps that received sign-off from the affected Members were included in this package. I thank Mr. Dunn, Ms. Blunt Rochester, and all who participated in this process for their hard work on this important issue. The Coastal Barrier Resources System has proven to be a win-win for the taxpayers and the environment since its enactment in 1982, saving the taxpayers billions of dollars by avoiding Federal investment in undeveloped storm- and flood-prone areas. H.R. 5787 will strengthen and update this system and allow its success to continue. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Dunn), who introduced the bill.

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

Mr. LAMBORN. 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. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5636) to designate additions to the Flatside Wilderness on the Ouachita National Forest, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. LAMBORN. 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. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5636 adds approximately 640 acres to the 9,500-acre Flatside Wilderness in the Ouachita National Forest. This land has been studied and recommended as an addition to the wilderness by the U.S. Forest Service. The bill also names the addition after Congressman Ed Bethune, who served the people of Arkansas from 1979 to 1985. This relatively minor change will establish more manageable wilderness boundaries, allowing the Forest Service to take better care of the land. Most importantly, this new wilderness designation has local support and support from the Arkansas delegation. Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague, Congressman French Hill, for introducing this legislation to benefit his district. I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill), who introduced the bill.

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

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6064) to rename the Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge as the Congressman Lester Wolff National Wildlife Refuge.

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

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 6064 would rename the Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge as the Lester Wolff National Wildlife Refuge in honor of the former Long Island North Shore Congressman. Elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1965, Congressman Wolff served eight terms representing the people of New York. During that time, he successfully pushed to create the Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge on the north shore of Long Island. It is both the largest refuge in the Long Island refuge complex and the most popular with visitors. Congressman Wolff has the distinction of being the oldest living former Member of Congress. To this day, he continues to host a weekly PBS show called ``Ask Congress,'' where he works to connect the American people with U.S. legislators. Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, we are prepared to close.