Doug Lamborn

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert).

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Major General Daniel L. York for his thirty-six years of distinguished service to a grateful nation. His tremendous leadership and commitment to excellence reflect the highest standards of our nation's military. MG York's steadfast devotion to our Creator and the Christian faith during his many years in the United States Army have surely left an enduring testimony with his family, friends and all who shared in his military career. I am very proud to be his friend and brother in Christ and I wish him many blessings in retirement. Major General York most recently served as the North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command Special Assistant to the Commander for Reserve Matters. As an Army Reservist, he has over thirty years of service commanding at the company, battalion, brigade, and division level. He earned the coveted Ranger Tab, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Jungle Expert Badge, Rappel Master, and Expert Infantryman Badge. Major General York graduated from West Point with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering and a Masters of Divinity from Bethel (West) Seminary and a Masters of Strategic Studies degree from the U.S. Army War College. As a civilian leader in his community, Major General York serves as the Director of First Cause, an International Leadership Development NGO he created in 2000, active in six countries. He is also a Senior Advisor for Thayer Leader Development Group at West Point. In 2012 he founded VetREST a non-profit created to help Veterans with Post Traumatic Stress (PTS). He serves as the Board Chairman for VetREST and is helping the organization establish chapters nationwide. Major General York also started and pastored three churches and speaks both nationally and internationally on leadership and related topics. Major General York is married to the former Kathleen Hardy and they have three children and three grandchildren.

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor three heroes in the Colorado State Patrol. Colorado State Patrol Deputy Chief Mark Savage, Patrol Sergeant Todd James, and Trooper Jeffrey Chmielewski selflessly and heroically acted quickly to save the life of Homeland Security Investigations Resident Agent in Charge Michael Flanagan. On May 3, 2017, RAC Flanagan and the CSP Troopers were mountain biking, off duty, in Fruita, Colorado. After a day of riding, the group went to dinner at a local restaurant. During the dinner, RAC Flanagan stated he didn't feel well and suddenly lost consciousness. Thinking that RAC Flanagan may be having an asthma attack, Sergeant James ran out to the vehicle to retrieve RAC Flanagan's asthma inhaler. While Sergeant James was retrieving the inhaler outside of the restaurant, Deputy Chief Savage and Trooper Chmielewski ascertained that RAC Flanagan had no pulse and was not breathing. Relying on their training, the troopers immediately began chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on RAC Flanagan. Sergeant James returned from the vehicle and took over chest compressions while Deputy Chief Savage called 911. It is estimated that RAC Flanagan had no pulse for approximately six minutes and, upon their arrival, Lower Valley Fire Department paramedics had to use a defibrillator multiple times, to restart RAC Flanagan's heart. The paramedics transported RAC Flanagan to a local hospital, where he was admitted to the ICU for repair to a damaged cardiac artery. RAC Flanagan stayed in the hospital for several days, made a full recovery, and is currently back to work on full duty status. The medical team stated that RAC Flanagan would not have survived without the quick-thinking action steps taken by the Troopers. I know that I speak for the family, friends, and loved ones of Michael Flanagan when I offer deep and profound thanks to Mark Savage, Todd James, and Jeffrey Chmielewski. These heroes represent the best that Colorado has to offer and I am so pleased to honor them today.

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Chair, I thank Chairman Thornberry for yielding and for his great work leading us on the NDAA. I would like to address two amendments that are coming up in en bloc packages. First of all, on Iran, my amendment to the NDAA, No. 361, requires the President, along with various agencies, to provide the House with a report regarding Iran's use of commercial aircraft for illicit activities. I am doing this with Representative Roskam. Diligent research from think tanks, such as the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the American Enterprise Institute, have demonstrated the need for the intelligence community to provide Congress with a report of their activities. In total, Iran Air, Mahan Air, Pouya Air, Cham Wings Airlines, and the Iranian Air Force operated at least 404 flights from Iran to Syria since the Iran nuclear deal was adopted on July 14, 2015. Now, this report does not block the sale of commercial aircraft to Iran, but asks the intelligence community to take a serious look at these sales so Congress can determine if they should continue. The other amendment I would like to address, Mr. Chairman, is No. 364 on boost-phase missile defense. Mr. Chair, I thank Chairman Thornberry for including this amendment, which was cosponsored by Mr. Kinzinger, Mr. Hunter, Mr. Franks, and Mr. Wilson from South Carolina, to advance boost-phase missile defense programs. As you know, ballistic missiles are at their most defenseless when they are in their boost phase, the initial phase of flight. They are at their slowest, and they have not yet deployed decoys and countermeasures that would make it more difficult to shoot them down in later phases of flight. This amendment will make Americans safer as we move towards advancing this absolutely critical technology.

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The goal of this amendment is simple: given the rising nuclear and ballistic missile threat from North Korea and Iran, we have a renewed urgency to do everything we can to make sure that the Missile Defense Agency goes as fast and as far as possible. This includes cutting unnecessary bureaucracy. This amendment would normalize the operational test and evaluation process for our ballistic missile defense system, simply treating it like every other major weapons system that we have. This amendment fixes an outdated bureaucratic requirement which requires the Secretary of Defense, himself, to guarantee in advance a system will work before it can even be bought. This is such a high bar, we don't use it anywhere else. Under this amendment, we will still have a robust, rigorous testing program, without the Secretary of Defense needing to get personally involved. The Director of OT&E, which is the Pentagon's testing office, would still be required by law to evaluate and approve testing plans, analyze and evaluate testing results, and publish an annual public report with this information. Congress and the Secretary of Defense will still have the power to say no. The difference is MDA won't have needless obstacles to prevent them from moving forward. Let's free the Missile Defense Agency and unshackle it so it can better do its vital job of protecting us from missile attack. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Chairman, if there is any evidence that MDA or DOD does not favor this amendment, I sure haven't seen it, and I would like to see that produced so I could see that. At this point, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Rogers), my friend and colleague, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces.

Mr. LAMBORN. How much time does each side have?

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cooper), my colleague. He is very sincere in what he says. I believe we have so many checks and balances that we will not be buying things that don't work. But, we need to unshackle MDA so they can get their job done faster and better than they can right now. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Chair, as my colleagues know, just one successful ballistic missile attack on U.S. territory or forward deployed forces or allies would carry an enormous cost of life and treasure. I am pleased that we are finally making some real progress in this bill at funding missile defense programs that have been underfunded for years. General John Hyten, who is in charge of missile defense, said recently: ``What really worries me the most is I'm worried that our Nation won't be able to go fast enough to keep up with our adversaries anymore.'' He argues that we need to empower our engineers with the authority and responsibility so they can go faster. We have the greatest minds at the Missile Defense Agency. They are motivated people that serve our country every day when they come into work. We just need to let them do their job. But we must not let outdated, duplicative bureaucratic requirements keep us from defending ourselves from ballistic missile threats. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, which would free the Missile Defense Agency to move faster to defend us from future threats. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Cook), a valuable member of the Committee on Natural Resources, for yielding. Mr. Speaker, today, we are here to consider a bill that aims to remove barriers to improve our Nation's water and power infrastructure. Just last Thursday, the House passed a bill designating the Bureau of Reclamation as the lead agency when it comes to permitting new and expanded water storage projects. Today, the bill before us seeks to clear up regulatory confusion over the development of new pumped storage hydropower. Hydropower can and should be part of an all-of-the-above energy strategy now and well into the future. It is a reliable and emissions- free source of electricity that accounts for a majority of the Nation's total renewable electricity generation. In my home State of Colorado, we have over 60 operating hydropower facilities that generate more than 1,100 megawatts, including new projects such as Carter Lake, South Canal, and Ridgway Reservoir. However, as is the case nationwide, there is potential for new hydropower generation in Colorado. My bill, the Bureau of Reclamation Pumped Storage Hydropower Development Act, H.R. 1967, looks to pave the way for additional clean hydropower generation by clearing up regulatory permitting confusion at existing Bureau of Reclamation facilities. We worked with our colleague from central Washington State, Mr. Newhouse, on this bill. His interest stems from a real-life example of where it is unclear whether the Bureau of Reclamation or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission have permitting jurisdiction on pumped storage hydropower projects at the Columbia Basin Project. The project's proponents want to build a project that pumps water to and from two of the project's reservoirs for hydroelectric generation. But because of potential dual permitting requirements, there have been serious delays in bringing this potential 500 megawatt project online. Similar to a public law authored in 2013 by our committee colleague and fellow Coloradan, Scott Tipton, that cleared up confusion on the Bureau of Reclamation's pipes and canals, my bill makes it clear that the Bureau of Reclamation is the lead agency that will oversee pumped storage development for projects exclusively utilizing the agency's facilities. The regulatory clarification in my bill will help pave the way for more pumped storage by incentivizing developers who will, in turn, pay the American taxpayers for the use of Federal facilities. In a hearing earlier this spring of the Water, Power, and Oceans Subcommittee, which I chair, even our friends on the other side of the aisle agreed that we should be doing all we can to incentivize clean, renewable hydropower generation at existing Federal facilities. That is why this bill was passed by the House Natural Resources Committee by unanimous consent in April. I urge my House colleagues to join me in promoting clean, renewable hydropower generation as part of our Nation's all-of-the-above energy strategy by supporting this bill, the Bureau of Reclamation Pumped Storage Hydropower Development Act.

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Focus on the Family, a vital American institution dedicated to preserving one of the country's most foundational pillars: the family. While I cannot attend today's celebration in person, I am grateful that my good friend, Vice President Mike Pence, is in Colorado Springs to mark this wonderful occasion. It would be impossible to fully quantify the impact Focus on the Family has had in our own Nation and across the world. Thousands of marriages have been revived, children have been lovingly discipled, and families have been reunited and strengthened. Perhaps most important are the 382,000 lives saved through Focus on the Family's Option Ultrasound program, which helps mothers choose life when faced with unexpected pregnancies. Those 382,000 lives and, indeed, our entire Nation owe you a debt of gratitude. So to founder Dr. James Dobson, Jim Daly, and the staff of Focus on the Family, I say, ``Well, done,'' and offer you my sincere congratulations.

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Today, the House meets for the second day in a row to consider another infrastructure bill that has come from the House Natural Resources Committee and its Subcommittee on Water, Power, and Oceans, of which I have the honor of chairing. My subcommittee has a strong infrastructure agenda, already hearing testimony on a number of bills aimed at improving our Nation's infrastructure and advancing an all-of- the-above energy and water strategy. Many of our bills, including H.R. 1654, which we are considering today, apply simple solutions to expedite maintenance or construction of water and power infrastructure throughout the Nation. It is vital to rebuild our Nation's infrastructure, and one of the biggest roadblocks is the excess of regulatory red tape that applicants have to wade through before they can even move one shovel of dirt. In Colorado, where I live, a water project was recently completed where water owned by the city of Colorado Springs was taken from a reservoir 60 miles to the south to the city of Colorado Springs for treatment and distribution. The project took 6 years to build. But before that could happen, there were over 200 permits and applications that had to be granted, any one of which could have stopped the whole thing, and that cost $160 million in application fees, lawyers' time, and mitigation. That took 8 years. That took longer than the project itself. Congressman Tom McClintock's Water Supply Permitting Coordination Act seeks to cut regulatory red tape by creating a one-stop-shop permitting process to the Bureau of Reclamation in order to streamline the current multiagency permitting processes for new or expanded non- Federal surface storage facilities. However, this bill is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Mr. McClintock's bill allows water storage project sponsors the flexibility to opt out of this process and, instead, choose the agency and process that works best for them. While the Water Supply Permitting Coordination Act will allow for much-needed relief in the sponsor's State of California, this bill will benefit States throughout the West, including my own State of Colorado. Mr. McClintock's bill goes hand-in-hand with language in the WIIN Act, which was signed into law last year, that supports additional water storage capacity across the West. I commend my colleague, Mr. McClintock, for bringing up this commonsense piece of legislation that simply looks to cut regulatory red tape for water storage projects that are essential to survival in the West. Mr. Chair, I urge all of my House colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Chairman, I am very pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from the great State of California (Mr. McCarthy), our majority leader.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the bill.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time. As I close, I do want to point out a bit of circular reasoning that my friend from California is using. He says that it is not the environmental regulations or the red tape that slows down the construction of dams, it is the high cost. But what he doesn't recognize or is not willing to admit is that the high cost is caused by all the red tape and environmental regulations. So that is arguing in circles, and I don't accept that. Again, I commend the bill's sponsor for this bill that looks to promote additional and much-needed water storage throughout the West. Mr. Chair, I urge the passage of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from California.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Gosar), who is also a subcommittee chairman on the Committee on Natural Resources.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Chair, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock).

Mr. LAMBORN. We support the amendment. It improves the bill by expanding opportunities for increased water storage across the West. I urge its adoption.

Mr. LAMBORN. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from the Centennial State of Colorado (Mr. Tipton).

Mr. LAMBORN. I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from California.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from the California (Mr. Rohrabacher).

Mr. LAMBORN

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Focus on the Family, a vital American institution dedicated to preserving one of our country's most foundational pillars--the family. Forty years ago, there were dire warning signs of the erosion of the family and the Judeo-Christian roots that have brought such benefit and blessing to the United States of America, and to the entire world. Dr. James Dobson saw these threats and could not ignore them. In Psalm 11:3, King David asks, ``When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?'' That question has been viewed by some as a lament--a rhetorical question that signals defeat or resignation. But others take it as a rallying cry--to weigh that question, to search one's heart, and to resolve to do something about the foundations that are being destroyed. It was in this spirit that Dr. James Dobson founded Focus on the Family. Instead of retreating or shrugging off the problem to the next generation, Focus on the Family has proven what the righteous can truly do. Under the vision and leadership of Dr. Dobson and more recently Jim Daly, by the grace of God, incredible things have been accomplished to preserve, promote, and protect the family. It would be impossible to quantify the full impact that Focus on the Family has had in our own nation as well as across the world. We do know that thousands of marriages have been revived, prodigal sons and daughters have been brought home, life changes have been successfully navigated, young adults have been equipped, children have been lovingly discipled, and families have been encouraged and strengthened. I do want to highlight a significant impact that can be quantified. Through Focus on the Family's Option Ultrasound, over 720 grants have been awarded to pregnancy centers to purchase ultrasound machines. As a direct result, over 382,000 lives have been saved by mothers choosing life over abortion. In Colorado Springs, our local pregnancy centers have benefitted greatly from the generosity of Focus on the Family. Many of the materials given to women facing unexpected pregnancies come from Focus. In fact, since Life Network obtained its very first ultrasound machine through Focus on the Family, over 2000 women who have seen their babies on ultrasounds have chosen life. What an incalculable, multi- generational blessing. Although Focus on the Family was founded in California, we are glad that they saw the light and relocated to Colorado Springs when they did in 1991. I wonder for how many children around the country--even the world--their first knowledge of Colorado Springs is through Adventures in Odyssey. It is truly a privilege to celebrate with Focus on the Family on the occasion of their 40th anniversary. Focus on the Family has fortified our families and our country, and for that, I am truly grateful.