Doug Lamborn

Mr. LAMBORN

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

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Oregon, my good friend and colleague, Mr. Walden.

Mr. LAMBORN. I yield myself such time as I may consume. S. 270 will convey to the city of La Pine and Deschutes County, Oregon, 910 acres in three parcels and requires that the land be used only for purposes consistent with the Recreation and Public Purposes Act. The conveyances would be subject to valid existing rights and will address the city's and county's need for existing land. One parcel of 750 acres will be used by the county to accommodate the expansion of its wastewater treatment facilities. The county will also use 150 acres to develop rodeo grounds and allow for the future development of ball fields, parks, and recreation facilities. A parcel of 10 acres in the center of La Pine will continue to be used for the public library and additional open space use. Finally, the bill requires the county to pay all administrative costs associated with the transfer. I urge support for the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 271) to require the Secretary of Agriculture to enter into a property conveyance with the city of Wallowa, Oregon, and for other purposes.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my friend and colleague from Oregon (Mr. Walden).

Mr. LAMBORN. I, too, 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. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. S. 271 authorizes the conveyance of just over an acre of Forest Service land to the city of Wallowa, Oregon. The city originally donated this parcel to the Forest Service in 1936 to allow the Agency to construct a ranger station and other facilities. The site was used for many decades, but now sits vacant. A local nonprofit organization has proposed developing the facilities as an interpretive site. S. 271 would allow the Forest Service to convey the land back to the city for such development. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

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. LAMBORN. I would like to inquire if the gentleman from the Northern Marianas has any other speakers?

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3641) to establish Pinnacles National Park in the State of California as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes, as amended.

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 include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 4631 renames Pinnacles National Monument as Pinnacles National Park. Pinnacles was originally designated in 1908 by President Roosevelt under the authority of the Antiquities Act. However, under this legislation, it is not anticipated that management would change dramatically as the area is already considered a unit of the National Park Service. The Natural Resources Committee made important changes to H.R. 3641, allowing us to bring this to the floor today. For example, the committee removed a nearly 3,000-acre wilderness expansion and struck unnecessary land acquisition authority. With these changes, the goal of elevating recognition of the area as a national park is achieved without limiting access. With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMBORN. Likewise, 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. 4073) to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to accept the quitclaim, disclaimer, and relinquishment of a railroad right of way within and adjacent to Pike National Forest in El Paso County, Colorado, originally granted to the Mt. Manitou Park and Incline Railway Company pursuant to the Act of March 3, 1875, 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 materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. LAMBORN. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, today, I am happy to speak in support of my legislation, H.R. 4073, a bill to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to accept the quitclaim, disclaimer, and relinquishment of a railroad right-of- way within the Pike National Forest in my district. Originally granted to the Mt. Manitou Park and Incline Railway Company, the Incline Trail exists today as the roadbed to the former Mt. Manitou Scenic Incline Railway, which was a cable car that took people up the eastern face of Rocky Mountain, Pikes Peak, at an average grade of 40 percent, with some of the steepest sections at a grade of 68 percent. Today, it has become a popular hike for adventure seekers in the Pikes Peak region and is said to be hiked nearly half a million times each year, although access is still considered trespassing. A citizens' initiative began over 8 years ago to encourage making access to this popular trail legal. Although all parties are amenable, due to an act dated on March 3, 1875, the Forest Service has been unable to accept the quitclaim from the Manitou and Pikes Peak Railway. Recognizing this problem, the railway company came to me and asked that I carry this legislation to allow the Forest Service the authority to accept the quitclaim, which is the last major hurdle in allowing the Incline Trail to be legally opened for public use. Although several people have informally maintained the incline, no formal steps have been taken by any of the property owners to maintain the Incline since 1997. Legalizing access to the trail will allow the surrounding communities access to repair sections of the trail that are in poor condition and will make use safer for all hikers. It has been my pleasure to work with the interested parties in helping to gain legal access to this unique trail that I believe will be a wonderful addition to the region's trail inventory. I would like to thank the Forest Service and Senator Michael Bennett's office for their diligence in working with my office in this process. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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. 3706) to create the Office of Chief Financial Officer of the Government of the Virgin Islands, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 3706 would create the Office of Chief Financial Officer of the Government of the Virgin Islands to assist in the development of a balanced budget through a review of incoming revenues and recommend spending limits to the Governor and legislature. The intent behind the bill is to create more fiscal certainty and address concerns regarding the overestimation of incoming revenues, which leads to overspending and a budget deficit in the Virgin Islands. The bill would allow Virgin Islands voters to have the final say on the office. If they find this to be a successful process, they will vote in a referendum to determine if the office should be retained in the long term. I reserve the balance of my time.

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. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Representative Mike Coffman and Representative Ed Perlmutter for leading this time this morning. Mr. Speaker, the fact that the entire delegation--bipartisan delegation--is here is just a small reflection of how the people of Colorado are coming together and the people of Aurora are coming together after this senseless tragedy. We've heard a lot of stories of bravery, both on the parts of the first responders and the parts of everyday citizens. I want to tell a story of one of the victims. I'd like to share the story of Caleb Medley. Caleb is from the small town of Florence, just south of Colorado Springs. Today, Caleb lies in a medically induced coma after being shot in the face. In the days since that horrific shooting, his wife, Katie, has given birth to their first child, Hugo. Caleb spent his teen years in Florence; and after graduating from high school, he married his high school sweetheart, Katie. He went to work at a local grocery store. Like most people, he and Katie have big plans and dreams for their lives. From the time he was in eighth grade, Caleb has wanted to be a standup comedian. Katie wants to work in veterinarian medicine. The young couple moved to the Denver suburb of Aurora to pursue their dreams. On July 18, just 2 days before the shooting, Caleb appeared at the Comedy Works and did well enough to advance to the next round. And he and his wife, Katie, were looking forward to their baby's birth a few days later. But before little Hugo could be born, Caleb and Katie made the fateful decision to go out one last night before becoming parents. According to a Web site that Caleb's family has posted, the two stood anxiously in line that night. They spent too much on popcorn and soda. They endured the movie trailers, and they watched the beginning of the movie. That's when evil struck. Evil came to them through a man that opened fire in that movie theater. Katie and baby Hugo made it out uninjured, but Caleb was struck in the face by gunfire. Caleb has lost his right eye, has some brain damage, and doctors have put him in a medically induced coma. So, Mr. Speaker, I ask that the people of America would be praying for Caleb and his family. We are pulling for you, Caleb, and for all the victims of this senseless tragedy.