Doug LaMalfa

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, today there is an estimated 11 million Americans working for small businesses who lack employer-sponsored health insurance. The reality is that families across the country are struggling to afford coverage; they are priced out of plans and left with few options. Last week, President Trump's Department of Labor proposed a rule to help these 11 million Americans, a move deserving of ample support. The rule would enhance the market leverage of small groups, as well as individuals, by giving associations a meaningful role on the same playing field large corporations enjoy. For example, a farmer will be able to buy insurance through the national Farm Bureau plan, or a restaurant manager could let his employees buy insurance through the National Restaurant Association. Association plans are able to reduce costs by sharing risks in a larger pool, allowing flexibility to design plans to meet workers' needs, increasing negotiating power to lower prices with providers or drug prices. It is not a complete fix for ObamaCare, but it is certainly a big leap in the right direction, allowing workers that are in small businesses to have more choices, better than what they have now.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in light of the passage of once-in-a-lifetime, once-in-a-generation tax relief for millions of middle-income families, including the vast majority in my district. Some, however, are not satisfied with cutting taxes for every income level and are unnerved at the thought of seeing more money in their own monthly paycheck. I am here to tell those people today that there is a very simple solution to their problem. As you can see here--outlined on page 92 of the IRS handbook, those individuals who feel right now that they are undertaxed and want to pay more of their income to the U.S. Government can do exactly that. When filing their income tax return, one can simply include a check payable to the Bureau of the Fiscal Service. The best part is they can help pay down the debt without raising taxes on everyone else--America's hardworking families who deserve a tax break. So just a reminder, no one is stopping those who are feeling undertaxed from paying as much additional money to the government that they would like. I am sure Uncle Sam would appreciate the Christmas present. So don't complain about what your neighbor is paying. If you are feeling guilty about it, when you have the opportunity, feel free. Send it in.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share the story of one of my constituents who has been severely impacted by the rising costs under the Affordable Care Act. Mr. Watts, from Chico, California, was recently notified by his insurer that his health coverage will shut down at the end of the year. In its place, he was offered another plan that ``may meet his needs'' and that he will be automatically enrolled. That is right. They just sign him up for one. The problem is, this plan, which covers an adult and two teens, sees his monthly premium skyrocket to $2,067 per month, an increase of $831. That is a huge increase, 67 percent, costing him upwards of $9,900 per year in new costs, bringing his total costs for health insurance to nearly $25,000 per year. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Watts is no longer able to afford his insurance, and many in Northern California and across the country currently find themselves in the same position. Sadly, my office staff and I have heard this story countless times. Many in my district were pretty happy with their insurance before ObamaCare, and now, under the individual mandate, they are forced to pay for insurance they can't afford. But with the repeal of the individual mandate, as in H.R. 1, which passed today, individuals like Mr. Watts are not punished for failing to purchase unaffordable insurance. Instead, we will seek to allow affordable choices for Americans to choose themselves.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to offer a hearty congratulations to the Shasta High School Wolves of Redding, California, for their football championship this year. They won the north section. They won the Northern California Championship and made their first ever visit to the California State Championship, where they played down in southern California over the weekend. Though they came up a little bit short, they did have an early lead in that game after all that travel. So, indeed, congratulations to that program at Shasta High School and to the Wolves of Redding, California. It is teamwork that really makes this happen, and that is exemplified by the north State's leading rusher, Vince Smith, when he was quoted: ``The thing that was different about this season was that we actually really cared about each other and we were family. Every play, we'd use our hearts and fight for each other.'' That is teamwork. That is the spirit. Congratulations, Shasta High School Wolves.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, today I wish to commemorate Bill of Rights Day. Initially, this was passed by Congress in August of 1941 as a joint resolution, signed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt on November 27, 1941, where, in his words: ``I . . . do hereby designate December 15, 1941, as Bill of Rights Day. And I call upon the officials of the government, and upon the people of the United States, to observe the day by displaying the flag of the United States on public buildings and by meeting together for such prayers and such ceremonies as may seem to them appropriate.'' The Bill of Rights was first introduced by James Madison, who later became the fourth President. Initially, 12 amendments were proposed. Two were not ratified. One did become ratified later on in compensation of Congress in 1992. There were 14 original copies produced of the Bill of Rights at the time, one for each of the 13 States and one for the National Archives. Twelve of them survive today. When Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed that proclamation on December 15, 1941, he had no way of knowing what was coming. Just 9 days later, those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them. They come in time to take these rights for granted and to assume their protection is assured. We, however, have seen these privileges lost in other continents and other countries. Indeed, prescient words for the time.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, it is amazing that there was 25 percent more tree death this past spring and summer after near record precipitation last winter. We are seeing the beetle kill and the tree die-off at amazing rates. You can see the forests that are devastated in the West each year. They aren't necessarily all forested areas, but you see what the effects look like in communities on the east side of the State and in the north. The devastation must end. We must manage our forests. We have, again, the beetle kill. We have trees dying off. There are billions of board feet of trees dying off that are assets of the American people. We should have our forests managed so they are sustainable, healthy, and good for the wildlife. We need action taken by the USDA and the U.S. Forest Service. We are meeting with those folks to try to get a new direction. Under the previous administration, we got a lot of talk and a lot of smoke. We need action that is going to be positive so that the West doesn't have to burn every year, leaving negative effects to air quality and the economy.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on the issue of FCC Chairman Pai's Restoring Internet Freedom Order. The narrative out there is that this decision by the FCC will destroy the internet as we know it. I am here to say that simply is not true. The internet was free and open before the Obama administration implemented heavy-handed regulations in 2015, and it will continue to be free and open after these confusing regulations are repealed. Chairman Pai's plan would simply roll back these regulations that stifle innovation and broadband investment. There are over 4,000 internet providers in this Nation. Do we want more to join or not? From 1996 to 2015, a light-touch regulatory approach to the internet preserved the free market and private investment soared to the tune of $1.5 trillion. This created the communications infrastructure we have in the United States today and opened the door for entrepreneurs to make America's internet economy the best in the world, not by using 1934 regulations that probably regulated telegraphs. This decision will not take away anyone's privacy or hinder their access to the internet. Instead, it will stop the confusion between two governing bodies: the FCC trying to get in on the action of the Federal Trade Commission, which has always governed internet privacy. This levels the playing field and keeps competition, instead of the censorship we are seeing on the internet by very few providers. I think this opens the door back up for these wrong-headed regulations of 2015, and gives us all more choices.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Taylor Force Act, offered by my colleague from Colorado (Mr. Lamborn). This bill is named after Taylor Force, who was killed in Tel Aviv last year by a Palestinian terrorist wielding a knife. As part of the Palestinian Authority's ``pay-to-slay'' policy in which families of terrorists are rewarded for murdering Americans and Israelis, relatives of Force's killer now receive a $400 monthly stipend. The average monthly income for Palestinians in the West Bank is only $150. This policy doubles, or even triples, a family's earnings overnight. This policy directly encourages terrorism and incentivizes the murder of Americans and our allies. Payments to families of terrorists have reached $355 million in 2017. The Taylor Force Act ceases any continued U.S. aid to Palestinian interests until these so-called martyr payments are permanently ceased. The U.S. currently sends $300 million in aid to Palestinian interests. We shouldn't send a penny more until this heinous policy is abolished for good.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, we hear a lot of negative about the tax reform bill that is moving through. Gladly, tonight, we have moved to conference committee, where we can continue the process and the conversation. We can now take more and more opinions people have on how to make the bill better. It has been getting better as we go. In my own district, the First District of California, when all is said and done, this will simplify the Tax Code for more and more tax filers. Already, 70 percent of taxpayers do not use the method of trying to itemize every single item. Instead, they use the standard deduction. That will save time in tax preparation, netting them a better tax situation for their families. I see a direct guaranteed tax cut for most people in rural California, rural America, and those who earn $100,000 or less. That is the middle-income folks we are targeting and who we need to help. That is what this bill will do. It will also create more jobs by the job creators in this country. This is a good step and a good direction for America's taxpayers.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, as a Californian who lives in a very rural part of the State that is economically in huge pain, when I see an opportunity for people in rural America to prosper, to do well, I see, in H.R. 3905, again, this opportunity for the people in Minnesota. The MINER Act, introduced by the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Emmer), will put it on the right track toward being able to extract the minerals that are needed for production of taking raw materials and making them into finished products here in the United States. This bill addresses a 230,000-acre mineral withdrawal from Superior National Forest in Minnesota, which, really, it is about jobs and economic growth, while also maintaining clear standards for all projects across the Nation. Indeed, this is a very narrow bill. It explores the possibilities, which is only a small step. Indeed, if mining was to occur, there is a litany of permits, years of process required to take that following step. Indeed, the arbitrary decision, the day before President Obama left office, halted a $400 million project, jeopardized 17,000 American jobs, cut $3 billion from K-12 schools, and slashed $2.5 billion annually from local governments and the State. These types of effects I feel in my own district where our industries have been taken away. Any time there is a proposal to do anything like that, whether it is timber harvest, mining, or whatever, you then hear about how the whole zone is pristine and unique, never been touched. These operations can happen environmentally correctly, environmentally soundly, and that is the standard for which we have in this country, is that we will do things correctly now, and we will put them back when we are done. Though a 20-year moratorium was imposed on the area, similar plans for mining have previously been approved by Congress twice. Mining operations across the country already commit to a strict environmental review process to ensure the public safety and the protection of natural resources, as we all expect. You mine an area under the strict guidelines, and you reclaim it. In most cases, mining companies must also put up bonds to pay for cleanup, sometimes for billions of dollars before a single shovel is ever turned. In this case, we are talking about exploration of the area to see what the potential is. This bill does not overturn existing Federal, State, or local environmental reviews. Instead, it ensures all projects are held to clear, consistent requirements, not arbitrary political decisions. Allowing politicians to prohibit one project or another, based solely on a whim, goes against American ideals of fairness and equal opportunity. These minerals are essential to our economy. To those claiming that mining will damage the environment, I would ask you this: Where would you prefer that these minerals come from? Do you want the mining to occur here in America, under these kinds of strict guidelines, bring American jobs to the front; or do we want to do it elsewhere in the world, places like China and others that have little respect for the environmental process or review or operations that are sustainable? I think we should have it here. Where would you have us get our minerals? Where would you have us get the rare earth materials that are needed for production of new technologies? H.R. 3905 protects Minnesota's economy, schools, and State budget; it protects the rule of law; and it protects the domestic access to these important materials and minerals we need to have our economy get stronger--a very narrow scope; it is sound legislation and sound policy. Mr. Speaker, I urge swift passage of this important legislation.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to highlight the rising severity of illegal marijuana grows on Federal lands. In 2016, the DEA Cannabis Eradication Program found a 60 percent increase in the amount of assets seized from marijuana raids compared to just the previous year. The same year, the Forest Service eradicated nearly $1.5 million worth of marijuana plants from over 240 sites on National Forest System in the Pacific area alone. Local sheriffs from my district have expressed to me their great concern for public safety, environmental destruction, a lot of time which farmers end up getting blamed for for water quality and the chemicals and stuff that get left behind, not the farmers' fault, but indeed these illegal grows, and even human trafficking gets caught up in all this. What is currently being done to address the amount of marijuana grows on our public lands? Not nearly enough. People feel endangered by going out into their public lands, whether it is adjacent private property owners or what have you. Timber harvest needs to be done, forest thinning needs to be done, taking care of the environmental needs for our wildlife, all that, and it can't happen due to these illegal grows and the danger they bring. They should be able to enjoy them, and we should be able to stop this illegal practice. We need many more assets poured into our Western forest lands to eradicate this illegal grow.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I am very pleased to speak on this bill here tonight. I am so proud of the effort to work in a bipartisan nature with my colleague and friend, the ranking member, Mrs. Torres, as well as all the members of the committee. We have had such overwhelming support to move this bill along. Mr. Speaker, indeed, this is a culmination of a lot of strong, bipartisan effort here in the committee as well as the community itself, which sought consensus during the several years that I have been involved with this legislation and now as chairman of the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular, and Alaska Native Affairs. We have seen the local consensus that has been built with the local government, the Tribe, and my colleagues on the committee. With the inclusion of language referencing the local agreement, the bill is supported by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians; the County of Santa Barbara; and the region's representative, my colleague, Representative Salud Carbajal, and was reported out of the House Natural Resources Committee by unanimous consent on September 17, 2017. Located in Santa Barbara County for thousands of years, as was pointed out by my colleagues, the recorded history of the Chumash reaches back to the earliest arrival of Europeans in California, when Spanish explorer Cabrillo recorded his encounters with the Chumash in 1542. They had a long and unbroken connection to the Camp 4 parcel, which is located very close to their current reservation. In the early 1800s, the Chumash became wards of the Spanish mission in Santa Ynez, which included Camp 4, and later, the Mexican Governor granted lands to Chumash members, which also included Camp 4. The commission created by the Mission Relief Act of 1891 recognized that the Tribe continued to reside in the Santa Ynez and Camp 4 area, though only 99 acres were ultimately taken into trust for the Chumash at the time, which is a fairly common problem for many Tribes. With the various things that have happened to them, such as derecognition and decertification over the years, tribes end up on very small, narrow parcels of land that make it very difficult for them to grow and prosper. So today, partly because of that, the Chumash face a significant housing crisis, as was pointed out, and fewer than 17 percent of their members and descendants are able to reside on the Tribe's existing reservation, which consists largely of hillsides, wetlands, and streambeds unsuitable for housing. To address the housing shortage, the Chumash used their own resources to purchase the Camp 4 parcel, with the intent of constructing homes for their members. They applied to take Camp 4 into trust administratively, and after conducting a thorough public process, the Bureau of Indian Affairs issued a decision in December of 2014.

Mr. LaMALFA. The Department of the Interior then completed the fee- to-trust process in January of 2017. Indeed, this is ongoing. On October 31, the county ratified an agreement with the Chumash, ensuring that any impacts of Camp 4 housing on local infrastructure and other resources would be addressed, and the Department of the Interior approved this agreement on the same day. In order to enable the Chumash to address their housing crisis and ensure any impacts to local governments are addressed, H.R. 1491 takes the following actions: It affirms and ratifies the action of the Department of the Interior to take the Camp 4 parcel into trust on January 19, 2017. It codifies references to the Chumash-county agreement ratified by Santa Barbara County on October 31, 2017, addressing impacts to local infrastructure and services. By request of the Chumash, it prohibits the operation of gaming facilities on the Camp 4 parcel. It protects and respects rights-of-way also held by local stakeholders. Mr. Speaker, this bill represents, again, the culmination of years of effort on the part of the Chumash, the county, the committee, and Congress to ensure that the concerns of all stakeholders were addressed fairly through a local process and reaching a consensus with the Tribe and the county that we sought from the beginning. Indeed, as chairman of the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular, and Alaska Native Affairs, I believe this agreement is the outcome of good faith negotiations by all parties and should be considered a model for maintaining positive working relationships between tribal and local governments. I urge all Members to support this bipartisan, noncontroversial measure.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Korean war veteran Jack Tolbert, who passed away this month at the age of 94. He was a long-time resident of Redding, California, for over 50 years, and was originally a Texas native. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroism in Korea. In 1953, his outpost came under attack. A Chinese soldier hurled a grenade into Sergeant Tolbert's bunker. In an incredible moment of selfless bravery, Jack hurled himself on the grenade to shield his fellow soldiers from the explosion and injury or even death. Jack lost both his legs, among numerous other injuries. Though he would never admit it himself, Jack truly was a hero for having protected his brothers in arms. I knew him personally. It was always a joy to see Jack at events in the Redding area. He was always full of joy. He had a joke and slap on the back. He never let his condition get him down. He was always one of the most positive people in the room and a joy to be around. We will miss Jack dearly, but we are all blessed to have him in our lives, whether it was his service in Korea or his time as our neighbor in Shasta County. God bless him and his family.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Colorado (Mr. Lamborn) for leading this Special Order tonight on National Bible Week. Last night, several of us had the privilege to attend a preview of the national Museum of the Bible. It was very impressive. I would urge everybody watching tonight and who hears about it to tour it when you get the chance here in Washington, D.C. One of the things that struck me very early on in that tour was a banner hanging inside the museum that says: ``The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing to the soul. The decree of the Lord is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple''--Psalm 19:8. That also applies to the Bible itself, the inherent and infallible Word of God. Jesus himself used Scripture that was written before him. Jesus never belittled the Scripture, as some modern critics do, or set it aside, nor did he criticize it; although he criticized those who misused it or contradicted it, although he rejected many interpretations of it. When we hear the Son of God's quotes to Scriptures, we need no further testimony. He believed every word of Scripture. All the prophesies concerning Himself were fulfilled, as my colleague, Mr. Lamborn, said. Time and time and time again, the timelines prove the Word of God's prophesy. Matthew 19:4 and 19:5 were one of those that Jesus spoke of, documented in the New Testament, accounts by those over there with Jesus at the time. We know Moses wrote the Pentateuch, Jonah wrote Jonah, Daniel wrote Daniel. Jesus attests to that. He believed the Old Testament was spoken by God, Himself, written by the Holy Spirit's inspiration, even though the pen was held by men. That is an important point for those who ask: How can the Bible be real, since it was written down by men? The committed task of all writing of the Word of God, though they were fallible men, were guided by the infallible Holy Spirit. That is a faith we have and hold. It does take some faith, yes, just as it takes faith for me to get on that airliner and fly back East each week. But the faith in the Bible is much stronger. It has never been proven wrong. All the prophesies that were made that have occurred already have been proven true. The Founders thought it was a key element in the founding of this Nation, obviously. Right in this room, behind the Speaker's dais, is the inscription: ``In God We Trust.'' Facing me right now is the only forward-facing image in here of Moses looking over this House of Representatives. Lastly, I would leave with this. As you watch the machinations of the Members of Congress, I think one of the most important guidelines we would have I find in Proverbs 4:25 through 4:27: we uphold the honor not only of this institution and our families, but those who walk with God, that walk with Jesus. In Proverbs, you see: ``Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you. Keep straight the passage for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left. Keep your feet from evil.'' That is what the Bible inspires. As I read it on the plane coming back and forth and read it at home or at my bedside, this is what true faith is all about, proven time and time again. I urge everybody not just to have the Bible at your home. The statistics are that every home has 2.2 Bibles, on average. It isn't that there aren't enough Bibles. It is that people don't open it often enough.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, as the House contemplates the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a lot of misinformation is getting around the country on that. The intent here is to make the Tax Code simpler; the ability for Americans to spend instead of billions of hours and billions of dollars combined in dealing with their taxes, to get it down to a simple form, perhaps a postcard for many Americans, and the ability to weed through their taxes and get them done and put more money in their pockets. What our plan does is put approximately $1,200 into the average middle-income family's pocket, leaves it there instead of taking it out; also, restoring more opportunity on Main Street for small businesses, medium businesses, and the jobs that we want to come back home to this country, those trillions of dollars we can repatriate back to this country and help the middle class, help middle-income Americans, help everybody to have a stronger, more vibrant economy, which helps everybody, instead of a complicated Tax Code put together by lobbyists. We need to push forward on this and have a success for the American people.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to recognize and thank our veterans. We will all be doing that this coming Saturday on Veterans Day. They sacrificed so much and we are so glad to have them here to be able to celebrate and thank them. I recommend that everybody please take part in the events that you have in your community. Go to the parades, go to the barbecues, and take a minute to thank a veteran. Things we can do around here as legislators are like we did this week with several pieces of legislation, helping veterans with VA so that they would have more access for telemedicine, which makes technology more available and provides better doctors for diagnosing veterans and giving them what they need. The VICTOR Act considers the travel veterans have to take to go for transplants. Wouldn't it be better for them to be closer to home instead of traveling long distances so they and their families can get the care they need and have the access they need locally? Lastly, I will mention the Veterans Crisis Line Study Act. When a veteran is in crisis, when a veteran is contemplating suicide, as happens so much these days--20, 22 veterans per day giving up--we need to have the Veterans Crisis Line Study Act in place to better modify the crisis line to be effective for them; so that there is someone there so they can have immediate help to get through that time. These are some of the things we can do for veterans as we wish them a happy Veterans Day and thank them for their service. God bless them.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Pennsylvania, Mr. Thompson, for yielding. I appreciate his efforts tonight in pointing out the nuances of the SNAP program and what it means in a disaster situation, such as what we have had all over the country in hurricanes, and even in my own backyard with the wildfires that we have been hearing about in the West in general, in my own district, where several have affected us very negatively, and adjacent areas of northern California and the wine country, indeed in southern California as well. So the flexibility that has been needed, as we found in the SNAP programs through what is known as D-SNAP, which is Disaster and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, has been very helpful to many in northern California and even southern California counties as well. So when the California Department of Social Services requested the D- SNAP to be put in place, the Food and Nutrition Service did, indeed, grant that in several instances, including October, and more so in northern California, but in other instances as well in this case, indeed, as Mr. Thompson so well explained earlier in tonight's Special Order. Due to power outages from the fires knocking out power, we have food loss and spoilage due to those power outages, as well as other instances, and even the ability for people to buy food. Maybe their home is okay, but they wouldn't have the markets available to them in their community to buy food that they need locally. So the D-SNAP program has given the flexibility and the ability to source it and have it available after these families have suffered losses, including the waiver for some folks who don't have the ability to produce and prepare hot food, where, in that case, families can have fairly normal meals in a time of crisis that is, indeed, a comfort for them and a positive that the flexibility of the program has made available for them. So, indeed, destroyed homes due to fire, the power outages that have extended to so many areas and for so long have, indeed, caused these crises for families here. The flexibility of this program, as Mr. Thompson has pointed out here tonight, has been very helpful in that time of disaster and relief that is needed, and the compassion that comes from people helping each other in these times and these instances where we have had so much volunteerism, people stepping forward to help others in times of crisis, but you need that little extra push sometimes that this program can be helpful for. So I appreciate the FNS stepping forward and approving what the California Department of Social Services has looked at as, indeed, worthy disaster relief that has been needed in these areas. It wouldn't just apply to wildfires as well, where we have had so much hitting California this year, northern California especially. We had the issue of a possible flood and the crisis at Oroville Dam, when the spillway broke and 188,000 people had to be evacuated due to great concerns about additional failure of the dam. So the ability to have this available, should the timing be right, and the qualifications for it being deemed that type of disaster, indeed is a comfort for a community when basic needs like putting food on the table during crisis after a disaster come into play; whether it is fire, as was declared here, or it could be possible flood and evacuations, things of that nature, that make this a good part of an integral part of keeping a community fed and together. So I appreciate Mr. Thompson allowing me to speak here tonight and to be able to point out how this has worked in northern California during just this last month in these horrendous wildfire situations we have seen in so many counties. I thank the gentleman for leading this tonight and for his attention to this.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this commonsense hydropower streamlining process for modernizing the way we permit in order to bolster the process for over 400 existing hydropower projects in the United States. It is very important in my area as well. Hydropower delivers clean, reliable, and renewable power 24 hours a day, unlike other renewable power sources which fluctuate with time of day, weather, sun or wind, or lack thereof. California has a long history of hydropower generation. In 2014, California, alone, produced 14,000 megawatts of electricity from hydropower facilities--again, clean, renewable, and reliable. You turn on the switch, hydroelectric power. My district in northern California is home to two of the largest facilities in the country: Oroville Dam and Shasta Dam. Each of these facilities delivers cost-efficient power, provides flood control, and generates significant local economic activity for the community via stored water and recreation. With local input, which is very important, we need to address the streamlining of this process and expanding renewable hydropower production in this country to pave the way for new jobs and affordable power to consumers everywhere. Relicensing permits ought not be a wish list for every special interest, but, indeed, on measures of the power that can be generated. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the time, and I wholeheartedly support and urge this House to support H.R. 3043.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, after the near disaster we had in Butte County, near Oroville, with the breakage of the spillway at Oroville Dam, I am very happy to congratulate the folks of Kiewit Construction, and so many others, on their reconstruction of the spillway, phase 1. We will have a working, viable spillway for this upcoming rainy season, if needed, due to the intense and incredible efforts to rebuild that project. If you had seen the size of, basically, the canyon that was carved out where the old spillway stood from having to release water to keep the lake level, in February, at a safe level, you would see how amazing it was, the work that was done in order to rebuild that spillway in its current phase. It will be able to handle 100,000 CFS and be able to keep the lake stable for the upcoming year. However, we do need to have balance in the process and have that lake be able to store enough water for California's needs this coming year, because we will still have those needs in 2018, and not drain the lake all the way because of an overcautious thought process. So congratulations on a viable lake that works for all.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 606 on passage of H.R. 3922, I am not recorded due to a family concern. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, first, a hearty congratulations to my Texas colleagues from northern California, Giants country. Orange October feels good, doesn't it, especially when you defeat the hated southern California franchise? Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in support of the new tax reform bill that was released just today by the Ways and Means Committee. This legislation contains many provisions that Congress has been promising the American people a long time: doubling the standard deduction, lowering the corporate tax rate, cutting taxes for small businesses. That is what these reform measures are about: saving money for millions of Americans and simplifying the act of doing your taxes, as well as creating an environment for American business to thrive and come home and bring the jobs with them here in America and invest in the American economy. The American people want tax reform, they need tax reform, and they have waited a long time, indeed since 1986. They shouldn't have to wait more years than actually the last time the Dodgers won the World Series to kick start their economy and help American jobs. Mr. Speaker, we need to make this happen now.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Chairman, I rise for the purpose of engaging in a colloquy with the chairman to seek a clarification on the applicability of the provisions in title I and title II of this bill to national forest lands. As my colleagues know, the State of California has been on fire. We have all seen the devastation across the State, ranging from the Sierra Nevada to the Bay area, and even the wine country. Even today, CalFire and Forest Service personnel remain deployed on fires across the State. Ensuring that the Forest Service returns to active management of our forests is critical to promoting forest health and helping reduce the risks and likeliness of catastrophic wildfires that we have seen already this year. The Resilient Federal Forests Act includes what I believe to be critically important reforms to forest management, such as expedited environmental reviews and availability of categorical exclusion for forest management activities, to help achieve these needed goals. In California, there are six national monuments managed by the Forest Service or jointly between the Forest Service and BLM. Oftentimes, management activities in these areas are highly restricted, which only leads to hazardous fuels buildup and increased risk of catastrophic fires. We see the results every year in the West. H.R. 2936 clearly identifies certain national forest lands that these provisions do not apply to. This includes wilderness areas, national or State inventoried roadless areas, or areas where timber harvesting is prohibited by statute. However, it is my belief that provisions of this bill, Mr. Chairman-- based on the definition of National Forest System lands in the bill-- apply to all other Forest Service lands not explicitly prohibited in the bill. Respectfully, I would like to clarify with the chairman that it is his intent that provisions in title I and title II of H.R. 2936 apply to all other Federal lands managed by the United States Forest Service. This includes national monuments managed by the Forest Service. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman for his work on this critical bill.

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Chairman, believe it or not, according to Federal agencies, the wildland firefighter does not exist. That is correct. There are men and women around this Nation who work daily to protect our communities from the fires that devastate especially the Western United States, but they are not allowed to call themselves firefighters. Instead of ``firefighter,'' the Forest Service, BLM, and other agencies use bureaucratic terms like ``forestry technician,'' which fails to recognize the dangers they face and the sacrifices they make to protect others. My amendment, which I am pleased to offer with my colleague, Representative Mark DeSaulnier from California, represents a bill we have both sponsored, H.R. 3907, as well; which seeks simply to designate these brave men and women the title they have earned by directing the Office of Personnel Management to create employee classes designated as ``wildland firefighters.'' Mr. Chairman, 15 ``technicians'' have passed away this last year fighting wildfires. Several of them are from California. It is unconscionable that, while they perished fighting fires, the agencies that employ them refuse to call them firefighters. We should take action to rectify that failure, and I urge Members to consider our bill, H.R. 3907, to do so. However, Mr. Chairman, I know that there is additional work to be done with the very bureaucracies which refuse to use the term ``firefighter'' with last-minute concerns and clarifications needed so that the firefighters indeed don't lose benefits, and I note that we will be back. Mr. Chair, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment from further consideration at this time.

Mr. LaMALFA

Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness I rise tonight to honor the passing of Stanley Coolidge and his fiancee, Roseann Hannah. Their lives were tragically lost on October 9, 2017, while trapped in their northern California home as it was destroyed by wildfire. What began as the faint smell of a distant fire quickly turned to tragedy as the area surrounding Stanley's longtime home was ignited rapidly by a fast-approaching fire. As Stan and Roseann attempted a hurried evacuation, the house was engulfed by flames before they could escape. Stan was a retired attorney, born in San Francisco, but lived his last 50 years in the mountains of Loma Rica, California. Roseann was a resident of Grass Valley, California. Both she and Stan were very valued members of their communities. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Coolidge and Hannah families as we ask the Lord's blessings for comfort and healing at this very tragic, very sad time, as well as the families of all who we have lost as a result of the fires in the West. Stan and Roseann, you will be missed.