Jim Matheson

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Chairman, I think this H.R. 3 legislation is a good illustration of the old phrase that politics is the art of compromise. We have heard a lot of people talk about things that they like in this bill. You will also here a lot of speakers talk about things they wish were also included in this bill. I certainly have that list myself. But the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has a great tradition of coming together in this House, and that tradition has been maintained again today. I commend the leadership on both sides of the aisle for their efforts to work together in the common interest of providing investment in basic infrastructure in this country. This has always been an important issue for this country, but in some respects it is becoming more important now as we are in an ever- changing world with an ever-increasingly competitive global economy. I talk about that with my constituents back home, and sometimes they do not think what investment in a road out in Utah has to do with being competitive in a global economy. Then we talk about what it takes to move products around this country and the fact that other countries around the world are so aggressive in investing in their transportation infrastructure to make their economies more efficient. This is good economic policy for our country. It is good investment. In the short run it is good for our economy, it creates a number of good jobs, but in the long run what it does is it develops an infrastructure that gives our economy greater efficiency, greater ability to compete, greater ability for us to succeed. Now, every Congressman can tell you a story about what is in this bill that is important to their district. That is our job. This is the people's House. We represent a congressional district, and we need to advocate for the interests of that congressional district. The major transportation route between Salt Lake City, Utah, and Denver, Colorado, is primarily a two-lane highway called Highway 6 in Utah, subject to many fatalities, one of the most dangerous stretches of road in this country. I am please that in this legislation this highway will be designated as a high-priority corridor. That is in our interests, to make sure we invest in that, because in addition to having an efficient economy, investment in infrastructure creates more safety on our highways. That is the other good aspect of this job. Mr. Chairman, I commend the leadership of the committee for this outstanding bipartisan bill.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, today I reintroduce legislation that I first introduced in the last Congress called the Safety for Americans From Nuclear Weapons Testing Act. Let me tell a brief story that has brought me to introducing this legislation. From 1951 to 1992, over 1,000 tests were conducted at the Nevada test site. At the time, the government told people in this country that the tests were safe. What we know now is the government lied. In fact, only testing took place when the winds blew the fallout in the least populated direction from the test site, which happened to be southern Utah. These findings were discovered in the 1970s when my father, who was Governor of Utah at the time, received more and more information about the high cancer rates in southern Utah. He got documents declassified at the Pentagon showing that the government knew there was risk with the testing and only did the testing when the fallout was blowing in the least populated direction. Now, history is pretty clear. We know that the government knew people were at risk. We know the government lied to our citizens, and we know that thousands of people have died of cancer from the fallout from nuclear weapons testing, and yet the last test was in 1992. So why are we talking about this today? We are talking about this because the Federal Government is taking steps to resume nuclear testing. One thing Members may hear about nuclear testing is the dangerous ones were above ground. Now we do tests underground. The picture next to me took place in 1970. It was an underground nuclear weapons test, the Baneberry Shot it is called. In this picture, we see debris 10,000 feet in the air above the valley floor of the test site. The DOE's own data shows that underground testing does not contain the fallout. In fact, fallout is emitted into the atmosphere. This is not just a southern Utah issue or a Western issue. In fact, the National Cancer Institute completed a study looking at concentrations of iodine 131, the isotope that causes thyroid cancer, and looked at how this was dispersed across the country from the testing. And from the Nevada test site going north and east, Members can see it has crossed the country, and even some counties in upstate New York and Vermont received higher concentrations of fallout than some counties close to the test site. So this is indeed an issue of national importance and national scope. I have introduced legislation that I think is very responsible in terms of ensuring safety before any nuclear weapons testing can take place again. This legislation calls for a full environmental review, an environmental impact statement, before testing can happen so we can establish all of the health and safety risks and how they can be addressed before testing can happen. That has never been done before. It also calls for setting up an extensive nationwide monitoring system so we can detect any radiation and fallout from the testing. It will not just be a government-run system; we will have a second monitoring system run by independent third parties through our university system to ensure that we understand the truths about what is going on with nuclear testing and exposure to radiation. I think this is a responsible step. We cannot go down the path again of nuclear weapons testing. If Members do not think that we face the potential for nuclear weapons testing, let me repeat a quote from an article in the February 15, 2005, Salt Lake Tribune. The article discusses Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman's testimony before the Senate Committee on Armed Services. Bodman said the administration remains convinced the ``readiness posture'' of the nuclear proving ground must be enhanced. He said, ``We will continue our efforts to maintain the ability to conduct underground nuclear testing and complete the transition to the 18-month readiness posture that is mandated by Congress.'' Two new kinds of nuclear weapons have been discussed for development. If we are going to develop those nuclear weapons, I fear they are going to be tested. The Department of Energy has projected over half a bill dollars of expenditure over the next 5 years for testing of this new type of nuclear weapon. If we are going to go down that path, which I do not think we ought to go down for a number of reasons, we surely ought to ensure safety if any nuclear weapons are going to be tested. That is why this legislation I have introduced is a responsible approach. Everyone in America ought to want to make sure that we ensure safety, and do not blanket this country with cancer-causing fallout, as happened once before. I encourage all of my colleagues to join me in support of this legislation. I would just like to close by mentioning I have supporters of this bill that include the National Association of Atomic Veterans, Physicians for Social Responsibility, the National Association of Radiation Survivors, the Intermountain Pediatric Society, the Utah Medical Association and the Utah State legislature. I encourage my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring this bill. I hope we bring it to speedy action on the floor.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of legislation that my colleague Chris Cannon and I are introducing in the House today. I am pleased that so many stakeholders have come together to create this legislation, which will preserve thousands of acres of land along the Colorado River corridor and help to fund Utah's schools. Since statehood, Utahns has been blessed with millions of acres of lands that are held in trust to generate funding for our schools. These lands are scattered throughout the state in a checkerboard pattern, making it hard for Utah and the federal agencies with adjacent property to manage our public lands. The legislation we are introducing today would consolidate some of these lands, with the goals of improving the state's ability to maximize the funding it earns for schools, preserving land along the Colorado River corridor for recreational use, and easing the Department of Interior's ability to manage federal land in Utah. The land exchange that is being proposed today has the potential to be a win-win solution for the State of Utah and the United States. This legislation seeks to create an equal value exchange where both American taxpayers and the school children of Utah get a fair deal. Important to achieving this goal, the legislation establishes a valuation process that is transparent for the public to view. This legislation represents a truly collaborative process with all of the stakeholders represented. It is supported by local government, the State of Utah, the recreation community, and the environmental community and has been worked on closely with the Department of Interior. The State has been working over the past year to address the concerns of all of the stakeholders and will continue to work until the legislation is perfected. The introduction of this legislation marks Congressman Cannon's and my commitment to working with the local stakeholders, appropriate congressional committees, and the Department of Interior to craft a legislative product with a broad range of support. I urge the Secretary of Interior and her staff to dedicate the resources and time necessary to move this process forward in the coming months.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in celebration of today's opening of the National Museum of the American Indian--a historic event that is long overdue. My congressional district contains lands of the Navajo Nation, the Southern Utah Paiutes, and the Northern Ute Indian Tribe-- people who understand all too well the atrocities that Native Americans have experienced at the hand of our Federal Government. The opening of this museum is a bold step toward the United States becoming a nation that understands the history of its people and celebrates the uniqueness of native cultures in its society. My hope is that the museum will help foster and maintain this understanding for ``as long as the rivers shall run and the grass shall grow.'' The designing of the National Museum of the American Indian was indicative of the cooperative and inclusive process that the Federal Government should always use when working with Native American tribes. I am proud of the collaborative efforts of all of the people who worked to make this museum a success, and I welcome the many Utahns who join me in celebrating this joyous occasion. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, these are difficult times for our Nation. We are fighting terrorism on numerous fronts. We have commitments to keep our troops overseas, and we struggle to meet our needs here at home. Our economy needs a boost, unemployment is high, and our future budget deficits are predicted to be the highest in the history of this great Nation. Now is not the time for Members of Congress to be voting themselves a pay raise. We need to show the American people that we are willing to make sacrifices. We need to budget, live within our means, and make careful spending decisions based on our most pressing priorities. Mr. Speaker, let us send a signal to the American people that we recognize their struggle in today's economy. Vote ``no'' on the previous question so we can have an opportunity to block the automatic cost-of-living adjustment to Members of Congress. This vote ought to be cast in the light of day and on the record. A ``no'' vote on the previous question will allow Members to vote up or down on the cost-of- living adjustment. If the previous question is defeated, I will offer an amendment to the rule. My amendment will block the fiscal year 2005 automatic cost- of-living pay raise for Members of Congress. Because this amendment requires a waiver, the only way to get to this issue is to defeat the previous question. Therefore, I urge Members to vote ``no'' on the previous question.

Mr. MATHESON. 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. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, events on September 11, 2001, changed America forever. Nearly 3,000 Americans lost their lives, including 366 police and fire fighters who rushed into the burning Twin Towers. In the aftermath of those terrible hours and days, we emerged from our shock and grief with the knowledge that life in our country would never be the same. The heroes of 9-11--the passengers aboard United Flight 93, first-responders, doctors, nurses, search and rescue teams-- inspired us and gave us hope. Images of bravery soon replaced those of brutality. The terrorist threat is ongoing. The risk that we will be attacked again here at home is real. Our men and women in uniform are putting their lives on the line in the most dangerous parts of the world. More than 1,000 have paid the ultimate price. We honor their sacrifice and their commitment to duty. We have made progress in the fight against this insidious enemy. But we still have much to do. We must employ technology to protect our ports, our energy infrastructure, and our food supply. We must reform our intelligence-gathering program. We must continue to improve our ability to respond to an emergency. We must do it all without trampling on the civil liberties of our citizens, because we treasure our free and open society that terrorists seek to destroy. We pause today in solemn remembrance of that defining day and in honor of this great Nation.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, since the start of the current administration in January of 2001, the national debt has increased by $1,639,772,884,702. According to the Web site for the Bureau of the Public Debt at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, yesterday the Nation's total outstanding, privately held debt was $4,228,551,437,783. Foreign holdings of U.S. privately held debt now total $1.75 trillion. This is an increase of $740 billion since January of 2001, and it is 41 percent of all privately held U.S. debt. For the sake of our children and our grandchildren, the fiscal health of our country deserves far better care and attention from the White House and from this Congress.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for House Resolution 646, legislation expressing the sense of the House that a week in August should be set aside to promote public awareness of the many health services provided by community, migrant, public housing, and homeless health centers. Every day our Nation's health centers provide high quality, affordable primary care and preventive health services to people who might not otherwise have access to health care. Through their cost- effective, community-based approach, health centers serve a very important role in our efforts to ensure that all Americans have access to health care. I am very pleased with the work of Utah's community-based health centers. In 2002, Utah's Health Centers provided comprehensive health care services for over 93,000 Utahns, and they are working to expand their services to meet the needs of Utah's working poor, homeless, elderly, minority, and rural populations. I have long supported the community health center program and am proud of the efforts of Utah's Community Health Centers to increase access to health care and preventive health services in a community-oriented fashion. I believe it is very fitting that we recognize the commitment of our Nation's health centers with National Community Health Center Week and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important resolution.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for H.R. 4471, the Home Ownership Opportunities for Native Americans Act. I was pleased to introduce this bill with my friend and colleague on the Financial Services Committee, Mr. Renzi. Many Native Americans continue to live in appalling housing conditions even as those in much of the nation have improved. American Indian and Alaska Native populations live in housing that is often and justifiably compared to third world nations. One out of every five Indian homes lacks complete plumbing facilities. Over 90,000, American Indians and Alaska Natives are homeless or underhoused. On May 3, the Housing Subcommittee of the Financial Services Committee conducted a field hearing on the Navajo Reservation in an effort to better understand the challenges facing Native Americans in obtaining housing and to find ways to improve housing opportunities for Native Americans. The Home Ownership Opportunities for Native Americans Act is the first of many needed legislative efforts to address the issues raised during our field hearing. This bill makes a simple and necessary correction--it will statutorily confirm a 95% loan guarantee under Title VI of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self- Determination Act (NAHASDA). While this vital Native American housing program at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has operated at a 95% loan guarantee level since its implementation, a recent determination by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has indicated that only an 80% loan guarantee level is authorized without further action from Congress. H.R. 4471 makes this needed change and ensures that this important housing program will continue to be used to help Native Americans obtain housing. I appreciate the strong leadership of my colleague from Arizona, Mr. Renzi, Ranking Member Waters, and Chairman Ney on this issue. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to address the many difficult challenges facing Native Americans in achieving home ownership.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. I rise in support of the amendment. The PILT program was created in the mid-1970s. At the time it was created, it was created in a bipartisan way. People recognized all of the issues about what is fair and what is equitable. As we have heard from the previous speaker, it is about the lack of an ability to collect property tax on the Federal land and the services that are provided by the counties. What has happened since the mid-1970s is our Federal lands are being used more and more and more. The pressures, the uses, the demands for county services have increased more and more and more; yet PILT funding has just not been maintained. Again, as the previous speaker said, I have great fondness for the Smithsonian as well, and anytime we have got to find an offset, it is a tough one, but in this case I think it is very important that this $20 million, which may not sound like a lot of money relative to the total cost of this appropriations bill, but it is a big deal for the local counties in States like mine, where so much land is federally owned. It makes a big difference to those county budgets. It makes a big difference in providing those services to people who use those public lands. I encourage people to support this amendment.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Brigham Young University men's volleyball team on their 2004 NCAA National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Championship. I am pleased to join my colleagues in cosponsoring this bill and encourage all of my colleagues in the House to support it. The Brigham Young University men's volleyball team made history before they ever set foot onto the court for the 2004 NCAA championship game. The Cougars regular season successes included a new school record of 21 straight victories, a 16-1 home court win-loss record, ten straight weeks on the USA Today/AVCA Coaches Top 15 Poll, and an average fan base of 2,600 at home court appearances. The Cougars entered the NCAA Final Four as the top seed and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation regular and season tournament champions. They defeated Lewis University, the defending national champions, during the semi-final match. This win led the Cougars to their fourth appearance in six years in the NCAA championship match, where they overcame a 10-6 deficit in game five to defeat Long Beach State University to win the national championship. I congratulate the BYU men's volleyball team and Coach Tom Peterson on their championship season and wish them continued success as the build upon these accomplishments in the years to come.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor President Ronald Reagan. We can all admire the journey of his life. It was a life built on love of family and a profound love of our country. In this time of mourning, I offer my sincere condolences and prayers to the President's family, especially to his wife Nancy. I hope that the sincere good wishes of all of their fellow countrymen can help to bring them some comfort at this time. Above all else, the President was a leader who had strong opinions, yet he always respected the institution of government and worked within both parties to provide enduring success to millions of Americans. Before he was President, Ronald Reagan was the Governor of a Western State and a leader who understood issues important to the West. As a Member of Congress from the Rocky Mountain West, I hold a deep appreciation for President Reagan's efforts to protect the Western way of life. One issue that stands out is that of the MX missile. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Department of Defense was working to build the massive MX missile racetrack system in Utah's west desert, despite Utah's opposition. President Reagan was a strong advocate for national defense, and the military initially thought he would be a supporter of this proposal. As a fellow Westerner, President Reagan understood Utah's desire to protect its ranching and farming heritage. He understood why the State and its citizens adamantly opposed the project. My father was Governor of Utah at that time. He found an open door in the Reagan administration, and he worked in a bipartisan manner with the administration to put an end to this plan. Thankfully for my State, President Reagan came into the situation with an open mind, and he was willing to listen to local stakeholders about their concerns with the MX proposal. President Reagan established a process by which affected people could actually make their feelings known, which even now is a testament to the importance of a responsive Federal Government. That was Reagan's approach. While he was a man of strong convictions, he was known for his civility and kindness in a business that is often abrasive. Ever the gentleman, his example is a good reminder to all of us in elected office of what it takes to truly serve our constituency. I honor President Reagan's service to this great Nation. He will be missed. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hill).

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sandlin).

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hooley).

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Frost). (Mr. FROST asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Davis).

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, given current drought forecasts and the condition of Utah's forests, this year's fire season is expected to be very difficult and expensive. Today, I am introducing legislation, along with my colleagues Congressman Dicks and Congresswoman Hooley, to provide $500 million in Emergency Supplemental funding for the Forest Service and the Department of Interior to maintain our nation's wildland firefighting efforts this year. We all know how devastating it would be if the Forest Service and Department of Interior were to stop fighting fires because of a lack of funding. Without passage of this legislation, it is likely that these agencies will quickly deplete the funds that Congress designated for this fire season. When this funding runs out, the Forest Service will be forced to choose between cutting back its firefighting efforts or taking funding away from other essential forestry programs. As a result of funding concerns, the Forest Service and the Department of Interior have employed almost 3,000 fewer firefighters this season than they did at the same time last year. The legislation I am introducing today would provide the additional funding that is needed to employ more firefighters and protect our communities from the devastating effects of wildfires. The passage of this bill is critical to protecting the health of forests and communities in my home state of Utah. We've seen too much devastation and damage in recent years due to the extreme drought conditions in the West. I am committed to the passage of this legislation as an important step toward protecting Utah's communities from the devastating effects of forest fires.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment for a number of reasons. First, there are serious doubts within the scientific community about whether the so-called bunker busters will actually be able to destroy deeply buried targets. Second, why would we even want to use a first-strike nuclear weapon? The RNEP would result in high levels of radioactive fallout and would put civilians and U.S. troops in harm's way. And, finally, if we decide to develop new tactical nuclear weapons, that means resume testing at the Nevada test site; and for those of us who live downwind, those are fighting words. Supporters of these weapons say that they do not necessarily lead to testing. But if we are going to spend a half billion dollars over the next 5 years on a new weapons program, we are going to have to test it at some point or, quite frankly, we are just throwing away taxpayer dollars that should go to other weapons programs that actually stand a chance of defending Americans. I close with a comment from an editorial in today's Salt Lake Tribune: ``If the strategic foolishness of the project were not enough to condemn it, the waste of money should be. At a time when we have so many genuine national security needs, every dime piddled away on Cold War technology not only fails to save lives, it actually endangers them.'' I thank the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Tauscher) for her leadership on this issue.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, Memorial Day is our opportunity, as a nation, to pause and pay tribute to the millions of Americans who gave their lives for this country. We enjoy our freedom and prosperity because we are citizens of a nation that believes in service, dedication, and honor. We believe in liberty and our men and women have always willingly stepped up when called upon in defense of freedom. This year, the Memorial Day weekend celebration on the National Mall will specifically honor America's World War II generation. The National World War II Memorial, which was authorized by Congress in 1993 in memory of those who served and died in World War II, will be dedicated in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, May 29, 2004. Sixteen million Americans fought valiantly, far from home, to protect not just our nation, but the entire world. More than 400,000 Americans died during this war. Thousands more gave their lives during subsequent wars in Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, and most recently in Afghanistan and Iraq. I would also like to take a moment to give my thanks to the soldiers from my home state of Utah. Over the past few years, nearly four thousand Utahns from the National Guard and Reserves, were sent into harm's way in the Middle East, or supported those on the front lines. I am so proud of these men and women--from the Wasatch Front, from St. George, Vernal, Cedar City, and other cities. I am proud of their commitment, grateful for their service, and deeply sorry for the families of those who won't be returning home. God bless this Nation, and the men and women who serve so valiantly and with honor.