Jim Matheson

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for yielding. You know, often when we have a sporting event about to come up, a lot of people predict what's going to happen. But what's great about sports is you never really know what's going to happen. And while we often do a resolution to congratulate teams who have won a major championship, this is kind of special because the Real Salt Lake team went into the playoffs as the last team in. Eight teams made the playoffs for Major League Soccer this year. Real Salt Lake had the worst record, but it's a team that throughout the course of this year has evolved, and in fact there was a stretch of 17 days between two games toward the end of the regular season where the team kind of rededicated itself and went through sort of a mini-training camp again, and when it came out of that camp, it seemed to be a different team. It got into the playoffs, and of course it was an underdog in its first round, and it won. It was an underdog in the semi-finals, and it won there, too. And then the championship against the L.A. Galaxy. In a shoot-out, the team was able to succeed. And there's an interesting sign in the locker room of the Real Salt Lake team. The sign says, ``The team is the star.'' And in an era where we often celebrate great individual performances--and there are a number of individuals that certainly deserve mention--still the concept of a team coming together in a team sport seems to be a pattern and a formula for success. And in terms of the Real Salt Lake soccer team, that is exactly what happened. So I was thrilled to have the opportunity to offer this resolution. It was interesting going around to my colleagues to collect cosponsorships. This was something that was very accepted on both sides of the aisle. And again, I just think it's great that we have a chance as a Congress to at least congratulate this team on its great accomplishment in winning the Major League Soccer Cup in 2009.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. I thank Mr. Gordon for yielding. Before I begin my comments, I have a copy of a resolution that was passed by the Salt Lake County Council in support of the Writ Act to include in the Record. A Resolution of the Salt Lake County Council Opposing the Importation of Foreign Nuclear/Radioactive Waste and Its Disposal in the United States Whereas, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has been asked for a license to import radioactive waste from dismantled nuclear reactors in Italy; Whereas, Italy, which currently stores its nuclear/ radioactive waste at power plants and other sites throughout Italy, has no permanent repository for this waste, has four closed nuclear power stations and other nuclear facilities with nuclear/radioactive waste, and for the past number of years has been unable to construct a waste disposal facility due to strong citizen opposition; Whereas, due to having closed facilities and citizen opposition to construction of any new facilities, Italy reportedly has no nuclear waste disposal plan and is seeking assistance from other countries to manage different types of nuclear waste; Whereas, if allowed, foreign radioactive/nuclear waste would be transported and Whereas, if granted by the NRC, the importation license would allow almost ten times more waste to be imported for disposal than the total amount authorized by prior NRC importation licenses; Whereas, Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, the Utah Radiation Control Board, and a regional regulatory board, the Northwest Interstate Compact, have opposed this waste being brought into Utah; Whereas, a declaratory judgment action has been filed and is currently being actively litigated to determine whether the Northwest Interstate Compact has jurisdiction over the importation of the waste and the legal authority to block the transportation and storage of this foreign waste in Utah; Whereas, the NRC has delayed making a decision on the proposal until the litigation against the Northwest Interstate Compact has been resolved; Whereas, nearly four thousand people submitted comments to the NRC, the vast majority overwhelmingly opposing the proposed importation license; Whereas, granting approval to this or similar proposals could open the door to the United States becoming the world's nuclear/radioactive waste dump and create a disincentive for foreign nations to dispose of their own nuclear/radioactive waste; Whereas, other contracts have been solicited for additional foreign nuclear/radioactive waste disposal from entities in the United Kingdom, Mexico, Brazil and other countries which would directly impact Salt Lake County; Whereas, nuclear/radioactive materials will be shipped over oceans, into ports, and, potentially, through Utah cities and counties, including Salt Lake County, with the exact types and classifications of these materials not determined until after they have been imported; Whereas, dumping large quantities of foreign nuclear/ radioactive waste in the U.S. will only constrain further our domestic disposal capacity, result in the need for expanded or new nuclear/radioactive waste dump sites and increase the risk to public health, safety and the environment; Whereas, neither the United States Congress nor the NRC ever intended that domestic nuclear/radioactive waste sites be used for the commercial importation of foreign nuclear/ radioactive waste; Whereas, importing foreign waste only serves private companies and their shareholders; and Whereas, many of the probable transportation corridors run through Salt Lake County, risking public health and safety with, every shipment, not to mention the financial responsibility imposed on the County and its residents in preparing for and responding to incidents. Now, Therefore, the County Council hereby resolves that it supports the prohibition on the transportation of foreign generated nuclear/radioactive waste through Salt Lake County; Now, Therefore, the County Council further resolves that it urges the NRC to not approve the request to import and dispose of foreign low-level nuclear/radioactive waste; and Now Therefore, the County Council further resolves that it urges Utah's legislative delegation to support the Radioactive Deterrence Act (RID), HR 515 and S. 232, which would prohibit the importation of foreign nuclear/radioactive waste, thereby alleviating the health and safety risks of transporting such materials through Salt Lake County. Mr. Speaker, the Energy and Commerce Committee has held two hearings on this issue: one in the previous Congress and one in this Congress. And during those hearings, we really flushed out this issue in a way that I think makes some pretty clear points that justify moving this bill. First of all, what was established is that there is confusion about what U.S. policy is relative to importation of radioactive waste from foreign countries. There really is a gap in policy here because as our low-level radioactive waste has developed over the last two or three decades, foreign waste wasn't even really considered. It just wasn't conceived that we would even take waste from other countries. As Mr. Gordon indicated, no other country in the world takes another country's radioactive waste, and I think that appears to have been the assumption in terms of when policies have been determined in this country. But what has happened in the last few years is that there are efforts and contracts being signed to move waste from Italy; there is discussion about Brazil, Mexico, Great Britain, to move low radioactive waste to this country. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says we have no authority to determine whether or not waste from foreign countries should be allowed into this country. So then we turn to the next regulatory body that we have in this country, and that is the system of State-run compacts that was established in Federal law primarily in 1980 and 1985. And the nuclear waste compacts are the ones who also have this role in deciding how to handle low-level radioactive waste. The State of Utah happens to be a member of the Northwest Compact. When this proposal to move waste from Italy was put before the Compact, the Compact, with the State of Utah opposing the importation of this waste, the Compact agreed with the State of Utah and moved to disallow this shipment. At this point, the matter was taken to the courts. The Federal district courts have ruled the Compact courts have no authority to stop this either. That case is currently on appeal. But what this points out--and the reason I walk through these steps-- is to illustrate that there's a lot of confusion out there and everyone is pointing in a different direction of who's in charge of this issue. It seems to me this issue ought to be addressed by Congress. It's up from a public policy perspective to discuss whether or not as a policy of this country we should accept another country's radioactive waste. I happen to think we shouldn't. No other country in the world does. I don't think we should either. There has been mention that this is a restraint of trade issue in preventing U.S. companies from competing. I don't know of any other country that takes imported waste. For trade to exist, you have goods and services going in both directions, not just in one. I don't understand how this in any way could be described as a restraint of trade. Secondly, the capacity of this country for handling low-level waste is an issue because from what I have heard, not many States want to have a nuclear waste site for this low-level waste even though you have heard descriptions that this low-level waste may be no more dangerous than what's in a smoke detector. When you talk about tons and tons of this low-level radioactive waste, not a lot of States are lining up to take it. And as we move forward as a country in a climate-constrained world where I believe--and I support development of nuclear power plants which, in addition to high-level fuel rods, do generate low-level waste--we need to have a location in this country to dispose of that low-level waste. When the GAO did analyze the site in Utah to discuss the capacity issue, as was pointed out during the Congressional hearings before the Energy and Commerce Committee, it was pointed out that the GAO only looked at 1 year's worth of data for how much waste was put in, and they just took that volume from that year and projected it out into the future, which I'm a little disappointed that GAO would make such an elementary mistake in terms of how you project a trend, because the 1 year they used, in terms of the volume that was deposited that year, was a particularly low year in terms of volumes of waste. And in fact, even with that assumption, they projected that it would go out maybe somewhere between 20 and 30 years. That is not necessarily a long amount of time when you talk about storage of low-level waste in this country. That is not a long amount of time when you consider the issue that most States don't want one of these sites located in their State. And I would submit that if you take the longer view of the life cycle of a nuclear power plant, that 20 to 30 years is not an excessively long amount of time, that's the storage capacity we've got at this site. By the way, the GAO report also did not assume any foreign radioactive waste would be going in the site when it made its analysis of what the capacity was. So I think this is a good bill. I think this addresses a gap in policy today. I think it will create greater certainty for the future of the nuclear industry in this country. I think it aligns the United States with the rest of the world in how we deal with importation of radioactive waste. I want to thank Mr. Gordon for his leadership on this issue. I encourage my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to clarify one comment made by the gentleman from Florida about capacity in Utah. It is interesting the company is telling people that they have so much capacity. They made a commitment to our Governor that they were not going to ask for any increase in the license capacity compared to what they have. It so happens when they came to testify before the Energy and Commerce Committee, in their written testimony they included tables that assumed great expansion of this site. But the State of Utah has not licensed that expansion. They made a commitment to our Governor that they weren't going to apply for an increase in size from the license capacity that exists today. So I am not sure if they are talking out of both sides of their mouth now, if they are telling the other side that they have plenty of capacity, but I would just put it on the record that that company is on record that they said they would not make a license request to increase the capacity at the site.

Mr. MATHESON. The imported waste?

Mr. MATHESON. The Northwest Compact, as I made some reference to in my earlier statement, voted against taking this waste.

Mr. MATHESON. The Governor of Utah was opposed to it. The State of Utah was opposed to it.

Mr. MATHESON. The company then took the State and the Northwest Compact to court.

Mr. MATHESON. They took this action to Federal court because they disagreed with the decision of the State of Utah and the Northwest Compact.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Madam Speaker, Utah has lost a venerated hero with the passing of PFC. Aaron Thomas Nemelka of West Jordan, Utah. Private First Class Nemelka was killed while serving his country at Fort Hood, Texas. On November 5, 2009, a lone gunman opened fire and caused the death of 12 soldiers, 1 civilian, while 30 more Americans were wounded. Private First Class Nemelka is remembered for his dedication to both his family and his country. As a combat engineer in the 20th Infantry Battalion, 36th Engineering Brigade, he specialized in munitions diffusion. Aaron was set to deploy on his first tour of the Middle East in January 2010. He will forever be remembered for having sacrificed his life in the defense of our great nation. His selfless devotion to those around him is a great tribute to his spirit. Aaron grew up in West Jordan, Utah and was the youngest of four children. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout and through his efforts was able to help better his community by always extending a hand of service. Aaron graduated from West Jordan High School in Utah in 2008 and enlisted in the military shortly thereafter. Private First Class Aaron Nemelka was very young, and he served his country honorably and heroically. Please join me in taking a moment to honor this Utahn for his service to our country. My thoughts are with Aaron's family during this difficult time.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Madam Speaker, Utah has lost a local treasure with the passing of Ms. Heather Christensen of American Fork, Utah. Heather Christensen is remembered by her joyfulness. Her friends and family said she was always smiling, laughing, and positive. As the woodwind section instructor for the American Fork High School band, she was known to work 18 hours a day. Heather was known to arrive at school early in order to help individual students and make sure they had a good experience. Her close friends said she believed in positive reinforcement as a way to motivate students. Heather died trying to save 46 American Fork high school band students on October 12, 2009. A bus carrying the band crashed on Interstate 15 as they were returning after winning a competition at Idaho State University in Pocatello. After witnessing the bus driver pass out, she reached for the wheel and tried to steer the bus back to the road but fell out a window as the vehicle rolled. About 30 students sustained minor injuries, but thanks to Heather's fast action, none had life-threatening injuries. Heather was a very talented young woman, who played multiple instruments and sang. Her family said she could play any instrument by ear and had perfect pitch. She was said to have been living her dream by working with the nationally recognized American Fork High band. Heather grew up in American Fork and was the third of six children. She was the drum major at American Fork High School, and was also the student conductor for the school's a cappella choir. She went on to become a drum director at the University of Utah, where she earned both a bachelor's and masters in music education. People have called Heather's actions heroic and I want to take a moment to honor this Utahn for her courage.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, I would really like to thank Chairman Rahall for moving this bill so quickly, and folks on both sides of the aisle on the Resources Committee have been very helpful in moving this bill. As was discussed, this legislation will allow the Uintah Water Conservancy District to better use its resources to prepay its debt to the Federal Government. Rural counties in Utah--the second-most arid State in the Nation-- have a significant need for water that has only increased over time. The water in Uintah County is utilized by both municipalities, irrigators, and manufacturing industries. This bill will move us towards greater assurance of the development of water supplies in that part of our State. I will just point out the Uintah Water Conservancy District has operated and maintained both the Vernal and Jensen units of the Central Utah Project since 1956. It has been around for a long time, and the debt that the county would like to prepay, which is the subject of this legislation, was incurred to construct a water project that is part of the original Central Utah Project. Now, the district has always made its payments on time, but we have a circumstance now where its capability and its financing create a situation where it makes economic sense for it to prepay its debt; and, interestingly enough, at the same time, the CBO scores this as a positive for the Federal Government as well. So this is one of those classic win-wins, where a local water conservancy district can prepay its debt and do right by its constituents, and it also assists the Federal Government in terms of a positive score from CBO in terms of how it affects the Federal finances as well. As was mentioned, the bill has broad bipartisan support. I do want to thank everyone on both sides of the aisle--both members and staff on the Resources Committee--for helping us with this. I would add one other point that the gentleman from Virginia mentioned. It is unfortunate that we have to do a bill every time to allow for this type of prepayment. This is pretty common sense, and a decision in the private sector gets made all the time. And so I would encourage the effort to try to come up with a broader piece of legislation that will allow us to look at this issue in a more extensive way. I encourage passage of the bill.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Included in this bill was the manager's amendment addressing an issue that I raised that Mr. Dingell has worked long and hard on and helped me figure out a way to address concerns about, lead glazing on ceramic plates on which we eat our food. This issue first came to my attention with reports in my home State of Utah when a child was sick. After they analyzed the child, they determined the child had lead poisoning. They investigated the home where this child was living and couldn't find any sources of lead. Ultimately it was discovered that the child's mother had been heating food in the microwave oven. The ceramic bowl or plate she was using wasn't properly glazed or wasn't properly sealed, and lead was leaching out of the plate into the food. Then when she would nurse the baby, the baby would get lead poisoning. I think we all want to take steps to prevent that type of thing from happening. What we determined is most people don't even realize lead glazing is used on these plates. These plates come in with FDA labels, because the Food and Drug Administration has authority over it, so people who see a label from the Federal Government probably assume it safe. Included in the manager's amendment is a requirement that there is labeling, just so consumers have the right to know, that it contains a lead-glazed product. If it is properly glazed, it is not necessarily dangerous. But people have the right to know that. I really commend my friend from Michigan, who has been working on this issue and has been aware of it for a long time. He worked with my office extensively to come up with some way to try to at least make some progress on this issue. It is included in this bill. He is a great legislator, and I am glad he helped me figure that out. I encourage people to support this bill.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Waxman and especially Chairman Emeritus Dingell and his staffer, Virgil Miller, for their work to include an amendment I authored regarding lead in ceramic ware. A couple years ago in Utah, a young mother used ceramic plates to heat her food in the microwave. Her infant became very sick. Doctors discovered that the baby was suffering from lead poisoning because lead had leached out of the ceramic plates she used. Most of us are unaware of this risk and most people don't know that lead can leach out of ceramic ware when the glaze is improperly fired or when the glaze has broken down over time. When lead is released into food and drink from ceramics, hazardous levels can contaminate food substances and expose children and adults to toxic levels. FDA regulates the lead levels of ceramic ware and has set acceptable levels of lead-allowed ceramic ware used in food preparation and currently has a safety warning designating ceramic items not intended for food use. However, there is currently no label alerting consumers that the ceramic products they purchase for food use/preparation (i.e. plates, cups, etc.) contain any lead. My language requires labels on plates and packaging for ceramic ware/ cookware containing lead for an intended functional purpose. It focuses on the glazing because all ceramic ware has trace amounts of lead in clay and those trace amounts do not contribute to lead poisoning. Problems arise when ceramicware contains lead-based glaze that is either fired incorrectly or contains high amounts of lead (above safe levels). This language doesn't affect ornamental plates or decorative ceramics, which are already regulated by FDA and which are not considered safe for food use because of their lead levels. Finally, my provision requires FDA to set up an educational program on its website to further educate consumers about these issues and about safe practices. I am hopeful that these measures will enable us to better protect children and families from the potential problems caused by incorrectly fired ceramic ware and lead leaching from ceramics.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Well, first, I thank my colleague from Guam for recognizing me. I am pleased to rise in support of this bill. You have heard the description of the bill, and if I could, I will just briefly point out what the repercussions are if we don't move this legislation. This cemetery is a nonprofit entity. It has been around for about 100 years. It is suffering some financial distress in terms of its endowment. It has figured and has looked at choices for how it could maintain itself and create greater financial viability. The notion of selling off a piece of the land that's undeveloped will ensure the integrity of the cemetery for the future. If, in fact, this cemetery were to go bankrupt and if this nonprofit couldn't continue to maintain it, the land would revert back to the Federal Government. I do not think the Bureau of Land Management wants to be in the business of owning and operating a cemetery in Salt Lake City, Utah. So here we have a situation that is based on legislation that occurred 100 years ago, and today, we're making a substantive solution to a problem that has developed since, and there is no harm to the taxpayer. This is a commonsense bill, but I've got to tell you something: while it sounds simple, it wasn't simple, and I really want to commend the Resources Committee staff for being so helpful in working through this issue to find the right way to get it done. It may have passed the committee by unanimous consent, but that does not mean it did not take a lot of work and effort to make the right decision. So I want to thank the committee staff so much. I want to thank Chairman Rahall and Subcommittee Chairman Grijalva. I encourage the passage of this bill.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Madam Speaker, the two great energy issues our generation faces right now are domestic energy security and climate change. These issues deserve our active attention, and they deserve action. Unfortunately, the bill we are considering today does not appropriately address these issues. Some continue to argue that climate change is not happening. In fact, scientific consensus has clearly been established that climate change is a very real, significant problem and we need to determine an effective way to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. However, this legislation has problems. The early-year carbon reduction targets assume an aggressive pace of new technological development that may be unachievable. These targets received little attention in the debates that have taken place on this bill. I remain concerned that this energy bill will result in unfair regional wealth transfers. The one-size-fits all renewable electricity standard is not the right approach to address climate change. It is an add-on without a purpose. Data shows that the renewable targets in this bill are only slightly better than business-as-usual. So why are we bothering to dictate these standards when we should encourage the 15 States that currently do not have renewable energy targets to find something workable for their communities? The bill's distribution of emission allowances also creates regional inequities. The ``50-50'' formula in the bill gives extra, unneeded allowances to utilities with lower fossil fuels resources, and less to utilities with greater reliance on fossil fuel resources. Those regions that receive excessive allowances would sell those allowances to other regions of the country that received less. With respect to carbon markets, this bill overreaches and will effectively destroy the derivatives market. Many people seem to confuse the different types of markets that exist. The futures market contains listed derivatives--these are standardized exchange-traded agreements. There is also a market for cleared derivatives, which are standard contracts that are privately negotiated but booked with a clearinghouse as a counterparty. And finally, you have the over-the-counter derivatives market where people negotiate deals to fit the needs of everyone ranging from utilities, to airlines, to banks, and finally, regular investors. This is a very complicated financial system and while it is clear that we are not appropriately regulating this market today, we should also avoid gutting the market altogether. I think there is a reasonable way to structure the new carbon market and to address deficiencies in the commodity markets. The provisions in the bill are not the right approach, and these provisions of the bill were never really debated in a House committee hearing. There are also some changes made to the offsets section which are troubling to me. I have been supportive of the effort to build a strong, accountable offsets program and I am sorry to see that this bill allows USDA to try to establish a much looser, less effective program. This is short-sighted because unless offsets signify real, verifiable carbon reductions, they will be worthless. This is problematic because buying and using offsets is much cheaper for businesses than it is to buy allowances. I have been advocating for the inclusion of transmission language in order to build much-needed infrastructure. However, this bill only addresses the Western Interconnection, not the whole country. That doesn't get at the underlying problem which is the lack of electricity transmission capacity across the Nation. I wish this bill had taken an approach similar to the one the Senate is considering. Finally, the issue of energy independence calls for additional items that are not included in today's bill. In the long run, technological advances will provide new options to help this country gain a more secure, stable energy profile. In the interim, we need policies that keep all options on the table for the development and use of conventional energy sources. As a result of all of these concerns, I will vote against this legislation. However, I will continue to work on the important issues of climate change and energy independence.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. MATHESON. Madam Chairman, I first want to thank the Foreign Affairs, Rules, Judiciary and House Administration Committees for working with me on this amendment. My amendment seeks to ensure that Americans living overseas, all of whom are currently required to pay taxes to the U.S. Government, are counted in U.S. censuses and get to vote in U.S. elections. This amendment instructs the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Director of the Census Bureau and the U.S. Attorney General, to develop a study using the passports of overseas Americans to determine how they can fully participate in future censuses and elections. In the 2000 census, the State of Utah narrowly missed getting a fourth congressional seat in the U.S. House of Representatives because LDS missionaries living overseas at the time were not counted. My amendment seeks to help correct this unfair practice by examining effective ways that all Americans living overseas will be counted in future censuses and get to vote in future U.S. elections. This amendment is straightforward in establishing a study to examine this issue. I encourage my colleagues to support it. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to speak in support of Navigational Aids funding for the new St. George airport in Utah. I would like to thank Chairman Oberstar and the T&I committee staff for working on this important piece of legislation. Last October, the City of St. George broke ground on the construction of a new replacement airport--this is the only airport in the country currently being built. While the FAA has committed to funding a large portion of the project, they did not provide enough funding for critical navigational equipment. Given the difficult mountainous terrain and the need to avoid flying over two National Parks--Zion and the Grand Canyon--navigational equipment for the new airport is essential for public safety. In April, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood committed to the City that FAA would fully fund the navigational aids component of the airport. I would like to thank the Secretary for undertaking this commitment. I stand ready to work with the FAA, DOT, and the T&I committee to make sure funding is provided in order to open the new airport on time.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to engage in a colloquy with the chairman, Mr. Oberstar. First, I want to thank you for recognizing the importance of the St. George Airport to my constituents in Utah. As you know, on October 17, 2008, the City of St. George, Utah and the Federal Aviation Administration broke ground on the construction of a new replacement airport that will provide air service to the over 300,000 residents of southern Utah. This is one of the few new airports being built in the country. The total project will cost $168 million, and airport operations are scheduled to begin on January 1, 2011. The project is being funded largely through Federal grants, covered by a letter of intent from the FAA, in the amount of $119 million. Unfortunately, St. George still needs funding for navigation aids, including an instrument landing system. These are critical of the safety of operations at the airport. I appreciate the committee's recognition of Secretary LaHood's commitment to fully fund the navigation aids component of the airport. I remain committed, as I hope the committee will, to ensuring that the FAA funds these important safety enhancements by 2010. With that, I would yield to the chairman.

Mr. MATHESON. Well, I thank the chairman always for his support.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Madam Speaker, I rise to re-introduce the ``Strategies to Address Antimicrobial Resistance (STAAR) Act,'' which I believe has the potential to save many thousands of lives by strengthening the United States' response to infectious pathogens, including H1N1 influenza, that are becoming increasingly resistant to existing antimicrobial drugs (antibacterials, antivirals, antifungals, etc.). I have been working on the issue of antimicrobial resistance for several years and it is alarming how often reports of resistant infections now appear. I do not believe the public health community simply is crying ``wolf.'' We no longer can be complacent. When I first introduced this bill two years ago, we were facing reports of extensively-drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) and fears of an Avian flu pandemic. Over the last few weeks, we all have followed the H1N1 influenza outbreak as we ramped up our awareness of influenza mitigation strategies and the impact of infectious pathogens. What received less attention is the fact that H1N1 is resistant to some of the drugs in our arsenal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will continue to watch the spread and evolution of this pathogen as flu season hits the southern hemisphere. Hopefully, we again will buy some time before we truly face a pandemic. But, now the possibility of a pandemic has become real to many of us. We have been forced to think about how quickly an infection can spread, especially in the age of international air travel, and the disastrous result if it were a strain of bacteria that failed to respond to our current antiviral drugs. Another resistant infection that caught our attention over the past year is community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA). Historically, this infection was acquired during a hospital stay, but now is impacting young, healthy people and spreading in our communities. We've heard stories of high school, college and professional athletes losing their lives or careers as a result of these infections. Many of our constituents are facing serious illness and death due to MRSA infections. Sadly, this infection has become far too common, difficult to treat and has few options to fight it. It can leave individuals disfigured, if they survive. In my own state of Utah, the number of children with MRSA infections at the Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City has increased by almost 20 fold over the past two decades. There are still more infections to worry about. We have numerous reports of our soldiers coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan with Acinetobactor--a resistant bacterial infection that is especially difficult to treat and the only option is a very toxic antibiotic. Other examples of concern include vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA), an alarming development because vancomycin is the drug of last resort for treating several serious infections, and Escherichia coli (E.coli), which has caused outbreaks due to contamination of spinach, peanut butter, and other foods we regularly consume. Madam Speaker, I believe strongly that this year we must take this issue seriously and ensure we have the public health infrastructure in place to both monitor and respond to these emerging drug resistant infections. The STAAR Act is the most comprehensive legislation introduced to date to address this serious and life-threatening patient safety and public health problem. We must act now to begin to reverse the alarming trend, and infectious disease experts tell me that the multi-pronged approaches contained in the STAAR Act provides our best chance to address the multiple problems that face us. We have taken antimicrobial drug development for granted. Few of us remember medicine before the discovery of antibacterial and antiviral drugs. Antibacterial drugs in particular have allowed many medical advances, including routine invasive surgeries, organ transplants, and other procedures that otherwise would be impossible due to resulting infections. But we are falling behind in our ability to protect ourselves against infections, and we have a lot of catching up to do. Fifteen years ago, the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) examined the problem of antimicrobial resistance and reported to Congress that ``The impacts of antibiotic-resistant bacteria can be reduced by preserving the effectiveness of current antibiotics through infection control, vaccination and prudent use of antibiotics, and by developing new antibiotics specifically to treat infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.'' In addition, there are problems of significant and inappropriate use of antimicrobials; a lack of adequate research to address the many facets of resistance, including basic, clinical, interventional, and epidemiologic research as well as research to support the development of new diagnostics, biologics, devices and, of course, drugs; a fractured and under-funded resistance surveillance system; and insufficient coordination of the federal response, which is critically needed as the solutions to addressing antimicrobial resistance involve multiple agencies and departments. To begin to respond to the drug resistance problem, eight years ago Congress passed legislation that became Section 319E, ``Combating Antimicrobial Resistance'' of the Public Health Service Act. This law directed the Secretary to establish an Antimicrobial Resistance Task Force to coordinate Federal programs relating to antimicrobial resistance; required research and development of new antimicrobial drugs and diagnostics; established educational programs for medical and health personnel in the use of these drugs; and established demonstration grants for programs promoting the judicious use of antimicrobial drugs and the detection and control of the spread of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. Authorization for these programs expired September 30, 2006. The STAAR Act reauthorizes these programs and builds on the Federal efforts that have been highlighted in the Public Health Service Action Plan to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance, published in 2001 by the Task Force. The Action Plan identified thirteen key elements (out of 84 elements) as top priority action items that are critically necessary to address the growing resistance crisis. Regrettably, the Action Plan has never been funded. In spite of these past efforts to address the problem, antimicrobial resistance continues to grow. In 2004, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) published, ``Bad Bugs, No Drugs: As Antibiotic Discovery Stagnates a Public Health Crisis Brews'' to highlight the lack of research and development for new antibiotics. Updates to this report continue to make the case that we need to do more. Antibacterial drugs are not profitable compared to those that treat chronic (long- term) conditions and lifestyle issues. In addition, when a new antibiotic comes on the market, it is discouraged from use to avoid the development of resistance. Also, antibiotics are taken for short periods of time--unlike those for chronic disease which may be taken daily. As a result, big pharmaceutical companies have pretty much turned their back on antibiotic development. IDSA has published several other reports that support many of the provisions found in the STAAR Act. The ``Strategies to Address Antimicrobial Resistance (STAAR) Act'' is comprehensive legislation that advances the thirteen key elements identified in the federal Action Plan and authorizes adequate funding for these strategies. My bill strengthens existing efforts by establishing an Antimicrobial Resistance office (ARO) within the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The Director of the ARO would serve as the director of the existing interagency task force and work in conjunction with the many Federal agencies which share responsibility to address antimicrobial resistance to ensure accountability and progress on the Action Plan. Also, to encourage input from experts outside the federal government, and to ensure accountability, my bill would establish a Public Health Antimicrobial Advisory Board (PHAAB) to provide much needed advice about antimicrobial resistance and strategies to address it. The STAAR Act will strengthen existing surveillance, data collection, and research activities as a means to reduce the inappropriate use of antimicrobials, develop and test new interventions to limit the spread of resistant organisms, and foster the development of new tools to detect, prevent and treat these ``bad bugs.'' Infectious diseases experts have said they strongly support this multi- faceted, strategic approach. The STAAR Act has been endorsed by a number of organizations, including: Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics (APUA); American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN); National Parent-Teacher Association (PTA); American Public Health Association (APHA); National Foundation for Infections Diseases (NFID); Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE); and Michigan Antibiotic Resistance Reduction Coalition (MARA); American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP); Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC); International Society of Microbial Resistance (ISMR); Michigan Antibiotic Resistance Reduction Coalition (MARA); National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA); Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP); and Trust for America's Health (TFAH). This legislation has been a long time coming. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation and to work with me to give our federal agencies the tools they need to ensure that combating antimicrobial resistance becomes a priority.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 2187, the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act, which will help modernize many of our nation's schools. I would like to thank my colleague from Kentucky--Ben Chandler--for his sponsorship of this legislation. I believe it will help to ensure that our children can learn in healthier, more cost effective, and more energy-efficient schools. An investment in education and educational facilities is critical. As the father of two young boys, I want to know that they will receive a quality education in a safe school building. Too many of our nation's schools are outdated, and some are even unsafe. I would also like to thank Chairman Miller for including my amendment to this bill in the manager's amendment. My amendment will allow schools to prioritize projects that eliminate asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls, mold, mildew, lead-based hazards, or other known carcinogens. Extensive research has shown that children and teachers perform better in ``green'' schools. Our children already encounter many challenges, and we should do everything we can to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for them.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Madam Speaker, southern Utah has lost a local treasure with the passing of Bart Anderson of St. George, Utah. Bart Anderson was often described by people who meet him for the first time as ``bear-sized Bart Anderson''. He loomed large in the community life of Washington County. He was a retired St. George hematologist, historian and folklorist. Everyone knew him as ``Ranger Bart'' because he devoted his golden years to giving slide shows at nearby national parks--including Zion National Park--as well as at state parks. I knew Bart Anderson as a man with a passion for the stories of this part of the West, known as Utah's Dixie--so named because cotton was one of the crops grown by the Mormon settlers here at the time of the Civil War. One of Bart's most popular presentations was one on the outlaw Butch Cassidy. It featured vintage photos of Butch Cassidy, who Bart often pointed out, could charm the locals and even the lawmen of that era. Bart was a talented and versatile man, who turned down a number of more lucrative business offers because they would take him away from Dixie and he said he had too much red dirt running through his veins to leave. As a child, he contracted polio and when doctors said he wouldn't walk again, his father threw him in the swimming pool to help make him strong. When he was 11, Bart's father arranged for him to work for the Boy Scouts as a guide into the back country. He developed a great love of hiking, including the Grand Canyon. As an adult, he merged his love of hiking with his passion for story- telling by giving walking tours in downtown St. George. That morphed into a series of history lectures for which he developed over 100 slide programs that communicated his love of place to residents and visitors alike. He married his sweetheart--Delorice--whom he called ``the wind beneath my wings.'' She was often in the audience during his lectures and performances. Whether he was reciting ``The Ballad of Sam McGee'' around a campfire with a troop of Boy Scouts, or researching history at the Washington County Historical Society, Bart Anderson was happiest when he was immersed in folklore. He received many local state and national honors, including an award as Outstanding Volunteer from former First Lady Hillary Clinton. One of his close friends--Lyman Hafen--told the local newspaper that Anderson was one-of-a-kind--with a heart as big as Zion Canyon. I was very proud to be his friend and while he will be missed, he will never be forgotten.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 1145, the ``National Water Research and Development Initiative Act.'' I am proud to support Chairman Gordon's legislation as a cosponsor of the bill. I thank the Chairman, along with Chairman Stupak and the Science Committee staff for bringing this bill to the floor. My home state of Utah is the second driest state in the nation. Over the past year, Utah has overcome a twelve year drought that threatened major industries in my district. This water shortage threatens recreation, tourism, ranching, and agriculture. All of these industries rely heavily on water usage. This bill coordinates national research and development efforts on water and provides a clear path forward to ensure adequate water supplies for generations to come. It will help ensure that places like Utah have access to an effective national water strategy. That is why I offered an amendment to this legislation in Committee which creates a data collection system to quantify and define the nation's water supply or the systems that produce this resource. I am pleased that my language is included in this bill. This bill will help quantify water usage by allowing water users to share best practices and data in order to improve water resource management. Utah's lack of water is a common story in the west and increasingly in other parts of the nation. The lack of water in Utah cripples economies and I am looking forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure this legislation is passed. Thank you and I urge my colleagues to support this piece of legislation.

Mr. MATHESON

Mr. MATHESON. Madam Speaker, Southern Utah has lost a local treasure with the passing of Bart Anderson of St. George, Utah. Bart Anderson was often described by people who meet him for the first time as ``bear-sized Bart Anderson''. He loomed large in the community life of Washington County. He was a retired St. George hematologist, historian and folklorist. Everyone knew him as ``Ranger Bart'' because he devoted his golden years to giving slide shows at nearby national parks--including Zion National Park--as well as at state parks. I knew Bart Anderson as a man with a passion for the stories of this part of the West, known as Utah's Dixie--so named because cotton was one of the crops grown by the Mormon settlers here at the time of the Civil War. One of Bart's most popular presentations was one on the outlaw Butch Cassidy. It featured vintage photos of Butch Cassidy, who Bart often pointed out, could charm the locals and even the lawmen of that era. Bart was a talented and versatile man, who turned down a number of more lucrative business offers because they would take him away from Dixie and he said he had too much red dirt running through his veins to leave. As a child, he contracted polio and when doctors said he wouldn't walk again, his father threw him in the swimming pool to help make him strong. When he was 11, Bart's father arranged for him to work for the Boy Scouts as a guide into the back country. He developed a great love of hiking, including the Grand Canyon. As an adult, he merged his love of hiking with his passion for story- telling by giving walking tours in downtown St. George. That morphed into a series of history lectures for which he developed over 100 slide programs that communicated his love of place to residents and visitors alike. He married his sweetheart, Delorice, whom he called ``the wind beneath my wings.'' She was often in the audience during his lectures and performances. Whether he was reciting ``The Ballad of Sam McGee'' around a campfire with a troop of Boy Scouts, or researching history at the Washington County Historical Society, Bart Anderson was happiest when he was immersed in folklore. He received many local state and national honors, including an award as Outstanding Volunteer from former First Lady Hillary Clinton. One of his close friends, Lyman Hafen, told the local newspaper that Anderson was one-of-a-kind--with a heart as big as Zion Canyon. I was very proud to be his friend and while he will be missed, he will never be forgotten.