Betty McCollum

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining?

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I would like to clear up a little bit of information. There was a time a short while ago where the National Academy of Sciences asked the EPA, under the IRIS program, to tighten up their process. It needed fixing. It needed adjusting. The Agency reacted. They got an A-plus rating from the scientists now. So the fine-tuning that was unnecessary to make this good program even greater happened. But what this amendment would do is it would prohibit the EPA from funding the Integrated Risk Information System. Now, the Integrated Risk Information System, or IRIS, is an electronic base containing information on human health effects that may result from exposure to various chemicals in the environment. This was developed by the EPA's staff with consistent information to uniform risk assessments and regulatory decisionmaking with respect to health effects from exposures to chemicals found in the environment. There is a chemical right now that has captured the attention of people all across the United States, in fact, across the world, and it is PFOS. We need now, more than ever, to be laser focused, working with IRIS to do everything we can to get the data and the information so we know the health effects from being exposed to these chemicals for both military and civilian people all across the United States. It is a very serious problem, and IRIS' program review process is widely considered to be a gold standard when it comes to accessing chemical toxicity. Now, it is based on extensive scientific literature; it is peer- reviewed; and IRIS' toxicity assessments are relied upon by programs at the EPA and across the Federal Government, by States, and it is because of the high quality of the assessments. Because these assessments assess risk across a variety of exposure paths, assessments can inform regulatory decisionmaking across all media offices in the EPA. So they can look at it holistically and be making very informed decisions. It is no surprise, Mr. Chair, that the chemical industry has long sought to undermine the IRIS program. From their point of view, the less the public knows about the risk from toxic chemicals, the more money the chemical industry can make. We ought to be looking out for the safety and welfare of the American people, not the bottom line polluters who profit from pollution. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to this amendment.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, am I correct that the author of the amendment has yielded back his time?

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Chair, we know for a fact that methane leaks contribute to ground level ozone pollution. We know that that is harmful to human beings. We do know that reducing leaks improves the bottom line for the oil and gas companies. So I oppose this amendment. And I want to stand with common sense to do everything possible to keep these leaks from happening in the future. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, as I said, I understand the gentleman's concerns, but the fact is that this is fundamentally different from what we did in the FY20 bill in working with the lead Senator from Alaska, who is the counterpart on the Interior appropriations. This just goes too far. So, I oppose this as it is currently written, and I can't go just supporting this, because it completely, completely eliminates the Clean Air Act rules. I offer the gentleman an opportunity to go in front of the authorizing committee, and, at that point, if he wants to talk some more and we can figure out a way to create a win-win, I would be happy to help him in the authorizing committee; but I cannot support this amendment as it stands, eliminating the rules for clean air, at this time. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici).

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I rise to speak about the fiscal year 2020 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. I thank the chairwoman and the ranking member of the full committee and also my ranking member, Mr. Joyce, for all of his collaboration. I want people to know that this bill is the proud work, hard work, and collaboration of our subcommittee, which held 16 hearings. We received over 6,000 requests from Members of Congress, and we worked hard to make a bill that reflected the priorities of the entire House. I also want to note that this bill makes critical investments for the American people and for our planet. It does that because the subcommittee had a recommended total of $37.3 billion in discretionary funding. That is an increase of $1.7 billion over last year. We also were able to include this year, because of hard work by the subcommittee led by Mr. Simpson last year, an additional $2.25 billion in fire cap adjusted funds for suppression operations. That is really important for the Forest Service in order to fight wildland fires without borrowing from nonfire programs. Some of the biggest increases in this bill, however, honor our Federal and treaty trust responsibilities to provide for the health, safety, and education of our Native American brothers and sisters. Mr. Joyce and I, Mr. Chair, worked on this in a very nonpartisan fashion with the entire subcommittee. We can be proud that this bill continues to move us in the right direction in honoring our treaty and trust obligations. In fact, this bill invests over $10 billion to support and strengthen Tribal self-determination, including $1 billion, the highest ever recommended, for the operation of Native American education programs. As I said, Mr. Chair, we did that together in the subcommittee in a nonpartisan way. For many other agencies in this bill, however, the Trump administration had devastating cuts. The President's request was a 31 percent cut to the Environmental Protection Agency, and that cut would have prevented the EPA from its mission to keep our communities safe and healthy. In fact, under President Trump's watch, yesterday, the administration rolled out what many of us call its dirty power plan. We have evidence from the scientific community to say that it could contribute up to 1,400 premature deaths annually. Democrats are fighting back on this bill with important investments to protect the air we breathe and the water we drink. We boost support for the EPA's Clean Air Markets programs by $25.6 million, and we increase congressional oversight to make sure that there aren't any rollbacks attempted to put the public health at risk. We also fund the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund at the authorized level, and we target resources needed to address drinking and wastewater needs. This bill also takes a huge step forward in building on what was started in the Defense bill that we voted on earlier this week to address the crisis of PFOS, which is contaminating our water. I am very proud that, after the President signed a bipartisan bill to permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund even though the President zeroed it out in his budget, we chose to invest $524 million in LWCF. I would like to conclude by talking about climate change for a second. As we know, the administration has cut everywhere it can to decimate Federal funding to do research and combat and adapt to climate change. Our bill does the opposite. It boosts funding for climate change research, tracking and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions, and energy and water efficiency programs in the EPA. The U.S. Geological Survey has its role to play on climate, and we support that. It also restores very important programs on this that were eliminated in the Fish and Wildlife Service. This bill recognizes the importance of science to understand the impacts of climate change in our natural and cultural resources, in our ecosystems, and in human health. It is a good bill, and I think as we go through it, Mr. Chair, and listen to the amendments we can make a good bill even better. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time. Amendments En Bloc No. 4 Offered by Ms. McCollum of Minnesota

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, we should not be facilitating the hunting of species in countries that do not have good domestic conservation programs and have not demonstrated established, sound, science-based management programs. The Interior bill recognizes the importance of these iconic species and the role they play in the ecosystem. It is imperative to conserve these species, especially in light of the recent UN report on biodiversity that warns us that 1 million species face extinction. This amendment supports the committee's efforts to ensure the survival of elephants and lions for future and present generations. I support the amendment.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Chair, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment that would strike section 118 from the bill. I want to begin by setting the record straight on what section 118 of the Interior bill does and does not do. The opponents of this amendment have characterized the Interior language as preventing energy leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, ANWR. That is an outright misstatement, Madam Chair. Although, as I will explain, I can understand why those who championed the inflated revenue numbers 18 months ago might be a little worried. On the contrary, the language says that when the Department of the Interior offers those leases up for sale, it simply must make sure that the sale raises more than the $500 million that was promised. In 2017, the Republicans were putting together their tax bill. The budget resolution directed the House Natural Resources Committee and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to come up with legislation that would raise $1 billion over 10 years. Since the lease, that $1 billion was supposed to help offset the cost of a $5 trillion tax cut. In reality, I believe it was a scam to get around a point of order. Once the ANWR provision was included in the tax bill, the Congressional Budget Office said the provision would raise little more than $2 billion over 10 years, and, by law, half of those revenues go to the Federal Treasury and half go to the State of Alaska. According to the CBO, which got its information from the Interior Department, the first resale was going to raise $1 billion with $500 million going to the Federal Government. Well, if that $500 million is what the Interior Department told CBO they could raise from our public lands, then they should have no problem with the language in our bill, because that is exactly what our language does. It tells the Interior Department that if you decide to go forward with the lease sale next year, then you need to raise the $500 million you promised the American people. That is called accountability, and the taxpayers have a right to expect it. Now, since we don't know exactly how many acres Interior intends to offer up for lease, and we can't know the exact per acre dollar amount, but if the department leases a minimum of 400,000 acres required by law, then all it needs to do is put out a lease sale requirement to the companies to bid $2,500 an acre for these public lands. Apparently, the administration and the congressional opponents are having second thoughts about those promises now and want a little amnesty. On May 21, the Office of Management and Budget sent the Appropriations Committee a letter making it clear that the administration opposes section 118 language. OMB says that the $500 million figure was arbitrary and unrealistic. Now, how could the administration claim that that number was arbitrary and unrealistic when CBO estimates were based on the administration's data? Where was OMB in December of 2017 when CBO first came out? More importantly, where were the congressional opponents of drilling ANWR back then? Why didn't they sound a little alarmed 18 months ago? Why not speak up and say: ``Wait a minute, I think this number is too high, maybe it is unrealistic''? Well, I suspect they thought they would never be held responsible for the projections that they were touting back then, and maybe that explains why the language in the Interior bill is characterized as preventing lease sales. Supporters know that the department is required to live up to the promises everyone made, and they may be unattainable to achieve. So let me be clear. I oppose opening up ANWR for drilling. But now that it is in the tax bill, we have an obligation to make sure that the American taxpayer is protected, and the language currently in the Interior bill does exactly that, Madam Chair. It ensures that the public property is not given away to the oil and gas industry for a song. Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Chair, whether or not my colleagues on the other side of the aisle want to admit it, climate change is real. It is caused by human activity. And it will--I should say, it is even currently now having devastating impacts. If we don't take bold action to reduce climate pollution, it is only going to get worse. I believe we also have a moral obligation to future generations to leave this planet better than we found it. Limiting pollution from power plants is an important part of an overall strategy to limit carbon pollution and keep global temperatures from rising to levels that will bring unacceptable risks from extreme weather and other climate change impacts. Therefore, I was extremely disappointed that, on Wednesday, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced a rule that would repeal the Clean Power Plan, replacing it with a rule that will lead to 1,400 more deaths each year. Those numbers, Madam Chair, are the EPA's numbers. Just think of it. The administration that is held with the responsibility of protecting America's air and water so that it is fit for human consumption puts out a regulation to limit the pollution that actually increases the amount of pollution that we emit, causing more deaths, more asthma attacks, more trips to the emergency room. Every year we continue to see communities devastated by natural disasters related to our changing climate. We are spending billions of dollars each year helping these communities rebuild in the wake of those disasters. We need action to limit climate pollution. Blocking action to limit carbon pollution from power plants is a step backwards at the exact same moment we should be leaping forward towards cleaner forms of energy. Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, the amendments included in the en bloc were made in order under the rule. I support the amendment, and I urge its adoption. Mr. Chair, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon).

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Chair, I rise today to speak about the fiscal year 2020 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. First, I want to thank Chairwoman Lowey and Ranking Member Granger for their leadership. I also want to thank Ranking Member Joyce for his collaboration and partnership through this process and all the members on our committee for their contribution. The Interior bill is a product of hard work and collaboration. The subcommittee held 16 hearings. We received 6,500 requests from Members of Congress, and we worked hard to create a bill that reflects the priorities of the entire House. As a result, we have a strong bill before us today that makes critical investments for the American people and the planet. For fiscal year 2020, the subcommittee is recommending a total of $37.3 billion in discretionary funding. That is an increase of $1.7 billion over last year's enacted level. There is also an additional $2.25 billion in fire cap adjusted funds for suppression operations. These critical funds allow the Forest Service to fight wildland fires without borrowing from non-fire programs. Some of the biggest increases in this bill go to honoring our Federal trust and treaty responsibilities to provide for the health, safety, and education of our Native American brothers and sisters. Madam Chair, I want to thank Representative Joyce for his working with me to carry on this subcommittee's nonpartisan approach to addressing the issues facing Indian Country. We can be proud that this bill continues to move us in the right direction. In fact, the bill invests over $10 billion to support and strengthen Indian Tribal self-determination, including $1 billion, the highest funding ever recommended, for the operation of Native American education programs. For many agencies in this bill, the Trump administration proposed devastating cuts that we have rejected. The President's budget proposed a 31 percent cut to the Environmental Protection Agency. That cut would have prevented the EPA from completing its mission to keep our communities safe and healthy. On President Trump's watch, Americans know that their air quality is declining for the first time in decades. Today, this administration rolled out their dirty power plan, which will contribute to 1,400 premature deaths, annually. Democrats are fighting back in this bill with important investments to protect the air we breathe and the water we drink. We boost support for the EPA's clean air programs by $25.6 million, and we increase congressional oversight of attempts to roll back public health protections. And, finally, we fund the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund at the authorized level. We include funds for newly authorized grants to target drinking water and wastewater needs. We are working to reduce sewer overflows and ensure that all Americans have access to safe drinking water. This bill also targets funds to address the crisis of PFAS contamination in our water supplies. President Trump's budget also proposed radical cuts to the Land and Water Conservation Fund, even though earlier this year he signed a bipartisan bill to permanently reauthorize the program. Instead, our bill chooses to invest $524 million in the LWCF to protect and preserve our landscapes and biodiversity. Democrats also rejected the Trump administration cuts that would have decimated Federal funding to research, combat, and adapt to climate change. Our bill boosts funding for climate change research, tracking and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions, and energy and water efficiency programs at the EPA. It increases ecosystems and climate-related funding in the U.S. Geological Survey, and it restores programs proposed for elimination in the Fish and Wildlife Service. We recognize the importance of science to understand and address the impacts of climate change on our natural and cultural resources and our ecosystems and human health. I am proud of the work that went into this bill, so I want to thank all of our staff on both sides of the aisle, on the committee and on our personal staffs, for the countless hours they put into this bill. I thank them all for their engagement and commitment. Now, I know Mr. Joyce will not be supporting this bill today, Madam Chair, but I look forward to working with him in negotiating with our Senate colleagues and this administration on a final bill we can both support. We have a good bill before us today. It makes important investments in the health of our communities and our environment, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, there are more than 9,800 local recycling programs following different standards in the United States. There is no coordination. Cities and counties are struggling, and recycling is at risk of collapsing. Increasingly, recyclable plastics and papers are going to landfills and incinerators, and poisoning our oceans and waterways. It is time for a national recycling strategy to harmonize standards across the country, strengthen markets, and reduce contamination in the recycling system. Leadership is needed from Congress to work with stakeholders to make recycling environmentally and economically sustainable. For example, it is time for a standardized national system of labeling. Every household, business, school, park, and stadium should be using a universal, standardized labeling system that reduces contamination in the recycling stream and enhances the market viability of recyclable materials. As citizens and consumers, Americans want recycling to work. It is time for Washington to get to work to make recycling work.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 25th anniversary of the Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging (MAAA). For 25 years, this nonprofit organization has served as a trusted advocate and resource for older adults and caregivers in the Twin Cities seven- county metropolitan area, helping seniors age well in their homes and communities. As part of the history of the Older Americans Act, in 1972, the Metropolitan Council was designated the first Area Agency on Aging (AAA) for the Twin Cities metro area. MAAA was founded in 1994 as an independent, nonprofit organization and designated the AAA to carry out Older Americans Act services and programs. In 1997, Senior LinkAge Line call centers were established at MAAA and AAAs across Minnesota. In 2000, the National Family Caregiver Support was enacted by Congress and in 2001, MAAA established the Metropolitan Caregiver Service Collaborative. In 2004, it launched Sustaining Minority Elders in Their Communities--an initiative to provide technical assistance and funding for organizations serving minority elders. The Upper Midwest Pension Rights Project became part of MAAA in 2009. It provides free legal counseling to residents of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota who have questions or problems related to their pensions. In 2011, MAAA became the fiscal sponsor for ACT on Alzheimer's--a statewide collaboration that began in Minnesota and led to the creation of a national initiative--Dementia Friendly America. In 2015, MAAA hosted the regional White House Conference on Aging. Over the years, MAAA continues to adapt and expand the connections, services, and programs it oversees to better meet the needs of our aging communities. In 2015, MAAA founded Innovations for Aging, a wholly owned nonprofit subsidiary to expand its health promotion and wellness work. In 2016, Juniper was started in partnership with AAAs across Minnesota, and with Innovations for Aging as the managing partner. It provides evidence-based programming to help adults manage chronic health conditions, prevent falls, and be fit. Today, MAAA has grown from a staff of eight to employing 108 staff and is located in Arden Hills. In 2018, with Older Americans Act funding, MAAA and its community-based partners served 24,366 older adults and caregivers with critical service including chore and homemaking services, meals, rides, and caregiver consultation. More than 35 percent of those served were minority or Native elders. Through the Senior LinkAge Line and the help of its volunteers, MAAA served 66,673 people and answered 43,000 Medicare Open Enrollment calls last year. Madam Speaker, the steadfast leadership, unbiased information, and assistance that MAAA provides to the aging communities in the Twin Cities metro are commendable and deserve to be celebrated. Please join me in honoring the 25th Anniversary of the Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 (H.R. 299). When our brave men and women sign up to serve, the American people make a promise to them. We assure them of clearly defined benefits that are guaranteed upon completion of their service. Unfortunately, for many veterans of the Vietnam era who served offshore of the Republic of Vietnam, our government fell short of this solemn duty. In 1991, Congress passed the Agent Orange Act, legislation that instituted the presumption of service connection for certain diseases linked to exposure to defoliants and herbicides like Agent Orange. This law built upon the Veterans' Dioxin and Radiation Exposure Compensation Standards Act of 1984 that directed the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop a system of disability compensation for Vietnam era veterans who had been exposed to Agent Orange. However, these laws failed to acknowledge that veterans who served in the territorial seas during the Vietnam War, known as Blue Water Navy Veterans, were also exposed to Agent Orange. In addition to handling toxic chemicals onboard naval vessels, many of these chemicals polluted rivers and streams in Vietnam that ran into the territorial seas. This contaminated water was then used by the U.S. Navy for drinking, bathing, and other purposes. H.R. 299 finally acknowledges that our Blue Water Navy Veterans were exposed to these toxic chemicals. It remedies the inequity among veterans of the Vietnam era by extending the presumption of service connection for certain conditions to those who served offshore, and it is a long overdue step towards making these veterans whole. I hope that the Senate will swiftly take up this legislation once the House passes it today. Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation and finally welcome back home our Blue Water Navy Veterans.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of this funding package today. I am pleased that, within the Interior Subcommittee's jurisdiction, the bill provides more than $2 billion for recovery from devastating natural disasters. This includes $849 million to rebuild drinking water and waste treatment systems to a state of resiliency against future storms, and $50 million for coastal resiliency projects to reduce flooding and erosion caused by sea level rise and climate change. This bill provides funds to repair Federal facilities that were destroyed or damaged, like the Hawaii Volcanoes Observatory, funds for Historic Preservation grants to repair culturally significant sites and properties, and funds to clean up hazardous and solid waste. A critical provision in this bill provides $720 million to fully repay the U.S. Forest Service for funds it was forced to borrow in the last fiscal year to cover the cost of wildland fire suppression. An additional $134 million will help the Forest Service to address damage to national forests and to treat hazardous fuel loads. This emergency funding in this bill will help Americans who are struggling to restore their lives to return to their homes after devastating fires and hurricanes of last year. Communities in all of our States and our territories deserve Federal support as they recover from natural disasters. Democrats are proud, under the leadership of Chair Lowey, to be bringing this bill to the floor to help those who have suffered from these natural disasters to begin to rebuild and heal their lives. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, the Federal Government has an obligation to equally protect the rights of all 573 federally recognized Tribal nations. Since the passage of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, those rights have included the ability to have lands placed into trust. The intent of the original Indian Reorganization Act was clear: to restore and to protect Tribal homelands for all sovereign Tribal nations. Congress clearly did not intend to limit this right based on the date of a Tribe's recognition. After all, Tribal nations did not get to decide when the Federal Government would give them the recognition they were due. But in 2009, the Supreme Court ruling in a case of Carcieri v. Salazar called into question whether Tribes recognized after 1934 should have equal rights to trust land. Tribal leaders united to ask Congress for legislation to fix this problem, to right this wrong, and I am honored to have worked hand in hand in a nonpartisan fashion with my good friend, Congressman Tom Cole, to lead that effort. Tomorrow the House will vote on H.R. 375, a clean legislative fix that is necessary to ensure that we are fulfilling one of our country's most sacred obligations. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support a clean Carcieri fix.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor 100 years of outstanding community service and support from Goodwill-Easter Seals of Minnesota. Since 1919, Goodwill-Easter Seals of Minnesota has empowered some of our most vulnerable neighbors by providing services and support to overcome barriers to employment and pursue lives of independence and self-reliance. Saint Paul Goodwill Industries began in 1919 with a store in the basement of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Saint Paul. Goodwill trained workers to repair and resell donated merchandise through its retail operation. During the Great Depression, the jobs created through this model became a critical lifeline for those who had them. Goodwill also operated a home for the elderly, a Community House for workers, and a vocational training program for young persons with physical disabilities. As the organization grew and matured, it continued supporting Minnesota's workforce, this time, at the request of the federal government. Through WWII and afterwards, Goodwill Industries opened up its much sought after vocational programs to service members returning from their deployments. Some of those who carried the physical ravages of war with them were enrolled in new training programs, and a training center was built to accommodate them. This chapter in the history of Goodwill-Easter Seals is just another example of this organization rising to the challenge and equipping people with the tools to be successful in their communities. Because of its century of expertise and accumulated knowledge, today Goodwill-Easter Seals is a leader in policy pertaining to workforce development for individuals with disabilities and other barriers to work. Now with 50 locations around the state, Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota prevents 60 million pounds of second-hand items from ending up in landfills, all while guiding an average of four people per day into workplaces of their own. For 100 years, Goodwill-Easter Seals has provided a pillar of economic stability in communities throughout Minnesota. The Goodwill- Easter Seals' model of giving items a second life, and using the revenue to support effective job training for members of our community is one that has stood the test-of-time. The positive benefits to our community that have accumulated over the years from this approach are seemingly incalculable. Our community would be poorer and less vibrant were it not for the work and diligence of 100 years of staff and supporters who kept Goodwill-Easter Seals of Minnesota running efficiently and continuing to strive for improvement. Madam Speaker, please join me in celebrating 100 years of Goodwill- Easter Seals of Minnesota empowering and uplifting Minnesota's communities.