Betty McCollum

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H.R. 266, the fiscal year 2019 Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. Today is the 21st day of the Trump shutdown, and the damage it inflicts on the families and communities across this country continues to grow. More than 800,000 Federal workers are without pay, and today will be the first missed paycheck for those families. Many of our civil servants are working without pay, and telling them that they have to file for unemployment is outrageous and it is wrong. Today, Democrats are offering this bill that provides critical funds to reopen the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, Indian Health Service, and other important agencies. Our national parks, America's crown jewels, are under threat. This administration continues to allow visitors to enter as if everything is normal. Our Park Service does not have the funding to ensure visitor safety, address the most basic standards of cleanliness, and protect park assets. Joshua Tree National Park is experiencing significant damage because there are not enough rangers to stop off-road driving in the park. New tracks are being cut into the sensitive landscape, and many of Joshua's trees, the precious namesake of this park, have been destroyed. Just this past week, the Department of the Interior announced an illegal plan to force parks to start redirecting funds from entry fees. Now, those fees are designated for capital improvement projects, and now they will be used to clean toilets. There is no substitute for the park system's annual operation budget of $2.5 billion. As I said, lasting damage is being done to our national parks, and their long-term upkeep is being compromised. We must ensure public safety and protect our pristine spaces; and that is why I am calling on the National Park Service to close all parks until the government reopens. Congress needs to pass this bill to fully fund and staff and protect our national parks. Passing this bill will allow the Forest Service to get back to work on critical activities, like hazardous fuel management. That work needs to happen now in order to prevent wildfires. The Environmental Protection Agency's mission is to protect human health and the environment, but the Trump shutdown has furloughed more than 13,000 employees, stopping inspections at drinking water systems, stopping inspections at hazardous waste management facilities, and stopping inspections at chemical facilities. This places the health of the American people and their communities in jeopardy. The Trump shutdown is particularly threatening to the health and safety of our Native American brothers and sisters. Once again, we have failed to meet our treaty responsibilities to Tribal nations. Basic services like health clinics, Tribal justice services, and food assistance for seniors, are being put at risk for nearly 1.9 million Americans throughout Indian Country. Approximately 54 percent of the Indian Health Service budget goes to Tribal organizations to run their own programs. During the Trump shutdown, critical programs in Indian Country run by Tribal organizations stop. This includes the Domestic Violence Prevention Initiative, the Indian Children's Program, the Suicide Prevention Program, and Alcohol and Substance Abuse Programs. Native American Lifelines is an example of a healthcare program that is under contract with the Indian Health Service. Clinics focus on care for the needy and the elderly, and I am outraged to report that, as of today, these remarks that I deliver, well, those clinics have been forced to close, and they will not be able to continue to coordinate care for their patients, like the 80-year-old woman who depends on Native American Lifelines to help her manage her type 2 diabetes. It is time to reopen the government. The Interior bill before us was drafted by the Senate, passed overwhelmingly with a bipartisan vote of 92-6. This bill also should be familiar to everyone as it was part of a six-bill package that passed overwhelmingly on the House floor with bipartisan votes last week. This bill provides $35.9 billion, which is $601 million over the fiscal year 2018-enacted bill. It maintains funding for nearly every agency at or above the fiscal year 2018- enacted level, including the Environmental Protection Agency. It is important to note, however, this bill does not contain any new partisan riders. Now, clearly, I would have written things differently, especially with regard to funding for Indian Country. However, this bill will immediately open up the Department of the Interior, the EPA, and other agencies, and give us a path forward to end the Trump shutdown. Last year, Congress had the opportunity to pass the bill negotiated by the Conference Committee, but Republican leadership controlled the floor and they chose not to finish their work. And then we thought there was an agreement to keep the government open while the issues of homeland security were being worked out. Senator McConnell brought the continuing resolution to the floor of the Senate and it passed unanimously. But Speaker Ryan, along with President Trump, decided to shut down the government, and Congress went home. Now, nearly 800,000 employees are without a paycheck today, and Democrats are doing everything that we can to quickly pass a bipartisan bill to reopen the government. We need to finish last year's work so that we can move forward to serve the American people in 2019. So I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bill. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I also hail from one of the Great Lakes States. The funding in the Senate bill and the House bill for the Great Lakes was identical. So at least in this portion of the funding, it was equal for both the House and the Senate. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Huffman), who is a member of the House Natural Resources Committee.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I have a rhetorical question, and that would be: If we had been able to bring the continuing resolution to the floor, if we would have been able to get the President to sign it, would that have given us the breathing space to bring back the conference committee reports and would the President have signed it? I have not heard the President offer that as a solution. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Maine (Ms. Pingree), a member of the Appropriations Committee, who proudly serves on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), a member of the Appropriations Committee.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 28, I call up the bill (H.R. 266) making appropriations for the Department of the Interior, environment, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, as I asked a rhetorical question earlier: If the President would say, ``I am going to do a short CR; I will sign it; we are going to let the conference committee refile their bills for 2019 to open up the rest of the government, get the people back to work, and get the paychecks back into those families' hands; and while we are doing that, we will negotiate the Homeland Security bill,'' I would be all for that, but I have not heard that come from the President of the United States. So today, Mr. Speaker, I bring a bill to bring paychecks back to people who don't deserve to be pawns in this government shutdown. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the Democratic Majority Leader.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the measure under consideration.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to say, once again, I am sorely disappointed that, before the end of December and before the new Congress came into being, some of the suggestions here were to move forward with conference committee reports, to bring them to the floor, to work with the President. Now that we have the new Congress sworn in, for the President to say: You get those conference committee reports going. We will do a continuing resolution to keep government open. We will negotiate the Homeland Security bill off to the side--but there is silence. There is no commitment. Quite frankly, I don't know if the President would change his mind again, if he did agree to that. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Kilmer), who is a member of the Appropriations Committee and serves on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I oppose this last-ditch effort to attach harmful policy riders to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) reauthorization. While H.R. 7388 reauthorizes the NFIP through May 31, 2019, House Republicans have attached controversial policy reforms that have been rejected several times by the House and Senate to a bill that would keep the NFIP's doors open. This harmful policy change was recently implemented administratively by the Trump administration. This policy reverses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) ``Write Your Own'' non-compete clause and would allow private insurance companies partnering with and servicing NFIP policies to sell their own competing private policies to unsuspecting consumers. We should not allow private insurers to cherry-pick the best risk policies for their own private businesses and force taxpayers to pick up the rest. The Senate has already unanimously passed a clean extension that does not include this toxic rider. The House should ensure that flood insurance remains available to millions of homeowners, businesses, and renters across the country that rely on it and pass a clean extension.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to S. 1934, a bill that would roll back standards under the Clean Air Act (CAA) for diesel generating units in ``remote areas'' of Alaska. I understand the motivation behind this bill, but it could set a precedent for weakening existing New Source Performance Standards for diesel generators not just in Alaska, but across the United States. I am committed to finding ways to help Alaskans in remote areas have affordable electricity while maintain health protections. Congress should tackle this issue with an open debate through regular order.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this new Republican continuing resolution that is going nowhere. House Republicans continue to cater to every whim and Twitter temper tantrum that the President throws, abdicating their responsibility to the American people. Last night, the Senate passed by voice vote a continuing resolution, and the House was ready to follow suit today. And the President said he would sign it. But, rather than keeping his word, the President appears to have put the demands of conservative pundits over the American people, causing a government shutdown. It is time for Republican leadership to stand up to the President and pass the agreed-upon continuing resolution that will bring back economic certainty to our economy. The President has still not used the money that Congress appropriated for border security last year, yet Republicans are ready to give him the same amount of funds this year, and we agreed to that. But there is no reason to waste $5.7 billion on a border wall that experts have stated will not do what the President has promised. Our country faces many challenges--opioid epidemic, increasing effects of climate change, the rising cost of prescription drugs, an infrastructure that is crumbling--and Congress should be working on these issues. So let us stand together. Let us pass a responsible spending bill that will keep the Government open, give our local and State governments, our businesses, and, most importantly, the American people, a sense of stability this holiday season.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a man who has dedicated his life to his family and serving his community and all residents of Saint Paul, Minnesota. As 2018 draws to a close, Council Member Dan Bostrom will leave the Saint Paul City Council after 22 years of distinguished service on behalf of his constituents, having made his city, and Saint Paul's Ward 6, more prosperous, safe and vibrant. His retirement caps a remarkable five-decade commitment to public service. Dan Bostrom is a true son of Saint Paul's East Side. From a young age, he first met his neighbors by delivering papers for the Pioneer Press, and the now defunct evening paper, the Dispatch. After graduating from Saint Paul's Johnson High School, then from the University of Minnesota, Dan went on to become a police officer in the Saint Paul Police Department. Described by his colleagues as ``a very thoughtful guy, even under extreme pressure,'' Dan earned a reputation for treating everyone with respect and dignity during the turbulent 1960s and 1970s as Saint Paul and the nation were experiencing unprecedented racial tension and growing challenges of economic disparity. His respect for others, honesty, patience and empathy, not only made him an excellent keeper of the peace, but opened doors to a new level of public service. During his service on the police department, Dan began serving on the District Two Community Council, which is an official community representative body that is charged with engaging with city projects in their neighborhoods. While serving on the district council, he was encouraged to run for the school board. He eventually went on to serve on the school board for 9 years, where he established soccer as a team sport in schools, introduced truant officers in Saint Paul schools, and helped to save the Monroe School from closure. Witnessing his passion for the community and ability to deliver results, neighbors urged Dan to run for City Council, and was elected to the Saint Paul City Council in 1996. He went on to serve there for 22 years, six of which as Council President. During his time on the Council, Dan advocated for increased economic development on the East Side of Saint Paul, a historically working-class neighborhood which is one ofthe state's most diverse as well. Dan was instrumental in the creation of the Phalen Boulevard corridor, which serves as crucial connection from the East Side to the rest of Saint Paul. Whenever asked why, after so many years of exemplary and successful public service, he remained an active and engaged Council Member, he would often respond, that despite his successes, there were too many things left undone or at critical stages. Nothing is more important to Dan than his family and neighbors. Throughout his life, he has been a devoted husband, father and grandfather. As his late wife Rosann faced a heroic battle with breast cancer, Dan was a constant support and caregiver. His commitment to others is fundamental to who he is, and that legacy has been passed along to his family, including his son Matt who is the former Ramsey County Sheriff. It is a privilege to call Dan a friend. I am grateful to have been able to count on him as a consistent partner on behalf of the East Side and Saint Paul residents throughout my service in the Minnesota Legislature and in the U.S. House of Representatives. His work ethic and dedication to public service is a model to our entire community. Mr. Speaker, please join me paying tribute to Councilman Dan Bostrom for his exemplary career in public service. I wish him and his family all the best in his retirement, and to honor him for his lifetime of service to residents of Saint Paul.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mr. Jim Pagliarini, on his remarkable 21 years as the President and CEO of Twin Cities PBS or Twin Cities Public Television (TPT). Under Jim's leadership, TPT has become one of this nation's most successful, innovative and prolific public television stations. While not only launching and producing popular programming and community facing initiatives, the successes of TPT have gone on to become nationwide models for how other PBS stations interact with their audiences and the communities they serve. After seeing the power that television has to educate communities, and children especially, Jim earned a Master's degree in education from Temple University and went on to found the PBS station in Reno Nevada. He was one of the youngest station leaders in the nation at 29 years old. After successfully running the Reno PBS station, he was encouraged to apply for the position of President and CEO of TPT here in Saint Paul, Minnesota. His arrival in Saint Paul in 1997 marked the beginning of a new era for TPT. Jim is often spoken of as a keen listener who cares about the thoughts and visions of those around him. His strategic vision, as well as the staff and leadership team he oversees, has enabled TPT to be a national leader in serving the community with a variety of offerings both on television and the web. Twin Cities Public Television is consistently one of the most viewed stations in the country and excels in offering programming and content to people at every stage of life, spanning from early childhood to later adulthood. Jim has not only been an enormous positive force for TPT, but has leveraged his talents and knowledge for the betterment of public broadcasting nationwide. In addition to serving and being reelected to the national PBS board, in 2006 he took a partial leave of absence to lead strategic planning for all public television stations around the country. One of the many successes that TPT has had during Jim's tenure as President and CEO has been a partnership with the state's non-profits to help them use the power of media to broadcast their values and missions to viewers across Minnesota. This initiative helped to launch the Minnesota Channel in 2003, which became a national model for public broadcasting community partnerships. During Jim's time at TPT, the station completed a $40 million campaign to modernize their headquarters and invest in new digital work. It was the most ambitious campaign in TPT's history. Under Mr. Pagliarini's leadership, Twin Cities Public Television has thrived and grown into a model public broadcaster. TPT is a shining jewel for Minnesota, and the Fourth Congressional District, where it is located in Saint Paul. Mr. Speaker, please join me in wishing Jim all the best in his retirement, and to honor him for his years of educating and enriching the lives of Minnesota residents through his work at Twin Cities Public Television.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Major Marisol Altagracia Chalas on the occasion of her well-deserved promotion to Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army. Marisol began her outstanding military career 28 years ago as an enlisted soldier and has broken barriers on behalf of women in this country ever since. Most notably, in 2001 she had the distinction of becoming the first Latina National Guard Black Hawk pilot in the United States. Throughout her career, she has held the position of Battle Captain and Platoon Leader during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Aviation Liaison under the Combined Joint Task Force in the Dominican Republic, Lean Six Sigma Advisor, and Force Management and Exchange Officer with the Canadian military. Marisol also has outstanding corporate experience, having worked in management positions at General Electric and Booz Allen Hamilton. Marisol's commitment to public service is not limited to serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. It extends to helping her community as well. Marisol started a leadership lunch and learn program for children at Fort Bragg, took part in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America program, and currently serves on the board of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. She also received the USCIS Outstanding American by Choice award in 2017, which highlights and celebrates the experiences and work ethic that immigrants contribute to the United States. As an Army Congressional Fellow in my office, Marisol brought a unique perspective to my staff. Her long and distinguished career in the military added invaluable insight while we considered the Fiscal Year 2018 Defense Appropriations legislation. The policy and funding measures she worked on helped to improve the lives of U.S. service members around the world. Additionally, Marisol oversaw the State and Foreign Operations and Homeland Security appropriations portfolios during her year in the office. Whether it was meeting with constituents, staffing day long Appropriations Committee markups, or debating important issues with staff, Marisol always conducted herself with the utmost professionalism and respect. Marisol's service and dedication to our nation truly upholds the U.S. Army's core values: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. Thank you, Marisol, for your service to our nation and for your service to the people of the Fourth District of Minnesota. We wish you nothing but success in the next chapter of your life.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, this bill sets several incredibly damaging precedents, fundamentally weakening the protections of our Nation's threatened and endangered species. The Endangered Species Act is one of the most effective and important conservation laws ever passed by Congress. The success is due, in large part, to a careful scrutiny of scientific evidence and the critical analysis of all factors when making decisions on the status of a species. The Manage Our Wolves Act would remove protections under the ESA for one of the Nation's iconic wildlife species, without an opportunity for public participation in the rulemaking process for delisting. Even more troubling, this bill would explicitly ban any judicial review of the delisting of gray wolves in both the Great Lakes and nationwide. No judicial oversight will be allowed for the removal of the science- based protections established under the Endangered Species Act. A species is only listed as endangered or threatened, or delisted upon its successful recovery, after a rigorous assessment of its extinction. By eliminating judicial review of ESA delisting actions, this legislation removes the ability of the public and the scientific community to participate in the process. Access to a court of law is a cornerstone of American democracy and a fundamental part of our government. The judicial branch is also where the American people can have their voices heard and they can have a say in our system of checks and balances. Stopping our independent Federal courts from reviewing the actions of Federal agencies, or of Congress, violates this access to justice principle. It is simply undemocratic. It undermines the necessary oversight of government decisions. For years, the courts have served as an important forum for addressing disputes over ESA-related decisions. This legislation's attempt to remove judicial review from the ESA decision has no scientific or legal basis. It is simply a politically expedient move. By prioritizing politics over conservation, this bill would cause irreparable damage to the integrity of the Endangered Species Act and sets a dangerous precedent of overriding the careful deliberations of the court. Mr. Speaker, we should not support legislatively mandating decisions about vulnerable species. We should not circumvent the established process for making ESA determinations. For this reason, I would urge my colleagues to vote ``no.'' Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining?

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I was recently in Yellowstone in the last month and a half. And, yes, there was a fire in Yellowstone. I am from Minnesota. I know all about after fires go in, and the moose munch, as we call it, around the boundary waters in the Voyageurs National Park area comes back and you can start seeing moose. They start doing better. The same thing is true of the elk. I saw elk literally right out a car window. They are doing better. But it is also very important to remember what Congressman DeFazio said about how, when the wolves are interactive and they are part of the regrowth and the rebirth of our forest system, the wolf, by being a predator, helps protect the stream banks and the rest from the elk and other animals from being on the stream banks and pressing them down. That has a big ripple effect on fish and other wildlife in the ecosystem, especially in Yellowstone. So I appreciate the gentleman's remarks about Yellowstone, but it is just not one thing that is causing the elk to come back healthy. It is the wolf population, as well.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation reauthorizing the President's Emergency Plan for HIV/AIDS Relief, commonly referred to as PEPFAR, for an additional 5 years until 2023. When this law was established in 2003, I was very proud to be a member of the International Relations Committee. Thanks in large part to the bipartisan leadership of Chairman Henry Hyde and Ranking Member Tom Lantos, the original bill included dedicated funding that required that at least 10 percent of the funds be used for orphans and vulnerable children. I thank Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel, and I thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Bass for maintaining support for the dedicated OVC funding and ensuring this provision was restored when the Foreign Affairs Committee marked up this bill in September. Today, at least more than 12 million children worldwide have lost at least one parent to HIV/AIDS, and at least 80 percent of these children live in sub-Saharan Africa. Of the 1.8 million children living with HIV/AIDS, only half have the necessary antiretroviral treatment; and without this treatment, it is expected that 80 percent will not make it to their fifth birthday. The dedicated OVC funding in this bill ensures that these children will continue to be a priority in our fight against HIV/AIDS in responding directly to physical, emotional, and economic impacts HIV/ AIDS has on vulnerable children. The OVC programs protect children from contracting HIV/AIDS, expand access to high-quality healthcare services, work directly with families and communities to strengthen capacity and resilience building, and give these children a future. We still have work to do, and these programs, we know they are effective, and we know that they are working. As of September 2017, PEPFAR had provided care and support to more than 6.4 million orphans and vulnerable children and their caregivers worldwide. I thank the Foreign Affairs Committee's leadership for ensuring this critical funding provision was included in the final version of the bill.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Frelinghuysen for his service in the U.S. Congress. He will be greatly missed by me and by many of us. I would like to thank Ranking Member Lowey and the subcommittee chairs and the ranking members and all of their staffs for their hard work on this bipartisan legislation. This bill makes robust investments in the Department of Defense, improving the readiness of our troops and, as has been pointed out, providing them with a well-deserved pay raise. I am also pleased with this bill's commitment to the environmental cleanup of Defense Superfund sites, providing $184 million over the request for defense cleanup efforts. This is much needed. The Labor-Health and Human Services portion of this package provides vital resources that will impact the lives of every American. A $2 billion increase to the National Institutes of Health will give our researchers the tools they need to find the cures for diseases such as Alzheimer's and diabetes. The community service block grants, however, did not receive the House level of funding but still got an increase. This is very important for families and communities that can use some of this funding, as they have come up with proven programs on how to make opioid recovery successful. I am particularly proud of the inclusion of my amendment to allow individuals diagnosed with cancer to defer payments on their public student loans while they undergo lifesaving treatments. I would like to thank Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Representative Perlmutter, as well as Chairman Cole and Ranking Member DeLauro, for their bipartisan leadership on this important issue. With more than 70,000 young adults diagnosed with cancer each year, they will now be able to focus on what is more important: beating cancer and getting healthy, not worrying about making their student loan payments while receiving chemotherapy. I support this spending package, and I look forward to the fact that we have a continuing resolution included in here so that the government doesn't shut down.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Marlene Kayser of Saint Paul, Minnesota on the occasion of her 80th birthday. Marlene's family will join her many friends to celebrate her extraordinary lifetime of service to others on September 23, 2018. Governor Mark Dayton has proclaimed the day as Marlene Kayser Day in the State of Minnesota. Growing up on a farm in southern Minnesota instilled in Marlene the values of hard work, sensibility and duty to others. A passion for promoting human rights and social justice has taken her across the state and around the world to further this vital work. Numerous organizations and causes including Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights and Planned Parenthood have benefited greatly from her generosity, leadership and skills as a volunteer and role model. Over the decades, Marlene, her husband Tom, daughter Carol and sons Tom and David literally opened their arms and their Saint Paul home to the community to generously assist others. There they have served as host family to many international students, connected countless community leaders, and launched initiatives that improve our state and our planet for everyone. The open door of the Kayser home has been a tangible symbol of the hospitality and encouragement that Marlene offers. Through her tireless work with Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, Marlene has traveled the world as a grassroots volunteer--at her own expense--to monitor conditions and to train leaders. She's spoken with citizens and professionals about domestic violence in places like Macedonia and Romania, then returned to Minnesota to provide her valuable skills as an effective fundraiser who builds relationships and spreads the word about these important issues. Generations of social justice advocates have been taught by Marlene's example and mentorship. It has been observed by many that her gracious persistence and dignified determination in promoting women's rights inspires others to push harder and never give up when faced with challenges. Above all, she leads by example. When called to help, you can count on Marlene to provide vision, as well as the tenacity to see a project to completion. It is a privilege to know Marlene as a friend, confidant and mentor. Her ability to offer wise counsel and inspiration has always been a welcome presence during my elected service. I am grateful for her kindness and grace. Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing the many significant contributions of Marlene Kayser throughout her decades of human rights and social justice activism. As Minnesota prepares to observe ``Marlene Kayser Day in Minnesota,'' let us all celebrate her great impact in our state and around the world.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the chairman's reluctance in opposing this because the Payment in Lieu of Taxes program is a nonpartisan issue and it is something that the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee has been struggling with over our allocations, and it is something, as I bring up, that the Senate has in their bill, something which I think is a good idea and should be discussed. I look forward to further discussions on this, as well as with the other conference committee the chairman and I serve on, Madam Speaker. But we have a precedent for using this provision. In fact, it a fiscal year 2018 enacted bill. This provision would simply ensure that 100 percent of the PILT payments will be made even if the cost exceeds the cost of the Interior Department's original estimate. So this is a backstop. This is a guarantee. We still need the authorizers to do their work, but this is to make sure that we don't shortchange any of the other important programs that we fund in the Interior bill. So in my opinion, this is a commonsense issue, and I would urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on that. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for his comments and look forward to going to conference and completing our goal together. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, this motion would instruct conferees to use a provision from the Senate Interior Appropriations bill that guarantees full funding for the Payment in Lieu of Taxes program. The Payment in Lieu of Taxes program--or PILT, as I will refer to it from now on-- provides Federal payments to local governments to help offset the loss of property taxes due to nontransferable Federal lands within their boundaries. Since local governments cannot tax Federal lands, PILT payments help defray the cost for maintaining vital community services, such as police and fire protection and construction of schools and roads in many cases. It also provides much-needed search and rescue operations. To date, including fiscal year 2018 payments, approximately $8.5 billion in payments have been made to local units of government. These payments are a vital lifeline for communities across this country. Originally, PILT was part of the discretionary appropriations process; but often, Congress failed to provide enough funding for our counties and they ended up being shortchanged. To stop this from happening and to correct the problem, the program was made mandatory. However, Congress has failed to authorize the PILT program, so we are back to funding PILT through the Interior Appropriations bill. Funding PILT through the discretionary appropriations process creates uncertainty and unpredictability for local governments across this country. Why? Because the amount available to be appropriated for PILT is constrained by the 302(b) allocation provided in the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee. And with less than a 1 percent funding increase for 2018 and 2019, it just goes to show that the Interior allocation cannot continue to keep pace with the rising cost of PILT. At the same time, we need to meet other important obligations in the Interior bill, such as providing healthcare for Native Americans and Alaskan Natives, addressing the backlog of deferred maintenance on Federal lands, and maintaining our national parks, only to name a few. In the past 25 years, PILT has grown from $103 million to $553 million in fiscal year '18. The estimate for this year is again going to exceed $500 million. I agree with our local units of government; PILT should be funded as a permanent mandatory program. But with the reauthorizers not having completed their work, the next best thing we can do is to pass this motion to guarantee full funding for our counties. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass this commonsense motion, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I have a motion to instruct conferees at the desk.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the Protect Medical Innovation Act of 2017 (H.R. 184). The medical device industry serves a vital role in Minnesota by supporting thousands of jobs and providing lifesaving technology. Nonetheless, repealing the medical device tax without a fiscal offset only intensifies the Republican sabotage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). I represent 700,000 constituents and the majority have made it clear the ongoing attacks on the ACA and our healthcare system are intolerable. Therefore, I cannot support a tax cut on medical devices while the White House and Republicans in Congress continue to cut healthcare for millions of Americans, including stripping protections for individuals with preexisting conditions. The fiscal shortsightedness of this legislation is deeply troubling. Like most corporations, medical device companies received billions in tax cuts that were completely unpaid for in the recent Republican tax overhaul. Repealing the medical device tax would give another tax break in excess of $20 billion to these same medical device companies with devastating fiscal implications. Unfortunately, it has become clear that Republicans plan to cover the costs of these deficit-exploding tax measures by forcing drastic cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. It is simply unacceptable that these already cash-strapped programs will be forced to foot the bill for corporate tax cuts. Considering that the Republican tax bill eliminated healthcare coverage for 13 million people, we should be investing in earned benefit programs now that the need for them is greater than ever. Passing yet another unpaid tax break simply makes these pending cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security all the more likely. A bipartisan, responsible bill should be drafted that allows the medical device sector to continue to innovate and invest without this target tax, but any solution needs to be paid for and it should have broad support from Republicans and Democrats.