Betty McCollum

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chairman, as you've already heard here today, H.R. 5544 is missing an awful lot of important details and taxpayer protections. One major omission in this bill is its failure to acknowledge the treaty rights of Minnesota's tribal nations. Treaty rights are a predominant concern in this land exchange because unspecified lands are under consideration in H.R. 5544 because we don't have a map. They're all within the Superior National Forest, which is governed by the 1854 treaty between the Chippewa nations and the United States Government. The terms of the treaty guarantee that tribal nations can continue to fish, hunt and gather, and otherwise use the land to support their way of life. However, in its current form, this bill completely ignores the treaty rights of tribal nations. The Minnesota process that's moving forward in the State of Minnesota includes the tribal nations. We need to make sure that the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa have their treaty obligations protected and met by the United States Government. The tribal council of Grand Portage of Chippewa has contacted my office to express their great opposition to this bill. Chairwoman Diver of the Fond du Lac Band of Chippewa has sent letters in opposition to Governor Dayton, Secretary Vilsack of Agriculture, Senators Franken, Klobuchar, and to Representative Cravaack. Mr. Chair, at the appropriate time, I have a copy of that letter to submit to the Record. Minnesota's tribes foresee a negative impact of this bill on their guaranteed treaty rights for use of their land because they are not being considered as part of the process under the Cravaack bill. The quote from Chairwoman Diver's letter, in fact, is: We oppose the Minnesota Education Investment and Employment Act until suitable tribal consultation has occurred. The chairwoman also disagrees with the conclusion that the exchange of more than 86,000 acres without government-to-government consultation ``shall not be considered to be major Federal action.'' It's hard to see how anyone could consider the exchange of land that is being governed by a Federal treaty with sovereign tribal nations to be anything less than a major Federal action. Yet this bill denies the level of consideration for the exchange. The amendment that I'm introducing would recognize the reserved fishing, hunting and gathering rights of the tribes and other lands under consideration. The language for this amendment was drafted in consultation with legal representation from the three impacted tribes and from input from the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission. This amendment will not solve the fundamental problems of this bill, but it is an effort to respond to the threat against tribal interests and tribal sovereignty that this bill contains. This bill does not change the fact that Minnesota now sees the Federal Government in a jump-start effort to establish a process for Minnesota on how to handle the finishing touches to the land transfer. Well, I believe at least the tribal voices should be at the table to be heard. So, Mr. Chair, I do not believe that H.R. 5544 should be moved forward. I will be voting against the bill. I want to be clear about that. However, if this unnecessary, unclear bill is to proceed, at least at a minimum, we should protect our U.S. government-to-government treaty rights and any land exchange. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time. Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation Business Committee, Cloquet, MN, May 30, 2012. Re The Minnesota Education Investment and Employment Act. Hon. Mark Dayton, Governor of Minnesota, State Capitol, St. Paul, MN. Dear Governor Dayton: We oppose the passage of the Minnesota Education Investment and Employment Act until suitable tribal consultation has occurred. The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation Business Committee is opposed to the Minnesota Education Investment and Employment Act's exchange of over 86,000 acres of land within the 1854 Ceded Territory without any tribal participation in task force meetings or consultation. The Fond du Lac Band and the other signatories of the 1854 Treaty of LaPointe, 10 Stat. 1109, retain hunting, fishing, and other usufructuary rights that extend throughout the entire northeast portion of the state of Minnesota (the ``Ceded Territory''). In the Ceded Territory, all the Bands have a legal interest in protecting natural resources and all federal agencies share in the federal government's trust responsibility to the Bands to maintain those treaty resources. State agencies also have executive orders affirming the government-to-government relationship between the State of Minnesota and Indian tribal governments located within the State. The Minnesota Education Investment and Employment Act concludes that it will not affect usufructuary rights and concludes that the exchange of more than 86,000 acres without government-to-government consultation ``[s]hall not be considered to be a major Federal action.'' We disagree with those conclusions and therefore request consultation regarding the proposed land exchange within the Ceded Territory. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Karen R. Diver, Chairwoman.

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

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Izaak Walton League as it celebrates 90 years of defending Minnesota's great outdoors. In January 1922, a Minnesotan angler named Will Dilg and a group of fisherman created the Izaak Walton League of America in response to the environmental damage they witnessed during the rapid industrialization following World War One. They began a grassroots campaign to educate the public about the environment and worked to influence Congress to adopt pro-conservation legislation. Just a year after its creation, the Izaak Walton League successfully blocked legislation that threatened wilderness land that is now the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA). For many years the League was the only organization working to defend this treasured landscape, which has become central to our state's identity. The Izaak Walton League of America would go on to help establish the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge and prove instrumental in passing the federal Clean Water Act in 1972. The Izaak Walton League has always remained true to its founding as a grassroots organization. Their members share my belief that in order to protect our nation's wildlife and natural lands we must focus on bringing communities together around a shared appreciation of nature. They do this through school visits, educational seminars, and hands on volunteer work. In 2005, the League established the National Conservation Scholarship Program to develop future leaders who will carry on the League's mission. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pride to recognize the Izaak Walton League and all its members on this anniversary and wish them continued success on the next 90 years.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the life and work of Gloria Griffin, a pioneer who dedicated her career to improving women's status in Minnesota. Gloria Griffin was born in Iowa, grew up in California, and started her career in New York City as art director at Harper's Bazaar and Good Housekeeping. In 1967, she moved to Minnesota with her husband and their four children. In 1976, she entered politics as the Democratic- Farmer-Labor-endorsed candidate for Minnesota's Second Congressional District. She lost the race to the incumbent, but Governor Rudy Perpich recognized her potential and appointed her as Chair of his newly created Open Appointments Commission, where she helped change the face of government by placing more women and minorities in important positions. After the 1980 election, when Gloria witnessed that ``women and children lost big in the legislature,'' 23 organizations came together to create the Minnesota Women's Consortium. Gloria was unanimously elected as the first Coordinator, and led the Consortium for 15 years. Under her leadership, the Consortium achieved significant milestones that helped it grow into the largest association of women's organizations in the country. For the better part of a decade, the Minnesota Women's Consortium was run out of a small storefront office. In 1988, Gloria Griffin led a group of women who transformed a decrepit building near the State Capitol into the Minnesota Women's Building at 550 Rice Street. Gloria not only oversaw the new headquarters, but with cooperation from the League of Women Voters Education Fund, Chrysalis, and the Minnesota Women's Consortium, the building was purchased and renovated debt-free. Gloria Griffin was the key to many more accomplishments and victories. In 1990, under pressure from anti-abortion groups, the Dayton Hudson Foundation withdrew their funding for Planned Parenthood of Minnesota's educational programs. Gloria, along with thousands of women across Minnesota, was outraged at the defunding of these teen pregnancy prevention programs. She correctly predicted that this would only be a ``momentary mistake,'' and organized a successful campaign that resulted in Dayton Hudson reversing its decision and restoring funding. Gloria Griffin was not only a leader on women's policy issues; she was also a mentor to individual women. In the years to come, her championship of women earned her numerous awards, including the YWCA St. Paul Leadership Award for Outstanding Contribution to Government/ Politics, Women of Distinction Award from Soroptimist International for her accomplishments in Human Rights/Advancement of the Status of Women, the Ann Bancroft Dream Maker Award for Achievement and Leadership, and the DFL Woman of Distinction Award. Mr. Speaker, in honor of Gloria Griffin's steadfast commitment to the advancement of women's lives, I am pleased to submit this statement for the Congressional Record.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, the bill before us today makes any person who has a seriously delinquent tax debt ineligible for federal employment or to continue serving as a federal employee. I will vote for this bill because I strongly believe that all Americans, including federal employees, should meet their legal tax obligations. However, this bill is an unnecessary distraction from the urgent problems facing Congress because there is no evidence to show federal employees deserve to be targeted for tax non-compliance. In fact, the data shows just the opposite. The compliance rate of federal employees is much higher than the general public according to the most recent statistics from the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS says more than 96 percent of federal workers paid their taxes in full, on time, and have no outstanding debt to the government. This high compliance rate is even more impressive considering the families of federal employees have been forced to endure repeated pay freezes and benefit reductions in recent years. An amendment from my colleague Congressman Lynch of Massachusetts improved H.R. 828 by creating a process to ensure federal employees who are making a good faith effort to pay their tax debt or those suffering financial hardship are not unfairly targeted or dismissed. Still, the provisions of H.R. 828 will result in few new dollars going into the federal Treasury because federal employees are already the model for American taxpayers, not the problem. If House Republicans were genuinely concerned with improving tax compliance this body would be voting on legislation to close tax loopholes and tax shelters exploited by some of the nation's wealthiest individuals and corporations to avoid paying tens of billions of dollars every year. The best course of action for this House would be to set this purely symbolic, politically-motivated legislation aside so we can focus on legislation that creates jobs and helps to grow the economy.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, House Democrats and President Obama are fighting for families by working to extend middle class tax cuts that will benefit 98 percent of Americans. Our plan will put $2,200 in the pockets of an average family next year. That's money that can be spent by your family on your family's needs. That money will help Minnesota businesses grow and hire employees in St. Paul, Roseville, and Oakdale. But House Republicans refuse to extend tax cuts for the middle class unless millionaires and billionaires get an extra tax cut. It's wrong to borrow $50 billion from China so millionaires and billionaires can get an extra tax cut of $160,000. The Bush tax cuts for the superwealthy built a mountain of debt and failed to strengthen the economy. The Bush years proved that the Republican love affair with tax cuts for the superwealthy are a wasteful handout. They failed to create jobs. The American economy is strong when the American middle class is strong. I urge my colleagues to vote for the Democrats' middle class tax cuts.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the members and families of United Steelworkers, USW, Local 264 on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the union. Like the industry and workers it represents, Local 264 has grown and evolved during its long history to meet the needs of members and the challenges of the day. Starting as a small paper worker union in1937, the local served employees at five Saint Paul, Minnesota, paper plants as part of the International Brotherhood of Pulp, Sulfite, and Paper Mill Workers. More than 65 years and several union mergers later, the growing union eventually became the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber Manufacturing, Energy, Allied-industrial, and Service Workers International Union--the United Steelworkers. While many changes have occurred in the industry and the union's name, the local has always served its members first. United Steelworkers Local 264 works to cultivate positive relationships between its members and their employers, including RockTenn, one of the largest paper recyclers in America. In turn, the union is helping to set a high standard for all workers in our State and provides much needed resources for safety, skills training, fair wages and benefits, and retirement security. In past tough economic conditions that caused layoffs and plant closings, Local 264 rose to the challenge, working to advocate on behalf of its members. Their dedication to collective bargaining on behalf of members for fair wages and safe working conditions reflects a central idea that when employees are highly valued, they produce a high value work product. During its 75 year history, USW Local 264 has produced key leaders in the International Union. The union and its leaders have always kept an eye on what tomorrow might bring, making sure that whatever changes come in the future, that members come first. It is this diligent work on behalf of the hundreds of members in the Twin Cities that has earned them this reputation, as well as a deserved place in the history of Saint Paul and Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, in honor of the 75th anniversary of the United Steelworkers Local 264, I am pleased to submit this statement for the Congressional Record in recognition of the hardworking men and women who are proud members of the union.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the 100th anniversary of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local Union 110 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and the hundreds of working families the union represents. IBEW Local 110 has earned an honored place in the Minnesota labor tradition. From the earliest days of the union, even before its formal charter on July 29, 1912, Minnesota electrical workers began banding together to form an organization that would help protect workers and their families. These efforts provided a voice for workers and began the roots of a new local union. Membership in the new Local 110 proved valuable for workers and their families. The union set a standard for all workers in our state and provided much needed resources for safety, skills training, fair wages and retirement security. This support became even stronger through Local 110's decision to affiliate with the allied unions of the Saint Paul Building Trades Council. Times were at once exciting and challenging for early Minnesota electrical workers. From 1910 to 1913, sixty of their fellow brothers died due to illness and accidents caused by frequently dangerous work environments. In order to combat the alarmingly high number of deaths within the industry, Local 110 began its first apprenticeship program to educate its members, and made sure that they were properly protected in the field. During June of 1913, the first test for those members that worked with electricity was held, and all members were required to take the examination. Through the efforts of the local union, every member passed the test. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 110 has always made sure their members were given the highest standard of care and consideration. Today, this band of brothers now includes sisters too. Local 110 has grown to represent 2100 members in 13 counties of Minnesota. The union remains focused on creating positive relationships between workers and their employees as well as elevating the standards within the industry. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to submit this extension of remarks to honor the members and families of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 110 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of this proud union.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the Historic Pilgrim Baptist Church of Saint Paul, and its 150 years of rich history and dedicated service to our community. Pilgrim Baptist Church is the oldest African-American church in Minnesota, with a history deeply rooted in America's struggle for racial equality and social justice. More than 150 years ago, a group of slaves escaped and embarked upon a turbulent and courageous journey to the North during the Civil War. With the help of Union Forces and the Underground Railroad, this group of black men, women and children departed from Boone County, Missouri. Calling themselves ``pilgrims'', because they did not know their final destination, they began their long trek through the Midwest, eventually finding refuge in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The group found a leader in fellow escaped slave Robert Thomas Hickman, who had previously learned how to read under the direction of his master, and also received permission to preach to his peers. Reverend Hickman continued this practice upon arriving to Minnesota, gaining many followers who desired a welcoming place to worship. The congregation worshipped in several Saint Paul homes until they were able to rent a room in a local concert hall. Reverend Hickman received his mission status from the First Baptist Church of Saint Paul, and the congregation continued to worship under Hickman's direction, officially becoming the Pilgrim Baptist Church on November 15, 1866. The courage and dedication of Reverend Hickman and the founders of Pilgrim Baptist Church are woven into church history. Throughout the years, the congregation has not only been a spiritual home for countless families and individuals, but also a center for community action, serving as the birthplace of the Saint Paul Chapters of the NAACP and Urban League as well as schools and organized labor movements. This legacy of community activism continues today through the congregation and Reverend Charles Gill, Jr., who has served as the Senior Pastor since 2004. Reverend Gill remains steadfast in the church mission, delivering a message of love and acceptance to the congregation and the congregation continues to serve the community in many ways. Mr. Speaker, in honor of the 150th Anniversary of the Pilgrim Baptist Church of Saint Paul, Minnesota, I am pleased to submit this statement.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 4402, the National Strategic and Critical Minerals Protection Act. This bill is yet another Republican giveaway to the mining industry. H.R. 4402 elevates the narrow special interest of the mining industry above the interests of the American public. For example, this bill gives mining on public lands priority over all other uses--replacing current law that requires public lands to be managed for multiple uses. The White House warns this provision ``has the potential to threaten hunting, fishing, recreation and other activities which create jobs and sustain local economies across the country.'' Moreover, H.R. 4402 exempts hardrock mining operations from key provisions of the nation's most important environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. These weakened environmental safeguards would govern mining operations in every region because H.R. 4402 deceptively defines ``strategic and critical minerals'' so broadly as to include sand and gravel. This means families and businesses all across the country would have less ability to resist new mining operations that threaten to pollute their community's air and water. Congressman Chip Cravaack, my Minnesota colleague, offered an amendment to H.R. 4402 that would apply these weakened permitting and environmental review provisions to mining proposals that are already in the approval process. This amendment would allow massive sulfide-mining proposals in Northern Minnesota to escape necessary public scrutiny and thorough environmental analysis. The foreign-owned mining corporations advancing these proposals are motivated by short-term profit, not the long-term risks to the people and land of our state. Sulfide mining has never occurred in our state before but has produced a devastating legacy of toxic pollution elsewhere in the country. Minnesotans need and deserve strong federal safeguards to protect the health of our families and communities. The Cravaack amendment to fast-track sulfide mining in Minnesota threatens the environmental integrity of our state's greatest natural treasures, including the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, Lake Superior and the Mississippi River. I ask my colleagues to join me in opposing H.R. 4402 in order to safeguard the health of America's children, families, and communities.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Before I do my prepared remarks, I would very much also like to thank both Chairman Rogers and Chairman Young for the courtesies and all the help that they and their staffs have given me since being on the Appropriations Committee in the positions they are in. Mr. Dicks, I would especially like to thank you for being a mentor and a guide star through this, not only on the Defense Appropriations bill, but on the Interior bill and, just in general, working on health care. Thank you so very much. Over the past 4 years, the Department of Defense has spent a stunning $1.55 billion on military bands, musical performances, and concert tours around the world. That's right, $1.55 billion in taxpayer funds for 4 years for military bands. This amendment reduces the Pentagon spending for military bands and musical performances from the $388 million in this bill to $200 million for fiscal year 2013. The $188 million reduction is a transfer to the deficit reduction account. In the National Defense Authorization Act, H.R. 4310, the House included language to limit the authorization for military musical units not to exceed $200 million. This amendment conforms with the defense authorization while cutting spending by $188 million. Our Nation is in a fiscal crisis. The Pentagon is on pace to spend $4 billion over the next decade on military bands. Is the United States really going to borrow money from China and other foreign countries so the Defense Department can spend billions of dollars for its 140 bands and more than 5,000 full-time professional musicians? How does this enhance our national security? Congress has a duty to provide the necessary resources for our Armed Forces and to ensure our national defense. We also have an obligation to ensure that every dollar in this bill is strengthening our national security. Spending $388 million of taxpayers' money on military music does not make our Nation more secure. It is a luxury the Pentagon and the taxpayers can just no longer afford. Before he retired last year, former Defense Secretary Robert Gates said: We must come to the realization that not every defense program is necessary, not every defense dollar is sacred and well spent, and that more of everything is simply not sustainable. Mr. Chairman, the defense dollars I want to cut from military musical units is not necessary; it is not sacred and not well spent with so many other pressing needs. In this fiscal environment it is simply not sustainable. I don't think anyone here today will tell the American people that there is no waste or excess in the Pentagon's budget. This Congress should not be protecting waste and excess in the Pentagon. It should cut it. There's a lot of talk, mostly from my Republican colleagues, about protecting defense from the sequester and protecting millionaires and billionaires from expiring tax cuts. Protecting every single defense dollar means shifting the burden and the pain for billions of additional budget cuts onto local communities, middle class families, seniors, the poor, and vulnerable children. Is this Congress going to really kick more kids off the school lunch program or make deeper cuts to our first responders in order to justify paying for more military music? Well, that will not be my choice. That does not reflect my values, and it is not the legacy I want to leave behind as a policymaker. This amendment cuts a program that has grown out of control. It reduces the deficit, and it does nothing to impact military readiness, mission strength, or our troops' ability to defend our Nation. I urge my colleagues to support the McCollum amendment and cut unnecessary funding for military bands. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. McCOLLUM. I have an amendment at the desk printed in the Congressional Record.

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

Ms. McCOLLUM. Well, we just heard from the last speaker that part of what all this money is being spent on is branding and goodwill and that the Congress, and we today, should not be making any changes and micromanaging what the National Guard is doing. I would call to our colleagues' attention legislation, Public Law 106-398, in the 106th Congress. The Legislative Information System, which is available to all of us, directs us as to what really took place in the 106th Congress. We directed the Secretary of the Army, during a period beginning on October 1, 2000, and ending December 1, 2005, to carry out a pilot program to test various recruiting approaches. One of them was to be an outreach that the Army was going to do with motor sports. It doesn't work, and that's why the Army has dropped it. The National Guard, through what Mr. Kingston had, didn't come to us directly. We were provided some sponsorship information through NASCAR of all the contacts and all the hits. Everybody who walked through the gate was counted as being part of branding. Folks, this was not supposed to be about branding; it was supposed to be about recruiting. That's why the Army spokesman on CNN said, when they announced that they were ending their 10-year, multidollar, taxpayer-funded relationship with NASCAR, ``It was not a great investment. The Navy pulled out. The Marine Corps pulled out of NASCAR years ago. But yet the Pentagon has paid one racing team--Mr. Earnhardt's team-- $136 million in taxpayer funds for the National Guard logo on his car in the name of recruitment. This year, they're paying Mr. Earnhardt again $26.5 million, to which the National Guard has reported--this is what the Guard told me--20 qualified candidates expressing interest, zero actual recruits. For the past 2 years, the National Guard has spent more than $20 million in taxpayer funds on professional bass fishing tournaments. Folks, we're in a fiscal crisis here. Bass fishing is not a national security priority. This Congress is cutting services to communities and needy families because we're in a fiscal crisis, yet the Pentagon is spending in excess of $80 million on NASCAR racing sponsorships, professional bass fishing, ultimate cage fighting, and other sports sponsorships. The program is a waste of taxpayer money; it doesn't work. Over the past few days, the professional sports lobby has come out in full force to protect their taxpayer-funded subsidy. For the purposes of the 2013 Defense appropriation bill, those pro teams are military contractors who have failed to deliver on their contract in the past for the taxpayers for recruits. I want to thank Representative Kingston for his leadership on this and joining me to cut a Pentagon program that's just not effective. This committee, in which we're having this bill discussed right now, has been bipartisan in the way the bill has been put together and bipartisan in the way this amendment has been offered. If the private sector wants to pool their money to sponsor military race car teams to demonstrate their patriotism, I say fantastic and go for it. But it is my job to be a steward of taxpayer funds. I want to be clear about something else this amendment does not do. This amendment in no way, shape, or form prohibits or limits military recruiters from recruiting at NASCAR races or any other sports event. I just want the military recruiters to attend those races and community events where there are potential recruits. We need, as Mr. Kingston pointed out, more recruiters doing their job in the right way. They have ideas, folks, on how they can do this better. We need to listen to the recruiters. So, I think it will be just irresponsible and outrageous that Congress would go ahead and continue to borrow money from China to pay one race car driver's team $26 million for delivering zero recruits. Our Nation is facing a fiscal crisis. Communities and families and seniors and vulnerable children are bearing the brunt of deep and painful budget cuts. Congress needs to get its priorities in order and stop protecting military spending that doesn't work. I urge my colleagues to support Mr. Kingston's amendment. It's an honor to be a partner to it. We need to cut the wasteful spending in programs and reduce this deficit. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time. Hon. Betty McCollum. CRS Response: DoD Spending on NASCAR Sponsorship In response to your request for U.S. Department of Defense spending on NASCAR sponsorships, we are providing the following information. Budget: Each of the Military Services use a variety of marketing and advertising strategies to meet their annual recruiting targets. For example, the U.S. Army has sponsored NHRA and NASCAR vehicles and events, as well as the Golden Knights Parachute Team and other activities. The different advertising strategies and approaches are designed for maximum impact upon the target population and derived from annual youth surveys. U.S. Military recruiting advertising for each of the branches is budgeted under ``Operations and Maintenance.'' At this level, we only have visibility of the Service's overall budget for advertising, not the specific sub programs. Authority: Each of the U.S. Military branches receive authority to conduct ``marketing/advertising'' under the auspices of recruiting requirements. Please see the attached document 10 USCS Sec. 3013 for the Department of the Army. An article published on the U.S. Army web site states ``The U.S. Army Motorsports Program began in September 2000 when Congress directed the secretary of the Army to conduct a five-year motorsports outreach test. In 2003, building upon the success of the NHRA program, NASCAR was added.'' For the full article, please: http://www.army.mil/article/30553/armv- to-continue-nhra-nascar-sponsorships/ Legislation Public Law No: 106-398 [106th] The Legislative Information System (LIS) summary states the following: ``Subtitle F: Matters Relating to Recruiting-- Directs the Secretary of the Army, during the period beginning on October 1, 2000, and ending on December 31, 2005, to carry out pilot programs to test various recruiting approaches. Requires one program to be a program: (1) of public outreach that associates the Army with motor sports competition; (2) under which Army recruiters are assigned at postsecondary vocational institutions and community colleges to recruit such students and graduates; and (3) that expands the scope of the Army's current recruiting initiatives. Authorizes such Secretary to expand or extend a pilot program after notification of the defense committees. Requires a report on the above programs.'' For more information see House Report 106-945, Subtitle F-- Matters Relating to Recruiting. This report is available at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-106hrpt945/pdf/CRPT- 106hrpt945.pdf We hope that you find this information helpful. Nese F. DeBruyne, Information Research Specialist; Foreign Affairs, Defense and Trade Section; Knowledge Services Group; Congressional Research Service.

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Chair, I move to strike the last word.

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

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow the House will start debate on H.R. 5856, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2013. In this bill, $388 million is to be appropriated for military bands and musical performances. This is a stunning amount of taxpayer funds to be spending on military music at time of fiscal crisis and tough choices. While the Pentagon's 140 bands and over 5,000 full-time musicians carry on a time honored and noble tradition of military music, this level of spending on a military function that does not directly enhance national security is unsustainable. At a time of trillion dollar budget deficits, Congress needs to act to significantly reduce taxpayer funding of military bands. It is my intention to offer an amendment on H.R. 5856 to reduce Pentagon spending for military bands and performances for fiscal year 2013 from $388 million to $200 million. The $188 million reduction would be applied to the deficit reduction account established in H.R. 5856. Earlier this year on H.R. 4310, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013, the House approved an amendment I offered to limit spending on ``military musical units.'' The amendment stated, ``Amounts authorized to be appropriated pursuant to this Act for military musical units (as such term is defined in section 974 of title 10, United States Code) may not exceed $200,000,000.'' I do not want there to be any misinterpretation or mischaracterization of my intentions when I offer my amendment. My goal is to reduce military musical units, not military personnel in a role essential to our national security. This is a time of tough choices. My House Republican colleagues have decided to protect and shield millionaires and billionaires from any increase in Federal taxes commensurate with their wealth to help reduce the deficit. Instead, they have targeted domestic programs for cuts making children, seniors, low-income families, and communities all across the country to shoulder the burden of deficit reduction. Now it is the Pentagon's turn to experience some budget cuts that do nothing to reduce military readiness, mission strength, or our troops' ability to defend our Nation. Unless cuts are made, the Pentagon is on track to spend more than $4 billion over the next decade on military music. It is unconscionable to borrow billions from China to fund deficit spending on the Defense Department's massive musical budget. I urge all of my colleagues to support the McCollum Amendment to cut military musical spending by $188 million and apply those funds to deficit reduction.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 5972, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2013. This legislation underfunds needed investments in America's transportation system and seriously undercuts needed public housing programs, a vital part of our country's safety net. The House Republican's ``highways only'' mentality is revealed in H.R. 5972, which significantly cuts funding for transit and, once again, eliminates all funding for high speed rail. Communities in the East Metro are working hard to advance new transit corridors in our region including Gateway, Robert Street, Rush Line, Riverview and Red Rock. The Republicans' proposed cuts to federal matching-funds would stop most of these projects in their tracks, resulting in the loss of thousands of construction jobs and billions of dollars in new economic development. Eliminating high-speed rail funding risks losing a new high speed link between Chicago and the Twin Cities at St. Paul's Union Depot. In addition, I am concerned with the House Republicans' refusal to fund the TIGER Discretionary Grant program. This program helps states and local governments construct major infrastructure projects. It is hugely popular across the country and has helped to transform communities since it was first established in the 2009 Recovery Act. A $35 million TIGER grant is helping restore the historic Union Depot in Lowertown St. Paul into a modern, multi-modal transportation hub. This project alone has created 3,000 jobs and opens to the public this fall. In addition, the City of St. Paul received a TIGER planning grant to better integrate biking and walking into the local transportation system. Last year, Minneapolis received a $10 million TIGER grant to construct the new Interchange station near Target Field. The TIGER program is vitally important to modernizing our region's infrastructure. That is why I offered an amendment to H.R. 5972 with Congresswoman Maxine Waters of California to restore the TIGER program to the bill. Unfortunately, my Republican colleagues rejected this $500 million investment in American infrastructure and jobs. Overall, the transportation provisions of this bill ignore the needs of the communities I represent. H.R. 5972 would cost my community thousands of jobs and reverse years of work by business, government and citizen- leaders in my District to build new and needed infrastructure. H.R. 5972 also seriously underfunds critical housing programs that provide shelter for our country's most vulnerable, including low-income families, seniors and the disabled. The inadequate funding in this bill for Project Based Section 8 vouchers could jeopardize housing for 3,000 families in my District. The cuts to McKinney-Vento Homelessness Grants would eliminate beds for homeless individuals and families in Minnesota. These cuts have real, human costs. Fewer people will find a warm, safe place to sleep. Fewer people will be able to overcome the most difficult times in their lives and get back on their feet. In my district there is a young man, a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, who is struggling with profound PTSD and now facing homelessness. The instability of homelessness makes it much harder for him to get the treatment he needs and begin the process of recovery. This young man pledged his life to his country when we needed him. Now, he needs us. This bill does not represent my priorities or the priorities of the Minnesotans I am proud to represent. I urge my colleagues to oppose H.R. 5972.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act. After nearly two years of Republican control, there is finally a true jobs bill on the floor of the House. MAP-21 will protect and create 3 million American jobs. This two year transportation authorization will also provide much-needed certainty for state departments of transportation, construction companies and construction workers after nearly three years without a long term authorization. Passage of this bill was inexcusably delayed by House Republicans for four months--first due to their refusal to negotiate with the Senate and then, due to a long list of misguided policy riders. I am pleased that a prohibition against coal ash regulation and many other unrelated riders were stripped from the final bill. While I support the underlying legislation, I am concerned about reduced support for bicycle and pedestrian projects such as Safe Routes to School. This funding is necessary to create a modern, multimodal transportation system that gives commuters and families more choices. Under MAP-21 funding for these programs is cut by 34 percent. This is a disappointing step backwards at a time when Americans are seeing their budgets' under pressure from high gas prices. Moreover, the authorization timeframe should be longer, and the overall funding level for this bill should be higher in order to meet the country's mounting infrastructure needs. This legislation represents a compromise between the House and Senate that is far worse than the original Senate bill. It is long overdue and far from perfect. Still, despite these shortcomings, I will vote for H.R. 4348. I refuse to gamble with the 3 million jobs that are at stake in this bill. Our country needs these jobs and our communities need the predictable funding this bill provides. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 4348.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Thank you, Mr. Van Hollen. This Republican Tea Party Congress is wasting America's time promoting the only issue they care about--their reelection. Today's vote is not about health care. It's a gimmick that panders to the Tea Party. This bill shows the Republican vision for health care is deny coverage, deny care, and deny the law of the land. If you have a child with a preexisting condition, possibly a life-threatening illness, this Republican plan means your child's health care insurance can be terminated. If you're a senior on Medicare, this Republican plan throws you back into the doughnut hole. The Republican plan repeals the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, harming Native children, families, and seniors all across Indian country. The Affordable Care Act is the constitutional law of the land, and it is a good law because Obama does care. President Obama and Democrats must continue to work to implement the law and extend quality, affordable health care to millions of Americans. And this Congress must get back to work putting America back to work.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, this ``do nothing'' Republican Tea Party Congress is killing jobs with its endless political games. This week's gimmick vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act is a meaningless vote to deny millions of Americans health care. Meanwhile, the House's failure to pass an extension of the wind energy tax credit to producers of all American energy is killing jobs. Thirty-seven thousand American jobs in the wind energy sector are at risk. Minnesota is a leader in wind energy production, but because of its refusal to act, this Congress is causing businesses to lay people off, killing jobs, and harming our clean energy future. The wind energy tax credit supports clean energy developers, manufacturers, and construction companies in America and in Minnesota. This Republican Tea Party Congress needs to stop the gimmicks, stop killing jobs, and, instead, immediately pass the wind energy tax credit to save jobs and to create more American jobs.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the City of North Saint Paul's Mayor Mike Kuehn for hosting the federal Wind Energy Production Tax Credit Press Conference on July 2, 2012. The press conference brought together business leaders from Minnesota's wind sector. The Wind Energy Production Tax Credit supports clean energy developers, manufacturers, and construction companies in Minnesota and across the country. I am submitting for the Congressional Record four Minnesota business leaders' comments on the need for passage of the federal wind energy production tax credit. Statement by Ms. Shanelle Montan of enXco It is a pleasure to be here and I would like to thank Congressman Ellison and Congresswoman McCollum for being here and supporting the PTC. I grew up on a farm in rural Minnesota and have seen first-hand the economic effect of the wind industry in rural Minnesota. It is my pleasure to work for enXco and to work in an industry that has done so much for communities across Minnesota. enXco have developed projects in Minnesota for more than a decade. Thus far we have 900 MWs of wind energy from western to eastern Minnesota. Additionally, we have hundreds more MWs in development in the state. As many of the presenters stated today, wind does not happen overnight. Bringing a wind project to fruition requires meticulous studies, surveys, permitting, and other development activities. The careful placement and development of wind can take years. We are proud that our projects have boosted the economies of small towns and rural communities across the state. Landowner payments and additional tax revenue for communities provides funding for new roads, schools, and other infrastructure across the community. Farming is sporadic. Today crop prices are high, however, we do not know what prices will be tomorrow. A sustainable income for farmers means more investment in equipment, technology, and the family farm. Without the PTC extension our pipeline of projects will be at risk. Hundreds of MWs of wind development will be stalled. This lapse will interfere with permitting, interconnection, and other development activities. Developers in Minnesota need a stable market. We look forward to further development across the state. With an extension of the PTC we will be able to ensure the livelihood of rural communities and increase Minnesota leadership within the wind industry. Statement by Mr. Mark Ahlstrom of WindLogics Wind farms are power plants that use wind as their fuel, so careful analysis is needed to find good locations and understand the wind patterns. WindLogics is a Saint Paul company with 52 people here in Minnesota and we provide these weather analysis services to project developers throughout the country. We were bigger. Because it takes time to collect and analyze the weather data to create good projects, we felt the impact of the Production Tax Credit expiration more than nine months ago and had to reduce our staff by 10 people. It takes 18 months to plan and build a wind project even under the best of circumstances, and companies cannot plan and finance wind projects with uncertainty around the tax credit. So because we work early in the project development cycle, what we saw last fall was that project planning for 2013 essentially stopped. This is a terrible shame because we have clients who want to invest billions of dollars in new wind projects. The industry has scaled up to the point where it can contribute $20 billion a year in private investment to the U.S. economy, with U.S. manufacturing and jobs, but this is on hold until the Production Tax Credit is renewed. New projects can't just stop and start instantly, so any delay on renewing the tax credit just puts us that much further behind. Wind energy is a great business that I love, and I want WindLogics to get back to helping people build new projects. We need a prompt renewal of the Production Tax Credit to make that happen. Statement by Mr. Tim Maag of Mortenson Construction's Renewable Energy I'll echo the others in emphasizing the importance of this PTC extension. Due to the undeniable success of the PTC, businesses like Mortenson have been able to provide stable jobs for American families. Mortenson Construction is a Minneapolis-based, family-owned construction company, with over 2,200 full time employees. Mortenson has offices in Chicago, Denver, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Phoenix, and Seattle with international operations in Canada and China. Ranked as the 19th largest contractor in America, according to Engineering News-Record, a large portion of Mortenson's business is generated from the wind industry--nearly 30% of the company's annual revenue. Over 800 craft workers and 350 salaried professionals work in Mortenson's Renewable Energy groups and are focused on constructing renewable energy and transmission & distribution projects. The PTC has contributed greatly to our organization's positive growth in the renewable energy sector. In 1995 Mortenson constructed our first wind project in Adair, IA, and have constructed over 120 wind projects across North America to date. We've witnessed technology advancements over the past seven years, driven by the PTC, that have helped to make wind energy more affordable and projects more cost competitive. Our construction projects have grown from a handful of turbines to large, multi-phase projects spanning hundreds of square miles. Right now, Mortenson is building 18 wind projects in 10 states, all scheduled to complete before the end of 2012. Each project constructed in the US bolsters our country's larger economy while playing a vital role in sustaining smaller local economies across America. We've seen firsthand the significant and revitalizing impact on rural communities surrounding wind projects. Over the construction period, jobs are made available to the local labor force, major construction contracts are awarded to local businesses and suppliers, while fabrication, maintenance, and repair shops all see increasingly positive economic impacts due to the wind project. Throughout the life of a project, more than $500,000 may be infused into an area's hotels, restaurants, and living facilities due to construction traveler spending alone. While Mortenson maintains an aggressive and busy 2012, those here who have spoken before me, are the leading indicators for the likelihood of future project construction. Due to the lack of a PTC extension, we're seeing a decline in turbine orders and hesitation to develop projects. Mortenson is uncertain of the number of US wind farms we will construct in 2013. This will impact the livelihood of hundreds of employees, subcontractors and other industry partners across the country. The uncertainty surrounding the PTC extension threatens the success of and further development of the wind industry, and thereby the American economy. Because of the long-term nature of the planning and permitting process, short-term extensions of PTC are insufficient for sustaining consistent, long term growth of the industry. In conjunction with those here today, we implore our legislators to reinstate the PTC. A long-term (2-4 year) extension is crucial to averting the damaging impact to America's labor force and the long-term growth of our industry, which holds so much promise to our future generations. Statement by Mr. Doug Fredrickson of Blattner Energy Blattner has been in the wind industry for 15 years. We have seen the PTC expire before. But there is so much more at stake now than earlier. There are 500 US manufacturing facilities building components for the wind industry. Once those facilities close, a stable enough wind industry environment may never exist for them to be recaptured. They will be outsourced again overseas. Construction may be an industry that has little fear from job loss due to ``outsourcing''. But you can still lose your job and that's why we're today. The PTC is going to expire and with it tens of thousands of good jobs will be lost. Blattner Energy is a 105 year old Minnesota construction company. We worked on our first wind farm at Lake Benton, Minnesota in 1997. We were significantly smaller than. But that first opportunity positioned us to grow with the wind industry nationwide. Today Blattner and Mortenson are the two largest builders of wind farms in North America. At Blattner we employ approximately 1,500 people directly in wind and more through our subcontractors and suppliers. Of course our role in a wind project is the last one. Consequently, our employees will be busy right up until December 31 of this year. But as was mentioned earlier, new wind work in 2013 is unlikely and reduction will have to occur. Blattner has been in the wind industry for 15 years. We have seen the FTC expire before. But there is so much more at stake now than earlier. There are 500 US manufacturing facilities building components for the wind industry. Once those facilities close, a stable enough wind industry environment may never exist for them to be recaptured. They will be outsourced again overseas. Those jobs are beginning to diminish right now because there is no positive signal that a stable tax policy will be in place in the future. We ask Congress to continue its bi-partisan support for the FTC. Keep people working and extend the FTC now before your recess.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the Saint Paul Yacht Club in honor of the 100th Anniversary of the organization. For a century, this venerable institution has been providing safe and affordable boating opportunities to residents of Saint Paul and surrounding communities. Since 1912, the Saint Paul Yacht Club has played a central role promoting and providing access to Minnesota's premier waterways. Originally known as the Saint Paul Motorboat Club, the early club served an active and growing speed boating population on all three of Minnesota's major rivers, the Mississippi, the Minnesota, and the Saint Croix. Early members could rent boat slips for 10 cents per foot, and purchase gasoline for 10 cents per gallon. To retrieve the gasoline, 5 gallon cans were lowered by a rope from the Wabasha Bridge to the boaters on the water. In addition to providing helpful services to its members, the Saint Paul Yacht Club organized picnics, boat races and other social and recreational events. Boat races were particularly popular in the 1920s and 1930s. On one occasion, Christopher Columbus Smith--founder of the iconic Chris Craft boat company--set a world water speed record at a club organized boat race. The Saint Paul Yacht Club has remained in continuous operation since 1912, and currently manages two state of the art harbor facilities within the jewel of the Saint Paul public parks--Harriet Island Regional Park--on the Mississippi River in the city's downtown. Today, the harbor remains a hub of activity, hosting 230 boat slips for vessels that are up to 50 feet long, and serving as home to a thriving year-round live-aboard and seasonal boating community. Boaters come from near and far to enjoy the tremendous views of Saint Paul and the surrounding natural beauty of the Mississippi River National River Recreation Area. Throughout its century of service to the boating public, the Saint Paul Yacht Club has served as a model of responsible stewardship to Minnesota waterways. By promoting safe and accessible boating activities, the club has provided a tremendous service to many Saint Paul residents and visitors. The Saint Paul Yacht Club is truly an exemplary asset to our city and state. Mr. Speaker, in honor of the 100th Anniversary of the Saint Paul Yacht Club, it is a privilege to submit this statement for the Congressional Record.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, today the House is voting on a Republican- Tea Party witch hunt intended to destroy an honorable man's character. This resolution of contempt targeting Attorney General Eric Holder is a shameful and shameless abuse of power by the majority party. The only reason this unprecedented attack is taking place on the House floor today, against our country's first African American Attorney General, is because the Tea Party Republican majority is pandering to birthers, NRA members and other extremist obsessed with defeating President Obama. Attorney General Eric Holder has my full support and I reject this transparent political abuse of power. I am strongly opposed to the House Republican resolution to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for failing to turn over documents pertaining to sensitive and on-going law enforcement activities to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The committee request is for documents related to Operation Fast and Furious, conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), which allowed the straw purchase of firearms in pursuit of prosecutions of gun smugglers. Two of the illegally purchased AK-47 assault weapons were found at the scene of a gun battle that resulted in the killing of U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian Terry on December 15, 2010. In his effort to cooperate with Chairman Darrell Issa, Attorney General Holder has provided the Oversight Committee with more than 7,600 pages of documents and participated in nine congressional hearings. In 2006, under the Bush Administration, the ATF's Arizona office used the tactic of ``gun walking'' to allow guns to remain on the street after a potentially illegal sale to build a bigger case rather than interdicting them immediately. President Bush's attorney general, Michael Mukasey, received a briefing paper on November 16, 2007 on ATF cooperation with Mexico on ``controlled deliveries'' of weapons smuggling. The House Oversight Committee has failed to call any Bush Administration officials to testify on this matter. This week, in Politico, a senior Republican House aide is quoted as saying, ``The contempt of Holder is a dog whistle to the right-wing tea party community, saying that we are representing them . . . this is a way to say we're going after this administration, holding them accountable.'' Further proof of the blatantly political nature of the Holder contempt vote is the decision by the National Rifle Association (NRA) to ``score'' the vote as part of their legislative report card to their membership. The NRA has long championed allowing the proliferation of assault weapons previously banned on American streets and sold over the counter, like the AK-47s found at Agent Terry's murder scene. This entire episode is a stain on the reputation of this Republican led House of Representatives. It is appalling to know that the politics of personal destruction is the top policy priority of this Tea Party controlled House. Again, I want to state my strong support for Attorney General Holder and the Obama Administration's efforts to cooperate with this on-going congressional investigation.

Ms. McCOLLUM

Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 2578. This bill threatens the environmental integrity of millions of acres of federal lands, including the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota. These lands are among our state's greatest treasures and must be protected and maintained for future generations. This misguided legislation is a politically-motivated assault on the environment, not a national security imperative as my Republican colleagues claim. Instead of protecting our border and our environment, this bill, and especially the Title XIV National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act in it, causes irreparable harm to our most cherished places. It exempts the Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection, CBP, from federal environmental regulations while performing border-security operations. It blocks the Department of Interior, DOI, and Department of Agriculture, USDA, from enforcing over 30 environmental protection laws that protect our fish and wildlife, national parks, forests, and other historic places. In addition, this legislation would give CBP the authority to construct offices, roads, fences and other infrastructure within 100 miles of the U.S. border with Canada and Mexico--an area that includes at least 54 National Park System properties, 228 national wildlife refuges and 122 wilderness preserves. It undermines these essential protections based on the false premise that it is somehow impossible to secure our national borders while also protecting our national heritage. According to Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano, this legislation is ``unnecessary'' and ``bad policy.'' On July 8, 2011, the US Customs and Border Patrol, CBP, testified before Congress that, ``CBP enjoys a close working relationship with the Department of Interior and Department of Agriculture that allows us to fulfill our border enforcement responsibilities while respecting and enhancing the environment.'' Importantly, the Border Patrol made clear in its testimony that, ``Border Patrol agents have the authority at any time to conduct motorized off-road pursuit in the event of exigency/ emergency involving human life, health, safety of persons within the area, or posing a threat to national security.'' It is clear that the federal agencies that would receive this unfettered authority don't want it, don't need it, and shouldn't have it. In my state of Minnesota, the National Park Service; U.S. Forest Service; and the Red Lake, Grand Portage and Boise Forte Tribal Governments work cooperatively and openly with Homeland Security to minimize border issues. The National Park Service at Voyageurs National Park and Grand Portage National Monument already enjoy a good relationship with the local Border Patrol and work with them on a range of issues in a cooperative fashion. However, if Border Patrol is exempt from following existing protections, resources will be lost and tourism important to the local economy will decline. Title XIV would also affect the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a world-renowned area within the Superior National Forest. This legislation would allow the Border Patrol to erect roads and bridges in a sacred place where people from around the world come to enjoy Minnesota's Greats Outdoors. We must also recognize the many tribal nations on lands near Minnesota's Canadian border, including the Grand Portage Band of Chippewa, Red Lake Band of Chippewa, Boise Forte Band of Chippewa. This bill unacceptably threatens existing treaties and tribal sovereignty. This is an unnecessary and bad bill. I oppose H.R. 2578 and urge my colleagues to do the same.