Dan Newhouse

Mr. NEWHOUSE

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Kilmer).

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to offer this bipartisan amendment that is based on the text of H.R. 4131, the Bring the Ancient One Home Act of 2015, which was bipartisan legislation introduced by the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Heck), my friend and colleague. I was very proud to cosponsor this bill, and I am honored to lead this amendment with my Pacific Northwest colleagues: Representatives Heck, Kilmer, and Walden. I appreciate their commitment to this important issue. Mr. Chairman, 20 years ago the skeletal remains of a human being determined to be roughly 9,000 years old were found on Federal land near the Columbia River in my central Washington district. These remains are often referred to as the Kennewick Man, but the tribes prefer the more respectful name of The Ancient One, which is how I will refer to him. Because The Ancient One was found on lands managed by the Army Corps of Engineers, the nearly fully intact skeleton was turned over to the Corps. The tribes involved--the Yakama Nation, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the Nez Perce Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla and the Wanapum Band of Priest Rapids--have, for two decades, worked to repatriate the Ancient One and return him for proper burial that would follow practices used by these Columbia Basin tribes for thousands of years; or, as they say, for time immemorial. The tribes believe that the spirit of the Ancient One cannot rest until he is reburied, and I think it is important that we respect that belief. The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, or NAGPRA, was enacted into law in 1990 to address the treatment of Native American cultural items, including human remains, with the goal of returning these items to tribes. In other words, NAGPRA was enacted to facilitate the return of skeletal remains such as the Ancient One. In January of 2000, both the Corps of Engineers and the Interior Department determined the Ancient One was indeed of Indian descent and should be returned for proper burial. In June of 2015, University of Copenhagen geneticists released findings that clearly tied the DNA of the Ancient One to modern Native Americans, and a subsequent study by the University of Chicago reached similar conclusions. Mr. Chairman, my amendment would simply return the Ancient One back to the Columbia Basin tribes, who are in total agreement that he should be reburied. I urge my colleagues to support the enactment of this commonsense amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Chairman, I would urge all of my colleagues to accept this amendment. It is very important to the native people of central Washington. I, again, want to extend my thanks to Representative Heck, Representative Walden, and Representative Kilmer. I would like to extend a word of condolence to Chairman Shuster. We are all part of an extended family, and I want to make sure that he understands that we share with him his loss. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. NEWHOUSE

Mr. NEWHOUSE. I thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I would like to add my voice today in support of this rule and the underlying legislation, H.R. 6094, which is the Regulatory Relief for Small Businesses, Schools, and Nonprofits Act. In recent months, I have heard--and, I am sure, the Speaker has as well--from a growing number of constituents who are gravely concerned about the impact that the Department of Labor's new one-size-fits-all overtime rule would have on their jobs, would have on their businesses, as well as would have on nonprofit organizations. When the rule goes into effect on December 1, it will impose enormous new costs on businesses, lifting the cap of workers who are eligible for overtime pay from $23,600 to $47,476. I admit, on its face, this sounds like a real benefit for workers; however, the impacts, likely, will be devastating. Small businesses and nonprofits that are confronted with this new burden will be faced with some very difficult choices: having to pay thousands of dollars in additional labor costs, they end up having to limit their employees' hours; moving salaried workers to hourly positions; or, even worse, laying off workers. Worse than that, the Department of Labor has made no attempt to make this rule workable for small business. There is no phase-in. On December 1, it will hit every business, every school, and every nonprofit in America full force, just like a freight train. The rule was not curtailed to geography either. It will take effect in the Seattle metropolitan area, where the annual mean wage is around $61,000, the same way it will impact the Yakima area, where that annual mean wage is just over $41,000. The way the Department of Labor went about issuing this very flawed one-size-fits-all rule just isn't right. H.R. 6094--which I was proud to cosponsor, and I thank Congressman Walberg for introducing--would simply delay the rule for 6 months so that we can work with the Department of Labor as well as stakeholders to address this issue in a responsible, workable way. Sadly, to not adopt this delay will result in job losses for the very people the rule was intended to help: your constituents and mine.

Mr. NEWHOUSE

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my congratulations to two central Washington FFA chapters that recently received national awards for their creativity, leadership, and commitment to community. FFA expects their members to be leaders on campus and foster school community. In this respect, the Omak High School FFA has been honored as a finalist for the National Model of Innovation Award for development of their officer mascot social media challenge. Through this campaign, the Omak FFA helped to raise chapter morale and school awareness of FFA. Not to be outdone, the Ephrata High School FFA is a finalist for the National Model of Innovation Award for community development. By partnering with the local rotary, Ephrata FFA raised crop signs next to fields throughout the region so passing drivers could take interest and learn what was growing in the fields. As an FFA alumnus myself, I am proud to see the good work that these young men and women are doing and wish them the best of luck at the FFA national convention in October.

Mr. NEWHOUSE

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce in Washington State's Fourth Congressional District as they prepare to celebrate their 75-year anniversary in October. Moses Lake is truly a vibrant community that has developed as a hub for diverse sectors, including agriculture, aviation, manufacturing, and technology. This success is no accident. The commitment of hardworking entrepreneurs and local civic leaders has placed Moses Lake on a path of increased opportunity for the residents of the city, in Grant County, and in the entire region. The growing engagement of Moses Lake businesses in trade and exporting American products overseas shows the importance of access to international markets for the local economy. Moses Lake businesses and leaders know the importance of keeping our ports open and supply chains operating smoothly. While Moses Lake's natural beauty, freshwater, and recreational and cultural activities attract visitors from all over, its growing economy supports jobs that attract families to stay and call Moses Lake home. Congratulations to Moses Lake on 75 years of fulfilling its mission to create and maintain a prosperous economy and quality lifestyle.

Mr. NEWHOUSE

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding me some time to speak on this important bill. Mr. Speaker, President Abraham Lincoln once famously charged all Americans with the responsibility ``to care for him who shall have borne the battle.'' If you speak with veterans today, you will learn that the quality of health care provided to them, many times, does not reflect this duty. In recent years, we have learned of multiple incidents in which the VA has failed to provide emergency care to veterans in need. In addition to the incidents that happened in my home State, another notable incident occurred in New Mexico, in the year 2014, when a veteran collapsed in the cafeteria of a VA facility, and he ultimately died when the VA refused to transport him 500 yards across the campus to the ER. My legislation will ensure that every enrolled veteran who arrives at the Emergency Department of a VA medical facility and who seeks emergency treatment is assessed and treated in order to prevent further injury or death. This is accomplished by applying the statutory requirements of the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act, or EMTALA, to emergency care that is furnished by the VA to our veterans. This is a 1986 Federal statute that grants every individual a Federal right to emergency care. It requires a hospital to conduct a medical examination to determine if an emergency medical condition exists. If one does, then the hospital must either stabilize the patient or effectuate a proper transfer at the patient's request. Currently, VA hospitals are considered to be non-participating hospitals and, therefore, are not obligated to fulfill the requirements of EMTALA. The VET Act will remove the non-participating designation from VA hospitals and require them to fulfill the requirements of EMTALA, just as every other hospital does. Mr. Speaker, I urge the House to support and pass H.R. 3216. It is time we ensure that our veterans receive proper medical treatment during emergency medical situations, all without requiring additional spending.

Mr. NEWHOUSE

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I stand in support of National Read with a Child Week, which is organized by the Children's Reading Foundation to promote early literacy development. The first few years of a child's life are critical to the acquisition of language and literacy skills, which are cornerstones of social and academic development. I firmly believe that all children deserve an excellent education and that preparation for academic success can never begin too early. Unfortunately, many children face significant barriers to achievement as recent research shows that over three-quarters of fourth graders from low-income families are not proficient in reading. The Children's Reading Foundation, which is headquartered in Kennewick, Washington, is leading the way in supporting early childhood literacy and in preparing all children for success in school and throughout their lives. Read with a Child Week, which takes place this week, September 18 through 24, is highlighting the tremendous importance of early literacy, and I call on all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this initiative.

Mr. NEWHOUSE

Mr. NEWHOUSE. I would like to thank the gentleman from Alabama for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the rule and the underlying legislation, H.R. 5226, the Regulatory Integrity Act. In recent years, a disturbing trend has emerged among Federal agencies. In a number of instances, Federal agencies have used taxpayer dollars to fund public communication campaigns attempting to lobby for agency regulations. Despite multiple Federal laws explicitly prohibiting this, agencies continue to ignore these laws and use taxpayer dollars to lobby on the very regulations their agencies are developing. Several months ago, in my own home State of Washington, a campaign known as What's Upstream came to light. I would like to point your attention to this poster. Through this broad and unfair ad campaign, all farmers were demonized as careless polluters. What's Upstream used billboards, bus and radio ads, and a visually assaulting Web site depicting dead fish and polluted water to encourage private citizens to contact their State legislators and push for stricter regulations on farmers. It is also important to note that it has been discovered that these images were not even from the State of Washington. As a lifelong farmer myself, who has seen firsthand the remarkable proactive steps farmers have taken to protect our resources, I was insulted by the blatant lies this campaign has spread about farmers. What is probably more insulting, though, can be seen by these pictures of the What's Upstream Web site. What's Upstream encouraged site visitors to send messages to ``Washington State Senators whose votes we hope to influence.'' This is lobbying in the truest sense of the word. The real kicker is when you scroll down to the bottom of the page to see who it was funded by: ``This message has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.'' Now, just stop and think about that for just a second. Your hard- earned taxpayer dollars are being used by the EPA to lie about farmers and then to lobby State legislators to put in place stricter regulations against farmers. It is unconscionable, and it violates the law. Earlier this year, I was proud to colead a letter with my friend from Nebraska, Congressman Ashford, to EPA Administrator McCarthy expressing outrage and demanding an investigation into this campaign. I was honored to have 145 House Members--fully one-third of the entire body-- join us on that letter demanding accountability. This campaign exposed us to a very real need for grant and lobbying reform, which H.R. 5226 takes a good first step in bringing. By requiring all executive agencies to disclose their public communications, it will help bring transparency to agency communications and ensures that these types of activities cannot hide or go unnoticed. While future steps may be necessary, I was proud to work with Congressman Walberg to introduce this legislation, and I thank him for his leadership on this issue. Our agricultural community and the American taxpayers deserve accountability, and I look forward to continuing to work for this bill's enactment.

Mr. NEWHOUSE

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Chairman, first of all, I include in the Record six letters from various veterans service organizations in support of H.R. 5620, as amended. Military Order of the Purple Heart, Springfield, VA, July 14, 2016. Hon. Jeff Miller, Chairman, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Washington,

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Chairman, I believe one of the Federal Government's most important functions is to support those who have sacrificed so much in the defense of our Nation. Whenever our government fails to meet this responsibility, swift action must be taken. We have heard far too many distressing stories in recent years about the Department of Veterans Affairs failing to provide our veterans the care they deserve. My amendment seeks to address one of these problems by adding the text of H.R. 3216, the Veterans Emergency Treatment Act, to this bill. This language is supported by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and the Disabled American Veterans. In short, my amendment would ensure that every enrolled veteran who arrives at an emergency department of a VA medical facility and indicates an emergency condition exists is assessed and treated in an effort to prevent further injury or death. This is accomplished by applying the statutory requirements of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA, to emergency care furnished by the VA to enrolled veterans. Mr. Chairman, my attention was drawn to this issue by one of my own constituents. In February of 2015, a 64-year-old Army veteran arrived at the Seattle VA emergency room in severe pain with a broken foot that had swollen to the size of a football. No longer able to walk, he requested emergency room staff assist him in traveling the 10 feet from his car to the ER entrance. Hospital personnel promptly hung up on him after instructing him he would need to call 911 to assist him at his own expense. He was eventually helped into the emergency room by a Seattle fire captain as well as three firefighters. Another notable incident occurred in New Mexico in 2014, when a veteran collapsed in the cafeteria of a VA facility and ultimately died when the VA refused to transport him 500 yards across the campus to the emergency room. EMTALA is a Federal statute that supersedes State and local laws and grants every individual a Federal right to emergency care. It was enacted by Congress in 1986 and is designed to prevent hospitals from transferring, or dumping, uninsured or Medicaid patients to public hospitals. EMTALA requires a hospital to conduct a medical examination to determine if an emergency medical condition exists. If one does, then the hospital must either stabilize the patient or effectuate a proper transfer at the patient's request. Currently, the VA hospitals are considered to be nonparticipating hospitals and are therefore not obligated to fulfill the requirements instituted by EMTALA. This amendment will revise current law to remove the nonparticipating designation and require them to fulfill requirements of EMTALA, just as every other hospital does. Mr. Chairman, it is actually the Veterans Health Administration's stated policy that all transfers in and out of VA facilities of patients in the emergency department or urgent care units are accomplished in a manner that ensures maximum patient safety and is in compliance with the transfer provisions of EMTALA and its implementing regulations. However, unfortunately, this policy is not always followed, and occasionally locally designed transfer policies undermine efforts to provide emergency care to veterans. Additionally, in some of these instances there was clear confusion on the part of the VA facilities about their own transfer policies. This is why we must act now. Mr. Chairman, I urge the House to support and pass my amendment to H.R. 5620. It is time we ensure our veterans receive proper medical care during emergency medical situations, all without requiring additional spending. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. NEWHOUSE

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the remarkable achievements of the Kennewick American Youth baseball team, the reigning U.S. champions. The Kennewick American team won the United States Division of the Cal Ripken World Series Tournament to become the U.S. champions. They then finished second in the world, competing against the best young baseball talent from around the world. Kennewick's own Simeon Howard was named the MVP of the U.S. side of the tournament, while setting a tournament record for hits. With the support of their families and local community, Kennewick American concluded its season with an impressive 36 and 5 record, while becoming the first team from the Pacific Northwest to ever reach the championship game. This is an incredible achievement for the State of Washington as well as the Pacific Northwest. I am proud to represent these young men in Congress. I congratulate the players and their coach, Bryan Knapik, on their tremendous success and look forward to following their run next season.

Mr. NEWHOUSE

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my support for S. 764, the Senate- passed biotechnology labeling legislation that we are considering today. Without enactment of this legislation today, right now, we will continue to see the emergence of an incompatible patchwork of State laws, like the one that took effect in Vermont just 2 weeks ago. As a farmer myself, I can tell you with some authority that if these State laws, with their conflicting definitions and labeling requirements, are allowed to take effect, it will increase the cost of production and compliance for farmers as well as food producers. This, in turn, will drive up grocery bills for American families by hundreds, even thousands of dollars. Mr. Speaker, I believe that is an unacceptable and unconscionable outcome to inflict on the American people. To be clear, I don't think this bill is perfect. It is far from it. It is filled with ambiguous statements and, in many places, offers little guidance to USDA on how to best implement the bill's provisions. I am also disappointed the Senate waited until the very last moment, imposing this crisis on the House, leaving us with only two options: either act on this imperfect bill or let the American people suffer. Mr. Speaker, let the record reflect that the House did its job. It passed a biotech labeling bill for the Senate's consideration an entire year ago. Generally, when we are talking about food labeling, it is for health and safety purposes. I believe people have a right to know what it is they are eating. But today we find ourselves in a place to require mandatory labeling for agriculture products that are 100 percent safe. With my reservations noted, passing this bill is the right thing to do. It will establish a meaningful national standard for biotech labeling that will prevent an unworkable patchwork of conflicting State laws. It will provide consumers with information they want. And, finally, it will create an environment where farmers and researchers can continue to do their work and develop new food varieties that are healthier, more abundant, and more pest- and disease-resistant, and allow us to continue to feed our Nation and the world. I urge my colleagues to support its passage.

Mr. NEWHOUSE

Mr. NEWHOUSE. I yield to the gentlewoman from Minnesota.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment that would prohibit the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from using any funds to continue treating the gray wolf under ESA after June 13, 2017--providing these agencies with funding to continue managing the gray wolf for nearly a year--more than half enough time to work with States to develop and implement individual State management plans that would go into effect when Federal management ends. Mr. Chairman, this is an issue of extreme importance to my home State of Washington where the gray wolf is listed in the western two-thirds of the State but is delisted in the eastern third. This fragmented listing means there are no geographic barriers to prevent wolves from traveling between listed and delisted areas, posing a risk to people's lives, farming, and ranching in the region. Unfortunately, this issue should already be settled. On June 13, 2013, the Service published a proposed rule to remove the gray wolf from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. It made this determination after evaluating ``the classification status of gray wolves currently listed in the contiguous U.S.'' and found the ``best available scientific and commercial information indicates that the currently listed entity is not a valid species under the Act.'' The statutory purpose of ESA is to recover a species to the point where it no longer is considered endangered or threatened. The gray wolf is currently found in nearly 50 countries around the world, and the Wolf Specialist Group at the International Union for Conservation Nature has placed the species in the category of ``least concern globally'' for risk of extinction. Mr. Chairman, the gray wolf population has grown substantially across its range and is now considered to be recovered, and, therefore, it no longer merits protection under ESA. However, my amendment does not delist the gray wolf but encourages the Service to move forward with its proposed delisting rule. It restricts funding for Federal management after June 13, 2017--4 years after the original delisting rule was first published--providing more than enough time for the Service to finalize the rule, as well as to work with individual States to develop and implement their respective State management plans. This approach will support an orderly transition to State-level management and allow State wildlife officials to more effectively manage wolf populations, which has proven successful in States such as Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. My amendment is simple. It provides Interior and the Service with an incentive to move forward with the delisting that the agency itself said is necessary and supported by the best available science evidence and data. I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. NEWHOUSE

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. The rule we have considered today provides for consideration of an important and badly needed bill. This legislation funds critical activities, such as wildfire mitigation and response, PILT payments for counties with large amounts of Federal lands, fish hatcheries that are helping to meet salmon recovery goals, the $12 billion maintenance backlog on our National Park Service lands, and the need to address the problem of lead in drinking water across our country. This is also a fiscally responsible bill that reflects House Republicans' priorities in tackling our out-of-control national debt. This is accomplished by striking a smart balance between funding essential programs and making responsible reductions to lower priority activities to ensure we meet our tight budget guidelines. This bill includes provisions that will roll back and prevent many harmful Federal regulations that have had a chilling effect on business development and economic activity at a time when we can ill afford either. The measure protects the rights of law-abiding Americans by prohibiting Federal agencies from issuing new closures of public lands to hunting and recreational shooting as well as from regulating the lead content of ammunition and fishing tackle. Mr. Speaker, this legislation recognizes and respects the current fiscal landscape, lowers overall funding in the bill by $64 million below current levels and $1 billion below the President's request, yet it still provides the means necessary to fund the Department of the Interior and environmental programs that protect and promote our natural resources with a responsible, yet sustainable, budget. Additionally, the measure provides critically needed funds to ensure forest health and combat wildfires, a priority for many living in the West who have seen devastating wildfires destroy homes, businesses, and millions of acres of land over the last few years. This is a strong rule that provides for the consideration of a very important bill, and I urge my colleagues to support the rule's adoption and invest in a prosperous future for our country by passing the FY 2017 Interior and environment appropriations bill.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, being as we have no additional speakers, I just would like to inquire of the gentlewoman from New York if she is ready to close.

Mr. NEWHOUSE

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 820, providing for consideration of an important piece of legislation, H.R. 5538, the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017. The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 5538 under a structured rule, which is a standard tool currently available under the rules of the House and previously used by both Republicans and Democrats for consideration of appropriation bills. However, the Rules Committee received 178 amendments to this bill and undertook a long, arduous, and very open process to make as many amendments in order as possible. While 10 were withdrawn, out of the remaining 168 amendments, the committee made 131 in order, almost equally divided between Republicans and Democrats, ensuring that both sides of the aisle have the opportunity to offer their amendments and provide their input on this very important measure. Mr. Speaker, the bill appropriates funding for the Department of Interior, the EPA, the U.S. Forest Service, the Indian Health Service, and various independent and related agencies. This is a fiscally responsible measure that appropriates $32.095 billion in discretionary spending, which is a $64 million decrease from fiscal year 2016 and a $1 billion reduction from the President's request. While this bill respects our country's current fiscal year situation, where our national debt is approaching $20 trillion, it provides the means necessary to fund the Department of Interior and environmental programs that protect and promote our natural resources within a responsible, yet sustainable budget. The legislation includes funding for many important priorities, such as the PILT program that provides funds for local governments in 49 States to help offset losses in property taxes due to nontaxable Federal lands within their counties. Without congressional action, many rural communities would face huge budget shortfalls because of Federal land ownership, which would impact public safety, education, and other local government responsibilities. The bill also rejects a White House proposal that would have raised fees on American ranchers for grazing on Federal lands, which is another costly Federal proposal that ranchers simply cannot afford. It allocates an increase for on-the-ground sage grouse conservation to protect the species, while also preserving Federal lands for public and private uses, such as energy development, ranching, recreation, as well as military training. Finally, it provides the National Park Service with targeted funding increases for park operations and maintenance to help reduce the Park Service's maintenance backlog, which currently stands at an astonishing $12 billion, and we simply must address. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5538 also includes conservative policy provisions to stop the bureaucratic regulatory overreach that is harming the United States. Job creation and wage growth continue to be stifled by EPA and other Federal regulations. In response, this bill denies funding for job-killing rules and contains provisions to stop the regulatory overreach that is restricting economic activity. Specifically, the bill reduces funding for the EPA by $164 million below the fiscal year 2016 level and $294 million below the President's request. Within this total, EPA's regulatory programs are reduced by $43 million from the current level. Additionally, it rejects the President's proposal to increase staffing at the EPA and holds the agency to the current capacity of 15,000 positions, which is the lowest level since 1989. Over the past few years, we have heard time and again about the EPA overstepping its authority, whether by lobbying for the misguided and unconstitutional WOTUS rule, or by providing funds to groups that openly advocate and lobby for antiagricultural policies and legislation, which happened in my State of Washington with the illegal ``what's upstream'' campaign. To hold the EPA accountable and stop its antigrowth agenda of numerous harmful, costly, and potentially job-killing regulations, the bill contains a number of legislative provisions to halt these actions. Mr. Speaker, this legislation also includes language prohibiting the Forest Service or the BLM from issuing new closures of public lands to hunting and recreational shooting, which will preserve public access so that everyone can enjoy these American pastimes on our treasured Federal lands and national forests. Further, the measure prevents the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from closing fish hatcheries, a key salmon recovery tool in the Pacific Northwest and in other parts of the country, and continues a 1-year delay on any further Endangered Species Act status reviews, determinations, and rulemakings for the greater sage grouse. Additionally, H.R. 5538 provides critical funding for the Department of Interior and the U.S. Forest Service to prevent and combat devastating wildfires. This is particularly important to me and the people of Washington's Fourth Congressional District. My State and much of the West have experienced catastrophic wildfire seasons over the last 2 years, with the State of Washington enduring back-to-back years of record-setting fires, which have been fueled by not only a lack of rainfall and extremely arid conditions, but also poor forest management. It also includes $575 million for hazardous fuels management, which is $30 million above the fiscal year 2016 level, and will help ensure our forests are cleared, healthy, and better prepared to withstand future wildfires, something that is badly needed not only in central Washington, but across the West, as we head into another dry fire season. Mr. Speaker, this is a good rule that provides for consideration of the FY 2017 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, which promotes the responsible use of our natural resources, provides the tools necessary to protect and combat devastating wildfires, and invests in programs and infrastructure to improve the quality of life for families across the country. However, most importantly, this is a fiscally responsible bill that reflects the priorities of House Republicans in tackling our yearly deficits and out-of-control national debt. I think it strikes a smart, intentional balance between funding essential programs and making responsible reductions to lower priority activities to make sure we meet our tight budget guidelines, which is why I urge my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying bill. I reserve the balance of my time. Motion Offered by Mr. Grayson of Florida

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Slaughter), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave