Dan Newhouse

Mr. NEWHOUSE

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, nearly 50 years ago, President Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act into law, which was designed to do two things: Number 1, prevent species from going extinct; and Number 2, promote their recovery back to health and healthy populations. Since then, hundreds of plants and animals have joined the endangered or threatened species list, spurring conservation and recovery efforts at all levels of government. While this landmark species protection law is well-intentioned and has accomplished many good things, it has become an endless source of conflict and, unfortunately, many rightly consider it a dismal failure. The Endangered Species Act hasn't seen meaningful reform since 1973. And since then, less than 3 percent of species have recovered and been delisted. The Congressional Western Caucus has long advocated for improvements to modernize the ESA and make it more effective for our species and more transparent for the American people. My colleagues in the caucus have advocated on behalf of the rural communities that we represent who are severely impacted by the ESA listing decisions and who, in many cases, are working in collaboration with private landowners, community groups, Tribes, and local governments to promote successful species recovery and land conservation. And we have advocated to administration after administration the need to follow the science and fulfill the congressional intent of the law, which is to promote recovery of these species and then remove them from the endangered species list. That is why I am so proud to host this Special Order tonight, where you will hear from several of my Western Caucus colleagues about successful, locally led recovery efforts taking place across the country; the different impacts that ESA listing decisions have had on local communities and economies; and some of the legislative reforms needed to finally bring the ESA into the 21st century. Over the past few years, the Trump administration made great progress by finalizing several updates to the ESA to modernize this bedrock law and to improve our ability to protect endangered and threatened species and celebrate our recovery successes. The Trump administration created a transparent process for designating critical habitat for listed species, and finalized a commonsense definition that a critical habitat must indeed be critical to the species at hand. Who would have thought? They streamlined and modernized the process for consultation between government agencies to determine the scope of listing impacts, including requiring the consideration of the economic impact a listing could have on local economics. Lastly, they finalized a rule that rewards State and landowners for successful recovery actions by loosening mandated regulations on species management as the species begin to recover and are down-listed from endangered to threatened. Unfortunately, earlier this month, the Biden administration announced plans to rescind or reverse these improvements. This is exactly the wrong direction we should be heading, Madam Speaker. As we have seen over the past four decades, the ESA has become a weapon used by extreme environmentalists and serial litigators to slow or halt critical economic development and land management projects in rural communities throughout the United States. From preventing the restoration of our forests, to creating overburdensome roadblocks for domestic energy development, the ESA, in its current form, simply does more harm than good. Oftentimes, these ESA regulations negatively impact the very people we need as conservation partners. Through land use restrictions, reduced property values, and costly permitting requirements, unilateral and far-sweeping listing decisions remove incentive for these local partners to come to the table. In effect, it makes enemies out of the people who are most critical to our efforts instead of treating these species like the assets they are to our local lands. We must empower our local, State, and Tribal partners to collaborate on comprehensive recovery and conservation efforts, and we know this to be true. More stringent regulations will not lead to more successful species recovery. In rural America, we value the responsible management of plants, animals, and native species, but we have to do so in a way that doesn't destroy our economies, decimate our lands or leave our communities vulnerable to natural disasters. We need flexible tools, not one-size-fits-all regulations from the Federal Government to be successful in our shared goal of recovery of our Nation's endangered and threatened species. Tonight, we are here to raise the voices of rural communities that are impacted by the ESA and to make our message heard. Madam Speaker, I yield to my good friend from the great State of Minnesota (Mr. Stauber), who is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources for the Committee on Natural Resources.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Stauber and appreciate him bringing his perspective from the great State of Minnesota. Like he and his constituents, we in the State of Washington also understand the impact of the gray wolf and what impact it can have on our local ranchers, farmers, and communities. I thank him very much for his work on bringing control back to the State, where it should be. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman), who is the Republican ranking member on the Committee on Natural Resources.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, I really thank my friend for his leadership on this very important issue. As was mentioned earlier, the ESA has a dismal recovery rate of just 3 percent. We have to work hard to strengthen this law in order to provide real results. We ought to be incentivizing private investment in species recovery, streamline decision-making, and promote the comprehensive efforts of State and local governments as well as Tribes. I want to just say I greatly appreciate the thoughts of the good gentleman from the Committee on Natural Resources. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Baird), one of my fellow farmers in Congress and a war veteran. I thank him for being with us tonight.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Baird and appreciate his leadership on this important issue. From farming to ranching to mining to forestry to recreational opportunities, the far-reaching impacts of the Endangered Species Act go wide. I thank him for bringing up those very important points. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Mann), my good friend and colleague from the town of Quinter.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, I appreciate very much Mr. Mann's participation in this Special Order but also his leadership on this very important issue. He gives clear examples in his own district of seeing the success in the recovery of, in his case, the lesser prairie- chicken through, I think I heard him say, voluntary conservation efforts. It just underscores the need for us to be able to recognize all of the efforts that are being taken on these species' behalf, utilize the best available science, and consider all efforts that are being made when assessing these listing decisions. I thank Mr. Mann, and I appreciate very much his contribution. Now, I would like to yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Tenney), a prospective member of the Western Caucus, one that we would be delighted to have her membership, but certainly appreciate very much her participation this evening to help us illustrate this very important issue to the American public. We are anxious to have her here this evening.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, I thank Ms. Tenney for illustrating what is necessary common sense and finding a balance between protecting species as well as protecting a region's economic stability. I thank her very much for her leadership in that overall picture. We look forward to continuing to work with her. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry of the Committee on Natural Resources.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, the gentleman has certainly been a true leader on this issue and a passionate, experienced, and knowledgeable voice. We appreciate his work on the Western Caucus. We cannot continue to use a one-size-fits-all approach. That often leads to mismanagement. The gentleman's examples and illustrations bear that out to be true, and I look forward to continuing to work with him on this issue. As I mentioned earlier, the Biden administration has proposed a massive rollback of recent improvements to the ESA, or the Endangered Species Act. Many members from the caucus and across the country and I are very concerned that these rollbacks will hamper our ability to work with local leaders on species recovery. I think it is also worth mentioning that the administration's actions are in direct contrast to their report on the proposed 30 by 30 initiative, which aims to conserve 30 percent of our Nation's lands and waters by the year 2030. Their report claims that as part of this initiative, they will recognize and reward voluntary conservation efforts of private landowners and recognize the contributions of farmers and ranchers, forest owners, and others in rural America. Instead, they are looking to impose even more Federal restrictions on these conservation partners, and that is the opposite to the approach that we should be taking. Madam Speaker, quite frankly, it ignites even greater concerns about the administration's so-called conservation initiative. Madam Speaker, just to remind you, I started off the evening saying that it was nearly 50 years ago that President Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act into law. If you will recall, it was designed to do two things: prevent species from going extinct and promote their recovery back to health and healthy populations. I think we have heard tonight that we can accomplish that, and we need to accomplish that. A strong ESA and strong recovered species can happen, but they don't have to happen at the expense of communities and our economy. Those two things are not mutually exclusive. I think the arguments, the cases, and the illustrations that you have heard tonight perfectly allow us to understand that. Madam Speaker, I thank all of my colleagues from the Western Caucus for participating tonight. This is a very important issue, something that I think all of us in Congress can find a lot of common ground on. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on successful reform of the Endangered Species Act. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. NEWHOUSE

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, these are trying times for our country, specifically for small business owners and their families who, in some cases, are watching their livelihoods literally disappear right before their eyes. The jobs report that was released on Friday was cited as the ``largest miss'' compared to economists' expectations since 1998. The United States filled only 266,000 jobs of the estimated 1.3 million that were predicted to be filled. That is more than one million jobs less than expected. The unemployment rate actually rose for the first time during this recovery. For over a year, our businesses have been shuttered and our schools closed, making it impossible for parents to return to work and for hardworking individuals to earn an honest living. To make matters worse, many of our local businesses simply cannot find the labor they need because Federal unemployment benefits discourage workers from returning to the workplace, further hindering the recovery of our local economies. President Biden dismissed these figures as merely a snapshot in time, refusing to see that they represent the very real struggles our small businesses and communities are facing. Just this weekend, I hosted our annual job fair in central Washington, and the changes that I saw were stark. Dozens of employers, who represented everything from the agricultural industry to law enforcement offices, restaurants, distribution centers, to government contractors handling nuclear cleanup, were all looking to hire hundreds of people. And guess what? Less than 100 applicants showed up. Two years ago, we had 500 attendees competing for many of the same kinds of jobs. Now, I know that our small businesses are the economic engine of our economy, and we must ensure that we can get that engine restarted as quickly and as safely as possible. It is time we reopen our economy, get our kids back into the classrooms, empower the entrepreneurs who are the backbone of our economy, and allow America to recover.

Mr. NEWHOUSE

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 104.

Mr. NEWHOUSE

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, right out of the gate, President Biden took unilateral action that dealt devastating blows to rural communities across the United States. As chairman of the Western Caucus, I have heard firsthand how the cancellation of the Keystone pipeline and the moratorium on Federal oil and gas leases have directly impacted rural America. From eliminating good-paying union jobs in Minnesota and decimating small businesses in South Dakota, to gutting local government and school district revenues in New Mexico, to harming State infrastructure budgets in Utah, these orders have negatively impacted workers, families, and business owners throughout the West. But let's be clear: All Americans will feel the effects of President Biden's actions. Also, let's be clear: Just because we cut domestic energy production, does not mean our energy needs decrease. Our Nation will face higher costs on energy, on goods, on transportation. Under this ban, the President has throttled our economic recovery. We will continue working to reverse these misguided actions.

Mr. NEWHOUSE

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, today we commemorate the life of one of my constituents, Cade Gebbers of Brewster. At just 19 years old, Cade was already an integral part of his community and a remarkably accomplished student athlete with a bright future ahead of him. From being named the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Athlete of the Week and the State B Basketball Player of the Year, to making the winning shot at the State tournament with only 1.3 seconds left on the clock, Cade's talent with a basketball was an inspiration to many fellow young athletes in his community. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us to ``encourage one another and build each other up,'' and that's exactly what friends and family will always remember Cade for, on and off the court: a young man with a gentle heart and a warm smile who was a constant source of encouragement for his classmates and teammates. Even in their time of grief, Cade's family is taking action by supporting Only 7 Seconds, a Washington-based organization dedicated to spreading individual expressions of positive support to combat the feelings of isolation and depression that so many teenagers experience. I commend them for their strength and commitment to this worthy cause. My thoughts and prayers, as well as those of neighbors across Central Washington, are with Cade's entire family--especially his parents, Johnny and Nikki, and his siblings Kelson, Cort, Karden, and Capri. May the Gebbers family find peace and comfort in their faith, in their family and community, and in Cade's memory.

Mr. NEWHOUSE

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, let me be blunt: there is a crisis at our southern border. You have heard about it from my Republican colleagues and I over the past few days. Just this year, more than 200,000 people have illegally crossed our border, including four known terrorists. We must do something to stop this disturbing trend. The U.S. is a country of law and order. We must continue working to reform our broken immigration laws and enhance our border security. That is exactly what this legislation will do. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act is a truly bipartisan bill, negotiated over many months by agriculture and labor representatives alike, to ensure those who wish to can come to our country, abide by our laws and contribute to our farms, ranches, and local communities. The bill creates an employment- and merit-based program for foreign workers to legally work in agriculture, eliminating incentives for illegal migration and strengthening both our national security and our national food supply chain. This legislation streamlines our H-2A guest worker program, giving employers more flexibility and allowing access for year-round agriculture sectors like dairy and horticulture. Finally, the bill phases in E-Verify. So, once these laws are in place, we can enforce them and ensure that workers maintain a legal work status. Madam Speaker, I come from one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world, where many of our crops are labor intensive. As much as producers would prefer to hire American workers to work in their fields, in their orchards, and in their dairies, there simply isn't enough interest among domestic workers to get these jobs done. For decades, Congress has attempted to pass comprehensive immigration reform to address our agricultural workforce, but we have been unsuccessful. This bill is the targeted, bipartisan solution our farmers and ranchers need. I want to thank Ms. Lofgren, Mr. Diaz-Balart, Mr. Simpson, Mr. LaMalfa, and many others. I urge my colleagues to support this bill so we can get it to the President's desk for America's agricultural industry.

Mr. NEWHOUSE

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, over the past year, we have witnessed unacceptable acts of violence across our country. We have watched lives and livelihoods being destroyed. Even now, after one of the most challenging years Americans have faced in recent history, the violence continues. In just the past few days, in both Portland and Seattle, rioters smashed the doors and windows of local small businesses, violently assaulted police officers, and firebombed the local courthouse. In January, I called on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to take a stand against political violence. But rather than condemning these appalling acts, politicians and the media continue to turn a blind eye. They ignore, downplay, and even defend these despicable and violent actions. It is inexcusable. When we see this violence, we must condemn it for what it is: domestic terror. Mr. Speaker, I stand firm against all acts of violence, and I continue to call on this body to do the same.

Mr. NEWHOUSE

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the career of John Schieche, Superintendent of the East Valley School District, who is retiring after 43 years of shaping the next generation of Central Washington students. As a farmer, it is my duty to highlight the fact that John was first exposed to teaching during his days managing a 1,500-acre wheat farm. It was not uncommon for John to hire high school students as farmhands during the summer months and teach them how to operate heavy machinery. This experience made for an easy transition into teaching as an auto mechanics and shop teacher. Over the years, John excelled in all areas of education, most recently, he was awared the 2018 Crystal Apple Award for his dedication to advancing school communications. John started his journey to becoming superintendent in the early 1990's after being hired by the Yakima School District to serve as Director of the Yakima Valley Technical Skills Center. During his time in that leadership role, John was also pursuing his credentials to become a superintendent from my alma mater, Washington State University. Go Cougs. John was hired to serve as East Valley's superintendent in 2002, and during his tenure, three of the district's schools have been recognized by the state as distinguished schools for their teaching and learning methods. I wish him all the best as he makes his transition into retirement and returns to farm life. I thank John for everything he has done for our districts' students, and from one lifelong farmer to another, try not to work too hard.

Mr. NEWHOUSE

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, today, I rise to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Moses Lake Baptist Church and to sincerely thank them for their contributions to the Moses Lake community. Madam Speaker, central Washingtonians are people of deep and sincere faith. We know firsthand that churches and faith-based organizations like the Moses Lake Baptist Church are fundamental to the well-being and very fiber of our local communities. From performing acts of service, to ensuring the spiritual and emotional health of their congregants, particularly during the challenging times of the past year, Moses Lake Baptist Church goes above and beyond to deliver the Word of God to individuals and families throughout central Washington. Madam Speaker, I have personally experienced the kindness and prayers of the leadership, including Pastor Dennis Fountain and the congregation at the church. I know firsthand how they spread the message of love through God's teachings. Madam Speaker, as we celebrate 10 years of faithful service, I extend my congratulations to Moses Lake Baptist Church and wish them many more decades of blessing our community.

Mr. NEWHOUSE

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman). Mr. Speaker, this morning, I joined my Congressional Western Caucus colleagues, Representatives Chris Stewart and Yvette Herrell, to hear from community leaders in their States about the severe funding shortfalls they are now facing due to President Biden's moratorium on oil and gas leases on Federal lands. We heard from county commissioners and education officials, including one who shared--in tears--the heartbreaking stories of students experiencing mental health challenges, who have attempted suicide due to the challenges facing our Nation's students. The last thing these communities need is to face budgetary deficiencies that threaten the support systems within our public schools. Yet, this legislation before us will contribute to those very budget shortfalls. By further preventing responsible energy and resource production on Federal lands, we are harming our Nation's energy industry, but we are also harming our workers by destroying their jobs. We are harming our students by cutting their public school funding. We are harming our communities by slashing their State and local budget. Mr. Speaker, you see, we are siloing off the effects of the pandemic from the actions and consequences of the Federal government regulatory mandates. The combinations of COVID-19, the Biden ban on Federal leasing, and now this massive land-grab legislation is simply going to devastate rural communities in the West. Mr. Speaker, these consequences don't take place in a silo. They take a toll. I can list many other concerning consequences--from harming our energy independence, restricting public access to our public lands, to increasing the poor health of our Nation's forest. But more than anything, I hope my colleagues will pause to think of the human impacts these actions will have on our neighbors, our fellow Americans, and the toll it will take after one of the most challenging years in our lifetimes. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on this legislation.

Mr. NEWHOUSE

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Thank you, Congressman Stauber, in helping to put a human face onto the issue that we are speaking about. The real cost to American citizens, the loss of jobs cannot be understated and the impact to our communities and to families across this country. So thank you very much. Madam Speaker, a lot of States will be impacted. The whole country will be. I am going to turn to someone from the great State of Texas, but you probably know this already: This ban from President Biden will eliminate 2 million jobs in the oil and gas industry in Texas alone--in one State. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin), from the Houston area, representing, I think, probably the epicenter of petroleum refining in this country, another fine Member of our Western Caucus.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Boebert. I appreciate her strong voice on behalf of not only the people she represents, but people all over the country. I thank her for those very valuable comments. Madam Speaker, as you can already tell, we have a very strong class of new Members this year. I would like to turn to another who comes from the State of Utah, a State that I don't think is the highest with Federal land ownership, but pretty darn close. Sixty-three percent, I understand, of the land in Blake Moore's State is under Federal ownership. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Moore). I know he has a great perspective on this issue, and I am very anxious to welcome him and give him the floor so that he can share with us his thoughts.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material on the topic of my Special Order.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, in the first days of his administration, President Biden has taken a record-breaking number of executive actions and he has signed more executive orders than any President in recent history. I am very proud this evening to be joined by some of my colleagues from the Congressional Western Caucus. As a group, we represent constituents across the country who have been negatively impacted by these actions of President Biden. On his very first day in office, the President signed an executive order to revoke the Presidential permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. This innovative, first-of-its-kind energy project has been in the works for years with local communities, numerous States, and even our neighbor to the north, Canada, investing heavily in its creation. Also, on day one, President Biden directed his Acting Secretary of the Interior to issue a 60-day moratorium on new oil and gas leases on Federal lands. And then if that weren't enough, to complete the one-two punch, a week later, he extended that moratorium indefinitely. Madam Speaker, I am confident my colleagues will echo this sentiment: It is unconscionable that President Biden would, during a global pandemic, eliminate thousands of jobs and prevent the creation of thousands more with one flick of his pen. As you will hear from my colleagues, this action was thoughtless and devastating to the hundreds of communities and the millions of Americans who rely on the oil and gas industry, from labor unions, local small businesses, to rural school districts, conservationists, people all over the country. His long-term goals may very well be well-intentioned, but, Madam Speaker, right now, in communities across the country, jobs, revenue, and investment are lost. They have just disappeared. Madam Speaker, what does President Biden propose to do in the meantime? This truly can be described as an attack on American energy and American workers. Over the last 4 years during the Trump administration, the United States has made huge strides toward energy independence, becoming the largest net exporter of energy in the world. President Biden's actions will unilaterally undo this progress. It will threaten our energy security and leave thousands of hardworking American men and women without a job. President Biden has acted without any input or meaningful debate from the Members of this Congress who represent the people who are most affected by his orders. Madam Speaker, tonight, we are here to make our voices and their voices heard. I am proud to be joined, as I said, with many of the outstanding members of the Congressional Western Caucus, and we have a lot of them who have a lot of great things to say. My first guest is a new member of our executive committee. He comes from the State of Minnesota, where at least 50,000 jobs are supported by mining in his home State, a tremendous amount of economic activity. So I am very pleased to yield to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber).

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Babin. I thank him for explaining to us and helping us understand the pipeline industry and what that does for our country, how it improves safety, and, certainly, our care for the environment as well. Madam Speaker, I next turn to one to our newest Members--new to our caucus, but also to the House of Representatives--a young lady from the State of New Mexico. Yvette Herrell is doing just a great job in the short time that she has been here with us. And let me just tell you a little bit about New Mexico. If you want an example of a State that is reliant on this industry, oil and gas, you have to look no farther than New Mexico. You can correct me if I am wrong, but at least 134,000 jobs are supported by that industry. And I know it is a huge part of your State's economy. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Herrell). Congresswoman Herrell, thank you very much for being with us.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Herrell. I appreciate her helping us understand the impact on the State of New Mexico, not just jobs but schools as well--$1 billion cost to the school districts of your State. I just can't imagine the long-term, detrimental impacts that that will bring. Speaking of that, I turn to another gentleman from the State of Texas, someone I got to know very well on the Committee on Rules. Michael Burgess represents his district in Texas, and similar to what we just heard from New Mexico, I believe Texas school districts also, through property taxes on oil and gas production, on pipelines, on gas utilities receive at least $1 billion a year as well. Dr. Burgess, thank you so much for being here this evening and helping us tell the American people the real impact of these decisions. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess).

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, I think you are starting to get the message that it is clear: This is going to impact every citizen of this country. These wrongheaded decisions are impacting our way of life, our cost of living in so many different ways. I don't know what the next speaker is going to talk about for sure, but I will make a guess that Bruce Westerman, who is our new ranking member of the Committee on Natural Resources, hailing from the State of Arkansas, may talk about a tree. I am not sure about that, but certainly, the natural resource impacts here are going to be real, and I always say people may not understand that. But we passed a huge bill last Congress--I am sure you remember the Land and Water Conservation Fund--which was part of a bigger piece of legislation. Well, guess where a lot of that money comes from to make that happen? It is from oil and gas leases. And I think the great State of Arkansas is set to get a lot of money in 2021 from that fund. And this is going to have an impact there. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman), and thank him not only for his partnership and his activity and work on the Western Caucus, but also on the Committee on Natural Resources.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Westerman. I appreciate that very much, and I thank him for getting in that word ``tree.'' I appreciate that very much and for really helping us understand the true impacts not only to our economy but to our environment of these kinds of decisions. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Tiffany), another W State, which we have to stick together, a strong member of the Congressional Western Caucus. He comes from a State that also is set to receive a tremendous amount of funding through the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which, again, is financed through oil and gas leases. Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Tiffany for participating this evening, and I appreciate him being here.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Tiffany. Well- spoken. The economy, jobs, the environment, schools, national security, the impacts of these decisions are far and wide across this country. One of the great things about a citizen legislative body is that we are made up of individuals from all walks of life, and I am very proud that we have, on the Western Caucus, a new member to the caucus and also a new member of our executive committee, but also someone whose family is one of these people who we are talking about whose jobs will be impacted by these decisions. Madam Speaker, I am anxious to hear from our new Member from Colorado, and I thank her very much for being a part of this discussion, coming from a State that has tens of thousands of jobs that rely on this industry. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Mrs. Boebert).