Dan Newhouse

Mr. NEWHOUSE

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Thank you, Mr. Fincher. I thank you for bringing forward the legislation to reauthorize the Bank and for your compelling arguments. Those are great strong statistics on the benefits that Ex-Im has given our country, the manufacturers, and employees all over the United States. Mr. Speaker, next, I yield to the gentleman from the State of New York (Mr. Collins).

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with friends and colleagues from every corner of our great country to support an American institution that, in its 81 years, has created countless jobs here at home and supported the export of American-made goods around the world. The Export-Import Bank, while first created under Franklin D. Roosevelt in response to the Great Depression, is an institution that has supported American manufacturers and producers through both good times and bad; it has experienced strong support over the years from both Republicans and Democrats. President Ronald Reagan, praising the Export-Import Bank, declared: Exports create and sustain jobs for millions of American workers and contribute to the growth and strength of the United States economy. The Export-Import Bank contributes in a significant way to our Nation's export sales. Mr. Speaker, the charter for the Export-Import Bank recently expired on June 30 of this year, depriving our Nation of a critical financial tool for growing our economy in an age where we must stay as competitive as possible in the global economy. Today, my colleagues and I will explain the role of the Bank, clear up any misconceptions surrounding it, and explain that, like any institution, it should be reformed to make it leaner and more competitive; this is still a very worthwhile institution that we should support and reauthorize as soon as possible. I urge House leadership to allow a vote to reauthorize the Export- Import Bank and let the members of this Chamber weigh the merits of the Bank for themselves. I would like to extend a special thanks to my colleagues, Congressman Collins from New York and Congressman Fincher from Tennessee, who helped organize today's Special Order. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Fincher) for his thoughts on the Export-Import Bank.

Mr. NEWHOUSE

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I was just handed a Statement of Administration Policy from the Executive Office of the President, a statement of his policy position on H.R. 3038. It says: The administration supports passage of H.R. 3038 to give the House and Senate the necessary time to work on a long- term bill this year that increases investment to meet the needs of the Nation's infrastructure. I just wanted to add that to the Record. At this time, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Hardy), a fellow freshman, a gentleman from the scenic Virgin Valley of Nevada.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, H. Res. 362, providing for consideration of two very important pieces of legislation: H.R. 2898, which is the Western Water and American Food Act of 2015, and H.R. 3038, the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015, Part II. The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 2898 under a structured rule, with eight amendments made in order that are evenly split between Democratic and Republican Members of this body. The rule also provides for consideration of H.R. 3038 under a closed rule. Mr. Speaker, this rule will allow us to consider the Western Water and American Food Act, which is an important bill that will help us respond to the severe water shortages facing California, which I am sure many of you have heard, and much of the Western United States. Many people are confronting the worst drought that they have seen in many, many years, and a growing number of communities across the West have been acutely impacted by these arid conditions. While this crisis has been caused by the drought, our environmental laws, as well as misguided and outdated regulatory restrictions, have exacerbated the situation. This bill addresses these policy failures and seeks to alleviate the impacts of drought in the short and in the long term. My own district in central Washington is dealing with serious water supply shortages. Actually, the whole State is declared a drought area. These are impacting the agriculture, energy, and manufacturing sectors, as well as families and small businesses that rely on an adequate and stable supply of water. These conditions are also increasing the threat of dangerous wildfires and increasing the likelihood of catastrophic wildfire, which could destroy homes, businesses, and large amounts of land, as well as crippling many communities throughout the West. Over the past 2 weeks in my State of Washington, we have already seen wildfire outbreaks across the State in cities like Wenatchee and Quincy and counties such as Benton, Grant, Adams, and Douglas. Sadly, with an extremely low snowpack and continuing drought conditions, we are likely to see even more fires. Mr. Speaker, as a third-generation farmer, I know firsthand the challenges facing many in our Western agricultural communities and the critically important role that water plays in agriculture's success. In recognition of this fact, earlier this year, I introduced H.R. 2097, the Bureau of Reclamation Surface Water Storage Streamlining Act. This measure will speed up Reclamation's feasibility study process on surface water storage, spurring the development of new projects across the West, and I was very proud to have it included in this essential legislation that we are considering today. Water is not just a resource, it is the lifeblood of farming and ranching communities all across the West, and we must act swiftly and decisively to mitigate the impacts of this crisis that we are facing. The importance of water to agriculture production cannot be overstated, and we must take steps to support this vital industry that is responsible for feeding billions of people around the globe. In fact, today, I am proud to say, the average American farmer is responsible for feeding upwards of 144 people, a drastic increase from just 50 years ago when that number was around 25. The reason for this change is simple and complex. Our modern farmers are growing more disease- and pest-resistant crops that require less water, less pesticides, and better conserve our natural resources. Although modern agriculture allows us to use less water for agriculture to flourish, we still must have a reliable supply of water. Mr. Speaker, the Western Water and American Food Act represents a comprehensive and bipartisan approach aimed at alleviating the drought's impacts through short-term and long-term measures. This bill will address the root causes of the crisis: complex and inconsistent laws, faulty court decisions, and onerous regulations at the State and Federal level that have exacerbated an already devastating drought. In California and across the West, millions are facing water shortages and rationing, yet many of the drought's damaging effects are preventable. H.R. 2898 aims to fix our broken regulatory system and bring our water infrastructure into the 21st century. This bill gives immediate relief to millions of Americans facing mandatory water rationing and invests in new water storage facilities to prepare for future droughts. Additionally, it will provide farmers with the certainty they need to produce the majority of our Nation's fruits and vegetables, which feed our Nation, as well as people around the world. This rule also provides for consideration of H.R. 3038, the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015, Part II, a bill that will extend Federal surface transportation programs, as well as the hazardous materials transportation program and the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act, until December 18, 2015, and fund these programs at the fiscal year 2014 authorized level. This extension will provide the committee of jurisdiction with additional time to continue their important work towards a long-term highway and surface transportation bill. Mr. Speaker, this extension will provide the House and Senate with time to work out a long-term surface transportation reauthorization bill in a bicameral, bipartisan manner. Every State transportation department in the country currently has numerous multiyear transportation projects that would benefit greatly from the increased certainty a 6-year transportation bill would provide. My hope, and I think the hope of everyone in this Chamber, is that this short-term extension gives us time to reach an agreement that can provide certainty for all of our constituents. Additionally, this legislation will also allow us to work on a resolution for the highway trust fund, which is facing a $90 billion shortfall. Failing to address the trust fund would have disastrous impacts across our country. If the trust fund were to go insolvent, many State transportation and infrastructure projects would grind to a halt, leading to furloughed workers and lost capital from investments on existing projects. The cost of shutting down and then restarting all of these projects would be astronomical and would end up costing our taxpayers much more in the long run. Mr. Speaker, another short-term extension is not what any of us would have wanted. Our States need certainty, and that will only come from a long-term transportation authorization. While the bill before us may not be what we all would have preferred, it is a good stepping stone to something greater. I believe passing H.R. 3038 is the right thing to do and will allow us to consider a long-term, 6-year authorization in the very near future. Mr. Speaker, this is a good, straightforward rule, allowing for consideration of two critically important pieces of legislation. H.R. 2898 will help drought-stricken communities in the West by providing critically needed reforms to the broken regulatory system, as well as bipartisan solutions to help provide relief to families, farms, the environment, and the American economy. H.R. 3038 will ensure that many important transportation programs do not lapse and will extend the highway trust fund expenditure authority, guaranteeing that this vital fund will remain solvent and available for infrastructure projects across the country while working towards a lasting solution. With that, Mr. Speaker, I support the rule's adoption, and I urge my colleagues to support both the rule and the underlying bills. I reserve the balance of my time.

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 good gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings), 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

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 362 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. In closing, the issues we have considered here today are critical to the stability of our transportation infrastructure and the health of our rural western communities, as well as the economic well-being of our country. This rule provides for consideration of H.R. 3038, the Highway and Transportation Funding Act, as well as H.R. 2898, the Western Water and American Food Security Act, a comprehensive and bipartisan bill that aims at alleviating drought impacts in the short and long term. Water is not just a resource in the West; it is the lifeblood of farming and ranching all across the region, and we must act swiftly and decisively to mitigate the impacts of this crisis. California and many areas in the West are facing devastating drought conditions. This bill fixes the bureaucratic and regulatory mess that has prevented people from getting water they so desperately need. Failing to pass this bill would deal a devastating blow to farm families and the American economy. Many families, businesses, and ag producers are producing with some of the most dire drought conditions they have seen in decades; and a growing number of communities have been impacted by water shortages and rationing. However, most of the damaging effects of the drought are preventable, and this bill comes to the aid of the West by fixing the broken regulatory system and updating our water infrastructure for this coming century. While the root of the cause of this crisis is the drought, complex and inconsistent laws, misguided court decisions, and burdensome regulations have exacerbated an already devastating situation. Mr. Speaker, this bill addresses these policy failures and seeks to alleviate the drought's short- and long-term impacts. It will give immediate relief to millions of Americans who are facing mandatory water rationing and will invest in new water storage facilities to prepare for future droughts. While the Obama administration has issued a veto threat for this bill, people suffering in the West have little time for political theater, which is why I am urging my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this critical legislation. This rule also provides for consideration of H.R. 3038, the Highway and Transportation Funding Act, a bill that will extend the Federal surface transportation programs. This extension will provide the House and Senate with time to work out a long-term surface transportation reauthorization bill in a bicameral, bipartisan manner. This bill will also allow us to work towards a resolution of the highway trust fund, which is currently facing a $90 billion shortfall, as we have heard. If we fail to address the trust fund, its insolvency would have disastrous impacts on States across our country. Many projects would grind to a halt. Workers would be furloughed, and existing infrastructure investments would be lost. While another short-term extension is not what any of us wanted, our States need certainty, and that certainty can only come from the long- term reauthorization of these transportation programs, as well as a lasting solution for the trust fund. Mr. Speaker, this is a good, straightforward rule, allowing for consideration of two important pieces of legislation that will help protect our rural, Western communities, while providing much relief from devastating water shortages and drought conditions. It will also ensure that many important transportation programs do not lapse and will extend the highway trust fund expenditure authority so that this vital fund remains solvent and available for projects across the country while we work towards a lasting solution. I appreciate the discussion we have had over the last hour. It has been great, very enlightening. Although we may have some differences of opinion, I believe this rule and the underlying bills are strong measures that are important to our country's future. I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 362 and the underlying bills.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I have one more good gentleman from California I would like to hear from. I yield 2 minutes to the young man from Richvale, California (Mr. LaMalfa).

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Denham).

Mr. NEWHOUSE

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, the Rules Committee met and reported a House rule, House Resolution 347, providing for consideration of two important pieces of legislation for which I am honored to be able to bring forward for consideration by this legislative body: H.R. 2647, the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015, and H.R. 5, the Student Success Act. The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 2647 under a structured rule with four amendments made in order, a majority of which were offered by our Democratic colleague Members of the House. The rule also provides for further consideration of H.R. 5 under a structured rule with four additional amendments that were made in order. Mr. Speaker, this rule provides for consideration of H.R. 2647, the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015, a bill that is critically important to my district in central Washington State which is, unfortunately, once again facing another devastating wildfire season. This bipartisan, comprehensive legislation is aimed at expediting and improving forest management activities in Federal forests. It builds upon many legislative concepts introduced in this and in previous Congresses to address disastrous consequences of catastrophic wildfire, insect and disease infestations, and other threats to our Nation's forests. H.R. 2647 would return resilience to the overgrown, fire-prone forests that encompass a great deal of land in the Western United States. It would dramatically improve the health and resiliency of our Federal forests and rangelands by simplifying environmental process requirements, curtailing project planning times, and reducing the cost of implementing forest management projects, all while still ensuring robust protection of the environment. Mr. Speaker, just last year, my district in central Washington endured the Carlton Complex fire, the largest wildfire in our State's history, which was responsible for the destruction of over 300 homes and businesses. This devastating, catastrophic wildfire crippled many parts of my district, and many of my constituents are still trying to recover; yet it seems, as soon as we start to move past one major wildfire, another is immediately on our doorstep, literally. Almost 10 days ago, new fires broke out in Washington State in cities like Wenatchee and Quincy and counties, including Benton, Chelan, Grant, Adams and Douglas, immediately spreading and some requiring Washington State fire mobilization resources to keep them from escalating. As the West continues to face severe drought conditions, the threat of wildfire will only continue to worsen. In order to begin to prevent and address these fires, we need to reform the way we prepare for, respond to, and fund wildfire response and mitigation efforts. We cannot continue to limp from one devastating fire season to the next, leaving little to no time, and even less funding, available for reforestation, rehabilitation, and overall forest management. This bill addresses those shortcomings by providing new methods of funding, which will tackle the problem of fire borrowing. It also includes tools the Forest Service can implement immediately to treat thousands of acres of forest land at a lower cost. Earlier this year, the House Natural Resources Committee's Subcommittee on Federal Lands, of which I am a member, held a hearing on this bill. One of the witnesses testifying was U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. In his opening comments, Chief Tidwell remarked that ``the Forest Service is encouraged by many of the goals outlined within'' the bill and ``welcomes legislation that incentivizes collaboration and expands the toolset that we can use to complete critical work on our Nation's forests without overriding environmental laws.'' I believe these comments reflect the bipartisan nature in which the legislation was drafted and highlights the necessity of the reforms we are considering here today. Mr. Speaker, it should also be noted that, because of the reforms and streamlined authorities in this bill, there will be an increase in acres of treated land, all at no additional costs to taxpayers. This legislation is essential and desperately needed to change the current path of forest management on public lands, which is outdated, unsustainable, and dangerous. This rule also provides for further consideration of H.R. 5, the Student Success Act, an education reform bill that reduces the Federal Government's footprint and restores local control over education by eliminating wasteful and duplicative Federal programs and replacing them with guidelines that maintain both high-performance expectations and appropriate levels of funding. This legislation provides local governments with the flexibility necessary to develop appropriate strategies with which to serve their students, parents, and communities. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act, known as No Child Left Behind, has been due for reauthorization since 2007. Because it has not been reauthorized, the administration has been free to circumvent Congress and impose its own vision of education reform on the country, resulting in unprecedented intervention in local education issues. The Student Success Act addresses this overreach by streamlining and eliminating more than 70 elementary and secondary education programs that have been deemed ineffective and instead promotes a more focused, efficient, and appropriate Federal law in the Nation's education system. H.R. 5 will eliminate the current one-size-fits-all Federal accountability requirement and replace it with State-determined accountability systems designed to maintain high expectation for our Nation's schools. Additionally, the bill supports and encourages parental engagement in their children's education by helping parents to enroll their children in charter schools and allowing title I funds to follow low-income children to the school of their parents' choice. Mr. Speaker, a well-educated workforce is imperative to the health and vitality of both our Nation's children and our economy. The Student Success Act will benefit students, parents, teachers, and school administrators by returning responsibility for student achievement to the States and local communities while maintaining high standards and expectations for our Nation's students, teachers, and schools. Mr. Speaker, this is a good, straightforward rule, allowing for consideration of two critical pieces of legislation that will help protect our rural communities, provide much-needed reforms to our education system, and ensure that we are prepared to respond to devastating and catastrophic wildfires that have plagued many areas of our country. Mr. Speaker, I support the rule's adoption; I urge my colleagues to support both the rule and the underlying bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the good gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa).

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

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen), a fellow freshman.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Stefanik), another freshman colleague.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. As you can tell, due to the number of colleagues from both sides of the aisle speaking today, these are critically important issues we are considering, important to the economic well-being of our country, as well as to the health of our forest lands and the safety of rural communities. Reforming our education system and the way we combat wildfires and manage our forests is of the highest priority, and I urge my colleagues to support this rule, as well as both of the underlying bills. This rule provides for consideration of H.R. 2647, the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015, a bipartisan, comprehensive bill aimed at expediting and improving forest management activities in Federal forests. This critical piece of legislation would address the disastrous consequences of catastrophic wildfire and would return resilience to our overgrown, fire-prone forests by dramatically improving the health of our Federal forests and rangelands. My district, as well as many other areas around the country, continue to face the threat of catastrophic wildfire, which is made worse by the continuing drought conditions and the poor management and maintenance of forests on our Federal lands. We must begin to take steps to prevent and address these fires, which this bill does by reforming the way we prepare, respond to, and fund wildfire response and mitigation efforts. Mr. Speaker, we cannot continue on this current path, where we limp from one devastating fire to the next, unable to break the cycle of destructive fire seasons due to ineffective funding mechanisms, insufficient forest maintenance, and a burdensome Federal permitting and review process. This bill addresses these shortcomings by tackling the problem of fire borrowing, simplifying environmental process requirements, reducing project planning times, and lowering the cost of implementing forest management projects, all while ensuring robust environmental protections. Mr. Speaker, because of the reforms and streamlined authorities in this bill, there will be an increase in acres of treated land, which will come at no additional cost to our taxpayers. This legislation is essential and desperately needed to change the outdated, unsustainable, and ultimately dangerous system of forest management on Federal lands. This rule also provides for further consideration of H.R. 5, the Student Success Act, a reform of our Nation's education system which reduces the Federal Government's footprint in State and local issues and restores control over education back to those on the ground who are best qualified to make the decisions affecting their students, parents, teachers, and communities. Mr. Speaker, a well-educated workforce is imperative to the health and vitality of both our Nation's children and our economy. The Student Success Act empowers parents, local communities, and State governments to lead the way in fixing America's broken educational system. H.R. 5 will benefit students, parents, teachers, and school administrators by returning responsibility for student achievement to the States and local communities, while maintaining high standards and expectations for our Nation's students, teachers, and schools. This is a good, straightforward rule, Mr. Speaker, allowing for consideration of two critical pieces of legislation that will help protect our rural communities, provide much-needed reforms to our education system, and ensure that we are prepared to respond to the devastating and catastrophic wildfires that have plagued many areas of our country. I support the rule's adoption, and I urge my colleagues also to support both the rule and the underlying bills. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx), someone who really embodies something that I have seen in this Congress on both sides of the aisle since my becoming a Member, people who dedicate their lives to different fields. Congresswoman Foxx is a colleague and a member of the Rules Committee who has dedicated her life to education.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 347 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to my good friend, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis), 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

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Rokita), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.

Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I appreciate my colleague on the other side of the aisle's enthusiasm on this issue. This is an important topic, something that we have been discussing and debating for many, many years and will continue to, because all of us want to do right by the children in our school districts. They are our future. We have an equal amount of enthusiasm on our side of the aisle. At this time, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the good gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise), our majority whip.

Mr. NEWHOUSE

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 funds to continue listing the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act in the States of Washington, Oregon, and Utah. Mr. Chairman, this is a very serious 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 that there are no geographic barriers to prevent the wolves from traveling between listed and delisted areas, posing a risk to people living, farming, and ranching in the region. Unfortunately, this issue should already have been settled. In June of 2013, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published a proposed rule to remove the gray wolf from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife under the Endangered Species Act. The Fish and Wildlife Service made this determination after evaluating this ``classification status of gray wolves currently listed in the contiguous United States'' and found the ``best available science and commercial information indicates that the currently listed entity is not a valid species under the Act.'' On June 30 of this year, the Service released its response to a petition seeking to reclassify all gray wolves in the U.S. as a threatened species under ESA. In its response, the Fish and Wildlife Service states that it determined there was not substantial information to indicate that such a reclassification was warranted, and as a result, the Fish and Wildlife Service will take no further action on the petition. Furthermore, the statutory purpose of ESA is to recover a species to the point where it is no longer considered endangered or threatened. The gray wolf is currently found in nearly 50 countries around the world, and the wolf specialist group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature has placed the species in the category of ``least concern globally'' for risk of extinction. Mr. Chairman, the proposed rule and other examples I have cited clearly show that a full delisting of the gray wolf is long overdue. Since wolves were first placed under ESA, uncontrolled and unmanaged growth of gray wolf populations has resulted in devastating impacts on hunting and ranching, as well as tragic losses to historically strong and healthy livestock and wildlife populations. Mr. Chairman, the gray wolf population has grown substantially across its range and is now considered to be recovered; therefore, it does not merit protection under the Endangered Species Act. The Pacific Northwest States are fully qualified to responsibly manage their gray wolf populations and are better suited than the Federal Government to meet the needs of local communities, ranchers, livestock, and wildlife populations. My amendment today is simple. It would take steps that the Fish and Wildlife Service has already said are necessary and are supported by the best available scientific evidence and data. I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense amendment, and I urge its adoption. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to my colleague from eastern Washington, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers.