Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 9285. I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Scholten) for any remarks she may have.

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of H.R. 10065, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, Captain Robert Batterson, better known as Bob, served for more than three decades in the U.S. Navy. While stationed at Pearl Harbor, Captain Batterson witnessed a surprise attack on the U.S. naval base on December 7, 1941. This military strike on Pearl Harbor, as then-President Franklin Delano Roosevelt stated to the Nation, is ``a day which will live in infamy.'' In the years following, Captain Batterson served at the naval air station in Corpus Christi, Texas, and later in the Supply Corps. After retiring from the U.S. Navy, Captain Batterson continued volunteer work to educate the public about Pearl Harbor. This legislation will honor the service and legacy of Captain Batterson. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, our committee's protocols for considering postal naming measures require the entire State delegation to be cosponsors. That is a protocol that has been in place for decades. While limited exceptions have been made in the past, this bill currently has only 27 cosponsors from Texas' 38 members. We are, of course, supportive on the substance of the legislation and are absolutely supportive of honoring the legacy of the Representative's constituent, and we would simply urge mindfulness toward the committee rules. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for the purposes of closing. Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of H.R. 7158, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7158. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Carbajal) for any remarks he may have.

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I urge the passage of H.R. 9322, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 8641, for Walter Francis Ulloa. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Ruiz).

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7508. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms. Spanberger) for any remarks she may have.

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of H.R. 7508, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 8868. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Pappas) for any remarks he may have.

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of H.R. 8868, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I also have no further speakers. I urge the passage of H.R. 8909 and yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5490, the Bolstering Ecosystems Against Coastal Harm Act, or BEACH Act. As background, the bipartisan 1982 Coastal Barrier Resources Act established the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System to identify hazard-prone coastal areas along the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Great Lakes coasts where development should not be encouraged. The Federal Government had been subsidizing and encouraging development on coastal barriers, resulting in the loss of natural resources; threats to human life, health, and property; and the expenditure of millions of tax dollars each year. The Coastal Barrier Resources Act, or CBRA, sought to stop this cycle of risky investments in undeveloped areas. Deterring overly high levels of development on coastal barriers is even more critical now because, as we all should know, the climate crisis is upon us. These areas face increased risks from sea-level rise, flooding, erosion, storm surge, and more intense and frequent coastal storms. In 2014, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service started updating the CBRA system maps in the States affected by Hurricane Sandy: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Virginia, and my home State of New York. Together, these areas comprise 42 percent of the total existing units and 16 percent of the entire current acreage of the system. The modernized maps correct errors affecting property owners. They add new qualifying areas to the system. They provide more accurate and accessible data for planning coastal infrastructure projects, habitat conservation efforts, and flood risk mitigation measures. The bill we are discussing today would amend CBRA by enacting the Hurricane Sandy maps, requiring disclosure to prospective buyers that a property is in the system, and clarifying Federal expenditures in certain areas. It would also direct the Fish and Wildlife Service to study how coastal barriers are moving and changing because of climate change, which will inform future work by Congress and the Service to make sure the Coastal Barrier Resources Act continues to protect coastal communities from hazards. The policies and language contained in the bill are the culmination of years of work by Republicans and Democrats in both the House and Senate, as well as the Fish and Wildlife Service and stakeholders. The text was carefully negotiated so that this bill could pass through both Chambers and be signed by the President before the end of this year. Mr. Speaker, I commend the bill's sponsors, Representative Kiggans and Blunt-Rochester, for their thoughtful work. I would like to note for the record that one provision in this carefully negotiated text resulted in considerable back and forth with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It is our committee's understanding, based on conversations with the Army Corps, that the amendment to the Coastal Barrier Resources Act included in section 104(1)(B) of the bill applies to the following four projects: one, the Townsends Inlet to Cape May Inlet, New Jersey project for coastal storm risk management and emergency response purposes; two, the Folly Beach, South Carolina, coastal storm risk management project; three, the Carolina Beach and vicinity, North Carolina coastal storm risk management project; and, four, the Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, coastal storm risk management project. To the best of the Corps' knowledge, no other projects would be included now or in the future. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bill led by the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Curtis), H.R. 7370, the GEO Act. The GEO Act would support the efficient approval of geothermal permit applications without sacrificing thorough review under the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the National Historic Preservation Act. I thank Republicans for their willingness to work across the aisle on improvements to this legislation. Through this bipartisan work, we were able to safeguard important community protections to ensure compliance with Federal laws. This way, we can ensure projects are built in a way that is safe for the communities and the environment. We have also updated the timelines for approval so that we equip the Bureau of Land Management with adequate time to process applications. With these safeguards in place, this bill takes a step toward sustainably building a clean-energy future that centers our people and our planet. Geothermal energy will play an especially important role in this clean-energy future. Geothermal has the smallest footprint of any energy-generation technology and uses significantly fewer resources than other sources, especially conventional fossil fuels. According to the Department of Energy, geothermal uses about 1 to 8 acres per megawatt versus 5 to 10 acres per megawatt for nuclear operations and 19 acres per megawatt for a coal power plant. Deploying more geothermal will allow us to protect strained resources while protecting the clean energy we know we need, and the GEO Act will assist in the deployment of this exciting technology by ensuring timeliness in permit-approval processes for geothermal energy. Importantly, it does so without sacrificing the holistic review of environmental and community impacts during the permitting process. It is because of this that I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4094, the Great Salt Lake Stewardship Act, would authorize expenditures and funding for water conservation measures within the Great Salt Lake basin. As drought conditions continue to worsen with climate change, the impacts are being felt throughout the West. One key example of the adverse consequences of climate change is the Great Salt Lake, which has been rapidly declining over the past few decades. In 2022, the lake reached all-time historic low water levels, presenting serious ecological concerns. The declines in the lake's water levels have threatened ecosystem health, disrupted bird migration, and led to concerns of exposure of toxic arsenic lake dust within the lake bottom, which could be carried out with the wind. The bill we are considering today seeks to address these serious ecological concerns by amending the Central Utah Project Completion Act to provide additional flexibility needed to redirect and authorize unexpended funds, specifically to support water conservation measures under the Water Management Improvement Program in the basin, and expand the program service area. The Great Salt Lake is only one example of the harms that climate change presents to communities and wildlife across the West. While this legislation is a step forward, Congress must be doing more to combat climate change and drought. This bill is a great step, and I urge my colleagues to support it, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1657, introduced by Representative Stauber, would authorize the U.S. Forest Service to exchange a parcel of Chippewa National Forest land for a parcel of land currently owned by the Big Winnie Land and Timber company in Minnesota. The Forest Service parcel is commercially zoned and already leased annually for the management and operation of a marina and resort, so the land exchange is designed to ease and simplify management. In exchange for the land that includes the marina, the Forest Service will receive a parcel that consolidates ownership in the Chippewa National Forest, providing for better land management of undisturbed sites, critical wetlands, and wildlife habitat that are currently adjacent to Federal lands. In turn, Big Winnie will continue management and operation of the marina and resort for continued visitor and commercial activity. This bill is a commonsense solution that follows the standard protocols for these types of transactions. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle for working with us to incorporate feedback from the Forest Service, including extending the timeline to allow for the completion of the exchange. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2468, the Mountain View Corridor Completion Act, would authorize the Bureau of Land Management, or BLM, to convey specified BLM lands south of Salt Lake City to the State of Utah to develop new roadways and meet the increasing travel demands of the surrounding area. The parcels of BLM land under this legislation are currently within the boundaries of Camp Williams, a military training center for the Utah National Guard, but they are not being actively used or managed by the BLM or the National Guard. Following the transfer, the Utah Department of Transportation will use the parcels to complete the Mountain View Corridor, a 35-mile highway between the State's most populous counties, Salt Lake County and Utah County. With these parcels, the State will develop new roadways to connect frontage roads and upgrade interchanges. The transfer of these parcels is expected to improve traffic and public safety for the general public and Camp Williams. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6852, the Holcombe Rucker Park National Commemorative Site Act, introduced by my colleague from New York City, Representative Espaillat. Holcombe Rucker Park in Harlem is named in honor of Holcombe Rucker, who dedicated his life to uplifting his community in Harlem through compassion. A World War II veteran and graduate of the City College of New York, Mr. Rucker returned home from his military service and continued a life in public service as a junior high school teacher and as the playground director for New York City Parks at several parks in Harlem, including the one that now bears his name. During his tenure at the park, Mr. Rucker not only served as a mentor for the community's youth but was actively engaged in empowering them. He established a youth basketball league to help kids build life skills and to keep them out of trouble in the summer, back at a time when naysayers told him it would never work because basketball was supposedly just a winter sport. The program was a success. Mr. Rucker held popular, now-legendary tournaments at the park which became the Rucker Tournament. His efforts turned this neighborhood site into what The New York Times has called a ``Street Basketball Mecca.'' Using the increased visibility, Mr. Rucker went even further and worked to help secure hundreds of college scholarships for the youths he mentored. Through the establishment of the Rucker Tournament, Mr. Rucker paved the way for future generations of basketball players to grow and build their skills in Harlem and Washington Heights. Many of the players who participated in his tournaments went on to play in the NBA and became legendary players in their own right. The park was renamed in his honor in 1974 and is often affectionately called just ``the Rucker.'' My friend Mr. Espaillat's bill would recognize the iconic Holcombe Rucker Park and its historical significance in Harlem and around the world by designating it as the Holcombe Rucker Park National Commemorative Site. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Espaillat), the sponsor of the bill and my friend, colleague, and fellow New Yorker.