Richard Pombo

Mr. POMBO

Mr. POMBO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. Skeen], the chairman of the subcommittee.

Mr. POMBO. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. POMBO. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, the entitlements for the housing are approved by the city council. That is a local zoning decision that is made. The city of Galt attempted to file suit against USDA to stop this project from proceeding. Their case was thrown out of court because they were told they did not have standing. Mr. Chairman, I heard somebody say that this was somehow a partnership with local government. They were thrown out of court and told they did not have standing. So, Mr. Chairman, I do not know what kind of a partnership this might be. This is a dictate from the Federal Government down to the local city council and the local community telling them that this is what they are going to have.

Mr. POMBO

Mr. POMBO. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Brady-Pombo amendment to H.R. 1119, the fiscal year 1998 Defense Authorization Act. Congressman Brady and I are offering this amendment in response to statements made by Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Timothy E. Wirth regarding the use of U.S. soldiers in foreign countries to guard rain forests and endangered species. On June 3, 1997, at the Western Hemisphere Defense Environmental Conference, Mr. Wirth stated that using troops as glorified park rangers was ``a legitimate military issue.'' Mr. Chairman, President George Washington once said, ``To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.'' I believe this unprecedented notion of sending American military forces for purposes of ``environmental crusades'' is misguided and fundamentally flawed. America's ability to maintain its military readiness and leadership should not be compromised at the expense of sending our troops to foreign lands to defend rain forests and endangered species. At a time of significant military downsizing, we must ensure that our military remains in a position to protect and defend our own national security threats, not environmental quests in foreign countries. While it is true that America is a global power with vital interests in key regions of the world, this new role for the military is inappropriate and unwise. The Quadrennial Defense Review's [QDR] recommendations, stated that ``military readiness must first and foremost remain a measure of our Nation's ability to deter, and when necessary, to wage war in defense of our national interests.'' I believe sending American troops jeopardizes the ability of U.S. military forces to maintain military readiness as the top priority as indicated in the QDR. I believe it is important that Congress express its strong support for maintaining military readiness and not allow our well-trained troops to be sent on missions that detract from their primary mission: To preserve and protect our Nation's freedom. I urge my colleagues to support the Brady-Pombo amendment. Our brave men and women in the Armed Forces deserve nothing less.

Mr. POMBO

Mr. POMBO. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Everett amendment. This amendment embodies many of the ideas that we all claim to stand for: open competition and smaller government. While this amendment does not require privatization, it merely ensures that the competition process remains on a level playing field between private industry and public military depots. I believe the provisions of this bill specifically target Sacramento's McClellan Air Force Base in my home State of California and Kelly Air Force Base in Texas. As currently drafted, this bill prevents the public-private competitions that are now taking place at McClellan and Kelly. Secretary of Defense Cohen has stated unequivocally that the significance of privatization is part of DOD's efforts to save taxpayer dollars. In addition, these provisions would be anticompetitive and would frustrate the integrity of the BRAC process. Furthermore, privatization at McClellan and Kelly is fully consistent with the BRAC recommendations. I urge the support of the Everett amendment.

Mr. POMBO

Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1469, the Disaster Recovery Act of 1997. The disastrous floods of January 1997 had an enormous impact on my congressional district in California and the effects of the flooding will be with us for years to come. The scenes last month of the Red River flooding in North Dakota and South Dakota are very familiar to my constituents. The flooded homes, the damaged businesses, and the destroyed crops are what people in my district will remember of this winter's floods. What they will also remember is the tremendous outpouring of help from their neighbors and friends. The community response to the flood disasters was truly overwhelming. I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank those men and women in the various agencies of the Federal, State, and local governments that worked tirelessly to ensure that all residents were protected from harms way. I am certain that my fellow northern California colleagues will agree with me when I say they did an extraordinary job considering what they were up against. I know that my constituents will be forever grateful. I think it is very important to note that, just as bad as the Red River flood damage was, my district was equally crippled by the floods. My constituents have an incredible challenge ahead of them to rebuild and recover from the damage. Damages from the California floods are expected to exceed $1.6 billion. In my district alone, San Joaquin County endured an estimated $59 million in damages to homes, over $12.5 million to businesses, $13 million to agriculture, and $14.7 million to infrastructure. Of the area I represent in Sacramento County, the damages to agriculture have not yet been determined, but it is estimated that there is over $1 million in damages to homes. I would like to bring to the attention of my colleagues just one of the very important issues that have arisen from the California floods this winter. This issue concerns the Cosumnes River in the northern part of my district, which lies in Sacramento County. The levees along the Cosumnes suffered catastrophic failure resulting from this year's California floods. More than 30 levee failures allowed river waters to flood homes and destroy fertile farmlands along the Cosumnes. H.R. 1469 provides assistance to local officials in my district for the repair, restoration, reconstruction, and replacement of the levees along the Cosumnes River. I would like to reinforce that the figures listed above are purely estimates and more than likely will increase as floodwaters subside. However, we all need to recognize that the flooding in northern California is not necessarily over. More flooding is expected in the near future when the Sierra Nevada snowpack begins to melt. Since final estimates of damage caused by the floods have not been determined in all cases, I believe Congress must be vigilant in its efforts to ensure that additional emergency funding requests are met if they become necessary. It is my hope that I do not have to return to the House floor next year and speak on this subject again because my district is underwater. However, I feel that without common sense policy towards flood control systems to prevent future flood calamities, we will continue to live with the fear of future flooding. It is unfortunate that flooding has become a way of life for many communities throughout the United States. As my constituents in the 11th Congressional District of California can attest to, flooding at any level can be devastating. It is essential that this Congress pass H.R. 1469, which provides much needed assistance for urgent levee repair programs as well as other Federal natural disaster emergency programs. In the interest of protecting the lives and property of my constituents, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1469 to assist in resolving these problems caused by the California floods.

Mr. POMBO

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

Mr. POMBO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California [Mr. Lewis]. (Mr. LEWIS of California asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. POMBO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Missouri [Mrs. Emerson].

Mr. POMBO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Idaho [Mrs. Chenoweth].

Mr. POMBO. The request is to the Boehlert amendment and all amendments thereto. I will assure the gentleman that I do not have any objection to his amendment.

Mr. POMBO. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that debate on this amendment be limited to 30 minutes, 15 minutes on each side, equally divided.

Mr. POMBO. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman has said that the Boehlert amendment does not address maintenance. The gentleman's amendment is asking for a GAO study. So neither one deals with the real problem that we have of preventive maintenance.

Mr. POMBO. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. POMBO. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. POMBO. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman, I believe, understands the Boehlert amendment and understands the main bill that the gentleman from California [Mr. Herger] and I put together. Does the Boehlert amendment allow maintenance of the levee system?

Mr. POMBO. Mr. Chairman, if the area was declared a disaster area from the floods of 1997, they allow us to repair the damages from the floods in disaster areas from 1997?

Mr. POMBO. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent the gentleman be given an additional 2 minutes.

Mr. POMBO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute and 15 seconds to the gentleman from California [Mr. Radanovich].

Mr. POMBO. Mr. Chairman, is the gentleman aware of any maintenance activities in his district that were delayed because of mitigation, the implementation of the Endangered Species Act?

Mr. POMBO. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. POMBO. Mr. Chairman, I withdraw my point of order.

Mr. POMBO. Mr. Chairman, at this time, I reserve a point of order against the amendment.

Mr. POMBO. Mr. Chairman, I am aware of that. I did see the article that they considered it a national treasure and that it was worth delaying the opening of a hospital for several months and the spending of several hundred thousand dollars per fly by the taxpayers of Riverside County.

Mr. POMBO. Mr. Chairman, it was several hundred thousand dollars per fly.