Nick Rahall

Mr. RAHALL

Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this resolution.

Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished majority leader of the House of Representatives, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).

Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, it's my honor to yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished chairman of our House Appropriations Committee, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey).

Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), a member of the Appropriations Committee as well.

Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Washington, Mr. Norm Dicks, the distinguished chairman of our Defense Subcommittee on Appropriations and a classmate of mine.

Mr. RAHALL

Mr. RAHALL. Madam Speaker, as we all know, the country and our State of West Virginia has lost a true public servant. He was a dear friend to many of us. He was an individual who defended our Constitution and an individual who truly had the best interests of the American people in mind every day. I would ask that the House take a moment of silent prayer on behalf of the late Honorable senior Senator from West Virginia, Robert C. Byrd.

Mr. RAHALL

Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I first commend the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Critz) for his invaluable support in helping us bring this resolution to the floor today. I know that it is a special recognition to a special group of people. I do support the heroic efforts of our West Virginia National Guard and our local responders and would urge all of my colleagues to support the pending resolution, H. Res. 1153. I have personally visited with the National Guard members mentioned herein and the local responders and members of the Bartow, Frank, and Durbin communities' Volunteer Fire Departments in Pocahontas County a couple months ago. On Thursday, February 18, 2010, earlier this year, the heroic actions of West Virginians brought about the highly successful rescue of 17 military personnel who were on board a U.S. Navy helicopter participating in the Operation Southbound Trooper X annual military exercise, which went down in deep, snow-covered, and very rugged terrain in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. The remarkable rescue was an outstanding and highly coordinated effort on the part of many highly trained professionals as well as private citizens, who worked under very difficult conditions to reach the crew and personnel on board the aircraft, many of whom had been injured in the crash. West Virginians are the best neighbors for whom you could ever wish. It is a truth that has been proven time and again. This historic rescue effort was, thankfully, a rare event, but it was not at all out of character for our State of West Virginia. In fact, it was merely illustrative of the best of our State. The swift response, the astounding skills and abilities, the enormous courage, and profound determination of all those involved in the rescue operation, from those who serve in and lead our West Virginia National Guard to our local fire, rescue, law enforcement, and first responder units, and the countless volunteers, families, and neighbors nearby, most certainly made the difference between life and death. While no expression of gratitude would ever be sought for such selfless acts, the hope that one good turn deserves another never dims with our West Virginians. On behalf of my fellow West Virginians and on behalf of my colleague from the neighboring congressional district, Representative Shelley Moore Capito, we are pleased to support H. Res. 1153, to honor these good deeds and to illuminate them as a beacon for others. I would ask that my fellow Members join in support of this resolution. I, again, thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Critz) for his invaluable support as well.

Mr. RAHALL

Mr. RAHALL. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. RAHALL. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps), the sponsor of the pending resolution.

Mr. RAHALL. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. RAHALL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, last month President Obama issued Executive Order 13543 establishing the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. The measure we are considering today, introduced by our colleague, Representative Lois Capps, would authorize the commission to issue subpoenas, if necessary, to gather information and compel testimony. With it, we are giving the commission some teeth. The commission should be demanding and receiving a full and fair accounting to carry out its important mission. Without subpoena power, the commission runs the risk of allowing BP to write its own history of what happened in the gulf. As amended, H.R. 5481 includes language worked out with the Justice Department to ensure that any commission subpoena does not interfere with any present or future criminal investigation or prosecution or civil litigation involving the United States. I want to commend the bill's sponsor and a valued member of our Committee on Natural Resources, Representative Lois Capps, a valued member not only on our Resources Committee but in this body who has experienced oil spills in her history as many of our colleagues are today. Having lived through the Santa Barbara oil spill which was in her congressional district in 1969, Representative Capps has a deep understanding and a commitment to oil spill prevention and mitigation. Madam Speaker, H.R. 5481 is just one of a number of actions that this Congress will need to take to help gather information on the causes of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster and develop safety and environmental measures to prevent such a disaster from occurring again. I urge my colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 5481, a commonsense bill that will help shed some light on what happened the night of this tragic explosion. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RAHALL. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RAHALL. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5481) to give subpoena power to the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling, as amended.

Mr. RAHALL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds. I appreciate the gentleman's listing and submitting for the Record the backgrounds of this commission appointed by the President. I will not at this time, although I almost feel compelled to, ask for submission into the Record the financial and political background of the Federal judge that just issued a decision against the administration's moratoria this week, but I won't do that; nor the fact that the commission had some 150 scientists at their disposal as well, but I won't submit their backgrounds and history at this time. Instead, I will yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps).

Mr. RAHALL. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey).

Mr. RAHALL. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt), a member of our Committee on Natural Resources.

Mr. RAHALL. I yield back the balance of my time, Madam Speaker.

Mr. RAHALL

Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished chair of the Rules Committee for yielding to me, and I certainly want to commend her for bringing this resolution to the floor and for the manner in which she has spoken from personal knowledge of the troubles and trials and tribulations, that is, that we go through in coal country, as she hails from coal country herself. Mr. Speaker, I do want to commend, as well, the chairman of our Education and Labor Committee, Mr. George Miller, within whose jurisdiction the Mine Safety Health Administration resides. Mr. Miller is certainly a true champion of our coal miners and one who has coal mine health and safety deep in his bones. He will be traveling to our district in southern West Virginia on Monday to have a hearing to listen to family members or those who lost loved ones at UBB in that horrific tragedy on April 5. I also wish to commend the House of Representatives in a bipartisan fashion for the very swift action in which the House passed a resolution after this tragedy commending those 29 fallen miners and expressing condolences to their families. We continue to work with the family members to help them through what is a difficult process known as healing and trying to get by in life now without their loved ones. This resolution is to grant the Committee on Education and Labor deposition authority as part of the committee's oversight activities relating to coal mine health and safety. While I am not a member of the Education and Labor Committee, the disaster which took place on April 5 at the Upper Big Branch mine in Raleigh County, West Virginia, claiming the lives of 29 men, occurred in the congressional district of which I am honored to represent. This resolution reflects the seriousness with which the House of Representatives takes the issue of coal mine health and safety, the loss of these 29 brave souls, and the grief of their families and friends. The UBB mine disaster was the worst in our Nation, as the gentlelady from New York, the chair of the Rules Committee, has stated, the worst disaster in our coal mines in our Nation since 1970.

Mr. RAHALL. It follows in the wake of the Sago mine disaster in 2006, which claimed 12 lives; the Darby mine disaster was also in 2006, which claimed 12 lives; and Crandall Canyon mine disaster in 2007, which claimed nine lives. While Congress responded in 2006, again under the very capable leadership of the Education and Labor Committee chairman, Mr. Miller, with the enactment of what is referred to as the MINER Act, the focus then was on emergency response. In the wake of the UBB disaster, it is now entirely appropriate that we investigate coal mine health and safety matters further. And the committee on Education and Labor is the appropriate forum for that to take place. I again commend Chairman George Miller and his ranking member, Mr. John Kline, for pursuing a responsible course in the conduct of this, their oversight responsibilities. I do urge the adoption of the resolution. And I would note and thank the ranking member of the Rules Committee, Mr. Dreier, as well for the bipartisan support that he and members of the Rules Committee and on the minority side are giving this particular resolution, although they are trying to of course hijack it for other purposes.

Mr. RAHALL

Mr. RAHALL. Madam Speaker, on the evening of Tuesday, May 18, 2010, I was unavoidably delayed and not present to vote on the following bills: H.R. 2288--Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Improvement Act (Rep. Salazar--Natural Resources) rollcall No. 273. H.R. 4614--Katie Sepich Enhanced DNA Collection Act of 2010 (Rep. Teague--Judiciary) rollcall No. 274. H. Res. 1327--Honoring the life, achievements, and contributions of Floyd Dominy (Rep. Smith (NE)--Natural Resources) rollcall No. 275. In the event I was present, I would have voted ``aye'' on all of them.

Mr. RAHALL

Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Chairman, I am honored to yield the balance of my time to the people's representative from Puerto Rico, Mr. Pedro Pierluisi.

Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 2 minutes. Mr. Chairman, a couple of claims have been made by previous speakers about why not have a direct vote on statehood, yes or no, like Hawaii and Alaska did. I think it's worth clarifying here that those States were already incorporated territories--and the Representative from Alaska can speak to this better than I can--meaning that it was constitutionally clear that they would eventually become States. Puerto Rico is unincorporated, meaning it can become a nation as well as a State. The plebiscites would determine if Puerto Ricans wanted to pursue nationhood or statehood. A number of Puerto Ricans, as we all know, want statehood; some, independence; some, free association with the U.S., such as the U.S. has with Palau and two other areas. It is unclear what the second largest group of Puerto Ricans, those who vote for the Commonwealth Party, want among the real options of continued territory status, free association, independence, and statehood. Another claim that my ranking member and good friend Mr. Hastings made was that the Congress of the United States would be reduced in seats if Puerto Rico were granted statehood. I'm going to quote directly from a CRS report that was done on this issue when it said that, New States usually resulted in additions to the size of the House of Representatives in the 19th and early 20th century. The exceptions to this general rule occurred when States were formed from other States--Maine, Kentucky, and my home State of West Virginia, as I have referenced already. These State Representatives came from the allocation of Representatives of the States from which the new ones had been formed. So I don't think the assertion that the number of Members of Congress in its totality would be reduced, with the addition, if that were to be the outcome of Puerto Rico being a State were to occur. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Pierluisi), the sponsor of this legislation and truly the driving force.

Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.