Rick Renzi

Mr. RENZI

Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, today we enter into the final weeks of debate, delay, and continued obstructionism surrounding one of the most corrupt laws ever forced upon this land by the Supreme Court, that of partial birth abortion. This horrific and violent procedure against pre-born American children unbelievably is still the law of this land. As shown on this diagram, this law allows an abortionist to pull a fully developed baby out of its mother's womb by its feet. This is the law that still allows an abortionist to insert his scissors into the base of a child's brain stem, and this is the law that still allows an abortionist to vacuum out a baby's brains. They deceive the American people by calling it choice. Hide the true facts and spin it until you are blue in the face, but the days of this Nation having a law that advocates child abuse and death to pre-born American children may finally have seen its own demise. We are on the verge of eliminating a decrepit and immoral law from the same books that contains our sacred rights and liberties. As the father of 12 children, I want to teach my children to love this Nation unconditionally, to revere her, to respect her laws and be drawn into complying with the laws of this Nation because her laws represent goodness, because they are filled with integrity, and because we are bound by a moral sense of obligation to abide by them. Let us love this Nation and hold her laws in esteem by eradicating this disgusting laws from our land. Stop the torture and infanticide of our pre-born American children and our future patriots. Let them have life and finally let us rid ourselves of this evil.

Mr. RENZI

Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Harris), my friend, on her substantive and important bipartisan legislation. H.R. 1276 will help tens of thousands of low-income Americans achieve the dream of owning their first home. We know equity in a home is the primary asset used by most American families to help their kids get to college. In addition, many small business owners use the equity in their home to borrow and start their first small businesses here in America, to help our growing economy and to support their growing families. This legislation provides $200 million in grants to over 40,000 low- income families over the next 2 years. This money will assist low- income families with downpayments and closing costs. Today, more than two-thirds of Americans own their home, but fewer than half of African American and Hispanic families are home owners and less than one-third are Native Americans. This legislation is a real help to all families. Studies have shown that math achievement and reading recognition levels are 7 percent higher for children with families who own their own home, and they complete almost a half-year more education if they have home ownership. High school graduation rates for children with families who own their own home are 13 percent higher than renting families. Let us remove the obstacles and give deserving families a real chance. Rally around the leadership shown by the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Harris) and let us work together to pass this needed legislation.

Mr. RENZI

Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, S. 233, introduced by Senator Dodd of Connecticut and passed by the Senate earlier this year, would authorize the Secretary of Interior to conduct a suitability and feasibility study of the Coltsville site, an area within the city of Hartford, Connecticut, for the potential inclusion in the National Park System. The Coltsville site, founded by Samuel Colt, flourished during the industrial revolution, spurring innovation in not only the production of firearms, but also with the development of technology. S. 233 is supported by the administration, as well as the majority and minority of the subcommittee. I urge my colleagues to support S. 233. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 233) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of Coltsville in the State of Connecticut for potential inclusion in the National Park System.

Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) for the rich history and the articulation he shared with us today. It is truly a fitting tribute to the Colt family. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RENZI

Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the nine bills just considered.

Mr. RENZI

Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, S. 111, introduced by Senator Bob Graham of Florida, and passed by the Senate earlier this year, would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to determine the national significance of the Miami Circle as well as the suitability and feasibility of its inclusion as part of the Biscayne National Park. Miami Circle, a 2.2-acre archeological site discovered in 1998, is presumed to have been constructed by the Tequesta Indians about 2,000 years ago. The Tequesta Indians are thought to be among the first people to establish permanent villages in southeast Florida. The bill is supported by the administration and the majority and the minority of the committee, and I urge my colleagues to support S. 111. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 111) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to determine the national significance of the Miami Circle site in the State of Florida as well as the suitability and feasibility of its inclusion in the National Park System as part of Biscayne National Park, and for other purposes.

Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. RENZI

Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. In closing, I just state simply that the Eastern Band of Cherokees has spent 3\1/2\ years, $1.5 million to study this, to thoroughly research, to provide one of the cleanest and fairest land exchanges we have seen in this House in many years. I would ask that the colleagues who spoke on both sides please help influence the other colleagues in their own parties to vote in favor of this legislation, to not any longer delay the education of these children, to not obstruct any longer the possibility that they can have a bright future and a brand new school.

Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to thank the gentleman from California for his passion and fighting spirit on behalf of the Native Americans nationwide. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers; and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan, and I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. BACA). (Mr. BACA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1409 provides a land exchange between the National Park Service and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians whose reservation is located in western North Carolina. The bill is sponsored by the tribe's Congressman, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Taylor). The bill was the subject of a full Committee on Resources hearing on June 18, 2003, and was ordered reported on a unanimous voice vote. The purpose of the land exchange is to enable the construction of a new school, which is necessary to replace the overcrowded, outdated and unsafe school that the Cherokee students are presently forced to attend. Under the legislation, the Eastern Band will give the American public 218 acres of high-value, pristine land along the Blue Ridge Parkway. This land has high habitat value for several endangered species. Because this land is private property, it would otherwise be open to future development. Instead, it will be made part of the National Park System. In return, only 143 acres of lower-value land in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, called the Ravensford tract, will be placed in a trust for the Tribe. This property is adjacent to the Cherokee Reservation and is part of the Tribe's ancestral land area. On this site, a new educational campus emphasizing traditional Cherokee values, including the preservation of the natural environment, would be constructed. The bill upholds a strict set of construction standards to minimize environmental impact. In short, this is an education bill, an education bill for Native American youth on the Eastern Cherokee Reservation. The Tribe is setting an example that ought to be followed by local, State and Tribal governments who care about providing America's youth with a high- quality learning environment. During the committee hearing on H.R. 1409, we heard from Cherokee student Cory Blankenship, who traveled to Washington, D.C. and spoke on the need for this land exchange. He said, ``In the last decade, over 3.5 million acres of land nationwide have been placed under the protection of the National Park Service. We are asking only for 143 acres to help us build our school and preserve our culture.'' The Eastern Band has already spent over $1.5 million to carefully evaluate this proposal. The Ravensford Tract was determined to be the ideal site for a new Cherokee school. The terrain is flat, accessible, and located away from the dangerous intersection where the existing school is situated. In the past, this site was used as a site of a lumber mill, and it is now nowhere near the pristine state that the other tract that is being offered for it is. More important, the Eastern Cherokee people have a moral claim to the Ravensford Tract. In the 1940s, the parcel in question was supposed to be conveyed to the Cherokee as part of a deal in which the Indians gave up land so that the government could build the Blue Ridge Parkway through their Reservation, but Congress deleted this parcel after the deal was agreed to. Therefore, in addition to this being a bill about building a new school for the Tribe's children, we need to uphold our end of the bargain made in good faith with sovereign Indian Nations. It is hard to believe that some could oppose this legislation. The Eastern Band is a Tribe of Native Americans who were barely able to avoid the Trail of Tears. Yet there are some groups that want to deny them an opportunity to build a new school for their children. We have an obligation to pass this bill. The vote on H.R. 1409 is simple: Let us support an Indian Tribe that wants to educate its children and preserve its culture. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey for his stalwart advocacy on behalf of Native Americans, particularly in the East. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones).

Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1409) to provide for a Federal land exchange for the environmental, educational, and cultural benefit of the American public and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and for other purposes.

Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to take this moment to thank the gentleman from Oklahoma, particularly for his personal knowledge, the firsthand experiences that he shared, and the fact that he has actually lived right in the same area where we are discussing and debating here today. Mr. Speaker, again, I have no speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. RENZI

Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1209, introduced by the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson), would extend the authority for the construction of a memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in our Nation's capital. H.R. 1209 would simply extend to November 2006 the authorization given to the site's sponsor, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, in the Omnibus Parks And Public Land Management Act of 1996 to raise further funds to build the memorial to Dr. King. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1209 is strongly supported by the administration and the majority and minority of the Committee on Resources. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1209. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and, in closing, I want to thank the articulation, the continued teaching that all of my colleagues have given us, this Nation, on the life and the legacy of Dr. King. I cannot think of a more hopeful tribute that this Nation is going to have, the idea of the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson), this vision she has brought of Dr. King's statue being here in Washington where millions of Americans, young Americans especially, will come and learn firsthand the lessons of Dr. King. So I thank her for her leadership, her vision, and the hope that she brings. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1209) to extend the authority for the construction of a memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr., in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes.

Mr. RENZI

Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I rise here today on the anniversary of this tragic occasion to renew my commitment to fight the scourge of global terrorism. I rise to send a message to those who wish to bring harm to our innocent: your tactics will not succeed, your message will not be heard, and your existence will forever be reviled by peace-loving people of this Earth. The wound to my Nation is now a scar, a disfigurement to serve as a reminder that in this world, if you stand for liberty, you will be targeted; if you seek freedom and individual rights, you will be struck. I am humbled by the thought that on this weekend, as on each weekend since the attacks 2 years ago, the American children who lost a mom or a dad on September 11 will go to little league ballfields around our Nation, and it is there that these young ones will play their hearts out for a dad who is not there to call to his own, to a mom who is not there to call to her little one. To the single moms and dads out there struggling to raise their children who know personal sacrifice and suffering, I am overwhelmed by their courage. Vigilance is the eternal price of freedom, and I beg my fellow patriots to rise up and remain vigilant, to continue to give and assist one another in a spirit of brotherhood, and to know that we as a Nation will never forget and never surrender.

Mr. RENZI

Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to speak in the gentleman from Minnesota's (Mr. Gutknecht) position.

Mr. RENZI

Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to represent more Native Americans than any other congressman. Recently my good friend, the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall), and I visited the Navajo Nation, the homeland of the Code Talkers, a distinct group of individuals that made significant contributions to the security of our Nation in World War II. It is deplorable to visit the Navajo Nation and see the conditions of their children, of their families, living in dilapidated housing. Therefore, Congress enacted legislation to establish a program to address this difficulty. What makes it harder is that Native Americans live on sovereign land and the ability to secure collateral makes it harder for loans to be made. The program that was established by Congress to address this issue is scheduled to conclude at the end of this fiscal year. However, because we set a cap limiting the number of loans under this program, the Department of Veterans Affairs exceeded the limit earlier this year. H.R. 2595 would lift the caps and allow the Department to continue to process the backlog of new loan applications. I am proud to be a cosponsor of H.R. 2595 and believe the program provides equal opportunity to all veterans, especially Native Americans, to become homeowners. In October 2000 a joint study of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Treasury found that ownership among Native Americans is among the lowest in the country at just 33 percent. We must hold true and honor our commitment to those who served the Nation and help Native American veterans enjoy the security of homeownership. This program has been successful in making homeownership a reality for Native American Indian veterans. For those who bravely fought to sustain this prosperous Nation, we should lift the barriers they face in homeownership. I urge my colleagues to vote favorably in favor of H.R. 2595.

Mr. RENZI

Mr. RENZI. Mr. Speaker, along with Congressman J. D. Hayworth, I rise today to introduce the Northern Arizona National Forest Land Exchange Act of 2003. This legislation facilitates a land exchange in northern Arizona of private land within the Yavapai Ranch for Forest Service land in the northern portion of the state. Mr. Speaker, in the past few months, I have received many letters and phone calls in support and in opposition to this exchange. I have visited and toured the Yavapai Ranch and witnessed first hand the beauty of this unique property. Bringing the Yavapai Ranch into federal ownership is in the best interest of the public, and the Forest Service has indicated that it would otherwise be unable to afford to acquire these parcels. This legislation accomplishes many goals in northern Arizona. First, it provides the City of Flagstaff with the opportunity to acquire land to expand and improve Pulliam Airport. In addition, this legislation will allow the City of Flagstaff to develop a new city park and recreational areas and obtain ownership of land near their water treatment plant. This is critical to the City of Flagstaff's future by providing economic development and affordable housing. The Northern Arizona National Forest Land Exchange Act will also allow the City of Williams to acquire land for its well sites, water storage tanks and wastewater facility and drinking water treatment plants. In addition, this will provide Williams with the opportunity to expand their airport, the municipal golf course and the town park. In the Verde Valley, this bill provides Camp Verde with a unique opportunity to acquire land for open space to protect their view shed. The Camp Verde Fire District will be provided with land adjacent to Interstate 17 for an emergency response and urgent care facility for faster response. A planned development along Interstate 17 will provide Camp Verde with additional tax base and job opportunities. A residential development in Clarkdale and Cottonwood will diversify the housing market and provide new lands to their tax base. I have ensured that language in this legislation ensures that water conservation and water use restrictions must be met for any future development. Finally, this legislation ensures that five summer camps have the opportunity to acquire the land and benefit from full ownership and management of this land. Included in this exchange are Young Life Lost Canyon Camp, Friendly Pines Camp, YMCA Sky Y Camp, Temple Beth Israel's Camp Charles Pearlstein and the Roman Catholic Church of Phoenix Patterdell Pines Camp. Mr. Speaker, I have held several town halls and town meetings in the district to discuss the many issues clouding this exchange. First, this exchange provides Camp Verde with land for open space for their view shed, but it is my understanding that plans are already underway to construct an interchange that would affect the view shed in the Verde Valley. Second, this legislation addresses the water concerns associated with this exchange. Language is included to ensure that developments comply with water use and water conservation requirements. Covenants will limit the amount of water use to sustain the current zoning at 2 houses per acres. In addition, any development must comply with the State of Arizona's surface and groundwater laws. Finally, this legislation addresses the issue of federal permittees that may be affected by this exchange. Under the Federal Land Policy Management Act, a permittee shall receive a ``reasonable'' compensation from the federal government if an action by the federal government, including disposal, cancels the permit. My goal in including this language is to properly address the possible hardship and injustice that could occur as a result of this exchange. Mr. Speaker, my intent in introducing this legislation is to assist communities in northern Arizona in providing affordable housing and economic opportunities, while preserving the pristine areas of our forests for wildlife and recreation. The introduction of this legislation today represents another step in the legislative process. As a whole, this exchange will benefit the public, the many communities and camps in northern Arizona that will receive opportunities for future economic development, and the natural beauty of the Yavapai Ranch.