Jim Saxton

Mr. SAXTON

Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2970) to prescribe certain terms for the resettlement of the people of Rongelap Atoll due to conditions created at Rongelap during United States administration of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and for other purposes.

Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2970.

Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, Rongelap Atoll is one of four atolls which were contaminated by high-level radiation from nuclear testing during the time the islands were administered as a trust territory by the United States. The people of Rongelap were first forced to leave their home in 1954. Since that time, they have returned to reside in Rongelap based on incorrect assurances that the islands were safe. Now, after independent, scientific studies confirmed by the Department of Energy and the National Academy of Science, a federally funded resettlement plan is being implemented with the full involvement and consent of the Rongelap community. In 1996, Congress provided trust funds for the implementation of this plan for the resettlement of the 2,900 Rongelapese living in various parts of the Marshall Islands. Congress also required the administration to enter into an agreement with the Rongelap community to manage the resettlement process. H.R. 2970, Mr. Speaker, approves this resettlement agreement, allows the distribution of funds already provided by Congress for this purpose and provides that the Secretary of Interior may disapprove expenditures that do not effectively advance resettlement. This legislation, introduced by the gentleman from Alaska (Chairman Young) and the ranking Democrat of the Committee on Resources, the gentleman from California (Mr. Miller), creates no cost to the Federal Government and is supported by the Rongelap community and the Marshall Islands. I urge all Members to support the measure. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. SAXTON

Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, under legislation I am introducing today, the International Monetary Fund [IMF] would have to pay interest on all the U.S. reserves it taps, or face a cut-off of future U.S. funds. The failure of the IMF to pay full interest to the U.S. has been estimated to cost a cumulative $2.7 billion, or $150 million annually. This fleecing of the taxpayer should be ended before any further U.S. funds are even considered for the IMF. No U.S. approval of IMF gold sales, credit lines, or quota increases should be considered until the U.S. is fully and fairly compensated for its current financial support of IMF operations. The IMF's failure to pay interest on all U.S. reserves is another one of many inconvenient facts that has never been disclosed or explained to the U.S. Congress or to the public. It provides yet another example of the lack of transparency so characteristic of the IMF and its activities. The disclosure of this failure of the IMF to pay interest on all U.S. reserves is one result of the Joint Economic Committee research program on the IMF. The JEC finding was recently confirmed and quantified in an important new General Accounting Office [GAO] report, ``Observations on the IMF's Financial Operations.'' These interest costs to the U.S. also highlight the implausibility of the Administration's oft-repeated arguments that the IMF does not cost taxpayers a dime, and that the U.S. must pay its fair share to the IMF. The U.S. already provides over one-quarter of the IMF's usable resources, but it is the IMF that is shortchanging the U.S., not the other way around. U.s. taxpayers have been more than generous to the IMF, a specialized agency of the United Nations Organization. There can be little doubt that very few members of Congress would defend the current IMF practice that has cost the U.S. $2.7 billion to date. Although many issues involving the IMF are controversial, the IMF's full and fair payment of interest on all U.S. reserves provided is one area in which wide agreement should be possible. The current IMF practice of shortchanging the U.S. simply is not defensible.

Mr. SAXTON

Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to note that, as the gentlewoman has just pointed out, this is a bill which is intended to provide, we hope, the economic stimulus necessary for the Virgin Islands to do a better job economically in order to benefit the constituents of the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen). But beyond that, I would like to say that the gentlewoman has worked so hard to bring this bill to the floor, and I hope that her constituents are mindful of the great effort that she has put into this bill. So, Mr. Speaker, at this time I would just like to commend her for it and ask all my colleagues to support the bill. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2841) to amend the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands to provide for greater fiscal autonomy consistent with other United States jurisdictions, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. SAXTON asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen) for the great work that she has done in bringing this bill to the floor today. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2841, to amend the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands to provide for greater fiscal autonomy consistent with other United States jurisdictions. This bill will allow the Government of the Virgin islands to use new, flexible bonding authority to help them out of their current dire financial crisis. The new authority is conditioned on the Virgin Islands entering into an agreement committing to financial accountability and performance standards. This updated bonding authority is one way Congress can help the Virgin Islands to help themselves resolve their financial problems. H.R. 2841 provides for: The Virgin Islands to enjoy the same fiscal authority of other states and territories for the issuance of general obligation bonds; a financial accountability and performance standards agreement to be concluded by the Government of the Virgin Islands and the Department of Interior; and the additional bonding authority to terminate if the financial accountability and performance standards agreement is not concluded by December 31, 1999. Members should know that the amendments to the Virgin Islands Organic Act made by this bill are not intended to modify the internal revenue laws. Thus, the bonds authorized by H.R. 2841 must comply with subsection (c) of section 149 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. I thank Chairman Archer of the Ways and Means Committee and his staff as well as the Joint Committee on Taxation for their extraordinary cooperation in helping to schedule this bill today. I urge my colleagues to support this measure. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SAXTON

Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 2841, S. 944, S. 323, S. 293, and H.R. 1934, the five bills just debated.

Mr. SAXTON

Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas).

Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 944, legislation that would amend Public Law 105-188 to provide for the mineral leasing of certain Indian lands in Oklahoma. Public Law 105-188 authorizes the Secretary of Interior to approve any mineral lease which affects an individually owned Indian tract of land within the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota if the majority of the Indian owners of the land consent and if the Secretary determines that the lease is in the best interest of the Indian owners. The lease would be binding on all owners of the leased track, and all owners would share proportionally in the proceeds from the lease. S. 944 would expand this law to include Indian lands within the former reservations of the Comanche, Kiowa, Apache, Fort Sill Apache, Wichita, Keechi, Waco, and Tawakonie Indian Tribes in Oklahoma. S. 944 supersedes a 1909 law which requires unanimous consent before these individually owned Indian lands can be leased for oil or gas development. This is an almost impossible standard to meet because ownership of these lands has become very fractionalized over time. In one proposed project in Oklahoma, over 619 Indian owners have been identified, with more yet to come. The resultant economic loss to individual Indian owners as well as to Indian tribes has been significant. S. 944 would facilitate oil and gas exploration on these individual Indian-owned lands, which will provide much needed funds for the Indian owners of these tracts. Unanimous consent is not required for leases of other natural resources on Indian lands such as timber and hard rock minerals. The administration supports S. 944 as do all the Indian tribes specified in the bill. I urge my colleagues to support passage of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. SAXTON asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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

Mr. SAXTON

Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Mrs. Wilson).

Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, S. 293 was introduced by Senator Pete Domenici of New Mexico. The legislation would require the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior to convey a 10 acre parcel of land known as the Old Jicarilla Site to San Juan College. The Forest Service no longer requires its use and has not occupied the site for several years. The bill would require the site to be used for educational and recreational purposes. Back in February of this year, our esteemed colleague, the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall), who has worked so hard on this bill, introduced H.R. 695 as the House companion. He worked diligently to see that his legislation passed the committee process, and finally it passed the House under suspension of the rules in early August. However, because the Senate would prefer the House to pass its version, S. 293, we are here today to do just that so this legislation might be enacted into law. Let me close by saying that my good friend the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall) has done a great job on this legislation, and I urge everyone to support the passage of S. 293 under suspension of the rules. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 293) to direct the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior to convey certain lands in San Juan County, New Mexico, to San Juan College.

Mr. SAXTON

Mr. SAXTON. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss). (Mr. GOSS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to conclude by saying I believe this is an extremely important bill, and I would like to thank everyone who has had something to do with it, from the Member level as well as from the staff level.

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

Mr. SAXTON. Madam Speaker, first, let me express my appreciation to my colleagues, the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. LoBiondo), for joining me and for working so hard to bring this bill to the floor. I would also like to thank the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall) for his interest in, and efforts to help, this bill to proceed to the extent that it has. Madam Speaker, as the author of H.R. 1934, I rise obviously in strong support of the Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Act. I am pleased that the House is considering this bill, and I would like to urge everyone to vote for it. But first, let me just explain what the bill does, Madam Speaker, and why I believe it is so urgently needed. Madam Speaker, H.R. 1934 would establish a grant program to fund and rescue and rehabilitate marine mammals; and it would conduct, it would provide for us to conduct, scientific work associated with live and dead marine mammals; and third and finally, it would assist those centers which carry out those humanitarian rescues and recoveries. Madam Speaker, Americans are always thrilled to see news reports of rescue attempts of stranded or beached Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, manatees or pygmy sperm whales. These efforts are extremely expensive, and this bill helps in no small way to offset some of these costs. Although title IV of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, as it currently stands, provides funds to compensate participants of the Nation's stranding network, it is limited to certain work associated with unusual mortality events which are defined as unexpected or a scientific die-off of marine mammals. Madam Speaker, regrettably at the same time, funds are currently not available for small strandings, either live or dead, of dolphins on the New Jersey beaches or the now famous live stranding of the baby grey whale on a California beach that was successfully rescued, rehabilitated and released back to the wild by Sea World. Furthermore, there are few funds available to research the cause of these standings or to care for these sick animals. The examples I have mentioned are just two of the hundreds of small live and dead standings that occur frequently on our Nation's shores. Hundreds of dolphins, harbor porpoises, seals, sea lions, manatees, sea otters, and even beluga whales become stranded on our shores. Every year hundreds of people like my constituent, Robert Schoelkopf, director of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, New Jersey, rescue and recover and collect important scientific data and at times successfully release these animals back into the wild. In his testimony recently, Mr. Schoelkopf noted that his stranding center has handled 1,852 marine mammals. He stated that the National Marine Fishery Service has acknowledged the need for stranding networks along the coast to be the first response to not only typical standings but also for unusual episodes. Yet, Madam Speaker, there are no funds available for people like Bob Schoelkopf who work side by side with the National Marine Fishery Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service to save and study these magnificent animals. This bill would fill that void by making a small but critical amount of money available through the competitive grant process to help cover some of the costs associated with these nonunusual mortality events. Madam Speaker, I would just like to urge my colleagues to support the passage of this important conservation bill and again express my gratitude for my colleagues who have worked so hard as partners on this legislation. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SAXTON

Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. SAXTON asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, S. 323, introduced by Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell from Colorado, authorizes the establishment of a new National Park unit, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. This bill also expands the Black Canyon of the Gunnison Wilderness area and establishes the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation area. Creation of this new park unit can also be attributed in large part of the hard work of our colleague, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. McInnis). Many people have worked hard on this bill in trying to accommodate all of the concerns associated with this important bill. For example, this bill will continue the use of grazing where it existed prior to creating the new park unit and will continue to allow hunting on privately owned land within the boundaries of the park. Concerns dealing with water rights and off-road vehicle use also have been addressed. Mr. Speaker, I would again like to commend our colleague, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. McInnis), for the great work that he did. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. McInnis).

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