Pete Stauber

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Chair, I think my colleagues on the other side of the aisle don't understand this. This administration just last month removed NEPA for the Floyd Bennett Field to host migrants. The Biden administration completely took NEPA off the table for their agenda because of the open border. By the way, the IRA, the IIJA, and the CHIPS Act are not going to happen without permitting reforms and NEPA changes. Come hell or high water, it is not going to happen without the changes. I think both sides of the aisle understand that and agree with that. We have the highest standard of living in the world because of our process. This administration continues to put up roadblocks for energy transmission, distribution, generation, mining projects, nuclear projects, road construction projects, dams, and forest management. Everything that the American people want to do in a reasonable fashion is held up in part because of NEPA. This is a very good amendment, and I urge adoption. Mr. Chair, in closing, we can agree that our permitting process is broken. In the debt ceiling, we got a couple of permitting concerns addressed that were generational, hadn't been done in 40 years. We want to be able to make sure that the American worker, the American manufacturer, American technology, our natural resources in our country can be used responsibly. Why are we putting agreements together with the Congo to mine our minerals that we have, for instance, in northern Minnesota, the biggest copper-nickel find in the world. Why are we doing that? Why is this administration stopping the American worker, stopping the creativity that we have, stopping not only our energy independence but our national security by going to our adversaries and asking them for our critical minerals or asking them for their energy? We can do better. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Chair, what this amendment does is that it allows American energy, American prosperity, American technology, and American workers to provide energy and critical minerals, transmission projects, highway and bridge projects, dams and rivers. This allows us to do it here. This allows our communities to have a voice in what happens, not Federal three-letter agency bureaucrats telling the American people what they need and what is best in their communities because our local elected officials know better than Washington, D.C., and the bureaucrats. These three-letter agencies are out of control. They are unelected. They are not accountable to anybody, and this administration is not following the laws that this body passed. For years and years, administrations haven't followed what Congress and the Senate have put forward. It is about time we do that, and it can start today. Mr. Chair, I urge adoption of my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4821, the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2024. This year's appropriations bill is a win for Minnesota's Eighth Congressional District and our Nation. It is abundantly clear that the Biden administration has an anti- mining, anti-farmer, anti-American worker, and anti-energy independence agenda. This bill stops that agenda in its tracks. The Department of the Interior's mineral withdrawal in northeast Minnesota forces us to be dependent on Chinese-owned, child-labor-using mines in the Congo. This bill stops that agenda. The Biden administration's WOTUS rule that punishes farmers for puddles in their fields, this bill repeals the WOTUS rule. The EPA's abuse of the Endangered Species Act to list the northern long-eared bat, which has stifled responsible logging and forest management, this bill stops and reverses that. Mr. Chairman, I am proud that we finally have a commonsense funding bill that puts American workers and rural America first. Mr. Chairman, additionally, I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge that this bill also provides funding for critical infrastructure projects in Minnesota's Eighth Congressional District, including wastewater treatment projects in Bemidji, Braham, and Silver Bay, Minnesota. Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairwoman Granger, Chairman Simpson, and my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee for all their hard work on this legislation. I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Chair, my colleague from the other side of the aisle just talked about electric vehicles and how clean they are. Well, let me ask you something. Why would you mine those critical minerals, Mr. Chair, in a foreign adversarial land under zero environmental standards and zero labor standards, when we can do it better here in this country? In the district that I have the privilege of representing, we have the biggest copper-nickel find in the world to help mine these critical minerals safely. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle and this administration, Mr. Chair, won't even let us mine those minerals here in the United States of America. They would rather have the polluting Chinese Communist Party mine these minerals and then say we want to get to this green energy and turn a blind eye to the atrocities and the child slave labor coming from the communist country of China and the Congo where 15 of those 19 industrial mines are owned by the Chinese communist country who employ child slave labor. Don't tell me that electric vehicles are cleaner.

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my amendment. I believe in promoting equal opportunities for all, irrespective of race, color, or creed. However, the National Farm to School Network's Racial Equity Learning Lab takes an approach that contradicts the core values of our Nation. The Farm To School movement was started to help give schools and students access to locally produced farm fresh foods and provide a new market for our local farmers. It is unfortunate that the National Farm to School Network has decided to force radical ideology into these programs. The proposed Racial Equity Learning Lab's stated goal is to teach participants to apply a ``racial equity lens'' to their work within the farm to school program. It seeks to inject critical race theory and identity politics into our educational institutions, perpetuating an agenda that emphasizes differences rather than uniting us as Americans. This follows a dangerous and growing trend in America to view everything through the lens of race. While the National Farm to School Network itself has laudable goals of encouraging healthier eating habits among students and supporting local agriculture, it should do so without embracing divisive ideologies. We should be fostering an environment where children from all backgrounds come together to learn and grow, understand the value of hard work, personal responsibility, and the importance of community. Mr. Chair, my amendment will ensure that no taxpayer money is used to further steer the National Farm to School Network in the wrong direction. I ask that my colleagues join me in keeping critical race theory out of our food systems and out of our schools. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Chair, I rise again in support of my amendment and ask my colleagues to do the same, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, just moments ago the distinguished gentlewoman from California made the statement and asked why Republicans don't want clean air and clean water. I reject that premise because this administration would rather mine in the Congo where they use child slave labor, zero environmental standards, and zero labor standards to get to these EV vehicles. This administration has stopped mining in the biggest copper-nickel mine in the world, which is in northeastern Minnesota, and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle and this administration has stopped it. Don't come here and ask me why my Republican colleagues and I have the stance we have. We are environmentalists, and we want clean air and clean water. That is an excuse. We can mine in this country. We do not have to sign memorandums of understanding with the Congo who use child slave labor, and that is a fact. We can mine in northeastern Minnesota using union labor with the best environmental standards and the best labor standards in the world, but my colleagues on the other side of the aisle refuse to allow it to happen along with this administration. Don't stand on this House floor and say this about the Republican Party and my colleagues. We are environmentalists, as well. We mine in the United States of America. We mine in northeastern Minnesota. We can show the world. Because when we allow China to meet the demands for critical minerals, those pollutants get in the jet stream and affects us all, as the gentlewoman from California says. We breathe that disgusting air that comes from the communist country of China. So let us mine here, Mr. Speaker. Allow this administration to let us mine here. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this rule so we can consider H.R. 1435, the Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act. This week, we read about the horrific cross-country road trip President Biden's Secretary of Energy faced as she tried to travel the country in her electric vehicle. At every stop, Secretary Granholm struggled to charge her government- paid EV. She had to send staffers in gas-powered vehicles ahead of her to stand in line at the EV charging station, going so far as to block families from charging their own vehicles on hot summer days. Her gas-powered vehicle was used by her staff so they could go sit in front of a charging station waiting for her to come so she could charge her vehicle to make a statement and let that family suffer waiting for the charging station to be open. Now, just imagine if Secretary Granholm tried driving across northern Minnesota in the middle of winter when it was 20 below, 37 below, or 50 below. By the way, that cold in Minnesota, we still go to work and we still mine and we still weld, in the coldest of temperatures. Can you imagine her trying to do that? I am not even sure her EV would even start. My constituents do not have the luxury of having government-paid staffers to advance their road trips and access EV charging stations ahead of time. My constituents cannot afford to pay an extra $17,000, on average, for an electric vehicle, especially as Bidenomics destroys the pocketbooks of my constituents who have had to pay an average of $10,000 more a year. If Americans want to drive EVs, they can, but they shouldn't be forced to. It should be their choice. Today, nearly 95 percent of Americans drive an internal combustion engine, a vehicle powered by gasoline or some form of ethanol or biofuels. If liberal elitists from California want to drive electric vehicles, so be it. My constituents should not be forced to do the same. I believe in choice, not mandates by the Federal Government. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this rule and supporting H.R. 1435, because it is time that Congress steps up and protects our constituents from ridiculous mandates that affect our way of life.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1450, the Treating Tribes and Counties as Good Neighbors Act, introduced by my good friend and colleague, Representative Fulcher of Idaho. St. Louis County, Minnesota, is the largest county east of the Mississippi River and the place I have always called home. St. Louis County is a checkerboard of Federal and non-Federal land. As such, there are many actors managing the land, be it the Bureau of Land Management or the U.S. Forest Service that manage our Federal lands, or the States, the counties, and the local Tribes that manage our non-Federal lands. Since its introduction over two decades ago, the Good Neighbor Authority program has facilitated co-stewardship of our Federal and non-Federal lands. By partnering Federal land managers with State stakeholders, we have created healthier forests, lowered fire risks, and better conserved our landscapes. However, the most successful stewardship of our public lands occurs when all parties are brought together and everyone is able to do their part. Unfortunately, our counties and Tribal partners, who do a lion's share of the work on Federal lands, are still unable to access the Good Neighbor Authority program. H.R. 1450 will allow our counties and federally recognized Tribes to access this critical management tool and allow them the ability to reinvest in restoration projects. This will build on the success of the program and further benefit our conservation efforts across this Nation. This bipartisan bill passed both the Natural Resources Committee and the Agriculture Committee with broad support. I am hopeful that the House can continue this forward momentum today. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of my friend, Terry Stone, from International Falls, Minnesota. Terry embodied the spirit of northern Minnesota throughout his life. He started a radio club while attending Falls High School and later graduated from Bemidji State University. He was a local businessman who was actively involved in his community, and even served as the president of the local Chamber of Commerce. Terry also spent time as a volunteer with the International Health Service in Honduras where he helped provide medical and dental care to those in need. He even used his passion and expertise in radio to help set up solar powered radio systems to help clinics in rural villages communicate with each other. Terry had a servant's heart and a passion for helping out those in need. He will be missed. May Terry's legacy live on in our communities.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of S.J. Res. 24, the Congressional Review Act disapproval of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife's listing of the northern long-eared bat under the Endangered Species Act. I was proud to introduce the House companion to this resolution. I thank Senator Markwayne Mullin for his partnership and leadership on this issue. The intended purpose of the Endangered Species Act when it was passed into law half a century ago was to protect and conserve species. Once the species is restored and stabilized, it is supposed to be delisted and its population responsibly managed. Unfortunately, this well-intentioned law is abused time and time again by radical activist extremists who would rather see a species stay listed forever to help their own agenda than follow the original intent of the law. Time and time again, radical activist extremists have weaponized the Endangered Species Act, using it as a tool to block development, block progress, and block society from moving forward. Rather than utilizing the law to protect different species, radical extreme activists see the Endangered Species Act as a basis for their frivolous lawsuits and as a tool to force their radical ideology onto the rest of the country. Take the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the greatest abusers of this scheme, as an example. When the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided against listing the Minnesota and Midwestern moose in 2020, they shared with the Minneapolis Star Tribune: ``Now it's going to be a lot harder to ensure that things like mines and other habit-destroying projects don't go forward. . . .'' Madam Speaker, the Center for Biological Diversity said the quiet part out loud. Their intent was not to protect the species but abuse the Endangered Species Act to advance their radical anti-mining, antidevelopment agenda. Today, the northern long-eared bat can be found across more than half of the lower 48. Its listing under the Endangered Species Act is not based in science. The northern long-eared bat is affected by white-nose syndrome, a disease that has no ties to human activity. Unjustified concern for the northern long-eared bat is being used to stop important development and infrastructure projects left and right. While my colleagues on the other side of the aisle cheer its listing, I have to break it to them that this irresponsible listing will hurt other projects as well. This listing will block renewable energy projects, transmission projects, and wind and solar projects.

Mr. STAUBER. Madam Speaker, its listing will jeopardize wildfire mitigation, road and infrastructure construction, and agriculture. What my colleagues might not realize is this listing will even block projects that would benefit the species. The Endangered Species Act is an important law that can help move our country forward. We should return to its intended purpose as a tool for conservation and good stewardship of our environment, not a tool for the radical activist extreme agenda. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. This is a good piece of legislation that came out of the Democrat-controlled Senate, and we ought to pass it this afternoon on the House floor.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I spent the last 2 years of my college experience living in dorm rooms that were about 250 yards from the Soo Locks at the beautiful Lake Superior State University. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3399, the Soo Locks Security and Economic Reporting Act, sponsored by my good friend from Michigan, Congressman John James. Each year, vessels passing through the Soo Locks haul an estimated 70 million tons of cargo to critical industries in the United States and Canada. In total, the infrastructure supports more than 123,000 jobs and has a $22.6 billion economic activity price tag. In my first year in Congress, I joined Congressman Jack Bergman from Michigan on a tour of the Soo Locks to see the critical infrastructure firsthand. Nearly all of the iron ore pellets essential for the American steel industry travel through the Great Lakes. A report by the Department of Homeland Security in 2015 found no alternative transportation mode exists for getting iron ore from the Minnesota mines to steel mills on the lower Great Lakes. The Iron Range of Minnesota produces almost 82 percent of the taconite pellets that make up the steel industry in our Nation. National security experts and economists have warned that sustained closure of any of the locks would cripple our supply chain and plunge our economy into a recession. It is abundantly clear: The protection and modernization of the Soo Locks is not only a supply chain issue, but a national security issue. The Soo Locks infrastructure needs significant investment, and it needs it now. H.R. 3399 directs the Secretary of Transportation to study the security risks of the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and the economic ramifications in the event of their operational failure. This will provide us with concrete evidence of the importance of the Soo Locks and demonstrate our need for unwavering support. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment from the distinguished gentleman from California. Rural districts like the one I represent often get written off as ``flyover country.'' Essential Air Service, or EAS, ensures that ``flyover country'' is just a saying and is not a reality. As I have mentioned before, Minnesota's Eighth District is the most beautiful place in the world. Just take a flight to International Falls, Minnesota, and check out Voyageurs National Park, or fly to Brainerd and recreate in one of the many beautiful family-owned resorts. Fly to Bemidji and see beautiful Lake Bemidji, or take a flight to Hibbing, Minnesota, and fly over the biggest mining country that we have. None of this would be possible without EAS. For most in Minnesota's Eighth District, getting down to Minneapolis Airport can be a real challenge. The EAS airports in my district provide an opportunity for my rural constituents to quickly, conveniently, and safely connect with the rest of this Nation and the world. I want the constituents that I represent to have access to air travel just like everyone else, not be punished because we live in rural America. My constituents matter. Our local economies and our local airports matter, and rural America matters.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of Deb Slatten who tragically passed away recently. Deb served honorably for both the Carlton County Sheriff's Office and St. Louis County Sheriff's Office for 36 years, eventually retiring as a sergeant. She was the first female sheriff's deputy on patrol in Duluth and the department's first female sergeant in Duluth. Following her retirement, she continued to selflessly give her time and talents to our community as a member of the St. Louis County Sheriff's Volunteer Rescue Squad. This squad is one of the very best in the Nation because of Deb and others' commitment to our region. Please take a moment to reflect on how precious life is and how critical these local heroes are to our communities. Rest in peace, faithful servant.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to praise the dedication to service and what it means to be a true public servant by recognizing my constituent services director and service academy coordinator, Margaret Cavanaugh. For nearly three decades, Margaret has served thousands of Minnesota's citizens, having worked for three different Members of Congress from the great State of Minnesota. It is devoted staff like Margaret who work behind the scenes solving difficult issues for individuals back home, that so many people receive the help they need from their Federal Government. Public servants like Margaret are seldom recognized for their persistent efforts yet are crucial to the deployment of many Federal programs such as VA and disability benefits, Medicare, Medicaid, passport issues, and all too often, the IRS and refunds. Dedicated caseworkers like Margaret are often a godsend to so many constituents who are often overwhelmed or far too often ignored by our massive bureaucracies right here in Washington. Margaret is up there with the best of them, mentoring other caseworkers in the State and region with advice, contacts, and problem- solving techniques. I thank Margaret for all she does for the people of the great State of Minnesota. With people like her, our constituents get the best assistance, and they deserve it. Once again, I thank Margaret.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett), my good friend.

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 346) to establish a task force on improvements for notices to air missions, and for other purposes.

Mr. STAUBER. 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 in the Record on the Senate amendment to H.R. 346.

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of my bipartisan legislation that improves the safety of air travel. NOTAMs provide current, up-to-the-minute data to pilots on any aspect of their flight. Unfortunately, NOTAMs are often buried in lengthy reports, conflating important safety information with more common alerts. These inefficiencies have created some life-threatening situations over the years. On January 11, 2023, all U.S. domestic flights were grounded for the first time since 9/11. The NOTAM system crashed. Old and antiquated, it comes as no real surprise that the system easily went down. Unfortunately, leadership at the Department of Transportation has left me uninspired. Instead of focusing resources on safety improvements and upgrades, Secretary Buttigieg has spent his time retitling programs and systems. I will tell you that no pilot cares what the system is called, just that it works and provides her with the information she needs to get her crew and her passengers to safety. Mr. Speaker, I have been advocating for NOTAM upgrades for 4 years. My legislation, which creates a task force at the FAA with important input from safety experts, industry professionals, and unions to address both the efficiency and resiliency of the NOTAM system, has passed out of the House in both the 116th and the 117th Congresses. However, it is only after a disastrous event that this legislation finally got the traction it deserves. We must stop reacting in Congress. We must be thoughtful, considerate, and proactive in how we legislate. I thank my good friend and colleague, Mr. DeSaulnier, for his support and his leadership on this legislation and Senators Klobuchar and Capito for pushing the legislation in the Senate. I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation before another failure of the NOTAM system occurs. Our pilots, our crews, and our passengers are counting on us. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 346 is a key step toward safeguarding the integrity and safety of America's national airspace. This legislation proves that Congress can rise to the challenges of the day, and I urge all Members to support the bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the chairman's leadership not only in the Western Caucus but his leadership on very important issues such as the Endangered Species Act. I appreciate his giving me the opportunity this evening. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in celebration of the gray wolf being fully recovered. Gray wolves have never been extinct in Minnesota. We currently estimate our population at over 2,700 gray wolves, while the ESA recovery plan goal for our State is 1,400. In fact, Minnesota has more wolves than the rest of the lower 48 States combined. The Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations, along with our very own Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, have all agreed: It is a scientific fact that the gray wolf has recovered. On my chart here, Mr. Speaker, you can see clearly the gray wolf has recovered. The blue dotted line is the Federal recovery plan, and the green dotted line is the minimum in Minnesota to reinstitute a wolf hunt. The wolf population is way up at the top, well above each threshold, as you can see. Unfortunately, radical activist groups have weaponized the Endangered Species Act to keep the gray wolf listed. This misguided effort is a clear danger to our deer herds, livestock, and beloved family pets across Minnesota. We have the scientists, the know-how, and the experience to responsibly manage the gray wolf, including implementing a hunting and trapping season. When wolves are above their ESA targets, which they clearly are, Federal bureaucrats--unelected Federal bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.--or judges in California should not be able to take away our management powers just because of their ideological views or because they want to give favors to radical activist groups. They should follow the science. That is why I helped introduce the Trust the Science Act with my friend and colleague Representative Boebert to delist the wolf and exempt its delisting from judicial review. It is well past time to, once and for all, delist the gray wolf and reinstitute a hunt in Minnesota as part of our local management. Let's get the Federal Government out of the way and properly allow our State managers to manage the gray wolf population. Our way of life in northern Minnesota depends on it. It is simply ``sumbumcheous'' to keep the gray wolf on the endangered species list. It has recovered. Let's trust the science.

Mr. STAUBER

Mr. STAUBER. Madam Speaker, I thank Chair Rutherford for putting on this hour. He served with honor. I thank him for continuing to lead in fighting for law enforcement in our Conference. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the many law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our communities. Every year, men and women from across this country decide to serve on a police force. They do it because they have a unique and noble desire to protect their family, friends, and communities. They have a willingness to put the safety of others before themselves. They believe in law and order and that justice will prevail against evil. These are good, honorable, and noble people, and we are lucky to have them.