Glenn Thompson

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. I thank the gentleman for lending your passion and your knowledge to this important debate tonight. And I share your hope, that we raise the level of awareness. We are talking a lot about western forests, but I have to tell you, having an eastern forest, I represent the Fifth District of Pennsylvania; when these large wildfires occur out west, there is a large sucking sound of resources, both personnel and money, being taken out of our eastern forests. These are monies that are used to make our forests healthy. These are monies that are used to do timber marketing, marketing of timber and timber sales so that we can generate revenue to our countries, our school districts. So these monies really are taken away from active management, and active management is the key in helping cut down on the amount of wildfires in our forest. This involves mechanical thinning, hazardous fuel reduction projects and, of course, a sustainable amount of timber harvesting per the forced Allowable Sale Quantity, or ASQ. Now these various activities are essential in order to help ensure that the forest doesn't become an overgrown tinderbox. Areas that aren't properly maintained not only become tinderbox, as a risk of wildfires, but also for invasive species outbreaks. I don't know of anyone in Congress that has more expertise on this than our next speaker. He is a professional forester. He brings tremendous education and experience to Washington. We are real proud to have him as a part of our team working on this issue, really leading on this issue. Our next speaker is actually the author of H.R. 2647, which has been passed by the House of Representatives, the Resilient Federal Forest Act of 2015, so I am honored to yield to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman).

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. I thank the gentlewoman, who is a great ranking member on the subcommittee, for all of her work and for her comments and words this evening. Mr. Speaker, having served on the subcommittee with the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Schrader), he is a great advocate for forest products, for healthy forests, for economically healthy rural communities. We share that passion. I am just very thankful that he was able to, in a very busy schedule, make time this evening to be part of this Special Order. I yield to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Schrader).

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the House Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry, I am pleased to open this Special Order to discuss forest management and wildfires. Over the course of this year, many Western States, including Alaska, have gone through a catastrophic wildfire season, with more than 9 million acres burned to date. This is a continuation of an unsustainable trend where the average number of acres burned each year has doubled since the 1990s. To address this, government spending on wildfire suppression has also doubled; yet the total amount of spending on forestry activities has remained the same. Because the cost of wildfire suppression efforts has continued to climb over the past 15 years, the U.S. Forest Service has repeatedly had to transfer money from its nonfire programs to firefighting efforts. In fact, this year alone, more than 50 percent of the Forest Service budget went toward wildfire suppression, taking funding away from programs and activities that promote forest health and reduction of underbrush, wood waste, and dead trees, which help these wildfires spread. Fire transfers also undermine timber harvesting, which is critical for the health of the forests as well as our rural communities and counties. In contrast to this 50 percent, only 20 years ago, the Forest Service was only spending as little as 13 percent, or one-sixth, of its budget on fire-related activities. However, this is not simply a question of allocating more money for fire suppression. The real solution to this problem is how we maintain our forests. I am pleased to be joined tonight by bipartisan members of the Conservation and Forestry Subcommittee of the Agriculture Committee. I am pleased to yield to the ranking member of that committee, Michelle Lujan Grisham.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. I thank the gentleman. I thank you for your leadership and bringing your expertise to Washington. It is great to serve with you, and I appreciate all the leadership that you are showing, not just on this issue but so many different issues that are good not just for the folks of Arkansas, but for the entire Nation. So thank you so much for being part of this Special Order tonight. Mr. Speaker, a healthy forest is so incredibly important because a healthy forest represents, also, wealthy communities. Our rural communities are so dependent on the active, proper management of our national forests. These national forests didn't always exist. At one time, our predecessors--some going back 100 years or more--came to the table with the local communities, and they made a commitment that for the good of the Nation they would create national forests. Now, let's be clear. National forests are not national parks. They are completely different. National forests are not managed by the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service. National forests are managed by the Department of Agriculture, because they were set aside and established so that our Nation would always have an abundant, ready supply of timber. Timber was one of the initial industries that we had. It was so important to the past of our country, but important to the future of our country as well. As Mr. Westerman really articulated well, when you have a healthy forest, you have carbon sinks and you have filters. A lot of our watersheds originate in our national forests, so it is good for clean water if they are properly managed. It is good for clean air, and it is good for the economy. Mr. Speaker, from time to time, I spend some time as a lay pastor and I will fill the pulpit. When I am talking to the churches, I talk about how a healthy church is like a healthy forest. If I go into a church and I see that everyone sitting in the pews has my hairline, a little bit of salt on the side here with gray hair, that is not a healthy church. It is just kind of one generation. Well, forests are the same way. If you want a healthy church, you need multiple generations in the pews. If you want a healthy forest, you need multiple generations of forest because it is good for the wildlife, it is good for the birds, and it is good for the mammals, because they need different types of forests at different points in their maturity in order to support that wildlife. Mr. Speaker, one of the things that leads to putting pressure on certain species is, when we stop harvesting trees, we stop active management, because we know that almost every species, at different times in their life, need that kind of open area. They need time in young forest growth right through to more mature forest growth. Without that, these species can't be supported. So there are all kinds of reasons, let alone the economic health of our rural communities. That was a promise that was made by our predecessors when they took this land out of the private sector and put it into the public sector. It was done with a promise that they would always do active management in such a way to generate the revenue to be able to backfill for those property taxes that would have been lost. We have really failed at that as a nation. Our rural communities in and around our national forests are so challenged. Don't get me wrong. I think we have great people that are working for the Forest Service. I spend a lot of time with them. They are dedicated professionals. I think the Chief of the Forest Service, Tom Tidwell, is an outstanding individual, has strong character. I like the Chief because his first job in the Forest Service was when he was going to college and he worked summers as a firefighter. I am an old firefighter. He has done all the jobs. He knows what it is to manage an active forest. We have a lot of pressures, though, that the bureaucracy has placed on him. We have a lot of external pressures with special interest groups who claim they are trying to save the forests. But the end result of their actions where they limit, they sue, and they prevent forest plans from being implemented and prevent timber management from occurring, they are actually killing the forests. Forests are living entities. If they are not actively managed, they will get sick and they will die. When they do, they become emitters of carbon. When a forest is healthy, it actually absorbs carbon. It is a carbon sink, as I said before. Mr. Speaker, let me talk about some of the statistics that show that much of our national forest system is unhealthy. In fact, the Forest Service has identified up to one-quarter of nearly 200 million acres of national forest land as a wildfire risk. We have seen a dramatic reduction, Mr. Speaker, of the harvest from our national forests from nearly 13 billion board feet in the 1980s to roughly 3 million board feet in past years. Let me put that into perspective and share some statistics on that. Let's go back to 1995. In 1995, Mr. Speaker, one-sixth of the Forest Service budget was used for wildfire management and mitigation. It was reasonable. At that point, when we were using one-sixth of the Forest Service budget, we were harvesting in 1995 3.8 billion board feet. Let's fast-forward to 2015. Now, the numbers I am going to share with you are from August of 2015. I readily admit I don't have the past couple months in this, but at this point, the Forest Service is spending 50 percent of its budget on fighting wildfires--50 percent. Think about 50 percent of your household, 50 percent of your family's budget, your business, or a local school. To take 50 percent of your budget just for this type of crisis management doesn't work. It just doesn't work. At the same time, Mr. Speaker, we have only projected to harvest, at that point, 2.4 billion board feet. It is a big part of the lack of active management. We need to provide the Forest Service tools to be able to help them do their jobs. The high-water mark was back in 1987 when we had 12.7 billion board feet harvested. That is a variance from this year of 10.3 billion board feet. We are constantly talking about the economic crisis that we are in here, and we are. We have got a debt that has been out of control. I am very proud to be a part of a Republican-led Congress that, for a number of years, on the discretionary side, we have actually reduced our spending, and we are starting to get our arms wrapped around mandatory spending. So we are doing our job. But there is a need for more resources, and we recognize that. There is a need for more revenue. We are literally burning that revenue up in our national forests each and every year, dramatically. How much revenue? I would have to say that, if you take, every year, 10.3 billion board feet, if that is the amount that we could get our annual harvesting to, you have to ask yourself: How much more healthy would the forest be? If the forest is healthy, Mr. Speaker, so many fewer wildfires would occur at just an incredible cost, including the loss of lives. We have lost a tremendous number of American heroes, our firefighters from both the U.S. Forest Service but also volunteer firefighters like myself. Perhaps some professional firefighters have lost their lives because of the incident. It is just the crisis that we have in wildfires. If we would increase our harvesting, we would increase the health of the forest, and we could reduce wildfires and that risk. We would also increase revenue. I am not prepared to tell you what the average value of a board foot in timber harvest off our national forests is. I know that varies greatly. Mr. Speaker, I happen to represent the Allegheny National Forest. I am proud to say that it is actually the most profitable national forest in the country. It is kind of puny compared to my colleagues out west. We are about 513,000 acres, but we have got the world's best hardwood cherry. Our hardwoods are what increase the value. I know that is a wide variance on what the value of 1 board foot in 2015 of timber harvested in our national forests is. But whatever that number is, multiply it by $10.3 billion, and that is a lot of revenue that is owned by the taxpayers of this country--given the fact it is their national forest--that we could be bringing in. Then the prosperity, Mr. Speaker. If we could unleash and get timber in closer to that sustainable rate, what that would do for our school districts, our kids, our families, and the jobs that would be stimulated in the forest products industry. It would just have an amazing impact, Mr. Speaker. Now, as we examine these issues, Mr. Speaker, it becomes easier to see how everything is corrected. Trees which should have been harvested years ago have been allowed to become fuel for forest fires, leading to the rise in the acreage burned that we have seen in recent years. There are many prospective solutions to this problem, including the Agricultural Act of 2014, also known as the farm bill. I am very proud that all the Members were involved with the farm bill. It was a great bipartisan bill that we did. It includes provisions to include improved forest management. So we have taken action. We have enacted into law some tools for the Forest Service. There is just more that we need to do, Mr. Speaker. Those tools include an expedited process in the planning for projects and the reauthorization programs, such as the stewardship contracting and the Good Neighbor Authority. These all improve forest health, timber sales, and restoration. Now, the House passed the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015, which Mr. Westerman very appropriately talked about, in July. The goal of this legislation was to provide the Forest Service with direction and the tools to address the challenges of litigation. I have to tell you, Mr. Speaker, we have forest plans that are about active timber management, but we have these outside groups that sue the government because the government reimburses their costs, even when they settle out of court. That is not why the Equal Access to Justice Act was originally written; not for some group that is not a direct stakeholder in terms of having property that is in the forest or adjoined to the forest. But it is litigation, it is funding, no doubt about it, it is the process, it is basic timber harvesting, and essential active management. I will come back to some of those in just a bit. I want to share some outcomes from the most recent hearing that we had with the Conservation and Forestry Subcommittee. I am proud to cosponsor this important piece of legislation. I believe that it should become law. It will have a major impact on reducing catastrophic wildfires across the Nation. The district that I represent, Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District, is the home of the Allegheny National Forest, the only national forest in the Commonwealth. It encompasses more than 513,000 acres across four counties, and for generations, it has formed the economic bedrock of small communities in that region. In some ways, the Allegheny is very different from our western forests--I have mentioned some of those--but it has many similar challenges, including a lack of timbering, reduced county budgets, and outbreaks of invasive species. Reforming the way we deal with wildfires and forestry management will have a positive effect in forests and in rural communities, not just in the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania, but, quite frankly, across the Nation. I look forward to hearing more from my colleagues, and taking opportunities in the future to host more of these Special Orders, in looking at ways so that we can confront the very real challenges in national forest regions. I wanted to share some of the outcomes from our most recent hearing that we had on this issue back on October 8. We had some great speakers come in, witnesses, that provided testimony from all over the country. I will just share with you, Mr. Speaker, some of the things that would be helpful, things that we need to consider. I am going to start in the category of increasing the efficiency and the effectiveness of forest management that we have, starting with giving an opportunity for State primacy. This was an idea that came out from a rancher in Washington State. The States tend to have less bureaucracy, they have less of a target on their back by these outside groups that are suing. So the State's success at increasing active timber management and a higher level of forest health. But State primacy is something that was an idea that came out that needs to, at least, have further consideration. Expanding what we call categorical exemption from NEPA analysis. That doesn't mean that we are not looking at the environmental impacts. That couldn't be further from the truth. For where it makes sense, what we need to do is provide a categorical exemption from a full-blown NEPA analysis, but we need to do that more on a landscape perspective, so a landscape management. We are talking large scale, 100,000 acres or more, being able to more efficiently, being able to more effectively, manage the forest. We have provided some categorical exemption opportunities within the farm bill to the Forest Service for regular maintenance activities, where they had to spend a tremendous amount of resources just to clear a power line or to do trail maintenance, or replant after a forest fire, wildfire. Quite frankly, their sister agencies: the Bureau of Land Management and the Corps of Engineers, they didn't have to do that. So this is just kind of common sense. We need to protect our active management funds. We can't be dipping into the funds that we use to manage the forest. That is what happened. That is what I referred to as that large sucking sound. It is not just resources. My forest supervisor, who does a great job, she was detailed. She went out west for a period of time. She wasn't on our forest doing her job because of the need for her expertise in the west during one of those wildfires this past year in the west. We need to protect our active management funds. There are some things that came out: a recommendation for larger air tankers to be able to deal with the size and the scale of the wildfires that are out there. We need to, obviously, reduce this litigation. Out of 311 projects this past year, 16 wound up in the courts. That is a significant number. Quite frankly, it is not necessary. Unfortunately, it has become a fundraising scheme for the most part. It is not contributing towards forest health. It, actually, is deteriorating our forest health. We have an increase in invasive species. We are burning up our forest at a record level. When you burn forest, you ruin that water filter, you impact water quality, you impact as a carbon sink. So we need to reduce the litigation and take steps to be able to do that. We do need personnel, there is no doubt about it. We have 49 percent fewer foresters than just in 2010. It is our professional foresters, the silviculturists, who are out--of knowing how to mark the timber, of knowing when to harvest the timber when it is at peak value. That is an asset owned by the American people. We shouldn't be waiting until that tree blows over, burns down, or is eaten by some type of bug, invasive specie, until we harvest it. We should harvest it really at its peak value. That is demonstrating a fiduciary responsibility for the American people with this asset. And then certainly we need more collaborative work. Again, H.R. 2647 would achieve that. So that is more efficient, more effective forest management. Let me look briefly at response. We do need to fund this appropriately. I am a supporter of a concept that would look at larger fires, more widespread. I don't know how we gauge that--by acreage or dollar value lost or dollars needed. Those really are natural disasters. They are as every bit a natural disaster as an earthquake, a hurricane, or a tornado. Those larger fires should be dealt with as natural disasters. And then other fires on a smaller scale, underneath whatever that threshold is set, then let's do that through regular order with the Forest Service budget with what we appropriate. There is a definite difference. That would be a recommendation. That was something that came out of a discussion. And then safe harbor for mutual aid. One rancher from Washington talked about a Forest Service where there was a--I don't know if it was a State or a private individual with a bulldozer--a CAT came up to the Forest Service line. Two situations. One time they asked the Forest Service person, who was working under the direction of somebody in the bureaucracy. They welcomed him in, and they saved a tremendous spread of that fire. And then another time where the Forest Service personnel said: No, we have to fill out the permits first. Well, you have got the wildlife burning, but we have got to fill out the permits, and we have got to do the paperwork. I am not judging that Forest Service employee because they were probably doing whatever they were told to do, and there was more catastrophic loss there. So some type of safe harbor that allows better use of mutual aid. I want to yield to a friend of mine because it kind of speaks to the efficiency and the effectiveness on the Equal Access to Justice Act. This is the law that we kind of talked about that really has encouraged radical environmental groups to file lawsuits and stop forest plans from occurring. I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins) to speak on the topic.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an important program which is assisting needy Pennsylvanians at a pivotal time of the year. In my State, this is deer season, with hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians estimated to participate through the end of this week. It is also the holiday season, which is, of course, a very difficult time for people across the Commonwealth who are less fortunate. This is why the Hunters Sharing the Harvest is so important. Through this program, hunters across Pennsylvania can take a deer they have harvested to a participating meat processing facility, and it will be donated to a food pantry, a soup kitchen, or other organization which assists the needy. This program is in its 24th year of assisting people across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. One deer alone can provide enough meat for up to 200 meals. Last year more than 2,300 deer were donated, amounting to nearly 100,000 pounds of venison. This is a season of giving, and I am proud of the hunters, the meat processing facilities, and charitable organizations across Pennsylvania who are participating in this program.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, late last month President Barack Obama signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act of 2015, otherwise known as the NDAA. Included in the legislation was language directing the United States Department of Defense to study a mental health assessment for all incoming military recruits. This assessment would then be used as a baseline throughout the service careers of our servicemen and -women. This was included in the Medical Evaluation Parity for Servicemembers, or MEPS, Act, which I introduced earlier this year. Now, I believe this assessment is essential in addressing the suicide epidemic which has affected our military members and veterans over the past several years. Mr. Speaker, when it comes to suicide within the ranks of our American heroes, commissioned studies have been implemented by the Department of Defense in the past. We have found that, for over 60 percent of those individuals who attempt or commit suicide while serving in the military, it was not their first attempt. Their first attempt was before they joined the military. This is about pre-existing conditions that have failed to have been recognized. Mr. Speaker, if you are like me and you assume that it is what people see on the battlefield--I have been to Afghanistan. I have been to Iraq in the past. It is the horrors of war that drive people, largely, to suicide. But these studies, Mr. Speaker, have found that the large majority of those individuals who attempt or commit suicide while in the military never saw deployment. They were not in combat situations. Again, it speaks to pre-existing conditions that have not been adequately identified and addressed. This is a matter that really has been thoroughly examined in recent years. So while I am happy that it is in the National Defense Authorization Act, I urge the Pentagon to act quickly to take steps to better assess the mental health of our servicemen and -women at the time of enlistment with this commonsense, baseline evaluation. These heroes deserve all the information that we can provide in order to make their lives a bit easier.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, today I want to recognize a student from Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District who is giving back to her community while helping our environment. Kara Eckert, who is a senior at State College Area High School, teamed up with a waste management company in 2012 to recycle a number of items, including granola bar wrappers and cereal bags. She also set up boxes at her school so her fellow classmates and teachers could contribute to her efforts. Since 2012, Kara has recycled more than 18,200 granola bar wrappers, around 3,500 cereal bags, and approximately 1,800 oral care products. More importantly, proceeds from those items have gone to local organizations, including the Boalsburg Cemetery Association and the Penn State Figure Skating Club. Mr. Speaker, it is so impressive to see charitable efforts such as this one in the communities we represent. What makes this even more praiseworthy, though, is Kara Eckert's regard for her community at such a young age. I wish her the best of luck as she finishes her high school career and in the next step of her education.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, next February, more than 700 students from Penn State University will come together for the university's annual dance marathon, otherwise known as THON. This event is the culmination of a huge fundraising effort for the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital, which is dedicated to fighting pediatric cancer. THON is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. Even though much of Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District falls solidly within the territory of Pittsburgh's sports teams, I want to commend the Philadelphia Flyers and the New Jersey Devils hockey teams. The proceeds from tickets purchased for either the Devils game on December 19 or the Flyers game on January 5 will go to benefit THON. Both games fall within Penn State's winter break, allowing students to support this effort even when they are away from the university. I wish all the students involved in THON the best of luck as they continue in this tremendous effort. They should be deeply proud of the role they are playing in striking a blow to pediatric cancer.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Kline for the opportunity to voice my support for this comprehensive overhaul of No Child Left Behind, which has been a long time in the making. As a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, I can attest to this conference report being the product of many years of hard work. I am happy to have been a conferee for the Every Student Succeeds Act, which, through a bipartisan agreement, provides more flexibility for our States, school districts, educators, parents, and students. The Every Student Succeeds Act will establish a more appropriate Federal role in education by ending the era of mandated high-stakes testing, limiting the power of the Secretary of Education to dictate cookie-cutter standards, repealing dozens of ineffective and duplicative programs, and ensuring resources are delivered to where they are most effective and necessary. I am especially grateful to the conferees for their adoption of an amendment that will instruct the Department of Education to finally study the fairness of the current title I formulas used to offset the effects of poverty upon young learners. ESEA, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, was created to provide each student an equal opportunity under the law. But, unfortunately, we are still not targeting those areas with the highest concentration of poverty. I am hopeful that we can continue to embrace the spirit of ESEA and ensure that we are always working in the direction of providing great educational opportunities for all children. I want to thank my friend, my colleague, and my chairman, John Kline, for his leadership to accomplish this historical education reform. I urge my colleagues to support the conference report.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Charlotte Dietrich on her upcoming retirement as planning director of Potter County, located in Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District. Charlotte was promoted to that position in April of 2001 and had previously served as a secretary for Potter County. In her more than 14 years as planning director, Potter County became the only county in Pennsylvania to have a Wellhead Protection Plan in place for each water authority in the county, mapping each source of water, which is perhaps our most important natural resource. Additionally, under Charlotte's leadership, the county's planning department worked to address issues surrounding the development of wind power in the county, along with a huge expansion of gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale formation. A Potter County commissioner recently called Charlotte a born planner. I know those skills have been a great asset for the county in the past decade with so many big changes. Mr. Speaker, I wish Charlotte the best of luck in retirement.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, a few weeks ago, I participated in a forum hosted by a Foundation created in the 1980s by Congress: the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, or NFWF. The forum was on the connection between agriculture and the Chesapeake Bay. The health of the bay is important in Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District, which I represent, since the streams and rivers in a large portion of the district drain into it. This is also a region which depends on agriculture, the Commonwealth's largest industry. Among the topics of discussion at the forum were the Chesapeake Stewardship grants, which are funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and administered by the NFWF. This funding goes toward the restoration of streams which flow into the bay and to those that cut down on nutrient and sediment pollution. This fall, I joined the NFWF in touring several sites across Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District, which were all funded by these grant programs. These sites show the direct connection between agriculture and the health of the Chesapeake Bay, with all of them located on farmland. The projects range from those which keep animal waste out of waterways to flood control and stream bank restoration, all of which improve the overall health of local streams, local watersheds, and, ultimately, the health of the Chesapeake Bay. As chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry, as well as a member of the House National Resource Committee, the health of our watersheds is critically important. Healthy watersheds are needed for the sustainability of both agriculture and the land. As I explained during the forum, the commitment to agriculture and healthy watersheds continues through passage last year of a 5-year farm bill and the various conservation programs contained within title II of that bill. The tour of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation watershed projects, along with this recent forum, gave me the opportunity to hear firsthand from farmers, agricultural leaders, and those involved in the restoration of streams and rivers on what can be done here in Washington to help improve the quality of water in our local rivers, streams, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, and the bay itself. I look forward to working with the agriculture community and many conservationists as we prepare for the next reauthorization of the farm bill.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Whether we are talking families or businesses or schools, hospitals, you know, personnel, people obviously are first, but, after that, the second most important thing that people think about is energy and energy costs and having access to affordable and reliable energy. God has been good to the United States of America with what we have been blessed with. We have been blessed with these energy sources, but we have also been blessed with the technology now in 2015 to be able to access those energy sources and to utilize them consistently as good stewards of this Earth and this environment.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. I thank the gentleman.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, it is a real honor to join my good friend and colleague from Ohio here this evening. I thank him for hosting this Special Order on such an important topic: energy. I rise this evening in strong support of jobs, consumers, and homegrown American energy. With the construction of the world's first commercial oil well in Titusville, Pennsylvania, in 1859, energy production and natural resources have long been key pieces to our economy in the Fifth Congressional District of Pennsylvania, which I have the honor of representing. Since Drake's well, we have been fortunate to produce oil, natural gas, coal, and various forms of renewable energy. We are also home to the world's first nondefense nuclear reactor. In recent years, development of the Marcellus shale formation has been a game changer for Pennsylvania. The Marcellus formation contains upward of 500 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. This amount is more than enough to meet the current demand for nearly 100 years, if not longer. It also means significant economic opportunities for the State and for local governments, as well as the creation of tens of thousands of family-sustaining jobs throughout the region. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, as of the fall of 2014, roughly 250,000 Pennsylvanians were employed by Marcellus shale-related industries. The average wage in core Marcellus industries remains constant at $94,000 a year, which is more than $43,000 greater than the average salary for all industries throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In short, developing this resource means good jobs, both direct and indirect; lower energy prices for American consumers; and increased revenue for State and local governments. One of the greatest challenges we have right now in Pennsylvania is unnecessary processes and arduous Federal roles--regulations that are both ineffective and inefficient. Another key challenge is moving this natural gas to market. Specifically, we do not have the adequate infrastructure and pipelines to move this gas. A basic way we can address this challenge is by streamlining processes and reducing unnecessary red tape. This week, the House will consider H.R. 8, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015. This legislation will address these issues by accelerating the approval process for pipelines and hydropower projects. The bill requires the administration to designate at least 10 new energy corridors in the eastern United States to help prioritize construction. The bill also requires the Energy Department to make decisions on applications that have been submitted for the export of natural gas. In addition, we will also be voting this week on legislation disapproving the Environmental Protection Agency's regulations on both existing and new power plants. My district has been hit hard over the past several years by regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency regarding coal power plants. I have opposed these unrealistic regulations. When a coal power plant is forced to shut down, it has a devastating effect which extends far beyond the men and women who are left jobless, to the trucking and mining jobs that are connected to it. Many of these are family-supporting positions which communities have depended on for decades. I wholeheartedly support these resolutions disapproving of the emissions rules on existing and new power plants. The protection of our environment is an important goal, yet these regulations are not a solution. I thank my colleagues for being here tonight. I am certainly going to urge a ``yes'' vote on all three of the bills that will be before this body in the days to come. I thank my good friend from Ohio once again for hosting this important topic this evening.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, as co-chairman of the bipartisan Career and Technical Education Caucus, I rise today to emphasize the importance of quality CTE programs, which allow students to succeed in areas that keep our Nation competitive in the global economy. Last week, I visited a lab at Penn State University, where three- dimensional printers were used to create parts for a wide variety of industries, including those which support our national defense. These students are also among those leading the way in creating metal parts which once could only be fabricated at powdered metal plants. I was also proud to see very similar programs being offered at the high school level. I spoke to the superintendent of the St. Marys School District in Elk County and was pleased to learn that students at St. Marys High School are graduating with many of the skills needed to succeed in these growing vocational and technical fields. I am hopeful that with the next reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act we can enhance the partnerships that bridge the gap between our high schools, technical schools, colleges, universities, and employers.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, the first value of American leadership is the safety and security of our citizens. While it is important to support those fleeing conflicts across the globe, the CIA Director's recent statements on the distinct possibility of additional attacks and the national security implications surrounding Syrian refugees at this point are too great to ignore. The FBI has also indicated that it is next to impossible to appropriately screen refugees. For this reason, I have called upon the President to place a hold on admitting refugees into the country. Additionally, I have joined with members of the Pennsylvania congressional delegation in requesting that Governor Tom Wolf also place a moratorium on accepting refugees into the Commonwealth. The House today will consider legislation that suspends refugee admissions until we assure that adequate screening security for threats is in place. We must not take any chances that could put our country at risk. This is the first in many steps that will provide Americans security, while also supporting our long-term humanitarian tradition in this country. I encourage my colleagues to support the SAFE Act that will be on the floor later this morning.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of the contributions of Centre County, Pennsylvania, Sheriff Denny Nau, who will retire at the end of this year. Denny has served in that office for more than two decades after being elected in 1991. Before being elected sheriff, he served as a Pennsylvania State Police trooper. Sheriff Nau is also a marine, joining after graduating high school. Over his 24 years as Centre County Sheriff, Denny has influenced countless law enforcement officers. In fact, more than 40 of his former deputies are police officers in areas ranging from Altoona to Pittsburgh or are serving as State troopers. Nau has overseen great growth by the Centre County Sheriff's Office along with transitions to new technology, from typewriters to the use of state-of-the-art software to track cases, to a videoconference system to conduct hearings. Mr. Speaker, Sheriff Denny Nau has provided a wonderful example of public service as a marine, a Pennsylvania State trooper, and high sheriff of Centre County. I wish my friend the best of luck in his retirement.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, on roll call no. 631 I was absent during passage of H.R. 1694 the afternoon of November 17, 2015 because I was meeting with constituents from Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District. Had I been present, I would have voted yes.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the 130th anniversary of the DuBois Business College, which has several campuses located in Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District. The college was founded in 1885 by a local businessman who recognized a need for skilled businessowners, operators, and employees. The school's original location was once known as the largest building in America devoted exclusively to commercial education. In the many years since, DuBois Business College has expanded not just to a new location in DuBois, but also to include branch campus locations in Oil City, Philipsburg, and Huntingdon. Today the college has a student body of more than 400 and offers a variety of associate's degree and diploma programs, all of which can be completed in less than 2 years. This provides a quick transition for students into the workforce. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to welcome administrators and students from DuBois Business College to Capitol Hill today. I look forward to congratulating them in person, and I wish them well in their continued success.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of the efforts of the Susquehanna Economic Development Association's Council of Governments, otherwise known as SEDA-COG, in working to expand the availability of natural gas in areas across central Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, natural gas is not only produced right here in the United States of America, but it is also economical and versatile, with uses that range from home heating to cooking and drying clothes. While Pennsylvania sits on one of the largest natural gas reserves in the Nation, many areas of the State are unserved or underserved by natural gas providers. Converting to natural gas can lead to big savings for consumers who currently rely on other home heating fuels such as propane and oil. To help address this issue, SEDA- COG's $160,000 pilot project will provide natural gas to these areas in order to attract manufacturers and to give homeowners the option to connect. To do that, this organization has joined with gas suppliers such as UGI Utilities and Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, starting with at least three projects in central Pennsylvania that will expand natural gas access to hundreds of potential users. In addition, the project will focus on the sustainability of delivering natural gas through ``virtual pipelines,'' where compressed gas would be delivered by a truck to be used by large commercial businesses located nearby. If successful, SEDA-COG officials say that they could expand this model to fuel users connected by a small pipeline network, including residential areas such as housing developments. Mr. Speaker, I commend the innovative spirit of SEDA-COG and its partners, and I look forward to learning more about how these projects could benefit other areas of Pennsylvania. 130th Anniversary of DuBois Business College

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District, which I am proud to represent, includes the Allegheny National Forest. The forest covers more than 500,000 acres, and the use of its hardwoods has supported the communities of the Elk, Forest, McKean, and Warren Counties for generations. Mr. Speaker, since these small towns depend on the harvesting of trees from the Allegheny National Forest, I am deeply concerned by the news that, while the amount of timber cut in the forest has increased in recent years, the number sold has sharply declined. In fact, timber sales have gone down 19 percent in the past 5 years. Furthermore, a majority of the timber harvested is being sold as pulp and not as the high-value hardwood which is used to create furniture, flooring, and as veneers. This is one of the reasons I cosponsored the Resilient Federal Forests Act, which passed the House earlier this year, as it would enhance the management efforts in our national forests to make sure our quality hardwoods are being used in the right ways.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, next Wednesday, we will observe Veterans Day, which is dedicated to the brave men and women who have served in our Armed Forces. I believe one of the most important things we can do is to instill respect and honor among our Nation's young people for our servicemen and -women. As a part of the Veterans Day activities, the elementary school students in my hometown of Howard will learn about the contributions made by our veterans both in harm's way and here at home. While educating our young people is important, it is also essential to make sure our veterans have the services and the support that they need. This weekend, I will be speaking with a group that is actively involved in caring for our wounded vets: the Disabled American Veterans chapter, or DAV, in Warren, Pennsylvania. The DAV provides a wide range of services, from transporting the veterans to doctors' appointments to emphasizing the need for better care, both medically and for behavior health services. November 11 is Veterans Day, but we need to strive to make sure we remember the contributions that these men and women make every day of the year.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the efforts in Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District to reintroduce the American chestnut tree. Before the 1900s, the American chestnut was the dominant tree in the eastern United States. In fact, in my home State of Pennsylvania, it comprised roughly 25 percent of all hardwoods. Blight struck these trees beginning in 1904, and by 1950, the American chestnut was nearly wiped out of our forests. Mr. Speaker, efforts over the past several years have focused on reintroducing this hardwood, the American chestnut, by making it more resilient to blight. I am proud to say that reintroduction efforts are taking place at several sites in Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District in Centre County, Clinton County, and Elk County. This past week, the Pennsylvania State University's chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation held its annual meeting, highlighting the work of researchers, along with the contributions of volunteers, to the reintroduction of the American chestnut. As chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry, I commend those advocates for their dedication, their research, their efforts to the reintroduction of this species; and I look forward to lending my support for bringing the American chestnut back.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my good friend, co-chair of the Career and Technical Education Caucus, Mr. Langevin from Rhode Island, for his leadership and his remarks. I also rise in recognition of National Apprenticeship Week, which runs through this Saturday. Training and support for those looking to enter vocational fields is something that is very important to me, as co-chairman of the bipartisan Career and Technical Education Caucus. It is essential that we give our workers the training and resources that they need to secure family-supporting jobs. Apprenticeships are a vital part of this effort to help workers prepare for the jobs of tomorrow, along with the in-demand positions that are currently going unfilled. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the industries which rely on apprenticeship training are in demand, including a huge need for certified electricians, construction workers, and those in the health technology fields. More than 430,000 Americans are currently participating in an apprenticeship program, gaining the knowledge to rise to the demands of today's workforce. Mr. Speaker, these programs give workers hands-on experience and lead to much higher lifetime earnings for those that participate.