Paul Tonko

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, 1 year ago, this body and our Nation lost one of its brightest lights with the passing of an extraordinary congresswoman and my dear friend, Louise Slaughter. I first came to know Louise in the early 1980s when we served together in the New York State Assembly. We remained close until her passing on March 16, 2018. While I will always miss her presence, her legacy lives on in many, many ways. It lives on in the renaming of the STOCK Act, an effort that I was proud to sponsor last Congress. Louise's legacy lives on in the Fairport post office, renamed after Louise and her husband, Bob, a fitting tribute to a loving couple. I thank my colleague, Joe Morelle, for making that happen. Her legacy lives in the Rochester train station, named after Louise after years of her advocacy and determination to make it an improved destination and a special place of connection. Most importantly, her legacy lives in the freshman class of this United States House of Representatives. Louise used to represent Seneca Falls and was proud of the women's rights movement that had its strongest, deepest roots in upstate New York. This year, more than 100 women serve in this body for the first time in American history. Of course, if Louise were here, she would surely remind us that 100 is much less than half of 435 and that our work was far from over. Madam Speaker, to my friend, Louise, our thoughts and prayers are with her as we mark 1 year since her passing. Today, we celebrate an incredible legacy, a legacy that is alive and burning bright with hope.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 762) to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to provide for the dissemination of information regarding available Federal programs relating to energy efficiency projects for schools, and for other purposes.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 762.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to voice my strong support for H.R. 762 introduced by my good friend and colleague from Pennsylvania (Mr. Cartwright). This legislation will provide a coordinating structure for our Nation's schools to help them better navigate available Federal programs and financing options. Across our great country, K-12 school districts spend literally billions of dollars on their energy bills each year, while an estimated 14 million American children attend deteriorating public schools. By upgrading these systems, we can increase efficiency and focus school funding to achieve better educational outcomes. We have a huge opportunity this Congress to make major investments in our Nation's infrastructure--including our most essential institutions, such as schools. I believe efficiency has to be our fuel of first choice. We can save local taxpayers money while upgrading and modernizing these facilities. This legislation has passed the House in each of the last two Congresses with broad bipartisan support, and I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this year's iteration. I commend Representative Cartwright and the bill's bipartisan cosponsors for their efforts, and I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Cartwright). Representative Cartwright is from Pennsylvania's Eighth Congressional District.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch), my colleague and friend.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I encourage our colleagues to support this measure. Obviously, H.R. 762 enables us to make certain that we target wastefulness and energy efficiency. It is a good way to make certain that resources that can be committed to education are not wasted through inefficient use of energy--a good, strong message for the development of our children. So it is a great bill. I applaud Representative Cartwright and his cosponsors for moving us forward and ask that our colleagues support this measure. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 347) to extend the authorization of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978 relating to the disposal site in Mesa County, Colorado.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 347.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, last September the House approved an identical bill, H.R. 2278, in the 115th Congress by a voice vote. Unfortunately, that bill did not move in the Senate, so we are back to reconsider H.R. 347, introduced by Mr. Tipton and cosponsored by my Energy and Commerce colleague, Ms. DeGette. The Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act established a process for remediating inactive uranium-ore processing sites, such as the one in Grand Junction, Colorado. To protect public health and safety from potential risks, uranium mill tailings must be disposed at a site that is licensed and that meets standards established by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency. The continued operation of the Cheney Disposal Cell is critical. Last year, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment provided the following for the Record: ``Given that this is the only DOE uranium mill tailings disposal site left in the country, it is critical that this facility remains open to receive and dispose of the uranium mill tailings that are discovered in our communities. This action will ensure the continued protection of human health and the environment.'' The cell receives approximately 2,700 cubic yards of additional waste per year, and has sufficient space to receive an estimated 235,000 cubic yards, which represents 86 more years of operation at current rates. H.R. 347 would authorize the Department of Energy to continue to operate the Cheney Disposal Cell through September 2048 or until it is filled to capacity. Currently, DOE is authorized to operate this cell through September 2023. Mr. Speaker, this is a good, bipartisan bill, and I hope we can move it forward today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers on my side, and I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I, too, for the reasons that this legislation would allow for the only disposal site of its kind in the country, it is important that we pass this important infrastructure concept, and I encourage our colleagues to support the bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1138) to reauthorize the West Valley demonstration project, and for other purposes.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1138.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, last September, the House approved an identical bill, H.R. 2389, in the 115th Congress, by a voice vote. Unfortunately, that bill did not move in the Senate. Today, we will reconsider H.R. 1138, which has been reintroduced by my New York colleague and friend, Mr. Reed. The Western New York Nuclear Service Center in West Valley, New York, has been the center of disputes and legislative actions since the 1980s. This site is a difficult reminder that we are still dealing with the consequences of our Nation's entry into the atomic age. While the site is owned by New York State, between 1966 and 1972 it was operated by a private business to reprocess spent nuclear fuel primarily provided by the Federal Government. Those reprocessing activities ended decades ago, but high-level waste and transuranic waste continue to be stored at the site. A cost-sharing agreement for the site's remediation has been resolved, but disposal of the waste remains a point of contention. Since 1986, DOE has classified the waste as commercial rather than waste deriving from atomic energy defense activities. Under this classification, DOE believes that the cost for disposal of the wastes should be borne by the State of New York. New York State believes that since 60 percent of the material sent to West Valley was from facilities that conducted defense activities, and 80 percent of the reprocessed plutonium shipped out of West Valley was sent to defense facilities, it should be categorized as defense-related waste. This classification disagreement has major consequences for how the waste can be disposed of and who will be responsible for covering the costs. While I would prefer more certainty in clarifying the wastes' classification, this legislation puts us on a path towards solving this issue by requiring a GAO report on the origins of and disposal pathways, including cost estimates. In addition, the bill reauthorizes the West Valley Demonstration Project at $75 million annually for 7 years. This funding level is in line with historic appropriations levels and will ensure the cleanup will continue on schedule. This bill may not resolve the decades-old dispute between New York and the Department of Energy. It does address funding for the remediation of the site and attempts to move the ball forward to ensure that wastes are disposed of properly and, most importantly, fairly. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Higgins), my colleague and friend from the 26th Congressional District.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, West Valley, as an issue, has been there for a long time. It is good to know that we are moving the ball forward. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina for yielding. Madam Speaker, I thank the dean, the gentleman from North Carolina, for bringing us together. The delegation has done an awesome bit of tribute here to recognize Walter B. Jones, Jr., our colleague who has served so faithfully well. I will offer a few comments here. It has been a tremendous tribute. I do, in my initial comments here, want to extend my condolences to his widow and his family and his many friends and colleagues and, in a particular way, to his staff. To know Walter Jones is to love Walter Jones. I have to believe that the relationship that he had with so many and, in particular, his family and his extended family, his work family, had to be driven by that love, that compassion that was part of him. It was undeniable. It was so clearly presented by every step, every thought he shared. He was a person of deeply rooted faith. His Christian faith, his Catholic faith guided him. He was a pious individual who was not self- righteous but spoke with such integrity and such deeply rooted beliefs that our goal in life is to connect inextricably with everyone and to serve everyone. He understood the role of a legislator to be compassionate, to empathize, to be able to express to the many people who trusted in his leadership, to share what needed to be done here. And so, tonight, we gather together to offer our thanks to this consummate gentleman who was every bit of the way, yes, an individual of greatness, but if we do not mention his heart, his kindness, we don't capture the individual. His kindness worked in several ways. He wove that kindness into every bill that he addressed, every vote he undertook, every step that he made in his career of public service. He understood that these acts of kindness would accumulate to express an individual of greatness. His integrity was impeccable. I cherish the many conversations we would have on the walk over to the House or in riding in the trolley about having a sense of guidance, a sense of how to conduct yourself, how to go forth and understand that the work you can address in this body affects individuals so greatly. Obviously, he was a person who was humble and could acknowledge mistakes, as was indicated earlier, to do that publicly and graciously as he did when he suggested that the many thousands, the 12,000-plus letters that he had drafted to families of dead troops since 2003 was, in a sense, an act of penance, a sense of expression that he had erred and that he regretted that there were these consequences of war that were borne by these many families who lost their loved ones prematurely. There was a sense of coming together that he would allow all of us to share in the efforts for peace. Walter carried himself in a peaceful way, a peaceful manner. He was a moral compass for this House, one who taught us, by his very actions, that it is essential for us to be bold, that our fight to be there for what is just and fair should guide us. Tonight, I acknowledge his great work, his great friendship, his great lessons taught. He didn't use or need to use words to teach us. His actions spoke louder than any words he could utter. And tonight, we say thank you to an individual who is very much missed already in the weeks that have passed since his departure from this world. Walter, we cherish your memory. It will live forever. You will be the measuring stick for Members who serve in this House, and you will be that constant reminder, as I look at that kind and loving smile that you have worn in this photograph that we have on display on the House floor. It has guided us. It will continue to speak to us. Your actions are powerful. Your words were so carefully chosen and so heartfelt. Your drive to be a just and fair man has earned you an eternal reward. Good job, humble and faithful servant. God bless you. May you rest in peace.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 583) to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for enhanced penalties for pirate radio, and for other purposes.

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

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H.R. 583, the Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement Act, or PIRATE Act, a bill sponsored by myself and Mr. Bilirakis. This measure is a bipartisan, commonsense bill that passed the House last Congress. Mr. Speaker, first, a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has worked on this measure. I thank Representative Bilirakis for agreeing to lead this effort with me in this Congress. I thank our former colleague, Congressman Leonard Lance, for all his work on this bill in the past. And I thank the New York State broadcasters for their dedication. For years, I, along with many Members of the New York and New Jersey delegations, have voiced our concern that pirate radio operators are a threat to Americans' public health and safety. Yet these lawbreakers are as prevalent as ever, and their actions have been met with few consequences. This legislation responds directly to that threat. The FCC has taken some positive steps to remedy this issue, but more needs to be done. In short, the PIRATE Act would increase penalties and restrictions on pirate radio. Whether a radio frequency is being used by first responders coordinating to save lives, or parents who want to keep obscenity and bigotry away from their children, for example, our communities are better served when broadcasters respect the rule of law. Previous drafts of the PIRATE Act included provisions creating liability for those who facilitate illegal pirate radio operation. These provisions were removed as being duplicative with existing law. For example, under current law, the FCC can hold a property owner liable for allowing a pirate radio operator access or other assistance. Cutting these provisions should not be taken as limiting the Commission's authority to assess fines against those who assist illegal pirate operations. On the contrary, the consequences established in this act would also apply in these contexts. The text of the bill before us today includes changes that were requested in the Senate last Congress. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record letters of support for H.R. 583 from the 50 State broadcast associations. January 18, 2019. 50 State Broadcasters Associations Urge Passage of the Bipartisan PIRATE Act Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Mitch McConnell, Majority Leader, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. Hon. Kevin McCarthy, Minority Leader, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Charles Schumer, Minority Leader, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. Dear Speaker Pelosi and Leaders McCarthy, McConnell and Schumer: The undersigned broadcasters associations representing local, over-the-air broadcast stations in all 50 States, the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico urge your swift consideration and passage of the Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement (PIRATE) Act (H.R. 583). The PIRATE Act would provide the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with critical new enforcement measures to combat pirate radio operations. Last Congress, substantially similar bipartisan legislation (H.R. 5709, 115th) passed the House of Representatives unanimously. For years unauthorized pirate radio stations have harmed communities across the country by undermining the Emergency Alert System, interfering with airport communications, posing direct health risks and interfering with licensed stations' abilities to serve their listeners. The time has come to take significant steps to resolve this vexing problem. The PIRATE Act gives the FCC additional tools to address the growing pirate radio problem. It provides the authority to levy increased fines up to $100,000 per violation and $2,000,000 in total. The PIRATE Act streamlines the enforcement process and requires the FCC to conduct pirate radio enforcement sweeps in cities with a concentration of pirate radio stations. It recognizes the importance of FCC coordination with federal, state and local law enforcement authorities. Finally, the PIRATE Act would create a database of all licensed radio stations operating in the AM and FM bands as well as those entities that have been subject to enforcement actions for illegal operation. We are reaching the point where illegal pirate stations undermine the legitimacy and purpose of the FCC's licensing system to the detriment of listeners in communities across the country. The PIRATE Act will help the FCC restore integrity to the system. For these reasons, local broadcasters across our great nation fully support the bipartisan PIRATE Act and urge its swift passage without changes. Respectfully, Sharon Tinsley, Alabama Broadcasters Association; Cathy Hiebert, Alaska Broadcasters Association; Christopher Kline, Arizona Broadcasters Association; Luke Story, Arkansas Broadcasters Association; Joe Berry, California Broadcasters Association; Justin Sasso, Colorado Broadcasters Association; Michael Patrick Ryan, Connecticut Broadcasters Association; C. Patrick Roberts, Florida Association of Broadcasters; Bob Houghton, Georgia Association of Broadcasters; Jamie Hartnett, Hawaii Association of Broadcasters; Connie Searles, Idaho State Broadcasters Association; Dennis Lyle, Illinois Broadcasters Association. Dave Arland, Indiana Broadcasters Association; Sue Toma, Iowa Broadcasters Association; Kent Cornish, Kansas Association of Broadcasters; Chris Winkle, Kentucky Broadcasters Association; Polly Prince Johnson, Louisiana Association of Broadcasters; Suzanne Goucher, Maine Association of Broadcasters; Lisa Reynolds, Maryland/D.C./ Delaware (MDCD) Broadcasters Association; Jordan Walton, Massachusetts Broadcasters Association; Karole L. White, Michigan Association of Broadcasters; Wendy Paulson, Minnesota Broadcasters Association; Margaret Perkins, Mississippi Association of Broadcasters; Mark Gordon, Missouri Broadcasters Association. Dewey Bruce, Montana Broadcasters Association; Jim Timm, Nebraska Broadcasters Association; Mitch Fox, Nevada Broadcasters Association; Tracy Caruso, New Hampshire Association of Broadcasters; Paul Rotella, New Jersey Broadcasters Association; Paula Maes, New Mexico Broadcasters Association; David Donovan, New York State Broadcasters Association; Lisa Reynolds, North Carolina Association of Broadcasters; Beth Helfrich, North Dakota Broadcasters Association; Christine Merritt, Ohio Association of Broadcasters; Vance Harrison, Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters; John Tamerlano, Oregon Association of Broadcasters. Joe Conti, Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters; Jose A. Ribas Dominicci, Radio Broadcasters Association of Puerto Rico; Lori Needham, Rhode Island Broadcasters Association; Margaret Wallace, South Carolina Broadcasters Association; Steve Willard, South Dakota Broadcasters Association; Whit Adamson, Tennessee Association of Broadcasters; Oscar Rodriguez, Texas Association of Broadcasters; Michele Zabriskie, Utah Broadcasters Association; Wendy Mays, Vermont Association of Broadcasters; Doug Easter, Virginia Association of Broadcasters; Keith Shipman, Washington State Association of Broadcasters; Michele Crist, West Virginia Broadcasters Association; Michelle Vetterkind, Wisconsin Broadcasters Association; Laura Grott, Wyoming Association of Broadcasters.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 583 is a bipartisan, commonsense advance in the laws that support our first responders and protect our communities. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation so it can be taken up in the Senate and signed into law. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further Members who choose to speak. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, to close, I believe that this measure, H.R. 583, moves us forward in a way that better protects public health and safety. It has the endorsement of many in the field, including 50 State broadcast associations. Mr. Speaker, I encourage our colleagues to support H.R. 583, and I yield back the balance of my time.