Scott Tipton

Mr. TIPTON

Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, the proposed Endangered Species Act for the Gunnison Sage-Grouse and the Greater Sage-Grouse will impact millions of acres in Colorado and hinder existing conservation efforts. It will put private lands off-limits to most use and development, including agricultural production, without providing any compensation. It will kill jobs, devastate communities, and disrupt effective species preservation efforts currently under way. It won't, however, more effectively preserve the grass. In my district, plans at the local level are under way to effectively preserve the species. Because they take into account the unique geography and environment of the region, these efforts are seeing success. Interior Department bureaucrats have yet to provide measurable species preservation goals so that State and local officials can meet them. Local conservation efforts are all too often disrupted by Federal attempts to implement blanket plans. One-size-fits-all plans create endless litigation that ties up resources that could be used for preservation. If the true goal is species preservation, then I hope Secretary Jewell will come to Colorado and see firsthand the effective work being done to preserve the sage grouse and provide measurable species preservation laws.

Mr. TIPTON

Mr. TIPTON. An all-of-the-above approach in energy, this responsibly increases production on federal lands and is needed to ensure that the prosperity of our Nation is ensured. This is exactly what H.R. 1965 will accomplish. It creates a framework to responsibly meet America's energy needs, lower energy costs for consumers, and create much-needed American jobs. I urge the immediate passage of this bill.

Mr. TIPTON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for yielding me time on this critical matter. I appreciate that my Planning for American Energy Act was incorporated as title II of the Federal Lands Jobs and Energy Security Act of 2013. This final, commonsense package seeks to put in place responsible American energy plans that will reduce energy costs for consumers while also spurring economic growth and job opportunities. The legislation before us today would unleash the potential for thousands of new jobs and establish a reliable, affordable, and secure source of American energy through responsible production. Title II of this act seeks to establish commonsense steps to create an all-of-the- above American energy plan for using Federal lands to meet America's energy needs. Under title II of this legislation, the nonpartisan Energy Information Administration provides the projected energy needs of the United States for the next 30 years to the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture. The Secretaries would use this information to establish an environmentally responsible, 4-year energy production plan. The bill allows for energy development on public lands in order to promote the energy and national security of the United States in accordance with multiple-use management standards established by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. Title II requires an all-of-the-above approach to energy development responsibly in this country. The bill specifically cites wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal, oil, gas, coal, oil shale, and minerals needed for energy development to be included in the plan. These goals would be accomplished responsibly, without repealing a single environmental regulation or review process. Earlier this year, an important study entitled ``Energy Cost Impacts on American Families'' was released. This study, which relies on government data, had some troubling findings, including that more than 50 percent of U.S. households are expected to spend at least 20 percent of their family budgets on energy costs in 2013. This figure has nearly doubled in the last 10 years alone. Even more troubling is the fact that these energy increases have disproportionately impacted families on lower incomes and seniors on fixed incomes. This stands to reason, given the decline in energy production on Federal lands under this administration. Since President Obama took office, production on Federal lands has declined significantly, including a staggering 21 percent decline in Federal natural gas production. Colorado, along with our neighboring Western States, is in a unique position to contribute to our Nation's energy security and ensure that the United States remains competitive in the world market. By promoting a commonsense regulatory framework embracing domestic energy research and development, and applying environmental and safety standards already on the books rather than adding costly new mandates, we can help meet America's energy needs right here at home, providing energy and economic security that will benefit American families.

Mr. TIPTON

Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. George Welsh, current superintendent of Center School District in Colorado. His leadership and ability to think outside of the box has greatly benefitted the Center School District and provided students with opportunities to learn and achieve beyond ordinary expectations. Leading by example, through dedication to teaching and learning, Mr. Welsh has inspired teachers and students in the San Luis Valley to reach their full potential for over a decade. Mr. Welsh was recently named ``Superintendent of the Year'' by the Colorado Association of School Districts, a well-deserved honor. Center School District has faced many challenges and headwinds, often operating with extremely limited resources. With Mr. Welsh's leadership, innovative use of technology and ability to maximize the resources available to the District, graduation rates in the Center School District have risen up to 93 percent, from 33 percent when he began in 1997. This is an extraordinary achievement. In addition to being named ``Superintendent of the Year'' by the Colorado Association of School Districts, Mr. Welsh was also the recipient of the Demont Award from the Colorado Association of School Boards, naming him Outstanding Rural Superintendent of the Year. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to recognize Mr. George Welsh for his dedication to education and leadership that has undoubtedly transformed many lives. Superintendent George Welsh is an incredible resource for his community, and I have no doubt that he will continue to have a significant impact during his education career, helping students and teachers reach their highest goals.

Mr. TIPTON

Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, better than a day ago this House acted in a bipartisan manner to be able to fund government, to make sure that Members of Congress have to abide by the same laws that they pass, to make sure that individuals, just like big businesses, are going to be treated fairly under the Affordable Care Act, and to fully fund government. This passed with bipartisan support out of the House of Representatives. The offer is there. Government can open today. Senator Reid just needs to pick up the phone and answer the call to make sure that we're working together in that bipartisan fashion, as we demonstrated in the House of Representatives, to work for the American people. Government can open today. Senator Reid just needs to pick up the phone and listen to the voice of the House of Representatives. Let's make sure that the laws that we pass apply to Congress and that all Americans are treated fairly.

Mr. TIPTON

Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, let's begin with where we can all agree as Americans: at the very beginning of the debate when it came to health care in 2008, it was about affordability and accessibility when it comes to health care. We can't disagree about that. As Americans and small businessmen, we felt the pain of seeing ever-increasing premiums, but we also wanted to make sure that we had access to real doctors. What are the results that are now coming out of the Affordable Care Act? Let me give you an example that was just emailed to me last night out of a small community church in my district in Durango, Colorado. They were just able to extend their plan before the Affordable Care Act takes effect. For six employees working at the church, their premiums are now going to be $50,665 for the collective group this year. When the Affordable Care Act impacts them in the next cycle, those rates will rise for those same six employees to $72,069, a 48.7 percent increase. So the question we have to ask is: Has the Affordable Care Act achieved the goal that, as Americans, we can all agree that we desire to be able to have--affordability? Let's talk to those six people working in that small church in Durango, Colorado, who are relying on charitable contributions to be able to have their jobs, to have affordable health care. The answer is no. Let's talk to senior citizens that I visited with throughout the Third Congressional District of Colorado, many of whom just became senior citizens and are now required to sign up for Medicare under the law. Just because of a birthday over the last year or two, they are now finding that they cannot even find a doctor who will accept Medicare. I just held a meeting with better than 20 physicians in Grand Junction, Colorado, several of whom expressed that by the year 2014 they're closing their practices. So have we addressed accessibility in America? We have not. What the administration fails to understand is there's a quantitative difference between affordability and accessibility and just having an insurance card. We can insure every American, but does that mean you have access to quality health care at an affordable price? The Republican Party is putting forward real solutions to be able to address this challenge. Let's let the free markets actually work. Let's have real competition. Let's allow businesses to be able to come together to be able to form real groups and to be able to negotiate lower rates. Let's incentivize rather than disincentivize, as the President's law does, those private medical health care savings accounts if we really care about health care. Let's, indeed, make sure that people with preexisting conditions have access and affordable health care as well. These are the plans that we are putting forward; but it's going to require that we work together. What is not helpful is when we hear an administration say it is nonnegotiable while at the same time saying we have to work together. We can't work together if we cannot have a dialogue. That is what this House of Representatives is putting forward--real solutions to be able to address the real problems to help real Americans that are struggling right now. And the bottom line is, if we want health care, we also need jobs. If you talk to the people in my district, small businesses, they aren't able to hire right now simply because of the cost of the Affordable Care Act and the impacts that they're feeling. These are affecting real Americans, real people, and real lives. The solution cannot and should not be just bigger government, just a legacy piece of legislation. I believe that the American people deserve a policy that will actually work for them. That can only be achieved if we work together. We are putting those ideas forward today. We are not about shutting down this government. We want to keep it open. That's the policy of our conference. But we also need to have a policy that's making sure that government laws are not hurting the American people. The Affordable Care Act is hurting the American people, will hurt the economy, will hurt jobs. This is something that we can achieve a positive solution on if the administration will open that door to dialogue rather than distrust. Let's work for the American people rather than for bigger government.

Mr. TIPTON

Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, I believe the sense of this House--and certainly the American people--is that the Constitution of the United States is worthy of protecting, and the rights that are afforded in that Constitution are worthy of protecting. Unfortunately, the administration has unilaterally decided to try and obligate citizens of the United States to the UN's mandates when it comes to the small arms treaty affecting the Second Amendment rights of every American. I believe that we should not be held accountable, we should not be held in submission to the whims of an unelected organization on the world stage. The value of our Constitution, the value of our rights must be protected. We must urge the United States Senate to reject the treaty that Secretary Kerry has just signed. Stand up for the rights of Americans, stand up for the rights of Americans to be able to keep and bear arms, and protect the Second Amendment of the United States.

Mr. TIPTON

Mr. TIPTON. I thank the gentlelady for her leadership. Mr. Speaker, the Affordable Care Act missed on its primary goal, addressing affordability and accessibility for the American people. Probably no one said it better than the AFL-CIO just a few weeks ago, saying that the Affordable Care Act will lead to the destruction of the 40-hour work week, and will devastate the health and well-being of their members. There was a time in America when we worked to be able to get a 40- hour work week. Now, Americans just want to have a 40-hour work week. We know there is a problem with the health care law when we're seeing fewer doctors, fewer nurses, fewer hospital beds, but yet we have the room to be able to create more IRS enforcers. This is legislation that we're reaching out to the administration to be able to work on. To be able to create affordability and accessibility, we must defund and replace this broken piece of legislation on behalf of the American people.

Mr. TIPTON

Mr. TIPTON. Thank you, Chairman Hastings. I appreciate the opportunity to address emergencies in our forests in the West. Mr. Chairman, over the past decade, we've seen an increase in the number of catastrophic wildfires burning in the western U.S., resulting in a tragic loss of life, significant property damage, the loss of critical habitats, and the pollution of vital watersheds. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, there have been over 38,119 different fires in the United States in 2013 alone. The Black Forest fire, which ravaged Colorado in June of this year, is believed to be the most destructive fire in Colorado's history, destroying more than 486 homes and with an estimated cost in excess of $85 million. The West Fork Complex fire burned approximately 110,000 acres in southwest Colorado this summer, and the incident commanders in charge of the suppression efforts on the fire told me that the behavior of the fire was unprecedented. Because of all the beetle-killed timber, unnaturally dense forest, and dry conditions, the fire has acted in a way that defied computer models. Unfortunately this news was made worse last week in my home State, as Colorado was struck with another natural disaster in what many believe was the worst flood in Colorado history. Parts of at least 18 different cities and towns in my home State were severely flooded, and damage to roads, bridges, homes, and other infrastructure is already estimated to exceed a billion dollars. While little could be done to prepare for the staggering rainfall the State received over such a widespread area, in parts of Colorado where fires in recent years stripped the landscape of vegetation, the severity of the flood damage was worsened by intense runoff, erosion, and mud slides. Threats to wildlife and property resulting from the wildfires are becoming increasingly costly, and by 2030 the number of acres of forest in Colorado that contain residential housing and commercial development is expected to exceed 2 million acres, representing an enormous potential hazard if fuel reduction projects and other proactive managements are not initiated. Instead of ramping up forest management efforts and addressing hazardous conditions of the Western forests, the Interior Department has proposed a 48 percent cut agency-wide for hazardous fuels reduction for 2014, and the Forest Service has proposed reducing this proactive management by 24 percent. In 2012, the Forest Service spent only $296 million on hazardous fuels treatment nationwide, while spending close to $2 billion on wildfire suppression during that same time. It is far more efficient and cost effective to proactively manage our forests. I've said it before, but the old adage of ``an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure'' rings especially true when we're talking about reducing the occurrence and severity of wildfires in our forests. Despite this, we've seen a decrease in timber harvesting of 80 percent over the past three decades. It is no coincidence that during this time the severity of fires and the number of acres burned has increased steadily. From 2000 to 2012, over 90 million acres burned in the U.S., nearly as many as the previous three decades combined. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the time and your support for this, and I urge passage of this legislation.

Mr. TIPTON

Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the heroic efforts of Major Drew Dennis Dix of the United States Army who hails from the hometown of heroes, Pueblo, Colorado. Major Dix was a military adviser for the Army of the Republic of Vietnam and was awarded the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry in action on January 31, 1968. Major Dix led a force to rescue trapped civilians from a city. When the rescue team entered the city, they were greeted with intense automatic rifle fire and machine gun fire from the Vietcong. Major Dix personally engaged and killed six Vietcong in a building where two civilians were trapped. The following day, Dix assembled a 20-man force to clear the Vietcong out of the city. The group captured 20 and attacked several who had entered the residence of the deputy province chief, successfully rescuing the official's wife and children. It is for this indomitable heroism and supreme bravery that I am proud to honor and remember the actions of Major Drew Dennis Dix.

Mr. TIPTON

Mr. TIPTON. Thank you, Chairman Bishop. I certainly appreciate your leadership on this issue, along with Chairman Hastings. Mr. Speaker, my colleague had just described some of the challenges that we've been facing in Colorado. I would like to be able to expand upon that. Not long ago, I was at the incident command centers in Monte Vista, Colorado, on the east side of the Rockies, and also in Pagosa Springs, on the west side of the Rockies, to be able to visit the incident command centers trying to deal with the West Fork Complex fire. How big is the fire? It's 170 square miles and counting. We are not talking 170 acres. We are talking 170 square miles of forests in my district. The challenges that this is going to bring in terms of being able to deal with endangered species, in terms of water quality, in terms of tourism and the economy in western Colorado can probably not yet be numbered. That is why the Restoring Healthy Forests Act is a bill whose time has come. The National Interagency Fire Center reported this week that there have been 35,000-plus fires in the United States in 2013 alone. Devastating bark beetle infestation, prolonged drought conditions, and unnaturally dense forests--these have all combined with ineffective forest management for a devastating fire season. These factors have led to a significant increase in the magnitude and in the number of wildfires in the country over the past decade. So far this year, 3.9 million acres have already burned, and these figures continue to grow with 21 active, large wildfires. The property damage and costs associated with these wildfires is tremendous; and to date, the Forest Service has already spent over a billion dollars in fire suppression alone. In 2012, the Forest Service spent only $296 million on hazardous fuels reduction; whereas, they spent $1.77 billion on wildfire suppression at that same time. Part of this is a planning process. We have dealt with leadership in the Forest Service. They've talked about computer models which their own folks are telling us simply don't work. We have to be able to get in and effectively manage these forests, to be able to treat them in a responsible way, to be able to build for our communities, and to be able to make sure that our children are able to see the same forests that we grew up living in. The cost of proactive healthy forest management is, indeed, far less than the cost of wildfire suppression. When it comes to our forests, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; but instead of ramping up forest management efforts and addressing hazardous conditions in the West, the Interior Department has proposed to cut the budget by 48 percent for hazardous fuels reduction in 2014, and the Forest Service has proposed reducing this proactive management by a further 24 percent. Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have expressed outrage at this approach of further reducing funding for hazardous fuels. Under the current management system, a cumbersome regulatory framework has further inhibited active forest management while excessive litigation has obstructed projects that would prevent devastating wildfires and protect our vital water supplies and precious species habitats. The status quo is not working, and immediate action is needed to be able to fix this broken system. Our forest management package, H.R. 1526, would allow greater State and local involvement in wildfire prevention on Federal lands in order to expedite hazardous fuels reduction projects and reduce litigation. In doing so, it would help restore sustainable timber harvesting, create jobs, and provide reliable sources of revenue for rural education and infrastructure. H.R. 1526 also addresses the shortfall in county revenue for schools and critical services caused by a lack of timber harvest by requiring the Forest Service to produce at least half of the sustainable annual yield of timber required under the 1908 law and to share 25 percent of those receipts with our rural counties. In order to meet this goal while providing for healthy forests, the bill includes the local management framework by directing the Forest Service to prioritize hazardous fuels reduction projects proposed by Governors and affected counties and tribes. To expedite locally based healthy forest projects, this package builds on the positive streamlining procedures implemented under the bipartisan Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003. I am pleased to have been able to work with Chairman Bishop and Chairman Hastings on this bill. It's time that we stand together to be able to return health to our forests in a proactive, responsible, and positive way. H.R. 1526 accomplishes that goal.

Mr. TIPTON

Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, the President is giving speeches on his plan for economic growth. His economic plan is to grow government, regulate more, spend more, and tax more. His speeches will not create jobs. The economy does not improve when the administration piles on tens of thousands of pages of costly new regulations. Families don't thrive when the only jobs they can find are part-time because of ObamaCare's onerous mandates forcing employers to cut back on hours in order to be able to keep their doors open. This administration's oppressive regulations cost small businesses, on average, $10,585 per employee. To create jobs and jump-start the economy, we must pull back on unnecessary punitive regulations, hold the bureaucracy accountable, and shrink the size of government and reward, rather than punish, success. This week we are voting to be able to stop government overreach, stand up for the American people, and give them a fighting chance to be able to succeed, to have access to fair and affordable and effective health care systems, not to have to worry about the Federal Government increasing burdens on their lives, abusing power, and stunting economic growth and putting their jobs at risk. The American people need this response.

Mr. TIPTON

Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Montrose, Colorado, Montrose has received the 2013 All-American City Award from the National Civic League. Each year, the National Civic League hosts an expo in Denver where citizens from all over the nation attend to display their community achievements. This year, the conference focused specifically on communities dedicated to providing support for veterans and their families. Ten outstanding proposals are chosen to receive the award, including Montrose. Montrose is a model of American values, with an outstanding commitment to supporting troops, veterans, and their families, through community efforts including Welcome Home Colorado. In the heart of Colorado, Montrose has a diverse landscape with access to abundant outdoor activities including hiking, skiing, and water sports. The community strives to make these recreational activities available to veterans and returning troops, improving their quality of life. The spirit of the community in Montrose is an inspiration to other cities across America to support our troops and veterans, and provide returning troops with the opportunity to thrive. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to recognize Montrose, Colorado, for its outstanding achievement as a 2013 All-American City, and recognize its residents for their dedication to their community and to our brave men and women who have served our country.

Mr. TIPTON

Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, in a June survey on business optimism, respondents cite regulations and red tape as one of their top concerns. I can speak from experience from my own small business. When government imposes new red tape, it takes away precious resources that are needed for small businesses to create and expand jobs. Under this administration, regulations have steadily increased. According to the Competitive Enterprise Institute, an annual cost of $1.8 trillion is inflicted on small businesses as a part of the Federal Regulatory Code that has now reached 174,000 pages. Since coming to Washington, my priority has been to stand up for small businesses and improve the economic climate so employers and entrepreneurs can succeed and create jobs. Throughout this fight to remove hurdles to job creation, the National Federation of Independent Business has been a steady ally, providing a voice to it's more than 350,000-member small businesses, and advocating for issues that would enable small businesses to succeed and create jobs. This month marks the 70th anniversary of NFIB, and I'd like to congratulate the organization for its decades of service to small businesses.

Mr. TIPTON

Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, the West Fork Complex Fire--acreage burning now in Colorado--is more than 141 square miles and counting. The East Peak Fire--over 13,000 acres and counting. These are just two of the fires that are burning in my district now, and it is still early summer. Tens of thousands of acres of forests are already gone and entire communities are being threatened. Brave men and women are working around-the-clock to be able to stop this devastation. They are truly incredible, and I want to thank all of them for all they are doing to be able to protect property, save lives, and to be able to contain these wildfires. Just like the wildfires that have ravaged our State over the last decade, these fires have destroyed property and are doing irreversible damage to the environment--to the fragile ecologies and watersheds on which we rely. The incident commanders in charge of the suppression efforts on the West Fork Fire--the Nation's highest priority--told me this week that the behavior of the fire is unprecedented. Because of all of the beetle- killed timber, unnaturally dense forest, and dry conditions, the fire has acted in a way that defies computer models and has been incredibly devastating. The most tragic part of all of this is the occurrence of these forest fires could be reduced, if not outright prevented, with commonsense healthy forest management. With this in mind, I have put forward the following resolution: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that allocating the appropriate resources to wildland fire management is needed to protect the environment, the economy and the people of the United States, and for other purposes. Whereas, the thoughts and prayers of the Members of the House of Representatives go out to the individuals and families who have lost loved ones and their homes to wildlife; Whereas, the Members of the House of Representatives express the utmost gratitude to wildland firefighters and first responders who bravely protect life and property; Whereas, nearly 10 million acres of land burned in the United States in 2012; Whereas, the acreage burned by wildfires has steadily increased over the past decade; Whereas, the most destructive fire in the history of the State of Colorado and the largest fire in the history of the State of New Mexico destroyed hundreds of homes and hundreds of thousands of acres of wildlife habitat in 2012; Whereas, Federal forest and land management officials continue to request fewer funds to fight wildfires; Whereas, the funding available for wildland fire suppression in the Wildland Fire Management Account of the Forest Service was cut by $461 million from fiscal year 2011 to fiscal year 2013; Whereas, the Wildland Fire Hazardous Fuels Reduction Account of the Forest Service was cut by $22 million from fiscal year 2011 to fiscal year 2013, and the latest budget request asks for another $116 million decrease; Whereas, the Collaborative Forest Restoration Program, a program that benefits local economies and improves the overall health of the landscape, has taken a 20 percent cut in funding over the past 2 years; Whereas, senior Forest Service officials have described a Federal land management system hamstrung by ``analysis paralysis;'' Whereas, decades of Federal mismanagement have increased fuel loads on Federal forest land and led to increased risk of catastrophic wildlife; Whereas, the U.S. Forest Service has replaced responsible, environmentally sound timber thinning with allowing forests to burn through overcrowded forests; Whereas, the bark beetle epidemic has destroyed 40 million acres of forest in North America; and Whereas, academic studies indicate that bark beetle- infected trees can still be salvaged for timber to be used in mills and contribute to small businesses and local economies. Now, therefore, be it Resolved, that it is the sense of the House of Representatives that-- Allocating the appropriate resources to wildland fire management is needed to protect the environment, the economy, and the people of the United States; The bravery of the men and women who risk their lives to extinguish these conflagrations can never be questioned; A healthy forest policy must include prescribed thinning; Funding to fight and prevent wildfires is essential to public safety, environmental protection, and economic growth; People who live in or near our national forests have a right to expect the greatest possible protection for their homes and properties; The government should not continue to acquire more land when the hundreds of millions of acres already controlled by the government are mismanaged; and The Forest Service should proactively manage Federal forest lands in a manner that protects life and property, prevents catastrophic wildfire, promotes forest and watershed health, and creates jobs and economic development in the forest products industry. I invite all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in standing with the people of Colorado, standing with all in the West who have been impacted by catastrophic wildfire. Join me in thanking the firefighters who are risking their lives to protect others. Join me in the action to prevent future devastation and restore our forests to health.

Mr. TIPTON

Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th anniversary of Alamosa County, Colorado. In these fast-paced times, we often overlook the foundations of America--small towns with hard- working people. Since 1913, Alamosa has been a model of American values, with a proud heritage of honest, hard work, perseverance and community. As the legend goes, Alamosa, originally intended as a rail center for the Rio Grande Railroad, was built from the ground up practically over-night. Industrious from the outset, the citizens of Alamosa built the town with bricks forged from local clay and fired in the city's own kiln. It's this spirit of industry that drives Alamosa County's 9,000 residents today. It provides opportunities for the next generation to grow and prosper at Adams State College and Trinidad State College, in one of Colorado's most diverse landscapes that boasts the Great Sand Dunes National Park and the Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to recognize the 100th anniversary of Alamosa County and pay tribute to the people, past and present, who have built this community and continue to embody hard work and dedication, values which have made our country strong.

Mr. TIPTON

Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Emma Coburn of Crested Butte, Colorado. This month, Ms. Coburn won her second NCAA national title in the steeplechase. Emma was born in Boulder, Colorado on October 19th, 1990, and raised in Crested Butte. In high school Ms. Coburn set the pace for an excellent athletic career, earning All-American honors on two separate occasions, setting five high school records, and winning eight 2A state championships. At the University of Colorado, she had an excellent showing at the NCAA championship finishing 11th in the steeplechase in her freshman year. Emma's excellence on the track, also extends into the classroom where she has earned a place on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll. She won her first national title in 2011 for the steeplechase before going on to compete for the U.S. World Championship team. In the World Championship meet she was the only American in the steeplechase to make it to the finals, and placed 12th overall. In 2012 Coburn prepared to compete for her country again, this time at the Olympics. While training for the Olympics she ran a time of 9:25.28, the fastest time an American has ever ran inside of the United States. Later that year she went on to be the only American to make it the finals, finishing in 9th place. This year Emma finished her spectacular collegiate track career with another NCAA national title in the steeplechase. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to recognize Emma for her devotion to athletic and academic excellence as well as to thank her for representing our country at the 2012 summer Olympics.

Mr. TIPTON

Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize President Gerald R. Ford's humanitarian involvement in Operation Babylift. On April 5th, 1975, President Ford launched Operation Babylift, an initiative that rescued over 3,000 orphans from war-torn Vietnam. Throughout the Vietnam War, these children witnessed the destruction of their villages and saw their families torn apart. Thanks to the efforts of President Ford, those children were given the opportunity for a bright future. This year marks what would have been President Ford's 100th birthday. During his presidency Ford faced many challenges under extraordinary circumstances, and through them worked tirelessly on behalf of the American people with the hope of peace in his heart. During a time of great uncertainty and fear, President Ford restored faith in humanity as he made the call to commence Operation Babylift, sending 30 cargo aircrafts to transport over 3,000 Vietnamese orphans out of war-torn Vietnam. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to recognize President Gerald R. Ford and his efforts that saved the lives of thousands of children.

Mr. TIPTON

Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Pueblo Veterans Ritual Team of Pueblo, Colorado. Pueblo Veterans Ritual Team, founded in 1984, is a Veteran Service Organization dedicated to providing military honors to veterans. As one of the oldest Veterans Ritual Teams in the country, the Pueblo Veterans Ritual Team assists over two hundred of our nation's service families every year. The group is comprised of former service men and women who continue to serve the community by providing military funeral services for many of the area's fallen heroes. Pueblo Veterans Ritual Team supports disabled veterans, widows, and orphans of deceased veterans by comforting the families after the loss, entertaining service members while in the hospital, and providing any other assistance needed. Through their continual service in the community they have an immense impact as public ambassadors for veterans and the Armed Forces. The community of Pueblo, as the Home of Heroes, is in debt to the Pueblo Veterans Ritual Team for their service in supporting the veteran community. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to recognize Pueblo Veterans Ritual Team for their devotion to honoring America's heroes as well as their service to our nation.

Mr. TIPTON

Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Chairman, I rise today with an amendment that cuts $4 million from the Transportation Security Administration and provides these resources for small and rural airports, airports that have had important passenger screening devices removed as a result of the Federal Aviation Administration Modernization Act. Passengers in rural airports in my district, including Yampa Valley, Montrose, Gunnison, Durango, they've all been impacted by unnecessary delays and intrusions because of the removal of security screening devices that were sent to larger airports. In the interest of protecting passenger privacy, the FAA Modernization Reform Act of 2012 required the use of Automated Target Recognition scanners, or ``Gumby scanners,'' at all airports by June 1 of 2012. While the intent of Congress was admirable and protecting the privacy of passengers should be a priority, TSA's interpretation and implementation of the law has caused numerous problems for passengers traveling from small and rural airports throughout the country. One of TSA's manufacturers who provided equipment for passenger screening could not comply with the changes in the law and provide new equipment. As a result, TSA decided to remove 174 of these noncompliant machines throughout the country. Rather than waiting for funding for new machines or finding alternative ways to be able to fix this problem, TSA made the arbitrary decision of taking compliant scanners from small and rural airports throughout the country and giving them to larger airports that lost their noncompliant scanners. One alternative could have been the cost-effective private-Federal alternative screening model that was put forth by then-House Transportation Chairman John Mica that would have saved billions of dollars and not compromised security at small and rural airports. TSA's implication that security checkpoints at small and rural airports are somehow less critical is inaccurate. Once passengers clear screening at small and rural airports, they typically do not receive additional screening for connecting flights at any other potentially larger airports. The amendment will assist with reducing unnecessary delay for passengers at small and rural airports by providing funding to be able to speed up the replacement of security equipment removed by the TSA. It is important to note that the funds being redirected from TSA toward improving passenger screening at small airports come from its administrative budget and, as such, do not impact passenger security. There are numerous concerns with transparency and waste in the TSA budget, including a recent agreement by the TSA to purchase $50 million worth of new uniforms that are unnecessary, wasting approximately $212 million each year on the inefficient SPOT program and billions on the Transportation Worker Identification Credential program. I believe that these resources could be better used to more efficiently screen passengers at small airports, strengthen security, prevent delays and unavoidable intrusions. I encourage my colleagues to join me in support of this commonsense amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr TIPTON

Mr TIPTON. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. TIPTON

Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Chairman, as I stand here, wildfires are burning in my district and in the State of Colorado. The bark beetle epidemic, rampant drought, intense weather occurrences, and deteriorating forest health have increased the propensity for devastating wildfires throughout the Western United States. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, last year, more than 9.3 million acres of land burned. That is an area that is approximately the size of Rhode Island, Delaware, the District of Columbia, and Massachusetts combined. These fires tragically claimed 13 lives, destroyed more than 2,000 homes, and led to hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. Nearly 400,000 acres burned in Colorado, alone, with the tragic loss of six lives. The status quo of addressing a problem when it's too late is no longer good enough. The status quo has given us decades of declining forest health. The status quo has given us years of increasingly catastrophic wildfires. The status quo has put people, communities, and ecosystems at risk. We must do more. Forests are vital for the Western United States. They provide limitless environmental and economic benefits when healthy. It's our responsibility to be able to preserve this incredible natural resource and do all that we can to be able to restore forest health. And we also need to be able to prevent future loss of life and property to catastrophic wildfire. I urge this body to be able to join with me and my colleague, Congressman Polis of Colorado, in taking a step to be able to prevent these tragedies. For far too long we've been working to stop fires once they start and mitigate damage once it has already occurred. As the old saying goes, ``an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.'' That is what this amendment is about: getting ahead of this problem by investing greater resources toward prevention so that we can take a more proactive approach to restoring our forests to a healthy, natural state. Representative Polis and I have introduced this amendment to direct $7,655,000 to FEMA's National Pre-Disaster Mitigation Fund, a program uniquely suited to be able to assist in our effort to be able to reduce the occurrence of wildfire, as it would provide funds aimed at mitigating conditions that lead to these fires. Despite the need for proactive programs such as this in the wake of increased occurrences of extreme weather events, including wildfire, the National Pre-Disaster Mitigation Fund is facing a reduction of nearly $2.5 million this year. Considering the value of this program and the term saving it generates through prevention of destructive fires, I believe there are more appropriate areas within the Federal Government where it can realize budget savings. Our amendment is offset by decreasing the same amount of funding in the Automation Modernization account of the Department of Homeland Security, which received an increase of $7,655,000 this year for its IT modernization, despite concerns with transparency of spending within the agency. I share the concerns expressed there. Senator Coburn's Wastebook provided some troubling findings about wasteful spending within DHS, including the fact that this agency has spent over $35 billion of taxpayers' money in the last 10 years. In fiscal year '10, DHS spent $6.5 billion on IT spending alone. In 2013, DHS planned to spend $4 billion on 68 major IT programs. A third of these programs cost about $1 billion and were identified by the Government Accountability Office as containing waste and not meeting specified commitments. Besides being replete with wasteful government spending, many programs at DHS have been found to be overlapping, unnecessary, or lacking in transparency. Until these concerns are addressed, I do not believe we should be providing additional resources for these programs at DHS. Instead, we could better use that $7,655,000 to take steps towards proactively reducing the occurrence of devastating wildfires by redirecting those funds to the National Pre-Disaster Mitigation Fund. I urge my colleagues to support this important amendment and safeguard our forests. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. TIPTON

Mr. TIPTON. I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Chairman, I rise today with an amendment to reduce wasteful spending by the Department of Veterans Affairs on conferences and use the money to be able to assist the VA backlog of processing disability claims for veterans. Two-thirds of all veterans who file disability claims with the VA must wait longer than 125 days to be able to receive their benefits. I have seen this firsthand from constituents in my district. People have contacted my office in sheer exasperation by the lack of response and endless delays by the VA in processing their claims. This isn't a statistic we're talking about. This is literally peoples' lives. Many of the veterans on the backlog are in desperate need of care, care that has been delayed by needless lag of bureaucratic backlogs in the Department of Veterans Affairs. This is deplorable, Mr. Chairman. The VA backlog has grown by over 2,000 percent over the last 4 years, despite an increase in the budget of more than the 20 percent. As of March 28 of this year, the VA reported that there are over 606,007 backlogged claims and 865,989 total claims. Nearly 900,000 veterans who have sacrificed for our country are not getting their benefits. They're not getting the care that they need. Our veterans deserve better. Despite the inability of the VA to be able to process claims in a timely manner, the agency continues to waste money on unnecessary conferences. In September of 2012, the VA Office of the Inspector General released a report highlighting abuses by the VA at conferences. That report included numerous troubling findings. According to the report, the VA spent more than $6.1 million on two human resource conferences in Orlando, and nearly $100,000 on unnecessary promotional items like bags, pins, and water bottles. In addition to these, the report included information on many more instances of waste, fraud, and abuse at the VA. Following the release of the OIG report, Congressman Jeff Miller, chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, stated ``it can be reasonably concluded that 10 to 15 percent of VA's conference spending is wasteful, amounting to $10 to $15 million a year, at the least.'' I wholeheartedly agree with Chairman Miller. That is why today I'm proposing this amendment to target $10 million in wasteful spending on conferences from the Secretary's $403 million budget and reprioritize these funds to be able to assist with addressing the VA backlog. It's time that the VA focus their efforts on serving our veterans and processing their claims in a reasonable amount of time--not in 125 days or more. The VA must reduce the backlog, and it won't get it done by wasting time and taxpayer dollars at conferences. It's time that the benefits work for our veterans rather than our veterans having to be able to work for their benefits. I urge my colleagues to be able to support this commonsense amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.