Robert Wittman

Mr. WITTMAN

Mr. WITTMAN. Madam Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Under current law, the Secretary of the Interior is not able to add any additional lease sales to a finalized 5-year plan, even if that area has been included in a draft plan and then withdrawn, so even if the work has been done to look at areas to include, he can't consider that in the final plan. This amendment is pretty simple. It provides the Secretary of the Interior the ability to add a lease sale to a finalized plan, as long as all of the NEPA requirements have been met on that specific area within the last 5 years. This is especially applicable to the case of Virginia Lease Sale 220 which, as I stated, was studied and included in the environmental impact statement, though it was later postponed and canceled. I want to make sure that the Secretary has the ability to add that back into the plan, since all the work has already been done to look at the environmental impacts; and, again, it was included originally in the plan. The flexibility should be there for that to happen. Should this administration finalize the next 5-year plan early, that would mean the ensuing administration would not have any ability to add lease sales. This amendment ensures that already studied lease sales can be added to a 5-year plan, as long as existing environmental requirements are met. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and, Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WITTMAN. Madam Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. WITTMAN. Madam Chairman, in closing, this is about American jobs; it is about developing our energy; it is about educational opportunities; it is about promoting STEM within our colleges and universities; it is about providing opportunities in Historically Black Colleges and Universities throughout the United States; and it is about providing opportunities for our veterans. This is a win-win for our Nation. It is an amendment that should be adopted and that should be voted on in favor by every Member of this body. With that, Madam Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WITTMAN. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. WITTMAN. Madam Chair, today, in order to maintain our Nation's competitive edge, to generate millions in much-needed revenue and to create millions of new jobs, we simply must move forward with offshore energy development. It just makes sense. There are new areas in our Nation today in which we are not developing that energy, specifically the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf--the mid-Atlantic area. Just as Mr. Duncan mentioned, it is incumbent upon us to make sure that we are doing the science to determine the extent of those resources. I believe it is a national obligation to develop the resources that we have. Allowing seismic surveying in the Atlantic is an important step toward achieving this goal. My amendment builds on that effort by promoting offshore seismic surveying through institutions of higher education, especially those that have done so much for our veterans. Specifically, this amendment would allow the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to partner with colleges and universities in the South Atlantic region, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, to promote geological and geophysical educational opportunities. The amendment language specifically gives preference to higher education institutions that admit and educate our Nation's returning veterans. This is a win-win, folks. It helps develop our Nation's energy resources, and it helps our veterans. The time is now. These partner schools would be able to conduct offshore geological and geophysical surveys for research purposes. Any data collected would be shared with the government, and it is prohibited from being used for commercial purposes. This language is modeled after existing regulations for seismic surveying that are already in place at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. This amendment promotes STEM educational opportunities and prepares students in the South Atlantic States of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia for the cutting-edge, high-paying jobs of America's energy renaissance. Just as Mr. Duncan spoke about, the time is now for that opportunity. Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Duncan).

Mr. WITTMAN

Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding feat achieved by the Northumberland Indians baseball team with their victory in the Division IA Virginia High School League Championship. The Indians earned the lA State Baseball Championship title in an impressive 9-3 game with the Honaker High School Tigers, winning the State Championship while handing the Tigers their first and only loss of the season. I would like to commend head coach Johnny Mothershead and all those who are involved with the Northumberland High School Indians for building this successful baseball program into a championship winning team. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand today to recognize the school, the coaches, the fans, and most importantly, the players on their successful season and victory in the IA State Championship game.

Mr. WITTMAN

Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding feat achieved by the Rappahannock Lady Raiders softball team with their victory in the Division 1A Virginia High School League Championship. The Lady Raiders earned the 1A State Softball Championship title in an impressive 5-0 game with the William Campbell Lady Generals, winning their first State Championship in the program's history. During their historical championship season, the Lady Raiders secured an impressive record of 22-3, a testament to the team's commitment to performing at the highest level each and every time they stepped on the field. I would like to commend head coach Ellen Gaines and all those who are involved with the Lady Raiders for building this successful softball program into a championship winning team. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand today to recognize the school, the coaches, the fans, and most importantly, the players on their successful season and victory in the lA State Championship game.

Mr. WITTMAN

Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Chairman, this amendment is pretty simple. It says that we are not going to use any funds at this particular time to propose, plan, or execute any additional Base Realignment and Closure rounds, better known as BRAC, the reason being that this language was adopted in the National Defense Authorization Act by an overwhelming vote of 325-98. The House has spoken and has said now is not the time to use these funds to begin this. I want to make sure that people understand that this is also in the Senate language. I want to make sure people understand, too, that this is a process by which we want to make sure we are understanding how decisionmaking takes place. A force structure comes before decisions on infrastructure, and as you know, the service branches are still making the decision about what the end strength should be--how many people we should have in our military. That will determine what our infrastructure should be. We are also undergoing an overseas base and housing assessment to determine what our presence should be overseas. That is ongoing. That should be completed before we even entertain any consideration about what our base structure needs to be here at home. The cost estimates for the last Base Realignment and Closure Commission in 2005 indicated that it would cost $21 billion. Now we see it costs $35 billion. The 2005 BRAC, as we see, hasn't saved money at all at this particular point, and it won't save money until 2018, so now is not the proper time to pursue a Base Realignment and Closure.

Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Chairman, in closing, we are at a decisive point. As you know, right now, we are bringing equipment back from Afghanistan. We are resetting our force, and we are training them for the next missions that they are about to face. Those efforts take resources, and we cannot forget that we have to devote those resources on the list of priorities. Making sure that our men and women are properly trained and that the equipment they have is properly operating and maintained is critical to this Nation's readiness. That should be job one. That is not to say we shouldn't look at saving money elsewhere through infrastructure, but we must restore lost readiness now. That is where those funds need to go. We certainly can look at infrastructure later, but now is the time to make sure we maintain readiness. With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire as to how much time I have remaining?

Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler).

Mr. WITTMAN. I thank the chairman for his leadership. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WITTMAN. I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey.

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

Mr. WITTMAN

Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the amendment offered by my colleague and friend from Florida. First, I want to commend the gentleman from Florida for his tireless efforts on behalf of his constituents. I recognize and appreciate the challenges many of his constituents are having with the Gulf of Mexico Council and the mismanagement issues plaguing the Red Snapper fishery. As a member of the authorizing committee and someone who has spent decades dealing with fisheries issues, I am concerned about the implications of this amendment to fishermen in my district and in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Virginia Waterman's Association has contacted me to express their opposition to this amendment, which would limit future catch share programs. Fishing has always been a key component of Virginia's economy, and the health of the resource is vital to its future. There are enormous benefits to the proper management of fisheries. Fisheries management, however, is a complex issue. It requires good science. It requires good analytics. And, more importantly, it requires good management tools. Catch shares can be a useful management tool, and they have proven to be an effective management program in many fisheries, including striped bass, surf clam, quahog, golden tilefish, and scallop. Additionally, in Virginia there is interest in new catch shares for tautog and blue crab. But the decisions over whether to use them are best left to the regional fishery management councils, which were established by Congress for this very purpose. The participants on those regional fishery management councils have extensive knowledge of their local fisheries and are better equipped than Congress to make decisions on what management regimes to use in their regions. I understand the concerns of my colleagues about the way some fisheries are managed in the United States. I share some of those concerns and look forward to continuing working through the House Natural Resources Committee to address them during reauthorization of Magnuson-Stevens. I do not believe that this amendment is the right approach to solving fishery management problems, nor is it good for the Commonwealth of Virginia. I am therefore opposed to the amendment.

Mr. WITTMAN

Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately I missed rollcall vote 217, on H.R. 10, Success and Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools Act. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. WITTMAN

Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Chairman, and Ranking Member Smith, thank you so much for your leadership in leading this bill to the floor. I rise in support of the Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon National Defense Authorization Act, which provides funding for ongoing operations in Afghanistan and, most critically, for our men and women on the front lines, where they continue to fight and die on our behalf each and every day. No one in this Chamber should forget that most of the decisions we make impact them first and foremost. It is our constitutional responsibility and should be our highest priority to ensure that they have the training and equipment they need to do their missions and come home safely. We must be committed to ensuring that our force is always ready to respond if a crisis arises. This bill attempts to limit operational risk, while also balancing present and future readiness requirements with an unrealistic and ultimately damaging topline. When we legislate to an arbitrary budget number rather than to a national security strategy, we inevitably make ill-advised choices that impact our capacity and capability to respond to global threats, such as the crisis in Ukraine, an emboldened and increasingly aggressive Russia, an increasingly aggressive China, and growing tensions in the Asia Pacific. If circumstances demand that we call up our forces to respond at this point in time, our military options would be limited. That is why I strongly oppose BRAC at this time. We just don't have the money to fund it, and we have higher priorities that directly impact the safety of our troops, and every effort and every dollar must be focused on them. This means funding the Marine Corps Air-Ground Task Forces, or MAGTAFs, in SOUTHCOM and CENTCOM, which are needed to secure embassy and military installations across the globe, a requirement made clear after the terrorist attack at Benghazi; funding flying hour programs, training, and depot maintenance across the services; ensuring robust steaming days critical to fleet training; and restoring CVN-73 funding to retain its viability as a fleet asset. These fixes, of course, don't alleviate my concerns about readiness shortfalls or risk to our warfighters. We here in Washington need to do all we can to decrease such risks. We ask a lot of our men and women who serve. We must not ask them to go into a fight without the training and equipment they need to succeed. When I took my oath of office to serve in Congress, I swore that I would abide by the principles laid out in the Constitution to ensure a robust national defense. While I believe this bill reflects that commitment, we cannot lose sight of the fact that FY16 is ominously looming, and sequestration remains the law of the land. The short-term and often shortsighted choices we have been forced to make will only exacerbate our readiness levels. We must continue to focus on restoring the readiness lost as a result of sequestration, but the fact remains that the national security requirements, as outlined in the defense strategy, far exceed the budget. I remain deeply concerned about the overall readiness of our force, not just the men and women that are fighting in Afghanistan, but those stationed around the globe. We must ensure they are properly trained, equipped, and prepared to meet the challenges on the horizon with overwhelming strength and superiority. It is time to fix sequestration and start budgeting to meet our defense strategy, not a senseless and arbitrary budget number.

Mr. WITTMAN

Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize our Nation's public servants and to thank them for their important contributions to our country. In every community across America, federal employees work to make sure the government is effective and keep us safe; their daily contributions to their fellow citizens and to the cause of freedom are simply innumerable. And in America's First District, there are many hardworking and dedicated patriots who serve the people of this nation every day. As we celebrate Public Service Recognition Week, which started on Sunday, May 4, and ends on Saturday, May 10, I want to express my utmost gratitude to the country's federal employees as well as our dedicated state, county and local public servants for their tireless service. I am proud to represent the tens of thousands of federal employees and retirees who live in the First District of Virginia. Congress charges these individuals with important duties and expects these duties to be performed with the highest caliber of expertise--but rather than being recognized for their service, these public servants see their salary and benefits continually used as a pawn in the game of politics. I have opposed these efforts because I believe that as Congress continues to ask our federal civilian workforce to do more with less, we should instead be standing with them in recognition of their service. From the CIA agents on the front lines of the War on Terror to the FBI agents finding suspected terrorists--our Nation's public servants perform critical national security jobs that make our country a safer place. As the House votes to establish a new Select Committee on Benghazi, it is important to note that the Foreign Service officers representing our government at the U.S. consulate and annex where the September 11, 2012, attack occurred were federal employees. In addition to serving abroad, our Nation's federal employees frequently risk their lives to protect us here at home as well. The Customs and Border Patrol and DEA agents working to fight illegal immigration, human trafficking and drug running operations are federal employees. These men and women often get little to no recognition for their work, but day in and day out are repeatedly put in harm's way. We must also recognize the public servants who are not directly in dangerous situations, but on a daily basis perform duties imperative to our safety. Defense civilian riggers, machinists, refuelers and engineers who repair sophisticated weaponry systems at our Army depots, Air Force bases and shipyards are the federal employees who support our military personnel. The scientists at Department of Energy laboratories, NASA astronauts, engineers and researchers all work to keep America competitive in the ever increasingly global economy. Meteorologists at the weather service track life-threatening storms, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis and blizzards so that we can prepare to the best of our ability for inclement weather and natural disasters. The nurses and doctors at the VA who mind for our veterans and wounded warriors, researchers at NIH working to find a cure for cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's--all are federal employees. The FDA public health inspectors who track E. coli and salmonella outbreaks to make certain that our food is safe to eat are federal employees. Air traffic controllers at FAA work to have safe skies for travelers. Federal firefighters protect homes and businesses during a national forest fire. National Park Service rangers facilitate safe hiking on historic grounds and camping in our parks and tours of our battlefields. These are only but a few of the vital services federal employees provide to our Congressional Districts and the Nation alike. The federal workforce is full of dedicated and committed citizens who exemplify patriotism in everything they do and I hope my colleagues will join me in honoring them for their service to ensure the security of our Nation.

Mr. WITTMAN

Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 177 Fredericksburg, Virginia area high school seniors who plan to enlist in the United States Armed Forces after graduation. These students have excelled in their academic and extracurricular activities, and I offer my sincere congratulations upon their high school graduation. I commend these student leaders for their selfless and courageous decision to serve their country as members of the Armed Forces: Adjare, Lester; Agnew, Chase; Ahmed-Alameldin, Mahmoud; Allen, Thomas; Allen, Tierra; Alley, William; Ampy, Jasmine; Anderson, James; Antinori, Liam; Arndt, Clarissa; Ashton, Brandon; Bagnerise, Joseph; Ball, Jacob; Banks, Nicholas; Barger, Zachary; Barnes, SaQuan; Barr, Kevin; Bell, Cody; Bernard, John; Berry, Nicolas. Best, Tyshawn; Blankenship, Stephen; Boardman, Catherine; Bolden, Jacob; Bonzie, Amos; Borden, Ashley; Bosford, Bryan; Brinson, Devlin; Brownlee, Cody; Buck, Jonathan; Burch, Christopher; Byrd, Valentino; Calloway, George; Campbell, Brandon; Campbell, Joshua; Cantrell, Justin; Carr, Brenden; Carter, Aaron; Cempron, Crystal; Choquette, Mark. Clark, Regan; Cole, Christopher; Coleman, Danielle; Conner, Keyon; Cooper, Hassiem; Croce, Remy; Cyrier, Thomas; Dabney, Lynshae; Dantonio, Mark; Deluca, Erik; Demetriades, Peter; Dieckhoff, Garrett; Dodson, Bethany; Dorsey, Thomas; Driskell, Daniel; Driskill, Joseph; Dubberly, Thurman; Ehrbar, Matthew; Escobar, Jadavian; Flint, Tyler. Fortune, D'Marcus; Fourhman, Joel; Ganoe, Jacob; Garnett-Anderson, Nathaniel; Geukgeuzian, Michael; Gholson, Khavari; Gibbs, Trevor; Gomez, Ernesto; Goode, Aaron; Graves, Crystal; Grenke, Konnor; Grier Maurice; Grizzard, Georganna; Ha, Nina; Hamilton, Corey; Hardin, Tiera; Harold, Chasitie; Harper, Ashley; Harper, Jasmine; Harper. Kristoffer-Rommell; Helm, Cronje; Henderson, Kameron; Hoffman, Christopher; Hoo, Christian; Horbacz, Stanley; Hughes, Chelsea; Humphries, Anthony; Huston, Sierra; Hyde, Seth; Ingerman, Kedrie; Jackson, Quincee; Jameson, Aeneaus; Jenkins, David; Johnson, Samed Farrad; Jones, Angela; Jumper Martrano, Christopher; Karistromer, Stephen; Kasper, Marla; King, Simone; Kissane, Sean. Knicely, Jacob; Kohler, Michael; Kondratenko, Joshua; Kosmoski, Justis; Lambert, James; Larkin, Olivia; Lescano Mourao, Tamara; Lockard, Aaron; Lopez, Eric; Maltais, Gavin; Manthey, Hunter; Marbaker, Candice; Marsh, Michael; Marshall, David; Matlack, Erik; Matters, Jason; Maxwell, Jasjnn; Mccoy, Ryan; McDaniel, Ian; Mcmahan, Justin. Miyamasu, Daniel; Molina, Kenny; Money, Richard; Morris, Mason; Naylor, Ryan; Nunez, Danny; Parada, Kevin; Parker, Dwandre; Parrish, Nelson; Patterson, Riley; Payne, Jonathan; Phillips, Christopher; Phillips, Timothy; Purce, Kiera; Quetsch, Brien; Ramirez, Sean; Rappa, Matthew; Reece, Kevin; Rheinstein, Nathaniel; Riggins, Christopher. Roach, Austin; Robinson, Sashauna; Roeding, Nicholas; Rowe, William; Sanchez, Nancy; Sayer, Michael; Schmiegel, Karl; Schulte, Lance; Seabron, D'Angelo; Shafovaloff, John; Shelton, Samuel; Sims, Adam; Sisemore, Shane; Smail, Tyler; Smoot, Kiane; Snyder, Logan; Stanley, Zachary; Stewart, Joshua; Terrado, Jayson; Tuccitto, Anthony. Tuggle, Dominique; Turner, Kevin; Underwood, Devonte; Walker, Christian; Walton, Benjamin; Walton, Thomas; Weimer, Desirae; Welter, Morgan; White, Terence; Whitt, Augustus; Williams, Thomas; Williamson, Travis; Wooldridge, Stephen; Wygant, Raymond; Wynn, Christian; Yeboah- Afari, Boahene; Young, Derek. These students will be honored by the Greater Fredericksburg Chapter of Our Community Salutes at their 3rd Annual Military Enlistee Recognition Ceremony on Wednesday, May 14, 2014 at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking these young men and women and their families for their dedication to serving this great Nation. We owe them and the many Americans who have served and will serve a debt of gratitude.

Mr. WITTMAN

Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to submit for the record a March 24, 2014, New York Times article featuring Travis and Ryan Croxton and their small business in the First Congressional District of Virginia, Rappahannock Oyster Company, which is building a historic family business and contributing to a healthy Chesapeake Bay. One of the crown jewels of our nation's natural resources, the Chesapeake Bay is rich in history and also provides a way of life for so many that live in the Bay region. I appreciate the efforts of these fine Virginians creating jobs, producing a fine product, all while working to preserve the Bay and a historic way of life. [From the New York Times, Mar. 24, 2014] (By Julia Moskin) A Chesapeake Homecoming Topping, VA.--When Travis and Ryan Croxton first went to New York City in 2004 to market their homegrown oysters, one of the few seafood places they had heard of was Le Bernardin, so naturally they just showed up with a cooler at the kitchen door. ``We really Forrest Gumped it,'' said Travis, 39. ``We had no idea what we were doing.'' Chesapeake oysters were so rare then that the chefs wanted to try them on the spot. But neither Croxton, both of whom had master's degrees, knew how to shuck an oyster. ``Finally the chef took it out of my hands and did it himself,'' Travis said. Oysters had almost disappeared from the Chesapeake Bay when the Croxtons, first cousins and co-owners of the Rappahannock Oyster Company, graduated from college. And after decades of bad news about pollution, silt, disease and overfishing in the bay, many locals wouldn't eat them raw. ``A whole generation of Virginians grew up without virginicas,'' said Peter Woods, the chef at Merroir, the Croxtons' oyster bar here, where the Rappahannock River empties into the bay. ``For oyster roasts, oyster stuffing, all these traditions, you just couldn't get your hands on them.'' As he spoke, Mr. Woods was shucking a dozen just-pulled virginica oysters, the kind that grew wild on thick shoals all around the bay when the first Europeans sailed in, the wooden hulls of their ships brushing against the shells. It is the same oyster that grows in Long Island Sound and on Cape Cod and points north--and now, with modern aquaculture, as far south as Georgia. ``Now they can't get enough of them,'' said Mr. Woods, twirling the flesh into a plump and attractive ``Rappahannock roll'' that sits up high in the shell. Food styling was not part of the traditional job description for a waterman (Chesapeake-speak for fisherman), but it is just one of many ingenious ways that a new generation is trying to bring a thriving oyster trade back to the bay. In 1899, when the cousins' great-grandfather leased five acres of nearby river bottom and started the company, the water here was still rich with the plankton and phytonutrients that oysters need to live. The bay's floor was inlaid with shell and rock, the sea grasses were tall, and the water was brackish (part salt, part fresh, ideal for oysters) like most of the coastal Chesapeake, among the world's largest estuaries with more than 11,000 miles of shoreline. But the oyster population was already cratering under commercial and environmental pressure. The 20th century brought more-sophisticated dredging tools and more pollution: Modern farming, with its fertilizers and insecticides, dumped enough nitrogen and phosphorus into the bay to bring its life cycle to a near-complete halt, said Bill Goldsborough, director of fisheries for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, which was formed in 1967 to protect and restore the bay. The cleanup is proceeding (slowly), and oysters play an active part. They are filter feeders, slurping 50 to 60 gallons of water a day and cleaning it as they go. ``For protecting seafood, usually you're talking about restraint: Don't eat it, don't catch it,'' Ryan Croxton said. ``But with oysters, the more you eat, the more we grow, and the more bay they can clean.'' At peak trade, around 1875, 20 million bushels of wild oysters were taken from the bay each year. By the late 1990s, the total was 20,000. Restoration of the bay's ecosystem, undertaken by multiple state, federal and private agencies, was proceeding with painful slowness, and repairing the oyster business was not a high priority. To Tommy Leggett, a local marine scientist and environmental educator who is also a working waterman, the low point came when the governing bodies began to consider abandoning Crassostrea virginica and reseeding the bay with a disease-resistant oyster native to the South China Sea, Crassostrea ariakensis. ``That oyster grows fast and it grows strong,'' said Mr. Leggett, who was in a position to see all sides of the argument. ``It reaches market size in less than a year, so the whole industry was drooling over the thing. But it didn't belong in our bay.'' Introducing nonnative species has often led to unforeseen problems, like the proliferation of kudzu and the infamous ``walking catfish'' in the Southeast. So Mr. Leggett, 58, became an activist for virginica farming. Although aquaculture was already well established in the Northeast and internationally, it hadn't caught on here, partly because the wild stock was so plentiful. Long after the beds up north ran out, baymen here were still pulling up enough oysters (along with blue crabs, striped bass and other valuable creatures) to make a living. But eventually, Mr. Leggett couldn't support a family on his catch. ``First the hard clams tanked, then the oysters tanked, then the crabs tanked,'' he said. ``I could see which way the bay was going.'' Mr. Leggett set up a demonstration oyster farm for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and began to preach the advantages of aquaculture: the ability to sustain the supply, predict the harvest and control the quality of your catch by creating optimal growing conditions at each life stage. Oysters grow from tiny spat, the most juvenile stage, to market size of three inches, in about 18 months. An oyster farm doesn't look much like a farm. The oysters grow in metal cages, eating the same food in exactly the same water as their wild counterparts. But they are groomed for market: brought into dock, sorted and tossed in a tumbler, then bagged for sale or returned to the water. The process gives each oyster room to grow a full ``cup,'' which brings a premium price, and keeps the shells looking pretty. It's a low-tech system, but it lets growers raise oysters for high-end restaurants the way farmers raise vegetables: with consistency in shape, size, texture and flavor; with careful handling from farm to table; and with an eye to beauty and shapeliness. Aquaculture has begun to turn the tide back toward virginicas. Last year, for instance, the take from the Chesapeake was about 400,000 bushels. Anderson's Neck, Choptank Sweets and Misty Points are just a few of the euphonious new oysters to hit the market, and Mr. Leggett's own York Rivers fetch premium prices. The Croxtons did not grow up as oystermen (Travis studied finance; Ryan, Southern literature), and neither did their fathers. ``Grandpa told them to go to college instead of messing around with oysters,'' Travis said. The boys inherited the leases on the river, and by law they had to grow oysters there or give them up. Thus began the road to Le Bernardin, the Grand Central Oyster Bar and beyond. The two have reinvested what they've earned, opening restaurants with high visibility, one in Richmond, Va., another in the busy Union Market in Washington. After building a steady market for their trademark oyster, the Rappahannock River, they began to build a range of flavors. Now they grow oysters in several locations, where the water varies in salinity and depth, each producing somewhat distinct flavors: crisp Stingrays in Mobjack Bay, briny Old Salts in Chincoteague Bay and the oyster for the people, the Barcat. The Barcat is an all-purpose Chesapeake oyster, distributed and marketed along with the Croxtons' premium oysters, but at a lower price to feed the current boom in raw bars and $1 oyster happy hours. Instead of growing Barcats themselves, they hatched a new cooperative of oyster farmers, mostly current or former watermen, that serves as an entry point to aquaculture. The members can grow as few or as many as they like but still go fishing and crabbing on the bay. These watermen, Travis said, have seen that farming helps sustain both the bay and their businesses. In the last decade, all the Chesapeake fisheries have become more tightly controlled, and law enforcement more persistent. Illegal fishing in protected waters, or at night, or out of season, was a low-risk income stream for generations of watermen. Now, it's far more difficult. This month, Maryland's Natural Resources Police scored its first conviction for oyster poaching based on evidence from a state-of-the-art surveillance system it shares with the Department of Homeland Security. Under these conditions, the peaceful, lucrative life of the oyster farmer grows ever more attractive. ``Even the roughest, meanest water guys notice when their friend is driving a new truck,'' Travis said. ``Suddenly, they get interested.''

Mr. WITTMAN

Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I voted on Thursday, April 10, in favor of H. Con. Res. 96, authored by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, because it is my belief that Congress has a responsibility to address our nation's fiscal crisis. This proposal is simply a way forward in the budgetary process so we can continue the debate about the financial challenges our country faces. Like last year's proposal, the House budget plan for FY 2015 calls for significant reductions in discretionary spending, reduced taxes and the full repeal of the President's costly health care reform law. It proposes a balanced budget in the next 10 years and recognizes that we can no longer ignore the trillions of dollars in mandatory spending on entitlement programs that almost completely consume our nation's budget. This year's plan also asks Members of Congress to again lead by example by cutting their own pay, benefits and office budgets in the quest to reduce our debt and put this nation on sound financial footing. Further, the Ryan plan protects our nation's defense and security forces. I have repeatedly said that we must get serious about the national security threats that exist in this world and what is required of our forward presence and response forces. Reality is that we live in a 15 aircraft carrier world. The United States Navy has 10 right now and the law says we have to have 11. We need 11 carriers in our Navy. These are mobile, sea based, warships that can sail around the globe to project power and protect our global trade and commerce. This budget keeps 11 carriers in the fleet, giving the United States the flexibility and capabilities that are essential to the rebalance of our security posture toward the Asia Pacific, our enduring security commitments in the Middle East, and the need to respond to contingency operations around the globe. Our nation has no greater asset than the folks who have served and are currently serving our nation, both military and civilian alike. Their dedication and service to our nation is unwavering and it is important that Congress provide the best equipment, training, and compensation so these men and women can meet their duties in full. The Ryan budget plan restores national security spending and helps our defense maintain its current strength. These are all measures that I have and will continue to support; however, it is disappointing that this proposal, just as in past budget proposals, unfairly targets only one group of Americans for additional sacrifices: the civilian federal workforce. I have serious concerns that this resolution again forces federal employees to contribute more towards their retirement, which is the equivalent of a pay cut, and ends their defined benefit retirement plan for deficit reduction purposes. America's First District is full of hardworking and dedicated citizens who serve the people of this nation every day, such as on the front lines of the War on Terror or in support roles for our military. Still others provide invaluable services at places such as VA hospitals, cancer and Alzheimer's research laboratories, and law enforcement agencies such as the FBI and DEA. And yet, federal civilian employees continue to see their pay cut and their benefits reduced on multiple occasions. Federal employees have endured a pay freeze since 2010; furloughs due to sequestration; and, most recently, were required to not work because of indecision and political gamesmanship that resulted in a government shutdown for 16 days. Enough is enough. I am fully ready and willing to enact deeper cuts to my own salary, benefits and congressional operations, which are provisions included in this year's Ryan budget, but we must stop singling out federal employees simply because Congress continually fails to address the out- of-control spending. There is no question that our nation must get its spending in order, and federal employees are certainly willing to do their part to help in this effort. Their daily contributions to their fellow citizens and to the cause of freedom are simply innumerable, and yet during deficit reduction debate over the last few years, federal employees have been asked to contribute much more than their fair share. Our federal civilian employees live a life of selfless service, and they deserve our appreciation. Mr. Speaker, I voted in support of the Ryan budget because it is Congress' constitutional duty to budget and appropriate. This budget proposal is a means for Congress to further discuss our country's fiscal challenges, but I am hopeful that deficit reduction efforts going forward will focus more realistically on addressing the true drivers of our debt, rather than targeting those who are trying simply to serve their nation every day.

Mr. WITTMAN

Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 150, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. WITTMAN

Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and thank Lieutenant Colonel Darren Hall, United States Air Force for his 21 years of service to our nation and to congratulate him on his announced retirement. Lieutenant Colonel Darren Hall is the Joint Staff/J-4, Deputy Chief of the Distribution Division and is responsible for shepherding programs related to air mobility through the Joint Capability Integration Development System (JCIDS) and providing inputs on all current, planned, and potential mobility platforms across the Department of Defense. Lt. Col. Hall also serves as the J-4 representative in the National Military Command Center during exercises and crisis/contingency operations. Having received his commission from the United States Air Force Academy in 1993, Lt. Col. Hall has served in a variety of leadership and staff positions at the wing, major command, and air staff level. Additionally, he is a command pilot with more than 3,000 hours in the C-21A, KC-135R, T-1A, and T-37. During his service to our nation, Darren has received multiple awards and decorations including: the Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with four oak leaf clusters, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. Darren is married to Sophia and they are the proud parents of Cord, Michael, Xavier, Cameron, and Maxwell. Lt. Col. Hall's hometown is Newport News, Virginia, and I am proud to say that Darren and his family have chosen Bristow, Virginia, as their new home.

Mr. WITTMAN

Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment and to speak in support of H.R. 2954, the Public Access and Lands Improvement Act. I wish to extend my thanks to the gentleman from Washington, Chairman Doc Hastings, for his leadership in bringing this important package of bills from the Natural Resources Committee to the House floor. Today, I want to highlight how this legislation will aid in the cleanup of one of our prized historic resources, the Chesapeake Bay. This body of water provides habitat for plants and animals, resources that drive local economies, recreation, and a way of life for many that live on and around its shores. I am the proud author of title X of this bill, the Chesapeake Bay Accountability and Recovery Act. These provisions would implement and strengthen management techniques like crosscut budgeting and adaptive management to ensure we get more bang for our buck and continue to make progress in Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts. These techniques will ensure that we are coordinating how restoration dollars are spent and making sure that everyone understands how individual projects fit into the bigger picture. That way, we are not duplicating efforts, spending money we don't need to, or worse, working at cross-purposes. During the 112th Congress, the House passed similar legislation as part of H.R. 2578, the Conservation and Economic Growth Act. More recently, identical language was adopted by voice vote and included in the House version of the farm bill. These provisions would implement and strengthen management techniques to ensure, again, we get more bang for our buck and progress in the Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts continue and are measurable. Crosscut budgeting and adaptive management and an independent evaluator should be key components for the complex restoration efforts for our Chesapeake Bay. I encourage my colleagues to join with me and support H.R. 2954.

Mr. WITTMAN

Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer my support for H.R. 3590, the Sportsmen's Heritage And Recreational Enhancement Act of 2013, better known as the SHARE Act. I commend my friend and cochair of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, Representative Bob Latta of Ohio, for his leadership in guiding this bill to the floor. I am also proud to join with the Sportsmen's Caucus cochairs, both Representative Latta and Representative Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, and vice chair Representative Tim Walz of Minnesota in support of this important bill. As a member of the Natural Resources Committee, I would also like to thank Chairman Doc Hastings for his work and cooperation on behalf of America's sportsmen to support this legislation through the committee process. As a sportsman, I am humbled to advocate for this community and help introduce this legislation to advance priorities for American anglers, hunters, and conservationists. This commonsense package will expand opportunities for recreation, support fair treatment, and modernize programs for sportsmen, and includes a proposal I authored to allow migratory waterfowl hunters to purchase their annual Federal duck stamp online. As vice chair of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, I can proudly say that this provision is important to waterfowl hunters across the country. Title V, the Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act, is supported by the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation and Ducks Unlimited. I would also like to acknowledge Representative Ron Kind as an original cosponsor of the Permanent Electronic Duck Stamp Act. The gentleman from Wisconsin is a dedicated conservationist and longtime supporter and friend to sportsmen. There is no cost to taxpayers. There is broad bipartisan support for this innovative idea, and this convenient 21st century delivery system will be utilized by thousands of American sportsmen in the future. Again, I would encourage my colleagues to support this important package, H.R. 3590, the Sportsmen's Heritage And Recreational Enhancement Act.