Bruce Westerman

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Gimenez), the lead sponsor of the bill.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 504, the Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act sponsored by Representative Gimenez. This bill would amend the Miccosukee Reserved Area Act, or MRAA, to include the Osceola Camp Tribal village as part of the Miccosukee Reserved Area. It would also direct the Secretary of the Interior to consult with the Tribe to protect the village from flooding. The Miccosukee Tribe has a long history in Florida. Oral history has the Tribe initiating in the northern portion of Florida, but they later settled in the Everglades following the Seminole wars. Congress passed the MRAA in 1998, which gave the Tribe permanent residency in the Everglades. The MRAA also declared the Miccosukee Reserved Area as Indian Country, yet the Federal Government still held the right to engage in restoration and protection activities in the area. The area known as the Osceola Camp was not included in the MRAA despite serving as a residential Tribal village with key historical and ancestral ties to the Tribe. The National Park Service is already working with the Tribe to protect this residential area from flooding. Once the camp is incorporated into the Miccosukee Reserved Area, the Tribe will be able to work alongside the Department of the Interior to prevent flooding, preserve the village's infrastructure, and ensure that the village can be inhabited for years to come. I thank Representative Gimenez for his work on this important bill. I support the legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Washington, DC, June 27, 2025. Hon. Bruce Westerman, Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Westerman: I am writing to you concerning H.R. 504, the Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act. The bill was referred primarily to the Committee on Natural Resources, with additional referral to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Specifically, there are provisions of H.R. 504 that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. I recognize and appreciate your desire to bring this legislation before the House of Representatives in an expeditious manner, and accordingly, agree the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure shall be discharged from further consideration of the bill. However, this is conditional on our mutual understanding that by foregoing consideration of H.R. 504 at this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation that falls with the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure's Rule X jurisdiction, and the Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved on this or similar legislation as it moves forward. Further, this does not prejudice the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure with respect to the appointment of conferees and should a conference on the bill be necessary, I would appreciate your agreement to support my request to have the Committee represented on the conference committee. Finally, I would ask that a copy of this letter and your response acknowledging our jurisdictional interest in the bill be included in the Committee Report and Congressional Record during consideration of H.R. 504 on the House floor. Sincerely, Sam Graves, Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 504, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 504) to amend the Miccosukee Reserved Area Act to authorize the expansion of the Miccosukee Reserved Area and to carry out activities to protect structures within the Osceola Camp from flooding, and for other purposes.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, this legislation, again, would extend the Alaska Native Vietnam-era Veterans Land Allotment Program through the end of 2030. I commend Mr. Begich for his leadership and for working on this important issue for his constituents in Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of H.R. 410, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Begich), the lead sponsor of the bill.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise to support H.R. 410, the Alaska Native Vietnam Era Veterans Land Allotment Extension Act of 2025. Sponsored by Representative Begich, this legislation would extend the Alaska Native Vietnam era veterans land allotment program for an additional 5 years, to end on December 29, 2030. Alaska Natives have long experienced land-related hardships. Recognizing this, Congress passed the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act in 1971 to settle the aboriginal land claims of Alaska Natives. Unfortunately, this congressional action coincided with the Vietnam war, meaning that many Alaska Natives who were serving overseas in the U.S. military at the time were unable to apply for a land allotment. Congress has attempted to fix this problem legislatively over the years, but many eligible Alaska Native veterans have yet to receive their allotment. Accordingly, the Alaska Native Vietnam era veterans land allotment program was established in the 116th Congress. Through this program, eligible Alaska Natives, or their heirs, can select an allotment of up to 160 acres of certain Federal land. In January 2021, the Trump administration revoked 11 public land orders, which opened up 28 million acres of Bureau of Land Management land for allotment purposes. The next month, however, the newly elected Biden administration postponed that revocation, prompting a battle that waged throughout the rest of President Biden's term. During that time, Alaska Natives remained without their allotments. Immediately upon his return to office this year, President Trump reinstated the revocation through an executive order titled ``Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential.'' While this executive order will help address Alaska Natives' allotment needs, the program is running out of time. Recent estimates show that over 2,000 eligible Alaska Native veterans had yet to receive their allotment, illustrating a clear need for an extension. H.R. 410 would provide this relief by extending the Alaska Native Vietnam era veterans land allotment program for an additional 5 years. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Begich for sponsoring this legislation, for his hard work on behalf of Alaska Native veterans, and for ensuring that we keep our promises to those who fought for this country. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. 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. 410, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 410) to extend the Alaska Native Vietnam era veterans land allotment program, and for other purposes.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, this is a straightforward, commonsense bill. In the world we live in today, where we have more and more electrical energy demand, it makes no sense to be closing down any kind of electrical generation, especially one where the infrastructure is already built, working, and producing reliable and affordable baseload power. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support Representative Valadao's legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Valadao), the lead sponsor of the bill.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Representative Valadao's bill, H.R. 1044. This bill is a commonsense measure to ensure the continued operation of existing hydroelectric facilities, which have provided reliable and affordable power to Californians over a century. The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to issue four 10- year renewals for a special use permit for the Kaweah Hydroelectric Project, thereby extending the project's life for up to 40 additional years. These hydroelectric dams, located on the Kaweah and East Fork Kaweah Rivers, fall within the boundaries of Sequoia National Park, but they predate the park's expansion and have long been recognized by Congress as a valuable energy asset. With the current statutory authorization for the permits set to expire in 2026, this bill provides much-needed certainty for the continued operation of a critical source of reliable energy. Without an extension, Southern California Edison will be forced to remove this infrastructure at enormous expense to their ratepayers. I thank Representative Valadao for his leadership on this issue. By championing this bill, he is ensuring that more than 15 million people in California have access to affordable, reliable, and clean energy for generations to come. Mr. Speaker, I support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to add extraneous material in the Record on H.R. 1044, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1044) to amend Public Law 99-338 with respect to Kaweah Project permits.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, refuges are places dedicated to conservation, public enjoyment, and environmental education. Jocelyn was a kind, compassionate young girl who loved animals and cared deeply for the natural world. Renaming this refuge is a fitting honor to Jocelyn's life that ensures that her memory lives on. Again, I thank Congressman Babin and the Texas delegation for their work on this issue. Mr. Speaker, I support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin), my friend who is the chair of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, for his unwavering work and dedication to bring this good piece of legislation to the floor. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for speakers. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin), who is the lead sponsor of the House companion bill.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, Jocelyn Nungaray was a vibrant 12-year-old girl from Houston, Texas, whose life was tragically cut short on June 16, 2024, when she was murdered by two Venezuelan nationals who illegally entered the United States and are allegedly members of the Tren de Aragua gang. This senseless act has done irreparable damage to Jocelyn's family, friends, and community. In May, Jocelyn's mother, Alexis, testified on this legislation, but more importantly, she highlighted Jocelyn's caring personality, deep love for animals, and passion for finding animals homes, sharing stories of Jocelyn's life, such as Jocelyn's efforts to nurse injured animals back to health. Alexis recounted one instance when Jocelyn brought a pigeon that had injured its legs into her home. Jocelyn, without hesitation, tried to nurse the pigeon back to health in her bedroom until it was well enough to be released back into the wild. In March 2025, President Trump signed an executive order directing the Secretary of the Interior to rename the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge after Jocelyn Nungaray, permanently commemorating Jocelyn for her compassion for animals and people who care about nature. To ensure the name change is permanent, Congressman Babin and Senator Cornyn introduced identical legislation that would codify the President's executive order. The National Wildlife Refuge System plays an important role in coastal conservation, public recreation, and environmental education, all of which honor Jocelyn by allowing current and future generations of Americans to enjoy the natural landscape and animals that Jocelyn also enjoyed. I, again, thank my colleague, Congressman Babin, for introducing the House companion of the legislation and for his commitment to honoring Jocelyn's memory. Mr. Speaker, I support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to add extraneous material in the Record on S. 1596, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1596) to rename the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge located in the State of Texas as the ``Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge''.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, again, Mr. Neguse's bill is a straightforward bill that will improve the maintenance of Bolts Ditch and the Bolts Ditch Headgate near Minturn, Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 1729, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.