Bruce Westerman

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I think a lot of the general public doesn't realize that natural gas goes into a lot more than just producing energy but it is, in essence, the main ingredient in agriculture, and it is the main ingredient that can help lower our food prices as most fertilizer is made from natural gas. When we have abundant, affordable natural gas, then that means we have more abundant and affordable fertilizer so that we can grow more crops and keep prices low. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson), who is the chairman of the Agriculture Committee and who has seen firsthand the benefits of fracking in the Marcellus shale.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Weber).

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert).

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Fracking has been challenged. It has been challenged by the Biden administration, and fortunately, the courts stepped in and said that you can't regulate fracking to the BLM. If you look at what our abundant clean supply of natural gas in the United States has done, it has allowed us to reduce emissions more than any country in the world. We produce the cleanest, most reliable gas in the world with a 40 percent cleaner carbon footprint than what Russia produces. Natural gas not only provides jobs and energy here at home, but it can be a source of national security to help bolster our partners around the world. We are blessed with natural gas from the Permian Basin in west Texas and New Mexico to the Marcellus and Utica shale plays in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York. I believe those two combined are the largest natural gas field in the world. We have a tremendous resource that we can use to do many good things, and if fracking were banned, that resource goes away. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Pfluger), the lead sponsor of the bill.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 26, the Protecting American Energy Production Act. H.R. 26, introduced by Congressman Pfluger, would prevent any President from issuing a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing while also establishing a sense of Congress that States should regulate the practice on State and private land. Hydraulic fracturing has been around for nearly 100 years. With other advancements in the industry, such as horizontal drilling, hydraulic fracturing has become a staple of the oil and gas industry. The practice has propelled the United States to energy superpower status. In fact, fracking in the United States provides 64 percent of American crude oil and 78 percent of the country's natural gas. This surge in supply has contributed to lower energy prices for consumers, stimulated economic and job growth, and improved the quality of life for Americans. In truth, a ban on hydraulic fracturing would devastate the American economy while surrendering world energy leadership to adversary nations with large oil and gas reserves, such as Russia, Iran, Venezuela, and China. Federal efforts to regulate fracking, which is adequately regulated by the States, could have an equally detrimental impact. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 clarified that Congress never intended the Federal Government to regulate fracking under the Safe Drinking Water Act. There is even precedent from the courts to not allow the Federal Government to regulate fracking. In the Obama administration, the Bureau of Land Management attempted to regulate the practice for Federal lands and minerals, but the courts correctly threw out the effort. In the decision, the judge clearly stated: ``Congress has not delegated to the Department of the Interior the authority to regulate hydraulic fracturing. The BLM's effort to do so through the fracking rule is in excess of its statutory authority and contrary to the law.'' States regulate fracking, and each has comprehensive laws and regulations to provide for safe operations, protect drinking water sources, and ensure effective regulations of oil and gas exploration and production. This bill would prevent future administrations from implementing a unilateral fracking ban and express Congress' sense that States should maintain regulatory authority over fracking on State and private lands. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important piece of legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The benefits that clean American energy, reliable, affordable energy, has on health benefits are too numerous to even get into in a discussion here today. It saves lives not just in providing energy and heat but in providing the many materials that are made from oil and gas in the United States. Even the Obama administration's EPA found that fracking has no ``widespread systemic impacts on drinking water resources in the United States.'' No evidence has arisen that the practice is dangerous, and to say anything else is simply fear-mongering and pandering to the radical left that would rather rely on Iran, Russia, and Venezuela for energy. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber).

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 5, I call up the bill (H.R. 26) to prohibit a moratorium on the use of hydraulic fracturing, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice).

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. 26.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta).

Mr. WESTERMAN

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. 836, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of Congressman Valadao's bill, the Emergency Wildfire Fighting Technology Act of 2025. This timely legislation offers us a chance to equip land managers with another tool in their arsenal to combat the catastrophic wildfire crisis by testing a new and innovative method for wildfire suppression. Last month, wildfires in southern California took the lives of at least 29 people and changed thousands of lives forever. These fires destroyed more than 16,000 structures and racked up untold fire suppression costs and economic damages. This tragedy is a wake-up call for millions of Americans and demonstrates just how important it is to proactively address the wildfire crisis. Unfortunately, decades of inadequate forest management have created an unprecedented forest health crisis. Across our country, 1 billion acres are now at risk of wildland fire. In the absence of dramatic change, the future outlook remains bleak. When it comes to fighting these out-of-control infernos, it is critical that we utilize all available technologies that could improve the cost efficiency and effectiveness of fire suppression. Wildland firefighters on the front lines of these disasters must have all the tools and methods available to fight fires and protect lives and property. Aircraft and helicopters provide lifesaving support to ground crews, often by delivering water or fire retardant. In order to drop water or fire retardant from a plane or helicopter, the aircraft must be designed or retrofitted for such purpose, which limits the number of aircraft available. Representative Valadao has worked with various stakeholders who have developed and improved container aerial firefighting systems that drop water or fire retardant from aircraft via disposable containers. This technology could decrease the response time to wildfires by increasing the number of aircraft available, which could, in turn, save lives and critical infrastructure. This technology is not new and is used successfully in other parts of the world. However, U.S. wildland firefighting agencies have not recently studied the system. H.R. 836 would require the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of the Interior to evaluate the use of container aerial firefighting systems in response to wildfires. The evaluation will focus on effectiveness, cost, ease of delivery, and safety. Directing our wildfire firefighting agencies to study new and emerging technologies is a win for the wildland firefighting crews and a win for those who live in vulnerable, fire-prone areas. I applaud Congressman Valadao for his leadership on this important topic. His legislation passed the House unanimously last year, and it has also passed the House twice with bipartisan support as part of the Fix Our Forests Act. Mr. Speaker, I support the bill and reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friends across the aisle for their overwhelming support of Representative Valadao's bill. We should have that kind of support for a bill that is addressing a huge issue in our country with wildland fire and the dangers that it imposes. Mr. Speaker, I believe you and Mr. Valadao both serve on the Committee on Appropriations where Republicans brought an Interior appropriations bill to the floor with firefighter pay funding in that bill, and it was voted down by our friends across the aisle. We do need to take care of our firefighters. When we get bills on the floor that increase pay for firefighters, I would hope we could get more bipartisan support on that. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Valadao), the lead sponsor of the bill.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 836 is a good, commonsense piece of legislation that has passed the House three times on a bipartisan basis. I commend Representative Valadao for his proven leadership on bipartisan solutions that meaningfully improve forest health and reduce wildfires. If we could get the Senate to act on some of these bills, we wouldn't have to pass them so many times. I appreciate Representative Valadao being so persistent and continuing to work on his good legislation. I encourage adoption of the bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 836) to require the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, and the Secretary of the Interior to conduct an evaluation with respect to the use of the container aerial firefighting system (CAFFS), and for other purposes.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I applaud Representative Crane for his leadership in this effort. Representative Crane honorably and bravely served our Nation, and now, he is providing exemplary service to his constituents by championing this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Crane), the lead sponsor of this bill about a veterans' retreat center.

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. 837, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 837) to require the Secretary of Agriculture to convey the Pleasant Valley Ranger District Administrative Site to Gila County, Arizona.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 837, which is led by my friend from Arizona, Representative Crane. This is a good bill that would transfer land from the Forest Service to create a retreat facility in Gila County, Arizona, for veterans and their families. Over 5,000 veterans call Gila County home, and there are over 500,000 veterans in all of Arizona. Creating this facility will help the brave men and women who have served our country find healing, reconnect with nature, and ease the transition back to civilian life. Nearly 60 percent of the land in Gila County is Federally owned, which creates significant limitations on available land for commendable efforts like the veterans' retreat center. The proposed location of this new center is a Forest Service site that is scheduled to be torn down. This 232-acre site includes 17 buildings, 2 residences, 2 barracks, a historic ranger house and barn, and helipads. Gila County plans to remodel and renovate many of the buildings to provide an excellent experience for veterans and their families. Repurposing the site is a win-win, as it will be a great resource for Arizona's veterans while freeing the Forest Service from maintaining property it no longer needs. I commend Representative Crane for his leadership on this effort on behalf of his constituents. As a veteran himself, I know he understands how important this center will be for his community. His diligent work with Gila County and the Forest Service has led to this important effort, which will make a meaningful difference in the lives of Arizona's veterans. Mr. Speaker, I support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN

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

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, again, this legislation would ensure that amounts distributed or benefits provided from Alaska Native corporation settlement trusts to Alaska Natives who are blind, disabled, or elders aged 65 and older, or their descendants, are excluded when determining eligibility for means-tested Federal benefits. Again, Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Begich for his work on an important issue for Alaska Natives, I urge the adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, H.R. 42 would exclude the amounts distributed or benefits provided from the Alaska Native corporation, or the ANC, settlement trusts to Alaska Natives who are blind, disabled, 65 years or older, or their descendants, when determining eligibility for means- tested Federal benefits. Federal means-tested benefits include programs such as Supplemental Security Income, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Federal housing benefits. In 1988, Congress amended the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, or ANCSA, to exclude the first $2,000 any Alaska Native individual receives from an ANC when determining eligibility for means-tested Federal benefits. Additionally, the 1988 amendments authorized ANCs to establish settlement trusts to distribute benefits to Alaska Native beneficiaries. Yet, benefits from settlement trusts were not excluded when determining recipient eligibility for government assistance programs, as with the first $2,000 of other benefits Alaska Natives can receive from ANCs. ANCs have brought forward concerns with this discrepancy and the impact it has on Alaska Natives, particularly those who are aged, blind, or disabled. Often these individuals are placed in the position of choosing between accepting the settlement trust income or qualifying for government assistance programs. H.R. 42 would address this oversight and exclude the amounts for benefits distributed to aged, blind, or disabled Alaska Natives from settlement trusts when determining eligibility for means-tested Federal benefits. I thank the sponsor of this legislation, our freshman Member from Alaska, Mr. Begich, for his leadership in addressing this important issue and for introducing this bill on the first day of the 119th Congress so it could quickly be brought to the floor for consideration. Madam Speaker, I support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Begich), who is the lead sponsor of this bill.