Bruce Westerman

Mr. WESTERMAN

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

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5009) to reauthorize wildlife habitat and conservation programs, and for other purposes.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, when President George H.W. Bush signed the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991, he said that the legislation would help us serve as good neighbors in times of need. The Drought Preparedness Act reauthorizes vital authorities that the Bureau of Reclamation has relied on for more than three decades to do just that--help communities respond and to prepare for droughts, ensure effective management of water resources, and encourage fish wildlife restoration efforts. These efforts are critically important. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back 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.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4385, sponsored by Congressman Neguse of Colorado. This legislation extends authorities granted to the Bureau of Reclamation under the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act, which provided Reclamation emergency authorities to make water available for users outside of a project's area, offer loans to water users to build drought mitigation infrastructure and make water available for fish and wildlife restoration efforts, among others. Since 1992, when this legislation was enacted, Reclamation has relied on these authorities to assist communities across the 17 Reclamation States and territories to effectively manage water resources and mitigate impacts posed by droughts and natural disasters. As the western United States responds to drought events and with the cost of these events posing ever greater financial burdens, it is critical that Reclamation continues to utilize these important authorities to pursue its vital mission, helping to support local economies and ensuring access to water resources. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members will have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 4385, the bill under consideration.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4385) to extend authorization of the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991, and for other purposes.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am sure living in Florida you have probably stood on the edge of a boat and asked that question: Why? Why did a shark eat my fish? What was it that motivated it? Is it because there are too many sharks? Is it something I did? It leaves you with this empty feeling. This legislation is here to answer that question. It is simple legislation. It creates a task force that would be responsible for improving coordination and communication across the fisheries management community on shark depredation, as well as identifying research priorities and funding opportunities. Again, I commend Congressman Wittman for his tireless work on fisheries issues and for his work on this bipartisan legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have experienced what Mr. Wittman was talking about; you know, excited to be reeling in a fish, and you get it to the boat, and you maybe have a couple of lips and an eyeball and part of a gill. That is all that is left. I don't get to fish offshore that much, but I can tell you it can be disappointing, and that is why it is important to do this research. I appreciate the gentleman bringing the bill before us. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Graves), who is quite the fisherman himself.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wittman), the bill's sponsor.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4051, sponsored by my friend and colleague, Congressman Rob Wittman of Virginia. Concerns over shark depredation are increasingly common. From fishermen in the Florida Keys and throughout the Gulf of Mexico whose prized snapper or grouper catch was eaten by a shark, to charter boat captains in North Carolina's Outer Banks fishing offshore, shark interactions can be frustrating for anglers as they result in loss of catch, damaged gear, and degraded fishing experiences, and may also impact the post-release survival of target fish. While the number of reports of depredation have increased, the underlying cause of the increase remains uncertain. It could be due to an increase in the number of sharks, as stocks rebuild, or learned behavior by sharks as they recognize motors, fishing techniques, or shark-feeding locations as a source of food. We simply do not have enough information. To make matters worse, shark depredation touches on many Federal and State jurisdictions, but because no single entity has a responsibility to address it, very little is being done. H.R. 4051 would require the Secretary of Commerce to establish a task force to address shark depredation. The task force membership would include representatives from Regional Fishery Management Councils, the Marine Fisheries Commissions, the State fish and wildlife agencies from the States within the Regional Fishery Management Councils, NOAA, and shark experts from the Fisheries Service, and non-Federal experts. During committee consideration of this legislation, the minority worked closely with two of the bill's sponsors, Mr. Wittman and Mr. Graves, to make modest changes by including more engagement with the scientific community engaged in shark research and clarifying that the findings and work done by the task force do not impact the Secretary of Commerce's responsibilities under the Endangered Species Act or the Magnuson-Stevens Act. The legislation will help the Federal Government further understand, identify, and address critical needs as they relate to shark depredation. I applaud Mr. Wittman for his work on this bill, and I urge my colleagues to support the legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4051) to direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a task force regarding shark depredation, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Mr. Speaker, the principle of cooperative federalism means that decisions are made at the appropriate level of government, at the Federal, State, and local levels. H.R. 3415 embodies this principle by transferring control of the Pilot Butte Power Plant to the Midvale Irrigation District, putting local project beneficiaries in charge of resource management, harnessing additional hydroelectric power resources, and ultimately, lowering cost. I once again thank Congresswoman Hageman for her leadership. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. Hageman), the bill's sponsor.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3415 sponsored by Congresswoman Hageman of Wyoming. This legislation would direct the Bureau of Reclamation to enter negotiations with the Midvale Irrigation District to transfer the Pilot Butte Power Plant to the district. Under current law, the Bureau of Reclamation holds title to the power plant and related facilities, and ownership of the power plant cannot be transferred unless authorized by Congress. This plant has not produced electricity since 2008, when the Bureau of Reclamation determined that increasing operation and maintenance costs made electricity generation at the plant economically infeasible. The district has expressed interest in taking ownership and rehabilitating and operating the power plant and related facilities to provide power to the district's water users. This legislation is the first step in achieving that goal. It would allow the Midvale Irrigation District to harness additional hydroelectric power resources, a carbon-free, reliable source of energy. At a time when good stewardship of taxpayer resources and access to reliable energy are at the forefront of so many debates in Washington, I am proud that our committee advanced legislation that accomplishes both objectives. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Hageman for her leadership. I urge adoption of this legislation, and 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. 3415, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3415) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey to the Midvale Irrigation District the Pilot Butte Power Plant in the State of Wyoming, and for other purposes.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, once again, I thank Representative Boebert for her hard work and leadership and the effort she put into crafting 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 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. Boebert), the author of the legislation.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support Representative Boebert's bill, the Clifton Opportunities Now for Vibrant Economic Yields Act, or the CONVEY Act. H.R. 2997 conveys land from the Federal Government to Mesa County in Colorado. As the House Committee on Natural Resources considered and ultimately passed this bill through our committee last year, it was clear Representative Boebert had done good work to build consensus and solve an important issue in a local Colorado community. The bill is good policy. Representative Boebert worked with her constituents, county leaders, and the Bureau of Land Management to draft legislation they all support. Many of our Western States are largely owned by the Federal Government. In Colorado, over 36 percent of the land is federally owned. In Mesa County, an astonishing 72 percent of the land is owned by the Federal Government, and this presents many local challenges. As communities grow in proximity to Federal lands, there simply is not enough space for new homes, schools, hospitals, or other necessities to sustain a growing population. Large swaths of Federal land limit the tax base to support the local community. While creative solutions have been enacted by Congress to address this issue, there are still setbacks to communities lacking a strong tax base. The growing population in this Colorado community has encouraged county leaders to seek out new land for development. The land in question is on the Bureau's disposal list, meaning the agency has determined it no longer wants to manage the land and the land does not serve the taxpayers' interest. While both the Bureau of Land Management and Mesa County are supportive of this land exchange, the process has continued to run into bureaucratic delays. Mesa County has been working for 5 years to acquire a mere 31 acres--let me repeat that: 5 years to acquire 31 acres--all because of bureaucratic delays. We now need an act of Congress to speed up this process. This is evidence of a much larger problem. There should not be excessive delays preventing the conveyance of land when all parties agree this land would be put to more productive use outside of Federal management and there is a willing buyer. The House Committee on Natural Resources will continue to conduct oversight on how we can expedite the process of disposing of unwanted Federal land, especially land that could be better utilized to support small, rural communities and their economies. While the committee continues its work to address the larger issue of Federal land management, I applaud Representative Boebert for her leadership in addressing this important issue for her constituents. Mr. Speaker, I support the 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 in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2997, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2997) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey to Mesa County, Colorado, certain Federal land in Colorado, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, this is a commonsense bill that promotes collaboration between Federal agencies and local stakeholders. It achieves this without adding any burden on the American taxpayer. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.