Bruce Westerman

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Fulcher).

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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. 1722) to amend the Grand Ronde Reservation Act, and for other purposes.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1722, the Grand Ronde Reservation Act Amendment of 2023, would amend the Grand Ronde Reservation Act to reflect that the Grand Ronde Tribe's extinguishment of land claims against the United States only applies to an 84-acre parcel of land known as the Thompson Strip. Alongside many Tribes in western Oregon, the Grand Ronde Tribe entered into treaties with the United States in the 1850s. President James Buchanan established the Grand Ronde Reservation in 1857, which consisted of more than 60,000 acres. This solidified the Federal Government's treatment of the Grand Ronde as a single Tribe for Federal services and benefits. However, in 1954, the Western Oregon Indian Termination Act was signed into law which severed the trust relationship between the Federal Government and the Tribe. In 1983, the Tribe was successful in obtaining a restoration of Federal recognition through enactment of the Grand Ronde Reservation Act. This legislation also reestablished a reservation for the Tribe in Yamhill County, Oregon. On October 31, 1988, the Bureau of Land Management discovered several surveying errors on a parcel of land known as the Thompson Strip, which was located along the southeast boundary of the Tribe's reservation. The BLM worked toward a resolution with the Tribe, which concluded in 1994 when Congress authorized a land transfer between the BLM and the Tribe. While that legislation corrected the survey error, the Tribe later determined that the phrase ``extinguishment of claims'' in the bill would include all, and potential future, land claims within the entire State of Oregon for the Tribe. The Grand Ronde contends that this was done in error and that there was no intention to bar them from future land claims beyond the Thompson Strip. H.R. 1722 would amend current law in order to specify that the Tribe is only barred from bringing land claims related to the 84-acre Thompson Strip parcel, not all lands within the State of Oregon. Additionally, H.R. 1722 would add a gaming prohibition for any future land claims and prohibits the use of any money received as part of a land claim settlement from being used to purchase land for gaming purposes under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Salinas for her work on the legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, again, this legislation clarifies the land claims of the Grand Ronde Tribe so they can pursue and ensure certainty, and it does ensure certainty regarding gaming. I appreciate the gentlewoman for bringing this legislation and Ranking Member Grijalva's work to move this in a bipartisan manner. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1607) to clarify jurisdiction with respect to certain Bureau of Reclamation pumped storage development, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my colleague, Mr. Schweikert's bill which enables the Bureau of Reclamation and Salt River Project to move forward with developing pumped storage hydropower facilities in the Salt River reservoir system in Arizona. Pumped storage is an efficient means to store energy when supply exceeds demand and has been shown to be one of the most useful methods for regulating intermittent renewable generation resources, such as wind and solar. Based on initial work done by the Bureau of Reclamation in 2014, the Salt River Project developed two possible locations for the construction of a pumped storage hydropower project. H.R. 1607 would withdraw approximately 17,000 acres of Federal lands from the National Forest System and transfer it to the Bureau of Reclamation for the development of pumped storage hydropower and the development, generation, and transmission of electrical power and energy. Through the transfer of this land, the proposed pumped storage project to be developed will be entirely within the authorities and footprint of the Federal reclamation project--streamlining development and maximizing Federal reclamation project benefits. Without it, the project would need to be permitted by both the Bureau of Reclamation and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Mr. Speaker, for those reasons, I support and urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Schweikert), the lead sponsor of this bill.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, the bill before us today does streamline the permitting process for a project that is intended to keep energy costs low, help stabilize the electric grid during peak demand, and boost affordable and reliable energy. As Mr. Schweikert explained, this is one of the oldest forms of batteries that we have to pump water uphill when we have excess energy and then to use it to generate energy on the off-hours. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join in supporting this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. WESTERMAN

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

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 359) to establish Fort San Geronimo del Boqueron in Puerto Rico as an affiliated area of the National Park System, and for other purposes.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 359, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, as the gentlewoman from Puerto Rico (Mrs. Gonzalez-Colon) stated, this is a commonsense bill that will improve the conservation and protection of a key historical site. It does so while avoiding unnecessary Federal involvement. I thank the gentlewoman again for her leadership on this effort. Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support Resident Commissioner Gonzalez- Colon's bill, the Fort San Geronimo Preservation Act. This legislation would establish Fort San Geronimo del Boqueron as an affiliated area of the National Park System. I applaud Resident Commissioner Gonzalez- Colon's leadership on this effort. Fort San Geronimo is a small, two-level, stone masonry fort located at the easternmost point of the islet of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Part of the massive fortification system built by Spanish military engineers between the 16th and 19th centuries to protect San Juan from foreign invasions, Fort San Geronimo became a centerpiece of the city's defenses and played a crucial role in the 1797 Battle of San Juan. The fort was rebuilt in 1799, largely to its original design, and continued to be used as a Spanish military post in the 19th century. After Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory in 1898, the U.S. Navy used Fort San Geronimo as a military post until 1921. Today, Fort San Geronimo is owned and managed by the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, an agency of the Puerto Rican Government. Establishing Fort San Geronimo as a national affiliated area is a cost-effective way to conserve this important historic and cultural site without placing it under Federal ownership or management. Under H.R. 359, the fort will continue to be managed by the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, although the National Park Service will be able to provide assistance for the marketing, interpretation, and protection of the site. Mr. Speaker, I support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Puerto Rico (Mrs. Gonzalez-Colon), the lead sponsor of this bill.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Stefanik), who is the lead sponsor of this bill.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, again, I thank the gentlewoman from New York for her excellent bipartisan work on this piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, in honor of Veterans Day and in honor of the hallowed history that we have, I urge adoption of this bill which will protect the sites of sacrifice and struggle that allow us to be here today in this Chamber, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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. 2717, as amended, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this Saturday is Veterans Day. There is perhaps no greater way to celebrate this day than passing H.R. 2717, which seeks to honor the valor and sacrifice of some of our Nation's bravest heroes, Medal of Honor recipients. Mr. Speaker, 160 years ago, President Abraham Lincoln awarded the first Medal of Honor in the midst of the Civil War. It is our Nation's highest honor awarded to members of the Armed Forces and is bestowed sparingly to only those who have demonstrated the highest acts of valor. Less than 100 Medal of Honor recipients are alive today out of the more than 3,500 medals that have been awarded. As the highest and most prestigious military decoration in the United States, it symbolizes exceptional acts of bravery, selflessness, and sacrifice beyond the call of duty. Through the recognition of these remarkable individuals, the Medal of Honor inspires a sense of national pride, honors the memory of fallen heroes, and motivates future generations to embody the values of courage and honor. Inspired by the Victoria Cross, the Medal of Honor continues to instill a profound sense of respect and gratitude for the sacrifices made in the defense of freedom and justice. Congressman Moore's bill, the Hershel ``Woody'' Williams National Medal of Honor Monument Location Act, would ensure that the monument honoring these brave heroes can be placed on what is known as the Reserve but is commonly referred to as The National Mall here in Washington, D.C. A monument honoring our most exceptional citizens should be reflected in the location of the memorial. Millions of Americans and visitors from across the world travel every year to our Nation's Capital to learn about the history of our great Nation. According to National Park Service data, The National Mall receives upward of 25 million visitors each year. The monuments and memorials located on The National Mall are the centerpiece of this history, and it is appropriate to include a new monument honoring veterans who have displayed the most courageous acts of valor recognized by our country. In my home State of Arkansas, our State capital also has a memorial dedicated to Medal of Honor recipients on its grounds. I hope this monument in D.C., like the one in Arkansas, can inspire reflection, patriotism, and gratitude for our Nation's military heroes. Earlier this year, the Committee on Natural Resources had the privilege of hearing from 1 of the 65 living Medal of Honor recipients, Master Chief Special Warfare Operator Britt Slabinski. In his inspiring testimony, he reminded us that the Medal of Honor serves to represent those willing to go above and beyond in any circumstance, no matter how small. This monument will serve as an everlasting reminder of the greatness of this country and the difference that one single person can make. The legislation before us today, H.R. 2717, would authorize the location of the national Medal of Honor memorial in a prominent location on The National Mall, with the intent to keep it near the Lincoln Memorial, as President Lincoln was the first to ever give out this special award. Mr. Speaker, I was proud to support the original legislation authorizing this memorial, and I am proud to be supporting this subsequent legislation today. Mr. Speaker, I note that this bill has been named after Hershel ``Woody'' Williams, who sadly passed away last year. He was known for his extraordinary heroism in the pivotal Battle of Iwo Jima during the Second World War. At the young age of 21, he singlehandedly cleared a path for American troops against Japanese forces in an act of extraordinary bravery. This is a touching tribute in his honor. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I thank Congressman Moore for his leadership, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Moore), the lead sponsor of the bill.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from West Virginia (Mrs. Miller).