Bruce Westerman

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, this is the second time today I have been here speaking against highly partisan Democrat wish list bills that fall under my committee's jurisdiction but never went through a markup. This so-called rescue plan is to COVID relief what Democrat rhetoric is to actual bipartisanship and transparency. It is disingenuous. It is a headline that doesn't match the contents of the story. It has the credibility of Russian, Chinese, and North Korean virus reporting. It is as germane to its stated purpose as the metal detectors outside this Chamber are to our safety. This bill contains bad policy concocted through a bad process that will produce bad results. The short-term gratification of Congress spending tomorrow's lunch money on bailout candy today will be the burden of millions of Americans students who are still out of school and being left behind. Mr. Speaker, I encourage a ``no'' vote and an honest discussion about the real needs of America.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Graves).

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Mrs. Boebert), whose district is more affected by this bill than anyone else.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock).

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber), the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Lamborn).

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert).

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record the following letters from multiple organizations in opposition to H.R. 803. Independent Petroleum Association of America, Washington, DC, February 23, 2021. Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Madam Speaker: The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) is opposed to H.R. 803, the ``Protecting America's Wilderness and Public Lands Act.'' This bill creates nearly 1.5 million acres of new wilderness and permanently withdraws 1.2 million acres from mineral production. It is in direct opposition to the multiple use mandate given to the Department of the Interior to manage the federal estate. Many of the local communities impacted by this measure, including Garfield County in Colorado which has existing mineral leases and planned for further development, have raised significant concerns due to the elimination of multiple use of the land and the overall threat to local economies and rural jobs. Further, many of the lands under consideration in H.R. 803 do not meet the basic characteristics for consideration as wilderness. Instead, the legislation arbitrarily designates areas as wilderness and wild and scenic rivers despite official testimony provided by the relevant land management agencies to previous Congresses that many of these designations are inappropriate and not recommended. To declare areas that do not possess these characteristics undermines the integrity of the Wilderness Act and the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The process by which H.R 803 is coming to the House floor is also concerning. The bill did not go through regular order, receiving no hearings or mark-ups in the 117th Congress. In fact, the bill was scheduled for floor consideration before the Natural Resources Committee had even organized. Local input, especially with regards to managing active mineral leases which affect jobs, should have been solicited in an effort to allow the House to better understand the broad impacts of the bill. For these reasons, IPAA is strongly opposed to H.R. 803. Sincerely, Dan Naatz, Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Political Affairs, Independent Producers Association of America.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in opposition to H.R. 803, the Protecting America's Wilderness and Public Lands Act. Contrary to the name, this bill will damage our environment, while simultaneously killing jobs in rural America. The proponents of this bill will say it is broadly supported. Listen to the Members who represent the districts most affected by this bill. They don't want it. Listen to the groups opposed: American Farm Bureau, American Forest Resource Council, or the Grand Junction, Colorado, Chamber of Commerce. They don't want this bill. This bill creates nearly 1.5 million of acres of new wilderness, withdraws 1.2 million acres from mineral production, and designates over 1,200 miles of wild scenic and recreational rivers. For perspective, the wilderness designated in this bill is the same size as President Biden's home State of Delaware. This Chamber has bypassed the committee process and circumvented the will of Members who represent districts directly impacted by this legislation. It was scheduled for the floor before the Committee was ever organized. The consequences of this bill on the four Western States it impacts will be far-reaching. For example, if you live in Colorado and you enjoy recreating on mountain biking and ATV trails like the people pictured here on the Tabeguache Trail, this bill will shut down your ability to recreate on those lands. The same goes for snowmobilers, OHV users, and parents with strollers. It is very concerning that these wilderness areas will now be off- limits to active forest management. 2020 was sadly another record- breaking fire season. We have a problem on our national forests that is not going to be solved with handsaws and shovels. Now is not the time to rely on century-old management techniques stipulated by wilderness designations when over 80 million acres of U.S. Forest Service land is in desperate need of treatment. If that wasn't enough, this bill also designates lands as wilderness in the wildland-urban interface. This is a matter of life and death. Mr. Speaker, I want to clear up some misconceptions about the last title of this bill, the Grand Canyon Protection Act. Nobody is mining in the Grand Canyon; nobody wants to mine in the Grand Canyon; and nobody will mine in the Grand Canyon--ever. Proponents of the bill would have you believe that this is happening right near the Colorado River. In fact, there are already buffer zones in place. It is called the Grand Canyon National Park. The only saving this bill will do is saving Chinese and Russian uranium mining jobs. In 2019, we only produced 0.5 percent of the domestic uranium needed for commercial reactors. This bill goes far beyond the park's boundaries and the boundaries of the sponsor's home district to simply kill jobs to the direct benefit of our adversaries. This bill will make us more dependent on hostile nations like Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, and Chinese-owned mines in Namibia. In conclusion, I strongly urge my colleagues to oppose this terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is left on both sides.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Rosendale).

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Obernolte).

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker, if we adopt the motion to recommit, we will instruct the Committee on Natural Resources to consider our cancel the Biden ban amendment to H.R. 803. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of the amendment in the Record immediately prior to the vote on the motion to recommit.

Mr. WESTERMAN. The amendment is simple. It will nullify Executive Order No. 14008 and Secretarial Order No. 3395 issued during the President's first weeks in office. The Biden administration wasted no time in imposing their extremist environmental agenda. On day one, political appointees created a nightmare for our energy operators and a never-ending bottleneck for approvals necessary to keep our energy economy running. Just a few days later, President Biden halted all new energy production on our Federal lands and waters, jeopardizing the livelihoods of thousands of Americans in the middle of a pandemic and economic crisis. The administration has tried to downplay the impact of these actions, but we are already feeling the consequences of what I like to call the Biden ban. The economic impact of the decisions will be far-reaching, impacting thousands of companies, many of which are small businesses. Recent studies have concluded that a long-term ban on onshore leasing would cost 72,000 jobs annually, and a long-term ban on offshore drilling would cost 145,000 jobs. Federal energy development represents a sizable portion of State budgets. Can we afford to cut off this crucial source of revenue as our communities are struggling to recover from the pandemic? Our schools need funding to buy PPE that they need to reopen. Yet, the Biden ban would disrupt a critical source of revenue that our K-12 schools rely on. In addition, these actions will bankrupt programs like the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The ramifications of these actions by the Biden administration will be devastating to our rural communities. Americans who work hard every day to keep the lights on and our gas prices low deserve better than a pink slip from out-of-touch political appointees. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this amendment, recommit H.R. 803 to the Natural Resources Committee, and put Americans back to work. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, today we heard concerns from our Members, including Members most affected by this legislation. Tomorrow, we will debate amendments that include 15 new unrelated matters to make the total amount of bills in this one bill 23. This will make this bill three times worse after we consider amendments. I believe we have the responsibility to leave our environment better than we found it. We talk about the economy so often that many people think that we forget about the environment. That couldn't be further from the truth, we all breathe the air and drink the water. H.R. 803 would attempt to preserve our resources, locking them up and throwing away the key. Congress' focus should be on conservation and conserving these resources instead, using them in sustainable, responsible ways that every American can enjoy. Since we weren't given any opportunity to debate this bill in committee, I would like to remind my colleagues that this bill will harm the environment; it will kill jobs; it will limit access to outdoor recreation; it will hurt State water rights; it will imperil our national security and American energy independence; it will impede necessary forest management; and make us more reliant on hostile foreign nations. Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Tiffany).

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Fulcher), the ranking member on the Public Lands Subcommittee.

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Herrell).

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Moore).

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa).

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

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Newhouse), the chair of the Western Caucus.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the admission of the late R.R. Reynolds of Crossett and Joe Don Greenwood of Hermitage to the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame. These two Fourth District citizens are listed among those who have exemplified leadership and service to our state's agriculture industry. As director of the Crossett Experimental Forest until 1969, the late R.R. Reynolds became one of the leading voices in modern, sustainable forest management. He maintained a commitment to proper agriculture education with membership in the Society of American Foresters, and he led the effort to create the forestry degree program at what is now University of Arkansas at Monticello. Joe Don Greenwood, a 40-year veteran of agriculture education in Arkansas schools, led students to 41 state championships and 8 national championships in Future Farmers of America, 4-H, and Forestry. He also worked in tomato farming and served on various agricultural advisory boards, proving his commitment to agricultural excellence in all areas of life. As an agricultural engineer and the only professional forester in Congress, I can attest to the significant investments these two men have made in Arkansas agriculture. Not only do their contributions have a positive impact upon our state's economic health, but their commitment to developing innovative agricultural practices has and will continue to have a lasting effect on our future.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of Former Mayor of Pine Bluff, Carolyn Robinson. Mayor Robinson passed away on Thursday, January 14, 2021, leaving behind a legacy of service to her community. Elected the first female city council member in 1978, Robinson became the first female Mayor of Pine Bluff, serving two terms from 1984 to 1992. She was described by her colleagues in public service as a trailblazer who broke all the barriers to best serve her city. Born August 6, 1936, in nearby Cornerstone, Mayor Robinson graduated from Altheimer High School. In 1960, she married Fred Robinson, and together, they raised three children, Renee, Tina, and Robbie. With three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, she was known as a committed family woman. I take this time today to honor the life of service exemplified by Mayor Carolyn Robinson. I thank her and her family for their dedication to our fellow citizens and our beloved Fourth District.

Mr. WESTERMAN

Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 100th birthday of Warren, Arkansas native, Mr. David Mclinton Green. Born on February 13, 1921, Mr. Green has lived a life of hard work, perseverance, and service to God and country. Leaming the value of a work ethic at a young age, his first job was at the Dr. Pepper Bottling Company in Warren. After being drafted into the Army at age 22, Mr. Green served for three years alongside thousands of young men during World War II. This service continued throughout his near 40-year career at local mills and Potlatch Deltic. He and his wife, Lillie Mae Feaster Green, had 7 children, and over their 66 years of marriage, they watched their family grow to include 18 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren, and 7 great-great grandchildren. I take this time today to honor the life of service exemplified by Mr. Green and his family. In his 100th year, he continues to represent the very best of our nation's greatest generation, and I thank him for his significant impact upon the advance of freedom and the American Dream.