Don Young

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, this legislation, H.R. 220, allows for the expansion of the Terror Lake Hydroelectric Project on Kodiak Island, Alaska--by the way, which is larger than New Jersey. The Terror Lake Hydroelectric project provides 31 megawatts of hydropower capacity to the Island's approximately 13,789 residents and, of course, the largest Coast Guard station in the United States. Kodiak Island is roughly the size, as I mentioned, of New Jersey. This means it is reliant upon the electric generation on the Island mostly by hydro at this time, some diesel. With the growing electrical demands of the residents of Kodiak, the Kodiak Electric Association will not be able to meet their needs without requiring additional resources or will be forced back to increasing the use of diesel. There is no reason why a hydro-rich community like Kodiak should ever have to rely on diesel fuel for power generation. They wish to expand their operation by increasing their water resources, and I agree. My legislation allows the Kodiak Electric Company to divert small flows of additional water from Upper Hidden Basin into Terror Lake by digging a 1.5 mile underground tunnel. This diversion will increase the water resources at Terror Lake by 25 percent, resulting in an additional 33,000 megawatt-hours of generation each year and totalling an estimated output in the project of approximately 168 million megawatt-hours annually. The issue at hand is the tunnel would need to go through Kodiak Island National Wildlife Refuge, which is Federal land, to the State land where the water diversion would be located. My legislation authorizes the Kodiak Electric Association to occupy not more than 20 acres of Federal land to construct, operate, and maintain the Upper Hidden Basin Division expansion without further authorization of the Secretary of the Interior under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. Alaska has tremendous hydroelectric potential, and I look forward to moving additional commonsense reforms to provide our rural and remote communities for new opportunities to obtain reliable and affordable hydropower. Mr. Speaker, may I say that the Fish and Wildlife Service supports this, there is no objection to it, it is a solution waiting to happen, so we are going to dig a tunnel. This is really about a tunnel.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on behalf of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, legislation set to pass today to reauthorize and improve upon the Carl Perkins--a Member of this House in the past--Career and Technical Education program. As a former teacher, it is my firm belief that school is not just and cannot be one size fits all. The Carl Perkins funding has allowed school districts and school boards from across the country to develop innovative programs to educate our Nation's youth. I have always supported alternative forms of education. Education not only trains the mind, but trains our Nation's youth with valuable skills to succeed outside the classroom and in the workforce. Many students in my State and across the Nation rely on nontraditional opportunities to achieve success, and Carl Perkins grants have done the job of providing additional opportunities for our youth. In my State, these programs have led the way to providing our workforce with valuable certificates and credentials in Alaska's many industries. They include: qualification for Alaska's maritime and transportation industry; certifications in welding and carpentry; pre- apprenticeships for electricians, heavy equipment operators, and ironworkers; medical certifications, such as EMTs and certified nursing aides; certification of OSHA and HAZMAT agencies; and culinary arts and building maintenance repair. These are all programs, Mr. Speaker, that help the working person and the young person to become prepared--just not going to college. They can become someone that can contribute to the good of our State and our Nation. Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of this legislation. I proudly stand here to support H.R. 2353.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Maryland, Steny Hoyer, for the support. It is going to take a lot of effort. There is a lot of naysayers out there. But, again, I believe so strongly that we treat every American equally. This is a civil rights issue, and they have voted 97 percent in favor of statehood. As you know, I led this battle with your help in 1997. We had a vote, and, with your side, I won by one vote. Puerto Rico and Alaska didn't go anywhere, but I ask every American to think about it. Let's make this the last colony. Let's make this the 51st State.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege last Sunday to be an observer in Puerto Rico for the plebiscite and watch the people of Puerto Rico make the decision that they would like to be the 51st State. I think it is time for this Congress to make the 3,400,000 American citizens part of the United States--in full grandeur, as every one of us have--and have a chance of making sure we can vote for everyone to be part of this. I think it is time that America should stop colonizing. If I am not mistaken, this is the last Nation that has a colony. The great America of the United States has a colony, and I think it is time that we change that. Vote in Congress to make sure that we have the 51st State.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. I yield to the gentleman from Maryland.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, we just had the Arkansas delegation. My colleagues may have noticed that I was with them. Alaska and Arkansas have a great deal of similarity, both starting with an A. I served with Jay Dickey. I can tell you that he was my friend. To his family, even the other day when I heard that he had passed away, I tried to call his cell phone hoping that they would answer it, and it was Jay's voice. Here is a gentleman in this body that was a great basketball player, a good coach, tennis player, and a fine athlete. But more than that, he was a friend to many Congressmen in these Halls. As was mentioned, he tried to save us all. Some he succeeded with and some he did not. He worked with me for many years and finally accomplished his goal, and I thank him from the bottom of my heart. I know the Lord is taking care of him because he was a true American. He was a person that cherished his job, served his district well, and was an ally and a friend for those that believed. I want to thank Jay Dickey for his efforts to make this country better.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I thank my chairman, Mr. McClintock, and the ranking member for her work on this legislation. Much has been explained about it. This is a good piece of legislation. I am not going to take a great deal of time, but it shows that we can work together. The stakeholders got involved 4 years ago. We wanted to make this permanent. We worked it all out last year and we passed it, and it got bogged down on the other side. It is a chance where we can show and take programs and put them together with tribes and have a better efficiency for the dollar we spend. If we do more of that in this Congress, we will have a lot better Congress and a better nation. This is a small minority group that has done well under these programs, and it is not a new law. In 1992, I was here when we passed it. We would like to see to fruition the work put together by Mr. Goodlatte, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Brady, and Chairwoman Foxx. They all worked together with their staffs to put this, I think, excellent piece of legislation together to put to the voters on this floor, and I urge the passage of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, my bill--the Indian Employment, Training, and Related Services Consolidation Act--enables tribes and tribal organizations to offer highly effective workforce development initiatives that uplift Native communities around the country. We passed this bipartisan legislation in the House by a voice vote at the end of last Congress, and the Senate simply ran out of time to secure final passage. H.R. 228 makes the Tribal ``477 Program'' permanent and improves its administration. The 477 Program allows tribes to combine employment, childcare, and job training funding from a variety of federal sources and conduct consolidated, comprehensive reporting. Participants have leveraged these advantages to develop and run innovative programs that have had a meaningful impact on thousands of Alaska Native and American Indian families. In addition, the efficiencies of the 477 Program save both tribes and the federal government money, time, and resources. Congress established the 477 Program in 1992 as a demonstration program. The Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes in Southeast Alaska was actually the first in the nation to begin operating a 477 program and to this day continues to benefit from offering services through 477. The 477 Program has a proven track record of success and allows for bold approaches to address significant education and training needs that exist in Indian country. This program is what tribal self- determination is all about. Tribes understand their members best and know how to use these tools for creating and expanding employment opportunities in their communities. My bill improves accounting procedures and reporting mechanisms to uphold the original intent of the program, ensure that agencies treat tribes fairly, and set a foundation for participants' continued success. I would like to thank the members of the 477 Tribal Work Group who, over the last 4 years, have been stalwart advocates for this legislation and did not give up at the end of last Congress. I would also like to thank Chairman Bishop, Ranking Member Grijalva, and their staffs for making this bill possible and working to move it to the floor quickly this year. Finally, I offer my thanks to Chairman Brady, Chairwoman Foxx, Chairman Goodlatte, and their staffs for their assistance with the legislation. I urge adoption of H.R. 228 today and encourage the Senate to take up this bill as soon as possible.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) for bringing this legislation to the floor. H.J. Res. 69 is very simple. It overturns an illegal rule by the Obama administration--an illegal rule. This House created the State of Alaska in 1959, under the Statehood Act. It clearly granted Alaska full authority to manage fish and game on all lands in the State of Alaska, including all Federal lands. The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act in 1980 further, in fact, verified what the Statehood Act did: protecting the right of the State to manage fish and game. Mo Udall was chairman of the Interior Committee at that time, and he agreed that this was the right thing to do. The thing that we had to do was make sure there was no misinterpretation of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act and the Statehood Act. What occurred under the Obama administration is that--your administration, on that side--in the wee hours of the night, they passed a rule that took that away from the State. And it is huge, if you think about it: 16 refuges, 76.8 million acres. That is bigger than most of the States in this Union. They took the right away from the State to manage fish and game. There has been a lot of interest groups and some Members of Congress that have been conveying falsehoods, flat out dishonesty on what the taking back of the management of fish and game will do. They talk about killing puppies and grizzly bears. That does not happen, nor, in fact, is it legal in the State of Alaska under our management. The opposition will claim there was consultation with the State of Alaska. If that is the case, why did Alaska file suit to overturn this rule? There was no consultation. Yesterday, I met with most of the leaders of the Alaskan Native community that live in this area in the refuges and around the refuges. Not one of them support the rule passed by the Obama administration. The other side says they are all for helping the American Indians, the first people, yet they are supporting a rule that is illegal. Illegal. I want to stress that. This rule passed by the Obama administration is opposed by the total delegation, the Governor, all the elected officials in the State of Alaska, and it is an infringement upon the State of Alaska, and it should be an infringement upon your States. Maybe we ought to go back to every State in the Union, maybe even Virginia, and see how we might change the right of Virginia when the Federal lands were involved in the State of Alaska. You stood up in front of this body and held your hand and said: I swear to uphold the Constitution of America and laws pertaining to it. Every one of you took that oath. Every one of you. Yet, you stand on this floor, and some of you will say: Oh, we have to protect the wolf puppies. That is not what this is about. It is about the law. It is the Statehood Act, the right of Alaskans, and the right of Alaska to manage all fish and game. If you vote against this resolution, you are saying the Congress does not count, nor can we keep our word. We will do whatever is popular at the time. I say: Shame on you. You said you would uphold the Constitution. Let's pass this legislation that Mr. Bishop has brought to the floor. Let's turn back that illegal law that they are trying to impose upon the people of Alaska and the American people. If you don't believe in that, then I suggest you resign from the body, because you are not upholding the law that you swore you would do. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Members of this House for their support of the legal aspects of the State of Alaska.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Madam Speaker, under the decorum of the House, I won't call it bull. I will just say it is a lot of misinformation and outright story tales, the information conveyed to these gentlemen and the ladies from The Humane Society. That is what it is. There is no sport hunter who is going to be shooting cubs and sows. In fact, there is no one in the State who does not support my resolution of organized hunters, viewers. I have not had any of that. Yes, you got some letters. And I believe the best way to judge is, if they don't like what I am doing, don't elect me. I am speaking for the people from my State, not Virginia, not a used car salesman. I am speaking for my people. The second false claim is it allows aerial shooting and gunning of bears. That is not what this is about. It is about the law, and we will win it in court. But I don't want to win it in court. I want to establish the fact that an agency does not have the right to break the law. As far as Dan Ashe goes, well, did he have any specialists? No. He did this because of interest groups, governing by interest groups, not the hunters, not the Alaskans, not the gunmen of Alaska, but The Humane Society that put out all of this propaganda. Denning of wolves--and, by the way, I have to remind people. We used to den wolves. I have done it myself. I got paid 50 bucks for every wolf I got. You know who paid me? Uncle Sam did when we were a territory. And when we became a State, we did not allow that. So let us do our job as a State, instead of having this Congress try to stop it with an agency. So I am asking my colleagues to vote for the law, as you should uphold as you took your oath for this office, the law. And if you continue this misinformation, I feel sorry for you, and I feel sorry for the interest groups. So, Madam Speaker, I do urge a ``yes'' vote on this resolution.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 329) to amend the Indian Employment, Training and Related Services Demonstration Act of 1992 to facilitate the ability of Indian tribes to integrate the employment, training, and related services from diverse Federal sources, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, my bill, the Indian Employment, Training and Related Services Consolidation Act, will empower tribes and tribal organizations to offer workforce development issues that uplift Native communities throughout the country. This bipartisan legislation will make the tribal 477 program permanent and make improvements to its administration. The 477 program was established in 1992--by the way, I was the sponsor of that legislation at that time, also--as a demonstration program. It allows tribes to combine employment, child care, and job training funding from a variety of Federal sources to conduct consolidated, comprehensive reporting. This has enabled tribes to run innovative programs and saved both the tribes and the Federal Government money and resources. I would suggest respectfully that this is a great piece of legislation. The 477 program embodies tribal self-determination by allowing tribes to provide opportunities tailored to the unique needs of their communities. Significant education and training needs exist in Indian country, and the 477 program has a proven track record of success. This is particularly true in Alaska, where the Cook Inlet Tribal Council has pioneered a smart model that provides holistic services, all under one roof, for individuals and families. My bill improves accounting procedures and reporting mechanisms to uphold the original intent of the program, ensures that agencies treat tribes fairly, and sets a foundation for participants' continued success. I especially, at this time, would like to thank the members of the 477 tribal work group who, over the past 4 years, have been dedicated to developing and advancing this legislation. Without the work group's tireless advocacy, this bill would not have been possible. I would also like to thank Chairman Bishop and Ranking Member Grijalva and their staffs for their work on the bill and commitment to advancing it through the process. I would specifically like to recognize Ken Degenfelder on Chairman Bishop's staff and Alex Ortiz on my staff. Finally, I would like to offer my thanks to Chairman Brady, Chairman Kline, and Chairman Goodlatte and their staffs for working together on the committee on which I serve to improve this bill. I would like to thank them for agreeing to help expedite consideration of this bill today, and I urge adoption of H.R. 329. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Education and the Workforce, Washington, DC, December 5, 2106. Hon. Rob Bishop, Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: I write to confirm our mutual understanding with respect to H.R. 329, the Indian Employment, Training and Related Services Consolidation Act of 2015. Thank you for consulting with the Committee on Education and the Workforce with regard to H.R. 329 on those matters within my committee's jurisdiction and making improvements to the legislation to address concerns. In the interest of expediting the House's consideration of H.R. 329, the Committee on Education and the Workforce will forgo further consideration of this bill. However, I do so only with the understanding this procedural route will not be construed to prejudice my committee's jurisdictional interest and prerogatives on this bill or any other similar legislation and will not be considered as precedent for consideration of matters of jurisdictional interest to my committee in the future. I respectfully request your support for the appointment of outside conferees from the Committee on Education and the Workforce should this bill or a similar bill be considered in a conference with the Senate. I also request you include our exchange of letters on this matter in the Committee Report on H.R. 329 and in the Congressional Record during consideration of this bill on the House Floor. Thank you for your attention to these matters. Sincerely, John Kline, Chairman.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I urge passage of the legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 6400, introduced by my colleague, Mr. Pallone, makes boundary adjustments to multiple units of the Coastal Barrier Resources System along the coast of his New Jersey congressional district. I have no objection to this bill and compliment the gentleman for introducing the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6400) to revise the boundaries of certain John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System units in New Jersey.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I would like to compliment the gentleman from New Jersey. I do hope he understands that this is his district and I will support his legislation. I would like to have him do the same thing when I bring legislation to the floor that only affects my district. So, with courtesy to him, I will urge a ``yes'' vote on this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3711) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of Chicano Park, located in San Diego, California, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I would assure both gentlemen, Alaska will welcome you on a visit. I hope to visit both of their communities in the future. The only way we can get things done around here is if we understand your locations, your people, and what you will treasure, as I do in my State of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, located in the Barrio Logan community of San Diego, Chicano Park is a 7.4-acre parcel known for its display of nearly 50 vibrant murals depicting the history, culture, and its civil rights movement. Residents secured the creation of the park in 1970 by protesting the construction of a parking lot on the vacant land the city previously promised for the development of the community park. After successfully taking over the land, artists painted dozens of vibrant murals on the pillars and ramps of the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge located in the park, creating the largest concentration of these murals in the world. H.R. 3711 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to evaluate the national significance of the park, determine the suitability and feasibility of designating it as a national historic landmark or affiliated area of the National Park Service through a special resource study. The bill prohibits the Secretary from considering any options that result in the Federal acquisition of the park. I urge adoption of this bill, H.R. 3711. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers on this legislation. I do urge the passage of the legislation as a classic example of where people are working together to have a place to rest and save some great art. I congratulate the gentleman for introducing the legislation. So I urge the passage of the legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of former Congressman Steve LaTourette from Ohio who passed away in August. I had the pleasure of serving with Steve throughout his time in the House and worked closely with him while we both sat on the Transportation Committee. Steve was a great legislator, and I admired his relentless dedication to cutting through the gridlock that often plagues D.C. After leaving the House, Steve continued to be a voice of reason as he led the Republican Main Street Partnership. Steve's profound understanding of Congress as an institution and the dynamics we face as members will be missed. Steve was a fine soul. He was never without a smile on his face, and I always enjoyed his rapier wit. I am glad to have counted him a friend.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Chairman, first, I would like to thank Mr. Shuster, Mr. Gibbs, and Mr. DeFazio for their work on this bill. This bill is a good bill. I just say to all of you: We are getting close to the end of this session--and a lameduck, too. This isn't perfect for everyone. It is not perfect for me in some cases, but let's get a piece of legislation done without nitpicking it and saying: Well, I didn't get what I wanted. I don't disagree with Mr. DeFazio about the funding. That is something we have to work on with the appropriators. They don't like the idea there is a set-aside fund for repairing the harbors, but let's address that battle at a later date. This is a good piece of legislation. It will create a better system of infrastructure for water, harbors, ports, and drinking water, too. It is a legislative package that has been put together with a lot of hard work with staff. As we get in this battle, Well, I don't want it, it is a Democrat bill, it is a Republican bill, we ought to think this is a House bill, a bill that can do the job. It will come out of this House, it will go over to the Senate, and we will have a conference. We have another chance to finish this project for the people of America. So I am asking us not to get into this little bit of nitpicking and get good piece of legislation such as this done.