[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 20 (Wednesday, February 1, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H1022-H1025]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ROBERT J. LAGOMARSINO VISITORS CENTER
Mr. GALLEGLY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent for the immediate
consideration in the House of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 50) to
designate the visitors center at the Channel Islands National Park, CA,
as the ``Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitors Center.''
The Clerk read the title of the joint resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I yield
to the gentleman from California [Mr. Gallegly].
Mr. GALLEGLY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Mexico [Mr.
Richardson] for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of House Joint Resolution 50, which
will rename the visitor center at the Channel Islands National Park in
California after my good friend and former colleague, Bob Lagomarsino.
When I was first elected to Congress in 1986, it was my privilege to
represent the district just adjacent to Bob's. My experience in
politics was limited to the Simi Valley City Council at that time, and
Bob gave graciously of his time and counsel as I learned the ropes here
in Washington.
Those who served with him will remember Bob as an insightful
legislator and one of our hardest working Members. Although he has
retired to his home in California, Bob continues to produce a quarterly
newsletter and many of his friends and former colleagues continue to
benefit from his valued advice.
During his long and distinguished career in public service--as a
councilman, a mayor, State senator, and Congressman--Bob Lagomarsino
paid particular attention to preserving our natural resources. In his
role as ranking Republican on the National Parks Subcommittee, he
provided leadership that was guided by a strong ethic of stewardship.
In his 19 years in Congress, Bob Lagomarsino stood for a lot of
things, but probably no single issue was closer to his heart than the
protection of the string of islands located just to the west of his
district--the Channel Islands.
Bob earned the title, ``Father of the Channel Islands National
Park,'' by persuading his colleagues to designate the islands as a
national park in 1980.
In light of this achievement, and his long record of service to his
constituents and in this very Chamber, I feel it is appropriate that we
honor him by giving this facility its rightful name--``The Robert J.
Lagomarsino Visitor Center.''
As a nearly lifelong resident of Ventura County, I am in a unique
position to appreciate the wisdom of Bob's desire to preserve the
islands and create this park.
The isolation of these islands and their unique geography have
created an incredibly diverse natural environment. More than 800
species of plants and animals--including dozens of species of marine
mammals--are found in the park, making this national treasure one of
our most important ecosystems.
Without Bob Lagomarsino's leadership, it is doubtful that the Channel
Islands would be a national park today.
This is a noncontroversial bill, which the Congressional Budget
Office has found will have no budgetary impact.
[[Page H1023]] On January 18, it was reported by the House Committee on
Resources by a voice vote.
Some of you may remember that in the 103d Congress, full Committee
Chairman George Miller and Parks Subcommittee Chairman Bruce Vento
supported this proposal and agreed to move it forward. Although the
legislation was passed by the House, it did not make it through the
other body before the end of the year.
I would like to thank the gentleman from Alaska [Mr. Young] and the
gentleman from Utah [Mr. Hansen] for acting so promptly this year to
move this legislation through the House Committee on Resources. I urge
my colleagues to give this bill unanimous support in recognition of
Bob's outstanding record of environmental conservation.
I would like to note that my colleague form California, Mrs.
Feinstein, has introduced a similar bill in the other body and I look
forward to quick passage there.
Hopefully, our moving the bill forward early in the 104th Congress
will allow this legislation to be enacted quickly and give Bob the
recognition he deserves.
Mr. RICHARDSON. Further reserving the right to object, Mr. Speaker, I
yield to the gentleman from Alaska [Mr. Young], the distinguished
chairman of the Committee on Resources.
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New
Mexico [Mr. Richardson] for yielding, and this one is for Bob. They
have one for the Gipper, but this one is for Bob.
Bob Lagomarsino, as the gentleman just mentioned, led this effort to
establish the Channel Islands. I cannot think of a better tribute to a
person who worked so hard, and so I wanted to thank those Members who
lead this charge with him, and I want to thank them for working to
bring this legislation to the floor.
Mr. RICHARDSON. Further reserving the right to object, Mr. Speaker, I
yield to the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Vento].
Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Mexico [Mr.
Richardson] for yielding, and I want to credit the gentleman from
California [Mr. Gallegly] and others that have advanced this important
recognition of a former colleague and, I might say, one that not only
that we do hold in high esteem and great affection, but someone that
has made contributions to the natural resources and to the National
Park System of this Nation.
Of course most dear, I am sure, to Congressman Lagomarsino has been
the designation of the Channel Islands, the wonderful resource that
they represent to the people of this Nation. There are other spots in
his area: The Sespe River, the Condor Wilderness, which he worked so
diligently on, and many other things that passed even as he left, such
as the in-lieu bill that passed in the last session, while he was not
here. It was carried through, and basically I think from Alaska lands
to many other issues Congressman Lagomarsino worked with many Members
in a bipartisan basis, with Phil Burton, with my predecessor, John
Seiberling, and myself, and through it all I think there was a common
value, a common concern, in terms of leaving a legacy for the American
people.
I want to thank Bob Lagomarsino. I want to obviously rise in support
of this and ask my colleagues to support it. He earned it, and I
certainly am pleased that this is up on the floor today, and I thank my
colleague, the gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. Richardson] for yielding.
Mr. RICHARDSON. Further reserving the right to object, Mr. Speaker, I
yield to the gentleman from New York [Mr. Solomon], the chairman of the
Committee on Rules.
Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, I certainly do thank the gentleman, and I
just want to rise and say how much I remember and deeply respect Bob
Lagomarsino.
As my colleagues know, I served on the Committee on Foreign Affairs
with Bob for many, many years all during the 1980's, and if there is
any one Member of this Congress that is more responsible for helping
Ronald Reagan put an end to the deadly atheistic spread of
international communism throughout this world, it was Bob Lagomarsino.
But one other thing we should make note of, and that is the fact for
many years Bob Lagomarsino served on the task force and later as the
chairman of that task force for Vietnam veterans missing in action in
Southeast Asia, and Bob, more than anything else, traveled to Vietnam
with me and others and did more to try to bring home the remains to try
to resolve this terrible problem than anyone I know. So, we really
respect the gentleman bringing this bill before us.
Mr. RICHARDSON. Further reserving the right to object, Mr. Speaker, I
yield to the gentleman from American Samoa [Mr. Faleomavaega].
(Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend
his remarks).
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of
Joint Resolution 50, to designate the visitors center at the Channel
Islands National Park in California as the ``Robert J. Lagomarsino
Visitors Center.''
Mr. Speaker, I have known former Congressman Robert Lagomarsino for
nearly 20 years and have tremendous respect for the gentleman. I first
met him when I was on the staff of the late Congressman Phil Burton of
California in the 1970's. Congressman Burton and Congressman
Lagomarsino taught me from the start how important and valuable a
bipartisan approach to our resolving the Nation's problems here in
Washington. These two gentleman have done much in Congress to help the
U.S. territories. Together they helped bring in U.S. insular areas from
neocolonialism to greater measurement of self-governance. Most of these
territorial governments have made impressive progress toward financial
self-sufficiency.
Another important principle the late Congressman Burton taught me was
that the most important thing a Member of Congress has in this House is
his word. When you make a commitment, you'd better keep it, or you
won't be given the same amount of trust again. Congressman Lagomarsino
was a true practitioner of this guiding principle and I knew I could
always count on his support once he made a commitment.
Mr. Speaker, about 1 year after I was first elected to this House, a
hurricane with 160-mile-per-hour winds struck my congressional district
causing extensive damage. The only transportation between the outer
islands and the main island of my district consisted of single-engine,
passenger airplanes. These planes were unable to transport construction
materials which were needed in the outer islands to rebuild after the
hurricane.
Senator Daniel Inouye from the State of Hawaii was kind enough to
provide $750,000 in that year's defense appropriation bill to refurbish
a vessel obtained from another Federal agency. When the bill returned
to the House, the money for this vessel was under partisan attack and I
wasn't sure whether the funding would survive. The President did not
support the bill. The Secretary of the Interior did not support, and
even our own governor did not support the measure.
As part of his duties on the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs,
Congressman Lagomarsino had been to American Samoa and knew, first-
hand, how important surface transportation
was to these outer islands. Much to my surprise, Congressman
Lagomarsino came to the floor, broke the partisan attack, and spoke in
support of funding for the vessel. I still believe that without his
support, and the assistance of former Congressman John Rhodes of
Arizona, my district would have lost that important funding. I have
never forgotten the crucial support Congressman Lagomarsino provided
that day, and I never will.
Mr. Speaker, another issue I worked on with Congressman Lagomarsino
concerned stoppage of the rapacious practice of drift net fishing in
the South Pacific. I spent my first 4 years in this House serving on
the Foreign Affairs Committee with Bob Lagomarsino, and his
statesmanlike service on that committee deserves special commendation.
Drift nets are commonly referred to as the walls of death. They are
must that--invisible fishing nets up to 30-miles long, stretching the
distance from Washington to Baltimore, that indiscriminately kill
everything in the sea that is unfortunate enough to swim into its path.
Some fishing companies prefer to use this method of fishing because it
is very efficient.
[[Page H1024]] The problem, Mr. Speaker, is that the nets ensnare any
and all fish, dolphins, porpoises, and even whales which cannot pass
through the small mesh. For air-breathing mammals, such as dolphins and
whales, it is slow death by drowning.
To make this form of fishing even worse, many of the fish, and all of
the mammals, were not considered desirable by the owners of the nets
and their carcasses were simply cast overboard as trash. The worst
part, Mr. Speaker, is when these drift nets are lost on the open seas
by fishermen, not an uncommon occurrence, continue to drift the ocean
for months, killing untold amounts of sealife.
Despite pressure from certain segments of the international community
and the domestic fishing industry, Congressman Lagomarsino supported my
legislation to ban this practice from the South Pacific, and led the
bipartisan charge from his side of the Foreign Affairs Committee. We
were successful in that endeavor and I cannot thank Bob Lagomarsino
enough for is leadership.
Mr. Speaker, although I am not from California, I know Congressman
Lagomarsino has played a key role in protecting the environmental
interests of that great State, the United
States of America, and the global community. Congressman Lagomarsino's
efforts have directly contributed to the creation of the Channel
Islands National Park, and I can think of nothing more fitting than
naming the visitor's center at this national park in honor of this
great American.
Mr. Speaker, in all candor and with sincerity, and on behalf of the
people of American Samoa, I want to thank Chairman Don Young, Chairman
Jim Hansen, our ranking Democratic members George Miller and Bill
Richardson for their support of this legislation, and especially the
chief sponsor of the bill, the distinguished chairman of the House
Subcommittee on Native Americans and Insular Affairs, Congressman Elton
Gallegly of California.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
{time} 1800
Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I
yield to the gentleman from California [Mr. Lewis].
Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I certainly appreciate my
colleague, the gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. Richardson] allowing me a
little time to rise with the many friends of Bob Lagomarsino and just
express a few thoughts about the fantastic years of service I have
experienced with Bob as well as his bride, Norma Lagomarsino. It was my
privilege to work with Bob when he was a member of the State senate.
The first time one ever met Bob in public affairs, it was hard not to
realize he is a guy who recognized that public affairs is not driven by
pure partisanship in most issues. He realized that working together we
can solve all kinds of problems, and he came to Washington with that
commitment. It does not surprise me to see this ovewhelming kind of
groundswell of bipartisan recognition of his great service here.
Bob Lagomarsino was a Californian first and foremost. He focused on
California issues through his public service. His leadership in the
environmental community is well known by all those who pay attention to
the problems and challenges that we face there.
He was also, however, a great leader in the field of foreign affairs.
Bob is a man who recognized that America should be united when we leave
our waterfront, and his leadership and voice, recognizing the
importance of bipartisanship in that field, was most important.
Bob Lagomarsino is exactly the kind of American we need in the Halls
of Congress. It is my privilege to rise among his former colleagues
today to express my well wishes to him and Norma as they go forward in
continuing public service.
I thank my colleague, the gentleman from California, Elton Gallegly,
for this effort and am pleased to join him in support of this
legislation.
Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I
yield to the gentleman from Texas [Mr. de la Garza].
Mr. de la GARZA. I thank the gentleman from New Mexico.
Mr. Speaker, I am indeed happy to join my colleagues in this very
well deserved tribute to our former colleague, Bob Lagomarsino. As has
been mentioned before, not only in the Committee on Interior, working
with insular territories, and in the Committee on Foreign Affairs, that
is the area that I worked very closely with him in our relationship
with Mexico and many of the countries in Latin America, and his
contribution was indeed a major contribution to the betterment of this
country and our relations with them.
He was a man of various and sundry areas of knowledge and expertise,
and I think that this visitors center will really reflect what he has
done, not only in the area of conservation of resources, but certainly
in foreign affairs, and I am very happy to join my colleagues in this
very well-deserved tribute to our former colleague.
Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I
yield to the gentlewoman from California [Mrs. Seastrand], who now
occupies Mr. Lagomarsino's seat.
Mrs. SEASTRAND. Mr. Speaker, I have the distinct privilege to support
House Joint Resolution 50 concerning the Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitors
Center while my district is the home of several dedicated public
servants, including former President of the United States, Ronald
Reagan, I also have the honor of representing much of the same area of
another distinguished public servant, former Congressman Robert J.
Lagomarsino. Bob Lagomarsino served the central coast, the State of
California, and our Nation with distinction.
In Washington, Bob fought for serious congressional reforms. As a
student of foreign affairs, he knew the importance of America's place
on the world stage. However, he also understood the importance of the
district he represented and its valuable resources. As a result, he
successfully urged support for the Channel Islands National Park in
Ventura County, CA.
To understand the importance of this effort, one has to appreciate
the central coast of California and our history. It was just a quarter
century ago, when the pristine, uncontaminated shores of Santa Barbara
were spoiled with an oil slick, caused by an underwater oil well in the
ocean, that covered our beaches and polluted our waters.
As a result of Bob Largomarsino's work, we can now view the central
coast from the deep woods in the Los Padres National Forest to the
mountain ranges that run down to our stunning coast with a sense of
relief that the beauty surrounding the cliffs of the Santa Barbara
coast with its sandy beaches, can no longer be harmed.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in wholehearted support of the Robert J.
Lagomarsino Visitors' Center designation and urge my colleagues to join
me.
Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object,
let me just conclude, since everything has been said about Bob
Lagomarsino, I had the pleasure of serving with him also. He was a man
of class, decency, an environmentalist, statesman with his role in
foreign policy, a man of great integrity.
We miss him in this body, and this could be no better tribute.
Mr. Speaker, I want to once again commend my colleague, the gentleman
from California [Mr. Gallegly], who I know probably had the strongest
friendship of anyone with Mr. Lagomarsino.
Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I yield to the
gentleman from California [Mr. Gallegly].
Mr. GALLEGLY. I want to join all of my colleagues who joined today in
recognizing Bob Lagomarsino.
Particularly I want to thank you, Bill. If we felt about so many more
issues in this body on a bipartisan way the way we feel about Bob, we
could get a lot more done around here.
I thank you very kindly for yielding, and urge the support of all of
our Members on this issue.
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Joint
Resolution 50, to designate the visitors center at the Channel Islands
National Park after our former colleague, Robert J. Lagomarsino. An an
original cosponsor of the resolution, and a cosponsor of similar
legislation in the 103d Congress, I
[[Page H1025]] commend my colleague from California, Mr. Gallegly, for
his efforts.
This is a fitting way to honor Bob Lagomarsino. During his nine terms
in the House, Bob worked tirelessly for the preservation of
California's natural resources. Perhaps the centerpiece of this mission
was his successful effort to establish the Channel Islands National
Park in 1980. Bob Lagomarsino is a Republican in the finest tradition
of Teddy Roosevelt, recognizing the importance of preserving our
environment and working to include unique areas in the National Park
System. Bob had a major influence on landmark environmental legislation
including the Alaska Wilderness Act, the Strip Mine Control Act, and
the Land and Water Conservation Act.
On a personal level, I miss Bob's presence in the House. He was a
thoughtful, productive, and diligent representative for the people of
his district and the State of California. Bob Lagomarsino was one of
those nuts-and-bolts legislators who would take up the less publicized
but still important causes. His efforts on working to improve the
status of the territories, for example, got him little attention in the
media or from his constituents. But, typically for Bob, he devoted
countless hours to this issue. He worked in a bipartisan manner, never
compromising his principles, but never grandstanding either.
We also remember Bob Lagomarsino's years of dedicated service in the
foreign policy arena. Bob took a passionate interest in fighting the
spread of communism and played a key role in making the Reagan doctrine
a reality. His efforts in Central America, for example, put America on
the side of freedom. At a time when it wasn't fashionable to talk about
spreading democracy and liberty around the world, Bob Lagomarsino never
shrunk from his belief in this country and what it represents.
Bob Lagomarsino's efforts to protect the Channel Islands before his
service in the House of Representatives. While serving in the
California Senate, Bob Lagomarsino introduced and passed legislation to
make the Channel Islands off limits to oil drilling. When he arrived in
Washington in 1974, he introduced legislation to establish the Channel
Islands National Park. After years of effort, Congress passed Bob
Lagomarsino's bill in 1980.
Even after the establishment of the national park, Bob's commitment
to protecting the Channel Islands and the fragile California coast
continued. He worked for a number of years to secure funding for the
park. He expended great effort to convince major oil companies to end
shipments of oil through the channel. He worked with the International
Maritime Organization to have the Channel Islands designated as an
``area to be avoided'' by international shippers. He persuaded
President Bush to withdraw leases for offshore oil in the channel. He
authored an amendment to bring offshore oil operations under State and
Federal clean air standards.
Mr. Speaker, the United States has benefitted greatly from the public
service of Bob Lagomarsino. It is most appropriate that we honor that
service with this resolution. Were it not for Bob's persistence and
dedication, there would be no Channel Islands National Park. I think it
is fitting and proper that Americans visiting this treasured part of
California appreciate something of the man who made this park possible.
Again, I salute Elton Gallegly for his work over the last few years
on this legislation. I urge its adoption by the House.
Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw the reservation of objection,
and urge passage of the joint resolution.
{time} 1810
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Upton). Is there objection to the
request of the gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
The Clerk read the joint resolution, as follows:
H.J. Res. 50
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.
The visitors center at the Channel Islands National Park,
California, is designated as the ``Robert J. Lagomarsino
Visitors Center''.
SEC. 2. LEGAL REFERENCES.
Any reference in any law, regulation, document, record,
map, or other paper of the United States to the visitors
center referred to in section 1 is deemed to be a reference
to the ``Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitors Center''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the committee
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
The Clerk read as follows:
Committee amendment in the nature of a substitute: Strike all after
the resolving clause and insert:
SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.
The visitor center at the Channel Islands National Park,
California, is designated as the ``Robert J. Lagomarsino
Visitor Center''.
SEC. 2. LEGAL REFERENCES.
Any reference in any law, regulation, document, record,
map, or other paper of the United States to the visitor
center referred to in section 1 is deemed to be a reference
to the ``Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center''.
Mr. GALLEGLY (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous
consent that the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute be
considered as read and printed in the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on committee amendment in
the nature of a substitute.
The committee amendment in the nature of a substitute was agreed to.
The joint resolution was ordered to be engrossed and read a third
time, was read the third time, and passed.
The title of the joint resolution was amended so as to read: ``Joint
resolution to designate the visitor center at the Channel Islands
National Park, California, as the ``Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor
Center.''.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________