[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.

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