[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 53 (Wednesday, May 3, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H2461-H2467]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN BASIN RESTORATION ACT OF 2000
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the
Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 484 and ask for its
immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:
H. Res. 484
Resolved, That at any time after the adoption of this
resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule
XVIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the
Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of
the bill (H.R. 2957) to amend the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act to authorize funding to carry out certain water
quality restoration projects for Lake Pontchartrain Basin,
Louisiana, and for other purposes. The first reading of the
bill shall be dispensed with. Points of order against
consideration of the bill for failure to comply with clause
4(a) of rule XIII are waived. General debate shall be
confined to the bill and shall not exceed one hour equally
divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority
member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
After general debate the bill shall be considered for
amendment under the five-minute rule. It shall be in order to
consider as an original bill for the purpose of amendment
under the five-minute rule the amendment in the nature of a
substitute recommended by the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure now printed in the bill. The committee
amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be considered
as read. During consideration of the bill for amendment, the
Chairman of the Committee of the Whole may accord priority in
recognition on the basis of whether the Member offering an
amendment has caused it to be printed in the portion of the
Congressional Record designated for that purpose in clause 8
of rule XVIII. Amendments so printed shall be considered as
read. The Chairman of the Committee of the Whole may: (1)
postpone until a time during further consideration in the
Committee of the Whole a request for a recorded vote on any
amendment; and (2) reduce to five minutes the minimum time
for electronic voting on any postponed question that follows
another electronic vote without intervening business,
provided that the minimum time for electronic voting on the
first in any series of questions shall be 15 minutes. At the
conclusion of consideration of the bill for amendment the
Committee shall rise and report the bill to the House with
such amendments as may have been adopted. Any Member may
demand a separate vote in the House on any amendment adopted
in the Committee of the Whole to the bill or to the committee
amendment in the nature a substitute. The previous question
shall be considered as ordered on the bill and amendments
thereto to final passage without intervening motion except
one motion to recommit with or without instructions.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings)
is recognized for 1 hour.
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate
only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Frost), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During
consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose
of debate only.
(Mr. HASTINGS of Washington asked and was given permission to revise
and extend his remarks.)
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 484 would grant H.R.
2957, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Act, an open rule
waiving clause 4(a) of rule XIII that requires a 3-day layover of the
committee report against consideration of the bill.
The rule provides one hour of general debate to be equally divided
between the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure. The rule makes in order the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure amendment in the nature
of a substitute now printed in the bill as an original bill for the
purpose of amendment, which shall be open for amendment at any time.
The rule authorizes the Chair to accord priority in recognition to
Members who have preprinted their amendments in the Congressional
Record. In addition, the rule allows the chairman of the Committee of
the Whole to postpone votes during the consideration of the bill and to
reduce voting time to 5 minutes on a postponed question if the vote
follows a 15 minute vote. Finally, the rule provides one motion to
recommit, with or without instructions.
Mr. Speaker, the purpose of H.R. 2957 is to coordinate and provide
financial
[[Page H2462]]
and technical assistance for water quality restoration activities in
the Lake Pontchartrain Basin. The Lake Pontchartrain watershed covers a
5,000 square mile area, including all or part of 16 Louisiana parishes
and four counties in Mississippi.
Since the 1940s, increasing population, urbanization and land use
changes have adversely affected the basin, resulting in a number of
serious environmental problems and declining health of the watershed.
To address this problem, H.R. 2957 would establish within the EPA the
Lake Pontchartrain Basin Program in order to restore the ecological
health of the basin by developing and funding restoration projects and
related scientific and public education projects.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that implementing H.R. 2957
would cost $108 million over the 2001 to 2005 period, assuming
appropriation of those authorized amounts. The bill would not affect
direct spending or receipts; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would
not apply. Furthermore, the bill contains no intergovernmental or
private sector mandates and would impose no costs on state, local, or
tribal governments.
Accordingly, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support both the
open rule reported by the Committee on Rules and the underlying bill,
H.R. 2957.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 484 is an open rule providing for 1
hour of general debate on H.R. 2957, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin
Restoration Act. The rule does provide one waiver, however. Since the
bill was not filed until yesterday, the rule waives the 3-day layover
requirement of clause 4(a) of rule XIII.
This legislation establishes Lake Pontchartrain as an estuary of
national significance under the National Estuary Program and requires
EPA to establish a Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program to
coordinate efforts to reduce pollution and restore the health of the
basin watershed. These are important steps to improve the health of
this important body of water. The bill also authorizes $100 million for
a project to reduce the amount of sewage that enters the lake from New
Orleans and neighboring parishes.
Mr. Speaker, I know of no controversy surrounding this bill.
Therefore, I support this open rule, which will allow any Member to
offer germane amendments to this proposal.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I know that it is not in
order at all for me to say this, but it is my mother's 86th birthday
today, and I am not going to mention that in a formal sense.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, I yield
back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the
resolution.
The previous question was ordered.
The resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hastings of Washington). Pursuant to
House Resolution 484 and rule XVIII, the Chair declares the House in
the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union for the
consideration of the bill, H.R. 2957.
{time} 1458
In the Committee of the Whole
Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the
Whole House on the State of the Union for the consideration of the bill
(H.R. 2957) to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to
authorize funding to carry out certain water quality restoration
projects for Lake Pontchartrain Basin, Louisiana, and for other
purposes, with Mr. Ose in the chair.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered as having
been read the first time.
Under the rule, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert) and the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Borski) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert).
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Chairman, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin is the largest estuary in
the Gulf Coast region and one of the largest estuaries in the United
States. However, due to urbanization, increased population growth, and
intensive land uses, many water bodies in this watershed do not meet
their designated uses. The sources of pollution in the Basin include
inadequate sewage systems or septic tanks systems, combined sanitary
and storm water sewer overflows, as well as urban and agricultural
runoff.
State and local agencies are working cooperatively with private
organizations on restoration efforts. However, they cannot do it alone.
H.R. 2957, introduced by our committee colleague, the gentleman from
Louisiana (Mr. Vitter), and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr.
Jefferson), supports these State and local efforts.
First, the bill identifies the Lake Pontchartrain Basin as an estuary
of national significance and adds this estuary to the list of estuaries
in section 320 of the Clean Water Act that are to be given priority
consideration for the National Estuaries Program.
{time} 1500
Under the National Estuaries Program, EPA will convene a management
conference for the Lake Ponchartrain Basin with representation by
appropriate local and State organizations.
The purpose of the management conference is to help these local and
State organizations come up with a plan for basin restoration that
recommends activities and projects. In addition, H.R. 2957 creates a
Lake Ponchartrain basin restoration program within EPA modeled after
the Long Island Sound program. This program will help coordinate
ongoing voluntary efforts to reduce pollution and restore the
ecological health of the basin, and will provide financial assistance
to help fund the activities and projects recommended by the management
conference.
Finally, H.R. 2957 authorizes $100 million to provide continued
Federal assistance to the project to prevent inflow and infiltration in
New Orleans and Jefferson Parish. Completing this project, which is an
integral part of basin restoration efforts, will require a total
investment of over $300 million, most of which will be provided from
State and local sources of funding.
Mr. Chairman, I commend the gentlemen from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter) and
(Mr. Jefferson) for their efforts on this legislation. I would also
like to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Borski), the ranking
member of the subcommittee, my colleague and friend, and also the
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), the ranking member of the full
committee, and of course the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster),
the chairman of the full committee, for their leadership and
cooperation in bringing this bill to the floor. I would urge all of my
colleagues to support H.R. 2957.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BORSKI. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. BORSKI asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. BORSKI. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 2957, the Lake
Ponchartrain Basin Restoration Act. This legislation, as amended by the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, would create a priority
for the inclusion of the Lake Ponchartrain Basin into the EPA's
National Estuary Program. By including the basin into the NEP, the
administrator would be authorized to begin development of a
comprehensive conservation management plan for the basin in order to
promote its long-term ecological protection. In addition, this
legislation would establish a new program office within EPA aimed at
restoring the ecological health of the basin and coordinating the
development of its CCMP.
This new program office would provide administrative and technical
assistance to a management conference convened for the protection of
the basin. This office would also be responsible for coordinating any
grant, research and planning programs authorized under this act,
including grants for public education projects consistent with any
management plan.
[[Page H2463]]
Because the drainage basin for the Lake Ponchartrain watershed
extends across much of southern Louisiana and Mississippi, it is the
intent of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure that any
management conference appointed to develop a CCMP for the basin include
appropriate representatives from the States of Louisiana and
Mississippi.
In addition, in order to ensure that the surrounding communities are
fully informed, the bill requires the newly-established program office
to collect and make available to the public information on the
environmental health of the basin.
Mr. Chairman, H.R. 2957 authorizes the basin restoration program at
$5 million per year for 5 years. In addition, the bill authorizes $100
million for inflow and infiltration projects that are currently under
construction in New Orleans, Louisiana, a project which is viewed as
integral to the long-term protection of water quality in the basin.
Mr. Chairman, I also want to commend the gentlemen from Louisiana
(Mr. Vitter) and (Mr. Jefferson) for their hard work in support of this
bill, and I also want to thank my distinguished subcommittee chairman,
the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert) for working with us in a
bipartisan manner, which is the way this committee always operates. It
is greatly appreciated.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
Louisiana (Mr. Vitter), the primary author of this legislation. But
before I do so, let me acknowledge that oftentimes Members come here
and it takes quite a while before they make an impact on this
institution. The gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter) is an exception
to the rule.
Mr. VITTER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for those kind words.
Today, of course, I rise in strong support of this Lake Pontchartrain
Basin Restoration Act, H.R. 2957, because it truly will revitalize a
national treasure for the American people.
The Lake Pontchartrain Basin is about 5,000 square miles. It
encompasses 16 parishes in Southeast Louisiana, as well as four
Mississippi counties. It is one of the largest estuaries in the United
States, and at the center of this basin is 630 square miles of water,
Lake Pontchartrain, that is surrounded by almost 1.5 million residents,
making it the most populated area in the State of Louisiana.
The problem with this area is that over the past 60 years wetlands
loss, human activities, natural forces have had a lot of adverse
impacts on the Pontchartrain Basin. Wetlands around the basin have been
drained, dredged, filled and channeled for oil and gas development.
Storm water discharges, inadequate waste water treatment, agricultural
activities, they have all significantly degraded water quality. Loss of
wetlands due to subsistence, salt water intrusion, and hurricanes also
have harmed basin wildlife populations and placed 13 species, 13, on
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Threatened or Endangered Species
List. Today, swimming is still not allowed on the south shore of the
lake due to the high levels of pollution.
Because of all of this, last September I introduced one of my first
pieces of legislation in the Congress, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin
Restoration Act. This is designed to facilitate and accelerate the
restoration, maintenance, and cleanup of truly one of America's most
significant bodies of water.
This act will create a coordinated technically-sound program for the
restoration and sustainable health of the ecosystem. It will amend the
clean water act to establish a program for water quality restoration
activities in the basin. Most importantly, it will focus on voluntary,
positive, proactive restoration projects, not an increase in government
regulation, not bureaucratic finger-pointing. There will also be
extensive input by all of the local stakeholders in Southeast Louisiana
and the four Mississippi counties affected, including all government
entities in the basin and universities and restoration groups. So it is
a great productive, proactive model to use.
Since introducing this act, I have held town hall meetings on the
bill in Louisiana. I have met with hundreds of citizens and local
elected officials to solicit their input. Their response has been
overwhelming and enthusiastic and positive. These meetings were
important because they affirmed the right model we are using for this
legislation.
Mr. Chairman, I do want to say, though, this legislation builds on a
lot of local support and activity that has been going on for some
years. There has been progress in cleaning up the lake and the basin,
and I want to, in particular, highlight and salute the Lake
Pontchartrain Basin Foundation for its superb work in turning the
corner and cleaning up the lake and bringing all parts of the community
and all interested citizens and elected officials together. Their past
efforts and outreach programs have informed many citizens in Southeast
Louisiana about the steps we can all take to reduce pollution.
Tremendous success has been achieved already.
For instance, last summer I saw porpoises and manatees in Lake
Pontchartrain, and that was something just a few years ago no one would
have ever guessed and soon, many of the no swimming signs on the south
shore will be taken up. Those signs first began to appear in Lake
Pontchartrain in 1962 when I was one year old.
Unfortunately, not all of the news is good news. On the north shore
of the lake where there is tremendous development, some of those ``no
swimming'' signs are soon to be erected, so there is still a long road
ahead before we regain a sustainable, fully functioning ecosystem.
For as long as I have lived, I have never known the lake as a place
to swim, as I mentioned. Hopefully, my three daughters, Sophie, Lise,
and Airey will not have to say that, will not have that same perception
and memory when they are my age.
Mr. Chairman, this legislation was reported unanimously from both the
subcommittee and the committee with unanimous bipartisan support. I
urge all of my House colleagues to vote in favor of it.
I want to thank again the full committee chairman, the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), the ranking member, the gentleman from
Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), our subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from
New York (Mr. Boehlert), and the subcommittee ranking member, the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Borski), and all of the staff who have
assisted on the bill, particularly Ben Brumbles and Susan Bodine of the
Subcommittee on Water Resources.
Mr. BORSKI. Mr. Chairman, I yield 4 minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant).
Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Chairman, I thank my distinguished friend from
Philadelphia, my neighboring State of Pennsylvania. I have an amendment
that I am waiting for that is coming from my office, Mr. Chairman. But
I support this bill, and I want to commend the leadership of the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert), and I want to thank him for
helping me secure the class A franchise in the New York Penn League
baseball, now known as the Mahoney Valley Scrappers. He does a
tremendous job on our committee and I appreciated your help on bringing
the president of the league up, that was a big help. I want to thank
the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Borski) for all the work that he
has done. If one wants to pass water, one wants to talk with him. He is
the guy that does it around here.
I just want to make a couple of comments. I support this, and support
almost every public works project in America, and I want the top gun to
hear this. We have spent $12.6 billion to build a tunnel in Bosnia. It
is now $1.2 billion over cost. But I am sure it is going to have merit.
Mr. Chairman, I have been advancing the prospect of completing the
internavigable water system in the United States by connecting the
Beaver River north of Pittsburgh, 110 miles away from Lake Erie, to
revitalize every piece of industrial wasteland between Chicago and New
York; Mr. Chairman, 60 percent of factories, 60 percent of the
population within the region. They said it is too expensive. The Army
Corps of Engineers said, Mr. Traficant, we would love to build this;
but we are afraid of its cost, so we are not going to support it. We
have the greatest builders in the world, the Army
[[Page H2464]]
Corps of Engineers, putting their fingers in the holes of the dike, not
really maximizing the infrastructure of our internavigable water
system. I say to my colleagues, it is time that we do that and put
America to work.
Let me say one last thing. How can there be an affected total
comprehensive multi-modality transportation network without a full,
comprehensive navigable water system connecting the Great Lakes to the
Ohio River? Think about it. I don't know how much time it is going to
take for my amendment to be here, and now I would like to speak to the
effect of my amendment.
I understand this is an amendment to the Clean Water Act, the bill
itself, and I commend my colleagues' constructive ingenuity to affect
this common and well-thought-out goal. However, that Buy American, that
Clean Water Act amendment already is covered by the Buy American Act.
But the Buy American Act does not provide for a notice. The Traficant
amendment says, yes, you must abide by the Buy American Act that is in
the bill, and Congress recommends this, because we cannot mandate that
they buy America, but encourages the support of buy American-made
products or spending that on goods and services made in America. But
more importantly, it gives notice from the Congress of the United
States saying look, you are getting money, try and expend that money
wherever possible on American-made goods.
The top gun is protected, and all of us work hard on the bill. So I
hope that my staff will have heeded this clarion call and have my
amendment here forthwith.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume
to say that this is the birthday of the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr.
Vitter), the primary author of the bill, and Congress is not just
presenting him with a $125 million birthday present, Congress is
advancing on a bipartisan basis responsible legislation that represents
good public policy.
With respect to the comments of my good friend from Ohio, let me
point out that this committee has the habit of working constructively
in a positive manner with him to fashion his language in a way that we
can all embrace, and we eagerly anticipate the arrival of that language
so that it can be given the careful scrutiny to which this committee
has become accustomed.
{time} 1515
Mr. Chairman, at this juncture, I have no further requests for time;
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BORSKI. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson), the cosponsor of this bill.
Mr. JEFFERSON. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the allocation of time by
the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Borski).
Mr. Chairman, I rise this afternoon to join the gentleman from
Louisiana (Mr. Vitter) in a bipartisan effort to request this House
vote to pass this important environmental restoration and protection
legislation.
This is the gentleman's birthday, I understand; and it is a wonderful
birthday present for him to have this bill passed. But more than that,
a wonderful gift to the people of our State that he is providing under
his leadership, and I thank him for his efforts.
H.R. 2957 amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize
Federal support and coordination of water quality restoration projects
for the Lake Pontchartrain Basin in Louisiana. By passing this
legislation today, Congress will join with the State of Louisiana,
local governments of the Metropolitan New Orleans area, local
universities, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, and private
citizens who have already recognized that the lake is important and it
is important to restore the water quality in the Lake Pontchartrain
Basin.
Mr. Chairman, Lake Pontchartrain is one of the largest estuaries in
the continental United States, and it is important that the Federal
Government join in the effort to restore water quality there. The lake
has a diverse ecology that is essential to the habitat that supports
numerous species of fish, birds, mammals, and plants there.
Lake Pontchartrain also handles the major storm water runoff for the
16 parishes in Louisiana that surround it. As a direct result of sewage
and septic tank discharges, animal waste from nearby farms that contain
herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, runoff from construction
sediments, and other sources of pollution, the lake's water quality has
been compromised to the point that fishing and swimming has been
prohibited for decades.
Already, our local initiatives have started to address the issue of
water quality, and some predict that one day in the near future
swimming may be permitted again and fishing may be restored fully.
Restoration of the basin continues to be a major task for the State
and local governments, and greater coordination is needed for
restoration efforts.
Mr. Speaker, there is another reason for Federal involvement. Lake
Pontchartrain also serves as a relief valve for Mississippi River
spring floods which bring waters from regions exceeding way north of
our State when high water at New Orleans requires opening of the Bonnet
Carre Spillway.
Every time that the spillway has been opened, eight times since 1932,
the last 1997, the deluge of Mississippi River flood waters that are
diverted through Lake Pontchartrain have wreaked havoc on the delicate
ecological balance in the basin. The waters of Lake Pontchartrain are
brackish, not fresh water, not salt water; and the titanic influx of
fresh water from the floods act as a toxic shock to the lake's
environment that can take years to overcome.
Mr. Chairman, the Federal challenge here today is to help us to
balance the management of the river and the need for flood control for
New Orleans, for the Nation, while at the same time balancing the
management of the ecological and economically important resources for
the lake.
Mr. Chairman, we have been working on the problem of restoring the
lake basin locally. It is time that the Federal Government adds its
weight and ability to coordinate these efforts, and its resources, to
help with this important initiative.
Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Borski)
for yielding me this time, and I thank my colleague for his work on
this measure. It is a pleasure to join him, and I urge my colleagues to
join us in passing this bill today.
Mr. BORSKI. Mr. Chairman, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, I have no further requests for time, and
I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIRMAN. All time for general debate has expired.
Pursuant to the rule, the committee amendment in the nature of a
substitute printed in the bill is considered as an original bill for
the purpose of amendment and is considered read.
The text of the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute is
as follows:
H.R. 2957
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Lake Pontchartrain Basin
Restoration Act of 2000''.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL ESTUARY PROGRAM.
(a) Finding.--Congress finds that the Lake Ponchartrain
Basin is an estuary of national significance.
(b) Addition to National Estuary Program.--Section
320(a)(2)(B) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33
U.S.C. 1330(a)(2)(B)) is amended by inserting ``Lake
Ponchartrain Basin, Louisiana and Mississippi;'' before ``and
Peconic Bay, New York.''.
SEC. 3. LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN BASIN.
(a) In General.--Title I of the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) is amended by adding at
the end the following:
``SEC. 121. LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN BASIN.
``(a) Establishment of Restoration Program.--The
Administrator shall establish within the Environmental
Protection Agency the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration
Program.
``(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the program shall be to
restore the ecological health of the Basin by developing and
funding restoration projects and related scientific and
public education projects.
``(c) Duties.--In carrying out the program, the
Administrator shall--
``(1) provide administrative and technical assistance to a
management conference convened for the Basin under section
320;
``(2) assist and support the activities of the management
conference, including the implementation of recommendations
of the management conference;
``(3) support environmental monitoring of the Basin and
research to provide necessary technical and scientific
information;
[[Page H2465]]
``(4) develop a comprehensive research plan to address the
technical needs of the program;
``(5) coordinate the grant, research, and planning programs
authorized under this section; and
``(6) collect and make available to the public
publications, and other forms of information the management
conference determines to be appropriate, relating to the
environmental quality of the Basin.
``(d) Grants.--The Administrator may make grants--
``(1) for restoration projects and studies recommended by a
management conference convened for the Basin under section
320;
``(2) for public education projects recommended by the
management conference; and
``(3) for the inflow and infiltration project sponsored by
the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board and Jefferson
Parish, Louisiana.
``(e) Definitions.--In this section, the following
definitions apply:
``(1) Basin.--The term `Basin' means the Lake Pontchartrain
Basin, a 5,000 square mile watershed encompassing 16 parishes
in the State of Louisiana and 4 counties in the State of
Mississippi.
``(2) Program.--The term `program' means the Lake
Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program established under
subsection (a).
``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--
``(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated--
``(A) $100,000,000 for the inflow and infiltration project
sponsored by the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board and
Jefferson Parish, Louisiana; and
``(B) $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2001 through 2005
to carry out this section.
Such sums shall remain available until expended.
``(2) Public education projects.--Not more that 15 percent
of the amount appropriated pursuant to paragraph (1)(B) in a
fiscal year may be expended on grants for public education
projects under subsection (d)(2).''.
The CHAIRMAN. During consideration of the bill for amendment, the
Chair may accord priority in recognition to a Member offering an
amendment that he has printed in the designated place in the
Congressional Record. Those amendments will be considered read.
The Chairman of the Committee of the Whole may postpone a request for
a recorded vote on any amendment and may reduce to a minimum of 5
minutes the time for voting on any postponed question that immediately
follows another vote, provided that the time for voting on the first
question shall be a minimum of 15 minutes.
Are there any amendments to the bill?
Amendment Offered by Mr. Traficant
Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
The Clerk read as follows:
Amendment offered by Mr. Traficant:
All recipients of grants pursuant to this act shall abide
by the Buy American Act and the Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency shall give notice of the Buy
American Act requirements to grant applicants.
Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Chairman, it is a very forthright little
handwritten amendment. The gentleman from New York (Chairman Boehlert),
who has reserved the right to object, should make note of the fact that
it is like a reinforcement that there is a Buy American Act that
everybody seems to overlook and buy goods made from China and all over
the place, with a trade deficit that is now approaching $300 billion
with China, surpassing Japan's $60 billion. China will amass a $70-plus
billion trade surplus.
They are buying nuclear attack submarines and intercontinental
ballistic missiles with our money. I have got to say ``beam me up.''
So the Traficant amendment says, look, the Clean Water Act has a Buy
American statute in it, but it is so weak I do not think it could knock
out Palooka. All we say, and all I say in this amendment, is abide by
the Buy American Act, but give a notice of what that Buy American Act
stands for so that the people who are getting these grants will at
least have embedded in their psyche that the Congress of the United
States would like to encourage them in expending American taxpayer
dollars wherever possible, to expand it on American-made goods and
services.
Now, having explained it, and wanting to have my standard language
in, I believe that this language is significant enough and will require
some task, but a task that is worthy of any administrator to effect a
Buy American posture by our procurement policies.
I would hope that the gentleman's reservation in this matter can be
abated.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. TRAFICANT. I yield to the gentleman from New York.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, let me ask my distinguished colleague,
well, first of all let me give a preamble. I think the objective of the
gentleman's amendment is sound. I think the concept is noble. I am
wondering if the gentleman might ask that his amendment might be
amended to have a preamble: ``It is the sense of Congress that,'' and
continue on. That would make it consistent with previous endeavors
advanced by the gentleman from Ohio.
Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, that would be fine
except to say that it is the sense of Congress, and the administrator
says it is a sense of Congress and he does not give a notice. If we
want the administrator to say that it is the sense of Congress to abide
by the Buy American Act, I do not know why we should pass the Buy
American Act. What is the use of a law if we make it a sense of
Congress and they do not have to abide by it?
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, would the gentleman continue to yield?
Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Chairman, I am not so sure that I will yield after
that argument. I will yield.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, I am trying to assist my noble colleague
in making the language----
Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Chairman, I would be glad to make it a sense of
the Congress, but the notice shall not be a sense of the Congress. The
historical debate on this would be that, yes, it is a sense of the
Congress amendment, but there shall be a notice given that it is a
sense of the Congress that they do abide by the Buy American Act. In
other words, a notice will be given, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, if my distinguished colleague would again
yield.
Mr. TRAFICANT. Glad to yield to the gentleman.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, that is perfectly acceptable.
Modification to Amendment Offered by Mr. Traficant
Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that the words
spoken by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert) which state that
it is the sense of the Congress that, bang, before the Traficant
amendment be that which is incorporated into the amendment.
The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will report the modification to the amendment
offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant).
The Clerk read as follows:
At the beginning of the text proposed to be inserted, add
the following: It is the sense of the Congress that All
recipients of grants pursuant to this act shall abide by
the Buy American Act. The Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency shall give notice of the
Buy American Act requirements to grant applicants.
The CHAIRMAN. Is there objection to the modification to the amendment
offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant)?
Mr. TRAFICANT. Clarification, Mr. Chairman. Clarification. And the
remainder of it shall be after the Buy American Act, period: The
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall give notice.
That language shall remain.
The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will again report the modification.
Mr. TRAFICANT. In further clarification----
The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman will suspend. The Clerk will report the
modification.
The Clerk read as follows:
The amendment as modified is as follows: At the end of the
bill, add the following new section: It is the sense of
Congress that all recipients of grants pursuant to this act
shall abide by the Buy American Act. The Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency shall give notice of the Buy
American Act Requirements to the grant applicants.
Mr. TRAFICANT. That is in essence a complete----
The CHAIRMAN. Is there objection to the modification?
There was no objection.
Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
Mr. Chairman, I do so to enter into a colloquy with the gentleman
from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter), my good friend.
The report accompanying this bill defines certain members of the
management conference. Could the gentleman
[[Page H2466]]
please share with me his intentions in regards to the makeup of this
management conference.
Mr. VITTER. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. TAUZIN. I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana.
Mr. VITTER. Mr. Chairman, it is certainly my intention to clarify
that representation from each of the 16 parishes in Louisiana in the
Lake Ponchartrain Basin estuary will be included in the management
conference.
Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, the report filed with
the bill also clarifies that this legislation does not create new
regulatory authority over the basin; however, it sets broad goals for
the estuary. Could the gentleman share his intentions on the goals of
this legislation and for the estuary.
Mr. VITTER. Mr. Chairman, if the gentleman would continue to yield,
certainly, it is the intention of this legislation to address inflow
and infiltration problems of the municipal sewer systems in the estuary
that are adversely affecting the ecosystem of the basin and to provide
the assistance necessary to focus on voluntary restoration projects
that will benefit the health and productivity of the Lake Ponchartrain
Basin. It does not provide any new regulatory authority in the basin.
I intend to more clearly define the goals of the legislation and
management conference in the conference report of this bill.
Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the gentleman for the
clarification, and I would like to congratulate the gentleman from
Louisiana for his fine work on behalf of the citizens of south
Louisiana in this important basin. I look forward to continuing to work
with him on this bill throughout the legislative process and encourage
its passage by this House.
The CHAIRMAN. The question is on the amendment, as modified offered
by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant).
The amendment, as modified, was agreed to.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, I have a parliamentary inquiry.
The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman will state it.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, does that mean that the Traficant-
Boehlert amendment has just passed?
The CHAIRMAN. Yes, the gentleman is correct.
{time} 1530
The CHAIRMAN. Are there other amendments?
If not, the question is on the committee amendment in the nature of a
substitute, as amended.
The committee amendment in the nature of a substitute, as amended,
was agreed to.
The CHAIRMAN. Under the rule, the Committee rises.
Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr.
Boehner) having assumed the chair, Mr. Ose, Chairman of the Committee
of the Whole House on the State of the Union, reported that that
Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2957) to amend
the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize funding to carry
out certain water quality restoration projects for Lake Pontchartrain
Basin, Louisiana, and for other purposes, pursuant to House Resolution
484, he reported the bill back to the House with an amendment adopted
by the Committee of the Whole.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the rule, the previous question is
ordered.
Is a separate vote demanded on the amendment to the committee
amendment in the nature of a substitute adopted in the Committee of the
Whole? If not, the question is on the committee amendment in the nature
of a substitute.
The committee amendment in the nature of a substitute was agreed to.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the engrossment and third
reading of the bill.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was
read the third time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the passage of the bill.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8(c) of rule XX, this 15-
minute vote will be followed by a series of 5-minute votes on motions
to suspend the rules postponed from earlier today.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 418,
nays 6, not voting 11, as follows:
[Roll No. 138]
YEAS--418
Abercrombie
Ackerman
Aderholt
Allen
Andrews
Archer
Armey
Baca
Bachus
Baird
Baker
Baldacci
Baldwin
Ballenger
Barcia
Barr
Barrett (NE)
Barrett (WI)
Bartlett
Barton
Bass
Bateman
Becerra
Bentsen
Bereuter
Berkley
Berman
Berry
Biggert
Bilbray
Bilirakis
Bishop
Blagojevich
Bliley
Blumenauer
Blunt
Boehlert
Boehner
Bonilla
Bonior
Bono
Borski
Boswell
Boucher
Boyd
Brady (PA)
Brady (TX)
Brown (FL)
Brown (OH)
Bryant
Burr
Burton
Buyer
Callahan
Calvert
Camp
Campbell
Canady
Cannon
Capps
Capuano
Cardin
Carson
Castle
Chabot
Chambliss
Clay
Clayton
Clement
Clyburn
Coble
Collins
Combest
Condit
Conyers
Cooksey
Costello
Cox
Coyne
Cramer
Crane
Crowley
Cubin
Cummings
Cunningham
Danner
Davis (FL)
Davis (IL)
Davis (VA)
Deal
DeFazio
DeGette
Delahunt
DeLauro
DeLay
DeMint
Deutsch
Diaz-Balart
Dickey
Dicks
Dingell
Dixon
Doggett
Dooley
Doolittle
Doyle
Dreier
Duncan
Dunn
Edwards
Ehlers
Ehrlich
Emerson
Engel
English
Eshoo
Etheridge
Evans
Everett
Ewing
Farr
Fattah
Filner
Fletcher
Foley
Forbes
Ford
Fossella
Fowler
Frank (MA)
Franks (NJ)
Frelinghuysen
Gallegly
Ganske
Gejdenson
Gekas
Gephardt
Gibbons
Gilchrest
Gillmor
Gilman
Gonzalez
Goode
Goodlatte
Goodling
Gordon
Goss
Graham
Granger
Green (TX)
Green (WI)
Greenwood
Gutknecht
Hall (OH)
Hall (TX)
Hansen
Hastert
Hastings (FL)
Hastings (WA)
Hayes
Hayworth
Hefley
Herger
Hill (IN)
Hill (MT)
Hilleary
Hilliard
Hinchey
Hinojosa
Hobson
Hoeffel
Hoekstra
Holden
Holt
Hooley
Horn
Houghton
Hoyer
Hulshof
Hunter
Hutchinson
Hyde
Inslee
Isakson
Istook
Jackson (IL)
Jackson-Lee (TX)
Jefferson
Jenkins
John
Johnson (CT)
Johnson, E. B.
Johnson, Sam
Jones (NC)
Jones (OH)
Kanjorski
Kaptur
Kasich
Kelly
Kennedy
Kildee
Kilpatrick
Kind (WI)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kleczka
Klink
Knollenberg
Kolbe
Kucinich
Kuykendall
LaFalce
LaHood
Lampson
Lantos
Largent
Larson
Latham
LaTourette
Lazio
Leach
Lee
Levin
Lewis (CA)
Lewis (GA)
Lewis (KY)
Linder
Lipinski
LoBiondo
Lofgren
Lowey
Lucas (KY)
Luther
Maloney (CT)
Maloney (NY)
Manzullo
Markey
Martinez
Mascara
Matsui
McCarthy (MO)
McCarthy (NY)
McCollum
McCrery
McDermott
McGovern
McHugh
McInnis
McIntosh
McIntyre
McKeon
McKinney
McNulty
Meehan
Meek (FL)
Meeks (NY)
Menendez
Metcalf
Mica
Millender-McDonald
Miller (FL)
Miller, Gary
Miller, George
Minge
Mink
Moakley
Mollohan
Moore
Moran (KS)
Moran (VA)
Morella
Murtha
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Nethercutt
Ney
Northup
Norwood
Nussle
Oberstar
Obey
Olver
Ortiz
Ose
Owens
Oxley
Packard
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor
Payne
Pease
Pelosi
Peterson (MN)
Peterson (PA)
Petri
Phelps
Pickering
Pickett
Pitts
Pombo
Pomeroy
Porter
Portman
Price (NC)
Pryce (OH)
Quinn
Radanovich
Rahall
Ramstad
Rangel
Regula
Reyes
Reynolds
Riley
Rivers
Rodriguez
Roemer
Rogan
Rogers
Rohrabacher
Ros-Lehtinen
Rothman
Roukema
Roybal-Allard
Rush
Ryan (WI)
Ryun (KS)
Sabo
Salmon
Sanchez
Sanders
Sandlin
Sawyer
Saxton
Scarborough
Schakowsky
Scott
Sensenbrenner
Serrano
Sessions
Shadegg
Shaw
Shays
Sherman
Sherwood
Shimkus
Shows
Shuster
Simpson
Sisisky
Skeen
Skelton
Slaughter
Smith (MI)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Smith (WA)
Snyder
Souder
Spence
Spratt
Stabenow
Stark
Stearns
Stenholm
Strickland
Stump
Stupak
Sununu
Sweeney
Talent
Tancredo
Tanner
Tauscher
Tauzin
Taylor (MS)
Taylor (NC)
Terry
Thomas
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Thornberry
Thune
Thurman
Tiahrt
Tierney
Toomey
Towns
Traficant
[[Page H2467]]
Turner
Udall (CO)
Udall (NM)
Upton
Vento
Visclosky
Vitter
Walden
Walsh
Wamp
Waters
Watkins
Watt (NC)
Watts (OK)
Waxman
Weiner
Weldon (FL)
Weldon (PA)
Weller
Wexler
Weygand
Whitfield
Wilson
Wolf
Woolsey
Wu
Wynn
NAYS--6
Chenoweth-Hage
Hostettler
Paul
Royce
Sanford
Schaffer
NOT VOTING--11
Coburn
Cook
Frost
Gutierrez
Lucas (OK)
Myrick
Velazquez
Wicker
Wise
Young (AK)
Young (FL)
{time} 1552
Mr. SCHAFFER changed his vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
So the bill was passed.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________