[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.

                          ____________________