[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 54 (Thursday, May 4, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H2557-H2558]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1106, ALTERNATIVE WATER SOURCES ACT 
                                OF 2000

  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call 
up House Resolution 485 and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 485

       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. 1106) to authorize the Administrator of the 
     Environmental Protection Agency to make grants to State 
     agencies with responsibility for water source development for 
     the purpose of maximizing available water supply and 
     protecting the environment through the development of 
     alternative water sources. The first reading of the bill will 
     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 of 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 Florida (Mr. Goss) is 
recognized for 1 hour.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the 
customary 30 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
Hall), my friend and colleague, 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 on this issue only.

[[Page H2558]]

  Mr. Speaker, this is a very fair, simple rule, as we have just heard 
described to us. It provides for adequate and appropriate consideration 
of H.R. 1106, the Alternative Water Sources Act. It is a wide open rule 
that will accommodate any Member's interest in the amendment process 
who wishes to come forward on it.
  H.R. 1102 would provide Federal grants to State and local governments 
so that they can move forward on developing alternative water sources. 
This is a critically important issue for my home State of Florida and 
for States across the country. We have always had water wars in 
America, but with an ever-increasing population and the accompanying 
heightened demand for water that we see in our communities, we are 
sure, I am afraid, we are going to see more of these disputes.
  So H.R. 1102 aims to spur the development of alternate water sources 
which will help meet the increased demand. It is proactive. It is 
forward thinking. I thank my colleagues, the gentlewoman from Florida 
(Mrs. Fowler) and the gentleman from New York (Chairman Boehlert) and 
the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Chairman Shuster) of the committee for 
their work to bring this forward at this time.
  I certainly encourage my colleagues to support the rule and the 
underlying legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss) for 
yielding me the customary time.
  Mr. Speaker, this is an open rule. As my colleague from Florida has 
described, this rule provides for 1 hour of general debate to be 
equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority 
member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
  The rule permits amendments under the 5-minute rule, which is the 
normal amending process in the House. All Members on both sides of the 
aisle will have the opportunity to offer germane amendments.
  The bill authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency to provide 
grants for water reclamation, reuse, and conservation projects.
  America's growing population has created an increased demand for 
water, and this legislation will help States, local governments, 
private utilities, and nonprofit groups develop new water resources to 
meet these critical needs.
  The bill was approved by a voice vote of the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure with bipartisan support. It is an 
open rule.
  I urge adoption of the rule.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Foley) who has the adjoining 
district and shares the same interest I do in South Florida.

                              {time}  1100

  Mr. FOLEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Goss), a member of the Committee on Rules, the champion of the 
Everglades, for giving me the opportunity to once again to speak under 
another rule, to talk about an issue again critical to the State of 
Florida and again dealing with the importance of water. And if anyone 
has traveled to Florida, whether it be the Keys or to Okeechobee County 
or to Palatka or Jacksonville or the Panhandle, they recognize with 
some 45 million annual visitors a year and a population in excess of 14 
million people we clearly have water on our mind. It is everywhere. It 
is bountiful. It is plentiful, but it is diminishing. Obviously, it is 
not all available for consumption. We are surrounded by both the Gulf 
and the Atlanta Ocean which is, of course, saltwater incapable of being 
used for nourishment or thirst-quenching, unless it has been 
desalinated and that, of course, is an expensive proposal.
  I want to first thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert) and 
the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster) and others who have 
allowed this bill to come to the floor today, and I want to thank my 
colleagues, the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Thurman), the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Fowler), the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Mica), and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Brown) for their hard work 
on H.R. 1106.
  Many States, especially my home State of Florida, currently face a 
water supply crisis. Our populations continue to grow but our water 
levels continue to decrease. If nothing is done, it is estimated that 
water demand will exceed supply as early as 2020. Congress must act now 
before this problem escalates to that dangerous level leading to 
potential economic and environmental crises.
  I will stop there for just a moment to recognize the actions on the 
floor of the legislature in unanimously passing the bill provided to 
them by Governor Jeb Bush regarding the Florida Everglades which, of 
course, is a key part and component of the long-term solutions of 
saving Florida and obviously providing an abundant supply of water. 
That bill provides $123 million over the course of the next several 
years in order to accomplish environmental restoration. That is 
critical to be acknowledged on the floor today because we will 
ultimately take up the restudy bill, which is a bill that has been 
strongly championed by the Florida delegation in order to get money 
necessary to complete the important replumbing of the Florida 
Everglades and surrounding environments.
  Congress has recognized a similar problem before in Western States 
and in the United States territories. A limited number of State 
governments are now eligible for funding to develop alternative water 
resources through the Bureau of Reclamation. We need to answer the call 
of high-population growth States such as Florida now with a comparable 
plan. Florida has taken aggressive steps through conservation and 
identification of alternative water sources. Unfortunately, these steps 
are clearly not enough.
  High-population growth States need action by Congress now to prevent 
disastrous consequences later. So I urge my colleagues both to vote for 
the rule and vote for the underlying legislation, H.R. 1106, the 
Alternative Water Resources Act of 1999.
  Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of the rule. I yield back the 
balance of the 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.

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