[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 60 (Tuesday, April 27, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2709-S2710]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mrs. HUTCHISON:
  S. 3261. A bill to establish the Buffalo Bayou National Heritage Area 
in the State of Texas, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bill to 
designate the Buffalo Bayou as a National Heritage Area. This 
legislation will designate the 25-mile stretch of the Houston Ship 
Channel as the first National Heritage Area in Texas. This distinction 
will allow up to $1 million annually for 10 years to the area and 
provide the tourism benefits of Federal recognition without restriction 
on land or commerce.
  In 2002, Congressman Gene Green and I introduced the Buffalo Bayou 
National Heritage Study Act, which directed the U.S. Department of the 
Interior to conduct a study to determine if the Buffalo Bayou was 
eligible to receive National Heritage Area distinction. The Department 
of the Interior has concluded that the Buffalo Bayou has met the 
criteria needed for National Heritage Area distinction, and I support 
this distinction. I wish to recognize Congressman Green for 
spearheading the efforts to designate the Buffalo Bayou as a National 
Heritage Area.
  The Buffalo Bayou has played an important role in the development of 
Texas and our nation's commerce. The Buffalo Bayou has helped the City 
of Houston become the fourth largest city in the United States by 
supporting oil refining, petrochemical production and commercial trade.
  The history of the Buffalo Bayou begins on August 30, 1836, when 
Augustus Chapman Allen and his brother, John Kirby Allen, founded the 
City of Houston near the banks of the Buffalo Bayou. The city was 
incorporated on June 5, 1837, and named after the former General and 
President of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston. One of the most 
significant battles in the history of Texas, the Battle of San Jacinto, 
was fought at the mouth of Buffalo Bayou and the San Jacinto River. It 
paved the way for the Republic of Texas to become an independent 
country.
  If approved by Congress, the Buffalo Bayou's National Heritage Area 
status would enhance as well as promote the national significance of 
this historic waterway.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. AKAKA (for himself and Mr. Ensign):
  S. 3263. A bill to establish a Chief Veterinary Officer in the 
Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bill, along 
with Senator Ensign, to establish a Chief Veterinary Officer within the 
Department of Homeland Security. I want to acknowledge the leadership 
that our colleagues in the House, especially Representative Rogers of 
Alabama, have shown in introducing a bipartisan companion bill. This 
bipartisan, bicameral legislation advances increased focus on 
veterinary health, food defense, and agricultural security within the 
Department of Homeland Security. Importantly, it does this without 
creating an additional layer of management within the Department.
  Animal disease and zoonotic outbreaks are a looming threat to the 
United States. A major foreign animal disease outbreak, such as foot-
and-mouth disease, could have far-reaching effects, threatening our 
food supply and harming both domestic commerce and international trade. 
The Department of Homeland Security would be called upon to provide 
leadership and to integrate the necessary assets and people from across 
the Nation to respond to such an incident.
  This bill would strengthen the Department's capacity to prepare for 
and respond to such a crisis by ensuring that there is a veterinary 
leader within the Department who is fully prepared and empowered to 
respond. The Secretary of Homeland Security would be required to 
appoint a veterinarian with expertise in veterinary public health, 
emergency preparedness, and other related fields as the Department's 
Chief Veterinary Officer. He or she would lead the division of the 
Department with primary responsibility for veterinary issues, food 
defense, and agricultural security, and would serve as the Department's 
lead policy advisor and principal point of contact on those issues. 
This senior leader also would provide overall guidance for the health 
of the Department's working animals that play a vital role in the 
Nation's defense.
  I have long been concerned about the Nation's ability to prepare for 
and respond to agriculture disasters, such as a catastrophic foreign 
animal disease outbreak. In February, 2009, I held a hearing on 
protecting public and animal health and received testimony from several 
agencies, including the Government Accountability Office, GAO, which 
had recently completed a review of the Federal veterinary workforce. 
GAO reported troubling shortfalls in our veterinarian workforce and our 
planning to respond to foreign animal disease and zoonotic outbreaks. I 
believe that this bill will help address this challenge and support a 
more capable and prepared Department of Homeland Security.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 3263

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. CHIEF VETERINARY OFFICER OF DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 
                   SECURITY.

       (a) In General.--Title III of the Homeland Security Act of 
     2002 (6 U.S.C. 181 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
     the following:

     ``SEC. 317. CHIEF VETERINARY OFFICER.

       ``(a) In General.--There is in the Department a Chief 
     Veterinary Officer, who shall be appointed by the Secretary.
       ``(b) Reporting Relationship.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Chief Veterinary Officer shall 
     report directly to the Chief Medical Officer.
       ``(2) Exception.--If an individual other than the Assistant 
     Secretary for Health Affairs is serving as the Chief Medical 
     Officer, the Chief Veterinary Officer shall report directly 
     to the Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs.
       ``(c) Qualifications.--The individual appointed as Chief 
     Veterinary Officer shall be a veterinarian who possesses--
       ``(1) a demonstrated ability in and knowledge of veterinary 
     public health and emergency preparedness; and
       ``(2) other professional experience, as determined by the 
     Secretary, including experience in agriculture, food defense, 
     and disaster medicine.
       ``(d) Responsibilities.--The Chief Veterinary Officer 
     shall--
       ``(1) be the head of the division of the Department with 
     primary responsibility for veterinary issues, food defense, 
     and agriculture security; and
       ``(2) have primary responsibility within the Department for 
     responsibilities relating to veterinary medicine and 
     veterinary public health, including--
       ``(A) serving as the principal authority in the Department 
     responsible for advising the

[[Page S2710]]

     Secretary, in coordination with the Assistant Secretary for 
     Health Affairs, on veterinary public health, food defense, 
     and agricultural security issues;
       ``(B) providing guidance for the health and welfare of the 
     working animals of the Department, including those used to 
     enhance transportation, border, and maritime security, and 
     for other purposes;
       ``(C) leading the policy initiatives of the Department 
     relating to--
       ``(i) food, animal, and agricultural incidents, and the 
     impact of such incidents on animal and public health; and
       ``(ii) overall domestic preparedness for and collective 
     response to agricultural terrorism;
       ``(D) serving as the principal point of contact in the 
     Office of Health Affairs for--
       ``(i) all veterinary preparedness and response research and 
     development; and
       ``(ii) sharing homeland security veterinary medical 
     information with Department officials, including all 
     components with veterinary, food, or agricultural interests;
       ``(E) serving as the principal point of contact within the 
     Department with respect to veterinary homeland security 
     issues for--
       ``(i) the Department of Agriculture, the Department of 
     Defense, the Department of Health and Human Services, and 
     other Federal departments and agencies; and
       ``(ii) State, local, and tribal governments, the veterinary 
     community, and other entities within and outside the 
     Department; and
       ``(F) performing such other duties relating to the 
     responsibilities of the Chief Veterinary Officer as the 
     Secretary may require.
       ``(e) Advance Notice of Reorganization Required.--Not later 
     than 180 days before carrying out any reorganization within 
     the Department that would affect any responsibility of the 
     Chief Veterinary Officer, the Secretary shall submit to the 
     appropriate congressional committees a report on the proposed 
     reorganization.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section 
     1(b) of such Act is amended by adding at the end of the items 
     relating to title III the following:

``Sec. 317. Chief Veterinary Officer.''.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. McCAIN (for himself, Mr. Tester, Mr. Graham, Mr. Begich, 
        Mr. Burr, Mr. Chambliss, Mr. Brownback, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Bennett, 
        Mr. Wicker, and Mr. Isakson):
  S. 3265. A bill to restore Second Amendment rights in the District of 
Columbia; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I am proud to introduce the Second 
Amendment Enforcement Act today with Senator Tester. I have always 
supported Americans' Second Amendment rights and was pleased when the 
Supreme Court found in June 2008 that the District of Columbia had 
reached too far in restricting the District's residents from owning 
firearms and defending themselves in their home. The legislation that 
we introduce today seeks to implement the Supreme Court's decision in 
District of Columbia v. Heller.
  Specifically, the Second Amendment Enforcement Act would codify many 
of the laws the District of Columbia City Council has put in place in 
response to the Supreme Court's decision. For example, this legislation 
would codify the District's repeal of the semiautomatic ban and retain 
the District's ban on fully-automatic machine guns. The legislation 
would also codify the District City Council's law that prohibits the 
carrying of firearms into the District's public buildings that have 
implemented security measures and codify the Council's law regulating 
the carrying of rifles or shotguns.
  The legislation would correctly restore the right of self-defense for 
any District resident in his or her home. Previously, the District had 
a requirement that any firearm kept in a home be stored in a manner 
that made it essentially useless for self-defense, e.g. kept ``unloaded 
and either disassembled or secured by a trigger lock, gun safe, locked 
box, or other secure device.'' The legislation would also clarify that 
landlords cannot prohibit firearms in rented homes or offices or 
dictate what firearms tenants may own.
  Most egregious was the District's restrictions on the purchase of 
firearms and outright ban on the purchase of ammunition. At the heart 
of the Supreme Court's decision was that District residents must be 
able to own operable firearms for lawful purposes, which must then 
allow residents meaningful opportunities to purchase firearms and 
ammunition. Since the District does not have traditional retail gun 
shops and current federal law prohibits a person from purchasing 
handguns outside the person's State of residence, the legislation would 
amend Federal law to allow District residents the ability to purchase 
guns from federally-licensed dealers in Maryland and Virginia and then 
transport them back to their homes in DC. Let me be very clear on this 
point, this legislation would not allow residents of the District to 
buy firearms from anyone who is not a federally-licensed dealer, even 
at a gun show. I believe this is a very reasonable restriction and one 
that again, like much of this legislation, takes into consideration the 
concerns of the District's City Council.
  Some may ask why a Senator from Arizona and a Senator from Montana 
would introduce legislation that impacts the lives of District 
residents. It is simple--we believe that residents across this country 
should have access to firearms to protect themselves, particularly in 
their own home or place of business. It is a constitutional right and 
one that was put in place by the Founding Fathers, recognized by the 
Supreme Court and cherished by many Americans. However, the District of 
Columbia City Council did not follow the Supreme Court's directive in 
fully updating their city's laws regarding firearms, and so now it is 
up to Congress to ensure that District residents' rights are respected 
by their government.
  I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this important 
legislation that will not only restore District residents' rights, but 
also ensure that no resident in any State, territory or the District is 
prevented from exercising his or her Second Amendment right.
  Mr. TESTER. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Second 
Amendment Enforcement Act of 2010 with Senators McCain, Begich, 
Bennett, Brownback, Burr, Chambliss, Graham, Hatch and Wicker to codify 
the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision District of Columbia v. 
Heller, which ruled Washington, DC's, decades-old ban on firearms 
unconstitutional. This bill will repeal the District of Columbia's 
restrictions on semiautomatic firearms, current gun storage law and 
complicated firearms registration system. It will ensure that law-
abiding persons in Washington, DC, are able to fully exercise their 
Second Amendment rights just like all other Americans.
  My cosponsors and I, all signers of the bipartisan friend-of-the-
court brief for District of Columbia v. Heller, urging the Court to 
support gun rights, think this is a very important bill and we welcome 
our colleagues' support.

                          ____________________