[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 103 (Tuesday, July 13, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H5516-H5517]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AUTHORIZING HYDROGRAPHIC SERVICES FOR LOSS OF ICE IN ARCTIC
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2864) to amend the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of
1998 to authorize funds to acquire hydrographic data and provide
hydrographic services specific to the Arctic for safe navigation,
delineating the United States extended continental shelf, and the
monitoring and description of coastal changes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2864
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
[[Page H5517]]
SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Section 306 of the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of
1998 (33 U.S.C. 892d) is amended--
(1) by inserting before the text the following: ``(a) In
General.--''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(b) Arctic Programs.--Of the amount authorized for each
of fiscal years 2011 and 2012--
``(1) $5,000,000 is authorized for use to acquire
hydrographic data, provide hydrographic services, conduct
coastal change analyses necessary to ensure safe navigation,
and improve the management of coastal change in the Arctic;
and
``(2) $2,000,000 is authorized for use to acquire
hydrographic data and provide hydrographic services in the
Arctic necessary to delineate the United States extended
Continental Shelf.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Guam (Ms. Bordallo) and the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs. Lummis) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Guam.
General Leave
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Guam?
There was no objection.
Ms. BORDALLO. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, recent scientific findings have shown that the Arctic
sea ice is shrinking with significantly smaller amounts of summer sea
ice cover. Consequently, more open water space in the Arctic Ocean will
be available for ship travel, which will present a changed landscape
for international marine commerce and national security interests and
greater accessibility to natural resources. These activities are likely
to create substantial new demands on the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration to provide hydrographic data and
hydrographic services in the near term.
I support this noncontroversial legislation to amend the Hydrographic
Services Improvement Act to give NOAA specific authorization to conduct
hydrographic surveys and to provide other hydrographic services in the
Arctic, and I urge Members on both sides to do likewise.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. LUMMIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2864 would authorize hydrographic surveys in the
Arctic region, an area which lacks up-to-date survey data. The last
major survey in the Arctic occurred more than 60 years ago after World
War II. Since the majority of U.S. foreign trade by weight moves by sea
and the Arctic has the potential to become a viable shipping corridor,
it is essential that we support these surveys to help create accurate
nautical charts.
I compliment the author of this measure, Congressman Don Young, for
his leadership. This bill has been scored by the CBO as having no cost.
I urge support of the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Alaska (Mr. Young).
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. I thank the good lady for yielding.
Just yesterday, the Alaska Dispatch chronicled the increased tourist
and commercial vessel traffic in the Arctic and the challenges the
Coast Guard is facing in ensuring safe navigation. For example, the
Coast Guard recently announced that the Polar Sea icebreaker will be
out of service until next year and the Polar Star icebreaker won't be
fixed until 2013. As a result, there are no adequate icebreakers to
patrol in the Arctic or come to the aid of anyone in need. Simply, safe
navigation in the U.S. Arctic is in a precarious state.
My bill would amend the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act to
authorize much-needed funds for hydrographic surveys and coastal
mapping of the Arctic regions.
Sadly, we still have a long way to go before we finish the job on
nautically charting critical navigation regions throughout this
country. The Arctic region in particular has been ignored and lacks
survey data. It is my understanding, as the good lady said, the last
major hydro survey campaign in the Arctic was conducted following World
War II, over 60 years ago.
Currently, base hydrographic data in the Arctic is woefully
inadequate and not sufficient to support current, let alone future,
marine activity. With the reduction of sea ice, there's increased
vessel traffic and opportunities for more drilling, and up-to-date
nautical charts or coastal maps are critical for these activities.
H.R. 2864 is an effort to move this process forward by directing NOAA
to acquire additional hydrographic data and provide hydrographic
services to the Arctic region.
Alaska is the only Arctic State in this Nation. It makes this bill
both critically important for my State and our Nation, and I urge
Members to support this legislation.
Mrs. LUMMIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, we should take this time to congratulate
my colleague, Mr. Young, for his work on this legislation. Also, I
would like to thank the gentlelady from Wyoming. I've enjoyed managing
the bills this afternoon with her.
Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support the bill, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 2864, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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