Congressional Record, Volume 156 Issue 128 (Wednesday, September 22, 2010)

[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 128 (Wednesday, September 22, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H6832-H6834]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

MULTINATIONAL SPECIES CONSERVATION FUNDS SEMIPOSTAL STAMP ACT OF 2010

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur
in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 1454) to provide for the
issuance of a Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal
Stamp.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the Senate amendment is as follows:

Senate amendment:
Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Multinational Species
Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Act of 2010''.

SEC. 2. MULTINATIONAL SPECIES CONSERVATION FUNDS SEMIPOSTAL
STAMP.

(a) In General.--In order to afford a convenient way for
members of the public to contribute

[[Page H6833]]

to funding for the operations supported by the Multinational
Species Conservation Funds, the United States Postal Service
shall issue a semipostal stamp (hereinafter in this Act
referred to as the ``Multinational Species Conservation Funds
Semipostal Stamp'') in accordance with succeeding provisions
of this section.
(b) Cost and Use.--
(1) In general.--The Multinational Species Conservation
Funds Semipostal Stamp shall be offered at a cost equal to
the cost of mailing a letter weighing 1 ounce or less at the
nonautomation single-piece first-ounce letter rate, in effect
at the time of purchase, plus a differential of not less than
15 percent.
(2) Voluntary use.--The use of any semipostal issued under
this section shall be voluntary on the part of postal
patrons.
(3) Special rate.--The special rate of postage of an
individual stamp under this section shall be an amount that
is evenly divisible by 5.
(c) Other Terms and Conditions.--The issuance and sale of
the Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp
shall be governed by the provisions of section 416 of title
39, United States Code, and regulations issued under such
section, subject to subsection (b) and the following:
(1) Disposition of proceeds.--
(A) In general.--All amounts becoming available from the
sale of the Multinational Species Conservation Funds
Semipostal Stamp (as determined under section 416(d) of such
title 39) shall be transferred to the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service, for the purpose described in subsection
(a), through payments which shall be made at least twice a
year, with the proceeds to be divided equally among the
African Elephant Conservation Fund, the Asian Elephant
Conservation Fund, the Great Ape Conservation Fund, the
Marine Turtle Conservation Fund, the Rhinoceros and Tiger
Conservation Fund, and other international wildlife
conservation funds authorized by the Congress after the date
of the enactment of this Act and administered by the Service
as part of the Multinational Species Conservation Fund.
(B) Proceeds not to be offset.--In accordance with section
416(d)(4) of such title 39, amounts becoming available from
the sale of the Multinational Species Conservation Funds
Semipostal Stamp (as so determined) shall not be taken into
account in any decision relating to the level of
appropriations or other Federal funding to be furnished in
any year to--
(i) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; or
(ii) any of the funds identified in subparagraph (A).
(2) Duration.--The Multinational Species Conservation Funds
Semipostal Stamp shall be made available to the public for a
period of at least 2 years, beginning no later than 12 months
after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(3) Limitation.--The Multinational Species Conservation
Funds Semipostal Stamp shall not be subject to, or taken into
account for purposes of applying, any limitation under
section 416(e)(1)(C) of such title 39.
(4) Restriction on use of funds.--Amounts transferred under
paragraph (1) shall not be used to fund or support the
Wildlife Without Borders Program or to supplement funds made
available for the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation
Fund.
(d) Definition.--For purposes of this Act, the term
``semipostal stamp'' refers to a stamp described in section
416(a)(1) of title 39, United States Code.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen) and the gentleman from Washington
(Mr. Hastings) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands.

General Leave

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days in 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 the Virgin Islands?
There was no objection.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1454, the
Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Act of 2009,
that was introduced by our colleague from South Carolina, Henry Brown.
The Multinational Species Conservation Funds promote wildlife
conservation around the world for keystone species, including great
apes, tigers, and elephants. These programs consistently generate high-
quality conservation projects and leverage $3 or $4 from non-Federal
contributors for every Federal dollar spent.
Mr. Speaker, revenues generated from the sale of a wildlife
semipostal stamp, as authorized under this legislation, would fund
these important grant programs. I am a cosponsor of H.R. 1454 and
supported its original passage by the House nearly a year ago. I urge
my colleagues to support the amended version and send it on to the
President so it may become law.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time
as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, having Congress authorize semipostal stamps to raise
funds to support causes is indeed a rare event. As the ranking
Republican on the Insular Affairs, Wildlife and Oceans Subcommittee,
the gentleman from South Carolina, Henry Brown, was tireless in
clearing this bill through the Committee on Government Oversight and
Reform, the Committee on Natural Resources, and through the Senate. So
I want to compliment the gentleman from South Carolina for his
persistence and leadership in crafting this bipartisan bill.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
author of this resolution, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr.
Brown).
Mr. BROWN of South Carolina. I appreciate the gentleman from the
State of Washington's yielding, my good friend Doc Hastings; and also
Dr. Christensen for her leadership on the other side of the aisle.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1454, a bill I was
pleased to introduce along with the subcommittee chairlady, Madeleine
Bordallo and 153 other Members of the House of Representatives.
This legislation was unanimously adopted by the House of
Representatives on December 7, 2009, and it was approved by the Senate
on July 29 of this year. Prior to its passage, the Senate made several
modifications to H.R. 1454. These included a reduction in the duration
of time that the semipostal stamp will be available to the public and a
stipulation that only one flagship species may be depicted on the
stamps.
I reviewed these changes and believe they do not undermine the
fundamental goal of this measure, which is to create an alternative
funding source for highly endangered African and Asian elephants,
rhinoceroses and tigers, great apes and marine turtles at no cost to
U.S. taxpayers.
While it is true that the U.S. Postal Service has had statutory
authority to issue semipostal stamps for over a decade, it has been the
Congress that has directed that they be issued for breast cancer
research, 9/11 responders, and victims of domestic violence.
Under H.R. 1454, the American public would have the opportunity to
support these six multinational species by purchasing these semipostal
stamps. They would be sold at a premium price, and after the Postal
Service has deducted all of its administrative costs, the remaining
proceeds will be transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It
will be the Service's responsibility to select those conservation
projects that best achieve the goal of protecting the remaining
populations of these highly imperiled animals.
I am confident that once these stamps are available, they will be
extremely popular with the American people. I have been assured that
they will be widely sold at aquariums, post offices, and zoos
throughout this country. Based on previous experience, we know that a
large number of people will buy these semipostals and will never use
them. As a result, the Postal Service will realize a significant profit
from their sale.
This legislation offers us a unique opportunity to establish a new
creative funding mechanism, for a limited period of time, at no cost to
the American taxpayer, to help save some of the most iconic and
endangered species on this planet.
Finally, I want to thank those Members who co-sponsored this
legislation, and also Chairman Rahall and ranking Republican Doc
Hastings, Chairman Ed Towns, and ranking Republican Darrell Issa,
Chairman Joe Lieberman and Senators Sam Brownback and Lindsey Graham,
as well as my friend from Columbia, South Carolina, the Honorable Jim
Clyburn, for his assisting in this effort.
I would also like to express my appreciation to the more than 40
conservation organizations that have assisted in this effort, including
the Wildlife Conservation Society, the World Wildlife Fund, the Humane
Society of the United States, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums,
Feld Entertainment, and Safari Club International.

{time} 1540

These groups worked tirelessly for the passage of this bill. I thank
them.

[[Page H6834]]

I urge an ``aye'' vote on H.R. 1454. There is no question it will help
stamp out extinction.
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests
for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I also want to mention our colleague
the gentlewoman from Guam's strong support for this bill. Though Ms.
Bordallo could not be here today to speak in support of H.R. 1454 as
she is on Guam conducting official business, she asked that I relay her
thanks to the gentleman from South Carolina for his efforts with this
legislation, and for the bipartisan manner in which he has worked with
her and all of our Members on the Democratic side of the aisle as the
ranking member of the subcommittee.
I too am among the over 150 cosponsors of H.R. 1454, and recognize
its value as a longtime member of the International Conservation
Caucus. I continue to urge a ``yes'' vote.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen) that the House
suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill, H.R.
1454.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the Senate amendment was concurred in.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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