[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 132 (Tuesday, September 28, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H7007-H7008]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CELEBRATING 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF HOOVER DAM
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree
to the resolution (H. Res. 1636) celebrating the 75th anniversary of
the Hoover Dam.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1636
Whereas the Hoover Dam, a concrete arch-gravity storage
dam, was built in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River
between the States of Nevada and Arizona, forever changing
how water is managed across the West;
Whereas, on September 30, 1935, President Franklin D.
Roosevelt dedicated the Hoover Dam;
Whereas the construction of the dam created Lake Mead, a
reservoir that can store two years average flow of the
Colorado River providing vitally critical flood control,
water supply, and electrical power to help create and support
the economic growth and development of the Southwestern
United States;
Whereas the Hoover Dam has prevented an estimated
$50,000,000,000 in flood damages in the Lower Colorado River
Basin, provides water for more than 18,000,000 people, for
1,000,000 acres of farmland in Arizona, California, and
Nevada, and for 500,000 acres in Mexico, and produces on
average 4,000,000,000 kilowatt-hours of hydroelectric power
each year;
Whereas the Hoover Dam, an engineering marvel at 726.4 feet
from bedrock to crest, was the highest dam in the world at
construction;
Whereas the Hoover Dam is an enduring symbol of the
country's ingenuity and persistence of hard working Americans
at the time of the Great Depression;
Whereas the Hoover Dam is the model for major water
management projects around the world; and
Whereas the Hoover Dam is registered as a National Historic
Landmark on the United States National Register of Historic
Places and is considered one of seven modern engineering
wonders by the American Society of Civil Engineers: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) celebrates and acknowledges the thousands of workers
and families that overcame difficult working conditions and
great challenges to make construction of the facility
possible;
(2) celebrates and acknowledges the economic, cultural, and
historic significance of the Hoover Dam and its role in
meeting future challenges;
(3) recognizes the past, present, and future benefits of
its construction to the agricultural, industrial, and urban
development of the Southwestern United States; and
(4) joins the States of Arizona, California, Nevada, and
the entire Nation in celebrating the 75th anniversary of the
dedication of the Hoover Dam.
The SPEAKER pro Tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
California (Mrs. Napolitano) and the gentleman from Washington (Mr.
Hastings) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.
General Leave
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. 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 resolution under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from California?
There was no objection.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1636, a bipartisan resolution,
commemorates the 75th anniversary of the dedication of Hoover Dam, and
recognizes the past, the present, and the future benefits of its
construction to the agricultural, to the industrial, and to the urban
development of the southwestern United States.
During its 75-year history, Hoover Dam has played a pivotal role in
shaping what the Southwest is today, from a region with an inconsistent
supply of water, to now providing water for more than 18 million
people, including irrigation water for over 1 million acres of farm
land in the States of Arizona, California, Nevada and 500,000 acres in
Mexico. That beautiful natural resource that sparkles adds life and
economy to our west.
While this facility was completed three-quarters of a century ago, it
continues for today and tomorrow to provide water and power certainty
for millions of people. We currently have legislation pending in the
Senate, Senate bill 2819, and H.R. 4349, the Hoover Power Allocation
Act of 2010. This legislation would allocate hydropower generated at
Hoover Dam, estimated at
[[Page H7008]]
4 billion kilowatt hours of hydroelectric power each year, for the next
50 years. I would want to reiterate our support for the enactment of
this important legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support the passage of this
bipartisan resolution. Hoover Dam is truly a marvel of engineering, of
technology and human endeavor. And tomorrow this reenactment of its 75-
year dedication will take place in Las Vegas.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1250
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, generations ago water and power visionaries came up with
the idea of making the West bloom by harnessing our rivers. The Hoover
Dam is a legendary example of that vision.
When completed in 1935, it was the tallest dam and the largest
hydroelectric generator in the world. It literally helped create cities
in the arid West and to this day, as my friend from California pointed
out, still provides numerous benefits: emissions-free hydropower,
drinking and irrigation water, and recreation and flood control.
This bipartisan resolution is a fitting honor to the Hoover Dam and
to those who had the foresight to create one of the world's best-known
engineering marvels.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, very, very swiftly and quickly, before
I yield back the balance of my time, I thank my staff and the minority
staff on this beautiful resolution that is going to commemorate some
magnificent achievements by the United States to really promote what we
now know as the Southwest.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Napolitano) that the House suspend
the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1636.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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