[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 56 (Tuesday, April 23, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2898-S2901]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Mr. WYDEN (for himself and Ms. Murkowski):
S. 783. A bill to amend the Helium Act to improve helium stewardship,
and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources.
Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, today Senator Murkowski and I are
introducing the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013. This legislation is
designed to establish a responsible management strategy for the Federal
Helium Reserve that will prevent the disruption of the entire helium
supply chain that impacts major parts of the U.S. economy.
Helium is a valuable national resource that is used for a wide range
of applications such as a coolant for magnetic resonance imagining
machines, semiconductor manufacturing, military aviation, aerospace,
and Federal R&D; pressurizing and purging systems; leak detection;
welding; and breathing mixtures. Helium uses are diverse. Substitutes
are often unavailable. The current global supply is constrained.
The Federal Government has long been in the helium business. In the
1920s, helium was used to float blimps or national defense purposes.
Since that time the Federal Government has continued to play a
significant role in the production, refining, and storing of helium.
This has included establishing a U.S. underground stockpile known as
the Federal Helium Reserve located just outside of Amarillo, TX. The
Reserve currently supplies 40 percent of the domestic and 30 percent of
global helium demand. Eventually, the helium supplies in the Reserve
will become too depleted to be used, but for now they provide a
critical source of supply.
Current law requires the Federal government to sell off the crude
helium remaining in the Federal Helium Reserve in order to repay the
U.S. Treasury the $1.3 billion debt incurred creating it. That debt
will be fully repaid this fiscal year. As a result, the helium program
will terminate in October absent Congressional action. The result, if
Congress does not extend operation of the Reserve, will be significant
disruption in sector after sector of economy--everything from medical
imaging to semiconductor manufacturing.
We need to act. It is important that we act now.
Our bottom line goal is to keep the Federal Helium Reserve open,
until new sources of supply can be developed, and prevent significant
disruptions to a number of critical U.S. industries.
This bipartisan bill has two primary objective; one is to ensure
helium market stability for end-users, and to ensure a fair return on
this Federal asset to American taxpayers. We believe that it is
essential that there be an adequate price discovery mechanism for the
sale price of helium to nongovernmental organizations. Our bill would
require the Secretary of Interior to establish an auction process to
ensure that government prices for helium reflect its value in the
marketplace based on an initial auction of 10 percent of supply and
increasing that amount by an additional 10 percent a year. But it is
also important to keep in mind that the Reserve currently provides
major shares of the domestic and global helium supply and we do not
want this legislation to disrupt the many industrial and heath care
activities that are dependent on helium.
I believe this legislation strikes the right balance. The bill
provides for an orderly, gradual transition among three phases,
resulting in minimal market disruption to end users. It introduces a
price discovery mechanism and transparency measures that will increase
the taxpayer return and stimulate investment in private-sector sources.
It further gives priority to meeting the needs of Federal users at
Federal agencies, national laboratories, and universities. This
legislation maintains access to crude helium for Federal users to
perform the experiments that lead to the discoveries that drive
economic growth, while requiring the development of a long-term plan
for Federal helium purchases.
Helium may not be the most high profile natural resources, but it is
one resource that is central to our economy. This legislation is
urgent, critical, and necessary to ensure that we continue on a
trajectory for economic growth that protects the jobs of domestic
manufacturers and industrial partners as well as Federal users across
the Nation.
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. 783
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Helium Stewardship Act of
2013''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
Section 2 of the Helium Act (50 U.S.C. 167) is amended to
read as follows:
``SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
``In this Act:
``(1) Cliffside field.--The term `Cliffside Field' means
the helium storage reservoir in which the Federal Helium
Reserve is stored.
``(2) Federal helium pipeline.--The term `Federal Helium
Pipeline' means the federally owned pipeline system through
which the Federal Helium Reserve may be transported.
``(3) Federal helium reserve.--The term `Federal Helium
Reserve' means helium reserves owned by the United States.
``(4) Federal helium system.--The term `Federal Helium
System' means--
``(A) the Federal Helium Reserve;
``(B) the Cliffside Field;
``(C) the Federal Helium Pipeline; and
``(D) all other infrastructure owned, leased, or managed
under contract by the Secretary for the storage,
transportation, withdrawal, purification, or management of
helium.
``(5) Federal user.--The term `Federal user' means a
Federal agency or extramural holder of 1 or more Federal
research grants using helium.
``(6) Low-btu gas.--The term `low-Btu gas' means a fuel gas
with a heating value of less than 250 Btu per standard cubic
foot measured as the higher heating value resulting from the
inclusion of noncombustible gases, including nitrogen,
helium, argon, and carbon dioxide.
``(7) Person.--The term `person' means any individual,
corporation, partnership, firm,
[[Page S2899]]
association, trust, estate, public or private institution, or
State or political subdivision.
``(8) Priority pipeline access.--The term `priority
pipeline access' means the first priority of delivery of
crude helium under which the Secretary schedules and ensures
the delivery of crude helium to a helium refinery through the
Federal Helium System.
``(9) Qualified bidder.--
``(A) In general.--The term `qualified bidder' means a
person the Secretary determines is seeking to purchase helium
for their own use, refining, or redelivery to users
``(B) Exclusion.--The term `qualified bidder' does not
include a person who was previously determined to be a
qualified bidder if the Secretary determines that the person
did not meet the requirements of a qualified bidder under
this Act.
``(10) Qualifying domestic helium transaction.--The term
`qualifying domestic helium transaction' means any agreement
entered into or renegotiated agreement during the preceding
1-year period in the United States for the purchase or sale
of at least 20,000,000 standard cubic feet of crude or pure
helium to which any holder of a contract with the Secretary
for the acceptance, storage, delivery, or redelivery of crude
helium from the Federal Helium System is a party.
``(11) Refiner.--The term `refiner' means a person with the
ability to take delivery of crude helium from the Federal
Helium Pipeline and refine the crude helium into pure helium.
``(12) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary
of the Interior.''.
SEC. 3. AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY.
Section 3 of the Helium Act (50 U.S.C. 167a) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``(c) Extraction of Helium From Deposits on Federal Land.--
All amounts received by the Secretary from the sale or
disposition of helium on Federal land shall be credited to
the Helium Production Fund established under section 6(d).''.
SEC. 4. STORAGE, WITHDRAWAL AND TRANSPORTATION.
Section 5 of the Helium Act (50 U.S.C. 167c) is amended to
read as follows:
``SEC. 5. STORAGE, WITHDRAWAL AND TRANSPORTATION.
``(a) In General.--If the Secretary provides helium
storage, withdrawal, or transportation services to any
person, the Secretary shall impose a fee on the person that
accurately reflects the economic value of those services.
``(b) Minimum Fees.--The fees charged under subsection (a)
shall be not less than the amount required to reimburse the
Secretary for the full costs of providing storage,
withdrawal, or transportation services.
``(c) Schedule of Fees.--Prior to sale or auction under
subsection (a), (b), or (c) of section 6, the Secretary shall
annually publish a standardized schedule of fees that the
Secretary will charge under this section.
``(d) Treatment.--All fees received by the Secretary under
this section shall be credited to the Helium Production Fund
established under section 6(d).
``(e) New Storage.--In accordance with this section, the
Secretary shall allow any person or qualified bidder to which
crude helium is sold or auctioned under section 6 to store
that helium in the Federal Helium Reserve.''.
SEC. 5. SALE OF CRUDE HELIUM.
Section 6 of the Helium Act (50 U.S.C. 167d) is amended to
read as follows:
``SEC. 6. SALE OF CRUDE HELIUM.
``(a) Phase A: Allocation Transition.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall offer crude helium
for sale in such quantities, at such times, at not less than
the minimum price established under subsection (b)(7), and
under such terms and conditions as the Secretary determines
necessary to carry out this subsection with minimum market
disruption.
``(2) Federal purchases.--Federal users may purchase
refined helium with priority pipeline access under this
subsection from persons who have entered into enforceable
contracts to purchase an equivalent quantity of crude helium
from the Secretary.
``(3) Duration.--This subsection applies during the
period--
``(A) beginning on the date of enactment of the Helium
Stewardship Act of 2013; and
``(B) ending on September 30, 2014.
``(b) Phase B: Auction Implementation.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall offer crude helium
for sale in quantities not subject to auction under paragraph
(2), at such times, at not less than the minimum price
established under paragraph (7), and under such terms and
conditions as the Secretary determines necessary--
``(A) to maximize total recovery of helium from the Federal
Helium Reserve over the long term;
``(B) to maximize the total financial return to the
taxpayer;
``(C) to manage crude helium sales according to the ability
of the Secretary to extract and produce helium from the
Federal Helium Reserve;
``(D) to give priority to meeting the helium demand of
Federal users in the event of any disruption to the Federal
Helium Reserve; and
``(E) to carry out this subsection with minimum market
disruption.
``(2) Auction quantities.--For the period described in
paragraph (4) and consistent with the conditions described in
paragraph (8), the Secretary shall annually auction to any
qualified bidder a quantity of crude helium in the Federal
Helium Reserve equal to--
``(A) for fiscal year 2015, 10 percent of the total volume
of crude helium made available for that fiscal year; and
``(B) for each subsequent fiscal year, a percentage of the
total volume of crude helium that is 10 percentage points
greater than the percentage available for the previous fiscal
year, but not to exceed 100 percent.
``(3) Federal purchases.--Federal users may purchase
refined helium-with priority pipeline access and at the in-
kind price under this subsection from persons who have
entered into enforceable contracts to purchase an equivalent
quantity of crude helium from the Secretary.
``(4) Duration.--This subsection applies during the
period--
``(A) beginning on October 1, 2014; and
``(B) ending on the date on which the volume of recoverable
crude helium at the Federal Helium Reserve (other than
privately owned quantities of crude helium stored temporarily
at the Federal Helium Reserve under section 5 and this
section) is 3,000,000,000 standard cubic feet.
``(5) Safety valve.--The Secretary may adjust the
quantities specified in paragraph (2)--
``(A) downward, if the Secretary determines the adjustment
necessary--
``(i) to minimize market disruptions that pose a threat to
the economic well-being of the United States; and
``(ii) only after submitting a written justification of the
adjustment to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the
House of Representatives; or
``(B) upward, if the Secretary determines the adjustment
necessary to increase participation in crude helium auctions
or returns to the taxpayer.
``(6) Auction format.--The Secretary shall conduct each
auction using a method that maximizes revenue to the Federal
Government.
``(7) Prices.--The Secretary shall annually establish, as
applicable, sale and minimum auction prices under subsection
(a)(1) and paragraphs (1) and (2) using, if applicable and in
the following order of priority:
``(A) The sale price of crude helium in auctions held by
the Secretary under paragraph (2).
``(B) Price recommendations and disaggregated data from a
qualified, independent third party who has no conflict of
interest, who shall conduct a confidential survey of
qualifying domestic helium transactions.
``(C) The volume-weighted average price of all crude helium
and pure helium purchased, sold, or processed by persons in
all qualifying domestic helium transactions.
``(D) The volume-weighted average cost of converting
gaseous crude helium into pure helium.
``(8) Terms and conditions.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall require all persons
that are parties to a contract with the Secretary for the
withdrawal, acceptance, storage, transportation, delivery, or
redelivery of crude helium to disclose, on a strictly
confidential basis--
``(i) the volumes and associated prices in dollars per
thousand cubic feet of all crude and pure helium purchased,
sold, or processed by persons in qualifying domestic helium
transactions;
``(ii) the volumes and associated costs in dollars per
thousand cubic feet of converting crude helium into pure
helium; and
``(iii) refinery capacity and future capacity estimates.
``(B) Condition.--As a condition of sale or auction to a
refiner under subsection (a)(1) and paragraphs (1) and (2),
effective beginning 90 days after the date of enactment of
the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013, the refiner shall make
excess refining capacity of helium available at commercially
reasonable rates to--
``(i) any person prevailing in auctions under paragraph
(2); and
``(ii) any person that has acquired crude helium from the
Secretary from the Federal Helium Reserve by means other than
an auction under paragraph (2) after the date of enactment of
the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013.
``(9) Use of information.--The Secretary may use the
information collected under this Act--
``(A) to approximate crude helium prices; and
``(B) to ensure the recovery of fair value for the
taxpayers of the United States from sales of crude helium.
``(10) Protection of confidentiality.--The Secretary shall
adopt such administrative policies and procedures as the
Secretary considers necessary and reasonable to ensure the
confidentiality of information submitted pursuant to this
Act.
``(c) Phase C: Continued Access for Federal Users.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall offer crude helium
for sale to Federal users in such quantities, at such times,
at not less than the minimum price established under
subsection (b)(7), and under such terms and conditions as the
Secretary determines necessary to carry out this subsection.
``(2) Federal purchases.--Federal users may purchase
refined helium with priority pipeline access under this
subsection from persons who have entered into enforceable
[[Page S2900]]
contracts to purchase an equivalent quantity of crude helium
from the Secretary.
``(3) Effective date.--This subsection applies beginning on
the day after the date described in subsection (b)(4)(B).
``(d) Helium Production Fund.--
``(1) In general.--All amounts received under this Act,
including amounts from the sale or auction of crude helium,
shall be credited to the Helium Production Fund, which shall
be available without fiscal year limitation for purposes
considered necessary by the Secretary to carry out this Act
(other than sections 16, 17, and 18), including capital
investments in upgrades and maintenance at the Federal Helium
System, including--
``(A) well head maintenance at the Cliffside Field;
``(B) capital investments in maintenance and upgrades of
facilities that pressurize the Cliffside Field;
``(C) capital investments in maintenance and upgrades of
equipment related to the storage, withdrawal, transportation,
purification, and sale of crude helium from the Federal
Helium Reserve;
``(D) entering into purchase, lease, or other agreements to
drill new or uncap existing wells to maximize the recovery of
crude helium from the Federal Helium System if the Secretary
determines the actions to be cost-effective; and
``(E) any other scheduled or unscheduled maintenance of the
Federal Helium System.
``(2) Excess funds.--Any amounts in the Helium Production
Fund described in paragraph (1) that exceed the amounts that
the Secretary determines to be necessary to carry out
paragraph (1) shall be deposited in the general fund of the
Treasury.
``(e) Minimum Quantity.--The Secretary shall offer for sale
or auction during each fiscal year under subsections (a),
(b), and (c) a quantity of crude helium that is the lesser of
--
``(1) the quantity of crude helium offered for sale by the
Secretary during fiscal year 2012; and
``(2) the maximum total production capacity of the Federal
Helium System.
``(f) Maintenance of Helium Supply.--The Secretary shall
minimize disruption in the supply of helium from the Federal
Helium System during the transition between phases of helium
sales under subsections (a), (b), and (c).''.
SEC. 6. INFORMATION, ASSESSMENT, RESEARCH, AND STRATEGY.
The Helium Act (50 U.S.C. 167 et seq.) is amended--
(1) by repealing section 15 (50 U.S.C. 167m);
(2) by redesignating section 17 (50 U.S.C. 167 note) as
section 20; and
(3) by inserting after section 14 (50 U.S.C. 167l) the
following:
``SEC. 15. INFORMATION.
``(a) Transparency.--The Secretary, acting through the
Bureau of Land Management, shall make available on the
Internet information relating to the Federal Helium System
that includes--
``(1) continued publication of an open market and in-kind
price;
``(2) aggregated projections of excess refining capacity;
``(3) ownership of helium held in the Federal Helium
Reserve;
``(4) the volume of helium delivered to persons through the
Federal Helium Pipeline;
``(5) pressure constraints of the Federal Helium Pipeline;
``(6) an estimate of the projected date when 3,000,000,000
standard cubic feet of crude helium will remain in the
Federal Helium Reserve and the final phase described in
section 6(c) will begin;
``(7) the amount of the fees charged under section 5;
``(8) the scheduling of crude helium deliveries through the
Federal Helium Pipeline; and
``(9) other factors that will increase transparency.
``(b) Reporting.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
enactment of the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013, to provide
the market with appropriate and timely information affecting
the helium resource, the Director of the Bureau of Land
Management shall establish a timely and public reporting
process to provide data that affects the helium industry,
including--
``(1) annual maintenance schedules and quarterly updates,
that shall include--
``(A) the date and duration of planned shutdowns of the
Federal Helium Pipeline;
``(B) the nature of work to be undertaken on the Federal
Helium System, whether routine, extended, or extraordinary;
``(C) the anticipated impact of the work on the helium
supply;
``(D) the efforts being made to minimize any impact on the
supply chain; and
``(E) any concerns regarding maintenance of the Federal
Helium Pipeline, including the pressure of the pipeline or
deviation from normal operation of the pipeline;
``(2) for each unplanned outage, a description of--
``(A) the beginning of the outage;
``(B) the expected duration of the outage;
``(C) the nature of the problem;
``(D) the estimated impact on helium supply;
``(E) a plan to correct problems, including an estimate of
the potential timeframe for correction and the likelihood of
plan success within the timeframe;
``(F) efforts to minimize negative impacts on the helium
supply chain; and
``(G) updates on repair status and the anticipated online
date;
``(3) monthly summaries of meetings and communications
between the Bureau of Land Management and the Cliffside
Refiners Limited Partnership, including a list of
participants and an indication of any actions taken as a
result of the meetings or communications; and
``(4) current predictions of the lifespan of the Federal
Helium System, including how much longer the crude helium
supply will be available based on current and forecasted
demand and the projected maximum production capacity of the
Federal Helium System for the following fiscal year.
``SEC. 16. HELIUM GAS RESOURCE ASSESSMENT.
``(a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013, the
Secretary, acting through the Director of the United States
Geological Survey, shall--
``(1) in coordination with appropriate heads of State
geological surveys--
``(A) complete a national helium gas assessment that
identifies and quantifies the quantity of helium, including
the isotope helium-3, in each reservoir, including
assessments of the constituent gases found in each helium
resource, such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and natural gas;
and
``(B) make available the modern seismic and geophysical log
data for characterization of the Bush Dome Reservoir;
``(2) in coordination with appropriate international
agencies and the global geology community, complete a global
helium gas assessment that identifies and quantifies the
quantity of the helium, including the isotope helium-3, in
each reservoir;
``(3) in coordination with the Secretary of Energy, acting
through the Administrator of the Energy Information
Administration, complete--
``(A) an assessment of trends in global demand for helium,
including the isotope helium-3;
``(B) a 10-year forecast of domestic demand for helium
across all sectors, including scientific and medical
research, commercial, manufacturing, space technologies,
cryogenics, and national defense; and
``(C) an inventory of medical, scientific, industrial,
commercial, and other uses of helium in the United States,
including Federal uses, that identifies the nature of the
helium use, the amounts required, the technical and
commercial viability of helium recapture and recycling in
that use, and the availability of material substitutes
wherever possible; and
``(4) submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural
Resources of the House of Representatives a report describing
the results of the assessments required under this paragraph.
``(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as are
necessary.
``SEC. 17. LOW-BTU GAS SEPARATION AND HELIUM CONSERVATION.
``(a) Authorization.--The Secretary of Energy shall support
programs of research, development, commercial application,
and conservation (including the programs described in
subsection (b))--
``(1) to expand the domestic production of low-Btu gas and
helium resources;
``(2) to separate and capture helium from natural gas
streams; and
``(3) to reduce the venting of helium and helium-bearing
low-Btu gas during natural gas exploration and production.
``(b) Programs.--
``(1) Membrane technology research.--The Secretary of
Energy, in consultation with other appropriate agencies,
shall support a civilian research program to develop advanced
membrane technology that is used in the separation of low-Btu
gases, including technologies that remove helium and other
constituent gases that lower the Btu content of natural gas.
``(2) Helium separation technology.--The Secretary of
Energy shall support a research program to develop
technologies for separating, gathering, and processing helium
in low concentrations that occur naturally in geological
reservoirs or formations, including--
``(A) low-Btu gas production streams; and
``(B) technologies that minimize the atmospheric venting of
helium gas during natural gas production.
``(3) Industrial helium program.--The Secretary of Energy,
working through the Advanced Manufacturing Office of the
Department of Energy, shall carry out a research program--
``(A) to develop low-cost technologies and technology
systems for recycling, reprocessing, and reusing helium for
all medical, scientific, industrial, commercial, aerospace,
and other uses of helium in the United States, including
Federal uses; and
``(B) to develop industrial gathering technologies to
capture helium from other chemical processing, including
ammonia processing.
``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as are
necessary.
``SEC. 18. HELIUM-3 SEPARATION.
``(a) Interagency Cooperation.--The Secretary shall
cooperate with the Secretary of Energy, or a designee, on any
assessment or
[[Page S2901]]
research relating to the extraction and refining of the
isotope helium-3 from crude helium at the Federal Helium
Reserve or along the Federal Helium Pipeline, including--
``(1) gas analysis;
``(2) infrastructure studies; and
``(3) cooperation with refiners.
``(b) Feasibility Study.--The Secretary, in consultation
with the Secretary of Energy, or a designee, may carry out a
study to assess the feasibility of establishing a facility to
separate the isotope helium-3 from crude helium at--
``(1) the Federal Helium Reserve; or
``(2) an existing helium separation or purification
facility connected to the Federal Helium Pipeline.
``(c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013, the
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural
Resources of the House of Representatives a report that
contains a description of the results of the assessments
conducted under this section.
``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as are
necessary.
``SEC. 19. FEDERAL AGENCY HELIUM ACQUISITION STRATEGY.
``Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the
Helium Stewardship Act of 2013, the Secretary (in
consultation with the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of
Defense, the Director of the National Science Foundation, and
the Director of the National Institutes of Health) shall
submit to Congress a report that provides for Federal users--
``(1) an assessment of the consumption of, and projected
demand for, crude and refined helium;
``(2) a description of a 20-year Federal strategy for
securing access to crude helium;
``(3) an assessment of the effects of increases in the
price of refined helium and methods and polices for
mitigating any determined effects; and
``(4) a description of a process for prioritization of uses
that accounts for diminished availability of helium supplies
that may occur over time.''.
SEC. 7. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.
(a) Section 4 of the Helium Act (50 U.S.C. 167b) is amended
by striking ``section 6(f)'' each place it appears in
subsections (c)(3), (c)(4), and (d)(2) and inserting
``section 6(d)''.
(b) Section 8 of the Helium Act (50 U.S.C. 167f) is
repealed.
SEC. 8. EXISTING AGREEMENTS.
This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall not in
any manner affect or diminish the rights and obligations of
the Secretary of the Interior and private parties under
agreements in existence on the date of enactment of this Act,
except to the extent that the agreements are renewed or
extended after that date.
SEC. 9. REGULATIONS.
The Secretary of the Interior shall promulgate such
regulations as are necessary to carry out this Act and the
amendments made by this Act, including regulations necessary
to prevent unfair acts and practices.
______
By Mr. BAUCUS (for himself and Mr. Johanns):
S. 784. A bill to expand agricultural opportunities for military
veterans, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry.
Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, in 1787, Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter
to George Washington in which he wrote ``Agriculture is our wisest
pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth,
good morals, and happiness.''
Those words remain true for our farmers and ranchers today but they
also ring true to for veterans who are returning from service and
returning to the land.
Our veteran unemployment rate is shameful, and it really hits home in
rural States like Montana where so many folks volunteer for service. I
believe we must think outside the box and look for ways to boost jobs
for our veterans in everything we do. Which has me turning to the Farm
bill.
Today I, with my colleague Senator Johanns, have introduced the
Agricultural Opportunities for Military Veterans Act which will help
create new opportunities for our veteran populations hoping to become
involved in farming and ranching.
With over 45 percent of those who serve in the military coming from
rural communities Congress must ensure our returning servicemembers
have a variety of resources at their disposal.
My bill will help boost veteran employment through the Farm bill. It
would create a veteran preference in programs that make it cheaper and
easier to institute best practices in farming and ranching.
The bill also creates a new Military Liaison Office to assist
veterans at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and expands outreach
programs to help make sure veterans are aware of the resources
available to them.
I urge my colleagues to join myself and Senator Johanns in supporting
veterans through our programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
______
By Mr. REID:
S. 788. A bill to suspend the fiscal year 2013 sequester and
establish limits on war-related spending; read the first time.
Mr. REID. 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. 788
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SUSPENSION OF THE 2013 SEQUESTER.
Notwithstanding the sequestration order issued by the
President pursuant to section 251A(7)(A) of the Balanced
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C.
901a(7)(A)), there shall be available for the Federal
Government for fiscal year 2013 the amount that would have
been made available for the Federal Government for fiscal
year 2013 but for sections 251 and 251A of the Balanced
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C.
901 and 901a), sections 3001 and 3004 of the Consolidated and
Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013, and any
sequestration order issued by the President.
SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO OCO ADJUSTMENTS.
Section 251 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit
Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by striking paragraph (2) and
inserting the following:
``(2) Eliminating a breach.--
``(A) In general.--Each nonexempt account within a category
shall be reduced by a dollar amount calculated by multiplying
the enacted level of sequesterable budgetary resources in
that account at that time by the uniform percentage necessary
to eliminate a breach within that category.
``(B) Overseas contingencies.--Any amount of budget
authority for overseas contingency operations and related
activities for fiscal years 2014 through 2016 in excess of
the levels set in subsection 251(b)(2)(E) shall be counted in
determining whether a breach has occurred in the security
category.''; and
(2) in subsection (b)(2)--
(A) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by inserting ``for fiscal
years 2017 through 2021,'' before ``the Congress''; and
(B) by inserting at the end the following:
``(E) Overseas contingency operations/global war on
terrorism.--If, for fiscal years 2014 through 2016,
appropriations for discretionary accounts are enacted that
Congress designates for Overseas Contingency Operations/
Global War on Terrorism in statute on an account by account
basis, the adjustment for the fiscal year shall be the total
of such appropriations for the fiscal year in discretionary
accounts designated as being for Overseas Contingency
Operations/Global War on Terrorism, but not to exceed--
``(i) for fiscal year 2014, $92,289,000,000 in additional
new budget authority;
``(ii) for fiscal year 2015, $37,283,000,000 in additional
new budget authority; and
``(iii) for fiscal year 2016, $37,283,000,000 in additional
new budget authority.''.
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