[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 127 (Monday, September 8, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H7249]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MULTINATIONAL SPECIES CONSERVATION FUNDS SEMIPOSTAL STAMP
REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2013
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules
and pass the bill (S. 231) to reauthorize the Multinational Species
Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 231
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 ``Multinational Species
Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Reauthorization Act of
2013''.
SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION.
Section 2(c)(2) of the Multinational Species Conservation
Funds Semipostal Stamp Act of 2010 (39 U.S.C. 416 note) is
amended by striking ``2 years'' and inserting ``6 years''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Collins) and the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Horsford) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Georgia.
General Leave
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend
their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Georgia?
There was no objection.
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Madam Speaker, S. 231, the Multinational Species Conservation Funds
Semipostal Stamp Reauthorization Act, was introduced by Senator Rob
Portman on February 7, 2013.
S. 231 would extend the Multinational Species stamp for an additional
4 years, through December 31, 2016.
{time} 1415
The Multinational Species stamp was initially signed into law in 2010
in a bill introduced by then-Representative Henry Brown of South
Carolina. Profits from this stamp will go to support programs designed
to help to protect African and Asian elephants, rhinoceroses, tigers,
great apes, and marine turtles. Since its introduction, the stamp has
generated $2.5 million in proceeds that have been divided equally among
the conservation programs.
By supporting this legislation, the Postal Service will be better
able to sell its existing stock of 75 million Save the Vanishing
Species stamps in further support of these conservation efforts. And
with that, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HORSFORD. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, S. 231, the Multinational Species Conservation Fund
Semipostal Stamp Reauthorization Act, would require the United States
Postal Service to continue issuing the Multinational Species
Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp for 4 more years.
The conservation fund is a small initiative, run by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, that supports a variety of conservation efforts that
benefit several species, including great apes, rhinoceroses, tigers,
and marine turtles. Because semipostal stamps cost more than typical
stamps, they allow members of the public to donate to a particular
cause encouraged by the stamp. Passage of this bill is a way to raise
revenue for the Multinational Species Conservation Fund without
increasing its appropriations.
We have no objections to the passage of S. 231, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to support
passage of S. 231.
At this point, I will yield back the balance of my time as well.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, S. 231.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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