[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 84 (Thursday, May 26, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E800]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  2017

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                               speech of

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 24, 2016

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5055) making 
     appropriations for energy and water development and related 
     agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2017, and 
     for other purposes:

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Chair, let me thank the Ranking Member and Chair for 
including language to recognize the importance of workplace diversity 
in the Department of Energy's National Laboratories and directing the 
Department to provide a detailed plan on the recruitment and retention 
with minority-serving institutions, including Historically Black 
Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
  I am also pleased that the bill includes language on Energy-Water 
Nexus initiative that I worked on with our Ranking Member Marcy Kaptur. 
This language encourages the Department of Energy to enter into an 
agreement with the Department of Agriculture at various national labs 
to work on development of affordable and efficient food production 
systems for our most food insecure communities. This is a critical step 
towards addressing food insecurity and poverty.
  Lastly, I'm pleased that the Advanced Light Source program is fully 
funded in this bill at the level of $64.95 million in FY2017. This $2 
million increase over FY 2016 enacted levels will ensure that these 
facilities remain fully operational, including the Advanced Light 
Source and Molecular Foundry at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab in my 
home district.
  However, I remain deeply concerned regarding the many poison pill 
policy riders and low funding levels included in this spending bill.
  We know that California is experiencing an unprecedented drought 
coupled with the real effects of climate change. The fact that most of 
H.R. 2898, the Western Water and American Food Security Act of 2015, 
has shamefully been inserted into this bill is a disgrace. This harmful 
rider fails to adequately address critical elements of California's 
complex water challenges and will only worsen the effects of the 
drought. It would also violate existing laws protecting salmon and 
other endangered fish in California's Bay-Delta estuary.
  I am also concerned regarding the other harmful policy riders that 
would shamefully allow guns on Army Corps of Engineers land and prevent 
implementation of the administration's Clean Water Rule.
  Mr. Chairman, instead of trying to roll back vital environmental 
protections, we need to be proactive about preserving our environment 
for the health and safety of future generations. We need to make more 
investments in clean energy like solar, wind, and geothermal. 
Unfortunately, this bill does not do that.
  I hope that as the process moves forward, these terrible policy 
riders and low allocations are resolved.

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