[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 113 (Wednesday, July 13, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1113]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2017

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 12, 2016

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5538) making 
     appropriations for the Department of the Interior, 
     environment, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending 
     September 30, 2017, and for other purposes:

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to the 
Goodlatte amendment, which would jeopardize state efforts to clean up 
the Chesapeake Bay.
  Mr. Chair, in my home state of Maryland, at the center of the Bay 
watershed, there's a lot of concern about pollution behind the 
Conowingo Dam. The sediment and nutrients there don't just materialize 
out of nothing. They come from Pennsylvania, down the Susquehanna 
River, and are caught by the dam in Maryland. Pennsylvania's water, and 
pollution, doesn't stop at the Mason-Dixon line.
  The Bay states have recognized the need to work together to protect 
the Chesapeake for three decades. But for most of that time, we haven't 
made the progress we need because there was no way to make sure that 
every state was keeping its commitment. That's why the states asked for 
federal assistance in 2008 and the federal government agreed to act as 
a backstop, giving every state the confidence to take action because 
they know they and their partners will be held accountable.
  This has been working and has been upheld by the federal courts. The 
states are not asking for repeal. But this amendment would remove the 
accountability provisions that have been critical to the plan's 
success.
  If Pennsylvania doesn't meet its responsibilities, Maryland sees the 
consequences at the Conowingo Dam. If Maryland doesn't do its job, it 
jeopardizes Virginia's oyster populations. We have a collaborative 
process in place, and our states have made significant investments and 
important progress. I urge my colleagues to respect the states' 
partnership and oppose the Goodlatte amendment.

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