[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 17, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H4274-H4275]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EDWARD T. SCHAFER AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTER
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the
rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2154) to rename the Red River Valley
Agricultural Research Center in Fargo, North Dakota, as the Edward T.
Schafer Agricultural Research Center, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2154
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. RENAMING OF THE RED RIVER VALLEY AGRICULTURAL
RESEARCH CENTER IN FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA AS THE
EDWARD T. SCHAFER AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTER.
(a) Renaming.--The Red River Valley Agricultural Research
Center in Fargo, North Dakota, shall hereafter be known and
designated as the ``Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research
Center''.
(b) References.--Any reference in any law, regulation, map,
document, paper, or other record of the United States to the
facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be considered to
be a reference to the Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research
Center.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis) and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr.
Peterson) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.
General Leave
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent
that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and
extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time
as I may consume.
I rise today in support of H.R. 2154, to rename the Red River Valley
Agricultural Research Center in Fargo, North Dakota, as the Edward T.
Schafer Agricultural Research Center. And this, Mr. Speaker, is in
spite of the fact that it is located at North Dakota State University,
which, in January of 2015, beat my Illinois State Red Birds for the FCS
football championship and caused me to have to bring cupcakes from
Normal, Illinois, to pay a bet with my colleague who is the author of
this bill, Congressman Kevin Cramer. So I still support this bill in
spite of those actions because it is a good bill, Mr. Speaker.
Ed Schafer served as North Dakota's Governor from 1992 to 2000, and
as our Nation's Secretary of Agriculture from 2008 to 2009. Renaming
the Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center in Fargo, North
Dakota, to honor Secretary Schafer is a fitting tribute to his
distinguished career in public service.
Located in Secretary Schafer's home State and at one of the Nation's
premier land grant universities, this research center continues to
advance its vital work on improving crops to strengthen our Nation's
food security. I greatly appreciate the work--in spite
[[Page H4275]]
of the cupcakes--that Congressman Kevin Cramer has put forth on this
bill, his leadership, and I urge my colleagues to join me today in
supporting this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PETERSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
H.R. 2154 recognizes former U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary
and former North Dakota Governor Ed Schafer by renaming the Red River
Valley Agricultural Research Center in his honor.
The research center serves the region, including my district in
Minnesota, by coordinating five research units in two Fargo
laboratories. The center does a wide range of work with a focus on
animal metabolism-agricultural chemicals, cereal crops, insect genetics
and biochemistry, sugar beet and potato, and sunflower and plant
biology research.
I worked closely with Ed Schafer when he was at USDA and also during
the time he was North Dakota's Governor. We worked on many things
together. Some of them were pleasant and some of them not so pleasant,
such as floods and so forth.
I think it is a fitting recognition for an outstanding career in
government, and I am happy to be here to support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, again, I thank the
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Peterson) for supporting this
legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from North Dakota
(Mr. Cramer), the author of this bill.
Mr. CRAMER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Davis and my colleague, Mr.
Peterson, from across the Red River in Minnesota for their support for
this renaming of the Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center. For
all of the reasons that Representative Peterson talked about, it is a
world-class facility in a world-class town, and I think it should be
named after a world-class guy, and I think Ed Schafer is that.
I had the opportunity to serve under Ed when he was Governor for 8
years. I served in his cabinet. His intellect and his common sense are
matched only by his boundless energy and his eternal optimism,
qualities he brings to every job he does, including his work at the
Department of Agriculture.
When he was recognized by his former Governor colleague, President
George W. Bush, and asked to join the administration in that
department, it was a remarkable thing not just for agriculture, not
just for Ed, but for our State. North Dakota is number one in the
production of many crops. Agriculture is the number one industry in our
State. It is what makes North Dakota what North Dakota is: the ability
to feed hungry people in a growing world. Ed brought that common sense
to USDA and that work ethic that works the land so effectively.
I feel like this is a fitting tribute to him. It is a celebration not
only of his accomplishments, but a celebration of agriculture in North
Dakota and the entire Red River Valley, including Congressman
Peterson's district, and really for our world.
I would note that our two Senators, while it is easy for me to get
unanimity in the House for the North Dakota House caucus since I am the
only one, North Dakota's two Senators have a companion bill in the
Senate introduced by Senator Hoeven and cosponsored by Senator
Heitkamp, and they support this effort as well.
I appreciate the work of the committee and the work of Ed Schafer,
and I look forward, hopefully, to a celebration of the renaming.
Mr. PETERSON. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers on this side.
Again, I thank the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer) for
bringing this forward. Mr. Schafer is a great member of our community.
He spends some time in my hometown every year and I have gotten to know
him very well. He very much deserves this honor. I am happy to support
this bill, and I ask my colleagues to support it.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
{time} 1615
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I agree with my colleagues
from Minnesota and North Dakota. I urge all Members to support this
bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 2154, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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