[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 176 (Tuesday, October 31, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H8277]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LWCF PARITY FOR TERRITORIES AND DC ACT
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from
Guam (Ms. Bordallo) for 5 minutes.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I am indeed proud to introduce the LWCF
Parity for Territories and D.C. Act, with the support of all six
Members of the House representing our U.S. territories and the District
of Columbia as original cosponsors.
Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan bill gives parity to Guam, the other
territories, and D.C. in annual funding from the Federal Land and Water
Conservation Fund.
Current law requires the territories and D.C. to split six ways a
single State's annual LWCF allocation. This bill fixes this disparity
by providing a full, State-equivalent share of Land and Water
Conservation Fund funding for each territory and D.C. every year.
This additional funding is needed to improve our public parks, our
outdoor sports fields, and our community open spaces on Guam and the
other territories, especially as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin
Islands rebuild from recent hurricanes.
So, Mr. Speaker, I encourage our colleagues to cosponsor this
bipartisan legislation and support the LWCF parity for the territories
and the District of Columbia.
____________________