[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 3 (Tuesday, January 8, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S68-S70]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. McCONNELL:
  S. 32. A bill to establish the Mill Springs Battlefield National 
Monument in the State of Kentucky as a unit of the National Park 
System, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text 
of the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 32

       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 ``Mill Springs Battlefield 
     National Monument Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Map.--The term ``Map'' means the map entitled ``Mill 
     Springs Battlefield National Monument, Nancy, Kentucky'', 
     numbered 297/145513, and dated June 2018.
       (2) Monument.--The term ``Monument'' means the Mill Springs 
     Battlefield National Monument established by section 3(a)(1).
       (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National 
     Park Service.

     SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF MILL SPRINGS BATTLEFIELD NATIONAL 
                   MONUMENT.

       (a) Establishment.--
       (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), there is 
     established as a unit of the National Park System, the Mill 
     Springs Battlefield National Monument in the State of 
     Kentucky, to preserve, protect, and interpret for the benefit 
     of present and future generations--
       (A) the nationally significant historic resources of the 
     Mill Springs Battlefield; and
       (B) the role of the Mill Springs Battlefield in the Civil 
     War.
       (2) Determination by the secretary.--The Monument shall not 
     be established until the date on which the Secretary 
     determines that a sufficient quantity of land or interests in 
     land has been acquired to constitute a manageable park unit.
       (3) Notice.--Not later than 30 days after the date on which 
     the Secretary makes a determination under paragraph (2), the 
     Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register notice of the 
     establishment of the Monument.
       (4) Boundary.--The boundary of the Monument shall be as 
     generally depicted on the Map.
       (5) Availability of map.--The Map shall be on file and 
     available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of 
     the National Park Service.
       (6) Acquisition authority.--The Secretary may only acquire 
     land or an interest in land located within the boundary of 
     the Monument by--

[[Page S69]]

       (A) donation;
       (B) purchase from a willing seller with donated or 
     appropriated funds; or
       (C) exchange.
       (b) Administration.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary shall administer the 
     Monument in accordance with--
       (A) this Act; and
       (B) the laws generally applicable to units of the National 
     Park System, including--
       (i) section 100101(a), chapter 1003, and sections 
     100751(a), 100752, 100753, and 102101 of title 54, United 
     States Code; and
       (ii) chapter 3201 of title 54, United States Code.
       (2) Management plan.--
       (A) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the date on 
     which funds are first made available to prepare a general 
     management plan for the Monument, the Secretary shall prepare 
     the general management plan in accordance with section 100502 
     of title 54, United States Code.
       (B) Submission to congress.--On completion of the general 
     management plan, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee 
     on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the 
     Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate the 
     general management plan.
       (c) Private Property Protection.--Nothing in this Act 
     affects the land use rights of private property owners within 
     or adjacent to the Monument.
       (d) No Buffer Zones.--
       (1) In general.--Nothing in this Act, the establishment of 
     the Monument, or the management of the Monument creates a 
     buffer zone outside the Monument.
       (2) Activity or use outside monument.--The fact that an 
     activity or use can be seen, heard, or detected from within 
     the Monument shall not preclude the conduct of the activity 
     or use outside the Monument.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. DAINES:
  S. 44. A bill to reduce a portion of the annual pay of Members of 
Congress for the failure to adopt a concurrent resolution on the budget 
which does not provide for a balanced budget, and for other purposes; 
to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 44

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS.

       (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Balanced 
     Budget Accountability Act''.
       (b) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
       (1) The Federal debt exceeds $21,000,000,000,000, continues 
     to grow rapidly, and is larger than the size of the United 
     States economy.
       (2) The Federal budget has shown an annual deficit in 49 of 
     the last 54 years.
       (3) Deficits and the Federal debt threaten to shatter 
     confidence in the Nation's economy, suppress job creation and 
     economic growth, and leave future generations of Americans 
     with a lower standard of living and fewer opportunities.
       (4) It is the duty of Members of Congress to develop and 
     implement policies, including balancing the Federal budget, 
     that encourage robust job creation and economic growth in the 
     United States.
       (5) Members of Congress should be held accountable for 
     failing to pass annual budgets that result in a balanced 
     budget.

     SEC. 2. EFFECT OF FAILURE TO ADOPT RESOLUTION PROVIDING FOR 
                   BALANCED BUDGETS.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section--
       (1) the term ``balanced budget'' means a concurrent 
     resolution on the budget which provides that for fiscal year 
     2029, and each fiscal year thereafter to which the concurrent 
     resolution on the budget applies--
       (A) total outlays do not exceed total receipts; and
       (B) total outlays are not more than 18 percent of the 
     projected gross domestic product of the United States (as 
     determined by the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the 
     Department of Commerce) for such fiscal year;
       (2) the term ``Director'' means the Director of the Office 
     of Management and Budget; and
       (3) the term ``Member'' includes a Delegate or Resident 
     Commissioner to Congress.
       (b) Determination by the Office of Management and Budget.--
     Upon adoption by a House of Congress of a concurrent 
     resolution on the budget for a fiscal year, the Director 
     shall--
       (1) determine whether the concurrent resolution on the 
     budget is a balanced budget; and
       (2) submit to the Speaker of the House of Representatives 
     or the President pro tempore of the Senate (as the case may 
     be) a certification as to whether or not that House of 
     Congress has adopted a balanced budget.
       (c) Rule for Fiscal Years 2020 and 2021.--
       (1) Fiscal year 2020.--
       (A)  Holding salaries in escrow.--If the Director does not 
     certify that a House of Congress has adopted a balanced 
     budget with respect to fiscal year 2020 before April 16, 
     2019, during the period described in subparagraph (B) the 
     payroll administrator of that House of Congress shall deposit 
     in an escrow account all payments otherwise required to be 
     made during such period for the compensation of Members of 
     Congress who serve in that House of Congress, and shall 
     release such payments to such Members only upon the 
     expiration of such period.
       (B) Period described.--With respect to a House of Congress, 
     the period described in this subparagraph is the period that 
     begins on April 16, 2019, and ends on the earlier of--
       (i) the date on which the Director certifies that the House 
     of Congress has adopted a balanced budget with respect to 
     fiscal year 2020; or
       (ii) the last day of the One Hundred Sixteenth Congress.
       (2) Fiscal year 2021.--
       (A)  Holding salaries in escrow.--If the Director does not 
     certify that a House of Congress has adopted a balanced 
     budget with respect to fiscal year 2021 before April 16, 
     2020, during the period described in subparagraph (B) the 
     payroll administrator of that House of Congress shall deposit 
     in an escrow account all payments otherwise required to be 
     made during such period for the compensation of Members of 
     Congress who serve in that House of Congress, and shall 
     release such payments to such Members only upon the 
     expiration of such period.
       (B) Period described.--With respect to a House of Congress, 
     the period described in this subparagraph is the period that 
     begins on April 16, 2020, and ends on the earlier of--
       (i) the date on which the Director certifies that the House 
     of Congress has adopted a balanced budget with respect to 
     fiscal year 2021; or
       (ii) the last day of the One Hundred Sixteenth Congress.
       (3) Withholding and remittance of amounts from payments 
     held in escrow.--The payroll administrator shall provide for 
     the same withholding and remittance with respect to a payment 
     deposited in an escrow account under paragraph (1) or (2) 
     that would apply to the payment if the payment were not 
     subject to paragraph (1) or (2).
       (4) Release of amounts at end of the congress.--In order to 
     ensure that this subsection is carried out in a manner that 
     shall not vary the compensation of Senators or 
     Representatives in violation of the twenty-seventh amendment 
     to the Constitution of the United States, the payroll 
     administrator of a House of Congress shall release for 
     payments to Members of that House of Congress any amounts 
     remaining in any escrow account under this section on the 
     last day of the One Hundred Sixteenth Congress.
       (5) Role of secretary of the treasury.--The Secretary of 
     the Treasury shall provide the payroll administrators of the 
     Houses of Congress with such assistance as may be necessary 
     to enable the payroll administrators to carry out this 
     subsection.
       (6) Payroll administrator defined.--In this subsection, the 
     ``payroll administrator'' of a House of Congress means--
       (A) in the case of the House of Representatives, the Chief 
     Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, or an 
     employee of the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer 
     who is designated by the Chief Administrative Officer to 
     carry out this section; and
       (B) in the case of the Senate, the Secretary of the Senate, 
     or an employee of the Office of the Secretary of the Senate 
     who is designated by the Secretary to carry out this section.
       (d) Rule for Fiscal Year 2022 and Subsequent Fiscal 
     Years.--If the Director does not certify that a House of 
     Congress has adopted a balanced budget with respect to fiscal 
     year 2022, or any fiscal year thereafter, before April 16 of 
     the fiscal year before such fiscal year, during pay periods 
     which occur in the same calendar year after that date each 
     Member of that House shall be paid at an annual rate of pay 
     equal to $1.

     SEC. 3. SUPERMAJORITY REQUIREMENT FOR INCREASING REVENUE.

       (a) In General.--In the Senate and the House of 
     Representatives, a bill, joint resolution, amendment, 
     conference report, or amendment between the Houses that 
     increases revenue shall only be agreed to upon an affirmative 
     vote of three-fifths of the Members of that House of Congress 
     duly chosen and sworn.
       (b) Rules of Senate and the House of Representatives.--
     Subsection (a) is enacted by Congress--
       (1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the Senate 
     and House of Representatives, respectively, and as such it is 
     deemed a part of the rules of each House, respectively, but 
     applicable only with respect to the procedure to be followed 
     in that House in the case of a bill, joint resolution, 
     amendment, conference report, or amendment between the Houses 
     that increases revenue, and it supersedes other rules only to 
     the extent that it is inconsistent with such rules; and
       (2) with full recognition of the constitutional right of 
     either House to change the rules (so far as relating to the 
     procedure of that House) at any time, in the same manner, and 
     to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of that 
     House.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Blumenthal, and Mr. 
        Murphy):
  S. 45. A bill to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate 
certain river segments within the Wood-Pawcatuck watershed as 
components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and for other 
purposes; to the

[[Page S70]]

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, today I am once again introducing, along 
with my colleagues Senator Whitehouse, Senator Blumenthal, and Senator 
Murphy, legislation to designate river segments within the Wood-
Pawcatuck watershed as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers 
System.
  Following more than three years of intense study, this legislation 
would formally recognize the recreational, natural, and historical 
qualities of portions of the Beaver, Chipuxet, Green Fall-Ashaway, 
Pawcatuck, Queen-Usquepaugh, Shunock, and Wood Rivers that flow through 
Rhode Island and Connecticut while providing access to Federal 
resources and promoting strong partnerships for their restoration and 
protection.
  The Wood-Pawcatuck watershed is a National treasure that not only 
holds natural and scenic value, but also is an important economic 
driver for the area. Indeed, the 12 local river communities experience 
direct economic benefits from their proximity to these rivers through 
increased recreation and tourism. The watershed provides many 
opportunities for visitors to explore history and experience nature, 
including viewing early industrial mill ruins, trout fishing, bird 
watching, and kayaking.
  I have long been a supporter of protecting and restoring these 
special rivers, which is why I sponsored the Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed 
Protection Act in 2013. The process that was initiated by that law has 
been a critical tool for bringing together stakeholders from Rhode 
Island and Connecticut including representatives from State agencies, 
local governments, and conservation groups in order to develop a 
collaborative path forward. The resulting Stewardship Plan, which has 
been formally adopted by the study committee and is supported by all 
twelve local river communities, builds upon currently existing efforts 
to preserve and manage the river ecosystems while also considering what 
steps will need to be taken collectively in the future in order to 
protect them.
  I would like to commend Representatives Langevin, Cicilline, and 
Courtney for again introducing companion legislation. In October 2018 
we commemorated the 50th anniversary of the landmark Wild and Scenic 
Rivers Act, and I am proud that after all these years we are continuing 
our work to protect such extraordinary places. I look forward to 
working with all of my colleagues to pass this legislation so that we 
can preserve the rivers of the Wood-Pawcatuck watershed for the 
enjoyment of current and future generations.

                          ____________________