[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 171 (Tuesday, October 29, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H8550-H8552]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
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PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 823, COLORADO OUTDOOR RECREATION
AND ECONOMY ACT; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1373, GRAND CANYON
CENTENNIAL PROTECTION ACT; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2181,
CHACO CULTURAL HERITAGE AREA PROTECTION ACT OF 2019; AND PROVIDING FOR
PROCEEDINGS DURING THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 1, 2019, THROUGH NOVEMBER
11, 2019
Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I
call up House Resolution 656 and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:
H. Res. 656
Resolved, That at any time after adoption of this
resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule
XVIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the
Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of
the bill (H.R. 823) to provide for the designation of certain
wilderness areas, recreation management areas, and
conservation areas in the State of Colorado, and for other
purposes. The first reading of the bill shall be dispensed
with. All points of order against consideration of the bill
are waived. General debate shall be confined to the bill and
amendments specified in this section and shall not exceed one
hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking
minority member of the Committee on Natural Resources. After
general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment
under the five-minute rule. The amendment in the nature of a
substitute recommended by the Committee on Natural Resources
now printed in the bill, modified by the amendment printed in
part A of the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying
this resolution, shall be considered as adopted in the House
and in the Committee of the Whole. The bill, as amended,
shall be considered as the original bill for the purpose of
further amendment under the five-minute rule and shall be
considered as read. All points of order against provisions in
the bill, as amended, are waived. No further amendment to the
bill, as amended, shall be in order except those printed in
part B of the report of the Committee on Rules. Each such
further amendment may be offered only in the order printed in
the report, may be offered only by a Member designated in the
report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for
the time specified in the report equally divided and
controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be
subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand
for division of the question in the House or in the Committee
of the Whole. All points of order against such further
amendments are waived. At the conclusion of consideration of
the bill for amendment the Committee shall rise and report
the bill, as amended, to the House with such further
amendments as may have been adopted. The previous question
shall be considered as ordered on the bill, as amended, and
on any further amendment thereto to final passage without
intervening motion except one motion to recommit with or
without instructions.
Sec. 2. At any time after adoption of this resolution the
Speaker may, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XVIII, declare
the House resolved into the Committee of the Whole House on
the state of the Union for consideration of the bill (H.R.
1373) to protect, for current and future generations, the
watershed, ecosystem, and cultural heritage of the Grand
Canyon region in the State of Arizona, and for other
purposes. The first reading of the bill shall be dispensed
with. All points of order against consideration of the bill
are waived. General debate shall be confined to the bill and
shall not exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by
the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on
Natural Resources. After general debate the bill shall be
considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. It shall
be in order to consider as an original bill for the purpose
of amendment under the five-minute rule the amendment in the
nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on
Natural Resources now printed in the bill. The committee
amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be considered
as read. All points of order against the committee amendment
in the nature of a substitute are waived. No amendment to the
committee amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be in
order except those printed in part C of the report of the
Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution. Each such
amendment may be offered only in the order printed in the
report, may be offered only by a Member designated in the
report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for
the time specified in the report equally divided and
controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be
subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand
for division of the question in the House or in the Committee
of the Whole. All points of order against such amendments are
waived. At the conclusion of consideration of the bill for
amendment the Committee shall rise and report the bill to the
House with such amendments as may have been adopted. Any
Member may demand a separate vote in the House on any
amendment adopted in the Committee of the Whole to the bill
or to the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute.
The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the
bill and amendments thereto to final passage without
intervening motion except one motion to recommit with or
without instructions.
Sec. 3. At any time after adoption of this resolution the
Speaker may, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XVIII, declare
the House resolved into the Committee of the Whole House on
the state of the Union for consideration of the bill (H.R.
2181) to provide for the withdrawal and protection of certain
Federal land in the State of New Mexico. The first reading of
the bill shall be dispensed with. All points of order against
consideration of the bill are waived. General debate shall be
confined to the bill and amendments specified in this section
and shall not exceed one hour equally divided and controlled
by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on
Natural Resources. After general debate the bill shall be
considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. The
amendment printed in part D of the report of the Committee on
Rules accompanying this resolution shall be considered as
adopted in the House and in the Committee of the Whole. The
bill, as amended, shall be considered as read. All points of
order against provisions in the bill, as amended, are waived.
No further amendment to the bill, as amended, shall be in
order except those printed in part E of the report of the
Committee on Rules. Each such further amendment may be
offered only in the order printed in the report, may be
offered only by a Member designated in the report, shall be
considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified
in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent
and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall
not be subject to a demand for division of the question in
the House or in the Committee of the Whole. All points of
order against such further amendments are waived. At the
conclusion of consideration of the bill for amendment the
Committee shall rise and report the bill, as amended, to the
House with such further amendments as may have been adopted.
The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the
bill, as amended, and on any further amendment thereto to
final passage without intervening motion except one motion to
recommit with or without instructions.
Sec. 4. On any legislative day during the period from
November 1, 2019, through November 11, 2019--
(a) the Journal of the proceedings of the previous day
shall be considered as approved; and
(b) the Chair may at any time declare the House adjourned
to meet at a date and time, within the limits of clause 4,
section 5, article I of the Constitution, to be announced by
the Chair in declaring the adjournment.
Sec. 5. The Speaker may appoint Members to perform the
duties of the Chair for the duration of the period addressed
by section 4 of this resolution as though under clause 8(a)
of rule I.
Sec. 6. Each day during the period addressed by section 4
of this resolution shall not constitute a calendar or
legislative day for purposes of clause 7(c)(1) of rule XXII.
Sec. 7. Each day during the period addressed by section 4
of this resolution shall not constitute a legislative day for
purposes of clause 7 of rule XV.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Florida is recognized
for 1 hour.
Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the
customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Lesko),
pending which I yield myself such time as I
[[Page H8551]]
may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded
is for the purpose of debate only.
General Leave
Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, the Rules Committee met last night and
reported House Resolution 656, providing for consideration of H.R. 823,
the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act; H.R. 1373, the Grand
Canyon Centennial Protection Act; and H.R. 2181, the Chaco Cultural
Heritage Protection Act, each under a structured rule.
The rule provides each bill with 1 hour of general debate equally
divided and controlled by the chair and the ranking member of the
Committee on Natural Resources. The rule makes in order 13 amendments
total: 10 Republican amendments and 3 Democratic amendments. The rule
also provides each bill with a motion to recommit.
Finally, the rule provides recess instructions from November 1
through November 11.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the bills in this rule: H.R.
823, H.R. 1373, and H.R. 2181. These important bills recognize the need
to protect unique and irreplaceable American landscapes--public lands
that belong to all of us, not to the highest bidder and not to any
individual Representative or party.
President Theodore Roosevelt once said: ``Of all the questions which
can come before this Nation . . . there is none which compares in
importance with the great central task of leaving this land even a
better land for our descendants than it is for us.''
And that is what these three bills attempt to do. They represent the
culmination of years of locally driven efforts. These bills protect
some of our most iconic lands and resources.
H.R. 823 is the result of collaborative efforts among a diverse set
of local stakeholders with a shared interest in providing long-term
protections for public lands in Colorado. The bill builds on earlier
proposals to protect roughly 400,000 acres of public lands for the
benefit of the people of Colorado and all Americans.
H.R. 2181 would withdraw lands within a longstanding, 10-mile buffer
zone around the Chaco Culture National Historical Park. This withdrawal
would protect an ancestral site for the Puebloan and Tribal
communities. It would prevent damage to previously undiscovered
cultural resources. Chaco Culture National Historical Park, a UNESCO
World Heritage Site, was the hub of trade and culture for thousands of
ancestral Puebloans from 1850 to 1250 A.D.
Lastly, H.R. 1373 would permanently prohibit new mining claims on
approximately 1 million acres of public land surrounding Grand Canyon
National Park, the crown jewel of our National Park System--of course,
not counting Everglades National Park or Biscayne National Park in
south Florida.
In south Florida, we are all too familiar with what can happen if we
fail to protect our most vulnerable and most unique lands and waters.
Whether the Everglades, Big Cypress, and the Miami River or the Grand
Canyon, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, and public lands in
Colorado, we have a deep obligation to conserve and restore these
lands. And science tells us, as the climate crisis intensifies, these
efforts have never been more urgent.
Mr. Speaker, I proudly support these historic steps forward. Let us
pass these bills.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Shalala for yielding
me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, energy and mining are critical drivers of the American
economy and quality of life. These industries create thousands of well-
paying jobs.
The United States cannot reach or sustain our potential without
developing our natural resources. But, today, we are debating three
bills that put American energy, American quality of life, and American
national security at risk.
It seems just yesterday that I was here at this very same podium
speaking much of these same words. In fact, it was just last month. At
that time, I spoke out against bills banning offshore drilling.
Now this majority wants to pass sweeping bans on even more domestic
natural resources. This time they want to ban American energy from
Colorado, New Mexico, and my home State of Arizona.
As I said last month, they want to ban it all; and American families,
including Arizona families, will pay the price.
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H.R. 823 withdraws areas in Colorado from mineral development. This
bill particularly impacts its Third Congressional District, represented
by Congressman Scott Tipton. Sixty-five percent of the lands affected
by this bill are in his district, yet, this bill does not have his
support, nor the support of any of the Republican members of the
Colorado delegation.
Similarly, H.R. 2181 withdraws Federal lands in New Mexico from
resource development. It also terminates all non-producing oil and gas
leases on those lands.
Finally, H.R. 1373, I believe, is a misleadingly-titled land grab
that deals with land far outside the Grand Canyon. I believe it is
deeply misguided.
Arizona currently produces $6.6 billion in nonfuel minerals, which
makes it the second largest State in the production of minerals in the
United States. Yet, this bill would permanently lock up about 1 million
acres of public lands in Arizona, hampering the economic potential of
my State.
The area impacted by this bill also contains the largest tract of
uranium deposits in the country. Restricting access to these deposits
puts our national security at risk because we have to rely on foreign
countries to provide us uranium.
It is also important to note that much of the lands affected by this
bill are in Arizona's Fourth Congressional District, represented by my
good friend, Congressman Gosar. Yet, Mr. Gosar has expressed very clear
opposition to this bill.
These three bills ignore the economic benefits of domestic energy
production. Energy development brings high-paying jobs, facilitates
manufacturing and investment, and provides government revenues. Energy
development in the United States also makes energy more affordable for
everyone.
The average salary paid in the natural gas and oil development fields
is $113,000 a year; and the energy industry supports 300,000 jobs.
Domestic oil production has allowed Americans to spend 28 percent
less in fuel, resulting in nearly $1,000 in savings per family in 2017
alone. To my constituents, that is a lot of money.
I believe in an all-of-the-above energy approach. In my home State of
Arizona, this is a reality and a necessity. We have to rely on multiple
and diverse energy sources to ensure affordable and reliable energy.
I support nuclear, hydroelectric, coal, sun, wind, and other
alternative sources, and I also support domestic oil and natural gas
production.
An all-of-the-above approach, like that in Arizona, would benefit
American families and their quality of life.
In contrast, the bans that the Democrats propose would harm the U.S.
economy, threaten our national security, and increase energy prices and
rates on consumers.
I urge opposition to the rule, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I am prepared
to close.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
If we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the
rule to make in order a resolution to prevent any moratorium on the use
of hydraulic fracking on Federal lands unless authorized by Congress.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert into the Record the
text of my amendment, along with extraneous material, immediately prior
to the vote on the previous question.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Arizona?
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There was no objection.
Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, this resolution would affirm that States
should maintain primacy for the regulation of hydraulic fracturing and
prevent any President from imposing a ban on hydraulic fracturing.
In recent weeks, many of the Democratic candidates for President have
pledged to ban hydraulic fracturing in the United States, a campaign
promise straight out of the ``keep it in the ground'' playbook.
While this widely-used practice is often vilified by extreme
environmentalists and proponents of the Green New Deal, in fact,
hydraulic fracturing is heavily regulated by the States and governed by
stringent industry standards throughout the country.
American households and businesses have benefited significantly from
the shale gas revolution. After the introduction of hydraulic
fracturing techniques, U.S. gas bills fell by $13 billion collectively
every year from 2007-2013.
All the while, natural gas production using fracking is driving
emissions reductions, resulting in the lowest emission levels in a
generation. In fact, methane emissions have decreased 15 percent since
1990 as natural gas production increased over 50 percent.
Thanks to hydraulic fracturing, the U.S. is leading the way in
emissions reductions through innovation in the energy sector. In 2017,
U.S. carbon emissions reached the lowest level since 1992, and per
capita emissions reached the lowest level since 1950.
Also, banning domestic oil and gas production will return the U.S. to
a time when we relied on foreign countries for oil and gas. Remember
the 1970s? We do not want to put our country in a national security
risk.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, the bills before us today are harmful to
American jobs, American quality of life, and American security. The
message underlying these bills is the false notion that domestic energy
production is harmful.
I cannot disagree more. Domestic energy production creates hundreds
of thousands of well-paying jobs, lowers electricity bills, and
prevents us from being dependent on foreign actors.
Utilizing America's natural resources is a commonsense step for
America's energy future. America must be able to utilize its natural
resources for our economy and for our national security. We should
encourage an expansion of domestic energy production, but, instead, my
Democrat colleagues in the majority seek to limit them.
Mr. Speaker, I urge ``no'' on the previous question, ``no'' on the
underlying measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, with all due respect to my distinguished colleague and
friend from Arizona, these bills recognize that some places, lands that
belong to Coloradans, to Arizonans, to the ancestral Pueblo peoples,
belong to all Americans, and they are just too precious to exploit.
I would like to close, once again, by quoting our conservation
President, Teddy Roosevelt. ``We have fallen heirs to the most glorious
heritage a people ever received, and each one must do his part if we
wish to show that the Nation is worthy of this good fortune.''
Mr. Speaker, today we are doing our part.
Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the rule and the previous
question.
The material previously referred to by Mrs. Lesko is as follows:
Amendment to House Resolution 656
At the end of the resolution, add the following:
Sec. 8. That immediately upon adoption of this resolution,
the House shall resolve into the Committee of the Whole House
on the state of the Union for consideration of the resolution
(H. Res. 659) affirming that States should maintain primacy
for the regulation of hydraulic fracturing for oil and
natural gas production on State and private lands and that
the President should not declare a moratorium on the use of
hydraulic fracturing on Federal lands (including the Outer
Continental Shelf), State lands, private lands, or lands held
in trust for an Indian Tribe unless such moratorium is
authorized by an Act of Congress. The first reading of the
resolution shall be dispensed with. All points of order
against consideration of the resolution are waived. General
debate shall be confined to the resolution and shall not
exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by the chair
and ranking minority member of the Committee on Natural
Resources. After general debate the resolution shall be
considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. All
points of order against provisions in the resolution are
waived. When the committee rises and reports the resolution
back to the House with a recommendation that the resolution
be adopted, the previous question shall be considered as
ordered on the resolution and amendments thereto to adoption
without intervening motion. If the Committee of the Whole
rises and reports that it has come to no resolution on the
resolution, then on the next legislative day the House shall,
immediately after the third daily order of business under
clause 1 of rule XIV, resolve into the Committee of the Whole
for further consideration of the resolution.
Sec. 9. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the
consideration of H. Res. 659.
Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I
move the previous question on the resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on ordering the previous
question.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Mrs. LESKO. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
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