[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 218 (Monday, December 21, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7913-S7914]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                   National Defense Authorization Act

  Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to discuss 
critical parts of today's funding bill that is before us this week. 
These are the result of bipartisan work that we have done. And the 
Presiding Officer is a member of the Environment and Public Works 
Committee, a valued member who has contributed significantly to the 
legislation before us.
  As chairman of that committee, I am so grateful for your 
participation because I am going to talk about some things that we have 
been able to do on the Environment and Public Works Committee together 
and in a bipartisan way. You have done such a remarkable job with the 
Save Our Seas legislation, and we continue to support that.
  Now I am going to talk about a couple of additional things that are 
part of this end-of-the-year legislation that we will be voting on 
later this evening.
  The first is historic, bipartisan climate innovation legislation. The 
second is comprehensive legislation to upgrade America's water 
infrastructure. So I want to talk about two different things: One is 
the climate innovation legislation and then what is commonly known as 
the WRDA bill, the Water Resources Development Act. Both of these 
measures passed the committee with unanimous bipartisan support.
  The Republicans and Democrats on this committee have worked together 
to reduce emissions and to do it through innovation--not taxation, not 
regulation, but do it through innovation--free market innovation, not 
punishing government regulations. I believe that is the best way to go 
as we address the challenges of our environment and our climate.
  We have reached a historic agreement in the committee, and we will on 
the floor tonight in the Senate, to include environmental innovation 
provisions in this government funding bill.
  The environmental innovation agreements include three specific bills 
that will significantly reduce greenhouse gases. I have had the 
privilege of working closely with my friend, the committee ranking 
member, Tom Carper from Delaware, on each of these three.
  The first is called the USE IT Act. This legislation ensures that 
Washington is a willing partner in the research and the development of 
carbon capture technologies and projects. Carbon capture holds the key 
to significant carbon emission reductions. These captured emissions can 
be used to create building materials, medical supplies, even clothing. 
They can also be used to extract more natural resources to provide more 
energy for all of us.
  The USE IT Act is going to expedite permitting so that important 
carbon capture projects can get moving. It supports the research and 
the use of carbon capture. It includes direct air capture--actually, 
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere--that will take carbon emissions 
straight out of the air. It is very innovative.
  This kind of research is now already happening in my home State of 
Wyoming, in Gillette, WY, at the Integrated Test Center, which is 
associated with the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources.
  I have worked closely with Senators Whitehouse and Capito and Carper 
on the USE IT Act in having it passed, first, through our committee, 
then through the full Senate, and tonight, in a bill that will be 
ultimately sent to the President of the United States for his 
signature.
  The second measure, part of this innovative work, is a bill sponsored 
by Ranking Member Carper to reauthorize the Diesel Emissions Reduction 
Act.
  This program has already significantly reduced the amount of black 
carbon in our air by replacing older engines in buses--school buses and 
trucks and other vehicles. This is working well. These replacement 
engines make diesel equipment cleaner and more efficient.
  The legislation that we will reauthorize this evening sees that this 
important program will then continue all the way through the end of 
2024.
  The last element of our bipartisan agreement will phase down the use 
of chemicals known as HFCs. These chemicals are in every home in 
America, from cars to refrigerators to air conditioners.
  This agreement is going to authorize a 15-year phasedown on the 
production of these chemicals. Innovative breakthroughs in chemistry 
have led to the development of cleaner replacement chemicals. This 
legislation tonight will help protect our air while keeping costs down 
for the American people.
  Importantly, the agreement, the bipartisan agreement we have come up 
with, safeguards the essential use of HFC chemicals when substitute 
chemicals are less effective. Some examples including bear spray. We 
use it in Wyoming. I know they use it in Alaska. It protects hikers. It 
is also used in fire suppression systems on planes that protect 
travelers. And we need it.
  I know in my hometown of Casper, the defense spray manufacturer, the 
Safariland Group, employs about 75 people. They use HFC chemicals to 
make defense sprays. It is a critically important part of their 
business.
  If they were forced to use replacement chemicals, those sprays would 
be far less effective. Well, if you are around a bear, you want to make 
sure you have the most effective spray available. So with the changes 
we have negotiated into this important bill, companies like the 
Safariland Group will be able to continue making high-quality products 
that people want and people need and that can save their lives.
  We also made sure that the manufacturers using these chemicals have a 
clear set of rules to go by--one clear set of rules to go by. So our 
agreement preempts State and local laws to ensure that the specific 
essentials that are being used are protected.
  Now the manufacturers won't have to deal with different sets of rules 
in different States, which has been a real problem. This clears that 
up. The end result is clean air and clear rules. We need both of those.

  I really want to thank Ranking Member Carper, Senator John Kennedy of 
Louisiana for working with me to reach an agreement that will reduce 
the use of HFC chemicals while protecting consumers and manufacturers 
alike.
  All of these three measures support market innovation. All three will 
reduce greenhouse gases, and they will do it in ways that will not harm 
the economy.
  The government funding bill that we are going to be addressing a 
little later this evening also includes bipartisan water infrastructure 
legislation. I know in the Presiding Officer's home State of Alaska and 
in my home State of Wyoming, water is critical, as it is across the 
entire country. But you and I have focused specifically on this.
  Certainly, in Wyoming, dams, levees, ports, reservoirs, and water 
systems are important to every community all across the country. The 
infrastructure is critical. People say the word is ``infrastructure,'' 
but when we think about it, what it really means is dams, ports, 
reservoirs, levees, and water systems. That really, I think, shows more 
what we are talking about than just this overall word 
``infrastructure.''
  It protects all of us from dangerous floods and storms, while also 
providing water for our families and our farms.
  The government spending bill tonight includes the Water Resources 
Development Act of 2020. It is the result of months of negotiations 
between committee leaders from the Senate and the House of 
Representatives.

[[Page S7914]]

  The bipartisan legislation is fiscally responsible. It helps grow the 
economy; it cuts redtape; and it makes our communities safer. It will 
spur economic growth by creating jobs and by authorizing vital 
projects.
  In my home State of Wyoming and across the Rocky Mountain West, 
access to consistent water supply is essential for ranchers and 
farmers. The water that we need in our home States to grow crops and 
raise cattle has to be delivered on time.
  In several communities, the water reservoirs that serve farmers and 
ranchers happen to be old. These aging reservoirs and irrigation 
systems need maintenance or full rebuilding. This bill makes these 
projects a significant priority.
  The legislation will also establish a new Army Corps of Engineers 
program for construction of new, small water storage projects or the 
expansion of existing ones. It will also authorize the Army Corps of 
Engineers to carry out sediment removal projects in water reservoirs. 
This improves water quality, and it increases water quantity.
  The bill authorizes projects to maintain shipping lanes, to deepen 
ports, to upgrade aging dams, and to increase water storage across the 
West. Maintained shipping lanes ensure that American-made goods are 
shipped from the heartland to the coasts and around the world. Deepened 
ports result in increased commerce. If our major ports are dredged and 
deep, then more ships can use them to export more goods.
  These projects that we are getting ready to adopt tonight will all 
create jobs and expand commerce in America's cities and the heartland. 
To ensure these important projects get moving, the bill cuts redtape to 
speed up the Army Corps of Engineers' process.
  The Water Resources Development Act is going to expedite the 
permitting, the construction, the repair, and the maintenance of many 
Army Corps projects. Communities can't afford to wait years and years 
for flood management or water storage projects to be completed. They 
need them now.
  Finally, this legislation will make communities safer. The critical 
infrastructure projects included here will help prevent damaging floods 
by maintaining dams and levees. Floods can take a terrible toll in 
property damage and on human life.
  The legislation allows the Army Corps of Engineers to focus efforts 
on fixing aging flood management infrastructure. It prioritizes the 
dams and levees most at risk.
  I would like to really thank the House Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee chairman, Peter DeFazio, and the ranking 
member, Sam Graves, for working with us to get this legislation to the 
finish line.
  I want to thank Infrastructure Subcommittee Chair Capito and Ranking 
Member Cardin for their work as well.
  I say to the Presiding Officer, as I wrap this up and thank you for 
your involvement, I want to thank every member of the Environment and 
Public Works Committee, and specifically the ranking member, Tom 
Carper--whose staff has worked so closely with mine--for working with 
me on this bill. I am so grateful for his partnership as we have worked 
together over the last 4 years as I served as chair and he served as 
ranking member. We have not always agreed on every issue, but we have 
respected the positions of each of us. We have worked and found common 
ground, found solutions, and I believe made a real difference for the 
economy and, most importantly here, the environment.
  Thank you.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Daines). The Senator from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in 
morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.