[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 46 (Tuesday, March 15, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H3731-H3732]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         UPPER COLORADO AND SAN JUAN RIVER BASINS RECOVERY ACT

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5001) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to continue 
to implement endangered fish recovery programs for the Upper Colorado 
and San Juan River Basins, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5001

       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 ``Upper Colorado and San Juan 
     River Basins Recovery Act''.

     SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF AUTHORIZATIONS RELATED TO FISH RECOVERY 
                   PROGRAMS.

       Section 3 of Public Law 106-392 (114 Stat. 1603 et seq.) is 
     amended--
       (1) by striking ``2023'' each place it appears and 
     inserting ``2024'';
       (2) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ``$179,000,000'' and 
     inserting ``$184,000,000'';
       (3) in subsection (b)(2) by striking ``$30,000,000'' and 
     inserting ``$25,000,000'';
       (4) in subsection (h), by striking ``, at least 1 year 
     prior to such expiration,''; and
       (5) in subsection (j), by striking ``2021'' each place it 
     appears and inserting ``2022''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) and the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Arizona?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5001, introduced by my 
Natural Resources Committee colleague, Representative   Joe Neguse of 
Colorado. This bipartisan bill will reauthorize two programs that are 
working to recover threatened and endangered fish in the Upper Colorado 
River Basin.
  This legislation will continue the collaboration work of Tribes, 
water users, environmental groups, local utilities, and State and 
Federal agencies that are partnering to recover four fish species 
currently listed under the Endangered Species Act as either threatened 
or endangered.
  These programs provide Endangered Species Act compliance for projects 
that use water resources from the San Juan River and Upper Colorado 
River Basins, so that these rare native fish can be recovered while 
human water use can continue.
  With the conservation actions undertaken through the recovery 
programs, one fish was downlisted from endangered to threatened last 
year, and another fish is under consideration for downlisting to 
threatened as well. This good work is important, and it should 
continue.
  I want to commend my colleague, the chair of the National Parks, 
Forests, and Public Lands Subcommittee, Representative Neguse, for his 
leadership on this bill.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, H.R. 5001 would extend the Upper Colorado and San Juan 
recovery implementation programs and their reporting requirements for 
an additional year.
  The programs provide Endangered Species Act compliance for more than 
2,500 water and power projects that withdraw more than 3.7 million-acre 
feet of water for human needs.
  The program's goals are to recover four endangered fish species while 
continuing facility operations with the ultimate goal of species 
delisting. Last year, the Fish and Wildlife Service reclassified one of 
these species, the humpback chub, from endangered to threatened, and 
proposed a similar reclassification for the razorback sucker.
  Madam Speaker, if it has razorback in the name, it has to be 
important, and we need to take care of it.
  Current law required the Secretary of the Interior to submit a report 
to Congress by September 30, 2021, on recommendations for the programs 
post 2023. Unfortunately, the Department of the Interior failed to meet 
this deadline. As such we are here today extending the programs by 1 
year in order to give the administration enough time to complete the 
report.
  While I support the extension today, I want to be clear that any 
further extension of the programs will require an in-depth discussion 
of the programs' goals, achievements, and administrative overhead 
costs.
  In closing, Madam Speaker, again, I support this bill, I support the 
razorback sucker, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, it is good to know that the ranking 
member has a weakness, and so we are going to put razorback in every 
piece of legislation from now on.
  Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 
5001, ``the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Recovery Act'' 
which extends through FY2024 the authority of the Department of the 
Interior to implement construction of facilities for the endangered 
fish recovery programs for the Upper Colorado and San Juan River 
basins. The bill also extends through FY2022 the deadline for the 
submission of the report on the recovery implementation programs.
  The Upper Colorado River Basin is home to 14 native fish species, 
including the endangered humpback chub, bonytail, Colorado pikeminnow, 
and razorback sucker. These endangered fish are found only in the 
Colorado River system.
  The Recovery Program is a unique partnership of local, state, and 
federal agencies, water and power interests, and environmental groups 
working to recover endangered fish in the Upper Colorado River Basin 
while water development proceeds in accordance with federal and state 
laws and interstate compacts.
  The Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program was first 
established in 1988 to help bring four species of endangered fish back 
from the brink of extinction: the humpback chub, bonytail, Colorado 
pikeminnow, and razorback sucker.
  This bill will protect those 14 endangered fish species in the Upper 
Colorado and San Juan River Basin and allow critical water 
infrastructure projects to continue.
  The Colorado River provides water to nearly 40 million people, flows 
through 9 National Parks, and drives a $1.4 trillion economy. If the 
Colorado River basin were a country, it would be the world's 7th 
largest by economic output.
  On average, 90 percent of streamflow in the Colorado River Basin 
originates in the Upper

[[Page H3732]]

Basin, which is the area above Lees Ferry, Arizona. This water has a 
multitude of uses that include irrigation, municipal and industrial 
purposes, mining activities, recreation, and supporting habitat for 
livestock, fish and wildlife.
  The Colorado River Basin also has an immense capacity to generate 
hydropower. Hundreds of hydroelectric dams along the river's main stem 
and tributaries have a combined generating capacity of approximately 
4,178 megawatts, making it part of the solution for combatting climate 
change.
  But the river is stretched to its limit. Climate change and 
increasing water demand due to an expanding population is and will 
continue present significant challenges that if left unaddressed, will 
impact regional and national economies, degrade the environment, 
challenge agricultural heritage and food production, and limit 
recreational opportunities from fishing and boating to skiing.
  Protecting this river basin and its biodiversity is therefore of the 
utmost importance. Without its biodiversity, this river basin will be 
thrown out of equilibrium and cease to function and subsequently 
provide as it has for centuries.
  This would create a humanitarian disaster for 40 million people and 
economic disaster for countless more, in addition to the loss of 
incomparable natural beauty and endangered life.
  However, under the leadership of Secretary Deb Haaland, whom I hold 
in the highest regard, I am certain that these 14 species of fish and 
in turn the Colorado River Basin can be saved, averting unquestionable 
disaster for millions.
  This Act is common sense, bipartisan, and ultimately needed 
legislation that I am proud to support. It is for that reason that I 
urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5001, The Upper Colorado and San 
Juan River Basins Recovery Act.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 5001, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. HARRIS. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

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