[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 124 (Tuesday, July 26, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H7081-H7082]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                DYSLEXIA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, today, one in five Americans are 
affected by dyslexia, making it the most common learning disability. 
Yet, there are still children in U.S. school systems that go without 
being diagnosed. Instead, they are written off as having a lack of 
effort, or a plain lack of intelligence.
  Despite misconception, dyslexia is not connected to one's level of 
intelligence. In fact, where students have a difficult time reading, 
they often excel in creative thought and critical thinking. My 
bipartisan legislation, the 21st Century Dyslexia Act, will Federally 
define dyslexia and label proper treatments and diagnosis, enabling 
teachers, students, and parents to assist aspiring students to achieve 
successful academic careers, and to ensure that all children are 
granted equal opportunity in the classroom.


                           Save Our Sequoias

  Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, 3,000 years; that is how long some 
giant sequoias have been alive. To put this into perspective, these 
trees started growing before the concept of democracy, the English 
language, and the birth of Christ.
  The Mariposa Grove, the largest grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite 
National Park has been a source of inspiration for generations. When 
the Washburn Fire recently hit the Mariposa Grove, the fire's intensity 
dramatically decreased, thanks to 50 years of thinning and prescribed 
burns.
  There is a stark contrast between areas that have a history of proper 
management and those that have been disregarded. While the fire 
subsided in the Mariposa Grove, surrounding areas that did not receive 
sufficient management were destroyed.
  As a licensed forester, I take it upon myself to seek science-based 
solutions for the conservation of our forests. The Mariposa Grove 
serves as a prime example of how mechanical thinning and prescribed 
burns are necessary tools for proper forest management.
  It is my hope that the grove continues its legacy of inspiration by 
encouraging a new generation of proactive forest management that will 
protect these iconic trees for the enjoyment of generations to come.
  It is past time for the Natural Resources Committee to mark up the 
bipartisan Save Our Sequoias Act, and for the House to pass it to 
protect these iconic national treasures.


                   Great Basin Bristlecone Pine Trees

  Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, recently, we have talked a lot about 
the dire situation of some of California's most iconic trees, the 
sequoias. But we have yet to discuss the condition of California's 
oldest trees, the Great Basin bristlecone pine trees.
  Great Basin bristlecone pines signify resilience, longevity, and 
perseverance. To cope in difficult times, they almost completely die 
off, leaving but a few strips of bark that can continue to grow along 
the ground or skyward for thousands of years. To ward off pests, 
bristlecone pines trap pests in their thick resin.
  Due to severe drought, in mixed forests, bark beetles have been able 
to build up broods on other tree species

[[Page H7082]]

and overwhelm many bristlecone pines, which succumb to bark beetles in 
a way they have never before.

                              {time}  1300

  The good news is, in the past month, a Forest Service pathologist 
confirmed that Methuselah, the nearly 5,000-year-old bristlecone pine 
thought to be the oldest tree in the world, has yet to face bark beetle 
infestation.
  There is still time to act on the drought in a timely, commonsense 
manner to protect our Great Basin bristlecone pines. We must follow the 
bristlecone pine's example of resilience and perseverance, adapting our 
laws to the needs of the natural world to stave off catastrophic 
wildfire and severe drought.


               Devastating Year for Farmers and Ranchers

  Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the hardworking farmers and 
ranchers of Arkansas, who are being crushed by unprecedented drought 
and heat on top of out-of-control inflation that has created 
suffocating input costs for basic farming inputs such as fuel and 
fertilizer.
  Although this devastating farm year can't be salvaged, hopefully the 
Biden administration and Democrats in Congress will realize how 
detrimental their actions have been on raising energy and food prices 
on those who can least afford it: low-income and fixed-income 
Americans.
  There is still time to change directions on this dangerous path 
Democrats are leading our country down. I plead with my colleagues 
across the aisle to embolden common sense.

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