[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 20 (Tuesday, January 31, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S173-S175]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Coons, 
        and Mr. Cassidy):
  S. 158. A bill to increase United States jobs through greater United 
States exports to Africa and Latin America, and for other purposes; to 
the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
  Mr. DURBIN. 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. 158

       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 ``Increasing American Jobs 
     Through Greater United States Exports to Africa and Latin 
     America Act of 2023''.

     SEC. 2. INVESTMENT, TRADE, AND DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA AND 
                   LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN.

       (a) Strategy Required.--
       (1) In general.--The President shall establish a 
     comprehensive United States strategy for public and private 
     investment, trade, and development in Africa and Latin 
     America and the Caribbean.
       (2) Focus of strategy.--The strategy required by paragraph 
     (1) shall focus on increasing exports of United States goods 
     and services to Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean by 
     200 percent in real dollar value

[[Page S174]]

     by the date that is 10 years after the date of the enactment 
     of this Act.
       (3) Consultations.--In developing the strategy required by 
     paragraph (1), the President shall consult with--
       (A) Congress;
       (B) each agency that is a member of the Trade Promotion 
     Coordinating Committee;
       (C) the relevant multilateral development banks, in 
     coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury and the 
     respective United States Executive Directors of such banks;
       (D) each agency that participates in the Trade Policy Staff 
     Committee established;
       (E) the President's Export Council;
       (F) each of the development agencies;
       (G) any other Federal agencies with responsibility for 
     export promotion or financing and development; and
       (H) the private sector, including businesses, 
     nongovernmental organizations, and African and Latin American 
     and Caribbean diaspora groups.
       (4) Submission to congress.--
       (A) Strategy.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to 
     Congress the strategy required by subsection (a).
       (B) Progress report.--Not later than 3 years after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to 
     Congress a report on the implementation of the strategy 
     required by paragraph (1).
       (b) Special Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean 
     Export Strategy Coordinators.--The President shall designate 
     an individual to serve as Special Africa Export Strategy 
     Coordinator and an individual to serve as Special Latin 
     America and the Caribbean Export Strategy Coordinator--
       (1) to oversee the development and implementation of the 
     strategy required by subsection (a); and
       (2) to coordinate developing and implementing the strategy 
     with--
       (A) the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee;
       (B) the Assistant United States Trade Representative for 
     African Affairs or the Assistant United States Trade 
     Representative for the Western Hemisphere, as appropriate;
       (C) the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs or 
     the Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere 
     Affairs, as appropriate;
       (D) the Export-Import Bank of the United States;
       (E) the United States International Development Finance 
     Corporation; and
       (F) the development agencies.
       (c) Trade Missions to Africa and Latin America and the 
     Caribbean.--It is the sense of Congress that, not later than 
     one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
     Secretary of Commerce and other high-level officials of the 
     United States Government with responsibility for export 
     promotion, financing, and development should conduct joint 
     trade missions to Africa and to Latin America and the 
     Caribbean.
       (d) Training.--The President shall develop a plan--
       (1) to standardize the training received by United States 
     and Foreign Commercial Service officers, economic officers of 
     the Department of State, and economic officers of the United 
     States Agency for International Development with respect to 
     the programs and procedures of the Export-Import Bank of the 
     United States, the United States International Development 
     Finance Corporation, the Small Business Administration, and 
     the United States Trade and Development Agency; and
       (2) to ensure that, not later than one year after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act--
       (A) all United States and Foreign Commercial Service 
     officers that are stationed overseas receive the training 
     described in paragraph (1); and
       (B) in the case of a country to which no United States and 
     Foreign Commercial Service officer is assigned, any economic 
     officer of the Department of State stationed in that country 
     receives that training.
       (e) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Development agencies.--The term ``development 
     agencies'' means the United States Department of State, the 
     United States Agency for International Development, the 
     Millennium Challenge Corporation, the United States 
     International Development Finance Corporation, the United 
     States Trade and Development Agency, the United States 
     Department of Agriculture, and relevant multilateral 
     development banks.
       (2) Multilateral development banks.--The term 
     ``multilateral development banks'' has the meaning given that 
     term in section 1701(c)(4) of the International Financial 
     Institutions Act (22 U.S.C. 262r(c)(4)) and includes the 
     African Development Foundation.
       (3) Trade policy staff committee.--The term ``Trade Policy 
     Staff Committee'' means the Trade Policy Staff Committee 
     established pursuant to section 2002.2 of title 15, Code of 
     Federal Regulations.
       (4) Trade promotion coordinating committee.--The term 
     ``Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee'' means the Trade 
     Promotion Coordinating Committee established under section 
     2312 of the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 4727).
       (5) United states and foreign commercial service.--The term 
     ``United States and Foreign Commercial Service'' means the 
     United States and Foreign Commercial Service established by 
     section 2301 of the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 
     4721).
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. THUNE (for himself and Ms. Klobuchar):
  S. 174. A bill to amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to improve the 
conservation reserve program, and for other purposes; to the Committee 
on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
  Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 174

       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 ``Conservation Reserve Program 
     Improvement Act of 2023''.

     SEC. 2. CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS.

       (a) State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement Continuous 
     Enrollment.--Section 1231(d)(6)(A)(i) of the Food Security 
     Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3831(d)(6)(A)(i)) is amended--
       (1) in subclause (II), by striking ``and'' at the end; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:

       ``(IV) land that will be enrolled under the State acres for 
     wildlife enhancement practice established by the Secretary; 
     and''.

       (b) Cost Sharing Payments for Establishment of Grazing 
     Infrastructure.--
       (1) In general.--Section 1234(b)(1) of the Food Security 
     Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3834(b)(1)) is amended--
       (A) by striking ``establishing water'' and inserting the 
     following: ``establishing--
       ``(A) water'';
       (B) in subparagraph (A) (as so designated), by striking the 
     period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(B) grazing infrastructure, including interior cross 
     fencing, perimeter fencing, and water infrastructure (such as 
     rural water connections, water wells, pipelines, and water 
     tanks), under each contract, for all practices, if grazing is 
     included in the conservation plan and addresses a resource 
     concern.''.
       (2) Reenrollment of land with grazing infrastructure.--
     Section 1231(h) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 
     3831(h)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(3) Land with grazing infrastructure.--On the expiration 
     of a contract entered into under this subchapter that covers 
     land that includes grazing infrastructure established with 
     cost sharing assistance under section 1234(b)(1)(B)--
       ``(A) the Secretary shall consider that land to be planted 
     for purposes of subsection (b)(1)(B); and
       ``(B) that land shall be eligible for reenrollment in the 
     conservation reserve, subject to the requirements of this 
     subchapter.''.
       (c) Mid-Contract Management for Activities Not Relating to 
     Haying or Grazing.--
       (1) Definition of management.--Section 1232(a)(5) of the 
     Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3832(a)(5)) is amended 
     by inserting ``(as defined in section 1231A(a))'' after 
     ``management''.
       (2) Management payments.--Section 1234(b)(2) of the Food 
     Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3834(b)(2)) is amended by 
     striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the following:
       ``(B) Management payments.--The Secretary shall make cost 
     sharing payments to an owner or operator under this 
     subchapter for any management activity described in section 
     1232(a)(5), except for those management activities relating 
     to haying or grazing.''.
       (d) Payment Limitation for Rental Payments.--Section 
     1234(g)(1) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 
     3834(g)(1)) is amended by striking ``$50,000'' and inserting 
     ``$125,000''.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Daines, and Mr. 
        Wyden):
  S. 188. A bill to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to select and 
implement landscape-scale forest restoration projects, to assist 
communities in increasing their resilience to wildfire, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Madam President, I rise to speak in support of the 
Wildfire Emergency Act, bipartisan legislation that Senators Padilla, 
Daines, Wyden, and I are introducing today, to help address the threat 
of catastrophic wildfire throughout the West.
  Wildfires have always been a part of life in California and other 
Western States, but climate change and drier forests have increased the 
threat of catastrophic wildfire. The new fire season is nearly year-
round, and the wildfires themselves are more destructive as they spread 
faster and burn hotter.
  The new reality of the wildfire threat requires transformative action 
to protect our forests and neighboring communities. Our bill would do 
just that, empowering Federal, State, and local land managers to make 
both our forests and infrastructure more resilient.

[[Page S175]]

  The most recent National Climate Assessment, conducted by leading 
scientists from the research community and across the Federal 
Government, found that the number of acres burned in the Western United 
States is double what would have burned without climate change.
  My home State of California knows this all too well as it is the 
epicenter of this destructive phenomenon. The top three worst wildfire 
seasons in California were all in the last 5 years, including the 
largest single wildfire in California history in 2021. Since 2017, 
wildfires have burned more than 11 million acres, killed nearly 200 
people, and destroyed more than 32,000 homes.
  Worryingly, these wildfires are predicted to only grow worse as 
climate conditions continue to change, and the Federal Government has 
not yet adequately responded. Important investments in wildfire 
resilience were included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act 
and the Inflation Reduction Act, which were enacted in the last 
Congress, but stakeholders are nearly unanimous in supporting 
additional policy changes to improve the pace and scale of wildfire 
resiliency treatments.
  At the same time, the urgency of this crisis should not prompt 
Congress to vitiate important environmental safeguards. Throughout my 
time in the Senate, I have consistently championed the preservation and 
careful stewardship of our treasured forests, and this bill will be no 
different.
  Our Wildfire Emergency Act is the result of a considered approach to 
the wildfire crisis and includes feedback from conservationists, public 
and private stakeholders, and the U.S. Forest Service.
  First, it would provide the U.S. Forest Service with a pilot 
authority to leverage private financing options to increase the pace 
and scale of forest restoration projects. These projects would involve 
a collaborative approach to forest management to ensure that the 
forests are protected.
  This conservation finance model would be a new way of implementing 
forest restoration work, but the principle at its core is that forests 
are vital to a healthy environment and populace. Forests provide shade 
and wind breaks, stabilize steep mountain slopes, and help purify our 
water. These benefits have tangible value, and the financing model we 
develop here would make those benefits plain for all to see.
  In addition, the bill makes energy resilience a priority across the 
Federal Government. It would help develop and fund backup power for 
critical infrastructure like drinking water or hospitals, and put a 
renewed focus on wildfire detection and monitoring. As vulnerable as 
our forests are, it takes just one spark to ignite an entire mountain. 
The sooner our firefighters can detect and respond to these fires, the 
better our chances of preventing more communities from devastation.
  In addition, the bill would provide grants to low-income households 
to make fire-resilient upgrades to their homes. Thanks to home 
insurance regulatory changes taking place in California, wildfire 
retrofits could also help lower insurance premiums and reduce the 
financial burden on rural homeowners. The bill would also make grants 
available to low-income communities to help involve them in planning 
and implementing forest restoration projects on the lands surrounding 
their homes.
  Lastly, our bill recognizes that the forest management workforce is 
also in crisis. The U.S. Forest Service and Department of Interior have 
experience chronic staffing shortages in wildland firefighters for 
years. And even though the bipartisan infrastructure law and Inflation 
Reduction Act provided historic levels of funding for forest 
conservation work, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts an overall 
decline in the forest conservation workforce in the next 10 years.
  To address these issues, our bill would create new funding sources 
for forest management education and firefighter training. It would also 
establish a prescribed fire training center in the Western United 
States, to train the next generation of firefighters and forestry 
technicians in the landscapes where their skills are most needed.
  The simple reality is that wildfires will continue to happen in the 
West. They are an integral part of the West's ecology, even if climate 
change has exacerbated their scale and intensity. Our job must be to 
prepare for these wildfires to the extent we are able, to use the best 
available science to make our forests more resilient, and ensure that 
our communities remain safe.
  That is why Senators Padilla, Daines, Wyden, and I have introduced 
this bill today, and I urge my colleagues to support and pass it as 
soon as possible.

                          ____________________