[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 112 (Monday, July 8, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H4464-H4466]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LONG ISLAND SOUND RESTORATION AND STEWARDSHIP REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF
2023
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 5441) to reauthorize Long Island Sound programs, and for
other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5441
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 ``Long Island Sound
Restoration and Stewardship Reauthorization Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF LONG ISLAND SOUND PROGRAMS.
(a) Long Island Sound Grants.--Section 119(h) of the
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1269(h)) is
amended by striking ``2019 through 2023'' and inserting
``2024 through 2028''.
(b) Long Island Sound Stewardship Grants.--Section 11(a) of
the Long Island Sound Stewardship Act of 2006 (33 U.S.C. 1269
note; Public Law 109-359) is amended, in the matter preceding
paragraph (1), by striking ``2019 through 2023'' and
inserting ``2024 through 2028''.
(c) Technical Amendment.--Section 119(g) of the Federal
Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1269(g)) is amended by
redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (3).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Lee) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas.
General Leave
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on H.R. 5441, the bill now under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Arkansas?
There was no objection.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5441, the Long Island Sound
Restoration and Stewardship Reauthorization Act of 2023.
Representative LaLota's legislation reauthorizes programs that
promote collaboration between Federal agencies, State and local
governments, and other stakeholders to protect and preserve the Long
Island Sound.
H.R. 5441 reauthorizes the Long Island Sound Study through 2028 at
current funding levels. The Long Island
[[Page H4465]]
Sound Study was created in 1985, and for several decades it has been
instrumental in protecting the sound and its broader watershed. The
Long Island Sound Study established the Comprehensive Conservation and
Management Plan that focuses on habitat restoration, water quality
monitoring, and sets ecosystem targets for the next 20 years.
A component of the program also provides grants to local officials
deploying restoration projects. The program has been responsible for
the restoration of more than 2,000 acres of habitat.
With 4 million people living in the sound's communities, and 9
million in its watershed, protection of this resource helps to
safeguard the region's economy and the environment.
The Long Island Sound Study has been updated in recent decades to
create more effective partnerships to manage the sound, to ensure that
all stakeholders are at the table, and to provide resources to local
officials carrying out projects.
I thank Representative LaLota for his work on a bipartisan basis to
reauthorize these important programs.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of
Representatives,
Washington, DC, June 21, 2024.
Hon. Bruce Westerman,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Westerman: I am writing to you concerning
H.R. 5441, the Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship
Reauthorization Act of 2023. The bill was referred primarily
to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, with
an additional referral to the Committee on Natural Resources.
Specifically, there are certain provisions of H.R. 5441 that
fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure.
I recognize and appreciate your desire to bring this
legislation before the House of Representatives in an
expeditious manner, and accordingly, agree the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure shall be discharged from
further consideration of the bill. However, this is
conditional on our mutual understanding that by foregoing
consideration of H.R. 5441 at this time, we do not waive any
jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or
similar legislation that falls with the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure's Rule X jurisdiction, and
the Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved on
this or similar legislation as it moves forward. Further,
this does not prejudice the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure with respect to the appointment of conferees
and should a conference on the bill be necessary, I would
appreciate your agreement to support my request to have the
Committee represented on the conference committee.
Finally, I would ask that a copy of this letter and your
response acknowledging our jurisdictional interest in the
bill be included in the Committee Report and Congressional
Record during consideration of H.R. 5441 on the House floor.
Sincerely,
Sam Graves,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Natural Resources,
Washington, DC, June 21, 2024.
Hon. Sam Graves,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Graves: I write regarding H.R. 5441, the
``Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship
Reauthorization Act of 2023.'' The bill was referred
primarily to the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure, and additionally to the Committee on Natural
Resources, and was ordered reported by the Committee on
Natural Resources on June 12, 2024.
I recognize that the bill contains provisions that fall
within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure and appreciate your willingness to forgo
any further consideration of the bill. I acknowledge that the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will not
formally consider H.R. 5441 and agree that the inaction of
your Committee with respect to the bill does not waive any
jurisdiction over the subject matter contained therein.
I am pleased to support your request to name members of the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to any
conference committee to consider such provisions. I will
ensure that our exchange of letters is included in the
Congressional Record during floor consideration of the bill
and will include such letters in the committee report on H.R.
5441. I appreciate your cooperation regarding this
legislation.
Sincerely,
Bruce Westerman,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources.
Ms. LEE of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
H.R. 5441 would reauthorize the Long Island Sound programs at the
current funding level of $40 million annually through fiscal year 2028.
These vital programs include the Long Island Sound Grants and the Long
Island Sound Stewardship Grants.
The Long Island Sound is a tidal estuary and marine sound, and it is
a unique and irreplaceable natural resource. It stretches approximately
110 miles across the north shore of Long Island and the coast of
Connecticut.
Its extensive watershed reaches into Connecticut, Massachusetts,
Rhode Island, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Quebec.
The sound was formed around 15,000 years ago when a terminal moraine
dam failed, allowing freshwater from glacial Lake Connecticut to mix
with the Atlantic Ocean. This newly formed estuary supported indigenous
communities for over 11,000 years before European colonization.
Today, the areas surrounding Long Island Sound are heavily developed,
leading to significant degradation of its water quality and ecosystems
due to pollution from industry, agriculture, sewage, and runoff.
Despite this, the sound's unique hydrology and geology support
diverse coastal ecosystems, including marshes, tidal pools, dunes, and
eelgrass meadows.
These habitats are home to abundant wildlife, including the
endangered shortnose sturgeon. Protecting these ecosystems and species
remains an ongoing and critical challenge that requires continuous
support.
The management of Long Island Sound falls to the States, not the
Federal Government. In 1985, Congress established the Management
Conference of the Long Island Sound Study to address significant
environmental issues affecting the sound.
This conference brings together the EPA, New York State, Connecticut,
nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions to restore and
protect the sound and its watershed.
The conference oversees numerous initiatives, including monitoring
and pollution control programs, grant coordination, public education,
outreach, and policy development.
Reauthorizing these programs through H.R. 5441 is essential for the
sound's continued recovery and conservation. These efforts will help
restore water quality, protect vital ecosystems, and ensure the sound
remains a vibrant and healthy resource for future generations.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
{time} 1615
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from
New York (Mr. LaLota).
Mr. LaLOTA. Mr. Speaker, for so many communities across Suffolk
County and beyond, the Long Island Sound is so much more than a body of
water. It is a way of life that has sustained and provided for our
communities for generations. The Long Island Sound is a cornerstone of
our environmental makeup, a driver of our local economy, and a hub of
recreational and cultural activities for millions of people, Mr.
Speaker.
For decades, the sound has faced numerous environmental challenges,
including pollution, habitat loss, and the impacts of a changing world.
These challenges have threatened the health of the sound and the well-
being of the communities that rely on it.
That is why it is incredibly important that, later today, we will be
voting on and hopefully passing my legislation, the Long Island Sound
Restoration and Stewardship Reauthorization Act of 2023. This critical
piece of legislation seeks to reauthorize vital programs that have been
essential in preserving and restoring one of our Nation's most
treasured natural resources, the Long Island Sound.
My legislation addresses these challenges head-on by authorizing
robust funding and strategic initiatives to improve water quality,
restore habitats, and enhance the resilience of the
[[Page H4466]]
sound's ecosystems. This bill also reauthorizes crucial programs that
have already made significant strides in reducing nitrogen pollution,
protecting wetlands, and promoting sustainable development along the
shoreline.
This legislation is not only about environmental protection but
investing in the future of our communities and the people who rely on
the sound. By continuing to safeguard the sound, we are supporting the
local economies that depend on tourism, fishing, and other maritime
industries. We are also ensuring that future generations can enjoy the
natural beauty and recreational opportunities that the sound offers.
I thank my colleague from across the aisle and the sound, Congressman
Joe Courtney of Connecticut, members of the bipartisan Long Island
Sound Caucus who have worked tirelessly on this legislation for more
than a year, including my good friends Representatives D'Esposito and
Garbarino, and Chairman Graves and Chairman Westerman, whose leadership
was instrumental in getting this legislation to the floor. Our
collective efforts reflect a shared commitment to the health and
prosperity of the entire region.
I also thank the various stakeholders, environmental organizations,
and community leaders who all pitched in and who have tirelessly
advocated for the protection and restoration of the sound, especially
my friends at Save the Sound and Citizens Campaign for the Environment.
Mr. Speaker, the Long Island Sound is an irreplaceable natural asset,
and we have to protect it. This legislation provides the tools and
resources necessary to continue the important work of restoring and
preserving this vital ecosystem. I urge my colleagues to join me in
supporting this bill and reaffirming our commitment to the Long Island
Sound.
Ms. LEE of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time.
I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
New York (Mr. D'Esposito).
Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, as a son of a mariner and someone who
has grown up on Long Island and in its waterways, I am proud to have
cosponsored Congressman LaLota's legislation, H.R. 5441, the Long
Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Reauthorization Act of 2023.
The bill reauthorizes Federal funding for the EPA to implement the
Long Island Sound Conservation and Management Plan, as well as provide
stewardship grants to New York State, municipal governments, and
community stakeholder groups engaged in conservation activities around
the sound.
By passing this critical piece of legislation, we can work to ensure
the Long Island Sound program is reauthorized at adequate funding
levels and the sound's watershed and coastal habitats receive the
attention they deserve. Not only will the program and grants provided
help enhance the aesthetic beauty of the sound, but they will also help
provide critical support for water-quality enhancement initiatives,
which remain a key policy priority of mine.
The Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Reauthorization Act
of 2023 represents the latest iteration of Long Island's commitment to
preserving our local environment, which is a tradition that stretches
back to President Theodore Roosevelt, who spent many years of his life
advancing conservation initiatives.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the
gentleman from New York.
Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, I will continue to support conservation
efforts that benefit my constituents, New York at large, and this great
Nation. I applaud Congressman LaLota for introducing this legislation,
as it is critical to preserving the Long Island that we love and call
home. I look forward to helping get this bill across the floor.
Ms. LEE of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, the management of the United States'
natural resources requires effective coordination between all levels of
government and local stakeholders. The legislation sponsored by
Representative LaLota reauthorizes programs that support the health and
well-being of the Long Island Sound.
By reauthorizing these programs, we allow this critical work to
continue, conserving an important resource that is vital for the
region's economy and the environment.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5441.
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. WESTERMAN. 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 motion will be postponed.
____________________