[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 186 (Monday, December 16, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7053-S7054]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        SWANSON AND HUGH BUTLER RESERVOIRS LAND CONVEYANCES ACT

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                LAHAINA NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA STUDY ACT

  Mrs. FISCHER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Senate proceed to the immediate en bloc consideration of the following 
bills, which were received from the House: H.R. 8413 and H.R. 8219.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bills by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 8413) to provide for the conveyance of certain 
     Federal land at Swanson Reservoir and Hugh Butler Reservoir 
     in the State of Nebraska, and for other purposes.
       A bill (H.R. 8219) to require the Secretary of the Interior 
     to conduct a study to assess

[[Page S7054]]

     the suitability and feasibility of designating certain land 
     as the Lahaina National Heritage Area, and for other 
     purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bills 
en bloc.
  Mrs. FISCHER. I ask unanimous consent that the bills be considered 
read a third time and passed en bloc, and that the motions to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bills (H.R. 8413 and H.R. 8219) were ordered to a third reading, 
were read a third time, and passed.


        Swanson and Hugh Butler Reservoirs Land Conveyances Act

  Mrs. FISCHER. Madam President, working with the rest of the Nebraska 
delegation, as well as the Bureau of Reclamation, I have introduced 
legislation supported by all parties. It transfers ownership of the 
land from the Federal Government to local officials, benefiting 
everyone involved.
  The residents and their local government officials support this bill. 
The Energy and Natural Resources Committee supported it, passing it 
earlier this year by a voice vote. The Bureau of Reclamation, which we 
worked with through this process, also supports my bill.
  Chairman Manchin himself has even withdrawn his original concern 
about this bill's impact on a larger land package. I am grateful to him 
for understanding how important this issue is to my State.
  I appreciate my colleagues for understanding the gravity of this 
situation. This bill will now be on its way to the President's desk.
  I want to thank Representative Adrian Smith and the entire Nebraska 
congressional delegation for their work over many years. It wouldn't 
have been possible without their collaboration and their support.
  But, most importantly, I want to thank the citizens at Swanson and 
Red Willow, as well as the other local leaders. The love these 
Nebraskans have for their communities and their determination to save 
them, that made all the difference.
  I also want to thank my colleague from Hawaii Senator Hirono for 
putting forward a bill that will help her constituents and her State as 
well.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The junior Senator from Hawaii.


                Lahaina National Heritage Area Study Act

  Ms. HIRONO. Madam President, I rise in support of H.R. 8219, the 
Lahaina National Heritage Study Act. This bill requires the Secretary 
of the Interior to study the potential for Lahaina to be designated as 
a national heritage area.
  The August 2023 wildfires brought to the forefront how special 
Lahaina is to Maui, to Hawaii, to our country, and, indeed, the world. 
So many people responded with their support of the recovery of the 
people who were impacted by this horrific wildfire.
  A national heritage area designation could bring important Federal 
resources to help to promote and manage the historic, national, and 
cultural resources that are unique to Lahaina.
  And I want to thank Senator Fischer for her partnership, and I thank 
my colleagues for joining me in passing this bill, along with her bill 
today, so that the President can sign them into law and the National 
Park Service can begin working with the partners--all of our partners--
in this effort.
  And just to listen to my colleague from Nebraska talk about all of 
the people that she worked with to get her bill onto this agenda 
tonight really shows the importance of this bill to her constituents.
  And, of course, to the people of Lahaina, to provide this designation 
is a start in reinforcing how important Lahaina is historically. It was 
the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii in the past.
  So I recognize that a number of my colleagues also have public lands 
bills that they hoped would be included in an ``end of the year'' 
package. It now appears that such a package is not going to happen. And 
while that is unfortunate, we should not let that doom these two bills, 
both of which passed the House with broad bipartisan support and have 
no substantive opposition in the Senate.
  Rather than seeing all similarly situated bills fail, we have passed 
these two bills tonight.
  I yield the floor.
  Mrs. FISCHER. Madam President, again, thank you to my colleague from 
Hawaii. Thank you for my colleagues here in the Senate for passing this 
unanimous consent tonight. I look forward to our two bills being signed 
by the President of the United States and having them in law in a few 
days.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Hickenlooper). The majority leader.

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