[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 194 (Tuesday, November 18, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H4715-H4716]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      DEFENDING THE ARCTIC REFUGE

  (Mr. Vasquez of New Mexico was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. VASQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in defense of the frontier 
spirit that is core to the American identity.
  I rise today to urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on S.J. Res. 80 and 
H.J. Res. 131, two proposals that would forever alter the Coastal Plain 
of the Arctic refuge and the special areas of the western Arctic in the 
great State of Alaska.
  Let me tell you a little bit about this special place, a place in 
which I have had the privilege to spend time. The Arctic refuge, the 
homeland of Gwich'in and the Inupiat people, offers unmatched, truly 
wild fishing and hunting opportunities for all Americans.
  It is the only national wildlife refuge that protects an entire 
Arctic ecosystem, and it stands as a profound source of pride for this 
Nation.
  These lands, the birthing and calving grounds of the Porcupine 
caribou herd, have been at the center of national debate for more than 
a century, ever since Republican President Theodore Roosevelt 
established the National Wildlife Refuge System and dedicated himself 
to protecting wild places and the wildlife that depend on them.
  These lands are where Americans hunt caribou, grizzly bear, and Dall 
sheep, where Americans trap wolverines, and where anglers can catch 
their first Arctic char.
  Most importantly, these lands have provided sustenance to the 
Gwich'in and Inupiat peoples since time immemorial.
  For the last century, bipartisan lawmakers, including both Republican 
and Democratic Presidents, have agreed to protect this place, 
safeguarding it from destructive development with a firm resolve and a 
desire to leave something behind for the next generation.
  That same commitment to conservation has been carried on by 
bipartisan leaders in Congress for generations. Today, this tradition 
of conservation is being threatened by a careless proposal to roll back 
established protections for our wildlife, our waters, and our public 
lands, threatening indigenous livelihoods and sovereignty, the 
recreational and scientific value of these lands, and an iconic symbol 
of American wilderness.
  I believe that, in this body, we must preach hope and possibility and 
that we must defend our values and the American way of life that has 
been meticulously built over centuries, and both parties must work 
together to protect the things we love.
  These two proposals before you are misguided. This Chamber should not 
deepen the chaos it has already created. Instead, we should be working 
together to pass legislation that resolves land management conflicts 
and restores stability to our public lands planning system. We should 
also adequately fund our land management agencies.
  That is why, as a hunter, an angler, and someone who cares deeply 
about our Nation's incomparable system of public lands and wildlife 
habitat, I can't support the reckless destruction of the Arctic tundra 
and the Coastal Plain.
  For the many private interests that have sought to exploit these 
sacred lands, it would be much easier if these species and Tribes never 
existed. It would be much easier for them if the last remaining musk ox 
hadn't survived the Ice Age or if the Porcupine caribou herd simply 
went extinct, just to add a few dollars to their pockets today without 
giving a damn about tomorrow.
  The truth is, in my district back home in New Mexico, the Permian 
Basin is a domestic energy powerhouse, fueling America's energy 
independence and bolstering New Mexico's economy, but there are some 
places that ought to be left alone because their quality, history, and 
identity to us as Americans is far too valuable to be measured on a 
balance sheet.
  Now, much to my dismay, this administration has already issued an 
executive order to rescind the Coastal Plain leasing program, and the 
Department of the Interior has already done just that.
  Given that the administration has already taken action to overturn 
responsible management plans, these bills only make it more challenging 
to manage these special lands. It will also expose any future decisions 
related to oil and gas in the refuge to significant legal uncertainty.
  This is a losing proposal. Simply put, it is bad legislation, no 
matter what side of the issue you stand on.
  If, like me, you still believe in bipartisanship and revere the 
greats like Teddy Roosevelt, who fought to protect special places like 
America's Arctic, and you dream that someday you or one of your 
children can hunt wild ptarmigan on the Coastal Plain, catch an Arctic 
char on the Canning River, or harvest caribou in the Brooks Range, you 
should vote against these bills and honor the voices of the indigenous 
communities and American citizens who depend on this land for survival.
  From New Mexico to the Arctic, people who live in small communities 
take care of themselves, and they want to keep it that way. Surely, 
anyone who represents a rural district in this Congress can appreciate 
that.
  I encourage my colleagues to look at this landscape and examine these 
bills and their impacts before voting, to see the value of the Arctic 
and its worth to all Americans, not to simply brush this off as a 
party-line vote.
  I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.J. Res. 131.

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