[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 25141]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                OBJECTION TO PROCEEDING TO CERTAIN BILLS

  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I rise today to state my objection to any 
unanimous consent request for the Senate to proceed to or adopt H.R. 
4345 and S. 1508, Alaska Native Claims Technical Amendments of 2000, 
H.R. 4721, acquisition of certain property in Washington County, Utah, 
S. 2749, to establish the California Trail Interpretive Center in Elko, 
Nevada, and H.R. 2932, Golden Spike/Crossroads of the West, Utah, 
unless or until S. 2691 (to provide further protections for the 
watershed of the Little Sandy River as part of the Bull Run Watershed 
Management Unit, Oregon) is discharged, unamended, from the House of 
Representatives Resources Committee and passed, unamended, by the House 
of Representatives. I do so consistent with the commitment I have made 
to explain publicly any so-called ``holds'' that I may place on 
legislation.
  S. 2691 is a bi-partisan bill, authored by myself and Senator Smith 
of Oregon, and supported by all the members of Oregon's Congressional 
delegation. It passed the Senate Energy and Natural Resources 
Committee, as well as the entire Senate, unanimously. This legislation 
protects the current and future drinking water source for the City of 
Portland, home to one in four Oregonians.
  Despite its broad support, and my personal appeal to the Resources 
Committee, that Committee has failed to act on it. Oregonians expect 
their elected representatives will act responsibly to protect 
Portland's drinking water source. As a result, I cannot agree to H.R. 
4345 and S. 1508, H.R. 4721, S. 2749 and H.R. 2932 until S. 2691 clears 
the House of Representatives unamended.

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