[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 5]
[House]
[Pages 6536-6537]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 SAN GABRIEL RIVER WATERSHED STUDY ACT

  Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 519) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 
study of the San Gabriel River Watershed, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                H.R. 519

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SAN GABRIEL RIVER WATERSHED STUDY.

       (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the ``San 
     Gabriel River Watershed Study Act''.
       (b) Study.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of the Interior (hereafter 
     in this section referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall 
     conduct a special resource study of the following areas:
       (A) The San Gabriel River and its tributaries north of and 
     including the city of Santa Fe Springs.
       (B) The San Gabriel Mountains within the territory of the 
     San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains 
     Conservancy (as defined in section 32603(c)(1)(C) of the 
     State of California Public Resource Code).
       (2) Study conduct and completion.--Section 8(c) of Public 
     Law 91-383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-5(c)) shall apply to the conduct and 
     completion of the study conducted under this section.
       (3) Consultation with federal, state, and local 
     governments.--In conducting the study under this section, the 
     Secretary shall consult with the San Gabriel and Lower Los 
     Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy and other 
     appropriate Federal, State, and local governmental entities.
       (4) Considerations.--In conducting the study under this 
     section, the Secretary shall consider regional flood control 
     and drainage needs and publicly owned infrastructure such as 
     wastewater treatment facilities.
       (c) Report.--Not later than 3 years after funds are made 
     available for this section, the

[[Page 6537]]

     Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
     Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Resources of the 
     House of Representatives a report on the findings, 
     conclusions, and recommendations of the study.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Pombo) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands 
(Mrs. Christensen) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo).
  Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 519, introduced by the gentlewoman from California 
(Ms. Solis), would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 
special resource study of the San Gabriel River Watershed in the State 
of California.
  While I will defer to the minority and the bill's sponsor to explain 
the merits of the legislation, I would express that we greatly 
appreciate the efforts of the bill's sponsors and the minority to 
address some early concerns about this bill. These concerns were 
addressed during the last Congress, and the bill successfully passed 
the body as part of a larger package, although it ultimately did not 
become law. This bill now enjoys the broad support of both the majority 
and the minority, and I urge my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 519, sponsored by the gentlewoman from California 
(Ms. Solis), authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to study the 
feasibility and suitability of establishing a unit of the National Park 
System which would include parts of the San Gabriel River, as well as a 
portion of the San Gabriel Mountains. The study would include parts of 
Los Angeles County, as well as a part of the City of Los Angeles 
itself.
  During the hearings on this measure held during the previous 
Congress, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Solis) provided 
testimony and photographs demonstrating that, although this proposed 
study area is in the midst of a very urban area, some green space has 
been preserved and might be appropriate for a park unit.
  Clearly, such an urban setting raises conservation and management 
challenges, and we look forward to the results of this study regarding 
these issues. I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Solis) on her legislation and her 
diligence in moving her bill through the legislative process. She has 
been extremely patient while working very hard to move the bill 
forward. I urge Members to approve H.R. 519.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman 
from California (Ms. Solis).
  Ms. SOLIS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for working with us. 
I also thank the ranking member, the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. 
Rahall), and the gentleman from California (Chairman Pombo) and the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Radanovich). When we were discussing the 
bill last year, we went through different versions of the bill. We did 
try to accommodate the concerns of all Members who were involved in 
this effort.
  I truly think this is a hallmark because it is a bipartisan bill that 
was working its way through last year, but unfortunately met some 
barriers on the Senate side. I know this is something that many people 
in urban areas are looking for as a model. We hear from Members on both 
sides of the aisle talking about providing open space in urban areas.
  This will hopefully provide some type of relief for over 2 million 
people that reside along the San Gabriel River. I grew up there as a 
child and spent many Saturday afternoons and vacations in this area. 
Something that we like to talk about is the fact that so many people in 
that area come from largely low-income, underrepresented areas, and do 
not have the ability or economic means to go to Sequoia, to go to 
Yosemite, to even go to the beach. Some people in my district have 
never had the luxury of going to the beach. Their recreation occurs in 
their particular geographic area.
  The San Gabriel Mountains are only 20 minutes away from a lot of the 
residents that I represent. The gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier) 
and I have worked on this issue. Many of his constituents feel very 
strongly about the need to provide open space for all communities. This 
is a step in the right direction. The Department of the Interior will 
conduct a study, and hopefully they will come up with some good 
planning so we can move forward. I thank all of the Members for working 
with me.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Carter).


                  Give the American People Fair Taxes

  Mr. CARTER. Mr. Speaker, over the course of our Presidents' Day work 
period, I held nine town hall meetings and listened to over 800 of my 
constituents express their opinions about issues important to them. 
Time and again they mentioned fair taxes. The American people want an 
economy that is sound and that can offer them jobs. We can give the 
people what they want by passing the President's growth plan.
  The double taxation of dividends is not only unfair, it is obscene. 
Every year, nearly 2 million Texans and 35 million Americans are being 
cheated by their own government. By simply eliminating the second tax, 
investments will increase, resulting in 2.1 million jobs being created 
within the next 3 years and could potentially boost the national wealth 
by nearly $1 trillion.
  Instead of giving the American people a $300 payoff, let us give them 
a real plan, a plan that will result in jobs, a steady economy, and 
dollars back in the hands of the taxpayers. For those who say we cannot 
afford the President's growth plan, I say we cannot afford to not pass 
his plan.
  Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my California colleague for 
all of the hard work the gentlewoman put into this legislation over the 
past couple of years, thank her again for working with the majority and 
the minority in order to work this bill out. I think it is a good piece 
of legislation that deserves the support of the House, and I urge an 
``aye'' vote.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 519.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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