[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 20238]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  ALLOWING FOR RENEGOTIATION OF PAYMENT SCHEDULE OF CONTRACTS BETWEEN 
     SECRETARY OF INTERIOR AND REDWOOD VALLEY COUNTY WATER DISTRICT

  Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5516) to allow for the renegotiation of the payment schedule 
of contracts between the Secretary of the Interior and the Redwood 
Valley County Water District, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 5516

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

     SECTION 1. RENEGOTIATION OF PAYMENT SCHEDULE.

       Section 15 of Public Law 100-516 (102 Stat. 2573) is 
     amended as follows:
       (1) By amending paragraph (2) of subsection (a) to read as 
     follows:
       ``(2) If, as of January 1, 2006, the Secretary of the 
     Interior and the Redwood Valley County Water District have 
     not renegotiated the schedule of payment, the District may 
     enter into such additional non-Federal obligations as are 
     necessary to finance procurement of dedicated water rights 
     and improvements necessary to store and convey those rights 
     to provide for the District's water needs. The renegotiated 
     schedule of payments shall commence when such additional 
     obligations have been financially satisfied by the District. 
     The date of the initial payment owed by the District to the 
     United States shall be regarded as the start of the 
     District's repayment period and the time upon which any 
     interest shall first be computed and assessed under section 5 
     of the Small Reclamation Projects Act of 1956 (43 U.S.C. 422a 
     et seq.).''.
       (2) By striking subsection (c).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Gohmert) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
  Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, H.R. 5516, sponsored by Congressman Mike Thompson, 
amends Public Law 100-516 and allows for the renegotiation of the 
payment schedule of water contracts between the Secretary of the 
Interior and the Redwood Valley County Water District in northern 
California.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KIND. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I, too, want to commend my colleague from the First 
Congressional District of California, Mr. Thompson, for the hard work 
and leadership that he has shown on this important piece of 
legislation.
  We, too, support it and encourage its adoption.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOHMERT. Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 5516.
  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.

                          ____________________