[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 4515]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      LOWER COLORADO RIVER MULTI-SPECIES CONSERVATION PROGRAM ACT

  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 2515) to authorize appropriations for the Bureau of 
Reclamation to carry out the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species 
Conservation Program in the States of Arizona, California, and Nevada, 
and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2515

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Lower Colorado River Multi-
     Species Conservation Program Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Lower colorado river multi-species conservation 
     program.--The term ``Lower Colorado River Multi-Species 
     Conservation Program'' or ``LCR MSCP'' means the cooperative 
     effort on the Lower Colorado River between Federal and non-
     Federal entities in Arizona, California, and Nevada approved 
     by the Secretary of the Interior on April 2, 2005.
       (2) Lower colorado river.--The term ``Lower Colorado 
     River'' means the Colorado River from Lake Mead to the 
     Southerly International Boundary with Mexico, including its 
     historic floodplain and its mainstem reservoirs to their full 
     pool elevations.
       (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.
       (4) States.--The term ``States'' means each of the States 
     of Arizona, California, and Nevada.

     SEC. 3. IMPLEMENTATION AND WATER ACCOUNTING.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary is authorized to participate 
     in the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation 
     Program.
       (b) Water Accounting.--The Secretary is authorized to enter 
     into an agreement with the States providing for the use of 
     water from the Lower Colorado River for habitat creation and 
     maintenance.

     SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       (a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
     the Secretary such sums as may be necessary to participate in 
     the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program, 
     to remain available until expended.
       (b) Nonreimbursable and Nonreturnable.--All amounts 
     appropriated to and expended by the Secretary for the LCR 
     MSCP shall be nonreimbursable and nonreturnable.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie) and the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Hawaii.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Hawaii?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, H.R. 2515, as introduced by our colleague and friend, 
Representative Dean Heller, would authorize the Secretary of the 
Interior to participate in the multi-species habitat conservation plan 
on the lower 400 miles of the Colorado River. The States of Nevada, 
Arizona and California, along with several major water districts, are 
participants and funding partners in this program.
  As amended, this legislation is not controversial and should be 
supported. And I might say, Madam Speaker, exhibits the multiple 
responsibilities of the Resources Committee and the really 
extraordinary complications and details that have to be considered when 
such legislation comes forward. It is a tribute to the staffs of the 
members on the committee, and most particularly the professional staff 
of the Resources Committee, that this legislation is able to be 
compiled, understood and comprehended by the members, and then brought 
forward to the body as a whole in a way that advances the public 
interest.
  With that, Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  This particular bill helps solve the conundrum that we face in the 
protection and conservation of certain species: For example, the bony-
tailed chub, the razorback sucker, and the humpback chub.
  H.R. 2515, introduced by Dean Heller of Nevada and Harry Mitchell of 
Arizona, is an amended bipartisan measure aimed at protecting 
endangered species while keeping the waters running and the lights on 
for consumers in the Southwest.
  As amended at the committee level, this bill has been scaled back, 
but still codifies a very popular multi-species habitat conservation 
plan on the Lower Colorado River. I note that some water and power 
supply organizations support key provisions taken out by the majority. 
However, in the interest of moving this bill forward, they support the 
passage of this bill with the hope that the final bill signed into law 
will better resemble the original legislation.
  At a time when our water supply is being diminished due to a number 
of factors, this bill--although somewhat incomplete--is still a win-win 
for our water and power consumers.
  I have no additional speakers, and I am prepared to yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Madam Speaker, I observed that Mr. Bishop was 
looking directly at me when he recited, with a look that I can only 
determine as ``gleeful,'' he cited the razorback sucker and the 
bonytail chub. I am not sure whether I was being categorized by him in 
the sucker category or the chub category, or he was gazing at me 
metaphorically.
  Do you suppose he might be able to answer that for me.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. I will yield.
  Mr. BISHOP of UTAH. I have certainly never thought of the gentleman 
as either a razorback or a bonytail.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Thank you very much.
  Madam Speaker, it is now clear for me.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2515, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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