[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6196]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                21ST CENTURY CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS

  (Ms. KAPTUR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, today is Arbor Day, and I rise to 
reintroduce my bill, the 21st Century Civilian Conservation Corps Act.
  In drafting this bill, I was inspired by the CCC Act first 
established by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1933 as part of his New 
Deal. This historic initiative generated more than 3 million jobs, 
especially for America's young people, and inspired a widespread 
appreciation of America's wealth of natural resources and our 
responsibility as stewards of these assets.
  Through current Federal programs like the Great Lakes Restoration 
Initiative and other conservation and restoration investments, 
Americans are once again connecting the dots between clean water, clean 
land, clean air, and thriving regional ecosystems and economies.
  With recent attacks on programs that help our Great Lakes, we should 
remember we don't have to choose between protecting our environment and 
natural treasures and creating jobs. We can do both at the same time.
  Just Ohio and Michigan, alone, need 20 million new trees planted to 
make up for the devastation that the emerald ash borer and Asian 
longhorned beetle have done to our forest populations.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill and its goal of putting 
young people to work across our country that will prosper our Nation 
and steward its resources forward. I am confident the young people of 
America will welcome this challenge.

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