House Proceeding 03-18-10 on Mar 18th, 2010 :: 0:00:00 to 0:20:00
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conversations off the floor. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8, rule 20, the chair will postponefurther provision on motions to suspend the rules on which a recorded vote or yeas and nays are ordered or incurs objection under clause 6 of rule 20. record votes will be postponed.

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questions will be taken later. for what purpose does gentlelady from guam seek recognition? ms. bordallo: i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 3671. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 3671, a bill to promote the department of interior efforts to provide a scientific basis for the

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management of sedment and nutrient loss in the upper mississippi river basin and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlelady from guam, ms. bordallo and mr. mcclintock each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from guam. ms. bordallo: i ask unanimous

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Madeleine Z. Bordallo: consent that all members have five legislative days to include extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. the gentlelady will suspend. the house will be in order. the gentleladyay continue. ms. bordallo: h.r. 3671

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Speech By: Madeleine Z. Bordallo

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Madeleine Z. Bordallo: introduced by our colleague, representative ron kind of wisconsin, would authorize the secretary of the interior acting through the united states geology call survey tore establish a sedment monitoring network for the upper mississippi river basin. the findings of the monitoring network would be used to assist

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Madeleine Z. Bordallo: public and private sedment and nutrient reduction efforts. i would note this legislation

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Tom McClintock: has passed the house in previous congresses and i ask my colleagues to support its passage. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves. the gentleman from california. mr. mcclintock: i yield myself such time as i may consume

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Speech By: Tom McClintock

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Tom McClintock: the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman will suspend. the gentleman deserves to be heard. the gentleman is recognized. mr. mcclintock: the majority has adequately described the bill. based on the history of this legislative proposal, we are not opposing the measure. however, members should note that today's bill has been changed from a prior version.

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Tom McClintock: the 10-year sunset has been removed. we were also concerned that the federal government would have unfettered access to private property under this program and the data could be used against the land owner. however, after meeting with the affected parties, we have concluded that the u.s. geological survey regulations

0:03:13 to 0:03:30( Edit History Discussion )

Tom McClintock: require prior written land owner permission for entry and release for any data collected on an individual's property. i ask unanimous consent to include in the record the appropriate permission form that is used for these purposes. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. mcclintock: it's our understanding that the program authorized in this bill would

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Madeleine Z. Bordallo: follow this long-standing practice. with that, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlelady from guam. ms. bordallo: we agree with our colleagues on the other side of the aisle that proper protocol should be followed and i ask our colagues to support this

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Speech By: Madeleine Z. Bordallo

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Ron Kind: legislation and at this time, mr. speaker, i yield to the gentleman, mr. kind from wisconsinfor such time as he may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from wisconsin ills recognized for as much time as he may consume. mr. kind: i thank the gentlelady and for her help and support. i thank the gentleman from

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Speech By: Ron Kind

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Ron Kind: california and the members on the natural resources committee for their bipartisan support of the upper mississippi river protection bill. as the gentlelady indicated, this has passed in previous congresses. we are working with the senate to get it to the property so it can be enacted and to address a couple of the concerns and we have worked in a bipartisan fashion on this bill. there is concern about privacy

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Ron Kind: protection and data collection and we feel that what has been worked out is a reasonable compromise to ensure that privacy, but also, more importantly, the buy-in that will be crucial to the implementation of this legislation. we are trying to put the science in place in the upper mississippi river basin.

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Ron Kind: the greatest threat that this great national treasure that we have running through the middle of america compromising 50% of the land mass of our nation are the amount of nutrients that flow into the river basin doing damage. we heard the dead zone being created in the gulf of mexico.

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Ron Kind: while 40% of the nutrients that are flowing south through the river and ending up contributing tothe dead zone ends up in the upper misssippi river basin. we want to use the expertise that usgs has the capacity to do so they can do monitoring and

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Ron Kind: develop computer models so we can identify the hot spots and utilize the resources that are available to target those hot spots to prevent the increased flow of nutrients into the river basin. this has received wide support in the upper mississippi region. all five of the state governors in the upper mississippi region

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Ron Kind: has endorsed this, the upper mississippi river basin has endorsed it and ducks unlimited, and other groups, have endorsed this approach and it is a vital national treasure that we must do more to protect. the mississippi river affects over 30 million people that rely upon it for their primary

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Ron Kind: drinking source. it is north america's migratory fowl using this as migration, tourism, bringing economic

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Ron Kind: activity to the upper mississippi region and additionally over $1 billion with tourism activity. but what's been lacking is the scientific data that this legislation will put in place so we can start collecting it and tracking it and be smarter with the use of the various public and private approaches that this

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Ron Kind: bill calls for so we can maximize the resources. again, i want to thank the chairman of the committee, the members of the committee. i want to thank the members of the u.s. geological survey, especially in the upper mississippi environmental science lab. i have worked very closely with them in regards to their long-term resource monitoring program.

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Ron Kind: they do have incredible competency to do the science that we're asking them to do. i want to thank my own river advisory group that has consulted with meon all things related to the river issues and i support this much needed and this bipartisan piece of legislation. with that, i yield back and ask my colleagues to support this

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Ron Kind: will bill. and i thank the gentleman from california again. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. mcclintock: mr. speaker, i yid myself just enough time to wish a belated happy birthday to the the gentleman from wisconsin and inquire if the gentlelady

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has any additional speakers. ms. bordallo: mr. speaker, i have no additional requests for time and would inquire of the minority whether they have any additional speakers. mr. mcclintock: we have no additional speakers. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from guam. ms. bordallo: i urge members to support the bill and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back.

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will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 3671. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative -- ms. bordallo: i ask for the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays have been requested. all those in favor of the vote

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will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on the motion will be postponed. for what purpose does gentlelady

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Madeleine Z. Bordallo: guam rise? ms. bordallo: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass the pill h.r. 4252. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar 249, a bill to direct the secretary of the interior to conduct a study of water resources in the basin

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Speech By: Madeleine Z. Bordallo

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Madeleine Z. Bordallo: in the state of california and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the gall gentlelady from guam and the gentleman from california, mr. mcclintock each will control 20 minutes. ms. bordallo: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill

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Madeleine Z. Bordallo: under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. bordallo: mr. speaker, h.r. 4252, introduced by our colleague, representative joe baca of california, would authorize the secretary of the interior acting through the united states geology call survey, to study the health and

0:10:12 to 0:10:33( Edit History Discussion )

Madeleine Z. Bordallo: quality of the aquifers in the rialto basin. this includes the study of perchlorate within an aquifer and condemnation of other aquifers contamination. the groundwater constitutes 79% ofthe drinking water supply in

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Madeleine Z. Bordallo: the inland empire area of california and it is critical to understand any threats posed by contamination to this supply. mr. speaker, i ask any colleagues to support passage of

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Speech By: Tom McClintock

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Tom McClintock: h.r. 4252 and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. mcclintk: mr. speaker, this well intentioned bill tries to force the administration into making groundwater cleanup in the

0:11:09 to 0:11:29( Edit History Discussion )

Tom McClintock: rialto colton basis a priority. everyone acknowledges this is the restatement of current law but we all understand what the gentleman from california is trying to accomplish and in the spirit of bipartisanship, republicans supported his efforts in the natural resources committee. but i need to point out that this bipartisan gesture continues to go unresip

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Tom McClintock: rocailted. -- unresip roe kated. -- unresip ro kated. we've been ying for years now to restore the valley's economy. they've diverted gallons of water to serve the left's pet

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Tom McClintock: cause, the three-inch del smelt. apologists argue that it's the drought. they ignore the fact that the drought we've had is a relatively minor one by historical standards, it appears to be over and that in far more severe droughts in the past, far more water has reached the central valley. that's before the environmental

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Tom McClintock: left took over our water policy and diverted 200 billion gallons of water to the pacific ocean. it's unfortunate that the majority actually rewrote this bill specifically to keep us from offering amendments that would address the agony of the central valley. time and again, the majority, using parliamentary gimmicks,

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Tom McClintock: has prevented any attempt to store normal water deliveries

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Speech By: Joe Baca

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Joe Baca: to t plums are underground pockets of water and are some pools of water, some travel in underground rivers. in rialto we know the water has perchlorate in it. we don't know how big it is or how fast the water is moving.

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Joe Baca: we need to know more about the plum to permanently fix the problem. the research establish fled study in h.r. 4252 will guarantee that the problem will be identified. a study by the u.s. geejee yo logical survey is not something done lightly. it is an intense research endeavor.

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Joe Baca: as the national's largest water and earth and biological science, the u.s. geological survey collects and monitors and analyzes and provides scientific understanding about the nature of the resource, the conditions, the issues and the problems. the diversity of scientific expert enables them to carry

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Joe Baca: out at large scale investigations, provide impartial scientific information, to resource managers, planners and other customers. as an unbiased science organization that focuses on

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Joe Baca: biology, geography, geology, water, they're dedicated to relevant, impartial study of the landscape, our national resources and the national hazards that threaten us. the study will prere-deuce the perchlorate in our area that caused heartaches, frustration and fear.

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Joe Baca: fortunately, the city council's zero tolerance policy, the city doesn't blend any detectable level of perchlorate into the system. they're conducting well-treated treatment. but what about the cities that do not have the policies or the treatment facilities to clean their watt her how will those people be affected?

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Joe Baca: how will the children be affected? how will those be affected by it? we're very familiar with the water problem in california, as described -- described by my colleague on that side, not only in the norern portion of california where water is much needed, in that area. apart from those problems, water contamination condition prevented.

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Joe Baca: i ask that all members vote in support of this legislation not because it's a california issue but because it's a national issue that could impact anyone. it's a way to correct a wrong and prevent further problems. commissioner conner from the department of interior stated that the directives of this bill are within the usgs