| Speaker | Time | Text |
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Trump Signs Executive Actions
00:04:20
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| In the office. | ||
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unidentified
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Well, look, I mean, it was a remarkable scene here, really. | |
| First of all, rewinding a little bit. | ||
| You had Trump in front of 20,000 of his fans, supporters at Capitol One Arena, start signing some of the executive actions. | ||
| This includes revoking 78 Biden-era orders. | ||
| He then came here to the White House and in the Oval Office signed some of the others that included withdrawing from the World Health Organization, withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement, calling in a national emergency at the southern border. | ||
| And while he was doing this, he kind of went back and forth with reporters who were asking questions. | ||
| It went on for about an hour. | ||
| Really, that is one thing about Trump: he is going to take an engagement. | ||
| I will leave this here to take you live to the U.S. House. | ||
| You can continue watching, though, if you go to our website, c-span.org. | ||
| Today, the House is debating several natural resource-related bills. | ||
| Live coverage of the U.S. House here on C-SPAN. | ||
| On these days, after the long-sought ceasefire in Israel and Gaza, we pray in thanks to you, Lord Almighty, that as you promised, you have given freedom to the captives. | ||
| You have broken the shackles of their confinement, that the Israeli and Palestinian men, women, and children, soldiers and civilians, sick and infirmed, may be returned to their homelands and to the embrace of their loved ones. | ||
| Bind up the brokenhearted, those whose arms remain empty, grieving the death of the ones who did not live to see this day. | ||
| Bind up the wounds of the hostages released as they suffer injury of mind and body that has penetrated their very souls. | ||
| In these next weeks, sovereign God, intercede and effect the end of the region's warfare. | ||
| Abolish the bow and the sword. | ||
| Put an end to the gunfire and bombardment. | ||
| Silence the battle that rages and remove from the land all desire for vengeance. | ||
| Clear the way for safe troop withdrawal and swift delivery of humanitarian aid. | ||
| May all, under your watchful eye, soon lie down in safety. | ||
| In you, may we find everlasting peace. | ||
| And in your name, may we lift up our prayers. | ||
| Amen. | ||
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unidentified
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The chair has examined the journal of the last day's proceedings and announces to the House the approval thereof. | |
| Pursuant to clause one of Rule One, the journal stands approved. | ||
| The Pledge of Allegiance will be led by the gentleman from Utah, Mr. Moore. | ||
| I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. | ||
| The chair will entertain requests for one-minute speeches on each side of the aisle. | ||
| The chair lays before the house at communication. | ||
| The honorable The Speaker House of Representatives, sir. | ||
| Pursuant to the permission granted in Clause 2H of Rule 2 of the rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, the clerk received the following message from the Secretary of the Senate on January 21st, 2025 at 10:29 a.m. that the Senate passed Senate 5. | ||
| Signed sincerely, Kevin F. McCumber, Clerk. | ||
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unidentified
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The Chair announces without objection the Speaker's appointment pursuant to clause 11 of Rule 10, Clause 11 of Rule 1, the order of the House of January 3rd, 2025, and notwithstanding the requirement clause 11A4A of Rule 10 of the following members of the House to the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. | |
| Mr. Himes of Connecticut, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Mr. Castro of Texas, Mr. Krishna Morthy of Illinois, Mr. Crowe of Colorado, Mr. Berra of California, Miss Plaskett of Virgin Islands, Mr. Gottheimer of New Jersey, Mr. Gomez of California, Ms. Houlihan of Pennsylvania, and Mr. Quigley of Illinois. | ||
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National Medal of Honor Memorial
00:07:10
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unidentified
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Pursuant to Clause 8 of Rule 20, the chair will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which the yeas and nays are ordered. | |
| The House will resume proceedings on postponed questions at a later time. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Arkansas seek recognition? | ||
| Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 186. | ||
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unidentified
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The clerk will report the title. | |
| H.R. 186, a bill to authorize the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation to establish a commemorative work on the National Mall to honor the extraordinary acts of valor, selfless service, and sacrifice displayed by Medal of Honor recipients. | ||
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unidentified
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Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Westerman, and the gentleman from California, Mr. Huffman, will each control 20 minutes. | |
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas. | ||
| Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 186, the bill now under consideration. | ||
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unidentified
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Without objection. | |
| Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
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unidentified
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Gentlemen is recognized. | |
| As we approach the 250th celebration of our nation next year, there is perhaps no greater way to celebrate our history than passing H.R. 186, which honors the valor and sacrifice of some of our nation's bravest heroes, Medal of Honor recipients. | ||
| 162 years ago, President Abraham Lincoln awarded the first Medal of Honor in the midst of the Civil War. | ||
| It remains our nation's highest honor awarded to members of the Armed Forces and is bestowed sparingly to only those who have demonstrated the highest acts of valor. | ||
| Less than 70 Medal of Honor recipients are alive today out of the more than 3,500 medals that have been awarded. | ||
| As the highest and most prestigious military decoration in the United States, the Medal of Honor symbolizes extraordinary acts of bravery, selflessness, and sacrifice beyond the call of duty. | ||
| By recognizing these remarkable individuals, the Medal of Honor inspires a sense of national pride, honors the memory of fallen heroes, and motivates future generations to embody the values of courage and honor. | ||
| The Medal of Honor continues to instill a profound sense of respect and gratitude for the sacrifices made in the defense of freedom and justice. | ||
| Congressman Moore's bipartisan bill, the Herschel Woody Williams National Medal of Honor Monument Location Act, would ensure that the monument honoring these brave heroes can be placed on what is known as the reserve, but is commonly referred to as the National Mall here in Washington, D.C. | ||
| A monument honoring our most exceptional citizens should be placed in an equally exceptional location. | ||
| According to National Park Service data, the National Mall receives upwards of 25 million visitors each year. | ||
| The monuments and memorials located on the National Mall are the centerpiece of its history, and it is appropriate to include a new monument honoring veterans who have displayed the most courageous acts of valor recognized by our country. | ||
| In my home state of Arkansas, our state capitol also has a memorial dedicated to Medal of Honor recipients. | ||
| I hope the monument in D.C., like the one in Arkansas, can inspire reflection, patriotism, and gratitude for our nation's military heroes. | ||
| Last Congress, the Committee on Natural Resources had the privilege of hearing from one of the 61 living Medal of Honor recipients, Master Chief Special Warfare Operator Brit Zlubinsky. | ||
| In his inspiring testimony, he reminded us that the Medal of Honor represents those willing to go above and beyond in any circumstance, no matter how small. | ||
| This monument will serve as an everlasting reminder of this country's greatness and the difference that one single person can make. | ||
| The legislation before us today, H.R. 186, would authorize the location of the National Medal of Honor Memorial in a prominent location on the National Mall with the intent to keep it near the Lincoln Memorial, as President Lincoln was the first to give out this special award. | ||
| I was proud to support the original legislation authorizing this memorial, and I'm proud to support this subsequent legislation today. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support the bill. | ||
| I thank Congressman Moore for his leadership, and I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
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unidentified
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Gentlemen Reserves, the gentleman from California is recognized. | |
| Thank you, Madam Speaker. | ||
| I agree with the Chairman. | ||
| The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration. | ||
| It's awarded to brave individuals whose extraordinary acts of valor, selfless service, and sacrifice exceed the call of duty. | ||
| And in 2021, Congress did authorize establishing a National Medal of Honor Monument to honor over 3,500 Medal of Honor recipients from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard, ensuring that their courage, sacrifice, patriotism, citizenship, integrity, and commitment are shared for generations to come. | ||
| So the bill before us today would allow for this memorial to be placed on the National Mall in close proximity to the Lincoln Memorial, and that is appropriate, and Democrats support it. | ||
| In December of 1861, the first brutal year of the Civil War, as the first brutal year of the Civil War was coming to an end, President Lincoln signed the bill authorizing the Medal of Honor recipients. | ||
| And so I think it's appropriate to place this memorial in the footprint of the Lincoln Memorial as a fitting tribute to that legacy. | ||
| And I do want to thank Representatives Moore and Veazey for their collaboration and leadership on this legislation and urge my colleagues to support it. | ||
| Before moving on, I do want to mention that there were growing demands on the National Mall. | ||
| In 2003, Congress declared the National Mall a completed work of civic art and prohibited future construction of new memorials and monuments in the core area known as the Reserve. | ||
| Now, as we all know, Congress changes its mind and since then has agreed to authorize the placement of several new memorials and for good reason. | ||
| Just last month, we approved the Women's Suffrage National Memorial sponsored by Representative Nagoos. | ||
| That new memorial will ensure that women's stories are better reflected, filling an important gap that perhaps was not considered when Congress established the Reserve 20-plus years ago. | ||
| The National Medal of Honor Monument is another fitting tribute that deserves a place on the National Mall. | ||
| We just need to be clear-eyed about the future of the National Mall, and I hope that this is a conversation we can have this Congress so that we can continue to make the best decisions about what's been dubbed America's front yard, one of the most visited and revered units of the National Park System. | ||
| So again, I support this bill and reserve the balance of my time. | ||
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unidentified
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Gentleman Reserves, the gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | |
| Madam Speaker, I yield two minutes to the gentleman from Utah, the lead sponsor of this bill, Mr. Moore. | ||
|
Herschel Woody Williams Monument Bill
00:15:46
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unidentified
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The gentleman from Utah is recognized for two minutes. | |
| Thank you to the Chairman, to the Ranking Member. | ||
| Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Herschel Woody Williams National Medal of Honor Monument Location Act. | ||
| This bill, which passed the House unanimously during the 118th Congress, is the final legislative step to establish a location for a monument recognizing America's Medal of Honor recipients on the National Mall. | ||
| Of the estimated 40 million individuals who have served in the United States Armed Services, fewer than 4,000 have been awarded the Medal of Honor. | ||
| President Abraham Lincoln awarded the first Medals of Honor more than 160 years ago, and it's only fitting that this monument is located near the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall. | ||
| This monument will serve as a reminder that freedom is not free, and it will inspire new generations of Americans to revere and support the brave men and women who we owe our freedom to. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 186, and I give America's to give America's heroes and their families a monument for their sacrifices for our nation. | ||
| And I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his hard work on this legislation. | ||
| I thank the gentleman from California and the minority for supporting it as well. | ||
| I have no further request for time. | ||
| I'm prepared to close and continue to reserve. | ||
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unidentified
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Gentleman Reserves, the gentleman from California is recognized. | |
| Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and yield the balance of my time. | ||
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unidentified
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Gentleman Yields. | |
| The gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | ||
| Madam Speaker, I want to note that this bill has been named after Herschel Woody Williams, who sadly passed away in June of 2022. | ||
| He was known for his extraordinary heroism in the Battle of Iwo Jima during the Second World War. | ||
| At the young age of 21, he single-handedly cleared a path for American troops against Japanese forces in an act of extraordinary bravery. | ||
| This is a good bill that honors Herschel Woody Williams, our nation's heroic Medal of Honor recipients, and all those who have served. | ||
| It honors their memory, remembers their legacy, and reaffirms our unwavering commitment to upholding the principles for which they fought so valiantly. | ||
| I urge adoption of the bill and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
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unidentified
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Gentleman yields. | |
| The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass Bill H.R. 186? | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative. | ||
| Madam Speaker, I request. | ||
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unidentified
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Purpose as a gentleman from Arkansas seek recognition. | |
| I request the yays and the nays. | ||
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unidentified
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The yays and nays are requested. | |
| All those in favor of taking this vote by the yays and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. | ||
| A sufficient number having risen, the yeas and nays are ordered. | ||
| Pursuant to clause 8 of Rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. | ||
| For what purposes the gentleman from Arkansas seek recognition? | ||
| Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 187 as amended. | ||
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unidentified
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The clerk will report the title of the bill. | |
| H.R. 187, a bill to provide for the standardization, consolidation, and publication of data relating to public outdoor recreational use of federal waterways among federal land and water management agencies and for other purposes. | ||
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unidentified
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Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Westerman, and the gentleman from California, Mr. Huffman, will each control 20 minutes. | |
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas. | ||
| Madam Speaker, I ask that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 187, the bill now under consideration. | ||
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unidentified
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Without objection. | |
| Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
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unidentified
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The gentleman is recognized. | |
| I rise in support of H.R. 187, the Modernizing Access to Our Public Waters Act, or the MAP Waters Act, sponsored again by Congressman Moore of Utah. | ||
| This bill seeks to improve recreational access for our country's boaters and anglers by requiring agencies to digitize the maps of federal waterways and information related to the regulations and restrictions on accessing those waterways. | ||
| The bill then calls upon federal land management agencies to publish this information online and work with the private sector to make it easily available to the public. | ||
| This bill is necessary because access to information related to regulations and restrictions on federal waterways can often be hard to come by. | ||
| The Natural Resources Committee heard testimony about a specific example of an unfortunate situation at Yellowstone National Park. | ||
| A group of backpackers were hiking toward a remote lake in the park where the group planned to fish. | ||
| Upon arriving at the lake, they discovered that half the lake was off limits to fishing because of nesting swans. | ||
| The half of the lake that was closed to fishing was the part of the lake they were permitted to fish. | ||
| This is unacceptable. | ||
| Passing the bill would prevent incidents like this by ensuring this information is easily available to the public. | ||
| The House passed a nearly identical version of this bill by voice vote in December. | ||
| The bill language we are considering today incorporates technical edits that have been agreed to with the Senate, helping to ensure that this bill can advance through both chambers in a timely fashion. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support the bill and I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
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unidentified
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Gentleman Reserves, the gentleman from California is recognized. | |
| Thank you, Madam Speaker. | ||
| I support this bill. | ||
| It is a good idea to standardize information to improve the accessibility of that information if we want to help users like recreational fishers navigate and access federal waterways. | ||
| This can include access, fishing restrictions, navigation information, all very important stuff. | ||
| On the Natural Resources Committee, we strive to ensure that federal outdoor spaces are accessible to fishers, hunters, boaters, and other recreational users. | ||
| And it's important that they have up-to-date, easily accessible maps. | ||
| This will allow us to improve outdoor recreation experiences while protecting existing natural, cultural, and recreational values. | ||
| And to that end, this bill would direct agencies to develop and adopt interagency standards, ensuring that their databases are compatible and interoperable, and that way they can more effectively collect and disseminate geospatial data to help inform folks about recreational opportunities. | ||
| I see multiple applications, important applications, for collecting and publishing this data. | ||
| It could include vessel speed restrictions, the types of watercraft allowed in certain areas, the location of boat ramps, fishing sites, equipment and bait usage restrictions, even waterway catch and release policies, which can vary from place to place. | ||
| And so by standardizing and digitizing all of this, it gives Americans the information they need and the confidence they have to engage in recreation without the nightmare of searching through and trying to decipher a tangled web of information on numerous agency websites. | ||
| So it's a good bill. | ||
| I support it and I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
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unidentified
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Gentleman Reserves, the gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | |
| Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time and I'll continue to reserve. | ||
| I'm prepared to close. | ||
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unidentified
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Gentlemen Reserves, gentleman from California is recognized. | |
| And Madam Speaker, I have no requests either. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support this bill and yield back. | ||
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unidentified
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Gentleman Yields, gentlemen from Arkansas. | |
| Thank you, Madam Speaker. | ||
| I again want to thank Representative Moore from Utah for his work on this bill and as a member of this body to increase recreational access to our public lands. | ||
| It's something he cares deeply about. | ||
| I want to thank Mr. Huffman and the minority for supporting this good legislation. | ||
| But before I close, I want to ask unanimous consent to include in the record an exchange of letters between the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Agriculture. | ||
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unidentified
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Objection. | |
| I urge my colleagues to support the bill, not yield back the balance of my time. | ||
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unidentified
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The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 187 as amended? | |
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, the ayes. | ||
| Or Madam Speaker. | ||
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unidentified
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In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, for what purpose does the gentleman from Arkansas seek recognition? | |
| Madam Speaker, I request the yays and the nays. | ||
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unidentified
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The yays and nays are requested. | |
| All those in favor of taking this vote by the yays and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. | ||
| A sufficient number having risen, the yays and nays are ordered. | ||
| Pursuant to Clause 8 of Rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Arkansas seek recognition? | ||
| Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 207. | ||
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unidentified
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The clerk will report the title of the bill. | |
| H.R. 207, a bill to direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a task force regarding shark depredation and for other purposes. | ||
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unidentified
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Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Westerman, and the gentleman from California, Mr. Huffman, will each control 20 minutes. | |
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas. | ||
| Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members are given five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 207, the bill now under consideration. | ||
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unidentified
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Without objection. | |
| Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
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unidentified
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The gentleman is recognized. | |
| I rise in support of H.R. 207, sponsored by the Natural Resources Committee's Vice Chairman, Congressman Rob Whitman of Virginia. | ||
| Concerns over shark depredation are increasingly common. | ||
| From the Florida Keys, the Gulf of Mexico, and North Carolina's outer banks, shark interactions can be frustrating for anglers, resulting in loss of catch, damaged gear, and degraded fishing experiences. | ||
| They also potentially impact the post-release survival of both target fish and bycatch. | ||
| As the number of reports of shark depredation has increased, the underlying cause remains uncertain. | ||
| It could be due to an increase in the number of sharks as stocks rebuild, a learned behavior by sharks as they recognize motors, fishing techniques, or shark feeding locations as a source of food. | ||
| We simply don't have enough information to answer all the questions. | ||
| To emphasize the scale of this issue, during the consideration of this legislation, we heard from Captain Jack Graham, who fishes out of the renowned Oregon Inlet in North Carolina. | ||
| Captain Graham has been keeping records of tuna depredation impacting his small marina of about 25 boats. | ||
| By his estimate, a staggering 250,000 pounds of tuna are depredated each month during tuna season just within his marina. | ||
| To make matters worse, shark depredation involves many federal and state jurisdictions, but because no single entity is responsible for addressing it, very little is being done. | ||
| H.R. 207 would require the Secretary of Commerce to establish a task force to address shark depredation. | ||
| The task force membership would include representatives from NOAA, the Regional Fishery Management Councils, the Marine Fisheries Commissions, state fish and wildlife agencies from the states within the regional fishery management councils, and non-federal experts. | ||
| In the 118th Congress, this legislation was passed unanimously through the Natural Resources Committee, and it passed the House by voice vote. | ||
| I'm grateful that we are again considering this legislation that will help the federal government respond to the challenge. | ||
| I again want to applaud Representative Whitman for his work, and I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
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unidentified
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Gentleman Reserves, the gentleman from California is recognized. | |
| Thank you, Madam Speaker. | ||
| This bill would establish a new task force led by the National Marine Fisheries Service to identify shark conservation needs and depredation research, and that's fine. | ||
| But before getting into that, I want to point out that the suspensions today are supposed to reflect some of the bipartisan work of the Natural Resources Committee to find common ground and move bills that had processed last Congress. | ||
| This legislation should certainly be one of those, but Committee Republicans blocked an accompanying bill, Representative Keating's Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Act. | ||
| We should be voting on that bill today, and we're not. | ||
| Last year's hurricanes and flood damage and floods damaged key sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation facilities, forcing them to lose money and space that would otherwise go toward recovering stranded turtles. | ||
| Representative Keating's legislation would help support these facilities as they Care for Endangered Species Act listed sea turtles. | ||
| The committee and the Senate Commerce Committee secured a deal in December to move that bill along with this shark act and two other bills. | ||
| Unfortunately, unelected billionaire Musk's last-minute power play on the CR scuttled that modest package, and here we are. | ||
| It is disappointing that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle have decided to forego those bipartisan commitments and move this legislation as a standalone. | ||
| If House Republicans won't even follow through on these easy bipartisan agreements, it's hard to see how Democrats can trust them to keep their word in the midst of the tougher negotiations that lie ahead. | ||
| It's very disappointing and part of a growing pattern of striking deals and then immediately walking away from them. | ||
| Now turning to this bill. | ||
| Sharks are critical to healthy ocean ecosystems. | ||
| As the ocean's apex predators, they help shape marine food webs and they are a key indicator of ocean health. | ||
| Unfortunately, many shark species are also threatened or endangered. | ||
| Oceanic sharks and rays have declined by a whopping 71 percent since 1970. | ||
| That's happened in many of our lifetimes, and three-quarters of these remaining species are at risk of going extinct. | ||
| In the 70s and 80s, a fundamental lack of understanding of shark biology and their ecological importance, combined with widespread fear, was partially responsible for dramatic increases in the recreational harvest of sharks in the U.S. Some shark populations are recovering now, but human activities are reversing even those meager gains. | ||
| Scientific estimates are that humans are causing nearly 100 million shark deaths every single year, and current levels of fishing pressure will cause the majority of shark populations to continue to decline. | ||
| According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, overfishing threatens half of coastal sharks and rays with extinction. | ||
| And given these declines and their causes, any effort to address shark depredation must align with our nation's goal to recover shark populations and consider the impacts of heightened fishing pressure and climate change. | ||
| Last year, we passed the Shark Act in the House. | ||
| However, I recognize the concern over whether this legislation goes far enough to ensure good outcomes for shark populations and isn't just a slippery slope toward increasing shark harvests. | ||
| Through a collaborative effort, we refocus this bill on changing angler behavior and managing expectations, as well as building out the scientific understanding of shark ecology and the impacts of climate change on predators and prey in the ocean. | ||
| This is vital because non-lethal deterrence and simple changes in angler behavior are proven to reduce the probability of sharks taking fish by 65%. | ||
|
Lodge and Land Exchange
00:12:59
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| NOAA admitted in the legislative hearing on this bill that depredation research is complex and requires sustained investment due to sharks' high intelligence and adaptability. | ||
| Another area of concern is that this bill doesn't include funding. | ||
| Without it, NOAA will be unable to expand their work to address shark conservation and depredation. | ||
| So I hope my colleagues who support this bill will also work with us to ensure robust funding for shark conservation priorities like increased shark stock assessments. | ||
| This bill should promote greater collaboration between the fishing community and shark researchers. | ||
| That's a good thing. | ||
| This partnership is necessary to reduce risks to both sharks and humans from depredation events and build our understanding of the importance of sharks and how to conserve them. | ||
| These are goals we should all support. | ||
| I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
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unidentified
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Gentleman Reserves, the gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | |
| Madam Speaker, I yield three minutes to the gentleman from Virginia, the lead sponsor of this bill, Mr. Whitman. | ||
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unidentified
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The gentleman from Virginia is recognized for three minutes. | |
| I thank the Chairman and the Ranking Member. | ||
| Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge support for my bill, H.R. 207, the Supporting the Health of Aquatic Systems through Research, Knowledge, and Enhancement Dialogue Act, also known as the Shark Dact. | ||
| As a lifelong recreational fisherman, I'm particularly passionate about this bill. | ||
| Picture this. | ||
| Our charter boat fisherman takes a group of excited anglers 90 miles off the coast in hopes of reeling in a bluefin tuna or a tarpon or other big game species. | ||
| One of the individuals hooks the first fish and starts to fight to reel it in. | ||
| But before the fish ever gets to the boat, sharks have bitten and eaten the fish. | ||
| This phenomenon called depredation, which occurs when sharks interfere with fishing activities, is essentially a massive impact on coastal recreational fishing industry, especially the charter industry. | ||
| Shark depredation is accepted as a natural part of fishing, but it has become a widespread issue in our waters and has increased rapidly in recent years. | ||
| During the House Natural Resources Committee hearing for the Shark Act last year, we heard from experts discussing the impact of this phenomenon. | ||
| According to the American Sport Fishing Association, 52.4 million people went fishing in the United States in 2023, supporting 826,000 jobs and contributing $129 billion to the economy. | ||
| The American Fort Sport Fishing Association also found that 87% of charter guides surveyed said they experienced depredation with clients, resulting in negative impacts on their business. | ||
| Anglers are losing their catch and tackle to sharks at alarming rates, and they are understandably becoming increasingly frustrated by it. | ||
| I introduced the Shark DAC to study this issue and evaluate how we can improve sport fishing conditions for anglers while protecting sharks. | ||
| This bill establishes a fishery management task force to focus on identifying research opportunities, recommending management strategies, and developing educational materials for fishermen. | ||
| The task force's membership would be appointed by the Secretary of Commerce and will include representatives from the Regional Fishery Management Councils, Marine Fisheries Commissions, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and state and fish wildlife agencies, as well as folks that enjoy recreational fishing. | ||
| This legislation will help fishermen and women understand which species of sharks have higher rates of depredation and where you are most likely to run into that species. | ||
| It will also serve as the first major step in improving communication and coordination among fisheries managers in addressing shark depredation nationwide. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 207. | ||
| With that, Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
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unidentified
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Gentleman Yields. | |
| Madam Speaker, I have no further request for time. | ||
| I'm prepared to close and I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
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unidentified
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Gentleman Reserves, the gentleman from California is recognized. | |
| Thank you, Madam Speaker. | ||
| I have no requests for time either. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support the bill and yield the balance of my time. | ||
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unidentified
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Gentleman Yields, the gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | |
| Madam Speaker, I again want to thank my colleague Mr. Whitman for taking action to address a challenge that fishing communities across the United States currently face. | ||
| I've had the opportunity to do some recreational fishing in the western and the eastern Gulf. | ||
| I've had opportunity to go out on research vessels and even down in the keys and on the Atlantic coast. | ||
| And there's one thing in common, and it's you can be certain somebody's going to be rolling a fish in and a shark's going to take everything but pretty much the lips off of the hook. | ||
| And talking to people who fish a lot more than I do and who are around this will tell you that it's gotten much more common over the years. | ||
| So improving coordination between fisheries managers, state agencies, and other experts to solve the challenge of shark depredation is an approach that respects the bottom-up approach that has allowed the United States to be the gold standard in fisheries management. | ||
| I encourage my colleagues to support the bill and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
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The gentleman yields. | |
| The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 207? | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended and the bill is passed. | ||
| And without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Arkansas seek recognition? | ||
| Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 197. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Clerk will report the title of the bill. | |
| H.R. 197, a bill to provide for the land exchange of the Chippewa National Forest, Minnesota, and for other purposes. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Westerman, and the gentleman from California, Mr. Huffman, will each control 20 minutes. | |
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas. | ||
| Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 197, the bill now under consideration. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Without objection. | |
| Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentleman is recognized. | |
| I rise in strong support of H.R. 197, the Lake Winnebagash Land Exchange Act of 2025, led by Representative Stauber. | ||
| This common sense legislation authorizes the U.S. Forest Service to enter into a land exchange with the Bowen Lodge, a family operated resort on the shores of Lake Winnebagash in northern Minnesota. | ||
| Exchanging parcels between the Chippewa National Forest and Bowen Lodge will create a win-win scenario. | ||
| The lodge will gain permanent access to the lake and the Forest Service will be able to reconfigure part of its unwildly checkerboard pattern of land ownership. | ||
| This change will provide excellent fishing and recreation opportunities for the local community and improve management efficiencies for the federal government. | ||
| Representative Stauber has done an excellent job of leading this bill that will help this small business improve its operation for years to come. | ||
| This bill will improve outdoor recreation opportunities for its constituents and for all who have the pleasure of visiting and recreating in northern Minnesota. | ||
| He has long been a strong advocate for responsible public land management and access to outdoor recreation, and this legislation is an excellent reflection of that commitment. | ||
| Last Congress, this bill passed the House unanimously by voice vote. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to do the same today and support this important piece of legislation. | ||
| I support the bill and I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
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Recognized. | |
| Thank you, Madam Speaker. | ||
| We support this bill, which would authorize the Forest Service to exchange a parcel of the Chippewa National Forest for a parcel of land currently owned by the Big Winnie Land and Timber Company in Minnesota. | ||
| We note that the Forest Service land in question is already used commercially through a permit at the site of Bowen Lodge, a fishing and hunting resort that has operated a marina on the shores of Lake Winney, a place where Mr. Stauber has never invited me to go fishing. | ||
| I'm sad to say, even though it sounds pretty wonderful, and I might be able to catch the first muskie in my life, but I will continue to wait for that invitation. | ||
| In the meantime, the land exchange in this bill would help simplify the operation of the resort and marina for continued visitor and commercial activity. | ||
| And in turn, the Forest Service would gain a parcel of land directly adjacent to the Chippewa National Forest and the shoreline of Lake Winnie. | ||
| Integrating this parcel into the Forest Service will provide for better management of undisturbed sites, critical wetlands, and wildlife habitat that are currently adjacent to federal lands. | ||
| So that makes good sense. | ||
| To quote my Republican colleagues, this is a win-win near Lake Winney. | ||
| And with that, I will reserve the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentlemen Reserves, gentlemen from Arkansas is recognized. | |
| Thank you, Madam Speaker. | ||
| And the gentleman from Minnesota has invited me to Minnesota to fish before. | ||
| And it's a lovely time of year to fish in Minnesota if you like fishing through a little hole in the ice, but I'm sure it would be great on Lake Winnie. | ||
| And I yield three minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota, the lead sponsor of the bill, Mr. Sauber. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman from Minnesota is recognized for three minutes. | |
| Thank you, Madam Chair. | ||
| To the Ranking Member, it's 37 below in Minnesota with a windchill from California. | ||
| Come on over. | ||
| Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill H.R. 197, the Lake Winnebagosh Land Exchange of 2025. | ||
| Lake Winnebagosh, or Lake Winney, as it is also known, is located within the boundaries of the Chippewa National Forest and is home to Bowen Lodge, a premier family-owned fishing lodge. | ||
| Bowen Lodge has been in operation and welcoming guests since 1925. | ||
| For the past four decades, Bill and Gail Haig and their family have operated Bowen Lodge, serving as great stewards of Lake Winney and providing incredible fishing and vacation memories for Minnesotans and other out-of-towners over these many years. | ||
| Currently, Bowen Lodge has a 20-year agreement with U.S. Forest Service to lease 17.5 acres of shoreline along the lake where they operate their marina. | ||
| Under the Hyges stewardship, Lake Winney has remained accessible to the citizens of Itasca County and the many people who visit. | ||
| Notably, the Hygues purchased extra acreage in 2021 after an out-of-state, excuse me, after an out-of-state mega resort developer sought to purchase a parcel of land, which would have changed the face of Lake Winney forever. | ||
| Now, Bowen Lodge is seeking to convey this extra acreage to the Chippewa National Forest. | ||
| It is in the best interest of the public that the Forest Service take stewardship of this land rather than out-of-state developers who may not prioritize public access for our local community. | ||
| Additionally, this land will make it easier for the Forest Service to access and responsibly maintain their other acreage in the area. | ||
| The bill before us today would facilitate the land exchange between Bowen Lodge and the Forest Service. | ||
| 17 acres of shoreline to Bowen Lodge so they can continue to operate their marina in exchange for 37 acres of nearby land to the Forest Service, which would then be added to the Chippewa National Forest. | ||
| This exchange would better align boundaries, put the right acreage under the right management, and ensure Minnesotans have the ability to boat, fish, and enjoy beautiful Lake Winney. | ||
| Thanks to the High's quick thinking and strong advocacy, our way of life will be preserved. | ||
| And I'm proud that this land exchange is supported by the local community in Itasca County, including the local county board of supervisors, who testified in support of the bill before the Natural Resources Committee last Congress, as well as the Mississippi Headwaters Board and other local environmental organizations. | ||
| It is also supported by the U.S. Forest Service and leadership of the Chippewa National Forest. | ||
| The House of Representatives passed this bill unanimously last September, but the Senate unfortunately the gentleman from Minnesota is recognized for an additional 30 seconds. | ||
|
Supporting Legislation for Northern Minnesota
00:02:15
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||
| The House of Representatives passed this bill unanimously last September, but the Senate unfortunately never took it up. | ||
| It's my hope that after this House passes the bill today, the Senate will quickly take it up and send this good piece of legislation to President Trump for his signature. | ||
| I urge my colleague to join me in supporting this legislation. | ||
| Madam Speaker, I yield back. | ||
| Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time. | ||
| I'm prepared to close and reserve the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentleman Reserves. | |
| The gentleman from California is recognized. | ||
| Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill and yield back. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentleman yields. | |
| The gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | ||
| Madam Speaker, this is a straightforward bill that benefits the people of northern Minnesota and our public lands. | ||
| I once again applaud Representative Stauber for his work on the legislation. | ||
| I urge the passage today and hope the Senate will take up this legislation quickly. | ||
| I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman yields. | |
| The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 197? | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended and the bill is passed. | ||
| and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. | ||
| For what purpose does the gentleman from Arkansas seek recognition? | ||
| Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 204. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The clerk will report the title of the bill. | |
| H.R. 204, a bill to require that the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior submit accurate reports regarding hazardous fuels reduction activities and for other purposes. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Pursuant to the rule of the gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Westerman, and the gentleman from California, Mr. Huffnan, will each control 20 minutes. | |
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas. | ||
| Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to add extraneous material on H.R. 204, the bill now under consideration. | ||
|
Accurate Forest Management Reporting
00:11:56
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|
unidentified
|
Without objection. | |
| Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentleman is recognized. | |
| I rise in strong support of Representative Tiffany's legislation, H.R. 204, the Accurately Counting Risk Elimination Solutions, or ACRES Act. | ||
| This is a common sense, good governance bill that will bring sorely needed transparency and accountability to the misleading way our federal land managers are tracking and reporting hazardous fuel treatments. | ||
| This month, wildfires in Southern California leveled entire communities and took the lives of at least 24 people. | ||
| Local residents forced to flee their homes described the scene as a war zone. | ||
| Unfortunately, the tragedies in Southern California are just the latest consequences on what has been a historic wildfire crisis, devouring an average of 7 million acres every year for the last two decades. | ||
| This alarming figure is more than double the annual losses seen during the 1990s. | ||
| This worsening problem is directly linked to insufficient forest management, which has created dangerous buildup of hazardous fuels in our forest. | ||
| Despite the clear need to confront this crisis head-on, federal land management agencies like the Forest Service are still failing to increase the pace and scale of their treatments. | ||
| Alarmingly, investigative reporting from NBC News found that the Forest Service is over-reporting the number of acres they treat, usually by over 20 percent. | ||
| But that's not all. | ||
| The same report found that overcounting was worse in areas of greater risk, such as California, where the total acres treated were overcounted by 35 percent in the wildland urban interface. | ||
| In one example, the Forest Service reported that they treated 744 acres of land when, in fact, only 173 acres of land had been treated. | ||
| This means that the Forest Service suggested to Congress and the public that they had done four times more work than they had actually accomplished. | ||
| This is unacceptable, particularly in an area where wildfire risk and the risk to communities and life is extremely high. | ||
| This inaccurate and misleading reporting results from the Forest Service counting the same piece of land towards its risk reduction goals multiple times if different treatments such as prescribed thinning and burning are completed on that land. | ||
| In some cases, the Forest Service counted the same parcel of land 30 times, meaning the agency reported to Congress that they reduced hazardous fuels on 30 acres when, in fact, only one acre received treatment. | ||
| This legislation simply requires the Forest Service to submit data to Congress annually that details their hazardous fuels reduction work by only counting each acre once, even if multiple treatments were performed. | ||
| This exact idea has been supported in reports from the Government Accountability Office and USDA's Office of Inspector General. | ||
| The fact that we even need to pass legislation to tell the Forest Service how to count makes it clear just how deep this problem runs when it comes to confronting our catastrophic wildfire crisis. | ||
| Holding our federal land managers accountable for their actual work on the ground is a good first step. | ||
| We need to improve the health of our nation's forests as we fight against these catastrophic wildfires, and this bill will help us do that. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentlemen Reserves, the gentleman from California is recognized. | |
| Thank you, Madam Speaker. | ||
| This bill will authorize the Forest Service Sorry, let me get to the right tab. | ||
| There we go. | ||
| The Forest Service manages millions of acres of forest land, including vital watersheds, critical wildlife habitats, and countless outdoor recreational areas. | ||
| And the Forest Service's 10-year wildlife crisis strategy implementation plan stresses the importance of fire-adapted landscapes and hazardous fuel treatments to build resilient forests. | ||
| These critical wildfire risk reduction projects are complex, multi-step processes requiring significant planning and investments often carried out over several years. | ||
| In order for these projects to operate effectively, we must receive accurate, transparent, and accessible data on how they are planned and implemented. | ||
| This bill proposes requiring the Forest Service and the Department of Interior to include in the President's annual budget a report on hazardous fuel activities carried out in a given fiscal year to account for each treated acre. | ||
| The ongoing reporting requirement would enhance transparency and accountability, providing critical information that could help guide investments in the management of our national forests, including how we deploy the historic funding for wildfire risk reduction efforts that were included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and in the Inflation Reduction Act, if we can hang on to that historic funding in the coming months. | ||
| I certainly support the bill for proposing the idea of an ongoing reporting requirement, but I want to clarify that the bill does not actually require or even authorize it. | ||
| The Congressional Budget Office found that the reporting requirements proposed by this bill would need significant funding, including for hiring 30 additional federal employees. | ||
| Now, I think that would be a worthwhile investment for wildfire risk reduction. | ||
| But these days, the Freedom Caucus tends to call the shots on these matters, and they don't allow us to consider bills that authorize that kind of money without spending reductions elsewhere. | ||
| So, what we have before us is a revised version of the bill, a workaround, that doesn't even authorize the reporting activities that it describes. | ||
| It's right there on the last page of the bill in all caps, no additional funds authorized. | ||
| You'll notice that the CBO score on this bill is now zero. | ||
| That's because the revised bill doesn't actually do anything. | ||
| Look, we need to do better than this. | ||
| We have a serious, real fire crisis in front of us. | ||
| We can't fight climate change with window dressing or thoughts and prayers. | ||
| I am going to support this bill because it doesn't do any harm and does bring attention to a good idea, but this is nowhere near enough. | ||
| I want to point out that the Biden-Harris administration achieved record acres of annual forest treatments thanks to the investments secured by House Democrats in both the IIJA and the IRA. | ||
| This includes vegetation management to reduce hazardous fuels and prescribed burns. | ||
| It's important work worth doing, and I look forward to continuing to work with the majority and the new administration if they're willing to make those investments. | ||
| We have to ensure that agencies have resources so they can continue reporting back with record-breaking numbers that we achieved under the last administration. | ||
| Unfortunately, this bill and the so-called Fix Our Forest bill that we'll be considering later this week simply fail to provide any resources. | ||
| Team Extreme might be unhappy with a bill that includes a price tag, but I guarantee that it would be far less than the cost of the mass destruction from fires that we're seeing in places like LA, and it's certainly worth the lives that would be saved. | ||
| I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Gentlemen Reserves, the gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | |
| Thank you, Madam Speaker, and I want to thank my friends across the aisle, Mr. Huffman and the minority, for supporting forestry bills, both small and large. | ||
| This is, I think, a small step in the right direction, and it shouldn't cost any more to report accurate data than to report inaccurate data. | ||
| And I look forward to passing this bill as well as some larger bills, like the Fix Our Forest Act, that we hope to have before the body this week. | ||
| With that, I want to yield two minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin, the lead sponsor of the bill, Mr. Tiffany. | ||
|
unidentified
|
The gentleman from Wisconsin is recognized for two minutes. | |
| Madam Speaker, in spite of what was just said on the other side of the aisle, I want to invite the gentleman from California. | ||
| He can get some good fishing in in northern Minnesota, good muskie fishing, but if you want the best, come to northern Wisconsin. | ||
| We got an invitation for you. | ||
| This bill will bring transparency, Mr. Speaker, to the misleading and inaccurate way hazardous fuel treatments are reported. | ||
| Decades of mismanagement of our federal lands have left our forests overstocked with trees and created tinderbox conditions, and we have long known the reported pace and scale of forest management has been insufficient to truly address our catastrophic forest health crisis. | ||
| There's a better way to actively manage our public lands, and that starts with holding our federal land management agencies accountable by requiring accurate reporting on the effectiveness of their work in fuel reduction. | ||
| According to troubling reports, the situation is even worse than we have been led to believe, as agencies have been overstating their treatments by over 20 percent. | ||
| Accurate reporting is necessary to broadly track the progress made on our larger wildfire mitigation targets as well as individual projects. | ||
| The Acres Act is a simple solution to hold our federal agencies accountable to see the actual work they are doing to reduce the enormous risk of wildfire. | ||
| American taxpayers deserve to know they are getting what they pay for. | ||
| This bill will help ensure that happens. | ||
| And, Mr. Speaker, this is a small step in what needs to be a number of steps to get back to active forest management to protect the life and health of our forests and the people that live around them in the United States of America. | ||
| I hope this incoming administration and this Congress are active in getting us back to active forest management here in America. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to vote yes, and I yield back. | ||
| The gentleman from Arkansas Reserves. | ||
| I have no further request for time, Mr. Speaker, and I continue to reserve. | ||
| The gentleman from California is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| We look forward to working with our friends across the aisle on the accounting issue that's been discussed here today. | ||
| Obviously, we want to make sure that the Forest Service is not taking advance credit for phases of projects that haven't happened yet. | ||
| I think that's, for the most part, what has happened that the gentleman from Arkansas identified. | ||
| I don't believe there's been any actual double or triple counting, but either way, we want it to be accurate, and we all need good, accurate data on that reporting. | ||
| So we'll work together on that. | ||
| In the meantime, I urge my colleagues to support this bill. | ||
| I have no other requests for time, and I will yield back. | ||
| The gentleman from California yields back. | ||
| The gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, as we continue to pray for communities across the nation that have been impacted by wildfire, we do need to put feet to our prayers to ensure that our forests are being properly managed. | ||
| The Acres Act is a step in the right direction and a common sense solution to a problem that really shouldn't even exist in the first place. | ||
| Before I close, I want to ask unanimous consent to include in the record an exchange of letters between the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Agriculture. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| Urge the adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman yields back. | ||
| The question is: will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 204? | ||
| Those in favor shall say aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the rule is suspended and the bill is passed. | ||
|
Wounded Knee Memorial Act
00:15:22
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| And without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. | ||
| What purpose? | ||
| The gentleman from Arkansas seek recognition. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 165. | ||
| The clerk will report the title of the bill. | ||
| H.R. 165, a bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to complete all actions necessary for certain land to be held in restricted fee status by the Okallala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe for other purposes. | ||
| Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Westerman, and the gentleman from California, Mr. Huffman, each will control 20 minutes. | ||
| The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members are given five legislative days to revise and extend the remarks and to add extraneous material on H.R. 165, the bill now under consideration. | ||
| Without objection. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| H.R. 165, the Wounded Knee Memorial and Sacred Site Act introduced by Congressman Johnson from South Dakota would place approximately 40 acres of fee land within the Pine Ridge Reservation into restricted fee status for the Ogallala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. | ||
| The land would be held as a memorial and is a sacred site in remembrance of the Indian people killed in the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890. | ||
| During the mid and late 1800s, several armed conflicts occurred between tribes, settlers, and the U.S. military on the Great Plains in the western United States. | ||
| This contributed to distrust, fear, and misconceptions between groups, and the Wounded Knee Massacre was a result of that atmosphere. | ||
| On December 29, 1980, a group of Lakota Indians led by Chief Spotted Elk made camp near Wounded Knee Creek on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. | ||
| U.S. Army 7th Cavalry troops were sent to disarm the Lakota. | ||
| A struggle occurred between the U.S. Army and some of Chief Spotted Elk's band, majority of which consisted of women and children. | ||
| A shot rang out and the U.S. Army opened fire on the largely unarmed group. | ||
| At the time, it was estimated that approximately 300 Indian people were killed. | ||
| In September 2022, the Ogallala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe jointly purchased 40 acres of land where an old trading post was located. | ||
| The piece of land also contains a portion of the area where the wounded knee massacre took place. | ||
| On October 21st, 2022, both tribes signed a covenant stating that this property shall be held and maintained as a memorial and sacred site without any economic development and prohibited any gaming on the land. | ||
| I applaud Mr. Johnson for working collaboratively with both tribes to develop H.R. 165, which would place the 40 acres into restricted fee status held jointly by both tribes and memorialize their covenant. | ||
| Restricted fee land contains the same restrictions against alienation and taxation as land held in trust, but the federal government does not hold title. | ||
| Instead, it will be held by the Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes. | ||
| This legislation and the land it sets aside will memorialize and honor the Indian men, women, and children who were killed in 1890. | ||
| Thank you again to the gentleman from South Dakota, Mr. Johnson, and the Ogallala, Sioux, and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes for their work in this important legislation. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support the bill and I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentlemen from Arkansas Reserve, gentlemen from California is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I rise in support of H.R. 165, the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act. | ||
| This is an important step to honor the Lakota lives lost at Wounded Knee and the Lakota people for generations to come. | ||
| The bill would place approximately 40 acres of land located within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation into restricted fee status for the Ogallala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. | ||
| This is land believed to be the site of the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre. | ||
| In the late 1800s, tribes began holding ghost dances for the renewal of stolen land and in protest of the U.S. government, which had prohibited American Indians from practicing their religious freedom. | ||
| In December of 1890, the government, our government, sent the Army's 7th Cavalry to disarm the Lakota near Wounded Knee Creek, and what resulted was a brutal massacre. | ||
| Troops murdered over 350 American Indian women, men, and children. | ||
| 25 U.S. soldiers were lost in that massacre as well. | ||
| The Wounded Knee Massacre was one of the most atrocious moments in our nation's history. | ||
| The dark side of that manifest destiny that was romanticized in the President's speech yesterday. | ||
| In 2022, the Ogallala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe purchased this land and signed a covenant to hold and maintain the land as a memorial and sacred site. | ||
| This bill would affirm that covenant and would allow the tribes to hold, maintain, and protect the land from any development. | ||
| I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentlemen from California Reserves, gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield five minutes to the gentleman from South Dakota, the lead sponsor of the bill, Mr. Johnson. | ||
| The gentleman from South Dakota is recognized for five minutes. | ||
|
unidentified
|
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | |
| Thank you to the chair and to the body for bringing up my bill, the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act, this afternoon. | ||
| This is the greatest country in the history of the world. | ||
| And we are a country that's that great, it is important that you acknowledge your failures and that you try to do better in the future. | ||
| As has been said in December 1890, Chief Spotted Elk and his band of Lakota, which largely consisted of women and children, were headed from the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. | ||
| While they were en route, they were stopped by the Army's 7th Cavalry and they were forced to make camp at Wounded Knee Creek. | ||
| It was the next morning, December 29, 1890, that the 7th Cavalry began to disarm the Lakota. | ||
| There was a struggle. | ||
| A shot ran out. | ||
| And before people realized it, there were hundreds of Lakota being massacred, the majority of which, the overwhelming majority of which, were non-combatants, women, and children. | ||
| On the 100th anniversary of Wounded Knee, this body made a formal apology and expressed deep regret for what had happened that day. | ||
| Another important step forward was in October of 2022 when the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe jointly purchased that 40 acres that is the site of the 1890 massacre. | ||
| So, this bill very simply places those 40 acres into restricted fee status, which is in essence putting it into trust. | ||
| My bill ensures that those two tribes working together can protect this land as sacred without any commercial development and they can retain their sovereignty to manage that land appropriately. | ||
| It was last Congress that I told you all about my trip to the massacre site in June of 2023. | ||
| It was there I spoke at length to an older gentleman whose grandmother had survived the massacre that day. | ||
| He, with his own ears, had heard the oral history of the terrible tragedy that occurred that day. | ||
| I then went and visited St. John's Church, where the Lakota had taken their wounded to treat their injuries. | ||
| Their blood, the blood of the survivors, stained the floorboards in the church that day. | ||
| And the wounds of that dark day remain present to this day, and this land is sacred. | ||
| And I do think this action, this cooperation between the two tribes and our federal government, will make sure that we do right as much as we can in the wake of that tragedy. | ||
| And so, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the Wounded Knee descendants. | ||
| To thank Oglala Sioux Tribal Chairman Frank Starr's come out, come out. | ||
| Comes out Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Chairman Ryman Labeau for their teamwork in advancing this legislation. | ||
| Last Congress, this bill passed unanimously out of this body. | ||
| And I would just ask my colleagues to again vote for H.R. 165, the Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act, so that we can provide the Oglala and the Cheyenne River tribes the authority they need to protect this land. | ||
| And with that, I would yield back. | ||
| The gentleman yields back. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. | ||
| I'm prepared to close and continue to reserve. | ||
| The gentleman from Arkansas Reserves, gentlemen from California is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I thank the gentleman from South Dakota for this bill, urge my colleagues to support it and yield back. | ||
| Gentleman from California, yield back. | ||
| Gentlemen from Arkansas is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, this legislation will further allow the Lakota people to memorialize and honor their relatives and ancestors killed in the wounded knee massacre. | ||
| It gives the land or gives the title of the land to both the Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe while ensuring that the land has the protections provided by restrictions against alienation and taxation. | ||
| I want to again commend my friend from South Dakota for bringing us this bill. | ||
| I urge the adoption and yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentleman yields back. | ||
| The question is, will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 165? | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the rule for what purpose, gentlemen from Arkansas, Mr. Speaker, I request the yays and the nays. | ||
| The yays and nays are requested. | ||
| All those in favor of taking the vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing. | ||
| A sufficient number having risen, the yays and nays are ordered. | ||
| Pursuant to clause 8 of Rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. | ||
| Purpose of gentlemen from Arkansas seek recognition. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 375. | ||
| The clerk will report the title of the bill. | ||
| H.R. 375, a bill to require the Secretary of the Interior to partner and collaborate with the Secretary of Agriculture and the State of Hawaii to address rapid OHIA death and for other purposes. | ||
| Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Westman, and the gentleman from California, Mr. Hoffman, each will control 20 minutes. | ||
| The chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I ask that all members be given five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to add extraneous material on H.R. 375, the bill now under consideration. | ||
| Without objection? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. | ||
| The gentleman is recognized. | ||
| Representative Takuta's legislation, the Continued Rapid OHIA Death Response Act of 2025, is important legislation that directs the Secretary of Interior, Interior to partner and collaborate with the Secretary of Agriculture in the state of Hawaii to address rapid OHIA death. | ||
| Rapid OHIA death is a fungal disease that has ravaged Hawaii's OHIA tree population. | ||
| The OHIA tree is important ecologically and culturally to Hawaii. | ||
| OHIA has play an important role in regulating water flow in addition to preventing soil erosion. | ||
| If the loss of OHIA trees continues, there could be significant economic impacts, including lost tourism revenue and increased water treatment and erosion control costs. | ||
| Unfortunately, there is currently no cure that can help the afflicted trees. | ||
| H.R. 375 helps address rapid OHIA death by focusing federal and state agencies' efforts on detection, prevention, and restoration to combat this disease. | ||
| I want to thank Representative Takuta for her work on this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentlemen from Arkansas Reserve, gentlemen from California is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I rise in support of the continued Rapid OHIA Death Response Act introduced by my colleague from Hawaii, Representative Jill Takuta. | ||
| We worked on this bill last Congress. | ||
| Unfortunately, it didn't make it all the way across the finish line, but I want to thank Chair Westerman and my colleagues across the aisle for agreeing to schedule a vote early in this new Congress to keep the momentum going. | ||
| This legislation is vital. | ||
| It addresses an urgent need to combat rapid OHIA death, which has already led to the loss of over 1 million native OHIA trees in Hawaii just since 2014, when this harmful fungus was discovered. | ||
| The significance of these trees can't be overstated. | ||
| They're Hawaii's most abundant native tree. | ||
| They play a critical role in preserving the state's unique biodiversity and protecting its native ecosystems. | ||
| It is essential that we take immediate action to prevent further devastation and ensure the survival of this iconic species. | ||
| This bill emphasizes the need for research and aid to enhance our understanding of this deadly fungus and explore innovative solutions to combat its impact. | ||
| It also fosters collaboration between federal agencies, the state of Hawaii, and local stakeholders. | ||
| This comprehensive approach will help mitigate the threat of this disease and protect Hawaii's native forests and ecosystems, safeguarding these treasured and ecologically vital trees for future generations and preserving the unique ecosystems enriched by a diversity that make our nation so exceptional. | ||
| I want to thank Representative Takuda for her leadership and tenacity on this critical issue, and I urge my colleagues to vote yes on the bill. | ||
| I reserve the balance of my time. | ||
| The gentleman from California Reserve, Gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I have no further request for time. | ||
| I'm prepared to close in reserve. | ||
| The gentleman from Arkansas Reserve, Gentleman from California is recognized. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlelady from Hawaii. | ||
| The gentlelady from Hawaii is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| I rise today in strong support of H.R. 375, the Continued Rapid OHIA Death Response Act of 2025. | ||
| The Ohia Lehua tree forms the backbone of Hawaii's forests and watersheds, making up 80% of our native forests. | ||
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Ohia Lehua's Ecological Crisis
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| It is the very first tree that you will see spring up from a recent lava flow. | ||
| It grows from sea level to 8,000 feet above, and it protects our communities by literally holding up our mountains from eroding, keeping them together. | ||
| Ohia Lehua also provides critical habitat for Hawaii's federally endangered forest birds and many other culturally important species. | ||
| These trees are a keystone species in Hawaii's forests, and it is catastrophic to see its decline. | ||
| It has the potential to trigger major imbalances in our ecosystems that would impact watersheds, cultural traditions, natural resources, and the safety and quality of life of our people. | ||
| Because of the vital role they play in maintaining Hawaii's forest canopies and watershed, rapid OHIA death, or rod, poses an existential threat to the ecological balance of our islands and the everyday life of our people. | ||
| Initially reported in 2010, rod has already spread to tens of thousands of acres and killed over a million trees on Hawaii island alone. | ||
| So if you've visited the big island of Hawaii where our volcano erupts from time to time, literally we have lost a million trees just on that island. | ||
| Large swaths of dead ohia trees leave environments more prone to habitat, modifying noxious weeds, and trees like miconia and strawberry guava, all of which are known to harm watershed health and alter ecosystem functions. | ||
| Efforts to contain rod have also failed to prevent its spread to the islands of Oahu, Kauai, and Maui. | ||
| With no known cure for rod, it has the potential to kill off OHIA trees statewide and devastate our island ecosystems. | ||
| In addition to its impacts on delicate native ecosystems, Rod has the potential to create deadly consequences for our local residents and visitors alike. | ||
| The death of tens of thousands of acres of native forest, turning them into brittle tinder, creates acres of deadly firefuel for wildfires that pose a growing threat to our communities. | ||
| You know, one of the things that people love about Hawaii is the greenery and the vegetation in and around our communities. | ||
| But tragically, we know all too well the risks that come when our greenery and vegetation are no longer green and the consequences that can happen as a result of fire. | ||
| Despite the dire implications of ROD on Hawaii's natural resources and communities, federal support for combating ROD has been extremely limited. | ||
| For example, the Lion Arboretum, a local research facility on Oahu, relied on funding through GoFundMe campaign to further the vital seed banking for O'Hea Lehua. | ||
| My bill, the Continued Rapid OHIA Death Response Act, seeks to address ROD and the urgent threat that it presents. | ||
| The bill requires the Department of the Interior to partner and collaborate with the Department of Agriculture and the State of Hawaii to address ROD. | ||
| It also supports ongoing detection, prevention, and restoration efforts to combat rapid ojia death. | ||
| By empowering the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to fully assist the state of Hawaii in its ROD efforts, we can begin to not only more effectively prevent the spread of rod, but move to restoring native forests throughout our state. | ||
| I want to very much thank and send our sincerest mahalos to Chairman Westerman, Ranking Member Huffman, and their staff, especially the federal lands team, for their support, assistance, and continued prioritization of this very important bill. | ||
| We cannot afford to wait. | ||
| We cannot afford to stand alone and continue to lose our native forests in Hawaii. | ||
| They protect and sustain our people and provide critical habitat for native species. | ||
| This bill can also help to turn the tide in the fight against rapid OHIA death and, in doing so, protect and preserve Ohia Lehua and Hawaii's unique ecosystems for our future generations. | ||
| Thank you again to all who have supported our bill and I urge my colleagues to join me in voting yes. | ||
| Mahalo, Mr. Speaker, and I yield back. | ||
| The gentlewoman yields back. | ||
| The gentleman from California. | ||
| I have no further requests and will yield the balance of my time. | ||
| Thank you. | ||
| The gentleman yields back. | ||
| The gentleman from Arkansas is recognized. | ||
| Thank you, Mr. Speaker. | ||
| Again, I want to thank the gentlelady from Hawaii, Ms. Takuda, for her work on this bill. | ||
| Mr. Speaker, you know, before a lot was understood about the science of forestry, Teddy Roosevelt, maybe our original conservationist in America, he understood that trees were the lungs of the earth. | ||
| They breathe in carbon dioxide, they breathe out oxygen. | ||
| But he also understood that trees are kind of like the kidneys of the earth. | ||
| They're extremely important to protect watersheds. | ||
| They're extremely important to maintain our ecosystems. | ||
| And it's what we're looking at today with the OHIA tree and the importance that it has to Hawaii's ecosystem, to the people there, and to the economy. | ||
| When we talk about an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, figuring out what's happening to these trees and stopping that will save tens of millions, if not billions, of dollars in the future if damage is done to the watershed there in Hawaii. | ||
| It's another example of how having healthy, resilient forests benefit everyone. | ||
| We're not necessarily talking about wildfire. | ||
| We're not talking about a tree that has timber value, but it has tremendous value in the ecosystem and the economy there in Hawaii. | ||
| This legislation, again, will help focus federal and state resources on conserving one of Hawaii's most important species. | ||
| Before I close, I want to ask unanimous consent to include in the record an exchange of letters between the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Agriculture. | ||
| Without objection? | ||
| And again, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time. | ||
| Gentleman yields back. | ||
| The question is: Will the House suspend the rules and pass the bill H.R. 375? | ||
| Those in favor say aye. | ||
| Aye. | ||
| Those opposed, no. | ||
| In the opinion of the chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the rule are suspended. | ||
| For what purpose, gentlemen from Arkansas, seeker? | ||
| Mr. Speaker, I request the yays and the nays. | ||
| The yays and nays are requested. | ||
| All those in favor of taking the vote by the yays and nays will rise and remain standing and be counted. | ||
| A sufficient number having risen, and the yays and nays are ordered. | ||
| Pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. | ||
| Pursuant to clause 12A of Rule 1, the chair declares the House in recess until approximately 6:30 p.m. today. | ||
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Today in the House, lawmakers are debating several measures out of the Natural Resources Committee. | |
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Bills for a Born Failed Child
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Votes have been set for 6:30 p.m. this evening. | |
| Now, later in the week, members will take up legislation on forest management and wildfire prevention in response to the wildfires in California. | ||
| Also, on the agenda, a bill to coincide with the upcoming March for Life, requiring medical care for a child born after a failed abortion. | ||
| And the lower chamber will consider the final version of the Lake and Riley Act, which requires the Homeland Security Department to detain migrants for theft-related crimes. | ||
| Watch live coverage of the U.S. House when members return here on C-SPAN. | ||
| If you ever miss any of C-SPAN's coverage, you can find it anytime online at c-span.org. | ||