the chair: on this vote, the yeas are 181, the nays are 28235, the amendment is not adopt the question is on the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the amendment is adopted. accordingly, under the rule, the committee rises. the speaker pro tempore: mr. chairman. the chair: mr. speaker, the committee of the whole house on the state of the union has had 4768 consideration h.r. and reports the bill back to the house with amendments adopted in -- adopted in the committee of the whole. the speaker pro tempore: the chair of the committee of the

whole house on the state of the union reports the committee has had under consideration the bill h.r. 4768 and pursuant to house resolution 796 reports the bill back to the house with an adopted in the committee of the whole. under the rule, the previous question is ordered. the adoption is on the adoption of the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the amendment is agreed to. the question is on engrossment and third reading of the bill. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. third reading. the clerk: a bill to amend title 5, united states code, with respect to the judicial review of agency interpretations of statutory and regulatory provisions. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the house will be in order. members will please remove their conversations from the house floor. the house will be in order. he house will be in order.

for what purpose does the gentleman from massachusetts seek recognition? >> i have a motion to recommit at the desk. the speaker pro tempore: is the gentleman opposed to the bill? >> i am in its current form. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report. the clerk: mr. keating of massachusetts moves to report the bill back to the committee worth withwith the following amendments, page 3, line 11, insert of extent necessary the following, except as otherwise provided in this section. page four, line 3, insert at the end of the line, except for firearms transfers to criminals and suspected terrorists. section 5 of united states code is further amended by adding at

thed on the following, c, in the case of a rule made by the attorney general regarding the national firearms system including the denial of firearms to international or domestic terrorism suspect the extent necessary to decision and when presented the reviewing court shall decide all relevant questions of law, interpret constitution and and statutory provisions and determine the meaning or applicability of the terms of an agency action. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the house will be in order. members will remove their conversations from the house floor. the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized for five minutes. mr. keating: thank you, mr. speaker. my amendment doesn't delay or send back the underlying bill. it does, however, deny firearms transfers to international

domestic terror suspects. mr. speaker, before i came to this congress, i was a prosecutor. i was a district attorney. under massachusetts law, i was individually responsible for investigating every death in my district for foul play. many times i was in a violent crime scene where families had lost a son or daughter a brother or sister, mother or father. every time i would meet with these families after these terrible tragedies, if not at the crime scene, then at the hospital, or at their home, or in my office. what was the first thing i told them after telling them how sorry i was for this tragedy? i think every single person in this chamber knows what i told them because i sincerely believe that every member in this

chamber would say the same thing if they were in that position. i've come to know you, i've come to learn about you, and i sincerely believe that you would ask this very same question. that question is if there is anything, anything at all that i can do for you, please let me now. there were a few -- there were few if any more helpless feelings i've ever felt in my life than during those moments. never did i want to do so much, yet felt powerless to do so little. even years after a conviction, during the appeals process, the family members would talk when we would meet as if it were yesterday. the talk about things like how or somell kept a jersey jeans in a drawer at home because they didn't want to let

go of a memory of a son who would never wear these clothes again. whether it was their faith in god or being strong for their family, they somehow went on. i never have witnessed courage quite like theirs. invariably, there was one thing they did ask me, every single family that i can remember. they said, please do everything you can so that another family doesn't go through what we are going through. my team did everything we could so those criminals we prosecuted do not do what they did to another person. again -- do not do what they did to another person again. isn't that what we're being asked to do in this congress. we all realize there's no single way to prevent every gun death,

but we can reduce them. some of the hardest cases i witnessed were motor vehicle homicide cases. lives snatched away in an ince stand. yet decades ago congress worked together to reduce the number of deaths on the road. they worked together for safer roads, safer cars, with air beings and infant seats. by 1972, over 54,000 people were killed on the road in this country. yet four decades later, that number went down by 40%, all the while americans drive manager miles than they ever had any time before. the very same thing can be achieved with universal background checks. limiting the sales of assault weapons. restricting access of deadly

weapons to those on the terror watch list. so families are asking us, because we're the only ones they , do everything that you can. so that another family doesn't go through what they went through. we can keep guns out of the hands of terrorists, and we will. 90% of the public supports these actions. we will protect these families and we will save lives. we're the only ones that are there to prosecute this case. i respectfully, and i mean respectfully, call for your help , it can't come soon enough. mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman from massachusetts yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? >> mr. chairman, i rise in opposition to the motion. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. collins: i yield myself such time as i may consume. there are real discussions that we are having here. and i understand the passion and the forthrightness with what has been delivered just now and the asking of this motion to recommit. but also i want to remind members on both sides of the aisle the underlying bill and the very principle why we're here. the very principle behind the bill we're dealing with goes back, even right now in a couple of months there'll be young boys and girls going back to the classrooms, going back to their schoolrooms, they'll be learning about this wonderful place calls washington, d.c. they'll be learning about their founders. and they'll be learning about the constitution where it says there's a president that we're going to elect this november. and there's an executive branch that carries out the laws. there's a legislative branch,

us, that makes the laws. and there's a judicial branch that interprets the law. now what is happening here today, and we can talk about a lot of things but let's focus for a moment on what we're going to vote on. in this country the regulatory burden has become crippling on our economy. it is tearing us apart. in jobs, in creation, in the things we have. right now, more law is being made downtown in cubicles than right here in congress. my question for you today is, if you want to be making law from cubicles then get out from the cubicles, pay your qualifying fee and run for congress. don't keep bringing it up like this. because congress has to assert its right in making the laws. what this bill takes into account is this. unfortunately the judiciary has decided to side with the executive. than doctrine, called the chevron, gives deference to the very agencies that makes the

rules and regulations. it's very simple here. we can be distracted on a motion to recommit at this point or we can go back and say this, congress still matters. the election cycles still matters. the founders were right, there are three branches of government, not one that wants to tear down and do whatever they want, no matter. they need three branches, vote no on the motion to recommit, vote yes on the bill, i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia yields back. without objection, the previous question is ordered. the question is on the motion to recommit. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the noes have it. the motion is dot nopted. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. keating: i demand the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having risen, the yeas and nays are ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. pursuant to clause 9 of rule 20, this five-minute vote on the motion to recommit will be followed by a five-minute vote on passage of the bill, if ordered. this is a five-minute vote.

[captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 169. the nays are 236. the motion is not adopted. the question is on passage of the bill. those in favor, please say no. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the bill is passed.

he gentleman from georgia. a recorded vote is requested. those favoring a recorded vote will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote, the yeas are 240, the nays are 171. the bill is passed. without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from louisiana seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent that representative polis of colorado be removed as co-sponsor of h.r. 545. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. without objection the title of .r. 4768 is amended.

for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent that the committee on foreign afwares discharged from further consideration of house concurrent resolution 142 and ask for its immediate consideration in the house. the speaker pro tempore: clerk will report the title of the concurrent resolution. the clerk: house concurrent resolution 142, supporting the bid of los angeles, california, to bring the 2024 summer olympic games to the united states and pledging the cooperation of congress with respect to that bid. the speaker pro tempore: is there objection to the consideration of the concurrent resolution? without objection the concurrent resolution is agreed to and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? mr. royce: i ask unanimous consent that the committee on foreign affairs be discharged from further consideration of house resolution 374 and ask for its immediate consideration in the house. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 374, reck nicing the 50th anniversary of singaporian independence, reaffirming singapore's close partnership with the united states. mr. royce: i have an amendment to the text of the resolution at he desk. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the amendment. the clerk: strike all after the resolving clause and insert the following. at the house of representatives -- that the house of representatives, one, affirms he importance -- mr.

>>: i ask unanimous consent to dispense with the reading. i have an amendment to the preamble at the desk. the speaker pro tempore: without objection the amendment is agreed to, without objection the amendment is agreed to. the clerk will report the preamble.to the the clerk: whereas the republic of singapore became indent in -- >> i ask unanimous consent to dispense with the reading. the speaker pro tempore: without objection the amendment to the preamble is agreed to and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. mr. royce: thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: without bjection, the title amended. for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition?

>> i ask unanimous consent to speak from the speaker's table h.r. 4394, the captive act, as reported by the committee on the judiciary and ask for its immediate consideration in the house. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 4394, a bill to amend the terrorism risk insurance act to allow for the use of certain assets, foreign persons and entities to satisfy certain judgments against terrorist parties and for other purposes. mr. goodlatte: i ask unanimous consent that the read being dispensed with. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. is there objection to the consideration of the bill? if not the clerk will report the committee amendment. the clerk: strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following. section 1, short title. mr. goodlatte: i ask unanimous consent that the read being dispensed. with the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the reading is dispensed. with the amendment is agreed to. the bill is engrossed, read a third time, passed and think motion to reconsider is laid on

the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition? mr. goodlatte: i ask unanimous consent that the committee on the judiciary beties charged from further consideration of s. 2840, the police act, as referred to -- as referred in the house and ask for its immediate consideration in the house. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 2840, an act to amend the omnibus act of 1968 to authorize cops grantees to use grant funds for active shooter training and for other purpose. the speaker pro tempore: is there objection to consideration of the bill? without objection, the bill is read a third time and passed. the motion to reconsider is laid n the table.

for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 5538 , that i may include tabular material on the same. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. pursuant to house resolution 820 and rule 18, the chair declares the house in the committee of the whole house on the state of the union for consideration of h.r. 5538. the chair appoints the gentleman from illinois, mr. hultgren, to preside over the committee of the whole. the chair: the house is in the committee of the whole house on the state of the union for consideration of h.r. 5538 which the clerk will report by title. the clerk: a bill making

appropriationers in department of interior, environment and related agenciers in fiscal year ending september 30, 2017, and for other purposes. the chair: pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered read ethe first time. the gentleman, mr. calvert, and the gentlewoman from minnesota, ms. mccollum, each will control 30 minutes. mr. calvert: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the -- the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. calvert: i'm pleased to bring to the floor h.r. 5538, the 2016 interior, environment agencies bill. i want to personally thank chairman rogers for his leadership an support. i want to thank our good friend and ranking member, ms. mccollum, for her partnership and work on this bill and wish her a very happy birthday. finally, i want to thank each of our subcommittee members for their assistance and hard work on those -- on the legislation before us. the fiscal year 2017 interior nvironmental bill is funded at

$32.095 billion, $46 million below the 2016 enacted level, $1 billion below the request. it has provided robust wild fire funding in this bill. fire suppression accounts fully funded at the 10 year average level which rose by $133 million from last year. the committee also addressed concerns about forest health and active forest management and provided a $30 million increase for hazardous fuels. this bill also makes critical investments in indian country. overall funding for the bureau of indian affairs and education has increased by $72 million or 3% while funding for the indian health service is increased by $271 million or 6% from fiscal year 2016 levels. this is the largest increase in this bill. the bill provides for $2.9

billion for the national park service including more than $65 million in new funding to address the maintenance backlog and other priorities related to the park services centennial. the bill provides $480 million to fully fund payment in lieu of taxes in fiscal year 2017. we've also addressed a number of concerns within the fish and wildlife service. the bill continues funding for popular grant programs but also provides adegreesal funds to combat international wildlife trafficking, protect fish from cuts and closures, continues funding to fight inveigh usive species and reduce the back log of species that are recovered but not yet delisted. the bill provides $322 million for the land and water conservation fund, programs that enjoy broad, bipartisan support. funding for e.p.a. is reduced by

$164 million from fiscal year 2016 enacted levels. again this year, there's a great deal of concern over the number of regulatory actions being pursued by e.p.a. in the absence of legislation and without clear congressional direction. for this reason, the bill includes a number of provisions to stop unnecessary and damaging regulatory overreach by the agency. before closing, i'd like to make an additional point about the challenges facing flint, michigan, and other communities across the country, adressing lead in drinking water. this is an issue of great concern to the committee members. it is not a partisan issue. what occurred in flint has called greater attention to aging infrastructure and the need for prudent management and oversight of water systems. this bill provides targeted investments and prioritizes resources that will help the e.p.a. and michigan respond to flint and help other states and

communities address the needs of their water systems. the bill provides an increase of $207 million above fiscal year 2016 enacted level for the drinking water state resolving fund. it also includes $15 million for the new water infrastructure finance innovation, otherwise known as wiffia program which may be leveraged through direct federal loans or loan guarantees to fund up to $.5 billion worth of water infrastructure projects nationwide. in addition, the bill provides increases for state grants for improved state oversight and operations of drinking water systems and for communities to work on integrated plans for pipe replacement. the bill also directs the g.a.o. to assess the number of lead service lines by state. lastly, the committee is taking an additional step to provide relief for communities like flint by including bill language

that allows states to use state revolving fund dollars to forgive a portion of the community's outstanding loans. this and other steps taken in this bill will have a real impact. in closing, i want to thank the staff on both sides for their hard work on this bill, on the minority side, i'd like to thank rita, jocelyn, joe, and rebecca, their work is very much appreciated. en the majority side, i'd like to thank our subcommittee staff, isten, jackie, betsy, jason, darren, and of course our chief clerk, dave. i'd also like to thank ian, rebecca, olie, tricia on my personal staff and my chief of staff, david ramey. mr. chairman, this is a good bill and it deserves member support. thank you, mr. chairman, and

with that, i'll reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. mccollum: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the chair: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. mccollum: i would like to thank chairman calvert for the warm birthday wishes, but i'd also like to thank the chairman and his staff for their open and collaborative approach and the wonderful staff on the democratic side who will be helping me this evening. this subcommittee has had a challenging portfolio of issues and i commend the chairman's effort to find solutions in another difficult budget year this year's subcommittee held 14 budget hearings, four of which involved native american indians and native alaskans. the testimony provided by the 209 witnesses clearly articulated the serious need for programs and services underneath this subcommittee's jurisdiction. unfortunately, the f.y. 2017

subcommittee allocation is $64 less than last year's enacted level. this means the needs of many important programs vital to protecting our national -- our nation's natural and cultural resources will not, will not be met as they far outpace the stagnant allegation. -- allocation. within the constrained top line number difficult choices had to be made and sadly the majority cut important programs to protect america's public and conserve our natural resources. the the most significant cut is in the environmental protection agency which was slashed by $164 million. this cut will impact the agency's ability to protect human health and the health of our environment and to ensure clean air and clean water for our families and future generations. this year, the critical need for the e.p.a. was unmistakable

as our nation watched a tragedy unfold in flint, michigan, where children were poisoned by lead in their drinking water. so i find it difficult to reconcile the cuts recommended in this bill with the public health challenges faced by this country. flint is an accumulation of years of weakening the e.p.a. through budget cuts and overreliance on state agencies to manage federal environmental laws. all of our communities deserve and expect their government to provide clean water and basic public health protections. especially in light of flint, i must strongly object to the majority's decision to reduce unding for clean water by $394 million, which is 28% below the 2016 enacted level. clean water and safe drinking water go hand in hand, and you cannot have one without the other. the residents of flint were

betrayed by their state they ment and to this day don't have safe drinking water coming from their tap. the reinvolving funds are inadequate to -- the revovlving funds are inadequate to deal with this. in addition to the irresponsible cuts to the e.p.a., i'm also troubled by the 30% reduction to the endangered species listing. reducing funding for this program opens the door for litigation, delays protecting and recovering vulnerable species. the bill also shortchanges the land and water conservation fund, which since its inception has protected conservation and recreation land in every state and is supported by tens of thousands of state and local projects. yet, despite its merit, this bill slashes the land and water conservation fund program by a

third. despite this bill's shortcomings in the environmental protection and resource and conservation area, i do, however, want to express how very proud i am of this subcommittee's nonpartisan approach to addressing the issues facing our native american brothers and sisters, and i am pleased this bill recommends an increase of $343 million for programs critical to indian country. however, i would be remiss if i did not point out, even with this increase, the funding for native american programs is still $172 million less than the administration's request. native american and alaskan native populations face substantial hardships when compared to total populations. they have poor health, lower earnings and higher rates of poverty. so we must continue to work together with our efforts to support these communities. while i applaud this bill for

maintaining our commitment to provide native american students to safe schools and fully funding contract support costs so that tribes are not penalized for exercising their self-determination rights, another bright spot in this bill is the continued support for the national parks centennial initiative. the bill recommends $80 million for the centennial, which will strengthen the foundation for visitor services and make essential infrastructure investment. and i'm also pleased that an additional $3 million is provided to the civil rights initiative grant program, funding that's included for grants and historical black colleges and universities. i especially would like to thank the chairman for working with me to resurrect the save america's treasures program. this program funds and preserves nationally significant sites, structures and artifacts. i am very proud that working together we were able to

restart this program, and i will work diligently with the chairman to make sure it's included in the final bill. but unfortunately, this bill neglects to act on many other opportunities to wisely invest in taxpayers' dollars, so i am frustrated that the majority has effectively left $1.2 billion on the table by not adopting the commonsense reforms championed by chairman simpson in his wildlife disaster funding bill. every member of the interior subcommittee is a co-sponsor of that bill, democrat and republican alike. yet, once again the majority -- balked nd committee jurisdiction. however, those jurisdictional issues did not hinder the majority, including dozens of harmful legislative riders. i must express my concern and disappointment with the 38 partisan riders in this bill. he number is outrageous, and

it is pandering to special interests at the expense of the public good. for example, the bill contains a provision that would reverse safety improvements developed following the deepwater horizon tragedy. 11 lives were lost in that explosion, so i must express my clear dismay that this bill puts the profits of big oil companies ahead of workers' safety. the provision that seeks to turn back protections for endangered species, restricts greenhouse gas emissions, undermine clean water and clean air protections do not belong in this bill. i appreciate the efforts to help democratic priorities in this bill. however, i still can't support this bill as drafted. despite my current opposition, it is my clear intention to continue working with chairman calvert through this year's appropriations process to

produce a responsible bill that both parties can support. and you have my word on that, chairman. with that, mr. chair, i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentlewoman from minnesota reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. calvert: mr. chairman, i'd like to yield whatever time to the full committee chairman whatever he may consume. the chair: the gentleman from kentucky is recognized. mr. rogers: i thank the chairman for yielding. mr. chairman, i rise today to support this fifth of the 12 bills that are -- have been considered on the floor. this morning, the committee marked up the 11th of the 12 bills, and tomorrow the committee on appropriations ill mark up the 12th bill. so that those bills are ready for floor action. we would have been well on the way to completing all these bills on the floor but for the abbreviated legislative year in

which we found ourselves. because of the conventions and other legislation. this bill provides nearly $32.1 billion for agencies charged with managing and protecting our natural resources and our federal lands as well as native american programs and other independent agencies. within this total, $3.9 billion is dedicated to fighting devastating wildfires, fully funding the 10-year average and increasing funding for programs that help prevent fires from happening in the first place. the bill increases funding for our commitments to american indians and alaskan natives, addressing public safety, health and education, among other important services. for our rural communities that have nontaxable federal lands

and as a result face huge budget shortfalls that would hurt local functions, the bill provides full funding for the payments in lieu of taxes program. this legislation also makes good use of the congressional power of the purse, cutting the e.p.a. by $164 million and slashing its regulatory programs to help stop this administration's heavy-handed, onerous, regulatory agenda. communities across the country rely on coal and other energy production for good jobs and hardworking americans expect reasonable energy bills to take care of their families. relief from the e.p.a.'s job-killing regulations is paramount to the economic growth that our country desperately needs right now. so i'm proud that bill takes the necessary steps to cut this

red tape. this includes prohibiting funds to change the definition of waters under the federal water pollution control act or to enforce the proposed stream buffer rule. legislation also bars the e.p.a. from implementing new greenhouse gas regulations on power plants and provides flexibility for states to implement new ozone standards. in all, mr. chairman, this is a balanced bill. it invests taxpayer dollars in the right priorities and protects against the administration's harmful regulatory policies, helping to ensure a brighter future for our nation. i want to congratulate and thank the chairman of the subcommittee, mr. calvert has done a wonderful job constructing this bill. it's a good bill that deserves all of our support, and i urge an aye vote. i yield back. the chair: the gentleman from kentucky yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from california reserves.

the gentlewoman from minnesota is recognized. ms. mccollum: mr. chairman, i yield four minutes to the gentlelady from new york, mrs. lowey, the ranking member of the full subcommittee of appropriations. the chair: the gentlewoman from new york is recognized for four minutes. mrs. lowey: thank you, chairman calvert, ranking member mccollum and chairman rogers for your work on this bill. the bill before us would provide $32.095 billion for the department of interior and environmental protection agency, a decrease of $64 million from the enacted level and a staggering $1 billion below the president's request. as a result, the bill contains serious shortcomings. the drastic underfunding of the e.p.a., the agency tasked with protecting public health and safety with a cut of $164 million from already inadequate funding levels would decimate

its operating budget. the crisis in flint is a horrifying reminder that we cannot afford to starve the e.p.a. 8,000 children under the age of 6 have likely been exposed to lead contamination. the long-term impacts of that exposure is severe and will not d when the water is clean, decades or even a lifetime of difficult may plague those affected. considering the severity of the flint water crisis, i am shocked that this bill would cut the clean water state revolving fund. if the tragedy in flint has shown us anything, it's that we must invest in our nation's infrastructure. perhaps of greatest concern is the inclusion of partisan and dangerous policy riders. yet, again this year, these controversial riders imperil

the appropriations process. these include blocking the administration's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, stopping the e.p.a. from implementing its lead renovation, repair and painting rule, preventing the e.p.a. from protecting millions of at-risk children from increased exposure to lead and once again, attacking the endangered species act, putting politics above science and jeopardizing the protection of precious species. neither democrats in congress nor president obama will agree to poison pill riders that cause harm to our environment and public health. i can see there are a few positive elements in the bill, namely, an $80 billion increase to the -- $80 million increase o the national park centennial

and also moneys for historically black colleges and universities. unfortunately, these are not enough to redeem the entire bill, and i must urge my colleagues to vote against it. thank you and i yield back. the chair: the gentlewoman from new york yields back the balance of her time. the gentlewoman from minnesota reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. calvert: i yield two minutes to the gentleman from utah, the full committee chairman of the natural resources. the chair: the gentleman from utah is recognized for two minutes. mr. bishop: thank you, mr. chairman. you know, this is not an easy budget area. in fact, it's a very complex one, but this committee, subcommittee has worked to produce what i believe is one of the best bills we have seen in years in this particular area. is it perfect? of course not, but it does move the ball forward. it moves us forward, and i appreciate the efforts on the part of chairman calvert, especially to work with us and the authorizing committee to try and see if we can coordinate many of these programs that are in here because it's important to

realize that this appropriation bill is not just about programs of the government. every one of these programs affects people, and if we are not moving it forward so that the people are helped instead of harmed, then we're doing something that's very my optic and we put -- myonic and we put blinders on -- myopic and we put blinders on. this bill will do programs that will assist and help people, and i want the committee to -- the appropriators here to realize i do appreciate their effort to work with us on the authorizing side so we can work together for a common goal, and i'm happy to be able to support this particular effort. i thank you. the chair: the gentleman from utah yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from california reserves. the gentlewoman from minnesota is recognized. ms. mccollum: mr. chairman, i yield three minutes to the gentleman from washington state, mr. kilmer, a member of the interior appropriations subcommittee. . mr. kilmer: thank you.

i thank chairman calvert and ranking member mccollum for the work that wept into this bill. a lot of difficult diagnoses had to be made given our current fiscal situation. this bill manages to do some good. i'm pleased with the strong investments made to address the needs across indian country, for example. we've taken some real steps to bolster i understandian health and education, not to mention providing some assistance to tribes facing the very real threat of rising sea levels. also glad that the committee secured strong investments in the usgs budget for the west coast early earthquake warning system and the volcano hazards program. these systems are critical to monitoring and detecting seismic and volcanic activity and giving washingtonians and the folks on the entire west coast a few crucial seconds to get out of harm's way. he bill we're debating today

makes some real progress in these areas, but unfortunately it doesn't measure up in others. particularly when it comes to investing in the environment. this legislation is supposed to provide critical funding for our most treasured natural resources and it fails to live up to what the folks we represent demand. or one thing, the funding makes some real progress in these areas, but unfortunately it doesn't measure up in others. particularly when it comes to investing in the environment. this legislation is supposed to provide critical funding for our most treasured natural resources and it fails to live up to what the folks we represent demand. for one thing, the funding is inadequate. among the agencies hardest hit is the environmental protection by y whose budget was cut more than $164 million. judging by the list of amendments we'll be considering, i expect it will . se even more that doesn't leave enough for the agency to do what it needs best. not to mention new funds to communities like flint that are struggling to provide clean and safe water for their citizens. a number of important priorities for states like mine are left on the chopping block in the bill. in the pacific northwest, for example, huget. that doesn't leave enough for the agency to do what it needs best. not to mention new funds to communities like flint that are struggling to provide clean and safe water for their citizens. a sound is a gift, an iconic body of water that benefits our entire nation. we have restoration goals for it. but funds for the geographic program and the national estuary program are not where they should be. hese funds provide a central

resources -- essential resources to empower agencies to mount a coordinated strategy, to recover this iconic resource that is an economic driver for our region. this really matters. it matters to tribes who have lived on the sound since time immemorial. it mooth matters to the overall health and viability of our waterways and the livelihoods that depend on them. we are passionate about the outdoors in washington state. that's why i'm also disappointed to see this bill make serious cuts in the land and water conservation fund. it chops the funding 30% from last year. if we approve this approach, many shovel-ready projects will be forever lost. that's a shafmente because the land and water conservation fund is a key tool that builds public-private partnerships that ensures work gets done. it's a win-win. a vital tool for communities to invest in assets for local residents and for tourists who can enjoy our natural treasures and then spend some money at our local shops and restaurants. we've seen hundreds of projects in washington state as a result of this critical program and that's why local leaders from across my state and others have been advocates for a permanent re-authorization of this important program. they recognize how valuable the

land and water conservation fund is. not only for our environment and to recreation, but also to our ability to attract tourists and bolster our economy. for all these reasons, as well as those highlighted by ranking member mccollum and others, i will not be able to support this legislation. but again i appreciate the hard work on it and i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from minnesota reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. >> i yield 2 1/2 minutes to the gentleman from west virginia, mr. jenkins. the chair: the gentleman from west virginia is recognized for 2 1/2 minutes. mr. jenkins: thank you, mr. speaker. thank you, mr. chairman. ranking member and the staff for all their hard work on this legislation. this bill is notable for what it funds, and also for what it doesn't fund. west virginians love our clean water, we love our clean air, we love our mountains and our forests. we worked hard in this bill to ensure west virginia's priorities were maintained and addressed. we included full funding, full

funding, $480 million, for a program that provides important resources for local schools and counties like poke hand as it, greenbrier and fayette in my district. we also provided an additional $90 million for the abandoned mine lands pilot program. this will continue to restore these sites in west virginia and return them to productive economic use. agriculture, manufacturing, tourism and much, much more. what west virginians do not love in this president's war on coal is its impact. west virginians' jobs and our families' livelihoods are on the line. once again, the president requested hundreds of millions of dollars to spend on regulations, programs and lawyers to make it harder for west virginians and our nation

to mine and use coal. our state has lost more than 10,000 coal jobs over the last five years. due to this administration's policies. our counties are being devastated, losing revenue from the coal severance tax that funds schools, hospitals, emergency services and so much more. our coal miners live with uncertainty. wondering if this is the day, this is the day they will get a pink slip when they come out of the mines. the president's war on coal is bankrupting the health and retirement of seniors and widows, jeopardizing their financial security. today we say no to funding the war on coal. no to regulatory overreach. in this bill, we hold the line on the e.p.a. we cut their regulatory budget, we maintain the lowest agency staffing levels since 1989.

we halt the harmful job-killing rules and e.p.a. and office of surface mining. rules that would make electricity more expensive, rules like the stream buffer zone rule that would shut down even more mines. the chair: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. jenkins: rules that would expand the e.p.a.'s reach. i encourage -- the chair: the gentleman's time has expired. >> another 30 seconds to the gentleman. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for an additional 30 seconds. mr. jenkins: thank you, mr. chairman. rules that would expand the e.p.a.'s reach and impose unrealistic standards on our communities. i urge, i urge our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to recognize the devastating impact these rules are already having. please support our efforts. i encourage support of this excellent measure. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from california reserves. the gentlewoman from minnesota is recognized. ms. mccollum: mr. chairman, i yield three minutes to the gentlelady from maine, ms. pingree, a member of the interior environment appropriations subcommittee.

the chair: the gentlewoman from maine is recognized for three minutes. ms. pingree: thank you, mr. chair. thank you to the ranking member for yielding me the time. i rise today in opposition to this bill, but want to take a moment to recognize the hard work our subcommittee has put into this legislation. i do appreciate the work of chairman calvert and ranking member mccollum on this bill. this bill is critical to our country and there's so many programs in it that are vital to my constituents in maine. programs like the national park service, the fish and wildlife service, and the land and water conservation fund are all funded in this bill and all provide vital programs, resources and research to my state and to the nation as a whole. although we worked in a bipartisan fashion to create this bill, at the end of the day, the funding levels are still too low. the bill provides $64 million below the f.y. 2016 enacted 1 billion below the

president's budget request. although i'm very glad to see programs for our local arts communities, such as the n.e.a. and n.e.h. are increased, and that programs for our local infrastructures such as the clean water fund are funded slightly above the president's request, there is not enough money in the bill for our national needs. in particular, the e.p.a. overall is not funded to the levels that we need as a nation. back home in maine, one of the most yaunch cited needs of our communities is for more . frastructure resources in some towns, that means transportation infrastructure, and in others it means water and sewer frals. in the past decade, there have been never-ending federal, state and local budget cuts. ensuring our communities have clean water is not an easy task. the tragedy in flint, michigan, reminded us all of that fact. this year the state revolving fund programs get an increase in the chairman's bill and i want to thank him for that. but it is still too much lost time that needs to be made up for in these accounts.

the riders in the bill regarding the e.p.a. are an even bigger concern. and would hinder the e.p.a.'s ability to regulate things from lead paint to carbon pollution to cleanup of mines. again, we can do better. our nation deserves a better bill. i urge my colleagues to oppose this bill and i yield back the balance of my time. time. f my the chair: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. calvert: may i inquire what time remains. the chair: the gentleman from california has 17 minutes remaining. mr. calvert: and the minority? the chair: the gentlewoman from minnesota has 14 minutes remaining. mr. calvert: thank you. the ld two minute to gentleman, mr. graves, for a colloquy. the chair: the gentleman from georgia is recognized for two minutes. mr. graves: thank you,

that is the reason i ask your support as we move forward. mr. calvert: i appreciate the gentleman raising the issue. i recognize your long standing history of work on this effort and i look forward to continuing to work with you on this important issue. thank you. the chair: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from california reserves. the gentlewoman from minnesota is recognized. ms. mccollum: i reserve. the chair: the gentlewoman from minnesota reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. calvert: i yield two inutes to mr. gibbs. mr. gibbs: i rise mr. gibbs: i rise in support of the interior appropriations bill for fiscal year 2017. this bill responseably ensures that the e.p.a.'s regulatory overreach is checked by

congress. key provisions in this legislation will stop the e.p.a.'s most burdensome and damaging regulations, including the waters of the united states rule. it is nothing more than a power grab that will expand the federal clean water act jurisdiction. this rule will force farmers, ranchers, manufacturers, local governments and property owners to seek permission from federal bureaucrats before beginning any activity remotely related to the water and this must be stopped. i'm also pleased to see the committee support funding to help communities affordably manage and meet their regulatory obligations under the clean water act. communities face enormous financial pressure to provide quality drinking and waste water for their residents. integrated planning will allow communities to work with the e.p.a. to determine investments and ensure the greatest water quality benefit. lastly, this bill provides new funding for the water infrastructure finance

innovation act, that was authorized in wrda 2014. this loan and loan guarantee program works as a complement to the clean water s.r.f. to provide communities with options and flexibility for their water infrastructure projects. with each wifia dollar london they make $10. i look forward to monitoring the program's success. i thank chairman calvert for recognizing the importance of these programs and putting together a bill that sets appropriate levels for the agencies and programs and i yield back. the chair: the gentleman from ohio yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from california reserves. the gentlewoman from minnesota reserves. ms. mccollum: i reserve. the chair: the gentlelady from california is recognized. mr. calvert: does the gentlelady have any additional speakers? ms. mccollum: no, i do not, mr. chairman -- mr. chair. mr. calvert: we don't either. if the gentlelady has no additional speakers, then i would yield back my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from minnesota

is recognized. ms. mccollum: i yield back my time. the chair: the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time. mr. calvert: i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from california yields back the balance of his time. pursuant to house resolution 820, the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule and shall be considered as read through page 184, line 21. are there any points of order against that portion of the bill? for what purpose does the gentleman from utah seek recognition? mr. bishop: mr. chairman, i raise a point of order against section 128, that is pages 71, lines 19 through 25. otherwise excellent h.r. 5538 for failure to comply with clause 2 of rule 21. this provision approves after the fact certain actions by the secretary of interior found to violate the indian reorganization act of 1939 by the supreme court. that case held that lands taken into trust by the secretary of

interior for tribes that were not federally recognized on june 18, 1934 were invalid. this institutive legislation on an appropriation bill under clause 2 of rule 21. i ask for a ruling from the chair. the chair: does anyone wish to be heard on the point of order? ms. mccollum: mr. chair, if i could ask mr. bishop for a clarification. is he moving the language that's been in his committee for quite a while? the chair: the gentlewoman may argue on the point of order. ms. mccollum: oh, i'm sorry. thank you. i take -- the chair: does any other member wish to be heard on the point of order? the chair is prepared to rule. the chair finds this provision construes existing law by deeming specified lands to be trust land. the provision, therefore, institutes legislation in violation of clause -- institutes legislation in violation of clause 2 of rule 21.

the language is stricken from the bill. no amendment to the bill shall be in order except those printed in house report 114- 683. amendments en bloc described in section 3 of house resolution 820 and pro forma amendments described in section 4 of that resolution. each amendment printed in the report shall be considered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment except as provided by section 4 of house resolution 820 and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question. it shall be in order at any time for the chair of the committee on appropriations or his designee to offer amendments en bloc consisting of amendments printed in the report not earlier diss posed of. amendments en bloc shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for 20 minutes equally divide and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on appropriations or their respective designees, shall not be subject to

amendment except as provided by section 4 of house resolution 820 and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question. during consideration of the bill for amendment, the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on appropriations or their respective designees may offer up to 10 pro forma amendments each at any point for the purpose of debate. it's now in order to consider amendment number 1 printed in house report 114-683. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from florida seek recognition? ms. castor: mr. chairman, i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 1 printed in house report 114-683 offered by ms. castor of florida. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 820, the gentlewoman from florida, ms. castor, and a member opposed, each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from florida. ms. castor: thank you, mr. chairman. mr. chairman, my amendment increases the law enforcement budget for america's national wildlife refuges by $2.4 million to match the

president's budget request. the plusup would be fully offset from the account relating to the office of the secretary. mr. chairman, america's national wildlife refuges encompass millions and millions of acres of public conservation lands and waters that provide endless opportunities for families to fish and enjoy the great outdoors. our wildlife refuges are extremely popular with over 48 million visitors annually, but many folks do not know they're suffering from a serious shortfall in law enforcement protection. in may of 2015, the international association of the chiefs of police recommended substantial increases to law enforcement resources for our national wildlife refuges. the report detailed the urgent need for officers to counter nefarious activities like drug production and smuggling, wildlife poaching, illegal border activity, assaults and a

variety of natural resource violations. this is consistent with what i hear at home in the tampa bay area. i represent the eggmont key national wildlife refuge. t is part of a massive 30,000-acre national wildlife refuge complex, on the west coast of florida along the gulf of mexico. law 30,000 acres has two enforcement officers assigned to it, and this is a busy, busy tourist area and people really enjoy the wildlife refuges but they are really suffering from a lot of nefarious activities. we need these additional funds and with the additional funds it should prioritize additional officers and obtain equipment necessary to protect the resources and protect the visitors.

in 2014, service federal wildlife officers managed over 42,000 related incidents, crimes and request for services. that was a 20% increase from 2013 which included rapes, robberies, kidnappings, assaults, burglaries, natural resource violation, timber theft, arson, trespassing, poaching, hunting and fishing violations, undocumented person apprehensions and in 2015 there were over 306 serious incidents reported, a 6% increase over the previous year. my home state of florida is blessed with beautiful bays and rivers and coastlines. we have the most wildlife refuges in the country with 29, including the three in tampa bay. the beautiful eggmont key wildlife refuge, pinallas and passage key. these are areas we got to protect and we got to protect the visitors that enjoy our

wildlife refuges. the number of visitors is increasing every year and ignoring the shortage of law enforcement officers must be -- we can't ignore it any more. this is an ongoing shortage that must be address. ask my colleagues to a-- address this important safety measure. i yield a minute to ms. mccollum from minnesota. ms. mccollum: i rise in share of ms. castor's amendment. this amendment seeks additional funding for the refuge law enforcement which we saw the want.al wildlife refuge and this amendment will also ensure that refuge law enforcement who, along with others in the interior bill who provide law enforcement, will make sure that our visitors and our public employees and our natural resources all remain safe and especially that these men and women can come home to their loved ones at the end of their shift. i urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

ms. castor: and i reserve the balance. the chair: the gentlewoman from florida reserves the balance of her time. for what purpose does the gentleman from california rise? mr. calvert: i rise in opposition. the chair: the gentleman from california is recognized for five minutes. mr. calvert: i recognize the need for law enforcement presence wherever people visit federal lands, but this amendment would implement the budget request to hire 16 more federal wildlife officers primarily in urban areas. urban areas already have a strong local law enforcement presence, so the federal government should first look to contract with local law enforcement before deciding to hire more federal officers. furthermore, of all the law enforcement responsibilities covered in this bill, the biggest gap exists on indian reservations where 911 response times are often measured in hours and days instead of minutes. before we pull more money out of the account that pays unsung civil servants to carry out the

most fundamental functions of the department, let's make sure we're putting the dollars where they are needed the most. i encourage the rest of my colleagues to oppose the amendment, and i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from california reserves the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from florida is recognized. she has one minute remaining. ms. castor: thank you, mr. chairman. i appreciate chairman calvert's comments, but i can speak from personal experience. our local law enforcement officers are overworked and often not equipped to handle the concerns on our national wildlife refuges. this is a federal responsibility to protect these conservation lands, to protect the visitors that are hunting and fishing, that are sometimes disturbing natural resource areas. i mean, look at that list. it's really surprising. rapes, robberies, kidnappings and assaults. we can do better than this. we have to do everything we can to keep our neighbors safe at home and protect our natural lands. i'll urge adoption of the

castor amendment so that we can address this important public safety issue. and i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentlewoman from florida yields back the balance of her time. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. calvert: i oppose the amendment and i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from california yields back the balance of his time. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from florida. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the noes have it. ms. castor: i ask for a recorded vote. the chair: pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from florida will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? mr. calvert: i rise to strike the last word. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. calvert: i yield to mr. cole, a member of our interior subcommittee, for a purpose of a colloquy. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. cole: i'd like to thank you, mr. chairman, for your extraordinary work on this legislation. furthermore, both you and chairman bishop of the natural resources committee have been gracious to try to resolve a matter of great significance to

indian country. beginning in the late 16th century, the size of so-called indian country and what later became the united states has steadily diminish. to reverse this trend in 1934, congress passed a law which allowed the federal government to take land into trust for the benefit of indian tribes. interior has done so for the past 82 years. interior's ability to take land into trust for all tribes was questioned in 2009 following .he supreme court's opinion the opinion cast doubt on whether interior has the ability to take land into trust for the benefit of tribes if they were not, quote, under federal jurisdiction, unquote, in 1934. since then, indian tribes have been threatened by legal challenges for status of their trust lands, the possibility of litigation chills economic and infrastructure development on trust lands. together we worked closely with the house natural resources committee on a provision that would have settled any dispute as to the status of trust land

up to the decision of 2009. i come to the house floor today to express my gratitude for that effort. i would like to stress that this provision had nothing to do with promoting or enhancing the ability of tribes to build and operate gaming facilities away from reservations on existing land. though, of course, they have every right to operate on existing lands as long as they comply with the provisions of the indian gaming regulatory act of 1988. . in no way is this designed to promote offreservation gaming. majority of lands are used to provide essential government services such as education, health care and housing. well in advance of the interior subcommittee markup, a meeting was held between myself, chairman calvert, chairman young and chairman bishop of the natural resources committee . we believed an agreement had been reached between the authorizers and appropriators. however, further staff discussions revealed the differences still remain. for that reason, we've decided

to table this matter for the time being and continue working together on a solution amenable to all parties involved. i'd like to emphasize that both the authorizers and the appropriators have worked in good faith and promise that we will keep doing so. despite the fact that the so-called coal provision was stricken from the the interior appropriations bill, i'm encouraged with the progress we've made thus far. there's no easy solution for the problem. if we keep working at it, i'm convinced we can reach an agreement that's acceptable to all parties. again, thank you for your work, mr. chairman, and i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from . lahoma yields back the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. calvert: i thank my friend and distinguished colleague from oklahoma and the chickasaw nation. you've been a true leader for indian country during your tenure on the appropriations committee. i think we can both be proud of the progress we have made, working together in a nonpartisan way with our friends on the other side of the aisle. on the matter of land to trust and the decision, i'm grateful for the opportunity to work

with you as well as chairman bishop and chairman young of the natural resources committee. to try to come to an agreement that would affirm land taken into trust before the decision. and would improve our understanding of how the department of interior arrived at decisions to take land into trust after the decision. it's been over seven years since the decision and tribal and municipal and state governments continue to struggle in the aftermath. we need to bring clarity and certainty to the matter of land taken into trust on behalf of our american indian brothers and sisters. you have my commitment to continue to work with you and the rest of our colleagues on a solution. with that, i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields ack the balance of his time. it is now in order to consider amendment number 2 printed in house report 114-63. for what purpose does the

gentleman from rhode island seek recognition? mr. cicilline: i have an desk.ent at the the clerk: amendment number 2 printed in house report 114-683 offered by mr. cicilline of rhode island. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 820, the gentleman from rhode island and a member opposed each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from rhode island. mr. cicilline: thank you, mr. chairman. i yield myself such time as i may consume. i rise today to offer an amendment which would provide a modest increase to the operations of the national park ystem account. our national parks, heritage areas, monuments and historical sites occupy more than 84 million acres of land in all 50 states and are home to more than 1,000 endangered and threatened animal species. my home state of rhode island is home to one of the newest units of the national park system. the black stone valley marks the birth place of the american industrial revolution and serves as a monument to the growth of our nation.

sites like the old slater mill and the museum of work and culture help tell the story of how america became an economic superpower. it's essential that our national park system received the funding that's necessary to help tell america's story and preserve it for generations to come. one of the newest units of the park system relies on long-term partnerships built over several decades in cities and towns, as well as our public and private partnerships to help define its boundaries and strengthen its economic and cultural impact. however, it relies on federal dollars as well from the national park system for its operations, including seasonal and year-round staff, maintenance of its facilities and ongoing planning for the park's development. unfortunately this bill has underfunded the account for the operation of our national parks significantly below the budget request for fiscal year 2017. as a result, the more than 400 units of the national park system will be forced to do more with lells. this will also be a -- less. this will also be a step backward for a historic park. while the budget increase for black stone was modest for this year, it was an essential step

forward to continue the momentum needed to allow the park to continue meeting its potential as a vital part of the new england landscape and a driver of economic growth in rhode island and massachusetts. my amendment makes a modest reduction of $2.5 million from the departmental operations account for the department of interior, which receives a funding level in this bill that is more than $470 million above the budget request and moves it to the operation of the national park system account which was underfunded in this bill by more than $89 million. this small increase to the office of national park systems account will not be enough to make up for the constraints that the bill places on our national parks, nor will it of course guarantee that black to enwill be able to receive all the resources it truly needs, but it will ensure that some additional funds are available and may help black stone continue to increase the momentum it has built since its establishment in 2014. the extra funds this amendment provides will help provide some relief to our national parks, which provide a critical boost to our economy. according to the national parks

conservation association, every dollar the federal government invests in our national parks generates $10 in economic activity. let's continue to support these critical investments in our national parks, which are the envy of the world. i urge my colleagues to support my amendment and i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. for what purpose does -- mr. calvert: will the gentleman yield? mr. cicilline: income. mr. calvert: i would urge adoption of the gentleman's amendment. mr. cicilline: with that i reserve the balance of my time -- i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from rhode island. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. he amendment is agreed to. it is now in order to consider amendment number 3 printed in house report 114-683. for what purpose does the gentleman from connecticut seek recognition? mr. courtney: i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 3

printed in house report 114-683 offered by mr. himes of connecticut. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 80, the gentleman from connecticut and a member opposed each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from connecticut. mr. himes: thank you, mr. chairman. i'm delighted to offer an amendment that was authored by my good friend and colleague, joe courtney of connecticut. this is an amendment that would provide on a budget-neutral basis $300,000 to the national park system for the new england scenic trail. this is something that is very important to us in the region of new england. it's an environmental treasure that is located in the backyards of millions of connecticut and massachusetts residents. the trail was officially designated as a national scenic trail in 2009, but has long been enjoyed by all southern new englanders. the new england trail winds through 40 communities in connecticut and massachusetts and nearly two million people live within 10 miles of the trail. starting in gilford, connecticut, just outside my district, on the shores of the long island sound, the trail

winds northward on a ridge line tracing the connecticut river, across the pioneer valley highlands in massachusetts, and ends at the royalston falls on the massachusetts-new hampshire border. this budget-neutral amendment ensures that $300,000 within the operation of the national park system account will be set aside to fund the new england national scenic trail. over a decade ago, the national park trail feasibility study recommended that the new england trail would need an annual operating budget of $271,000 in federal funding, but the trail has unfortunately received an average of less than half that, $127,000, annually, in the n.p.s. operations funding. of this funding, the national park service takes 1/3, leaving only about $43,000 for each state to manage this 223-mile-long trail. a trail that winds through some of the most scenic areas of new england and some of the most historic parts of our country with respect to the revolutionary war. the massachusetts-based

appalachian mountain club and the connecticut forest and park association have done an outstanding job leveraging the minimal $127,000 in funding, raising $1.5 million in nonfederal dollars in 2015 alone. mr. chair this amendment will ensure stable funding for the new england trail and safeguard a high-quality recreational and wilderness experience for many thousands of trail users in our small, densely populated region of the country. i respectfully urge my colleagues to support this budget-neutral amendment and reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from connecticut reserves the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from california rise? mr. calvert: i rise in opposition to the amendment. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. calvert: the bill before us already funds the new england national scenic trail at the requested level. so any additional funds are not necessary at this time. i reluctantly urge a no vote on this amendment and reserve the alance of my time. mr. himes: i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. calvert: i yield back and

request a no vote. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from connecticut. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the noes have it. the amendment is not agreed to. the gentleman from connecticut. mr. himes: i request a recorded vote, please. the chair: pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from connecticut will e postponed. it's now in order to consider amendment number 4 printed in house report 114-683. for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition? mr. griffith: mr. chairman, i have an amendment at the desk. the clerk: amendment number 4 printed in house report 114-683 offered by mr. griffith of virginia. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 820, the gentleman from virginia and a member opposed each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from virginia. mr. griffith: thank you, mr. chairman. i yield myself so much time as i may consume. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. griffith: my amendment provides a modest increase in grant funding to appalachian states for the reclamation of abandoned mine lands in

conjunction with economic and community development and reuse goals. funding for these reclamation grants was first established last fiscal year at $90 million, but was provided exclusively to the three appalachian states with the greatest amount of unfunded reclamation needs. last year i offered an amendment to expand this program to the next three appalachian states with the greatest unmet needs. as you might imagine, virginia's one of those three, with the other two being alabama and ohio. i am encouraged that the underlying bill heeds that call and expands these grants to do the next three appalachian states. but the need is far too great in areas like southwest virginia and much more can be accomplished with a small increase in this program. my amendment increases the funding level for these grants from $90 million to $105 million, with that additional funding dedicated to setting a more balanced distribution of funds among appalachian states. this additional funding is needed to really get in and do some work to help these

appalachian coal communities that have been economically devastated. while at the same time helping reduce the environmental impact of unreclaimed mine lands. my office has worked closely with the house interior appropriations committee staff on this amendment language, to come to a resolution that ensures that additional support for one appalachian community does not come at the expense of another appalachian coal community. this additional support will have significant impact on economic development work throughout appalachia, while being offset by a slight reduction in the e.p.a.'s environmental programs and management account totaling only .5% of that account. 25 billion from $2. to $2.15 billion. the staff has determined that my amendment would result in a reduction of $6 million in outlays for this fiscal year as the money would be spent out at a slower rate over the coming

years than would have occurred under the e.p.a.'s environmental programs and management account. this program is an essential tool to help reinvigorate coal communities throughout appalachia, struggle with reclaiming and restoring abandon mine sites in a way that will help put people back to work. i urge members to support this amendment and support these coal communities that are struggling now more than ever. thank you, mr. speaker, i would reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from minnesota seek recognition? ms. mccollum: mr. chairman, i rise to claim opposition to the amendment. the chair: the gentlewoman from minnesota is recognized for five minutes. ms. mccollum: i very strongly oppose this amendment. it takes more money away from an already starved environmental protection agency . the bill severely cuts the e.p.a.'s mean operating accounts by $92 million. $92 million, this bill already cuts from the e.p.a.'s operating account. the very air we breathe, the water we drink, are eng dare --

endangered by funding and policy decisions already made by this bill. their consequences will be communities t in all across this nation. i understand that the e.p.a.'s an easy target cut for many of my colleagues across the aisle. but i want my colleagues to understand what this amendment would cut if adopted. the account funds programs that are important to both sides of the aisle, including permitting for construction projects across the country, toxic risk prevention, and the very successful brown fields program. as well as pesticide listing. i appreciate the gentleman's amendment. it shows support for the administration's power plus plan, which is a program that's modeled after -- it's modeled after. and i understand that the amendment would direct more funding to states in appalachia who i agree have suffered under the ravaging environmental harm caused by coal mining. but unfortunately i cannot support a deeper cut to the e.p.a.. i must oppose the amendment. mr. chair, i yield back. the chair: the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time.

the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. griffith: i yield such time as the chairman may desire. the chair: the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. calvert: i rise in support of the amendment. i appreciate the work the gentleman from virginia and his staff put into crafting an amendment that the committee could support. any program to help promote economic development in an area so devastated as the appalachia are worthy of our support. so i urge my colleagues to adopt this amendment and i appreciate the gentleman's time. the chair: the gentleman from california yields back. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. griffith: mr. chairman, i would just say that i recognize the concerns that the opponents to this amendment have. but what we're trying to do is to take some money, direct it for an environmental purpose, but also help take the reclaimed mine lands, make them right, make them so that they're the way they're supposed to be, and have the purpose that will then allow us to use, whether it be recreational, whether it be some other form of business, but allow us to use those lands for economic development, in an area where unemployment snow

peaking up over 10%, where depopulation is constant, and where, frankly, mr. chairman, we can't afford more wait until next year approach from washington, d.c. . the chair: the gentleman from virginia yields back his time. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from virginia. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. he amendment is agreed to. it's now in order to consider amendment number 5 printed in house report 114-683. for what purpose does the gentleman from new mexico seek recognition? mr. lujan: mr. chairman, i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 5 printed in house report 114-683 offered by mr. ben ray lujan of new mexico. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 820, the gentleman from new mexico, mr. lujan, and a member opposed, each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new mexico. mr. lujan: thank you, mr. chairman. and mr. chairman, if you are

ble to commit to work with me, chairman calvert and ranking member mccollum, i will withdraw this. i will share why this amendment is so important. i want to say a few words about my amendment and the challenges facing people in my district in new mexico. my amendment requires the bureau of indian affairs, report, identify egress and ingress easements where they do not exist for landowners adjudicated under the pueblo lands act of 1924. while this sounds like a complex issue, mr. speaker, it's a very simple issue and one that was created back in 1924 with the public lands act. this was the result of an issue that is specific to the state of new mexico and the 1924 pueblo lands act. in 1924, the congress passed the pueblo lands act which established the pueblo lands

board. this board was tasked with adjudicating land claims to pueblo lands and it took about six years until 1930 for the board to adjudicate these claims between the public lows and nontribal landowners -- pueblos and nontribal landowners. for the last 80 years they've been able to buy homes, pass land onto one generation to the next. recently the bureau of indian affairs alleged a trespass on some of the county roads of the county of santa fe which is a local government in the state of new mexico that provides egress and ingress to nontribal residents. now, these residents have been given pens by the united states of america. that's what the pueblo lands act did. giving the title to landownership in the united states of america. but as a result of the b.i.a. letter, the title insurance companies in the state of new mexico began to refuse issuing title insurance. now, as we all know, that complicates your ability to buy

a home, sell a home or even refinance a home so that way we can reroof a home. some instances, some were prying to refinance that home because of bills they incurred for health care purposes. but because they are not able to get title to their home they are not able to do so. mr. chairman, these are families who have their entire savings in their homes like many of us across america. these are families who have been saving up to build a home in a community where they grew up, where their parents grew up, where their grandparents grew up and now they're fortunate to have land there. i want to tell you a story about jeff archuleta. he writes, when i grew up and my wife and i started a family of our own, it was easy for me to decide where i wanted to raise our boys. i was fortunate enough to obtain an acre of land by my father. i don't know how long it's been in my family but it was in the report of 1929, addressing land

titles between the pueblo and non-pueblo residents. this was prior to the pueblo lands act of 1924, reference is also made to a spanish grant approved by congress december 22, 1858. at the time of this report, the and belonged to demetri robal. they later dated it to my great uncle, pedro, who went on to sell it to my father. mr. chairman, i worry we need to address this issue but that this dispute is tearing at the fabric of our communities. for more than two years now, i tried to get anyone from the bureau of indian affairs to provide assistance to me, to provide a way to get this solved. i asked the b.i.a. to process any criteria they use and to share their antiquated database to the public. i asked for maps the b.i.a. considers. nothing was produced. i asked for a chain of command that was followed by the interpretation understanding

the pueblo lands act of 1924. nothing was produced. i even asked for the b.i.a. for information related to remediation services, mr. chairman, because the fabric of these communities are being torn apart. that's why i felt compelled to offer this amendment. and with that, mr. chairman, i would yield to the chairman and then to the ranking member. chairman calvert. mr. calvert: i thank the gentleman from for yielding. i'm happy to work with the gentleman and ms. mccollum to address the concerns of your constituents and with that i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from new mexico is recognized. mr. lujan: and, mr. chairman, if i have any time left, i'd yield to the ranking member as well who just also encouraged us to find a way to work together. mr. chairman, i just want to say thank you to you and your staff so we can sit down and look at this important issue that's specific to the state of new mexico. ms. mccollum: i look forward to working with the gentleman and with the chairman on this issue. i yield back. mr. lujan: with that, mr. chairman, i thank everyone. i thank all the the staffs and

i yield back the balance of my time and i respectfully ask to withdraw my amendment. the chair: without objection, he amendment is withdrawn. it's now in order to consider amendment number 6 printed in house report 114-683. for what purpose does the gentleman from new mexico seek recognition? mr. lujan: mr. chairman, i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 6 printed in house report 114-683 offered by mr. ben ray lujan of new mexico. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 820, the gentleman from new mexico, mr. lujan, and a member opposed, each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new mexico. mr. lujan: i thank the chairman and, mr. chairman, this is an amendment that's related to the previous amendment that i offered. it was something that i uncovered as i was learning more and more about how to solve the egress, ingress issue pursuant to the 1924 pueblo lands act. chairman calvert, again, with

your commitment and that of ranking member mccollum, i -- if you're able to work with me on this issue, i plan to withdraw this amendment. this amendment is sought to reprogram $1 million in the bureau of indian affairs funding to require the bureau of indian affairs to update and the distinguished gentleman from ties its inventory of rights-of-way records and to make them publicly available in a commonly used mapping format. unfortunately, the bureau of indian affairs has not adequate maintain rights of way records and the bureau is unable to provide requested documentation to tribes and other stakeholders in a timely manner. for example, when my office asked for information related to the rights-of-way in new mexico, the bureau of indian affairs could not share it with my office in a timely fashion. just today, mr. chairman, the pueblo in the state of new mexico provided me documentation that the pueblo has asked the bureau of indian affairs for a request of specifically right-of-way

information this past february. february 24, 2016, to be exact. it's now july. the pueblo tells me none of this information has been provided to the pueblo. my argument is this, mr. chairman. if this information was made available to the public in a way the bureau of indian affairs, as i understand it, should already be making available, this information should be readily available. this is simply unacceptable that the information is not being provided and especially with the trust responsibilities of bureau -- the bureau of indian affairs has to tribes as well. i believe there is a commonsense solution. in 2014 the tribal transportation unity caucuses, the american conference of indian americans and the transportation association jointly developed recommendations for a highway re-authorization, including, one, to include the bureau of indian affairs rights-of-way management.

they will update and computerize documentation in a commonly used mapping format. the national congress of american indians then passed a resolution endorsing these recommendations in april, 2014. unfortunately, this commonsense provision didn't make it into a highway bill. too often, the b.i.a.'s mismanagement disrupts and slows down projects creating unnecessary conflict. mr. chairman, if we can map the human genome then surely the b.i.a. can map a few roads, manage its rights-of-way records and provide certainties to tribes, local governments and state governments and other stakeholders. with that, mr. chairman, i'd yield to chairman calvert. the chair: the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. calvert: again, i'm happy to work with the gentleman and ms. mccollum in the nonpartisan way to address these issues and look forward to working with you to resolve this for your constituents.

i yield back. the chair: the gentleman from california yields back. the gentleman from new mexico is recognized. mr. lujan: chairman calvert, thank you for your leadership and your staff again. we appreciate the time to work together and, again, ranking member mccollum, to you and the staff, i ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment and i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: without, the amendment is withdrawn. -- without objection, the mendment is withdrawn. the chair understands that amendment number 7 will not be offered. the committee will rise informerly to receive a message.

the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the chair will receive a message. the messenger: mr. speaker, a message from the senate. the secretary: mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: madam secretary. the secretary: i have been directed by the senate to inform the house that the senate disagrees to the house amendment and agrees to a conference request by the house on s. 112, cited as the energy policy mod rnization act of 2016. -- mod rnization act of 2016 -- modernization act of 2016. the speaker pro tempore: the committee will resume its sitting. the chair: the committee will come to order. it's now in order to consider amendment number 8 printed in house report 114-683. for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota seek recognition? mr. ellison: mr. chairman, i

have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 8 printed in house report 114-683 offered by mr. ellison of minnesota. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 820, the gentleman from minnesota, mr. ellison, and a member opposed, each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from minnesota. mr. ellison: thank you, mr. chairman. i also want to thank ranking member betty mccollum. we can raise the living standards for working families all over the country right now if we use federal dollars to create good jobs. the united states government is the largest buyer of goods and service in the world, and the united states government should use that power to create good jobs and to create a high road economy for all americans. my amendment would reprogram funds to create an office of good jobs in the interior department that would do the following -- it would help ensure the department's procurement, grant making and regulatory decisions, encourage

the creation of decently paid jobs, collective bargaining rights and responsible employment practices. you know, mr. chairman, it's important for all americans to know that more than one in five americans are employed by companies with federal contracts. right now, the u.s. government is america's leading low-wage job creator. that's right. the united states government at this very hour funds over two million low-paying jobs through contracts, loans and grants with corporate america. that's why more than the total number -- the total number of low-wage workers employed by wal-mart and mcdonald's combined do not equal the number of low-wage jobs funded by the united states government. that's right. wal-mart and mcdonald's combined have fewer low-wage

jobs than are funded by the federal government right now. u.s. contractors earn so little that nearly 40% of them use public assistance programs, like food stamps, section 8 to feed and shelter their families. . i would like to reserve and offer 10 minutes to congresswoman mccollum of minnesota at this time. ms. mccollum: i'll be brief. i rise to support this amendment. this would ensure that the employment decisions encourage the creation of dees events-paid jobs, implementation of fair labor practices and responsible employer practices. the federal government should set an example to the nation when it comes to contracting decisions.