Markup of Eight Parks, Wildlife and Public Lands Bills

The committee will come to order. The chair notes the presence of a quorum pursuant to committee rules. Members of the committee may submit written opening statements for the record, ask that members may revise and extend the remarks on the bills to be considered at this mark-up and have those remarks included in the record. Without objection? So ordered. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare recess. of the committee at any time pursuant to committee rule three i i announce that i may postpone further proceedings today on the question of approving any measure or matter or adopting an amendment on which a recorded vote is ordered i'll now recognize myself for an opening record good morning and thank you for joining us for our full committee mark-up this legislation we're considering today touches almost every area of our committee's jurisdiction and is another example of how this committee works diligently to find solutions for the american people we are unleashing american energy promoting access to our national parks and public lands and increasing the transparency of federal agencies in our jurisdiction this committee remains one of the most productive in the us house of representatives and we are continuing to carry that momentum forward today we are considering eight bills on which the committee has reached bipartisan agreement we are increasing access and investment in our federal lands honoring law enforcement officers recognizing the legacy former member of this committee and more. H R three O nine, the National Law Enforcement Officers' Remembrance, Support and Community Outreach Act, introduced by Representative Nils has or provides resources to support the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund and its community outreach. Representative Hagerman's H R sixteen ninety-three honors former US Representative Barbara Cuban's legacy of service to her home, state of Wyoming, by redesignating the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in H R forty nine thirty one, the National Park System Long-Term Lease Investment Act, introduced by Representative Murphy of North Carolina, extends certain national park leases to encourage long-term investment. H R fifty sixty three, the Safe Beaches, Safe Swimmers Act, introduced by Representative Kiggins, helps ensure adequate lifeguard staffing at federal beaches. Representative Begich is H R sixty twenty one, Archie Cavanaugh, Migrant protects the cultural heritage and economic rights of Alaskan Native artists by requiring clarifications to the migratory bird treaty with Japan and corresponding updates to domestic regulations to allow for the use of bird parts to create Native articles or handicraft. H R eighty-four fifty-four re- or introduced by Representative McClintock reduces the checkerboard ownership of federal land in California to better manage wildlife habitat, grazing operations, and ecological resources. I thank the sponsoring members for the dedicated work on these bills. I thank Representative Huffman and the minority for working together with us on this package. I look forward to our discussion today and I yield back. And I recognize Ranking Member Huffman for an opening statement.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is a good agenda today. I'm pleased that the majority has worked in good faith with us to reach consensus on these eight bills. It is nice to have an all UC mark-up, um, and I wanna recognize the collaboration and hard work that it takes to make that happen. Uh, and uh, these are some good bills. H R eighty-one twenty-one by Delegate Stacey Plaskett would honor Peter G. Thurland, a key figure in the St. Croix community. I know honoring that legacy is very important to her constituents, and I'm pleased that we are advancing the bill. H R forty-two nineteen by Representative case would authorize the National Wildlife Refuge System invasive species strike team program within the Fish and Wildlife Service to eradicate, control, and reduce impacts of invasive species on and adjacent to National Wildlife Refuge system lands and waters. These species can harm the environment, human health, and the economy. It's a very worthy bill. Uh, unfortunately, some of the other bills on today's agenda, although they're important steps in the right direction, actually highlight Many of the problems that my Republican colleagues have just been unwilling to work with us on to actually solve. The uh Safe Swimmers Act, a good bill, would direct Interior Department to address lifeguard safety uh shortages at federal beaches by entering into agreements with local government to get more continuity and coverage. But this proposal is obviously can't be the final solution to the problem. It doesn't address what Republicans in this administration have done to make this problem worse. And of course the first rule of holes is you gotta stop digging. The National Park Service is reeling from President Trump's staffing cuts. If we really want safe swimmers, we have to find a way to fund and staff our federal beaches. Unfortunately, my colleagues have been silent and keep just pushing bills, directing agencies to collaborate harder, to find a way to make out of nothing. Uh, we need to do better. And I think we also need to talk about what's not on the agenda today. This is our last mark-up of the summer, our last chance to move forward bills that matter to the American people before everyone goes home for five weeks, with almost nothing to show. When it comes to addressing costs for American families, certainly nothing about the spiraling health care crisis, nothing about the naked corruption of the Trump administration, the worst corruption in American history. I think uh they should be willing to work with Democrats on reining in this disastrous war of choice in Iran that has caused prices to skyrocket for food, and fuel, and basic necessities uh all over this country. They should stop him from slapping allies with tariffs that have already made the cost a living um a crisis and are about to make it worse. Here in this committee they could be going after The war profiteers in the oil and gas industry that are plundering our public lands and waters, and then price gouging American families on top of it. They could be standing up to Trump's war on affordable, renewable, clean energy. Because his administration keeps illegally blocking projects that could bring electricity prices down to help struggling families. The administration's even lit a couple billion dollars on fire for fake settlements pay companies to walk away from offshore wind leases. President Trump has flat out said he doesn't care about costs, about inflation and how Americans are hurting. And from the looks of the agenda and our unfinished business, it seems House Republicans agree with him. On top of that, Republicans continue to ignore the growing cost of the climate crisis, costs that are both financial and human. We're seeing record heat, wildfire, drought Extreme storms like we've never seen before, no end in sight, the air quality the last couple weeks. Good luck getting affordable insurance these days. We need to act now. But instead we're doling out giveaways to fossil fuel polluters, doubling down on policies that will make this crisis even worse. Republicans could join us in some real oversight to stop Trump from spending your taxpayer dollars on vanity projects like his arch. Ballroom, the bungled reflecting pool. Or how about doing something with all the evidence of fraud and corruption around America's two hundred and fifty celebration. We teed it right up for you on a silver platter two weeks ago with this report on Freedom two fifty. Here's a copy, Mister Chairman, that I'd like to ask unanimous consent to enter into the record so that you have it. I really recommend that my Republican colleagues read this. And I hope, although it's too late for um for us thus far in this session, that when we come back in September, Mister Chairman, we can do better, we can tackle the issues that matter,

Without objection, so ordered.

that you have better.

We now turn to the UC package with the cooperation of ranking member Huffman and the other members of the committee we have worked out an agreement on eight bills scheduled for mark-up today. as we have done before, rather than going through a through a formal mark-up process for each of the bills, I will make a single unanimous consent motion to report out the bills favorably with any amendments that have been filed and agreed to. Before we begin, does any member seek time to speak on any of the bills in this unanimous consent motion? Seeing none, I ask unanimous consent that the subcommittee on federal lands be discharged from further the National Law Enforcement Officers' Remembrance, Support and Community Outreach Act. H R sixteen ninety-three to redesignate the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper, Wyoming as the Barbara L. Cuban National Historic Trails Interpretive Center. H R forty-nine thirty-one, the National Park System Long-Term Lease Investment Act. H R five zero six three, the Safe Beaches, Safe Swimmers Act. H. R. eighty-one, twenty-one to designate the Christian Stead Bandstand at the Christian Stead National Historic Site St. Croix, Virgin Islands as the Peter G. Thurland Senior Bandstand and H. R. eighty-four, fifty-four to provide for the transfer of administrative jurisdiction over certain federal land in the state of California and for other purposes without objection. So ordered. Ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries be discharged from further consideration of hr forty two nineteen the national wildlife refuge system invasive species strike team act of twenty twenty five and hr six zero two one the archie kavanaugh migratory bird treaty amendment act without objection so ordered i now ask unanimous consent that the following measures be approved and favorably reported as described to the house of representatives hr three zero nine the national law enforcement officers remembrance support and community outreach with an amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by the chair designated Westerman eighty-six, A and S. H R sixteen ninety-three to re- redesignate the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper Wyoming as the Barbara L. Cuban National Historic Trails Interpretive Center. H R forty-two nineteen, the National Wildlife Refuge System Invasive Species Strike Team Act of twenty twenty-five, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by ranking member Huffman. designated Huffman ninety nine a n s hr forty nine thirty one the national park system long term lease investment act with an amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by the chair designated westerman eighty seven a n s hr five zero six three the safe beaches safe swimmers act with an amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by the gentlewoman from virginia miss kiggins designated kiggins one fifty six a n s hr six zero two one the archie kavanaugh migratory bird treaty amendment act with an amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by the gentleman from alaska mr. begich designated begich one seventy four a n s hr eighty one twenty one to designate the christian stead bandstand at the christian stead national historic site saint croix virgin islands as the peter g thurland senior bandstand with an amendment in the nature uh with an amendment offered by the gentleman from colorado mister neguse designated neguse number one hr eighty four fifty four to provide for the transfer of administrative jurisdiction over certain federal land in the state of california and for other purposes with an amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by the gentleman from california mister mclintock designated mclintock ninety two a. n. s. without objection so ordered without objection The motion is to reconsider, or laid on the table. Mister Huffman, you're recognized.

Mister Chair, I give notice of my intention to file supplemental additional dissenting or minority views on the measures, just considered. I ask unanimous consent that this notice be extended to all measures considered at the mark-up. Under House Rule eleven clause two L, this notice extends to all members.

Without objection, so ordered. Asking unanimous consent that the staff be allowed to make any technical and conforming changes to the documents the committee just adopted.

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and the

we're gonna sing you're gonna sing

i'll i'll let you sing

uh you wanna lead

just say happy birthday and not put anybody through the misery of uh ranking member huffman and uh if there's no further business the committee stands adjourned

mmm