Volume 146, No. 53 covering the 2nd Session of the 106th Congress (1999 - 2000) was published by the Congressional Record.
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN BASIN RESTORATION ACT OF 2000” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H2461-H2467 on May 3, 2000.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN BASIN RESTORATION ACT OF 2000
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 484 and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:
H. Res. 484
Resolved, That at any time after the adoption of this resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XVIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2957) to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize funding to carry out certain water quality restoration projects for Lake Pontchartrain Basin, Louisiana, and for other purposes. The first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. Points of order against consideration of the bill for failure to comply with clause 4(a) of rule XIII are waived. General debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. After general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. It shall be in order to consider as an original bill for the purpose of amendment under the five-minute rule the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure now printed in the bill. The committee amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be considered as read. During consideration of the bill for amendment, the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole may accord priority in recognition on the basis of whether the Member offering an amendment has caused it to be printed in the portion of the Congressional Record designated for that purpose in clause 8 of rule XVIII. Amendments so printed shall be considered as read. The Chairman of the Committee of the Whole may: (1) postpone until a time during further consideration in the Committee of the Whole a request for a recorded vote on any amendment; and (2) reduce to five minutes the minimum time for electronic voting on any postponed question that follows another electronic vote without intervening business, provided that the minimum time for electronic voting on the first in any series of questions shall be 15 minutes. At the conclusion of consideration of the bill for amendment the Committee shall rise and report the bill to the House with such amendments as may have been adopted. Any Member may demand a separate vote in the House on any amendment adopted in the Committee of the Whole to the bill or to the committee amendment in the nature a substitute. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and amendments thereto to final passage without intervening motion except one motion to recommit with or without instructions.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings) is recognized for 1 hour.
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Frost), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.
(Mr. HASTINGS of Washington asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 484 would grant H.R. 2957, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Act, an open rule waiving clause 4(a) of rule XIII that requires a 3-day layover of the committee report against consideration of the bill.
The rule provides one hour of general debate to be equally divided between the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The rule makes in order the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure amendment in the nature of a substitute now printed in the bill as an original bill for the purpose of amendment, which shall be open for amendment at any time.
The rule authorizes the Chair to accord priority in recognition to Members who have preprinted their amendments in the Congressional Record. In addition, the rule allows the chairman of the Committee of the Whole to postpone votes during the consideration of the bill and to reduce voting time to 5 minutes on a postponed question if the vote follows a 15 minute vote. Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit, with or without instructions.
Mr. Speaker, the purpose of H.R. 2957 is to coordinate and provide financial and technical assistance for water quality restoration activities in the Lake Pontchartrain Basin. The Lake Pontchartrain watershed covers a 5,000 square mile area, including all or part of 16 Louisiana parishes and four counties in Mississippi.
Since the 1940s, increasing population, urbanization and land use changes have adversely affected the basin, resulting in a number of serious environmental problems and declining health of the watershed. To address this problem, H.R. 2957 would establish within the EPA the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Program in order to restore the ecological health of the basin by developing and funding restoration projects and related scientific and public education projects.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that implementing H.R. 2957 would cost $108 million over the 2001 to 2005 period, assuming appropriation of those authorized amounts. The bill would not affect direct spending or receipts; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would not apply. Furthermore, the bill contains no intergovernmental or private sector mandates and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
Accordingly, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support both the open rule reported by the Committee on Rules and the underlying bill, H.R. 2957.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 484 is an open rule providing for 1 hour of general debate on H.R. 2957, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Act. The rule does provide one waiver, however. Since the bill was not filed until yesterday, the rule waives the 3-day layover requirement of clause 4(a) of rule XIII.
This legislation establishes Lake Pontchartrain as an estuary of national significance under the National Estuary Program and requires EPA to establish a Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program to coordinate efforts to reduce pollution and restore the health of the basin watershed. These are important steps to improve the health of this important body of water. The bill also authorizes $100 million for a project to reduce the amount of sewage that enters the lake from New Orleans and neighboring parishes.
Mr. Speaker, I know of no controversy surrounding this bill. Therefore, I support this open rule, which will allow any Member to offer germane amendments to this proposal.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I know that it is not in order at all for me to say this, but it is my mother's 86th birthday today, and I am not going to mention that in a formal sense.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.
The previous question was ordered.
The resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hastings of Washington). Pursuant to House Resolution 484 and rule XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union for the consideration of the bill, H.R. 2957.
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In the Committee of the Whole
Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union for the consideration of the bill
(H.R. 2957) to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize funding to carry out certain water quality restoration projects for Lake Pontchartrain Basin, Louisiana, and for other purposes, with Mr. Ose in the chair.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered as having been read the first time.
Under the rule, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Borski) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert).
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chairman, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin is the largest estuary in the Gulf Coast region and one of the largest estuaries in the United States. However, due to urbanization, increased population growth, and intensive land uses, many water bodies in this watershed do not meet their designated uses. The sources of pollution in the Basin include inadequate sewage systems or septic tanks systems, combined sanitary and storm water sewer overflows, as well as urban and agricultural runoff.
State and local agencies are working cooperatively with private organizations on restoration efforts. However, they cannot do it alone. H.R. 2957, introduced by our committee colleague, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter), and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson), supports these State and local efforts.
First, the bill identifies the Lake Pontchartrain Basin as an estuary of national significance and adds this estuary to the list of estuaries in section 320 of the Clean Water Act that are to be given priority consideration for the National Estuaries Program.
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Under the National Estuaries Program, EPA will convene a management conference for the Lake Ponchartrain Basin with representation by appropriate local and State organizations.
The purpose of the management conference is to help these local and State organizations come up with a plan for basin restoration that recommends activities and projects. In addition, H.R. 2957 creates a Lake Ponchartrain basin restoration program within EPA modeled after the Long Island Sound program. This program will help coordinate ongoing voluntary efforts to reduce pollution and restore the ecological health of the basin, and will provide financial assistance to help fund the activities and projects recommended by the management conference.
Finally, H.R. 2957 authorizes $100 million to provide continued Federal assistance to the project to prevent inflow and infiltration in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish. Completing this project, which is an integral part of basin restoration efforts, will require a total investment of over $300 million, most of which will be provided from State and local sources of funding.
Mr. Chairman, I commend the gentlemen from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter) and
(Mr. Jefferson) for their efforts on this legislation. I would also like to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Borski), the ranking member of the subcommittee, my colleague and friend, and also the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), the ranking member of the full committee, and of course the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), the chairman of the full committee, for their leadership and cooperation in bringing this bill to the floor. I would urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 2957.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BORSKI. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. BORSKI asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. BORSKI. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 2957, the Lake Ponchartrain Basin Restoration Act. This legislation, as amended by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, would create a priority for the inclusion of the Lake Ponchartrain Basin into the EPA's National Estuary Program. By including the basin into the NEP, the administrator would be authorized to begin development of a comprehensive conservation management plan for the basin in order to promote its long-term ecological protection. In addition, this legislation would establish a new program office within EPA aimed at restoring the ecological health of the basin and coordinating the development of its CCMP.
This new program office would provide administrative and technical assistance to a management conference convened for the protection of the basin. This office would also be responsible for coordinating any grant, research and planning programs authorized under this act, including grants for public education projects consistent with any management plan.
Because the drainage basin for the Lake Ponchartrain watershed extends across much of southern Louisiana and Mississippi, it is the intent of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure that any management conference appointed to develop a CCMP for the basin include appropriate representatives from the States of Louisiana and Mississippi.
In addition, in order to ensure that the surrounding communities are fully informed, the bill requires the newly-established program office to collect and make available to the public information on the environmental health of the basin.
Mr. Chairman, H.R. 2957 authorizes the basin restoration program at
$5 million per year for 5 years. In addition, the bill authorizes $100 million for inflow and infiltration projects that are currently under construction in New Orleans, Louisiana, a project which is viewed as integral to the long-term protection of water quality in the basin.
Mr. Chairman, I also want to commend the gentlemen from Louisiana
(Mr. Vitter) and (Mr. Jefferson) for their hard work in support of this bill, and I also want to thank my distinguished subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert) for working with us in a bipartisan manner, which is the way this committee always operates. It is greatly appreciated.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter), the primary author of this legislation. But before I do so, let me acknowledge that oftentimes Members come here and it takes quite a while before they make an impact on this institution. The gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter) is an exception to the rule.
Mr. VITTER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for those kind words.
Today, of course, I rise in strong support of this Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Act, H.R. 2957, because it truly will revitalize a national treasure for the American people.
The Lake Pontchartrain Basin is about 5,000 square miles. It encompasses 16 parishes in Southeast Louisiana, as well as four Mississippi counties. It is one of the largest estuaries in the United States, and at the center of this basin is 630 square miles of water, Lake Pontchartrain, that is surrounded by almost 1.5 million residents, making it the most populated area in the State of Louisiana.
The problem with this area is that over the past 60 years wetlands loss, human activities, natural forces have had a lot of adverse impacts on the Pontchartrain Basin. Wetlands around the basin have been drained, dredged, filled and channeled for oil and gas development. Storm water discharges, inadequate waste water treatment, agricultural activities, they have all significantly degraded water quality. Loss of wetlands due to subsistence, salt water intrusion, and hurricanes also have harmed basin wildlife populations and placed 13 species, 13, on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Threatened or Endangered Species List. Today, swimming is still not allowed on the south shore of the lake due to the high levels of pollution.
Because of all of this, last September I introduced one of my first pieces of legislation in the Congress, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Act. This is designed to facilitate and accelerate the restoration, maintenance, and cleanup of truly one of America's most significant bodies of water.
This act will create a coordinated technically-sound program for the restoration and sustainable health of the ecosystem. It will amend the clean water act to establish a program for water quality restoration activities in the basin. Most importantly, it will focus on voluntary, positive, proactive restoration projects, not an increase in government regulation, not bureaucratic finger-pointing. There will also be extensive input by all of the local stakeholders in Southeast Louisiana and the four Mississippi counties affected, including all government entities in the basin and universities and restoration groups. So it is a great productive, proactive model to use.
Since introducing this act, I have held town hall meetings on the bill in Louisiana. I have met with hundreds of citizens and local elected officials to solicit their input. Their response has been overwhelming and enthusiastic and positive. These meetings were important because they affirmed the right model we are using for this legislation.
Mr. Chairman, I do want to say, though, this legislation builds on a lot of local support and activity that has been going on for some years. There has been progress in cleaning up the lake and the basin, and I want to, in particular, highlight and salute the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation for its superb work in turning the corner and cleaning up the lake and bringing all parts of the community and all interested citizens and elected officials together. Their past efforts and outreach programs have informed many citizens in Southeast Louisiana about the steps we can all take to reduce pollution. Tremendous success has been achieved already.
For instance, last summer I saw porpoises and manatees in Lake Pontchartrain, and that was something just a few years ago no one would have ever guessed and soon, many of the no swimming signs on the south shore will be taken up. Those signs first began to appear in Lake Pontchartrain in 1962 when I was one year old.
Unfortunately, not all of the news is good news. On the north shore of the lake where there is tremendous development, some of those ``no swimming'' signs are soon to be erected, so there is still a long road ahead before we regain a sustainable, fully functioning ecosystem.
For as long as I have lived, I have never known the lake as a place to swim, as I mentioned. Hopefully, my three daughters, Sophie, Lise, and Airey will not have to say that, will not have that same perception and memory when they are my age.
Mr. Chairman, this legislation was reported unanimously from both the subcommittee and the committee with unanimous bipartisan support. I urge all of my House colleagues to vote in favor of it.
I want to thank again the full committee chairman, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), the ranking member, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), our subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert), and the subcommittee ranking member, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Borski), and all of the staff who have assisted on the bill, particularly Ben Brumbles and Susan Bodine of the Subcommittee on Water Resources.
Mr. BORSKI. Mr. Chairman, I yield 4 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant).
Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Chairman, I thank my distinguished friend from Philadelphia, my neighboring State of Pennsylvania. I have an amendment that I am waiting for that is coming from my office, Mr. Chairman. But I support this bill, and I want to commend the leadership of the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert), and I want to thank him for helping me secure the class A franchise in the New York Penn League baseball, now known as the Mahoney Valley Scrappers. He does a tremendous job on our committee and I appreciated your help on bringing the president of the league up, that was a big help. I want to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Borski) for all the work that he has done. If one wants to pass water, one wants to talk with him. He is the guy that does it around here.
I just want to make a couple of comments. I support this, and support almost every public works project in America, and I want the top gun to hear this. We have spent $12.6 billion to build a tunnel in Bosnia. It is now $1.2 billion over cost. But I am sure it is going to have merit.
Mr. Chairman, I have been advancing the prospect of completing the internavigable water system in the United States by connecting the Beaver River north of Pittsburgh, 110 miles away from Lake Erie, to revitalize every piece of industrial wasteland between Chicago and New York; Mr. Chairman, 60 percent of factories, 60 percent of the population within the region. They said it is too expensive. The Army Corps of Engineers said, Mr. Traficant, we would love to build this; but we are afraid of its cost, so we are not going to support it. We have the greatest builders in the world, the Army Corps of Engineers, putting their fingers in the holes of the dike, not really maximizing the infrastructure of our internavigable water system. I say to my colleagues, it is time that we do that and put America to work.
Let me say one last thing. How can there be an affected total comprehensive multi-modality transportation network without a full, comprehensive navigable water system connecting the Great Lakes to the Ohio River? Think about it. I don't know how much time it is going to take for my amendment to be here, and now I would like to speak to the effect of my amendment.
I understand this is an amendment to the Clean Water Act, the bill itself, and I commend my colleagues' constructive ingenuity to affect this common and well-thought-out goal. However, that Buy American, that Clean Water Act amendment already is covered by the Buy American Act. But the Buy American Act does not provide for a notice. The Traficant amendment says, yes, you must abide by the Buy American Act that is in the bill, and Congress recommends this, because we cannot mandate that they buy America, but encourages the support of buy American-made products or spending that on goods and services made in America. But more importantly, it gives notice from the Congress of the United States saying look, you are getting money, try and expend that money wherever possible on American-made goods.
The top gun is protected, and all of us work hard on the bill. So I hope that my staff will have heeded this clarion call and have my amendment here forthwith.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume to say that this is the birthday of the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter), the primary author of the bill, and Congress is not just presenting him with a $125 million birthday present, Congress is advancing on a bipartisan basis responsible legislation that represents good public policy.
With respect to the comments of my good friend from Ohio, let me point out that this committee has the habit of working constructively in a positive manner with him to fashion his language in a way that we can all embrace, and we eagerly anticipate the arrival of that language so that it can be given the careful scrutiny to which this committee has become accustomed.
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Mr. Chairman, at this juncture, I have no further requests for time; and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BORSKI. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson), the cosponsor of this bill.
Mr. JEFFERSON. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the allocation of time by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Borski).
Mr. Chairman, I rise this afternoon to join the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter) in a bipartisan effort to request this House vote to pass this important environmental restoration and protection legislation.
This is the gentleman's birthday, I understand; and it is a wonderful birthday present for him to have this bill passed. But more than that, a wonderful gift to the people of our State that he is providing under his leadership, and I thank him for his efforts.
H.R. 2957 amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize Federal support and coordination of water quality restoration projects for the Lake Pontchartrain Basin in Louisiana. By passing this legislation today, Congress will join with the State of Louisiana, local governments of the Metropolitan New Orleans area, local universities, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, and private citizens who have already recognized that the lake is important and it is important to restore the water quality in the Lake Pontchartrain Basin.
Mr. Chairman, Lake Pontchartrain is one of the largest estuaries in the continental United States, and it is important that the Federal Government join in the effort to restore water quality there. The lake has a diverse ecology that is essential to the habitat that supports numerous species of fish, birds, mammals, and plants there.
Lake Pontchartrain also handles the major storm water runoff for the 16 parishes in Louisiana that surround it. As a direct result of sewage and septic tank discharges, animal waste from nearby farms that contain herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, runoff from construction sediments, and other sources of pollution, the lake's water quality has been compromised to the point that fishing and swimming has been prohibited for decades.
Already, our local initiatives have started to address the issue of water quality, and some predict that one day in the near future swimming may be permitted again and fishing may be restored fully.
Restoration of the basin continues to be a major task for the State and local governments, and greater coordination is needed for restoration efforts.
Mr. Speaker, there is another reason for Federal involvement. Lake Pontchartrain also serves as a relief valve for Mississippi River spring floods which bring waters from regions exceeding way north of our State when high water at New Orleans requires opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway.
Every time that the spillway has been opened, eight times since 1932, the last 1997, the deluge of Mississippi River flood waters that are diverted through Lake Pontchartrain have wreaked havoc on the delicate ecological balance in the basin. The waters of Lake Pontchartrain are brackish, not fresh water, not salt water; and the titanic influx of fresh water from the floods act as a toxic shock to the lake's environment that can take years to overcome.
Mr. Chairman, the Federal challenge here today is to help us to balance the management of the river and the need for flood control for New Orleans, for the Nation, while at the same time balancing the management of the ecological and economically important resources for the lake.
Mr. Chairman, we have been working on the problem of restoring the lake basin locally. It is time that the Federal Government adds its weight and ability to coordinate these efforts, and its resources, to help with this important initiative.
Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Borski) for yielding me this time, and I thank my colleague for his work on this measure. It is a pleasure to join him, and I urge my colleagues to join us in passing this bill today.
Mr. BORSKI. Mr. Chairman, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIRMAN. All time for general debate has expired.
Pursuant to the rule, the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute printed in the bill is considered as an original bill for the purpose of amendment and is considered read.
The text of the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute is as follows:
H.R. 2957
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Act of 2000''.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL ESTUARY PROGRAM.
(a) Finding.--Congress finds that the Lake Ponchartrain Basin is an estuary of national significance.
(b) Addition to National Estuary Program.--Section 320(a)(2)(B) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1330(a)(2)(B)) is amended by inserting ``Lake Ponchartrain Basin, Louisiana and Mississippi;'' before ``and Peconic Bay, New York.''.
SEC. 3. LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN BASIN.
(a) In General.--Title I of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 121. LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN BASIN.
``(a) Establishment of Restoration Program.--The Administrator shall establish within the Environmental Protection Agency the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program.
``(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the program shall be to restore the ecological health of the Basin by developing and funding restoration projects and related scientific and public education projects.
``(c) Duties.--In carrying out the program, the Administrator shall--
``(1) provide administrative and technical assistance to a management conference convened for the Basin under section 320;
``(2) assist and support the activities of the management conference, including the implementation of recommendations of the management conference;
``(3) support environmental monitoring of the Basin and research to provide necessary technical and scientific information;
``(4) develop a comprehensive research plan to address the technical needs of the program;
``(5) coordinate the grant, research, and planning programs authorized under this section; and
``(6) collect and make available to the public publications, and other forms of information the management conference determines to be appropriate, relating to the environmental quality of the Basin.
``(d) Grants.--The Administrator may make grants--
``(1) for restoration projects and studies recommended by a management conference convened for the Basin under section 320;
``(2) for public education projects recommended by the management conference; and
``(3) for the inflow and infiltration project sponsored by the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board and Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.
``(e) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions apply:
``(1) Basin.--The term `Basin' means the Lake Pontchartrain Basin, a 5,000 square mile watershed encompassing 16 parishes in the State of Louisiana and 4 counties in the State of Mississippi.
``(2) Program.--The term `program' means the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program established under subsection (a).
``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--
``(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated--
``(A) $100,000,000 for the inflow and infiltration project sponsored by the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board and Jefferson Parish, Louisiana; and
``(B) $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2001 through 2005 to carry out this section.Such sums shall remain available until expended.
``(2) Public education projects.--Not more that 15 percent of the amount appropriated pursuant to paragraph (1)(B) in a fiscal year may be expended on grants for public education projects under subsection (d)(2).''.
The CHAIRMAN. During consideration of the bill for amendment, the Chair may accord priority in recognition to a Member offering an amendment that he has printed in the designated place in the Congressional Record. Those amendments will be considered read.
The Chairman of the Committee of the Whole may postpone a request for a recorded vote on any amendment and may reduce to a minimum of 5 minutes the time for voting on any postponed question that immediately follows another vote, provided that the time for voting on the first question shall be a minimum of 15 minutes.
Are there any amendments to the bill?
Amendment Offered by Mr. Traficant
Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
The Clerk read as follows:
Amendment offered by Mr. Traficant:
All recipients of grants pursuant to this act shall abide by the Buy American Act and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall give notice of the Buy American Act requirements to grant applicants.
Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Chairman, it is a very forthright little handwritten amendment. The gentleman from New York (Chairman Boehlert), who has reserved the right to object, should make note of the fact that it is like a reinforcement that there is a Buy American Act that everybody seems to overlook and buy goods made from China and all over the place, with a trade deficit that is now approaching $300 billion with China, surpassing Japan's $60 billion. China will amass a $70-plus billion trade surplus.
They are buying nuclear attack submarines and intercontinental ballistic missiles with our money. I have got to say ``beam me up.''
So the Traficant amendment says, look, the Clean Water Act has a Buy American statute in it, but it is so weak I do not think it could knock out Palooka. All we say, and all I say in this amendment, is abide by the Buy American Act, but give a notice of what that Buy American Act stands for so that the people who are getting these grants will at least have embedded in their psyche that the Congress of the United States would like to encourage them in expending American taxpayer dollars wherever possible, to expand it on American-made goods and services.
Now, having explained it, and wanting to have my standard language in, I believe that this language is significant enough and will require some task, but a task that is worthy of any administrator to effect a Buy American posture by our procurement policies.
I would hope that the gentleman's reservation in this matter can be abated.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. TRAFICANT. I yield to the gentleman from New York.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, let me ask my distinguished colleague, well, first of all let me give a preamble. I think the objective of the gentleman's amendment is sound. I think the concept is noble. I am wondering if the gentleman might ask that his amendment might be amended to have a preamble: ``It is the sense of Congress that,'' and continue on. That would make it consistent with previous endeavors advanced by the gentleman from Ohio.
Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, that would be fine except to say that it is the sense of Congress, and the administrator says it is a sense of Congress and he does not give a notice. If we want the administrator to say that it is the sense of Congress to abide by the Buy American Act, I do not know why we should pass the Buy American Act. What is the use of a law if we make it a sense of Congress and they do not have to abide by it?
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, would the gentleman continue to yield?
Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Chairman, I am not so sure that I will yield after that argument. I will yield.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, I am trying to assist my noble colleague in making the language----
Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Chairman, I would be glad to make it a sense of the Congress, but the notice shall not be a sense of the Congress. The historical debate on this would be that, yes, it is a sense of the Congress amendment, but there shall be a notice given that it is a sense of the Congress that they do abide by the Buy American Act. In other words, a notice will be given, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, if my distinguished colleague would again yield.
Mr. TRAFICANT. Glad to yield to the gentleman.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, that is perfectly acceptable.
Modification to Amendment Offered by Mr. Traficant
Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that the words spoken by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert) which state that it is the sense of the Congress that, bang, before the Traficant amendment be that which is incorporated into the amendment.
The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will report the modification to the amendment offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant).
The Clerk read as follows:
At the beginning of the text proposed to be inserted, add the following: It is the sense of the Congress that All recipients of grants pursuant to this act shall abide by the Buy American Act. The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall give notice of the Buy American Act requirements to grant applicants.
The CHAIRMAN. Is there objection to the modification to the amendment offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant)?
Mr. TRAFICANT. Clarification, Mr. Chairman. Clarification. And the remainder of it shall be after the Buy American Act, period: The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall give notice. That language shall remain.
The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will again report the modification.
Mr. TRAFICANT. In further clarification----
The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman will suspend. The Clerk will report the modification.
The Clerk read as follows:
The amendment as modified is as follows: At the end of the bill, add the following new section: It is the sense of Congress that all recipients of grants pursuant to this act shall abide by the Buy American Act. The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall give notice of the Buy American Act Requirements to the grant applicants.
Mr. TRAFICANT. That is in essence a complete----
The CHAIRMAN. Is there objection to the modification?
There was no objection.
Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
Mr. Chairman, I do so to enter into a colloquy with the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter), my good friend.
The report accompanying this bill defines certain members of the management conference. Could the gentleman please share with me his intentions in regards to the makeup of this management conference.
Mr. VITTER. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. TAUZIN. I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana.
Mr. VITTER. Mr. Chairman, it is certainly my intention to clarify that representation from each of the 16 parishes in Louisiana in the Lake Ponchartrain Basin estuary will be included in the management conference.
Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, the report filed with the bill also clarifies that this legislation does not create new regulatory authority over the basin; however, it sets broad goals for the estuary. Could the gentleman share his intentions on the goals of this legislation and for the estuary.
Mr. VITTER. Mr. Chairman, if the gentleman would continue to yield, certainly, it is the intention of this legislation to address inflow and infiltration problems of the municipal sewer systems in the estuary that are adversely affecting the ecosystem of the basin and to provide the assistance necessary to focus on voluntary restoration projects that will benefit the health and productivity of the Lake Ponchartrain Basin. It does not provide any new regulatory authority in the basin.
I intend to more clearly define the goals of the legislation and management conference in the conference report of this bill.
Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the gentleman for the clarification, and I would like to congratulate the gentleman from Louisiana for his fine work on behalf of the citizens of south Louisiana in this important basin. I look forward to continuing to work with him on this bill throughout the legislative process and encourage its passage by this House.
The CHAIRMAN. The question is on the amendment, as modified offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant).
The amendment, as modified, was agreed to.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, I have a parliamentary inquiry.
The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman will state it.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, does that mean that the Traficant-
Boehlert amendment has just passed?
The CHAIRMAN. Yes, the gentleman is correct.
{time} 1530
The CHAIRMAN. Are there other amendments?
If not, the question is on the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute, as amended.
The committee amendment in the nature of a substitute, as amended, was agreed to.
The CHAIRMAN. Under the rule, the Committee rises.
Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. Boehner) having assumed the chair, Mr. Ose, Chairman of the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, reported that that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2957) to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize funding to carry out certain water quality restoration projects for Lake Pontchartrain Basin, Louisiana, and for other purposes, pursuant to House Resolution 484, he reported the bill back to the House with an amendment adopted by the Committee of the Whole.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the rule, the previous question is ordered.
Is a separate vote demanded on the amendment to the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute adopted in the Committee of the Whole? If not, the question is on the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute.
The committee amendment in the nature of a substitute was agreed to.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the bill.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was read the third time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the passage of the bill.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8(c) of rule XX, this 15-
minute vote will be followed by a series of 5-minute votes on motions to suspend the rules postponed from earlier today.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 418, nays 6, not voting 11, as follows:
YEAS--418
AbercrombieAckermanAderholtAllenAndrewsArcherArmeyBacaBachusBairdBakerBaldacciBaldwinBallengerBarciaBarrBarrett (NE)Barrett (WI)BartlettBartonBassBatemanBecerraBentsenBereuterBerkleyBermanBerryBiggertBilbrayBilirakisBishopBlagojevichBlileyBlumenauerBluntBoehlertBoehnerBonillaBoniorBonoBorskiBoswellBoucherBoydBrady (PA)Brady (TX)Brown (FL)Brown (OH)BryantBurrBurtonBuyerCallahanCalvertCampCampbellCanadyCannonCappsCapuanoCardinCarsonCastleChabotChamblissClayClaytonClementClyburnCobleCollinsCombestConditConyersCookseyCostelloCoxCoyneCramerCraneCrowleyCubinCummingsCunninghamDannerDavis (FL)Davis (IL)Davis (VA)DealDeFazioDeGetteDelahuntDeLauroDeLayDeMintDeutschDiaz-BalartDickeyDicksDingellDixonDoggettDooleyDoolittleDoyleDreierDuncanDunnEdwardsEhlersEhrlichEmersonEngelEnglishEshooEtheridgeEvansEverettEwingFarrFattahFilnerFletcherFoleyForbesFordFossellaFowlerFrank (MA)Franks (NJ)FrelinghuysenGalleglyGanskeGejdensonGekasGephardtGibbonsGilchrestGillmorGilmanGonzalezGoodeGoodlatteGoodlingGordonGossGrahamGrangerGreen (TX)Green (WI)GreenwoodGutknechtHall (OH)Hall (TX)HansenHastertHastings (FL)Hastings (WA)HayesHayworthHefleyHergerHill (IN)Hill (MT)HillearyHilliardHincheyHinojosaHobsonHoeffelHoekstraHoldenHoltHooleyHornHoughtonHoyerHulshofHunterHutchinsonHydeInsleeIsaksonIstookJackson (IL)Jackson-Lee (TX)JeffersonJenkinsJohnJohnson (CT)Johnson, E. B.Johnson, SamJones (NC)Jones (OH)KanjorskiKapturKasichKellyKennedyKildeeKilpatrickKind (WI)King (NY)KingstonKleczkaKlinkKnollenbergKolbeKucinichKuykendallLaFalceLaHoodLampsonLantosLargentLarsonLathamLaTouretteLazioLeachLeeLevinLewis (CA)Lewis (GA)Lewis (KY)LinderLipinskiLoBiondoLofgrenLoweyLucas (KY)LutherMaloney (CT)Maloney (NY)ManzulloMarkeyMartinezMascaraMatsuiMcCarthy (MO)McCarthy (NY)McCollumMcCreryMcDermottMcGovernMcHughMcInnisMcIntoshMcIntyreMcKeonMcKinneyMcNultyMeehanMeek (FL)Meeks (NY)MenendezMetcalfMicaMillender-McDonaldMiller (FL)Miller, GaryMiller, GeorgeMingeMinkMoakleyMollohanMooreMoran (KS)Moran (VA)MorellaMurthaNadlerNapolitanoNealNethercuttNeyNorthupNorwoodNussleOberstarObeyOlverOrtizOseOwensOxleyPackardPallonePascrellPastorPaynePeasePelosiPeterson (MN)Peterson (PA)PetriPhelpsPickeringPickettPittsPomboPomeroyPorterPortmanPrice (NC)Pryce (OH)QuinnRadanovichRahallRamstadRangelRegulaReyesReynoldsRileyRiversRodriguezRoemerRoganRogersRohrabacherRos-LehtinenRothmanRoukemaRoybal-AllardRushRyan (WI)Ryun (KS)SaboSalmonSanchezSandersSandlinSawyerSaxtonScarboroughSchakowskyScottSensenbrennerSerranoSessionsShadeggShawShaysShermanSherwoodShimkusShowsShusterSimpsonSisiskySkeenSkeltonSlaughterSmith (MI)Smith (NJ)Smith (TX)Smith (WA)SnyderSouderSpenceSprattStabenowStarkStearnsStenholmStricklandStumpStupakSununuSweeneyTalentTancredoTannerTauscherTauzinTaylor (MS)Taylor (NC)TerryThomasThompson (CA)Thompson (MS)ThornberryThuneThurmanTiahrtTierneyToomeyTownsTraficant TurnerUdall (CO)Udall (NM)UptonVentoViscloskyVitterWaldenWalshWampWatersWatkinsWatt (NC)Watts (OK)WaxmanWeinerWeldon (FL)Weldon (PA)WellerWexlerWeygandWhitfieldWilsonWolfWoolseyWuWynn
NAYS--6
Chenoweth-HageHostettlerPaulRoyceSanfordSchaffer
NOT VOTING--11
CoburnCookFrostGutierrezLucas (OK)MyrickVelazquezWickerWiseYoung (AK)Young (FL)
{time} 1552
Mr. SCHAFFER changed his vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
So the bill was passed.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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