Week Ending May 21

TheWeekInCongress.com

Week Ending May 21, 2004

House Concurrent Resolution 424 Honoring US military and encouraging wearing the red poppy.

BRIEF

The bill honors past and current members of the Armed Forces of the US and their families by encouraging every American to wear a red poppy on Memorial Day as a sign of admiration and thanks to those individuals who died to preserve freedom and democracy in the United States.

The resolution notes that the first Poppy Day was held in England on November 11, 1921, and since that time, the red poppy has been a symbol of sacrifice. For over 80 years, the red poppy has been worn to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and to raise money to help our disabled veterans.

The Poppy plant and its’ distinguishing red flower was popularized after WWI in a poem by a Major John McCrae:

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
Our torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Sponsor: Representative John B Shadegg (R-AZ)

Vote: Passed House 419 – 0. Passed Senate by unanimous consent.

Cost to the taxpayer: No discernible cost.

House Concurrent Resolution 420 Transportation week.

BRIEF

HCR 420 would recognize the men and women in America’s transportation industries through support of National Transportation Week (May 16─22, 2004) and urges all Americans to become aware of the benefits and contributions that the transportation industry makes to the Nation.

The US transportation system is a public and private network of roads, airports, railroads, transit routes, waterways, terminals, ports and pipelines used daily by millions of Americans for business and pleasure. As the resolution notes, Americans use the various systems to “get to work, embark on vacations, conduct business and ship goods” within and out of the US.

The system links regions and connects small and large cities and urban and rural areas; and contributes to economic activity and global competitiveness as a service, an industry, and an infrastructure. The transportation sector accounts for 11 percent of the United States Gross Domestic Product and employs over 11 million Americans.

The average household spends about 20 percent of its income on transportation-more than on any other expense except housing.

As per a 1957 congressional resolution the 3^rd Friday in May of each year is national Defense Transportation Day.

Sponsor: Representative Don Young (R-AK)

Vote: Passed House 360 – 0. Passed Senate by unanimous consent.

Cost to the taxpayer: No discernible cost.

CALIFORNIA

HR 417 To revoke a Public Land Order with respect to certain lands erroneously included in the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge, California.

BRIEF

The bill would rectify a surveying and land transfer error from the early 1960s when Bureau of Land Management (BLM) property on which a Mr. Frank Dokter operated a recreational concession was included in a newly created National Wildlife Refuge. The concession known as Walter’s Camp sits on 140 acres near the lower Colorado River in Imperial County, CA. Visitors can camp, hike, canoe, fish, bird watch and hunt rocks.

16,627 acres were withdrawn to create the refuge and Walter’s Camp was erroneously included. With the property under the pervue of the Fish and Wildlife Service the BLM could no longer issue the permit for the camp to operate. The bill would correct the matter.

Sponsor: Senator Duncan Hunter (D-CA)

Vote: Passed House 424 – 0. Passed Senate by unanimous consent.

Cost to the taxpayer: CBO reports no impact on federal spending.

HR 708 Land conveyance in Mendocino Valley, California

BRIEF

The bill would authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain Mendocino National Forest System lands in Lake County, California, to the owner of Faraway Ranch property, Lake County, California. The bill would convey 120 acres of National Forest Service property to the owner of the Faraway Ranch, for fair market value. Faraway Ranch would also pay for transfer costs and any surveying necessary.

The Forest Service would take the money from the sale and purchase other property within the confines of the forest.

Sponsor: Representative Mike Thompson (R-CA)

Vote: Passed House by voice vote. Passed Senate by unanimous consent.

Cost to the taxpayer: No discernible cost.

HR 1598 Irvine Basin Surface and Groundwater Improvement Act of 2003

BRIEF

The bill would authorize the Secretary of the Interior, in cooperation with the Irvine Ranch Water District, California, to participate in the design, planning, and construction of projects to naturally treat impaired surface water, reclaim and reuse impaired groundwater, and provide brine disposal within the San Diego Creek Watershed.

The watershed is home to 75 species of fish, nearly 200 species of birds, and threatened and endangered species, including the light-footed clapper rail, Belding's Savannah sparrow, the American osprey, the California brown pelican and California's least tern. In addition, the Bay is an important stop on the Pacific Flyway for 50,000 migratory birds each year.

The Upper Newport Bay and the habitat of the above creatures is threatened by silt and polluted runoff from the San Diego Creek. HR 1598 will use a natural treatment system to reduce the amount of silt and pollutants entering San Diego Creek and Upper Newport Bay. The plan relies on wetlands, nature's own system for filtering pollutants out of the water and will create an entire network of wetlands to be developed along the San Diego Creek basin..

Sponsor: Representative Christopher Cox (R-CA)

Vote: Passed House by voice vote. Passed Senate by unanimous consent.

Cost to the taxpayer: Federal spending can not exceed 25% of the total cost of the project. The cost is estimated by CBO at $19 million between 2004 and 2009.## All rights reserved. No reproduction in any form without written permission from TheWeekInCongress.com

MICHIGAN

HR 408 Expansion of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

BRIEF

HR 408 would revise the boundary of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to increase its’ size provided the new land is titled to the US. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to acquire such land only by purchase only when the seller is a willing one and prohibits the Secretary from acquiring the land through exchange or conveyance of lands that are within the boundary of the SBDNL.

The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is 64 miles of shoreline along the northeastern edge of Lake Michigan and will be enhanced by the 105 acres of land along the Crystal River adjacent to SBDNL..

This land deal has a history going back some 17 years when property owners who happened to run a resort wanted to build a golf course and a residential development on the land now in question. Local residents and environmental organizations protested and the developers, Bayberry Mills, Inc. took heed and delayed their plans. Now they have the opportunity to sell the land to the US government after which it will be included in the National Lakeshore.

During discussion the question was raised why land just wouldn’t be swapped but apparently that was an earlier option that also met with resistance in the 1980s.

Sponsor: Representative Dave Camp (R-MI)

Vote: Passed House under suspension of the rules. Passed Senate by unanimous consent.

Cost to the taxpayer:

HR 856 To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to revise a repayment contract with the Tom Green County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1, San Angelo project, Texas, and for other purposes.

BRIEF

Due to an extended drought in the area and the consequent loss of revenue the Tom Green County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1 needs some debt relief. The bill would authorize the Secretary of Interior to Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to revise a specified repayment contract with the Tom Green County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1 by extending the period for repayment of the San Angelo, Texas, project's reimbursable construction costs from 40 to 50 years. Tom Green has an outstanding loan with the Department of Interior for the construction of an irrigation canal some decades back. The remaining balance is approximately $2.4 million. The farmers in the District have paid 38 percent (about $1.5 million) of the original debt owed to the Department of Interior.

Sponsor: Senator Charles Stenholm (R-TX)

Vote: Passed House by voice vote. Passed Senate by unanimous consent.

Cost to the taxpayer: No discernible cost.

House Concurrent Resolution 432 – Adjournment

BRIEFResolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That when the House adjourns on the legislative day of Thursday, May 20, 2004, or Friday, May 21, 2004, it stand adjourned until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, June 1, 2004, or until the time of any reassembly pursuant to section 2 of this concurrent resolution, whichever occurs first; and that when the Senate recesses or adjourns on Thursday, May 20, 2004, Friday, May 21, 2004, or Saturday, May 22, 2004, on a motion offered pursuant to this concurrent resolution by its Majority Leader or his designee, it stand recessed or adjourned until noon on Tuesday, June 1, 2004, or at such other time on that day as may be specified by its Majority Leader or his designee in the motion to recess or adjourn, or until the time of any reassembly pursuant to section 2 of this concurrent resolution, whichever occurs first.SEC. 2. The Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader of the Senate, or their respective designees, acting jointly after consultation with the Minority Leader of the House and the Minority Leader of the Senate, shall notify the Members of the House and the Senate, respectively, to reassemble at such place and time as they may designate whenever, in their opinion, the public interest shall warrant it.