Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment, although I am not opposed to it.

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Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Chair, I appreciate my colleague's support for the DOE's efforts to take action on the defense-related uranium mines that are a legacy of the Cold War. The amendment does not change funding levels within the bill, and I do not oppose the amendment.

Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Arizona.

Mr. Chairman, although I am supportive of the stated goals of the National Ocean Policy, such as more interagency coordination and decisionmaking, there are many troubling aspects here.

This amendment seeks to strip underlying language that prevents Federal agencies from using ambiguous authorities in the National Ocean Policy to encroach on a wide variety of ocean and inland activities.

I have heard from farmers and irrigators from throughout the Pacific Northwest concerned that ill-defined terms such as ``ecosystem-based management'' give broad authority to Federal agencies to adversely impact terrestrial agriculture that is hundreds of miles from the Pacific Coast in the name of ocean management.

Before imposing these burdens on farmers who feed our Nation, it is necessary for Congress to evaluate such a policy to ensure that all affected stakeholders have a seat at the table. I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment.
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Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer an amendment on a critical matter for the Bonneville Power Administration and our Nation's other power marketing administrations, or PMAs, including the Southwestern Power Administration and the Western Area Power Administration, as well as the Tennessee Valley Authority, or the TVA.

The President's fiscal year 2019 budget request, released earlier this year, included a misguided proposal to sell the transmission assets of these entities. It is unfortunate this proposal was offered once again, as the matter was met with resounding rejection by Congress last year when it was offered in the fiscal year 2018 budget request.

The sale of these assets would result in the Federal Government abandoning a successful and efficient solution for providing affordable power to rural, urban, and tribal communities across the country.

This one-time Federal debt reduction proposal would create energy production and delivery issues for my constituents, as costs would inevitably rise.

Mr. Chairman, this ill-advised proposal is once again a Federal attempt to fix something that is not broken.

I fully support efforts to improve energy infrastructure across the Nation. However, I do not believe that this goal should come at the expense of existing infrastructure--infrastructure that successfully fills a need where market-based pricing would not be sustainable.

My constituents, especially in rural communities, depend on the Bonneville Power Administration to provide stable and affordable electricity service. Divesting BPA's assets would create needless uncertainty for regional energy markets and ratepayers in central Washington.

In a climate where BPA continues to face unnecessary challenges, whether from the imprudent Federal proposal to move to market-based rates or the incessant use of litigation brought forward by radical environmentalists for the past three decades, I offer this amendment which simply prohibits any funds from being used to sell the transmission assets of the three PMAs and the TVA.

Mr. Chairman, I come before the House today as a champion for the Bonneville Power Administration, an advocate for public power, and a steadfast representative for ratepayers across central Washington State, the greater Pacific Northwest, and the entire Nation. I encourage the administration to listen to this resounding bipartisan message that I bring along with my colleagues today: we reject this proposal and prohibit the divestment of these assets.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn).

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Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Chairman, I am proud my amendment is cosponsored by at least 18 bipartisan colleagues, and I would humbly urge the rest of my colleagues to support and vote ``yes'' on this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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