NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED--Resumed

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. MURKOWSKI. The Senator from Delaware is correct that the Rubio amendment does not affect the use of digital maps by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the implementation of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. MURKOWSKI. The Senator from Delaware's understanding of the Rubio amendment is correct.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Madam President, we are now down to the final minutes of debate on S. 47, our Natural Resources Management Act. This is something we had a good number of Members come to the floor to speak on. Our Members are proud of the many provisions that we have seen fit to include within this package itself--bills that relate to lands and land conveyances, conservation aspects, sportsmen's provisions, those measures that can help bring about economic development in very small areas. We are very proud of what we have done with this process that has led us to where we are today.

I am excited that we are coming to the end of the debate and, hopefully, will be able to move this bill across the floor with a very strong bipartisan vote. We had a good showing last night with our cloture vote, 87 to 7, to end the debate. That was good and sound. We are looking forward to sending this to our colleagues on the House side for their review and their support and, hopefully, shortly after that, their ratification.

When we take a package that is over 100 bills from over 50 different Senators and over 90 who have signed on as cosponsors, that demonstrates something. What we have done with the strength, extent, and expanse of these provisions, the efforts we have made to ensure that the Land and Water Conservation Fund continues with a permanent extension and what we have done, as I mentioned, within the sportsmen's provisions to really help make a difference for those men and women, certainly Senator Manchin and me and sportsmen and women around the country, by making sure that our public lands are open for recreational fishing, hunting, target shooting--this is significant for us, certainly from an economic perspective, when you think about how much goes into these areas. Sportsmen and women spent about $119 billion-- that was back in 2016--on everything from their gear to the support in these small communities. But when we talk about access to land, it is not just access to land, it is expansion of economic opportunities.

We also have provisions to encourage the Secretary of Interior and Secretary of Agriculture to think bigger and identify more opportunities for recreation, hunting, and fishing on our public lands. We have special hunting days for youth, veterans, and Active Duty military. We have included provisions from the WILD Act--the Wildlife Innovation and Longevity Driver Act--to protect endangered populations and combat invasive species. There is so much contained in this measure.

With regard to the conservation provisions, we think we have done them right because we have worked to ensure that we have strong support at State and local levels. We are creating three new National monuments--two in Kentucky and one in Mississippi--with Congress at the helm of those provisions.

We have provisions to improve volcano monitoring and warning systems, which is important if an aircraft in the sky passes across an area where there has been eruptions. We have provisions that promote wildlife conservation, combat endangered species, protect endangered species and water management provisions that save water, protect public safety, enhance fish protections and wildlife habitat. We do all of this, and the CBO estimates that we will reduce direct spending by $10 million over the next 10 years. We recognize that is hardly enough to reduce deficits, but it is a bonus. We are chalking that up as an additional bonus.

This has come together with a great deal of hard work by many Members and our staffs. I want to particularly recognize the good work of my ranking partners, Senator Cantwell in the previous Congress and now Senator Manchin, and their help in getting us to this point. I thank not only the Members but their very strong staffs who have worked in conjunction with my staff. I recognize that we stand up and do a lot of the talking, but the behind-the-scenes negotiation, the navigating, making sure that the wording is just exact--what we have done, I think, has been yeoman's work in getting us here, and I am very, very proud of all of those who have helped accomplish that.

Stating for the Members again, this is a big package, a substantive package, but there is more to come. These public lands matters have a tendency to stack up, so we are hardly finished with our work in this area. We are clearing the decks this afternoon of the items that are ready to go to the President right now. After we spent so much time working through them in this regular order process in this Congress, I think it is something we can be proud of.

There is a lot of stress that goes on, and there have been some discussions, just earlier, about how we keep the wheels on the bus, how we keep the government from shutting down, how we figure out how to deal with appropriations bills, and here we have been just plugging quietly along, moving forward on legislation that has been a great cooperative effort, a great bipartisan effort, and, hopefully soon, a very great bicameral effort, demonstrating that maybe--just maybe--we in Congress can get something done.

It is nice to be part of a team that is making things happen and, again, great thanks and great appreciation to the many Members who have helped. I also want to give a shout-out to Senator Heinrich, who has been here every step of the way, pushing on these sportsmen's matters. Senator Wyden has also been a great help. Over on the Republican side, Senator Gardner and Senator Daines have been in this every inch of the way, helping us advance. It is a good place and a good time to be working toward the finish line.

With that, I yield to my friend and ranking member, the Senator from West Virginia.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source