Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2020

Floor Speech

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Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the Democratic en bloc amendment.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment includes language which would take a major step back in unleashing our domestic potential to procure critical minerals and reduce our reliance on foreign competitors like China and Russia. The amendment also includes language which would limit access to the healthiest beverage option in our national parks-- water.

Should we limit drinking water options available to park visitors especially in parks where the temperatures can easily reach triple digits?

The answer is no.

Finally, I offer a few observations that I believe we should keep in mind as we discuss ethylene oxide. Ethylene oxide is a critical tool to ensure that medical devices are sterile and safe for patients. For many materials, that is certain plastics, ethylene oxide is the only safe option for sterilization. Other sterilization methods--radiation and steam heat--will degrade the materials and cause the device to lose its integrity.

We all share the goal of patient access to safe medical devices, clean air, and clean workspaces. I am committed to working with my colleague and others to encourage more sustainable and efficient use of EO.

Mr. Chair, I oppose this en bloc amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chairman, apparently there is an individual who is en route who would like to speak on this amendment, but at this point in time I do not have a witness right here, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, I claim time in opposition to the amendment.

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Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Sport hunting is an important recreational activity for countless Americans and has been for centuries. President Teddy Roosevelt, a champion of the conservation movement, went on hunting expeditions around the world.

This amendment would negatively impact the people of Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Tanzania. The money generated from trophy hunts helps the local populations by providing jobs and funding for community services.

One of the countries listed in the amendment is Zimbabwe. The Communal Areas Management Plan for Indigenous Resources, or CAMPFIRE, program in Zimbabwe attempted to create economic incentives for communities and landowners to conduct habitat and ecosystem restoration. At one point, CAMPFIRE generated more than $20 million, of which almost 90 percent came from trophy hunting, allowing communities to establish management over the habit and resources within the range area.

Another country mentioned in the amendment is Zambia. Zambia's Administrative Design for Game Management Areas program has served as a model for locally accruing trophy-hunting revenue, as the program receives 67 percent of the trophy-hunting revenue in game management areas. Fifty-three percent of the program revenue is directed toward wildlife management. The remainder goes to community development.

There is also a lack of sufficient data on the effect of hunting species that would lead us to support efforts like this amendment. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, many scientific studies on trophy hunting's effects on wildlife populations contain disclaimers of insufficient data to measure the effect of hunting on a species.

Certainly, improvements can be made in these and other countries to further conserve species and benefit local communities. However, this amendment would take us in the wrong direction. Instead, we should focus our efforts on habitat loss and fragmentation, illegal poaching, and conflict with humans.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this amendment.

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Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), my distinguished colleague.

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Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Duncan).

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

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Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I might consume.

I rise to support the en bloc amendment.

Mr. Chair, I thank Chairman Lowey for her support and Chair McCollum for working with us to include provisions important to Members on both sides of the aisle.

Included in this en bloc amendment are several water provisions that I support, including grants to States to reduce pollution in our waterways.

The amendment also supports the maintenance of the Great Lakes Advisory Board, which helps to ensure that transparent and credible views guide Great Lakes Restoration Initiative investments.

Finally, the en bloc amendment includes language prioritizing funding for grants to fight domestic violence in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

Mr. Chair, I support the bipartisan en bloc amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson), my distinguished colleague and friend.

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

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Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Madam Chair, I rise in support of this amendment. When it comes to ANWR, there is no such thing as a noncontroversial policy provision. This one found its way into the Interior-Environment spending bill at a time when longstanding bipartisan provisions have fallen out.

As I mentioned during general debate on this spending package, we need to remove these poison pill riders before we can reach a longstanding bipartisan agreement. That is why I support the amendment to strike this controversial policy position.

Madam Chair, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this amendment.

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