Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 612) to reauthorize the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, and for other purposes.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: S. 612

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 Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act''. SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF THE LAKE TAHOE RESTORATION ACT.

(a) Cooperative Authorities.--Section 4(f) of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act (Public Law 106-506) is amended by striking ``4 fiscal years following the date of enactment of the Water Resources Development Act of 2016'' and inserting ``period beginning on the date of enactment of this subsection and ending on the date described in section 10(a)''.

(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 10(a) of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act (Public Law 106-506) is amended by striking ``for a period'' and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting ``, to remain available until September 30, 2034.''.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. WESTERMAN. 612, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support S. 612, the Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act. This is a bicameral and bipartisan effort being led on the House side by Representatives Amodei, Kiley, and Duarte. I applaud their efforts to advance this legislation to the floor. This is a good bill that reauthorizes the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act for another decade, ensuring no lapse in funding for a significant program serving the iconic Lake Tahoe area.

During a hearing on this legislation in the Natural Resources Committee just last week, Julie Regan, the executive director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, ended her testimony with a quote from Congressman Kiley discussing the importance of Lake Tahoe to his community. Congressman Kiley is quoted as saying:

We can get past the political divides by implementing projects of common importance at a local level. Tahoe is the perfect example. Spanning two States, multiple overlapping jurisdictions, and red and blue counties. Yet we can all agree on the goal of protecting something that is larger than us. That transcends political differences.

I could not agree more with Congressman Kiley's sentiment. I have had the pleasure of seeing the great work in Lake Tahoe firsthand, and the collaboration occurring in the Tahoe basin is truly a model of forest management for the rest of the Nation.

S. 612 will help ensure the continued funding for restoration and resilience activities around Lake Tahoe, including critical work mitigating wildfire risk and restoring forest health. The bill also extends the authorization to enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with States and local governments to conduct fuel reduction, erosion control, and reforestation activities.

Again, I want to commend Representatives Amodei, Kiley, and Duarte for working with their bipartisan and bicameral colleagues to advance this important forest management effort and secure the swift consideration of this legislation in the Natural Resources Committee and on the House floor.

Mr. Speaker, I support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, September 20, 2024. Hon. Bruce Westerman, Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Westerman: I write to you concerning S. 612, the Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act. The bill was referred primarily to the Committee on Natural Resources, with additional referrals to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and Committee on Agriculture. Specifically, provisions of S. 612 fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

I recognize and appreciate your desire to bring this legislation before the House of Representatives in an expeditious manner, and accordingly, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will forgo action on the bill. However, this is conditional on our mutual understanding that doing so will not prejudice the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure with respect to the appointment of conferees or to any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matter contained within the bill or similar legislation that falls under the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure's Rule X jurisdiction. Further, should a conference on the bill be necessary, I appreciate your agreement to support my request to have the Committee represented on the conference committee.

Finally, I would ask that a copy of this letter and your response acknowledging our jurisdictional interest in the bill be included in the Committee Report and Congressional Record during consideration of S. 612 on the House floor. Sincerely, Sam Graves, Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. ____ House of Representatives, Committee on Natural Resources, Washington, DC, September 23, 2024. Hon. Sam Graves, Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Graves: I write regarding S. 612, the ``Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act.'' The bill was referred primarily to the Committee on Natural Resources, and additionally to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the Committee on Agriculture, and was ordered reported by the Committee on Natural Resources on September 19, 2024.

I recognize that the bill contains provisions that fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and appreciate your willingness to forgo any further consideration of the bill. I acknowledge that the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will not formally consider S. 612 and agree that the inaction of your Committee with respect to the bill does not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained therein.

I am pleased to support your request to name members of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to any conference committee to consider such provisions. I will ensure that our exchange of letters is included in the Congressional Record during floor consideration of the bill and will include such letters in the committee report on S. 612. I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation. Sincerely, Bruce Westerman, Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources. ____ House of Representatives, Committee on Agriculture, Washington, DC, September 20, 2024. Hon. Bruce Westerman, Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: This letter confirms our mutual understanding regarding S. 612, the ``Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act''. Thank you for collaborating with the Committee on Agriculture on the matters within our jurisdiction.

The Committee on Agriculture will forego any further consideration of this bill. However, by foregoing consideration at this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over any subject matter contained in this or similar legislation. The Committee on Agriculture also reserves the right to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees should it become necessary and ask that you support such a request.

We would appreciate a response to this letter confirming this understanding with respect to S. 612 and request a copy of our letters on this matter be published in the Congressional Record during Floor consideration. Sincerely, Glenn ``GT'' Thompson, Chairman. ____ House of Representatives, Committee on Natural Resources, Washington, DC, September 23, 2024. Hon. Glenn ``GT'' Thompson, Chairman, Committee on Agriculture, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Thompson: I write regarding S. 612, the ``Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act.'' The bill was referred primarily to the Committee on Natural Resources, and additionally to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the Committee on Agriculture, and was ordered reported by the Committee on Natural Resources on September 19, 2024.

I recognize that the bill contains provisions that fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Agriculture and appreciate your willingness to forgo any further consideration of the bill. I acknowledge that the Committee on Agriculture will not formally consider S. 612 and agree that the inaction of your Committee with respect to the bill does not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained therein.

I am pleased to support your request to name members of the Committee on Agriculture to any conference committee to consider such provisions. I will ensure that our exchange of letters is included in the Congressional Record during floor consideration of the bill. I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation. Sincerely, Bruce Westerman, Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. WESTERMAN. He is from the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, I am prepared to close, and I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, this is a good, commonsense bill that will continue important forest management efforts in an area facing a high risk of catastrophic wildfire. This effort would not have been possible without the leadership of the Members representing the Lake Tahoe basin, including Representative Kiley of California and Congressman Amodei of Nevada.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source