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Floor Speech
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Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, I rise again today to request passage of the Swanson and Hugh Butler Reservoirs Land Conveyances Act.
Over the past 50 years, the residents of the Swanson and Red Willow Reservoirs communities have built friendships, started supportive businesses, and enjoyed the recreation that Southwest Nebraska has to offer.
Now, starting on February 1, in less than 2 months, these people will be forcibly removed from the reservoirs unless this bill passes. This is per a contract signed between local parties and the Bureau of Reclamation.
I worked with the Nebraska delegation, the residents, the small businesses, the Bureau, as well as both Democrats and Republicans on the ENR Committee to draft a bill that would solve this issue.
Senator Hirono and I are following regular order, but we have to use unanimous consent. Our bills passed the House. Our bills have passed out of the Senate ENR Committee.
This is what we all say in here, what we all tell our constituents, that this has to happen: We need to follow regular order. We travel our States talking about regular order all the time. We say one side or the other is not following it. This is the way to do bills.
This needs to happen. We need one subject bills, another demand of our constituents, instead of piling 150 bills that aren't in a package yet, trying to get them into a package.
But I understand we will have an objection. Senator Hirono and I paired a Democrat bill with a Republican bill so that we can move forward and other Members can then move forward on noncontroversial bills for our people at home and for our people who support this.
So as if in legislative session and notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate en bloc consideration of H.R. 8413 and 8219, which were received from the House. I further ask that the bills be considered read a third time and passed and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
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Mrs. FISCHER. I am astounded by this once again. As I have said, the situation is dire. My constituents will lose their homes. The communities they have built for the last 50 years will be destroyed.
I don't know of any other bill, in the 100 or 150 bills, that is on this kind of time crunch. My bill has to pass now. Yes, it is a priority. As the Senator from California, his bills are a priority as well for himself, his constituents. I respect that. But we are on a time crunch. This has to pass now or next week. Maybe we won't be home for Christmas because I plan to keep coming back here and get this done.
We did our work; we did it the right way; and we did it on time. We have presented a solution that everyone--and I mean everyone--agrees with. It is so uncontroversial, it was voice-voted out of committee. Even the Senator from West Virginia who objected last night--he doesn't have any concerns with this legislation.
Nebraskans' very homes and communities are now on the line in this final hour. They cannot wait. They should not have to pay the price for stalled negotiations. Saying there is going to be an agreement after working a year on an agreement, saying there is going to be an agreement on this 100- to 150-bill land package--come on. That isn't even realistic at this point in time. Going to work through the weekend. You know, I hope it comes together, but come on.
These are noncontroversial bills. And using my constituents as political pawns instead of moving bills in normal order, which we all tout, is unacceptable. In fact, it is absurd. We better do better.
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