North Texas Invasive Species Barrier Act of 2014

Floor Speech

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Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Alaska, the former chairman of the committee.

I also want to thank the gentleman Ralph Hall and the gentleman Sam Johnson, also from north Texas, that joined with me in this important bill.

I want to thank my friends on the Democratic side, in particular Mr. DeFazio, for his not only effort and understanding, but an effort in making sure that water resources all across this country, the needs of the people, are understood.

Mr. Speaker, we are under increased problems all across this country, distressed because of the lack of water. We have lots of areas of the country that are undergoing tremendous changes, and that means that local people have to make accommodations; but that also means that, many times, they have to work with the Federal Government, in this case, through the U.S. Corps of Engineers.

I would like to also thank the U.S. Corps of Engineers and the North Texas Municipal Water District for their hard work on this important issue. The opportunity for us to resolve this issue means that 1.5 million north Texans who need to make sure that they have adequate, safe, and good water resources, that we can continue a plan in north Texas that we agreed to. We agree this is the right thing to do.

We also agree that we are after the good Lord to help us out with some rain; but in the meantime, the Lord also says those that help themselves, that that is the right way to do it.

We are trying to work together. Today, as Mr. Hall has said, it is an opportunity to see Republicans and Democrats, those people in Washington who have come to represent the American people, many of us just for our own district, but all of us working together can work to resolve differences and problems that sometimes occur back home for the benefit of so many other people.

Today, I want to thank the chairman of the committee, Doc Hastings, for carefully reviewing, understanding, looking at what we are trying to do, and making sure that, if we showed up with a bill that had been well vetted back home where we had agreement, where we knew what we were talking about and tried to make it as narrow as was necessary, but large enough to handle the issue, that we could move forward with this.

This is the kind of leadership in Washington, D.C., quite honestly, that we need, where we are challenged back home appropriately, where we have to bring our ideas to Washington, where we have to, in essence, think with each other, and then come up with a good plan. This is true of not just Republicans and Democrats in this instance, but also true of the Corps of Engineers.

I want to thank the administration for their help in this effort. Many times, people can jump in the way of a great idea to help people. In this case, it didn't happen.

I am in full support of H.R. 4032 as it stands tonight. Many people in north Texas will perhaps not even know what we are doing, but this will be a sigh of relief for those who do know what we are doing this week and head into the very, very difficult summer months. This way, people can plan forward and do the right thing.

I want to thank Mr. Young for not only allowing me to be on the floor today, but for him scheduling time to have a bunch of Texans come and plead their case. It is my hope this Congress, this House of Representatives, will in fact support and agree to this.

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