Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2016 -- Continued

Floor Speech

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Mr. COTTON. Mr. President, this amendment establishes a reserve fund
to ensure the Fish and Wildlife Service considers the cumulative
economic impact of a critical habitat designation and not just the incremental impact when listing a previously designated critical habitat.

A critical habitat designation provides additional protections for
endangered species, but States like Arkansas have seen critical habitat
designations that do not take into account the full economic impact on
farmers, ranchers, and landowners.

Previously, the full economic impact of a designation was considered,
but that has been modified recently so only the marginal impact between
the endangered species listing and the critical habitat designation is
considered.

Any reforms should not change the listing process, and I would not
suggest we should change the listing process in this measure. I simply
want to account for the full economic impact of such designations, and
I urge my colleagues to cast a ``yes'' vote.

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Mr. COTTON. Mr. President, I know Guantanamo Bay operations are a
controversial matter in this Chamber. This amendment does not address
that.

I took a group of Senators to Guantanamo Bay a couple of weeks ago.
Soldiers are living in substandard barracks. Communication facilities
are not adequate. Even if you oppose detention operations at Guantanamo
Bay, you should know that, in barely 20 years, there have been five
different humanitarian operations at Guantanamo Bay, to include post-
Haiti earthquake operations.

This amendment would allow for construction to ensure that Guantanamo
Bay Naval Base, regardless of detainee operations, treats our troops to
the highest standards they deserve, and preserves it for humanitarian
contingency operations in the future.

I urge a ``yes'' vote.

I ask unanimous consent to modify the amendment with the
modifications at the desk.

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