Those algeep blooms. A lot of work is needed and i appreciate the gentleman rising tonight and i know you have gotten the corps attention as you have gotten our attention and we will work with the chairman. And i yield back. Mr. Simpson i appreciate the gentleladys comments. We need to work with the e. P. A. In trying to address this issue because it is a lot broader than most people think. So i yield back. The chair the gentleman yields. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from florida. Those in favor say aye. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. The amendment is agreed to. Pursuant to the order of the house of today, it is now in order to consider amendment number 35 printed in house report 115259. For what purpose does the gentleman from washington seek recognition . Mr. Peck i have an amendment at the desk. The chair the clerk will designate the amendment. The clerk amendment number 35 printed in house report 115259, offered by mr. Heck of washington. The chair pursuant to House Resolution 473, the gentleman from washington, mr. Heck, and a member opposed, will each control five minutes. The chair recognizes the gentleman from washington. Mr. Heck thank you, mr. Chairman. My amendment is about tackling a problem that affects every single one of us in every single one of our district, and that is storm water. Most of us dont think about it much but frankly when rain falls, it does a lot of that in the northwest, and close to our streets, off the shoulders of our highways it picks up all sorts of pollutants and were talking about nasty stuff. Toxic chemicals like cars nick and flame retardants and oils an pesticides. Stop and think. The single largest contributor of Water Pollution in the United States of america is storm water runoff. Up to 8 0 in some places. Toxic storm water runoff harm ours rivers and lakes and water ways. It not only harm ours environment, it harm ours businesses that depend on clean water. Like the shellfish industry of Washington State which employs thousands of people. In puget sound, the largest estuary in america, storm water runoff literally can kill a salmon in a few hours. Salmon and other fish are a way of life in washington, to the tune of a 30 billion, with a b, dollar economy. Salmon also serve as a vital resource of immeasurable value for the 19 federally recognized tribes in the puget sound, salmon is the way of life. They are called the salmon people. If we fail to address the problem posed by storm water, these resources will continue to decline and our communities will continue to pay an avoidable price. So what are we doing right now to stop this from happening . The answer is a few things but nowhere near enough. If we are going to truly address the problem, the federal government needs to do the basics. And thats set an example. The good news is that congress has recognized this in the past. Because about 10 years ago, this body passed a law which requires federal agencies to reduce stormwater runoff when they develop or redevelop property. Thats a commonsense requirement. But we cant stop there. Research shows that the most Cost Effective and efficient way to reduce stormwater runoff is through whats called Green Infrastructure or lowimpact development. Things like gardens and permeable pavement and green roofs. You probably wont be surprised when i share that the largest Stormwater Research center in the United States of america is in my district. At our land grant university, Washington State universitys extension campus in puyallup. So im a witness to the promise and potential of this approach. This amendment simply provides funding for the army corps of engineers to determine to what extent theyre using these technologies and techniques to comply with the requirements already imposed by congress. Mr. Chairman, if were going to help communities and businesses impacted by toxic stormwater runoff, its crucial that the federal government set the example and lead the way. So i ask you to join me as responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars and ensure that federal agencies are using the latest and most Efficient Technology to manage stormwater runoff. Finally, i want to extend my deepest appreciation to the chir of the committee, my friend from idaho and the Ranking Member from ohio, very, very much. I urge adoption of this amendment and i yield back, mr. Chairman. The chair the gentleman yields. The chair recognizes the gentleman from idaho. Mr. Simpson i claim time in opposition though im not opposed to the amendment. The chair the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Simpson i agree with what the gentleman is trying to do. I would point out his money doesnt direct the funds to any particular activity so it will take some coordination with us and some conversation with the army corps of engineer to make sure it goes in the area we would like toyota go to to study what the gentleman is talking about. But because it doesnt direct it to a particular activity, for that reason, and because it does not upset the balance of me bill, ill support the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time. The chair the gentleman yields back. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from washington. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. The amendment is agreed. O is agreed to. It is now in order to consider amendment number 37 printed in house report 115259. For what purpose does the gentlewoman from ohio seek recognition . Ms. Kaptur i have an amendment at the desk. The chair the clerk will designate the amendment. Is the gentlewoman the designee. Ms. Kaptur i rise as the designee of congressman beyer. The chair the cleric will designate the amendment. E clerk amendment number 35 offered by ms. Kaptur of ohio. The chair the gentlewoman from ohio, ms. Kaptur and a member opposed each will control five minutes. The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from ohio. Ms. Kaptur yes. My amendment would essentially strike the provision related to the watts watts of the United States, section 108. Unfortunately, republican insistence on the inclusion of poison pill riders like this one has derailed several important pieces of legislation over the last few years, especially clean water rule riders. However, let me be plain. This rider is worse than any of those previous versions and it will not gain the democratic votes necessary to become law. It actually is a roadblock in the way of us moving our bills forward. This rider would exempt the repeal of the clean water rule from laws that would otherwise apply, including the administrationive preet yours act essentially allowing the president to act unilaterally. The executive branch to act unilaterally without any input from the public. That doesnt sound like america to me. The administrative procedures act was a republican idea to make sure that government is accountable to its citizens and that their input be considered. People have come to expect this in their own community. Exempting this action on clean water is a very slippery slope toward government by fiat, by an administration which deserves more scrutiny, i might add, on that front than any in our history. So i urge all my colleagues to support the kapturbeyer amendment. I reserve my time. The chair the gentlewoman reserves. The chair recognizes the gentleman from idaho. Mr. Simpson i claim time in opposition to the amendment. The chair the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. Mr. Simpson this is going to be something the Ranking Member and i happen to disagree on. Poison pill riders, i always like that term, poison pill riders, what they are is policy changes. And if they are policy changes you like, they are policy changes. If you dont like them they are poison pill riders. When they had the majority they put what we consider poison pill riders in their bill but they were policy changes. Thats what we do in some appropriation bills. I rise in opposition to this amendment. I have been debating this issue for, i dont know, probably 10 years. While the change in Administration Means were going to reduce the number of issues we need to address in this bill some issues warrant continued oversight. Al lotus is one of them. The Supreme Court has twice ruled that the definition used under the clean water act of navigable waters was hard to define. And told them they need a new definition. The e. P. A. s design on a new definition is ok well just control everything. Everybody thinks those waters that were that are now under control of the clean water of the wotus rule written by the Obama Administration were unregulated before. They were not. They were regulated by the states and the states did a good job of regulating those things. Now the federal government has come in and taken control of all those state. We think, and the courts have ruled, that this is too broad a definition of what they intended and what the clean water rule states. Nobody wants dirty water. Nobody. But what we want is a rule that separates what the federal government has the authority to control and what the states have the authority to control. President trump moves quickly on this issue by issuing an executive order in february and a few weeks ago the e. P. A. And the corps announced the first steps in a twostep process a proposed rule to resend the wotus rule and recodify the previous regulatory text. The second step will be a second rule making to reevaluate the definition of waters of the United States in a manner consistent with the Supreme Court decision. The provision in this bill is supportive of these efforts. First it provides clear authorization to withdraw the Obama Administrations rule. Second, it clarifies what rule will be in effect if the wotus rule is withdrawn, specifically the same rules in effect immediately prior to the mom all gation of the final wotus rule. Third, it does not affect the trumps Trump Administrations ability to develop a new rule, one that will provide more clarity and certainty for the regulated community while staying in the legal bounds provided by the Supreme Court. For these reasons, i have to oppose this amendment and strongly oppose this amendment. I reserve the balance of my time. The chair the gentleman reserves. The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from ohio. Ms. Kaptur i would like to comment , in asking my colleagues to support this amendment, the amendment itself is intended to address the two Supreme Court decisions. And in addition, if we leave this language in the bill, the chairman was correct, this is at the policy level this doesnt belong in an appropriation bill. Let them deal with this in the courts and the authorizing committee. And i think it creates a very, very high speed bump that threaten ours bill, our bills passage as we move forward. I ask my colleagues to support us on the on striking the provision relate to the waters of the United States, section 108, offered by myself and mr. Beyer of virginia. I yield back my remaining time. The chair the gentlewoman yields back. The chair recognizes the gentleman from idaho. Mr. Simpson i yield the remainder of my time to the gentleman from West Virginia. The chair the gentleman is recognized. Thank you mr. Chairman, thank you for your leadership on this issue. Wotus, watts of the u. S. , its been talked about for a number of years, this is a classic case of barack obama, the administration, previous to the Trump Administrations overreaching its authority. This is executive branch takeover. Watts of the u. S. , saying that weve got whats called navigable waters and using the executive authority to redefine what navigable waters are. Mr. Jenkins this hurts farmest, this hurts small businesses. The suggestion that a puddle, a small creek is a defined is is defined as a navigable water, we know thats not the case. Let me remind folks about the three branches of government. Legislative, executive and judiciary. We have a Supreme Court decision that was putting a stop to the overreach of the Obama Administrations wotus rule. Thank you to the courts. We now have an opportunity as the legislative branch. We appreciate the work of the executive branch. We appreciate the fact that donald trump and scott pruitt and this administration is working to put a stop because the court said, as we all know, the Obama Administration overreach. Now what we are doing, what this appropriations bill provides is the voice of the legislative branch to say, yes, the Prior Administration overreached. The executive branch historically needs to be curtailed. The courts were right. We need to speak as the legislative branch giving the authority to stop this onerous rule. I applaud the work of the appropriations committee. We need to put the legislative stamp of approval on what the obama what the Trump Administration is doing to stop this overregulation. Thank you and i certainly oppose this proposed amendment. The chair the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The question is on the amendment offered by this gentlewoman from ohio. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, the noes have it. The amendment is not agreed. Tissue is not agreed to the amendment is not agreed to. It is now in order to consider amendment number 38 printed in house report 115259. For what purpose does the gentlewoman from florida seek recognition . I have an amendment at the desk. The chair the clerk will designate the amendment. The clerk amendment number 38 printed in house report 115259 offered by ms. Castor of florida. The chair pursuant to House Resolution 473, the gentlewoman from florida, ms. Castor, and a member opposed each will control five minutes. The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from florida. Ms. Castor thank you, ms. Castor this bill weakens americas commitment to clean energy and harms jobs that are being created and it stalls consumer cost savings tied to Energy Efficiency and democrats have a different vision one that lowers costs on our neighbors back home and helps create the higher paying jobs. An mendment creates investment by 177 million and reduces for the fossil energy account. Now Energy Efficiency and newable initiatives have a proven return on investments for taxpayers. This amendment is paid for by reducing but not eliminating accounts that do not have the same return on investments for taxpayers. Investments in Energy Efficiency and Renewables Create Jobs and help make our businesses more competitive. Energy efficiencies reduces costs for consumers and wouldnt that be a positive development for taxpayers back home that congress is asking to put more money back in their pockets. The amount proposed in the republican bill is so low that america will have to reduce the number of research, development and demonstration projects that are supported with industry, with at our Great National laboratory, at our fantastic universities. And see, america should be a leader in innovation and technological investments but the republican bill says america should take a back seat. America should not take a back seat to anyone. We are in the midst of a technological revolution when it comes to Energy Efficiency. Look what is happening all across america. We have a very Diverse Energy portfolio and growing clean Energy Sector. This is especially important as we tackle the costs and changes of the climate. Look at where we are because of investments in the past decade. The Solar Industry is creating jobs 12 times faster than the overall u. S. Work force. One out of 50 new jobs was in solar energy. They used to say they were all of the above. The Trump Administration and House Republicans are ceding americas leadership role in the world by failing toll invest in technologies that will save money. We should Work Together and face the challenges of the changing climate head on and not bury our eads in the sand, 15 of the 17 hottest years have been since 2001. The rising costs of the changing climate are a real threat to e especially to the families i represent back home in florida, which is why i filed another amendment that was not ruled in order, an amendment that would limit the department of energy from removing the term Climate Change from their publications. Thats right. The Trump Administration has already removed mention of Climate Change from government web sites and deleted the sentence to sea level rise. Ignoring or trying to hide the cost of the changing climate will cost us more in the long run. We should be working together on investing in a Clean Energy Future but that seems farther away today unless we adopt an amendment like mine and begin to understand the realities that were facing. If we dont unleash American Ingenuity now, our neighbors will face higher Flood Insurance bills and put more property taxes and waste water infrastructure. So i appreciate Ranking Member vision. She was talking about our national labs. The fact that we have the best scientist