Forward puts a greater sagebrush needing to be listed under the endangered species act was none of us want to see happen. According to the office of the secretary of defense beer forced the army and the navy, this language is also completely unnecessary to protect military readiness or National Defense. The office of the secretary of defense has reviewed the state Management Plans and concluded that they cloke do not believe these lands will affect military training, operations are readiness to any significant degree on polk adding that quote belief existing statutory authorities sufficiently protect the interests of the department of defense and we do not anticipate the need for additional legislation from congress unquote. The army said quote it does not believe these lands will affect Army Training operations are readiness to any significant degree unquote and the air force wrote that quote them practices described would not affect air force Training Operations are readiness to any significant degree unquote unquote. The navy fully concurs with the response of the department of defense. These responses ill demonstrate the supervision is not actually about military readiness but instead an attempt to interfere with management of our nations public lands and undermined the endangered species act. I urge my colleagues to support my amendment and reject riders that do not believe belong in the ndaa and with that i yield back. The gentlelady yields back read the gentleman from utah. I would like to speak to this. As my hero yogi bear once said this is deja vu all over again so you can remember last year with a roll call editorial. The stars and tried straight and tried strides in atrias said this this is a problem or the report from the navy has said yeah this is a problem and a significant one or the air force which said the same thing or the army which has the report and this ear said not only its still a problem they are spending 20 million other per claimant secretary ash put out before the conference where he said all the things he didnt like in the mark and not one word about the stagecraft language and the silence was deafening with that report. Seeing a couple of letters that have been sent out to you from the political appointees with them, within the pentagon i want you to read between the lines because even though these are personal letters that are not policy of the pentagon is still very vague. For example the one from the secretary said they believed an existing statutory authorities are okay and they would not anticipate any but they will continue to monitor and the one i really like is because they set one up from the air force but they didnt send out the letter which said however the forecast of no adverse impact could change with the potential implementation of new Management Practices which is exactly what will happen this fall. The difference between this year and last year is the sage grouse grouse blm is going to institute this fall Management Plan that would be as if the sage grouse were listed and the air force letter tells you about some asking you to read the fine lines between what the professionals are saying what the political appointees are saying because already the army has lost some of its range in the northwest. Already the air force has had to change their policy to do it and this is the problem. Foued no like the army told you to last year. Mr. Garamendi. Mr. Chairman i would like to yield two minutes to my colleague from massachusetts. Thank you for that. I would just like to address the issue of the visual nature of these letters. These letters have been fully released to the public. There are no way private. I have them here with me. They were written on official letterhead and were signed by the Principle Deputy assistant. With that gentlelady ulta question . The deputies as a secretary to the navy for the environment assistant secretary of the army for Installation Energy and the environment and the Deputy Assistant secretary of the air force for installation. The branches of our military all agree that language in the chairmans mark is not necessary to protect military readiness. The other underlying issue is this is an Unprecedented Partnership all designed to keep the greater sage grouse from being listed in the language in and the underlying bill really undermines that progress in that partnership. This is so focused on as i said keeping a listing from taking place and taking place and i thank you and i yield to mr. Garamendi. I yield back. Mr. Nugent. Mr. Chairman i yield two minutes to the gentleman mr. Bishop and not even two minutes. They have military told me these are private letters. These are not official of the pentagon. They were sent on a stationary periods not the policy. The policy is in a report sent out the year before that have not changed by the issue is not listing, it is the blm Management Plan as if they were listed. That is the problem. Get the issue corrected is the potential plans that will go into effect this fall if we do not allow the state plans which is what this amendment does to take consideration. The bird will still be protected by the state simply take into account the encouragement areas around these installations in over the airspace. I yield back. Ms. Speier. We need a moment of levity here maybe. I fear that the greater sage grouse must have threatened our National Security or i suppose committed crimes. Otherwise why would my colleague still be complaining, okay grousing about this harmless bird . Debate on this provision once again resembles the famous dance of the sage grouse. The male sage grouse pop up there just displayed tailfeathers and bop their heads. Its really worth watching it on a video. The female sage grouse apparently find this appealing but the American People do not pay the greater sage grouse is protected under a mass massive effort with both the blm state forestry private landowners and other partners. Because of this hard work the fish and Wildlife Service is says the bird does not need protection under the endangered species act even at the sage grouse was listed under the endangered species act military has said is perfectly capable of maintaining readiness while also protecting the endangered species that occur on its lands. Members this is not about the sage grouse, this is not about installations, its about oil. I yield back and i urge all my colleagues to vote for congresswoman tsongas. Its about what . Oil. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlelady from massachusetts. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed say no. The nos have it read the gentlelady from massachusetts request a roll call vote which will be postponed. The gentleman from minnesota mr. Walz. Mr. Chairman i have in on the desk. Staff will please strip the amendment. [inaudible conversations] thank you. Without objection the amendment is considered as read in the gentleman from minnesotas recognize. I rise today to offer a commitment to strike section 311 of the underlying bill. Id like to thank mr. Petersen mr. Ashford and a few hours ago the majority of this committee for standing up for american grown energy and the smart all of the above energy policy. This amendment amendment is the way the provision would prevent dod from taking advantage of american growing energy rate on every single day in this country we spend half a billion dollars getting imported oil from countries that hate us. They will do it for free. Reducing a dependency on foreign oil is not just an economic issue but a vital National Security issue. The department of defense recognizes that and that is why some of the most groundbreaking work on Renewable Energies happening within dod. Hamstring in our ability to use all of our resources to make ourselves Energy Independent makes no sense. Section 311 goes against the department of defense cost competitive efforts to diversify fuel sources reduce reliance on foreign sources of energy. I commend dod in usda for publicprivate ventures and join American Farm bureau and the National Farmers union and making this a critical issue of american independence. A brief background on the in 2011 the memorandum of understanding between the navy, usda in the department of Energy Initiative that a cooperative effort to dropin replacement biofuels. The navy and usda announced their farm Fleet Initiative in december. 13 per usda gives per usda uses commodity and credit Authorization Authority to provide assistance to the property may be to Purchase Advanced dropin biofuels. 2015 dod betas first ball purchase of a 10 biofuel blend with the board of usda the cost of the fuel was less than the cost of the least expensive conventional fuel purpose but the separate is one piece of a broader strategy the department of defense should not be hamstrung by interest on one Energy Source when we have the ability to use them all. Encourage my colleagues to do what you just did a few hours ago and restate that we want to have all of the above american energy. I yield back. The gentleman from texas mr. Conaway. I have an amendment that the dust. The staff will please distribute a subsegment subsequent amendment. You look good. Without objection the amendment is considered red in the gentleman from texas is recognized. I think the gentleman. Current ndaa has a provision in it that requires the department of defense did not spend money on operational maintenance funds to biofuels better and excess of the cost of conventional fuels. What they have done is gone to usda and run around this committee which i think voters of ndaa almost unanimously to have that in the provision. All the conversations earlier we had today about holland them in the readiness issue and all those kinds of things, usda and department of defense has colluded with usda to avoid complying with the rules under existing ndaa we are understood this rule simply says the subject is covered in the section that mr. Walz wanted us to strike and not only the 17 funds but goes after any funds to be spent on this deal. Its a place in the ndaa tool made by fuels that are cost competitive. They would not be cost competitive without the usda bite down the u. S. Extra cost per gallon on these fuels biggest taxpayer dollars at the end of the tapings tapings been in a wasteful manner. We have had numerous institutions where we decorated this issue and operational issues that are not being met and yet we continue to spend money that we dont have four things that are important on things that are better left to the department of energy. This amendment simply says they cant can go around the current ndaa and by fuels by using other taxpayer dollars not in their control. I urge my colleagues to encourage the department offense to obey the law and adopt my substitute him at that i yield back. Mr. Petersen. I post this as a member that would prevent the department of defense from bigten is collaborative work for the department of agriculture to provide i o fuels for the military United States department of defense iss largest institutional consumer of energy in the world and as we have seen in recent years our Global Markets are volatile. Despite massive Domestic Production increases which has been mentioned before. Last year and net imports of petroleum or nearly five lion Barrels Per Day and top flies five supplies being canada venezuela columbia and mexico. Just because the price of oil is low today does not mean it once but tomorrow and force military leaders to divert resources away from mission priorities. In some cases it means turning ships around the cutting their voice is short because the Budgeting Issues around fuel. At a time when we face dynamic threats from nonstate actors like isis and aggression from china and russia this inhibits the ability to provide for Robust National defense are presented with this challenge the military is chosen to enter into partnership with usda. Our military needs the flexibility to diversify its fuel supply however sees fit to enhance readiness and reduce costs prayed i would support her of my friend mr. Walz appointed to strike section 31 of the bill to allow the department of defense to continue working with the department of agriculture to improve Energy Security and make our military stronger and more effective fighting force. Now i urge my colleagues to oppose this substitute amendment made thank you mr. Chairman and i yield that. Further discussion on this substitute . If not the question is im sorry. Ms. Russell. Thank you mr. Chairman. I would just remind all of our colleagues that you cant run a ship on biofuel and you also cannot fly airplanes on biofuel. You can certainly not do it in a costeffective manner. In the last decade we have seen approximately 13 weeks of fuel provided for 10 years worth of effort when it comes to some of these provisions. It is not costeffective. Natural gas on the other hand in petroleum we have are vital to National Defense regardless of whether domestic use may or may not be. You cannot operate heavy military equipment and many of the other things. If we are going to use examples about the highperformance military equipment that we use then we need to have truth in lending and what that i yield back mr. Chair. Other debate . Mr. Lamborn. I yield my time to my colleague in texas. This is no different than you and i driving up and down the street making sure we get the best gasoline price. We dont drive up at the station and pay 20 cents more when the lace across the street is this is buying fuel to run the ships and planes day in and day out and its a matter of the department of defense to give the best bargain you can get. Its not about researcher certification its about operating day in and day out in the most cost efficient manner. The other issue is about the ships running out of fuel because you cant buy it. It ignores the fact that for the last four years the American Oil Producer on private property has committed to expanding its productions to the point where in able to export their production so with shell oil and shall guess we have immense resources to use them at the time we are not properly funding men and women we have men and women arent flying the number of hours they need to fly to be proficient and cuttingedge when they go into combat. Out to be considered criminal for us to do that by spending extra dollars that the department offense doesnt have to assuage the president s green Energy Initiatives is just wrong and with all due respect to mr. Wallace its inappropriate to spend money like that which he wouldnt do out of your own pocket if you are spending it in i yield back. Mr. Takei. Thank you mr. Chairman. I yield my time to my good friend for minnesota mr. Walz. First of all i do use aoki is is biofuels and second of all we do Power Military vehicles with them. Certainly not the summary for the others we are using it on. The person is the least costeffective is imported oil from saudi arabia putting us at risk. I would not offer an amendment to ask us not to do research into fossil fuels to make them more efficient. We should use all of them. This is clearly trying to cut out one issue where we are making progress in growing it at home, using it in our vehicles and making us more secure and creating jobs at home. All those things we want to do the. Of maybe a geographic issue but for full disclosure i do but im glad theres oil in other places and we are using that too. Why would be cut off this use than the cost is disingenuous. The thing i would ask all of you is if you have are devoted on this once earlier tonight. Its nothing different because they might wish coming back to be about opportunity to say we should create energy at home American Security and allow the navy and the department offense to greet these unique art and ships that we are seeing things move forward in and we are using it right now and it makes sense. If you voted on it once i ask you to voted again. To continue the research into this. This stops anything we have been doing that the camo forward and we are making breakthroughs almost yearly as it comes to advanced biofuels. I yield back. The question is im sorry with ms. Period. Thank you mr. Chairman. I just want to read to you from wikipedia a reference to solar which is a Company Might district fuel from algae and has a contract with the u. S. Navy. November 7, 2011 United Airlines flew the worlds first commercial aviation flight out of mike rowe algae derived renewable jet fuel. And i did send a letter of intent to purchase up to 20 million gallons per year of renewable jet fuel starting in 2014 for the product is a mix of 40 lj based at 60 petroleumbased. Officials say it sold the fuel at the same cost as regular jet fuel. I yield back and i support the amendment. Now the question is on the substitute amendment offered by the gentleman from texas mr. Mr. Kyle way. Those in favor of the substitute amendment say aye. Opposed say no. In the opinion of the chair the ayes have it and mr. Walz request a roll call vote which we have to take right now. So the question is on the substitute amendment offered by the turmont from texas mr. Conaway number 221r2. The clerk will call the roll. [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [inaudible conversations] the clerk will report the tally. Mr. Chairman there are 31 ayes and 31 nose. The substitute is not agreed to. The question is now on the underlying walz amend