Rep. Rob Bishop (UT-01), Chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources made the following opening statement at today's markup on H.R. 487, H.R. 959, H.R. 1554, H.R. 1937, H.R. 1949, H.R. 2223, H.R. 2791, H.R. 2898, S. 501. 

Remarks as prepared - Today, the Committee on Natural Resource will consider nine bills, seven of which are expected to be approved by unanimous consent.  

Before that, let me make clear that it is my intention, with your cooperation, and according to House and Committee Rules, to complete consideration of the bills and any amendments tomorrow by 1:00 p.m. tomorrow.  I understand some may not agree with that decision, but because of the emergency nature of the ongoing western drought and the importance of fitting a bill within a timeframe to allow the House to consider it with a full July calendar, it is imperative that we accomplish this.  

Let me remind everyone that, according to the practice set forth at the outset of this Congress, we have ample time today/this afternoon to discuss the bills generally, and the process relating to the markup.  Tomorrow, however, we will consider any amendments to bills, and we would ask that Members focus their remarks relative to amendments only, and to assist us in completing the markup in a professional and workmanlike manner.   

Now, let me comment on two of the bills. 

Most people don’t pause to think about the role minerals play in our daily lives—for example, more than three dozen minerals are used for a typical smartphone.  These minerals aren’t created out of thin air.  They must be mined.  Increasingly, due to permitting delays that drag on for years in many cases, the United States is obtaining more of its mineral resources, not from the vast rich resources here at home, but rather, from foreign nations that are unfriendly or even hostile to America.  

H.R. 1937 will ensure access to minerals critical not only for our nation’s security, but for the domestic generation of electronics, aerospace, electricity, renewable energy, manufacturing, housing, transportation, agriculture and much more.  H.R. 1937 helps provide a reasonable process for American mineral resources to be obtained in America, rather than overseas.  It is a good bill and has passed the House three times over the past two Congresses.

H.R. 2898 protects and preserves another precious commodity for our western states:  water.  For multiple years, the American West has experienced severe drought-like conditions, and nowhere has this been more seriously or directly felt than in California.  With tens of thousands of jobs, food supplies and livelihoods at stake, we need to act to address this growing problem now.

Setting aside the competing demands for California’s water supply, the delivery system in place was built during a different era, planning for less people and without sufficient storage capacity to anticipate extended drought periods.  

However, the real threat to California’s abundant agriculture--which produces food and fiber for millions of people across the state, other parts of the country and the world--are man-made decisions at the federal level that divert hundreds of thousands of acre feet of water to the Pacific Ocean.  This is water that could more efficiently be stored for people and for future multiple needs and uses inland.   This legislation seeks to remedy that.

The legislation would also protect water rights and promote water development and storage throughout the West by enacting sensible reforms for the Bureau of Reclamation to explore potential new water storage, a measure introduced this Congress by Mr. Newhouse that passed the House last Congress.

Doing nothing as the drought’s impacts intensify is simply unacceptable, which is why this Committee is marking up this legislation today and readying it for the full House’s consideration. 

I look forward to discussing these and the other bills and to encourage my colleagues to advance these important bills today.