[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 192 (Monday, December 12, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H9680-H9681]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1700
REAUTHORIZING THE MORRIS K. UDALL AND STEWART L. UDALL TRUST FUND
Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 5715) to reauthorize the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L.
Udall Trust Fund, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5715
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FUNDING REAUTHORIZATION.
Section 13 of the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall
Foundation Act (20 U.S.C. 5609) is amended--
(1) by striking ``through 2023'' each place it appears and
inserting ``through 2029'';
(2) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ``$1,000'' and
inserting ``$5,000''; and
(3) in subsection (c), by striking ``the fiscal year in
which this subsection is enacted'' and inserting ``fiscal
year 2022''.
SEC. 2. AUDIT OF THE FOUNDATION.
The Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation Act (20
U.S.C. 5609) is amended by inserting at the end the
following--
``SEC. 14. AUDIT OF THE FOUNDATION.
``Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of
this section, the Inspector General of the Department of the
Interior shall conduct an audit of the Morris K. Udall and
Stewart L. Udall Foundation.''.
SEC. 3. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.
The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of
complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall
be determined by reference to the latest statement titled
``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act,
submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the
Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such
statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) and the gentleman from California (Mr.
Obernolte) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona.
General Leave
Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Arizona?
There was no objection.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my legislation, H.R. 5715,
which will authorize the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Trust
Fund.
Congress established the Udall Foundation in 1992 as an independent
executive branch agency to honor Morris K. Udall's lasting impact on
the Nation's environment, public lands, natural resources, and his
support for the rights and self-governance of Native Americans and
Alaska Natives.
In 2009, Congress enacted legislation to honor Stewart L. Udall and
add his name to the name of the foundation.
The agency is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, and maintains an
additional office in Washington, D.C.
The Udall Foundation accomplishes its mission through five major
programs.
The important one is the John S. McCain III National Center for
Environmental Conflict Resolution, which provides impartial
collaboration, consensus building, and conflict resolution services on
a wide range of environmental, natural, and cultural resources, Tribal
and public lands issues involving the Federal Government.
In addition, the foundation runs numerous graduate, intern, and focus
programs for Native American and Alaska Natives throughout the country,
of which many here in Congress have benefited from those internships
and fellowships within committees and in individual offices.
I thank the 13 members of the board of directors of the Udall
Foundation for their support, the Council on Environmental Quality for
their support, and urge consideration and support for the legislation.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
House of Representatives,
Committee on Education and Labor,
Washington, DC, December 2, 2022.
Hon. Raul Grijalva,
Chair, Committee on Natural Resources,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chair Grijalva: I write concerning H.R. 5715, a bill
to reauthorize the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Trust
Fund, and for other purposes. There are certain provisions in
the legislation that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of
the Committee on Education and Labor.
In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed
expeditiously to floor consideration of this important bill,
I am willing to waive this committee's right to sequential
referral. I do so with the understanding that by waiving
consideration of the bill, the Committee on Education and
Labor does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the
subject matters contained in the bill which fall within its
Rule X jurisdiction. I request that you urge the Speaker to
name members of the Education and Labor Committee to any
conference committee which is named to consider such
provisions.
Please place this letter into the committee report on H.R.
5715 and into the Congressional Record during consideration
of the measure on the House floor. Thank you for the
cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this
matter and others between our respective committees.
Sincerely,
Robert C. ``Bobby'' Scott,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Natural Resources,
Washington, DC, December 2, 2022.
Hon. Robert C. ``Bobby'' Scott,
Chair, Committee on Education and Labor.
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chair Scott, I write to you concerning H.R. 5715, a
bill to reauthorize the
[[Page H9681]]
Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Trust Fund, and for
other purposes.
I appreciate your willingness to work cooperatively on this
legislation. I recognize that the bill contains provisions
that fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on
Education and Labor. I acknowledge that your Committee will
not formally consider H.R. 5715 and agree that the inaction
of your Committee with respect to the bill does not waive any
future jurisdictional claim over the matters contained in the
bill that fall within your Committee's Rule X jurisdiction. I
am pleased to support your request that the Speaker name
members of the Committee on Education and Labor to any
conference committee to consider such provisions.
I will ensure that our exchange of letters is included in
the committee report on H.R. 5444 and the Congressional
Record during floor consideration of the bill. I appreciate
your cooperation regarding this legislation and look forward
to continuing to work with you as this measure moves through
the legislative process.
Sincerely,
Raul M. Grijalva,
Chair, House Natural Resources Committee.
Mr. OBERNOLTE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5715. This bill would
reauthorize the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation through
2029. The bill does not increase the funding authorization level of
this program, which received approximately $5.1 million in funding last
fiscal year.
In 1992, Congress passed the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and
Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation Act to award
scholarships and select Native American congressional interns.
In 1998, Congress amended the Udall Foundation to create the United
States Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution.
The institute provides mediation and related services to help resolve
environmental, resources, and lands conflict involving the Federal
Government. Congress has twice reauthorized the Udall Foundation, in
2009 and again in 2019.
I thank Chairman Grijalva for working with the Committee Republicans
to include good government language we proposed in H.R. 5715 that would
require the Department of the Interior's inspector general to conduct
an audit 4 years after this reauthorization. Similar language was
included in the Udall Foundation's 2019 reauthorization.
The Udall Foundation is making steady progress toward implementing
recommendations previously raised by the inspector general to ensure
they are fully complying with Federal requirements. Requiring another
audit in 4 years gives the foundation time to implement the new
standards and reforms they are working to put in place and advances
this committee's role in conducting proper oversight of Federal funds
and programs.
Republican amendments have been made to this legislation that would
help ensure continued oversight of the program and the implementation
of good government practices prior to a future reauthorization.
Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to
the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Leger Fernandez), the chair of the
subcommittee.
Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Madam Speaker, I thank Chair Grijalva for
keeping the vision alive of educating our future leaders that will
bring to us the solutions and resolutions of conflict issues around
Native American self-determination and so much more.
We feel the Udall Foundation's impact across our country, and
certainly in New Mexico, from the Halls of Congress to environmental
conflict resolution to our universities and students. In fact, New
Mexico's very own Congresswoman Stansbury is a Udall Foundation alum,
and over 255 American Indian and Alaska Native interns have worked in
more than 60 congressional offices thanks to the foundation.
This bill from Chair Grijalva will ensure that the Udall Foundation
can continue to implement its valuable mission and work for years to
come. I thank Chairman Grijalva for keeping this vision alive.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
Mr. OBERNOLTE. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues across the aisle
for their bipartisan work on this bill. I urge adoption of the bill,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I, as well, would like to thank my
colleagues across the aisle for their thoughtful and important
suggestions to the legislation. I am happy to incorporate them. Their
suggestions make the program healthier and stronger, and I appreciate
that.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 5715, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________