[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 6] [House] [Pages 8464-8466] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]HONORING FLOYD DOMINY Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to [[Page 8465]] the resolution (H. Res. 1327) honoring the life, achievements, and contributions of Floyd Dominy. The Clerk read the title of the resolution. The text of the resolution is as follows: H. Res. 1327 Whereas Floyd Dominy, a legendary Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner dedicated to building dams that would supply society with necessary water and emissions-free power for living and recreation, passed away on April 20, 2010, at the age of 100; Whereas Floyd Dominy was born on a farm in Hastings, Nebraska, on December 24, 1909, and graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1933; Whereas Floyd Dominy acquired critical war materials, helped resolve food shortages, and served in the U.S. Naval Reserve during World War II; Whereas Floyd Dominy joined the Bureau of Reclamation in 1946 as a specialist responsible for procedures by which newly irrigated land on public land could be settled by returning war veterans; Whereas Floyd Dominy later served as the Associate Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation before being sworn in as Commissioner upon appointment by President Dwight D. Eisenhower; Whereas Floyd Dominy served in the same capacity under Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and Richard Nixon; Whereas upon his retirement in 1969, Floyd Dominy was and continues to be the longest serving Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner; Whereas Floyd Dominy, during his tenure as the Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, played a major role in the authorization and the construction of numerous Federal multi- purpose dams and water projects in the western United States, including Glen Canyon, Flaming Gorge, and Navajo Dams, the Central Arizona Project, San Luis Unit, and the Trinity Division of the Central Valley Project; Whereas many of these projects that Floyd Dominy played such a role in creating and constructing continue to be vital to the Nation's food supply and renewable electricity generation and attract millions of recreationalists each year; and Whereas Floyd Dominy was named one of the top ten ``Public Works Men of the Year'' in 1966 and was awarded for ``Outstanding Engineering Achievement in Heavy Construction'' in 1974: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives honors the life and accomplishments of Floyd Dominy, former Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner, for his many contributions to the Nation's water and food supply, recreation, and the environment. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Napolitano) and the gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California. General Leave Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. 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 resolution under consideration. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from California? There was no objection. Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1327 was introduced by our colleague, Representative Adrian Smith, and myself to honor the passing of Mr. Floyd Dominy, the man who was responsible for planning, coordinating, and building many of the Federal water projects that exist in the entire Western United States today. {time} 1445 House Resolution 1327 recognizes the longest-serving commissioner in the history of the Bureau of Reclamation, serving Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon. Mr. Dominy, who, until his death, liked to be referred to as Mr. Commissioner, rose from the plains of Nebraska to become one of the most influential water developers in the world. The legacy of Mr. Floyd Dominy impacts nearly every person in the 17 Western States. Water for cities and agriculture and reservoirs for recreation, along with hydropower from Bureau of Reclamation dams, provided the West with the ability to grow. The history of the West was built on the shoulders of men and women who saw challenges as opportunities. Floyd Dominy built the Bureau of Reclamation and its engineers into a world-class organization that helped the West and the world develop and manage limited water resources. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support the passage of House Resolution 1327. I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this resolution honors the life, achievements and contributions of Mr. Floyd Dominy, the longest-serving commissioner in the history of the Bureau of Reclamation. Our colleague, Congressman Adrian Smith, has introduced this bipartisan resolution because Mr. Dominy was a Nebraskan, having been born on a farm in the western part of that State. But while Mr. Dominy hailed from Nebraska, his achievements are known worldwide. It was that hard scrabble life of eking out a living on a dry Nebraska farm that propelled Floyd Dominy into building the dams and water projects that have made possible the success of American agriculture in the western United States. During his tenure at the Bureau of Reclamation, he played a major role in the authorization and construction of numerous Federal multi- purpose dams and water projects in the United States, including the Glen Canyon Dam in Arizona, Flaming Gorge Dam in Utah, the San Luis Unit in Central California, the Central Arizona Project and the Trinity Division of the Central Valley Project in northern California. To this day, these projects have created some of the most productive farmland in the world, they have provided water to a growing population in the arid West, and they've generated clean, renewable and emissions- free hydropower. His contributions to the Nation's water, power and food supply, its recreation and its environment stand as monumental examples of how visionaries like Mr. Dominy have made this country the beacon of freedom and opportunity and prosperity. This resolution honors that legacy. But more than a legacy, it is a lesson for our Nation. Floyd Dominy stood as a giant in an era when the central objective of our Federal water and power policy was to provide an abundance of both. The great dams and hydroelectric projects of that era, of which Floyd Dominy was a driving force, produced the water and electricity that made possible the prosperity of our Nation. Imagine an era when water and power was so cheap that many communities didn't even bother to measure the stuff. But in the 1970s, a radical and retrograde ideology seeped into our water and power policy. This ideology rejected abundance as our principal objective and replaced it with the rationing of shortages that have been caused by our abandoning abundance as our principal objective. The great builders like Floyd Dominy were cast aside and forgotten, even while we continued to rely on the great public works that they had produced. We've now lived a generation under this ideology and the results, chronic shortages of water and power, skyrocketing prices for electricity, withering agriculture and declining prosperity. Floyd Dominy is an American hero. He deserves so much more than a resolution. But, in a sense, he has it. The great water and hydroelectric projects that he produced stand as a monument to his vision and foresight and dedication. And they stand as a road map for this Nation when we finally get serious about dealing with the chronic shortages that the current generation of policymakers has produced. I'd urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan measure. I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Nebraska native Floyd Dominy. Floyd, the longest serving Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, recently passed away at the age of 100. His contributions to our nation will continue to be felt for generations. A true Nebraskan, he knew just how important access to water is for farmers, ranchers, and our communities. He dedicated himself to the projects which would supply the necessary water resources for both agriculture and recreational purposes. [[Page 8466]] The House of Representatives passed H.Res. 1327--a resolution honoring Floyd for the major role he played in the development of our nation's water infrastructure. Floyd was well known for his hard work and dedication, and I am proud to sponsor the resolution honoring Floyd's lifetime of service. Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, indeed, Mr. Dominy was a U.S. hero, if nothing else. He left a great legacy for the world, not just the United States; and we're exceedingly proud. He passed away 4 months ago at the age of 100 years old plus 4 months. My condolences to his family. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Napolitano) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1327. The question was taken. The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it. Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays. The yeas and nays were ordered. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. ____________________