BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I would first like to commend and thank
Chairman Hastings for all of his efforts and his support in bringing
this legislation to the floor. We would not be where we are today
without his leadership, and it has been a true pleasure and honor to
serve with him during his time as chairman of the House Natural
Resources Committee.
Mr. Chairman, you have been a tireless champion for preserving our
Nation's bountiful natural resources. We thank you so much for the
legacy that you have left in leadership, but also for the improvements
that you have made in this Nation's natural resources, and I wish you
all the best.
Mr. Speaker, S. 1000 is the Chesapeake Bay Accountability and
Recovery Act of 2014. I am the author of the House companion
legislation, H.R. 739, which has already passed the House earlier this
Congress and in previous sessions of Congress.
The Chesapeake Bay is the economic and cultural backbone of our
region, and it is one of our Nation's most prized natural resources.
Many activities are currently underway to clean up the bay, but without
a coordinated effort, it is impossible to ascertain the effectiveness
of these programs or to accurately gauge their success.
The restoration effort includes multiple Federal agencies and also
includes six States and the District of Columbia, as well as more than
1,000 localities and multiple nongovernmental operations.
While the drive and determination to restore the bay is shared by all
of these entities, the effort can be muddled due to the complexity of
various participants. As we have seen, we have taken in some instances
steps forward, but in some instances, those steps have not
been forthcoming with other efforts. We need to make sure that every
effort is indeed making progress on restoring the bay.
At the same time as we look at those efforts, it is difficult to
pinpoint exactly where and how much money is being spent across this
wide scope of bay restoration activities. To remedy this, we must
ensure that Federal, State, and local efforts are not working at cross-
purposes and that the restoration effort, as a whole, is coordinated
and efficient. Today, when we are in a resource-challenged environment,
we must get the most out of the dollars we spend to restore the bay.
This simple legislation would require a crosscut budget to ensure
Federal dollars currently spent on bay restoration activities produce
results and ensure that we are coordinating how restoration dollars are
being spent. That coordination at the local, State, and Federal level
is critical to make sure that we demonstrate results and that we
continue those efforts that have proven to be successful. It is also
critical to make sure that we are not duplicating efforts or
unnecessarily spending money in areas that are not producing results.
Second, the bill would require the appointment of an independent
evaluator to review restoration activities in the watershed. The
Chesapeake Bay Accountability and Recovery Act is a smart, commonsense
piece of legislation that will lead to better spending decisions and
better government, which will ensure that more resources are available
to help restore the Nation's largest estuary, the Chesapeake Bay.
This has been a truly cooperative effort, and I am very grateful for
the leadership of Senator Mark Warner and Senator Tim Kaine as
champions of Chesapeake Bay restoration. I would also like to thank my
fellow Virginia Representatives Frank Wolf, Jim Moran, Bobby Scott,
Gerry Connolly, and Scott Rigell--as well as Chris Van Hollen of
Maryland--and Congressman Randy Forbes for their consistent support in
getting this bill through the House.
I first introduced this bill in 2008, and it has been a difficult
road to get to where we are now, but the Chesapeake Bay, too, has had a
difficult road. With the House passage today, Mr. Speaker, we will be
one step closer to the next chapter of the Chesapeake Bay's long
history of efforts to restore her to her previous bounty.
Today, we see that the economic foundation of our region remains
vested in the Chesapeake Bay, and it continues to be a national
treasure. We hope that with today's efforts it will continue to be
enjoyed for generations and generations to come.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Chesapeake Bay and
this commonsense bill.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT