The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS” mentioning the Department of Interior was published in the in the Senate section section on pages S613-S615 on Feb. 9.
The Department oversees more than 500 million acres of land. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, said the department has contributed to a growing water crisis and holds many lands which could be better managed.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Ms. HIRONO (for herself, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Heinrich, Mrs.
Murray, Ms. Smith, and Ms. Warren):
S. 3621. A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish a National Climate Adaptation Science Center and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers to respond to the effects of extreme weather events and climate trends, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Climate Adaptation Science Center Act, or CASC Act. This bill authorizes the national and nine regional CASCs that came about after Congress appropriated funding for a National Climate Science Center in 2008 and subsequently, in 2009, Department of the Interior Secretary Salazar recognized the Department as the lead Agency for protecting the country's cultural and natural resources via secretarial order.
The national and regional CASCs are housed within the U.S. Geological Survey, USGS. The national CASC is located in Reston, VA, and the nine regional CASCs are dispersed throughout the country from Hawaii, to Alaska to Massachusetts. These regional CASCs service stakeholders in the continental United States, Hawaii, Alaska, U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands, USAPI, and the U.S. Caribbean. The purpose of these CASCs is to help protect cultural and natural resources by developing the science and tools that on-the-ground managers need to respond to the effects of climate change.
One regional CASC, the Pacific Island CASC, or PI-CASC, is a partnership between the USGS and a university consortium hosted by the University of Hawaii at Manoa, with the University of Hawaii at Hilo and the University of Guam. PI-CASC was established in October 2011 and over the course of more than a decade has conducted important climate research informed by impacted stakeholders, developed products and tools for resource managers to address climate change, and provided programs to increase capacity and stakeholder networking.
Over 100 research projects have been completed to address stakeholder needs across the Hawaiian Islands and USAPI, such as prioritization planning for coastal wetland restoration on Molokai, developing a climate and GIS data portal for American Samoa, and predicting and mitigating avian disease at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge on Hawaii Island. Over a dozen different products and tools have been developed by PI-CASC, including sea level forecasting tools for communities throughout the Pacific, a database on weed fire risk throughout Hawaii, and an agroforestry tool for Marshallese agricultural producers. Programs that have been made possible by the PI-CASC include a Manager Climate Corps on Hawaii Island, a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, and a Pacific Regional Invasive Species & Climate Change Management Program.
These are just examples of research, products, and programs made possible by one regional CASC. The nine regional CASCs are providing similar services all across the country. Currently, stakeholder demand for CASC system services outpaces available resources. Additionally, in the coming years and decades, the challenges that on-the-ground resource managers face with climate change are only going to become more numerous and complex. As such, this bill is necessary to formally establish the CASCs in law so that the important work that the national and nine regional CASCs conduct can continue assisting stakeholders all across the country for decades to come.
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By Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. Coons, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Brown, Mr.
Blumenthal, Ms. Klobuchar, Mrs. Gillibrand, and Ms. Duckworth):
S. 3622. A bill to establish an AmeriCorps Administration to carry out the national and volunteer service programs, to expand participation in such programs, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Finance.
Mr. REED. Mr. President, service is at the heart of the Americans ethos. We take inspiration from those who have answered the call to serve, whether in defense of our Nation abroad or in strengthening our communities at home. Finding common cause through service is how we will overcome the major challenges of our time, from recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic to addressing inequality to strengthening civil society and democratic institutions to leaving a healthy, resilient planet to future generations. That is why I am proud to join Congressman John Larson of Connecticut in introducing the America's Call to Improving Opportunities Now, ACTION for National Service Act. Our legislation calls for a historic expansion of the number of service opportunities and an increased investment in those who serve.
The ACTION for National Service Act will honor our national value of service, while addressing the barriers that limit citizens' opportunities to serve. Our legislation will set us on a path to 1 million national service positions within 10 years. It will increase the educational award so that an individual completing 2 full years of service will earn the equivalent of 4 years of the average in-state tuition at a public college or university. Indeed, those who are willing to serve should not be left to carry a heavy financial burden of student loan debt. The ACTION for National Service Act will also ease other financial barriers to service by increasing the living allowance and eliminating the tax liability for the education awards and living stipends. The bill calls for a robust outreach effort to ensure that all young people will know about the many opportunities to serve their country and their communities. It will mobilize a Civilian Climate Corps to address the urgent needs of hardest hit communities. Finally, the ACTION for National Service Act calls for elevating the Corporation for National and Community Service to a Cabinet-level Agency and establishes a National Service Foundation to leverage private sector resources to support national service activities.
Mr. President, it is time we reinvigorate the social contract we have with each other. Americans have a deep tradition of service, starting with the dedicated men and women of our Armed Forces and including all those who have served in AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and the Peace Corps. However, as more Americans desire to serve, it is important that they be given the opportunity to do so. It is just as important to invest in the education and professional development of those who have sacrificed and given so much to our Nation. Developing the talents of our most committed citizens pays lifelong dividends. Our investment in the GI Bill not only honors our servicemembers but also enriches our Nation. Similarly, the education awards for those who have served through our national programs have economic impacts beyond the individuals who earn them. That is the new deal that the ACTION for National Service Act offers.
All AmeriCorps members take a pledge to get things done for Americans, to make communities safer, smarter and healthier, and to bring us together. It is a pledge we all should commit ourselves to.
I would like to thank Senators Coons, Baldwin, Brown, Blumenthal, Gillibrand, and Klobuchar for joining me as original cosponsors of the ACTION for National Service Act and to urge our colleagues to join us in working for its passage so we can ensure that all who aspire to serve have the opportunity to do so.
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By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Ms. Ernst, Mr. Durbin, Ms.
Murkowski, Mr. Leahy, Ms. Collins, Mrs. Murray, Mrs. Capito,
Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Portman, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Brown,
Mr. Cramer, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Moran,
Mr. Manchin, and Mr. Burr):
S. 3623. A bill to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, and for other purposes; read the first time.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022.
This bipartisan bill would reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act through 2027 and provide important updates to modernize the law that has been critical to protecting and supporting the survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
I was proud to support the original Violence Against Women Act in 1994 and have supported each reauthorization of the law.
This includes the most recent reauthorization in 2013, which passed the Senate by a strong bipartisan vote of 78 to 22.
It is an honor to introduce this reauthorization and expansion of protections for survivors.
This bill is the result of a truly bipartisan effort. I would like to thank Senator Ernst, Senator Durbin, and Senator Murkowski for working with me to prepare this important piece of legislation.
We have also had help from a number of our Senate colleagues who have made important contributions to this effort. I am proud that this bill has received strong bipartisan support in the Senate.
I would also like to thank the many advocates who have lent their thoughts and support to this effort. This bill was written in close consultation with the people who are on the frontlines helping survivors of domestic violence every day. It is not a Democratic bill or a Republican bill--it is a bill for survivors.
Together, we drafted a bill that preserves the good work of the last Violence Against Women Act reauthorization and strengthens existing programs.
For nearly 30 years, the Violence Against Women Act has played a vital role in the Federal response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. I hope that this bill will be an effective tool to build upon those efforts.
Despite the progress made over the last three decades, sexual, emotional, and physical abuse are still painful realities for far too many Americans. More than one in three women experience rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Nationwide, an average of three women are killed each day by a current or former intimate partner.
According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence, in a single day in 2020, 76,525 domestic violence survivors received the resources they needed thanks to programs funded and supported by the Violence Against Women Act.
It is clear that the programs created by the Violence Against Women Act are necessary, and they need to be continually updated to meet the needs of survivors. The bipartisan bill that we are introducing today reauthorizes these important programs and provides the necessary updates to strengthen them.
This bill enhances and expands services for survivors of domestic violence, including survivors in rural communities, LGBT survivors, survivors with disabilities, and survivors who experience abuse later in life.
This bill reauthorizes and strengthens the criminal justice response to domestic violence, including by improving the Justice Department's STOP grant program; expanding support provided to survivors in the legal system; and strengthening the ability of Tribal courts to address instances of domestic violence on Tribal lands.
This bill also invests in prevention education efforts, improves the healthcare system's response to sexual violence across the country, and establishes a pilot program on restorative practices that focuses on preventing or addressing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking through community based, victim-initiated efforts to seek accountability.
I am pleased that we have strong bipartisan support for this bill, but our work is not done. The survivors--who this bill is for--need the Senate to not only introduce this bill but to pass it. The prevention of domestic violence and the support for survivors of these heinous crimes is not a partisan issue.
This is not a perfect bill. I regret that certain provisions were not able to be included in this bill, most notably the closure of the
``boyfriend loophole'' to ensure that individuals convicted of domestic abuse against a dating partner could not purchase firearms. Individuals convicted of domestic violence against a spouse are already prevented from purchasing a firearm, and it is deeply disappointing that there is not sufficient bipartisan support for this commonsense provision to close this loophole. I would have liked to include those additional provisions, as would many of my Senate colleagues. But though it is not perfect, it is a strong bill.
I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to advance this bill through the Senate and get it signed into law as soon as possible.
The time to act is now. I urge all of my colleagues to support this important bipartisan legislation, and I hope that it will come to the floor for a vote quickly.
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