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 S3162-S3164 on June 23.
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:
S. 4464. A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating certain land as the Kaena Point National Heritage Area, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bill, the Kaena Point National Heritage Area Act. This bill requires the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating certain land in Hawaii as the Kaena Point National Heritage Area. Such a designation would bring Federal resources to bear on elevating public awareness of Kaena Point through increased interpretation and enhanced management activities to protect resources, both cultural and natural, for future generations.
The National Park Service currently oversees 55 National Heritage Areas across the country, none of which are in Hawaii. Kaena Point, located on the westernmost tip of Oahu, is home to some of the last remaining unimproved semiwilderness areas on Oahu and one of the last intact dune ecosystems in Hawaii. Native species such as critically endangered Hawaiian monk seals, humpback whales, spinner dolphins, and green sea turtles can be found in the waters at Kaena Point. Native shorebirds such as albatrosses and shearwaters also frequent Kaena Point to nest. In addition, the area is one of the last remaining examples of intact coastal strand vegetation on Oahu and is home to a number of endangered plant species and the endangered yellow-faced bee.
Kaena Point is significant to Native Hawaiian culture, being deemed one of the most sacred places on Oahu as it is home to numerous cultural and historic sites. The area currently includes a State park and a Natural Area Reserve, both operated by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. Kaena State Park is the second most visited park on Oahu, illustrating the significance of the area.
This bill directs the U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary to conduct a study in consultation with State and local historic preservation officers, State and local historical societies, State and local tourism offices, and other appropriate organizations and governmental agencies. This study would, among other things, assess the area's unique cultural, historic, and natural resources, cultural contributions to the story of the United States, ability to provide recreation and educational opportunities, resources available for interpretation by visitors, inclusion of local stakeholders supportive of and involved with the planning of the Heritage Area, existence of a local management entity willing to work with these stakeholders to develop the Heritage Area, and include a map identifying the boundaries of the Heritage Area.
The Secretary of the Interior is given 3 years to conduct the study and report the results to Congress. Information from that report will then indicate if Kaena Point is a suitable location to be added as a National Heritage Area and if so, the boundaries for such a designation. This bill is supported by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources.
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By Mr. REED (for himself and Mr. King):
S. 4478. A bill to provide for assistance to improve the resilience of historic light stations, to study the long-term protection needs of historic light stations, and to establish a national database of historic light stations, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Mr. REED. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Historic Lighthouse Resiliency Act with Senator King. This legislation would authorize the Army Corps of Engineers to partner with State, local, and nonprofit organizations, which own and operate historic light stations, to improve lighthouse resiliency and ensure continued public access to these valuable landmarks.
Our Nation's historic lighthouses are important parts of communities across the country and our maritime history. They serve as beacons of history, education, recreation, and often are associated with the unique character and identity of a community. Yet these historic structures are facing increased risk for catastrophic damage due to sea level rise, flooding, and aging infrastructure.
Indeed, in my State of Rhode Island, these historic lighthouses are interwoven in the fabric of our communities and our State's history. Rhode Island was home to perhaps the most famous lighthouse keeper in history, Ida Lewis. During her tenure as the Keeper of Lime Rock Lighthouse, Ida Lewis rescued at least 18 people and earned the title of ``Bravest Woman in America.'' Beavertail, Watch Hill, and Castle Hill Lighthouses, just to name a few of the 21 lighthouses remaining in my State, are iconic structures dotting the Rhode Island shoreline.
These historic landmarks must be protected and preserved for future generations. This bill would allow the Army Corps of Engineers to conduct projects that restore damaged lighthouses and increase their future resiliency to the adverse effects of climate change, including sea level rise and severe weather events. To conduct repairs and other improvements, the Army Corps would partner with public or nonprofit entities that have acquired light stations through conveyance under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. Additionally, it would require the Army Corps to conduct an assessment and maintain a database of all lighthouses nationwide.
Congress has already recognized the importance of preserving these structures and ensuring public access in the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000. However, these historic light stations must not only have the appropriate caretakers but must also have the appropriate funding to invest in infrastructure needs. Federal investment in lighthouse resiliency requirements will ensure they are maintained and accessible for future generations.
I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this commonsense legislation.
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By Mr. PADILLA (for himself, Mrs. Feinstein, Ms. Warren, Mr.
Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Mr. Sanders, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr.
Wyden, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Brown, and Mr.
Markey):
S. 4480. A bill to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide increased labor law protections for agricultural workers, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the Fairness for Farmworkers Act, which I introduced today.
Throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, farmworkers continued to keep our country going. This was especially true in California--the agricultural heart of the Nation. California is the most successful State in agricultural production and has the largest population of farmworkers. In fact, more than one-third of our country's vegetables and two-thirds of fruits and nuts come from California.
During a time of incredible hardship, farmworkers put food on the tables of millions of Americans despite working in extreme conditions and facing deep-rooted inequities in the workforce. The time to address these inequities is now.
While the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act established Federal standards for minimum wage and overtime pay, the law excluded millions of domestic and agricultural workers, who were overwhelmingly people of color.
In 2016, California recognized the need to provide farmworkers with overtime protections. The California overtime law, which ensures farmworkers have an equal right to overtime pay, is a model for this Federal bill.
Farmworkers in California and across the Nation deserve an end to discrimination in labor laws. As we work to rebuild from the pandemic, we must also undo the discriminatory exclusion of farmworkers by amending the Fair Labor Standards Act.
That is why I am proud to introduce this bill, which will improve the lives of farmworkers and their families, create equity in our food system, and benefit farming communities as the increased wages are spent in local businesses.
This bill will gradually implement overtime pay over the course of 4 years and bring greater equity to the American agricultural industry and greater prosperity to historically marginalized workers.
This legislation will also boost farming community economies as increased wages are spent in local businesses.
I want to thank Representative Grijalva for joining me in introducing this bill, and I hope our colleagues will join us in support of this bill that would provide a measure of long overdue fairness for our Nation's farmworkers.
Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, the first thing you need to know about picking radishes is that it is hard work. You have to work literally on your knees, and you pick each radish out of the ground by hand--no machines, no tools.
I learned how to pick radishes and parsley about 3 weeks ago when I received an invitation from the United Farm Workers and the UFW Foundation to spend a day working alongside them in California.
Now, I have said countless times that, day in and day out, farmworkers show up to some of the hardest jobs in America. I have always believed that farmworkers are essential, but not until that day did I appreciate the physical demands of long hours on one's knees under the Sun.
Many of the workers picking radishes are older than I am and have worked in the fields for decades. They have labored through heat waves, through storms, wildfire smoke, and more. They have labored through a global health pandemic, and they are the backbone of our economy in helping to keep food on our tables. Yet the majority of farmworkers don't have legal status to live and work in the United States of America. That includes those I worked alongside who were picking radishes--people like Efren, who has worked on American farms for more than 40 years, and Patricia, who has raised her children here.
Several of them told me that one of the hardest parts of being undocumented was being cut off from their families in Mexico or in other countries, being denied the opportunity of seeing their mothers or their fathers one last time before passing away or being able to attend their funerals to pay their last respects.
Imagine that heartbreaking choice of never seeing your parents again because doing so means risking not being able to see your children ever again. That is the fate that we are forcing on countless undocumented farmworkers who fill our grocery stores with fruits and vegetables. This is the choice that we exacerbate every time we push immigration reform off for another month, another year, another session of Congress. And this is why we must pass legislation that creates a pathway to citizenship for farmworkers.
Did you know that when you pick radishes, you get paid by the number of crates that you fill? On the day that I worked the fields, it comes as no surprise that I picked at a slower rate than the highly skilled and experienced farmworkers, who depend on speed for their livelihoods.
Yet laws across the country leave farmworkers in a position of uncertainty that few other workers have to face. If you are a farmworker and you miss a day of work, there is no paid sick leave. If you are a farmworker and you are injured on the job, you can't get disability insurance. And living and working while undocumented means worrying constantly about your status.
So when the Senate says that immigration reform can wait, we are not seeing the people whose lives are at stake: Isidro, Armando, Isabel, Epigemio. As they pick radishes, these workers are not taking jobs from American citizens. I repeat: They are not taking the jobs of American citizens. In fact, the opposite is true. We don't have enough farmworkers to meet the demand, not just for radishes but for countless other crops. As different produce comes into season, growers need skilled labor on tight timelines.
Corporate leaders, small business owners, and economists agree that we need more immigrants with more protections. The stakes for our economy are high. Right now, American families are paying higher prices not just at the gas pump but at the grocery store. Our labor shortage is contributing to higher inflation. Over $1 trillion of America's GDP is linked to agriculture.
All across the Nation, we rely on immigrant farmworkers. In North Carolina, agriculture is the top industry, aided by tens of thousands of undocumented workers in growing soybean, corn, and peanuts. In Idaho, agriculture accounts for 17 percent of the economic output, including a booming dairy industry. Around 90 percent of Idaho's dairy workers are foreign born, the vast majority undocumented. In Texas, agriculture is worth more than $20 billion each year. More than 100,000 immigrant workers, mostly undocumented, are employed on Texas's ranches, farms, and fields.
I can go on and on, but I think the point is clear: This is truly a national issue. The majority of all farmworkers lack legal status, and growers say that more help is needed.
Congress can make a difference. We can do so by passing the laws that farmworkers need and deserve. Our country cannot afford to wait. That is why it was the first bill I introduced--the Citizenship for Essential Workers Act--when I joined the Senate last year. I am talking about the workers who keep us healthy and safe and fed, the workers we as the Federal Government have deemed to be essential. They deserve dignity; they deserve respect; and they have earned a pathway to citizenship.
Today, I am also proud to introduce the Fairness for Farmworkers Act. This bill will support fair pay for agricultural workers under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
In 1 day, I had just a small dose of the physically demanding life of a farmworker. Still, there is so much more that I could tell you about the kind, funny, generous individuals whom I worked alongside that day.
As we shared a lunch of homemade tortillas, beans, and carne con chiles, they told me about their hometowns that they miss, their favorite music, and their dreams for their children. They had one more message that they asked me to deliver, that they implored me to deliver to all of you, and that is that you should come too. I was the first U.S. Senator to accept an invitation to work in the fields. Last week, my friend and colleague Senator Booker became the second.
I urge you, each and every Member of the Senate, to take this opportunity, take a day to work alongside the heroes who feed America, and then come back here, as I have, humbled and inspired to do our job. Let's come together behind a solution so farmworkers can finally live and work with dignity and security.
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By Mr. PADILLA (for himself and Mrs. Feinstein):
S. 4482. A bill to help persons in the United States experiencing homelessness and significant behavioral health issues, including substance use disorders, by authorizing a grant program within the Department of Housing and Urban Development to assist State and local governments, Continuums of Care, community-based organizations that administer both health and homelessness services, and providers of services to people experiencing homelessness, better coordinate health care and homelessness services, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the Helping People Experiencing Substance Use Disorder and Homelessness Act, which I introduced today.
Housing is a fundamental social determinant of health, and unhoused individuals are often the victims of stark health disparities. Of the more than 580,000 people experiencing homelessness in the United States, an estimated 20 percent have a substance use and/or a mental health disorder. Mental health concerns, including substance use disorders, can cause and exacerbate homelessness.
A lack of affordable housing is the primary driver of homelessness, and we are working to address this issue. Another piece of the puzzle is to ensure housing and social service providers have the resources to work together to ensure access to supportive services.
That is why I am proud to introduce this bill to provide essential funding and tools for frontline organizations to coordinate health and homelessness services.
If enacted, it will create a Federal interagency working group to advise grantees on best practices. The grants will invest in programs to build the capacity necessary to combat the United States' dual homelessness and mental health crises.
I want to thank Representative Madeleine Dean for introducing this bill with me, and I hope our colleagues will join us in taking this key step to addressing challenges that have been exacerbated by the COVID-
19 pandemic.
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