E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 107 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 148 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2002 No. 50 House of Representatives The House met at 2 p.m. and was Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Jour- site, thereby diverting disastrous called to order by the Speaker pro tem- nal stands approved. transportation risks. pore (Mr. CULBERSON). f Mr. Speaker, the Yucca Mountain f PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE project is fatally flawed; and no amount of money, nor square pegs in a DESIGNATION OF THE SPEAKER The SPEAKER pro tempore. Will the PRO TEMPORE round hole, can keep Nevadans and gentleman from Nevada (Mr. GIBBONS) Americans safe from its failings. The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- come forward and lead the House in the Pledge of Allegiance. fore the House the following commu- f nication from the Speaker: Mr. GIBBONS led the Pledge of Alle- WASHINGTON, DC, giance as follows: April 29, 2002. I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the COMMUNICATION FROM CHIEF OF I hereby appoint the Honorable JOHN United States of America, and to the Repub- STAFF OF HON. XAVIER BECER- ABNEY CULBERSON to act as Speaker pro tem- lic for which it stands, one nation under God, RA, MEMBER OF CONGRESS pore on this day. indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- J. DENNIS HASTERT, f Speaker of the House of Representatives. fore the House the following commu- NUCLEAR WASTE STORAGE AT nication from Krista Atteberry, Chief f YUCCA MOUNTAIN of Staff, of the Honorable XAVIER PRAYER (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given BECERRA, Member of Congress: The Chaplain, the Reverend Daniel P. permission to address the House for 1 XAVIER BECERRA, Coughlin, offered the following prayer: minute and to revise and extend his re- Washington, DC, April 22, 2002. Lord, God eternal, over the weekend marks.) Hon. J. DENNIS HASTERT, we assembled for worship, that we may Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives, Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, today, I Washington, DC. keep Your commands and keep holy come to the well of the House to dis- the day set aside for You. cuss the risk of storing high-level dead- DEAR MR. SPEAKER: This is to notify you Now we ask You to bless our work formally, pursuant to Rule VIII of the Rules ly nuclear waste in a hole in the Ne- of the House of Representatives, that the and our coworkers. vada desert called Yucca Mountain. Custodian of Records, Office of Congressman Make our labor holy because it is Mr. Speaker, this will be the first XAVIER BECERRA, has been served with a sub- dedicated to You and performed in gelogic repository for high-level nu- poena for documents issued by the Los Ange- Your spirit. clear waste. les County Superior Court of California. Be attentive to the needs of this Na- No one can predict what the next After consultation with the Office of Gen- tion and to all who serve in the mili- 10,000 years will bring at Yucca Moun- eral Counsel, I will make the determinations tary and in government. tain, no matter whether we are dis- required by Rule VIII. We pray for the sick and those who cussing seismic activity, volcanic ac- Sincerely, care for them. tivity or meteorological activity. Mr. KRISTA ATTEBERRY, Show Your loving presence to all Speaker, how can we even decide what Chief of Staff. those who are fearful or in distress. language to use on the ‘‘no tres- Grant determination and rehabilita- passing’’ signs that will be pertinent f tion to all who suffer loss or are in re- 10,000 years from now? covery from drugs or natural disasters. Regardless of what the DOE crystal OMISSION FROM THE CONGRES- Hear the prayers we offer with re- ball may show, the future is unknown, SIONAL RECORD OF APRIL 25, newed faith, for our trust is in You, as is the stability of Yucca Mountain. 2002, AT PAGE H1670 now and forever. Amen. Even DOE’s own scientists question its The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a f suitability. No matter how many bil- lions of dollars the DOE has spent on previous order of the House, the gen- THE JOURNAL Yucca Mountain, they still cannot tleman from Georgia (Mr. NORWOOD) is The SPEAKER pro tempore. The make that mountain a geologically- recognized for 5 minutes. Chair has examined the Journal of the sound repository. Instead, they have to (Mr. NORWOOD addressed the House. last day’s proceedings and announces rely on engineered barriers, barriers His remarks will appear hereafter in to the House his approval thereof. which could just as easily be used on the Extensions of Remarks.) b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H1677 . VerDate 11-MAY-2000 01:36 Apr 30, 2002 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A29AP7.000 pfrm04 PsN: H29PT1 H1678 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE April 29, 2002 CORRECTION TO THE CONGRES- Last October, my colleague, the gen- course not. Reasonable people apply SIONAL RECORD OF APRIL 25, tleman from Colorado (Mr. TANCREDO), the laws reasonably, and this is abso- 2002, AT PAGE H1670 and I offered two amendments to the lutely specious. The following 5 minute special order farm bill that would close these loop- There is a problem, however, because was inadvertently attributed to Mr. holes and strengthen the penalty for people will run through this loophole NORWOOD: violations of animal fighting laws. to continue to exploit the illegal game These two amendments were passed fighting that is happening in these BANNING COCKFIGHTING overwhelmingly by this body by voice States where it is illegal but it is legal The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a vote, adopted in identical form in the to grow them, legal to train them, previous order of the House, the gen- Senate. This, in fact, should not even legal to transport them. tleman from Oregon (Mr. BLUMENAUER) be a conference item. Identical lan- One of the problems is that the cur- is recognized for 5 minutes. rent penalties are 26 years old. They Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I guage was adopted by both the House are not high enough to warrant pros- appreciate the opportunity to spend a and the Senate. The intent of both ecution of violations. What we hear moment on the floor of the House this Chambers was to close the loophole, from the U.S. Department of Justice afternoon dealing with an issue that ban foreign export of fighting animals, and the USDA, that they have indi- passed this House by voice vote over- and increase the penalty. According to the House Agriculture cated that they would give more con- whelmingly during the discussion on Committee’s Web site, a conference sideration if they were a felony and in- the agricultural bill earlier this ses- committee is permitted to deal only cluded higher fines and jail time. sion. We now have in conference the ag bill with matters in disagreement between That is what the House passed. That that seems to be moving forward. I the House and the Senate. It may not is what the conference committee have grave concerns in one particular change language that both have pre- should protect, and if we are not able viously approved. to do that, Mr. Speaker, it is my inten- area, Mr. Speaker, that I am going to Unfortunately, it is pretty clear to be working over the course of the next tion to bring a motion to this floor to me that people are, in fact, looking at instruct the conferees to respect the few days to seek clarification because I watering down the penalty provisions want to make sure that the intent of rights and the will of the House and in particular, and to deal with prob- the Senate and to do what the Amer- the House and the Senate are preserved lems, some people are saying, I have in the final form that comes out of con- ican people want and end this cruel and been told by one high-ranking member barbaric practice. ference. of the conference committee that they Mr. Speaker, there has been a prac- f tice of cockfighting, game hens, that are concerned that there is not a prob- lem with 4–H clubs dealing with raising has been tolerated by this Congress BILLS PRESENTED TO THE these chickens that the 4–H’ers even though it is now illegal in 47 PRESIDENT produce. States. The public long ago has come Well, first of all, to prosecute a cock- Jeff Trandahl, Clerk of the House re- to the point that this practice is inher- fighting case, law enforcement officers ports that on April 26, 2002 he presented ently inhumane and barbaric. must have evidence of the illegal activ- to the President of the United States, b 1545 ity. The birds intended to be used in for his approval, the following bills. The handlers of these fighting birds these cock fights are identifiable by H.R. 861. To make technical amendments drug the animals to heighten their ag- several indicators, including the spe- to section 10 of title 9, United States Code. gression and to clot the blood. They cial structures that they are kept in, H.R.