Pelosi Remarks at Bill Enrollment for The John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act
Contact: Speaker's Press Office, 202-226-7616
Washington D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined House Democrats for a bill enrollment for S. 47, the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act. Below are the Speaker's remarks:
Speaker Pelosi. Good evening. Thank you all.
We salute Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Chairman, for this very important legislation and the Members of the committee who made this important occasion possible as we join to sign the John – what's his middle name – D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act.
A beautiful tribute to our former colleague, Mr. Chairman John Dingell. And, we are so honored that Debbie Dingell is here to witness this signing.
John Dingell spent many of — his priorities in the Congress: the Land and Water Conservation Fund was an important priority. Protecting our lands, an important priority. So honored are we, to name this legislation for him.
It's a hundred years after the Grand Canyon was created: Congress is about preserving our natural resources.
I was saying to some Members earlier that when Thomas Jefferson was President he tasked his Secretary of the Treasury, [Albert] Gallatin, to establish an infrastructure plan for America: Cumberland Road, the Erie Canal, following down the Lewis and Clark expedition – things that would follow a hundred years later.
Teddy Roosevelt, on that anniversary, established the National Park Service to preserve the green infrastructure of America and within that short time after that, the Grand Canyon was created.
So, we are here, and this legislation will protect millions of acres of wilderness and it will conserve wildlife, combat poaching and trafficking and it will ensure public lands can be enjoyed for generations – achieving Chairman Dingell's goal of, again, making permanent the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
So, here were are, with our distinguished Chairman Raul Grijalva. Our distinguished Democratic Whip of the House Mr. Clyburn.
With Members, of course, with Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, a member of the House Leadership. Congressman Mike Thompson of California. Congresswoman – a brand new Member of Congress – Deb Haaland, representing our Native American community and she represents the people of New Mexico. Congress – oh he's a regular at these meetings – Congressman Pete Aguilar, a champion in so many ways, thank you for your support for preserving our land and our water. Congressman Ben Ray Lujan, Assistant Speaker, a Member of House leadership, a champion on the environment as well. Mr. Lowenthal, the champion in the California legislature on these issues, just a preeminent champion and now in the Congress of the United States, as well.
So, I am honored that you have joined us. Others may as well as we sign this legislation.
This is important: bipartisan, overwhelming, House and Senate. This is really a happy time for us because of the support across the board, across the aisle, across the Capitol that this important legislation is being signed.
Now, it passed a little while ago but we had to make sure that Mr. Dingell's name was inserted every possible place in the legislation, so that we that when we were signing it, it is a legitimate signing.
So, I am going to sit down to do this now.
[Speaker Pelosi hands pens to attendees, starting with Congresswoman Dingell]
Mr. Grijalva. Mr. Clyburn. Mr. Lujan. Here you go, Mr. Thompson. Congresswoman Harland. Mr. Lowenthal.
Okay, we are all set. I will keep this one for myself.
This will now go over to the Senate where it will be signed by the Vice President – either the Vice President or his designee – and then it will go to the desk of the President of the United States to become the law of the land. The John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation Management and Restoration Act. The law of the land.
[Applause]
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