RECORD OF A CONSERVATION LEADER

A LEADER IN LAND CONSERVATION:

Land & Water Conservation Fund:

When lawmakers are looking for ways to reduce spending, unfortunately programs like the Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) are often targeted. While it is necessary for all programs to share in the sacrifice in order to get our nations spending under control, one of the keys to preventing the gutting of the LWCF is to demonstrate bipartisan support for the program. I have been a leader among Republicans in rallying support for protecting the LWCF through letters to leadership, attempts to keep LWCF funding in the transportation bill, and by sending appropriations request letters to the House Appropriations Committee. At every opportunity, I have voted to protect the LWCF this Congress, voting to both increase funding (FY12 Interior Appropriations bill) and to prevent a 90% cut (H.R. 1). As such, I have earned a reputation among my colleagues as one of the staunchest defenders of this vital program.

Highlands Conservation & National Heritage Areas:

The Pennsylvania Highlands, which runs right through Upper Bucks County, is a heavily forested region seen as ecologically significant because, among other things, its dense forests serve to protect and supply clean drinking water to more than 15 million people. It provides recreational and cultural opportunities to hundreds of locals and tourists every year, and has even been recognized by the U.S. Forest Service as a landscape of national significance. In 2011 and 2012, I led the House effort to secure funding for the Highlands Conservation Act by authoring funding request letters to the House Appropriations Committee. I am also an original cosponsor of the Highlands Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2012. Additionally, I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 4099, the National Heritage Areas Act, and a member of the National Heritage Areas Caucus. H.R. 4099 seeks to establish a coordinated National Heritage Areas system through the Department of the Interior. This program would help conserve some of our nations greatest treasures, including the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, a large portion of which winds through Bucks County.

Delaware River Basin Conservation Act:

The 13,000 square mile Delaware River Basin is home to over 8 million residents, and provides drinking water to 15 million people, including over half the residents of New York City. Bucks County is situated in the heart of the Basin. As such, I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 2325, Delaware River Basin Conservation Act, a bill to implement a plan to coordinate efforts among state and local governments and organizations dealing with conservation of the wetlands and forests and flood mitigation in the Basin. A regional coordinated effort in the Delaware River Basin will ensure
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that our natural resources and our communities are protected. Through this legislation, we will be able to better manage and mitigate flooding that occurs all too frequently along the Delaware River.

Protecting ANWR & Public Lands:

Americans share ownership of roughly 600 million acres of land and water in the United States. I believe that we have a responsibility to future generations to conserve and protect the national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and monuments our nation holds so dear. That is why I oppose opening the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil or gas drilling. That land was purposefully set aside for conservation by Congress and President Eisenhower, who pledged to preserve it so that future Americans would have the opportunity to marvel at the beauty and diversity it holds. During the 112th Congress, I have advocated to remove provisions from legislation that would open ANWR to drilling, and I will continue to oppose any attempts to drill in ANWR. I have also repeatedly voted to protect our public lands, even when that means taking tough votes or voting against my Party. For instance, I voted against H.R. 2578, an Omnibus public lands bill that would have rolled back conservation protections on hundreds of acres of public lands across the U.S., and, most recently, I opposed H.R. 5544, the Minnesota Education Investment and Employment Act, because it waived National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) environmental review requirements for a large land swap in the Superior National Forest.

Conservation Easements:

Conservation easements are successful tools that have received strong support in Washington and from various local groups, including the Land Trust Alliance in Bucks County. I am a cosponsor of H.R. 1964, the Conservation Easement Incentive Act, which would make permanent an important tax incentive that encourages the purchase of conservation easements, Providing this tax incentive will enable families that otherwise may not be able to afford this expensive process to donate their land for conservation purposes and preserve their family heritage.

CLEANER WATER AND AIR

Defending the Clean Water & Clean Air Act:
-Voted against H.R. 3409, Coal Miner Employment and Domestic Energy Infrastructure Protection Act would have made unacceptable changes to Clean Water Act protections and loosened restrictions on Mountaintop Removal Mining -Voted against H.R. 2018, Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act would have prevented the EPA from intervening if states were not abiding by the Clean Water Act.

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-Voted for tougher, updated standards for offshore oil and gas drilling to ensure protection of our oceans and marine wildlife (amendments to H.R. 4408, H.R. 3408, H.R. 6082, H.R. 2021, H.R. 1229, H.R. 1230, H.R. 1231). -Voted against H.R. 2354, FY12 Energy & Water Appropriations bill, because it did not do enough to preserve the integrity of the Clean Water Act.

Mountaintop Removal Mining & the Clean Water Protection Act (clean air & water):
-Voted for two amendments introduced by Rep. Moran to protect our drinking water from toxic mountaintop removal mining runoff. -I am a cosponsor of H.R. 1375, a bill to protect our streams and rivers by requiring mountaintop removal coal mining companies to properly dispose of the fill material generated by this coal mining process.

Abandoned Mine Land Fund:

-President Obama and the House of Representatives agree that AML funding to Office of Surface Mining (OSM) certified states and continue to fund non-certified states should be reduced. Certified states (in the West) have received the bulk of the AML funding over the years and now no longer need it, as their mines have been reclaimed. Non-certified states (those in Appalachia, like PA) will continue to receive funding for mine reclamation, and may have increased access as a result. -Additionally, there is broad consensus from fiscal conservatives and environmental advocates that this is the best use of federal mine cleanup resources. I introduced the House bill (H.R. 3739) to resolve this issue.

CLEAN, RENEWABLE ENERGY

Open Fuel Standards Act:
-The United States dependence on foreign oil has been cited by the U.S. Department of Defense as the greatest threat to our national and economic security. We must take steps to wean ourselves off of foreign oil I am a cosponsor of H.R. 1687, the Open Fuel Standards Act. This is a bipartisan bill to require car manufacturers (with their support) to manufacture vehicles capable of running on oil and at least one other type of energy. H.R. 1867 aims to increase energy independence and strengthen national security.

Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit:

-I support extending the PTC for alternative energy. I have been very active in garnering support from other Republicans and the Ways and Means Committee.
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Energy Efficiency:
- EERE amendment votes (H.R. 1, Energy & Water Appropriations) - Original cosponsor of Smart Energy Act - Bass energy efficiency bill - Cosponsor of PACE program bill (Hayworth)

WILDLIFE PROTECTION
Endangered Species Act:
-I introduced amendment to remove a devastating rider in the FY12 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill that would have prevented the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from protecting any new species or designating critical habitat for currently listed species effectively crippling endangered species protection in America and preventing help for any of the more than 260 candidate species that the agency had already determined warrant protection under the ESA.

Stopping Lethal Predator Control:

-I voted to cut $11 million from the $72.5 million allocated to the USDAs Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for operations of its Wildlife Services division, and begin to rein in wasteful subsidies for lethal predator control (Campbell/DeFazio Amendment to H.R. 2112, FY12 Agriculture Appropriations). Wildlife Services employs inhumane methods like poisoning, trapping, and aerial helicopter hunting to control these animals. These cruel acts also kill pets and endangered species and they dont work effectively, since other predators move into the vacant territory. Non-lethal strategies are more effective and cost-efficient.

Capping Agriculture Subsidies:

-I supported an amendment to H.R. 1 (Continuing Resolution), offered by Rep. Blumenauer, to cap agriculture subsidies at $250,000. Large factory farms rely on inexpensive animal feed supported by these subsidies, and some farms are themselves direct recipients of subsidies.

ANIMAL WELFARE
Co-sponsorships:
-H.R. 3798, the Egg Products Inspection Act Amendments of 2012 to provide for a uniform national standard for the housing and treatment of egg-laying hens, phased in over a period of 15-18 years, that will significantly improve animal welfare and provide a stable and secure future for U.S. egg farmers.

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-H.R. 1513, the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act to phase out use of chimpanzees in invasive research, retire the approximately 500 federally-owned chimpanzees to sanctuary, and make the current NIH moratorium on government-funded breeding of chimpanzees statutory. -H.R. 2492, the Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act to establish misdemeanor penalties for knowingly attending an organized animal fight and felony penalties for bringing a minor to such a fight. -H.R. 835, the Puppy Uniform Protection and Safety (PUPS) Act to crack down on abusive "puppy mills" in the United States. The legislation will close a loophole in the Animal Welfare Act by requiring that commercial breeders who sell 50 or more puppies per year online and directly to the public be licensed and inspected, just as breeders who supply to pet stores already must be. It will also require that dogs used for breeding at commercial facilities be provided the opportunity to exercise daily.

The Captive Primate Safety Act

-I introduced this legislation to add nonhuman primates to the list of animals that cannot be purchased or transported across state lines by individuals for use as pets. This legislation, which passed the House in 2009, protects public health and safety by prohibiting interstate commerce in primates for pets. The Captive Primate Act provides a federal complement to 20 existing state laws. It does not limit the transfer of primates for the purposes of assisting the disabled, for research purposes, or by licensed zoos, museums, and rescue shelters.

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