THE DAILY WHIP: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2015

H.Res. 556 – Rule providing for consideration of H.R. 2130 – Red River Private Property Protection Act (Rep. Thornberry – Natural Resources) (One hour of debate).  The Rules Committee has recommended a structured Rule that provides for one hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the Chair and Ranking Member of the Committee on Natural Resources.  The Rule allows for 2 amendments, debatable for 10 minutes equally divided between the offeror and an opponent. The Rule allows one motion to recommit, with or without instructions, and waives all points of order against the legislation.

The Rule also allows for suspension authority through December 13, 2015.

The Rules Committee rejected a motion by Ms. Slaughter of New York to add a section to the Rule that would provide for consideration of H.R. 1076 – Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2015. Members are urged to VOTE NO.

H.R. 2130 – Red River Private Property Protection Act (Rep. Thornberry – Natural Resources).  H.R. 2130 requires the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to sell approximately 30,000 acres of federal land surrounding a 116 mile stretch of the Red River which runs along the border of Texas and Oklahoma.  The bill would essentially strip the BLM of its survey authority and turn that authority over to the State of Texas General Land Office which would allow the state of Texas to conduct a survey that moves its border northward toward the water, and eliminate federal ownership. H.R. 2130 would require the Secretary of the Interior to issue patents, establish a process to evaluate ownership and to sell any federal lands at less than fair market value.

To clarify the amount of land owned by the Federal government and the location of the boundary between Texas and Oklahoma, the BLM issued a Notice of Intent to begin work on a revision to the Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas Resource Management Plan on July 26, 2013.  The completion of the ongoing survey will clear up uncertainty as to where the borders are and who owns the land.  H.R. 2130 would stop the survey and create a dangerous precedent by nullifying all previous surveys conducted by BLM.

With just two legislative days until the government runs out of funding, House Republicans have chosen to bring to the Floor a bill to solve a dispute between two states, while creating a precedent about the valuation of federal resources.   House Republicans should show that they can govern responsibly by providing certainty for the American people simply by funding the government.

In the Statement of Administration Policy, the President's senior advisors stated that they would recommend he veto this bill.

The Rule provides for one hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the Chair and Ranking Member of the Committee on Natural Resources and makes in order 2 amendments, debatable for 10 minutes, equally divided between the offeror and an opponent. The amendments are:  

Bishop (UT) Manager’s Amendment. Ensures that nothing in the bill would create or reinstate a tribal reservation or any portion of a tribal reservation; ensures that nothing in the bill will alter the valid rights of the Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache Nations to the mineral interest trust fund created pursuant to the Act of June 12, 1926; allows for the affected federally recognized Indian tribes to be a part of the survey process; and allows for further judicial review after the administrative appeals process for landowners
Cole Amendment. Ensures the bill preserves past and current surface and mineral rights for affected Indian tribes.          

Bill Text for H.R. 2130:
PDF Version

Background for H.R. 2130:
House Report (HTML Version)
House Report (PDF Version)

TOMORROW’S OUTLOOK
The GOP Leadership has announced the following schedule for Thursday, December 10: The House will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business.  The House may consider bills listed for consideration under suspension of the Rules.  Additional legislation may be added.  **Further information regarding the schedule will be announced as soon as it becomes available.