Don Young: “Congressman Miller has offered similar fair market value amendments on the floor before. In the 104th Congress, H.R. 535…”

“Congressman Miller has offered similar fair market value amendments on the floor before. In the 104th Congress, H.R. 535 transferred the title of the Corning National Fish Hatchery from the Department of the Interior to the State of Arkansas. In committee and on the floor, Mr. Miller offered an amendment much like the one he offers today to require the payment of fair market value before the asset is transferred. He also offered this same amendment to H.R. 584, which transferred the Fairport National Fish Hatchery from the Department of the Interior to the State of Iowa. His amendments both failed resoundingly, in one case 96 to 315 the other by voice vote. The arguments made against those amendments apply equally here: First, the Federal Government does not want this asset--in this case the irrigation works. As you can see from the photographs displaying the deplorable state of the irrigation system and the harm that it has caused other public and private property, I can certainly see why the Federal Government is happy to transfer the works and avoid any past or future claims associated with its failure to operate. Second, the recipient has made some investment in the project in the past and will make substantial financial commitments to the project in the future. The Oroville-Tonasket Irrigation District has already paid $350,000 and will be obligated to pay at least $14 million to repair deteriorating water pipes.”