On the recordOctober 31, 2017
I am indeed proud to introduce the LWCF Parity for Territories and D.C. Act, with the support of all six Members of the House representing our U.S. territories and the District of Columbia as original cosponsors. Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan bill gives parity to Guam, the other territories, and D.C. in annual funding from the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. Current law requires the territories and D.C. to split six ways a single State's annual LWCF allocation. This bill fixes this disparity by providing a full, State-equivalent share of Land and Water Conservation Fund funding for each territory and D.C. every year. This additional funding is needed to improve our public parks, our outdoor sports fields, and our community open spaces on Guam and the other territories, especially as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands rebuild from recent hurricanes. So, Mr. Speaker, I encourage our colleagues to cosponsor this bipartisan legislation and support the LWCF parity for the territories and the District of Columbia. ____________________
