On the recordJune 1, 2015
This bill is an excellent piece of legislation that solves a problem that should never have existed in the first place. It is curious that in many cases throughout the West, the current Federal law does not allow a landowner to make an early repayment on Federal irrigation projects. It is an outdated law and a hurdle that is silly. It is similar to a bank prohibiting a homeowner from paying off his or her mortgage early. Congressman Smith's bill removes the Federal Bureau of Reclamation repayment prohibition for individual landowners within the Northport Irrigation District. In return for those payments, though, these farmers will no longer be subject to the acreage limitation and the paperwork requirements imposed by the Reclamation Reform Act. This bill will accelerate revenue coming into the Treasury. It is based on two recent precedents that passed in both Republican- and Democrat-controlled Houses. Today, we are trying to continue those efforts by adopting this particular bill. With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 404. The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________
