mr. gianforte: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. gianforte: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. gianforte: h.r. 2591, introduced by austin scott of georgia, amends the pittman-robertson wildlife restoration act. the pittman-robertson funds, which relies on excise fees paid by hunters and recreational shooters has been a driving force for wildlife habitat preservation in the united states for nearly 80 years, contributing over $10 billion in that time. the fund is also responsible for important hunter education programs as well as the construction and maintenance of public shooting ranges. the long-term viability of the pittman-robertson fund is at risk. however, because of the diminishing number of hunters and recreational shooters nationwide, recent s

mr. gianforte: mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from montana yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 660. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are is presented, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from montana seek recognition? mr. gianforte: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 4689. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar a bill 42, h.r. 4689, to authorize early repayment of obligations to the bureau of reclamation within the northport irrigation district n the state of nebraska. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from montana, mr. gianforte, and the gentlewoman from massachusetts, ms. tsongas, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman f

mr. gianforte: jeanne mr. speaker, i rise today to bring attention to the tragic endemocrat -- epidemic that impacts too many montanans and americans. suicide rates are increasing across the country. on average a montanan dies by suicide every 33 hours. suicide is now the eighth leading cause of death in montana. the centers for disease control recently reported a 30% increase in suicide rates in the last 20 years. with nearly 45,000 americans taking their own lives in 2016. veterans account for almost 20% of all suicides in the united states. suicide rates amongst farmers have been increasing. we, however, can reverse the trajectory of one of the leading causes of death in this country. there is good news coming out of montana. the billings clinic, which i recently toured, announced it will launch montana's first psychiatric residency program. this will expand access to mental health care for our more rural areas. i speak out today during suicide prevention week because suicide is preventable. access to crisi

mr. gianforte: mr. speaker, i thank the gentleman from utah for his comments and especially for his leadership on this important issue. bringing the knowledge of local government here to this house, to help us deal with this devastating situation out west. at this time, mr. speaker, i'd like to recognize the gentleman from arizona, mr. gosar, my friend, for his comments on wildfires. mr. gosar: mr. speaker, thank you so very much. and i thank the gentleman from montana for organizing this tonight. mr. speaker, i rise today to bring this chamber's attention to the multitude of wildfires that have devastated the western united states. mr. speaker, the west is on fire. and has been on fire since april of this year. this is undoubted i -- this has undoubtedly been one of the worst wildfire seasons in memory. last month more than is00 active fires scorched -- 100 active fires scorched two million acres, killed 12 people and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in property damage. as of today, more than 75