Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise to correct my vote on the Motion to Instruct Conferees for the Fiscal Year 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations Act that was considered on the House floor on October 1, 2009.

The Motion to Instruct Conferees (rollcall No. 746) made recommendations that would prohibit the transfer of detainees currently held at Guantanamo Bay to the United States, even for prosecution. My vote in favor of this motion was a mistake and contradicts my views on our detention policies.

To be clear, I strongly support President Obama's decision to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay and move our detention policies forward in a responsible manner, even if that means transferring some detainees to the United States. I intended to vote ``yes'' on rollcall vote No. 663.

Madam Speaker, yesterday evening, I was unfortunately detained and missed the recorded vote on the motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended, H.R. 905, the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve Boundary Modification Act. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall vote No. 740.

I rise in support of this legislation.

I want to thank Chairman Berman and Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen for their hard work in crafting this compromise and getting a bill that the House and Senate can agree on.

We need to strengthen our relationship with Pakistan. This is a very, very difficult part of the world, and this is a very, very difficult relationship. But none of that overcomes the basic fact that we need a strong relationship with Pakistan for our own national security interests. The threat is real, as has been described by a large number of my colleagues. The threat from Islamic extremism, through al Qaeda and other groups, comes from this region in large part through al Qaeda, in large part through the Taliban, and threatens us.

To defeat that, we need partners in the region. We need a partner in Afghanistan. We need a partner in Pakistan. And the good news is Pakistan is taking steps in the right direction. As has been mentioned, they have stepped up and confronted the violent extremists that threatened them and pushed back against them. They are working with us to train their forces in counterinsurgency tactics so they can better

do this, and they have also taken the first basic steps in getting a lasting democracy in place. This has been a lengthy challenge for them as they have dealt with governance and economic issues, but they have made progress.

They need our help to build on that progress, because if they cannot provide a decent government, a decent governance, it makes it all too easy for the violent extremists to prey on their failures and recruit Pakistanis to their cause. With our support, they can build a better economy. They can build the basics of government to provide for their people. Without it, they're going have a very, very difficult time accomplishing that task. That will be a threat to the region and that will be a threat to us.

This bill shows a commitment from the United States to a long-term relationship. For too long, the Pakistanis have felt that we only used them for our own interests and then walked away and have been reluctant to embrace us, reluctant in some ways to confront the Taliban for fear that we will not be there to help them when it is truly needed.

This bill shows the long-term commitment to the partnership that we must have with a Pakistani Government that seems increasingly willing to have that partnership.

I urge support for this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the

fourth annual National Health Information Technology Week. Health information technology is a critical piece of health care reform.

The cost of our health care system is the main burden. As we look for ways to expand coverage to the millions of Americans who don't have it, getting costs under control is absolutely critical.

Health care information technology is one way to do that. If we can improve the quality of our IT systems and our health care system, we can improve the quality of health care for millions of Americans by getting better information to both doctors and patients more quickly.

Right now the system is woefully behind most other businesses in developing and improving IT. This House took an important step in the stimulus package passed last January by putting $19 billion towards improving health care information technology.

It's critical that that money is well spent. It is critical that we improve our health IT systems if we are going to improve the quality of our health care system for all Americans.

Madam Speaker, unfortunately I missed recorded votes on the House floor on Monday, September 14, 2009.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall vote No. 696 (On the motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 6); ``yes'' on rollcall vote No. 697 (On the motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 459); and ``yes'' on rollcall vote No. 698 (On the motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Con. Res. 59, as Amended).

Madam Speaker, on Thursday, July 30, 2009, I recorded an incorrect vote on the Tierney amendment to the FY 2010 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill. I intended to vote ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 663.

Madam Speaker, unfortunately I missed recorded votes on the House floor on Monday, July 27, 2009.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall vote No. 647 (On the motion to suspend the rules and agree to H.Res. 593, as Amended), ``yes'' on rollcall vote No. 648 (On the motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 1376), ``yes'' on rollcall vote No. 649 (On the motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 1121).

Madam Speaker, unfortunately I missed recorded votes on the House floor on Monday, July 20, 2009.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall vote No. 593 (On approving the Journal), ``yes'' on rollcall vote No. 594 (On the motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 607), ``yes'' on rollcall vote No. 595 (On the motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 2245).

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the fiscal year 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations bill, and I am appreciative of the work done by the chairman and ranking member on this bill.

I would like to briefly engage the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Pastor) in a colloquy regarding an issue related to the Seattle District of the Army Corps of Engineers and the Howard Hanson Dam.

The Green and Puyallup Rivers located in part in the Ninth District of Washington were flooded by record levels of water in January 2009, causing cities along these rivers to sustain major damage. Levees along those rivers are now in need of repair and rehabilitation, and when added to the other levees that were already priorities for the Seattle district, the need for resources and action is imperative.

Following the record high level of water behind the Howard Hanson Dam on the Green River, significant structural weaknesses were discovered. Because of this damage, water levels at the Howard Hanson Dam are being held at lower-than-normal levels, drastically increasing the possibility of flooding along the banks below.

This is extremely troubling as we are rapidly approaching the upcoming rain and flood season. If the dam were to fail, or if a strong storm brings a heavy level of rain, then the levees below are at serious risk of being breached, causing significant property damage and driving large numbers of people from their homes and businesses.

I respectfully ask to work with the gentleman to ensure that the Seattle district of the Army Corps of Engineers is responsive to the flood prevention needs of those along the lower Green and Puyallup Rivers and will make the repairs of their levees a top priority.

I also ask to work with the subcommittee to make the resources needed to fix the Howard Hanson Dam available in a timely manner as they are identified.

And with that I yield to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Pastor).

Thank you. I appreciate that support.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Fiscal Year 2010 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill. I'd like to thank Chairwoman Lowey and Ranking Member Granger for their hard work on this bill and take a moment to explain the need for this important piece of legislation.

This bill improves America's leadership in the fight against global poverty and disease. As Congress continues to debate the efficacy of our foreign aid against the backdrop of a post-9/11 world, many Americans do not make the connection between national security and development.

It's more than just a moral problem that billions of people around the world are struggling to survive. It is also in our security interest as a nation. Populations that struggle in extreme poverty are more likely to become mired in destabilizing conflicts, or worse, become havens or recruiting grounds for terrorist organizations. Taking action to help lift people out of poverty and addressing the critical issues that go hand-in-hand with poverty will help prevent threats to U.S. security, and will also help create goodwill toward the U.S. in places where it is desperately needed.

The United States sits near the bottom of government aid donations by country wealth, donating just 0.18% of our national income. Now is the time to bolster our funding and development efforts to developing countries. The current economic climate is seriously impacting developing countries and they are in dire need of our assistance. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, world trade is in the largest decline since 1929, and commodity prices, particularly for exports from developing countries, are falling.

I am pleased to see that this legislation contains $13.4 billion for national security, counterterrorism and counternarcotics programs, including significant funding for Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq. Yet, the funding focus in recent years on defense, while vital in our fight against extremism, has left behind the other D's--diplomacy and development. This bill helps remedy that by reforming and rebuilding America's diplomatic and development capacity. While it does not meet the full request by the President, the bill provides funding to hire 1,000 new State Department personnel and 300 new USAID personnel.

Unfortunately, U.S. efforts remain insufficient to counter violent extremist narratives around the world. Terrorist groups aggressively push their narrative through new and traditional media. I was pleased to see increased funding for public diplomacy programs in the FY2010 bill. The increase would support at least 20 new public diplomacy positions. Importantly, the funding also continues imperative programs which include the counterterrorism communication center, and the digital outreach team focused on engaging Arabic language websites to impart accurate information and counter misinformation about the United States. Strategic communication and public diplomacy should be at the front-and-center as we work to roll back al-Qaeda's and other violent extremists' influence among disaffected populations.

I would be remiss not to mention funding for the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) which was increased over the current level. I am disappointed, however, that the allocation was less than the President's request. As the bill progresses I would urge continued support for global poverty reduction by funding the MCA at no less than the $1.4 billion allocated in this legislation. The Millennium Challenge Corporation's (MCC's) model of combating global poverty through initiatives that remove barriers to economic growth has not only been hailed as innovative, it has provided an effective complement to existing development aid streams.

The bill also provides $156 million for health and development assistance in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and prioritizes peacekeeping operations funding for the country. I witnessed the urgent need for this funding first hand when I visited the DRC earlier this spring. This bill includes funding for addressing gender-based violence and I would hope that priority is given to the areas in conflict and post-conflict such as the DRC which are afflicted most by these dehumanizing acts. Too often in these areas acts of rape and sexual abuse are, unfortunately, common events. Gender-based violence is a major public health and human rights problem throughout the world and it is most apparent in the DRC. There, a devastatingly high percentage of girls are reported to have been raped. Yet, this is only a fraction of the actual number as most cases are unreported.

Again, I thank Chairwoman Lowey and Ranking Member Granger for their work on this legislation and urge my colleagues to support its passage. This bill would advance our ability to combat global poverty and is critical to our country's ability to address today's threats.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Fiscal Year 2010 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, and I thank Chairman Edwards and Ranking Member Wamp for their work in crafting this legislation.

As someone who represents tens of thousands of military veterans and their families, I believe that we have an obligation to provide them with the benefits and treatment they deserve for their years of service. This legislation accomplishes that by providing $109 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs, a $14.5 billion increase over 2009, when not factoring stimulus or supplemental funding.

It is estimated that the VA will treat more than 6.1 million patients in 2010, including more than 419,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. To meet this demand, the bill provides important funding for mental health programs, assistance to homeless veterans, and to improve access for veterans in rural areas.

The bill also provides vital funding to hire additional claims processors to support the Department's continued efforts to reduce the backlog of benefits claims. I believe these are two of the most important issues that we deal with, making sure that we deal with the PTSD issues which continue to be a significant problem and also to make sure that we have the services available to provide for the large number of wounded veterans who are coming back from our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I was also pleased to see that the committee included a provision to provide advanced budget authority and funding for fiscal year 2011 for medical-related accounts. This is a step to ensure that the VA health care system continues to receive a timely and predictable stream of funding without subjecting it to the delays that can arise due to the larger annual budget debates.

Again, I thank the chairman and ranking member for their work on this important legislation and urge my colleagues to support its passage.

Madam Chair, I rise today in support of the Fiscal Year 2010 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill and thank Chairman Edwards and Ranking Member Wamp for their work in crafting this legislation.

As someone who represents thousands of military veterans and their families, I believe that we have an obligation to provide them with the benefits and treatment they deserve for their years of faithful service. This legislation accomplishes that by providing $108.9 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs, a $14.5 billion increase over Fiscal Year 2009, when not factoring in stimulus or supplemental funding.

It is estimated that the VA will treat more than 6.1 million patients in 2010, including more than 419,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. To meet this demand, the bill provides important funding for mental health programs, assistance to homeless veterans, and to improve access for veterans in rural areas. The bill also provides vital funding to hire additional claims processors to support the Department's continued effort to reduce the backlog of benefit claims.

I was also pleased to see that the committee included a provision to provide advanced budget authority and funding for fiscal year 2011 for medical related accounts. This is a step to ensure that the VA healthcare system continues to receive a timely and predictable stream of funding without subjecting it to the delays that can arise due to the larger annual budget debates.

In addition to the funds provided for our nation's veterans, I also applaud the committee's work in providing the necessary funding to meet the construction needs of our military. The bill provides $24.6 billion for construction, facility modernization, and environmental cleanup. Among other construction projects at Ft. Lewis and McChord, I was specifically pleased to see funds included in the bill for the construction of a Joint Access Road between Ft. Lewis and McChord Air Force Base, a project that I specifically requested funding for. These funds will help provide a link between the two installations, alleviate congestion, and provide a deployment route for the air transportation of Army vehicles and equipment.

Again, I thank the Chairman and Ranking Member for their work on this legislation and urge my colleagues to support its passage.

I want to just rise to thank Chairwoman Nita Lowey and Ranking Member Kay Granger for their great work on this bill and focus particularly on this bill's commitment to global development issues.

I'm the chair of the Terrorism Subcommittee of the Committee on Armed Services and have been working very, very closely with our military as we attempt to combat terrorism and violent extremist groups throughout the globe. Certainly, there is a big military component to that.

What we have increasingly learned in the military and elsewhere is that we will never win that battle and that fight if we are not equally committed to global development.

We have seen a major commitment in this bill on the central focus in our efforts right now, which is in Pakistan and Afghanistan. I applaud that effort. But also understand that this bill recognizes that it is broader than just Pakistan and Afghanistan. Throughout the Middle East, throughout Africa, throughout Southeast Asia, failed and failing states are a major contributor to instability and the rise of violent extremist groups. Getting our global development policy right is critical to stopping that effort. This bill makes that commitment.

I also want to say that this is not just a matter of more money. It is a matter of improving the quality of our global development, of coordinating it, of figuring out what works and making sure that our programs are more efficient and more effectively delivered.

On that point, I also support the committee and support the Foreign Relations Committee and Foreign Affairs Committee as well for putting pressure on the administration to make fundamental changes in the way we do global development, to make sure that it is better coordinated, more effective, and works better.

We have a lot of work to do on this front, but this appropriation bill reflects the priority of global development policy, funding it and supporting it, if we are ever to be triumphant in our efforts to stop violent extremist groups and reduce instability throughout the globe.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment, and I thank Congressman Reichert for offering it.

These are two critical programs. And I thank the committee, as well, for their excellent work in reauthorizing these programs, the SBIR and the STTR programs, which are designed to help small businesses with innovative products get access to help from the Small Business Administration to promote those products, and in particular, to emphasize help for veteran-owned businesses, small businesses, minorities, and underrepresented areas.

I applaud Mr. Reichert for offering this amendment as we reach out to those people and try to make them aware of this program, which has been a significant challenge, as Mr. Reichert outlined, of people being aware of the opportunities that are there. It makes a great deal of sense to those same veterans, minorities, and underrepresented areas to do that outreach. I think this is a well thought-out amendment that will help enormously in making sure those people get access to these critical programs.

As Mr. Reichert mentioned, there are a large number of veterans coming back from fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan who are looking for these opportunities. This amendment will help make sure that our veterans get that help that they need to find those opportunities that are there.

And this will also be a huge boon to our economy. There are a lot of great ideas amongst these groups. If we can take those ideas, turn them into businesses and turn them into jobs, we all benefit from it, while at the same time helping our veterans who so richly deserve our help.

This is an important amendment that will help facilitate access by veteran-owned and other underrepresented businesses to the SBIR and STTR programs that we are discussing today.

As was already explained by my colleague, this amendment ensures that the outreach to underserved areas and underrepresented small businesses called for in this legislation will be conducted by organizations that include those which serve underrepresented States, regions, and businesses owned by women, persons of minority status, or service- disabled veterans.

As my district is home to many veterans who have gone on to start small businesses, and with many who will soon return home from service abroad and look to start businesses of their own, I am proud to offer this amendment with my colleague, Mr. Reichert. This amendment will help to ensure that there are avenues available to those veterans and other underrepresented small business owners that would benefit from the assistance offered by the SBA.

I ask that my colleagues support this amendment.

I rise in support of the National Defense Authorization Act and to discuss briefly the portions of the bill contained under the subcommittee that I chair on Terrorism and Unconventional Threats and Capabilities. And I want to begin by thanking Ranking Member Miller from the great State of Florida for his support for this bill. We work in true bipartisan fashion on the subcommittee, following the lead of our able chairman, who does the same with the full committee, and I think, in large part as a result of that, we produce a very good product.

I also want to thank the chairman for his overall leadership on the committee in putting together this mark. It places the priorities exactly where they belong, first and foremost, on our troops and their families, giving them the support they need to continue to fight and defend our country.

In program after program, you can see the priority that that is put in this bill. I really appreciate the chairman's work on that and, particularly, the 3.4 percent pay raise across the board for our military.

The bill also prioritizes our fight in Afghanistan, the central front now in the war against al Qaeda. It is absolutely clear that the battle over there has a profound impact on the national security of this country. This bill gives our troops over there the resources and equipment they need to fight the fight, to defeat al Qaeda, and to protect us against the violent extremists in that region.

In particular, it also recognizes the battle in Pakistan by funding counterinsurgency efforts there that are so critical not just to success in Pakistan but to success in Afghanistan as well.

On the subcommittee portion of our mark on the Terrorism Subcommittee, we are focused on three main issues: First of all, support for counterterrorism efforts, the fight against al Qaeda, and broader counterinsurgency and counterterrorism efforts across the globe; second, the support for innovative new technologies to give our troops the updated equipment that they need to best fight those fights; and lastly, to protect our homeland against unconventional threats.

All of these areas are focused on irregular warfare, unconventional threats, and the emerging threats that we face. And I want to take just a moment to thank Secretary Gates for his leadership in funding the money necessary, the programs necessary, the troops necessary to fight these fights. He made some bold steps in this bill to move us past a cold war mentality to focus on the threats that are right there before us from al Qaeda and other violent extremist groups. I think that makes an enormous difference.

In particular, in our mark we do everything we can to support our troops with the special operations command. They are the tip of the spear in fighting terrorism, in fighting insurgencies throughout the globe. We are growing their force--in the process of growing their force. It is necessary to fund that growth and fully support their outstanding efforts in protecting us across the globe.

We are very pleased with the operations and always make a high priority funding their efforts. We fully fund all of their unfunded requirements in this mark.

So, with that, Mr. Chairman, I simply again want to compliment Chairman Skelton, Ranking Member McKeon, also Ranking Member McHugh for all of his work on this committee and on this bill and Ranking Member Miller for his support as well. I think we have put together an outstanding bill that will best protect the national security interests of this country.