Floor Statements

As the designee of the gentlewoman from Texas, I have an amendment at the desk.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Chair, I rise today in support of amendment No. 12 to H.R. 5297, the Small Business Lending Fund Act of 2010, and I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

This amendment requires the Secretary of the Treasury to provide consideration, in the allocation of funds, to gulf region States in the areas where businesses and the economy have been adversely affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

I thank the gentlewoman from Texas for her partnership in drafting this amendment and for her consideration for gulf coast communities during our time of crisis.

I would also like to thank the gentleman from Alabama, the ranking member of the Financial Services Committee, for his ongoing assistance and support.

The district that I represent includes Louisiana's Orleans and Jefferson Parishes. In my district and all across the gulf coast, we were still recovering from the devastating storms of 2005 when we were hit with the latest disaster.

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in April presents us with economic, environmental, and health challenges of unprecedented proportions. The shutters have gone down on businesses throughout the gulf region because they simply do not have the short-term or long-term resources to operate. Industries such as fishing and seafood processing, recreational fishing, restaurants, and tourism are all suffering disproportionately.

I have spoken with hundreds of fishermen and oystermen from my district who are no longer able to fish the waters they and their families have fished for generations. Many have spoken of desperation in not knowing how they will provide for their families. Tens of thousands of claims have been filed through BP, and the SBA has made disaster loans available to businesses adversely affected by the oil spill, and they will defer loan payments for 1 year.

These provide only temporary relief, however, and a long-term solution for economic assistance to the gulf region is what is needed now because the last thing we need is more unemployment. Without immediate economic assistance, the very businesses that in 2005 returned to the Orleans and Jefferson Parishes, committed to our recovery, will be forced to leave.

This amendment is a strong step in the right direction to providing desperately needed economic assistance, because it will see that small businesses along the gulf coast receive the credit necessary to keep our businesses alive. At the same time, it will spur new business which will be able to absorb any unavoidable and unfortunate job losses caused by the oil spill.

Again, I urge my colleagues to pass this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, again, I just want to express my gratitude and appreciation to the gentlewoman from Texas. She has been a very strong voice and has been very committed to the gulf coast region and has been committed to helping the many people who are in desperate need. Again, I would like to convey to her my thanks.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico has caused great economic impact to my district. Hundreds of businesses have closed and thousands of people are out of work. The moratorium imposed by the administration potentially can also cost Louisiana thousands of jobs, yet there is a very simple solution to allow the administration the time that it needs to review the safety and to implement procedures for the deep oil industry and at the same time preserve the jobs in Louisiana: Allow the oil companies to do partial drilling; allow them to drill, but do not allow them to tap into the reservoir.

Modern technology allows companies to know exactly where the oil is. What this partial drilling does is preserve the jobs in Louisiana during a time when we need the amount of revenue that the State needs to sustain its economy to help the people to bring about the livelihood.

Mr. Speaker, right after the oil spill, I had the opportunity to fly over the spill at ground zero, and as I flew over the gulf, I saw thousands of square miles of our beautiful waters being covered by this brown sludge and additional thousands of square miles of our beautiful gulf was covered by this oily slick.

I also toured by boat just a couple of weeks ago with the officials of Plaquemines Parish as well as Jefferson Parish, and as I was traveling through Barataria Bay, I saw patches of brown oil infringing on the oyster beds that are so integral to the seafood industry of Louisiana. And as I saw the oil as it encroaches upon the marshes and the wetlands, my heart dropped for the State of Louisiana as well as for the many fishermen and the many small businesses that are impacted by this catastrophe.

I also spent much of my time visiting businesses and talking to small business owners who are being impacted by this oil spill. I visited a seafood open market in Westwego and saw half of the businesses closed, and the parking lot remained empty. And I spoke to the business owners, and they informed me that their business has declined by more than half since the oil spill. And instead of being open for 5 days out of the week, 6 days out of the week, they are only open now 2 days out of the week.

So we see that the oil spill has had a devastating impact on the many people of the gulf coast and the many small businesses of the people of my district. Therefore, I believe that it is integral that we allow the money from the trust fund to be transferred to allow the Coast Guard the necessary resources to address the cleaning up of this oil spill.

We saw an absence of Federal Government post-Katrina. We saw how thousands of people struggled post-Katrina because of the absence of government, and I do not want the same problem to occur here with respect to this disaster caused by this oil spill. Therefore, I ask all of the Members to support this position.

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my amendment to H.R. 5072, the FHA Reform Act of 2010. The bill we are considering today is a much-needed piece of legislation to help bolster the Federal Housing Administration and help prevent another housing crisis.

As someone from a district that is both in recovery and one with incredible housing needs, I especially appreciate this bill. I congratulate Chairman Frank and Ranking Member Bachus for bringing this important legislation to the floor.

I think the portion of the bill which provides information about loan modification and housing counseling to a mortgager at risk of early default is important. The amendment that I propose slightly expands this requirement by including language that includes credit risk and financial management counseling information.

I know that many times, especially in the current economic downturn, people headed for foreclosure have many other debt issues. Low- and middle-income families, those most likely to have FHA loans, often don't know that there is counseling available to help them understand the credit risk associated with foreclosure and loan modification. Many do not have the skills to manage this risk. They don't know that there is often free or low-cost financial management information available to them for help. That is why I have drafted the additional language to help these families get information about the full range of services available to them. This is good policy from which any constituent in my district can benefit.

This is about giving people the information they need to be successful. As policymakers, we should not only aim to preserve homeownership but to encourage responsible homeownership. By empowering people, we are taking a proactive stance towards aborting another financial crisis.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, the greatest environmental disaster in history is unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico. The oil spill has damaged the shoreline of the gulf coast and my home State of Louisiana.

Each day I receive from the State this report listing the affected shoreline. I have visited many of the places, and to Louisianans and my family, it reads like a list of old friends.

You can't really understand the impact of this disaster until you hear the names associated with the 103 miles of Louisiana shoreline that already have been affected.

This includes the Chandeleur Island, Breton Island, South Pass, South West Pass, Whiskey Island, Trinity Island, East Island, Raccoon Island, Port Fourchon, Grand Isle, Elmer's Island, Brush Island, Pass a Loutre, Marsh Island, Timbalier Islands, Lake Raccourci, Pilot Bayou, Isle Grande Terre, Devil's Bay, Lake Felicity, Cheniere au Tigre, Pilot Bay, Timbalier Bay, Bay Ronquille, Casse Tete, Vermillion Bay, Bay Batiste, Bay Long, Lake Barre, Blind Bay, Calumet Island, Barataria Bay, Bastian Island Grande Ecaille, Wilkinson Bay Marsh.

This disaster is bigger than anything we have ever seen before. I call upon my colleagues and the Nation to maintain our attention on swift response and recovery and to hold the responsible parties accountable.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1347. This resolution honors the workers who perished on the Deepwater Horizon offshore oil platform off the coast of Louisiana and extends our sincerest condolences to those families. It also recognizes the valiant efforts of emergency response workers and volunteers at the disaster site.

I commend my colleague and friend, Congressman Melancon, for bringing this important piece of legislation before the House, and I extend my appreciation to him and to the rest of our colleagues in the Louisiana congressional delegation for working together to address this disaster.

Mr. Speaker, I have come to the House floor a number of times since April 20 speaking of the ongoing impact of this tragedy on the gulf coast. Today, though, I wish to focus this body's entire attention on those whose lives were lost on that day and those who continue to respond to the crisis.

As I listen to my colleagues speak in support of this resolution, my heart is heavy. As with their families and friends, I mourn the loss of those who died aboard the oil platform. On that tragic day, the 11 men--Jason, Aaron, Donald, Stephen, Roy, Karl, Gordon, Blair, Dewey, Shane, and Adam--were on the rig doing what they knew best. The demands of working the rigs, as anyone who lives along the gulf coast knows, are great. It is physically demanding work, and it takes loved ones away from their families for long stretches at a time.

Our coastline is a working coastline because we are blessed with an abundance of natural resources in the Gulf of Mexico. From fishermen to those working the rigs, each day you can find thousands on the waters laboring to produce these resources and to contribute to the industry and economy of this Nation.

On April 20, the 11 men were working to provide the energy that has driven this Nation for centuries and that continues to be a force in the economy of my home State of Louisiana. This is dangerous work, and it is our responsibility to ensure that safety precautions are taken and that procedures are strictly followed.

The explosion is being investigated by various parties, including congressional committees, and it is our responsibility to ensure the findings are swiftly addressed with new policies to strengthen safety procedures for those working in dangerous and uncertain conditions. You have my word this will be done.

In times of tragedy, this Nation has come together as one, and this is especially the case for those along the gulf coast. I wish to recognize the extraordinary work of the thousands of volunteers and emergency personnel, from the Red Cross to the U.S. Coast Guard, whose unhesitating response to the call of need thus represents the compassion and dedication of this great Nation.

To the families of the 11 who perished, I realize that nothing my colleagues nor I here today can say will return your sons, husbands, and brothers to you, but it is my hope that the gratitude and respect we express on behalf of the citizens of this great Nation will provide some comfort to you while you grieve your loss.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 1347.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my distinguished colleague and friend from Louisiana (Mr. Alexander).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my distinguished colleague from the State of Louisiana (Mr. Scalise).

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1073, supporting the goals and ideals of RV Centennial Celebration Month, to recognize and honor 100 years of enjoyment of recreational vehicles in the United States.

Since 1910, when the first mass-produced, manufactured, motorized campers appeared, people in recreational vehicles still set out to see the country and to enjoy the life of the open road. RVs have steadily gained popularity over the past 100 years. Today, over 30 million recreational vehicle enthusiasts enjoy this pleasant way to vacation. Recreational vehicles offer a way for families to experience all kinds of outdoor activities, especially in our national parks, lakes and oceans. Hundreds of thousands of Americans benefit from this industry, including recreational vehicle manufacturers, dealers and RV campground employees across the United States.

It is the freedom to share the excitement of exploring historical landmarks, of attending sporting events, and of engaging in family camping that explains the appeal of an RV for so many of our citizens.

On June 7, 2010, we will have the opportunity to celebrate the introduction of the recreational vehicle in the United States in Elkhart, Indiana, where the RV/MH Hall of Fame resides. This centennial is found to be a nostalgic celebration of the freedom and enjoyment that RVs have brought to so many Americans in the last 100 years. I support the passage of this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I just want to let the gentleman from Indiana know that I grew up in Goshen, Indiana, which is about 20 miles from Elkhart; so I know how important the RV industry is to that area.

Mr. Speaker, with that being said, I would like to ask that all RV owners please spend some time and drive down to Louisiana, especially to New Orleans. We have the best restaurants in the world, the best seafood, and our culture is unequaled.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1316, celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. I commend the gentleman from California (Mr. Honda) for introducing this legislation, of which I am a proud cosponsor.

The month of May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. During this time, we celebrate the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to their communities and to this Nation. As we do, we also must pause to recognize the struggles they have faced and continue to face.

Today, we face a crisis in our community. Right now along the gulf coast, Asian Americans in particular are struggling because of the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This economic, environmental, and health disaster is disproportionately affecting those who rely upon the resources of our coastal waters for their livelihoods. Many of those affected are Vietnamese American fishermen living in Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, and my home State of Louisiana. While they are struggling, I know one thing for sure: they will persevere and overcome the effects of this catastrophe, relying upon the perseverance and the strength of family that runs throughout Asian American communities.

We have seen Asian American communities forced to start over to begin a new life, and I would like to use my family as an example. My mother and father were born in North Vietnam. In 1945, when the Communists took over North Vietnam, my family lost everything. They were forced to leave their home, their families, and their possessions to escape the Communists. They migrated to South Vietnam, where they started over.

After many years of struggle and much hard work, again they lost everything they possessed, even their children, when, in the spring of 1975, the Communist forces took over South Vietnam. My father then spent 7 years in Vietnamese re-education camps, during which time my mother single-handedly cared for my father, my brother, and my five sisters.

Once again, in 1991, they left everything they owned to come to the United States to begin a new life. Tragically, that new beginning, once again, was taken from them by the destruction of Hurricane Katrina; but they, like many who were in the same position, are survivors and they continue to thrive.

My family is but only one example of the thousands of Asian American families that have faced and overcome struggles with dignity and bravery. This just gives you a glimpse of the resiliency and the strength that is inherent in the Asian American culture, allowing those like my family to survive, just as those along the gulf coast will.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be a Vietnamese American representing the wonderfully diverse constituency in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes in the U.S. Congress, and I am proud to be associated with this important resolution honoring Asian Americans.

I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution as a tribute to the accomplishments of Asian Americans everywhere.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

H.R. 5128 would designate the Department of the Interior Building in Washington, DC, as the Stewart Lee Udall Department of the Interior Building. Stewart Udall had a long history of service to our country. He served as a gunner in the Army Air Corps during World War II and later was elected to Congress as a Representative from Arizona.

In 1961, he was appointed as Secretary of the Interior, serving during both the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. While Secretary of the Interior, he was a tireless advocate for the environment and the protection of National Park lands.

Secretary Udall was the driving force behind the passage of the Wilderness Act, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act, and the expansion and protection of our National Park system. Stewart Udall demonstrated a strong commitment to public service. It is only fitting that the Interior building be named after someone who demonstrated such a commitment to our Nation's natural resources.

As we honor Secretary Udall's service, we must be mindful of the threats that continue to menace our Nation's natural resources. Even as we speak, a rapidly spreading oil slick threatens hundreds of miles of coastline and thousands upon thousands of acres of wetlands in my home State, Louisiana, and throughout the gulf coast. The slick has already dealt a devastating blow to thousands of those whose livelihoods depend upon the protection of our natural resources.

Throughout the gulf coast, fishermen and avid environmentalists are suffering and will continue to suffer for years to come. They have lost more than a few days of fishing. This affects their livelihoods and their way of life. Fishing fleets are idle. Fishermen are without work. Some, in their despair, have told me they've contemplated suicide.

The extent of the damage will not be known for some time, but already I have seen the ravages of this economic and environmental disaster, the effects of which will linger for years.

Secretary Udall understood, indeed, he foresaw, that we would need to manage our natural resources carefully to avert just this type of disaster. Here today in 2010 we are facing one of the worst environmental disasters in history, and we have to ensure that ongoing stewardship of all of our natural resources remains a priority.

While the Coast Guard and countless volunteers burn, skim, and lay miles of boom to mitigate this disaster, we have a unique opportunity to revisit Mr. Udall's legacy of stewardship.

I urge this Congress to go beyond honoring his memory today by paying tribute to what he stood for by taking a proactive approach to ensuring all our natural resources be safeguarded appropriately.

Secretary Udall understood that our happiness and prosperity as a Nation depend upon our wise stewardship of our natural resources. His vision should serve as an example not only to his successors at the Department of the Interior but to all Americans. I support passage of this legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield back my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my, I guess my gratitude and appreciation for the Asian Pacific Islanders Heritage Month, which is this month. And I say that on behalf of the Asian Americans, especially Vietnamese Americans who are struggling right now in the City of New Orleans, as well as in the other Gulf States, because of the oil spill.

Many of the fishermen who are impacted by the oil spills are Vietnamese Americans living in Texas, living in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. And even though they are struggling, even though they are having a hard time, I know one thing for sure: It's that they will survive and that they will be able to overcome the difficulties and the sufferings that this oil spill is causing to them and their families.

The reason why I am so positive that they will overcome this problem, this disaster, is because of the culture, is because of the family unity, is because of the strength that is inherent within the Asian culture. If we were to reflect on Asians, at least for me, on the Vietnamese history, we see that many Asian American communities, especially the Vietnamese communities, had to start over and to begin many times in our recent history.

I just want to use my family as an example. My father and mother were born in North Vietnam. And in 1954, when the communists took over North Vietnam, they lost everything. They left their family, they left their possessions to escape the communist north and migrated down to South Vietnam to start their lives over.

After many years of struggle, after many years of hard work, they again lost everything that they possessed, even their children, in the spring of 1975 when the communist forces took over South Vietnam.

My father spent 7 years in the Vietnamese reeducation camps. My mother during that time had to care for my five sisters along with her husband, who was in the camp, and also a younger brother, who was also in the reeducation camp. And then they left everything again in 1991 to come over to the

United States to start everything over again here. And in 2005, they lost everything again because of Hurricane Katrina.

So just to tell you the history of my own family and the ability of the Vietnamese Americans to survive through all of these struggles, through all of these sufferings. And my family is not unique. My family is only an example of the thousands of Vietnamese American families who have endured the same struggles, who have endured the same sufferings through the brief history that I just outlined. And it just tells you of the resiliency, of the strength that is inherent in the Asian American culture that allows the people like my family to survive, that allows the fishermen along the Gulf Coast to survive, that allows them to excel and to thrive.

So I am here on behalf of the many Asian Americans in the United States to declare that I am proud to be an Asian American, that I am proud to be a Vietnamese American representing my people in the U.S. Congress.

Mr. Speaker, for the past several weeks, the eyes of the world have been directed to the oil spill in the gulf coast. People have been watching, hoping, and wondering:

How many lives will it claim? How many thousands of barrels of oil will it leak? How many years will it set back our efforts to rebuild our delicate coastal wetlands? How many livelihoods of fishermen and longshoremen will it destroy?

The Federal Government's response this time, fortunately, has been swift. As I told Secretaries Napolitano and Salazar as we flew over the affected area this weekend, we are grateful for the care, concern, and compassion they are showing the gulf coast.

Yet we in Congress must also perform our role by being vigilant and by focusing on providing immediate assistance with the containment-- with cleanup initiatives that will ensure the accountability of those at fault and with the acceleration of Louisiana's oil and gas revenue- sharing, which, without legislative changes, will not allow Louisiana to receive money to rebuild our coastal wetlands until 2017.

Louisiana has taken up the call to address the country's energy needs. It is time this country heeds the call of Louisiana for the money to restore our coast.

Mr. Speaker, I am disappointed that the President's budget proposal for fiscal year 2011 recommends canceling NASA's Constellation Space Program. In agreement with Neil Armstrong, I am very concerned this proposal will leave our Nation with no means of transporting our astronauts to and from the International Space Station and could set the U.S. space program back decades.

To this day, we enjoy countless practical benefits from Apollo technology in things that affect our everyday lives, such as improved weather forecasting, which is vitally important to those of us who live in Louisiana and on the gulf coast.

The Michoud Assembly Facility in my district was slated to build components of the Constellation Program. Michoud now faces the prospect of losing thousands of high-skilled jobs. This world-class manufacturing facility has been used to build the Saturn rockets for Apollo and the main fuel tanks for the Space Shuttle, among other notable achievements. If the President's proposal is adopted, we will lose all that experience and manufacturing know-how, along with 9 billion tax dollars already spent developing the Constellation Program.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of the American Red Cross. Since its founding in 1881 by Clara Barton, the American Red Cross has provided assistance and comfort to communities where disaster has struck.

Every year, at home and abroad, one in five Americans is in some way touched by the Red Cross. My district, which includes New Orleans, was one of the hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina.

The American Red Cross' response was immediate and 20 times bigger than any previous response effort. While they provided sheltering, hot meals, and assistance in purchasing essential items such as food and clothing, they also provided something much greater: compassion, promise, and hope. And, for that I am extremely grateful.

In addition to responding to disasters, the Red Cross also helps prepare individuals to lead safe and healthy lives by offering babysitting, safety, and CPR classes and coordinating blood donations.

Madam Speaker, whether it is an earthquake or a single family home fire, a call for blood or a call for help, the American Red Cross will be there.

I ask that my colleagues join me in applauding the dedication and efforts of the American Red Cross staff and volunteers and in celebrating March as American Red Cross Month.

Madam Speaker, I understand that we need health care reform. I have a younger brother who has a kidney disease that put him on dialysis at the young age of 30 and forced him to have a kidney transplant. I have a father who is also on dialysis and struggling to survive. I have a younger sister who has been fighting lupus for over a decade. I also saw how my sister struggled and fought the insurance companies for coverage.

I understand the crushing costs of health care. I understand that we have to fight the insurance companies. But I also understand that abortion is wrong. Last week, I called my brother and apologized to him and told him that I cannot support the Senate health care bill. He told me that he understands, and I thank him for it.

Tomorrow will be a sad day for me as I cast a ``no'' vote against something I believe we need to prevent: The expansion of abortion, an absolute moral evil.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to an important issue that, if left uncorrected, will affect the lives of many Louisianans. The issue is Louisiana's Federal Medical Assistance Percentage, or FMAP.

FMAP is the percentage by which the Federal Government reimburses a State for Medicaid expenses and is calculated using per capita income. In Louisiana, we face a massive drop in our FMAP because relief and recovery dollars that flowed into the State after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita artificially inflated our per capita income.

Senator Mary Landrieu was successful in including a provision in the Senate health care bill similar to H.R. 4047, which I introduced last year, to address the FMAP situation in Louisiana. Some have disparagingly referred to her provision as the Louisiana purchase. This is unfortunate, because Senator Mary Landrieu is doing what is right for Louisiana and other States similarly situated. I may have some serious concerns about provisions of the Senate health care bill, but this is not one of them.

I applaud the Senator and her persistence and President Obama for his support of this provision because it is necessary for the State, for the gulf region, and for other States that may face FMAP predicaments like Louisiana.