Floor Statements

Thank you very much, Madam Chair, for yielding me time.

I rise today in strong support of this amendment. Fifteen percent of all drywall contamination cases are in Louisiana. Just imagine, Madam Chair, that after Hurricane Katrina, many of these families had to spend all of their savings in order to repair their home, just to find out now that they replaced their drywall with Chinese contaminated drywall.

I myself have repaired my home twice in the last 4 years, so I know of the inconvenience and the suffering that the people of Louisiana have to undergo in order to get this job done.

With respect to myself, I was fortunate in that my damages were caused by the flooding of Katrina and Gustav. Therefore, my insurance company paid for the repairs in my home.

But for many of these homeowners in Louisiana, their policy does not cover the problems with Chinese drywall. After spending all of their money repairing their homes because of Katrina,

now they have no money whatsoever to spend in order to repair their homes due to the Chinese drywall.

Therefore, I believe that this amendment is extremely important, and I urge that all of my colleagues vote for the passage of this amendment.

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

(Mr. CAO asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, S. 1694, with an identical version in the House, H.R. 3633 and H.R. 3348, is an important bill because it would provide an additional 2 years for public safety officials, first responders, and firefighters to use communications grants. This will help many districts, especially ones like mine, where officials are still replacing and upgrading equipment. Only people who have lived through the horrors such as Katrina realize the importance of this grant.

After Katrina, much of the communications systems in the Second Congressional District and throughout southeast Louisiana were down for a period of several weeks. First responders were trying to save lives and trying to fight crime, while at the same time they were unable to communicate with one another. So, with this grant, it will provide cities such as New Orleans the time to rebuild their emergency operations centers. That includes replacing the building in which they were housed as well as replacing an entire interoperable system. Some emergency personnel are still using radios on loan from FEMA 4 years after the storm because, without an extension, the Public Safety Interoperable Communications Grant Program would have expired next year. My district could not fully take advantage of it.

Other areas in the Gulf Coast and Midwest that were struggling to rebuild after disasters were also having trouble completing or even applying for communications grants because of the short window of the program. It became clear that the need for this program extended beyond those areas when we began to receive calls and letters of support from States like Vermont, Montana, Texas, and California, who all voiced the same concern--they needed more time to use these grants, and they needed Congress' help.

The International Association of Fire Fighters, National Emergency Management Association, and Association of Public Safety Officials all lent their support to this effort. I would like to thank them for helping get this bill up for a vote.

I would also like to thank the staff on the Energy and Commerce Committee for their fast, bipartisan work on getting this bill to the floor, and I would also like to extend my thanks to the gentlewoman from California, Congresswoman Jane Harman, who took the initiative to file H.R. 3633 when there was a slim chance that my own bill, H.R. 3348, would have a chance of passing. So I would like to thank her for her initiative in making sure that this important extension gets passed so that we can help people who need help.

I would also like to thank my colleagues on the floor who have shown the bipartisan support and spirit to support this bill today.

Mr. Speaker, it doesn't seem that I have any other speakers, so I will yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

I would like to thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 177 to raise awareness of the need for crime prevention in communities across the country. The fight to reduce crime remains a top issue for my constituents in the Second Congressional District. Unfortunately, New Orleans, like any other great city in this country, is struggling to fight the issue of violent crime, and this has been the case for 9 straight years.

Last month in New Orleans, an innocent 3-year-old girl was shot following a violent 11-hour stretch that saw 12 people shot and two people fatally wounded. Last week, an unsuspecting man was shot just two blocks away from a New Orleans school, and just this weekend, New Orleans was hit by a spate of eight armed robberies.

That is why we must work to require local and Federal law enforcement agencies to coordinate their efforts in cities like New Orleans. We should provide resources for drug and violent crime sweeps, funding for additional prosecutors, and we should help create a police and court system database to help track and prosecute criminals.

This resolution to designate October 1, 2009-October 3, 2009, as Celebrate Safe Communities Week and October as Crime Prevention Month will be an important step in fighting crime not only in my district but around the country.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to join the national fight against crime and to support House Concurrent Resolution 177.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 761 to commemorate the lives and work of those that were executed by members of the Salvadoran Army on the 20th anniversary of their deaths next month.

On November 16, 1989, members of the Salvadoran Army entered the Universidad Centroamericana Jose Simeon Canas in San Salvador and massacred six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper, and her daughter. This senseless mass murder was incited when the six priests took a stand for social justice and against the oppressive elements in the Salvadoran society, notably the tyrannical military.

Among the victims were Father Ignacio Ellacuria, a rector of the university and an outspoken critic of the Army; Father Ignacio Martin Baro, a prolific writer and an intellectual on the effects of war on the human psyche; Father Segundo Montes, founder of the Human Rights Institute at UCA and a congressional adviser on Salvadoran refugees; Father Amano Lopez, a respected member of the Society of Jesus, gifted counselor, and a pastoral worker; Father Joaquin Lopez y Lopez, director of the Fe y Alegria education program in poor communities; Father Juan Ramon Moreno, a theological scholar and publicist; and Elba Ramos, the Jesuits' housekeeper, who was killed alongside her teenage daughter, Celina, when she wrapped her body around Celina trying to protect her from the shooting.

Having spent 6 years in the Jesuit order studying to become a Jesuit priest, I have a deep appreciation for the sacrifice these people made in pursuit of religious freedom and human rights. These eight martyrs actually inspired me to join the Society of Jesus in 1990 and to carry on their struggle for religious freedom and human rights 19 years later.

Today, the 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States have annually observed the November 16 anniversary of the murdered Jesuits and the two murdered women. This resolution commends those institutions for their solidarity with the UCA and extends sympathies to the families, friends, colleagues, and religious communities of the deceased.

Finally, the measure calls upon the President, the Secretary of State, and other United States Federal agencies to support efforts by the Salvadoran Government and other public, private, and religious organizations to reduce poverty and hunger and to promote educational opportunity, human rights, and the rule of law and social equity for the people of El Salvador.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to honor the lives of these human rights martyrs and support H. Res. 761. And in the words of the Jesuit Fathers, ``ad majoram dei gloriam.''

I thank the gentleman from Arkansas.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 672, calling on the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to release imprisoned bloggers and respect Internet freedom.

It is vital that the United States take a bold stance against the tyranny of the Vietnamese Government and more effectively promote democracy there and throughout the world.

While the Vietnamese Government continues to control and stifle its citizens, this bill lays out very specific goals that will push for freedom of speech in Vietnam. It promotes the actions of the Vietnamese people who desire to have a say in government policy and actions. It will repeal statutes that restrict an individual's Internet usage and calls for the release of all political prisoners who have been incarcerated under the false pretenses of causing unrest and disturbance.

The Vietnamese Government fears these changes and continues to promote backward policies that restrict the Vietnamese people's basic freedoms. In the United States, we have been blessed with these rights. With these gifts comes great responsibility. It is necessary that we advocate on behalf of the Vietnamese citizens who simply hope for a better future.

We, as leaders of the most powerful democracy in the world, must not only pass this resolution, but we also must pass the Vietnam human rights bill. We must put Vietnam back on the CPC list. We must require Vietnam to pay the $3.5 million in restitution that the High Court of American Samoa adjudicated 10 years ago. We must deny Vietnam the GSP status that it so desires until it improves its labor laws.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I ask that the Members of the House support House Resolution 672.

Madam Speaker, in 1620, 102 Pilgrims and a crew of approximately 25 people left England on the Mayflower to escape religious oppression. After an arduous 66-day journey plagued by disease, they landed on the shore of Plymouth and founded this great Nation.

The story of the Mayflower is a symbol of the struggle against religious oppression, and the symbol still resonates in the hearts and minds of the American people today. But this struggle for religious freedom did not end with the Mayflower. The struggle continues today worldwide in countries such as Tibet, China, the Sudan and Vietnam. Two days ago, I had the great honor of speaking to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He encouraged the U.S. Congress to continue speaking out against religious oppression and to stand up and defend the values that founded our great Nation. This is what I'm doing today.

Madam Speaker, the country that I would like to challenge today, and have done many times previously, is Vietnam. Vietnam, for decades, has exemplified religious and human rights oppression. And this image today has not changed. Since receiving its preferred status and being selected a member of the World Trade Organization, Vietnam's record on human rights and religious freedom has gotten worse rather than better. This regression is well documented by Human Rights Watch as well as by the Commission on Religious Freedom.

Madam Speaker, let me briefly outline for you what the Vietnamese Government has done. Ten years ago, the Vietnamese Ministry of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs directly oversaw and operated two state-owned labor companies that were involved in the largest human trafficking case ever prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice. The High Court of American Samoa rendered a judgment against the Vietnamese Government in the amount of $3.5 million, and they have yet to pay.

Recently, the Vietnamese Government assaulted, arrested and imprisoned dozens of Catholics in the Diocese of Vinh for erecting a temporary place of worship on Tam Toa Parish Church that was destroyed during the Vietnam war. They attacked the parishioners of Thai Ha Parish as they were conducting a prayer service. They then arrested and wrongfully prosecuted church members for inciting riot. They imprisoned Father Nguyen Van Ly, put the Venerable Thich Quang Do under house arrest, and forced members of Protestant churches to renounce their faith. They arrested and imprisoned human rights activists such as Le Cong Dinh, Le Thi Cong Nhan, and Nguyen Van Dai for criticizing the government. They forcefully evicted 400 Buddhist monks and nuns from Bat Nha Temple and shut down the monastery without just cause.

These are just a few examples of the outrageous and egregious actions taken by the Vietnamese Government recently in violation of every principle of justice and fairness. If these examples are not sufficient to draw our attention and condemnation, I do not know what will.

Unfortunately for these oppressed people, our world today does not allow them to simply leave their country to establish a country of freedom elsewhere. That is why they need the assistance of a country like ours, the most powerful democratic country in the world, to speak on their behalf.

We must speak loudly by passing the Vietnam Human Rights Bill. The longer we wait, the longer people like Venerable Thich Quang Do, Father Nguyen Van Ly, Mr. Le Cong Dinh and countless others like them will continue to suffer.

Thank you very much for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I stand here today to support this very important legislation to bring awareness to breast cancer. For many women in my district and all over the United States, breast cancer is a life threatening disease. It is therefore imperative that we as a Nation do all we can to work towards a cure.

The national statistics for breast cancer rates are intimidating. It is the leading cause of death in women ages 50-54. Thus, very few families are left untouched by the pain and suffering it causes.

However, thanks to the efforts of the Susan G. Komen Foundation and other breast cancer awareness groups, breast cancer has the highest survival rate of any cancer that afflicts Americans. In fact, there are 2.5 million survivors that owe their lives to these efforts and to the power of early detection.

My home district, the Second Congressional District of Louisiana, has the highest breast cancer mortality rate of any district in the United States and, unfortunately, the lowest early detection rates.

Thanks to recent medical developments, early detection means more treatment options and higher success rates. It literally saves lives.

As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I want to stress the importance of having regular screenings to guarantee early detection and to improve women's chances for survival.

I would also like to acknowledge a woman from Louisiana who's currently struggling with breast cancer, Mrs. Tara Stoulig Monistere.

Mrs. Monistere is a 34-year-old wife and mother who was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer shortly after the birth of her daughter. Her situation is unusually difficult in that breast cancer rarely strikes young women and new mothers with such intensity. Every aspect of her life is compounded with greater stress levels and hardships as a result of this disease.

However, she remains an active member of her community, maintains close relationships with family members, and fights her disease with great faith, bravery, and determination.

Mrs. Monistere's personal struggle with breast cancer is one of countless examples that proves that this disease is too common for women of all ages. Breast cancer attacks a new victim every 2 minutes, and an estimated 3 million women are living with it in the United States today. I urge all women in my district and throughout the country to get tested regularly. Through continued awareness and preemptive action, we will proactively fight this disease and save more lives.

Mr. Speaker, for many immigrant families like mine, the struggle to preserve our culture and heritage and to contribute to the rich cultural fabric of our Nation assumes center stage. We make efforts to ensure, for example, that our children speak their native language and are familiar with their customs and traditions.

One of the tools most often used by immigrant communities is multimedia through which cultural traditions are exhibited and transmitted. In the Vietnamese American community, for example, music and videos produced and distributed throughout the United States have cultivated and instilled in the minds of our children the love and respect for the heritage of their parents and grandparents.

Unfortunately, organizations that produce these cultural expressions are being forced to close their doors due to significant financial losses from copyright infringement both here and abroad. Often, these organizations have lesser means and cannot survive this theft.

Today, I call my upon my colleagues in Congress to join me in tough oversight of the Federal agencies responsible for prosecuting copyright infringement because enforcing these

laws is critical for the survival of our cultural diversity.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 731 to observe National Preparedness Month.

As a representative of a district that is prone to disasters and an original cosponsor of H. Res. 731, I speak on behalf of citizens who realize the significance of personal preparedness.

The second district of Louisiana contains one of the world's largest ports. Thus, security and protection from external threats is important to us.

It is imperative that all citizens are encouraged to prepare themselves and their families for possible emergencies by attaining supply kits, making a family emergency plan, and getting involved in the community in organizations such as Citizen Corps.

Through H. Res. 731, we honor the public servants, government officials, and private citizens who work hard to keep our families secure from disasters and prepared for response to potential acts of terrorism.

We express our appreciation for the commitment of law enforcement and emergency response personnel in supporting the goals and ideals of National Preparedness Month.

I urge my colleagues to vote in support of H. Res. 731.

I thank the gentlewoman from Florida.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 151. Today I urge Congress to demand that China release democratic activist Liu Xiaobo from imprisonment. Liu Xiaobo has inspired millions of people to stare down their government and demand change. For his stance on democracy, he has unjustly been put under house arrest with almost no contact with the outside world.

As the Chinese Government commemorates the 60th anniversary of the Communist Party's rule in China, we remember under Communist domination millions of innocent Chinese citizens were imprisoned and murdered. Liu Xiaobo once wrote that ``the most fundamental principles of democracy are that the people are sovereign and that the people select their own government. I must ask that the United States, as a representative of the free world, stand with the Chinese people and people all over the world in fighting for freedom and the abolition of totalitarian governments in favor of democracy.''

We must resolve to demand that the Chinese Government immediately release Liu Xiaobo and begin making strides toward a true representative democracy.

Madam Speaker, the Office of the President of the United States is higher than the individual who occupies the seat. It is a symbol of freedom, respect and of the enduring values of our Republic.

Like every American, the President has the right to speak freely. In fact, it is his duty to address the American people. So, as I watched the events this past weekend, which suggested that his words would be subversive, controversial or otherwise inappropriate, I was very disappointed. Every American President has had the opportunity to speak to schoolchildren. President Obama is no exception.

The President's address to students this morning promoted students setting high standards, supporting our teachers and principals and reforming our schools. He encouraged students to take advantage of educational opportunities for successful careers and the opportunities to achieve the American Dream.

I ask that we, as Americans, learn to make the distinction between our disagreements with the man in the Oval Office and our history of respecting the office, itself.

Mr. Speaker, August 29, 2009 will mark the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. As I prepare to return to the Second District, I am reflective not so much of the unprecedented damage that wreaked havoc on the innocent but of the power of the human spirit that was so evident in every citizen as they've returned to New Orleans to rebuild their homes and to jump-start their communities.

I, too, lost everything in this storm. My wife and I, like so many others, were forced to start over after losing our home and business.

As Katrina became the byword for our Nation's social ills and failures, many even questioned the logic of rebuilding, but one only has to look around New Orleans and Jefferson Parish today to completely dispute that line of reasoning. New Orleans and Jefferson Parish are reemerging as the productive areas they once were. Tourism is back on the rise, and entrepreneurs are returning to reintroduce commerce and to boost the job market. But there is still much work to do.

The Stafford Act must be redesigned to bring a systemic means of Federal natural disaster assistance for State and local governments to aid citizens, and there must be a fundamental change in FEMA's approach to catastrophic disasters.

Mr. Speaker, how much longer must we tolerate Vietnam's outrageous and continuous violations of its people's religious freedom and human rights? Just over a week ago, the Vietnamese government assaulted, arrested and imprisoned dozens of Catholics in the Diocese of Vinh for erecting a temporary place of worship on Tam Toa Parish Church that was destroyed during the Vietnam War. If this is not sufficiently egregious and reprehensible to draw our attention and condemnation, I do not know what is. However, the sad reality is that this is just one of the many audacious and concerning violations perpetrated by the Vietnamese government since it was removed from the list of Countries of Particular Concern in 2006.

Arrests of religious leaders and political activists, intimidation of worshippers, and collusion in labor trafficking have become a common practice by the Vietnamese government. We cannot continue to tolerate unjust, inhumane and illegal practices. Vietnam must be put back on the CPC list, and I urge the State Department to do so expediently.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3266--the Defense Appropriations Act, 2010:

As requested by me, Rep. Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 3266--the Defense Appropriations Act, 2010, for Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic Office in New Orleans. This is in the ``OP,N'' account in the amount of $7,500,000.--This funding would sustain critical joint Navy/ university information systems research and technology transfer, in partnership with the University of New Orleans and local IT companies recovering from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Funding will update the current operations environment at the SSC/ITC, which is now becoming obsolete and needs to be refreshed with a more up-to-date computer environment. This is a good use of taxpayer dollars because, due to the aging equipment, major failure of one or several components is imminent, putting the Data Center at risk for a catastrophic failure, including loss or damage of millions of dollars in IT equipment.

Madam Speaker, Pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3293--the Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations Act, 2010:

As requested by me, Rep. Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 3293--the Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations Act, 2010 provides for Dillard University, in conjunction with Tulane University and EXCELth. This is in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention account in the amount of $300,000. This funding will go toward developing a new community health center to be located in the Student Union building on the Dillard University campus to enhance community wellness.

As requested by me, Rep. Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 3293--the Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations Act, 2010 provides for PACE Greater New Orleans. This is in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid--Research and Demonstration account in the amount of $500,000. This funding would help expand and develop additional PACE services on the Westbank of Jefferson Parish as well as Monroe and Alexandria to make the non- profit more able to provide the elderly with an alternative to institutionalized care.

As requested by me, Rep. Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 3293--the Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations Act, 2010 provides for City of New Orleans for facilities and equipment associated with the replacement of Methodist Hospital. This is in the Health Resources and Services Administration (Health Facilities and Services) account in the amount of $450,000. This funding would help the City of New Orleans and the Orleans Parish Hospital Service to re-establish acute care hospital services in New Orleans East.

As requested by me, Rep. Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 3293--the Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations Act, 2010 provides for the Mary Queen of Vietnam Community Development Corporation in New Orleans. This is in the Health Resources and Services Administration (Health Facilities and Services) account in the amount of $400,000. This funding would help build a community owned health care center to serve the African- American, Latino, Vietnamese and Non-hispanic White community.

As requested by me, Rep. Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 3293--the Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations Act, 2010 provides for the Xavier University of New Orleans. This is in the Health Resources and Services Administration (Health Facilities and Services) account in the amount of $350,000. This funding will go toward the Xavier University Pharmacy Renovation that will complement the College of Pharmacy building expansion. With the addition and renovation, Xavier's pharmacy facilities will include new state of the art teaching labs, classrooms, lecture rooms, additional teaching and research laboratories, a mock pharmacy skills lab, a drug information center, and a multi-purpose auditorium equipped with the latest technological equipment.

As requested by me, Rep. Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 3293--the Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations Act, 2010 provides for the Tulane University of New Orleans. This is in the Employment and Training Administration (Training & Employment Services) in the amount of $250,000. This funding will go toward the establishment of a Community Health Worker Training Institute as a component of the Tulane/RAND Center for Health and Society in Louisiana. The Institute will serve as a regional resource for training with the mission to improve health and reduce disparities in communities through community health worker education and cost-effective programming and will train 100 CHWs annually to engage in individual- and community-level health efforts including health outreach, patient care management, and health advocacy.