Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the Pence amendment because I am very concerned about the prospect of taxpayer dollars of hardworking families across this country going to fund an institution like Planned Parenthood. We need to look no further than to the comments of Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger to see how controversial this organization is. She said, ``We want fewer and better children, and we cannot make the social life and the world peace we are determined to make with the ill-bred, ill-trained swarms of inferior citizens that you inflict on us.''

Yesterday, while we debated on this amendment in the Rules Committee, my friend and colleague Pete Sessions shared a heartfelt story that deeply touched and inspired me. As many of us know, Pete's son has Down syndrome. He and his wife could have chosen the easy way out by terminating the life of his son while he was still in the womb, but they courageously chose to give his son life, and through this life have instilled and inspired hope in the lives of others. The same profile in courage is reflected in my mother who single-handedly raised eight children in the midst of war and poverty.

With that, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of amendment No. 6 to the appropriations bill. I thank Chairman Olver and Ranking Member Latham for their support and assistance.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment will require the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, also known as Neighborworks, to report to Congress on a quarterly rather than biannual basis on their efforts to mitigate mortgage defaults. Given the current concerns over the state of the housing and financial markets and the outlay of taxpayer dollars, it is imperative that we pass this amendment to strengthen congressional oversight of this agency.

I'm not criticizing the good work that Neighborworks has done. In fact, I appreciate their service to several projects in my district, including a soft-second mortgage program and the Hoops for Homes partnership with the New Orleans Hornets. However, given the size of the corporation and the scope of its financial work, Neighborworks should report to Congress more frequently to help us understand and facilitate its efforts. The Constitution allows Congress to delegate its ``power of the purse'' as it

pleases. However, we must do so with care and deliberation, no matter how well-meaning the project. Congress needs to be balanced in its commitment to repairing the housing market. Just as we are keeping close watch over the expenditure of taxpayer funds in bailout money, we need to keep the same watch over other Federal programs.

I encourage a ``yes'' vote on this amendment.

I reserve my time.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Offered By: Mr. Cao

Amendment No. 5: Page 44, line 4, after the dollar amount,

insert ``(reduced by $17,000,000)''.

Page 47, line 5, after the dollar amount, insert

``(increased by $17,000,000)''.

Offered By: Mr. Cao

Amendment No. 6: Page 84, line 17, after the dollar amount,

insert ``(increased by $30,000,000)''.

Page 94, line 8, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced

by $16,000,000)''.

Page 94, line 9, after the dollar amount, insert ``(reduced

by $16,000,000)''.

Page 102, line 7, after the first dollar amount, insert

``(reduced by $14,000,000)''.

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. 3288--the Department of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act, 2010:

As requested by me, Rep. Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 3288--the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Act, 2010, provides for the Master Planning of Interstate-10. This is the Delta Region Transportation Development Program account in the amount of $400,000. This funding will go toward the Master Plan to widen and elevate the interstate in New Orleans' urban areas.

As requested by me, Rep. Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 3288--the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Act, 2010, provides for the building of the Almonaster Bridge. This is the Surface Transportation Priorities account in the amount of $400,000. This funding would go to the construction of a new bridge over the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal. This is one of the most critical intermodal improvements in the New Orleans region with true national significance as this bridge is part of the Southern Rail Gateway.

As requested by me, Rep. Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 3288--the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Act, 2010, provides for the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority. This is the Neighborhood Initiatives account in the amount of $750,000. This funding would go to the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority to rehabilitate vacant and uninhabitable multi-family housing complexes.

Mr. Speaker, the present unemployment rate in the United States is 9.5 percent and climbing, and the American people are hurting. Our economic downturn is a challenge that will require prompt bipartisan action.

As Congress moves forward with the national debate on the economy, it is imperative that we detract from illogical partisan bickering and avoid the empty political posturing that got us into this mess in the first place.

The American people have real problems, and they want real solutions that require less talk and more action.

I represent a district that is over 60 percent African American, and I have seen firsthand how this economic slump has disproportionately hurt minorities more than any other group in the United States. Among African Americans, the rate of unemployment and uninsured workers is highest.

While there are a number of options for getting our economy back on track, it is important to remember that our

Nation's proudest achievements have developed with a bipartisan, solutions-oriented consensus.

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. 2892--the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2010:

As requested by me, Rep. Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 2892--the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2010, provides for the City of New Orleans Emergency Medical Services (``EMS''), New Orleans, LA in support of an Emergency Operations Center. This is in the FEMA--State and Local Programs--Emergency Operations Center Account in the amount of $750,000. This will benefit the City of New Orleans, 1300 Perdido Street, Suite 4W07, New Orleans, LA 70112 in the form of upgrades and retrofitting of a new permanent Emergency Operations Center for the city's sole 9-1-1 emergency medical service provider. This funding will help secure and store equipment and medication, and provide a training center and base of operations for the emergency medical services. Currently, Emergency Medical Services are operating from a pairing of FEMA trailers staged underneath the Crescent City Connection overpass. Moving to the new facility on City Park Avenue and making the proposed changes to the facility will provide for the critical operational needs. Having a secure medication and equipment storage area, training areas, and a protected emergency operations center will help the department serve the citizens of New Orleans and better secure the city.

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. 3183--Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010:

As requested by me, Representative Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 3183-- Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 funding for the Global Green New Orleans-Holy Cross project. This is in the Department of Energy EERE account in the amount of $550,000. The funding will go towards construction of and LEED Platinum standards for 5 single-family homes, an 18-unit apartment building, and a Community Development/Sustainable Design and Climate Action Center.

As requested by me, Representative Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 3183-- Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 funding for the Clean Power Energy Research Consortium (CPERC). This is in the Department of Energy Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability account in the amount of $1,000,000. CPERC will use these funds to address critical scientific and engineering issues in clean power and energy generation to develop technologies to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gases emissions in the U.S. This is a joint venture between UNO, Louisiana State University, LSU, Tulane, Southern University, Nicholls State University, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and the Louisiana State AgCenter.

As requested by me, Representative Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 3183-- Energy and Water

Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 provides for Louisiana Coastal Area Ecosystem Restoration. This is in the Army Corps of Engineers Investigations account in the amount of $20,000,000. The funding will go towards identifying and implementing ecosystem restoration projects to restore and protect coastal Louisiana.

As requested by me, Representative Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 3183-- Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 provides for floor control construction in the Mississippi Delta Region. This is in the Army Corps of Engineers MRT-Construction account in the amount of $2,250,000. The funding for this project will go towards providing protection against a projected flood having a flow of 3,000,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) at the latitude of Old River.

As requested by me, Representative Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 3183-- Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 provides for operations and maintenance funding in the Mississippi River Levees area, specifically within Southeast Louisiana. This is in the Army Corps of Engineers MRT-Operations and Maintenance account in the amount of $8,011,000. The funding will go towards raising, strengthening, and in some cases, extending existing levees to stronger flood protection along the Mississippi River west bank from Black Hawk to Venice, and on the east bank from Baton Rouge to Bohemia, LA.

As requested by me, Representative Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 3183-- Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 provides for operations and maintenance funding for the Gulf Coast Intracoastal Waterway in Louisiana. This is in the Army Corps of Engineers Operation and Maintenance account in the amount of $24,777,000. The funding for this project would go towards the operation and maintenance of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) which crosses through all five states that comprise the Gulf of Mexico.

As requested by me, Representative Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 3183-- Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 provides for operations and maintenance of projects along the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge to the Gulf of Mexico. This is in the Army Corps of Engineers Operation and Maintenance account in the amount of $54,994,000. The funding for this project will go towards the operation and maintenance of the Mississippi River, Baton Rouge to the Gulf of Mexico project which provides a 45-foot deep draft channel between Baton Rouge and the Gulf of Mexico.

As requested by me, Representative Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 3183-- Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 provides for increased hurricane protection along the southeast coast of Louisiana. This is in the Army Corps of Engineers Investigations account in the amount of $1,000,000. The funding will go towards overall efforts to comprehensively address storm damage risk reduction protection, coastal restoration and flood control needs in South Louisiana and would provide a detailed study as part of the LACPR initiatives.

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

Thank you.

Mr. Chair, I submitted an amendment to H.R. 3183, the Energy and Water Appropriations bill, to reduce the amount the time the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has to report to Congress. The purpose of this amendment is to encourage agencies to be good partners in the regulatory process by completing their requirements to report to Congress for oversight in a timely manner.

What is the motivation for this amendment? During the last administration the agency was charged with identifying ways to streamline its licensing and review process. Though the Commission stated in a Legal Times article that it would shorten its review time to 30 months, recently a number of companies have complained of the process taking anywhere from 36 to 42 months. Also in June of 2008 the agency was the subject of a New York Times article on lengthy delays in its processing at Yucca. It cited a lack of funds to complete the process.

In this appropriations bill, the NRC is to provide a report to Congress regarding streamlined issuance of construction for new nuclear reactors. As written, the agency was given 90 days to do so. My amendment would reduce it to 60. The reporting which must be done by the commission requires it to report to the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate, identifying barriers to and its recommendations for streamlining the issuance of a combined construction and operating license for qualified new nuclear reactors.

In order for Congress to conduct proper oversight of this agency and help it improve its function, the NRC must report its findings to Congress in an expeditious manner. As we go through the process of reviewing our energy needs in this country, it is important that we have the information needed to make decisions as quickly as possible. Therefore, I ask the Members of the House to support this amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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. 2997--the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010:

As requested by me, Rep. Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 2997--the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010, provides for Tulane University, New Orleans, LA in support of phytoestrogen research project. This is in the Agricultural Research Account in the amount of $1,426,000. This will benefit Tulane University, 6823 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118 in the form of funding to be used to partner the Tulane/Xavier Center for Bioenvironmental Research (CBR) and the University of Toledo to manipulate phytoestrogen and phyto- antiestrogen levels in soybean seed and soy-based products. This project discovers new effects of natural dietary constituents (phytoestrogens) on health and disease

in human; especially, estrogen-sensitive organs, such as breast, reproductive and cardiovascular systems.

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. 2997--the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010:

As requested by me, Rep. Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 2997--the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010, provides for Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, in support of phytoestrogen research project. This is in the Agricultural Research Account in the amount of $1,426,000. This will benefit Tulane University, 6823 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118, in the form of funding to be used to partner the Tulane/Xavier Center for Bioenvironmental Research (CBR) and the University of Toledo to manipulate phytoestrogen and phyto-antiestrogen levels in soybean seed and soy-based products. This project discovers new effects of natural dietary constituents (phytoestrogens) on health and disease in human; especially, estrogen- sensitive organs, such as breast, reproductive and cardiovascular systems.

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. 2892--the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2010:

As requested by me, Rep. Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 2892--the Department of Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010, provides for the Audubon Institute, New Orleans, LA in support of an Endangered Whooping Crane Propagation Facility. This is in the Fish and Wildlife Service--Resource Management Account in the amount of $500,000. This will benefit the Audubon Nature Institute, P.O. Box 4327, New Orleans, LA 70178 in the form of additional specially-designed whooper breeding pens to hold new crane pairs, increasing Audubon's egg production capacity by 20% and contributing greatly to whooping crane preservation. In addition to benefitting Louisiana, Audubon's success in breeding cranes prompted the USFWS to select Audubon to hold 10 whooping cranes from the captive flock for potential breeding. The project will help preserve an endangered species native to Louisiana and inform similar projects on a national level.

Mr. Speaker, the U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam recently held that the Socialist Republic of Vietnam need not be put back onto the CPC because, based on his views, Vietnam has made sufficient improvement to its human rights policies to warrant exclusion. But recent developments show how wrong the Ambassador is.

Not to mention Vietnam's other numerous human rights violations, just days ago the Vietnam Government arrested Mr. Le Cong Dinh, a prominent lawyer in Vietnam, for openly defending human rights. Vietnam's arrest of Mr. Dinh contradicts its own alleged commitment to internationally accepted criteria on human rights.

Today I call upon the Members of this body to urge Vietnam to release Mr. Dinh immediately and unconditionally, as well as all prisoners in detention, for peacefully expressing their views. His immediate release will be a significant step in affirming Vietnam's intention to respect the rule of law.

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. 2892--the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2010:

As requested by me, Rep. Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 2892--the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2010, provides for the City of New Orleans Emergency Medical Services (``EMS''), New Orleans, LA in support of an Emergency Operations Center. This is in the FEMA--State and Local Programs--Emergency Operations Center Account in the amount of $750,000. This will benefit the City of New Orleans, 1300 Perdido Street, Suite 4W07, New Orleans, LA 70112 in the form of upgrades and retrofitting of a new permanent Emergency Operations Center for the city's sole 9-1-1 emergency medical service provider. This funding will help secure and store equipment and medication, and provide a training center and base of operations for the emergency medical services. Currently, Emergency Medical Services are operating from a pairing of FEMA trailers staged underneath the Crescent City Connection overpass. Moving to the new facility on City Park Avenue and making the proposed changes to the facility will provide for the critical operational needs. Having a secure medication and equipment storage area, training areas, and a protected emergency operations center will help the department serve the citizens of New Orleans and better secure the city.

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. 2487--the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010:

As requested by me, Rep. Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 2487--the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010, provides for the National Marine Fisheries Service, Silver Spring, MD in support of the Shrimp Industry Fishing Effort Research Continuation project. This is in the NOAA-ORF account in the amount of $750,000. This will benefit the Southern Shrimp Alliance. P.O. Box 1577, Tarpon Springs, FL 34688 for funding for data collection to determine shrimp fishery compliance with federal regulations to reduce bycatch and rebuild red snapper. Specifically, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has promulgated regulations to end overfishing and rebuild the Gulf red snapper fishery that require a 74% reduction in shrimp fishing effort to reduce bycatch in red snapper habitat areas. Failure to achieve this effort reduction triggers the closure of the shrimp fishery in these areas. Consequently, the regulations necessitate implementation of a program to closely monitor shrimp fishing effort which is the program funded by this ongoing appropriation. The principal tools used to measure shrimp fishing effort are Electronic Logbooks (ELBs). This funding would support the development, manufacture, and deployment of ELB technology in the US shrimp fleet and the collection and analysis of data generated, performed by a NMFS contractor (LGL Associates). Continued annual funding to further equip the entire active shrimp fleet (about 1200 vessels) is necessary to meet these regulatory requirements requiring 5-6 more years at $1,500,000 per year. The program is able to operate through 2009 with prior year funding that will run out in FY2010, causing termination of the program well before it is fully implemented. This is a good use of taxpayer funding because this research is not only critical to achieving Federal statutory and regulatory fishery conservation requirements, it is crucial to the future survival of the shrimp fishery in all Louisiana coastal parishes and throughout the Gulf. Additionally, this will benefit Wild American Shrimp, Inc. 10 Wharfside Street, Charleston, SC 29401 for a marketing program for domestic warm water shrimp.

Specifically, this marketing program by Wild American Shrimp, Inc. (WASI), is dedicated to securing a sustainable future for the U.S. Gulf and South Atlantic shrimp harvesting and processing industries by developing new products and implementing a quality assurance certification program that assures consumers that they are purchasing a premium product harvested from the wild in American waters. The funding will be used towards a national research and development program for new products, improved quality assurance and certification, and marketing of domestic wild shrimp from the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. This is a good use of taxpayer funding because the domestic warm water shrimp industry remains an important part of coastal communities in these states (especially in Southeastern Louisiana) and the resource is healthy and the fishery is sustainable.

As requested by me, Rep. Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 2487--the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010, provides for Boys Town, Louisiana, New Orleans, LA in support of Expansion of Boys Town Louisiana Projects project. This is in the OJP- JJ account in the amount of $147,000. This project will benefit Boys Town of Louisiana 700 Frenchmen Street, New Orleans, LA 70116 for programs for at-risk youth. Specifically, these funds will be used to continue and expand an integration of the Boys Town Treatment Family Home program and its In-Home Family Services program to serve more at- risk girls and boys (in the juvenile justice system) and their families. It is expected that through these services, youth recidivism of criminal behavior will be greatly reduced as will the need for further out-of-home-placement, including that of a correctional or prison facility. This is a good use of taxpayer funds because these youth will be find alternative outlets to crime and will be more focused on education and other productive activities.

As requested by me, Rep. Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, H.R. 2487--the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010, provides for the New Orleans Crime Coalition/New Orleans Business in New Orleans, LA in support of the New Orleans Crime Coalition. This is in the OJP-JJ account in the amount of $1,500,000. This project will benefit the New Orleans Crime Coalition New Orleans Business Council 1615 Poydras Street, Suite 986 for their comprehensive crime efforts. Specifically, the New Orleans area was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and severely damaged again in 2008 by Hurricane Gustav. Crime-- especially the murder rate--in the city continues to rise, and travelers to and residents of New Orleans are beginning to lose faith in the public safety of the city. For a city that depends on tourism and business travel, this would be devastating to the economy. The requested funding will provide much-needed crime fighting tools, resources, and infrastructure to help the community take back the streets in the struggle for post-Katrina recovery in New Orleans. Specifically, this funding will comprise elements of any or all of the following: additional staff for the New Orleans Police Department; D.A./Prosecutorial support; Juvenile Justice services, including training and day center facilities; additional Drug Court programs; and, additional staff for the Orleans Parish Public Defenders office. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funding because New Orleans is historically, economically, and culturally valuable to the United States, and assuring public safety is critical to maintaining the health of the city.