Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I stand in support of H.R. 3402, the reauthorization of the Department of Justice. I applaud the authors of the Violence Against Women Act for addressing the far reaching problems associated with domestic abuse. I urge my colleagues to join with me in support of this legislation.

Domestic violence is a tragedy. It affects far too many women all over America.

Earlier this year, a body was found in my district in Cherry Hill that was thought to be the body of a woman who had been reported missing. She had left for her job in Towson that morning but never arrived at work. She had not made contact with friends or relatives, and after her boyfriend led police to the body it was decided to keep him in custody. This kind of tragedy needs to stop.

There is no profile for being a battered woman. Any woman is at risk of being abused. The highest risk factor is simply being born a woman.

Victims may experience many different forms of abuse. They include physical harm as well as mental dangers that are just as damaging. Both physical and mental abuse destroy self-esteem and independence and cause damage which cannot be undone. Many women lack the courage or ability to leave abusive relationships and even more frightening is that abuses nearly always escalate in frequency and degree over time.

Children witnessing domestic abuse also suffer. Children who live in an abusive home may become withdrawn, anxious, depressed, confused and angry. They also are at risk for learning dangerous behavior and continuing in an abusive cycle.

The Violence Against Women Act was originally passed in 1994. It made huge progress in the way domestic violence was viewed. Since 1994 the VAWA has provided resources and protections for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The VAWA has saved lives and helped millions of victims find safety, security and self-sufficiency.

The VAWA was reauthorized in 2000. Since that time over $14 billion dollars in social costs, prevented medical and mental health care and enforcement costs have been saved.

The VAWA provides practical solutions for criminal justice and legal systems. It develops standards for protecting the confidentiality of victims, and allows for the enforcement of protective orders across state lines.

We must take this critical step in preventing and addressing abuse. We must solve the problem of domestic violence. I fully support the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.

Mr. Speaker, on September 28, 2005 I was unavoidably detained dealing with district issues.

If I were present, on rollcall votes 499 through 500 I would have voted in the following manner:

On rollcall vote 499 I would have voted ``no'' on agreeing to the Sensenbrenner Amendment to H.R. 3402, Justice Department Authorization.

On rollcall vote 500 I would have voted ``yes'' on the Motion to Recommit for H.R. 3402, Justice Department Authorization Repression.

On rollcall vote 501 I would have voted ``yes'' on Final Passage for H.R. 3402, Justice Department Authorization.

Mr. Speaker, William and Margurite Addison are a wonderful couple who have provided a permanent home for five children who were part of the State foster care system. Although the Addisons had thought their childrearing years were finished when their own biological children had become young adults (Ms. Addison has four biological children, ranging in age from 34 to 41, and Mr. Addison has two birth children, ages 29 and 35), they opened their home to one of Mr. Addison's nephews, Ralph, (now age 17) in 1992. The Addisons became approved foster parents for Ralph in 1994 and subsequently decided to open their home to non-relative foster children when they realized how many children were in desperate need of out-of-home care.

In 1998, the Addisons were approved as an adoptive resource for Ralph and their adoption was subsequently finalized that year. However, that was only the first of what ultimately became five adoptions. In 1999, Malik (now age 9) was adopted, Kevin (now age 3), was adopted in 2000, Warren (now age 6) was adopted in 2003, and Bryleigh (now age 3) was adopted in 2004. Except for Ralph, each of these children had come to the Addison home via the foster care system as drug-exposed infants (none of them are related). In addition, Warren suffers from sickle- cell anemia, as well as emotional/behavioral difficulties. Ralph has received special education services in school and it is likely Warren will also need a special school setting.

Mr. Addison is an educator and administrator at the Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents (RICA), which is a State-run facility for emotionally handicapped youngsters. In addition, he has facilitated anger management groups at the House of Ruth (a shelter for victims of domestic violence) or men who have a history of domestic violence.

Ms. Addison was a former truant officer for the public school system and has been active in supporting other adoptive families by developing an adoption support group for families that have adopted through the Baltimore City Department of Social Services. Although the support group is no longer active, she continues to support approved prospective adoptive families who are currently waiting to be matched with a child who needs a home.

Mr. Chairman, for almost 40 years, Head Start has assisted low-income preschool children and their families. It has been an invaluable resource to many children and families across our country.

I am pleased to rise to join with my colleagues about the future of Head Start. As Congressman and a former County Executive, education is one of my top priorities. In particular, Head Start programs are essential to so many children's futures, for research shows that early learning is a fundamental piece of a child's education.

I have long held a firm belief in the importance of education and have often spoke of our nation's need to ensure that, even at the earliest stages our children have access to programs and services that will enrich their education and lives.

Last year, Head Start helped 912,000 three, four, and five year olds build a solid foundation so they are ready to tackle reading and math in kindergarten. Head Start allows children to be ready to succeed in school and in life. Giving them that extra boost that they need will allow them to be productive citizens.

Head Start also provides the youngsters and their families with a comprehensive list of support services--from health screenings to nutritional advice to parent counseling.

I stand behind this program because I have seen first hand how Head Start helps the entire family grow and succeed together.

Head Start is a good start for America's future.

Mr. Speaker, It is my honor to rise today to call special attention to the United States Coast Guard and in particular the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore.

I have always said that I considered the U.S. Coast Guard to be America's secret weapon. After their heroic efforts played before us in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, I believe the secret is out. For over two hundred years, our nation's Coast Guard has patrolled and protected our coast lines, which today totals over 95,000 miles. Fulfilling incredible missions including maritime security, search and rescue, drug interdiction, search and rescue, and recreational boater safety, all Americans are indebted to our Coasties for their dedication and service each and every day.

And for over a century, Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore has served as the backbone of the Coast Guard providing its primary shipbuilding and major repair facility.

I am proud to represent the Yard and the admirable people who work there. Their commitment to the quality of work, excellence, vision and ingenuity makes this Yard an invaluable asset to the Coast Guard. Ship building and repairs require special individuals with highly specialized skills. This is a vanishing art form, particularly for a working Yard and workers that continually live up to the motto of ``Service to the Fleet.''

For budgetary reasons, the Coast Guard and Yard are planning to cut 50 full time employee positions from the Yard. While I understand our difficult economic times, I am concerned that such a decision would be made when we are fighting a war on terrorism both here at home and abroad. There should be no doubt about the abilities and capabilities of the Coast Guard, and the personnel at the Yard are a vital link in that chain.

This week we will consider H.R. 889, the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2005. I offered an amendment to this legislation that would have restored $9 million in funding to the Coast Guard Yard FY06 Budget to safeguard those highly specialized jobs. I am concerned that the loss of these skills in the Yard will not only harm my district and the local economy, but it will have a negative impact on the Coast Guard's ability to fulfill its missions in the future. Shipbuilders are not a dime a dozen and you cannot simply call your local temp agency for a new one. These are skills that require apprenticeships and work over years to master. When these jobs leave the area, I worry if we will be able to get them back should we need them at a future date.

Now is not the time to cut corners and jobs in this specialized workforce. Now is the time when we should fully fund the needs of the Coast Guard including the Yard to help them do their jobs and protect Americans.

The Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore has played an enormous role in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Reservists have provided port security in the Persian Gulf, allowing our troops and humanitarian aid to move in safely. They've been involved in telecommunications, boarding operations and search and rescue. The Yard also answered an urgent request from the U.S. Army and Marine Corps to quickly repair over a dozen old style bridge erection boats. These boats were refurbished and shipped to Iraq, allowing bridges to be built over the inland rivers permitting the transportation of personnel and supplies.

I am so proud of the work that has been accomplished at the Yard and the contributions that have been made. It is vitally important that we give them the tools and the money that they need to operate effectively and efficiently. I regret that the House Committee on Rules failed to make my amendment in order to restore this critical funding and I would hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will join me in this fight in the future to correct this mistake.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Army Specialist Toccara Renee Green.

Toccara Green served in the Army's 57th Transportation Company, 584th Corps Support Battalion, headquartered at Fort Drum, NY. A talented and dedicated soldier, Specialist Green began her commitment to the U.S. Armed Forces at an early age. While a student at Forest Park Senior High School, Specialist Green spent four years in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps, where she was promoted to executive officer.

After her first year at Norfolk State University, Specialist Green decided to expedite her dream of serving in the Armed forces and enlisted in the Army. She served for nine months in Kuwait before beginning her first tour of Iraq as a motor and transport operator. Specialist Green was four months from completion of her second tour of Iraq when she was killed by a roadside bomb that detonated near her convoy in Al Asad on August 14, 2005.

Through her honor and service, Specialist Green dedicated her life to fighting for liberty so that others might taste the freedom that democracy brings. It is these ideals that America most cherishes, and that Specialist Green herself advanced.

Specialist Green's determination, enthusiasm, and ability to inspire others will be remembered by all who were privileged to know her. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring Specialist Green and the incredible sacrifice she made for her country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join all Americans in expressing our great sorrow for those who have lost loved ones in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and our outrage for those still suffering in the South. This is a real crisis, and Americans are in need. These people, many of whom are most vulnerable, have lost everything. Now they are losing hope.

President Bush has called the response ``not acceptable.'' This must change now. It is not about Democrats or Republicans; it is about helping our fellow Americans in their darkest hour. This is not the time for excuses or blame. Our country has the means to rescue and care for these people; and we must do it quickly, before more lives are lost.

First, we need to address their very basic needs. We need to get food, water, and medical supplies to the thousands of people desperately waiting for it at shelters like the Superdome and the convention center in New Orleans. Rescue workers also need to get a handle on who is trying to survive out on their own in flooded areas across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. We need to send out the National Guard and local police in skiffs, boats and helicopters to locate these people, street by street and house by house, rescue them and bring them to a safe location where supplies are waiting for them and reconnect them with their loved ones. One national database needs to be set up for family members searching for survivors once they have been brought to safety.

But before we need to do that, we must set up a central command center to coordinate the response from top to bottom. One of the many complaints that we have heard is that no one is in charge. We need someone leading the recovery efforts, calling the shots and directing the resources where they are needed most. We are now a Nation at war with time, and we need a real war room to ensure these people survive.

Another complaint we hear often is a lack of communication. There is no power, so TVs and radios do not work and cell phone communication is sketchy at best.

Today, almost 5 days after Hurricane Katrina rocked the Gulf Coast, people still have no idea what to do. First responders need good information to tell people where to go for help. Rescue workers need the Federal Government to pitch in and give them the communication and technology necessary to coordinate their efforts.

Finally, law and order must be restored. People in these flood- ravaged areas are homeless, scared and desperate. Some have crossed the line and turned to violence. The National Guard needs to move in immediately in massive numbers to restore peace and stability along with local law enforcement.

This is all on the short term. In the long term, these hurricane victims need somewhere to go until their towns and cities can be rebuilt. The Federal Government needs to consider opening up military bases across the country so families can live there until they are put back in their homes or put back in their own lives. Every State in the country should consider taking a certain number of families and housing them in their State so everyone can pitch in.

Finally, once we have done all of this, we must evaluate what was done wrong and what was done right. We must learn from this experience so that we can better respond the next time.

In closing, I know there are many inspiring stories that are not being told, the massive efforts of the Coast Guard to rescue everyone they could and other individuals out there who have put their lives on the line to help and save other people, the neighbors helping neighbors make it through the worst natural disaster many have ever seen. Those are not the stories that are making the evening news.

But I know the true value of the American spirit. In these dark times, I know these communities will be rebuilt, and these families, these cities and towns and this Nation will persevere.

Mr. Chairman, we are all watching what is happening in London; and with that backdrop, we are discussing reauthorizing the PATRIOT Act today. We are all committed to finding and fighting terrorists. No one party, Democrats or Republicans, has exclusivity over this issue. We are all for stopping terrorists and protecting our citizens.

While we are all committed to this fight, it is still our congressional duty to exercise our oversight responsibilities. We can do this effectively with sunset provisions. Sunset provisions hold Congress accountable for reexamining and determining the effectiveness and impact of the PATRIOT Act.

As a member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I hold this oversight responsibility as one, if not my most, important function. Let me say up front that I think the PATRIOT Act provides essential tools for law enforcement authorities that were not available before the 9/11 attacks. These tools are essential to identifying and tracking terrorists inside the United States.

The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence held two open hearings for the PATRIOT Act. These hearings led me to conclude that the PATRIOT Act, while good, is not perfect. Additional time is needed to assess many of these provisions' effectiveness and impact on civil liberties, and that is why we need to call for sunsets.

It is clear to me that we still face serious threats and we need some of the powers of the PATRIOT Act. Sunset provisions are important because they allow for review and oversight. Oversight allows us to protect civil liberties; but more importantly, it allows us to enhance law enforcement tools to keep pace with the terrorists.

Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct honor today to rise and pay tribute to a great American, Colonel John W. Ives, for his distinguished and exemplary service on behalf of my constituents and a grateful nation.

When Colonel Ives first enlisted as a soldier in 1972, no one could have imagined the events of September 11, 2001 and the war on terrorism that would ensue. And yet in hindsight, Colonel Ives' entire career prepared him to be a leader in our post 9/11 world and to help the Army position itself to face the future.

Colonel Ives was commissioned as a military intelligence officer in 1981 after completing his undergraduate studies in the Business School at the University of Texas, El Paso. Colonel Ives led two platoons in the 125th Military Intelligence Battalion (CEWI), followed by 2 years as the S2 Intelligence Officer with the 1st Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. He later directed a Joint Agency Task Team from the National Photographic Interpretation Center, specializing in North Korean affairs. During his combat tour in Operation Desert Storm, Colonel Ives served as the S3 Operations Officer.

Following his time in Desert Storm, Colonel Ives continued his established career in intelligence by managing sensitive advanced technology programs for the Office of Secretary of Defense. From 1997- 1999, he commanded the 532nd Military Intelligence Battalion (Operations) in the Republic of Korea, afterwards being assigned as Director, Imagery Assessments Directorate (lAD) with the National Ground Intelligence Center (NGIC). In June 2002, he assumed command of the Army Garrison at Fort Meade.

A highly decorated individual, Colonel Ives' commitment to American security is evident in the number of awards he has earned. The Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal (3rd Oak Leaf Cluster), Joint Staff Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal (3rd Oak Leaf Cluster), National Defense Service Medal (2nd Oak Leaf Cluster), Saudi Arabian-Kuwait Liberation Medal, and the Kuwait Liberation Medal are just a few of the many decorations Colonel Ives has achieved. Never one to rest in his accomplishments, Colonel Ives continues to fight for excellence for every soldier and for our nation's Army.

I am proud to represent both Ft. Meade and NSA. As a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I understand the threats our nation faces and fully appreciate the contributions of military intelligence experts like Colonel Ives. I have also had the pleasure of personally knowing Colonel Ives to be a man who cares deeply about his country. He has provided dutiful service as a leader on

the battlefield and an expert in the field of intelligence for over 30 years. Our nation is indebted to leaders like Colonel Ives, who deserve our respect for their unending dedication in providing security for Americans both at home and abroad. Of course, no soldier can be successful without a supportive and understanding family at home. Their service and sacrifice in allowing Colonel Ives to do his work deserves our respect and appreciation as well.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Colonel Ives for his decades of tireless service towards the protection of our nation. We wish him and his family well in his retirement.

Madam Speaker, as my colleagues have pointed out, a lot of good, hard, work has been put into this bill, which places our committee and the intelligence community on the path of success for achieving the goals set forth in the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission and the WMD Commissions. The turf battles are ending and we now have a director of National Intelligence to oversee and coordinate efforts, but we all must work together in order to make sure that the DNI can succeed.

I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Chairman Hoekstra) and the gentlewoman from California (Ranking Member Harman) for leading by example and promoting bipartisan efforts in our oversight role. I also want to thank our staff for their hard work.

Our newly established Subcommittee on Oversight has already taken the reins of leadership and is investigating the abuses that have occurred in our interrogation and detention programs. These abuses only serve to embolden terrorist actions against us and it increases risk to our military forces and American citizens abroad. These abuses also hurt our reputation abroad and allow the insurgents to recruit people to attack us.

I also look forward to continuing work with my colleagues on solutions to the security clearance challenges faced by the intelligence community and State and local governments who need to access information to protect our homeland. This bill's endorsement of a multilevel security clearance system will enhance flexibility in hiring practices and access to information. Current clearance wait times sometimes exceed a year. Terrorists will not wait a year, and neither can we.

Let me close by praising the excellent work of the Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center and the National Security Agency, NSA, based in my district. Our committee recognizes their challenges, and we fully support their efforts in the global war on terrorism and in Iraq and Afghanistan. I urge my Democratic colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.

Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Chairman, I concur with the gentleman's interpretation of the difficult situation in Venezuela. Sumate has been one Venezuelan institution that has been willing and able to monitor the anti-democratic behavior of the Venezuelan Government. It has been able to bring the attention of the world to the decline in democracy in that country.

Mr. Chairman, this Congress should be supporting democratic institutions in Venezuela and those individuals fighting on the side of democracy. Does the gentleman from Virginia agree?

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure today to congratulate Ruth Ann Norton, whose important work in preventing lead positioning has received national acclaim. Ms. Norton recently received the Nation's top community health honor, a 2005 Robert Wood Johnson Community Health Leadership award.

Ms. Norton is one of 10 recipients nationwide recognized for their outstanding contributions to community health. As part of the award, Ms. Norton will receive a grant of more than $100,000 to augment her efforts.

As recently as 2002, one out of every 25 children nationwide was diagnosed with lead poisoning. The City of Baltimore, where Ms. Norton's efforts are focused, has among the highest numbers of pre-1940 rental properties in the Nation--and buildings constructed in that timeframe often contain lead paint. The children living in these buildings often develop asthma or lead poisoning that can cause serious disabilities and impairments.

Unwilling to accept the fact that children are exposed to hazardous environments, especially in their own homes, Ms. Norton left the business world to become Executive Director of the Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning in 1994. She transformed the Coalition from a one-person organization to a 30-person primary prevention organization that has provided direct program services to thousands of at-risk clients. The majority of those helped by the Coalition are single, African-American mothers and pregnant women living in high risk and low-income communities in Baltimore.

Under her leadership, the Coalition has played a significant role in reducing childhood lead poisoning in Baltimore by 91 percent in less than a decade. This success is the result of preventative strategies and public policy changes advocated for by the Coalition, such as requiring lead reductions in housing stock, providing relocation opportunities for families living in hazardous buildings, and testing children for lead paint poisoning. The Coalition has also been credited with playing a primary role in the dramatic decline in lead-poisoned children statewide--from 14,000 in 1993 to less than 2,000 in 2003.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize Ms. Norton's dedication to improving the health of Maryland's children, and to congratulate her for this well-deserved Community Health Leadership award.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Charles E. Walker.

Charles Walker is a Government Affairs Officer with the Army Corps of Engineers and he will be retiring this year after thirty years of outstanding work in the Federal service.

Charles Walker has consistently demonstrated a high level of performance throughout his career serving our nation, starting with his service in the United States Army. He joined the Army in 1966 and fought in the Vietnam conflict. He left the Army in 1969 and returned to continue his education.

He earned his Russian Language Certificate from Leningrad University and a P.h.D. from West Virginia University in 1973. Prior to Vietnam, Charles Walker had been a secondary school teacher in Baltimore City. He returned to teaching in 1973 as a History Lecturer at Anne Arundel Community College and remained there until 1974.

In 1975, Charles Walker entered the Federal service as a historian in the Historical Office of the Headquarters of the Army Corps of Engineers. He left the Corps in 1978 to become an aide to the Mayor of Baltimore City and returned to teaching in 1979, taking a position as a U.S. Government instructor at Towson University.

Since 1980, Charles Walker has been working exclusively as a member of the Federal service. First as a Senior Soviet Research Analyst at the Library of Congress in 1980, he became a Public Affairs Specialist with the Corps of Engineers. He again left the Corps in 1982. In 1987, Charles Walker became the Public Affairs Director for the Maryland Department of the Environment.

In 1991, Charles Walker began his current position as a Government Affairs Officer with the Army Corps of Engineers. His professionalism, dedication, diligence and enthusiasm have had a significant positive impact on the Corps as it serves its mission.

The Baltimore District of the Corps serves five states and helps to design and construct facilities and provide real estate services to support America's Army. The Corps also plays an active role in maintaining important navigation channels to secure the safety of national commerce in addition to the many public service engineering projects it performs in our communities.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Charles E. Walker for his service to our nation and honoring him on the occasion of his retirement.

Mr. Chairman, I applaud this bill for maintaining the research funding for the Corps of Engineers' aquatic herbicide treatment of invasive weed species that have such impacts on our lakes and rivers, impairing agriculture, recreation and transportation. I believe that the Corps and the Tennessee Valley Authority, in considering methods of aquatic weed eradication, should give preference to EPA-registered and -approved safe chemical treatment options, including reduced-risk pesticides as designated in the Food Quality Protection Act.

Mr. Chairman, I believe that having a range of treatment options from which to choose and doing so in the most environmentally sensitive way is desirable

I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the LoBiondo amendment to the DHS authorization and I ask my colleagues to support it.

The Coast Guard yard in Baltimore, MD has dedicated coasties and dedicated civilian personnel, all of whom are fighting to keep us safe and secure. So it is disheartening to hear that the DHS authorization is going to cut critical funding for the Coast Guard to the tune of $466 million.

This in my opinion is a huge mistake. We have asked the Coast Guard to take on an aggressive and daunting role in protecting our coastlines, ports, rivers and waterways, and more importantly keeping our homeland secure. We cannot and should not be cutting their funding. The Coast Guard is moving in a new and exciting direction that will allow for an all encompassing approach including faster, stronger ships along with an aircraft component. At this time we should not be cutting their budget; we should be making sure they have the tools and resources to keep us safe.

It is my understanding that cuts could result in a loss of up to 108 jobs at the Baltimore Yard and I want to let you know that this is completely unacceptable. The Baltimore Coast Guard yard is already scheduled to lose 50 jobs for the MEP program and to add another 108 jobs on top of it would devastate the yard and the proud maritime tradition that Baltimore has.

I support the new direction for the Coast Guard and believe these new capabilities will only make our homeland security stronger. However, losing skilled ship repair and builders is not a good idea. It is hard enough to find trained workers but to keep pushing them aside will only hurt us when we need their help the most.

But aside from that we are cutting the fleet of vessels that are going to be the new line of maritime defense. We cannot let this happen. This Deepwater project is designed around the new cutters, smaller support craft and integrated aircraft fleet. By reducing funding for this program you will hurt the overall effectiveness of the program and we will lose hundreds of jobs of hard working Americans.

I ask my colleagues to stand in support of this amendment.