Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman, the ranking member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, for yielding time.

Madam Speaker, energy security is a critical issue with far-ranging implications for the United States and our allies. The United States is dependent on foreign oil and currently self-sufficient with regard to natural gas. However, in coming years, the U.S. will become increasingly an importer of natural gas as demand continues to increase to fuel our power plants, to provide feedstock to manufacturing processes and to heat our homes.

Over the course of the past decade, we have seen the evolution of the natural gas markets from a very localized market to a regional market and now international markets with international pipelines and the advent of liquefied natural gas imports.

Natural-gas-producing countries now, many who are not friendly to the U.S., are proposing the formation of a gas cartel. Another OPEC-style cartel that artificially manipulates supply and prices will clearly pose harm to the U.S. economy as well as to that of our allies.

My district, the Seventh Congressional District of Louisiana, is a major

producer of oil and gas. In fact, over the next few years, about 25 percent of all natural gas being consumed in this country will come from my district, either through pipelines, production or through liquefied natural gas imports.

I currently have one facility, a liquefied natural gas facility, that is undergoing expansion, and three others that are undergoing construction as we speak. I will say that if we see a reduction or problem with price fixing and limitations in this global market for liquefied natural gas, clearly it could have an impact not only with regard to jobs in Louisiana, but it will affect the gas distribution to the Midwest of this country, as well as to the Northeast, because I have a confluence of pipelines where the pricing mechanism for natural gas is set in my district as well as a major distribution hub.

This resolution recognizes the looming problem, and I support passage of this resolution to express the sense of Congress, but also support a joint and coordinated strategy with our allies to stabilize global markets for natural gas and to consider how we move forward on new energy exploration, alternative modes of transportation, and also to develop new technologies for new alternative energy sources.

The responsibility for energy security in this country doesn't lie solely with the Energy Department. It is also a component of our vigorous diplomatic efforts at the State Department to ensure that we have open markets and our intelligence services to assess threats. Furthermore, it needs to be part of research funding, and Congress must consider legislative changes to promote private investment and to encourage private research and development.

Our energy supply should not be influenced by the whims of our enemies. Energy independence is a matter of economic and national security. Over the next 20 to 25 years, we need to manage our dependence on fossil fuels in a strategic way while we develop alternative measures that are sustainable, diverse and friendly to our environment.

I wholeheartedly support this resolution and will closely monitor the formation of any potential cartel for natural gas, and will continue to press my colleagues for progress and sincere work on energy security measures, so that we can all work towards less dependency on foreign sources.

Madam Speaker, I rise today as a native of Southwest Louisiana to remember the lives that were lost 50 years ago today when Hurricane Audrey swept across the bayou. In the early morning hours of June 27, 1957, the Category 4 storm barreled ashore, claiming at least 500 lives in Cameron and Vermillion parishes. Two hundred of the storm's victims were children.

Hurricane Audrey is the seventh deadliest storm in the history of the United States. To date, Audrey remains the only storm of its size to make landfall in June. Too many of Southwest Louisiana's lifelong residents who had been seasoned by years of hurricanes did not heed the warnings to evacuate. Additionally, the storm struck the coast hours before its anticipated arrival, cutting off evacuation routes and trapping residents in the hurricane's path.

Unfortunately, we know that the kind of devastation and misery that Audrey brought to Louisiana are not isolated to that fateful day in 1957. Two years ago, when Hurricanes Rita and Katrina hit Louisiana, a new generation of Americans experienced first hand the destruction these storms can bring.

Powerful hurricanes continue to assault the shores of Louisiana. As we enter into the 2007 hurricane season, I urge Americans living along the Gulf Coast to take steps to protect their families and their property. Scientists predict that 17 named storms will develop in the Atlantic and Caribbean this year. Nine of these storms are expected to reach hurricane status.

Advanced preparation is key to weathering these storms. Let us take lessons from our past so we can minimize the potential for harm in the future.

Mr. Speaker, a recent article in The Washington Post highlights the importance of expanding health savings accounts for America's families. The article mentioned a woman who switched to an HSA with a high deductible health plan after her insurance premiums increased by 42 percent in 1 year. As a result, the monthly cost of her asthma medication consumed all the money in her HSA.

Patients with chronic conditions shouldn't have to pay a high deductible before their coverage begins. Giving patients with HSAs the freedom to choose plans that offer up-front coverage will avoid hospitalizations and reduce the costs that are borne by all Americans.

Recently, I introduced H.R. 2639, the Promoting Health for Future Generations Act of 2007. The bill permits HSA owners to receive prescription drugs before paying a deductible. It also permits working families to accumulate more money in these accounts, resolving the situations like the one pointed out in The Washington Post article.

I urge my colleagues to expand coverage and empower patients by cosponsoring H.R. 2639. Doing so will give Americans greater flexibility and independence when managing their families' health care needs.

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

S. 801 designates the United States Courthouse located in Fresno, California, as the Robert E. Coyle United States Courthouse. The bill honors Judge Coyle's dedication to public service.

After earning his law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of Law in 1956, Judge Coyle worked for Fresno county as a Deputy District Attorney. He then entered private practice in 1958, where he remained until his appointment to the Federal bench.

In 1982, Judge Coyle was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California by President Ronald Reagan. He served as chief judge from 1990 to 1996, and assumed senior status on May 13, 1996.

I support this legislation, and encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

We have no further speakers on our side either. I urge passage of this bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 505 recognizes and commends the recreational boating community and the boating industry for their contributions to the economy of the United States, the well-being of the United States citizens, and responsible environmental stewardship of the marine resources of the United States.

There are more than 73 million individuals that make up the recreational boating community in the United States. This important industry generates more than $39 billion annually in the United States economy, and provides jobs for 380,000 citizens of the United States.

While the industry and the community are important parts of our national economy, these individuals also play an important role in conserving our natural resources for future generations' enjoyment. Recreational boaters act as stewards of the marine environment of the United States and take lead and hands-on roles in educating future generations of the value of these resources.

The legislation also encourages the President to mark the importance of the recreational boating community and industries by establishing July 1 as National Boating Day. It is fitting that we consider this resolution so closely to the Fourth of July, when tens of thousands will be enjoying our Nation's inland and coastal waters aboard recreational vessels.

I commend the resolution's sponsor, Mr. Klein of Florida, and all the measure's cosponsors for introducing the legislation, and I join them in urging all Members to support the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, I urge passage of the resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

H.R. 2011 designates the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 100 East 8th Avenue in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, as the George Howard, Jr. Federal Building and United States Courthouse. The bill honors Judge Howard, who was the first African American appointed to the Federal bench in Arkansas.

Judge Howard served in the United States Navy during World War II. And after receiving his law degree from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, he engaged in the private practice of law in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

His career in public service included serving on the Arkansas State Claims Commission, the Arkansas Supreme Court, and the Arkansas Court of Appeals, and culminated in his appointment to the Federal bench.

In 1980, President Carter appointed Judge Howard to the United States District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas. Judge Howard's tenure on the bench ended with his passing at the age of 82 on April 21, 2007.

Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation and encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Ross) for bringing this legislation to the floor, and I commend the Arkansas delegation for its consideration of Judge Howard's tenure and time on the bench.

I support this legislation and urge its adoption.

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

Mr. Chairman, I thank our ranking member for yielding time to me.

Mr. Chairman, while there are many disagreements about policy in Iraq, we can all agree that a military solution is insufficient. More evidence is clearly needed on the political, diplomatic, and economic fronts. But I have concerns about what I am hearing from across the aisle. Given the history, if we look back at the CR at the beginning of the year, there is a lack of clarity about how funds could be used by our State Department.

Furthermore, we saw a marked reduction in human intelligence funding in the Intelligence authorization bill. In the supplemental, economic support funds were basically withheld. But some funding was restored through administration waivers. And now, in this bill, economic stabilization funds were basically zeroed.

Mr. Chairman, I thank our colleague, our ranking member, for trying in subcommittee and in full committee to restore this funding. With this amendment, which I believe is very essential to success in Iraq, he has put forth this effort. This funding is clearly important if we are going to fund the political and economic endeavor in Iraq. The State Department cannot complete its planning and implementation of phase three of putting together these provincial reconstruction teams which are absolutely necessary to the success of the mission. So it is clear that we need for this amendment to pass to allow the State Department to plan and move.

In the post-Cold War environment, we have grave responsibilities as a Nation. Yet we are refusing to fund our State Department worthy of this position of responsibility. The United Kingdom alone, which has one- fifth the population of the United States, has 5,600 diplomats worldwide and 130,000 troops. The U.S. has a mere 6,500 diplomats worldwide with 1.4 million troops, 2.5 million if you count our Reserves.

Mr. Chairman, I urge the adoption of this amendment. Clearly, it is the responsible thing to do to move forward. It restores $140 million in economic support funds, $16 million in nonproliferation, anti- terrorism and demining efforts, a critical, critical piece to this, and $2 million to increase international military education and training.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment is a responsible thing to do. I urge all of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, first let me start by saying I have deep respect for the work that Chairwoman Lowey and Ranking Member Wolf have done with this bill. I also have shared the major concerns that both of you have with regard to the internal Egyptian reforms that you're advocating. I share those same concerns. I am also deeply concerned about the border situation between Egypt and Gaza and the smuggling of arms that's ongoing.

My amendment takes a step to strike the language in section 699 from the bill that I believe unnecessarily places restrictions on the FMF funding for Egypt. I believe these restrictions are actually harmful to U.S. national strategic interests.

I have to say that clearly Egypt has been a vital strategic partner in the region for many, many years, and this is not the way that the U.S. should treat its friends and reward its friends.

If you look at the record, Egypt has worked with us to expedite the processing of our nuclear warships going through the Suez Canal when otherwise it would take weeks. Also, the Egyptian Government has shared critical intelligence with us across the board, and there has been significant military cooperation for quite some time now.

The other things that have happened is that Egypt has worked hard to maintain the March 1979 Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty. And even as we speak tonight, there are plans being facilitated by Egypt to bring Ehud Olmert and Mahmoud Abbas together at Sharm el-Sheikh next week. So clearly Egypt is trying to do what it can to help facilitate the peace process.

I believe this funding is a critical part of keeping the peace with Israel, maintaining balance in this part of the region. And also I believe it's in the interest of Israel's national security as well, in addition to being in our national security interest.

The current language in the bill would place, I believe, unrealistic restrictions. It requires the Secretary of State to provide certain certifications which are going to be very difficult to provide. And it may just simply end up being political cover. And in the interest of good policy, without browbeating our important ally Egypt in this process, I think we can work with them in a more cooperative way as we go forward to achieve the things that we're trying to achieve, such as getting stability on the border with Gaza, reducing the smuggling or arms, and also moving forward on internal reforms in Egypt itself.

This ally is important. I think we need to work with them. We need to understand their timelines, and work with them and respect that timeline as we go forward.

I urge adoption of this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield to my good friend from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry), who is a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

I thank my colleague. I think he's right on the spot.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, as I look at the flag behind the Speaker's chair, I am reminded about how great our country truly is. If our country is going to remain great, we have to face the threats that are out there, and there are many, many threats.

Clearly, the Homeland Security appropriations bill is an important piece of work to deal with those threats. But there is a threat that's not quite so insidious, and it's the threat of spending, runaway spending in the face of the second largest tax increase in American history.

We need to get serious about this threat, this threat to future generations. We owe it to the American family to be responsible stewards of their hard-earned tax dollars.

I am gravely concerned about the disconnect between a lot of the high rhetoric I hear coming from the other side and the harsh reality that we seem to face here. The rhetoric we hear from the Democratic leadership is about fiscal responsibility and oversight and transparency and full disclosure. But the harsh reality is about none of those things.

I don't see full disclosure here. I don't see transparency. I am deeply concerned about this threat of runaway spending.

Now, I have to say, I fully appreciate the hard work done by the Homeland Security Appropriations subcommittee and the full committee. The chairman of the committee, the full committee, and the subcommittee, as well as the respective ranking members, have done a lot of hard work.

But their work is incomplete. Their work is definitely incomplete. It's the responsibility of every Member of this body to provide oversight, not just the committee's responsibilities. That is our responsibility, and we have to live up to it.

It is clearly a major responsibility as we look at these possible earmarks that are going to be airdropped into this at a later date. The process is clearly flawed, and the American people clearly deserve better.

I reflect upon a statement by a very famous British statesman, when the British Empire was at its height in the 18th century, and it goes like this: ``Magnanimity is seldom not the wisest course for a statesman, for empire and small minds go ill together.''

I would submit to you that magnanimity is a very important American virtue, and magnanimity is also the responsibility of the majority, whoever happens to be in the majority.

I ask the majority to live up to its responsibilities.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to send birthday wishes from the Congress to Lucy Benoit Leger on the occasion of her 100th birthday. Born in 1907, Ms. Leger is the mother of two children. Her husband, Elliott, worked tirelessly as a barber so that she could remain at home to raise their son and daughter.

In 100 years many things have changed in southwest Louisiana. One constant is the value and joy we find in our families. I am pleased that Lucy's family and friends will gather June 16 to celebrate this joyous occasion.

I offer my best wishes for continued good health to Lucy Benoit Leger.

Mr. Speaker, health savings accounts are one of the best ways to put families back in control of their health care destiny. HSAs have expanded coverage, but Congress needs to make them more practical for working families and patients in poor health, and also remove rules that discriminate against veterans and seniors in Medicare.

This week, I introduced H.R. 2639 to permit larger contributions, allow coverage below the deductible for prescription drugs, and provide tax relief for premiums. The bill removes barriers that make it illegal for families to deposit their own money in an HSA after they receive care through Medicare or the VA. It also helps working families to build intergenerational ``wealth for health'' by allowing adult children to inherit a Medicare HSA in the same way that a spouse may now do.

It makes sense to help Americans save for future medical costs, especially when we consider our Nation's negative savings rate and Medicare's looming financial problems.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill, to expand consumer choice and control it.

Mr. Speaker, during my career as a heart surgeon, I saw too many patients who were trapped in a paper-based system that leads to duplicative tests and avoidable medical errors.

Despite the advancement of innovative health information technology, America's health care system remains trapped in the 20th century. The need for health IT became even more apparent during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, when I saw displaced patients present themselves in makeshift clinics with little or no medical history to guide their health providers.

To date, only 24 percent of Louisiana physicians have converted their offices to electronic health records because many are unwilling or unable to handle the cost.

I will soon introduce a bill to create a demonstration project through the Department of Health and Human Services to provide financial incentives to providers and health information exchange networks to encourage the adoption and use of interactive personal health records.

Health IT will greatly improve the quality of information and care that patients receive, but Congress should do more to encourage physicians to transfer to a paperless system.

I thank my colleague.

Mr. Speaker, it is high time that we actually get the work done on this. We really need to get this done permanently, but I rise in support of this extension so that we can continue to move the ball forward. It is my hope that the other body across the Capitol will move this time around. I know we are going to do it here in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the House has agreed to include a provision I offered with subcommittee Chairman Rob Andrews that would limit projected physician shortages. This was an amendment to the bill that we had in the 109th Congress, and it is my understanding that it will be included in the base bill, and I am very pleased.

I hope, also, that Congress will add a provision that I introduced with Congresswoman McCarthy to meet the future need of qualified nurses, which is an area where we have critical shortages throughout the country. And so it is my hope that as we go forward with this bill on the House side we can introduce this language into the bill or perhaps amend the bill, if necessary.

Once again, I think it is critical that we get the job done on this. We did our work in the 109th Congress. The other body needs to move forward. We need to complete our work here so we can get a good, solid reauthorization bill that will do justice to our higher education system.

I thank my colleague from Utah and the gentlelady from the Virgin Islands for their comments on this, and I appreciate the committee in allowing this to come to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution. Hurricanes Rita and Katrina forever changed the lives of gulf coast residents. It was not until the 2005 storms that most Americans really began to fully comprehend the potential size, strength and impact of these devastating natural disasters.

We are nowhere near where we need to be as far as educating the public and raising awareness about hurricane preparedness.

Last week marked the beginning of the 2007 hurricane season. Yet despite intense media coverage surrounding Katrina and Rita, a recent poll of coastal residents conducted by the Associated Press revealed that an astounding 88 percent had not taken any steps to protect their homes against future storms. Sixty-one percent had no hurricane survival kits on hand.

We need to do more to remind the public about the devastation caused by major storms on the level of Katrina, Rita, Andrew and Ivan, as well as teach them about the science behind these phenomena and what we can do to better protect lives and property leading up to a potential storm.

This resolution expresses the support of Congress for the creation of a National Hurricane Museum and Science Center in southwest Louisiana. The goal of this comprehensive center is to interpret the effects of hurricanes on our land, people, culture and government to preserve artifacts and personal histories of those who have suffered and died because of these events, to conduct research and showcase improvements in meteorology, technology, communications and building systems, and also to offer a creative learning experience in the disciplines of math, science, history, geography and social sciences as they relate to catastrophic natural disasters.

The Center will partner with the National Weather Service, the media and other public and private organizations to provide timely and reliable information as it relates to severe weather events and their aftermath.

The Creole Nature Trail All-American Road began working on this project before the 2005 storms. In September, the project was awarded a $1.3 million Department of Transportation Scenic Byways grant, the largest ever awarded under the Louisiana Scenic Byways program.

Just last week, the board conducted two public meetings in southwest Louisiana to seek community input on the top four sites being considered for the museum and science center. A final site selection is expected to be announced later this month, honoring the 50th anniversary of Hurricane Audrey, a storm that was devastating in my congressional district and took many lives years ago.

The National Hurricane Museum and Science Center will not only serve as a historical center to study the effects that hurricanes have on our coast, it will be a living memorial to attract scholars, students and tourists to the region, a region that's still struggling to recover after the 2005 storms.

Southwest Louisiana is constantly learning how to protect itself from future disasters, and this project will help assist our efforts and our neighbors along the gulf coast and throughout the country in that important effort.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I rise in support of this supplemental package. Obviously, we need to get the money to the troops in the field, and, also, my State of Louisiana needs these additional funds as well.

But I want to point something out that has not been discussed in the debate. The President called for 10 new provincial reconstruction teams for Baghdad. Upon arrival in Baghdad, General Petraeus has asked for 14, four additional PRTs. State and USAID cannot really adequately plan to put this into effect. Particularly, they are phase 3, where they get the personnel in position. So the much-needed money for the State Department is in this supplemental. And for those of us who are interested in seeing the political and economic side of our plan enacted and successful in Iraq, it greatly depends on getting this funding to the State Department.

So I urge our colleagues to support this supplemental package, particularly those of you who are interested in the economic and political side of this, because if we are going to push for reconciliation, it is clearly critical to have these State Department personnel on the ground providing that on-the-ground pressure to move toward reconciliation in Iraq.