Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate the Louisiana State University at Eunice Bengal baseball team on their recent victory in the National Junior College Athletic Association, NJCAA, championship.

The championship tournament culminated June 2, 2006, in Millington, Tennessee. The Bengals' 3-0 win over defending champion Grand Rapids Community College garnered the NJCAA Division II trophy. This is the first national championship for LSU at Eunice.

The Bengal baseball program should be lauded for the success it has seen in the five years since its establishment. The team's appearance in the 2006 tournament marks the second time in the program's brief history that the Bengal baseball team has placed in the national championship. In 2004, the Bengals placed third in the NJCAA Championship in their division.

In addition to the championship title, the Bengals were proud to bring home an individual honor bestowed upon one of the team's high- achieving members. During the series, sophomore Brett Durand pitched 26 straight innings without allowing a single earned run. His performance earned him the Most Valuable Player award.

The baseball team's achievements on the field parallel the accomplishments of the school's educators and administrators, who are realizing their goal of positioning Louisiana State University at Eunice as the premier two-year college in the state,

I would like to thank the head coach Jeff Willis and his players for their hard work and dedication. I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting the Louisiana State University at Eunice baseball team and wishing the Bengals the best of luck in their future endeavors on and off the field.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5254. This bill recognizes the need for increased supplies of refined petroleum products, and takes the necessary steps to increase our refining capacity.

No new refinery has been constructed in the United States since 1976. Yet the demand for gasoline exceeds domestic production by an average of 4 million barrels per day. This was made worse in the aftermath of the most recent hurricanes.

This growing gap must be met by importing refined petroleum products from foreign sources. Refining capacity is not being increased due to, in part, a permitting process that is overly cumbersome and capital intensive.

This bill makes the necessary commitments to expand and diversify the refining industry in this country. By reforming and expediting a permitting process that is excessively slow and nearly impossible to navigate, we will enable refiners to meet the energy needs of America's citizens.

These facilities must still meet the strictest environmental standards under current law. It does not allow any agency or facility to short-circuit environmental compliance.

Mr. Speaker, for these reasons I support this bill and urge its passage.

Mr. Chairman, I raise a point of order against section 102.

Mr. Chairman, this provision violates clause 2 of rule XXI. It changes existing law and therefore constitutes legislating on an appropriation bill in violation of House rules.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5354) to authorize the Secretary of Education to extend the period during which a State educational agency or local educational agency may obligate temporary emergency impact aid for elementary and secondary school students displaced by Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 5354.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5354, the Hurricane Relief Extension Act of 2006, amends the Hurricane Education Recovery Act to allow the Secretary of Education to extend, beyond the 2006 school year, the period during which a State educational agency or local educational agency may obligate temporary emergency impact aid for elementary and secondary schools that enroll students displaced by Hurricanes Katrina or Rita.

In addition, the bill includes a sense of the Congress that urges State educational agencies to distribute expeditiously any education relief funds received under such act to impacted schools and institutions.

I want to thank Chairman McKeon and the Education and the Workforce Committee staff for working with me on this legislation.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita created real and pressing educational needs in the gulf coast region. According to the U.S. Department of Education, more than 370,000 students were unable to attend school in the weeks following the hurricanes. About 158,000 students were still displaced as of October 1, 2005, and are eligible for impact aid. More than 1,100 schools, public, private, and parochial, were still closed 2 weeks after the storms.

In the immediate days after the hurricanes hit, I worked closely with my colleagues on the Education and the Workforce Committee to assess the damage caused by the storms and to move forward and send Federal aid to the highest need areas in the shortest amount of time possible. We supported an innovative electronic reimbursement proposal that would have enabled

parents and schools to bypass government bureaucracy and receive Federal aid more quickly.

Unfortunately, many of our colleagues opposed these efforts as a backdoor attempt to implement a voucher system. Let me be emphatic: That was not the case. This proposal would have prevented the delays we are now seeing in Federal support reaching our teachers and students who most need it.

As an alternative, when Congress passed the Hurricane Education Recovery Act in December, we included stringent timelines to ensure the money would quickly be sent to local educational agencies to help schools in need. In addition, the U.S. Department of Education accelerated the application process for these funds in order to quickly release education-related relief. Yet, Federal education aid is still not reaching the ground in many Gulf States, including my home State of Louisiana.

I recently visited Johnson Bayou High School in my congressional district in Cameron Parish hit directly by Hurricane Rita, and school officials had yet to receive one penny in Federal assistance. This was only 3 to 4 weeks ago. A headline last month in the Baton Rouge Advocate read, ``East Baton Rouge Schools Await Hurricane Funds.'' At an April 26 Education and Workforce Committee hearing, education leaders from throughout the gulf coast testified that Federal aid had yet to make its way to the local level.

This bill allows the Secretary to set a date to obligate the funds for displaced students that is beyond the end of the school year because several districts have indicated the difficulty in meeting the current statutory July 31 date. The extension of this date will give the districts the extra time needed to ensure the funds are obligated toward the allowable expenditures from the 2005-2006 school year.

The bill makes certain that the funds can only be used for expenses from the 2005-2006 school year and that the funds will not be extended into the 2006-2007 school year. These funds are desperately needed by the districts to help with the costs associated with educating the displaced students.

Districts should not have to return the funds because they were not able to obligate them by the July 31 deadline. Mr. Speaker, schools should not be penalized because bureaucratic red tape has delayed the process on the State level, which, to me, is very unacceptable.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5354, the Hurricane Relief Extension Act of 2006.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close at this time. I want to thank my colleague, the gentlelady from New York, for her support, and for all the support of my colleagues across the aisle. I think this is an important piece of legislation, because much of the money that we have obligated has not reached where it needs to go, to those students and schools in need.

When I was back home just about 2 months ago, I was at a school in Erath, a small town that was devastated by flooding, and they were rebuilding the school. In fact, they had just reopened some of the classrooms there. One of the teachers showed me her bright new shining classroom, freshly painted with a new bookshelf, and she had actually spent $1,600 of her own money to do that, because the Federal money that we had obligated had not reached the ground level. So I am urging the States to release the money that we have sent down so that we can get the money where it needs to be to take care of those students in need and get those schools up and running.

With that, I strongly urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5354.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 808) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives in support of the goals of National One-Stop Month.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 808.

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

Mr. Speaker, associations representing the local workforce development community have declared May National One-Stop Month. I rise this afternoon in support of H. Res. 808, which expresses the support of the House of Representatives for the goals of National One-Stop Month and supports the work of the Nation's local workforce investment boards.

The one-stop delivery system this resolution recognizes is a product of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, or WIA. WIA consolidated numerous Federal training programs and integrated employment and training services at the local level in a more unified workforce development system. Local business-led workforce investment boards now direct the activities of the system.

One of the hallmarks of WIA is the establishment of One-Stop Career Centers to provide re-employment services and job training to individuals looking for a new or better job. The centers were developed to increase access to Federal and State resources available to help individuals obtain employment of their choice.

While WIA funds are available for occupational training, there are numerous other Federal programs that provide employment assistance. These programs, including adult education, vocational rehabilitation, veterans employment programs and more, must make their services available through the centers. WIA created One-Stop Career Centers to provide a single point of access for individuals desiring services through these programs. The one-stop delivery system also provides labor market information regarding the kinds of jobs currently available in a local area, data on growing industries and job listings to assist individuals in making informed career choices.

Over 2,000 one-stop centers across the Nation have connected millions of individuals with the tools they need to find their next employment opportunity, while helping employers find the workers they need.

The economy is dynamic, and research shows that the types of growing industries are changing. The Nation's job training programs are critical to our ongoing effort to equip Americans with the resources and skills they need to find a new or better job in today's knowledge- based economy. Local workforce investment boards have responded to these challenges by creating comprehensive services to assist our workforce.

Approximately 5.2 million new jobs have been created since August of 2003. With solid and consistent job growth in high-wage, high-skill occupations, renewing and strengthening the Federal investment in workforce development and job training is more critical than ever. Last year, this House approved legislation to reauthorize WIA and renew the one-stop delivery system, and we hope for further action on that legislation to build upon the success already attained. Yet in the interim, we know our local community leaders remain committed to providing the best services possible for the Nation's job seekers.

I commend the chairman of the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness, Congressman Ric Keller of Florida, for introducing this measure to highlight the critical assistance that the local boards and the one-stop delivery system provide.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close at this time. We have no further speakers. Again, I thank my colleague from New York for her support and the support of all Members across the aisle for this resolution.

Let me just close by saying that in the aftermath of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina, I personally visited some of these one-stop shops in my district and was really impressed with the work that they were doing.

They were very successful in matching up those in need of jobs with available jobs. And so this is a worthy resolution. I urge all Members to support it.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Reverend Perry Sanders, a devoted and faithful servant to his God, his church, and his community in Lafayette, Louisiana.

On May 14th, Reverend Sanders gave his last sermon at the First Baptist Church in Lafayette. The day marked the culmination of his 47 years of service to the congregation. Born in South Carolina, Reverend Sanders came to First Baptist in 1959. Following graduation from college and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Reverend Sanders pastored at several churches in Louisiana before coming to the First Baptist Church in Lafayette. As a young preacher, he made it clear from the beginning that a segregated South would not stop him from preaching to ``anybody and everybody'' who came to listen. As a result, Lafayette became home to the first Southern white Baptist church to be racially integrated.

During his tenure at First Baptist, Sanders led the church to establish a media ministry that would set the pace for Southern Baptists. The power of the cassette tape was harnessed in the early seventies and his messages have encouraged many in even the most remote parts of the earth. First Baptist was selected as one of the ``Great Churches'' in a broadcast series in the mid eighties.

Reverend Perry Sanders led First Baptist through remarkable growth, especially considering its location in the Acadian culture with its strong Catholic traditions. From a congregation of a few hundred and a budget of about $70,000 per year, First Baptist has grown and now averages more than one thousand worshippers each weekend and owns buildings on six city blocks. Additionally, several hundred thousand dollars a year is given to missions outside the Lafayette community.

Mr. Speaker, our Nation would benefit greatly if we all dedicated our lives to the service Reverend Perry Sanders has exemplified throughout his career. It is with this in mind that I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring him today.

Mr. Speaker, next month the Gulf Coast will prepare for yet another Hurricane season. As we prepare for this year's storm season, it is important to remember that two category 3 storms hit the gulf coast last year.

In late September, the eye of Hurricane Rita made landfall in Cameron Parish in the southwest corner of Louisiana. The storm inflicted devastating damage to my district in southwest Louisiana as well as to the districts of my colleagues from southeast Texas.

In the coming weeks, House and Senate conferees will meet to determine a final bill to provide important relief to residents on the gulf coast. Today we are not here to compete with one another, but to together ask our colleagues to consider our needs and to remember Rita.

Unfortunately, more than 6 months after Hurricane Rita hit the coast of southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas, our road to recovery is not yet complete. Hurricane Katrina is off the front pages. Hurricane Rita is off the back pages.

Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that the people of southwest Louisiana, and our friends in southeast Texas are not asking for a Federal handout. We do, however, need the Nation's support and the support of this body to recover and protect ourselves from future disasters.

This Hurricane supplemental is especially critical to my constituents in southwest Louisiana. Homes are destroyed or uninhabitable. In Cameron Parish, 90 percent of the homes were reduced to slabs of concrete. Students and teachers in southwest Louisiana are still waiting on Federal education disaster assistance to rebuild.

Our farmers are also hurting. Last year, farmers in Vermilion Parish planted 75,000 acres of rice. This year that number has been reduced to only 25,000. And this is why. This is why, right here. This is a picture just 4 weeks ago in my district, some 7 or 8 miles inland from the coast. These were rice fields that have been virtually destroyed due to tremendous saltwater damage that Hurricane Rita has left in its wake. Before Rita, this field was a thriving rice crop.

And you can see, this is another field. Same thing. All this white in here is salt deposition. This just 4 weeks ago, over 6 months from Rita. And we are still coping with this.

We owe it to these farmers to work as hard for them as they do for their families and neighbors in southwest Louisiana.

Mr. Speaker, our industries are hurting as well. The Lake Area Industry Alliance, home of a vast petrochemical complex which serves the entire U.S., reports damages to its facility of nearly $50 million. This picture here was taken in the immediate aftermath of the storm.

They show the Henry Hub, just one of the many energy facilities in my district that supply much of our Nation's energy industry. This facility alone

supplies close to 40 percent of the natural gas for our country, and was off line for a considerable amount of time following Hurricane Rita. It highlights the strategic interest that southwest Louisiana plays to our energy industry and why we must ensure that this infrastructure will be protected from storms.

This is another photo of the same area, more close up, showing the tanks. We had about 7 or 8 feet of water in this area. One way we can protect our energy infrastructure is to expand drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf. This can provide a long-term oil and gas supply that would serve the bridge to renewable energy sources.

Most importantly, it would also provide States with critical revenue sharing from any oil or gas leasing off their coast, allowing States like Louisiana to fund our own protection from future disasters.

Mr. Speaker, despite our many challenges, the people of southwest Louisiana remain determined to rebuild their communities and businesses. Parents look forward to the day when their children can once again attend schools and churches in a safe and comfortable environment.

Travelers look forward to a day when they can escape the summer heat with a trip to Holly Beach in Cameron Parish. Farmers look forward to the day when they can once again tend to their fields.

Mr. Speaker, southwest Louisiana has already begun to plan for our future. It is up to us as Members of Congress to help them realize it.

Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, April 27th, the city of Crowley celebrated the grand opening of a newly renovated City Hall during a community open house event attended by citizens, elected officials, civic and business leaders. Crowley City Hall is a totally

renovated facility which not only contains city offices but also features the Rice Interpretive Center, the J.D. Miller Recording Studio, and the Ford Dealership Museum.

Crowley earned the title ``Rice Capital of America'' by milling more rice annually than all other rice-producing countries in the world combined. Also, contributing to its title is the large number of rice mills that line Mill Street. The new building incorporates this heritage with the Rice Interpretive Center, where visitors can take a driving tour down the ``rice trail.''

At the celebration, Crowley Mayor Isabella delaHoussaye gave the attendees a history of the building and described the renovation and restoration efforts. ``This is Crowley pride at its best. We should all be very proud of this accomplishment for our city,'' said delaHoussaye.

I ask my colleagues to join Mayor delaHoussaye in applauding the citizens of Crowley for constructing this great facility. Construction of the new City Hall building will be marked as a significant milestone in Crowley's long history.

Mr. Speaker, it is always difficult to inform my colleagues when a constituent of mine passes away. It is especially hard when we have to say goodbye to a distinguished public servant such as Sheriff Howard Zerangue of Opelousas, LA, who died Thursday, April 27, 2006 following a long battle with a blood disorder.

Mr. Speaker, Howard Zerangue was Opelousas. His life and career will forever be defined by his devoted service to his city, as well as his neighbors in St. Landry Parish, where he served more than 25 years as Sheriff. Prior to his seven consecutive terms in the Sheriffs office, Howard Zerangue also served on the Opelousas Board of Aldermen from 1966 to 1974, and as Opelousas Police Chief from 1974 to 1980. Throughout his service in law enforcement, Howard Zerangue was known for making significant technological improvements for his staff despite having to deal with tight budgets. He is also credited with starting programs to fight drugs, and to provide transportation services for the elderly and disabled.

Despite the lofty titles he held, Howard Zerangue never forgot where he came from. His jobs outside of law enforcement, including as a Volkswagen salesman in the 1970's and as a bouncer at the Southern Club, allowed him to relate to the people he served everyday. His friends always appreciated his loyalty and his duty. As the Opelousas Daily World noted in their commentary: ``He had a strong sense of duty. He could be counted upon to be there when the chips were down. He stood up for those things--and people--that he believed in. He was dedicated to his job and to his vision of it as a way to help others.'' One could only hope to be remembered in such a way. Despite our loss, Howard Zerangue's memory lives on in the streets of Opelousas and St. Landry, which he worked to keep safe for most of his life.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues here in the U.S. House of Representatives to join me in paying tribute to the memory of Howard Zerangue and in offering our deepest condolences to his wife, Ruth Manuel Zerangue; his mother, Winnie Meche Zerangue; his daughters, Mona Manteris and Debbie Sealy; his sons, Howard Jr., Keith, Neal, Harold and Darryl Zerangue; 21 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor a man who will long be remembered for his devotion to his family, church, community and nation. Charlie Roger of New Iberia, LA, died last month following heart complications he experienced during surgery.

A native of Lafayette and a resident of New Iberia for 15 years, Charlie was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. Following his military service, Charlie continued to exemplify the Marine code of ``Semper Fidelis'' by serving as an officer with the Lafayette Police Department, ultimately retiring as a Captain. I came to know Charlie through his most recent service as a Court Security Officer at the Federal Court House in Lafayette, where my office is located. I will always remember his smiling face as he walked the halls of the courthouse, keeping the building safe for my staff and the many other employees who worked there everyday.

Outside of his public service, Charlie also worked as a limousine driver for Mary Ellen's Bridal Shop on weekends. He was also an exceptionally talented musician, and was well known for playing the drums in his own band, ``Charlie Roger and the Lafayette Playboys,'' or playing the scrub board with ``Kenny and the Heart Breakers.'' Most recently, Charlie was awarded the Cajun French Music Association ``First New CD of the Year 2006 Award.''

In his off time, Charlie enjoyed working out and weight lifting at Red Lerille's Health Club. He was a member of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Community in Broussard, and also remained a member of the Marine Corps League and Fraternal Order of Police Officers.

I ask my colleagues here in the House of Representatives to join me in paying tribute to the memory of this outstanding public servant and in offering our deepest condolences to his wife, Debbie Picard Roger; his son Charles ``C.J.'' Jude Roger; his sister Nelda Powell; and his brother Joseph Roger.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about a program that I have brought to my district many of times to help my constituents access affordable drugs.

The Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) is a national clearinghouse that links uninsured and underinsured people to patient assistant programs that offer drugs for free or nearly free. America's pharmaceutical research companies, along with 1,300 community and patient organizations launched the PPA in April 2005 and have since helped almost 2 million patients, including over 48,000 in my home state of Louisiana.

Today, the PPA commemorates its 1-year anniversary (April 5, 2006), and with that celebration, the first annual Patient Assistance Day.

Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize this significant achievement of the PPA in addressing the uninsured issue by meeting a real need of patients everywhere. I applaud the efforts of biopharmaceutical research companies, health care providers, patient advocacy organizations, and community groups all across the United States. The PPA has visited the 7th Congressional District to provide information at many of my town hall meetings, as well as other health events. The response to their presence has been overwhelming. I am committed to helping my constituents and all Americans in need access life-saving medicines. In that spirit, I ask my colleagues to join me today in proclaiming'' April 5, Patient Assistance Day. Surely, millions more stand to benefit from this program and we should do our part in helping to connect patients in need.

I also submit for the Record a success story about the PPA's effort in Southwest Louisiana.

[From the Southwest Daily News, Feb. 15, 2006]

(By Mary Ann Dutton)

Help is Here Express is a traveling education center

sponsored by America's Pharmaceutical Research Companies, in

partnership with the Calcasieu Community Clinic and the

Louisiana Partnership for Children and Families. The bright

orange bus rolled into Sulphur on Tuesday to educate

uninsured and underinsured patients about prescription

assistance. Originally scheduled to be at Sulphur City Hall

from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., the staff said they would stay

until everyone was helped.

Help is Here Express is part of the Partnership for

Prescription Assistance, a growing national program that

brings prescription assistance to the uninsured and

underinsured. According to Partners for Prescription

Assistance (PPA) Consultant Cheron Brylski, the PPA was

birthed by former Louisiana Congressman Billy Tauzin. While

battling cancer, Tauzin realized that he would not have

survived without the drugs used in his treatment.

Understanding that many cancer patients are unable to afford

the drugs that could help them, Tauzin made it a personal

goal to get an assistance program started.

``The Partnership for Prescription Assistance is changing

thousands of lives everyday,'' said PhRMA President and CEO

Tauzin. ``No one is helped by a medicine that sits on the

shelf and is out of reach financially. The Partnership for

Prescription Assistance is matching the people of Louisiana

who are uninsured or underinsured to patient assistance

programs that may help them get the medicines they need for

free or nearly free. We will keep coming back to Louisiana as

long as there are people who need our help.''

The Help is Here Express was developed as a way to take the

Partnership for Prescription Assistance program on the road,

bringing help directly to the people who need it most. In

Louisiana alone there have been 26,218 searches and 16,842

matches through the use of the computer terminals and mobile

telephones on the bus.

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America

spokesman Jeff Trewhitt said the Help is Here Express offers

help to anyone who is having trouble affording their

prescription medicine. Since its launch last April in Baton

Rouge, the program has matched more than 1.3 million patients

nationally, and more than 44,000 right here in Louisiana.

``There are millions of patients who qualify for assistance

and don't know about the program,'' said Trewhitt. ``There

are 475 patient assistance plans so we are bringing our

education program to reach and inform the masses.''

If you were unable to visit the Help is Here Express

yesterday, the same services are available by telephone or on

the internet. ``Many prefer the privacy of their own home,''

said Trewhitt. ``This is possible by calling 1-888-4PPA-NOW

(1-888-477-2669) or the user-friendly website

www.pparxla.org.'' Trewhitt suggested that applicants have

the names of current medicines available when calling.

An interesting tidbit shared by Trewhitt is that the Help

is Here Express bus used to be the touring bus of country

singers Brooks and Dunn.

The Help is Here Express is scheduled to be in Lafayette at

the Acadiana Outreach Center, 2125 S. Buchanan Street on Feb.

16th at 9:30 a.m.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 609, and I want to congratulate Majority Leader Boehner and Chairman McKeon for bringing this important legislation to the floor.

H.R. 609 is critical to improving college access and includes a host of reforms to safeguard the interest of students and parents and the pocketbooks of American taxpayers.

I want to highlight three provisions that I believe will have a significant impact. First, it promotes merit-based pay for teachers. The bill establishes a teacher incentive fund to provide funds to States and local school districts to help pay and help develop pay-for- performance systems. These systems would offer teachers and principals recognition pay for demonstrating progress in raising student achievement and closing the achievement gap.

Another provision is increasing public access to information about colleges and universities. This bill would provide parents and students valuable information currently sent to the U.S. Department of Education about college costs, student/faculty ratios, graduation rates, and average amounts of financial aid being received by students. And furthermore, institutions that increase tuition and fees at more than twice the rate of inflation over a 3-year interval will be publicly identified and asked to provide information to the public about the causes of tuition increases as well as strategies to help hold down tuition in the future.

A third provision would ease college access for members and veterans of our armed services. The legislation ensures the eligibility of all veterans to participate in the TRIO college access programs. The bill also classifies members of the armed services as independent students which could increase access to financial aid.

These reforms build on important education benefits for military personnel enacted in February 2006 under the Deficit Reduction Act. That measure provided that active duty members of the military may receive loan deferment, meaning payments are not required and interest will not accrue when serving our Nation.

As a member of the Education and Workforce Committee, I am very proud to support this legislation and urge my colleagues also to support this measure.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, I am proposing an amendment to H.R. 609, the College Access and Opportunity Act of 2005, along with the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews), my good friend.

The amendment that I am proposing would require a GAO study to evaluate and determine the reasons for the decline in the number of medical school graduates entering residency programs lasting more than 5 years.

This amendment complements a study currently in H.R. 609 that the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Price) has already offered. The gentleman from Georgia's proposal looks at student indebtedness. My amendment looks beyond that, and I am interested in identifying other primary reasons that students pick certain medical specialties.

In my experience and conversations with medical students, I found that student loan debt is certainly an important consideration, but other factors that might include length of residency training, locations to obtain training, salary issues, shortages or surpluses in certain medical specialties also play a role.

The concern among many health professionals is that certain specialties or subspecialties will have shortages in health professionals in the coming years. This could create a significant health access crisis that could take years to overcome because of workforce shortage.

Mr. Chairman, I believe this study that I am proposing, along with my colleague from New Jersey, and with Representative Price's study will help provide evidence and alternatives for Congress to consider to ensure that we are taking steps to support education for critically needed health care professionals.

At this time, I also want to thank the Rules Committee and Chairman McKeon for considering this amendment, and I urge my colleagues to support the amendment.

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

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

I thank my colleague again for bringing up some very important issues that will relate to access, particularly as we see an aging population who will require these specialty services, and certainly, we are going to have some projected shortages.

I believe this GAO study will play an instrumental role in helping to define why we are looking at some of these shortages over and beyond indebtedness, but also help us clarify what that degree of indebtedness would be.

Mr. Chairman, I am very pleased to yield 1 minute to my friend from Florida (Mr. Keller).

Mr. Chairman, I yield back.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, I am offering an amendment, along with the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews), again to the bill H.R. 609, and this would add language to section 421, the Loan Forgiveness for Service in Areas of National Need.

Currently, this section makes eligible for student loan forgiveness workers in several important jobs and one health care-related field, nursing. My amendment would make eligible for loan forgiveness those medical residents that are entering a program lasting more than 5 years and are entering a field that is facing a shortfall in filling those residency positions.

This amendment will provide medical students with a reason to consider other medical specialties that require more training. Many medical specialties require 3 or 4 years of training. However, there are certain specialties and subspecialties that require more training after the initial program. For instance, in my case, as a thoracic surgeon, I trained 5 years in general surgery and then another 3 years in thoracic surgery to become a cardiothoracic surgeon.

Current law only provides loan deferment for 3 years. For certain medical specialties, that means while students are in the middle of their residency they are paying back student loans. For many medical students, this is a concern and a reason to not pursue certain medical careers.

In the case of cardiothoracic surgery, there are currently about 20 open slots in these residency programs this year, and as each year goes by, we see fewer and fewer of these positions being filled.

The situation is similar in other specialties, as mentioned earlier with neurosurgery and certain subspecialties of plastic surgery.

These are specialties that provide vital care to seniors, critically ill patients, and other vulnerable populations. If this trend continues, it will lead to a lack of health care access for seniors, critically ill patients and other vulnerable populations. These patients may see a doctor but not necessarily one that has the experience and adequate training to provide the latest and most effective care. My amendment aims to prevent this decline in health care access by providing a small incentive for medical students to enter these professions with a critical need.

Again, I want to thank the Rules Committee and Chairman McKeon for considering this amendment. I urge my colleagues to support this, and I also want to thank my colleague from New Jersey who has offered his support as well.

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

Again, I thank my friend and colleague for his comments. I just want to add some statistics with regard to cardiothoracic surgery, for the record.

Currently, we have 3,500 practicing cardiothoracic surgeons in the country. Last year, there were a total of 104 applicants for 139 residency positions. This year, as of this past Friday, there were only 76 applicants for these 139 positions. Current survey data indicates that over the next decade we will have a 50 percent reduction in the current cardiovascular surgery workforce as the workforce hits retirement age.

Again, as we hit this aging population, the demographic tidal wave that we are facing, we are not going to have heart surgeons that can back up cardiologists in these hospitals providing life-preserving care.

So, again, I believe this amendment is a very important addition to H.R. 609. I appreciate my colleagues on the other side of the aisle supporting this.

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize a community reading program in Crowley, Louisiana founded by Joey Webb.

Ms. Bea's Community Reading Program organizes 20 community volunteers each week to visit Ross Elementary School and work for half an hour in each of the four first grade classrooms. These patient and caring volunteers work one on one with the students to help them learn to read and improve their reading skills. To ensure the effort isn't just one day a week at school, the program issues each student a weekly reader to practice at home. In addition, the volunteers serve as valuable role models and inspire the students to continue learning and staying in school.

The faculty at Ross Elementary has commented that the impact of the program is improving the entire school. Although the program is focused on the first grade, students in the other grades have taken notice of the community members coming to the school. Students are working harder, classroom behavior has improved and they are more focused on schoolwork.

Earlier this year, I participated in the program and visited with several classrooms and spoke with them about the importance of learning to read and attending school. These young students are the future of Louisiana. As our state rebuilds from the devastation caused by two hurricanes it is now more important than ever that we inspire our youth to work to improve and contribute to our great state.

I want to congratulate Joey Webb and the citizens of Crowley on their dedication and spirit to help others in the community.

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate your bringing this important legislation to the floor. I will include for the Record a letter I recently received from several elected officials from my district which explains in great detail the devastation Hurricane Rita inflicted on Southwest Louisiana and the need for Federal support in its aftermath.

The Nation suffers from Rita amnesia, because the residents of Southwest Louisiana did everything right. We heeded the Federal warnings, evacuated before the storm, saving thousand of lives in the process. In fact, there were no deaths after Rita.

We returned after the storm and immediately got to work to begin the long process of rebuilding our communities and restoring our way of life. The FEMA Long Term Community Recovery Team has said that Southwest Louisiana is leading the State in the recovery effort.

Southwest Louisiana is not looking for a Federal handout, but we need the Nation's help to recover from this unprecedented storm. Debris removal has been slow. 5.73 million cubic yards so far has been collected, enough to cover a football field with a pile of debris 1 mile high. Homes are now destroyed or uninhabitable. And, in fact, in Cameron Parish, 90 percent of the homes were reduced to slabs of concrete. Industries are hurting. The Lake Area Industry Alliance, home to a vast petrochemical complex which serves the entire U.S., reports damages to its facilities of nearly $50 million; and that is just one example.

Mr. Chairman, we cannot ignore the plight of Southwest Louisiana, and I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation. Remember Rita. I yield back.

City of Lake Charles,

March 11, 2006.

Re Hurricane Rita Recovery in Southwest Louisiana.

Hon. Charles Boustany,

House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Congressman Boustany: First and foremost, we from

Southwest Louisiana want to thank you for your support in our

efforts to recover from Hurricane Rita. You have been very

vocal in your effort to help us and we sincerely appreciate

it. This letter is intended to give you information to

support your efforts and to remind you that we stand ready to

work with you in this effort. However, it has become very

evident that others in our nation's capitol have forgotten

about the destruction that occurred as a result of that

storm.

We are not asking them to take our word for it. Just this

week Governor Rick Perry testified in Washington D.C. and

according to AP wire reports he requested that Texas be given

$2 billion dollars, because ``states slammed by Katrina are

getting more generous help than his state, which bore the

brunt of Hurricane Rita.'' Governor Perry's significant

funding request indicates his belief that Hurricane Rita was

a destructive storm.

We do not intend to compete with our Texas neighbors for

recovery money. We acknowledge that Hurricane Rita inflicted

serious damage on Southeast Texas. But Southwest Louisiana

also suffered significant devastation from this storm as

well. The eye of the storm made landfall in Cameron Parish on

September 24. The highly destructive northeast quadrant of

the storm (with its winds and storm surge) was most

destructive in Cameron Parish and in Calcasieu Parish in

Louisiana. Cameron Parish as we knew it no longer exists. We,

as Governor Perry, are concerned that we run the risk of

being overshadowed by Hurricane Katrina when it comes time to

allocate limited resources to the recovery effort.

Southwest Louisiana's elected officials, emergency

responders and citizens worked hard to take the initiative to

comply with evacuation orders, maintain discipline after the

storm and truly prioritize our needs in a professional

manner. Included below for your review is an overview of what

happened in Calcasieu and Cameron Parishes during the Katrina

and Rita storms. Hopefully this information will help you and

your staff in your efforts to prevent Congress and the

federal agencies responsible for hurricane relief from

forgetting the devastation that occurred across the

coastal parishes of Louisiana and in Southwest Louisiana

in particular.

Hurricane Katrina also impacted Southwest Louisiana.

Calcasieu Parish alone welcomed approximately 20,000 evacuees

from Hurricane Katrina by opening shelters at a cost of

nearly $1 million. The support of our community for the

evacuees was overwhelming. Food, clothing, money and time

were donated. Businesses and residents offered shelter,

entertainment and support. The Lake Charles American Press

described the effort as our community's finest hour. When

Hurricane Rita approached our area, the first concern was to

evacuate these people to safety.

When Hurricane Rita passed through Southwest Louisiana, our

citizens listened to officials and heeded warnings to

evacuate. Residents of Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes left

the area on heavily congested roadways to the north along

with residents of Texas who had already been given an order

to evacuate. Gas supplies were limited and hotels to the

north were full with evacuees from Hurricane Katrina, many

who had evacuated a second time to escape Hurricane Rita.

Residents of Calcasieu Parish began returning to the area

after the storm starting September 30, to ``look and leave''.

They returned to find over 19,000 homes or approximately 25

percent of the housing stock was destroyed. Another 35

percent of the housing was damaged. Power was out throughout

most of the area for one to three weeks causing widespread

loss of water and sewer systems and shuttering industry and

retail businesses. Gasoline was a rare commodity.

Approximately half of the trees in Ca1casieu Parish were

destroyed or damaged.

Industries and public facilities were also heavily damaged.

Lake Charles Regional Airport suffered over $20 million in

damage including the passenger terminal, which was damaged

beyond repair. The facility was closed approximately fifteen

days after the storm. Chennault International Airport, home

to Northrop Grumman, suffered approximately $40 million in

damages and was closed for four weeks after the storm.

Damages to other aviation industry businesses brought the

estimated damage to our aviation industry to approximately

$90 million.

The Lake Area Industry Alliance, home of a vast

petrochemical complex important to the entire United States,

reported damages of approximately $50 million to their

members' facilities. Damage to off-shore rigs and the closure

of the Port of Lake Charles (the nation's 12th largest port)

caused supply disruptions to production facilities. Supply

disruptions and power outages resulted in loss of production,

worker layoffs and additional startup costs. Lyondell

Chemical Company closed its facility, costing the community

295 well paying jobs with benefits; it will be impossible to

replace this facility.

The six casinos of our gaming industry were shut down

during the power outage. Harrah's two riverboat casinos and

hotel were damaged beyond repair. Harrah's facility is

currently closed; our community has lost 2,000 jobs as a

result.

McNeese State University and Sowela Technical College

sustained extensive damage. The Calcasieu Parish School

System experienced heavy damage to school facilities and

closure of all public schools for approximately four weeks.

Damage to education facilities is estimated at $57 million.

The Calcasieu Parish Police Jury and area municipalities

suffered damages to facilities of approximately $30 million.

The parish

wide highway system, including three movable bridges in

Calcasieu Parish, required extensive debris removal and

repairs to make them safe for traffic. The I-10 bridge over

Lake Charles, the main east-west traffic artery through

southwest Louisiana and across the southern U.S. was closed

following the storm for structural inspection after a barge

ran into a supporting structure. An early estimate of parish-

wide highway damage is $20 million.

Cameron Parish, our sister parish to the south was totally

devastated. Although there was no loss of life, Cameron

suffered the loss of a way of life. Approximately 90 percent

of the homes in Cameron, the Parish seat were destroyed.

Other communities suffered similar or worse fates. The major

industries--oil, agriculture, seafood and tourism--were

destroyed. It will take years for the residents to recover.

And Southwest Louisiana will never be fully recovered until

Cameron is rebuilt and back ``in business'' again.

Cameron Parish contains four wildlife refuges, all of which

sustained significant damage. The Sabine National Wildlife

Refuge of 125,000 acres was officially closed after Hurricane

Rita. Facilities were destroyed and the landscape was

littered with debris from damaged structures, vehicles, dead

animals and hazardous chemical containers. The refuge cannot

reopen until the hazardous debris is removed and there is no

safety risk to the public. In 2004 the economic effect of the

refuge and its visitation was $9 million, supporting 108 jobs

and $1 million in tax revenue. This is an average return of

$10.18 for every federal dollar spent operating the refuge.

Annually 300,000 people tour the Creole Nature Trail, which

is designated an All-American Road. Nature trail brochures

are being pulled out of circulation by bureau officials.

The Southwest Louisiana community immediately began

cleaning up and repairing damages in order to begin recovery

from this storm. Temporary ``blue'' roofs were installed on

17,104 houses and apartments. An estimated 5.73 million cubic

yards of storm debris was collected, enough to cover a

football field with a pile more than one half-mile high.

In addition to residents who were displaced from their

homes due to damage, approximately 10,000 evacuees from other

places are now residing in Calcasieu Parish. Hotel vacancy is

essentially zero and there is a shortage of affordable

housing for residents. Because of this housing shortage, many

residents have not been able to return to the Parish. Many

businesses are still unable to operate for normal business

hours because of a shortage of workers. Although many minimum

wage jobs are advertised and unfilled for long periods of

time, unemployment in the Parish has more than tripled from

5.3 percent in 2004 to 16.2 percent in November 2005, an

increase of 10.9 percent due to a number of complex reasons.

We understand the scale of the storm in Hurricane Katrina.

And we understand that Southeast Texas was affected by the

Hurricane Rita, but please do not penalize us for being

aggressive in our efforts to help ourselves recover. It has

been said by the FEMA Long Term Community Recovery Team that

Southwest Louisiana is leading the state in the recovery

effort. But true recovery requires more than just debris

removal and new roofs. Because of the devastation caused by

Hurricane Rita, we need to retool and rebuild the economy of

Southwest Louisiana. We cannot depend on the existing

businesses and industry to rebuild the economy of our area.

We must be creative and aggressive in our efforts to both

diversify and expand our economy if we are to accomplish the

long term recovery goals FEMA and others have set for our

area.

Hurricanes Rita and Katrina have impacted 30-40 percent of

the economy of our state. It will take years to truly recover

from this disaster in terms of real economic recovery. Please

help us remind your colleagues that no state in the history

of our great nation has ever suffered the extent of economic

and social disruption that Louisiana has as a result of these

two storms.

Some would say that it is this ``can do'' attitude that has

prevented us in Southwest Louisiana from getting national

media attention. We don't want media attention, but we do

need your attention. Please assist us in getting our ``fair

share'' of federal funding for our recovery effort. And

please consider extending the GO Zone Legislation for

parishes hardest hit by these storms. We need at least an

additional two years to take advantage of the economic

recovery offered by this bill. And when it comes to the

allocation of Community Development Block Grant monies to the

individual states, please include an allocation for Hurricane

Rita parishes/counties as well.

Thank you again for all you have done in the recent months

to focus attention on the recovery of Southwest Louisiana. If

you need additional information or we can assist you in any

way, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely yours,

Randy Roach,

Mayor, City of Lake Charles

Willie Mount,

Louisiana State Senate

Gerald Theunissen,

Louisiana State Senate

Chuck Kleckley,

Louisiana House of Representatives

Elcie Guillory,

Louisiana House of Representatives

Ronnie Johns,

Louisiana House of Representatives

Dan Morrish,

Louisiana House of Representatives

Brett Geyeman,

Louisiana House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the recent accomplishments of a very special church in Lafayette, LA.

On March 5, 2006, members of the congregation of Good Hope Bapist Church gathered to dedicate their new Family Life Center. This day was the culmination of an 8-year project that not only provides a new facility to the church, but much needed jobs for its community as well. Credit for the Family Life Center should go to the Building Committee, under the leadership of Othus Doomes, Jr. and the church's pastor, Dr. Ricky Carter, who were instrumental in bringing the vision of the center to fruition.

The purpose of the center is to provide for the total needs of a person--emotional, spiritual, material, practical, functional, psychological, intellectual and social. It will provide a variety of uses for its community including day care, recreational activities, as well as classrooms for educational purposes. The new facility is equipped with a commercial kitchen, to provide hot meals for those in need, as well a gymnasium which can also be used for worship service.

Today, I honor Dr. Carter and the entire congregation of Good Hope Baptist Church, and congratulate them for the completion of this great facility, which will benefit Lafayette for many years to come.