Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4826) to extend through December 31, 2006, the authority of the Secretary of the Army to accept and expend funds contributed by non-Federal public entities to expedite the processing of permits.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4826, to authorize an extension of the Army Corps of Engineers' section 214 program. Section 214 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 allows the Army Corps of Engineers to accept and expend funds provided by non-Federal public entities to hire additional personnel to process regulatory permits.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4826 is urgently needed since authority for this program expires on March 31 of this calendar year. If this program expires, the corps will have to fire some regulatory personnel, reducing its ability to process permits in a timely manner.

The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has heard from Members on both sides of the aisle supporting this section 214 program. H.R. 4826 is nearly identical to section 2003 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2005, which passed the House on July 14, 2005 by a vote of 406-14.

While the other body has not yet acted on the Water Resources Development Act this year, I am hopeful, in the wake of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina, they will move quickly to pass the bill providing for the water resources needs of the Nation. But because the authority for section 214 program is expiring, it is necessary to move this piece of legislation separately.

I thank Representative Baird and our colleagues from the western United States for introducing this bill, and I urge all Members to vote in favor of H.R. 4826.

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

Mr. Speaker, we have no further requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I also want to express my condolences to Chairman Duncan on the loss of his mother. I want to thank the ranking member on the subcommittee, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson), and I also want to thank my colleague from Washington State for introducing this very important piece of legislation and I urge its passage.

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

I thank my friend and colleague from Georgia for yielding time to me. Also, I thank him for putting on this program this evening. It is very important that we inform the American public about these issues in health care.

It is undeniable that the United States has the finest health care system in the world, and I have seen it firsthand as a cardio-thoracic surgeon. I have had the great privilege of saving many lives in the practice of cardio-thoracic surgery. At the same time, I also learned firsthand about the difficulties that families go through and the high cost of health care incurred by families and small businesses.

Particularly, when my son was involved in a terrible car accident that required months of hospital care and the stress it put on my family and the financial pressure really awakened me to many of the problems that we have in our health care system. So I come here with strong determination to try to do something to help American families with the ever-rising cost and burden of providing health care.

Health care costs have doubled between 1993 and 2004, growing to nearly $1.9 trillion and representing 16 percent of the United States gross domestic product. When you look at health care, we have to make sure that it is affordable, it is available and accessible because I commonly say, I often say back at home, All health care is local. What good is health care if you cannot access it and get it where it is affordable where you live? That is where you need it. It does not do you any good if it is available in New York or Boston if you cannot get it at home in Lafayette, Louisiana.

So with this unsustainable rise in cost, we have got to do something to bring the cost down and make it more affordable and available. Competition is the key.

I think there are three words that really describe the principles for health care reform: information, choice, and control.

First of all, with regard to information, we need a free flow of information about prices, about cost to families, about cost of hospital care, cost when you go to see the doctor, the cost you incur when you go.

We also need a free flow of information about quality and outcomes, because if we have this flow of information, and information technology was mentioned earlier this evening, information technology is a critical part in providing this kind of information to the consumer and to ultimately the patient, to the family.

I often say what good is it if you do not have this information. If I go to the store to buy soft drinks or sodas for my family, I can go down the aisle, and there is a wide range of products, different quality, different flavors, different prices, and I make an informed decision. But in health care, we cannot do that. So we need information.

Choices, that is the other one. If we had a wide range of choices in health care, wide range of insurance products, then we could create this competition that will bring the cost down. It is one of the things we hope to see in the Medicare prescription Part D program, where we create competition to drive the cost of pharmaceuticals down for our seniors in these plans.

Another way of providing choice is certainly the health savings accounts that were mentioned earlier, associated health plans which is something we passed in the House. And there is also a bill that I am a proud cosponsor of; this is a bill by Representative Shadegg, H.R. 2355, the Health Care Choice Act of 2005, which will allow people to shop for insurance products, health care insurance, across State lines, again creating more competition and hopefully bringing the cost down.

The final piece of this is control. We do not have portability and control. I want to put health care destiny back in the control of families and individuals because I believe by doing so we create true portability in health care, and if we do this, then we will solve a lot of the problems. We will free up our businesses, let them do what they do best, by providing work and wages and so forth, but let us let families have that portability in health care.

Those are the keys to health care reform. It is important to recognize, if you look at our health care system, 45 percent of all health care spending is in the form of Medicare and Medicaid and other Federal programs. Fifty-five percent of it is in the so-called private sector, and yet what we have is a price control system where everything is set by basically paying at the Medicare rates, which creates some degree of rationing in health care. Yet, on the other side of the coin, when you look at what is happening to providers, providers are having to deal with the free ranging, inflated cost of supplies, pharmaceuticals, surgical equipment, and this has created major distortions in our health care system. This also needs to be addressed.

So, again, if we can create competition by using those three principles I mentioned, then I believe we can truly start to bring the costs down in health care and make it more affordable, available and accessible for American families.

I thank my colleague from Georgia for yielding to me, and I appreciate this opportunity to comment on health care.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I also point out another feature of health savings accounts and it is something very important to think about; and that is, as we get a large part of our generation to sign on to these health savings accounts, as our generation moves up into the Medicare years, that money will accrue and could be used for health care costs incurred at that time. It will help take some of the burden off the Medicare system in the future potentially. So it is a good, good feature as we look at these. Again, it helps the individual, it helps the family to control their own health care destiny.

So I just wanted to point that out, in addition to these very good facts that you pointed out as well.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor a man who will long be remembered for devotion to his country, his community, and his family. Hugh Thompson, Jr. of Lafayette, Louisiana, passed away after a brief illness on January 6, 2006, at the age of 62.

Born in Atlanta, Hugh joined the Navy in 1961 and left 3 years later. He continued his military service in 1966 by joining the Army and becoming a helicopter pilot. Upon completion of training, Thompson was deployed to serve in Vietnam. In 1968, he volunteered for duty that involved flying over Vietnamese forests to draw enemy fire and pinpoint the location of enemy troops.

It was on March 16, 1968, that Thompson and his crew; door-gunner Lawrence Colburn and crew chief Glenn Andreotta, came upon U.S. ground troops opening fire on Vietnamese civilians in and around the village of My Lai. After Thompson landed his helicopter in the line of fire between American troops and fleeing Vietnamese civilians, Colburn and Andreotta provided cover as he went forward to confront the leader of the U.S. forces. Thompson later coaxed civilians out of a bunker so they could be evacuated, and then landed his helicopter again to pick up a wounded child they transported to a hospital. Thompson would later say: ``These people were looking at me for help and there was no way I could turn my back on them.''

By the end of his tour of duty, Hugh Thompson had been hit eight times by enemy fire and lost five helicopters in combat. He left Vietnam after a combat crash broke his back, and was awarded both a Purple Heart and the Distinguished Flying Cross.

In 1998, the Army honored Thompson and his crew for their bravery at My Lai with the prestigious Soldier's Medal, the highest award for bravery not involving conflict with an enemy. ``It was the ability to do the right thing even at the risk of their personal safety that guided these soldiers to do what they did,'' Army Maj. Gen. Michael Ackerman said at the 1998 ceremony. The three ``set the standard for all soldiers to follow.''

Following his service in the military, Hugh was a devoted servant in Lafayette as a Veteran's Service Officer with the Louisiana Department of Veteran's Affairs.

Mr. Speaker, the United States has lost a true hero, and the State of Louisiana has lost a devoted leader and dear friend. I want convey my heartfelt sympathy to the Thompson

family. We are all humbly indebted to Hugh's service, and a grateful Nation honors his memory.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a proud cosponsor of H. Res. 657, a resolution to honor the contributions of Catholic schools and recognize Catholic Schools Week. I want to thank my colleagues on the Education and the Workforce Committee as well as the sponsor of this resolution, the gentleman from Minnesota, Mr. Kennedy, for their work.

Like many of my colleagues, I too am a product of Catholic schools. My upbringing is a testament to the quality education and dedicated efforts of Catholic educators to produce students, whether they are Catholic or not, dedicated to improving themselves, their community, and our Nation.

At Cathedral Carmel School in Lafayette, Louisiana, I developed a lifelong love of learning and reading. Through college and medical school, the lessons I learned in high school helped me to work through classes and assignments. Even throughout my professional career as a heart surgeon and now in Congress, I find myself relying on the personal development and classroom lessons from high school.

The Seventh District of Louisiana contains a strong Catholic school system; and I have met with many students, parents, and educators who believe these schools are helping to create students and young adults who will stay in Louisiana and become productive members of our community.

As we recover from the devastating effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Louisiana Catholic schools have played an integral role in our relief and recovery, taking in thousands of displaced students. Keeping our students in Louisiana is a big part of restoring our state's economy. These young adults provide entrepreneurship, creativity, workforce, and ingenuity to build businesses and create jobs.

Again, I congratulate the Catholic schools of our great Nation and look forward to continuing to support them in my community and in Congress.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill.

This bill strengthens our Nation's retirement system and comes at a critical time as economic conditions are requiring companies to confront new challenges.

This legislation provides steps to help employers plan and manage finances accurately, to determine pension liabilities and to ensure pensions are funded and benefits are paid.

I want to discuss an important section of the bill regarding multi- employer pension plans. Under current law, multi-employer pension plans are loosely regulated and have few requirements for timely disclosure of information.

For the first time ever, beneficiaries and contributing employers of these multi-employer pension plans will have transparent information to make accurate funding decisions. The legislation creates a system for identifying financially troubled plans and improving their funding status.

Furthermore, new notice and disclosure requirements will provide participants with clearer and more specific financial information. Workers and retirees must be provided with an annual update on the plan's assets, liabilities, financial condition and funding policies. Underfunded plans are required to file financial information with the PGBC and provide notice to workers and retirees. Existing financial disclosure documents are updated to provide more information, particularly about plan mergers and actuarial assumptions.

Multi-employer plans must notify a contributing employer of their withdrawal liability upon request.

Madam Speaker, I urge colleagues to back this bill and take a very important opportunity to put employees' pension plans on a solid foundation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a great achievement of the Pride of Acadiana Marching Band from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the Seventh District of Louisiana.

The Pride of Acadiana Marching Band participated in the 79th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City on November 24, 2005. One of only ten bands selected, the Acadiana Marching Band was the first Louisiana band to be invited to perform in the parade. The band followed the Big Apple Float, which featured the New Orleans' Krewe of Orpheus along with NYPD officers and FDNY rescue workers in a musical salute to New Orleans.

Playing several Cajun tunes, the Pride of Acadiana Marching Band excited the crowds with songs including ``Big Chief,'' ``Moneymaker,'' and ``Winter Wonderful.'' For the NBC exclusive area, the band performed a combination of ``When the Saints Go Marching In,'' ``On the Sunny Side of the Street,'' and ``South Rampart Street Parade.'' ``Sleigh Ride'' was the holiday tune performed while exiting the NBC area.

In addition to their participation in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the ULL Marching Band performed on the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier museum.

Today I want to recognize and congratulate the Pride of Acadiana Marching Band and Director Brian Taylor from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, for their achievement and thank them for representing Louisiana at such an extraordinary event.

Mr. Speaker, the unprecedented devastation caused by Hurricanes Rita and Katrina in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama will require an equally innovative recovery effort. The Hurricane Regulatory Relief Act will facilitate this effort by cutting through bureaucratic red tape to ensure that assistance for the gulf coast region arrives quickly and efficiently.

For one year the bill:

Allows States and schools to use available funds where they are most needed and most effective by waiving many funding requirements.

Extends deadlines for special education evaluations and reporting.

Allows teachers that met the ``highly qualified'' standard in an affected State to be considered ``highly qualified'' in other States that are serving large numbers of displaced students.

In addition, the bill expands the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA, Paperwork Reduction Pilot Program to States affected by the hurricanes.

This legislation also requires colleges to recalculate financial aid awards to take into account changes in families' financial circumstances caused by the hurricanes.

H.R. 3975 eases Federal requirements for State administration of the Child Care and Development Block Grant, CCDBG, and the Community Services Block Grant, CSBG.

In addition, H.R. 3975 provides financial flexibility to allow displaced workers seeking emergency loans and hardship distributions from their personal retirement plans, such as 401(k)s, to access them more quickly and easily.

Finally, the bill authorizes the purchase and distribution of equipment for projects administered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA, in response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and it waives the matching grant requirements for State OSHA programs in order for those States to offer assistance to hurricane- impacted areas.

These measures will ensure the gulf region has the necessary flexibility to rebuild what has always been a vital and distinctive economy, and I urge passage of the Hurricane Regulatory Relief Act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a proud cosponsor of H.R. 4133, the National Flood Insurance Program Further Enhanced Borrowing Authority Act of 2005. This bill recognizes the need for increased borrowing authority under the National Flood Insurance Plan.

Last year, the 2004 hurricane season resulted in over 75,000 claims totaling close to $2 billion dollars paid out in NFIP coverage. Today, FEMA estimates that more than 225,000 Katrina and Rita-related NFIP claims are likely to be filed, exceeding $22 billion, and far surpassing claims paid in the entire history of this program.

Many of my constituents in Southwest Louisiana have been devastated by the loss of home and property since Hurricane Rita struck. They are anxious to rebuild, but local communities need Federal resources so they can begin to recover and rebuild their infrastructure and neighborhoods.

Now, FEMA is quickly running out of money. This legislation would allow for a temporary increase in FEMA's borrowing authority from $3.5 billion to $8.5 billion, through 2008.

These claims are not a new obligation, but rather the result of a legal promise our government made to these homeowners and business owners when Congress passed the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968.

Mr. Speaker, the flood victims in Southwest Louisiana, and throughout the Gulf region, need to rebuild their homes and their lives. Congress not only has a legal obligation, but a moral obligation to assist them in this effort. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a special group of individuals from the Seventh Congressional District of Louisiana. I am proud to represent this distinguished group from my district. They are teachers, who have dedicated their lives to educating our leaders of tomorrow. Recently, Regent Broadcasting Corporation held a banquet to honor the best teachers in the Acadiana area. I join them in this endeavor and enter into the official Congressional Record the names of each one of these educators. I ask that my colleagues join me in thanking them for their service to our children.

They are: Cassie Arceneaux, Rosemary Arnold, Stephen Arnold, Kristi Barker, Monica Batiste, Rachelle Beasley, Mary Benjamin, John Bliss, Phyllis Bonhagen, Diedra Bossier, Katie Botts, Sarah Boudreaux, Marcy Boudreaux-Johnson, Dina Bourque, Kerry Ann Breaux, Phyllis Breaux, Maria Brodie, Amanda Buteau, Russell Cailler, Carmen Cain, Carolyn Campos, Sera Centanni, Beth Chambers, Jim Chambers, Ashley Charpentier, Jackie Chaote, Patricia Clement, Shann Comeaux, Misti Darby, Carla Darcey, Dene Dauzat, Vianne Dawkins, Nicole Delahoussaye, Rachel Delcambre, Laura Delcambre, Nicole Duhon, Doug Duhon, Denise Ferguson, Keela Folsom, Cathy Frame, Denise Frederick, Donna Gilbert, Delia Girouard, William Greig, Brandi Gonzalea, Donna Goulas, Tiffani Granger, Patrice Grieg, Deany Guidry, Alanna Guillot, Mona Hahn, Renee Harelson, Callie Hardy, Erica Hargrave, Billy Hargroder, Dianne Hebert, Penny Hebert, Amy Hebert, Teres Johnson, Jan Johnson, Lacy Kibodeaux, Tori Kristicevich, Lea Lahasky, Amy Landry, Ginger Landry, Kim Landry, Rebecca Landry, Laurie LaPorte, Denette Latiolais, Camille Lavigne, Hedi LeBlanc, Stephanie Leger, Hayley Lejeaune, Kim LeMaire, Carey Lemoine, Denise Lotief, Angie Louviere, Brenna Mahoney, Vanessa Mayon, Rebekah McGee, Susan Merritt, Dura Minix, Allison Moore, Claire Myers, Kelly Neel, Denise Nugent, Desmond O'Conner, Dori Perez, Tonya Perry, Rosanne Plagens, Rebekah Prudhomme, Rachael Rachel, Rachelle Rachal, Debie Rebert, Nancy Reeves, LaToya Rideau, Ashlyn Roger, Damon Romero, Jonathon Royer, Kristen Royer, Sherry Rude, Tina Sapienza, Rhonda Schwartzenburg, Ros Siebold, Jennifer Semien, Donna Shotwell, Christine Simon, Lisa Stokes, Eric Stromer, Tina Stutes, Monique Taylor, Shawne Taylor, Krystal Theriot, Lyndelle Theriot, Nikki Thevis, Patricia Thibodeaux, Charlene Trahan, Kathy Verrette, Gwen Vice, Melanie Voison, Margaret Walet, Leslie Willis, and Wendy Wisdom.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 220, a resolution I sponsored to recognize America's Blood Centers and its member organizations for their commitment to providing the United States with a safe and adequate volunteer donor blood supply. I would also like to thank the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Bass) for his support of this resolution.

America's Blood Centers was founded in 1962 and is North America's largest network of community-based, federally licensed, not-for-profit blood centers. With locations in 45 States, America's Blood Centers collects almost half the United States blood supply, more than any other organization. They provide blood products and services to more than 3,300 United States hospitals and serve more than 150 million people.

America's Blood Centers have been a national leader in meeting increased national blood supply needs, developing new donor recruitment tools, and making blood donation a societal priority. They are often the first responders to national disasters and ensure that needed resources are available in times of crisis. And, in fact, Mr. Speaker as a cardiac surgeon and a surgeon with extensive experience in open heart surgery and in trauma, I have seen directly the benefit that these blood centers provide.

Additionally, America's Blood Centers are currently engaged in developing new tests and technologies to further assure the safety of the Nation's blood supply and are actively engaged in biomedical research in the area of transfusion medicine.

The resolution before us will ensure that America's Blood Centers receives the national recognition they deserve for their work, work that saves lives every day. Their services are invaluable, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the great achievements of Deputy Anthony Robert III, of Opelousas, Louisiana.

In addition to his distinguished service as a Deputy Sheriff in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Deputy Robert has also displayed an extraordinary athletic talent in track and field competition.

At the 2005 Louisiana Police and Fire Summer Games in Lafayette, Louisiana, Deputy Robert won three gold medals in the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, and javelin; as well as two silver medals in the shot put and the discus. His success continued this June during the Southeastern Police and Fire Championships, which took place in Birmingham, Alabama. There, Deputy Robert won a total of five gold medals in the following events: 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, 400 meter dash, 4 x 100 meter relay, and the 110 meter hurdles.

Additionally, at the recent World Police and Fire Games, which took place this past summer in Quebec, Canada, Deputy Robert was awarded the bronze medal in the 110 meter high hurdles as well as a ranking of 4th in the world in the 400 meter hurdles.

I applaud Deputy Robert's achievements, not only as a dedicated law enforcement officer, but also as a great representative of the citizens of Louisiana on the field of competition.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in vigorous support of H.R. 3893. This bill takes us back to Earth in reality. This bill recognizes the need for increased supplies of refined petroleum products and takes the necessary steps to increase refining capacity.

No new refinery has been constructed in the United States since 1976. We just heard the numbers earlier. The demand for gasoline exceeds domestic production by an average of 4 million barrels per day. This growing gap is met by importing refined petroleum from foreign sources, which is a threat to market stability and national security. Refining capacity is not being increased, due in part to a permitting process that is overly cumbersome and capital intensive.

The two hurricanes only further exposed the lack of a comprehensive national energy security policy. Currently, 20 percent of our Nation's refinery production is shut down. 600,000 barrels are off line in my southwest Louisiana district.

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 meets the energy needs of America's citizens.

This legislation would not circumvent or remove any environmental protection, but would simply coordinate and streamline the process. It would also encourage investment in new pipelines and expansion of existing infrastructure to transport petroleum products more efficiently and at a lower cost to consumers.

The farmers of Louisiana need to harvest crops. The industries of Louisiana need to rebuild, and families of Louisiana would like to return. Affordable energy is going to be an important factor in our ability to do that.

The people of my district have realized the responsibility of providing fuel for this Nation for a long time, and they are happy to do so. It is now time to give them the tools to meet this growing task and share it with others. I urge the passage of this bill.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3864) to provide vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities affected by Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3864.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3864. H.R. 3864, the Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Affected by Hurricane Katrina or Rita Act of 2005, is a bill that I introduced to provide immediate and critical assistance to individuals with disabilities affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Since I introduced H.R. 3864 last week, I have worked with my colleagues in the Senate to revise the language to create an even better bill, and the amendment I am introducing today reflects the agreement we were able to reach.

I urge my colleagues to adopt this commonsense legislation that will allow individuals with disabilities greater access to vocational rehabilitation services so they may return to work in the aftermath of these devastating hurricanes.

The measure that we are considering today deals with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a law that provides job training and other services designed to increase employment options for individuals with disabilities. The bill will provide greater flexibility to the United States Department of Education and the Rehabilitation Services Administration so sufficient funds are made available to States impacted by these hurricanes.

Specifically, this legislation requires the commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration to give preference to States like Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, and others that have taken in large numbers of evacuees when unused vocational rehabilitation services funds are reallocated at the end of this fiscal year under the Rehabilitation Act.

It also assists impacted States by providing a one-time waiver of the requirement that those States match the reallocated funds they receive with non-Federal sources. This will provide the impacted States the necessary flexibility to maximize the use of both State and Federal funds to serve the citizens of those States during the critical months ahead.

The bill also ensures that States like Louisiana will continue to have access to funds under the Rehabilitation Act that had been relinquished to the Department of Education prior to the hurricane. Finally, the measure encourages affected States that receive a reallocation of vocational rehabilitation funds to use those funds to provide services to individuals with disabilities affected by the hurricanes. This will give these residents an opportunity to contribute to the economic development of their communities and participate in the reconstruction efforts.

As everyone knows, my State of Louisiana has suffered through two major hurricanes this last month. I spent this past weekend in my district as we prepared for and dealt directly with the aftermath of Hurricane Rita. Those affected by this hurricane and Hurricane Katrina continue to display tremendous courage, and I appreciate all that the American people and this Congress have done to assist our region.

This bill represents yet another step we will take to provide needed resources to the people of the gulf coast, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

I want to thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee). He has been quite an ally in this process.

This is a very important piece of legislation, a small piece of legislation, but important, that will help us get back on our feet; and I urge passage of H.R. 3864.

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

Mr. Chairman, on September 22, 2005, I returned to my district to prepare for Hurricane Rita, which was projected to hit southwest Louisiana, and I was unable to be present during House consideration of H.R. 2123, ``School Readiness Act of 2005.'' Had I been present, I planned to offer an amendment that would allow faith- based Head Start providers to participate in the program and maintain the character of their organization through their employment practices. I would like to thank my colleague, Representative John Boehner, for introducing this amendment in my absence.

It is critical that faith-based organizations that are willing to serve their communities by participating in federal programs are not forced to give up who they are to participate. They cannot be expected to sustain their religious mission without the ability to employ individuals who share the tenets and practices of their faith or who are dedicated to upholding the values of the organization. These groups should not be forced to abandon who they are because they want to assist the community; we lose too many good people who want to help when we put that barrier in their way.

Now, more than ever before, we are seeing first hand the good work these groups are doing in my region of the country. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, faith-based organizations were among the first to reach out a hand in service to those impacted by the disaster.

The 1964 Civil Rights Act makes it clear that faith-based groups have a federally protected right to maintain their religious nature and character through those they hire. If we do not include the provision to allow them to exercise their right we are continuing to discourage potential providers, who could provide needed learning experiences, from participating in the program.

Let me be clear, we are not talking about discrimination--nothing in the amendment will allow a faith-based provider to discriminate. The Boehner amendment merely allows faith-based providers to exercise their rights under the Civil Rights Act and help their neighbors by participating in this federal program.

We have a long history of making social service legislation more inclusive by extending these rights in various federal programs. Despite the attacks launched by opponents of this amendment that we will hear today, former President Clinton actually signed four separate pieces of legislation that explicitly allow religious organizations providing social services to make employment decisions based on religion, including the Welfare Reform Act of 1996 and the Community Services Block Grant Act of 1998.

We have also passed these protections in other legislation in the House, most recently on the Job Training Improvement Act, H.R. 27.

The Boehner amendment to the School Readiness Act would simply make Head Start consistent with the legislation governing other major social service programs amendment, and I urge support of this amendment.

Mr. Speaker, on September 22, 2005, I returned to my district to prepare for Hurricane Rita, which was projected to hit southwest Louisiana, and I was unable to be present during House consideration of H.R. 2123, ``School Readiness Act of 2005.'' Consequently, I missed rollcall No. 488 on amendment No.ed 2 offered by Representative Souder, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.'' I also missed rollcall No. 489 on amendment No.ed 4 offered by Representatives Stearns; had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.'' On rollcall No. 490 on amendment No.ed 5 offered by Representative Davis, I would have voted ``aye.'' On rollcall No. 491 on amendment No.ed 10 offered by Representative Musgrave, I would have voted ``aye.'' On rollcall No. 492 on amendment No.ed 12 offered by Representative Boehner, I would have voted ``aye.'' On rollcall No. 493 on the passage of H.R. 2123, ``School Readiness Act'' I would have voted ``aye.''