Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Government Reform, I rise in favor of H.R. 2385, a bill that reauthorizes the Secretary of Commerce to conduct the Quarterly Financial Report program through the year 2015.

This important program provides data essential to calculating all aspects of national economy. Along with the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Turner), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Federalism and the Census, I urge support of this necessary legislation.

The Quarterly Financial Report Program is our Nation's most comprehensive source of data on corporate financial activity. For the past 58 years, QFR data has been the basis of estimating the gross domestic product and the national income accounts. Consequently, countless public and private organizations rely on QFR data to make informed economic policy decisions every day.

Since 1983, the U.S. Census Bureau has successfully executed this valuable program. The Census Bureau has put forth laudable efforts to improve the process that provides the timely data. Specifically, the Census Bureau has significantly reduced time required for reporting the data by making it possible for companies to submit their surveys electronically by sending out filing reminders and providing help via the Census Website.

The Census Bureau has done an exceptional job conducting this survey for the Secretary of Commerce. That fact notwithstanding, it is the responsibility of Congress to reauthorize this program after a period of 10 years pending a thorough review on the condition that the Census Bureau continues to effectively administer this necessary economic survey.

Mr. Speaker, this is, in fact, a noncontroversial bill to reauthorize the time-tested Quarterly Financial Report Program. Passage of this legislation will ensure an uninterrupted continuation of this program.

I thank the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Turner) and the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Tom Davis) for moving this bill through the subcommittee and full committee. I am pleased to be an original cosponsor of H.R. 2385 and urge its passage.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2113) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2000 McDonough Street in Joliet, Illinois, as the ``John F. Whiteside Joliet Post Office Building''.

Mr. 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. 2113.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2113 introduced by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller) names this Post Office in Joliet, Illinois, as the John F. Whiteside Joliet Post Office Building. All 18 Illinois colleagues of the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller) have cosponsored this bill, and I am pleased to participate in this bill's consideration today.

John Whiteside was a long time opinion writer for the Joliet Herald News. Upon graduation from Northern Illinois University in 1971, he was hired by the Herald News which was the only newspaper he ever worked for.

For the first decade of his career, he worked as a beat and general assignment reporter. But in 1981, he began writing a daily column in the paper each weekday that became beloved by Joliet residents.

Mr. Whiteside wrote the vast majority of his columns on local matters. The most frequent and passionate topics on which he opined were matters of importance to community veterans and law enforcement officials. An Air Force veteran himself, Whiteside correctly viewed all of our Nation's military service veterans as American heroes.

He, likewise, had tremendous respect for police officers, once championing an attempt to raise funds for a police memorial in Joliet, among other efforts. For his eloquent advocacy over many years, it appears safe to say his subjects admired him, too.

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, after battling cancer for 18 months, John Whiteside passed away on January 22, 2005. He was 61 years old. Days after he died, the front page of the Sunday Herald News carried one final John Whiteside column. It was a posthumous article full of life's lessons that he had written in anticipation of his death. It was a touching end to a meaningful career that was cut short by a struggle with cancer.

His struggle was all the more touching because Whiteside had shared tales of his battle with melanoma with his readers from October 2003 through his passing in January 2005. On a personal note, my own father- in-law passed away from that same disease in January of this year, so I have some understanding of what Mr. Whiteside and his family went through. My sympathies go out to his family.

Mr. Speaker, John Whiteside was indeed a memorable resident of Joliet. Readers of the Herald News have spent a few moments with John every Monday through Friday for nearly a quarter of a century. For these reasons, it is fitting that the House would pass this bill to name a post office in his honor in his hometown of Joliet. I urge all my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 2113.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller).

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller) for his work on H.R. 2113.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2183) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 567 Tompkins Avenue in Staten Island, New York, as the ``Vincent Palladino Post Office''.

Mr. 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 the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2183 honors the late president of the National Association of Postal Supervisors, Vincent Palladino. Palladino passed away unexpectedly at his home in nearby Arlington, Virginia, at the age of 69 in December 2004. He was a native of Staten Island, New York, which is in the district of the distinguished sponsor of H.R. 2183 and my good friend, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Fossella). I congratulate the gentleman for offering this important measure.

After serving his Nation in the Air Force, Palladino began his lifelong career in and around the United States Postal Service. He started working as a letter carrier in Staten Island in 1960. He was later promoted to foreman of mails and then station manager in 1970. Last August, Vincent Palladino was elected to his seventh consecutive 2-year term as president of the postal supervisors association. NAPS is an organization that represents more than 35,000 first-line postal supervisors who work in facilities where employees process and deliver the mail.

Mr. Speaker, it is clear he was a knowledgeable, empathetic and effective leader and advocate in the postal community, and that is why this post office naming in his honor is so appropriate. I urge all my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 2113.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from the State of New York (Mr. Fossella), the author of H.R. 2183.

(Mr. FOSSELLA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I urge support from all Members for this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2630) to redesignate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1927 Sangamon Avenue in Springfield, Illinois, as the ``J.M. Dietrich Northeast Annex''.

Mr. 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 the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood) introduced H.R. 2630, which redesignates the postal facility located at 1927 Sangamon Avenue in Springfield, Illinois, as the ``J.M. Dietrich Northeast Annex.'' All members of the Illinois State congressional delegation have cosponsored this legislation, and I support its passage.

James Michael Dietrich was an earnest lifelong postal employee. He began his career as a letter carrier in 1970. In 1983 he was promoted to supervisor of Delivery and Collections, and finally he earned the position of Customer Service Supervisor in 1989. Regardless of his rank or duties with the postal service, Dietrich gained the respect of his peers through his friendly demeanor, leadership, and hard work.

Mike Dietrich died in September, 2003. He was a tremendous asset to the postal service and a terrific individual who is worthy of this fitting honor by the House. So I encourage my colleagues to join with the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood) and me in renaming the Northeast Annex in Springfield, Illinois as the ``J.M. Dietrich Northeast Annex.''

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood).

(Mr. LaHOOD asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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

Mr. Chairman, I would like to express my support for the Community Services Block Grants, and take a moment to highlight the effect these grants have on my District. CSBG funds are used to support the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley (CACLV). I have a long history of working with the CACLV on a wide range of antipoverty initiatives which include housing, hunger, and community development, and I have seen the positive contributions that CACLV has made as a result of CSBG funding.

CSBG grants are uniquely effective because they are locally- controlled and respond to the particular need of each individual community. The grants produce a return on investments and have a sophisticated outcome-based accountability system. In my district, the CACLV generates over $8 for each CSBG dollar; half of that leveraged money comes from private sources which include utilities, banks, churches, foundations, and individuals.

CACLV runs two homeless shelters in my district--Safe Harbor in Easton and the 6th Street Shelter in Allentown. These shelters serve individuals and families with issues ranging from drug and alcohol dependence to mental health. The CACLV also operates Second Harvest Food Bank, distributing about 5 million pounds of donated and government food to over 170 agencies each year.

CACLV operates three community development subsidiaries that are conducting entrepreneurial training and offer micro loans to help create dozens of micro enterprises each year. These CDC's operate two inner-city farmers' markets, offer cash assistance to struggling neighborhood-based businesses, provide residential and commercial facade improvement grants, and youth recreation programs.

Finally, CACLV operates a comprehensive financial services program that teaches dozens of low income families to save money and buy homes. Additionally, the CACLV offers free tax preparation services to over 600 taxpaying households.

Beyond these impressive efforts, the CACLV has a record of building partnerships. It conceived and led a campaign that resulted in two open space referenda. This project is set to generate $70 million to create and enhance parks, protect natural areas and preserve farms. The CACLV's housing initiatives have led campaigns to create housing trust funds in two counties in my district, and funded programs that have dramatically expanded homeowners hip throughout the Lehigh Valley.

The funding reductions included in this bill will greatly impact CACLV and Community Action Agencies across the country. The Executive Director of CACLV expects that a cut in excess of 50 percent will result in the closing of one of its homeless shelters and all of its small business development work and perhaps even more.

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that my district and the nation need the services that Community Action agencies provide. Although I understand the tight budget constraints we face, these programs will stimulate the economy and improve the quality of life for the residents of my district. As the appropriations process advances, I would like to express my support for funding levels equal to the final FY 2005 appropriations for CSBG.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 71) expressing the sense of Congress that there should be established a Caribbean-American Heritage Month.

Mr. 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 the concurrent resolution under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Government Reform, I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 71, a resolution that recognizes the Caribbean-American community. This is a meaningful resolution to many Americans of Caribbean heritage, and I trust my colleagues will join me in support.

Mr. Speaker, America and the islands of the Caribbean have been eternal neighbors, and our pasts and futures are inexorably connected. The first permanent European settlement in the Caribbean was established by Spain on Hispaniola, the island that is now Haiti and the Dominican Republic, in 1496. The first native Caribbean people came to mainland North America as indentured servants at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619.

Since the birth of our Nation, the United States has greatly benefited from the contributions of those of Caribbean descent. From Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury, and founder of the First Bank of the United States, who was born on the island of Nevis, through Secretary of State Colin Powell, who was born to Jamaican immigrants, Caribbean-Americans have impacted all aspects of our Nation in tremendous ways.

Mr. Speaker, without question America greatly values its Caribbean- American population. This concurrent resolution is one important way that Congress can express its appreciation of the patriotism and honor of Caribbean-Americans. In addition, the United States Government enjoys great relationships with many island countries in the Caribbean as we work together on many issues including drug trafficking and trafficking in persons.

This concurrent resolution enjoys strong bipartisan support, of course, of the Caribbean-American Cultural Association and the Caribbean Diaspora Empowerment Foundation, not to mention the 81 cosponsors here in the House. I support the concurrent resolution as well.

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

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support House Concurrent Resolution 71, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2346) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 105 NW Railroad Avenue in Hammond, Louisiana, as the ``John J. Hainkel Post Office Building,'' as amended.

Mr. 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 the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, this legislation salutes the life of an extraordinary member of the Louisiana legislature, the late John Hainkel, Jr. John Hainkel served 20 years in the Louisiana State house and another 25 years in the State senate until he passed away on April 15 this year. I know he was a tremendous representative of his many constituents and supporters.

The State of Louisiana has mourned the loss of Senator Hainkel for several weeks, but I appreciate the House leadership's selecting this bill for consideration so the entire Nation can acknowledge the life of this highly respected man. I also want to especially thank the distinguished gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jindal) for his work on this bill and his commitment to recognizing Senator Hainkel.

Prior to his passing, Senator Hainkel had served in Baton Rouge since 1968, when he was first elected to the State house. He clearly earned the great respect of his colleagues because he became speaker of the house in 1980, and he held that post through 1984. In 1988, New Orleans voters elected him to be their State senator. He ultimately became president of the senate from 2000 through last year. He remained in the senate until his passing in April.

Mr. Speaker, I support this post office designation on behalf of John J. Hainkel, Jr. and urge all Members to do the same. It seems clear his contributions to the State of Louisiana will be long lasting. I look forward to the words of the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jindal), sponsor of this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jindal), the author of H.R. 2346.

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

Mr. Speaker, I simply urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 2436.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2490) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 442 West Hamilton Street, Allentown, Pennsylvania, as the ``Mayor Joseph S. Daddona Memorial Post Office''.

Mr. 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. 2490.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2490 honors Joseph S. Daddona for his respected service to the community, my hometown, Allentown, Pennsylvania. Mr. Daddona was born in 1933, the son of Italian American immigrants. He grew up in the Second Ward of Allentown, in an ethnically diverse neighborhood.

Too poor to attend college after graduating from what was then Allentown High School, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served his country during the Korean War. After safely returning from overseas, Mr. Daddona put himself through Lehigh University and received an engineering degree.

Although he began his career as a planning engineer for the Western Electric Company, he found himself increasingly drawn to politics in the City of Allentown. In the mid-1960s, as a member of the Allentown Jaycees, Joe Daddona spearheaded the effort to create a Charter Study Commission for the city. He subsequently won a seat on that commission, helped draft the city's strong mayor form of government, and later served a term as an Allentown city councilman.

In 1973, Daddona was elected mayor for the first time. During his tenure,

Allentown was designated an All-American City, one of his proudest accomplishments and something he spoke of often. He stood for reelection in 1977, but lost by 121 votes. Undeterred, Joe Daddona ran again in 1981 and won. He also triumphed in 1985 and 1993, making him the longest serving mayor in the city's history, along with Malcolm W. Gross.

Mayor Daddona's other endeavors include establishing parks, fire stations, and high-rise apartments for the elderly. He also improved environmental conditions at the local sewage treatment facility and was responsible for numerous modifications to local traffic patterns.

Daddona was a relentless booster for the city of Allentown. He was constantly in touch with his constituents and worked tirelessly to solve neighborhood problems. He loved to show off the city during Super Sunday and Mayfair events.

After his political career ended, he appeared on various local television and radio shows, in part to extol the virtues of the city. Daddona died after a long battle with cancer on June 5, 2004. He is survived by his wife Ann and their children.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 2490 in recognition and memory of my friend, the late Mayor Joe Daddona.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank all my colleagues for their support of this effort to honor my late friend, Joe Daddona.

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

Mr. Speaker, tonight we will be engaging in a discussion about our Nation's homeland security. I will be joined by several of my colleagues here tonight who have some very interesting thoughts and perspectives they would like to share with the American people on this most important issue. Homeland security is a matter of concern to all Americans, irrespective of their political affiliation. This is especially true in the United States Congress. The Committee on Homeland Security, of which I am a member, reflects our national concern.

In the last 6 months, our committee has sent to the floor of the House some very important legislation designed to make America's borders, ports, and transportation facilities less vulnerable to terrorist attack or other catastrophe. One such bill is H.R. 1544, the Faster and Smarter Funding For First Responders Act of 2005.

Prior to this bill, grant funding for first responders tasked with responding to homeland emergencies was provided in equal percentage to all States with an allowance upward for population. Because these funds are distributed without regard to safeguarding against risk, there were many documented abuses within the system. Of the $6.3 billion in grants appropriated by Congress and awarded by the Department of Homeland Security since fiscal year 2002, only 31 percent of those funds have been spent. Let me repeat: of the $6.3 billion in grants appropriated by Congress and awarded by the Department of Homeland Security since fiscal year 2002, only 31 percent of those funds have been spent.

My own home State of Pennsylvania, that State has only spent 17 percent of these homeland security funds. Hundreds of millions of dollars earmarked for homeland projects are currently unaccounted for. Moreover, in some instances, local communities received these funds, but utilized them in ways that were not consistent with the promotion of our homeland security.

The chart I have here, and I will have those displayed in a moment, but these charts that I have here highlight some of the most egregious examples of misspent homeland security funds:

In Washington, DC, Dale Carnegie public speaking training for sanitation workers, $100,000 was spent. These were homeland security dollars we are talking about.

Again in Washington, DC, a rap song to teach children emergency preparedness, $100,000.

Santa Clara County, California, four Segway scooters to transport bomb squad personnel at a cost of $18,000.

Mason County, Washington, biochemical decontamination units left sitting in a warehouse for more than a year, with no one trained to use it, $63,000.

South Dakota, on-site paging system for the State agricultural fair at $29,995.

Converse, Texas, a trailer to transport lawnmowers to lawnmower drag races, $3,000.

Des Moines, Iowa, traffic cones, State of Missouri, 13,000 HazMat suits for every law enforcement official at $7.2 million.

Tiptonville, Tennessee, purchases totaling $183,000 including a Gator all-terrain vehicle at $8,700 and two defibrillators, one for use at high school basketball games, $5,200.

Washington, DC, computerized car towing service, $300,000. Again, we are talking about homeland security funds here.

Montgomery County, Maryland, 8 large screen plasma television monitors for $160,000.

Prince Georges County, Maryland, digital camera system used for mug shots at a half million dollars.

Newark, New Jersey, air-conditioned garbage trucks at a quarter million dollars.

H.R. 1544 seeks to rectify this deplorable situation by awarding grant funds based on risk. It requires that moneys be disbursed to those areas where threat vulnerability and consequence of attack is the greatest. It provides priority assistance to those first responders and first preventers that in fact are facing the highest risk. It streamlines the process by which local authorities can apply for and receive terrorism preparedness grants. It establishes specific flexible and measurable goals for the Department of Homeland Security and promotes the development of national standards for first responder equipment and training. It encourages regional cooperation to increase emergency preparedness. It follows the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission which had this to say about the prior funding formula: ``Homeland Security assistance should be based strictly on an assessment of risks and vulnerabilities. Federal Homeland Security assistance should not remain a program for general revenue sharing. It should supplement State and local resources based on the risk or vulnerabilities that merit additional support. Congress should not use this money as pork barrel.'' That was the 9/11 Commission.

By directing grant funding to threatened areas without regard to politics, H.R. 1544 has become a key part of the national security reforms necessitated by the September 11 attacks.

The second piece of legislation that reflects the Homeland Security Committee's bipartisan commitment to the preservation of homeland security is H.R. 1817, the Homeland Security Authorization Act for fiscal year 2006. This act promotes our national security in a number of different areas. To help secure our porous borders it authorizes funds to hire 2,000 new border patrol agents. In addition, it provides $40 million so that local law enforcement agencies have access to the training required to apprehend illegal immigrants, some of whom may be involved in terrorist activities. To safeguard the cargo coming into our ports, it provides money to promote risk-based screening of containers in transit to the United States. The Container Security Initiative, or CSI, is a Department of Homeland Security initiative or program that places customs employees at 36 foreign ports to target and inspect these containers before they can gain entry to the United States. H.R. 1817 not only funds the existing program, but also makes provisions to expand inspections to approximately 50 ports.

Finally, with regard to deterring a nuclear or biological attack, the act promotes the improvement of the department's intelligence-gathering capabilities that is necessary to detect incoming threats and to develop the means to prevent these efforts.

H.R. 1817 provides the authorization to maintain the funds necessary to keep the country secure, while H.R. 2360, the Homeland Security Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2006, appropriates the moneys required to do the job. Our committee has approved $30.85 billion for operations and activities of the Department of Homeland Security. This represents an increase of $1.37 billion over fiscal year 2005 and $1.3 billion above the President's budget request. As with the authorization bill, border security is a high priority in this legislation. We have appropriated $1.61 billion for border security and an additional $3.2 billion for customs enforcement, which will allow the Bureau for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, to hire an additional 150 criminal investigators and 200 immigration enforcement agents. We have appropriated $188 million to develop vehicle and cargo inspection technologies and we have given the Coast Guard $2.6 billion to perform its homeland security missions.

H.R. 2360 also helps local first responders perform their vital homeland security mission. Among other expenditures we have earmarked $200 million for a first responders training, $400 million for State and local law enforcement terrorism prevention programs and $600 million for firefighter grants. Since September 11, 2001, Congress has provided over $32 billion to first responders. Again, since September 11, 2001, Congress has provided over $32 billion to our first responders, including terrorism prevention and preparedness, general law enforcement, firefighter assistance, airport security, seaport security, and public health preparedness. And this year's share of that funding comes to approximately $3.6 billion.

Finally, H.R. 2360 goes a long way toward helping us to maintain security at our transportation hubs and places deemed to be critical infrastructure. We have directed moneys for air cargo security, rail security and trucking security. We have earmarked $1.3 billion toward research and development, including $651 million to develop radiological, nuclear, chemical, biological and high explosives countermeasures designed to protect power plants, other industrial properties, and the people that work in or live near those particular facilities. These programs are expensive, but no mission is more important than safeguarding the country against the threat of attack by chemical, biological or nuclear agents, unthinkable attacks, and we are doing all we can to protect ourselves.

These three bills, taken together, the First Responders Act, the Homeland Security Authorization Act, and Homeland Security Appropriations Act reveal that the gentleman from California (Chairman Cox), an extraordinary man who the President quite wisely nominated to become the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission, he has done an outstanding job. Chairman Cox and the rest of the Homeland Security Committee possess the highest possible commitment to keeping our Nation safe from terrorist attack and from other catastrophic events. While all these measures were thoroughly debated in the committee, they all passed to the floor with relative ease, a testament to the timeless adage that so aptly characterizes our political process. In America, debates over homeland security, like those regarding partisan politics, end at the water's edge.

And with that I would like now to turn to some of my colleagues who have joined me here tonight from the Homeland Security Committee, each of whom, many of whom, bring very interesting skills and background to this issue. And the first Member of the committee I would like to draw your attention to introduce is a good friend, my colleague from the 10th district of Texas. In addition to working on the International Relations and Science Committees, he also serves with me on, as I mentioned, the Homeland Security Committee where he is assigned to the Subcommittee on the Prevention of Nuclear and Biological Attack and the Subcommittee on Management, Integration and Oversight.

My colleague is a former Texas deputy attorney general and chief of terrorism and national security in the Department of Justice for the Western Judicial District of Texas. Further, because of his expertise in homeland security affairs, the Governor of Texas

appointed him to be the adviser to the Governor's office on homeland security. So with that, I would like to introduce to all of you my good friend from the 10th District of Texas (Mr. McCaul).

The next speaker tonight who will be joining us in this discuss on homeland security is another good friend who brings to us a great deal of experience. I would like to introduce to you now my colleague from the third district of California. In addition to working on the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on the Budget, he also serves with me on the Committee on Homeland Security where he is assigned to the Subcommittee on Prevention of Nuclear and Biological Attack and the Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment.

My colleague is a former attorney general for the State of California, that State's top law enforcement officer; and he is strongly committed to enhancing the quality and depth of congressional oversight of our government's intelligence gathering and analysis in the provision of homeland security. I would like to introduce the gentleman from California (Mr. Daniel E. Lungren).

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Daniel E. Lungren). I think we have heard quite clearly from these individuals who have tremendous and deep experience in law enforcement in their States. They bring a perspective here that is very valuable to the Committee on Homeland Security and, frankly, to the security of our Nation.

The next person I would like to introduce tonight also has a great deal of experience in law enforcement. Actually, he has 33 years of experience as a first responder. He was the sheriff of King County, Washington. That is the Seattle area, for those of you not from the State of Washington, but the gentleman from Washington's (Mr. Reichert) Eighth District, again, is just loaded with experience as a first responder or a first preventer.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Reichert), my colleague, former sheriff and extraordinary member of the Committee on Homeland Security.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Reichert) for sharing his thoughts and perspectives with us, again a 33-year first responder and police officer from the Seattle year.

Now, I yield to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Rogers), another fine individual, member of the committee, from the Third District of Alabama. In addition to working on the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Agriculture, he also serves with me on the Committee on Homeland Security where he is assigned to the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Science, and Technology and chairs the Subcommittee on Management, Integration, and Oversight. As chairman of this subcommittee, my colleague is very concerned about making sure that the Department of Homeland Security operates in the most efficient and effective and transparent way possible.

With that, I yield to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Rogers).

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Alabama for his comments as well and appreciate his leadership on the Committee on Homeland Security.

I would now like to further this conversation tonight, this Special Order and this discussion with the American people, and I would like to say a few words about the interrelationship between immigration and homeland security.

While so many immigrants who come to this country do so legally and with the sole intention of seeking a better life, there are those who have links to terrorist organizations or who come here to do us harm. To be fully effective, then, the homeland security programs need to contain measures to curb illegal immigration and to prevent those who would seek to propagate acts of violence from crossing international borders.

Legislation recently passed in the House contains these kinds of measures. The Real ID Act is one such provision. It serves to protect the homeland in four distinct ways.

First, it establishes rigorous proof of identity for all driver's license applicants and strong security requirements for all licenses and State-issued identity cards. It further requires that Federal agencies only accept State-issued licenses and ID cards from those States that have confirmed by substantial evidence that the applicant is lawfully present within the jurisdiction. These measures are important because they make it more difficult for would-be terrorists to utilize phony or temporary licenses or secure cover for their nefarious activities here in the U.S. As the 9/11 Commission states: ``It is elemental to border security to know who is coming into the country. Today more than 9 million people are in the United States outside the legal immigration system. All but one of the 9/11 hijackers acquired some form of U.S. identification document, some by fraud.

``Acquisition of these forms of identification would have assisted them in boarding commercial flights, renting cars, and other necessary activities.'' That is from the 9/11 Commission.

The REAL ID Act also makes it easier to deny asylum to and deport would-be terrorists. Prior to REAL ID, individuals who allegedly committed certain terrorist acts could be denied admission to the U.S., but an anomaly within U.S. immigration law provided that once here, individuals who had committed these same acts could not be deported. The REAL ID Act rectifies this situation.

In addition, terrorist organizations have been using front organizations and alleged charities to support and provide cover for their terrorist activities. As President Bush has stated, ``International terrorist networks make frequent use of charitable or humanitarian organizations to obtain clandestine, financial and other support for their activities.'' Money given to terrorist organizations is fungible. Unfortunately, prior to the act, an alien could provide funding or other material support to many terrorist organizations and then escape deportation merely by claiming he did not know the funds would be spent on weapons or explosives.

The REAL ID Act, by contrast, directs that an alien who provides funds or other material support to a terrorist is inadmissible and deportable if he knew or reasonably should have known that he was giving to a terrorist organization.

Finally, the REAL ID Act provides an important component to the physical security of the United States. In 1996, Congress mandated the building of a 14-mile border fence inland from the Mexican border in the San Diego area. The goal was to curb illegal entries into the most heavily trafficked corner of the United States and to guarantee security at the U.S. naval base in San Diego. More than 8 years later, that fence is still not completed, in large part because the construction is tied up in litigation. In order to facilitate the construction of this important security perimeter, the act waives all Federal laws necessary to ensure the expeditious completion of this structure.

Immigration as a security issue was also the subject of portions of the Homeland Security Authorization Act for fiscal year 2006. The act fully funded the hiring and training of some 2,000

border patrol agents. It also clarifies the existing authorities of State and local law enforcement personnel to apprehend, detain, remove, and transport illegal aliens in the routine course of their duty.

Further, it buttresses up that policy determination that local police have the right to help enforce U.S. immigration laws by appropriating $40 million in training funds for these same municipal authorities. These funds are available to reimburse those communities that choose to send officers to the Department of Homeland Security programs run by ICE, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, designed to train and certify these officers in the enforcement of Federal immigration laws. Having officers trained in this way can only work to the detriment of a would-be terrorist detained as a result of his committing a crime unrelated to national security.

As I have described, the Homeland Security Act has a strong border security component, but so does the homeland appropriation bill. The appropriation bill provides $19.4 billion for border protection, immigration enforcement, and related activities, an increase of $1.9 billion over fiscal year 2005 enacted levels and $285 million over the President's budget request. These funds support a robust revitalization of immigration enforcement efforts, both along our borders and within the interior of the Nation.

Specific funding includes, but is not limited to, $3.2 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, providing an additional 150 criminal investigators and 200 immigration enforcement agents; $61 million for border security technology, including surveillance and unmanned aerial vehicles; $20 million for replacement border patrol aircraft; $690 million to fund 3,870 beds to house illegal immigrants detained in U.S. facilities; $119 million to fund fugitive operations teams; and $211 million for transportation and removal of undocumented aliens.

All these measures I have previously described are designed to enforce immigration laws, but we must also remember that in doing so we are contributing to the preservation of our homeland security as well. By preventing access to this country by undocumented aliens, by removing those who are here illegally, and by training local police officers to help enforce immigration laws, we will increase the odds that a would-be terrorist seeking to enter our country will be stopped before he can wreak any acts of violence against our citizenry.

Another comment I would like to make with respect to this whole issue of homeland security is this. We have heard from a number of speakers tonight about what the United States Congress is doing to make our homeland more safe and more secure. We have heard about the PATRIOT Act, the Homeland Security Authorization Act, the First Responder Bill, and the appropriations act. But, really, the bottom line is, why are we going through this? The events of 9/11 should have woken up everyone. I believe they did. Many of us lost friends. I had a relative in the first tower on the 91st floor who escaped, luckily. The plane entered that tower in the 93rd floor, and he lived to talk about it.

So we have all been touched by this in one way or another, and certainly as a freshman Member of Congress I spend a great deal of time going to orientation sessions and being fed a lot of information. I have felt sometimes that being a Member of Congress is sometimes like drinking water out of a fire hose. A lot of information is thrown at you very quickly, and you do your best to absorb it all.

When I was up at Harvard University to be engaged in the orientation program, I met an interesting individual up there, a man name Grahm Allison, who wrote a book called ``Nuclear Terrorism,'' and I highly recommend that people read it because it helps bring focus and clarity to the issue of homeland security and why this government, and not just in the Department of Homeland Security but throughout our Federal Government, State government, our local officials are working so diligently to protect us from unspeakable criminal acts that our enemies would like to commit against us.

I will go to this book, again entitled ``Nuclear Terrorism: The Ultimate Preventable Catastrophe,'' written by Grahm Allison, but he quotes an individual named Suleiman Abu Gheith, who was Osama bin Laden's official press spokesman. Nine months after the 9/11 attacks, Suleiman Abu Gheith made this announcement, and it was put out on al Qaeda Web sites. He says: ``We have the right to kill 4 million Americans, 2 million of them children, and to exile twice as many and wound and cripple hundreds of thousands.''

What a frightening and extraordinary statement. He says he wants to kill, that al Qaeda wants to kill 4 million Americans. He did not say 1.5 million Americans, he did not say 8 million Americans. He said 4 million, 2 million children. How did he get to that number? He goes on to explain. He itemizes the number. He goes on and he says that for 50 years in Palestine he blames the Jews, and with the blessing and support of the Americans he says the Jews exiled nearly 5 million Palestinians and killed nearly 260,000. They wounded nearly 180,000 and crippled nearly 160,000. And he talks about the American bombings and the siege of Iraq, as he says more than 1.2 million Muslims were killed in the past decade.

So he blames Israel and the United States. He says in the war against the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan, America killed 12,000 Afghan civilians and 350 Arab jihad fighters. In Somalia, America killed 13,000 Somalies. So as he itemizes this number, he somehow gets to 4 million. This is what our enemies are saying about us.

So, then, he asks the rhetorical question as to how should a good Muslim, in his case what he considers a good Muslim, which is not what most of us or most Muslims would consider to be a good Muslim, I am sure, but he said, ``Citing the Koran and other Islamic religious texts and traditions,'' he answers his question by saying, ``anyone who peruses these sources reaches a single conclusion: the sages have agreed that the reciprocal punishment to which the verses referred to is not limited to a specific instance. It is a valid rule for punishments for infidels, for licentious Muslims, and for the oppressors.''

He concludes: ``According to the numbers in the previous section of the lives lost among Muslims because of Americans, directly or indirectly, we are still at the beginning of the way. The Americans have still not tasted from our hands what we have tasted from theirs. We have not reached parity with them.'' He says, ``Parity will require killing 4 million Americans.''

This is very frightening. And I would suggest to everyone here today that 4 million Americans is a very big number. On September 11 we lost nearly 3,000 of our own. It would require 1,400 attacks of 3,000 people to get to 4 million.

Al Qaeda is quite clear in their intentions, and it is my belief that they intend to pursue whatever weapons are available to them to maximize the amount of damage they can upon the American people. And that is why our committee is so dedicated, is so committed to making sure that our folks at Homeland Security have what they need to do the job to protect us.

Finally, I want to turn to another man who is a great leader and a friend from my home State of Pennsylvania. I would like to introduce my colleague from the Seventh District of Pennsylvania. In addition to being a senior member of the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Science, he also serves with me on the House Homeland Security Committee, where he is vice chairman.

He is also active on the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Science and Technology, as well as the Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing and Risk Assessment. He is a former first responder himself, an active student of international relations, and an expert on ballistic missile proliferation.

He, too, is an author of a highly acclaimed book, ``Countdown to Terror.'' I have been talking about books, so I might as well mention this one too. It has been talked about quite a bit in the press, and it highlights his concerns about terrorist failures and the spread of ballistic missile technology in Iran. So without any further discussion from me, Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon).

Madam Speaker, I want to thank our guest, the Reverend Nelson Quinones, who is visiting from my home district in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley. The Reverend is the assistant pastor at St. John's Lutheran Church in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Like many members of the clergy, Reverend Quinones is an important voice in the overall community. Reverend Quinones' byline regularly appears in columns and letters in our local and regional newspapers, addressing a variety of important topics that concern the community.

Just as he serves his congregation and community, the Reverend has also served his country. For 6 years, Reverend Quinones was an electronics technician with the United States Naval Reserve.

Also in attendance today is the Reverend's wife, Jessica, who is a kindergarten teacher in the Northampton area school district and their 2-year-old son, Nicholas. They join us today in the gallery.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 810.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on behalf of H.R. 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005.

Today there have been bills presented that discuss, among other things, the merits of embryonic stem cell study versus cord blood cell utilization. This discussion, while interesting, misses the point of promoting stem cell research in general: Scientific breakthroughs that may originate from stem cell examination have the power to better, and even save the lives of our fellow citizens afflicted with terrible diseases. Stem cell research holds out hope for those suffering with, for example, diabetes, Parkinson's, and coronary heart disease, the number one killer of adults in this country. We must encourage this research, and the legislation offered by my colleagues from New Jersey and Delaware is an important step forward in our attempts to find cures for these diseases.

Moreover, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act promotes the establishment of ethical standards with regard to the procurement of embryos utilized in the research. The only embryos that can be utilized are ones that were originally created for fertility treatment purposes and are in excess of clinical need. Further, the individuals seeking fertility treatments for whom those embryos were created have determined that these embryos will not be implanted in a woman and will be otherwise discarded. Finally, these same individuals have provided written consent for embryo donation.

The development of standards, both ethical and clinical, is an important aspect of stem cell research. This bill directs that the National Institutes of Health develop guidelines to insure that researchers adhere to the highest possible principles in scientific inquiry. Here we have a unique opportunity to establish national standards that will become the benchmark for scientific study throughout the world. By encouraging scientific breakthroughs while at the same time observing the highest possible standards of ethical and clinical behavior, we can go a long way towards battling genetically- based diseases that have ended the lives of so many.

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

Mr. Chairman, I look forward to having an opportunity to work with my colleagues from Oregon and California in the near future in order to address the expansion of casino gambling to off-reservation sites.

I thank the gentleman for allowing me to address this issue of concern to my district. In my Pennsylvania district, the Delaware tribes of Oklahoma have filed suit in order to acquire the right to establish a casino. Their claim is based on a conveyance that allegedly occurred in 1737 before our Nation's independence. The land that they claim is home to at least 25 local families, and also contains the Binney and Smith manufacturing plant, the maker of Crayola crayons. These tribes, who are based out of State, are only interested in seeing working and senior Pennsylvanians gamble away their hard-earned dollars. They are not concerned about the valuable manufacturing jobs jeopardized as a result of the displacement caused by this casino, or the fact that Binney and Smith/Crayola makes a useful product loved by children all over the world.

I am concerned about this kind of reservation shopping, and I look forward to working with my colleagues from California and Oregon and Michigan and elsewhere in order to limit these tribes' ability to build new casinos on properties not contiguous to existing reservations or on those lands where ownership is based solely on a conveyance that predates the existence of our Nation.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 5 minutes.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to speak in support of H.R. 1817, the Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006.

Mr. Chairman, I come to Congress in an era when rancor between the parties seems to dominate the headlines. This bill, however, is a testament to the idea, uniquely American, that congressional politics will always be placed on the back burner when it comes to the job of protecting the homeland.

This legislation has come to the floor of the House in no small part because of the bipartisan efforts of both the chairman and the ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security, of which I am a member.

This is not to say that both sides did not state their positions forcefully. In this regard, there were spirited exchanges while this bill was being marked up in committee. There were over 30 amendments offered, and all were extensively and vigorously debated. Yet throughout all of this, the dialogue was cordial, and I believe this is because everyone involved possessed the same goal: pass a bill that would give this country the protection it deserves at a cost that we can all afford to pay.

The bill indeed puts resources where those resources are needed. It authorizes some $34 billion to fund programs designed to combat a host of homeland security issues. It allocates $1.84 billion so that the government can afford to hire and train some 2,000 new border patrol agents. These newly minted law enforcement officers will not only serve as a deterrent to would-be terrorists but also as an important element in the fight to curb illegal immigration in general.

Improving intelligence capabilities is also an important part of this legislation. The bill provides moneys so that the Department of Homeland Security can hire the best intelligence analysts available. It promotes the development of an open-source intelligence strategy, and it increases the capabilities of the Department of Homeland Security to detect and preempt the most serious kind of terrorism imaginable: a nuclear or biological attack.

Some have wondered whether or not this bill is comprehensive enough to deal with all the security threats the Nation must confront. There is no doubt in my mind that it is. There is money authorized here to make sure that containers coming from foreign ports receive risk-based cargo screening. Funding for this important project will also increase from $126 million in 2005 to $133 million in 2006. Further, the bill provides funding for such varied security issues as the protection of civilian passenger and cargo aircraft, $10 million; chemical countermeasure development, $76 million; the detection of weapons of mass destruction, $100 million; and critical infrastructure protection, $465 million.

The idea that homeland security funding should be based on security rather than on political concerns is one that resonates on both sides of the aisle of this great Chamber. The Members of this body recognize that the security challenges we face are unique in our history. The Homeland Security Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 gives us the tools to meet these challenges. For that reason, I vigorously and strongly support this legislation.

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jindal).

Mr. Chairman, I would like to inquire as to how much time remains.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 2 minutes.

As I stated in my previous remarks, this legislation is important for a number of reasons, not the least of which is it will help us in our fight against nuclear and biological terrorism. I think we all can agree that that is the one issue that, as Americans, we can agree to as our greatest threat. This committee has spent a great deal of time discussing that issue recently, and I believe, for one, that this bill adequately addresses that issue and many, many others.

So with that, again, I rise in strong support of this authorization legislation. I am proud of the bipartisan spirit that we have embraced in this committee led the chairman and the ranking member.

Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of the time to the gentleman from California (Mr. Cox).

Mr. Chairman, as a member of the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Science, and Technology, I rise in opposition to the EPS&T provisions in the Thompson substitute.

The base bill presents well-thought-out solutions to real terrorist threats by prioritizing and maximizing how U.S. tax dollars are spent. The Thompson substitute does not prioritize spending. It does not recognize that not all threats are created equal. It does not exercise any fiscal restraint whatsoever. It just throws a lot of money at problems. Such an approach does not enhance our Nation's security or provide adequate support for our dedicated first responders.

The emergency preparedness, science, and technology, EPS&T, provisions in the Thompson substitute address important issues, but are ill-conceived and fraught with unintended consequences.

For example, subtitle A of title VII would establish a new, separate grant interoperability program. It is ill-advised. A new program will encourage inconsistencies in communication systems purchased with Federal grants and, unfortunately, dilute funding for other critical grant programs.

This program is also not needed. Indeed, in fiscal year 2004, grant recipients obligated over $925 million for interoperability projects through existing programs, the single largest use of grant funding with more than $6 billion in the pipeline, it is unspent and unobligated, to State and local government available for first responders.

Subtitle D of title VII would establish a parallel EMS bureaucracy within the Department's Emergency Preparedness and Response, EP&R, Directorate. Such a new bureaucracy will not enhance terrorism preparedness. EMS entities already exist within the Department of Transportation and the U.S. Fire Administration of the EP&R Directorate. This provision is also premature and will undercut the Department's efforts to implement organizational reform.

Subtitle G of title VII would authorize the Metropolitan Medical Response System. Yet, MMRS, which provides funding to U.S. cities to develop plans and capabilities for coping with the medical consequences of a terrorist attack involving weapons of mass destruction is nearly complete. Since its inception in 1997, the program has assisted 124 cities in establishing such plans and capabilities.

There is simply no need to maintain MMRS as a separate grant program. Indeed, the funds provided under other existing grant programs, such as the State Homeland Security Grant Program and the Urban Area Security Initiative, may be used for such purposes.

For these and other reasons, I urge my colleagues to vote against the Thompson substitute.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of the rule and H.R. 1544, the Faster and Smarter Funding for First Responders Act of 2005.

Mr. Speaker, it is said that in this country politics end at the water's edge. This is certainly the case with this legislation. The Select Committee on Homeland Security, on which I serve, passed this bill unanimously. This occurred because the idea behind the legislation is a bipartisan one: combat the threat of terrorism at home by directing funds to those localities that are most at risk for terrorist attack.

The idea that funding should be based on risk and security rather than on political concerns is one that resonates on both sides of the aisle of this great Chamber. The Members of this body recognize that the challenges we face are unique in our history. No previous generation has had to combat the threat to the homeland that we face right now.

Today's terrorists are determined to wage war against us not on some overseas battlefield, but in our cities, ports, and transportation hubs. This is why this bill is so important. It makes sure that we take into account threats, vulnerabilities, and consequences of attack as we decide how to best spend our anti-terrorism dollars.

This bill is also necessary because it confronts the issue of threats to the homeland head on. It directs appropriate State authorities to come up with a comprehensive homeland security plan tied to the achievement, maintenance, and enhancement of the essential capabilities established by the Department of Homeland Security.

In developing those essential capabilities, the Department is required to seek the input of those on the frontlines: local police; fire departments; and EMS units, emergency medical service units. This provision is vital because combating terrorism is a nationwide problem that calls for cooperation between officials at the local, State, and Federal levels.

Finally, the bill requires the Department to set national standards for first responder equipment and training so that all frontline units responding to a terrorist attack will be able to operate effectively.

The Faster and Smarter Funding for First Responders Act of 2005 is an important tool for safeguarding the homeland. It is a positive step towards development of an effective homeland security policy, and I support it wholeheartedly.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 86) authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby.

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

House Concurrent Resolution 86 authorizes the use of the Capitol Grounds for the 64th annual Greater Washington Soap Box Derby to take place on June 18, 2005.

Dating back to 1933, when a newspaper photographer witnessed three local boys racing engine-less cars down a neighborhood hill, the soap box derby has become an example of classic Americana. Over the years, the idea to hold a neighborhood race has grown from a local race where competitors raced anything with wheels to win a trophy to a nationwide extravaganza complete with three soap box divisions, official sponsors and the opportunity to travel and win college scholarships.

More importantly, however, is the work that goes into these soap box racers. Building a racer gives children valuable experience working with their hands and challenging their minds, learning about aerodynamics, craftsmanship and attention to detail. With three divisions and races all over the world, there is a place for everyone to try their hand at soap box building.

It took several years for this hobby to catch on in Washington, D.C., but after more than seven decades of racing, the tradition of the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby continues to encourage youth between the ages of 8 and 17 to develop their building, design and creativity skills. The winners of each division will represent the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area in the National Soap Box Derby to be held in Akron, Ohio, on July 30, 2005.

The races will take place on Constitution Avenue between Delaware Avenue and Third Street, Northwest, and will be free of charge to the public. The resolution also authorizes the Architect of the Capitol, the Capitol Police Board and the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby Association, the sponsor of the event, to negotiate the necessary arrangements for carrying out the event in complete compliance with the rules and regulations governing the use of the Capitol Grounds. The sponsor assumes responsibility for all expenses and liabilities related to the event. I support the resolution and urge my colleagues to join me in support.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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