Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today is Asthma Awareness Day 2006.

On Asthma Awareness Day, May 7, 2003, there were only 20 asthma- friendly States in the United States. Even more limiting, of those 20, only nine extended protection even further to anaphylaxis medication, like epinephrine auto-injectors.

Today, historically, 47 States protect for asthma and 38 for asthma plus anaphylaxis, and the final three States have legislation pending to allow students to carry their medication.

Mr. Speaker, this is a tremendous positive turnaround in just a few years for our children. I am pleased with the momentous progress we have made in our Nation's capital and statehouses.

I encourage all of us who work here or visit the Capitol today to stop by the Cannon Caucus Room from 11:30 to 4:00 and learn more about asthma. Get screened, take the test, and let us enjoy another successful Asthma Awareness Day.

Mr. Speaker, as I think most of us know after listening to this debate, the fuel prices around this country have been rising. Beginning with the summer driving season, I think particularly in Florida where we have so many tourists, we are concerned about it, and of course we know that during the time of growing economies, and China and India are consuming more and more of the world's available petroleum supplies, that puts us competitive here in the United States.

To make matters worse, nuclear ambitions in Iran, the fourth largest producer of oil, intentions in Nigeria, the 12th, have created what would be perceived to be a perfect storm, which is a precipitous rise in gasoline and other fuel prices.

Our problem back home now is how to manage those global issues so that they will have as little impact at home on the average working American who just wants to take his family on that planned vacation to Florida, let us hope, under a tight budget or maintain his delivery business without taking out additional loans just to fill up his car. I am happy that my colleague, Mrs. Wilson, is taking up this bill, H.R. 5253, the Federal Energy Price Protection Act of 2006. I commend her leadership for this.

I believe this bill deals directly and aggressively with the need to stabilize the price of fuel in an uncertain world market and ensure that greed and opportunism does not worsen those challenges by gouging the consumer at the pump. This bill for the first time allows the Federal Trade Commission, which I have jurisdiction over as chairman of the Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection Subcommittee, at any time, my colleagues, to prosecute price gouging. This bill takes aim at those in the wholesale and retail markets for gasoline, diesel fuel, crude oil, home heating oil and biofuels who prey on their consumers for their own unjust enrichment.

The FTC is directed to define what price gouging actually is. We have had them in a hearing, and they have described it, but it is not a precise definition. Let us get a precise definition. And a very important point: This legal recourse and its enforcement provisions against gouging are always available, not just in times of natural or energy emergencies like we had in Katrina.

Mr. Speaker, this bill's hammer is triggered by consumer rip-offs, not just bureaucratic proclamations. In addition, State Attorney Generals will be empowered to bring cases under the Federal law, and those cases can lead to extremely strong civil and criminal penalties and to multi-millions of dollars, and the possibility of a visit to the nearest correctional facility.

This is a very aggressive piece of legislation targeted at a problem that weakens this country not only in dollars but what it does to the everyday life of an American, vacations missed, budgets broken and businesses stretched thin.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass H.R. 5253 and once and for all make it clear that we in Congress are serious about solving our energy challenges at home so that we can be more successful in solving them abroad. This bill will serve us and our children well.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res 357) supporting the goals and ideals of National Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on this resolution.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 357, which supports the goals and ideals of National Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month, beginning in May. Every year in the United States, about 1,000 children are born with cystic fibrosis, or CF, a life-shortening genetic disease.

According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, those children face a median life expectancy of 36 years, an average that, fortunately, has continued to increase as science and research have developed better treatment and drugs. And while a median life expectancy of 36 is unacceptably low, that figure is cause for hope for those living with the disease and, of course, their families. They know that in 1955, the year parents of children suffering from this disease formed the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, children born with CF usually did not live to attend preschool. As the life expectancy increases, those suffering with this disease and their families continue to work for a cure or a life-extending treatment.

Madam Speaker, while a cure for cystic fibrosis remains illusive, the symptoms and effects of the disease are fairly simple. CF is one of the most common life-threatening genetic diseases in the United States. More than 30,000 people in the United States have CF, and over half of them are children.

In addition, over 10 million Americans are unknowing, symptom-free carriers of the cystic fibrosis gene. Cystic fibrosis affects the lungs and digestive system.

The defective gene that causes CF triggers the production of abnormally thick mucus in the lungs that leads to restricted breathing, recurring lung infections, and in many cases digestive problems. The infections deteriorate the lungs and their capacity to deliver oxygen to the body, a condition that worsens over time and in many cases even leads to death or the need for a lung transplant. One of the goals of H. Con. Res. 357 is to promote the need for early diagnosis and the importance of newborn screening so that treatment of children with CF can begin as soon as possible to improve their health and longevity.

The five decades that have passed since the founding of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation have brought not only hope but years to the lives of those suffering from CF. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation continues to be at the forefront of making more with less in the area of drug discovery and development. The Therapeutics Development Program, TDP, created and launched by the CF Foundation, has pioneered new ways to conduct cutting-edge, lifesaving research in a cost-effective and efficient manner. This program now includes 18 major research institutions across the country in an established clinical trials network. The TDP provides innovative companies with funding, raised through private donations to the CF Foundation, to undertake research and development on promising new drug candidates, and supports an extensive pipeline of potential new therapies. In fact, the CF Foundation currently has more than 30 drugs and therapies in various stages of clinical trials, any one of which could dramatically improve the life of someone suffering from CF. I believe that the innovative programs like the Therapeutics Development Program are part of the blueprint for more efficient and cost-effective health care and should be supported. So, as you can see, Madam Speaker, CF Foundation- sponsored research is adding precious years to the lives of those living with the disease so that they might live long enough to benefit once a cure is found.

Today there is more potential research on new drugs and therapies than funds to finance that lifesaving work. This is a problem created by a wealth of scientific riches, and one that I hope can be bridged by more public-private partnerships which leverage our world-class biotech and pharmaceutical companies with the capabilities of institutions like the National Institutes of Health to ensure that the discovery phase of identifying new drugs and compounds to treat cystic fibrosis continues. To that end the resolution before us today advocates strong partnerships between government resources like the NIH and nonprofits like the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as a key means to improve care for those with ``orphan'' diseases like CF.

Madam Speaker, in closing, I would like to commend my friend and colleague Mr. Markey from Massachusetts for his leadership and work supporting this resolution and for our partnership cochairing a new Congressional Cystic Fibrosis Caucus. The Congressional Cystic Fibrosis Caucus, like this resolution, is intended to provide Members and the American public a better understanding of cystic fibrosis and the need to support the incredible work that is being done by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as well as through public-private collaboration to find a cure.

I would also like to thank all those Members on both sides of the aisle who have cosponsored H. Con. Res. 357 and

those who have joined the Congressional Cystic Fibrosis Caucus. And anyone who is watching is welcome to call my office or Mr. Markey's office. We would like to have your support, and we look forward to it.

So, my colleagues, please join me in honoring and supporting the goals and ideals of National Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month by simply agreeing to H. Con. Res. 357.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

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

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 97 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the University of Florida's first-ever men's basketball national championship. Coach Billy Donovan and his young, explosive team beat UCLA, one of the most storied college basketball programs ever, 73-57. The Gators took the lead in the very beginning and never looked back.

Truly a testament to the power of youth, the Gators were led by four sophomores and one junior. Coach Donovan himself became the second youngest coach to win a national title. In addition, he is now one of three people to coach a national champion and play in a Final Four.

Florida is now one of only seven schools to win a national championship in football and basketball. While the University of Florida has had a reputation as a football school, this championship proves that Gator basketball has arrived.

I congratulate the University of Florida on their victory. It is great to be a Florida Gator.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the University of Florida Gators men's basketball team on their third Final Four appearance and the second in the past 5 years.

Now, at the beginning of the season, not much was expected of these young Gators. However, they rose to a number two national ranking on the strength of a 17-game winning streak, and they continued that success through the post-season, winning the Southeastern Conference Tournament and then advancing to the Final Four with a 75-62 win over the top-seeded Villanova Wildcats.

Mr. Speaker, this Saturday in Indianapolis, the Gators will face the George Mason University Patriots whose Cinderella story has been equally inspiring. In recognition of this event, I have offered a friendly wager of a case of Gatorade to my colleague, Tom Davis.

Gatorade's creation in 1965 by Dr. Robert Cade at the University of Florida has marked the success of the University of Florida's athletic teams through the past decades and will hopefully aid in victory in the 2006 Final Four.

Mr. Speaker, a poll was released today which reaffirms what many on this side of the aisle, Republicans, are telling seniors at our town hall meetings: The Medicare prescription drug program is working.

In a poll conducted last week by Ayres, McHenry & Associates, 6 out of 10 seniors who voluntarily enrolled in the Medicare Part D program reported that they are saving money in the program.

A second survey by the same group found that 9 out of 10 seniors eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, dual eligibles, stated that they were having no

problems using the new Medicare prescription drug benefit. Eighty percent said the program covered the prescription drugs that they need.

Now, you are not going to hear this good news from the Democrats on that side of the aisle. Seniors are saving money and now have more choices than they ever have had.

Mr. Speaker, this is good news from these polls. The Medicare prescription drug program is presently working for America's seniors, and Democrats need to accept that.

Mr. Speaker, the North Korean regime has the worst human rights record in the world. Citizens are denied the most fundamental freedoms in classic Communist fashion, the economy results in shortages and an ever-present threat of starvation.

Additionally, the regime has divided citizens into 51 classes. At least 7 million citizens, more than one-third of the population, are regarded as members of a hostile class, categorized as a potential threat to the existence of this regime. Members of this class are

held in one of North Korea's 12 known prison camps. According to an MSNBC news report from January 2003, one of these prison camps is literally three times the size of Washington, DC. Meanwhile, the State Security Agency maintains at least 12 political prisons and about 30 forced labor and reeducation camps. There are also rumors of a series of underground camps. No one knows how many exist and, of course, how many prisoners are being held.

These Stalinist-style gulags await any citizen, even children, who dare to commit such crimes as reading a foreign newspaper, singing a foreign pop song, listening to a foreign radio broadcast, or making statements that could be interpreted as an insult to the regime. The camps combine starvation, hard labor and brutal and irrational punishments. In one camp, former inmates claim prisoners work in such hard conditions that 20 to 25 percent of the 50,000 prisoners die every year.

To leave North Korea without official permission is an act of treason. The Communist regime maintains a series of detention facilities along the border with the People's Republic of China for refugees forcibly returned. Pregnant women endure forced abortions or have their infants killed just after birth on the off chance that they were impregnated by Chinese men. Everyone is then interrogated to determine the extent of their exposure to the Free World, literally having the truth beaten out of them.

This determines whether the regime sends these refugees to a gulag facing certain death or to a gulag facing likely death. The massive mechanistic prison camp system, combined with the outlawing of immigration, has led many to refer to North Korea as ``the world's largest prison camp.'' Jasper Becker, former Beijing bureau chief for the South China Morning Post, has estimated that Kim Jong Il and his father, Kim Il Sung, are responsible for killing over 7 million Koreans, 3 million civilians in the Korean war, 3 million by deliberate famine, and at least 1 million more political prisoners either executed or worked to death.

Mr. Speaker, even worse is the Free World's help that props up this regime. Since 1995, the United States has provided over $1.1 billion, about 60 percent of it for food aid. About 40 percent was energy assistance through the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Corporation, KEDO, a multilateral organization established in 1994 to provide energy aid in exchange for North Korea's pledge to halt its nuclear program. The Bush administration finally shut down the KEDO program earlier this year, long after North Korea had publicly violated the agreement that secured KEDO energy payments in the first place.

Food aid to North Korea has also been an international humanitarian fraud. The Communist regime prevents donor agencies from operating in the country. The biggest suppliers of aid, China and South Korea, do little or no monitoring of what happens to the food that they supply to this country. The world's food and humanitarian aid rarely makes it to those suffering in North Korea. Instead, it has been used to feed Kim Jong Il's million-man army, almost 1 million people in his security forces, as a preference for the Communist Party elite. No such aid should be allowed against North Korea demonstrates tangible progress to freedom and transparency. Now some people worry about the risk of confronting and destabilizing a hostile and heavily armed power. These people should know that no good policy comes without risk.

President Ronald Reagan did not coddle the Soviet Union, he did not offer to provide them the nuclear fuel they need to build nuclear weapons in the silly hope they would not build any. President Reagan took the struggle for freedom and democracy to the gates of the Soviet Union country itself.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to shine some light on the good economic news that continues to roll in. This is further proof that Republican pro-growth policies of low taxes are working for the American people.

The economy grew at an annual rate of 1.6 percent in the final quarter of last year. January's unemployment rate fell to 4.7 percent, which is the lowest monthly rate since 2001, and lower than the average rate in the seventies, the eighties and the nineties. There have been 29 consecutive months of job gains. The economy has created over 2 million jobs over the past 12 months. Economists are now predicting that growth will clock in at an amazing 4.5 percent in the current January to March quarter.

In order for this good news to last, Congress must fight its urge to spend too much and continue to foster a positive environment for the economy for it to thrive.

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld a Federal law ensuring that colleges and universities who receive Federal funds permit open access for military recruiting on their campus. This ruling will allow the United States military to recruit the best and the brightest this Nation has to offer and will also greatly enhance our national security. I commend the Supreme Court for upholding this law.

This issue is of particular interest to me. I attended college on an Air Force ROTC scholarship and know firsthand the importance of the Armed Forces. Therefore, in order for the United States to win the global war on terrorism, the Armed Forces need access to the highest caliber of people, and that is why we must ensure equal access for military recruiters.

In 1996, Congress enacted a provision of law that came to be known as the Solomon amendment. This provision is named for our former colleague from New York and former Rules Committee chairman, the late Jerry Solomon. This provision provides for the Secretary of Defense to deny Federal funding to colleges and universities if they do not provide military recruiters entry to campuses and access to students that is at least equal in quality and scope to that provided to any other employer.

The Solomon amendment was made necessary when a number of universities began restricting the access of military recruiters because of disagreement with certain military policies, such as the military's ``don't ask, don't tell'' policy.

Mr. Speaker, I will include the entire list of these universities in the Record.

Monday's ruling stems from a challenge from a group of law schools on the constitutionality of the Solomon amendment. A number of universities are denying equal access to military recruiters in protest of the ``don't ask, don't tell'' policy. Last year, I had an amendment on the floor that was patterned after the Solomon amendment, and it also passed.

Mr. Speaker, some of the universities who are denying equal access to military recruiters, are also receiving millions and millions of hardworking Americans' tax dollars every year in terms of research dollars and other things.

Harvard Law School, for example, allowed military recruiters to interview students at the offices of its Veterans Association, but did not use its open personnel to set up the interviews as it did for other recruiters. In the wake of the Supreme Court hearing last fall, Harvard has reversed its decision and now plans to fully cooperate with the military recruiters.

Another example is Yale Law School, who had been letting recruiters use a room to meet with students, but had not been helping to arrange the interviews, as they did with other recruiters. These universities allow IBM, General Electric and other corporations full access, but not the military.

Equal access for military recruiters is an urgent issue. With the U.S. engaged in the global war on terrorism, it is more important than ever for the Armed Forces to recruit high-quality, well-qualified and well-trained personnel. This is why it is so important that the Supreme Court made such a strong statement in support of full and equal access to military recruiters on campus.

Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote for the courts, said that the Solomon amendment ``neither limits what law schools may say nor requires them to say anything. Law schools remain free under the statute to express whatever views they may have on the military's congressionally mandated employment policy. Nothing about recruiting suggests that the law schools agree with any speech by recruiters, and nothing in the Solomon amendment restricts what the law schools may say about the military's policies.''

The Court went on to say that the law regulates conduct, not speech, and the hosting of recruiters is not expressive conduct that sends out a message as a former protest.

Mr. Speaker, so in conclusion, once again, I commend the Supreme Court for unanimously upholding the Solomon amendment. As the U.S. is engaged in the global war on terrorism, it is more vital than ever to our national

security that the United States Armed Forces have access to recruit the best people to serve in this country.

Madam Speaker, I would just say to this side, this bill has gone through so many iterations, and so many times we have looked at this. It includes 30 additional civil liberties safeguards. And, you know, I admit that your fighting against this bill has probably improved it a little bit.

But at this point, we have done so much to help it. I think it is a very good bill. I commend the author, Mr. Sensenbrenner, for his patience all during this process.

These new civil liberty safeguards include allowing recipients of search requests or national security letters to seek legal counsel for appealing the decision to the FISA court and mandated reporting to the public and Congress on the use of national security letters, data- mining and delayed-notice search warrants.

This is a vigilant protector of civil rights and national security, and it is the right balance. It is critical that we pass this bill today. I would say in passing that part of the PATRIOT Act was a cargo amendment that I included. I thank the chairman for allowing me to do that.

In Florida alone, local and State agencies joined together and developed a unified strategy for prevention and enforcement against cargo theft, resulting in about a 25 percent decrease in cargo thefts. Unfortunately, my colleagues, the FBI estimates, and these are only estimates because we do not have any way to track this information, overall national loss from cargo theft remains at almost $6 billion annually.

The interagency cooperation must be expanded from the State level to include nation-wide enforcement. Cargo theft imperils our Nation's security, and data indicates profits from cargo theft often go to organized crime or to terrorist activities.

So for that reason, for 2 years I have been working on this amendment, which is included as part of the PATRIOT Act, to, first of all, combat this crime by increasing mandatory minimum sentencing and directing consolidation of cargo theft trend data--simple collection of this cargo theft trend data into the federal Uniform Crime Reporting system, so in fact that system we have a better understanding of

it, and we can coordinate between different law enforcement agencies.

These are vital steps to fight this growing nation-wide threat, and I am pleased to have it included in the PATRIOT Act.

I ask my colleagues to realize the amount of work that has gone into this bill. It is absolutely necessary we pass it. I urge my colleagues to vote for it.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Mr. Chairman for your efforts to pass this critical legislation.

Our founding fathers knew our young Nation faced dangerous security challenges from its amorphous and expansive border and aggressive European powers. With that in mind, Thomas Jefferson wrote, ``The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.''

The situation confronting us today mirrors that of our founders. Our border is even larger and more difficult to control. With additional points of entry at every airport, prohibiting entry of those intent on doing harm is even more complex. Advanced technologies allow individuals across the oceans to coordinate attacks within our cities. This is an eventuality impossible for our founding fathers to foresee, and yet necessary for us to combat. We must keep pace with the changing environment. The PATRIOT Act equips us to do that by breaking down communication barriers between law enforcement and intelligence agencies, a weakness identified by the 9/11 Commission.

In Florida, law enforcement increased interagency cooperation with impressive results. In 2001, local and state agencies joined together and developed a unified strategy for prevention and enforcement against cargo theft, resulting in a 25% decrease in cargo thefts. Unfortunately, the FBI estimates overall national loss from cargo theft remains more than $6 billion annually. Interagency cooperation must be expanded from the state level to include nationwide enforcement. Cargo theft imperils our national security, and data indicates profits from cargo theft often funds organized crime or terrorist activities. For two years, I have worked to pass legislation combating this crime by increasing mandatory minimum sentences and directing consolidation of cargo theft trend data into the federal Uniform Crime Reporting system to better coordinate enforcement activities. These are vital steps to fight this growing nationwide threat, and I am pleased they were included in this PATRIOT Act reauthorization.

As we debate these amendments to the PATRIOT Act, I hear echoes of another founding father's words. Benjamin Franklin's assertion that, ``They who give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety,'' resounds as an admonition to those of us standing in this chamber to ensure proper oversight and protect civil liberties.

This legislation includes 30 additional civil liberties safeguards. These include: allowing recipients of search requests or National Security Letters to seek legal counsel for appealing the decision to the FISA Court, and mandated reporting to the public and Congress on the use of National Security Letters, data mining, and delayed notice search warrants.

As vigilant protectors of national security, and critical guardians of civil liberties, with full realization of the immediate threat we face, I call upon my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill. Due diligence has been observed . . . investigated . . . executed . . . and critiqued. Now it is time to pass this Act.

Mr. Speaker, this week the Tax Foundation, an educational foundation for taxpayers since 1937, released its much anticipated third edition of their State business tax climate index. It ranks the 50 States on how business friendly their tax systems are.

The study finds the most business-friendly tax systems in Wyoming, South Dakota, Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire and Texas. The least business-friendly tax codes were found in New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont and Maine.

Low-tax States are where the job growth is. Governors and businesses and residents want jobs to flow to their States. Low taxes will do that. So low taxes in America will also keep jobs here.

So, Mr. Speaker, there is a cautionary tale from this report, reminding us that we are truly competing in a global economy, and we cannot ignore the fact that low taxes indeed create new jobs.

Madam Speaker, in the State of the Union, the President focused on the need to not only beat the terrorists on their own soil, but to take the offensive in bringing the hope of political freedom and peaceful change to hopeless lands.

I recently had the honor of meeting with our soldiers who are serving in Kosovo and are doing just that. I was glad to be able to thank them for their service and to hear their concerns.

American troops have been keeping the peace in Kosovo, along with our NATO allies, since 1999. We have about 1,700 troops participating in peacekeeping operations in Kosovo, and we must let them know that their service is not forgotten. Their presence brings stability to a troubled region and supports the development of a functioning legal system, the respect for property rights, and the growth of a robust economy.

These pillars will form the foundation of a free and democratic Kosovo, ensuring that our soldiers and their sacrifices will not be in vain.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1259. This resolution authorizes the President to award a gold medal on behalf of Congress to the Tuskegee Airmen in recognition of their unique military record, which inspired revolutionary reform in the Armed Forces.

As a veteran of the United States Air Force, I am proud to be a co- sponsor of this important resolution. I thank the gentleman from New York for introducing it and urge my colleagues' support.

Prior to the Tuskegee Airmen, all combat pilots had been white. In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the creation of an all black flight training program to train black Americans as military pilots. Due to the rigid system of racial segregation that prevailed in the United States during World War II, black military pilots were trained at a separate airfield built near Tuskegee, Alabama. The Division of Aeronautics of Tuskegee Institute, the famed school founded by Booker T. Washington in 1881, conducted primary flight training. Thus, they became known as the Tuskegee Airmen.

The first classes of Tuskegee Airmen were trained to be fighter pilots for the famous 99th Fighter Squadron, slated for combat duty in North Africa. Additional pilots were assigned to the 332nd Fighter Group, which flew combat along with the 99th Squadron from bases in Italy.

Due to the success of the program, in September 1943, a twin-engine training program was begun at Tuskegee to provide bomber pilots. However, World War II ended before these men were able to get into combat.

By the end of the war, 992 men had graduated from pilot training at Tuskegee, 450 of whom were sent overseas for combat assignment. During the same period, approximately 150 lost their lives while in training or on combat flights.

The Tuskegee Airmen inspired revolutionary reform in the Armed Forces, paving the way for full racial integration in the Armed Forces. They overcame the enormous challenges of prejudice and discrimination, succeeding, despite obstacles that threatened failure. Yet, their impact can be felt far beyond the U.S. Armed Forces into nearly every aspect of American life. The strength and courage of the Tuskegee Airmen serve as an inspiration to all Americans, regardless of skin color or nationality.

It remains critically important for all Americans to know the Tuskegee Airmen's story and the struggles these men went through and ultimately overcame. I encourage everyone to learn more about these remarkable and inspirational men and urge my colleagues to support this important resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I was very disappointed to learn that the Senate voted to extend the PATRIOT Act for just six months, rather than making it permanent or at least extending key provisions for the next few years.

As everyone in the House and Senate knows, the provisions of the PATRIOT Act have been used against drug lords and mafia kingpins for years, it is common sense that we are allowed to use these same tools in the war on terror.

I am also chagrinned to see that the bill that the Senate sent over does not contain any of the cargo theft or port security provisions that we passed overwhelmingly in this body.

Back in July, we passed the port security/cargo theft provisions onto the PATRIOT Act reauthorization by a remarkable 381-45 vote. These measures were so important that, even though the Senate did not include them in their version of the PATRIOT Act reauthorization, conferees from both the House and Senate decided to put these provisions in the final conference report.

From a personal perspective, the issue of cargo theft is one that I have worked on for two years. I will not rest until these cargo theft prevention measures have been signed into law by the president.

These cargo theft provisions would have gone a long way in helping law enforcement fight the widespread and costly crime.

But if we must delay further action for six more months, that is six more months where criminals can steal cargo and make billions. That is half a year of handicapping our law enforcement, hurting our businesses and passing the cost on to American consumers.

Mr. Speaker, I commend Chairman Sensenbrenner for his tireless efforts providing oversight over the PATRIOT Act and working on reauthorizing this critical legislation, including by now extending the PATRIOT Act for just one month. This allows us to work on making these provisions permanent and on including the cargo theft measures as soon as possible.

I also commend Chairman Coble, Mr. Forbes and Mr. Schiff, as well as all the law enforcement and industry groups that worked on the port security and cargo theft provisions.

I say to our fellow Americans and our law enforcement communities, that I will do everything that I can to make the PATRIOT Act permanent, and that I will not rest until we finally enact these cargo theft prevention measures into law.