Floor Statements

Offered By: Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida

Amendment No. 5: Page 80, after line 22, insert the

following:

The referenced statement of managers under this heading in

title II of Public Law 107-73 is deemed to be amended with

respect to the item relating to the City of Maitland,

Florida, by striking ``for a senior citizens center'' and

inserting ``for the Minihaha Park development''.

Mr. Speaker, I stand in strong support of this legislation, H.R. 2956.

I have to remind my colleagues that I am from Florida and it does matter who is the President, and we should never forget the 2000 election because it matters who is the President of the United States.

President Bush intentionally misled the American people by supplying false grounds for going to war, and I personally never supported the war in Iraq.

This war has cost over a half trillion dollars. This war is now costing over $12 billion per month.

I stand with the American people and I wholeheartedly support our troops; yet I cannot support a truly senseless war that has killed 3,600 Americans and left over 26,000 severely wounded.

The soldiers did not vote for this war, but when given a mission, they do the best they can to complete it. The military is doing the job they were sent to do. There was a flaw in the mission from the beginning, and the flaw lies with us.

I want to be clear. The President's checking account has been overdrawn. The Bush administration's manipulation of taxpayer dollars to fund this war is over, and 70 percent of the American people oppose this war. This war needs to come to an immediate end.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the bill. Let's redeploy our men and women.

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute and honor the life of Mr. Robert Warren, Jr.

Mr. Warren was born in Jacksonville, FL, on September 18, 1940 to Robert and Alma Moore Warren and passed away on June 14, 2007. As a child he was affectionately tagged with the name Bobo, a selective and endearing form of Robert. Mr. Warren was spiritually nurtured in the Historic Metropolitan AME Church in Washington, DC but remained a life long member of the Historic Mount Zion AME Church in Jacksonville, FL.

Robert attended school in Jacksonville and graduated from New Stanton Senior High School in 1958. While at New Stanton, Robert was a member of the National Honor Society, the Foreign Language Club, and the New Stanton High School Marching and Concert Bands.

In August 1958, Robert left Jacksonville to attend Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, FAMU, in Tallahassee, FL. While at FAMU, Robert was a member of the world famous ``Marching 100'' and served in the Beta Nu chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Robert was also active with the French club, the NAACP, YMCA, and graduated in 1962 with a bachelor of science degree with a major in French and a minor in Spanish.

Robert moved to Washington, DC to earn a master's degree in French from Catholic University of America in 1970. Also, he was a fellow at the Sorbonne University in Paris, France, and studied at several other institutions of higher learning including the Universite de Basancon in France and Howard University in Washington, DC. Robert taught in the public schools of the District of Columbia and influenced many young minds throughout his career at home and abroad.

Since moving to the DC area, Robert remained supportive of his university and became a life member of the FAMU National Alumni Association. He continued to serve his fraternity by participating in events sponsored by all three Washington, D.C. alumni chapters.

Robert was an avid swimmer and won various swimming meets sponsored by the Golden Dolphin Senior Citizens Olympics. He was a lifetime member of the Anthony Bowen YMCA.

Mr. Robert Warren will not only be missed throughout the entire Jacksonville, Washington, DC, Florida A&M University, and Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity communities but many more across this Nation.

Madam Speaker, today I ask that you join me in honoring the life of a man who leaves behind a record of service that speaks volumes about his life.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, first of all, I want to thank Speaker Pelosi, Chairman Obey, and Chairman Edwards for bringing this bill to the floor. The motto of the former Veterans Secretary, my friend Jessie Brown, was ``putting veterans first.''

Well, the leadership they have shown, bringing the largest increase in the history of veterans funding to the floor, over $7 billion, I have got to thank you, sir. I have served on this committee for 15 years, and for 15 years we have struggled to put the veterans first. And I am so pleased that the House of Representatives under your leadership has finally put the veterans first.

Mr. Chairman, I rise on my amendment to bring attention to a travesty occurring in my district. A travesty not just affecting my district, but this regional hospital affects Florida and Georgia.

The Gainesville VA Medical Center is 40 years old and looks every day of it. There are five beds to a room, no shower, and no place for families.

This facility received one of the highest rates of returning Afghanistan and Iraq veterans and is being shortchanged by a lack of proper facilities. The bed tower project includes 228 single-patient bedrooms for surgical, medical, and psychiatric patients. This includes extra space for support of the psychiatric care inpatient program. Finally, the building itself was required to be structurally strengthened to protect it from potential terrorist attack since we are part of the national emergency response system. The current design will be completed in June 2007 and will be ready to be released for bid in September 2007.

Since the approval by the National CARES Commission and initial funding allocation, much has changed in the construction world. The dual impacts of Hurricane Katrina and the construction boom in China have caused the costs of all construction in the U.S. to rise.

The total estimated construction cost is over $103 million. The original projection was $64 million for construction. That leaves a shortfall of about $40 million.

Every month of delay costs about $1.1 million. An additional $40 million is needed in order to complete the project.

The men and women returning to Florida and southern Georgia will be greatly impacted, and I would like to work with the committee to resolve this matter.

Mr. Chairman, do I have the word of the chairman to look into this matter?

I yield to Chairman Edwards.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And once again thank you for your leadership.

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.

Offered By: Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida

Amendment No. 22: Page 30, line 14, after the dollar

amount, insert ``(reduced by $40,000,000)''.

Page 33, line 14, after the dollar amount, insert

``(increased by $40,000,000)''.

2008 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Bill

Offered By: Mr. Garrett of New Jersey

Amendment No. 1: At the end of title VI, insert the

following:

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I rise to offer an amendment that would add $1 million to the FEMA management and administration account so that children's disaster planning materials can be developed and implemented.

Children are often neglected when it comes to preparedness and response. Nothing shows this more than the chaotic evacuations during Hurricane Katrina when hundreds of children were separated from their parents or guardians because a simple system of writing down names of evacuated children was not implemented.

Children's unique needs are often overlooked because of the fallacy that children can be treated like ``little adults.'' Children are among the most vulnerable members of the population and their needs are vastly different.

For example, I had a meeting with the chief of the Division of Community Pediatrics from the University of Florida and he brought to my attention that emergency evacuation equipment is often bought for adults, but children can't be transported in adult equipment and often that type of equipment is missed.

My amendment would make sure children don't go unnoticed when we are thinking about preparedness materials. Children represent nearly 25 percent of the population, and they need their own set of disaster planning materials. Children should be learning the importance of making an emergency plan, what to ask their parents and about the need for an emergency contact and identification card.

In addition, children often take the preparedness message back home to their families. Involving and educating children is the best way to get many of the adults who don't always hear the planning message. Getting children ready for disasters can make the difference between success and failure. I urge my colleagues to support my amendment to increase funding for children's disaster preparedness materials.

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

Thank you.

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

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer an amendment to grant additional funding to the Inspector General's office so that they may enforce section 8 and small disadvantaged business contracts at the Department of Homeland Security.

Procurement at the Department of Homeland Security increased 189 percent between 2003 and 2005, which was 11 times faster than the growth of the rest of the government. Yet according to the Federal Procurement Data System, the percentage of contracting for small disadvantaged businesses has decreased. In 2003, small disadvantaged businesses accounted for 16 percent of contracts. In 2004, the number decreased to 9.5 percent, and in 2005 the number decreased to 7.6 percent. If spending is increasing at the Department of Homeland Security, then why aren't minority and small business contracts increasing, too?

I've heard from several businesses about their frustration with being awarded Federal contracts as a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and Women's Caucus, as well as talking with members from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Going around my district and speaking with many small businesses in general, they also feel like the government has shut them out. Of course, with the abundance of noncompetitive contracts in the Bush administration, it seems like the first place the Department does not look are minority businesses or small business. No-bid contracts go to large companies that are not minority-owned. Waste, fraud and abuse have been rampant at the Department of Homeland Security.

It has long been the policy of the Federal Government to assist minority and other ``socially and economically disadvantaged'' small businesses to become fully competitive and viable business concerns. This policy must be taken seriously by all agencies, especially the Department of Homeland Security.

This amendment is important to members of the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and the Congressional Women's Caucus. I urge my colleagues to support my amendment and the longstanding policy for assisting minority and small, disadvantaged businesses.

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

Mr. Chairman, I am very grateful.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to ask support for my amendment to allow Orlando International Airport and Miami International Airport to be named as two of the seven airports selected to implement a pilot program to screen airport workers who enter or reenter security airport space.

My interest in this stems from a very serious security breach which occurred at the Orlando International Airport, OIA, earlier this year.

On March 5, a Comair customer service employee boarded a Delta flight from Orlando International to San Juan, carrying 13 handguns, 1 assault weapon and 8 pounds of marijuana. Although passengers and flight crews are required to pass through screening to obtain access to gates, mechanics and other airline employees move through the airport without being screened.

In fact, the men that were arrested had employee identification that allowed them to bypass screening altogether when they brought a duffel bag full of handguns into the airport. This serves as a perfect example of a striking gap in airline security, not only at OIA, but at airports nationwide.

Moreover, given an employee was willing to take the risk of smuggling illegal weapons and drugs into a flight for a few thousand dollars, one would certainly imagine that it would be possible that the airline employee could be bribed by well-financed terrorists to obtain access to the airport infrastructure.

In response to this incident, report language in the bill required a pilot program for seven airports nationwide to mandate the screening of all employees as prescribed in H.R. 1314.

Of the seven airport pilot projects mentioned in the report language, my amendment would require that the Orlando International Airport and the Miami International Airport be named two of the designated programs. Miami International, in fact, already had a program in place, while Orlando International has undertaken a plan to screen 100 percent of all of its employees. Given the heavy international traffic at both of these airports, I strongly believe that they serve as perfect places to begin a program which eventually needs to be implemented at all airports nationwide.

The reason I include Miami is because Miami can be used as a model, since the airport has had a program in place for nearly a decade and spends about $5 million per year for this type of security. The Miami program has reduced smuggling by all employees. Under this program, all airport and airline employees are screened, though not at the same area as the passengers or flight crews.

The Miami program also includes a provision that allows screening to instantly send a suspect's image to a New York center that operates around-the-clock with a staff of former NYPD technicians.

As you know, the State of Florida, in particular, thrives on tourism, which forms the backbone of the State economy. Obviously, those traveling in the State need to feel safe during their commute, and increasing and enforcing the security process for airline employees would serve as an important step toward achieving this goal.

I realize it is necessary to withdraw this amendment, and I am willing to do so, but this is a very, very serious situation not just for Florida, but for the entire country. I want all of us to work together to ensure that our system does not allow these huge security gaps to continue.

Point of Order

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce legislation to ensure that the assets, including electronic data files and biological specimens on all participants in the Air Force Health Study, are transferred to the Medical Follow-Up Agency from the Air Force Health Study and are maintained, managed, and made available as a resource for future research for the benefit of veterans and their families, and for other humanitarian purposes.

This legislation is a companion to legislation introduced in the Senate by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman, Daniel Akaka.

Operation Ranch Hand was the military code name for the spraying of herbicides from U. S. Air Force aircraft in Southeast Asia from 1962 through 1971. During this time, Ranch Hand sprayed about 19 million gallons of herbicide, 11 million of which consisted of Agent Orange. The spray fell mostly on the forests of South Vietnam, but some was used in Laos, and some killed crops to deprive Vietcong and North Vietnamese troops of food. In all, Ranch Hand sprayed herbicide over about 6 million acres.

The Air Force Health Study (AFHS)--also known as the Ranch Hand Study--was initiated by the U.S. Air Force in 1979 to assess the possible health effects of military personnel's exposure to Agent Orange and other chemical defoliants sprayed during the Vietnam War, some of which contained dioxin.

The initial physical examination and surveying of study subjects was conducted in 1982 and subsequent cycles were conducted in 1985, 1987, 1992, 1997, and 2002. The data from the physical examinations should not be lost, and in fact, should be available to researchers for the benefit of all.

My bill is consistent with the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine's report on the disposition of the study. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Offered By: Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida

Amendment No. 17: In title I, in the item relating to

``Office of the Chief Financial Officer'', after the dollar

amount, insert ``(reduced by $500,000)''.

In title I, in the item relating to ``Inspector General,

operating expenses'', after the dollar amount, insert

``(increased by $500,000)''.

Offered By: Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida

Amendment No. 18: Page 61, after line 11, insert the

following:

(d) Orlando International Airport and Miami International

Airport shall be two of the seven airports selected to

implement a pilot program to screen airport workers who enter

or re-enter secure airport space.

Offered By: Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida

Amendment No. 19: Page 3, line 14, after the dollar amount

insert ``(reduced by $1,000,000)''.

Page 39, line 14, after the dollar amount insert

``(increased by $1,000,000)''.

Offered By: Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida

Amendment No. 20: At the end of the bill (before the short

title), insert the following:

Mr. Speaker, I have never supported the war in Iraq. From the very outset of the conflict, I have stood as an ardent opponent of the war, and voted against the War Resolution, House Joint Resolution 114, which ``authorized the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq,'' when it came before the House of Representatives on October 8, 2002. I have argued from the beginning of this conflict that the President intentionally misled the American public by supplying them with spurious grounds for going to war.

I cannot, in good conscience, return to my district over the Memorial Day recess having cast a vote to continue funding, and henceforth, provide financial support for the continuation of this horrible war. Moreover, the bill's lack of a timetable for troop withdrawal is not acceptable. This is a war without any end in sight, without any sort of deadlines or oversight, and the administration will continue to throw away billions and billions of dollars in this conflict if we cannot pass a bill with timelines or restrictions.

Clearly, the November midterm elections demonstrated that the majority of the American public is bitterly opposed to the war in Iraq. Just today in fact, a New York Times/CBS poll showed that ``over 61 percent of Americans say that the United States should have stayed out of Iraq, while over 75 percent say that things [in Iraq] are going badly'' (New York Times, May 24, 2007). I stand with the American people today, and although I wholeheartedly support our troops, I cannot support a bill to continue funding a terrible war while the White House refuses to accede to readiness standards or any other measures that restrict their oil war in Iraq.

It is estimated that we have already spent over a trillion dollars of taxpayer money in Iraq. This is funding which we could be using for social services for our own citizens. Indeed, important items like education, prescription drugs, health care and homeland security goes underfunded while a disastrous war, unwillingly being paid for by U.S. taxpayers, wages on.

And yet the administration continues to request blank checks to be used at their discretion. A perfect example of this is the money sent over there in the period, between May 2003 and June 2004, when our military was carrying huge, wrapped stacks of $100 bills over to Iraq-- $12 billion total--in cash. This money was sent over there without oversight, without any sort of accountability, and many are now worried that the same insurgent groups that are battling against our troops may have bought their weapons with this money. And the argument put forward by the

Bush administration for sending money over in this way was that Iraq was without a functioning banking system. This utterly ludicrous reasoning is nearly as preposterous as their lies and poor reasons for going to war in the first place, like scaring the American people into believing that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, which, to this day, have not been discovered.

President Bush has asked for a blank check and the American people have stamped his account ``insufficient funds.''

First of all, let me thank Chairman Filner for shepherding the bills that we have here on the floor, for bringing these bills to the floor on this date.

Mr. Speaker, I have been on Veterans' Affairs for 15 years, and as we approach Memorial Day, we do it to honor our veterans. The entire time I have been proud to be on this committee, because it is what we do for our veterans.

One of the things, Mr. Buyer, that I have enjoyed about serving on this committee is that it has always been bipartisan. We have always worked together for the veterans in this country, and we need to continue to do that.

As we move into this Memorial Day, and I think about what I have to do next Monday, when I go home, to face those families, we need to be honoring them today here on the floor of the House of Representatives.

If we have any personal matters, it needs to be taken up at that particular time and not here on the floor of the House of Representatives.

Earlier today I had the privilege of joining the Congressional Women's Caucus at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial at Arlington

National Cemetery. Earlier today we honored four members of the United States Armed Forces, and it was my privilege to be there. The late Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald, a key member in the Women's Caucus, was instrumental in organizing this year's celebration.

It wasn't until 1971 that the last Monday in May became the official national holiday, as we know today, as Memorial Day. The day itself was born from the tragedy of the Civil War when soldiers and family members in the North and the South decorated the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers.

In 1868, seeking to formalize this touching tribute, General John Logan, Commander in Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, issued General Order Number 11 designating May 30, 1868, as Decoration Day, for the purpose of laying flowers and decorating graves of those who died in the defense of their country, our great country.

All together, these bills move benefits for veterans into the 21st century. From extending the eligible period for health care for combat service in the Persian Gulf to treating of trauma, brain injury, vocational rehabilitation benefits, chiropractic benefits and outreach activities at the VA, finally to deal with the final resting place for those who have sacrificed for the freedom of this Nation, these bills and this House honor our Nation's veterans.

I support all of these bills, and I urge my colleagues to support them as well. Let us all honor the veterans who have done so much for us and these families as we go into Memorial Day.

God bless America.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 1873--the Small Business Fairness in Contracting Act.

The 10th Edition of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines fairness as being: impartial, honest; free from self-interest, prejudice, or favoritism. For too long small businesses have been overlooked, short changed and under-funded. For the first time in over a decade this House voted on a bill to open the $380 billion federal marketplace to small businesses across the country.

Mr. Chairman, this bill will not only bring about strong economic growth but also create jobs. This bill does that by: Ensuring that new regulations and databases are added to encourage and promote fairness in the use of small businesses in government contracting; increasing the overall national goal of using contracts with small businesses; and increasing the goal for contracts with disadvantaged and women-owned businesses. These changes are vital to small businesses all over this country.

For the past 6 years, the government has failed to meet its 23 percent small business contracting goal. This has cost small business $10 billion in lost contracting opportunities.

In the 3rd district of Florida, small business owner Lisa Wolf of Wolf Technologies informed me that she faces many contracting problems and loss of business due to the bundling of small projects into large mega contracts. Ms. Wolf owns a geotechnical engineering firm and has gained a reputation for helping clients exceed their goals; she cannot effectively do this without small Federal contracts.

Entrepreneurs and small businesses like Lisa Wolf's are key players in the economy of Florida.

Florida has an estimated total of 1,837,800 small businesses and 29 percent of them are women-owned firms.

According to the Florida Small Business Development Center:

The stability and growth of Florida's economy depends

largely on the vitality of our state's small businesses who

are a diverse group of entrepreneurs and innovators. This

large and growing group keeps the Florida economy productive.

This bill ensures that more Federal contracts are available to small firms like Lisa's and also increases the procurement opportunities for the small, disadvantaged and women-owned businesses.

Mr. Chairman, this bill is not only a great investment to my home State of Florida but most importantly to our nation's small businesses and I strongly support it.