Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H.R. 1700, the COPS Improvements Act.

This program, begun under President Clinton, has invested over $12 billion to add officers to the Nation's streets and schools, enhance crime-fighting technology, support crime prevention initiatives, provide training and technical assistance, administer grant programs, and advance community policing. Since President Bush has taken office, he has done everything he could to cut or eliminate funding for this worthwhile program.

In the Third District of Florida alone, over $89,420,196 in COPS grants were awarded to law enforcement agencies: COPS grants have funded 1,192 additional police officers and sheriffs deputies to engage in community policing activities, including crime prevention, in the 3rd District; 24 local and State law enforcement agencies in the 3rd District have directly benefited from funding made available through the COPS Office; $6,187,466 has been awarded to add 52 school resources officers to improve safety for students, teachers, and administrators in primary and secondary schools throughout the 3rd District; and $10,780,628 has been awarded for crime-fighting technologies. This funding has allowed officers to spend more time on the streets of the 3rd District of Florida fighting and preventing crime through timesaving technology, information-sharing systems, and improved communications equipment.

My district is not alone. The COPS program has helped districts across the Nation by reducing crime and making communities safer for residents to live their lives.

Earlier this session, I introduced a resolution urging increased funding for both the COPS program and the Weed and Seed program, which is an innovative, comprehensive, multiagency approach to law enforcement, crime prevention, and community revitalization. Both these programs go together--community policing and community revitalization.

I am submitting for the record a letter from the city of Orlando in support of this bill.

I urge support for the COPS program, safer communities and this bill.

City of Orlando,

Orlando, FL, May 15, 2007.

Hon. Corrine Brown,

U.S. Representative,

Washington, DC.

Dear Congresswoman Brown: I am writing on behalf of the

City of Orlando to advise you of our strong support for H.R.

1700, the ``COPS Improvements Act of 2007''.

In 1994, Congress established the Office for Community

Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and, in the decade that

followed, our nation experienced a significant drop in crime

rates. A large part of this success was the nation's

commitment to community oriented policing, particularly it's

hiring component, which helped get more officers on the beat.

This approach was validated by a Government Accountability

Office (GAO) study of the COPS program, which stated that:

``COPS-funded increases in sworn officers per capita were

associated with declines in the rates of total index crimes,

violent crimes, and property crime.''

Now, after years of historically low crime rates, we are

seeing a disturbing new trend--a jump in violent crimes in

our City as well as in many of our nation's large and medium-

sized cities. Just as the decrease in crime was directly

related to an increased focus on hiring law enforcement

officers at the state and local level, the more recent

increase in certain crimes can be directly related to the

loss of Federal funds supporting state and local law

enforcement. This legislation will reinstitute the COPS

program--a program we all know to be effective--and is needed

now more than ever.

Specifically, this bill will establish the Office of

Community Oriented Policing Services as a distinct entity

within the U. S. Department of Justice and will reauthorize

hiring programs for three specific purposes--community

policing officers, local counterterrorism officers, and

school resource officers. The bill also reauthorizes funds

for technology grants and community prosecutors. The COPS

program and the community policing approach are, and should

continue to be, an important part of our national crime-

fighting strategy.

Your commitment to reducing crime and your recognition of

the important role local law enforcement plays throughout the

nation is commendable. Be assured that the City of Orlando

will do our part in the fight against crime and, given the

proper resources, we can keep Orlando one of the safest

cities in the nation.

Sincerely,

Buddy Dyer,

Mayor.

Mr. Speaker, due to unforeseen circumstances I failed to vote on rollcall No. 330, which provided for the redeployment of United States Armed Forces and defense contractors from Iraq.

Had I been able to vote, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support my amendment.

This amendment would direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to consider the number of tourists who have visited an urban area in the 2 years preceding the year the Secretary awards Urban Area Security Initiative Grants.

Urban Area Security Initiative Grants are designed to fund activities to prevent, protect against, and respond to terrorist attacks and catastrophic events in designated high-threat, high-risk urban areas.

The Department of Homeland Security uses a number of factors to allocate funds and assess risks, including special events, theme parks and population. However, a critical element is missing from their list of factors. Homeland Security has yet to explicitly account for tourists as a risk factor when allocating Urban Area Security Initiative Grants.

A recent Congressional Research Service report says due to the potential for mass casualty incidents and economic damage from terrorist attacks, tourist locations are at risk. In addition to the location of tourist destinations, the tourist population could possibly be at risk, too.

Heavy tourist areas present a twofold incentive for terrorists: a high probability of a sizeable number of casualties and damage to the economy. A 2005 study by the Rand Corporation found that terrorists have an increased concentration on civilian targets and an ongoing emphasis on economic attacks.

Most experts agree the evidence shows that terrorists are seeking to kill as many people as possible. The high number of tourists who are staying at any given time in tourist magnets such as Orlando or Miami significantly increases the potential consequence of an attack in those cities. Congress cannot let terrorists exploit this gap in our grant funding.

In addition, the economic danger resulting from a terrorist attack on a tourist location is another incentive. Terrorist attacks depress consumer confidence and spending that hurts businesses, undermines investment and our overall economic condition. Congress must ensure that the Department of Homeland Security considers this incentive for terrorists when distributing Urban Area Security Initiative Grants.

In past years, concerns were raised that the Department did not adequately account for the large tourist population in cities such as Las Vegas, Orlando and San Diego when they calculated the risk for our Nation's urban areas. In fact, in fiscal year 2006, Las Vegas and San Diego were left off the list of the top 35 cities that were eligible to receive grants under the UASI program.

The Department of Homeland Security has been very secretive regarding how Urban Area Security Initiative Grants are allocated. A recent General Accountability Office report stated, ``DHS has not provided us documentation on what analyses were conducted, how they were conducted, how they were used and how they affected the final risk assessment scores and relative rankings.''

The Department of Homeland Security has made claims that they consider tourist populations, but the problem is Homeland Security has not been specific regarding risk assessment methods or providing Congress adequate information to prove that they have done so. Although the Department of Homeland Security made administrative changes to the fiscal year 2007 grant process to account for tourist populations, my amendment would clearly codify this change.

I urge my colleagues to adopt this amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have?

Mr. Chairman, I yield the remaining time to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green).

Mr. Chairman, I am asking that the ranking member on the other side yield 1 minute to Ms. Berkley because I think I am out of time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 28 seconds to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley).

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment.

As chair of the Rail Subcommittee, we have done initial studies, and we have found that we are celebrating the anniversary of the bombing in Madrid, the bombing in London, the bombing in India, and yet the administration has not come forward with recommendations as to how to secure our rail system, how to implement a program to safeguard that we do not have this kind of attack on homeland security here in the United States.

So I strongly support the amendment

March 11th marked the third anniversary of the train bombings in Madrid, and we have seen terrorist attacks in London and India in each year since. Yet the Bush Administration and past Republican leadership has done little to protect our Nation's freight rail or the millions of passengers that use public transportation every day.

The anniversary of this terrible tragedy again raises the serious question of whether we are prepared in this country for a similar attack. Sadly, that answer is a resounding NO. But with the passage of this legislation, we will start investing the money that is needed to safeguard our rail and transit infrastructure from those who wish us harm.

The Federal Government has focused most of its attention on enhancing security in the airline industry and has largely ignored the needs of public transit agencies and railroads. Yet, worldwide, more terrorist attacks have occurred on transit and rail systems since 9/11 than on airlines.

In 2006, we dedicated $4.7 billion to the airline industry for security, while 6,000 public transit agencies and one national passenger railroad, Amtrak, had to share a meager $136 million total for security upgrades. Nothing was provided to the 532 freight railroads for security upgrades.

Fortunately for the traveling public, the legislation on the floor today will address the security challenges facing our Nation's transit and rail systems.

This bill requires comprehensive security plans; strengthens whistleblower protections for workers; mandates security training; improves communication and intelligence sharing; authorizes a higher- level of grant funding for Amtrak, the freight railroads, and public transportation providers; and provides funding for life-safety improvements to the tunnels in New York, Boston, and Washington, DC.

Most importantly, it helps make sure our communities, our First Responders, and our transit and rail workers are safe and secure. And it does all of this through a coordinated effort between the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Transportation, the agency that has the expertise to deal with transportation safety issues.

We are way behind many other countries in protecting our transit and rail systems, but with the new leadership in Congress and this comprehensive legislation, we have a plan that will protect millions of transit and rail passengers and the communities through which freight railroads operate from harm, while keeping the trains running on time.

I encourage all my colleagues to do the right thing for your constituents and support this long overdue rail and transit security legislation.

Madam Speaker, I would like to begin with a quote from Coretta Scott King: ``Struggle is a never ending process. Freedom is never really won. You earn it and win it in every generation.''

I rise today to talk about one of America's priorities in the emergency supplemental appropriations bill. And that is to fulfill the promise to help rebuild Louisiana and Mississippi from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

In August of 2005, the American people saw something that was hard to believe. They saw a U.S. Government that was incompetent, a government that was inept and a government that didn't care about its own people. Unfortunately, 2 days ago, President Bush vetoed the emergency supplemental bill and showed the American people that things haven't changed.

After the President vetoed the bill, he had the audacity to make the following statement: ``. . . the bill is loaded with billions of dollars in non-emergency spending that has nothing to do with fighting the war on terror. Congress should debate these spending measures on their own merits--and not as part of an emergency funding bill for our troops.''

Only two people in the country believe that we are winning the war in Iraq--they are President Bush and Vice-President Dick Cheney. The cheese stands alone.

The $1.3 billion for east and west bank levee protection and coastal protections isn't pork.

The $30 million for K-12 education assistance has been debated and has been deemed essential. The $25 million for Small Business Administration disaster loans will help rebuild. The $80 million for HUD rental assistance will bring people home. The $4.3 billion for FEMA disaster recovery grants is an emergency for our fellow Americans in Louisiana and Mississippi who have been waiting 18 months for you to keep your promise to rebuild Louisiana and Mississippi.

Mr. President, you were wrong to veto this bill. I have been to New Orleans seven times and I am going back in June. Sadly, every time I have been back it looks the same--like a war zone.

It's unbelievable that 18 months have passed and the most basic human needs are not yet met; 18 months later and residents are not able to move back, there is still debris everywhere and people go without electricity; 18 months later and there are impassable roads, no clean running water, and not enough schools and teachers; 18 months later and no street signs, toxic fumes in the air and not enough police officers; 18 months later this is unacceptable.

The President has been wrong about every major claim he has made, why should we believe anything he has to say now? The President said Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, and he was wrong. The President said al Qaeda was tied to Iraq, and he was wrong. The President said a liberated Iraq would bring stability to the region, and he was wrong. The President said we would be treated as liberators, and he was wrong. The President said oil revenues would pay for the war, and he was wrong. The President said ``Mission Accomplished,'' and he was wrong. The President was wrong to veto this bill.

My colleagues on the other side made statements over and over again about how we should pass a ``clean'' supplemental bill. I would like to ask them what is wrong with giving the residents of Louisiana and Mississippi the money they deserve? I've been an elected official for 25 years and I've never seen a clean bill. It is clear to me from watching the Republicans that he who holds the gold holds the power.

If the President or my Republican colleagues would have done their job 18 months ago, we wouldn't need to have these extra funds in the supplemental bill. It is shameful that the very people who write the checks and pay taxes in our cities are not getting the money they deserve. I remember the President's press conference in Jefferson Square in New Orleans and his promise to rebuild. His veto showed the America people, once again, that he has no intention of living up to that promise. The Democratic majority has done our job by passing this bill. Sadly, the residents of Louisiana and Mississippi will have to keep on waiting on you to remember your promise.

The good citizens of Louisiana and Mississippi demand good government that is responsible and caring and walks the walk and not just talks to the talk.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin with a quote from Coretta Scott King: ``Struggle is a never ending process. Freedom is never really won. You earn it and win it every generation.''

I rise today to talk about one of America's priorities in the emergency supplemental appropriation bill, and that is to fulfill the promise to help rebuild Louisiana and Mississippi from Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.

In August of 2005, the American people saw something that was hard to believe. They saw a U.S. government that was incompetent, a government that was inept, and a government that did not care about its open people.

Unfortunately, 2 days ago, President Bush vetoed the emergency supplemental bill and showed the American people that things haven't changed. After the President vetoed the bill, he had the audacity to make the following statement: `` . . . the bill is loaded with billions of dollars in non-emergency spending that has nothing to do with fighting the war on terror. Congress should debate these spending measures on their own merits--and not as a part of an emergency funding bill for our troops.''

Only two other people in the country believe that we are winning the war in Iraq, by the way. That's President Bush and Vice President Cheney. The cheese stands alone. The $1.3 billion for east and west bank levee protection and coastal protection isn't pork. The $30 million for K-12 education assistance has been debated and has been deemed essential.

The $25 billion for small business disaster loans will help rebuild; the $80 million for HUD rental assistance will bring people back home; the $4.3 billion for FEMA disaster recovery grants is an emergency for our fellow Americans in Louisiana and Mississippi who have been waiting 18 months for you to keep your promise to rebuild Louisiana and Mississippi.

Mr. President, you were wrong to veto this bill. I have been to New Orleans seven times and going back in June. Sadly, every time I look there, it look looks like a war zone. It is unbelievable that 18 months have passed and the most basic human needs have not yet been met; 18 months later, and residents are not able to move back. There is still debris everywhere, and people are without electricity 18 months later. The roads are not passable, no clean running water, not enough schools and teachers; 18 months later and no street signs, toxic fumes in the air and not enough police; 18 months later, this is unacceptable.

My colleagues on the other side of the aisle made the statement over and over again about how we should pass a clean bill. Well, I have been elected 25 years, and I have never seen a clean bill yet. If the President or my Republican colleagues would have done their job 18 months ago, we wouldn't need to have these extra funds in the supplemental bill. It is shameful that the very people who write the checks and pay the taxes in our cities are not given the money they deserve.

I remember the President's press conference in Jefferson Square in New Orleans and his promise to rebuild. His veto showed the American people once again that he has no intention of living up to his promise.

The Democratic majority has done their job. They passed this bill. Sadly, the residents of Louisiana and Mississippi will have to keep waiting on you to remember your promise. The good citizens of Louisiana and Mississippi demand good government. This is responding to the caring, and it is also an example of not just talking the talk, but walking the walk.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Oberstar for joining me in introducing the Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act of 2007. This legislation is long overdue and will authorize safety programs in both passenger and freight rail that will protect passengers, workers, and the communities that our passenger and freight rails serve. It will also improve the safety of our rail infrastructure which will allow for the exceptional growth expected in both passenger and freight rail.

This legislation will make major improvements in railroad safety by requiring the Department of Transportation to develop a long-term strategy for improving rail safety, authorizing funds for the purchase of track geometry vehicles and for the development of an underground and tunnel safety facility.

The legislation strengthens hours-of-service by mandating consecutive hours of rest, eliminates limbo time, and requires fatigue management plans. It also strengthens whistleblower protections and imposes penalties for safety, hours-of-service, and accident reporting violations.

The legislation also mandates the implementation of Positive Train Controls, improves warning systems in non-signaled territory, establishes minimum training standards, and recommends ways to mitigate health hazards.

Congress last passed legislation to reauthorize the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) in 1994. That authorization expired in 1998. Since that time, the railroad industry has changed dramatically. Economic growth and an increase in international trade have led to record traffic levels. At the same time, Amtrak and the commuter railroads-- which often operate on freight rail lines--are moving more passengers, which means that there is a lot of pressure on our rail system. This has a significant impact on worker and public safety.

According to the FRA, train accidents have increased by 33 percent since 1994. Fatalities and injuries have also increased--from 12 fatalities and 262 injuries in 1994 to 33 fatalities and 734 injuries in 2005. Injuries hit an all-time high of 1,884 in 2002 due to the train accident in Minot, ND.

According to the FRA, human factors are responsible for nearly 40 percent of all train accidents, and a new study confirms that fatigue plays a role in approximately one out of four of those accidents.

Researchers analyzed the 30-day work schedules of locomotive crews preceding 1,400 train accidents and not surprisingly found a strong correlation between the crew's level of alertness and the likelihood that they would be involved in an accident. NTSB investigators have reached similar conclusions.

The hours of service law, which was originally enacted in 1907 and substantially amended in 1969, is outdated. It deals only with acute fatigue, not cumulative fatigue. Since the rail industry is markedly different today compared to 40 or 100 years ago, there are some significant shortcomings in the law.

For example, the law does not properly address ``limbo time,'' which is the time when a crew's working assignment is finished and they are waiting for transportation back to their homes. During limbo time, crewmembers are required to stay awake, alert, and able to respond to any situation, which means that crews can be on the job for as long as 15 or 20 hours at a time. Although the NTSB has repeatedly asked the FRA to make improvements to hours-of-service and address fatigue, the FRA seemingly does not have the regulatory authority to do so.

The Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee has held numerous hearings on railroad safety, fatigue, and human factor accidents and has heard testimony from all the stakeholders and policy makers in the passenger and freight rail industry. I believe this legislation will help reduce accidents, improve rail safety, and improve the work environment for employees which will allow the passenger and freight rail industry to safely handle the future growth projected for both modes of transportation.

I encourage all of my colleagues to support this legislation and I urge its swift passage so that we can begin to implement these important safety measures immediately.

Madam Speaker, I stand before you today in support of H. Res. 272, drafted by my colleague Representative Barbara Lee from California. I would like to thank her for her leadership on this issue in recognition of this important part of our shared history.

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the end of the transatlantic slave trade. In 1807 the United Kingdom outlawed slavery recognizing that the African slave trade and all manner of dealing and trading in the purchase, sale, barter, or transfer of slaves from any part of the coast or countries of Africa was unlawful and thereby abolished.

The transatlantic slave trade conducted the capture of Africans, mostly from West Africa, for the purpose of enslavement in the colonies that would become the United States, during the 15th and late 19th centuries.

The Middle Passage was the forced migration through overseas transport of millions of Africans to the Americas, many of whom suffered abuses of rape and perished as a result of torture, malnutrition, disease and resistance in transit. Those who survived this perilous journey were sold into slavery.

More than 12,000,000 Africans were transported in bondage from their African homelands to the Americas, and an estimated 1,200,000 men, women, and children born in the Americas were displaced in the forced migration that was the domestic slave trade.

It is important to acknowledge that as a result of the slave trade approximately 80,000,000 to 150,000,000 persons of African descent live in Latin America and the Caribbean, making them the largest population of persons of African descent outside of Africa.

The transatlantic slave trade is characterized as the largest forced migration in world history.

The institution of slavery which enslaved Africans, their progeny and later generations for life was constitutionally and statutorily sanctioned by the Government of the United States from 1789 through 1865.

Slavery in the United States during and after British colonial rule included the sale and acquisition of Africans as chattel property in interstate and intrastate commerce. However their presence in southern states posed a problem for representation when the Union solidified. The Great Compromise of 1787 declared that the enslaved Africans would be counted as three-fifths of a person for the purposes of representation in the House of Representatives as not to give undue representation to southern states.

The slavery that flourished in the United States constituted an immoral and inhumane dispossession of Africans' life, liberty, and citizenship rights and denied them the fruits of their own labor. The enslaved Africans in the colonies and the United States suffered psychological and physical abuse, destruction of their culture, language, religion, and families.

I am disappointed that this body has been slow to act on the resolution denouncing slavery and offering an official apology to the descendants of slaves and the African American community. The 2001 World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance, held in Durban, South Africa, declared the slave trade and slavery a crime against humanity. The world recognizes the magnitude of this atrocity so why can't we make this simple step towards reconciliation?

The slave trade and the legacy of slavery continue to have a profound impact on social and economic disparity, hatred, bias, racism and discrimination in the United States.

I urge my colleagues to support this and other legislation that serves to educate and increase awareness of the history of the slave trade and its impact on American culture.

Mr. Speaker, I rise first of all to thank the 415 ``yes'' votes for the Florida Gators, and we will continue to work on the four present, teaching them good sportsmanship.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my University of Florida basketball team for winning back-to-back NCAA basketball championships. The Gators basketball team is the first to successfully defend their basketball championship since 1992. Go Gators.

The Florida Gators teams that won those championships exhibit teamwork and sportsmanship rarely seen in college sports. This is the first time in the history that the exact same starting five was able to repeat the championship. No one left to be stars in the NBA. They came back to prove to the world that the University of Florida's win was no fluke, and the Florida Gators are a championship team that have made history.

Let's talk history. The Gators' win was the first time in college sports history that identical match ups and the results were the same. Florida's Lee Humphrey also set the all-time NCAA tournament record for three-point field goals made with 47, and Florida's Corey Brewer was the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Coach Billy Donovan became the third-youngest coach at the age of 41 to win two titles. The Gators finished with a 10-game winning streak and haven't lost a post-season game in 18 tries, including sweeping the Southeastern Conference tournaments the last 2 years.

Coach Billy Donovan should deserves credit for building the team from scratch and teaching the players how to win and how to act like champions. This success at Florida opens other opportunities, but he has chosen to remain a Florida Gator. Coach Donovan is truly a great coach and a great leader. To close, I would just like to say, it's great to be a Florida gator.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to indicate that I will be voting ``yes'' on H.R. 1905 and that I have supported it for 15 years, and I am very happy to be supporting the doing away with the disenfranchisement of the people of the District of Columbia.

I want to thank the Gentlelady from the District of Columbia, Ms. Norton, Chairman Conyers, and the Gentleman from Virginia Mr. Davis for working very hard to bring the vote to the residents of the District of Columbia.

I rise today in support of this legislation.

This country's history is replete with certain groups being denied the right to vote.

Being from Florida, I understand about disenfranchisement. It is something I fight against and oppose every day. Disenfranchisement did not end with the passage of the Voting Rights Act, and it will not end when the residents of the District of Columbia finally get the right to vote. It is a continual fight, needing eternal vigilance to protect.

This bill will go a long way in righting the wrongs that have been perpetuated on the American people for too long.

This bill ends the 206-year-old injustice of ``taxation without representation'' for over a half a million District residents. Residents of the District of Columbia serve in the military, pay billions of dollars in Federal taxes each year, serve on juries, and assume other responsibilities of U.S. citizenship. And yet, for over 200 years, they have been denied full voting representation in the Congress. The United States is the only democracy in the world that deprives the residents of its capital city full voting representation in the national legislature. Essentially, residents of every State have a vote regarding the laws that govern the District, while those living in the District itself do not.

Support the right to vote. Support voting rights for the residents of the District of Columbia. Support H.R. 1905.

Madam Speaker, I rise to extend my most sincere ``Congratulations'' to Mrs. M. Jean Butler on her retirement from JCB Construction, Incorporated. I wish to join with her many friends, family members and admirers in recognizing Mrs. Butler on this special occasion.

The years of dedicated and productive service she has demonstrated have set a standard in the construction industry that will not soon be surpassed. In an industry dominated by men, Mrs. Butler established lCB Construction, Inc. to be the largest African American female owned firm in Central Florida. Expanding on a family legacy of entrepreneurship in the construction industry, Mrs. Butler has developed a reputation as a savvy businesswoman who's professional and quality work within the last 20 years have been modeled by other organizations. I commend her for her setting an example and remaining true to her vision.

Mrs. Butler is the recipient of many honors and awards of which she is most deserving. She is a leader in this community who takes pride in giving back. Her wisdom and words of encouragement to everyone she encounters has endeared her to us all. It has been said, ``To whom much is given, much is required.'' I extend my best wishes for continued happiness and abundant blessings during her retirement. It is my tremendous honor to recognize Mrs. Butler for her years of service and for being a productive citizen in this community. Her valuable time, efforts and accomplishments are greatly appreciated and will never go unnoticed.

Madam Chairman, I rise in support of the Congressional Black Caucus Alternative Budget offered today. The CBC budget will change a 6 year Republican policy that I call Reverse Robin Hood, stealing from the poor to give to the rich.

You might ask why the Democratic Budget, which I support, needs improvement. The Democratic Budget needs improvement because when America has a cold, African-Americans have pneumonia. The CBC budget reverses the deep cuts that have been made in the programs that serve the neediest Americans.

Over a 5 year period, compared to the President's budget the CBC spends: $158 billion more on education, training, employment and social services; $101 billion more on healthcare; $19 billion more on community and regional development; $42 billion more on veterans benefits and services; $12 billion more on administration of justice; $21 billion more on homeland security; and $5.8 billion more on international affairs.

Even after funding these priorities, the CBC alternative budget still manages to balance the budget in Fiscal Year 2012 and in fact, creates a surplus of $141 billion.

As an African American woman who represents one of the poorest districts in the state of Florida, I am proud to say that the Congressional Black Caucus's Budget demonstrates that fiscal responsibility and spending on programs that are important to the African-American people are not mutually exclusive. I encourage all my colleagues to support the CBC Budget.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Democratic budget offered today. This budget is a stark contrast to the President's budget which proves to be entirely insufficient in meeting the needs of our Nation, and those of my constituents in the third district of Florida. A budget is about priorities, and the President's priorities are to ask our seniors, our students, our children, the middle class, and the working poor, to make fiscal sacrifices, while the rich count their money.

As an African-American woman who represents one of the poorest districts in the state of Florida, I am proud to say that Democrats are fighting for a budget that reflects the values of America's working families. For the first time in 6 years, the congressional budget resolution will deliver fiscal responsibility, economic prosperity, a strong national defense, affordable health care and energy prices, and strong public schools.

Let me give you some examples of the differences between the President's budget and the Democratic budget:

The President's budget has deficits as far as the eye can see with an increase of $507 billion over the next 5 years. The House Democratic budget lowers the deficit in 2008 and balances the budget in 5 years.

The President's budget cuts vital health care programs even when there are over 3 million Floridians without health insurance. The House Democratic budget puts children and families first by providing $50 billion to expand children's health insurance and creates a reserve fund that would allow Medicare improvements--such as increasing the reimbursement rate for physicians and improving the Medicare prescription drug program.

The President's budget fails to protect Americans here at home by slashing funding for the COPS program by 94 percent. COPS is regarded as an overwhelming success and has funded more than 118,400 police officers and sheriffs deputies. The House Democratic budget provides more homeland security dollars to fund the 9/11 Commission's recommendations, reject the President's cuts to first responders, and adequately address port security needs.

The President's budget forgets about the over 1.7 million veterans in Florida by cutting funds for their healthcare in 2009 and 2010 and imposing new health care fees on 1.3 million veterans. The House Democratic budget meets previously unmet needs for veterans by increasing funding for veterans' health care by $5.4 billion above current services.

The President's budget gives no relief to Americans struggling with high energy costs. Florida low-income energy assistance was slashed by $6.5 million and gas prices have increased approximately 69 percent since 2001. The House Democratic Budget expands renewable energy and energy efficiency by stimulating the economy with investments in the farm economy and in research to develop clean, sustainable energy alternatives to help America achieve energy independence in 10 years.

The President's budget betrays Florida's children by underfunding the No Child Left Behind Act for the 6th year. Nearly 160,000 children in Florida will go without promised help in reading and math. The House Democratic Budget has a $3 billion increase in funding for programs like No Child Left Behind, special education and aid to help students afford college.

In closing, I would like to reiterate that Democrats are committed to a new direction for America in which the interests of hardworking Florida families take priority over the special interests. This budget delivers fiscal responsibility, economic prosperity, a strong national defense, access to healthcare and high-quality public schools for the people in my district and for Americans overall.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, first of all, I would like to thank the chairman and ranking member for bringing this bill to the floor.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to bring an amendment to H.R. 1538, the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act of 2007. This bill establishes a toll- free hotline for reporting deficiencies in medical facilities and a new system of case managers, advocates and counselors for wounded servicemen returning from combat overseas to help them get the

care they need and help navigate the military health care system.

The bill provides no professional protections for servicemen if they or their family members call this hotline to get better treatment. This could cause those injured men and women to refrain from reporting abuses and problems, and the situation we currently have at Walter Reed could continue.

There is also the worry that anything reported will affect the serviceman's career. My amendment would simply offer confidentiality for those soldiers to get the care they are provided under this bill.

This amendment requires any hotline set up by the Secretary of Defense to ask if the caller wants confidentiality at the beginning of the phone call.

Last month, I was in the grocery store in Jacksonville, Florida. A veteran working part time told me about a friend at Walter Reed, with pictures showing the problems occurring there. I couldn't believe what he was describing to me was a military facility, and I told him, You can't believe everything you see on the Internet. The next day, the very next day, this story was in The Washington Post. The fact that an active duty soldier was treated this way is inconceivable.

Most of the information I get is from families, about the war and lack of equipment. Not from the Department of Defense, not from the soldiers, but from the family members. I do not want a call for help by a wounded serviceman or woman or their family to be used against them. I do not want those heroes to be scared to ask for help, to be scared their future career could be compromised by one phone call.

Support the Brown amendment.

I yield to the gentleman from California.

I yield to the gentleman from Missouri.

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

I want to thank Chairmen Oberstar and Thompson for working together to bring this important legislation to the floor.

For too long, we have neglected the security of our rail and transit system, and this legislation will go a long way to make up for this.

March 11 marked the third anniversary of the train bombing in Madrid, where 191 people were killed and 2,050 were injured. Since that terrible terrorist attack, additional bombings have occurred in London and India, killing hundreds more people. It is obvious that we must be ready for a similar attack here in our own country, but, sadly, we are not.

Mr. Chairman, each year more Americans ride on rail and transit systems than they do on planes, yet the money we are putting in security is a mere fraction of what we devote to aviation security. In 2006, the Federal Government spent $4.7 billion for airline security, yet only $136 million for rail and transit systems. Five times more people take trains over planes each day, yet we spend 35 times more on aviation security than we do on rail and transit security. This is not acceptable.

Chairman DeFazio and I recently held a hearing on rail and transit security, and what we found was discouraging. Since 9/11, the Department of Homeland Security has failed to issue a strategy to secure our rail and transit infrastructure, and the Transportation Security Administration has not completed a risk assessment of these systems.

Additionally, the rash of international terrorist bombings means that terrorists are getting smarter. Their future attacks will be harder to prevent. The window to secure our rail and transit infrastructure is closing quickly, and we need to act. While the Department of Transportation has done the most work of all agencies to secure this segment, it is obvious that much more work needs to be done.

I am glad that the manager's amendment will require DHS to work with the DOT to improve our Nation's rail and transit security system. It is hard to believe that almost 6 years after 9/11 we still have not addressed the rail and transit security. But election brings changes, and I am glad that we, the new congressional leadership, have common sense to take steps to protect the millions of people who use our Nation's many rail and transit systems.

The legislation on the floor today takes important steps to address our Nation's rail and transit security. This bill requires comprehensive security plans, strengthens whistleblower protection for workers, mandates security training, improves communications and intelligence sharing, authorizes a high level of grant funding for Amtrak, the freight railroads and public transit providers, and provides funding for safety improvements to the tunnels in New York, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Most importantly, it ensures our communities, first responders, transit and rail workers have the resources they need to keep their systems safe and secure; and it does it through a coordinated effort between the Homeland Security and the Department of Transportation.

While we may lag behind other countries' efforts to protect transit and rail workers, I am glad that our new congressional leadership is taking steps to correct this problem.

H.R. 1401 will go a long way to protect our Nation's millions of transit and rail passengers, while protecting the communities they travel through and keeping the trains running on time.

I encourage my colleagues to safeguard their constituents and support this long-overdue rail and security legislation.

This amendment jeopardizes the safety and security of over 2 million Amtrak passengers and is a huge step backwards in protecting the Nation's transportation infrastructure from harm.

Amtrak was a first responder during Hurricane Katrina, delivering food and supplies and helping to evacuate thousands of gulf region residents when President Bush and his administration were nowhere to be found. Now they are becoming a key part in each State's future evacuation plan.

I was in New York City shortly after September 11 when the plane leaving JFK airport crashed into the Bronx. Along with many of my other colleagues in both the House and the Senate, I took Amtrak back to Washington. I realized once again just how important Amtrak is to the American people and how important it is for this Nation to have alternate modes of transportation.

Vote ``no'' on this amendment.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Andrew Wise of the Neighborhood Housing & Development Corporation in Gainesville, Florida.

On Tuesday, March 20, 2007, Andrew Wise was honored with the Dorothy Richardson Awards for Resident Leadership from NeighborWorks America.

Mr. Wise combined his passion for Neighborhood Housing & Development Corporation (NHDC) and his networking skills to recruit a remarkable stream of community, business and educational leaders who have become active in the NHDC organization. NHDC is a non-profit homeownership center that has been in existence since 1982. The organization's goal is to promote and provide decent and affordable housing for low-to- moderate income residents of North Central Florida.

Mr. Wise has been an eloquent NHDC ambassador to the many church, community and civic organizations to which he belongs. Within NHDC, his board tenure and experience have made him the go-to person for new board members--especially community residents--in understanding the array of NHDC programs and their many and varied funding sources. He has been invaluable in helping new members move past this steep learning curve by getting them to focus on the mission of the organization and how its board and staff are so instrumental in transforming lives and uplifting the community.

Created in 1991, the Dorothy Richardson Awards for Resident Leadership celebrate the outstanding contributions of dedicated community leaders across the United States. Each year, the NeighborWorks network honors residents who exemplify the qualities of Dorothy Richardson, a Pittsburgh activist who helped advance the community-based development movement that informed the formation of the NeighborWorks network.

My congratulations and respect go out to Mr. Wise on his lifetime of work and commitment to earn this award.

Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the constituents of the Third Congressional District of Florida as I pay tribute to the life of Dr. Emma Moran.

There are those who pass this way and touch lives, and there are those who make lives better for having been in our midst. The depth and breath of the life of Dr. Emma Moran can be summed in one phrase--she loved, she cared and she taught us how to live through the giving of our talents.

Dr. Moran was an educator, activist, advocate, and a believer in the sanctity and importance of education. She had this embracing personality that while in her presence she made you feel that your words and thoughts were important to her, and that she listened and cared. This great woman of faith, tenacity and boundless energy embodied the better qualities of human existence, and she demanded no less from each of us. Dr.

Moran was and is a true inspiration.

Rest now, my friend, for your work here is done and your life shall live on forever in each of us.