Floor Statements

Ladies and gentlemen of the Congress, the Lord Jesus said, Suffer the little children to come unto me, for they are the kingdom of Heaven. But Jesus didn't stop there. He spoke, and then he acted.

He first rebuked his disciples, brought the children to him, picked each child up in his arms, put his hand on them, prayed with them, and then blessed them. And just as Jesus spoke and acted, the people of this country are expecting this Congress to speak, but to act. The first order of business is to make sure that this kind of tragedy never happens again. The first order of business is to ban, to make illegal to own, manufacture, sell, or possess this deadly weapon that was used to massacre these 20 children and these six educators, two 23 Bushmaster semiautomatic assault weapons. If we are going to honor those children who were massacred, we need to make sure that that weapon will never be used again.

If we do not do that, then this Congress needs to hang its head in shame.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding efforts of the Lemon Street Heritage Group--and to reflect on just how far we have come since those dark days of segregation. The Lemon Street Heritage Group has been working tirelessly to increase awareness of the Lemon Street School, which was built as the school for black children in Marietta, GA. When the City of Marietta established an independent school district in 1892, the idea that white children and black children could have equal access to education in separate schools was widely prevalent, as it was in many places throughout the country.

While the city built a brick school house for the white students, the Lemon Street School was a wooden structure, and offered only seven years of education until the 1920s. Eventually, a distinct Lemon Street High School was built, but the original school continued to be utilized as an Elementary School. By the time the Marietta City Council toured the facility in 1947, they discovered how dangerous it had become. The building lacked indoor plumbing, was poorly lit and depended

on a single coal stove for heating. The old wooden structure was condemned as a fire trap and demolished, with plans for a new structure in place.

Everyone knew ``separate but equal'' was a failure. Not just a failure, but a fundamentally dishonest proposition--a dereliction of the duty we have towards our children to provide them with a brighter future than our own. But for sixty years this was the reality of Plessy v. Ferguson that educators all over the country had to face. Despite these struggles, principals and teachers like A. Tolliver, Luke B. Norris, Mrs. Louella Patterson and Professor M. J. Woods worked hard to make the Lemon Street school a success. Professor Woods was also the principal of the neighboring Lemon Street High School, which went on to gain accreditation and distinction for its academics, its athletic program and its marching band.

I commend the Lemon Street Heritage Group for their efforts to acknowledge and celebrate this history, and I am extremely proud of the principals and teachers of the Lemon Street School who devoted their lives to furthering the education of African Americans. I hope this school will serve as both an inspiration and a reminder to all of us-- of the battles we have won and those still to come.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in honor of the 225th anniversary of the United States Constitution and to celebrate its many contributions to American society. On September 17, 1788 members of the Constitutional Convention signed what would become the most important and fundamental document in the United States of America.

Our founding fathers came together in true American spirit to lay out our rights and freedoms, rights that were later extended to include all Americans regardless of race or gender. The unmatched longevity of the Constitution still maintains those values today. This

unique document represents our founding fathers' innovative strides towards democracy and has fervently outlived all of its predecessors. Our constitutional framers and those who have improved the Constitution through Amendments have ensured the preservation and enhancement of liberty, justice and equality. The Constitution has endured the test of time and now celebrates a remarkable 225 years as the foundation of American government. The Constitution represents the ability of our country to come together for the greater good. The inalienable rights laid out in this historical document have shaped our amazing nation and served as inspiration for the development of future democracies.

On August 2, 1956, President Eisenhower enacted a law that acknowledged the Constitution's importance as the center of the America we now know and love and instituted an annual National Constitution Week to both celebrate the Constitution and promote its study. It is during this week that we acknowledge not only our framers with patriotic dignity, but also honor those who have ensured that this document continues to preserve equality throughout our nation. This dignified piece of American history deserves proper recognition, and I invite my colleagues to join me in renewing our vows to preserve, protect and defend this venerable document.

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to commend the bipartisan leadership on this committee, Chairman Lucas and the ranking member, Mr. Peterson, for the hard work they have done and the leadership they've provided.

We are faced with sort of a dilemma here. The right thing for us to do, that we should be doing right now, that we should have been doing 2 or 3 days ago, was dealing with the 5-year extension of the farm bill. That is exactly what we need to be doing. It gives consistency. It will give uniformity to our very vital food industry. I might add, Mr. Speaker, that it is needed very desperately at this time.

But at the same time, we are faced with a very serious drought situation that is pummeling our country, the likes of which we haven't seen in over 60 years. So the immediate and responsible thing for us to do is to respond to this drought crisis and pass this bill immediately and then resolve that the first order of business we will do when we return is take up the 5-year farm bill.

Might I add that while we have this disaster facing us, which is the drought, we have another, and that is the food issue in this country, especially the issue of the SNAP program, what we refer to as the food stamp program, if we do not come together with a good conference committee report that looks at this issue with the necessity that the problem presents.

Under the current bill on the House side passed by the Agriculture Committee, according to CBO, there will be over 300,000 children who will go without food. There will be 155,000 veterans who will go without food, and nearly 200,000 of our seniors. What I'm saying is we have not just a drought crisis, which we are going to respond to today, but we have got to come back and deal with this other crisis as we work to put together a very effective 5-year farm bill.

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

I rise today to encourage all of my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 2446, the RESPA Home Warranty Clarification Act.

Before I explain exactly why this legislation is so important and vital, let me first take a moment to thank my friend and colleague, and my fellow Financial Services Committee member and the sponsor of this legislation, Mrs. Biggert, for her hard work on this bill. The fact that this bill passed both subcommittee and full committee by voice vote is a testament to not only the issue's importance, but also to Mrs. Biggert's dedication and openness in alleviating Members' concerns.

Regarding the bill, itself, Mr. Speaker, this legislation will help small businesses. It will help real estate professionals. Most importantly, it will help homeowners by clarifying the law on the sale of home warranties.

Congress enacted legislation many years ago to outlaw kickbacks paid in connection with services that must be performed to close a federally-related mortgage loan. An interpretive rule released by the Department of Housing and Urban Development has, unfortunately, created uncertainty about application of the law to home warranties which are not necessary to close a loan to purchase a home. To eliminate confusion and reduce uncertainty, our bill makes clear that the term ``settlement services'' does not include home warranties.

This legislation also provides new notice requirements applicable to home service contract companies and to real estate professionals so that prospective purchasers of home warranties are aware that a payment may have been made in connection with the selling, advertising, marketing, processing, or performing an inspection in connection with the home warranty.

This simple clarification will allow members of the home warranty industry to pay modest sums to real estate professionals for direct marketing and related services in connection with the sale of a home warranty without a risk of running afoul of a law Congress never intended to be applicable for a completely optional product.

This is the simplification of this law that is very important. It's very simple, but it's very important so that our real estate industry and home mortgage industry can move more smoothly.

Please join me in voting for this commonsense legislation that will benefit consumers and the small businesses that repair and replace home systems covered by home warranties.

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

Likewise, I'm ready to close.

I just want to say in closing that, again, Mrs. Biggert has done a wonderful job on this, Mr. Speaker, and should be commended for it. This is a very important and simple piece of legislation, but it will help to iron out and smooth out confusion and allow for our real estate and our housing and our home mortgage industry to move more smoothly. I urge all of my colleagues to vote for it.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

I rise today to lend my support to this extraordinary and wonderful piece of legislation, an expression of strong bipartisan support.

I certainly want to thank my friend, Congressman Dold from Illinois, for his leadership on this. It's a pleasure to join with him on the floor today to manage time on this bill.

This bill, H.R. 3187, as was pointed out, is the March of Dimes Commemorative Coin Act. For 75 years now, the March of Dimes organization has worked to prevent infant mortality, premature births, and birth defects in our children in the United States and in other parts of the world. And I can think of no better time and place to honor this wonderful organization than right here and right now in the Halls of Congress.

This organization was originally founded by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to help treat and prevent polio. The March of Dimes would meet with tremendous success and, through their funding of the work of Dr. Jonas Salk, would contribute greatly to curing that disease.

Having accomplished their original goal, the March of Dimes would turn their attention to promoting healthy women, healthy pregnancies, and healthy babies. The March of Dimes Foundation works not only here in the United States in local communities around the country but, as I mentioned, also around the world to educate and inform women, doctors, and policymakers on the prevention of birth defects and premature birth. This work is so vital, so very important, and really so very precious, Mr. Speaker. And a healthy pregnancy and a healthy birth can mean so much and start the child off on the right foot that will last the rest of their entire life.

This bill is simple, Mr. Speaker. It would allow for the minting, the making of a commemorative coin, which basically will be a silver $1 coin, for this wonderful organization. These coins would then be sold to the general public with a portion going to pay off the cost of minting the coin, but the rest going to support the very, very important work of this foundation.

So I ask, Mr. Speaker, that my colleagues join me in voting in favor of this bill, and in so doing, we'll be sending a big thank-you to the March of Dimes for their hard work and for their dedication over the last 75 years.

Mr. Speaker, I will also mention the fact that we support them each year in our special cooking and preparation for their major fundraiser that many Members of Congress and our families and our wives take part in. What an extraordinary organization doing an extraordinary thing for those who are most precious to us, that is, the children of the United States of America.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers, so I will just close my remarks.

Again, it is a pleasure working with you on this bill, Mr. Dold. And what a noble occasion this is for such a worthy cause.

Thank you for mentioning about my wife. I give all credit to my wife for that cooking she did. I think it was shrimp and grits and let's see, and gumbo, her mother's gumbo, and it won first prize at that event. It is such a wonderful occasion, and to have all Members of Congress who participate with this fund-raising effort every year is just wonderful. I just urge a unanimous vote.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, let me, first of all, respond to what my previous speaker on the other side has said because it's very important that we straighten the Record out.

This is not a tax for people to get health care insurance. What this is, the Supreme Court ruled, and again, chaired by a Republican chairman, Chief Supreme Court Justice, and he said that in order for the mandate to stand, Congress could only do it through their taxing authority. And that was to take care of the penalty.

This is not a tax for individuals to get their health insurance. CBO says it will only affect 1 percent of the American people, and that is a choice that they will make. It's not a tax penalty for you to get insurance. It's a penalty for those who can afford the insurance who choose not to buy the insurance.

Now, let me also make another point that is very clear. In addition to this being a program in which the vast majority of the American people approve, they do not want you to repeal their opportunity to have individuals, in these tough economic times, their children be able to stay on their insurance

till 26. They want that there. They do not want you to repeal them having to be denied insurance because of a preexisting condition. And our hospitals need this very much in order to have the Medicaid expansion.

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

First of all, let me say that this is very much bipartisan legislation in that it has been sponsored by both Democrats and Republicans. I am very, very pleased to have as an original cosponsor on this and to have worked very closely with Mr. Luetkemeyer, who has done an admirable job in providing leadership on a much, much needed piece of legislation, which is H.R. 4367. As I said, I am proud to be an integral part of moving forward a very timely, reasonable, and vital piece of legislation.

Let me just say at the outset, Mr. Speaker, that our banking system, our retail system, our credit unions all sit at the center--at the epicenter--of this Nation's great economic system, which is facing tremendous challenges. As Mr. Luetkemeyer said, we are faced with people who are basically scam artists, those who will go in and remove the labeling off the ATM machines, knowing that the penalty is upwards of one half a million dollars, and then will try to bring class action lawsuits against these financial institutions in very tough economic times. So this legislation has been developed to address this and to fix this so that our banking industry and our financial services industry will not have this threat over them.

What it would do is repeal the requirement for both a physical placard as well as an electronic notice disclosing the transaction fees on the ATM screens. Currently, as it works now, if an ATM machine does not display a physical placard, a financial institution--a bank, a credit union or our retailers--can be subject to a class action lawsuit, which would potentially amount to, as I said, one half a million dollars, or 1 percent of its net worth. This penalty has the potential of prompting bogus lawsuits against financial institutions simply due to a lack of the physical placard, even when the electronic notice is shown to a customer, perhaps because the placard was removed by a third party. So you can see that this is not fair for these institutions to be faced with up to a half million dollars in penalty fees, especially in these tough economic times. At the same time, many of these institutions continue to struggle to maintain standard operations while being faced with our current economic climate.

Mr. Speaker, let me just talk about that for a moment because there have been 31 bank failures in this country this year alone. About 3 weeks ago, three banks shut their doors, including the Security Exchange Bank in Marietta, Cobb County, Georgia, which is located in my district. As a matter of fact, in Georgia alone, 78 banks have closed their doors since our crisis began.

Georgia leads the Nation, unfortunately, in bank closures. That's why I am so particularly concerned about it and so pleased to have this measure pass, because this sensible legislation that we consider today would remove the threat of legal action against financial institutions--a bank or a credit union--simply for the lack of the physical placard at one of its ATM machines.

Passage of this bill, as Mr. Luetkemeyer pointed out, will still provide the consumer with the protections that they need because a notice informing them of any fees will still be required upon the start of a transaction on the ATM screen. In addition, consumers will still be able to benefit from the convenience that the estimated 445,000 ATMs in operation in this country provide.

I'm very proud to have worked on this bill. It's very timely. It's very important for our economy that we move with this bill. The bill certainly deserves the strong bipartisan support that we have, and it's been a pleasure to work with Mr. Luetkemeyer on it. I urge my colleagues to support this measure today.

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

Mr. Speaker, in closing I certainly would just like to say how important this legislation is.

As the chairman of our Financial Services Committee, Chairman Bachus, just stated, these are sophisticated individuals. These are people who know the system. That's why I refer to them as scam artists.

This is a racket, and it's a racket that we need to put out of business that's causing tremendous headaches, tremendous difficulties for the heart of our fine economic system, which is our banking system, our commercial system. This will go a long way in helping to take away a very superfluous but serious enough threat.

The other thing about this that's very fine is we hear a great cry among the American people for great bipartisanship. Here's a great example of Democrats and Republicans working together for the good of the United States of America.

Thank you very much for working with me on this, and I appreciate having an opportunity to work with you.

And since I have no other speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mrs. Lucile Johnson on her remarkable 100th birthday, June 19, 2012. Lucile has lived in Atlanta for all 100 years of her wonderful life--she was blessed with 65 years of marriage to her late husband Earl Johnson, and she is the proud and loving mother of 6 children, grandmother of 15, great grandmother of 20, and last but certainly not least: great great grandmother of 1.

Lucile has been a driven and caring person her entire life and worked diligently at the Biltmore Hotel in Atlanta for many years to provide for her family. As a passionate member of her community, Lucile graciously chose to volunteer with her church missionary group in feeding the homeless of Atlanta for decades. Lucile is the matriarch of her ever-growing family and has helped to raise many of her grand children and great grandchildren. The comfort and advice she provides to her family is truly treasured and matchless.

Mr. Speaker, Lucile Johnson is an outstanding member of the community in my District and has served as an exceptional role model for her family and many others. I am delighted to join her family, friends and many admirers in wishing her a very happy 100th birthday and continued good health and happiness for years to come.

Tomorrow is June 1, and it marks the very start of the hurricane season in the United States.

First, I want to take a moment to thank our first responders--those police officers, those firefighters, those EMS personnel, and all of our emergency personnel--who risk their lives to save Americans' lives.

I also want to stand and thank and recognize another group of first responders, those who are our brave and talented--and at many times courageous--local broadcasters of television and radio and the journalists, many of whom are the first right after the first responders, sometimes before the first responders, bringing to the American people vital, life-saving information. So it is very important that as we begin this hurricane season that we take a moment and say a word for our local broadcasters of television and radio.

I know firsthand how important this is, for I represent a district in Georgia that had a devastating, history-making flood and storm situation in 2009. I represent Cobb County and Douglas County, which were two of the hardest-hit counties, along with Fulton County. We lost 10 lives. Seven of those lives that we lost were from one county alone, in Douglas County. Many of you might have seen the devastation at the Six Flags Over Georgia, which is an amusement park. It was completely under water. We lost over 500 businesses and homes in that area. Most importantly, we would have lost so much more if we had not had the timely, vital, life-saving information from our local radio and television broadcasters.

A broadcaster's commitment to public service is never more apparent than during a time of crisis. During an emergency, no other service can match the ability of broadcasters to deliver the comprehensive, up-to- date warnings and information affected by citizens. Just think, we have senior citizens, many of whom live alone, and their only contact with the outside world is that radio or that television letting them know what is coming and how to prepare for it. Television broadcasters reach millions of households across the country every day, and radio reaches more than 241 million Americans each week.

Yet, if we are to improve disaster preparedness in our Nation, we have got to make sure that local stations of television and radio have the necessary tools to continue to communicate with people and to communicate with each other in these times of crisis.

So as the 2012 hurricane season gets under way and as local communities continue to face erratic weather conditions, I know that every American feels safer in knowing that their local broadcasters are dedicated and committed to saving lives by providing critical news and information to our local communities. It is so important that we always remember that we must prepare for the storms before--before--the hurricanes are raging, and we thank our local broadcasters for helping us to prepare for the storms before the hurricanes are raging.

Mr. Speaker, again, it is certainly a pleasure always to work with the gentlewoman from Illinois on this issue.

We brought this issue up awhile back, and we were very successful in getting a 5-year extension, the way this should be dealt with. The Senate, unfortunately, chose not to immediately pursue that, so we came back 2 weeks ago and asked for a 30-day extension, to our good graces and the good grace of the Senate. They doubled that and came back with a 60-day extension, but yet we still need the 5-year extension, so we hope that this is a sign of us moving in the right direction. We are very pleased that the Senate is moving with the House in the right direction on this very important plan, and this is an important plan.

We are now just 2 days from the start of the hurricane season and, as a matter of fact, as I was here before 2 weeks ago, I said we needed to make sure we prepared for the storm before the hurricane is raging and that we were just a couple of weeks away from the start of the hurricane season. But we had an early arrival. We had Beryl come in. So you see how pressing and how urgent this is.

This piece of legislation is perhaps the most important piece of legislation that we can pass right now of major benefit for the American people. They will be able to go to sleep tonight to know that at least for the next 2 months this National Flood Insurance Program will be in place. And this will be a great sigh of relief, but that still leaves the heavy lifting to do. We have got the 5-year program and we have got to do that.

I do want to say thank you and my hat is off to Senator Reid and Senator Coburn, who came to an agreement. I think it's a good agreement. It's an agreement that we certainly accept here, too. And what we understand happened in the Senate was that the Senate amendment, which was offered in the Senate Banking Committee by Senator Tim Johnson, was to make sure that those homes that are second homes or vacation homes would not receive subsidized rates, and we think that's fair. That's a part of what's in our 5-year plan as well, so that is very much appreciated there.

As we look forward now, all we have to do now is pass this out now and move forward in good faith with the Senate to let's move with dispatch and get the 5-year plan. Now, the reason we need the 5-year plan is because of the continuity, of the dependability, so that people will know well in advance exactly that we have this program in place.

If I may, and with just my short time here, in case some of the people do not know why this 5-year plan is so important, I do want to state exactly what it does.

First of all, it does, in fact, extend the flood insurance program for 5 years.

It will also delay, for 5 years, the mandatory purchase requirement resulting from new flood maps.

The bill certainly requires annual notification to homeowners who are living in flood zones about the risks to their community. As I noted last week, a couple of weeks ago, many people move into areas, and they don't even know that they are in a flood zone, so it's very important that we will notify people. Our bill, this 5-year program, lets people know every single year because you have people moving in, you have people moving out. Every year there will be a notification as to whether or not they are in a flood zone.

The other important part about this is we have noticed, particularly in my own home State of Georgia where we had such a devastating flood in the year 2009, it was the worst flood we had there since we started taking records of that. As I mentioned, we lost lives. Seven individuals lost their lives in one county in my district. The application of flood maps all across this country, in every corner of this country, our flood maps are outdated.

Well, this bill will make sure that they are dated--so that many of our constituency who are at the risk of flood damage are at that risk without any knowledge--by making the flood maps current, by making sure that information is imparted to individuals who move in and out of communities every year that they are in a flood zone.

Most importantly, most importantly in these tough economic times, under our 5-year plan, individuals will be able to purchase their flood insurance in installments instead of one lump sum. This has caused many people not to be able to be have the flood insurance, because prior to this bill, this 5-year plan, as of right now, to get flood insurance, you have to do it as a lump sum. That's why this 5-year plan is important, and it's important for the Senate to move so that we can get this done right away.

But this is good news for the American people. We do have 2 months, as the hurricane season starts, and I think we have a good agreement here and good energy to move forward, the House and the Senate together, and put the 5-year plan in place.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I only have myself to close.

Again, let me thank the gentlelady from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) for her outstanding leadership on this. It's been a joy to work with her. The American people are certainly appreciative of her efforts in leading this fight. I also want to thank Ms. Maxine Waters, who is our subcommittee ranking member; and I also want to extend congratulations to Senator Harry Reid and Senator Tom Coburn.

I also want to just say a word for the bipartisan relationships that have developed on this bill. This is how we move bills forward. This is how we've got to move the country forward, and this is what the American people are looking to us to do. This is not a Democratic or a Republican Congress. It is a Congress of the American people. And the progress of this flood insurance bill is indicative of that fact.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Will the gentlelady yield?

I misspoke when I referred to Ms. Waters as the ranking member of the Housing Subcommittee. That honor goes to the Congressman from Illinois (Mr. Gutierrez). So I just wanted to correct that. Ms. Waters was the former chairman of the Housing Subcommittee. All of us worked together in such a way, but I did want to correct that as Mr. Gutierrez as the ranking member

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

The National Flood Insurance Program plays a very, very key role in our Nation's efforts to prevent and recover from flood disasters. Floods are now the number one natural disaster in the United States in terms of lives lost and property damaged.

Now, here is exactly what the National Flood Insurance Program does:

First, it identifies areas of flood risk; secondly, it encourages communities to implement measures to mitigate against the risk of flood loss; thirdly, it provides financial assistance to help individuals recover more rapidly from flooding disasters, and it lessens the financial impact of flood disasters on individuals, on businesses, and all levels of government.

In recent years, a series of short-term reauthorizations and temporary suspensions of the NFIP have eroded confidence in the program among our stakeholders--including State government, tribal governments, local communities, individual policyholders, mortgage lenders, and the private insurance industry. In addition to disrupting the program's day-to-day operations, short-term reauthorizations and temporary suspensions--like what we're doing here in 30 days--creates significant uncertainty regarding the Federal Government's long-term commitment to underwriting and indemnifying flood losses. So in the absence of such a commitment, our stakeholders are less likely to make the necessary investments that are needed to successfully sustain, strengthen, and grow the program, thereby undermining the program's effectiveness and efficiency over time.

As my colleague, Mrs. Biggert, mentioned earlier, Congress last passed a bill to extend the National Flood Insurance Program authorization on December 23, 2011--5 months ago--as a part of the full-year omnibus appropriations bill for fiscal year 2012. Even prior to this action, we in the House took decisive action to extend the flood insurance program the way it should be by approving a 5-year flood insurance reform reauthorization bill last July that passed this House on a strongly bipartisan Republican and Democratic vote of 406 22.

Unfortunately, the National Flood Insurance Program is set now to expire May 31, just over 2 weeks from today, and guess what? June 1 also happens to mark the official start of the hurricane season in this country. This lets you know how we have got to put pressure on the Senate to act responsibly. Here we are attempting to pass a 30-day extension just 2 weeks before the devastating hurricane season starts. Urgency is necessary here. This is why reauthorizing of the National Flood Insurance Program before it expires is essential to our Nation's efforts to prevent and recover from flood disasters.

So I'm pleased that the bill that we have before us does extend the program for 30 days, but it is not a perfect bill, as I said. I believe that many in this Chamber--just about everybody in the House of Representatives--would prefer to see the Senate take up and pass our bill for the 5-year extension, H.R. 1309. Short of that, I believe that many on our side would prefer to take up a flood extension bill that will provide a clean extension.

In addition, there is the possibility--count it, with 2 weeks to go, who knows--the Senate simply may not agree to an extension that only runs 30 days and includes authorization provisions. We just learned last evening that the junior Senator from Oklahoma, Senator Tom Coburn, objected to the majority leader's request to take up and approve a clean, short-term extension bill that would extend the program until December 31, 2012. So here we are, 2 weeks before the hurricane season starts, and the flood program runs out, and still no action from the Senate.

I think it is also important to note that while this body repeatedly has voiced concern with spending, particularly with spending that is not offset with cuts, the Congressional Budget Office has indicated this bill will cost $2 million over 5 years, an amount that is not offset in this bill.

Despite some of these shortcomings, I believe it is of utmost importance that we avoid any lapse in the program. Any lapse, regardless of the duration, would cause significant dislocation in our very fragile housing market for borrowers unable to complete mortgage closings, for insurance agents that sell national flood insurance policies as a part of their business, and for insurance companies that may be forced to reevaluate their voluntary participation, our National Flood Insurance Program's own Write Your Own program. All are very vital.

Finally, we have a broad coalition of stakeholders who support the bill, who support the 5-year extension, including industry insurance trade groups, floodplain managers, the Realtors who are holding their annual conference in Washington, D.C., this week, many other groups. In addition, FEMA's Administrator, Mr. Craig Fugate, recently sent a letter to Congress urging approval of the extension. So here we are, we've got to pass this 30-day extension.

In conclusion, I just want to add that, thanks to Mrs. Biggert and to Ms. Waters, we were able to do something that was vitally needed. As many of you know, my State of Georgia was devastated with floods; and one of the things that did come out of this is, during the hardship times, very difficult for individuals to pay for the flood insurance in a lump sum. As we have made part of our extension effort, they can now pay in quarterly installments, and that's a great thing.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters).

I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa).

I yield myself such time as I may consume to respond very briefly.

There is a great urgency here. There is a very serious cry coming from the American people. That cry is saying, Help us, and the kind of help we need is to prepare for the storm before the hurricane is raging.

We live in storm alley. Now, I can tell you from firsthand experience that I represent a district in the State of Georgia where in 2010, I believe it was, we had the worst flood in over 500 years. I represent the Chattahoochee River, which overflowed. I represent one county in which we had 10 people who lost their lives, and seven of those people were from one county in my district, in Douglas County. Cobb County had losses. We got on, I guess we call it, Air Force Two with Vice President Biden, and we flew down with FEMA and Homeland Security, and we toured that place. I'm sure you all saw on CNN and Fox and MSNBC-- and on all the news stations--where Six Flags Over Georgia, the amusement park, was totally under water.

So I can speak for my community and my area as those of us in the House have spoken--over 400 strong. Why in the world the United States Senate is sitting on the reauthorization is a mystery amidst the cry coming from the American people. Now our season is on us. Hurricane season starts in 2 weeks.

Let me just tell you that I've heard from one of the individuals on the other side, and I wanted to respond to some of those concerns as to why this bill is so important.

Our reauthorization bill would require annual notifications to homeowners who are living in flood zones about the risks in their communities. Many people move into these areas, and they don't even know they're in flood zones. What we've got in this bill is that they will be notified every year. They need that information so they can make the adjustments. I mentioned the affordable insurance coverage. I need not mention the flood maps, themselves, many of which all throughout this country are outdated, that leave many of your constituents and my constituents--I hope the Senate is hearing because they're their constituents as well--at risk for flood damage without even their knowledge.

Let's hope that this message gets across to the Senate that we need action. The American people are crying for help, and we need to give it to them immediately. We've got 2 weeks to do it, and we dare not let this hurricane season come upon us with the National Flood Insurance Program's having expired.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. I would inquire if the lady from Illinois has any more speakers.

Mr. Speaker, I will close with my remarks.

I'm hoping that perhaps Members of the Senate may be watching C SPAN and watching us in the House. If not, I just simply urge their constituents to give them a call and ask them to move. It would be great to move on H.R. 1309. Because even if you do this temporary one, it's 30 days and we're right back here in another 4 weeks at the time that hurricanes are raging. We are really playing with fire here, and we're not doing the American people justice, and we're not doing right here.

As the gentleman from Louisiana just mentioned, vivid in our minds has got to be Katrina. We can talk about Andrew in Florida or you can talk about Hazel up in New York. Our whole country is coastline, and flooding is the worst natural disaster in our country in terms of loss of life, in terms of property. Folks need this financial assistance from this flood insurance program.

I urge my colleagues in the Senate to move and do the right thing. I urge the American people to contact their Senators and let them know we do not need to be standing naked in the face of fierce hurricanes without help and without support simply because the United States Senate failed to act in the best interest of the American people.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

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

Mr. Speaker, I unintentionally voted ``aye'' on rollcall No. 253 when I intended to vote ``no'' on the motion to consider H. Res. 656, providing for consideration of the bill, H.R. 4970, to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, and providing for consideration of the bill, H.R. 4310, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013. I reiterate my strong support for the protection of women from acts of violence and my opposition to the reauthorization as currently written and brought forth.

Mr. Speaker, on January 14th, 2012, Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou successfully won reelection and will be inaugurated for a second term on Sunday, May 20th. The day will be one of a celebration of democracy, however, like every day in Taiwan, it is one clouded by the ever-present, potential danger lurking a mere 100 miles to its west. The People's Republic of China and its more than 1,400 missiles will continue to target Taiwan. While Taipei and Beijing have made strides in terms of trade, investment, travel and tourism, as well as political strides via the repatriation of fugitives; the government of mainland China still espouses its belief in a right to take Taiwan by force. History is riddled with such fateful attempts in this conflict such as Mao Zedong's bombings of Taipei-administered islands Kinmen and Matsu in the 1950s.

In contrast to Taiwan's culture of democracy, mainland China's political culture is a closed one. The leadership and its central planners listen to few, the least of which include its own people. There is little nuance, dialogue or meaningful negotiation unless backed by the threat of brute force. The government of the People's Republic of China extends its intimidation tactics beyond its borders and against its regional neighbors, nations like Vietnam, the Philippines and others who lay at least some seafaring claim to the waters of the South China Sea.

We cannot let stand such intimidation and let Taiwan suffer the same fate. It is in our national strategic interest and in that of Taiwan's for us to continue our providing our steadfast support and in supplying Taiwan with defensive capabilities as under our obligations in the Taiwan Relations Act. Being sufficiently armed and defensively capable is sadly the only way that Taipei can interact with Beijing on what can at least pass for a perceived position of strength. The United States of America and the American people must continue to have the guts and vision to step forth and provide our democratic friend and ally access to the tools it needs to defend itself and free way of life.

Yet, while we must acknowledge the real concerns, the ever-looming storm on the horizon in this conflict, we must also take note of the successes of democracy. Taiwan continues to hold free and fair elections and we will do our part in supporting such continued success. So, on this day, please join me in congratulating President Ma on his inauguration. But even in celebration, we will not fall complacent; we will continue to urge our government to continue providing our support of Taiwan and our commitment in providing access to the defensive tools it needs to safeguard its democracy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the month of March as National Social Workers Month. Social workers serve a critical role in our society, one that is deserving of our attention, respect and commendation. Upon becoming a social worker, one embraces a very simple but essential mission: to enhance the well-being of others and to help meet the basic needs of all people, especially the most vulnerable. In working towards that goal, social workers work in adolescent and youth development; aging and family care giving; child protection and family services; health care navigation; mental and behavioral health treatment and military and veterans assistance. Social workers are key to holding our social safety net together. They work to prevent the vulnerable in our country from falling through the cracks.

The Social Work Department at the Clayton County Public School System is a shining example of the importance of social workers. The department works to foster student performance, school completion and success in the workplace by assisting students in attaining the maximum benefits from their education. These excellent social workers collaborate with families and communities to remove barriers that interfere with student performance. Please join me today in thanking the Clayton County Public School social workers, and social workers nationwide for their hard work and dedication. I have great expectations that they will continue to serve us with the same excellence that they have always displayed.