Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 729, resolution sponsored by my friend and colleague Mark Foley, the Co- Chair of the Travel and Tourism Caucus along with members of the Caucus including myself, in support of National Tourism Week.

It is worth repeating, Mr. Speaker, as the resolution points out, Travel and Tourism as the 3rd largest retail sales industry in the Nation, has a major impact on the economy of the United States. One out of every 7 people employed in the United States civilian labor force is directly or indirectly employed in the travel and tourism industry. International travel to the United States is the largest service export, generating a trade surplus for 16 consecutive years, increasing 144 percent between 2003 and 2004 to over $4 billion. And, in 2005 alone, travel and tourism-related expenditures reached $1 trillion, including $596 billion in direct sales and $445 billion in indirect sales, and supported 8 million jobs.

As someone who represents an area where tourism is our number one industry, I am proud to report that despite increases in the price of oil, the tourism industry in the Virgin Islands have been doing exceptionally well over the last couple of years.

According to the Virgin Islands Bureau of Economic Research, the industry was one of the strongest performers and main contributor to the economic performance during 2004 with increases in both air and cruise ship passengers. Total visitors in the Territory in fiscal year 2004 reached a record 2.6 million, up 12 percent over 2003.

The BER projects, barring any significant shocks, that visitor arrival will peak at 2.7 million by the end of fiscal year 2005 and 2.8 million in fiscal year 2006.

Mr. Speaker, the Travel and Tourism industry generates trillions of dollars in economic activity in the U.S. and as such it deserves all of our support. I urge my colleagues to support passage of H. Res. 729.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an outstanding Virgin Islands woman, Mrs. Yvonne E. Milliner Bowsky.

Mrs. Bowsky's career of service and dedication to her family, her community, her students and to the Virgin Islands as a whole can be summed up in one word--phenomenal.

Mr. Speaker, in addition to being a devoted wife, mother and teacher--life's paths which taken separately or together are challenging in and of themselves--Mrs. Bowsky has also served the Virgin Islands community as a professor at the College and University of the Virgin Islands, an entrepreneur, a gubernatorial campaign manager, and as special assistant for audits and control to the Governor she guided to victory, the late Alexander Farrelly. In addition to these accomplishments, her premier role was principal of the Peace Corps Elementary School which has been named in her honor.

Mr. Speaker, just as she was not an ordinary campaign manager, entrepreneur or teacher, she was not an ordinary principal. As the first principal of the Peace Corps Elementary School, she was the strong hand and determined intellect that guided what will now be known as the Yvonne E. Milliner Bowsky Elementary School from a complex of empty and abandoned dormitories turned over to the Virgin Islands Government by the Peace Corps into a vibrant elementary school which opened in 1973. Her vision made it possible to relieve the overcrowded conditions at other schools in St. Thomas and improve the educational environment for our children.

The school named in her honor is now a modern facility, with eight brand new buildings housing 400 students, and is a bulwark of the public education system in our islands. Since its beginning in 1973, the Peace Corps Elementary School campus has been destroyed several times by hurricanes and other unfortunate events. But, it has managed to rise several times from the ashes and today--in large part because of her legacy--it has achieved this milestone. Now, as its crowning glory, it has been named for its mother--Yvonne E. Milliner Bowsky. Beyond the buildings, everyone can attest that because of her vision and her dedication and those who followed and are still following in her footsteps, this school has become a place of academic excellence.

Mr. Speaker, the students of the Yvonne E. Milliner Bowsky Elementary School will always have in her an excellent role model to look up to and to be inspired by. Her excellence and achievement in so many areas is testament of what is possible if one works hard, is focused and is determined to serve and to do the best of one's ability.

For these reasons, Mr. Speaker, I am honored to come before this Congress and offer my profound congratulations to Mrs. Bowsky and her family for this most deserved honor.

I wish her and all who administer, serve and learn at the Yvonne Milliner Bowsky Elementary School God's richest blessings.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ms. Gladys Adina Abraham on the most special and significant occasion of the renaming of the Kirwan Terrace School in her honor.

When historians look at the success story of the U.S. Virgin Islands in the 20th century--from islands purchased for $25 million in 1917 and said to be not worth the price, and its labeling as a ``poorhouse'' by a visiting President, to the modern thriving American Caribbean metropolis, with its urban center and suburbs, a thriving middle class and a university fulfilling its function for more than 40 years as one of the magnets and engines for socioeconomic progress in the region-- the heroes who will be undoubtedly identified, are the 20th century Virgin Islands teachers. I am amazed and inspired by their accomplishments against the odds of geographical location and lack of resources at that time and the legacy they continue to create today. These educators, both men and women, on all three islands that comprise the U.S. Virgin Islands encouraged their students to strive for the best. It is this spirit, personified by the life service and contribution of Ms. Gladys Dina Abraham, which we honor.

Ms. Abraham received her Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Elementary Education from New York University, was awarded a Fulbright scholarship in 1956 to study sociology in India, and received a Masters of Arts in Psychology from Columbia University in 1962. Like others in her generation, Ms. Abraham could have taken her degrees from our islands' educational institutions and been better remunerated elsewhere. Instead, she returned home and shared her expertise with the children of the Virgin Islands; enlarging their world, expanding their horizons and inspiring their pursuit of knowledge as she served as teacher and later principal at Sibilly, Lockhart and first at Kirwan Terrace Elementary School.

From the inception, Ms. Abraham established a standard of excellence in education with far less funding, essentially no technology and less educational training and certifications than are required today. Her standards produced students who became governors, legislators, church, business and civic leaders. Our community owes a debt of gratitude to Ms. Abraham, and others like her, who taught our children well and gave them a stake in the future of the Virgin Islands.

Kirwan Terrace School was originally named for a former Member of Congress who was instrumental in providing funding to build the neighborhood in which the school now sits. And while we did right to honor Congressman Kirwan--as in almost everything else we have received in our history--the school came about because of the insistence and advocacy of the community; in particular, the urging of the mothers. We thank them and Ms. Abraham for inspiring us and generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that on behalf of my family, staff and the 109th Congress that I extend my profound congratulations and thanks to Ms. Abraham on the renaming of the Kirwan Terrace School in her honor.

Mr. Speaker, say it isn't so. House Republicans are ready to penalize millions of American seniors who did not sign up for a prescription drug plan by that arbitrary May 15 deadline. Congress should have extended that deadline to give seniors more time to pick the right plan for both their health and their pocketbook.

House Republicans expected seniors to choose a plan by May 15 even though they knew seniors were receiving incomplete and incorrect information from the Bush administration. An investigation by GAO concluded that the CMS was giving out wrong information to seniors 60 percent of the time.

You would think that Washington Republicans would not start penalizing seniors with the Bush prescription drug tax until the administration began giving out accurate information. But no, they chose instead to force seniors into a plan by midnight on May 15 or face the Bush prescription drug tax that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.

House Republicans and the President who the Congressional Black Caucus called on had a chance to help seniors and they didn't. Congress should have extended the deadline to give seniors more time. They still can. I call on them to do so.

Bring the Congressional Black Caucus bill to the floor and pass it.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to express my strong support for the fair, balanced, responsible, compassionate and patriotic Congressional Black Caucus budget, and with no apology for not giving the wealthy any more tax cuts and using that money instead for our children, our ill and our poor.

Mr. Chairman, just looking at health care where the Republican budget reduces access to health care through cuts to Medicaid and SCHIP, ours restores funding for our children and our poor.

Where their budget underfunds HIV/AIDS, mental health and substance abuse programs, we ensure these important services continue to enable all

of us in our country to be the best we can be.

Where the Republican budget cuts help for veterans training that would ensure the diverse and robust workforce this country needs, the CBC maintains and opens up this pipeline. We add or restore funding to many programs important to all Americans, Healthy Start, Rural Health, Gulf Coast health infrastructure repair, NIH research to improve everyone's health. We further strengthen the Office of Minority Health and others that promote wellness and help families and communities.

The strength of our country depends on the health of our people, our economic well-being, a well-equipped staff and paid military, adherence to our founding values and commitment to freedom and opportunity for all. Mr. Chairman, that is what the CBC budget supports. It does so bringing us back into balance way ahead of the Republican budget. I urge its passage.

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

We on this side of the aisle have reviewed the legislation and have no objection to the passage of H.R. 4204. The bill would fulfill the legal commitment of the United States Government to replace the water supply for the Placer County Water Agency.

The majority has already correctly characterized and explained the bill.

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

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

(Mrs. CHRISTENSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

The majority has described the variety of historic and natural resources that will be preserved and interpreted in the proposed National Heritage Area, and we do not oppose this legislation.

We would note, however, that the majority's approach to heritage area legislation has been widely inconsistent. The Republican leadership has gone from opposing heritage areas to approving them in large packages to now approving some of the same ones over again as stand-alone bills.

This inconsistency is particularly frustrating to those of us, like myself, with heritage area proposals of our own which have been caught up in this needless legislative red tape and sometimes for several years and several Congresses. It is my hope that once we have approved H.R. 5311, the majority will provide all remaining meritorious heritage area proposals similar consideration.

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

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

(Mrs. CHRISTENSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

I rise in strong support of this legislation and to congratulate the gentleman from Washington, Norm Dicks, who is the author of the House companion bill.

Mr. Dicks has worked tirelessly over the last several months to bring this bill before us today. This provision would enable the Puyallup Indian tribe to continue its ability to provide needed services to its members and to preserve a significant number of jobs held by both Indians and non-Indians.

The port and other State and local entities support the tribe's effort to have this land placed into trust. Once enacted, this legislation will assist the tribe in its business ventures.

I would again pay tribute to Congressman Dicks for his tenacity in getting this bill moved through the House. This provision has already passed the Senate and has the support of State and local government.

I urge all of our colleagues to support the passage of S. 1382.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield such time as he might consume to the sponsor of the bill, Mr. Dicks.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Mississippi, the ranking member, for yielding, and I rise in support of H.R. 4954 but to raise some concerns about this amendment.

I also want to thank him and the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, Chairman King, for their support of two amendments that I proposed during consideration of this bill in the committee: One, the establishment of a border patrol unit for the Virgin Islands; and the other, a study for the impact of the Advanced Passenger Information System on the owners and operators of small charter boats in the Virgin Islands, which are very important to my constituents and to me.

While I am pleased that these two amendments continue to be in the base bill, I am very disappointed that the third amendment that I offered was removed from it by the Rules Committee and not in the manager's amendment, even though it was approved by the Homeland Security Committee by a voice vote.

This amendment to authorize an additional $1.8 billion to accelerate funding for the Coast Guard's integrated Deepwater program was unfortunately not made in order under the rule. This program was designed to replace the Coast Guard's aging fleet of cutters and aircraft and enable them to operate with the speed and agility required to protect our ports from terrorist attacks as well as better perform their other missions.

Accelerating Deepwater would also strengthen the Coast Guard's Homeland Security mission by giving those cutters and aircrafters the surveillance capability needed to detect and intercept suspicious vessels before they reach our shores and harm us.

America witnessed the heroism of the Coast Guard during Hurricane Katrina. They should be rewarded for that heroism by ensuring that they don't have to wait two decades or more to have modern cutters and aircraft.

My amendment was removed from the bill and not made in order because of questions raised about the ability of the Coast Guard to utilize this additional funding. But, Mr. Chairman and Members, the Commandant of the Coast Guard indicated in response to a question at a subcommittee hearing that, based on this very comprehensive report to the Congress of the feasibility of accelerating the integrated Deepwater system, that they would be able to spend that additional money if they received it as well as receive additional benefits and savings through the acceleration.

I am also very concerned that the Markey amendment that would have provided 100 percent of cargo screening within a time certain was not adopted or made in order, and I am sure our fellow Americans share that concern as well as the one about the funding on Deepwater.

In spite of this, it is not a perfect bill, but it is a good bill. I commend the chairman of the subcommittee, Mr. Lungren, and ranking member, Ms. Sanchez, for crafting this bipartisan bill; and I urge support of H.R. 4954.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

(Mrs. CHRISTENSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Madam Speaker, the majority has already explained the purpose of House Joint Resolution 83, which was introduced by Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo.

All former Chief Justices of the Supreme Court are currently memorialized with their busts placed in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court Building. House Joint Resolution 83 will extend this honor to former Chief Justice Rehnquist as well, and we support this legislation.

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

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

Madam Speaker, President Dwight D. Eisenhower is a towering figure in American military and political history. We are pleased that the process for memorializing him is moving along rapidly and join our colleagues in offering our support for this resolution.

I would also like to congratulate the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moore) for his steadfast advocacy of this legislation. Mr. Moore is a member of the Executive Committee of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission, and in his letter to Ranking Member Rahall noted, ``President Eisenhower deserves a memorial location that speaks to his life and legacy.'' We are pleased to support this resolution.

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

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

Madam Speaker, we support the passage of S. 592. This bill would allow delivery of irrigation water to continue while work is finished on the Recovery Implementation Program for four listed species that rely on Platte River habitat.

A carefully managed process is in place to implement the Platte River Cooperative Agreement and to achieve species recovery. S. 592 will allow this critical work to continue without creating hardship for farmers who depend on irrigation water.

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

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

Madam Speaker, we support the passage of H.R. 2341. Similar legislation was introduced in the 107th Congress, and we commend Mr. Doggett for his persistence and hard work to secure authorization for this important project.

The city of Austin is keenly aware that additional sources of water will be required to meet future water demands. The city has decided to meet the expected water supply shortfall by implementing aggressive water conservation and water recycling and reclamation programs.

The water recycling project identified in this bill will be eligible for limited financial assistance under the Bureau of Reclamation's title 16 water recycling program. Water recycling and desalination projects are proven technologies that can help stretch limited water supplies in areas such as Texas.

I want to express our full support for this legislation, and I offer my congratulations to Mr. Doggett for his leadership.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett), the sponsor of the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, as Congress recognizes National Minority Health Month, I join my colleagues, Congressman Watt and Congressman Jefferson to increase awareness about the devastating effects of kidney disease on the African American community.

Both kidney failure and its precursor, Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), disproportionately affect African Americans. Although only about 13 percent of the U.S. population, African Americans make up 32 percent of the patients treated for kidney failure. The American Heart Association reports that African Americans have a 4.2 times greater rate of kidney failure than white Americans. The Congressional Black Caucus is especially concerned about the growing prevalence of kidney disease because of this disproportionate impact.

Mr. Speaker, the leading causes of kidney disease are diabetes and high blood pressure, both of which also disproportionately affect African Americans. Diabetes occurs at twice the rate in the African American community than it does with Caucasians. High blood pressure affects 1 out of every 3 African American adults. According to the American Heart Association, the prevalence of hypertension in the African American community is among the highest in the world.

Mr. Speaker, African Americans are four times more likely to develop kidney failure than Caucasians. African Americans make up 12 percent of the population but account for 30 percent of people with kidney failure. Diabetes and high blood pressure account for about 70 percent of kidney failure in African Americans. A recent National Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP) survey of African Americans found that only 17 percent named kidney disease as a consequence of diabetes, and only 8 percent named it as a consequence of high blood pressure. African American males ages 22-44 are 20 times more likely to develop kidney failure due to high blood pressure than Caucasian males in the same age group. Forty-five percent of African American men with kidney failure received late referrals to nephrologists. In some cases people were not aware they had a problem until they needed dialysis.

We must continue our strong support of the efforts of the kidney care community to meet the needs of these patients. We must fund education programs to raise awareness of the disease within the African American community. We must ensure that Medicare treats those who care for patients with kidney disease the same way it treats all other groups of providers--this means enacting an annual update mechanism to recognize inflation and other increases related to caring for these patients. Without equitable reimbursement, it will be difficult for the community to continue to meet the needs of the ever-growing patient population.

Supporting educational programs and high quality care not only improves quality of life for patients, but also reduces the cost to the overburdened Medicare program. Preventing kidney failure and improving care will result in substantial savings for the government. In addition, if treated early, individuals with kidney disease will experience an improved quality of life and be able to maintain more daily life activities, including keeping their jobs.

My colleagues and I applaud the efforts to increase awareness about this important issue and to show support for Americans living with kidney disease. We must act now to help Americans learn more about this deadly disease and how to prevent its development and progression to kidney failure.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 692, commending the people of the Republic of the Marshall Islands for their contributions and sacrifices to the United States nuclear testing program.

Mr. Speaker, as fellow islander, I feel a kinship to the people of the Marshall Islands and sympathize with them for the suffering they endured for our benefit. Between June 30, 1946 and August 18, 1958, our government, after evacuating the residents, conducted an intensive program of nuclear testing on Bikini and Enewetak atolls in the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

These tests, which were the equivalent of more that 7,200 Hiroshima bombs, caused significant damage to the health of the people of the Marshall Islands, as well as, to the lands, vegetation, lagoons and surrounding ecosystems. In addition to rendering all of Bikini and most of Enewetak uninhabitable, radioactive fallout from nuclear testing on Bikini and Enewetak accidentally spread to other populated areas of the