Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an extraordinary young woman whose bravery and quick thinking saved her family from a devastating fire. Eight-year-old Natelee Brinlee is a hero in every sense of the word.

Natelee had been through the Irving Fire Department's Safety House where she learned how to implement life-saving measures during a fire emergency. When a fire started in her home, Natelee knew to call 911, and alertly woke up her uncle and brother. This heroism saved Natelee, her uncle and two brothers.

Natelee Brinlee showed maturity and bravery well beyond her 8 years. The recognition

she is receiving is imminently well-deserved, and I know this is merely the first step of many bright years ahead.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2520, the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005.

Long before my days as the Ranking Member on the Research Subcommittee, I have been a strong advocate of all types of research.

Stem cell research holds the potential to help paralyzed people walk, help blind people see, and re-generate organ tissue without immune rejection.

As our colleagues on the other side of the Capitol concur, H.R. 2520 is a good start. This bill would allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to work with cord blood banks to collect and maintain cord blood for the purpose of stem cell research.

The cord blood would be collected with informed consent, in a manner that complies with Federal and State regulations, and from a genetically diverse population.

It is my hope that this legislation will give us a taste of the marvelous potential of stem cell research, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 1281, the NASA reauthorization bill of 2005. This important legislation will authorize appropriations for NASA for the fiscal years 2006 to 2010.

It provides guidance for the agency and encourages research, exploration, and education.

NASA is important to my State and to the Nation. It has been known for its leadership in space exploration, but I want to point out just a few of the numerous other benefits NASA research has brought to us.

Satellites allow instant access to information around the globe. Cell phones, cordless appliances, VELCRO, and Teflon all were developed through our space program.

NASA research has been an integral part of our Nation's military efforts as well. Satellite imagery and global positioning systems have been critical to helping our Armed Forces pinpoint the enemy in battle. Unmanned aerial vehicles allow us to see our enemies without putting our troops in harm's way.

Perhaps our greatest achievement has been in the field of medical science. In the late 1960s, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory developed digital imaging processing to better view the Moon. Similar technology is now used by doctors to view organs inside the body. CAT scans and MRIs are revolutionizing our ability to detect tumors early and save lives.

None of these technologies would be possible without NASA research. The NASA authorization bill is overdue, and I urge my colleagues to support it. I want to thank the leadership both in the House and the Senate for bringing us to this point.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the resolution. I honor and support our troops and request an open debate on the House floor on the Iraqi war.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to address the many troubling issues associated with the reauthorization of the Patriot Act. Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, this Congress was faced with the difficult task of revamping our intelligence system. However, the PATRIOT Act is flawed with over-reaching provisions that lack the safeguards to prevent abuse.

Americans deserve a bill that successfully prevents attacks against our country, while

protecting our Constitutional rights. We must address the authority this bill gives, and how it may negatively impact Americans.

Most of the provisions within the PATRIOT Act are positive measures that successfully protect American citizens. However, we cannot ignore the provisions that create serious privacy and civil liberty abuses. These include:

Permitting large-scale investigation of Americans for ``intelligence purposes.''

Having minimal judicial supervision on wiretaps.

Allowing the indefinite detention of non-deportable aliens, even if they are not terrorist suspects.

The power to conduct secret searches without having to notify the target of the search.

And the ability to designate domestic groups as terrorist organizations.

America was built on the notion of strong protection for our privacy and civil liberties. Now is the time to protect our citizens from terrorism while putting forth meaningful reforms.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute Radio One, the nation's largest Black-operated electronic media company. Radio One is also the country's seventh largest radio broadcasting company, and has had 25 great years of broadcasting excellence both nationally and in Dallas. This radio station has stood the test of time and has proudly served the community as a source of entertainment, election coverage, local news, and national events. Over the years, Radio One has undergone many technological and managerial changes and has become a pioneer in electronic broadcasting by combining innovative technology with reliable service.

Radio One is the leading radio broadcasting company targeting African-Americans. Founded in 1980, the company owns and operates 69 radio stations in 22 markets. Of these stations, 39 (29 FM and 10 AM) are in 14 of the top 20 African-American markets. I am proud to say that KBFB-FM as well as KSOC-FM operate in Dallas, Texas.

Radio One's Chairperson and co-founder, Catherine L. Hughes, and her son, Alfred C. Liggins, III, acting as the Chief Executive Officer and President, together have more than 50 years of operating experience in the radio broadcasting industry. Ms. Hughes, Mr. Liggins, and their outstanding management team have successfully implemented a strategy of acquiring and turning around underperforming radio stations. Their strategy for their radio broadcasting business is to continue to expand within our existing markets and into new markets that have a significant African-American presence.

Mr. Speaker, I commend Radio One in their efforts to radio broadcasting primarily targeting African-Americans. Their work continues to have significant growth potential in the African-American market and the radio industry in general.

Over the past 25 years, Radio One, KBFB-FM and KSOC-FM in Dallas have been a part of every major event that has occurred in Dallas and in the Nation. I am certain that they will maintain their high standards and strong foundation as it crosses the threshold into the 21st century. Dedication, philanthropy, foresight, and innovation have kept Radio One and its affiliates successful for 25 years and those same traits will carry it successfully into the future.

On behalf of the thousands of Greater Dallas Metroplex residents who have benefited from Radio One's broadcasting effort, I thank the station, its management, and its employees for their extraordinary contributions. I congratulate Ms. Cathy Hughes in advance as Radio One will be recognized at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC in the summer of 2006. I trust that their contributions to the community will continue to lead the way for many more years.

Mr. Speaker, on November 17, 2005, my distinguished colleague from Pennsylvania, Mr. Murtha, the ranking Democrat on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee--a 27 year Marine and a veteran of 3 tours in Vietnam--announced that he was introducing a resolution that was meant to stimulate a thoughtful and profound debate on how we salvage a failed policy in Iraq.

Recently, a Texas soldier became the 2,000th member of the U.S. armed forces to die in Iraq since the conflict there began in March 2003. Like any milestone, the death of that soldier is an occasion to look back and see what lessons can be learned from our country's bitter sacrifice in Iraq over the past 2\1/2\ years. One such lesson, underlined anew by the continuing deaths of Americans and Iraqis, is the need to limit our country's commitment to Iraq.

Instead of creating a significant dialogue on this issue, Republican leadership has chosen to divide this House by generating phony, cynical, political, outrageously tricky and sneaky maneuvers like this.

Mr. Speaker, too often, so many of my colleagues are reluctant to challenge this Administration's policies in Iraq for fear that anything other than staying the course will somehow appear weak. But the President's course is misguided, and it is doing grave damage to our extraordinarily professional and globally admired all-volunteer United States Army. To stand by while this damage is done is not patriotic. It is not supportive. It is not tough on terrorism, or strong on national security.

Because I am proud of our men and women in uniform, and because I am committed to working with all of my colleagues to make this country more secure, I am convinced that we must change our course and I commend Mr. Murtha for standing up for what is right.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 444. Grace Warren is our colleague and long-time legislative director to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall). He is my friend, and she is my friend.

Grace's struggle and the struggle of her family and friends remind us that everyone can be touched by a woman's disease.

My college roommate, a great friend, a caring friend, Catholic Irish, young, blue-eyed girl, strong in her faith, a wonderful mother, devoted wife, lost her battle with ovarian cancer in 2001.

As the gentleman stated earlier, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 22,000 women will be newly diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2005. As the House considers H. Res. 444 today, approximately 44 women will die of ovarian cancer.

Despite being the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths among women, the battle against ovarian cancer is handicapped by a lack of public information, gaps in scientific knowledge, and an NIH research budget funding increase in 2005 that does not even keep up with inflation.

I come before my colleagues today because I strongly believe in research, and not only is this a colleague and friend, but as a nurse and cancer survivor I feel very strongly about this resolution. It makes it known that Congress recognizes the hopes and fears of ovarian cancer patients everywhere.

In all things, education is the key to our future. For the one woman in every 58 women in this country who is at risk of developing ovarian cancer in her lifetime, public awareness and early diagnosis are the keys to her survival.

The Members of this body work daily to ensure the health and well- being of the citizens who have chosen them to represent them. Surely, we can join together with the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall) to acknowledge the value of medical research, health education and public awareness of ovarian cancer in saving the lives of so many.

My prayers and best wishes go to Grace Warren, and I urge my colleagues to support this most worthy resolution.

Mr. Chairman, I proudly join the gentleman from California in supporting this amendment.

I appreciate the response that H.R. 4128 is attempting to convey. We just feel that there is a possibility that it might have some unintended consequences.

In 2002, President Bush signed the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act, and that bill authorized $200 million annually for Federal assistance to States and local communities to assess brownfield sites and to conduct cleanup where the assessment indicates the cleanup was warranted.

The measure represented the centerpiece of the administration's environmental agenda. It was widely praised and received broad bipartisan support, and rightfully so. According to the Government Accountability Office, there are well over 500,000 brownfields in communities around the country; and brownfields represent the economic opportunity wherever they exist.

These abandoned and underused industrial sites pose heavy economic, financial, and social burdens on the community. These burdens include blight, deterioration of neighboring properties and property values, neighborhood health hazards from contamination, and increased need for fire and police protection to limit the nuisance effect of brownfields, and increased sprawl as individuals and families and businesses relocate to the suburbs, farmland, and open space.

Over the past decade, communities across the country have realized that responsible brownfield redevelopment can transform environmentally impaired property into productive property and positively impact distressed communities.

The city of Dallas that I represent was one of the first cities to be designated as a brownfield showcase community by the Environmental Protection Agency. Dallas has used assessment and remediation grant programs to redevelop 35 sites in the core of the city.

Although the city has not used eminent domain to date in its brownfield redevelopment projects, they have shared with me that they certainly can anticipate perhaps a situation where the city might want to do this to acquire. I fully and strongly support the amendment.

Mr. Speaker, an exceptional education serves as the foundation for exceptional opportunities in life. When an institution of learning goes the extra mile to help its students reach their full potential, the institution deserves recognition for its achievement.

On November 10-11, 2005, the U.S. Department of Education will present the coveted No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools Awards. Blue Ribbon Schools are those whose students achieve in the top 10 percent on State tests or schools where at least 40 percent of students from disadvantaged backgrounds sharply improve their performance on state tests.

The 30th Congressional District of the State of Texas is home to several such schools. On this momentous occasion, I would like to extend warm congratulations to the School of Science and Engineering on being named a 2005 Blue Ribbon School. This institution has enabled its students to reach a standard of achievement that is exceptional. I honor the dedication of administrators, teachers and students required to capture this award and send best wishes in future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the Department of Agriculture's report that was released last week on national hunger data. My home State of Texas ranks at the bottom of this list with 16 percent of households listed as food insecure. This means that at some point, 16 percent of Texans could not provide enough food for their families. This is a staggering number.

Nationally, we did not do much better. Despite improvements in the economy, the number of households at risk for hunger actually increased. We have heard about the mergers, consolidations, buyouts and all the layoffs. As a matter of fact, higher productivity where you can get half the number of people to do the same job the rest of them did is having its impact.

Hiring illegal aliens for less than minimum wage or minimum wage is having its impact. Those people are looking for a better day for their families. They send the money back to Mexico and that leaves them here without anything to eat. We must address this issue. This means that even though more people are working, many are not making enough money to afford basic necessities, namely, food. A full-time minimum wage worker makes less than $11,000 per year. Can you just imagine some of these CEOs making less than $20 million? They would probably starve. These are not just teenagers flipping hamburgers. Thirty-five percent of those earning minimum wage are their family's sole breadwinner. These working poor are faced with the impossible decision of often having to choose between food, clothing, shelter, medicine and utility bills, gas bills.

America was founded on the idea that everyone who works hard can obtain the American dream. Over the past 5 years, this Congress has abandoned those ideals and intensified poverty. We can do better to help American families. It is unconscionable that every day we are here, we are working to see how we can give a bigger tax cut for the wealthy and how we can take it away from the poor. It does not just affect the poor, it affects all of us. Until we are fair about distribution of some wealth, we will never have fairness returned. We have got to invest to solve these problems. That does not mean throwing money at the problem but it does mean paying people a living wage to live on. When we hear about Southwestern Bell, AT&T, TXU laying off 1,200, 1,400, 1,500 people, it impacts those families. Children have to drop out of college or out of school. Families' houses go up in foreclosure. These are law-abiding, working Americans. Do we care? Our record does not show that we care. We simply must address this issue.

I hear all the statistics about the jobs created. Maybe it is like in New Orleans where every job created is going to an illegal alien. That simply is not fair to the American people and most especially it is not fair to people who were in New Orleans who called it home not being able to get the jobs. We have inherited more than our share of both and we have opened arms to receive them in Texas, but we do need to give attention to whether or not we are really helping. If they cannot eat, if they cannot afford shelter, are we helping?

It is the same thing with our borders. Do we help the people to allow them to come over illegally, get hired by the wealthy for 3 or 4 weeks and then they are without jobs? I think we need to take a second look of how we are distributing wealth in this country. Just because the stock market is doing well for 10 percent of the population, it does not mean that everybody else is doing fine. I have heard so many comments about how great the economy is. These people are not even counted in the economy. I thank you, Mr. Speaker, for allowing me to share this with my colleagues, and I hope we heed this.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of civil rights icon, Rosa Parks. Mrs. Parks served us all as a shining example of courage, strength and dignity for the whole of her 92 years and through some of the darkest points in our nation's history. An acknowledgement of her life and her passing on Monday, October 24, 2005 is in order.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks quietly insisted upon the actions demanded by the most self-evident of truths: that she be recognized and respected as an equal. An equal to every other human being and every other citizen in the State of Alabama and the United States of America. On a day when she had worked as hard as anyone else, Rosa Parks insisted that she be recognized and respected as a human being, and quietly demanded to keep her seat.

The simplicity of her refusal to give up her seat on a public bus to a White passenger crystallized the pain of a nation and sparked a Movement. From that day on, African-Americans would be civilly disobedient. We would use non-violence to quietly demand in the most respectful way possible that we receive the respect that had been denied to us. Mrs. Parks inspired a Civil Rights Movement that empowered African-Americans politically, socially and personally. She was our inspiration to walk together until the economic, cultural, historical and political importance of African-Americans as Americans would be recognized. Mrs. Parks inspired the first steps in the next chapter of our national journey. . .and we continue to walk together today.

As we remember Rosa Parks, we must remember the trials and sacrifices for which she and so many others tirelessly fought. We must honor her memory by continuing the fight. The fight for justice. The fight for equality. The fight to be recognized first and foremost and in all situations as human beings. We are saddened by her passing, but she will live on in our memories and our actions.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 457. This bill recognizes the importance of chemistry in our everyday lives and supports the goals and ideals of National Chemistry Week.

The theme of National Chemistry Week for 2005 is ``The Joy of Toys.'' This seemingly comical name belies the hard work and amazing developments in materials science that have gone into the production of safer and more durable toys for children of all ages.

Children have a wide array of choices when it comes to modern toys. Gone are the days of making one's own toys out of sticks and stones. Chemistry has yielded materials that are non-toxic and harbor fewer germs than before. Chemistry has helped develop crazy-shaped materials in colors that change, depending on temperature.

I admire the work of countless chemists, engineers and materials scientists that has produced marvels for the delight of children and the benefit of society.

Mr. Speaker, today I am happy to celebrate National Chemistry Week and urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 457.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my disappointment and opposition to the Rule regarding H.R. 3893.

The Gasoline Security Act, as reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce, includes language that takes away States' rights to have State decisions on Clean Water Act permits and water quality related to the placement of refineries and pipelines decided in State courts. Instead, the Gasoline Security Act overturns 33 years of successful State/Federal partnership and forces States to defend their actions in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

In the absence of this provision, challenges to State decisions would be brought in State courts as they always have.

The Gasoline Security Act dilutes State authority to protect water quality. I offered an amendment that would have prevented this dilution; unfortunately it was not make in order.

Section 401 of the Clean Water Act requires that before any Federal permit or license is issued that could result in a discharge into the State's waters, the State in which the discharge would occur must issue a certification that the proposed activity is consistent with the State's water quality standards.

Such a certification must be issued within a reasonable time (not more than one year), and if the certification is denied, the Federal permit or license may not be issued.

This authority is the States' ability to ensure a role in Federally- permitted activity within the State's borders.

The provisions contained in both the refinery and pipeline titles of the Gasoline Security Act are modeled on a similar provision in the recently enacted Energy Policy Act. This language was inserted in response to a specific case in Connecticut where the business community wanted to construct a pipeline over State and public objections.

The proponents of the pipeline believe that Federal courts will be less deferential to Connecticut's position in denying the water quality certification. In fact, less than two hours after President Bush signed the Energy Policy Act, Islander East Pipeline Co. went to the Federal Appeals Court seeking to overturn Connecticut's decision.

I urge my colleagues and members of the Rules Committee to help stop the trampling of the States' rights to defend the quality of the environment and public health by making in order my amendment to modify these provisions from H.R. 3893.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk today about a remarkable, courageous man who has dedicated himself to improving the lives of those around him. Dr. Paul Pepe is a fine member of my home community of Dallas, Texas, and I am proud to announce that he has been recognized for his contribution in emergency medical services from the American College Emergency Physicians. The award, presented by U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona in Washington, D.C. on Monday, September 26, 2005, recognized Dr. Pepe for his achievements during a 30 year career that included education and service to numerous city, state and federal agencies.

Dr. Pepe, a protege of Drs. Leonard Cobb and Michael Copass from the University of Washington in Seattle, may be best known as one of the lead authors of the initial 1991 American Heart Association publications.

Dr. Pepe co-authored a comprehensive Early Childhood Center curriculum for K through 12 school children, and he championed statewide training of middle school students using high school seniors as instructors in both CPR and automated external defibrillator use. In addition, he helped to forge the exact language and subsequent passage of one of the most liberal Good Samaritan Laws ever enacted in any state regarding AED use by bystanders. Translating all of these ambitious CPR initiatives into major media events--and ultimately thousands of lives saved--Dr. Pepe has been labeled in some educational circles as a ``Mentor to Millions.''

Dr. Pepe has been a longstanding member of the National Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Basic Life Support committees of the American Heart Association. He has also served on national ad hoc committees for various AHA activities including its upcoming National Mass CPR Training Day initiative.

In addition to his AHA duties, Dr. Pepe also serves as the Emergency Medicine and Trauma Consultant to such diverse entities as the White House Medical Unit, ABC News and the National Basketball Association Trainers. Most recently, he trained the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. David Satcher, and several dozen of his highest ranking senior staff members in CPR and AED use.

A ubiquitous and popular world-wide lecturer and author of hundreds of published scientific papers and abstracts, Dr. Pepe has been featured routinely in many network and prime-time broadcasts. He has won multiple health policy, community service, academic and professional society awards, both here and abroad, and he has provided consultation for multiple foreign governments regarding the coordination of emergency health services.

Dr. Pepe is a dedicated community servant, activist, and leader. He is a tremendous asset to Dallas, and through his tireless work, my home town has become a better place to live and a safer place to grow up. I am proud to join his family, his colleagues and the North Texas community in congratulating Dr. Pepe on a job well done.