Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to reintroduce the Geriatric Care Act of 2003, an important piece of legislation which will help our nation prepare for the health care pressures associated with the aging of the baby boom generation.

Americans are living longer than ever, with the average life expectancy rising to 80 years old for women and 74 years old for men. While this is generally a positive development, there are costs associated with the aging of America. As seniors live longer, they face greater risks of disease and disabilities, such as Alzheimer's, diabetes, cancer, stroke, and heart disease.

Geriatricians are physicians who are uniquely trained to help care for the aging and elderly. By promoting a comprehensive approach to health care, including wellness and preventive care, geriatricians can help seniors live longer and healthier lives.

It is critical that our nation have a sufficient number of geriatricians to help manage the aging of the baby-boom generation. Unfortunately, there are currently only 9,000 certified geriatricians, and that number is expected to decline dramatically in the coming years. Of the approximately 98,000 medical residency and fellowship positions supported by Medicare in 1998, only 324 were in geriatric medicine and geriatric psychiatry. The Alliance for Aging Research estimates that the United States will need approximately 36,000 geriatricians to counter the aging population. We must do more to promote geriatric residency programs.

There are two barriers preventing physicians from entering geriatrics: insufficient Medicare reimbursements for the provision of geriatric care and inadequate training dollars and positions for geriatricians.

A MedPac survey found that Medicare's low reimbursement rates serve as a major obstacle to recruiting new geriatricians. Due to their higher level of chronic disease and multiple prescriptions, seniors require additional care to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment. Medicare's reimbursement rates do not factor the complex needs of elderly patients. Because geriatricians treat seniors exclusively, they are especially affected by Medicare's low reimbursement rates.

Additionally, the Balanced Budget Act placed limits on the numbers of residents a hospital can have, based on 1996 numbers. This cap serves as a disincentive for some hospitals, and has caused them to eliminate or reduce their geriatric Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs.

The legislation I am introducing today would remedy both of these problems, so that America is prepared for the aging baby boom generation. The Geriatric Care Act would modemize the Medicare fee schedule to more accurately reflect the cost of providing care for seniors. It also would allow for additional geriatric residency slots, so that we can develop an adequate supply of geriatricians for the next generation.

I urge all of my colleagues to join me as cosponsors of this legislation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce a resolution which urges the United States Postal Service to commission a postage stamp commemorating Juan N. Seguin, hero of Texas' War for Independence.

Juan Seguin believed in the freedoms that we enjoy today, many of which we take for granted.

He was fair minded, did not tolerate injustice, and fought for basic human rights for all people, despite the constant risk of imprisonment or death.

He was one of the key leaders of Texas' War for Independence.

As territorial governor of Texas, he protested the dismantling of the Mexican Republic of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana, and was the first to sound the alarm in response to Santa Ana's tyrannical actions.

He renounced General Santa Ana's overturning of the Mexican Constitution of 1824, which had granted all citizens and subjects of Mexico their basic human rights.

This was what the men in the Alamo were fighting to restore, as represented by the famous image of the Mexican flag with the number ``1824'' painted across the middle.

In October 1934, Seguin convened the first revolutionary meeting protesting the actions of Santa Ana's government.

Once the revolution was underway, he fought in the successful battle to retake San Antonio from General Martin Perfecto de Cos.

Later he was one of the 189 defenders of the Alamo, and his life was spared by Colonel William Travis' decision to send him with a request for reinforcements to Colonel James Fannin at Goliad, Texas.

He left on March 5, 1836, the day before the fall of the Alamo and the slaughter of its defenders.

He was able to rejoin the remainder of the Texas Army under General Sam Houston, and thus became the only man to fight at both the Alamo and San Jacinto.

Juan Seguin was a legendary leader in the Texas Revolution and an unsung hero of Texas. Though he is seldom given credit for his contributions, he helped establish the Texas that we are so proud of today.

I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Labor Relations First Contract Negotiations Act.

The National Labor Relations Act guarantees the right of employees to organize and bargain collectively to improve living standards and working conditions. The right to organize is a basic civil right, and unions are an avenue to equity, fair treatment, and economic stability for working people. Free enterprise includes the freedom to organize as a unit to bargain collectively. Unfortunately, current law hinders this ability. To remedy this serious situation, I have introduced the Labor Relations First Contract Negotiations Act.

My legislation requires mediation and, if necessary, binding arbitration of initial contract negotiation disputes. Under this proposed bill, if an employer and a newly elected representative have not reached a collective bargaining agreement within 60 days of the representative's certification, the employer and the representative will jointly select a mediator to help them reach an agreement. If they cannot agree on a mediator, one will be appointed for them by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. In the event that the parties do not reach an agreement in 30 days, the remaining issues may be transferred to the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service for binding arbitration. Let us make sure that everyone has a fair opportunity to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement. I urge my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, in June of 2001, Texas and other States witnessed the damage wrought by Tropical Storm Allison after it swept through Texas and up the East Coast, and the importance of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) really hit home. Thousands of my constituents suffered substantial flood damage to their homes and businesses, but many of these losses were mitigated because they had federal flood insurance.

Unfortunately, not all my constituents who needed flood insurance could afford to purchase a policy. Because of a recent redraw of Houston's Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) many of my low-income folks were brought into the 100-year flood plain, but could not afford the insurance. As a consequence of my constituents' experience, I rise today to introduce the Low Income Families Flood Insurance Access Act.

This legislation helps bridge the insurance gap between those that can afford a flood policy and those that cannot. The bill would provide discounted flood insurance over a five-year term for low-income homeowners or renters whose primary residence is placed within a Special Flood Hazard Area (flood plain) by a redraw of the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). If their property is worth no more than $75,000, they would be eligible to receive a 50% discount on their flood insurance premiums for a five-year period.

It also provides for limited retroactivity if their residence is placed within the flood plain within two years of the enactment of the legislation; otherwise, the five years would begin upon the placement of the property within the flood plain. I hope that this legislation will not only increase participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), but make this program more affordable for the economically disadvantaged. It provides an incentive for those who are most vulnerable to huge losses in floods to get the protection they need at a price they can afford.

The NFIP plays a crucial role in lessening the impact of a major flooding disaster, but to make the program operate most effectively we need greater participation. I believe my legislation will extend the helping hand associated with flood insurance down to those people in greatest need of assistance.

Mr. Speaker, I hope that we can speed this bill through the 108th Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to call to the attention of the House an innovative program created by the Houston office of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in conjunction with local law enforcement agencies in the Houston area. This program, utilizing grant money from the Operation Safe Home program, hires off-duty law enforcement officers to provide security and patrol housing complexes and apartments that are owned by or receive funds from HUD. This program has been a great success, and has made residents feel safer and more secure in their homes.

Unfortunately, this program turned out to be too innovative. Although this initiative has been an unqualified success, it turns out that HUD did not have the authority to make these

types of security decisions. I believe that we should allow our local communities and those who know them best the flexibility to pursue the solutions that will decrease violence, drug use, and other crimes that plague much of the public housing in our nation today. I do not believe that Americans who need assistance with housing costs should be forced to live in fear.

That is why I am reintroducing the HUD Housing Security and Flexibility Act. This legislation would allow HUD to hire local law enforcement agencies for these purposes. It authorizes offices that receive or administer funds under either of the aforementioned programs to enter into contracts with police departments and other agencies. These contracts would be limited to three years in length, and would be solely for security, patrols, or other protective services at HUD-owned or -assisted housing.

Mr. Speaker, I feel that this legislation will go a long way towards eliminating crime in our public housing, and making Americans feel safer in their homes. I hope that the Congress will take up this important legislation during the 108th Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in today in support of H.R. 11, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Reauthorization Act, which we are considering today under suspension of the rules.

It is a shame that Congressional leadership allowed any lapse in the authority to write new flood insurance policies by the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration (FIMA) under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). However, I am relieved that the lapse in authority, which began December 31, 2002, is shortly coming to an end. Thousands of my constituents are mandatory and voluntary participants in the NFIP, and they deserve the convenience of renewing and beginning new policies without interference from Congressional inaction.

I would like to commend FEMA and the underwriters for the efforts that they have made to reach out to homeowners and warn them of the problem and lead them to solutions. Hopefully, the Senate will take up this legislation immediately and send it to the President, and Congress will not allow this situation to occur again. The NFIP is an absolutely critical program for my constituents and millions of other homeowners, with flooding causing billions of dollars of damage nationwide every year. Since affordable flood insurance is not a sustainable business for the private insurance industry, it is essential that Congress support the NFIP.

Mr. Speaker, we need to come together and take care of business for the millions of Americans who live in the floodplain or other flood hazard areas. It is our duty to ensure the smooth operation of the National Flood Insurance Program, and we have already delayed too long. I urge my colleagues to suspend the rules and approve H.R. 11, the National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization Act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Law Enforcement Officers Flag Memorial Act of 2002. I am deeply sad that Harris County, where my hometown of Houston is located, is leading the Nation in the grim category of peace officers killed according to the National Law Enforcement Officers' Fund.

Peace officers and their families know better than anyone the perils and risks involved in their job. Yet every day, they put on a badge and make our Nation a safer place. While we should never forget these officers, we also need to remember their spouses, their children and friends who miss them dearly. Our hearts go out to those survivors who are trying to cope with saying good-bye to a loved one. We are indebted to the survivors for the courage of these officers, and we share their grief and offer kind words knowing that it is a poor substitute for their loss.

Every day, ordinary men and women make an extraordinary commitment when they put on a badge that symbolizes the oath they take to protect and serve. The badge also makes them a target. Every day, they leave their families behind not knowing if they will come home tonight.

Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me as a cosponsor of the Law Enforcement Officers' Flag Memorial Act of 2002. This legislation seeks to honor slain law enforcement officers by providing their families a Capitol-flown U.S. flag.

While a Capitol flag is a meaningful and true symbol of our nation's gratitude, Congress should continue to make sure that we keep our commitment to the law enforcement community by providing funding for more officers, better equipment, and advanced training. Doing so not only saves the lives of officers, but it makes our families, our homes, and our neighborhoods a safer place.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) Equity Act of 2002. Most people associate LIHEAP with home heating assistance to needy families in the wintertime, and that is an extremely important purpose of the program. However, while many people are in danger each year because they cannot afford to properly heat their homes, many across the South but also all over the country are in danger every year because they cannot afford to cool their homes.

I am introducing this legislation to bring parity to the LIHEAP program between regions that are more likely to use LIHEAP for heating and for cooling. My hometown of Houston can see many consecutive days of above 100 degree temperatures, combined with high humidity. This is a potentially lethal combination for the poor, often elderly, residents who cannot afford an air conditioner or afford to pay the electricity bill. In addition, the Northern part of the country sees too many preventable heat related deaths.

According to the National Weather Service, heat related deaths and injuries far outpaced cold related deaths and injuries. In 2000, there were 158 heat related deaths and 26 cold related deaths. In addition, there were over 400 heat related injuries also in 2000. In 2001, the difference was even more pronounced with 166 heat related fatalities and 4 cold related fatalities.

It is time Congress and the LIHEAP program recognize the dangerous reality the heat waves pose in this country and begin to offer residents in danger from hot weather as much energy assistance as we offer to residents in danger from cold weather. Let us work together to bring some equity to LIHEAP and prevent more, senseless, fatalities of the elderly, infirm, and children who cannot afford air conditioning. I urge my colleagues to support the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) Equity Act of 2002.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to reintroduce a simple piece of legislation that will provide all Americans with another important national symbol which they can lean on during times of national stress. The legislation will designate ``God Bless America'' as our National Hymn. The first words of this song, ``God Bless America, land that I love,'' say it all. They are simple, direct, and they truly reflect the spirit of our country during this latest challenge.

Although nothing can surpass the importance or meaning of the ``Star Spangled Banner'' as our preeminent national anthem, ``God Bless America'' is almost always the second song our citizens fall to in times of great national tragedy. America's unofficial national anthem was composed by Irving Berlin, an immigrant who left Siberia for America when he was only five years old.

While originally written for a musical in 1918, Berlin realized that this was more than a light-hearted musical number. So he set it aside for a more appropriate time. That time came shortly before the Second World War. Berlin released ``God Bless America'' in November of 1938.

As the nation prepared to enter World War II, it was evident that the whole country--from the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans white with foam--would need to stay strong, to protect our home sweet home.

``God Bless America'' unified all Americans with its simple sentiment, and it unifies us again today.

This song is the heart and soul of our country, and we should honor it by designating it as our National Hymn.

Thank you Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 23, legislation to extend Temporary Unemployment Benefits. Millions of American workers are in trouble today, including many of my constituents, and it is high time we did something about it.

Back in March 2002, Congress created the Temporary Emergency Unemployment Benefits Compensation (TEUC) program to provide 13 weeks of federally funded unemployment insurance to qualified workers who had exhausted their state unemployment benefits, and an additional 13 weeks to some in ``high unemployment'' states. The TEUC program was a great idea, but we underestimated the economic trouble that we were in. At that time, the unemployment rate in my home state of Texas was 5.6% and that quickly rose to 6.9% by June of 2002. By November 2002, the latest month for which the Texas Workforce Commission has data, the official unemployment rate still stood at 6.0%, meaning that over 640,000 Texas workers are out of work.

So, we can see that the problem is not over. The need for an unemployment compensation extension is still very urgent. However, the TEUC program expired, three days after Christmas, on December 28, 2002. Congress was fully aware of the unemployment problem

when we were here in November and December, but the House leadership would not agree to the Senate compromise legislation, which was partly the work of the Republican Whip in the Senate. So, it is with great relief that I have the opportunity to vote in favor of the Senate compromise today.

While I am relieved that we are delivering relief to the people that need it most--those who are out of work and are trying their best to find it--I do not believe that we are doing enough. The legislation before us today only restores TEUC benefits for those who lost their eligibility on or after December 28, 2002. I am an original cosponsor of the Rangel-Cardin alternative, H.R. 17, which would restore these unemployed workers' benefits while they continue to look for work. H.R. 17 should be under consideration today by the House of Representatives, but the Republican leadership has denied us the opportunity to even let it come to vote.

Now I agree that partisan conflicts over how much unemployment assistance to provide during one of the longest economic slowdowns in recent history should not prevent us from doing something, today. So I strongly urge my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, to support this legislation and send it to the president so that some unemployed workers can get something soon. After that, I also urge all of my colleagues to look at what we have done today and compare that to H.R. 17. If you do that, I think you will realize how much more needs to be done. Let us pass S. 23 today, and pass more relief as soon as possible.