Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of a fallen soldier, a man who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we might live free.

Eric Ulysses Ramirez was killed in action on February 12 of this year. He only had 42 days remaining on his tour of duty when he was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade launched by Iraqi insurgents.

Eric gave his life fighting in the sands of Iraq to secure our liberty while granting a new start to an oppressed people. As his friends and family know, Eric was a man of courage who was willing to fight to preserve a safe future for his children and for his countrymen.

In his lifetime, he was a model citizen, husband, father and son, as well as a sheriff's deputy and National Guardsman. He graduated from the Mount Dora High School which is very near Mascotte, and he planned on attending the University of Central Florida, but instead, he enlisted in the Navy for 4 years. Upon his return, his commitment to public service was evident when he took a job as a sheriff's deputy in San Diego.

Specialist Ramirez answered the call to duty yet again when his unit was activated to fight in Operation Iraqi Freedom in February 2003. Tragically, this would be his last mission.

Since the awful day that took the life of this American hero, I have come to know the family that he left behind. His wife, his children and his parents, Reverend and Mrs. Felix Ramirez, who live in Mascotte.

I attended the funeral of this brave young man, and although I did not know him personally, when I attended the funeral, I felt as if I did know him. I was very obviously struck with emotion when I met his parents and learned that his father, Felix Ramirez, was the minister who was conducting the service for his own son. As he conducted the service, I was awe-struck with his courage and with his belief in our American troops and in what his son did to help make Iraq a free country.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Members of this body to join me in honoring specialist Eric Ramirez's life and his service by naming the United States Post Office at 411 Midway Avenue in Mascotte, Florida, as the specialist Eric Ramirez Post Office.

The beautiful town of Mascotte is where Eric grew up and where his family now calls home. I believe it is the very least that we can do to honor Eric and to repay his family for the son, husband and father that they lost when he fought to defend our freedom.

Lastly, I want to also thank my Florida colleagues for their willingness to support this measure. Passage of this bill is a tremendous bipartisan effort and shows the true compassion of the Florida delegation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the members of the Brooksville Emergency Response Team, also known as BERT.

In the wake of Hurricane Charley's devastating visit to Florida, these remarkable individuals answered the call of duty. On the morning of August 14, 2004 at 6:45 a.m. these BERT operatives sprung into action and began to rebuild areas of the Fifth Congressional District left in shambles. Because of their efforts, the communities of Poinciana, Caloose, Lake Village, Lake Wales, Bascon,

Highland Park, Frostproof, and Lake Hamilton received relief at a critical time of need. The BERT team worked to reconstruct Poinciana's fire department and assisted with firefighting duties for the community. In addition, the team worked on debris clean-up, directed traffic, and assisted in damage assessment activities throughout the area. In the end, the BERT team accomplishments included 336 work hours removing trees from residences and roadways; 14 hours traffic control; and deliveries of 1,250 bags of ice, 450 cases of water and 150 prepared meals to hungry citizens.

I would like to express my gratitude for the BERT team's service. Their actions demonstrated the dedication, selflessness, and sacrifice of the human spirit that emerges from rubble of Mother Nature's fury. I am proud to represent the Fifth Congressional District of Florida, where members of the heroic Brooksville Emergency Response Team call home.

Mr. Speaker, Americans celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Republican majority in this House of Representatives. Let us remember that it was President Reagan's emphasis on security that provided the legacy that we now use as the starting point for the Grand Old Party.

If Congress does not see to it that every American is safe, does anything else matter? Republicans answered this question by strengthening our military, equipping our troops, confronting terrorists on their turf and taking care of our veterans when they return home. From the fall of the Iron Curtain and the demise of communism to the liberation of Iraq and Afghanistan, Republicans have driven policy that has transformed unsafe nations while protecting our own.

Republicans recognize that we do not need to seek a permission slip to defend our Nation and that nothing is more important than a safe, secure America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Corporal Charles Compton, a World War II veteran who resides in the Fifth Congressional District of Florida.

On August 16, 2004, I had the pleasure of recognizing Corporal Compton for his heroism and bravery as a U.S. Marine who fought in the Second World War from May 1943 until November 1945.

After serving his country for just over a year fighting in the Pacific, Corporal Compton was injured in a blast in June of 1945. The force of the blast knocked him unconscious. He was evacuated to a hospital ship but returned to the front lines to continue fighting the enemy.

I presented Corporal Compton with the Purple Heart, the oldest military decoration in the world, more than 50 years overdue.

Though he earned this honor, he never received it from the Defense Department and I am honored to have the opportunity to present to him the Purple Heart for his selfless devotion to duty and service to the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Staff Sergeant Joseph Fales, a World War II veteran who gave his life fighting against tyranny so that we might live free.

In honor of Memorial Day, I had the pleasure of recognizing Staff Sergeant Fales for his heroism and bravery as a U.S. Soldier who fought in the Second World War until his death in October 1943.

Staff Sergeant Fales served in the Army Air Force and heroically performed the perilous job of a waist gunner aboard a B-17 Bomber.

His plane was shot down over the Adriatic Sea, and an American Hero was lost. Sergeant Fales was only twenty years old.

I had the honor of presenting his family with medals Joseph Fales earned during his service to our nation. They included the World War II Victory Medal, the Honorable Service Lapel Button, the European Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one bronze star, the Good Conduct Medal, the Air Medal and the Purple Heart, the oldest military decoration in the world more than fifty years overdue.

I am humbled by the courage and sacrifice of Joseph Fales. I am thankful for the gift of freedom that he fought to protect. We must never forget Joseph Fales and those soldiers who paid the ultimate price on our behalf.

Mr. Speaker, rise today to honor George Blazvick, a Vietnam veteran who now resides in Dunnellon, Florida, within my Fifth Congressional District.

On August 19, 2004, I had the pleasure of recognizing Mr. Blazvick for his heroism and bravery as a United States soldier who served his country from September 1966 to September 1968.

After completing 10 months of service, Mr. Blazvick was injured in an unfortunate blast when an M-79 grenade exploded in close proximity to his position. He was wounded in his leg and evacuated to a military hospital in Japan. He served the remainder of his tour in Fort Benning, Georgia.

I presented Mr. Blazvick with the Purple Heart, the oldest military decoration in the world, more than 30 years overdue.

Though he earned this honor, he never received it from the Defense Department and I am honored to have had the opportunity to present to him the Purple Heart for his selfless devotion to duty and service to the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley) of the Committee on Financial Services for his leadership in addressing the unscrupulous tactics of life insurance salesmen at our military bases.

During a recent Committee on Financial Services hearing, we learned that greedy insurance companies are selling enlisted men as young as 19 years of age expensive life insurance policies which actually pay out less than $30,000. These young men and women are forced to attend ``financial courses'' held by these salesmen who are usually former military men, men that these young men and women look up to.

Young GIs, who are being taught to trust their commanding officers, are deceptively told they are enrolling in savings accounts and are given papers that they are not permitted enough time to look over. They are ordered to sign here without question.

Protecting those who protect us certainly is a bipartisan priority, and I look forward to working with the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley) and the other members of this committee on this very important issue.

Mr. Speaker, this afternoon I was meeting with Veteran constituents and upon the vote being called for the previous question for the H. Res. 770, I hurriedly ran from the office to the floor. I had intended to vote against the order of previous question as I did last year but in my haste, inadvertently voted in its favor. I oppose the Congressional pay raise for 2005 and would like the record to reflect that view.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of H.R. 3056.

In 1992, Congress made changes to the Coastal Barrier Resources System that have effectively protected environmentally sensitive communities and have deterred residents from building or buying lands that are prone to natural disasters, such as flooding and erosion. Under the Coastal Barrier Resources Act, also known as COBRA, residents may build within the system but if they do, they will not qualify for Federal assistance. In order to qualify for Federal assistance, the most important being Federal flood insurance, residents must live in an excluded area.

The maps used to depict the Coastal Barrier Resources System were created over 10 years ago using the technology that was available at that time. Basically they were paper maps with longitude and latitude markings and

hand-drawn boundaries and land masses. Today we have digital technology available to more accurately depict where Congress intended the COBRA boundaries to actually lie. Unfortunately, this new technology has found a number of incorrect determinations. Areas that were meant to be excluded from the system were inadvertently included in the act.

Three such cases exist in my district in Cedar Key. Prior to purchasing their properties, all three families were told by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that the areas were in the ``excluded area.'' The families purchased their properties, paid the premiums for the flood insurance required by the mortgage lender, but then last year they were told by the Fish and Wildlife Service that an error had been made and that in fact they were within the Coastal Barrier Resource System. Thus, they do not qualify for Federal flood insurance.

Can any of us imagine the anguish and heartache that they are feeling today? They paid premiums for flood insurance for years, only to be hit by back-to-back hurricanes Charley and Frances, and possibly the impending Ivan, and then they are told that because of an incorrect determination they have no coverage. We still do not know how many billions of dollars these disasters are going to cost the residents of the State of Florida. The assistance residents may receive from FEMA will only cover a fraction of the cost of damages in my area of Cedar Key. Moreover, flood insurance is virtually unavailable in the private market and can cost six times that of a federally insured flood policy. What is even worse is one of these families was in the process of selling their home last year and upon receiving the new determination from Fish and Wildlife, their home depreciated actually on the real estate market by over 50 percent.

My bill clarifies the boundaries of Unit P25 and the Otherwise Protected Area P25P of the Coastal Barrier Resources System where my constituents live. This bill uses digital technology to redraw the boundaries to better reflect the intent of Congress in 1992 and it excludes those families from the system. H.R. 3056 does not seek to add any areas to the excluded portion of the system. It merely clarifies the mistakes the outdated technology made in these instances. I believe it is imperative that our citizens receive the assistance that they are entitled to receive. It is imperative that Congress correct the flaws in this good law to ensure that more residents in the area are not adversely affected.

I would certainly like to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo), the chairman, and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest), the subcommittee chairman, for all their assistance with this bill. I urge the Members' favorable support of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, since the early weeks of August, Florida and its residents have endured the unrelenting and unsympathetic wrath of Mother Nature. Through the harsh design of fate, Florida was dealt the unfortunate circumstances of bearing the brunt of not one but two hurricanes, and it appears more dark clouds are poised to visit the Sunshine State.

This map very carefully tracks the two hurricanes that hit Florida. The first one in orange is Hurricane Charley. It was upgraded to a tropical storm at 5 on August 10, continued raising havoc in Jamaica, and in Jamaica it became a hurricane on the 11th, and it hit Punta Gorda, Florida on the 13th, exactly one month ago today, at 4:30 p.m.

Frances became a category 4 on the 28th of August. On the 2nd, it was in the Bahamas, and Frances made landfall in Stewart, Florida, at 1 on September 5. So Florida has been hit twice and based on the latest weather forecast, it appears that the Panhandle will be hit again with Hurricane Ivan.

It is not the first time that Florida has been devastated by three hurricanes all at once. The State has experienced such occurrences before. Actually in 1964, three storms hit Florida within an 8-week period. The hurricanes were named Cleo, Dora and Isabel. Regardless of what we name them, it does not make living in a State with so many hurricanes a lot of fun. Those hurricanes slammed the State. Thus, Floridians are not bewildered by the sheer numbers of hurricanes that threaten to trounce the State.

With regard to the power and force of these menacing natural disasters, well, before Hurricane Charley came ashore the people of Florida have understood and respected the potential power that a hurricane wields. I recall in 1992 when Hurricane Andrew hit the State, and it hit the Homestead, Florida, area and had a devastating effect there.

We have a few photos of some of the examples of the kind of destruction that a hurricane can do. Obviously this house as a result of the hurricane was damaged and would have to be completely torn down. Again, we have more destruction. This is an area that certainly as we look at the picture we say, how could people go back and say I want to rebuild. But wanting to rebuild and having the courage and the strength that so many Floridians do to face the hurricane and the destruction that goes along with the hurricane and yet have the spirit, the human spirit that says we are going to stay, we are going to rebuild and make the community even stronger.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Keller) from the Orlando area.

Mr. Speaker, earlier I mentioned Hurricane Andrew, and Hurricane Andrew came around the fall of 1992 when I was just elected to the Florida Senate. I served at the time with the very distinguished gentleman now in Congress with me, the gentleman from the Palm Beach, Florida, area (Mr. Foley).

We both had experiences both with Hurricane Andrew and these hurricanes that we have had this year. I have noticed a marked improvement in FEMA and with the coordination of FEMA and the State agencies. Having been involved and had people who suffered through both of those hurricanes, I see a much more rapid response on the part of FEMA this time. I know that is exactly what is happening in the Tampa Bay area and I am sure it is happening in your area. If you would like to take just a moment to address that, I would appreciate it.

Without a doubt, there has been rapid response. Part of the redesign of FEMA is that they have so many people on standby, whether it is a retired nurse or a doctor who will take time off to go exactly where they are needed. We must always remember, too, that the National Guard has been of great assistance. I know they have been in several of the counties that I represent. As I went around the counties, people are saying it is much better organized. If I could wave a magic wand, just as you have said this, too, wave a magic wand and have everybody's power put on, but we do not want to have those power companies out there endangering the lives of their crew either. This is difficult sometimes for people to realize. Nobody likes to be in the dark sitting there by candlelight but overall between FEMA and all of the mutual assistance that came in from the other States from utility companies, it was a much more rapid response, much better coordinated.

I agree with you that our Governor has done a wonderful job. He is there at the emergency operations center up there in Tallahassee, he has toured around the State. I know we have been in touch with him about some snafus. Between FEMA and Governor Bush, the problems get resolved very quickly.

I thank the gentleman for being here. I yield to the distinguished gentleman from Orlando (Mr. Feeney).

Without a doubt, Mr. Speaker.

Reclaiming my time, the gentleman was in the State legislature, and he had mentioned this, the change in the State building code. And it was very difficult to pass because it did raise the cost of home building in Florida. And I remember that, at the time, and I am sure his constituents complained also, it was causing the cost of home construction to go up, and the builders were very upset, too.

As he looks around his district, I am sure he can differentiate the homes that were built to the newer, higher wind codes as opposed to the older homes, where the wind actually came in and did the substantial amount of damage. And in retrospect, I am sure that all those people who had to pay a couple hundred dollars more, and it did end up being a couple of hundred dollars more, are very glad that Florida did impose stricter building codes.

And it was a tough sell at the time, as I remember, but it truly was as a result of Hurricane Andrew, but also it was because, when a hurricane comes, Florida is usually the first place that it hits.

Mr. Speaker, the other thing that I wanted to share with the gentleman is, just before I came down to the floor, I was handed a list of agricultural losses, and these were compiled obviously from the very hardworking members of the agricultural industry.

And the loss for the fern industry, which I know is very large in the gentleman's area, was anywhere from 65 to 75 million. So, as we proceed with a supplemental bill to assist those who were devastated by the storm, certainly, we are hopeful that we will be able to help out not only the nursery industry, the ferns, but I have a large dairy industry in my area. And so we want to make sure that we are able to help so many of the very hardworking members of the agriculture and aquaculture industry, too.

Mr. Speaker, when we remember Hurricane Frances, we have to remember that it was so large that at one point it obstructed nearly the entire State of Florida on satellite views. The hurricane actually was estimated to measure twice the size of Texas.

As I went around my district, and my district goes from the coast, from the west coast to just bordering on the gentleman from Florida's district in the Orlando area, as I went around my district after the hurricane struck, I would see homes and stop and talk to the owners. It is amazing, as I mentioned to him, the difference between the older homes and the newer homes. The newer homes did not sustain as much damage because they were built to better safety codes; they were better designed, higher wind loads for the roof. All of those facets made those homes sustain the storm a whole lot better.

While Frances may have ripped roofs off stores and homes, flattened gas station canopies and slammed moored boats against each other, it did not dampen the spirits of the people of Florida. I had a mother come up to me and say, you know, it has always been difficult to turn off the TV, to get the kids to turn off the TV. She said, I never thought I would say this, but we were able to have the television off, and we actually played some board games. She found this to be a great time to get closer to her children. She now has her power restored, and I am sure that television is back on. But overall, people found this a time of great reflection and a time to pray that their friends and neighbors and that their own family members would remain safe.

Mr. Speaker, there is still a lot of repairing that needs to be done. I know, as I was driving Saturday evening around my district, there were piles of debris along the road. And right now, there are still some 213,000 Floridians still without power. When we put that into perspective, there are some people who do not have a home anymore. They do not have the family heirlooms; they do not even have photographs, because all of those were destroyed in the storm. So people can put this lack of electricity into perspective, because in Florida it gets hot and very, very muggy; but at least they still have their homes. A woman pointed that out

to me because she had a friend in another part of the State who lost everything, absolutely everything.

Mr. Speaker, Floridians have hope because they know that we as public servants will not forget them. They know that we will work to the fullest of our abilities to see that they receive the relief that they so desperately need.

I would like to take a moment to certainly applaud FEMA, the SBA, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and so many other organizations that have coordinated relief efforts in our State. There is a wonderful group in my district that is called the Christian Contractors of America, and these are very dedicated, skilled workmen who go out and assist people. I had one constituent who had a tree land on her house and somebody misinformed her that FEMA would take care of the tree. Well, FEMA does not go around cutting down trees. But this great group of Christian contractors we were able to call and, without a doubt, they are there to help. They were there long before the storm, helping people, helping people living in substandard housing. I can think of another example where they helped a battered spouse who had all the windows knocked in.

Organizations such as this, certainly the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, all of the church groups that opened up their doors if they had power and they provided food and they provided air-conditioning and they provided shelter and respite, and a place to come where the community could all come together.

Mr. Speaker, we must answer the needs of Florida and other States. It is not just Florida that gets hit by hurricanes, as Alabama is about to find out, as North Carolina found out last year. I joke with my sister; she lived in North Carolina in Morehead City and she was tired of all the hurricanes hitting there, so she decided to move down to the panhandle of Florida. Well, guess what? She is about ready to be hit by another hurricane.

All of the members of the Florida delegation, regardless of which party we belong to, do not forget our commitment to our constituents. Florida must be helped, and I am sure that Congress will take action.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Cliff McDuffie of Zephyrhills in my 5th Congressional District.

Mr. McDuffie is an amazing gentleman who through his years of dedication to public service has continually helped make the city of Zephyrhills a better place. I had the pleasure of honoring him at his retirement on August 27, 2004, in Zephyrhills, FL.

Cliff's tenure as a public servant began at the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce. There, he ran the small-business and personnel divisions and was operations manager. Cliff took over in Zephyrhills as the Executive Director of the city's Chamber of Commerce in 1997 after more than 20 years with the Tampa Chamber of Commerce. Despite his retirement, McDuffie will remain active and visible in the Zephyrhills community as the city's mayor.

Cliff McDuffie is a shining example of what a public servant should aspire to become. I join the rest of Florida's Fifth Congressional District in thanking Mr. McDuffie for his years of service and wish him the best of luck with his retirement. I am proud to call him my constituent.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Dade City Senior Little League All-Star Team.

The Dade City All-Stars gave a stunning performance in the World Series Games this year. After capturing the Southeastern Regional U.S. championship, the team ended the season with a batting average of .370 and only six strike-outs. The dedication the players have shown to their team members has made them one of the most successful teams in years.

I commend Manager Dale Maggard, who has worked with some of these young men for almost a decade. I also congratulate our Dade City Senior Little League All-Star Team, for representing our community in Bangor, Maine with an unparalleled level of professionalism and maturity.

The outstanding young men who comprise the first and only All-Stars team from Pasco County to compete in the Senior League World Series and its coaches are as follows: Dominic Brown, Rashaun Capehart, Jamie Cruz, Julian Juarez, Gerald Mathis, Lance Roberts, Hunter Hedman, Zachary Maggard, Will Pullin, Steven Roe, Robbie Shields, Matt Wells, Coach Raul Cruz, Coach Dale Maggard, Coach Tony Karpee, and Coach John Shields.

Mr. Speaker, in Florida we have lived through Charley and Frances, and my area has been hard hit by both storms. All eight of my counties have sustained damage, both from wind and from storm surge. Myself, my own property has sustained some damage due to it. We have had the hopes of many Floridians dashed. Businesses have been harmed, agriculture, homes. Yet the spirit of the average citizen living in Florida is upbeat. They know that they will rebuild and that Florida will again be a great, healthy, and vibrant State. Neighbors have been helping neighbors, and that is the good news.

There are groups out there such as the Christian Contractors Association who have been helping people, seniors without a lot of funds repair their homes, take down trees, et cetera. Certainly the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and FEMA, along with a myriad of other agencies, are out there assisting people. Florida will survive Charley and Frances; and for all of the citizens out there, they need to be in touch with FEMA. That is what this emergency funding is all about.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to sing the praises of the Medicare-approved prescription drug card. Seniors are now saving up to 20 percent off brand-name prescriptions, 40 percent off generics and 60 percent off mail order prescriptions.

In addition, America's poorest seniors can sign up to receive an additional $1,200 credit for their prescriptions over the next year and a half. For those lower-income seniors, savings can be as high as 86 percent off what they are paying before the card.

Now that seniors are receiving these savings, Democrats have realized they cannot claim that the cards do not help. America's poorest seniors are getting cash subsidies for their medications, so now the Democrats have taken a new approach to their medi-scare tactics.

Since they know the cards are beneficial, they are now saying that they are too confusing. Well, if seniors will call the 1-800-MEDICARE number and have their prescription bottles handy, give them your ZIP code, what prescriptions you are currently taking, the name of each drug, the dose, how often you take the drug, and the cost of the drug, you will be able to receive information that will immediately be of assistance.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and praise a decorated veteran who has bravely served his country and community. I am fortunate that the community he supports is Citrus County in my 5th Congressional District.

Moe Byrnes served his country in the Navy and the Coast Guard for 24 years and retired as Chief Petty Officer. While doing his duty on the prestigious USS Shuffley, Mr. Byrnes' brave actions earned him the Congressional Medal of Honor, a Philippine Liberation Medal, a Bronze Star and many others.

Moe is retiring from his post as Commander of VFW Post 6146 in Citrus County, where he served for 13 years. He has been a member of the American Legion for a remarkable 52 years. Moe continues to lend his strength by helping veterans throughout Citrus County. For this, we honor him.

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to represent Moe Byrnes, and I am proud to praise him on the floor of this House.