Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 874) recognizing and honoring America's seniors, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Resolution 874.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Resolution 874, a bipartisan resolution to honor older Americans.

Today, supporting the needs of older Americans is more important than ever. More than 49 million people in the United States are over the age of 60, making it the fastest-growing group in the country. By the year 2050, just a short time away, that number will reach nearly 90 million people and comprise almost a quarter of our population.

This resolution recognizes the countless contributions that older Americans have made to the strength of our Nation. They include members of the Greatest Generation, who fought in World War I and in World War II and the Korean War and other military conflicts. They have sacrificed at home and abroad to keep America free.

Mr. Speaker, with an increasing number of Americans as they retire, our Nation can continue to benefit from the rich talent and experience of these citizens. In communities across the United States, older Americans work and volunteer through community-based and faith-based organizations to support education, health services for the poor and other vital community needs. In June the Education and Workforce Committee approved bipartisan legislation to strengthen and reform the Older Americans Act. The Senior Independence Act, as it is called, transforms and modernizes the law to meet the needs of today's seniors and the needs of the Nation as the population ages. Final enactment will help older Americans to identify home- and community-based long- term care options, including consumer-directed care models as well as other supportive services that can help prevent or delay the need for expensive institutional care. These reforms will help millions of Americans stay healthy and remain in their homes and communities and could yield significant savings. I say that again: and could yield significant savings to taxpayers.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased this body is taking this time today to honor older Americans for their many contributions to the strength of our great Nation, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones).

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I agree with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 2048.

Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution (H. Res. 1011) requesting the return of official papers on H.R. 503, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5013) to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to prohibit the confiscation of firearms during certain national emergencies, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 5013, as amended.

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

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, State and local enforcement and public safety service organizations were overwhelmed, and many citizens felt threatened. Many of these citizens lawfully kept firearms for the safety of themselves, their loved ones, their businesses, and their property as guaranteed to them by the second amendment, and used their firearms for protection against crime.

Following the hurricane, certain agencies confiscated the firearms of these law-abiding citizens, rendering them helpless against criminal activity. H.R. 5013, the Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act of 2006, was introduced by Representative Jindal on March 28, 2006. I am a proud cosponsor of this bill which amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to prohibit the confiscation of lawfully possessed firearms by an individual operating under the color of Federal law while acting in support of a major disaster or emergency declaration, unless the confiscation is otherwise permitted by law.

This bill ensures that law-abiding citizens can continue to protect themselves, their loved ones, their businesses, and their property as guaranteed by the second amendment during disasters when law enforcement is most likely to be overwhelmed and unable to fulfill the safety needs of the citizens they serve. It prevents agencies from arbitrarily depriving law-abiding citizens of their private property and means of protecting themselves during a disaster.

Additionally, this bill clarifies that an individual may require the temporary surrender of firearms as a condition for entry into any mode of transportation used for rescue or evacuation during a disaster or emergency. For example, rescuers such as the Coast Guard can require the surrender of guns before an individual enters their vessel.

In short, this bill provides some commonsense limitation on the wholesale confiscation of guns during disasters without limiting the enforcement of local, state, or Federal laws.

Madam Speaker, I support this measure and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), the chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Thank you for yielding the time, but I would yield to the sponsor of the bill, Mr. Jindal from Jefferson Parish. He can tell you exactly what the bill deals with and the detail. I am simply the manager.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jindal), the sponsor of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania, the chairman of the Emergency Management Subcommittee, Mr. Shuster.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Schwarz).

Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, let me simply thank the subcommittee chairman of Emergency Management, Mr. Shuster, for bringing this bill through the subcommittee, and certainly Chairman Young for moving the bill through the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and most importantly, I think we owe a great deal of thanks to Mr. Jindal for recognizing a situation which was very, very, I am sure, difficult for some of the residents of his district and the people of New Orleans to face.

It is one thing to face a tragedy, but then also to be thrown into a situation where, in fact, you are not only

stripped of your guns, your means of protection, but you are stripped of your constitutional rights. And that was what was done to the people of New Orleans whose guns and protection for their family was actually occurring in front of their very eyes. So, you know, this body is all about adopting laws that are meant to face situations that we haven't faced before, and certainly Katrina was one of those instances we did not face before, a storm of this magnitude.

So, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I think it is a terrific bill to insure the second amendments rights to the people of not only New Orleans and future disasters, but certainly the people of this country. And I would urge all my colleagues to support it.

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

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

Mr. Chairman, I want to compliment my colleague from Pennsylvania (Mr. Sherwood) on his efforts on this particular important matter. And while he addresses the issues dealing particularly with his district in Pennsylvania, which I think is laudable, we should know that actually diesel engines play a very important role in our Nation's economy. They are, however, responsible for a substantial portion of particulate matter emissions and there are 11 million vehicles that need to be retrofitted, nearly 500,000 of which are school buses, which my colleague has addressed.

So I compliment again my colleague, Mr. Sherwood, for approaching this problem, and certainly I compliment the chairman for what he has been able to do. Hopefully, he will be able to supplement what has been appropriated in this bill by substantial increases in the appropriation.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that my name be removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 4217.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res 751) recognizing the cultural and educational contributions of American Ballet Theatre throughout its 65 years of service as ``America's National Ballet Company''.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous information on H. Res. 751.

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

Madam Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise in support of House Resolution 751, recognizing the cultural and educational contributions of American Ballet Theatre throughout its 65 years of service as ``America's National Ballet Company.''

When the American Ballet Theatre began, it inspired to develop a repertoire of the best ballets from the past, and to encourage the creation of new works by gifted young choreographers, whenever they might be found. Since then it has continued to be dedicated to bringing dance to America and American dance to the world.

I would say it has succeeded. Today the American Ballet Theatre is recognized as one of the great dance companies of the world, and throughout its 65-year history, the American Ballet Theatre has appeared in 50 U.S. States, in a total of 126 cities around the world, and has performed for more than 600,000 people annually.

America's National Ballet Company has also made 15 international tours to 42 countries, and has been sponsored by the U.S. Department of State on many of these engagements.

It was also the first American company to dance in the Soviet Union. Additionally the theatre has commissioned works by all of the great choreographic geniuses of the 20th century and many of the world's most accomplished dancers, including Mikhail Baryshnikov, have called the American Ballet Theatre home.

Lastly, Madam Speaker, I would like to emphasize the many enrichment programs the American Ballet Theatre offers for families, for training young and future dancers, and for the public and private schools.

I would specifically like to point out the work that the American Ballet Theatre has done to expose more than 20,000 underprivileged families and children in the fine art of dance, as well as introducing such children to career opportunities in the arts, both on stage and back stage, while also helping students develop valuable life skills.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague and fellow New Yorker, Mrs. Maloney, for introducing this resolution. I am happy to join my colleagues in recognizing the accomplishments and contributions of America's National Ballet Company, the American Ballet Theatre, and ask my colleagues to support this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 359) authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the District of Columbia Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 359.

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

Mr. Speaker, H. Con. Res. 359 authorizes the use of the Capitol Grounds for the District of Columbia Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run to be held on June 9, 2006.

The Special Olympics is an international organization dedicated to enriching the lives of children and adults with disabilities through athletics. The Torch Run has historically been the largest and most successful Special Olympics fundraiser. Last year, for instance, the Torch Run raised over $20 million globally and over $70,000 locally. These funds make it possible for athletes with disabilities to compete in the annual Special Olympics Summer Games.

The United States Capitol Police will host opening ceremonies for the Torch Run, which will take place on the West Terrace of the Capitol. Over 2,000 law enforcement representatives are expected from more than 60 local and Federal law enforcement agencies, and they will participate in this annual event in support of the Special Olympics.

Congress has traditionally supported this worthy cause by authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds. I encourage my colleagues to join the law enforcement community in supporting the Special Olympics and join me in supporting this resolution.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass

the bill (H.R. 4700) to provide for the conditional conveyance of any interest retained by the United States in St. Joseph Memorial Hall in St. Joseph, Michigan.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4700.

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

H.R. 4700 was introduced by Representative Upton from Michigan on February 1, 2006. This bill conveys an interest retained by the United States of America in the St. Joseph Memorial Hall in St. Joseph, Michigan.

St. Joseph, Michigan, is in the process of redeveloping an area of the downtown to create a recreational and educational and cultural district. This development will link downtown St. Joseph with the beautiful lakefront district, creating a more inviting environment for residents, for businesses and for tourists. The project is intended to make St. Joseph a more attractive place to live and work and to play, while also improving the local economy.

H.R. 4700 is necessary to allow for the incorporation of St. Joseph Memorial Hall into those redevelopment plans. Memorial Hall's use is limited by deed restriction, placed on the property by the Federal Government more than 60 years ago. While similar deed restrictions in the city have been lifted, the restriction on Memorial Hall remains, making it impossible for the redevelopment of the neighborhood to continue.

Limitations on this tiny parcel of land located in the center of the redevelopment will significantly jeopardize the city's plans if not lifted. H.R. 4700 is a sensible, simple solution that will allow the City of St. Joseph to proceed with redevelopment. I support this measure, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I would say at this point that the sponsor of the bill, Mr. Upton of Michigan, had intended to be here to speak on the bill but was at the last minute taken away to a leadership meeting that is very, very important to the long term of this country and certainly to the world. I would like to say that, as a result thereof, obviously he is not here to speak on this bill.

As we look at items like this, what we see from a general overall standpoint is that oftentime there are deed restrictions and limitations put on communities years ago that are no longer of any real interest or any real need in this particular area. So what we see from time to time as part of the evolution of our process of managing is, in fact, that what we have to do is to modify those provisions; and this is the perfect case.

Now, there are many cities and communities, counties, villages across the country who are trying to revitalize themselves in ways which will be beneficial for the creation of jobs for the community and the people who reside there. This is one of those components. This is one of those actions. A small little city in a small little State called Michigan, a small part of the large country and the larger part of the world is obviously trying to revitalize their activities and was prevented from doing such immediately by a restriction placed by this big, bad at times, government on them.

So we are attempting to remove that, and hopefully this bill will do that.

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

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 8, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the gentleman from Florida's legislation, H. Con. Res. 196. This bill recognizes airline pilots who have courageously volunteered to participate in the Federal Flight Deck Officer program.

Following the tragic events of 9/11 in my home State of New York, the Federal Flight Deck Officer program was created by Congress as a part of the Homeland Security Act to select, train, equip, and supervise volunteer pilots to defend the flight decks of passenger aircraft against acts of criminal violence and air piracy.

These volunteers have dedicated their time and money to the extensive flight deck officer program. They are selected for training only after meeting very strict qualification standards. The training is specific to protecting the flight deck. Upon completion, the pilots are deputized as Federal officers. They have jurisdiction specific to the flight deck and contribute to aviation security throughout the U.S. on a daily basis.

Federal flight deck officers provide a critical, and I repeat, critical layer of defense for the safe operation of aircraft traffic. In recent polls conducted by the Airline Pilots Association, the public overwhelmingly supports the arming of pilots on commercial and cargo flights. These men and women deserve much praise for their willingness to provide the flying public with secure skies.

I thank each of these heroes for their tremendous courage and dedication, as they are protecting our country and preventing terrorists from threatening Americans' ability to carry out and carry on their daily lives.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I strongly support this bill, and I urge its immediate passage to honor those who are willing to protect our citizens with their own lives.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 3304.

Mr. Speaker, I offer a concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 276) requesting the President to return to the House of Representatives the enrollment of H.R. 3765 so that the Clerk of the House may reenroll the bill in accordance with the action of the two Houses, and ask unanimous consent for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2967) to designate the Federal building located at 333 Mt. Elliott Street in Detroit, Michigan, as the ``Rosa Parks Federal Building''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2967.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2967, introduced by Ms. Kilpatrick of Michigan, designates the Federal building located at 33 Mt. Elliott Street, Detroit, Michigan, as the ``Rosa Parks Federal Building.''

Rosa Parks, who passed away on Monday, is most well known for her simple, yet heroic act of defiance. Fifty years ago she refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Rosa Parks was arrested, lost her job, and received numerous death threats for her actions. This simple act inspired further acts of civil disobedience and earned her the title of ``mother of the civil rights movement.''

Rosa Parks' dedication to fight for social and economic justice continued well beyond that monumental day in 1955. As a Secretary for the NAACP, she helped organize civil rights cases. She worked in the antiapartheid movement, and established the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development in her adopted hometown of Detroit, Michigan. She spent the remainder of her life fighting against all forms of discrimination.

In 1999, Rosa Parks was named one of the 20 most influential and iconic figures of the 20th century by Time Magazine. She also received numerous awards for her contributions to the civil rights movement, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and also the Congressional Gold Medal.

While Rosa Parks has already received significant recognition for her life's work, I believe that this is a fitting honor to a woman whose actions helped change our society for the better. I support this legislation, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) for her comments and the comments of all of our colleagues tonight on both sides of the aisle.

I continue to support this bill, as I know everybody in this Chamber does.

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

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take my Special Order at this time.