Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, on March 31, 2004 during rollcall vote No. 104 on H. Res. 581, I was unavailable for the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, today, during rollcall vote No. 121 on H.R. 3970, I was unavailable for the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.'' During rollcall vote No. 122 on H.R. 4030, I was unavailable for the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

During rollcall vote No. 123 on H.R. 3147, I was unavailable for the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.'' During rollcall vote No. 124 on H.R. 4019, I was unavailable for the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

During rollcall vote No. 125 on H.R. 1779, I was unavailable for the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that business in order under the Calendar Wednesday rule be dispensed with on Wednesday, April 21, 2004.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3782) to amend the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to increase the maximum amount of an award available under the Department of State rewards program, to expand the eligibility criteria to receive an award, to authorize nonmonetary awards, to publicize the existence of the rewards program, and for other purposes, as amended.

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 the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, this bill makes changes and modifications to the long- established U.S. State Department rewards programs to deal with the growing links between illicit drugs and the financing and support of terrorism.

The State Department Rewards Program has clearly prevented acts of terrorism in the past, has helped to bring to justice long-sought terrorists, such as the individual who fled to Pakistan after assassinating our CIA employees in Virginia, and has served as a valuable intelligence tool in the global war on terrorism. The Rewards Program could do even more, if we enact this bill, with its reforms.

It is time for renewed, expanded reward authority in the State Department, one which tackles and contends with the growing links, as recently reported in the press, of the illicit drug trade and the financing and supporting of terrorism. Our terrorist enemies may very well be changing their methods and means, and we mean to be even more flexible and creative than they are.

H.R. 3782 would clarify that any information provided which could be used to disrupt terrorist financing networks, including information related to illicit narcotics production or international trafficking, is eligible for reward moneys. It provides clarification of the authority for the Secretary of State to give rewards other than money for information related to terrorism and narcoterrorism, such as vehicles, appliances, commodities and other goods and services. It clarifies the authority of the Secretary of State to conduct media surveys and create or purchase advertisements for the Rewards Program. It requires the administration to submit a plan to the Congress that maximizes the publicity surrounding the reward for Osama bin Laden's capture. It raises the statutory maximum amount of terrorist and narcoterrorist rewards from $5 million to $25 million, and it provides the Secretary of State the authority to raise the reward for the capture of Osama bin Laden to double the amount of the current authorized reward.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that this bill will improve our ability to fight terrorism and I urge Members to support the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk).

Mr. 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. 364) to recognize more than 5 decades of strategic partnership between the United States and the people of the Marshall Islands in the pursuit of international peace and security, and for other purposes.

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 the concurrent resolution under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo), chairman of the Committee on Resources, for introducing this timely resolution which commemorates the more than five decades of friendship and strategic solidarity that the United States has shared with the people of the Marshall Islands.

March 1 marked the 50th anniversary of the Bravo test, the largest of the 67 atmospheric nuclear tests that the United States conducted in the Marshall Islands. Those massive detonations, which represented significant sacrifices by the Marshallese people, were critical to the credibility and reliability of our nuclear deterrent during the Cold War. They are perhaps the most vivid, visual examples of a strategic partnership that stretches back to the Pacific campaign of the Second World War.

Most recently, the United States reaffirmed and extended aspects of its unique relationship with the Republic of the Marshall Islands in the amended Compact of Free Association, which the Congress considered and approved last year. That agreement continues and deepens our strategic cooperation, both by reaffirming our mutual defense obligations and by significantly extending United States access to our missile defense testing facility at Kwajalein Atoll.

As we commemorate the anniversary of the Bravo test, it is fitting to recall the mutual sacrifice that our peoples have shared during the last half century and to committing ourselves to maintaining our special friendship in the decades ahead.

I urge passage of this resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Flake).

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

I thank the distinguished gentleman for yielding me this time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 557, which reaffirms the morality and justice of Operation Iraqi Freedom. One year ago, our brave men and women in uniform began to liberate a proud and resilient nation from an unspeakable 30-year nightmare. They also delivered a clear message to terrorists and tyrants alike: the United States will not tolerate a regime that pursues tools of mass murder and destruction. Operation Iraqi Freedom reversed more than a decade of failed diplomacy which exacted a devastating price. Because the world permitted Saddam Hussein to violate 16 U.N. resolutions with impunity, the terrorists became convinced of our weakness. Meanwhile, Saddam continued to murder, torture, mutilate and rape men, women and children by the millions. After routing Saddam Hussein's forces from Kuwait in 1991, we urged the Iraqi people to rise up and rebel against this brutal dictator. Then, because United Nations and international opinion required us to leave Saddam in power, we betrayed them.

During the Pryce delegation's mission to Iraq last fall, we listened to the victims and witnesses describe the horrors of this wicked regime. Incredibly, however, the faces of the Iraqis with whom we met reflected a new hope, born from the blood, sacrifice, heroism, and successes of our troops. Even as they endure the attacks of the enemies of freedom, they know that by working together, we will win the twilight struggle for their future.

In the heart of the Middle East, we are replacing the oppression and despair that breeds terrorists with the freedom and hope that defeats them. Mr. Speaker, this stunning transformation is the very essence of the war on terror and let us not permit the rhetoric of an election year to obscure this fundamental truth.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to announce that on November 5, 2003, the Gulf of Mexico States Accord and its business counterpart, the Gulf of Mexico States Partnership, Inc. signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on Short Sea Shipping with the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration. The Gulf of Mexico States Accord comprises a partnership between my home state of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and the six Mexican states that border the Gulf of Mexico.

The signing ceremony for this Memorandum of Cooperation took place at the MARAD Short Sea Shipping Conference, which occurred in Sarasota, Florida, a city which is located in my District. Over 200 maritime industry professionals from the United States, Mexico, Canada and the European Union attended this event. In recognition of the outstanding work of the Maritime Administration, the Accord and the Partnership, I request that the English version of the agreement be inserted, with my comments, into the Record.

The Memorandum of Cooperation, which constitutes the first such agreement in the Gulf of Mexico region, calls for information exchange, technical assistance and collaboration on issues related to the development of short sea shipping in the Gulf of Mexico. It represents a significant step toward full U.S.-Mexico collaboration on this vital trade issue.

The adoption of an enhanced regional emphasis on the Gulf of Mexico border states is vital as the NAFTA enters its second decade. The initiatives set forth in the Memorandum of Cooperation will leverage resources to develop this ``water border,'' bolstering homeland security, spurring trade expansion, relieving transportation bottlenecks, and reducing pollution through the increased utilization of the Gulf of Mexico's ports and intermodal infrastructure.

The Memorandum of Cooperation also calls for support of the ``Gulf of Mexico Trade Corridor Transportation Study'', which is being spearheaded by the business Partnership in collaboration with the Accord and its Working Group on Transportation, Infrastructure and Communications. The study is based on the premise that the development of the Gulf of Mexico border, with its 62 million inhabitants in eleven U.S. and Mexican states, will have immediate and enduring regional impact on efficient investment in homeland security, identification of and investment in ``critical'' physical infrastructure, tourism and educational development, environmental sustainability, and overall community and international economic development.

The Gulf of Mexico basin constitutes a natural North American economic sub-region, comprising a seaborne NAFTA ``superhighway'' trade corridor, a common sustainable resource for tourism, agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, and a common homeland security zone. The Gulf represents the ideal location for deepening and broadening the benefits of the NAFTA in preparation for the new flows of two-way trade that I believe will occur under the Free Trade Area of the Americas.

Memorandum of Cooperation Among the Maritime Administration of the United States, the Gulf of Mexico States Accord, and the Gulf of Mexico

States Partnership, Inc.

1. PARTIES

a. The party to this agreement representing the Maritime

Administration (MARAD), is the Maritime Administrator or his

designated representative.

b. The party to this agreement representing the Gulf of

Mexico States Accord (GOMSA) will be the President of the

Accord or his designated representative. GOMSA is a forum

that was created to foster, promote and implement cooperative

relationships between and for the eleven U.S. and Mexican

border states that adjoin the Gulf of Mexico.

c. The party to this agreement representing the Gulf of

Mexico States Partnership, Inc. (the Partnership) will be the

President of the organization or his designated

representative. The Partnership is a non-profit private

sector Gulf States group that shares the GOMSA goal of

fostering and promoting interests of the member states and

region.

2. PURPOSE

a. The purpose of this agreement is to recognize and

enhance the communications and working relationship among

MARAD, GOMSA, and the Partnership in order to address the

common goals of advancing short sea shipping in the Gulf of

Mexico and ensure that it is safe, secure, efficient and

environmentally sound.

b. The agreement serves to facilitate periodic meetings

among MARAD, GOMSA and the Partnership to identify ways the

respective organizations can assist in the sharing of short

sea shipping policy, experience and related information.

3. RESPONSIBILITIES

a. MARAD will share with GOMSA and Partnership MARAD's

short sea shipping

i. goals, policies, and experience so as to allow these

organizations to use their extensive

ii. state and business networks to improve maritime

efficiency, commercial viability, and

iii. short sea shipping opportunities as they arise.

b. GOMSA and the Partnership will share information and

experience with MARAD so that they can assist in the

accomplishment of MARAD objectives to ease traffic

congestion, improve transportation safety, and elevate the

quality of life in the Gulf States region through cooperative

short sea shipping efforts.

c. MARAD, GOMSA and the Partnership will consult and share

information in support of a ``Gulf of Mexico Trade Corridor

Transportation Study'', a long-range Partnership project to

highlight new commercial opportunities, inventory Gulf of

Mexico infrastructure assets, and to identify and assess gaps

in existing transportation infrastructure.

d. This agreement is effective upon the signature of the

parties. It is informal in nature and may be modified by

mutual agreement or terminated by any party at any time. The

parties pledge to act in good faith at all times and to use

their best efforts to accomplish the purposes summarized

herein. This partnership does not obligate MARAD to expend

any funds.

Signed the 5th day of November 2003 in triplicate, in

Sarasota, Florida in the English and Spanish languages, each

version being equally valid.

[Capt. William Schubert, Administrator, for the U.S.

Maritime Administration] [Gary L. Springer, Secretary-

General, Gulf of Mexico States Accord] [Robert Hendry,

Director, Gulf of Mexico States Partnership, Inc.]

Mr. Speaker, I want to discuss some of the exciting opportunities in the FCRA, specifically the aspects that Florida has engaged in. And I would like to enter a colloquy with the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus) to discuss those.

Mr. Speaker, I would yield to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus).

Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I think that many people were confused by that, so I really appreciate the clarification that this information is not a consumer report under the Fair Credit Act neither before it was passed nor after it has been amended. So I really appreciate that clarification.

In fact, I think one of the biggest problems has been that the fraud and identity theft has created billions of dollars of losses in the U.S. economy and continues to create serious problems for individuals. The technology allows criminals to perpetuate this fraud with increasing rapidity.

Financial institutions and law enforcement need to fight the increases in fraud and identity theft with technology. So the proposed amendment would free the antifraud networks from compliance with certain requirements of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. But the amendment preserves the consumer protection features in the Fair Credit Reporting Act because it requires a notice to consumers and an opportunity to respond.

What is exciting about the Florida bankers is they actually created something called Fraud Net in 2000 and it was implemented in 2002. This is really sort of a neighborhood watch for bankers, if you will. Because banks post alerts when they experience a fraudulent or criminal act. It does not deal with individual transactions, opening accounts, credit insurance, or employment. Today 14 States are employing the specific program, and they expect 10 additional users next year.

So I thank the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus) for clarifying.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my vigorous support for H.R. 2420, the Mutual Fund Integrity and Fee Transparency Act. Mutual funds have become a vital tool that millions of Americans rely on. In fact, approximately some 95 million investors representing nearly half of all U.S. households own a stake in some type of mutual fund. Reflecting the dramatic shift in recent decades toward this investment alternative, the mutual funds industry hold an estimated $7 trillion dollars in assets.

Just as the stock market boom of the 1990s bolstered the average American's belief in the strength of our Nation's capital markets, the corporate malfeasance of recent years rocked that market.

Through the market's ups and down during this period, many investors maintained their mutual fund holdings because they felt these investments represented a safe harbor for their assets. In essence, this perception constitutes precisely why the latest problems to shake the industry have created such damage. Mutual funds reputation as the harbinger of safe and easy investing has vanished. As our Nation confronts an array of daunting challenges, restoring and safeguarding the economic security of every American must remain one of our top priorities.

The legislation that we consider today responds to the illegal and unethical practices that have affected the mutual fund industry. Moreover, it comprises an integral part of the gentleman from Ohio's (Mr. Oxley) strategy to enhance investor protection which continues to serve as the hallmark of his leadership in the Committee on Financial Services.

I applaud the vision and foresight of the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker) that they have demonstrated in forcefully addressing the concerns regarding the mutual fund disclosure and investor protection well in advance of State and Federal investigators.

Throughout the hearing and markup process, we have heard ample evidence regarding how the vague disclosures permitted under current law have allowed greed to tarnish the mutual fund industry.

The Mutual Fund Integrity and Fee Transparency Act provide Americans with a clear understanding of the management, the fees and the ethics of the organizations with whom they entrust that are hard earned dollars, restoring a significant amount of confidence in the reliability and security of our capital markets.

Mr. Speaker, just three weeks ago, twenty-one exceptional students from Southwest Florida experienced an adventure of a lifetime.

As participants in the 13th District's Congressional Classroom program, these competitively and independently selected young men and women spent a full week in Washington engaging in a unique, up-close study of our federal government.

They learned from a bipartisan array of some of the most eminent and experienced leaders in Washington, including Speaker Hastert, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, and C-SPAN founder Brian Lamb. Then, they applied their newfound knowledge in a mock Congress session.

In conducting this mock session, the students were randomly assigned roles as Republicans and Democrats and as Legislators and District Representatives. I wish to congratulate Gary Shumard and Alex Clark, who tied for the award as the ``Best Republican;'' Peter Dobosz, who was recognized as the ``Best Democrat,'' and Kelly Crawford and Cody John, who qualified for the honors of ``Best Legislator'' and ``Best District Representative,'' respectively.

Mr. Speaker, the enthusiasm and zest for the values of good citizenship that these students displayed were truly inspiring. I thank them for their dedication, while looking forward to the outstanding contributions that they will make to our society.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise and urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1516, the National Cemetery Expansion Act of 2003, as amended by the Senate. On July 21, this House passed the original 1516 by unanimous consent. The bill directs the Secretary or Veterans Affairs to establish five additional cemeteries within the national cemetery system.

Although the original version that we passed 3 months ago addresses the needs of hundreds of thousands of veterans across our Nation, that original version did not acknowledge the men and women of southwest Florida who comprise one of the Nation's largest population of veterans. Currently, Bay Pines National Cemetery in St. Petersburg, Florida, constitutes the closest national cemetery that serves southwest Florida's veterans. For many families, visiting this location involves a strenuous drive. Moreover, Bay Pines, which encompasses a mere 27.3 acres, accepts only cremated remains.

I strongly believe that we should not impose this hardship of travel upon our veterans' families. Moreover, forcing a potentially objectionable method of entombment upon veterans, as a condition of receiving the final tribute they earned, is patently wrong.

The Department of Veterans Affairs regards Bay Pines as an open cemetery for the 13th District's veterans until the year 2016. This designation means that the Department regards that cemetery as sufficient to serve their needs until that year. These brave men and women require a new national cemetery long before then.

Thanks to the chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Senator Arlen Specter, and to our own extraordinary Committee on Veterans' Affairs chairman, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), and to my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Gerlach), we have an opportunity to correct this oversight today.

I respectfully urge my colleagues to accede to the amended version of H.R. 1516 that the Senate passed on October 17 which specifies the Department of Veterans Affairs shall establish a new national cemetery in the Sarasota, Florida, area. Upon the passage of H.R. 1516, approximately 406,000 veterans who live in my District finally have the opportunity to receive the internment, according to their wishes, in a place of honor, closer to their home.

Mr. Speaker, this House continues to conduct an essential debate over our Nation's policy in Iraq. Nevertheless, meeting the Iraqi people and hearing their story firsthand invoked an old adage with respect to those who offer armchair criticism: talk is cheap.

In the aftermath of the first Gulf War 12 years ago, we encouraged the Iraqi people to rise up against their brutal dictator. Then we left them to Saddam's murderous designs. While this decision may have made sense in terms of U.N. resolutions and international opinion, it amounted to a betrayal of the Iraqi people.

The blood, sacrifice, and heroism of our troops over the last 7 months have once again forged a bond of trust. In the faces of the Iraqis with whom I met, I witnessed a new hope that has not only demonstrated the success of our plan; it testified to the justice of our cause.

Mr. Speaker, regardless of one's opinion about the rationale for this war, one truth remains: to turn back now, to betray the Iraqi people once again will only embolden the terrorists. Let us not debate whether we will produce a free prosperous and peaceful Iraq. Failure is not an option.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to respectfully appeal to my colleagues for their support of H.R. 3068, which will designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2055 Siesta Drive in Sarasota, Florida as the ``Brigadier General (AUS-Ret.) John H. McLain Post Office''.

Brigadier General John H. McLain, Army of the United States, Retired, was a soldier, teacher, father and friend. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on January 21, 1919, he arrived in Sarasota, Florida in 1986.

General McLain's original enlistment in the Army's field artillery occurred in September 1940. He received his commission as a second lieutenant in this unit during December 1942. General McLain fought in the Second World War's European Theater, participating in the Battle of the Bulge and in the relief of Bastogne as a member of General George Pafton's Third Army. While he left active duty with the rank of captain in 1945, he volunteered for service in the Korean War as soon as that conflict began. General McLain served as a senior advisor to a Korean field artillery battalion until the 1953 armistice.

When he returned to the Reserves, General McLain became Chief of Staff of the Army Reserve Command (ARCOM) in Oakdale, Pennsylvania. He obtained his promotion to Brigadier General in 1972, while serving as Deputy Commander of ARCOM.

General McLain returned to active duty in 1974 with the Department of Defense Study Groups for Guard and Reserve. His induction into the Field Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame in 1976 capped a heavily decorated career that included the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star medal, the European Theater of Operations Medal with three campaign stars, the World War 11 victory medal, the Korean Service Medal with three campaign stars, and the United Nations Service medal. In August 1977, General McLain retired after almost 37 years of active and reserve duty.

General McLain was also an accomplished scholar. He held a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from the University of Pittsburgh. He graduated from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, while he completed courses at the Army War College, National War College, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, as well as Yale, Michigan State, and Florida State Universities. He taught English grammar, composition, and literature at Admiral Farragut Academy (St. Petersburg, FL), St. Petersburg High School, Edgewood (PA) High School, Presbyterian Junior College, Florida State University, and the University of Pittsburgh, where he also taught the history of England.

General McLain was a member-in-perpetuity of The Military Order of the World Wars and as a member of The Sons of the American Revolution. He maintained a lifetime membership of the Reserve Officers Association, The Military Officers Association. In 1990, he served as President of the Military Officers Association of Sarasota. General McLain also received a listing in Who's Who in America.

Moreover, he received Booker High School's Senior Volunteer of the year award for the 1999-2000 school year.

Mr. Speaker, while we lost General McLain on September 23, 2003, his greatest legacy lives on in the outstanding family he left behind. Patricia Ann, his loving and devoted wife of 50 years, and his four children will continue to honor their father through their exemplary contributions to our world.

The dedication of this postal facility is the least that we can do to memorialize the extraordinary gift this gentleman and hero gave our nation in dedicating his entire life to protecting freedom, promoting education, and touching lives.

Mr. Speaker, just a few weeks ago, 21 exceptional students from southwest Florida experienced an adventure of a lifetime. As participants in the 13th Congressional Classroom Program, these competitively and independently selected young men and women spent a full week in Washington engaging in unique up-close studies of our Federal Government.

They learned from a bipartisan array of some of the most eminent and experienced leaders in Washington, including the gentleman from Illinois, (Mr. Hastert), Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage, and C-SPAN founder, Brian Lamb. Later they applied their newfound knowledge in a mock congressional session.

Mr. Speaker, the enthusiasm and zest for the values of this good citizenship that these students displayed was truly remarkable. I thank them for their dedication and inspiration while looking forward to the outstanding contributions that they will make to our society in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1276, the American Dream Downpayment Act.

As our Nation continues to confront daunting threats both at home and abroad, we cannot neglect the most basic security of all, and that is a safe, clean, adequate place to live. Across our Nation, families and individuals are consigned to deplorable conditions in substandard housing. In a Nation that enjoys a level of wealth and material comfort that is unprecedented in human history, this state of affairs is unconscionable.

We have the power to address this obligation of a decent, compassionate society today. Better yet, we can attack the housing crisis besetting our Nation by attacking the poverty that underlies it.

H.R. 1276 constitutes the first step in fulfillment of President Bush's plan to create 5.5 million new minority home owners by the end of the decade. This visionary initiative will add $256 billion to the American economy.

As I have consulted with housing advocates throughout my district, I have repeatedly heard that a great number of low-income Americans could meet their monthly mortgage payment, but they cannot surmount that initial obstacle of a downpayment and closing costs. Thus, a steep entry fee is all that stands between many low-income Americans and the dignity, the stability, and the economic empowerment of home ownership.

The resulting home ownership gap, which disproportionately impacts African Americans and Hispanic Americans, has staggering economic and social consequences. Studies show that the average worth of a low- income person, about $900, skyrockets to $70,000 when they own a home. In 1998, owner-occupied property constituted 21 percent of all household wealth as well as more than 71 percent of all tangible wealth.

Moreover, the home ownership gap dramatically impacts the lives of our children. Statistics show that children of families who own their own home experience a 13 percent higher graduation together with a 7 percent accelerated rate in math achievement and reading recognition. Additionally, such children complete almost one half year more of education.

For the young people who live in homes their families own, they enjoy a greater level of self-esteem while receiving an indispensable educational exercise in the proper maintenance of personal property.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1276 empowers tens of thousands of low-income Americans to overcome this striking inequality in our land of opportunity. As a compassionate society, we have a moral obligation to empower individuals and families and communities with the tools to build their own prosperity. By authorizing a total of $400 million in grants to communities throughout America over fiscal years 2004 and 2005, this bill will enable 80,000 low-income Americans to purchase their first home.

As we proceed to a vote on this revolutionary bill, I would like to recognize the Bush administration and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Rogers) for their continued commitment to extending quality, affordable housing to every American, as well as for their tremendous creativity in developing solutions that can help us achieve this goal.

Further, I wish to express my gratitude to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley) and the ranking member, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank) of the Committee on Financial Services, as well as my deepest appreciation to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney) who has assisted me daily with this bill, and the ranking member, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) of the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity for their outstanding leadership in shepherding H.R. 1276 through the legislative process.

Finally, I wish to acknowledge the support of the gentleman from California (Mr. Gary G. Miller), as well as my dear friend, the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Renzi) and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Davis) for his extraordinary bipartisanship. Their passionate dedication to fulfilling this moral imperative of quality affordable housing for every American continues to inspire us all.

I would like to thank our extraordinary committee staff for their diligence and expertise, as well as my outstanding staff member, Miguel Romano, for his diligent work on this bill.

Today, let us reaffirm the expansiveness of the American dream by passing this vital legislation.