Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today because I am deeply concerned about a change of policy that took place last May at the Federal Transit Administration.

In an innocuous sounding ``Dear Colleague'' letter, FTA announced that it would change its system of recommending New Starts Projects for Full Funding Grant Agreements. In plain English the impact of this change is that transit projects which were formerly able to qualify now have a higher standard.

For some projects this change was an inconvenience. But for the Northstar Corridor Rail Project, a New Starts Project planned to run through my district in Minnesota as well as through the districts of my colleagues, Mr. Ramstad and Mr. Sabo, this eleventh hour rule change may be an insurmountable obstacle.

I cannot stress enough how problematic and counterproductive FTA's decision to change the rules was given the progress towards a Full Funding Grant Agreement for Northstar. They have made great progress in recent months. They have already received the 50 percent local match requirement funded by the State. They have agreed in principle with BNSF Railway Company. They have completed their environmental review process. They have completed advanced preliminary engineering and the planned stations, maintenance facilities and track improvements. So we have made great progress, but it is clear that we need to make sure that we can move to the next level.

I am not opposed to the new FTA standards. I am just opposed to its being applied in the eleventh hour. Given the time and the energy that we have put into this, we want to make sure this eleventh hour change does not limit this very positive project from moving forward.

I will not force this issue for a vote here today, as I intend to keep working with the FTA, the Department of Transportation, and my colleagues to fix this issue. But I want to bring this attention to the House while we debate funding for our country's important transportation programs.

I will gladly yield to my friend from New York on this issue.

Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I look forward to working with my good friend from New York and others on the committee. We both support fiscal responsibility and Federal transportation projects, and I know we agree that common sense must be a hallmark of that process.

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the rededication of the City Hall building in Anoka, Minnesota on it 50th anniversary.

This building, with its unique construction in the shape of a revolver, was furnished to the city as a gift from its largest employer, Federal Cartridge. Anoka has had a long and proud history of dedication and sacrifice to our country.

Anoka rightly takes pride in its status as the first city to provide volunteers to the Union Army during the Civil War. These brave men exemplified Minnesotans' enduring commitment to freedom, and proved their courage during the First Minnesota Regiment's famous charge at the battle of Gettysburg.

I am delighted, today, to join the city of Anoka in celebrating its proud history. I know this is only the beginning of what's to come.

Mr. Speaker, at a time when 80 percent or more of the meth in this country is pouring in from international superlabs like those in Mexico, the Federal Government has a duty to help local law enforcement to keep this poison off our streets. That is why I cannot understand why some, including the administration, would propose to eliminate the Byrne-JAG program.

For those of us that represent highly rural and exurban districts, these vital grants and the police officers that they support are critical to efforts to keep drugs out of our communities and away from our children.

Last year, the Byrne-JAG program took a significant hit, despite our best efforts. The effect was predictable. Many States had to cut or eliminate their drug task force.

We cannot afford these cuts again. We must fund the Byrne-JAG program at no less than $900 million in FY 07.

Mr. Speaker, had I been in Washington yesterday, June 6, 2006, my votes on the following Rollcalls would have been as follows:

Roll No. 223, King/Campbell--``yes.''

Roll No. 224, Kingston--``yes.''

Roll No. 225, Table the Appeal of the Ruling of the Chair--``yes.''

Roll No. 226, On Passage--``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, last night, the murderous mission of one of the most brutal terrorist minds in Iraq, al-Zarqawi, al Qaeda's master of death and destruction to Sunni, Shiite, Kurd and coalition forces alike, has been brought to an end. The death of Zarqawi, al Qaeda's commander-in-chief of the insurgency, is proof to the people of Iraq, the United States and the world as a whole that freedom is on the march. His death in a U.S. military air strike represents another milestone in the war on terror.

We owe a debt of gratitude to our men and women in uniform who put themselves in harm's way to protect our freedom and to bring terrorists like al-Zarqawi to justice.

I call upon my colleagues to reaffirm our commitment to the important work our troops in Iraq are doing to make the world a safer place for people of all nations.

Mr. Speaker, had I been in Washington yesterday, my votes on the following rollcalls would have been as follows:

Roll No. 196, Deal Amendment--``yes.''

Roll No. 197, Markey Amendment--``no.''

Roll No. 198, DeLauro Amendment--``yes.''

Roll No. 199, Andrews Amendment--``yes.''

Roll No. 200, Berkley Amendment--``no.''

Roll No. 201, Markey Amendment--``yes.''

Roll No. 202, Bishop Amendment--``no.''

Roll No. 203, Hefley Amendment--``no.''

Roll No. 204, Flake Amendment--``yes.''

Roll No. 205, Flake Amendment--``yes.''

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, let me first of all thank the chairman of the committee and the great committee itself for the wonderful job they are doing with a very difficult task in a tight budget year of balancing so many priorities, and I commend them on the job that they have done.

I do rise today as someone who did not live in a town of more than 500 until after I graduated from high school. I understand the unique challenges that our rural communities face, and one of those challenges that has emerged in the last few years is the growing shortfall of qualified veterinarians serving in rural practice.

This shortage is particularly troubling because vets provide critical services that help make our country's food security and disease management systems the envy of the world. Veterinarians in rural communities are our front line of defense against biosecurity outbreaks, like avian influenza, SARS, BSE, West Nile virus, and others.

The need to prevent such outbreaks and identify new biohazards before they endanger our food supply makes it crucial that we have qualified vets working in our rural communities. However, over the last few years, the rising cost of veterinary education has led to a critical shortfall of new vets entering into practice in lower-paying underserved areas.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, in 2005, the average new vet had over $88,000 in debt from their education, and more than one-third of the graduates had debt over $100,000. As a result, new vets face loan repayments that amount to

nearly a third of their monthly salaries, forcing many to go into higher-paying smaller animal practices instead of the large animal, food-supply related service in our rural areas.

Worse yet, statistics show that the shortage of food-supply vets is growing by 4 percent a year with an anticipated 13 percent shortage for cattle and swine veterinarians and a 19 percent shortage for vets involved in Federal animal inspections.

To address this shortfall, in December 2003, the National Veterinary Medical Service Act was signed into law. The bill authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to exchange payment of a vet's educational loans for service in critical shortage areas such as rural, public health and inner city practices.

Although the act had nearly unanimous support when passed into law, today Congress has only appropriated $500,000 for this pilot program in last year's agriculture appropriations conference report, and I thank the chairman for that. The amount is far too short of the act's authorizing level, but veterinarian professionals like the American Veterinary Medical Association believe it is vital to encouraging more vets to enter into practices critical to our Nation's food security.

That is why I am offering an amendment to again fund this program at $500,000, the same as enacted in last year's bill. The offset for this funding would come from the Agriculture Buildings Facilities and Rental Payments Account which is set to increase at over $24 million to nearly $210 million next year.

We must provide much-needed resources in the area of work dedicated to combating the threat of economic, human and animal loss. I again acknowledge the difficult task the chairman faces and the commendable job they have done in balancing those priorities, but I encourage all Members to support my amendment, which is endorsed by the Veterinary Medical Association, so we have a strong defense against all disease outbreaks throughout the country.

Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Would the gentleman stipulate that the previously appropriated funds are going to be sufficient to cover any amounts going under this program during fiscal year 2007?

At the chairman's request, I will withdraw my amendment under the agreement that in the future and once this program has been further defined by the USDA, that we work together to make sure that it becomes funded at the level necessary to ensure that we have large animal veterinarians out in our rural areas.

I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, as a representative from Minnesota's largest dairy-producing region, I have been a strong advocate for working with the Federal Government to protect my State's dairy producers and ranchers.

With 30,000 cattle producers representing a $2 billion industry in the State of Minnesota, I take very seriously any potential threat to the viability of the livestock sector in my State. The continued spread of bovine tuberculosis in cattle throughout Minnesota and other States poses a major risk of devastation to herds across the country.

So far this year, five beef cattle herds have tested positive for bovine tuberculosis in Minnesota. During the same period, seven beef and dairy herds in Michigan, and one dairy heard in Arizona have contracted the disease.

While some may believe that these outbreaks are the exception rather than the rule, it should be noted that several other States, including California, New Mexico and Texas have seen outbreaks in their herds. In fact, back in 2000, the USDA Secretary Glickman authorized over $44 million in emergency funds to expand TB eradication in Texas, Michigan and elsewhere.

States are responsible for the lion's share of the cost of dealing with these outbreaks. Not only must they combat the spread of bovine TB in livestock, but they must also make do with the shortage of limited Federal funds for indemnity payments to the ranchers and dairy producers.

The scope of the problem is evident at USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, APHIS, where the limited funding for the bovine TB eradication program has been strained so severely that no indemnity money is left for the rest of this fiscal year. In fact, as a result of the most recent herds testing positive for bovine TB, USDA has had to find an additional $1.5 million above what has been appropriated for the bovine TB program for this year.

This has resulted in delays, threatens animal health and increases costs for our farmers and ranchers who are now reluctant. They are reluctant to test their herds unless they are confident that indemnity money is available.

Simply put, this is not acceptable. That is why I am offering an amendment today that calls for a $500,000 increase in APHIS TB's eradication program. Such an increase was specifically referenced in the meeting that I had with APHIS Administrator DeHaven just last week.

My amendment, which is endorsed by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, would mean that the total of $17.2 million would be appropriated for this year to deal with tuberculosis outbreaks in fiscal 2007. The offset for this funding would come from the National Agricultural Statistics Service, which has provided an increase of $9 million this year to a total of $145 million.

I, again, commend the chairman for the difficult balancing act that he has and a difficult tight year, but I encourage all Members to support my amendment so that all ranchers and dairy farmers, dairy producers, receive the resources they need to combat this resilient and destructive disease.

Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Chairman, the concern that we have, having met with the administrator, the funds have run out for this year some time ago. They have other diseases where they have sort of known expiration funds that they can give assurance.

But there is no assurance that funds would be released by OMB from CCC to provide this. Our farmers are telling us, as you know, farmers can take time to be concerned, that they just don't even want to test their animals because they know there isn't assured indemnity funds out there. So given the current status we are at today, where we are out of indemnity funds, farmers are concerned that their concern and their lack of confidence in the program being there could result in them making decisions that would delay identification of TB.

I recognize the issues that the chairman has brought up, but I do believe that given the heightened importance of this, that I think we need to proceed. I would also point out, as I mentioned, that when Texas was vitally concerned, we had $44 million back in 2000. Yes I do commend the increase, but I do believe this further increase remains being called for.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Offered By: Mr. Kennedy of Minnesota

Amendment No. 17: Page 9, line 10, insert after the first

dollar amount the following: ``(reduced by $500,000)''.

Page 19, line 8, insert after the first dollar amount the

following: ``(increased by $500,000)''.

Mr. Speaker, the suburbs of Washington were shaken last week by the senseless murder of two police officers in Fairfax, Virginia. This shooting occurred just days after the 25th annual Police Officers Memorial Service honoring the 155 police officers who, like Shawn Silvera from Lino Lakes, Minnesota, died in the line of duty last year.

These deaths come at a time when violence against police officers is being glorified by video games like 25 to Life which gives players points for shooting police officers.

This is unacceptable, it is outrageous, it must be stopped.

I urge the makers of this game to think carefully about the message they are sending to the families of fallen officers and the impact it has on impressionable children. If companies like those that produce 25 to Life continue to market this filth to our children, I say to my colleagues, we have a duty to act.

Mr. Speaker, stem cell researchers at the University of Minnesota and BioE, a company in my home State, have reported that they have successfully differentiated cord blood stem cells into lung cells.

This potential breakthrough would extend the promise of stem cell research to a treatment of many respiratory conditions. And just this past February, researchers at the University of Minnesota discovered the potential application of cord blood stem cells in nerve tissue regeneration.

This research reinforces the importance of the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act we passed last year, and why we must fully fund the stem cell research it authorized.

This research out of my home State of Minnesota reminds us that stem cell research that respects life is already being used to provide astonishing miracles for devastating diseases.

Offered By: Mr. Kennedy of Minnesota

Amendment No. 3: Page 5, line 15, insert after the dollar

amount the following: ``(reduced by $500,000)''.

Page 13, line 6, insert after the dollar amount the

following: ``(increased by $500,000)''.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of this amendment offered by my good friend, Mr. Gutknecht. This amendment fixes a pay disparity currently affecting almost 400 Minnesota National Guard, men and women, serving in Iraq. These members of the 1st Platoon Bravo Company were previously on active duty in 2003, some in Bosnia and some in Kosovo, and I was pleased to be able to visit them with Mr. Gutknecht.

However, unlike the soldiers that served in Kosovo, the Bosnia contingent is not eligible for the extra $1,000 a month incentive pay based on the circumstances of their mobilization.

This technicality will cost these soldiers and their families up to $7,000. That is simply unfair and must be corrected. That is why I support this amendment which directs the Army to fix this disparity so those who have equally sacrificed for their country receive equality of pay.

Again, I thank Mr. Gutknecht for his leadership on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, just over 2 months ago, during the funeral of Corporal Andrew Kemple, a Minnesotan who was killed while fighting for freedom, vile slogans like ``God Hates America'' and ``God

Loves IEDs'' were chanted by protesters, and I use that term loosely, with a radical, hateful agenda.

Words like ``reprehensible'' and ``disgusting'' simply do not adequately describe the slogans or this stunt on such a solemn occasion. The men and women who have given what Lincoln called ``the last full measure of devotion'' deserve better than this.

I urge my colleagues to support the Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act. Our men and women in uniform never fail us when the Nation calls upon them. We owe them nothing less than the same commitment to duty.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, as a Member of Congress and a parent, to thank the many law enforcement officers whose hard work resulted in yesterday's capture of escaped child sexual predator Michael Benson.

I would also commend John Walsh and the viewers of ``America's Most Wanted,'' who helped make Benson the 888th criminal apprehended after being featured on the show.

However, I stand here today deeply frustrated that obstructionists in the other body are using procedural gimmicks to block passage of the Child Safety Act, which the House first passed overwhelmingly more than 8 months ago.

Mr. Speaker, this act will help our children keep safe from predators like Michael Benson, and I urge the other body to quit obstructing and pass this vital bill.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to thank the hardworking law enforcement that have captured an escaped child sexual predator, Michael Benson, making our family safer. I commend John Walsh and his program, America's Most Wanted, on their 888th criminal apprehension out there making sure that we are putting these predators behind bars.

But 8 months ago, we passed the Child Safety Act; and in the Child Safety Act we have provisions that keeps our families, our children safer. Yet it is being obstructed in the Senate. It is time for us to move forward, pass this legislation that is so vital to our children's protection. I call for action and call on my colleagues to join me.