Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, the Supreme Court in Kelo v. City of New London went too far in allowing the taking of private property for private development. Congress must take action to protect property rights of individuals. However, we must be careful not to prohibit traditional pre-Kelo justifications for eminent domain.

Mr. Chairman, my amendment enumerates harmful effects which constitute a threat to public health and safety. These harmful effects are traditional justifications for cities, municipalities and other governmental entities to acquire property to protect public health and safety. In fact, the list of harmful effects in my amendment includes elements from several State laws.

The amendment is derived from the State definitions from Wisconsin, the home of Chairman Sensenbrenner; Texas, the home of our President; Illinois, the home of our Speaker; Missouri, the home of Majority Leader Blunt; and Virginia, the home of Chairman Goodlatte.

I have also included an exception for brownfields in my amendment. Brownfields, which are contaminated properties, are a dangerous problem for cities and must be redeveloped to protect the current residents of these communities and also bring people back into our cities.

This amendment, in order to protect public health and safety, has been endorsed by the National Association of Home Builders, the International Council of Shopping Centers, the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, the International Economic Development Council, the Building Owners and Management Association International, the Real Estate Roundtable, the American Institute of Architects, the American Planning Association, the National Association of Local Government Environmental Professionals, the United States Conference of Mayors, the International City County Management Association, and the National League of Cities.

This amendment, Mr. Chairman, is necessary. Without this amendment, our States will lose their pre-Kelo authority.

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

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

Mr. Chairman, wow, light bulbs burnt out, paint peeling, those are scary things that the chairman has said would be used for eminent domain. But not in America. That is not what the eminent domain pre- Kelo has been in America.

The 49 States who have definitions of harmful effects that are in this amendment are from States that have litigated over this issue and that have taken into consideration the issue of property rights, the issue of the property rights of individuals that live next to abandoned factories, the people who have children that are in neighborhoods that have property that is near them that has an impact on the public health and safety. The ability for them to enjoy their property and to enjoy it where they are living next to public health and safety threats are what the amendment would rise to.

It does not permit anybody to take any property because a light bulb is burned out. In fact, again it is based on 49 States and the exact language that is used by them in defining harmful effects. The chairman's own State's language includes, from Wisconsin, dilapidation, obsolescence, sanitation, light, air. These are not terms of burned-out light bulbs. These are issues where they rise to the level of a safety and health threat to the individuals of the communities, of the people whose properties are next to them. It is not Kelo.

We all believe that Kelo has gone too far and that an individual's property rights of his home should be protected. But similarly, the home that stands next to a property that is abandoned and is a health threat or the property that is next to a factory for which there are health and safety issues for a community needs to be addressed. Forty- nine States have passed legislation permitting eminent domain in public safety and health threats. Certainly we should acknowledge this and not take away from these communities the pre-Kelo rights of eminent domain.

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield 45 seconds to the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr).

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, in communities all across this country, there are buildings that represent a public health and safety threat to a community. Many times people drive by those buildings and they say to their elected officials, someone ought to do something about that. It is not a Kelo decision of saying we ought to have something better. It is saying that there is something damaging to our community and damaging to our neighborhoods.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I am a cosponsor of H.R. 4061, the Department of Veterans Affairs Information Technology Management Improvement Act of 2005. This important legislation would provide the Chief Information Officer at the Department of Veterans Affairs with future authority over information technology budgets, equipment and personnel.

Importantly, this legislation will centralize information technology at the Department, increasing the ability of the Department to serve veterans by providing information more productively, and improve the delivery of health care to Veterans.

Under this legislation, claims for veterans will be processed more speedily, waiting times for medical care will be reduced, all veterans benefits will be delivered more quickly, and medical data for veterans will be improved through more rapid updating. In short, this legislation will not only improve information technology at the Department but will make a real difference in improving the delivery of health care and other benefits for our Nation's veterans.

This legislation will allow our veterans to save time in accessing the benefits to which they are entitled, improving their experiences at the VA and improving their quality of life. Should this legislation become law, the Department of Veterans Affairs may improve information technology management at the Department and help better serve our veterans.

Madam Chairman, I support H.R. 250, the Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act of 2005.

Mr. Chairman, Dayton, Ohio, in my district is a center for manufacturing innovation. Manufacturers from Dayton have invented everything from the airplane to the electric car starter. Dayton is one of the top cities in America for patents per capita. H.R. 250 will ensure that Dayton's strong tradition of innovation will continue into the future.

H.R. 250 reauthorizes the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, MEP, Program, a program that has created centers throughout the country which help teach manufacturers technology developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST, helps American businesses move into new manufacturing frontiers, expanding opportunities for the American manufacturing sector.

The Edison Materials Technology Center, or EMTEC located in my district, Kettering, Ohio, is an NIST center, and recipient of MEP Program grant money. EMTEC has partnered with over 125 businesses, universities and government agencies to bring new technologies to the factory floor.

Additionally, H.R. 250 authorizes funding for the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education, ATE, program. This program provides funds to community and technical colleges for workforce education and training at the university and secondary levels. The continuation of the ATE program will assure that Ohio manufacturers have the best trained personnel.

Madam Chairman, this legislation will help our manufacturers maintain and enhance their competitive edge. I urge my colleagues to vote for this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I am a co-sponsor of this resolution which expresses the Nation's condolences to the victims of Hurricane Katrina and commends the resiliency of the citizens of the States impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

Our hopes and prayers go out the men, women, and children whose lives have been forever changed by this tragic natural disaster. We have all been moved by the images of destruction in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, and the lives taken by Hurricane Katrina.

We have also been moved by the flood of compassion that is replacing the flood waters of Katrina. As we mourn the dead and express our sympathy to those who have lost loved ones, we can take heart in the efforts of those who are aiding the recovery effort.

We have been inspired by the efforts of private citizens and organizations to help those in need. From doctors to nurses to police officers and many others, Americans are pulling together to help their fellow citizens in the Gulf Coast States.

I am proud of the work of the service men and women from Wright Patterson Air Force Base in my district in Dayton, Ohio in aiding the relief effort. Additionally, I have been overwhelmed by the number of phone calls to my offices from Ohioans who are anxious to help in whatever way possible the people affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Mr. Speaker, we will always remember the victims of Hurricane Katrina and we will continue to help the people of the gulf coast as they rebuild their homes and their lives, and thank those working to assist those who have endured what most of us cannot imagine.

Mr. Speaker, I come to the House floor today to pay tribute to United States Air Force General Gregory S. ``Speedy'' Martin for his 35 years of distinguished and honorable service in the United States Air Force and to our Nation.

General Martin has had a distinguished career, beginning with his graduation from the Air Force Academy in 1970 with a commission as a second lieutenant. While at the academy, he became the National Collegiate Parachuting Champion; but jumping out of planes only begins to define his courage. He became a fighter pilot and flew 161 combat missions in Vietnam. He served as the mission commander for Operation Linebacker I and Operation Linebacker II during the Vietnam conflict and secured the release of American POWs.

Prior to serving as Commander of AFMC, General Martin served as Commander of United States Air Forces in Europe and Commander of Allied Forces Northern Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. During Operation Enduring Freedom he directed airdrop support for American forces assisting Afghanistan refugees. During Operation Iraqi Freedom he provided deployment support, combat airdrop operations, and all air delivered sustainment support. In Europe, General Martin was awarded the Order of the Sword, the highest tribute the Air Force enlisted corps can pay to a commander.

As Commander of AFMC, General Martin led the development of a new Air Force Science and Technology vision which will guide critical research and development work to ensure the U.S. Air Force remains superior on the battlefields of tomorrow. He strengthened, unified, and streamlined the Air Force Program Executive Office to ensure more effective acquisition support for current and future Air Force weapon systems. General Martin created the Continuous Process Improvement initiatives in the air logistic centers which allowed AFMC to return $570 million in savings last year to the Department of Defense to support the Global War on Terror. General Martin has often referred to his assignment at AFMC as ``The most satisfying assignment in my career.''

He received numerous military awards for his service including: the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with 11 oak leaf clusters, and the NATO Meritorious Service Medal. Allied nations also recognized General Martin for his service by bestowing on him the following awards: the Medal of Commander of Order and Valor, Cameroon; the Medal of Merit--Gold, The Netherlands; the Legion of Honor, France; and the Cross of Merit, First Class, of the Minister of Defense, Czech Republic. General Martin is also a command pilot with over 4,600 flight hours in various aircraft, including the F-4, F-15, C-20 and C-21 and is a master parachutist.

I have known General Martin since he took command of AFMC in August 2003. I have received briefings from him and can assure you he is an authoritative and powerful speaker. General Martin is a man who is honest, provides a straight assessment and has the highest degree of ethics. His service honors the Air Force and our country. In providing an assessment of the need to transform the Air Force acquisition process, in classic style, he declared, in a delivery that would shame Jack Nicholson, the problem is: ``some people can't handle the truth.''

Madam Speaker, I support H.R. 3283, the United States Trade Rights Enforcement Act, because it is necessary to send a strong message to foreign governments who are unfairly dumping product on our shores and manipulating their currency rates.

In June, I hosted my second Manufacturing and Jobs Forum in my district. I invited manufacturers from southwest Ohio to share their concerns about their businesses. The gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. English) joined me for my first forum, and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Manzullo) joined me in Dayton for the second forum. I would like to thank both gentlemen for their leadership on the issue of trade fairness.

Madam Speaker, the manufacturers I spoke with during both forums shared a common concern about the survival of their businesses, the American economy, and unfair trade practices of China, including the undervaluing of

China's currency. Congress must continue to work to level the playing field for manufacturers.

Last Thursday the Chinese Government announced that they would no longer peg their currency to the American dollar. Chinese currency will be given room to float among a bundle of foreign currency rates. Mr. Speaker, this is an important first step; however, this adjustment will still result in an undervalued Chinese currency.

H.R. 3283 will take further steps to enforce our trade rights. H.R. 3283 will require the Secretary of the Treasury to submit a report to Congress defining currency manipulation and describing the actions of foreign countries who are manipulating their currency. This important provision, along with others included in the bill, will help Ohio manufacturers who are continually harmed by unfair trade practices. I urge my colleagues to vote for this bill.

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

bill (H.R. 2385) to make permanent the authority of the Secretary of Commerce to conduct the quarterly financial report program, 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 H.R. 2385.

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

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Government Reform, H.R. 2385 reauthorizes the Secretary of Commerce to conduct the Quarterly Financial Report Program through 2015. The purpose of this bill is to ensure uninterrupted continuation of this well-established and indispensable program. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

The Quarterly Financial Report, or QFR program, has been conducted uninterrupted since its inception in 1947. It provides ongoing, up-to- date statistics on the financial performance of the manufacturing, mining, wholesale and retail trade sectors of our economy. QFR is the sole source for this information.

Many public and private organizations rely on QFR data to make economic policy decisions based upon quality information. For example, the Commerce Department uses QFR data to develop the all-important gross domestic product and national incomes estimates. The Federal Reserve uses QFR data to assess industry debt structure, liquidity and profitability. The Treasury Department uses QFR to estimate corporate tax liability. And the Council of Economic Advisers uses QFR-based reports and analysis to develop economic policy proposals.

In short, the data gathered from the QFR program affects everyone from Wall Street to Main Street. The QFR is the Nation's most current and comprehensive source of data on corporate financial activity. Federal Reserve Chairman Greenspan is on record stating that if anything, it would be desirable to expand the program to more sectors of the economy.

Originally, H.R. 2385 would have given the Secretary of Commerce permanent authority to conduct the QFR program. But after consultation with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, we decided to amend the original bill by expanding the sunset clause from 5 years to 10 years.

Mr. Speaker, this is a noncontroversial bill to reauthorize the time- tested QFR program. I urge my colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 2385.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent).

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

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time and thank him for his support of the Community Development Block Grant program and for working so hard to find funds for CDBG in this bill. As the appropriation process continues and the bill moves to conference, will the chairman continue to work to find additional funds to offset the reduction in the CDBG for fiscal year 2006?

I yield to the gentleman from Michigan.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Knollenberg) for his response, and I look forward to working with him on CDBG. I appreciate the success that he has accomplished on this bill.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words.

(Mr. TURNER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Obey amendment and in favor of the Hunter amendment.

Mr. Chairman, Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. Why do I rise in this body, on this floor at this time and make this statement about my personal religious faith? Because I can. Because it is inherent in the concept of democracy and our Constitution that we value the protections of freedom of speech, the freedom of religion, and the protection of the freedom of the practice of religion.

Because of this, I can stand here today and make my statement of faith, just as any other Member of this body or any other citizen of this Nation can make their statement of faith, whatever their faith or religion may be, or they may make a statement of a lack of faith, a statement of having no belief in any religion.

Mr. Chairman, we value this so much that not only is it a right that we protect, but we further protect individuals from discrimination based upon their religion or their belief in no religion. This body has many times voted to ensure that no American is discriminated against based upon their religious faith or lack of religious faith.

In ensuring that our laws against discrimination are enforced, we do not need to pass additional laws that would undermine one of the basic tenets founding this country, which is the belief in the free practice of religion, and the freedom of speech which includes the freedom of the expression of religious faith.

Our men and women in uniform serve their country by serving in our military. Their service is based upon an allegiance to our Constitution and its basic principles of freedom and liberty. We must never forget that many of our forefathers came here escaping countries that have laws and rules that restricted the practices of certain types of religion.

There are countries today where citizens or members of government are restricted and cannot stand, as I just did, stating their faith and belief in God. May there never be a time when a Member of Congress or our men in uniform may not freely and openly acknowledge their God or express their faith and belief in their religion or openly acknowledge their lack of religious faith.

The Obey amendment should be defeated. The Hunter amendment supports our freedoms and protections guaranteed by the Constitution. I strongly encourage my colleagues to support the Hunter amendment and oppose the Obey amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I oppose this amendment which would reduce funding for the Bureau of the Census. As chairman of the House Government Reform Subcommittee on Federalism and the Census, I appreciate the important role of the census in providing information about the American people and our economy. It sounds pretty simple, paperweights versus crime fighting, and certainly the statements concerning our needs for crime fighting are compelling. But it is just not that simple.

The census provides information vital to how we as a Nation operate. Every 10 years, each congressional seat

is reapportioned based on census data. The decennial census is the fundamental guarantee of fair representation. Every seat in Congress is apportioned and established according to the decennial census. Also, each year the Federal Government allocates almost $300 billion in funds based in part on census data.

Also, census information is not just used for the decennial census. Annually, the Census Bureau produces information on international trade statistics, demographics, and important economic census information is utilized by businesses as they plan locations in how to grow. Actions taken for our economy are based upon information annually and on a regular basis that is produced by the census.

I ask my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this amendment. An amendment to remove funds from the census budget is an amendment that would reduce the accuracy of congressional reapportionment and redistricting and impair the ability of the Federal Government to allocate funds for important programs that aid communities nationwide. Vote ``no'' on this amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I am an original co-sponsor of H. Con. Res. 89, legislation to honor a truly distinguished native of the city of Dayton, which I represent in Congress, Sister Dorothy Stang.

Sister Stang was brutally murdered in Brazil on February 12. She was a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur, and had moved to the Amazon region of Brazil 22 years ago to help impoverished families in the Amazon learn how to engage in sustainable farming, and help them in their struggle for land rights. It was while she was working for the poor that she was murdered. It was as Sister Stang was traveling to a meeting of impoverished farmers that two gunmen approached her. Sister Stang read from the Bible to the gunmen, who nevertheless shot her several times.

Sister Stang's commitment to the poor, her quest for fair treatment of those who felt they did not have a voice, and her belief in the power of faith serve as an example from which we all can draw valuable lessons. It is fitting that the House of Representatives will vote today to draw the attention of the Congress and our Nation to the life of this selfless and inspirational woman.

Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to co-sponsor H.R. 748, the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act.

This bill makes it a Federal offense to knowingly transport a minor across State lines with the intent to circumvent parental notification laws so that the minor can obtain an abortion.

It is imperative that we stop the victimization of young girls who are transported across State lines to undergo abortions without their parents' knowledge. Not only does this practice endanger the lives of our daughters, imagine how parents would feel if their daughter was transported across State lines without their knowledge and pressured to have an unwanted abortion.

Across the country, officials must obtain parental consent before performing routine medical services such as providing aspirin, and before including children in field trips and contact sports. Some States require written parental consent before a minor can get a tattoo or a body piercing. Despite all this, in some States people other than parents can secretly take minor girls across State lines for abortions.

Mr. Chairman, the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act protects the rights of parents to be involved in the medical decisions of their minor daughters and protects the health and safety of young girls by preventing valid constitutional State parental involvement laws from being circumvented. I am pleased to support this bill, which protects our daughters and supports our families.

Mr. Speaker, I am cosponsor of the Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2005 because this tax is an unfair burden on American families. The death tax puts many small businesses, those run predominantly by families, at a great financial disadvantage.

According to the Small Business Administration, in 2001 in the Dayton, Ohio, metro area, which is in my district, nearly 62,000 people worked for businesses that employ less than 20 people.

Three of my constituents, Jenell Ross; her mother, Norma; and her brother Rob, run a small business, Ross Motor Cars in Centerville, Ohio. When Jenell's father unexpectedly passed away in 1997, the Ross family received a tax bill for nearly half the value of their family business. I would like to tell their story in Jenell Ross's words. She says, ``30 years ago my father took the chance of a lifetime. Determined to achieve the American Dream, he invested everything he had into Ross Motor Cars. Like a lot of people, my father thought he would live forever.

``He didn't.

``When he died unexpectedly in 1997, the overwhelming responsibility of keeping the family business afloat fell squarely'' to us. We could never have

prepared ourselves for the shock of receiving a tax bill nearly half the value of the dealership, where nearly 90 percent'' of the assets were ``tied up in nonliquid assets such as inventory, equipment, buildings, and land.

``Does the death tax impact family-run small businesses? Yes. My family is still experiencing its devastating effects firsthand,'' nearly 8 years later.

It is time to repeal the death tax once and for all, and I urge my fellow constituents and Members to support the bill.

Mr. Chairman, as the chairman indicated, I chair a working group appointed by the gentleman from Illinois (Speaker Hastert) called Save America's Cities. This working group has 24 members of the Republican conference who have backgrounds in urban issues, either having served as mayors or members of city councils or otherwise in local government, or who by their districts have a natural affinity for urban issues by working closely with their communities and seeing the difficulty of urban revitalization and redevelopment and the commitment to bringing jobs back to our cities.

Mr. Chairman, I support the Committee on the Budget in adding $1.140 billion to the administration's request for programs under the community and regional development function in the budget, which includes the Community Development Block Grant. The budget document itself specifically lays out that the funds are being restored with the clear intention of supporting the Community Development Block Grant program, or CDBG.

It goes on to state that the resolution makes no assumption regarding implementation of the President's proposed Strengthening America's Communities Block Grant or transferring the Community Development Block Grant program from the Department of HUD to the Department of Commerce. This is an important notation because it is very important for national associations that support urban issues, like the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National League of Cities, that have had a great deal of concern about the consolidation of 18 programs, some of which are currently located in HUD, to Commerce and the reduction in overall spending, which was proposed of 30 percent.

This House, in taking the action of supporting the Committee on the Budget's resolution, does not accept the President's level of funding and looks to restore functions for CDBG that go to important issues in our community such as taking abandoned houses and refurbishing them, demolishing abandoned buildings where they cannot be rehabilitated, taking abandoned lots that might have been strewn with broken grass or be places where criminals congregate and turning them into community parking lots that can help support areas of local community business districts.

Looking, as the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Mrs. Johnson) was saying, to the area of brownfields, we have abandoned factory sites throughout our urban core which make it more difficult for us to bring jobs to those areas of our cities, to find ways to environmentally clean up those sites, and to demolish the buildings, bringing jobs back into them. The Community Development Block Grant program supports those functions.

I also serve as chairman of the Federalism and the Census Subcommittee of the Committee on Government Reform, and we recently held a subcommittee hearing on the administration's proposal to consolidate existing direct grant economic and community development programs within the Department of Commerce. We heard information from the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities where they told of the success of these programs.

I want to thank the chairman for listening to the great degree of success that they have had in the past and looking to ways that we can continue to support this program.

So I appreciate the addition of the $1.140 billion and the notation of the support for the Community Development Block Grant program.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to acknowledge the outstanding achievements of a student from Ohio's Third Congressional District. Miss Ashleigh Brianna Oliver recently received the Bronze Medallion Award, an academic honor presented by Walter E. Stebbins High School. Miss Oliver was also recently inducted into the Society for Academic Excellence.

Outside the classroom, Miss Oliver has been a Junior member of the General Daniel ``Chappie'' James American Legion Auxiliary, Unit 776 since she was 7 years old. She is currently serving as the Junior President, as she has done for 4 years.

Miss Oliver's high level of academic achievement and strong community involvement is worthy of recognition. She is a fine example of a young person contributing to society as an exemplary citizen. I urge my colleagues to join me in acknowledging Miss Oliver's success.