Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of ``Lights on Afterschool!'', and House Joint Resolution 66, which recognizes the goals and ideals of ``Lights on Afterschool!''

``Lights on Afterschool!'' started in 2000, celebrating the importance of after-school programs, and it continues to grow 6 years later. This year's celebration is scheduled for October 20, and roughly 1 million Americans are expected to participate.

After-school programs play an important role in keeping many kids safe and engaged in positive activities. The hours between 3 and 6 p.m. on school days represent the peak times for juvenile crime. During those few hours after school, kids are most likely to experiment with drugs, alcohol and cigarettes.

Today, there are currently over 6 million students, kindergarten through grade 12 participating in after-school programs, and these children are growing and learning in a safe and healthy environment. Congress must protect this opportunity for kids. Congress must do more to give families and children who are not currently participating the chance to do so.

``Lights on Afterschool!'' reminds us all of our obligation to give children the resources they need to succeed in school and to succeed in the future. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, today we mourn. We also remember. We mourn the loss of a public servant who worked to make government the best it could be. We remember his accomplishments and celebrate his legacy.

And we take heart in the memories that we share of this great man.

Congressman Lloyd Meeds was not a distant politician. He was a friend and a neighbor whose public work was devoted to maintaining and improving our unique quality of life for generations to come. He was, in the words of his colleague Congressman Morris Udall, ``a workhorse rather than a showhorse'', a ``glutton for the tough, detailed work that so many of us shun.''

These words paint an accurate picture of a true public servant and statesman. And they set a standard of excellence for those of us now serving in Congress.

Congressman Meeds's tough, detailed work played a major role in creating Head Start and the Youth Conservation Corps. He took a stand as one of the first to support Title IX, the law that bans gender discrimination in our schools.

He set an example for me personally with his work to preserve and protect land for future generations by brokering the North Cascades Act that created the North Cascades National Park and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. He later worked for a resolution to ensure passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, a vital piece of legislation that will protect some of the most pristine land in the United States for generations to come.

His accomplishments were many, and his commitment to the Pacific Northwest was unyielding. That commitment certainly did not end when he left Congress.

The State of Alaska declared February 28, 2005 ``Lloyd Meeds Day'' as a heartfelt thank-you for the Congressman's lifetime of effort on behalf of the environment and Native Americans.

This is the legacy of Congressman Lloyd Meeds--a passionate and tireless advocate for the causes he embraced.

We mourn a loss today. Congressman Meeds will be missed. The foundation he laid, however, provides the basis for the diversity and strength we see in our communities today.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to convey my deepest condolences to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, many of whom lost loved ones, their homes and their livelihoods. Many constituents have contacted my office, concerned about relatives, friends, and fellow Americans in that area. A member of my own staff has been touched by this tragedy and has dozens of family members displaced and in distress. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and all those other families who have been affected by this disaster.

While we are devastated by this tragedy, our faith, perseverance and American spirit of generosity will ensure that we help the region and its residents recover and rebuild.

The Pacific Northwest, where my Congressional District is located, is about as far north and west of this tragedy as you can get in the continental U.S. Yet even there, Governor Gregoire is coordinating with state and Federal officials nationwide to get state employees and volunteers on the ground in the affected areas. Our state has readied 600 Washington National Guard soldiers and airmen. We have offered up our State's refueling aircraft, support personnel, helicopters, and satellite communications systems, among other assets. Washington State's residents are giving generously to aid relief efforts and victims. It is likely that we will soon provide a temporary home to thousands of displaced hurricane victims.

I would also like to extend my deepest gratitude to organizations such as the Red Cross for their significant disaster relief efforts. The Red Cross has said that this is their largest relief effort ever-- larger than after September 11, 2001, and larger than all four Florida hurricanes last year. We continue hearing heartwarming stories of American Red Cross volunteers from across the Nation, including in my Congressional District, who have already headed down to help with relief efforts.

As we respond to this tragedy, I will continue working with my colleagues to provide needed Federal assistance to the people harmed by this disaster. I know that in months ahead there will be much work to do. As Americans, we have pulled together through tragedies in the past. I am confident that we will demonstrate that same unity and perseverance in overcoming the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to express my support for the Souder-Larsen amendment to restore adequate funding to the National Youth and Anti-Drug Media Campaign.

I thank and recognize the subcommittee chair and ranking member for their efforts on drafting this bill. They have done an admirable job considering the tight budgetary restraints. Unfortunately, the funding level for the media campaign is not adequate.

The media campaign is an important component in our fight against drugs. It reduces demand for all drugs, not just marijuana. Reducing demand means reducing the number of lives lost to the scourge of drugs, particularly methamphetamine.

According to a leading global marketing firm, teens frequently exposed to strong anti-drug messages are 38 percent less likely to have tried meth and 31 percent less likely to have tried crack and cocaine.

When the media campaign began in 1998, it had a budget of $195 million. While the campaign has proven effective, it has continually been cut. This last year it was funded at $120 million. Meanwhile, the costs of advertising have skyrocketed. So in real advertising dollars, the campaign is operating at less than half of its original strength.

A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation reports that the average child watches 3 hours of television a day. That is about 21 hours a week, 1,008 hours a year. The media campaign uses the amount of time our kids are watching TV and gives them negative messages about drug use. Without additional funds, the campaign would not be able to produce our air-targeted ads against meth, ecstasy, or other emerging drug threats.

This current level of funding will fund only the bare minimum for a campaign that educates millions of young people on the dangers of drug abuse. To increase the ads on meth, we must increase funding for this important program.

I want to thank the gentleman from Indiana for his work on this issue, and I urge a ``yes'' vote on the Souder-Larsen amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to express my support for the Byrne-JAG restoration amendment. Byrne and Justice Assistance Grants are critical to our local law enforcement and in the fight against methamphetamine. As cochair of the Congressional Meth Caucus, I know firsthand the importance of these funds to our local drug task forces as they work to bust meth labs.

I want to thank and recognize the subcommittee chair and ranking member for their great efforts in drafting this bill. Despite those efforts, the level of Byrne grant funding in this bill would cause harm to Washington State's drug task forces. These cuts would eliminate at least three task forces and potentially six others, and small police departments in my district rely on Byrne grants to make communities safer.

This past week there were two clear examples in my district of why Byrne grants are needed. One of those is in Whatcom County, where close to 40 arrests were made of Bandidos motorcycle gang members and their associates in Operation Roadhouse. This effort was a culmination of a 2-year investigation by Federal, State, and local law enforcement agents. The entire Northwest Regional Drug Task Force was closely involved in this investigation, expending literally thousands of dollars in resources and man hours to ensure the success of this operation.

As one sheriff from my district told me, these cuts cannot come at a worse time. So we need to be sure to fund Byrne grants.

I thank the gentleman from Nebraska for his hard work and urge a ``yes'' vote on the Byrne-JAG restoration amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I also want to stand in support of the Blunt/Kirk amendment to the Defense Authorization Act.

Today our Guard and Reserve are protecting our security abroad. And, frankly, it is Congress's job and responsibility to create a network of job security when they come home. That is why I support this amendment.

Our Guard and Reserve are overextended. Their Nation has called on them to serve. In most cases they have left a place of employment to do so, and Congress has a responsibility to ensure that we do not create any barriers for our Guard and Reserve that would keep them from returning to those jobs.

This amendment will help ensure that if you are a member of the National Guard Or Reserve you will not

be at a disadvantage if working on a DOD contract through your employment.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment will push the DOD to consider the employment of Guard and Reserve members when they award contracts. When serving, these women and men of the Guard and Reserve protect this Nation. This amendment gives us one more way that we can protect these brave women and men and their families when they come home.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to bring attention to what can potentially be the worst drought season the State of Washington has experienced in nearly 3 decades.

In my district and throughout the State precipitation levels are hovering at or near record lows. Mountain snow pack levels are at 26 percent of normal averages. Many rivers and streams are flowing at levels well below normal for this time of the year. Unfortunately, it looks as though the worst is yet to come as the National Weather Service has predicted that dry, warm weather will continue through the spring.

If these conditions persist as predicted, the drought will have a devastating impact on our State's agriculture, fishing, and recreation industries and will increase the potential of destructive forest fires this spring and summer.

I would like to commend Washington State's Governor Christine Gregoire for her leadership and foresight in declaring a statewide drought emergency and forming a Drought Emergency Command Center. This emergency declaration will allow the State Department of Ecology to provide assistance and relief, including the issuance of emergency water permits and the temporary transfer of water rights.

The Emergency Command Center will be able to work with State and local agencies to ensure that resources are reaching the areas that need assistance the most. Governor Gregoire has set an example of proactive leadership. I look forward to working with her and

my fellow members of the Washington State delegation to help the people of our State through this difficult time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 3, the Transportation Equity Act, A Legacy For Users.

While I support this bill, it is important to note that it barely scratches the surface of America's transportation needs. Although someone claimed that the $284 billion is more than adequate, the funding in this bill is slightly more than an inflationary increase over TEA-21. We owe it to America's economy to invest in our highway and transit infrastructure to help keep freight and people moving.

As this bill moves through the House, I hope that we can secure a funding level that meets the needs of our transportation systems and that helps provide job opportunities for more Americans.

Having said that, I want to thank the chairman of the committee, the chairman of the subcommittee and the ranking members of the committee and subcommittee for their work on this bill which will help the Pacific Northwest with its critical freight corridors, border and congestion needs.

Specifically, TEA-LU doubles the funding for the Ferry Boat Discretionary program. The Puget Sound is home to the largest ferry system in the country. Washington State Ferries service 26 million passengers a year. That is more than Amtrak. These funds are vital to the Washington State Ferries' efforts to service and replace aging vessels and continue providing service to many island communities. I look forward to working with my colleagues in conference to increase these funds so that we can keep America's ferry systems afloat for years to come.

In addition, the bill includes funding for projects of national and regional significance. The Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle, damaged by an earthquake in February 2001, is threatening to collapse and shut off the movement of goods from ports in Washington State and locations all across the country. I hope that as we pass this bill out of the House, we can further improve this new and exciting program that targets projects with huge impacts on freight congestion.

In conclusion, I hope the final version of this legislation will continue to invest in our freight corridors and transborder infrastructure needs.

In Washington State and along the West Coast, we are seeing record levels of NAFTA and Asian-Pacific freight. Federal funds are necessary in order to keep our West Coast ports and border crossings open and flowing smoothly. These Federal funds must target and maintain the trade arteries that bring goods from Seattle and Tacoma to Chicago, New York and destinations all across the country.

We have a great start in TEA-LU. I am confident that we will only make this bill better as it progresses through Congress.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the service of the sailors and Marine Corps of the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group who bravely and compassionately served the Nation and the world in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean in the wake of December's tragic tsunami.

These women and men began their new year by delivering vital food, water, and medicine around the clock to the people of Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. They showed the world the values that we represent and why this country is so great.

From January 1 until February 4, carrier group aircraft flew over 1,700 missions in support of Operation Unified Assistance, carrying almost 6 million pounds of supplies. Over 1,200 crew mechanics from the group volunteered to go ashore and help.

Tomorrow I will attend the USS Lincoln and USS Shoup homecoming to Everett Washington. The VAQ 131 Prowler Squadron out of NAS Whidbey, the Lancers, just returned; and they are all part of Operation Unified Assistance.

Tomorrow, with their return, will be a great day for our country, a great day for our Navy and Marine Corps and for their families to celebrate.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my congratulations to Paul Allen, Scaled Composites founder Burt Rutan, and SpaceShipOne pilots Mike Melvill and Brian Binnie for winning the Ansari X Prize. SpaceShipOne's two successful flights into space indicate a bright future for space travel and exploration. Just over 100 years after the Wright brothers' flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Paul Allen has proven that we continue to dream and dare to tackle ever-more daunting challenges each day. The success of SpaceShipOne is truly a great victory for Scaled Composites and for innovators

around the world, as well as an indication of great things to come.

It is my pleasure to specifically congratulate Paul Allen for his crucial role in this endeavor. SpaceShipOne's success would not have been possible without his vision and confidence. Communities in my district have long benefited from Mr. Allen's investments in businesses and charities. Now the whole world will have the opportunity to benefit from his efforts to make Scaled Composites a success and to never hold back from pushing Americans' innovation to the next level.

Private space travel has been nothing more than a dream since the advent of space flight. The success of Spaceship One has prompted new fields of business and recreation. It is this kind of innovation that will bring the next generation of jobs and strengthen our economy. This breakthrough will provide the economic stimulus to financially and scientifically motivate individuals around the globe to look toward the sky. It will inspire us to surpass current scientific limitations and travel to places our grandparents could only imagine.

Innovation is the key to our future. Mr. Allen and the talented team at Scaled Composites have shown us that any goal is achievable when coupled with ambition and the drive to succeed. I congratulate all involved and look forward to seeing Paul Allen, Burt Rutan and others reach new heights and overcome new challenges.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment along with my colleague, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk).

We need to consider making the DEA part of our intelligence network. Before our own eyes, Afghanistan is re-emerging as the international leader in the heroin trade. As this problem grows, the less control our Nation will have over the funding sources of international terrorism. A direct relationship exists between terrorism and the drug trade. Therefore, a direct relationship is needed between the DEA and our intelligence agencies. The DEA not only combats the drug trade around the world but can gather valuable information that can transcend drug trafficking and reach into the shadowy corners of international terrorism.

According to the State Department, 12 of the 28 terrorist organizations listed in the Department of State October, 2001, Report on Foreign Terrorist Organizations have links to foreign drug trafficking. One fitting example of this relationship happened in 2003 when a seizure of hashish from a trafficking group included suspected al Qaeda members and involved drugs worth nearly $30 million at wholesale.

The drug trade not only has a role in funding terrorists but also plays a significant destabilizing role in Afghanistan. Just yesterday, drug smugglers were implicated in a terrorist attack on Hamid Karzai's vice presidential candidate. Free elections in Afghanistan are a threat to the drug trade, just as free elections in Afghanistan are a threat to global terrorism.

According to our Office of National Drug Control Policy, the challenging security situation in Afghanistan has complicated the task of fighting the war against drugs and vice versa. As the terrorists lose ground, the opium poppy growers win, and much of the money from Afghanistan's opium sales goes right back to the terrorists.

Drug traffickers and terror networks work out of the same rule book. They both strive to undermine democratic institutions and engage in widespread violence and corruption. Both groups also depend on money laundering, forgery and arms deals to implement their deadly goals.

We cannot separate international terrorism from the drug trade. They are intertwined. This amendment will examine the ways DEA can maintain its current role while sharing information to help further protect our Nation. I believe this amendment is in the spirit of the 9/11 Commission recommendations and will help create and consolidate the whole intelligence picture that a president needs to defend our Nation. I urge its support.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my appreciation for the outstanding work for the Oak Harbor School District and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, both of which are in my district.

Currently, NAS Whidbey has five squadrons and one logistical unit deployed, roughly 1,000 servicewomen and -men, many who have children in the Oak Harbor School District.

This week representatives from the Oak Harbor School District visited my office to discuss how deployment impacts schools and students. Last year almost 60 percent of their students were children of active Navy personnel, 70 percent of which had at least one parent deployed overseas.

Teachers, counselors, and staff have taken on the additional task of helping those dealing with the incredible stress of having a loved one deployed.

NAS Whidbey has partnered with the Oak Harbor School District in this endeavor. Through ongoing communication, training for school staff and tutoring, they have contributed thousands of volunteer hours to work with the Oak Harbor School District to ease the burden placed on these families.

Military families are making honorable sacrifices for our Nation and deserve our heartfelt thanks and support. We must also thank the individuals like those at the Oak Harbor School District at NAS Whidbey who are doing their part to help families through this challenging time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for H. Res. 567 which congratulates the American Dental Association for once again successfully administering the Give Kids a Smile program.

The Give Kids a Smile program has worked hard to emphasize the importance of kids' access to high quality dental care. This year's program, held on February 6, 2004, resulted in an estimated one million children receiving dental education, screening and care.

The Give Kids a Smile program highlights not only the importance of children's dental care but also the need to help those that may not have access. Access to dental care for children is a critical component of overall health care. Tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease and results in thousands of children experiencing poor eating and sleeping patterns and suffering decreased attention spans at school. Congress must join the American Dental Association in recognizing our role in providing assistance to children in need.

I want to thank the dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and others who volunteered their time during this year's Give Kids a Smile program. In addition to the success of this program, America's dental community deserves our thanks for the services and help they provide year round.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Homeland Security has understandably operated without a consolidated headquarters since its inception. The bill before us will convey property from the Navy to the GSA to help consolidate headquarters for the Department.

Given the critical nature of the Department's mission, we must allow Secretary Ridge to operate the Department as efficiently as possible. This bill is a significant step in the growth of this new agency; and that is why the Committee on Armed Services, in a bipartisan way, supports relocating the Navy from its Nebraska Avenue Complex in northwest Washington, D.C., to accommodate the Department of Homeland Security.

We should be under no illusion, however, that the headquarters provided under this bill is a permanent or ideal solution. In fact, some have even questioned whether this is truly a headquarters at all. We are consolidating some of the leadership elements of the departments on one site, but workers will still be spread among more than a dozen buildings. It is not yet clear that the site can fully accommodate the Department's headquarters, in part because the Department is still evolving and is itself a patchwork of agencies. Several of the Department's key agencies will maintain separate headquarters elsewhere. These concerns have led some in Congress to question whether we should even designate the Nebraska Avenue Complex as the headquarters of the Department at all.

I am also aware that the distinguished gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) has concerns with portions of the bill, and she will seek time to speak on this, in particular, the provision that calls for the selling of property if the Navy is not fully reimbursed for the cost of its move. This provision was inserted to help ensure the Navy does not pay a financial penalty to accommodate the Department of Homeland Security, but the potential mandatory sale of 38 acres in the District raises legitimate concerns. We will continue to work with everyone, including the gentlewoman from the District, to address these concerns when we conference with the Senate on this matter.

The bill before us is imperfect. It still needs some work, but a lot of changes have been made to it. In a sense it is a reflection of the nature and the status of the Department of Homeland Security itself. Despite some of these flaws, though, the bill is a step in the right direction, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 6\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton).

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in favor of H.R. 4323, a bill to provide rapid acquisition authority to the Secretary of Defense to respond to combat emergencies. This is a bill that passed the Committee on Armed Services under the leadership of the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter) last month on a voice vote, and I urge its support here.

I might also note that this is just one other example of the laser- like focus of the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter) on getting the kinds of tools and resources our troops in the field need. This is one example of that. We have seen it in other subcommittee hearings, the gentleman coming to encourage the Department of Defense to do all it can as quickly as possible to get our troops what they need as quickly as possible.

We all know the importance of body armor and armored vehicles for our soldiers in Iraq. These capabilities save lives, but the Department's acquisition system often is not agile enough to get these capabilities in the field when we need them. In fact, a recent hearing in the Committee on Armed Services showed the acquisition system is in many ways badly broken when it comes to getting our troops what they need when they need it.

This bill will go a long way to meeting the deficiencies in the current system. It requires the Secretary of Defense to develop a process within 30 days of enactment for the rapid acquisition of equipment needed by a combatant commander to eliminate a deficiency that has resulted in combat fatalities.

The goal is to award the contract within 15 days or to provide an interim solution if there will be a substantial delay.

To get these capabilities to our troops in the field fast, we allow the department to waive acquisition laws relating to competition. This is something we should take seriously given the problems in Iraq and elsewhere with the lack of competition for contracts. But the authority in this bill is narrowly drawn and is used to prevent the deaths of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines. There is congressional notification so that we can watch how the authority is used.

All of us in Congress appreciate the tremendous sacrifice of our servicemen and women. We are providing enormous amounts of money to ensure that they have the best training and equipment they need to complete their missions in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world. This authority will ensure that the department can get that equipment to them as quickly as we should and fix the deficiencies in the acquisition system. We owe that to our troops. I urge support for this bill.

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