Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2(a)(1) of rule IX, I rise to give notice of my intent to raise a question of the privileges of the House.

The form of the resolution is as follows:

Whereas the chair of the Committee on Oversight and

Government Reform has interfered with the work of an

independent agency and pressured an administrative law judge

of the National Labor Relations Board by compelling the

production of documents related to an ongoing case, something

independent experts said ``could seriously undermine the

authority of those charged with enforcing the nation's labor

laws'' and which the House Ethics Manual discourages by

noting that ``Federal courts have nullified administrative

decisions on grounds of due process and fairness towards all

of the parties when congressional interference with ongoing

administrative proceedings may have unduly influenced the

outcome'';

Whereas the chair of the Committee on Oversight and

Government Reform has politicized investigations by rolling

back longstanding bipartisan precedents, including by

authorizing subpoenas without the concurrence of the ranking

member or a committee vote, by refusing to share documents

and other information with the ranking member, and

restricting the minority's right to call witnesses at

hearings;

Whereas the chair of the Committee on Oversight and

Government Reform has jeopardized an ongoing criminal

investigation by publicly releasing documents that his own

staff has admitted were under court seal;

Whereas the chair of the Committee on Oversight and

Government Reform has unilaterally subpoenaed a witness who

was expected to testify at an upcoming Federal trial, despite

longstanding precedent and objections from the Department of

Justice that such a step could cause complications at a trial

and potentially jeopardize a criminal conviction;

Whereas the chair of the Committee on Oversight and

Government Reform has engaged in a witch hunt, through the

use of repeated incorrect and uncorroborated statements in

the committee's ``Fast and Furious'' investigation; and

Whereas the chair of the Committee on Oversight and

Government Reform has chosen to call the Attorney General of

the United States a liar on national television without

corroborating evidence and has exhibited unprofessional

behavior which could result in jeopardizing an ongoing

Committee investigation into Operation Fast and Furious: Now,

therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives disapproves of

the behavior of the chair for interfering with ongoing

criminal investigations; insisting on a personal attack

against the attorney general of the united states; and for

calling the Attorney General of the United States a liar on

national television without corroborating evidence thereby

discredit to the integrity of the House.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose H. Res 708, ``Resolution recommending that the House of Representatives find Eric H. Holder, Jr., Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice, in contempt of Congress for refusal to comply with a subpoena duly issued by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.''

Holding a sitting Attorney General in contempt would be unprecedented. In our Nation's history the House of Representatives has never held a sitting Attorney General in contempt of Congress.

In 1998, the then Chair of the House Oversight Committee led a vote to hold then Attorney General Janet Reno in contempt of Congress.

Attorney General Reno was also accused of withholding documents; however, the then Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich elected not to bring the Contempt Citation to the Floor. Attorney General Reno and House leadership were able to resolve their difference without holding our Nation's highest law enforcement officer in contempt. Today's conflict can also be resolved without holding Attorney General Holder in contempt.

I firmly believe and I am joined by at least 65 other colleagues who believe that the Attorney General is acting in good faith based upon his actions over the course of the past 15 months.

The Attorney General has testified before Congress no less than nine times in the last 15 months and has made himself available for meetings with Members of Congress. Further, the Department of Justice has cooperated with Congressional inquiries into this matter and is willing to continue to engage in discussions with Congressional leadership and others.

As of today, the Attorney General has produced more than 7,600 pages of documents as part of 47 separate productions, including sensitive law enforcement materials related to the pending prosecution of the defendants in the underlying Fast and Furious case.

Attorney General Holder has consistently expressed his willingness to find a resolution to the issues surrounding the narrow list of documents for which he is being cited.

Holding the Nation's top law-enforcement officer in contempt of Congress would be a drastic, disproportionate action on the part of this body.

A contempt citation should be an act of last resort, after lengthy preliminary procedures, negotiations, gathering of evidence through other methods, appeals to potential intercessors and intermediaries.

Contempt Citations have been extraordinarily rare which is evidenced by the fact that the House has declared just four people in contempt over the last three decades. For these reasons and more we request that you elect not to bring the Contempt Citation to the Floor this Thursday.

Mr. Speaker, I delivered a letter to you that was signed by 65 Members of this body stating the same, that this destructive piece of legislation should not be brought to the Floor today. It appears that this is nothing more than destructive election-year politics pure and simple. It is Republicans following through on their threats to use their authority to try to damage this Administration, politically, and this Attorney General, specifically, who has placed an emphasis on enforcing civil rights, voting rights and defending our justice system and the rule of law.

This kind of divisive politics hurts Americans who want their leaders focused on fixing real problems they face every day and hurts law enforcement agents who are putting their lives at risk in ongoing investigations that could be compromised by the Committee's political fishing expedition.

Congress has the answers to its questions about who designed this flawed operation and who authorized it--they just don't like it so they have ignored the evidence they received last year which shows this was a tactic that was designed and employed in the field and it dates back to the previous Administration.

This Attorney General is the one who put a stop to the tactic, called for an independent investigation and instituted reforms and personnel changes to ensure it doesn't happen again.

The Department has made extraordinary efforts to accommodate Congress by turning over almost 8,000 documents--including all the documents that relate to the tactics in this flawed investigation and the other flawed investigations that occurred in Arizona in the previous administration.

The Department has even turned over internal deliberative material to answer the Committee's questions and the AG offered to provide additional deliberative documentation to resolve the subpoena, but the Committee rejected that offer.

The documents at issue now are after-the-fact--they have nothing to do with the flawed tactics in any of the investigations dating back to the Bush Administration or who designed, approved or employed them.

The resolution relates to a document request involving allegations of ``gunwalking'' in an ATF operation known as ``Operation Fast and Furious,'' which came to light when two weapons involved in the operation were recovered at the murder scene of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.

However, the documents now at issue are completely unrelated to how ``gunwalking'' there is a question about whether gun-waling existed was utilized in the operation. Over the past year, the Justice Department has provided thousands of pages of documents to the Oversight and Government Reform Committee and has made dozens of officials available for interviews and hearings, and the Attorney

General has testified before Congress nine times on this topic. The evidence demonstrated that Fast and Furious was in fact the fourth in a series of gunwalking operations run out of the ATF field division in Phoenix over a span of five years beginning in 2006 during the Bush Administration.

The investigation identified no evidence that the Attorney General or senior Department officials were aware of gunwalking in Fast and Furious. To the contrary, as soon as the Attorney General became aware of the tactic, he put a halt to it, ordered an IG investigation, and instituted internal reform measures.

The House of Representatives has never held an Attorney General in contempt. The only precedent cited in the Issa contempt resolution is a committee contempt vote that took place in the 1990's held by then- Chairman Dan Burton against former Attorney General Janet Reno. That action became so widely discredited that Speaker Gingrich chose not to bring it to the Floor for a vote.

The current contempt debate no longer focuses on any documents relating to how gunwalking was initiated and utilized in Operation Fast and Furious. Since Republicans could identify no wrongdoing by the Attorney General, the Committee shifted just last week to focus exclusively on a single letter sent by the Department's Office of Legislative Affairs to Senator Charles Grassley on February 4, 2011, initially denying allegations of gunwalking. The Department has already acknowledged that its letter was inaccurate, has withdrawn the letter, and has provided the Committee with more than 1,300 pages of documents relating to how it was drafted.

These documents show that Department staffers who drafted the letter did not intentionally mislead Congress, but instead relied on inaccurate assurances from ATF leaders and officials in Arizona who ran the operation. Despite these good faith efforts, House Republicans chose to move forward with a contempt resolution anyway.

Moving the goalposts again, the Committee is now demanding additional internal deliberative documents created even after the Grassley letter was sent. The Attorney General offered to provide them last week in exchange for a good faith commitment to move toward resolution of the contempt fight, but Chairman Issa flatly refused. When it became clear that contempt was inevitable, the Administration asserted executive privilege over this narrow category of deliberative Department documents, while indicating at the same time that it remains willing to continue negotiations.

The Issa contempt resolution is nothing more than a politically motivated, election-year ploy. During this investigation, the Committee refused every Democratic request for a hearing witness, including the head of ATF--the agency that actually ran the operation.

Chairman Issa has acknowledged that ``we do go down blind alleys regularly'' and has made numerous unfounded claims, including accusing the FBI agents of concealing a ``third gun'' from the scene of Agent Terry's murder--a claim that the FBI quickly demonstrated to be completely unfounded.

I rise today because this is a great country. In fact, I would call it the greatest country in the world.

Throughout my life's history, although we have traveled mountains and low valleys, I have been equal and unequal in this Nation. Yet today I feel as tall as the pine trees because our Supreme Court shed itself of diverse and sometimes divisive bickering and upheld the Constitution of the United States.

It granted to the American people affordable health care. It granted to the sickest of the sick the opportunity to be covered by insurance. It granted to seniors who fall into doughnut holes and who have to choose prescription drugs over food a relief line. It granted to hospitals that take in indigent patients who may otherwise die on sidewalks in America an opportunity to take care of those patients. It gave children with preexisting diseases an opportunity to live fully in this country.

So now the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land. We have been vindicated. Every single, single vote of those Members who have lost and of those who have won, we've been vindicated. Thank God for the United States Supreme Court.

Mr. Speaker, this is a solemn place and a solemn moment when Members come to express their views.

A previous speaker drew us to heroes, and we thank those who have served us in the United States military. This morning I draw us toward constitutional and congressional responsibility. It is all intertwined in the honor that we have in serving in this august institution entrusted to us by the American public, our individual constituents.

I first suggest that earlier this week the Supreme Court established the superiority of the United States Government in immigration reform. In all of the points that were brought by the State of Arizona, two- thirds were rejected under the understanding and the law that the United States Government is in charge of immigration enforcement, immigration benefits, and that we should do our job.

For the one provision that remained standing--and as the ranking member formally of the Immigration Subcommittee and on Homeland Security, I see this every day. Having just come from Arizona, I have seen the good work Congressman Grijalva and Congressman Pastor and others are doing. I know that we are working to ensure the safety of the border, but I also recognize the need for the dignity of human beings. I fight for the dignity.

Congress should get out of the way in terms of being in the midst of confusion and stand in the way and close the gap on immigration reform. The only provision left standing was a provision that the Court warned the State that if they engage in racial profiling, that too may be proven unconstitutional.

Law enforcement officers have always had the right in a legitimate stop to ask for the credentials of anyone they stop. The question is now burdening those officers to see who they stop and why they stop. Again, I speak to the issue of congressional responsibility.

Now I come to the act that is going to take place tomorrow, and a number of us are writing the Speaker and asking and imploring him, as Speaker Newt Gingrich did in 1998, refusing to bring forward a contempt charge against Janet Reno that was pointedly personal. We suggest now that there is much work to be done. As my colleague indicated, this case could be taken to the courts to determine what documents should be brought in.

In addition, the work has not been completed. Kenneth Melson, who headed the ATF, has never been allowed to speak before the committee to explain that he never told any of the officials, including the Attorney General, about the intricacies of Fast and Furious. The former Attorney General, who has

appeared before the Judiciary Committee on a number of times, I know that he would not in any way flee from coming and telling what he knew. General Mukasey, he has not been asked.

There have been 7,600 documents presented to the Oversight Committee, but yet we will be on the floor tomorrow in a purely personal relating of why Attorney General Holder, a lifelong law enforcement officer, the senior officer of the United States, the one who has come riding in and helping the most vulnerable in the United States, those who cannot get to vote, the disabled, and others who have been denied by the oppressive rules that have been passed by many States.

Thank God for the Federal Government and the attorney general of the United States. If it had not been for him, I would not be standing here because I would have still been bent down in the Deep South with hoses on top of me because the General of the United States in the 1960s and the Department of Justice came in and helped Dr. Martin Luther King after Bull Connor turned those hoses on in Birmingham.

Tomorrow we malign the very officer that has come to the aid of any American, those whose homes are being foreclosed. This General led a massive settlement to be able to stand and to be able to provide for the most vulnerable of Americans.

Congress has the responsibility of creating jobs, of passing an important transportation HUD bill that will provide housing and rebuilding of our highways and freeways. Tomorrow we will stop and pause and begin to call each other names and to take a man whose very life has been in public service, who has led the Department of Justice with dignity and respect, who has answered questions, who has prepared, who has appeared before us with a demeanor that is respective of his position. All I ask is that we not bring this to the floor and cooler heads will come and sit down and resolve the remaining documents.

For the love of this Nation, for the patriotism and the honor of serving in the United States Congress, I beg of this Speaker and this House: Do not go down the pathway of contempt. I beg of you to raise this House to a level of dignity.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5889, ``The Nuclear Terrorism Conventions, Safety of Maritime Navigation Act.''

As the Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Committee, Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure, I am well- aware of the gravity of nuclear terrorism conventions. It must be noted that Americans may disagree on a lot of things--something that is reflected in this body every day--but when it comes to securing our Homeland--we generally have come together.

By imposing fines and punishment on onerous acts, this bill will hopefully serve as a deterrent to those who seek to commit such acts. It also prevents the transport of certain materials which, in their ordinary course are not those which would be transported outside of certain commercially permitted uses.

H.R. 5889 would implement four multilateral counterterrorism treaties. The bill was introduced on June 5, 2012 by Representative Lamar Smith, Committee Chairman, with Representatives John Conyers, Jr. Committee Ranking Member; Bobby Scott Crime Subcommittee Ranking Member; and F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr., Crime Subcommittee Chairman, as original cosponsors. H.R. 5889 has bipartisan support and is the result of extensive negotiations with the Administration, the State Department, and the Department of Justice. I appreciate the work of my colleagues on this legislation and look forward to the enactment of more bi-partisan legislation in the near future.

The Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security held a hearing on this proposal on October 4, 2011. As I recall, witnesses included representatives from the Department of Justice and the Department of State.

A. General Background

This legislation is designed to implement four multilateral counterterrorism treaties, each an update to existing international law. The four treaties include:

The International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (``NTC''), which requires party nations to criminalize acts of terrorism involving radioactive material. The NTC entered into force on July 7, 2007. Of the thirteen multilateral counterterrorism treaties now in force, it is the only one that the United States has yet to ratify. Moreover, it is the first treaty of its kind adopted after the attacks of September 11, 2001, and thus has symbolic importance.

An amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (``CPPNM''), which creates new security requirements for the use and storage of nuclear materials used for domestic purposes. The amendment will not take effect until it is ratified by two-thirds of the parties to the CPPNM. U.S. ratification will likely create some momentum towards final entry into force.

The 2005 Protocol to the 1988 Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (``SUA Protocol''), which addresses the use of ships in terrorist attacks, as well as the transport of weapons, weapons delivery systems, and terrorist fugitives by sea. The SUA protocol requires twelve ratifications to enter into force; so far, only eleven nations have ratified the 2005 changes.

The 2005 Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms (``Fixed Platform Protocol''), which mirrors the SUA Protocol with respect to offshore platforms. The Fixed Platform Protocol cannot take effect until the SUA Protocol amendment enters into force.

The United States signed all four agreements in 2005, and the Senate passed resolutions of advice and consent for all four treaties on September 25, 2008.

In the words of the Department of State's witness, Thomas M. Countryman, at an earlier hearing this session, ``First, the proposed implementing legislation will ensure that the United States complies with our international obligations under each treaty to criminalize certain conduct and establish criminal jurisdiction over that conduct. The criminal offenses covered under these treaties are serious offenses involving nuclear terrorism, WMD proliferation, maritime terrorism, and unlawful maritime transport of WMD and their delivery systems. There is international consensus that countries should cooperate in the prevention, investigation, and prosecution of these offenses. The proposed implementing legislation will both fill gaps within U.S. law and facilitate international cooperation with foreign partners under the framework of these treaties.

Second, the proposed implementing legislation is modeled after legislation passed by Congress to implement earlier counterterrorism treaties. Most recently, in 2002 Congress passed legislation to implement two treaties which focused on terrorist bombings and terrorist finance. The form of the proposed legislation tracks that which has been successfully used in the past. Indeed, the proposed legislation for the 2005 SUA Protocols itself amends legislation originally passed by Congress to implement the SUA Convention and Fixed Platforms Protocol. Just as the 2005 SUA Protocols amend those earlier treaties, so would the proposed legislation amend U.S. law implementing those treaties.''

According to the Department of Justice, the United States cannot ratify these four agreements until Congress has amended the federal criminal code to bring it into line with these new treaty obligations. Early this Congress, the Obama Administration submitted a legislative proposal to Congress to implement these changes. This proposal was substantially identical to two earlier proposals in the 110th and 111th Congresses.

At the October 2011 Subcommittee hearing, members questioned the apparent over breadth of the Administration's proposed legislation. Several provisions seemed completely outside the scope of the requirements of the treaties, e.g., an expansion of the scope of conduct subject to the death penalty, new wiretap predicates, and authorization for the President to conduct similar agreements in the future without congressional approval. With the full cooperation of the Majority, Committee staff negotiated implementing legislation that does not include these troubling provisions.

The Obama Administration has also indicated its official support for the bill. And I too will support this measure and look forward to receiving timely official reports as we attempt to secure our navigable waterways and prevent acts of terrorism.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4223, the ``Safe Doses Act of 2012'' which amends Title 18, United States Code, to prohibit theft of medical products, and for other purposes.

More specifically, this bill will prohibit theft of pre-retail products such as drugs, medical devices and infant formula. Likewise, it forbids one from alternating labels of pre-retail medical products, transporting stolen or counterfeit medical products and purchasing or distributing expired medical products with the intent to deceive others and passing such products off as authentic.

Due to the increased activity in counterfeit drugs it is critical that Congress lay down harsher parameters so that potential criminals are faced with more deterrents should they consider participating in such behavior.

As a Representative from Houston, Texas, it is of grave concern that consumers and law enforcement officials are protected given the proximity of Texas to the Mexican border. It is not inconceivable that crime syndicates operating on both sides could cause significant problems by stealing drugs and selling them in Mexico.

The theft of large scale medical products has become a growing concern; thus, this legislation aims to toughen the penalties for individuals who place thousands of lives in danger by stealing large quantities of medical products and re-introducing such products in the legitimate supply chain including pharmacies and hospitals.

This bill is encouraged by pharmaceutical companies after instances of fraud appeared within the industry. According to an FDA affidavit, in 2009, a truck containing over 120,000 vials of insulin was stolen in North Carolina. After being improperly stored the product was illegally resold into distribution by wholesalers reaching medical centers in many other states including my state of Texas.

While some diabetic patients reported the drugs after usage and noticing poor blood sugar control, the actual amount of innocent people who received the spoiled product in pharmacies in 17 states is unknown. It was determined that the insulin was purchased from a national distribution company only one day after the medication was reported stolen. While some arrests were made in relation to this incident, over 125,000 vials of insulin were never located.

Incidents such as these are ones which this bill is intended to prevent. Serious public health and safety implications arise based on the improper care of medical products which may be both ineffective and harmful to unsuspecting patients.

Currently, Title 18 of the United States Code sets forth penalties of a fine and/or imprisonment of no more than 10 years for involvement in such crimes. While I am not quick to increase sentences, keeping one imprisoned after they have served their time, I am of the belief that consumers purchasing medicine should be able to do so with the confidence that what they are paying for is real and safe. Thus those criminals that take actions to threaten the life of another by engaging in the

transportation of counterfeit drugs should be locked up.

Despite the lack of evidence supporting the contention that offenders are less likely to engage in such deviant behavior once they are aware of federal laws increasing fines and longer penalties, I support this bipartisan measure to help ensure that our everyday Americans in need of medication are not falling prey to criminals intending to defraud them of necessary medical products.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4018, the ``Public Safety Officers' Benefits Improvements Act of 2012,'' which would modify the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Act (PSOBA) of 1976 which currently provides benefits payments to certain survivors of public safety officers who are killed or permanently and totally disabled in the line of duty. Under current law, the families of public safety officers who have died as a result of injuries sustained in the line of duty are eligible for a one-time payment of about $320,000. Public safety officers who have been permanently disabled are eligible for the same payment, but this payment is subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

As a Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Committee, Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure, I am well aware that there are currently gaps in the laws as it pertains to those safety officers who put their lives on the line but may not have the high profiles of police officers or firefighters. Nevertheless, for those unsung heroes and faithful men and women who continually place their own well being in danger for the sake of saving the lives of strangers, this bill is a mere step in the right direction by expanding the types of benefits available to their families when serious injuries or deaths occur.

H.R. 4018 narrows the eligibility of members of rescue squads or ambulance crews for benefits under the PSOB program; as a result, some individuals would no longer receive benefits that they could receive under current laws.

The bill prevents individuals from receiving certain benefits under the program if they receive payments from the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. Likewise, this legislation would make many technical and administrative changes that aim to expedite the processing of claims for benefits.

Over the years the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Act has been amended to expand the scope of the definitions ``member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew'' and ``public safety officer.'' This definition now includes an officially recognized or designated employee or volunteer member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew that is a public agency of a nonprofit entity serving the public that is officially authorized or licensed to engage in rescue activity or to provide emergency medical services and that is officially designated as a prehospital emergency medical response agency.

The Act provides death benefits in the form of a single financial payment to eligible survivors of public safety officers whose death is the direct and proximate result of a personal injury during the performance of duty. Additionally the Act provides for financial assistance to help pay higher education costs for the children and spouses of public safety officers for whom disability benefits have been paid.

This bill is needed to efficiently support the families devastated by death or catastrophic injuries sustained while acting in the official capacity of a public safety officer's job. It is my hope that by supporting this bill Congress can come together to better accommodate, acknowledge and assist the brave public safety officers who sustain injuries while serving members of their communities across this great country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H.R. 4005, the ``Gauging American Port Security'' or GAPS Act. This act will direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct a study and report to Congress on gaps in port security in the United States as well as provide plans to address them.

As a senior Member of the Homeland Security Committee, I know that the threats against the nation are constantly changing and ever present. Ensuring the safety and security of our ports is a measure that will directly address some of these threats and maintain the economic well-being of our port system.

Over 11 million cargo containers arrive in our ports each year, bringing in imports from across the world. By placing these additional measures on the Department of Homeland Security, we are enabling ports to conduct business without fear that these daily imports are a threat to national security. As a representative from the 18th Congressional District of Houston, I represent one of the world's busiest ports. Houston is linked to 1,053 ports in 203 countries through about 100 steamship lines. The ship channel is a part of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, which is a very busy barge traffic lane. Houston is also one of only eight U.S. cities to have a regional office of the U.S. Export- Import Bank.

The Port of Houston is essential to regional economic stability. A 2012 study by Martin Associates reports the port helps provide 1,026,820 jobs throughout Texas, which is an increase of 785,000 jobs in its 2007 study. The port brings in more than $178.5 billion a year, including over $4.5 billion in state and local tax revenues.

In addition, the Port of Houston also boasts the nation's largest petrochemical complex. Houston is known as a gateway for cargo traveling to the West and Midwest regions of our nation.

Although the Port is integral to Houston's development, as well as to the nation's economic development, its financial strength is not possible without strong security measures in place.

The heavy traffic flow of imports and exports that come through the port each day can leave room for drug trafficking and terrorists activities to take place. Although the Port of Houston, and ports across the U.S. boasts that they are secure and in line with nationally mandated security measures, it is my hope that the GAPS act will address any and all individual security shortcoming that each port may face that make them vulnerable to attacks against the Homeland.

The Port of Houston and the majority of ports across the nation have a remarkable track record of accomplishments that I hope to see continue. But their economic success and efficiency will only be hindered without additional security measures in place. This is why I urge my colleagues to support the provisions of H.R. 4005.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1447, ``Aviation Security Stakeholder Participation Act of 2011.'' Currently the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA's) Aviation Security Advisory Committee advises the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security on issues related to aviation security. This bill:

(1) authorizes the existence of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee,

(2) ensures key stakeholders with first knowledge of the security challenges our aviation system faces have a voice when TSA is considering implementing security policies and

(3) establishes specific working groups to address cargo, perimeter and general aviation.

I firmly believe that more can be done to protect and improve upon the security of our Nation's airways which is why I have consistently introduced legislation to improve our Nation's defense against security threats. The District I represent in Houston, Texas is home to two of the world's busiest airports, and the Johnson Space Center. Air transportation in the Houston metro area is about 30% above the national average and in Texas, the aviation industry employs nearly 200,000 people. We need to ensure that all cargo flight operations are secure, protect aircraft from laser attacks, and implement a threat- based security system.

Because of the necessity of H.R. 1447's implications, it already has the support of the U.S. Travel Association, Cargo Airline Association and the Airports Council International--North America. In addition it has received the unanimous support of the Committee on Homeland Security.

Mr. Speaker, these entities and the Homeland Security Committee recognize it is imperative to continue to ensure to strengthen the aviation industry's effort to make sure all travelers and cargo are safe traveling within and through the United States.

Enhanced security protects our economic interests: air cargo is over a $60 billion industry, and according to the International Air Transport Association, transports 35% of the value of goods traded globally. More importantly, implementing this bill will protect our citizens. Well trained employees and representatives are essential in recognizing suspicious activity and people that want to endanger our travelers.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3173, ``to reform the process for enrollment, activation, issuance, and renewal of a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) to require not more than one in-person visit to a designated enrollment center.'' This legislation removes economic tensions placed on workers due to unnecessary commutes to an enrollment center. The TWIC serves as a vital security measure that ensures that individuals who pose a threat do not gain unescorted access to secure areas of the nation's maritime transportation system. Without a doubt, it is a necessary precaution for the protection of the America's assets. However, the current system for the acquirement of a TWIC is inefficient, superfluous, and costly for American transportations workers.

In addition to the $129.75 that transportation employees must pay every 5 years to obtain the TWIC, they must also make two or more trips to an enrollment center to obtain it. In most cases, the nearest enrollment center is hundreds of miles away from the worker's home. With national gas prices averaging nearly $4 a gallon, any mode of transportation chosen by the worker can quickly become pricey.

This bill seeks to eliminate the pointless red-tape in the attainment of a TWIC, in which millions of Americans are subject to hefty transportation costs to travel back and forth to the enrollment centers to obtain their TWIC.

Mr. Speaker, as you are aware, many of our fellow Americans face tough economic situations. It truly is imperative to remove this excess and unnecessary burden placed on the American workers.

As a Member of the Committee of Homeland Security, ensuring the protection of our interests from domestic threats is one of my top priorities. Although TWIC does just that, I feel that we must also endeavor to protect the interest of our own citizens. It simply just is not an economically viable option to expect our transportation workers to pay for two or more round trip journeys for the TWIC. To avoid imposing these unnecessary burdens on United States workers, it is imperative that Congress enact this legislation.

This bill passed unanimously out of the Homeland Security Committee with broad bipartisan support. I believe this is because H.R. 3173 is the text-book example of a win-win situation; there are no foreseen negative consequences to the enactment of this bill. It will simply allow our American transportation workers to breathe a little easier.

This reform of the TWIC Application system will make a huge impact on transportation workers and their families. Because of it, millions of people will not lose money and precious time with loved ones by making unnecessary trips to TWIC enrollment centers.

I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3173, The TWIC Application Reform.

Mr. Speaker, during the consideration of the Domestic Energy and Jobs Act of 2012 I was unavoidably detained on business in the district; and I would like to place in the Record the following statements regarding the amendments:

The Hastings amendment, ``no.''

The Waxman amendment, ``yes.''

The Connolly amendment, ``no.''

The Gene Green amendment, ``yes.''

The Rush amendment, ``yes.''

The Holt amendment, ``yes.''

The Lewis amendment, ``yes.''

The Amodei amendment, ``no.''

The Markey amendment, ``yes.''

The Landry amendment, ``yes.''

The Rigell amendment, ``no.''

The Holt amendment, ``yes.''

The Wittman amendment, ``no.''

The Bass amendment, ``yes.''

The Capps amendment, ``yes.''

The Speier amendment, ``yes.''

The DeLauro amendment, ``yes.''

The Democratic motion to recommit, ``yes.''

Passage, ``no.''

Below are the descriptions of the amendments to H.R. 4480 that were voted on this past Thursday, when I was absent from votes.

Hastings (WA) Manager's Amendment (Roll 392)--Overturns the EPA designation of the Colville River in Alaska as an Aquatic Resource of National Importance and requires additional right of ways in the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPR-A); makes technical changes.

Waxman Amendment (Roll 393)--Provides that the rules described in section 205(a) shall not be delayed if the pollution that would be controlled by the rules contributes to asthma attacks, acute and chronic bronchitis, heart attacks, cancer, birth defects, neurological damage, premature death, or other serious harms to human health.

Connolly Amendment (Roll 394)--Defines the term ``public health'' in the Clean Air Act as the health of humans, not corporations.

Gene Green Amendment (Roll 395)--Strikes section 206 of the bill, which would fundamentally change the way the Clean Air Act establishes national ambient air quality standards for smog. Instead of the standards being health-based, section 206 would have them be set based on the potential cost of pollution controls.

Rush Amendment (Roll 396)--Provides that Sections 205 and 206 shall cease to be effective if the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration determines that implementation of this title is not projected to lower gasoline prices and create jobs in the United States within 10 years.

Holt Amendment (Roll 397)--Seeks to reduce the number of onshore leases on which oil and gas production is not occurring as an incentive for oil and gas companies to begin producing on the leases that they already hold.

Connolly/Lewis (GA) Amendment (Roll 398)--Clarifies that the section requiring a $5,000 protest fee shall not infringe upon the protections afforded by the First Amendment to the Constitution to petition for the redress of grievances.

Amodei Amendment (Roll 399)--Prohibits the Secretary of the Interior from considering merging of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM).

Markey Amendment (Roll 400)--Prohibits oil and gas produced under new leases authorized by this legislation from being exported to foreign countries, ensuring American resources remain here to benefit American consumers.

Landry Amendment (Roll 401)--Would increase future federal deficits by raising the cap of revenue shared among the Gulf States who produce energy on the Outer Continental Shelf starting in FY2023 from $500 million to $750 million, awarding these 4 Gulf States another $6 billion in addition to the $150 billion they will already receive under current law.

Rigell Amendment (Roll 402)--Requires Lease Sale 220 off the coast of Virginia in the 5 Year Plan for OCS oil and gas drilling and to conduct Lease Sale 220 within one year of enactment. In addition, the Amendment would also ensure that no oil and gas drilling may be conducted off the coast of Virginia which would conflict with military operations.

Holt Amendment (Roll 403)--Ends free drilling in the Gulf of Mexico by requiring oil companies to pay royalties on previously royalty-free leases in order to receive new leases on public lands.

Wittman/Rigell Amendment (Roll 404)--Would establish a new regulatory program and waive environmental review for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to approve temporary infrastructure, such as towers or buoys, to test and develop offshore wind power in the Outer Continental Shelf.

Bass (CA) Amendment (Roll 405)--Requires the newly created interagency committee to analyze how to protect American consumers from gasoline price spikes by reducing America's dependence on oil.

Capps Amendment (Roll 406)--Removes the requirements in Title II of the bill to conduct an analysis, issue a report, and delay rules if the Secretary of Energy determines that the analyses are ``infeasible to conduct, require data that does not exist, or would generate results subject to such large estimates of uncertainty that the results would be neither reliable nor useful.''

Speier Amendment (Roll 407)--Strikes language in the underlying legislation that would require drilling permits to be deemed approved a 60 day deadline, which could expose public lands to undue risk.

DeLauro/Markey/Frank Amendment (Roll 408)--Would require $128 million received from the sale of new leases issued pursuant to this legislation to be made available to fully fund the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to limit Wall Street speculation in energy markets.

I thank the ranking member, and I thank the chairman of the full committee, of the subcommittee, both chair and ranking member.

I do too want to take a moment to thank the ranking member for his long service to this Nation. As he has been a member of the Appropriations Committee, we can count his work inside this House. But I really think the American people, Mr. Olver, owe you a moment of gratitude for the work and commitments that you've shown in making sure that those who need help can get help, and I want to pay tribute to you this evening.

I also want to indicate that we understand that we are living in difficult times. But I raise concerns about funding, living in the fourth largest city in the Nation, where we see enormous congestion, and the importance of transit dollars; $900 million, fortunately, came to Houston after a long, long wait to build a light-rail system. Those dollars need to continue.

Housing plays a very important role. In the city of Galveston, for example, they have been the recipient of $700 million after Hurricane Ike to use for the restoration of private housing, infrastructure and, of course, public housing. To cut those lines of funding will, in essence, impact communities around the Nation that are impacted by disaster. Losing the full funding of the TIGER grant--and I support the gentlelady from California, Ms. Waters' amendment to restore those dollars--they create jobs.

So it is important, as we look at this bill, that we look at it from the perspective of solving the hurt of Americans who've been impacted by disaster, of improving mobility, ensuring that we put Americans back to work with funding for transportation and the infrastructure. I cite Galveston in particular because there is a conflict going on with respect to the importance of public and private housing.

The situation in Galveston resulted from a unique impact of Hurricane Ike. Mr. Chairman, most think that the surge would come from the larger body of water, but the surge came from the bay and really impacted low-income individuals who didn't have any flood insurance or had already paid for their house, it had been in their families for years. And through the largesse of the Congress and HUD, a $700 million package was presented to restore that area and those houses and those families, many of whom I visited in tents.

We have a situation where there's a misunderstanding of the value of those Federal funds, but we do have those Federal funds; and it is in tribute to this Congress, and I want to see funds for public housing, for affordable housing continue.

With that, I would hope that we have an opportunity in the conference or have an opportunity to restore the funds that have had to be cut, because they create jobs, they provide a lifeline for those impacted by disaster, and they create the mobility and infrastructure rebuild that America needs.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, again, as I rise to my feet, I do want to acknowledge both the staffs of the chairman of the subcommittee and the ranking member of the subcommittee for working with my office. And I again want to acknowledge the ranking member, Mr. Olver, again for his service to the Nation, but also for the times that he has worked with Members over the years and for his commitment, again, to the most vulnerable.

This is a bill that really addresses the needs of Americans in their most deepening and expanded need, as I said earlier, mobility, housing, so crucial, infrastructure, and the ability to create jobs and to do good in our municipalities and rural areas. But it is also an opportunity to build capacity, to grow jobs and to build small businesses. And I know that firsthand, working consistently throughout a number of appropriations bills and authorization bills and as a ranking member on the Subcommittee on Transportation Security. In addition to our main task is to look to the needs and help build capacity in America's small businesses.

My amendment will ensure the necessary funds that are appropriated specifically for the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization and the Minority Business Resource Center cannot be used by the Secretary for any other purpose.

Small businesses, women-owned businesses, minority-owned businesses represent more than the American Dream. They represent the American economy. Small businesses account for 95 percent of all employers, create half of our gross domestic product, provide three out of four new jobs in this country; and allocation reduction directly undermines the importance of small businesses, including women-owned businesses and minority-owned businesses to the success of our economy.

Mr. Chairman, many of our utilization, or the utilization of Federal funds, going to our local transit agency, for example, in the instance of Houston Metro, the structure of receiving the funds is something called ``design build.'' Many around the country are using that format, which means that the corporation or the retained contractor has overriding control over the distribution of those funds in the construction of that light rail.

I celebrate light rail. I celebrate the importance of light rail and have done so for the time that I've had the privilege of serving Houston and the 18th Congressional District. But in this instance, it's important to note that in the course of the design build for Houston Metro and HRT, they have dropped their commitment to small minority- and women-owned businesses.

What did I say?

Dropped the commitment--dropped it poorly, dropped it with a negative impact, dropped it impacting women-owned businesses and minority-owned businesses. We've got to get back in order to be able to show that the utilization of those businesses creates jobs. Small businesses have lost an estimated $13.8 billion in business opportunity because they cannot fairly compete for Federal contracts because larger companies are allowed to bundle contracts. In essence, HRT has self-performed instead of sharing those dollars.

The Department of Transportation created the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, OSDBU, as part of the Small Business Act because it recognizes the threat big businesses pose to small business success. Since the OSDBU's creation, it has been a voice for small business and disadvantaged business, ensuring these businesses are provided with the maximum ability to participate in the agency's contracting selection process for contract and subcontract jobs.

These office divisions are numerous. Each of the offices impacts America's entrepreneurs and business ventures in several key ways. For instance, the Women's Procurement Assistance Committee provides women- owned businesses with best practices of business growth and increases awareness of opportunities.

I met on the job, Mr. Chairman, a woman who had taken over the business of her husband, who had died of cancer. She had a household to lead, and she was trying to do this kind of construction work. At the time, she

had been given by HRT safety work, just holding up a sign. I'm glad because of the encouragement, the utilization of this particular office, our office pushing, that she now is more advanced in the contract that she is securing. But it has to be encouraged.

This amendment is to ensure that we don't leave out small disadvantaged, women-owned and minority-owned businesses. The office's short-term lending program is able to give qualifying small businesses loans with competitive interest rates for DOT contracts and subcontracts.

In conjunction with the OSDBU, the Minority Business Resource Center is responsible for promoting the use of small businesses. My home State of Texas was chosen as the headquarters for the OSDBU gulf region. In my home city of Houston, Texas, there are more than 60,000 women-owned businesses and more than 60,000 African American-owned businesses and thousands of other businesses--Asian and Latino.

I am asking my colleagues to support this amendment because it is an amendment that ensures that we put minority-, women-owned and disadvantaged small businesses to work under this legislation.

Mr. Chair, I rise today to offer my amendments to ``the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year (FY) 2013.'' My amendments will assure the necessary funds that are appropriated specifically for the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization and the Minority Business Resource Center cannot be used by the Secretary for another purpose, thereby protecting the funds for their intended use.

Small businesses represent more than the American dream--they represent the American economy. Small businesses account for 95 percent of all employers, create half of our gross domestic product, and provide three out of four new jobs in this country. An allocation reduction directly undermines the importance of small businesses including women-owned business and minority-owned business to the success of our economy.

Small businesses have lost an estimated $13.8 billion in business opportunity because they could not fairly compete for federal contracts because larger companies are allowed to bundle contracts.

The Department of Transportation created the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) as part of the Small Business Act because it recognizes the threat big businesses pose to small business success.

Since the OSDBU's creation, it has been a voice for small and disadvantaged business, ensuring these businesses are provided with the maximum ability to participate in the agency's contracting selection process for contract and subcontract jobs.

These office divisions are numerous; each of the offices impacts America's entrepreneurs and business ventures in several key ways. For instance, its Women's Procurement Assistance Committee (WPAC) provides women-owned businesses with best practices for business growth and increases awareness of the opportunities these businesses have to participate in transportation-related contracts and subcontracts.

The office's short term lending program is able to give qualifying small business loans with competitive interest rates for DOT contracts and subcontracts.

In conjunction with the OSDBU, the Minority Business Resource Center is responsible for promoting the use of small businesses in prime and subcontracting opportunities in accordance with Federal laws, regulations and policy.

Through its funding, the Center is able to offer several professional development services, including: market research, business training, counseling, technical assistance, and access to capital for transportation related projects.

My home state of Texas was chosen as the headquarters for the OSDBU gulf region program.

In my home city of Houston, Texas there are more than 60,000 women owned businesses, and more than 60,000 African American owned businesses.

The OSDBU supports qualifying businesses who attempt to secure contracts and subcontracts with the DOT. In addition, its women internship program sponsors 12 schools in the gulf region women's internship program.

Shifting funds for the OSDBU and the Minority Business Resource Center will hinder its ability to continue fair hiring practices, which will in turn affect small businesses' ability to secure top contracts, provide employment opportunities in their community and ultimately survive in the business world.

This will send the message that Congress is more concerned with the strength of big business, than assisting the DOT in partnering with everyday American business men and women who take pride in their companies, and only aspire to positively empower their communities and create economic stability in the nation. For these reasons and more I urge my colleagues to protect funds for the DOT's budget for the Minority Business Resource Center and the OSDBU.

Moreover, 99 percent of all independent companies and businesses in the United States are considered small businesses. They are the engine of our economy, creating two-thirds of the new jobs over the last 15 years. America's 27 million small businesses continue to face a lack of credit and tight lending standards, with the number of small businesses loans down nearly 5 million since the financial crisis in 2008.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, these small businesses account for 52 percent of all U.S. workers. These small businesses also provide a continuing source of vitality for the American economy. Small businesses in the U.S. produced three-fourths of the economy's new jobs between 1990 and 1995, and represent an entry point into the economy for new groups. Women, for instance, participate heavily in small businesses.

The number of female-owned businesses climbed by 89 percent, to an estimated 8.1 million, between 1987 and 1997, and women-owned sole proprietorships were expected to reach 35 percent of all such ventures by the year 2000. Small firms also tend to hire a greater number of older workers and people who prefer to work part-time.

A major strength of small businesses is their ability to respond quickly to changing economic conditions. They often know their customers personally and are especially suited to meet local needs.

There are tons of stories of start-up companies catching national attention and growing into large corporations. Just a few examples of these types of start-up businesses making big include the computer software company Microsoft; the package delivery service Federal Express; sports clothing manufacturer Nike; the computer networking firm America OnLine; and ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's.

We must always ensure that we place a high level of priority on small businesses.

It is equally important that we work towards ensuring that ALL small businesses receive the tools and resources necessary for their continued growth and development.

American small businesses are the heart beat of our nation. I believe that small businesses represent more than the American dream--they represent the American economy.

Small businesses account for 95 percent of all employers, create half of our gross domestic product, and provide three out of four new jobs in this country.

Small business growth means economic growth for the nation. But to keep this segment of our economy thriving, entrepreneurs need access to loans and programs.

Through loans, small business owners can expand their businesses, hire more workers and provide more goods and services.

I have worked hard to help small business owners to fully realize their potential. That is why I support my amendments which will ensure funding directed to entrepreneurial development offices and centers, such as the office of the Small Disadvantage Business Utilization and the Minority Business Resource Center are remained in tact. These initiatives provide counseling in a variety of critical areas, including business plan development, finance, and marketing. We must consider what impact changes in this appropriations bill will have on small businesses.

There are 5.8 million minority owned businesses in the United States, representing a significant aspect of our economy. In 2007, minority owned businesses employed nearly 6 million Americans and generated $1 trillion dollars in economic output.

Women owned businesses have increased 20% since 2002, and currently total close to 8 million. These organizations make up more than half of all businesses in health care and social assistance.

My home city of Houston, Texas is home to more than 6o,000 women owned businesses, and more than 60,000 African American owned businesses.

According to a 2009 report published by the Economic Policy Institute, ``Starting in 2004, the Small Business Administration (SBA) set goals for small business participation in federal contracts. It encouraged agencies to award contracts to companies owned by women, veterans, and minorities or those located in economically challenged areas and gave them benchmarks to work toward. The targets are specific: 23% of contracts to small business, 5% to woman-owned small businesses, and 3% to disabled veteran-owned and HUBZone small businesses.''

Women and minority owned businesses generate billions of dollars and employ millions

of people. They are certainly qualified to receive these contracts. A mandatory DOD outreach program would make women and minority owned businesses aware of all of the contract opportunities available to them.

FACTS: Small business are important because they:

(1) Represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms,

(2) Employ just over half of all private sector employees,

(3) Pay 44 percent of total U.S. private payroll,

(4) Generated 64 percent of net new jobs over the past 15 years,

(5) Create more than half of the nonfarm private gross domestic product (GDP),

(6) Hire 40 percent of high tech workers (such as scientists, engineers, and computer programmers),

(7) Are 52 percent home-based and 2 percent franchises,

(8) Made up 97.3 percent of all identified exporters and produced 30.2 percent of the known export value in FY 2007,

(9) Produce 13 times more patents per employee than large patenting firms and twice as likely as large firm patents to be among the one percent most cited.

I yield to the gentleman from Iowa.

I thank the gentleman for accepting the amendment.

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

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

My good friend from Georgia knows we've had a lot of opportunities to work together on many different issues. It seems as if he is raising an issue that would have a sense of agreement, but I have to reluctantly and vigorously oppose the gentleman's amendment.

The Office for Civil Rights in the Department of Transportation losing the amount of money that he has suggested will deprive that office of viable and important staff and resources for compliance.

Frankly, this agency governs billions of dollars of Federal dollars. In addition, it governs actions that deal with accommodations, the utilization of dollars for small, minority, and disadvantaged businesses. The civil rights section has been a section that has ensured that the Federal dollars in transportation are used in a way that is not discriminatory.

I don't believe, in 2012, we need to be rising to eliminate opportunity. We need to expand opportunity. The civil rights section of the Department of Transportation has always been a consistent and efficient subsection of the agency that has been the guidepost of ensuring that our Federal dollars are used appropriately as it relates to Native Americans, used appropriately as it relates to Latinos, African Americans, Caucasians. It is a civil rights office that balances and ensures nondiscrimination, including nondiscrimination against the disabled.

And, frankly, I believe that because of the massiveness of that responsibility--particularly as we look at the needs of the disabled in transportation resources or transportation utilization--that it is crucial that we do not cut to the existing amount of dollars. This is not a lot.

So the impact is greater than what the gentleman believes he will have because he suggests that it is a small amount. It is a great impact. And I would ask the gentleman to consider this amendment as one that has a far-reaching impact and that at this point we do not want to make a statement that civil rights and the equal accommodations that are necessary and the utilization of Federal dollars is acceptable, meaning discrimination is acceptable. Nondiscrimination being, if you will, limited by the funding that has been cut through this amendment. I would ask that our colleagues oppose the amendment.

First of all, I want to congratulate the gentlelady from California for an insightful amendment, and I understand the dilemma that the chairman of the subcommittee is in. But what I would suggest is that we are in such a crisis as relates to both jobs and the needs of urban America, rural America, that the point of order should be waived. And it can be waived. We have waived points of order on a number of occasions. In this instance, I think we have a moment when you have zeroed out for whatever the purposes or reasons for zeroing out, and there's not even minimal amounts of money in the TIGER funding. None at all.

Having just left my district on this past Friday, receiving $15 million in TIGER grants, the first that the city of Houston, the fourth-largest city in the Nation, has ever received, but in that granting there were urban and rural grantees that were able to create jobs.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

And so my argument would be that because of the economic crisis, this is warranting a waiver of the point of order so the gentlelady's amendment can go forward: $500 million that will be utilized to create jobs to rebuild urban and rural America.

I would ask that the point of order be waived.

Mr. Chair, I rise today to debate my amendment No. 27 to H.R. 4480, the ``Strategic Energy Production Act of 2012,'' which would establish an Office of Energy Employment and Training, as well as, an Office of Minority and Women Inclusion that would be responsible for all matters relating to diversity in management, employment, and business activities.

As well as establishing an Office of Minority and Women Inclusion for the purpose of addressing the need for diversity within the DOI and within the pool of businesses that the DOI engages.

Texas serves as proof that the energy industry offers tremendous potential to provide jobs and foster economic growth. As a matter of fact, in 2008, Texas was one of the few States that saw its economy grow; grossing the second highest revenue of all States at $1.2 trillion.

As the Representative of the 18th Congressional District of Houston, Texas, I can attest to the importance of a healthy energy industry. My district is the energy hub of Texas and is recognized worldwide for its energy industry, particularly for oil and natural gas, as well as biomedical research and aeronautics. Renewable energy sources--wind and solar--are also growing economic bases in Houston.

The energy industry and its supporting businesses provide my fellow Texans with tens of thousands of jobs, and have helped keep the State of Texas significantly below the national unemployment rate.

This prosperity can expand well beyond Texas, if the Federal and State governments will act decisively and responsibly to expand domestic energy productions in an environmentally conscious manner, and keep billions of dollars and countless jobs here at home. However I must place emphasis on the need to act both decisively and responsibly. It remains to be seen whether this bill truly accomplishes those goals. My amendment is designed to address the need for training and diversity in the Energy sector.

AMENDMENT No. 27

My amendment recognizes the importance of developing a diverse and highly skilled technical workforce within the Department of Interior.

The Department of Interior reviews permits, and examines lease sales. Further, the DOT is responsible for ensuring that each application meets the highest safety standards.

We should be focused on providing the Department of Interior with trained technical engineers and other such necessary personnel to review drilling permit applications both carefully and thoroughly.

Given the aftermath of the BP Oil spill, it is easy to understand the importance of addressing all safety concerns prior to the issuance of oil and gas lease sales.

Since the disaster federal safety regulations have been tightened, spill containment response capability has been enhanced and lessons have been learned.

These lessons must be understood by everyone involved in reviewing and approving each and every application for permits and lease sales.

Responsible onshore drilling includes having our best minds working to carefully and diligently review each application. This amendment is intended to include both women and minorities in the process.

This amendment is designed to ensure that DOT is able to recruit, retain and train skilled professionals, many of whom require a science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) backgrounds. The DOT will be encouraged to reach out to high school students, college students, and professional.

My Amendment establishes an Office of Energy Employment and Training which will oversee the efforts of the Department of Interior's energy planning, permitting, and regulatory actives related to this Act.

This Office will be responsible for issuing quarterly reports to the Secretary which will include the amount of jobs created by the DOT, as well as, reporting the types of job training programs that have been implemented or proposed.

This amendment also addresses the need to encourage diversity within the Department of Interior. By creating an the Office of Minority and Women Inclusion which is specifically designed to encourage diversity by reaching out to both women and minorities.

Specifically the DOT will have a Director appointed by the Secretary of the Interior who will develop clear standards for equal employment opportunities and will address the need for increased racial, ethnic, and gender diversity at both the junior and senior management levels of the Department.

This amendment would require the DOT to take affirmative steps to seek diversity in the workforce of the Department at all levels of the Department.

These steps would include recruiting at historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic-service institutions, and women's colleges and other majority minority service institutions. The Department will be able to find qualified candidates from diverse backgrounds if they expand the pool of candidates from which they select candidates.

The DOT would be required to sponsor job fairs in urban communities and partner with organization that are focused on developing opportunities for both minorities and women in the energy industry.

Again, it is the job of the Department of the Interior to ensure that all lease sales meet the highest reasonable standards for safety. This amendment is meant to include encourage and ensure that women and minorities have a fair opportunity to participate in making these types of decisions the DOI.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting my Amendment No. 27 to

Madam Speaker, the Constitution is an enormously important document. The oversight of Congress is an enormously important responsibility. Lives lost in the course of various activities of our law enforcement are issues that we take with great concern.

As a member of the Judiciary Committee, it has been my responsibility over the years, from impeachments to Waco to issues beyond, to look deep into the facts, and I respect that. I'm appalled, however, when the chief law enforcement officer of the United States is called a liar. And I stand on this floor to reject any thought that a

United States Attorney that takes an oath of office would lie.

We can find a resolution to the facts of Fast and Furious, started under the Bush administration, that have been reinvestigated and reinvestigated. But we do not have to malign Attorney General Holder for doing his job. And I would ask this Congress to ultimately reject any contempt charge against the chief law enforcement officer, and to denounce lying.

Mr. Speaker, I've had the pleasure of chairing the Congressional Children's Caucus for a number of years, having founded it almost a decade ago.

I'm delighted to have, as part of our agenda, a number of issues dealing with mentoring, nutrition, obesity, issues dealing with now a phenomena that is raging across our Nation, bullying, and introduced legislation just 6 months ago and now revised legislation that deals with renewing the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant, as well as providing intervention on these issues.

I'm looking forward to bipartisan support because, as we've seen statistics across America, children as young as pre-K and kindergarten now can interpret actions as bullying. We need to give help and relief to school districts and parents and families, and most of all, a public statement that that action is intolerable and that we want our children to go to schools and playgrounds and places that they will find comfort and enjoyment as a child.

That brings me also to my commitment to science, technology, engineering, and math. I was very pleased to be involved in a program that provided opportunity for sixth and seventh grade boys at risk. It gave them math and science in the morning with what we called the SMART board, and then in the afternoon they played with college football players and learned the skills of football with various sports leagues. Of course, we had the corporate support.

So I raised the question to my good friend, the company Halliburton, and asked for their CEO, who was supportive of this program last summer, to recognize the value of science, technology, engineering, and math, and respond to the needs of these inner-city boys in Houston, the place where the company is located with so many employees. I'm reminded of going to give comfort to many of their employees when KBR was owned by Halliburton and they had tragically lost employees in Iraq. It was my chance to go and respond to that crisis and to give my sympathy. That's the way we are as neighbors, but they are not acting neighborly now. And there are a number of boys, the same kind of children that I see that come here to Washington all the time. Of course, these at-risk boys have probably never been out of the city of Houston, but they are in school districts across the city. Isn't it a shame that we can't get a response, with all the great employees that I know care about the city, to be able to support these children? I ask for the CEO to respond to these at-risk boys. I'll certainly be looking forward to engaging and making sure that that happens. It's very important.

I understand that there has been some question about an executive order that deals with helping children again across this Nation, children who have come to the United States not of their own accord, who were brought by their parents and have been here since the age of 16 and have attempted, like

many children that I see, to do the right thing, to get a high school diploma, to be in the United States service, to get a GED that happened to have come and they're unstatused.

This issue has been before the Congress for 11 years. In fact, there was an effort passed by the House that moved to the Senate, as was instructed, and the Senate refused to move forward on something called the DREAM Act. If you look at all of our cases and our caseload in our respective districts, particularly those of us in the Southwest, there are tons of cases that have come in that will bring tears to your eyes, children being deported away from their families or families being separated.

Let me disabuse you of the notion that this is not done under the law. There is a regulatory scheme under the Homeland Security Department that allows discretionary determination about deportation or whether or not someone should go into deportation. These are children. The President did the right thing by having an executive order that utilized the powers by the Secretary of Homeland Security under the Code of Federal Regulations to be able to use that discretion. It's the right thing to do.

Congress, it's not too late, my colleagues, Republicans and Democrats, to come forward and support the DREAM Act that has been introduced over and over again, that had bipartisan support. In fact, it's not too late to help the farmers, to help the high-tech industry, and pass comprehensive immigration reform. Who are we, other than Americans, who are humanitarians, who are empathetic, who love the values of this Nation and believe in opportunity?

I don't want people to be equating the loss of jobs with allowing a few children to be able to be saved from deportation, whether they come from South and Central America, they come from Ireland, they come from Italy, they come from the continent of Africa, the Caribbean. It is time to be the Nation that we know we are, which is lifting up people, giving opportunity. This is the greatest country in the world, and I look forward to corporations responding to at-risk boys, Mr. Speaker, and, as well, that we recognize the importance of helping children wherever they are.