Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2642 and strongly encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of this legislation.

I am pleased that the Democratic leadership has chosen to not delay this bill any longer by hijacking it with tax increases. Our troops in the field will now have the resources they need to be successful in the war on terror.

In addition to providing our troops with critical and timely funding, this bill also includes funding for the communities in southeast Louisiana that were devastated by the flooding after Hurricane Katrina.

On August 29, 2005, the failure of the federal levees resulted in over 1,400 deaths in my home State. Hundreds of thousands of Louisianians lost their homes. Over 80,000 small businesses were severely impacted. Of the 18 hospitals that served the area before Hurricane Katrina, only 10 have re-opened and continue to struggle financially. An estimated 217 square miles of coastal marshland were transformed to open water, expediting the erosion of Louisiana's coastal buffers that reduce the intensity of hurricanes before they strike our towns and cities.

While much progress has been made, our State is still struggling to recover from the Nation's worst natural disaster.

The legislation before us today not only helps to protect our troops in the field, it also takes us one step closer to protecting the citizens of south Louisiana from future flooding. This bill contains essential funding for the Army Corps of Engineers to make progress in completion of 100-year flood protection in South Louisiana. The bill also includes essential language directing the Corps of Engineers to provide an official cost estimate on the ``Pump to the River'' project, which will direct flood waters to the Mississippi River rather than Lake Ponchartrain, providing an important alternative method of flood prevention for thousands of citizens.

While I support the vital flood protection funding provided for in this bill, I am disappointed that the House leadership stripped critical funding that was included in the Senate version to allow local governments a longer payback period for their local cost share on levees. It is also very unfortunate that funding was stripped out for the hospitals in our area that are struggling financially to care for the uninsured citizens of southeast Louisiana, many of whom went to the State's Charity Hospital and the Federal Veteran's Administration Hospital that were closed down due to damage from Hurricane Katrina.

The Senate added a 30-year payback provision on the local cost-share for the Federal levees. This 30-year payback provision is critical to the recovery of south Louisiana. The levees that failed our city and our region were Federal levees. If our local governments are required to pay the 35 percent cost-share up front, it will likely prevent them from being able to move these critical flood protection projects forward. In addition, our State will likely be prevented from initiating any new coastal restoration efforts which would prevent hurricane protection efforts outside the greater New Orleans area.

Similarly, if the hospitals in our area are not provided immediate assistance, the stability of

our entire health care infrastructure could be jeopardized. These hospitals are currently caring for patients that before Hurricane Katrina were receiving care at the government-funded, State-run Charity Hospital and the Federal VA Hospital. Our local hospitals are incurring hundreds of millions of dollars in losses and continue to provide 90 percent of health care services in the region. Without immediate assistance, the sustainability of the entire health care system and a major economic engine of the New Orleans region will be made extremely vulnerable, which could hinder our recovery.

Critical law enforcement funding to combat the post-Katrina crime wave was also cut in the House version of the bill. These funds would have provided personnel, equipment and technology to apprehend perpetrators of violent crimes. The safety of the citizens is crucial to our rebuilding efforts.

I implore my colleagues to continue to support my efforts and the efforts of the entire Louisiana delegation as we work to restore these other important provisions that are not yet in the legislation. I encourage support for this important bill.

I thank the gentleman from Illinois.

Mr. Speaker, why would we want to extend unemployment benefits when we can instead pass legislation that will create more American jobs and lower gas prices at the same time? We can create American jobs by passing legislation to increase the supply of oil by exploring our own natural resources, in places like ANWR and the Outer Continental Shelf. We can create more American jobs by passing legislation to expedite the permitting process to increase refining capacity here in our own country. We can create more American jobs by passing legislation to explore alternative sources of energy. We can create more American jobs, and not only will these pieces of legislation do that, these pieces of legislation will also reduce unemployment and lead to lower gas prices at the pumps.

Rather than passing a bill that pays unemployment benefits for a year to someone who only worked for 2 weeks, like this legislation does, rather than passing a bill that adds more than $8.5 billion to the Federal deficit, I call on Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic leadership in Congress to set this bill on the side and bring up our legislation that will increase the supply of American oil, reduce our dependence on Middle Eastern oil and, most importantly, create more American jobs and reduce gas prices.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 336, a measure to honor the sacrifices and contributions made by America's disabled veterans. Throughout our Nation's history, the men and women of our Armed Forces have gone bravely into battle, risking their lives and livelihoods, sacrificing their safety to defend our freedom.

When their duty is done, many return home to life as it was.

Sadly, for veterans seriously injured in the line of duty, leaving the battlefield does not mark the end of conflict. These permanently disabled soldiers often carry home life-changing disabilities, harsh reminders of the price of freedom.

By supporting H. Con. Res. 336, we will recognize the great sacrifices made by disabled veterans and their families. We will call upon the people of the United States to honor disabled American veterans and the freedoms for which they sacrificed. We will encourage local, State and national organizations and governmental institutions to participate in the effort to honor the sacrifices of America's disabled veterans, and we will support the goals and ideals of Disabled American Veterans Week.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill and reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlelady from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

I yield 3 minutes to the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman).

I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer), the ranking member of the committee.

Mr. Speaker, for thousands of our Nation's soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines, the sacrifices of war far outlast the war itself. There are more than 2 million veterans with service-connected injuries or illnesses, including thousands who have returned from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thanks to advances in medical science, the vast majority of American servicemembers wounded in combat survive traumatic events that would have proven deadly in previous wars.

Previous generations of veterans have come home wounded from battlefields in Europe, the Korean peninsula, and the jungles of Vietnam. They have returned to America with permanent damage to limb or spirit.

Today's veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom are suffering tragic injuries from

IED attacks and other hazards that are filling our military hospitals with victims who have lost limbs, with severe burns, and with head injuries.

We owe a debt of gratitude to all of these veterans whose physical or psychological well-being was permanently damaged in service to their country.

In my own district, disabled veterans have also had to endure the closing of the Southeast Louisiana VA Hospital due to damage from Hurricane Katrina. As a result, approximately 212,000 veterans in a 23- parish area in southeast Louisiana have to travel up to 4 hours to go to other VA hospitals just to receive basic care. And as we all know, gas prices are now topping $4 a gallon, which further adds to the cost our disabled veterans are facing when they travel to and from VA facilities for their health care.

I want to express as well how gravely concerned I am at the high cost of fuel and how it is affecting their ability to stretch their limited pension and compensation dollars. I call on the Democratic leadership in Congress to step forward and join us to help these disabled veterans by addressing this problem and enacting a strong national energy policy that increases supply to lower gas prices.

I want to thank my colleagues in the House for passing the VA Medical Facility Authorization and Lease Act authorizing $625 million for Southeast Louisiana VA Hospital that was closed down due to damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. And I want to specifically recognize the leadership of Chairman Bob Filner and Ranking Member Steve Buyer in passing this critical legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank our disabled veterans for their sacrifice and contributions to the cause of freedom. The intent of this bill is to express America's eternal gratitude to these courageous heroes, and I urge all of my colleagues to support it. America's disabled veterans have honored us with their service and selfless duty. We should honor them by passing this resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 1235, a measure expressing support for the designation of National D-Day Remembrance Day, and recognizing the spirit, courage and sacrifice of the men and women who fought and won World War II. D-day is one of the most significant days in our Nation's history, and we should never forget the bravery and determination displayed on the beaches of Northern France.

This resolution also recognizes the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. The museum was dedicated in 2000 as the National D-Day Museum, and later in 2003, Congress designated the museum as America's National World War II Museum. The museum has welcomed 1.8 million visitors since its opening, and currently sees an average of 17,000 visitors a month.

The National World War II Museum is the only museum in the United States that exists for the exclusive purpose of interpreting the American experience during World War II. It celebrates the American spirit, recognizes the teamwork, optimism, courage and sacrifices of the men and women who won World War II, and promotes the exploration and expression of these values by future generations.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am going to yield 3 minutes to the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, Mr. Boozman from Arkansas.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Daniel E. Lungren).

(Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, last Friday, June 6, 2008, marked the 64th anniversary of D-day, one of the most significant days in our Nation's history. June 6, 1944, marked the beginning of the Allied assault against the Axis forces in Normandy, France, and the beginning of the end of World War II; and it started the liberation of occupied Europe from Nazi Germany.

The D-day invasion was the largest amphibious assault the world had ever seen with more than 5,000 ships and over 150,000 American, British, and Canadian troops involved on that single day.

Mr. Speaker, as a Member who is honored to represent the people of

Southeast Louisiana, I am proud of the role that my State played on D- day. In New Orleans, Andrew Jackson Higgins designed the LCVPs, or the Higgins boats, that were used extensively in World War II for amphibious landings. Higgins and the 30,000 Louisiana workers of Higgins Industries built and tested the Higgins boats in Southeast Louisiana during the war.

The Higgins boat was crucial to the success of D-day. According to General Eisenhower, the Allies would not have been able to land on an open beach without the Higgins boat. General Eisenhower claimed that Higgins was the man who won the war for us.

Louisiana is also home to many of the brave men and women who fought and won in World War II. J.J. Witmeyer, who lives in the New Orleans suburb of Hanrahan, participated in the D-day invasion. Mr. Witmeyer served as an infantry soldier and landed on Utah Beach. Mr. Witmeyer describes his experience of landing at Normandy on Higgins boats like this: ``When the ramp went down, you were going through the gates of hell . . . you didn't know how deep the water was, where the beach was and they were firing at you.''

Mr. Witmeyer escaped injury that day but was later wounded twice. He won a battlefield commission as a captain, served as an acting military governor in Dortmund, Germany, and as a commandant of two camps for displaced war victims in Czechoslovakia.

It is because of the courage and sacrifice of soldiers like J.J. Witmeyer and the ingenuity and dedication of individuals like Andrew Higgins that we were successful on June 6, 1944, and went on to win the war.

The brave men and women of our Nation's Greatest Generation displayed tremendous heroism, dedication, and strength and forever changed the course of history. General Dwight D. Eisenhower said we would ``accept nothing less than full victory,'' and our troops did just that.

Our success did not come without significant losses, however. American forces suffered over 3,300 soldiers killed in action and an additional 3,000 soldiers suffered injury.

Mr. Speaker, the courage and sacrifice displayed by the Allied forces on June 6, 1944, should never be forgotten, and we should always remember D-day and honor the men and women who fought and persevered for the price of freedom. D-day will forever be an important part of U.S. history, and the day deserves to be recognized. The Members of the Armed Forces who participated in the invasion are true American heroes. That is why I introduced House Resolution 1235 calling on Congress to support the designation of a national D-day Remembrance Day.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to recognize and honor the veterans who served on D-day and join me in thanking them for their spirit, courage, and sacrifice. I also urge my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans for sharing their stories with future generations. For so many years, the Greatest Generation was reluctant to share their stories, and fortunately for all of us, as time went on, more and more have been willing to open up and give that testimony; and we are so honored to have much of that testimony collected at the National World War II Museum for future generations to share.

By passing House Resolution 1235, we honor D-day. More importantly, we honor the men and women of the Greatest Generation who made June 6, 1944, one of the most important days in our Nation's history, a day that all men can be proud of, a day that all Americans should never forget.

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

General Leave

Madam Speaker, this weekend, the national average of a gallon of gasoline broke the $4 mark. This is an all-time high, and our citizens deserve action from Congress.

The Democratic leadership needs to pull their heads out of the sand and join us in developing a strong national energy policy. The Republican plan proposed will develop and increase our domestic supply of oil, which will drive down the cost of gasoline at the pump. In Louisiana, we take great pride in our offshore drilling, and we drill in an environmentally safe way. Everyone in Louisiana knows that the best place to fish is right next to an oil rig in the Gulf.

I call on Speaker Pelosi and the Democrats in Congress to stop locking relief at the pump and finally join us in passing legislation that will remove the obstacles that limit our refining capacity, explore alternative sources of energy, and increase the supply of domestic oil and gas to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

These are all policies which will lower gas prices. This energy crisis is real. The time for Congress to act is now.

The people of southeast Louisiana have faced tremendous challenges during the last 2\1/2\ years. Thousands of people lost their homes due to the failure of Federal levees. However, today we find out that the flood protection that they need is going to be held in jeopardy by a poison pill in the name of a $52 billion tax increase on the backs of small businesses that was thrown into the bill last night with no debate. Our flood protection should not be held hostage to $52 billion in new taxes on the backs of small businesses.

This language clearly will not make it through the legislative process and will only give false hope to a people who deserve much better. Let us go back to work, come up with a solution that we can all agree can pass through the legislative process. I look forward to working with you to achieve that solution.

Thank you, Congressman McCrery. Thank you, Madam Speaker, Leader Boehner, the rest of the members of the Louisiana delegation and all of my new colleagues here in the House of Representatives.

It is truly an honor to serve in this distinguished body. I must thank so many people. But I have got to first thank God for helping to give me the strength to get here. I want to thank my family and my wife, Jennifer, who is in the balcony with our beautiful daughter, Madison. It is also Jennifer's birthday today, so it is an even extra special day. I promise I will not sing here on the floor, maybe later. We do have a 13-month-old beautiful daughter, Madison.

My father is here with his wife, Maggie. I want to thank him and Maggie for coming. My sister, Tara, is here as well. And my brother, Glenn, could not be with us. I know my mom, Carol, is looking from above and smiling. And so many other friends and family, we have got a wonderful group of friends that are here with us today as well. And it is truly an honor. I want to thank the voters of the First Congressional District for giving me this honor.

While we have many challenges, while we are still recovering, I want to thank each of you for all the help you have given us in the recovery from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. There is still work to do, but the help you have given has really helped people start to get their lives back in order. I know our country faces many great challenges too, but our Founding Fathers created the greatest democracy in the history of the world when they created this system that we have, this House and Senate. In this building we have got the ability, the talent and the people to solve those problems. I look very forward to working with each and every one of you to help tackle those challenges.

Thanks again to the voters of the district and my family. God bless Louisiana, and God bless the United States of America.