Rodney Alexander

Mr. ALEXANDER

Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to express my strong support for the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005. This legislation will continue to ensure that our military services are provided with the personnel, equipment and capabilities that they need to protect our national security. Section 815 of the pending National Defense Authorization Act will ensure that American freight-forwarding companies in Louisiana, Texas, California, Tennessee and other states are properly utilized in the efforts by the United States to provide cargo shipments for military operations, humanitarian relief aid, or postwar reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan. American freight forwarders should be used to the greatest extent possible to process, dispatch or otherwise handle government-sponsored cargoes for shipment overseas. The Congress continues to see to it that American companies and their hard-working labor force benefit from the procurement of goods and services by the United States government. Specifically, the Congress has required that the American work force be provided with a fair opportunity to compete for federal government contracts. Similarly, cargo preference laws ensure that government-generated cargoes are shipped aboard United States-flag vessels. However, no such protections exist for American freight forwarders. As a result, significant government shipments of cargoes for military operations, international assistance and other purposes are handled today by foreign-owned and controlled freight forwarders without any consideration for the use of American companies to provide freight forwarding services. Mr. Chairman, the legislation before us will provide appropriate protections for American freight forwarding companies and U.S. government-sponsored cargoes. The bill establishes a preference for the participation of U.S. freight forwarding companies as prime or subcontractors in the shipment of government-sponsored cargoes, provided that the freight forwarding services are offered at fair and reasonable rates. Furthermore, this initiative will further protect the chain-of-custody of critical and sensitive project and other U.S. government-sponsored cargoes destined for Iraq and Afghanistan. Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Hunter, Congressman Skelton and other members of the House Armed Services Committee for their support in this matter, and I look forward to working with them on the passage of this vital legislation.

Mr. ALEXANDER

Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in the spirit of National Police Week to honor the 870,000 law enforcement officers who enforce our laws by risking their lives, and to remember the 145 officers who sacrificed their lives for our defense in 2003. This week, law enforcement officers will gather with the families of officers killed in the line of duty to honor the commitment of our Nation's police forces and to remember those they have lost. Just as our soldiers are called to protect our interests overseas, we depend on our police forces to protect our freedoms, secure our communities and keep us safe and free from fear. In this Chamber, we debate and pass laws to govern our country, to provide for the safety of our citizens. The laws we make are ineffectual without the selfless dedication of our police forces. Throughout history, these men and women have demonstrated strength and valor in protection and service on every level from local to national. From the routine task of guarding our neighborhoods to answering the call from terror on September 11, it is obvious that these men and women are heroes everyday. It is with sadness that I recognize two heroes from my district. Patrolman First Class David Ezernack and Patrolman Jeremy Carruth were serving a routine search warrant on February 20, 2003, an attempted arrest that wounded three officers and cost Patrolmen Ezernack and Carruth their lives. Their families and friends, and several officers of the Alexandria Police Department, are in Washington this week to participate in the Candlelight Vigil and to see the names of these two officers unveiled at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. We will never adequately express our gratitude, and our sympathies, to the sacrifice of these two officers. I stand in this Chamber grateful to all law enforcement officers, but also to give special recognition to officers who are especially challenged, serving in our Nation's rural areas. Though violent crime rates are lower in rural areas, these incidences are not decreasing over the years as rapidly as violent crime rates in urban areas. Most of the victims of violent crimes in rural areas are assaulted in their own homes, by people they know--friends, neighbors, family members--a setting more prevalent than in large cities. David Ezernack and Jeremy Carruth served a rural area, and their beat was no less dangerous than a street in a large city. Congress has continued to afford law enforcement officers with advancements in resources, such as bulletproof vests and enhanced technology. We must continue our commitment to providing our police forces with the best training and protection, and recognize the additional resources that may be necessary for the security of rural areas. This week, let us extend to these men and women our profound gratitude, for their exhibitions of bravery and the sacrifices they are called to make, and our sympathies to their families. As these noble men and women sacrifice for a pledge to protect and to serve, it is our duty to honor them, past, present and future, to the highest degree.

Mr. ALEXANDER

Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an extraordinary citizen from the Fifth District of Louisiana, Dr. Neari Francois Warner, who will soon be retiring as acting President of Grambling State University. Dr. Warner's tireless service and genuine commitment to education, and to GSU, her alma mater, are remarkable and inspiring. In January 2001, Dr. Warner became the first female to hold the title of acting president of Grambling State University, a position she held with great honor and distinction for three years. In this short period of time, Dr. Warner successfully obtained 100-percent accreditation of Board of Regents- mandated programs, from 87 percent when she accepted the position. Under Dr. Warner's leadership, six endowed professorships and a mini college by the Division of Continuing Education were established. She also took the leading role attaining the unconditional reaffirmation of Accreditation by Southern Association Colleges and Schools at Grambling State University. Dr. Warner has shown many noteworthy accomplishments throughout her tenure at GSU. The Fall 2003 enrollment showed the first increase in three years, and retention rates increased system-wide and campus-wide. Under her leadership, funding was raised and groundbreaking began on the new Health, Physical Education and Recreation Building and Multi- purpose Center. Additionally, Dr. Warner signed several strategic partnerships in distance learning and created student and faculty computer labs. I thank Dr. Warner for her outstanding contributions to the university and to our community and am proud to recognize her notable accomplishments and manifold contributions. I extend congratulations to Dr. Warner and best wishes for her future endeavors as she retires from acting president of Grambling State University.

Mr. ALEXANDER

Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. Speaker, I was regrettably unable to cast votes on Tuesday, January 28 and Wednesday, January 29, 2004, as I was part of a congressional delegation visiting our troops in Iraq. Had I been present, I would have cast the following votes: ``Yes'' on Roll Call No. 6, passage of H.R. 1385, authorizing the U.S. Postal Service to issue stamps supporting breast cancer research; ``Yes'' on Roll Call No. 7, passage of H.R. 3493, the Medical Devices Technical Corrections Act; ``Yes'' on Roll Call No. 8, the Baldwin substitute to S. 1920, regarding the extension of chapter 12 of the Federal Bankruptcy Code; ``Yes'' on Roll Call No. 9, the motion to recommit S. 1920 with instructions; ``Yes'' on Roll Call No. 10, final passage of S. 1920, regarding the extension of chapter 12 of the Federal Bankruptcy Code; ``No'' on Roll Call No. 11, motion to instruct conferees on S. 1920, regarding the extension of chapter 12 of the Federal Bankruptcy Code.

Mr. ALEXANDER

Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to add another group of national champions to the Louisiana legacy. The cheerleaders of the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM) are champs. They returned last Monday from Orlando, Florida bearing a huge trophy as the Universal Cheerleaders Association's College National Cheerleading champions in the small coed division. This competition marked the first time ULM cheerleaders had vied for a national title, but they have been working hard since the beginning of the year. Their victory is a testament to the hard work and dedication that all the students and faculty at ULM possess, and President James Cofer should be applauded for his vision of achievement for the university. The squad beat such esteemed universities as Villanova, Pennsylvania State, Hofstra, Northern Arizona and Rider in its division. The members of the squad came from all over the country and worked this year to come together as a whole. We applaud the coaches, Jennifer Hyde and Trey Griffin, and the members of the squad, Treva Bankston, Carley Carter, Lori Chervenak, Nick Gaspard, Samantha Jones, Alex Kain, Crystal Kelley, Rebecca LeBlanc, Nathan LeCloux, Josh Lee, Hayley Leone, Crystal Lett, Tiffany Luse, R.B. Martin, Kelly Patterson, Billie Sue Roe, Robin Samuels, Ashley Springfield, and Jamie Ventrella on a job well done. The squad will present the trophy at the January 29 basketball game at Fant-Ewing Coliseum. Mr. Speaker, please join me in saying ``Go, Tribe, Go,'' to the ULM cheerleading squad, national champions in the small coed division of the Universal Cheerleaders Association's College National Cheerleading competition.

Mr. ALEXANDER

Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to remind my colleagues that our nation made a solemn pledge to our veterans that needs to be fulfilled. Since the birth of our nation, patriots--citizen soldiers--have risked their lives to defend our freedom. They committed their lives to our defense and in exchange for that service we, the United States of America, committed to care for them and their families. Our veterans have kept their promise. For over two centuries the men and women in our military have served us well. They've carried a heavy burden and sacrificed selflessly to ensure that our country remains a stronghold for liberty and freedom for all. Unfortunately, we haven't done so well by them. While we have praised our troops in times of danger, we all too quickly turn our backs when we are safe. Using justifications like a tight economy or higher priorities, veterans programs have repeatedly been shortchanged and neglected. For over a century disabled veterans have been subjected to unfair taxation and worst of all, America has come to regard our veterans as just another number in the federal budget. In these days of bottom lines and more-bang-for-the-buck we seem to have forgotten the truth behind those numbers. Every single veteran is a man or woman who has served our country and earned their benefits. I represent over fifty thousand veterans; that's not a number; that's fifty thousand individual patriots who have sacrificed for us and who are now due what we promised them. Mr. Speaker, it's time for the United States to stop treating our veterans like a line in the budget. We must pay what we owe those brave men and women for the service they've given. It's a small price to pay for the freedom we enjoy.

Mr. ALEXANDER

Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3365/H.R. 3019 (Renzi/McGovern), the Fallen Patriots Tax Relief Act. I am a proud cosponsor of both of these bills because they honor our fallen service men and women. This bill doubles the military death benefit paid to survivors of military personnel killed in the line of duty from $6,000 to $12,000. It also makes the $12,000 death benefit tax-free. The change would be effective retroactive to deaths occurring on or after September 11, 2001. (Under current law, the military death benefit is $6,000, of which $3,000 is subject to federal tax). As a nation and as Members of Congress, we need to do the best we can for the families of the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country's freedom. For the last several months, I have supported measures that give our armed forces the resources necessary to provide our soldiers and their families with a better quality of life. I have supported restoring the child tax credit for the families of 260,000 children of active duty military personnel. I also supported a provision on the house floor to add a $1,500 bonus for troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Unfortunately, this provision failed on a tie vote. When Democrats offered to transfer $3.6 billion from Iraqi reconstruction to providing more support for our troops--including important quality-of-life measures such as improved health care benefits I voted yes because I believe that we should do all we can to protect and care for our men and women in uniform. H.R. 3566/H.R. 3019 (Renzi/McGovern) is no different. Support for our troops is a priority for me and I am proud to support this benefit for their families. I am glad that the Renzi/McGovern bill makes the military death benefit tax-exempt. It is wrong that one-half of the military death benefit is currently subject to taxation. Families of patriots should not be penalized on a benefit meant to show the nation's gratitude for their sacrifice. We must restore the original intent of this benefit and not unduly burden families with an unexpected tax bill. The death benefit paid to the survivor of a military member has historically been exempt from taxation. An oversight in the tax code after the gratuity was increased to $6,000 in 1991 left half of this payment subject to taxation. Only the passage of H.R. 3566/H.R. 3019 (Renzi/McGovern) will remedy this unfair taxation problem for our military families. I commend my colleagues Representatives McGovern and Renzi for sponsoring this important measure, and I look forward to supporting this bill and supporting our troops.

Mr. ALEXANDER

Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. Speaker, it has been 881 days since President Bush and his party embarked on their economic plan for our country. During that time, the national debt has increased by $1,174,114,828,749.14. According to the Web site for the Bureau of Public Debt at the Treasury Department, yesterday at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, the Nation's outstanding debt was $6,814,440,215,107.91. Furthermore, in fiscal year 2003, the interest on our national debt, or the debt-tax, totaled $318,148,529,151.51.

Mr. ALEXANDER

Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the storied legacy of the great state I represent, Louisiana. This year marks the bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase, and today I am proud to commemorate this monumental event in our nation's history and in the history of the state of Louisiana and welcome the nation's participation in the yearlong celebration that will educate, entertain, and impart a lasting wonder for Louisiana. I have the esteemed privilege of representing Louisiana's fifth district, the `heart of Louisiana'. In 1803, Thomas Jefferson and Napoleon negotiated the United States' purchase of Louisiana from France. With just two strokes of the pen, our young nation doubled in size overnight, becoming one of the largest nations in the world. The Louisiana Purchase, approved by treaty in April of 1803, is called the most significant real estate transaction in the history of civilization. Encompassing over 800,000 square miles of land and costing about four cents per acre, the Louisiana Purchase eventually became all or part of 15 states: Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, North Dakota, Texas, South Dakota, New Mexico, Nebraska, Wyoming, Kansas, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Colorado, Montana and definitely not least of all, Louisiana, my home state. As part of the bicentennial celebration friends of the Louisiana Purchase bicentennial have collaborated to provide museum exhibits, concerts, films, re-enactments, and memorabilia. One of the museum exhibits that is especially dear to me is the Heart of Spain at the Alexandria Museum of Art in my district. Louisiana's history is intertwined with that of Spain's, and the influences of Spanish culture are still realized in the state's food, architecture, and government. In honor of the Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial, the Alexandria Museum of Art is inviting America, until November 30, to experience artifacts from world-renown Spanish museums, monasteries, churches and private collections El Corazon de Espana, in Alexandria, Louisiana offers a unique opportunity to be nourished and inspired by art and culture that is indicative of the friendship between Spain and Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I am thrilled to extend an invitation to my colleagues and to the nation to live, learn, and love Louisiana's rich history. When commenting to Thomas Jefferson on the Louisiana Purchase General Horatio Gates said, ``Let the land rejoice for you have bought Louisiana for a song.'' Today, I hope my colleagues will join with Louisiana, its citizens and friends, in singing ``Happy Birthday.''

Mr. ALEXANDER

Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. Speaker I rise today to honor the people of LaSalle Parish for their tireless efforts to bring economic development to Northern Louisiana. Since I came to Congress, I have been working with local officials to encourage the Federal Government to use an empty prison located in the Town of Jena, Louisiana, and I have been impressed by their vigorous commitment to see their community prosper. Recently, officials from the Department of Justice and the White House toured the LaSalle Correctional Facility to study the possibility of using this vacant prison as a place to detain illegal aliens or low- security Federal inmates. I had the pleasure of accompanying these officials on this tour and was personally impressed with the state-of- the-art, recently-constructed prison and its design. Furthermore, the prison is situated near two existing Federal prisons and a short drive from the U.S. Marshal's transportation hub in Alexandria. I believe its location and its design make the prison a logical choice for use by the Federal Government. Mr. Speaker, I also wish to draw attention to two provisions contained in the Committee Report accompanying the Commerce, Justice, State, and the Judiciary Appropriations Bill we passed yesterday afternoon. These two provisions should benefit LaSalle Parish because they give the Federal Government the authority to use an empty private prison, such as the LaSalle Correctional Facility. One provision directs the Office of the Federal Detention Trustee to use existing state, local, and private detention space to house excess detainees; the other provision directs the Bureau of Prisons to use existing state, private, and local prison capacity to house excess BOP inmates. I want to thank my colleague from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter), the Vice Chairman of the Commerce, Justice, State, and Judiciary Appropriations Subcommittee for the strong support he has provided to these efforts. Mr. Speaker, my colleague and I are working through both legislation and old-fashioned persuasion to get the LaSalle Correctional Facility back in use. This is a win-win situation for everyone involved. We can help our law enforcement agencies with their overcrowding problems and do so at a fraction of the cost it takes to build a new prison. Also, we can bring jobs and economic growth to Northern Louisiana. These provisions in the CJSJ Committee Report can really help us to re-open this facility, and I trust the two agencies will pay heed to this directive. I know my Louisiana colleagues in both the Senate and the House will join me in fighting to see that we make real progress on this issue, which is of such great importance to the honest, hard- working people of my district.

Mr. ALEXANDER

Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Arkansas for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I would like to read just a portion of a letter that I sent out today to my constituents. It is entitled, ``The Checks Are in the Mail, At Least for Some": ``That's what I was told today when I asked when people would start getting the $400 checks created by the recent tax cut that I supported and helped pass in Congress. I asked because I know that these checks are an important part of the economic stimulus package that my colleagues and I created. ``However, while I am happy with the fact that many families will soon be receiving these checks, I am not totally satisfied. I am not satisfied because in the last-minute negotiations between the House and Senate, low-income families were left out of the tax bill. ``That is why we offer to extend the tax credit to families who are currently being left out. To make that goal simpler to achieve, I urged my colleagues to accept a nearly identical Senate bill which accomplishes the same thing. It passed the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support. The President has urged its passage. Now it is time for the House to get on board and do the same. ``There is no excuse for inaction, no excuse to leave out one out of four families in Louisiana that are today looking at an empty mailbox wondering when their economic incentive check will arrive from Washington. ``Those in leadership who are blocking tax relief for these deserving families say they won't pass this measure unless they get an even larger tax cut for the wealthy. That is wrong. ``They say those working families do not deserve tax relief because they don't pay enough in taxes. But those hardworking taxpayers have money taken out of their paychecks, too, and they deserve the same tax relief as anyone else.''

Mr. ALEXANDER

Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the rule and I have a motion to the House to take from the Speaker's table and pass the Senate amendment to the Child Tax Credit. This body continues to refuse to address the problem that we have created. Extending the child tax credit to low-income working families is the right thing to do, and we should do it today. The Senate has already passed and the President is calling for it now. Now, I have heard people say that those who did not vote for the tax cut should not be complaining about the way it turned out. Well, I supported the tax cut. I was 1 of only 4 Democrats to vote for it from day one, and I stand by that vote today. But by neglecting to provide the child tax credit to the low-income families, we have made a drastic mistake. We need to correct that now. These are hardworking people who pay taxes, too, and they deserve relief like everyone else. Because of our actions, in Louisiana 1 out of every 4 families is being told that their children are not as valuable as other kids. That is wrong. We have the power to easily correct that mistake. Instead, we are playing games. Now, last night I joined with the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Tanner) and the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle) to introduce an exact replica of the Senate bill that has already passed. If they wanted, the House leadership could bring up our bill today and we could send it to the President. The time for playing games is over. We made a mistake and we need to correct that today so that all working families can receive the needed relief when the checks go out next month.

Mr. ALEXANDER

Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. Speaker, in the summer of 2001 there was an outbreak of St. Louis encephalitis in four parishes in northeast Louisiana. There were 70 incidents resulting in 7 deaths. Seven of those incidents and two of the deaths were in parishes without mosquito control programs. In addition, in my district, Pointe Coupee Parish had the highest incidence of West Nile virus in Louisiana at more than 52 cases per 100,000 population. When I was chairman of the Louisiana Health and Welfare Committee, we met to discuss State efforts to coordinate mosquito control. One of the issues that we often discussed was the Federal funding that was available for testing and education, but it was not readily available for mosquito control. That is why I support the MASH Act, because it provides much needed Federal funding for control and education. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation which provides needed assistance to local governments to control the outbreak of mosquito-borne illnesses. I also commend the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. John) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) for their hard work on this issue.

Mr. ALEXANDER

Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 43, the Approval of the Journal, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''