Michael Arcuri

Mr. ARCURI

Mr. ARCURI. Mr. Chairman, in closing, there is an old saying that we should think globally but act locally. That is exactly what this amendment attempts to do. That is the idea behind this amendment. We crafted it very narrowly, and despite some of the comments by the speakers about the problems that this would create, it does no such thing. In fact, it does just the opposite. This achieves all of the things that we need in this country. That is, getting energy and power to our large communities, to our large cities, to New York, to Los Angeles, to the places that need it. It does it in a responsible way. It does it in such a way that the localities, the areas that we call the faucet, have some say in getting the power to the sink, and that's the area that FERC refers to as the place that needs the power, and, equally as important, that the people along the way have some say as well. That's what this amendment does; and, as I say, it is supported by, as my friend, Mr. Hinchey, said, most of the Governors in this country. The amendment deals with the concerns of localities. It deals with the constitutional rights, the States' rights that our States are most concerned with and, most importantly, it deals with the needs of all Americans. I strongly support this amendment, and I urge my colleagues to do so as well. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ARCURI. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. My amendment would remove the right of a private company with a project that has already been approved by FERC to use the Federal Government's supreme power of eminent domain to take private property from landowners. Contrary to what the utility companies claim, my amendment would not leave an approved company without any recourse. No, instead it would merely require the approved company to follow the existing State law procedure for obtaining a right-of-way. States have laws that help companies with approved power projects obtain the necessary right-of-ways, and these laws work. They have worked for many years. I know of no power line project anywhere in the country that has ever failed to be completed once it had been approved and the company held the necessary permits to begin construction. We understand that there are serious energy needs facing this country that must be addressed swiftly and judiciously. All this amendment does is permit an already approved company from using Federal eminent domain to drag a property owner into Federal court and take his land. That is a supreme power of the Federal Government. This is not a Democratic or Republican issue or liberal or conservative issue. This is about protecting the rights of the citizens of this country. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ARCURI. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining?

Mr. ARCURI. Mr. Chairman, I would submit that this is nothing about scare tactics. In fact, this morning I received notice from our Governor, who is a resident of New York City, supporting this amendment because this will help us get power to New York City in a responsible way. That's what this amendment is about. It's not about preventing it. It's about helping it to be done in a responsible way. And with that, I yield 1 minute to my fellow New Yorker (Mr. Hinchey).

Mr. ARCURI. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. ARCURI. Mr. Chairman, I respectfully disagree with my colleague from Texas. This amendment would not gut the bill. In fact, it would just give the States the right to have some input into where the power lines are going to be run in the State the same way that they have input in the State of Texas. With that, I yield 1 minute to my good friend and fellow New Yorker (Mr. Hall).

Mr. ARCURI

Mr. ARCURI. I thank my colleague from New York, and I thank the distinguished chairwoman from Connecticut. Mr. Chairman, I have only been here for 7 months, but in that short time it has become overwhelmingly clear to me that some of my colleagues are more concerned with establishing a reputation than addressing the needs of the American people. Over and over, some of these colleagues from the other side of the aisle march down to the floor and take aim at appropriations projects that they feel aren't worthy of Federal support, as if people at one end of the country know what is important for people on the other end of the country. I hear them talk about these earmarks and try to demonize them, talk about them being hidden and going to powerful Members of Congress. Well, there is nothing hidden about this. It is very clear what this project is. And as for powerful Members of Congress, I would like to be impressed, but I know as a freshman I am certainly not a powerful Member of Congress. There are no winners or losers here. They talk about winners or losers here. The only winners are the American people. This program is for the American people. It is to ensure that our grapes and our wines that are so important to so many people in this country continue to be high quality and the kind of quality that makes America competitive. The benefit of this project is not limited to my congressional district, but to people all over the country. Mr. Chairman, it is not about making a point or establishing a reputation; it is about conducting important research that protects the safety of our food supply, helps our domestic economy and the grape industry.

Mr. ARCURI

Mr. ARCURI. Madam Speaker, on the first day of the 110th Congress, the Democratic majority in this House enacted the toughest ethics reform in a generation by passing a landmark rules package that broke the link between lobbyists and legislators. This important step toward cleaning up Congress ended gifts, private jets and meals paid for by lobbyists. Yesterday, we continued our commitment to restore accountability to Washington and passed the final House-Senate agreement on the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007. This tough legislation, which ends the tight-knit relationship between lobbyists and lawmakers takes another major step toward making this Congress the most open and honest in American history. I am proud to have supported this critical bill, which has been hailed by reform groups as a ``sea of change for citizens'' and ``landmark reform.'' I am proud of our Democratic majority that works so quickly to enact real change for Americans, which they demanded during last year's election. Madam Speaker, this Democratic House is dedicated to making sure that Congress works for everyday Americans and not just special interests.

Mr. ARCURI

Mr. ARCURI. Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague from New York for her leadership on dairy issues and tireless service on the Agricultural Committee on behalf of New York. Mr. Chairman, at this time I yield to the distinguished subcommittee chairman, Mr. Boswell, subcommittee chairman of the Dairy Subcommittee, who has truly done a remarkable job in getting us where we are today, for as much time as he may consume.

Mr. ARCURI. Mr. Chairman, I plan to withdraw my amendment, but before I do I would like to take a few minutes to highlight a few issues facing dairy farmers in our district. First of all, I would like to express my sincere thanks to Chairman Peterson for achieving what many thought was impossible, and that is a sensible, balanced, comprehensive reauthorization of the farm bill. I especially appreciate that the chairman included a 5-year extension of the MILC program, which is so critical to dairy farmers in my district and throughout the Northeast. Unfortunately, with skyrocketing costs of energy and feed, it is becoming increasingly difficult for dairy farmers to stay in business. New York is third in dairy production nationwide and home to 6,200 dairy farms which produce 12 billion pounds of milk a year and generate $2 billion in farm revenue. From 2001 to 2006, however, the cost of gasoline and fuel had increased over 100 percent. The cost of feed has increased nearly 20 percent and the cost of fertilizer has increased over 40 percent, to list just a few of the dairy farmers' expenses. While all the costs of production are based on market prices, the price a dairy farmer can charge for a hundred weight of fluid milk is not. In response, my amendment simply states the sense of Congress that the USDA should use its existing authority when determining the class I milk price mover to factor in increased costs of production like energy and feed. It is patently unfair that Exxon, Conoco, Mobile, and other oil companies can increase the price of their product when costs of production like exploration and labor go up; yet dairy farmers are held hostage to severe price fluctuations and forced to succumb to a process that doesn't always reflect their increased costs in production. Mr. Chairman, at this time I would like to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to my good friend and colleague from New York (Mrs. Gillibrand), a cosponsor of my amendment, and a member of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Dairy.

Mr. ARCURI. I thank the distinguished subcommittee chairman as well as Chairman Peterson for their commitment to address this very critical issue for dairy farmers in my district during the conference. I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.

Mr. ARCURI. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. ARCURI

Mr. ARCURI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. House Resolution 562 provides an open rule for consideration of H.R. 3093, the Departments of Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2008. I want to thank the distinguished chairman of the committee and ranking member for reporting out a bill that not only does not pay lip service but makes critical investment in our Nation's communities. The bill provides $725 million for Community Oriented Policing Services, more commonly known as the COPS program, 25 percent above the current funding level. As a former prosecutor, I know how vitally important these programs are in assisting local law enforcement to hire and train law enforcement officers to participate in community policing, purchase and deploy new crime fighting technologies, and develop and test new and innovative policing strategies. The administration had proposed to modify the COPS program into a new discretionary grant program, but the committee has chosen instead to keep COPS as a separate dedicated grant program. This is a proven model for getting these grants to the communities that need them, and I applaud the committee for preserving this program. The bill includes $303 million for Economic Development Administration, the EDA. The EDA administers several economic development programs including public work grants for upgrading infrastructure, planning, and trade adjustment assistance for communities that bear the burden of jobs outsourced to other countries. Additionally, the legislation would direct the EDA to consider with favorable bias grant proposals which incorporate green technologies and strategies that would reduce energy consumption, reduce harmful gas emissions, and contribute to sustainability. The bill provides $50 million, 52 percent more than the current funding, for the Weed and Seed program. The Weed and Seed program helps localities develop programs to weed out and deter crime, and then take the all-important step that is so often left out of seeding the formerly high crime areas with programs to promote neighborhood revitalization. The funds will be used to carry out this mission in cities, such as my home in Utica, New York, and sponsor activities such as truancy prevention, conflict resolution, mentoring, and job training for at-risk youths. Additionally, the bill, this resolution, provides for consideration and includes $40 million for grants, technical assistance, and training to State and local governments to develop dedicated drug courts that subject nonviolent offenders to an integrated mix of treatment, drug testing, incentives, and sanctions. As a DA, I quickly learned that no matter what initiatives law enforcement took to reduce the supply of drugs, it never really affected the demand for drugs which never seemed to diminish and, therefore, created a seemingly endless market for drug dealers. But when my office established the county's drug court program, I realized the powerful effect that the program had in helping enrolled participants get control of their addiction and thereby reducing their demand for drugs. The appropriation of $40 million for drug court provided by H.R. 3093 is $30 million more than the current level, and I congratulate the committee for increasing funds for this vital and proven weapon on the war on drugs. H.R. 3093 would also create incentives to fight illegal immigration. It would prohibit the Federal Government from using any of these funds on any entity that does not participate in the basic pilot program which allows employers to verify whether potential or current employees can legally work in the United States. This voluntary pilot program was created by the Illegal Immigration Reform and Responsibility Act of 1996 and allows employers to verify employment status through an automated system linked to the Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security data bases. This legislation also includes $6.5 billion for the National Science Foundation. This level of funding will support the doubling of NSF's budget over the next 10 years, and represents a true commitment to investment in basic research and development, which will provide for innovation and future technologies. This commitment is an important part of the innovation agenda designed to maintain the United States' competitiveness. H.R. 3093 also includes over $17.6 billion for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA's unique mission is to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery, and aeronautics research; and this appropriation enables them to accomplish this mission by restoring some of the cuts made by the administration to science, aeronautics, and education portfolios at the agency. This recommendation also provides for the continued efforts of NASA's Moon- Mars goals. The act calls on NASA to expand human knowledge, develop and operate advanced aeronautical and space-faring vehicles; encourage commercial use of space; coordinate with other U.S. agencies to maximize research results; cooperate with other nations in research and applications and to preserve U.S. preeminence in aeronautics and space. This bill also prohibits the use of funds by the FBI to issue National Security Letters in contravention of the statutes authorizing their use. National Security Letters enable the FBI to secretly review customer records of suspected foreign agents without judicial review. In March, the Department of Justice Inspector General reported that the FBI agents had in numerous cases misused National Security Letters without complying with either statutes or DOJ guidelines governing their use. This widespread abuse of secret investigatory powers undermines the very notions of liberty and freedom from tyranny upon which this Nation was founded. The prohibition on use of funds contained in H.R. 3093 will ensure that such abuse does not continue. Mr. Speaker, I have addressed only a handful of the important programs for which H.R. 3093 would appropriate funds. My remarks have focused on the criminal justice, NASA funding, and economic development aspects of the bill; but there are many other important areas addressed in this legislation. It provides funding for critical scientific research, including several programs which study global warming and climate change that the administration attempted to eliminate. The Appropriations Committee has approved a bill which would maintain the funding of this critical research, and I once again thank them for their work and welcome a chance to vote in favor of this legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ARCURI. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

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

Mr. ARCURI. For purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings). All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only. General Leave

Mr. ARCURI. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials into the Record.

Mr. ARCURI. Mr. Speaker, the Appropriations Committee has presented us with a bill that will provide funding agencies related to Commerce, Justice and Science for the fiscal year 2008. The bill contains a higher overall allocation than was requested by the President, but with very good reason. By all measures this bill will have a real, tangible impact on all Americans, improving their daily lives in many ways. It funds the Economic Development Administration, Weed & Seed program, prescription drug monitoring, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, NASA, the Census Bureau, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and community-oriented police services. And I would just like to mention in that regard, from a personal perspective, in my community in which I live, there is a small police department, 20 officers; that as a result of the community-oriented police in New Hartford, New York, they were able to get three additional police officers, increase their technology significantly. That's a 15 percent increase in officers to that department. The COPS program makes our streets safer. The Drug Corps program is a phenomenal program that this bill will continue to fund. And I would urge any of my colleagues in Congress to someday sit through a Drug Corps graduation program. When they see that, and they see the testimonies of the people who have finished, and listen to their families talk about how devastating drug addiction has been to their family and how this program has helped them, they would strongly support this bill and strongly support the Drug Corps program. In short, H.R. 3093 provides critical funding for programs that keep our streets safe, our economy prosperous, and allows our scientists to continue studying global warming and climate change. Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge a vote of ``yes'' on the previous question and on the rule. The material previously referred to by Mr. Hastings of Washington is as follows: Amendment to H. Res. 562 Offered by Mr. Hastings of Washington At the end of the resolution insert the following: Sec. 4. Notwithstanding any other provision of this resolution, it shall be in order to consider the amendment printed in section 5 of this resolution if offered by Representative Hoekstra of Michigan or his designee. All points of order against consideration of the amendment printed in section 5 are waived. Sec. 5. The amendment referred to in section 4 is as follows: At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the following: Subsection (f) of section 101 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (50 U.S.C. 1801) is amended to read as follows-- `(f) `Electronic surveillance' means-- `(1) the installation or use of an electronic, mechanical, or other surveillance device for acquiring information by intentionally directing surveillance at a particular known person who is reasonably believed to be in the United States under circumstances in which that person has a reasonable expectation of privacy and a warrant would be required for law enforcement purposes; or `(2) the intentional acquisition of the contents of any communication under circumstances in which a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy and a warrant would be required for law enforcement purposes, if both the sender and all intended recipients are reasonably believed to be located within the United States.'.

Mr. ARCURI. Mr. Speaker, I certainly appreciate the gentlewoman's passion and concern. We are all very concerned for the safety of our country. But I think it is critical that we not forget the reason we are here today. We are here to debate a rule which is very concerned, which deals with a balanced approach to making our country safer domestically, to being concerned with putting more police officers on the street, for increasing funding for Drug Corps, for increasing funding for science and NASA. That is what we are here to do today. That is what we are here to debate, and I would strongly urge passage of this ruling. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Lampson).

Mr. ARCURI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Vermont, my colleague from the Rules Committee (Mr. Welch).

Mr. ARCURI. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from the Rules Committee, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings) for his comments, and I couldn't agree with him more. Clearly, the safety of our Nation from foreign enemies is critical, and it's something that needs to be a priority and is a priority with this Congress and prior Congresses. But one thing that I think is critical that we can never forget is safety doesn't begin at our borders. Safety is something that we need to recognize within our borders as well, and this bill takes great strides in terms of ensuring that our children are safe when they go to school. It puts more police officers on the street. It increases funding for the DNA database to help us locate rapists and criminals who have committed crimes and locate them and bring them to justice. It funds the drug court program, which is critical in terms of dealing with people who are addicted to drugs. This bill takes a balanced approach to law enforcement, takes a balanced approach to what this country needs to keep our citizens safe, both internally and externally as well. And I believe that it is a very good bill, and that we should support it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ARCURI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from West Virginia, the chairman of the CJS subcommittee, Mr. Mollohan.

Mr. ARCURI. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 562 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. ARCURI

Mr. ARCURI. Madam Speaker, today marks the first time in a decade that those hardworking workers who earn minimum wage will receive a pay raise. Today, around the Nation, workers who have been paid $5.15 for 10 years will finally get a boost in their pay. This wage increase will directly benefit low-income workers who need it most. We should never forget that most minimum wage workers are adults who work to support themselves and their families, and many are single mothers who must work several jobs to make ends meet. And while some at the very top are primarily benefiting from the supposed economic recovery, most workers have seen very little economic progress. Average real wages are lower today than they were in 2001, even though productivity is up by 13 percent. Madam Speaker, this wage increase is a great concrete step by the new Democratic-led Congress toward a broader agenda that will help us not only grow our economy, but ensure that every American benefits from that growth.

Mr. ARCURI

Mr. ARCURI. I thank the gentleman from Vermont, my friend from the Rules Committee, for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the rule and the underlying legislation for the fiscal year 2008 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act. I want to thank the distinguished chairman of the Appropriations Committee and the ranking member for reporting out the bill. It does not pay lip service, but makes critical investments in our Nation's transportation and infrastructure at the levels guaranteed under SAFETEA-LU. Madam Speaker, this bill rejects the administration's proposed funding cuts to the FAA Airport Improvement Program, highway programs, and Critical Housing in Community Development programs. The bill provides $140 million more than current funding for the Federal Aviation Administration, and $850 million more than the President's request for the FAA Airport Improvement Program, which provides grant and aid for airport planning, construction, and development. Recipients of the AIP funds, such as Griffis Park Airfield in my Upstate New York district, have benefited greatly from the program. Over the last few years, AIP funds have helped Griffis continue to fully develop as a regional aviation facility, become the new home to Oneida County Airport, and create long-term regional economic growth for a region often strained to attract new investment. The bill also maintains our commitment to keeping our airways safe by providing $7 billion, 219 million more than the current funding, to hire more than 1,400 new air traffic controllers to replenish the workforce as the rate of retiring air traffic controllers continue to grow. This bill also provides $20 million more than the President's request to hire and train more safety inspectors and other aviation safety activities. The bill boosts funding for the Federal Transit Administration by providing $288 million more than the President's request for mass transit programs. Local transit authorities such as Central New York Regional Transit Authority and CENTRO in my district will now be able to expand their hybrid bus fleet and continue to provide low-cost, convenient, clean, energy-efficient transportation services to commuters in both upstate and New York City. The President's budget request seeks to eliminate funding for the Hope VI program, but I am so pleased that this legislation will maintain our commitment to providing affordable housing for the many disadvantaged individuals across the country, individuals that still struggle daily to meet their families' needs, even while working full- time jobs. H.R. 3074 restores funding for the Community Development Block Grant Program, which this administration has cut since 2001 by nearly 35 percent. This bill provides $1.1 billion more than the President's request for CDBG grants, which allows local governments in cities such Utica, Rome and Auburn, New York, to provide critical services to revitalize neighborhoods, promote economic development and improve quality of life for those starved of financial resources.