Richard Baker

Mr. BAKER

Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill just considered.

Mr. BAKER

Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman and doctor, for yielding me this time, and I want to express my appreciation to him for his leadership in bringing this matter to the House's attention this morning. And to the Chair and to Members I wish to express deep appreciation. I see my good friend, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson), here this morning, whose district has been so adversely affected. I want to express to the Members of the House and to the Senate our appreciation for the extraordinary generosity, concern, and love that has been expressed in these preceding days. To all Americans who have given of themselves, their time, their financial resources, their assets, it is an extraordinary thing to be on the end of people's generosity in a time of crisis, and it is a bit overwhelming. I can tell you that every dollar sent will be utilized for the highest and best purpose, that every bottle of water, every asset they choose to give us is indeed warranted and justified; and we are only in the early days of our difficulty. I am told that there are areas in New Orleans where water may not yet be completely moved for another 80 days. So the stories will continue to unfold a day at a time, a week at a time, as the scope of this tragedy becomes fully appreciated. To my fellow congressmen, the gentleman from South Louisiana (Mr. Melancon), whose St. Bernard Parish is at the moment 10 feet under water; to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Taylor), who has lost his personal residence and all his congressional capabilities; to his staff, who have also lost their personal assets; and to Senator Lott, who lost his home, which had stood for 151 years on the coast of Mississippi and endured the 200 mile-an-hour wrath of Hurricane Camille in 1969 and had no expectation that this storm would bring the consequences it brought. On Sunday morning, before the storm's arrival on the following Monday, we heard this from the media: The storm has been downgraded from a Category 5 to a Category 4. It has now moved on an eastward track and will likely miss the city of New Orleans, and the evacuation has proceeded in an orderly and efficient manner. People are leaving in record numbers. All of those predictions and observations were accurate. The storm missed New Orleans. It destroyed Mississippi. What we are now seeing is the aftermath of a levee failure. And with all due respect to those who have seen flood waters come and go for many decades, no one could predict the breach of those levees. No one expected it to occur. And the devastation that occurred was amplified by people who had stayed in their homes, survived 140-mile-an-hour winds, endured the passage of a 12-hour storm, saw the sun come out and the skies clear and think, we have made it. Within 20 minutes of a phone call to a New Orleans resident who was in one of those houses that survived, he had 3 feet of water in his home. He could not even grab resources to get out quick enough. The water rose to 10 feet. Those in single- story structures were in great peril. The magnitude of this tragedy cannot be explained in mere words. It is 90,000 square miles of devastation, and will more than double the cost of 9/11 to American citizens. The remedy is to get resources to people, get the lights on and let us go back to work. There is corn and grain from the Midwest. Harvest season starts in 3 weeks. Sixty percent of that product goes through the Port of Orleans to the rest of the world. That has real economic implications for this Nation. Our petroleum industry needs to get back to work. Our port needs to get opened so dock workers can have jobs. We can build ourselves back. We want to go to work. We need tolerance and patience and hope. We do not need recriminations and accusations today. The terrible scope of this tragedy is going to extend for 3 more months. There will be lots of time next year to decide who was at fault and what did not happen when it occurred. I will tell you this: I am so appreciative to the President and the National Guard. My word, the personal effort these guys and ladies have put into their effort is just beyond comprehension. Many Louisianans, law enforcement, got in boats day and night to pull people out. Everybody who has been touched by this wants the same thing: We want personal suffering to go away. We want lives to be restored and to go forward. Nobody got up and said, I am going to flip the switch off on the phones. No one said, I am not going if people need me. The National Guard had to chain-saw their way from north Mississippi after the storm occurred to the coastal areas to get help in, and then we had the incredible event of people firing on their rescuers. This is unheard of. We then mobilized 7,500 National Guard. In any case, anywhere, any time, it takes 2 days to do that. It took 2 days to do it this time. Help is now on the ground. We have got a long way to go, but circumstances are better now than ever before. Let me close and say, thank you, just a deep heartfelt thanks to America and thanks to this Congress. You guys are great, and we cannot make it without you.

Mr. BAKER

Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome over 300 franchisee, franchisor, and franchise supplier members of the International Franchise Association who are visiting Washington on September 13 as part of ``Franchise Appreciation Day,'' the IFA's annual fly-in to the Nation's Capital. As I am sure my colleagues are aware, the IFA is the world's oldest and largest trade association representing the franchise community with a membership roster that includes more than 1,000 franchisors, 8,000 franchisees and 400 suppliers. Franchising is a driving force of our economy and generates $1.53 trillion in economic output and one-of-every-seven jobs in the Nation's private-sector economy, according to a study conducted for the IFA Educational Foundation by PricewaterhouseCoopers. The ``Economic Impact of Franchised Businesses'' study found that there are more than 760,000 franchised small businesses in the U.S., generating more than 18 million jobs. Those statistics are impressive enough on their own, but of particular concern and interest to me is the initiative the International Franchise Association has taken to help our veterans move from their service in the armed forces into the world of franchise ownership. Through the Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative, commonly known as ``VetFran,'' 360 veterans have been assisted in purchasing their own franchise small business, and 120 more are in various stages of negotiation. VetFran was established by Don Dwyer, the late founder of The Dwyer Group and an IFA leader, during Operation Desert Storm. It was re- initiated following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The program requires that participating franchisors offer veterans their ``best deal'' through discounts or other incentives that are determined by each company, and more than 150 franchise companies that are members of IFA participate. These businesses provide a great public service to our veterans and our communities, and I would like their names to be officially entered into the Congressional Record so that their good work may be officially recognized. I also would like the Record to include a list of the businesses started in 45 states. It is inspiring to me to see these companies step up, put their resources on the line and help our veterans. I think it is important to note that these are not Federal dollars--these are private-sector dollars, and I think this program is a model that should be followed and supported by others. I would also like to add that the good work of this program has been recognized by the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, which recently recognized IFA with a Support Sector Champion Award for expanding business opportunities for veterans; the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Veterans Corporation. Those who know me know that I am no stranger to helping veterans, and earlier this year, I introduced legislation that would ease the way for more U.S. veterans to buy a franchised business. The ``Veterans Self-Employment Act'' would establish a five-year pilot program that would allow American service members, veterans, national guardsmen, reservists, and qualified others to use some of their Veterans Administration educational assistance to defray training costs associated with obtaining a franchised small business. Acquiring a franchise is a great way for people to gain the skills they need to successfully open and operate a business, but it often requires ``basic training'' in business education--customer service, daily operations management, business computer systems, inventory control, costing and pricing, and meeting regulatory obligations--as well as specialized training for the goods, services, policies, and practices of the individual franchise system. The legislation I introduced is endorsed by the International Franchise Association, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill that would help to turn more proud veterans into proud business owners. When franchise leaders and small business men and women visit us on Franchise Appreciation Day, September 13, I have no doubt that my colleagues will join me in making them feel welcome and discuss public- policy issues that will help franchising to continue to boost the nation's economy, and help our men and women who have fought so valiantly to protect our freedoms. IFA Member Franchisors Participating in the VetFran Program include: 1-800-DryClean, 1-800-Got-Junk, 2 Scoops Cafe, @Wireless, @WORK Franchise, @WORK HelpingHands Services, @WORK Medical Services, @WORK Personnel Services, A-Pro Services, Action International, AeroWest Services, AIM Mail Centers, Aire Serv Heating & Air Conditioning, All American Specialty Restaurants, All Tune & Lube, Allegra Print & Imaging, Alta Mere Window Tinting and Auto Alarms, American Leak Detection, American Poolplayers Association, American Wholesale Thermographers, AmeriSpec Home Inspection Service, Bark Busters, Baskin-Robbins, Batteries Plus, Bevinco's, Big L's- Friendly Computers, Big O Tires, Blimpie's Subs & Salads, Brightscape Investment Centers, Camp Bow Wow, Candy Bouquet, Cardsmart Retail Corporation, Cartridge World North America, Carvel Corporation, Case Handyman Services, CGI International, Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Children's Orchard, CHIP The Child I.D. Program of America, The Cleaning Authority, CM IT Solutions, The Coffee Beanery, College Nannies & Tutors, ComForcare Senior Services, Comfort Keepers, Computer Renaissance, ComputerTots/Computer Explorers, Concerto Networks, Cookies by Design/Cookie Bouquet, Copy Club, Cottman Transmissions Systems, Coverall Cleaning Concepts, Creative Colors International, Crestcom International, Cruise Holidays, Cruise One, D'Angelo Sandwich Shops, DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen, Dunkin' Donuts, Edible Arrangements, The Entrepreneur's Source, Expense Reduction Analysts, Expense Reduction Consulting, Expetec Technology Services, Express Personnel Services, ExxonMobil Corporation, Fantastic Sam's, Fastframe USA, The Filta Group, Foodnet, Foot Solutions, Furniture Medic, Geeks on Call, Glass Doctor, Gold's Gym International, Gymboree Play & Music, Handyman Matters Franchise Corp., Happy & Healthy Products, Have Signs Will Travel, i9 Sports, Inspect-It 1st Franchising Corp., Island Ink-Jet Systems, Jet Black International, Juice It Up Franchise Corp., KaBloom Franchising Corp., Kitchen Tune-Up, Kwik Kopy Business Centers, Labor Finders, Lawn Doctor, Learning Express Toys, Leather Medic, Lentz USA Service Center, Liberty Tax Service, Link Staffing Services, Maid Brigade, MaidPro, Marble Slab Creamery, Marco's Pizza, Matco Tools, Maui Wowi Smoothies, Meineke Car Care Centers, Merry Maids, L.P., Milex, Tune-Up and Brakes, Molly Maid, Money Mailer, Mr. Appliance, Mr. Electric, Mr. Handyman, Mr. Rooter Plumbing, Mr. Transmission, Multistate Transmissions, Navis Pack & Ship Centers, Netspace, Open Works, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives, Parcel Plus, The Philly Franchising Company, Planet Beach Franchising Corp., Positive Changes Hypnosis, PostalAnnex+, Postal Connections of America, PostNet, Precision Tune Auto Care, Puroclean, Rainbow Int'l Restoration and Cleaning, Ritter's Frozen Custard, Safe Kids Cards, Sarah Adult Day Services, The Screen Machine, SealMaster, Sears Carpet & Upholstery Care, ServiceMaster Clean, Siegel Capital, Snelling Personnel Services, Sparkle Wash, Sport Clips, The Sports Section, Spring-Green Lawn Care Corp., Sunbelt Business Brokers, TeamLogic IT, Togo's Eatery, Travel Lines Express, TruFoods, TurboHaul, Two Men And A Truck, The UPS Store, Vanguard Cleaning Systems, Victory Lane Quick Oil Change, Virginia Barbecue Franchise Co., Wild Bird Centers of America, WineStyles, Wing Zone, Wireless Zone, World Inspection Network, Zoup! Systems. Franchised Businesses Established Through the VetFran Program include: Alabama: Birmingham: Meineke, Decatur: Vanguard Cleaning Systems, Robertsdale: Merry Maids. Alaska: Anchorage: American Poolplayers, MBE/UPS Store. Arizona: Gilbert: DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen, Lake Havasu: MBE/UPS Store, Maricopa: World Inspection Network, Mesa: Expetec, Peoria: Coffee Beanery, Phoenix: Foot Solutions, Molly Maid, World Inspection Network, Scottsdale: PostNet, Show Low: Aire Serv Heating & Air Conditioning, Vail: KaBloom Franchising Corp. Arkansas: Little Rock: Cleaning Authority, Rogers: PostNet, Siloam Springs: PostNet, Springdale: PostNet. California: Anaheim: Navis Pack & Ship Centers, Angel Camp: Mr. Rooter, Antelope: MBE/UPS Store, Auburn: PostalAnnex+, Chula Vista: MBE/UPS Store, PostNet, Corte Madera: 1-800 Dry- Clean, Crona: PostNet, Encinitas: Mr. Handyman, Fair Oaks: PostNet, Fallbrook: DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen, Granada Hills: MBE/UPS Store, Hayward: PostNet, Hesperia: World Inspection Network, Huntington Beach: MBE/UPS Store, Imperial: Rainbow Int'l Restoration & Cleaning, La Habra: Cm IT Solutions, Laguna Hills: MBE/UPS Store, Laguna Niguel: Mr. Handyman, Lakeside: MBE/UPS Store, Los Angeles: 1-800-Got Junk, Meineke, Morgan Hills: World Inspection Network, Mountain View: Mr. Handyman, Newark: Cartridge World, Orange: Express Personnel, Pacifica: Molly Maid, Pasadena: MBE/UPS Store, San Diego: Concerto Network, PostalAnnex+, Santa Ana: MBE/UPS Store, Suisun City: MBE/UPS Store, Upland: World Inspection Network. Colorado: Colorado Springs: Meineke, PostalAnnex+, Ranbor Int'l Restoration & Cleaning, Sears Carpet & Upholstery Care, Denver: Meineke Car Care Centers, Fort Collins: Expetec, Longmont: Mr. Electric, Loveland: MBE/UPS Store, Parker: PostNet, Superior: MBE/UPS Store, Rainbow Int'l Restoration & Cleaning. Connecticut: Orange: MBE/UPS Store, Southbury: FastFrame

Mr. BAKER

Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite) who is a strong advocate of our flood insurance program.

Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 804) to exclude from consideration as income certain payments under the national flood insurance program, as amended.

Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to express my appreciation to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank) and to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) for his cooperative work in this matter. It has been bipartisan. I think it achieves a worthwhile policy goal, and I express my appreciation.

Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, it was just last year that the United States Congress acted to reform the flood assistance programs of this country to ensure that those who engaged in abusive practices and thereby were over assessing the program for repetitive flood losses would no longer avail themselves of that inappropriate opportunity. Accordingly, as the House passed legislation, there was an unintended consequence, however, pursuant to a ruling by the IRS which found that there was no technical or legislative basis on which to exempt payments made from the flood assistance program for the purposes of an individual qualifying for additional governmental assistance. I will translate that into something that is more appropriate. If, for example, a person were to accept an assistance mitigation payment to reduce the probability of future flooding, that income could then be counted and disqualify that person from receiving food stamps, aid to dependent children, perhaps Social Security, other health care assistance. And that, of course, was not the intent of the legislation as passed. In fact, under the provisions of the Stafford Act, all other emergency assistance granted by FEMA does not count toward qualifying individuals for governmental assistance, or for that matter, as income qualifying under the IRS for taxable liability. The reason for this policy position is quite clear, the whole goal of the effort was to incent people to make changes necessary to their property so they would no longer call on the Federal Government for flood mitigation assistance. In one instance, an individual who was to receive significant mitigation funding, had he accepted it, would have put him far over the qualifying limits for even his Social Security benefits. That is not the outcome that one would want to see as a result of trying to assist a person with flooding problems. Coming on the heels of Hurricane Dennis and many events across the Gulf Coast of the past few months, it is now clear this action is not only appropriate but necessary and does not violate precedent nor other actions of the Congress with regard to other assistance programs. For these reasons, I feel the adoption of H.R. 804 is highly appropriate and responsive to the needs of our constituents. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to express my appreciation to all Members who have had an interest and role in perfecting this legislation. Merely for the purposes of establishing in the record as we close the chapter I believe on the reform of the Flood Mitigation Assistance Program, but every dollar of benefit paid is generated by premiums of flood insurance paid into the fund by home and property owners. It is a program which pays out benefits, and at any time, if there has been an advance of funding by the Federal Government when funds on hand have been deficient to pay existing claims, all dollars have been repaid plus interest over the life of the program. So in fact it is a program that functions in an efficient taxpayer-responsible manner. And with the adjustments made over the past 18 months to the program, I hope it brings to an end further Congressional review and oversight of the important flood assistance programs as now constructed. Mr. Speaker, the following is the revised cost estimate prepared by the Congressional Budget Office: U.S. Congress, Congressional Budget Office, Washington, DC, May 11, 2005. Hon. Michael G. Oxley, Chairman, Committee on Financial Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed revised cost estimate for H.R. 804, a bill to exclude from consideration as income certain payments under the National Flood Insurance Program. This estimate supersedes our original estimate that was transmitted on March 31, 2005. If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Kathleen FitzGerald. Sincerely, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Director. Enclosure. H.R. 804--A bill to exclude from consideration as income certain payments under the National Flood Insurance Program If H.R. 804 were enacted, payments made under the National Flood Insurance Program for flood mitigation activities would not be counted as income or resources when determining eligibility for any federal means-tested program. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awards grants to states and communities, which in turn distribute funds to individuals and businesses for activities that reduce the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings. Data from FEMA show that the average approved award is about $75,000. CBO expects that enacting this bil1 would increase the number of persons eligible for certain means-tested programs including Food Stamps and Medicaid. Currently, flood mitigation grants are counted as income or resources. by these programs and make some people ineligible for benefits or reduce the amount of their benefit. (Certain other FEMA grants are already excluded from income for benefit- eligibility purposes.) Based on data from FEMA on the number of flood mitigation grants awarded since fiscal year 1997 CBO estimates that the increase in the number of people newly eligible for these programs as a result of this legislation would be small and that any increase in direct spending for them would not be significant. Enacting the bill would not affect revenues. H.R. 804 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act, and any increased spending by states for public benefits would be minimal. This revised estimate supersedes the estimate that CBO transmitted on,this bill on March 31, 2005. Based on new information on both the number of flood mitigation grants and how they are distributed, CBO has lowered its estimate of the number of instances where individual families receive such grants. We previously estimated a cost of about $1 million a year, but now estimate that such costs would be less than $500,000 a year. The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are Kathleen FitzGerald (for federal costs), Leo Lex (for the impact on state, local, and tribal governments), and Paige Piper/Bach (for the private-sector impact). This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BAKER

Mr. BAKER. That is my understanding.

Mr. BAKER. That is unfortunately the case.

Mr. BAKER. That is correct.

Mr. BAKER. The gentleman agrees and stipulates the Mint should make every effort not to sell more than 10 sets of coins produced under the act to any buyer, be they bought by that individual or through buyers acting on behalf of that individual.

Mr. BAKER. The gentleman continues to yield.

Mr. BAKER. I do agree.

Mr. BAKER. I do agree.

Mr. BAKER. The gentleman agrees and believes that such a plan would be an excellent way to keep a new national museum of money exciting so that visitors would be interested in returning many times.

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

Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I just wish to point out that the astronauts are the bravest of the brave and assume the most dire risk in these missions as they approach to reach the outer limits of mankind's understandings. But within the organization known as NASA and JPL, there are literally thousands of individuals who work collaboratively for years to get these launches to the place where they can proceed at the highest level of safety and responsibility. So I look at this act and this step the Congress is now authorizing today as one which recognizes not only those life-risking astronauts as being the pinnacle of our recognition, but certainly every member of the NASA JPL teams who literally work lifetimes to make these steps of exploration by humankind possible. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Culberson).

Mr. BAKER. I yield to the gentleman from Texas for the purpose of a colloquy.

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

Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 68) to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as amended.

Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 68 and to insert extraneous material thereon.