Corrine Brown

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words, and I rise in support of the amendment. Mr. Chairman, a few weeks ago the House approved the truth in budgeting act. If there is truth in budgeting, surely there must be truth in contracting, and that is what the Oberstar amendment does. I too support the goals of most of the provisions of H.R. 2149, including the provision which eliminates the Federal Maritime Commission prohibiting ocean carrier conferences from restricting the rights of individual carriers to make contracts with shippers and eliminate the requirement that tariffs must be filed with a Government agency. However, I do believe that there should be two modifications to the bill to meet the concerns which have been raised by consumers, and that is what the Oberstar amendment does. The Oberstar amendment is not a killer amendment, it does not gut the bill. With the amendment, the bill will still take the following important actions to deregulate the ocean shipping industry: The Federal Maritime Commission will be eliminated, restrictions on the contents of contracts between shippers and carriers will be eliminated, and laws related to unfair trade practices of foreign carriers and foreign governments will be strengthened. As I said earlier, a few weeks ago the House approved the truth in budgeting act. If there is truth in budgeting, surely there must be truth in contracting.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, we are here today to honor Congressman Sam Gibbons on the occasion of his retirement at the end of this year. Even before Sam was elected to Congress in 1962, he already had a long and distinguished career. Serving 17 terms in Congress was a fine way for Sam to finish off his remarkable career in public life. Although, I am sure he is not going to disappear. I hear that Sam is gearing up to teach, among other things--not surprising for a man who has spent his whole life serving his country in one way or another. Sam is most treasured as a hero of World War II. He earned the Bronze Star after parachuting into Normandy on the night before D-day. Sam served for 10 years in the Florida House of Representatives. One of his proudest accomplishments was passing legislation that created the University of South Florida. Today, Sam is proud to be recognized as the ``Father of the University of South Florida.'' In the Florida Senate, where he served for 4 years, Sam Gibbons helped establish Florida's regional water management districts. These districts are important because they have enabled us to repair, maintain, and preserve our precious water resources, not just for our current enjoyment, but for Florida's future as well. So, when Sam Gibbons marched into Congress in 1962, he was quite accomplished in many areas of policy. And he went on to tackle Congress in grand style. As a junior Member of Congress in 1965, Sam Gibbons was chosen by President Johnson to shepherd important legislation such as Job Corps and Head Start through Congress. Sam secured a seat on the coveted Ways and Means Committee and became chairman of its Trade Subcommittee in 1981. One of Sam's finest hours was shepherding NAFTA and GATT through Ways and Means to final passage. In early 1994, when he became the acting chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Sam Gibbons was instrumental in passing a health care reform bill through his committee. Later that year, Sam worked tirelessly to protect Medicare, Medicaid, and welfare from the chopping block. Sam is also a family man. Sam and his darling wife Martha celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary this year. His three sons Clifford, Tim, and Mark, his three daughters-in-law, and his five grandchildren will benefit from our loss when Sam returns home to Florida at the end of this year. Sam has been our leader, Sam has been our mentor, Sam has been our friend. Sam, thank you for all that you have done for Florida, and for our Nation. In the Bible, there is a passage ``For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith.'' Sam Gibbons has been fighting the good fight, and he has kept the faith. We are so proud of you, Sam. You have been our leader and you have been our friend. I have a token that I want to give Sam and his wife. Sam, would you come down, please? A tiny token of our appreciation to you and from me personally as being my mentor when I arrived here.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. God bless you, Sam, and God bless America.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the entire leadership of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for being so diligent in bringing the issue of investment in our Nation's infrastructure to the attention of the American people. You should be commended for all of your efforts in getting this bill to the floor for a vote, despite the strong opposition of H.R. 842 by powerful Members of the House. As a cosponsor of H.R. 842, the Truth in Budgeting Act, I believe that moving the trust funds off budget is vital to ensuring that we will be able to meet the vast infrastructure needs of our Nation's transportation systems, provide adequate funding for the National Highway System, and ensure that ISTEA is fully funded. The current, documented, unmet transportation infrastructure needs of our Nation are enormous. Those needs are $212 billion to fix 265,000 miles of highways which are below acceptable engineering standards; $78 billion to fix 238,000 bridges which are rated as structurally deficient; and $80 billion in public wastewater treatment facility needs. I represent Florida's Third Congressional District which includes four interstate highways, two international airports, eight regional or commuter airports, a major seaport, and a river used extensively for intrastate commerce. Every year, I assist these Florida transportation facilities in getting Federal dollars. But there is never enough money to meet all of their needs. I would like to enter into the Record a letter that I just received from the FAA talking about severely limited AIP funds and denying a funding request from the Gainesville Regional Airport. The city of Gainesville's airport is not the only airport affected by the AIP funding situation. Of the Nation's top 100 airports, 23 are incredibly congested, and would use additional funds for expansion purposes. We would be able to address some of these transportation needs if the transportation trust funds are moved off budget. The four transportation trust funds, highway trust fund, aviation trust fund, inland waterways trust fund, and the harbor maintenance trust fund are unique in that they are wholly user financed, invest in transportation infrastructure, and are deficit proof. Taking highway trust funds off budget frees up $1.1 billion for ISTEA spending. I urge all of my colleagues to support this good bill which will ensure that taxes paid by the American people for more roads, expanded transit systems, safer bridges, updated equipment for our air traffic control centers, adequate number of Coast Guard stations, and for many other transportation purposes are used for those purposes. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, DC, April 5, 1996. Hon. Corrine Brown, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Congresswoman Brown: Administrator Hinson has asked me to respond to your letter supporting a request for Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding to reimburse the city of Gainesville for expenses involved in acquiring property through inverse condemnation. The city of Gainesville's request for fiscal year (FY) 1996 noise discretionary funds was considered carefully. Because of severely limited AIP funds, including those funds designated for noise compatibility and planning, we rely strongly on our priority-rating system to select projects for funding. This rating system considers the type of work and the activity level of the airport when assigning the priorities. Unfortunately, based on its priority, we do not have sufficient funding to approve a grant for Gainesville's noise project at this time. I assure you that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will continue to work with the city to provide reimbursement for the land acquisition already completed. Toward that end, we will retain the city's grant application on file for future consideration as funds become available. We are hopeful that reauthorization of the AIP beyond FY 1996 will provide adequate funding and allow us to carry out these intentions. The FAA continues to support the Gainesville Regional Airport through AIP entitlement funds. A current year project has been approved totaling $1.66 million in Federal funds to continue the expansion and renovation of the terminal building. If we can be of further assistance, please contact Mr. A. Bradley Mims, Assistant Administrator for Government and Industry Affairs, at 202-267-3277. Sincerely, James H. Washington, Acting Associate Administrator for Airports.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, how low can you go? This 104th Congress has hit a new low. The NRA, I mean the GOP leadership, showed me the old saying is true, he who has the gold makes the rule. Law enforcement officers from my district have told me how critical it is to keep the assault ban in place. No one needs an AK-47 to defend their home or to go hunting unless they are hunting people. We must think about the message Congress is sending to young people of America by saying assault weapons are OK. Sometimes you just don't appreciate how good something is until it is gone. Today, I truly miss Speaker Foley for his fairness in allowing debate on the important issues. We used to sing a song, ``How Low Can You Go?'' This 104th Congress has hit a new low. The NRA, I mean the GOP leadership, shows me that the old saying is true, ``He who has the gold, makes the rules.'' Mr. Speaker, I rise today in the strongest opposition to repealing the ban on assault weapons. I voted in 1994 to put a ban on deadly assault weapons because they are responsible for the deaths of too many of my people. It is unconscionable for responsible legislators to repeal this important ban. Without hearings or committee action, and only 1 hour of floor debate, it seems the reason for today's vote is so the majority party can pay back the NRA. That's not good enough for me or the people in my district who want to keep this ban in place. Law enforcement officials from all over my district have told me how critical it is to keep the assault ban in place. Police Chief Wayland Clifton, of Gainesville, FL, says: The incidence of violent crime, especially involving firearms, is on the rise in America. This fact is confirmed by numerous studies conducted by the Department of Justice. . . . Many times, instances of mass violence and multiple homicides are worse when assault weapons are used. The weapons, due to their nature, provide criminals with greater firepower, thus these weapons pose a greater risk to both police officers and potential victims. Even though assault weapons make up less than 1 percent of all guns, they are 18 times more likely to be cop-killers. Police support this ban because outlawing assault weapons saves the lives of police and the general public. There is already proof that the ban is working to lower rates of violent crime. The number of assault weapons traces initiated in the first 8 months of 1995 dropped from 1994 levels. According to tracing data collected by BATF, assault weapons, as a percentage of all gun traces, fell for the second year in a row, from 5 percent in 1994 to 4.3 percent in 1995. Despite these encouraging trends, assault weapons are still a major threat to Americans, and especially law enforcement officers. Finally, I have talked with the families of too many victims of guns too easily obtained. No one needs an AK-47 to defend their home or to go hunting--unless you are hunting people. We must think about the message Congress sends to the young people of America. What kind of message do we send by saying assault weapons are OK? The ban on deadly assault weapons must stay in place. Gainesville Police Department, Gainesville, FL, March 21, 1996. Hon. Corrine Brown, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Representative Corrine Brown: I understand that a vote on H.R. 125 regarding a proposal to lift the ban on assault weapons is scheduled for March 22, 1996. The ban on assault weapons is very important to law enforcement, so I am seeking your assistance on this matter. As you well know, the incidence of violent crime, especially involving firearms, is on the rise in America. This fact is confirmed by numerous studies conducted by the Department of Justice. In addition to these statistics regarding the degree of victimization, the newspapers provide anecdotal evidence about the severity of violent crime in America. Many times, instances of mass violence and multiple homicides are exacerbated when assault weapons are used. These weapons, due to their nature, provide criminals with greater firepower, thus these weapons pose a greater risk to both police officers and potential victims. Therefore, to alleviate the potential threat that assault weapons pose to our citizens, I urge that you vote against H.R. 125 and not lift the ban on assault weapons. Sincerely, Wayland Clifton, Jr., Chief of Police.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, Chairman Shuster, Congressman Oberstar, Congressman Duncan, Congressman Lipinski, and I want to commend and congratulate you for working together in a bipartisan fashion to bring a good bill to the House floor. H.R. 2276, the FAA Revitalization Act, addresses FAA's serious bureaucracy and procurement problems while ensuring that Congress keeps an important oversight role. H.R. 2276 makes the FAA an independent agency separate from DOT but still part of the executive branch. H.R. 2276 exempts the Agency from personnel and procurement systems, subject to congressional review. However, this bill does require FAA to develop new personnel and procurement systems tailored to meet the FAA's specific needs while still maintaining important employee rights such as whistleblowers protection, labor-management relations, and laws prohibiting discrimination. That's why it is important that H.R. 2276 be enacted into law before April 1. If this bill is not enacted into law before April 1, then the fiscal year 1996 Transportation Appropriations Act's requirement that the FAA establish new personnel and procurement rules will go into effect. Unfortunately, the Appropriations Act does not require the FAA to adhere to employee rights that are clearly stated in H.R. 2276, especially the protection of labor-management relations. For the last several months, I have been hearing from FAA employees in my district who are very concerned that Congress will not meet its April 1 deadline and that they will lose their rights to negotiate with the FAA about the new personnel system. These employees have a great deal at stake. Let's get this bill enacted before it's too late. Again, I commend my colleagues on their fine work and would ask my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, the telecommunications bill has been signed into law. It is a bill that I supported and I am pleased to see this important legislation become law. However, I am outraged at the way in which this extreme Republican leadership snuck a little-known provision into the conference report. In the attempt to eliminate ``obscene'' material from the Internet, this provision included an old, outdated definition of the word ``obscene.'' Known as the Comstock Act, it included as part of the definition of obscene materials ``any drug, medicine, article, or thing * * * intended for producing abortion.'' This obscure, never enforced law dates back to the early 1900's and is clearly an unconstitutional violation of free speech. If enforced, this outdated law would prohibit the discussion of abortion over the telephone, on the computer, or through the mail. The new telecommunication law makes it a felony, punishable by 5 years for the first offense and 10 years for each subsequent offense, for anyone to discuss abortion on the Internet. I believe that it would be unconstitutional to ban citizens from speaking freely on the issue of abortion. Women's rights have continually been challenged by this Congress. This is just the latest attempt to silence those who advocate a woman's right to choose. I believe that Congress should act immediately to ensure that free speech is not violated by this law. I lived through the era before Roe versus Wade. I know what poor women went through in the back alleys when abortion was not legal. Any attempt to restrict this medical procedure is just one more way this Congress is throwing away a woman's right to choose. Mr. Speaker, It is outrageous that this extreme anti-choice movement would use the new telecommunications law to threaten a person's rights to discuss abortion. Choosing abortion is the most heartwrenching and personal decision a woman may ever make. But It is a decision that should be made between a woman, her doctor, her family, and her spiritual conscience. This Congress should not be meddling with our ability to freely discuss a woman's most personal medical decision.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, in the grand tradition of Mary McLeod Bethune, Shirley Chisholm, and Dorothy Height, former Congresswoman Barbara Charline Jordan carried our Nation's baton for freedom, justice, and equality as one of the first female African- American Member of Congress. When she retired from Congress in 1977, she left an incredible void and a legacy that my colleagues and I have worked tirelessly to fulfill. Jordan, who died last month in Houston, TX at age 59, was a true inspiration for past, present, and future female African-American Members of Congress. Both as a Texas State senator and as a U.S. Congresswoman, Jordan sponsored bills that championed the cause of poor, black, disadvantaged, and working people. Barbara Jordan would be saddened today by the challenges to minority voting districts, including the very district Jordan once represented and is now represented by my colleague, Sheila Jackson-Lee. Minority voting districts have been instrumental in ensuring that we are all included in ``We the People.'' Jordan used to say that perhaps George Washington and Alexander Hamilton had left her out by mistake when drafting the Constitution to begin ``We the People.'' Much of her career was spent working to fully implement the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Jordan met with much success. ``Through the process of amendment interpretation and court decision,'' she said, ``I have finally been included in `We the people.' '' Now, our Nation faces threats to the inclusion of all people in challenges to minority districts in many States, including Florida. The Third Congressional District of Florida is a truly representative district and I believe that my constituents have been well served. In Congress today, I would argue that we need more inclusion, more compassion, and more minority voting districts to ensure that ``We the People'' includes us all. If the current Republican-led Congress could be injected with the spirit of Congress' most powerful heroes, the U.S. Congress and its American citizens would be better off today. Those who have come after her have struggled to fill her giant shoes. Barbara Jordan was a true American hero. Let us never forget her legacy of equal opportunity, dreaming and living our dreams, and including all people as we interpret the U.S. Constitution.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, if we don't pass a debt limit extension and the country defaults on the national debt, the result will be devastating. The Republicans don't believe Treasury Secretary Rubin when he warned of default. Instead, they have resorted to a dangerous game of chicken with our Nation's economy. If we do default on the national debt, it will have an adverse effect on so many people. Social Security and veteran benefit recipients may not receive checks. Interest rates would rise dramatically, affecting home, car, and student loans. Bond prices would fall dramatically, causing people to sell in fear of this. First, the Republicans held Government employees hostage in their attempt to get the President to cave in to their extreme balanced budget plan. And now, they are fooling around with the possibility of defaulting on the debt. They just never learn that their extreme bullying tactics just aren't going to work. We can't afford to default on the national debt. We need a clean debt limit extension.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Well, I have heard three times today that you can fool some of the people some of the time. The American people need to let the Republicans know that they are not being fooled by this talk about balancing the budget while we do reverse Robin Hood, where we are robbing from the working people and poor people to give a tax break to people who do not need it, do not want it, and do not deserve it.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. If the gentlewoman would stay with me, I would ask her, does she think this sounds a little like voodoo economics again?

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the gentlewoman one question. Will you clear up for the American people the question as far as the balanced budget? They keep talking about the balanced budget. Yes; we want to balance the budget, but it is a question of priorities, shared sacrifices. What are some of the other factors?

Ms BROWN of Florida

Ms BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, if we do nothing else, it is our constitutional duty as Members of the U.S. Congress to pass the appropriation bills. Yet it is January 4, and we have only passed 7 of the 13 appropriation bills that are necessary to fund the Federal Government. No one is to blame except Congress; to exact, the extreme Republican Members of the House. It is hard to me to believe that Republicans want to recess until January 23. If you ask my opinion, they have been in recess since the beginning of the 104th Congress, because in the Constitution we must pass the appropriation bills, and not in the Republicans' contract. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield to the distinguished gentlewoman from Connecticut [Ms. DeLauro].

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. I heard some of the freshmen earlier said that they would never vote for another continuing resolution. Did we not just have one on VA?

Ms. BROWN of Florida. I was talking about Claude Pepper earlier, and I have a picture of Claude and Lyndon Baines Johnson together. I have heard these Republicans get up here and talk about they want to tear this Government down, brick by brick. I think the American people need to weigh in on how they want this country to look, whether or not they just want this country for the rich and famous or for all of us.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. And whether or not they want this House to be run by extreme radicals.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Does the continuing resolution have anything to do with the budget talks that we can pick up in January and go on until the November election of 1996? Because I really believe that the American people are going to have to resolve this. They have got to decide what kind of House do they want.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. School lunch.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, older Americans have fought this country's wars, built its cities, reared its children and tilled its soil. They deserve much and need much. So said the late Claude Pepper, who served Florida for 15 years in the Senate and 26 years more in the House. He was a true champion for the seniors of Florida and this country. Mr. Speaker, we all agree that we were sent to Congress to pass a responsible budget. But I do not believe we should balance the budget on the backs of the elderly, the sick, the poor, and the disabled. Claude Pepper once said, ``My one great wish is to live long enough to see the day when this great and prosperous Nation can give every man, woman, and child every bit of health care he or she needs. I think this is a part of the American dream.'' Mr. Speaker, I share Claude Pepper's dream. Let us protect seniors. Let us pass a responsible budget, and let us do it now. I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Pallone]. Would the gentleman explain for the constituents of Florida why we are into this second shutdown. And I think the first one cost over $800 million?

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Did they not vote for it?

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this continuing resolution to make sure that veterans receive their checks on time at the end of this month. There is no doubt that this Congress is concerned about our veterans. It is clear that this continuing resolution is important and I will vote for it. However, I must say that there is no reason why we can't pass a continuing resolution to keep the rest of the Government operating. More than a quarter of a million Federal workers who have been furloughed are important, too. They have families. They have children. Federal workers matter. Any yet the Republicans in this Congress refuse to pass a continuing resolution to keep our Government open because they want to force the President to accept their extreme agenda. Mr. Speaker, we were sent to Congress to do the work of the people. We know what we need to do--pass a responsible budget that protects seniors, protects children, protects veterans, and sends our federal employees back to work. Mr. Speaker, let's stop the partisan fighting. Let's get our work done and let's give the American people the best Christmas presents they could ask for--a holiday they can spend with their families and a Government that can work together to solve this budget crisis.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I have a question on the shutdown. You and I had a lengthy discussion yesterday. I raised the issue to you that this shutdown is costing the American people over $800 million. You indicated to me that you all felt that this was the only way you could get the attention of the President of the United States. So the purpose of this shutdown has nothing to do with the balanced budget but with trying to get the President's attention.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?