Judy Biggert

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 683. This resolution expresses the regret of the House of Representatives for laws that unfairly targeted the Chinese community in the United States, specifically the Chinese Exclusion Act. I want to thank my good friend from California, Ms. Chu, for her hard work and determination in bringing this important resolution to the floor, and I am proud to join her as the lead cosponsor of this historic effort. America's strength has always been derived from our commitment to the principles of our founders. And although we do not always succeed in living up to those ideals, we continually strive to do so, and we become stronger in the process. Today, we have the opportunity to take another important step by recognizing one of the great--yet often overlooked--injustices in our shared history. One-hundred and thirty years ago, just thirteen years after the last spike was driven into the first transcontinental railroad, the Congress of the United States strayed from the path laid by our founders and implemented the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. This ten-year ban on Chinese immigration and naturalization targeted Chinese immigrants for physical and political exclusion, and its passage was driven by an unfortunate mix of racism, jingoism, and intolerance. In subsequent years, Congress expanded and hardened these laws, making it impossible for legal Chinese workers to reenter America, apply for citizenship, and reunite with their families. And it wasn't until the U.S.-Chinese alliance of World War Two that Congress finally repealed these laws and restored the rights of Chinese-Americans. Since that time, this body has passed many reforms. Yet, over 100 years later, this chamber has yet to acknowledge its own misguided actions. Today, we have the opportunity to do just that and reaffirm our shared commitment to equality. Mr. Speaker, I also would like to thank Linda Yang, the Director of the Xilin [SI-LIN] Asian Community Center in Naperville, Illinois, whose advice and input has helped to drive this resolution to the floor. It was she who told me about the individuals in our own community whose parents and grandparents were impacted by the Chinese Exclusion Act. Unfortunately, many of these victims are no longer with us. But for those who remain, it is critical to address this issue now, before the opportunity is lost forever. With that in mind, I urge all of my colleagues to support this important resolution. Through it, let us acknowledge the past, express our regret, and promote a greater appreciation for the challenges that past generations of Chinese Americans have bravely overcome.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Madam Speaker, too often people in Washington forget that it's our small businesses that create jobs, not government. These men and women are doing the most important work to bring about economic recovery and growth. In fact, over the past 17 years, small businesses have created an impressive 65 percent of all new American jobs. So today, Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in celebrating the successes of our local job creators, including two individuals from my district who are being recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration, SCORE and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Congratulations to Kathy Xuan, the CEO of PARC Corporation, which is a plastics recycling company in Romeoville, Illinois, on being named Exporter of the Year. I also offer a hearty salute to Mike Rohan, the President of All Trust Home Care, Incorporated, which is in Hinsdale, Illinois, who has earned the Entrepreneurial Success of the Year Award. These achievements are an important reminder to Congress that we must put politics aside and work together to create an environment where leaders like Mike and Kathy can do what they do best--create jobs.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Senate amendment to H.R. 5740, the National Flood Insurance Program Extension Act. As my colleagues know, the NFIP is set to expire on May 31. This program provides vital flood insurance coverage to homeowners in flood-prone communities. Just 2 weeks ago, we passed a 30-day extension, H.R. 5740, to spare property owners and the housing market from another lapse in the NFIP. That bill was approved by this Chamber on May 17 by a vote of 402 18. The Senate has since amended our legislation, extending the authorization for an additional 30 days, for a total of 60 days, or until July 31. The Senate amendment also eliminates subsidized rates for second and vacation homes. According to an unofficial Congressional Budget Office staff estimate, this provision will generate approximately $2 billion to $2.5 billion over 10 years. Although not identical, the Senate's reform provision mirrors section 5 of H.R. 1309, the 5-year flood reform bill that we in the House passed with overwhelming bipartisan support last July. And if any technical changes are needed, they can be addressed in any long-term reform measure that we consider in the coming weeks. On that note, I am pleased to report that, as part of reaching an agreement on this extension, Senate leaders have offered their public and private assurances that they will vote this June on the long-term flood insurance reform. This agreement is a major breakthrough for those of us who have been pushing for the Senate passage of the long-term bill since the House completed its work nearly 11 months ago. The Senate Banking Committee has already approved a bipartisan NFIP proposal, and I remain confident that the House and Senate can reconcile any differences that remain between our respective visions for reform. Mr. Speaker, the NFIP is over $17 billion in debt to taxpayers, and since 2008 Congress has enacted 16 stopgap measures to keep the program running. Today's bill can and should be the last short-term extension, because this program is too important to let lapse and too in debt to continue without reform. Today's bill not only prevents a lapse, it brings us closer to a responsible long-term solution. And the sooner we accomplish this goal, the sooner taxpayers can stop bearing the full expense and risk of an outdated flood program. With that, I would urge my colleagues to support the Senate amendment to H.R. 5740, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Stivers), a valued member of the Financial Services Committee.

Mrs. BIGGERT. I have no further requests for time.

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 5740) to extend the National Flood Insurance Program, and for other purposes.

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to add extraneous material on this bill.

Mrs. BIGGERT. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier, this bill is the 17th short-term extension of the National Flood Insurance Program. Our colleagues in the Senate have assured us that in June they will take up the version of a long-term NFIP reauthorization and reform bill, so I am confident that this will be our last short-term extension. H.R. 5740, with the Senate amendment, extends the program for an additional 2 months in order to protect homeowners, communities in flood-prone areas, and the housing market. Including at least one reform provision in H.R. 5740--to eliminate subsidized rates for second and vacation homes--reduces some of the NFIP's risk to taxpayers. H.R. 5740 also buys the House and Senate 2 more months to finalize a larger bill to reauthorize the 5 years and reform the National Flood Insurance Program. Eleven months ago, over 400 Members of the House from both sides of the aisle voted for H.R. 1309 to reform this program. Actually, the reform bill passed out of the Financial Services Committee 54 0. So this is a real bipartisan effort. The House also has approved the same 5-year NFIP reauthorization and reform bill as part of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 in December, and as part of the Reconciliation Act that was passed a couple of weeks ago. Again, earlier this month over 400 Members of the House voted for the first version of H.R. 5740 to ensure that NFIP doesn't lapse. NFIP is over $17 billion in debt to taxpayers and it cannot continue without reforms, but shouldn't lapse, particularly at the start of the hurricane season, which begins this week on June 1. With that, I urge my colleagues to again support H.R. 5740. Finally, I would really like to thank Ms. Waters for cosponsoring this bill as the lead cosponsor and Mr. Scott from Georgia for managing time for the other side and all other Members on both sides of the aisle. We've had a really great turnout for the NFIP reform effort.

Mrs. BIGGERT. I yield to the gentleman.

Mrs. BIGGERT. I thank the gentleman. Both of the Members have been great in working with this. I know that Ms. Waters has been the ranking member for the committee in the past and has always worked on the flood insurance. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 263, 264, 265, 266, 267, 268, 269: 263--``nay'', 264--``nay'', 265--``yea'', 266--``yea'', 267-- ``nay'', 268--``nay'', 269--``nay''. Had I been present, I would have voted as above.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to add extraneous materials on this bill.

Mrs. BIGGERT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today to ask my colleagues for their support of H.R. 5740, the National Flood Insurance Program Extension Act. The program is set to expire on May 31, and this critical legislation will spare property owners and the housing market from another lapse in the NFIP. It extends the National Flood Insurance Program's authorization for 30 days, until June 30. In addition, it would initiate several noncontroversial reforms to develop private sector options in the flood insurance market. Like many of my colleagues--especially my good friend and cosponsor of both this bill and our long-term reauthorization, the gentlelady from California, Maxine Waters--I am frustrated that the House must consider yet another short-term extension. It has been 10 months since the House sent H.R. 1309, a comprehensive, bipartisan reform and a 5- year reauthorization measure, to the Senate. Our Committee on Financial Services approved H.R. 1309 by a unanimous vote of 54 0 in the committee, and it passed on the House floor by a vote of 406 22. As part of that process, we secured the input and support of groups representing the views of everyone from taxpayers to businesses to wildlife defenders. And yet, after five additional short- term extensions, the Senate has still not considered any legislation to reform the NFIP. Instead, all we hear are excuses and rumors--that the administration doesn't want Congress to look productive, that floor time in the Senate is too precious, or that Senate leaders simply don't want to deal with possibly difficult amendments. The time for excuses has run out. This program is more than $17 billion in debt to the taxpayers. We owe it to the homeowners, to the housing market, and to taxpayers to begin the process of fixing this program, even if we must do it 30 days at a time. Today, we are sending to the Senate H.R. 5740. Should the Senate pass this short-term extension bill, it will have around 6 weeks from today to take up a flood reform measure and send it to the House. In the meantime, this 30-day extension will initiate key elements of our bipartisan House-passed reforms. It opens the door to private sector participation by asking FEMA and the GAO to study the cost and feasibility of private reinsurance, as well as the private market's capacity to provide new options for homeowners. It also says that private insurance coverage can take the place of government coverage to meet the requirements of lenders in flood-prone areas. The sooner we begin making these changes, the sooner taxpayers can stop bearing the full expense and risk of an outdated flood program. Over the next 6 weeks, the Senate will have more than enough time to pass long-term reform. Again, last July, the House passed H.R. 1309 by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote, 406 22. The House then sent this text to the Senate two additional times. In December, the House passed flood reform as part of H.R. 3630, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act, and last week the House passed the same flood measure as part of H.R. 5652, the Reconciliation Act. But this isn't like other partisan battles. It should not be that difficult. Even the White House is with us. In September 2011, President Obama released a statement in support of our reforms as part of his ``Plan for Economic Growth and Debt Reduction'' because the House bill would spare taxpayers from billions in losses. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Johnson has secured committee approval of his own version, S. 1940, along with strong bipartisan support. And in February, 41 Senators--Republicans and Democrats--sent a letter to Senate leadership asking that Senate leaders Reid and McConnell schedule flood insurance reform for floor consideration. There is simply no reason that in the next few days we cannot sit down and reconcile any differences that remain between the House and Senate visions for flood reform, and today's legislation will give the Senate time to make that a possibility. It will also begin the process of fixing the NFIP and protecting taxpayers from unnecessary risk. I urge my colleagues to support this bill because this program is too important to let lapse and too in debt to continue without reform. With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. BIGGERT. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus), the chairman of the Financial Services Committee.

Mrs. BIGGERT. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5740) to extend the National Flood Insurance Program, and for other purposes.

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller).

Mrs. BIGGERT. At this time, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Dold), a member of the committee.

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Duffy), a member of the Financial Services Committee.

Mrs. BIGGERT. I think we have just one more speaker. At this time, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Palazzo).

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scott) for managing this bill and for all of his mention of how important this is. I also would again like to thank the gentlelady from California (Ms. Waters) for being a cosponsor. Mr. Speaker, I wish we did not have to be here on the floor once again with a short-term extension of the NFIP, but this program is too important to homeowners, to the housing market, and to the communities in the flood-prone areas for Congress to let it expire at the end of the month. It is also too in debt to continue without reform. And despite our best efforts in the House, the Senate has been unwilling or unable to pass a long-term NFIP reauthorization and reform bill. As has been mentioned over and over, the House passed our 5-year NFIP reauthorization reform bill, H.R. 1309, last July with an overwhelming bipartisan majority of more than 400 votes. It also won unanimous support in the Financial Services Committee. But the Senate has not yet approved any version of flood reform. So here we are once again on the verge of a lapse in NFIP. Mr. Speaker, the time has come to stop playing games with this important program and start enacting long-term reforms now. With today's bill, we begin that process. First, it extends the program for an additional month to spare property owners and the housing market from another lapse. In addition, it would initiate several noncontroversial reforms to develop private sector options in the flood insurance market. This is all part of the 5-year bill that we have. Reforming the NFIP is simply too important to ignore. Our extension will give the Senate time to act, and it will begin the process of fixing NFIP to protect taxpayers from unnecessary risk. With that, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5740, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlelady for yielding. Madam Speaker, I am disappointed in this closed rule for VAWA. I am concerned that the bill, even with the changes made in the manager's amendment, doesn't reflect everything that we've learned over the past 5 years in terms of what works best for victims or prosecutors. Over the past several months, I sat down with advocates in my district to go section by section through the Senate reauthorization and discussed what works and what doesn't work. They strongly support provisions that would clarify equal treatment for LGBT individuals, bolster enforcement on Native American reservations, and ensure that victims aren't deported simply for reporting domestic abuse. I see no reason to exclude these provisions from a House bill. Our victim service providers on the front lines really just want to know who they can help and that they can help everyone who comes through the front door. Last night, I offered an amendment that would have modernized the bill's definitions to reflect the input of victim service providers, including special protections for immigrant victims, and clarified that LGBT individuals can be served by VAWA. I previously worked on the authorization of VAWA, which incorporated good ideas. That authorization was never a partisan issue, and it shouldn't be now. Madam Speaker, I am disappointed in this closed rule for H.R. 4970, the Violence Against Women Act of 2012 (VAWA). I am concerned that the bill, even with changes made in the manager's amendment, doesn't reflect everything we've learned over the last 5 years in terms of what works best for victims or prosecutors. Over the past several months, I've sat down with advocates in my district to go section-by-section through the Senate reauthorization and discuss what works and what doesn't. They strongly support provisions that would clarify equal treatment for LGBT individuals, bolster enforcement on Native American reservations, and ensure that victims aren't deported simply for reporting domestic abuse. I see no reason to exclude those provisions from a House bill. Last night, I offered an amendment that would have modernized the bill's definitions to reflect the input of victim service providers, including specific protections for immigrant victims, and clarified that LGBT individuals can be served by VAWA programs in all States. This amendment was rejected. Let me be clear--no one is suggesting any special class of treatment. This reauthorization should simply clarify the law to reflect what everyone knows about modern society--that anyone can be a victim of domestic violence. It can happen in a same-sex household, on a college campus, or a Native American reservation, and our victim service providers on the front lines just want to know that they can help anyone who comes through the door. Madam Speaker, we don't need a perfect bill. We need a bill that can provide a solid foundation on which to begin conference negotiations with the Senate. H.R. 4970 fails on this count. I worked on the previous reauthorizations of VAWA, in 2000 and 2005, which incorporated good ideas from both sides of the aisle. That reauthorization was never a partisan issue then, and it shouldn't be now.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, yesterday on rollcall 214, I inadvertently voted ``no.'' I should be recorded as voting ``aye.''

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 631, I call up the bill (H.R. 4628) to extend student loan interest rates for undergraduate Federal Direct Stafford Loans, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4628.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in today in support of H.R. 3834, also known as the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act, or NITRD. This program provides critical support and coordination for some of the most promising research and development on the computing horizon, namely, protection for our cybernetworks and the next generation of supercomputing, known as exascale. Information technology research plays a critical role in U.S. economic strength. According to the Council on Competitiveness, our country's ability to outcompete other nations will be determined by our ability to outcompute. American scientists, businesses, and manufacturing already use computing technologies to accelerate the pace of research on everything from new energy sources, new medicine, intellectual property, and national security. By passing this bill today, we maintain our leadership and focus in technology innovation and information security. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.