Kathy Castor

Ms. CASTOR

Ms. CASTOR. At this time I will reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. CASTOR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I strongly oppose the gentleman's point of order. This point of order is being raised today for one purpose and one purpose only, that is, to block this rule and ultimately the underlying bill, an underlying bill that prohibits discrimination against Americans with mental illness. I'm heartened by the fact that I do not believe the gentleman's point of order comes from a unanimous opinion of the other side of the aisle because the underlying bill is a bipartisan effort cosponsored by 274 Members of the House of Representatives. Yet there are opponents of this bill, and they will raise these dilatory tactics. The opponents don't even want to allow a debate or a final vote on this critical measure. They simply want to stop the process and kill the bill through this procedural maneuver. So despite whatever dilatory procedural devices the other side tries to use to stop this bill, we will stand up for the millions of Americans who need parity in mental health coverage, and we will vote to consider this important legislation today. We must consider this rule, and we will pass the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. CASTOR. Will the gentleman yield?

Ms. CASTOR. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased at this time to yield 2 minutes to my colleague from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen).

Ms. CASTOR

Ms. CASTOR. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H. Res. 807, honoring the life of Marjory Stoneman Douglas, champion of the Florida Everglades, and founder of Florida's environmental movement. Marjory Stoneman Douglas's life was dedicated to the idea that my State of Florida, and indeed the United States has a great treasure in the Everglades, unlike any other in the world. When others were looking at the land of the Everglades with the hope of draining away the water, and building on the land, Marjory Stoneman Douglas allowed all of us to see Florida the way she saw it, in its utterly unique natural majesty. When she spoke, it was with the voice of the Everglades, and the natural places of Florida. Marjory Stoneman Douglas was a tireless advocate since her youth, writing as a voice for the voiceless and downtrodden, and fighting for equality of people of all races, genders, and for the conservation of the natural places. But it was not until she was almost 60 years old, that she wrote ``Everglades: River of Grass.'' That book, in the simplicity, beauty and depth of its prose, opened the eyes of America to the significance of the Everglades, and the great danger of allowing that treasure to be squandered. Marjory Stoneman Douglas wrote ``Everglades: River of Grass in 1947.'' By December of that year, the Everglades had been dedicated as a part of the National Parks System. Marjory Stoneman Douglas devoted her life to preserving the Everglades she had first helped to bring into American consciousness. She fought to prevent shortsighted development that would have permanently damaged the Everglades, and to restore the park to its former majesty. In her autobiography, she wrote that ``Since 1972, I've been going around making speeches on the Everglades. No matter how poor my eyes are I can still talk. I'll talk about the Everglades at the drop of a hat. Whoever wants me to talk, I'll come over and tell them about the necessity of preserving the Everglades.'' She began ``Everglades: River of Grass'' by writing, ``there are no other Everglades in the world. They are, they have always been, one of the unique regions of the earth.'' In the same way, there was only one Marjory Stoneman Douglas. She was a unique individual, in the conservation movement, and we in Florida, and in the United States, owe her a great debt. We are proud to honor her life and her work today.

Ms. CASTOR

Ms. CASTOR. Mr. Speaker, ``Here are no lofty peaks seeking the sky, no mighty glaciers or rushing streams wearing away the uplifted land. Here is land, tranquil in its quiet beauty, serving not as the source of water, but as the receiver of it. To its natural abundance we owe the spectacular plant and animal life that distinguishes this place from all others in our country.'' These were the words of Harry Truman, 60 years ago at the dedication of the Everglades National Park. And it is in the same spirit that I support H. Res. 845, recognizing the 60th anniversary of Everglades National Park. The Everglades are a completely unique treasure for Floridians, and all Americans. So it is fitting that they should also be unique in the national park system. The Everglades were the first unit of the park system to be designated not for their scenic beauty alone, but for the extraordinary diversity of their wildlife. One of the largest bodies of fresh water in the United States, Lake Okeechobee, sits at the top of the Everglades. During the wet season, Okeechobee slowly pours water over its southern edge, and it flows out in a slow flood that slides south and spreads out over hundreds of square miles. The water flows south, but very slowly, sometimes as little as a hundred feet in a day. And it is remarkably shallow, as little as a foot in depth, which allows the incredible diversity of plant and animal life, unrivaled in the Nation. In 1947, when Marjory Stoneman Douglas published ``Everglades: River of Grass'' and Harry Truman dedicated the Everglades as part of the parks system, it was with the intention of preserving the Everglades for future generations. Douglas continued to fight for the Everglades for the rest of her life, and she led an ever growing chorus of voices, advocating for our environment. The Everglades became a touchstone for an entire movement of Floridians and other Americans who continue to fight to save our natural places, not only for future generations, but also for their own sake. Unfortunately, the Everglades still faces threats of the attrition of development, and the redirection of its waters. In the Water Resources Development Plan of 2000, Congress included a comprehensive restoration plan to bring the Everglades back to its natural state. The Everglades remain one of the Nation's greatest natural treasures, and I am proud to stand in recognition today of their 60th anniversary as part of the park system.

Ms. CASTOR

Ms. CASTOR. I thank my colleague from the Rules Committee. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the landmark Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2008, and this rule. Mr. Speaker, we are fighting for fundamental change in our Nation's energy policy. For too long, the big oil companies have had a stranglehold over politicians in Washington, DC and over our country's energy policy. All we have to do is examine the headlines these days: ``Pain at the Pump Grows.'' Another headline: ``Cost of Gas Hits All-Time High.'' But there is a very interesting juxtaposition of headlines, because the other headlines in our Nation's newspapers read something like this: ``ExxonMobil Profit Sets Record Again.'' That's right, almost $41 billion last year, breaking the record that they had set only last year. This sales figure alone exceeds the gross domestic product of 120 countries. To put this in perspective, ExxonMobil earned more than $1,287 of profit for every second in the year 2007. So here is the question: Do the American people continue to subsidize big oil companies while they are making record profits? Or do we shift our investment to cleaner, renewable fuels? Mr. Speaker, I know the White House does not like this. President Bush said he would veto this, but we are not going to give up. This new Congress, led by Democrats, is responding to folks in every State in America demanding change in our country's energy policy. They understand that this is vital to our national security, and it's vital to their pocketbooks. The contrast between the politics of the past, represented by the White House, and our forward-looking bill could not be clearer. Remember just 7 years ago, the administration's energy task force met behind closed doors. It consisted of oil company executives, and the administration fought to keep everything secret. Renewable sources of energy were not a priority. The Earth's climate change was not a priority. And the recommendations involved more drilling, more mining and more of the same, which led only to record gas prices for families, record profits for oil companies and disastrous national security consequences. I mean, after all, under the current administration, gas prices have doubled. In contrast, our groundbreaking efforts to date are setting our country on a path towards energy independence. Despite the fact that the White House continues to side with Big Oil and threaten a veto of this bill, we are not going to give up. We already have a great record. We have strengthened national security by increasing fuel efficiency standards. We have raised the fuel economy standards. We have lowered energy costs by focusing on conservation and efficiency. We have tackled global climate change, but we are only just beginning to set the new course on the Nation's energy policy. By repealing subsidies to the big oil companies and investing in the renewable energy technologies, we will continue to march towards new energy solutions. The status quo in Washington is not acceptable anymore. The White House might threaten veto, but we are not going to give up.

Ms. CASTOR

Ms. CASTOR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Essie Mae Reed of Tampa, Florida. Ms. Reed devoted her life to the poor and underprivileged in Tampa. She became their voice. Born in Savannah, Ms. Reed moved to Tampa as a child. For decades she was the representative for Central Park Village housing project families. Ms. Reed's eagerness to help others stretched beyond her closest neighbors. Her role as Central Park Village's spokeswoman began in 1967 when she created the Tenant's Association to represent the nearly 4,000 families in public housing in Tampa. She served the Association without pay and worked as a housekeeper to make money for her family. She fought for a Boys & Girls Club in the housing complex. She took children to Hillsborough Community College on the weekends for enrichment activities. She publicized the unsanitary conditions and had hot water heaters installed in the apartments so residents could shower in warm water. She ensured children received lunch at school. But her biggest accomplishment was overturning the policy excluding single mothers from being allowed to live in public housing. In 1971, Ms. Reed ran for Tampa City Council. She was the first black woman ever to run, and when they charged her a substantial qualifying fee, she sued the city to have the fee waived. The federal district court ruled that the fee was unconstitutional because it excluded some candidates on the basis of socioeconomic status. Madam Speaker, Essie Mae Reed is a Tampa treasure. She stood up for so many that didn't have a voice and improved lives throughout my community. She is an example that people, individuals, are capable of performing enormous feats. Ms. Reed didn't learn to read until she was 40, and she said it best: ``People thought we was nobody because of living in the slums, but we could all be something given an opportunity.''

Ms. CASTOR

Ms. CASTOR. Mr. Speaker, here on Black History Month, I'm very pleased to salute Essie Mae Reed from Tampa, Florida, a true community hero. Essie Mae Reed has been an outspoken voice for the poor and struggling families in Tampa for decades. As a resident of the Central Park Village housing project in 1967, she created the first tenants association and ultimately advocated on behalf of thousands of families in Tampa. Essie Mae Reed established the Boys and Girls Club. She ensured children could go to the community college for enrichment programs. She publicized unsanitary conditions. She ensured children will receive lunch in schools. She fought to have hot water heaters installed in public housing. She forced a change in public housing policy that barred single mothers from public housing. Essie Mae Reed was the first African American woman to run for the Tampa City Council; and when they charged her a substantial qualifying fee, she challenged it, and the Federal district court threw it out and ruled it unconstitutional. Essie Mae Reed is a Tampa and American treasure. She stood up for so many that didn't have a voice and improved lives throughout our community.

Ms. CASTOR

Ms. CASTOR. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support the College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007 and this rule because we are committed to making the cost of attending college more affordable and accessible. This is great news for hardworking, middle-class families and students across America and students in my hometown, which is a college town with thousands and thousands of students enrolled in the community college and at the University of South Florida. There's great debate in Washington today over the economy and how we are going to provide relief to middle-class families. One of the answers is to address the soaring costs of attending college and keep the doors to a higher education open by making college affordable through grants and low-rate loans. A college diploma is a critical step toward a higher paying job and success in life, and one of the best investments we can make for the future of our great Nation is to ensure that the doors to our colleges and universities remain wide open. In my home State of Florida, unfortunately, we're undergoing a budget crisis, and the funding for higher education unfortunately has been targeted for millions and millions of dollars of cuts. This has resulted in the university and community college doors being kept shut for many students. One student in my hometown in Tampa from Jefferson High School, Gabby Rodriguez, has a 4.3 grade point average, but because of the budget cuts in the State of Florida and the lack of student financial assistance, she may have to go to college out of State or put her college dreams on hold entirely. So the passage of this crucial bill could not come at a better time. With passage of this bill, we will increase need-based aid and make the Federal Pell Grants more available to students. You know, last year the Congress battled the Bush administration over the ability of first-generation students to attend college and work through the Upward Bound initiative. Well, we are focused on better jobs for the future, so we will strengthen the Upward Bound program through this bill today. We are focused on better jobs for the future, so we will provide loan forgiveness for graduates who decide to enter public service careers in areas of national need, such as early childhood educators, child welfare workers, and firefighters. We are focused on better jobs for the future, so we encourage students' interest in math, science, and technology through this bill. Through the leadership of Chairman George Miller, who is a hero for college students throughout America, Congressman John Tierney, Ranking Member McKeon, Bobby Scott, Lynn Woolsey, all of the members of the Education and Labor Committee, I salute them and thank them for their leadership because, Mr. Speaker, this is an important bipartisan milestone for education. I urge my colleagues to support the rule and the bill.

Ms. CASTOR

Ms. CASTOR. Madam Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 922 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. CASTOR. Madam Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to my colleague from the Rules Committee, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions). All time yielded is for debate only. General Leave

Ms. CASTOR. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 922.

Ms. CASTOR. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, House Resolution 922 provides for consideration of H.R. 3524, the HOPE VI Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2007, under a structured rule. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate, controlled by the Committee on Financial Services, and the rule also makes in order seven of the eight amendments submitted to the Rules Committee. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support today of the HOPE VI Improvement and Reauthorization Act and this rule. HOPE VI is a partnership between the Feds and local communities that started in the 1990s that revitalizes our communities across this country by replacing old, distressed public housing projects with modern housing and new communities that are healthy, safe and affordable. Our renewed effort could not come at a more important time, because so many families across America are in the grips of a housing crisis. Foreclosures are way up, and options for safe, clean and affordable housing are down. Just last month in my home county, Hillsborough County, in Florida, there were over 1,000 foreclosures filed, a huge jump from last year. And affordable apartments and housing are few and far between. The House of Representatives over the past months has been doing a great deal to throw lifelines to our families, our seniors and veterans when it comes to housing. We have passed bills in this House that help homeowners avoid foreclosure, that provide resources to local communities, to build safe and clean affordable housing, and that cracks down on predatory lending. Families across America also should be aware that the Congress passed a helpful new law that is now in effect for 3 years that relieves homeowners facing foreclosure from paying income taxes on their discharged mortgage debt, meaning that homeowners who refinance their mortgage will pay no taxes on any debt forgiveness that they receive. Previously, loan forgiveness was often taxed as income. We are going to keep working to provide families with affordable options for safe places to live through the HOPE VI reauthorization and this rule today. HOPE VI has been very successful since its inception in the 1990s. HOPE VI has revitalized neighborhoods across the country, including in my hometown of Tampa, Florida. A little public investment can be the linchpin to wider community redevelopment in communities across this great country. HOPE VI completely transformed the distressed public housing complexes of College Hill and Ponce de Leon Court public housing projects in Tampa into the new Belmont Heights Estates. I attended school when I was younger next to these housing projects, and I saw firsthand what these conditions can do to an area and the folks who live there. Behind me are posters of before and after, before HOPE VI, and then after the investment of HOPE VI. So many public housing projects have deteriorated to the point that the health and safety of families is at risk and surrounding businesses and neighborhoods suffer. Since 1992, through HOPE VI, many communities have revitalized and transformed severely distressed housing into safe and livable communities. And 15 years later, this Congress, in a bipartisan way, but led by Democrats, will renew our commitment to safe, clean and affordable housing for families across this great country by building on the success of HOPE VI investment. Over time, through HOPE VI, we have demolished nearly 135,000 severely distressed public housing units and replaced them with modern, safe and clean neighborhoods that do not concentrate poverty in a single location. What happens on the ground to these neighborhoods? Crime rates decrease, employment rates increase, and fewer folks have to rely on public financial assistance. In Tampa, demolition started in 1999, and 8 years later we have built 860 rental units. Some are for families who need a little help and others are market rate. We built 74 new safe and clean homes for seniors and mixed in single family homes, some for rental and some for purchase. More important than the buildings, however, and these were very bad, the new Belmont Heights Estates community made possible by HOPE VI has improved people's lives in the surrounding community and private investment has followed. Families are thriving in their new revitalized neighborhood, and their success stories are remarkable, because, remember, to qualify for that helping hand of an affordable home, most folks are required to improve their own self-sufficiency, like Belkis Rodriguez, who, after completing job training, has been promoted at the day care center where she is employed and she is now on the path to becoming a public schoolteacher. And Patricia Gowins in Tampa, a mother of two, is working on her high school diploma while working at a local hotel since her community has been revitalized. My neighbors and their stories of success are proof that HOPE VI is able to make positive contributions to our communities. Our update legislation today will make further improvements and ensure that residents who are displaced by revitalization efforts will have the right to return to their neighborhoods. Because of the shortage across America of clean, safe and affordable housing, it is vital that the number of units demolished are replaced so that we do not shortchange our neighbors who have been asked to leave their homes. We are committed to ensuring that homes built with the help of Federal funds are sustainable and energy efficient, and that helps save money in the long run. Our efforts today will make the American Dream of home ownership possible for more families across this country. And thanks to Chairwoman Maxine Waters, Financial Services Committee Chair Barney Frank and Congressman Mel Watt of North Carolina, thanks to them and their leadership and their dedication to safe, clean, affordable housing for our families, we are going to do a great service for families across this great country. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this rule and the HOPE VI Improvement and Reauthorization Act. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. CASTOR. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the previous question and on the rule. I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Ms. CASTOR

Ms. CASTOR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and contributions of Terrance J. ``Terry'' Wilson, and to acknowledge his tireless work for the teachers, children, and all of us in Hillsborough County. Terry was born in Everett, Massachusetts October 22, 1942. After graduating from Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School in 1960, he moved to Tampa to attend the University of Tampa. A member of the Class of 1965, he graduated with degrees in business administration and economics and then went on to obtain a master's degree from the University of South Florida in 1968. During Terry's four year tenure as a social studies teacher at Leto High School in Tampa, he became actively involved in the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association. During that time, he witnessed a teachers' strike, poor benefits, and failing students, and he found his calling as an advocate for creating a better environment for both teachers and students in the community's classrooms. As his wife, Elizabeth Wilson, explains it, ``He just saw that teachers were extremely dedicated and selfless. They weren't going to spend a lot of time speaking up for themselves.'' For decades, Terry dedicated his career to tirelessly defending Hillsborough County school teachers. Fellow members elected him to two terms as president of the Association, and he later served as executive director from 1989 to 2000. He fought for higher teacher salaries, sick leave pay, early retirement, and better health insurance, and he spear- headed efforts to create the Center for Technology for teachers. The Tampa community honors the life of Terry Wilson for his outstanding contributions to teachers. His service to the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association has made a lasting mark on education in the Tampa area.

Ms. CASTOR

Ms. CASTOR. Madam Speaker, I am proud today to introduce the Accountability and Transparency in Medicare Marketing Act of 2007. This legislation will serve as a companion bill to S. 1883, introduced in the Senate by Mr. Herb Kohl. With recent reports from the Government Accountability Office addressing the failure of CMS to audit Medicare Advantage providers along with recent reports of marketing abuses and fraudulent practices aimed at seniors, this legislation is timely and imperative. We have heard reports that many Medicare providers seek to mislead seniors for private financial gain. In fact, seniors are frequently confronted with such practices as cold calling, misleading sales pitches to purchase unnecessary products, or being pushed to enroll in private Medicare Advantage programs that are not within their best interests. WellCare Health Plans, which is headquartered in my hometown of Tampa, was raided by the FBI in October for suspected fraudulent practices. WellCare is among the largest national providers of Medicare and Medicaid managed care plans with 2.3 million members nationwide. Three quarters of states have reported complaints about inappropriate or confusing marketing practices which lead Medicare beneficiaries to enroll in private plans without adequately understanding the consequences of their decision or that Medicare Advantage is optional. Some seniors have lost access to their regular doctors after signing up for a private plan that their doctor does not accept. However, when sold the plan, the private company assured that this would not occur. Frighteningly, some providers have been accused of selling to seniors with dementia and using scare tactics to force beneficiaries to enroll. Others have been offered cash incentives for enrolling. All of these scams and efforts to mislead seniors for private financial gain are a result of the lack of standardized regulations and real accountability. It has been reported that the government pays private Medicare Advantage insurers an average of $9,000 a year for each person enrolled. Private insurance agents receive between $350 and $600 commission for each person they enroll. With nearly nine million Americans currently enrolled in these private plans, the profits going to these insurers and away from America's health care system is astronomical. Without a standard method used for regulation, the financial gain of private insurers will continue to rise at the health expense of seniors and the personal and financial stress of all Americans. We must implement transparency requirements that will ensure companies are held accountable and publicly identified, in the event of marketing abuses. The Accountability and Transparency in Medicare Marketing Act of 2007 will address all of these issues. It will create standardized marketing practices to be enforced by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). These standard practices will exclude telemarketing and cold calling, deceptive selling and other abusive practices. This bill will create transparency by requiring that all violations be reported to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and in turn reported to Congress. Additionally, this legislation will require the NAIC to create a committee to study and make recommendations to the Secretary and Congress on the establishment of standardized benefit packages for Medicare Advantage plans. This legislation will help us to continue our effort to make Medicare safe, beneficial and accountable to our seniors, family care givers and all Americans. It will enforce regulations that will demand ethical and helpful tactics. It will alleviate private insurers unfairly benefiting from the hard-earned dollars of all American families. Further, we will provide seniors and family care givers with the protection and care that they deserve. It is our responsibility to keep fraud and unethical practices from plaguing our health care system, and the Accountability and Transparency in Medicare Marketing Act of 2007 seeks to help us step up to this duty.

Ms. CASTOR

Ms. CASTOR. Madam Speaker, on rollcall vote No. 1173, during consideration of H. Con. Res. 254, recognizing and celebrating the centennial of Oklahoma statehood I incorrectly voted ``nay'', when I intended to vote ``Yea''.

Ms. CASTOR

Ms. CASTOR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Grace Carlton Allen, and to commend her contributions to the University of South Florida. ``Amazing Grace,'' as she was nicknamed by former Tampa Congressman Sam Gibbons, was born in North Dakota in 1908. She attended the University of South Dakota and the University of Minnesota, where she graduated with degrees in English and Secondary Education. After graduation, Allen taught high school English and secondary education. She met her husband, John Allen at the University of Minnesota, and they married in 1933. The couple moved to Gainesville, Florida in 1948, where her husband was appointed President of the University of Florida, and from 1954 to 1955, Grace served as the University of Florida's interim First Lady. In 1957, John was named as the first president of a yet unnamed and newly established university in Tampa. Grace and her husband moved to Tampa, where they would remain for the rest of their lives. As classes weren't scheduled to start until 1960, the Allens themselves, shaped what would later be known as the University of South Florida. The summer before the University opened its doors, ``Amazing Grace'' invited all of USF's wives and female staff members to her home. With this group of women, she established the USF Women's Club, which remains active on campus today as a social, cultural, and philanthropic organization. In 1994, the USF Women's Club endowed the Grace Allen Scholarship, and within the first ten years of being established, it awarded 119 full tuition scholarships for excellence in academics, leadership, and service. Another endowed fund of the USF Women's Club was given to the University in Mrs. Allen's name to provide funds to the university's library. The Allens were one of the first families to live in the Tampa neighborhood of Carrollwood, where Grace also made her mark. She started a tradition where residents set luminaries outside of their homes on Christmas Eve. Pilots have been known to divert their planes over the neighborhood to see the lights each year. When John retired from the University in 1970, the Board of Regents named USF's administration building after John and Grace in recognition of their lasting contributions to the university community. In 1996, USF awarded Grace the honorary degree of Doctorate of Humane Letters. Until her death on December 16, 2007 at the age of 99, Grace remained an active member of and advocate for the University of South Florida's community. She is remembered as a powerful spokesperson for academic excellence, and as a caring, spirited woman by the countless friends, staff members and students whose lives she touched. The Tampa community honors the life of Grace Allen for her outstanding contributions to the University of South Florida and the Tampa Bay area. Her life serves as an inspiration and will continue to influence the lives of people in our community for years to come.

Ms. CASTOR

Ms. CASTOR. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Ms. CASTOR. Madam Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 860 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. CASTOR. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to an outspoken advocate for our brave men and women in uniform, Mr. Altmire from Pennsylvania.

Ms. CASTOR. Madam Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to my friend and colleague from Washington on the Rules Committee, Mr. Hastings. All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only. General Leave 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.

Ms. CASTOR. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, House Resolution 860 provides for consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 1585, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, under the standard conference report rule. Madam Speaker, today the Congress will promote a stronger and safer America by approving the National Defense Authorization conference report and this rule. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, which is chaired by the distinguished gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), I am pleased to report that the committee has worked in a bipartisan manner to ensure that our brave men and women in uniform have the tools they need to keep America safe and strong. Our military personnel and their families have sacrificed so much in past years and continue to do so. In recognition of their service, this Congress is proud to make important improvements in military pay and benefits. We have raised the pay of our brave men and women in uniform beyond the levels set originally by the President. And when our brave men and women in combat are injured in the line of duty, they deserve top quality medical care. The Walter Reed scandal drew back the curtain on some of the challenges that the military community faces when it comes to serving our brave men and women when they return from the battlefield. Unfortunately, the military health care system was not providing consistent, excellent care for our wounded soldiers. So, Madam Speaker, one of the highlights of this bill are our efforts to improve assistance to wounded warriors. These provisions have been worked on throughout the year in a bipartisan way to improve the health care for our wounded servicemembers because they deserve nothing but the best. We move beyond the ``support our troops'' rhetoric and enact substantive improvements that will restore confidence in the quality of care that our brave men and women in uniform deserve when they return from the battlefield. This includes assistance to their very supportive families, because supporting our troops does not simply mean that you salute and send them off to war and then ask them to serve and sacrifice for our great country, but supporting our troops means that we continue to support them when they return home. This bill improves the screening for traumatic brain injury and post- traumatic stress disorder. I am very proud to recognize the efforts of my hometown VA Medical Center, the James A. Haley Medical Center, which is home to one of the four polytrauma centers in the country where we have so many dedicated doctors, nurses and psychologists and folks in physical therapy. They are so dedicated to these brave men and women that come home with the worst injuries. But we have got to do more. And that is contained in this bill. This bill also mandates that the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs establish a standard for rating servicemembers' disabilities that takes into consideration all of their medical conditions. An important part of improving the health care and mental health care for our wounded warriors is tackling the bureaucracy that has blocked their access to health care. So we require expedited action, provide medical advocates, improve support services for families, elevate the care for traumatic brain injuries and aid the polytrauma centers in VA hospitals across the country that are serving the most critically wounded troops. This bill also blocks an increase that was proposed by the White House to health insurance premiums for military families and troops under the TRICARE system. It is inexplicable how the White House could propose health insurance premium increases at a time when we are asking so much of our brave American men and women in uniform. So, proudly, the Congress, in a bipartisan way, blocks these health insurance premium increases. Madam Speaker, we know that because of the multiyear, sometimes seemingly unending war in Iraq, that the readiness, the military readiness of our country has suffered over the years. Well, this bill restores the readiness of our Armed Forces, including equipment repair, so that our soldiers go to battle with the most up-to-date equipment available. In terms of readiness, we have authorized moneys for a new Strategic Readiness Fund and to address equipment deficiencies. We have all heard stories of soldiers, especially the folks in our National Guard and Reserves, who are having problems with equipment shortages and even receiving the necessary training that they need before heading off to war. In some cases, the National Guard has been unable to help in the traditional disaster response roles in their local communities due to this problem. Well, this bill tackles that so we can improve the readiness of the National Guard and Reserves so they can do their jobs safely, efficiently and effectively. Madam Speaker, this bill also calls for greater accountability over the waste and fraud in Iraq that has been all too prevalent under this administration. This includes the troubles we have had with various contractors. As we see from the fallout of the Blackwater contracting debacles, there has been so much waste and fraud in contracting in Iraq and under this White House that we are not going to put up with it any longer. This bill substantially improves oversight of the multibillion- dollar and sometimes sole-source contracts that have been approved during this war in Iraq. The Armed Services Committee, under Chairman Skelton's leadership, also requires additional accountability measures for Afghanistan, including a new Inspector General for Afghanistan reconstruction, as we cannot sanction the waste and fraud that has accompanied the administration's Iraq reconstruction. Madam Speaker, many believe that because of the White House's preoccupation in Iraq that that preoccupation has shortchanged the focus in Afghanistan where the Taliban allowed al Qaeda to flourish some years ago. And, after all, the ungoverned and dangerous tribal areas of Pakistan are just south of the Afghan border. Indeed, just yesterday, listening to the Defense Secretary and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Armed Services Committee, it became apparent that we are not able to do as much as we would like to do in Afghanistan because of the resources that have been overwhelmingly devoted to Iraq. Well, in this bill, we direct more attention to operations in Afghanistan in addition to an Inspector General that will oversee reconstruction efforts. This bill contains a long-term plan to improve stability in Afghanistan. Madam Speaker, many of the unsung heroes of our Armed Forces whose missions you never hear about are the brave men and women in America's special forces. I am very proud that the headquarters of Special Operations Command is located in my hometown of Tampa, Florida, at MacDill Air Force Base. This defense bill under Democratic leadership not only fully funds our special forces but goes beyond the Bush administration's budget request for these brave men and women, including a number of needs that were not proposed to be funded by the White House at all. Our commitment to special forces recognizes that we cannot rely overwhelmingly any longer on conventional forces in defense of our country. We have got to be smarter. We have got to be more strategic. And this bill authorizes the increases in special forces and also a new emphasis on more strategic action. Oftentimes, to win a struggle, it is more strategic and smarter not to go in with guns blazing but instead to work with folks on the ground to prevent any terrorist inclinations from ever developing. This bill does that. We will invest additional resources to improve education and analytical intelligence surveillance. We harness the science and technology innovation in this great country by investing in information technology and other technologies to make sure that our troops on the ground have the best technology available across the globe. Madam Speaker, this Defense authorization bill and this rule charts a new direction for true readiness, accountability and more strategic investments to protect our national security. It improves the health care needs for our wounded warriors and does a better job of helping our families work through the unending maze of benefits and paperwork that come from caring for an injured soldier. I urge full, bipartisan support. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. CASTOR. Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished chairman of the Armed Services Committee, the gentleman from Missouri, Mr. Skelton, and congratulate him on his outstanding leadership in shepherding this bipartisan bill through the Congress.