Tom Davis

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf), who has been a champion of transportation in the Washington area during his tenure in Congress.

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen), a strong transportation advocate.

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. I recognize the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia for 5 minutes.

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, this is not a new program. This program was authorized in 1960 and signed by President Eisenhower. It has been reauthorized four times; and I hope it has a long life, a long productive life, taking commuters off clogged roads and using mass transit so we can reduce our energy dependency on foreign oil. Mr. Speaker, this is not an authorization of funds. It is about making sure, as my colleagues have said, that this money is spent well. If this goes down, the money still goes through without any checks and balances and Inspector Generals or any of these being set up. If you vote against this bill, you are not saying we should not spend any extra dollars on the Metro system. You are not saying that. You are saying they can spend the extra dollars without the congressional oversight. Statistics show that Metro is, in fact, one of the best run systems, but I am not willing to say they are so good that no improvements are required and additional oversight is not required. The provisions in this came from a GAO report. It is our responsibility in Congress to ensure Federal dollars are well spent. There should be nothing contentious about requiring an Inspector General, adding Federal members to the board, or requiring the jurisdictions to truly provide stable funding to the system. So I urge my colleagues to offer this bill their full support. I appreciate the comments of my colleague. He has long been a supporter of no further Federal spending, but we are out the barn door on this. That happened under the previous legislation, under the Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act. This refines it and controls it and makes sure the money is well spent. I hope my colleagues will join us in legislation that scores zero with the Congressional Budget Office and reauthorizes this legislation.

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Could I ask how much time is remaining on each side?

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3496) to amend the National Capital Transportation Act of 1969 to authorize additional Federal contributions for maintaining and improving the transit system of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the Voting Rights Act authorization. I will be inserting for the Record a letter from the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Tim Kaine, supporting the act as written. It is an unfortunate fact of our history that there were once entrenched practices that served to deny minorities their franchise. Such systematic discrimination cannot stand in a country founded on the promise of freedom and equal protection under the law. Some argue that those times have passed, that there is no need to reauthorize the law. But the committee held over a dozen hearings on this and found out that there are still discriminatory practices around the country. Forty-one years ago, I thought our predecessors in the Congress put this issue to rest. They determined this legislation was the best method by which to ensure the one-man, one-vote principle would be a reality. Much has been said about the onerous nature of certain provisions of section 5. My State, the Commonwealth of Virginia, in its entirety, is covered by section 5 in the original Voting Rights Act. But we are also the only State to have jurisdictions that have exercised their right to bail out under section 5. In order to bail out, a jurisdiction must have been in full compliance with the preclearance requirements for 10 years. It can have no test or device to discriminate on the basis of race, color, language, or minority status, and no lawsuit against the jurisdiction alleging voter discrimination can be pending. Eleven jurisdictions, some of which are in my district, have bailed out successfully. More jurisdictions should and will follow suit. I have been assured by civil rights leaders they will support bailouts where appropriate, where jurisdictions can meet the basic requirement. I would like to note that the justification for the continuing of this act is not based solely on old data, that, in fact, hearings have been held; and I think the record is complete showing the continued need for this. Section 5 is important because it is still being used today to prevent changes in the law which would adversely affect minorities. In fact, section 5 has been used more since 1982 than it was used before 1982. We have come a long way in the Commonwealth of Virginia and in America generally, but that doesn't mean there still isn't more work to be done. I congratulate the chairmen and the ranking members for working on this very bipartisan bill and urge its support. Commonwealth of Virginia, Office of the Governor, Richmond, VA, July 12, 2006. Hon. Tom Davis, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Congressman Davis: I am writing to express my strong support for S. 2703 and H.R. 9, the Senate and House versions of the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006. Unfortunately, the Voting Rights Act (VRA) is as necessary today as it was when Congress enacted it. The VRA continues today to serve to protect and guard against discriminatory practices in elections and protects the rights of minority voters. While the nation has dramatically changed over the years, instances of discrimination still exist. Section 5 of the VRA requires jurisdictions with a history of discrimination to have their voting laws and regulations pre-approved (or ``pre-cleared'') by the federal government or a federal court before they may be changed. In my experience as Mayor of Richmond as in my positions with state government, I have found that the preclearance requirements are not onerous, and in fact provide a useful venue for public input into significant changes in election law. The VRA's minority language provisions serve to remove language as a barrier to political participation, and to prevent voting discrimination against law-abiding, productive members of society. Section 203 does this by requiring certain jurisdictions provide language assistance to citizens who are not yet fully proficient in English when voting. While no jurisdictions in Virginia yet meet the statistical thresholds set out in Section 203, by 2010 Arlington, Alexandria, or Fairfax County may meet one or more of these formulas. Arlington and Fairfax County, with their considerably significant Spanish populations, already voluntarily provide voter information in Spanish. This is especially important for individuals wishing to make informed voting decisions on bond referendums and constitutional amendments. The Virginia State Board of Elections also works with the Virginia Press Service to provide the explanations of the Constitutional Amendments to all minority newspapers in the state. The SBE also recommends that the papers publish the explanations in the language of their constituencies. Please vote to reauthorize the VRA, including Sections 5 and 203, without amendment, when it comes to the floor. Let us work together, both federally and within the Commonwealth, to continue to protect the rights of all voters. Sincerely, Timothy M. Kaine, Governor.

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia.

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I commend Chairman Pombo for bringing H.R. 4761, the Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act of 2006, to the floor today. This important legislation would modernize a key aspect of our Nation's energy policy by providing for energy production on the Outer Continental Shelf of the United States. H.R. 4761 would generate a significant amount of new revenue in the form of oil and natural gas royalties for coastal States that allow offshore drilling, as well as the Federal Government. The amendment I am offering today would authorize a portion of the funds generated by the legislation to go to supporting Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Specifically, the amendment would provide $150 million per year for 10 years to fund capital and preventative maintenance projects for Metro, without which Metro could not function effectively, would have to be matched dollar for dollar from Virginia, Maryland and the District. Congress has long recognized the unique relationship between Metro and the Federal Government. Three times we have authorized renewed Federal commitments to this system, understanding that it is a vital Federal Government asset. The government first committed to sharing in this responsibility for Metro in 1960 when President Eisenhower signed the National Capital Transportation Act, creating a National Capital Transportation Agency to develop a regional rail system for the Nation's capital. Since that time, Congress has periodically infused the system with Federal funding to protect its original investment and accommodate ridership growth. The government continues to pay its fair share of the costs of the capital region's transit system. Unlike other regional transit systems in the country, Metro was designed to make sure Federal workers and contractors as well as tourists have easy access to government offices and work places. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. I would appreciate your vote on the amendment.

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of this amendment restoring funds for the Law Enforcement Tribute Act Program to its FY03 funding level of $500,000. Mr. Chairman, only seven weeks ago, the Fairfax County Police Department suffered the loss of two officers in the line of duty, the first fatal shooting in the department's long history. As I join the Fairfax County community in mourning the loss of Master Police Officer Michael Garbarino and Detective Vicky Armel, I also have in my thoughts the roughly 740,000 officers nationwide who put their lives on the line for the safety and protection of others on a regular basis. Mr. Chairman, every day, we are honored by the service these men and women give to our communities. This amendment will allow us to give those who sacrifice the most for our community and safety the recognition they deserve. I am pleased that the chairman has agreed to accept the amendment.

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I raise a point of order against section 607. This provision violates clause 2(b) of House rule XXI. It proposes to change existing law and therefore constitutes legislation on an appropriation bill in violation of House rules.

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Corporal Andy D. Anderson one of the true heroes of the conflict in Iraq, and to recognize his service to our Nation. Corporal Anderson, a longtime resident of Falls Church, VA, graduated from J.E.B. Stuart High School in 2001. While at Stuart, he enjoyed a prolific athletic career. He was a leader of the football team and was among the leading scorers in the county in basketball. After a year of college, he followed in his father's footsteps and enlisted in the Army, in which he was assigned to the Army's B Company, 46th Engineer Battalion at Fort Rucker, AL. Just a few weeks ago, Cpl. Anderson had been home to visit his family in Vienna, VA. He proposed to his high school sweetheart and impressed friends and relatives with his self-assurance. Corporal Anderson was ambitious and selfless, hoping to make the Army a career. Tragically, on June 6, 2006, Cpl. Anderson gave his last full measure for our Nation, when he was killed by mortar fire in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. Corporal Anderson is survived by his father, Harold Anderson, mother Xiomara Mena, and his brothers Rafael and Randall. Words cannot express the gratitude we feel toward those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. This is a debt that can never be repaid. I hope the family of Cpl. Anderson, who are suffering in the wake of the loss, will take some solace in knowing that we will never forget Cpl. Anderson's sacrifice or the sacrifices made by other patriots like him in the defense of our Nation. Mr. Speaker, I call upon my colleagues to remember in our minds and in our hearts the bravery and sacrifice of Cpl. Andy D. Anderson, as well as that of all the men and women of the armed services who honorably protect the American people.

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Martin Faga, who is retiring from his post at the MITRE Corporation. I have known Marty Faga since my days in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, when he was a congressional staffer and civic activist in Lee Boulevard Heights. President and Chief Executive Officer of MITRE Corporation, Mr. Faga received his master and bachelor of science degrees in electrical engineering from Lehigh University in 1964 and 1963. Before joining MITRE, Mr. Faga served from 1989 until 1993 as Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space, where he was responsible for overall supervision of Air Force space matters. At the same time, he served as Director of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), responsible to the Secretary of Defense and the Director of Central Intelligence for the development, acquisition and operation of all U.S. satellite reconnaissance programs. Mr. Faga joined MITRE in 1993 as Vice President of MITRE's Center for Integrated Intelligence Systems, one of the three units operating under the Department of Defense Federally Funded Research and Development Centers. He later served as Senior Vice President, General Manager, and Executive Vice President. Since 2000 he has been MITRE Corporation's President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Faga's career has included distinguished service as a staff member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives, where he headed the program and budget staff; as an engineer at the Central Intelligence Agency; and as an R&D officer in the Air Force. He has served on the Commission for the Protection and Reduction of Government Secrecy, the Jeremiah Panel to review the mission and organization of the NRO, several Defense Science Board Task Forces, and the National Commission for the Review of the NRO. Additionally, he has been appointed by President Bush to the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board and to the Public Interest Declassification Board. Awards and honors bestowed upon Mr. Faga include the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, the Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Medal, the Air Force Exceptional Civilian Service Medal, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, and in 2004, he was awarded the Intelligence Community Seal Medallion. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding Martin Faga and congratulating him on his retirement after a distinguished career dedicated to ensuring the national security of the United States of America.

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. 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. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5060) to amend the Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 1999 to require data with respect to Federal financial assistance to be available for public access in a searchable and user friendly form, as amended.

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, Majority Whip Roy Blunt and I introduced H.R. 5060, which would amend the Federal Assistance Management Improvement Act of 1999 to require data with respect to Federal financial assistance to be available for public access in a searchable and user-friendly form. The bill would require the Office of Management and Budget to create a Web site for all grant awards to be displayed in a format that would be easily accessible and free of charge. Each award would be required to be listed on the Web site within 30 days of its enactment. No such real-time disclosure is required today of grant awards, and available data is often untimely. Currently there is no central database of all entities receiving Federal funds, including the nearly 30,000 organizations that are awarded nearly $300 billion in Federal grants each year. In fact, several agencies have taken different approaches to making public information about grantees, and often little or no information is available on line. Our bill would put the framework in place for increased sunshine on the Federal grant process, allowing anyone with access to the Internet to review and search Federal assistance awards, thus providing greater transparency to the grant-making process. I congratulate my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Missouri, for recognizing the importance of this issue and working so hard to bring this measure forward. I also want to thank my ranking member Mr. Waxman for working to move this legislation forward in a bipartisan way. This bill adds much-needed transparency to the Federal grant process. I also want to thank Mr. Davis, too, my colleague from Illinois, for his assistance in this. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for his kind words and also thank him for his many, many contributions to the committee and the bipartisan approach we have taken to issues. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the majority whip, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt), who is the chief author of this legislation.

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I again thank Mr. Waxman and his staff and Mr. Davis for being here, and all of the staff on the Government Reform Committee on the minority side, Anna Luitin, Christopher Davis, Robin Appleberry, and Brian Cohen for their contributions to this legislation as well. We thank you for working with us. I would just add that I would urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 5060, as amended.

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. And as we shed more light and sunshine on congressional earmarks, grants are essentially executive earmarks. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder). (Mr. SOUDER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution before us today. I would like to first offer my gratitude to those brave men and women who are fighting or have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. We owe you a debt which we can never repay. Since the United States invaded Iraq, I have seen this as a high- stakes gambit. If we were successful in not only defeating the Iraqi Army, but in the more difficult task of establishing a democratic government, we would be far down the road to affecting a paradigm shift in the Middle East, one which would replace potentates, dictators, and repression with representative governments, transparency, and opportunities for both men and women. If we were to fail, the cost would be incalculable. It would be a reaffirmation for many in the world that the United States lacked the fortitude to see a mission through to its completion. It would embolden terrorists the world over; threaten those states in the Middle East, such as Jordan and Israel, that are friends of the United States. Regardless, the situation in Iraq is what it is. There is no question Iraq is a petri dish for terrorists now. Our main nemesis in Iraq is called ``al Qaeda in Iraq.'' Thus, our activities in both Iraq and Afghanistan are now clearly linked to a global war on terror. There is no other way to view the situation. I am eager to build on the recent successes in Iraq. I truly hope that we have turned a corner with the death of Zarqawi and the forming of the government. If voter turnout is any indication, the Iraqi people are eager for democracy. They had a higher voter turnout in Iraq than we did in Virginia for our gubernatorial race. But make no mistake, what we are trying to do in Iraq has been and will continue to be extraordinarily difficult. Even with Zarqawi gone, there are many dangerous people who will stop at nothing to stop us. I don't support a public date of certain withdrawal from Iraq. Doing so creates an untenable situation for our forces and our Iraqi allies and presents a real gift of predictability to the enemy. But there has to be a sense of urgency. We are in a war that we have to win, but we cannot plod along indefinitely. Our Founding Fathers had 13 years between the beginning of the American Revolution, the ratification of the Constitution, and the inauguration of George Washington. We don't have that luxury in Iraq. Our troops are giving their lives in Iraq. Our country is spending hundreds of billions of dollars. We can't pull the rug out from the under the Iraqis, but we can't babysit the situation either. We don't have time to waste on activities that are ineffective. We don't have money to waste on bad equipment and services. Some have charged that this Congress has been asleep at the wheel and has done no oversight. That's not true. I have. Our committee has held four hearings on contracting practices in Iraq, including a day for whistleblowers at Halliburton, and I intend to hold more. Our subcommittees, particularly the one chaired by Mr. Shays, have held dozens of others. What we have found is a lot of mistakes in management and oversight. But remember, this is the first time we have contracted this extensively in a combat situation. Everything about doing business, everything in a war zone is difficult and costly, and it is disingenuous to deny this. If we are going to see this mission through successfully, there must continue to be vigorous, comprehensive, constant oversight to ensure we stay on the right path. We should do everything we can to hasten the day when Iraq is able to handle its own affairs. Our role in Congress is to conduct the oversight that the people expect of us.