Bill Delahunt

Mr. DELAHUNT

Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) makes a very good point about investment. There was just completed in Iraq, in Mosul, a magnificent dam. From every source that I am aware of, it is purported to be extremely well engineered, and it is a dam that will hopefully serve the Iraqi people well. Good for them. They benefit from the welfare state funded by American taxpayers. But you know what? It was reported in the New Orleans Times Picayune, which is the paper down there, that last year the funding for levees in New Orleans was reduced. In other words, a levee that may have prevented the magnitude of the disaster that befell New Orleans and Louisiana could possibly have been averted, and we would not be looking at a $60 billion bill. But oh, no, the government is the problem. Well, if the government and the Army Corps of Engineers had the funding, possibly, possibly, those levees and the issues of flood control could have been addressed in a timely fashion. But no, what we hear is government is the problem.

Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. Speaker, how about helping our kids? How about helping our elderly? How about helping our disabled? How about protecting our cities? We talk about a strong America. A strong America begins at home. That is really what it is about. Right now, given what is happening to our economy, given all of the problems that are besetting our Nation, it is time that we focused on the United States of America, all of us together. Together we can make America a better place for every citizen.

Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will continue to yield, can I pick up on the corruption theme. I am the ranking member on a subcommittee of the House Committee on International Relations. Its title is the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee. We have not held one hearing after repeated requests to exercise our oversight responsibility into an unprecedented level of corruption in Iraq. In Iraq, billions of dollars are missing. In fact, the defense minister of Iraq made this statement, that this is the greatest robbery of all time. There is in excess of $1 billion missing from that single ministry. I guess there was one contract where they bought some tanks from Poland that were 28 years old, 28 years old, to the tune of $230 million; and they cannot find the contracts. And the current Iraqi defense minister is saying all we have are scraps of paper and scraps of metal. I found it particularly interesting listening to Fox News where there were two colonels who were very hawkish in their attitudes that described the situation in Iraq in terms of corruption as totally out of control. That is the biggest scandal of all, because here tragically today was memorable in the reality that there have been 2,000 American servicemen killed; and we all, Republicans and Democrats, join our fellow citizens in our sympathy to the families of those 2,000 as well as to the tens of thousands of American service men and women and others including Iraqi civilians and Iraqi members of their defense force that have been wounded and maimed for life. But to think that this rampant corruption going on under the auspices of the Coalition Provisional Authority is not being reviewed and examined by the subcommittee with jurisdiction is absolutely an abrogation of our responsibility. They are afraid of it. They will not look into it. They will talk about it, but it is absolutely crying out for review.

Mr. DELAHUNT. Is this Alice in Wonderland, up is down and down is up?

Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. Speaker, there was a dam up in Taunton, Massachusetts, in a district that is represented by the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank) that was on the verge of collapsing and inundating a city of some 50,000 that would have been a disaster. But do not worry if you are in Iraq, particularly if you are in Mosul, you are well protected. You are well protected because you have a brand new dam funded by the American taxpayers. Thank you to the welfare program of the Republican Party for our friends in Iraq.

Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. Speaker, I think when we hear our friends on the other side talk about the economy is growing, well, the economy is growing. The question is who is benefiting from that growth, and the answer is very simple. It is a very small segment of the American community. It is the top 1 percent, the top 5 percent. Their income is going up; but remember this, the median income for a family of four in this country that is directly in the middle, it is not an average, it is directly in the middle, has in fact gone down since the Bush administration came to power. There are today in absolute numbers and percentages more Americans below the poverty line. So what we have is an economy today that is eroding the middle class and is creating a Nation and a society where a very few, a small segment, is doing quite well and everybody else is slipping behind. What we have or what our friends would do is, they support ironically a welfare program, a welfare program for pharmaceutical companies; a welfare program for large energy companies; a welfare program, by the way, for Iraq, not for the United States, but for Iraq, because here is what we are doing in Iraq. We are building schools. We are building primary health care centers. We are educating teachers. I see the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) has a chart there that illustrates this.

Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Ohio. Before I begin to comment, let me say that over the past several months I have had a chance to observe the gentleman and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Meek) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz). They have done an extraordinary job in reviewing what is happening in America. It is an honor to join the 30-Something Group. I think in terms of honesty, I would have to disclose that I am a bit over 30. In fact, if you allow me, I am two members of the 30-Something Group because in one body you get 30 times two and maybe a little more.

Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. Speaker, I think another aspect of this conversation ought to be informing the American people and our colleagues that while we are doing such things as building 6,000 miles of roads in Iraq, constructing 2,500 new schools or rehabilitating existing schools in Iraq, we are not going to see a single dime of those American tax dollars come back because we all were here when the money for those initiatives was appropriated. Democrats stood on this floor and said let us make it a loan; let us allow the American taxpayer to be paid back for these billions of dollars that they are investing in Iraq. The Republican White House, the Republican majority said no. This is the same party who about an hour earlier was talking about welfare. Tell me, Mr. Speaker, can you imagine this kind of a welfare program being sponsored and promoted by a party that claims to be fiscally responsible? We talk about welfare reform. This is a giveaway of extraordinary proportion; but you know what, we will not do this in America. We will do it in Iraq. Guess what happened? There are layoffs occurring, as everyone knows, in Louisiana, in Mississippi, because the tax base for municipalities has been destroyed. They are laying off firefighters, emergency responders, and teachers. Some school districts that formerly employed 2- or 3,000 educators no longer have schools that are operating. They have layoffs. So what are these communities doing? They are calling on the Federal Government for help. You know what the Federal Government is saying to them? We cannot give it to you, but we will loan it to you. We will loan it to you. In other words, if you are in Iraq, we are going to give it to you. What a giveaway. But here in America, no, you have to have matching funds if you are a community. The State treasurer down in Louisiana said, we asked for a grant, and they said, no grant, but a loan. But if you are in Iraq, because of the action of the Republican majority and the White House, they said, no, we will just give it away. The United States taxpayer is rebuilding Iraq, and they will never see a dime come back. If they are serious about Operation Offset, I am sure that we could work out a unanimous consent agreement where we would go back and renegotiate with the Iraqi Government and say, we will give you favorable terms, and we will not charge you an arm and a leg in terms of your interest; but at some point in time, that money has to come back to the coffers of the United States Treasury because we cannot carry you. Do you remember Paul Wolfowitz saying this will not cost anything? They have those massive oil reserves that will fund the reconstruction of their country. They were wrong on that like they were wrong on the weapons of mass destruction, and like they were wrong on al Qaeda, and like they have been wrong on so many different issues. But if you want to see welfare, go to Iraq. You will see an American welfare state operating today in Iraq.

Mr. DELAHUNT. It is just another example of a great sense of humor on the part of our colleagues on the other side on the aisle. They gave us and the American people who were watching this evening a real good belly laugh. Fiscal responsibility? Please.

Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. Speaker, why should the American taxpayer be reimbursed? Why should we be carrying that burden? If they are serious about Operation Offset, let us renegotiate. We are the only country, the only major donor country, other than, I think, maybe Japan, that did not insist on providing reconstruction dollars on a loan basis. We are not going to be paid back. And here we have Donald Rumsfeld in March 2003 saying, When it comes to reconstruction, before we turn to the American taxpayer, we will turn first to the resources of the Iraqi Government and the international community. Hogwash. Hogwash.

Mr. DELAHUNT. Because we are here to be honest, because in the previous hour I think what we heard tonight from our friends on the other side an attempt at humor. I do not think that they were being dishonest. I think that they were just demonstrating a great sense of humor because I heard the term ``fiscal responsibility'' as I was watching their conversation, and I really laughed out loud. I do not know if the gentleman from New Jersey saw it like I did, but if the Republicans in this House and in the other branch and the White House represent fiscal responsibility, we are in serious trouble. Because I remember when the gentleman and I were here during the Clinton administration when President Clinton left. My memory is, and the gentleman can help me because I am a little older, there was a surplus in excess of $5 trillion. And maybe the gentleman can tell us, is there still a surplus after the Republicans have run this government? What we have today is a single-party state, and what has happened? It certainly is not, in my judgment, and I think we probably share this conclusion, it does not reflect fiscal responsibility. What it does reflect is an appetite to borrow money and then to spend it.

Mr. DELAHUNT. I see. I know the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone). We share the same alma mater, Middlebury College in Vermont. I know that I graduated a decade or so before the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone).

Mr. DELAHUNT. With all due respect to my friend from New Jersey, I do not think that he realizes what they meant. They really meant that they would send their kid down to the candy store with a credit card because that is how they have run this country, on a credit card. It is borrow and borrow and borrow and borrow and you know what? Sooner or later that credit card gets maxed out. And the next thing if you are a family or if you are an individual, you are down at the bankruptcy court. That is why I say when I heard the term or the sentence that ``we are the party of fiscal responsibility,'' then I knew they were joking. I really did. And I started to laugh. That was a great punchline.

Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. Speaker, I would say to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan), you go to Iraq if you are a student and go to school. If you are an Iraqi and you qualify, you get a grant. If you are an American, you have to pay your own way.

Mr. DELAHUNT

Mr. DELAHUNT. Like an orphan.

Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble). We have been joined by another friend and a strong advocate for the Coast Guard representing the coast of Connecticut, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons).

Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. Speaker, I do not think that we can overstate and overemphasize the quality of education provided at the Coast Guard Academy. That is reflected really in the caliber and quality of the officers that it produces to serve in the United States Coast Guard and to have many of them go on to other careers in public service. It is a first-rate institution. With all due respect to the other services, clearly they also have service academies that are excellent, but the Coast Guard Academy in New London provides an education without equal.

Mr. DELAHUNT. I think we are winding down, and I just promised the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) that I would give her 5 minutes on some unrelated topic that I do not know what she is going to address.

Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. Speaker, let me acknowledge the gentleman's advocacy on the part of the Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Foundation. Does the gentleman have an address or a contact for that foundation?

Mr. DELAHUNT. And that would be Congressman Robert Simmons, and I am sure that people from all over the country would not have difficulty finding that number, and it would certainly be a wonderful acknowledgment of the Coast Guard personnel that are saving lives, are protecting people, and yet have experienced their own losses as a result of Katrina. I know right now, those helicopters and those fixed- wing aircraft and those vessels of the United States Coast Guard are out there ready for Rita and any consequences that hopefully, God willing, will not be visited upon any of our American people.

Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, there is an additional task that I know that we are aware of, and our colleagues here and I think many Americans, that when we talk about port security on the land ready to deploy, particularly, for example, when an LNG tanker is coming into Boston Harbor or any harbor or any port in this country, that port security unit is there to ensure that there will be nothing untoward happen and that the vessel, the tanker, can unload without concern. And, again, those low profile, if you will, but absolutely essential critical tasks are performed every day. I can remember directly in the aftermath of 9/11, cruise liners being boarded in Boston Harbor. And it was the Coast Guard that conducted the search, that had their divers go and check the hulls, that were there to provide confidence to the American people and to those particular passengers that they could enjoy their hard-earned vacation that they were taking on the cruise liner. The Coast Guard implicates itself in so many different ways in our daily lives. The gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons) mentioned that if one is a recreational boater, there is nothing more assuring that, if they get themselves into some trouble, to know that they can get on that radio and they can call that Coast Guard; or if they are a commercial fisherman and they are out in tough waters and something should happen to their vessel, at least there is hope that they can be rescued.

Mr. DELAHUNT. I yield to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons).

Mr. DELAHUNT. I yield to the gentleman from Connecticut.

Mr. DELAHUNT. Nor when I was.

Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. Speaker, more often than not, debates on public policy that take place in this Chamber are often characterized with a certain level of disagreement, thoughtful disagreement, and, hopefully, respectful disagreement. But tonight that is not the case. Tonight we put aside partisan disagreements to thank the men and women of the United States Coast Guard for a job well done. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, many Americans have come to know the Coast Guard and their personnel and their heroism and their professionalism. They have been made acutely aware about the services provided by this remarkable service, for it, I would suggest, has truly been one of the Coast Guard's finest hours. And I know I speak as well for my good friend and colleague from the Committee on the Judiciary, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble), in expressing the profound gratitude of all Americans. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to represent southeastern Massachusetts, I believe home of some of the most beautiful and pristine coastline in all of New England and, in fact, in all of the United States, and also the birthplace of the United States Coast Guard. I happen to be a very proud veteran of the United States Coast Guard, like my colleague, the gentleman from North Carolina. Of course, he was an officer and a gentleman, while I was a mere enlisted man. Back in 1997, my colleague and I, and another colleague, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Taylor), who also served in the United States Coast Guard, sat down and decided that it was time to bring together Members of Congress who are committed to lifesaving, law enforcement, and environmental protection missions that were conducted at sea. So we created the Congressional Caucus of the United States Coast Guard. We did this to advocate for this outstanding service and to increase its profile not just in this institution but among the American people. Well, their performance before, during, and in the aftermath of the tragedy which befell our Gulf States spoke volumes about the service that they provide to the American people. We learned a lot about the Coast Guard, or at least, and I am sure I speak for my friend who I will ask to say some words in a very few minutes, I know that for many, Hurricane Katrina increased their understanding of really what the Coast Guard is all about. But it is not just about search and air rescues. In fact, they are the de facto lead agency for homeland security, responsible for guarding 95,000 miles of American coastline and 361 ports. Every day, the Coast Guard interdicts, for example, drugs bound for the United States. In fact, just this past week, while performing their functions in the gulf and along the coastline of the Gulf States, the Coast Guard seized two tons of cocaine off the Colombian coast in South America, cocaine that undoubtedly would have been sold on the streets of our neighborhoods somewhere in this country. But before I proceed, let me introduce a dear friend, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble), a veteran of the United States Coast Guard.