Steve Driehaus

Mr. DRIEHAUS

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, I now yield such time as he may consume to the author of the legislation, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Critz). (Mr. CRITZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. DRIEHAUS

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. DRIEHAUS

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to yield 3 minutes to the sponsor of the legislation, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Critz). (Mr. CRITZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am proud to present H.R. 5606 for consideration. This legislation will designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 47 South 7th Street in Indiana, Pennsylvania, as the ``James M. `Jimmy' Stewart Post Office Building.'' H.R. 5606 was introduced by our colleague, Representative Mark Critz of Pennsylvania, on June 25, 2010. It was favorably reported out of the Oversight Government Reform Committee on July 28, 2010. In addition, this legislation enjoys the support of the entire Pennsylvania House delegation. As we all know, Jimmy Stewart was an American film and stage actor who worked in Hollywood during its ``Golden Age.'' Mr. Stewart was born on May 20, 1908, in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and attended Mercersburg Academy Prep School. After graduating from Mercersburg in 1928, Mr. Stewart went on to attend Princeton University, where he developed a lifelong love for acting. In 1939, Mr. Stewart starred in one of the great films about American politics, ``Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,'' which portrays the experience of a young senator learning the ropes in Washington. The film was a great success and was nominated for 11 Academy Awards in 1939, and won the Oscar for Best Writing and Original Story. In 1941, Mr. Stewart enlisted in the Army, where he was assigned to the 445th Bombardment Group stationed out of Sioux City Army Base in Iowa. Mr. Stewart was eventually promoted to the rank of captain and commanded the 703rd Bombardment Squadron for the duration of World War II. Notably, in 1959, Mr. Stewart was promoted to brigadier general in the Air Force Reserve and served as a non-duty adviser during the Vietnam War. In 1989, Mr. Stewart became a cofounder of the American Spirit Foundation, which applied entertainment industry resources and talent to help develop innovative approaches to public education and to assist emerging democratic movements in the former Soviet satellite states. Mr. Stewart also worked with President Reagan and Chief Justice Warren Burger on initiatives to promote awareness of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Sadly, Mr. Stewart passed away on July 2, 1997. Mr. Speaker, let us honor the life and legacy of Jimmy Stewart through the passage of H.R. 5606, which will designate the postal facility located at 47 South 7th Street in Indiana, Pennsylvania, in his honor. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5606. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. DRIEHAUS

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Madam Speaker, last weekend, a shining light went out in the City of Norwood, Ohio when Bill Graff passed away. Before he moved to Norwood eight years ago, Bill was one of the millions of Americans whose work formed the backbone of our nation. He retired from General Motors after a career that took him from his native Michigan to Tennessee. It was after he retired that Bill brought his charisma and commitment to Norwood, and spent the last years of his life changing that city for the better. In the relatively short time he called Norwood home, Bill Graff wove himself into the fabric of that community. Whether carrying out a restoration that breathed new life into one of Norwood's magnificent older buildings, leading the charge to get new equipment for Norwood's police and first responders, or brainstorming about their next project with Vivian, his wife of 45 years, Bill was always looking for new ways to give back and strengthen the bonds that hold Norwood together. Through his tireless actions, Bill showed us that community means more than just a group of people sharing a street or a neighborhood. He showed us that community is built upon service to one another, concern for our neighbors and our children, and a dedication to improving the lives of those around us as well as our own families. Especially in these tough times, we look at Bill's life as an example of what a single person can do to lift up so many others. He will be dearly missed.

Mr. DRIEHAUS

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Madam Speaker, today I want to recognize the 100th birthday of someone who is not only a constituent of mine, but a woman very dear to my heart, my great aunt, Kathleen Schuermann. Our family will soon gather to mark this occasion, and there's so much to celebrate. Over the past century, Aunt Kathleen has been a public servant in the State Liquor Department and Hamilton County Juvenile Sheriff's Department. She has been a ballet teacher to a generation of young dancers in Cincinnati. She has been a proud supporter of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, and a faithful parishioner at Holy Cross- Immaculata. She has been the loving mother of seven children, grandmother of 21, and great-grandmother of 36. Though she was born ten years before women in America had the right to vote, Aunt Kathleen has her whole life embraced and extolled the importance of civic involvement. Whether working the polls or attending presidential inaugurations, advocating to save Cincinnati's streetcars or offering her own brand of political advice, Kathleen remains an example of the sort of concerned and active citizenship we too seldom see. As a public servant, I draw inspiration from her undimmed interest in governance and community. We can be certain in coming weeks to see Aunt Kathleen at the Immaculata church festival or making the rounds at the Delhi Senior Center. And so, on her 100th birthday, we not only reflect on her life's journey thus far, but we look forward to the days ahead. Happy birthday, Aunt Kathleen.

Mr. DRIEHAUS

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 454, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. DRIEHAUS

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Chair, I appreciate the concerns of my colleague from West Virginia. I take those very seriously. Although, FEMA does have rulemaking authority that allows them to address the concerns that were raised. This is really an issue of fairness--an issue of fairness for property owners. You've got the Federal Government coming onto your property, telling you that you have to purchase flood insurance because you're now designated within the map. When you find FEMA to be wrong, that payment shouldn't be incurred by you, the property owner, but it should be reimbursed by FEMA. It's just that simple. This is a taking. And the Federal Government shouldn't be in the business of taking property, which is what they're doing in this case, in the form of the expenses that are incurred by the homeowners. This has impacted thousands of Americans. And it's wrong that the Federal Government is making them pay the price to challenge the Federal Government. With that, Mr. Chairman, I would like to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Hinchey), the cosponsor of the amendment.

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the chairman of the committee, Ms. Waters, for her tremendous work on this legislation. Also, the cosponsors of this amendment, Mr. Welch and Mr. Hinchey. This amendment is pretty straightforward. It would authorize the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to reimburse property owners or entity or jurisdiction acting on their behalf for any expenses that they incurred in order to file for a letter of map amendment if they are ultimately successful in petitioning the exclusion of their property from a flood zone between fiscal year 2007 to the present, and in the future. The problem is this, Mr. Chairman. We have thousands of property owners who are challenging these maps as FEMA has currently drawn them. They find out about them after the maps have been drawn, after the maps are official. They then want to challenge that designation. They hire the surveyors. They hire the engineers. They go ahead and incur that cost. And in many cases, when we find out that in fact the property owner was correct and they should not have been included in the designation to begin with, they're excluded. Yet they have incurred the cost. This amendment simply says that if that's the case and we find that the property owner is correct or if we find that the municipality or jurisdiction is correct in challenging the map, that they will be reimbursed by FEMA. CBO has scored this and said it would be negligible in terms of cost, yet it would relieve thousands of homeowners from the burden that they currently see in terms of incurring these costs. Just a little background. Under current law, FEMA is authorized to reimburse property owners, lessees, and communities for engineering and surveying expenses that they incur for petitioning the inclusion of the property in a flood zone prior to the enactment of a new flood map. But this doesn't serve the folks that we're talking about. I've got a community in Harrison, Ohio, where over 370 households have been included in the flood map. Now, they didn't start the process of challenging the map until after the map was already official. So they're well beyond the time period that FEMA currently allows for that amendment to take place. This would address what is currently wrong in that situation--and that is, it would allow the homeowners to be reimbursed for their expenses. With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DRIEHAUS

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Madam Speaker, last week Cincinnati lost an iconic figure in our religious community when Bishop Abraham I.J. Swanson XII left this world. More than 65 years ago, Bishop Swanson became the founding pastor at the BibleWay Church of God in Christ. Whether preaching to his congregation or to those listening to his forty years of broadcasts on 1480 WCIN, Pastor Swanson offered words of encouragement, hope, and faith to those struggling the most. His words inspired perseverance in the face of adversity, a reflection of his own faith and his commitment to our community. Those who knew him are profoundly grateful for his service, and in his absence we continue to draw strength from his words: ``Hold on to your hope, keep the faith, stand your ground until reinforcement comes; it will come in the morning.''

Mr. DRIEHAUS

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, in 2002 Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones introduced legislation to crack down on predatory lending and subprime borrowers. Acting then to protect American homeowners could have helped prevent the foreclosure crisis, which led to the financial crisis, which led to the deepest recession in generations. But instead of acting in 2002 or 2003 or every other year they controlled Congress and the White House, my Republican colleagues stood by and did nothing. We can now clearly see the result of that inaction. This week we will take long overdue steps as we vote on the most sweeping reform of our financial system since the Great Depression. Instead of leaving decisions about our financial system in the hands of Wall Street bankers, this legislation will curb the risky practices and fix the systemic flaws that brought our economy to the brink. Instead of allowing predatory lending and dangerous speculation to go unchecked, these reforms will provide real protections for Americans looking to invest or to buy a home. We cannot undo the failures of past leadership, but we can help prevent another economic crisis like this one. By passing the Wall Street reform conference report, we can chart a new course that puts America first.

Mr. DRIEHAUS

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, I want to pay tribute to the dedicated service of Ron Gettelfinger, the outgoing president of the United Auto Workers. As UAW president for the last 8 years, Ron worked tirelessly to renew America's manufacturing sector, and move American manufacturing forward with focuses on advanced technology and renewable energy development. During a time when American manufacturing was on the decline, and the American economy began sinking into the deepest recession in generations, Ron fought hard to keep jobs here at home, and was a leading voice for workers' rights. Whether pushing for a fair wage or standing up for expanded access to health care, Ron Gettelfinger has been an unwavering advocate for all of America's working families. He understood that the middle class and manufacturing are the backbone of our Nation's economy and the root of America's prosperity. His leadership will be missed.

Mr. DRIEHAUS

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the cosponsor of this resolution, Ms. Kosmas, for yielding. Last week, we passed the Small Business Lending Fund Act. I offered an amendment at that time that would create the Office of Small Business Lending Fund Oversight under the authority of the Treasury Inspector General. This office would strengthen accountability by helping ensure that loans are being put to use where they're most needed and put to use in a way responsible to taxpayers. The bill we're now considering would further improve oversight by requiring the Treasury Secretary to certify to the Treasury Inspector General, under oath, that loan disbursements are based on economic need and not political considerations. Credit where credit is due, Mr. Speaker. This idea was brought to the floor last week in a Republican motion to recommit. However, that measure would have required a special certification to the Special Inspector General for TARP, which is not the appropriate oversight body for this bill. The Small Business Lending Fund is not part of TARP, and it isn't reliant upon TARP funds. But it is critically important that these loans are helping small businesses to invest and create jobs. This legislation will provide greater assurance that the Small Business Lending Fund is most effective in aiding our recovery, and I urge speedy passage. However, I think I would be remiss if I weren't to comment on the gentleman from Texas's comments, and that is this comparison between the oath being taken by the Treasury Secretary and a 16-year-old driver. I do in fact believe an oath taken by the Secretary of the Treasury, just like an oath taken before a committee of Congress, means something, and it means something very serious. Now, as much as the gentleman from Texas and his colleagues would have us want to talk about the TARP, this is not the TARP. This was never the TARP. And I want to remind the Members about the Inspector General at Treasury because we treat the Inspector General at Treasury as if he hasn't done this before. Several references were made last week to his inability. So I want to talk just a minute about this. The Small Business Lending Fund will not be a TARP program. It will not be funded with TARP money, and the oversight body should not be TARP either. In fact, we're giving it to the Inspector General at Treasury, Mr. Thorson, who served as the Inspector General for the Small Business Administration from 2006 to 2008. In that short time, Mr. Speaker, his office uncovered what is believed to be the largest government-backed loan fraud scheme in history. He's not an amateur. Roughly $75 million was uncovered in that loan investigation. As a result of their investigation, they arrested 15 people in one day and convicted the executive vice president of one bank and the vice president of another. Again, this is not TARP money. I realize that doesn't fit with the overall political objective of the opposition to suggest that we are extending yet another TARP. This is not TARP. This is about getting money to small businesses and creating jobs in the United States.

Mr. DRIEHAUS. I thank the gentlelady for yielding. Mr. Speaker, again, this is a straightforward amendment. If you want to make sure that politics isn't involved in the Small Business Lending Fund, you want to make sure that the Treasury is sticking to their oath and making sure that these are based on economic decisions, then you vote for this bill. If you believe politics should be part of it, then vote against it. We keep missing the mark here in terms of the Republicans. The Republicans want to talk about SIGTARP. This isn't about TARP. No more should SIGTARP be overseeing the Department of Defense than should they be overseeing small business lending. This is about Treasury and making sure that politics aren't part of the decisions being made at Treasury. Again, if the Republicans think politics should be part of the decision, they can vote ``no,'' but we took them at their word that they didn't think politics should be part of the Treasury function. We've taken it away through the Inspector General. The Inspector General has an incredible track record. We respect that track record. And if the Republicans don't respect it, they can, with all due respect, vote against this. But again, this is not TARP money. As much as they would like to have us believe that this is, again, another TARP, it is not. And I realize that doesn't fit into the political rhetoric that is so often used around here, but it is the reality.

Mr. DRIEHAUS

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Madam Chair, the political framework of the Republicans is that they want to call everything a bailout. And when it's not a bailout, they want to act like it is. They want to call this TARP even when it's not. So this doesn't fit into the definition that they want to use out there on Fox News and elsewhere, but the fact of the matter is it's coming out of Treasury. Treasury deserves the oversight. Madam Chair, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly).

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Madam Chair, I just want to remind the Members this amendment is about oversight; it's about doing our job to make government work properly. And while I realize it doesn't always fit into the political rhetoric of the other side, it is about good government. This isn't TARP; this isn't a bailout. This is about helping small businesses, moving the economy forward, and good government.

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chair, we know that small businesses account for the majority of new jobs created in this country, and we know that making it easier for small businesses to borrow is essential to our continued economic recovery. This legislation will help small businesses access the credit they need to create the jobs that will move our economy forward, but we need to provide strong oversight to ensure that these loans are being put to use where they are most effective and put to use in a way that is responsible to the American taxpayer. The amendment I have offered with my colleagues from Virginia and Kansas will establish the Office of Small Business Lending Fund Oversight under the authority of the Treasury Inspector General. The Special Deputy Inspector General of the oversight office will be required to monitor the Small Business Loan Fund and to report to Congress at least twice a year with recommendations for improving the program. This amendment is about good government. It places no additional burdens on banks or small businesses. Instead, it makes a good bill better by ensuring accountability and transparency to the American people. We've seen what happens when government fails to provide adequate protections when special interests are put ahead of the public good. Now we're taking steps to make up for the years of lax oversight and neglected responsibility. Make no mistake, this bill is about creating jobs. Small business owners tell me constantly that they could begin hiring again if only they had access to credit and capital. This legislation will encourage banks to lend to small businesses, and my amendment will help protect taxpayers in the process. This bill will strengthen our economic recovery without adding a dime to the deficit. I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment as well as the underlying legislation. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Madam Chair, I would just comment on the gentleman's comments. Yes, those amendments were offered, but as you know, not a dime of TARP money is being used in this bill, so it's not appropriate for SIGTARP to have the oversight. In fact, Mr. Thorson, who will have the oversight, has incredible experience overseeing small business programs. Before becoming the Inspector General of the Treasury Department, Mr. Thorson served as the Inspector General for the Small Business Administration from 2006 to 2008. In that short time, his office uncovered what is believed to be the largest government-backed loan fraud scheme in history, roughly $75 million. As a result of that investigation, they arrested 15 people in one day. That's oversight. And so while the gentleman is asking for SIGTARP to have oversight, despite the fact that not a dime of TARP is being spent on this bill, we have oversight that is adequate, that is strong, that is contained in Treasury, that should have the oversight within this bill. Madam Chair, I yield 30 seconds to my colleague from Illinois (Ms. Bean).

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Well, I appreciate your yielding because I would like to rebut your first point about the TARP.

Mr. DRIEHAUS. There is not a dime of TARP money going into this bill. You are undermining the authority--or attempting to undermine the authority of the Inspector General of Treasury.

Mr. DRIEHAUS. As the gentleman knows, we disposed of that issue yesterday and we paid for it.