Sam Farr

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my dear friend Julie E. Packard, the Executive Director and Vice Chairman of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation's Board of Trustees and the recipient of the Ted Danson Ocean Hero Award. The award is given annually, in recognition of the recipient's strong commitment toward protection and restoration of the marine environment. Ms. Packard is a woman of principle and conviction. She has worked tirelessly to protect and preserve our delicate ocean ecology. On October 20, 1984, Ms. Packard was instrumental in opening the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Today, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation is a $124 million institution and has consistently drawn 2 million people to its exhibits each year. It and its sister institution, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, are some of the finest marine life and ocean science research institutions in the United States. She has been its Executive Director since it opened. Ms. Packard was born in Los Altos, California. She is one of four children, along with a brother, David, and sisters, Susan and Nancy. She went on to earn a masters degree in biology from the University of California at Santa Cruz. Julie is married to Robert Stephens. Together they are raising wonderful twin daughters. Through her involvements, Julie has inspired and educated many about the wonders of our oceans and the environment of Monterey Bay and the central coast. She has been instrumental in making the schools of Monterey Bay some of the finest on the central coast, making it possible for future generations of students to nourish a passion for the ocean as strong as hers. Ms. Packard has been a board member of numerous organizations and committees, including the California Nature Conservancy, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. She was also a member of the Pew Oceans Commission in 2003, which issued recommendations for a comprehensive overhaul of national ocean policy. Ms. Packard has also received numerous awards. Perhaps one of the milestones of Julie's life and work with the oceans is when she received the Audubon Medal for Conservation in 1998, one of the premier recognitions given to those in this field. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I would like to honor the many accomplishments of my friend Julie E. Packard and express sincere gratitude for her accomplishments and contributions to our community.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mark Tracy who is retiring after ten years as the Santa Cruz County Sheriff. Mr. Tracy's lifelong dedication to the Santa Cruz community consists of over 32 years as a police officer, as well as numerous volunteer and leadership positions within local organizations. Beginning his career as a Deputy Sheriff with Santa Cruz County, Mark rose through the ranks to become a Sergeant and a Lieutenant. He was elected Sheriff-Coroner of Santa Cruz County in 1994. During his years with the Sheriff's Office, Mark has worked in and represented nearly every bureau and capacity in the department and has received numerous awards and commendations. Notably, he has acted as Coordinator of the Search and Rescue Team, was a founding member of the Hostage Negotiating Team, and has served as Chairman for both the Santa Cruz County Criminal Justice Council and the Santa Cruz County Commission on Domestic Violence. By establishing the Domestic Violence Unit and working with advocacy groups throughout the county, he has promoted better services to victims of domestic abuse. Additionally, Sheriff Tracy established the High Tech Crime Unit to address the growing problem of identity theft and computer crimes. In his career as Sheriff, Mark has also established unprecedented levels of trust and cooperation with the community, including women's groups, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities, as well as medical marijuana organizations. He has overseen the opening of new service centers throughout Santa Cruz County and has placed school resource officers at high schools and junior high schools throughout the region. The Santa Cruz Sheriff's Office has a proud history of aggressively attacking crime in a proactive and timely manner. Mark has been at the forefront of working towards unbiased policing and problem-solving techniques. In his partnerships with local organizations, he has established himself as an integral part of the Santa Cruz community. I have personally enjoyed working with Mark, and I wish to thank him for his dedicated service to our community. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Mr. Tracy on his upcoming retirement as Sheriff, and wish him the best of luck in all of his future endeavors.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mrs. Laura Munoz- Velazquez, who was named (LULAC) League of United and Latin American Citizens Woman of the Year. Mrs. Munoz-Velazquez is one of several outstanding women who were nominated for this prestigious award. Mrs. Munoz-Velazquez was born in Colusa, California to a family of farm workers. Her parents, Juanita Castanon Munoz and Lucas Placenica Munoz, always stressed the importance of education and encouraged her to go to college. Laura heeded her parents, and in 1973, graduated from California State University Chico with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. Mrs. Munoz-Velazquez also obtained an Elementary Teaching Credential and began teaching kindergarten for the Marysville School District. Soon after her time there, she moved to San Benito County with her husband, Felipe Velasquez, and has been teaching for the Hollister School District since 1975. They have four sons: Richard, Adrian, Alejo, and Junior. While she was growing up, Mrs. Munoz-Velazquez attended a school system that did not support maintaining Spanish language while learning to write and speak in English. Because she recognized the value of having a good grasp of two languages, she purposely chose to become a bilingual teacher, allowing her to reclaim her primary language and culture. Mrs. Munoz-Velazquez truly believes in providing and promoting bilingualism and biliteracy, which she feels is instrumental in the success of children learning a second language. Of course, with her giving nature, Mrs. Munoz-Velazquez knows how significant it is to give back to the community and has been involved with multiple organizations such as the United Way, American Cancer Society (ACS), Children with Attention Deficit Disorders (CHADD), Mexican American Community on Education (MACE), and League of United and Latin American Citizens Council (LULAC) #2890. She has also taught religion classes at Sacred Heart Church, preparing many young ones for Holy Communion. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs. Laura Munoz-Velazquez for the outstanding work she's done in my district. I would like to honor and congratulate her on her accomplishments and express my sincere gratitude for her commitment to the community.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Steven K. Webster, a dedicated educator and community volunteer, upon his retirement as Senior Marine Biologist at the Monterey, Bay Aquarium. Dr. Webster has diligently worked to develop and shape the aquarium's education, teacher training, and outreach programs. His dedication to the people of the Monterey Bay region has been a great benefit to the community for over twenty-five years. As an educator at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Dr. Webster developed the Discovery Lab programs that have served over 1.5 million children to date. There is scarcely a child in Monterey County who has not participated in one of the aquarium's free education programs, thanks in great part to Dr. Webster's vision and advocacy. In addition, Dr. Webster has initiated teacher education workshops in which over 10,000 teachers have participated free of charge. He has encouraged thousands of aquarium guides and volunteers in the aquarium's nationally recognized volunteer guide training program which he developed. Dr. Webster has served as an inspiration and has offered great encouragement to those consulting him on a career in marine biology. Beyond his extensive career in marine biology, Dr. Webster has served in numerous volunteer community and board positions, including the Monterey Bay Chapter of the American Cetacean Society, the Cannery Row Foundation, the Lyceum of the Monterey Peninsula, the State Underwater Parks Advisory Board, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and the Friends of Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. An avid diving instructor and underwater photographer, Dr. Webster is a popular speaker on natural history topics ranging from the Monterey Bay to the Galapagos Islands. Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank Dr. Webster for his outstanding and invaluable contributions to our community, and commend him for his many accomplishments. I congratulate him on his much deserved retirement and wish him the best of luck in all of his future endeavors.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments, and I agree with the serious issues raised by the gentleman from Nevada and will contact the Secretary of the Interior by letter requesting that the Department consider these facts when awarding a grant authorized by this bill. It is a sad fact that slavery has played such a role in our American history, whether it be Native American or imported men and women who were taken from their native lands. I find it refreshing, for example, that the National Museum of the American Indian, our newest addition to the Smithsonian system, is addressing the issue towards Native Americans and making the public aware of what occurred as the United States grew into a Nation. Until we come to grips with the issues and all the various peoples affected by it, slavery will remain a dark cloud in our history. If the gentleman would indulge me further, I want to make sure that our colleagues understand that there have been many positive editorials in support of rehabilitating the California missions nationwide, and I submit them for inclusion in the Record. [From The Fresno Bee, Sept. 26, 2004] Saving History: California's Aging Missions Need and Deserve Federal Assistance (Editorial) In 1883, Walt Whitman wrote, ``We American have yet to really learn our own antecedents. . . . Thus far, impress'd by New England writers and schoolmasters, we tacitly abandon ourselves to the notion that our United States have been fashion'd from the British Islands only . . . which is a very great mistake.'' He could have written that with California in mind. The most obvious symbols of California's early history are the 21 missions stretching from San Diego to Sonoma. The first was founded at San Diego in 1769, the last in 1823. More than 5 million people a year visit the missions, making them California's most visited landmarks. San Diego, Monterey, Los Angeles, Carmel, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, San Jose and others began as missions. Yet few know the history of Spain's New World venture. Today it is literally crumbling from natural disasters such as earthquakes, neglect and lack of funding, and even thievery. In August 2003, a 205-year-old Indian-made violin disappeared from the 1771 mission at San Antonio de Padua. If we don't make a public commitment to preserve the national heritage the missions represent, we'll lose them. In Congress, the California Missions Preservation Act (H.R. 1446 S. 1306) is a start. After emerging from key Senate committee, it appears headed for final approval. (The House passed the bill last October, but it languished in the Senate committee for unknown reasons.) The bill would provide $10 million in matching funds over five years to help restore and repair California's Spanish missions and to preserve artwork and artifacts. So far, the California Missions Foundation has raised $3.4 million of the needed $10 million match. Spain set about settling California in earnest after 1768 to prevent Russian and English encroachment. Mountains and deserts made overland access difficult, so the Spanish settled the coast. They raised horses, cattle and sheep and tended orchards, and vineyards. Interaction with Indians was marked by dynamic confrontation, conflict and exchange--different in character from the westward expansion of British eastern colonies. California became a province of Mexico in 1821. The new government secularized the missions, selling off some and using others as barns and saloons. By the time the Untied States won California in the war with Mexico, the missions were decaying. President Lincoln returned them to the Catholic Church, which still owns 19 of the 21. Why can't California's 21 missions get status and a public commitment like the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, established in Texas in 1978? Like California's missions, San Antonio's remain active places of worship, but their significance to the nation's heritage and use by the general public are vital as well. It's time California's missions are afforded the same respect. Congress, along with private donors in the community, can make that preservation happen--and not a minute too soon.

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time, and I thank my colleagues for speaking in support. I want to respond first of all to the comments of the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott). In the bill it says: ``The Secretary shall ensure that the purpose of any grant or financial assistance provided by the Secretary to the Foundation under this Act is secular, does not promote religion, and seeks to protect qualities that are historically significant.'' This is a private foundation separate from the church and raises money separately from the church, so we are trying to assure here there is no benefit to the church from the restoration efforts. Let me rise in support of this bill, the California Missions Preservation Act. Interestingly enough, one of the statues in Statuary Hall is that of Father Serra, and in his hand is a replica of the Carmel mission, just a few blocks from my home. This legislation has been cosponsored by 48 of my California colleagues in the House of Representatives. Both Senators sponsored similar legislation on their side of the Capitol. I again want to thank the efforts of the chairman of the committee, the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo), and the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall) for moving this legislation today, as well as the principal cosponsors, the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier). Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1446 passed the House under suspension by a voice vote on October 20, 2003, and then passed the Senate almost a full year later after it was amended by unanimous consent on October 10, 2004. All 21 missions are California registered historical landmarks. Seven of the missions have Federal status as national historic places. And one of the two changes made by the other body is that the remaining 14 must be recognized before that particular mission would be eligible for receiving funding. The second change made by the other body was that the Secretary of the Interior must enter into a cooperative agreement with the California Missions Foundation, and the U.S. Attorney General must issue a finding that the proposed agreement does not violate the establishment clause of the first amendment of the Constitution regarding the separation of church and state. I am fortunate to have five of the 21 missions in my district, extending along the coast of California on the El Camino Real: Santa Cruz; San Juan Bautista; La Soledad; San Antonio de Padua; and in my hometown of Carmel, San Carlos Borromeo del Rio Carmelo, known as the Cathedral in the Wilderness. The California missions represent a historic vein running through our State from south to north. They also symbolize the east to the west, the exploration that expanded our Nation to its four corners. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned when this bill was originally brought to the floor, so much of the west coast's earliest expansion has been overshadowed in history. In 1768, King Carlos III saw Russia and England as threats to Spain's claim of Alta California, and ordered troops and missionaries to colonize new territory. In 1769, Commander Don Gaspar de Portola, Sergeant Jose Francisco de Ortega, and Fray Junipero Serra departed with troops and supplies for San Diego from Baja California, on May 13, and established on July 16 Alta California's first mission, San Diego de Alcala. Twenty missions followed, with the final missions in the chain established in Sonoma in 1823. Of all the institutions that define California's heritage, none has the historic significance and emotional impact of the chain of Spanish missions that stretches from San Diego to Sonoma. The missions are an important part of the State's cultural fabric and must be preserved as priceless historic monuments. They are a living link to our past. The missions stand as landmarks of more than 2 centuries and are recognized for the important impact they have had on the development of California, including art, architecture, agriculture, food, music, language, apparel, and recreation. The missions help drive tourism, the State's third largest industry. These iconic symbols of California are the most visited historic attractions in the State, attracting over 5.3 million visitors a year. They account for a sizable contribution to the State's economy from millions of tourists, including a large number of international visitors. They have become synonymous with the State's fourth grade curriculum. Students build mission models and write research reports as part of California history lessons. This serves as an important education function in teaching young students about the role of missions in the history of our State and our Nation. Four 230 years, the missions have stood as symbols of Western exploration and settlement. Time, natural deterioration, and neglect have taken a heavy toll on the missions. Some are crumbling and at risk of full destruction. Most need preservation and seismic work to restore their antique beauty and bring them up to modern safety. Without immediate repairs, these centuries-old structures could be lost. The need is urgent and near crisis proportions. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1446, the California Missions Preservation Act. This bipartisan legislation has been cosponsored by 48 of my California colleagues in the House of Representatives and both Senators sponsored similar legislation on their side of the Capitol. I again want to thank the efforts of Chairman Pombo and Mr. Rahall for moving this legislation today, as well as, the principal cosponsor Chairman Dreier. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1446 passed the House under suspension by voice vote October 20th 2003 and then passed in the Senate almost a full year later after it was amended by Unanimous Consent on October 10th 2004. All 21 missions are California Registered Historical Landmarks; seven of the missions have the federal status of National Historical Places and as one of two changes made by the other body the remaining 14 must be recognized before that particular Mission will be eligible to receive funding. The second change made in the other body was that the Secretary of Interior must enter into a cooperative agreement with the California Missions Foundation and the U.S. Attorney General must issue a finding that the proposed agreement does not violate the establishment clause of the first amendment of the Constitution regarding the separation of church and state. I am fortunate to have five of the 21 Missions in my district, extending along the coast of California on the El Camino Real: Santa Cruz, San Juan Bautista, La Soledad, San Antonio de Padua, and in my hometown of Carmel, San Carlos Borromeo del Rio Carmelo known as the ``Cathedral in the Wilderness''. The California missions represent an historic vein running through our state, from south to north. And, they also symbolize the east to west exploration that expanded our nation to its four corners. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned when this bill was originally brought to the floor so much of the west coast's earliest expansion has been overshadowed in history. In 1768 King Carlos III saw Russia and England as threats to Spain's claim on Alta California and Ordered troops and missionaries to colonize the new territory. In 1769 Commander Don Gaspar de Portola, Sergeant Jose Francisco de Ortega, and Fray Junipero Serra departed with troops and supplies for San Diego from Baja California May 13 and established on July 16th Alta California's first mission--San Diego de Alcala. Twenty missions followed with the final missions in the chain established in Sonoma in 1823. Of all the institutions that define California's heritage, none has the historic significance and emotional impact of the chain of Spanish missions that stretch from San Diego to Sonoma. The missions are an important part of the state's cultural fabric and must be preserved as priceless historic monuments; they are a living link to our past. The missions stand as landmarks of more than two centuries and are recognized for their important impact they have had on the development of California including art, architecture, agriculture, food, music, language, apparel and recreation. The missions help drive tourism--the state's third largest industry. These iconic symbols of California are the most visited historic attractions in the state, attracting over 5.3 million visitors a year. They account for a sizable contribution to the state economy from millions of tourists, including a large number of international visitors. And they have become synonymous with the state's fourth grade curriculum: Students build mission models and write research reports as part of California history lessons. This serves as an important education function in teaching young students about the role of the missions in the history of our state and our nation. For 230 years, the missions have stood as symbols of Western exploration and settlement. Time, natural deterioration and neglect have taken a heavy toll on the missions. Some are Rotting roofs. Cracking tiles. Crumbling adobe. The backlog of needed repairs is long. The price tag is high. And the message is clear. The California missions need our help. Now. H.R. 1446 will provide an important step toward addressing some of the most severe problems the missions are facing. This legislation provides authorization for funding of $10 million over five years, in partnership with the State of California and the California Missions Foundation's statewide funding campaign. Under this legislation, the process requires that each mission submit a list to the Foundation of its most urgent preservation needs. All mission repairs and restoration projects are reviewed, approved and supervised by professionals qualified in the disciplines of history, history archeology, architectural history, planning, architecture, folklore, cultural anthropology, curation, conservation, landscape architecture or related fields. Projects must be accomplished in accordance with the applicable Secretary of Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historical Properties. All repairs and capital improvements must have competitive bids which the Foundation's Funding Review Committee reviews. The Foundation Board of Directors assesses the proposals and has final approval of all restoration projects funded. The missions are required to submit timely progress reports and accounting to the Foundation on all projects funded. Since the Spanish friars and native peoples joined together in the building of these settlements, the land we call California has been shaped and influenced by what they accomplished in that most ambitious undertaking. From the vineyards of Sonoma to the ranches of Santa Barbara to the adobe arcades and red tile roofs of San Diego, the California missions have left their mark on who we are and what we have become. Passage today presents us with the opportunity to address the needs of the missions and to preserve an integral part of our nation's history and the heritage of the west that combines with the east to make these truly united states.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Ose amendment. My friend and colleague from California has indicated that Navy facilities in San Diego are at risk if his amendment is not passed. I have a Navy facility in my district so I can appreciate his concern. In fact, after September 11th, the Navy constructed a force protection barrier around their facility in Monterey. But, I disagree with my colleague over his efforts to exempt the construction of portions of a 14-mile immigration barrier south of San Diego from most of the Nation's environmental laws. A society is judged by how it reacts to adversity, and after 9/11 this Chamber and this country were galvanized into action in the wake of that tragic day. There is not a single member in this Chamber that isn't willing to fight terrorism or to protect our country and its citizens. Let's get that straight. The amendment we have before us now is more about immigration control than it is about national security. P.L. 104-208 authorized the construction of fencing and road improvements in the border area near San Diego, CA. In short, the border improvements were pursued, planned, and construction started before 9/11. So, we know there will be improvements to the barriers at the border. I don't question the importance of completing the fence--that's not what this is about. What this amendment is about is ignoring--worse, circumventing--an ongoing process. Mr. Ose's ill-conceived amendment attempts to fix a problem that doesn't exist. This amendment undermines and overturns efforts made by local communities, civic groups, State agencies, and elected representatives who have been working to come to consensus with the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection. This amendment even exempts from protection the Bald Eagle, a symbol of America's freedom that is surpassed only by our American Flag. My colleagues should be aware that the California Coastal Commission continues to work hard to complete the Southwest Border Fence, in compliance with the regulatory process established by 16 of our most essential public health, environmental, and cultural heritage laws and executive orders. In fact, a meeting is scheduled for the 26th of October to work out the concerns between the Coastal Commission and the Department of Homeland Security's office of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection in charge of construction to resolve this issue. We are a country built on laws. Our laws are in place not only to protect us today but also to protect this great nation for future generations. There is no good reason why this project requires such a sweeping free ride. By shirking the process and simply giving this project a blanket exemption from 16 of our most essential environmental laws, we are submitting that we can't do more than one thing at a time--and I don't, and won't, accept this. I have more faith in our country, our laws, and the process. This amendment will set a horrible precedent on multiple levels and I encourage all of my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, today, I, along with Representative Chris Shays and 20 other members, introduced the Captive Mammal Protection Act. This bill gets at an issue that many would be surprised to learn even occurs, the ``hunting'' of an animal inside an enclosed area. By halting the interstate shipment of captive mammals for the purpose of being shot in a fenced enclosure for entertainment or for trophy, the bill we introduced today will lead to significant reduction in ``canned hunt'' operations. At more than 1,000 of these commercial ``canned hunt'' operations around the country, trophy hunters pay a fee to shoot captive mammals-- animals that have often lived their lives being fed by hand and thus have no fear of humans. Simply stated, there could be no easier target. Canned hunting ranches know this and can therefore offer guaranteed trophies, touting a ``No Kill, No Pay'' policy. Who supports canned hunt operations? Not rank-and-file hunters. In fact, in a poll of their readership described in the July 2003 issue, the editors of Field and Stream magazine reported that 65 percent of sportsmen oppose canned hunts. Additionally, lifelong hunters in Montana, including members of the Montana Bowhunters Association, spearheaded a state ballot initiative in 2000 that led to a ban on shooting animals in fenced enclosures. In addition to Montana, 18 states have full or partial bans on canned hunts for mammals. The momentum to address canned hunt operations is no surprise given that an element of hunting that so many sportsmen hold dear, that of the ``fair chase,'' is absolutely absent under canned hunt conditions. The time is long overdue for the federal government to participate in efforts to end this despicable practice. By halting the interstate transport of mammals used in canned hunts, the Captive Mammal Protection Act will curb a practice so egregious that hunters and animal advocates alike view it as unfair and inhumane. This bill is supported by ten local and national groups representing more than ten million Americans. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I encourage my colleagues to join me in putting a lid on canned hunts.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge that the underlying bill here, the Military Construction Appropriations bill, is really a tremendous improvement for the troops in America. I would like to acknowledge that if it was not for the terrific work of the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Knollenberg), the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) on our side and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) on the other side, this bill would not be before my colleagues, doing, I think, one of the greatest things we have ever done in Congress, and that is to help the troops with housing. We had the pleasure of interviewing before the committee, the testifying of soldiers and their spouses. When the question was asked, what is the one thing the Congress can do to help the military most of all, the unanimous response--unanimous--was provide housing. In this bill we provide housing and really quality housing. In my district, 2,000 homes are being built by the military alongside homes that are selling for $1 million. These houses will be rented to men and women in uniform at affordable prices considerably below what the market is. We have gone on with other work of being able to create through the RCI an LLC so that we can build housing for civilian employees of the military who are mission critical. In areas where housing prices are going out of market, out of reach, this type of program is absolutely essential to maintain the military mission in the United States. I want to thank the leaders, but especially I want to thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Edwards), because he is the one that has been championing this more than anybody. He has been dogged about being able to make sure that we can continue building this type of housing wherever it is needed in the United States. For that effort and for his single stick-to-it-iveness on this, we need to give him a great deal of accolades and appreciation from all of us on both sides of the aisle. Lastly, I would just like to say that I do not know if this is the last appropriations bill we are going to be adopting in Congress, but I would like to thank personally the leadership of the gentleman from Florida who has provided an incredible leadership in the committee to be fair to everyone. We will greatly miss him. Thank you for your service, Mr. Young.

Mr. FARR

Mr. FARR. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 1 minute. Mr. Chairman, there is no problem that is broken that needs to be fixed. There is nobody opposed to the process of getting this fence built. The problem with this amendment is you create a whole ability to have more lawsuits filed and you give a message that the environmental laws are not necessary. The process is working. In 2 weeks, the Homeland Security Office is meeting with the California Coastal Commission where they have laid out all of the road map for how to get it done. The fact of the letter that was just submitted for the Record, the Navy never asked that any of these environmental laws be waived. We built a fence around the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey by abiding by all the laws, including the Coastal Commission laws. So this is a made-up issue to try to get a recorded vote to show that, if you support the environment, you are for terrorism. Nothing in the 9/11 Commission report recommended this amendment. It is totally unnecessary. I would just tell you that the process is working and what you see in this amendment is trying to subvert it.

Mr. FARR. Mr. Chairman, I have a parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. FARR. Mr. Chairman, on the definition of ``any other laws or requirements,'' does that broaden it to every law in America?

Mr. FARR. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the right to object.

Mr. FARR. I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. FARR. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, it will not go to legislative intent. It will go to what you have stated in words here, and it says ``any other laws or requirements.'' Any.

Mr. FARR. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, that delay the construction of barriers, there could be all kinds of other reasons that are unrelated to just your waiving the environmental requirements.

Mr. FARR. I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. FARR. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I think the intent here is to waive a lot of laws so you can get this done in an expeditious manner. I think you are opening up a Pandora's Box. It is going to give you so many lawsuits that you are never going to get the project done.

Mr. FARR. I object.

Mr. FARR. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to this amendment.

Mr. FARR. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee).

Mr. FARR. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Solis).

Mr. FARR. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).

Mr. FARR. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the remaining time. Look, you have been able to build almost this entire fence without the waiving of any environmental laws. The record that the gentleman showed there just a moment ago gave the Attorney General the authority to waive NEPA and ESEA. You are now going into a whole complicated series of laws, including the protection of Bald Eagles, Indian rights and things like that, Superfund issues. I have been involved with these issues for a long, long time, living on the coast. And I will tell the gentleman that what he is opening up is a can of worms for lawsuits and complaints and so on. This is not the wise way to go with this amendment, and I object to the amendment and will ask for a recorded vote on it.