Martin Frost

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I would further ask the gentleman, when we return on the 27th, will there be suspension bills that day?

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. FROST asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and thank my colleague, the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Pryce) for yielding me the customary 30 minutes. Mr. Speaker, both the underlying bill and the Democratic substitute address an issue of great importance to the millions of Americans who will depend upon participant-directed pension accounts for their retirement income. Nowadays, fewer and fewer employees have traditional pension plans. That means that more and more will depend heavily on investments for their retirement income. Currently, approximately 42 million workers participate in such accounts. It is very important that these workers have access to sound financial planning and advice to help them make the most of their investments. It is also critical that the advice they receive is unbiased and in their best interests, not for the benefit of the advisor or counselor or the businesses they represent. The Democratic substitute makes important improvements in the underlying bill. Specifically, the Andrews-Rangel substitute allows employees to receive investment advice and education from their employers, while still being protected from conflicts of interest and unqualified investment advisors. The rule provides an hour and 40 minutes of debate on the bill and another hour on the substitute. Let us pass this rule so we may get on with the debate of this issue of importance to the American worker. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I offer a resolution (H. Res. 282) and I ask unanimous consent for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. I would further ask the gentleman, we have heard rumors of a terrorism insurance bill also making its way to the floor. Should we expect that next week?

Mr. FROST. I would further ask the gentleman, with the holidays approaching, many people are anxious that we ensure flying is as safe as possible. Do we have any idea when we will get the airline security conference report to the floor?

Mr. FROST. I would point out to the distinguished majority leader that it will be very difficult for Members of Congress to leave town unless we have acted on that legislation. They will not feel good about going home and seeing their constituents until we have taken action on that bill.

Mr. FROST. I would ask the gentleman one additional question. I noticed in his initial statement that he discussed the possibility of being in session next weekend and perhaps into the following week. The following week is the week of Thanksgiving. At what point will a decision be made by the majority as to whether we will be in session next weekend or whether we would vote another continuing resolution and come back after Thanksgiving?

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas to inquire about next week's schedule.

Mr. FROST. I thank the gentleman. We look forward to seeing the schedule as it develops next week.

Mr. FROST. I would ask the gentleman from Texas, do you expect fast track trade legislation to be on the floor next week?

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution (H. Res. 278) and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 additional minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Edwards).

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 8 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey).

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I would advise the majority that we have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge Members to support this rule and this conference report. Both the House and the Senate passed this bill on a bipartisan basis, and this conference report also represents a bipartisan, bicameral compromise. Additionally, this conference report contains provisions that are very important to the people that I represent in north Texas. It provides $5.5 million in critical funding for a flood control project along Johnson Creek in Arlington, Texas. It provides $10 million for the Dallas Floodway Extension, and it provides $1.2 for the Trinity River Basin. The final funding that each of us will receive meets the needs identified by the Army Corps of Engineers and local authorities. The conference report also provides $1 million for a state of the art annex to the Science Center at Texas Wesleyan University, which serves neighborhood children as well as students in a historic inner-city neighborhood on the east side of Fort Worth, Texas. I also want to thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Edwards) for working with me to fund these critical provisions for north Texas. This is a good bill, Mr. Speaker, and the conferees should be commended for doing the best they could under the circumstances. But as many of them will tell us, they were hamstrung by the fact that the Senate originally passed these bills before September 11. Since that infamous date, Mr. Speaker, all of us have become acutely aware of the massive security needs facing America. This bill does not reflect many of the priorities of today's new war against terrorism. For instance, the conference report provides no additional funds to address terrorist threats related to nuclear weapons plants or Department of Energy labs. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Edwards) offered an amendment to beef up the Nation's nonproliferation activities that prevent terrorists from getting Russian nuclear materials. Indeed, the administration had proposed cutting $98 million from this critical program. Fortunately, this conference report restores $81 million to this vital program, but that is still $17 million below last year's level. Overall, the Federal agencies funded by this bill have identified about $1.2 billion in additional security needs, but this conference report funds only $287 million of that, leaving us about $900 million short. Since September 11, Mr. Speaker, America's security needs have increased, not decreased. The safety of every American depends on whether this Congress and this President will invest more, not less, in meeting them. So after we pass this conference report today, it is crucial that all of us work together to immediately ensure all of our homeland security needs are fully funded. There is no higher priority. Mr. Speaker, I yield 7 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Edwards).

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, we will hear a lot of rhetoric today; but the issue before this House is a very simple one: Do you support the current system in which low-bid private security companies are responsible for airline safety? If so, then vote for the Republican leadership's bill. Or do you feel that the current system has failed the American people and should be replaced with Federal law enforcement professionals protecting our airports, just as they protect the Capitol, the White House, and America's borders? If so, then vote for the bipartisan substitute. Mr. Speaker, I think it is an easy choice. Replacing the current failed system is simple. The White House said today that the President is eager to sign an aviation security bill into law. Three weeks ago, the Senate unanimously passed on a vote of 100 to zero a strong bipartisan aviation security bill that we will offer as a substitute today. This House can send that bipartisan bill to the President's desk tonight. Then we can immediately start putting more sky marshals on planes, strengthen more cockpit doors, and start protecting our airports with Federal law enforcement professionals. On the other hand, the Republican leaders today are offering the flying public nothing more than a fig leaf that will protect the same old failed private airport security system. Even worse, Mr. Speaker, Republican leaders are offering a manager's amendment that would not just keep private security companies in charge of airport security, it would virtually exonerate them from the September 11 failures. The Republican manager's amendment would provide the private security companies with liability protection, preventing the victims of September 11 from holding them accountable for allowing terrorists to get on planes with box cutters. This is nothing less than shameful, Mr. Speaker; and I am stunned that Republican leaders are trying to slip it through the House. Mr. Speaker, while the rest of this country pulls together to win the war on terrorism, the Republican leadership is playing politics as usual. I urge my colleagues to reject partisanship and special interest politics and to pass the bipartisan substitute so the President can immediately sign this aviation security bill.

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I take this time to inquire about next week's schedule. I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Armey), the majority leader.

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I would ask the distinguished majority leader, he has indicated that perhaps the VA-HUD conference report will be ready for consideration. Are there other conference reports that the gentleman is optimistic about being considered next week?

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas.

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar) for a question.

Mr. FROST. I would further ask the gentleman, do you expect fast- track legislation on the floor next week?

Mr. FROST. I would ask the majority leader, will there be votes next Friday? Can you determine that at this point?

Mr. FROST. I would ask the gentleman, when do we expect to wrap up the session for the year? Do you think it will occur before Thanksgiving?