Alcee Hastings

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today to offer an amendment to the Department of Homeland Security bill which would establish in statute, a FEMA Office of Long-Term Recovery in Florida for a period of no less than 3 years. FEMA initially opened an Office of Long-Term Recovery in Florida following the devastating 2004 hurricane season, which left my home State in peril following the landfall of four Category 3 or greater hurricanes. The results have been incredible, and it hasn't only been residents of my State who benefited from the work that FEMA is doing in Florida and elsewhere. Since it was created, the office has reduced response times to disasters and helped to mitigate the impact of future storms. In the first months of the office's existence, FEMA officials were successful in more than doubling public assistance reimbursements from $1 billion to $2 billion. Moreover, the full-time recovery staff, well versed in State and Federal and local policies, was able to rectify the mistakes made by previous emergency management teams. The permanencies of the staff and the relationships they have cultivated with local governments, nonprofits, communities and Federal officials have reduced FEMA's response time to disasters, saving taxpayers' dollars and lives, while reducing confusion. From this office, more mitigation funds have gone out to recipients than ever before in FEMA's history. The office also closed down two large-scale housing missions, something never accomplished in all of FEMA's history. Florida's Office of Long-Term Recovery has made FEMA more of a customer-oriented business, where citizens and government alike are better served by more responsive managing. Congress has already established long-term recovery offices in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Texas, and rightly so. It would be appropriate that we officially establish a similar one in Florida to serve the State and region. Footnote there, there is a storm off the east coast that has now been named, which is indicative of the fact that we can expect not only Florida but the areas mentioned to continue to have this problem. It is the eve of hurricane season; and the House, acting today, could not be more timely. Before I conclude, I want to thank the chairman and ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee. I would like to especially thank, personally, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi and Mr. Oberstar and my good friend from New York (Mr. King) and Mr. Mica for their help on this amendment. They all know the great benefit that this office provides for the State of Florida and the entire region, and I ask for my colleagues' support. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Reclaiming my time, in closing now, on behalf of the six tribes that I believe we have a great opportunity today to finally bringing closure to their injustice. Indeed, in my view, Congress has a duty to end the suppression and provide these six Native American Indian tribes with recognition long overdue. Number one, they were not recognized by the Federal Government. And if they didn't exist for a very long time, it was because of the Federal Government. And then when they tried to come back and say that we are going to meet all of these exacting requirements under the petition, who had destroyed their records, the Virginia government had destroyed their record. What part of that don't you all understand, that these people can't make something out of whole cloth in a situation where their records have been destroyed? How vicious can one situation be when you destroy the records of individuals and then ask them to corroborate and prove they exist? That is a virtual impossibility. In this particular case, if there is one group of Native Americans that deserve an exception, and I might add they would be all six of these in light of the fact that systematically at every courthouse in Virginia every one of their records were burned or destroyed, and that was under the aegis of the authority of the Virginia government. Give these people a break, if no one else. Now they have made it very clear that they do not intend, they forgo the right to gamble. And all things considered, I don't see my colleague from Connecticut and I don't see any colleagues from California and Nevada and me and others from Florida around turning the revenue back that is being produced. The State of Florida, for example, is about the business of trying to come up with better formulas so they can get more of the revenue that is coming into the Seminole and Miccosukee tribes. I suggest to you that Connecticut probably would be near bankrupt if it hadn't been for the Indian tribes and the revenue that comes into that State. Somewhere along the line when you have taken from people, you ought to at least give them an opportunity to have the playing field level. And we are talking about in this case only 3,175 members, 562 Federal tribes have already been recognized. And yes, Mr. Shays, I think every other one of them ought to be recognized, including my ancestors that are Creek Indians. I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, as the Clerk just read, this rule provides for consideration of H.R. 1294, the Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2007. The rule provides for 1 hour of general debate in the House, equally divided and controlled by the chairperson and ranking minority member of the Committee on Natural Resources. Mr. Speaker, this legislation provides something that has been long overdue to six Native American Tribes in Virginia. After literally centuries of injustice, some 3,175 members of these great tribes will finally gain Federal recognition under this bill. Just like the great Seminole and Micosukee Tribes in south Florida that I am privileged to represent, these six tribes now have the chance to finally receive the proper recognition and respect they rightfully deserve. Just like the other 562 Federally recognized American Indian tribes in the United States, these tribes will finally have access to basic services, such as child welfare services, adult care and community development, services every one of us in this body take for granted. Each of these six American Indian tribes descended from the historic tribes that occupied the Virginia coastline in 1607. Their rich history and tradition forever ties them to this land. Over the centuries, they have survived racial hostility and State-sanctioned attempts to stamp out their heritage and cultural identity. Notwithstanding their ancient bonds to this soil, they continue to walk oppressed among us. The reason for such injustice? Because in the early part of the 19th century, Virginia officials intentionally destroyed the majority of their historical records and artifacts that affirmed the existence of Native Americans in Virginia. Virginia finally recognized them in the 1980s, and it is appropriate and long overdue that Congress is finally following suit. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, Native American tribes, whose land was forcibly taken from them centuries ago, are still struggling for their basic rights and freedoms to this day. I ask, does this story of repression, refusal and repudiation not ring true for so many generations of Americans? Now, it takes acts of Congress to give them the recognition they have long deserved. Legislation providing Federal recognition for these six tribes, the Chickahominy, the Eastern Chickahominy, the Monacan, the Rappahannock and the Mattaponi is today what we seek and what for too long has been denied. I ask again how we reconcile this kind of repression and repudiation. The Queen of England is in the United States today. Last week, she visited the coastline of Virginia, Jamestown, where many of these people that we seek to get designation for and recognition for today came from, and yet she would not have had an opportunity to see them in their cultural array for the reason that they are not recognized. Legislation providing Federal recognition for these six tribes has been introduced in both the House and the Senate in every Congress since the 106th, without action. To deny them recognition once more is to perpetuate the tyranny. The underlying legislation would be a small step in rectifying our Nation's history of suppressing these great people. I am proud to support this rule and the underlying legislation, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. For purposes of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman, my good friend from Washington, Representative Hastings. All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only. I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 377.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 377 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I would remind my good friend, I have served with him on the Rules Committee in the minority and in the majority, and he is obviously in his statistics not taking into consideration the preprinting requirements that have been offered. I would also remind you that no one came to the Rules Committee with reference to any amendment as it pertains to this particular matter that was noticed last week that it was going to be up. And now I yield to my friend.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I would inquire of the gentleman from Washington through the Chair if he has any remaining speakers. I'm the last speaker for this side and I'm prepared to reserve until the gentleman has closed.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute in order to respond to the gentleman. And what would be wrong with that? I am reminded of the comedian Flip Wilson who said that when Christopher Columbus discovered America, the Native Americans must have been running down to the shoreline saying, ``Discover me.'' Enough already. We have abused these people continuously. We put them on reservations, and now we would stand here in this body and argue that they are not entitled to designation? This particular set of tribes, all six of them, have gone to the Bureau of Indian Affairs and sought recognition there. And since the 106th Congress, we have introduced measures here, whether or not they gamble or didn't gamble. They gamble in Connecticut, and they gamble in Florida. And this crazy Nation is going to gamble its brains out, but it ain't the Indians' fault. And if it is their fault, then they ought to have that right from what we took from them.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran).

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased at this time to yield 7 minutes to our distinguished colleague, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran), a member of the Appropriations Committee and a leader in this fight in each of the Congresses that we have spoken of.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1592, The Hate Crimes Prevention Act. This important legislation is about protecting the fundamental rights of the most vulnerable in our society. The fact is, hate toward people in our country who are deemed different remains copious and persistent. What is not fact, however, is the campaign of mistruths right-wing extremists with a megaphone have instigated against this bill. They claim, for instance, that passage of this bill will be used to persecute anti-gay churches. To which I say, I don't know of any pastor or minister who would advocate tying a man to a split-rail fence, beating him brutally, and leaving him to die in the cold of the night for no reason other than he was gay. This legislation addresses long overdue deficiencies in current federal hate crimes law. It extends protections to even more groups of targeted minorities. And it ensures that when states are unwilling or unable to prosecute hate crimes, justice will be served. Violent acts committed against a member of a targeted minority do not merely beleaguer the individual. They deprave an entire group and society as a whole by promoting a culture of fear among our diverse communities and perpetuating stereotypes and hate. I have hopes that someday such legislation will no longer be necessary. But the reality is that in this day and age it still is. It is evident in the resurgence of organized white supremacist movements such as the KKK over the past year. Without the passage of this critical legislation, an alarming amount of hate crime perpetrators around the country will continue to escape punishment under federal law. Such as the assailants who shot frequenters of a gay bar in New Bedford, Massachusetts earlier this year. And the four white male assailants who left Bill Ray, a mentally challenged African American, severely and errantly brain damaged. And the assailants of Michael Sandy, a gay man who was beaten, chased into traffic, hit by a car, and then dragged off the road and attacked a second time. Until the day comes when there is no need for such legislation, we will continue to have a moral obligation to ensure these victims of hate crimes have access to just recourse.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, my presence on this floor today is marked by a sad and heavy melancholy over the loss of a friend and dearest colleague. We have lost a good friend, indeed a great friend, in Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald. I wish to extend with deepest sincerity my sympathy and condolences to her family and to her constituents of Long Beach, Compton, and Los Angeles. It is a common tradition in our society to look past the loss of the physical being in order to best preserve and cherish the personal being. However, the difficulty in this emerges when we constantly find ourselves reveling in the presence of that person as an everyday part of our lives. Congresswoman Millender-McDonald will be so sorely missed. She was and is still a part of our everyday lives. It is hard to fathom the idea that we will never hear her voice again--for her eloquence and passion in speaking, and her unforgettable laughter, will ring in our ears. The strength and tenacity that propelled her through her life's work will continue to inspire us. As we continue our work in her memory, I encourage all of us to remember her as we walk through the hallowed Halls of Congress. If we stop and listen, we will hear her footsteps echo in these great marble corridors. Juanita's accomplishments and achievements in life were many. But as we mourn the loss of her physical-self, we would do well to remember her compassionate-self, her temperate-self, which encompassed an unfailing dedication to public service. I most humbly thank Congresswoman Millender-McDonald for her being an exemplary public servant. I praise her for her stalwart fight against cancer. At last, I am comforted by the fact that her truly unconquerable soul is yet unvanquished.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank my very good friend and an original cosponsor of this resolution, Representative Gary Ackerman, for the time. Let me first say how grateful I am for the bipartisan cooperation and support of many House leaders to ensure that this important legislation was promptly brought to the House floor. In particular, I thank the Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Representative Tom Lantos, a true champion of this issue, and so many others in the international forum. I also thank the ranking member of the committee, and my fellow Floridian, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. Both of them were critical in moving this bill forward. I am also deeply appreciative of the tireless commitment to justice and fairness of the chairman of the Europe Subcommittee, my colleague and very good friend from Florida, Representative Robert Wexler. Representative Wexler not only held a critical hearing on this matter in his subcommittee, but also shepherded the resolution through the full committee. And of course, I applaud the Republican cosponsor of this bill, my friend, Representative Mark Kirk, for his commitment to this issue. Both of these individuals have been instrumental in bringing this issue to the forefront of the United States Congress. And, Mr. Speaker, very occasionally we don't mention our young staff people, but Eve Lieberman, in my office, had an awful lot to do with the work on this measure. Mr. Speaker, appallingly, 62 years after the concentration camps of Europe were liberated, Holocaust survivors, their families and researchers still lack immediate, unfettered access to the Holocaust archives located in Bad Arolsen. This important legislation follows upon previous efforts I made, with Representatives Wexler and Kirk, to open the archives. Earlier this year, I led bipartisan congressional letters to several European countries urging them to swiftly ratify the agreement to open the archives. I was also privileged to testify at a hearing on this issue, along with Holocaust Museum experts, the State Department and Holocaust survivors. Since that hearing took place last month, and the letters were penned, I am pleased to report to my colleagues that the United Kingdom and Germany have ratified the treaty. Indeed, our efforts are paying off. Nevertheless, much more needs to be done. In our world, filled with anti-Semitism, hate, racial bigotry, xenophobia and religious intolerance, it is imperative to expose the horrors of the Holocaust to all humanity. When the leader of Iran hosts numerous Holocaust denial conferences, and others in the world attempt to legitimize it, it could not be more important to open these Holocaust archives. The majority of the member countries of the International Tracing Service have been derelict in their obligations under the amendments to the Bonn Accords which they signed last May. These amendments require full and open access to the archives. Shamefully, it remains unclear when these countries will fulfill their obligations. If European countries are actually committed to closing this dark chapter in world history and combating modern day anti-Semitism, then they must ratify these amendments immediately. With every day the archives remain closed, Holocaust survivors who have suffered some of the most unimaginable and tragic horrors and terrors are being forced to suffer even more. It is unconscionable that these individuals are now the ones burdened the most by unwarranted bureaucratic delays. In passing this legislation, Mr. Speaker, the House is proving its commitment to this issue, and that it is watching the remaining European nations to ensure their expeditious ratification. The short time left for the remaining Holocaust survivors does not afford us time to deprive them of this critical information any longer. Next month I will attend an anti-Semitism conference in Romania. It will be my great hope that by that time the other countries have ratified this matter. I thank my friend from New York, Representative Ackerman, for the time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Then I will reserve my time until the gentleman has closed for his side and yielded back his time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 302 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Florida, my friend and cochair of Florida's congressional delegation, Representative Lincoln Diaz-Balart. All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. General Leave

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 302.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, as the Clerk just read, this rule provides for consideration of H.R. 1361, the Relief for Entrepreneurs: Coordination of Objectives and Values for Effective Recovery, or RECOVER, Act of 2007 under a structured rule. Continuing our ongoing efforts to provide the minority with opportunities to amend and improve legislation on the House floor, the rule also makes in order all three Republican amendments that were submitted to the Rules Committee. Mr. Speaker, as someone who represents a district which has been victim to countless natural disasters, I have known about the Small Business Administration's disaster loan program for quite some time. Businesses in the district I am privileged to serve and the district of my good friend Mr. Diaz-Balart and throughout South Florida have relied on this program to sustain themselves during the difficult days, weeks and months following natural disasters. Loans provided under SBA's disaster loan assistance program have, at times, literally kept Florida's economy going. While I have seen the greatness of this program, Mr. Speaker, I and my constituents have also seen its shortcomings. Indeed, the problems addressed in the underlying legislation, and I commend the Chair's recommendations and their efforts in that regard, but the problems are not new, and they certainly were not created by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita or Wilma. On the contrary, they have manifested for quite some time and have been raised by me and many of my colleagues in Florida over the years. In Florida, we saw SBA's limitations during the 2004 hurricane season. By no fault of its own, SBA was inundated with loan applications and overwhelmed by the situation. Long delays in application processing and slow disbursements of approved loans led many in my part of the country to question why Congress didn't do anything at the time to increase the Small Business Administration's capacity during disasters. Although it took the largest disaster of our time for us to open up our eyes, I am pleased that this Congress under this leadership is giving the SBA the tools that it needs to keep America's small businesses in business after a disaster. The RECOVER Act enhances the SBA's capacity to provide assistance during and after natural disasters. The legislation mandates that the SBA establish and maintain a comprehensive disaster plan which will be overseen by a new associate administrator for disaster assistance. Using FEMA's citizen volunteer program as its model, the underlying legislation establishes a disaster reserve corps capable of providing the people-power necessary to respond to an influx of SBA loan applications. The RECOVER Act improves SBA's customer service operation and increases the limit of SBA disaster loans from $1.5 million to $3 million. It also expands the scope of organizations which can qualify for such loans and makes it easier for businesses to pay back their loans. The bill also requires improved disaster response coordination between the SBA and FEMA. This is a critical, yet unfortunate, requirement of the bill. Critical because coordination during disasters across agency lines is desperately needed; unfortunate, notwithstanding of the fact that these things are going to occur, I am dumbfounded that our agencies aren't already coordinating to the maximum extent possible during disasters. I have participated in the conversations, sat in the meetings where coordination between agencies is nonexistent during disasters. Turf battles supersede logic, and coordination is a distant memory of the past. I ask: Why does it take an act of Congress to get Federal agencies to coordinate their efforts when authorization for such coordination already exists? The only turf that matters and should matter during disasters is the turf of the American people. We have to be in the business of providing our citizens with every available resource to respond to and recover from disasters. The underlying legislation does just that. I am proud to support this rule and the underlying legislation, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased at this time to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Florida, our colleague on the Rules Committee, Ms. Castor.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I would like to inquire of the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Speaker, if he has any remaining speakers. I am the last speaker for this side.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, disasters in this country are not limited to hurricanes or the Southeast. As I was saying yesterday in the Rules Committee, the chairwoman had storms in her district earlier this week, and there is massive drought going on in parts of this country. All of these are disasters and all of these have major SBA implications. I have lived, and continue to live, in disaster-prone areas, like so many others in Congress and in this country. If our failures of the past have taught us anything, it is that we can no longer be response oriented when it comes to disasters. Mitigation and planning saves money, saves time, and most importantly, saves lives. The RECOVER Act creates a comprehensive and universal plan at the SBA for disaster response. It is the first step on this important path to improving the Federal Government's response to disasters. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the rule, the previous question, and the underlying legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time and move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce a concurrent resolution which addresses the current political crisis in Ukraine, a country of strategic importance to the United States. My resolution urges all sides to the ongoing impasse to act responsibly and use dialogue to resolve the crisis and ensure a free and democratic system in Ukraine based on the rule of law. I am pleased that Rep. Kaptur, a co-chair of the Ukrainian American Caucus, has joined me as original cosponsor. Ukraine's current political conflict is the result of the ongoing power struggle that President Victor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Victor Yanukovich have now been engaged in since Yanukovich became Prime Minister last August. This power struggle, rooted in hastily conceived constitutional reforms, threatens to undermine Ukraine's hard-fought and substantial democratic gains, especially those won since the 2004 Orange Revolution. Exactly 2 weeks ago today, President Yushchenko issued a decree dissolving parliament, asserting that the Prime Minister was attempting to monopolize power, and called for new parliamentary elections for May 27. Parliament has refused to disband and questions the legality of the presidential decree. Ukraine's Constitutional Court is to rule on the legality of the decree and both sides have agreed to abide by the Court's decision. Unfortunately, some of the Court's judges have already complained of threats and pressure, especially from Yanukovich's supporters. Clearly, this is unacceptable and steps have been taken to protect the judges. Madam Speaker, it is important to note that Ukraine has made real democratic gains since the Orange Revolution. A year ago, as President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, I had the privilege of leading the OSCE-Ied International Election Observation Mission to Ukraine's parliamentary elections and the pleasure and profound satisfaction of pronouncing them free and fair. Also, in contrast to the first 13 years of its independence, Ukraine in now designated by Freedom House as a ``free'' country, and not merely ``partly free.'' Nevertheless, despite the progress, there have been missed opportunities and some of the promises of that historic revolution have gone unfulfilled. Democratic institutions and the rule of law in Ukraine are still emerging and fragile and lacking in their ability to safeguard democratic gains, and it is this weakness that has made it possible for this power struggle to ripen into a full-blown political crisis. First and foremost, my resolution calls for the crisis to be resolved in a manner that adheres to the rule of law consistent with Ukraine's democratic values and national security, in keeping with its OSCE commitments. It is also essential that the dispute is resolved in a peaceful manner. I am encouraged that demonstrations in Kyiv have been peaceful and that all sides to the dispute appear to recognize that any kind of violent conflict would have very negative consequences for Ukraine. Madam Speaker, prolonged instability is clearly not in Ukraine's interests and that nation's political leaders need to find a transparent way out of the current impasse that all parties will abide by. I hope that responsible dialogue consistent with the rule of law leads to a positive outcome for the Ukrainian people and the democratic path they have chosen. As this resolution underscores, Congress has been a staunch supporter of the development of democracy and respect for human rights and the rule of law in Ukraine since the restoration of that nation's independence in 1991. The consolidation of democracy and the rule of law in Ukraine will further strengthen that country's independence and sovereignty, enhancing Ukraine's aspirations for full integration with the West. I urge my colleagues to support this timely resolution as a demonstration of Congress' interest, concern, and support for the Ukrainian people.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution condemning in the strongest terms the recent terrorist attacks in Morocco and Algeria. Often times we forget that we are not the only country or people affected by the scourge of international terrorism. Radical extremists have affected and disrupted the lives of many of our friends and allies all over the world. Daily, we see images and hear stories of blatant, unprovoked, vicious attacks on innocent men, women and children. Our enemy is not limited to fighting on a military battlefield. Our enemy does not discern its victims on the basis of race, religion or nationality. The most recent examples of this complete disregard for human life are the attacks occurring this last week in Morocco and Algeria. Not only did the attacks result in several deaths and injuries, but whole communities were devastated and thrown into extreme chaos. The people and governments of Morocco and Algeria must know that we stand behind them and that America does not condone any act of terrorism, killing several people and devastating communities by the chaos and havoc wreaked by them. I am pleased my colleague and friend, Representative Michael Rogers from Michigan, has joined me as an original cosponsor of this resolution. I strongly urge our colleagues to support it and urge its swift consideration.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to reintroduce the National Emergency Centers Establishment Act, a bill I first introduced in the 109th Congress. Many of us share the belief that the Federal Government's response to Hurricane Katrina was disorganized and inadequate; the Federal Emergency Management Agency--FEMA--was far too slow to arrive and evacuees were left stranded in massive shelters with egregious standard of living violations. Sixteen months following the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Katrina, more than 13,000 residents who were displaced by the storm were still living in trailers provided by FEMA. Eighteen months after Katrina, half the homes in New Orleans still did not have electricity. FEMA had informed Congress that 60,000 families in Louisiana still live in 240-square-foot trailers--usually at least 3 to a trailer. Even President Bush realizes the shortcomings of our Federal Government to respond to the immediate and long-term needs of these disaster victims. As recently as March 1, 2007, President Bush acknowledged that many gulf coast residents remained frustrated with the slowness of rebuilding after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and pledged to continue to help hurricane victims and their communities rebuild. The sluggish and derisory reaction of our Federal Government to disaster victims affects me personally. In 2004, four hurricanes ravaged my home State of Florida, all of which literally destroyed parts of the counties in my district. In the immediate and long-term aftermath, our communities saw FEMA's shortcomings. Eighteen months after Hurricane Wilma struck in 2005, citizens are still residing in trailers labeled on the outside ``FEMA.'' The lack of natural disaster preparedness efforts and temporary housing options for disaster stricken citizens has only exacerbated an unbearable situation. Deficient recovery responses have led to elongated recovery rates in my district and across this Nation. Two main problems--increasing the availability of temporary housing in times of national emergencies and improving training and preparedness for national emergencies--must be resolved to ensure that the humanitarian catastrophe that occurred in the gulf coast and continues to happen today will never occur again. We have an obligation to better prepare and more adequately respond to the needs of communities hit by natural disasters. We have a responsibility to ensure that the most basic needs of disaster victims are met immediately following the devastation. It is for this reason that I come to the floor today to introduce the National Emergency Centers Establishment Act. My bill establishes no fewer than six National Emergency Centers spread throughout the United States. The centers would be used, first and foremost, to provide temporary housing, medical and humanitarian assistance, including education, for individuals and families displaced due to an emergency. The centers would also serve as a centralized location for the training and coordination of first responders in the instance of an emergency. In addition, the centers will improve the coordination of preparedness, response and recovery efforts between governments, private, not-for- profit entities and faith-based organizations. The National Emergency Centers would be located on military bases, with a preference wherever possible for those installations closed during the most recent Base Realignment and Closures--BRAC--round. I am proposing these sites because the necessary infrastructure to house, feed, educate and care for evacuees over an extended period of time is already in place, thus limiting the cost and time needed to construct these facilities. Madam Speaker, our Nation was not prepared for the disastrous hurricanes that struck Florida and the gulf coast in 2004 or in 2005. The establishment of National Emergency Centers will go a long way to ensuring that our response to national emergencies are not as disastrous as the disasters that created the emergencies in the first place. I ask for my colleagues' support and urge the House leadership to bring this legislation to the floor for its swift consideration.