Alcee Hastings

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. No. Thank you for yielding. As I indicated to you, there were substantial markups. For example, the Appropriations Committee met for over 8 hours, and Republicans as well as Democrats had an opportunity to offer their amendments. You understand and your colleagues understand the process, and I can make this anecdotal and personal. My amendment was not made in order, and I serve on the Rules Committee. I would hope that the gentleman would understand the dynamics of the process.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. As is always the case, first, coming from the other body, as you well know, they're in the process now of dealing with a substantial number of amendments that are being offered by Republicans and Democrats. I can't speak to the conferencing numbers and to its breakdown as it were. What I do know is that a conference is going to be scheduled, and on yesterday I personally visited Members of the Senate, and I have it on good information that they are going to work through a substantial portion of the weekend, and I suspect that those committees that are the committees of germane jurisdiction will contemplate the ideas of Republicans and Democrats in the conference.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I cannot speak for those that are the Chairs and/or the appointment of members of the conference committee.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. 206.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I thank the gentleman for yielding. You have raised two issues at least that give me an opportunity to express the views of the leadership. As I said before, our goals continue to be to find a balance between the need for action while we have this economic crisis and our desire to go through the legislative process. The leadership has urged our colleagues in the other body to complete action on the recovery bill in a timely fashion, even if it means they have to work through the weekend. In addition, we've scheduled an additional day, as you point to, of legislative business next week so we can begin the process of conferencing with the Senate. Also, I would remind the gentleman that the Appropriations, Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce Committees all held full markups. Per the gentleman's request during our last colloquy, the Rules Committee, as I'm sure the gentleman knows that I'm privileged and honored to serve on, waived PAYGO points of order and made a Republican substitute in order. In addition, Chairwoman Slaughter of the Rules Committee put out a call for amendments. Speaking of bipartisanship, there was an evenly balanced number, at least 6-5. There were six Democratic amendments made in order, four Republican amendments, and one bipartisan amendment were considered last week on the floor. Now, we're going to continue to listen to Republican ideas throughout the conference process and look forward to working with the gentleman and his colleagues.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. If the gentleman will yield, I am certainly not aware of that, and I speak constantly with the majority leader, and I'm not of the mind that the majority leader is aware either.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns on Monday next, it adjourn to meet at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 10, for morning-hour debate.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate this 33rd Black History Month, a month that celebrates Black history with a view to its promotion, preservation and research. Black History Month has grown as a celebration of Black history and culture over many decades. At the urging of historian Carter Woodson, the second African American to receive a degree from Harvard University, the fraternity Omega Psi Phi first created Negro History and Literature Week in 1920. In 1926, Woodson changed Negro History and Literature Week to Negro History Week, and chose the second week of February for its celebration in order to honor the births of President Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, two men who had a profound influence in the fight for equality for African Americans. Although Woodson died in 1950, his legacy continued. In the early 1970s, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, now called the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, changed Negro History Week to Black History Week. In 1976, they extended the week to a month-long observance. Since its earliest origins, Black History Month has made a significant contribution to the promotion, preservation and research of Black history. When the tradition of Black History Month first began, Black history had barely been explored by mainstream academia. Although much work remains to complete our understanding of African-American culture, our understanding is vastly improved. This has contributed to both an increased sense of racial pride among African-Americans and an increased appreciation of African-American culture among non-White Americans. Madam Speaker, these and other continued improvements are essential to addressing the inequalities, which continue to affect African- Americans. For these reasons, I am extremely pleased to commemorate Black History Month and encourage my colleagues to join me in doing so as well.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Fletcher L. Gibson. Mr. Gibson was born on May 1, 1942 in Marianna, Florida. In 1973, he married his perfect companion, Alonzetta. Over the next 35 years, their great love produced two sons, Brandon and Jason. Together, they established a reputation for honoring God and the power of knowledge. They exemplified the value of caring and giving back to the community. Fletcher graduated Florida A&M University in 1963 with a Bachelor's degree in pharmacy. As a pharmacist, he was committed to providing superior service, a kind word, and a warm smile to each of his customers. They were as much his friends as anybody else who he was close with. Throughout his career he served as a mentor for young pharmacy students by providing them internships and clinical training. Fletcher Gibson was a man of great faith and excellent character, a person known for his many good works and his love for family and friends. He always displayed a selfless compassion and a desire to help those around him. An extraordinary man of few words, Fletcher taught lessons of love, giving, and kindness by the example he set and the life he lived. He was a very good friend to me and countless other people. Fletcher Gibson was loved by all who knew him and he will be dearly missed.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the achievement of Mr. Santonio Holmes, who on February 1, 2009 was named the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XLIII. Mr. Holmes was born in Belle Glade, FL, a part of my Congressional district. Mr. Holmes came from humble roots and through hard work and dedication, he made it to the National Football League (NFL). Mr. Holmes' athletic prowess and entrepreneurship developed from an early age; as a young boy growing up in Belle Glade, he would catch rabbits by hand and sell them. Mr. Holmes attended Glades Central High School in Belle Glade, where he excelled in football, basketball and track. He went on to attend College at Ohio State from 2003 to 2005, where he starred as a wide receiver. In 2006 he was picked 25th in the first round of the NFL draft. Mr. Holmes' performance in the Pittsburgh Steelers' victory over the Arizona Cardinals was nothing short of tremendous. He caught 9 receptions for a total of 131 yards. It was his last reception, however, that was most significant. With less than a minute remaining, the Steelers trailed the Cardinals 23-20. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, in an improvised play, lofted the ball toward the right corner, over the hands of three defenders. Mr. Holmes leaped to get it and managed to drag both feet in bounds, his toes barely scraping the grass before he tumbled out of bounds. This touchdown and the subsequent conversion gave the Steelers a winning margin of 27-23. Madam Speaker, Mr. Holmes' recognition as the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XLIII is well deserved. Mr. Holmes' personal story also highlights the promise and opportunity of our great nation, that all Americans, even those from the most humble of backgrounds, may achieve tremendous things. I am extremely proud to congratulate Mr. Holmes and encourage my colleagues to join me in doing so as well.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 181, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. As an original cosponsor of H.R. 11, the House passed version of this bill, I would like to express my appreciation for the efforts of Chairman George Miller for his instrumental efforts in ensuring passage of this vital legislation. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act will strengthen protections against discrimination and safeguard the civil liberties of our Nation's employees. Through the passage of this legislation, we correct the injustice that occurred following the unlawful discrimination against Ms. Lilly Ledbetter. After nearly 2 decades of service to the Goodyear Tire and Rubber facility in Alabama, Ms. Ledbetter discovered that she was the lowest-paid supervisor at the plant, despite having more experience than several of her male colleagues. When Ms. Ledbetter sued her employer, a jury found that she had been the victim of unlawful discrimination. The Supreme Court agreed, but nonetheless upheld Goodyear's appeal on the ground that Ms. Ledbetter was barred from challenging the discriminatory payments. The Supreme Court's reason was that the time limit for bringing her claim had passed as the initial discriminatory decision had occurred 20 years earlier. In dismissing Ms. Ledbetter's claim, the Supreme Court overruled a previous law under which every discriminatory paycheck was a new violation that restarted the clock for filing a claim. The Supreme Court's decision put workers who were subject to discrimination at an extreme disadvantage. As Ms. Ledbetter's case shows, it is very difficult for employees to discover pay discrimination, and workers may not discover pay discrimination for many years after they are discriminated against. Under the Supreme Court's decision, many victims of this deplorable practice would be left without recourse. Furthermore, the Supreme Court's decision encourages employers to keep a discriminatory pay decision secret for 180 days, allowing them to pay the discriminatory the rest of a worker's career. Mr. Speaker, for all of these reasons the Supreme Court's decision rendered much of our civil rights law virtually unenforceable. This was a decision that affected not only gender discrimination, but also discrimination on the grounds of race, ethnicity and sexuality. I am therefore proud to support this legislation and encourage my colleagues to do so as well.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to reintroduce the National Emergency Centers Establishment Act, a bill that 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 respond and evacuees were left stranded in massive shelters with egregious standard-of-living conditions. 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 of the homes in New Orleans still did not have electricity. Shortly thereafter, FEMA informed Congress that 60,000 families in Louisiana still lived in 240 square foot trailers--usually at least 3 people to a trailer. 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. More than 18 months after Hurricane Wilma struck in 2005, citizens were still residing in trailers labeled on the outside ``FEMA.'' The lack of natural disaster preparedness efforts and temporary housing options for disaster-stricken citizens 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 basic needs of disaster victims are met immediately following the devastation. My legislation establishes six National Emergency Centers throughout the United States. The Centers will 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 will 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 companies, not-for-profit entities, and faith-based organizations. The National Emergency Centers will 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 and 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 my colleagues to support this legislation and urge the House Leadership to bring this bill to the floor for its swift consideration.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from Florida, my colleague on the Rules Committee, who is also going to be on the committee of jurisdiction real soon, and we are going to miss her on the Rules Committee, Ms. Castor.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from California, my colleague and good friend on the Rules Committee, Ms. Matsui.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, H. Res. 52 provides a closed rule for consideration of H.R. 2, the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009. I really am honored and privileged to have the opportunity to present this rule to the body. The rule provides 1 hour of debate, equally divided among and controlled by the chairperson and ranking minority member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the chairperson and ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means. Madam Speaker, the SCHIP reauthorization bill of 2009 is a fiscally responsible way to revive our commitment to providing America's low- income children with the quality health care they need and deserve. The bill authorizes $32.3 billion over 4\1/2\ years to cover the seven million children who currently rely on SCHIP, and extends coverage to more than four million low-income children who are currently living without health care. The bill offers comprehensive and wide-ranging care that includes mental, dental, prenatal, and maternal health services. The underlying bill also supports a multifaceted approach to increasing health insurance enrollment. It provides States with incentives to lower the number of uninsured children and authorizes $100 million in grants for new outreach programs in schools and community-based organizations. Additionally, the bill fights geographical health disparities by offering additional support to underfunded States that meet these enrollment goals, and improves reporting on State health conditions. Lastly, this bill has provisions that ensure that SCHIP prioritizes children who legally reside in the United States. The bill prohibits new waivers that would cover parents, phases out SCHIP coverage for parents and childless adults, and includes measures that prevent payments to unlawful immigrants. Madam Speaker, when all 50 States, the District of Columbia and five territories--and perhaps the sixth, the Northern Marianas, now that they're included--gave children health care under SCHIP, our government exemplified our Nation's commitment to equal opportunity. SCHIP has prevented millions of low-income children from suffering under our country's flawed health care system for over 10 years. And adequately supporting and expanding this valuable program is even more imperative during these hard economic times. Madam Speaker, the '08 financial crisis exacerbated our longstanding health care crisis. Last year, skyrocketing gas and food prices and the plummeting job market made it difficult for lower and middle income-- indeed, for all Americans--to finance their everyday needs, importantly, including health care. In a country where a large portion of people receive health care insurance through their employer, it comes as no surprise that when the economy and job markets plunge, the number of uninsured Americans soars, and children frequently pay the highest price. Even prior to last year's economic crisis, the number of children who depended on SCHIP and Medicaid was increasing. Madam Speaker, the facts are clear: One in nine American children are uninsured. And this issue hits close to home. Florida was ranked 45th in the Nation in terms of overall health. Like other low-ranking States, Florida has a large uninsured population and a high rate of child poverty. In fact, Florida has the second largest number of uninsured children in the country. Although these statistics are inexcusable, our current President's failure to address the alarming number of uninsured children in this country was and is an outrage. The President committed an egregious action, in my opinion, against our children when he repeatedly vetoed the bipartisan SCHIP Reauthorization Act of 2007. For many States, the annual funds allotted to State SCHIP programs were on the verge of depletion, and the welfare of millions of children depended on whether Congress and the President would agree to adequately finance SCHIP. President Bush's action sent a devastating message. The leader of the free world was willing to put the lives and welfare of millions of American children at risk. Now, in this new Congress, and with a new administration, we have the power, the political will, and the opportunity to make a different choice. Like-minded Democrats and Republicans and independents understand that fighting the epidemic of uninsured people in this country is a fundamental component of restoring our economy. We know that SCHIP and other health care programs decrease costly emergency room visits and invasive medical procedures. We know that extending health care insurance helps to combat the social, economic and health disparities that continue to divide our Nation and hinder our progress. And we know that healthy children are better equipped to compete in school and help America compete in the global market. Simply put, we cannot have a healthy economy without healthy people. And this must begin with our children. I urge adoption of this rule and passage of the underlying legislation. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I ask unanimous consent, Madam Speaker, that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous materials into the Record.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Texas, my friend, Mr. Sessions. All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only. General Leave

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I am very pleased at this time to yield 1 minute to the distinguished majority leader of the Democratic Caucus, Mr. Hoyer, my good friend.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to my good friend, the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Edwards) who, when this program had its inception in 1997, was an original cosponsor of this legislation.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to yield for his first floor speech to a gentleman that is going to be on the Rules Committee real soon, the distinguished gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis), for 1 minute.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 52 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, at this time, I am very pleased to yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from Pennsylvania, yet another of our new Members, providing new dynamics and new direction, Mrs. Dahlkemper.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, may I indulge you again to give us the remaining amount of time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to yield at this time 1 minute to a distinguished new Member who represents those 10 miles from my home, Orlando, Florida (Mr. Grayson).