Joel Hefley

Mr. HEFLEY

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that we have 10 minutes for debate on this amendment, 5 minutes controlled by me and 5 minutes controlled by the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Bonilla).

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment that would cut discretionary spending in the Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration spending bill by 1 percent. This bill, as it is currently written, appropriates $17 billion in discretionary spending, and reducing this funding by a mere 1 percent would leave us with a funding level of $16.83 billion. I hasten to say to the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Bonilla) that I am not doing this as a recrimination of the job that he or his committee has done. It is my intention to offer this or similar amendments on almost all of the appropriations bills. I had an amendment such as this drafted for the labor bill last week, and somehow or other it got lost in the shuffle, and we did not get it on. But I intend to do this on most of the bills. There are many good things in this bill, so I am not singling this bill out to attack. I do this in recognition of the fact that we should not be spending money that we simply do not have. Current CBO projections indicate the Federal Government is likely to end fiscal year 2003 with a deficit of more than $400 billion. Instead of continuing to increase spending, I submit that we should exercise fiscal restraint and work to alleviate shortfalls. Yet we continue to pour money into programs with little concern for current economic considerations. While I realize that some programs funded under this legislation are receiving a decrease from fiscal year 2003, there are still a number of programs receiving substantial increases, and let me just highlight a few of these programs. The rural housing loan authorization is funded at $4.4 billion, an increase of $208.7 million over last year and $45.7 million over the President's budget request. Distance learning and telemedicine program loans are funded at $636 million, which is an increase of $256 million over last year and $250 million above the President's budget request. Conservation operations funded at $850 million, an increase of $30.4 million over last year and $136.4 million over the President's budget request. I am not attacking these individual programs. These are good programs. But I am simply asking, can we afford these kind of increases? Clearly, balancing the budget is no longer a priority in this Congress. I think it should be. So I ask Members to support the 1 percent modest reduction in this legislation. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I would say to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), I was not suggesting that telemedicine is not a good thing for rural America or some of these other things. I am simply saying there are many spots in the agriculture bill where you could find the 1 percent I think that would not hurt rural America. I certainly do not mean to make an assault on rural America. For many years, every week I give a Porker of the Week Award for what I consider to be wasteful spending. There is no department in the Federal Government that has not received that award, and all of them have received it at one time or another, defense, which I am most interested in, and others have received it. There is no department that has received it more than the Department of Agriculture over the years. There is 1 percent there. I would hope we would take that 1 percent out. I do commend the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Bonilla) and the committee on the cuts that have already been made. I just think we can go a little further. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HEFLEY

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, a children's health agency has reportedly diverted Federal funds to a study of the sexual predilections of aging men. Now, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development has provided more than $137,000 for a 3-year study to provide the most comprehensive picture to date of the sexual behavior of aging men. The grants were sent in two fiscal years to the New England Research Institute to examine trends in a range of sexual behavior. Good grief, we talk about budget deficits, and we spend our money like this. We should be ashamed. This money was intended to help children affiliated with pediatric illnesses and diseases, not to study sexual habits of America's senior men. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development gets my Porker of the Week Award.

Mr. HEFLEY

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) for bringing this to us today. After 9/11, the President stood right up there, and he said we will go anywhere we have to go to get people who would perpetrate the kind of action that occurred on September 11. We will go get him, and he meant what he said; and that is what we have been in the process of doing, and Iraq was part of that pattern. They were a threat to us, but they were a threat to the world; and we know they had weapons of mass destruction. What they have done with them we are not quite sure at this point, but we know they had those; and we know they had a hatred for the United States and would have had no compunction about giving or selling those weapons to people who would actually use them against the United States or the free world. What we saw in 21 days of war and the aftermath that has come since then and the Afghanistan activity before that was the ultimate in professionalism and training and equipment and planning; and I think we can all be very proud of that. We do not want war, but we will defend ourselves wherever we have to go to do that. We have shown that we have the capability to get the job done. We also have seen a tremendous dedication among these young troops that we have deployed. We are so proud of them and all the troops that we have over there that are willing to uproot their lives and leave their families and risk their lives in the pursuit of freedom. I spend a lot of time, as the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) do, with the troops; and I have never seen a better attitude than they have today. They feel like they are doing something that is meaningful for world peace. Our prayers and our support, of course, go to the families that have lost loved ones. We always hate that. We do not want to lose one single person, but we know in war we do lose some people and we are sorry for that, and we want to extend our appreciation to them for giving their loved ones to the cause. So our thanks go to all of the coalition forces. What we are doing today is a small way to say thanks from a grateful Nation.

Mr. HEFLEY

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the peace officers from around the country who came to Washington on May 15th to commemorate and honor the 147 peace officers who died last year in the line of duty. Today we recognize National Peace Officers Memorial Day and pay tribute to the commitment, sacrifice, and public safety services these officers provide on a daily basis. As we all know, September 11th, 2001 stands out as one of the most tragic days in American history. That fateful Tuesday, we lost 72 police officers, the largest loss of law enforcement personnel in a single day. While September 11th offered an extreme glimpse of law enforcement service and sacrifice, similar acts of heroism and valor are performed every day by police officers across our nation. Last year, more than 147 peace officers across this Nation were killed in the line of duty during 2002. Thankfully, the 147 peace officers killed last year is well below the decade long average of 165 deaths and a major drop from 2001 when 230 officers were killed. Peace officers in every community have an admirable record of service and sacrifice, yet too many Americans lack a true understanding and appreciation of law enforcement's worth. That is why I worked a few years ago to establish the National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington, D.C. Unlike any other job, peace officers face unprecedented risks while bravely protecting our communities and our freedoms. I hope my colleagues will join me today in paying tribute to our nation's fallen officers and expressing our gratitude for the work these men and women performed.

Mr. HEFLEY

Mr. HEFLEY. I appreciate you bringing up these concerns. I think they are legitimate concerns. We have no desire to put the private contractors out of business. We only have eight planes in the Air Force Reserve to do this, and they are scattered from coast to coast, so there is no way it would put them out of business, anyway. We have no desire to do that. The gentleman has raised a legitimate concern, and I pledge to work with the gentleman. It is kind of a dramatic gesture I made there, but I pledge to work with the gentleman to try to solve this problem in conference. If we do not get it solved, I will not let it go through.

Mr. HEFLEY. I yield to the gentleman from Virginia.

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Chairman, I would like to be recognized for the purpose of a colloquy with the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Rehberg). I have an amendment in here that is trying to get rid of the bureaucratic difficulty we have of getting firefighting assets of the Air Force Reserve focused on a fire early on. The law right now, as it is being interpreted, says that you must make sure that there are no private assets that can do it. I had a forest fire burning in my backyard last summer, 140,000 acres, and we had these planes sitting on the tarmac and could not take off to go help with the fight. I believe the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Rehberg) and some others have some questions about this.

Mr. HEFLEY. I yield to the gentleman from Montana.

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

Mr. HEFLEY. Let me just say, I am sorry about the procedure, but this bill has been sitting in these two committees for 2 years. We have a fire season coming up again, and we need to focus all the assets we can. When we have a war and when we have a blazing fire, and that is a war, we want all the assets we can get on it. It is predicted we will have 30 percent less assets this year than we had last year in terms of planes because many of the private planes have been grounded, so we need to solve this and we need to solve it now, not put it off for another year or two.

Mr. HEFLEY

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1588, the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2004. We have all witnessed our military success in Afghanistan and Iraq and in the rest of the world. These successes are a tribute to the quality of our servicemembers as well as to the importance of realistic and frequent military training. The act contains three environmental provisions that will ensure the military's continued ability to train in realistic scenarios without neglecting the military's commitment to be responsible environmental stewards. The act amends the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and reauthorizes the Sikes Act. I will speak to these environmental provisions as we go on during the course of the next few days when those subjects come up, but I think these are very important provisions. H.R. 1588 also recognizes that the military services will face real challenges as personnel and equipment return home from the war. The level of effort necessary to resurge this equipment at our maintenance depots will be extraordinary. So the act recognizes this and adds funding to the key readiness depot accounts in order to take care of this problem. This act recommends an additional $680 million for active and reserve depot maintenance, an unprecedented but vital funding increase. I am disappointed the military services have allowed funding to slip to an unacceptably low level during these times, and I hope the military services take advantage of the circumstances that have allowed the committee to add such a large increase and urge the Department to avoid getting itself into this situation in the future where such large increases from Congress are necessary. This act also provides an additional $180 million for maintenance- related repair parts or flying hour spares to support readiness missions. This act also takes the unprecedented step of funding every unfunded requirement identified by the commandant of the United States Marine Corps. In addition to readiness issues, I would like to address the Military Construction and Base Realignment and Closure, the BRAC, process. Once again, the Department's budget request for military construction and family housing fell far short of meeting the services' needs. To address some of the greatest readiness and quality-of-life shortfalls, H.R. 15888 includes $9.8 million in military construction and family housing, which is a real increase to the President's budget of more than $400 million. H.R. 1588 also includes a number of commonsense improvements to existing base closure laws. First, H.R. 1588 establishes a force structure floor. U.S. forces are already under severe strain, and this provision would prevent further cuts that could further damage military readiness. Second, the bill requires that the 2005 BRAC round result in a basing plan that is capable of supporting the base force, a modest but capable level of forces that was crafted immediately following the Cold War. In creating the basing plan, DOD would be required to assume a worst-case scenario in which no U.S. forces could be permanently stationed outside the United States. The act uses the base force, a slightly larger force than we have today, as the force baseline because it represents the level to which we might reasonably expect the United States military to surge to meet a future crisis or to change or a change in threats facing our Nation. Finally, H.R. 1588 requires the Secretary of Defense to establish an ``early off'' list of military installations that are critical to our national defense. This list would include at least one-half of all U.S. installations and would spare many communities the worry and cost associated with the BRAC process by allowing their early removal from the list of facilities that the BRAC Commission may consider for closure. In other words, there are some bases that absolutely the Defense Department cannot do without. They know it. They know what these bases are. They know they are not going to be on the closure. For pity sake, get them off the list and spare these communities. And this amendment would do that. H.R. 1588 will make real improvements in U.S. military readiness and ensure the continued strength of U.S. Armed Forces for years to come, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this act.

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I want to speak to the amendment that is going to come up in just a moment, if I might. I appreciate the gentleman incorporating into that amendment an amendment I had that we could not do in committee because of a jurisdictional problem. It is an amendment to take care of two environmental relief points that the Department of Defense needs. I think they are well-thought out. The amendment as it came to us in committee from the Committee on Resources broadened this. I want to narrow it back down to just deal with the Department of Defense. Here is what the two are: In section 317 of H.R. 1588 last year, which amends the Endangered Species Act, it provides that the Secretary of Interior will not make future designations of critical habitat on military lands or threaten an endangered species where the installation has negotiated a mutually agreed upon, integrated natural resources management plan between the State Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Fish and Wildlife Service. This is something that was in the bill last year, passed this House overwhelmingly on a bipartisan basis, passed the committee overwhelmingly on a bipartisan basis, and ran into some difficulty over in the Senate. We want to reenact this and narrow it down from what is actually in the bill. So the gentleman's en bloc amendment will do that, and it will be a tremendous help to the Department of Defense in their readiness activities when preparing to train as they prepare to fight wars. The second aspect in the amendment is that the Department of Defense requested an adaptation of a new definition of harassment for the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Generally, you cannot take marine mammals. We are not out to kill marine mammals, but the term ``harassment'' has been interpreted in court cases in a ridiculous manner. This changes the definition of harassment so we do not have, if a sea lion is sleeping on a buoy and a Navy ship goes down the channel and the sea lion wakes up and looks at the boat, that can be defined as harassment under the present law. What we are talking about making is major life changes. We do not want marine whales to beach themselves and that kind of thing, of course. This narrows that down. Mr. Chairman, this amendment carefully defines the situation. It is a rifle shot dealing with the problems that the Department of Defense has. I think it will help tremendously in our preparation of our young men and women for fighting wars.

Mr. HEFLEY

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, Boston's Big Dig and Virginia's Mixing Bowl are characterized by cost overruns and boggled timelines. The Big Dig in Boston has turned into one of our biggest boondoggles. The project which already costs more than twice as much as it did to build the Panama Canal was estimated in 1985 to cost $2.6 billion. Eighteen years later the project still is not completed and the costs are more than $14 billion and are expected to go to $18 billion. So also the cost projections for the Mixing Bowl have tripled with the latest estimate approaching $1 billion. Lax oversight and consistently low estimates of cost and money have also hampered the completion date which was slated for 2007. That slipped. These projects represent huge investments by State, local, and the Federal governments, and Americans have the right to expect Federal projects to be well managed and completed on time and on budget. Because the Federal Highway Administration has done little to stem the runaway spending on these two projects, it gets my ``porker of the week'' award.

Mr. HEFLEY

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Peter M. Steffes, who recently retired from the House Committee on Armed Services after 41 years of distinguished public service. Pete's entire career was dedicated to national security and the defense of our country. Pete's career began in 1961 in the Air Force as an Airman Basic, E-1; and after 21 years of rapid advancement through the ranks, he retired as an E-9, a Chief Master Sergeant. On October 1, 1983, Pete joined the staff of the Armed Services Committee as a professional staff member where his dedication and exhaustive commitment to national security continued. While initially assigned to the military installations and facilities subcommittee and the environment restoration panel, Pete assisted in the drafting of the Superfund Reauthorization Act of 1985, a consequential piece of environmental legislation of national significance. Pete was assigned to the Military Readiness Subcommittee in 1990; and in 1996, he was chosen to serve as lead professional staff. While on the Military Readiness Subcommittee Pete was responsible for one-third of the Department of Defense Budget. Pete's previous military experience and unique insights helped clarify the true state of military readiness for the Armed Services Committee, the Congress, and the American people. Through Pete's efforts, the committee has been able to compel the Department of Defense to examine and portray its level of readiness more honestly, and contribute the commitment of resources necessary to raise military readiness to a higher level of preparedness. Also during this time, Pete lead the drafting efforts for the public sale of the Elk Hills Naval Petroleum Reserve that brought over $3.8 billion to the U.S. Treasury. Pete was also responsible for a multi- year effort to reform the operational structure of the Armed Forces Retirement Home to properly care for veteran military service men and women. In addition to his subcommittee responsibilities, Pete also arranged and accompanied Members of Congress on 128 congressional delegations (CODELS). He has jokingly remarked that four and one-half years of his government service were spent traveling. Pete's committee service spanned four presidents, eight secretaries of defense, five committee chairmen, and six staff directors. I speak for myself, past chairmen and ranking minority members, and any and everyone who has had the privilege of working with Pete, in thanking him for his tireless work for our military men and women, and his dedication to the Armed Services Committee. Pete is married to the former Barbara Eileen Jones. They have two children, Nicholette and Timothy, and five grandchildren. Mr. Speaker, we wish Pete Steffes all the best in his new position as vice president of Government Policy, National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA). Members and committee staff will surely miss him, and we will always remember and be thankful for his distinguished service to the House of Representatives and our Nation.

Mr. HEFLEY

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Energy recently hosted a flea market. They sold 23 trucks worth $448,000 for 17 cents each, a $9,000 copier for a nickel, and a drilling rig for $50,000. The sales also included motor homes, laboratory equipment, and cranes. The sales were made under a Federal program intended to promote economic development in communities around Energy Department sites by selling surplus property to nonprofit organizations. But they sold all of this property to one single organization, the NTS Development Corporation of Las Vegas, which bought the drilling rig, paid a subcontractor $71,000 to inspect and clean it, and then sold the rig for $248,000 to an equipment broker in Texas. The equipment broker now has the rig listed for sale for $3.9 million. While it is certainly a worthwhile endeavor for the Energy Department to promote its host communities, it is an appalling lack of judgment to sell pieces of equipment for millions of dollars below market value. The Department of Energy gets my ``Porker of the Week'' Award.

Mr. HEFLEY

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1104, the Child Abduction Prevention Act. This important legislation has several provisions that go a long way toward securing the safety of our Nation's children. H.R. 1104 allows judges to extend supervision of released sex offenders for the rest of their life. This bill will eliminate the statute of limitations for child abductions and sex crimes so that we can prosecute these criminals whenever and wherever we find them. The clock will never run out and these criminals will not get away with their despicable crimes. H.R. 1104 will deny pre-trial release for child rapists or child abductors so they cannot flee this country and escape prosecution. This bill establishes a mandatory two-strikes- you're-out sentence for twice-convicted child sex offenders. H.R. 1104 will also mandate a minimum 20-year prison sentence for kidnaping of a minor non-family member. Another important part of this legislation is the re-authorization and doubling of the annual grant to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. H.R. 1104 also allows the COPS program to use federal funds for a sex offender apprehension program to track sex offenders that violate the terms of their release. Finally, Mr. Chairman this bill establishes a national AMBER Alert program to facilitate the recovery of abducted children. On this final point Mr. Chairman I would like to take a minute to discuss the importance of this program. Many people in both chambers of Congress have worked long and hard to create the AMBER Alert program on a national level. I was the first member of this Congress to introduce legislation in the House that would establish a national AMBER Alert program because I feel very strongly that our Nation's youth need to be protected. As many of you are aware, the AMBER Alert program would require the Attorney General to assign a national coordinator for the AMBER Alert communications network. This coordinator would be responsible for (1) eliminating the gaps in this network; (2) working with the States to develop additional networks and ensure regional coordination; (3) act as the nationwide point of contact for network development for regional coordination. The AMBER Alert coordinator would notify the FBI concerning each child abduction for which the AMBER Alert network is activated and establish minimum standards for issuing and disseminating alerts. The AMBER Alert legislation would require the Secretary of Transportation to provide grants to the States for the development and enhancement of the communications system along highways for the AMBER Alert network. These grants will improve the development or enhancement of electronic message boards and placement of additional signs along highways. Finally this legislation will direct the Attorney General to provide grants to States for the development of programs and activities for the support of the AMBER Alert communications plans. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank all the members who have worked so hard on this legislation. This is a vital piece of legislation that, when enacted, will go a long way toward securing this country's youth.

Mr. HEFLEY

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, I submit for publication the attached copy of the Rules of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct for the U.S. House of Representatives for the 108th Congress. The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct adopted these rules pursuant to House Rule XI, clause 2(a)(1) on March 19, 2003. I am submitting these rules for publication in compliance with House Rule XI, clause 2(a)(2). Rules--Committee on Standards of Official Conduct--Adopted March 19, 2003 foreword The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct is unique in the House of Representatives. Consistent with the duty to carry out its advisory and enforcement responsibilities in an impartial manner, the Committee is the only standing committee of the House of Representatives the membership of which is divided evenly by party. These rules are intended to provide a fair procedural framework for the conduct of the Committee's activities and to help insure that the Committee serves well the people of the United States, the House of Representatives, and the Members, officers, and employees of the House of Representatives.

Mr. HEFLEY

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 672) to rename the Guam South Elementary/Middle School of the Department of Defense Domestic Dependents Elementary and Secondary Schools System in honor of Navy Commander William ``Willie'' McCool, who was the pilot of the Space Shuttle Columbia when it was tragically lost on February 1, 2003, as amended.

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the bill under consideration.

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 672, the act to rename the Guam South Elementary/Middle School in honor of Navy Commander William ``Willie'' McCool, who was pilot of the Space Shuttle Columbia when it was tragically lost on February 1, 2003. This bill recognizes the intrepid spirit, commitment to public service, and the ultimate sacrifice made by Commander McCool. The United States space program and our entire Nation lost a highly skilled and courageous member of our superb Armed Forces when Commander McCool and his fellow astronauts were lost earlier this month. It is entirely fitting that as a former student of the Guam South Elementary and Secondary Schools System, Commander McCool be remembered by naming the Guam South Elementary/Middle School in his honor. This measure is a small step in recognizing Commander McCool's brilliant career and his selfless dedication to our Nation as well as memorializing his spirit at a place where he spent a formative period in his youth. We can all be proud to support this bill, secure in the knowledge that future generations of students can draw inspirations from his example. Commander McCool's service represents the very best evidence of the long-term commitment to this country to space exploration and it reminds us why those who represent us all in space represent the very best in America. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this measure. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.