Jerry Lewis

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to my colleague from Kansas (Mr. Tiahrt).

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. In exchange with my colleague, I was interested in his commentary regarding the number of amendments in the past on this bill and other bills like it. I too am very concerned about the time difficulty that we are having. I'd much prefer to have us get back to regular order where we'd have open rules on these bills. But at this point in time, because of the requirements of the majority, the preprinting requirements, et cetera, there are a lot of Members who are very frustrated by this bill, and they'd like to make some serious changes, but they find themselves in a position where they can't provide amendments.

Mr. LEWIS of California. We can continue this exchange. There is, as a result of the change in the rules and the way we can provide amendments, there had been as many as 127 amendments preprinted on this bill, 104 of them by the minority who feel they've essentially been cut out of the process. And because of that, and because of the importance of the issues that are a part of this bill, I cannot agree to a time limitation. I think the time limitation you were discussing was like for 8 hours or something. I'm afraid my conference might very well have a revolution on its hands, and you might have a new ranking member.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that we at least for now appear to be returning to regular order on appropriations bills as we deal with this emergency supplemental that is before us. However, I must confess to being disappointed at the turn this final product has taken in recent days as compared to where we began with our original House-passed bill. The majority has chosen to go to the high-dollar level for every account in this conference report, except as it relates to the primary purpose of the legislation, the critical troop funding in the Department of Defense and Military Construction accounts. My understanding of the final conference agreement is that it cuts the House level for DOD and MilCon by $4.6 billion. More disconcerting is that the final package includes $5 billion for IMF funding that was not a part of the original House package. This $5 billion for foreign aid will secure a whopping $108 billion in loans. Mr. Speaker, I must say, this is such an important message and important piece of legislation, I think it is important that our constituents, as well as our colleagues, pay careful attention to this debate. In essence, in this package the IMF is funded at a level almost $30 billion more than what is provided for our troops, which supposedly was what this bill was all about. What began as a troop funding bill has become a means of fulfilling the President's promise to provide more IMF funding, or foreign aid, for international bailouts. If that isn't bad enough, the conference agreement also includes $1 billion in emergency spending for the Cash for Clunkers program that was not a part of either the House or the Senate package, nor was it requested by the President. I understand the conferees have dropped the Graham-Lieberman-McCain language relating to the release of detainee photos. The conferees have also significantly watered down language relating to the release or transfer of detainees at Guantanamo Bay. This is an issue that is and will continue to be of great concern to many of us, as well as the American people. Just last week, the President approved having a Guantanamo detainee transferred to New York City and ordered the release and transfer of four Uyghers to Bermuda. The President appears to be racing to move these detainees to their new homes before Congress can act substantively on the issue of closing Guantanamo. During last week's conference meeting, Mr. Young, Ms. Granger and I offered several amendments. The first, offered by Ms. Granger, sought approval of the Senate provision prohibiting the release of detainee photos. The second motion, offered by Mr. Young, insisted upon the higher House funding level for DOD and MilCon spending in this conference agreement. And the third motion, which I offered, insisted upon agreeing to section 202(a) and section 315 of the Senate bill prohibiting the transfer or release of Guantanamo detainees. All three amendments were defeated in a party-line vote by the House conferees. As I prepare to close, let me make one additional point. Much has been made about the total cost of this emergency supplemental. I note for the record that the final conference agreement is $106 billion, which is $14 billion more than the President's request, $9 billion more than the House-passed bill, and $15 billion more than the Senate-passed level. Again, we have increased funding for everything in this bill except for the troops. Arguments about maintaining some level of fiscal responsibility certainly ring hollow when we lard up a troop funding bill with taxpayer dollars to support foreign aid for hostile governments and cash for cars past their prime. This is a troubling pattern that is being repeated in many of our funding bills this year. In closing, Mr. Speaker, it is a shame that a process that began in a spirit of bipartisanship has concluded in such a partisan manner. We began as a united, bipartisan House seeking to support our troops, but have ended this process by appeasing the very Members who opposed this emergency funding in the first place. I strongly support our troops, but cannot and will not support an international bailout for hostile regimes disguised as a troop funding bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. General Leave

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Conaway).

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cantor), the finest whip Virginia has ever produced.

Mr. LEWIS of California. I yield the gentleman another 1 minute.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen) a member of the Defense Subcommittee of Appropriations. (Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, could I please check and see how much time there is on each side?

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to Tom Cole, one of the fabulous new members on our side of the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my colleague, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton).

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence). (Mr. PENCE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. McCotter), a member of our leadership.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to yield the gentleman 1 additional minute.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to yield 2 minutes to my colleague, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert).

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I must mention I have only got one speaker remaining, so I would like to inquire of my colleague from Wisconsin just the status of his circumstances: You would be the person to close? I will have to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated, I have one additional speaker. As long as you're giving me all of this flexibility, just let me mention that, as we began this process on this bill, both my chairman and I were very pleased by the fact that there was broadly based bipartisan support for giving the kind of assistance to our troops that is fundamental to our success in the Middle East. To have that package now come back from conference in the shape of being a bill that has reduced the President's request for troop funding by approximately $4.7 billion and, in turn, has a cost factor of some $5 billion for the IMF is most disconcerting to this Member. I may have two additional speakers since my colleague here is standing.

Mr. LEWIS of California. I would be happy to yield.

Mr. LEWIS of California. The gentleman is asking a very, very important question, and I will try to be straightforward in my response. This is a conference report in which both the House and the Senate have come together. The gentleman has raised his concerns about water in central California at a level that has gotten almost the entire country's attention. Indeed, if there were any way I could amend this package to help you solve this problem, the desperate need to get those pumps going to get water to our crops and the farmlands in Central Valley, I would do so. But, unfortunately, in this case, I am unable to help, but stand ready to try.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Sure.

Mr. LEWIS of California. As we go through with our hearings, I might mention in just a few days ahead we will be discussing agriculture problems and challenges to funding for programs for the 2010 year. Indeed, one way or another, we are going to do everything we can to help the gentleman. So I very much appreciate his inquiry.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I do have one additional speaker, and I am very proud to yield 1 minute to the Republican leader, Mr. Boehner.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Madam Speaker, pursuant to Republican earmark guidance, I am submitting the following in regard to H.R. 2847: Requesting Member: Congressman Jerry Lewis Project Name: San Bernardino County Sheriff Scientific Investigations Account: COPS-Tech Legal Name of Requesting Entity: San Bernardino County, CA Address of Requesting Entity: San Bernardino County, 655 East Third Street, San Bernardino, CA 92415 Amount: $500,000 Description of Request: The funds requested will be used to help the Sheriff's Department purchase equipment for the Crime Analysis Unit, including a Blood Alcohol Analysis System, Polarized Light Microscopes for Controlled Substance Analysis, Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometer and a Skeletal Remains Predictive Profiling Research Program. San Bernardino County is the largest County in the United States, making law enforcement investigations a challenge. These equipment upgrades will help make investigations more efficient and effective. Requesting Member: Congressman Jerry Lewis. Project Name: City of San Bernardino Project Phoenix Neighborhood Initiative Account: OJP-Byrne Legal Name of Requesting Entity: City of San Bernardino Address of Requesting Entity: 300 North ``D'' Street, San Bernardino, CA 92418 Amount: $500,000 Description of Request: The requested funds will support an at-risk youth center with an after-school program that includes tutoring, organized sports, teen clubs and open recreation. The youth centers are part of San Bernardino's comprehensive initiative to reduce the rate of violent crime in San Bernardino. The City of San Bernardino has been ranked the third most violent city in California and the 18th in the nation. Due to extremely high rates of foreclosure in the city, the city is facing massive budget cuts and the progress that Operation Phoenix has made in reducing juvenile and overall crime is threatened if these centers are forced to close. Requesting Member: Congressman Jerry Lewis. Project Name: Redlands Police Information Technology Infrastructure Account: COPS-Tech Date Legal Name of Requesting Entity: City of Redlands Address of Requesting Entity: 35 Cajon Street, Redlands, CA 92373 Amount: $350,000 Description of Request: The requested funds will be used to upgrade the Police Department's information technology (IT) infrastructure. This would include the creation of a consolidated and stable data center and the relocation of the Department's servers, along with other critical communications components. The City was forced to close its 50- year-old Safety hall last year due to seismic and environmental factors. This project is critical to allowing Redlands to work more efficiently and effectively with regional, state, and federal law enforcement officials. Requesting Member: Congressman Jerry Lewis. Project Name: California Department of Justice Meth Interdiction in San Bernardino County Account: COPS-Meth Legal Name of Requesting Entity: California State Department of Justice Address of Requesting Entity: 4949 Broadway, Sacramento, CA 95820 Amount: $600,000 Description of Request: The requested funds will purchase equipment used in investigation and seizure of clandestine meth laboratories, for drug interdiction efforts, and other associated costs for the California Methamphetamine Strategy program in San Bernardino. In addition, funding would be used to train local law enforcement officers in San Bernardino County. California leads the nation in meth production and has also become a gateway for the trafficking of meth from Mexico across the United States, making enforcement efforts in California a critical part of any national strategy. Requesting Member: Congressman Jerry Lewis Project Name: Banning Multi-Agency Interoperability Capability Account: COPS Tech Legal Name of Requesting Entity: City of Banning, CA Address of Requesting Entity: 321 W. Ramsey Street, Banning, CA 92220 Amount: $300,000 Description of Request: The requested funds would upgrade the Banning's public safety communication system to make it interoperable with the rest of the County. Riverside County is the only County in Southern California without interoperability capability. The region is working on a shared system that will lower operational costs. Requesting Member: Congressman Jerry Lewis Project Name: Highland Police Technology Program Account: COPS Tech Legal Name of Requesting Entity: City of Highland, CA Address of Requesting Entity: 27215 Base Line Highland, CA 92346 Amount: $500,000 Description of Request: The requested funds will help equip the Highland Police force with equipment to combat the rising tide of crime. The Police department is seeking matching federal funds to purchase a GPS-based graffiti tracking system and security equipment for the new police headquarters. The graffiti tracking system will provide a critical tool to law enforcement for monitoring gang related activity in the community. Requesting Member: Congressman Jerry Lewis Project Name: Riverside County Sheriff's Department Digital Management System Account: COPS Tech Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Riverside County, CA Address of Requesting Entity: 4095 Lemon Street, Riverside, CA 92501 Amount: $450,000 Description of Request: The funds requested will be used for the acquisition of a secure, interconnected, evidence management network for the collection and storage of digital evidence, which will streamline operations and improve law enforcement service to the community. Currently digital evidence is handled in the same manner as physical evidence, resulting in a substantial loss of patrol office and investigator availability. The loss of time is estimated to be thousands of work hours per year. Requesting Member: Congressman Jerry Lewis Project Name: Loma Linda University Space Radiation Health Research Program Account: NASA-CAS Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Loma Linda University Medical Center Address of Requesting Entity: 11175 Campus Drive, Loma Linda, CA 92354 Amount: $2.8 million Description of Request: The LLU/NASA Lab exists to promote two goals: conducting investigations that clarify the space environment and how it will affect personnel and equipment, particularly for long duration missions; and, developing preclinical data for translation to clinical trials that ultimately will benefit patients treated with proton radiation. LLU is taking a leading role in developing and testing non- toxic countermeasures to protect humankind from radiation exposure, whether that be from space flights, war, terrorist threats or radiation accidents. The LLU/NASA Radiobiology Lab epitomizes the NASA vision ``improving life here, expanding life to there, and to find life beyond'' and has been doing so on a cost-effective and timely basis.