Jerry Lewis

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, it was our intent, I say to the gentleman, if he will continue to yield time, that those reserve funds be used currently in a way that will assure the House that we are committed to making certain that those people currently who are receiving assistance will have a continued commitment from the committee and from the House.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations yielding me this time. I would like to make two points. First, the gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. Neumann] and I serve on the subcommittee together that involves FEMA funding. He knows very well that within our subcommittee we take a back seat to nobody in terms of our commitment to balancing the budget over time. Indeed, in every one of our accounts we have been very tough as we go forward with attempting to reduce the rate of growth of government. The difficulty with this specific amendment, however, is that it addresses one of those agencies within our bill that frankly has done the best job of reorganizing itself and attempting to get its own budgetary house in order. Indeed, with the last amendment that we passed, the Thune amendment, if we adopted this amendment, that would take the emergency account down to $700 million and put us in a position where, at the very time when America should be coming together on behalf of those people who are impacted by these floods, we would be undermining that opportunity and that responsibility by way of this amendment. So it is with great reluctance and a continuing commitment to moving towards balancing the budget, but with great reluctance, I must oppose very strongly the Neumann amendment.

Mr. LEWIS of California. I very much appreciate my colleague yielding. I am rising really to compliment the gentleman for the work that he is doing, bringing the critical problem here to our attention the way he has. FEMA, under current law, has some difficulty in terms of providing the sort of money flows that are needed in this case. The gentleman has given us an opportunity at least to solve this problem by way of the conference. We intend to review a number of the technical questions that were raised by the gentleman from Wisconsin. I want to compliment the gentleman, the gentleman from North Dakota [Mr. Pomeroy] and the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Peterson] for their work on this matter.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman's yielding. I wanted to mention for the Record that there are a number of colleagues who will have colloquies with myself regarding some items on the emergency side of this bill. There are some complicated difficulties we are having on housing programs. I want my colleagues to know that we are very aware of those circumstances and plan to work with our colleagues. In view of the fact that many were not able to be here at this moment, I would suggest that the gentleman has done fabulous work on this bill, I congratulate him for his efforts, and certainly those people facing disasters across the country owe him a good deal of gratitude.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, if the gentleman will continue to yield, I believe the gentleman understands that the committee makes every effort to work with Members of the body who have problems of this kind. There must be interaction between the States that are involved with the committee, but, indeed, I agree with the gentleman from Michigan's concerns. I appreciate his leadership on behalf of his constituents, and I look forward to working with him in the future in this matter. There must be, however, cooperation that is more than just a one-way street.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, if the gentleman will continue to yield, again, the gentleman from Michigan is correct. Without a disaster assistance declaration from the Governor, followed by a similar declaration from the President, Michigan or any other State cannot access funds under this supplemental appropriations bill.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from Michigan is correct, a disaster declaration by the Governor must be made first.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman from Alabama bringing this important matter to my attention. We certainly will be working with the gentleman as we go towards final passage of the bill. We will do everything we can to work with the gentleman, and I appreciate his attention.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I want to express my special appreciation to the gentlewoman from Washington, DC, Ms. Eleanor Holmes Norton, my Congresswoman, for most Members live in the Capitol city when Congress is in session. The gentlewoman mentioned an initiative announced earlier in the day, when we were joined by Speaker Newt Gingrich, my colleague, the gentleman from Ohio, Lou Stokes, as well as the founder and President of Habitat for Humanity, Millard Fuller. Also, two very special families gathered at that session to celebrate the initiation of an important event in the history of the Congress and the District of Columbia. These bipartisan leaders gathered to announce their intent to build ``the House that Congress Built,'' in a unique partnership involving Congress, Housing Secretary Andrew Cuomo, leaders of the National Partners and Homeownership, and others. On June 5, 6, and 7, 1997, these leaders will begin construction of two Habitat for Humanity homes in Southeast Washington. Each ``House that Congress Built'' is a powerful symbol demonstrating the commitment of a bipartisan Congress and numerous organizations to one common goal: providing a decent and affordable home for every American family. It is also an appropriate way to kick off National Homeownership Week, which extends from June 7 through June 14, a campaign to emphasize local and national efforts to make the American dream of living in a home a reality. ``The House that Congress Built'' is supported by the National Partners in Homeownership, an unprecedented public-private partnership of organizations working to dramatically increase homeownership in America. Presently this partnership consists of 63 members representing real estate professionals, home builders, nonprofit housing providers, as well as local, State, and Federal levels of government. The goal of this partnership is to achieve an all-time high of homeownership of 67 percent of all American households by the end of the year 2000. There is still much work to be done. This effort is only possible because of the inspiring work of Millard Fuller, the founder and president of Habitat for Humanity International, who has built over 20 years a worldwide Christian housing ministry. Since its creation in 1976, Habitat for Humanity and its volunteers have built homes with 50,000 families in need in more than 1,300 cities and 50 countries. As a result of Mr. Fuller's vision, more than 250,000 people across the globe now have safe, decent, affordable homes. In Philadelphia recently, President Clinton, President Bush, retired Gen. Colin Powell and others gathered together to salute the spirit of volunteer service that exists in this country. No other organization better illustrates this spirit than Habitat for Humanity. Habitat is an organization that brings people together. Its volunteers are as diverse as the people who live in the United States itself. Most important, Habitat for Humanity promotes what Millard Fuller describes as the theology of the hammer, namely, putting faith and love into action to serve others. In this case, the theology of the hammer will be applied to assist two very special, soon-to-be homeowners, Marlene Hunter and her family, and Mary Collins and her family. Even before the first nail has been driven, Members of Congress, corporate sponsors and these families have made a commitment that will be fulfilled as these two homes are built this summer entirely by Members of Congress and their staff. I want to thank my colleagues, the gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Gingrich], the gentleman from Missouri [Mr. Gephardt], the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia [Ms. Norton], the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Stokes], the gentleman from New York [Mr. Lazio] and the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy] for their commitment to this unique effort and for joining me in introducing this resolution today. Beyond that, I hope my colleagues and their staff will join us throughout Homeownership Week and throughout the summer to complete the project well before ribbon-cutting time early in the fall.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman clarifying that.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague for yielding me the time. Mr. Chairman, there are two experiences I have had in my life that I would like to point to in setting up my share of this discussion. In 1938 we had a major flood in California. I was 4 years old. I remember it clearly, dropping a ping pong ball outside my back window and it dropped about 12 to 18 inches and hit the water and floated out through the back fence. At that point in time, I understood clearly that nature could have a very big impact upon our lives and that disasters were of great potential that we needed to pay great attention to. The next event involved the late 1960's, when my colleague from California who is standing over here and I discovered the word environment. And it was a very important development before all of us recognized that mankind was having an impact upon our environment that we needed to pay very careful attention to. As a result of that and the work involving that, I once chaired a committee that developed the toughest air quality management district in the country. I take a back seat to nobody in terms of environmental questions. But when we find ourselves in a circumstance like that which California is experiencing now, where a major flood control project in southern California would be held up by the wooly star, which is nothing but a cactus that is almost laughable except it gets a little purple flower for about 2 weekends a year; when indeed the kangaroo rat is having a huge impact upon development in the Central Valley where these floods have recently taken place; when the Delhi Sands flower- loving fly is impacting not only the development of a county hospital but the economy and the flood control in the very region I am worried about in the south lands. That would suggest to me that the environmental movement has some way gotten into the hands too often of those people who are on the very fringes of this entire discussion. It is time to make sense out of the Endangered Species Act. It is time to recognize that these flood control mechanisms in the Central Valley are critical to the health and welfare of our people. And we should not allow extreme voices to dominate this debate. If we defeat the Boehlert amendment and the Fazio amendment today and we go forward with this bill, we will set up a discussion that will for the first time in many, many a year cause everybody of good faith to say, hey, we have to make sense out of this thing. There is no doubt that my public is concerned about the environment, but they do not want to have idiocy prevail. To suggest that these gentlemen on my side of the aisle are interested in gutting the Endangered Species Act is less than a service to the process we are about here. Indeed, we have gone to extremes, and it is about time we took sensible voices to the bargaining table between now and the time the President ever sees this bill and make sure that endangered species that are important to all of us truly have their place in this debate, a very valuable place; but also people, a very valuable species, ought to have a place in this debate as well. Mr. Chairman. I rise today in strong support of the Flood Prevention and Family Protection Act of 1997. This legislation was introduced by my colleagues Congressman Wally Herger and Congressman Richard Pombo following the January floods in California which devastated the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys. This legislation, which enjoys wide bipartisan support, has been drafted in an extremely focused manner to correct a serious deficiency in the Endangered Species Act as it relates to the interplay between wildlife habitat and flood control projects, facilities and structures. I also want to thank my colleagues Tom Campbell and Billy Tauzin for their thoughtful input and positive changes to this important legislation. The voices these members add to the debate help move this discussion in a positive direction. Their recommendations are welcomed by my colleagues and I who have long-standing concerns over the excesses of the Endangered Species Act and its oft-times arbitrary application. H.R. 478 allows the reconstruction, maintenance, repair and operation of existing flood control projects before a flood event occurs--not after the damage has been done. This is a critical point. Opponents of this legislation believe that we should sit on our hands while a 100- year flood event wipes out people's property, species habitat and existing flood control projects. This makes absolutely no sense. I cannot believe that opponents of this measure think that endangered species like the delhi sands flower loving fly and the kangaroo rat should have the same priority as the protection of human lives and property. That's right, the extreme environmental groups place species protection over the protection of humans. I hope my colleagues listening to this debate don't have the same set of priorities. The fringe environmental community wants you to believe that this measure guts or rips the heart out of the Endangered Species Act. Nothing could be further from the truth. It simply adjusts shortcomings with the ESA. The County of San Bernardino, which I represent, is responsible for constructing, operating and maintaining hundreds of miles of flood control facilities. These facilities are designed to protect people and property from flood damage--not provide habitat for endangered species. The Santa Ana River Mainstem Project and the Seven Oaks Dam are located in my congressional district. These projects are responsible for the protection of millions of lives and billions of dollars of property in Riverside and Orange Counties. I certainly don't believe that the millions of people who are protected by these projects feel that we should wait until after a major flood catastrophe to repair these projects. As a result of the Endangered Species Act and its ever-changing interpretation and the ever-increasing list of threatened and endangered species, the mitigation requirements on many flood control facilities are cost prohibitive. In fact, the permitting process has become so costly and time consuming that critically needed projects are now often delayed and abandoned. At the very least, we need to provide State and local flood control professionals with the ability to repair existing flood control investments before disaster strikes. It is unfortunate that the regulatory burden on the permitting process has become so encumbered that the public, in many instances, no longer receives the same level of flood protection they once enjoyed. Make no mistake, this legislation can also reduce Federal costs associated with future flood disasters. As chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee responsible for the annual budget of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, I know full well the impacts that natural disaster supplementals have on other Federal programs. Prior to the 104th Congress, Congress and the Administration simply added the costs of disaster recovery to the deficit. Congress has now taken the responsibility of fully offsetting federal disaster recovery spending from other important federal programs. In fact, the disaster supplemental which will be on the House floor next week uses housing programs as an offset for disaster spending. While I don't believe that we should have to pit housing and other programs against disaster relief, these will continue to be the tough choices we face unless we get a handle on the costs of disasters. The Herger-Pombo Flood Prevention and Family Protection Act is one such tool we can use to decrease the exorbitant costs of future flood disasters. Let's give some relief to the past and future flood victims by providing flood control professionals the tools they need to do their job effectively. As Governor Wilson stated in a May 6 letter to Congressmen Herger and Pombo, ``this bill will make it much easier to avoid loss of life and property by expediting preventative maintenance prior to flooding with the expectation that this would reduce the risk to life and property during the flood itself.'' I urge my colleagues to put people first. Support H.R. 478 and oppose the Boehlert-Fazio amendment.

Mr. LEWIS of California. I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. LEWIS of California. With regard to that same language, is it the gentleman's intent that when these licenses or permits expire these types of facilities will be fully subject to the provisions of the Endangered Species Act just as any other similar facility seeking a license, permit or authorization?

Mr. LEWIS of California. With regard to the reconstruction, repair, operation and maintenance of flood control facilities, is it the gentleman's understanding that replacement work would not extend beyond the physical footprint of the original project, facility or structure?

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I want to engage the gentleman in a colloquy to clarify the intent of the amendment to section 7(A)(5)(B) and sections 9(A)(3)(B), which allows maintenance, rehabilitation, repair, or replacement of a Federal or non-Federal flood control facility, including operation of the facility in accordance with a previously issued Federal license, permit or other authorization. Would it be the gentleman's understanding that these types of facilities are operating under authorizations which were granted after passing environmental reviews necessary at the time of the project, facility or the structure was built?

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring to your attention the fine work and outstanding public service of Dr. Anthony H. Evans of San Bernardino, CA. Dr. Evans is retiring after a long and distinguished career including the last 15 years spent as the president of California State University, San Bernardino. Dr. Evans became the second president of Cal State University, San Bernardino, in 1982. As president and professor of history, he has led one of California's newest public 4-year institutions located in one of California's fastest growing areas. With an undergraduate and graduate enrollment totaling 12,500 students, the university is comprised of five schools including business; education; social and behavioral sciences; humanities; and natural sciences. Cal State, San Bernardino, has thrived under Dr. Evans' leadership. The university's physical space more than doubled between 1986 and 1995 with a $100 million building program. The campus population has more than doubled since 1982 with over 12,000 students, 435 faculty, and 627 staff now calling the university home. The academic program has expanded from 47 bachelor's and master's degrees and 14 teaching credentials to 62 total degrees and 18 teaching credentials in 15 years. Prior to coming to Cal State, Dr. Evans was the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Eastern Michigan University. In addition to serving as the chief academic officer and teaching in the department of history, he also served for 1 year as acting president and executive vice president of the university. Dr. Evans' diverse background also includes a stint at the Department of State where he was a specialist in Far East affairs. He worked for 2 years in Thailand in the economic development program and for 2 years in South Korea as the Director of Programs for the Peace Corps. He also worked for 3 years in Washington, DC, as the Director of Planning for the Peace Corps, coordinating operations and programs in 69 developing countries. Dr. Evans, who holds a Ph.D. in U.S. history from the University of California at Berkeley, has also been active in numerous professional and civic organizations at the local, State, and Federal level. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Evans has made, and continues to make, a tremendous difference in the lives of countless people throughout southern California. I ask that you join me and our colleagues in recognizing the remarkable achievements of this gifted gentleman and wishing Dr. Evans and wife, Lois, many more years of health and happiness.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I first would like to indicate that I very much appreciate on the one hand the gentleman suggesting that the amendment is going to be withdrawn; but on the other hand, I think it is very valuable that the gentleman brought this matter up in this fashion, for it is important that the House be aware of these problems and it is important that the committee be responsive to these concerns. There is little doubt in my mind's eye that having this international cooperative effort go forward positively is extremely valuable to everybody involved. Indeed, the foreign policy implications are obvious to anybody who would look. But in turn, as these difficulties have arisen relative to Russia's commitment, it is vital that the committee be responsive and make sure that we have mechanisms for judging the progress in the months ahead. So I am very appreciative of the work that the committee has done. I would be happy to yield further to the gentleman from Indiana.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words, and I yield to the gentleman from Indiana.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, just by way of closing comment, let me say that I have long appreciated the gentleman's involvement in this issue. Who knows, with the progress we are making here, my colleague may one day support space station, and I would appreciate that as well.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring to your attention the fine work and outstanding public service of thousands of committed citizens in Calfiornia's 40th Congressional District. San Bernardino County, the largest county in the continental United States make a difference on October 26, 1996, with an ambitious project entitled, ``Community Cleanup: Our Fight Against Blight.'' For this ambitious undertaking, the San Bernardino Make a Difference Day project was recently chosen as one of the top 10 national winners by USA Weekend Magazine and a panel of celebrity judges. This tremendous effort will be recognized at a luncheon on May 1 recognizing outstanding achievements during national Make a Difference Day. The San Bernardino Make a Difference project was launched at a time when the local newspaper, the San Bernardino County Sun, ran a series of well-written articles addressing the issue of blight in the local community. The result was a countywide effort undertaken on national Make a Difference Day. The remarkable effort to undertake a community cleanup was spearheaded by the city of San Bernardino and Mayor Tom Minor in a collaborative effort with Norcal/San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, Arrowhead United Way, the Volunteer Center, and the San Bernardino Area Chamber of Commerce. Twenty-four cities in San Bernardino County embraced the concept with proclamations and letters of support from local mayors. Twenty-two community newspapers and five radio stations promoted the project with public service announcements and press releases. To encourage citizen participation, 16 country landfills were open free of charge to residents on October 26. The result was more than 3.5 thousand tons of trash, including 5,000 tires, deposited at county landfills. In addition to the many county residents who participated, about 130 volunteers worked on 10 other related projects. Paul Chaney, a private business owner, with the assistance of other volunteers from the Children's Fund and the Volunteer Center, picked up trash along a 2- mile stretch of Little Mountain. Employees of Raintree Insurance Co. and a youth group from the Nazarene Church painted graffiti in various sections of San Bernardino. While a Girl Scout troop cleaned up a local creek and filed a commercial dump truck, members of Los Padrinos cleaned, trimmed, weeded, and hauled away trash for elderly citizens. Thirteen neighborhood association groups in San Bernardino also picked up trash and painted graffiti in and around their neighborhoods. Mr. Speaker, this remarkable effort is 1 of 11 chosen from over one million participants nationwide joining in national Make a Difference Day. The many fine people of San Bernardino County have made a difference, and will continue to make a difference, to improve the quality of life for our citizens. I am extremely proud of this effort and it is only fitting that House of Representatives recognize this achievement today.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring to your attention the fine work and far-reaching accomplishments of Charles E. Young who is retiring on June 30, 1997 after 29 years as chancellor of UCLA. The country's longest serving university chief executive, he has been a powerful force in UNCLA's ascent to the ranks of the nation's most comprehensive and distinguished universities. Three-quarters of the diplomas held by UCLA's 285,000 living alumni bear his signature. Chancellor Young's leadership is reflected in innumerable contributions to the UCLA campus, to the broader community, and to higher education. Dr. Young's association with the University of California dates to 1953 when he enrolled as a transfer student at UC Riverside. After graduating with honors in 1955, he pursued doctoral studies in political science at UCLA, earning his M.A. in 1957 and Ph.D. in 1960. He participated in the creation of the master plan for higher education in California while working on the staff of UC President Clark in 1959. Dr. Young returned to UCLA in 1960 to serve in a series of executive posts in the administration of Chancellor Franklin D. Murphy. Following Chancellor Murphy's resignation, Dr. Young was named his successor by the UC Regents on July 12, 1968. Under Chancellor Young's leadership, UCLA has become an internationally renowned center of scholarship and discovery. Building a university for the future, he has guided UCLA to dramatic advances in every facet of its enterprise: recruitment of outstanding students and award-winning faculty, acclaimed programs in the visual and performing arts, development of a world class medical enterprise, a doubling of library holdings and of campus facilities, and an unparalleled tradition in intercollegiate athletics. Chancellor Young is respected throughout academe as a passionate spokesman for educational opportunity, inclusiveness, and the intellectual richness born of diverse perspectives. Unwavering in his commitment to academic freedom, he has cultivated at UCLA an open and stimulating environment in which the pursuit of knowledge thrives without limits or boundaries. His advocacy resonates in the classroom, in the laboratory, and every corner of the campus where a theory can be tested, a point of view expressed, an idea challenged, or a concept debated. In the belief that its home city is UCLA's foremost partner and greatest resource, Chancellor Young has engaged the university in myriad ventures and partnerships with the surrounding community. Furthermore, just as Los Angeles has emerged as a world city, UCLA, too, has become a world university and a magnet to students and scholars from around the globe under the leadership of Chancellor Young. As he prepares to retire, Chancellor Young deserves recognition for shepherding UCLA toward academic greatness, founded on the cornerstone of intellectual freedom. On this occasion we salute Charles ``Chuck'' Young, his wife, Sue, and his two children and seven grandchildren in celebration of a splendid legacy to American higher education.