Jerry Lewis

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 2 minutes. Mr. Chairman, I am doing this in no small part because I have been looking for an accurate description of ``holy pictures'' for some time now since I have been dealing with my friend from Wisconsin, and in this process we are going through today, I think I may have found at least one snapshot. What we have done in this bill is attempt to respond to a very serious concern on the part of the American public regarding having a country or an organization that is related to a country in the Middle East having authority or control over any of our ports in this country. It is viewed by many as a serious national security issue, and this is a national security bill. Our goal is to make certain that we have thought through this Dubai Ports World deal very carefully before moving forward. The language is to stop that deal. It is rather straightforward. The 62-2 vote in the committee indicates the broad cross-section of public reaction reflected in the membership to going forward without some action on the part of the committee, and thus this language in the bill. It is rather straightforward. I welcome this discussion today, and intend to be as helpful as I can to those opposing our language.

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

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Boustany) for the purpose of a colloquy.

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

Mr. LEWIS of California. I am certainly aware of the devastating impact of last year's hurricane season, and you have my assurances that I will work with you and do everything I can to address this issue when we go to conference with the Senate on this bill.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey).

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield half that time to my colleague from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey).

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Madam Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Madam Chairman, let me say how much I appreciate the cooperation of Mr. Conaway this evening. He has been helpful at every end of our business. But in the meantime, I have this responsibility that causes me to make a point of order against the amendment, because it proposes to change existing law and constitutes legislation on appropriations bill and, therefore, violates clause 2 of rule XXI. The rule states in pertinent part an amendment to a general appropriations bill shall not be in order if it changes existing law. In this case, this amendment imposes additional duties. So, Madam Chairman, I ask for a ruling.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all points of order against provisions in H.R. 4939 be waived.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the consideration of H.R. 4939, and that I may include tabular material on the same.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, today we turn our attention to the fiscal year 2006 emergency supplemental, addressing the global war on terror and the gulf coast disaster assistance. The committee-recommended funding levels is $91.833 billion, which is $400 million below the President's request. The bill provides for $67.6 billion in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. The supplemental fully funds the administration's request of $4.85 billion to train and equip security forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. The bill earmarks, I repeat, Mr. Chairman, the bill earmarks $850 billion over the President's request to upgrade Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles. The committee is also earmaking, I repeat, Mr. Chairman, earmarking an additional $480 million over the request for newer, self-up-armored Humvees, for a total of $890 million of earmarks. The committee has fully funded the President's request to procure and develop countermeasures to prevent IED attacks on our troops. The bill also includes the enhanced $400,000 life insurance benefit for servicemembers and $100,000 death gratuity for combat-related fatalities. The committee did not fund $1 billion of the request for various construction projects related to security training activities in the region because they were poorly defined and not well justified. The committee did provide a five-fold increase for the Department of Defense Inspector General to monitor war expenditures. Under title II, the supplemental provides $19.1 billion for hurricane-related disaster assistance, including $9.55 billion for FEMA's disaster relief fund. The bill also provides $4.2 billion for HUD community development block grants to address long-term recovery and restoration of devastated areas. The bill also provides the requested amount of $1.46 billion for various flood control projects and levee repairs by the U.S. Corps of Engineers. This legislation also requires FEMA to provide better reporting on the expenditure of disaster funds and provides funding for the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute fraud cases. Like most Members of the House, I have heard from many of my constituents expressing strong concerns about the possibility of foreign-owned companies managing U.S. ports. As a result of those concerns, the House Appropriations Committee overwhelmingly, and in a bipartisan fashion, adopted an amendment that prohibits the company, Dubai Ports World, owned by one of the governing bodies of the United Arab Emirates, from taking over the operation of any port facility in the United States. It was not my intention, Mr. Chairman, to have the committee rewrite the Defense Production Act or change the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, the CFIUS process. Those are very complex policy decisions which rest primarily with the Financial Services Committee. Additionally, the Homeland Security Committee, the Armed Services Committee, the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and the Committee on International Relations have a great deal of interest in this matter. The straightforward amendment adopted in our committee was crafted to block only the Dubai Ports World deal. This is a national security issue. This is a national security bill. Our goal is to ensure that security of our ports is in America's hands. During our debate, Mr. Chairman, on the supplemental, I fully expect an amendment to strike this language from the bill. This striking amendment, which will likely fail on a broad bipartisan basis, gives our Members the opportunity to voice their strong opposition to the port deal. It will also send a strong and unmistakable message that the Congress and the American people stand united on the critical national security issue that involves the ports. Mr. Chairman, I urge an aye vote on the passage of this legislation. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I am happy to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), the chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), my mentor, the former chairman of the Appropriations Committee, who now chairs the Subcommittee on National Security.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I am honored today to pay tribute to one of our Capitol Police Officers, Detective David E. Novak, who will retire after more than 20 years of service. During his career, Dave's dedication, professionalism, and expertise have served the Congress well, and his important contributions will be missed. Special Agent Novak grew up in Nebraska, but in 1983 came to Washington, DC, and became a member of the United States Capitol Police. First assigned to the Capitol Division, he soon earned the rank of Detective and accepted a position with the Hazardous Devices Section, graduating from the FBI Bomb Data Center Hazardous Devices School in Huntsville, Alabama, on November 21, 1986. The Bomb Squad has excelled for more than 30 years at developing and adapting new tools and techniques for rendering safe procedures. Dave played an integral part in this success. The Capitol Police Bomb Squad is rated by the FBI Bomb Data Center and staff of the Hazardous Devices School at Redstone Arsenal as one of the top bomb squads in the Nation. The unit has achieved recognition throughout the bomb technician community through their assistance to other agencies and service in offices and positions in professional associations and organizations. Admired by his colleagues for his cool, steady demeanor and exceptional skills with tools and equipment, Dave served as one of the leaders of the Bomb Squad as its members coped with the emergencies of 9/11 and the Anthrax letter attack. Mr. Speaker, the magnificent performance of the Bomb Squad in response to the opening of the anthrax letter on October 15, 2001, cannot be overstated. The continued dedication and commitment of the Hazardous Devices Section after that incident was impeccable. Dave helped sustain the morale and commitment of the bomb technicians after the contamination caused the closure of their offices, along with much of their equipment and vehicles. They coped with this loss even as they faced an exorbitant increase in response calls, and worked 12-hour shifts six days a week for nearly seven months. The Bomb Squad is a small but very important component of this police force we all take great pride in. As Dave prepared for his retirement, he went out of his way to serve as a mentor, and a colleague, to those who would follow in his place. While we wish him well in his retirement, his wit, practical jokes, technical expertise and the significant role he played will be greatly missed. I thank him for his many years of service, and for his dedication in implementing the mission of the United States Capitol Police, protecting the United States Congress.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers. I might mention that the gentleman and I, our ranking member, have been working hard to try to bring ourselves together and go down and visit the gulf coast. I think we are going to be able to accomplish that sometime in the near term. It is on both of our agenda, but, in the meantime, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this supplemental appropriations bill, H.R. 4745, provides critical funding to assist victims of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma by making $712 million in loan subsidy funds available for the Small Business Administration's disaster loans program. The funding provided in this bill translates into $4.8 billion in loans that will now be available to victims of the gulf coast hurricanes. To date, the Small Business Administration has approved more than 60,000 business and home loan applications, awarding $4.3 billion in loans. Loans continue to be approved at a record pace, yet 160,000 applications remain in the pipeline, and the application period remains open for 3 more weeks. Without this critical infusion of funds, the Small Business Administration is in danger of depleting its loan funds prior to the Congress considering the administration's next supplemental request for hurricane-related costs. This bill simply provides a temporary fix by shifting funds previously appropriated for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and redesignating them for the Small Business Administration's disaster loan program. I also note that the SBA administrator has informed the Appropriations Committee that the need could be much higher than the amount provided in this bill. However, the committee has used the best available estimates to determine the short-term funding requirements and will continue to review the matter as it considers the next supplemental request submitted by the administration. This funding is needed immediately as a stopgap measure so that lending to affected homeowners and businesses can continue uninterrupted. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf), my colleague, who is the chairman of our Subcommittee on Science, State, Justice and Commerce.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4745) making supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2006 for the Small Business Administration's disaster loans program, and for other purposes.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, section 402 of House Concurrent Resolution 95, the congressional budget resolution for fiscal year 2006, requires a statement to be published in the Congressional Record explaining how the funding contained in H.R. 4745, (making supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2006 for the Small Business Administration's disaster loan program, which will be considered in the House today, meets the criteria of emergency funding specified in such section. Funding for the Small Business Administration's disaster loan program is provided in response to essential, urgent, and compelling needs resulting from the extreme natural disasters that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico region in calendar year 2005. Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma resulted in the most expensive natural disasters ever to strike the U.S., and their scope and cost were completely unforeseen. The emergency funds provided in H.R. 4745 are justified under the criteria outlined in H. Con. Res. 95.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4745.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise simply to express my appreciation for both my chairman, Bill Young, and for Jack Murtha for this conference report. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the conference report funding the Department of Defense, hurricane disaster assistance, and avian flu preparedness. The conference report funds the DoD at $403.5 billion plus a bridge fund of $50 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The conference report also includes a total of $29 billion for disaster assistance to hurricane damaged areas as well as $3.8 billion for avian flu preparedness. The conference report includes no new net spending for hurricane assistance and avian flu. Any additional expenditures are offset by the following: reallocating previously appropriated funds in FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund, rescissions of un-obligated balances, and a one percent across-the-board reduction applied to all FY06 discretionary spending with the exception of VA funding. Let me be very clear: This package is less than ideal in my mind's eye, but it is absolutely critical that we pass it. As the body knows, the Appropriations Committee has made tremendous strides this year in reforming the process of adopting our annual spending bills. The Appropriations Committee has been strongly committed to bringing to this floor individual conference reports for each and every bill. Early in this process, I made it very clear to my leadership and to our members that the Appropriations Committee would not support an omnibus spending bill in any form. This Committee has done everything in its power to ensure that did not happen. The Appropriations Committee passed each of the 11 spending bills off the House floor by June 30th, the earliest that has been done in 18 years. The Appropriations Committee made a commitment to move its spending bills individually--in ``regular order''--and within the framework of the Budget Resolution. We have done that. My colleagues, the Appropriations Committee has kept its word. `` Moving our spending bills individually is the only way for us to maintain fiscal discipline. Lacking regular order, there is a tendency for these bills to become Christmas trees for unrelated legislative proposals and for spending to grow out of control. That is simply not acceptable. I hope that next year we do not find ourselves in the position we are in today. The underlying bill in this conference report--the DoD Appropriations bill--is the most important of our annual appropriation bills for it funds our national security. Frankly, we could have passed this bill weeks ago. Our failure to enact this bill earlier is a disservice to our men and women in uniform. We are at war, we have troops in harm's way, and here we are-- two weeks from the end of the year--and we still have not passed this critical legislation. And now, at the eleventh hour, controversial legislative language has been attached to this conference report. My fear is this language has the potential to sink the entire package once it reaches the Senate. But tonight, with passage of this conference report, the Appropriations Committee fulfills its commitment to pass all 11 individual bills under the parameters of the budget agreement. Again, the Appropriations Committee has kept its word and has concluded its work for the year. I urge my colleagues to support this conference report and close my remarks by wishing all of my friends on both sides of the aisle a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.