Jerry Lewis

Mr. LEWIS of California

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

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close the debate on this measure and in doing so suggest that those who are looking with interest that one of the great things that has happened in recent years is that we often televise our discussions here. While that theoretically would build a base of support on the part of Americans for the Congress, it is strange to me that the polling would suggest that many Americans are very disconcerted by the tendency for extreme rhetoric on both sides of the aisle often carrying on partisan battle for the sake of it and so the polls are just seen as coming down, down, down. The reality of that is that the American people expect better of us than that. But Americans respond in times of crisis and tragedy. There is not any doubt that this tragic event that has been experienced by the people on the Gulf Coast is beyond imagination, but in reality also the public will see the Congress reflecting the best of our people. They do not want us pointing fingers at each other, trying to figure out who you can blame besides myself. They want us to recognize that we have a responsibility to serve our people, and in times of crisis especially respond to their basic needs, saving lives, extending those lives, helping them to begin to rebuild. The destruction that has overtaken New Orleans and the Gulf Coast will require months and even years to completely respond to recovery. It will take nothing less than a domestic Marshall Plan to rebuild our roads and utilities and homes and businesses. On this point, let me be very clear. Rebuild we must. Rebuild we will. The majority whip suggested that Americans themselves are already responding individually. Indeed, as we responded to the tsunami in spades, Americans are already responding, with their hearts, with their prayers and indeed with their pocketbooks to the Salvation Army, the Red Cross and otherwise. They are going to make sure that money is not the question. We are beginning that process by way of our public responsibility today with this bill, but indeed in the weeks and months and years ahead, we will demonstrate as a Congress that America does its best work when we come together as Americans and not as partisans. With the passage of this bill, this task is just beginning. I urge people on both sides of the aisle in the weeks ahead to make certain that we are holding hands with those victims and all of our Americans who want to see us respond in the way that we can respond and we are doing our best.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that it shall be in order at any time without intervention of any point of order to consider H.R. 3645 in the House; the bill shall be considered as read; the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill to final passage without intervening motion except (1) 10 minutes of debate equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations; and (2) one motion to recommit; clause 10 of rule XX shall not apply to the question of passage of the bill; and all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the bill and that I may include tabular and extraneous material.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. We have come together today, for all of us in the House of Representatives know that words are not adequate to begin to deal with this horrendous natural disaster that has beset all Americans but particularly those people in the region of the Gulf. Indeed, Mr. Speaker, I do not intend to speak extensively here today but to say that the bill is designed to make sure that all of us understand that America will respond to this tragedy. Money is not going to make the difference in the final analysis. This bill provides for $10 billion to make sure that FEMA has enough flexibility and adequate dollars will be available to flow in the very near term as we really assess the cost moving forward. This will not be the last time we discuss this issue in terms of both financial strain and also the horrid strain it is placing upon those Americans who are directly affected. The bill beyond that provides $500 million that will also be available for the Department of Defense to, in a flexible fashion, be of further assistance in this tragic disaster. With that, I hope that the Members will participate in the Special Order that will follow this very brief debate in order to make sure that there is a complete airing as the House would seek its will. Mr. Speaker, words cannot begin to describe the toll Mother Nature has taken on the people of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. The levels of desperation and human suffering from Hurricane Katrina are unlike anything we have seen in our country. I do not intend to take much time today for the need in the affected region is so great. This is not a time for words or political rhetoric. It is a time for action. We need to move quickly, to save lives, and help the people of the region get back on their feet. The President has promised an unprecedented level of immediate aid. Congress is backing that promise with the funding and resources to keep the aid flowing. This is a simple 2\1/2\-page supplemental. It contains two sections: $10 billion for FEMA within the Department of Homeland Security; and $500 million for the Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide account within the Department of Defense. The $10.5 billion figure was determined based on what FEMA is now spending on a daily basis and how much is needed to take us out a few weeks until we get a better assessment of what the long-term funding needs will be. At the beginning of this week, FEMA had roughly $2.6 billion in its Disaster Relief Fund and $1.5 billion in the Flood Insurance Program. In recent days, FEMA and OMB concluded that these funds were being utilized at a rate of between $500 and $750 million per day. President Bush and our leadership made the decision to convene the Congress in an emergency session and move this supplemental to the President for his signature today. We do not yet know how much the recovery from this disaster is going to cost. Our resolution today provides an immediate infusion of money to allow FEMA and the Department of Defense to address the most immediate needs resulting from this natural disaster. Costs associated with evacuation, emergency repairs, deployment of personnel, and other costs resulting from immediate relief efforts are included in this package. This initial step today will ensure that there is no disruption in funding for relief efforts. We fully expect to be approving additional emergency funding in the coming weeks. Quite frankly, it will take some time to assess the full scope and cost of this disaster. Much of the damage is still underwater and the full extent is still unknown. Damage assessments will be collected from a great many Federal entities--FEMA, the Corps of Engineers, the Coast Guard--and others. The destruction that has overtaken New Orleans and the Gulf Coast will require months, and even years, of intense effort to recover and rebuild. It will take nothing less than a domestic Marshall Plan to rebuild new roads, utilities, homes, and businesses. On this point, let me be very clear: Rebuild, we must. Rebuild, we will. Congress and the Bush administration is one-hundred percent committed to the rebuilding process and today's action is the first step. One final thought as I conclude my remarks: There is no greater spirit than the American spirit responding to citizens in need. When we see suffering, we want to do something. We want to lend a hand. Many people are responding to this tragic circumstance by offering their prayers and opening their hearts and their checkbooks to organizations like the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross. I encourage my colleagues and our citizens to do the same in the days and weeks ahead. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the order of the House, I call up the bill (H.R. 3645) making emergency supplemental appropriations to meet immediate needs arising from the consequences of Hurricane Katrina, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2005, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt), the distinguished majority whip.

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

Mr. LEWIS of California. I appreciate the gentleman yielding. I just wanted to emphasize a comment you just made that the limited debate of 10 minutes is designed to have us expedite the paperwork and otherwise from this process. In the meantime, we know the Members want to be heard so there will be a Special Order following the passage of the bill so that we can move forward with the paperwork and make sure the President gets this on his desk as quickly as possible.

Mr. LEWIS of California

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

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood).

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I call up the conference report on the bill (H.R. 2985), making appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, and for other purposes.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, it is by way of suggesting to my colleagues in the body that my friend, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey), is raising serious questions regarding the visitor center, and because of that focus he has not spent a lot of time today talking about the fundamentals of this bill that relate to supporting the institution, the work of the legislative branch, an effort which is fundamental to our being successful as a legislative branch. The gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) and I share together great concern about making sure that work goes forward and goes forward successfully. We are partners. In connection with this, I, frankly, today would like to predict at least that somewhere out there before we leave the Congress, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) and I together will walk with our brides through this visitors centers and have different kinds of observations. We will enjoy much of the Taj, but in the meantime it will be a fabulous addition to the Congress, the largest addition that has been made in our lifetime at any rate, my public affairs lifetime. I am very proud of the work of this subcommittee, the work they have done to carry forward the effort of the legislative branch. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman would not mind, I would like to take just a moment to ask my colleague, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), to kind of introduce your piece of that because the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) and he share similar interests regarding the real work of the legislative branch. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood). (Mr. LaHOOD asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. I do not expect that we will use very much of our time, Mr. Speaker. The conference report I bring forth today to fund the legislative branch involves those activities providing some $3 billion, 800 million, an increase of 4.5 percent over the year 2005. Mr. Speaker, the adjustments upward almost entirely represent increased expenditures for our police services and security around the Capitol campus, and, beyond that, expenses that are directly related to the development of the Congressional Visitors Center. Otherwise the bill is absolutely flat in terms of spending over 2005- 2006. It is a very, very lean bill. I urge the Members to support the bill. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following for the Record: [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH28JY05.006 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH28JY05.007 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH28JY05.008 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH28JY05.009 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH28JY05.010 Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LEWIS of California

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

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, let me further say that none of this would have been done as effectively and with the high quality reflected in the conference report without the great help of our staff. They have done a tremendous job. They are breaking records here. It is because of the cooperation of the entire committee, the Members and the staff working together.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I will not consume very much time. I rise to express my deep appreciation one more time to my colleague and friend, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey), for his cooperating with me as we have gone through this initial conference process, but most importantly to congratulate both my colleague, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Dicks), and my colleague, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Taylor), for the fabulous job on this first of a series of conference reports that we expect to send to the President's desk. It is very early in the process, but the Interior bill will be on the President's desk, and I am very certain he will find it to be to his liking. So congratulations to each of you for your work.

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 that I may include tabular and extraneous material on the conference report to accompany H.R. 2985.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Rear Admiral Anthony W. Lengerich, United States Navy, who is retiring after more than 34 years of faithful service to our Nation. A native of Redlands, California, Rear Admiral Lengerich received his commission in 1971 through a Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship at the University of Colorado, and has since served with great distinction both as a Surface Warfare Officer and an Engineering Duty Officer. Rear Admiral Lengerich's impressive career has included sea duty aboard USS GURKE (DD 783) and USS BADGER (FF 1071), and on the afloat staffs of Commander U.S. Seventh Fleet, Commander Destroyer Squadron Thirteen, Commander Carrier Group Two and Commander Cruiser Destroyer Group Twelve. During these tours, he qualified as a Surface Warfare Officer and was designated as ``Qualified for Command at Sea.'' He also served as Communications Operations Officer for the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean on the staff of the Commander in Chief, U.S. Naval Forces Europe in London. Following his selection as an Engineering Duty Officer in 1984, Rear Admiral Lengerich served as the Platform Integration Officer for the Joint Tactical Information Distribution System on the staff of the Naval Electronic Systems Engineering Command, Washington, DC. His next assignment included duties as Project Officer for the Command and Control Processor and Director of Force Systems Engineering within the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR). He later served as the Division Director for Afloat Mission Planning Systems within the Command and Control Program Office on the staff of the Program Executive Officer for Cruise Missile and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. An exceptional leader, he has commanded the Naval Electronic Systems Engineering Center, Charleston, South Carolina, and ``commissioned'' the Naval Command, Control and Ocean Surveillance Center, In-Service Engineering, East Coast Division, also in Charleston. He subsequently commanded the Naval Command, Control and Ocean Surveillance Center, San Diego, California, with additional duty as Corporate Operations Officers and Corporate Information Office for SPAWAR. In 1998, Rear Admiral Lengerich was nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate for the rank of Rear Admiral (lower half). His initial flag assignments included Director of Installations and Logistics for SPAWAR, and next, on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations as Director of Industrial Capability, Maintenance Policy and Acquisition Logistics, and as Deputy Director of the Fleet Readiness Division. He was nominated and confirmed for the two-star rank of Rear Admiral in 2001. Rear Admiral Lengerich assumed his current duties as Vice Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command in August 2002, effectively meeting the spectrum of demanding challenges in the daily operation of a command comprising nearly 50,000 employees and a $20 billion annual budget. His efforts have been instrumental in creating the foundation for an integrated organization with a single corporate focus that specifically aligned NAVSEA's mission in support of the Chief of Naval Operations, Secretary of the Navy, and Secretary of Defense initiatives. His visionary leadership and practical day-to-day approach during a period of unprecedented institutional transformation, has substantially and materially guided the execution of extremely complex acquisition, fleet maintenance and modernization programs to fulfill the needs of the Fleet today and the Navy of tomorrow. Rear Admiral Lengerich has been indispensable in bringing the leading edges of technical thinking and management skills together to meet myriad Navy needs. A champion of sound fiscal methods, Rear Admiral Lengerich chaired a command review of major acquisition programs to identify and address shortfalls, and provided recommendations to reduce testing and evaluation costs, which were incorporated in the Department's investment process. Organizationally, he has fostered the improved communications and enhanced teamwork needed to produce desired ``bottom line'' results within the command and across the Navy. His vision led to the merger of the NAVSEA Warfare Centers into a single business unit, enabling process commonality between the NAVSEA Warfare Centers and Divisions, and the designation of Product Area Directors to ensure each Warfare Center customer received the best and most efficient combination of talent, facilities, and cost. Notably, Rear Admiral Lengerich chaired the Systems Command Integration Board to address the range of issues vital to the delivery of effective war fighting systems, and, has also chaired the Functional Naval Capabilities--Total Ownership Cost Integrated Process Team for the past six years, and led efforts which have yielded over $3 billion a year in ship, aircraft and ground vehicle maintenance cost avoidance. Rear Admiral Lengerich has devoted significant energies to the command's civilian and military personnel. He has shaped the command's ``roll out strategy'' for transition to the National Security Personnel System and he developed the metrics to guide the command's Human Capital Strategy. Within the Navy's Engineering Duty Officer (EDO) Community he spearheaded efforts to pro-actively manage the community strategy in meeting Navy dynamic requirements. With the same focus on the future, he has been a personal mentor to nearly one-third of the entire Navy ED community and has worked with the Naval Postgraduate School to create a new accredited Master of Science in Systems Engineering curriculum and to create an advisory board on course curriculum critical to NAVSEA and SPAWAR. For the past two months, Rear Admiral Lengerich has served superbly as NAVSEA's Acting Commander, answering the call of duty as he has done many times before. He is an individual of uncommon character and total professional whose presence will be sincerely missed but whose many contributions will certainly endure. I am proud, Mr. Speaker, to thank him for his honorable service in the United States Navy, to commend him for a job ``well done,'' and to wish him ``fair winds and following seas'' as he closes his distinguished military career.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Colonel Michael J. Smith, Project Manager Soldier Weapons, for his support of our Soldiers in their ongoing war on terrorism and in particular for his innovative approach to shortening the acquisition cycle for critical new weapon systems. Of particular note was his success in rapidly fielding the Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS). Through his vision and calculated risk taking, he has rapidly fielded this and other systems which have demonstrably led to the saving Soldier and civilian lives in Iraq. This has been a true force protection success story and a force multiplier for the Army. Col. Smith's innovations benefit Soldiers, policy makers, and tax payers by streamlining the costly test and acquisition process. His wise use of tax dollars resulted in Soldiers receiving the best possible equipment and enabling the rapid fielding of new technologies to enhance soldier capability while ensuring soldier safety. Through his leadership, Col. Smith established new levels of cooperation and teamwork between his program office and the numerous contractors involved in his programs. He embodies the highest tenants of Acquisition Reform and the Army's innovative Rapid Fielding Initiative.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. I appreciate the gentleman yielding because, indeed, that was the Reagan administration. And during that time the Democrats were supporting the Sandinistas and we were fighting for freedom.

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

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I do not find myself always happy with what witnesses before our committees have to say. Just because I disagree with them does not mean they are not being as complete as they would choose to be. I do not always have witnesses provide me with the answers that are my answers. But I do remember early on in my career here, it was my second term, I was a new member of the Committee on Appropriations. In those days the issues swirled around what was going on in Central America. There was a divide in the House it seemed. Most of the people on that side were very much concerned about changes in Central America. I remember the debates about the Sandinistas and there was discussion that maybe the witnesses were not being totally open and fair and straightforward. It is convenient to point a finger and suggest one administration's witnesses is not being straight, another one is answering questions fully. The fact is that it is pretty obvious we expect people to be straightforward with us. I would suggest if the gentleman really has a problem in some of his committees, he might want to urge that people take the oath everywhere. I do not tend to follow that pattern in my own committees. But indeed it is important to recognize that people in public service, whether they are working for the administration, maybe working for the State Department or otherwise, do come to us generally and try to do as full a service as they possibly can. I must say that I sense a pattern here where issues are being raised in this fashion because perhaps some people have ambitions to do something else with their life besides just sitting in a committee. But indeed, it is important that we not distort our process to the point where public affairs becomes a political battle, a partisan confrontation at every turn. If there have been partisan votes on the floor, let me submit the vast percentage of those have come that way because there was a direction from the Democratic side that we are going to be together and be opposed to whatever those Republicans are doing. That is not a healthy way to carry forward public affairs. I am very concerned about the pattern. I do not believe I will carry my discussion about this much further than I am today but I may because it is very disturbing to this Member of Congress.

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

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, did the gentleman not already do that before?

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, a point of order has been reserved, and I make a point of order.