Frank LoBiondo

Mr. LoBIONDO

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 1699.

Mr. LoBIONDO

Mr. LoBIONDO. Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. LoBIONDO. As the gentleman from Michigan noted, I will work to address with him this matter in my committee as well as express the need for additional funds to maintain the search and rescue capabilities from Muskegon, Michigan.

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Chairman, I am well aware of the gentleman's desire to maintain the search and rescue facility at Muskegon, Michigan as well as the feelings of the entire Michigan delegation who expressed their support for the facility in a letter to me. The gentleman from Michigan should be commended for his work to ensure the safety of his constituents and Lake Michigan boaters and that they are not jeopardized. I appreciate his understanding of the need to move this bill before us today as expeditiously as possible, and I pledge to work with the gentleman from Michigan on this issue when my committee takes action on additional Coast Guard-related matters in the very near future.

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Chairman, that is correct. I am familiar with the gentleman's amendment.

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant) for his determination and energy over the years for his Buy American program. In consultation with the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar) and the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), I am very pleased to endorse and accept this amendment.

Mr. LoBIONDO. Yes, I would like to assure the gentlewoman that I will work with her and other Members of the Illinois delegation, the State of Illinois, the City of Chicago, and the United States Coast Guard to give this project full and fair consideration in future legislation and ensure that the safety needs of the Chicago lakefront are met.

Mr. LoBIONDO. I would be happy to engage in a colloquy with the gentlewoman from Illinois.

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. LoBIONDO. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentleman from Illinois, whose story is indicative of the work that the Coast Guard has done for so many years throughout the Nation and that does not get the attention that it deserves. The men and women of the Coast Guard put themselves in harm's way every day. What I think America fails to realize is that it is a branch of the military that saves civilians every day. There is not a day that goes by that lives and property are not saved. There is not a day when America is not benefited by the work of the Coast Guard, the men and women, whether it is drug interdiction, whether it is saving lives and property, whether it is responding to a national emergency or aiding other branches of the military. Our examples go on and on and on. We have many Members in this body who individually expressed strong support over the years for the work that the Coast Guard does. Now is the time for us to stand up for them. They stand up for America every day. It is our time to stand up for them during this authorization bill or, more importantly, as we move through the appropriations process, so we can provide the resources to the men and women who do this job every day unselfishly the way they really deserve, with the assets that they need.

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Chairman, as the gentleman indicated, we have had quite a bit of testimony on this issue already. I understand how important this issue is to recreational boaters throughout the country, and I pledge to work with the gentleman to include language in the next maritime bill developed by our committee. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk).

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Shadegg) for the purpose of a colloquy.

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Schrock).

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Green) for the purpose of a colloquy.

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble), the former chair of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Navigation, a Member of this body whose name is synonymous with support of the Coast Guard over the years. We affectionately refer to him as the Master Chief. He has been to my district, the second district of New Jersey, with me, to visit the Coast Guard Recruit Training Center. But more importantly he trained there, so he knows it very well.

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Fossella). (Mr. FOSSELLA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin), a long-time supporter of the Coast Guard, who is the very shy, reserved, quiet chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. (Mr. TAUZIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Ballenger).

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2001. Before I discuss this bill, however, I would like to thank the distinguished chairman of the full committee, the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), for his time, energy, enthusiasm, and guidance in working out this authorization bill, which sometimes had its moments. Also, I thank the ranking member, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), who once again has helped us with crafting a bill on which we have strong bipartisan support, and thank the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Brown), and their staffers for their help and cooperation on this legislation. H.R. 1699 was developed in a bipartisan manner and deserves the support of all Members of this body. The primary purpose of H.R. 1699, the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2001, is to authorize expenditures for the United States Coast Guard for the fiscal year 2002. Section 2 of the bill authorizes approximately $5.4 billion for Coast Guard programs and operations for the fiscal year 2002. The bill funds the Coast Guard at the levels requested by the President, with an additional $300 million in Coast Guard operating expenses. The amounts authorized by this bill will allow the Coast Guard to address chronic budget shortfalls. Many of the Coast Guard's most urgent needs are similar to those experienced by the Department of Defense, including spare parts shortages and personnel training deficits. H.R. 1699 addresses those needs, and also increases the amounts available for Coast Guard drug interdiction, something very important for our country. H.R. 1699 provides $338 million for the Coast Guard's essential deepwater asset modernization program. To date, the Coast Guard has spent $117 million to develop a plan for replacing or modernizing existing deepwater assets. I strongly believe that the Integrated Deepwater System is the most economical and effective way for the Coast Guard to provide future generations of Americans with lifesaving services. Mr. Chairman, I want to take this opportunity to commend the men and women of the United States Coast Guard for the exceptional services that they provide to our Nation. From the new recruits at the Coast Guard Training Center in Cape May, where I was proud to keynote their 53rd Anniversary celebration last week, to the men and women of the Coast Guard Air Station in Atlantic City and the LORAN Support Unit in Lower Township, I have been impressed by their devotion to duty and their constant readiness to stand watch over our shores. Their efforts are representative of their fellow shipmates all over our Nation. All Americans benefit from a strong Coast Guard that is equipped to stop drug smugglers, support the country's defense, and respond to national emergencies. Unfortunately, the Coast Guard, like other military services, suffers from readiness problems related to deferred maintenance, aging equipment, and personnel training and retention. We must act to correct these problems and put the Coast Guard on sound financial footing to be ready to respond to increasing demands on Coast Guard resources, especially the need to increase drug interdiction operations. Mr. Chairman, Coast Guard operations must be made whole next year, ending the destructive cycle of funding shortfalls and end-of-the-year supplemental funding bills, which are only bandaid approaches. The funding provided in this bill will accomplish this goal. In order for the Coast Guard to continue to live up to its motto, Semper Paratus, always ready, Congress today needs to stand up for the Coast Guard. With today's vote, we will do just that. I urge all Members to support this bill. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), the chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Mr. LoBIONDO

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on behalf of a bill I recently introduced, H.R. 1485, the Women's Breast Cancer Recovery Act of 2001, along with my colleague, Representative Sue Myrick. This important piece of legislation would provide a significant measure of relief for women across our nation who are confronted by breast cancer. We introduce this bill on behalf of women who are now fighting the battle against breast cancer, and for any friends and relatives who may have lost a loved one to this terrible disease. Specifically, our legislation would require insurance plans that currently provide breast cancer medical and surgical benefits to guarantee medically appropriate and adequate in-patient care following a mastectomy, lumpectomy or lymph node dissection. In particular, our bill will stop the practice of ``drive-through'' mastectomies. This legislation will also protect doctors from any penalties or reductions in reimbursement from insurance plans when they follow their judgment on what is medically appropriate and necessary for the patient. Most importantly, group health insurers will not be able to provide ``bonuses'' or any other financial incentives to a physician in order to keep in-patient stays below certain limits, or limit referrals to second opinions. Our legislation also requires health care providers to pay for secondary consultations when test results come back either negative or positive. This provision will give all patients the benefit of a second opinion in relation to diagnosing all types of cancer, not just breast cancer. I am proud to say that the Women's Cancer Recovery Act will empower women to determine the best course of care. Recovery time from a mastectomy will not be decided by an insurance company actuary. Rather, it will be decided by someone with medical expertise, which, in most cases, is the familiar face of the woman's doctor. I hope that this legislation will at least ease some of the fear associated with mastectomies. Breast cancer is devastating enough for a woman and her family to cope with, without the added burden of overcoming obstacles to treatment. I urge my colleagues to support and adopt H.R. 1485.

Mr. LoBIONDO

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute a celebrated poet from Southern New Jersey, Stephen Dunn of Egg Harbor Township, Atlantic County on his winning the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for poetry. His collection of poems, entitled ``Different Hours,'' has won the acclaim of critics and readers from across the nation. The book, Stephen Dunn's 11th collection of original verse, has been hailed as an exploration and insight into the ``different hours'' of one's life as well as into the philosophical and historical life all set in the Southern New Jersey environs that we both call home. Stephen Dunn, as well as being an accomplished author and poet, is also a Trustee Fellow and Professor of Creative Writing at Richard Stockton College in Pomona, New Jersey. I am confident that his students and the faculty members there are tremendously appreciative of both his great literary talent and his great devotion to teaching, handing down his creative spark to the next generation of chroniclers of life in Southern New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Professor Stephen Dunn on his Pulitzer Prize and thank him for his many contributions to the State of New Jersey and its people.