Juanita Millender-McDonald

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 428 I was detained by my constituents and was unable to get to the floor in time for voting. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.'' Amendment Offered by Mr. George Miller of California

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of House Resolution 422. Recognizing that more than 300 million children suffer from chronic hunger worldwide, we need to restore funding for this program at levels similar to those of the original pilot program. Providing nutritious food at schools worldwide is a simple, but effective way to improve literacy rates and help poor children break out of poverty. I strongly believe this funding is key to combating several root causes of international terrorism. It increases the school attendance of children who may otherwise be susceptible to recruitment by terrorist groups who offer meals. As a co-sponsor of this legislation, I also believe that by providing financial and technical assistance for school feeding and maternal and child nutrition programs, we help fight HIV/AIDS. Schools provide one of the most effective means to teach children about disease prevention. These are specific examples of how school feeding operations benefit low-income countries. The fact that both the initial pilot program and the current McGovern-Dole Program have a proven track record at reducing the incidence of hunger among school-age children, increasing attendance, particularly for girls, and improving literacy and primary education, clearly indicates that we should work with the United Nations and its member states to expand international contributions for the distribution of food in schools around the world. Mr. Speaker, let us not forget how global school feeding operations benefit low-income countries--education is a path to upward mobility that can help poor children improve their standard of living, and, most importantly, help poor nations develop more productive, self-reliant economies.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, let me thank the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Lowey) for her ongoing strong leadership. She has been upfront on this issue since I have been in Congress and even before that. I would like to take this opportunity to engage in a colloquy with the distinguished chairman, the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe), regarding pediatric HIV/AIDS treatment and care. I would also like to thank him for his strong leadership on this issue and his ongoing commitment to this cause. As the chairman knows, I have worked consistently for global HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention programs, particularly for children and orphans in Africa. Currently, over 14 million children have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS, 95 percent of them in sub-Saharan Africa. And while Africa is the epicenter of the pandemic, the next wave is projected to include China and India with between 1 to 15 million and 20 to 25 million infected people, respectively, by 2010. Mr. Chairman, there is a shortage of trained health care providers who understand and are knowledgeable of the special needs that children with HIV/AIDS have. I have introduced H.R. 4191 that calls for establishing pediatric HIV/AIDS centers in 10 countries, seven in Africa and the rest in India and China and Guyana. These are countries with epidemic rates of HIV/ AIDS resulting in children and orphans with no social support system. These centers would not only provide treatment but also critical training and research, and they are essential. I hope that the chairman and the ranking member would bring forth their leadership in providing some assistance here.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. I yield to the gentleman from Arizona.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. I thank the distinguished chairman and the gentlewoman.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, this morning I rise to honor and pay tribute to one of my constituents who recently died serving his Nation in Iraq. Sergeant Brian M. Wood was killed when his military vehicle pulled off the road and hit a mine while he was on patrol. Sergeant Wood was only 21 years old. Brian Wood was assigned to the Army's 9th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, which is based in Schweinfurt, Germany. Mr. Speaker, Brian Wood sent an e-mail to his family less than 24 hours before his death and reported that he felt he was making a difference in the lives of the Iraqi people by locating and disarming land mines. Mr. Speaker, Brian's family reports that he was a young man with tremendous personality and a great sense of humor. I would like to extend my condolences to the family and friends of Sergeant Brian Wood, and my thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time. Brian's honorable service to his country will be long remembered.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to pay tribute to a young man from my district who was killed in action serving in the Iraqi conflict. Second Lieutenant Andre D. Tyson was charged with patrolling and gathering intelligence on insurgents in the farmlands in Balad. He died, at 33, when enemy forces ambushed his ground patrol. Called to active duty last fall, Second Lieutenant Tyson was assigned to the 579th Engineer Battalion, Army National Guard, which is based in Petaluma, California. Mr. Speaker, Andre Tyson told a reporter 10 days before his death, that local people were hospitable to the soldiers, giving them tea and bread that he described as being ``almost like homemade tortillas.'' His cousin said, ``All of his e-mails spoke positively about his experiences in Iraq.'' Mr. Speaker, Andre's family said he was a man that commanded respect and his peers looked up to him. It is important to honor and pay tribute to all of the brave men and women across the Nation who have given their lives in defense of the freedoms we enjoy every single day, and all leave behind families who miss their sons and daughters. Too many of our young people have their lives cut way too short, but their sacrifice will be long remembered. I would like to extend my condolences to the family and friends of Second Lieutenant Andre D. Tyson, and my thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge also the great work of the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert), the chairman, and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Napolitano), the ranking member, for their tireless efforts in bringing about a much- needed piece of legislation. These two leaders have done a yeoman's job for us in bringing H.R. 2828, and they have come to my district many times to hold hearings on this issue of water. I would like to specifically thank the chairman and the ranking member for including the strong water use efficiency section in H.R. 2828. This section will meet my community's strong demand for water supply and reliability, not by taking more water from the Bay-Delta ecosystem, not taking more water from the Colorado River in our neighboring States, but from recycling and cleaning up Southern California's existing water supply and investing in sea water desalination projects. H.R. 2828 specifically clarifies that in addition to recycling and desalination projects, groundwater cleanup projects for contaminants such as per chlorate, nitrates, and volatile organic compounds will qualify for CALFED program funding. Continued Federal investment in desalination technology, such as the one in Long Beach, will verify and further develop energy savings and optimize the process so that it can be enlarged and duplicated throughout the United States. The Long Beach Water Department's desalination pilot plant is on the cutting edge, and I am looking forward to seeing this technology fully developed. Again, I support and commend these two for their outstanding work.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the chairman and the ranking member, the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Wolf) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Serrano), for their leadership. In spite of the cuts in funding and the sacrifices that we are having to make in terms of budget shortfalls, they are showing their leadership in providing as much funding as possible for those critical programs that are endemic to working families. Mr. Chairman, I do rise, though, in strong support of the amendment offered by my colleagues on the Committee on Small Business, the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Manzullo) and the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez), the ranking member, which would provide full funding for the Small Business Administration's primary lending program, the 7(a) loan program. Mr. Chairman, we on the Committee on Small Business have heard small business owners throughout this country, and they are all saying the same thing, that the one hurdle faced by America's 23 million small businesses is gaining access to affordable capital. I believe that the Manzullo-Velazquez amendment, which maintains the $79 million in funding provided to the agency last year, helps SBA reach its goal of providing small companies with the financing they need through the agency's access to capital lending programs. Without this funding provided for businesses by this amendment, many small businesses could be denied the loans they need to be successful. Funding for this program, and if it is not restored, small businesses will be unable to target new markets, grow or even hire new workers. The 7(a) loan program is the SBA's core lending program and accounts for roughly 30 percent of all long-term small businesses in America. In addition, these loans are the only source of affordable long-term financing for many of our Nation's small businesses, especially minority- and women-owned businesses. As the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Tax, Finance, and Exports, I understand the importance of small businesses to our Nation. They employ 97 percent of our Nation's workforce and are often called the engine of the Nation's economy. Without the funding provided for by this amendment, both lenders participating in the program and borrowers will be faced with higher fees; some lenders could be forced to withdraw from the program, leaving small businesses with fewer options for financing. Mr. Chairman, the passage of this amendment is critical to the capital needs of thousands of small businesses. I urge its passage. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez), the ranking member on the committee.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. My amendment would provide increased funding for the Small Business Administration's Women's Business Centers Program. This amendment would provide for an additional $1.5 million in funding for the Women's Business Centers Program that is currently funded at the level of $12 million, which is included in the committee's version of the report, bringing this total level of program funding to $13.5 million. The United States Small Business Administration network of Women's Business Centers provide a wide range of services to women business owners at all levels of business development through grant funding to private, nonprofit economic development organizations. These centers are located in 46 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands, and provide financial and general business management and marketing assistance, as well as long- term training and counseling, to existing and potential women business owners, many of whom are socially and economically disadvantaged. Many centers make a special effort to assist women on welfare become self-sufficient and administer programs and workshops in business ownership, other employment or a combination of the two. All of the centers provide individual counseling and access to the SBA's programs and services. I have always been a strong supporter of women-owned small businesses and have led efforts in past Congresses to increase authorized funding levels for the WBC programs. Mr. Chairman, women-owned businesses are a dynamic and thriving force in the U.S. economy. Business ownership has been one of the most effective means of improving women's economic well-being. Female participation in business ownership at all levels is climbing. Women now own 40 percent of all small businesses and are growing at twice the rate of all other businesses. America's 9.1 million women business owners employ 2.75 million people and contribute $3.6 trillion to the economy. Additional funding for this program will go a long way to ensuring that both existing and new centers will have the funding to help women entrepreneurs with additional training and technology assistance, especially minority women and start-up businesses. I would like to thank the chairman and the ranking member for their support and guidance as I have introduced this amendment, and I ask all of my colleagues to support this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to give my enthusiastic support to S. 2507, ``The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004''. In January of this year, I urged the Committee on Education and the Workforce to include in this Reauthorization Act provisions to authorize fruit and vegetable pilot programs for the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program. The bill expands this program as well as the Summer Food Service Program. It also provides training and technical assistance to schools in program administration and targets benefits to low-income children. The passage of this bill today is truly a landmark achievement, as it represents the most extensive amendments to the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA) and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (CNA). This legislation reauthorizes national school lunch and breakfast, child and adult care food, after-school snack, summer food service and special supplemental nutrition programs for (WIC), among others. The bill also amends the Commodity Distribution Reform Act and WIC Amendments of 1987 and the Food Stamps Act of 1977 to streamline applications for school meal program benefits. It does so by establishing agreements between State Food Stamp Agencies and School Food Authorities. Like my colleagues, I believe it is critical that our Nation's children have access to healthy and nutritional foods while attending school. The pilot program provided in this bill makes this possible. Mr. Speaker, we are all well aware that childhood obesity is a major health issue in this Nation that must be addressed. Our children deserve to have healthy choices for their breakfast and lunch meals. For many of our children these meals are the only nutritionally complete meals they will eat throughout the week. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), an estimated 15 percent of children and adolescents ages 6-19 years were overweight in 1999-2000. This represents a 4 percent increase from the previous 1988-1994 estimates. Passage of this bill represents bipartisan and bicameral efforts to benefit the children of our country. I firmly believe that this is the right bill at the right time for America's women and children.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor and pay tribute to all of the brave men and women across the nation who have given their lives in defense of the freedoms we enjoy every single day, and all who leave behind families who miss their sons and daughters. I'd like to speak specifically about the life of one of my constituents, Private First Class George D. Torres, who was recently killed in combat in Iraq. Private Torres was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton. He was only 23 years old at the time of his death, and was killed in Al Anbar Province, Iraq due to enemy fire. Mr. Speaker, the fifth of sixth children, Private First Class Torres joined the Corps in march of last year, and had just been overseas a month before his death. As our soldiers, who removed Saddam Hussein from power, aim to protect the peace while a transitional democratic government run by the people of Iraq is being established, our troops are in a very dangerous situation. Mr. Speaker, George was aware of the realities of military service, but always wanted to join the Marines, and ``was very proud'' after he returned to school and earned the high school diploma he needed to enlist, telling his sister that if he had to go serve in Iraq, then he'd go. A Dodger's fan, he was known for his outgoing personality and in the words of his girlfriend, ``was the best person in this world.'' A memorial Web site set up for George Torres has received numerous emails, which is a testament to the strong relationships George built during his all-too-short lifetime. His loving family, sisters Oralia Cisnernos, Olga and Evelyn Torres, brothers Fernando Torres Jr. and Francisco Torres, and his parents, Fernando and Genoveda Torres, survive Torres. I would like to extend my condolences to the family and friends of Private First Class Torres, and my thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time. George's valiant service to his country will be greatly remembered. We owe him a great deal of gratitude for his service to a country he loved.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia and the gentlewoman from California for bringing forth this very supportive resolution. And I speak this morning to pay tribute to one of the greatest singers, songwriters, and composers of the 20th and the 21st Century, Ray Charles. I must tell the Georgians that California also claims Ray Charles as a native son. Ray Charles, born Ray Charles Robinson on September 23, 1930, in Albany, Georgia, started his interest in music at the young age of 3 and eventually learned to read and write music in Braille, as well as play a number of instruments including the trumpet, organ, alto sax and the piano. He scored his first big hit in 1959 with the song ``What I'd Say'' and went on to win 12 Grammy Awards, with nine awards between 1960 and 1966. Of course, Ray Charles would record many hit records during the course of his career, including ``Hit the Road Jack''; ``I Can't Stop Loving You,'' ``Busted''; ``Born to Lose''; ``Take These Chains from My Heart; and the State song of Georgia, ``Georgia on My Mind.'' His version of ``America the Beautiful,'' like most of his songs, will be considered America's classic for generations to come. He won his last Grammy in 1993 for ``A Song for You.'' Ray Charles was a unique musician, Mr. Speaker, because of his ability to cross musical genres to create a fresh and exciting new sound. Not only did his music and words reach all types of audiences, he also commanded a strong stage presence with his personality and infectious smile warming our hearts. He was so popular, in fact, that he became a television spokesman for a soft drink company telling viewers they picked the right choice and they picked the right one with the familiar ``uh huh'' refrain. Mr. Speaker, Ray Charles was inducted into the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame in 1982 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll's Hall of Fame in its inaugural year 1986. And I was honored last year to be at the NAACP Gala in Los Angeles when they gave him the highest award, the America's Outstanding Citizen and Entertainer of the Decade Award. I would like to extend my condolences to the family, friends and fans of Ray Charles. Oh, how beautiful America was with the genius of Ray Charles. Ray Charles, ``I Can't Stop Loving You.'' I support this resolution.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 56, which expresses the sense of Congress that States should require candidates who apply for a driver's license to demonstrate an ability to exercise greatly increased caution when driving in the proximity of a potentially visually impaired individual. More than 1 million individuals are blind in the United States. Many more are visually impaired. They face many obstacles in their daily lives and travels. Visually impaired people, including the blind, are particularly at risk when they come in close proximity with motor vehicles when they walk along or cross a street. They are often unaware of vehicular traffic nearby that could pose a serious threat to their safety. Although many of the blind are familiar with ways to reduce the risk and behave accordingly, their safety is still very much dependent upon the driver's ability to recognize their presence and to exercise greater caution in operating their vehicle. H. Con. Res. 56 is an attempt to raise the driver's awareness to the blind and visually impaired pedestrians. They need to know that the use of a white cane or a guide dog signals a visually impaired individual. To ensure that all licensed drivers have such knowledge, H. Con. Res. 56 expresses the sense of Congress that each State should require license applicants to demonstrate an ability to associate the use of the white cane or guide dog with visually impaired individuals and to exercise greater caution when driving in their proximity before being granted a driver's license. This is a simple requirement, which will greatly enhance the safety of the visually impaired. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans).

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, S. 2017 is a bill to designate the building located at 93 Atocha Street in Ponce, Puerto Rico, as the Luis A. Ferre U.S. Courthouse and Post Office. Luis A. Ferre was born in 1904 in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He received his bachelor's degree and master's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was also an accomplished pianist who studied at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and recorded albums with the noted Puerto Rican pianist Jesus Maria Sanroma. In 1925 he began his business career at the Puerto Rico Iron Works. In 1940 he moved to the Puerto Rican Cement Company, and by 1960 he was the vice chairman of the company. In 1937 he founded the Ponce Public Library, and in 1940 he ran for mayor of Ponce. In 1950 he founded the Luis A. Ferre Foundation, which resulted in the creation of the Ponce Museum of Art, considered to be one of the most important museums in the world. The museum was designed by Edward Durrell Stone, who also designed the John F. Kennedy Center here in Washington, D.C. In 1968 Luis A. Ferre was elected Governor under the New Progressive Party banner and served until 1972. While Governor, he provided many benefits to workers, including shorter work weeks and maternity leave. He provided ownership of land, strengthened the industrial development program, and made possible the applicability of the food stamp program for Puerto Ricans. In 1977 until 1980, he served as president of the senate. He also served as State chairman and national committeeman of the Republican Party in Puerto Rico. In 1991 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Liberty. Ferre was known as an intellectual, a lover of the arts, a brilliant politician, and generous benefactor. This designation is a most fitting tribute to his illustrious career. I support S. 2017 and urge its passage.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4226, the Cape Town Treaty Implementation Act of 2004. The Cape Town Convention and related protocol on aircraft equipment known collectively as the Cape Town Treaty will extend modern commercial finance laws already used in the United States to international transactions involving aircraft and aircraft engines. Lenders have been reluctant or are charging more to extend financing for the sale of aircraft or aircraft engines to foreign entities, particularly in developing countries, because certain countries do not recognize the right of a lender with a priority interest in an asset to repossess or otherwise dispose of it if the owner defaults on a loan. The Cape Town Treaty, when ratified, is expected to lower their financial risks and therefore the costs of such financing and bring certainty to the marketplace, thereby increasing sales in aircraft frames and engines abroad. Importantly, the Cape Town Treaty creates an international registry in which persons with secured credit or leasing interest in highly mobile assets such as aircraft and engines will be able to put other potential lenders on notice of their interest in a particular asset. Priority in an asset will be based on a first in time filing with the international registry. The filing of a notice of a security interest in the international registry will also facilitate a secured creditor's ability to repossess, sell, or lease a piece of equipment in the event of a default under the remedies provided by the treaty. H.R. 4226 makes technical changes to section 44107 of title 49 governing the recordation of security interests with the Federal Aviation Administration, including designating the FAA's civil aircraft registry to be the U.S. entry point to the International Registry. This will enable the FAA to authorize filings with the International Registry related to U.S. registered aircrafts, aircraft engines, and aircraft that have received a U.S. identification number or to prospective interests in such aircraft or engines. Filings to the International Registry would be valid only if the creditor first files with the FAA full documentation of the security interest as currently required by U.S. law and the FAA authorizes the transmittal of the filing of the notice of the secured interest to the International Registry. Also directing the FAA to immediately proscribe regulations for the registration and deregistration of aircraft and to complete the rulemaking process by December 31, 2004. H.R. 4226 also provides that, if necessary, the provisions of the Cape Town Treaty shall apply to the registration and deregistration of aircraft until the FAA regulations are effective or by December 31, 2004, whichever occurs earlier. In addition, H.R. 4226 states that the amendments to Title 49 made by this bill and any related regulations are effective upon the Cape Town Treaty's coming into force and do not apply to any prior registration or recordation. To put this in a local perspective, Mr. Speaker, in my district we manufacture aircrafts and this bill opens up markets that have historically been problematic. This treaty brings uniformity to bankruptcy and commercial finance laws by extending current U.S. finance laws to international transactions involving aircrafts and aircraft engines. It lowers the risk to financial lenders and manufacturers alike to engage in new markets. To put it simply, passage of the Cape Town Treaty will help American companies compete in foreign markets. It puts manufacturers in the situation to compete for foreign contracts. For example, the Boeing 717 built in my district of Long Beach, California, would benefit from the leasing requirements negotiated in this treaty. This translates into jobs and economic activity locally. The Boeing 717 plant in Long Beach employs 3,000 men and women and the plant also contracts with 320 suppliers. Currently, the 717 plant produces one plane a month. I have been told, however, that this plant is capable of producing 60 planes a year. If the 717 plant were to double their production to 24 planes a year, that would translate to upwards of 400 jobs created in Long Beach. I thank the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) and the ranking member, the gentleman from Minnesota, Mr. Oberstar for their strong leadership on this issue, the chairman of the subcommittee, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica), and the ranking member the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio) for their leadership. I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I do not have other speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker, I would like to associate the comments of the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) with myself. I could not agree with you more. There are things we disagree on. This is not one of them. We look at our children and our grandchildren and realize that there is a problem in this country, and we need to effectively address that problem. Last week I have a bill that was heard in committee on FHA, basically because as she said, you cannot use FHA loans in California and New York, Massachusetts and other States, because the limits are so low, they do not meet the needs of the citizens of these States, and you could not be discriminated against based on where you happen to live. And nobody should be confused. FHA is not a program where the government is giving anybody anything. The government makes money on FHA loans. They are good for citizens. They have been proven good for government, but we need to really aggressively attack the problems for housing in this country. We deal a lot with section 8 housing, which we all agree there is a need for, but the problem we face when we talk about section 8, we want people to own a home, and we have created such a situation in this country where people cannot afford to move out of section 8 housing because the cost of housing in the next level is so great, that there is no way people can move to that next level. A lot of those things have occurred over the years because the government has done things that we believe felt good, and States have done things that they believed felt good at the time but they did not work in reality. I remember 25, 30 years ago I could introduce a tentative track map in California, and in 58 days, the government had to come back and say yes or no to that subdivision application so you could build a home. Today it goes for 2, 3, 5, 10, 12, 15 years in many cases before a builder actually has a surety that he is going to be able to go build a home or not build a home, and everybody needs to realize when you require a property owner to hold property for 2, 3, 5, 10 years, the cost of carry on that property and the cost of the process is passed on to the homeowner. So when we look at people who we are trying to provide affordable housing, it is almost impossible, in many cases, because of the problem government has created in and of itself. The Endangered Species Act, when it was implemented, and nobody argues that we should not do everything we can to preserve the environment. That is necessary, but nobody ever dreamt when that concept was created that we would be preserving rats and flies and snails and stuff like that. My parents were smarter than we were. Our parents used to swat flies and poison rats. Now we set aside habitat for them; and when we do that, some private property owner is impacted by that habitat. And the question I want to ask all of you, who wants to live next to a rat habitat? I do not know who wants to live next to a rat habitat, and the problem with that is you have a rat in your house, we all respond in the common way. We put a rat trap out there or poison out there. Well, if you trap an endangered rat, you have committed a felony. You can go to jail. I mean, how ridiculous is that? Yet, that is the law in which we have to work with in this Nation to provide housing. There has to be some regulatory barriers that are removed, where people can get product to the market rapidly and move people into houses. The problem we have at the local level is the Federal Government takes more money, the States take more money, and local community cities are left without revenues. And the first person they look to go to is a builder in town as a cash cow. I am not trying to criticize them for it, but I am saying when you assess a fee that is not associated with a project on a project, the people who buy those homes have to pay those fees. Nobody argues that if you are impacting traffic and intersections, you should mitigate that through fees. Nobody is arguing that. You have building and you have school fees. But oftentimes you pay all of those, and then we take it far, far beyond that. In California, we have an unusual problem that many States do not face. There is very, very little attached homes being built, town homes and condominiums. The problem is because litigation is so prevalent. And it is not generally started by the people who own the town homes or condos, it is started by some attorney who sues, goes to the Board of Directors and says you either join in this lawsuit or you can be held personally liable, and then the associations in the lawsuit, that all adds to the cost of providing basic housing for this Nation. Condos and town homes generally are the entry level homes you try to address first, because people need them. We are trying to do tort reform in the medical industry. We also need tort reform in the housing industry. We need to do everything we can to protect the environment, we need to do everything we can to make sure people are legally protected from people who provide housing below standard, but we also need to be real in this country, realizing that people need homes. Kids many times cannot afford to live in the neighborhoods within which they are raised. We need to change the laws in this country to fast track housing, and yet assure that the environmental levels will be addressed correctly. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, I rise to engage in a colloquy on the coordination of the Defense Department's Family Advocacy Program and the Veteran Administration's Transition Assistance Program. Last year on the floor, as you may recall, you accepted my amendment to the supplemental bill, H.R. 3289, to put $50 million into the Family Advocacy Program. My intent was to provide resources for families who have loved ones transitioning back into civilian life or military life. The Family Advocacy Program provides support services to families that are transitioning from the front line to the home front. This additional funding enables military families to get personal and marriage counseling, which will work to reduce the incidence of domestic violence and suicide among the military. As we are all aware, domestic violence occurs within all groups and levels of society. However, the military presents families with particular challenges not normally found in civilian society. Today I want to take this issue a step further. The Veterans Administration oversees a similar program, the Transition Assistance Program, which provides a variety of transition services for military members and their spouses, including computerized job banks, resume writing assistance and help with the employment interviewing process. These transition services are made available to military spouses and family members without restrictions. Mr. Chairman, it is well known that one of the leading contributors to domestic violence is financial troubles at home. It is my hope that coordinating these two programs, these two agencies, we can get more out of our resources and provide more comprehensive services and assistance to our men and women who are transitioning back into society. I ask that the Defense Department and the Veterans Administration work jointly in providing a report to Congress that outlines a strategic plan in which these two agencies and programs can better coordinate these very important transition services.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer this amendment that has strong bipartisan support. This amendment will provide more funding for our Nation's seaports. This is a measure that is long overdue. I will put it simply: my amendment will transfer $275 million from the Disaster Relief program to the Port Security Grant program, which will provide a total of $400 million for fiscal year 2005 funding for our Nation's seaports. The choices that we have to make in light of this budget are very difficult. Our needs are much greater than our resources. Therefore, transferring funds from the Disaster Relief program seems to be a way of providing more funding for a very critical issue and a national security issue. This year, the Disaster Relief program is being funded at $2 million, a $242 million increase from the fiscal year 2004 level of $1.8 million. There is $500 million of unexpended funding from last year's Disaster Relief program. Combine the two and we have an excess of $742 million. Subtract $275 million from the $742 million access in Disaster Relief, and the program still has a surplus of $467 million, while the Port Security Grant program will be funded at $400 million, the very minimum that the Coast Guard has recommended to secure our ports. The question has to be asked, can we use some of this access funding to secure our Nation's ports and address a very important homeland security issue? This additional funding will help secure our Nation's 361 ports and the many, many communities that surround them. Our Nation's coastline is our longest border, which is a 95,000-mile coast that includes the Great Lakes and inland waterways. Protecting America's seaports is also critical to the Nation's economic growth, vitality, and security. Whether my colleagues have a seaport in their district or not, our Nation's seaports touch communities across this country and fuel our national economy. Seaports handle 95 percent of our Nation's overseas trade by volume, support the mobilization and deployment of U.S. armed forces, and serve as a transit point for millions of cruise and ferry passengers. Maritime industries contribute $742 billion per year to the U.S. Gross National Product. By supporting this amendment, my colleagues will be providing the minimum amount that the Coast Guard has recommended. For example, the Coast Guard has recommended that the minimum investment in securing our Nation's seaports are $1.1 billion first-year investment, $5.4 billion over the next 10 years, and that is a total of upwards of $6.5 billion. These recommendations were made over 2 years ago. The price will only go up if we wait any longer. To date, only $517 million has been allocated for port security funding. In contrast, this Congress provided upwards of $11 billion to aviation security after 9/11. We have acted as a unified body in the past in addressing our Nation's overarching security needs. We need to do that again in port security. My amendment will address some of our Nation's most glaring vulnerabilities instead of after the fact. We have a Coast Guard recommendation. We have the blueprint of how to secure our seaports. Now we must make a concerted effort to get the most out of how we invest the people's money. My amendment does just that. Finally, we have a precedent of the impact our ports have on our economy if they were to be shut down. As we remember, back in 2002, during the West Coast lockout, our western ports were closed for 10 days. The impact to the national economy was estimated at $1 billion per day. That is a total of $10 billion. I am passionate about this issue. Today we have an opportunity to provide leadership and guidance for the present and future security of our Nation and our economy. The administration has only put in $47 million. That is underfunding our ports, which are critically vulnerable at this state. Mr. Chairman, we have an opportunity before us to assure the American people that we as Members of Congress are addressing the security needs of our Nation. We have created the Department of Homeland Security to shepherd us into the post-9/11 era. Although Congress and the administration have provided resources, they are too little to address this homeland security threat. This funding is still woefully inadequate. Now we must provide guidance and leadership on this national security issue. Let us use the tools that we have to focus on a very important national security issue. We owe it to our communities to lead and not react.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to offer an amendment to a section that has passed.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, I am withdrawing this amendment. I thank the indulgence of the chairman and the ranking member and do urge them to try to find funding for this very critical national security issue.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. I would like to engage in a colloquy with the chairman on the Department of the Interior's renewable portfolio and specifically our Nation's geothermal resources. The vast majority of proven geothermal resources in the United States are located on Federal lands. Efficient administration of permits to prospect for geothermal energy on Federal lands is essential to harnessing our geothermal resources. I am proposing that the Bureau of Land Management conduct a report-assessing permit administration associated with our geothermal resources and a strategic plan on how we can best utilize our Nation's clean and efficient energy resources. This report sets the stage to address a critically underdeveloped energy segment of our national renewable energy portfolio. The problem was cited in a January, 2004, Associated Press article which stated that the Federal Government has a backlog of 230 lease applications to prospect for geothermal energy. This article also stated that the average age of an application to prospect geothermal sites is 9 years. The urgency of this situation is already upon us. One has only to look at the high cost of natural gas, which is the preferred energy source for new electric generation plants. However, the Energy Information Agency recently reported that the delivery price of natural gas is at $6 per thousand cubic feet, and it is a four-fold increase since 1995. This situation is robbing our economic recovery of essential dollars to create jobs and increase our reliance on foreign- owned energy resources. I look forward to working with the chairman and the committee during the conference in securing resources and focus on geothermal resource issues. Specifically, I think we will gain an accurate understanding of geothermal resource permit processing within the Federal Government and what we need to do to improve that process. I believe that it is in the best interest of the American people and this committee to expedite the use of geothermal resources to meet our ever-growing electricity needs and improve our air quality.