Gary Miller

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Chairman, this amendment basically is unnecessary. It interferes with the GSEs' ability to provide stability and liquidity to the residential mortgage market, including during times of crisis, which is mostly important. The bill already allows the regulator to address safety and soundness concerns through risk-based capital, minimum capital, and portfolio powers. Adding this systemic risk language would likely add uncertainty and instability into the secondary-mortgage market, ultimately resulting in a negative impact on the housing markets. H.R. 1461 gives the new regulator the same powers and authority that bank regulators have, and more, including the authority to limit the growth of the housing GSEs for safety and soundness reasons. Bank regulators do not have the authority to limit growth of banks for undefined systemic risk reasons. The Royce amendment goes beyond the bank-like regulation. Similar to bank regulatory authority, H.R. 1461 gives the GSE regulator the discretion to increase a GSE's capital requirement, particularly the minimum capital requirement, which effectively empowers the regulator to limit the growth of a GSE's portfolio. H.R. 1461 also gives the regulator the authority to adjust risk-based capital, which provides a risk-related measure by which the regulator evaluates all aspects of a GSE's business. H.R. 1461 already provides an unprecedented level of authority over the enterprises' portfolios. The bill gives the regulator broad authority over the size and competition of the GSEs' portfolios. The regulator could force an enterprise to dispose of any asset or liability if the regulator determines that doing so would be consistent with safety and soundness. Let me quote from the bill itself. H.R. 1461, page 53: ``Notwithstanding the capital classifications of the GSE, the director may by order require an enterprise, under such terms and conditions as the director determines to be appropriate, to dispose of or acquire any asset or liability, if the director determines that such action is consistent with the safe and sound operation of the GSE.'' By harming the GSEs' ability to support our Nation's mortgage market, the Royce amendment would endanger housing. Reducing the size of the GSE portfolios for reasons other than those affecting the safety and soundness of the company could negatively impact home buyers and the mortgage market in the following ways: one, increasing mortgage rates for customers; two, limiting the liquidity available to small lenders to sell their mortgages, and many more. I strongly encourage a ``no'' vote for this amendment. Limiting the GSEs' ability to sustain the market in time of crises and keep mortgage rates stable. Reducing new mortgage product innovation--limiting the GSEs' ability to reach underserved populations and achieve their housing goals. Conclusions GSEs are essential to housing market. The GSEs' mortgage investment activities are crucial to fulfilling their mission to provide liquidity, stability and affordability in the residential mortgage market. Banks are not obligated to provide liquidity, stability or affordability to the mortgage market. They are free to enter or leave the market at any time. When market conditions become less favorable, they will shift into other, more profitable investments. Royce will reduce liquidity. Arbitrarily forcing the GSEs to reduce their mortgage investments would reduce liquidity in the mortgage market, hinder the GSEs' ability to stabilize the market, and make mortgage credit more expensive.

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Madam Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. GSEs have been at the forefront of creating affordable housing opportunities for American families. While nationally the homeownership rate is at a record high of 69.2 percent, many high-cost metropolitan areas across the Nation lag behind this national rate. In the second quarter of 2004, the national average was 69.2 percent. Yet in New York, New York it was 36.6; Los Angeles, California, 51.6; Orange County, California 61.4; and Boston, Massachusetts, 59.4. The high-cost area designation takes median home prices into account, but would be capped at 150 percent of the statutory loan limit, the same limit that now applies to Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. If it is good enough for Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, and the Virgin Islands, it should also be good enough for California; Michigan; New York; Connecticut; New Jersey; Nevada; Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Pennsylvania; Florida; New Hampshire; and many more. For example, in the North New Jersey Metropolitan Statistical Area, the median home price is $435,200. It this amendment passes, it would drop to $359,650 under the loan limits. The conforming loan limit provision in this bill will make a meaningful cost difference for home buyers. Based on the current interest rate environment, the current monthly payment difference between a conforming loan and a jumbo loan can save a homeowner up to $171 per month. In high-cost areas a significant majority of entry- level homes exceed the national conforming loan limit. The conforming loan limits language in H.R. 1461 will help nearly 245,000 first-time home buyers. In fact, in the gentleman from New Jersey's (Mr. Garrett) district alone, it helps 42,987 first-time buyers. There is broad-based opposition to this amendment. National Association of Realtors oppose it; National Association of Home Builders, National Association of Mortgage Brokers, Independent Community Bankers of America, National Alliance of Independent Bankers. I just received a call from HUD Secretary Jackson, who also opposes this amendment. There are three parts in section 123. The Garrett amendment deletes all three in this section. I think that is an error on his part. This section sets conforming loan limits and requires the agency to make annual adjustments to the limits based on increases or decreases in a housing price index maintained by the agency. Two, the accuracy of the housing price index is required to be audited by the GAO. And, three, for high-cost metropolitan statistical areas, the conforming loan limit is raised to the lesser of 150 percent of the statutory limit or the median home price in the area. The Garrett amendment does not just strike the high-cost area provision, it completely strikes the entire conforming loan limits section of the bill: One, how the loan limit is calculated. Two, it creates uncertainty on who is supposed to set the new loan limit every year. Three, it eliminates flexibility in loan limits to reflect market fluctuations, and the GAO study to develop loan limit is deleted by this amendment entirely. This basically is to make sure that high-cost areas are provided the same flexibility that Guam, Alaska, Hawaii, and Virgin Islands are currently benefiting from. The housing costs are going up across this Nation. This bill was worked in a fashion to allow for that, to allow systematic review yearly of these high-cost areas so GSEs can go out and compete in the jumbo marketplace, decreasing the cost of loans to individuals, decreasing their payments, allowing more individuals in the first-time marketplace to own a home and get the best possible home they can buy, especially during bad times. When the economy starts to fail, banks sometimes pull out of marketplaces. GSEs at that time pull into them in a heavier fashion to make sure there is liquidity. There is ample overview within this bill to make sure safety and soundness are taken into consideration. These loans are securitized. These loans just are just not sitting out there floating in the marketplace. These are good, sound loans based on people who need that. Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Madam Chairman, the gentleman should have been consistent and deleted Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, and the Virgin Islands. Madam Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez).

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Madam Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Israel).

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 177, the Santa Ana River Water Supply Enhancement Act of 2005. I want to thank Resources Chairman Pombo and Water Subcommittee Chairman Radanovich for recognizing the importance of this bill, basically providing innovative water solutions to the challenges posed by chronic water shortages in Southern California. This bill will authorize water resource reliability projects in the Southern California region and dramatically improve the water supply reliability of the Santa Ana River watershed and the water basin in San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange counties. Water scarcity issues and wastewater treatment are particularly important to my region. If you want to sustain our Nation's economic growth and provide for rapidly increasing population, we must ensure there is an efficient and reliable access to water resources and pursue modernized sanitation infrastructure. It is critical that we find innovative solutions to the challenges posed by chronic water shortages in Southern California. In Southern California, water supply deficiency discourages economic growth, endangers the environment, and compromises the health and safety of residents. Because of limited supplies and increased demands, Southern California communities continue to seek nontraditional methods to produce reliable, dependable resources, including water through recycling and desalination. This bill would help reduce Southern California's dependence on imported water supply by constructing the recycling project, desalination demonstration reclamation project, the regional brine line project and will help in the study of technologies of water recycling. The Federal Government's specific role in water recycling and desalination projects is in title XVI of the reclamation wastewater and groundwater studies in the Facilities Act, which direct the Department of the Interior to award Federal grants to communities developing nontraditional water supplies. The significant local cost share and minimal Federal share makes these projects attractive to private financing partnerships and encourages regional solutions to complex water problems. Upon full implementation, these projects will create an estimated 200,000 new acre feet of water for the region, upon full implementation, some 65.2 million gallons of water; and that is significant for our region. It reduces the impact of water from the Colorado River in Northern California. As this bill moves forward, I ask my colleagues to support this. This is good for the environment, good for people, and good for the region.

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 99.5 KKLA-FM, Los Angeles, California's leading Christian- teaching radio station, as it celebrates 20 years of community-oriented broadcasting. And what an amazing twenty years it has been. From its humble beginnings in a small studio in Hollywood to the multimedia powerhouse it is today, KKLA-FM has always striven to engage Southern California listeners with thought-provoking discussions and family friendly programming. In an age when our media increasingly focuses on violent and offensive material, KKLA-FM has consistently remained committed to providing quality material for listeners of all ages. Since October 15, 1985, KKLA-FM's first day on the air, the station has been dedicated to its mission of beaming the Lord's word and teachings to Southern California. But it wasn't until 1986, with the debut of ``Live from LA,'' that the station moved to the national forefront as the voice of Southern California's Christian community. Today, KKLA-FM is unquestionably the leader of Christian-themed radio in Southern California. KKLA-FM's success was twenty years in the making. It was the first Los Angeles radio station and second in the nation to stream their programming on the Internet. And the station was quick to develop other radio outlets, including News/Talk 870 KRLA-AM, 95.9 KFSH-FM (The Fish), News/Talk 590 KTIE-AM and 1190 KXMX-AM. The development of these technologies has helped to grow KKLA-FM's listener base and spread its message of peace, tolerance, and love to listeners around the world. Much of KKLA-FM's accomplishments can be attributed to the dedication and passion of its owner, Salem Communications Corporation, the leading U.S. radio broadcaster focused on Christian and family themes programming. The company will soon own 106 radio stations, including 67 stations in 24 of the top 25 markets. In addition to its radio properties, Salem owns Salem Radio Network, which syndicates talk, news and music programming to over 1,900 affiliated radio stations; Salem Web Network, the leading Internet provider of Christian content and online streaming; and Salem Publishing, a leading publisher of Christian themed magazines. I congratulate all the listeners and employees of KKLA-FM, who should be extremely proud of the station they have helped to build. I ask this Congress to join me in wishing the KKLA-FM family a happy 20th anniversary.

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 3824, a bill to bring much-needed reforms to the outdated Endangered Species Act (ESA). While I believe Congress must work to ensure its policies protect and preserve our nation's natural resources and environment, the current interpretation of the ESA has strayed significantly from the original intent of the law and done little to protect our nation's endangered species. While the ESA has the laudable goal of preventing the extinction of species, the fact is the law is broken and has created an adverse relationship between the government and America's farmers, ranchers, and private property owners. For example, of the 1,304 species that have been listed as endangered over the last 31 years, only 12 have been de-listed, a one percent success rate. Although our understanding of what is required to protect and recover endangered species has grown and become more sophisticated, the ESA has remained a blunt set of mandates that do not reflect or accommodate these advancements. I firmly believe we must allow the states and the federal government to work together to ensure the true intent of the ESA, to help preserve and recover endangered species, can be accomplished. H.R. 3824, the Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act, repairs many of the problems inherent in the ESA by requiring the use of the best scientific data in all listing decisions, replacing the broken critical habitat program with a more integrated recovery planning process, and strengthening the role of states. In addition, this bill makes great strides to ensure regulatory certainty for private property owners by providing compensation for lands vital to species rehabilitation, increasing transparency throughout the process, and encouraging voluntary conservation efforts. These provisions will help ensure that species conservation efforts take a more collaborative and less confrontational approach to protecting endangered species. Now is the time to modernize the ESA and move forward to update this law to bring it into the 21st century. I urge my colleagues to pass this important measure to ensure the protection and recovery of America's wildlife, while balancing the needs of the communities in which we live and work.

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor our former colleague and my good friend, the Honorable Christopher Cox. For almost 20 years, Chris Cox has served his country nobly, admirably, and to the best of his ability as a public official and legislator. Now President Bush has tapped him for a new chapter in his public service career as the next Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. In making this choice, the President could not have picked a more qualified, a more determined, and a more able candidate. Chris Cox has extensive experience as an attorney specializing in venture capital and corporate finance and a lecturer at Harvard Business School where he taught Federal income tax law. He began his service to our nation as a Senior Associate Counsel to President Reagan, advising the President on a range of issues. Now he will continue this service in a different capacity as the Chairman of the SEC, where he will have a platform to encourage corporate responsibility and raise investor confidence. From 1988, until very recently, Chairman Cox represented Orange County faithfully in the U.S. Congress. In this body, his leadership was essential in authoring the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act and the Internet Tax Freedom Act. Chairman Cox was also instrumental in the creation of a permanent Homeland Security Committee, on which he served as the first Chairman. No matter his role in this House, he continuously worked for a smaller and more efficient government, a fiscally responsible budget, and an overall better America. For the last 7 years, I had the great privilege of being his colleague in this House. Here I witnessed firsthand the depth of his intellect and the extent of his devotion to our nation. I also witnessed his compassion and care for the residents of south Orange County. He represented them loyally and they rewarded him with eight consecutive reelections to the House of Representatives. As Chairman Cox leaves these halls to continue his public service at the SEC, I can say with certainty that he will be missed by his fellow lawmakers, his constituents, and the American people. We can take solace, however, in his call to a higher duty. In this time of war and economic uncertainty, America needs capable leaders--leaders with experience, with knowledge, with determination--leaders like Christopher Cox. As Chris Cox begins his new challenge as Chairman of the SEC, I am confident that the qualities that made him such a great Congressman will likewise make him an excellent Chairman.

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise and applaud the gentleman from Wisconsin (Chairman Sensenbrenner) for this reasonable approach to volunteers who are trying to help people. This is an amazing debate that is taking place today because, last week, we were concerned about people dying, getting help to them, providing all the assets we could provide to save lives. Now, think about the people in the construction industry who want to do good. The people after 9/11, some of them were sued because they volunteered to go help prior to contracts being let. There were no government contracts being let. They wanted to volunteer. They might have provided an excavator, a grader, a backhoe, a dump truck. Let us say someone in New Orleans happened to own a boat, and he wanted to go help people. He went to pull somebody into his boat to save them, and they slipped, broke an arm, a total accident. Some trial lawyer says, hey, we can make you rich. Let us sue the guy who brought the boat. Somebody is out there trying to help people. There is a dirt road that needs grading, and the guy volunteers to go out there with his blade, regrade the road, somebody walks across it afterwards, slips, and some trial lawyer says, hey, we can make you a fortune. You just slipped on something somebody did, and we will hold the contractor liable because they volunteered to do good. We have construction expertise in this country that is sorely needed during times of disaster. We cannot continue to allow a message to be sent to those volunteers. I became a general contractor in my early 20s. I have been in the business for over 35 years. There are many good people out there who work very hard, earn a good living, and they want to give a little back to their country and to the people who they have benefited from through volunteering in a time of disaster when they know they can do good, they can make things better, and they can save lives. The argument I heard today was quite the opposite. Last week, we had a hearing in Financial Services talking about all the people who are living in football stadiums and warehouses. We have to get those people out of there, get them to some home to live in, some safe environment. Now, a person goes out there who owns a motor home, decides to haul a bunch of people from a stadium, somebody trips getting in their motor home and gets sued. Is that reasonable or fair? No. If there is negligence on the part of the individual who volunteered, hold them accountable. But the gentleman from Wisconsin (Chairman Sensenbrenner) is not for holding anybody unaccountable for gross negligence or violating the law. But if you volunteer to help in a case like this where people are dying, all of a sudden trial lawyers are more important than the people we are trying to save during a disaster.

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I see on the chairman's face a sigh of relief this morning. I know this has been an arduous process, dealing with some of the issues, especially in the last 2 weeks. This is very good for this country, and specifically for my State of California. Many things that are good take time. This is one thing that took time to percolate. Everybody would have liked to have seen more money, but we are not going to break the budget. We are going to work within the dollars we have, but this is huge. The gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri) has worked very hard, along with the ranking member, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar). And the gentleman from California (Chairman Thomas) worked hard trying to provide the funds. In California, probably the most significant project, in my opinion, would be the Alameda corridor. We have the Port of San Pedro and Long Beach, which handles about 40 percent of all of the commerce shipped into this country and out of this country, and our communities are being tremendously impacted by that. We have a good amount of money coming back to California to start this project. We have been given assurances that when the moneys are needed, the funds will be provided to complete this project. Yes, there are things we would prefer to have changed in this bill, but the bill we are bringing back to the people of our Nation, specifically California, is good. It will provide jobs. People are sitting in traffic, sitting at grade crossings watching trains go by. Our job is to provide relief and ensure that commerce can flow, people can drive to and from work, they can get their kids to school without being impacted by traffic issues. The State of California has very few dollars, almost zero in the last few years, to provide for traffic issues and infrastructure and the needs that we have for bridges and highways in California. These dollars going back to California are tremendous. Once again, I thank the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) for his leadership on this bill.

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the provisions in this bill that address the unwillingness of Mexico to extradite violent criminals back to the United States for prosecution. I want to be sure all of my colleagues are aware that we share our southern border with a country that willingly harbors criminals: rapists, robbers, and murderers. Since 2001, Mexico has become a fugitive paradise where people accused of heinous crimes in the United States can escape from American justice. I would like to share one of these stories with Members today. In 2002, Deputy David March, a 7-year veteran of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, was brutally shot while performing a routine traffic stop at 10:30 in the morning. The suspect, Armando Garcia, fled to Mexico to avoid prosecution. Garcia was an illegal alien who disregarded our Nation's immigration laws when coming to California from Mexico. Once in the United States, he continued his life as a criminal plaguing our streets with drugs and engaging in other criminal activities, including two attempted murders. While he had already been deported three times, Garcia again ignored our Nation's laws and illegally entered the United States a fourth time. This time, he brutally murdered a police officer who was merely stopping him for a routine traffic violation. Garcia killed Deputy March by shooting him execution style in the side of his chest where the bulletproof vest did not cover, and in the head. Now this monster, who has demonstrated a total disregard for the laws of our country over and over again, walks free in Mexico. Even worse, his blatant contempt for our laws is being implicitly sanctioned by the Mexican Government which is protecting him from prosecution for his heinous crimes. Mexican officials have refused to extradite Garcia because he could face the death penalty or life in prison for murdering Deputy David March. Let us be clear, the Mexican Government is harboring a cop killer. Every day law enforcement officers nobly protect our friends, neighbors, and families from crime. They work to improve the quality of life for all of us. Sometimes they pay the ultimate sacrifice. For that, they and their families deserve our sincere appreciation and utmost respect. For 7 years, Deputy March dedicated his life to the pursuit of justice and to the protection of our communities. We must honor the sacrifice that he and his family paid for our safety by pursuing justice for his senseless murder. I have met Deputy March's family. To see the pain and anger in their faces, knowing their son's killer is roaming free across our southern border, is heart-breaking. We cannot sit silently while Mexico becomes a criminal black hole for murderers seeking to escape from justice. We must learn from Deputy March's murderer. If another country is unwilling to respect America's laws, its citizens will also disregard our rule of law when they cross over our borders. I commend the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) for including a provision in this bill to urge the Mexican Government to reconsider its faulty extradition policy, and I hope my colleagues will support this and other legislative efforts to ensure that Mexico respects the laws of the United States.

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 2864, the Water Resources Development Act of 2005. This important legislation is long overdue in addressing the needs of our Nation's water resources infrastructure. I commend the gentleman from Alaska (Chairman Young) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Chairman Duncan) for their hard work and dedication in drafting a water infrastructure policy that sets our Nation on the course to an economically and environmentally sustainable future. The dependability of our Nation's water infrastructure could not be more vital to the health, safety, and overall quality of life of every American. As a Representative from Southern California, where we face significant water supply challenges, a safe and reliable water supply infrastructure system is particularly important to me. The work to implement needed flood control measures is critical to preventing loss of life and property to our Nation's communities. This bill is critical to accommodating the many more flood control projects awaiting authorization. In addition, this bill streamlines the feasibility study process and enforces policies that are based on sound science. The enactment of this bill is of critical importance to the Nation's environmental and economic well-being. For every $1 billion spent on water resources development activities, approximately 40,000 jobs are created. In addition, an estimated $706 billion in damages has been prevented through flood reduction projects, representing a 6-to-1 return on investment. Congress must commit to infrastructure investments now to leave behind a legacy of economic security and opportunity for future generations. This bill provides a Federal commitment to such infrastructure investments, leaving behind a legacy of safe and reliable water infrastructure systems. I urge my colleagues to vote for this important bill to ensure our Nation has an economically and environmentally sound water resources infrastructure.

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 344, which expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that a Chinese government acquisition of a critical United States energy company could impair our national security and therefore justifies a comprehensive review. As a member of the Congressional China Caucus, I would like to commend Chairman Pombo for his hard work to ensure our country and its resources are protected. The bid by the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), whose majority owner is the Chinese government, to acquire Unocal Corporation is China's first attempt to secure energy resources in the United States and must be thoroughly evaluated. Unocal is one of America's leading independent natural gas and crude oil exploration and production companies. It is the country's ninth largest oil company, producing 159,000 barrels of oil and more than 1.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day. The Chinese oil company's plan to buy California-based Unocal poses serious questions about national security. In addition, this acquisition could mean less energy for the United States. In a free market economy, mergers and acquisitions are a common way to enter foreign markets. However, China does not yet comprehend laissez faire economic principles. While our economy promotes competition for the sake of consumers, China's economy is easily influenced by political forces. As a state-owned corporation with ties to Chinese government leaders, I am worried that CNOOC's motivation is aligned to political and nationalistic goals. Specifically, I am troubled that CNOOC may use Unocal's technology to advance China's military. As is evidenced by passage of the Energy Policy Act in the House and the Senate, I know that all Members of Congress understand the critical need to secure the future availability of energy resources for American consumers. I fear China is attempting to buy Unocal not as an investment, but to use the company's vast reserves, especially its natural gas fields, for its own benefit at the cost of the U.S. economy. For these reasons, Congress must ensure the Chinese company's bid is carefully reviewed by all of the relevant agencies. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution to demonstrate that we will not let China damage our economy or compromise our national security through hostile acquisitions of oil and natural gas resources.

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer a modest amendment to ensure that HUD can continue to work to redevelop brownfields sites in our local communities. As a member of the Committee on Financial Services and Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I would like to commend the subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Knollenberg), for his hard work to adequately fund our Nation's housing and transportation needs through this difficult budget year. What we are trying to do here today is, there has been a program zeroed out for brownfields. As we all know, on the BEDI grants on brownfields through HUD, HUD looks at a brownfield in a different way than EPA does. HUD looks at a brownfield in a fashion where they look and say, what benefit is it to the local communities, and how can we revitalize communities and create economic development? They do it in that fashion. They are very discriminatory in how they issue the grants, too. On the other hand, the EPA looks at one issue, cleaning up polluted areas. That is all they look at. Experts estimate in the United States that more than 450,000 vacant, unused industrial areas sit fallow today because we really have not taken and spent the time necessary to clean them up. If you look throughout our communities, there are many sites that you see that are fenced in, old plants, old industrial areas, that are sitting vacant that could be utilized today for housing and for many other areas. And they are just basically blighted sites throughout individual communities. They threaten our groundwater supply. They cost our communities jobs and revenues, and they contribute to urban sprawl. It is estimated that if, we clean these sites up the way we want to, 550,000 additional jobs will be provided through this country and $2.4 billion in new tax revenues to cities and towns. To build the economies and attract employers, an increasing number of States and local governments are working to plan, clean up and redevelop brownfield sites. There is a clear and critical role for the Department of Housing and Urban Development to get involved and play a role in this effort. The largest obstacle cities face in redevelopment of brownfield sites is a lack of capital needed for the initial work, the planning, the early stages, the assessment, remediation planning and basically actual cleanup. Brownfields can be developed through HUD and developed in a positive fashion, but we do not do that today. BEDI grants are available. We have passed legislation now out of the authorizing committee, in fact, the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Oxley) was going to be here to speak in favor of this amendment today, to basically revitalize the BEDI process, to make it more simplistic, to make it easier for communities to be able to access the funds without pledging CDBG fund as they have had to in the past. We need to return these contaminated sites to productive uses throughout our communities. BEDI programs give local communities valuable tools to address blight, create new jobs and expand their tax base. It is completely different in every State today than EPA. EPA has a single goal, and that is just basically to clean up environmentally polluted sites. On the other hand, HUD looks at it in a different fashion. HUD looks at the BEDI process as a way to revitalize sites, to take an actual environmental condition that is perceived or real and basically develop it into a plan that currently exists. They target for uses not just basically on one issue, but they target brownfields for use for economic development, to increase economic opportunities for low-and moderate-income persons, to stimulate and retain businesses or jobs, that would otherwise be left fallow and not lead to economic revitalization. BEDI financed activities will provide near-term results and demonstrable economic benefits, such as job creation and increases in the local tax base. HUD does not encourage applicants who want to land bank, who want to go and acquire a site, remediate it, and then just let it sit there and allow it to remain fallow.

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts.

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I thank the gentleman. The important part is you could generate $2.4 billion to local government by cleaning these sites up. We need to give HUD an opportunity to do what they do best, and that is local economic development, community development. We need to reform the program, there is no doubt about it. The legislation we have at hand does that. I would encourage support in this area.

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Chairman, I agree that a more flexible, widely accessible program needs to be developed. I believe my bill, H.R. 280, achieves that goal, and that is why the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Oxley) and I have been fighting very hard and believe that we do need this program. I think we need it. Does it need improvement? Yes, I agree. We are going to improve it, and I appreciate the gentleman's help.

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate homeownership in America. Recently, President Bush designated June as National Homeownership Month as he has done for the past three years. To complement this designation, H. Res. 312, provides congressional recognition of National Homeownership Month and the importance of homeownership in the United States. This resolution expresses the sense of Congress that the House of Representatives: (1) Fully supports the goals and ideals of National Homeownership Month; and (2) recognizes the importance of homeownership in building strong communities and families. Importance of Homeownership in America For generations, the goal of owning a home has been the bedrock of our economy and a fundamental part of the American Dream. Over the last three years, as we have faced the challenges of war and economic uncertainty, the housing markets have helped to keep our economy strong. Nationally, housing generates more than 22 percent of the Gross Domestic Product and accounts for nearly 40 cents of every dollar spent. America's housing markets are the envy of the world. We enjoy the lowest interest rates and the highest homeownership rates of any developed nation. In fact, the national homeownership rate in the United States has reached a record high of 69.1 percent and more than half of all minority families are homeowners. Over 73.4 million Americans are now homeowners, with many more achieving this goal every day. Homeownership is the single largest creator of wealth for Americans. It is the largest investment most families will ever make and a key to promoting long-term economic stability. For these reasons, we must continue to promote policies that ensure more Americans may achieve the goal of homeownership. Homeownership Builds Stronger Communities Aside from helping millions of Americans achieve their dreams, homeownership also helps to build neighborhoods and strengthen communities. For families across this Nation, a home is not just four walls and a roof. It is a refuge from the perils of the outside world, a break after a hard day's work, and a foundation on which to raise a family. A home is a place for children to learn, play, and grow, as well as a place where the elderly may retire with a lifetime of memories. Owning a home also provides homeowners a tangible stake in their cities and towns. Families who own homes have a vital stake in their communities, a stronger interest in the safekeeping of their neighborhoods, and a deeper commitment to the quality of their schools and libraries. Each home is a critical piece in a successful neighborhood, allowing families to enjoy community events together and share in the lives of their neighbors and friends. As millions of American families have demonstrated, increased homeownership helps to build better communities, and better communities help to build a better America. Congress's Role in Promoting Homeownership As responsible legislators, we need to ensure that government helps, rather than impedes, homeownership in America. When I came to Congress, I made it my top priority to highlight Federal policies that have hindered the availability of housing in this country and to find ways for government to positively impact homeownership in America. While we have done much to help Americans become homeowners, we must do more. We must remove the hurdles and needless regulations that keep homeownership out of the reach of some American families. We must also promote fair lending and fair housing regulations to increase housing opportunities for all Americans. With June designated as National Homeownership Month, there is no better time to address these issues. Now more than ever, Congress must cultivate an environment in which more Americans may turn the dream of homeownership into reality. Support National Homeownership Month and H. Res. 312 I am very pleased to see the President has made it a priority to promote affordable housing and homeownership. His Administration has taken a leading role in finding new and innovative ways to expand homeownership, particularly among minorities and families in low-income areas. I commend the hard work of Secretary Jackson and his team at HUD for their work in developing programs to increase affordable housing and encourage homeownership. As a vital part of this goal, National Homeownership Month is a reminder of the importance of housing issues in America. This bipartisan resolution, H. Res. 312, recognizes the need for National Homeownership Month and the overall importance of homeownership in America. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 312 to reinforce our commitment to housing opportunities and to help guarantee the dream of homeownership for more American families.

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate homeownership in America. Recently, the President designated June as National Homeownership Month as he has done for the past three years. To complement this designation, I have introduced a resolution to recognize National Homeownership Month and the importance of homeownership in the United States. This resolution expresses the sense of Congress that the House of Representatives: (1) fully supports the goals and ideals of National Homeownership Month; and (2) recognizes the importance of homeownership in building strong communities and families. Importance of Homeownership in America For generations, the goal of owning a home has been the bedrock of our economy and a fundamental part of the American Dream. Over the last three years, as we have faced the challenges of war and economic uncertainty, the housing and refinance markets have helped to keep our economy moving. Nationally, housing generates more than 22 percent of the Gross Domestic Product and accounts for nearly 40 cents of every dollar spent. America's housing markets are the envy of the world. We enjoy the lowest interest rates and the highest homeownership rates of any developed nation. In fact, the national homeownership rate in the United States has reached a record high of 69.1 percent and more than half of all minority families are homeowners. Over 73.4 million Americans are now homeowners, with many more achieving this goal on a daily basis. Homeownership is the single largest creator of wealth for Americans. It is the largest investment most families will ever make and a key to promoting long-term economic stability for all Americans. For these reasons alone, we must continue to promote strong housing and refinance markets in America. Homeownership Builds Stronger Communities Aside from helping millions of Americans achieve their dreams, homeownership also helps to build neighborhoods and strengthen communities. Families who own homes have a vital stake in their communities, a stronger interest in the safekeeping of their neighborhoods, and a deeper commitment to the quality of their schools and libraries. Each home is a critical piece in a successful neighborhood, allowing families to enjoy community events together and share in the lives of their neighbors and friends. Owning a home also provides children with a place to learn, play, and grow, and gives homeowners a tangible stake in their cities and towns. As millions of American families have demonstrated, increased homeownership helps to build better communities, and better communities help to build a Better America. Congress's Role in Promoting Homeownership As responsible legislators, we need to ensure that government helps, rather than impedes, homeownership in America. When I came to Congress, I made it my top priority to highlight federal policies that have hindered the availability of housing in this country and to find ways for government to positively impact homeownership in America. While we have done much to help Americans become homeowners, we must do more. I firmly believe that Congress must cultivate an environment where more Americans can turn the dream of homeownership into reality. I Urge My Colleagues to Support Homeownership Month I am very pleased to see the President has made it a priority to promote affordable housing and homeownership. The Administration has taken a leading role in finding new and innovative ways to expand homeownership, particularly among minorities. I want to commend the hard work of Secretary Jackson and his team at HUD for their work in developing programs to increase affordable housing and encourage homeownership. I urge my colleagues to recognize the importance of homeownership in the United States and reinforce our commitment to providing homeownership opportunities for more Americans by cosponsoring this important resolution.

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, it is with heartfelt joy that I rise today to offer my best wishes for the recent marriage of John Rothrock and Britt Moses. For the last 6 years, John Rothrock has served loyally and faithfully as my Chief of Staff. In this capacity, I have witnessed firsthand the depth of John's love for Britt and the strength of his commitment to her. It has been my great fortune to personally observe the warm affection and special bond they share. Last Saturday, June 4, 2005, John and Britt took their vows, expressing their mutual devotion and love for each other. I was extremely proud to join their friends and family in celebrating this special day. Marriage is a wonderful institution and I am confident that the union of John and Britt will be another lasting testament to the sanctity of marriage. As they start their new life together, I trust John and Britt will be a blessing to one another, partners in all aspects of life, and forever mindful of the love they feel today. Mr. Speaker, I ask the 109th Congress to join me in congratulating Mr. and Mrs. Rothrock on their recent union and in wishing this couple a lifetime of happiness together.

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, in 1898, the United States engaged in a brief military conflict with Spain. To pay for the three month skirmish, lawmakers enacted a luxury tax that would only tap money from the super wealthy. Today, that same luxury tax lives on, but instead of taxing only the rich, it hits the pocket books of almost all Americans, both rich and poor. The tax is the federal phone tax. A pesky three percent surcharge on all phone calls made in the United States. Today I am introducing a bill to ensure its days, like those of the Spanish empire before the 1898 war, are numbered. H.R. 1898, the ``Telephone Excise Tax Repeal Act of 2005,'' will repeal the antiquated tax on telecommunication services. While a ``luxury'' tax on telecommunication services might have made sense in 1898, there is no question that telecommunications services today are necessities, not luxuries. Today, Americans depend daily on land line telephones, cell phones and dial-up internet services to communicate. However, we continue to take money from Americans by classifying these services as a ``luxury.'' Today, more than 100 million American households are paying for a tax on their telecommunications services. The tax is not only applied to local services, but on specialty features including call waiting, caller ID, local toll charges, long- distance calls, wireless services and directory assistance. This tax burdens our communication abilities and is destructive to technological innovation. It must be repealed immediately. Telephone tax revenues once used to pay for the Spanish-American War are deposited in the General Fund. Unlike the gas tax, which directs revenues to the Highway Trust Fund, no specific account exists to redirect money collected from the telephone ``luxury'' tax. Other items subject to a ``luxury'' tax include airplane tickets, beer and liquor, firearms and cigarettes. Obviously, a telephone is a necessity, and thus does not fit with this list of ``luxury'' items. It is time to hang up on the telephone tax. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important legislation to permanently repeal the federal telephone excise tax.

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Chairman, this bill has been a long time coming. I would like to commend Chairman Young and Ranking Member Oberstar for their work together on this bill. It is amazing how two individuals from different parties can get together and share a common cause, and that is to better the transportation system within our Nation. I would also like to commend Chairman Young's staff, they have been very accessible trying to accomplish this bill, and Subcommittee Chairman Petri. I understand your passion, and I share that with you, but I have watched you work in recent years and your motivation towards providing a better transportation system for this country. When this country was founded, we had basically two main areas of oversight. That was to ensure interstate commerce, and protect and defend our borders. This bill ensures interstate commerce. It is definitely not the amount of money a lot of us would like to see it be. Chairman Young, I know, fought very hard, and we all know what a kind and gentle man he is and an easy man to get along with, but he put that aside and was willing to be forceful, he is a forceful man by nature, and to really fight for what we believe is right and that is more money for our States. California, as the previous speaker said, is probably the largest donor State in this Nation. Unless you go to California and you drive the freeways and you understand what working people go through, what truckers go through, the problem we face with the Alameda Corridor East which deals directly with the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, when that was funded originally in the mid-nineties, we funded 100 percent of the improvements from the harbors to commerce, but there was nothing done from commerce all the way through LA County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County and Orange County. The impact is incredible, and it is growing daily. How many people do you know that cannot afford to live within the communities within which they work so they have to buy in an area that is outside of their working areas, we see in California, and they spend hours each day driving back and forth to work, and it is getting worse. Unless we come up with the funds to improve our at-grade crossings for the trains, we are just going to sit there and watch trains go by. We are going to sit on the freeways and watch trucks coming back and forth from those harbors when people are trying to get back and forth to work to provide for their families. Nothing has as great an impact on our economic development, growth patterns and quality of life as transportation. If you are going to have a good system, if you are going to have a system that is critical in keeping people moving and goods moving and cities and communities prosperous, you have to provide for the transportation needs that the American people are demanding and require. In California, they have gone through some very difficult economic times. The State of California has been in deficit for recent years and is having to continue to cut back on their spending. One area they tend to focus on cutting back on seems to be transportation. I have never been as impacted by calls, letters and requests from my local communities, and those requests are for dollars to be able to meet the local transportation needs that they have, needs that, in the past, they have been able to accommodate themselves. This year, in some of our communities in California, it is worse than others because we have been plagued by an incredible amount of rain, more rain than the sewers in California are able to accommodate. We have houses sliding off of hills, very severe economic problems and situations that our cities and counties have been put into. And dollars that would otherwise be placed in transportation to fulfill those needs locally are being placed to help people who are being impacted by the slides and the devastation that California has recently experienced. Then that puts the cities in a situation where they have to come back to Congress and say, we need some of our tax dollars back to be able to help move people, to repair the potholes, to improve the highways, the freeways that are impacted, the bridges that are deteriorating in California and throughout this country. We have to do something about that. That is what this bill does. Again, I want to praise Chairman Young. He has done everything he can to provide the maximum amount of dollars we can through a bill. I would like to commend our leadership, Subcommittee Chairman Petri. I really appreciate everything he has done. The staff that are here in the room. They have always been accommodating and willing to listen to our needs, and they have always done what they can to help us. Chairman Young has gone out of his way to be understanding, cooperative and basically provide the resources that we need to better the people's lives in California. I am proud to be a part of this committee and be a part of this bill. I strongly support an ``aye'' vote.

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Chairman, I would like to begin by commending Chairman Young, Subcommittee Chairman Petri, and Ranking Member Oberstar for working tirelessly over the past several months to produce a reauthorization bill that effectively addresses America's transportation needs. As we all know, nothing has as great an impact on our economic development, growth patterns, and quality of life as transportation. A reliable and efficient transportation system is critical to keeping people and goods moving and cities and communities prosperous. Our Founding Fathers believed that the free-flow of interstate commerce was one of the important foundations of this country. In this generation, ensuring interstate commerce means making sure that goods can move along our freeway and rail systems to provide the goods and services that we need in this nation. H.R. 3, the Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (TEA-LU) will ensure that our transportation network continues to meet the demands of our nation's burgeoning economy and growing population. As it is, congestion is choking our roadways, bridges are in dire need of restructuring, and public transportation is failing to effectively meet the needs of America's commuters. With a constrained budget in my home state of California, many of my state's communities do not have enough money to fix potholes, let alone expand capacity to keep pace with our growing population. Passage of this important bill will sustain our nation's economic growth and ensure our constituents are provided with the safest and most efficient transportation network possible. Goods Movement One of the most important aspects of TEA-LU is its attention to the infrastructure deficiencies facing our nation's freight corridors. Southern California serves as a vital conduit for transporting goods to the rest of the nation. Southern California is the largest gateway for trade in the country, with 25 percent of the nation's exports and imports flowing through our seaports and airports. People throughout the United States and the world count on shipping freight to and receiving freight from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The combined ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are ranked as the nation's largest and the world's third largest deep-sea ports. Freight deliveries from California to the rest of the nation are expected to double by 2020. Currently in my district, more than 50 trains per day travel from the ports through Orange County's Orangethorpe rail corridor, with rail traffic expected to increase to 135 trains per day by the year 2020. While the importance of this corridor to our nation's economy is indisputable, so too are the effects increased train traffic has had on local communities' quality of life. Traffic congestion, noise, air pollution and delays in emergency-response time are just some of the negative side effects that accompany heavy rail traffic. Our local freeways, highways, streets and railways are essentially subsidizing the transport of our nation's goods and services. Projected rail delays will also prolong the delivery of vital goods and services to consumers across the nation. With a staggering $802 billion worth of goods shipped from California to the rest of the country each year, we simply cannot afford to ignore this issue any longer. Ensuring that these goods are transported across the country in a timely manner all depends on a fluid transportation system. Given that all of this multi-modal activity supports the national economy, Southern California's role must be recognized and supported at the national level. Environmental Streamlining We must act to ensure that we have policies and regulations conducive to swift and unencumbered project delivery. As it is, many transportation projects are unnecessarily delayed because of duplicative environmental requirements and administrative red tape. While I strongly believe that stewardship of the environment is critically important, I also believe that high-priority transportation projects must not be allowed to languish indefinitely in the federal environmental review process. For this reason, I have submitted a proposal to allow states like California, which has a wealth of experience administering its own stringent environmental laws, the responsibility for compliance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. This would go a long way toward ensuring that transportation projects are approved in a timely manner. Moreover, I am confident that environmental protection would be maintained and even enhanced under what would be a more centralized and efficient system of implementing transportation projects. I look forward to working with the chairman and ranking member between floor consideration and conference to incorporate an environmental streamlining pilot project into TEA-LU. The reauthorization of TEA-21 will provide communities across the nation with the money needed to effectively address their transportation needs. TEA-LU will provide California, along with the rest of America, with a framework to alleviate congestion on our roadways, enhance, and modernize our public transportation system, and repair and build upon an aging transportation infrastructure. As a member of the Transportation Committee, I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress and the Bush Administration to pass TEA-LU and ensure that America is provided with the funds and resources needed to maintain and grow our vital transportation infrastructure.