Randy Neugebauer

Mr. NEUGEBAUER

Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained when traveling from my district on February 8, 2005, and missed rollcall vote Nos. 20-22. Had I been present I would have voted ``aye'' on all three votes: Rollcall vote No. 20: H. Res. 46, Supporting the goals and ideals of National Mentoring Month; rollcall vote No. 21: H.R. 315, The John Milton Bryan Simpson United States Courthouse Designation Act; and rollcall vote No. 22: H.R. 548, The Tony Hall Federal Building and United States Courthouse Designation Act.

Mr. NEUGEBAUER

Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 418, the REAL ID Act of 2005. First, I would like to thank Chairman Sensenbrenner and the Judiciary Committee for their leadership on this bill, and for their dedication to securing our borders and protecting Americans from terrorists. My objective throughout debate over H.R. 10 was to get a bill that fully addressed all of our nation's security concerns. That means not only reforming how we gather and use intelligence, but also how we fight terrorism at home. I believe that the final bill that came to the floor fell short. That's why I voted against it. However, the REAL ID Act implements crucial provisions that were dropped from H.R. 10 and fixes several glaring holes in our border security. One of the most important provisions in this legislation asks states to work with the Department of Homeland Security to establish and use standards for drivers' licenses. Many states already have licenses that are difficult to counterfeit. Other states don't have stringent safeguards. Some have argued that this bill creates a national ID. It doesn't. I would oppose any bill that did so. This bill simply requires states to make it harder for someone like Muhammad Atta to get a driver's license, and to use that license to carry out terror plans. As the 9/11 Commission noted: ``All but one of the 9/11 hijackers acquired some form of U.S. identification document, some by fraud.'' Increased ID security will make it more difficult for terrorists to obtain documents through fraud and conceal their identity. Deterring terrorists from receiving state issued IDs will make it more likely that they will be detected by law enforcement. This bill also tightens our asylum system--a system that has been abused by terrorists with deadly consequences--by allowing judges to determine whether asylum seekers are truthful. Additionally, the bill will protect the American people by ensuring that grounds for keeping a terrorist out of the country are also grounds for deportation. Incredibly, we have legal justification to prevent an individual from entering the country if they have known terrorist ties, however, under current U.S. law once they set foot inside the border we cannot deport them. This hinders our ability to protect Americans from foreign terrorists who have infiltrated the United States. I think all Americans--and those of us on both sides of the aisle-- can agree that the 9/11 Commission identified a number of improvements that will help upgrade our intelligence and enhance America's security. This bill provides common sense provisions to help prevent another 9/ 11-type attack by protecting our borders and disrupting terrorist travel in the United States. I urge members to vote in favor of the REAL ID Act.

Mr. NEUGEBAUER

Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Chairman Moran).

Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time. I will just close with this thought. I came to this House tonight not to talk about politics, but about getting the job done for farmers and ranchers around this country, and I hope that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will join me and let us get the job done for American farm and ranch families.

Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Mrs. Musgrave).

Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne).

Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), chairman of the Committee on Agriculture. (Mr. GOODLATTE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bonilla), chairman of the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations. (Mr. BONILLA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, this amendment represents a fiscally responsible approach to agriculture disaster assistance. I want those that were devastated by the successive hurricanes that hit Florida and surrounding States to receive the much-needed aid they deserve. I also want to make sure that the disaster assistance package that helps farmers across the country who have faced losses in the past 2 years, including those who lost over 1.3 million acres of crops in west Texas last year, get their appropriate aid. I supported the bill that the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm) introduced that mirrored the assistance package that the Senate had approved. Unfortunately, like my friend from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) pointed out earlier, it has become apparent that that bill, without offsets, will not be successful. This amendment will provide assistance in a manner that is consistent with the Senate amendment. The cost is offset through the same mechanism used to fund the agriculture disaster program 2 years ago, capping the CSP or known as the Conservation Security Program. This offset does not impact current funding of the CSP, and even with the cap, the CSP will receive ample funds over the next 10 years. This approach does not, and I repeat does not, reopen the farm bill; it simply puts the 2003 cap back on the CSP. No farm commodity programs will be affected by this offset. Many have said, well, I would prefer a disaster program that had no offset. So would I. However, when we know that the preferred alternative is not going to be accepted in these negotiations, then we are willing to consider other alternatives that would ensure its passage. What is more important to me is, the farmers that suffered these losses in 2003 and 2004 get the very-much-needed relief that they deserve. It is a shame that disaster assistance becomes the political football this time of year in Washington. That is why I introduced legislation earlier this year that would provide a new crop insurance tool that would help alleviate the need for disaster programs in the future. I urge Members to support this amendment in order to provide agriculture disaster assistance for all farmers and ranchers who experienced severe losses and provide it in a fiscally responsible way. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. NEUGEBAUER

Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, really what we are here tonight about is farmers and ranchers. The farmers and ranchers do not want us to have to be here tonight. They did not ask for these droughts. They did not ask for these disasters. But, in fact, they experienced them just like the people in Florida did, and it affects farming and ranching families all across America. Several of my colleagues have gotten up and spoken about the tremendous impact it has had on those families and those economies. What we are talking about tonight is about doing something in this House for those farmers and ranchers. I rise today in support of the rule because it is going to help them. This is not something that is new, that was invented this evening. This is something that was done for the 2001 and 2002 disaster relief program, and it was taken out of this very same program in the 2003 bill. So we are not reinventing the wheel. We are trying to come up tonight in this House and say to the American families that make their living in farming and ranching across America, We care about you. We are trying to help you just like we did in 2001 and 2002. One of the reasons that I introduced a new risk management crop insurance tool was to take our farm families away from having to depend on the will of the United States Congress when they have these kinds of disasters because currently a lot of our risk management tools, our crop insurance products, are not adequate to cover these losses, and so they have to come back to this Congress and say, Would you please help us. What we need to do is to help them tonight and pass this rule.

Mr. NEUGEBAUER

Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the marriage protection amendment. This bill could also be called the family protection amendment. It could be called the child protection amendment because it is the best environment for our children's future. It is one that arises out of a marriage between one man and one woman. It is unfortunate that we have come to this point where Congress must step up and amend the United States Constitution in order to protect marriage in our country. However, the circumstances presented to us today leave us no choice but to do so. I want to ensure that the citizens of our Nation make this decision directly through their elected officials and their vote, and not by unelected Federal judges. I want my fellow Texans, not a Federal court, to decide what marriage is in our State. In 2003, the Texas legislature passed a law defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. The 1996 Defense of Marriage Act does not compel Texas to recognize same-sex marriages authorized by other States, and I support that law. However, the law does not keep same-sex couples with marriage licenses issued in other States from moving to Texas and suing to have their union recognized as a marriage in Texas. Would a Federal court or a Supreme Court uphold DOMA in this case? We do not know that. But what we do know based on recent history, the indication is that it is a safe bet that appointed judges and not the American people may make that decision. The situation I just described is not an imagined one. It is a reality in 11 States that are currently facing legal challenges in their States. Judges in these cases, not the people, will be able to define marriage. Mr. Speaker, this is not how our system of government was designed to work. To date, people across 44 States have spoken. They have sent the message that they believe marriage should consist of a union of a man and a woman. This represents 88 percent of our States. Mr. Speaker, in closing, it is not just what I am saying, but the children also know what the definition of marriage is.

Mr. NEUGEBAUER

Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor someone who is very important to me in my life, and that is my pastor, Bobby Dagnel. Bobby Dagnel opened today's session of the United States House of Representatives with an invocation that should guide us throughout the day as we do the people's business in the halls of the United States Congress. Pastor Dagnel began his senior pastorship at First Baptist Church in Lubbock on August 4, 2002. He completed his undergraduate work at the University of Texas at Tyler in 1985. And he went on to Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary where he received his Master's in Divinity in 1987. He is currently pursuing his Doctor of Ministry at George W. Truett Seminary. As Pastor Dagnel has traveled down this path, he has become a man of steadfast faith. He understands personally what it means to transform one's life from one without direction to one that is full of purpose and meaning. Pastor Dagnel is a wonderful family man, a loving husband to his wife, Patti, and a father to his daughter, Courtney, who is 14, and to his son, Hunter, who is 12. I want to thank Pastor Dagnel for answering the call to help others find their way and serving as an example for all that follow. God Bless Pastor Dagnel.

Mr. NEUGEBAUER

Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this legislation, authored by the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Resources, the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo), helps resolve a growing water supply problem in San Joaquin County, California. The area's water supplies are being depleted because of rapid population growth, highly significant groundwater overdraft, and saline intrusion. This situation grows worse every day. This has prompted San Joaquin County officials to seek a more dependable and reliable water supply through extensive water development and planning studies. H.R. 4045 authorizes limited Federal assistance to complete this effort. The project study authorized in this legislation will examine ways to capture flood flows from an area river in order to develop up to 65,000 new acre feet of water. The study will also determine whether or not the project construction is even feasible, since current water rights on the river, economic factors, and potential environmental impacts will be examined. As passed by the Committee on Resources, this legislation also expressly protects State water law and current permits and agreements on the river. Mr. Speaker, this bill will help provide a much needed solution to a growing water problem, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. (Mrs. CHRISTENSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

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

Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4045.

Mr. NEUGEBAUER

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

Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would just like to commend the gentlewoman for bringing this solution forward and for taking on the responsibility of representing and making sure that the folks in her island are represented correctly. So I commend her for that and for her great work on this.

Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen) has introduced this legislation to address a potentially serious problem relating to her territory's financial future. Her legislation, H.R. 3589, will create an Office of the Chief Financial Officer for the United States Virgin Islands. For over a decade now, multiple factors have lead to a worsening financial outlook in this territory. Natural disasters, a gradually declining tourism industry, and the resulting spending decisions by the local government have left the U.S. Virgin Islands with significant annual deficits. Further, this territory now faces a debt totaling $1 billion. Given this economic instability and the worsening conditions, serious actions should be considered. For this reason, the Delegate has introduced 3589. This legislation uses local and Federal input to select an Office of the Chief Financial Officer. The CFO will tackle the difficult fiscal and related political decisions with regard to spending on these islands. It is important to note that this individual and his or her staff will functionally be independent of the executive and legislative branches of the local government. This position will be temporary and will be empowered to stop wasteful spending and put this territory back on the track to more sound economic footing. Without this legislation, one must worry that the Federal Government may have to take an even more serious action if this debt continues to increase. I am thus hopeful that the House can support the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands' (Mrs. Christensen) bill so that we can begin to address the dire financial situation in this territory. Finally, I would like to point out that H.R. 3589, as amended, was passed by the Committee on Resources by voice vote on July 14, and I appreciate the bipartisan work of the committee in acting quickly on this legislation. I hope we can act in the same bipartisan fashion. I urge adoption of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. (Mrs. CHRISTENSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3589.

Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3589) to create the Office of Chief Financial Officer of the Government of the Virgin Islands, as amended.

Mr. NEUGEBAUER

Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4806) to provide for a land exchange involving Federal lands in the Lincoln National Forest in the State of New Mexico, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4806.

Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4806 would authorize a land exchange involving Federal land in the Lincoln National Forest in the State of New Mexico. This legislation would exchange 80 acres between the Lincoln National Forest and Lubbock Christian University for a much-needed expansion of the University's Pine Spring Camp. The camp is used in the summer for week-long camp sessions, and utilized in the winter by college groups, youth groups, and churches for retreats. In recent years, the camp has seen an increase in its visitors and will soon run out of room, forcing the camp to turn visitors away. Both the camp and Lubbock Christian University are nonprofit. While the land exchange takes place in the gentleman from New Mexico's (Mr. Pearce) district, LCU is in my district and approached me for assistance for this issue. I would like to thank the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Pearce) for his willingness to work with me on this issue, and I thank him for cosponsorship and support of this bill. Additionally, I would like to thank and recognize Lubbock Christian University not only for providing recreation and outdoor opportunities for students, but also for its notable contributions to the community of Lubbock and the State of Texas. I urge support of this important measure. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. (Mrs. CHRISTENSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

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