James Oberstar

Mr. OBERSTAR

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. McIntyre), a strong advocate for this legislation.

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining.

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch) and I yield myself 15 seconds to explain that, through a clerical error, unfortunately, I regret and I apologize to the gentleman, his name was not included in the cosponsors of the reintroduced bill or bill reported from the Rules Committee. I just want it known that the gentleman has, from the outset, been a vigorous supporter of this legislation. His name should have been listed as a cosponsor.

Mr. OBERSTAR. I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Hodes), who has, Mr. Speaker, been a tireless advocate. He has worn me out, frankly, advocating for this commission.

Mr. OBERSTAR. I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa).

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, does the gentleman from Missouri have any further speakers besides himself?

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar).

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, again, I express my great appreciation to Mr. Mica, the ranking member of the full committee, and especially to Mr. Graves, who devoted so much time to the hearings, to the diligent effort within the committee of shaping and crafting this bill. In the matter of adding counties that were not in the original commissions' proposals, we adhered to a very strict principle, that is, the additions had to conform with unemployment rate significantly above national average, per capita income rates that were significantly below national average rates, and out-migrations. In all cases, the counties recommended by the gentleman from Missouri, the parishes by the gentleman from Louisiana, and the gentleman from Mississippi all conformed when we got updated census information. Mr. Speaker, I think we have here a splendid structure, one in which we can achieve accountability, one in which there already is success. In a report the committee received just this morning from the Delta Regional Commission on cumulative projects over the last year, the leveraging ratio is 16 to 1. That is for every $1 the commission invested in projects within the region, $16 additional in private sector and non-Federal funds have been invested. That is an extraordinary success ratio, and we want to ensure that that success will continue and will be extended to all of the commissions. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time and ask for a resounding affirmative vote for this legislation.

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the motion to recommit.

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, it is well known, has been debated many times in this body, that a motion to recommit that uses the term ``promptly'' is simply a motion to kill the bill by sending it back to committee, where it will take weeks to then return it to the House floor. Why an initiative to try to kill this legislation would be offered is puzzling to me, since there was no opposition to the legislation in subcommittee, full committee. Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago when the bill was debated on the suspension calendar, no one rose in opposition to the bill. There was no opposition raised to the legislation this afternoon. So the motion to recommit on the merits of the term ``promptly'' is clearly an effort to send it back to committee, kill the bill. But I point out, since the gentleman offering the motion referred to initiatives by the Democratic majority to have accountability, on page 17 of the bill, section 15-306, Personal Financial Interests, conflicts of interest, we address the issue of personal conflict of interest, of integrity of personnel employed by the commission in either the Federal co-chairman's office or the State co-chairman's office, and establish very clear obligations for reporting and excluding of such activity. Furthermore, under general Federal legislation, lobbying by a Federal Government agency of the Congress is not permitted. So this is a non sequitur motion. It does not accomplish anything except the purpose of sending the bill back to committee and, in effect, killing it by delay. Again, I repeat, there was no opposition registered. When the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure considered this bill in subcommittee, in full committee markup, when it came to the floor under suspension of the rules, nor was there any opposition today, why there would be a motion of this nature to kill the bill is beyond me. Furthermore, there are restraints, very explicit language on personal financial interest, conflict of interest not allowed; and, in general, Federal law, Federal agencies are prohibited from retaining a lobbyist, to pay expenses for lobbying. Mr. Speaker, this is a transparent effort to try to kill the bill rather than deal with it on its merits. So I oppose the motion to recommit with instructions.

Mr. OBERSTAR. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. OBERSTAR

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 3246.

Mr. OBERSTAR

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 657, a resolution to express sympathy for the victims of the thunderstorms that caused severe flooding during August 2007 in the States of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. I rise once again, as I did in May in the wake of devastating forest fire in the Gunflint Trail area in my district and again in August after the tragic collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis, to express my heartfelt sympathy to our fellow citizens in Minnesota, and in surrounding States, in the aftermath of the destruction. These severe floods serve as another reminder of the millions of men and women who serve this nation as police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel who place themselves in great danger every day in order to protect each one of us. These well-trained, highly- skilled individuals are truly on the front lines in preparing for, responding to, and mitigating damages from a variety of hazards. They deserve our deepest thanks and respect. Twenty-four hours a day, every day of the year, all over this country, when any type or tragedy enters our lives, from a medical emergency to a large-scale natural disaster, terrorist attack, or other incident, our Nation's emergency responders are the first on the scene to provide professional services, expert help, aid and comfort. These heroic, selfless individuals will tell you they are ``just doing their job''. We rise today to also acknowledge and praise the support of local businesses, the American Red Cross, Catholic Charities, the United Way, and the Salvation Army who contributed to the local relief effort. Their boundless generosity and caring are just one of the pillars of recovery on which we have come to rely. While we can never adequately express our gratitude to the organizations and the brave men and women who serve as our first responders, this resolution is a fitting tribute. I strongly support this resolution and urge its passage.

Mr. OBERSTAR

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3068. This bill represents an important step in ensuring the safety of Federal employees and all those who work in and visit our Federal buildings. I thank the Delegate of the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton), chair of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, for bringing this issue to the attention of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and for quickly developing and advancing, in a bipartisan manner, a remedy. On April 18, 2007, the committee held a hearing entitled ``Proposals to Downsize the Federal Protective Service and Effects on the Protection of Federal Buildings''. The hearing probed the Department of Homeland Security's plans to cut the presence of Federal Protective Service, FPS, officers nationally. The reliance on contract security guards to protect Federal buildings is a troubling trend. H.R. 3068 prohibits the award of contracts to provide guard services under the contract security guard program of the FPS to any business that is owned, controlled, or operated by an individual who has been convicted of a felony. The bill directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to promulgate regulations within 6 months to implement the provisions of this act. This bill offers a common sense way to ensure that security contracts that provide an essential service are awarded only to contractors who are ``capable, responsible, and ethical'' as required by the Federal Acquisition Regulations. I support this bill and urge its passage.

Mr OBERSTAR

Mr OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.J. Res. 52, making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2008, and for other purposes. H.J. Res. 52 provides continuing appropriations for Federal programs, including the aviation investment programs. H.J. Res. 52 includes a provision extending the Federal Aviation Administration's Airport Improvement Program, AIP. Specifically, section 148 of H.J. Res. 52 provided mandatory AIP contract authority only for the term covered by the Continuing Resolution at a level that, when annualized, equals the amount of mandatory AIP contract authority included in the fiscal year 2008 budget baseline. The Congressional Budget Office, the House Budget Committee, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, the Senate Commerce Committee, and the Office of Management and Budget all concur that section 148 provides mandatory contract authority. Moreover, section 148 is a change to a mandatory program and therefore, the amount of contract authority provided by the Continuing Resolution will ultimately be rebased in the baseline and put on the mandatory side of the budget. The baseline for the AIP program will remain mandatory. Based on my shared understanding that section 148 will not in any way change the nature of the AIP program, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.J. Res. 52.

Mr. OBERSTAR

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3540, the ``Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2007.'' The current authorization for aviation programs and taxes expires on September 30, 2007. Last week, the House overwhelmingly passed H.R. 2881, the ``FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007,'' to reauthorize the aviation programs for four years. Until this long-term reauthorization bill can be signed into law, there are a few critical provisions that must not be allowed to lapse at the end of this week. These important provisions are extended in H.R. 3540, the bill before us today. I strongly support the extension of the aviation excise taxes as proposed in H.R. 3540. These taxes are necessary to support the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, which in recent years has provided about 80 percent of the Federal Aviation Administration's budget. With an uncommitted cash balance of less than $2 billion, any lapse in the aviation taxes could put the solvency of the Trust Fund at risk. In addition to extending the aviation taxes, H.R. 3540 extends the Airport Improvement Program. Because the Airport Improvement Program is funded by contract authority, rather than discretionary appropriations, funding for it is not automatically extended by Continuing Resolutions. H.R. 3540 creates $918.75 million in Airport Improvement Program contract authority to fund the program for the three-month period from October 1, 2007, to December 31, 2007. This amount, when annualized, equals the fiscal year 2007 amount for the program ($3.675 billion). This provision will ensure that airport funding is not interrupted because of a lapse in the Airport Improvement Program's authorization. The bill also authorizes the appropriation of such sums as may be necessary for Federal Aviation Administration Operations, Facilities and Equipment, and Research and Development programs for the three- month period of the extension. Finally, current law allows the Secretary to limit to $100 million the third-party liability exposure of airlines and aircraft manufacturers for any cause resulting from a terrorist event. This authority expires September 30, 2007. H.R. 3540 extends this authority to December 31, 2007. In summary, this bill simply continues aviation programs and financing under the same terms and conditions as current law. It ensures that these important programs continue to operate without any interruption. I thank Chairman Rangel and Ranking Member McCrery of the Committee on Ways and Means for working with the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to include the aviation authorization provisions in H.R. 3540. I also thank my Committee colleagues, Ranking Member Mica, Subcommittee Chairman Costello, and Subcommittee Ranking Member Petri, for working with me on this critical legislation. I look forward to Senate passage of its long-term FAA reauthorization bill and sending a bill to the President in the coming months. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3540.

Mr. OBERSTAR

Mr. OBERSTAR. I thank the gentleman for yielding. The gentleman's amendment will make certain that we retain capacity in the Nation's aviation system. All the water that ever was on Earth is here today. We are not making any more of it. And all the airports there are or ever will be, frankly, are here now. It is just so difficult to add aviation capacity in this country and airport capacity. The gentleman's amendment will make it possible not only to retain but to enhance existing airport capacity. I thank him for offering the amendment.

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Chairman, at this time I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel). I thank him for the cooperation and the splendid support the committee has given in the furtherance of this legislation in their extremely important responsibility. (Mr. RANGEL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Chairman, at this time I yield myself 2\3/4\ minutes and recognize the distinguished gentleman from Michigan, the dean of the House, Mr. Dingell.

Mr. OBERSTAR. I thank the gentlewoman for raising this issue, and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Hall) as well. This is a matter of very great concern, and you've raised a matter of national security significance. The FAA does have administrative authority to declare a no fly zone, but would do so in this situation, in cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security to identify the threat, establish the need for restrictions on aircraft operations, and the FAA would then issue the order. I pledge to the gentlewoman and to the gentleman that we'll bring both Departments, Transportation and Homeland Security, together with the delegation from New York to discuss this matter and to do so in a bipartisan fashion, because there are Republican Members who have asked about this matter as well, and begin the process, orderly and appropriately, of designating a no fly zone.

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler).

Mr. OBERSTAR

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that in the engrossment of H.R. 2881, the Clerk be authorized to correct section numbers, punctuation, cross-references, and make such other technical and conforming changes as may be necessary to accurately reflect the actions of the House.

Mr. OBERSTAR

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 2881.

Mr. OBERSTAR

Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chairman, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure brings to the House today an historic bill to address the needs of aviation today and into the future. At a time when we are seeing aviation recover from the devastating aftereffects of September 11, the flood of bankruptcies that occurred in the years subsequent to that tragic assault on America, and the retiring of aircraft, laying off of tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of airline workers and workers in related fields, we are now seeing aviation return to and exceed all-time previously registered highs. Last year, over a billion people traveled by air worldwide, and 750 million of that travel was in the U.S. air space. We are seeing increasing delays. Only 72 percent of flights arrived on time in this last year. That indicates congestion in the air space and congestion on the ground and congestion in our air traffic control system. We bring to the House, we bring to the country, historic funding levels of $68 billion over the next 4 years. We bring you a 4-year bill, not 3 years like we have done in years past, to address the needs of creating capacity on the air side of airports: $15.8 billion for the airport improvement program; $13 billion to invest in the air traffic control technology and making room for and accelerating the development of the Next Generation air traffic control technology; and $37.2 billion to fund the operations of the FAA, essentially paying air traffic controllers and those who maintain the system. These are all-time high investments. I have served in the House for 33 years. I have been deeply engaged in aviation for over 25 years of those years, and I have never seen this kind of investment that Congress has made, this deeply, this extensively, and so far out into the future. I want to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Costello), the chairman of our Subcommittee on Aviation who has seized the issue, mastered the subject matter, conducted extensive in-depth hearings on a broad range of issues considered by the committee, and has played a critical role in shaping the bill. I want to express my appreciation to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica), the ranking member of the full committee, who has served previously as the Chair of the Aviation Subcommittee and is fully engaged in the issues of aviation and who committed himself every step of the way to the shaping of this legislation, including working together with us on the Democratic side, with the DOT and the White House and the air traffic controllers in an attempt to resolve a very knotty problem of the air traffic controllers' contract. And I also express appreciation to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri), the ranking member on the Aviation Subcommittee, for the enormous amount of time he devoted and for his always thoughtful and intellectual contributions to the work of the committee. Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Costello), the Chair of the Aviation Subcommittee.