David Price

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Chairwoman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Chairman, this is an amendment that the Department of Homeland Security did not request and does not support. I do, however, want to salute the distinguished ranking member for his support of the Border Patrol. That support is widely shared in this body, on both sides of the aisle. But as the honorable ranking member knows, this committee has been fully a part of that effort to build up the Border Patrol. We're second to none in supporting, on a bipartisan basis, robust increases in Border Patrol numbers in recent years. We have dramatically enhanced border enforcement measures overall. Since the start of the 110th Congress, we have funded an increase of 5,100 agents. That's a 33 percent increase over the number funded through 2007. By October of this year, CBP will have 20,019 Border Patrol agents. That's more than double the workforce in 2003. A level of 20,000 agents has been a bipartisan goal. Both the current and the prior administrations used it as a target. Indeed, the Republican majority in its report on the 2007 DHS authorization bill affirmed this when they wrote, and I'm quoting: ``It's estimated that a force of 18,000 to 20,000 agents will be necessary along with implementation of border technologies to secure the Nation's borders.'' So this amendment does somewhat move the goal posts in the middle of the game, you might say. The amendment ignores the fact that CBP can't absorb this unplanned increase. They are right this minute pulling out all the stops to hire before October another 760 Border Patrol agents as well as 250 mission support staff to ensure that agents are out patrolling and not sitting behind desks. This is not the time to burden the recruitment system with unrequested new agents, not to mention to impose unfunded costs for their vehicles and facilities and ID support. Just a word, Madam Chairman, about the offsets. The amendment uses as an offset several management accounts, about 5 percent cuts in most of these areas. It doesn't seem so bad until you realize that when this bill came to the floor, we were already more than 10 percent below the administration's request in this account. The Chief Information Officer takes the largest cut. We are already $39 million below the request for this office, and cuts here would undermine key efforts to improve information security and reduce risks at the Department's data centers. So cutting more funds now means less core support for Department operations, less oversight, more waste, and an even longer road to getting the DHS the American taxpayers deserve. For all these reasons, Madam Chairman, I urge my colleagues to defeat this amendment. Madam Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Waxman for his leadership on this important legislation--and on the whole range of public health issues before the Congress--and have talked extensively with him about the intention of the use of the term ``small business tobacco manufacturing industry'' as it concerns the Scientific Advisory Committee established in Section 917(b)(1). H.R. 1256 provides for the establishment of a 12-member Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee and stipulates that one of the members of the Committee shall be a ``representative of the interests of the small business tobacco manufacturing industry'' that may be filled on rotating, sequential basis by representatives of different ``small business tobacco manufacturers.'' For the purpose of phrasing in compliance with certain requirements of this act Section 900(16) of the bill defines ``small tobacco product manufacturers'' as those having fewer than 350 employees. However, the bill does not define what constitutes a ``small business tobacco manufacturer'' as it relates to the SAC. Chairman Waxman has assured me that I am correct in concluding that the term in section 917(bX1) regarding membership on the Advisory Committee is different from--and need not be interpreted as the same as--the one used in proposed new section 900(16). Additionally, Chairman Waxman has assured me that when section 917(b)(1) says that one member of the Scientific Advisory Committee must be a representative of the ``small business tobacco manufacturing industry'' that does NOT mean that the person must be a representative of a ``small tobacco products manufacturer'' as defined in section 900(16). I appreciate the chair's effort to ensure that small manufacturers have a seat at the table on the Scientific Advisory Committee. The passage of this important legislation is a victory for public health and our nation's children. I have supported this bill in both this and the last Congress because I believe we must place a far greater emphasis on youth smoking prevention and the elimination of tobacco advertising aimed at children. The Food and Drug Administration is the logical agency to take on the new regulatory responsibilities, and Congress and the Obama Administration need to make sure they have adequate support to carry out this important job.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join colleagues here today in offering condolences to the families and friends and coworkers of Barbara McLean Spears, Louis Junior Watson and Rachel Mae Poston Pulley, the three workers who tragically lost their lives in an explosion at the ConAgra plant in Garner, North Carolina on June 9. This area, Garner, North Carolina, is an area that I formerly represented as their Congressman. It's now represented by our colleague, Bob Etheridge; and I want to thank Bob for sponsoring this resolution here today and enabling us to come together in this time of tribute. Our sympathy goes out to the families of the victims, but also to the 40 other ConAgra employees who were injured in this plant's explosion and collapse. Some of them have severe burns. They have other serious injuries. We wish them a successful recovery, and we thank the medical providers, including the Burn Center at UNC Chapel Hill, who are doing so much to treat these victims. Often it does take a tragedy like the ConAgra explosion to publicly highlight the courageous work of our first responders. We commend those who responded to this explosion. There are many stories of bravery that prevented further injury or loss of life. The firefighters, the police, the emergency medical services of Garner and Wake County and many surrounding communities that heeded the call to rescue the ConAgra plant employees in a quick and safe manner. So we're very indebted to them and grateful to them. These first responders put us first, put our communities first every day. There are also many private citizens who risked their lives helping plant employees evacuate, who gave selfless assistance to their suffering neighbors. That's a testament to the character and the strength of Garner's community. The ConAgra plant, as my colleague, Mr. Etheridge, has said, is a cornerstone of the Garner and Wake County community. It was built as a sausage plant nearly 50 years ago. As we move forward, remembering the victims of this tragedy, and the way that this plant provided the livelihood for so many people, we do hope the plant is rebuilt, and that employees can return to work. And we're heartened that such plans seem to be under way. We do need to remain vigilant, of course, in our efforts to improve workplace safety. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms has concluded their investigation, finding, fortunately, no evidence of criminal intent. The Chemical Safety Board investigation is ongoing. We need to get to the bottom of this. We need to understand what happened; and we need, of course, to adopt practices and policies that lead to safer facilities in the future and avoid this kind of tragedy. So, Mr. Speaker, in closing, we honor the memories of those that we have lost, give thanks for those who have been spared, and join in sympathy for the victims and their families.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. I thank the gentleman.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise to enter into a colloquy with the distinguished chairman of the Appropriations Committee and the Labor-HHS Education Subcommittee, Mr. Obey. As we prepare to enhance our pandemic planning efforts through the supplemental funding bill before us today, I appreciate the committee providing additional funding to State and local governments that have been hit hard by the economic downturn. I am also pleased that we are taking a comprehensive approach to pandemic preparedness. In an article in this week's National Journal, Donald Thompson, the senior program director for the medical and public health program at the Center for Infrastructure Protection at George Mason University's School of Law, noted that the U.S. has done a poor job of making sure it has enough equipment to tackle a full-blown pandemic. Currently, our national stockpile contains 104 million respirators, 51.6 million surgical masks, but only 20 million syringes. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the work of your subcommittee to verify that this funding bill allows HHS to purchase, replenish, and expand the Nation's delivery devices stockpile.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman. I am now pleased to yield such time as he may consume to my friend and colleague, another UNC alumnus, Brad Miller of the 13th District of North Carolina.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my colleague from the Seventh District of North Carolina and yet another UNC alumnus, Mike McIntyre. (Mr. McINTYRE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Kentucky, knowing him and how much he knows and cares about basketball and knowing about that Kentucky tradition. Those words really mean a great deal coming from him. I think we are all grateful. Now I yield 3 minutes to yet another Carolina Representative from the Second Congressional District, Bob Etheridge.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of House Resolution 348, congratulating the University of North Carolina men's basketball team for winning the 2009 NCAA Division I National Championship. I am pleased to have the support of the entire North Carolina delegation as original cosponsors of this resolution. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a special place to the entire State of North Carolina and, as the Nation's first public university, has long been a beacon of light and liberty in the South. The academic tradition of excellence and unyielding commitment to public service is what drew me across the mountains from Tennessee to Chapel Hill 50 years ago and largely shaped my life's further course. This year's success caps a remarkable history. UNC has played in a record 18 Final Fours and won the NCAA National Championship in 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, and 2009. While Head Coach Roy Williams inherited a first-class program, he deserves special credit for the exceptional success and character of his teams. Coach Williams, who is a native of the mountains of North Carolina, has the highest winning percentage of any active coach in men's basketball, and unquestionably sits at the top of his profession. Since he came to Carolina as head coach in 2003, the Tar Heels have won two NCAA championships, four Atlantic Coast Conference regular season championships, and two ACC tournament championships. The 2008-2009 season marks their third consecutive 30-win season. Like the whole community of Carolina basketball fans, I'm exceedingly proud of this entire team--the players, the coaches, and the staff--for their outstanding performance in the Nation's most competitive and most watched college athletics tournament. In addition to their on-court success, the team has consistently shown academic commitment, appreciation to their fans, good sportsmanship toward their opponents, and respect for the game of basketball. I'm particularly proud that Inside Higher Education also crowned UNC its national champion in its annual academic NCAA tournament, signifying that UNC has the single best academic performance rate of any NCAA tournament team. These coaches and players have ably upheld the tradition of excellence--both on the court and in the classroom--established by legendary coaches Dean Smith and Bill Guthridge and now continued by Roy Williams. As an alumnus and Chapel Hill resident, this program and most recent championship make me very proud. These are my friends and neighbors-- Joan Ewing, my dear friend and former district director, is Dean Smith's sister--and it is my honor to represent all of them in Congress. But this year other alumni and I were not the only fans in Washington cheering the Tar Heels from afar. President Obama himself picked Carolina to bring home the title and played a pickup game with the team last spring before the North Carolina primary election. It's important to note that he did so while employing a former Duke basketball player as his closest personal aide. As the Member of this institution who represents both institutions and a Carolina alumnus who teaches at Duke, I can only salute such a feat of athletic bipartisanship with great admiration! It's very reassuring to have this display coming from our new President. So, colleagues, I urge the House to join President Obama and the North Carolina delegation in celebrating the Tar Heels. This is an institution and team who are worthy of our praise; not only because they found success, but because they did it the right way, the Carolina way. Hark the sound and go Heels.

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

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the comments of my colleague. As you might guess, from what he said and the way he looks, he knows whereof he speaks when he talks about playing basketball at the collegiate level. So we are grateful for these words of support and commend this resolution to all of our colleagues. I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 1 minute. Minimum payment practices, which often are deceptive at best and abusive at worst, clearly contribute to the problem of unmanageable debt. And they need to be reined in. That's exactly what the Price- Miller of North Carolina-Moran of Virginia-Quigley-Stupak-Sutton-Lowey amendment will do. Our amendment would ensure that consumers receive a warning of the risks of making only the minimum monthly payment and information on the total cost of paying only monthly minimum payments on their balance. It would also require issuers to provide quarterly assessments of the monthly payments that must be made to pay off the current balance of the consumer in 1, 2 or 3 years. And it would establish consumer credit counseling and debt management services through a toll-free telephone number. Let me assure colleagues, we've sought to ensure that these requirements are not too onerous for credit card companies. For example, disclosure requirements target only consumers who regularly have not paid their balances in full. Our amendment will help consumers regain control of cascading credit card debt. So I urge colleagues to support this amendment to provide American families with the tools they need to help them manage their money effectively. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I yield back my time.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. I thank my colleague. I would like at this point to yield 1 minute to a new colleague, Representative Quigley, who is already distinguishing himself as a protector of the consumer.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to my colleague from North Carolina, who has served with distinction on the Banking Committee, Brad Miller.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, Earth Day 2009 marks the 39th year in which we've set aside a day to reflect upon our solemn responsibility to protect the environment from the adverse effects of human activity and preserve it for future generations. Earth Day reminds us of our nation's obligation to be good stewards of the planet--a responsibility both moral and practical, personal and collective. As individuals, we are learning to assess our ``footprint'' and to recognize that the decisions we make on a daily basis--the cars we drive, the foods we eat, the energy we consume--must be measured against not only our own comfort, but also the sustainability of our planet and its limited resources. It is a personal obligation that cannot be taken lightly; an ethos that firmly commits each of us to passing the great inheritance we have been given to our children in a better form than it was given to us. As communities, we must reconcile the competing demands of economic development with those of responsible stewardship. It's a particular challenge in high growth areas like the one I represent. My district, the Research Triangle area of North Carolina, has been widely recognized as one of the best areas in the country to live, work, raise a family, and start a business. It is the fastest growing metro region in the country, on track to double in population over the next 20 years, and the dramatic population expansion will bring significant environmental challenges in tow. We know that we must grow, and we embrace the economic opportunities that such growth presents. But how will we grow? To maintain and improve our quality of life in the midst of robust expansion and development, we need to undertake a coordinated regional planning effort that meets our infrastructure needs white preserving livability and sustainability. We must promote not just growth, but smart growth. That is why I brought our colleague, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, to the Triangle this week to help me host a summit on Smart Growth Development. He stands as an expert in our body on sustainable development, and the summit brought together elected officials, business leaders, environmentalists, and community activists for panel discussions on smart growth principles and transportation infrastructure. I look forward to working with Rep. Blumenauer and my other colleagues to develop tools that will encourage smarter growth, more responsible development, and greater livability in communities across the country. And as a nation, we need to pursue policies that promote responsible stewardship of the earth here at home while providing responsible leadership in the global arena. This Congress has already begun working with the Obama Administration to forge a new direction for energy policy that will emphasize renewable fuels and energy efficiency. Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, we've made an unprecedented investment in public transportation and renewable energy production that will spur energy savings. This legislation will accelerate deployment of a new, smart power grid to make the electricity grid more efficient and reliable. They will advance scientific research into battery technology and energy efficiency measures, expand the national effort to weatherize homes, and make a sizeable investment in alternative energy research. The recovery package addresses critical transit needs as well, investing in buses, commuter and light rail, and intercity passenger rail, including Amtrak and high speed rail. Public transportation, beyond saving individual Americans both time and money, can also help our nation save as much as 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline and reduce carbon emissions by 37 million metric tons each year. This spending is not simply driven by our commitment to a cleaner and healthier planet; rather, it represents a down-payment on investments to meet our country's economic and infrastructure needs and a blueprint for the direction in which our country's energy and transportation policies will go. They are investments that can fuel our future economy and make our country more prosperous and competitive than ever before. We must think globally as well, and continue to work towards a comprehensive solution to dramatically curb our greenhouse gas emissions and address the threats of climate change--a threat that our government ignored for far too long. I am pleased that House and committee leadership have recently released draft legislation that would establish a market-based cap and trade policy to serve as a basis for discussion of comprehensive clean energy legislation. This is no idle threat we now face: scientists tell us that we must reduce emissions by roughly 80 percent by mid-century to avoid a dangerous climate tipping point. As the world's largest per capita emitter of greenhouse gases, our nation must be a leader in finding clean energy solutions that reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, create a new generation of jobs, and provide climate and energy security for us and the generations to come. On Earth Day 2009, I urge President Obama to continue working with Congress to develop climate change legislation that will set us on a path that is science-based and adequately aggressive. I also urge the President and my colleagues to foster smart growth in American communities by developing policies that promote accessible transit, affordable and sustainable housing, and responsible management of water and other resources. And I urge us all to take actions in our individual lives that reflect our commitment to preserving this wondrous planet and all the diverse forms of life that thrive upon it.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his work on this resolution, helping us bring it to the floor. I thank my colleague, Mr. Watt, for his moving and impassioned comments, and I identify myself totally with what he's saying. This resolution gives us the occasion to honor a great and good man, and to recognize the impact he's had on our lives personally and, indeed, on American life. Dr. Franklin was arguably the most influential American historian of the 20th century. He was the preeminent scholar of African American history in the United States for nearly six decades. And in pursuing that course, he fundamentally changed the way we understood the Nation's past, showing us that African American history is inseparable from any telling of American history. It may seem obvious today that our national story is made uniquely American by the shared experience of multiple backgrounds, a common quilt sewn with diverse cultural and ethnic and economic threads. This shared experience is perhaps particularly compelling to those of us from the South, those of us whose formative years were shaped by the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s. But this greater understanding and appreciation did not just happen by chance; it's in large part the fruit of Dr. Franklin's labors. Dr. Franklin made his mark on a number of fine institutions, teaching at Fisk University in Nashville, at St. Augustine's College in Raleigh, at North Carolina College in Durham, now North Carolina Central University, and at Howard University here in the District of Columbia. Dr. Franklin spent nearly two decades at the University of Chicago, serving as Professor of American History, chairman of the Department of History, and John Matthews Manly Distinguished Service Professor of history. Then in 1982 Dr. Franklin joined me and other colleagues on the faculty at Duke University, serving as James B. Duke Professor of History and Professor of Legal History at Duke Law School and, ultimately, inspiring the John Hope Franklin Center For Interdisciplinary and International Studies. Dr. Franklin's distinguished body of work includes his book that went through multiple editions, From Slavery to Freedom: A History of Negro Americans, which is still considered the definitive account of the African American experience in the United States. His clarity of thought and understanding of history were invaluable in aiding Thurgood Marshall's research and victory in the landmark Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education, which ended the ``separate but equal'' doctrine in America's public schools. Dr. Franklin was a tremendous asset to North Carolina, to the Durham/ Chapel Hill/Raleigh area of North Carolina, and to our academic community. He was named ``Historian of the Century'' by Duke University, North Carolina State, North Carolina Central, and UNC- Chapel Hill a decade ago. In 1995, Dr. Franklin received the State of North Carolina's highest honor, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. Despite his long and impressive resume, I believe Dr. Franklin will be remembered most for his character as a person, as a man--for his gentleness of spirit, the power of his intellect, the sharpness of his wit, the passion of his social engagement. I'll always be grateful for the opportunity to know him as a constituent and as a friend after his return to North Carolina in the 1980s. My wife and I will always treasure and remember the encouragement and the support he gave us in our various endeavors--she in the cause of gun violence prevention and I in both the academic and political vineyards. So I thank Mr. Watt and the entire North Carolina delegation who have joined in this tribute. I thank Mr. Towns, Ms. Lee and others for their cooperative efforts in crafting this resolution, and I assure our colleagues that this could not be a more deeply felt resolution. It is a heartfelt and a richly deserved tribute to a great and good man.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The CTSA program is an important and transformative initiative designed to improve the way biomedical research is conducted across the, country, reduce the time it takes for laboratory discoveries to become treatments for patients, engage communities in clinical research efforts, and train the next generation of clinical and translational researchers. As the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee noted in its subcommittee mark, the program has the potential to create a new paradigm for clinical and translational research. I am proud that two of the 38 current CTSA sites, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University, are in my district. These two universities have a track record of excellence, and I am pleased that NIH has recognized them as strong research campuses. Unfortunately, nearly level funding for NIH over the past few years has severely limited the size of the award that can be made to these and the other CTSA-recipient institutions. In addition to hindering the important work being done at the current CTSA sites, the funding challenges have encumbered implementation of the program and threaten to curtail its intended size of 60 sites. As a firm supporter of NIH, I commend Chairman Obey on the increased NIH funding in both the FY09 Omnibus Appropriations bill and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and thank him for designating for the CTSA program in the Omnibus bill. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee to provide robust funding for this important program in the FY10 appropriations cycle.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment by my colleagues from Maryland and Pennsylvania. I voted for similar legislation in 2007 because I support the gentlemen's goal of adding these whistleblower protections for government workers. However, as drafted, the amendment appears to be at odds with some Transportation Security Agency screener employment requirements and might have the unintended effects of reducing TSA's capacity to react to possible threats. So while I support this amendment, I do so with the understanding that we may need to perfect it in conference to ensure there are no unintended consequences.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment of my North Carolina colleague, Mr. Kissell. It would apply to the Department of Homeland Security purchasing rules similar to those required of the Defense Department under the Berry Amendment, requiring DHS to purchase clothing and other textile products grown, reprocessed, reused or produced in the U.S. and its possessions. The proposed amendment would give the Secretary of Homeland Security some flexibility to waive the domestic source requirements in cases where there are inadequate domestic sources to meet the Department's needs. The amendment also makes clear that it would not apply when inconsistent with U.S. obligations under international agreements. I, nevertheless, have some reservations about how the amendment might restrict the Department in carrying out its Homeland Security mission. The Department is already subject to ``buy American'' requirements. This amendment would go significantly further in requiring 100 percent U.S. content of products, a target that could be impractical or unreasonably costly in some circumstances. However, I appreciate my colleague's intentions with this amendment. I will be happy to support the amendment with the understanding that some modifications may be required to ensure that it does not pose an undue burden on the Department and it does not compromise the ability of the Department to carry out its Homeland Security mission. I look forward to working with the gentleman to make any needed refinements going forward.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise to congratulate Julian Bond, who will be recognized as the 2009 Humanitarian of the Year by the North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP. I am proud to be among those honoring him at the organization's 25th Annual Humanitarian Awards Banquet on January 31, 2009. From his student days to his current chairmanship of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Julian Bond has been at the forefront of movements for civil rights and economic justice. As an activist jailed for his convictions, a veteran of more than 20 years in the Georgia General Assembly, and a university professor and writer, he has been on the cutting edge of social change since 1960. Bond has experienced firsthand overt discrimination and racial prejudice, and he has spent a lifetime standing up against those who would deny him and others equal opportunity because of the color of their skin. He was a founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and was active in protests and registration campaigns throughout the South. He overcame opposition from members of the Georgia House of Representatives, and fought all the way to the United States Supreme Court in order to take his rightful seat. And he led a challenge delegation from Georgia to the 1968 Democratic Convention that successfully unseated Georgia's regular Democrats. Bond has served since 1998 as Chairman of the Board of the NAACP, the oldest and largest civil rights organization in the United States. In 2002, he received the prestigious National Freedom Award. The holder of twenty-five honorary degrees, Bond is a distinguished professor at American University in Washington, DC, and a professor of history at the University of Virginia. Bond currently serves as Chairman of the Premier Auto Group PAG (Volvo, Land Rover, Aston-Martin, and Jaguar) Diversity Council and is on the boards of People for the American Way, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Council for a Livable World, and the advisory board of the Harvard Business School Initiative on Social Enterprise, among others. Throughout his life and career, Dr. Bond has effected change and remained steadfast as an activist for social justice and civil rights for African-Americans and other minorities. He has led the nation by example, and I congratulate him for the honor he will receive in North Carolina on January 31.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chair, I am pleased to rise in support of the package before the House today, which will help put our country on a steady path toward economic recovery. I want to thank all of the committees that have worked to put this together, particularly the members of the Appropriations Committee and its hardworking staff. As Chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, I have tried to develop proposals Members can support with confidence that they will help get our economy moving while also making us safer. We worked diligently to scrub this bill and to make sure that the provisions that we've included would create jobs and put our economy in a stronger position for the long haul. The bill contains $1.1 billion in new homeland security investments. We estimate that this will not only directly create thousands of jobs, but will also contribute significantly to improving both security and efficiency at our ports of entry and airports. This funding will primarily accelerate critical investments that the House has repeatedly voted for. The recovery package contains $500 million to buy and install Aviation Explosive Detection Systems and checkpoint screening systems in the Nation's airports, improving security while helping speed the flow of travelers through airports. A more efficient transportation system will help grease the skids of our Nation's commerce. Funds will be competitively awarded based on security risk. $150 million is provided to replace and repair Customs and Border Protection-owned land ports of entry at the top 10 facilities. This will improve border security, facilitate travel and trade, and reduce wait times. Once again, it will stimulate commerce by improving the transport of goods. The package also includes $150 million to enable the Coast Guard to alter or remove hazardous bridges and make marine navigation safer and more efficient. $100 million is provided for non-intrusive inspection devices to enhance security at seaports. These new devices will replace aging cargo scanning systems to ensure that our security requirements do not interrupt the flow of commerce. Lastly, this recovery package extends aid to those hit hardest by the recent economic crisis through FEMA's Emergency Food and Shelter Program. $200 million is included to help local community organizations provide food, shelter, and support services to the Nation's hungry, homeless, and people in economic crisis. This will provide, among other things, 1-month utility payments to prevent service cut-off, and 1- month rent or mortgage assistance to prevent evictions or to help people leave shelters. Funds will be distributed by formula based on unemployment and poverty rates. This funding has been carefully reviewed to ensure it will help the most vulnerable among us, will create new jobs, can be obligated quickly, will make our country safer, and will help improve economic efficiency. I urge members to support these homeland security investments and to vote for this economic recovery package.

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina

Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. I want to thank the gentleman from Vermont for yielding, and for his good work in bringing this resolution to the floor. I am here as the lead sponsor, among many sponsors, of House Resolution 31, supporting the designation of January 28 as National Data Privacy Day. In the last 10 years, the Internet has become the preferred carrier of communication in our society. Electronic communications dominate workplaces, and are increasingly prevalent in commerce, in interactions between the public and government at every level, and through social networking sites on the Internet. While we have realized incredible efficiencies and other benefits from new electronic technologies, those technologies have also raised challenges for protecting the privacy of personal and proprietary information. If we are going to fully realize the potential of electronic communications, we must address these challenges, and that is what H. Res. 31 is all about. Fortunately, we are off to a good start. On Wednesday, privacy professionals, corporations, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, and students across the Nation are already planning to come together to raise awareness and underscore the importance of data privacy protection as part of National Data Privacy Day. Academic institutions such as the Wharton Business School, Arizona State University, Santa Clara Law School, and Ohio State University, have planned events and panel discussions on a broad range of data privacy issues ranging from information security best practices to data privacy issues at public and private institutions of higher education. One of the major focuses of Data Privacy Day will be to educate teenagers about the importance of online privacy. An estimated 55 percent of American teenagers with access to the Internet use social networking Web sites, and an even greater engage in real-time information sharing through instant messaging, cell phone text messaging, and chat rooms. While pre-teens, teenagers, and young adults are often the most sophisticated and skilled Internet users--we all know that--many are too often neglectful of their personal safety online. Young people who are participating in online social networking should be made aware of the dangers of failing to protect their personal data. They need to know that not everyone on Facebook or MySpace is a friend. On Wednesday, educators and privacy professionals across the country will lead discussions with young people to raise awareness about online privacy to promote safe use of the Internet and to help them learn about how to protect the privacy of their personal data. I am especially proud of events in North Carolina surrounding Data Privacy Day. This week, the Carolina Privacy Officials Network will host panels on consent policy options in health care, information security breaches, and off-shoring of data. At the Sanford Institute of Public Policy at Duke University, representatives from Intel, the Institute for Homeland Security Solutions, the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security, the Provost's Office at Duke University, the Duke Center for European Studies, the Center for International Studies, and the Triangle Institute for Security Studies, will gather with officials from the United States Departments of State, Justice and Homeland Security, as well as the European Commission, to discuss issues surrounding the protection of national security and privacy. Madam Speaker, H. Res. 31 underscores the importance of data privacy protection and expresses support for the designation of January 28, 2009, as National Data Privacy Day. I want to thank the Members who cosponsored this important resolution, and members of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Chairman Waxman, for moving H. Res. 31 to the floor today. It's a resolution that has good bipartisan support. I appreciate that support, and I urge my colleagues to support the measure.