Adam Putnam

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from the greater Orlando, Florida area (Mr. Mica).

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5145, introduced by our colleague from the State of Florida (Mr. Young), the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, designates a post office at 3135 First Avenue North in St. Petersburg as the William C. Cramer Post Office Building. Members of the entire House delegation from the great State of Florida are co- sponsors of this legislation. In 1951, Republicans in the Florida legislature were still a rarity; but as Pinellas County sent up an entirely GOP delegation to the 1951 session, there were enough to justify electing a minority leader for the first time. They elected freshman William C. Cramer as the minority leader who, along with two other members of this Pinellas County delegation, made up the entire Republican conference. It is worth noting under his leadership they soon doubled their numbers to six in the 1954 election. Mr. Speaker, this post office will recognize former Congressman Bill Cramer for his 16 years of service to the people of Florida. Bill Cramer represented Floridians in the Republican Party of Congress as the ranking member on the House Committee on Public Works, the Subcommittee on Roads and the Committee on Federal Aid Highway Investigation. Prior to his elective service, he also served in the Navy reserves in Europe during World War II. Mr. Speaker, Bill Cramer is a friend and mentor who served our Nation with great honor and distinction in this House. The enactment of this legislation will leave in St. Petersburg, the hometown he so dearly loved and served, a lasting tribute to his service, his patriotism, and his devotion to our Nation. I thank the distinguished chairman from Florida (Mr. Young), who is unfortunately unable to be with us today, for introducing this measure. I urge all Members to support the adoption of H.R. 5145. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 5145, the bill under consideration.

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5145) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3135 First Avenue North in St. Petersburg, Florida, as the ``William C. Cramer Post Office Building''.

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 492.

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Staten Island, New York (Mr. Fossella), the sponsor of this measure. (Mr. FOSSELLA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 492 is being introduced by our distinguished colleague from the State of New York (Mr. Fossella). This resolution honors the more than 1,000 workers who worked day and night for 10 months at the Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island, sifting through over 1.5 million tons of debris from the World Trade Center site, searching for human remains and personal items. Mr. Speaker, following the unthinkable horror of last September 11, a reality emerged that rivaled the gravity of the tragedy itself, that the debris from the site would have to be hauled away and painstakingly sifted for the remains of those killed in the tragedy. Tons of concrete, steel, and other material had to be carried away by the truckload, and dedicated men and women from New York City, State, and Federal agencies contracted to completing this seemingly endless and compassionate work. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for introducing this measure that honors those wonderful Americans that performed this back- breaking labor for months on end. For this reason, I urge all Members to support the adoption of House Resolution 492. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 471) to recognize the significant contributions of Paul Ecke, Jr., to the poinsettia industry, and for other purposes.

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 471.

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the House consider H. Res. 471, important legislation introduced by our distinguished and decorated colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Cunningham). This resolution recognizes the significant contributions of Paul Ecke, Jr., to the horticultural industry and in particular the poinsettia industry. The poinsettia is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the United States Ambassador to Mexico from 1825 to 1829. Ambassador Poinsett, who collected the flower while serving as Ambassador and sent them to his greenhouse in South Carolina, brought the first poinsettia to the United States. Since then, the poinsettia has grown to become synonymous with the Christmas holiday season. For more than 150 years, December 12 has been traditionally recognized as National Poinsettia Day. That date marks the death of Ambassador Poinsett. Mr. Speaker, I ask that all Members support this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Cunningham), the distinguished and decorated top gun in the House; it is a pleasure to be his wing man.

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. In addition to the other fine things that have been said about Paul Ecke, Jr., he also led the horticulture industry's successful effort to include for the first time significant research funding for floral and nursery crops in the research budget of the United States Department of Agriculture. We extend our condolences to the Ecke family and to the floral industry on the death of Paul Ecke, Jr., who was a philanthropist, an advocate for education, and a warm and loving human being.

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, in recent months America has seen the collapse of several large corporations because of shady accounting methods and practices. These events have left many American investors worried and some financially ruined. These revelations of corporate abuses and corporate fraud have caused a temporary crisis of confidence in our markets and financial institutions. The ripple effect of these financial scandals is extending all the way to the smallest investors. It is the small private investor, not necessarily the large institutional investor, who is taking the brunt of this crisis of confidence. Small investors have seen their retirement plans dwindle not because of a poor investment strategy, but because the entire market has been depressed by the actions of a few dishonest and corrupt corporate executives. I do not believe these instances of fraud and abuse are representative of all American corporations or the executives that run them, but there should be no difference between ``ethics'' and ``business ethics.'' Like anyone else in our society, for a corporate executive to succeed, honesty and integrity are essential. Corporate CEOs who commit fraud or whose actions destroy confidence in the entire market and thereby steal the retirement nest eggs of millions of Americans are no better than thugs. They must be identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. To root out the perpetrators of these crimes, we must move corporate accounting out of the shadows to protect America's small investors and pension holders. Our society and culture must reaffirm that it values ethics over next quarter's balance sheet. Corporate executives, no matter how much paper wealth they create, are not above the law. Those that commit fraud and violate the public's trust will be brought to justice. Our free market economy is anchored in the rule of law. There can be no special exceptions for corporate leaders with regard to the rule of law.

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, this year Cost of Government Day falls on June 29. This date represents the day on which the average American worker has earned enough gross income to pay off his or her share of the tax and regulatory burdens imposed by all levels of government-- federal, state and local. The largest component of the Cost of Government is federal taxes, which account for 44 percent of your total cost of government. Federal regulation, state and local taxes each account for another 21 percent, with state and local regulation accounting for 13 percent. Cost of Government Day is 2 days earlier than it was last year and lower than it has been in 5 years, since 1997. This is primarily due to the two tax cuts passed by Congress and championed by President George W. Bush. The Economic Growth and Tax Reform Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA), enacted in May 2001, and the Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act of 2002, enacted in March 2002 have moved Cost of Government Day in the right direction. This decline is all the more remarkable because the United States is involved in a major military conflict, the war on terrorism, and is emerging from an economic slump. The economic downturn, which was almost certainly exacerbated by the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, could have had a more negative effect on our recovery. Through the swift action of Congress and President Bush, appropriate policies to encourage economic growth, including reducing interest rates and taxes were implemented. Through the partnership of President Bush and Congress, America's workers, entrepreneurs and investors were given the means to put our economy on the road to recovery. The Cost of Government is still substantially higher than during the 1980s, when President Reagan led the nation in bringing Cost of Government Day down to mid-June--returning to that level should be our goal. A lower Cost of Government means more of the money produced by workers, investors and entrepreneurs is left in the hands of those who earned it; the taxpayer. A lower cost of government expands economic freedom for all Americans. A lower cost of government increases personal choice and control. A lower cost of government allows those participating in the economy to choose what to consume, how much to save or invest. Ultimately, a lower cost of government allows every American to improve their quality of life and to spend more of their hard earned money on the things most important to themselves and their family.

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, I am fortunate to have many veterans residing in my district. When I heard of the appalling actions of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals--ruling that the Pledge of Allegiance was unconstitutional--my thoughts turned to them. We are a nation standing strong today because those heroes pledged their allegiance to America with their lives, their tears and their sacred honor. What must our troops in the field today think? Our Country came into being through a Declaration of Independence that acknowledged that we are endowed by our Creator with the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This is clearly an acknowledgement in the very founding document of this Nation that we are indeed ``one Nation under God.'' When I conclude a constituent letter with ``God bless America'' is my action unconstitutional? Should that be banned, too? I stand with the tradition that allows the President to put his hand on the Bible, pledge to protect and defend the Constitution and conclude his oath with the words of George Washington, ``So help me God.'' It is sad that at a time when our country is at war and Americans have a renewed sense of patriotism--and what allegiance to America costs--this court is driving a wedge between us with their absurd ruling. It is my fervent hope that a common sense reading of the Constitution will eventually prevail and that liberal judges will end their war on religion in America. As countless American leaders of all political stripes have said before me, God Bless America.

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, from June 17 through 19, 2002 I had the honor of traveling to the United Kingdom on a Congressional Delegation as the Vice Chairman of the Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, Veterans Affairs and International Relations. While in London, visiting the British Parliament's House of Lords, I had the opportunity to discuss policy-related issues and the ongoing war on terrorism with some of my distinguished British counterparts. Specifically, we held the first U.S. Congressional hearing ever in British Parliament on the subject of Gulf War Syndrome. I was excused by the Speaker to participate in this extraordinary experience, which prevented me from voting on legislation that came before the floor of the House of Representatives during that time. Had I been available to cast my vote I would have done the following: Rollcall Votes: (1) #230--Journal--Yea; (2) #231--H. Con. Res. 415-- Recognizing National Homeownership Month and the Importance of Homeownership in the United States--Yea; (3) #232--H. Con. Res. 340-- Supporting the Goals and Ideals of Meningitis Awareness Month--Yea; (4) #233--H.R. 327--Small Business Paperwork Relief Act--Yea; (5) #234-- H.R. 4794--Designating the Ronald C. Packard Post Office Building--Yea; (6) #235--H.R. 4717--Designating the Jim Fonteno Post Office Building-- Yea; (7) #236--Journal--Yea; (8) #237--H.R. 3389--National Sea Grant College Program Act Amendments of 2002--Yea; (9) #238--Hastings of Florida Motion to Instruct Conferees on H.R. 3295--Help America Vote Act--No.

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, in 1868 Major General John A. Logan established a ``Decoration Day'' on May 30 as a day of remembrance for the dead of the Civil War. General Logan ordered his posts to decorate the local cemeteries ``with the choicest flowers of springtime'' to honor the thousands killed during those four terrible years. Today, some 2,847,200 veterans lie in honor in our national military cemeteries. Since the start of Operation Enduring Freedom last year, 22 Americans killed in action in the Afghan theater have joined them. Freedom's latest hero was a member of the National Guard's 19th Special Forces Unit, Sgt. Gene Arden Vance Jr., 38, of Morgantown, W. Va., who was killed in action on May 19. Citizen-soldiers have always been the foundation of America's military strength, and Sergeant Vance's loss is a sad reminder that your neighbors who serve in the National Guard and Reserves play a unique role in our armed forces. Today, the men and women of the National Guard and Reserves serve America within and beyond our borders. Just this week National Guard soldiers left the Jacksonville Airport, successfully concluding their airport security mission in Florida. Since the September attack on our country the National Guard provided security at 19 airports in Florida for over nine months and did a magnificent job protecting our airports and other vital installations. Their professionalism, dedication and discipline reassured Americans and contributed mightily to repelling the economic attack the terrorists perpetrated against our country. General Logan's original Decoration Day proclamation called us to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice, ``We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance . . . Let no neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.'' I urge you to take this charge to heart and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country by stopping what you are doing at 3:00 pm on Memorial Day to participate in the National Moment of Remembrance, but don't stop there. This year, once Memorial Day has passed, consider what the world might look like if not for the service of generations of Americans. Take time throughout the rest of the year to reach out to the members of our armed services who are fighting freedom's newest enemies. Tell them the citizens of our state and nation are grateful for their service, and thank them and their families for the daily sacrifices that allow them to serve.

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Chairman, I want to commend the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stump) on the outstanding work that he has done to make America secure, but some of the rhetoric that I hear from the other side gives me pause and what comes to mind is how quickly we forget. Some of the environmental concerns that have been raised are completely bogus, Mr. Chairman. When we have a situation where 16 or 17 miles of coastline cannot be used at Camp Pendleton, when we have a situation where soldiers have to draw a circle in the sand and stand there and pretend that it is a foxhole, we are not training our soldiers realistically. The success that we have seen in Afghanistan is the direct result of investment in training and personnel and in troops and in equipment. But that training cannot continue under the current environmental restrictions that we have. This bill makes some commonsense reforms that allow our soldiers, sailors and airmen to prepare to wage and win war. I commend him for his leadership on this and his striking the delicate balance that recognizes the stewardship of the Department of Defense and the overarching mission that they have, which is to keep America secure. For the past year, the Government Reform Committee has been investigating the growing number of restrictions, or encroachments, placed on training at military training ranges by environmental regulations, urban sprawl, international treaties and competition for limited airspace and frequency spectrum. In May of last year the Government Reform Committee held it's first hearing on this issue titled ``Challenges to National Security: Constraints on Military Training''. In August of last year the Government Reform Committee on National Security, Veterans Affairs and International Relations, of which I am vice chairman, held a field hearing in my district at the Avon Park, Fl, Air Force Bombing Range to address the issue of military training range sustainability. Our hearings have demonstrated that environmental regulations are among the most pervasive and burdensome constraints on military training. At a hearing last spring, for instance, the committee learned that 16 of 17 miles of coastland at Camp Pendleton, California, are off-limits for amphibious training due to a growing list of wildlife protections. Witnesses also testified that soldiers are not allowed to dig foxholes on some ranges, and instead must practice jumping onto circles marked with tape. As the Defense Department has been forced to expand the amount of land set aside for protected species such as the fairy shrimp, the gnat-catcher, and the checker-spot butterfly, training lanes have become artificially narrow, Environmental laws and regulations have inhibited training at bases across the country and on the waters offshore. Fewer and fewer training areas are now available for realistic combat live-fire training. When combat drills become predictable and repetitive, readiness declines. Our experience in Afghanistan has demonstrated that our success on the battlefield is directly related to the quality of our military training. We must ensure that well-intentioned environmental regulations do not lead to shortfalls on the proving ground that later become disasters on the battlefield. The changes proposed in H.R. 4546 are intended to save lives in real combat. The issue is not readiness versus the environment. The issue is our commitment to our military men and women and their families. When we send our constituents or their sons, daughters, spouses, or parents into harm's way, we should do so only in the complete confidence that they are ready. They will only be ready if they are thoroughly and realistically trained. Our military men and women,and their families, have a right to expect that training, and we as a nation have an obligation to provide it. H.R 4546 provides a common-sense change to laws that have overburdened the military and restricted training efforts. These are not broad waivers. There are no exemptions and no rolling back of decades of environmental law. The committee mark is a good start, but more may need to be done. The current hair-trigger application of broadly defined environmental regulations has profoundly affected vital military research and development efforts as well. For example, a scientific study funded by the Pentagon showed that a new long-range, lower-frequency sonar designed to detect ultra-quiet enemy submarines would ``harass'' marine mammals under the existing definition. The Navy is now waiting for a letter of authorization from the Fisheries Service to allow use of the sonar. If the definition of harassment were changed, the Navy likely would have greater leeway in using the sonar without seeking permits or exposure to lawsuits. The Navy should not need to get permits every time an aircraft carrier changes position and the military should not be exposed to lawsuits for allegedly ``annoying'' a marine mammal. More than anything else, military readiness depends on realistic training. Constraints on military training and research are a growing challenge to our national security. To perform a constantly expanding range of missions--from peacekeeping to assaulting and holding a hostile beachhead--the men and women of our armed forces must train as they fight. They must train under conditions as much like the real thing as possible. The issue is not readiness versus the environment. Our military men and women have all volunteered to go into harm's way--we owe it to them, and their families, to send them there trained to win. Training saves lives. In this time of war I urge my colleagues to make protecting the lives of our military men and women our highest priority. Supporting this legislation will do that. I urge passage of the bill.

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, during my first term in Congress, I am proud that I have helped pass a number of bills to reduce taxes and regulations on the entrepreneurs and small businesspeople of Florida and the United States of America. Even so, there is much work left to be done. On April 2, 2001 the House successfully passed H.R. 8, the Death Tax Elimination Act of 2001 with my support. On April 18, 2002 the House again acted and successfully passed H.R. 586, the Taxpayer Relief Guarantee Act of 2002 with my support. It is time that the other body of Congress recognizes the importance of these two bills and acts to take up these two pieces of legislation immediately. Even so, I will continue to push to make last year's death tax repeal and tax relief permanent, because the bills are still set to expire in 2011. Repeating the death tax and making tax relief permanent are two critical issues facing America today. First, repealing the death tax is of utmost importance because of its wide reaching debilitative impact. More than 98 percent of the businesses in Florida are small businesses, and 84 percent of the jobs in Florida come from firms having 25 or fewer employees. The real casualties of the death tax are those businesses and farms in the 98-percent range providing their owners' families a middle-class income and standard of living. Before the death tax phase-out, when small businesspeople and farmers died, their assets were subject to liquidation in order to raise money needed to pay for their tax liabilities. Now their money goes into their businesses, to pay their employees and take care of their families. Despite their best estate planning efforts, 70 percent of small and family-owned businesses do not survive through the second generation and 87 percent do not make it through the third generation. And 9 out of 10 successors whose family business failed within three years of the owner's death said death taxes played a major role in the company's demise. Repealing the double-dipping taxation of the death tax is not only just it is long overdue. Another major issue facing small businesses throughout America is the burden imposed by the Federal tax system. The Tax Relief Act of 2001 much needed relief for small businesses and the self-employed. About 85 percent of America's small businesses--17.4 million-pay taxes at individual rates and do benefit directly from the marginal tax rate reductions in the act. Last year we repealed the costly ergonomics regulations put in place in the waning days of the previous Administration, passed major tax relief, and after years of work we found the votes necessary in Congress to finally end the small-business's nightmare. We have begun the process to repeal the death tax and make tax relief enacted last year a permanent reality. We have succeeded in doing much, but still, more is needed to protect America's small business and secure its future for generations to come.

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Israeli Day of Independence. The State of Israel officially came into existence, with the end of the British Mandate on May 14, 1948. Israel's Independence Day is celebrated annually, according to the Hebrew calendar, on 5 Iyar. With the establishment of the State of Israel on that day in 1948, Jewish independence was restored. The Israeli day of independence is a celebration of the renewal of the Jewish state in the Land of Israel, the birthplace of the Jewish people. In this land, the Jewish people began to develop its distinctive religion and culture some 4,000 years ago, and there it has preserved an unbroken physical presence. On this day of independence for Israel we must recognize that a peaceful resolution to the conflict between Israel and its neighbors will only be possible when Israelis and Palestinians recognize their mutual interests and take substantive steps to demonstrate their commitment to a solution. All parties must realize that the only vision for a long-term solution is for two states--Israel, Palestine--to live side by side in security and in peace. That will require hard choices and leadership by Israelis, Palestinians, and their Arab neighbors. For the Israelis, that means establishing secure and defensible borders, withdrawing from occupied areas, and recognizing the viability of a Palestinian state. For the Palestinians, that means not only renouncing terrorism but cutting ties to terrorists, halting arms shipments, unequivocally recognizing Israel's right to exist and stifling the rhetoric that encourages and glorifies the continuation of Palestinian terrorism against Israel. In spite of all of its struggles past and present Israel's cultural and artistic activity has flourished, blending Middle Eastern, North African and Western elements, as Jews arriving from all parts of the world brought with them the unique traditions of their own communities as well as aspects of the culture prevailing in the countries where they had lived for generations. When Israel celebrated its 10th anniversary, the population numbered over two million. During Israel's second decade (1958-68), exports doubled, and the GNP increased some 10 percent annually. While some previously imported items such as paper, tires, radios and refrigerators were now being manufactured locally, the most rapid growth took place in the newly established branches of metals, machinery, chemicals and electronics. Since the domestic market for homegrown food was fast approaching the saturation point, the agricultural sector began to grow a larger variety of crops for the food processing industry as well as fresh produce for export. A second deep-water port was built on the Mediterranean coast at Ashdod, in addition to the existing one at Haifa, to handle the increased volume of trade. Israel's foreign relations expanded have expanded steadily, as close ties were developed with the United States, British Commonwealth countries, most western European states, nearly all the countries of Latin America and Africa, and some in Asia. Extensive programs of international cooperation were initiated, as hundreds of Israeli physicians, engineers, teachers, agronomists, and irrigation experts and youth organizers shared their know-how and experience with people in other developing countries. Clearly this nation has come far in its relatively short lifetime. On this day of reflection let us recognize that on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea sits a land of freedom and democracy--Israel. Surrounded by hostility, but a place where freedom and tolerance are alive today. On this day of independence for Israel, I hope all people of good will would join me in praying for peace in the Middle East.

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, in order to maintain our position in the world economy America's border security must be highly efficient, posing little or no obstacle to legitimate trade and travel. Yet, America's borders--land, air or sea--are our first line of defense in the war on terrorism. Our budget makes a bold step toward establishing the border of the future. It begins the process of integrating active measures abroad to screen goods and people, inspections at the border, and measures within the United States to ensure compliance with entry and import permits. Federal border control agencies are provided more resources to establish a seamless information-sharing system that allows for coordinated communication with the broader law enforcement and intelligence gathering communities. Funding the use of advanced technology to track the movement of cargo and the entry and exit of individuals is essential to the task of managing the movement of hundreds of millions of individuals, conveyances, and vehicles. Customs: The 2003 Budget increases the inspection budget of the Customs Services by $619 million, for a total of $2.3 billion. This additional funding increases the ability of the Customs Service to fulfill its critical border security role. Specifically, the additional resources in the 2003 Budget will allow the Customs Service to achieve two key objectives: Acquisition of Additional Personnel and New Technology. Coast Guard: The 2003 Budget increases funding for the Coast Guard's homeland security-related missions (protecting ports and coastal areas, as well as interdiction activities) by $282 million, to an overall level of $2.9 billion. After September 11, the Coast Guard's port security mission grew from approximately 1-2 percent of daily operations to between 50-60 percent today. However, we must recognize that the Coast Guard's other important missions, such as suppressing illegal immigration, drug interdiction and search and rescue remain vital to our constituents and coastal communities. INS: We have also included sense of the House language that the $380 million in Function 750 will be used by the Immigration and Naturalization Service to implement a visa tracking system. Supporting First Responders America's first line of defense in any terrorist attack are our ``first responders''--local police, firefighters, and emergency medical professionals. Properly trained and equipped first responders have the greatest potential to save lives and limit casualties after a terrorist attack. The FY 2003 Budget directs $37.7 billion to homeland security, up from $19.5 billion in 2002. As a first step in our commitment to improving ``consequence management'' we passed H.R. 3448, the Public Health Security and Bio- terrorism Response Act of 2001. H.R. 3448 is intended to better prepare America for bio-terrorist threats or other public health emergencies by improving America's ability to respond effectively and quickly to such threats. This sweeping legislation will cover everything from public health preparedness and improvements, to enhancing controls on deadly biological agents, to protecting our food, drug and drinking water supplies. Our Budget proposes to spend $3.5 billion on enhancing the homeland security response capabilities of America's first responders-- a greater than 10-fold increase in Federal resources to ensure that the people on the frontline of our defense have the training, equipment and technology necessary to protect them and protect our homeland. Defending Against Biological Terrorism One of the most important missions we have as a Nation is to be prepared for the threat of biological terrorism--the deliberate use of disease as a weapon. An effective bio-defense will require a long-term strategy and significant new investment in the U.S. health care system to defend against attacks on our population and economic attacks against our agricultural infrastructure. The President's Budget for 2003 devotes $2.4 billion to jump-starting the research and development process needed to provide America with the medical tools needed to support an effective response to bio-terrorism. This new funding will focus on: (1) Infrastructure. Strengthen the State and local health systems, including by enhancing medical communications and disease surveillance capabilities, to maximize their contribution to the overall bio-defense of the Nation. (2) Response. Improve specialized Federal capabilities to respond in coordination with State and local governments, and private capabilities in the event of a bioterrorist incident and build up the National Pharmaceutical Stockpile. (3) Science. Meet the medical needs of our bio-terrorism response plans by developing specific new vaccines, medicines, and diagnostic tests through an aggressive research and development program. (4) Agriculture. I introduced HR 3198 because I believe threats of agricultural bioterrorism should receive the same level of priority as other terrorist threats. The FY 2003 budget makes important steps in this direction by calling for $74.4 billion in spending, an increase of $11 billion over the FY 2002 budget, and $6 billion above actual budget outlays in FY 2001. Significant funding increases in the agriculture budget that relate to homeland security and the protection of agriculture are a $48 million increase for animal health monitoring, a $19 million increase in the Agricultural Quarantine Inspection (AQI) program for improved point-of-entry inspection programs and a $12 million increase for programs to expand diagnostic, response, management and other technical services within the Animal Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS). Non-Proliferation of Weapons of mass Destruction Nuclear weapons technology is now almost 70 years old, chemical and biological weapons technology is almost 100 years old. Nuclear weapons, and other weapons of mass destruction, are no longer the exclusive province of the major powers of the First World. Since the Soviet Union became a nuclear power in 1949 five countries have established significant arsenals of nuclear weapons; China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. India, Pakistan, Israel, and possibly North Korea are also reported to have nuclear weapons. With the break up of the Soviet Union, nuclear weapons materials and production equipment may be available on the international black-market or may be transferred from one state to another. Additional countries may therefore be able to develop nuclear weapons if they are able to obtain fissile material. Even terrorist groups may acquire and use radiological weapons that use a conventional explosive to disperse deadly radioactive material, evidence of such intentions has reportedly been found in Afghanistan. Our Budget recognizes the importance of non-proliferation to our Homeland Security effort. The resolution accommodates the President's request for $1.12 billion for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation in fiscal year 2003, a 39 percent increase over pre-September 11th funding: including International Nuclear Materials Protection, (increased 67 percent, to $233 million) Nonproliferation Research and Development, (increased 38 percent to $284 million) and Fissile Materials Disposition, (accommodates the President's funding request of $350 million, a 40-percent increase above the previous year). While much of our past focus has been on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons we must recognize that other weapons of mass destruction, such as chemical and biological weapons, also pose a very real and present threat. Earlier this week, President Bush articulated his administration's doctrine for dealing with this threat, ``Men with no respect for life must never be allowed to control the ultimate instruments of death. Against such an enemy, there is no immunity, and there can be no neutrality.'' Our Budget provides the President with the resources he needs to continue our non-proliferation efforts and, if necessary, confront any nation posing a threat with chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Chairman, the events of September 11 have certainly highlighted the challenges of border security. This budget makes a commitment to the Customs Service, increasing their budget by $619 million; substantially increases the Coast Guard as they meet the challenge of protecting our seaports; and takes a dramatic step towards reforming the INS, as has been so painfully clear that they are in need of reform in the past several days. This budget keeps its commitment to veterans. It maintains our homeland security, and it reduces the burden of taxation on the American families. This budget is a responsible plan. Where is the other budget? It has been called chicanery. It has been called irresponsible. Where is your plan? Where is the alternative? If these things are so bad, if investing in defense, if investing in homeland security, if reducing the burden of taxation is so bad, where is the alternative? Where can the American people go to read your budget? They can get it online. They can call the Government Printing Office to get ours. Where might they go to read your budget? Where might they see what the alternative is to our plan? Where might they find those? The Budget Resolution for FY2003 is a balanced, wartime budget that provides and prioritizes three fundamental securities of the United States: national security, economic security, and personal security. Recently, there has been some discussion on the implications of using CBO's numbers over OMB's numbers. I believe that the use of OMB's number is the right choice and that our wartime budget will secure the future of every American family by making America safer and our economy stronger. The bulk of the difference between CBO and OMB arises from differences in the starting point. The OMB baseline underlying over the President's budget projected a surplus of $51 billion for the FY2003, increasing to $109 billion in 2004, and totaling $764 billion over the 5-year period 2003-2007. The CBO baseline projects a surplus of $6 billion in 2003, and $61 billion in 2004 and $489 billion of the next 5 years. There are two principal reasons for the baseline differences between CBO and OMB: (1) different treatment of emergency spending in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, and (2) different expectations of the future path of the economy and their implications of tax collections and spending. By adjusting CBO's surplus estimates to treat emergency spending increases as a one-time occurrence affords us the opportunity to make CBO's baseline estimates project $16 billion for 2003, $77 billion for 2004, and $584 billion over the 2003-2007 period. Thus, the difference in baseline projections amounts to $35 billion for 2003, $32 billion for 2004, and $180 billion over 5 years. The principal difference between CBO and OMB is how the proposed increase in discretionary spending is portrayed. CBO measures from a baseline that assumes that last year's emergency response spending will recur. CBO also asserts that nondefense discretionary budget authority will be $51 billion below baseline levels over the next five years. The President's policies for nondefense spending would actually exceed the baseline by $34 billion over the next five years, under a baseline that treats the emergency response spending as a one-time event. The difference in FY2003 between CBO and OMB is attributable to different revenue estimates. Over the next 5 years, slightly more than 60 percent ($110 billion) of the $180 billion difference is largely due to revenues. OMB expects that wages and salaries and corporate profits will constitute a larger share of GDP than does CBO. In addition, OMB projects that the average tax rate on corporate profits will be higher than CBO. CBO estimates the costs of the President's policy proposals are quite similar to those of OMB. The cost of revenue policies are the same as OMB's for 2003 and 2004, and $1 billion lower than OMB over the next 5 years. Similarly, mandatory policies are estimated to have the same cost for 2003, but are $9 billion higher over the 2003-2007 period. Outlays for discretionary spending are slightly different because CBO assumes higher outlays from defense appropriations. Our budget provides all the necessary resources to accomplish our three main national security goals: winning the war, strengthening homeland security, and modernizing the armed services. The wartime budget resolution makes the tough choices that are necessary to meet the nation's top priority of winning the war and strengthening our national defense, while continuing to invest in the modernization of the armed forces for 21st century combat. The top priority of the House budget is to provide all the resources necessary to ensure that Americans are free from terror. This budget resolution achieves this objective.

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of Housing Concurrent Resolutions 275. For thousands of years before the first Europeans set foot on the continent of North America on the East Coast of Florida in 1513, Native Americans were already the great hunters and stewards of the New World that was to become America. They hunted, gathered and farmed as a way of life, which allowed them to live and prosper long before the great societies of Europe began to flourish. The native tribes of Florida fished in the great bays and estuaries, such as Tampa Bay, and hunted in the vast swamps and prairies up and down the Manatee River where Hernando De Soto landed to embark on the exploration of the new continent of America. The Native Floridian way of life depended on the game they hunted, the fish they caught and the crops they could grow. They only harvested what they needed and never took from the wild more than they could use. This was the birth of the American hunting tradition of being a steward of game and wildlife while engaging in the sport of hunting. When Florida was acquired by the United States in 1821, Florida pioneering families, affectionately called ``Crackers'' for the sound their whips made when driving cattle, came to settle on the vast Florida peninsula to stake out a claim for a new life. They depended on the abundance of wildlife to support themselves and their growing families. What the Native Floridians taught the Florida pioneers was the same lesson that was taught to the Pilgrims at Plymouth hundreds of years earlier; the reward of being good stewards of the land. These basic truths, passed down through so many generations of Americans, Native and immigrant alike, are the values of stewardship and sportsmanship involved in hunting. The stewardship of the game populations that provide a bounty of food and sport is crucial in the survival of many game animal species. The gains achieved in the scientific management of game species can be linked to the efforts of hunters to maintain the populations and quality of the game they hunt. Populations of game animals have more than flourished through proper game management by concerned and devoted hunters. The populations of deer and turkey alone are far greater now at the beginning of this century than they ever were at the beginning of the last. It is in a hunter's best interest to maintain game populations so that they may continue to practice the tradition they love. Licensed game hunters are deeply involved in game management on many levels. They pay taxes on their arms and ammunition, stamps and permits; funds that all go to help protect and maintain the sport that they hold so dear to their hearts. The rules and code that today's sportsmen follow, serve to protect and improve the quality of game species for generations to come. In honor of the men, women and youth who continue to practice the time honored American tradition of hunting I urge the support of this legislation.