Hal Rogers

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. So it is essentially like the last amendment but in different form?

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. $1.9 of the 3.7 that has not yet been allocated out of the disaster fund?

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. For the Community Development Block Grant Program?

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Reclaiming my time, as I understand it then, you propose to take $1.7 billion.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Could I propose a question to the offeror of the amendment? Are you proposing with this amendment to just simply add $1.9 billion to the Disaster Relief Fund?

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Reclaiming my time, I also oppose the gentleman's amendment for the same reason that I said on the earlier amendment. If you take these monies out of the Disaster Relief Fund, then you are saying to the gulf coast States that we will not have money to continue the Stafford Act Recovery Programs, which are vital to that region. You are saying there are not monies there for the public assistance and mitigation programs in the gulf coast area. You are saying that we will have to postpone the projects like repairing roads and water control facilities and public buildings and equipment, public utilities, parks, recreational facilities and the like. So as much as I understand the gentleman's concern to get more money in the Community Development Block Grant Program, this would be, to coin a phrase, disastrous for the gulf coast region to take it away from the Disaster Relief Fund. I oppose the amendment. Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Madam Chairman, I rise in opposition.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, there is no doubt that the Community Development Block Grant Program needs more funding, however, this amendment would take $2 billion out of the Disaster Relief Fund, which is severely underfunded as it is, of the more than $35 billion in supplemental funds that we have provided to the Disaster Relief Fund for the recovery from Katrina, Rita and Wilma. As of March 8, only $3.7 million of that remains unallocated; and long term recovery, of course, is just getting underway. The disaster fund is very volatile. Over the last month, weekly obligations have varied from $250 million to $1.1 billion. That is per week. The administration estimates the current balance of $3.7 billion in the disaster fund will only last us through the end of May as it is. If you take $2 billion out of that, there is not much left to last us in the disaster fund. Now, if you take those monies out of the disaster fund, many of the authorized activities for which the States are expecting funding cannot be funded. And I am talking about the Stafford Act Recovery Programs in the gulf coast States' ability to respond to new disasters if they should occur. During the months ahead, funds are needed primarily for the public assistance and mitigation programs in the gulf coast area. Also, funding for the disaster fund, if it is less than $9.5 billion, would mean deferring or postponing, at least stopping momentarily, at least, public assistance projects like repairing roads, repairing water control facilities, public buildings and equipment, public utilities, park, recreational facilities and the like, all of that would have to stop. So, Mr. Chairman, I urge that Members vote against this amendment. Not to say that the Community Development Block Grant Program does not need funds but this ain't the place to get it. So I urge a ``no'' vote. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from California for yielding the time and, more importantly, for ushering out this important bill in short time and in good order, and I urge my colleagues to support this supplemental appropriations for the global war on terror and hurricane recovery. Mr. Chairman, without a doubt, Hurricane Katrina was the worst natural disaster the Nation has ever seen, covering more than 93,000 square miles, claiming over 1,300 lives. Nearly 7 months after landfall, Hurricane Katrina continues to consume us as a Nation, both with recovery and rebuilding, as well as questioning what went wrong and why. The bill before us today fully funds the ongoing work of FEMA. Since Katrina made landfall, and including the $9.5 billion in this bill, the Congress has provided more than $44.5 billion in supplemental funds for Gulf coast recovery just through the Disaster Relief Fund. That is a staggering sum of money, Mr. Chairman, and one that reflects our commitment to help our Nation recover from the devastation of the 2005 hurricane season. Mr. Chairman, we are a little more than 2 months away from the 2006 hurricane season. I do not think that is a particularly welcome observation for those still recovering from the 2005 season. I am pleased that this bill includes several important programs that will help us prepare. One of the lessons learned, Mr. Chairman, in Katrina was the importance of early warning and communications. The bill before us today includes $70 million to allow FEMA to improve public alert, warning and communications systems. The Bipartisan Committee on Hurricane Katrina and the White House's ``Lessons Learned'' identified critical failures in FEMA's ability to manage its workload. To address some of those concerns, this bill includes $5 million to hire additional personnel for logistics management, inventory management, and contract management. With these additional staff on board before the 2006 hurricane season begins, FEMA will be better prepared to position critical assets, as well as plan for short-term recovery operations such as debris removal and housing. Katrina also showed us that much work remains on both the national response plan and the national incident management system. This bill includes $5 million to immediately begin a review of those two important documents. Mr. Chairman, I am also pleased this bill includes funds for ongoing work of the Coast Guard as it relates to the war on terror and addresses an unexpected shortfall within the Secret Service based on increased protective operations driven by the latest terrorist tactics and the current threat environment. As reported by the full committee, this bill is free of extraneous matters, and I believe it is important that we maintain that clean bill of health. I suspect there will be attempts to add additional funds to areas deemed critical such as port security, border and immigration security, nuclear non-proliferation, first responders and aviation security. I would remind my colleagues that the 2007 appropriations cycle is already upon us. I believe debate on these very important issues should be reserved and considered within the context of the regular appropriations cycle in which we are engaged even now. I also understand there may be attempts to take funds from the Disaster Relief Fund and use them for other purposes. I would urge my colleagues to oppose those attempts. I urge, Mr. Chairman, all of us to support this bill.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Wayne Shumate, an all around outstanding Kentuckian. Wayne passed away on November 14, 2005, the day after his 71st birthday. Known for his intelligence, strong work ethic, and the ability to bring out the absolute best in people, Wayne Shumate made it easy to remember him. He led a distinguished career in the textile industry, serving as director of Jockey International and then as chairman of both Blue Grass Industries and Kentucky Textiles. Always one to enjoy a challenge, Wayne began raising blackberries at his Nicholas County farm in an effort to find a replacement crop for Kentucky's dwindling tobacco industry. Thanks to Wayne's hard work and business savvy, the blackberry venture took off and became incredibly successful. Today--twenty-years after Wayne planted his first Hull Thornless blackberries--WindStone Farm is nationally recognized and famous for its Blackberry Jam. Never one to rest of his laurels, Wayne was affiliated with many different civic and nonprofit boards, which also speaks volumes about his personal character and reputation. Three different Governors appointed him to the Kentucky Harness Racing Commission and he served as President of the Association of Racing Commissioners International (RCI). Wayne also spent two terms on the Cincinnati/Cleveland 4th District Federal Reserve Board, chaired Governor Julian Carroll's Economic Development Commission, and was widely known and recognized in the cities of Carlisle and Paris, Kentucky for his thoughtful leadership. Wayne was a loving father and loyal companion, and I want to take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt condolences to his mother, Carrie Spivey Shumate, his wife, Kay George Shumate, his two children, Clifford Wayne Shumate Jr. and Sara Paige Shumate Short, his sister, Rose Carol Shumate, and the rest of his family and friends. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the memory of Wayne Shumate. While he will be sorely missed, I am confident his legacy--not to mention his famous smile--will continue to live on in the hearts and minds of his loving family and many friends.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, October 17, I was unavoidably detained in Kentucky and was not present for rollcall votes No. 521, 522 and 523. The votes were on approving the Journal, and House Resolutions 457 and 491. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on all measures.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the conference report, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Latham), one of the hard-working members of our subcommittee whose work helped make this bill happen.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter), another hard-working member of our subcommittee whom I rely upon very much.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Foley).

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis), chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, who has been enormously helpful in this bill all the way through.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, before I yield back, I think it is important that the gentleman from Minnesota and I express our thanks to staff. They make us look good, because they are the ones who produce these products, the staff that is seated here with me and the staff on the minority side. These people have done yeoman's work day and night for the last year on this bill. I want to thank them for all of the great work that they have done.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the conference report to accompany the bill, H.R. 2360, and that I may include tabular material on the same.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, we are pleased today to present for consideration the conference agreement on the funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Five weeks ago this Nation experienced perhaps the worst natural disaster in our history. Ninety thousand square miles were declared a disaster area. Ninety thousand square miles, an area twice the size of my home State of Kentucky. I believe Hurricane Katrina was a wake-up call. It showed us we are not indestructible. Vulnerabilities clearly exist. We were reminded that there are many threats to the homeland security beyond terrorism. There are obviously many lingering and important questions about Hurricane Katrina, all of which need to be and will be addressed in the upcoming months. We witnessed firsthand in Katrina the immediate response was inadequate. We also saw how responses varied across State lines and at different levels of government. But while the response to Katrina was plagued by problems, the preparation response to Hurricane Rita was not. We observed a substantially more organized preparation and response, demonstrating how the Department of Homeland Security can and does work as an effective organization. The fact is for many within the Department, the response to these disasters has been nothing short of remarkable. For instance, in the week immediately following Katrina, the Coast Guard saved more than 33,000 lives, more than the Coast Guard saved over the past 5 years. Over 4,000 Coast Guard, 12,000 FEMA, 2,500 Federal law enforcement personnel have been sent to support Hurricane Katrina and Rita relief operations, and their work continues even as we speak. The bill before us supports these efforts and more. It provides the funds the Department needs to prevent, prepare and respond to disasters, both natural and man-made. It provides a balance among Homeland Security programs and ensures the Department has the resources it needs to carry out its missions. This bill maintains a steady course towards keeping our communities safe and making our Nation more secure. In total, the 2006 conference agreement provides $30.8 billion, $1.4 billion above the current year and $1.3 billion above what the President asked of us. This includes more than $19.1 billion for border protection and immigration enforcement; $3.3 billion for our Nation's first responders; $6.33 billion for transportation security; $1.5 billion for research, development and deployment of innovative technologies; and $625 million for protecting our national critical infrastructure and key assets. In the interest of time, Mr. Speaker, I would like to highlight just a few of these items that I know are of interest to all the Members. There is $3.3 billion for our first responders. This agreement strikes a balance between funding high-risk communities and providing support for States and localities to achieve and maintain minimum levels of preparedness. The bill includes $950 million for basic formula and law enforcement terrorism prevention grants and $1.2 billion for security in our urban and most populated areas, including $390 million for transportation and infrastructure security grants. Some people say the amount of money for first responders is below the current level, and it is true. It is. The reason for that is they have got $6.6 billion in the pipeline, not yet allocated; so why add to the reservoir when the river is running full? The bill provides $19.1 billion for border protection, immigration enforcement and related activities, which is $1.2 billion over the current year and almost a half billion over what the President asked of us. That includes $1.8 billion for border security and control; $3.4 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement; $340 million for the US-VISIT program; $2.9 billion for Coast Guard operations; fully funding Deepwater at $933.1 million; and $40 million for the implementation of the REAL ID Act. So I think the agreement, Mr. Speaker, will go a long way towards improving the integrity of our borders. When we combine what we have in this bill with the 2005 supplemental, we will have 1,500 new Border Patrol agents and 568 Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents across the land to be hired in fiscal year 2006. The bill also supports a total of 20,300 detention beds for housing people who are locked up, having come across the border. The conference agreement supports security for all modes of transportation, including $6.3 billion for the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Air Marshals and $150 million in rail security grants. There is $85 million for air cargo security, which will support the hiring of 100 new air cargo inspectors, the development of new cargo screening technology and the expansion of canine enforcement teams. The bill also continues to provide strong oversight of TSA's progress towards inspecting all cargo that is transported on passenger aircraft. There is $1.5 billion for science and technology, including $318 million for the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office that will coordinate our Nation's efforts against the smuggling of nuclear materials into our country. This is a brand new agency, and this is brand new funding. We also continue to fully fund research and development for antimissile devices that might be used against commercial aircraft. Mr. Speaker, the important work of the Department of Homeland Security cannot be emphasized enough. As we continue to watch the recovery efforts in the Gulf States and our hearts go out with our money to those regions, it is clear that the assets we have given the Department over the past 3 years are being put to good use. I believe this conference agreement builds on the Department's progress and substantially furthers the protection of our homeland, and I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 474, I call up the conference report to accompany the bill (H.R. 2360) making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, and for other purposes.

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky

Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.