Laura Richardson

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Chair, today I was unavoidably delayed and unable to return to the floor in time for rollcall vote 529. Had I been present for rollcall No. 529, I would have voted ``aye'' (the Manager's Amendment to H.R. 4785).

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3116) to prohibit the Department of Homeland Security from procuring certain items directly related to the national security unless the items are grown, reprocessed, reused, or produced in the United States, and for other purposes, as amended.

Ms. RICHARDSON. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3116, the Berry amendment, extends the wisdom of our forefathers to properly secure our military uniforms to the 21st century of our extended protectors in homeland security such as the airport TSA workers and Customs and Border Protection workers. H.R. 3116 is putting American workers and the American economy first by making it in America. I thank Mr. Kissell and Chairman Thompson for their leadership, and I encourage my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Kissell).

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Berry Amendment Extension Act, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 3116, the Berry Amendment Extension Act, was introduced by the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Kissell). This legislation would apply procurement requirements that have been in place since 1941 at the Department of Defense to the Department of Homeland Security. As approved in 1941, the purpose of the Berry Amendment was to protect the United States from our enemies by requiring that the military maintain rules and regulations regarding the uniforms worn by our soldiers. Extension of the Berry Amendment to the Department of Homeland Security is the necessary thing to do from a security standpoint. Currently, there are not any requirements on where uniforms worn by enforcing agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration and Customs and Border Protection are manufactured. In light of ongoing threats which require the utmost protection of our safety resources and personnel, the extension of the Berry Amendment is appropriate. Further, the failure to utilize American invested workers to produce military resources is not only detrimental to American manufacturing jobs, but it is also detrimental to our Nation's security. A beneficial side effect of the Berry Amendment is its impact on jobs. Data shows that the Berry Amendment has allowed for the sustainment of over 450,000 textile and manufacturing jobs here in the United States. Further, using data from the U.S. Department of Commerce, it is estimated that for every $1 billion in manufacturing output, 12,500 jobs are created in the United States. During these trying economic times, H.R. 3116 provides us with a unique opportunity to create new jobs here in America, thereby giving U.S. workers any opportunity to ``Make it in America.'' This is where we all should stand. As a strong supporter of U.S. manufacturing, I believe that it is our duty as a Congress to protect American jobs through our support of those small businesses that manufacture high quality textile products here in the United States. Lastly, let us not forget most importantly that H.R. 3116 takes away a vulnerability in the procurement system. The law enforcement officials who work to protect our southern border--and northern border, for that matter as well--have witnessed drug couriers using phony uniforms to avoid detection in the smuggling of illegal drugs into the United States. Considering the loose regulations on the location and types of facilities that manufacture uniforms worn by those who protect our Nation, we must take necessary steps to prevent smugglers from using our own uniforms to assist in their illegal activities and, worse, highlight vulnerabilities in the U.S. Homeland Security environment. I fully support this legislation, H.R. 3116, under consideration and urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote for its passage. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Madam Speaker, yesterday I was unavoidably delayed and unable to return to the floor in time for rollcall vote 519. Had I been present for rollcall No. 519, I would have voted ``aye'' (H. Res. 1052, Honoring the members of the Army National Guard and Air National Guard of the State of Oklahoma for their service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States since September 2001).

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of concurring in the Senate amendments to H.R. 3978, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. As chairwoman of the Emergency Communications, Preparedness, and Response Subcommittee, I am pleased to join the original sponsor of this legislation, the ranking member of that very subcommittee, Mr. Rogers of Alabama, in strong support of the First Responder Anti- Terrorism Training Resources Act. Mr. Rogers' district is home to the Center for Domestic Preparedness, also known as the Center throughout my comments, and one of the Nation's premier training sites. At the Center, thousands of first responders from all 50 States receive hands-on training for real world incidents involving chemical, biological, explosive, radiological and other hazardous materials. As we saw last week on nationwide TV when a ruptured pipeline sent a ball of fire into the neighborhoods of San Bruno, California, completely blowing to pieces four homes, killing four people, in addition to four people who are still missing, this training is vital, and we must continue to find creative ways to strengthen it. I am pleased that the legislation before us today will enhance the training of our first responders. Given the Center's leading role in all-hazards training, the facility often receives offers of resources and donations, including training displays, emergency response equipment, and guest lectures. The ability to accept, process, and utilize these donations and gifts would strengthen the Center's ability to offer high-quality emergency response training, as well as in difficult times reduce costs for the Center itself. Pursuant to current rules and law, the Center for Domestic Preparedness currently lacks the legal authority to accept these types of resources, gifts, and services. The enactment of H.R. 3978 would permit the Secretary of Homeland Security to accept and use gifted items for authorized activities of the Center for Domestic Preparedness that are related to preventing, preparing for, protecting against, or responding to all-hazards. The legislation further directs the Department of Homeland Security, DHS, to report annually to Congress on any gifts that were accepted and how they might contribute to the Center's mission. The report must also describe the amount of federally funded savings that were generated from the acceptance of these gifts, which is very important as we look for ways to trim costs. The bill also amends the Homeland Security Act to authorize the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center to accept and use gifts, donations, and services. For these reasons, I urge all of my colleagues to support the Senate amendments to H.R. 3978. House of Representatives, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Washington, DC, September 14, 2010. Hon. Bennie G. Thompson, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Thompson: I write to you regarding the Senate amendment to H.R. 3978, the ``First Responder Anti-Terrorism Training Resources Act''. We note that the Senate amendment to H.R. 3978 contains provisions that fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Given that the House is scheduled to call up the measure without formal referral of the bills to committees of jurisdiction, I request an acknowledgement that nothing waives, reduces, or otherwise affects the jurisdiction of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure over H.R. 3978. Please place a copy of this letter and your response acknowledging the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure's jurisdictional interest in the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure in the House. I look forward to working with you as we prepare to pass this important legislation. Sincerely, James L. Oberstar, M.C. Chairman.

Ms. RICHARDSON. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the CDP--the Center for Domestic Preparedness--and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center are law enforcement training organizations for numerous Federal, State and local agencies, and they provide vital preparation to our law enforcement community. In fact, it could definitely benefit from the use of these additional resources. By allowing DHS-supported training centers to accept these gifts, this legislation will help tap into the generosity of the American people and the companies to enhance the training for thousands of first responders. In turn, I expect it will save a significant amount of taxpayer dollars. I encourage my colleagues to support this important homeland security legislation, and I commend Mr. Rogers for his efforts.

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendments to the bill (H.R. 3978) to amend the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 to authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to accept and use gifts for otherwise authorized activities of the Center for Domestic Preparedness that are related to preparedness for and response to terrorism, and for other purposes.

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

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1480, which commends the University of Southern California (USC) for its victory in the 2010 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men's Tennis Championship. This victory was the second consecutive championship for the USC men's tennis team. They had previously won the national championship in 2009. This championship was truly a team effort. The 2010 USC men's tennis team finished the season with an overall record of 25-3. They entered the tournament as the Number 5 seed. After falling behind early to the University of Tennessee, they rallied for a 4-2 victory to win the national championship. The USC men's tennis team captured its 18th NCAA national championship. This victory makes the USC men's tennis team the winningest Division I collegiate tennis program in history. Madam Speaker, this championship continues a long standing excellence in athletics and academics at USC. As an alumnus of the University of Southern California, I am especially proud to be able to celebrate in this championship. USC has now won 113 national championships as a university. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague Congresswoman Watson for introducing this resolution and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 1480, commending the USC men's tennis team on winning the 2010 national championship.

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 1525, which recognizes the 50th anniversary of the classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird, which was written by Nelle Harper Lee of Monroeville, Alabama. This novel has become an American classic and every year thousands of students across the country read it and grapple with the significant moral issues that it raises. I thank Chairman Towns for his leadership in bringing this bill to the floor. I would also like to thank Congressman Bonner for introducing this important measure. Growing up in Monroeville, Alabama, Harper Lee was no stranger to the racial injustice of the American South in the first half of the 20th Century. In 1960, she decided to publish a novel channeling the racial climate she experienced during her youth. This novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, is considered one of the greatest American novels of our time. Its depiction of racial inequality as seen through the eyes of a child offers a unique and insightful view of American race relations in the segregated South. Madam Speaker, when I was growing up, students across the country read To Kill a Mockingbird in high school. While discussing the novel with one of my interns, Brittni Hamilton, I learned that she read the novel as early as middle school. I guess such a classic novel that raises such important issues about the social and moral character of our nation cannot wait until high school any longer. In any case, I am pleased that all the young people in our nation are exposed to the timeless moral lessons of To Kill a Mockingbird. Madam Speaker, Harper Lee's novel is classic. In addition to winning a Pulitzer Prize, To Kill a Mockingbird has also earned Harper Lee induction into the American Academy of Arts and Letters as well as the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Since first being published in 1960, it has sold over 30 million copies. I am proud that our nation continues to cherish and appreciate this landmark literary achievement. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1058, which honors and praises the Sojourn to the Past organization on the occasion of its 10th anniversary. This resolution recognizes an important educational program that helps students understand the invaluable role of the Civil Rights Movement in our Nation's moral and social development. I thank Chairman Miller for his leadership in bringing this measure to the floor. I also thank the sponsor of this resolution, Congressman Louis, whose role in the Civil Rights Movement and work as a public servant has made the United States a more tolerant and democratic country. Madam Speaker, the Civil Rights Movement was a transformative experience for the United States. It helped our Nation grow out of a culture of bigotry, segregation, and oppression, and extend the democratic freedoms promised by our Nation's founders to people that had, for more than two centuries, been deemed second-class citizens. It elevated our moral standing in the world and brought our Nation closer to meeting the ideals set forth in our founding documents. It is absolutely essential that every high school student in the United States understands the moral gravity and massive historical significance of the Civil Rights Movement. The Sojourn to the Past project helps us achieve this goal. Established in 1999, the Sojourn to the Past project takes high school students on a 10-day excursion along the path of the Civil Rights Movement in the southern United States, engaging them with historical sites and talks with prominent veteran leaders of the movement. The longest running civil rights education program in the United States, the program has conducted 55 sojourns and introduced over 5,000 high school juniors and seniors to the lessons, locations, and leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. Madam Speaker, the Civil Rights Movement is not only a vital part of our past, but its lessons are instructive in the ongoing efforts to end violence, discrimination, hatred, and inequality in the United States and across the world. The work of the Sojourn to the Past program is extremely commendable. It instills in our future leaders the knowledge and understanding needed to bring continued moral and social progress to our Nation. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5266, to extend the final report deadline and otherwise reauthorize the national commission on children and disasters. H.R. 5266, is an important piece of legislation that assists a commission whose job is to report to Congress and the President on the necessary precautions and actions needed before major disasters or emergencies. I would like to thank Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer, and Chairman Oberstar for their leadership in bringing this bill to the floor. I also thank the sponsor of this legislation, Congresswoman Brown, for her important work on the reauthorization of the national commission on children and disasters through 2013. Madam Speaker, in an average 3-year period, roughly 5 hurricanes strike the coastlines of the United States. The 2009 Atlantic hurricane season included 9 named storms, including 3 hurricanes, 2 of which were category 3 or higher. In 2009 there were 1843 earthquakes in the United States between the magnitudes of 3.0 and 6.0. From 2007 to the present, 269 fatalities have resulted from tornadoes. As Chair of the Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness, and Response, my Subcommittee recently held a hearing on the difficulties of reaching those with special needs, such as children, during emergencies such as a hurricane or tornado. Children comprise about 25 percent of our population and have unique needs during a disaster that require specific recognition and coordination on the part of federal, state, Tribal and local governments and their non-governmental disaster-relief partners. The rise in major disaster declarations over the past two decades, and more recent disasters have highlighted the need to improve the gaps in preparedness, response and recovery policies that should specifically address the needs of children. Madam Speaker, I am pleased that H.R. 5266 would reauthorize the National Commission on Children and Disasters through 2013. The National Commission on Children and Disasters examines and reports to the Congress and the President on the needs of children during the preparation for, response to, and recovery from major disasters and emergencies. Under current law, the commission would terminate in 2011. I conclusion, Madam Speaker, I support this legislation to keep our children safe. I am pleased that Congress is taking action to promote increased safety measures in emergency situations as well as providing the funds in support. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5266.

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 725, the Tribal Law and Order Act Amendments of 2010 as amended by the Senate, which would address the issues of violence and sexual assault that occur on Indian Reservations. I would like to thank Congressman Ed Pastor for his leadership in introducing this bill to the House floor. Mr. Speaker, the Tribal Law and Order Act is an amendment to H.R. 725, The Indian Arts and Crafts Act. The Tribal Law and Order Act will create accountability measures for the Federal agencies that are responsible for investigating and prosecuting crime that occurs on Indian Reservations. The act would also equip Indian tribes with the means necessary to tackle crime within their local areas. Mr. Speaker, I am sorry to say that domestic violence and sexual assault occur quite frequently on Indian Reservations. Most of the victims to such violent crimes are Indian women and children. Statistics show that one in three American Indian women will be raped in their lifetime and two out of every five women will face domestic violence. Within most Indian Reservations, very little police patrol takes place and tribal courts have very limited jurisdiction. Currently tribal courts have a maximum sentencing of only one year, and non Indian criminal offenders cannot be tried under tribal courts. These restrictions continue to put innocent men, women, and children at risk for higher incidents of violent and heinous crimes. Native American communities continue to suffer from the effects of poverty, substance addiction, and other health related diseases. Unfortunately these communities have been some of the most underserved in our nation. Rampant violent crime that is preventable should not be an outstanding statistic among Indian Reservations. As a Representative from California, a state that has a large population of Native Americans, I am deeply committed to seeing the progress of these communities and ensuring that justice is rightfully served. Mr.Speaker, the Senate Amendment to H.R. 725 is a way to ensure that the criminal justice system is improved among Indian nations and also that federal law enforcement becomes more responsive to the instances that occur on tribal land. It is critical that attention be given to our nation's justice system and the victims that rely on it the most in order to seek justice. In conclusion, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 725 as amended by the Senate.

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1504, which recognizes and honors the 20th anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I am proud to co-sponsor H. Res. 1504, and I thank my colleague, Majority Leader Hoyer, for introducing this legislation. The Americans with Disabilities Act is truly a historic piece of legislation. When it became law 20 years ago, it extended civil rights to individuals with disabilities, and prohibited employers from discriminating against qualified disabled persons. The Americans with Disabilities Act also requires reasonable accommodations to be made to workplaces so that they are more accessible to people with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act has helped over 50,000,000 Americans lead fuller lives by removing barriers to employment, transportation, public services, and telecommunications. However, Mr. Speaker, this anniversary also serves as a reminder that there is still work to be done. People with disabilities are twice as likely to live in poverty and much more likely to be unemployed than their able-bodied peers. We must also continue to work on eliminating all discrimination in the workplace. No qualified individual should be denied a job or a promotion solely on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, or sexual orientation. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 1504, and honoring the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4842, the Homeland Security Science and Technology Authorization Act of 2010, which authorizes important management functions and programs within the Department of Homeland Security Science &Technology (S&T) Directorate. I would like to acknowledge Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer for their leadership in bringing this important resolution to the floor. I would also like to thank my colleagues Chairman Thompson and Congresswoman Clarke, who authored this legislation, which represents a milestone for the S&T Directorate and the Homeland Security Committee. It is the first authorization bill for S&T since the Department was created in 2002. As Chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness, and Response, I have been concerned about these issues. Through the Committee's years of oversight work, I have a great appreciation for not only S&T's strengths and successes, but also its weaknesses, which include a lack of accessibility, transparency, and responsiveness. H.R. 4842 addresses those weaknesses and acknowledges the importance of science and technology research, development, testing, and evaluation in ensuring the safety and security of the American people and our nation. This bill ensures that the Science and Technology Directorate has the right tools available to be successful, such as delivering products into the hands of our first responders, law enforcement officials, or critical infrastructure owners to help them achieve their mission and make America more secure. This legislation also authorizes critical management functions and programs within S&T, including the Securing the Cities program. In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation because we need the very best science and technology available to defend the threats against our homeland. I am pleased that Congress and the Committee on Homeland Security are taking action to promote these improvements and adequately fund the areas of government responsible for science and technology research. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 4842.

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Senate amendments to H.R. 4213, the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2010, which will extend unemployment benefits to millions of Americans that are in dire need of support. Without this legislation these families will lose the only lifeline that they can count on in this historic economic crisis. Mr. Speaker, while I am glad that this bill is finally close to the President's desk, I deeply regret the weeks of partisan politics by Republicans, especially those in the Senate, which have obstructed this legislation and delayed benefits to struggling families across the country. Since Republicans allowed benefits to begin expiring in May, over 250 million individuals nationwide and 429,000 in California have lost benefits that help them feed their families, pay their bills, and sleep with a roof over their heads. Republicans claim to oppose these benefits because of their cost. But, let us not forget that Republicans never bothered to find offsets for the Bush tax cuts. They never felt the need to pay for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Only when unemployment benefits are on the table do Republicans suddenly discover an interest in fiscal responsibility. Republicans want to withhold relief from millions of Americans who, through no fault of their own, have lost their jobs in this economic crisis. But this vote offers a final opportunity to put partisan politics aside and work together for the American people. Mr. Speaker, Congress has taken bold action to energize the economy during this historic economic crisis and lay the groundwork for long- term, stable growth. To be sure, these actions are working: to date, the Recovery Act alone has saved or created over 682,000 jobs nationwide. However, rebuilding our economy takes time and, despite the success of Democrats' job-creating legislation, many individuals and families across the country still need our help. We cannot abandon the families that have been left jobless because of the previous Administration's economic mismanagement. This important measure will retroactively extend unemployment assistance to individuals whose benefits started to phase out in May and will guarantee that benefits are available through November. Mr. Speaker, this should not be a partisan issue. This is an American issue. Millions of Americans need our help and this is our opportunity to provide it. Let us help the people all across the country who have been hit hard by this recession, people who, through no fault of their own, are struggling to stay in their homes and feed their kids. Moreover, in addition to providing relief to those in need, this bill is an important step in our economic rebuilding process. Unemployment benefits create economic demand that stimulates the economy and puts people back to work. This is a fast-acting and cost-effective way to energize the economy: every $1 spent on unemployment benefits leads to $1.90 in economic activity. This bill responds to both our immediate obligation to help the American people in a time of great need and the long-term goal of consistent growth and prosperity. Mr. Speaker, this bill is an obvious ``aye'' vote. The resistance it has seen in the past few weeks is shocking. I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 4213.

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days to enter their remarks into the Record on this topic of the gulf oil spill.

Ms. RICHARDSON. I appreciate the opportunity to anchor this special hour tonight. My name is Congresswoman Laura Richardson, and I represent California's 37th Congressional District which includes the cities of Long Beach, Compton, Carson, and Signal Hill. It's adjacent to the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, the largest port complex in the United States and the third-largest in the world. For starters tonight, I want to take a look at what we're going to talk about in the report that I've prepared to present to the American people. As a Member of Congress, I'm a member of the Committee on Homeland Security, and I'm the subcommittee chair of Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response, and so because of that, I felt it was important to share with the American people the information and the observations of what I'm now calling the people's Congress. I'm here tonight to present to the United States Congress and the American people my report, my observations, and my recommendations regarding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. It includes the responses that have been taken and the recovery that's needed for us to move forward. So let's start with what happened back on April 20 at 10 p.m. Tragedy struck in the Gulf of Mexico. Just 42 miles from the population of the people in Venice, Louisiana, there was a fire, there was an explosion, and the Deepwater Horizon oil rig began to be engulfed in flames. After trying to quench the flames, people came from all over the country, even Holland, attempting to figure out how to put the fire out on this rig. After spending much time and much energy, 115 crewmembers were rescued and evacuated. Eleven crewmembers, unfortunately, tragically died. These eleven men lost their lives: Jason Anderson, Dale Burkeen, Donald Clark, Stephen Curtis, Gordon Jones, Roy Wyatt Kemp, Karl Kleppinger, Blair Manual, Dewey Revette, Shane Roshto and Adam Weise. These 11 gentlemen were men. They were men who were fathers, brothers, sons, and uncles, and on behalf of myself and the House of Representatives and Americans, we express our prayers to their families and friends and commit to study the situation and not to repeat it again in the future. So, in order for us to do that, we first have to understand what is the magnitude of this problem. Throughout the evening on April 20 and into the next day, gallant efforts were made, as I mentioned, to still save, even into the second and third day, the 11 missing men and to put out the fire that could be seen for miles. The men who were coming to put out this fire, they could see the fire on this rig for 2 hours prior to getting to the actual site. That's how large it was. Some say the fire was as high as 200 feet into the air. So 2 days later, after they made very many attempts to be able to put the fire out, the heat was just entirely too hot and the metal began to collapse, and the platform and the rig collapsed, 5,000 feet to the floor of the ocean. As the fire began to subside on April 24, just two short days later, it was reported that oil was flowing into the ocean at a rate of at least 5,000 barrels per day. The United States has over 63,000 Federal onshore oil and gas wells. Having leaks and spills is also not something new to our country, but what is is the size and the magnitude. Since 1990, there have been a total of 5,601 major pipeline incidences reported. That represents over $4 billion in damage. Previously reported, the worst spill was in 1989 by the Exxon Valdez in Bligh Reef, in Prince William Sound, Alaska. The flow rate technical group of the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that the Exxon Valdez spilled approximately 750,000 barrels of oil. Now, let's put that in perspective. The oil spill from the Deepwater Horizon has continued for over 80 days, although it has passed at this point, and it is believed that the Deepwater Horizon will supersede the Valdez by several times. How could that be? If the Deepwater Horizon is leaking at anywhere between 10,000, as has been reported, and as high as 65,000 barrels a day, and if you multiply that by a minimum of 80 days, you're talking about a range of 800,000 to 4.8 million barrels of oil. Now, the Deepwater spill took place 42 miles from Venice, Louisiana, which has 572 miles affected out of 7,721 miles. Those are shoreline miles, and so what that's saying is the impacted area is approximately 7.4 percent. In Mississippi, they have over 108 miles that are affected out of 359 total tidal shoreline miles, which brings it at approximately 30 percent. Alabama has over 67 miles of coastline affected out of 607 total tidal shoreline miles, approximately 11 percent. And Florida has over 69 miles affected out of 5,095 total tidal shoreline miles, approximately 1 percent. So when we consider the damages that have happened so far with this Deepwater Horizon spill, some of the damages that are caused are to the beaches that we will talk about tonight, to fish, to birds, the environment, other wildlife, the ecosystem, tourism and the economy, marine life, livelihoods, jobs, lost productivity, and let's not forget public health. In light of the loss of life, the unusual depth of drilling, and the immediate disaster implication, responses from all levels were immediately activated. President Obama and the administration, through working with the U.S. Coast Guard, is historically the primary responder to U.S. coastal waters. The U.S. Coast Guard responded to the BP oil spill within hours. The Coast Guard began immediately operating an emergency search-and-rescue mission. Leadership was established on April 21, less than 1 day later. On April 21, a day after the explosion, pursuant to the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan, Rear Admiral Mary Landry was made Federal on-scene coordinator. On April 22, less than 2 days later, after the explosion, the national response team, led by Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, was activated along with additional regional response teams. These regional response teams are formed for many reasons. The teams typically include a United States Coast Guard representative, someone from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Commerce, the Department of the Interior and State and local representatives. The purpose of these regional response teams is to coordinate, to partner, to communicate, and to respond. The regional response teams began developing plans, providing technical assistance and access to resources and equipment from its member agencies, as well as overseeing BP's response. Some workers, like Jay Harper from the Department of Homeland Security, have been working since day one, which is now 91 days straight, in response to the Deepwater Horizon spill. In this picture you see Jay and I viewing the source site, and he's pointing out information to me of where the actual source is, where the burns are taking place, and the whole aspect of what we could view from the plane. On April 23, an incident command system stood up and was in accordance with the national response framework and the NCP. The purpose of the incident command system is to provide a common method for developing and implementing tactical plans to efficiently and effectively manage a multiagency response, and certainly this was it. The ICS organization for this response included incident command posts and unified commands at the local level, as well as a unified command at the regional level. The next step was on April 29, just 9 days from the explosion, Secretary Napolitano designated the oil spill as a spill of national significance. This designation enabled Secretary Napolitano to appoint then U.S. Coast Guard Commander Thad Allen to serve as the National Incident Commander, the lead national coordinator in charge of Federal efforts. On May 21, 2010, President Obama issued an Executive order creating the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling to respond to this spill. Further, President Barack Obama simultaneously has made four trips to the gulf to oversee the spill and to supervise the cleanup efforts. On June 9, The New York Times reported that Rear Admiral James A. Watson, the on-scene coordinator of the Unified Command overseeing the response effort, wrote to British Petroleum, giving the company 3 days to provide plans. Among the requirements are that any new method, most importantly, that would contain the leak would be devised to reduce disruptions from a potential hurricane, which we are now approaching that season. The letter came amid continuing questions about how much of the leaking oil was being captured by BP's latest containment effort, what we now know to be called the top hat. Also, there were questions of whether the company could be collecting more and what other processes could be used. Finally, there were concerns about whether BP had failed to provide enough surface equipment. So when I had an opportunity to go to the gulf, and having read all of this, these were the things that I wanted to see. When you look at the source site of the Deepwater Horizon spill, what you will notice is there are multiple platforms, multiple vessels that are used to all coordinate in one sync to eliminate the gushing of oil that was coming into the gulf. And this was the scene that I saw just 1 week ago. So when Rear Admiral Watson directed his letter, the things that he wanted to make sure that we were considering is incorporating the hurricanes, because the gulf is very much an area--as you can see, the waters are very calm here, but given very high winds and higher seas, these platforms and these vessels could easily be submerged as well. When we talk about some of the things that have been done and when we look at the cleanup, 5.4 billion barrels were spilled into the gulf it is potentially believed; 2.6 million barrels were either evaporated or degraded; 823,000 barrels have been siphoned, and these are some of the various devices that helped to do this; and 262,000 barrels have been burned off, which is what you see of this flame. This is not the rig on fire. The rig had already collapsed into the ocean. This is to be able to pull the oil and to be able to burn the excess area, and 100,000 barrels have been skimmed. Now, when we go to June 15, 2010, President Obama used his first Oval Office speech to address the Nation for 18 minutes and to talk about the oil spill that was carried on prime-time television to many TV networks. President Obama emphasized that we will fight the spill with everything we have got for as long as it takes. When I participated in a hearing just a couple weeks ago, that was the question that the mayor asked us, Will you be here for as long as it takes? President Obama also said that he wanted to make sure that BP paid for the damages that had been caused, and he also stated that whatever was necessary to help the gulf coast and its people recover from this tragedy, we would do. On June 16, 2010, BP agreed to create an independent $20 billion fund to pay the claims arising from the oil spill. The company also said it would suspend paying dividends to its shareholders for the rest of the year and would compensate workers for their lost wages. Now, let's talk about the congressional action and the things we have done in this House in relation to the Deepwater oil spill. In relation to the administration's response, Mr. Speaker, Congress has taken significant actions since the oil spill to respond to this crisis. Over the last 93 days, the U.S. Congress and the Senate have conducted over 24 Washington, D.C. hearings. We have conducted two field hearings, 75 on-site Member of Congress or Senate visits. H.R. 5503, the SPILL Act, last month was passed by the House, and it was passed in order to reform maritime liability laws. Those laws were impacted by the Death on High Seas Act, the Jones Act, which we have heard much discussion about, and the Limitation on Liability Act. This bill is intended to ensure that the families of those who were killed or injured in the BP spill and other such tragedies are justly compensated for their losses. On July 1, this House passed the 2010 supplemental appropriations bill, which includes aid measures requested by the Obama administration in response to this disaster. Included in this bill was funding for agencies that are working in the gulf to monitor the water, the air quality, the seafood safety, and worker health. The bill also extends the time that the Secretary of the Interior would have to review an offshore drilling application. Current law only allows the Secretary 30 days to review the process, which is way too short of a time to complete a full review of increasingly complex drilling plans associated with deepwater drilling. Then, H.R. 5481 was passed by this House to give subpoena power to the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. This is a bipartisan commission that our President formed. It's chaired by former Senator Bob Graham of Florida and former EPA Administrator William Reilly, and it was established on May 22. Its task is providing recommendations on how we can prevent future spills from originating from offshore drilling and mitigate any impact. Then we have gone to S. 3473, which is access to the trust fund, and it impacts the liability trust fund. The purpose of this bill is to ensure that we have the tools necessary to respond to the BP oil spill. Last month, Congress passed S. 3473 to permit the Coast Guard to obtain one or more advances from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund to underwrite Federal responses and activities related to the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Under the law, the Coast Guard can only withdraw up to $100 million from the fund to finance emergency response efforts. After an accident and that money has run out, that can become a problem. The trust fund was created by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and is funded by an 8-cent fee that is paid by all of the oil companies on each barrel of oil. This legislation has been signed by the President. Finally, the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act. That act was passed and the House enabled it so that it would protect the coastal economies by ensuring that oil companies would pay to strengthen the solvency of the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund instead of passing the buck onto the taxpayers. That measure will raise the fee of oil companies that they will pay per barrel and increase the current $1 billion cap on individual claims against the fund to $5 billion, and increase the $500 million cap on natural resource damages assessment to $2.5 billion. Currently the trust fund has a balance of roughly $1.6 billion. Now, let's talk about my observations. We have talked about the tragedy that happened. We have talked about what the administration has done, and we have talked about what Congress has done in terms of legislation. So now let's talk about some of the things that I've seen. I've made two trips to the gulf. Both trips were with the jurisdiction of the Homeland Security Committee of Government Oversight and Emergency Preparedness and Response. After viewing the news updates, I'll be honest, I anticipated seeing thousands and thousands of miles of oiled water. I expected to see every marsh covered in oil. I expected to see birds everywhere covered in oil. I expected to see sandy beaches covered in oil. And I expected to see no fishermen allowed to fish, and certainly no New Orleans businesses. Indeed, it is true, over 500 miles of oil has gone onto the beaches in the gulf. This is a picture that shows the work that was done on the beaches. Now, you can actually see the work area in that far right section. You can see the booms that have been laid out. You can even see the restroom for the workers to be able to use as they clean the beaches. So you can see the booms, the nets, and even on this farther picture, you can see where the previous oil had gone across on the beaches. There are 3,617 birds have been rescued, 2,333 birds died, thousands of fishermen have been without work. And an 83,927 mile area has been disallowed for fishing. The destruction has been immense, and the final estimates are far from being in. However, many of the challenges involved in reporting and responding have been overcome in the last 40 days. That's why I wanted to speak today, because I've been watching the news on a regular basis, hearing every single night of the individual incidents that have occurred, but we've heard very little about what our government and our representatives and the people who have been working every day have been doing. Typically what happens on a daily basis is the planes go out, they survey the area, and they look at their various radar to see where the oil spill locations are. Once they observe them from the air, they send the boats out, which then move forward and put the various booms out to either do burning or skimming. And then you also have some of the things that many of the elected officials in the local area had asked for, and that was the dropping of the sandbags. You can see this area where the sandbags were put in to prevent the oil from coming into the marsh area. Also, if you look very closely here, you will see the booms that were set in order to prevent the oil from coming into this marsh area. Men and women are working around the clock. The administration has authorized and deployed 17,500 National Guard troops of which 1,580 have been activated. Approximately 45,000 personnel are currently responding to protect the shoreline and the wildlife and cleanup of our vital coastlines. And while there have been delays in equipment supply, the Coast Guard and Federal Government have been diligent in working to get the equipment that we need. More than 6,800 vessels have responded on site, including skimmers, tubs, barges, and recovery vessels, all set to assist in the containment and the cleanup effort. In addition, hundreds of aircraft make the trip daily, as I said, remotely operated vehicles, and multiple mobile offshore drilling units to be able to clean up the disparate oil that has hit our shores. Currently, approximately 572 miles of the gulf coast shoreline has been affected directly by the oil spill; approximately 328 miles in Louisiana, 108 miles in Mississippi, 67 miles in Alabama, and 69 miles in Florida. What many hardworking people have done is to set up 17 staging areas to protect many of our sensitive shoreline areas. This is an area where you can see actual workers where they go out; they actually go into the marsh area. You can see the pattern of where the oil has come in and where they're working to actually remove the oil. You also can see at this point some of the different--this is a boom that they're using in this area, and you can see inside in the marsh area where there is a tremendous amount of oil that had been spilled, but on the inner part it is still green and we hope will still survive. Approximately 83,927 square miles of Gulf of Mexico Federal waters remain closed to fishing in order to balance the economic and public health concerns. We hope that soon those areas will be open once we can validate that in fact the fish that are living there that would be fished will be safe for consumption for people to eat. Now, what was interesting to me is that when I was watching all the news about the oil spill, I just simply didn't understand why they didn't just put a boom around the entire source site. It seemed to me it wasn't that big and it would have prevented the oil from going to all these other States that we've talked about. Well, this is why--and I had no idea, and this is why I wanted to be here tonight so we could educate the American public because we're not seeing this on the news of why just having more boom is not fixing the problem. When you look at the boom here, you can see that just by a simple small wave of not even one foot actually goes over and covers the boom area. So that's why whether you have six miles of boom or 10 miles of boom, it can only cover so much. Now, here you have workers who were actually collecting the boom that has collected some of the oil, and we can see how it has worked. But unfortunately it takes a lot of boom, and it takes completely replacing it. More than 3.2 million feet of containment boom and 6.6 million feet absorbent boom have been deployed to contain the spill, and approximately 875,000 feet of containment boom remain. So as they watch where the oil is moving, they will have boom to move to that section. One of the things I heard a lot about was something called ``the whale.'' They said it's large, it's from Taiwan, and it would be able to pick up all of the oil. This is a picture of the whale, as they call it. And as you can see here, here is some of the oil that the whale is picking up. Now, this whale is 1,150 feet long. It's quite an amazing site, but it's only one indication of the 20-plus international partners that we have had that the administration has been able to leverage with assets and skills from numerous foreign countries and international organizations as a part of this historic all-hands-on- deck response. Some of those countries are Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Russia, Spain, Tanzania, United Kingdom, United Nations International, and then some. So let's talk a little bit more about some of the particular sites. You're seeing kind of the aerial view, but we had an opportunity to actually go to some of the parishes and to see some of the impacted areas in addition to the marsh area. One of the places we went to was St. Tammany Parish. I visited this area, and they already had an operating emergency operation center, and there I met Commander Dan Precourt. Commander Precourt is the parish liaison officer for St. Tammany Parish. His position is important because what we learned from Hurricane Katrina, one of those most important lessons, was that there simply was not enough communication between local officials and the public during that disaster. But at the St. Tammany Parish Emergency Operation Center, there is a Coast Guard liaison, there is Commander Precourt, as well as a representative from BP, and many other people who are working there, working together to talk about how the agencies can solve this problem. The public liaisons are meeting with someone face to face so that they can respond to their problem or can direct them to someone who can. Support is coming from California, Alaska, Massachusetts, and many other States. What I found interesting that we don't hear so much about with this whole spill situation is that these people are working 7 days a week, oftentimes coming in at 6 a.m., leaving anywhere between 9 and 10 p.m., and many of them actually worked on Father's Day. I was there on Sunday evening at about 8 o'clock, and there were still over 10 people there, working. Tammany Parish is not one of the centers of the oil spill. In fact, it was particularly alarming to me, because I have friends and know people from Louisiana, when I heard that oil was found at Lake Pontchartrain. I thought, ``Oh, no.'' Most people know and enjoy the area of Lake Pontchartrain, but fortunately and actually--and what wasn't told and why we wanted to talk about this tonight--oil was discovered at the initial pass, which is called Rigolets Pass. At this time, the lake is fishable. We want people to know that. They are fishing in Lake Pontchartrain, and no oil has been found west of the I- 10 bridge. Thousands of men and women depend upon fishing for their livelihoods. As was said in one of the local shows this morning, we have to make sure that people know that people are still fishing, that people are still living, that people are still eating, and that they are still vacationing on the coast. The Coast Guard is trying every feasible option available to stop this spill. Next slide, please. Now, before I visited and when I looked at some of the things that had been said, one of the things we heard people talking about were the impacts on wildlife and the environment. I had an opportunity to go to the wildlife fisheries with representatives both from the State of Louisiana and the United States, and we got a chance to see where they had taken many of the birds so they could be cleaned and could get extra help. This picture is of a very dedicated veterinarian who had worked very long hours to help aid and assist the birds. This is the team that actually put up this system, which was pretty much out of wire and 2 by 4s. I mean it really was a very, what I would say, kind of archaic system, but it was working to help with the birds. You see me there. We are talking about the pelicans that have been cleaned, how they are recovering and how soon we expect them to be returned to the wild. Next slide, please. Some of the beauties of the Gulf of Mexico are the marshes, the wildlife, and all the incredible things that you see. This is one of the dedicated gentlemen whom I mentioned who works for U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Jack Bohannon. He is on the water boat, and this is what they do. They survey the marsh area to see if oil has gone into that section so they know where to put the boom or where to make replacements. Here you see the Coast Guard commander of this particular area. It was the protected area, the marsh section called Pass a Loutre. This is Commander Claudia Gelzer, and she has been working very hard to keep the oil out and to minimize the damage to this much protected area. Next slide, please. It is somewhat hard to imagine, when you think of the oil coming in, how you would possibly stop it, or as I would kind of say, ``corral it,'' to be able to put it into a section where it could be safely burned and evaporated. This is an example of where you see a marsh area where the boom has been laid. They went out, and they found out there was an area where oil existed. They corralled it, brought it into the section. Then this is how they were able to safely set it afire. This is another example of what I wanted to show of how you have the boom area protecting the local coast section. Very low down here, you can see where some of the oil had initially come, and that is why they have the boom area protecting this section, which is to keep the oil out. Next slide, please. Now, to talk about Pass a Loutre, not only is it an incredible area in terms of marshland, of over 115,000 acres of marshland, what is also particularly important about this is that it is a preserve area as well. Unfortunately, it was right in the eye of the storm of the Deepwater Horizon, and for the oil that came out, this was one of the first spots that it came to. What we are showing you here are the first initial marsh areas. What I want the people to see is that not all of the marsh areas, not all of the 115,000 acres, are filled with oil. That is something that I didn't particularly understand as I was watching some of the news results. You look at our going out to the boat area. You see some of the low areas where some of the oil has come. Here you see it a little bit higher. Then, in this area, you see where oil very severely came in and impacted the marsh area. Next slide, please. This area is characterized by river channels with attendant channel banks, natural bayous, and manmade canals, which are interspersed with intermediate fresh marshes. Hurricane damage and subsidence have contributed to a major part of the vegetation and the marshes not being as strong as they had been in the past. So, in this area here, I found this interesting. I rode on a helicopter for about 45 minutes and then on a boat for about 30 minutes to be able to finally get to the spot where the worst amount of the oil impacting the marshes had taken place. So the message of what I want to say tonight is, yes, a horrible thing has happened, yes, to many areas that we love, have gone to for generations, and have cherished. But the important thing to remember is that it is not in a position where we cannot fix it with the work and the commitment to do so. So what you see here is I'm reaching in and touching some of the oil that has accumulated here in this section. Then, on this portion here, is the actual entrance into one of the marsh canals. You can see literally where the oil just kind of traveled inside, came in and basically accumulated in this section here of what you see. Next slide, please. So we look at these marsh areas and what we can do to fix them. Some of the complaints that were made were: Why didn't we have enough boom? How come we couldn't get the boom out there quickly enough? This is what is very important for people to see. Here you can see the boom is normally a yellow color. This is where oil has come over, and you can see it only takes about half of a foot of a wave or a foot of a wave to be able to go in. Here is where they are replacing it and putting new ones out and trying to keep it out, and then, of course, they are using the booms farther out in the area. Next slide, please. This, I think, was important to show in that, as the booms are collecting oil, they become filled with it. Then you have to go back out and remove them and place more in their place. So here you can see a tremendous amount of oil that had accumulated. It has been absorbed in these booms, and then they will be going out to these areas to place new ones. Then one of the things that is also important to understand as to why the booms alone are not the answer is that, with the wind and with the waves, it begins to move them into the marsh areas, so it actually moves them out from protecting the outer area. So that's why the booms are not the permanent solution to this problem. Next slide, please. As I prepared this report, what I call ``the people's Congress,'' I would be wrong not to acknowledge the efforts of Secretary Napolitano and Chairman Thompson for providing the access, for demonstrating transparency, and for showing a willingness to consider all of the options on the table for the betterment of America and for the American people. In order to improve even further, here are some of the lessons that I learned from some of the things that I've shown you tonight: Elected officials in the local area talked about the fact that we have had past exercises. We have had national exercises in the gulf regions, and so you would ask the question: Why were there some of the problems we experienced? Some of the things they talked about were their still not being connected on the calls, the daily calls, until a couple of weeks into the situation, and the impact on the local economy, when many of the areas really were not having an extensive amount of oil. You also had people sounding the alarm, expressing their concerns of how were we going to pay for all of the recovery that was going to be required. You had others who said we weren't moving fast enough and that we needed to do more. Still others said the teams should be changed. Though I want to talk about another area that also became very clear to me, a lesson learned. One of the recommendations I made when we had our hearing was to say to the Coast Guard and to the Department of Homeland Security that we need to also have our own message, which is why I am here tonight. We need to make sure that we are showing the American people, as they also have an opportunity to watch, that, yes, many marsh areas have been damaged. Yes, beaches have had oil come upon them. But yes, there are many other areas where they can still come, where they can enjoy, and where we hope that our marshes will survive. When you look at some of the reports and when you look at the current state of the situation--and even in the hearing they acknowledged-- things have gotten better. A lot of that is due to now being included in those calls, it is due to the transparency of what has been happening, and to the daily updates from Rear Admiral Allen. One of the key things they talked about was having a message that was understandable and in layman's terms. So that is why I came here tonight, because what the public had been asking for and what some of the elected officials had been asking for is just to show us what you are seeing and what we are doing in just regular terms. It is something very simple, but it basically conveys the message of what has happened. When you also look at some of the improvements and what we've learned and with being the subcommittee chair of Emergency Communications, Preparedness, and Response, and it's very important to look at these things. How soon was the 1-800 number up? How many claims have been filled? You look at where did the boom come from? How long did it take it to get there? How much did we already have? How many skimmers did we have? How many do we still need? These are all the things that we have now learned and we've learned in previous spills, as well, that we need to do to be prepared for a spill, unfortunately, of this size. Now, when we talk about layman's terms, one of the key things that I think is important to acknowledge is the Gulf of Mexico. This is a picture of a very sensitive area. You can see that the marsh is not very deep, but it's pretty much covered all the way around with boom. It's green. The water is blue. But we are fighting on a daily basis to keep it that way, and we have 45,000 personnel who are working to fix the problem. So when we talk about the clear lessons, some of the other things that I think that should be considered are: one, we need to make sure that as we consider how we respond to a spill, that we're prepared to make the adjustments in a hurricane season as well. I showed you pictures of the bird estuary and where they were cleaning up the birds. They are actually in the process of moving from that area because it's not stable enough. So if, in fact, a hurricane were to come, we would lose many birds as well from that experience. So we have to be including different agencies in that emergency process and to ensure that those places are set up throughout the region so that they're ready if something like this crisis does, in fact, occur. Another thing that we also have learned is that when we talk about communication, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting an active to extremely active hurricane season for 2010, with a chance, 70 percent chance for 14 to 23 named storms. So the clock is ticking, and that's why people are working so hard to be ready. Another key point that is very important to consider has to do with legislation. Now, I mentioned earlier some of the legislation that the House has already passed, but there are other suggestions that should be considered as well. One of the things that we found, in terms of response and who's in charge, is that when you looked at the marsh area, the Louisiana Wildlife individual felt that if you had oil in the marsh, that you should leave it there and allow it to eventually work its way out. The United States, at the Federal level, said it's better to go in to cut it open, to flush some water to go through to remove the oil and to get it out from just sitting there. So they were having to make those decisions. And I would venture to say that we should actually have those kinds of plans in advance. We should know that for certain parts of our country, we have marsh areas and that if, in the event there are oil spills, and I already mentioned to you that there's been 6,000 in our period of time here in the United States, that we should already have an adopted policy that we agree to of how we get the oil out of the marsh. Do we leave the oil in or do we open it up to be able to flush clear water through? That was one of the things that I asked at the hearing that we had. Another important thing to consider with legislation is to make sure that it would have proper mitigation, and that's what I'm talking about with the marsh. We should already determine what the potential costs are. We shouldn't be waiting until something unfortunately happens and then we're trying to guesstimate. We should also make sure that mitigation includes natural resource restoration. When you look at mitigation, it's loss of life, loss of limb, loss of property. But it's also, we have grown to know, it's a loss of our natural ecosystem as well. So when we consider funding that's available for mitigation, we need to make sure enough is there for that restoration as well. We also need to make sure that we have adequate information that's prepared independently, not of a particular independent private source, that will actually provide us the information and say what would be required to restore our ecosystem to its natural level. Sensitive natural resource areas can be identified early, and they can be done so to adequately protect them from an oil spill and also help with associated cleanup operations. The damage impact assessment should be thorough and it should be accurate and it doesn't have to be late. Habitat restoration is the preferred method to mitigate for impacts of natural resources from an oil spill and associated cleanup activities. A detailed mitigation plan should be prepared. These are the things that I saw and that I learned that I plan on bringing forward with my colleagues to consider on this very floor. When you talk about adequate funding for restoration activities, it should be provided based upon the actual cost and not what we think it might be. We should have to have time lines. There should be strict penalties, feasible objectives. There should be separate oversight from the initiators and the implementers, and, certainly, there should be periodic updates. So when you look at the Oil and Fuel Spill Readiness Act, another piece of legislation that I think this House should consider, we shouldn't have to, when we have a spill, scramble for a couple of weeks and try and get enough boom and try and get enough skimmers and try and get enough of everything to deal with an incredible disaster. These are things based upon the depth and the amount of oil that's being pulled from the ocean floor that we should be able to consider what would be needed if, in the event, a disaster were to occur. A readiness act would be able to have lessons learned from this Deepwater Horizon oil spill. It should include objective academic minds and expertise. It should include standards and require all emergency planning. And it should also include, as I've said, environment and wildlife as well. Now, as we talk about what I call the people's Congress, this House is one where we have an opportunity to represent approximately 650,000 Americans, and I happen to be fortunate enough to be one of those people. And so, as I rise today and I talk about this Special Order, one of the things you find quickly being a Member of Congress is that it's your area that you represent, but you also represent--you're a United States Representative, which means you're not only looking for your district but for other districts as well. And so when this incident happened and it fell within the committee of jurisdiction of my particular area, I felt, really, it was a responsibility because we have oil wells and pipelines in my area as well. And what happened in Louisiana could happen in any coastline in this country, and so it behooves us to be prepared and to learn our lessons. As I've explained tonight, we can start looking forward in a constructive way. We can work together with Federal, State, and local elected officials and agencies and private partners on solving these problems. Millions of people depend upon the gulf for their livelihood, for family history, and it is home to valuable animals as a part of their families, plants, and environments. I am optimistic. And while this is certainly one of the biggest challenges this Nation has ever faced, one thing we know for sure about the United States is that we're always ready to rebound. We don't see things as insurmountable, and we do believe that they can be made right. The last slide I am showing you tonight is not the marsh area before the oil spill. In fact, it's after. What you see in this marsh area is that it is in its full and beautiful state. It's perfectly green. You see the canals that are there supporting it. As we continue to work to respond to this oil spill and we put the recovery things in place, we can ensure that the rest of the 115,000 acres can look again like this particular section does as well. Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to be able to share my thoughts, kind of a testimony of what I saw in the gulf, painting a picture for the American people of what is really happening and what so many incredible people are doing to really restore and to fix something that was originally a disaster that I think can come back to look like this particular slide does. With that, I am appreciative for all of the efforts, as I said, of Chairman Thompson on our committee, Secretary Napolitano, of her working with all the Members of Congress and Senate to visit the gulf. We look forward to continuing to work, to do our lessons learned, and to put better systems in place so that we won't repeat the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Ms. RICHARDSON

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4684, which authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to create medals to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. I am proud to cosponsor H.R. 4684, and I thank my colleague, Congressman Nadler for introducing this legislation. September 11, 2001 was a day that changed America. Everyone remembers the events that unfolded that day, when we put differences aside and came together united and determined to respond to the unprovoked attack on our country. As a member of the Homeland Security Committee, I have worked with my colleagues to ensure that another terrorist attack like 9/11 never again occurs on our soil. This committee was formed in response to the events that occurred on that day. We must continue to vigilantly defend our country against potential threats. Mr. Speaker, there were so many brave and courageous acts that occurred on September 11, 2001. The creation of these medals is a token of our appreciation to those individuals who put their lives on the line to save others. It also serves as a reminder of those who lost their lives on 9/11. It is especially appropriate that the medals will be inscribed with the words ``always remember'' since the medals will help support the operations and maintenance of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 4684, which honors and remembers the courage and sacrifice of those who perished in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The creation of these medals serves as a tribute to them, and also commemorates the brave men and women who risked their lives to save countless others. These medals remind us of the resilience of the people who live in our great country.