Martin Sabo

Mr. SABO

Mr. SABO. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. SABO. Mr. Chairman, it is a good amendment. Hopefully we will adopt it.

Mr. SABO

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

Mr. SABO

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. I rise in support of the Obey motion to instruct. ICE simply needs more money, and I think we all understand that. For some reason, their budget has been in shambles ever since the Department was created. Their bookkeeping has been in shambles more so than their budget, and I am not sure if it is their fault or the fault of the central Department, but it is somebody's fault. It is all screwed up. It is not because Congress has not provided the money they asked for. Last year, we provided slightly more than they asked for, and so they were in hiring freezes and training freezes and one problem after the other. Now they want to take money away from lots of other good programs to make up for their budget shortfall. We simply need to get ICE's funding straightened out, and this supplemental does it. The other thing this supplemental does is add border agents. Whatever one's views are on all the controversies relating to immigration and other issues, one thing is evident, and that is, we need to strengthen our law enforcement on our borders, whether it is the northern border or the southern border. I was out this winter and visited the southern border in California where clearly we have made significant process; but what seems to happen, we plug a hole someplace and the pressure comes other places. So we need to add border patrol people. We were told in our committee that they should have the capacity to train about 1,200 people a year; and clearly, this bill provides less than 1,200, but even I think the President's request is an additional 200 for next year. So, clearly, they have the capacity to begin the process of training and hiring additional border patrol agents. It is not something that happens. You do not say we want more agents and it happens tomorrow. You have to recruit them, you have to hire them, and you have to train them. The need is obvious, I think, to everyone; and this bill clearly moves us in the right direction. So I hope we adopt the motion to instruct and adopt the policies implemented in the Senate bill on funding for ICE and for border patrol agents.

Mr. SABO

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I join my Minnesota colleagues in expressing sorrow and support to the people of Red Lake, Minnesota, as they take steps to heal their community after the unspeakable tragedy of March 22. It must have been a moment of unimaginable horror when parents realized that the children they sent off to school that morning were caught up in such terrible violence. In addition to those killed and injured, the entire community has been victimized by these acts of violence. After the initial shock, the community must come together to grieve their losses and ask the difficult questions: What went wrong and what can be done to keep it from happening again? We were also reminded that there are heroes in tragedy who put their own safety aside to save the lives of others. Derrick Brun showed us what is good about this world in a moment that we needed reassuring. The world watched a tragedy unfold in Red Lake. We must stand with this community as it pulls together to treat its injured and to heal its wounds. We offer our condolences and support as they continue the healing process that they have just begun.

Mr. SABO

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. SABO

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct pleasure to commend Augsburg College on its ninth NCAA Division III national title in school history this weekend at the NCAA Division III National Wrestling Championships. Augsburg was ranked number one nationally all season long, qualified wrestlers in all 10 weight classes, had five top-seeded wrestlers and finished with a national-record-tying 10 All-Americans. Augsburg's Division III program is one of only four remaining in the state. Its legacy of championships may perhaps be one of the reasons why the NCAA Division Championships were hosted this year in Minnesota for the first time. The team's winning point total is the most ever for Augsburg at the national championship tournament. It is also the second-highest point total for any championship team in Division III history, accumulating 162.0 points, outdistancing second-place Wartburg (Iowa) with 104.5 points and breaking Wartburg's two-year hold on the national crown. Coach Jeff Swenson is in his 23rd season at Augsburg. When asked about the program's success, he says the key is keeping it simple: getting rest, training hard and doing everything right. I believe this approach speaks volumes about the program and about the college as well. Mr. Speaker, Coach Jeff Swenson and the Augsburg student athletes are to be lauded for their pursuit of excellence. I'm certain that their commitment and discipline has reaped rewards of many kinds--one being the title victory.

Mr. SABO

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to take part in the celebration of Black History Month by recognizing distinguished civil and human rights leaders from the state of Minnesota: Virginia and Samuel Richardson. Samuel Richardson was born in Longview, Texas where he lived until he enrolled in Morehouse College. He moved to Minnesota in 1950 and immediately joined the local branch of the NAACP. Wanting to see his children grow up in a place that valued equality, Samuel Richardson fought for it in numerous ways, such as by picketing the F.W. Woolworth's in St. Paul to advocate for equal access and jobs for African Americans there. He advocated for fair housing. He marched with Martin Luther King in Washington in 1963. He joined numerous organizations and served as their leader. Virginia Bardwell Richardson was born in Huntington, Tennessee. She attended the University of Minnesota, became a mother, and has always been passionate about education. She joined local activist organizations and served in leadership positions throughout her entire adult life. When Samuel was hired by Supermarket giant Applebaum's in a prominent marketing position, he was one of the only black advertising directors west of Chicago. After a long career with Applebaum's, he became the Minnesota State Commissioner of Human Rights. There, he focused on new laws to address discrimination of all kinds, and to promote protections for people with disabilities. He then worked for the State of Minnesota's Department of Education, where he remained from 1971 until 1997. While raising four children, Virginia was a critical part of volunteer organizations, including Assistant Chair of the Minneapolis Democratic-Farmer-Labor party, Minneapolis Public Schools' quality committee and the Minnesota Epilepsy Board. Almost 25 years ago, she went to work full-time at the PACER Center (Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights). Today, she serves as its manager of Parent Training. Samuel and Virginia are founders of the Bryant Village Initiative. This neighborhood-based organization works to make residents' voices heard about the effectiveness of city and county programs. It also provides critical input to the police department and welfare programs to help make their work more successful. The Richardsons are heavily involved in the Oakland Methodist Church. Both were active in their children's school Parent Teacher Associations. They have also been active politically, including work on the campaign to help the first black woman Mayor of Minneapolis get her start in politics. ``Most people are simply sitting and waiting to be led. All you have to do is step up and do it,'' Samuel Richardson said. ``You want to see change and you want to see people enjoy all the things the Constitution offers.'' Mr. Speaker, this generous activist couple is one example of the critical leadership required for the change that makes our nation a better place. Samuel and Virginia Richardson have advocated for positive change in our country on behalf of African Americans, women, the disabled, and the poor. I can only hope that today we are developing leaders for the future who have the Richardsons' same high level of dedication to public service.

Mr. SABO

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, today, I am introducing the Same Day Voter Registration Act of 2005. This legislation is simple and straightforward: it would allow every eligible citizen to register and vote on Election Day for Federal elections. The right to vote is the most fundamental of American democratic values. Yet, last November we again heard disturbing reports of voter intimidation, disenfranchisement, machine error, and fraud. If we truly value the right to vote, we must do more to restore public trust in the integrity of our election process. We should also remove cumbersome voter preregistration requirements. My home State of Minnesota has allowed same day voter registration since 1974. The result: Minnesota is a national leader in voter participation. In 2004, 77.7 percent of eligible Minnesotans voted. Over 20 percent of those voters registered on Election Day. Same-day voter registration has greatly contributed to consistently high voter turnout in Minnesota. I believe this law has also encouraged new voters, especially young people, to turn out in higher numbers. Many of the States with low voter turnout also have preregistration requirements of up to 30 days. It is unknown how many Americans have been prevented from exercising their constitutional right to vote only because they were unaware of cumbersome preregistration requirements. My bill will ensure that everyone with the legal right can vote, even those who become engaged in the closing days of an election. I hope that my colleagues will join me in making Same Day Voter Registration the law of the land.

Mr. SABO

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, the right to vote is the most fundamental of American democratic values. However, for the second Presidential election in a row, there were disturbing reports in 2004 of voter intimidation, disenfranchisement, machine error, and fraud. If we truly value the right to vote, we must do more to restore public trust in the integrity of our election process. We must eliminate cumbersome pre-registration requirements. The State of Minnesota has allowed same-day voter registration since 1974, and is a national leader in voter participation. In 2004, 77.7 percent of eligible Minnesotans voted; 20.6 percent (581,904) of those voters registered on Election Day. Clearly, same day voter registration has greatly contributed to consistently high voter turnout in Minnesota. I believe this law has also encouraged new voters, especially young people, to turn out in higher numbers. Unfortunately, many states have pre-registration requirements of up to 30 days. It is unknown how many Americans have been prevented from exercising their Constitutional right to vote because of these cumbersome requirements. As in the 108th Congress, I will soon introduce simple, straightforward legislation to ensure that every eligible citizen may register and vote in federal elections on Election Day. I hope my colleagues will join me in advancing this legislation. We must also require a voter-verified paper record of every vote cast. Despite clear warning signs that electronic voting machines are unreliable, no action was taken by the last Congress on legislation to require a paper trail for all ballots. Public trust in the integrity of our ballots is crucial to restoring confidence in the entire system. We must take action on these issues during the 109th Congress. The free and fair election of our nation's leaders is the hallmark of our democracy, and it is an international symbol of freedom to which other nations aspire. We must promote participation and establish voting safeguards so that future elections in our great country are above reproach. There is much work to do.

Mr. SABO

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, my family and I would like to convey our heartfelt sympathy to the Matsui family upon the death of Congressman Robert Matsui on Saturday, January 1. Bob's passing is a tragic loss to all who knew him. It is also a loss to all Americans who didn't know him personally but whose lives were enhanced by the legislation and the leadership he provided. Bob was one of the smartest and most principled people in Congress, a dedicated public servant, and a friend. He will be greatly missed in Congress, especially by me. First elected 26 years ago, Congressman Matsui and I entered the U.S. House of Representatives in the same incoming class. We were colleagues and friends throughout these years; our families each moved to the Washington area and our wives Sylvia and Doris also became good friends. One of my fond memories together was attending Brian and Amy's wedding in California a few years ago. Brian also gave me my first official tour of the U.S. Supreme Court facilities where he clerked recently. His parents were so proud. Sylvia and I are shocked and deeply saddened by Bob's passing, and we offer Doris and the Matsui family our most sincere condolences.

Mr. SABO

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, might I inquire of the gentleman from Kentucky if the conference report we have today as it relates to Homeland Security, his word was, 2 days ago, titles I through V absent VI, I guess we were talking about, is it identical as to what our agreement was of several days ago?

Mr. SABO. I yield to the gentleman from Kentucky.

Mr. SABO. So, Mr. Speaker, there have been no changes or additions or deletions?

Mr. SABO. I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin.

Mr. SABO. I yield to the gentleman from Kentucky.

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, first let me congratulate the chairman on his work in presenting this bill to us and thank all the staff, both on the minority and majority, for their work in putting this bill together. This is a complicated bill and involved lots of hard work and many, many hours. I and all the Members appreciate the work they do for us. I will vote for this bill, but not with a great deal of excitement. One thing one can say for this bill is that it represents a very significant improvement on the President's budget. I find it rare that any of the budgets that come from the President that relate to homeland security reflect much of what I hear in the popular media and in the popular discussion by the President and other members of the administration. Their proposals rarely reflect a point of view that homeland security is one of the highest priorities of our country. Clearly, we made some improvements, and we have spent billions of dollars. My own judgment, however, is that the Department is much better on press releases than they are on accomplishments. Maybe they have an impossible task in terms of putting 22 different agencies into one agency in this period of time, but I still find that agency loaded with confusion, loaded with management problems, spending an incredible amount of time putting the basics together, shuffling boxes, trying to find out where money is, where money is not, all-of-a-sudden hiring freezes because somebody did not keep track of money. The basics are not there. So I think they have lots of work yet to do to focus their attention really on solving what is a significant problem in this country. I have expressed at various times some of my specific concerns where I think they are significantly underfunding homeland security in the country, and I will not repeat those today. Let me just, however, raise one concern. We clearly are moving backwards in funding first responders in this country. Our total funding for first responders in this bill is less than it was last year. That simply does not make sense. There are some very specific programs that are being cut. One that I find very important is the Metropolitan Medical Response System, a program that predated the Department of Homeland Security, and it is being cut by around $20 million, close to a 40 percent cut. That simply does not make sense. But for all the Members, I think they should be particularly concerned over what is happening with the formula-based grants program in this bill, and then further complicated by the Intelligence bill that we passed yesterday in the House and the bill that passed the Senate. Currently, the formula-based grants which flow to the States on the basis of population and for which they made plans on how they should be expended is $1.690 billion. That program is being reduced by close to $600 million in this bill, to $1.1 billion, a deep cut in formula funds that flow to the States, who it is going to hurt; and at the same time, we are upping the Urban Area Security Initiative by close to $200 million. But we are fundamentally taking money away from smaller States and from rural areas to fund the increase in the Urban Area Initiative Grant program. Then, that is further complicated by the bill that passed the House yesterday; and it is my understanding the bill that passed the Senate. They would further reduce the formula grant back to only a basic guarantee to the States, a minimal amount, and leave everything else at the discretion of the Secretary. How the Secretary intends to distribute that fund, we do not know. We have asked and they have no answers. So I would just suggest to all, to all of my colleagues who come from more rural areas, come from smaller-sized States, they are facing a disproportionate cut in local first responder funding in this bill in either the House or Senate Intelligence bills passed, and they will face an even deeper cut in the funding for local first responders, and I just simply think that is wrong. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me just say as a member of the Committee on Appropriations, I think there is no one on that committee that all of the Members have greater respect for than the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young). He amazes me to the degree that he keeps his calm and cool. While all of us scurry about with great excitement and angst, the person who stands there calmly and cooly and keeps our committee functioning is the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young). I have just incredible respect and admiration for the work that the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) has done these last 6 years as Chair of the committee. All of us have disagreements on policies and issues, but the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) has made it a pleasant committee to serve on, and I think all Members just thank the gentleman from Florida, deeply. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Turner).

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey), the ranking member of the House Committee on Appropriations.

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

Mr. SABO

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I offer a motion to instruct conferees.

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this motion to instruct House conferees is straightforward. It is a motion to insist on the highest possible level of funding for each homeland security first responder, domestic preparedness, flood map and disaster mitigation program in the bill. In the conference on the fiscal 2005 Homeland Security appropriations bill, we have the opportunity to provide additional homeland security resources to close known security gaps and to strengthen our first responders. Going to the higher funding levels for each of these programs means that we would provide $945 million more than the House-passed bill. We should instruct our conferees to do just that. We all know that first responders, our local police, firefighters, the emergency response personnel, will be the first at the scene of a terrorist attack. We know only too well how many of them lost their lives on 9/11. Yet, the Senate bill provides $400 million less for the Office of Domestic Preparedness grant programs than the House bill does. This motion would direct conferees to include the highest level for each of the programs funded under ODP. The conferees should insist on the $1.25 billion provided by the House for the formula-based preparedness grants to all States. The conferees should insist on $500 million provided by the House for law enforcement preparedness grants to all States. The conferees should insist on the $1.3 billion provided by the Senate for urban area security grants. The conferees should insist on the $50 million provided by the House for metropolitan medical response system grants. We should insist on the $236 million the Senate provided for emergency management performance grants. These grants directly support the States' emergency management programs. The conferees should also insist on the additional $100 million provided by the Senate for fire grant programs, which would still only fund our fire departments at this year's level. A year ago, the Council on Foreign Relations released a report entitled, First Responders: Drastically Underfunded, Dangerously Unprepared. The report stated that billions of dollars, $98 billion specifically, are needed to properly equip first responders. Yet, the Bush administration and the Congress continues to cut this funding, not increase it. Another recent survey shows that fire department needs are immense and are not being met. Is this where we should be 3 years after 9/11? The motion also addresses funding for our border patrol and immigration investigation operations. A recent Time magazine cover story entitled, ``Who left the door open?'' exposes the weaknesses in our land border security efforts. These are troubling homeland security gaps that we must fix. While these problems cannot be solved by money alone, additional funding is critical to help harden our security barriers, increase our deportation efforts, and expand our border patrols. We should provide these resources. House conferees should be instructed to insist on the additional $211 million that the Senate provided for northern border air surveillance operations. We have not yet done what we need to do to protect our northern border. House conferees should be instructed to insist on the $136 million the Senate provided for increased alien detention efforts, including additional bed space and detention alternatives. As the 9/11 Commission noted, we have an immigration system that is ``not able to deliver on its basic commitments, much less support counterterrorism.'' The Air Marshal program is also critical to enhancing our aviation security. The Bush administration has allowed the number of air marshals to fall below the levels they recommended after 9/11. The Senate bill contains an additional $50 million to increase the number of air marshals. House conferees should be instructed to insist on this higher funding. At the current rate, it will take over 10 years to install checked baggage explosive detection systems in airports with the most critical problems. While TSA is trying to replace unwieldy temporary systems with permanent explosive screening solutions, our progress in this effort is directly related to resources. The Senate bill contains $96 million more than the House. Conferees should be instructed to insist on the higher funding level. The recent hurricane and flooding reminded us how important it is for communities to have accurately mapped flood areas and funding to mitigate disasters so they do not recur. The Senate bill provides $100 million more than the House for these efforts. Our conferees should be instructed to insist on this higher funding. All of these programs are needed to close homeland security gaps and better prepare our Nation. The motion to instruct directs the House conferees to agree to the highest funding levels possible for homeland security, first responder, domestic preparedness, flood map and disaster mitigation programs. We should be doing all we can to close known security gaps today so that we are not sorry tomorrow. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this motion to instruct. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Appropriations, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey).

Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, before I yield to the gentleman from Texas, to make just a couple of comments. I am not sure we get anyplace by talking about who has been at meetings or who has not. I have been at lots of meetings with the ranking member as it relates to Homeland Security. I also have been at lots of meetings that do not relate to Homeland Security but relate to another subcommittee I am on in which Mr. Obey has been at. Frankly, it is interesting to hear intelligence from two different perspectives. It is helpful at times. Other times, they still leave you wishing you knew more. But let me just make this observation. It is true we have limited dollars. It is also true we have an immense new challenge. I hear all this rhetoric that we are in a war on terrorism and that we are and have potential targets in this country. It only strikes me from open and closed hearings that I have been at that we are pretty casual about the threat we face in this country. Clearly, we have spent billions, and some progress has been made. But the gaps are there, and they are large and they are substantial. It is always impossible to deal with every potential gap that someone can think of. That is impossible in a free society. On the other hand, we know that there are large targets in this country that, frankly, we have not done enough about. We also know that there are significant gaps in the funding of our first responders, and we know that in the last couple of years, rather than going forward, we are going backwards in the funding of first responders in this country. This committee and this House have been better than the administration. The administration has regularly cut funding in their budgets for first responders. We have added, but have not been able to add back everything they are cutting. And we are into this same pattern again. The bills that we have will be significantly better than what the administration requested. But what the administration requests as it relates to first responders in this country is simply tragic. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to my good friend, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Turner), the ranking Democrat on the Select Committee on Homeland Security.