Bobby Scott

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Rothman), the sponsor of the legislation.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2352, the School Safety Enhancements Act of 2008, is a vital piece of legislation aimed at ensuring the safety of the students in our Nation's schools. Over the last decade we've seen horrific school shootings and violence in at least 27 States. Ensuring the safety of our students and teachers at all levels is obviously a priority. Sponsored by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Rothman), H.R. 2352 addresses this problem by providing increased funding for improving school security and making the grant program more accessible to schools in poor communities. Specifically, the bill raises the authorization level of Federal grants from $30 million to $50 million for Fiscal Years 2009 and 2010. It also decreases the matching non-Federal funds requirement from 50 percent to 20 percent, raising the Federal portion from 50 percent to 80 percent. This change in funding ratios brings the percentage more in line with the traditional split for school grants, and would bring much-needed help to many schools. Finally, the bill amends the Higher Education Act to require participating institutions to conduct annual campus assessments and develop and implement a campus emergency response plan. I urge my colleagues to support the legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2352) to enhance the safety of elementary schools, secondary schools, and institutions of higher education, as amended.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume simply to thank our colleagues for working cooperatively together. I hope we pass the legislation.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the author of this legislation, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett).

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, thousands of vulnerable older adults go missing each year as a result of dementia, diminished capacity, foul play, and other unusual circumstances. For example, the Alzheimer's Foundation of America estimates that more than 5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease. It is estimated that 60 percent of these men and women are likely to wander from their homes. If they do, the disorientation and confusion may keep many from finding their way back home. Their safe return often depends upon them being found quickly. If not found within 24 hours, roughly half risk serious illness, injury, or death. Three Members of Congress, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett), the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Myrick), and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), individually introduced legislation to address this serious problem in separate bills. H.R. 6064 combines the best parts of these bills into one. Title I, the National Silver Alert Act, establishes a national program patterned after the successful Amber Alert program for children. It creates a national Silver Alert coordinator responsible for developing voluntary guidelines, standards, and protocols for States to consider in the creation of their local Silver Alert plans. It establishes the Department of Justice grant program to help States develop and implement local Silver Alert programs. And it establishes the Sammy Kirk Voluntary Electronic Monitoring Program which will provide grants for voluntary electronic monitoring services for elderly individuals. Title II reauthorizes the Kristen's Act which expired in 2005. That act provides for competitive grants to both public and nonprofit private agencies for a national resource center, information clearinghouse, and database for tracking missing adults, training and other related activities. Mr. Speaker, I commend Mr. Doggett, Mrs. Myrick and Mr. Bilirakis for their hard work and bipartisan efforts to address this critical problem of missing adults. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their marks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, this bill will allow the protection of former Vice Presidents, and as the gentleman from California has indicated, the Senate under their rules, not our rules, has added another provision, an important provision, that apparently there is no controversy on addressing the problem of cyber crime. I would hope that we would accept the Senate amendment and pass the bill.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. I reserve the balance of my time to close.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this bill is being returned to us from the Senate with an additional title added. The House of Representatives passed the Former Vice President Protection Act of 2008 under suspension of the rules in June, as a much-needed permanent solution to reauthorize the protection of former Vice Presidents and their families. As amended by the Senate, the bill now also includes a new title addressing the problem of cybercrime. These additional provisions provide needed tools to law enforcement to address the growing and evolving crime of identity theft, as well as other types of cybercrimes in several critical aspects. First, the bill allows victims of identity theft to seek restitution in Federal court for the loss of time and money spent restoring their credit and remedying the harm caused by this crime. This helps ensure that identity-theft victims will be made whole financially. Second, the bill updates criminal laws with respect to identity theft schemes so that they reflect current technologies, and can therefore better respond to the sophisticated aspects of these crimes. For example, to address the increasing number of computer hacking crimes that involve computers that may be located within the same State, the bill removes the current proof requirement that a computer's information must be stolen through an interstate or international communication. The fact that you are using Internet will still satisfy the interstate commerce requirements of the Constitution. In addition, the bill addresses the increasing number of attacks on multiple computers by making it a felony to employ spyware to damage 10 or more computers. The new tools provided in this bill should be of significant help to law enforcement in providing a more effective deterrent against identity theft and other computer crimes. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, to agree to the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendments to the bill (H.R. 5938) to amend title 18, United States Code, to provide secret service protection to former Vice Presidents, and for other purposes

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5350, a bill authorizing the Secretary of Commerce to sell or exchange certain National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration property in the City of Norfolk, Virginia. At the request of the City of Norfolk, I introduced this legislation in February of this year, along with my colleague from Virginia's Second Congressional District, Thelma Drake, who also represents part of the City of Norfolk. Over the last decade, the City of Norfolk has experienced tremendous economic growth. Downtown Norfolk has reemerged as the urban center of the Hampton Roads region through revitalization and new commercial and residential development. For several decades, NOAA has been an important Federal partner in downtown Norfolk's development. NOAA's Atlantic Marine Operations Center and NOAA's Chesapeake Bay office are both located downtown in an area referred to as the Fort Norfolk district, which is one of the last remaining undeveloped waterfront areas of downtown Norfolk. Nearly a decade ago, the city recognized the strategic location of the Fort Norfolk district for development and revitalization and the city began discussions about its desire to purchase a parcel of property from NOAA located at 538 Front Street, directly across from NOAA's primary Norfolk facility. NOAA currently uses the property for storage and staff space for the Norfolk field operations office of NOAA's National Geodetic Survey. These discussions stalled when NOAA ascertained that congressional authorization was required to proceed. H.R. 5350 simply authorizes, but does not require, the Secretary of Commerce to sell or exchange the NOAA property located at 538 Front Street in Norfolk to the City of Norfolk. The bill clearly states that NOAA may only sell or exchange the property if the Secretary of Commerce determines that the conveyance would be in the best interests of the Federal Government. The bill also requires that the property be sold at a value not less than the fair market value, as determined by the Federal Government. The bill does not delineate or support any particular agreement or contract. The details of any future agreement between NOAA and the City of Norfolk would have to be worked out. This legislation would simply permit that process to move forward, and if a mutually agreeable contract is decided upon, this land sale or exchange would allow Norfolk to continue its tremendous economic growth by developing the land for commercial and residential purposes. The authority granted to the Secretary of Commerce to enter into this agreement with the City of Norfolk will expire 2 years after the date of enactment of H.R. 5350. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the chairwoman of the Fisheries Subcommittee, Ms. Bordallo, and the ranking member, Mr. Brown, as well as the Natural Resources Committee chairman, Mr. Rahall, and ranking member, Mr. Young, for getting this bill to the floor. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation that protects both the interests of the Federal Government and the citizens of Norfolk.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5167) to amend the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 to remove the authority of the President to waive certain provisions, as amended.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, today we honor the life and musical legacy of Isaac Hayes, a passionate humanitarian, whose prolific songwriting and distinctive baritone were loved across generations and around the world. He overcame humble beginnings and personal obstacles to make excellent contributions in many endeavors. He was a true Renaissance man, an extraordinary singer, songwriter and music producer who also achieved success as a pianist, saxophone player, cookbook author, radio show host, and television and motion picture actor. Born in Covington, Tennessee, tragically orphaned as an infant, and raised by his maternal grandparents, Isaac Hayes came to know the pleasures of country life but also the hardships of rural poverty. Shortly after his family moved to Memphis for the greater opportunities in the ``big city,'' his grandfather passed away. To help his family survive, Isaac Hayes worked in cotton fields, cut lawns, and cleaned bricks at two cents apiece, all while going to school. He even shined shoes on Memphis' famous Beale Street. Despite experiencing rural, and then urban, poverty, he found ways to bring music into a central role in his life. At the age of five, he began singing in his local church and before long had also taught himself to play the piano, electronic organ, flute and saxophone. He dropped out of high school for a time, but never lost sight of the critical role that education plays in improving one's life. He returned to school and proudly graduated at the age of 21. After graduating, he played piano for Floyd Newman, a saxophonist bandleader. This work led to his becoming a studio musician for a new label called Stax Records, where his first paid sessions were with Otis Redding. These sessions were so successful that he became a ubiquitous presence at Stax. While at Stax, he met David Porter, who became a long-standing friend and collaborator. As a result of their collaboration as songwriters and producers, they made more than 200 songs, including such classics as ``B-A-B-Y,'' ``Soul Man,'' and ``Hold on, I'm Comin'.'' Perhaps the musical accomplishment that Isaac Hayes is best known for is the groundbreaking score and theme song that he wrote for the movie ``Shaft.'' His smooth baritone vocals and iconic style carried that song to the top of the charts, nationally and internationally. During his life, he received an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, two Grammy Awards, the NAACP Image Award, and the Edison Award, which is Europe's highest musical honor. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005. He was not content to rest on his musical laurels, probably because of his roots in both rural and urban poverty. A passionate humanitarian concerned about the underprivileged throughout the world, he saw education and literacy as the keys to freedom and prosperity. Based on that belief, he founded the Isaac Hayes Foundation, whose mission it is to promote literacy and education and other programs throughout the world. The foundation, among other endeavors, built an 8,000-square-foot education facility in Ghana, West Africa, and supported education efforts in Tennessee. In recognition of his humanitarian work and educational and economic contributions, in 1994 Isaac Hayes was crowned a king in Ghana. Last year, Isaac Hayes and David Porter came to Capitol Hill to speak to Senators and House Members about the importance of protecting the intellectual property rights of their fellow songwriters and performing artists. He was an excellent advocate for his fellow songwriters and vocal artists. He was humble, well-spoken, and passionate about protecting creative works, not just for the benefit of artists, but also for the benefit of our national economy. There is so much more that I could say about this man, but for time's sake, I'll just end with this observation. Isaac Hayes' achievements and influence made him a cultural icon, and his humanitarian work also made him a great human being. With the fatal stroke that took his life at the age of 65, Isaac Hayes leaves behind a legacy of monumental significance. Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleagues from Tennessee, Mrs. Blackburn and Mr. Cohen, for their leadership on this measure. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1425) honoring the life and music of the late Isaac Hayes, a passionate humanitarian, whose music laid the foundation for many musical styles, including R&B, disco, and rap.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 410 recognizes the great accomplishments, sacrifices, and service of the men and women of the Federal Bureau of Investigation on the occasion of the Bureau's 100th anniversary. In 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt and Attorney General Charles Bonaparte established a new Federal investigative agency consisting of a small force of special agents to assist States in combating crimes occurring across State lines. Little could they have envisioned that their idea would have evolved into one of the most foremost investigative agencies in history. It is fitting that we honor the men and women who have brought the FBI that stature. Over the course of its existence, the Bureau's men and women have proven time and again that when the Nation calls upon them, they are ready to meet any challenge. They have worked tirelessly to stem foreign threats against the United States during two world wars and the Cold War by investigating espionage and sabotage on American shores. The FBI helped to keep our Nation safe, and over the course of time became one of the foremost professional espionage investigative agencies in the world. The FBI's been called upon on numerous occasions to protect the civil rights of Americans and to bring justice to those who violate them. Today, the FBI remains the foremost Federal law enforcement agency for investigating serious civil rights violations. The FBI has been called upon to investigate various types of violent crime, organized criminal enterprises, international fraud schemes, and financial and other forms of white-collar crime. Today, as the Internet has so vastly expanded and transformed the world communication and commerce, we have tasked the FBI with protecting us against cyber-based attacks and high technology crimes. The Bureau, for example, investigates computer fraud, child pornography, theft of intellectual property, and worldwide computer intrusions. The FBI has responded to threats to public safety posed by violent extremist groups, both domestic and international, tirelessly working to prevent crimes of terrorism against Americans at home and abroad. Their accomplishments are nothing less than extraordinary. Sadly, Mr. Speaker, these accomplishments have not been without a tragic cost. Since its inception, 34 FBI special agents have made the ultimate sacrifice: giving their lives in the line of service. Every day, FBI special agents face the risks and endure the hardships to make our Nation safe. They truly personify the Bureau's motto: Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity. So it is fitting that we congratulate the men and women of the FBI on the 100th anniversary of the Bureau. We honor their heroic commitment and sacrifices and thank them for their past and continued efforts to keep America safe. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues, the ranking member of the subcommittee, Mr. Gohmert, the sponsor of the resolution, the committee chairman, Mr. Conyers, and the committee ranking member, Mr. Smith, for their leadership on this measure. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extent their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I was in my district this morning and was unable to return until after votes were called on rollcall 576, 577, 578, and 579. I would have voted ``yea'' on all of those bills.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for his hard work on this bill. He mentioned many others that have been working on this. He has worked so well; he had broad bipartisan support. So I hope it will be the pleasure of the House to pass the bill.