Pete Sessions

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), the subcommittee chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management for the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Rogers). Mr. Speaker, one of the advantages of having a great bipartisan bill means that we have good leadership in the Select Committee on Homeland Security, and today I am very pleased for one of our bright new young Members to be with us. He is the chairman for the Subcommittee on Management, Integration, and Oversight.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Matsui), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this rule and the underlying legislation, H.R. 1544, the Faster and Smarter Funding for First Responders Act of 2005. This bill sponsored by my good friend, the gentleman from California (Mr. Cox), has the support of 40 bipartisan co-sponsors and was accepted at both its subcommittee and full committee markups with unanimous consent of the majority and minority membership of the new Select Committee on Homeland Security. The goal of this bipartisan legislation is simple: to reform the way the Department of Homeland Security issues terrorism preparedness grants to States and local governments so they can prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism. It also expedites the delivery of Federal assistance to first responders, those brave men and women who are our first line of defense against terrorism, where it is needed most while also endorsing undisciplined spending on the homeland security front. This legislation also reflects an agreement among policymakers here in the House: first of all, on the need to award Federal terrorism preparedness grants on the basis of risk; on the importance of ensuring that such grants are spent in a timely manner; and on the necessity of ensuring collaboration between neighboring jurisdictions. As Members of Congress, we have seen all too clearly the problems associated with coordinating the effective and efficient allocation of these new funds to fight and defend against acts of terrorism on our shores. Since 2001, the Federal Government has made roughly $30 billion available in grant funding for this purpose, but approximately $4.1 billion awarded by the Department of Homeland Security still remains in the pipeline, unspent, along with another $2.4 billion recently added from 2005. This bottleneck in getting our first responders the funds that they need to protect our safety is unacceptable, and this legislation will get these terrorism preparedness funds into the hands of those who need it most, by ensuring that guarantee that no State or territory falls below a certain base level of funding while also ensuring that States prioritize their own anti-terrorism spending on the basis of risk and need. By providing financial encouragements to States that pass through their awarded funds to localities within tight timeframes, this legislation makes our funding for such programs faster. And by allocating grant awards to States and regions based on an assessment of risk and need to achieve clear and measurable preparedness goals, this legislation also makes our funding for such programs smarter. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1544 fulfills the recommendations included in the 9/11 Commission report, and recognizes the fundamental reality that terrorists are not arbitrary in selecting their targets, so we cannot be arbitrary in our efforts to protect our Nation. By streamlining the grant process and giving States and regions the tools that they need to develop specific flexible and measurable goals, this bill will make sure that every Federal dollar allocated for the purpose of defending our security is used effectively and efficiently. I encourage all my colleagues to support this rule and the underlying legislation which brings a risk-based approach to addressing our country's most pressing homeland security needs. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. (Ms. MATSUI asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the very distinguished gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons), a young man who was on the frontline, a captain, a pilot in the United States Air Force, who served during the Persian Gulf War and who is a Member of Congress, serving since the 104th Congress. And while this country has great respect for the men and women who are on the frontlines defending our country in the United States military today, we also remember back to those first men and women of the military during the Persian Gulf War who were standing ready not only to protect this country, but also to liberate others and to provide freedom.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to thank the gentlewoman from California for her work on this bill today. I would also like to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Cox) and the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson), from the Committee on Homeland Security; as well as the gentleman from New York (Mr. King), chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Science, and Technology; and the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for all of their hard work and determination in bringing this bill forward. They worked well together. This is a bipartisan bill. The Rules Committee met just several days ago and heard how the ranking member and Chairman Cox put a great work package together. The Rules Committee decided to help out a little bit. We have made in order with this rule three Democrat amendments and two Republican amendments that will be part of this wonderful bill that will be debated in just a few minutes here in this House. I am very proud of the work that we have accomplished together. I am very proud of the legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Linder), chairman of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Nuclear and Biological Attack.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Cox).

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, at this time I am very, very pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Cox), the young chairman of the Select Committee on Homeland Security, a very distinguished Member of Congress, and a man who has worked very diligently not only on a bipartisan basis with the minority, but also with the Speaker and in particular with the Committee on Rules as we went about preparing this important piece of legislation to ensure its success. So I am very, very proud of the chairman from Orange County, California (Mr. Cox).

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent), one of our bright new young Members.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the commemoration of Arthur Douglas' half-century of service to St. Mark's School of Texas. I am proud to represent St. Mark's School of Texas in the 32nd Congressional District of Texas, and join my colleagues in honoring this historic achievement by Arthur Douglas. Arthur Douglas was born in the Yorkshire town of Bradford in 1916. As a boy, he kept birds and developed his artistic skills. In 1932, Arthur won a national scholarship and matriculated to the Bradford College of Art and Crafts, from which he graduated in 1937. After Bradford, Arthur taught at the Leeds College of Art and Drawing and the Shipley School of Art (1937-1940), Avoncraft College (1940-1946), the Dudley Grammar School (1946-1949), and Victoria College on the Isle of Jersey (1949- 1955). In 1955, Arthur followed Victoria College colleagues D.G. Thomas and Norman Blake to join the St. Mark's faculty. He taught six days a week, instructing students in art, Spanish, English literature, and handwriting (then a required course through sophomore year). Within 3 years, Arthur transferred to the Science Department where he taught 1st through 8th grade science on the second floor of Davis Hall. By 1960, a new science center was built with a greenhouse designed by the noted architect, O'Neil Ford. While attractive, it was a horticultural disaster and Arthur became a key member of the team responsible for designing a new Greenhouse containing a room of bromeliads and succulents, a tropical room, and a room specifically for cacti. In 1963, Arthur devoted much of his time to seventh grade life science, a course he would teach for the next 2 decades. Cecil Green, who was President of the Board, admired Arthur's work and asked him to design the planting for the Math/Science courtyard. He used part of his own collection to illustrate the four natural growing areas of Texas. In 1969 Arthur developed and implemented plans for the Aviary. For his vast knowledge in the natural sciences, P.O'B. Montgomery, Jr. '38 appointed him ``Curator of Living Materials,'' a title he holds to this day. The Class of 1972 honored Arthur by dedicating the Marksmen to him. As they wrote, ``Mr. Douglas is a unique man at St. Mark's. Nowhere in our community is there to be found an individual as involved with the students, as humorous, and at the same time, as scholarly. . . . he is a fine and outstanding individual.'' Without seeking it, Arthur's knowledge of ornithology and the natural sciences made him internationally renowned. From the 1960's through the 1980's, he wrote articles and regularly appearing columns for the English weekly magazine Cage and Aviary Birds. He wrote and illustrated articles for The Canary & Finch Journal and The Journal of Yorkshire Cactus Society. For his research on the artificial feeding of insectivorous birds in captivity, he was elected a Fellow of the London Zoological Society in 1969. Arthur has written numerous articles and translated Seventeenth century ornithological works into English from Italian and French. In 1978 he was invited to make a presentation at the 1st International Symposium on Birds in Captivity. Arthur continues to catalog and illustrate birds and is currently on his fourth volume of compilations. He has been a member of the Avicultural Society, the Royal Horticultural Society, the Arizona Native Flora Society, and the Audubon Society. In 1963 Arthur met Alice Taliaferro, a substitute teacher at St. Mark's. They married in 1965 and he helped raise her two children Alan Douglas of Dallas and Anne Poole of Muenster. Alice died in 2000 after 35 years of marriage. He retired from teaching in 1982, but Arthur continues to be an important member of the St. Mark's faculty. He takes care of and gives tours of the Greenhouse and Aviary, instructing boys on the wonders of the natural world. Faculty and students alike appreciate Arthur's encyclopedic knowledge, English wit, and considerable charm. For 50 years, Arthur Douglas has embodied St. Mark's commitment to the pursuit of excellence and has taught by example what it means to be an inspiring teacher, a caring mentor, a true gentleman, and a great friend.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Cinco de Mayo celebration at Pike Park in Dallas, Texas. Cinco de Mayo is a day for special pride and remembrance for the Hispanic community. It's a reminder of the proud heritage of many Americans and the warm and growing friendship between two great nations. It's a day worth celebrating. Today we recognize the continuous efforts to bring the community together through the Pike Park Advisory Council and the Pike Park Preservation League. Originally called Summit Play Park, Pike Park was constructed in 1915 and through the efforts of the Consul General from Mexico. The Mexican American children of the neighborhood were finally allowed to use the park and swimming pool in the mid 1930's The name changed in 1927 to Pike Park Recreation Center named after Mr. Edgar Pike, a member of the Dallas Park Board. Pike Park has served as the site of the ``Fiestas Patrias'' (Cinco de Mayo and Dies y Sies de Septiembre) since the late 1930's. Pike Park has also served as the bastion for civic and social events of the Mexican-American community for over 65 years. It is with great pride that I recognize the Pike Park Advisory Council and the Pike Park Preservation League are duly recognized as the future coordinators of the ``Fiestas Patrias''.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I would allow the gentlewoman, with the permission of the Speaker, to go ahead and make her closing.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, today for the first time, I have had an opportunity now after being on the Committee of Rules for 8 years to have the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Matsui) present the rule where we have worked together. I enjoyed this very much. I appreciate the gentlewoman working with us. Mr. Speaker, I support this common sense legislation to improve the Federal Deposit Insurance system, and encourage reinvesting in our country's local communities. I urge all of my colleagues to support this open rule and the underlying legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to inquire of my colleague if she has any additional speakers. I do not have any at this time, and would allow the gentlewoman to go ahead and run down her time that I might close.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Matsui), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. Mr. Speaker, the rule before us today is a fair and completely open rule that allows any Member with a germane amendment to this legislation to come to the floor and offer it for consideration by the whole House. It provides for 1 hour of general debate, equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Financial Services. It waives all points of order against consideration of the bill, and provides that the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Financial Services now printed in the bill shall be considered as an original bill for the purpose of amendment. Finally, it provides that the bill shall be considered for amendment by section and that each section shall be considered as read. It authorizes the Chair to accord priority and recognition to Members who have preprinted their amendments in the Congressional Record, and provides for one motion to recommit, with or without instructions. I rise today in strong support of this rule and the underlying legislation, which addresses some fundamental and largely uncontroversial reforms of the deposit insurance system, a system that dates back to 1934 and has served as a source of stability for the banking system of this country for over 7 decades. This legislation, which has the support of 40 bipartisan cosponsors, closely resembles legislation that was H.R. 3717 from the 107th Congress which overwhelmingly passed the House by a vote of 408 to 18, and a bill from the 108th Congress, H.R. 522, which passed the House by an even greater margin of 411 to 11. The improvements that this legislation makes to the Federal Deposit Insurance Act are simple. First, the bill merges the separate insurance funds that currently protect the deposits of banks and savings associations, creating an even stronger, more stable fund than either fund can provide by itself. Second, the bill addresses the ``pro-cyclical bias'' of the current system that requires sharply higher premiums at low points in the business cycle, when banks are least able to pay them and funds are most needed for lending to create economic growth. By giving the FDIC the tools it needs to manage these funds more appropriately, this legislation will ease volatility in the banking system and speed up recovery during economic downturns. Third, the bill increases the amount of deposit insurance available to depositors while also indexing it for future inflation. The system has gone 25 years without such an adjustment, the longest period in history; and this small increase in the safety net for savings of American families is now necessary if deposit insurance is to maintain its future relevance. By raising the levels to $130,000 for personal savings accounts, $260,000 for personal retirement accounts, and $2 million for in-state municipal deposits, it will encourage more people to save and to reinvest in their local communities. Mr. Speaker, I have spent a great deal of time with community bankers from my district and all across north Texas, and one of the things that I have heard them say is that strengthening the deposit insurance system will help small neighborhood-based financial institutions to continue playing an important role in financing their own local economic development. Deposits that community banks are able to attract through the Federal deposit insurance guarantee return to the community in the form of consumer and small business loans, community development projects, and home mortgages. We simply cannot allow such an important economic generator for our local communities to evaporate or to be rendered irrelevant by inflation. The savings of Americans should not be allowed to go unprotected, and we cannot forget how important the role of community banks is to the economic development and vitality of our Nation. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank today my friend, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit, for his hard work in bringing this legislation to the floor today. I would also like to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Oxley) for all of his leadership and vision on this issue on behalf of American families, and the safety and soundness of our Nation's banking system. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 255 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Madam Speaker, the Committee on Rules may meet the week of May 2 to grant a rule which could limit the amendment process for floor consideration of H.R. 366, the Vocational and Technical Education for the Future Act. The Committee on Education and the Workforce ordered the bill reported on May 9 and filed its report with the House on March 17. Any Member wishing to offer an amendment should submit 55 copies of the amendment and one copy of a brief explanation of the amendment to the Committee on Rules in room H-312 of the Capitol by noon on Tuesday, May 3. Members should draft their amendments to the text of the bill as reported by the Committee on Education and the Workforce. Members should use the official Office of Legislative Counsel to ensure that their amendments are drafted in the most appropriate format. Members are also advised to check with the Office of the Parliamentarian to be certain their amendments comply with the rules of the House.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 2 p.m. on Monday next and, further, when the House adjourns on that day, it adjourn to meet at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 3, 2005, for morning hour debate.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Madam Speaker, the Committee on Rules may meet the week of May 2 to grant a rule which could limit the amendment process for floor consideration of H.R. 1185, the Federal Deposit Insurance Reform Act of 2005. Any Member wishing to offer an amendment should submit 55 copies of the amendment and one copy of a brief explanation of the amendment to the Committee on Rules in room H-312 of the Capitol by noon on Tuesday, May 3, 2005. Members should draft their amendments to the bill as reported by the Committee on Financial Services on April 27, 2005. Members are advised that the report of the Committee on Financial Services is expected to be filed tomorrow, Friday, April 29. And Members are also advised that the text of the reported bill should be available for their review on the Web sites of the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Rules by Friday, April 29, 2005. Members should use the Office of Legislative Counsel to ensure that their amendments are drafted in the most appropriate format and should check with the Office of the Parliamentarian to be certain their amendments comply with the rules of the House.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the business in order under the Calendar Wednesday rule be dispensed with on Wednesday next.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding efforts of and the recent promotion of Commander Leda Mei Chong of the United States Navy. Commander Chong was born in Kowloon, Hong Kong and calls San Diego, California her hometown. After graduating from the University of California-San Diego with a degree in Applied Mathematics and French Literature, she joined the Navy through the Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate program and received a direct commission as an Ensign in November 1987. Commander Chong reported to her first assignment at Naval Nuclear Power School, Orlando, Florida as an instructor of mathematics, chemistry, materials engineering, and radiological controls. Her second assignment was as the Administrative Department Head at Afloat Training Group Pacific, San Diego. In 1994 she reported to Naval Postgraduate School as a student in the Systems Technology/Joint C3I curriculum. Her next assignment was the Navy's Drug Law Enforcement Agency where she was concurrently assigned to the Coast Guard's Telecommunications and Information Systems Command (TISCOM). As the liaison to the Coast Guard, she was responsible for military satellite communications interoperability and policy. Following TISCOM, she moved to Keflavik, Iceland where she was the Deputy Director for C4 to Commander Iceland Defense Force and the N6 for Commander, Fleet Air Keflavik. Commander Chong completed her tour in Keflavik in the Fall of 2000 and transferred to Washington, DC, to work for the Director of Space, Information Warfare, Command and Control (CNO N6). She was the Navy requirements officer for the Teleports program, for Australia/Canada/ New Zealand/United Kingdom/United States (AUSCANZUKUS) allied interoperability, and for Naval Communications and Telecommunications Commands. From 2002 to 2005, she was the Space, C4ISR, and Information Technology Congressional Liaison in the Navy Office of Legislative Affairs. She is currently assigned as a Navy Appropriations Congressional Liaison in the office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial, Management and Comptroller). I have personally known Commander Chong since 2000 when she assisted my office and my staff with our work on Navy cyber security issues. At that time, as she is now, she displayed an extremely high level of professionalism as well as in-depth knowledge of Navy IT and cyber security issues. Her recent promotion from Lieutenant Commander to Commander is only one instance where her performance has been recognized and I rise here today to express my appreciation for her efforts as well. Quite simply, the Navy is well served by Commander Chong, as is the staff and members of this body.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Sullivan).

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert).

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), the chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. (Mr. BARTON of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks, and include extraneous material.)

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.