David Vitter

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Joint Resolution 4 to ban the desecration of the United States flag. Following the horrific events of September 11th, our nation responded with an overwhelming show of patriotism. Across our land Americans proudly flew their flags from their homes, cars and workplaces as a demonstration of their love for the United States, our values, and their support for the war against terrorism. These actions clearly illustrate that the American people see the flag as a symbol of hope, strength, and freedom. It is the one national symbol that we can all unify behind. In the flag is at one time our history, our aspirations, and our identity. Therefore, we should act today as reaffirmation of what our country stands for. I would be the first person to stand up in defense of freedom of speech; however, there are some actions that are not free political speech but behaviors gauged to anger. Defacing the United States flag is one of these actions. Those who wish to protest against the actions of our country can do it through our media, hold rallies, give speeches, and march in demonstrations. Those same people can contact elected officials, sign petitions, and express their views in many ways. To burn the flag not only suggests disgust for our great country, it also shows a lack of respect for the men and women who are currently fighting overseas, and even more so for those who have fought and died to make the United States of America what it is today. I urge my colleagues to support the Resolution and vote in favor of final passage.

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to urge the support of my amendment that would assist in our efforts to ensure that militarily useful United States flag commercial vessels crewed by American citizens are available for this Nation's military and national security needs under the Maritime Security Program. The MSP program provides the Department of Defense with a large fleet of U.S.-flag roll-on/roll-off, container and other militarily useful vessels for the transport of military vehicles, supplies and other materiel in support of U.S. military operations around the world. I particularly commend Chairman Hunter for his strong support of the MSP program, and for his leadership by including provisions in the pending Defense Authorization bill that would extend, expand and significantly improve that vital military program. Chairman Hunter's work will preserve the ability of the United States through the MSP program to maintain a fleet of active, militarily useful, privately owned United States-flag vessels to meet national defense and other security requirements and to maintain a United States presence in international commercial shipping. In order to encourage the participation of the most modern vessels in the MSP program, my amendment would allow existing vessels to be documented under United States flag provided that the telecommunications and other electronic equipment of such vessels meets internationally accepted standards. When the MSP program was originally enacted in the mid-1990's, Congress provided that vessels which meet internationally accepted construction and equipment standards and are reflagged under United States flag for operation in the MSP program are not required to retrofit material and equipment solely for the purpose of complying with U.S. law and regulations, where such law or regulations establish a standard exceeding the internationally accepted standard which applied to the vessel before it was reflagged. However, that legislation did not expressly address related telecommunications standards within its provisions. Our amendment remedies that oversight. Accordingly, my amendment would permit a vessel to be added to the U.S.-flag commercial fleet for operation in the MSP program if its telecommunications and other radio equipment aboard the vessels comply with applicable international Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention requirements. Our amendment removes unjustified impediments to the documentation of militarily useful vessels under the United States flag, and is in keeping with the elimination of financial and other burdens that the Congress specifically sought to remove through the establishment of the Marine Security Program. I would particularly like to acknowledge and thank my other colleague from Louisiana, Mr. Tauzin, the Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and Mr. Dingell, the Ranking Member of that Committee, for their cooperation and support on this amendment. I also would like to express my appreciation to Chairman Hunter and Chairman Dreier for working so closely with us to clear this amendment. I urge the support of this body for this amendment that is critical to the military and national security of the United States.

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Mr. Speaker, I offer this resolution today and encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting Buckle Up America Week. This national campaign promotes awareness of safety belt and child safety seat use. The fundamental message is that seatbelts save lives. In 2002, over 42,850 people were killed in automobile accidents, and 2.9 million people were injured in such. An average of four Americans die every hour in car accidents, ninety-six people a day. Many of these injuries and deaths could be prevented by wearing a seatbelt. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated safety belts saved more than 11,000 American lives in 2000. Educational Programs like Buckle Up America Week have successfully increased seat belt usage. These programs aim to encourage children and adults to start or continue to use safety belts each time they get into their vehicles. I applaud all law enforcement agencies for their commitment to the enforcement of safety belt usage laws. Such dedication serves to encourage increased seat belt usage. Lack of seat belt use costs Americans $26 billion every year. We all pay higher health care and insurance costs because of unbelted drivers and passengers. But, the true cost is the loss of life. Car crashes are the leading killer of all children. Please join me in supporting this important resolution. I urge all of my colleagues to talk with their families and friends about the importance of wearing safety belts. Let's encourage all drivers and passengers to insist that their fellow automobile passengers buckle up and that all children are secured in the appropriate child safety seats.

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, I just wanted to briefly thank my colleagues who worked diligently on the last amendment; and of course, I join the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green) and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall) on that. I also want to specifically thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica) and the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) for their leadership on the overall bill. A particular provision of the last amendment, specifically medical certifications for a commercial driver's license, is a very important issue for me and for tragic reasons. Sunday, of course, we all celebrated Mother's Day, but it was also the fourth anniversary of a terrible tragedy and accident in Louisiana. The Mother's Day Bus Crash which was 4 years ago was the fourth worst bus accident in U.S. history. Twenty-two passengers were killed. The bus driver and 20 other passengers received injuries. The driver, who survived the accident, actually died 3 months after the deadly crash from congestive heart failure, diabetes, and kidney ailments. He also had tested positive after the crash for marijuana. His congestive heart failure was spotted at a medical exam prior to the crash, which should have sidelined him automatically under Federal law, but he was recertified anyway. The NTSB, of course, did a thorough investigation of this horrible crash; and basically, they blamed in the end the 1999 accident on the driver's poor health which had been caught and should have yanked him from behind the wheel. The agency also cited fatigue and the use of marijuana as contributing factors, and so that is why I worked with the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green) and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall) on this amendment and why I am so happy the leadership on the bill has accepted it, particularly the provisions regarding medical certifications for a commercial driver's license. I also want to thank and congratulate the administration and the Department of Transportation. They just recently made announcements regarding certain provisions they will be pushing regarding the TEA-03 bill, and those recommendations included major implementation of these issues regarding medical certifications for commercial driver's license. Mr. Chairman, unfortunately, this is a continuing issue. Just Tuesday, another Louisiana bus crash occurred in Lake Charles, Louisiana. A bus carrying 53 passengers, most of them elderly, crashed into a pickup truck, sending both vehicles into a ditch. Fortunately, the injuries were minor, and the accident is currently under investigation, but it certainly underscores the importance of these issues, particularly the medical certification issue which was at the absolute heart, the root cause of the deadly Mother's Day crash 4 years ago. I want to thank again the authors, co-authors of the amendment, and the leadership on this bill. Amendment Offered by Mr. Cardin

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, today with the Workforce Investment Act, we are addressing perhaps our best and most valuable resource in this economy and this society, which is people. This bill, along with the economic stimulus package slated for tomorrow, are the results of a Congress and President who are focused on important issues relating to the economy, jobs, employment, and job training. In my home State of Louisiana, we are working together at every level, State, regional and local, to improve our workforce and create real jobs, too. Passage of the Workforce Investment Act will advance those goals, and certainly we look forward to that. But just as we expect government on all levels to work together toward this end, we certainly need to make sure that employers, training centers, potential employees, also all work together as seamlessly as possible. So my amendment is designed to improve the bill in that respect. It is a very simple and commonsense amendment, but one that I think is important to our overall goals. In two sections of the bill, the section that sets out criteria for certification of one-stop centers and the section that sets out the criteria governors will use to determine eligibility for Federal funds, concise language is inserted that will ensure that the needs of local employers are taken into account. This gives input to those employers who at the end of the job training and education process will be asked and expected to hire newly trained workers. Right now in some situations, including in my home State of Louisiana, there is a real gap. There are jobs there on the ground even in a relatively poor economy, but there is not the hired workforce to fill those jobs at the local level. A quick example, Avondale Shipyards in the Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, one of the biggest private employers in the whole State of Louisiana, busses in dozens of skilled workers every day from Mississippi because people with those specific job skills are not available immediately in the metro New Orleans area. This amendment is a simple, commonsense amendment to try to fill that gap, to try to make sure that we train up workers in areas where there are jobs waiting in the economy. This will not only serve employers who need to fill those jobs, if possible, at the local level without resorting to bussing in workers or resorting to foreign workers. And, of course, it will also serve workers who want to be trained up, and most of all, want a good job to walk into at the end of their training. With that, I want to congratulate the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner) and the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon) for their good work.

Mr. VITTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Boehner) to address the comments on the bill by the gentleman from Oregon.

Mr. VITTER. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. VITTER. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote, and pending that, I make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. VITTER. I yield to the gentleman from Ohio.

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I bring before the House an important amendment with regard to a central problem in IDEA and that is the excessive burden of excessive paperwork. I think there is great clarity and great consensus on this point that in the present system there is just too much paperwork required which drains resources and takes up the time of teachers who could otherwise be with students who need their help. National surveys show that teachers of special needs students spend between a quarter and a third of each work week on regulatory compliance rather than education. That is ridiculous. Parents, overwhelmed by the system's complexity, often turn to IDEA lawyers for advice. That has become the norm rather than the exception. That is ridiculous. Teachers of special needs students always cite excessive paperwork and too many meetings as leading reasons for their decision to cease teaching special needs students, thus exacerbating a serious existing shortage of personnel. In fact, the National Association of Elementary School Principals supports dramatic paperwork reduction, saying that the proposals ``eliminate the dual-discipline system, streamline the due process system, and encourage professional development for principals.'' In light of this background, my amendment is very straightforward. It does two things. Number one, in part A of the GAO review section, it mandates that the review will include recommendations to reduce or eliminate the excessive paperwork burdens. Number two, in part B of that GAO report section, it requires that a GAO report be submitted 2 years after the date of enactment and resubmitted every 2 years. The benefit of this is very clear. We want a regular way to track progress and to demand progress on reducing this excessive paperwork burden. So in those two simple, but important, ways, this amendment emphasizes the need to reform, streamline, and update the forms and requirements mandated on both teachers and parents. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the committee for all of its hard work in bringing forward a very positive bill. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. VITTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. VITTER. Mr. Chairman, pursuant to the rule, I offer an amendment.

Mr. VITTER. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote; and pending that, I make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. VITTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle).

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This amendment is very simple and straightforward. It stems from an alarming fact which is at the absolute heart of the need for this national energy policy, and what is that fact? Last year, 58 percent of our oil resources consumed in the U.S. came from foreign sources. How has that changed over time? That is 20 points more than the level of the 1973 Arab oil embargo, and it is a full 10 points more than in 1991 when we fought the first Gulf War. This amendment addresses that in a simple, straightforward way. It sets a policy. It declares a sense of the Congress that we will establish a specific goal of reducing that number to 45 percent by 2013, 10 years from now. Again, this goes to the heart of our whole endeavor of creating a balanced national energy policy to achieve real energy independence and to reduce our dependence on foreign sources. We clearly need to explore all options available, conservation, efficiency, alternative sources, technology development, domestic production to achieve that independence; and this will help set an important benchmark to make us do that. I want to thank the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) for his leadership in bringing up a well-balanced bill that addresses all of these options. This bill is the right energy policy and makes the right strides toward reducing that dependency on foreign sources in particular. Briefly, why 45 percent? Because, number one, it would be significant. It would turn the corner because we are not only at 58 percent, but we are quickly increasing that number over time such that if we do not do something, we will be at two-thirds and over two-thirds in the very near future. Secondly, it is a realistic goal which is absolutely achievable. Why do we not set this goal as a clear marker to turn the corner to reduce our dependence on foreign sources? Right now, just like the rest of our Nation's fuel, most of the fuel actually used by our military is from foreign sources. That is clearly not smart. That is clearly a danger that we can perceive in wartime, and it is a danger for our general economy even in peacetime. I look forward to broad-based support of this amendment. I would note that it was included in the previous version of the energy bill which we passed through the House last year. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. VITTER. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Mr. Chairman, today I rise in strong support of H.R. 1036, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. This bill protects licensed manufacturers and sellers of firearms or ammunition from lawsuits based on criminal use by a third party. It's patently absurd--and bad legal theory as well--to allow these sorts of lawsuits to move forward. This legislation today is an important step in stopping it. Just as importantly, these lawsuits seriously threaten the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. Time and again those who would curtail firearm rights enshrined in our Constitution have tried to regulate and legislate against our freedoms. The American people rightly have opposed and rejected these misguided efforts. Now the same folks are trying to use the courts and twist the law into achieving their aims. Therefore, this response from Congress is not something done to please any special interests other than the American people and the Bill of Rights. Thirty-one states have laws that prevent these junk lawsuits, and I am pleased that my home state of Louisiana is one of them. The Federal government should act quickly and I hope that the courts dismiss these junk lawsuits as well. I commend Congressman Stearns and the Judiciary Committee for their hard work in producing this legislation, and I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Mr. Chairman, during Rollcall Vote 79, I was detained at a briefing from Secretary Rumsfeld on the war with Iraq. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Mr. Chairman, today as we embark on a new chapter in the war against terror, I want to return to a crucial theme for this budget, which is homeland security. That goes to the heart of national security, and it also goes to the heart of economic security since by far the biggest setback we could have to our economy, for another setback, which would be another major terrorist attack. This budget includes a substantial increase for the protection of our Nation's infrastructure, $829 million, for instance, a more than 300 percent increase for the Department of Homeland Security's Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection which will provide new capabilities in the war against terror by mapping intelligence and threat information about the Nation's potential vulnerabilities. That includes $500 million to assess the Nation's critical infrastructure and to ensure that our highest-priority vulnerabilities are properly addressed. This is important everywhere, including my home State of Louisiana. We have a vast amount of critical infrastructure there, including some of the most active ports in the world and a large portion of the strategic petroleum reserve, infrastructure that transports a huge percentage of the Nation's oil and gas needs and so much more. Terrorist attacks to any of these facilities would be devastating to my State and, indeed, the entire Nation. So in this time of war, in this time of threat, providing for our military and protecting our homeland first and foremost are top priorities. This budget does both of those. It protects our economy also as a result, and I urge my fellow Members to support this strong budget.

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today I strong support of H.R. 342, the Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act. This legislation is an important step towards a comprehensive plan for reducing the threat of West Nile virus. Just yesterday news stations were reporting that not only was West Nile virus likely to spread to all 48 contiguous states--making it a truly national problem--but also that other mosquito-borne illnesses are potentially likely to follow. This sort of public health threat should not go unchecked. Many localities are smaller or rural, or are dealing with this serious public health threat for the first time. This legislation can help them all. I am pleased that the Appropriations Committee agreed to increase West Nile research funding at the CDC almost 30 percent, and that NIH research into vaccines and treatment for West Nile also nearly doubled. I thank both Chairman Regula and the Members who supported increasing these funds for their successful efforts. However, I know that these measures are just a start to truly ending this health problem. I commend my Louisiana colleagues for their work on this bill, commit my future support to this endeavor, and strongly urge all of my colleagues to vote for this important legislation.

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Lutheran Schools for their continuing contributions to educating young Americans. Lutheran schools impact not only the intellectual life of our Nation's youth but also their moral, physical, and social lives. The Lutheran schools in Louisiana deliver high-quality education and challenge students to reach their potential. The administrators and faculty provide students an environment that encourages honesty, trust and responsibility. This year more than half a million students in the United States will be enriched by their Lutheran school education. America's Lutheran schools are internationally acclaimed for their academic excellence and can boast a student-teacher ration of 14 to 1. During National Lutheran Schools Week and throughout the year, I salute the Lutheran schools, students, parents, teachers, administrators, and congregations across the Nation for their ongoing contributions to education.

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Mr. Speaker, I was inadvertently absent for rollcall vote 39. Were I present, I would have voted ``aye'' in support of H.R. 534, the Human Cloning Prohibition Act. Stated against:

Mr. VITTER. Mr. Chairman, every once in a while, an issue comes along that makes so much sense and has so much support, it clearly must be good public policy. The issue before us today, a full and complete ban on cloning, is just such an issue. The American people overwhelmingly support banning cloning, a majority of this House has voted in the past to fully ban cloning, the Administration supports this ban, and importantly scientists and doctors and other medical professionals support this ban on cloning. So what's the hold up? A lot has been and will be said about ``research cloning'' or ``therapeutic cloning''--but despite all of the semantics and wordplay the other side uses, the reality remains that this procedure is one that simply horrifies most Americans. The repercussions if we do not act today are grave. Whate we're debating here is the value of human life, pure and simple. If you want to reduce human life to merely clinical terms, research elements and other antiseptic talk, then you can vote that way today. But if you are as horrified I am, as the American people are, and the medical community is, by the ghastly possibilities that cloning offers us, then you should support this legislation and a complete, full, and real ban on cloning. I comment the gentlemen from Florida (Dave Weldon) and Michigan (Stupak) for their work, and strongly encourage all of my colleagues to support the passage of this important bill.

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to join my colleagues today and take this opportunity to commend India on its celebration of Republic Day, which formalized India as a parliamentary democracy. On January 26th of this year India celebrated its 51st Republic Day. In that time India has grown into the world's largest democracy and has helped illustrate the stabilizing force of democracy. India is one of America's foremost friends in the South Asian region of the world and has continued to be a consistent and helpful ally to the United States in our on-going war against terrorism. Increasingly, America must attempt to engage the Muslim world through diplomacy, and India, along with other nations, provides an opportunity to do that. Most importantly, we will need to identify our friends and to stand by those countries that reflect our faith in ideals such as democracy, human rights and religious freedom. Over one billion Indian people of diverse faiths in India currently practice democracy and enjoy religious freedom. They look to courts for justice, respect human rights, and in short, embody American values in this important region of the world. The United States and the Republic of India have a common bond and a strong commitment to shared principles. I sincerely hope that the partnership that has been forged between our great nations will continue to blossom. Because of these many accomplishments, I wish to join my colleagues to express my strong support that the friendship between our two countries continues, and to commend India on its celebration of Republic Day.

Mr. VITTER

Mr. VITTER. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to spend just a few extra minutes thanking all of the many colleagues on both sides of the aisle in the House, Democrats and Republicans, for joining together in supporting this resolution and for honoring Catholic Schools Week. I think in so many ways Catholic schools are really vital to the education of our youth and vital to the intellectual and moral and values-based life of our country. I wanted to highlight just a couple of ways, though, I think Catholic schools are so healthy and so important. Really, when we get right down to it, they are the main reasons Wendy and I have decided to send our kids to Catholic schools; and they go right to the heart of the contribution Catholic schools make to the life of our country. One is something I touched on, and that is, Catholic schools offer a great value-based education. In my archdiocese in southeast Louisiana, the motto, the PR slogan, if you will, for the archdiocese school system is ``Catholic schools, an education of value.'' It is so true, and it is a play on words, of course, because it means at least two things: One is that it is a wonderful education; a wonderful nonpublic education. And of course nonpublic private school educations can often be extraordinarily prohibitively expensive. But in our archdiocese, and in virtually all across the country, Catholic schools offer a really solid education at a reasonable price. So it certainly is an education of value in that sense. Of course, even more importantly, and an even more compelling reason so many parents send their kids to Catholic schools, is that it is an education rooted in a sense of values. And it is not simply 1 period of religion a day, and it is not simply going to mass 1 day a week or 1 day every other week. It is the whole atmosphere which really embodies loving, Christian principles, and it is a wonderful, loving, nurturing environment for any child, Catholic or non-Catholic, to be brought up in and educated in. So that sense of values really is so important and such a mainstay of the important contribution Catholic schools make to the life of our country. I think it is something we can all learn from, whether we are helping improve education in the public sector or in any other sector. I think it is something over the last 10 years in particular we have begun to appreciate much more deeply, and that is that educating our children is not merely an intellectual exercise. It has to be a value- laden exercise. And we should not apologize for that in whatever setting. Of course, if we are in the public school setting, there are limits to how we pass on those values, and we cannot do them in a way which endorses one religion over another or religion over nonreligion. But surely there is still plenty of room within that constitutional framework to offer kids in every setting an education rooted in positive, important values. The second aspect of Catholic schools that I think is so important and so beneficial, which really goes to the heart of Wendy and my decision to send our kids, is that it is a very diverse environment that our kids find themselves in, particularly compared to other private school settings. So often in nonpublic school settings, particularly schools which are prohibitively expensive, you end up having a very narrow part of the community represented in that school. Those schools are super schools, and they do an excellent job academically, and certainly kids there are great and bright and talented. But it is so healthy in so many ways for kids to be exposed to a more diverse cross-section of the whole community socioeconomically, and certainly Catholic schools offer that. The enrollment of minority and other students in Catholic schools is very, very significant, and Catholic schools play such a positive and instrumental role in reaching out to those minority and other families. So those are two of the key reasons, I think, Catholic schools make such a contribution to the life of our country. And as I said, those are the same reasons why we made the personal decision to send our kids there.