Zach Wamp

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Chairman, this issue is not about moving the program to the Department of Labor. That is another issue for another day. That may come up at a later time. This is about making the program as it is currently written work much better. That is why I really hope that everybody that has a dog in this hunt will help us do this today. It is just one step forward, but it needs to be made short of sweeping reforms, which I know are pending before the Senate, but that is a whole different issue, and a lot of people have to get back in line and start over if that does happen. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have remaining?

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Mrs. Wilson). (Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, like so many here in the House, I continue to pray for all of the courageous men and women in the uniforms of our Armed Forces, and especially the families who have lost a loved one and have paid the ultimate price in Afghanistan and Iraq. But I wish, as the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Hyde) referenced, that all of the Members could have been with me in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, this past Monday, along with the Secretary of Energy, to see the centrifuges and the nuclear arsenal that was voluntarily given up by Moammar Qaddafi from Libya, because there is no doubt, while we can all draw our own conclusions, there is no doubt in my heart that that is a result of our consistent and decisive offensive since September 11 around the world against terror; because terrorism, as we see in Spain and in Baghdad and the fear in London, is alive and well, and terrorism continues, and we must pursue the terrorists and keep them on the defensive. I believe our consistency and our resoluteness has paid off in effective ways, such as Libya giving up their nuclear deterrent; the Bush doctrine: You are either with us or you are against us. They have to declare. Libya declared. We do not want to be against you; they are voluntarily giving it up. Now, we need to listen to some of the neutral parties. I know a lot of the concern today is about process. I do not know, I was not here when the Democrats were in the majority. Frankly, both parties are guilty of shutting out the other side. But I know that I am concerned about the signals that are being sent today out of this Chamber and in this town about our commitment to Iraq. This is a bold, long-term commitment. Neutral observers like Thomas Friedman expressed concern in the last 48 hours about Spain, what is happening in Iraq, and whether the terrorists are intimidating free people around the world. We need to stand our ground in this war on terror. There is no doubt we had to do what we did in Iraq and that good has come out of it. Mr. Speaker, terrorism cannot be allowed to win the day. Peace through strength works. Appeasement has never worked. And we are tested again today, whether or not we will stick to our guns and finish what we have started, even if it takes years and more money. I want to secure our investments in the region. The people were poor there, but the country was wealthy. I believe we have done the right thing, and we have to be strong and tough and dig our heels in.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize James A. ``Buddy'' Conner, who has contributed some 45 years of service to the defense of our Nation as a leader, a worker, and a soldier. Mr. Conner is retiring from a 43-year career with BWX Technologies, where he rose from his first assignment as an associate engineer and technician to become one of the company's four highest-ranking executives. Mr. Conner was born in Appomattox, Virginia, and after finishing his primary education, devoted two years of service to the United States Marine Corps. Upon his arrival back home, Mr. Conner took a short trip west to the town of Lynchburg and began working at the recently built Nuclear Facilities Plant while he earned his business degree from Lynchburg College. He would spend the next 40 years at that site, eventually leading the Naval Nuclear Fuel Division, which supplies the United States Navy with all of its nuclear fuel. During his tenure, in 2000, Mr. Conner joined the BWXT team vying for the operations contract for the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. For Buddy, this was a chance to lead a facility that is still as monumentally important in our nation's defense as it was during one of our country's biggest security successes, the Manhattan Project. BWXT won the contract, and Mr. Conner has spent the last three years helping to ensure the site will continue to be the unique jewel in America's first line of nuclear defense. When America has called on Buddy and Y-12 to provide stewardship and security to a safe and reliable stockpile of nuclear weapon components and materials, they have stood at the ready. Since taking the helm of the operating contract for the site, Buddy and his management team have lead Y-12 into an exciting new era. From modernization plans that are transforming our country's Fort Knox of highly enriched uranium into an efficient storage and production facility, to the renewal of the worker's spirit and enthusiasm through aggressive recruitment and mentoring programs that are bringing in the future of Y-12--Buddy and company have set Y-12 on a fantastic course. Mr. Conner rose through the ranks of one of our premier defense contractors because of his intelligence, dedication, and outstanding work ethic. In short: he is the real deal. Mr. Conner's 45 years of devotion to our Nation's security are not to be forgotten. That is why today I am proud to recognize Mr. Conner's efforts for his years of service to the defense of our country.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill as well, and want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson). During no time in my 9 years here have I seen anyone grow as fast on the job in 10 and a half months as the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson). His first Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development meeting was coming in as chairman, and in the last 10 and a half months, he has been all across the country, studied these issues, consumed himself with it, and done an outstanding job, in large part because of the bipartisan cooperation. There is no doubt this is a bipartisan product, an excellent work product. I want to thank again those staff members already mentioned on our side of the aisle, Bob Schmidt, Dennis Kern, Scott Burnison, Kevin Cook, Kenny Kraft, and Tracey LaTurner. They have done outstanding work. A couple of points I want to make, first as a representative of the premier multipurpose laboratory in the United States, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, science is up. Our long-term investment in the future of our country, the seed corn for the next generation, is up above the President's request because the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Hobson) and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky) believe we must invest for future generations, and this bill reflects that commitment long term. It is very important. Plus, energy security; everybody has talked for a long time about our need to solve the long-term waste issue relative to our nuclear waste storage and whether we can ever go back into the nuclear business. We are solving that problem by fully funding and adequately funding Yucca Mountain, which we need to do. This committee has moved on this. We also have an accelerated cleanup program across the country now because this Department of Energy, under Secretary Abraham's leadership, rolled out an ambitious plan to clean these nuclear sites up sooner rather than later and invest more in the short run to save money in the long run. We are doing that at Oak Ridge, at Hanford, Savannah River, and across the country. It is important that we do that for the health and safety of our citizens, and this bill is an excellent work product. I agree with the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky) that this is the best energy and water bill that we have offered in a number of years.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, we are at the end of a 6-week process, and I am proud of the work that the House has accomplished. We cannot afford to fail in Iraq. The best and brightest in this House have scrubbed the proposal sent from the White House. We have done our best work, and now it is time to vote. Those who say this is a blank check from the White House are just not telling it like it is. This is a world changing paradigm shift on the other side of the world. I think back to the bipartisan retreat early this year. I was there. Thomas Friedman came from the New York Times, spoke to a large group and said, maybe we are not going about this right, but we need to do this. He really said this needs to happen, an experiment in the 22 Arab countries to promote democracy and make this investment. We were all hit with sticker shock. Eighty-seven billion dollars is a huge number. It shocked me but we now realize how important it is. It is going to be incalculable the benefits of this investment. The big debate came down to loans versus grants. When I looked the President eye to eye, he said we believe we are going to get U.N. support. We did, unanimous, for a U.S.-led peacekeeping force in Iraq. We are making progress. Frankly, I was disappointed with Madrid. I say to the White House tonight, prove us wrong on the loans; work until we get more global support. I believe we need to. The bottom line is this is an unprecedented situation in the history of the world, and we have got to step up. It is easy to demagogue an $87 billion request. It is easy to critique it, but tonight we have got to vote. I think it is difficult, difficult to vote no. If my colleagues have to hold their nose and vote yes tonight, do it. I am going to grit my teeth and vote yes tonight and say that we cannot afford to fail in Iraq.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman for yielding me this time. And certainly I appreciate the leadership of the gentleman from California (Chairman Lewis) and the gentleman from Arizona (Chairman Kolbe) as this most important investment in Iraq worked its way through the full Committee on Appropriations. Our committee scrubbed this bill down and reduced it, streamlined it, built in much more accountability; and I think collectively Republicans and Democrats came together to do an important work to bring this bill to the floor, and I certainly rise in support of making this necessary investment. I also want to say over the last 3 weeks it has been an interesting experience for me because I began to ask questions and look at ways to propose an amendment to make a portion of this investment, this reconstruction investment, a loan as opposed to a grant. That is a long story that I will not try to go back through except to say that when I met last week face to face with the President of the United States about whether this investment in Iraq should be a loan or a grant and he explained to me that negotiations were under way, I have to say that today at the United Nations with the resolution that our country achieved, what he told us last week is coming true, and that is support is building among other nations for making this necessary investment and for liberating on a permanent basis an Arab country. And Iraq is a true test for freedom and opportunity for our allies and this great Nation, and I just want to come to the floor today to say, while I had differences of opinion about how to go about it, we need to come together as a Nation, as a people, and as a Congress on the fact that we must succeed in Iraq. At this point we have no choice but to go forward and finish what we have started. We cannot afford to fail; and the world must see us in a bold, successful move at this point in the history of the world to open up freedom in the Arab world, and what better place to do it than where tyranny and oppression were rampant. Years ago I was a Member of this body and came to the floor with concerns about President Clinton's efforts in Eastern Europe, but I have also said in recent weeks that I was wrong and that that investment that our country made in resources and danger and peril for our troops to remove a genocidal murderer named Slobodan Milosevic was a very successful and necessary effort to promote freedom and better secure our country and so is this mission in Iraq, and we must not flinch. We must invest the full amount. While I would love to see a portion of this made into a loan and I made my case and presented that argument; at the end of the day, those leaders in the executive branch in negotiations with the G-7 nations, our allies, others in the region from the Saudis to the Kuwaitis to the Qatars, they are talking about ways to write down this so-called debt; I call it bankruptcy debt. That debt that Saddam Hussein built up should not be payable, and I believe that the pressure is mounting for Germany and France and Russia and others to write that debt down dramatically. Ambassador Bremer told me that that is the goal, to have that debt written down or written off. And I do not want the U.S. taxpayer to invest a dime that might go to those other countries; and we built in conditions in this bill that would not allow that to happen. But at the end of the day the bottom line, after we weigh in and have this debate and make our case and stand our ground and carry out our constitutional responsibility, is we need to do this. Whether one supported it from the start or not, here is where we are today, and we have got to finish what we started and make the necessary investments. We cannot afford not to, and freedom comes with a huge price. For some brave Americans it is the loss of life, it is their limbs, it is going into harm's way on our behalf. For taxpayers, it is investments. We thank everyone for these investments; but the cost of freedom is high, very high today, but we cannot afford not to do it or invest it. We must finish what we started, and we must preserve our country with some preemptive action on the other end of the world. And I see it that way. I see Saddam Hussein as a threat, and terrorism is looking for a place to take root; and we cannot let it take root. We took decisive action, and now we have got to win the peace. And it is expensive, but we do not have any choice but to do this. And I hope everybody comes together to make this necessary investment. We are all Americans, and we are at the waterfront. Democrats and Republicans, we are all patriots and we are standing with our country. Make one's case. At end of the day, support this necessary investment.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. The reason the Pence amendment was given an hour of debate by the leadership is because this is the most important amendment I think considered on the loan proposal because it is really the only one that works. Even the amendment that is being considered in the other body today has got problems in the technicalities of whether it could even be done or carried out. And certainly we do not want to put U.S. tax dollars in the World Bank where we do not even have control of our own resources. There is a workable proposal. I will say that the developments that happened with the administration in the United Nations today certainly show me and prove to me that what the President told me last week when I deferred to him and withdrew this amendment at the full Committee on Appropriations is coming true, and that is we are convincing other countries and the United Nations to engage in Iraq. There is great agreement here among conservatives, among patriots and principled people that we have to finish what we started. The only debate is whether or not we can secure the taxpayers, interest. Let me just say this. I think we will be back here in a few months for more money. The gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence) may be ahead of his time, but we have got to secure this funding over time for the U.S. taxpayers, and for that reason alone, this is an important debate to speak out to secure the U.S. taxpayers in the future.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, first of all, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) could not have selected a better person to chair this historic Subcommittee on Homeland Security of the Committee on Appropriations than the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) who is as tough as nails, very diligent, thorough, knowledgeable. I served under him on the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, Judiciary and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations, and he is the right man for this task. He could not have selected a better professional staff to carry out these most important responsibilities. We have had incredible cooperation, despite the gentleman from Wisconsin's (Mr. Obey) words, and some of those are very well-taken and well-spoken. This is for the most part a bipartisan product where there is widespread agreement on most of the issues. We are going to differ today on some substantive issues, but we have worked together very well. And the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Sabo) and his professional staff have done an excellent job. This is really a great work product. When you consider the Container Security Initiative, Project Bio-Shield, some of the brand new programs that are so critical to program ramp up quickly for our homeland security needs and extend, frankly, the proverbial borders of our country around the world to protect us before it is too late, before things do come in and happen. We have made great strides very quickly. I do not think the President could have selected a better Secretary than Tom Ridge for Homeland Security, also tough as nails, very thorough. We have had multiple hearings and done a lot of good work together. So while we differ today a little, we need to stick together in a bipartisan way to do the work of the country. This is just like national security, a whole new frontier. Let me also say one other thing. In national security, there is the Berry amendment that says we have got to buy American products and use American vendors for these things. I want to do more. And I want it said today that we need to do more on homeland security. We need domestic producers, American manufacturers for pharmaceuticals for Bio- Shield to protect our interests. We need American companies in our manufacturing base to expand to provide the technologies and the equipment that we need to protect Americans first. So as we move forward, let us say beginning today we will do more to strengthen this and have an amendment just like the Berry amendment, so that we can guarantee Americans that American people will be used to carry out the homeland security needs.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 2754) making appropriations for energy and water development for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2004, and for other purposes, with a Senate amendment thereto, disagree to the Senate amendment, and agree to the conference asked by the Senate.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, on September 4, I recorded a ``yes'' vote on rollcall vote No. 463 ordered on the previous question for H. Res. 351. My vote should have been ``no.''

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 1472.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. To my colleagues, several of us on the Committee on Appropriations have fought now for many years to try to hold the line on spending and have a record there and are in agreement with these efforts to do this. But this is not only not workable; it is actually the wrong thing to do at the wrong time, and let me explain why. OMB, if you have not worked with them since this administration took over, ``OMB'' are the three most dreaded letters in Washington, D.C. They are about the business of carving and cutting, and rightly so, in many directions. But they are not offering offsets, they do not have offsets for this spending, and the administration has requested the money without offsets because even those carvers at OMB cannot find the offsets. You gentlemen know it, and you know that it will not work because of that. I hope we do not just cede the constitutional responsibility to spend money to the executive branch. That is not in our best interests, it is not in the constitutional best interest, and I do not want to just say, administration, you can start spending money discretionarily or saving money discretionarily. That is the power that belongs here in the Congress, and that is our responsibility. Now, the money you are talking about offsetting in the final 2 months of the fiscal year is not from mandatory programs; it is not Social Security, Medicare, any of the mandatories. It cannot come from that. It cannot come from defense, it cannot come from homeland security. So the offsets must come from about 14 percent of the Federal budget, and then it is only for one-sixth of the fiscal year. So now you are down to a very narrow pool of discretionary funds to take the offsets from. And then it does not work out to 29 cents on every $100. It gets into specific small accounts, most of which are already obligated, most of which are obligated to be spent in the final 2 months of the fiscal year. So, frankly, it is not a workable solution. Even though I am all for offsetting early, you cannot wait until the end of the fiscal year and say we are going to have offsets. The money is obligated by the end of the fiscal year. Once again, the most important thing here is that we have to carry out our responsibilities and not just say, White House, you find these offsets.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, just over 3 years ago, the University of Tennessee-Battelle team took over the contract to operate the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, TN. Our Lab Director, Dr. Bill Madia will soon be leaving ORNL to take a new position. I would like to take a moment today to recognize Bill's tremendous accomplishments and thank him for all he has done in East Tennessee. Bill came to ORNL with over 25 years of experience in research and research management, with more than 15 years leading public and private research labs. That experience is evident in all the recent successes of ORNL, including receiving the laboratory's first-ever ``outstanding'' rating for overall performance from the Department of Energy for fiscal year 2002. Under his watch, the construction of the Nation's largest civilian science project, the Spallation Neutron Source, has moved forward on time, on budget and on scope. Adjacent to SNS, atop Chestnut Ridge, is the site for the Center for Nanophase Materials Science, the first of DOE's Nanoscience centers. Another new facility is the recently completed Center for Computational Sciences, one of the world's most modern computer laboratories. Along with these examples of cutting edge major research user facilities, Bill tackled the needs of a laboratory that dated back to the Manhattan Project. In June 2003, only 16 months after breaking ground, ORNL celebrated completion of the first of 12 new facilities in the Laboratory's ambitious modernization program. The new buildings represent an unprecedented partnership among the private, state, and federal sectors. This unique effort can be attributed to Dr. Bill Madia. In the Oak Ridge community, Bill Madia has been active in promoting economic growth and providing leadership in the role that science and technology can play in education, the workplace, and our daily lives. He has served on the boards of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, East Tennessee Economic Council, and the Tennessee Technology Development Corporation. He has also been supportive of the next generation of scientists by supporting funding for high school science laboratories and the University of Tennessee's Academy for Math and Science. Mr. Speaker, Bill has contributed mightily to the Lab's success during his tenure in East Tennessee. I am pleased he will continue his commitment to the lab and our community by serving as a member of the UT-Battelle Board of Directors. In my judgment, he is by far the greatest, most innovative ``lab director'' in the United States. He is my personal friend and I will miss him very much. However, because of his amazing vision and tireless work, the people of Oak Ridge, East Tennessee and the Nation face a brighter, more prosperous future. I would like to thank Dr. Bill Madia for his remarkable leadership and extraordinary commitment to the great state of Tennessee.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the historic town of Cumberland Gap, Tennessee as they celebrate their 200th anniversary of postal service. Cumberland Gap has long been a place of historic passage. In pre- Colonial America, the Gap served Native Americans as a pivotal crossing for their trading and hunting routes through the Appalachian Mountains. Later, Daniel Boone and his 29 ``axe men'' blazed a 208 mile trail into central Kentucky providing a route for pioneer families to travel west. During the Civil War, Cumberland Gap gained military significance, becoming known as the ``Gibraltar of America'' and the ``Keystone of the Confederacy.'' Today however, in the age of flight, travelers through Cumberland Gap come not to get through the mountains, but to escape into them. The natural beauty of the surrounding area and the Gap's rich cultural history make it a popular destination for travelers of all ages and interests. From hikers to historians, people continue to be drawn to the ``gap between the mountains.'' Time has almost stood still in the small Appalachian town of Cumberland Gap. As you walk through the quiet streets, you are greeted with architecture from the late 1800's and the 1920's. The streets are snap shots from the past, illustrating the progression of history even through today. The town's rich history, quiet charm and natural beauty are especially appealing for cultural tourism. Just as the historic parade marched through the Gap for more than 200 years, the procession is not yet finished. Today the town of Cumberland Gap, the natural starting point for an journey into the Cumberland Gap National Park, is a haven for day hikers, adventure hikers and cycle enthusiasts. Whether you are seeking history, culture or adventure, Cumberland Gap is always a great place to be. On July 19, this historic town celebrates 200 years of postal service with a day of interpretive presentations of what life was like in the early 1800's including ``living history'' exhibits throughout the town. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to join them on this important day and I wish the town of Cumberland Gap many years of continued success.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome one of Chattanooga, Tennessee's finest citizens, Pastor Ben Haden, to the House of Representatives as our guest chaplain for today. It is very special to introduce Ben, because he is a humble man of God with a ministry that has touched thousands of lives. Ben's first career was in the newspaper business; but in the middle of his life, Jesus Christ touched his heart and 4 decades of ministry began. He came to First Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga in 1967 and quickly gained a reputation for his passion, his heart, and his sermons. His popularity and ability to draw worshipers soon resulted in closed-circuit televisions being set up in the chapel and fellowship hall for overflow crowds. Not long after coming to First Presbyterian, Ben launched his own radio ministry, ``Changed Lives,'' on a radio station in Chattanooga. This ministry eventually grew to include a television program watched regularly by thousands, including the Reverend Billy Graham. In March of 1999, Ben stepped down as senior pastor from the First Presbyterian Church to devote his full energies to his radio ministry ``Changed Lives.'' Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Father Coughlin for inviting Ben Haden to offer our invocation on this day that the Lord hath made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, over half of this House are members of the bipartisan caucus, and we want to continue to build support for this most important national security issue of energy independence through the advancement of renewables and energy efficiency, energy conservation programs. I urge a ``no'' vote on this amendment respectfully.

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I rise as a member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development of the Committee on Appropriations to applaud the chairman for just an excellent work product in this bill and the ranking member, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky). They really have been aggressive, traveling, looking at the problems, restructuring, reforming programs and really have done their homework. So they deserve a lot of credit. I also rise as the co-chairman of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus with the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall) in support of renewables and increased funding for renewables, energy efficiency, and energy conservation. The dilemma we face, though, is that in our attempt to increase the funding, the offset that the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall) proposed, working with his friends in Nevada, is the wrong way to go; and I say that because I believe that nuclear power is green power, is clean power, and we absolutely must solve the waste stream problem in order to clean up the air in this country with new nuclear production. That is the truth. They know it in Europe. They know it around the world; but in this country, some of our friends in the environmental world believe that nuclear energy is not clean energy and it is, but the waste stream is an issue. We have got to get on with it. They are exactly right to be saying the top priority in this bill is the Yucca Mountain repository. We cannot cut that budget. I am sorry to our friends in Nevada. It is not in our national interests to do that. On the renewable front, I want more money. The chairman has pledged to work with us through conference. I know that there are friends in the Senate that will work with us on raising renewables at the conference. I have every intention of advocating through the process as a conferee for increased funding on renewables. I would like to get that $16 million figure that the chairman referred to up to a level of funding amount, even though, as he points out, we are at the President's request on the key renewables of wind and solar and biomass. I do believe, though, that we can go further; and I want to do that. We can do that. We could have done that today. We talked through the night last night about ways to find the offset, but this is the wrong way to go because of the offset from Yucca. All that does is hold up our ability to clean up the air and to work out the waste stream with nuclear energy in this country. I come from the TVA region, and we have five nuclear reactors. They are the most efficient, they are the cleanest, and they are the most productive sources of energy we have in the TVA system. That is 8 million customers, nuclear; and we have worked the bugs out of those reactors where they stay on line. They have a very high efficiency rate, but we have to have a place to store that waste; and Yucca Mountain is that option that has been chosen, and we must move forward. I will be happy to yield to my friend from Colorado, who is my co- chairman of the Renewable and Energy Efficiency Caucus, to talk about how we can work together after this amendment is defeated today, because it needs to be; and in the best interests of the bill and moving the process forward, we are going to defeat this amendment, but I would love to yield to my friend and engage in a little conversation about how we can continue to work together this year because he and I both know and believe that we must do more in this renewable front to make our country independent and secure because energy independence in this country is homeland security. We have got to wean ourselves off of the reliance on Middle Eastern oil, and that means advancing solar and wind and biomass and geothermal and all of our renewable sources, and he is passionate about it and so am I; but we have got to find a way to do it within the context of this bill. We will work together through conference.

Mr. WAMP. I yield to the gentleman from Colorado.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the historic town of Cumberland Gap, TN as they celebrate their 200th anniversary of postal service. Cumberland Gap has long been a place of historic passage. In pre- Colonial America, the Gap served Native Americans as a pivotal crossing for their trading and hunting routes through the Appalachian Mountains. Later, Daniel Boone and his 29 ``axe men'' blazed a 208 mile trail into central Kentucky providing a route for pioneer families to travel west. During the Civil War, Cumberland Gap gained military significance, becoming known as the ``Gibraltar of America'' and the ``Keystone of the Confederacy.'' Today however, in the age of flight, travelers through Cumberland Gap come not to get through the mountains, but to escape into them. The natural beauty of the surrounding area and the gap's rich cultural history make it a popular destination for travelers of all ages and interests. From hikers to historians, people continue to be drawn to the ``gap between the mountains.'' Time has almost stood still in the small Appalachian town of Cumberland Gap. As you walk through the quiet streets, you are greeted with architecture from the late 1800s and the 1920s. The streets are snap shots from the past, illustrating the progression of history even through today. The town's rich history, quiet charm, and natural beauty are especially appealing for cultural tourism. Just as the historic parade marched through the gap for more than 200 years, the procession is not yet finished. Today the town of Cumberland Gap, the natural starting point for a journey into the Cumberland Gap National Park, is a haven for day hikers, adventure hikers, and cycle enthusiasts. Whether you are seeking history, culture or adventure, Cumberland Gap is always a great place to be. On July 19th, this historic town celebrates 200 years of postal service with a day of interpretive presentations of what life was like in the early 1800s including ``living history'' exhibits throughout the town. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to join them on this important day and I wish the town of Cumberland Gap many years of continued success.

Mr. WAMP

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

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me, and I certainly appreciate the privilege of having my name associated with anything that the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes) does here. The Buy American provisions that we have talked about a lot in the past on this floor are very germane to this debate. I appreciate the fact that we can offer this amendment, hopefully without anyone raising a point of order against it, because it is essential that in this appropriations bill, as we prioritize the homeland security needs of the future, that we put all the language we can in the bill to encourage United States business and enterprise to produce and provide the goods and services that we need to secure our homeland. Let me give an example, one very large example. In this bill we actually fund into the future a program called BioShield, where the administration leads and we scrub and fund and hold the hearings on an effort to provide the stockpiles for vaccines and immunizations in the event that we are attacked. Companies all around the world make these products. But when we are talking about chelating agents that would actually provide relief and support to those people affected that we may stockpile in a dozen locations around the country in very large quantities, I want a United States manufacturer, if at all possible, to make those products, and I want those products stockpiled here in the United States, if at all possible. That is all that this language says, is that wherever we can we buy American for these products and services. And on this BioShield initiative in this bill, it is $5.6 billion over the next 10 years, including a 2004 appropriation, the coming year appropriation of $890 million. That is a lot of money. It is a lot of procurement. It is very important that wherever we can we look to United States companies. Mr. Chairman, there are countries around the world that have not been particularly supportive of us in recent years that have the advanced capabilities of providing these products and services and goods from time to time. And we do not want to respond in a punitive way whatsoever. If they have the products, and we need them, and we have good relations, that is great. But what we want to say is there are businesses and workers and interests in this country that support our country with their taxes. We want to support them wherever we possibly can. That is the intent. That is the reality of this legislation. Many have come before us and attached Buy American amendments to a host of legislative matters, some big, some small, but I have to say, as we begin this new Department of Homeland Security, as we properly resource it, I cannot think of a more important issue that we attach Buy American provisions to than securing our homeland, to make sure that we actually control as much as possible what these products actually are, to make sure that they are what they say they are, and that we know what we are getting if an event happens once again. So, Mr. Chairman, I applaud the author, he and I are going in the same direction, and we have teamed up on this amendment.

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), the distinguished chairman of the full Committee on Appropriations.