Frank Wolf

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Peterson).

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. WOLF. I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier).

Mr. WOLF. I yield to the gentlewoman from California.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment, and I yield to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Mollohan).

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

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment, and I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers).

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, we accept the amendment.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. I rise in strong support of the amendment. I understand the gentleman's amendment is related to the findings of the Government Accountability Office audit in August of 2005 concerning NASA mission management aircraft. I also understand that NASA has concurred with the administrative recommendations, meaning they agree with the GAO and the gentleman trying to implement the recommendations made by GAO. NASA is now using a new methodology to justify any passenger travel on its aircraft to match OMB Circular A-126. Further, OMB has reviewed NASA's revised policy and has no objections with respect to it. It is a good amendment, and I think it is doubly good because for the first time we have brought a bill to the floor with absolutely no NASA earmarks. The administrator has said this is very good because when you have earmarks, it takes away. So I strongly support the gentleman's amendment and urge that it be adopted.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Culberson).

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Cramer) 1 minute. (Mr. CRAMER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert).

Mr. WOLF. I rise in support of the amendment. It is a good amendment. There has been a government-wide review of the waste, fraud and abuse of the government travel card program. The Government Accountability Office has reviewed the State Department policy and has concluded a similar review of the Department of Defense policy. The State Department manages the second largest centrally billed travel card program in the Federal Government after the Department of Defense. A GAO audit of the State Department's centrally billed foreign affairs travel found that 67 percent of premium class travel by State and other foreign affairs personnel during most of fiscal years 2003 and 2004 were not properly authorized. Although GAO found deficiencies in documentation for premium class travel, GAO did not find in any instance travel that was conducted for other than official purposes. GAO has made 18 recommendations to improve the State Department's travel card program. The committee has looked into the issue and understands that, as of June 1, the Department of State has taken action on all the recommendations outlined in the GAO's March 6th report. The Undersecretary of State for Management has made this a top priority for the Department. I wonder how they even got to this point. I agree with the gentleman, and I want to thank him for that. We must ensure that U.S. taxpayer money is not subject to waste, fraud and abuse, and I strongly, strongly support the gentleman's amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa).

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw).

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson).

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, look what China is doing. I think you are right on doing this. I wish you had actually been successful, from my own perspective. But look at what China is doing. Windows 95 was available on the streets of Beijing before it was available on the streets of Washington, D.C. So be careful. And I am not sure the administration is going to look out for your best interest on this either.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson).

Mr. WOLF. Reclaiming my time, I thank the gentlewoman; and I will work with her to provide additional resources for the State Department's Economic Bureau to enhance their ability to pursue better enforcement of intellectual property protections in non-OECD countries. But where is the amendment to put the will, the commitment, the passion? And frankly, we will be glad to do this. But some big law firm down on K Street is going to be retained by some of these people, and they will be coming up here and working the administration and working others. Funding is good, but give me somebody who really cares, really believes, really is committed. When you have people out there representing the Khartoum Government in Sudan, when Darfur and China has all these big law firms on retention, just funding this, so unless there is the commitment, the determination, but, yes, we will work with you every way we possibly can.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I have no objection to the amendment.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I understand that the gentleman is going to withdraw the amendment. On page 65 of the report, the subcommittee says the committee expects the Department of Justice to work swiftly toward full implementation of the Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefit Act. I thank the gentleman.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I accept the gentleman's amendment. I was waiting to hear his speech. I was listening and settling in. I do accept the amendment.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, we accept the amendment.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order on the gentleman's amendment.