[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 150 (Tuesday, October 20, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H11690-H11691]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  2045
                            CLOSING THOUGHTS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LaHood). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as Speaker Newt Gingrich made 
his remarks in discussing the omnibus budget that we just passed, he 
asked the question, what we would have done if we had not passed this 
legislation. Frankly, I agree with him that this was a must-do 
situation. But it was not a situation that could not have been done 
differently. And frankly, those of us who voted for this legislation 
clearly recognized that the process was faulty, that what might have 
been totally best for the American people was not concluded because of 
the haste in which we had to work.
  I am, of course, concerned with many issues that impact my district. 
And frankly, we have made some progress on this omnibus bill. I am glad 
that homeless youth in Texas will have an additional $300,000 as given 
to Covenant House, Texas, and I am glad of the work of the 
appropriators with my offers to secure these dollars for that very 
worthy cause, to bring young homeless people into a clean and secure 
place in order to get them back on track.
  I will be able to tell my housing authority, where some 25,000 people 
remain on a waiting list for housing, that

[[Page H11691]]

over the two-year period we will be able to apply for some 100,000 
section 8 vouchers that help most of all the working poor move 
throughout the community in stable neighborhoods, to raise their 
children with support from our housing authority. Mr. Speaker, that is 
good.
  I heard my colleague mention the LIHEAP funds dealing with providing 
support for seniors who are in need of supplement for cold weather. But 
let me tell you how much we needed it in Texas when a heat wave of 
national disaster level plagued our State and killed over 100 people, 
many of whom were seniors. We were able to secure some $3 million also 
to assist in that crisis. And so we have restored, Democrats, the money 
that was gutted out of the labor, HHS. That is an important and needed 
resource for our seniors across this Nation.
  Frankly, Mr. Speaker, we had a vigorous debate on the census. I 
believe that the results were positive for what this country will 
ultimately recognize that it needs, an accurate census count in the 
year 2000. The State of Texas lost 400,000 plus in the 1990 census 
because of an inaccurate count. We lost 65,000 in Houston alone. Those 
were predominantly minorities, Hispanics and African Americans. We now 
have the ability to use sampling, the statistical method until June of 
1999. I hope that we will prevail on this process, for it is shameful 
that we would look not to count every single person within this Nation.
  We just faced a terrible rain and flooding situation in Houston, and 
I am delighted that a project that we have been working on collectively 
as members of the Texas delegation and individually, in particular my 
district, the 18th congressional district, the Sims Bayou project will 
receive some $12 million. Work has already begun. But we will now see 
for the Army Corps of Engineers to move this along and move it along 
for the citizens along that bayou to live in their neighborhoods with a 
quality of life not in fear of every raindrop that comes our way. And I 
might say that Houston gets a lot of raindrops.
  I am not happy, Mr. Speaker, however, with the constant fighting over 
the NEA funds although we did fund it. I am calling now for all of our 
arts associations and organizations across the Nation to be assured 
that we work for the fight to protect the NEA.
  As I close, Mr. Speaker, let me say that I will continue to fight for 
our home health care agencies so that we will have them in our 
community, and children's mental health. I am most proud of the $5 
million extra dollars that we have secured through our hard work to 
protect and help rehabilitate our children suffering from mental 
disabilities.
  Mr. Speaker, we have a long way to go, but we did do what we needed 
to do today. We answered the Speaker's question, what would we do if we 
did not pass this bill. We passed it for America, but yet we are 
challenged to come back here and do more for education and do more for 
our seniors and do more for our children.

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