[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 98 (Tuesday, July 25, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H6782]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      ``PORKER OF THE WEEK'' AWARD

  (Mr. HEFLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Speaker, it appears that this time the Federal 
Government is the one that is due a substantial refund. Auditors within 
the Federal Emergency Management Agency have found $442 million in 
emergency funds that should be returned by States that did not need or 
abused these emergency dollars.
  As my colleagues know, FEMA is often called upon to provide emergency 
aid to States in cases of natural disaster. However, the agency is 
starting to be viewed as a Federal insurance company which hands out 
free money to repair and to renovate.
  In one case, the New Orleans sheriff's office has kept $56,000 it 
received for flood clean-up work that was performed free by prisoners.
  California is holding on to $1.4 million it received to fight a 
wildfire that was recovered from a negligent party. And Georgia used 
$15 million in emergency payments to not only repair flood damage but 
to also upgrade a facility.
  FEMA funds are taxpayer funds. They are not part of a slush fund for 
States to tap into for whatever they want. The guilty State governments 
get my ``Porker of the Week'' Award.

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