[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 154 (Wednesday, October 29, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H10078-H10079]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2443, COAST GUARD AND MARITIME 
                       TRANSPORTATION ACT OF 2003

  Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the 
Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 416 and ask for its 
immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 416

       Resolved, That at any time after the adoption of this 
     resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule 
     XVIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the 
     Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of 
     the bill (H.R. 2443) to authorize appropriations for the 
     Coast Guard for fiscal year 2004, to amend various laws 
     administered by the Coast Guard, and for other purposes. The 
     first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. General 
     debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed one 
     hour equally divided and controlled by the chairman and 
     ranking minority member of the Committee on Transportation 
     and Infrastructure. After general debate the bill shall be 
     considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. It shall 
     be in order to consider as an original bill for the purpose 
     of amendment under the five-minute rule the amendment in the 
     nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on 
     Transportation and Infrastructure now printed in the bill. 
     The committee amendment in the nature of a substitute shall 
     be considered as read. All points of order against the 
     committee amendment in the nature of a substitute are waived. 
     During consideration of the bill for amendment, the Chairman 
     of the Committee of the Whole may accord priority in 
     recognition on the basis of whether the Member offering an 
     amendment has caused it to be printed in the portion of the 
     Congressional Record designated for that purpose in clause 8 
     of rule XVIII. Amendments so printed shall be considered as 
     read. At the conclusion of consideration of the bill for 
     amendment the Committee shall rise and report the bill to the 
     House with such amendments as may have been adopted. Any 
     Member may demand a separate vote in the House on any 
     amendment adopted in the Committee of the Whole to the bill 
     or to the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute. 
     The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the 
     bill and amendments thereto to final passage without 
     intervening motion except one motion to recommit with or 
     without instructions.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Lincoln 
Diaz-Balart) is recognized for 1 hour.
  Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of 
debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to my good friend, the 
distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings), pending which I 
yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this 
resolution, all time yielded is for the purposes of debate only.
  (Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida asked and was given permission to 
revise and extend his remarks.)

                              {time}  1600

  Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 416 
is an open rule providing for the consideration of H.R. 2443, the Coast 
Guard Maritime and Transportation Act of 2003. The rule provides 1 hour 
of general debate, evenly divided and controlled by the chairman and 
ranking minority member of the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure. The rule also provides one motion to recommit with or 
without instructions.
  Mr. Speaker, the legislation before us authorizes over $7 billion for 
the Coast Guard and $18.74 million for the Federal Maritime Commission 
in fiscal year 2004. The legislation is essential in the effort to 
strengthen the Coast Guard in its ever-increasing role to defend the 
homeland.
  In this bill we face a turning point in the effectiveness of the 
Coast Guard. The Department of Homeland Security has called on it to be 
the defender of American coasts while, at the same time, sending needed 
resources, soldiers, and vessels to the battle against terrorism in the 
Middle East.
  I am pleased to highlight the Integrated Deepwater System acquisition 
program. The Deepwater System provides the needed capital to institute 
effective acquisition of the cutters, computer equipment, and other 
resources that the Coast Guard so desperately needs. The Deepwater 
System has not received the funding that was outlined in 1998, but this 
bill makes up for the years of acquisition lost. H.R. 2443 authorizes 
$702 million for fiscal year 2004 to ensure that this acquisition 
remains on pace, allowing the Coast Guard to remain effective both at 
home and abroad.
  The Coast Guard is particularly important to my district and 
constituents in south Florida, Mr. Speaker. The Coast Guard Integrated 
Support Command in Miami is essential to the safety and security of the 
area. The Coast

[[Page H10079]]

Guard in south Florida coordinates integrated plans aimed at hurricane 
safety, recreational boater safety, and, most important, protection of 
our coastline from terrorism and drug trafficking.
  H.R. 2443 was reported out of the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure by a voice vote. This is very good legislation, it is 
essential to our continued commitment to the security and safety of all 
citizens and residents of the United States, and we have brought it 
forth, Mr. Speaker, under a fair and, in fact, open rule.
  I would like to thank the chairman, the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. 
Young), and the ranking member, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. 
Oberstar), for their important work on this legislation; and I urge my 
colleagues to support both the rule and the underlying legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and 
colleague, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart), for 
yielding me this time; and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this rule and the underlying 
legislation. I believe I speak for every Member of this side of the 
aisle when I say that I appreciate the efforts of the majority to bring 
this bill to the floor today under an open rule and in a bipartisan 
manner. I only wish that more bills of significant importance in this 
body and to the country were considered in a similar fashion. Today's 
rule is an open rule, and Members are permitted to offer germane 
amendments to the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act.
  As my colleague previously mentioned, the underlying legislation 
authorizes $7.1 billion in fiscal year 2004 for activities of the 
United States Coast Guard and $18 million for the Federal Maritime 
Commission. The level of funding that the House is providing to the 
Coast Guard is a 4 percent increase over the amount that was 
appropriated for the agency under the Homeland Security Appropriations 
Act for fiscal year 2004. The bill also provides the Maritime 
Commission with an 11 percent increase over last year's funding.
  In addition to funding these two important Federal agencies, this 
bill amends current law affecting the Coast Guard's requirement to fire 
warning shots, inspect foreign vessels, and collect user fees. The 
legislation increases the number of commissioned officers in the Coast 
Guard as well as the number of active duty officers. The bill also 
improves our ability to respond to oil spills by requiring that oil-
carrying vessels develop oil spill response plans. And my goodness 
gracious is that too long overdue for our Nation and, indeed, the 
world?
  Mr. Speaker, the Coast Guard is charged with the responsibility of 
patrolling the 12,452 miles of coastline in the United States. Nearly 
2,000 of these miles are located in Florida, in my district, as well as 
that of the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart), and the 
Speaker pro tempore's, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Foley), where 
the Coast Guard plays, as we so well know, an integral role in 
patrolling our shores and protecting our citizens. The increase in 
funding provided in the underlying legislation for this important 
branch of the United States Armed Services serves as a statement about 
the role of the Coast Guard in our global war on terrorism.
  Reports have shown that America's ports remain susceptible to attack 
and infiltration by America's enemies. And it does not go 
insignificantly or symbolically mentioned that I, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart), and the present Speaker pro tempore, 
the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Foley), all three of us on the floor at 
this time, represent three major ports: Port Everglades, the Port of 
Palm Beach, and the Port of Miami. Those three ports alone handle more 
than 13.2 million tons of cargo. In all, well over 1.5 million shipping 
containers were processed by South Florida longshoremen during the last 
year.
  Certainly these statistics highlight the pressing need to increase 
the number of customs agents working in America's ports, but they also 
suggest that the roles of the Coast Guard and the Federal Maritime 
Commission in protecting our ports are greater than ever.
  Mr. Speaker, when Congress created the Department of Homeland 
Security, it not only reorganized the Federal Government, but it also 
recommitted itself to the security of America. The underlying 
legislation, which the House will consider later today, is an extension 
of that commitment.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of our colleagues to support the rule and the 
underlying legislation.
  Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I have no further 
requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Foley). Without objection, the previous 
question is ordered on the resolution.
  There was no objection.
  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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