[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 125 (Wednesday, October 6, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H8287-H8311]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR HURRICANE DISASTERS 
                          ASSISTANCE ACT, 2005

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 819 and rule 
XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House 
on the State of the Union for the consideration of the bill, H.R. 5212.

                              {time}  1955


                     In the Committee of the Whole

  Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the 
Whole House on the State of the Union for the consideration of the bill 
(H.R. 5212) making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal 
year ending September 30, 2005, for additional disaster assistance 
relating to storm damage, and for other purposes, with Mr. Gillmor in 
the chair.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered as having 
been read the first time.
  Under the rule, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) and the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) each will control 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young).
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Chairman, H.R. 5212 is a bill to further respond to the 
devastation brought upon the State of Florida and other neighboring 
States by Hurricane Charley, Hurricane Frances, Hurricane Ivan, 
Hurricane Jeanne, and Tropical Storm Bonnie, more adverse weather than 
a State has seen in hundreds of years.
  This is the second supplemental that the House will consider. The 
first supplemental was introduced on September 7, the day we 
reconvened. We passed that bill on September 7, the other body deemed 
it passed on September 7, and it arrived at the President's desk just 
in time to make sure that the cash flow to the needy folks in Florida 
would not be disrupted.
  We are now reaching a similar situation. The FEMA funds are about to 
run out once again, and this bill will provide additional funds for 
FEMA and other disaster recovery and relief efforts.
  I want the Members to know how I feel about this bill. This is a good 
bill, as far as it goes. There is nothing political in this bill, at 
least not yet. There are no special projects for any Member. We 
resisted all attempts to add to this supplemental. So this really gets 
to the point of recovery from five major storms.
  I have lived in Florida for 58 years. I have seen the devastation of 
hurricanes and tornadoes. They go together. Hurricanes are large storms 
and hurricanes spawn tornadoes.
  I have seen homes totally destroyed. I have seen mobile home parks 
obliterated, gone. I have seen major buildings with their roofs gone. I 
have seen infrastructure for cities and counties destroyed. I have seen 
highways, believe it or not, that have been totally destroyed, with 
large chunks of asphalt just lying around like parts of a jigsaw puzzle 
waiting to be put together. But you cannot just put them back together. 
You have to rebuild them.
  Last week, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Boyd) and I went to 
Florida to Pensacola, to the Naval Air Station; and there we were met 
by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Miller), and we reviewed some 
tremendous, very costly damage created by the hurricanes.
  There is a lot more to be said about the tremendous pressure of 
living through a hurricane, and I have lived through a number of 
hurricanes. These five storms that I have talked about, have affected 
every section of Florida, and in some cases three of the storms have 
hit the same section.

                              {time}  2000

  Governor Jeb Bush became the manager of the recovery effort, and he 
has done an outstanding job. He managed the recovery effort on the part 
of the State. He coordinated the counties, and he coordinated the 
cities and all of the

[[Page H8288]]

relief agencies that have been there to help out the people that really 
needed help.
  President Bush visited the State five times, and visited the 
hurricane sites and viewed for himself the disaster and visited with 
the people. He handed out bags of ice and bottles of water. He did a 
good job, and he made commitments and promises to the people of 
Florida. It is my intention, Mr. Chairman, to make sure that no one 
stands in the way of following through on those promises that President 
Bush made to the people of Florida.
  Mr. Chairman, the bill that we take up today meets a lot of these 
promises, but it does not meet them all. There is another bill that I 
introduced today, H.R. 5227, that does include, in fact, the promises 
that President Bush made to the people of Florida. And, the additional 
funds that we have included in H.R. 5227, over and above the 
President's request of approximately $11 billion, we have offset. We 
have offset $1.6 billion that we would have added to the President's 
request. We are not permitted to bring this bill up today, but I will 
tell my colleagues, and I will tell anyone willing to listen on either 
side of the aisle; this hurricane relief has been very bipartisan, and 
I appreciate all of the support that Members have given us; and this 
Chairman is going to do everything possible to see this bill enacted 
into law because it meets the real requirements of recovery efforts in 
the great State of Florida. It is not the bill that we are considering 
today, but we are going to do everything possible to make sure that it 
ends up on the President's desk.
  The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Boyd) would have offered an amendment 
that would have increased H.R. 5212 by $1.6 billion, and that is what 
this second bill (H.R. 5227) does, it increases the bill by $1.6 
billion. He and I traveled together to many parts of Florida; we 
visited and we saw for ourselves what the damages were and what the 
recovery effort was going to take.
  So we will do our very best to make sure that the promises that the 
President made to the people of Florida will not be stymied by some 
bureaucracy or some group of people who might not want us to move this 
legislation. But one way or another, we are going to move it.
  Mr. Chairman, a lot of Members wish to be heard on this issue, 
especially Florida Members, so at this point I reserve the balance of 
my time.

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  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Boyd).
  Mr. BOYD. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank my Ranking Member, the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey), for yielding me this time.
  Again, let me thank the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Young) my 
friend, who did invite me to travel with him around Florida to see the 
results of the five storms that landed in Florida, and it left Florida 
on many occasions and went to other parts of the country.
  Now, many of the people in Florida, Mr. Chairman, are really probably 
not watching this tonight, because many of them do not have power 
still. They are trying to put their lives back together. In the 
district that I represent, we lost six people that were killed in 
Hurricane Ivan, not because they did not get out of the way of a 
hurricane, but because tornadoes spawned down and caught them off guard 
and killed them and some of their relatives.
  Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) has it right. He 
has it right. The bill that he says he is going to introduce has it 
right. The Office of Management and Budget of the White House and the 
leaders of this House have it wrong. The bill that we are on now is 
inadequate to meet the needs of the Nation caused by the five storms 
that landed in Florida in the last 2 months, and I want to outline very 
specifically what those shortfalls are.
  In agriculture, after consultation with all of the agriculture folks 
around the country and in the different States that were affected, it 
is $486 million short. Defense and military construction: Defense, the 
main priority of this Federal Government, $455 million short in the 
bill that we are looking at now. That is the difference between this 
bill and the bill that the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) has 
introduced separately.
  Interior: That is for cleanup and facility repairs and Forest Service 
repairs, $105 million. Those are Federal lands, Federal property.
  Transportation: Mr. Chairman, many Americans saw the daunting picture 
of I-10 going across Escambia Bay that was torn up and ruined; that is 
a $250 million fix. Then there is the Federal highway, a $750 million 
shortfall in the bill before us today for the needs caused by the 
hurricane. I could go on and on.
  Mr. Chairman, OMB of the White House has it wrong; the gentleman from 
Florida (Chairman Young) has it right. I know that the gentleman from 
Florida (Chairman Young) has a good plan and will work in concert with 
he gentleman from Wisconsin (Ranking Member Obey) to get this done the 
right way. It is important that the Members of this House remember that 
they were elected by the folks in their districts to represent their 
interests. If they are going to turn over that responsibility to 
somebody in the White House, they might as well give up their card, Mr. 
Chairman.
  It is time to stand up and do the right thing and support the 
gentleman from Florida (Chairman Young) and the gentleman from 
Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) on getting this emergency supplemental done 
correctly.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the 
distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Foley), whose district 
enjoyed the visits of several hurricanes.
  Mr. FOLEY. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Florida (Chairman 
Young) for his hard work on behalf of Floridians. I want to thank the 
White House, and I want to thank the President specifically and 
Governor Jeb Bush for their tireless efforts to help those who have 
suffered the damages of four hurricanes.
  This has been a unique and unusual year in our State. The gentleman 
from Tallahassee said it very brilliantly when he said that we have all 
suffered in Florida. Virtually every one of 67 counties has had some 
impact from the four storms that have visited our State.
  The gentleman from Florida (Chairman Young) has designed a 
supplemental bill on behalf of the OMB and the White House that does 
meet many of the critical needs of our State, from NASA to FEMA to the 
Corps of Engineers to beach renourishment to fixing problems, including 
a generous allocation to the Red Cross which has expended considerable 
resources to helping those Floridians who are in a time of desperate 
need. But I also want to suggest that the gentleman from Florida 
(Chairman Young) has a bill that will enhance and further the efforts 
that have been left out of this supplemental package.
  Now, I appreciate all that has been done on behalf of Florida by our 
colleagues from 50 States and the territories we all represent. We are 
deeply grateful for the efforts made on behalf of the leadership and 
others to bring this bill to the Floor in a timely manner to remedy and 
remediate the problems we have experienced in Florida. But, as the 
gentleman from Florida (Chairman Young) clearly stated, more needs to 
be done.
  Not all crops have been considered in this supplemental. In my 
district, sugar suffered a drastic and dramatic loss of crop, as have 
citrus, as have row crop, as have plant nurseries, as have cattle and 
dairy. Those are considered in the bill; others have not been. We want 
to bring equity to the table. Anybody who has suffered a loss should be 
brought whole.
  I want to thank those, specifically FEMA's director, Mike Brown, and 
all of the FEMA employees that are in Florida today and other States 
that have suffered as a result of the hurricanes. We have over 3,000-
plus FEMA active-duty workers as well as volunteers who are in our 
State assisting the governor in bringing relief to the desperate 
citizens of Florida.
  So I applaud the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Young) for his 
deliberation and the speed in which this measure was brought to the 
floor. And I commend to the leadership and to the White House H.R. 
5227, a furtherance of that effort to bring whole the damages suffered 
by Floridians.
  Hurricane Charley came to Punta Gorda on August 13; followed by 
Frances to Stewart, Florida, a district I represent as well as Punta 
Gorda; followed by Jeanne hitting the very exact same territory. The 
gentleman from Florida (Chairman Shaw) has been extraordinarily helpful 
in coordinating the efforts of our State delegate agencies and bringing 
relief to our citizens. The effort is largely made whole by the work of 
the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Young), but I hope we are able to 
consider in the remaining hours of this session H.R. 5227, authored by 
the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) to remedy the remaining issues 
outstanding.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished 
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey).
  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise in appreciation for the work of the 
gentleman from Florida (Chairman Young) and the gentleman from 
Wisconsin (Ranking Member Obey) in responding to the crisis in Florida, 
but I rise with concerns about what is not included in this bill.
  We continue to receive daily reports of the ongoing genocide in 
Darfur. Despite commitments from the White House to do so, the Sudanese 
government has not taken steps to reduce the violence and reign in 
military forces. While the United States and the United Nations 
continue to put pressure on Khartoum, the situation on the ground in 
Darfur gets worse, and prospects increase for a rapid escalation of 
violence.
  The only chance we have in the immediate future to end the killing 
and prevent future violence is to enable the deployment of more African 
Union monitors to Darfur. Incredibly, while the State Department has 
clearly identified the need for additional funds to support such a 
force, the administration has not requested these funds.
  The African Union has reached consensus on the deployment of a force 
of between 3,200 and 3,600 troops to Darfur. The government of Sudan 
has agreed to this. Several African nationals have committed to send 
troops. The cost to support this force for 1 year has been estimated by 
the State Department to be $220 million and, at the moment, the United 
States has contributed $20 million from existing sources, and other 
donors are being sought to share the cost.
  However, no other donors have yet come forward. The State Department 
needs at least $33 million immediately to get this force mobilized and 
deployed. Prospects of getting additional

[[Page H8294]]

funding to meet the need for the full $220 million cost are uncertain.
  We can take immediate action to secure these funds. As this 
supplemental goes to conference, I will work to ensure that we include 
the transfer of $93 million from Iraq reconstruction funds for this 
African Union force or to meet unforeseen needs for humanitarian 
relief.
  The Secretary of State has clearly indicated to a number of Members 
that these funds are necessary and that there are no other sources from 
existing accounts. Congress has already provided the administration 
with the authority to transfer up to .5 percent of Iraq construction 
funds to meet unforeseen needs in Sudan. The President could exercise 
this authority today if he chose to, but we have been told that the 
White House is not inclined to do so. Adding language mandating the 
transfer will not add to the cost of the bill, as we are transferring 
funds already available, and it would not set a precedent for future 
transfers from Iraq reconstruction; it is a one-time authority only.
  The latest report on Iraq indicated that only $1.2 billion of the $18 
billion we provided has been spent; only $7.1 billion has been 
obligated. Surely, we can respond to this genocide in Sudan, and I hope 
my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will work with me to make this 
happen.

                              {time}  2015

  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the 
distinguished gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe), the chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related 
Programs of the Committee on Appropriations.
  Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.
  I want to comment on the gentlewoman's remarks that just preceded me, 
my distinguished friend and colleague, the gentlewoman from New York 
(Mrs. Lowey). I quite agree with her that we need the money for Darfur 
and we need the money to make sure that we can have a peace settlement 
in that region, and that we can have forces there that can enforce that 
peace. But as she pointed out, the authority for that exists already in 
law. And while we can spend tonight beating up on the administration 
for not exercising it, they have the ability to do that, and I think 
they will exercise that at the appropriate time. No legislation, no 
action by this Congress is needed in order for them to do that.
  Mr. Chairman, I want to take my moment here to rise and thank the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) for introducing this supplemental 
legislation and to rise in support of the international disaster 
assistance in the Caribbean.
  While the vast majority of the funds in the bill are intended to 
assist American citizens who have been affected by recent hurricanes 
and tropical storms, there is $100 million that is set aside here in 
order to help our neighbors in the islands of the Caribbean. Several of 
these nations were devastated by wind, rain and flooding due to these 
hurricanes, particularly in Haiti, Grenada, the Bahamas, and Jamaica. 
Approximately 3,000 people in Haiti are either confirmed dead or 
reported missing due to flooding caused by Tropical Storm Jeanne. In 
addition, Hurricane Ivan destroyed nine out of 10 homes on the island 
of Grenada.
  The United States has already responded with $18 million in 
humanitarian assistance to those in the region that have been affected 
by these storms. But the scope of the destruction is very significant 
and additional resources are necessary. I am pleased the administration 
responded positively to our recommendation that $100 million was 
needed, and amended the initial request of $50 million. I support this 
assistance. I urge passage of this legislation. Even as we respond at 
home to the needs of our people in this country, I think Americans 
remain generous in their response to people who are devastated by 
hurricanes and disasters in other countries, including our neighboring 
Caribbean countries. I urge support of this legislation.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the minority whip.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Chairman, I thank my friend from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) 
for yielding me time.
  Mr. Chairman, it is regrettable that this bill fails to provide even 
a modest amount for the gravest humanitarian emergency facing the world 
today, the senseless slaughter of innocent civilians in Darfur.
  I want to congratulate the chairman for bringing this bill forward at 
this time, and I certainly support it, and I support the provisions. I 
certainly join the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe) in his 
observations with reference to $100 million for our Caribbean friends 
who have been devastated. However, both the President and the Secretary 
of State have called the tragedy in Sudan genocide. And the United 
Nations has identified it as ``the world's worst humanitarian crisis.''
  But we still have the opportunity to support an African Union 
peacekeeping force intended to put an end to the blood shed and we must 
not turn our backs.
  How can it be that destruction of 400 villages, the murder of 50,000 
civilians, and the displacement of more than one million people is not 
an emergency worth a modest investment to stop the slaughter?
  It is true we have provided millions of dollars in humanitarian 
relief for those already affected by this ongoing horror. But we have 
not yet adopted the appropriate sense of urgency about ending the 
murderous campaign of the Sudanese Government and its Janjaweed 
henchmen.
  The USAID estimates that 350,000 more people could die of disease and 
malnutrition over the next 9 months. The fact is the killing must stop 
before the farmers and herders can return home to Darfur and resume 
feeding their families. At the very least, Mr. Chairman, we ought to 
require the administration to use existing authority to reprogram $93 
million in unobligated Iraq reconstruction money now, the operative 
word is now, to end the genocide in Sudan, as the gentlewoman from New 
York (Mrs. Lowey) as proposed and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Jackson) has proposed, and indeed, I think as the gentleman from 
Arizona (Mr. Kolbe) supports.
  Ten years ago when 800,000 Africans died in the Rwandan genocide, we 
vowed, as the world has too often: never again. How is it that the 
world so quickly forgets what ``never again'' means? What generated the 
sentiment ``never again'' in the children, the women, the elderly? They 
will not understand if we simply talk, if we simply say at some point 
in time we will act.
  We now have an opportunity to prove that we meant never again, that 
this Nation, a beacon for human rights, decency and freedom will not 
stand by, Mr. Chairman, and watch the slaughter of innocent men, women 
and children. This Nation and the world have a moral obligation to act. 
Mr. Chairman, we cannot ignore that moral obligation.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to a very 
distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw) who has lived through 
several hurricanes right in his own home town.
  Mr. SHAW. Mr. Chairman, I would like to speak just a moment to the 
comments of my friend, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer). What he 
said about the suffering in Africa is absolutely correct, but that has 
nothing to do with this bill. This bill is about us and our neighbors, 
and that is what we are talking about here this evening.
  Florida is bleeding. It is bleeding. We have had tremendous damage 
all throughout the State. Four hurricanes in one year. There is nobody 
in this House, there is nobody alive today that can remember the 
tremendous suffering that one State has suffered because of the hit of 
four hurricanes. Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, this 
is what this is about, and our neighbors to the Caribbean. And Haiti, 
where they have bodies that are still hanging in trees because of the 
devastation that they have been hit with.
  These are the people that we are talking about tonight. These are the 
people that we need to take care of because of this appropriations 
bill.
  Mr. Chairman, my friend, the gentleman from St. Petersburg, Florida 
(Mr. Young), how fortunate we are to have him as chairman and the 
cooperation of the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) that we have 
gotten.
  One thing about this Congress, we come together, we come together to

[[Page H8295]]

bring an end to suffering, to bring an end to the damage and tremendous 
damage that has been done in the State of Florida and across the 
southeastern United States.
  So tonight we will be united in our vote, and I am confident that we 
will get great support on both sides of the aisle, and I thank the 
chairman very much for bringing this bill so quickly. This is 
absolutely unforeseen, the tremendous suffering that we have had in my 
own home State of Florida, and I urge everyone to vote ``yes'' on this 
most important bill.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Jackson).
  (Mr. JACKSON of Illinois asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, this emergency supplemental 
should contain funding for African Union peace keepers in Sudan to 
address the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today, but it does 
not. Six thousand to 10,000 Darfurians are dying each month. That is 
why the language should be in this bill, because this is the only bill 
leaving this station until after the election.
  1.2 million live in overcrowded camps needing security and struggling 
to survive; 50,000 Darfurians have been brutally murdered, many in 
front of their own family. This Congress in a unanimous way went on 
record to declaring it a genocide and since 2003 the Sudanese 
Government and their murderous Arab militia, the Janjaweed, have waged 
a deliberate and systematic campaign of rape, torture, starvation, and 
murder.
  In September, the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe) and I traveled 
to see the devastation and destruction in Darfur. We both concluded 
that the first and immediate step was to provide security for the 
people of Darfur. This supplemental is the only bill that can provide 
security for the people of Darfur. So we pledged to work together for 
an expanded African Union and force in Darfur. But the chairman came to 
the floor and said that the President already has the authority. But 
the President just a few days ago in a debate declared that it was a 
genocide, so why has he not exercised the authority?
  Like the distinguished minority whip, the gentleman from Maryland 
(Mr. Hoyer), said, we need the help now. Now the African Union is 
moving forward to save lives. In the last few days they have reached an 
agreement to deploy 3,500 additional troops into Darfur at an estimated 
cost of $240 million of which the United States is expected to 
contribute one-third. Yes, we must help the people of Darfur, but this 
Congress is also on record suggesting that it is a genocide. Yes, the 
people of Florida; yes, the people in the southern United States. But, 
Mr. Chairman, not to do so would be a moral failure.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Weldon), the very distinguished member of 
the Committee on Appropriations from Florida's east coast and Cape 
Canaveral and the Space Center.
  Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding me time, and I want to commend him for bringing this work and 
this piece of legislation to the floor.
  The past 6 weeks for me in the congressional district I represent 
have been the worst 6 weeks that I have ever had to deal with. We had 
Charley rip through the west side of the district after devastating the 
southwest coast, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte. It came up into Orlando 
and devastated the community of Kissimmee and St. Cloud, the community 
that I represent; 200,000 people without electrical power, hundreds of 
businesses destroyed, thousands of homes damaged or destroyed.
  I thought that was it for the season and then a few weeks later we 
had Frances, devastating the community of Vero Beach, Sabastian, 
Melbourne Beach, Melbourne. Again, leaving businesses destroyed, people 
unable to go into their homes. Tragically, it wreaked horrible damage 
at our Nation's space center, Kennedy Space Center, the vehicle 
assembly building badly damaged, a critical building that makes thermal 
installation tiles and blankets for the Space Shuttle, the roof torn 
off of it.
  I thought we had had enough. I thought that was basically it. And 
then to our shock and amazement Jeanne came through, a more powerful 
hurricane than Frances with higher sustained winds, leaving again 
hundreds of thousands of people without electrical power, shuttering 
businesses. There are thousands, literally, there are thousands of 
people in my congressional district who have had their homes destroyed, 
destroyed.
  You do not know what it is like to go to people's street and they 
have seen everything they have absolutely destroyed.
  This is very, very timely legislation. I very much appreciate the 
money that the President has put in for the beach renourishment, but I 
will just share with the chairman, I do not think this figure is 
adequate. I think my congressional district alone can consume two-
thirds of that money. And I am looking forward to working with you. 
This is not about just a place for people to swim. It is not just about 
sea turtles having a place to lay their eggs. I have hotels that cannot 
open, people that cannot go to their jobs. This is very, very bad; and 
it is very, very timely we do this.
  I know there are a lot of people that have been devastated in the 
Carolinas and in Alabama and certainly in the gentleman from Florida's 
(Mr. Miller) district in the panhandle. I see he has come to the floor. 
I think his district is probably the worst hit in the State. I thank 
the chairman for his hard work. We are looking to him to be our hero 
again.

                              {time}  2030

  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Kilpatrick).
  (Ms. KILPATRICK asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
her remarks.)
  Ms. KILPATRICK. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Young), our senior chairman for the Committee on Appropriations, and 
the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey), our ranking member, for 
bringing the bill to the floor. I want to thank them on their 
speediness. I know $2 billion has already been appropriated. This 
allows another $10 billion, not near enough, but it is certainly a 
start.
  Florida very definitely must be helped. The residents there have 
shown that they are true patriots and Americans, and yes, they need the 
help.
  Also, the countries in the Caribbean, I thank my colleagues for the 
$100 million, and it is most important that we help our neighbors in 
this time of devastation. Whole countries have been devastated, 80 
percent of some of their housing, their schools, their hospitals. This 
will begin to help them, and I thank my colleagues for that. It is not 
enough, but it is a start, and I hope we will continue to work on it.
  There is much more to be done in the Caribbean, in Florida, and as 
was mentioned, I am sure this Congress will be there.
  In Darfur, as has been mentioned, in the Sudan, they, too, are in a 
crisis. People are dying every day, Mr. Chairman. We need to help them. 
The President has declared a genocide. The Secretary of State has 
declared a genocide. We need to help them.
  I call on the World Bank and the Inter-Development Bank to forgive 
the loans of those Caribbean nations, to offer grants for those 
nations. Those people need to get back on their feet as well.
  I call on the World Bank and the Inter-Development Bank to help 
Darfur, to help the Sudanese people. I think it is time to issue 
sanctions against Sudan. That would help to make sure that the 
Janjaweed would not terrorize the community, the nation, the people; 
and they are doing just that.
  So I ask for our President and this Congress, we must be the leaders 
that God intends that we be. We must stand up, yes, help Florida, give 
those people what they need. They have been there with us, and we owe 
it to them. The Caribbean neighbors that we have, Haiti devastated, and 
this appropriations bill that is now a supplemental moving quickly, and 
we thank the leadership for that.
  We need to do more for Darfur. We have got to do it. We ask for one-
half

[[Page H8296]]

percent of the money that was appropriated to Iraq, $20 billion 
appropriated, $2 billion spent. We can do better and I hope we will.
  Today we are considering H.R. 5212, Emergency Supplemental 
Appropriations for Hurricane Disasters. The funding levels within the 
supplemental will provide $100 million for the Caribbean region which 
has been devastated by recent hurricanes and tropical storms. As a 
member of the House Appropriations Committee and the Subcommittee on 
Foreign Operations, I have advocated for funds sufficient to address 
humanitarian and reconstruction needs for countries affected in the 
Caribbean.
  While I am happy that funds have been provided, I am dismayed that 
more funds were not provided. The good news is that Haiti, which is in 
dire need of assistance, will receive perhaps as much as $72 million in 
aid. The bad news is that other countries in the region will not 
receive anything close to the monies necessary to rebuild schools and 
to repair their infrastructures.
  The country of Jamaica will receive only $17 million, but the 
government estimates that it will take $250 million to rebuild homes, 
replant crops, and build seawalls to protect against future hurricanes 
and tropical storms. Grenada was also hit hard by storms and will 
receive approximately $9 million in aid. Preliminary government 
estimates are that 80 percent of the housing stock has been damaged, 10 
percent or 10,000 homes will need to be replaced and 82,000 persons 
have been displaced from their homes. Clearly Grenada needs more money, 
and so do the countries of the Bahamas and St. Vincent and the 
Grenadines that will receive $500,000 respectively.
  Mr. Chairman, our Caribbean neighbors and friends are confronting 
destruction of such magnitude that it will take them years to recover. 
Many of these countries have previously received loans from the World 
Bank and Inter-Development Bank. Virtually all of the countries 
affected by the hurricanes can ill afford to carry more loan debt. I 
call on the World Bank and the Inter-Development Bank to forgive the 
debt of Caribbean countries affected by recent hurricanes. I also ask 
both institutions to issue immediate grants to these countries to help 
restore their schools, hospitals, food production capability, and the 
other essentials of everyday life. These international lending 
institutions must re-evaluate how to facilitate a policy of loan 
forgiveness or grants for these storm ravaged Caribbean countries.
  It is an unfortunate reality that the region will continue to 
confront seasonal hurricanes and storms. Invariably, the region will 
continue to rely on the United States to provide humanitarian and 
disaster assistance in the future. Although our nation is limited in 
its ability to fully fund post-hurricane reconstruction efforts, we 
must endeavor to provide greater resources than the allocation in the 
supplemental. I support the bill before us. I regret that we could not 
provide greater funding to address the dire circumstances that exist in 
the Caribbean.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, last week I had the privilege of 
accepting an invitation from the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Miller) to 
visit his district where the naval air station at Pensacola is located 
and was devastated. I am happy to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Miller) who has done a tremendous job in helping his 
people recover from this hurricane.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman, and I rise 
this evening in support of H.R. 5212. I thank the chairman on behalf of 
the 630,000 resilient folks of Florida's Emerald Coast, home to 
America's first settlement, the cradle of naval aviation, the largest 
Air Force base in the Western Hemisphere and thousands of small 
business owners, farmers and military veterans. The chairman's 
commitment to our efforts to rebuild stronger and better than ever has 
not gone unnoticed and will not be forgotten.
  Mr. Chairman, on September 16, Hurricane Ivan devastated northwest 
Florida, leaving no life untouched. It was a monstrous storm, residents 
locked down as they were instructed, and nearly a day before the storm 
began its march towards the northern Gulf coast, defenseless beaches 
began to feel its first blows. By midnight, rising seas, hurricane 
force winds and driving rain were being felt all across my 
congressional district.
  The storm continued its rage through the night and well into the next 
day with its 130-mile-an-hour winds, its 16-foot storm surge, leaving 
damage, devastation and death in its path for hundreds of miles.
  In the days following Ivan, President Bush, a host of Cabinet 
secretaries and under secretaries and the chairman visited my district 
and saw firsthand the devastation. My colleague has seen that we are a 
resilient people and we will bounce back.
  Folks now have ice, they have food, they have water. The lights are 
coming back on. The bridges are being mended. Roofs are tarped and 
naval aviators are training once again, but we still need help.
  This emergency funding measure will deliver what we need to rebuild 
our bases, our seashores, our bridges, our roads and our lives, and I 
think that this bill is just what the Federal Government should be 
doing to fulfill its responsibility to provide the appropriate aid as 
quickly as possible. From here, we will ensure that it gets into the 
intended hands as quickly as possible.
  As for the Panhandle's future, it is not our character to give up 
hope. Our communities will continue to unite together. We will rebuild 
our military infrastructure, and Pensacola will remain the cradle of 
aviation. To me, there is no place in the world like the Florida 
Panhandle, and its residents know that there is no better place to 
rebuild our lives.
  I thank the chairman for his efforts.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, might I inquire as to how much 
time is remaining on either side?
  The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) has 10\1/2\ 
minutes remaining, and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) has 
17\1/2\ minutes remaining.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to another distinguished 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Davis).
  Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I represent the Tampa Bay area, 
adjacent to the gentleman from Florida's (Mr. Young) district.
  The community I represent went through four separate preparations for 
these horrific hurricanes that have been described tonight, and we were 
blessed to avoid most of the damage, but the State has suffered 
immensely. As we stand here tonight, enjoying some electricity, there 
are still thousands of people in Florida who have no electricity and no 
water.
  I rise tonight in support of the resolution, applauding the gentleman 
from Florida (Mr. Young) for bringing our congressional delegation 
together and also to thank our colleagues and the folks they represent 
around the country for coming together to support us at a very, very 
difficult time. We will not forget this.
  I also want to take the opportunity to thank the countless volunteers 
and workers, particularly from utility companies, Ohio, Pennsylvania, 
Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia. These convoys were traveling night and 
day up and down our interstate highways, people coming and spending a 
lot of time away from their families, working around the clock for much 
longer periods than they expected, to help us put the State back 
together.
  I also want to recognize the faith community, the Georgia Baptist 
Convention, other people coming from churches and other religious 
organizations throughout the country to volunteer, in many cases on 
their own nickel, in some very difficult circumstances. We will not 
forget that either, and we are very appreciative.
  Finally, I want to highlight what the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Boyd), whose district is adjacent to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Miller), pointed out: There is roughly a discrepancy of about $2 
billion between what had been originally determined to be the amount 
that was needed for hurricane relief and what we are voting on tonight, 
and it is very important, if we are going to get this job done, we get 
it done right.
  So I want to encourage the Congress to work with the gentleman from 
Florida (Chairman Young) as he attempts to fill that gap. There are a 
couple of areas involving highway grant funds, money for beach 
restoration, money for repair of military facilities; and a good job is 
worth doing well. We need to make sure we get this done right before 
the bill gets to the President's desk.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the 
distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica) for the purpose of a 
colloquy.
  Mr. MICA. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to engage with the chairman of 
the Committee on Appropriations in this colloquy.

[[Page H8297]]

  First of all, I want to take a moment and commend the gentleman from 
Florida (Chairman Young) and the Committee on Appropriations for 
bringing this supplemental appropriation to the floor. I thank him for 
his leadership in the House of Representatives and for his service to 
our State and our Nation in this difficult time.
  As some of my colleagues may know, central Florida is the fern 
capital of the United States. Unfortunately, the nursery and fern 
industry suffered the second largest amount of agricultural damage from 
recent hurricanes, just behind citrus.
  The United States Department of Agriculture staff estimates that 65 
percent of the industry's total acreage in central Florida has been 
totally lost. In addition to $32 million in infrastructure losses, the 
industry has suffered crop losses of $76 million. Worse, it takes some 
7 years to reestablish crops in natural shade, and the long-term loss 
is estimated at $235 million.
  Mr. Chairman, the total economic impact from hurricanes on the fern 
industry, the lifeblood of this central part of our State, is $342 
million.
  It is my understanding that by adding an additional $90 million to 
section 32 funds, the USDA will be able to ensure that they will have 
adequate funds to make payments to producers in Florida, including 
those in the fern industry.
  I would ask the gentleman from Florida if this is his understanding 
as well.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. MICA. I yield to the gentleman from Florida.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I will say to the gentleman that, 
yes, this is my understanding.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman's courtesy 
in permitting me to speak on this bill. I rise in support of it. Our 
hearts again go out to the victims of natural disasters like the 
hurricane in the Southeast, but I would, with all due respect, suggest 
that we ought to start thinking about how we can do more.
  This is the second time we have done this in 2 months, but it is not 
just a once-in-a-century occurrence in Florida. In 2003, President Bush 
issued 56 major disaster declarations. So far this year he has already 
issued 46. During the 8 years I have been in Congress there have been 
at least 10 disaster supplementals, and we have appropriated over $20 
billion in disaster relief funding in supplementals.
  CRS has testified that there is no systematic accounting of disaster 
relief funding, even just the Federal cost. Now these bills are popular 
and they are important. They make us feel better; they help people. But 
always acting after the fact we create a wider hole for the taxpayers, 
and we keep putting people in harm's way.
  I remember in 1999, where we had supplemental funding that put hog 
lagoons back in a flood plain. Now, we should not just continue to 
clean up after these tragedies and these messes.
  Congress has an opportunity to make a real difference to prevent some 
of the future damage when we have major legislation like this. Whether 
it is flooding, fires, hurricanes, drought or earthquakes, we can make 
a difference ahead of time.
  I look at what happened in California with the recent wildfires that 
we have seen earlier in this Congress. We saw in Ventura County and Los 
Angeles County, Stevenson Ranch, where people did some thoughtful 
planning before the fact and the losses were dramatically reduced.
  We should at a minimum create a comprehensive national strategy for 
responding to and preparing for recurrent natural hazards. It ought to 
include consistent Federal policies. We should shift some of our 
Federal investments to prevention and protection. We should provide 
technical and financial assistance to support State and local 
mitigation efforts like in the State of Florida, hazard mapping, land 
use planning, building standards, retrofitting existing structures. We 
should use our Federal facilities in States like Florida to model the 
best practice in terms of location and safe construction.
  Now, earlier this year, we stepped in this direction, reforming the 
flood insurance program. The funding in this bill will save the Federal 
Government millions of dollars in avoided flood damage, such as we are 
currently seeing in Florida, and it will reduce losses in the future 
and take people out of harm's way. Unfortunately, this bill, 
authorized, has not been funded.
  I sincerely hope we pass this bill today, and I look forward to 
seeing what the chairman and the ranking member can work out to do it 
in a comprehensive way to make sure that people are not left in the 
lurch.
  But when my colleagues are adding more in, please consider doing a 
little bit to help people in Florida and other areas avoid danger in 
the future. Fund the flood insurance reform that does not cost any 
general fund money. It simply takes some that is already there in that 
fund and allows it to be used. And let us not put people back in harm's 
way; let us give them a helping hand, as well as assistance.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. 
Harris) knows exactly what it is like to live through a hurricane and 
to suffer severe damage to properties and investments. I yield 3 
minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Harris).
  (Ms. HARRIS asked and was given permission to revise and extend her 
remarks.)
  Ms. HARRIS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 5212, which 
provides the people of Florida with the emergency assistance they need 
and deserve.
  As I have visited emergency operations centers, Red Cross shelters 
and temporary housing sites throughout Florida's 13th Congressional 
District, I have been truly amazed by the courage, faith and compassion 
that I have witnessed.
  We have heard about the resilience of these Floridians. I am reminded 
when I was visiting Hardee and De Soto, just moments before Hurricane 
Jeanne hit, several neighboring counties had offered to do a barbecue 
for some 600 folks who had been put out of their homes. When the rains 
once again came, I was humbled to hear those residents, who had lost 
everything, say that they were glad Jeanne was crossing once again 
their threshold since they had lost everything; if it came this way, 
they had nothing else to lose, and they were glad it was not going to 
harm anyone else.

                              {time}  2045

  The people of Florida have met the unprecedented devastation of four 
hurricanes with extraordinary selflessness, determination and unity. 
They have done everything they can to begin rebuilding their lives. Now 
it is our turn to do everything we can to help them.
  Thanks to the leadership of the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), 
we acted swiftly and decisively in appropriating an initial $2 billion 
for hurricane relief last week, and it was a good start, but a small 
fraction of the assistance necessary to combat the continued threat to 
property, to health and to livelihoods.
  For example, these hurricanes destroyed beaches throughout our State, 
including Venice Beach in Southwest Florida. Homes now lie unprotected 
and exposed. This bill provides the critical funding that will enable 
the Army Corps of Engineers to prevent further damage.
  I understand the desire on the part of many of my colleagues to 
address other disasters as part of this bill. We cannot, however, 
afford to get bogged down in considering additional measures that do 
not specifically relate to hurricane relief. Hurricane victims simply 
cannot afford to wait while we evaluate unrelated assistance proposals, 
as worthy as they may be.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters).
  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time, and I rise in support of H.R. 5212, the Supplemental 
Appropriations Act, which provides disaster relief for damage caused by 
hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne, which caused widespread 
damage in several States of the United States as well as several 
Caribbean countries.
  My colleagues, I would like to say that my heart goes out to all of 
the families and victims of these disasters, but I am very pleased that 
we live in a prosperous Nation where we can appropriate $11 billion to 
assist in recovery

[[Page H8298]]

actions of Florida and other areas that were devastated. The recent 
hurricanes had devastating impacts on the entire Caribbean region. In 
Grenada, Hurricane Ivan destroyed 90 percent of all the homes, as well 
as numerous government buildings, hospitals, schools and churches. In 
Haiti, Hurricane Jeanne caused extensive flooding, killed over 3,000 
people, with thousands more in desperate need of food, clean water, 
emergency shelter, and medical care. And stagnant waters have given 
rise to a large mosquito population that could lead to a malaria 
epidemic.
  I could go on and tell you about Jamaica and St. Vincent and the 
other islands in the Caribbean. And I am thankful President Bush 
proposed $50 million in supplemental appropriations, and I understand, 
as of this evening, that has been raised to $100 million. We are indeed 
grateful that we can help our small neighboring countries in this way. 
But this cannot begin to meet the tremendous needs of thousands of 
affected people in Haiti and Grenada and other Caribbean nations.
  I sent a letter to the chairman and ranking member of the Committee 
on Appropriations requesting a supplemental appropriation of at least 
$500 million in disaster relief for the Caribbean. Sixteen Members of 
Congress signed my letter. That is all the time I had to get 
signatures. This Supplemental Appropriations Act does provide, again, 
$100 million for these nations, and I am grateful, but I would hope 
that, in conference, we could raise that to $500 million. It would go a 
long way in these very small countries and help them to deal with this 
terrible devastation they are experiencing.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 5 minutes.
  Mr. Chairman, what has happened on this bill is that after the four 
disasters that have been referred to this evening, the committee did 
what we did after the Congress was hit by anthrax a number of years 
ago. The committee went around to the agencies to try to figure out 
exactly what it was they needed to fully meet the needs of people who 
had been hit by these disasters. They went to the Agriculture 
Department, and the Agriculture Department people unofficially told the 
Congress what they thought the real level of need was.
  There are some 35 States who have legitimate needs that need to be 
responded to with respect to refurbishing or reconstructing highways 
that have been damaged. And there are various other needs that will be 
listed in a chart which I will ask at the proper time to insert in the 
record following the remarks I am now making.
  Essentially, the chairman, his staff and my staff, tried to work out 
what we thought was a tightly disciplined package to meet legitimate 
needs being faced in this unprecedented hurricane year. Unfortunately, 
the way this place has come to work more and more is that people who 
know the least about problems are the people who often have the most to 
say about how they are dealt with.
  And so, as a result, people who did not go around looking at the 
damage on the ground, as some of our Florida colleagues did, people who 
did not have a direct knowledge of the damage that was done and the 
kind of relief that was needed, they, for ideological reasons, decided 
that the committee product did not suit their pure idea of what was 
good and righteous, and so they decided, well, no, that is too much 
money. So the bill has been scaled back.
  Now, as a result of its being scaled back, we are going to have a 
couple of amendments that are offered in Rube Goldberg fashion which 
will try to meet some of these legitimate needs by slashing into funds 
that meet other Americans' legitimate needs in programs ranging from 
agriculture conservation to cancer research. So we will be asked to 
vote for a bill which, as the gentleman from Florida indicated, may be 
good as far as it goes, but it sure does not go very far given the real 
need.
  Now, this damage did not occur in my district, but there have been 
times when it did, and I know how badly we needed that help. And I know 
when my farmers were hit with droughts how badly they needed that help. 
And if we cannot remember what it was like when our constituents were 
hit with this kind of problem, then we cannot expect other Members to 
remember when we have a problem.
  So I regret the fact that we have this half-a-loaf approach. I assume 
people will vote for it in the end because it is about all that we can 
get out of the system, but this, again, is a sorry mess. This Congress 
has not hesitated to provide $128,000 tax cuts to people making a 
million bucks a year. But, oh, if you are a farmer who was hit by 
drought or if you are a property owner hit by hurricane damage or if 
you are a town chairman trying to deal with your road problem, sorry, 
buddy, you take second place, you take third place, you can sit in the 
caboose. We have to put that millionaire in the front seat, first 
class.
  That is essentially what this Congress has done on program after 
program all year long. We should not be surprised they would do it 
again tonight. It is too bad, but there is not much we can do about it 
because the powers that be in this place have decided this is the way 
it is going to be.
  Mr. Chairman, may I ask how much time remains?
  The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Wisconsin has 5\1/2\ minutes.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Stenholm).
  Mr. STENHOLM. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me 
this time, and I first want to commend the chairman and the committee 
for the manner in which they have attempted to deal with a very serious 
problem, and not just in his State.
  I repeat again, the devastation that has occurred in Florida I 
recognize, and I recognize the need for this body to step forward and 
to help, as the gentleman from Wisconsin just expressed. We have some 
disasters in west Texas, drought, excessive rain, some of it produced 
by the same storm system that hit Florida.
  My frustration, not with the chairman but with the leadership on the 
Chairman's side of the aisle, is what I expressed by offering the 
amendment and asking that the previous question be struck. Because, 
yesterday, we had 44 Members of this body, including 14 on the 
Republican side of the aisle, that supported the best policy way of 
dealing with the problems that we are having all over the United 
States.
  The President did not say our bill was bad. The President, in his 
proposal, said that we should treat disasters just like we have always 
treated them, as an emergency. The moment we begin to treat disasters 
as nonemergency and begin to budget for them, we have problems, and we 
have understood that in this body with the rule over the years, with 
the budget. Now, all of a sudden, once again, the leadership on the 
Republican side waves their magic wand, and all of a sudden, everyone 
falls into line.
  And no matter how many times some try to explain we are not reopening 
the farm bill, we are reopening the farm bill in ways that it will take 
a few months perhaps to fully understand and appreciate. Because once 
we begin to tamper with the farm bill, just once, for short-term 
political benefit, then get ready for what happens next. I have been 
around here a few years, and I know what happens.
  I guess the point I want to make, though, is, what happened between 
yesterday and today? What is it that yesterday had everyone from non-
Florida States saying the best way to deal with this disaster is to 
treat everyone alike and fairly, 2003 to 2004, declare it an emergency, 
which is what this whole debate and discussion is about; then, all of a 
sudden we say, no, we are going to treat agriculture different? Of all 
of the appropriation bills, of all of the authorization bills, of 
anything that we have done in this body, we are now saying, treat 
agriculture different.
  In fact, we now have a Member of the House Ag Committee, and to my 
chagrin, the chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, who has 
adopted this now. Why? Because the leadership of this House said we 
have to do it this way. Well, 14 Members, and you can start taking a 
look, there are many Members who voted for the previous question who 
when they wake up tomorrow will find out that their district has 
benefitted from the conservation security program and that they have 
voted now to cut out a program

[[Page H8299]]

that many of their producers have said is a good program and should be 
carried forward. But because they have followed their leadership, not 
the policymakers of this body, they have decided that that is the way 
to go.
  Well, I understand. It takes 218 votes. We lost on the previous 
question. Fourteen Members who yesterday said treat everybody alike 
today said, no, we are going to follow the leadership of this body.

                              {time}  2100

  Take a good look at the leadership of this body and their opinion of 
what farm policy should be. That is what they are doing on their side 
of the aisle. But as long as they have got 218 votes, they can do it.
  I conclude my remarks by again commending the gentleman from Florida 
(Mr. Young). Of all of the people on their side of the aisle, Mr. 
Chairman, I constantly marvel at his demeanor, his patience, the manner 
in which he accepts his frustrations from time to time and deals with a 
very difficult job, but he does it well. I know a little bit about what 
has gone on within his committee, and I want to thank him publicly for 
what he has tried to do.
  I hope that when they get to conference and work with the other body 
that he does what he said a moment ago, and we will put together a bill 
that deals with all of the problems in a fair and equitable way. And I 
will stand with him on that, as I do tonight.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. Chairman, I am going to repeat just briefly what I said earlier, 
that H.R. 5212, which is the bill we have under consideration at this 
moment, is a good bill as far as it goes. But it does not go far 
enough. It is about $1.6 billion short, and that $1.6 billion we added 
in H.R. 5227. For those who were concerned about spending the extra 
money, we have offset it. In our bill, H.R. 5227, we offset that $1.6 
billion, so there is no real added cost.
  I want a good vote on H.R. 5212. I want to get this bill into 
conference as soon as we can. We need to finish this job before we 
leave here for the election break. I do not want the people in Florida 
to have to wait 3 or 4 weeks before this financial recovery comes to 
them. I would point out again that FEMA has advised me that by Friday 
night this week, they will be pretty much out of money. We cannot let 
that happen.
  I wanted to just take a minute and explain what we think should be in 
this bill that is not, and what is in H.R. 5227. For agriculture, we 
add $509 million for additional assistance for agriculture and rural 
areas.
  For highways and airports, we add $750 million for the Federal 
Highway Administration's emergency relief program. Highways, believe it 
or not, have been seriously damaged and destroyed by the hurricanes 
that visited Florida.
  For NASA, we add $59 million to repair the damage at the Kennedy 
Space Center, but also to harden the existing facilities to prevent 
further damage from hurricanes.
  For the Army Corps of Engineers, this is very important to a lot of 
Members, we add $147 million to make emergency repairs to waterways and 
shore areas, including dredging harbors and inlets that have been 
filled in by the erosion of the storm and shore protection projects.
  For National parks and wildlife refuges, we add $108 million to 
repair those facilities, to clear debris from the national parks, 
forests and wildlife refuges based on the most recent estimates from 
the Federal agencies.
  We add $7 million to adequately reflect the most current damages to 
the United States Coast Guard and their facilities.
  As I said earlier, there is nothing political in this bill. These are 
not Member projects. These are not political projects. These are things 
that were damaged in disastrous hurricanes, that need to be fixed. H.R. 
5227 fixes them; H.R. 5212 does not.
  Again, H.R. 5212 is a good bill as far as it goes and it does 
maintain most of the promises that the President made to Florida. We 
are going to make sure and I am going to do everything possible to make 
sure that everything the President promised is going to be delivered by 
the Congress. I would not do less. I would do everything possible to 
see the additional hurricane relief, recovery, and disaster funds that 
I have included in H.R. 5227, become part of the appropriations 
process, and part of the appropriations bill. And let us get on with 
rebuilding a great State, a great State where every section of that 
State was affected by one or more of those disastrous hurricanes.
  Mr. Chairman, I thank you very much for the way you have conducted 
the consideration of this bill today and the discussion and debate on 
the floor. I look forward to further discussion on two amendments that 
I know that the rule has made in order.
  But, all in all, I want to pass H.R. 5212 with the hope and 
expectation that H.R. 5227 will come along behind it, which is the 
better bill. But H.R. 5212 is a good bill as far as it goes.
  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Chairman, I rise today, along with many of my 
distinguished colleagues, to speak on the importance of Supplemental 
Disaster Relief. First, I want to thank the Florida delegation, 
President Bush and Governor Bush for their efforts. Florida, in itself, 
has experienced an unprecedented number of hurricanes that have 
ravished our state in the past months. The 6th District of Florida, 
which I represent, is located in the North Central region of the state 
and does not contain any coastline.
  However, it is important to realize how an entire state and outlying 
states can be affected by natural disasters. The 6th District of 
Florida is an example of such. All of the counties in my district, 
though all land-locked, were declared disaster areas by FEMA, by one 
hurricane or another. Farmers, businesses, schools and communities were 
halted in preparation of the hurricanes that were coming and were 
immobilized for days, and even weeks after the hurricanes hit. There 
are many different areas of a community that get affected by natural 
disasters and this supplemental package makes sure that all facets are 
getting the relief needed. In closing, I want to praise FEMA for doing 
an exceptional job responding and providing help to the citizens of 
Florida and praise Chairman Young for his efforts in seeking aid for 
such a worthy cause. I urge my colleagues to support the Supplemental 
Disaster Relief funding.
  Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. I want to thank the gentlemen from 
Wisconsin and Florida for their hard work on this legislation.
  This bill is needed now and the Committee is doing its job by getting 
this bill to be considered on its own rather than as part of another 
appropriations bill.
  However, there are still thousands of people in Florida without 
electricity.
  These storms had a huge impact on our tourist based economy with 
millions of dollars lost in hotel rooms alone.
  Car dealerships, mobile home dealerships, boat dealerships have been 
wiped from the face of the earth.
  I rise to object to the limited funds available for the small farmers 
in Florida. It is the end of the growing season and there is no chance 
to recover any of the investment that the small farmers in my district 
put into their land.
  Farmers are losing an entire year's crop and have nothing to show for 
it.
  Wihle some crops still have time to rebound and get back some 
investment by the end of the growing season, the squash farmers in my 
area are totally out of luck. I heard from one gentleman, Mr. Roy 
Brown, who has 40 acres of squash that is ruined. He has put $520 into 
each acre, for a total loss of $20,000.
  While there is some compensation available, by rule he can only get 
50 percent of his investment back. That leaves him over $10,000 in the 
hole.
  Why did it take so long for the money to get to these people? Have 
they not suffered enough without needing to wait for us to get to work?
  We need more money for these people who have suffered from 4 
hurricanes in a 6-week period.
  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, this emergency supplemental 
should contain funding for African Union peacekeepers in Sudan to 
address the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today. But, it does 
not.
  6,000 to 10,000 Darfurians are dying each month.
  1.2 million live in overcrowded camps, needing security and 
struggling to survive.
  50,000 Darfurians have been brutally murdered, many in front of their 
own family.
  Since 2003, the Sudanese government and their murderous Arab militia, 
the ``Janjaweed,'' have waged a deliberate and systematic campaign of 
rape, torture, starvation and murder.
  In September, Chairman Jim Kolbe and I traveled to see the 
devastation and destruction in Darfur. We both concluded that the first 
and immediate step was to provide security for the people of Darfur.
  So, we pledged to work together for an expanded African Union force 
and mission in Darfur.

[[Page H8300]]

  The Administration seemed to agree. In last week's debate, the 
president stated: ``in . . . Darfur, I agree it's genocide . . . I 
agree with my opponent that we shouldn't be committing troops. That we 
ought to be working with the African Union to do so . . . My hope is 
that the African Union moves rapidly to help save lives.''
  Now, the AU is moving forward to save lives. In the last few days, 
they've reached an agreement to deploy 3,500 additional troops into 
Darfur, at an estimated cost of $240 million, of which the United 
States is expected to contribute about one-third.
  But, this emergency supplemental does not provide it. What a glaring 
omission with potentially tragic consequences.
  So, Mr. Chairman, we must amend this supplemental in conference by 
transferring funds from the Iraq Reconstruction and Relief Fund to 
support the AU peacekeeping force in Sudan.
  Not to do so would be a moral failure.
  Mr. MEEKS of New York. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to join with other 
Members of Congress in calling for humanitarian assistance to the 
Caribbean countries devastated by Hurricane Charley, Frances, Ivan, and 
Jean.
  We all know that the southern United States and particularly Florida 
have been hurt badly by the worst series of hurricanes in decades and I 
pray for their continued strength and determination through these 
difficult times.
  But, even as we help Florida, Alabama, and other states here in the 
United States struggle to recover from the devastation inflicted by 
successive hurricanes, we cannot be indifferent to the destruction the 
hurricanes delivered to a number of our Caribbean neighbors.
  Ninety percent of the buildings on Grenada have been damaged. The 
Bahamas and Jamaica have been hit hard. The Puerto Rico, the Dominican 
Republic, and Haiti have experienced flooding and mudslides. The 
hurricanes have robbed hundreds of people of their lives and tens of 
thousands of their livelihoods.
  Two-thirds of the population of Grenada have been left homeless and 
it is estimated that millions will be needed to rebuild. Death tolls in 
Haiti are at the 3,000 marker.
  While $50 million will begin to address the humanitarian and 
reconstruction needs, this is only a beginning. Hurricane Mitch in 
Honduras required $400 million. We can do at least as much for our 
neighbors.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, first, I thank the distinguished Gentleman 
(Mr. Hastings) for yielding and for his leadership on the Rules 
Committee.
  The funding level for hurricane-ravaged Caribbean countries is 
totally inadequate, and this bill fails to include any funding to 
address the ongoing genocide in Sudan.
  The Bush Administration's actions on Darfur continue to be too 
little, too late.
  It took months for them to call the actions of the Khartoum 
Government and their militias a ``genocide'' against the Darfur people.
  Now, that we have called the killing, raping, and torture what it is, 
the Republican leadership has done little to nothing to bring 
international support through funding and resources.
  I stand here today with my colleagues calling on this Administration 
to re-program and re-allocate money from the re-building Iraq accounts, 
and into the peacekeeping and humanitarian relief programs desperately 
needed in Darfur.
  Not only does this bill ignore the desperation of the victims in 
Sudan, but it provides woefully inadequate resources for our Caribbean 
neighbors suffering from the devastating blows of the hurricanes.
  Our Third Border neighbors are suffering. Earlier this year, the 
House passed H. Con. Res. 496, a bi-partisan resolution that I 
introduced, expressing empathy for the Caribbean, and urging the U.S. 
government to step up and lend a hand to our neighbors in need.
  The last I checked, we were the wealthiest, most powerful country in 
the world.
  We can afford to give $200 billion to fight an unfounded war in Iraq, 
but we cannot imagine giving one-one thousandth (\1/1000\th) of that to 
our neighbors who are in desperate need.
  There were four hurricanes in five weeks. People are starving. Homes 
are in shambles, and more than 441,000 people are displaced.
  Frankly, the $100 million included in this bill to assist the 
Caribbean is embarrassing.
  We should be considering at least $250 million, or really $500 
million as may Congressional Black Caucus colleagues and I continue to 
push for.
  Seventy percent of Grenadians have been left homeless; all their 
economic sectors were severely affected.
  More than 2000 Haitians are dead, and 300,000 people homeless.
  We must support rebuilding the entire region and take a more 
comprehensive and democratic approach in our policies toward Haiti.
  For weeks, CARICOM officials and congressional leaders have been 
meeting to discuss the damage to the entire region. Most Americans know 
firsthand the devastation caused by natural disasters--floods, 
droughts, hurricanes, tornadoes, fires and earthquakes.
  Throughout our country, individuals, churches, grassroots groups, 
non-profit organizations have rushed to assist in relief efforts to the 
region.
  Mr. Chairman, these nations are simply overwhelmed.
  So while the $100 million in assistance this bill contains is a good 
start, it is only that. That is why my colleagues and I will advocate 
for additional funding to address these disasters.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The CHAIRMAN. All time for general debate has expired.
  Pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered read for amendment under 
the 5-minute rule.
  The text of H.R. 5212 is as follows:

                               H.R. 5212

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the 
     following sums are appropriated, out of any money in the 
     Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the fiscal year 
     ending September 30, 2005, to provide emergency supplemental 
     appropriations for additional disaster assistance relating to 
     storm damage, and for other purposes, namely:

                       DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

                             Forest Service


                         National Forest System

       For an additional amount for ``National Forest System,'' 
     $2,000,000, to remain available until expended, for emergency 
     hurricane-related expenses: Provided, That Congress 
     designates this amount as an emergency requirement for this 
     specific purpose.


                  Capital Improvements and Maintenance

       For an additional amount for ``Capital Improvements and 
     Maintenance'', $33,000,000, to remain available until 
     expended, for emergency hurricane-related expenses: Provided, 
     That Congress designates this amount as an emergency 
     requirement for this specific purpose.

             General Provisions--Department of Agriculture

                        Agricultural Assistance


                   Agricultural Hurricane Assistance

       Sec. 101. (a) Crop Disaster Assistance.--
       (1)(A) The Secretary of Agriculture shall use such sums as 
     are necessary of funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to 
     make emergency financial assistance available to producers on 
     a farm in the United States, including Puerto Rico that have 
     incurred qualifying losses for the 2004 or 2005 crop of an 
     agricultural commodity due to damaging weather related to any 
     hurricane or tropical storm of the 2004 hurricane season, in 
     counties declared disaster areas by the President of the 
     United States.
       (B) The Secretary shall make assistance available under 
     this section in the same manner as provided under section 202 
     of Public Law 108-7, including using the same loss thresholds 
     as were used in administering that section.
       (2)(A) The payment rate for a crop for assistance provided 
     under this section to the producers on a farm shall be 
     calculated as follows:
       (i) If the producers obtained a policy or plan of 
     insurance, including a catastrophic risk protection plan, for 
     the crop under the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 
     et seq.), 50 percent of the established RMA price for the 
     crop.
       (ii) If a policy or plan of insurance, including a 
     catastrophic risk protection plan, for the crop was not 
     available to the producers under the Federal Crop Insurance 
     Act, 50 percent of the State average price for the crop.
       (iii) Subject to sub-paragraphs 4 and 5, if the producers 
     did not obtain a policy or plan of insurance, including a 
     catastrophic risk protection plan, available for the crop 
     under the Federal Crop Insurance Act, 45 percent of the 
     established RMA price for the crop.
       (B) The amount of assistance that a producer would 
     otherwise receive for a qualifying crop or quality loss under 
     paragraph A of this subsection shall be reduced by the amount 
     of assistance that the producer receives from section 32 of 
     the Act of August 24, 1935 with respect to 2004 hurricane 
     losses.
       (C)(i) Assistance provided under this section to a producer 
     for losses to a crop, together with the amounts specified in 
     paragraph (2)(A) applicable to the same crop, may not exceed 
     95 percent of what the value of the crop would have been in 
     the absence of the losses, as estimated by the Secretary.
       (ii) In applying the limitation in paragraph (C)(i), the 
     Secretary shall include the following:
       (A) Any crop insurance payment made under the Federal Crop 
     Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.) or payment under 
     section 196 of the Federal Agricultural Improvement and 
     Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7333) that the producer receives 
     for losses to the same crop.
       (B) The value of the crop that was not lost (if any), as 
     estimated by the Secretary.
       (iii) Payments will be limited to a maximum of $80,000 per 
     producer.
       (A) This limit applies to the sum of payments from this 
     program, as well as payments made under section 32 of the Act 
     of

[[Page H8301]]

     August 24, 1935 with respect to 2004 hurricane losses.
       (3) Except as provided in paragraph (4), the producers on a 
     farm shall not be eligible for assistance under this section 
     with respect to losses to an insurable commodity or 
     noninsurable commodity if the producers on the farm--
       (A) in the case of an insurable commodity, did not obtain a 
     policy or plan of insurance for the insurable commodity under 
     the Federal Crop Insurance Act for the crop incurring the 
     losses; and
       (B) in the case of a noninsurable commodity, did not file 
     the required paperwork, and pay the administrative fee by the 
     applicable State filing deadline, for the noninsurable 
     commodity under section 196 of the Federal Agriculture 
     Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 for the crop incurring the 
     losses; or
       (C) had adjusted gross incomes, as defined by section 1001D 
     of the Food Security Act of 1985, of greater than $2.5 
     million in 2003; or
       (D) were not in compliance with highly erodible land 
     conservation and wetland conservation provisions.
       (4) The Secretary may waive paragraphs (3)(A) and (B) with 
     respect to the producers on a farm if the producers enter 
     into a contract with the Secretary under which the producers 
     agree--
       (A) in the case of an insurable commodity, to obtain a 
     policy or plan of insurance under the Federal Crop Insurance 
     Act providing additional coverage for the insurable commodity 
     for each of the next two crop years;
       (B) in the case of a noninsurable commodity, to file the 
     required paperwork, and pay the administrative fee by the 
     applicable State filing deadline, for the noninsurable 
     commodity for each of the next two crops under section 196 of 
     the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996.
       (5) In the event of the violation of a contract under 
     paragraph (4) by a producer, the producer shall reimburse the 
     Secretary for the full amount of the assistance provided to 
     the producer under this section.
       (6) Definitions.--In this sub-section:
       (A) The term ``additional coverage'' has the meaning given 
     the term in section 502(b)(1) of the Federal Crop Insurance 
     Act (7 U.S.C. 1502(b)(1).
       (B) The term ``insurable commodity'' means an agricultural 
     commodity (excluding livestock) for which the producers on a 
     farm are eligible to obtain a policy or plan of insurance 
     under the Federal Crop Insurance Act.
       (C) The term ``noninsurable commodity'' means an eligible 
     crop for which the producers on a farm are eligible to obtain 
     assistance under section 196 of the Federal Agriculture 
     Improvement and Reform Act of 1996.
       (b) Clean-Up Assistance.--The Secretary shall provide up to 
     $100,000,000 of Commodity Credit Corporation funds for the 
     Emergency Watershed Protection Program and/or the Emergency 
     Conservation Program to carry out additional activities in 
     response to the 2004 hurricanes and tropical storms, 
     including the provision of technical and financial assistance 
     for improvements and clean-up. Persons that received payments 
     from section 32 of the Act of August 24, 1935 with respect to 
     2004 hurricane losses are not eligible for these funds. Funds 
     will be allocated to the programs, as determined by the 
     Secretary.
       (c) Section 32 Payments.--The Secretary shall transfer 
     $90,000,000 of funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to 
     the fund established by section 32 of the Act of August 24, 
     1935 (7 U.S.C. 612c), to carry out payments with respect to 
     2004 hurricane losses.
       (d) The Secretary shall use the funds, facilities, and 
     authorities of the Commodity Credit Corporation to carry out 
     this section, to remain available through September 30, 2006.
       (e) The Secretary may promulgate such regulations as are 
     necessary to implement this section, provided that the 
     Secretary shall use the authority provided under 5 U.S.C. 
     808.
       (f) Congress designates the amounts provided under this 
     section as an emergency requirement for the specific purposes 
     authorized herein.
       Sec. 102. In addition to amounts otherwise provided, up to 
     $130,000,000, to remain available until expended, for the 
     Emergency Watershed Protection Program and/or the Emergency 
     Conservation Program for emergency hurricane-related expenses 
     including the provision of technical and financial assistance 
     for improvements and clean-up: Provided, That Congress 
     designates this amount as an emergency requirement for these 
     purposes. Persons that received payments from section 32 of 
     the Act of August 24, 1935 with respect to 2004 hurricane 
     losses are not eligible for these funds.

                         DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

            National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


                  Operations, Research, and Facilities

       For an additional amount for ``Operations, Research, and 
     Facilities'', $7,900,000, to remain available until expended: 
     Provided, That Congress designates this amount as an 
     emergency requirement for this specific purpose.


               Procurement, Acquisition and Construction

       For an additional amount for ``Procurement, Acquisition and 
     Construction'', $6,800,000, to remain available until 
     expended: Provided, That Congress designates this amount as 
     an emergency requirement for this specific purpose.

                         DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

                           Military Personnel


                        Military Personnel, Navy

       For an additional amount for ``Military Personnel, Navy'', 
     $1,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2005, for 
     emergency hurricane-related expenses, for the costs of 
     evacuation, which shall be available for transfer to 
     reimburse costs incurred in FY 2004 as a result of emergency 
     evacuations due to hurricanes: Provided, That Congress 
     designates this amount as an emergency requirement for this 
     specific purpose.


                     Military Personnel, Air Force

       For an additional amount for ``Military Personnel, Air 
     Force'', $13,225,000, to remain available until September 30, 
     2005, for emergency hurricane-related expenses, for the costs 
     of evacuation, which shall be available for transfer to 
     reimburse costs incurred in FY 2004 as a result of emergency 
     evacuations due to hurricanes: Provided, That Congress 
     designates this amount as an emergency requirement for this 
     specific purpose.

                       Operation and Maintenance


                    Operation and Maintenance, Army

       For an additional amount for ``Operation and Maintenance, 
     Army'', $2,844,000, to remain available until September 30, 
     2005, for emergency hurricane-related expenses, for the costs 
     of repairs to structures and equipment, evacuation, base 
     preparation, and base recovery; of which not to exceed 25 
     percent shall be available for transfer to reimburse costs 
     incurred in FY 2004 as a result of emergency evacuations and 
     immediate recovery related to basic infrastructure due to 
     hurricanes: Provided, That Congress designates these amounts 
     as an emergency requirement for this specific purpose.


                    Operation and Maintenance, Navy

       For an additional amount for ``Operation and Maintenance, 
     Navy'', $404,591,000, to remain available until September 30, 
     2005, for emergency hurricane-related expenses, for the costs 
     of repairs to structures and equipment, evacuation, base 
     preparation, and base recovery; of which not to exceed 25 
     percent shall be available for transfer to reimburse costs 
     incurred in FY 2004 as a result of emergency evacuations and 
     immediate recovery related to basic infrastructure due to 
     hurricanes: Provided, That Congress designates these amounts 
     as an emergency requirement for this specific purpose.


                  Operation and Maintenance, Air Force

       For an additional amount for ``Operation and Maintenance, 
     Air Force'', $128,672,000, to remain available until 
     September 30, 2005, for emergency hurricane-related expenses, 
     for the costs of repairs to structures and equipment, 
     evacuation, base preparation, and base recovery; of which not 
     to exceed 25 percent shall be available for transfer to 
     reimburse costs incurred in FY 2004 as a result of emergency 
     evacuations and immediate recovery related to basic 
     infrastructure due to hurricanes: Provided, That Congress 
     designates these amounts as an emergency requirement for this 
     specific purpose.


                Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide

       For an additional amount for ``Operation and Maintenance, 
     Defense-Wide'', $172,506,000, to remain available until 
     September 30, 2005, for emergency hurricane-related expenses, 
     for the costs of repairs to structures and equipment, 
     evacuation, base preparation, base recovery, and delayed 
     satellite launches; of which not to exceed 25 percent shall 
     be available for transfer to reimburse costs incurred in FY 
     2004 as a result of emergency evacuations and immediate 
     recovery related to basic infrastructure due to hurricanes: 
     Provided, That Congress designates these amounts as an 
     emergency requirement for this specific purpose: Provided 
     further, That the Secretary of Defense may transfer these 
     funds to appropriations for military personnel; operation and 
     maintenance; procurement; and family housing: Provided 
     further, That funds transferred shall be merged with and made 
     available for the same purposes and for the same time period 
     as the appropriation to which transferred: Provided further, 
     That this transfer authority is in addition to any other 
     transfer authority available to the Department of Defense.


                Operation and Maintenance, Army Reserve

       For an additional amount for ``Operation and Maintenance, 
     Army Reserve'', $1,442,000, to remain available until 
     September 30, 2005, for emergency hurricane-related expenses, 
     for the costs of repairs to structures and equipment, 
     evacuation, base preparation, and base recovery; of which not 
     to exceed 25 percent shall be available for transfer to 
     reimburse costs incurred in FY 2004 as a result of emergency 
     evacuations and immediate recovery related to basic 
     infrastructure due to hurricanes: Provided, That Congress 
     designates these amounts as an emergency requirement for this 
     specific purpose.


                Operation and Maintenance, Navy Reserve

       For an additional amount for ``Operation and Maintenance, 
     Navy Reserve'', $399,000, to remain available until September 
     30, 2005, for emergency hurricane-related expenses, for the 
     costs of repairs to structures and equipment, evacuation, 
     base preparation, and base recovery; of which not to exceed 
     25 percent shall be available for transfer to reimburse costs 
     incurred in FY 2004 as a result of emergency evacuations and 
     immediate recovery related to basic infrastructure due to 
     hurricanes: Provided, That Congress designates these amounts 
     as an emergency requirement for this specific purpose.

[[Page H8302]]

             Operation and Maintenance, Army National Guard

       For an additional amount for ``Operation and Maintenance, 
     Army National Guard'', $3,350,000, to remain available until 
     September 30, 2005, for emergency hurricane-related expenses, 
     for the costs of repairs to structures and equipment, 
     evacuation, base preparation, and base recovery; of which not 
     to exceed 25 percent shall be available for transfer to 
     reimburse costs incurred in FY 2004 as a result of emergency 
     evacuations and immediate recovery related to basic 
     infrastructure due to hurricanes: Provided, That Congress 
     designates these amounts as an emergency requirement for this 
     specific purpose.


             Operation and Maintenance, Air National Guard

       For an additional amount for ``Operation and Maintenance, 
     Air National Guard'', $1,085,000, to remain available until 
     September 30, 2005, for emergency hurricane-related expenses, 
     for the costs of repairs to structures and equipment, 
     evacuation, base preparation, and base recovery; of which not 
     to exceed 25 percent shall be available for transfer to 
     reimburse costs incurred in FY 2004 as a result of emergency 
     evacuations and immediate recovery related to basic 
     infrastructure due to hurricanes: Provided, That Congress 
     designates these amounts as an emergency requirement for this 
     specific purpose.

                  Other Department of Defense Programs


                         Defense Health Program

       For an additional amount for ``Defense Health Program'', 
     $10,286,000, to remain available until September 30, 2005, 
     for emergency hurricane-related expenses, for the costs of 
     repairs to structures and equipment, evacuation, base 
     preparation, and base recovery: Provided, That Congress 
     designates this amount as an emergency requirement for this 
     specific purpose.

                              Procurement


                      Other Procurement, Air Force

       For an additional amount for ``Other Procurement, Air 
     Force,'' $2,500,000, to remain available until September 30, 
     2005, for emergency hurricane-related expenses and 
     replacement of destroyed or damaged equipment: Provided, That 
     Congress designates these amounts as an emergency requirement 
     for this specific purpose.


                       Procurement, Defense-Wide

       For an additional amount for ``Procurement, Defense-Wide'', 
     $102,500,000, to remain available until September 30, 2005 
     for emergency hurricane-related expenses, for the costs of 
     repairs to structures and facilities, replacement of 
     destroyed or damaged equipment, and preparation and recovery 
     of naval vessels under construction: Provided, That Congress 
     designates these amounts as an emergency requirement for this 
     specific purpose: Provided further, That the Secretary of 
     Defense may transfer these funds to appropriations for 
     procurement; research, development, test, and evaluation; and 
     military construction: Provided further, That funds 
     transferred shall be merged with and made available for the 
     same purposes and for the same time period as the 
     appropriation to which transferred: Provided further, That 
     this transfer authority is in addition to any other transfer 
     authority available to the Department of Defense: Provided 
     further, That such funds may be obligated and expended to 
     carry out rebuilding of military construction projects not 
     otherwise authorized by law.

                         Military Construction


                      Military Construction, Navy

       For an additional amount for ``Military Construction, 
     Navy'', $138,800,000, to remain available until September 30, 
     2005, for emergency hurricane-related expenses, for the costs 
     of repairs to structures and facilities: Provided, That 
     Congress designates this amount as an emergency requirement 
     for this specific purpose: Provided further, That such funds 
     may be obligated and expended to carry out rebuilding of 
     military construction projects not otherwise authorized by 
     law.


                  Military Construction, Army Reserve

       For an additional amount for ``Military Construction, Army 
     Reserve'', $8,700,000, to remain available until September 
     30, 2005, for emergency hurricane-related expenses, for the 
     costs of repairs to structures and facilities: Provided, That 
     Congress designates this amount as an emergency requirement 
     for this specific purpose: Provided further, That such funds 
     may be obligated and expended to carry out rebuilding of 
     military construction projects not otherwise authorized by 
     law.


                  Base Realignment and Closure Account

       For an additional amount for ``Base Realignment and Closure 
     Account'', $50,000, to remain available until September 30, 
     2005, for emergency hurricane-related expenses, for the costs 
     of repairs to structures and equipment: Provided, That 
     Congress designates this amount as an emergency requirement 
     for this specific purpose.

                             Family Housing


            Family Housing, Operation and Maintenance, Army

       For an additional amount for ``Family Housing, Operation 
     and Maintenance, Army'', $313,000, to remain available until 
     September 30, 2005, for emergency hurricane-related expenses, 
     for the costs of repairs to structures and equipment, 
     evacuation, base preparation, and base recovery: Provided, 
     That Congress designates this amount as an emergency 
     requirement for this specific purpose.


    Family Housing, Operation and Maintenance, Navy and Marine Corps

       For an additional amount for ``Family Housing, Operation 
     and Maintenance, Navy and Marine Corps'', $3,276,000, to 
     remain available until September 30, 2005, for emergency 
     hurricane-related expenses, for the costs of repairs to 
     structures and equipment, evacuation, base preparation, and 
     base recovery: Provided, That Congress designates this amount 
     as an emergency requirement for this specific purpose.


          Family Housing, Operation and Maintenance, Air Force

       For an additional amount for ``Family Housing, Operation 
     and Maintenance, Air Force'', $5,600,000, to remain available 
     until September 30, 2005, for emergency hurricane-related 
     expenses, for the costs of repairs to structures and 
     equipment, evacuation, base preparation, and base recovery: 
     Provided, That Congress designates this amount as an 
     emergency requirement for this specific purpose.

                     Revolving and Management Funds


                   Working Capital Fund, Defense-Wide

       For an additional amount for ``Working Capital Fund, 
     Defense-Wide'', $77,000,000, to remain available until 
     September 30, 2005, for emergency hurricane-related expenses, 
     for the costs of repairs to structures and equipment, and 
     base recovery: Provided, That Congress designates this amount 
     as an emergency requirement for this specific purpose.

               General Provisions--Department of Defense


                       General Transfer Authority

       Sec. 201. Upon his determination that such action is 
     necessary in the national interest, the Secretary of Defense 
     may transfer between appropriations up to $210,000,000 of the 
     funds made available to the Department of Defense in this 
     title: Provided, That the Secretary shall notify the Congress 
     promptly of each transfer made pursuant to this authority: 
     Provided further, That the transfer authority provided in 
     this section is in addition to any other transfer authority 
     available to the Department of Defense: Provided further, 
     That the authority in this section is subject to the same 
     terms and conditions as the authority provided in section 
     8005 of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2005, 
     except for the fourth proviso.
       Sec. 202. Funds appropriated in this title, or made 
     available by the transfer of funds in or pursuant to this 
     title, for intelligence activities are deemed to be 
     specifically authorized by the Congress for purposes of 
     section 504 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 
     414).

                DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

                        Departmental Management


            Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund

       For an additional amount for ``Public Health and Social 
     Services Emergency Fund'' to support aging services, social 
     services and health services associated with natural disaster 
     recovery and response efforts, $50,000,000, to remain 
     available until expended: Provided, That Congress designates 
     this amount as an emergency requirement for this specific 
     purpose.

                    DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

                  Emergency Preparedness and Response


                          Disaster Relief Fund

       For an additional amount for necessary expenses under the 
     Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.), $6,500,000,000, to remain 
     available until expended: Provided, That Congress designates 
     this amount as an emergency requirement for this specific 
     purpose.

                       United States Coast Guard


                           Operating Expenses

       For an additional amount for ``Operating Expenses'', 
     $26,000,000, to remain available until expended for emergency 
     hurricane-related expenses: Provided, That Congress 
     designates this amount as an emergency requirement for this 
     specific purpose.

              DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

                   Community Planning and Development


                       Community Development Fund

       For an additional amount for ``Community Development 
     Fund'', as authorized under title I of the Housing and 
     Community Development Act of 1974 (Act), for emergency 
     expenses resulting from natural disasters in Florida, except 
     those activities reimbursable by the Federal Emergency 
     Management Agency or available through the Small Business 
     Administration, and for reimbursement for expenditures 
     incurred from the regular Community Development Block Grant 
     formula allocation used to achieve these same purposes, 
     $150,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2007: 
     Provided, That Congress designates this amount as an 
     emergency requirement for this specific purpose: Provided 
     further, That such funds may be awarded to the State of 
     Florida for affected areas: Provided further, That 
     notwithstanding 42 U.S.C. 5306 (d) (2), the State of Florida 
     is authorized to provide such assistance to entitlement 
     communities: Provided further, That in administering these 
     funds for economic revitalization activities in Florida, the 
     Secretary may waive, or specify alternative requirements for, 
     any provision of any statute or regulation that the Secretary

[[Page H8303]]

     administers in connection with the obligation by the 
     Secretary or the use by the recipient of these funds (except 
     for requirements related to fair housing, nondiscrimination, 
     labor standards, and the environment), upon a finding that 
     such waiver is required to facilitate the use of such funds, 
     and would not be inconsistent with the overall purpose of the 
     statute or regulation: Provided further, That for activities 
     funded by amounts provided herein, the Secretary may waive, 
     on a case-by-case basis and upon such other terms as the 
     Secretary may specify, in whole or in part, the requirements 
     that activities principally benefit persons of low- and 
     moderate-income pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 5301(c) and 5304(b)(3): 
     Provided further, That the Secretary shall publish in the 
     Federal Register any waiver of any statute or regulation 
     authorized under this heading no later than 5 days before the 
     effective date of such waiver.

                       DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

                    United States Geological Survey


                 Surveys, Investigations, and Research

       For an additional amount for ``Surveys, Investigations, and 
     Research'', $1,000,000, to remain available until expended 
     for emergency hurricane-related expenses: Provided, That 
     Congress designates this amount as an emergency requirement 
     for this specific purpose.

                       Fish and Wildlife Service


                          Resource Management

       For an additional amount for ``Resource Management'', 
     $2,700,000, to remain available until expended for emergency 
     hurricane-related expenses: Provided, That Congress 
     designates this amount as an emergency requirement for this 
     specific purpose.


                              Construction

       For an additional amount for ``Construction'', $24,700,000, 
     to remain available until expended for emergency hurricane-
     related expenses: Provided, That Congress designates this 
     amount as an emergency requirement for this specific purpose.

                         National Park Service


                   Construction and Major Maintenance

       For an additional amount for ``Construction and Major 
     Maintenance'', $48,900,000, to remain available until 
     expended for emergency hurricane-related expenses: Provided, 
     That Congress designates this amount as an emergency 
     requirement for this specific purpose.

                         DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

                         Federal Prison System


                        Buildings and Facilities

       For an additional amount for ``Buildings and Facilities'', 
     $18,600,000, to remain available until expended for emergency 
     hurricane-related expenses: Provided, That Congress 
     designates this amount as an emergency requirement for this 
     specific purpose.


                         Salaries and Expenses

       For an additional amount for ``Salaries and Expenses'', 
     $5,500,000, to remain available until expended for emergency 
     hurricane-related expenses: Provided, That Congress 
     designates this amount as an emergency requirement for this 
     specific purpose.

                      DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION


                    Federal Aviation Administration

                               Operations

       For an additional amount for ``Operations'', $5,100,000, to 
     remain available until expended for emergency hurricane-
     related expenses: Provided, That Congress designates this 
     amount as an emergency requirement for this specific purpose.


                    Emergency Assistance to Airports

                    (Airport and Airway Trust Fund)

       Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for emergency 
     hurricane-related insurance-ineligible capital costs to 
     repair or replace public-use airport-related facilities at 
     public-use airports identified in the National Plan of 
     Integrated Airport Systems, to enable the Federal Aviation 
     Administration to compensate entities for such capital costs, 
     up to $25,000,000, to be derived from the Airport and Airway 
     Trust Fund, to remain available until June 30, 2006: 
     Provided, That Congress designates this amount as an 
     emergency requirement for this specific purpose.

                     Federal Highway Administration


                          Federal-aid Highways

                        Emergency Relief Program

                          (Highway Trust Fund)

       For an additional amount for the Emergency Relief Program 
     for emergency expenses resulting from 2004 Hurricanes 
     Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne, as authorized by title 23 
     U.S.C. 125, $800,000,000, to be derived from the Highway 
     Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account): Provided, 
     That notwithstanding 23 U.S.C. 125(d)(1), the Secretary of 
     Transportation may obligate more than $100,000,000 for 
     projects arising from Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and 
     Jeanne: Provided further, That any amounts in excess of those 
     necessary for emergency expenses relating to the above 
     hurricanes may be used for other projects authorized under 23 
     U.S.C. 125: Provided further, That amounts provided herein 
     shall remain available until expended: Provided further, That 
     the entire amount is designated by the Congress as an 
     emergency requirement for this specific purpose.

                     DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

                     Veterans Health Administration


                            Medical Services

       For an additional amount for ``Medical Services'', 
     $38,283,000, to remain available until September 30, 2005, 
     for emergency hurricane-related expenses: Provided, That 
     Congress designates this amount as an emergency requirement 
     for this specific purpose.


                           Medical Facilities

       For an additional amount for ``Medical Facilities'', 
     $46,910,000, to remain available until expended for emergency 
     hurricane-related expenses: Provided, That Congress 
     designates this amount as an emergency requirement for this 
     specific purpose.


                         Medical Administration

       For an additional amount for ``Medical Administration'', 
     $1,939,000, to remain available until September 30, 2005, for 
     emergency hurricane-related expenses: Provided, That Congress 
     designates this amount as an emergency requirement for this 
     specific purpose.

                      DEPARTMENTAL ADMINISTRATION


                       General Operating Expenses

       For an additional amount for ``General Operating 
     Expenses'', $545,000, to remain available until September 30, 
     2005, for emergency hurricane-related expenses: Provided, 
     That Congress designates this amount as an emergency 
     requirement for this specific purpose.


                    National Cemetery Administration

       For an additional amount for ``National Cemetery 
     Administration'', $50,000, to remain available until 
     September 30, 2005, for hurricane-related expenses: Provided, 
     That Congress designates this amount as an emergency 
     requirement for this specific purpose.


                      Construction, Minor Projects

       For an additional amount for ``Construction, Minor 
     Projects'', $36,343,000, to remain available until expended 
     for emergency hurricane-related expenses: Provided, That 
     Congress designates this amount as an emergency requirement 
     for this specific purpose.

                    CORPS OF ENGINEERS--CIVIL WORKS


                   Operation and Maintenance, General

       For an additional amount for ``Operation and Maintenance, 
     General'' for hurricane-related expenses necessary to dredge 
     navigation channels and repair other Corps projects, 
     $94,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, 
     That Congress designates this amount as an emergency 
     requirement for this specific purpose.


                 Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies

       For an additional amount for ``Flood Control and Coastal 
     Emergencies'' as authorized by section 5 of the Flood Control 
     Act of August 16, 1941, as amended (33 USC 701n), for 
     emergency hurricane-related expenses from coastal storm 
     damages and flooding, $147,000,000, to remain available until 
     expended: Provided, That Congress designates this amount as 
     an emergency requirement for this specific purpose.


 Flood Control, Mississippi River and Tributaries, Arkansas, Illinois, 
       Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee

       For an additional amount for ``Flood Control, Mississippi 
     River and Tributaries, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, 
     Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee'' to cover 
     the additional costs of dredging and mat laying operations on 
     the main stem of the lower Mississippi River due to 
     hurricanes and other severe storms, $4,000,000, to remain 
     available until expended: Provided, That Congress designates 
     this amount as an emergency requirement for this specific 
     purpose.

                    ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY


                        Buildings and Facilities

       For an additional amount for ``Buildings and Facilities,'' 
     $3,000,000, to remain available until expended, for emergency 
     hurricane-related expenses: Provided, That Congress 
     designates this amount as an emergency requirement for this 
     specific purpose.

                   INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

                  Agency for International Development


              International Disaster and Famine Assistance

       For an additional amount for ``International Disaster and 
     Famine Assistance'', $100,000,000, to remain available until 
     expended, for emergency hurricane-related expenses without 
     regard to section 10 of Public Law 91-672 and section 15 of 
     the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956: Provided, 
     That Congress designates this amount as an emergency 
     requirement for this specific purpose.

             NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION


                       Space Flight Capabilities

       For an additional amount for ``Space Flight Capabilities'', 
     to repair facilities damaged and take other emergency 
     measures due to the effects of hurricanes, $126,000,000, to 
     remain available until expended: Provided, That Congress 
     designates this amount as an emergency requirement for this 
     specific purpose.

                     SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION


                     Disaster Loans Program Account

       For an additional amount for ``Disaster Loans Program 
     Account'' for emergency expenses resulting from natural or 
     other disasters, to remain available until expended, 
     $501,000,000 for the cost of direct loans; and $428,000,000 
     for administrative expenses to carry out the disaster loan 
     program, which may be transferred to the appropriations for 
     ``Salaries and expenses'': Provided, That Congress designates 
     these amounts as an emergency requirement for this specific 
     purpose.

                   EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT


                          Unanticipated Needs

       For an additional amount for ``Unanticipated Needs'', not 
     to exceed $70,000,000, to remain available until September 
     30, 2005, for

[[Page H8304]]

     the American Red Cross for reimbursement of disaster relief 
     and recovery expenditures and emergency services associated 
     with Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Ivan, and only to the 
     extent funds are not made available for those activities by 
     other federal sources: Provided, That these funds may be 
     administered by any authorized federal government agency to 
     meet the purposes of this provision and that total 
     administrative costs shall not exceed three percent of the 
     total appropriation: Provided further, That the Comptroller 
     General shall audit the use of these funds by the American 
     Red Cross: Provided further, That Congress designates this 
     amount as an emergency requirement for this specific purpose.
       This Act may be cited as the ``Emergency Supplemental 
     Appropriations for Hurricane Disasters Assistance Act, 
     2005''.

  The CHAIRMAN. No amendment to the bill shall be in order except the 
amendment printed in House Report 108-735 and amendment number 2 for 
printing in the designated place in the Congressional Record. Each 
amendment may be offered only by a Member designated in the report or 
the Member who submitted it for printing in the Congressional Record, 
shall be considered read, debatable for 20 minutes, equally divided and 
controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to 
amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the 
question.


               Amendment No. 2 Offered by Mr. Neugebauer

  Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
  The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       Amendment No. 2 offered by Mr. Neugebauer:
       In section 101, strike the section heading and subsection 
     (a) and insert the following (and redesignate existing 
     subsections (b) through (f) accordingly):

     SEC. 101. AGRICULTURAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE.

       (a) Crop Disaster Assistance.--
       (1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
       (A) Additional coverage.--The term ``additional coverage'' 
     has the meaning given the term in section 502(b) of the 
     Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1502(b)).
       (B) Insurable commodity.--The term ``insurable commodity'' 
     means an agricultural commodity (excluding livestock) for 
     which the producers on a farm are eligible to obtain a policy 
     or plan of insurance under the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 
     U.S.C. 1501 et seq.).
       (C) Noninsurable commodity.--The term ``noninsurable 
     commodity'' means an agricultural commodity for which the 
     producers on a farm are eligible to obtain assistance under 
     section 196 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform 
     Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7333).
       (2) Emergency financial assistance.--Notwithstanding 
     section 508(b)(7) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 
     1508(b)(7)), the Secretary of Agriculture shall use such sums 
     as are necessary of funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation 
     to make emergency financial assistance authorized under this 
     subsection available to producers on a farm that have 
     incurred qualifying crop or quality losses for the 2003 or 
     2004 crop (as elected by a producer), but not both crops, due 
     to damaging weather or related condition, as determined by 
     the Secretary.
       (3) Administration.--The Secretary shall make assistance 
     available under this subsection in the same manner as 
     provided under section 815 of the Agriculture, Rural 
     Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related 
     Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001 (Public Law 106-387; 114 
     Stat. 1549A-55), including using the same loss thresholds for 
     the quantity and quality losses as were used in administering 
     that section.
       (4) Ineligibility for assistance.--Except as provided in 
     paragraph (5), the producers on a farm shall not be eligible 
     for assistance under this subsection with respect to losses 
     to an insurable commodity or noninsurable commodity if the 
     producers on the farm--
       (A) in the case of an insurable commodity, did not obtain a 
     policy or plan of insurance for the insurable commodity under 
     the Federal Crop Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.) for 
     the crop incurring the losses; and
       (B) in the case of a noninsurable commodity, did not file 
     the required paperwork, and pay the administrative fee by the 
     applicable State filing deadline, for the noninsurable 
     commodity under section 196 of the Federal Agriculture 
     Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7333) for the 
     crop incurring the losses.
       (5) Contract waiver.--The Secretary may waive paragraph (4) 
     with respect to the producers on a farm if the producers 
     enter into a contract with the Secretary under which the 
     producers agree--
       (A) in the case of an insurable commodity, to obtain a 
     policy or plan of insurance under the Federal Crop Insurance 
     Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.) providing additional coverage for 
     the insurable commodity for each of the next 2 crops; and
       (B) in the case of a noninsurable commodity, to file the 
     required paperwork and pay the administrative fee by the 
     applicable State filing deadline, for the noninsurable 
     commodity for each of the next 2 crops under section 196 of 
     the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (7 
     U.S.C. 7333).
       (6) Effect of violation.--In the event of the violation of 
     a contract under paragraph (5) by a producer, the producer 
     shall reimburse the Secretary for the full amount of the 
     assistance provided to the producer under this subsection.
       (7) Payment limitations.--
       (A) Limit on amount of assistance.--Assistance provided 
     under this subsection to a producer for losses to a crop, 
     together with the amounts specified in subparagraph (B) 
     applicable to the same crop, may not exceed 95 percent of 
     what the value of the crop would have been in the absence of 
     the losses, as estimated by the Secretary.
       (B) Other payments.--In applying the limitation in 
     subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall include the following:
       (i) Any crop insurance payment made under the Federal Crop 
     Insurance Act (7 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.) or payment under 
     section 196 of the Federal Agricultural Improvement and 
     Reform Act of 1996 (7 U.S.C. 7333) that the producer receives 
     for losses to the same crop.
       (ii) The value of the crop that was not lost (if any), as 
     estimated by the Secretary.
       (C) Effect of florida disaster programs.--The amount of 
     assistance that a producer would otherwise receive under this 
     subsection shall be reduced by the amount of assistance that 
     the producer receives for the same loss under the Florida 
     Disaster Programs carried out pursuant to the Farm Service 
     Agency notice (DAP-203) released October 4, 2004.
       (b) Livestock Assistance Program.--
       (1) Emergency financial assistance.--The Secretary of 
     Agriculture shall use such sums as are necessary of funds of 
     the Commodity Credit Corporation to make and administer 
     payments for livestock losses to producers for 2003 or 2004 
     losses (as elected by a producer), but not both, in a county 
     that has received an emergency designation by the President 
     or the Secretary after January 1, 2003, of which an amount 
     determined by the Secretary shall be made available for the 
     American Indian livestock program under section 806 of the 
     Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, 
     and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001 (Public Law 
     106-387; 114 Stat. 1549A-51).
       (2) Administration.--The Secretary shall make assistance 
     available under this subsection in the same manner as 
     provided under section 806 of the Agriculture, Rural 
     Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related 
     Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001 (Public Law 106-387; 114 
     Stat. 1549A-51).
       (3) Mitigation.--In determining the eligibility for or 
     amount of payments for which a producer is eligible under the 
     livestock assistance program, the Secretary shall not 
     penalize a producer that takes actions (recognizing disaster 
     conditions) that reduce the average number of livestock the 
     producer owned for grazing during the production year for 
     which assistance is being provided.
       (c) Tree Assistance Program.--
       (1) Emergency assistance.--The Secretary of Agriculture 
     shall use such sums as are necessary of the funds of the 
     Commodity Credit Corporation to provide assistance under the 
     tree assistance program established under sections 10201 
     through 10204 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act 
     of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8201 et seq.) to producers who suffered 
     tree losses during the period beginning on December 1, 2003, 
     and ending on December 31, 2004.
       (2) Additional assistance.--In addition to providing 
     assistance to eligible orchardists under the tree assistance 
     program, the Secretary shall use an additional $15,000,000 of 
     the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to provide 
     reimbursement under section 10203 of the Farm Security and 
     Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8203) to eligible 
     forest land owners who produce periodic crops of timber from 
     trees for commercial purposes and who have suffered tree 
     losses during the period specified in paragraph (1).
       (d) Emergency Conservation Program.--The Secretary of 
     Agriculture shall use an additional $50,000,000 of the funds 
     of the Commodity Credit Corporation to provide assistance 
     under the Emergency Conservation Program under title IV of 
     the Agriculture Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2201 et seq.). 
     Participants in the Emergency Conservation Program shall 
     receive the maximum cost share percentage allowed under 
     section 701.26 of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations.
       (e) Offset.--Section 1241(a)(3) of the Food Security Act of 
     1985 (16 U.S.C. 3841(a)(3)) is amended by inserting before 
     the period at the end the following: ``, using not more than 
     $6,037,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2005 through 
     2014''.

  The CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to House Resolution 819, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Neugebauer) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) each 
will control 10 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Neugebauer).
  Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Chairman, this amendment represents a fiscally responsible 
approach to agriculture disaster assistance. I want those that were 
devastated by the successive hurricanes that hit Florida

[[Page H8305]]

and surrounding States to receive the much-needed aid they deserve. I 
also want to make sure that the disaster assistance package that helps 
farmers across the country who have faced losses in the past 2 years, 
including those who lost over 1.3 million acres of crops in west Texas 
last year, get their appropriate aid.
  I supported the bill that the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm) 
introduced that mirrored the assistance package that the Senate had 
approved. Unfortunately, like my friend from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) 
pointed out earlier, it has become apparent that that bill, without 
offsets, will not be successful.
  This amendment will provide assistance in a manner that is consistent 
with the Senate amendment. The cost is offset through the same 
mechanism used to fund the agriculture disaster program 2 years ago, 
capping the CSP or known as the Conservation Security Program. This 
offset does not impact current funding of the CSP, and even with the 
cap, the CSP will receive ample funds over the next 10 years.
  This approach does not, and I repeat does not, reopen the farm bill; 
it simply puts the 2003 cap back on the CSP. No farm commodity programs 
will be affected by this offset.
  Many have said, well, I would prefer a disaster program that had no 
offset. So would I. However, when we know that the preferred 
alternative is not going to be accepted in these negotiations, then we 
are willing to consider other alternatives that would ensure its 
passage. What is more important to me is, the farmers that suffered 
these losses in 2003 and 2004 get the very-much-needed relief that they 
deserve.
  It is a shame that disaster assistance becomes the political football 
this time of year in Washington. That is why I introduced legislation 
earlier this year that would provide a new crop insurance tool that 
would help alleviate the need for disaster programs in the future.
  I urge Members to support this amendment in order to provide 
agriculture disaster assistance for all farmers and ranchers who 
experienced severe losses and provide it in a fiscally responsible way.
  Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 4 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm).
  Mr. STENHOLM. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.
  Mr. Chairman, it is amazing, listening to my colleague saying that 
the bill that he cosponsored yesterday would not be accepted. Why? 
Fourteen Republicans signed onto the bill yesterday. All of my 
Democratic colleagues indicated their support on a vote. Therefore, if 
my colleague from west Texas would have chosen to vote his conscience, 
it would have passed. He can say all he wants to that it would not have 
passed, but the only reason is that once again when the leadership 
speaks, folks on that side jump.
  On September 27, the President proposed the disaster assistance 
before the House today. His request included agriculture assistance for 
hurricane and tropical storm disaster victims. On Monday, I introduced 
H.R. 5203, which is cosponsored by 42 Members, 16 of them Republicans. 
This morning at 7 a.m., the leadership of this House, through the Rules 
Committee, said very clearly, no fairness is required. Disaster aid 
without offsets was okay for Florida producers, but not producers 
elsewhere who are hurting just as much.
  The cosponsors of my bill, as well as the organizations, 25 farm 
groups, agree with me and disagree with my friend from Texas.
  Instead of taking up this bill at 10 a.m., the leadership took a few 
hours to see the error of its ways and to at least allow some drought 
assistance, a flawed one, but drought assistance to be considered. But 
that leadership has demanded that agriculture disasters be treated 
differently than other disasters which are alleviated by the bill and 
that we reopen the farm bill.
  The President has not required offsets for the agriculture disaster 
assistance that he requested. It was the leadership in this House that 
made that request. The President understands the unpredictable nature 
of disasters and requested emergency spending appropriately.
  In following the leadership and choosing this path of reopening the 
farm bill, this House and the Members of it who are concerned for 
agriculture will surely come to regret it. But the House has spoken. I 
notice that the leadership has spoken. And when the leadership of this 
body on the other side of the aisle says, this is the way it is going 
to be, everybody falls in line.
  I have never operated that way in 26 years. When I disagreed with my 
leadership in what I believed was right, not just for west Texas in 
this concern, but with the other States who have just as much interest 
in this as we do, we said ``no'' to the leadership.
  I know that some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle's 
consciences are bothering them a little bit right now because deep down 
in their hearts they know that what we are about to do and the reasons 
for which we are about to do it are not in the best interests of 
American agriculture. They know that, but they have chosen to follow a 
leadership that has put politics ahead of policy and interjected policy 
and politics into an appropriations process that should never have 
gotten to this point.
  I repeat, the President did not request offsets for agricultural 
disasters. The only people that have requested this are the leadership 
of this House. Sixteen Members on the other side of the aisle yesterday 
were doing the right thing. Today, they are doing the wrong thing for 
American agriculture, and 25 agricultural groups have said this is 
wrong and have sent a letter to every Member of this House. Fifteen 
conservation groups have said this is wrong. And some of you have voted 
not in the best interest of your districts because the Conservation 
Security Program is already working within your districts and you have 
been for it.
  Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Bonilla), chairman of the Subcommittee on Agriculture, 
Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies of 
the Committee on Appropriations.
  (Mr. BONILLA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. BONILLA. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Neugebauer 
amendment. This is a hard chore to accomplish. The gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Neugebauer) has been working day and night to make this work.
  Every producer in this country that has ever come to see me before 
about a pending problem, an emergency situation that they face, people 
who represent different commodity groups, know that we have always done 
everything we possibly can to help them. But it is difficult. Money 
does not grow on trees and sometimes we have to take from one place and 
put it in another to make it work for the foreseeable future. It is no 
different than American families have to do when they have to struggle 
to make ends meet during emergency situations in their own homes and in 
their own neighborhoods.
  We have always tried to be fair. In the years that I have chaired the 
Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, I have learned a lot, heard a 
lot and worked a lot on situations similar to this over the years. 
There is always a different solution that we try to look for.
  In this case, we do have an offset that applies to one particular 
program, the CSP program. But tomorrow will be another day and we will 
figure out how to handle a shortfall, as we always do, in the future 
when we face a pressing need.
  I would say to everyone out there who has concerns about this, 
tomorrow is another day. Today is the day we have to get this done for 
producers and for commodity groups all across the country.

                              {time}  2115

  Again, I commend the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Neugebauer) for 
working day and night to try to pull this deal together. It is a good 
deal.
  Is everyone happy? Absolutely not. But it is the best that we can 
possibly do. Our hearts are in the right place, and we have worked hard 
to get to this point.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support the Neugebauer amendment.

[[Page H8306]]

  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), committee chairman.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding me this time, and I thank him very much for all the 
cooperation that he has shown us as we prepared this legislation for 
these tremendous supplementals for hurricane disaster relief.
  I am not going to speak in opposition to the amendment, but I want to 
say this. The process is disturbing. The inconsistencies in the process 
are disturbing.
  For example, I have talked often this afternoon about H.R. 5227 that 
does what I think needs to be done in this hurricane relief, and the 
additional agriculture disaster assistance that the gentleman offers in 
his amendment is included in H.R. 5227. But the process would not allow 
me, as chairman of the committee, to include this additional 
agriculture disaster funding in H.R. 5212. That inconsistency, to me, 
is very disturbing and it is not acceptable.
  I am not going to argue against the amendment because I tried to 
include similar funding myself. The gentleman from Texas, I do not know 
who he knows or what he knows, but he got a chance to do it. But the 
chairman of the committee could not. The process is not acceptable.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 30 seconds.
  Mr. Chairman, I agree with the gentleman. That is what I meant when I 
said that the way this House is being run these days, the people who 
know the least about these things are evidently being given the 
opportunity to do the most about them, which is backwards in terms of 
my understanding of the legislative body.
  Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Stenholm).
  Mr. STENHOLM. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bonilla), I 
greatly admire, respect, and appreciate the job that he has done and is 
doing; but it is curious he would make a fiscally responsible argument 
for my amendment when he does not make the same one for the $12 billion 
that we have all agreed is emergency spending.
  Why would you come to the floor and defend one small part that does 
bad policy for agriculture, and you know it? But just as the chairman 
has expressed his concern about the procedure and the gentleman from 
Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) has echoed the procedure, and everybody knows what 
the procedure is in this, the sad thing about this is that the policy 
that is going to be interjected because of the misuse of procedure in 
this body is going to be devastating to American agriculture. It is 
going to be bad. And that is why 25 groups agree with me and disagree 
with the gentleman from West Texas.
  The chairman has said it more eloquently. The procedure lacks a 
little bit in common sense.
  Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the 
distinguished gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), chairman of the 
Committee on Agriculture.
  (Mr. GOODLATTE asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Chairman, obviously we would prefer to provide 
assistance without offsets, but the reality of the situation is that 
there will be no disaster money before we go home unless we provide 
budget offsets. We will not touch the farm commodity programs that are 
the heart of the farm bill.
  The savings we are making will cap the Conservation Security Program 
at $6 billion. That is three times the amount of money that was put 
into this program. It was a new program when the farm bill was created. 
This is a new program still in its start-up phase. The gentleman 
suggested that some people might be at risk for this program. This 
year, this program will spend $175 million. With the 3 years remaining 
in the farm bill and $9 billion to spend, nothing is at risk in the 
rest of the farm bill.
  We should make sure we accomplish two things here: use this money, as 
we did 18 months ago with support from the folks on the other side of 
the aisle, to do exactly what we are doing today; and make sure that we 
put a cap back on this program so that it does not raid other parts of 
the farm bill. We can accomplish both of those goals here tonight.
  I urge my colleagues to support this vital amendment.
  I want to thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Neugebauer) for his 
leadership on the issue of disaster assistance for producers. We have 
been working for several weeks to find a way to help farmers and 
ranchers from west Texas to Minnesota to Colorado, as well as those 
devastated by hurricanes in the Southeast. With the tight budgets we 
now face, it has been a difficult task, but we believe the Neugebauer 
amendment provides the path to secure assistance our producers need.
  I urge my colleagues to support this sound amendment.
  Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman 
from Kansas (Chairman Moran).
  Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Texas 
for yielding me this time.
  I rise tonight in support of this amendment. I would like to show a 
photograph from home of what we face in our State. These issues that 
Florida has encountered as a result of hurricanes create tremendous 
problems, but 5 years of no rain in western Kansas results in a 
photograph like this. This is not the 1930s; this is the spring of 
2004, and we have Kansas counties that are drier now than in the 
``Dirty '30s.''
  This issue is important to us. It is about whether or not our farmers 
and ranchers can survive and live into the future, whether or not there 
is hope and opportunity for rural communities, whether or not we have 
young people in school, whether or not we have people who shop on our 
main streets. This is about the survival of rural America.
  And I am pleased to be here tonight to see the House take action in a 
responsible way, designed to address the serious needs faced by many 
rural American communities as a result of weather-related conditions 
through no fault of their own. This is an opportunity for us to come 
together as a country and support not only Florida and the southern 
part of the United States whose sympathy and condolences we have for 
the disasters they have encountered but also to recognize that all of 
America is in this battle together.
  I thank the gentleman for allowing me the opportunity to speak 
tonight in favor of this amendment, finally bringing it to the House 
floor, addressing this issue we seriously face.
  Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman 
from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne).
  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time.
  We have stated very clearly the need for drought assistance. Some 
have said this is a 500-year drought, and it certainly is in most 
areas. Reservoirs are depleted. One part of Nebraska had 1 inch of rain 
in 12 months, no pastures. So it is badly needed.
  There has been a lot of argument tonight about the process, and I 
must say that I agree with some of those arguments. There is some 
validity.
  Two years ago Mr. Thune and the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran) and 
I went to the White House two or three times, when we had this same 
problem. And we were told unequivocally that there would be no aid 
without an offset. And so that is where we find ourselves again 
tonight. I am not pointing the finger at anybody. I am just saying that 
is the reality.
  And I agree with many of the things the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Stenholm) has said, but I guess I have to weigh that against getting 
drought relief for some farmers that I think need it very badly, and 
this is the only option that I see at the present time that is 
workable, that will work. So I admit to discomfort, but it is the best 
we can do.
  I urge support of this amendment.
  Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Colorado (Mrs. Musgrave).
  Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, as we think of our friends in Florida, 
we saw them boarding up their windows in preparation for the tropical 
storm that would hit and be devastating. However, in many parts of 
rural Colorado, the businesses on Main Street are boarding up their 
windows because our ag producers are having such a horrific time with 
the prolonged drought.
  The gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran) and the gentleman from Nebraska 
(Mr. Osborne) are in the same

[[Page H8307]]

region, and we know the devastation that this prolonged drought has 
shown. We have not had reporters in rural Colorado, standing there and 
showing the disaster, because it has been over a long period of time, 
getting worse every year.
  So we desperately need this relief at this time for our farmers and 
for our individuals that raise cattle, that have even had to sell off 
their breeding stock because the pastures have not had any grass on 
them now for years.
  So at this difficult time we make difficult choices, and I rise in 
support of the efforts of the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Neugebauer).
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Stenholm).
  Mr. STENHOLM. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me 
this time.
  And one point I want to make: I will not accept for one-half second 
the fiscal responsibility comment that was made. For a majority party 
that has presided over the largest deficits in the history of our 
country, I will not accept any charge that tonight we get fiscally 
responsible by choosing to treat agriculture different from any other 
disaster.
  Do not make the fiscally responsible argument. That dog will not 
hunt. We are talking about policy. Twenty-five agricultural groups are 
agreeing with me. The majority is agreeing with the leadership of the 
House and are deciding, for some strange reason, this is a political 
point that needs to be made.
  The President did not ask for offsets. Why did their leadership 
suddenly ask for offsets for agriculture when we are not offsetting any 
other part of this bill? If they want to get fiscal responsibility, I 
will join with them and we will treat agriculture just like every other 
aspect, but I will not allow agriculture to be singled out, which this 
amendment is doing tonight.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Isakson). The gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Neugebauer) has 15 seconds remaining.
  Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  I will just close with this thought. I came to this House tonight not 
to talk about politics, but about getting the job done for farmers and 
ranchers around this country, and I hope that my colleagues on both 
sides of the aisle will join me and let us get the job done for 
American farm and ranch families.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Chairman, what is happening on this floor tonight is blatant, 
obvious, raw politics. That is all it is.
  The Republican majority leadership is bringing a bill to the floor 
which has over $10 billion in aid to various areas of the country. No 
offsets. No offsets at all. But when on this side of the aisle we are 
trying to deal with disaster problems for farmers on an equal footing 
with the hurricane disasters that we have just had in Florida and other 
States, then we are told, Oh, no. All of a sudden a new rule has to 
apply.
  I would say to the gentleman from Nebraska that is like saying that 
in an Oklahoma-Nebraska football game, Oklahoma has to go 200 yards for 
a touchdown while Nebraska only has to go 100 yards. It just is not 
fair. It is not square.
  I would make another point. Even if we were going to have offsets, 
this is a ``let's pretend'' offset. This is a phony offset, because if 
we take a look at the scoring by the beloved Congressional Budget 
Office, which the majority party used to stick with, come hell or high 
water, if we take a look at this, there is no offset whatsoever in the 
first fiscal year, zero savings by this ``let's pretend'' offset.
  In the second year there is a $56 million savings out of a $2.8 
billion cost. Who are they kidding?

                              {time}  2130

  This is a political maneuver. This is not a financial or budgetary 
offset. It is a joke. And if it did not do so much damage to farmers, I 
would laugh at it. Over 3 years, it provides only one-tenth the offset 
that is required to meet the standard budget rules around here.
  What we have got here tonight is not an offset, it is a political 
shell game, and the problem is that shell game results in sticking it 
to farmers. Shame on you.
  Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The CHAIRMAN pro tempore (Mr. Isakson). All time having been yielded, 
the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Neugebauer).
  The amendment was agreed to.


                  Amendment Offered by Mr. Hensarling

  Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
  The CHAIRMAN pro tempore. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
  The text of the amendment is as follows:

       Amendment offered by Mr. Hensarling:
       At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the 
     following:
       Sec. __. (a) Offsetting Government-Wide Rescission.--Of the 
     discretionary budget authority provided in appropriation Acts 
     for fiscal year 2005, there is rescinded the total amount 
     determined by the Director of the Office of Management and 
     Budget to be required to offset the discretionary budget 
     authority that is provided in this Act and designated as an 
     emergency requirement.
       (b) Application.--The rescission made by subsection (a)--
       (1) shall take effect immediately after the enactment of 
     all of the regular appropriation Acts for fiscal year 2005 
     (whether enacted separately, included in a consolidated 
     appropriations law, or covered by a continuing appropriations 
     law that funds programs through the end of the fiscal year);
       (2) shall not apply to the discretionary budget authority 
     provided for the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, 
     and Veterans Affairs; and
       (3) shall be applied proportionately to the discretionary 
     budget authority provided for each other department, agency, 
     instrumentality, and entity of the Federal Government.
       (c) Report.--The Director of the Office of Management and 
     Budget shall include in the President's budget submission for 
     fiscal year 2006 a report specifying the reductions made to 
     each account, program, project, and activity pursuant to this 
     section.

  The CHAIRMAN pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 819, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling) and a Member opposed each will 
control 10 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling).
  Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself of such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Chairman, I first want to congratulate the distinguished chairman 
of the Committee on Appropriations for his good work to help those 
devastated by the recent hurricanes.
  My amendment represents a very simple proposition. But before stating 
that proposition, let me state the proposition it does not stand for. 
Specifically, nothing contained in this amendment would deny one penny 
of relief to those who suffered the ravages of the hurricanes that hit 
Florida; not one penny less, not one penny delay.
  The proposition this amendment does stand for is that so-called 
emergency spending for natural disasters should come out of the budget. 
In other words, this supplemental spending should be offset with lower-
priority spending, which, frankly, was our practice throughout the 
decade of the nineties. In every single year of the nineties, when 
supplemental spending bills were enacted, so were rescissions of other 
spending.
  In that spirit, Mr. Chairman, this amendment would reduce 2005 
discretionary spending approximately 3 percent, exempting national 
defense, homeland security and veterans spending.
  Unfortunately, today, when we pass supplemental spending, we just add 
it to the deficit. We pass the bill along to our children and 
grandchildren. Many, many Members have come to the floor to decry 
deficit spending. It will be interesting to see how many of them truly 
want to do something about it and support this amendment.
  Mr. Chairman, the true question before us is, who will tighten their 
belt to pay for this $10.9 billion of hurricane damage? Families, or 
government. I vote for the government.
  Opponents of this amendment will argue that it will gut vital 
government programs. I simply reject that notion. I believe the 
government spending is already out of control. For only the fourth time 
in our Nation's history, the Federal Government is now spending over 
$20,000 per household. Over the last decade, almost every major 
department of government has grown way beyond the rate of inflation. 
Interior is up 42 percent; HHS, 110 percent; education, 125 percent; 
and the list goes on.
  Mr. Chairman, much of the Federal budget helps our Nation in vital 
ways,

[[Page H8308]]

but much of it does not: $800,000 outhouses, rain forests constructed 
in Iowa, wheelchairs costing four times as much as they should. Again, 
the $10.9 billion will either come out of the Federal budget, or the 
family budget.
  Let us look at the family budget. The average down payment on a home 
in America is $21,600. If we defeat this amendment, might we be denying 
half a million Americans their first home? The average home computer 
costs $482. If we defeat this amendment, might we be denying over 20 
million school children an invaluable educational tool?
  To pay for hurricane relief, we must either tighten the Federal 
budget, or ask families to tighten theirs. This amendment comes down on 
the side of families.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to 
the amendment.
  The CHAIRMAN pro tempore. The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) is 
recognized for 10 minutes.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey).
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I would simply like to point out some of the 
budget reductions which will be caused by this amendment: The National 
Institutes of Health would be cut by $884 million from the House-passed 
bill.
  The Centers For Disease Control, who told us yesterday we have a 
crisis on our hands with respect to childhood influenza, this amendment 
would cut $136 million from the House-passed bill for that agency.
  Head Start, this amendment would cut $214 million, $10 million below 
last year's level.
  The Low Income Heating Assistance Program, LIHEAP, would be cut $62 
million from the House level.
  The Federal Aviation Administration, they would be funded nearly one-
half billion dollars below the fiscal 2004 level.
  Education would be cut by $1.8 billion below the House-passed labor-
health bill.
  No Child Left Behind would be cut by $440 million. The vice president 
last night in the debate talked about the importance of that program.
  Title I grants would be cut by $414 million.
  Special education, which both political parties posed for holy 
political pictures on for the last 4 years, that program is being cut 
by $400 million.
  Pell Grants, the President at the national convention talked about 
the need to expand Pell Grants. This would cut Pell Grants, would 
exacerbate the shortfall by $300 million.
  The FBI would be cut $161 million, including personnel resources for 
the Office of Intelligence and counterterrorism field investigations.
  NASA would be cut.
  National parks would be cut by $70 million, meaning a layoff of some 
800 park rangers and maintenance staff.
  Nuclear nonproliferation programs, which both presidential candidates 
said last week were their number one concern, would be cut by $40 
million.
  Law enforcement assistance would be cut by $81 million.
  This is a family-friendly amendment? Give me a break.
  Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Chairman, such reductions can be made by department heads.
  Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Feeney), who has seen hurricanes up close.
  Mr. FEENEY. Mr. Chairman, I thank the courageous gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Hensarling) for the great job he is doing trying to contain 
Federal spending, and I really do want to thank our appropriations 
chairman. The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) is a great hero, not 
just in Florida but nationally. He has set priorities straight. He has 
done an incredible job.
  I want to say that I do speak in favor of this amendment, though, on 
offsets. We know that we are going to have emergencies on a regular 
annual basis. We do not know where they are going to be. We do not know 
what they are going to be. That is why they are emergencies. This is 
one of the reasons we need a huge supplemental fund, a rainy day fund 
in the Federal budget, just like a family budget or a business budget 
needs one, and that is something that conservatives in this House have 
advocated for.
  I support the funding for FEMA. They ran out of money before the 
first hurricane in Florida. We had four. Thank goodness and thank God 
that the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) and his friends understand 
the pressure that has been put on the people of Florida and we are 
going to live up to our moral and financial obligations.
  Thank God for people like the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling) 
who have started the Washington Waste Watchers to try to save money 
where it is being wasted and defunded all the legitimate needs of the 
people throughout our country.
  Mr. Chairman, there are bureaucrats running agencies throughout our 
country, and they know that if they do not use and spend all of their 
dollars every year, they don't get to save them. So what they do is 
they go out in extraordinary ways and find ways to spend the money in 
unfortunate and unnecessary ways so they get more money the following 
year.
  That type of mentality is what the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Hensarling) and his amendment is trying to address.
  House conservatives have asked that a rainy day fund be put in place 
every year for emergencies, because on an average basis, FEMA knows 
there are 30 declared disasters each and every year in America. We do 
not know where or when, but they are going to happen. And the 
appropriate way is to budget for those emergencies.
  I can tell you, the rainy day fund, we know it rains in Florida, and 
God knows it has rained a lot the last four hurricanes.
  Finally, Floridians are great resilient people. They can survive four 
hurricanes. If we can survive deficit spending by the Federal 
Government largesse for the next 20 or 30 years, that is a different 
story.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Chocola), the author of the rainy day 
amendment.
  Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me 
time.
  Mr. Chairman, I rise tonight in strong support of this amendment, but 
the reality is, this amendment should never have had to be offered in 
the first place. What we should do is budget for emergencies, in other 
words, create a rainy day fund as part of our budget process.
  Every single year, Federal tax dollars are used to pay for 
emergencies, yet we almost never budget for them. If we want to be 
honest with the American people and exercise fiscal responsibility when 
we know we are going to spend money, we should budget for it.
  Since 1953, FEMA has had over 1,500 disaster declarations, which 
averages more than 30 per year. Since 1980, we have had 58 weather 
disasters, 49 of those have been since 1988, which have totaled almost 
$220 billion.
  Mr. Chairman, hurricanes are disasters, but they are not surprises. 
There is no question that the people of Florida deserve the relief 
contemplated in this spending bill. That is not the issue we are 
discussing tonight.
  The issue is, if we care about the size of the deficit, if we care 
about fiscal responsibility, if we care about future generations of 
Americans and if we care about being responsible, then we must learn to 
prioritize spending and reform our budget process to reflect reality.
  Hurricane relief is a high priority, and so is the future of our 
children and our grandchildren. Let us do the right thing tonight and 
let us provide relief to the victims who in some cases have lost 
everything, and let us also do the right thing tonight by not creating 
future victims of a larger deficit.
  I encourage my colleagues to support the Hensarling amendment.
  The CHAIRMAN pro tempore. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling) 
has 3 minutes remaining and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) has 
7\1/2\ minutes remaining.
  Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
South Carolina (Mr. Barrett).
  Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina. I thank the gentleman for yielding me 
time.

[[Page H8309]]

  Mr. Chairman, I rise tonight in full support of the amendment offered 
by my good friend the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling) because it 
allows us to help those in need while at the same time requires us to 
be fiscally responsible.
  My heart goes out to the folks of Florida and everybody that has been 
affected by hurricanes. My prayers and my thoughts are with them. There 
is no doubt they have been through a horrible ordeal, and they need our 
help, and they will get it. But in doing so, we must make sure that we 
can pay the bill.
  This amendment would fully offset the cost of the $10.9 billion 
supplemental through a rescission in the FY 2005 discretionary 
spending, once enacted. Funding for defense, homeland security and 
veterans would be specifically exempt. We must look at the bottom line, 
and we have to start today making sound fiscal decisions.
  Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to join me in ensuring that the 
Federal Government helps those in need today, but in a responsible 
manner.
  Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman 
from Arizona (Mr. Flake).
  Mr. FLAKE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.
  Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for bringing this amendment 
forward. It is important. We need to be fiscally conservative at long 
last here. We have got to make sure that we offset these programs. If 
we do not, we are simply adding to the burden of our kids and our 
grandkids. It is simply not right. So I welcome this amendment, and 
simply say that the notion that we cannot find savings elsewhere in the 
Federal Government is simply absurd.
  We have seen the run-up of spending in each of the Federal agencies 
over the last several years. We know that savings can be had, and we 
simply need to find them. When we look at the debate that was just had 
on the farm programs, I distinctly remember, a couple of years ago when 
we were debating a rather large farm bill, it being said that we needed 
to do this because we cannot keep doing emergency supplementals and 
that this program will take care of them.

                              {time}  2145

  Well, guess what? Here we are again. We need to find real offsets, 
and that is what this amendment does, and I thank the gentleman for 
offering it.
  The CHAIRMAN pro tempore (Mr. Isakson). The gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Hensarling) has 1 minute remaining; the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Young) has 7\1/2\ minutes remaining.
  Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Chairman, does the gentleman from Florida have 
the right to close?
  The CHAIRMAN pro tempore. Yes, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) 
has the right to close.
  Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Chairman, we have an opportunity tonight to aid Florida without 
imposing costs on our families, on our children, on our grandchildren. 
Either we must tighten the Federal budget, or we must force families to 
tighten their budget.
  I would ask each Member to think about families in their district 
before they make this vote. I think about the Kings in Athens, Texas, 
and how this supplemental will impact their ability to pay for that 
last tuition payment for their son. I think about the Williams in 
Mesquite, Texas, and their small business, their paint and body shop. 
How is this supplemental going to impact their ability to hire two more 
workers? I think about the Evans in Garland, Texas, and I wonder how 
this supplemental will impact their ability to make those health 
insurance premiums.
  We are going to relieve the people in Florida. The question is, is 
the $10 billion going to come out of the government budget, or is it 
going to come out of the family budget? Again, we believe it should 
come out of the government budget. We believe that we should protect 
the family budget. I would urge all Members to vote for this amendment.
  Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of the 
time.
  Mr. Chairman, I want to congratulate the gentleman from Texas and 
those of his colleagues, our colleagues, who have spoken in favor of 
this amendment. I will tell my colleagues that, as the chairman of the 
Committee on Appropriations, the committee that must pass legislation, 
the only bills that have to pass in this place are appropriations 
bills. Other bills can go by for years, and as my colleagues know, many 
of them do. We have been working on a transportation bill, not I, but 
others, working on a transportation bill for 3 or 4 years now and have 
not passed it. But these gentlemen have done a really good job in 
making sure that in our must-pass appropriations bills, that we pay 
close attention to what we are doing, that we make sure that we are 
able to justify whatever we are suggesting, because we know that if we 
do not do it right, they are going to be all over us, as they should 
be.
  So I compliment them for their effort. But tonight I have to oppose 
their amendment, and there are several reasons. One is, when we adopted 
the budget resolution, well, actually we never did; we deemed the 
budget resolution as approved by the House. We actually reduced the 
President's budget request by $2 billion. What is the significance of 
that? Why do I even bring this up? The President asked for a very 
austere budget, and I say amen to him. The House budget that we worked 
under was $2 billion less than that, and, Mr. Chairman, I say to my 
friend, the gentleman from Texas, all of the bills that we have passed 
are within that budget. We did not exceed the budget, except for the 
emergency designations dealing with things like body armor for troops 
in Iraq and ammunition and things of that nature. So we were starting 
with a very austere budget, and we stayed within that budget.
  The Committee on Appropriations 2\1/2\ months ago reported its final 
and last bill. The Committee on Appropriations worked hard and we got 
the bills out, we had them out. Mr. Chairman, 2\1/2\ months ago, we 
reported the last one. Twelve of those bills have passed. One has not 
passed because, as one of our distinguished colleagues said to me, it 
is not going on the floor because there is not enough money in it. Sort 
of inconsistent, wanting to hold down the budget, but then complaining 
that there is not enough money in it.
  But the problem that I have with this is that they do not take the 
across-the-board cut from the bill that is before the House tonight. 
They take the across-the-board cut from future legislation, the 2005 
bills. Now, the problem with that is, none of us really know how much 
those 2005 bills are going to appropriate. Why is that? Because despite 
the fact that we have done our job in the House, as I suggested, at the 
other end of the Capitol, they have not, and we have no control over 
that. That is the price of a bicameral legislature, and I support a 
bicameral legislature. There are days when I wish I did not, but I do, 
from the standpoint of a constitutional government. But borrowing from 
next year's appropriation to pay for this emergency supplemental 
tonight to me is not conservative government. That is borrowing in the 
future. That is borrowing from things that we are going to need to do 
in fiscal year 2005, this coming year.
  So because of that, while, again, I applaud my colleagues for their 
fiscal conservatism, and probably, I would be more supportive if my job 
was not to make sure that all of the appropriations bills pass, but 
that is my job. I have to make sure that all of the appropriations 
bills pass, because if they do not, the government shuts down, and we 
do not want that to happen. I do not want that to happen on my watch, 
and it has not happened on my watch, and it is not going to.
  But anyway, for those reasons, I applaud the gentleman from Texas on 
this amendment and those who spoke in favor of it, but I have to ask my 
colleagues to vote against it and then get on with passing this very 
important bill, this very good bill as far as it goes. But as I have 
repeated myself tonight several times, it just does not go far enough. 
But we are going to pass this bill tonight, and then we will work on 
making it a better bill as we go through the process.
  Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The CHAIRMAN pro tempore. All time having been yielded, the question

[[Page H8310]]

is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Hensarling).
  The question was taken; and the Chairman pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.


                             Recorded Vote

  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.
  A recorded vote was ordered.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 89, 
noes 321, not voting 22, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 500]

                                AYES--89

     Akin
     Ballenger
     Barrett (SC)
     Bartlett (MD)
     Barton (TX)
     Beauprez
     Bishop (UT)
     Blackburn
     Blunt
     Boehner
     Boozman
     Brady (TX)
     Brown-Waite, Ginny
     Burgess
     Burton (IN)
     Cannon
     Carter
     Chabot
     Chocola
     Coble
     Cole
     Collins
     Cox
     Crane
     Cubin
     Davis, Jo Ann
     Davis, Tom
     Deal (GA)
     Duncan
     Feeney
     Flake
     Forbes
     Fossella
     Franks (AZ)
     Garrett (NJ)
     Gibbons
     Gingrey
     Goode
     Goodlatte
     Graves
     Green (WI)
     Gutknecht
     Harris
     Hart
     Hayworth
     Hefley
     Hensarling
     Herger
     Hoekstra
     Hostettler
     Jenkins
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones (NC)
     Keller
     King (IA)
     Kline
     Lewis (KY)
     Manzullo
     McInnis
     Miller (FL)
     Miller, Gary
     Moran (KS)
     Musgrave
     Myrick
     Nussle
     Otter
     Pence
     Petri
     Pitts
     Portman
     Radanovich
     Ramstad
     Rehberg
     Rohrabacher
     Royce
     Ryan (WI)
     Schrock
     Sensenbrenner
     Shadegg
     Smith (MI)
     Sullivan
     Tancredo
     Taylor (MS)
     Thornberry
     Tiahrt
     Toomey
     Turner (OH)
     Whitfield
     Wilson (SC)

                               NOES--321

     Abercrombie
     Ackerman
     Aderholt
     Alexander
     Allen
     Andrews
     Baca
     Baird
     Baker
     Baldwin
     Bass
     Becerra
     Bell
     Berkley
     Berman
     Berry
     Biggert
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (NY)
     Blumenauer
     Bonilla
     Bonner
     Bono
     Boswell
     Boucher
     Boyd
     Bradley (NH)
     Brady (PA)
     Brown (OH)
     Brown (SC)
     Brown, Corrine
     Burns
     Burr
     Butterfield
     Buyer
     Calvert
     Camp
     Cantor
     Capito
     Capps
     Capuano
     Cardin
     Cardoza
     Carson (IN)
     Carson (OK)
     Case
     Castle
     Chandler
     Clay
     Clyburn
     Conyers
     Cooper
     Costello
     Cramer
     Crenshaw
     Crowley
     Culberson
     Cummings
     Cunningham
     Davis (AL)
     Davis (CA)
     Davis (FL)
     Davis (IL)
     Davis (TN)
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     Delahunt
     DeLauro
     DeLay
     Deutsch
     Diaz-Balart, L.
     Diaz-Balart, M.
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Doolittle
     Doyle
     Dreier
     Dunn
     Edwards
     Ehlers
     Emanuel
     Emerson
     Engel
     English
     Eshoo
     Etheridge
     Evans
     Everett
     Farr
     Fattah
     Ferguson
     Filner
     Foley
     Ford
     Frank (MA)
     Frelinghuysen
     Frost
     Gallegly
     Gerlach
     Gilchrest
     Gillmor
     Gonzalez
     Gordon
     Granger
     Green (TX)
     Greenwood
     Grijalva
     Gutierrez
     Hall
     Harman
     Hastings (FL)
     Hastings (WA)
     Hayes
     Herseth
     Hill
     Hinchey
     Hinojosa
     Hobson
     Hoeffel
     Holden
     Holt
     Honda
     Hooley (OR)
     Hoyer
     Hulshof
     Hunter
     Hyde
     Inslee
     Isakson
     Israel
     Issa
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Jefferson
     John
     Johnson (CT)
     Johnson (IL)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Kanjorski
     Kaptur
     Kelly
     Kennedy (MN)
     Kennedy (RI)
     Kildee
     Kilpatrick
     Kind
     King (NY)
     Kirk
     Knollenberg
     Kolbe
     Kucinich
     LaHood
     Lampson
     Langevin
     Lantos
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Latham
     LaTourette
     Leach
     Lee
     Levin
     Lewis (CA)
     Lewis (GA)
     Linder
     Lipinski
     LoBiondo
     Lofgren
     Lowey
     Lucas (KY)
     Lucas (OK)
     Lynch
     Majette
     Maloney
     Markey
     Marshall
     Matheson
     Matsui
     McCarthy (MO)
     McCarthy (NY)
     McCollum
     McCotter
     McCrery
     McDermott
     McGovern
     McHugh
     McIntyre
     McKeon
     McNulty
     Meehan
     Meek (FL)
     Meeks (NY)
     Menendez
     Mica
     Michaud
     Miller (MI)
     Miller (NC)
     Miller, George
     Mollohan
     Moore
     Moran (VA)
     Murphy
     Murtha
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neugebauer
     Ney
     Northup
     Nunes
     Oberstar
     Obey
     Olver
     Ortiz
     Osborne
     Ose
     Owens
     Oxley
     Pallone
     Pascrell
     Pastor
     Payne
     Pearce
     Peterson (MN)
     Peterson (PA)
     Pickering
     Platts
     Pombo
     Pomeroy
     Porter
     Price (NC)
     Pryce (OH)
     Putnam
     Quinn
     Rahall
     Rangel
     Regula
     Renzi
     Reyes
     Reynolds
     Rodriguez
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rogers (MI)
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Ross
     Rothman
     Roybal-Allard
     Ruppersberger
     Rush
     Ryan (OH)
     Ryun (KS)
     Sabo
     Sanchez, Linda T.
     Sanchez, Loretta
     Sanders
     Sandlin
     Saxton
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Scott (GA)
     Scott (VA)
     Serrano
     Sessions
     Shaw
     Shays
     Sherman
     Sherwood
     Shimkus
     Shuster
     Simmons
     Simpson
     Skelton
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith (WA)
     Snyder
     Solis
     Souder
     Spratt
     Stearns
     Stenholm
     Strickland
     Stupak
     Sweeney
     Tanner
     Tauscher
     Taylor (NC)
     Terry
     Thomas
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Tiberi
     Tierney
     Turner (TX)
     Udall (CO)
     Udall (NM)
     Upton
     Van Hollen
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Vitter
     Walden (OR)
     Walsh
     Wamp
     Waters
     Watson
     Waxman
     Weiner
     Weldon (FL)
     Weldon (PA)
     Weller
     Wexler
     Wicker
     Wilson (NM)
     Wolf
     Woolsey
     Wu
     Wynn
     Young (FL)

                             NOT VOTING--22

     Bachus
     Boehlert
     DeMint
     Dooley (CA)
     Gephardt
     Houghton
     Istook
     Jones (OH)
     Kingston
     Kleczka
     Millender-McDonald
     Neal (MA)
     Nethercutt
     Norwood
     Paul
     Pelosi
     Slaughter
     Stark
     Tauzin
     Towns
     Watt
     Young (AK)


                Announcement by the Chairman Pro Tempore

  The CHAIRMAN pro tempore (Mr. Isakson) (during the vote). Members are 
advised that 2 minutes remain in the vote.

                              {time}  2217

  Messrs. BILIRAKIS, STEARNS, SMITH of Texas, LINDER, ABERCROMBIE amd 
NEY changed their vote from ``aye'' to ``no''.
  Mr. MANZULLO, Ms. HART and Mr. TIHART changed their vote from ``no'' 
to ``aye''.
  So the amendment was rejected.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  The CHAIRMAN. There being no other amendments, under the rule, the 
Committee rises.
  Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. 
Thornberry) having assumed the chair, Mr. Gillmor, Chairman of the 
Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, reported that 
that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5212) 
making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2005, for additional disaster assistance relating to 
storm damage, and for other purposes, pursuant to House Resolution 819, 
he reported the bill back to the House with an amendment adopted by the 
Committee of the Whole.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the rule, the previous question is 
ordered.
  The question is on the amendment.
  The amendment was agreed to.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the engrossment and third 
reading of the bill.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was 
read the third time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the passage of the bill.
  Pursuant to clause 10 of rule XX, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 412, 
nays 0, not voting 20, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 501]

                               YEAS--412

     Abercrombie
     Ackerman
     Aderholt
     Akin
     Alexander
     Allen
     Andrews
     Baca
     Bachus
     Baird
     Baker
     Baldwin
     Ballenger
     Barrett (SC)
     Bartlett (MD)
     Barton (TX)
     Bass
     Beauprez
     Becerra
     Bell
     Berkley
     Berman
     Berry
     Biggert
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (NY)
     Bishop (UT)
     Blackburn
     Blumenauer
     Blunt
     Boehner
     Bonilla
     Bonner
     Bono
     Boozman
     Boswell
     Boucher
     Boyd
     Bradley (NH)
     Brady (PA)
     Brady (TX)
     Brown (OH)
     Brown (SC)
     Brown, Corrine
     Brown-Waite, Ginny
     Burgess
     Burns
     Burr
     Burton (IN)
     Butterfield
     Buyer
     Calvert
     Camp
     Cannon
     Cantor
     Capito
     Capps
     Capuano
     Cardin
     Cardoza
     Carson (IN)
     Carson (OK)
     Carter
     Case
     Castle
     Chabot
     Chandler
     Chocola
     Clay
     Clyburn
     Coble
     Cole
     Collins
     Conyers
     Cooper
     Costello
     Cox
     Cramer
     Crane
     Crenshaw
     Crowley
     Cubin
     Culberson
     Cummings
     Cunningham
     Davis (AL)
     Davis (CA)
     Davis (FL)
     Davis (IL)
     Davis (TN)
     Davis, Jo Ann
     Davis, Tom
     Deal (GA)
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     Delahunt
     DeLauro
     DeLay
     DeMint
     Deutsch
     Diaz-Balart, L.
     Diaz-Balart, M.
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Doolittle
     Doyle
     Dreier
     Duncan
     Dunn
     Edwards
     Ehlers
     Emanuel
     Emerson
     Engel
     English
     Eshoo
     Etheridge
     Evans
     Everett
     Farr
     Fattah
     Feeney
     Ferguson
     Filner
     Flake
     Foley
     Forbes
     Ford
     Fossella
     Frank (MA)
     Franks (AZ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Frost
     Gallegly
     Garrett (NJ)
     Gerlach
     Gibbons
     Gilchrest
     Gillmor
     Gingrey
     Gonzalez
     Goode
     Goodlatte
     Gordon
     Granger
     Graves
     Green (TX)
     Green (WI)
     Greenwood
     Grijalva
     Gutierrez
     Gutknecht
     Hall
     Harman
     Harris
     Hart
     Hastings (FL)
     Hastings (WA)
     Hayes
     Hayworth
     Hefley
     Hensarling

[[Page H8311]]


     Herger
     Herseth
     Hill
     Hinchey
     Hinojosa
     Hobson
     Hoeffel
     Hoekstra
     Holden
     Holt
     Honda
     Hooley (OR)
     Hostettler
     Hoyer
     Hulshof
     Hunter
     Hyde
     Inslee
     Isakson
     Israel
     Issa
     Istook
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Jefferson
     Jenkins
     John
     Johnson (CT)
     Johnson (IL)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones (NC)
     Kanjorski
     Kaptur
     Keller
     Kelly
     Kennedy (MN)
     Kennedy (RI)
     Kildee
     Kilpatrick
     Kind
     King (IA)
     King (NY)
     Kirk
     Kline
     Knollenberg
     Kolbe
     Kucinich
     LaHood
     Lampson
     Langevin
     Lantos
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Latham
     LaTourette
     Leach
     Lee
     Levin
     Lewis (CA)
     Lewis (GA)
     Lewis (KY)
     Linder
     Lipinski
     LoBiondo
     Lofgren
     Lowey
     Lucas (KY)
     Lucas (OK)
     Lynch
     Majette
     Maloney
     Manzullo
     Markey
     Marshall
     Matheson
     Matsui
     McCarthy (MO)
     McCarthy (NY)
     McCollum
     McCotter
     McCrery
     McDermott
     McGovern
     McHugh
     McInnis
     McIntyre
     McKeon
     McNulty
     Meehan
     Meek (FL)
     Meeks (NY)
     Menendez
     Mica
     Michaud
     Miller (FL)
     Miller (MI)
     Miller (NC)
     Miller, Gary
     Miller, George
     Mollohan
     Moore
     Moran (KS)
     Moran (VA)
     Murphy
     Murtha
     Musgrave
     Myrick
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neugebauer
     Ney
     Northup
     Nunes
     Nussle
     Oberstar
     Obey
     Olver
     Ortiz
     Osborne
     Ose
     Otter
     Owens
     Oxley
     Pallone
     Pascrell
     Pastor
     Payne
     Pearce
     Pence
     Peterson (MN)
     Peterson (PA)
     Petri
     Pickering
     Pitts
     Platts
     Pombo
     Pomeroy
     Porter
     Portman
     Price (NC)
     Pryce (OH)
     Putnam
     Quinn
     Radanovich
     Rahall
     Ramstad
     Regula
     Rehberg
     Renzi
     Reyes
     Reynolds
     Rodriguez
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rogers (MI)
     Rohrabacher
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Ross
     Rothman
     Roybal-Allard
     Royce
     Ruppersberger
     Rush
     Ryan (OH)
     Ryan (WI)
     Ryun (KS)
     Sabo
     Sanchez, Linda T.
     Sanchez, Loretta
     Sanders
     Sandlin
     Saxton
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schrock
     Scott (GA)
     Scott (VA)
     Sensenbrenner
     Serrano
     Sessions
     Shadegg
     Shaw
     Shays
     Sherman
     Sherwood
     Shimkus
     Shuster
     Simmons
     Simpson
     Skelton
     Smith (MI)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith (WA)
     Snyder
     Solis
     Souder
     Spratt
     Stearns
     Stenholm
     Strickland
     Stupak
     Sullivan
     Sweeney
     Tancredo
     Tanner
     Tauscher
     Taylor (MS)
     Taylor (NC)
     Terry
     Thomas
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Thornberry
     Tiahrt
     Tiberi
     Tierney
     Toomey
     Turner (OH)
     Turner (TX)
     Udall (CO)
     Udall (NM)
     Upton
     Van Hollen
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Vitter
     Walden (OR)
     Walsh
     Wamp
     Waters
     Watson
     Waxman
     Weiner
     Weldon (FL)
     Weldon (PA)
     Weller
     Wexler
     Whitfield
     Wicker
     Wilson (NM)
     Wilson (SC)
     Wolf
     Woolsey
     Wu
     Wynn
     Young (FL)

                             NOT VOTING--20

     Boehlert
     Dooley (CA)
     Gephardt
     Houghton
     Jones (OH)
     Kingston
     Kleczka
     Millender-McDonald
     Neal (MA)
     Nethercutt
     Norwood
     Paul
     Pelosi
     Rangel
     Slaughter
     Stark
     Tauzin
     Towns
     Watt
     Young (AK)


                Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Murphy) (during the vote). There are 2 
minutes remaining in this vote.

                              {time}  2236

  So the bill was passed.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________