[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 163 (Saturday, December 17, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H12148]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, our soldiers need us, and they 
need the funding and the support that an appropriations bill can give 
to them and their families. Not only the soldiers that are on the 
frontlines of Iraq and Afghanistan, but the many soldiers returning 
home and the enlisted personnel stateside along with their families.
  The Defense appropriations bill will provide a salary increase long 
overdue or at least needed again in these very difficult economic 
times. The bill will also provide and enhance improved health care for 
our soldiers. And recognizing that all Americans look forward to 
prosperity and a better way of life, I can assure you, in visiting with 
soldiers and families in my district, the limitations of their health 
care cries out for repair.

                              {time}  2015

  Soldiers and their families are on limited opportunities for diverse 
health care, hospitals are limited, the care is limited; and certainly 
for those families who have elderly parents or dependents, family 
members who are ill, children who need health care, our soldiers' 
compensation and a bad health plan is a bad mixture for America.
  And so I would ask the conferees, as they make their way in gathering 
and moving this legislation to the floor, remember the people who need 
the Defense appropriations bill. It is not filled with politics, 
because those of us who have raised our voices for redeployment, peace, 
and a better way in Iraq still understand the importance of providing 
for our men and women in the United States military.
  This time around the Defense appropriation will be more than just the 
anchor for our military; it will be the anchor for those who have lost 
greatly in this last year. This will be the anchor for the Katrina 
survivors. And anyone who has interacted with them knows that they are 
not deadbeats. They are Americans who are simply looking not for a 
handout but for a helping hand.
  Thousands live in the 18th Congressional District in the city of 
Houston, and I applaud the mayor and the council members and other 
elected officials; and I applaud Americans in general for the 
outpouring of their generosity, and particular Houstonians. But we need 
your help. We need your help in helping FEMA continue its funding of 
apartment contracts that were supposed to be for 12 months and 18 
months, otherwise we will see Katrina victims, their families and 
children dumped into the streets.
  We need the funding to continue to provide hotel compensation until 
February 7 or longer, or we will see Katrina survivors dumped into the 
streets. When I use the word ``Katrina,'' I really mean Americans, for 
the American Federal Government should be the safety net for all 
Americans in time of trouble. If we do not have the funding that we 
should have, we will see Katrina survivors stranded throughout America, 
44 different States where they are located, with a one-way ticket to 
those States and no return ticket home.
  FEMA will provide that ticket with the continuing funding for them to 
return home to their States. Now we understand that Defense 
appropriations will have 527s, issues dealing with campaign funding. 
That is not a Defense bill. We also find out that in addition to the 
Katrina resources, we will be putting the development and the 
expiration of ANWR.
  Many of us are disagreeing with that. We believe in energy 
development, but we are disagreeing with going into ANWR, because we 
believe it has not been proven that that is a source of energy, other 
than, of course, an enhancement and opportunity for Alaska, one State. 
We applaud them for that, but there are many other resources that can 
be utilized to keep energy prices down.
  We can explore in the gulf. It has not been explored to the extent 
that it should be, and there is a welcoming attitude about the 
exploration in the gulf, not only for energy oil but also for gasoline 
or gas.
  Let me also say that there are still districts in the city of Houston 
that are in greet need of the funding that is in this bill. In the city 
of Houston, Houston Independent School District spends $186,000 a day 
for the additional visitors, or students, from Louisiana and 
Mississippi.
  We are in debt $30 million. We have 5,000 students. We welcome them. 
We want to teach them. We want to help them, but we need the support 
that is in this Defense appropriations bill. We want this bill to come 
to the floor, and certainly what we want most of all is to be able to 
have a free-standing bill to help our soldiers, our veterans to give 
them good health care, good housing, and good support.
  We want to be able to be the safety net for all Americans in time of 
tragedy, provide for the Katrina survivors, the Wilma survivors, the 
Rita survivors to be able to have school in the place where they do not 
live; and we want most of all to be able to have housing and the travel 
trailers to get where they have to go.
  Let us get the bill on the floor. Let us do what America needs us to 
do. Let us provide a safety net for America.

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