[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 38 (Tuesday, March 6, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H2215-H2222]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
BLUE DOG COALITION
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
January 18, 2007, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Ross) is recognized
for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
Mr. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, this evening, as every Tuesday evening, I rise
on behalf of the 43 member strong fiscally conservative Democratic Blue
Dog Coalition. We are a group of fiscally conservative Democrats that
are doing our best to restore common sense and fiscal discipline to our
Federal Government. Part of that is accountability.
This evening I am pleased to be joined by another gentleman from
Arkansas, Mr. Berry, from Arkansas's First Congressional District, as
we talk about restoring not only common sense and fiscal discipline to
our national government, but accountability to our Federal agencies.
Mr. Speaker, a week ago, Saturday, February 24, 2007, at about three
in the afternoon, not one but two tornadoes devastated the rural delta
county of Desha County. The county seat is Arkansas City. It was
spared. McGehee was spared for the most part. But Dumas, a town of
about 5,000 people, was hit, and hit hard, as you can see from this
photo provided to me by Agnes Ross at the Dumas Clarion. This is what
was left of the Fred's Dollar Store. My district director's dad was in
the meat locker of the grocery store, Matt Butcher, next door, which
was also destroyed. In fact, Mr. Speaker, 150 homes were either
destroyed or
[[Page H2216]]
heavily damaged. Depending on whose numbers you want to rely on,
somewhere between 600 and 800 workers were displaced from work, because
wherever they worked was destroyed or heavily damaged. That community
of Dumas and much of Desha County went without power for five days.
It was bad enough that the Governor cut short his trip to the
National Governor's Association meeting here in Washington and flew
home, and I was privileged to join him in going to Dumas and spending
the afternoon visiting folks and reassuring folks that help was on the
way. It was bad enough that the Governor called out 150 members of the
Arkansas National Guard.
That was February 24, 2007. More than a week later, the President
still has not declared Desha County a Federal disaster area and FEMA
has not responded to my request to move 150 mobile homes that were
purchased for Hurricane Katrina to Dumas and Desha County to be used
for temporary housing while these good folks in this forgotten delta
county get their lives put back together and rebuild their homes.
Mr. Speaker, this is one example of the damage. Again 150 National
Guard soldiers called out; 150 people's homes either destroyed or
severely damaged; 600 to 800 workers temporarily displaced from their
job because wherever they worked was destroyed or heavily damaged; no
power for 5 days. And yet the Federal Emergency Management Agency says
that this forgotten delta county, Desha County, is not worthy of a
Federal disaster declaration. They want to talk about all these rules
and regulations and all this bureaucratic this and bureaucratic that.
You would expect that from the IRS, Mr. Speaker, you would expect
that from most Federal agencies. But when I think of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency, when I think of FEMA, I think of first
responder. I think of one Federal agency that should be able to cut
through the bureaucratic red tape and get something done. If FEMA can't
do it, no Federal agency can do it, and FEMA is not.
I guess what infuriates me more is a week after these two tornadoes
struck Dumas and Desha County, and here is another good photo of one of
the houses that was destroyed, we can't convince FEMA that that home is
destroyed, but we believe it was destroyed, it is certainly
uninhabitable, but what gets me is, a week ago Saturday, the tornadoes
hit Dumas. The President has yet to declare it a Federal disaster area,
FEMA has yet to help with temporary housing, or anything else, for that
matter, and yet the following Saturday, and my heart goes out to the
people in Alabama and Georgia, we were fortunate in Dumas and Desha
County, we did not have a loss of life. We did have a couple of dozen
injuries, some of them very serious, but the good Lord was working
overtime in Dumas, Arkansas, a week ago Saturday. There is no doubt
about that. People go through and tour this town and they scratch their
head. How in the world did no one die? And for those who did die in
those tornados that came about a week later in Georgia and Alabama, our
heart goes out for those people.
But it really galled me to see the director of FEMA with the
President in Alabama and Georgia holding hands singing ``Kumbaya'' and
talking about the new and improved FEMA. The new and improved FEMA has
forgotten this delta county.
And this story gets better, and is hard to believe. But you can see
here, this is one of the 150 homes that is either destroyed or badly
damaged. Dumas is a rural community. It is not like there are a lot of
rental houses available there. People, even those with insurance, need
a place to live while they get their life put back together and their
homes rebuilt, which could take up to a year. And this story gets
better, or a better word, this story gets more tragic. Some of you are
aware of this, Mr. Speaker.
When Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast in August 2005, one of the
first things FEMA did was they ordered thousands of brand new, fully
furnished mobile homes; not the camper trailers. We are talking brand
new, fully-furnished mobile homes, 14 to 16 foot wide, 60 foot long,
built-in microwaves, coffee tables, end tables, sofas, dining room
sets, built-in central heat and air with the unit ready to drop out of
the back. Most of them are equipped, or filled, I should say, with
Ashley furniture.
Hope, Arkansas, because it is the old proving grounds from World War
II, and it is an old military airport and they had some inactive
runways and tarmacs, well, FEMA approached the City of Hope, which is
also in my district. Hope used to be known as the birthplace of
President Clinton. Now we are known as the largest trailer park in the
world.
So FEMA entered into an agreement with the City of Hope to store
these mobile homes in Hope. Not store. Actually, it was to be a FEMA
staging area where they would transition through there on their way
from wherever they purchased them to the gulf coast region. That was
shortly after August 2005, Hurricane Katrina.
They kept delivering these mobile homes to Hope. They kept bringing
more and more mobile homes to Hope. This an aerial photo that I took
Saturday. This is current. I took this Saturday at the Hope Airport
from a small plane. This is a current aerial photo.
All these white things, those are mobile homes that were purchased
for Hurricane Katrina victims August 2005. And the staging area quickly
became a storage area where more and more mobile homes arrived, but
none of them ever left. Why? Because, at the time, FEMA said, oh, we
don't place mobile homes in flood plains.
Well, they knew that they don't place mobile homes in flood plains
before they bought them. And guess what? Everybody that lost their home
in Hurricane Katrina and needed a home lived in a floodplain. So these
homes were never placed.
Then President Bush was at the Democratic Caucus last month at
Williamsburg, and he and I talked about this after the chairman of the
Homeland Security Committee, Bennie Thompson, questioned him
specifically about these mobile homes, and the President told me, we
are saving them for future disasters.
In Dumas, Arkansas, a week ago Saturday, the people were struck not
by one but by two tornadoes; 150 homes destroyed or badly damaged; 600
to 800 workers out of work because wherever they worked has been
destroyed or heavily damaged; 150 members of the Arkansas National
Guard called out; and yet, that was a week ago Saturday, on Monday, the
Governor and I toured Dumas and on Tuesday at 9 a.m. in a conference
call I asked David Paulison, the Director of FEMA, to release 150 of
these 8,420 mobile homes. That is how many are currently at the Hope
Airport from the photo taken Saturday. There is 8,420 of these parked
at the airport in Hope today.
I respectfully requested 150 of these be moved to Dumas, which is
only 3 hours away, to provide temporary housing for the people of Dumas
and Desha County while they rebuild their homes.
{time} 1800
I am still waiting on an answer. So I called him back again Thursday.
He still couldn't give me an answer. They still have not declared this
forgotten delta county a Federal disaster, and they have yet to move a
single one of these mobile homes. If what I saw in Dumas is not a
Federal disaster, Mr. Speaker, I doubt we will ever see another Federal
disaster again.
And, Mr. Speaker, if they refuse to move 150 of these 8,420 mobile
homes from Hope to Dumas to help folks, isn't that what FEMA is
supposed to be in the business of doing? Then do you really believe any
of these will ever be moved for the public good to help people? It is
reprehensible; I am appalled by it. I am ashamed of our government, Mr.
Speaker. This is a symbol of what is wrong with FEMA. This is a symbol
of why so many people in this country have given up on their Federal
Government.
And the story gets better. Shortly after Hurricane Katrina and all
these mobile homes showed up in Hope and they weren't moving them to
the people that needed them on the gulf coast, Mr. Speaker, I spoke up
and brought a photo similar to this to the House floor and I said,
FEMA, if you do not move these homes to the people who need them on the
gulf coast, they are going to start sinking into the cow pasture, the
hay meadow, thinking that would get FEMA off high center and they would
start moving them to the people
[[Page H2217]]
that needed them. What did FEMA do? They showed up with $7 million
worth of gravel to put under them. Folks, you cannot make this up; it
is too unbelievable.
And so if I appear frustrated this evening, I am because a week ago
Monday, Governor Beebe and I toured Dumas and the Back Gate community.
And in Back Gate, at least a week ago, and perhaps tonight, there were
30 people crowded in a metal building, calling it home because they
have no place to live. I talked to Agnes Ross at the Dumas Clarion
earlier today and she said she ran into somebody on the streets of
Dumas earlier today, an elderly woman that had no place to go, no place
to live, and yet 8,420 brand new, fully furnished mobile homes are
sitting there at the airport in Hope, Arkansas, 3 hours from Dumas.
When the Blue Dog Coalition talks about restoring accountability to
our government and making Federal agencies answer for their action, or
a lack of action, this is a good example. This is about as good as it
gets. And, Mr. Speaker, I am not here to beat up the President or beat
up the director of FEMA. I tried for a week to go through the proper
channels and get this done, but for the life of me I am imploring the
President and the director of FEMA, Mr. Speaker, to move just a few of
those mobile homes from Hope to Dumas to help these folks, provide them
temporary housing while they try to get their lives put back together
and their homes rebuilt.
Marion Berry, a Congressman from the First District of Arkansas, is
from Gillette. He doesn't live but a few miles from Dumas. He knows
these people, too. This storm affected his area, and he is very aware
of what is going on and the lack of attention from FEMA. At this time I
would yield to him. I want to thank him for joining me this evening to
talk about trying to help the folks of Dumas and Desha County, this
forgotten delta county.
Mr. BERRY. I thank the gentleman from south Arkansas, and I certainly
appreciate his leadership in this matter.
I would also encourage everyone that can hear my voice to keep in our
hearts and minds and certainly in your prayers our men and women in
uniform, especially those on the battlefield this evening. Reach out to
them and their families and let them know that you understand and
appreciate the sacrifice and commitment they make out of the goodness
of their hearts.
My esteemed colleague from south Arkansas is absolutely correct. We
have these horrible tornados almost every year in Arkansas. We had two
in the First Congressional District that I am privileged to represent
last year. We have had as many as a hundred in one day all across
Arkansas.
I have served in this Congress since 1997, and from 1997 to January
of 2001 we had a director of FEMA that remains distinguished to this
day and always will. His name was James Lee Witt. He knew how to run an
agency. He didn't make excuses. When a tornado hit, you didn't have to
call FEMA, you didn't have to call the director, you didn't have to
call anybody. They would just show up, Johnny-on-the-spot. They knew
what they were doing. They were trained. They could make decisions.
They helped people start putting their lives together. They helped
communities and local governments clean up the mess. They provided the
necessary financing to get the economy going again. They worked with
the public schools to get them repaired and back in order.
Today, FEMA is a worse disaster than the storms. If they show up at
all, which they haven't in Desha County, and my colleague, Mr. Ross, is
absolutely right, I just live right across the river from Desha County,
it is part of my home. Today, if they show up at all, it is for a photo
op. I saw this past Saturday on CNN, FEMA has a new truck, a
communications truck. They were so proud. They were explaining that
this communications truck, and I would love to know how much it cost,
was the secret to their success because they were going to be able to
use that truck to take pictures and broadcast them back to FEMA
headquarters and they would get the same information they could have
gotten from CNN 3 hours ago. All of this would be hysterically funny if
it was not so tragic.
This is not a funding issue. It is just a simple matter of
incompetence from the top to the bottom. This administration simply
does not know how to run a government agency.
I have not talked to Mr. Paulison. I have talked to him on previous
occasions, and he defines the word ``bureaucrat,'' which is a sad thing
to have to say about anyone. It is the job of the Congress to hold
these people accountable.
I have had conversations with Secretary Chertoff. And he assures me
that these trailers that are down in Hope, we are going to take care of
those. This was over a year ago. He appeared before the Appropriations
Committee and explained that in just a few months these were all going
to be moved out and everything was going to be wonderful. They are just
sitting down there going to ruin. Nobody is using them. But they
wouldn't let the victims of tornados in my district last year use them.
They won't let the good people of Desha County use them this year. This
just doesn't make any sense.
It is the job of the Congress, and that is the reason my colleagues
and I are here this evening, to begin the process to hold these
incompetent bureaucrats accountable for the terrible way they are
running this agency. For crying out loud, if you can't do anything
else, give us a ``no'' answer. Tell us something. Don't just let it
stay out there and twist in the wind.
I can tell you this: You don't have to be all broke out in brilliance
to look at these pictures or drive through that community and know a
terrible disaster took place, and they are deserving of the help of the
Federal Government. What a sad thing it is to go from an agency and a
government only 6 years ago that would come to the aid of the people
when a disaster happened, to this horrible mess that we call FEMA today
that is so incompetent all they can do is spend money where it doesn't
help the people. It is time that they at least appeared before this
Congress and make some kind of a pathetic explanation as to why they
are operating the way they are at this time. And let's hope that by
some stroke the administration and the White House, who is ultimately
in charge, will at least have the credibility and feel responsible
enough to get control of that agency, because we know there will be
more disasters that will happen to the American people, and we are
going to need help from our Federal Government.
We cannot continue to operate this way. What a sad thing it is to see
this agency and the way they treat people who have had their lives
destroyed, their jobs destroyed, their homes destroyed, and yet they
are not even deemed worthy by the director of FEMA or the Secretary of
Homeland Security of a little bit of help and a little bit of
recognition by the Federal Government so they can get some help on
their own.
And can you imagine, if the Secretary of Homeland Security can't see
that FEMA works, can you imagine the mess that the rest of Homeland
Security is in? What a terrifying thought that these people are in
charge of anything, but certainly in charge of our homeland security
and in charge of the very Federal agency that is charged with bringing
assistance and helping the people when these tragedies take place.
I would join my colleague in recognizing tragedies that took place in
Alabama and Georgia and the loss of life and how terrible that was, and
we hope they get treated better. They certainly deserve to be treated
well. They deserve all the help it is possible to give them at this
time.
Let's hope that we are not back here in 2 weeks to hear stories from
Alabama and Georgia about how, well, FEMA came and they had their
picture made with us and they gave us a big hug, and then they left and
nothing happened. They deserve better. And let's hope that they get
better. We also deserve to have help for the people in Desha County in
south Arkansas in the First Congressional District. They deserve to be
treated better, also.
And, Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that my colleague, Mr. Ross, will
not rest, nor will the Arkansas delegation, nor will the Governor of
the State of Arkansas rest until we see the recovery taking place and
the wonderful community of Dumas, Arkansas, begin to be restored and
the economy begins to prosper again, and the people begin to put their
lives back together.
[[Page H2218]]
I thank my colleague for his leadership, and I will yield back.
Mr. ROSS. I thank the gentleman from Arkansas for joining me this
evening and talking about the lack of accountability within the Federal
Emergency Management Agency.
To recount, February 24, 2007, a week ago Saturday, not one, but two
tornadoes devastated the town of Dumas and the Back Gate community in
Desha County. The Governor declared it a State disaster, called out 150
members of the Arkansas National Guard who were there for nearly a
week. It took crews of more than a hundred working for 5 days to
restore electricity to that delta county. Some 600 to 800 people remain
out of work because of the damage done to their workplace. And yet here
we are, a week ago Saturday in Dumas, horrible tornados. And the ironic
thing is that FEMA has a staging area with 8,420 brand new fully
furnished mobile homes 3 hours away, filled with Ashley furniture and
built-in microwaves ready to be set up, and the mayor and the county
judge, Marion Gill, the mayor of Dumas, Mark McElroy, the county judge
in Desha County, they have got sites available. The zoning is cleared
with city water, with water and electrical and sewer hook-ups, and yet
FEMA, which is supposed to be in the business of helping people,
refused to move a single one of these to the more than 150 people who
lost their home, like this family right here.
{time} 1815
This is one of the 150 homes that were either totally destroyed or
heavily damaged. Yes, some of these folks had insurance, but yes, we
have 8,420 mobile homes 3 hours away that are not doing anybody any
good sitting at the airport in a hay meadow. They were purchased to
help people.
There is no place to rent in Dumas. These folks in Dumas and Desha
County need a place to live temporarily. We are not asking that they
give these mobile homes to them. We are asking for temporary
assistance. That is what FEMA is in the business of or supposed to be.
Allow these folks to temporarily live in 150 of these 8,420 brand new
mobile homes, filled with Ashley furniture.
They are not doing anybody good in Hope. Let us get them moving, Mr.
Speaker, to Dumas, Arkansas, and let these folks in Dumas who lost
their homes or had their homes heavily damaged live in them temporarily
while they get their life put back together and rebuild their homes.
Mr. Speaker, this is not the first time we have raised this issue.
Here is the timeline, talk about accountability and restoring
accountability to our government: Saturday, February 24, two tornadoes
devastated the communities of Dumas and Back Gate in Desha County.
Monday, February 26, I surveyed the damage on the ground and in the air
along with Governor Beebe and other elected officials. Governor Beebe
named Desha County a State disaster area and announced his plans to
request a Federal disaster declaration.
Tuesday, February 27, I held a conference call with FEMA Director
David Paulison, along with Senator Lincoln from Arkansas and staff for
Senator Pryor. In the call, I conveyed my support of Governor Beebe and
requested FEMA expedite their decision and action as well as encouraged
FEMA to use 150 manufactured homes from this supply of 8,420 of them
from Hope, Arkansas, just 3 hours away, for the families without
shelter in Desha County.
Later Tuesday, my staff talked with FEMA again regarding the status
of the disaster declaration, and they expressed that they did not read
the laws as we did and that they are still working with Arkansas to
gather information. In other words, the bureaucracy began.
Wednesday, February 28, I joined with both senators, Senator Lincoln
and Senator Pryor from Arkansas in sending a letter to President Bush
and FEMA Director Paulison supporting Governor Beebe's request for a
Federal disaster declaration.
Thursday, March 1, 2007, I again talked with FEMA Director Paulison
regarding the lack of a response and movement of these mobile homes
from Hope and expressed my displeasure with his office. It had been 6
days since the tornadoes and the communities were just beginning to
regain electricity in parts of the town. At that point, FEMA says the
reason for not declaring a disaster area is the high rate of insured
homes and the fact that the State is capable of taking care of the
damage.
Supposedly, they told CNN, FEMA did, that the State has a surplus
this year, and they do not need their help. Well, Mr. Speaker, that is
the craziest thing I have ever heard of. The city and county is a very
rural area. It is in the delta region. They lost half their sales tax
base when a big retail store left about a year ago. They had a Fred's
Dollar Store and a grocery store left, and they have been destroyed.
They have, at least for a short period of time, perhaps up to a year,
lost much of their tax base. At the same time, they are struggling to
pay for a new county hospital and new city hospital there in Dumas, and
they are not getting any help from the one agency that we thought was
supposed to be there to help us in the time of need, the Federal
Emergency Management Agency.
Friday, March 2, 2007, I again joined with Senators Lincoln and Pryor
to send another letter to FEMA in support of Governor Beebe and the
immediate need for mobile homes in Desha County.
Saturday, March 3, during an address in Memphis, Tennessee, at the
55th Annual Mid-South Farm and Cotton Gin show, I commented on the lack
of response from FEMA one week after the tornadoes.
I went to Hope, and I stood in front of these 8,420 mobile homes to
highlight the waste of taxpayers' money, the fact that these brand new,
fully furnished manufactured homes are just 3 hours away from Dumas,
yet they are not being put to good use. They are not helping the people
some 3 hours away in Dumas.
Then, Tuesday, March 5, 2007, that is today, I joined Senators
Lincoln and Pryor in sending a letter in support of Governor Beebe's
request to the U.S. Small Business Administration to request small
business disaster loans be administered in Desha County to help the 25
businesses which were destroyed and the more than 800 employees who are
now without a job or a place to work nearby, some 600 to 800 depending
on which day it is and which businesses are able to get back up.
My office hand delivered letters from me and photos I took, this
photo right here. We delivered an 8x10 copy of this photo along with a
letter today to President Bush, to FEMA Director Paulison, and to the
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff, making one final
plea to assist these folks in this forgotten delta county.
Well, we have gone on long enough on this, Mr. Speaker, but I think
it is important. As members of the Blue Dogs, we talk about
accountability, and you cannot talk about accountability and the lack
of it without talking about FEMA. Again 8,420 brand new mobile homes
sitting there at the Hope airport, not doing anybody any good, and I
have got 150 homes either totally destroyed or damaged like one 3 hours
away.
It has been more than a week. FEMA refuses to send a single mobile
home to assist these folks. If they are not going to move them 3 hours
away to a disaster area, Mr. Speaker, I can assure you these mobile
homes will never be put to the public good. They will never go to help
people if they are not going to help people 3 hours away in their time
of need.
I am, once again, Mr. Speaker, imploring the President and the
director of FEMA and the Secretary of Homeland Security to do the right
thing and to get some of these mobile homes moving to Dumas, where
tonight 30 people are living in a metal building. They need our help,
Mr. Speaker.
That is what the Blue Dog Coalition is all about. We are about trying
to restore common sense and fiscal discipline to our national
government, and we are about accountability.
In fact, Mr. Speaker, we have what is called the Iraq War
Accountability Act, and we are going to be talking about that more this
evening.
Mr. Speaker, as you walk the halls of Congress, it is easy to know
when you are walking by an office that belongs to a member of the
fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition. Why? Because you
will see this poster. A poster reminding Members of Congress and
reminding the people who
[[Page H2219]]
walk the halls of Congress that our Nation is in debt.
Today, the U.S. national debt is $8,811,969,377,773 and some change,
and if you divide that by every man, woman and child in America, your
share, Mr. Speaker, of the national debt is $29,245. It is time that
this Nation get its fiscal house in order, and one of the ways we do
that is by restoring accountability to our Federal agencies, which is
what this business with FEMA is all about, trying to restore
accountability and common sense and cutting through the bureaucracy and
red tape to help people in their time of need.
At this time, it is a pleasure for me to yield to my friend from the
State of Ohio (Mr. Wilson). We are pleased to have Mr. Wilson as a new
Member of the fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition, and
at this time, I recognize Mr. Wilson.
Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, it is hard to believe when the
Katrina accident happened that we were out of line as much as we were
and not responsive, as has been indicated here this evening, and it is
even harder to believe that after the correction of that, we are back
in the same boat again.
I know they changed FEMA directors. Mr. Brown was terminated and went
on. And then now we have a new group of people running FEMA, but it
does not seem to be any better.
Mr. Speaker, the Blue Dogs stand for accountability. We stand for
accountability in a lot of different ways. We feel that there are some
truly misguided priorities that are hurting our country and hurting us
as people here.
Mr. Speaker, just Sunday evening, millions of Americans watched ``60
Minutes.'' We heard what the Blue Dogs have been talking about for more
than a decade.
In the report, the U.S. Comptroller General, the Nation's top
accountant, urged people to wake up to our budget crisis before it is
too late. These are his words, Mr. Speaker.
``What's going on right now is we're spending more money than we
make.'' Couldn't be much more simple. ``We're charging it to a credit
card and expecting our grandchildren to pay.''
Mr. Speaker, that is absolutely wrong. The Comptroller General is
absolutely right. Our fiscal mess is outrageous, and we as Blue Dogs
stand for accountability. Reckless budgets and irresponsible spending
has got us into the fix we are in, and now it is the responsibility of
this Congress to help us get out.
The administration has had misguided priorities that have been
painfully clear. They send pallets of cash to Iraq while our veterans
at home suffer in dirty, broken-down facilities, not getting the
medical care that they need after putting their life on the line for
our country. Recent reports of the deplorable conditions and the roach-
infested rooms at Walter Reed are an outrage, and they are
unacceptable. Mr. Speaker, it is an understatement to say that our
brave veterans deserve so much more than the way they are being
treated.
We must hold this administration accountable for this reckless
approach that has allowed millions of dollars to go missing in Iraq
while our brave young men and women who need proper medical care have
gone without it. We must provide real oversight to keep this from
happening again, just like we need to provide real oversight as we work
for a responsible budget.
Mr. Speaker, what will happen if we do not clean up this fiscal mess?
We only need to listen to the words of the Comptroller General again in
last Sunday's ``60 Minutes'' presentation. He said, ``We suffer from a
fiscal cancer. It's growing within'' our country. ``And if we do not
treat it, it could have catastrophic consequences for'' America.
As Blue Dogs, Mr. Speaker, we will shine a bright light on this
cancer and nurse our budget back to health. Our future and the future
of our children and our grandchildren depend on it.
Mr. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr.
Wilson), an important member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog
Coalition, for sharing your thoughts with us this evening as we try to,
Mr. Speaker, talk about the need to restore fiscal discipline and
accountability to our government. You gave a good example of putting an
end to the debt and the deficit spending, and we have had examples this
evening about restoring accountability to government, and the
accountability and lack of it within FEMA.
We are going to hear about other areas where we need to restore
accountability within our Federal Government this evening, and we will
talk some about the Blue Dog Coalition's Iraq War Accountability Act.
We support our troops. In fact, we support them so much we want to
make sure this $12 million an hour that is being sent to Iraq of your
hardearned tax money, Mr. Speaker, is going to support our men and
women in uniform. Unfortunately, as we have learned, much of it is not,
and that is why we have this legislation, H.R. 97, the Iraq War
Accountability Act.
Mr. Speaker, if you have got any comments, questions or concerns for
us, you can e-mail us at [email protected]. That is
[email protected].
At this time, Mr. Speaker, I yield to another member of the fiscally
conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Costa).
Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Arkansas
(Mr. Ross), my good friend, who every day is working to represent the
constituents of his State.
I share, too, the concerns with the lack of accountability that has
taken place over the last 4 years as we have put America's finest men
and women in uniform in harm's way, fighting this war on terrorism, but
specifically in Iraq and Afghanistan, and only to find that too often
we have not done the necessary planning, we have not put the necessary
resources in place nor have we taken the time to ensure that their work
is focused on in a way that brings results, the kind of results that
all Americans as taxpayers want to see when we invest in our Nation's
interests.
The Iraq Accountability Act is an important step to try to reinstate
credibility through this war effort, and therefore, we are urging our
colleagues throughout the House to embrace this effort. This is not a
partisan issue. This is all about making sure that when we invest $25
billion in reconstruction, when we need that kind of investment here at
home, that it, in fact, is not taken in by sole source contracting
single bids; that, in fact, that the work actually takes place at a
level of quality so that the Iraqi government or the citizens can, in
fact, benefit from that investment of infrastructure.
{time} 1830
We just saw recently about the construction of a police station that
was so shoddily built with U.S. taxpayers dollars that, in fact, it has
been deemed unusable.
So as fellow Blue Dog members, we really urge in a bipartisan basis
for us as a House to come together. We are the people's House, after
all, and it is important that we put partisan politics at the water's
edge. We are in a real mess in Iraq. There is no doubt about that. I
have every hope, as do most Americans, that, in fact, we do the right
thing in ensuring that this effort takes place in a way that brings our
American troops home as safely and as quickly as possible.
However, if this surge is not successful, as I asked Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice in the Foreign Affairs Committee just 2 weeks
ago, that I think it is absolutely critical that we understand what our
backup plan is. I think the American public is getting tired of us
pursuing these efforts without the sort of time invested effort that is
going to ensure that if this effort is not successful, we have a backup
and that we are not simply winging it, because I think too often that
has been the history of the recent past in this engagement.
Mr. Speaker, and my colleague, Congressman Mike Ross, I would like to
shift this effort of accountability and transparency back to our
Nation's shores. I was very moved by the comments Congressman Mike Ross
made when he talked about the devastating impact of those tornados in
his district back in Arkansas. I saw the devastation on television
shortly after it occurred.
I e-mailed my friend, Congressman Mike Ross, and asked him how it was
there. He talked about the horrific
[[Page H2220]]
challenges his constituents were facing, and I felt for him. I felt for
him because whether we like it or not, natural disasters occur
throughout the country, whether it is in Florida, whether it is Katrina
in Louisiana and Mississippi. I know, because just in January we had a
similar natural disaster in California, called the freeze.
This devastating freeze has now impacted the State of California over
$1.3 billion. Now, when you have a freeze that impacts communities in
many counties such as we had in California in January, it doesn't take
on the same sort of graphic visuals that a tornado or a hurricane does,
but it is the worst freeze we have had in over 10 years. Governor
Schwarzenegger immediately declared the State a disaster, an area
designated as 31 counties eligible for State aid, and the State has
been putting money in there.
We have signed a bipartisan letter to the President asking for
Federal support. The estimate is that the freeze has affected not only
$1.3 billion in losses, and those numbers are adding up, but over
12,000 farm workers, as well as farmers, have been impacted. The
livelihood of these farmers, these farm workers and the communities
they live in have threatened the economies of these towns where we have
had 50 percent, 70 percent unemployment just in the last 4 to 6 weeks.
I was talking to a good friend of mine, Sarah Reyes, who heads up the
community foodbank back in Fresno County. She told me that in the last
6 weeks they have fed over 91,000 families, 91,000 families that don't
have jobs, that are out of work. But still, even though we have sent
this letter, the Governor made the declaration, 31 counties have been
impacted, the administration has yet to declare the freeze a Federal
disaster.
So you ask why, why is our Governor, Governor Schwarzenegger's
request being ignored? Why is the letter that has been signed by both
Democrats and Republicans among the California congressional delegation
being disregarded? Why is the administration acting so casually about a
situation that puts families out of work and family businesses at risk?
Mr. President, the freeze may not make the sort of pictures that we
have seen in Florida or in Arkansas or in Louisiana or in Mississippi;
but I can tell you, if you come to those communities and visit and meet
with those farm workers who are out of work, you talk to those farmers
and their families who have invested their entire lives in their family
farm, you will see just as dramatic an impact as any devastation of any
other natural disaster. So I think it is time for the administration to
focus on the accountability in its efforts in California for those
families that have been so impacted by this devastating freeze.
Accountability is what people expect their government to do. They
expect their government to solve problems.
When the President spoke here in the State of the Union in January
and said that folks are less concerned about the partisan squabbling
that takes place and they are more concerned about doing the people's
business, I agree with the President. In fact, this is part of the
people's business, being accountable, being transparent, and making
sure that after action that has already taken place, clearly 6 weeks,
now going on to 7 weeks, after the initial disaster, that yet we have
no response from Washington.
Ladies and gentlemen, folks in California and those 31 counties
expect better. My constituents expect better, and I am hopeful that
soon the President and the administration will step up to the plate and
take FEMA's recommendation and that the Office of Management and Budget
will suggest to the President that, in fact, California is deserving of
the same sort of support and response and accountability that all of
our citizens expect.
I thank the gentleman from Arkansas, my dear friend and colleague,
Mr. Mike Ross.
Mr. ROSS. An important member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of
fiscally conservative Democrats who spends many a Tuesday night here on
the floor with me talking about the need to restore common sense and
fiscal discipline to our Federal Government.
Why? Because today the U.S. national debt is $8,811,969,377,773 and
some change. For every man, woman and child in America, their share,
our share of the national debt is $29,245. It is what those of us in
the Blue Dog Coalition have coined as the debt tax, d-e-b-t, and that
is one tax that cannot go awayand cannot be cut until our Nation gets
its fiscal House in order.
Why is this important? Our Nation is borrowing nearly $1 billion a
day. In addition to billing $1 billion a day, we are spending about
half a billion every day paying interest on the debt we already got
before it goes up another $1 billion today, a half a billion dollars a
day. What could we do with that?
Just in my district alone, give me three days' interest on the
national debt, and I could complete I-49 across the western side of
Arkansas. Give me another three days' interest on the national debt,
and I could complete I-69 through the delta region of south Arkansas,
two important interstate road projects that could help create economic
opportunities and lift up one of the poorest regions in our country.
Yet these priorities continue to go unmet. Why? Because of a lack of
fiscal discipline, because too much of your hard-earned tax money is
going to pay interest, not principal, but just interest on the national
debt. Year after year, it is hard now to believe, but from 1998 to
2001, we had a balanced budget in this country and a surplus, the first
time either a Democrat or a Republican had given us that, in about 40
years.
Yet, we have squandered that, this administration and this Republican
Congress, for the past 6 years, year after year, have given us the
largest deficit ever in our Nation's history and the largest debt ever
in our Nation's history.
In fact, to put it in perspective, the total national debt from 1789
to 2000 was $5.67 trillion. But for 2010, the total national debt will
have increased to nearly $11 trillion. That is a doubling of the 211-
year debt in just 10 years. Interest payments on this debt are one of
the fastest-growing parts of the Federal budget, the debt tax we call
it, d-e-b-t; and it is one tax that cannot be repealed.
Our Nation is spending more money paying interest on national debt
than we are educating our children. If that is not wrong, I don't know
what is. It is morally wrong.
Well, you could see the current national debt is at an all-time high.
Why do deficits matter? Because they do reduce economic growth. They
burden our children and grandchildren with liabilities. They increase
our reliance on foreign lenders who now own 40 percent of our debt. Mr.
Speaker, this administration in the past 6 years has borrowed more
money from foreign central banks and foreign investors than the
previous 42 Presidents combined.
Mr. Speaker, you might be surprised at who they are. It is kind of
like David Letterman and his Top 10 list. Here is the Top 10 list of
people that we have gone out and borrowed money from in the last 6
years. The United States of America goes out to other countries and
borrows money to fund tax cuts in this country for folks earning over
$400,000 a year.
Here is the Top 10, we have borrowed, the United States of America
has borrowed, $637.4 billion from Japan; China, $346.5 billion; the
United Kingdom, $223.5 billion. You will love this one, OPEC, the
United States of America has borrowed $97.1 billion from OPEC; Korea,
$67.7 billion; Taiwan, $63.2 billion; the Caribbean Banking Centers,
$63.6 billion; Hong Kong, $51 billion; Germany, $52.1 billion.
Rounding out the Top 10 countries, where the United States of America
has gone and borrowed money from foreign central banks and foreign
lenders, you will not believe this one, Mexico. The United States of
America has borrowed $38.2 billion from Mexico to fund tax cuts in this
country for people who earn over $400,000 a year.
We are trying to fix this, and in this new Democratic majority, I am
proud to tell you that not in the first 100 hours, but the first 24
hours, the new Democratic leadership listened to the 43-member strong
fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition and reinstituted
what is known as the PAYGO rules, which means pay-as-you-go. Those were
the rules that were in place on this House floor from 1998 through 2001
when President Clinton gave this Nation its last balanced budget.
[[Page H2221]]
Some Republicans will have you believe, oh, that means they want to
raise taxes to fund a program. Not so. That means that we think you
should review programs and find programs that don't work and cut them
to pay for new programs. Pay-as-you-go does not mean raise taxes to
fund a new program. It means restore accountability to our government,
no more rubber-stamp Congress.
It means we are going to demand accountability from our Federal
agencies; and when programs don't work, and when agencies don't know
how to administer them, we are going to cut them and use that money to
fund other programs that can work.
Well, we have talked a lot this evening about accountability, and I
am real proud to be joined by one of the authors of our Iraq War
Accountability Act. We support our troops. In fact, the gentleman here
with me tonight, from Pennsylvania, Mr. Murphy, is an Iraqi war
veteran. My brother-in-law is serving tonight in the Middle East.
We support our troops, but we also want to make sure that this $12
million an hour of your tax money that is being sent to Iraq is
accounted for, and that it is being spent on our troops to protect them
so they can return home safely.
For the remaining 5 or 10 minutes we have got this evening, I
recognize the gentleman from Pennsylvania, a new member but an
important member of the Blue Dog Coalition, Mr. Murphy.
Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Thank you, Congressman Ross. I
will make sure that when my wife and I retire today we will pray for
your brother-in-law over in the Middle East. He is one of our heroes,
and we are proud of his service to the country.
I rise today to bring an end to the pattern of systemic neglect from
the White House. Last November, American families sent Democrats to
Congress to bring about change. There are now 49 new Members in the
House of Representatives. Five of those Members are veterans. Of those
five, I am proud to say they are all Democrats. I am also proud to say
that three of the five are from the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
in Admiral Sestak, Commander Carney, and myself.
Change from the neglect our military veterans are currently
experiencing, as they try to get the health care they deserve,
Americans have seen now the past few days what is going on in Walter
Reed. It is our opinion that this is criminal neglect.
{time} 1845
But when the people voted for change in November, they voted to
change from the strategy in Iraq that has American troops refereeing a
civil war while too many Iraqis sit on the sidelines, and a change in
the way we pay for the war in Iraq.
The American taxpayers have spent more than $400 billion in Iraq. If
they were to see an invoice, just one invoice, taxpayers would see the
widespread waste, fraud, and abuse. And that is why, as Blue Dogs, we
stood together with the Iraqi Accountability Act. Fifty-eight Members
of Congress agreed to this act. Congressmen Allen, Altmire, Arcuri,
Baca, Baird, Barrow, Bean, Berry, Bishop, Boswell, Boyd, Boyda, Brady,
Braley, Cardoza, Castor, Chandler, Costa, Davis, Donnelly, Ellsworth,
Gillibrand, Gonzalez, Hare, Harman, Herseth, Hill, Hodes, Holden,
Israel, Mahoney, Marshall, Matheson, McIntyre, McNerney, Melancon,
Marchant, Miller, Mitchell, Dennis Moore, Gwen Moore, Peterson,
Pomeroy, Ross, Salazar, Schwartz, Scott, Shuler, Tanner, Thompson,
Welch, Filner, Walz, Clarke, Ellison, Sires, Holt, Reyes.
All of these Members, all 58 Members are cosponsors to the Iraq
Accountability bill, and they signed on because they have seen what is
really going on. They have seen that over the past 4 years families of
my district of Bucks County, Pennsylvania and northeast Philadelphia
and across the country have heard a lot of bad news from Iraq.
But we are also hearing about money lost and weapons missing.
Recently here in Congress we heard from the Special Inspector General
for Iraq Reconstruction. He spoke to the Armed Services Committee, and
he told us about $9 billion that has simply vanished. But as many as
14,000 weapons have disappeared, weapons that could be in the enemy's
hands right now. These are dollars and these are weapons that were sent
to the Iraqis that have gone missing because of mismanagement and
fraud. It is not just about the money, but it is also about the safety
of our troops. Those missing weapons could arm an entire division of
the Muqtada al-Sadr army, an entire division.
Mr. Speaker, it is long past time that we kept track of the money and
the weapons that we are giving to the Iraqis and replace the fraud,
waste, and abuse with proper oversight, responsibility, and
accountability.
The legislation that the Blue Dogs are supporting addresses the
glaring lack of oversight and accountability in Iraq and addresses how
taxpayer dollars are spent on the war. It puts forward commonsense
proposals that ensure that fewer resources are wasted and more
resources get to the troops on the battlefield.
This legislation calls for transparency in how Iraq's war funds are
spent. It urges the establishment of a Truman committee-type commission
to track and curb the fraud, waste, and abuse. It calls for the Iraqi
war to go through the normal budgeting process, not through emergency
bills or supplementals. These are measures everyone should agree on
regardless of the political party.
American families are frustrated with the war in Iraq. This
legislation will go a long way toward providing the change that we all
seek and the transparency that we all deserve. It is time for answers,
Mr. Speaker, and it is time for accountability, and it is time to put
an end to the pattern of neglect.
Mr. ROSS. I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for his work in
helping write the Iraq War Accountability Act, which calls for
transparency on how Iraq war funds are spent. It creates a Truman-like
commission to investigate the awarding of contracts, the need to fund
the Iraq war through the normal appropriations process and not the so-
called emergency supplementals that hide the funding, and using
American resources to improve Iraqi assumption of internal policing
operations. Another example of how the Blue Dogs are leading the way,
Mr. Speaker, in trying to restore accountability to our government here
at home as well as in Iraq.
And in closing, Mr. Speaker, as I began this Special Order this
evening, I talked about the terrible tornados that devastated Dumas and
Desha Counties in my district, and I enter into the Record two letters
addressed to the President, one February 28 and one March 5, 2007.
Congress of the United States,
Washington, DC, February 28, 2007.
Hon. George W. Bush,
The White House,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. President: We are writing to support Governor Mike
Beebe's request for a Presidential declaration of major
disaster for Desha County in Arkansas. Currently, the State
of Arkansas and local communities are beginning the process
of recovering from the heavy rains, high winds, and tornadoes
that touched down in Arkansas on Saturday, February 23rd.
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 501(a) of the Robert T.
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, we ask
that the State of Arkansas receive a federal disaster
designation for the damage assessed in Desha County.
As you are probably aware, we represent a predominantly
rural state where municipal governments are often ill-
equipped to respond to disasters of this magnitude. We have
no doubt that all available resources at the state and local
level are being used, but federal assistance will be needed
to help the affected communities recover.
We would also like to specifically request that Desha
County be approved for the FEMA Individuals & Households
Program (IHP) to include Temporary Housing and assistance
with Mobile Homes and Travel Trailers, Small Business
Administration disaster loans, and Direct Federal Assistance.
The availability of rental property is restricted with the
closest jurisdiction being approximately 45 miles.
As you know, many of the manufactured homes and travel
trailers purchased by FEMA for use in the Hurricane Katrina
disaster are currently sitting unused in Hope, Arkansas. It
is our belief that these manufactured homes and travel
trailers should be made available to those Arkansans left
homeless by Saturday's storms. The inability of FEMA to find
a permanent home for these manufactured homes and travel
trailers in areas affected by Katrina has been a source of
frustration for the Arkansas delegation and our constituents.
However, their close proximity to the disaster in our state
provides a perfect opportunity to put some of them to a good
use.
[[Page H2222]]
Mr. President, we respectfully request your swift
consideration and approval of this request. If you have any
questions or need additional information, please do not
hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely,
Blanche L. Lincoln.
Mark Pryor.
Mike Ross.
____
March 5, 2007.
Hon. George W. Bush
President of the United States,
The White House, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. President, I am writing to you because I have
great concerns regarding the lack of a federal disaster
declaration for Desha County, Arkansas, and the desperate
need for temporary housing for this storm-ravaged Delta
County.
On February 24,2007, two terrible tornadoes hit the towns
of Dumas and Back Gate in Desha County, Arkansas. While my
heart goes out to the people in Alabama and Georgia who were
recently hit by deadly tornadoes, I write to you because I am
concerned that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
has now forgotten about our situation in Arkansas. The
tornadoes that passed through our state destroyed or heavily
damaged more than 150 homes; caused 800 people to be out of
work because 25 businesses were destroyed; required the
Governor to send in the National Guard to enforce security
and for clean up purposes; and forced the town to be without
electrical power for five days. In this small town, with an
estimated population of 5,300, this level of damage and
destruction has been overwhelming.
Desha County has still not been declared a federal disaster
area, and one of my greatest concerns is the fact that there
is no alternative housing for those residents who have been
displaced. Nearly 9,000 brand new, fully furnished mobile
homes sit less than three hours away at a FEMA staging area
in Hope, Arkansas, and all I ask that you make wise use of
our taxpayers' money and instruct FEMA Director David
Paulison to move 150 of these mobile homes to Desha County
for temporary housing.
Last week, I toured the devastation in Desha County with
Governor Mike Beebe and strongly supported his request to you
for a federal disaster declaration to assist those businesses
and individuals that have been damaged or left without
shelter. I also joined Arkansas's U.S. Senators Blanche
Lincoln and Mark Pryor in support of that request. At that
time FEMA Director Paulison informed me in a phone
conversation that the Governor's request had been passed on
from the FEMA Region VI office to FEMA's Washington, DC
office and was pending his review.
Mr. President, as you and I spoke a month ago at the House
Democratic Caucus Retreat in Williamsburg, Virginia, the need
to put to use the nearly 9,000 brand new, fully furnished
mobile homes stored in Hope could not be greater. It has now
been more than a week since these storms hit our state, and I
respectfully request that you do what is right and declare
Desha County, Arkansas, a federal disaster area. Such a
declaration would enable area businesses to take advantage of
federal resources and allow you to begin moving mobile homes
from the Hope Airport to Desha County for temporary housing.
I have toured the devastation in Desha County and seen
first-hand the effects of this storm. I have also enclosed a
photo taken Saturday of the nearly 9,000 fully furnished
mobile homes purchased for Hurricane Katrina victims but
never used that sit unused in Hope, Arkansas. I again ask
that you declare Desha County a federal disaster area and
make 150 mobile homes available so that victims can have
access to temporary emergency shelter. This is the right
thing to do and I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Mike Ross.
____________________