[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 13]
[House]
[Pages 17553-17558]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR DISASTER RELIEF ACT, 2004

  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 5005) making emergency supplemental appropriations 
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2004, for additional disaster 
assistance.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 5005

       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, 2004, to provide emergency supplemental 
     appropriations for additional disaster assistance, namely:


  department of homeland security emergency preparedness and response

                            Disaster Relief

       For an additional amount for ``Disaster Relief'', 
     $2,000,000,000, to remain available until expended, of which 
     up to $30,000,000 may be transferred to ``Small Business 
     Administration--Salaries and Expenses'', for administrative 
     expenses to carry out the disaster loans program authorized 
     by section 7(b) of the Small Business Act: Provided, That the 
     amounts provided herein are designated as an emergency 
     requirement pursuant to section 402 of S. Con. Res. 95 (108th 
     Congress), as made applicable to the House of Representatives 
     by H. Res. 649 (108th Congress) and applicable to the Senate 
     by section 14007 of Public Law 108-287.
       This Act may be cited as the ``Emergency Supplemental 
     Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act, 2004''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Young) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed to 
yield 5 minutes of my time to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young).
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Wisconsin?
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) is 
recognized and will control 25 minutes of the debate.


                             General Leave

  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and to include extraneous material on the bill H.R. 5005, 
making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2004, for additional disaster assistance.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, first I want to thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. 
Obey) for yielding me the additional time because, as you might expect, 
many Members of the Florida delegation would like to be heard on this 
bill.
  Mr. Speaker, Congress has responded many, many times to natural 
disasters in different parts of the country; but I cannot remember any 
time when an entire State, and I mean everybody in the State, was 
actually affected by a series of natural disasters in one way or 
another. Unfortunately, thanks to Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane 
Charlie and Hurricane Frances, that is exactly what has happened to 
Florida in the last couple of weeks, and we are still feeling the 
effects.
  As a matter of fact, our sister States to the north, Georgia and the 
Carolinas, and probably Virginia, sometime tonight are all going to 
feel some of the effects of Hurricane Frances.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to compliment the President of the United 
States, the Governor of Florida, the director of FEMA, and the State 
and local emergency disaster responders for the tremendous way they 
have all worked together to help the people of Florida recover.

                              {time}  1915

  Mr. Speaker, the damage has been severe. If Members have watched the 
television screens, they know what I am talking about. It has been 
total disaster in some parts of our State.
  This supplemental bill is a bill for $2 billion. It is an emergency 
declaration. The reason we have tried to move this bill as quickly as 
we can, FEMA, which is handling basically the Federal response, runs 
out of money probably by midnight tonight. Rather than interrupt the 
cash flow to the emergency workers in Florida, we are trying to move 
this bill. Hopefully our brothers and sisters in the other body will 
move it quickly tonight, and it will be on the President's desk so 
there is no interruption in the cash flow to the people who need it in 
Florida.
  This is not going to cover all of the costs of the natural disasters 
that we are dealing with and have been dealing with, but we will take 
that up at a later date. This is an emergency measure to keep the cash 
flow moving into Florida and FEMA.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2\1/2\ minutes.
  Mr. Speaker, I am confident we will find overwhelming support in the 
House for this measure. I am certain it will be bipartisan to a very 
great degree. I certainly expect to be voting for it.
  I would simply make one observation in the process, however. We 
should not be surprised that FEMA is at this point running out of 
money, because in the conference on the legislative appropriation bill 
last year when additional supplemental funding for FEMA was being 
attached, a number of us on this side of the aisle warned at that time, 
I know the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Dicks) did, I know I did, we 
warned at that time that because we were appropriating $800 million 
less than the historical average of the last 5 years, we would not have 
enough money without additional funding. And now because of that 
shortfall, it is obvious we have no choice but to move tonight.
  I would simply say I hope in the future any administration, 
regardless of party, will request the amount that represents their full 
expectations of national need in terms of dealing with disasters.
  I would also hope in the long run we can come up with a better way to 
finance national disasters, because it seems to me that there ought to 
be some kind of a self-insurance fund established between the States, 
backed up and guaranteed by the Federal Government so we do not have to 
keep funding this on a horseback basis every time there is another 
problem. We ought to be able to fund this program much the way we fund 
worker's compensation, with an insurance fund into which States buy on 
an experience-rated basis. That would be much more fiscally responsible 
than the way we go about it these days.
  Having said that, I urge support on both sides of the aisle for this 
request. I know the gentleman from Florida

[[Page 17554]]

(Mr. Young) is most concerned about it. These storms have affected his 
district significantly. I have been to his district, and it is a 
beautiful place. As soon as we can get this money down to those folks 
who need it, the better.
  There are a lot of my neighbors in Wisconsin who spend their winters 
in areas of Florida hit by these two storms, and we fully expect yet 
another storm to be hitting the Southeastern region of the country 
within a very short period of time. I think we have no choice tonight 
but to act on this measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman 
from Florida (Mr. Shaw), and just note the last time we spoke was on 
the telephone as Hurricane Frances was coming ashore right over his 
house.
  Mr. SHAW. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) 
for yielding me this time, and I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin 
(Mr. Obey), the ranking member.
  When a disaster happens in America, we are not Democrats and 
Republicans, we are Americans, and we care about each other. We suffer 
with each other, we cry with each other, and we pray with each other.
  I was taken by a photograph which was in this morning's Fort 
Lauderdale Sun Sentinel of a woman who had just lost her entire home, 
and she was on her way to get in line for some ice and water. This 
tells us how quickly we can lose everything in this world, and how 
important it is that we as a Nation pull together and come forward with 
some relief which is so badly needed.
  Up in the central part of the State, we had Hurricane Frances 
following Charley, which was described on television as big as the 
State of Texas. It covered the entire State of Florida, as the chairman 
correctly pointed out.
  I also want to be sure that we give proper credit to the gentleman 
from Florida (Mr. Young), the chairman of the Committee on 
Appropriations, who started putting together this appropriation bill 
even as the hurricane was still coming ashore, and maybe before that 
because of Hurricane Charley and the losses we sustained. I know my 
daughter in DeLand, Florida, ancient, gorgeous oak trees in her back 
lawn, gone. My son in Orlando, a huge oak tree fell on his house. These 
things can change lives in no time.
  I think it is remarkable when we see the expedited process that has 
been used here, and this has been done because we have got good 
cooperation on both sides of the aisle. The Speaker has been great to 
bring this up. Over in the Senate, we will pass this very clean bill in 
record time, and it will go to the President. This bill will become 
signed into law before Hurricane Frances has even left the continental 
United States. In fact, we may be feeling the winds of this storm right 
here in Washington, D.C., while the President is signing the bill which 
will give us a bridge to the relief we need.
  On behalf of all of the people of Florida and the Florida delegation, 
I thank this House, I thank the Senate and the President of the United 
States for this expedited procedure. This is remarkable, and it does 
show that we as Americans deeply care.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Hastings).
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) for yielding me this time. I thank he and the 
gentleman from Florida (Chairman Young) for their steadfast support for 
the victims of Charley and Frances. The gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Shaw) has put in immeasurable time and work, as have others of us who 
have been directly impacted.
  I rise tonight in strong support of this emergency supplemental 
appropriations measure. I also echo the words of the chairman when he 
stated earlier today that this bill must merely be a down payment of 
disaster assistance to Florida's hurricane victims. I know that all of 
our colleagues join me in expressing sympathy and understanding to 
those who lost their homes, their belongings, and in some cases their 
loved ones who were either killed or injured to Charley and Frances. We 
stand united in our efforts to help those who have lost so much.
  In the district that I am privileged to represent, the wrath and 
strength of Frances is clear and evident. Hundreds of homes have 
literally been destroyed and all but scraps of wood remain. Our citrus, 
sugar and tomato fields are flooded, and more than 2 million homes 
remain without electricity days after the storm has passed and for some 
days to come. For the millions who have been affected, life has come to 
a standstill.
  As a fifth-generation Floridian, I know firsthand that hurricanes and 
tropical storms are part of life in south Florida. But if Andrew, and 
most recently Charley and Frances, taught us anything, it is that the 
resilience of our community to recover and rebuild is stronger than 
anything Mother Nature will ever throw our way. With time and the 
necessary resources, I am confident we will recover.
  I am deeply grateful to the full leadership of both sides in this 
instance, and our hearts go out to those that have lost so much. The 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Shaw), all of us in Florida really have a lot of work to do in the 
future. Like the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) spoke about 
establishing an appropriate relief fund, it is something long overdue 
in this Congress, and this may be a good first step for us to be 
reminded that it is time for us to have a disaster fund in Congress.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman 
from Virginia (Mr. Cantor), who had floods of 6 to 7 feet in Virginia 
streets from Tropical Storm Gaston.
  Mr. CANTOR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida (Chairman 
Young) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey), the ranking member, 
for bringing this bill forward in such an expedited fashion.
  As the chairman suggested, many States in this country, especially in 
the Southeast, have felt the effects of devastating hurricanes and 
tropical storms. On August 30, which was Tuesday of last week, Tropical 
Storm Gaston unleashed 10 to 14 inches of rain on Richmond, Virginia, 
over the span of only 4 hours. This massive rainfall was responsible 
for the loss of eight lives, heavy flooding, and millions of dollars of 
property damage.
  As Richmonders began the long clean-up, the costs are beginning to 
mount. The storm caused 20 blocks in Richmond to be condemned as 
uninhabitable and did what is expected to be $60 million to $80 million 
of damage. Business owners and residents in Richmond lost their homes, 
companies and cars because of the rapid flooding. One of the hardest-
hit areas, Shockoe Bottom, is a busy commercial area of Richmond, and 
its destruction will dramatically affect the area's economy.
  Last week I wrote the President to ask that Virginians affected by 
Tropical Storm Gaston be given immediate Federal assistance. Friday, 
President Bush responded swiftly by declaring these hard-hit areas of 
central Virginia Federal disaster areas, allowing them to be eligible 
for loans and grants through FEMA and the Small Business 
Administration.
  Mr. Speaker, that is why I am here in support of the chairman's bill 
for the supplemental funding for FEMA and SBA to respond to the storm. 
Disaster relief and emergency aid that FEMA and SBA are providing in 
Richmond is one of the best and most appropriate functions of 
government, and one in which Congress should fully invest. These 
additional grants will allow these individuals, homeowners, business 
owners and local governments, who are, again, as the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Young) has said, now as we speak, are facing the damaging 
and flooding rains of Hurricane Frances, to quickly get back on their 
feet. That is why I am here to support its swift passage.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Meek), a member of the committee.
  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to be on the floor 
not only with the gentleman from Wisconsin,

[[Page 17555]]

but also with the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations.
  Mr. Speaker, I think it is very important not only for Members of 
Congress, but the rest of the United States to understand that Florida 
has gone through quite a bit, and there are other States that are 
affected as relates to the flooding and some of the aftermath of the 
hurricanes.

                              {time}  1930

  But I also want to add, and I want the Members and I know it is not 
in this bill, I know we have $2 billion that is going to FEMA. We have, 
I believe, $30 million going to the Small Business Administration. But 
I think it is important to remember that the VA was also hit in this 
storm. In Palm Beach, I know some of the Members can attest to it, that 
it is important that we have emergency funding in a bill, not in this 
particular bill, but in another supplemental coming up for the losses 
that the Department of Veterans Affairs was not included in this bill.
  The VA in West Balm Peach and in the middle of this storm, clinics in 
Brevard and also Port Charlotte received lesser damage than their main 
facility in West Palm Peach. In the middle of the storm, it was 
flooded. They had to move people to the second floor. That is something 
that we definitely need to think about, and I know it is something we 
will include, hopefully, in the future for these patriots that have 
laid it down for the very democracy that we celebrate today.
  But I am excited about the fact that not only Floridians but also 
others can count on the Congress responding in the way that we are, 
because we are spending their tax dollars. It is not like we are giving 
them something. This is something that they have invested in our 
government, rightfully so; and we are responding to them in their time 
of need.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage, like I know that Members will, when they 
open the board up to allow an opportunity to vote on this emergency 
supplemental, I am pretty sure that every Member of this Congress will 
be in support of that. I would like to commend the local governments 
and their response to our recent natural disasters and their continued 
support and commitment. Also to those Floridians that have lost time 
and wages from their jobs and small businesses. This is very timely. I 
want to thank the ranking member for allowing me to have time, but let 
us also remember our veterans and VA hospitals.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds. I want 
to assure my very distinguished friend and colleague from Florida that 
we understand that there are many expenses that will need to be 
covered, but we do not know exactly what they are yet; so this is 
really a stopgap to keep the cash flowing to Florida today. But we will 
revisit this and the President has acknowledged that he would be asking 
for an additional supplemental once those figures are available to us. 
We are going to move quickly. I appreciate the gentleman's comments.
  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield, I know 
a wise man such as himself is fully aware of what I just shared with 
the other Members. I want to thank the gentleman for sharing that with 
the rest of us.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman 
from Florida (Mr. Foley), who experienced not only Frances but Charley 
as well.
  Mr. FOLEY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this moment to thank the 
wonderful hardworking and dedicated employees of the emergency 
operating centers of Charlotte County, Highlands, Palm Beach, Martin, 
St. Lucie, Okeechobee, Glades, and Hendry. I would like to thank Mike 
Brown and his capable staff at FEMA. I would like to thank President 
Bush for visiting our citizens in the storm-ravaged communities of 
Punta Gorda and, tomorrow, Fort Pierce. I would like to thank Governor 
Bush for his tireless commitment to our State's fragile citizens, the 
United Way, and the Red Cross.
  It is amazing to me how beautiful this Nation is when our fellow 
citizens have been found wanting and hurting. You have all heard the 
plea from Florida's citizens for help, and you have answered that plea 
today, not just with money but with prayers, not just with prayers but 
with help, and not just with help but with hope. We will rebuild. We 
will be stronger and better than ever. I ask my citizens in Florida to 
be patient. I know you are under great stress, but help is on the way. 
This bill will provide it. This Congress will respond. And our 
President is doing all he can with the help of FEMA to make certain 
this misery and pain is short-lived.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Deutsch).
  Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, there is an expression those of us in 
Florida occasionally use that there are two types of Americans, those 
that live in Florida and those that want to live in Florida. And if 
people live long enough, generally that might be where they end up.
  I remember the first year I came to this Chamber, and I see many of 
my colleagues who joined me that first year, Congressman Diaz-Balart, 
Congressman Hastings, and others. Right after Hurricane Andrew was the 
last time our State experienced something of the magnitude of what we 
are experiencing today. My colleague from West Palm Beach just used the 
words that were the catch words after Hurricane Andrew: we will 
rebuild. In fact, we rebuilt and we rebuilt stronger and we rebuilt 
more significantly and a better community after the disaster of 
Hurricane Andrew. I am confident that we will do the same after Frances 
and Charley.
  One of the advantages and disadvantages of literally living in 
paradise is that we actually are a location on the planet Earth where 
hurricanes find their way on a pretty regular basis. I am proud of the 
response of the people of Florida during this last disaster. I look 
forward to the continued effort and prayers and specific things of 
everyone in this country. The President is planning on coming back to 
Florida tomorrow, an unexpected visit sooner than after the Charley 
disaster. Unfortunately, at this point I do not expect to be able to 
join him because I hope to be on this floor passing this, as has been 
mentioned, hopefully unanimously, the $2 billion.
  In the 12 years since Andrew, we have had many supplementals of 
disasters that have faced this country. I think it is really part of 
the greatness and the really shining moments of this Congress when we 
acknowledge our debt and our relationship to every other citizen of the 
United States as we pass this supplemental tomorrow. I urge its 
adoption.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the very 
distinguished gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite).
  Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, in Florida we have 
lived through Charley and Frances, and my area has been hard hit by 
both storms. All eight of my counties have sustained damage, both from 
wind and from storm surge. Myself, my own property has sustained some 
damage due to it. We have had the hopes of many Floridians dashed. 
Businesses have been harmed, agriculture, homes. Yet the spirit of the 
average citizen living in Florida is upbeat. They know that they will 
rebuild and that Florida will again be a great, healthy, and vibrant 
State. Neighbors have been helping neighbors, and that is the good 
news.
  There are groups out there such as the Christian Contractors 
Association who have been helping people, seniors without a lot of 
funds repair their homes, take down trees, et cetera. Certainly the Red 
Cross, the Salvation Army and FEMA, along with a myriad of other 
agencies, are out there assisting people. Florida will survive Charley 
and Frances; and for all of the citizens out there, they need to be in 
touch with FEMA. That is what this emergency funding is all about.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Corrine Brown).
  Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I stand here before you in 
support of this bill. My district has been devastated by the record 
number

[[Page 17556]]

of storms that have made landfall this hurricane season. Many people in 
my district are still without power. I want to thank Chairman Young and 
the ranking member.
  In 1992, FEMA was in shambles. Tonight I want to send a special 
thanks to President Clinton and to Director Witt whose leadership was 
instrumental in getting this organization working and back on track. 
And I want to thank all of the volunteers who worked together to bring 
relief to the victims of Bonnie, Charley, and now Hurricane Frances. 
Working side by side and neighborhood to neighborhood, they have helped 
all of us weather the storms. We are truly blessed that no further 
lives were taken during this latest storm.
  We need a dedicated method of funding, not piecemeal dollars here and 
there, to adequately meet the needs of Florida and any other disaster 
that occurs in this country. I hope that we will have a clean bill, one 
that is not loaded or loved to death with amendments that do not 
pertain to the support and help of people who truly need the relief 
these funds promise. Thanks again for the support.
  I also want to mention all of the organizations, FEMA, but under that 
the Army Corps have worked extremely hard and many community 
organizations and groups, the Red Cross. They are too numerous to name, 
so I want to make sure I revise and extend my remarks so I can thank 
all of these people that have come together, the fire departments, the 
mayors, local governments, the Federal agencies. Senator Nelson has 
been on the ground from day one. I want to thank everybody and all of 
the Florida delegation and all of the people that worked together to 
make things better for the people of Florida.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the very 
distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss), former chairman of the 
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, this funding is real money that will bring 
real relief to the people in Florida who have been devastated by 
Hurricanes Charley and Frances and who need help. As Governor Bush said 
to us, we have developed a case, perhaps, of ``hurricane amnesia'' in 
recent years in Florida. We certainly no longer have that. In my 
district alone, Charley severely damaged homes, four hospitals, cut a 
barrier island in two, left thousands without power, left thousands 
without employment, changing life forever for some people.
  Just 3 weeks later, another massive hurricane slammed many of the 
same areas that had already been wrecked by Charley. Charlotte Harbor 
was hit twice hard. As I took stock of the devastation one day after 
Hurricane Charley hit, I found remarkable the terrible damage, the 
scale of destruction, and how people's lives were affected. But I was 
more impressed by the response, local, State and Federal, all working 
together; and it was hot, and it was miserable. It was amazing to see 
how well they were doing.
  And they are still there. This ordeal has consumed the entire State 
of Florida, and Governor Bush has been steadfast in these times of 
crisis and we thank him. I commend and thank him especially for his 
strong leadership not once but twice; and I pray not for a third time, 
and hope Ivan will go elsewhere. Our Senators Bob Graham and Bill 
Nelson also have done a fabulous job. They have met the challenges 
directly on the ground and, working as legislators, they have served 
our State and our country with great distinction.
  Hurricanes are a part of life in Florida. It comes with the 
territory. But the past 4 weeks have been extraordinary. Not since 1950 
have two powerful hurricanes hit Florida in the same year, let alone 
the same month. FEMA's relief funds need to be replenished now, and 
this funding will do just that. Appropriations Chairman Bill Young, a 
great Floridian, has given us the leadership response that has been 
effective and instantaneous. Delegation Chairman Clay Shaw has 
organized us to work together. We are grateful. I urge support for the 
bill.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the very 
distinguished gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen).
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to be part of this 
Florida delegation. We are working in unison and in a very strong 
bipartisan manner through the good times and the bad times. After 
Hurricane Andrew hit my district so strongly 12 years ago, we learned 
valuable lessons about emergency preparedness and responses to 
devastation such as that. After that, building codes were strengthened 
so that structures could withstand these winds that were so 
devastating. So we learned our lesson in Hurricane Andrew. But 
Floridians are resilient people. We have to keep learning new lessons 
as every hurricane season rolls around, and we are going to come back 
stronger than ever. We have faith in each other. We have faith as a 
people, as a community; and we know that no hurricane can knock 
Floridians off our feet for very long.
  We thank individuals like Chairman Young and Congressman Shaw, the 
dean of our delegation. With their leadership, they have made sure that 
this appropriations will be spent in a wise way and will be given to 
FEMA for this disaster emergency. And we want to thank Governor Jeb 
Bush who has been coordinating this emergency response and President 
Bush who is going to be touring in the Miami National Hurricane Center. 
FEMA and the Red Cross volunteers, Salvation Army, faith-based 
organizations, all Floridians have come together in this moment of 
crisis.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Harris).
  Ms. HARRIS. Mr. Speaker, during the last month, the worst 
circumstances have summoned the best of humanity. Having endured the 
unrelenting fury of two major hurricanes, Floridians from all walks of 
life have linked arms in their determined effort to rescue, recover, 
and rebuild. Moreover, the generous and compassionate soul of America 
has once again become manifest through the hearts and hands of the 
volunteers who have traveled hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles to 
assist our local first responders.
  Even before the storms hit, Governor Bush had marshaled the resources 
necessary to provide victims with rapid assistance. During the grueling 
aftermath, his reassuring presence throughout the State has served as 
an essential source of comfort and hope.

                              {time}  1945

  President Bush and FEMA have likewise delivered a quick and effective 
response from the Federal level. I particularly wish to commend U.S. 
Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman for her swift approval of disaster 
relief for our farmers and growers.
  Finally, I wish to thank the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Young) 
and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw), our delegation Chair, for 
their leadership in requesting the President's $2 billion for 
additional disaster relief funding and look forward to working with our 
entire State delegation to provide our constituents with the help they 
so desperately need and deserve.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Crenshaw), a member of the 
Committee on Appropriations.
  Mr. CRENSHAW. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me this 
time, and I thank the chairman for his leadership in this area.
  This is money, Mr. Speaker, that will go to help people who are 
hurting right now, and, believe me, there are a lot of people in 
Florida who are hurting. Even in my area in northeast Florida where we 
did not suffer any direct brunt of the hurricane, thousands of people 
are without electricity. Their homes have been damaged. And while 
State, local, and Federal officials did a great job of doing everything 
they could to prepare for this disaster, one can only do so much.
  So I urge my colleagues to support this so that we can once again get 
the

[[Page 17557]]

money to the people that are hurting now and come back and help those 
at a later time. I urge the adoption of this bill.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, would the Speaker be kind enough to inform me 
how much time I have remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kline). The gentleman from Wisconsin 
(Mr. Obey) has 4\1/2\ minutes remaining, and the gentleman from Florida 
(Mr. Young) has 11 minutes remaining.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I at this point have no further requests for 
time. There may be one other Member coming. So if the gentleman from 
Florida needs more time, I would be happy to yield him 2\1/2\ 
additional minutes.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's 
generosity, and that may be the case. We will deal with our speakers 
and then see where we stand. I thank him for yielding me the time.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman 
from Florida (Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart).
  Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman 
of the Committee on Appropriations and the ranking member for bringing 
forth this legislation so quickly to make certain that there is no 
interruption in the assistance that FEMA and the Small Business 
Administration are providing to the victims of the two hurricanes that 
have caused so much damage in Florida in recent weeks.
  I have been very proud of, just like today, the response that we see 
from the Congress. Obviously the Speaker and the leadership have 
demonstrated tremendous solidarity with the people of Florida today. I 
have also been very pleased to see the promptness and the seriousness 
and the leadership of the President and the Governor, who, even before 
the first hurricane, Charley, hit Florida, there had been a major 
disaster area declared by the President pursuant to the request of the 
Governor.
  So everything that can be done is being done. It is important for the 
people to know that we will continue to do everything that we can to 
alleviate their need in this very difficult moment. I thank again the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) for bringing this forward with such 
promptness.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart).
  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I, too, want to thank 
the chairman for the quickness of this measure, this important measure.
  As we have heard before, when tough things happen, when the American 
people are suffering, is when the country truly shines. And we are 
seeing another example. We are seeing unity. We are seeing how the 
ranking member has been so generous with his time and also working with 
the chairman to make sure that this is a reality. The people who 
deserve and need the help get it as soon as possible.
  But I have to take this opportunity, Mr. Speaker, to thank a number 
of people. President Bush, who from day one has been incredibly 
supportive and has led the relief effort. Governor Bush and his cabinet 
have done an incredible job. They have been on the field. The people 
from FEMA have been amazing. We run into them all over in Florida. I 
was with a group of them in Miami recently where the Governor was there 
as well. The Small Business Administration, the first responders, Mr. 
Speaker, police officers, firefighters, everybody who has come together 
to make sure that the suffering is minimized as much as possible, and I 
just want to thank everybody. And, of course, our guardian angel 
always, the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations from our great 
State of Florida, who is always there leading every single fight for 
the people of Florida.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the very 
distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica).
  Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time.
  I want to spend a second and also echo my appreciation to the 
gentleman from Florida (Chairman Young), to both sides of the aisle, 
for bringing forward this legislation; to the leadership of President 
Bush and his administration, who have acted, in advance of both this 
latest storm and the previous storm we had; for the leadership, the 
fantastic assistance provided Governor Bush. He has just been on the 
job working day and night. And I would be remiss if I did not mention 
all of the local officials. I represent some six counties, and many of 
those people have been through two disasters now, and they have worked 
nonstop. So, again, my congratulations.
  This money that we are sending from Washington is part of the great 
strength of our Nation, part of the strength of a Federal system, and 
it is the people's money, the taxpayers' money. And when we have a 
need, it is appropriate that we do provide assistance from the country 
to an area that is hard hit, whether it is Florida; Richmond, Virginia; 
or other parts of the Nation. So it is one of the great strengths of 
our Nation and our people.
  Finally, I want to say that Florida is open for business. I chair the 
Aviation Subcommittee. All of our major airports are open. I want to 
thank Marion Blakey, the head of FAA, she worked nonstop, and Woody 
Woodward, our national airports administrator, to make certain that 
Florida, which depends on travel and aviation, is open for business.
  But we are open for business. There are some pockets in the southwest 
and some in the southeast, but our major attractions are open. All of 
our interstates and our roads, I have reports back as a member of the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, are open. And we want 
people to do us a favor by not canceling their plans to visit Florida. 
We will dust ourselves off. We will clean up a bit. But people can help 
Florida by not canceling their plans, but coming to Florida. We are 
open for business, and we will prevail.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my 
time.
  First let me say that I am so proud to be a part of this Florida 
delegation that has come together so strongly as we do when matters 
affect our State. All of our Members on both sides of the aisle have 
just been dynamic in supporting each other in the problems that we 
might experience in our districts because of this one tropical storm 
and two hurricanes.
  I want to especially thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) 
for working with me as we moved ahead with this bill to decide how we 
are going to do it, what the bill was going to look like, and the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) was very supportive, and I have to 
say I just really appreciate the support that he gave us.
  After Hurricane Charley, I went to south Florida with President Bush, 
where he announced that he would be asking for this supplemental to 
make sure that the cash flow continued, and I was there to assure him 
that we would move this bill as expeditiously as we could. The House 
convened at 2 o'clock today after the summer district work period, and 
at 2 o'clock I introduced this supplemental appropriations bill. And 
thanks to the support of the gentleman from Illinois (Speaker Hastert) 
and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay), our majority leader, and the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt), our majority whip, everyone came 
together to help us move this legislation that is so important.
  I want to thank the President of the United States for recognizing 
the needs of Florida. I want to thank Governor Bush, who has done 
really a dynamic job in helping to manage not only as we led up to the 
hurricanes, but during the hurricanes and following the hurricanes for 
recovery. He has just been an amazing manager, and he has worked with 
everyone at the State and local level just to do the very best we could 
to help the people of our State that were hurt so bad.
  FEMA, we have talked about FEMA this afternoon, and FEMA has done an 
outstanding job. There are numerous other Federal agencies that have 
also been involved, and they have all just really turned to and helped 
our State

[[Page 17558]]

as we recover from these disasters. The Florida National Guard, I 
talked to General Burnett early as Charley was approaching, and General 
Burnett had mobilized the Guard, ready to move in to protect property, 
to protect lives, to do whatever was necessary; and they just deserve a 
tremendous vote of confidence and vote of gratitude from Florida.
  All in all, as one of my colleagues from Florida said, this has been 
a great experience of coming together when people need help. As I said 
earlier in my remarks, all of Florida was affected one way or another, 
which was very unusual. We have an earthquake or a fire or a flood or 
whatever that might be, we respond quickly, and usually it is in a part 
of a State or a community, but in this case the entire State of Florida 
was affected. So as chairman of this committee and as the introducer of 
this bill, I appreciate the way that the House is moving to move this 
bill over to the Senate, which I believe will deem it passed tonight 
and get it to the President.
  Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this emergency 
supplemental appropriations bill to provide $2 billion to FEMA to help 
the citizens of Florida recover from Hurricanes Charley and Frances.
  I am sensitive to the fact that these two hurricanes have had a 
devastating impact on the lives of several hundred thousand Central 
Floridians. My own mom, Lora Keller, completely lost her home in 
Hurricane Charley.
  Despite these temporary heartaches, I am optimistic about Florida's 
future. Congress, especially those of us from Florida, will work very 
closely with President Bush and Governor Bush over the next few days to 
help rebuild Florida quickly, and even stronger than before.
  This $2 billion will be able to help Central Florida families with 
things like temporary lodging, food and water supplies, medical care 
and will allow roofs to be repaired.
  I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important legislation.
  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 5005.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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