[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 3]
[House]
[Pages 3682-3699]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT FOR DEFENSE, THE GLOBAL WAR 
                ON TERROR, AND HURRICANE RECOVERY, 2006

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kuhl of New York). Pursuant to House 
Resolution 725, and rule XVIII, the

[[Page 3683]]

Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House on the 
State of the Union for the further consideration of the bill, H.R. 
4939.

                              {time}  1820


                     In the Committee of the Whole

  Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the 
Whole House on the State of the Union for the further consideration of 
the bill (H.R. 4939) making emergency supplemental appropriations for 
the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, and for other purposes, with 
Mr. Gingrey (Acting Chairman) in the chair.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. When the Committee of the Whole rose earlier 
today, the amendment offered by the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. 
Gilchrest) had been disposed of and the bill had been read through page 
2, line 18.
  The Clerk will read.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               CHAPTER 2

                         DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

                    DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE--MILITARY

                           MILITARY PERSONNEL

                        Military Personnel, Army

       For an additional amount for ``Military Personnel, Army'', 
     $6,506,223,000: Provided, That the amount provided under this 
     heading is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to 
     section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the 
     concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                        Military Personnel, Navy

       For an additional amount for ``Military Personnel, Navy'', 
     $1,061,724,000: Provided, That the amount provided under this 
     heading is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to 
     section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the 
     concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                    Military Personnel, Marine Corps

       For an additional amount for ``Military Personnel, Marine 
     Corps'', $834,122,000: Provided, That the amount provided 
     under this heading is designated as an emergency requirement 
     pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), 
     the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                     Military Personnel, Air Force

       For an additional amount for ``Military Personnel, Air 
     Force'', $1,145,363,000: Provided, That the amount provided 
     under this heading is designated as an emergency requirement 
     pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), 
     the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
  Mr. Chairman, I rise for the purpose of a colloquy with Chairman 
Wolf.
  I understood that the Justice Department is working on a plan to 
distribute $125 million in emergency funds that were provided in the 
last hurricane supplemental bill for State and local law enforcement.
  Yesterday, in our Appropriations subcommittee hearing, I asked the 
Attorney General what portion of the funds Texas would receive. The 
Attorney General told me, ``The law requires us to consult with both 
House and Senate appropriations, and that is ongoing. Believe me, the 
last thing I want to do is to victimize the victims again, victimize 
the States who stepped in and bore the brunt of these terrible 
tragedies.''
  Texans did exactly that. Our citizens stepped in and bore the brunt 
of these terrible tragedies directly with the fallout from Hurricane 
Rita and indirectly by taking in hundreds of thousands of evacuees.
  The Attorney General should deliver to the committee a plan that 
includes the needs of law enforcement agencies in Texas. Do you agree, 
Chairman Wolf?
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. DeLAY. I yield to the gentleman from Virginia.
  Mr. WOLF. I do agree. Texans stepped up and helped out in a 
tremendous way. I hope the Attorney General will work quickly to 
deliver a plan that meets the gentleman's concerns.
  Mr. DeLAY. I appreciate the chairman's attention on this matter.
  Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number 
of words.
  Mr. Chairman, all of us have images embedded in our mind about the 
devastation coming from Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. We are 
finding out even today that hurricanes are not the only way that Mother 
Nature can cause destruction.
  In my district, wildfires are raging. It is estimated that, since 
Sunday, approximately 850,000 acres have been consumed by wildfires. It 
is estimated by the governor's office that, in the last 3 months or so, 
approximately 3.7 million acres in Texas have been burned by wildfires. 
For my colleagues' benefit, that is bigger than the size of 
Connecticut. Approximately 2 percent of the land mass in Texas has been 
burned in these fires just in the last 3 months.
  In the fires that are going on now, it is estimated that 10,000 to 
12,000 head of cattle have been destroyed because of these fires. 
Obviously, this devastation is continuing. It is not possible in this 
bill to take action to have some sort of disaster relief, but I know 
all of my colleagues are concerned about disasters, whatever the cause 
may be.
  I am particularly grateful to the subcommittee chairman, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bonilla), for his concern and consideration 
in looking at ways, as this bill moves forward, when perhaps we can 
look at ways to assist those who are devastated by what may well be the 
fires of the century.
  Mr. BONILLA. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. THORNBERRY. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.
  Mr. BONILLA. Mr. Chairman, Mr. Thornberry makes absolutely clear that 
this is a situation we need to deal with. While there are tragedies 
that continue in the gulf states and much of the money being debated in 
this appropriations bill is going for a much-needed cause, the people 
in Texas that have been affected by these fires are not getting the 
attention that others are getting and have been getting now for many, 
many months.
  This has been going on for so many days and weeks with no end in 
sight. I want to assure Mr. Thornberry this is only the beginning in 
this process. While he is one of the great leaders in this effort to 
try to provide some relief for many of our producers that have been 
affected, the entire delegation from our State is working hard on this. 
I commit to the gentleman that we will work diligently to try to remedy 
this and to provide some assistance for these producers that have been 
affected.
  Mr. THORNBERRY. I thank the subcommittee chairman.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. THORNBERRY. I yield to the gentleman from California.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, first let me say that I very 
much appreciate Mr. Thornberry bringing this matter to my attention.
  As the gentleman and I discussed earlier, the territory we are 
talking about in Texas is just about the size of my district, in which 
you can put five eastern States. That is a huge territory.
  I have been watching the problem with real interest, and there is no 
question that the House and our committee need to be responsive. We 
will do everything we can to work with you.
  Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentlemen working on 
this.
  If I can emphasize one thing, it is hard for the pictures to convey 
the magnitude of this disaster. When you have more than 3.5 million 
acres that are devastated, 12,000 head of cattle, it is a disaster of 
enormous proportions, and I appreciate very much the willingness of the 
distinguished chairman and other Members to work to help mitigate the 
effects of this disaster when it is completed.

                              {time}  1830

  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
  Mr. Chairman, I am being asked every two seconds by Members, what is 
the story about tonight. Let me simply suggest, and ask the gentleman 
from California if he concurs. It is my understanding that what we are 
trying to do is to put together a unanimous consent agreement under 
which we would be able to complete our business of debating all of the 
pending amendments within about another 11 hours. That assumes that we 
can get that UC agreement. If we can't, the debate could go

[[Page 3684]]

on far longer. We don't quite have that UC agreement worked out yet, 
but we are trying to. And what we are hoping to do is to proceed with a 
number of amendments, the Millender-McDonald, Souder, Engel, Shays, 
Hyde, Burton, Capuano, Salazar, Doggett, Hinojosa, Melancon, Jefferson, 
Reyes, Jackson-Lee, and Tierney/Leach. We are trying to get at least 
that far tonight. We don't know if we can. I would ask the gentleman if 
he has any disagreement with what I just said.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Well, I appreciate the gentleman yielding. 
And he said it very well. We are putting together a unanimous consent 
agreement that will package these amendments to protect the rights of 
those Members who filed amendments. We are trying to expedite the 
process so we can complete this work tomorrow. In the meantime there 
are amendments that are going forward. And with that, I very much 
appreciate the gentleman's cooperation.
  Mr. OBEY. And I would simply say, my understanding is if we can reach 
this UC agreement, there will be no further votes tonight.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. That is right. I anticipate that we will, 
and I am hopeful that that is the case. Under those circumstances, we 
will have no more votes tonight.
  Mr. OBEY. It is also my understanding that afterwards, there is an 
intention to have the Energy and Commerce Committee also bring up a 
matter relating to the Low Income Heating Assistance Program.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. At the end of this part of the process, that 
is right. We will go to Energy and Commerce.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
  Mr. Chairman, I rise, and I will be very brief, in support of the 
gentlewoman, the ranking Democrat on the House Administration 
Committee, which has jurisdiction over elections, who I understand will 
be offering an amendment which I offered in committee dealing with the 
challenges to the five-state region struck by Katrina and by Rita as it 
relates to the administration of elections.
  As we know, New Orleans has an election coming up within the next 30 
days. Other jurisdictions have elections. I tried to offer $5 million 
in the committee through the EAC. I want to say that the gentlewoman, I 
appreciate her leadership on this issue. I support her amendment. I 
hope it is made in order. I hope it is not objected to. And I hope that 
we can see it adopted.
  I want to tell the gentlewoman as well that Mr. Knollenberg and I 
have been discussing this, because FEMA has said that they cannot 
spend, under the Stafford Act, certain expenditures which are required 
to administer the elections, particularly in New Orleans, because that 
is upon us, but in other jurisdictions as well. They did pay for the 
loss of machines. They did pay for the loss of ballot boxes and other 
paraphernalia necessary, but they have said under the Stafford Act they 
cannot pay for the election expenses in either Alabama, Mississippi, 
Louisiana. The gentlewoman's amendment speaks to that and I would 
certainly be in support of it.
  Mr. Chairman, I plan to vote for the emergency supplemental 
appropriations bill that we are considering today.
  H.R. 4939 will pay for supplies and materiel that our forces in Iraq 
and Afghanistan desperately need to carry out their mission.
  The supplemental will also provide much needed resources to Gulf-Area 
States that were ravaged by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
  However, this bill is not perfect.
  I am disappointed that the appropriations committee did not address a 
problem that has come to light in recent weeks with respect to voting 
in States that suffered the brunt of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
  On August 29, 2005, residents in Gulf Coast States endured one of the 
most devastating natural disasters in our nation's history. Tens of 
thousands of voters were displaced.
  One month later, hurricane Rita caused additional widespread damage 
to voting infrastructure in Gulf-Area States.
  An extraordinary amount of the Gulf region's election 
infrastructure--voting machines, polling places, and voting materials--
were destroyed or severely damaged by the destruction wrought by 
hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
  In Louisiana alone, over 250 polling places in the State's coastal 
parishes were destroyed.
  To make matters worse, tens of thousands of people were forced to 
temporarily resettle in cities and towns throughout the United States 
while their communities are rebuilt.
  Many if not most of these displaced people have every intention of 
returning to their communities as soon as conditions allow.
  In the meantime, they are determined to maintain as many ties to 
their communities as they can.
  Understandably, they would like to participate in elections that will 
be held this year in their communities.
  Unfortunately, FEMA has proven ineffective at delivering assistance 
to election officials in hurricane-stricken States who are busy 
mounting what may be the most extensive and expensive voter outreach, 
education, and absentee voting program in the Nation's history.
  According to FEMA's narrow reading of the ``Robert T. Stafford Act,'' 
the agency is only empowered to make reimbursements to States to 
replace destroyed voting machines, but not for outreach to displaced 
voters.
  In other words, FEMA can pay to replace damaged or destroyed voting 
machines, but it cannot pay to help States plan and execute the voter 
outreach and voter absentee programs that will be crucial to 
maintaining electoral continuity in 2006.
  As a consequence, of the roughly $3.8 million in claims that the 
State of Louisiana has so far submitted for reimbursement, for example, 
only $1.2 million have been approved by FEMA.
  During markup of this bill last week, I offered an amendment that 
would have provided funds to the election assistance commission to help 
States pay for the entire range of activities that are crucial to 
running fair, accurate, and secure elections in 2006.
  I regret that my amendment was not accepted, and I regret that the 
bill before us today does not include a provision specifying that under 
the Stafford Act FEMA is authorized to reimburse States for a wider 
range of election activities than the agency insists.
  Let me be clear: I do not blame this omission on partisanship because 
there is nothing partisan about the issue.
  Democratic, Republican, and Independent voters in the Gulf States all 
endured last year's trauma.
  However, I am very pleased that Chairman Knollenberg recognizes the 
significance of this issue and has agreed to work to address it in 
conference.
  In the days ahead, I look forward to working with Chairman 
Knollenberg and his staff to ensure FEMA has the necessary authorities 
to reimburse the hurricane-stricken States for a much wider range of 
essential election activities than FEMA claims it has under current 
law.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN (Mr. Gingrey). The Clerk will read.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                        Reserve Personnel, Army

       For an additional amount for ``Reserve Personnel, Army'', 
     $166,070,000: Provided, That the amount provided under this 
     heading is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to 
     section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the 
     concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                        Reserve Personnel, Navy

       For an additional amount for ``Reserve Personnel, Navy'', 
     $110,412,000: Provided, That the amount provided under this 
     heading is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to 
     section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the 
     concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                    Reserve Personnel, Marine Corps

       For an additional amount for ``Reserve Personnel, Marine 
     Corps'', $10,327,000: Provided, That the amount provided 
     under this heading is designated as an emergency requirement 
     pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), 
     the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                      Reserve Personnel, Air Force

       For an additional amount for ``Reserve Personnel, Air 
     Force'', $1,940,000: Provided, That the amount provided under 
     this heading is designated as an emergency requirement 
     pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), 
     the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                     National Guard Personnel, Army

       For an additional amount for ``National Guard Personnel, 
     Army'', $96,000,000: Provided, That the amount provided under 
     this heading is designated as an emergency requirement 
     pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), 
     the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                  National Guard Personnel, Air Force

       For an additional amount for ``National Guard Personnel, 
     Air Force'', $1,200,000: Provided, That the amount provided 
     under this heading is designated as an emergency requirement 
     pursuant to section 402 of H. Con.

[[Page 3685]]

     Res. 95 (109th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the 
     budget for fiscal year 2006.

                       OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

                    Operation and Maintenance, Army

       For an additional amount for ``Operation and Maintenance, 
     Army'', $18,380,310,000: Provided, That the amount provided 
     under this heading is designated as an emergency requirement 
     pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), 
     the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                    Operation and Maintenance, Navy


                     (including transfer of funds)

       For an additional amount for ``Operation and Maintenance, 
     Navy'', $2,793,600,000: Provided, That up to $75,020,000 
     shall be available for the Department of Homeland Security, 
     ``United States Coast Guard, Operating Expenses'': Provided 
     further, That the amount provided under this heading is 
     designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 
     402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the concurrent 
     resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                Operation and Maintenance, Marine Corps

       For an additional amount for ``Operation and Maintenance, 
     Marine Corps'', $1,722,911,000: Provided, That the amount 
     provided under this heading is designated as an emergency 
     requirement pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th 
     Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal 
     year 2006.

                  Operation and Maintenance, Air Force

       For an additional amount for ``Operation and Maintenance, 
     Air Force'', $5,328,869,000: Provided, That the amount 
     provided under this heading is designated as an emergency 
     requirement pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th 
     Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal 
     year 2006.

                Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide

       For an additional amount for ``Operation and Maintenance, 
     Defense-Wide'', $3,259,929,000, of which--
       (1) not to exceed $25,000,000 may be used for the Combatant 
     Commander Initiative Fund, to be used in support of Operation 
     Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom;
       (2) not to exceed $10,000,000 can be used for emergencies 
     and extraordinary expenses, to be expended on the approval or 
     authority of the Secretary of Defense, and payments may be 
     made on his certificate of necessity for confidential 
     military purposes;
       (3) not to exceed $1,200,000,000 to remain available until 
     expended, may be used for payments to reimburse Pakistan, 
     Jordan, and other key cooperating nations, for logistical, 
     military, and other support provided, or to be provided, to 
     United States military operations, notwithstanding any other 
     provision of law: Provided, That such payments may be made in 
     such amounts as the Secretary of Defense, with the 
     concurrence of the Secretary of State, and in consultation 
     with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, may 
     determine, in his discretion, based on documentation 
     determined by the Secretary of Defense to adequately account 
     for the support provided, and such determination is final and 
     conclusive upon the accounting officers of the United States, 
     and 15 days following notification to the appropriate 
     congressional committees: Provided further, That the 
     Secretary of Defense shall provide quarterly reports to the 
     congressional defense committees on the use of funds provided 
     in this paragraph; and
       (4) not to exceed $44,500,000 for Cooperative Threat 
     Reduction
     : Provided further, That the amount provided under this 
     heading is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to 
     section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the 
     concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                Operation and Maintenance, Army Reserve

       For an additional amount for ``Operation and Maintenance, 
     Army Reserve'', $100,100,000: Provided, That the amount 
     provided under this heading is designated as an emergency 
     requirement pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th 
     Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal 
     year 2006.

                Operation and Maintenance, Navy Reserve

       For an additional amount for ``Operation and Maintenance, 
     Navy Reserve'', $236,509,000: Provided, That the amount 
     provided under this heading is designated as an emergency 
     requirement pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th 
     Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal 
     year 2006.

            Operation and Maintenance, Marine Corps Reserve

       For an additional amount for ``Operation and Maintenance, 
     Marine Corps Reserve'', $55,675,000: Provided, That the 
     amount provided under this heading is designated as an 
     emergency requirement pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 
     95 (109th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget 
     for fiscal year 2006.

              Operation and Maintenance, Air Force Reserve

       For an additional amount for ``Operation and Maintenance, 
     Air Force Reserve'', $18,563,000: Provided, That the amount 
     provided under this heading is designated as an emergency 
     requirement pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th 
     Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal 
     year 2006.

             Operation and Maintenance, Army National Guard

       For an additional amount for ``Operation and Maintenance, 
     Army National Guard'', $178,600,000: Provided, That the 
     amount provided under this heading is designated as an 
     emergency requirement pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 
     95 (109th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget 
     for fiscal year 2006.

             Operation and Maintenance, Air National Guard

       For an additional amount for ``Operation and Maintenance, 
     Air National Guard'', $30,400,000: Provided, That the amount 
     provided under this heading is designated as an emergency 
     requirement pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th 
     Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal 
     year 2006.

                    Afghanistan Security Forces Fund


                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       For the ``Afghanistan Security Forces Fund'', 
     $1,851,833,000, to remain available until September 30, 2007: 
     Provided, That such funds shall be available to the Secretary 
     of Defense, notwithstanding any other provision of law, for 
     the purpose of allowing the Commander, Office of Security 
     Cooperation--Afghanistan, or the Secretary's designee, to 
     provide assistance, with the concurrence of the Secretary of 
     State, to the security forces of Afghanistan, including the 
     provision of equipment, supplies, services, training, 
     facility and infrastructure repair, renovation, and 
     construction, and funding: Provided further, That the 
     authority to provide assistance under this heading is in 
     addition to any other authority to provide assistance to 
     foreign nations: Provided further, That the Secretary of 
     Defense may transfer such funds to appropriations for 
     military personnel; operation and maintenance; Overseas 
     Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid; procurement; research, 
     development, test and evaluation; and defense working capital 
     funds to accomplish the purposes provided herein: Provided 
     further, That this transfer authority is in addition to any 
     other transfer authority available to the Department of 
     Defense: Provided further, That upon a determination that all 
     or part of the funds so transferred from this appropriation 
     are not necessary for the purposes provided herein, such 
     amounts may be transferred back to this appropriation: 
     Provided further, That contributions of funds for the 
     purposes provided herein from any person, foreign government, 
     or international organization may be credited to this Fund, 
     and used for such purposes: Provided further, That the 
     Secretary shall notify the congressional defense committees 
     in writing upon the receipt and upon the transfer of any 
     contribution delineating the sources and amounts of the funds 
     received and the specific use of such contributions: Provided 
     further, That the Secretary of Defense shall, not fewer than 
     five days prior to making transfers from this appropriation 
     account, notify the congressional defense committees in 
     writing of the details of any such transfer: Provided 
     further, That the Secretary shall submit a report no later 
     than 30 days after the end of each fiscal quarter to the 
     congressional defense committees summarizing the details of 
     the transfer of funds from this appropriation: Provided 
     further, That the amount provided under this heading is 
     designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 
     402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the concurrent 
     resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                       Iraq Security Forces Fund


                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

        For the ``Iraq Security Forces Fund'', $3,007,000,000, to 
     remain available until September 30, 2007: Provided, That 
     such funds shall be available to the Secretary of Defense, 
     notwithstanding any other provision of law, for the purpose 
     of allowing the Commander, Multi-National Security Transition 
     Command--Iraq, or the Secretary's designee, to provide 
     assistance, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, 
     to the security forces of Iraq, including the provision of 
     equipment, supplies, services, training, facility and 
     infrastructure repair, renovation, and construction, and 
     funding: Provided further, That the authority to provide 
     assistance under this heading is in addition to any other 
     authority to provide assistance to foreign nations: Provided 
     further, That the Secretary of Defense may transfer such 
     funds to appropriations for military personnel; operation and 
     maintenance; Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid; 
     procurement; research, development, test and evaluation; and 
     defense working capital funds to accomplish the purposes 
     provided herein: Provided further, That this transfer 
     authority is in addition to any other transfer authority 
     available to the Department of Defense: Provided further, 
     That upon a determination that all or part of the funds so 
     transferred from this appropriation are not necessary for the 
     purposes provided herein, such amounts may be transferred 
     back to this appropriation: Provided further, That 
     contributions of funds for

[[Page 3686]]

     the purposes provided herein from any person, foreign 
     government, or international organization may be credited to 
     this Fund, and used for such purposes: Provided further, That 
     the Secretary shall notify the congressional defense 
     committees in writing upon the receipt and upon the transfer 
     of any contribution delineating the sources and amounts of 
     the funds received and the specific use of such 
     contributions: Provided further, That the Secretary of 
     Defense shall, not fewer than five days prior to making 
     transfers from this appropriation account, notify the 
     congressional defense committees in writing of the details of 
     any such transfer: Provided further, That the Secretary shall 
     submit a report no later than 30 days after the end of each 
     fiscal quarter to the congressional defense committees 
     summarizing the details of the transfer of funds from this 
     appropriation: Provided further, That the amount provided 
     under this heading is designated as an emergency requirement 
     pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), 
     the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                              PROCUREMENT

                       Aircraft Procurement, Army

       For an additional amount for ``Aircraft Procurement, 
     Army'', $533,200,000, to remain available until September 30, 
     2008: Provided, That the amount provided under this heading 
     is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 
     402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the concurrent 
     resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                       Missile Procurement, Army

       For an additional amount for ``Missile Procurement, Army'', 
     $203,300,000, to remain available until September 30, 2008: 
     Provided, That the amount provided under this heading is 
     designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 
     402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the concurrent 
     resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

        Procurement of Weapons and Tracked Combat Vehicles, Army

       For an additional amount for ``Procurement of Weapons and 
     Tracked Combat Vehicles, Army'', $1,983,351,000, to remain 
     available until September 30, 2008: Provided, That the amount 
     provided under this heading is designated as an emergency 
     requirement pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th 
     Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal 
     year 2006.

                    Procurement of Ammunition, Army

       For an additional amount for ``Procurement of Ammunition, 
     Army'', $829,679,000, to remain available until September 30, 
     2008: Provided, That the amount provided under this heading 
     is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 
     402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the concurrent 
     resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                        Other Procurement, Army

       For an additional amount for ``Other Procurement, Army'', 
     $7,528,657,000, to remain available until September 30, 2008: 
     Provided, That the amount provided under this heading is 
     designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 
     402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the concurrent 
     resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                       Aircraft Procurement, Navy

       For an additional amount for ``Aircraft Procurement, 
     Navy'', $293,980,000, to remain available until September 30, 
     2008: Provided, That the amount provided under this heading 
     is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 
     402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the concurrent 
     resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                       Weapons Procurement, Navy

       For an additional amount for ``Weapons Procurement, Navy'', 
     $90,800,000, to remain available until September 30, 2008: 
     Provided, That the amount provided under this heading is 
     designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 
     402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the concurrent 
     resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

            Procurement of Ammunition, Navy and Marine Corps

       For an additional amount for ``Procurement of Ammunition, 
     Navy and Marine Corps'', $330,996,000, to remain available 
     until September 30, 2008: Provided, That the amount provided 
     under this heading is designated as an emergency requirement 
     pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), 
     the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                        Other Procurement, Navy

       For an additional amount for ``Other Procurement, Navy'', 
     $111,719,000, to remain available until September 30, 2008: 
     Provided, That the amount provided under this heading is 
     designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 
     402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the concurrent 
     resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                       Procurement, Marine Corps

       For an additional amount for ``Procurement, Marine Corps'', 
     $3,260,582,000, to remain available until September 30, 2008: 
     Provided, That the amount provided under this heading is 
     designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 
     402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the concurrent 
     resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                    Aircraft Procurement, Air Force

       For an additional amount for ``Aircraft Procurement, Air 
     Force'', $663,595,000, to remain available until September 
     30, 2008: Provided, That the amount provided under this 
     heading is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to 
     section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the 
     concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                  Procurement of Ammunition, Air Force

       For an additional amount for ``Procurement of Ammunition, 
     Air Force'', $29,047,000, to remain available until September 
     30, 2008: Provided, That the amount provided under this 
     heading is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to 
     section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the 
     concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                      Other Procurement, Air Force

       For an additional amount for ``Other Procurement, Air 
     Force'', $1,489,192,000, to remain available until September 
     30, 2008: Provided, That the amount provided under this 
     heading is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to 
     section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the 
     concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                       Procurement, Defense-Wide

       For an additional amount for ``Procurement, Defense-Wide'', 
     $331,353,000, to remain available until September 30, 2008: 
     Provided, That the amount provided under this heading is 
     designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 
     402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the concurrent 
     resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

               RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST AND EVALUATION

            Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army

       For an additional amount for ``Research, Development, Test 
     and Evaluation, Army'', $424,177,000, to remain available 
     until September 30, 2007: Provided, That the amount provided 
     under this heading is designated as an emergency requirement 
     pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), 
     the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

            Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy

       For an additional amount for ``Research, Development, Test 
     and Evaluation, Navy'', $126,845,000, to remain available 
     until September 30, 2007: Provided, That the amount provided 
     under this heading is designated as an emergency requirement 
     pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), 
     the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

         Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force

       For an additional amount for ``Research, Development, Test 
     and Evaluation, Air Force'', $305,110,000, to remain 
     available until September 30, 2007: Provided, That the amount 
     provided under this heading is designated as an emergency 
     requirement pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th 
     Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal 
     year 2006.

        Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide

       For an additional amount for ``Research, Development, Test 
     and Evaluation, Defense-Wide'', $145,921,000, to remain 
     available until September 30, 2007: Provided, That the amount 
     provided under this heading is designated as an emergency 
     requirement pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th 
     Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal 
     year 2006.

                     REVOLVING AND MANAGEMENT FUNDS

                     Defense Working Capital Funds

       For an additional amount for ``Defense Working Capital 
     Funds'', $502,700,000: Provided, That the amount provided 
     under this heading is designated as an emergency requirement 
     pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), 
     the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                  OTHER DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROGRAMS

                         Defense Health Program

       For an additional amount for ``Defense Health Program'', 
     $1,153,562,000 for operation and maintenance: Provided, That 
     the amount provided under this heading is designated as an 
     emergency requirement pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 
     95 (109th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget 
     for fiscal year 2006.


              Amendment Offered by Ms. Millender-McDonald

  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Amendment offered by Ms. Millender-McDonald:
       In chapter 2 of title I, in the item relating to ``Defense 
     Health Program'', insert after the dollar amount the 
     following: ``(reduced by $20,000,000) (increased by 
     $20,000,000)''.

  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, my amendment addresses one of 
the most critical needs facing our men and women returning home from 
Iraq and Afghanistan, and that is accessible and reliable prosthetic 
and orthotic care for our veterans.
  Like no war before, the war in Iraq has seen unprecedented numbers of 
injuries due to surprise bomb attacks.

[[Page 3687]]

  And like no other war before, troops are often surviving those 
attacks, though many of them lose limbs. This bill creates new demands 
and challenges for our health care system that we must provide for our 
returning men and women. In addition, 20 percent of our practitioners 
will be retiring over the next 10 to 20 years, a further need for 
training.
  My amendment today provides $20 million to expand the U.S. training 
capacity for prosthetics and orthotics to the U.S. schools accredited 
by the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education.
  This expansion will dramatically improve services for the Nation's 
military amputees and orthopedically disabled returning from the 
current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  The need to provide more orthotic and prosthetic practitioners is 
compelling. The demand for orthotic and prosthetic provider services is 
expected to increase by 25 percent for orthotic care and 47 percent for 
prosthetic care by 2020. At present, only 200 to 225 new practitioners 
are trained each year in the United States.
  On a broader scale, my amendment is an excellent investment in a 
health field that will continue to grow. For example, over 1.2 million 
individuals live with limb loss/absence in the United States.
  Annually, physicians perform over 185,000 amputations in the United 
States at about 507 a day. The number of amputations is expected to 
rise due to devastating complications of diabetes. The growing need for 
rehabilitation practitioners well trained in the various disciplines of 
rehabilitation will continue to be a growing trend.
  Finally, this funding will be an investment in our veterans hospitals 
across the country.
  I ask, Mr. Chairman, that my colleagues support this important 
amendment.
  Mr. WALSH. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
  Mr. Chairman, I rise as Chairman of the Military Quality of Life 
Subcommittee on Appropriations within whose responsibility this 
amendment lies, to thank the gentlewoman for offering this amendment. 
This is a very important issue. And there is definitely a need for 
future training in prosthetics to meet the needs of our wounded 
veterans, and indeed, some of our active duty service people.
  The only concern I have is that this would take $20 million out of 
the defense health budget and move it basically to training. Now, this 
is a very perspective, thoughtful idea. It needs to be done. And the 
only concern is the current needs of the defense health budget. But I 
am prepared, Mr. Chairman, to accept this amendment, to move forward, 
and as we come to conference, if there is any need to reassess, we 
would do that. But in the spirit in which it is offered, I am prepared 
to accept the amendment.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald).
  The amendment was agreed to.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will read.
  The Clerk read as follows:

         Drug Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities, Defense


                     (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       For an additional amount for ``Drug Interdiction and 
     Counter-Drug Activities, Defense'', $156,800,000, to remain 
     available until expended: Provided, That these funds may be 
     used only for such activities related to Afghanistan and the 
     Central Asia area: Provided further, That the Secretary of 
     Defense may transfer such funds only to appropriations for 
     military personnel; operation and maintenance; procurement; 
     and research, development, test and evaluation: Provided 
     further, That the funds transferred shall be merged with and 
     be available for the same purposes and for the same time 
     period as the appropriation to which transferred: Provided 
     further, That the transfer authority provided in this 
     paragraph is in addition to any other transfer authority 
     available to the Department of Defense: Provided further, 
     That upon a determination that all or part of the funds 
     transferred from this appropriation are not necessary for the 
     purposes provided herein, such amounts may be transferred 
     back to this appropriation: Provided further, That the amount 
     provided under this heading is designated as an emergency 
     requirement pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th 
     Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal 
     year 2006.


                 Amendment No. 1 Offered by Mr. Souder

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

       Amendment No. 1 offered by Mr. Souder:
       In the item relating to ``Drug Interdiction and Counter-
     Drug Activities, Defense'', after the dollar amount, insert 
     the following: ``(reduced by $25,000,000)''.
       In the item relating to ``International Narcotics and Law 
     Enforcement'', after the dollar amount, insert the following: 
     ``(increased by $25,000,000)''.

  Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Chairman, my intention is to withdraw this amendment. 
But I want to express my frustration at actually a combination of 
issues but particularly related to Colombia; that I have been a strong 
advocate that the military has been slow in responding in Afghanistan 
to the interrelationship to the heroin problem in Afghanistan into the 
military efforts, and will be there again next week to meet on the 
ground to see how we are progressing. And I have grave concerns that 
the DOD money that is being spent in Afghanistan is not being spent as 
wisely as I would like. Nevertheless, I am happy that the Defense 
Department is starting to understand the link between what is being 
done in narcotics and the heroin funding the attacks on our troops and 
men and women in our armed services there.

                              {time}  1845

  We have a grave problem down in the eastern Pacific, and that is, we 
have spent this money in the Andean Initiative and in Plan Colombia. 
What we have seen, as naval resources, which are very limited, have 
been transferred out of that zone, and the DOD has not made additional 
investments in, that my amendment would address the problem of an 
oiler.
  When our Coast Guard vessels go out to interdict in drug interdiction 
through the Department of Homeland Security, they have always been 
dependent, just like many intelligence assets are, on DOD. DOD has not 
given them an oiler with which to refuel.
  So logically the drug dealers, which we see far more than we used to, 
we can see them coming at us. We have gone from 20,000 to 30,000 deaths 
in America, real deaths in the streets of America, because we are not 
interdicting things that we can see, because we don't have an oiler in 
the eastern Pacific.
  Last Sunday in The Washington Post, a big article about Guatemala, a 
top antidrug person being corrupt. Why is Guatemala being corrupted? 
Why do we hear about the gangs in El Salvador related to narcotics? Why 
do we hear about the problems in the southwest border related to 
narcotics?
  We can see the stuff coming, but unless DOD makes some investment in 
an oiler, we can talk all we want about intercepting narcotics. But if 
you don't have a way to refuel their ships out in the water, and the 
United States Navy takes all the resources on it, we can't fight the 
war on narcotics.
  I am going to withdraw this amendment, because I understand the 
supplemental is focused on Afghanistan and Iraq. I support the 
antinarcotics efforts in Afghanistan, but I am very concerned, and I am 
hoping that the Appropriations Committee will work with us on getting 
this oiler, work with DOD, because this is essential to the war on 
drugs.
  Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN (Mr. Gingrey). Without objection, the amendment 
is withdrawn.
  There was no objection.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will read.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                    Office of the Inspector General

       For an additional amount for ``Office of the Inspector 
     General'', $6,120,000, to remain available until September 
     30, 2007: Provided, That the amount provided under this 
     heading is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to 
     section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the 
     concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

[[Page 3688]]



                            RELATED AGENCIES

               Intelligence Community Management Account

       For an additional amount for the ``Intelligence Community 
     Management Account'', $158,875,000: Provided, That the amount 
     provided under this heading is designated as an emergency 
     requirement pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th 
     Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal 
     year 2006.

                    GENERAL PROVISIONS--THIS CHAPTER


                          (TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

       Sec. 1201. Upon his determination that such action is 
     necessary in the national interest, the Secretary of Defense 
     may transfer between appropriations up to $2,000,000,000 of 
     the funds made available to the Department of Defense in this 
     chapter: Provided, That the Secretary shall notify the 
     Congress promptly of each transfer made pursuant to this 
     authority: Provided further, That the transfer authority 
     provided in this section is in addition to any other transfer 
     authority available to the Department of Defense: Provided 
     further, That the authority in this section is subject to the 
     same terms and conditions as the authority provided in 
     section 8005 of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 
     2006, except for the fourth proviso.
       Sec. 1202. (a) Authority To Provide Support.--Of the amount 
     appropriated by this Act under the heading ``Drug 
     Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities, Defense'', not to 
     exceed $40,000,000 may be made available for support for 
     counter-drug activities of the Governments of Afghanistan and 
     Pakistan: Provided, That such support shall be in addition to 
     support provided for the counter-drug activities of such 
     Governments under any other provision of the law.
       (b) Types of Support.--(1) Except as specified in 
     subsections (b)(2) and (b)(3) of this section, the support 
     that may be provided under the authority in this section 
     shall be limited to the types of support specified in section 
     1033(c)(1) of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
     Fiscal Year 1998 (Public Law 105-85, as amended by Public Law 
     106-398 and Public Law 108-136), and conditions on the 
     provision of support as contained in such section 1033 shall 
     apply for fiscal year 2006.
       (2) The Secretary of Defense may transfer vehicles, 
     aircraft, and detection, interception, monitoring and testing 
     equipment to such Governments for counter-drug activities.
       (3) For the Government of Afghanistan, the Secretary of 
     Defense may also provide individual and crew-served weapons, 
     and ammunition for counter-drug security forces.
       Sec. 1203. Notwithstanding 10 U.S.C. 2208(l), the total 
     amount of advance billings rendered or imposed for all 
     working capital funds of the Department of Defense in fiscal 
     year 2006 shall not exceed $1,500,000,000: Provided, That the 
     amounts made available pursuant to this section are 
     designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 
     402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the concurrent 
     resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.
       Sec. 1204. In addition to amounts authorized in section 
     1202(a) of Public Law 109-163, from funds made available in 
     this chapter to the Department of Defense, not to exceed 
     $423,000,000 may be used to fund the Commander's Emergency 
     Response Program and for a similar program to assist the 
     people of Afghanistan, to remain available until December 31, 
     2007.
       Sec. 1205. Supervision and administration costs associated 
     with a construction project funded with ``Afghanistan 
     Security Forces Fund'' or ``Iraq Security Forces Fund'' 
     appropriations may be obligated at the time a construction 
     contract is awarded: Provided, That for the purpose of this 
     section, supervision and administration costs include all in-
     house Government costs.
       Sec. 1206. None of the funds provided in this chapter may 
     be used to finance programs or activities denied by Congress 
     in fiscal year 2005 and 2006 appropriations to the Department 
     of Defense or to initiate a procurement or research, 
     development, test and evaluation new start program without 
     prior written notification to the congressional defense 
     committees.

                               CHAPTER 3

                     BILATERAL ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE

                  Funds Appropriated to the President


           UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

                CHILD SURVIVAL AND HEALTH PROGRAMS FUND

       For an additional amount for ``Child Survival and Health 
     Programs Fund'', $5,300,000, to remain available until 
     September 30, 2007: Provided, That the amount provided under 
     this heading is designated as an emergency requirement 
     pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), 
     the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.


                     Amendment Offered by Mr. Engel

  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Amendment offered by Mr. Engel:
       Page 26, line 8, after the dollar amount, insert the 
     following: ``(increased by $5,000,000)''.
       Page 26, line 16, after the dollar amount, insert the 
     following: ``(increased by $5,000,000)''.
       Page 27, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert the 
     following: ``(increased by $40,000,000)''.

  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to have the 
amendment considered at this point.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order 
against the gentleman's amendment.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The gentleman reserves a point of order.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Chairman, my amendment speaks to the immediate needs 
of our southern neighbor, Haiti. This amendment would increase economic 
support funds by $40 million, development assistance by $5 million, and 
child survival and health funds by $5 million, totaling an additional 
$50 million for Haiti. It is my intention to offer and withdraw this 
amendment.
  After a history of instability, poverty and democratic setbacks, 
Haitians poured onto the streets of their country last month to cast 
their votes, demonstrating a desire for a better future. After a 
contested vote-counting period, the front-runner in the presidential 
election, Rene Preval, was declared the winner with nearly 52 percent 
of the official vote, compared to less than 12 percent to his closest 
contender.
  Such a large mandate and a large margin of victory gives Preval a 
strong mandate and legitimacy to reform and rebuild Haiti's 
institutions and fractured society. Yet the challenges are vast. The 
same massive underlying problems still plague Haiti, and a second round 
of elections looms in the coming weeks.
  Now is the time, I very strongly believe, for the United States to 
tangibly demonstrate that it stands with the Haitian people in their 
quest for democracy and stability. We have long had a special 
relationship and a special obligation to the people of Haiti. I believe 
that there exists a limited window of opportunity to help Haiti, which 
was opened by the recent successful elections.
  We should seize this opportunity by expanding our assistance to Haiti 
and the Haitian people in the immediate future. My amendment does just 
that. My amendment provides $50 million in emergency FY 06 supplemental 
assistance for our impoverished neighbor in the south. Haiti, of 
course, is the poorest country in the Americas.
  Specifically, the amendment increases economic support funds by $40 
million, developmental assistance by $5 million and child survival and 
health by $5 million. This supplemental funding directly addresses the 
profound social needs in Haiti, while providing support for future 
elections, reconciliation and efforts to jump-start local economies.
  Mr. Chairman, I would like you to know that members of the 
Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, where I am the ranking member, 
recently wrote a bipartisan letter supporting $50 million of additional 
assistance for Haiti in this supplemental legislation.
  I would like to thank Chairman Barton and the other members of the 
subcommittee for their support. I will include this letter in the 
Record.
  Elections signal the beginning of a transition, not an end. Thus we 
believe that this additional assistance is the least we can do at this 
critical time to help Haiti. We obviously have a stake in their 
democracy-taking route, having Haiti so close to our shores. Of course, 
there is a large Haitian-American community in this country which has 
ties to Haiti that further bind our two countries together as well.
  Mr. Chairman, as this legislation moves forward, I ask that the House 
work with the Senate to include emergency aid for Haiti. It is my hope 
that, in the end, Congress will heed the bipartisan call of the 
subcommittee and provide important additional aid to Haiti.
  As I said, I am going to withdraw my amendment at the end because I 
believe that this is the best way to move this amendment forward, by 
working with the Senate, and hopefully we get

[[Page 3689]]

it there and it comes here. So I urge my colleagues to listen to our 
pleas.
  Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
  Mr. Chairman, I understand the gentleman from New York is going to 
withdraw his amendment, and I will not take more than a few seconds 
here. I want to make only one point to other Members here.
  What the gentleman is proposing is certainly something that is 
humanitarian, and we certainly agree with his efforts to try to do 
everything we can to restore order to the very troubled nation of 
Haiti. But I think it is important to understand that knowing these 
elections were coming in the 2006 appropriations bill, the foreign 
assistance amount included in there is $194 million. In addition, the 
President is requesting in FY 2007 $163 million.
  Almost none of the $194 million in the FY 2006 bill has been 
obligated, so there is no possibility that we are going to need these 
additional funds. In other words, this is not an emergency at this 
point. If additional funds are needed, we could easily add them in to 
the 2007 bill, but we have almost all of the $194 million appropriated 
in 2006 that are still available for obligations to help this country 
get on its feet.
  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
  Mr. Chairman, the victory of Rene Preval in the first round of 
elections in Haiti does open a window of opportunity to rescue this 
country from its failed state status. Now is the time for the United 
States to tangibly demonstrate that it stands with the Haitian people 
in their quest for democracy and stability.
  Mr. Chairman, I was disappointed that the administration's 
supplemental request did not contain funding for Haiti, because I do 
think we have limited time to make a difference by providing assistance 
to ensure that the second round of elections, which are just weeks 
away, are free, fair and transparent. This money will help fund quick 
impact programs to promote reconciliation and stabilization and to 
expand our participation in the U.N. civilian police training and 
vetting program.
  I appreciate the comments of my chairman and his willingness to make 
sure that we have adequate funding for Haiti, but I think this 
amendment does send an important signal to the Haitian people that the 
U.S. is committed to help them as they pull their country out of chaos.
  The United States must show that we care about more than elections, 
that we care about what comes afterwards as well. So I am very pleased 
that the chairman addressed this issue.
  I am pleased that Mr. Engel is withdrawing the amendment, and I look 
forward to working with the chairman and working with Mr. Engel to 
ensure that we are supportive and that Haiti gets the money that it 
deserves to try to get it on the right track and move that country 
ahead. It is an embarrassment to the region, it is an embarrassment to 
the world, that Haiti has not been able to get this support it needs. 
So, working together, I am hopeful that we can take positive action to 
get Haiti on the right track.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of 
words.
  Mr. Chairman, let me thank our new ranking member of the Western 
Hemisphere Subcommittee for his leadership and for his commitment to 
the people of Haiti. I think today illustrates the type of commitment 
that he has in terms of his truly understanding the critical needs of 
the Haitian people. So I want to commend you, Mr. Engel, for your 
leadership, and thank you for putting this out here, at least so we can 
have a debate and discuss why Haiti deserves this $50 million.
  Let me just say, first of all, that we all know that on February 7 
the Haitian people demonstrated their faith in the democratic process, 
and today the United States needs to send a signal. We need to show our 
support for their commitment and for their persistence.
  I co-chaired the Haiti Task Force with the great leader Congressman 
Conyers. Many members of this Haiti Task Force have worked for many, 
many years to help the Haitian people, not only with their democracy, 
which, of course, they have engaged in in terms of the democratic 
process over the years, but also, most importantly, with their economic 
development and their humanitarian assistance and the infrastructure 
assistance that they so desperately need.
  Haiti is the poorest country in the Caribbean, and we need to begin 
to provide resources in a very real way, and I mean in a real way, to 
the people of Haiti under the leadership of the newly democratically 
elected government.
  This amendment, and it is just the beginning, it is only $50 million, 
begins to rectify some of the inadequacies of this supplemental, which, 
of course, we have heard there is really no money in it for Haiti.
  So we need to support the Engel amendment. We need to send a message 
to the world, to the Caribbean, to CARICOM, that we support democracy 
in Haiti, that we support development assistance for Haiti, that we 
support economic assistance, that we support an increase to help the 
Haitian people address their health care needs. The HIV and AIDS 
pandemic is rampant in Haiti. The highest incidence of AIDS in the 
Caribbean is in the country of Haiti.
  So whatever we do today in terms of this $50 million, I think we need 
to understand that we need more than $194 million to address the basic 
needs of the Haitian people.
  So, Mr. Engel, this is an excellent first step. I hope that people 
throughout our country recognize that there are those of us here in the 
House who want to support the aspirations and the needs and the desires 
and the dreams of the Haitian people, and we should do so by passing 
this amendment, this $50 million.

                              {time}  1900

  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Congresswoman Lee and 
Congresswoman Lowey for their support and Congressman Kolbe for his 
explanation.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Chairman, in the hope that this will move the process 
along so that Haiti will get all of the money it needs, I ask unanimous 
consent to withdraw my amendment.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN (Mr. Gingrey). Without objection, the amendment 
is withdrawn.
  There was no objection.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will read.
  The Clerk read as follows:


                         DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

       For an additional amount for ``Development Assistance'', 
     $10,500,000, to remain available until September 30, 2007: 
     Provided, That the amount provided under this heading is 
     designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 
     402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the concurrent 
     resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.


                INTERNATIONAL DISASTER FAMINE ASSISTANCE

       For an additional amount for ``International Disaster and 
     Famine Assistance'', $136,290,000, to remain until expended: 
     Provided, That the amount provided under this heading is 
     designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 
     402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the concurrent 
     resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.


   OPERATING EXPENSES OF THE UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL 
                              DEVELOPMENT

       For an additional amount for ``Operating Expenses of the 
     United States Agency for International Development'', 
     $61,600,000, to remain available until September 30, 2007: 
     Provided, That the amount provided under this heading is 
     designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 
     402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the concurrent 
     resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                  Other Bilateral Economic Assistance


                         ECONOMIC SUPPORT FUND-

       For an additional amount for ``Economic Support Fund'', 
     $1,584,500,000, to remain available until September 30, 2007: 
     Provided, That the amount provided under this heading is 
     designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 
     402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the concurrent 
     resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.


                     Amendment Offered by Mr. Shays

  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Amendment offered by Mr. Shays:
       Page 27, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert the 
     following: ``(reduced by $10,000,000) (increased by 
     $10,000,000)''.

  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would designate $10 million 
of economic support funds for the

[[Page 3690]]

Community Action Program, also known as CAP, in Iraq. That is what this 
amendment does.
  I would like to say, Mr. Chairman, that a real hero in this House is 
Mr. Kolbe who has made sure that these programs have flourished. In my 
11 trips to Iraq, I am absolutely convinced the best thing we have done 
in all of our expenditures on the economic side of the table has been 
to support these CAP agencies.
  There were five NGOs, nongovernment organizations. There are still 
four left. They stand potentially to lose money in June or July and not 
have the carry-over into the next fiscal year. What this amendment 
ensures, with Mr. Kolbe's help, is that that money will be extended so 
that we can keep them in place.
  When we talk about keeping them in place, for instance, one of these 
nongovernment organizations, and it is typical, has about 130 employees 
who are all Iraqis throughout Iraq and only seven who are not Iraqis, 
one or two Europeans, one or two eastern Europeans, and one or two 
Americans; and when you add up the others we are talking about over 600 
Iraqis. And what are they doing? They are rebuilding schools, they are 
repairing water and sewer lines, building health clinics, helping what 
takes place in the schools. Just a host of other infrastructure and 
development projects.
  In the report that was done by the Appropriations Committee, and I 
would like to read from it, it expresses my sentiments better than I 
could. This is what the report says, ``The CAP program has generated a 
network of more than 1,300 community associations across 17 
governorates in Iraq, and has trained 17,281 community association 
members.''
  The January, 2005, audit by the Office of Inspector General USAID 
found that the CAP, ``achieved 98 percent of its intended outputs, 
including citizen participation, inner-government cooperation, local 
government cooperation, local employment generation, and consideration 
of environmental concerns.''
  The bottom line is, these programs are working extraordinarily well. 
And I thank Mr. Kolbe, and the chairman of the Appropriations Committee 
as well, for ensuring that these organizations do not have to close up 
shop, and fire a whole host of Iraqis.
  I would like to just say, in addition, I am a strong supporter of 
making sure that we do everything we can to have the Iraqis succeed. It 
is astounding that last year they had three elections. They established 
a government. That government established a constitutional convention. 
They created a constitutional convention.
  Then we had a second election, ratified by 79 percent of the Iraqis 
who voted. And then, once the constitution was established, December of 
this last year, 76 percent of all Iraqi adults voted, not 76 of those 
who registered, 76 percent. And 30 percent of their new assembly is 
made up of women. That is extraordinary progress on the political side. 
We are training their police, their border patrol and their army. I 
wish we had not allowed it to disintegrate.
  But now they are getting to critical mass, so we are seeing the 
military side, we are seeing the political side. This is the economic 
side that Mr. Kolbe is focusing on.
  Mr. KIRK. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. SHAYS. I yield to the gentleman from Illinois.
  Mr. KIRK. Mr. Chairman, I strongly support the Shays amendment 
because this continues the CAP program led by groups like Mercy Corps 
in Iraq who are able to operate with very low levels of security 
because they are so heavily supported by the local community.
  This is a phenomenally successful program. The gentleman is exactly 
right.
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Chairman, if I can just add, reclaiming my time, 
evidently not one of these projects done by these organizations have 
had to deal with assaults by Iraqis, have had a building or something 
which was then destroyed by insurgents. They have all survived.
  I thank Mr. Kolbe from the bottom of my heart for his help in this 
effort.
  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise to strike the last word.
  Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the gentleman's amendment, and I 
understand and I am pleased that the chairman is going to accept it, 
because ICAP is one of the few overwhelming success stories with 
respect to Iraq reconstruction.
  Since 2003, ICAP has worked with communities in all of Iraq's 18 
governorates to empower ordinary Iraqis to determine, implement and 
monitor reconstruction and development in their communities.
  We all talk about how Iraqis need to run their own country, choose 
their own government, fight their own battles, make their own 
priorities. ICAP is aimed at accomplishing just this goal.
  Its implementing partners have trained more than 620 Iraqi staff 
members. In turn, they have trained over 17,000 community action group 
members. And ICAP partners do not contract with multi-national 
corporations to get their work done. Only Iraqi contractors carry out 
ICAP projects. So, as we move forward, ICAP can be an excellent 
complement to the new provincial reconstruction teams being established 
throughout Iraq.
  The gentleman's amendment would ensure that ICAP does not run out of 
funding this summer, as it certainly will if no further resources are 
provided. So it would be a shame to end this program prematurely. Mr. 
Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.
  Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
  Mr. Chairman, I will be very brief. I am prepared, as the gentleman 
from Connecticut has already indicated, to accept this amendment.
  The Community Action Program, to which this is directed, has been a 
proven and effective way to build community-based democracy in Iraq and 
linkages between community and provincial governance, and I think it 
has worked very well. The experience that we have had in Iraq has 
really been very much in favor of what we have been trying to do there.
  These funds ensure the continuation of that Community Action Program 
through the fiscal year 2006, and I commit to the gentleman that we are 
going to consider further appropriations for this proven program in the 
regular appropriations bill for 2007.
  For that reason, I am happy to accept this amendment and hope that we 
can move forward.
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. KOLBE. I yield to the gentleman from Connecticut.
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Chairman, there is a concern obviously with continuing 
resolutions. Is there a way to deal with that issue?
  Mr. KOLBE. Yes. If there is a scenario in which funding for 
activities in the foreign operations appropriations bill are funded for 
a period of time under a continuing resolution, I believe the funds 
would be available, on a pro-rated basis, to continue the CAP program 
until regular appropriations were enacted.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays).
  The amendment was agreed to.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will read.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                          Department of State


                             DEMOCRACY FUND

       For an additional amount for ``Democracy Fund'', 
     $10,000,000 for the advancement of democracy in Iran, to 
     remain available until September 30, 2007: Provided, That the 
     amount provided under this heading is designated as an 
     emergency requirement pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 
     95 (109th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget 
     for fiscal year 2006.


             Amendment Offered by Mr. Garrett of New Jersey

  Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Amendment offered by Mr. Garrett of New Jersey:
       Page 27, strike line 24 and all that follows through line 5 
     on page 28.
       Page 35, line 20, after the dollar amount, insert the 
     following: ``(reduced by $5,000,000)''.

[[Page 3691]]

       Page 36, strike line 14 and all that follows through line 
     21.

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order 
against the gentleman's amendment.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The gentleman reserves a point of order.
  Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey. Mr. Chairman, we are on the floor tonight 
to discuss a supplemental emergency appropriation, supplemental meaning 
that we are adding to something to complete it or to bring it to 
fruition. An emergency, just ran out and grabbed the dictionary, 
meaning an unexpected serious occurrence or situation urgently 
requiring prompt action.
  Well, unfortunately, the language in the bill in this area of 
additional foreign aid is not an unexpected situation or emergent. That 
is just not my opinion. That is actually the opinion of the committee 
itself.
  The language that we seek to strike is approximately $15 million in 
additional foreign aid, $5 million to expand public diplomacy 
information programs relating to Iran, and $10 million in democracy 
funds for the promotion of democracy, governance, human rights, 
independent media, and the rule of law in Iran.
  Iran is certainly not an ally of this Nation that we are here tonight 
to seek assistance of $15 million. Again, not my opinion, that it is 
not an ally of this country. This administration itself called Iran 
part of the Axis of Evil. Iran, who wants to wipe Israel off the map of 
the world; Iran, who wants to assist Hamas in any way they possibly 
can; Iran, who neglects and fails to listen to the world's heed and 
continues to expand its nuclear program. And yet tonight we have a 
supplemental program of approximately $15 million to assist that 
nation.
  Again, I say that this is not my opinion, that this is not an 
emergency situation. The committee in its report says that it is 
disappointed in the Department of State's failure to provide adequate 
and timely justification of the emergency nature of these funds.
  If the State Department then cannot supply us and cannot supply the 
committee with the very information that it needs to say that this 
truly is an emergency situation, why then is this House considering 
providing an additional $15 million to support Iran?
  The rest of the supplemental obviously has worthwhile programs in it. 
We are trying to assist our men and women overseas who find themselves 
in harm's way as we speak here tonight with military assistance. We are 
trying to assist those people down in the gulf coast to rebuild their 
lives with Katrina aid.
  But, at the same time, we have articles such as this added to this 
Christmas tree list, if you will, of programs to the supplemental bill 
that do not meet the criteria of an emergency situation.

                              {time}  1915

  So, Mr. Chairman, I would say that we should strike the language in 
the bill that would delete $5 million for public diplomacy and $10 
million for economic support fund for Iran.


                             Point of Order

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, regretfully, I must make a 
point of order against the amendment because it proposes to amend 
portions of the bill not yet read.
  Section 17 of chapter 2 of the House Practice book states in part, 
``It is not in order to strike or otherwise amend portions of a bill 
not yet read for amendment.''
  And for that reason I would make a point of order.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN (Mr. Gingrey). The gentleman from California (Mr. 
Lewis) has raised a point of order. Does the gentleman from New Jersey 
(Mr. Garrett) wish to be heard on the point of order?
  Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey. Mr. Chairman, if I may have a colloquy 
with the chairman?
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The Chair cannot entertain a colloquy on a point 
of order.
  Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to 
withdraw my amendment.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will read.
  The Clerk read as follows:


          INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT

       For an additional amount for ``International Narcotics 
     Control and Law Enforcement'', $107,700,000, to remain 
     available until September 30, 2007: Provided, That the amount 
     provided under this heading is designated as an emergency 
     requirement pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th 
     Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal 
     year 2006.


               Amendment Offered by Mr. Burton of Indiana

  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Amendment offered by Mr. Burton of Indiana:
       Page 28, line 9, after the dollar amount, insert the 
     following: ``(reduced by $26,300,000) (increased by 
     $26,300,000)''.

  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, I have discussed at length with 
the chairman of the subcommittee from Arizona and the chairman of the 
full committee the problems that we faced with Plan Colombia.
  In the last 5 or 6 years, there have been 23 aircraft lost that are 
vitally important to the drug interdiction problem that we are facing. 
This chart shows you where the drugs are coming from and where they are 
going according to our intelligence agencies. And once drugs, heroin 
and cocaine, get beyond Colombia, 65 percent of them, almost two-thirds 
of them, work their way into the United States onto the streets, into 
the schools, into the playgrounds of this country.
  President Uribe just came out up here recently and told us without 
the additional assets that are asked for in this amendment, he will not 
be able to do the job in dealing with the drug problem that we face 
here in America. So we have to decide as a Congress are we going to 
continue to fight the war against drugs or are we going to start 
acquiescing? Are we going to start caving in?
  According to President Uribe, they need 23 aircraft. We have talked 
to the appropriators, and I really appreciate Mr. Kolbe for working on 
this, and Mr. Lewis, the chairman. We have decided on a compromise 
right now. I hope that will help President Uribe. It is not going to 
solve the problem, but at least it is a step in the right direction.
  What it does is provides three DC-3s, which will be able to surveil 
the area and help us interdict these drugs that are getting beyond 
Colombia and up into the United States. They have been doing a good job 
without all the assets they need, and with these additional DC-3s, 
which have all the technology that is necessary to police this area, it 
should help a great deal.
  Make no mistake about it. We still need the Hueys. We still need the 
Blackhawks. Something like 70 percent of the aircraft they have used in 
this area have been destroyed in the last 5 or 6 years, and they need 
help down there. And President Uribe himself came all the way to the 
United States to make a plea for this help.
  I have talked to the Speaker about it as well as the leaders of the 
Committee on Appropriations. And I hope my colleagues on the Democrat 
side as well will see fit to support this. We have a war against drugs. 
I have some colleagues who serve with me on the Government Reform 
Committee that told me in Baltimore there is an 80 percent increase in 
the amount of heroin usage in the minority community. If we are going 
to deal with that problem, we have to provide the resources for 
President Uribe and the Colombian national police and the Colombian 
military to deal with this problem.
  In addition to that, we have other problems in South America and 
Central America that need to be dealt with which this equipment will 
also help us with. And we also have the problem with possible 
terrorists coming in. This surveillance effort will help in that regard 
as well.
  I have a lot more things I would like to say, but I understand my 
time is about expired. I hope you will accept this amendment and I 
really appreciate you working with us.

[[Page 3692]]

  Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Hyde, chairman Davis, Congressman 
Souder, Congressman Chabot and the staff of the International Relations 
Committee for their exceptional work on crafting this critically 
important amendment.
  Colombian President Alvaro Uribe is a key ally in the War on Drugs 
and a strong ally in Latin America. Last year, under his leadership and 
with U.S. and international support, Colombia succeeded in destroying 
170,000 hectares of illegal coca (aerial and manual eradication), thus 
removing a potential 150 metric tons of cocaine with a street value of 
over $15 billion. Colombia's police and military forces captured or 
shared in the capture of another 223 metric tons of cocaine and cocaine 
base.
  Despite these many successes, experience has taught us that if the 
cocaine and heroin make it to the coasts of Colombia, it has a 65 
percent chance of getting into the United States. This is due, in part, 
to the reduction in assets monitoring the trafficking routes. We have 
excellent intelligence, we know where the smugglers are going but we 
lack the assets in theater to properly intercept the drugs headed our 
way.
  Since 2000, we have witnessed--and thanks to aggressive oversight 
efforts by this Congress exposed--a nearly 70 percent reduction in 
military Marine Patrol Aircraft (MPA) used to interdict these deadly 
drugs after they reach the Colombian coast.
  Furthermore, more than 23 aircraft including fixed wing spray planes 
and helicopters of the Colombian National Police (CNP) have been lost 
in action. The losses include both Black Hawk and Huey 2 helicopters 
used by the police anti-drug units in support of high altitude 
eradication of the opium corp. In 2003 alone, nearly 25 percent of the 
aircraft used in spray operations were lost, and they have not been 
replaced as of yet.
  We cannot continue to enjoy even modest success at interdicting and 
destroying these drugs unless we make up these losses.
  The Burton Amendment will restore critical anti-narcotic air and 
surface assets in the Colombian Navy and National police. The Amendment 
provides for $99.4 million in counter-drug emergency assistance to help 
replace some of the 23 Colombian National Police (CNP) aircraft lost in 
the fight against narco-terrorism since 2000. The money will also would 
provide three (3) new aircraft to serve as Marine Patrol Aircraft (MPA) 
for the Colombian Navy's drug interdiction efforts. In addition, the 
proposal will cover the operational and maintenance expenses for two 
year for these new aircraft.
  I know that many of my colleagues are concerned about the cost of 
this amendment and the fact that we've asked for the funds to be 
considered as emergency spending.
  I would respectfully remind those of my colleagues who oppose this 
amendment that the streets of America are awash in drugs. Because many 
of our own military maritime and air interdiction assets were removed 
from the Caribbean basin to deal with the challenges of homeland 
security after 9/11, we have left critical gaps in our drug 
interdiction net. The end result is that today the Central American 
Transit Zone is being exploited by drug-traffickers like never before.
  We ignore this problem at our own peril, as the very routes being 
used to ship dangers narcotics to our shores could just as easily be 
used to smuggle in terrorists or weapons of mass destruction. Although 
there is no solid evidence yet of Central and South America traffickers 
and Al-Qaeda, many law enforcement officials have commented on the 
positive benefits to both groups from such a linkage. I believe it is 
not a question of if Al-Qaeda will try to exploit this glaring hole in 
our security net but when. The emergency is now and it is very real.
  Spending this modest sum now to consolidate the major gains of the 
Plan Colombia program and strengthen our homeland security effort will 
save us far more money in comparison to the potential cost of cleaning 
up the mess should we allow Plan Colombia to ultimately fail, or al-
Qaeda to exploit this situation to kill thousands more innocent 
Americans.
  I respectfully ask my colleagues to vote for this amendment.
  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
  With great respect for my colleague, I rise in opposition to the 
gentleman's amendment though I think he raises a valid concern. I just 
returned from Colombia, and I think there is a real need to boost the 
Colombian government's interdiction efforts. I think, in fact, I think 
that greater focus on interdiction may well be more effective than our 
current emphasis on eradication. However, I think the responsibility 
for funding this program lies first and foremost with the Colombian 
government.
  The President of Colombia was in Washington just a few weeks ago and 
met with Chairman Kolbe and me. He did not indicate to us any pressing 
need for this assistance. In fact, I believe the State Department is 
seeking to reprogram funds away from Colombian aviation programs and 
the Colombian national police to finance the demobilization programs.
  That said, I do agree that the gentleman raises an important point. I 
think it is time that we look at a different mix for funding for 
Colombia, one that boosts spending on alternate development and 
interdiction programs and reduces funding for eradication programs 
which I think are ineffective at best. However, I think this amendment 
is better considered in the context of FY 2007 appropriations process 
where a more comprehensive discussion of the Colombia program can take 
place, and I think that is what is really needed here.
  There is no emergency requirement for the funding. It does not belong 
in the supplemental. Therefore, I do urge my colleagues to vote against 
this amendment.
  Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
  Mr. Chairman, as the gentleman from Indiana has indicated, this 
amendment he has offered here does represent a compromise that we have 
worked out so I do rise to say that we support this amendment. Let me 
say I do agree with my colleague, the ranking member of the 
subcommittee, the gentlewoman from New York, in many of comments that 
she made. It is correct that when President Uribe, for whom I have the 
greatest respect and believe he has been one of the truly great leaders 
of Colombia in recent decades, I think when President Uribe came to 
visit with us, he did not give us any indication that this was the 
money that he was seeking, that he needed additional funds for.
  However, having said that, I believe this is an important aspect of 
our efforts to interdict drugs coming to Central America and Mexico, 
and then on into the United States. For us it is the frontline of our 
war against drugs, and for that reason I do think that this amount 
which represents a reasonable compromise and does not damage our other 
programs from which the funds are taken in Iraq, for that reason, I 
think it is one that can be supported.
  Mr. Chairman, I would support this amendment.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Chairman, after 7 years of work on anti-narcotic 
efforts in Colombia, we are now seeing the fruits of our labors in the 
drug wars. Americans, and especially our young people, are greatly 
benefiting here at home from our policies in Colombia and the strong 
support of the government of President Alvaro Uribe.
  We are concerned, however, with the recent waning support by some in 
the administration for our vital counterdrug initiatives. A focused 
part of our war on drugs is comprised of the interdiction and spray 
airplanes used by the Colombian police and military. We have funded a 
number of these aircraft, but several have been lost because of serious 
maintenance problems or have been shot down or destroyed.
  Since the year 2000, more than 23 aircraft, including spray planes 
and vital helicopters, have crashed or been lost in action. This 
includes one of the original Black Hawk helicopters which we in the 
Congress obtained for the Colombian National Police, CNP, to use 
against the opium crops as early as 1999. The administration's FY07 
budget fails to address these shortfalls.
  Moreover, after some correspondence, the State Department dismissed 
my recent call for the replacement of these aircraft.
  What we need is a small, but targeted, assistance package to replace 
lost anti-drug aircraft and to provide a few new Marine Patrol 
Aircraft, MPA, of modest cost for the Colombian Navy. We are asking 
that $99.4 million be directed for the operational costs of maintaining 
and replacing aircraft used by the Colombian police and military for 
drug interdiction efforts.
  Of that $99.4 million, we ask for $31 million to be allocated for the 
purchase and operation of ten Huey II helicopters, $40 million be used 
for the purchase and operation of two UH-60 Black Hawks, one of which 
will be dedicated to interdicting high value targets, HVT, $2 million 
to be given toward the upgrade and purchase of flight simulators to be 
used by the

[[Page 3693]]

CNP for training on safety and night operations, and $26.4 million to 
be allocated for the purchase and operation of three DC-3 aircraft 
which will be used by the Colombian Navy as Marine Patrol Aircraft for 
multi-role shore interdiction and support missions.
  The assistance we provide to Colombia is equally as important to the 
United States as our assistance in fighting terrorism in Iraq and 
Afghanistan. Lest we forget, more Americans die each year from using 
deadly heroin and cocaine that originate from nearby Colombia than did 
those on the day of the 9/11 attacks in New York, Pennsylvania, and at 
the Pentagon. We must continue to sustain our war against drugs and the 
progress we have been witnessing in Colombia.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton).
  The question was taken; and the Acting Chairman announced that the 
ayes appeared to have it.
  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further 
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. 
Burton) will be postponed.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise to strike the last word.
  Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Lewis) a question. As the gentleman knows there is a tradition of 
courtesy in this House which dictates that when either party has a 
function that the House will not be in session beyond say 5 or 6 
o'clock.
  We have made an exception this evening despite the fact that there 
was a dispute in the Republican caucus earlier in the day, which ate up 
an extra hour and a half and despite the fact that we have been told 
that other legislation needed to be brought to the floor. We still 
indicated our desire to cooperate in establishing a time limit, because 
we were trying to facilitate the Members of both parties leaving here 
tomorrow afternoon.
  It now appears to me that despite our willingness to do that, we are 
getting a continual stream of new amendments being produced on the 
majority side, which are preventing us from reaching a time agreement 
that would enable us to get out of here at a reasonable hour tomorrow 
afternoon. I would like to know what the status of the situation is 
because at this point, I frankly see no purpose in continuing tonight 
if all we are going to do is give people more time to draft more 
amendments.
  We have imposed a deadline on our side of the aisle and told Members 
that amendments will not be considered if they come in after a certain 
hour. But my understanding is on the Republican side there are still 
amendments coming in and the majority is being pressured to put them on 
the list. I do not mind working cooperatively, but I do mind when I am 
being taken advantage of.
  I want to suggest that if we can not reach an agreement on time 
within the next 10 minutes, I for one intend to move to adjourn.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. OBEY. I yield to the gentleman from California.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. If I could respond to the gentleman, the 
gentleman has been more than cooperative and I appreciate what he has 
to say.
  From this gentleman's perspective, it is not our intention to take 
any additional amendments. We are very, very close to an agreement and 
I would hope that you and I can see our way through this long enough, a 
few minutes to make sure that we can get out at a reasonable time.
  Mr. OBEY. I want it understood that if we do not have an agreement in 
10 minutes, I will move to adjourn.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. I always understand the gentleman.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will read.
  The Clerk read as follows:


                    MIGRATION AND REFUGEE ASSISTANCE

       For an additional amount for ``Migration and Refugee 
     Assistance'', $51,200,000, to remain available until 
     September 30, 2007: Provided, That the amount provided under 
     this heading is designated as an emergency requirement 
     pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), 
     the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                       Department of the Treasury


               INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

       For an additional amount for ``International Affairs 
     Technical Assistance'', $13,000,000, to remain available 
     until September 30, 2007: Provided, That the amount provided 
     under this heading is designated as an emergency requirement 
     pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), 
     the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
  Mr. Chairman, what I am trying to do still in the interest of 
cooperation tonight, I am trying to filibuster until Mr. Capuano, who 
is ready to offer the amendment, is ready to offer at this point.
  Could I ask if the gentleman is ready? He is ready. This is probably 
the shortest filibuster in the history of the House.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will read.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                          MILITARY ASSISTANCE

                  Funds Appropriated to the President


                        PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS

       For an additional amount for ``Peacekeeping Operations'', 
     $123,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2007: 
     Provided, That the amount provided under this heading is 
     designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 
     402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the concurrent 
     resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                              {time}  1930


                    Amendment Offered by Mr. Capuano

  Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Amendment offered by Mr. Capuano:
       Page 29, line 10, after the dollar amount, insert the 
     following: ``(increased by $50,000,000)''.

  Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Chairman, in July of 2004 this House declared 
atrocities in Darfur to be a genocide. Since that time, actually since 
2003, 400,000 people at least have died; 200,000 people are in refugee 
camps in Chad; 2.5 million people are displaced within Darfur. Over 
half the population has been affected.
  The President has used the word ``genocide.'' The Secretary of State 
has used the word ``genocide.'' The whole world knows what is going on 
in Darfur.
  Many Members of this House, including many Members on both sides of 
this aisle, have been very active in this issue. In this bill there is 
already a lot of money appropriated to continue funding the African 
Union mission that is currently providing 7,700 troops in Darfur to 
protect the people that are there. However, everyone knows that that is 
insufficient. The A.U. is doing a good job with the number of troops it 
has and with the resources it has, but we all know that it needs more.
  The President himself has asked to double the number of troops in the 
Darfur region. I agree with him. Everybody who watches this issue 
agrees with him. We have to do something.
  The money that is in this bill will maintain the A.U. mission, which 
is a good thing. However, maintaining it is insufficient.
  It will eventually become a mission, and that is a good thing. I hope 
most of us, if not all of us, will support it. That will take 6 to 9 
months at the least. In the meantime, maintaining the current situation 
is unacceptable. Therefore, I have asked for an additional $50 million 
to be put forward to enhance that mission.
  I understand there is some concern about adding more troops with this 
money. This money can be used for several different items. It is not 
just boots on the ground.
  First of all, money is fungible. Second of all, these troops also 
have major problems with communication on the ground, with technical 
planning on the ground, with equipment on the ground that this money 
can be used for. This money will be our effort to build a bridge 
between the current situation and the situation that we all are trying 
to get to, which hopefully will take less than 9 months.
  That is why I offer this amendment. That is why I hope it passes.
  Mr. KOLBE. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
  Mr. Chairman, I do rise in opposition to this amendment, and I know 
some of

[[Page 3694]]

my colleagues may question why that would be the case, but I think 
there is a very good and sound reason for that, and I hope the 
gentleman from Massachusetts will listen to this.
  As Members will know, our committee has supported $290 million for 
the African Union for the AMIS fund. That is the African Military in 
Sudan support fund. $123 million, that is in this bill. I have been to 
the Darfur region twice in the last 18 months, and I have seen the very 
difficult conditions under which this African Union force is working, 
and I have been pushing the State Department to come up with a strategy 
as to what would be the future for the A.U. fund.
  So, with all of the support that the subcommittee has shown so far 
for this effort, why are we opposing this additional funding?
  Well, the Members may come from both sides of the aisle to the floor 
and claim that this funding is critical to saving lives in Darfur, but 
the simple fact is that this will not do that. It does nothing of the 
kind. In fact, it could actually be counterproductive.
  Let me explain why I say that.
  There is now an agreement between all the parties, the African Union, 
the administration and the United Nations, that the African Union force 
we call AMIS, A-M-I-S, should transition to a United Nations force. 
Just this last Friday, the African Union announced its support for such 
a transition and extended the mandate of the AMIS force until the end 
of this fiscal year. I have their communique in my hand here suggesting 
that it will be extended and then there would be a transition to a 
United Nations force. The administration's request, which is fully 
funded in the bill before us, will fulfill the U.S. contribution to 
maintain the AMIS force until that time.
  If we were to adopt these additional funds, we are basically saying 
that we do not agree with the idea that this force should be 
transitioned to a United Nations force. We are saying we want to add 
additional funds to keep it an African Union fund and not transition it 
to a United Nations force.
  That, Mr. Chairman, would be a mistake. Because there is no question 
the African Union has made it clear they cannot expand the force. They 
are willing to extend it for the time being until it can be 
transitioned to the United Nations force, but they have no capability 
and no intention of expanding the force. So to put these additional 
moneys in here to expand the force simply says that we are opposed to 
transitioning it to a United Nations force where we could have the 
proper size and the proper forces attached to this.
  So that is why I say this amendment actually would be 
counterproductive to what the gentleman from Massachusetts seeks to do. 
It is for that reason that I cannot support the message that we would 
send with this amendment.
  If the situation in Darfur is not resolved by the end of the year, 
this force should be transitioned to the United Nations force where we 
have seen over and over again it has the capability of dealing with 
this kind of peacekeeping operation, from Bosnia to other places around 
the world.
  So I urge my colleagues to reject this amendment. They will not be 
voting against the AMIS, the African Military in Sudan, the A.U. force, 
that is there. They will instead, by rejecting this amendment, they 
will be voting for a coordinated effort to truly bring stability to the 
troubled region of Darfur; and, for that reason, I would urge my 
colleagues to vote against this amendment.
  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
  Mr. Chairman, more than a year and a half ago, the House and Senate 
voted unanimously to condemn the genocide in Darfur, and yet every day 
more people die, and the slow genocide persists unabated.
  It is beyond imagination that the collective might and concerted will 
of the nations of the world cannot find a way to end this daily toll of 
human misery. Mr. Chairman, I hope and pray that Sudan will allow the 
U.N. peacekeeping mission to move forward so we can end this 
devastation. While we wait, however, we must find ways to make the 
African Union mission more effective.
  I would note to my colleagues that the problem in Sudan has not 
generally been a lack of resources. With bipartisan support, often 
under Democratic initiative, the Congress has provided over $1.3 
billion in assistance for Darfur and southern Sudan. This assistance 
has been and continues to be needed, and we are committed to providing 
it.
  The primary problem, in my opinion, has been a lack of political will 
from the government of Sudan, from the international community and, to 
some extent, from the United States. Until we address these issues of 
political will, I am afraid we will be forced to rely on solutions that 
treat the symptoms without curing the disease.
  I support this amendment because it seeks to make a bad situation 
better. I thank the gentleman for offering it.
  I also want to acknowledge the leadership of members of the Foreign 
Operations Subcommittee, specifically Representatives Jackson and 
Kilpatrick of Michigan and especially Chairman Kolbe, who have worked 
diligently to bring attention and focus to the situation in Darfur.
  For those reasons, I will support the amendment.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN (Mr. Gingrey). The question is on the amendment 
offered by the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Capuano).
  The question was taken; and the Acting Chairman announced that the 
noes appeared to have it.
  Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further 
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Capuano) will be postponed.
  The Clerk will read.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                    GENERAL PROVISIONS--THIS CHAPTER


              (including transfer and rescission of funds)

       Sec. 1301. Funds appropriated or made available by transfer 
     in this chapter may be obligated and expended notwithstanding 
     section 313 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, 
     Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 (Public Law 103-236).
       Sec. 1302. Of the funds made available under the heading 
     ``Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund'' in chapter 2 of title 
     II of Public Law 108-106, $185,500,000 is hereby transferred 
     to and merged with the appropriation for ``Economic Support 
     Fund'' contained in this Act: Provided, That the amount 
     transferred by this section is designated as an emergency 
     requirement pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th 
     Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal 
     year 2006.


                         (rescission of funds)

       Sec. 1303. Of the funds made available for Coalition 
     Solidarity Initiative under the heading ``Peacekeeping 
     Operations'' in chapter 2 of title II of division A of Public 
     Law 109-13, $17,000,000 is rescinded.
       Sec. 1304. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
     amounts under the heading ``Iraq Relief and Reconstruction 
     Fund'' in title II of Public Law 108-106 shall remain 
     available for one additional year from the date on which the 
     availability of funds would otherwise have expired, if such 
     funds are initially obligated before the expiration of the 
     period of availability provided herein: Provided, That, 
     notwithstanding section 2207(d) of Public Law 108-106, 
     requirements of section 2207 of Public Law 108-106 shall 
     expire on October 1, 2008.

                               CHAPTER 4

                    DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

                       United States Coast Guard


                           OPERATING EXPENSES

       For an additional amount for ``Operating Expenses'', 
     $26,692,000: Provided, That the amount provided under this 
     heading is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to 
     section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the 
     concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                               CHAPTER 5

                         DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

                         MILITARY CONSTRUCTION

                      Military Construction, Army

       For an additional amount for ``Military Construction, 
     Army'', $287,100,000, to remain available until September 30, 
     2007: Provided, That notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, such funds may be obligated and expended to carry out 
     planning and design and military construction projects not 
     otherwise authorized by law: Provided further, That the 
     amount provided under this heading is designated as an 
     emergency requirement pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 
     95 (109th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the

[[Page 3695]]

     budget for fiscal year 2006: Provided further, That none of 
     the funds provided under this heading may be obligated or 
     expended until after that date on which the Secretary of 
     Defense submits an updated master plan for overseas military 
     infrastructure to the Committees on Appropriations of the 
     House of Representatives and Senate: Provided further, That, 
     subject to the preceding proviso, $60,000,000 of the funds 
     provided under this heading may not be obligated or expended 
     until after that date on which the Secretary of Defense 
     submits a detailed plan for Counter IED/Urban Bypass Roads, 
     Iraq, to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of 
     Representatives and Senate.

                    Military Construction, Air Force

       For an additional amount for ``Military Construction, Air 
     Force'', $35,600,000, to remain available until September 30, 
     2007: Provided, That notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, such funds may be obligated and expended to carry out 
     planning and design and military construction projects not 
     otherwise authorized by law: Provided further, That the 
     amount provided under this heading is designated as an 
     emergency requirement pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 
     95 (109th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget 
     for fiscal year 2006: Provided further, That none of the 
     funds provided under this heading may be obligated or 
     expended until after that date on which the Secretary of 
     Defense submits an updated master plan for overseas military 
     infrastructure to the Committees on Appropriations of the 
     House of Representatives and Senate.


                 Amendment No. 2 Offered by Mr. Salazar

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

       Amendment No. 2 offered by Mr. Salazar:
       In chapter 5 of title I, after the paragraph relating to 
     ``Military Construction, Air Force'', insert the following:

                     DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

                      Departmental Administration


                       general operating expenses

       For an additional amount for ``General Operating 
     Expenses'', $70,000,000, to remain available until September 
     30, 2007: Provided, That the amount provided under this 
     heading is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to 
     section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the 
     concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                     Veterans Health Administration


                            medical services

       For an additional amount for ``Medical Services'', 
     $560,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2007: 
     Provided, That the amount provided under this heading is 
     designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 
     402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the concurrent 
     resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order on 
the gentleman's amendment.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. A point of order is reserved.
  Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. Chairman, I believe that this Congress needs to 
recognize that caring for our veterans is a continuing cost of the war 
on terrorism.
  My amendment adds $630 million in emergency funding so that the VA 
can better meet the needs of veterans returning home from Iraq and 
Afghanistan, and with this financial relief the VA will also be able to 
provide better care to the heroes of earlier conflicts.
  Here is the situation. The VA projected that it would treat 110,000 
Operation Iraqi and Enduring Freedom veterans this fiscal year. At the 
end of January, the first third of the fiscal year, the VA had already 
treated 74,000 veterans. At this rate, the VA will treat twice the 
number of veterans than projected.
  Our veterans need our support now. There is no better place to 
include funding for our veterans and military families than in the bill 
addressing the costs of the war.
  First, I have added $250 million for mental health. According to a 
recent Army study, as many as one in three veterans returning from 
combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan will experience symptoms 
related to mental health problems.
  This amendment will make available $9 million to expand veterans' 
access to family therapy; $168 million to implement the VA's own 
Comprehensive Mental Health Plan; $24 million for additional substance 
abuse treatment, one in five post-traumatic stress disorder patients 
have had substance abuse problems; $35 million to increase capacity to 
treat returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who need outpatient 
mental health services; $15 million for increased in-patient PTSD 
treatments, about a 12 percent increase; $3 million to increase 
staffing for VA efforts to seamlessly transition returning veterans 
with the Post-Deployment Health Assessment.
  The VA is seeing more and more veterans from previous conflicts with 
post-traumatic stress disorder. This is a growing concern, and it is 
smart to provide quality mental health care to our returning veterans 
now and help forestall greater problems and more expense in the future.
  The amendment also adds $110 million for prosthetics, a 10 percent 
increase. We all marvel at what we have done today to help return 
veterans to a full life, but it is not cheap. Above-knee replacement 
costs about $50,000, and then it needs periodic adjustment and 
maintenance. In past years, the VA prosthetic budget had grown by 17 
percent a year. By 2007, the administration would cut back the growth 
to 12 percent. Now is certainly not the time to cut these important 
programs.
  In another area, I added $200 million for direct medical services. 
Just like last year, we are already hearing anecdotes about shortages 
at VA medical facilities. Supply problems, budget problems, we do not 
need a crystal ball to make these predictions. With all the extra new 
veterans in need of medical care, there will be another budget 
shortfall.
  This is by no means the fault of the men and women in the VA. The VA 
has made a real innovation by establishing state-of-the-art polytrauma 
centers, but they cost real money. These centers treat the worst 
injuries, sharing information with one another and military hospitals 
by videophone.
  The amendment also adds $15 million for medical and vocational 
rehabilitation services. Service-disabled veterans applying for 
vocational rehabilitation and employment services increased 
dramatically over the last decade, roughly a 75 percent increase. 
Demand for this service will grow even faster due to the ongoing 
conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  Finally, the amendment includes $55 million for increased staffing to 
process the growing number of disability claims. Currently, the backlog 
is more than 370,000 cases, and it is getting worse. In 2005, the VA 
was averaging 167 days to process one of these claims.

                              {time}  1945

  In 2006, it has grown to 185 days. In a time of war, we need to treat 
our heroes well. Slowing down the process of disability claims is a 
slap in the face.
  Before closing, I would like to acknowledge Chairman Walsh's 
recognizing that there is a need for VA funding. In fact, he was good 
enough to grant the VA authority to use $275 million for the 
construction of a VA Hospital in New Orleans on a need basis.
  VA facilities are already feeling the crunch when it comes to their 
budgets. Why are we not preparing for the future? Why are we willing to 
let the VA funding run out this year? Why is this administration not 
willing to fully fund the true cost of the war?
  I am here to tell you that we can do better and we must do better. 
Our troops bravely put their lives on the line and it is our moral duty 
to provide them the care they were promised. Mr. Chairman, it is high 
time we stop paying lip service to our veterans and realize that caring 
for veterans is an ongoing cost of the war. It is high time that we 
start working towards providing the VA with the tools needed to provide 
proper care for our servicemen and -women.
  Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support the amendment and to 
support the brave men and women in uniform.


                             Point of Order

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I make a point of order 
against the amendment because it proposes to change existing law and 
constitutes legislation on an appropriations bill and, therefore, 
violates clause 2 of rule XXI.
  The amendment includes an emergency designation and as such, 
constitutes legislation in violation of

[[Page 3696]]

clause 2 of rule XXI, and I ask for a ruling from the Chair.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN (Mr. Gingrey). A point of order has been made 
against the amendment. Does any Member wish to address the point of 
order?
  The Chair will rule.
  The Chair finds that this amendment includes an emergency 
designation. The amendment, therefore, constitutes legislation in 
violation of clause 2 of rule XXI. The point of order is sustained and 
the amendment is not in order.
  The Clerk will read.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                    GENERAL PROVISION--THIS CHAPTER

       Sec. 1501. The matter under the heading ``Veterans Health 
     Administration--Medical Services'' in chapter 7 of title I of 
     division B of Public Law 109-148 is amended by inserting 
     after ``calendar year 2005'' the following: ``and for 
     unanticipated costs related to the Global War on Terror'': 
     Provided, That the provisions of this section are designated 
     as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 402 of H. 
     Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the concurrent resolution on 
     the budget for fiscal year 2006.

                               CHAPTER 6

                         DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

                            Legal Activities


             SALARIES AND EXPENSES, UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS

       For an additional amount for ``Salaries and Expenses, 
     United States Attorneys'', $3,000,000: Provided, That the 
     amount provided under this heading is designated as an 
     emergency requirement pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 
     95 (109th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget 
     for fiscal year 2006.

                    Federal Bureau of Investigation


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       For an additional amount for ``Salaries and Expenses'', 
     $99,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2007: 
     Provided, That no funding provided in this Act shall be 
     available for obligation for a new or enhanced information 
     technology program unless the Deputy Attorney General and the 
     investment review board certify to the Committees on 
     Appropriations that the information technology program has 
     appropriate program management and contractor oversight 
     mechanisms in place, and that the program is compatible with 
     the enterprise architecture of the Department of Justice and 
     Federal Bureau of Investigation: Provided further, That the 
     amount provided under this heading is designated as an 
     emergency requirement pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 
     95 (109th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget 
     for fiscal year 2006.

                    Drug Enforcement Administration


                         salaries and expenses

       For an additional amount for ``Salaries and Expenses'', 
     $5,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2007: 
     Provided, That the amount provided under this heading is 
     designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 
     402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the concurrent 
     resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.


                     Amendment Offered by Mr. Kirk

  Mr. KIRK. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Amendment offered by Mr. Kirk:
       Page 34, line 22, after the dollar amount, insert the 
     following: ``(increased by $9,200,000)''.

  Mr. KIRK. Mr. Chairman, I thank the Chair, and I want to particularly 
thank Mr. Obey of Wisconsin and our chairman, Mr. Lewis of California, 
for their work on this.
  This amendment addresses a critical need in the drug war in 
Afghanistan. Since the U.S. coalition forces arrived in Afghanistan, 
Afghanistan has become the source of three-quarters of the world's 
heroin supply. We know what a failed state in Afghanistan leads to. In 
our new counternarcotic operations in Afghanistan, the United States is 
about to launch a major operation in the Helmand River Valley, where 
over half of the heroin crop is raised. In doing this, Afghan forces, 
including their police, will be hitting drug labs, and we need to 
collect critical information as those operations unfold.
  This amendment would provide for critical tools on an aircraft 
already owned by the Drug Enforcement Agency to collect information on 
drug traffickers, and especially on kingpins who could be connected to 
terror. On this, I very much support the work of Chairman Wolf.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. KIRK. I yield to the gentleman from Virginia.
  Mr. WOLF. The committee accepts the amendment and congratulates the 
Member for doing this to help DEA. I think he makes a very powerful 
point.
  Mr. KIRK. Thank you.
  Mr. Chairman, this amendment would provide this critical platform to 
give the tools necessary for Drug Enforcement Agency to be the most 
effective they can be against Afghan drug kingpins. We already have 120 
dedicated drug enforcement personnel on the ground helping Afghan 
police to carry out this mission. Chairman Hyde, Chairman Ileana Ros-
Lehtinen, and I have backed this amendment because we feel it is 
critical for DEA to have these tools now to apply the lessons learned 
in Colombia to build a success in the coming operations in Afghanistan.
  It is also important to note that this House supported amendments to 
the PATRIOT Act, which now make it a crime to deal in heroin for the 
support of terror without the need to show a connection to the U.S. 
market. We have seen Afghan drug dealers and terrorists killing U.S. 
troops, including two from the 10th Mountain Division, and this tool 
and the legal authorities that the House just provided are critical in 
helping force protection and adding to the tools that we need to 
continue this conflict in the most effective way.
  So with that, I urge adoption of this amendment. It is a modest 
addition to this bill and provides a critical tool that will very 
quickly, dramatically assist in DEA's operation in Afghanistan.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Chairman, the purpose of this amendment is to secure 
funding for an aerial surveillance platform to be used for 
counternarcotics efforts by the agents and personnel of our Drug 
Enforcement Administration, DEA, in Afghanistan.
  The 9/11 Commission has made it clear that if Afghanistan were to 
again fall into failed-state status, we would be set back in our war on 
terror.
  The growing opium and heroin trade provides for that possibility. The 
massive opium crop helps finance terrorism and anticoalition attacks 
and hampers the effective growth of peace and stability in the region. 
The drug trade also fuels corruption, which undermines the new 
democratic institutions we have worked so hard to establish.
  We must vigorously pursue, interdict, and arrest the drug kingpins 
and shut down their operations. The just-signed PATRIOT Act has an 
additional provision I authored, creating a new Federal offense of 
narco-terrorism, to be enforced by the DEA against those who use 
illicit drugs and proceeds from their sales to support or fund 
terrorist acts or organizations, in places like Afghanistan.
  In order to enable the DEA to enforce the new legislation, it is 
important for it to have the appropriate tools. An aerial surveillance 
platform provides both ``force protection'' of its dedicated and 
courageous personnel, as well as a platform for gathering judicially 
enforceable and prosecutable evidence of drug-related crimes. This 
evidence can be used in this country as a means of prosecuting and 
bringing to justice the drug kingpins and their cohorts.
  If Afghanistan were to revert to its former failed-state status, the 
United States would be dealt a severe blow in its global war on terror. 
We cannot expect the Afghan legal system to effectively combat the drug 
problem in that country.
  Thus, it is critical that we take the appropriate measures to ensure 
security and stability in Afghanistan. This modest $9.2 million 
amendment is one huge step toward that goal.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk).
  The amendment was agreed to.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will read.
  The Clerk read as follows:

          Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives


                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       For an additional amount for ``Salaries and Expenses'', 
     $4,100,000, to remain available until September 30, 2007: 
     Provided, That

[[Page 3697]]

     the amount provided under this heading is designated as an 
     emergency requirement pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 
     95 (109th Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget 
     for fiscal year 2006.

                 DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND RELATED AGENCY

                          DEPARTMENT OF STATE

                   Administration of Foreign Affairs


                    DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR PROGRAMS

                     (including transfer of funds)

       For an additional amount for ``Diplomatic and Consular 
     Programs'', $1,380,500,000, to remain available until 
     September 30, 2007: Provided, That of the amount made 
     available under this heading, $1,326,000 shall be available 
     for transfer to the United States Institute of Peace: 
     Provided further, That the amount provided under this heading 
     is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant section 
     402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the concurrent 
     resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.


                 Amendment No. 8 Offered by Mr. Doggett

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

       Amendment No. 8 offered by Mr. Doggett:
       Page 35, line 20, after the dollar amount, insert the 
     following: ``(increased by $7,800,000)''.

  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Chairman, this $7.8 million State Department 
amendment that I offer tonight on behalf of myself, Mr. Ortiz, and Mr. 
Reyes empowers you, Mr. Chairman, and you, Mr. Wolf, as our important 
subcommittee chairman, and the conferees to address a serious threat to 
the lives and livelihood of tens of thousands of Texans who call home 
an area along the southernmost tip of our country that encompasses 
three congressional districts.
  Consistent with the rule under which this bill is being considered, 
these dollars would simply go to the State Department. But I believe in 
conference you would be able to clarify, consistent with tonight's 
debate, that it is designed to upgrade the Federal levees along the Rio 
Grande that are under the exclusive control of the International 
Boundary and Water Commission, an agency within the State Department.
  Exactly 1,018 days ago, the administration received what was really 
an alarming report from within its own State Department that our 
Federal levees along the Rio Grande are up to 9 feet deficient in 
height, geologically flawed, structurally unsound, and would overtop 
along some 38 river miles. We know that the time to make repairs is 
when the sun is shining, not when the flood is coming. The kind of wall 
that we need along our borders, along our southern border, is a wall to 
hold in a swollen Rio Grande river. A levee.
  What do the levees' weaknesses reported by the State Department mean 
if you live in the Rio Grande Valley? Well, this is an aerial photo of 
much of that area. It includes the poorest SMSA, statistical 
metropolitan area, in the United States: Mission, McAllen, Pharr, and 
Hidalgo. Hardworking people, small businesses, mission hospital, 
nursing homes, schools, Balboa Acres neighborhood, along with many 
others. That is what they look like today on an aerial photo.
  What happens if the levees' break? That is what they will look like. 
They are going to be underwater. And the best way to reach these places 
is going to be by boat. If the Federal levees are not maintained 
adequately, and they have not been maintained adequately according to 
the State Department itself, we will lose 80 percent of our fresh water 
supply in McAllen, Texas. We will lose two-thirds of the sewer system, 
which will become unworkable.
  That is what we call an emergency, as in emergency supplemental 
appropriations, in south Texas. We believe that the need is urgent, and 
that is why some 39 local governments across our three congressional 
districts, Chambers of Commerce and economic development corporations 
have pled with the administration to respond to this need.
  Last year, under the leadership of Chairman Wolf and Ranking Member 
Mollohan, the State Department appropriations bill that this Congress 
passed called on the President for additional funding. Afterwards, 
Chairman Wolf and Mr. Mollohan wrote Secretary of State Rice a letter 
asking for support for rehabilitating these levees, recognizing how 
many people would suffer if they were not rehabilitated, and noting 
from their letter, that ``this impacts the safety of the citizens of 
the Valley.''
  Of course, the Valley levees are not the only levees in the country 
that have problems. I know, Mr. Lewis, that your own State of 
California has concerns in Sacramento. I would say to you that our 
situation is unique and different in several particulars. This flooded 
area, with deficient levees, are exclusively Federal levees that only 
the Federal Government can remedy because they are along an 
international border under the control of the State Department.
  Second, we are in a hurricane area, a high hurricane area. Last year, 
we ran out of names we had so many hurricanes, and this year promises 
another severe hurricane season. But for the fate of nature, the 
hurricane that hit New Orleans could just as easily have tacked west 
instead of tacking east and caused just the scenario that is displayed 
here tonight on this aerial photo.
  What I propose, Mr. Chairman, is to add about half a percent, less 
than the increase that the chairman just agreed to for the last 
amendment, about half a percent to the $1.3 billion in the State 
Department, and ask that you clarify in conference that it is to meet a 
need that I know you are aware exists, and I believe you are trying to 
respond to. And I believe the State Department recognized and wanted 
that in this emergency appropriations bill, but somewhere in the 
bureaucratic process this was not included.
  I know that there is more work we will be doing together. I 
appreciate the meeting that was held today with representatives from 
south Texas concerning this problem with Mr. Wolf's staff and the 
meeting we will have tomorrow with the International Boundary and Water 
Commission. We have our request coming up in the regular appropriations 
process. But without an emergency appropriation, I believe that the 
Federal Government really is not meeting its responsibility, a 
responsibility to the lives and livelihoods of the good hardworking 
people along the Texas Rio Grande Valley.
  That is all this amendment is trying to do, knowing that it could be 
this summer in hurricane season, it could be next year or the year 
after. Every day, every month we delay, a thousand days has been 
enough, and that we need to move forward in addressing this concern 
now. I thank you.

                              {time}  2000

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
  I am kind of surprised the amendment came up, to a certain extent. 
The gentleman from Texas, not this gentleman, but the gentleman he 
referred to, just came into town, and I have not had an opportunity to 
talk to him. I thought I was going to get to talk to him, and we felt 
that we were going out of our way to help.
  The President has been requesting funding for the Lower Rio Grande 
Flood Control project for years and has again requested funding in the 
President's budget for 2007.
  There are other areas of the country that have this problem, and so 
to do it here and not there, and there are gang problems around the 
Nation. Let us forget the full bills and put everything into the 
supplemental and so we can just have one big supplemental and not have 
to pass any other bills.
  But to go through the normal process, the gentleman from Texas 
brought the issue of the Lower Rio Grande Valley Flood Control project 
to my attention last year. As a result, we included language in the 
IBWC account directing more funds be provided above the President's 
request for this project.
  A week ago, the gentleman talked to me about additional moneys for 
the project in the fiscal year 2007 process. Funding for the 
International Boundary Water Commission should be addressed in the 
regular bill. This request does not belong in an emergency 
supplemental, and I urge a ``no'' vote on the Doggett amendment.

[[Page 3698]]


  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. OBEY. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.
  Mr. DOGGETT. I respect the subcommittee chairman's comments. I do not 
think he or the Appropriations Committee or the chairman of the full 
committee are the problem. They recognized this problem last year when 
they asked the State Department to take additional action. The State 
Department took additional action, and I believe they asked to be 
included in this emergency appropriations bill.
  We need help in the regular appropriations cycle. We will need that 
help not just this year but every year for probably the next 10 years. 
It is a modest amount. All we are asking for is $7.8 million to add to 
the $2.2 million that was appropriated last year, the $10 million a 
year that this part of the State Department has been saying since 2003 
that they need to avert disaster.
  So tonight I would ask all of my colleagues to join with us in 
meeting an emergency with an emergency appropriation, and then we will 
strive to work together in a positive, bipartisan way to address what I 
know the committee recognizes to be a real, genuine, urgent problem.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN (Mr. Gingrey). The question is on the amendment 
offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett).
  The question was taken; and the Acting Chairman announced that the 
noes appeared to have it.
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further 
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Doggett) will be postponed.


                Amendment No. 3 Offered by Mr. Hinojosa

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

       Amendment No. 3 offered by Mr. Hinojosa.
       In the item relating to ``Diplomatic and Consular 
     Affairs'', after ``United States Institute of Peace'', insert 
     ``: Provided further, That of the amount made available under 
     this heading, $10,000,000 shall be available for the United 
     States Section of the International Boundary Water 
     Commission, United States and Mexico''.

  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Chairman, I plan to withdraw my amendment after I 
give a summary of the serious condition of the floodway levee system 
near the Rio Grande River in Texas.
  My friend and colleague, Mr. Lloyd Doggett, has brought some charts 
and shown what he understands to be the problem. I was born and raised 
there. I remember 1967 when six brothers were told by my dad that we 
were going to stop and shut down our business to go and help control 
what was happening on our levees that just could not stand the over 28 
feet of water that was coming down the Rio Grande River and that our 
levee system was unable to stand up to that pressure.
  So I am here to say that we today are appropriating billions of 
dollars to help New Orleans recover because we did not spend the 
millions necessary to maintain our levee system. Because of our 
shortsightedness, the residents of New Orleans are displaced and many 
died trying to escape the flood waters. I am here today to plead with 
you to not let this tragedy happen in my part of the country.
  The International Boundary Water Commission is charged with 
maintaining over 500 miles of levees along the U.S.-Mexico border. A 
recent study by the U.S. Corps of Engineers shows that numerous 
sections of these levees are too weak, they are too low to hold back 
flood waters from the devastating Rio Grande River.
  More than a million people call the Rio Grande Valley home, and 2.5 
million people live on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande River. This 
region is the poorest in the Nation, and I am sure we do not want to 
see more images on television of the poorest of the poor losing what 
little they have.
  My colleagues in Congress need to know that the Rio Grande Valley is 
also the gateway through which much of our Nation's commerce flows. 
Should a devastating flood hit the valley, factories and small 
businesses in Indiana, Illinois, New York, and throughout the Nation 
will shut down because of their inability to get just-in-time 
deliveries of the parts and supplies from maquiladoras that come 
through the valley's international border ports.
  My constituents are not only afraid of the effects of a category 4 or 
category 5 hurricane, such as we experienced with Hurricane Beulah in 
1967, but we are worried that even a slow-moving tropical storm could 
make them homeless like their neighbors in New Orleans. Heavy rains in 
the mountains of northern Mexico could cause a catastrophe because 
those flood waters empty into the Rio Grande River in areas from El 
Paso to Laredo to Roma and to Brownsville, Texas.
  The IBWC estimates that $125 million would fix all of our inadequate 
floodway levees in South Texas.
  My border colleagues and I, in a bipartisan collaboration with other 
members of the Texas delegation, will be asking the appropriators for 
most of this funding over a 5-year period or sooner through the regular 
appropriations process.
  This evening, I spoke with Chairman Wolf and have agreed to work with 
him on ways to resolve these concerns. I welcome that opportunity.
  Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.


             Amendment Offered by Mr. Garrett of New Jersey

  Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Amendment offered by Mr. Garrett of New Jersey:
       Page 35, line 20, after the dollar amount, insert the 
     following: ``(reduced by $5,000,000)''.

  Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey. Mr. Chairman, I have come to the floor 
tonight to address the issue of an emergency supplemental in which we 
are spending upwards of $15 million more in essence on what I call 
foreign aid. I am here tonight on this particular amendment to strike 
approximately $5 million of that foreign aid.
  As I stated before and as people look to this program and what we do 
here tonight, one must wonder what makes this situation an emergency. 
Well, the committee itself raised that same question when they said, 
``The committee is disappointed in the Department of State's failure to 
provide adequate and timely justification for the emergency nature of 
these funds.''
  What are these funds going to? These funds are going to the country 
of Iran. An ally of ours? Not by any stretch of the imagination. In 
fact, Iran has been called by this administration part of the Axis of 
Evil. Iran is a country that wishes to wipe Israel off the face of the 
map. In fact, the President of Iran has even said that they wish to 
wipe the United States off the face of the map.
  So one wonders who at the State Department was looking at this 
situation in the past and did not know that there was a need for funds 
in this particular area, either in the past budget which we have 
already gone through or in the budget process that we are going through 
as we speak now. Apparently no one knew at the State Department that 
Iran is a problem country that we have to deal with and needed 
additional funding for, and so they come to us at the last minute with 
a supplemental emergency appropriation.
  With all of the problems that we have today in this country, now is 
not the time to be adding more to our Nation's debt for foreign aid. 
Other portions of this bill certainly have merit to them. Portions, for 
example, for aid to our soldiers. Our men and women who find themselves 
in harm's way as we speak here tonight need the additional dollars and 
cents to get the job down there.
  We have heard also the issues with regard to the folks down in the 
gulf coast, and there is additional funding

[[Page 3699]]

for that program as well, to assist those people in New Orleans and 
elsewhere as far as their needed relief.
  But do we need to spend additional emergency funds tonight for 
foreign aid in essence for diplomatic and consulate programs for Iran, 
not by any stretch of the imagination an ally of this country?
  Mr. Chairman, I would suggest we should not. This is not a program 
that we will be putting on the burdens of today's taxpayers. No, we 
will be putting this burden on our children and our children's 
children. Why is that? It is because we are already in deficit spending 
in this Nation, and the emergency supplemental we are debating tonight 
will simply add to that debt and add to that burden.
  I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment, to strike this 
additional foreign aid which is not an emergency by any stretch of the 
imagination.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
  Mr. Chairman, I would tell the body, this really is not foreign aid. 
You cannot pick up the newspaper without seeing the threat that Iran is 
to the Nation. This is a priority of the administration, but a priority 
of everyone who cares with regard to changing the government that we 
have in Iran. I do not know how you put it, but it is not aid. Iran is 
a threat to the United States. Is that a fact? I think you would have a 
very hard time finding anybody who says, no, it is not a fact. It is.
  Iran is developing a nuclear bomb. I have seen some reports that say 
it may be within 18 months to 2 years of having an nuclear bomb.
  The Iranian government is intent on destroying Israel. The Iranian 
government is the one who funded the bombing of the Marines barracks in 
1993 where 241 marines died. They fund Hezbollah. They are the ones 
creating the problem in Lebanon. They are the ones involved in the 
funding and the blowing up of the American embassy in Beirut, the first 
embassy and the second embassy.
  We need to do everything we can to change the government and get 
information to the people. So what the administration is trying to do 
is to have some public diplomacy, to basically do what Democrat 
administrations and Republican administrations have done during the 
Cold War: public diplomacy, exchange programs, change their government 
through peaceful means.
  This is not foreign aid. I would say on behalf of anyone who thinks 
that Iran is a danger, please, I would urge a ``no'' vote on this 
amendment.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. The question is on the amendment offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Garrett).
  The question was taken; and the Acting Chairman announced that the 
noes appeared to have it.
  Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.
  The Acting CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further 
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from New Jersey 
(Mr. Garrett) will be postponed.
  The Clerk will read.
  The Clerk read as follows:


                      OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

                     (including transfer of funds)

       For an additional amount for ``Office of Inspector 
     General'', $25,300,000, to remain available until September 
     2007, of which $24,000,000 shall be transferred to the 
     Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction for 
     reconstruction oversight: Provided, That the amount provided 
     under this heading is designated as an emergency requirement 
     pursuant section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), the 
     concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006.

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do 
now rise.
  The motion was agreed to.
  Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. 
Garrett of New Jersey) having assumed the chair, Mr. Gingrey, Acting 
Chairman of the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
reported that that Committee, having had under consideration the bill 
(H.R. 4939) making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal 
year ending September 30, 2006, and for other purposes, had come to no 
resolution thereon.

                          ____________________