[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12760-12782]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




SCIENCE, STATE, JUSTICE, COMMERCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS 
                               ACT, 2007

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 890 and rule 
XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House 
on the State of the Union for the consideration of the bill, H.R. 5672.

                              {time}  1720


                     In the Committee of the Whole

  Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the 
Whole

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House on the State of the Union for the consideration of the bill (H.R. 
5672) making appropriations for Science, the Departments of State, 
Justice, and Commerce, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2007, and for other purposes, with Mr. Hastings of 
Washington in the chair.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The CHAIRMAN. Pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered read the 
first time.
  The gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf) and the gentleman from West 
Virginia (Mr. Mollohan) each will control 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 11 minutes.
  Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to begin consideration of H.R. 5672, 
making appropriations for fiscal year 2007 for Science, the Departments 
of State, Justice, Commerce, and related agencies. This bill provides a 
funding for programs whose impact ranges from the safety of people in 
their homes and communities to the conduct of diplomacy around the 
world and to the farthest reaches of space exploration.
  The bill before the House today reflects the delicate balancing of 
needs and requirements. We have drafted what I consider a responsible 
bill for fiscal year 2007 spending levels for the Departments and 
agencies under the subcommittee's jurisdiction. We have carefully 
prioritized the funding in the bill and made hard choices about how to 
spend the scarce resources.
  We have been very fair. We, the entire Committee, have been very fair 
with each and every Member that has approached the subcommittee as we 
went through this entire process.
  I want to thank Chairman Lewis for supporting us with what I believe 
is a fair allocation and helping us to move the bill forward. I also 
want to thank the ranking member, Mr. Mollohan, who has been a very 
effective and valued partner and colleague on the bill. I appreciate 
his principled commitment and understanding of the programs in the 
bill.
  I also want to thank members of the subcommittee for their help and 
assistance: Charles Taylor, Mark Kirk, Dave Weldon, Tom DeLay, Virgil 
Goode, John Culberson, Rodney Alexander, Jose Serrano, Bud Cramer, 
Patrick Kennedy, Chaka Fattah, and also Mr. Obey, the ranking member of 
the full committee.
  I truly appreciate the professionalism and cooperation of the 
minority staff. In particular, I want to thank David Pomerantz, 
Michelle Burkett, Sally Moorhead, Julie Aaronson and Rob Nabors from 
the Democratic staff, who have been an enormous help during all the 
long hours spent putting this bill together.
  I also, Mr. Chairman, want to thank the members of the subcommittee 
staff on both sides for their long hours to produce the fiscal year 
2007 Science, State, Justice, Commerce bill. I would like to 
particularly thank Mike Ringler, the clerk of the subcommittee, who has 
done an outstanding job and really spent hours and hours away from his 
family, as have the others, and who has led the subcommittee through 
the House appropriations process.
  I also want to thank publicly and personally Christine Kojac, John 
Martens, Anne Marie Goldsmith, Clelia Alvarado, and Darryl Hill for 
their tireless efforts. Their work is very much appreciated. Only a 
handful of us know how much time and effort they have put in, but I 
want to thank them. And the record ought to show, frankly, when history 
looks back, who gets credit for a lot of what has taken place.
  In my personal office, I would like to thank Dan Scandling, Janet 
Shaffron, J.T. Griffin, Samantha Stockman, and Courtney Schlieter for 
their efforts in working with the subcommittee; and from the minority, 
if I left out anybody, I mentioned, I think, Dave Pomerantz, Michelle 
Burkett, and Julie Aaronson, but also Rob Nabors for their efforts with 
regard to this.
  We have worked in a bipartisan manner. And that is just not rhetoric 
for the Congressional Record, but it has truly been a bipartisan effort 
in putting the bill together. And as a former staff member up here on 
Capitol Hill, I personally want to thank each and every one of them. 
They have really done an outstanding job.
  The bill contains $59.8 billion in discretionary spending. At a time 
of fiscal constraint, we have developed a bill that preserves critical 
domestic and international programs while living within our 
allocations. We have had to make some difficult choices and focus 
limited resources on programs that are most critical to the Nation. 
Program increases are focused on the most critical areas, including 
science and competitiveness, counterterrorism, and law enforcement.
  For the Department of Justice, the bill includes $22.1 billion, $1 
billion above the request. The bill includes a total of $2.57 billion 
for proven State and local law enforcement crime-fighting programs to 
keep our communities safe.
  We have restored, and I stress the word ``restored,'' $1.1 billion 
above the request to the highest priority programs, including SCAAP, 
justice assistance grants, and juvenile justice programs, all which the 
Administration proposed to eliminate or dramatically reduce. That is 
$1.1 billion with a ``B.''
  The bill also includes important new investments to fight the 
national epidemic of methamphetamine abuse; $367 million for justice 
assistance grants to support local drug task forces, a $50 million 
increase; $99 million in grants to combat meth, a $36 million increase; 
and $40 million for drug courts, a $30 million increase, which is a 300 
percent increase in drug courts; and a $15 million increase for DEA to 
support State and local efforts to fight international trafficking.
  Gangs pose one of the greatest threats to the safety and security of 
all Americans. Today, gangs are more violent, more organized, and more 
widespread than ever before. This bill focuses funding on fighting 
gangs and gang violence. We have increased the FBI and the ATF antigang 
programs, and restored funding to the gang resistance training program. 
In addition, we have supported a $40 million gang program following the 
Project Safe Neighborhoods model that would allow each U.S. Attorney's 
Office to finance antigang strategies in cooperation with State and 
local law enforcement.
  The bill also includes $6.04 billion for the FBI to include 
counterterrorism and counterintelligence capabilities, while continuing 
to fight crimes such as child exploitation, human trafficking, and gang 
violence. Again, programs we have increased far over the administration 
level.
  I would also like to highlight that the bill continues funding for 
the eight faith-based rehabilitation programs in the Federal prison 
system and recognizes the success that faith-based programs have had in 
reducing recidivism. Before I got elected to Congress I was involved in 
a prison program. You must give these men and women hope and an 
opportunity. So, I think this is a very important program at all the 
State, local, and Federal levels.
  Statistically, two out of every three inmates are likely to re-offend 
and end up back in prison, often with only days or months in their 
release. Therefore, it is critical we promote programs that help break 
this cycle, thereby improving the safety and the security of our 
communities. In light of the success the values-based programs have had 
in this regard, I encourage the Bureau of Prisons and state departments 
of correction to continue alternative treatment programming that 
emphasizes the teaching of positive social values and reform character.
  It is immoral just to warehouse people and not give them any 
rehabilitation, faith-based programs, mental health or other programs. 
I have long been a supporter of these value-based types of programs and 
think they should be continued in Federal and State prisons. I hope 
that Congress will work to protect these programs.
  If you take these programs away, faith-based, mental health, what 
type of society will we have?
  In Science, the other focus in the bill this year is science and 
competitiveness. The capacity to innovate is the primary engine of our 
economy and our

[[Page 12762]]

way of life. In order to sustain it, we must increase our investment in 
basic scientific research and strengthen science education.
  For this reason, the bill fully funds the President's American 
Competitiveness Initiative, which includes a recommitment to doubling 
the funding for basic science research over 10 years.
  We have dramatically increased the NSF and NIST.
  For NASA, the bill includes $16.7 billion.
  I want to thank NASA and NIST chairman Sherwood Boehlert and Vern 
Ehlers, who really played a major role in this, and Mr. Mollohan.
  In NASA, the bill restores $100 million of the cut proposed to the 
aeronautic research and responds to the lower than anticipated 
increases for space science programs.
  The space shuttle is set to launch on Saturday, and the bill before 
you includes full funding for the shuttle program to support the 
completion of the International Space Station and continuation of the 
shuttle safety improvements.
  In Commerce, we have dealt with critical functions of the National 
Weather Service and NOAA's weather and climate forecasting.

                              {time}  1730

  We have also included a 5.2 percent increase for the PTO and an 
increase of $72 million. For the State Department, and the broadcasting 
Board of governors, a recommendation of $9.66 billion within this 
Federal, $1.7 billion to provide full funding request for worldwide 
security and improvements.
  We have included the requested funds for international peacekeeping 
to pay the assessed costs for missions in Sudan, Haiti and elsewhere. 
We have included language to require notification to the Committee that 
prevention and prosecution measures are taken to ensure zero tolerance 
in sexual abuse in peacekeeping. We also added language supporting the 
maintenance of a flat U.N. budget.
  On the Small Business Administration, we have provided $90 million 
for small business development grants, a $2 million increase; also 
allows up to $17.5 billion in general 7(a) business loans, an 
unprecedented level, while requiring no appropriation.
  In closing, a summary of the bill provides the increase necessary to 
maintain strength in critical law enforcement, fight terrorism, deal 
with drugs.
  I again want to thank the staff and thank the committee.  

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  Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MOLLOHAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I might 
consume.
  Mr. Chairman, I first want to compliment Chairman Wolf on his efforts 
with regard to this bill. He has had a really tough job balancing the 
subcommittee's portfolio, which is considerable, with diverse important 
programs. He has managed in a very tough budgetary climate. I truly 
admire his passion, and his conviction, which are all evident in this 
bill.
  Chairman Wolf characteristically does an excellent job, and certainly 
his experience working for a number of years on this bill has served 
him well in a very difficult situation. He is to be complimented here 
today.
  There are very definitely some great things, Mr. Chairman, that can 
be said about this bill. Federal law enforcement is fully funded. Many 
of those accounts, such as the U.S. Attorney's account, the Drug 
Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Prisons, are all funded above 
the President's requested level. Some are funded at the requested 
level, such as the U.S. Marshal's service and the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation.
  This funding is a priority. It is important, and I support the 
Chairman's efforts to provide it.
  The bill also fully funds the American Competitiveness Initiative, 
which in this bill will double over 10 years the research and 
development lines for physical science and engineering at NIST and the 
National Science Foundation.
  Two significant funding improvements were made during full committee. 
The chairman accepted an amendment to increase funding for the Survey 
of Income and Program Participation by $10 million and accepted an 
amendment providing partial funding for the SBA Microloan program. 
These are two programs that many Members expressed concern about, and I 
am pleased the amendments were adopted after being accepted by the 
chairman.
  Mr. Chairman, a number, around 80 to 90 at last count, of well-
meaning Members will offer amendments today. We ought to be offering 
amendments to increase law enforcement funding. We ought to be offering 
amendments to restore science funding at NASA and to help NASA with the 
expensive and numerous tasks on its plate. We ought to be offering 
amendments to increase funding for the Economic Development 
Administration.
  The list of programs needing more funding in this bill goes on and 
on. But the funding just isn't there. The offsets just aren't there. 
These well-intentioned amendments will come at the cost of important 
programs when they are offered up as offsets, important programs such 
as the census, U.N. peacekeeping efforts, salaries and expenses at the 
Department of State, the Department of Justice, and the Department of 
Commerce, which have already been cut back.
  I just want to take a moment, Mr. Chairman, to remind Members about 
why many of these amendments will need to be opposed. It is because the 
insufficient budget resolution that was passed on this floor has 
resulted in a narrow allocation for this bill that will not allow us to 
fund all of the priorities that Members will advocate for on the floor.
  As a matter of fact, the number of amendments that are being offered 
today is the greatest number that I can ever remember being offered on 
this bill. But they have been increasing every year as that budget 
allocation has become smaller and smaller because of the budget 
resolutions that we passed at the beginning of this process.
  The number of amendments offered here today is in and of itself, I 
think, one of the best indicators that we are not providing enough 
money for domestic discretionary programs. Members are recognizing that 
program by program by program. Members are offering amendments, trying 
to increase funding for those programs, those worthy programs that I 
just mentioned.
  It is beginning to really hurt. It is beginning to really hurt law 
enforcement, beginning to really hurt NASA and other science programs. 
It is beginning to really hurt economic development programs.
  For example, I know the chairman is committed to providing adequate 
funding for our Nation's law enforcement, the men and women who put 
their lives on the line every day in the name of public safety back in 
our communities. The President's budget cut $1.3 billion out of State 
and local law enforcement, about half of the funding provided in fiscal 
year 2006.
  Now, let me repeat that. The request that the President of the United 
States sent to the United States Congress cut $1.3 billion out of State 
and local law enforcement, about half the funding that we provided last 
year. These funds are important resources to the men and women who are 
keeping our districts safe, our communities safe.
  Chairman Wolf restored $1.1 billion of this funding, for a total of 
$2.3 billion for Federal assistance to State and local law enforcement. 
That is what is in this bill, $2.3 billion for Federal assistance to 
State and local law enforcement.
  Last year, Mr. Chairman, the Congress provided $2.5 billion for State 
and local law enforcement. That was $1 billion above the President's 
request then, but $300 million below the 2005 level. The 2005 level 
that we passed here was $1.2 billion above the request, but $200 
million below the 2004 level. The 2004 level was $500 million below the 
2003 level, and the 2003 level was $500 million below the 2002 level. 
The 2002 level was $400 million below the high water mark for Federal 
assistance to State and local law enforcement of $4.4 billion in 2001.
  While we see what is happening here, the bottom line is that we have 
cut about $2 billion in funding for State and local law enforcement 
since 2001. Well, do we care about that? Does that have an effect? Well 
these cuts, Mr. Chairman, are not without consequences.
  Preliminary data from the FBI's uniform crime report for 2005 
indicate that violent crime rates have increased 2.5 percent from 2004 
to 2005. This is the largest increase since 1992. Is anyone surprised? 
Certainly not.
  Violent crime rates fell steadily from 1993 to 2002, and this nearly 
coincides with the establishment of the community policing program 
known as the COPS program under the Clinton administration. The Office 
of Community Oriented Policing Services, COPS, was created in 1994; 
100,000 police officers were put on the beat by funds provided under 
the COPS program.
  Consider these facts. COPS funded its 100,000th community policing 
professional in May of 1999, and violent crime rates continued to fall. 
Congress funded State and local assistance programs at $4.4 billion, 
their highest level in 2001. Violent crime rates dropped between 2001 
and 2002. Congress decreased State and local law enforcement funding in 
2002 by $400 million, as I mentioned before, and violent crime rates 
increased in 2003 and rose again in 2004 and rose again dramatically in 
2005, coinciding with the lack of assistance coming from the Federal 
Government to help our State and local law enforcement.
  Well, Mr. Chairman, there is a correlation between the funding we 
provide here in this committee for State and local law enforcement and 
incidents of violent crime. There is a relationship.
  With respect to this bill, Mr. Chairman, the President's fiscal 2007 
budget, for the second year in a row, contained a .02 cents per pound 
tax on the users of explosives. My State, due to its extraction 
industry, would bear the largest share of the burden with this tax. The 
repeated proposal of this tax by the President, coupled with the 
inadequate allocation provided our subcommittee, has resulted in an 
insufficient budget resolution; and this placed the chairman, Chairman 
Wolf, in a very difficult position. So he used part of that tax, 
understanding that in the process this would be challenged, and at the 
appropriate point, Mr. Chairman, during consideration of this bill, I 
intend to make a point of order against this tax. We appreciate the 
Rules Committee not protecting this provision.
  Well, anyone on this subcommittee knows of the chairman's passion for

[[Page 12774]]

helping the weakest and most vulnerable in our society. To that end, 
Chairman Wolf restored $367 million to the Justice Assistance Formula 
Grant Program funds that helps our youngest and our most troubled 
citizens. These funds were zeroed out by the President, and I applaud 
Chairman Wolf for restoring them.
  Further, in continuance of his commitment to assisting law 
enforcement with the ever-increasing gang epidemic in this country, 
Chairman Wolf has restored $25 million cut from the President's budget 
from the anti-gang initiative in the COPS program.
  In the Department of Commerce, the funding provided for the American 
Competitiveness Initiative came at a price. One of the programs that 
couldn't be fully restored is the Manufacturing Extension Partnership. 
This program is very important to basic industry areas across this 
country. Mr. Chairman, the President slashed the funding for this 
program but the chairman doubled it, bringing it to $92 million, about 
$17 million below last year's enacted program.
  Another program that suffers is the Advanced Technology Program, 
which was eliminated by the President. We are able to fully fund the 
decennial census and the American Community Survey. I well remember the 
problems that arose during the last census and the fight for emergency 
funding for census on the floor, and full funding this year keeps us on 
track for the future.
  In NASA, the President's budget request again made dramatic 
reductions to science and aeronautics funding, as NASA tries to fit in 
these programs and the return to flight, the International Space 
Station and the Moon-Mars proposal at the same time it fails to deliver 
on promised funding. The chairman again is forward-looking in his 
restoration of $75 million to the science programs and $100 million to 
aeronautics, which is a huge contributor to the American economy. 
Despite these increases, however, funding levels will still generate 
cause for alarm from our science community.
  The bottom line is, for all of these programs and numerous others 
that I have not mentioned, $59.8 billion is simply not enough. The 
chairman has been extremely responsive to Members and to the needs of 
the people who benefit from these programs, restoring and increasing 
where he was able to do so in this tight allocation. But, despite these 
noble efforts, we have seen for the past several years and will see 
again this year programs being whittled away through attrition by the 
administration that is reducing necessary discretionary spending in the 
name of balancing a budget which, in truth, these actions would 
demonstrate the administration has no intention of balancing.
  One could easily make the argument that this bill needs several 
billion dollar in additional funding, increased funding for the 
Economic Development Administration, for the Small Business 
Administration Microloans, for Legal Services Corporation, for funding 
above the restoration that the Chairman provided for State and local 
justice programs, funding for OSHA and for fisheries programs in the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a program supported by 
so many Members here. More funding is needed for life sciences funding 
at NASA and biology funding at the National Science Foundation and the 
perceived need to accelerate the Crew Exploration Vehicle at NASA to 
maintain the United States' access to space after shuttle retirement. 
These all add up quickly.
  Each of these is a need for which I have heard support, either from 
constituents or from the community at large or from other Members.

                              {time}  1745

  And each of these needs has meritorious arguments for funding. I 
would hope all Members would view favorably any opportunity to seek an 
increased allocation to support these critical programs.
  I would like to again note how fortunate we are to have had such a 
principled chairman for the past 6 years. It has been an honor to work 
with you, Mr. Chairman, and I look forward to working with you again 
next year, regardless of whether you remain on this subcommittee or 
move to another one.
  And, Mr. Chairman, I would like to note that every member of the 
minority on this subcommittee has equally high regard for the chairman, 
as he has worked with more than one of us as his ranking member.
  I also would like to thank the majority staff, Mike Ringler, 
Christine Kojac, John Martens, Anne Marie Goldsmith, Clelia Alvarado 
and Darryl Hill, as well as J.T. Griffin from the chairman's personal 
staff, for the fair and open way in which they have worked with the 
minority in crafting this bill. Our input and the chairman's output was 
accepted at every turn.
  I also want to thank the minority appropriations staff, David 
Pomerantz, Michelle Burkett, and Chris Martin for their tireless 
efforts. And I want to thank Sally Moorhead and Julie Aaronson, of my 
personal staff, for their valuable work on this bill.
  Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to Mr. 
Lewis, the chairman of the full Committee.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 
5672, the Science, State, Justice, Commerce Appropriations bill for 
fiscal year 2007.
  This is the 10th of 11 bills the committee has brought to the House 
floor as we go to the Fourth of July recess. I want to praise 
especially Chairman Wolf as he goes about his sixth bill for this 
subcommittee, and Ranking Member Mollohan. These two, working together, 
have been a model reflective of the best of bipartisan effort in the 
appropriations process.
  In total, this measure provides $59.8 billion in discretionary 
spending. The bill contains critical funding to make America more 
competitive by investing in science. NASA is funded at $16.7 billion, 
which is $462 million above last year's level. The National Science 
Foundation receives $6 billion, the full amount requested as part of 
the American Competitiveness Initiative, and an increase of $439 
million from last year.
  This legislation also continues the critical effort to fight the 
scourge of meth and prosecute the war on terror. It also provides $2.6 
billion for State and local law enforcement, including $405 million to 
reimburse States for the cost of incarcerating illegal aliens.
  The bill also includes vital funding for the Department of Commerce, 
the State Department, the Small Business Administration and other 
Federal entities.
  I would like to make two additional points about this measure. First, 
the Members should know the SSJC bill provides $387 million for Member 
projects, $1.3 billion less than last year's enacted level.
  Secondly, this year's bill terminates eight programs resulting in 
$159 million taxpayer savings.
  Mr. Chairman, I would like to make one final point. Last year, the 
House Appropriations Committee successfully eliminated 53 programs, for 
a savings of $3.5 billion. Building on that record in this year's 11 
spending bills, the House Appropriations Committee has proposed 
eliminating 95 wasteful or redundant programs, saving the American 
taxpayer nearly $4 billion.
  Mr. Chairman, this bill is a fine product worthy of your support. I 
want to especially commend Mr. Mollohan for his cooperative work with 
the chairman and have the entire House recognize Mr. Wolf for his work 
on this year's bill.
  Mr. MOLLOHAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the distinguished ranking member, Mr. Obey.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Chairman, first of all, I would like to alert Members 
to a practical fact associated with this bill. We have pending, once 
general debate is over, about 100 amendments. If we assume that each 
one of them will be debated for only 10 minutes, and that is a risky 
assumption, but it is nonetheless to be hoped for, but if we assume 
that we can get that kind of unanimous consent agreement, that means 
that, with slippage and the time it

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takes to transact business, we are talking about 25 hours of debate, 
not counting any time consumed by roll calls. So we could very easily 
hit 30 hours of activity on the House floor. I think Members need to 
understand that.
  If they expect to get out of here at a reasonable time this week, I 
would suggest that perhaps some people might conclude that at least 
some of those amendments are duplicative, and that Members would choose 
not to offer them.
  I don't mean that about all amendments. I think some amendments are 
deserving and need to be offered. But I would ask Members to look at 
this with a very dispassionate eye to see whether or not an amendment 
needs to be offered and whether any useful message will be sent by its 
offering.
  Secondly, I want to repeat or emphasize what the gentleman from West 
Virginia said about the gentleman from Virginia, the chairman of the 
subcommittee, Mr. Wolf. One of the things I most appreciate about him 
is that he is not one of those laid back, super cool people who so many 
people seem to think should dominate politics and government these 
days. He has passion, and I think that he often has passion about the 
right things. And I, for one, want to say that I respect greatly the 
job the gentleman has done as chairman of this subcommittee the last 6 
years. I think that we are all proud to have been able to serve with 
him.
  And thirdly, I would like to address this bill for just a moment, if 
I could, Mr. Chairman. I know that the chairman from Virginia has done 
his dead level best to produce a decent bill. I know the gentleman from 
West Virginia has done the same.
  But I want to point out that as the gentleman from West Virginia 
says, there will be a good many amendments offered in the next 3 days. 
And I think it is clear, because of the number of amendments, that 
Members recognize that there are so many useful things, so many 
important things that this bill needs to do that it will not be able to 
accomplish because of the budget number assigned to it under the budget 
resolution.
  Sometimes I hear people bemoaning the fact that the subcommittee 
doesn't have enough resources. And you would think that somehow this 
ceiling was imposed anonymously from on high. It was imposed from on 
high all right, but it wasn't anonymously. And in my view, every person 
who voted for the budget resolution has a responsibility for some of 
the important cuts in law enforcement, in Earth-based sciences, in 
legal services, and in other areas that this bill is forced to make 
because of that budget resolution. I want to point to just two.
  With respect to law enforcement, what has been going on is a Kabuki 
dance between us and the White House over the past 5 years. The White 
House proposes draconian cuts; they slash deeply in law enforcement 
grants. The committee then restores about two-thirds of that funding. 
We all say, ``Oh, what good boys and girls are we.'' We pat ourselves 
on the back. But in the end, we haven't been able to salvage those 
programs, and we see that this bill is $2.1 billion below where law 
enforcement grants would have been in 2001.
  Secondly, with respect to legal services, about which I will offer an 
amendment at a later point in the debate, that bill a decade ago was 
funded at $400 million. That program today is funded at slightly over 
$320 million, a slight increase over the President's request, but still 
a cut from last year, and a substantial reduction from where it was a 
decade ago.
  Since that time, inflation has eaten up a significant portion of the 
purchasing power of that program. We should not be doing that to people 
in this society who, without this program, will have very little 
ability to take advantage of the court system when they feel that they 
have been abused, and they will be boxed out of our justice system 
simply because they have no money. I don't think that Congress ought to 
allow that to happen, and I regret that this bill contributes to this 
problem.
  Having said that, I respect the work that both gentlemen have done.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I recognize Mr. Kirk, a member of the 
committee, for 2 minutes.
  Mr. KIRK. Mr. Chairman, I rise to compliment my chairman, Mr. Wolf, 
and our ranking minority member, Mr. Mollohan.
  This bill will help small businesses to comply with the Sarbanes 
Oxley Act under a new bipartisan provision which establishes an 
ombudsman at the Securities and Exchange Commission. Both Minority 
Leader Pelosi and the Speaker have called for help in this area, and 
the bill does that.
  With regard to our critical relationship with China, we recommended 
retaining the current U.S. embassy site even after the new embassy is 
complete. This is a wise step to allow for the expansion of the U.S. 
Government in China, especially to help protect the Olympic Games in 
2008 from terrorists.
  We also took action in this bill to preserve the Turkish Service of 
the VOA, a critical media market for the United States bordering Iran 
during these days of crisis. Our action will help stabilize that NATO 
ally.
  At USTR, we called in this bill for stronger action to stop the theft 
of American intellectual property in China. And while the central 
government in Beijing has made the right promises, Congressman Rick 
Larsen and I noted in our U.S. China Working Group work that this key 
trade issue between China and America remains unresolved at the local 
level. And this bill provides clear direction to the USTR in that area.
  This bill also provides new resources to Federal law enforcement. 
ATF, the lead Federal antigang agency in this bill, gets $950 million, 
a $48 million increase from last year. We also provide a $15 million 
increase for DEA, and I applaud Chairman Wolf for approving new funding 
for a DEA aircraft to collect intelligence overseas against drug 
traffickers.
  This bill funds a critical integration of DEA into the intelligence 
community. And in my experience, DEA has some of the best information 
on terror financing in the U.S. Government.
  The bottom line on this bill is it funds key Federal law enforcement 
operations in Chicagoland, backing Andy Traver, the special agent in 
charge of ATF, Robert Grant, the special agent in charge of the FBI, 
and Rick Sanders, the special agent in charge of DEA. And that is a 
good thing, especially when they all support our legendary U.S. 
attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald.
  It also provides $85 million more for U.S. Attorneys--61 more 
Assistant U.S. Attorneys--giving more resources to our legendary U.S. 
Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois--Patrick Fitzgerald--and 
his crusade against terror on the Sears Tower and public corruption in 
Illinois.
  Mr. MOLLOHAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Serrano), who served as 
the ranking member on this subcommittee in the last several years.
  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this bill, and before 
I go any further, I want to join the well-deserved chorus of folks who 
have praised the chairman, Mr. Wolf. For 4 years I was his ranking 
member, and I have never met a gentleman who can be, in the middle of 
differences on issues, so fair and so humane. And Chairman Wolf knows 
that on many issues we didn't disagree and still don't disagree. But 
the way in which he handled them, the way in which he treated me, and 
the way in which he treated the minority party really says a lot about 
who you are. And if we took a poll over here, you would find out that 
we wish we could change the rules to make sure you remain in your 
position, as ranking member next year, but certainly in your position. 
And that is the kind of person that you are.
  It is also a great pleasure for me to work with our ranking member, 
Mr. Mollohan. And the respect that we have for each other has really 
made our working together a good experience. And I thank you for that.

                              {time}  1800

  This bill is such a huge bill that a lot of times when we stand on 
the floor

[[Page 12776]]

and we speak about it we will say that there are 25 good things in it, 
then we will say there are 10 things that need fixing or vice versa, 
and people will say, well, they are being negative about a bill. But 
the public and a lot of Members just do not realize how many agencies 
are covered by this bill; and, in spite of what at times is a very 
difficult allocation, Chairman Wolf, with the assistance of Ranking 
Member Mollohan, has been able to do wonders within this bill.
  Just to give you some of the things that I pay attention to: A large 
increase in funding for the National Science Foundation as part of the 
American Competitive Initiative. Funding levels on which we can build 
for NOAA as we move through conference and full funding for the 
National Weather Service. Full funding for the crucial work that the 
Census Bureau must do in preparation for its next census, which we all 
know is mandated by the Constitution.
  And if I may add to the comments that the ranking member made before, 
there will be many amendments tonight, and I take this opportunity to 
say that some of those amendments will have offsets, I think, hurting 
the Census Bureau and hurting the Bureau's ability to conduct the next 
census. So I hope when Members put forth amendments, they will realize 
where the offset is coming from. It is not just this particular one but 
other agencies that would be hurt by the offsets. We all want to put 
money in certain areas. I surely will speak about that tonight. But we 
have to be careful where those dollars come from.
  Forty million dollars in funding for the Drug Courts, which is at the 
fiscal year 2005 level. The full amount requested on the Diplomatic and 
Consular Programs for worldwide security upgrades and for security 
projects under the Embassy Security, Construction and Maintenance 
account.
  Now, within the Department of Justice account, I continue to be 
concerned about the dwindling level of support we are providing to our 
State and local governments. And here is where the issue is and it is 
such a difficult issue. We, since September 11, and I come from New 
York City and I understand this issue well, have focused a lot of 
attention, and rightfully so, on the war on terrorism. But if you get 
the FBI and speak to them, they will even admit that they have had to 
focus a lot of their attention from other issues that they used to go 
after, other crimes, to focus on the war on terror.
  So when you represent a district like I do in the South Bronx, you 
wonder just how long we can go without paying full attention to the war 
on drugs, to the war on crime, to the war on blue collar crime, to the 
war on crime in our streets. That is why recently, as we know, the FBI 
admitted that violent crime had spiked for the first time last year 
since 2001, and I believe it is a direct consequence of the war on 
terror. So one of our challenges for the future is to see how we can 
deal with and strike that balance.
  Although the full amount requested was provided for international 
peacekeeping activities, I worry that there will not be sufficient 
funding for what we all know will be additional peacekeeping needs as 
we move forward in the fiscal year. I also regret the inability to 
fully fund our membership obligations to international organizations.
  And, lastly, I have joined our committee ranking member, Mr. Obey, in 
saying that the Legal Services Corporation is a program that needs to 
get the full funding that it deserves. We have come a long way when you 
realize that I am standing here defending a program that was created by 
Richard Nixon but which affects a community like ours to a great 
extent, the ability to have people who ordinarily cannot afford a 
lawyer be represented in the court.
  As I said before, the bill strikes a balance. We wish, as we all 
know, that we had more funding. But in spite of the shortcomings, the 
bill that was put together by the committee and under the leadership of 
Mr. Wolf is a good bill and one that I will support and vote for.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Boehlert), chairman of the Science Committee.
  Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of this bill; 
and I want to thank my friend, Chairman Frank Wolf, for working so 
closely with me on the science portions of the bill.
  The passage of this bill may be looked back on as a landmark moment 
in American history. Now, that probably sounds like a lot of hyperbole, 
but I mean it. This bill puts us on course to enact the American 
Competitiveness Initiative, which will double the combined budgets of 
three key science agencies: the National Science Foundation, the 
National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Department of 
Energy Office of Science, which already received appropriations in the 
Energy and Water bill.
  These agencies, which are not exactly on the tip of the tongue of 
most Americans, are keystones of our Nation's economic future. Our 
Nation will remain strong and prosperous only if we remain innovative, 
and we will only remain innovative if we have the most robust research 
and education enterprise in the world. And it is these agencies that 
help enable the U.S. to lead the world in science, math, and 
engineering education and in research.
  And I want to especially thank Chairman Wolf for supporting education 
funding as well as research funding in this bill, particularly for 
supporting the Noyce Scholarship Program at NSF, which attracts top 
science and math majors into teaching.
  I also want to thank the chairman for the way he handled 
appropriations for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. I 
have said repeatedly, and the authorization act we passed last year 
says clearly, that NASA must be a multi-mission agency. With this bill, 
the House will be putting money where its mouth is. Without interfering 
with the lunar mission, this bill puts desperately needed funding back 
in science and aeronautics.
  I would like to see even more money going into science, particularly 
Earth science, but this is a good start, and I am especially pleased 
that the bill text includes explicit funding levels for science and 
aeronautics.
  Finally, giving the competing priorities, I think the bill does the 
best it can for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 
although, of course, I hope that, as in the past years, the final 
numbers are a little bit higher. I appreciate the language Chairman 
Wolf included in the report, drawing attention to the concerns we all 
share about the future of the polar satellite program, NPOESS.
  So I urge my colleagues to support this forward-looking landmark 
bill.
  Guess what? It all boils down to one thing. This bill is about my 
favorite four-letter word. And do not get nervous. You can say it on 
the House floor. You can say it in polite company. That favorite four-
letter word is ``jobs.'' We must remain competitive. We must retain as 
much opportunity for our people here at home. This bill opens the door 
for that opportunity.
  Mr. MOLLOHAN. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
distinguished gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott).
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding.
  Mr. Chairman, I would like to speak to two different issues. One is 
the potential amendment to the Voting Rights Act, where a suggestion 
may be made to withhold funding for the enforcement of the Voting 
Rights Act. The Voting Rights Act is one of the most important civil 
rights pieces of legislation in the history of the United States, and 
we should not do anything to avoid the full and fair enforcement of the 
Voting Rights Act.
  That bill should be coming up in a few days. We do not know exactly 
when. There has been an agreement with leadership that the bill be 
adopted as it came out of committee. It came out of committee 31-1, so 
we would hope that the leadership would bring it to the floor.
  Mr. Chairman, there is another issue that is extremely important, and 
that

[[Page 12777]]

is the Legal Services Corporation. If we are going to have people enjoy 
the rights that they have throughout America, we have to make sure that 
they have access to courts. The legal Services Corporation, primarily 
legal aid programs across the country, are extremely important; and we 
need to make sure that they are fully funded. The bill includes a 
provision where the number is lower than it should be, and we need to 
make sure that the amendments to increase Legal Services are adopted.
  So, Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman's giving me the 
opportunity to bring these two issues to the floor.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson), who has really done a lot of work on 
a very important issue with Mr. Rogers.
  Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Chairman, I rise to engage in a colloquy with the 
gentleman from Michigan and the gentleman from Virginia on the FBI's 
Field Office Supervisory Term Limit Policy, commonly referred to as the 
Up and Out Policy.
  This policy would require that Supervisory Special Agents who have 
served 5 years to transfer to headquarters and be assigned overseas or 
compete for an Assistant Special Agent in Charge position. If a 
Supervisory Special Agent does not want to be transferred, they would 
be demoted at a substantial pay cut in some instances.
  Representative Rogers and I have been working with Chairman Wolf and 
the FBI on the implementation of this policy to minimize the 
significant financial burden it has on Special Agents, particularly 
those who became supervisors before this policy went into effect. Based 
on our discussions, we have a commitment from the FBI to seek 
legislation to ensure that the retirement benefits of Supervisory 
Special Agents who choose to step down are not negatively impacted.
  In addition, the FBI is committed to creating a pilot housing 
allowance program for employees in the D.C. metro area. This pilot 
program will improve the FBI's ability to attract talented agents to 
come to headquarters and will help agents manage the burden of living 
in a high-cost city and will improve morale.
  Mr. Chairman, I now yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Rogers).
  Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding.
  I appreciate the hard work from Mr. Hobson, Chairman Wolf, and the 
FBI to address the potentially devastating impact of the FBI's Up and 
Out Policy on agents in the field who have given decades of public 
service to protect our Nation. I cannot thank enough Chairman Wolf and 
Mr. Hobson for the long hours of negotiation that allowed us to stand 
with the men and women who stand in harm's way in protection of the 
United States.
  It is critical that the Federal Government protect the retirement 
benefits of Supervisory Special Agents who have honorably served their 
country, and I look forward to working with you to address this issue 
this year.
  Further, I am very pleased that the FBI is committed to establishing 
a housing allowance pilot program here in Washington, D.C., within the 
funds provided in this bill. We ask a lot of our agents in the field, 
agents who risk their lives every single day to put mobsters in jail, 
break up terrorist plots across America, protect the public integrity 
by Federal, State, and local officials, and so much more. The least we 
can do is give them the fair compensation that allows them to provide 
for their family and have a home that is not hours away from their 
field office. By creating this first-ever housing allowance within the 
Bureau, agents will be able to reduce their commute time, giving them 
more time to take a son to a swim meet or a daughter to a dance 
recital. But perhaps most importantly, Mr. Chairman, this program will 
be a morale boost and will allow FBI agents to focus on their vital 
work to protect America and all Americans.
  I look forward to continuing to work with the FBI, Chairman Wolf, and 
yourself, Mr. Hobson, on ensuring that FBI agents are compensated 
fairly; and I thank you for your strong leadership on this important 
issue.
  Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I want to thank 
Chairman Wolf for his help on this. He has lived up to the discussions 
that we had.
  And I see Mr. Kingston has arrived, who wanted to make a comment on 
this, with Chairman Wolf's indulgence.
  Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia.
  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Chairman, I thank Mr. Hobson for yielding; and I 
wanted to thank you and Mr. Rogers for your leadership and Mr. Wolf for 
working together to come up with a suitable solution to this or at 
least a step in the right direction.
  But I have been very concerned that the middle-aged middle American 
professional FBI leader would be forced to either take less than a 
leadership position with the FBI or do a stint in Washington, in which 
many of them have already done that, and they will do it at the same 
pay salary that they are, disrupting their wife's career or their 
spouse's career or disrupting their own career and taking a pay cut 
effectively, which I believe would run off a lot of our good and 
seasoned FBI employees. Their other choice would be to stay at home and 
have somebody with less experience become their boss, and it just does 
not make sense. We have too many good people in the field with careers 
running from 15 to 20, 25 years; and we do not want to lose them.

                              {time}  1815

  They are the professionals who are running the FBI and doing the good 
work. So I commend all of you guys for the hard work that you have done 
on this.
  Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Chairman, I thank Mr. Kingston, and I thank Chairman 
Wolf.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I thank Mr. Hobson. I want to thank Mr. 
Hobson, Mr. Rogers and Mr. Kingston for their leadership. This should 
be called the Hobson-Rogers-Kingston bill to help the FBI. They have 
done a great service.
  I support the establishment of a Housing Allowance Program within the 
level of funds provided for the FBI in the bill and look forward to 
working to protect the retirement benefits of the supervisory special 
agents. Mr. Hobson, Mr. Rogers and Mr. Kingston, thank you very much.
  Mr. MOLLOHAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I thank the distinguished 
gentleman. Let me take an appropriate time to thank both of the 
proponents of this bill, the ranking member, Mr. Mollohan, for his 
consistent leadership and caring attitude toward these issues; and, Mr. 
Wolf, let me thank you very much for the 6 years of service that you 
have given. Obviously, you have a great passion for so many issues that 
deal with the improvement in the quality of lives, not only for those 
in this country, but around the world.
  I do want to raise a number of issues, Mr. Chairman, and as I thank 
both the full committee chairman, Mr. Lewis, and then the ranking 
member, Mr. Obey, I am really disappointed as to where we find 
ourselves with the NASA funding. I know the choices have been made with 
the Moon to Mars account having risen 30 percent, but I think it is 
important to note that the President requested some 14 percent less for 
NASA education, $25 million, compared to 2 years ago, from $178.9 
million to $153.3 million.
  NASA's education programs capitalize on the excitement of NASA's 
discoveries and missions to inspire future generations of space 
scientists. I know in speaking to Historically Black Colleges, this has 
had a terrible impact.
  In fact, one of the programs that was authorized under the NASA 
authorization that the Science Committee, of which I am a member, voted 
unanimously for, the Dr. Mae C. Jemison Program, the first African 
American female astronaut still remaining in history, a program named 
after her to encourage math and science among minority girls. Certainly 
with the brain

[[Page 12778]]

drain that we have and the lack of scientists that we are producing in 
this country, this is an important program.
  Might I also mention that in a few days we will launch another space 
shuttle. But I am concerned, and I have raised this with the director 
and have sent him a letter, that this shuttle is going in spite of the 
opposition of safety engineers at NASA. I believe that this record must 
not close on an appropriation bill without requiring answers from NASA, 
and I hope to get those answers in the next 24 hours.
  Mr. WOLF. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Weldon).
  Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman for 
yielding. I want to join with others in commending him and the ranking 
member on producing a very good bill. There are a lot of important 
priorities in this legislation. We are funding critical agencies 
involved in the war on terror, the Department of Justice, the 
Department of State, as well as our critical problems with 
methamphetamine abuse and gangs.
  But I want to particularly commend the chairman on his work in the 
NASA account. NASA continues to be a very, very important component of 
the fabric of our society. We are a Nation of explorers. It has become 
part of our culture. The heroics of the efforts of people involved in 
programs like Mercury and Gemini continue on to this day.
  We are now in a critical phase where we are developing a new manned 
vehicle to replace our aging, venerable space shuttle fleet with the 
Crew Exploration Vehicle, with its planned agenda to support operations 
of someday going back to the Moon and possibly on to Mars.
  So I commend the chairman. This is a very important component in the 
account.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Ehlers).
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this excellent bill 
and to thank my good friend and colleague, Chairman Frank Wolf, for his 
tireless leadership in funding for basic scientific research in the 
fiscal year 2007 budget.
  In a tough budget environment, Chairman Wolf has fought hard to 
ensure that the President's American Competitiveness Initiative is 
fully funded. I appreciate the chairman's hard work on an issue that is 
so important to the Nation.
  I spent my career in Congress championing the need for investment in 
basic research to help keep our Nation on the leading edge of science 
and innovation. We have gained so much benefit from basic research, 
ranging from MRIs, through laser technology, human genome mapping, 
fiberoptics, and GPS systems. The President has recognized the 
necessity of this investment through his American Competitiveness 
Initiative, which includes much needed funding for the National Science 
Foundation.
  I very much appreciate that Chairman Wolf has recognized this need 
and has done as much as he could within the constraints of the budget 
to provide this funding.
  Also I should mention NIST and the great work they do, as well as 
NOAA and the National Weather Service. In these difficult budgetary 
times, the chairman has done a marvelous job, and I am very pleased by 
the funding levels for these entities. I urge my colleagues to support 
this bill, and again thank Chairman Wolf for his leadership on 
important science research and education issues.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Calvert).
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Chairman, this Nation's investment in the sciences 
is not only the right thing to do; it is critical to our very survival 
as a global leader. Throughout the 20th century, one of the strengths 
of the United States was our knowledge-based resources, particularly 
science and technology. But now we are at a crossroad and we have the 
ability to continue to strengthen the scientific and technological 
foundations of our economic leadership, which appear to be eroding at a 
time when many other nations are building their innovative capacity.
  Recently, Chemical and Engineering News reported that 75 percent of 
all new R&D sites are planned to be established in China and India over 
the next 3 years. Currently, China awards 59 percent of its 
undergraduate degrees in the areas of science and engineering, compared 
with 32 percent in the United States.
  As chairman of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, I believe the 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration should be funded at a 
higher level than the President's request, but I know the realities of 
funding allocations.
  Aviation is currently the country's largest manufacturing export. The 
average sales in the aerospace industry is about $200 billion a year. 
It is one of the main contributors to our global competitiveness. We 
are main contributors to our global competitiveness. We are facing an 
increasing economic challenge from abroad and cannot take a chance of 
faltering. If we begin to slip in the wrong direction, reversing 
directions is even more difficult.
  As my friend, Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist for the Hayden 
Planetarium, has told me, ``Much work remains to convince the public 
and Congress of America's need for sustained investment in NASA, with 
returns on education, the economy and the security. It is not just 
about Tang and Velcro; it is about a way of enabling the future we all 
want to occupy.''
  The House Appropriations Committee has done a great job in trying to 
funnel funding into the science agencies within its jurisdiction, 
despite its very tight allocation. I want to commend those members of 
the committee and ask this body to support this carefully balanced 
appropriations bill. We cannot move funding from science to the other 
areas, and we cannot rob Peter to pay Paul by moving funding from one 
science agency to another.
  I urge my colleagues to vote against any amendments that would strip 
NASA of funding to add to other accounts, regardless of how well-
intended those other programs may be.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Poe).
  Mr. POE. Mr. Chairman, I rise for the purpose of a colloquy with the 
chairman regarding the importance of the Crime Victims Fund and 
programs authorized in Justice for All Act.
  Mr. Chairman, I know you understand the importance of the Crime 
Victims Fund, which provides funding for victim services programs and 
compensation for victims of crime from Federal criminal court fines, 
forfeitures and special assessments, not taxpayer dollars. For the 
second year in a row, your committee rejected the administration's 
proposal to permanently rescind the $1.2 billion in the fund, and for 
that I thank you.
  The bill places a limit on obligations in the Crime Victims Fund at 
$625 million. I want to ensure that all of that money is used for crime 
victim programs and that the limitation does not include any obligation 
that may be made under the Antiterrorism Emergency Reserve.
  Is that the chairman's understanding?
  Mr. WOLF. Yes, that is my understanding. The Antiterrorism Reserve is 
a separate portion of the Crime Victims Fund, and there is a statutory 
authority allowing obligations to be made on top of any limitation 
carried in this bill.
  Frankly, the administration never sent a rescission up again with 
regard to this.
  Mr. POE. I want to thank the chairman. I also want to highlight the 
programs under the Justice for All Act of 2004 which authorizes funding 
to increase victims notification programs, DNA backlog programs, and 
Sexual Assault Forensic Exam grants.
  This bill provides a significant investment for programs authorized 
in the act, but I want to call special attention to the Sexual Assault 
Forensic Exam grant program so that training, technical assistance, 
education, equipment and information regarding the collection, 
preservation and analysis of

[[Page 12779]]

DNA in sexual assault cases can be enhanced.
  I ask the chairman's help in supporting this grant program through 
the funds provide for the Justice For All Act.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, if the gentleman will yield, I thank my 
colleague from Texas. The bill includes $10.69 million specifically for 
victims programs authorized by the Justice for All Act, which is $1 
million above the President's request, and includes $176 million for 
DNA grants not earmarked, which is $68 million above the current level. 
As we work with the Senate in conference, we will work to ensure the 
highest level possible for all the programs authorized by the Justice 
for All Act.
  Mr. POE. I thank the chairman on behalf of victims of crime and the 
Victims Rights Caucus and the criminal justice professionals, and I 
thank you for your support.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The CHAIRMAN. All time for general debate has expired.
  Pursuant to the rule, the bill shall be considered for amendment 
under the 5-minute rule.
  During consideration of the bill for amendment, the Chair may accord 
priority in recognition to a Member offering an amendment that he has 
printed in the designated place in the Congressional Record. Those 
amendments will be considered read.
  The Clerk will read.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 5672

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the 
     following sums are appropriated, out of any money in the 
     Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the fiscal year 
     ending September 30, 2007, and for other purposes, namely:

                     TITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

                         General Administration

                         SALARIES AND EXPENSES

       For expenses necessary for the administration of the 
     Department of Justice, $90,136,000, of which not to exceed 
     $3,000,000 shall remain available until expended.

  Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last 
word.
  Mr. Chairman, first let me commend the chairman and ranking member 
for their work on this bill. Today I rise to bring attention to a very 
critical issue, and that is how to provide evidence-based treatment for 
prisoners with mental illness and substance abuse disorders.
  Nearly 74 percent of those arrested test positive for drugs and 
alcohol at the time of arrest. The disease of alcoholism and addiction 
is obviously a very important one in our justice system, and hence if 
we are going to reduce recidivism rates and reduce the revolving door 
of people going in and out of prison, we must tackle this issue of both 
trying to reduce the stigma and the access to treatment of those with 
alcoholism and addiction.
  A study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse has said that prison-
based substance abuse treatment programs combined with aftercare 
reduces recidivism. Those who have not received these programs have 
recidivism rates up to 75 percent of the time. Those who have had 
treatment have recidivism rates under 27 percent of the time. Seventy-
five percent recidivism without treatment, 27 percent recidivism with 
treatment.
  So the fact of the matter is, we can make an enormous difference in 
helping to reduce not only the lives lost, but also the cost to our 
prison system. We are going to add $90 million in this bill for new 
prison construction. How many people out there as taxpayers want to pay 
for new prison construction, when over half the people in prison today 
are there for simple possession of drugs and alcohol.
  I would like to ask the chairman of the committee to engage in a 
colloquy, and first commend him for increasing the amount for the drug 
courts over 300 percent in this budget, recognizing the importance of 
reducing recidivism and keeping people out of the prison system, and 
ask him whether he would work with me to make sure that we tie in the 
National Institute on Drug Abuse, obviously the Substance Abuse and 
Mental Health Services Administration, and, of course, HHS, to help us 
address this overall issue that does not just lie in the justice 
system, but rather lies around an interagency approach to this subject.

                              {time}  1830

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. I yield to the gentleman from Virginia.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Rhode Island, a 
member of our subcommittee, for raising this very, very important 
issue.
  As you mentioned, dealing with the issues of substance abuse and 
prisoners is a critical component of ensuring that they do not repeat 
their crimes. Reducing recidivism of prisoners is a goal that those of 
us on both sides of the aisle can support.
  I appreciate the gentleman's commitment. We will see what we can do 
with regard to coordination. The gentleman has been very faithful in 
raising this over and over. We will try to help in every way possible.
  Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. I know the gentleman will. I thank him 
for all of his work in this area, and I thank him for his 6 years of 
service as chairman on the committee.
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
  Mr. Chairman, over the last year, I have mentioned to Chairman Wolf 
on a number of occasions that I think of him every time that it rains. 
With the torrential downpours that we have had here in the Northeast 
over the last several days, I have been thinking of him even more, and 
thanking him, thanking him sincerely as well as thanking Ranking Member 
Mollohan and their respective staffs for responding to the great 
potential for preventable flooding disaster in the part of the country 
that I represent along our southern border in Texas.
  I very much appreciate the subcommittee including $6.4 million in 
this bill for improvements to the levees along the Rio Grande River. 
This means that construction can begin for vital protection for the 
cities of McAllen, Hidalgo, Pharr and Granjeno.
  Thank you for reassuring the families in these communities that, 
despite both the very tough competition for Federal dollars and our 
inability to get the Administration to really place a priority on flood 
protection, that you heard and answered their plea for help. This is a 
significant increase in support that will help ensure that, in the 
event we have a hurricane or even a very strong tropical storm, that 
thousands of families will not find their homes flooded, their 
businesses closed, their drinking water polluted and relief efforts 
hampered as both the local airport and highways are inundated.
  In the spring of last year, as I first began representing the Rio 
Grande Valley, I made what was, until recently, the only request for 
more levee rehabilitation dollars. I appreciate the 39 local 
governments, school districts and economic development corporations 
that endorsed this call for life-saving Federal investment.
  While today's bill nearly triples the Administration request for 
levees, I know the subcommittee is fully aware that much more is needed 
every year for the next decade to ensure rehabilitation for these 
levees, which are up to 9 feet short, geologically flawed, structurally 
unsound and could be overtopped along 38 river miles.
  The millions that we invest today are the beginning of a vital 
investment that, when repeated in future years, will save us billions 
in flood relief and untold human misery.
  But for the fate of nature, the hurricane that hit New Orleans could 
just as easily have tracked west instead of tracking east and caused a 
similar disaster in Texas. Until the entire rehabilitation program of 
the International Boundary and Water Commission is completed, at a 
total cost that is a mere fraction of what Congress has already 
approved for New Orleans, we remain at very great risk.
  Now the Valley looks to our Texas Senators and to the Administration 
to fully support what this subcommittee has done and to add funds to 
what is being approved here in this bill so that

[[Page 12780]]

together we can ensure a reasonable level of safety and avoid another 
Katrina-style disaster.
  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
  Mr. Chairman, I would like to enter into a colloquy with the 
chairman.
  Mr. Chairman, as you remember, 6 years ago I came to this floor and 
shared with the body about a Hurricane Summit that I had held in the 
Second District of North Carolina. It was in response to devastation 
that took place from a major hurricane by the name of Floyd.
  That hurricane was the strongest and most devastating storm to hit 
the United States in more than 25 years. When Floyd roared across the 
east coast from the Carolinas to New England and through Virginia and 
Washington, D.C., in September of 1999, it took 56 lives and upward of 
$6 billion in devastation.
  Floyd showed us that much more damage, death and destruction can be 
created by the unexpected inland flooding of fresh water, more so than 
what happens on the coast. North Carolina was a good example of that. 
My district is an inland district and suffered greatly from that storm.
  Last summer, this was displayed again with devastating intensity 
during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. When, as we all witnessed, the 
damage that was done, that did not just limit itself to the areas on 
the Gulf Coast.
  After the storm pushed inland in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, 
in the weeks that followed, we saw the severe flooding and the anguish 
and the problems that was wrought by it. And just this past weekend we 
saw it right here in Washington, D.C.
  That Hurricane Summit brought together metrologist experts from 
universities, the National Hurricane Center and the National Weather 
Service to develop more accurate indexes for inland flooding 
monitoring. The purpose of this index, simply put, is to save lives. 
Too many times these storms hit and bring harm to people who have a 
false sense of security because they believe they live far inland and 
too far inland to escape flooding.
  With information that was gathered at that summit, we drafted 
legislation, as you remember, Mr. Chairman, and it ensured that NOAA 
and the National Weather Service would make significant improvements to 
the Inland Flooding Warning System. That bill was H.R. 4826, the Inland 
Flood Forecasting and Warning System Act of 2002, that passed the 107th 
Congress, and it enjoyed wide bipartisan support.
  The legislation directed NOAA to do three things: Improve the 
capacity to forecast inland flooding associated with tropical storms 
and hurricanes; two, to develop a distinctive inland flooding warning 
system for emergency management officials that clearly defines inland 
flood risks and dangers; and, third, train emergency management 
officials, National Weather Service personnel and metrologists to use 
these improved forecasting techniques on inland flooding.
  And the important part of this legislation required the National 
Weather Service and NOAA to report annually to Congress on the progress 
of this new index. Mr. Chairman, this week we saw, as I said, what 
could happen here.
  I would like to work with you and the members of the Appropriations 
Committee to ensure that NOAA provides these reports to Congress in a 
timely manner. Congress must provide the proper oversight to NOAA to 
ensure that the progress to develop this important index is done and it 
is accomplished as soon as possible to save lives.
  I thank the chairman. I yield.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I agree with the gentleman. Just look at the 
weather we have been having here in the Washington, D.C., area the last 
several days.
  I would like to thank the gentleman from North Carolina for his 
leadership on the issue. We look forward to working with him on the 
issue as the bill moves forward.
  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word for the 
purpose of engaging in a colloquy with the chairman.
  Mr. Chairman, I would like to first commend the chairman and the 
ranking member for the good work that they have done on this 
legislation.
  Mr. Chairman, as you know, there is a Federal Bureau of Prisons 
facility that has been authorized and appropriated in a small farming 
community in my district, in Mendota, California. In May, 2000, the 
Bureau of Prisons proposed to build a medium security correctional 
institute in the U.S. Western Region and selected Mendota as the site. 
This facility, when completed, would house 1,152 beds that are needed 
in a system that is already over 37 percent over capacity.
  In fiscal 2001 and fiscal 2002, $158.9 million was appropriated for 
the site planning, development, construction of the Mendota facility. 
However, rescissions of $57 million in fiscal year 2002 and 2004 have 
jeopardized this project. To maintain the existing contract, the final 
option must be exercised by this year, October 8, 2006.
  Should this contract expire, a new bid is expected to increase the 
cost of the facility by over 20 percent more. Over $100 million in 
Federal funds has already been spent on the facility. It now sits 
empty, and 40 percent of the construction is completed.
  If this rescission is allowed to stand, it will stand as a testament 
to the Federal Government's response of being penny wise and pound 
foolish.
  Mr. Chairman, is it your understanding that the $89 million included 
in this bill for construction and maintenance of Federal prisons is not 
directed to specific facilities?
  Mr. WOLF. The gentleman from California is correct.
  Mr. COSTA. Then, Mr. Chairman, if the Bureau of Prisons deems this 
project a priority, would the chairman agree to work with me to try to 
make funds available to continue this facility so that it is not left 
half completed and therefore wasted Federal funds would have been 
spent?
  Mr. WOLF. The committee is aware of the circumstances surrounding the 
Mendota facility and will work with the gentleman from California.
  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I would like to thank 
the gentleman from Virginia for his comments.
  With the permission of the Chair, I will now submit for the Record an 
additional statement detailing the situation at this Mendota facility 
and commit to continue to work with you.
  Chairman Wolf and Ranking Member Mollohan, I commend you for your 
leadership and good work on the Science State Justice Commerce 
Appropriations measure, given the limitations of the budget. I was 
particularly pleased with the report language addressing the 
Administration's shortsighted request to rescind prison construction 
funds bearing in mind the increasing demands on our already overcrowded 
federal prisons.
  Mr. Chairman, on behalf of my constituents in the small rural town of 
Mendota, I would like to call your attention to an issue of pressing 
concern in the congressional district I am proud to represent. At its 
core this is an issue of smart budgeting, addressing security demands, 
and the federal government following through on its commitments.
  In May of 2000, the City of Mendota was approached by the Federal 
Bureau of Prisons proposing to build a medium security federal 
correctional institution in Mendota, California. The required 
environmental impact study followed, after which Mendota was selected. 
The local elected officials and community leaders have been strong 
supporters of the project, proud to provide a public service to the 
country and encouraged by the economic stimulus the prison would 
create.
  The demand for such a prison is imperative and the Mendota facility 
will provide much needed bed space for 1,152 medium-security male 
inmates. With crowding at medium-security facilities currently 37 
percent over capacity, this institution is of critical importance. 
Worse yet, an additional 7,500 new federal inmates are expected to 
enter our federal prisons annually.
  Today, California's Corrections Institutions are the second-largest 
prison system in the nation after the Federal Bureau of Prisons. 
California's prison population, according to a June 11, 2006, report in 
the Washington Post, ``has surged in recent months to more than 
173,000, resulting in the worst overcrowding in the country and costing 
taxpayers more than $8 billion a year.'' Just today, The Sacramento Bee 
reported that California ``prisons are more overcrowded than ever, some 
200 percent of

[[Page 12781]]

design capacity.'' In response, California Governor Arnold 
Schwarzenegger called for a special legislative session and proposed an 
initiative to expedite the construction of State prisons.
  The funding history for the Mendota facility is an embarrassment. 
Should the Administration get its way in the FY2007 budget, it is the 
American taxpayer that will bear the burden of increased costs. Funding 
for this facility includes $11.9 million in FY2001 for site and 
planning development and $147 million in FY 2002 for remaining 
construction funding. However, rescission of $5.744 million in FY 2002 
and $51.895 million in FY 2004 has jeopardized the entire project. To 
maintain the existing contract, the final option must be exercised by 
October 8, 2006. Should this contract expire, it is anticipated that 
any new contract will cost at least 20 percent more.
  However, the President's FY2007 Budget contained no funding for the 
completion of the Mendota facility.
  The federal government has made a long term commitment to construct 
and operate the Mendota facility. Over $100 million in federal funds 
has already been spent on the facility with 40 percent of the 
construction complete. To bring this project to a virtual halt at this 
stage would be unfair to the citizens of Mendota, a city with an 18.6 
percent unemployment rate and 42 percent living below the poverty line. 
Mendota is counting on the government to keep its promise.
  Mr. BONILLA. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
  Mr. Chairman, I rise to ask the gentleman from Virginia to engage in 
a colloquy. I would ask the gentleman from Virginia to do that. This 
would involve the provision in the bill's committee report that relates 
to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
  I am thankful that the committee has included language in the fiscal 
year 2007 bill with the intent to direct the Bureau of Prisons to renew 
the intergovernmental agreements with four West Texas communities, 
including Reeves County, which are set to expire in 2007, if these 
local governments offer the Bureau of Prisons fair and reasonable 
prices and their facilities meet the Bureau of Prisons' standards.
  Further, I am pleased that it is the intent of the committee that 
this language be binding upon the Bureau of Prisons under application 
of this appropriations bill.
  It is also my understanding that there is a misprint in the committee 
report accompanying the 2007 Science, State, Justice, Commerce 
Appropriations Bill. The language in the report should read, as passed 
by my amendment during full committee markup, that the Bureau of 
Prisons is directed to renew agreements with local governments housing 
Federal criminal aliens, if these facilities meet Bureau of Prisons' 
standards and a fair and reasonable price is offered.
  I am hopeful that the chairman will acknowledge that this is the 
language that was intended.
  Mr. WOLF. I thank the gentleman from Texas, who is very, very, very 
persistent. I agree with his description of the intent of the language 
and acknowledge that the report should reflect what was passed by the 
committee last week as described by gentleman from Texas.
  Mr. BONILLA. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Virginia for 
his support on this issue of great importance to my constituents and 
the people of the State of Texas.
  Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. I move to strike the last word.
  Mr. Chairman, would the chairman of the Science, State, Justice and 
Commerce Appropriations subcommittee engage me in a colloquy?
  Thank you for yielding and engaging in this colloquy on the Small 
Business Administration's New Markets Venture Capital Program.
  Mr. Chairman, we have talked before about the many small businesses 
located in low-income urban and rural areas that lack access to capital 
in the form of equity, and that presents a serious barrier to growth.
  Although it is widely recognized that small businesses create 75 
percent of all new jobs and account for 99 percent of all employers, 
conventional venture capital firms simply overlook low-income areas; 
and it handicaps these businesses' ability to leverage resources needed 
to expand existing operations and hire and train qualified employees.
  The Small Business Administration's New Markets Venture Capital 
Program was established precisely for this purpose, to fill the access 
to capital gap that exists for a number of these small businesses in 
these communities. The program was designed for the purpose of making 
equity investments in growing small businesses located in economically 
stressed urban and rural regions through the creation of privately 
managed new market venture capital companies.

                              {time}  1845

  The overall objective of these equity investments is to provide 
patient capital to help promote economic development and the creation 
of wealth, not for individuals but wealth to support employment 
opportunities in underserved areas, as well as among the residents 
living in such neighborhoods.
  Six new market venture companies were created during the initial 
phase of this program, Mr. Chairman; and these firms are still 
operating and making critical equity investment in small businesses, 
primarily located in low-income urban and in rural areas. It is 
imperative that the new market venture capital program is given a 
chance to succeed in order to continue its mission in bringing much-
needed equity investment capital to small businesses in these 
communities that need them the most.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?
  Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. I yield to the gentleman from Virginia.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman from Wisconsin for 
her very, very hard work and leadership on this issue.
  The committee shares her concern of providing sources of capital for 
small businesses and makes a very compelling point. The committee 
supports this small business investment company, SBIC, program, another 
SBA program that provides equity investments to small businesses. The 
committee also understands that the NMVC program is still operational 
and that the SBA is still monitoring the work of the existing NMVC 
companies.
  Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Chairman, I thank you for your concern. 
As you may know from our previous conversations, my congressional 
district includes the City of Milwaukee, a city that currently ranks 
48th out of the 50 largest U.S. cities in venture capital investment 
dollars, 7th among the poorest cities in the Nation, and has a 52 
percent unemployment rate among African American men.
  I recognize that these SBICs offer another source of equity capital 
for small businesses. However, as you can see, more needs to be done to 
ensure that these investment dollars are specifically geared toward 
those urban and rural neighborhoods that continue to be left behind. It 
is so crucial that we do our part to provide the necessary incentives 
to encourage venture capital investments in these communities, and I 
respectfully ask for your help in this effort.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, if the gentlewoman would yield, the committee 
notes your concern; and we will do everything we can to help.
  Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman; and I look 
forward to working with you.
  Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
  Mr. Chairman, I rise today to engage in a colloquy with the esteemed 
chairman of the subcommittee, Mr. Wolf.
  Mr. Chairman, in January, I introduced legislation to require the 
Department of Justice to make available on the Internet the documents 
related to the Foreign Agents Registration Act, called FARA. It is 
imperative that we make FARA documents available on the Internet. This 
will increase public access to information about foreign lobbyists and, 
in turn, increase public confidence in Congress.
  I know the subcommittee chairman has been working with the Department 
of Justice to accomplish this. I am told that this process is under way 
and may be completed by the end of the year. I thank the subcommittee 
chairman for his continuing leadership and for including report 
language urging the Department of Justice to complete this

[[Page 12782]]

effort as quickly as possible. I would like to work with the 
subcommittee chairman to ensure that this important project is 
completed this year.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?
  Mrs. SCHMIDT. I yield to the gentleman from Virginia.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I most certainly will work with the 
gentlewoman from Ohio on this project. This is very, very important.
  You had lobbyists downtown lobbying for the Khartoum government on 
the issue of Darfur, where this House has voted, saying that what is 
taking place in Darfur is genocide, and yet you actually had a high-
level official who had worked at the State Department and National 
Security Council out there representing the Khartoum government.
  You also have a number of law firms in this city that are now 
representing China, and I do not know how you live with yourself if you 
represent China and you are an American citizen. We had a meeting 
yesterday and we found out there are now 40 Catholic bishops and 
priests in jail in China today, 40. There are 4 to 6,000 evangelical 
house church people in jail today in China, and yet some of the big law 
firms downtown are representing China.
  And then the beat goes on. You have them representing China with 
regard to what is taking place in the Uighurs, what is taking place 
with the Dalai Lama and in Tibet.
  So I think the gentlewoman's amendment and position is exactly right. 
We will do everything we can to make sure that it is on line so we can 
find out who has the audacity to represent Sudan and the Khartoum 
government during the days of genocide and the same thing with regard 
to China.
  So we will look forward to working with the gentlewoman.
  Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Chairman, I thank the subcommittee chairman for his 
remarks and look forward to working with him and the rest of the 
Congress.
  Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.
  Mr. Chairman, let me begin by expressing my gratitude to you for your 
leadership and the hard work that you and your staff have put into the 
fiscal year 2007 Science, State, Justice, Commerce Appropriations bill.
  Mr. Chairman, I also want to thank you for your great work in helping 
local law enforcement and for working to increase funding in the COPS 
program, which is desperately needed. While there are many ways the 
Federal Government protects us, ultimately local law enforcement is on 
the front lines in our neighborhoods when it comes to fighting crime 
and, now, in fighting terrorism; and the COPS program provides vital 
assistance to them in these efforts.
  I spent 33 years of my life in law enforcement and served as a patrol 
officer all the way to the sheriff of the King County Sheriff's Office 
in Seattle, Washington, one of the largest law enforcement agencies in 
the country. As a sheriff, I have witnessed how the COPS program 
provided much-needed funding to King County, from school resource 
officers to new law enforcement technology.
  Mr. Chairman, the Federal Government is constantly telling local law 
enforcement in this new post-9/11 age that we must work in partnership, 
that we must work together to keep our Nation safe. After all, catching 
a terrorist in Seattle who may want to kill people in Los Angeles is 
not just a local problem; it is a national problem.
  However, the word ``partnership'' rings hollow if the vital funds 
necessary to implement that partnership are not there. If local law 
enforcement upholds its end of the program, the vital funding is 
required. Too often, this funding comes from their budget without any 
Federal assistance. The local agencies are faced with a dilemma of 
either not participating in vital terror-fighting activities and 
programs, or joining in those efforts and shortchanging local programs 
that keep our families safe.
  Starting in 2002, funding for local law enforcement under the COPS 
program decreased. The COPS program received $929 million in 2003, $411 
million in 2006. This does not send the right message to our local law 
enforcement about the commitment of Congress to work with that 
partnership.
  However, I am very grateful to you, Mr. Chairman, for being willing 
to listen and to work on this issue with me. With your help, this 
year's bill will increase total funding for the COPS program to $570.5 
million. This is the first increase in COPS funding in 5 years and 
something to be thankful for and proud of. In addition, $99 million is 
included in the bill to address meth cleanup.
  Adequately funding the COPS program in this bill sends the right 
message to our local law enforcement community that the Federal 
Government is an equal partner and that the Federal Government is 
giving local police backup in this fight.
  While we still need to work to continue to increase funding for local 
law enforcement efforts in the fight against meth, I believe that this 
increase is a positive step in the right direction. Tight budget 
constraints make it impossible to fully fund every program, and I thank 
the chairman for recognizing the importance of local law enforcement 
and providing an increase in the COPS program.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. REICHERT. I yield to the gentleman from Virginia.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Washington for 
raising this issue. He has talked to me so many times, and I appreciate 
his persistence.
  I want to thank him for his leadership on issues important to law 
enforcement and the fight against meth and the spread of gangs in our 
communities. I understand your perspective on this concern as a former 
law enforcement officer, and I am glad I was able to work with you to 
provide increased funding under the COPS program; and, frankly, if we 
could do more when we get to conference, we will be glad to do that.
  Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman. I look forward to 
working with you.
  Mr. WOLF. 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. 
Terry) having assumed the chair, Mr. Hastings of Washington, 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. 
5672) making appropriations for Science, the Departments of State, 
Justice, and Commerce, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2007, and for other purposes, had come to no resolution 
thereon.

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