[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 22416]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     PASSAGE OF THE DEEPWATER BILL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the House of Representatives 
resoundingly supported efforts to strengthen the management of the 
Coast Guard's $24 billion, 25-year Deepwater procurement effort by 
passing the Integrated Deepwater Program Reform Act, H.R. 2722, which I 
authored, and they voted by a sum of 426-0 for that bill.
  I want to again thank Congressman James Oberstar, the chairman of the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for his leadership on 
this legislation. I thank the ranking member of the full committee, 
Congressman Mica, and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard 
and Maritime Transportation, Congressman LaTourette, for their work on 
this bill.
  And certainly I thank the chairman of the Homeland Security 
Committee, Bennie Thompson, for his wise counsel and his efforts to get 
the bill to the floor.
  Mr. Speaker, I'm confident that the enactment of H.R. 2722 will help 
restore the trust of the American people in the ability of the United 
States Coast Guard to manage taxpayers' resources and to hold 
contractors accountable for the quality of the assets that they 
produce.
  I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in the House 
and with my colleagues in the Senate, particularly Senator Maria 
Cantwell, the chair of the Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast 
Guard Subcommittee, to take the steps necessary to put legislation 
forward to strengthen the Coast Guard's management of Deepwater on the 
President's desk.
  The Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, which it 
is my honor to chair, continues to work diligently to oversee not only 
the Deepwater project but, indeed, all of the operations of the United 
States Coast Guard.
  Yesterday, the subcommittee held a hearing to examine the Coast 
Guard's administrative law system, which weighs allegations of 
misconduct or negligence to determine whether a mariner's credentials 
should be suspended or even revoked.
  The subcommittee received testimony from two former administrative 
law judges suggesting that during their tenure they worked in an 
atmosphere that did not support their exercise of judicial independence 
in the consideration of their cases.
  Additionally, serious allegations were raised that, if true, would 
imply that improper actions may have been committed to direct an ALJ to 
decide matters in the Coast Guard's favor.
  Such testimony is obviously deeply disturbing, and again, I 
emphasize, if true, we suggest that the scales of the Coast Guard's 
justice and administrative law system are not evenly balanced.
  While we continue investigating the allegations raised, I do know 
that any administrative law system must not only ensure that there is 
no impropriety in the conduct of administrative proceedings but that 
there is not even the appearance of unfairness in the system.
  I now believe that the administrative law system reviewing cases 
against mariners should be separated from the Coast Guard, and I look 
forward to continuing to work with the ranking member of the 
subcommittee and with all subcommittee members to consider how best to 
achieve that objective.
  Our subcommittee will conduct a second oversight hearing this week. 
Tomorrow, we will examine the Coast Guard's marine safety program. This 
hearing will provide a comprehensive examination of whether the Coast 
Guard personnel have the expertise, the experience and the continuity 
necessary to effectively inspect vessels, license mariners and develop 
the regulations that will make vessels safer and protect our natural 
environment.
  The Coast Guard is our thin blue line at sea and a critical part of 
our Nation's homeland security system. The Deepwater bill passed by the 
House and the oversight hearings held by the subcommittee this week 
will help to ensure that this thin blue line is as strong as it 
possibly can be and that the service is working effectively and 
efficiently to meet the highest expectations of the American people.
  Again, I applaud the passage of the Deepwater bill and express my 
gratitude for the dedication of the great men and brave women that 
serve in the Coast Guard.

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