H.R. 1456 is not about ending finning, therefore, but instead will cause the demise of a legal domestic industry.

This bill will do nothing to effectively combat the practice of finning on the high seas and in other countries.

The fact is that many, I daresay most, of the proponents of the domestic fin ban are actually committed to eliminating all shark fishing in the U.S.

There is an advantage to the Federal Government in that there is new money being interjected that won't end when that TIFIA loan is repaid.

It is very tough for transit to be able to come up with the 80 to 90 percent for a transit project.

Mr. Speaker, I missed Friday's votes to be in Florida with my wife while she had surgery. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 650 and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 651. ____________________

it is not just a couple of days, you know, it is weeks. And the storm is gone, the wind is gone, the rain is gone, the surge is gone. It is just these flood waters are still there, and it is still affecting thousands of my constituents.

A lot of our counties have taken full advantage of category 8 funding, Mr. Long, and I would just like to say a little bit about that.

Mr. Speaker, due to a family medical emergency, I had to return to my district in the early afternoon on Wednesday October 25. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 589 and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 590…

Mr. Speaker, I thank those from both sides-- Ranking Member Lipinski, Chairman Smith, and others--who have supported this bill. It is a great idea. It is an opportunity to not only have available for us, it has bipartisan support and also…

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith), chairman of the committee.