Hal Rogers

if this is the REAL ID with tax offset amendment, I reserve a point of order on the gentleman's amendment.

yes, I agree that the program should focus on both the traditional and homeland security missions of the Coast Guard.

when the gentleman first described to me the ``catch-and-release'' policy and how it has affected the border communities, I was surprised to learn that the Department had not made full use of its authority. I understand that doing so will…

I will read it again to the gentlewoman. The amendment proposes to amend portions of the bill not yet read. The amendment may not be considered en bloc under clause 2(f) of rule XXI because the amendment proposes to increase the level of…

it will be my pleasure to work with the gentleman and delegation on this project. In fact, I remember not long ago, perhaps last year, helicoptering along that fence and then getting to the gap where there is no fence and seeing the…

it is a priority of mine. I am delighted to hear the gentlemen who are standing with me here today all agree on this topic.

I wanted to take just a few seconds here to praise the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), the full committee chairman, for the grueling work that he has done to bring to this floor aid for Florida but also the other States who suffered…

Suffice it to say on, for example container security, there is a lot more going on than the gentleman has described, or perhaps even knows about. And I would hope that we could keep this discussion based on facts, and based on the fact…

In my rural district in Kentucky, it is an epidemic of the abuse of Oxycontin, particularly, but methamphetamines as well. And we have had dozens of young people die from the overabuse of these very addictive drugs, and it truly is an…

I think we all share the zeal to reform the budget process. It is broken. But in that zeal, I want us to be sure we do not step on the Constitution. One of the hallmarks of that great Constitution that has sustained us so far is the…

Mr. Chairman, we agree that 100 percent of all cargo on passenger planes should be screened. We are together on the goal. It is just that we do not have the capability now. We cannot do it this year. It is going to take a little bit…

Mr. Chairman, I do that because I think we have reached the end of the amendment process here and are about ready to call for the votes on the amendments that have been rolled over. But before we finish, I wanted to take a moment to say…

Well, I understand the gentlewoman, and I appreciate the predicament that she is in on this. It also puts us in a predicament because I do not know the ramifications of the amendment. It could have some very significant national unintended…

What are we doing about cargo on passenger planes? What are we doing about it, and where are we? Well, at the moment we physically inspect a certain percent of all cargo on passenger planes. That percentage is a law enforcement-sensitive…

I was in my office listening to this debate and came rushing over because I heard a couple of things during the debate that disturbed me. One was from the gentleman from Connecticut, who, in response to an observation by the chairman, said…

the simple fact is if this amendment passes, there will not be any planes for them to get on in the first place.

that amendment last year was altogether different. As I read this amendment, it is fairly simple. It has been modified, obviously, and now just says no funds may be used in contravention of section 642(a) of the Act, and I find it to be…

it says Federal funds cannot be used to violate the law. I agree with that. Does the gentleman not?

if I could speak on the point of order, as I read the amendment, it says no funds may be used to violate the law, and I am prepared to accept that.

This is about port security, not container or cargo security. It is about the security of the port itself.

I regret that this provision is being probably stricken from the bill, but the work of the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Wamp) on this issue must go as noted, because it certainly has been a labor of love on his part, and a very effective…

briefly, since the gentlewoman says the Mayor is listening and says he only got $90 million in 2003, the figures that I have are different.

the gentleman has offered what I consider to be a very helpful amendment. I think it is needed, and we are happy to agree to it. The ranking member of the Select Committee on Homeland Security has been very helpful to us.

So when you add all of those moneys together, this bill is chock full of money for the big cities; is that not correct?

the gentleman has worked tirelessly on this effort, this amendment, and the SAFER funding, and the committee thinks this is a wise move. Our first responders are in great need, and we depend upon them, and I am happy to accept his…