Date: 2007-06-12
Speaker: LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank my friend. the distinguished gentlewoman from New York. the chairman of the Rules Committee. Ms. SLAUGHTER. for the time. And I yield myself such time as I may consume. Several years ago. Mr. Speaker. I had the distinct privilege to bring forth the first rule for a Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill. Since then. the Department of Homeland Security has grown and begun to mature under the bipartisan oversight of the Appropriations Committee and of the Committee on Homeland Security. In fact. Ms. SLAUGHTER and I worked together. when I was the chairman and she the ranking member of the select Committee on Homeland Securitys Subcommittee on Rules. to make certain that the committee became the permanent standing committee that it is today. As we know. the Department of Homeland Security was created in the wake of the attacks of September 11. 2001. to help mobilize and to organize the Federal Government to the best of our ability to secure the homeland from further terrorist attacks. Thanks to our new concerted approach to security. and I think it is important to recognize. to the 180.000 hardworking employees of the Department of Homeland Security. we have not suffered further attacks. But we must not let our guard down. Within the last month alone. Mr. Speaker. we have seen several plans thwarted to attack both Fort Dix and a major airport in New York City. We must not lose our focus. We must continue our efforts to protect the United States from yet another deadly attack. There is an item in this legislation that helps fulfill a recommendation of the 9/11 Commission and that will provide additional security to districts that many of us represent throughout the country. including the one that I am honored to represent. districts with large airports. In its report. the 9/11 Commission recommended that the Transportation Security Agency expedite the installation of advanced inline baggage screening equipment. Miami International Airport. which is in the district that I am honored to represent. is a highsecurity. category 10 airport on the front line of homeland security defense. Miami International Airport has approximately 1.160 international flights each week. more than any other airport in the United States. Miami International Airport has over 900 flights a week from Latin America. more than all other U.S. airports combined. Miami International ranks third in overall international passenger traffic. The MiamiDade Aviation Department. which operates Miami International Airport. is currently building two new terminals at MIA and is incurring over $100 million in inline Explosive Detection System. EDS. terminal modification costs. In 2005. TSA committed $20 million in Other Transaction Agreement funds which will almost cover the 75 percent Federal share for the south terminal project. As Miami International Airport begins the installation process of EDS in its north terminal. the airport still requires an additional funding agreemenit to cover the Federal share of the $79 million modification project. For fiscal years 2007 and 2008. the MiamiDade Aviation Department is projected to spend $28.8 million on the north terminal modifications. $21.6 million of which falls under the Federal Governments cost share. I wish to commend the Appropriations Committee for allocating $560 million for Explosive Detection System. EDS. procurement and installations. These funds will help reimburse Miami International Airport in its efforts to complete its EDS installations. Mr. Speaker. there are still some concerns with this bill. as Ranking Member ROGERS has stated publicly. There is concern about the rapid growth of funding represented by the bill. for example. And although the Appropriations Committee worked in a bipartisan manner to produce this bill. there is concern from many Members of this House about the process. As we know. the Appropriations Committee has announced that earmarks were not included in this bill and will only be added during the conference process with the Senate. It is not until that point that Members and the public will be able to see the earmarks. By adding earmarking during the conference process. Members will not have .the opportunity to make amendments to remove or adjust earmarks approved by the majority on the Appropriations Committee. The announced procedure protects earmarks from what during the opening of the 110th Congress some refer to as the "disinfectant of sunshine." This procedure for earmarks is in effect reversing a traditionally more open appropriations process. I urge our colleagues in the majority to reconsider this procedure and allow for an open appropriations process. I would like to commend the majority for bringing this important appropriations bill to the floor under an open rule. The House. as Ms. SLAUGHTER mentioned. has historically considered appropriations bills under open rules in order to allow each Member the ability to offer germane amendments without having to preprint their amendments or receive approval from the Rules Committee. I hope that the majority will live up to their campaign promise of running a transparent House and continue our tradition of open rules with the rest of the appropriations bills this year. Mr. Speaker. at this time I reserve the balance of my time.