November 15, 2011 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E2045 Marie and Fred have been outstanding com- Following these successes, the Center was More than 220 million tons of cargo moved munity employment partners, and I am hon- utilized in engaging the city at large. By 1992, through the Port of Houston in 2010 and it has ored to be their representative in the 8th Dis- it had expanded its youth centered approach been ranked as first in foreign waterborne ton- trict of Pennsylvania. to include issues such as neighbor to neighbor nage for the 15th consecutive year. It is a pleasure to honor First Savings Bank mediation and training. Homelessness has The port links Houston with over 1,000 ports of Perkasie for their commitment to the also been one of the Center’s major concerns, located in 203 countries, and provides Wellspring Clubhouse and its mission of pro- particularly in addressing discrepancies be- 785,000 jobs throughout the state of Texas. viding hope and opportunities for people with tween the city’s homeless population and Maritime ports are major centers of trade, mental illness. Thank you once again for all services provided by city agencies. Today, the commerce, and travel along our nation’s that you do for the Bucks County community. Cleveland Mediation Center continues their coastline. All of these ports are protected by f mission of promoting constructive conflict res- the Coast Guard. olution, especially among youth, and strength- As a Representative from Texas, a border WASHINGTON POST ADMITS ening community ties with an emphasis on state, I am extremely concerned with curtailing ERRORS IN KOCH STORY mediation and mediation training. the flow of illegal drugs entering into the Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me United States. The Coast Guard is the lead HON. LAMAR SMITH in honoring the Cleveland Mediation Center in federal agency for maritime drug interdiction. OF TEXAS celebrating their important role as facilitators Houston has been classified by the Office of IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES within their communities and enabling fellow National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and in a Tuesday, November 15, 2011 citizens to work through their conflicts in peaceful and constructive ways. 2009 report, the ONDCP expressed concern Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the f that ‘‘the sheer volume of maritime traffic and Washington Post recently published a story foreign cargo that passes through the port of- about alleged questionable business practices COAST GUARD AND MARITIME fers another avenue for drug smuggling.’’ by Koch subsidiaries dating back to the 1990s. TRANSPORTATION ACT OF 2011 The Coast Guard is responsible for and has The Post received criticism for the unbalanced coordinated with other federal, state, and local and incomplete story on Koch Industries. SPEECH OF agencies and countries within the region to Patrick B. Pexton, Washington Post Om- HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE disrupt and deter the flow of illegal drugs into budsman, stated ‘‘I think The Post erred in re- OF TEXAS Houston and other ports. This coordinated ef- publishing this story, or at least in the way it IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES fort has resulted in a decrease in the supply did. And when the Kochs complained to The of illicit substances being transported all over Post after publication, The Post’s response Friday, November 4, 2011 the country. wasn’t handled well.’’ The House in Committee of the Whole The Coast Guard protects the interests of In addition, the Ombudsman goes on to House on the state of the Union had under American citizens and American commerce state, ‘‘. . . I think the story lacked context, consideration the bill (H.R. 2838) to authorize abroad. Last year, 73.2 million tons of exports was tendentious and was unfair in not report- appropriations for the Coast Guard for fiscal left the Port of Houston to be sold to countries ing some of the exculpatory and contextual in- years 2012 through 2015, and for other pur- around the world. These exports represented poses: formation . . . I think newspapers should al- $70.8 billion dollars, and countless American ways be provocative. But they should also be Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Chair, I jobs. fair and provide context . . . The Post could rise today to support H.R. 2838, the ‘‘Coast The international counter—piracy efforts of have included a sidebar summarizing and link- Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of the Coast Guard focus on preventing attacks ing to the rebuttals. It could have called Koch 2011.’’ This legislation authorizes funding for of piracy that threaten American commercial directly—it didn’t—and put its comments in the the Coast Guard through fiscal year 2014 and vessels and cargo. The Coast Guard also per- sidebar.’’ authorizes service strength of 47,000 active forms vital counter terrorism measures in ports I hope that the Washington Post will be duty personnel. abroad to ensure the safety of Americans more thorough and accurate in its reporting in As a Senior Member on the Committee on across the globe. the future. Homeland Security and the Border and Mari- In addition, in Houston the Coast Guard rou- f time Security Subcommittee, I understand the tinely conducts integrated operations with city, importance of protecting our maritime borders. county, state and Federal Law Enforcement IN RECOGNITION OF THE In our post 9/11 climate, homeland security partners. The joint agency Houston Area Mari- CLEVELAND MEDIATION CENTER continues to be a top priority for our nation. time Operations Center is a prime example of In 1787, Alexander Hamilton, in Federalist the type of coordination efforts directed under HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH Paper Number 12 laid the foundation for the a recent Maritime Operations Coordination OF OHIO modern Coast Guard when he noted that ‘‘[a] Plan signed by the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES few armed vessels, judiciously stationed at the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and entrances of our ports, might at a small ex- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Tuesday, November 15, 2011 pense, be made useful sentinels of our laws.’’ (ICE). Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in I believe protecting our country by air, land, The Port of Houston as one of the world’s honor of the Cleveland Mediation Center as it and sea is critical to our national security inter- busiest ports is a tremendous responsibility celebrates its 30th anniversary. The Mediation ests. As Coast Guard is beneficial to our mari- which has been smoothly operated by the Center has provided an essential forum for time interests, and consequently, our national Coast Guard. In terms of maritime traffic and dialogue and communication which has fos- security it is imperative that we provide the cargo, the Port of Houston ranks first in the tered cooperation and peace within the com- Coast Guard with the funding they need. nation for number of ship arrivals and second munity. It has proven especially valuable for In the aftermath of September 11, 2001 the in total cargo tonnage. Houston handles over the city’s youth, who often lack the voice to focus of many federal agencies shifted to in- 50 percent of all containerized cargo arriving raise their concerns about problems which di- clude an increased emphasis on Homeland at Gulf of Mexico ports. rectly affect them. Security. Under the Homeland Security Act of Houston is the Energy capitol of the United The Center began as the Community Youth 2002, a number of security missions were as- States for a reason, more than 50 percent of Mediation program in 1981. Focusing on the signed to the Coast Guard. Without question the gasoline used in the United States is re- Near West Side community of Cleveland, this the first mission of our Coast Guard has been fined in this area. With more than 100 petro- organization became the first grass-roots to protect our ports, waterways and to focus chemical waterfront facilities, Houston has the youth oriented mediation program in the coun- on coastal security. They have completed this second largest such complex in the world. try. The Center provided guidance to thou- mission with honor for centuries. Major corporations such as Exxon-Mobil, sands of individuals and helped to address Across the United States there are currently Shell, Saudi ARAMCO, Stolt Nielson, Odfjell issues of truancy, school violence, and cases more than 350 major ports of which 23 are lo- USA Inc., Sea River and Kirby Marine have of abuse and neglect. Two of the programs cated in my home state of Texas. national or international headquarters in Hous- developed by the Center would go on to be I am honored to represent the 18th Con- ton. used by both the Juvenile Court and Cleve- gressional District which includes the Port of These operations typically involve the Harris land Public Schools. Houston, one of our nation’s busiest ports. County Sheriff’s Office and local city Police

VerDate Mar 15 2010 05:45 Nov 16, 2011 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\A15NO8.003 E15NOPT1 jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with REMARKS E2046 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks November 15, 2011 Department marine divisions as well as CBP, billion dollars in 2012, $8.6 billion dollars in with appropriate representatives of industry to ICE, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau 2013, and $8.7 billion in 2014. It is certainly conduct a feasibility study to determine the ca- of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives the duty of this Congress and the Administra- pability, cost, and benefits of requiring the and other Federal partners. Efforts are under- tion to ensure the brave men and women who owner or operator of a manned facility, instal- way with The Coast Guard’s processes with serve in the Coast Guard have the resources lation, unit, or vessel to locate a standby ves- neighboring sectors to align and streamline necessary to perform the wide range of duties sel nearby. I would have supported this their operations across all jurisdictional bound- assigned to them. amendment because although a properly de- aries. They need funding to continue to serve This measure contains a private-sector signed and equipped standby vessel in the im- our country. mandate as defined in Unfunded Mandate Re- mediate vicinity of manned outer continental The Coast Guard relies on their port part- form Act (UMRA). The bill would require oper- shelf facilities may, in some cases, improve ners to act as both their eyes and ears on the ators to locate a standby vessel within 3 nau- safety on the outer continental shelf. water. With an average of 350 daily tow move- tical miles of offshore oil and gas facilities In the event of a major casualty to an off- ments in the Houston Ship Channel and more when certain activities are being performed shore installation, the immediate presence of a than 100 waterfront facilities with a vigilant se- and within 12 nautical miles of facilities at all properly designed and equipped standby ves- curity presence, marine industry stakeholders other times. The cost of that mandate would sel, manned by a specially trained crew, might are well positioned to recognize when things depend on several factors. The bill would in some cases increase the chances of sur- are out of the ordinary and serve as a valu- allow operators to share one standby vessel vival of the installation’s crew members. We able resource by diligently reporting breaches among multiple facilities and to use standby must not, however, forget the fact that histori- of security and suspicious activity. We also re- vessels for other purposes. cally the main cause of rig and platform aban- ceive reports on fraudulent use of the Trans- For operators that can use those measures, donment has been due to severe weather. Un- portation Worker Identification Card, and work the cost of the mandate would tend to be less these standby vessels are designed to closely with our local enforcement and legal lower. At the same time, the bill would author- withstand those severe conditions, requiring agencies such as the Harris County District ize the Coast Guard to require standby ves- them to remain on scene could place the ves- Attorney to ensure these cases are pros- sels to be located closer than 3 or 12 nautical sels and their crews in jeopardy. In addition, it ecuted. miles to offshore facilities if necessary to ad- is severely risky to board a standby vessel in In recognition of the significance of Hous- dress delays caused by weather or other con- severe weather conditions. For these reasons ton’s shipping activity, the State of Texas for- ditions. Reducing the minimum distance from I would support a feasibility study to determine mally established the Houston Ship Channel facilities would increase the number of vessels the effectiveness of using standby vessels for Security District (HSCSD) in 2010. necessary for compliance and increase the manned stations. The HSCSD represents a unique public-pri- cost of the mandate for some operators. The In addition, I support the amendment offered vate partnership formed to improve security Congressional Budget Office estimates that by Representative THOMPSON that would add and safety for facilities, employees and com- the aggregate cost of the mandate would a new section to the end of Title II in the bill munities surrounding the Houston Ship Chan- probably exceed the annual threshold estab- to open admissions to the U.S. Coast Guard nel. The Coast Guard played an instrumental lished in UMRA for private-sector mandates Academy to eligible candidates nominated by role in the formation of the HSCSD, and con- ($142 million in 2011, adjusted annually for in- Congress. tinues to work closely with the HSCSD to en- flation). Specifically, the amendment would require sure alignment of priorities and unity of effort. However, I do have certain reservations the U.S. Coast Guard to ensure that, begin- As Sector Commander, I am a member of the about some of the provisions in this legisla- ning in academic year 2014, half of the incom- HSCSD Advisory Council and Sector Port Se- tion. At the request of President Obama’s Ad- ing class is composed of eligible candidates curity specialists attend HSCSD board meet- ministration, Congress has appropriated fund- nominated by the Vice President or, if there is ings. The district provides oversight of com- ing to reactivate the USGC Polar Star, a no Vice President, by the President pro tem- prehensive and cost-effective security solu- heavy icebreaking vessel. The ship is to be re- pore of the Senate; Senators; Representa- tions, leveraging more than $30 million in Fed- activated by December 2012 for 7 to 10 years tives; and Delegates to the House of Rep- eral Port Security grants along with $4 million of service. The Polar Star is deployed to assist resentatives. This will help to ensure that the in annual member assessments to install tech- researchers throughout the Polar Regions, Coast Guard has an even more diverse pool nology and security infrastructure and provide and is essential to United States icebreaking of candidate from across the United States. funds for specific security projects, mainte- capabilities. Ice breaking vessels create path- The Coast Guard is proud of that legacy nance and operational services. ways through which supply ships can travel, and their role in our national strategy is vital The Port of Houston accommodates a large facilitating important research. In its current to keep our homeland secure. The safety and number of tankers carrying crude oil, refined form, the bill decommissions the Polar Star security of our nations and its citizens must be products and chemical cargoes. With approxi- within 3 years, creating a gap in the nation’s our highest priority, despite difficult economic mately 9,600 deep draft ship arrivals each icebreaking abilities. circumstances. We need to make sure the year, the Coast Guard maintains a very exten- As a senior Member on the Homeland Se- Coast Guard is fully funded, and have the re- sive Port State Control program in the Hous- curity Committee, I have a deep commitment sources they need. ton-Galveston area. The Port State Control to creating a stronger and more secure Amer- f program ensures the safe carriage of haz- ica. I have worked with my colleagues, on THANKING KEITH OLSEN ON HIS ardous materials in bulk. Because over 90 both sides of the aisle, to pass legislation that RETIREMENT AS PRESIDENT OF percent of cargo bound for the United States ensures that our nation is receiving the secu- THE NEBRASKA FARM BUREAU is carried by foreign-flagged ships, this na- rity that our citizens deserve. As the potential tional program prevents operation of sub- threats and vulnerabilities along our coast line standard foreign ships in U.S. waters. may always exist. We rely upon Coast Guard HON. LEE TERRY The Sector also makes excellent use of its and their active involvement with hundreds of OF NEBRASKA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES robust Vessel Traffic Service (VTS). The partners who are directly involved with or im- VTS’s primary role is facilitating safe vessel pacted by the maritime industry in the Hous- Tuesday, November 15, 2011 transits in the waterways and ports along the ton-Galveston area of responsibility, this Sec- Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to Houston Ship Channel. The VTS cameras, tor is committed to deterring incidents before honor and thank Keith Olsen for the contribu- Automatic Identification System (AIS) feeds, they happen and is well-prepared to respond tions he has made to both Nebraskan and remote radar observation capability, and radio to them should they occur. The Coast Guard American agriculture during his tenure with the communications, also provide an additional is vital to the protection of our national secu- Nebraska Farm Bureau. layer of security. In addition to the VTS re- rity. Keith, born in Imperial, Nebraska, started sources in the Houston Ship Channel, Sector Both sides of the aisle have a strong re- his ag work back in high school—getting ac- Houston-Galveston has access to feeds from spect for the Coast Guard as well as for the tive with the Future Farmers of America. Now, three AIS receivers mounted on offshore oil men and women who work on manned sta- decades later, he is well-known by his fellow platforms, which provide heightened aware- tions off of our shores. I understand that Rep- ag producers for serving the Nebraskan ag ness of activities in the maritime domain. resentative MICA has agreed to honor the pur- community with a spirit and verve second to With a homeland security mission of this pose of an amendment offered by Represent- none, and his career shows this. magnitude, it is essential that the Coast Guard ative OLSON that would have require the Com- Since 1992, Keith has served on the Ne- be fully funded. This bill will authorize $8.49 mandant of the Coast Guard in consultation braska Farm Bureau Board of Directors. In

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