Local Community Recovery Act of 2006

LOCAL COMMUNITY RECOVERY ACT OF 2006 -- (House of Representatives - March 28, 2006)

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Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Chairman, I thank you for your support, your leadership on these issues, and for your commitment and traveling to the Gulf region, to New Orleans and to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, your leadership on the committee and on the Select Committee on Katrina to find the solutions for the future storms and recoveries, but also to do everything you can to make sure that this Congress does the right thing for this region as we recover. I am extremely grateful.

To Mr. Oberstar, I thank you for working with me today in the best sense and tradition and civility of this place to find common goals and common ground to be able to help my people in my home State recover, rebuild and, most importantly, to lead the way for themselves.

As the Stafford Act clearly states, and Mr. Oberstar was here in the beginning of that act and has been intimately involved in all aspects of that over his career here, but let me read the Stafford Act and the committee language when it was first enacted.

In section 204 of the Disaster Relief Act of 1970, the Senate Committee on Public Works, which proposed the language, stated, ``Preference is to be given to persons or firms who work or do business in the disaster area.'' The committee report discussed the rationale and justification for this provision. ``One outstanding feature of the aftermath of a great disaster is the lack of ready cash. A Federal assistance program should be designed to revitalize the community by infusions of cash through the use of local people and business firms.''

To be honest, this has not been done in this recovery. Unfortunately, it is a failure of the Bush administration in implementing the contracts for the recovery of this region. But the administration is trying to correct that action. Today, 95 percent of all Federal contract dollars, 95 cents on every dollar spent on Federal contracts, is going to out-of-State firms, not in-State, not community, not local, but out-of-State.

Now, why is it so important that local firms, local businesses, local communities lead the way? It is those local businesses that will pay local taxes to rebuild local schools, to make the contributions to the churches as they care for the people who are helpless, needy, hungry, and homeless. It is those companies that will pay for the rebuilding of the Little League ball parks. All of the community institutions and infrastructure are led by local businesses and local leaders, and it is those people who should be on the front lines, not at the back of the line in the recovery effort.

What the Corps of Engineers did in December was to try to correct that. They set aside on a geographic preference consistent with the Stafford Act contracts for debris removal. And let me say this: In Mississippi alone, we have had more debris, as you can see from these pictures, more debris than any disaster in American history. Over 50 percent more has already been cleaned up than ever occurred in any disaster anyplace in America. What the Corps did in December was to say, in the future, going forward, we are going to let local companies lead the recovery and comply with the congressional intent and stated objectives of the Stafford Act.

Unfortunately, the incumbent contractor from out of State protested that action. They gamed the system to delay the implementation of those contracts. Three months later, the GAO rejects the protest, finds in favor of the Corps, finds in favor of the congressional intent of the Stafford Act, and says, in essence, the protest is baseless.

It is time, and this act urges the Corps, to immediately, to promptly move forward in the implementation of local contracts for local debris removal.

President Bush, when he addressed the Nation in Jackson Square in downtown New Orleans stated: ``In the work of rebuilding, as many jobs as possible should go to the men and women who live in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.'' What we are doing in this act is clarifying and reaffirming the original intent to make it possible that no one can litigate this or game this or delay this to keep local firms from leading the way.

Let me say this. As I look across to both sides, this body has been extremely generous to the people of Mississippi and New Orleans. We have appropriated billions, now over $100 billion to the recovery of the region. The churches and the charities across this country have been compassionate, and their generosity has flowed down and poured into our region. Our people will be forever grateful. Mississippi is the most generous State in the Nation, according to IRS returns. We are the poorest State, but we give more per capita than any State in the Nation. We are a proud people, and we want to lead the way and work first.

We do not want to be at the back of the line. We want to be on the front line, cleaning up, rebuilding, restoring and renewing our region.

I urge bipartisan support of this action today so that our region can recover with the help, but not the dependence, not the displacement, not the replacement of our own people, our own economy, our own jobs; and I ask all of us to look at this legislation and to work with me and for the administration to keep its commitment and to keep the law and the intent of this legislation.

In closing, let me also ask the current contractors: do nothing as these contracts to Mississippi companies go forward to disrupt, to sabotage, or to slow the work. Cooperate with us and partner with us, just as our companies have partnered with you as you led. Stand down. Let us stand up. Let us lead the way, and we can have a continued good relationship. But protest this, litigate this, fight this, sabotage it, and there will be bad will that will go forward and undermine the way that our communities and our country should work together.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Members for their support, and I thank the ranking member, Mr. Oberstar, as we continue to rebuild our region.

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