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MR. HOYER: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. SPEAKER, AND I THANK THE DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMAN FROM FLORIDA, MR. HASTINGS, FOR YIELDING ME THE TIME. AND I RISE IN STRONG SUPPORT IN THIS MOTION TO INSTRUCT. I WOULD ADD, MR. SPEAKER, I APPRECIATE HIS GIVING ME AND MR. NEY, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE, CREDIT. WE WORKED HARD ON THIS. MR. SPEAKER, THIS WAS THE MOST BIPARTISAN BILL IN THE LAST CONGRESS, BUT SUBSTANTIAL CREDIT IS ALSO DUE THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, MR. HASTERT, AS WELL AS REPUBLICANS IN THE SENATE, MR. MCCONNELL, KIT BOND AND SENATOR DODD. IT WAS, IN MY OPINION, AN EXAMPLE HOW CONGRESS OUGHT TO WORK. WE SAT DOWN TOGETHER AND TALKED ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND WE TRIED TO SOLVE IT. IN 347 DAYS, MR. SPEAKER, ON NOVEMBER 2,2004, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WILL AGAIN GO TO THE POLLING PLACES AND EVERY STATE IN THIS NATION AND EXERCISE THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT IN ANY DEMOCRACY, WHICH IS, OF COURSE, THE RIGHT TO VOTE. AND WHEN THEY DO, THEY WILL BE REMINDED OF ONE OF THE MOST PAINFUL EPISODES IN THE AMERICAN HISTORY, THE DISENFRANCHISEMENT OF AN ESTIMATED SIX MILLION AMERICANS IN THE ELECTION OF NOVEMBER 2000. MR. SPEAKER, IN MY OPINION WE HAVE A MORAL OBLIGATION TO ENSURE THAT THE ELECTION PROBLEMS THAT PLAGUED US THREE YEARS AGO AND WHICH UNDERMINED THIS GREAT DEMOCRACY IN THE EYES OF THE WORLD AND INDEED IN THE EYES OF MANY OF OUR CITIZENS WILL NOT BE REPEATED. THAT IS PRECISELY THE POINT OF THIS IMPORTANT MOTION MADE BY THE GENTLEMAN FROM FLORIDA, MR. HASTINGS. IT INSTRUCTS THE HOUSE TO RECEDE TO THE $1.5 BILLION SPENDING FOR ELECTION REFORM IN FISCAL YEAR 2004 CALLED FOR BY THE OTHER BODY. MR. SPEAKER, I MENTIONED MR. HASTERT. I ALSO WANT TO MENTION MR. YOUNG. BILL YOUNG, ALSO FROM FLORIDA, IS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE. WITHOUT MR. YOUNG, WE WOULD NOT HAVE RECEIVED THE FUNDING OF APPROXIMATELY $1.5 BILLION WE INCLUDED IN LAST YEAR'S BILL. WITHIN THE HELP AMERICA VOTE ACT, WE PROMISED THE STATES THEY WOULD RECEIVE ASSISTANCE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO ACHIEVE THE REFORMS WE FELT ESSENTIAL. THAT BILL PROCLAIMED AS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION REFORM LEGISLATION SINCE THE ADOPTION OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965, ESTABLISHED MINIMUM FEDERAL STANDARDS FOR FEDERAL ELECTIONS. PROPERLY FUNDED, HAVA WILL IMPROVE THE SECURITY AND ACCURACY OF THIS NATION'S ELECTION AND REGISTRATION SYSTEM AND PREVENT A REPEAT OF THE 2000 DEBACLE. DESPITE HAVANAA -- DESPITE HAVA'S ENORMOUS PROBLEM, HOWEVER, STATES HAVE HAD DIFFICULTY IMPLEMENTING THE LAW'S REQUIREMENTS BECAUSE CONGRESS PROVIDED ONLY $1.5 BILLION OF THE $2.16 BILLION AUTHORIZED IN FISCAL YEAR 2003. IN OTHER WORDS, MR. SPEAKER, WE'RE OVER $600 MILLION BEHIND AS OF THIS DATE. HAVA ALSO AUTHORIZED $1 BILLION FOR THIS YEAR. HOWEVER, THE HOUSE ONLY APPROPRIATED $500 MILLION IN THE TRANSPORTATION TREASURY BILL. RECENTLY THE OTHER BODY IN A BIPARTISAN WAY ADDED $1 BILLION TO THE TRANSPORTATION BILL WHICH ALREADY INCLUDED $500 MILLION. THIS AMOUNT NOT ONLY FULLY FUNDS HAVA AT THE FISCAL YEAR 2004 AUTHORIZED LEVEL, BUT IT ALSO COVERS THE SHORTFALL FROM FISCAL YEAR 2003. THIS MOTION SHOULD ATTRACT THE SUPPORT OF EVERY MEMBER OF THIS BODY. IT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE NUMEROUS PLEDGES MADE BY THE SPEAKER, CHAIRMAN YOUNG, THE WHITE HOUSE, AND THIS CONGRESS IN A BIPARTISAN WAY. THROUGH HAVA, MR. SPEAKER, WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE STATES HAVE RESOURCES TO MAKE ELECTION REFORM A REALITY. AND WE CAN RESTORE THE PUBLIC'S CONFIDENCE IN OUR ELECTION SYSTEM. WE MUST DO SO, AND THIS MOTION CALLS UPON US TO EFFECT THAT END. IN CLOSING, MR. SPEAKER, LET ME SAY THAT I HAVE TALKED TO MR. YOUNG, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE, AND I'VE TALKED TO MR. NEY. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THE ADMINISTRATION HAS PLEDGED TO INCLUDE IN THE 2005 BUDGET THE $800-PLUS MILLION LEFT ON THE PLEDGE TO THE STATES TO ENSURE THAT EVERY AMERICAN NOT ONLY HAS THE RIGHT TO VOTE, THAT EVERY AMERICAN IS ENCOURAGED TO VOTE, EVERY AMERICAN IS FACILITATED IN CASTING THEIR VOTE, EVERY AMERICAN WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHECK THAT THEY VOTED CORRECTLY AND THAT EVERY AMERICAN'S VOTE WILL BE COUNTED AND COUNTED ACCURATELY. I THANK THE GENTLEMAN FROM FLORIDA FOR YIELDING THE TIME. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: THE GENTLEMAN'S TIME HAS EXPIRED. THE GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK.
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