and courtroom were located in the united states post office and courthouse in galveston, texas. two, cathy mcbroom was an employee of the office of the clerk of court for the southern district of texas and served as a deputy clerk in the galveston division assigned to judge kent's courtroom. three, on one or more occasions between 2003 and 2007, judge kent sexually assaulted cathy mcbroom, by touching her private areas directly and through her clothing against her will and by attempting to cause her to engage in a sexual act with him. wherefore, judge samuel b. kent is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors and should be removed from office. article ii. incident to his position as a united states district court judge, samuel b. kent has engaged in conduct with respect to employees associated with the court that is incompatible with the trust and confidence placed in him as a judge, as follows: one, judge kent is a united states district judge in the southern district of texas. from 1990 to 2008, he was assigned to the galveston division of the southern district, and his chambers

and i'm going to put ike up there because it really ran smack in galveston. >> that would be interesting modern art. it's just scary that it represents hurricane, hurricane hugo came through south carolina and it was very devastating. i appreciate the work of the chairman of this committee. i've never met anybody in the entire congress more dedicated to a cause than of this subcommittee. i'm just trying to stay up with you. south carolina is certainly in harm's way. i want to thank all the folks at state, local, federal level who help our fellow citizens in disaster. in myrtle beach we had a huge fire. the fire did a lot of damage to myrtle beach. it's not just hurricanes. the red cross was there so hurricanes are what we're talking about. so coastal communities can be hit by many different ways. ron osborn, the director of the emergency management division office of the general could not be here but he prepared a report about hurricane preparedness and i'd like to submit it to the record. they're doing a major exercise in south carolina today. ron is a very smart guy and i'd like to put

they would not have built a railroad bridge between connecting galveston island to the texas mainland unless the homeland security committee and i want to thank you again for connecting galveston island to the mainland. that's not even in my district. nor is the texas -- the houston ship channel. these are fiscally conservative requests. i don't think you'll find any member of congress with higher fiscally conservative standards i odo. i think the request is appropriate. it's absolutely necessary for an area that got hammered by the hurricane. i urge defeat of the amendment. the chair: the gentleman's time has expired. members are reminded to address their comments to the chair. mr. flake: may i ask the time remaining. the chair: the gentleman has two minutes. the chair: members are reminded to address their remarks to the chair. mr. culberson: every piece of legislation directs which parts of arizona do you have? you've got -- mr. flake: the east valley. mr. culberson:e let's say congress passes a piece of legislation to designate funding for kidd peak observatory. erbil congress pas

was yellow and this was done before ike and i'm going to put ike up there because it ran smack into galveston and i am sure that you have had major storms in wartime but senator let me recognize you at this time. >> that would be interesting modern art, that is scary that it represents hurricanes. hurricane hugo came through south carolina and was very devastating so i appreciate the work of the chairman of this committee and i've never met anybody in the entire congress more dedicated to the cause than you are to this subcommittee. i am just trying in to stay up with you but south carolina is certainly in harm's way and i want to thank all the folks of the level who help our fellow citizens with disaster. in myrtle beach we had a huge fire be the fire did a lot of damage to myrtle beach and it's not just hurricanes, the red cross was there so coastal communities can be hit in many different ways. rommel was born, the director of the emergency management addition could not be here today but he prepared a report about hurricane preparedness and i but like to submit that to the record. they are

samuel kent was appointed in 1990 and served in the galveston courthouse in the southern district of texas. he was the sole judicial officer in the courthouse and imposing figure who exercised a substantial degree of influence and control both inside and outside of the courtroom. at some point in 2001, judge began sexually assaulting two women employees who served in the courthouse. these assaults occurred through may of 2007, when one of the victims filed a judicial misconduct complaint with the fivert circuit court of appeals. in response the judicial council of that circuit appointed a special investigative committee to investigate the complaint. onune 8, 2007, judge kent, pursuant to his own request was interviewed by the special investigative committee of that circuit. they sought to learn from judge kent whether he engaged in unwanted sexual contact. judge kent made material and false states about the extent of his contact with ms. mcbroom. he also told the investigative committee that once he was informed -- he was questioned about another female employee in the courthouse, hi

not at galveston or houston or new orleans are not metropolitan, but these areas have more density. the numbers are staggering. -- >> i want to thank you for your sense of urgency and i want to tell you more about this critical issue. new york city has excellent coverage but because of the economic conditions of these states, new york state has had to cut funding. as you talk about the urgency in this metropolitan areas, the other comment that i would make -- you have an outstanding chard showing the growth in call volume, the public needs to understand that these are people, and during hurricane katrina, those were people whose lives were being saved by the volunteers. we had rooftop rescue, connecting people to the appropriate government entity, the most vivid example was joe thomas's wife. she took a phone call from a man who found his mother's body. there was no one else to call. your urgency to continue this funding speaks to the need of the american people and i want to thank you for that. >> is there any closing comment? >> having spent a few years doing this, i understand th

we were working closely with the coast guard, and there was a request for an amphibious ship and galveston was devastated by ike. the u.s.s. nassau was deployed. we have ships and you unload vessels that can respond and the navy was on board and they worked with the locals to open this up at the request of fema. >> do you have any of these ships on the gulf coast? >> on the east coast they would respond. >> and they are unable to get there in time? >> if we see the request we will move them and as we move them, we are looking at the path of the storm, to get them outside the path. >> one last question, about community disasters and other things, trailers and alternative housing. but because the season is well and to the storms will come, this is a nightmare and this is causing unmitigated suffering, on the part of the local officials with the first thing they have to do is remove debris. we had several headaches about the rules and regulations, if this was 5 inches, you were given 100%, if this was four inches, you got 80%. two inches was 20%. what has changed about this and what can you t

the port of galveston was devastated by the hurricane, and there were over 100 obstacles and the channel. the uss national was the point where -- we have at any given the date ships on the east and west coasts that can take over. also, the type you on load vessels out of the back and they respond. they work with locals to try and open the port. again, working on the request of fema. >> do you have any ships on the gulf coast? >> not at this point. but the east coast will respond. >> and they are able to get that time? >> yes. if we get a request from fema, we are prepared to move, and as we do, we're looking for the excuse. >> last question. community disaster loans and other things. because my time is short, this debris removal is a nightmare, causing mitigated pain and suffering on the part of local officials. one of the first things they have to do is remove debris. we had one headache after another about fema's rules and regulations that went something like this. if a tree limb was more than 5 inches around, you got reimbursed 100%. 4 inches, 80%. 2 inches, 30%. i'm exaggerating a li

paconic estuary, pimlico's sound, lower columbia river, tilimuk bay, oregon, coastal bays, texas, and galveston bay, texas. i would warn members that 151 members of this body whose districts border these bodies that i mentioned will see that tear funds will be cut for these important programs. a reduction of this size would mean the e.p.a. would stop construction and demobilize eight to 10 large high-cost, ongoing superfund projects such as the site in new jersey, the tar greek site in oklahoma and the new bedford site in massachusetts. e.p.a. would not be able to start any new superfund sites in 2010. after years of reduction under the previous administration. e.p.a. estimates that a reduction of this size would prohibit them from completing construction at as many as nine superfund sites in 2010 and 2011. this reduction would mean e.p.a. would not properly certify new vehicles, fuels and engines sold in the united states, to ensure they conform to e.p.a.'s emission standards. 217 tribes would lose funding for their environmental programs, a 38% reduction to the a.p. would reduce every program

not that new orleans is not a major metropolitan area or galveston or houston, but northeast metropolitan area has a lot more density than even we do along the gulf coast because the numbers are staggering and i don't know, ms. gif anitere if you want -- >> i want to thank you for your sense of urgency and give an update regarding this critical issue of the urban parts of the northeast. new works and has excellent coverage of 211 but because the economic condition of many states specifically new york state has had to cut their funding of 211. so you are absolutely on the point as you talk about that urgency in those metropolitan areas. the other comment i would make an you know this differently while you did an outstanding chart that shows the 73% growth in call volume in a two-year period i think the public needs to understand those 14 million our people and during her katrina, those were people whose lives were being saved by the volunteers and staff on the phone of 211. we did rooftop rescues, we did connecting people to the appropriate governmental entities and the most vivid example

guard through dhs and fema and fema requested an fabius ship be deployed into the gulf and the port of galveston was devastated by hurricane ike and there was 100 obstacles in the channel, and so the uss nassau was deployed there. we have any given day two ships on the east coast and to on the west coast primarily amphibious ships that can take on the tight q1 load, vessels out the back that can respond and we had navy seabees on board that went ashore and worked with locals. again working at the request of fema. >> you said you have two ships on the east and west coast. do you have any on the gulf coast? >> i'm not at this point but the two on the east coast would respond if you had enough notice? >> yes, ma'am, if we've received a notice from fema we are prepared to move those and as we move those we are looking at the path to try to get as close into a port as we can in the storm passed. >> last question, mr. fugate and i'm going to submit several about pets, about community disaster loans and other things, trailers, alternative housing, but because my time is short and the season is now in a

not that new orleans is not a major metropolitan area or galveston or houston, but a northeast metropolitan area has a lot more density than even we do along the gulf coast. because the numbers are just staggering. and i don't know, ms.-- janet, if you want -- >> i do want to, first of all, thank you for your sense of urgency, and i want to give you an update regarding this critical issue of the urban parts of the northeast. new york city has excellent coverage of 211, but because of the economic condition of many of our states, specifically new york state has had to cut their funding of 211, so you're absolutely on point as you talk about that urgency in those metropolitan areas. the other comment i would make and you know this so vividly, but while you did an outstanding chart that shows the 73

in the galveston county location. that is not surprising. many people have not been able to move back to galveston county because their homes were destroyed and they have no ability to live in galveston county anymore. so there was at least until very recently no opportunity for my constituent to appeal to general motors because they were going to lose all their rights if they afeel any of the consensus that were being made to closing dealers. so it's a very troubling situation. i think we are making progress. i think g.m. and chrysler are doing better with regard to the dealers, and i happy to they will continue to understand these important parts of communities all over america, these franchises that they have put out, they have been encouraged to try to buy inventories, to help the companies not to go into bankruptcy, and then when they did go into bankruptcy, they were sort of left high and dry. i think and it's our responsibility, particularly in the case of g.m. and chrysler because they're getting taxpayer doll

from 1998 to 2008 he was assigned to the galveston division of the southern division. his chambers and courtroom were located in the post office and courts building in galveston, texas. donna wilkerson was an employee for the united states southern district court in the southern district of texas. on more than one occasion, judge kent sexually assaulted donna wilkerson by touching her private areas against her will and by attempting to cause her to engage in sexual acts with him, wherefore, judge cam yule b. kent is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors and should be removed from office. three, judge kent impeded investigations as finals as follows. cathy mcbroom filed a complaint with the court of appeals. they appointed a committee heenchafter referred to as the committee to investigate cathy mcbroom's complaint. on or about union 8 of 2007, judge kent appeared before the committee. three, as part of its investigation, the committee sought to learn from judge kent and others whether he had engaged in unwanted sexual conduct -- contact with kathy -- cathy mcbroom and

after the emancipation proclamation, union soldiers led by major general gordon granger arrived in galveston, texas. they brought news that most had been almost unbelievable to all who heard it, especially those who had known no existence outside of bondage. a civil war was over, they announced, and all slaves were free. from that day on, former slaves in the southwest celebrated june 19 as the anniversary of their emancipation. over the past 144 years, juneteenth independence day celebrations have been held to honor african-american freedom. this date has come to hold even greater significance. throughout the world juneteenth celebrates lift up the spirit of freedom and rail against the forces of oppression. at long last juneteenth is beginning to be recognized as both a national event and a global celebration. end of slavery marks a major step toward achieving equal rights for all americans regardless of race, creed, or color. just as the 4th of july marks the beginning of a journey that continues even today, we must not forget that the long march to freedom that started on june 19 is far