mr. farr: i will yield to you for a question if you'll -- mr. cassidy: sure. mr. farr: explain to me what is broken that needs $11 billion more right now, with the $150 billion that you've already been given or will be given. mr. cassidy: this is what is broken. this is our coast line which is melting away. this is what increases our risk. we've lost the land mass equal to rhode island in louisiana. now, the money that is received, our share, will go to this but it is not adequate to rebuild this coast line. and the other thing which is broken -- mr. farr: you've lost the coast line why? mr. cassidy: because we channeled the mississippi to create navigational services for the rest of the inland nation. as you channel that mississippi, the wetlands lost the nourishing settlement that comes to them. mr. farr: and those are the states that have also in-state waters onshore and offshore drilling? mr. cassidy: yes, absolutely. mr. farr: which are very lucrative revenues for the state? mr. cassidy: all i do is ask for a same deal that every other state has. no. every oth

question is on the amendment offered -- mr. farr: unanimous consent, i would like to withdraw the amendment. the chair: without objection, the amendment is withdrawn. for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? mr. kingston: i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will report. the clerk: amendment offered by mr. kingston of georgia, insert the following, section, a, none of the funds made available in this act may be used to pay more than 75% of the salary of any senior department of veterans affairs official during the period beginning july 1, 2014 and ending september 30, 2014 unless as of july 1, 2014, the percentage of disbuilt compensation claims that are more than 125 days old, less than or equal to 40%, b, and in this section, the term senior department of veterans affairs official means the secretary of veterans affairs, the deputy secretary of veterans affair and any under secretary or assistant secretary of veterans affairs. the chair: the gentleman from georgia, mr. kingston, is recogn

engel: yes, i'd like to yield my 30 seconds to the gentleman from california, mr. farr. the chair: the gentleman from california is recognized for 30 seconds. mr. farr: thank you very much. thank you for yielding. i rise in support of this amendment. this keeps the buying american food and shipping it on american-flagged ships and preserves american jobs and frees up money for countries to learn how to fish and go out and buy food and also develop the markets. as a returning peace corps volunteer, this is a smart investment. this is a much better amendment than keeping the status quo and i urge support. the chair: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from oklahoma is recognized. 3/4. cas: i yield 1 mr. green: i thank my colleague from oklahoma, i rise in opposition to the amendment offered by congressmen royce and engel. this would cripple the foreign aid program and since 1954, food for peace has enabled the united states to play a leading role in responding and ensuring global security reaching three billion people. 2012, the food for peace shipped tons of a

mr. farr. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. farr: thank you very much, madam chair, and thank you, ranking member bishop, for that kind introduction. and thank you, mr. chairman, for your leadership on this committee. i've been on this committee since i've been on the committee on appropriations and i'm really excited about the ability for us to respond to the quality of life for people in uniform and their families. this is the committee that helps the families with housing, with health care, with child care, with the benefit packages that the military allows. and it's very, very important because we also have the responsibility for the department of veterans affairs. it's the only one-stop in the entire congress, because the senate has no comparable committee where both the responsibility for the active duty and the veterans are in one place. and you know, in this country, you can't be a veteran unless you first have been a member of the department of defense. so it's a continuum of care. if you add up the budgets of both the