Congratulating the Saratoga Race Course as it celebrates its 142nd season.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Bills brought before the House, the majority gets to direct which bills are brought up and which are not brought up, and with all due respect to Mr. Murphy, a great Member of Congress, this is a wonderful race course--I know there are many Americans that enjoy horse racing-- but candidly, I struggle to go through this and understand why on the floor of the House of Representatives that this seems to rise to the level of recognition.

We have so many problems and challenges facing this country, so many issues that we could and should be debating. We should be debating a budget, for instance, which is not being brought before this body. We should be talking about the debt and the deficit and those other things that are going to affect every Americans' life. And I recognize that there are times when we need to step up and recognize some truly worthy accomplishments, and we honor and name post offices and whatnot, but when it comes to the world of sport, I continue to voice my opposition that this is the time and the place to actually have a ``debate'' about whether or not the 142nd season is worthy of recognition in a resolution from the House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, I'm sure there are some young kids that are here. They're going to go back and talk about their time at the House of Representatives, and they're here in the audience. And they're going to go back and talk to their teachers and the teachers are going to ask, What did you talk about? Did you talk about the war on terror? Did you talk about the debt? Oh, no. They were honoring a race course. A race course. So it's terribly frustrating.

There is a way to honor and recognize, through Members of Congress, great accomplishments and a new racing season at a local race track, but, honestly, I just don't believe this is the way to do it.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Again, Mr. Speaker, I voice my opposition. The idea, the notion that while there have been silly bills passed and offered by the minority, it's certainly not an argument to continue the status quo. I think the frustration of the American people is we're not dealing with the serious business. We're not offering a budget resolution. We're not debating appropriations bills. We're down here talking about racetracks. That's the frustration. You've got people at home right now watching on C-SPAN because they don't have a job, and we're here talking about race courses? Seriously?

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

My colleagues here, these are good Members of Congress. My point is, we need to raise the bar and start doing some serious work around here. I would agree, this is a historic Congress, because we are doing nothing right now. We are doing nothing.

I would agree with you, I will stand here, and I will have the political guts

to vote against the resolution for the South Carolina recognition of the men's--I think it's the Men's College World Series.

It's ridiculous that we bring it up. I don't care if it's a Democrat, I don't care if it's a Republican. If it's in the world of sport, they get enough recognition.

And to cite this as, oh, it's important because Sports Illustrated recognized it, well, they have a swimsuit edition. I haven't seen a resolution on that yet, and I hope we never do. The people of the United States deserve better than to debate whether or not to recognize a racetrack on its 142nd anniversary.

We have got important business. We have troops that are in harm's way. We have yet to bring up a supplemental that the President is asking for.

We have not, since, I think it was 1974 when they changed the budget rules, we have not brought before this body--for the very first time since then--we have not brought up a budget resolution to discuss the outrageous deficit that we are suffering through.

This body has not brought up appropriations bills. These are the important things that we should be doing here. We flew in yesterday to do what, debate this, men's baseball and a racetrack?

The Democrats have the House, the Senate, and the presidency. They get to determine what bills are brought up, and I will grant you, there are silly bills offered by both sides, but it's time to get serious about the people's work. There are people who are suffering out there, and the frustration is that we waste our time on this.

These people in the audience travel from around the country, around the world, to come see us, what, debate a racetrack? It's an embarrassment. It is an absolute embarrassment.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I am trivializing it because it is trivial. It is trivial. There are other ways to recognize a racetrack without taking the time of this body and this country on this floor. I am trivializing it, and I think that's the proper course.

Weeks ago I took a position I would not vote in favor of any sports resolutions. I don't care if they are Republican, I don't care if they are Democrat. I think the principle is these people receive more than adequate recognition for what they have.

And, hey, look, I have stood behind some of these in the past. I am here long enough. I am just a freshman. I didn't create this mess here, but I am here to help clean it up. And given my months in Congress, yes, I took a position I am not going to support any of them. I don't care who offers them, and it's time this body starts to operate on principle.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to take the gentlewoman's words down.

Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I just want to be clear; our intention here is pure. If she were asking for civility, I will take her word for it. We do have certain decorum here in the House. I just ask that we abide by that. To suggest that any Member is being dishonest or deceitful or a liar is obviously not within the history of the ongoing proceedings of this House. That's all I ask.

I withdraw my reservation of objection.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Let me make the point that, yes, I've voted for sports resolutions, I've even cosponsored resolutions, but I came to realize what a waste of time that is. So a number of weeks ago, I took the pledge that I was no longer going to participate. But there are examples in my past, and being a freshman year, I made some mistakes. That's one of them. But I just believe that there are more important, more worthy things that this body ought to be participating in. And probably the next thing we ought to be doing is voting on some things today; so I urge my colleagues to vote against House Resolution 1513.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1513) congratulating the Saratoga Race Course as it celebrates its 142nd season, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

On behalf of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, it is my privilege to rise in support of H. Res. 1513. This measure congratulates the Saratoga Race Course on its 142nd season. H. Res. 1513 was introduced by our colleague, the gentleman from New York, Representative Scott Murphy, on July 13, 2010. It was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which ordered it favorably by unanimous consent on July 15, 2010. The measure enjoys the support of 60 Members of the House.

The Saratoga Race Course was opened August 3, 1863, and it is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. The course is a top destination for tourists from all over the country and from all over the world. It now receives over 1 million visitors each year and supports thousands of jobs in Saratoga Springs and the surrounding communities.

Mr. Speaker, this venerable race course is one of the world's greatest sporting venues. It has continued many of its original traditions since its founding and has contributed to the town of Saratoga receiving the First Great American Place award from the American Heritage Magazine in 1997.

Let us now take the time to congratulate this historic race course on its 142nd season through the passage of this measure. I urge my colleagues to support it.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I want to respond, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

If I had a dime for every trivial bill the minority has put on this floor, I could retire as a rich woman. This is not a trivial bill. This is the oldest racing course in the United States, a historic racing course that has been so recognized by the American Heritage Foundation. It ill-behooves the other side to trivialize a bill by a Member of this proportion. I know that my good friend on the other side would not like me to go through and call the roll on bills that would make us laugh. Nobody can think that this bill commemorating the oldest sporting venue in the United States would make us laugh. It ill-behooves us not to respect the bills each side puts up, particularly since the minority gets to put up an equal number of such bills that have been requested by their constituents, and we all ought to at least grant one another that privilege without demeaning it.

I'm pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Murphy), who proudly sponsored the bill before us today, and I commend him for doing so.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I did not hear the gentleman rise to voice the same opposition to a resolution that will be voted on in the next series of resolutions by a Member from his side of the aisle, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina; and it says congratulating the University of South Carolina Gamecocks on winning the 2010 NCAA Division. If you're going to rise because you think some bill shouldn't be on the floor, then you ought to rise all the time.

As for what we should be devoting our time to, both sides of the aisle give time to resolutions requested by their constituents, and we give equal time. That doesn't mean we don't give time to very important matters, and we have given very significant time to very important matters this session, which is why it is considered one of the most historic sessions of the Congress of the United States.

I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Tonko).

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Well, just to indicate for the record, this has been called a historic Congress, not by the Democrats, but by historians who have looked at prior Congresses, including Republican-controlled Congresses, and, indeed, the last Congress before this side took control, which was especially historic in taking the country down to its knees, leaving it to a new, an entirely different administration in Congress, to pick the country up.

I do commend the gentleman for saying he will vote against Mr. Wilson's bill, having been called out, I guess he has to, to show he has any guts at all. But then we are going to be looking to see if he votes against all such bills in the future.

I want to say again that it is quite possible to make a point about what you want to see on the floor without trivializing a bill that is perfectly in order, perfectly respectable, in fact, helps the economy, commemorating a venue that helps the economy of another Member's district.

If you want to make the point that you think the Congress ought to be doing other things, then make the point, but don't do it by putting down other Members. That's not the model of civility either side should be offering on this floor.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Does the gentleman yield back or does he want to keep this going?

I just want to say to the gentleman, it has been pointed out to me that the gentleman cosponsored a resolution, H. Res. 942, commending the Real Salt Lake Soccer Club for winning the 2009 Major League Soccer Cup.

* * *

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove from the Record an idiomatic expression that apparently was misunderstood. I never called the gentleman dishonest. I want to strike the words ``lie in his mouth,'' which is an idiomatic expression that means the gentleman has no business saying what he said. But if it is construed to mean that I'm calling him a liar, then I would certainly ask that that be stricken from the Record. Indeed, my comments were begun with words about civility here, so I certainly did not intend to call the gentleman dishonest or a liar.

Well, I appreciate that the gentleman is withdrawing his objection, and I appreciate that he understood. He knows me well. He is the ranking member of one of my committees. He knows that I do not engage in pointless, uncivil remarks. Indeed, the whole import of my objection to the issues with the gentleman's resolution from Saratoga was I wanted to make sure everybody understood that we ought to respect one another, and I certainly respect the gentleman and certainly would not have meant otherwise through my remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I accept the gentleman's change on how he thinks these matters ought to be considered. I certainly don't think we ought to take it out on the Member from Saratoga, and I ask that we approve the resolution that was before us commemorating the 142nd anniversary of the Saratoga Race Course.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

I rise today to congratulate and commend the Saratoga Springs Race Course. In just 3 days, it will open its doors and embark on its 142nd consecutive season.

The Saratoga Race Course has a critical impact on our local community, contributing both its historic and economic value to upstate New York. Saratoga is the oldest continuously operating thoroughbred racetrack in the United States and the oldest organized sporting venue in the entire country.

The Graveyard of Champions, as Saratoga is so often known, has a rich history of competition. In 1973 Secretariat was defeated at Saratoga after winning the Triple Crown. But Secretariat was not the first to lose at Saratoga after coming in a heavy favorite. Others like Gallant Fox and Man o' War have also been bested by Saratoga at the Travers Stakes. Travers Stakes, the country's oldest major thoroughbred race, is held each year at the Saratoga summer meet and is arguably the most important and well-known thoroughbred event each summer.

Each year people from across the Nation and the world come to experience Saratoga's wonderful atmosphere and heart-stopping races. Perhaps that is why Saratoga has been recognized by Sports Illustrated as one of the world's great sports venues and has contributed to the town of Saratoga receiving the first ``Great American Place'' Award from American Heritage Magazine.

This past weekend an article in the Saratogian talked about the impact that each season has on the local economy and community. Shopkeepers, homemakers, hoteliers, and local restaurants all rely on the income generated from the Saratoga season to help promote and grow the economy, and it brings together the community so that they can celebrate this rich racing tradition.

The race course is one of the economic backbones not for only for Saratoga Springs, but for all of upstate New York and my entire district. Racing in Saratoga provides for more than 2,500 local jobs in the immediate community and 17,000 jobs in the surrounding communities. Each year over 30,000 visitors come each day to the racetrack and over 1 million visitors will visit annually. Racing will contribute more than $200 million annually to our local economy.

This year's season is extra long. We've added a few days, and it will be a 40-day season. That extra weekend will create even more revenue than usual and opportunities for tourists to come and see Saratoga's wonderful historic track and downtown.

Horse racing is the heart and soul of the Saratoga community, and I am proud to rise today to offer this resolution honoring the Saratoga Race Course and acknowledging the important place that it has in racing history, in our economy, and to join with my community and my colleagues here in congratulating Saratoga on opening its doors this Friday for another great season.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I do want to acknowledge the great work done in bringing to focus the importance of Saratoga and its race course and its season to the local economy. I commend my colleague Scott Murphy, the Representative in the neighboring district. While he hosts the track in his district, I know the value to the entire region, to my district economically and certainly to his with this season. It is an important economic engine for the tourism economy. It strengthens our economy; and economic recovery is important, in whatever measure we can ascertain.

Today, I want to join my colleagues in celebration of Saratoga Race Course's 142nd season. Saratoga Race Course, located just outside the southern Adirondack region of New York State, is the oldest organized sporting venue in the country. Since 1863, Saratoga Race Course has been a summer destination enjoyed by many families, racing enthusiasts, and individuals from across this Nation and, indeed, around the world. The history in Saratoga Springs and at the track provide visitors with a window into the vibrant past of upstate New York.

Saratoga Race Course is also the home of the oldest major thoroughbred horse race in America, the Travers Stakes. The Travers Stakes, named after William R. Travers, the first president of the race course, has been exciting patrons since 1864. Travers Weekend, which is one of the most widely attended events at the track, attracts thousands of individuals and families to upstate New York.

Each year, that dynamic is felt vibrantly in the economy, and it showcases Saratoga's rich horse racing history. Today, racing enthusiasts who visit Saratoga Race Course are able to enjoy dozens of graded stakes races and thoroughbred races, in addition to the region's local cuisine and rich history and culture.

I applaud this important venue and the economic engine of upstate New York that it is for the beginning of yet another season of racing.

Again, I want to compliment and commend Representative Murphy for his work on this commemorative resolution. It brings to focus the value added that is instilled into our regional economy with yet another season that will be falling upon us.