Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, for the past 15 years, communities across the United States have set aside the first full week of May as Teacher Appreciation Week.

As the school year winds down in many areas of the country, this week gives us the opportunity to thank these individuals for making a difference and for helping all of us succeed in school and in life.

As a former educator, and the son of one of the best teachers I know, I wanted to take the time to recognize the educators who give so much of their time and personal freedom to accomplish so much for the future of our country.

As Henry Adams said, ``A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.''

Today I encourage my colleagues to remember those teachers whose influence continues in these Chambers and throughout the world.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 310 I was absent due to a meeting with constituents. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great concern for our economy. I rise because we hear about the debt and certainly my concern is that if we are not careful, we will make the debt even worse than it is now because an economy can turn south with overtaxation. Right now we are headed to tax increases that concern me a great deal.

In Nebraska, the average tax increase per taxpayer is almost $2,400 a year as proposed. More than that though, I am concerned about small businesses, farmers and ranchers who face tax increases whether it is the estate tax or other taxes.

When I have a small business person come up to me and say, we need to do something about the estate tax, the death tax because it will devastate their business, that gets my attention.

My concerns are that we have available capital in our economy because, with available capital, we see good things happening, whether it is investing in the stock market or whether it is expanding a small business or whether it is putting money away for a child or grandchild heading to college. The fact is, available capital does great things, and that is why I rise with extreme concern about our budget because the budget calls for a tax increase, and that is what concerns me so much because tax increases are bad for economic growth. Tax increases lead to a downturn in the economy.

I not only believe we can do better than this proposed budget, but we must do better.

I thank the gentleman for yielding me time and bringing this bill forward today.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1025 would authorize one of the requirements of the Republican River Compact Settlement negotiated between the States of Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado and approved by the Supreme Court in 2003. It is not only necessary to ensure the States remain in compliance with this agreement, but to make certain the agriculture, industrial and domestic use of the water is carried out in the most efficient and effective manner possible.

The Lower Republican River Basin Study will examine how to better utilize opportunities to increase water storage in the river basin. I am hopeful the results of this study will lead to an increase in water availability while we continue to encourage more efficient water use.

As many of you know, especially those from the Midwest, the current water shortage has made this a very critical issue for my congressional district. So if we can, through this study, allocate more water, allocate water more effectively, it will help farmers, ranchers, municipalities both in Nebraska and Kansas in the long term.

I want to thank Mr. Rahall, Mr. Young, and the Natural Resources Committee staff for bringing forth this bill. I appreciate the cooperation on both sides of the aisle. I urge Members of Congress to approve this legislation.

Madam Speaker, it is my hope that we can come together and agree on an Iraq emergency supplemental that provides the resources our troops need without tying the hands of our generals and forcing them to adhere to unrealistic timetables.

Last week in a Chicago Tribune editorial, they stated: ``President Bush will veto the war spending bill approved by Congress this week because it contains a timetable for withdrawing U.S. combat troops from Iraq. He is right to do so.''

With a new commanding general on the ground and the surge strategy still ramping up, our troops deserve this chance to make progress, and we are starting to see signs in Iraq that things are modestly improving.

I urge my colleagues to support a clean supplemental and to encourage patience as we heard 4 years ago before we even went to Iraq that this would be a long time coming, that our ultimate goal in accomplishing victory in Iraq would take some time. We need to listen to those comments, and, again, I urge patience.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor and congratulate Frances E. Allen, the 2006 recipient of the A.M. Turing Award.

The Turing Award, established in 1966, is given annually by the Association for Computing Machinery to individuals whose work has been of lasting and major technical importance to the computer field. Fran Allen is richly deserving of this honor. She is also the first woman to receive the award.

Fran Allen exemplifies the dedication and innovative spirit that has brought this country to the forefront of science, technology and commerce. As a researcher for IBM for nearly 45 years, she played a key role in building the high-performance computing world we live in today.

Her work on optimization of parallel processing has impacted all of our lives, for example, by setting the stage for today's computer systems that forecast our weather and analyze DNA sequences.

I would like to particularly commend Ms. Allen for her dedication to supporting and mentoring young men and women in her field. I note that after her retirement from IBM, she kept an office and has continued her work mentoring future leaders in computer sciences and, hopefully, future A.M. Turing Award winners as well.

As this Congress looks to improve our Nation's competitiveness and looks to provide for the next generation of scientists, engineers and business men and women, we should consider the great example that Fran Allen has given to us.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 95 and join me in congratulating Fran Allen today.

With that, Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise to add my whole-hearted thanks and admiration for the skill

and effort shown by the five individuals we are honoring here today. Since 1901, the Nobel Prize has recognized the world's finest minds in the fields of physics, chemistry, physiology and medicine, literature and peace. In 2006, five American scientists were chosen for this prestigious award. These five men join 763 previous men and women and 19 organizations recognized at the pinnacle of their fields.

Roger Kornberg received the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his studies on transcription, a fundamental cellular process that uses information encoded in genes to produce proteins. Dr. Kornberg's award comes 47 years after his father, Arthur Kornberg, received the 1959 Nobel Prize in physiology and medicine. In 2006 that prize was awarded to Andrew Fire and Craig Mello for their influential work on RNA interference, a process that uses RNA to control the production of proteins.

John Mather and George Smoot share the Nobel Prize in physics for their pioneering work in cosmology, discovering fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background that help explain the formation of galaxies, stars, and the Earth itself.

Drs. Roger Kornberg, Andrew Fire, Craig Mello, John Mather, and George Smoot deserve our thanks and sincere appreciation for their efforts supporting the greatest innovation economy in the world. Without men and women like them committed to the often arduous task of scientific discovery, we would not enjoy the economic prosperity that has graced our Nation.

This resolution signals this body's commitment to supporting and strengthening the scientific enterprise. While this resolution, unfortunately, does not match the $10 million prize awarded to these Nobel Laureates, we can do better by ensuring that we support funding for the science and technology efforts of the Federal Government.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 316.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 252, which honors the 45th anniversary of John Herschel Glenn, Jr.'s historic mission as the first American to orbit the Earth aboard the Mercury spacecraft Friendship 7. This was truly a landmark event in our human space flight program. These early successes captured the minds and imaginations of people around the world and were an inspiration to all Americans at a time when we were the underdog in a technological race with the Soviet Union.

Prior to his service with NASA, John Glenn had already received numerous honors for his military service during World War II and the Korean War. He set a transcontinental speed record in 1957 by completing the first flight between Los Angeles and New York at an average speed greater than the speed of sound.

John Glenn was selected as one of the original Mercury 7 NASA astronauts in 1959 and logged over 218 hours in space. After retiring from the space program, John Glenn continued to serve his country as a distinguished Member of the United States Senate for 24 years. In 1998, John Glenn returned to space after 36 years as a member of the crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery, serving as a subject for basic research into the effects of weightlessness on the body of an older person.

John Glenn is truly an American hero. I am proud to support this resolution honoring such a prominent American citizen, military veteran and astronaut. I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 252.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula).

(Mr. REGULA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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

Madam Speaker, earlier this week, our Nation joined together to celebrate Earth Day and this Friday people around the world will celebrate Arbor Day, which as you may know originated in my home state of Nebraska.

This is an opportunity for us to take a look at the impact we each have on our environment.

I represent Nebraska's Third Congressional District, where agriculture is a way oflife. I'm proud to say that farmers and ranchers were our country's first environmentalists, maintaining and improving the soil and natural resources to pass on to future generations.

Just as businesses make every effort to improve their services and products, the stewards of the land make use of modern technology and age-old techniques to protect their land and their stock.

We are fortunate to live in a time in which we understand the world around us as never before. We have access to technology to both protect the environment and to encourage innovation. We have the opportunity to engage

in meaningful dialogue on how to confront our changing climate and other enviromnental concerns without hamstringing the agriculture industry.

This week, as we celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day, let us appreciate the beauty of nature and renew our commitment to protect the environment for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to be a part of this discussion here this evening, and certainly I consider it a great privilege to serve on the Budget Committee.

As witness after witness after witness told the Budget Committee that we should address the entitlement challenges we face and reform entitlements so that we can have a safety net, so that we can have an economy to preserve that safety net, we need to adopt some changes. And yet the budget that has been presented and is moving through the Halls of Congress does not address entitlement reform. That is my concern. That was the major thrust of the Budget Committee hearings, certainly, as I said, witness after witness addressing that.

But I stand here before you this evening concerned about the future. When I get asked why I would want to serve in Congress, I say it is because I care about the future. I care about the direction in which our country is heading. I believe that we need to encourage prosperity, not penalize it. And yet our tax policies are bound to penalize prosperity with the current budget.

We heard in the Budget Committee that we need to increase spending. More of the same. And, certainly, the supplemental, as so many folks know, this emergency supplemental spending bill contains items that are far from emergency in nature. I am afraid that there were too many politics being played in terms of funding the very necessary functions of our military so bravely serving overseas.

I am concerned about our future, and that is why I went to Iraq. I learned in Iraq that there are some bright spots. Certainly we have a lot of work to do. But it comes back to the economy. I am encouraged when I learn that there are more than twice as many merchant vessels traveling the one single waterway into Iraq from the gulf. I am encouraged when I see a developing police force perhaps in Ramadi. That is what contributes to the fundamentals of a sound economy with the rule of law.

But as we balance our policies overseas with our domestic policies here at home, we have to be mindful again of the future, the future that I believe can be bright with the sound, solid economy.

My friends so very eloquently pointed out the estate tax, commonly called the death tax. I can't help but think back to when I was visiting a business in my district, actually the Nation's largest producers of natural wool yarn. I didn't prompt this discussion whatsoever. But the second generation owner, or manager in this case, of this company said, Adrian, one thing you can do in serving in Congress is to reform or repeal the death tax. It will devastate us. ``Devastate'' was her word.

Now, one might think that the Nation's largest producer of natural wool yarn would be big business, big corporations, all these big companies that people want to beat up on who provide jobs. No, this is a family-run operation with about 45 employees that just reinvested many dollars so they could double their output, so that they could take new customers because before they invested in some expansion, they couldn't take new customers. And yet our tax policies will penalize them.

And, quite honestly, I don't care how large an estate one might have, I think it is wrong, fundamentally wrong, and actually unconscionable that the government would lay claim to 55 percent of an estate. Some people say, well, these wealthy folks can plan around it. Some can. Boy, you had better plan your debt too, as so many folks cannot.

But it all comes back to the economy. And I believe in Republican budget principles that are sound, through promoting enhanced prosperity, by balancing the budget and continuing the tax relief, through making needed reforms to entitlement programs, as our Budget Committee witnesses pointed out, increasing accountability through budget and appropriation reforms to help end Washington waste, fraud and abuse.

When we look, Mr. Speaker, at what is before us with the budget, it is the largest tax increase in American history: $400 billion, that is with a B, $400 billion tax increase. And my friends and I, Mr. Speaker, believe that that will be damaging to our economy. And I say that because of the facts. The facts point out that when tax relief was brought about in 2003, the unemployment rate went down. GDP went up. Jobs were created. And I find that exciting.

When I entered politics a few years back, I never thought that I would become so enthused about economic principles about good, sound tax policy, but I have seen what tax policy can do over these last few years, that tax relief can create jobs. Tax relief can leverage a family's dollars, hard earned dollars in our economy so that we can have good, thriving businesses in all of our districts, large and small, rural and urban. We need a good sustainable farm bill that builds on the future, that uses our experiences from the past, Mr. Speaker, in realizing that we need to build our markets with our trading partners. And we can expect good, sound trade policy, not giving away everything, and so that we can help our energy markets, we can help our agriculture markets.

And especially I find it so exciting about the future when we see agriculture and energy coming together. I think we need to be careful when we talk about energy. As I was reading an article the other day, Time magazine, I had an article that said eating a T-bone steak is as egregious in our environment as driving a Hummer vehicle. I found that to be quite surprising, honestly. I certainly represent an area that probably contains more cattle than any other district in the United States. And I don't bring up this issue because of that, but I think that as we address our energy needs and looking to the feature, we need good commonsense policies.

And that is what I want to work on because I do care about the future. I care about entitlement reform. I care about a balanced budget so that we can encourage our coming generations to focus on the future, so that they can see even more opportunity and that their prosperity is not punished through bad tax policy.

Mr. Speaker, although we are coming to an end to this time of discussion, I think that we all hope that promoting prosperity that has taken place over the last few years will not come to an end. And I want to very quickly point out that this is what is about to come to an end, even though it has been working, even though we have been creating jobs, even though the deficit has been cut in half actually. Despite many of these spending measures, the deficit has been cut in half over the last couple of years. But we are about to see an end to tax relief for the average family of four earning $40,000 a year of $2,052 in taxes. Taxes are going to go up.

The Republican budget focuses on promoting prosperity through the tax relief of $4,712 in average taxes paid by 27 million small businesses. These are small businesses. These aren't necessarily the wealthiest of the wealthy. These are common, everyday Americans working hard and growing our economy.

I hope that we can come back to a budget that promotes prosperity by keeping the death tax at zero through 2012, perhaps even beyond, because I believe that the government should not have the right to take 55 percent of an estate. That would be 55 percent of a ranch or a farm in my district, where we are encouraging young farmers and ranchers to engage in the business, to engage in the economy. And yet they would have to come up with cash to inherit the farm or ranch? Unconscionable.

I believe that we can do better. That is why I like to focus on the future and I like to focus on the future through building our economy with sound tax policy, availing capital to our entrepreneurs so that our entrepreneurs can be creative, can pursue innovation and grow jobs, becoming prosperous. And they will pay taxes. They will pay a fair amount of taxes all along the way. But let's not take too much of it and punish them.

Speaker, on rollcall No. 221, due to a meeting with constituents on issues relating to my district, I was unable to cast the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 76, honoring the 50th anniversary of the International Geophysical Year. In 1882-1883, the first International Polar Year counted 12 participating countries, with 13 expeditions to the Arctic and two expeditions to the Antarctic to study the geophysical attributes of the polar regions.

In order to expand research opportunities beyond the polar regions, in 1957 and 1958, organizers changed the name of the third International Polar Year to the International Geophysical Year. Beginning in March of 2007 and running through March of 2009, the fourth International Polar Year celebrates the 50th anniversary of the International Geophysical Year.

In the United States, not only NASA, which is highlighted in this resolution, but the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Department of Energy are all actively participating in the fourth International Polar Year and the 50th anniversary of the International Geophysical Year.

The International Geophysical Year brought about the launching of the first artificial satellites and successful scientific collaborations that continue today. The current International Polar Year and 50th anniversary celebration of the International Geophysical Year seek to encourage and challenge the young men and women in scientific and engineering careers to bring about fundamental advancements in many areas of science and technology.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Concurrent Resolution 76.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express some thoughts and concerns about taxation. Certainly, as taxes are due today, I know that post offices around the country are well staffed, up to midnight. It is interesting as I have paid my taxes in the past, kind of pushing it up to the last minute, to see everyone else who pushes up the payment of their taxes to the last minute. But the fact is, it does take place.

But I rise today to very briefly reflect on what today means. Certainly I realize that paying taxes is a necessary function of a civilization, but I also rise to express my concern that some tax policies that have been working over the past few years are in jeopardy. The tax relief packages offered by President Bush and certainly those in the House and Senate who supported tax relief have done good things, in fact, great things, in terms of revenues to the Federal Government, but I would say so in terms of revenues to the household budget even more importantly.

We in Congress cannot utilize what we call ``dynamic scoring,'' the reflection of what lower taxes can do in terms of tax revenue. I understand that. I think it is unfortunate. Be that as it may, we are faced with some tough decisions, decisions impacting the budget long term, and I wish to speak of my concern for the long term.

I have learned over the years that government spending compounds once a new program is started. We have to be very mindful of that. We have to be mindful that as we look down the road, we have to come up with ways to cover the expenses of new programs. That is why I believe we should be careful when we talk about adopting new programs.

When it comes to the tax burden in general, certainly April 15th, and now the 16th, speaks volumes not only in the 3\1/2\ months it takes to prepare taxes owed from the prior year, but we often hear about ``tax freedom day.'' Preliminary research tells us most recently this year's tax freedom day is actually April 30. It takes a full 4 months, on average, for Americans to earn enough money in their household to pay their Federal income tax.

Now, throw on top of the Federal income tax State income tax, and in a State like my State of Nebraska, property tax, it is a heavy burden in Nebraska, and sales tax, plus the other

fees and taxes associated; and I just think it is important that we reflect on this.

We heard earlier about financial literacy. Yes, we have an issue with credit card debt, for example. But I think that it would serve us well to make sure that for consumers and citizens of all kinds, that we teach them about the tax burden, tax freedom day, and not just paying taxes by April 15th or 16th, but more so what it might mean to take some of those dollars paid in taxes and perhaps invest those.

And it is interesting, as we look at our economy in general, what available capital means to a business, to an individual.

I am inspired to hear of individuals who wish to start a business but for the available capital. When we look at what available capital can do in a house, whether it is a project around the house or whether it's a small business incubating, I think that we should look at various ways we can avail capital to our citizens, primarily through tax relief.

It is absolutely vital that we always keep this in mind, especially as we constantly need to look at growing our economy. And that it is not just coincidence, as some might suggest, that tax relief actually led to job creation and increased revenues to the Federal Government. I don't believe that that's just coincidence. I believe that that is through fashioning good tax policy and allowing individuals, individual taxpayers, to keep more of what they earn because when they spend those dollars, they spend them more wisely, and those dollars are leveraged into actually greater Federal revenue so that we can provide for those who cannot provide for themselves.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of International Women's Month, which this year we celebrated during the month of March.

Throughout the month, we have passed legislation recognizing the impact women have had on our Nation and the world itself. We have heard speeches honoring these individuals who have made life richer and better.

As March comes to a close, I want to individually honor several women from my home state of Nebraska who have made a difference.

I also want to encourage all Members of Congress to help celebrate International Women's Month all year long, through education, support, and service.

Throughout Nebraska's history, we have been fortunate to have had a number of exceptional women call our State home. It is in their name and the names of the exceptional women yet to come that we celebrate this month--and all year long.

Names such as Louise Pound, Willa Cather, and Mari Sandoz spring readily to mind when discussing Nebraska women who have opened minds and imaginations.

But during times of change, women such as children's crusader Grace Abbott and journalist Rheta ChiIde Dorr--the first woman to cover World War I from the front lines--have served as inspirations.

The first American Indian woman doctor was Dr. Susan LaFlesche Picotte. The hospital she built in Walthill is now called the Picotte Center.

Nebraska women have also shouldered leadership for our State. Senator JoAnn Maxey was the first African American to serve as State Senator. Senators Fern Orme and Florence Reynolds also deserve mention.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Governor Kay Orr, who was elected the first Republican woman Governor in the United States, or Rep. Virginia Smith, who set the standard for all House Members, not just from the Third District of Nebraska.

Finally, we should also honor the women who served in our armed forces and who put their lives at risk for our freedom. In particular, let us remember Sgt. 1st Class Linda Ann Tarango-Griess and Staff Sgt. Tricia Jameson, who lost their lives in Operation Iraqi Freedom and who called Nebraska home.

Our country is blessed to have freedoms so many areas of the world unfortunately do not. We have the freedom to succeed, and many women through our history have done just that. Now is the time to encourage the next generation to follow in their footsteps.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to Army SGT Wayne Cornell, a Nebraska native who lost his life last week. Cornell and another soldier were killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Baghdad. They were soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry, 4th Brigade, 1st Infantry Division.

Wayne was on his first tour of duty in Iraq, and during 4 years with the Nebraska Army National Guard, had served twice in Bosnia and once in Afghanistan.

According to his family, Wayne was a strong man--both physically and emotionally. He was a black belt in taekwondo and a loving husband and father.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Wayne's wife, Patricia, who is expecting their third child this July. It is heartbreaking that a man who is often described as someone who ``lived for his wife and kids,'' will not be able to see his children grow and succeed in his footsteps.

We all owe Sergeant Cornell a debt of gratitude we can never repay. His courage, love of family, and strength should set the benchmark for us all.