Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, record high gas prices are forcing most American families to make some tough decisions this summer. While prices remain around $4 a gallon, some families have to decide if they should take that planned summer vacation or not, while others are trying to determine what normal everyday drives can be eliminated because they simply cannot afford it.

This Democratic Congress recognizes the financial hardship these record prices are creating for everyone. That is why we have passed seven bills in the last couple of months to help lower prices.

We passed legislation in a strong, bipartisan fashion suspending sending more oil to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve until the end of the year, which will result in a 25 cents a gallon price reduction in July. We also passed legislation holding OPEC and big oil accountable for price fixing and cracking down on oil companies engaged in market manipulation.

Mr. Speaker, as Americans face continued pain at the pump, we should work in a strong bipartisan fashion to pass commonsense legislation that provides some immediate relief.

Madam Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 5749, the Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act that will provide immediate relief to 3.8 million unemployed workers who continue to struggle to find work in the slowing economy.

Recently, the Nation experienced the biggest one-month jump in the unemployment rate in more than two decades, rising from 5.0 percent to 5.5 percent and is now an entire percentage point higher than a year ago. Americans have been losing jobs in each of the past 5 months, with the number of unemployed now at 3.8 million. The airline and automobile industries alone have laid off over 50,000 employees combined.

The current high levels of unemployment have only added to the struggles of the U.S. economy by adding thousands more Americans to those having a hard time making ends meet. This bill will provide the necessary extension of unemployment benefits to those 3.8 million Americans who struggle to find employment within the current timeframe.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this necessary legislation that will give our economy the relief it needs. Extending these benefits is an efficient and quick way to support our country's workers and invigorate the economy. My Democratic colleagues and I are committed to providing the much needed relief to the millions of unemployed workers, who in the face of rising gas and food costs, continue to struggle to support themselves and their families.

Madam Speaker, President Bush and congressional Republicans continue to blame today's record gas prices on our refusal to open more land up for drilling. They claim that if we allowed big oil to drill more, gas prices would fall. What Republicans neglect to say is that the number of drilling permits increased dramatically over the last 5 years from 3,800 permits in 2002 to 7,500 last year.

That's right. Big oil is actually getting access to more land to drill, but is doing nothing to bring down the price of gas. Big oil has access to millions of acres of Federal land. But for some reason, they have yet to do any drilling. According to a new Natural Resources Committee report, oil and gas companies hold leases to nearly 68 million

acres of Federal land that they are not currently drilling. If big oil really wants to drill more, why aren't they drilling?

Madam Speaker, Washington Republicans are wrong again to rely on big oil to bring down the prices at the pump. After all, while American consumers battle these record prices, big oil is laughing all the way to the bank.

Mr. Speaker, the record price of gasoline is pinching the wallets of every American. It seems every day the price hits another record. Since day one this Democratic House has been committed to lowering prices at the pump and adopting a smarter energy future.

Thanks to a Democratic Congress, President Bush finally agreed to temporarily suspend sending oil to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, a move that will instantly lower gas prices by about a quarter when it goes into effect by the end of this month.

Thanks to this Democratic Congress, the Federal Trade Commission recently agreed to implement the market

manipulation authority that it was given in an energy law that we passed last year. This agreement should ensure that the U.S. petroleum market is free from price and supply manipulation.

Mr. Speaker, the Bush administration would have never acted on these two issues had it not been for the persistence of this Democratic Congress. We will continue to pressure the administration and congressional Republicans to join us in lowering gas prices.

Madam Speaker, I would like to state for the Record my position on the following votes I missed on June 3, 2008. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall 367 on H. Con. Res. 138; ``yes'' on rollcall 923 on H. Res. 923; and ``yes'' on rollcall 369 on H. Res. 1114.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to rise today to congratulate a teacher in my district who has been recognized for her excellence in teaching. Bess Mitsakos from the Wallace School in Hoboken, New Jersey, received the International Technology Educators Association Program Excellence Award for elementary schools in New Jersey on February 22, 2008.

Ms. Mitsakos began her teaching career 9 years ago and has spent the last 7 years as a kindergarten through fifth grade science teacher. In that short time, she has become a highly decorated teacher, with a number of awards to her name.

Ms. Mitsakos is committed to increasing student interest, engagement, and learning through the use of computer-based educational tools as well as engineering and technological design activities.

I have no doubt that her students will have a strong science, math and engineering foundation that will help them succeed in life. I am proud to recognize her and her accomplishments, and I wish her continued success.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Emergency Medical Services Week which takes place the week of May 18 thru May 24, 2008. Emergency medical services are a vital public service, and the members of emergency medical service teams are ready to provide lifesaving care to those in need 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Access to quality emergency care is not only a necessity but dramatically improves the survival and recovery rate of those who experience sudden illness or injury. The emergency medical services system consists of emergency physicians, emergency nurses, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, firefighters, educators, and administrators.

The members of the emergency medical services teams, whether career or volunteer, engage in thousands of hours of specialized training and continuing education to enhance their lifesaving skills. It is appropriate to recognize the value and the accomplishments of emergency medical service providers by designating Emergency Medical Services Week.

Please join me in honoring Extraordinary People, Extraordinary Service and may we all continue to encourage our communities to observe this week with appropriate programs, ceremonies and activities.

Madam Speaker, I would like to state for the record my position on the following vote I missed on Tuesday, May 13, 2008. If present, I would have voted ``yes'' during rollcall No. 306 on H. Res. 1181, Expressing condolences and sympathy to the people of Burma for the grave loss of life and vast destruction caused by Cyclone Nargis.

Mr. Speaker, today the House will begin debate on the comprehensive housing package that will help families keep their homes, prevent foreclosures in the future, and help the recovery of communities left almost vacant by the housing crisis. Today, more than 3.5 million homes sit empty in America, and if Washington does not act, another 2 million Americans are expected to lose their homes in the coming months.

The Democratic housing package will provide mortgage refinancing assistance to families so they can stay in their homes. We do this by expanding the FHA program so the borrowers in danger of losing their homes can refinance into lower-cost government-issued mortgages. The housing package also provides $15 billion in loans and grants to States so they can acquire foreclosed homes and rehabilitate properties in areas hit hard by the housing crisis.

Mr. Speaker, this housing package is the best response to our Nation's housing problem.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H. Res. 1109, honoring the memory of Mr. Dith Pran, a constituent of mine from Woodbridge, New Jersey, who passed away on March 30, 2008, at the age of 65. Mr. Dith was a photojournalist for the New York Times and a renowned human rights advocate, who became the face of the atrocities in Cambodia carried out by the Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot. After fleeing Cambodia in 1979, Mr. Dith devoted his life to advocating against genocide and finding justice for victims of genocide through his advocacy.

After working as a translator and receptionist in Cambodia, he was hired in the early 1970s by Sydney H. Schanberg of the New York Times to be a guide and interpreter. The incredible friendship and partnership that developed between the two men became the basis for the 1984 film, ``The Killing Fields,'' which helped bring to light the brutality of the Khmer Rouge regime.

In 1985, Mr. Dith became a U.S. citizen and a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. In 1994, he worked with former Senator Charles Robb to help pass the Cambodian Genocide Justice Act. Mr. Dith was a tireless advocate constantly speaking out about the Cambodian genocide, so that the world would know and never forget.

This resolution is to honor Mr. Dith's commitment to raising awareness about the atrocities that took place in Cambodia, as well as to recognize the strength and courage of an ordinary man who lived an extraordinary life. Mr. Speaker, I would urge all my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, skyrocketing gas prices continue to squeeze Americans who are now paying more than double the price for gasoline than they did when President Bush first took office. Families and businesses are paying a heavy price for the Bush administration's failure to enact a comprehensive energy plan.

In December, the Democratic Congress passed a historic Energy Independence and Security Act which is expected to lower gas prices for the average family anywhere between $700 and $1,000 a year. In addition to this landmark legislation, the Democratic Congress has passed six other bills that put us on a path towards energy independence and crack down on price gouging. However, President Bush and his Republican allies in Congress strongly opposed every single one of these bills.

Mr. Speaker, for years, the President promised to end the addiction to foreign oil, but this administration's energy policies favor massive subsidies for the oil industry. As gas prices hit record highs, President Bush should reconsider his opposition to these bills.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 322, to recognize the 60th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel and the bond of friendship between the United States and Israel. Like the United States, the State of Israel has stood as a beacon of democracy and hope for Jewish immigrants all over the world. As an immigrant myself, I understand the importance of the democratic freedoms and values that our Nation holds dear. The United States and Israel share and embrace those values as the cornerstones of a vibrant, democratic society.

Last August, I was fortunate enough to visit Israel for the first time, and I witnessed the importance of friendship that the United States and Israel share. We share the common goals of peace, freedom, security, and prosperity for our citizens and for the region.

I am pleased to help honor the State of Israel on its 60th birthday, and I would urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this resolution.

Madam Speaker, as millions of Members filled out their tax returns this week, many were concerned that their hard-earned tax dollars will be sent straight to Iraq. We have already spent $44 billion rebuilding Iraq, and the war costs our Nation about $12 billion a month.

We have families struggling here at home that can't pay their bills, are losing their homes, don't have health care, and the Bush administration is spending $12 billion a month on a war that shows no end in sight and no plans for success.

Our monthly investment in Iraq translated into approximately $339 million every single day. Taxpayers are probably wondering how could we better invest that money here in the United States. The $339 million we spend in Iraq a day could provide 48,000 homeless veterans with a place to live or we can assure 317,000 kids receive their vaccinations and live a healthy life.

House Democrats vow to fight to ensure that American tax dollars are used to rebuild America, not Iraq.

Madam Speaker, on Tax Day, Americans have a right to ask why the Bush administration continues to spend taxpayer dollars on an Iraq war that has no end in sight and no plans for success.

Today, President Bush will spend more than $338 million in Iraq. What exactly does that mean for the taxpayer sending in his or her form today? The typical taxpayer covers the cost of the war in Iraq for only one-half a second.

And while we continue to ship billions of dollars to Iraq while our economy is going south and our budget deficit continues to hit record highs every year, the Iraqi government currently has a surplus and is expecting to receive $40 billion this year in oil revenues. Can someone please make sense of this policy?

Madam Speaker, the American taxpayer has every right to demand more accountability from Washington. Congressional Democrats continue to propose a change in policy, one that shifts more responsibility to the Iraqis themselves. They can certainly afford it. Unfortunately, President Bush and his supporters in Congress ignore the

American people and congressional Democrats who do not want to see taxpayer dollars wasted in Iraq any longer.

Madam Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 5501, the Tom Lantos Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/ AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008. The passage of this bipartisan bill will continue Congress' commitment to the fight against HIV, T–B and malaria around the world. Currently, 95 percent of people with HIV live in the developing world, and I believe we must be leaders in combating the global AIDS crisis. H.R. 5501 would: dramatically boost HIV/AIDS programs for women and girls, strengthen health and education systems in nations hard-hit by the HIV virus, and provide funding for orphans and vulnerable children, as well as food and nutrition programs.

The World Health Organization estimates that over 38 million people are living with HIV/AIDS.

I believe H.R. 5501 provides needed funding and support to transition the very successful PEPFAR program, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill. Finally, I can think of no better way to honor our late chairman, Tom Lantos, and his predecessor, Henry Hyde, by naming this bill after them. Chairman Lantos was an inspiration to so many and spent his entire life fighting for those around the world that were less fortunate. His memory will live on through his wife, family, and the lives of those who are saved with this vital legislation.