Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the distinguished career of Mr. Dominic Calabro of Tallahassee, Florida, who is in his thirtieth year of public service with Florida TaxWatch, the statewide, nonpartisan, nonprofit government watchdog and research institute that has served the taxpayers of my home State of Florida for more than three decades.

Mr. Calabro was first hired as a Senior Research Analyst for Florida TaxWatch in 1980, promoted to Executive Director in 1982, and has served as the CEO of TaxWatch since 1986. He has guided the growth of TaxWatch into a dynamic, influential organization dedicated to improving government productivity and taxpayer value through research and civic engagement. TaxWatch recommendations, approximately 70 percent of which have been adopted by Florida's government, have saved billions of dollars for Florida taxpayers.

In addition to identifying and working to improve government spending in the public interest, Mr. Calabro and TaxWatch are the key players in the annual Prudential-Davis Productivity Awards, a nationally unique public-private partnership that recognizes and rewards exceptional Florida state employees whose innovative work measurably increases productivity and saves taxpayer money.

Mr. Calabro's hard work and dedication has helped Florida TaxWatch earn and maintain the respect of the state's most highly regarded and influential leaders, as well respect of the citizens of Florida and the state and national media. Mr. Calabro has received numerous honors and awards, including being named by the National Junior Chamber of Commerce as one of Ten Outstanding Young Americans for 1994, and during this same period, many Florida TaxWatch recommendations have served as the impetus for important changes to Florida budgetary and taxation policy, including the Taxpayers Bill of Rights of 1992, the Government Performance Accountability Act of 1994, the complete phase-out of the Intangibles Tax, and a recent Government Cost Savings Task Force that so far has saved the

state nearly $3 billion to weather the current economic climate.

In addition to his many roles in government accountability, Mr. Calabro is involved in a number of community organizations, including the Florida Network of Youth and Family Services, the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, the United Way of the Big Bend, the Knights of Columbus, and the Board of Directors of Florida House.

Mr. Calabro is also dedicated to improvements in public education. He is on the Board of Advisors for Florida State University's Graduate School of Social Work. Mr. Calabro also serves on the Florida Education Foundation and Communities in Schools of Florida.

Mr. Calabro has been supported in all of his endeavors by his loving wife of thirty-one years, Debbie. Mr. and Mrs. Calabro are devoted to their four children, Diana, Dominic, Christina, and Danny.

I ask my distinguished colleagues to join me in congratulating Mr. Calabro on his thirty years of service with Florida TaxWatch, and to wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.

I thank Chairman Rahall for offering this manager's amendment and giving me time to speak.

Mr. Chairman, in this manager's amendment, there's a provision that is very important to the folks in the district I represent in northwest Florida. Ladies and gentlemen, our local economy has been significantly impacted by the BP oil spill. Many of our people are out of work as a result of this man-made disaster that they had no hand in creating. Fortunately, we have been successful in setting up the BP Oil Spill Victims Compensation Fund which will help speed relief to the victims of this tragedy and help respond to one of the gulf coast's greatest needs.

This amendment that is being offered by Chairman Rahall will ensure that gulf residents will have the right of first refusal for the job opportunities processing the claims filed for the oil spill.

It emphasizes the importance of gulf residents serving their neighbors by processing these claims and ensuring that they receive the consideration for the ramifications of this spill.

I have already spoken with Mr. Ken Feinberg, the administrator of the BP Deepwater Horizon Victims Fund, about employing local residents to process claims, and he agrees with me that there is no one better suited to perform this essential task. In fact, I told him that in north Florida we have a ready and willing workforce ready to go. These workers, who unfortunately are looking for work as a result of their corporations' closing their facility, have the skill and the talent that directly align with the skills needed to process oil spill claims. They should be considered first in line to beef up the newly established claims fund and ensure a high quality response for fellow gulf coast residents.

I recommend a ``yes'' vote on the chairman's manager's amendment.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of the Bay Defense Alliance of Bay County, Florida, whose members have selflessly dedicated both time and service on behalf of the citizens of North Florida in support of the United States Armed Forces. More specifically, the Bay Defense Alliance has been critical throughout the years in protecting the futures of both the Naval Support Activity--Panama City and Tyndall Air Force Base both located in the Congressional District that I represent.

The accomplishments of the Bay Defense Alliance can be seen in countless projects throughout our region. They have been responsible for having more than $4.5 million in grants awarded to our local bases; they have

improved community awareness of defense and training issues; and they have facilitated direct interaction between members of the community and senior military service leaders. The accomplishments of the Bay Defense Alliance have helped ensure that the military facilities in North Florida remain a cornerstone of the local communities for many years to come. The most recent triumph has been the addition of a squadron of F-22s to Tyndall Air Force Base. Without their constant dedication, vigilance and support, the Air Force surely would not have looked so favorably on our region.

Madam Speaker, when anyone needs an example of true patriotism, they need look no further than to this organization of Floridians who achieved remarkable success while in humble service to their fellow citizens. On behalf of the Congress, I applaud the accomplishments of the Bay Defense Alliance and thank its members for their continued support for the United States Armed Forces and the citizens of North Florida.

Mr. Speaker, we are 2 weeks into the hurricane season, and already the first tropical depression has formed in the Atlantic. If one of these storms were to strike the Gulf of Mexico, with millions of barrels of oil on top, the results would be disastrous to the communities along the gulf.

To make sure our region is prepared to deal with the effects that a hurricane or a tropical storm could have, this past Monday I held a joint oil spill-hurricane planning conference in Bay County, Florida. The conference brought together representatives from Federal and State emergency response agencies, and it brought together military leaders and key local stakeholders to discuss the hazards associated with a hurricane's impact on the oil spill and to discuss the threats posed to our area by having oil propelled inland.

Working together, we identified several planning and action items that need to be taken to better brace for the effects that a storm would have on our communities now that there is oil in the Gulf of Mexico. I plan to deliver these action items to the President and to urge him to incorporate these recommendations into a Federal hurricane preparedness and response plan so that our communities and people can be better protected.

North Florida is already feeling the significant economic and environmental distress from the BP oil spill. It is our responsibility to take steps to safeguard our region.

I thank the gentlelady from California for yielding.

Madam Speaker, as a long-time advocate of restoring fiscal responsibility in Washington, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2142. This is an issue, Madam Speaker, that I have worked on for many years, including my time in the Florida House of Representatives, at which time I personally authored a bill which does many of the same things. We affectionately came to know that bill as performance-based budgeting. Performance-based budgeting, that's a novel idea, isn't it? PB squared, we called it.

As many of you know, I am a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, which was created to focus on these issues. This bill is one step of many that will move us toward these goals of effective and efficient government. H.R. 2142 requires the people closest to the ground that are directly involved in government programs to assess those programs and live up to the goals and standards that have been set for their programs. This is helpful to the Federal agencies. It's helpful to the taxpayer, and it's certainly helpful to Congress in our oversight duty.

Given today's fiscal situation, it is more important now than ever for the Federal Government to be making tough decisions in order to make the most out of every single taxpayer dollar. Each of us, no matter what our political leaning is, should be confident that the programs we support and that serve our constituencies are resulting in the biggest bang for the buck. I want to personally thank Mr. Cuellar from Texas, who is a fellow member of my Blue Dog task force for introducing this bill, and his partner Mr. Todd Platts. I also want to thank Chairman Towns, Ranking Member Issa, and the House leadership for their support of this initiative.

The Congress has taken strides to instill a greater sense of fiscal responsibility over the last year, including enactment of the pay-as- you-go language and the establishment of a fiscal commission. This bill builds on that commitment and seeks to ensure that we are acting as responsibly as possible as stewards of our taxpayer dollars.

Our efforts do not stop here, however. My Blue Dog colleagues and I have unveiled a 15-point blueprint for responsible fiscal reform, and we will continue working to curb spending, eliminate wasteful spending, and move towards a balanced budget. In the meantime, Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on H.R. 2142.

Madam Speaker, I thank my friend, the gentleman from Minnesota.

Madam Speaker, BP's failure to have a responsible plan in place to deal with the effects of this oil spill obviously has caused untold harm to our coastal communities and the men and women on our gulf coast, many of which I represent.

More needs to be done at every level to respond to this crisis. But one thing we will not tolerate is for there to be any disruption to the ongoing cleanup and containment efforts currently under way in the gulf, which is why I stand before you today in full support of S. 3473.

This bill ensures that the men and women fighting to contain this disaster have all the resources they need to continue their important work. Under this bill, the Federal Government will provide advance funding to sustain and support the cleanup and containment efforts currently under way.

But make no mistake: BP will be the ultimate financier. And they can count on receiving a bill once the total cost is in.

At the same time, while we are working to contain this crisis, we also must take steps to ensure this terrible situation does not become worse. Last week, Madam Speaker, I sent a letter to the President, urging his administration to develop a plan in case a tropical storm or hurricane hits the gulf coast, and it will.

The gulf region has weathered hurricanes in the past, but the presence of oil in our waters creates a number of unknown circumstances. And we need to be proactive in our efforts to protect our communities from a storm.

That is why next week I will convene the Joint Oil Spill-Hurricane Planning Conference to develop a comprehensive hurricane preparedness and recovery plan for north Florida. The conference will bring together local, State, and Federal officials and key stakeholders to develop a comprehensive and coordinated plan that identifies what actions need to be taken before, during, and after a possible storm.

We are clearly in uncharted waters, Madam Speaker, but that is no excuse for us failing to take action now against a threat that we know will strike sooner or later. We must begin planning now for this possibility.

I thank my colleague, Mr. Mica, for yielding.

Madam Speaker, we must begin planning now for this possibility of a hurricane hitting the gulf coast and what effect the oil spill, what additional damage that will cause. We must ensure the current cleanup and containment efforts under way are able to continue unabated.

Madam Speaker, I urge support for S. 3473.

I thank my friend, Mr. Cohen, for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as cochairman of the General Aviation Caucus, with my friend, Vern Ehlers, my fellow cochair, in support of this resolution honoring International Learn to Fly Day. I want to thank Chairman Oberstar and Ranking Member John Mica for their work on this bill to get it out of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. I also want to thank the original cosponsor of the bill, Representative Graves, for his work.

International Learn to Fly Day will be celebrated this Saturday, May 15, with opportunities throughout the country to learn more about the wonders of flying, how to get your pilots license, what to expect during flight training, and career options for you once you achieve that goal.

As many of you may surmise, I am a pilot myself, and I would encourage anyone I know to pursue their desire to learn to fly. You will not be disappointed. It's never too late to learn. Unlike Mr. Graves, I didn't grow up around flying, but in the service I became very interested in flying when I got an opportunity to spend a lot of time in a plane. When I came home and went into my profession, I continued to do that from time to time, and then, only less than 4 years ago, I achieved a lifelong goal of getting my private pilots license. I'm telling you, it has not been a disappointing experience.

I think it's very clear to us that when you travel around the country from time to time and go to these airports, particularly some of the smaller municipal airports, and see the general aviation activity, we learn how dependent we are in this country upon flying, and particularly the general aviation business. We have seen a good example in the recent volcano activity in Europe that our economies and our lives are limited without the ability to fly.

Mr. Speaker, Congress will surely earn its wings today if we pass this resolution. I urge support of H.R. 1284, and your local International Learn to Fly Day activities.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to attend votes this evening. Had I been present, my votes would have been as follows:

``Nay'' on Velazquez (NY) Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute; ``yea'' on the Motion to Recommit H.R. 2499; ``yea'' on H.R. 2499.

Mr. Speaker, due to personal reasons, I was unable to attend a vote. Had I been present, my vote would have been ``yea'' on final passage of H.R. 4715--Clean Estuaries Act of 2010.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Mr. Spratt from South Carolina.

Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen, I heard a wise man once say that you never saw a great country with an uneducated and unhealthy population. We are headed there. Sixty-seven thousand uninsured in the congressional district that I represent will be helped by this bill. We all know the statistics about the spiraling cost of insurance and the ever-increasing percentage of uninsureds within our own districts and across this Nation. We all agree this is an unsustainable path. I have heard you say it many times. So I ask you, How high do these numbers have to go before we act?

Earlier I heard the gentlelady from Washington State say it is the wrong time. For 22 years in my legislative service, as I have been trying to find solutions, I have heard it is the wrong time. I know many of you have been trying to find those solutions, too, from time to time; solutions for those high costs, the spiraling high costs, the ever-increasing number of uninsureds on an annual basis, solutions that would do it in a fiscally responsible way and use the good parts of our private-sector delivery system. Ladies and gentlemen, this bill does all four of those things.

Mr. Speaker, if we fail to act now, the path we are on will create a society of haves and have-nots based solely on one's ability to purchase health insurance.

I know this bill isn't perfect. There are some things in it that I don't like; but seldom are bills perfect the first time around. The other side has brought us no viable alternatives. So then I ask you, ladies and gentlemen, if not this, then what? If not now, then when?

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' for the health of our people and the strength of our economy.

Madam Speaker, I thank my friend, Mr. Baca, and also Mr. Lucas for their help and support of this bill. I also want to thank Chairman Colin Peterson and members and staff of the Agriculture Committee, and particularly my friends Jeff Miller and Ander Crenshaw for all the work they've put into moving this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I introduced this legislation to help the State of Florida make some much needed land exchanges between State and Federal governments. In many parts of Florida, State and Federal lands are intermingled. This patchwork of ownership adds much expense and confusion in the management of public lands. This legislation will help both Federal and State agencies take better care of several lands throughout the State, including the Apalachicola National Forest, which is in Florida's Second Congressional District.

This exchange will also help protect the environment as well. I am very fortunate to represent a place called Wakulla Springs, which is one of Florida's cleanest and most beautiful spring locations. Wakulla Springs is also a popular outdoor recreation site for many in north Florida and others who come to visit.

Believe it or not, glass bottom boat rides are still very popular at this spring and offer families a chance to enjoy the outdoors and see how beautiful north Florida is.

Most recently, the springs have been under the threat of pollution. By exchanging these lands, we will have a better ability to keep the springs clean. This legislation will help the Forest Service better protect lands around the springs, which impact water flow to the springs and will help keep them crystal clear.

Protecting Florida's natural environment is very important to me. This exchange will protect pristine forest land in the State of Florida for future generations. And I am very proud to support this legislation, and would urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3650, the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act. I represent North Florida along the coast line of the Gulf of Mexico. My district has some of the most beautiful and cleanest beaches in the Nation, as well as a strong fishing and oyster industry. This coastline is pristine and much of it is undeveloped. Every time the Algal Blooms near our coastline, our local economy and environment come under threat.

Algal blooms have a significant impact on our seafood industry. In particular, the blooms directly affect the filter-feeders. Oysters and scallops are a significant economic engine to many of the small towns along the Gulf coastline. When the 2005 algal bloom incident occurred, many folks in my district lost a significant amount of their income because of the toxins that result from algal blooms. In fact, the Apalachicola Bay was closed for over 50 percent of the season, resulting in loss of seafood harvest, cancelled tourist reservations, regional defamation and illness that exceeded millions.

Algal blooms also have a significant impact on Florida's tourism industry. The effects of the toxins can lead to respiratory and eye problems in people who are exposed. When algal blooms take over, tourists can not enjoy the wildlife and ecosystems they came to experience and this has a clear and disastrous impact on our State's $53 billion tourism industry.

In conclusion, the welfare of our coastal communities, seafood production, and health in the Apalachicola Bay, and all along the Florida coast, remains at risk due to algal blooms. This situation must have more attention and science devoted to protect our economy and job, as well as the environment and public health. I support H.R. 3650 and will continue to do my part to help develop responsible and more effective methods to stop algal blooms.

Madam Speaker, due to personal reasons, I was unable to attend a vote. Had I been present, my vote would have been ``yea'' on final passage of H.R. 3619, the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute.

I rise in favor of this PAYGO legislation. This has been a priority of mine and my Blue Dog colleagues for many, many years, and I am proud to stand here today where we're on the brink of final passage of this very important legislation.

Madam Speaker, PAYGO was the very first bill that President Obama sent to Congress last year, and the progress we made in the last year would not be possible without his support. And I want to thank the President for weighing in and supporting fiscal responsibility.

I also want to take a moment to thank the leaders of the House who have been so important, particularly Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has a commitment to fiscal responsibility, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who you've already heard from, and also chairman of the Budget Committee, the gentleman from South Carolina, John Spratt.

My Blue Dog colleagues and I will continue to advocate for tools to bring our fiscal house in order because this is only the very first step. It is a small step, and it will not solve all of our problems that have been created over the last decade, but we will continue to advocate for tools that will pave the way for long-term economic stability.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure and privilege to yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the Budget Committee chairman, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen).

Madam Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds.

Madam Speaker, you hear a lot about when the debt was incurred. I think it's important that we all understand that the policies that were put in place that caused that debt to be incurred started in 2001 with the economic package. Subsequently, we had the war, and then we had a recession. All that came from 2001 to 2007. That was under the policies of the previous administration and the previous Congress. So I want the Members to keep that in mind.

General Leave

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this motion.

Madam Speaker, I would like to yield 1 minute now to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Bishop).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch) who is also a cosponsor of the original PAYGO legislation.

Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hill), a real leader on this issue for all of his years in Congress.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute.

Madam Speaker, PAYGO, when it was put in place in the past in the 1990s, was put in place with bipartisan votes. It is my hope that the gentleman from Indiana will work with us in a bipartisan way.

The first thing we must do is understand exactly what PAYGO does. He said, for example, that PAYGO has a list of exemptions which wouldn't affect current spending programs. Well, PAYGO has nothing to do with current spending. It speaks to additional and new entitlement, mandatory spending programs and-or tax reductions, changes in law.

So the first thing we should do, Madam Speaker, is get a good understanding about exactly what PAYGO does do--stop digging the hole, and

then we can begin to fill in the hole and reach fiscal responsibility, reach a balanced budget like we did back in the 1990s.

Madam Speaker, with that, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Quigley).

Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews).

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

Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time each side has.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself 15 seconds.

I would like to remind the gentlelady from Wyoming that we did borrow-as-you-go since 2001, and we want to do pay-as-you-go starting now.

It is my privilege to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania, the vice chair of the Budget Committee, Ms. Schwartz.

Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Hinchey).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Dakota, a fellow Blue Dog, Mr. Pomeroy.

Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee, a great leader on this issue for many, many, many years, leader of the Blue Dogs, Mr. Tanner.

Madam Speaker, it is my privilege now to recognize the Speaker of the House, and yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from California (Ms. Pelosi).

Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Mrs. Dahlkemper).

Madam Speaker, it is my privilege now to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin).

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

Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have left?

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

Madam Speaker, it's been a good debate, and I join my colleague and friend Mr. Ryan of Wisconsin in a call for working together in a bipartisan way to solve these problems. Madam Speaker, that's the only way that we will solve this massive problem that we have. I don't think any of us take pleasure--I know Mr. Ryan doesn't and I don't--in being here and talking about having to raise the debt ceiling because of policies we have put in place in the past that have incurred a tremendous deficit and mounting debt in this country. I would be less pleased if I had voted for those policies, and I would be embarrassed.

I can give you an example: the economic package of 2001 that carried us down this trail; subsequently, 9/11; subsequently, Medicare prescription drug

programs unpaid for; wars that we continued to cut taxes while we were committing our troops overseas and hundreds of billions of dollars to prosecute those wars.

Madam Speaker, we have to stop this foolish policy of spending more than we take in. Congress has consistently shown that we don't have the will to discipline ourselves when it comes to spending the revenue. Pay-as-you-go legislation is a tool that will put us back on the right path to fiscal responsibility. It worked in the past, as others have said, put in place first by George W. Bush, Sr., along with the Democratic Congress, and then later on by President Clinton with the Republican Congress. We can do it again if we work in a bipartisan way. This is a great first step, though.

For those who criticize the legislation as having too many exemptions, I'm very pleased to hear Mr. Ryan and others say they've changed their tune about exemptions, because I've got some vote sheets here that show that they voted to enact spending programs or mandatory programs that we had paid for, but they voted against the bill when it's paid for and then voted for it when it's not paid for. So I assume that means that they have taken a different approach into how we're going to do business in the future. This pay-as-you-go legislation not only will encourage that, but will require it statutorily.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Murtha and Ranking Member Young for their work on the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Appropriations Act. This bill will ensure that our military members have the equipment, training and resources they need to continue to defend our great nation, particularly in light of the continuing engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a Vietnam veteran, I understand the sacrifices our troops are making and they are never far from my mind in the work I do here.

I specifically want to highlight the section in the bill under consideration today regarding the Combat Air Force restructure plan and thank the Chairman for his work with me on this provision to delay the early retirement of F-15s from Tyndall Air Force Base. I also want to acknowledge and thank the Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Staff for their incredible dedication and willingness to resolve this tough issue with me.

This six month delay of the Combat Air Force restructure plan stipulated in H.R. 3326 represents a tremendous legislative victory for Bay County and is the result of a year's worth of efforts by our community. Working together, we have put Tyndall in a strategic position to be a key component of the Air Force's next generation fighter infrastructure. It has been made clear from the very highest levels of the Air Force, from the Chief and Secretary, that Tyndall is a national jewel that plays, and will continue to play, a valuable role in our country's defense.

I also want to thank the people of Bay County, particularly the Bay Defense Alliance, who have been partners with me as we worked together to protect the economic interest of our community and security interests of our country. It is no secret from the halls of Congress to the halls of the Pentagon that the community supporting Tyndall Air Force Base is top notch.

Additionally, I look forward to the results of the reporting requirements in this bill that will help us all better understand the Air Force's fighter requirements and the impact that the drawdown would have on our nation's combat air forces and the communities that support them.

In summary, this bill will make sure that our nation remains the strongest military in the world and I strongly support it.