Floor Statements

I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership on this issue, and I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma for his eloquence in speaking to it as well.

I rise today, Mr. Speaker, in support of House Resolution 1200, a resolution I introduced to honor some of the unsung heroes of our Nation. They are our military support groups.

All across our great Nation and throughout the world, our troops and their families are making incredible sacrifices for our country. Since 2001, more than 1.7 million members of the Armed Forces have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. And many of these brave men and women are being sent back for numerous tours of duty, and each time they represent our country with honor and a proud sense of duty. And we must never forget the incredible service they provide for our great Nation.

We, as Members of Congress, must do everything in our power to ease the burden their service places on them and their families.

One incredible source of support and assistance for our troops and their families are military support groups. All across our country, servicemembers and their families and friends have formed these crucial support networks.

Military support groups offer a variety of important services to members of our Armed Forces and their families. From providing financial assistance, employment assistance and tax return preparation, to offering counseling and prayer groups, sending care packages and writing letters, support groups serve a vital purpose within the military family and within our communities.

My bill, House Resolution 1200, honors the dedication and outstanding work of military support groups across this country for their steadfast support of the members of our Armed Forces and their families.

I'm very proud, Mr. Speaker, that one of these support groups, Family and Friends Connected, is based in Akron, Ohio, in my congressional district. This group was started by one of my constituents, Saundra Hunt. With a daughter in the Air Force and a son in the Marine Corps, Saundra knows more than a thing or two about the need to support our military families. And so, on November 9, 2001, Saundra established Family and Friends Connected to bring military families together. And on the second Friday of every month, military families and friends from all over northeastern Ohio come together to support one another. They come from Akron and Barberton and Canton and Cleveland; they come from Cuyahoga Falls, and Copley and Dover and Hartville, Hudson, Stow and Tallmadge and Wadsworth. They come together to find common support.

I want to take a moment and recognize Saundra, who took her own family's experience and used it to make a positive impact on the lives of others in the same situation. Saundra dedicates a listening ear to military families, and is available to them at every hour, day or night. Because of her endless commitment and compassion, there is an obvious love for her within the group.

I've had the honor and privilege of attending one of their meetings, and I can attest firsthand to the dedication and the uplifting camaraderie of those who participate in Family and Friends Connected.

Saundra and the Family and Friends Connected are just one example of the many support groups across the country that have provided endless amounts of time, energy and compassion to our military families. These are people who truly understand what military families go through, and they provide very real comfort and support for one another.

The kindness and understanding these groups provide to our servicemembers and to each other is nothing short of inspirational. It is such an important service for our Nation's military families and yet, Mr. Speaker, they ask for nothing in return. They do it because of a love of country, a respect for service, and an understanding of the sacrifices that our military families so selflessly make. Their unwavering emotional and material support helps to fortify our military, allowing them to carry out the missions our Nation asks of them.

We, in Congress, must always honor our brave servicemen and women, in word and in deed. Likewise, we should

honor those who dedicate themselves to their support. That's why I introduced this important resolution to honor these amazing groups. They did not ask for any recognition for their service, but we can all agree that they deserve to be honored for all they do for our military families and for our country.

I ask for your support of this critical resolution honoring our military support groups.

I thank the gentleman. I thank you for putting together this hour that we have to honor Congressman John Seiberling. I do rise with a deep sense of humility and appreciation to speak about this great man.

Congressman Seiberling was an extraordinary public servant and humanitarian who gave countless years of humble service to the people of northeast Ohio and our country. His unflinching commitment to the rule of law and the pursuit of social justice have inspired so many. Through selfless service, John Seiberling and his extraordinary wife, Betty, have given those of us in the Akron community, Ohio and this Nation, far more than we can adequately pay tribute to here tonight.

But for all that you have given us so generously in service, we thank you.

Though I am almost certain he would argue this point, John Seiberling was a great man, and the fact that he would, with humility, object to such praise, would only prove the point. Congressman Seiberling, together with Congressman Ralph Regula, worked to create the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, a gift for the ages, bettering the lives of people throughout our area, our country and our world. From near and far, people visit the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, making it among the most visited national parks in this country.

Congressman Seiberling was a special soul, one who traveled a path of common good. He touched so many lives throughout this Nation and beyond, and I, like others, like Tim and others here today, were so fortunate to have him touch ours.

I shall never forget the occasion that I became aware of John Seiberling. I was blessed with an opportunity to visit Washington, D.C., as a high school student.

As fate would have it, on the day that I came to this, the United States House of Representatives, I sat in the gallery, and the distinguished gentleman from Ohio, Congressman John Seiberling, rose to the floor to speak to an issue of the day.

Though I will always recall this amazing experience, I could not tell you the subject matter of his remarks. It was not the subject that struck me that day, it was his passion, his unabashed resolve. It was the heart with which he spoke on behalf of those he so clearly served.

After leaving Congress, Representative Seiberling returned home to Akron and continued his service to our community as a teacher and a scholar.

Fate again brought me to his presence. As a law student at the University of Akron School of Law, I had the privilege to be his student. My fellow law students and I were blessed to witness his humble strength and his enduring belief in public service as a pursuit of a high calling.

As he taught us about the legislative process, which was the subject of the course, we learned about the work and perseverance that went into the creation of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and also into passage of the Alaska Lands Act of 1980, which was an achievement of historic proportion.

But amazing though his achievements were, Congressman Seiberling never bragged of his accomplishments. He was far too modest for such things.

Instead, he focused on teaching us about how to make the legislative process work, even against long odds. For the knowledge that he shared, I will always be grateful.

Though his modesty precluded him from bragging, make no mistake. The Alaska Lands Act of 1980 was historic, and as its author, Congressman Seiberling deserves our admiration and appreciation.

Describing the importance of this immense contribution to the country, in 2001, when President Clinton presented Congressman Seiberling with the Presidential Citizens Medal, Clinton said, ``With that legislation, John Seiberling single-handedly saved more of our wilderness than any previous American, a legacy that will last for generations.''

Congressman Seiberling, with his vision, perseverance and courage, with his heart and mind combined, he made our community and our country and our world a better and more just place, leaving us with a legacy and inspiration that shall long endure.

Thank you, Congressman Seiberling, for the life that you lived and the example you set.

Betty, thank you and your family for all that you have given so generously. I thank you for the time.

I am happy to be here today. We are here with some of the other Members of the freshman class, the class of 2006, and I have heard some folks on the other side of the aisle in recent moments talk about the fact that the American people deserve some straight talk. We could not agree more. And that is why we are here today, to talk about some of the things that aren't being talked about quite as loudly on the other side of the aisle.

Recently, earlier this week, the administration released its final mid-session review of the budget. The new budget document showed a record deficit for 2009, confirming that in 8 years this administration will have turned the largest surpluses in history into the largest deficits in history.

The dismal fiscal record is, unfortunately, just one aspect of this administration's failed economic record. But is that what the administration says to the American people?

Now I just want us to take a moment and look at some of the comments that have been coming out, not only from the administration, but from the other side of the aisle in this body.

In November of 2007, President George W. Bush, the administration, said, ``Sure, there's some challenges facing us, but the underpinnings of our economy are strong, and we are a resilient economy.'' And then, in December of 2007, he said, ``This economy is pretty good. There's definitely some storm clouds and concerns, but the underpinning is good.'' And that was complemented by the leader of the Republicans here in the House, who said in July of this year, July 21 of 2008, ``While the economy is slow, we are still seeing growth, and frankly, I have got to tell you, I am shocked.'' And then he said way back in October of 2006, Minority Leader Boehner, said as follows, ``Today's announcement by President Bush confirms that the pro-growth economic policies put in place by Republicans are working as planned to spur economic growth and reduce the deficit.'' That was John Boehner, October 11, 2006, Looking forward, trying to suggest that the policies that have been pursued by this administration have benefited the American people.

Well, I am really glad that we have this opportunity to have the American people join us this evening to talk about the real facts. And they are not pleasant because it's a sad fact about some of the things that are happening out there.

You know, these two, the administration, the President, and Minority Leader Boehner, they are not the only people out there telling the American people that the economy is good. Not so long ago, in the not the distant past, we heard a top economic advisor to Senator McCain tell us that our problems, our economic problems, they are all in our head. In essence, he said that we are suffering from a mental recession.

You know, he called our country a Nation of whiners. Well, I have to tell you guys that as a Congresswoman from Ohio in the 13th District, that the people I represent, they are not whiners. They have, unfortunately, too many of them, felt the painful consequences of the failures of the last 8 years of this administration.

So I am grateful that you're here tonight to help us describe, and frankly, the important thing is hold accountable this administration for the failures that it is trying to disown.

The current administration, you all will know, is going to leave this Nation with the largest deficit in history. I'm sure my colleagues here with me tonight are going to talk about that. And the debt has ballooned as well. The economic growth has been, to give a complimentary spin, has been anemic, and thousands, thousands of jobs have been lost, household incomes have fallen, and the President's fiscal policies have imposed an amazingly heavy debt burden on America's families.

You know, I'd like to yield at this time to the distinguished gentleman here tonight, Representative Peter Welch from Vermont, who has been a tremendous agent of change in this body, and I look forward to seeing what this gentleman is going to be able to do, because it's going to be a lot when we have more to work with in the next administration.

That is an amazing record; not a good one, but it's an amazing record. It's important that we do share this with the American people because we need to know where we stand. What we also know that this isn't the end of the story. We know it doesn't have to be this way. We can make a change. We must make a change.

I know that our next speaker, and we have been joined by Dr. Steven Kagen, the Congressman from Wisconsin. I'd like to throw it over to you. I know you have got some valuable insight to add.

I thank the gentleman for his very poignant remarks. There's a question that has to be answered also, and that question is: How many more families? How many more families have to fall out of the middle class, lose their jobs, their hopes, their dreams before we change direction. But the good news is the opportunity for change is on the horizon.

At this point, I'd like to shift it over to my good friend from Florida, a very distinguished Member of this body, a new Member who came in charging, has already started to deliver change, and I know is raring to deliver more in the next administration, Congressman Ron Klein.

I thank the gentleman for his remarks and for his forward looking hopefulness. And I think that you are exactly right. Both of the gentlemen have done a great job in laying out sort of where we are, where we have been and where we can go.

To that end, we do want the American people to take heart. We look at this chart, and this is an important chart to me because it talks about obviously the job growth that occurred under President Bill Clinton, and it also talks about the disastrous job losses that, unfortunately, we have suffered through this administration.

As the gentleman from Connecticut pointed out, we need a government that works. We need a government that works in economic policy and foreign policy and energy policy. We need a government that understands and is responsive to the cries of the people.

We have people who are suffering. We have working families who no longer can put food on the table. We're filling up the food pantry lines. We're having to put more money into our food banks because we need to feed more hungry people. The good news is we're feeding more hungry people. The bad news is there are more hungry people and people in poverty in this country. The good news, though, about this chart is that it can change. It can change. We saw the job growth explode under the former administration, the Clinton administration. So there is hope for the future.

Part of that, though, is going to revolve around getting a President who understands that the economic policies that we've been operating under need to change. The gentleman from Colorado put it very well when he said we need to get away from the same old, tired policies, the same old, tired path. We have trade policies that are shipping jobs overseas.

We heard the gentleman from Wisconsin talking about the beautiful family that is now in dire straits because of the paper company that has closed, the paper mill. Well, do you know what? The paper mills are starting to close, and they're closing in the wake of the steel mills that have closed, and the steel mills have closed because there were unfair tactics being used by the Chinese, for the most part, in dumping steel into this country, and we couldn't compete because you can't always compete with people who are willing to cheat. It wasn't through any fault of our own or through that of the workers who worked so hard and productively in this country, but it worked so well for those who benefited from it in foreign countries with steel that now they do it with paper. It probably won't end with paper, so we need somebody who understands the need to reform, to make the government work, to make sure that when we have trade policies that they don't work against us. They can work with us and with our workers and with our country and with our industries and with our businesses here.

The good news is there is hope, but it is important that people know where we begin because change is so necessary. The same old, tired policies, they won't take us where we want to go. They'll take us further down the path where we find ourselves today.

Mr. Welch, do you have anything to add at this point?

I thank the gentleman from Colorado, and you put it so well. You put it so well. Our country deserves better, and we need to deliver better with a new president. And Barack Obama has the potential to make that happen, and we are ready, and we want to work in a bipartisan way to help him get us where we need to go, where we know we can go on all of these issues with the economy, with health care.

Health care has been a tragedy. The President, the Bush administration started out, the President saying America's children must also have a healthy start in life. And a new term will lead an aggressive effort to enroll millions of poor children who are eligible but not signed up for government health insurance programs. He said that in September of 2004.

But nearly 1 in 9 children does not have health insurance. And the President vetoed the expansion of SCHIP that he called for in 2004. And House Republicans voted to sustain that veto, leaving millions of children without health insurance.

We also know that health premiums have increased 78 percent since the administration took office. And the number of Americans covered by private employer-provided insurance has decreased 7 years in a row. It is a competitiveness issue as well for our businesses. Our employers cannot bear this burden and compete effectively. This is a national emergency.

But again, the good news is that if we deviate away from the path that has been trod by this administration, the Bush and McCain policies of the past, we can do right by our Nation's children for health care. We can do right by the people out there who are fighting for jobs, who are fighting for access to that which they need for their families, who are just fighting to keep a roof over their heads. And these people are doing things right. They're doing everything right. And yet, this is a country, when you do things right, you ought to be able to make it. And we can do that again. And we can, working with Barack Obama in the White House, it will make all the difference in the world.

Mr. Klein, would you like to share with us your thoughts and perhaps wrap up here a little bit?

I think that was a great wrap up. I'd like to just, if I could, point it back over to Representative Kagen from Wisconsin, because I think, again, what we're talking about here are the faces in that picture and the opportunity and the potential that we know that this country is full of and we have to help unleash so it works for the people in that photograph and people all across this country, and certainly the people in Ohio's 13 District.

Dr. Kagen.

I yield back.

I thank the gentlewoman from Ohio for yielding me the time.

And I, too, rise today with heaviness in my heart but also with a deep sense of gratitude and respect for my colleague, my friend, Stephanie Tubbs Jones. Her passing is truly a tragic loss for the people of Ohio's 11th District, whom she loved so very much, and for all of the people who she stood up for across this country.

Stephanie was truly an historic figure in American politics. She achieved

many firsts and she blazed many trails in a way that only Stephanie could. She was the first African American and first female prosecutor in Cuyahoga County, Ohio; the first African American woman to sit on the Common Pleas bench in Ohio; the first African American woman to be elected to Congress from Ohio, and the first African American woman to serve on the House Ways and Means Committee, a job she truly loved.

Stephanie attacked her job as a Congresswoman with passion and a contagious enthusiasm on behalf of those she served. She was effective and determined. Her strength exceeded courage. She was fearless. She lived her life and represented her constituents giving it everything she had. She had no time for fear.

Her amazing spirit touched and brightened so many lives, and with every first that Stephanie achieved, with every rung of the ladder she climbed, Stephanie always reached back to help others following behind. From encouraging the young women and men in her office who interned, to inspiring the young people from her hometown of Cleveland, Stephanie was a force. And she loved her staff and spoke of them as family. Stephanie was not pretentious. She treated all people as they should be treated, with dignity and respect.

Mr. Speaker, when I first arrived in these hallowed Halls in January of 2007, I was very fortunate to have Stephanie here to help me. She was a colleague and a friend who I could turn to for advice not only on the many crucial issues that we face but also simply on how to navigate this body. And when I thanked her for helping me along, she would always wave a hand in the air and explain, ``Hey, we're sisters.'' Stephanie's friendship and mentorship were vital to me, and I am grateful that she touched my life

Stephanie was honest and loyal. You could count on her word. She was the type of person who could lift up the spirits of those feeling down. She was willing to work with others for the good that was greater than just herself, but she was also tough and willing to fight as necessary to protect the rights of the people of this great country. Nowhere was this more evident than in the fight she led to ensure the integrity of our voting process. Stephanie also worked tirelessly to promote home ownership and to help keep families in their homes.

But with all of her achievements, nothing compared to that of the strong young man that Stephanie raised, her son, Mervyn. Stephanie's face would beam when she talked about Mervyn. There could be no question beyond everything she gave in service, everything she accomplished, they all paled in comparison to how proud she was of Mervyn. She loved him and continues to love him beyond measure.

Stephanie also had a beautiful and strong sister who she loved and appreciated so deeply. When Stephanie spoke of her sister Barbara, it was clear how special Barbara was to her.

Mr. Speaker, I could go on and on about the life of this amazing woman. I am so honored to have known her and to have served alongside of her. Stephanie was more than my colleague; she was my friend, and we were sisters. I will miss her greatly.

My thoughts and prayers are with her son Mervyn, and her very special sister Barbara, and the rest of her family.

I thank the distinguished Chair of the Rules Committee for her leadership on this issue and for the time. I also want to thank Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Representative Rosa DeLauro for their commitment and dedication to bringing this forward over hurdle past hurdle past challenge past challenge. Thank you so much.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1388 and the underlying legislation, the Paycheck Fairness Act. Mr. Speaker, fairness is something we strive for in all aspects of our lives. From an early age, we try to instill in our children the importance of fairness, fair play, and equality. But, sadly, while we preach fairness, on average, women today earn a deplorable 77 percent of what men earn and, unfortunately, the wage gap in my home State of Ohio is even more substantial than the national average.

According to the National Women's Law Center, Ohio ranked 30th in the ratio of women's earnings to men's earnings. The Center gave Ohio, along with 46 other States, a failing grade. That is simply unacceptable.

I have read and heard the stories of wage discrimination. We have all heard the story of Lilly Ledbetter, the worker who was a victim of systematic pay discrimination for 19 years. These are the stories of women who have dedicated decades upon decades of their lives to their employers, only to find out that they are compensated at a fraction of the rate of their male counterparts.

With every paycheck these women deposit, they and their families are being held back, their earning potential limited by a factor over which they have no control, their gender, and a factor that has no affect on their job performance.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to read to you a letter my office received on this issue from a college student at the University of Akron. She wrote, ``Ever since I started working, I have become more knowledgeable of the fact that in most cases men receive a higher pay than women do for the same amount of work.''

We need to send a message to the young women in our country that the status quo is not acceptable. We need to respond to the concerns of our future leaders and show them that we are willing to stand up for their right to earn equal pay for equal work.

This young woman went on to say, ``Equal pay for equal work is a simple matter of justice for women.'' I couldn't say it better myself. The Paycheck Fairness Act will update and

strengthen the Equal Pay Act. This bill will close numerous loopholes in the 45-year old law that has allowed employers to avoid liability for discriminatory practices.

The American people expect their government to stand up for fairness and justice. The Paycheck Fairness Act is not only about changing the way we treat our working women. It is about paying rent, putting food on the table, and paying for college tuition. We must return to the founding principles of our Nation and what has moved us forward in difficult times. Fairness has been at the heart of all that makes America strong, and this Congress cannot turn away from that.

I urge all of my colleagues to support this rule and this incredibly important bill.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and for her leadership on this issue.

I rise in support of House Resolution 1389 and the underlying bill, the College Opportunity and Affordability Act.

Our Nation is blessed to have the finest system of higher education in the world, and I am proud that my district is the home of the University of Akron and the Lorain County Community College. UA boasts one of the top science and engineering programs in the Nation, and Lorain County Community College is a leader in education and entrepreneurial and economic development across northeast Ohio.

Mr. Speaker, the Higher Education Act was first signed into law in 1965 to help students from low income families afford a college education. Unfortunately, in the 10 years since the Higher Education Act was last reauthorized, the dream of a college degree has moved further out of reach for far too many of our Nation's students.

Overall, the United States is third out of 30 industrialized nations in postsecondary degree attainment, but only ninth out of 30 when looking at younger workers. This is an ominous trend that we must act swiftly to address.

With the cost of tuition and textbooks skyrocketing, we have taken action to make college for affordable. Last year we passed legislation that increased college financial aid by $18 billion and cut student interest loan rates.

With this bill today, we are raising the bar even higher in fighting for access to higher education by increasing the maximum Pell Grant level from $5,800 per year to $8,000 by 2014.

This bill also provides for improved teacher training and development programs. It provides loan forgiveness for students who choose public sector careers, and creates a new scholarship program for active duty military personnel and their families.

Mr. Speaker, from coast to coast, and throughout the heartland, this great Nation is filled with bright and enthusiastic students seeking to take advantage of any opportunity we can give them for a more prosperous future. This bill makes critical investments in our students to strengthen our workforce for the future of our country.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the College Opportunity and Affordability Act.

I thank Chairman Miller for his diligent work in making this happen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your leadership on this amazing legislation. Consumer product safety is not an area that we can afford to ignore, and this historic legislation that we're passing today is a tremendous victory for consumers.

This year dangerous toy and product recalls are happening at an unprecedented rate. I remember just a couple of months ago reading a story in my local paper about possible lead contamination and the paint on plastic Easter eggs. That is unacceptable.

For far too long we've been reading story upon story about dangerous toys and contaminated food. Imports from foreign countries continue to grow, and many manufacturers from foreign countries fail to adhere to even basic safety standards.

The American people should not have to worry about the safety of the products they use or the toys that they give their children to play with. Last year, more than 25 million toys were recalled

in the U.S., and 80 percent of all toys sold in the United States are imported from China.

This relationship between the growing import safety crisis and American trade policy is notable and requires us to strengthen our oversight here at home. To do that, the Consumer Product Safety Commission needs to have the resources to help protect our families and then they need to do it.

Our bill strengthens the CPSC and ensures American families are protected from dangerous toys, and this legislation bans lead beyond a minute amount in many products, creating the toughest lead standard in the world.

Madam Speaker, my constituents deserve to know that their government is doing everything it can to keep their families safe. Today with passage of this bill, we are upholding that responsibility.

I thank you again, Chairman Dingell, and your committee for all of your hard work, and thanks to Speaker Pelosi for making this issue a priority. I also want to express my appreciation to Representative Bobby Rush for his commitment and his leadership in bringing this legislation to fruition.

I urge my colleagues to support this important work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of the City of Brunswick, one of the ``10 Best Towns for Families'' in the United States.

The City of Brunswick has been recognized by Family Circle magazine from over 1,850 communities as one of the ``10 Best Towns for Families.'' But this is hardly a surprise for anyone who lives there.

With family-friendly neighborhoods and child-friendly parks, like Mooney Park, where hundreds of boys and girls fill summer evenings playing baseball and softball, we have long known that Brunswick is one of the best towns for families.

Now, Mr. Speaker, the rest of America will know about the vision Brunswick's community leaders and their citizens have pursued to create a community of excellence.

Communities throughout this Nation can look to Brunswick for examples of how to green their communities. With their Tire Adoption program, over $25,000 was raised to recycle 20,000 tires, converting old junkyard into park land.

In addition, the Brunswick Art Works recently held the second annual Eco-Arts Chalk Festival in North Park. At this event, children not only competed in chalk art sidewalk drawing contests, but they also made their own rain collection barrels out of recycled plastic drums.

Let us not forget that the Nation's first LEED-certified grocery store calls Brunswick, Ohio in the Brunswick Town Center its home.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I am so pleased to honor Brunswick, Ohio, part of my district, as one of the 10 best towns in America for families.

I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Arcuri) for his leadership on this important measure, and I thank Chairman Oberstar for his continued leadership in addressing our Nation's infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the rule and the underlying bill, and I also want to speak to an amendment that will be offered to this bill that is being cosponsored by our leader on this measure here on the floor, Representative Mike Arcuri, and Representative Michael Conaway. This will help to bring an important sense of Congress to this bill. We share a common vision for a solution to prevent future disasters by addressing a critical need at the onset of a bridge project. I strongly support this bipartisan amendment, which will express a sense of Congress that those requesting Federal funds for bridge projects present corrosion mitigation and prevention plans.

Corrosion mitigation and prevention is essential to extend the life of our Nation's critical infrastructure and save taxpayers money. In 2002 the Federal Highway Administration reported the cost of corrosion to our highway bridges at $8.3 billion each year. As we unfortunately learned when the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis collapsed last August, investing in our Nation's infrastructure is no longer a theoretical argument. By utilizing experts trained in corrosion prevention, we will be reducing future maintenance costs and increasing public safety at the same time.

The University of Akron in my district understands this critical need and is creating the first comprehensive corrosion engineering and science program in the United States. Their corrosion engineering program will train and prepare experts in the field, creating high- earning engineering jobs by addressing a critically important issue.

I urge a ``yes'' vote on this amendment and on the rule and on the underlying legislation.

I thank the gentleman for the time and for his leadership on this extraordinarily important issue.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the DRILL Act, a real solution for the hardships facing our families and a real answer to the mistruths being spread to the American people.

The truth is that there are millions upon millions of onshore and offshore acres available for drilling, but the oil companies are only using a fraction of them.

The truth is that the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, also known as the NPR, is home to 20 million acres that could produce 10.6 billion barrels of oil. This area, Mr. Speaker, has been set aside for oil and gas exploration since the 1920s, but not a single oil company is producing there.

Mr. Speaker, the cry by those on the other side of the aisle and Big Oil, that the problem is that the oil companies don't have access to drill, is false. And it is an effort to deflect the American people from holding the two oilmen in the White House accountable, as well as their friends, for an energy policy that has given Big Oil record profits, and the American people $4 a gallon gas.

Mr. Speaker, the American people deserve to know why we need to open up ANWR when we have this huge, untapped resource right next to the existing oil infrastructure in Alaska known as the NPR.

The DRILL Act will accelerate the development of the NPR by requiring the Bureau of Land Management to offer annual lease sales of the land.

Our bill also calls for the President to facilitate the completion of oil pipelines into the NPR, and to speed construction of a natural gas pipeline to the Continental United States to move the product to the market. When this natural gas pipeline gets built, NPR will be even more important, as it holds over 60 trillion cubic feet of gas, nearly 16 times what ANWR holds.

And Mr. Speaker, the DRILL Act also incorporates important use it or lose it legislation which requires oil producers to drill on the leases they already have before asking us for new ones.

Again, the truth is that Big Oil holds leases on 68 million acres in the U.S. that they could drill on but they are not doing so.

And lastly, this bill also reinstitutes the ban on the export of Alaskan oil so that American oil is used right here at

home in the United States. Can you imagine, at this time of crisis, the same oil companies who are telling the American people that they want to be part of the solution, are sending the oil that they are drilling to other parts of the world, when we need that oil right here.

Mr. Speaker, the DRILL Act is a solution to the energy costs that our constituents are facing today.

Let me also remind my colleagues that we have also passed landmark energy legislation, price gouging prevention legislation, legislation to take action against OPEC, and legislation to crack down on manipulation and speculation activities that have been driving up the oil prices.

Mr. Speaker, this is an important bill. It offers immediate relief. It is part of the solution, and I urge its passage.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1299 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions). All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 1299.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1299 provides for consideration of H.R. 3195, the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. The rule makes in order as base text the bill as reported by the Committee on Education and Labor that was identical to the bill as reported by the Committee on the Judiciary. The bill provides for 1 hour of debate, with 40 minutes controlled by the Committee on Education and Labor and 20 minutes by the Committee on the Judiciary. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill, except clauses 9 and 10 of rule XXI. Lastly, the rule provides one motion to recommit, with or without instructions.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 1299 and the underlying bill, H.R. 3195, the ADA Amendments Act. It was nearly 18 years ago that the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law. It sent a resounding message that discrimination against individuals with disabilities would not be tolerated, not in employment, not in transportation, not in housing, not in services, or in any other area of our daily lives. It was a law intended to tear down the barriers, preventing individuals with disabilities from reaching their full potential. It was a commitment from Congress that discrimination in any form would not be tolerated.

The Americans with Disabilities Act was an historic civil rights law, the most sweeping since the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Yet, despite the broad application of other civil rights statutes, a series of court decisions has dramatically narrowed the scope of the ADA. Unfortunately, this has denied millions of disabled Americans the protections Congress had originally intended for them.

Mr. Speaker, the intent of Congress was to allow individuals with disabilities to fully participate in society, free from the fear of discrimination. Yet Supreme Court interpretations have shifted the focus from whether an individual has experienced discrimination to whether an individual could even be considered ``disabled enough'' to qualify for the protections of the law.

In making this determination, the Court has implemented a standard that excludes many individuals originally intended to be covered by the ADA. They have held that the definition of ``disability'' must be applied ``strictly to create a demanding standard for qualifying as disabled.'' In addition, the Court has found that mitigating measures that help address an impairment, such as medication, hearing aids or other treatments, must be considered in determining whether an impairment is disabling enough to qualify under the ADA.

And so millions of Americans with disabilities have found themselves in a Catch-22. They face employment discrimination because of their disabilities, yet they may be denied relief under the ADA because they are considered ``too functional'' to qualify for its protections. Mr. Speaker, this is completely at odds with the original intent of Congress and the original focus of the ADA.

Due to these narrow interpretations, individuals with serious conditions such as epilepsy, diabetes, cancer, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and developmental disabilities have found themselves excluded from the protections afforded by the ADA.

Basic equality under the law has been denied to millions of disabled Americans for too long. But today, after months of hard work on all sides of this issue, we seek to fulfill the

promise we made to Americans with disabilities nearly two decades ago.

And let me be clear. The ADA Amendments Act does not expand the original scope of the ADA. Rather, it restores the promise that Congress made to every single American, a promise that everyone will have an equal opportunity to succeed; that we will tear down the barriers that prevent individuals from reaching their full potential; and that we will be judged on our abilities rather than on our disabilities.

The ADA Amendments Act clarifies that the ADA's protections are intended to be broad. It also restores the focus to wrongful discrimination. Our bill clarifies that anyone who is discriminated against because of an impairment, whether or not this impairment limits the performance of any major life activities, is entitled to the ADA protection.

And, finally, it states that mitigating measures will not disqualify people with disabilities from the protections afforded by the ADA.

I am proud to join with over half of the Members of this body as a cosponsor of this important bill. Today we are demonstrating our commitment to every American that discrimination will not be tolerated. This should be the case whether based on race, national origin, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation or disability. By upholding this most important of principles, our country will be richer for it.

I urge my colleagues to support this rule and the underlying bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am the last speaker on this side, so I will reserve my time until the gentleman has closed for his side and yielded back his time.

Mr. Speaker, my good friend from Texas is trying to shift the discussion away from this fantastic, fantastic bill, the Americans With Disabilities Act Amendments, onto an issue of energy. But the American people know that for the past 7 years this country under this administration has been following an energy policy from the White House written by the Vice President with the oil executives.

Truth be told, there are 68 million acres of leased land available for drilling. And we believe that, of course, that drilling should be taking place on that 68 million acres of leased land, but we also believe that we should be looking diligently for alternative forms of energy.

The reality of it is that this is a deflective tactic. This House has passed under this new Congress landmark energy legislation that will provide relief in years to come.

We have also passed measure after measure after measure that would provide relief to American consumers but only to have them blocked by those on the other side of the aisle and by the administration.

But, today, we don't rise to dwell on that. We rise to support and to celebrate this bill. The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1999 with such a broad coalition of support that it was regarded as a mandate, Mr. Speaker, and we have made progress in a number of areas to ensure individuals with disabilities are fully able to participate in society. But, in many ways, the ADA is a promise that remains unfulfilled.

Today, through the ADA Amendments Act, we are unequivocally demonstrating our commitment to the principle of equal opportunity for all Americans. We will be removing the hurdles individuals with disabilities have faced when trying to enjoy the freedoms that are the right of every American.

The ADA Amendments Act has the full support of one of the most diverse coalitions of groups I have ever seen, from the disability community, the civil rights community, groups representing pro-business interests, and from Members on both sides of the aisle from this, the people's House.

It represents a balance between the interests of employers and individuals with disabilities, and it demonstrates our resolve to ensure that all Americans can work to reach their full potential.

I strongly urge my colleagues to support this rule and the underlying legislation. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the previous question and on the rule.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

I thank the gentleman from Kentucky.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the proud sponsor of H.R. 4926, the Josh Miller Helping Everyone Access Responsive Treatment in Schools Act, or the Josh Miller HEARTS Act.

This legislation establishes a grant program to ensure that every elementary and secondary school across the country can obtain automated external defibrillators, or AEDs.

I introduced the Josh Miller HEARTS Act last December in memory of a young man from my hometown of Barberton, Ohio.

Josh was the sort of kid who could light up a room, someone who you knew would go on to achieve great things. He was a sophomore at Barberton High School with a 4.0 grade point average, a linebacker who dreamed of playing football some day for Ohio State. But one day, without warning, those dreams were cut short.

During the final game of the 2000 football season, Josh collapsed after leaving the field. By the time his heart was shocked with the defibrillator, it was too late to save him. Josh suffered a sudden cardiac arrest, which according to the American Heart Association, claims the lives of about 330,000 Americans every year. The vast majority of these individuals, like Josh, will never have displayed any signs of heart trouble beforehand.

Yet there is an easy-to-use, relatively inexpensive piece of medical equipment that can more than double

the odds of survival for someone experiencing a sudden cardiac arrest.

An automated external defibrillator, or AED, is the single most effective treatment for starting the heart after a sudden cardiac arrest. And because the chances of survival decrease up to 10 percent for every minute that passes, every second is critical.

Schools, as you've heard, are central gathering places in our communities that make them the ideal locations for AEDs. Placed in our schools, AEDs can save not only students but also staff and parents and many other visitors who come through our schools every day.

The Josh Miller HEARTS Act establishes a grant program to ensure that AEDs will be available to every elementary and secondary school, public and private across the country.

AED/CPR training is also an important part of raising awareness in using AEDs correctly. H.R. 4926 makes funds for training available to schools that already have AEDs, as well as to schools that will receive AEDs through this program.

Finally, this legislation also requires coordination with local emergency medical services and integration into the school's emergency response plan, to ensure their effective use within each community.

I would like to take a moment to thank Chairman Miller and Ranking Member McKeon for making this legislation a priority and for moving it forward. And I want to thank Representative Kuhl and representatives on both sides of the aisle for their support of this very important initiative. I thank Representative Yarmuth for his leadership, and I also would like to recognize Dr. Terry Gordon, a cardiologist who was instrumental in pushing a similar effort successfully in my home State of Ohio and who has put his whole heart into making this life-saving device available across this Nation his vocation.

Finally, I would like to close by thanking the Miller family, especially Josh's parents, Ken and Jerri Miller, for their courage and for transforming their life into this life-saving mission. Losing a young life like Josh's can make us feel helpless, but through these tragedies, many families like the Millers and the Acomporas have found the strength to act. They have found the courage to speak out so that their other children can have the chance that their children never did, and so that other families will not have to feel their pain.

Although H.R. 4926 bears Josh Miller's name, it is truly in memory of all those who might have been saved, and in celebration of those who because of this program will have the opportunity to live their lives to their fullest potential. Let's give these children that chance.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1234 and ask for its immediate consideration.

For the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart). All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only.

I yield myself such time as I may consume. I also ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 1234.

Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 1234 provides for consideration of H.R. 3021, the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public Facilities Act, under a structured rule. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate controlled by the Committee on Education and Labor. The rule makes in order eight amendments which are printed in the Rules Committee report. The rule also provides one motion to recommit, with or without instructions.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today in strong support of H.R. 3021, the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public Schools Facilities Act. This legislation is important and groundbreaking because it simultaneously addresses important issues confronting our Nation in the 21st century, improving our education system, modernizing our buildings and infrastructures to be environmentally sustainable, and creating jobs to grow our economy.

Mr. Speaker, our Nation's school districts are struggling to make essential improvements during these lean economic times. According to recent estimates, America's schools are hundreds of billions of dollars short of the funding needed to ensure that every student attends a high quality facility. Too many parents across this country are forced to drop off their children at schools that are falling apart, schools with leaking roofs and faulty electrical systems, schools with outdated technology which compromises their ability to achieve and succeed.

Our bill provides $33.2 billion over 5 years for schools across the country for projects to modernize, renovate, and repair their facilities. This funding is crucial to improve our schools so that

the students have a healthy and safe environment in which to learn and develop the knowledge and the skills necessary to compete in today's workforce.

H.R. 3021 also addresses disparities in school facilities funding. It directs the Secretary of Education to distribute funds to school districts according to the same need-based formula used under title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act which provides funding for low income school districts. Funding provided in this bill can be used for energy efficiency and technology improvements, asbestos removal and lead abatement, and for ensuring that schools are prepared for emergencies. The funding is provided with few restrictions, which will allow individual schools to satisfy their individual needs.

Renovating schools so that they are environmentally sustainable will provide numerous health and educational benefits for students. Increasing air quality and lighting will enhance our students' ability to focus and learn, while reducing student sick days and improving the health of students with asthma and other respiratory problems.

Green schools also cost about 2 percent less than conventional schools, while providing financial benefits that are 20 times as large, utilizing 33 percent less energy and 32 percent less water than traditional schools.

Enabling students to attend environmentally sustainable schools not only insures a healthy learning environment. It will also naturally facilitate environmental literacy in our youth. This will help our children grow into stewards of our environment and natural resources that we must treasure and preserve for future generations.

Unfortunately, many schools in my district and across the Nation are also forced to address difficult security challenges. For example, Brunswick High School in my district is the largest single-level high school building in Ohio, stretching a quarter of a mile from end to end with 60 entrances. As you can imagine, this presents a formidable security challenge for teachers and administrators.

For these reasons, Congresswoman McCarthy and I have worked to include a provision in the manager's amendment for this legislation that will allow schools to improve building infrastructure to accommodate security measures and security doors.

This bill authorizes $100 million a year through 2013 specifically for public schools in the gulf coast that are still working to rebuild from the devastation that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita wrought three years ago.

Families in the gulf coast are still fighting to recover and to put their lives back together. Mr. Speaker, we must continue to devote extra resources so that those schools and those communities can rebuild.

School modernization is the central purpose of 3021. Equally important and necessary is the essential economic stimulus that this bill will provide by creating more than 100,000 new jobs for American workers who design and build schools, from roofing contractors, construction workers and electricians, to architects and engineers. It's estimated that this bill will result in the creation of nearly 4,000 jobs in my home State of Ohio in 2009 alone.

Mr. Speaker, in these challenging economic times, important and innovative legislation such as this bill will go a long way to creating new opportunities for America's workforce. Passing this bill will enable school districts to upgrade their facilities and lead our Nation's students towards a brighter and healthier future while addressing the job crisis we face today.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, at this point I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California, the chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, Mr. Miller.

(Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).

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

Mr. Speaker, I am going to reserve my time until the gentleman has closed for his side and has yielded back his time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve my time.

I continue to reserve my time.

Mr. Speaker, I want to remind my colleagues who may be listening to this debate that this rule and this bill are about repairing and improving our Nation's schools.

I also want to remind the people at home that, of course, those who are railing now about the effects of energy policy over the past 6 or so or 8 or 10 years were in charge, most of that time with a Republican President, and this is what we get.

So this Congress, of course, is a new majority, and we have taken bold steps to put incentives in place that will lead to historic change and will turn the corner to renewable sources of energy in this country being developed.

We have 30 million acres on which oil drilling can take place right now, and those are just sitting idle. Those on the other side of the aisle don't tell us the whole story when they're talking about these issues.

But I just want to repeat, I want to remind my colleagues who may be listening to this debate, that this rule and this bill is about the very important business of repairing and improving our Nation's schools.

With that, I reserve my time.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller).

Mr. Speaker, as we lead this country in the 21st century, we must work creatively to form policies that address the intertwining nature of the challenges we face.

I've heard that this isn't important legislation from the other side of the aisle, and that is concerning to me because safe and healthy schools are important. Environmentally sustainable schools are important. Creating 100,000 jobs in this country is important. Acting to instill environmental stewardship in students and our youth is important.

One out of five Americans attends school each day. A 2006 report concluded that, despite significant State and local expenditures on school construction and renovation from 1996 to 2004, there continues to be millions of students in substandard and overcrowded school conditions. This bill will set our 60 million school children on a path to a better education and a healthier future by providing a Federal investment to help renovate, prepare, and modernize thousands of public schools.

I urge a ``yes'' vote on the previous question and on the rule.

I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Madam Speaker, I rise today with Memorial Day upon us to honor and remember the 22 Marines and Navy Corpsman from the Lima Company who lost their lives while serving in Iraq in 2005.

The Lima Company is a Marine reserve unit based in Columbus, Ohio, whose members span 7 states. The Company is part of the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, that was first activated on May 1, 1943.

The Battalion fought in several battles in World War II, including the Battle of Iwo Jima, where the unit helped capture a key airfield.

Throughout its deployment to Iraq in 2005, Lima Company served the United States with great dignity and pride. Fifty-nine of its members were awarded purple hearts.

The company was once known as ``Lucky Lima.'' Unfortunately, the fates of the battlefield in Iraq were not kind to these men. The Lima Company is one of the hardest hit single units that has fought in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

During the course of a single week in the summer of 2005, Lima lost 21 of its own. During the course of its seven-month deployment, 23 men out of 189 men were lost.

I would like to read the list of the fallen so that we take the time to honor each individual lost and remember the tremendous losses their families and communities have suffered:

Lance Corporal Timothy M. Bell, Jr.; Lance Corporal Eric J. Bernholtz; Corporal Dustin A. Derga; Lance Corporal Nicholas B. Erdy; Lance Corporal Wesley G. Davids; Sergeant David N. Wimberg; Lance Corporal Michael J. Cifuentes; Lance Corporal Christopher J. Dyer; Lance Corporal Jonathan W. Grant; Sergeant David Kenneth J. Kreuter; Lance Corporal Jourdan L. Grez; Private First Class Christopher R. Dixon.

Lance Corporal Christopher P. Lyons; Staff Sergeant Anthony L. Goodwin; Petty Officer 3rd Class Travis Youngblood; Sergeant Justin F. Hoffman; Staff Sergeant Kendall H. Ivy III; Lance Corporal Nicholas William B. Bloem; Corporal Andre L. Williams; Lance Corporal Grant B. Fraser; Lance Corporal Aaron H. Reed; Lance Corporal Edward A. Schroeder II; and Lance Corporal William B. Wightman.

These men have touched the hearts of people around Ohio as we have collectively grieved their passing. One such person who has exhibited her sincere dedication to the sacrifices of these men is Anita Miller, a liturgical artist who resides in Columbus.

Like everyone in Ohio, Anita knew the devastating losses that the Lima Company family has endured during the Iraq War and the impact that these losses have had on our communities.

Anita awoke one morning in October of 2005 with the idea of creating a lasting memorial to honor the Lima Company. She has used her immense talents to create an octagon Memorial, consisting of eight panels that depict each of the fallen Marines and Corpsman, with a candle and bronzed combat boots in front of each portrait. A shelf at the bottom of the panel will allow for flowers or mementos to be left by the public.

The memorial will be unveiled in the rotunda of the Ohio Statehouse on Friday and thereafter be a mobile memorial similar to the traveling Vietnam Memorial so that people around Ohio and the United States have an opportunity to pay tribute to Lima Company.

I know that every American joins me in remembering our men and women in uniform not just on Memorial Day, but every day, for what they have sacrificed and fought for in giving us the freedoms we hold so dear.

As we celebrate Memorial Day, I hope that memorials such as the Lima Company Traveling Memorial and services and parades around the country allow us to pay tribute to all of the men and women who have sacrificed their lives for our country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my heartfelt congratulations to the State of Israel on the occasion of its 60th anniversary. Since its declaration of independence, Israel has stood as a strong ally and friend of the United States. This friendship stems from the commonalities that led to our respective foundings and our shared hopes for the future of the global community.

In forging a new nation, Israel established a home for people that were targeted for extermination and ostracism in other lands. From an arduous beginning, Israel's rise has come to mirror our own. Hailing from more than 100 countries on five continents, Israel's population exudes a diversity of culture and ideas. Israel has flourished through the development of a diverse and technologically advanced economy and has come to exemplify the best of what a democracy can be.

Our countries have stood by one another in peace and in war. And we will continue to stand together in fighting terrorism and threats from stateless actors and rogue nations.

I congratulate and celebrate with Israel and am proud to be part of the continued friendship between our countries.