Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, as we mourn the loss of President Ronald Reagan, let us also celebrate the absolutely incredible life that he lived, a life that had such a positive impact certainly on our Nation and, in fact, the entire world.

Madam Speaker, I live in Macomb County, Michigan. That is the home of the so-called ``Reagan Democrats.'' That term really had its genesis in Macomb County and has become certainly part of our nomenclature. It describes a huge block of citizens, average Americans, principally ethnic, blue collar, who had voted Democratic for literally generations.

And then along came Ronald Reagan, and he captured their hearts and he captured their minds with the power of his ideas and the vision for America, ideas that were powerful, yet very, very simple: that freedom is a universal right of every human being; ideas about personal responsibility and the fundamental values that built our Nation, and the eternally optimistic idea that America is a great Nation whose best days continually lie in our future.

President Reagan never wavered, never backed down from his defense of freedom, of his belief that we could achieve peace through strength. Of course, his strong stand created countless critics, and yet today those critics must recognize the rightness of his cause and his methods. History has certainly proven him to be right.

Because of the leadership of President Reagan, Soviet communism collapsed and hundreds of millions of people who lived under Soviet domination now live as free people.

Because of the leadership of President Reagan, our national spirit and the spirit of free enterprise rose up and has spread across the entire globe.

Because of his leadership, the world continues to look to America to continue to export liberty and freedom and democracy.

Our Nation and the world owe a debt to President Reagan that can really only be repaid in one way: We must continue to fight for democracy, for freedom, and for liberty, and so we shall.

God bless President Ronald Wilson Reagan. May he rest in peace.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 413. It is certainly an honor to stand here and publicly thank the women who worked on the home front as this Nation fought World War II.

As the years go by, our Nation has become, I think, more able to fully understand the incredible contribution of both the men and the women who have been rightfully called our Greatest Generation. Certainly the World War II memorial which we dedicated just this past weekend honors this Greatest Generation and all of those who fought in the deadliest war in the history of mankind.

With the adoption of this resolution, we can honor the women who were instrumental in winning that war and securing the freedom, not only of our Nation, but in fact of the entire world.

It seems that it is hard to believe sometimes that it has actually been 60 years since the end of World War II. As the great leaders of America and war machine were actually developing their plans of engagement, here in the United States literally millions of Americans were preparing for the invasion by building the greatest force the world has ever known. Among that workforce were more than 6 million American women, women who were faced with enormous challenges, women who met that challenge in the defense of freedom.

There was a very famous Saturday Evening Post cover, actually painted by Normal Rockwell, I think in 1943, and it showed an American woman who was carrying a rake, a hoe, an oil can, a pipe wrench, a sewing machine, bottles of milk, as well as air-raid warning equipment. Along with her red, white and blue outfit, she also wore a civil defense cap under a nurse's cap.

That is how it was during World War II. American women were expected to hold down the home front and do all of the jobs left behind by the men who were off fighting the war.

Certainly today it is our great privilege to honor these American women, women who symbolize an icon known as Rosie the Riveter. And because of the contributions of millions of Rosies, our wartime factories were transformed into the arsenal of democracy, as they literally built the armaments that led the entire world to peace.

American women became welders, riggers, crane operators, and dock workers; and they provided the American war machine with the tools that we needed to win the war. And we are

truly, truly grateful. Their service to our Nation and to the freedom- loving people of the world cannot be repaid. They are great Americans, and may God bless them.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to this resolution, which is proposing to amend our Constitution by allowing for the appointment of Members of the United States House of Representatives in the event of a national emergency.

For over 225 years, the House of Representatives has been the people's House; and I say that I think that is so important, as we think about that, we have been known as the people's House. Members of Congress are required by the Constitution to be elected directly by the people. This requirement, of course, allows for all citizens to truly have a voice in their government and provides probably the most important of all of our checks and balances.

Under this resolution we are debating here today, elected representatives would be replaced by non-elected appointees, in a complete counter to the intent of our Founding Fathers. In a very strange irony, this provision would kick in at precisely the time when our citizens need to be heard the most, at a time of crisis.

As well, provisions of this resolution call for sitting Members of Congress to provide the names of two people to replace them in the event of their own death or incapacitation. One of these two people would then be appointed to the seat by the Governor of the appropriate State. This nonelected Member of Congress would then serve out the remainder of the relevant 2-year term, with all of the rights and privileges of an elected Member.

Yet appointing legislators who were not voted on by the public would negate the entire purpose of this House, which is to represent the people directly.

Just last month, this Chamber passed H.R. 2844, The Continuity in Representation Act of 2004, of which I was a very proud cosponsor. H.R. 2844 was passed with overwhelming bipartisan support because it puts forth a very clear, concise plan to deal with the now-real possibilities that we once considered unthinkable, quite frankly. It calls for expedited elections; and as the chairman had said here, as a former Secretary of State of a State of about 10 million people, I feel the timelines we outlined in that H.R. 2844 were very, very realistic.

Every Member of this House is an elected official who earns the right to come here to Washington and represent our constituents because we were voted in by a majority of the people in our respective districts. Rather than tinker with one of the pillars of our democracy via a reckless change to our Constitution, we should vote this amendment down and continue to press for the full adoption of H.R. 2844.

I urge a ``no'' vote on this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Speaker, I would say impeachment could be a possibility there. I do believe as you read the Constitution, the operative phrase, the operative theme, as we try to determine and decipher exactly what the intent of our Founding Fathers was, is that every Member of

this House needs to be directly elected by the people.

While I appreciate the gentleman's insistence on a constitutional amendment, it is obviously well thought out, the gentleman feels very passionately about it, I could not disagree more strongly.

Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield further, I am not an expert in this part of the law, but I do believe Federalist Paper No. 47 addresses principally the gentleman's argument there. I will tell you though, as I mentioned, I was the Secretary of State for 8 years in one of our largest States, and I really looked at this bill and talked to a number of my colleagues, as well as many members involved in the elections industry, to make sure we had a reasonable time frame that we set out for expedited elections.

Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will continue to yield, my understanding is that the gentleman's amendment here today, the resolution we are talking about here today, actually would override the bill we have already passed in a bipartisan way. That is really my intent, to make sure we focus on that as well. I think that is very, very important.

Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield further, no, I do not share the gentleman's consternation with that particular facet of it.

But as the gentleman has outlined, as I say, we are now dealing with a situation which we previously before 9/11 thought was absolutely unthinkable. So it is difficult for us all to stand up here and think about our own demise, numerically how many would have to be incapacitated or whatever before we would move forward with something like this.

I think the gentleman has laid out in a very speculative way a number of different scenarios. The gentleman and I, along with many others, had an opportunity to debate this at a hearing in front of the Committee on House Administration. We went through all of these different kinds of things.

I think we have just different approaches to what needs to happen here. But I feel very, very strongly, a vast majority, a bipartisan majority of this House feel that all of us should be directly elected by the people. I think the bill we passed previously does address that in a realistic way.

Mr. Speaker, America's energy needs are changing, and our current situation is certainly different than the oil shocks that we all saw in the 1970s, because there has not been a disruption in supply but an increase in demand from emerging economies such as China.

And what kind of leadership on energy issues do we get from the Democrats and their Presidential nominee, Senator John Kerry? Nothing but finger-pointing and continued bowing to the radical environmentalists that will not allow America to retrieve our own energy reserves.

The result of this lack of leadership is higher prices at the gasoline pumps, higher prices for families to heat their homes, and greater dependence on foreign sources of energy.

In ANWR, we have huge supplies of oil and natural gas that if we were to retrieve would have great benefit for America: greater energy independence, lower prices at the pump, lower prices to heat our homes, and hundreds of thousands of new jobs.

These policies from the Democrats do nothing more than to lead us permanently into high prices and greater reliance on Middle Eastern oil. These are policies that our Nation simply cannot afford.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 295) congratulating and

saluting Focus: HOPE on the occasion of its 35th anniversary and for its remarkable commitment and contributions to Detroit, the State of Michigan, and the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 295, the concurrent resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I might consume.

Mr. Speaker, in the wake of the 1967 terrible Detroit riots, Father William Cunningham and Eleanor Josaitis founded Focus: HOPE as an organization to fight racism and poverty in the metropolitan Detroit area. This resolution congratulates and salutes Focus: HOPE for its remarkable commitment and contributions to Detroit, to the State of Michigan, and to the entire United States.

I commend my colleague, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers), for introducing this resolution. The entire Michigan delegation has cosponsored the resolution, and I am pleased that we can recognize Focus: HOPE and all of the great things that this organization has done for its surrounding communities.

Mr. Speaker, outside of the metropolitan Detroit area, Focus: HOPE may not be well known to our average citizen, but people who are familiar with this organization know how great an organization it is.

In 1971, Focus: HOPE began providing food for children, as well as pregnant and post-partum women. The program soon expanded to include senior citizens; and today, with food that is provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Focus: HOPE provides food to an incredible number, 43,000 children, women and senior citizens, each month in the Detroit metropolitan area.

Focus: HOPE has provided hope to individuals and families for over 35 years. In addition to providing food for those in immediate need, the organization's revolutionary job-training and education programs provide people with the tools and the resources necessary to pull themselves and their families out of the brutal cycle of poverty.

Mr. Speaker, Focus: HOPE opened its Machinists Training Institute in 1981. It is a 31-week program in which students receive over 1,100 contact hours. The training is very comprehensive and at a fraction of the cost of traditional job training. Along with their FAST TRACK program and First Step programs, students develop necessary skills to enter the workforce.

In 1993, Focus: HOPE developed the Center for Advanced Technologies to form a coalition of universities and corporations to design a 21st century curriculum for manufacturing engineering education. Very sadly, Father Cunningham passed away in 1997. But along with the incredible Eleanor Josaitis, who still acts as the Chief Executive Officer, their great visions and hard work has provided people with an opportunity which would not exist otherwise.

Mr. Speaker, Focus: HOPE's value to the poor and disadvantaged of the Detroit metropolitan area cannot be measured. It is a great organization run by individuals who truly care about our Nation's citizens. This resolution, 295, will bring much-deserved attention to Focus: HOPE and its dedicated employees and volunteers. The work they do is sometimes thankless and sometimes goes unnoticed, but I urge my colleagues to support House Concurrent Resolution 295 and to thank these outstanding individuals for their great work.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to urge all Members to support the adoption of House Concurrent Resolution 295.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res.

612) recognizing and honoring the firefighters, police, public servants, civilians, and private businesses who responded to the devastating fire in Richmond, Virginia, on March 26, 2004, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 612.

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

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 612 recognizes those who responded to the tremendous fire in downtown Richmond, Virginia, on March 26, 2004. On that day, a colossal fire ripped through Richmond and the Virginia Commonwealth University campus area as well. The wind-fueled blaze damned more than 30 buildings in the downtown Richmond area and several more buildings, and about 50 nearby homes were evacuated. Fortunately, no one was killed, and there were only a handful of reports of minor injuries. This resolution commends those citizens in the Richmond area who helped to minimize the effects of this terrible fire.

Mr. Speaker, our Nation's first responders provide an invaluable and largely thankless service, sometimes, to many of our citizens. The scene in Richmond on March 26 and the days that followed proved a stirring testament to that fact. Firefighters from Richmond and several neighboring counties rallied to extinguish the incredible fire. Law enforcement officers went door to door insisting that residents leave their homes. Many members of the downtown workforce, private organizations, and just your everyday average citizens helped to protect lives and defend property to limit the damage and the loss from the blaze.

Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize the distinguished gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cantor) for his work on House Resolution 612. And on behalf of the gentleman from Virginia and all the Members of this House, I want to thank the firefighters, the police, the businesses, organizations, civilians, and others who aided residents affected by the fire on March 26, 2004.

But even beyond the fine men and women from Richmond, Virginia, I want to thank all emergency responders across the country who protect every one of us every day. First responders routinely put their lives at risk to promote the general welfare of all Americans. I am pleased that the consideration of this resolution gives us a chance to praise medical services personnel, firefighters, law enforcement officials, as well as others who serve and protect all of us each and every day, and I urge support for this important resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my distinguished colleague, the gentleman from the great State of Virginia (Mr. Cantor), who authorized House Resolution 612.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of H. Res. 612, as amended; and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, last Friday we received more outstanding news on the economy. In April, 288,000 new jobs were created, and that is on top of the 337,000 jobs created in March. And in April, nearly 10 percent of those jobs were in the manufacturing sector. All of this is great news for America and especially good news for my home State of Michigan.

With our manufacturing sector coming back, we cannot allow John Kerry to enact his unreasonable auto fuel economy standards. According to the United Auto Workers, Senator Kerry's CAFE proposal would force the Big Three to curtail production of larger vehicles and cause substantial job losses. They have estimated as many as 100,000 jobs. The UAW has said that the proposal would lead to additional outsourcing of jobs.

Mr. Speaker, Senator Kerry's proposal would be a disaster for Michigan just at the time our economy is coming back. We must stay on the pro-growth, pro-job path being pursued by President Bush and the Republican majority, not the job-killing, additional-outsourcing path proposed by Senator Kerry.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3939) to redesignate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 14-24 Abbott Road in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, as the ``Mary Ann Collura Post Office Building''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3939.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3939. This legislation is naming a post office in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, after Officer Mary Ann Collura. She was the first woman to serve as an officer in the Fair Lawn Police Department. H.R. 3939 fittingly honors the tremendous service of an individual fallen peace officer.

Officer Collura was an outstanding 18-year veteran of the Fair Lawn Police Department and a respected community role model. On April 17, 2003, Officer Collura was called in to back up fellow officers involved in a chase with three young men in a car. The chase fatally ended outside a Fair Lawn church as one of the men shot Officer Collura in the chest after she pursued the men on foot. The assailant then stole Officer Collura's patrol car and drove over her body as he made his escape.

Mr. Speaker, everyone in the Fair Lawn area who knew Officer Collura knew she served her community with the highest esteem. Earlier this spring, as steps were being taken to ensure a proper memorial for Officer Collura, the local journal, the Fair Lawn News, quoted a local resident who emotionally said, ``I knew her. She was superior as an officer and as a person.''

Mr. Speaker, Officer Collura's heartbreaking story even attracted President Bush's attention. At the Peace Officers' Memorial Day Service outside this Capitol last year on May 15, the President mentioned Officer Collura as a law enforcement officer who tragically lost her life in the past year.

The President cited a quote from one of Officer Collura's fellow officers, who later said about her, ``There are probably 100 cops like this who did everything right and still have their names on the wall,'' of the National Law Enforcement Memorial. The Officer went on to say, ``You put your faith in the hands of God every day when you go out there.''

Mr. Speaker, the wicked events of April 17, 2003, remind all of us of the dangers of police work. Officers of the peace, like Mary Ann Collura, earn our perpetual respect each and every day for their brave efforts to protect all of us.

This post office naming will posthumously commemorate Officer Mary Ann Collura's service to our Nation. Unquestionably, this is a highly warranted honor, and I strongly urge all Members to support the bill's passage.

Mr. Speaker, I commend the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Rothman) for his meaningful work on H.R. 3939.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers at this time, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have been touched as well by all of the comments about Mary Ann Collura. Sometimes an incident happens like that in a State and in the Nation that touches everybody and, certainly, naming this Post Office after this fantastic American is an appropriate thing.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of the Members to support the passage of H.R. 3939.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4299) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 410 South Jackson Road in Edinburg, Texas, as the ``Dr. Miguel A. Nevarez Post Office Building''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Government Reform, I rise in support of H.R. 4299 that designates a post office in Edinburg, Texas as the ``Dr. Miguel A. Nevarez Post Office Building.'' All of the members of the Texas State delegation have cosponsored this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, Dr. Miguel Nevarez has been president of the University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg for the last 23 years. In 1981, Dr. Nevarez inherited a small university of only 8,000 students. But today, UT-Pan American boasts more than 15,000 students and 600 faculty members. Dr. Nevarez's 23 years of service makes him the longest- serving Hispanic university or college president in the entire Nation.

A distinguished educator, Dr. Nevarez is a vice-chair of the Council of Public University Presidents and Chancellors, and he is a member of the American Council of Education and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

Mr. Speaker, Dr. Nevarez retires this Friday, May 14. President Nevarez led his final spring commencement exercises just last weekend, as over 1,200 students from UT-Pan American received their degrees. House passage of this legislation will provide Dr. Nevarez and his family with a timely honor for his contributions to all past, current, and future students of UT-Pan American.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support H.R. 4299.

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

Mr. Speaker, we have no other speakers at this moment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

I urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 4299. I also understand that Dr. Nevarez will actually be an honoree at a dinner reception on Friday night in McAllen, Texas. And certainly on behalf of all the Members of this body, I want to thank and wish Dr. Nevarez the very best in his retirement, and I specifically want to thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa) for introducing this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 622) supporting the goals and ideals of Peace Officers Memorial Day.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 622, the resolution under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 622 supports the goals and the ideals of Peace Officers Memorial Day. This Saturday, May 15, is Peace Officers Memorial Day, a day that serves as an important remembrance of Federal, State, and local law enforcement officials who were killed or disabled in the line of duty during the past year.

According to the text of the resolution, 145 peace officers were killed during 2003. Mr. Speaker, remarkably, nearly 1 million Americans serve their country in some law enforcement capacity today. Their daily professions remain inherently dangerous, therefore all Americans must recognize and cherish their contributions to our liberty and to our security.

Mr. Speaker, this week is National Police Week, which occurs each year during the calendar week in which Peace Officers Memorial Day falls. Thousands of law enforcement personnel and their families will attend several events in the Washington, D.C. area during this week, culminating with the 23rd annual National Peace Officers Memorial Day services at noon on Saturday, May 15, at the west front of this revered building, the United States Capitol building.

We all owe our Nation's peace officers a tremendous debt of gratitude for their commitment to the safety of every citizen. Therefore, today, I am pleased the House is considering House Resolution 622 during this meaningful and somber week for those who defend our homeland.

Mr. Speaker, I highly commend the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley) for shepherding House Resolution 622 to the floor today. Primarily, I wish to thank him for his work to recognize the sacrifices of the men and women of American law enforcement.

This is a solemn piece of legislation, and I encourage every Member of the House to support it.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley), the sponsor of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I also want to thank the gentleman from Colorado for his work on House Resolution 622. It is a great piece of legislation, and I urge its adoption.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to resolution (H. Res. 613)

recognizing and honoring the tenth anniversary of Vietnam Human Rights Day.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 613, the resolution under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, 10 years ago, the Congress designated May 11, 1994, as Vietnam Human Rights Day through a joint resolution that became Public Law 103-258. The resolution was introduced in response to the issuance of the Manifesto of the Nonviolent Movement For Human Rights in Vietnam. That manifesto, written by the great human rights leader Dr. Nguyen Dan Que, intended to push pressure on the Socialist regime in Hanoi to respect the human rights of all Vietnamese citizens.

This is the tenth anniversary of the Vietnam Human Rights Day, which is the focus of House Resolution 622, before us today. The distinguished chairman of the Committee on Government Reform, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis), brought forth this important resolution, and I commend him for introducing this important measure.

Mr. Speaker, while progress has been made in the fight for a free and democratic Vietnam, the regime there continues to imprison, to attack, torture, kill, and otherwise persecute many of those who publicly express their views. This resolution aims to generate valuable awareness to Hanoi's uncivilized treatment of political dissidents, and I am pleased the House is considering it this afternoon.

Mr. Speaker, it is easy to take for granted our Nation's priceless freedoms of speech and expression and, conversely, to lose track of the reality that countless people around the world in fact pay a great price to express their view. On its tenth anniversary, the principles of Vietnam Human Rights Day continue to act as an important defense of the liberties and freedoms of the Vietnamese people.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis), the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Government Reform.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4227 to extend the alternative minimum tax relief to our Nation's middle class and working families. This legislation will ensure that almost 8 million Americans are not going to be subject to unfair higher taxes. It is interesting because just last week, I listened to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. About 100 of them actually voted against the marriage penalty relief. They said that offering this Nation's working families relief from a tax on marriage was inconsequential because these families would be subject to AMT.

H.R. 4227 is a pro-growth, and most importantly, pro-family piece of legislation that will help us fix this problem.

Mr. Speaker, as has been mentioned already several times today, the original intent of AMT provisions in our Nation's Tax Code were designed to prevent high-income taxpayers from using tax deductions, from using write-offs, as well as loopholes from avoiding paying their fair share of taxes. But under the leadership of the Democratic Party prior to 1995 and their obstructive politics since then, the AMT will continue to force hard working middle class families to pay more than their fair share unless something is done.

H.R. 4227 at least offers a temporary fix to this problem until Congress can develop a permanent solution. I commend President Bush and the majority party in Congress for implementing an economic growth package that has all of the economic indices on a positive trend line. Consumer confidence in our economy is on the rise because thanks to the leadership of President Bush, more Americans are able to keep more of their hard-earned money. The President and the Republican majority trust and believe in the American people. By extending relief from the AMT, we can make sure that taxpayers are not paying more than their fair share and they can have money in their pocket to help expand our economy even further.

Mr. Speaker, this House is faced with an important decision today, one that will affect up to 8 million working families. I support this legislation because I support those families. I urge my colleagues to make the right decision and vote to pass this.

Mr. Speaker, on issues important to our States it is reasonable to have an expectation that a leader will speak on the issues with clarity, so that people will know where that leader actually stands. On an issue which is vitally important to my home State of Michigan as well as every State in the Great Lakes Basin, Senator John Kerry has been less than clear. The issue is the potential for diversion of the Great Lakes.

Recently the Democratic presidential nominee was asked by the Detroit Free Press where he stood on this issue and he responded: ``It is a delicate balancing act that needs to focus on national priorities.'' What does that mean? The next day his supporters said he really did not mean what he said. For the State of Michigan, the Great Lakes State, as well as States like New York and Pennsylvania, Ohio, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana, those of us who recognize what a magnificent natural resource the Great Lakes are and what they mean to us, we need to look very closely at what Senator Kerry has in mind for us, even if this is another issue that he wants to flip-flop on. We cannot take the risk.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4181, which will end the marriage penalty once and for all. It is time to put this debate to rest, and it is time to abolish this Nation's anti-family tax policies.

When we pass this legislation, this House is making a statement that we as lawmakers will not stand for a Tax Code that punishes married couples. To place an additional tax burden on married couples simply because they are married is crazy. The Federal Government cannot be passing tax laws which are designed to drive people apart rather than bringing families together. It is counterintuitive.

Unfortunately, many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle say, well, who cares. After all, they say, the government needs more money, and we should be the ones to decide who to redistribute the wealth to based on our concept of what is good.

Mr. Speaker, I believe the Federal Government should have tax policy that has three fundamental caveats: it needs to be pro-growth; it needs to be pro-opportunity; and, most importantly, it needs to be pro- family.

Social engineering has been practiced by the other party, and it has had very negative results on our society.

Mr. Speaker, this House must pass H.R. 4181 to ensure that the marriage penalty relief is made permanent. The majority in this House has been an advocate for families by passing needed tax relief for hard-working families, expanding the child tax credit. Passage of this bill shows that this House is committed to this Nation's families. A fall-back to the old fashioned and anti-family tax policies that this Nation faced prior to President Bush taking office is unacceptable.

Mr. Speaker, I call on my colleagues to support our Nation's families and to support H.R. 4181. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this bill, and I will be very proud to go back home and tell my constituents that this House is working for them and for their families. Vote ``yes'' on

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today as a proud cosponsor of this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support this very, very important bill.

This bill really reflects our willingness, I think, to think about what to do in regards to the United States House of Representatives if the unthinkable were to happen. We need to have a mechanism in place to ensure that our government remains strong, remains stable in the events of a catastrophic attack.

Article I, Section 2 of our Constitution states that when vacancies happen in the representation of any State, the executive authority thereof shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies. Here the operative phrase is clearly ``elections.'' And so we know that our Founding Fathers intended for any Member of the United States House to only serve after being elected. And this House, the people's House, has fulfilled that intention, and I think this legislation will continue that tradition.

Before coming to Congress, I was very honored to serve as Michigan's secretary of state with the principal responsibility of serving as the chief elections officer. So let me direct a few of my remarks to the actual mechanics of holding an election within the framework of this legislation.

When we first proposed this bill, many of my former colleagues in the elections community expressed reservations over our original mandate for election to be held within 21 days. The bill we consider today has extended that deadline to 45 days. And the individuals who I rely on as expert within this field say that they could conduct an election certainly within that time frame.

In regards to election administration functions such as programming, testing, hiring election workers and preparing polling places, most polling places are relatively stable, so much so that in most States they are actually listed on the voter identification cards.

If tragedy required this legislation to be acted upon, we need to remember that the ballot would only contain names for a single office, which would dramatically ease printing, programming and testing. It should also be noted that since Congress has passed the Help America Vote Act, most States are embracing the election reform such as following the model in Michigan of a statewide computerized voter registration file which is constantly updated by local election clerks, motor vehicle departments as well, thereby allowing an up-to-date, clean file to be printed at any time and provide it to all the polling places.

Also, all of the States are rapidly moving toward a uniform system of voting equipment. Michigan, for example, will soon have all of our 5,300 precincts using optical scan voting equipment, which would allow for the vendor to always have a camera-ready ballot, and then all you have to do is fill in the names of the candidates for Congress and go to print.

These elections obviously would not take place in optimal conditions, but it has been my observation that elections officials will always rise to the occasion to complete the required work, especially in time of a national emergency. This legislation will ensure the integrity of the elections process. And while I recognize that there are various ideas about how we should approach the situation of mass vacancies, it is my personal belief that under no circumstances should we deviate from the direct election of Members of the people's House. Clearly it is incumbent upon us to find a solution to this issue which honors the wishes and the wisdom of our Founding Fathers that no individual will serve in this Chamber without being first elected by the people.

This legislation, under the guidance of the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner), and the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier), and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney) is a remarkable achievement and certainly deserves bipartisan support.

It has often been said that the price of freedom is being ever vigilant. The enemies of freedom will find that America is.