Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I think we are all proud that we are able to at least go back home and face the people who are going through this economic crisis. They are sitting around the table. They know America is not going to let them down. They know that they have hope and vision for the future. They know that they, and others, have had economic setbacks. Because as David Dreier, my dear friend has said, they are in trouble now. They are not working and they are losing hope, but they are depending on everybody, Republicans and Democrats, to be there for them. At the end of the day they will look at each other and ask, What does it look like in the Congress?

Are they going to give us a little assistance, a little dignity, a little pride? Can we keep our kids in school? Can we pay the rent? Can we go into the supermarket and have a decent meal over the weekend? They're not going to let us down. No.

I don't know about you. I've been here 38 years. And the one thing that I always hear when I get back home is, ``And how did you vote on that?''

I would suggest to you that you staple David Dreier's statement to your newsletter so that they can interpret it with you and say, I didn't vote for you, but I didn't want to let you down. I didn't vote for you, but I did advocate a permanent extension of the President's tax cut. I didn't vote for you, because I really believe that if I give you some money, you're not going to get out there and try to get a job.

So you have to take this very carefully. But I hope that when you get home, you'll be able to say, you know, when they first started this, I didn't like the way the Democrats handled it. I didn't like the way they put it on the suspension calendar. I thought that perhaps we should, even though $35 billion is there, I would have liked to have seen it handled different. And I expressed myself about it.

But at the end of the day, because I know so many people who know so many people that are not the least bit interested in the parliamentary procedure; they're going to ask the question, ``How did you vote?'' Be able to say I voted the right way.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1265, I call up the bill (H.R. 5749) to provide for a program of emergency unemployment compensation, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Madam Speaker, I ask that the gentleman's motion receive the consideration it deserves.

I move to table the appeal.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I ask unanimous consent that I yield to myself such time as I may consume and at that conclusion the balance of the time allotted be given to Dr. McDermott, a senior member of the Ways and Means Committee, who was the major drafter of the bill that is before the House.

Mr. Speaker, here we are again, once again fighting for the dignity of millions of Americans who worked every day of their adult lives, paid into a trust fund, believing if there ever was a need, that their Congress, their Members would respond to it.

The compensation that we are offering in this legislation is so meager that it is almost embarrassing to have to fight to get it, and the whole concept that maybe the President believes that if they are given assistance, they would rather not look for a job but rather have these checks. But I think I want America to know that as long as good people want to work, as long as they don't have money to pay their bills, as long as oil prices are up, education, health care, as long as these good people cannot survive and begin to lose their dignity and their pride, as long as these great Americans, middle Americans find themselves in this position, that we on our side will continue to fight no matter what you do.

So you can attack us on parliamentary grounds, you can talk about PAYGO, you can talk about suspension, you can go get a veto, but the American people should know that we are not going to give up. We are not going to give in, and that we will prevail. So whatever tactics, language, rhetoric you come up with, at the end of the day when the family says I know I can depend on our Congress, they will be asking: And how do your congressmen vote on this issue? And I hope that you will be guided by your conscience and not your party.

So I would like to yield the balance of my time to Dr. McDermott to get into the specifics, but I hope that we will be able, with our vote today, to get into the heart of the American people and let them know that this Congress and this country will not let them down.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of passing meaningful climate change legislation that includes programs to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Climate change is one of the most urgent issues of our time and will affect the whole world, but the brunt of the climate burden will undoubtedly be taken by the poorest populations.

Low-lying coastal areas and urban inner cities are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The construction of interstate highways has concentrated greenhouse gases in urban communities and increased the prevalence of asthma in those areas. 70 percent of African-American people live near environmentally unfriendly industries like coal fired plants. These plants emit greenhouse gases and other pollutants that adversely affect the air quality in the communities around them.

The issue of climate change is not only about African-Americans, but a much broader Black community. The Black Diaspora and Africans are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of environmental inaction. It is estimated that 75-250 million Africans can be affected by the stresses that climate change has on water supply and a rapidly changing ecosystem.

The ingenuity of the people of the United States will allow our country to become a leader in curbing global warming by paving the way with well-planned legislation and creating jobs that will boost the economy. Prompt, decisive action is critical, since global warming pollutants can persist in the atmosphere for more than a century.

The most important thing to remember is that the most expensive policy is that of doing nothing. We cannot afford not to take action. The impact that climate change has on our ecosystems, health, and food and energy costs is irreversible. By taking aggressive action on this urgent issue, we are showing our constituents and the world that climate change is highly prioritized by the United States and furthermore, it determines the decisiveness and speed with which we as a country will confront this issue in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to draw attention to the life and legacy of a man whose work in Rock 'n' Roll has been called ``ground breaking.'' Bo Diddley was born Ellas Otha Bates in McComb, Mississippi, on December 30, 1928 and passed away on June 2, 2008 at the age of 79.

Diddley was raised by his mother's cousin, Gussie McDaniel, whose surname he legally adopted. The family moved to Chicago when Diddley was seven. Bo broke new ground in rock and roll's formative years with his unique guitar work, indelible African rhythms, inventive songwriting, and larger-than-life persona. He will forever be known for popularizing one of the foundational rhythms of rock and roll: the Bo Diddley beat. He employed it in his namesake song, ``Bo Diddley'' (which earned him a rightful place in the Grammy Hall Of Fame). This African-based rhythm pattern was picked up from Diddley by other artists and has been a distinctive and recurring element in rock and roll through the decades. His beats have influenced the music of artists such as Buddy Holly, the Rolling Stones, Johnny Otis, the Strangeloves, the Who, and Bruce Springsteen.

Diddley is the author of a body of songs--including ``Who Do You Love?'' ``Road Runner,'' ``Mona,'' ``Before You Accuse Me'' and ``I'm a Man''--that are among the earliest examples of rock and roll rising out of rhythm and blues. Diddley married into his music two worlds he knew well--the Deep South and the streets of Chicago. He formed a band called the Hipsters while in high school and landed a regular spot at the 708 Club on Chicago's South Side in 1951.

Diddley's earliest records were contemporaneous with those of label mate Chuck Berry. He signed with the Checkers label in 1955 and his debut single was a two-sided classic that paired ``Bo Diddley'' with ``I'm a Man.'' It was the first in a string of groundbreaking songs that walked the fine line between rhythm & blues and rock & roll. Others included ``Diddley Daddy,'' ``Pretty Thing'' and ``Road Runner,'' which were all Top Twenty R&B hits. Oddly, Diddley's only crossover success came with ``Say Man,'' a laugh-filled exchange of jive talk between Diddley and his maraca player, Jerome Green. Their verbal sparring derived from the African-American pastime of ``signifying' or ``doing the dozens'' and foreshadowed the battle rapping of the present day.

Diddley was also an inventor, devising his own tremolo effect and playing a unique, rectangular ``cigar box'' guitar that he designed in 1958. His ever-fertile mind also inspired him to set up one of the first home studios. The prolific singer/guitarist released a string of albums whose titles--including Bo Diddley Is a Gunslinger and Have Guitar, Will Travel--bolstered his self-invented legend.

Diddley also traveled with the rock and roll revues of the day. He retained his iconic status as a rock and roll pioneer, steadily releasing albums on Checkers through the mid-Seventies. Meanwhile, Diddley continued to work the live circuit in tireless fashion.

Bo Diddley was one of rock 'n' roll's true pioneers. He has been righteously outspoken on the subject of underpayment, bad contracts and other rip-offs that denied many early rock and rollers (he among them) what was due them and in 1987 he was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.

A regular at Harlem's Apollo Theatre, Bo Diddley has indelibly stamped his mark on rhythm and blues, rock 'n' roll and popular music. His innovative trademark rhythm, his electric custom built cigar box guitar, and his wild stage shows predate all others. Diddley leaves a permanent mark on American music and culture, and our deepest sympathies go out to his family, friends and fans. The 'Bo Diddley beat' surely will continue on.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5749) to provide for a program of emergency unemployment compensation, as amended.

I would ask unanimous consent that at the conclusion of my very brief remarks, that my time be yielded to Mr. McDermott who worked so desperately hard with Mr. English to prepare this Congress to do what has to be done for a crisis that we hoped we would never have to experience.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I stand before you not as a Democrat speaking to Republicans, but as an American who recognizes that if I had to think of one of the most important assets that our country has had, after we talked about our flag, our military, our democracy, I think that we all would agree it's our middle class. They're different from most people. They're not recognized worldwide. They're not the rich. They're not the poor. They're people who struggle every day. But it's their dreams, I think, that make us different from any other country and any other democracy knowing that in this country there is no glass ceiling.

And no matter what we accomplish, that we could dream for our kids and for our grandkids, today, through no fault of their own, this dream is being shattered. It's being shattered by the deficits. It's being shattered by war. It's being shattered by losing our kids, losing our jobs, losing our hope, increased price of oil; and people are concerned about where do we go from here. I suggest to you that no one can challenge the fact that this country cannot go any further than our middle class.

So it's up to us to find out how do we handle this and how to explain, at a time when they're at most need, not just in terms of dollars and cents but in hopes that this country is going to pull out of this as we have in the past.

So what did Mr. McDermott and Congressman English do? They said no matter what happens in this country, whether we win or lose, you can depend on one thing: We will not give up on the American middle class. Now, you could talk about deficits and trust funds, you could talk about PAYGO, you could talk about anything; but you're not going to let this country drown because of technicalities.

The middle class is there when we need them. They're there to consume and to buy if they have to. They're there to fight and die in our wars. And now comes an opportunity where we come here together and we say it's not much, we've got to struggle to repair the economic damage, but in the meantime, those of you who have worked every day, those of you who we've not said ``thank you'' to, we're saying that we're going to be there because through no fault of your own, our country has let you down.

I yield back for the technical things, but I do hope when we get back home that all of us can say, We didn't do everything that we wanted to, but at the time this bill came up for suspension, we were there for you.

Thank you again, Dr. McDermott, Mr. English, and all of those that I know everybody in this House is sensitive to the plight that these unfortunate, hardworking people find themselves. All I can suggest, from a very political point of view, is that at some point when we get home, somebody is going to ask us how did we vote? And as they put together their budgets and try to figure out the rent, the mortgages, the tuition, the gas prices, I just hope that you perfect the arguments of those of you that oppose this bill in such a way that you expect they would understand what the heck you are talking about.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Guyana's 42nd anniversary of independence.

Guyana achieved independence on May 26, 1966, and became the Co- operative Republic of Guyana on February 23, 1970, with a new constitution. Guyana is a located on the northern coast of South America between Venezuela, Brazil, and Suriname. It is the lone English-speaking nation on the South American mainland, a country of 83,000 square miles, dense tropical forests, and 800,000 people.

This former British colony is rich in human resources, bauxite, gold and arable land. The young country had promising expectations but success was not immediately attained. In fact, Guyana, at times, is described as one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere and qualifies for debt concessions through the global initiative to reduce burden on the world's highly indebted poor countries.

After years of economic decline, failure to maintain its infrastructure, political conflict between Afro and Indo Guyanese, Guyana's largest ethnic groups, and factors that fueled an exodus of its brightest, the country needed reform. Today, it is rebuilding both its economy and infrastructure and with prospects of finding large deposits of oil, Guyana now has the potential for growth and prosperity expected of it since the 1960s.

Guyana still faces many obstacles today. Earlier this year, two massacres took the lives of more than 20 men, women and children but a period of relative calm has followed. Yes, crime and violence remain a serious problem as they do elsewhere in the Caribbean.

The latter is the dichotomous image that Guyana presents to the world as it celebrates its 42nd anniversary of independence.

As a member of the international community, Guyana has made important contributions to the resolutions of major conflicts around the world through its participation in the United Nations Security Council, in the Organization of American States, on the World Court and in other global bodies.

This anniversary offers us an occasion to thank the people of Guyana for their strength, their courage, and their contributions to our global community. So, on this anniversary of independence, I stand in camaraderie with the Guyanese people to celebrate and appreciate the growth and change of Guyana.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate a champion of environmental health and a stellar legislator, Stanley Michels, a 24- year New York City Council member whose birthday we honor today. Three decades ago, he set for himself an ambitious task: to render visible the invisible, to--as he put it--``convince City Hall that there is life in Manhattan above 96th Street.'' A lifelong resident of northern Manhattan, he felt it imperative that he and his neighbors in West Harlem, in Washington Heights, in Inwood, in Morningside Heights, in Central Harlem, be given a voice. After an illustrious career on the Council, it's safe to say he has succeeded, and then some. The litany of legislative achievement attached to his name speaks to his political and personal philosophies: Prioritize the quality of life of everyday people. Hold steadfast to the guiding principles of fairness and pragmatism. And always, always stand by those who need most defending.

An environmentalist at heart whose driving motivation was consistently the health and well-being of his constituency, Michels led the charge for cleaner air and the protection of the area's water supply. He advanced a precedent-setting law aiming to protect children from lead poisoning in apartments. He spearheaded an expansion of the city's recycling and waste-reduction programs, requiring the weekly collection of recyclables and granting the Council the power to approve the city's Solid Waste Management Plan. He railed against smoking and excessive noise in public places, limiting both in his time on the Council.

Two short months after the attacks of Sept. 11, he held the first public hearings on air quality and the environmental impact of the World Trade Center collapse. For nearly a decade, he chaired the Committee on Environmental Protection, early in his tenure bringing together at-odds parties in the battle over the city's watershed and succeeded in creating the dialogue that led to the Watershed Memorandum of Agreement, still effectively safeguarding the city's water-supply system today. A master of both policy and relationships, he is as good at legislating as he is at bringing people together.

He fought then--and continues to fight--for the little guy. He required that there be public hearings before annual increases to rent- stabilized apartments. He was the motivating force behind a provision that exempted seniors from certain rent increases. He closed loopholes in the deregulation of apartments, allowed the city to foreclose on individual properties in tax arrears, and eliminated the parking garage surtax for Manhattan residents.

For a quarter of a century, he served tirelessly for the public. His home--too often forgotten, overlooked, disregarded--had finally a voice in city government. And what a powerful and distinct voice he gave them. He optimistically noted that his tenure sent the city a clear message: that ``no city agency can ignore us'' ever again.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend tens of thousands of youngsters who, this year, earned their high school diplomas as first in their respective graduating classes. The diploma in itself has come to symbolize promise and opportunity, the first step in a series of steps towards achieving the American dream, and I am proud of each and every student who earned one this year. But that honor is ever the more remarkable when awarded with a valedictorian title, an acknowledgement that its receiver is academically top-notch in his or her class.

These bright, young minds--freshly out of school, having ostensibly left adolescence behind and come into their own as educated, young adults--will inherit this world, as much our successes as our failures. It will be up to them to improve upon our legacy, to wield their ingenuity and knowledge to the benefit of their country and their world. It pleases me to know that there are steady, capable young hands out there prepared to mold, shape, and supply form to a better future.

These men and women are an exemplary class, many of whom will go on to earn college degrees, serve America in some form of public service, travel abroad, raise families, or

join the workforce. Regardless of the path, their unique strengths and talents will sustain America and her standing on the global stage. Although the task may sound great and daunting, these achievers have shown both grit and giftedness over the past 4 years and will surely rise to the challenge with poise and a sense of purpose.

But for today, we celebrate and congratulate, keeping an eye on the greatness that lies in store for them and this Nation.

Madam Speaker, the time has come to call attention to the food crisis which threatens to have a worldwide impact; I want to enter into the Record an editorial from the New York CaribNews for the week ending April 22, 2008, ``Haiti, Back to the Crisis Stage, Food Crisis and Riots Underscore Dire Economic and Social Conditions that Require Urgent Attention.''

Rising food prices are fueling the global hunger crisis. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and oldest black sovereign state. It is sad to think of Haitians demonstrating and taking to the streets in order to call the world's attention to the fact ordinary people cannot afford to buy food. The World Bank estimates that food prices have gone up by 83 percent globally over the last 3 years. The country is struggling to stabilize itself and now rising food prices threaten the progress that has been made.

Haiti's need for assistance is a result of joblessness, high infant mortality, and dependence on imported food, inadequate health care services and poor educational opportunities. It is time for the international donor community to live up to the promises made to Haiti. The World Bank has outlined a strategy for the Government of Haiti, which includes helping the country to deliver rapid results, through jobs and basic services to foster development over the long term.

This article points out the critical need for not only long term solutions but short and interim term solutions to rush assistance to those in greatest need. The right type of assistance is paramount in maintaining stability in Haiti, allowing the country to continue to make progress towards self sufficiency, which will help bring an end to the suffering.

Haiti serves a wake up call to the potential looming global food crisis. It is taking an immense toll on the world's poorest people, who typically spend up to 80 percent of their income on food. After many years of working to end hunger and poverty, the United States and other developed nations must put forth bolder efforts to ensure progress is not lost in resolving global hunger.

Haiti, Back to the Crisis Stage: Food Crisis and Riots Underscore Dire

Economic and Social Condition That Requires Urgent Attention

Just when people in different parts of the world,

especially the Caribbean and the Haitian Diaspora, dared to

dream that Haiti was on the mend and making progress, food

riots broke out in the capital of Port au Prince a few day

ago and they cost the Prime Minister, Jacques Edouard Alexis,

his job.

And if some members of the Senate get their way, the next

on the list would be President Rene Preval, the duly elected

chief of state, who has brought a measure of stability to the

French-speaking Caribbean nations, the oldest Black sovereign

state in the Western Hemisphere.

Any attack on the President would be a tragedy.

Few people, if any at all, could get angry with the

demonstrators for taking to the streets to let the world know

that they are

hungry and need food at affordable prices. After all, as

Michael Hess, a senior administrator of the United States

Agency for International development, explained it, ``people

are making two dollars a day and we're seeing food prices go

up around the world.''

In other words, what do you expect when people are pushed

up against the wall and don't have anywhere else to turn.

The dire food situation in Haiti and the social upheaval it

caused have not only dramatized the crisis confronting

developing countries as imported food and fertilizers go

through the roof in the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia, the

Middle East and other regions of the world but it points to

the unstable economic and social conditions in Haiti.

Here's a country that is among the poorest of the poor and

it is feeling the full force of escalating global food

prices, It is clear that the current situation if not

remedied soon can lead to mass starvation and undermine its

government. In a country which has had more than its fair

share of economic and social problems for more than two

hundred years, the specter of widespread hunger should be

enough to convince donor nations and development

institutions that Haiti's problems can't be ignored any

longer.

According to estimates by reputable international

organizations, Haiti has enough food to satisfy its people's

needs but the problem is that millions of nationals can't

afford to buy it. That reflects both the chronic long-term

poverty picture and the current nightmare of rising food

costs. It is as if Haitians are caught between two crushing

pinchers.

Obviously time is not on the side of Haitians, a nightmare

that's evident in the prediction of aid organizations that

the nutritional crisis can lead to further impoverishment.

That would be a crying shame for several reasons.

First, the international donor community has promised much

to Haiti but has often failed to live up to its word. Last

weekends riots underscore the people's plight and the obvious

need for prompt international action, a point made by Robert

Zoelick, President of the World Bank.

We couldn't agree more.

Secondly, the pace of improvement has been too slow. There

is a need to accelerate the rate of overall national

development and not simply treat the food crisis as if it

were an isolated phenomenon.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and

its unstable political and economic picture is the result of

indifference of some of its former leaders and exploitation

by foreign governments and interests, especially the U.S.

whose role in the country often ignored what's best for the

people.

The country cries out for assistance. It has chronic

problems of joblessness, high infant mortality, dependence on

imported food, inadequate education and health care services

and the like.

The riots which left at least seven people, including a

Nigerian soldier attached to the United Nations military

force, dead and millions of dollars in damage can erupt again

if people become convinced that their appeals for a long-term

solution are falling on deaf ears.

So, it's important that a short, medium and long-term

solution be implemented with the involvement of Haitians. Far

too often tens of millions of dollars were set aside for the

country's development but in the end the country remains

poor. That's because the average Haitian was never the

intended beneficiary. That has perpetuated a cycle of poverty

that must be ended so that people there can enjoy the kind of

economic success that we know is possible.

But Haitians too have a responsibility to push the process

forward. The Haitian Diaspora has played its part, sending

back more than $4 billion to relatives since 2002 and many of

the improvements in housing, for instance can be traced

directly to the remittances. But the flow of that money is

being threatened by the economic slowdown in the United

States. It would be a pity because a reduction would heighten

suffering. Coupled with the 50 percent rise in food prices

since the middle of last year a cut in assistance and

remittances would be a triple whammy, widening hunger, social

upheaval and desperation.

Madam Speaker, rising food prices are fueling the global hunger crisis. The World Bank estimates that food prices have gone up by 83 percent globally over the last three years. This reality has hit home in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and oldest black sovereign state. It is sad to think of Haitians demonstrating and taking to the streets in order to call the world's attention to the fact ordinary people can not afford to buy food. As Haiti struggles to maintain its stability, rising food prices threaten the progress that has been made.

The recent removal of Prime Minister Jacques Edouard Alexis is evident that Haiti's

political stability is in jeopardy. Also this month, 10 Senate seats in Haiti will be up for election. Originally scheduled for last fall, these elections had to be postponed after members of the country's electoral commission accused their leaders of embezzlement. In a country where political turnover has become the norm, President Preval's stability offers hope for Haiti. I urge the United States not to allow the current humanitarian crisis to become a political one as well.

Poverty is one of the greatest ills to plague mankind. Those who survive in poverty are under the constant threat of death. The debt forgiveness offered by the Jubilee Act will enable Haiti to address the issues of poverty, create opportunities for economic growth and establish sound governing practices. The Jubilee Act also promotes responsible development assistance by prioritizing grants over loans, which is an important measure to prevent poor nations from falling back into debt. Releasing Haiti from its onerous debt will allow the country to feed its own people and rebuild its struggling economy without the burden of diverting its scarce resources to fill the coffers of wealthy, multi-lateral financial institutions. The U.S. House of Representatives has gone on record supporting the immediate cancellation of Haiti's debt, it is now time for the President to make sure that this struggling nation is no longer held captive to its past and is put on a sustained path to development.

Haiti serves a wake up call to the potential looming global food crisis. It is taking an immense toll on the world's poorest people, who typically spend up to 80 percent of their income on food. After many years of working to end hunger and poverty, the United States and other developed nations must put forth bolder efforts to ensure progress is not lost in resolving global hunger.

Madam Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to wish the State of Israel a chag sameach and happy birthday on its 60th anniversary of independence.

Over the past 60 years, Israel has exhibited strong and unparalleled growth in every aspect: governmentally, educationally, culturally, economically, industrially, and militarily. Today she is as strong as she has ever been. The state's population is nine times what it was in 1948, the year she declared her independence. It is hard to imagine that in the earlier part of the 20th century she was nothing but a swampy British colony.

Governmentally, Israel's democracy is alive and well. It is the only democracy with free and fair elections in the Middle East. Israel has some of the world's top universities and its citizenry is highly educated. According to the state's Census Bureau, in 1948, 208 people received degrees from the country's two universities; 2 years ago, 53,000 people received degrees from 62 local colleges and universities. Eight Israelis are Nobel Prize laureates.

Israel's diverse population, which is composed of immigrants from countries throughout

the world, has contributed to its rich culture of arts, music, and literature. Economically, Israel is considered to have one of the most advanced economies in Southwest Asia.

Industrially, Israel has managed to become completely self-sufficient despite its lack of natural resources and small size. This has been thanks to its groundbreaking technological advances in agriculture and its hard-working Zionist pioneers. Militarily, despite the country's size, its army is one of the most superior in the world.

Israel is and will continue to be a key and necessary ally of the United States. The cross-Atlantic friendship shared by our countries is critical to both our democracies. I recognize Israel's contributions toward rooting out terrorism and salute its citizenry for their resilience and bravery.

As the state turns the page and moves into a seventh decade of independence, I hope and pray that a future with peace and prosperity for all of the people in the region is on the horizon.

Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of myself and Ways and Means Ranking Member Jim McCrery to recognize Diane B. Garro, an exemplary public servant. Ms. Garro is retiring after 36 years of distinguished service at the Social Security Administration.

Ms. Garro has devoted her professional life to serving Social Security's current and future beneficiaries. Like many other dedicated SSA employees, Ms. Garro began her career on the front lines, directly serving beneficiaries. Through her talent and hard work, she rose to become a key senior executive.

Ms. Garro started her career with SSA while she was still a college student, and later took a full-time job as a claims authorizer for disability benefits. Her skill and commitment were recognized as she was promoted to a variety of management positions throughout the agency, and she eventually was named as Assistant Deputy Commissioner-- the top civil service position--in SSA's Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs, OLCA. She has served with distinction for over 12 years in that position or as Acting Deputy Commissioner. She has helped to establish a high standard for knowledge, cooperation and professionalism in representing SSA with Members of Congress and their staff.

Ms. Garro is recognized as an expert on SSA's disability policies, with a particular expertise in the complex challenge of determining childhood disability. With her early experience as a disability claims authorizer as a base, and additional experience gained in organizational management, she was named Director of SSA's Division of Medical and Vocational Policy, which is responsible for developing the regulations and policies used to determine whether an applicant meets the test of disability in the law. She was chosen to represent SSA on a White House workgroup on children with disabilities, and she addressed the National Commission on Childhood Disability on behalf of SSA.

Ms. Garro also led the development of SSA's medical listing for HIV, creating a streamlined process that allowed individuals with HIV to qualify for presumptive disability payments based on a doctor's certification. As a result, payments for individuals suffering from HIV could begin in a matter of days rather than months. She also played a pivotal role in developing and implementing the procedures the Agency continues to use to expedite benefits to terminally ill applicants.

At the Committee on Ways and Means, we are grateful for Ms. Garro's vast expertise covering Social Security programs and agency operations, and her skill in communicating vital information to Congress. She has led the Congressional affairs team with a high degree of integrity, knowledge, and compassion. The Subcommittee on Social Security particularly appreciates her unfailing responsiveness, and her timely, accurate, and insightful analysis on issues ranging from disability determination to disclosure of information to the impact of immigration reform on SSA. The technical assistance she and her staff have provided over the years has been invaluable in perfecting the laws Congress has enacted.

Ms. Garro's tenure in OLCA spanned six SSA Commissioners. She led SSA's preparation of witnesses for many hearings, and the Committee learned to expect those witnesses to be ready to handle any question we would ask. Ms. Garro also participated in innumerable Congressional briefings. Her hallmark was a thoughtful, practical, well-reasoned approach to any issue, leavened by a sense of humor that ensured balance and perspective.

Diane Garro's career exemplifies her commitment to providing effective, compassionate, and knowledgeable service to the Agency and to the American public. She can retire knowing she has the respect and admiration of those who have worked with her, and she can be very proud of her accomplishments.

We wish Ms. Garro all the best in her retirement from the Social Security Administration. We thank her for her many years of dedicated Federal service, and we will certainly miss her.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1212, I call up the bill (H.R. 6049) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide incentives for energy production and conservation, to extend certain expiring provisions, to provide individual income tax relief, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

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

My friends and colleagues, we now have an opportunity to reverse the trend that this great Nation has bound itself to, and that is, the addiction to oil as well as the lack of will to do something about it.

This great country has faced up to many crises, and the oil shortage just happens to be one. The question is do we have the will to look and to research and to find alternative means in which to meet the needs of this great Nation.

Under the leadership of Speaker Pelosi, I think today is the day that all of us are going to be proud of the initiatives that we have taken, the opportunities that are going to be given, the jobs that are going to be created, and the excitement in being able to say that the United States need not look to any Nation because of their vast resources in oil because we have the ingenuity and the ability to find alternatives.

It is endless the possibilities that this will pursue in encouraging the production of electricity from renewable sources, using the wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, hydropower, landfill gas and solid waste.

We even go as far as to have coal electricity plants.

It is a great opportunity for us and the world to explore these new areas that we just were too lazy or found no need to do, encouraging energy efficient products such as plug-in hybrid cars and incentives for conservation of energy in our buildings, whether they're residential or whether they're commercial. And I find it very exciting that we allow local government, that knows their communities better than we ever could, to issue tax credit bonds to further explore how we can conserve energy.

I think this is merely a beginning, but it is an historic beginning that defies party lines. I do hope that we thank the Speaker and the chairman of the committee, the staffs who came together after working years on this project, to come together with a bill that's the beginning of the one that could be a new day for America, a new day for the world as we release our addiction and dependency on fossil fuel.

There is another part of this bill that I come to you with mixed feelings and yet ask your support. It's called the extenders. What are the extenders, for the new Members? It's when people want bills passed, but they put expiration dates on them in order to hide the real cost of the bill.

I think that the ranking member of the Committee on Ways and Means and I agree that we have so much garbage in this bill that soon I hope someone would have the courage to take a look at the tax bill that we have and strip it of the preferential treatment and get down to making the bills that we want permanent, and those that should not be permanent, just to kick them out.

I think it's a disgrace that we have a stimulus package and we have to target the middle class in order to be given handouts because they don't have enough money under our tax system to put food on the table, to provide tuition for their kids and put clothes on their back. We target them as being people who cannot afford to save and plan for the future. I think it is a disgrace for the Congress to have a tax system that way.

But because we make commitments and because some of these laws are good and efficient and because we don't have the money at this point in time to make it permanent, we come to you and ask you to support the extenders. These extenders include research and development, standard deduction for property taxes for non-itemizers. We have provisions in here to help Katrina. Expanded child credits. We make it more equitable how attorneys can write off their investments before the end of a case. We also make it equitable for the moving picture industry to get the same benefits that other industries get as relates to job credit.

This is one heck of an opportunity, I think, for us to move this forward in a short way. It's only a 1-year extension, which means that the next administration hopefully will be more progressive in terms of cleaning up the code and making permanent what should be made permanent. It is not paid in controversial taxes. We remove preferences for income that is made overseas and avoid tax liability, as well as tax benefits yet to be received. So there is no pain there.

I ask unanimous consent at this time to yield the remainder of my time to the gentleman from Washington, Dr. McDermott, for purposes of managing the bill, and to thank him and so many others on the Ways and Means Committee for their leadership, their patience, and being able to bring this bill to the floor. I'm fairly confident that we will have very little problem in the Senate and have this passed into law.

So remember the date. It's historic in nature. And remember the role that you played in supporting this revolutionary approach to avoid the dependency on fossil fuel for our great Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in outrageous opposition to the motion to recommit that has been offered to this House.

One, the outrage concerns my love for the Congress and the Constitution. And to think that this great House and the committee which I'm proud to chair would even have to consider what they're thinking, if they're thinking at all on the other side, to decide what we're going to legislate outrages me.

Two, whatever the President says he's going to do or may do--we understand that he's addicted to veto, but that shouldn't stop us from doing the right thing.

And why do I think basically it's the right thing? Well, it has to be if you want to extend it for 5 years. So your vote on this, after the motion to recommit dies on this floor, is going to be very interesting as to if you want it for 5, why wouldn't you want to extend it at least for 1?

Lastly, I wish that I had some time to share with my friend, whom I've enjoyed working with as the ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee, to ask him how much money do you think they have in Japan and China to loan us? There must be some limit to their capacity.

Our bill costs about $125 billion altogether, I think. $54 billion for the energy provisions as well as for this. So I assume that you want to add another $200 billion to that. And I don't remember you using the creative language that you used when you and the Senate--that you and the other body, whatever they call themselves--decided that you don't have to pay for the alternative minimum tax.

First of all, if I understood that, I'll take it home to my wife and explain that there are ways that you can lose revenue and not renew it and still not change your lifestyle. And if it works at home, I will come here, and at least for the next Congress, ask Mr. McCrery, if he can't stay over there, come on our side and explain how, if the President puts in the budget that we should be expecting money from these 25 million hostages that shouldn't have to pay the tax, that we don't have to make up for the money.

So I assume that you have now extended this to cover the extenders. And I hope really that you would stick around a little while so that you will be able to work with me and the next President, not to explain why in the last 8 years we haven't reformed this doggone tax system. Most of this stuff shouldn't be in the Tax Code. You know it and I know it. And the things that should be in the Tax Code should be made permanent. The stuff that shouldn't be in there should be taken out.

So in 8 years, the President is now talking about vetoing. Why didn't he take enough time to say, Let's straighten out the code, let's attempt to balance the budget, let's do the right thing for energy and whatever has to be in an extender that expires, help us to get rid of it without being charged with raising taxes. Any extender that expires, we would say that it raises taxes.

I know and Secretary Paulson knows, and we'll be hearing more from him probably after he leaves the administration, that this House has the responsibility of having a Tax Code that is simple, that is economically inspiring, and is something that can be confident and things shouldn't expire. If they expire, they shouldn't be in there in the first place. If it is good, it should stay in the Tax Code so there's reliability.

And if you're going to say that we're not going to get revenues as a result of extending this, we say for 1 year, we will raise the money, we will do it the right way, we will be proud of it, and in a small way attempt to stop this deficit.

But be kind to the people in Japan. Be kind to the people in China. They can't forever support everything that the Republicans want.

We're going to have to make sacrifices if we want to make changes. So this war is one against ignorance and not having the research and development. It's one in trying to have research and development for our corporations, but, more importantly, to find alternatives to this addiction that we have.

So you have been there for 8 years. Please don't try to change the things in 10 minutes here. Join with us. Let's work together in a bipartisan way, and let's mark down this day that is a day that House Democrats and Republicans said, stop the addiction, move to the alternatives, and dedicate ourselves to having a reformed Tax Code, if not this year then certainly next year.

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate and recognize the birthday of Lorraine Hansberry, whose work; A Raisin in the Sun became the first Broadway production of a black playwright. Lorraine Hansberry is the foremother of African-American drama. As the youngest American, the fifth woman, and the first black to win the New York Drama Critic's Circle Award as Best Play of the Year for A Raisin in the Sun, she has paved the way for many of her peers. To Be Young, Gifted and Black, an autobiographical portrait in her own words won the record for longest Off-Broadway running drama in 1968.

Lorraine Hansberry's work does not stop at the stages of Broadway; her work provided many in White America with their first exposure to the reality of the pain and struggles associated with being Black in America. She used the success of A Raisin in the Sun as a platform, becoming a spokesperson for the American Civil Rights Movement. Ms. Hansberry's first brush with the struggles of civil rights occurred when her family moved into an all-White neighborhood. White landowners in the area had relied on a restrictive covenant in order to not sell property to any person of color. The legal struggle to permit them to move to and live in an integrated environment led to the landmark Supreme Court case of Hansberry v. Lee, 311 U.S. 32 (1940). This experience later inspired her to write her most famous work, A Raisin in the Sun.

Today marks the birth of this great American 78 years ago. Although her life was cut short, her impact on her peers and her field will continue to be a testimony to hard work and what it means to be deeply committed to the causes of justice and equality.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6081) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide benefits for military personnel, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, the bill before us has been passed before, and they call it the HEART bill, Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008. I would prefer to call it the ``Thank You'' bill. Thank you for the tens of thousands of American men and women who have come to America's call to fight this war and to place themselves at risk because our Commander in Chief and our Nation have called them.

It is very difficult for me to think of any people that we should be saying ``thank you'' more to than this group, who are not Democrats and Republicans, are not politicians, but people whom America has depended on since its very beginning, and, that is, people who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice because their country asked them to do it.

We have recently passed a bill which is the equivalent, if not expanded, the GI Bill, so that those that do get back, many of them without limbs, many of them without jobs, would be able to get a decent education. This kind of enhances the ability for them to get their pensions, to get homes, and to remove the impediments that these brave people deserve. And one of the things that we're proudest of is that we have removed some type of impediment that will allow our fighting soldiers to be able to get the benefits of some of our tax laws even though they have married immigrants. So it is something that I am certain that everyone in this House and most all Americans would be supporting.

What a great honor it is for me to yield the balance of my time in support of this bill to Admiral Joe Sestak from the Seventh District of Pennsylvania. It's so easy for all of us to talk about sacrifices and so seldom that we find someone who has dedicated 31 years of his very young life for the defense of this great Nation of ours.

He has been the commander of an aircraft carrier of 30 U.S. and allied ships, over 15,000 sailors, 100 aircrafts; and this is only part of what the three-star Admiral in the United States Navy has done. How lucky we are in this Nation and, more specifically, in this Congress to have this distinguished Member speak in support of this bill, one who probably knows more about the needs of our service people than most of us ever hope to find out.

So with the Speaker's permission and unanimous consent of this body, I ask you to allow me to yield the balance of my time for purposes of picking other speakers to Congressman/Representative/Admiral Joe Sestak of the Seventh District of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Speaker, today, we may each have our own convictions about this war, and no matter what those may be, I think I can safely say that we stand united in our support for our troops and their families.

No one here today can challenge the commitment, the dedication, or the bravery of our men and women who have responded to this national call.

They have made sacrifices that very few Americans have ever been called on to make--many have paid with their lives, and many others with the loss of limbs and mental injuries we will never be able to comprehend.

We all know the great value of education benefits for our military. I wil1. continue to fight for an increase that exceeds what our President has requested in GI education benefits and in military pay for our sons and daughters who serve in the military. Our men and women need it and they have earned every bit of it, and more.

The bill being considered today cannot make up for the debt we owe to these men and women and their families. We cannot make up for the loss of life and limb and the mental anguish they will endure.

But today, we will play a small positive role that I know is supported by every Member of this body. Today, we will vote to pass a small token of our gratitude--a small step in the right direction.

This bill is expected to be taken up by the Senate after we pass it here today and sent to the President this week. This is very fitting as we leave to celebrate Memorial Day--a day of remembrance for all who sacrificed in war for our country.

There is a provision in this bill that has been added since we passed the bill last year. The

provision would ensure that a member of the military, who is married to an immigrant spouse would qualify for the stimulus rebate payment even if such spouse does not yet have a Social Security number.

This fix was necessary because in the zeal to impose anti-immigrant philosophy, language was added to the legislation for the stimulus rebate payments which now has a negative effect on some of our military and their families, even as they are off fighting a war.

This should serve as a great lesson in caution and being circumspect before we allow our deep-seated feelings to get the best of us.

We must learn from these lessons even as we fight to improve the lives of those who fight for our country through improved GI education benefits, pay increase, better health care services, and increased disability benefits.

This bill has been a labor of love. We passed a very similar bill (H.R. 3997) 410-0 on December 18, 2009, and had hoped to get it signed into law before the end of last year. Yet, despite the total bipartisan nature of this bill, we were unable to get it to the President's desk before the end of December, 2007. So, here we are again. Persistent to the end.

This bill is small but means a lot to many people. The Committee has received more calls on this bill than we could have imagined. People are calling to find out when the bill will become law.

Today gives us fresh hope--it looks like we will actually do it this time. I am proud to be a part of this small but important effort for our military men and women and their families who continue to give so much to our country.