Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. Twenty- five percent of the U.S. adult population suffers from mental disorders or substance abuse disorders.

Yet despite the prevalence of mental disorders, there continues to be widespread misinformation and ignorance surrounding the condition. We need to ensure those who have treatment have access to care. At the same time, we need to increase biomedical research into the causes of and treatments for mental illness.

It is estimated 98 percent of private health insurance plans discriminate against patients seeking treatment for mental illness by requiring higher copayments, allowing fewer doctor visits or days in the hospital, or requiring larger deductibles than imposed on other medical illnesses. With passage of this legislation, we will end these discriminatory practices and bring mental health care on par with care for physical ailments.

I congratulate my friends, Congressman Ramstad and Congressman Kennedy, for all their efforts to help the mentally ill.

I urge adoption of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for giving me this time to speak on what I think is important legislation.

I believe the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the CFTC, must investigate speculation in the energy futures market and respond to any manipulation in price distortions.

While opinion is not unanimous, I believe the increased positions of institutional investors, such as pension funds and endowments and sovereign funds in this market are contributing to the escalating price of oil at an alarming rate. The CFTC should level the playing field and apply position limits to the institutional investors, such as the New York Mercantile Exchange has required of its members for years.

Investigating market manipulation will give us temporary relief, but the high gas prices of today compel us to confront the inconvenient truth of our energy needs in other ways. We clearly need to increase domestic energy production, including solar, wind, geothermal, biofuel, nuclear power; and yes, oil and natural gas. It is truly insane to transfer $700 billion of our wealth, our income, to other nations, most of whom are, frankly, unfriendly to us.

Alongside increased conservation and energy efficiency, I believe we must drill for oil and natural gas miles off our coast in an environmentally responsible way, and build new nuclear power plants. Bringing more supply online will send a strong signal to the market and help bring down high energy costs even in the short term. The rest of the world needs to know that the United States is serious about energy.

I thank the gentleman for yielding to me.

I am rising in support of H.R. 3036, the No Child Left Inside Act, which would authorize a grant program to provide States the resources to include environmental literacy education programs in their K-12 curriculum.

Protecting the environment is one of the most important jobs I have as a Member of Congress. We simply will not have a world to live in if we continue our neglectful ways.

It is imperative we instill the need for environmental responsibility upon the next generation, and I can't think of a better place to foster a sense of environmental stewardship than in the classroom.

Just this week, Congress finally debated a bill to begin reducing our dependence on foreign oil and encouraging alternative energy solutions. The repercussions of the debate we had this week will not be dealt with by us, but rather, by our children. By ignoring our environmental and energy crisis for so long, we have passed significant challenges on to the next generation to find solutions. The time to invigorate our youth to tackle these challenges is now.

I have heard from teachers and school administrators throughout Connecticut's Fourth Congressional District, and from across the country, who have felt a narrowing of school curricula in the wake of No Child Left Behind's (NCLB) high stakes testing requirements. It seems to me this bill should have been considered in the context of a larger No Child Left Behind reauthorization. Unfortunately, the majority has yet to bring comprehensive reform to the floor for consideration, and I am hopeful these types of curricular enrichments remain a priority as we work towards reauthorizing this critical bill.

In the absence of reauthorization efforts this Congress, I am pleased we are providing the resources school districts need to enrich their curricula and cultivate an awareness of environmental issues in our public schools.

I support No Child Left Behind because it is forcing us to improve and deal with gaps in our public education, but I realize there are several improvements that need to be made in the reauthorization process. I look forward to a reauthorization of this bill that reevaluates priority curricula to ensure our students are not only achieving in the areas of math, reading, and science, but are well- prepared to engage in a 21st century, global society.

Mr. Speaker, on September 18, 2008, I missed one recorded vote.

I take my voting responsibility very seriously. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on recorded vote No. 613.

Mr. Speaker, our side of the aisle is responding to three fundamental facts that have changed everything: An economic crisis, an energy crisis, and a national security crisis. Higher energy costs are bringing down our economy; energy bought from overseas is depriving us of American jobs; and foreign purchase of energy is transferring our wealth, $700 billion overseas. This is threatening our very national security.

We need a bill that has conservation, renewables, nuclear power, and, yes, American oil and American gas. That American oil and that American gas will pay for all the renewables we all want. It will help secure our Nation. It will grow our economy. And it will make sure that Americans have jobs, and our government has revenue.

Mr. Speaker, this energy bill is a missed opportunity to have meaningful debate on America's energy needs and constructive compromise about America's energy solutions.

High energy costs are bringing down our economy; energy bought from overseas is depriving us of American jobs; and foreign purchases of energy is transferring $700 billion to countries that would do us harm.

I strongly believe in a comprehensive energy policy that includes conservation, renewable sources, nuclear power, and American oil and natural gas.

H.R. 6899 brings us closer, but is silent on several important issues. Regrettably, the authors of this bill have refused to allow members to make any amendments.

I am grateful this legislation encourages investment in renewable energy technologies by extending the production tax credit for wind, solar, geothermal and biomass. This measure provides the much-needed assurance that investors need to start developing these technologies.

I am also grateful H.R. 6899 would establish a Renewable Energy Standard, requiring electricity companies to produce 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020, although I have advocated increasing this standard to 20 percent by 2020.

The bill also repeals the moratorium on drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf, OCS, and would allow states to ``opt-in'' to drill between 50 to 100 miles off of their coast. Unfortunately, without revenue sharing, I am concerned states will have little incentive to develop these resources.

I would have particularly liked to have seen revenues derived from these leases directed towards further renewable energy investment, so that American oil and natural gas would pay for the renewables we all want.

Although I will vote for this bill, I believe this is a missed opportunity for meaningful, bipartisan debate and a better bill.

I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I don't intend to take 3 minutes, but I do want to weigh in.

In 1993 or 1994, the assault weapon ban passed the House by one vote, and it resulted in the defeat of a number of powerful Democrats and may have resulted, in fact, in the Republican Party gaining the majority. This is not an easy vote for Members to take, and I had some Members suggest I won't be the next chairman or ranking member of the Committee on Government Reform if I step up and speak in favor of something I believe in. Obviously that is not a sensible thing to tell any Member.

The bottom line for me is this: I believe that people have a constitutional right to bear arms and the government has a constitutional responsibility to regulate that right. That's what I believe. I believe it has to conform to the Constitution of the United States.

I believe the Supreme Court has declared what the District of Columbia has outlined in banning handguns. They declared it as unconstitutional and they said come back with a law that is constitutional. It seems very reasonable to me that we would give the District of Columbia an opportunity to comply with the ruling of the Supreme Court without our bringing our own particular views to this issue.

During that debate I was in good company. Leading the debate for the Republicans on the assault weapon ban was Henry Hyde, a revered Member of this House. So there are obviously differences of agreements on what we should do. But what we should do is speak our mind as we see it and obviously live with the results of that as it impacts individuals.

People have a constitutional right to bear arms. The government has a constitutional responsibility to regulate that right. The District of Columbians are Americans. They don't have a full-fledged Member of Congress, though I would say Ms. Norton is full-fledged with me but she does not have all of the powers she deserves. I hope some day she has those powers.

I agree with the majority leader when he said you can't favor Federalism for only the ideas you like. The bottom line for me, in the spirit of Henry Hyde, I believe that the District of Columbia should have the right to make this decision and abide by the Constitution of the United States.

Madam Speaker, 9/11 was a wake-up call from hell. We all know how we reacted to it, but the weeks that followed for those of us in the greater New York area had special meaning. It was a very poignant time.

I think of the family of Joe Coppo, whose son Joseph, at the time a college student, said goodbye to him at a service in New Canaan. He talked about his dad and said, ``Dad, you wanted me to become an adult. You taught me so many things.'' This is a young man who is now a marine and served in Iraq. He told us of all the things that his dad wanted him to learn. And then he said, ``Dad, I have learned from you. Don't worry, I'm an adult now.'' And then looking at his mom he said, ``I'll be there to take care of mom.''

The next week in the same church, Frank Fetchet, in talking about his son Brad and all the things he wanted him to learn, said, ``Son, I learned far more from you than I learned from me.''

I think of a service in Easton, at a small New England church that was built hundreds of years ago and was so small that most people couldn't fit in. It was a beautiful sunny day, and most of the congregation was outside. They were talking about a young father, a young mother, and a precious 3-year-old child who were on the plane that brought down the second Twin Towers.

They talk about Peter Hanson, his wife Sue Kim, and their daughter Christine. They talked about the father and the mother, and then they had the nursery school teachers where their 3-year-old child attended school, speak about precious Christine. They ended by asking us to hold hands and sing Christine's favorite song, ``The Barney Song.''

When I left, Peter's parents wanted to see me and said, ``This can't be about anger and hate.'' They were sweetly telling me about what it couldn't be, and I was thinking I needed to comfort them.

On this day, September 11th, I think of a family, Neal and Jean Coleman, and with their only remaining son, who the next day were saying goodbye to their two sons who perished, Scott and Keith. It was a candlelight vigil, and they were talking about their beautiful young sons who had so much to live for. When the service was over, the parents insisted on seeing me. They said to me the same thing, the exact same thing, the Hansons had said ``This can't be about anger and hate.''

I think about Beverly Eckert, who met her husband years ago in junior high school, Sean Rooney. She called him on the phone because she thought he might be in one of the Twin Towers, and he was. He told her, ``Honey, I can't get out of the building.'' And she said, ``Go upstairs. Go to the top and you get to the observation floor and be rescued.'' So she spoke to him as he went to the top floor but the door was locked. She spoke to her husband for more than a half an hour knowing it was the last time they would ever speak, and said goodbye to him as the building collapsed.

Well, we know it can't be about anger and hate, but it is a wake-up call. There is more than one inconvenient truth that confronts us. The one the 9/11 Commission talks about, Islamic terrorists, who would do us harm at home and abroad.

We are confronting Islamic terrorists in Iraq and in Afghanistan, in Europe, in Asia, in North and South America. We are confronting them not out of anger and hate, but with the steely resolve that Americans are known for.

God bless the 9/11 families. God bless those who tried to save them. God bless all who live in this great country. We will prevail!

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1069, a resolution condemning Hamas for using a children's television program to incite hatred, violence, and anti-Semitism towards Israel and its citizens.

This hateful propaganda targeted at children by Hamas, an internationally recognized terrorist organization, cannot be tolerated and must be stopped.

Further, unless Hamas recognizes the State of Israel's right to exist, ceases incitement of hatred, and permanently disarms and dismantles its terrorist infrastructure, the United States will not work with it, nor can we expect Israel to.

Israel is our best ally, and our relationship is all the more important as our nations share a common interest in defeating the threat posed by radical Islamist terrorists, whether it is Hamas or Hezbollah.

Israel has stood bravely in the face of threats by Hamas and Hezbollah, and has the right and obligation to defend its citizens and its nation. Israel has the right to exist free from terror, and we will help defend this right.

The actions of Hamas and Hezbollah, or any other Islamist terrorist organization, to incite hatred and violence in the young will doom any real chance of peace, and it will doom citizens in the future to a continued life in hell. We have to recognize that if there is going to be peace in the Middle East, it is going to emanate from the young.

We allowed my daughter, Jeramy Alice, to watch TV only on a Saturday morning. When she watched cartoons, she was absolutely fixated on them. It is stunning to see the impact television has on the young. And to think that young children would be seeing cartoon figures that would teach anger, hate and anti-Semitism is astonishing.

It strikes me as strange that eventually Hamas and Hezbollah and the people that have supported it don't get it. If they want a better life, if they want a better future, if they love and care for their children, they will do everything to fill their children with images of love and peace, not hatred and anger.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the conference report to H.R. 4137, the College Access and Affordability Act.

Higher education is not a luxury. It is a public good.

Today, we have an opportunity to expand college access, increase student aid, and make institutions and lenders more accountable to the students they serve.

I believe quality education is the foundation of our nation's ability to compete in a global economy.

Unfortunately, the skyrocketing cost of college has created a significant barrier for many students. It is unacceptable that in 2005, the price of college was equal to 71.3 percent of household income for the bottom fifth of the population.

I am especially pleased H.R. 4137 will incrementally increase the maximum Pell award for students to $8,000 in 2014.

Two-thirds of four-year undergraduate students graduate with debt, and the average student loan debt among graduating seniors is $19,237.

I am also grateful this conference report includes an amendment offered by Representative Jim Moran and myself, to study how student debt levels impact a graduate's decision to enter into a public service career.

In the next ten years, 90 percent of our nation's federal executives will be over the age of 50 and nearing retirement.

The study will include: an assessment of current recruiting and retaining challenges; an evaluation of existing federal programs and whether additional programs could increase recruitment rates; recommendations for pilot programs that would increase recruitment rates.

The time to recognize and encourage an increased commitment to public service is now. According to the Higher Education Research Institute, two-thirds of the 2005 freshman class at institutions of higher education expressed a desire to serve others, the highest rate in a generation. Furthermore, applications to Teach for America and City Year have increased, and religious missions involving young Americans have increased dramatically.

Congressman Moran and I have also introduced the Public Service Academy Act, modeled after our existing military academies, to create the first national civilian institution of higher education in the United States. The public service academy would provide students a competitive, federally subsidized, public service-driven undergraduate education. In return for a 4-year liberal arts education, students would be required to serve our country for 5 years in the public sector after graduation.

The Public Service Academy would strengthen and protect the United States by creating a corps of well-trained, highly-qualified civilian leaders willing to devote themselves to leadership through patriotic public service.

It is alarming to think, in this period of economic uncertainty, we would be willing to provide anything less than the highest quality education to citizens of our Nation.

Access to higher education is critical to maintaining our global competitiveness.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleagues for introducing this resolution.

It is a pretty stunning to think that the United States, with all its obligations around the world, has to step into the void and provide 70 percent of all the funding, in spite of the fact that Europe has a gross domestic product basically equal to the United States and a population greater than the United States.

Given that Europe isn't doing the heavy lifting it needs to do in Afghanistan and wants nothing to do with Iraq, you would think at least in Darfur Europe would say we should provide far more assistance.

And what about wealthy Middle East countries that would have the capacity in a heartbeat to provide all the money necessary, why aren't they stepping in as well?

In my only visit to Darfur, I get down on my knees in gratitude to the non-government organizations that are there to distribute the food, paid for in large measure by the United States; providing education to young people so when they can eventually go back to their homes they will not have lost 3, 4, or 5 years.

This is genocide in Darfur. Europe doesn't want to acknowledge it. The United Nations wants to be silent about it, but this is the wiping out of people.

We need to be there providing the assistance for domestic help, the financial aid that needs to be provided for not just food and education but for the troops who are trying to maintain security. I appreciate that Africa is waking up to this need, willing to send more troops, but they need the equipment to make sure that they can do the job they have to do.

This is a human tragedy of gigantic proportions. I appreciate those in the United States, particularly in our universities, that have been pushing this issue, and frankly, many in the Jewish community who have stepped up and said ``never again'' applies to what happens in Africa.

The world community needs to wake up and do more. The United States can't do everything.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1351, a resolution expressing support for the United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur, UNAMID, and calling upon United Nations Member States and the international community to contribute the resources necessary to ensure the success of UNAMID.

The attack on the UNAMID peacekeepers is deplorable and I want to express my condolences to the family and friends of those killed and wounded.

Resolving the crisis in Darfur must be one of our Nation's highest priorities.

The world collectively agreed to ``never again'' allow genocide after the 1994 mass murders in Rwanda.

Tragically, genocide is again taking place.

I believe the United States must take all reasonable steps to end the killing, including pressuring others in the international community to do more.

The security, human rights and humanitarian situation in Darfur has continued to deteriorate since the Darfur Peace Agreement was signed in May 2006.

We must do a better job supporting the mission of the UNAMID who, despite being critically under-funded and under-equipped, are serving an important role in protecting.

It is also hugely important we continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the Darfuri people.

I will continue to advocate for tough sanctions, humanitarian aid, and for an international peacekeeping force that can effectively stop the violence.

I rise to support H.R. 6604 because I believe the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the CFTC, must investigate speculation in the energy futures market and respond to any manipulation and price distortions.

While my view is not unanimous, I believe the increased positions of institutional investors, such as pension funds, endowments and sovereign funds, are contributing to the escalating price of oil at an alarming rate. The CFTC should help level the playing field and apply position limits to the institutional investors, just as the New York Mercantile Exchange, NYMEX, has required of its members for many years.

I also believe the CFTC must work with the British Financial Services Authority, FSA, to establish position limits on oil futures traded on the London Intercontinental Exchange, ICE, similar to those established by the CFTC for traders on the NYMEX.

In overseas markets, such as ICE, U.S. investors can buy as much oil as they want, helping to drive up demand with little to no oversight.

It is essential the CFTC work with the FSA in London to limit positions and gather accurate information on the impact that speculation has on oil prices.

Rising gas prices are indicative of the United States' need to affirm its commitment to renewable energy research and development, and reduce our demand for energy by focusing on conservation. We also need to increase our domestic supply of nuclear power, oil and gas. In addition, transparency in the futures market is needed and very appropriate.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation.

I rise in support of H.R. 1108, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.

I appreciate the willingness of Mr. Waxman to incorporate changes and address concerns that were raised about the bill as it was initially introduced, and for the work both he and Mr. Davis have done to bring this bill to the floor today.

The simple fact is our society as a whole is negatively impacted by smoking, and more needs to be done to curb smoking among our youth.

Bringing tobacco under the authority of the FDA will help ensure the laws on our books are enforced and will help ensure information about the dangers of smoking is adequately disseminated.

In the past, I have opposed FDA regulation of tobacco, believing that oversight should be conducted instead by an agency such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA).

The FDA already has too many products under its jurisdiction and has trouble responding in a timely and effective manner as a result.

I have always believed, however, that tobacco should be regulated, and with the support of a diverse group of organizations, H.R. 1108 has a real opportunity to become law and the potential to significantly limit the damaging effects smoking has on our society. I urge its adoption.

Madam Speaker, in compliance with Republican Conference earmark disclosure requirements, I would like to submit the following statement for the Record.

Bill Number: H.R. 6599, The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs FY09 Appropriations bill.

Account: Military Construction/VA; Department of Defense; Air National Guard.

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Connecticut Air National Guard located at Bradley International Airport, Connecticut.

Address of Requesting Entity: Bradley International Airport, Schoephoester Road, Windsor Locks, CT 06096.

Description of Request: Along with the entire Connecticut House Congressional delegation, I received a $7,200,000 earmark for construction of an engine shop at Bradley International Airport to support the unit's assigned mission of providing an engine Centralized Immediate Repair Facility capability and also provide the capability for a Joint Cargo beddown. The engines maintained will support the mission operations of A-10 aircraft equipped units in the Air Force and the Air National Guard.

Federal funding will be used to construct the new engine facility, which is required to support 78 PAA equivalents, in addition to parts storage, additional engine storage, shipping and receiving, personnel training and administrative support areas.

The current facility lacks adequate space and engine docks to conduct intermediate engine repair. It does not have adequate parts storage areas, shipping and receiving capabilities and administrative and training areas for the increased manpower necessary to handle the over 3-fold increase in assigned workload. The existing facility also lacks adequate parking and existing base road violates the anti-terrorist force protection standoff requirements.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation, though I also support drilling.

I rise in support of H.R. 6578, the Consumer Energy Supply Act, which would release 70 million barrels of light, sweet crude oil currently from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) and replace it with the same amount of heavy crude oil within 6 months. That is approximately 10 percent of the 701 million barrels currently in the reserve.

As our demand for oil increases, it is important the SPR reflects our refining capacity. Forty percent of our refining capacity is heavy crude oil, and 60 percent is light crude.

This legislation allows us to better manage the SPR by making sure we are saving some heavy crude oil.

This measure, however, does not replace our need to develop a comprehensive energy plan. We must increase conservation and energy efficiency--increasing the fuel economy of cars, minivans, SUVs and light trucks and improve the efficiency of appliances; build a market for renewable energy--solar, wind, geothermal, biomass; increase our domestic supply of oil, natural gas and nuclear power and reduce speculation in the oil futures market.

The Consumer Energy Supply Act will improve the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and, in fact, make it more strategic, ensuring we have the type of crude that better reflects our refining capacity. I urge a yes vote on H.R. 6578.

I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5501, the Tom Lantos and Henry Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act. I am pleased the committee named this bill after two great leaders of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Chairmen Lantos and Hyde, who guided the original 2003 act into law.

An estimated 38.6 million people are infected with HIV/AIDS throughout the world today. The majority of them are women and girls. In sub-Saharan Africa, women and girls make up 60 percent of those infected with HIV/AIDS.

It is impossible to overstate the importance of ensuring we are doing all we can to address the spread of this dreaded disease around the world. It is heart breaking to think of children going to school with no teachers, coming home to no parents.

H.R. 5501 would authorize $48 billion over 5 years to treat AIDS and other global diseases and another $2 billion for Native American health care, law enforcement, and drinking water programs.

America faces a new generation of threats in the 21st century, including global health pandemics, terrorism, and climate change. Today's legislation and other critical foreign assistance programs are absolutely vitally important to our national interests and security. Legislation like this helps make our country more secure and, just as importantly, more humane.