Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 951, sponsored by Congressmen Garrett and Engel, condemning the rocket attacks on innocent Israelis in Sderot and Ashkelon.

Israel is our greatest ally and our best friend. Our nations share a strong commitment to freedom and democracy. We have worked together in confronting the serious and very real threat posed by Islamist terrorists.

The tensions and violence between Israelis and Palestinians have gone on far too long. Hamas, a violent terrorist organization, has squandered every opportunity to demonstrate it can coexist peacefully with Israel by promoting suicide bombings on innocent civilians and by firing thousands of rockets into neighboring Israeli cities.

The terrorist attacks on Israeli citizens are no different than the cowardly attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Clearly, Israel has the right and the obligation to defend its citizens and status as a nation.

Unless Hamas recognizes the State of Israel, ceases incitement, and permanently disarms and dismantles its terrorist infrastructure, the United States cannot work with this terrorist government, nor can Israel.

Israel has the right to exist free from terror. Its people, who can never and will never forget Hitler's Germany, have every right to expect the world will uniformly condemn Hamas.

I urge the resolution's adoption and thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Berman) for bringing this to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act. It is reported 50 million adults, 25 percent of the U.S. adult population, suffer from mental disorders or substance abuse disorders; yet, despite the prevalence of mental illness, there continues to be widespread misinformation and ignorance surrounding the condition.

We need to work to destigmatize this illness and ensure those who need 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.

The National Institutes of Mental Health estimates the annual health care costs of untreated mental illness is $70 billion, and data has shown that instituting equal coverage for treatment of mental illness will result in lower overall health care costs.

By requiring insurers who cover mental illnesses to do so at parity with physical illnesses, we will knock down a tremendous barrier to getting the assistance these individuals require.

While I support the underlying bill, I believe we should temporarily hold off for now increasing the Medicaid drug rebate provisions intended to raise revenue to pay for this legislation. Because the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are in the process of developing new regulations based on the Deficit Reduction Act, it's entirely possible Medicaid rebates will be increased administratively. Since this provision was not in the Senate bill, I'm hopeful we will be able to enact mental health parity legislation without this provision.

With this one reservation, I'm particularly pleased to support this legislation, urge its adoption, and congratulate Congressmen Ramstad and Kennedy for all their efforts to help the mentally ill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this very important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5351, the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act, which extends Federal tax incentives for energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies that have expired, or will expire, at the end of 2008.

I strongly support promoting increased use of renewable energy and developing renewable energy technologies. Currently, renewable energy sources account for only two percent of our Nation's electricity supply. We need to increase the supply of clean, renewable energy, but we also need to be more energy efficient and slow the growth of demand.

H.R. 5351 would extend tax incentives for wind, geothermal and biomass energy through 2012, and extend the tax incentives for solar electric systems through 2016. The bill also extends credits for consumer purchases of energy efficient products through 2014, and creates a credit for plug-in hybrid vehicles for 2008.

The Production Tax Credit (PTC) helps the United States create thousands of megawatts of new, clean, renewable electricity, and has been a major driver of wind and solar power development.

To fund these tax credits, this bill will repeal some of the tax breaks we give to the oil companies.

I have long advocated repealing some of the tax breaks we give oil companies as ``incentives,'' and voted that way, because our current marketplace provides adequate incentive for oil and gas exploration.

We will never resolve our energy needs because we are not conserving energy . . . we are wasting it. We just continue to consume more and waste more, consume more and waste more, and act like it doesn't matter. H.R. 5351 moves us closer to energy-diverse fuel and independence by incentivizing the industries and technologies that will take us there, and I urge its support.

Mr. Speaker, this is great fun.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 960 congratulating the New York Giants for their 17-14 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

It was a second straight Super Bowl victory for the first family of football, the Mannings. Peyton Manning led the Indianapolis Colts to the title last year, and his younger brother, Eli, threw two touchdown passes to lead the Giants to victory this year and claim the Most Valuable Player award, like his brother.

Their father, Archie, of course, was a great pro quarterback himself, spending most of his career with the New Orleans Saints.

John Wooden, the greater former UCLA basketball coach, said sports don't build character, they reveal it. So what does this victory say about the New York Giants? It says they are a resilient bunch, entering the playoffs as the number five seed in a six-team NFC field, then defeating a Dallas team who had beaten them twice in the regular season and a Green Bay team in arctic conditions to reach the big game.

There, they stymied an offense that had scored more points, gained more yards, and won more games in a season than any team in NFL history. They did it by keeping that offense off the field. New York owned the ball for nearly 20 of the first 30 minutes. They did it with new heroes such as David Tyree, who scored the go-ahead touchdown. He had never caught a touchdown pass in the NFL before. And they did it with seasoned vets such as Michael Strahan who led a defense that held the Pats to a season low of 274 yards.

So what was revealed of the character of these Giants? That they ignored the conventional wisdom which didn't give them a chance, that they found in each other the strength to do what they couldn't have done any other way, take down the ``next big thing'' in the biggest game of the year. Thanks, Giants, for showing us what is possible when we don't take ``no'' for an answer.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I don't have any speakers at this time, except I would have liked to have asked unanimous consent that former Congressman Roger Wicker, who was a House Member who was sitting here, could speak; but given now he's a Senator, I don't think you would have found that in order. But what he said to me was how proud he is that Archie Manning, who was his classmate at Ole Miss, had these two remarkable sons in Eli and Peyton, and he thinks it reflects well, I think, on Ole Miss, and certainly on his dad.

But I'd also like to express something else. For those of us who are not the sports fans that others may be, it was a tremendously proud moment for us to see the New York Giants put their best team forward in the last game of the season against the New England Patriots when the outcome of the game didn't matter to New York, but it mattered to people like me and others who feel that the obligation of pro sports is to always play their best and always put their best team forward. And I think that remarkable game which they almost won led ultimately to the remarkable games that followed and to their ultimate victory.

This is a kick. This was a game that I'll remember the rest of my life because it had so much to do about character.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge the passing of this bill designating the post office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, as the Dr. Clifford Bell Jones, Sr. Post Office.

Dr. Jones led an honorable life serving his country, profession, and community with dignity for well over half a century.

A veteran of World War I, Dr. Jones returned home to earn his bachelor of science from Shaw University and ultimately his doctorate of dental surgery from Meharry Medical College Dental School in 1927. He began his professional career in Elizabeth City, North

Carolina, and found himself at home. He practiced general dentistry there for 66 years.

Outside of the office, he remained extremely active in his community. With the encouragement of other council members, including the father of Mr. Butterfield, Dr. Jones ran for city council in 1957. He was defeated by just 28 votes. Though he did not win the seat, he was one of the first African Americans to run for city council.

In the 1960s, Dr. Jones served on the Elizabeth City-Pasquotank County School Board and as deacon at his church.

Throughout his life, Dr. Jones' contributions were recognized by those whom he touched. Among his many honors he received the Meharry Medical College President's Award for Service to Mankind and a special recognition award for loyalty and service to the dental profession from the Old North State Dental Society.

Though not a native, Elizabeth City lost one of their own when Dr. Jones passed away in 1995 at the age of 99.

I'm happy to rise today in support of this legislation honoring a dedicated professional, a wonderful human being, and a symbol of this community.

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

Mr. Speaker, a mere 20 years old, Private First Class Johnathon Millican of Trafford, Alabama, displayed wisdom beyond his years when he once said, ``You don't have to love the war, but you have to love the warrior.''

It is an honor for me to speak today about Private Millican, a true American hero who epitomizes bravery and loyalty to his country and fellow comrades.

Soon after graduating high school in 2005, Johnathon Millican enlisted into the Army and was assigned to the 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment from Fort Richardson, Alaska. In Karbala, Iraq, on January 20, 2007, Private Millican was off duty in a communications room talking with his wife, Shannon, when an attack started. The attackers fired several rounds and a grenade into the room, and tragically, he and four fellow officers lost their lives. Private Millican had been in Iraq for just 3 months.

Family and friends will forever remember Johnathon Millican's dedication to the cause of freedom and his commitment to bringing that cherished freedom to the people around the world where he served. It is with gratitude for his bravery and sacrifice and for the sacrifice of those who loved him that I ask all Members to join me in naming the Lula, Georgia, postal facility located on McLeod Street in his honor.

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

Mr. Speaker, at this time it is my privilege to recognize the very distinguished Member from Georgia (Mr. Deal) for as much time as he would consume.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this bill designating the United States postal facility located at 3035 Stone Mountain Street in Lithonia, Georgia as the ``Jamaal RaShard Addison Post Office Building.'' A native of Georgia, Army Specialist Jamaal Addison was a ``quiet, yet driven young man with a very gentle spirit.'' An honor roll student and member of the Junior ROTC, Jamaal graduated from Lakeside High School in Tucker, Georgia, in 1998.

His love of video games fostered a passion for computers. Driven by his desire to start his own computer business, Jamaal saw the military as an opportunity to develop his expertise as a computer technician. Enrolling in the Army in 2000, Specialist Addison spent a year in Korea before he was sent to the Middle East as part of the 507th Maintenance Company in the first days of the Iraqi War.

On March 23, 2003, the 507th convoy was ambushed and, tragically, Jamaal Addison lost his life. A dedicated husband, father, brother, and son, Specialist Addison was the first Georgian to pay the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq. His determination and caring spirit lives on through the Jamaal Addison Motivational Foundation, an organization founded by his mother, Patricia Roberts, to provide young members of the community with the opportunity to experience ``wide options available to them to lead successful lives'' and to ``strive to achieve his or her highest potential.''

I urge the passage of this bill in honor of an ambitious, caring, and dedicated American who sacrificed his life while serving his country, a true American patriot.

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

Mr. Speaker, in deference to the gentleman who introduced this bill, Todd Tiahrt, who is a member of the Appropriations Committee and is also on its Defense subcommittee and also a member of the Intelligence Committee, I'm going to insert my statement into the Record and then yield him as much time as he might consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this bill, designating the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 201 West Germany Street in Derby, Kansas, as the ``Sergeant Jamie O. Maugans Post Office Building.''

A native of Derby, SGT Jamie Maugans was the first casualty of the global war on terror from the 4th Congressional District in Kansas.

A graduate of Derby High School, Sergeant Maugans attended the University of Kansas and Cowley Community College before joining the Army. Stationed in San Diego serving as an ordnance disposal specialist, he deployed to Afghanistan shortly after the attacks of 9/ 11 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

On April 15, 2002, while disposing of ordnance near Kandahar, Afghanistan, Sergeant Maugans, along with three others, lost his life in an accidental ordnance explosion.

Described by his friends as one of the ``kindest, most gentle-hearted people on the planet,'' Jamie Maugans died preserving the lives of his fellow soldiers and the freedom of this Nation. I urge that we accept this bill to honor that spirit of sacrifice embodied by Sergeant Maugans.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, on the 199th anniversary of his birth in Hardin Country, Kentucky.

In the history of this great Nation, the Presidency of Abraham Lincoln can be counted among the best of the best. President Lincoln saved the Union not only from its dissolution through the Civil War, but from its own immoral practice of slavery.

From his earlier years in Kentucky and Illinois to his time in the State legislature and his term in this House, Abraham Lincoln developed a political animus fueled by an unshakeable belief in the natural rights espoused by the Founding Fathers four score and 87 years before he dedicated that sacred ground at Gettysburg. Those natural rights were most clearly enumerated by the Declaration of Independence as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Addressing Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1861, President Lincoln credited the wisdom of the Fathers with absolute clarity. ``I have never had a feeling politically that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence,'' so he spoke.

President Lincoln's service to his country began in 1832 when he served with distinction and was elected to the rank of captain of an Illinois militia company in the Black Hawk War. That military service preceded his entry into politics when he was elected to the State legislature in 1834, where he served the citizens of Sangamon County until 1840.

In 1846, President Lincoln moved on to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, serving one term before he decided not to seek reelection and return to private practice as a lawyer. Spurred by the turmoil that gripped the Nation after the passage of the Kansas- Nebraska Act of 1854, Lincoln decided to reenter the public arena, lending his clarion voice to the cause of liberty.

While speaking on the repeal of the Missouri Compromise in Peoria, Illinois, in July, 1854, then former Congressman Lincoln declared, ``No man is good enough to govern another man without the other's consent.''

In August 1858, Lincoln wrote, ``As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy.''

In his letter to Massachusetts Representative Henry L. Pierce in 1859, Lincoln wrote, ``Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.''

In 1860, Abraham Lincoln took his political and moral philosophy to the White House in the midst of a national crisis that would lead the Nation to civil war. Abraham Lincoln's singular vision that the Union must be preserved guided this Nation through its darkest days.

Reelected with a clear majority in 1864, Lincoln saw the forces of liberty prevail as the war ended with the Union intact and slavery abolished. On April 15, 1865, a mere 6 weeks into his second term, President Lincoln was struck down by an assassin's bullet.

Two hundred years after he was born and 143 years after he sacrificed his life for his country, Abraham Lincoln is bound up in the mystic chords of our national memory as the man who fulfilled the promises of liberty and equality and humanity first put forth in our founding Declaration.

Mr. Speaker, the originator of this resolution, Don Manzullo, is on a plane, so obviously we can't yield him time. But I do want to point out that he offered this resolution and he has a statement which will be inserted into the Record.

I would just like to say that on the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's birth, Carl Sandberg, addressed Congress in this Chamber after it had officially adjourned. I highly recommend his address to anyone who loves this great American President.

Mr. Sanderg pointed out that Lincoln went to Gettysburg believing he would lose the next election, and in spite of that, instead of doing what political consultants would urge someone to do today, speak angrily about the South who couldn't vote for him, to unite the North to support him, Sandberg pointed out Lincoln spoke of the ``brave men living and dead who fought here.'' He didn't speak of North or South. This magnificent President was trying to heal the Nation. That came first. And as Carl Sandberg points out, this was at a time when American families had their sons fighting on both sides, and in one particular instance in one battle, a family lost both sons, one in Confederate gray and the other in northern blue. And they buried them on top of each other, with these words ``Only God knows which one was right.''

We can never study enough about this great President. The lessons he teaches us are lessons that we all could benefit from, still today, and in the future.

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

Madam Speaker, as a new Member of Congress, Tom Lantos took me under his wings. He was my chairman of the Labor and Health Subcommittee of the Government Reform Committee, and I was one of its most active members. I got to know this man up close, and I know no one like him.

Tom Lantos adored his wife, Annette, his two magnificent daughters, Annette and Katrina, and all of his glorious grandchildren and now great-grandchildren. He simply adored them all.

A Holocaust survivor, Tom Lantos could not be intimidated by anyone. He was brilliant, passionate, courageous, tough almost to the point, let's face it, of being brutal, but he was also kind, gentle, loving, and lots of fun. He had a great sense of humor.

Tom was the most eloquent person I have ever known. It was hard sometimes not to feel inadequate in his presence, but the fact is, he would never have wanted you to feel that way. He would always make me feel like the best was always ahead of me and that I should think big thoughts.

He was a natural teacher. He taught by example and by the questions he asked, and he expected you to grow and to be a better person. That was your duty. And your duty, also, was to be of service to others.

It is no secret that Tom and Annette were both, are both, very strong-willed people. I marvel at how they were able to be such a powerful team and raise such a truly unbelievable, fantastic, magnificent family. They were, and are, an awesome couple.

Tom Lantos loved America. And yes Tom Lantos adored his wife, Annette. He adored his two daughters, Annette and Katrina, adored his grandchildren, adored his great-grandchildren. And you could be his friend if you were willing to listen to him talk about all of his loved ones.

But woe be to any man that sought to marry his daughters or his granddaughters. They were mere mortals. He expected more for his daughters and granddaughters.

I would say his son-in-laws, his grandson-in-laws, are very brave souls. Can you imagine going up to Tom and saying, ``I would like to marry your daughter''? That would take true courage.

Now, granddaughters-in-law were another story. They were deemed worthy. He embraced them immediately.

I hope, I truly hope and pray Congress finds a way to immortalize this great man in important legislation that will forever bear his name. We have Pell grants, and Fulbright Scholars. Those are names that I have heard almost all of my life. Tom Lantos deserves to have this kind of recognition.

Tom Lantos believed in smart power for this country. He advocated a strong military, wise diplomacy, and strategic use of economic power. But Tom wasn't just a great man of this Nation. He was a great man in this world.

Let me say it slightly differently. He is a great man of this Nation. He is a great man of this world. His light will be forever and we cannot forget him.

Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague for yielding.

I start with these basic truisms: that higher education is not a luxury, it is a public good; that access to higher education is critical for maintaining our global competitiveness; that many of our economic competitors overseas invest more in higher education institutions than we do; and that research shows that 80 percent of the 1.7 million new jobs expected to be created by the end of the decade will be occupations requiring a higher-education degree.

I believe the Federal Government has a significant role in the very earliest part of a child's education, prekindergarten, providing grants to incentivize our local communities to begin to think about educating our very, very young, and that it has a requirement to make sure that young people in our schools don't fall through the cracks or gaping holes. But I am absolutely certain from my heart that the Federal Government needs to play a much more significant role in higher education.

I, as a Member of Congress, have opportunities at community meetings to meet with constituents like all of you do. And I will never forget, about 5 years after I was elected, a young woman came to me and said, I want to tell you a story, and I was waiting until my youngest brother graduated from graduate school. She said, my father died when I was 12 years old, and I am the oldest of seven children. She said, my mother was a school teacher. She said, my mother had one determination, that we would all graduate not just with a university college degree but with advanced degrees, all seven. And she said, just a few weeks ago, my youngest brother did, in fact, graduate. She said, there is a doctor of medicine in my family, a doctor of philosophy at a university, a lawyer, a school teacher with advanced degrees, and I am forgetting the other three what they had. But they all had advanced degrees. And this was someone who knew the value of education, a school teacher.

I am continually reminded about the impact of what we did with our GIs after World War II and the stimulation this had for our economy. And I think of countries like Ireland today that are providing free education, advanced-degree education, and what it has done for their economy.

To end, this young woman with six younger siblings, all with advanced degrees, said, I can't say they are happier, but I can tell you this, that they have far more options, that their income is higher, they have more choices, and they can make a greater contribution to society.

I hope that we can continue to work on this legislation. I think it is a major step forward.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the bipartisan economic stimulus package. I believe we have talked ourselves into a recession, and confidence in our economy is waning. By passing this legislation, we are taking an important step to lessen the impact of an economic slowdown, but there is more work to be done.

I am pleased the legislation includes the bonus depreciation and section 179 expensing provisions, which will encourage companies and especially small businesses to immediately purchase new equipment and expand their businesses.

Allowing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the FHA to purchase larger loans gives needed flexibility to support sound lending in the 21st century. The recent slump in the housing market has been a major factor in our current economic uncertainty, so it is appropriate we address home loans in the stimulus package. In doing this, we increase the need for a new regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which I am hopeful we will enact into law soon.

While this is a start, the bipartisanship displayed in crafting this legislation, which will have an impact in the short term, must continue to develop long-term solutions to address the increased cost of energy, uncertainty about future tax increases, and unsustainable growth in health insurance costs. Only by tackling the issues that impact the American people will we restore confidence in our economy.

In closing, I am disappointed the stimulus package being considered today does not have a cost-of-living differential for regions. There are many residents of the Fourth Congressional District who make over $75,000 but are struggling to keep up with education, energy, and health expenses in our region.

It would have been better if the legislation before us today recognized it costs more to live in a State like Connecticut than it does other parts of the country.

With that being said, this is a good bill and worthy of all Members' support.

Madam Speaker, the Cold War is over and the world is a more dangerous place. Our strategy is no longer containment reaction and mutually assured destruction. That went out the window on September 11. It is detection, prevention, preemption, and, when necessary, even unilateral action.

As the 9/11 Commission points out, we are not combating terrorism as if it's some ethereal being. We are confronting Islamists terrorists, real people who would do us harm. If you want to deal with the consequence of a terrorist attack, write a weak FISA law. But if you want to detect and prevent a terrorist act, write a law that works and help insure the communication industry works with us.

Mr. Chairman, I rise candidly as the only Republican in all of New England to support H.R. 1528, the New England Scenic Trail Designation Act, and thank Congressman Olver for bringing this legislation to the floor.

H.R. 1528 would designate portions of the existing Metacomet- Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail System for a national and scenic trail. For over 50 years the States of Massachusetts and my home State of Connecticut have partnered with the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Connecticut Forest and Park Association to manage these beautiful trails and footpaths. Volunteers and private landowners have enjoyed these lands and maintained them. This legislation would not change that relationship.

This bill also protects private landowners by prohibiting the National Park Service from taking any land by eminent domain. The park service has no authority on local zoning issues that might affect national scenic trails.

H.R. 1528 provides the resources and knowledge of the National Park Service and the National Scenic Trail System for the long-term upkeep of this important trail and extends Federal recognition to trails that have existed for over half a century.

My colleagues in the West often criticize those of us from the East for wanting to increase public lands at the expense of private ownership. This does not do that.

In Connecticut, more than 2 million people live within 10 miles of the trail system. Among the pressures of industrialization that we see in the East, H.R. 1528 is an opportunity to protect this precious resource for future generations and protect it for all of those in this country, not just those nearby.

I ask my colleagues to support protection of this regional treasure, and I urge a ``yes'' vote on H.R. 1528.

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

Madam Speaker, today we honor the life of Marine Corps Master Sergeant Kenneth Mack, a soldier who strongly believed in the fight for freedom and was a true American hero.

In 1982, shortly after graduating from Southwest High School, Master Sergeant Mack joined the Marines, where he served honorably for 23 years. Master Sergeant Mack was a Postal Service mechanic and Master Sergeant in the Marine Reserve assigned to the

Second Marine Expeditionary Force out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

In March of last year, this dedicated soldier was called to duty in Iraq for the second time and once again had to leave his family to serve his country. On the morning of May 5th of that year, a roadside bomb struck Master Sergeant Mack's vehicle in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. In a flash, an outstanding 23-year Marine Corps career was over and he was killed.

A passionate family man, Sergeant Mack's wife remembers him as a person who put his family first and made sure the family participated in many activities together. His primary goal in life was to be a mentor for his children and to all children, according to his wife. He leaves behind his wife, mother and two children. I might just add, obviously he put his country first, too.

Madam Speaker, in recognition of his service to his community and country as a Postal Service mechanic and Marine, we feel it is fitting to name the postal facility located at 3701 Altamesa Boulevard in Forth Worth, Texas, in honor of Master Sergeant Kenneth Mack.

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