Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, on the legislative day of Thursday, June 8, 2006, the house had a vote on rollcall 237, on H Res. 850, providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5252) to promote the deployment of broadband networks and services. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, replacing a void in a child's life or a parent's life and filling it with love and laughter is one of the most wonderful gifts in the world. As twice an adoptive mother, I know this joy firsthand. And also I believe it is our duty as legislators to work with adoption and foster care advocates to break down barriers, to bring more children and families together.

Today we have the opportunity to knock down a barrier to improve the lives of these kids right here in America. Right now, children are waiting as long as a year for paperwork to go through the system before they can be placed with a family. Imagine, Mr. Speaker, paperwork standing in the way of a permanent, loving home for a 100,000 lingering, at-risk kids. There is no excuse, and we can change it.

This legislation will expedite the safe placement of children into homes even across State lines by instituting a 60-day deadline and giving financial incentives for States to process the paperwork quickly.

I commend the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay) for his leadership on this most-important issue. He has been a devout advocate for foster kids and foster families as long as I have known him.

I also want to thank Chairman Herger and Mr. Stark for their assistance on this bill. Thousands of kids are waiting to walk into the arms of a loving family and through the door of a permanent home. This legislation will move us closer to the day when every child feels the joy, love and security that a family can provide. I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

Mr. Speaker, on the legislative day of Monday, May 22, 2006, the House had a vote on rollcall 177, on S. 1235, the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act, Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

The House also had a vote on rollcall 178, on H.R. 3858, the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to vote during the following rollcall vote. Had I been present, I would have voted as indicated below:

Rollcall 101, H.R. 4709, the Telephone Records and Privacy protection Act (4-27-06), I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, it is business as usual for Congress today. Democrats are bemoaning the rising energy prices, while Republicans are looking for solutions. Democrats have done a lot of complaining about energy prices, but when it comes to offering ideas and solutions and ways to get out of this, they are noticeably silent.

Time and time again, Republicans have offered solutions to our Nation's energy crisis. We will have two bills up just this week. But the Democrats continue to say no. No to renewable fuels and nuclear energy, no to opening up resources in the ANWR, no to refineries, no to pipelines, no to cracking down on price gouging, no to a comprehensive energy policy.

Mr. Speaker, it is time the Democrats realize that no is not an energy policy. Democrats want a campaign issue; Republicans want a solution. Republicans once again are offering the American people a clear choice; Democrats, obstruction.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4916) to authorize United States participation in, and appropriations for, the United States contribution to the first replenishment of the resources of the Enterprise for the Americas Multilateral Investment Fund.

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

The Multilateral Investment Fund, or MIF, was created as a mechanism to stimulate innovation and economic growth for Latin America and Caribbean countries and is operated by the Inter-American Development Bank, IADB, an organization that oversees many programs and loans that benefit the economically challenged in those areas.

Projects funded through the MIF are focused on new development approaches that work to promote inclusive economic growth. The IADB has made the central goal of the MIF to use both grants and investments to demonstrate new ways in developing micro- and small enterprises, to build workers' skills, strengthen environmental management, and improve the functions of financial markets.

This legislation fulfills the President's FY 2007 budget request for $25 million, or a total of $150 million over 6 years, to be given in replenishing the MIF and meet the U.S. commitment.

At the close of FY 2005, the total amount of projects approved by the MIF exceeded $1 billion, encompassing 799 projects with an additional $1 billion in co-financing that was put to use in meeting MIF goals.

Our authorizing this new replenishment allows for a continuation of all the good work the IADB has been doing in the area of microfinance.

Microfinance projects are especially important to developing areas in helping break the cycle of poverty by providing a loan to start a small or microenterprise, a business usually defined as having less than 10 employees in an economic hardship area.

Through small business growth, areas are then able to demonstrate that they have potential to attract wider sources of capital and enable further expansion of services for microenterprises. Building the small firm sector offers the greatest potential to generating job growth, which will lead to lasting freedom from poverty.

The MIF has pioneered the creation of venture capital for small business in Latin America and the Caribbean and continues to look for opportunities that would improve venture capital for small businesses by supporting reforms and regulatory and legislative frameworks, and by helping to remove barriers to small business financing.

This legislation honors our commitment to these countries, will attract further capital investment and help create stable, reliable trading partners in these developing nations.

Madam Speaker, I am so pleased to have the ranking members of the full committee and my subcommittee, Mr. Frank and Mrs. Maloney, as well as my subcommittee vice chair, Mrs. Biggert, and Chairman Spencer Bachus, joining me in supporting this replenishment; and I ask for my colleagues to support this bill.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my good friend and chairman of the subcommittee, Spencer Bachus.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) who has done so much work in this area.

Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time. It has been a pleasure working with the gentlewoman from New York.

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

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material.

Mr. Speaker, in 2002, after six years of debate, Congress passed the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act, better known as the McCain-Feingold bill.

Supporters of the bill claimed it would rectify the perception that there is too much money in politics, and that tightening reporting requirements would create full transparency in donor information.

But while their intentions were noble, 4 years later politics is more awash in money than ever before, only thanks to McCain-Feingold, we now know less about where it's coming from.

According to the bill's proponents, the crown jewel of McCain- Feingold was a ban on large, unregulated contributions to political parties, known as ``soft money.''

In theory, this prohibition was supposed to prevent billionaires from donating enormous and largely unreported sums of cash to influence federal elections. In reality, it spawned a new, unaccountable funnel for millionaire money--527s.

Although 527s can run political ads, mobilize voters, donate to Federal campaigns through an affiliated PAC, and perform virtually every other function of a political party, 527s--unlike candidate campaigns, political parties, and political action committees--are not regulated by the Federal Elections Commission. Nor are 527s accountable to voters.

527s have carried their message into the homes of millions of Americans without having to adhere to the numerous regulations governing political parties and campaigns.

The bill before us today--the 527 Reform Act--will close this loophole in McCain-Feingold, preventing 527s from having an unfair financial advantage over political parties and individual candidates.

At bottom, this is simply a matter of fairness: everyone who seeks to influence a federal election should be playing by the same rules.

Mr. Speaker, when we passed the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act, the other side said millionaires were playing too big of a role in federal elections.

If they truly believe that, I challenge them to support this legislation and restore fairness to campaign finance laws.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate some of the men and women who live in my Congressional district

and are dedicated employees of Honda North America, whose contributions to Honda's products helped the company receive four of the most prestigious awards given to automakers. Earlier this year, the Honda Civic lineup and Honda Ridgeline were selected as the 2006 Motor Trend Car and Truck of the Year. This is the first time that a single brand has won both awards from Motor Trend in the same year.

Significantly, the Civic Coupe, Civic Si and Ridgeline vehicles were researched, designed and developed at Honda R&D of the Americas with 10 facilities located across the United States. The major development facility is located in Raymond, Ohio in my 15th Congressional district. This facility employs approximately 1,000 U.S. associates and handles a variety of engineering, design, vehicle. fabrication and testing responsibilities.

In addition, at the 2006 Detroit International Auto Show, the Civic lineup and Ridgeline were awarded the 2006 ``North American Car and Truck of the Year''. The winners of these awards are selected by 49 full-time automotive journalists from the United States and Canada. Winners are chosen based on a multitude of factors including innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the money. Once again, this is the first time a single brand has won both awards in the same year.

These achievements reflect a very significant maturation of Honda's operations in America and the meaning of American workers, and specifically Ohioans, to Honda itself. Today, nearly 30 percent of the Honda and Acura vehicles sold in the U.S. in 2005 were researched, designed and developed in America. Honda currently employs approximately 15,000 associates in Ohio and its investment includes five manufacturing plants that produce automobiles, light trucks, motorcycles, engines and transmissions. Honda utilizes more than 160 parts suppliers from the ``Buckeye State'' to produce these vehicles and their components--further signifying the relationship between Honda and the Ohio worker.

I want to offer my congratulations to the associates of Honda in Ohio and especially those in Raymond, Ohio at Honda R&D of the Americas on receipt of these four awards. I appreciate the House allowing me to bring this matter to its attention.

Mr. Chairman, I rise for the purpose of a colloquy with the chairman.

Mr. Chairman, I want to compliment you on the great job you have done with this bill and let you know how heartily I support it.

There is a national program that you are aware of, Project GRAD, which has proven highly effective in increasing the number of low- income students who graduate from high school and enroll in college by reaching out to students beginning in kindergarten and staying with them through college. Project GRAD has four sites in my home State and several theater schools.

Mr. Chairman, is it the intention of the committee that this bill will allow funding for this type of program?

I thank the chairman so very much for his willingness to include this language in the bill and for his efforts to support this valuable program.

I would like now to yield to the gentlewoman from New York, who has been a tireless advocate for Project GRAD and a leader on this issue.

I thank the gentlewoman for her comments, and I also would like to acknowledge the hard

work of Congressman Tiberi on this issue as well and thank him for his efforts and, once again, thank the chairman.

Mr. Speaker, as Members of Congress, our first responsibility is to protect our country from all of those who wish to harm us. House Republicans have built a record of action on national security issues, supporting our military, providing for a strong national defense, and aggressively prosecuting the war on terror.

The PATRIOT Act that the President signed last week will give our law enforcement personnel the tools that they really need to continue to keep our Nation safe from terrorist threats. This week, we will take up another very important national security bill, the supplemental appropriations bill to fund the war on terror.

This bill provides for essential tools for our troops, such as armored Humvees and tracking vehicles, training for Iraqi and Afghani security forces, and it has increased oversight of war expenditures to ensure that taxpayers' dollars are spent wisely.

House Republicans remain committed to giving our troops the resources they need and funding, fighting, and winning the war on terror. We will continue to meet our obligation to defend our Nation from every threat, at home and abroad.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the career and character of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

It is fitting that this resolution comes before us during the month of March, the month set aside to celebrate the pioneering women who helped shape our country and extend the promise of equal opportunity for all.

Sandra Day O'Connor was one of those pioneers, a trailblazer for women in the legal field and the first woman to sit on the Supreme Court of the United States.

She went to law school at a time when women made up a tiny fraction of law students in this country, and a tiny fraction of practicing attorneys.

She graduated from Stanford University Law School in two years instead of the normal three, and third in a class of 102, but struggled to find a job, as few firms were willing to hire a woman.

Undeterred, she accepted a position as a deputy county attorney for San Mateo County in California, her first foray into public service, which would ultimately come to occupy most of her career.

Among other roles, she went on to serve as the first female State senate majority leader in the United States and as a justice on the Arizona Court of Appeals.

In 1981, President Ronald Reagan recognized her achievements by appointing O'Connor to the Supreme Court, the first woman in American history to be so honored.

Mr. Speaker, 40 years ago, when Sandra Day O'Connor graduated from law school, only 4 percent of law students were women. Today, thanks to Justice O'Connor and other courageous women like her, approximately half of all law students are women.

There are many things I could say in her praise, but it seems to me that that is the most eloquent testimony of her achievements.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship based in Silver Spring, Maryland on its 20th anniversary.

For the past two decades, NCCS has worked tirelessly to advocate for quality cancer care for all Americans and to empower cancer survivors. By stressing its commitment to evidence-based advocacy, NCCS has worked with policy makers to evaluate and recommend changes in how the nation researches, regulates, finances and delivers quality cancer care.

In addition, NCCS has provided cancer survivors and their loved ones access to credible and accurate information on many important survivorship issues, especially the critical role of advocating for oneself.

I ask that all of my colleagues in the House of Representatives join me in honoring the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, whose leadership has provided an invaluable service to this country's more than ten million cancer survivors and the millions more affected by this devastating disease. I wish them all best in the future.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the House Republican Conference, I offer a privileged resolution (H. Res. 679) and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the Republican Conference, I am directed by that conference to notify the House officially that the Republican Members have selected as Majority Leader the gentleman from Ohio, the Honorable John A. Boehner.