Floor Statements

Mr Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 2997, the Agriculture Appropriations bill. This bill wisely devotes half of the total appropriations in the entire bill to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly called the Food Stamp Program.

The face of hunger takes many forms. This week while driving in my district I saw a homeless woman who suffered from chronic hunger, begging on the street corner. When the most basic need for food goes unmet, the most basic functions of living that so many of us take for granted become difficult, if not impossible. It threatens the economic and social well-being of the affected person, and sometimes the entire family. And while this homeless and hungry soul is an apt example of the face of hunger, the truth is that food insecurity is hurting far more than just the severely disadvantaged. Food insecurity is hurting our middle class, our children and our seniors among others. During difficult economic times like these, hunger's invisibility belies its startling prevalence.

In the United States 1 in 8 or approximately 36 million Americans struggle with hunger, 13 million of which are children. According to the USDA 1 in 6 American children are food insecure. One out of every five children under five years of age is living at risk of hunger in 13 states around our nation.

In my home state of Ohio, 12.7 percent of Ohioans are food insecure; 18.7 percent of Ohio's children are food insecure; and 23.3 percent of children under the age of five are food insecure. Ohio has recently been reported to have the third highest rate of food insecure children under the age of 5 in the nation.

Uncertain times in our country and economy are even more uncertain for these children as their malnutrition will have a long-lasting impact on their future development. Proper nutrition throughout life is important but research tells us that for children three and under it is particularly important as this is the time that children build a foundation for the rest of their life. It is precisely the time when their brains and central nervous systems are growing the fastest. A good foundation is essential to a child's future health, including mental health, educational accomplishment and economic viability.

Recent reports indicate that across our nation, 33.8 million people were enrolled in SNAP in April 2009. This is a new record and an increase of 20 percent over last year. It is expected that SNAP will serve approximately 35 million Americans in Fiscal Year 2010. According to a study from the Center for Community Solutions, portions of my district, including Lakewood, Fairview Park and Parma, have experienced a 74 percent increase in participation in the Food Stamp Program (now called SNAP) between 2002 and 2007. Furthermore, our local food bank, the Cleveland Food Bank, has significantly increased distribution since the start of the current fiscal year. Already they have distributed three million more pounds of food in the current fiscal year than was distributed in the entire prior year. By October 2009 it is expected that this number will increase to four million pounds. In Northeast Ohio local food pantries have experienced a 35 percent increase in clients. Many of these clients are first time users of the food bank.

Policy Matters Ohio released a report in February 2009 that found that over 2.8 million Ohioans--roughly 25 percent--are not earning enough income to meet their basic needs. The latest unemployment statistics for the State of Ohio show that unemployment is still on the rise at 10.8 percent. The national unemployment rate is 9.5 percent. These numbers are expected to increase in the coming weeks and months.

The resources that are allocated to SNAP by this bill are desperately needed. I support this bill and urge its passage.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of the West Park United Church of Christ, as they celebrate one hundred and fifty years of faith, hope and community service throughout the neighborhoods of Kamm's Corners on Cleveland's west side.

West Park United Church of Christ was founded in 1859 by nine individuals, including Charter members and community leaders Benjamin Mastick and Lavinia Trisket. The Church was established to serve as a haven of faith and a center for community outreach, through which diversity is embraced and social programs and community groups expand and thrive. The Church quickly became and continues to serve as an anchor of strength for the Kamm's Corner community.

Since 1859, the members of the West Park United Church of Christ have strengthened the community by encouraging diversity and reaching out as messengers of hope, peace and comfort. Since its founding, the church has witnessed major renovations and expansion over the years and today, the church has 320 members, all of whom are active community volunteers. Members have volunteered as aides at Fairview Hospital, tutors at local schools, and workers at homeless shelters, emergency food pantries, and the Meals on Wheels program.

Madam Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition of the West Park United Church of Christ of Cleveland and their members as they celebrate 150 years of faith, community and public service throughout Cleveland's Kamm's Corners neighborhood.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of the Thomas F. McCafferty Health Center and in recognition the staff and volunteer's commitment to providing quality health care services continues to serve the needs of the residents of Cleveland's west side for nearly four decades.

The McCafferty Health Center opened in 1971 and was named for well- known physician, Dr. Thomas F. McCafferty. The Center continues the mission of Dr. McCafferty in tailoring medical services to meet the needs of

those in the surrounding communities who may not otherwise have access to quality health care services.

The McCafferty Center, a bilingual clinic, provides health care in the areas of family practice, pulmonary, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and cardiology, as well as social work and nutrition services. Within these areas are clinics for women's health, veterans, TB testing, testing and counseling for STD and HIV/AIDS and free vaccinations for infants, children, and teens.

The Center serves over 32,000 patients a year, over half of whom are Hispanic. Evident in their programs and clinics, the Center has a legacy of embracing the community's vibrant diversity, including a concerted effort in outreach and service to Cleveland's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered community. Additionally, the Center's Community Advocacy Program works to remove legal barriers that may exist to improve the health outcomes of their patients.

Madam Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor of the staff and volunteers of the Thomas F. McCafferty Health Center, whose collective and individual commitment to providing quality health care continues to uplift the lives of countless individuals and families throughout Cleveland's west side community.

I thank the gentlewoman. I rise to engage in a colloquy with the chairwoman of the subcommittee.

Reliable economic data is critical for any industry. Congress has historically supported the Economic Research Service of the USDA which has collected and analyzed segregated organic data. Organic farming is one of the fastest growing segments of the U.S. agriculture. The need and demand for this information will continue to increase.

Though language has been included in past Agriculture appropriation bills that dedicates funding for the Organic Production and Marketing Data Initiative, it is not included this year. Only $500,000 of the $82.5 million budget of the Economic Research Service would help meet the needs of the initiative. Is it the gentlelady's opinion that the funding for the initiative should remain strong?

I thank the gentlelady.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of Timothy Michael Elliott and in recognition of his service to our country and his dedication to the City of Cleveland, Ohio. Tim lived and worked in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood of Cleveland's west side in my district. He sought to preserve Cleveland's historic housing one house at a time and devoted his time to ensuring the historic integrity of each home he restored.

As a young man, Tim served in the U.S. Army and worked as a draftsman for Hauserman Inc., and B.F. Goodrich. He also worked for Century 21 Real Estate and led the Nolasco Housing Corporation, a non-profit development organization affiliated with the neighborhood Catholic Church, Our Lady of Mount Carmel. In addition to his work, he dedicated his life to the City of Cleveland. He was proud of the west side neighborhood in which he lived and became concerned about deteriorating conditions. He began to buy and repair neighboring homes to improve the housing of the neighborhood. He rarely worked on houses he could not walk to from his Herman Avenue home. ``He could walk into a place that was falling apart and not see it as it was but what it could be,'' said Judge Ray Pianka, a neighbor and friend as well as Cleveland's municipal housing judge. ``He has taken some homes that appeared to be beyond saving and made them showplaces.''

Also within walking distance of their home was Edgewater State Park, a beautiful park along the Lake Erie shore with beaches, boating, picnic areas, and other recreational activities. Tim and his wife Mimi, along with other neighbors and local officials, started the Friends of Edgewater Park to promote and preserve this wonderful amenity in their neighborhood. Tim is survived by his wife Mimi, his son Timothy Michael Jr., his granddaughter Brooke Elliott, and his many friends.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in celebrating the life of Tim Elliott, and in recognizing his dedication to the betterment of our community. His service and leadership in the west side neighborhood of Cleveland inspired us all to work toward neighborhood preservation.

Timothy Elliott, 63, Fixed Up Old Homes on the West Side--Obituary

(By Grant Segall)

Tim Elliott helped to turn around the West Side. The

painstaking renovator and Realtor helped revive Ohio City and

Detroit-Shoreway in the past four decades, boosting a couple

of hundred properties and winning over skeptical investors,

bankers and officials.

Elliott died Friday in his West Side home, one of his pet

projects, a 3,200-square-foot Italianate from the 1860s. He

was 63 and had struggled for several years with strokes.

``He could walk into a place that was falling apart and not

see it as it was but what it could be,'' said Raymond Pianka,

Cleveland's housing judge, a neighbor and the employer of

Elliott's widow, Mimi. ``He has taken some homes that

appeared to be beyond saving and made them showplaces.''

Elliott liked not just walking into a place but walking to

it. He'd turn down a project if he and his small crew

couldn't walk there from their homes.

He hoped each project would ripple through the

neighborhood. He preferred corner homes, helping two blocks

instead of one.

He liked to install modern conveniences such as whirlpools

while highlighting history.

``There's not a newer old house in the city,'' he boasted

about one salvage job.

He bought homes suffering from water, waste and vandals and

sold them for several times his purchase price. He'd comb

rural Ohio for replacement parts or make them himself, from

tiles to spindles.

Elliott said he'd decided at age 7 to spruce up old homes.

He was born on the East Side, the seventh of eight children.

His father was an engineer, and several brothers followed

suit.

He left Cleveland at 12 and graduated from Willoughby South

High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Army, making photographs

and maps, serving partly in South Korea.

Elliott returned to Cleveland in the early 1970s and helped

Hauserman Inc. draft work for projects such as the Americana

high-rise in Euclid. He later drafted pipes and buildings for

Goodrich in Solon.

On the side, he got an associate's degree in arts at

Cuyahoga Community College.

He started renovating West Side homes about 1978. He owned

about 16 buildings over the years and handled many others as

well.

He worked for Century 21 and led Nolasco Housing Corp., a

development group affiliated with Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Church, in the 1980s.

Elliott was honored by Cleveland Magazine and the Cleveland

Restoration Society.

On the side, he liked to bicycle, raise terriers and sail.

He put together a 27-foot boat from a kit.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Northeast Ohio Sierra Club and applaud their efforts to raise

awareness about the dangers of coal and its contributions to global warming. As the nation takes strides towards more environmentally sound ways of producing energy, it is important that we recognize the danger of trading one harmful fuel for another. If we hope to have a stable climate, we must refrain from the use of strong and toxic pollutants like coal.

Americans are known for their determination and innovation when faced with a challenge. Let us rely on these qualities in our transition to cleaner energy, rather than choosing an easy way out represented by coal. The health of our children and our planet is too big of a price to pay for our continued dependence on coal.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognizing the efforts that the Northeast Ohio Sierra Club has taken in raising awareness of the dangers of coal. As the nation works towards cleaner energy policies, organizations such as the Northeast Ohio Sierra Club are working tirelessly to keep the American public accurately informed on energy issues.

Madam Chair, I rise in support of the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2009 and the employees of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The service and dedication of the men and women that work to ensure the safety of our country is admirable.

This bill responds to the public safety needs of our communities in a time of hardship by providing $800 million in grants to fire departments, of which $380 million is provided for the Assistance for Firefighters Grants program used to train, hire and retain our local firemen

and women. It funds an increase in the number of border patrol agents to 20,019, providing additional jobs and better national security. I also support the provisions requiring DHS to monitor the medical care of all detainees held in immigration detention facilities and to direct Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to report to Congress on steps it has taken to ensure that all detainees are receiving proper medical care and attention.

I remain concerned about provisions in the bill regarding prisoners held in the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. I commend President Obama's pledge to close Guantanamo Bay, but this bill fails to ensure that the rule of law and our commitment to universal human rights are being upheld for detainees.

Section 522(a) of the bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to conduct extensive threat assessments for all detainees held at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility as of April 20, 2009, and to place all detainees on the ``no-fly'' list unless there is Presidential Certification to exclude them on such a list. This section also prohibits any funds in the act from being used to provide detainees with any immigration benefits, including refugee or asylum classification. The treatment and detention of hundreds of foreign nationals held indefinitely and illegally without charge at Guantanamo Bay has violated our most basic democratic principles. The burden to right this wrong by ensuring due process for the remaining 245 falls on the U.S. The detainees held at Guantanamo Bay must be afforded habeas corpus protections. We must have the confidence in our own U.S. system of justice to try the detainees.

I will continue to work to ensure all have equal protection under the law. I urge my colleagues to support passage of this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of Thomas Rae and in recognition of his dedication to his family and country.

Thomas was born on March 2, 1930 in Cleveland Ohio as one of five siblings. Upon graduating from high school, Thomas joined and served in the United States Army for three years before being honorably discharged. After returning to Ohio, he married Mildred Dziak, and they had four daughters who were raised in Strongsville, Ohio. While raising a family, Thomas worked as an inspector for Terex General Motors and later as a supervisor at NASA. Thomas enjoyed his later years in the company of his children and their families. He was fortunate enough to spend time with all thirteen of his grandchildren and especially enjoyed watching them participate in sports. Thomas also took pleasure in the outdoors, playing golf, and handy-work after retirement.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in remembrance of Thomas Rae, who lived his life with the enduring support of his family and in recognition to his dedicated service to our country. I offer my deepest sympathies to his wife, Mildred; children, Denise Kucinich, Karen Vraja, Arleen Miciunas and Cheryl Vanderwyst; and grandchildren, Gary, Matt, Ryan and Michael Kucinich, Amanda, Samantha and Tommy Vraja, Lukas, Alyssa and Alec Miciunas, Lindsey, David and Nicole Vanderwyst.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Captain Michael T. Doyle, upon his retirement from the Cleveland Police Department, following thirty years of dedicated service to the citizens of Cleveland.

Captain Doyle graduated from Normandy High School in Parma, Ohio, then went on to graduate with honors from Cleveland State University. Shortly thereafter, Captain Doyle accepted a position in law enforcement as the Assistant Deputy Sherriff for Medina County. After four years, in 1981, he began his service to the City of Cleveland as a Cleveland Police officer.

Captain Doyle's service to our community extended across nearly every police district in the City and included work as patrol officer, detective, sergeant, lieutenant and captain. Throughout his tenure, Captain Doyle fostered trust, communication and cooperation among individuals throughout our community, from neighborhood block club members to elected officials at Cleveland City Hall.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring Captain Michael T. Doyle for his unwavering dedication to protecting the citizens of Cleveland, Ohio.

Mr. Chair, the amendment offered by Representative Schiff of California would allow a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) under the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) to apply for grants made available by the Department of Defense. Of NASA's ten field centers, there is only one FFRDC--the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)--in Pasadena, California. The amendment would allow this NASA center to do the ``research, development, demonstration, or transfer of technology . . . for activities including, but not limited to, those conducted by the center under contact with or on behalf of the Department of Defense.''

NASA is a civilian agency, doing civilian work that affects every American in various ways. It must not become too closely associated with the Department of Defense. NASA's mission is to pioneer scientific discovery, aeronautics research and space exploration, not to conduct research for the benefit of the Department of Defense.

At a time when these programs may be facing extensive funding cuts, allowing NASA's field centers to focus solely on carrying out NASA's mission could not be of more importance. Allowing JPL to apply for these grants would set a precedent that could pave the way for other NASA centers to follow suit. NASA is prohibited by law from accepting these grants from the Department of Defense for a reason. NASA should not be doing the work of the Department of Defense and should remain a distinct entity doing strictly civilian work for civilian benefits. It should be fully funded in order to allow it to do so.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of La Sagrada Familia Festival being held this June 26 through 28, 2009 and in remembrance of Reverend David F. Fallon, founding pastor of La Sagrada Familia Parish. This year's celebration is the twenty-fifth annual Latin American Festival and is being held at the Sagrada Familia Parish in Cleveland, Ohio.

The members of the La Sagrada Familia Parish in Cleveland have a long history of dedication to our community and to empowering Cleveland's diverse Latin American community. This year's celebration will feature live music, cultural dances, children's activities and a talent show that highlight the rich culture of the Latin American community. This year's honoree, Reverend David Fallon, became the founding pastor of Sagrada Familia on April 11, 1998 and continued in that role until his death on May I, 2009. Under his direction, La Sagrada Familia became a source of strength and support for people of all ethnic and religious backgrounds. Father Fallon initiated numerous programs and organized church volunteers to serve the community through social service, employment and education initiatives.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognition of the La Sagrada Familia Festival as they honor the memory of Reverend David F. Fallon at the 25th annual Latin American Festival. I offer my best wishes for a joyous celebration of culture and community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of Ken Warren, on the occasion of his retirement as director of the Lakewood Library after 25 years of dedicated service to our community. In his capacity as director of the Lakewood Library, Ken worked to promote and develop innovative projects and programs hosted at the Lakewood Library and throughout the Lakewood community.

Ken Warren has maintained an enthusiasm for books and the power of the written word since his childhood. His interest in community issues began when he was a teen, as editor of an underground paper at his parochial high school. He is founding member of the Lakewood Observer and has made the publication a critical instrument of exchange of ideas and opinions on important civic and community issues.

During his tenure as director, the Lakewood Library underwent major expansions and improvements, including the complete interior and exterior renovation of the main library building, the development of a new technology center, public auditorium, a children's wing, and an inspiring display of murals that grace the walls throughout the facility. Ken has consistently reached out to the citizens, agencies and community leaders of Lakewood creating strong working relationships and friendships throughout the city. His legacy is highlighted by his unwavering advocacy and innovation in promoting and implementing literacy and learning programs, connecting the library to the public schools.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition of Ken Warren, whose tenure at the Lakewood Library is framed by integrity, kindness, love for learning, passion for the written word, and above all, an unbridled commitment to the betterment of the entire Lakewood community.

Millions of Americans have been and are under the threat of violent weather changes, floods, droughts, scorching heat, extraordinary cold, and food insecurity. We are running out of time to craft practicable, workable solutions to moderate the effects of global climate change brought on by global greenhouse gasses.

We are past the tipping point, and instead of talking about saving ourselves, we are talking about saving the coal industry. Our first steps on the path to a clean energy future will leave footprints caked in coal, because under the bill, U.S. fossil fuel emissions aren't required to fall until 2030. The bill will facilitate the licensing of 25 new coal-fired plants with free permits to pollute. It guarantee coal's future by spending $60 billion on an unproven, leaky technology where CO2 is pumped into the ground.

We can still save ourselves and our planet, or we can save the coal industry. We can have a carbon-free and nuclear-free world which comes into harmony with nature's god through the creation of tens of millions of new wind and solar microtechnologies which will lower energy costs and make for a true declaration of energy independence. I will soon be introducing a bill to accomplish just that.

The American people are waiting to be inspired with a vision and a reality of a green future.

Would the gentleman yield?

I believe the choices we are being offered in this bill are insufficient to address the immediate real threat of global warming. We can take market-based approaches that protect the planet, respect nature through incentivizing the mass production and worldwide distribution of American-made wind and solar microtechnologies, lowering our carbon footprint, lowering our energy costs, and rallying the American people to join in a great economic and social cause of creating a green future. We can do that. We can still do that.

I thank the gentleman.

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. The reason is simple. It won't address the problem. In fact, it might make the problem worse.

It sets targets that are too weak, especially in the short term, and sets about meeting those targets through Enron-style accounting methods. It gives new life to one of the primary sources of the problem that should be on its way out--coal--by giving it record subsidies. And it is rounded out with massive corporate giveaways at taxpayer expense. There is $60 billion for a single technology which may or may not work, but which enables coal power plants to keep warming the planet at least another 20 years.

Worse, the bill locks us into a framework that will fail. Science tells us that immediately is not soon enough to begin repairing the planet. Waiting another decade or more will virtually guarantee catastrophic levels of warming. But the bill does not require any greenhouse gas reductions beyond current levels until 2030.

Today's bill is a fragile compromise, which leads some to claim that we cannot do better. I respectfully submit that not only can we do better; we have no choice but to do better. Indeed, if we pass a bill that only creates the illusion of addressing the problem, we walk away with only an illusion. The price for that illusion is the opportunity to take substantive action.

There are several aspects of the bill that are problematic:

1. Overall targets are too weak. The bill is predicated on a target atmospheric concentration of 450 parts per million, a target that is arguably justified in the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, but which is already out of date. Recent science suggests 350 parts per million is necessary to help us avoid the worst effects of global warming.

2. The offsets undercut the emission reductions. Offsets allow polluters to keep polluting; they are rife with fraudulent claims of emissions reduction; they create environmental, social, and economic unintended adverse consequences; and they codify and endorse the idea that polluters do not have to make sacrifices to solve the problem.

3. It kicks the can down the road. By requiring the bulk of the emissions to be carried out in the long term and requiring few reductions in the short term, we are not only failing to take the action when it is needed to address rapid global warming, but we are assuming the long term targets will remain intact.

4. EPA's authority to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the short- to medium-term is rescinded. It is our best defense against a new generation of coal power plants. There is no room for coal as a major energy source in a future with a stable climate.

5. Nuclear power is given a lifeline instead of phasing it out. Nuclear power is far more expensive, has major safety issues including a near release in my own home state in 2002, and there is still no resolution to the waste problem. A recent study by Dr. Mark Cooper showed that it would cost $1.9 trillion to $4.1 trillion more over the life of 100 new nuclear reactors than to generate the same amount of electricity from energy efficiency and renewables.

6. Dirty Coal is given a lifeline instead of phasing it out. Coal- based energy destroys entire mountains, kills and injures workers at higher rates than most other occupations, decimates ecologically sensitive wetlands and streams, creates ponds of ash that are so toxic the Department of Homeland Security will not disclose their locations for fear of their potential to become a terrorist weapon, and fouls the air and water with sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, particulates, mercury, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and thousands of other toxic compounds that cause asthma, birth defects, learning disabilities, and pulmonary and cardiac problems for starters. In contrast, several times more jobs are yielded by renewable energy investments than comparable coal investments.

7. The $60 billion allocated for Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) is triple the amount of money for basic research and development in the bill. We should be pressuring China, India, and Russia, to slow and stop their power plants now instead of enabling their perpetuation. We cannot create that pressure while spending unprecedented amounts on a single technology that may or may not work. If it does not work on the necessary scale, we have then spent 10-20 years emitting more CO2, which we cannot afford to do. In addition, those who will profit from the technology will not be viable or able to stem any leaks from CCS facilities that may occur 50, 100, or 1000 years from now.

8. Carbon markets can and will be manipulated using the same Wall Street sleights of hand that brought us the financial crisis.

9. It is regressive. Free allocations doled out with the intent of blunting the effects on those of modest means will pale in comparison to the allocations that go to polluters and special interests. The financial benefits of offsets and unlimited banking also tend to accrue to large corporations. And of course, the trillion dollar carbon derivatives market will help Wall Street investors. Much of the benefits designed to assist consumers are passed through coal companies and other large corporations, on whom we will rely to pass on the savings.

10. The Renewable Electricity Standard, RES, is not an improvement. The 15 percent RES standard would be achieved even if we failed to act.

11 Dirty energy options qualify as ``renewable'': The bill allows polluting industries to qualify as ``renewable energy.'' Trash incinerators not only emit greenhouse gases, but also emit highly toxic substances. These plants disproportionately expose communities of color and low-income to the toxics. Biomass burners that allow the use of trees as a fuel source are also defined as ``renewable.'' Under the bill, neither source of greenhouse gas emissions is counted as contributing to global warming.

12. It undermines our bargaining position in international negotiations in Copenhagen and beyond. As the biggest per capita polluter, we have a responsibility to take action that is disproportionately stronger than the actions of other countries. It is, in fact, the best way to preserve credibility in the international context.

13. International assistance is much less than demanded by developing countries. Given the level of climate change that is already in the pipeline, we are going to need to devote major resources toward adaptation. Developing countries will need it the most, which is why they are calling for much more resources for adaptation and technology transfer than is allocated in this bill. This will also undercut our position in Copenhagen.

I offered eight amendments and cosponsored two more that collectively would have turned the bill into an acceptable starting point. All amendments were not allowed to be offered to the full House. Three amendments endeavored to minimize the damage that will be done by offsets, a method of achieving greenhouse gas reductions that has already racked up a history of failure to reduce emissions--increasing emissions in some cases--while displacing people in developing countries who rely on the land for their well being.

Three other amendments would have made the Federal Government a force for change by requiring all Federal energy to eventually come from renewable resources, by requiring the Federal Government to transition to electric and plug-in hybrid cars, and by requiring the installation of solar panels on government rooftops and parking lots. These provisions would accelerate the transition to a green economy.

Another amendment would have moved up the year by which reductions of greenhouse gas emissions were required from 2030 to 2025. It would have encouraged the efficient use of allowances and would have reduced opportunities for speculation by reducing the emission value of an allowance by a third each year.

The last amendment would have removed trash incineration from the definition of renewable energy. Trash incineration is one of the primary sources of environmental injustice in the country. It is a primary source of compounds in the air known to cause cancer, asthma, and other chronic diseases. These facilities are disproportionately sited in communities of color and communities of low income.

Furthermore, incinerators emit more carbon dioxide per unit of electricity produced than coal-fired power plants.

Passing a weak bill today gives us a weak bill tomorrow. Rejecting a weak bill today gives us another chance to pass something more in line with the science tomorrow.