Floor Statements

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

(Ms. MATSUI asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding me this time.

Mr. Speaker, we are considering a rule for H.R. 3058, which will appropriate funding for a broad section of the Federal Government, including the Departments of Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, as well as the Federal judiciary and the District of Columbia. I commend all the conferees and particularly Chairman Knollenberg and Ranking Member Olver for their dedication to completing the conference report on this sprawling piece of legislation. It is a tremendous challenge to achieve consensus on such a broad range of priorities, and I believe this bill reflects outstanding leadership, considering the allotted resources for the job.

I was particularly pleased with the final funding for Amtrak, especially when you consider where we started. While the original House bill provided funds at a level that would have decimated the Nation's passenger rail system, the conference report funding level will allow Amtrak to continue running its current operations. In my hometown of Sacramento, Amtrak is heavily relied upon, and I know my constituents will be relieved that the conferees have provided this funding.

From the housing portion of the bill, I would like to highlight the importance of the Community Development Block Grant Program. CDBG is a highly effective program that provides the resources to improve, energize and revitalize communities across the Nation. Like hundreds of cities across the country, in Sacramento CDBG has enabled transformative improvements to downtown and the rest of the city. I thank the appropriators for recognizing the vital nature of CDBG in providing this funding.

Another vital community resource funded in this bill is the housing choice voucher program known as section 8. This program allows low- income families, senior citizens and citizens with disabilities to obtain affordable housing.

On several occasions, my constituents have told me that were it not for these vouchers, they would have faced the fear and uncertainty associated with not knowing if tomorrow you have someplace to call home. It is clear that this program makes a difference in people's lives. I hope that when we come back next year and start to put together the FY 2007 budget, we will remember the positive impact that these programs have on the lives of our constituents and all Americans.

Even though we will again face limited resources, I hope that when the time comes to construct the budget, we will begin by determining who truly needs the government's help the most and which programs are most effective at delivering positive results. If we make that our top priority, I am sure this Congress and the Nation will be satisfied with the results.

Again, I thank the appropriators for their hard work and leadership this year on this conference report and throughout the year. I hope my colleagues will support the rule and the underlying bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, the U.S. House of Representatives is sinking to a new low today. What is happening on the floor is not intended to be an open and honest debate on our policy in Iraq. It is about the politics of personal destruction--a swift-boat attack by Congressional Republicans on a 37-year veteran of the Marine Corps for giving his honest assessment about the situation in Iraq.

Republicans will try to claim--falsely--that this is about an idea, not a person--but everyone here in this room--whether or not they will admit it--knows the truth of what is going on today. This is about changing the subject and dodging responsibility. House Republicans are exposed and embarrassed by the Senate's recent vote to demand benchmarks from the White House. The President refuses to level with the American people on Iraq, or present his ideas, and apparently House Republicans are of the same mind. They would rather tear someone down.

Our troops--putting their lives on the line--deserve better from this country. Today is clearly not about these brave men and women. It is about political attacks.

Jack Murtha is one of the most respected members of the U.S. Congress on U.S. military policy--an expertise he has built from his first-hand knowledge of military and defense issues. He is a 37-year veteran of the Marine Corps, who retired at the rank of colonel in 1990. He is one of the most respected members of the U.S. Congress on the U.S. military, on a bipartisan basis. To question Jack Murtha's commitment-- his patriotism to this nation--or our troops is ludicrous. No one has been as devoted as Jack to our men and women in the military--he's made weekly visits to Walter Reed, visits to Iraq and has poured over the Defense Department's own assessments of the situation on the ground in Iraq.

I will vote against the GOP's characterization of Congressman Murtha's opinions on Iraq, because I cannot support personal, political attacks and I believe that we should have a free and open debate on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from West Virginia for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

(Ms. MATSUI asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, today we consider House Resolution 559, the rule allowing consideration of the conference report accompanying the fiscal year 2006 Labor HHS Education Appropriations bill. This legislation is the clearest demonstration of the contempt for the proper functioning of this body and ultimately disrespect for democracy.

The Labor HHS Education Appropriations bill is an incredibly important piece of legislation. It determines funding levels for job training programs, community college programs, child labor protections, and community health centers.

This legislation is the primary funding vehicle for the National Institutes of Health. It determines how our government approaches timely and important issues like stem cell research,

global AIDS research, pediatric medicine, cancer research, and so many other critical issues. It is also the principal funder of some of the most innovative and practical research going on today at the universities and colleges across the Nation.

In my home State of California, two thirds of all basic research at the University of California system is from Federal dollars. As examples using these dollars, the university researchers found a way to differentiate Alzheimer's from other dementia. They are making strides on identifying genes that cause specific cancers. They are looking into factors that influence brain development.

The reason I am pointing to all of this is to underscore just how important this legislation is to the daily lives of our fellow Americans. And having established that this bill is a crucial bill for the health, welfare, education, and prosperity of the American people, I would ask my counterparts on the Republican side of the aisle why on earth is it that no one has seen this conference report? Why is it that as of this morning, this very morning, we are scheduled to consider and vote upon this legislation that no one in the House of Representatives, with exception of a very few in the Republican leadership, has even laid eyes on, much less read or analyzed? We did not even go into the Rules Committee to consider this legislation until 7 o'clock this morning under emergency rules.

The original version of this bill passed the House months ago, and I might remind my fellow Americans that it was in this bill that the Republican leadership of this body tried to quietly eliminate funding for the Public Broadcasting System and Sesame Street. Thankfully, under incredible pressure they were forced to reverse themselves.

And since then, this bill and its Senate companion have been locked away in conference. A handful of appointees of this Republican leadership have had months to meet in smokey back rooms. This select group decided for all of us here today and for every American family what should and should not be in the final version of the bill. So with that understanding, let me say that this is, at best, a short-sided piece of legislation.

No Child Left Behind funding is cut by $784 million. The maximum Pell Grant award is frozen for the 4th straight year, and no new funding for all other student financial aid and support programs is provided. The bill provides $4 billion less than Republicans promised for special education through IDEA. Training grants for health care professionals are cut $206 million.

I want everyone in America to understand exactly why these programs are being cut. Because in the face of gross fiscal mismanagement on the part of this majority, they want to pass a $56 billion tax cut for wealthy Americans this coming week. Over half of that money, $23 billion, will go to the very wealthiest of Americans, those earning over $1 million per year.

Now, I am certainly not suggesting that there are not government programs that cannot be cut. But what we are talking about are educational programs, health and safety programs, and treatment programs that not only work, but they work well for middle class American families, and they are being sacrificed for tax cuts for the most wealthy and the super rich. The rest of America is being left behind.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, we are facing an increasingly costly war in Iraq, significant and necessary hurricane relief needs, and a looming crisis over avian flu. The debate I urge my colleagues to have, a debate not yet addressed by my friends on the other side of the aisle, is really about shared sacrifice and about what the true priorities of the American people are.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney).

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

Mr. Speaker, this country is at a critical crossroads in terms of deciding what it stands for, what its priorities are. Our priorities should be to make decisions based on shared sacrifice and a long-term view that seeks to fight for the least powerful among us.

Unfortunately, this rule would allow legislation with a shortsighted approach to come to the floor. All of us, Democrats and Republicans, hope that medical science will provide the breakthrough to provide relief from a disease which will ease a family member's suffering.

We all worry about whether rising energy costs will force seniors to make life-and-death decisions about where to spend their limited resources.

And yet this conference report ignores those very needs. It narrowly restricts the future of all Americans so that a very few might have a bit more of a tax break. That is an approach that I hope all Members will reject.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from West Virginia for yielding me this time.

Mr. Speaker, history plays a significant role in this country. Not only does it influence and inform our decisions today, but it clearly shows the successes and failures of this Nation to ensure every citizen is protected under the Constitution.

Sixty years ago, Executive Order 9066 permitted the Federal Government to uproot 120,000 American citizens of Japanese ancestry from their homes and their communities, forcibly interning them in one of several camps across the western United States. This included my husband, Bob, who was at that time just an infant, and his family. They were held a short time at Tule Lake in California before being sent to Caldwell, Idaho. After being expelled from their community, my parents met at the internment camp in Poston, Arizona, where I was born at the end of World War II.

It was one of the greatest suspensions of liberty in our Nation's history, an avoidable consequence of racial prejudice and wartime hysteria.

These camps are the physical, tangible, representation of our government's failure to protect the constitutional right of every American. However, they are also a symbol of this Nation's ability to recognize and acknowledge our mistakes.

For both of these reasons, it is essential that the internment camps and sites be preserved and maintained. In protecting them, we are reaffirming our belief in the Constitution and the rights and protections it guarantees for each and every American.

The bill before us embraces this idea. H.R. 1492 allows for camp committees; private citizens; and State, local and tribal governments to partner with the Federal Government to preserve the historical sites from this period. By preserving the history behind these physical landmarks, new generations of Americans will learn the lessons of this tragic period, and significantly, the lesson will not fade from our national memory.

I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to Congressman

Bill Thomas for his passionate leadership in working with

this bill and in bringing it to the floor. I would also like

to thank Congressman Honda, Chairman Pombo and Ranking Member

Rahall for their bipartisan dedication to this issue. I would

also like to acknowledge Mike Holland with Congressman

Thomas' personal staff.

Finally, I would like to thank my good friend Gerald Yamada, who originally brought this to my husband's attention last year, for his tireless effort behind the scenes on behalf of the Japanese-American community.

Through this legislation, we refresh the pact established in our Constitution between citizen and government which ensures our government is a protector of our rights and liberties.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in tribute to the late California Congressman Ed Roybal.

Ed Roybal left this nation a rich legacy. He was a civil rights and social justice champion. He was an advocate for those least likely to have a voice--the poor and the elderly. Ed Roybal consistently fought to invest in people, seeing the long-term benefit and future pay-off of this investment.

But Ed Roybal also forged a path in politics creating new opportunities for many Hispanics. Not only was Ed an inspiration to future generation, he' actively worked to encourage many in the Hispanic community to explore a future in politics--personally serving as a mentor to a number of future elected officials.

While I did not serve with Ed Roybal, my late husband did. Bob was honored to have served in the House of Representatives with him, as he greatly admired Ed. They shared a similar philosophy. Both chose not to allow discrimination in their youth define their role in life. Instead of condemning intolerance in this nation, Ed Roybal, chose to serve and make it a better place.

To my friend and colleague, Lucille and the entire Roybal family, please accept my deepest condolences on your loss.

Mr. Speaker, a budget is about planning. It is about the future. And for me the idea of the future is intertwined with my granddaughter, Anna, who is 2 years old. We all have someone like that, someone for whom we want to build a better tomorrow, but to do so we must address the real challenges our Nation faces, including an ever- increasing debt.

Unfortunately, the package that we are dealing with today passes more debt on to future generations, my Anna and your Anna, while making it more difficult for working families to achieve the American dream. This does not reflect the values and priorities of our constituents.

The American people want courage, leadership and shared sacrifice and we are giving them a bill that is short-

sighted, narrowly targeted and driven by ideology instead of good policy. We could really do better.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Washington for yielding me this time, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

(Ms. MATSUI asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Madam Speaker, I look forward to today's consideration of H.R. 2419, which reflects much thought and long-term planning on behalf of the Committee on Appropriations. This year's energy and water bill means a great deal to my constituents in my hometown of Sacramento.

This year, we pointedly witnessed just how important the water funding included in the energy and water appropriations funding legislation is. And we must now embrace the lessons this year's unprecedented hurricane season have taught us about the essential need to invest in our Nation's flood control infrastructure, dollars that are necessary to examine, maintain and strengthen our levee and dam systems.

Federal officials must look expeditiously at the significant role infrastructure plays to reduce catastrophic loss in a flood event. I commend the committee for calling on the Corps of Engineers to identify and create a list of the Nation's 10 most critical water resource needs in the country.

While hurricane season has ended, the flooding season in Sacramento and all of California will begin shortly. And as I have consistently spoken about the unacceptable risk of flooding my constituents face, I am certain you understand the concern I have about this upcoming season. Despite years of dedicated efforts, Sacramento still remains one of the most flood-prone and threatened cities in the country, paling in comparison to the level of protection enjoyed by other river cities.

According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento's flood risk is among the highest of urban areas in the country. This bill makes a significant investment in Sacramento's flood reduction efforts. It keeps the region on track to achieve our short-term goal, through levee work, of reaching 100-year protection. Moreover, this legislation ensures our other projects move forward, through which Sacramento will more than double the current level of flood protection. This increased protection is essential.

With thousands of lives and the capital of the Nation's largest State at risk, the need for this critically important investment is clear. We cannot afford to delay this work. This legislation recognizes the immediate need for progress on our flood control by directing our Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation to continue the collaborative work addressing improvements to Folsom Dam. On behalf of Sacramento, I appreciate their dedication to this goal.

Each of our flood control partners, the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency, the Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the State of California, recognize the dire need for improved flood control and have personally invested in finding a solution; and I thank them for this. They, as I, who live in Sacramento, understand that lives are at risk and delays only add to our vulnerability.

I cannot proceed without also expressing my gratitude to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson), the gentleman from California (Mr. Doolittle), and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky). Their commitment to improving our Nation's water infrastructure is evident in this legislation. I thank both of California's Senators for their efforts on Sacramento and California's flood control needs. I appreciate Senator Feinstein's leadership in the conference committee. To the energy and water appropriations staff, particularly Peder Maarbjerg and John Blazey, your long hours and hard work are much appreciated.

Their efforts reflect not only the incredible investments that must be made to improve our infrastructure across the Nation, but also an acknowledgment that we must wisely spend each dollar. This legislation adds new measures to ensure that the Corps manages each dollar efficiently.

To improve the execution of projects, the Corps is directed to develop a 5-year comprehensive budget plan and vision for water infrastructure in the country to comprehensively integrate financial planning and project management. Further, while the Corps will still have the flexibility to occasionally shift project funding as needed, the Corps will no longer be able to consistently use this practice.

By working together, the Congress, the administration, and the Corps of Engineers will be better prepared to ensured that limited Federal resources are spent efficiently, commitments to local sponsors are honored, and projects remain on schedule.

This bill moves our country forward on many levels, from improving local water infrastructure to bigger-picture Corps of Engineer financial management and efficiency issues.

In light of the realities our Nation faced this year, I hope Congress will continue this commitment to public safety and significantly invest in water infrastructure. I strongly support the underlying conference report and look forward to voting in support of the measure.

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

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

(Ms. MATSUI asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey) for yielding me this time.

Mr. Speaker, the rule, H. Res. 540, will allow the House to take up legislation to protect Federal judges, court employees, safety officers, jurors, and witnesses.

Unfortunately, we are all aware of the tragic violence committed against judges and their families this year. In one case this past February, Judge Joan Lefkow, a Federal judge from Chicago, returned home to find her husband and her mother murdered. We later learned it had been a retaliation for a earlier court ruling. It is hard to comprehend such a senseless loss.

Clearly, the additional steps we are taking today are important to protect judges and their family members. H.R. 1751, the Secure Access to Justice and Court Protection Act of 2005, increases the penalty for assaulting, kidnapping or murdering a Federal judge, other public officials, and their immediate family members. Further, the bill extends these protections to jurors and witnesses.

For our judicial system to function, the authority and safety of our Federal judges must be ensured. Judges, as well as jurors, should know they are free to make unbiased and sound decisions based on the facts and the rule of law and not on the fear that they may face retaliation for a decision they hand down.

It is equally important witnesses know they will also be secure when testifying. They must know that it is safe to do the right thing and testify before a court of law. For this reason, I appreciate that the Committee on the Judiciary included grants to assist States in operating the witness protection programs.

However, I do have some significant reservations about this legislation. Included in H.R. 1751 are over a dozen new mandatory minimum penalties.

Mr. Speaker, we must protect our judges from harm without impeding their judicial independence. It is the judges and juries who have the facts of each case before them, not Congress. And it is judges and juries who should be determining the proper and appropriate punishment.

Therefore, it should not surprise Members that the Judicial Conference of the United States, the body Congress turns to for nonpartisan recommendations on our Federal judiciary, has expressed a deep opposition to mandatory minimums on more than a dozen occasions in its communications to Congress.

Mr. Speaker, mandatory minimums simply do not work. Rather, they tie the hands of our judges, not allowing them to fit the best punishment to the crime.

I look forward to the debate on these amendments and the underlying legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. McCarthy).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Rick Martinez, former chief of the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District. Last month, Chief Martinez retired from a truly distinguished career of public service that spanned over thirty years. As his friends, family and colleagues all gather to celebrate his career, I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring the dedicated service of one of Sacramento's finest citizens.

Chief Martinez began his career as a firefighter with the Sacramento City Fire Department in the early 1970s. He quickly rose through the ranks as a Captain, EMS Coordinator, Battalion Chief and later, Division Chief, each time taking on positions of increasing responsibility and leadership. In 1995 he was appointed Fire Chief of the American River Fire Protection District, which was the precursor to today's Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District (SMFD). He also served as chief of the Florin Road Fire Protection District and the Sacramento County Fire Protection District.

When the SMFD was formed in 2000, Rick was named the district's first chief. His management experience and expertise helped the district grow to serve over 600,000 citizens, spread over 417 square miles. He successfully managed 700 employees, over 40 fire stations and numerous other facilities, while also expanding specialized programs, such as the Urban Search and Rescue Task Force and the fire paramedic intern program.

One of Chief Martinez's many accomplishments with the SMFD has been the development of Sacramento's highly regarded Urban Search and Rescue Team. The team responded with great distinction to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. In 2001, as our nation came under attack, Chief Martinez was responsible for managing all search and rescue teams at the site of the World Trade Center in New York City. Most recently, he helped direct the response to Hurricane Katrina's devastation along the Gulf Coast.

The constant display of leadership and integrity has led Rick to be honored by many of his peers. In 2003, he was named Fire Chief of the Year by the California Fire Chief Association. Due to his crisis management experience he was tapped to serve as Chief Deputy Director of the California Office of Homeland Security by former Governor Gray Davis. In 2002, he was appointed to the State Board of Fire Services. Rick has also been active in numerous local boards and commissions.

The people of Sacramento, California and our nation have been lucky to have Rick Martinez on their side in emergencies ranging from traffic accidents to natural disasters, structure fires to terrorist attacks. He has always risen to the occasion and led with knowledge, experience and reliability. His leadership will surely be missed by many.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to one of Sacramento's most distinguished citizens, Rick Martinez. His successes have been great, and it is a wonderful opportunity for me to recognize his contributions to the people of Sacramento. I ask all my colleagues to join me in wishing my friend, Rick Martinez, continued success in his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in tribute to Jason Kamras, the 2005 National Teacher of the Year. A native of Sacramento, Jason teaches mathematics at John Philip Sousa Middle School, here in our Nation's capital. Since being named Teacher of the Year in April, Jason has traveled across the country as an educational spokesman and will continue to do so through next June. As his friends, family and colleagues celebrate Jason's outstanding achievement, I ask all of my colleagues to join with me in saluting this truly remarkable American.

The son of Linda and Marvin Kamras of Sacramento, Jason attended Shalom School, Sacramento's only Jewish day school, where he was a member of their inaugural class of 1978. In 1991, he graduated from Rio Americano High School at the top of his class. Later that fall Jason began his freshman year at Princeton University, where he graduated with a degree in public policy in 1995.

After graduating from Princeton, Jason promptly applied for a position with Teach for America, a wonderful program that allows for recent college graduates to work in needy public schools. It was Teach for America that first brought Jason to John Philip Sousa Middle School in the fall of 1996 where he taught mathematics to sixth graders. At Sousa he immediately poured his energy and passion into the school's students.

Three years of teaching math at Sousa convinced Jason that he could do much more to have a positive impact on students' lives. In 1999 he left the classroom and earned a Master's Degree in Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. When he returned to Sousa, Jason taught a combined class of seventh and eight graders for 2 years in social studies. This ``looped'' class allowed him the opportunity to truly connect with his students and push them to achieve everything within their grasp. In the 2002-2003 school year, Jason has returned to teaching math, this time at the seventh and eighth grade levels.

Outside of the classroom, Jason has successfully worked with school administrators to double the instructional time devoted to math and has incorporated technology and real world situations into the math curriculum, in order to meet today's students' needs. His love for photography led him to establish the EXPOSE Program, in which students create photo-essays with digital cameras that depict their lives and neighborhoods. Those photos are often shown to the public at the Capital Children's Museum and other places around Washington. In 2001, Jason was awarded the Mayor's Art Award for Outstanding Contribution to Arts Education for his work with the EXPOSE Program, just one of the many honors he has earned for his dedication to our Nation's youth.

What makes Jason an excellent teacher and role model is that he works tirelessly to give his students the tools they will need to make their dreams come true. Whether it is with complex math problems or artistic self expression, Jason has an ability to connect with students, many of whom come from underprivileged backgrounds, and give them the attention and support they need to help them meet their goals.

Mr. Speaker, as Jason Kamras continues to speak on behalf of school teachers across our country, I am honored to pay tribute to one of Sacramento's most honorable citizens. His love for teaching is fortunately shared by countless other teachers in classrooms throughout the Nation. At 31 years of age, Jason has accomplished so much in the classroom; accomplishments that allow him to serve as a model for others to follow. On behalf of the students at Sousa that have benefited from his compassion, dedication and creativity, I ask all of my colleagues to join with me in wishing Jason continued success in all his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the rule, House Resolution 509. The Federal Housing Finance Reform Act as reported by the Committee on Financial Services is a strong bipartisan effort.

It represents several years of work that will ensure the safety and soundness of the government-sponsored entities, helping working Americans achieve the dream of homeownership. Unfortunately, this rule has a potential to undercut the committee's fine effort and may severely undermine critical GSE reform.

The availability of affordable housing keeps our communities strong. So wisely, the committee bill includes a fund to build and preserve affordable housing and, I would add, support these activities at no cost to the Federal Government. Unfortunately, the manager's amendment mars this fund by forcing nonprofit, affordable housing groups to make a choice. They can work to bring affordable housing to working families, or they can register voters in the most nonpartisan of ways; but they cannot do both, not even to drive an elderly person to the polls.

Over 60 national organizations, many of them faith-based, such as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Episcopal Church, the Presbyterian Church, have come out opposing this provision. These organizations represent the mainstream values of this Nation, and their efforts should not be hindered by roll-backs in these constitutionally protected rights.

I urge my colleagues to maintain the broadly supported language that came out of the Committee on Financial Services by rejecting the rule and the manager's amendment.

This rule also provides for consideration of another amendment worthy of a ``no'' vote. I am referring to the measure by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Garrett) that would strike the bill's conforming loan limit provision. Like many other metropolitan locations, my constituents in Sacramento face escalating housing prices that are making it harder and harder for working families to achieve the dream of homeownership: firefighters police officers, the teachers in our schools. They deserve to live in the same communities they work in.

Increasing the conforming loan limit would bring fairness to the housing market by giving working families in more expensive parts of the country the same opportunity as everyone else to own their own home.

Once again, this commonsense provision was included in the bipartisan committee bill, and so I urge my colleagues to reject the Garrett amendment.

In closing, I reiterate to my colleagues the importance of maintaining the bipartisan version of H.R. 1461 that came out of the committee. Vote no on this rule which will tar the Affordable Housing Fund without giving the majority an opportunity to vote on it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in tribute to a distinguished man who has selflessly served the Sacramento area for almost 50 years. Father Brendan O'Sullivan retires this month from St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Sacramento. As his parishioners, friends, family and colleagues gather to celebrate his decades of ministerial service, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in saluting this outstanding citizen of Sacramento.

Father O'Sullivan hails from Ireland, where he was born in Beara and studied for the priesthood at St. Patrick's Seminary in Thurles. Shortly after being ordained to the priesthood on June 10, 1956 he traveled to California to begin service in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento.

His first assignment in the diocese was as associate pastor of St. Joseph's Parish in Redding. Father O'Sullivan then served at various northern California churches, including St. Lawrence Parish in North Highlands. He served as a Catholic chaplain to the Newman Center at the University of California at Davis from 1962 to 1965 and continued working with Catholic youth as chaplain of the Newman Center at American River College and as an educator at St. Francis High School in Sacramento.

In 1972 he accepted an assignment as a faculty member and director of campus ministry at the College of Notre Dame in Belmont, CA. Later, Father O'Sullivan was called back to serve in the Diocese of Sacramento as associate pastor of St. Joseph's Parish in Clarksburg.

In 1974 Father O'Sullivan was asked to establish a new parish in the Pocket area of Sacramento and was appointed by Bishop Alden J. Bell to be the founding pastor of St. Anthony Parish. During the past 30 years, he has presided over the parish's phenomenal growth. His natural charm and openness to people from all walks of life surely was responsible for much of that growth. The parish now has over 2,000 families and is highly regarded across the Sacramento region.

During his tenure as pastor, Father O'Sullivan oversaw the building of the church, a religious education center and later a rectory. Additionally, a multipurpose Memorial Center was built in 1996 and the parish offices were expanded in 2002. Father O'Sullivan had the foresight to suggest that the church be structured around a central point of assembly that would unify the parishioners. The result was a central plaza where parishioners gather before and after Mass and where community events are now held. In addition, Father O'Sullivan has encouraged St. Anthony members to extend their outreach beyond the parish boundaries by participating in numerous social programs in Sacramento.

Father O'Sullivan has served the Diocese of Sacramento in various capacities beyond his role of pastor. He has been dean of the City Deanery, director of continuing education of priests for the diocese, a member of the Council of Priests and the Priest's Personnel Board and an advisor in the Diocesan Synod process. He also took a sabbatical to study at the University of Louvain in Belgium, one of the great centers of Catholic learning.

Father O'Sullivan has been a visionary leader in implementing the reforms and vision of the Catholic Church's Second Vatican Council. He urged his parishioners to not be afraid of discussing controversial issues, because he is certain that a healthy church is one that allows for the free exchange of ideas. Throughout his tenure, he has proven to be an effective consensus builder, a pragmatic thinker and a tireless worker, who has earned the respect and admiration of those who have worked with him.

Mr. Speaker, as Father O'Sullivan's parishioners, friends and colleagues gather to celebrate his great service in the ministry, I am truly honored to pay tribute to one of Sacramento's most honorable citizens. We all have greatly benefited from having Father O'sullivan's strong leadership in our community. His dedication to the people of Sacramento spans decades, many churches and thousands of families. I ask all of my colleagues to join with me in wishing Father O'Sullivan continued success and happiness in all of this future endeavors, wherever his retirement may lead him.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in tribute to an organization with a great record of service to older and midlife women throughout the United States. For the past 25 years, the Older Women's League has worked tirelessly and successfully to protect and improve the economic, health and social equity needs of aging women. I ask all of my colleagues to join me in saluting the 25th anniversary of the Older Women's League, the only national grassroots organization in America to provide a voice to the over 58 million American women who are over the age of 40.

Founded in 1980 following a White House Mini-Conference on Older Women in Des Moines, Iowa, the Older Women's League (OWL) has grown to over 40 local chapters and 4,500 members nationwide. The members of these local OWL chapters engage in nationwide education and advocacy campaigns to place issues of interest to older women in the public spotlight and on the legislative agenda.

OWL members have worked diligently to highlight key older women's health issues including the Medicare prescription drug benefit, mental health awareness, osteoporosis and better nutrition. In addition, the organization has launched a recent campaign geared toward women of all ages, entitled ``Social Security Matters.'' This campaign educates women on the importance of Social Security and why privatization could jeopardize their retirement.

Perhaps one of the most important initiatives that OWL undertakes each year is the OWL Mother's Day Report. The first OWL Mother's Day Report was released shortly after the organization's inception and provides an in-depth analysis of a particular matter of concern to older and midlife women ranging in subjects from Caregiving to Age and Sex Discrimination in America's Labor Force.

Another important accomplishment for which OWL has been nationally recognized has

been the establishment of the Older Americans' Mental Health Week, which occurs during the last full week of May each year. This yearly public awareness campaign is designed to highlight the many misperceptions associated with mental illness and aging. To bring national attention to mental health, OWL partners with several mental health and senior citizen organizations, including the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, American Society on Aging, AARP, American Association of People with Disabilities, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance and Families for Depression Awareness.

Finally, it has been an honor to have a local advocate for OWL at our side, Betty Perry. Betty Perry has been instrumental at the Sacramento OWL chapter and OWL of California in providing a powerful voice for older women in regards to prescription drug benefits, equal pensions for older women and fighting against Social Security privatization.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to the Older Women's League's 25 years of advocacy and empowerment of women. I am confident that this organization will continue to play a crucial role in bringing national attention to issues affecting midlife and older women. I ask all of my colleagues to join with me in wishing the Older Women's League continued success in all its future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in tribute to the 2005 Sacramento Monarchs, the deserving winners of the 2005 Women's National Basketball Association championship. The 2005 Monarchs successfully beat the Connecticut Sun three games to one in a thrilling best of five games series to be crowned WNBA royalty. By winning the 2005 WBNA championship series, the Sacramento Monarchs gave Sacramento its first national title in professional basketball. I ask all of my colleagues to join with me in saluting the triumphant 2005 Sacramento Monarchs.

The 2005 Sacramento Monarchs were comprised of an outstanding blend of seasoned professionals with several years of WNBA experience under their belts, as well as young, talented recent college graduates. The team was led by Yolanda Griffith, a former WNBA MVP and four-time WNBA All-Star. During the regular season, Griffith averaged nearly fourteen points and over six rebounds a game. Against the Sun, when it mattered the most, she increased her averages to eighteen points and ten rebounds a game and was named Finals MVP.

During the playoffs, point guard Ticha Penicheiro led the league in assists, and averaged five a game throughout the Monarchs' playoff run. She was recently recognized in her hometown of Figueira da Foz, Portugal, with the ``Medalha de Honra ao Merito Desportivo,'' a medal honoring her outstanding achievement in the WNBA.

In addition, the 2005 WNBA Championship team was assisted by the contributions of many other great players including Olympia Scott- Richardson, DeMya Walker, Kara Lawson, Rebekkah Brunson, and Nicole Powell. All of these Monarchs proved themselves to be among the best in the entire league. Whether a veteran or a recent addition, every member of the championship team demonstrated excellent team work, dedication, and integrity as they fought their way to win the title. Later this month, the entire team will find themselves on supermarket shelves across the country, as they will be the first WNBA team featured on a Wheaties box.

Besides having an extremely talented roster, the Monarchs could not have gone as far as they did without the commitment of a great coaching staff and an uncompromising leadership team in the front office. On the bench, head coach John Whisenant and his able assistant coaches Tom Abatemarco, Steve Shuman, and Monique Ambers each contributed countless hours of film watching, strategizing, and coaching to transform the Monarchs into champions.

In the front office, the Monarchs are led by the ownership of the Maloof Family and the astute management of team president John Thomas. Under the Maloofs, the Sacramento Monarchs have taken great steps to gain a widespread following among area fans. Given the team's commitment to their fans, it is no wonder that Sacramento fans are so loyal to their professional sports teams. In September, over 3,000 fans cheered the Monarchs on as they paraded through downtown Sacramento with the WNBA championship trophy.

Mr. Speaker, as the Sacramento Monarchs revel in their most successful season in their nine year history and prepare for another outstanding season, I am honored to pay tribute to the many hardworking women and men of the Monarchs' franchise. Over the past few months, they have brought so much joy and civic pride to the city of Sacramento. Their success and loyal following is truly a testament to the ever increasing importance of women's professional sports, and it is a great honor for me to have the opportunity to commend them on their accomplishments. I ask all of my colleagues to join with me in congratulating the Sacramento Monarchs on a memorable season and wishing them continued success in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding me this time, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

(Ms. MATSUI asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, this rule, House Resolution 494, will allow the House to take up a bill limiting civil liability for the food and restaurant industry from obesity lawsuits.

We have already debated this legislation once. We now have precious few legislative days left on the calendar and an ever-expanding list of legislative priorities, yet the majority leadership has decided to take up a bill that preempts a handful of obesity lawsuits that are already being effectively handled in the courts. Given that, is this really the most pressing issue facing the American people? The courts are working fine. This bill is simply unnecessary.

Here is just a short list of issues we might be addressing today: The debt, the trade deficit, Iraq, housing for Katrina victims, the bird flu, port security, border security, nuclear plant security, and energy independence. I am sure the American people would appreciate a debate on any of those issues over what we are doing today.

In touting the merits of H.R. 554, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have cited the need for American people to take responsibility for what they eat and how they live. I very much agree. However, I would respectfully submit that maybe it is also time that Congress starts taking some responsibility for the challenges facing the American people. The disconnect between the content of this legislation and the concerns of our constituents would be humorous if it were not so disturbing.

Mr. Speaker, obesity is one of the great health epidemics in the United States, and as today's debate will show, it continues to go ignored. If you talk to any health professional in the country, whether it be the Director of the National Institutes of Health or a nurse at a local clinic, they will tell you that our health care system is on an unsustainable path, especially when it comes to obesity.

Obesity is the number one preventable cause of death in America. According to the RAND Corporation, obesity will account for 20 percent of all health care costs by 2020 if we do not change course. This challenge demands responsible, forward-looking leadership.

As Members of Congress, we need to take personal responsibility for the trajectory of the health care system in the United States. It would be cheaper to prevent this train wreck now than

to wait for obesity to overwhelm the capacity of our health care system. Our citizens are hungry for leadership, and they are not getting any.

The obesity epidemic in the United States should spur this Congress into action. Since 1980, childhood obesity rates have more than doubled among preschoolers and adolescents. Obesity among children ages 6 to 11 has more than tripled. Overweight children have a 70 percent chance of being overweight as adults, facing higher risks for many diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes.

I recently visited a dialysis center in my hometown of Sacramento, California, earlier this year. Many patients there had diabetes. Mr. Speaker, diabetes is a terrible disease. In its late stages it limits terribly one's quality of life. We need to be doing more to prevent it. We just do not need another cheeseburger bill. What we need is a debate about health care, about prevention, and about our priorities.

Two-thirds of all Americans are obese. According to the Centers for Disease Control, health care costs related to obesity are costing us more than $117 billion annually and much more in damage to our citizens' quality of life. We should not accept this fate for so many of our Nation's children. Dealing with obesity by talking about tort reform does just that, it says that Congress is more concerned about the industry than it is about the long-term health of our Nation and of our children.

No serious policymaker believes that we can turn this tide with a few half-hearted calls for Americans to exercise more. This is going to take real leadership, real investment. It will take a relentless campaign to educate our citizens, along with public pressure to recognize the importance of this issue. It will mean taking a hard look at whether our public schools are up to the test in terms of offering nutritious meals and physical education classes for everyone. It means asking whether industry advertisers are targeting children and, if so, setting strict marketing guidelines.

In the short-term, the easy path is to dodge this whole debate, to pass this tort reform measure and walk away from the discussion. The harder path and the more responsible one would be to deal with the crisis that is here today and the even bigger crisis we all know is coming. I for one am ready for that discussion. I hope my colleagues are.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that today's legislation is not the answer. Certainly it is not about addressing the larger issue, obesity, and its impact on the American health care system.

This legislation demonstrates the blind eye the majority leadership is turning to the very real challenges Americans are facing today. Regardless of what happens with this legislation today, America's health care system will still be in dire need of responsible leadership. The American people deserve an honest discussion.

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