Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I offer a motion.

Madam Speaker, I yield the hour to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier), and I ask unanimous consent that he be permitted to control that time.

I thank the gentleman.

Madam Speaker, it is a great honor to call up the rules package for the 112th Congress. Two months ago, voters sent a clear message of repudiation against a government that failed to deliver results.

Government for too long has operated under the flawed assumption that growing bigger and controlling more is necessarily better. Consequently, Washington has grown inefficient, unfocused and wasteful. Spending has gone progressively higher while results for all Americans have not been realized.

Our new majority stands for a different and better way. We believe in a government that controls less and spends less but accomplishes more. We believe in a smarter government, a more efficient government, a more focused government. The new House majority will be about ``cut and grow.'' We are going to cut spending and job-killing government regulations, and grow the economy and private-sector jobs.

Madam Speaker, each day, we will hold ourselves accountable by asking the following questions:

Are our efforts addressing job creation and the economy? Are they cutting spending? Are they shrinking the size of the Federal Government while protecting and expanding individual liberty? If not, why are we doing it?

This rules package reflects these priorities.

We establish a Constitution-focused House of Representatives, which starts by reading the Constitution of the United States on the House floor and requiring that every bill be accompanied by a statement of constitutional authority.

We make in order our first spending cut--a reduction of at least 5 percent to Congress' own budget, including Members, leadership, and committees. We replace PAYGO with ``cut as you go'' to ensure that all spending increases are offset by spending cuts elsewhere in the budget. And on all appropriations bills, Members can now offer spending reduction amendments, which will help ensure that savings actually go toward cutting the deficit rather than being spent elsewhere.

In this spirit, over the coming weeks, we will pass a repeal of last year's health care bill to remove the strain on job creators. We will cut spending in the current fiscal year back down to 2008 pre-bailout levels, and we will identify and eliminate job-killing regulations that are impeding capital formation in America.

Madam Speaker, these actions will send a credible signal to families, businesses, and financial markets that we are dead serious about getting spending under control and regaining our competitive footing in America.

Our majority will return America to prosperity by promoting a culture of success. Our mission is not to redistribute wealth or tell people how to live their lives, but instead to lift people up by giving them opportunity and encouraging them to take responsibility.

By passing this rules package, we will take a significant step in the right direction. It will put us on the road to weaning America off its dependence on debt and government programs as an economic lifeline, and it will help us build a new, more hopeful future rooted in limited government, long-term investment, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

I thank the gentleman from Texas.

Mr. Chairman, as we contemplate the tax agreement before us, I urge my colleagues to put politics aside and focus on the facts. We are crawling out of the worst economic downturn in generations. Working families and businesses remain gripped by economic uncertainty, and to this day Washington has only made the problem worse. If we want to cut into the 9.8 percent unemployment rate, Mr. Chairman, we have to instill confidence in the economy and begin to foster an environment for job creation. Today, we take our first step toward achieving that goal.

This tax deal is not perfect. And nearly all of us, myself included, disagree with certain elements of this bill. But let us not forget what we're fighting for. The reality is, Mr. Chairman, that on January 1, one of two things is going to happen to all taxpayers and most small businesses: Their tax rates are either going to go up, or they'll stay the same. The choice is to act now or impose the onset of a $3.8 trillion tax increase that will crush the fragile recovery and cost tens of thousands of jobs nationally. This is an indisputable fact--and an unacceptable result.

Mr. Chairman, this tax increase would punish families and small businesses that cannot afford to pay it. Middle class families will see their taxes go up by $100 per week. Let me be clear. There's only one path out of this economic crisis--and it's economic growth. But by transferring vast sums of cash out of the private sector and into Washington, Congress would be taking a club to investment, entrepreneurship, and innovation--the very building blocks of what we need to foster economic growth and job creation. About 84 percent of this package, Mr. Chairman, is either tax relief or extension of current tax rates. So, while not perfect, this is the kind of action that most Americans voted for last November.

In addition to preserving all marginal tax rates, it would kill the Making Work Pay credit and replace it with a payroll tax credit for all workers. It would deal with the alternative minimum tax that would begin to hit individuals making well below $100,000, and would head off a punishing increase in the death tax.

Mr. Chairman, we could try to hold out and pass a different tax bill. But there's no reason to believe that the Senate will pass it or the President would sign it if this fight spills into next year. Meanwhile, Mr. Chairman, the uncertainty associated with a prolonged debate would cause grave economic harm and possibly send us back into a double-dip recession.

With that, Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to pass this current legislation.

Mr. Speaker, having repeatedly refused to negotiate in good faith with Israel, the Palestinian Authority is now threatening to abrogate the Oslo Accords by unilaterally declaring its own state at the U.N. For all those Americans and citizens of the world who yearn for peace, prosperity and stability in the Middle East, I warn that nothing could be more detrimental to these hopes.

A unilaterally declared Palestinian state is a rejection of the very essence of the peace process. It is an unambiguous statement that the Palestinians refuse to honor their obligations in the interest of a lasting peace with Israel.

A real, genuine peace won't come out of thin air. It will come when the Palestinians teach their children that Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish State. And it will come when the PA inspires confidence that it has the capability and the will to provide security and safeguard peace with Israel on its own.

That day has not arrived, and it is reckless and harmful to U.S. national security interests to pretend otherwise. Should a state be recognized based on the now-untenable pre-1967 borders, Palestinian terrorists in the West Bank would have the same kind of free rein to shoot rockets, mortars and guns into Israel that they now have in Gaza. Only this time, all of Israel's main population centers will be in the crosshairs. This would lead to a permanent state of war as Israel is forced to defend itself.

Fortunately, the U.S. has the ability to veto any irresponsible Palestinian declaration of statehood at the U.N. By taking up this resolution, the House of Representatives is signaling its belief that the United States' veto authority should be used to preserve stability and prospects for peace in the Middle East.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Tyler Whitley for his 50 years of service at the Richmond Times-Dispatch and the Richmond News Leader.

After graduating from Hampden-Sydney College, Tyler Whitley began his career with the Richmond News Leader as an obituary writer and then served as business editor for about six years before becoming a political reporter in 1980. He continued covering Virginia politics for the Richmond Times-Dispatch when the papers merged in 1992. A constituent of Virginia's Seventh District and a veteran journalist, Tyler Whitley has covered nine governors, 14 national political conventions and four decades of the Virginia General Assembly.

Known as the sage of the Virginia press corps, Tyler Whitley is highly respected by his colleagues for his hard work and dedication to his craft. He is a familiar face at Virginia political events and a household name to his many readers through countless bylines. He is a fair and honest reporter who I've had the pleasure to work with since my days in the Virginia House of Delegates and continue to work with today.

It is often said that reporters write the first version of history. In that case, Tyler Whitley has written more history than most. Please join me in recognizing Tyler Whitley as he marks a significant milestone in his distinguished career after 50 years of service at Richmond's paper of record.

I thank the gentleman from Texas.

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, Republicans had a productive meeting at the White House that we hoped promised a fresh start after a historic election. There was recognition on both sides that it was time to put aside the political gamesmanship and the partisan rhetoric and begin working for the public to produce results.

Clearly, Mr. Speaker, that message has not been sent to some in the majority today. Today, we have a bill on the floor that would raise taxes on many small business people and working families.

We know the facts. Although some could say otherwise, 50 percent of the people who are impacted by this tax hike get at least 25 percent of their income from pass-through entities. These are the small businesses that we are relying on to create jobs in this economy. But sadly, it appears that the outgoing majority is more interested in staging meaningless votes that amount to political chicanery than it is in pursuing policies that get the economy back on track and Americans back to work.

Simply put, Mr. Speaker, this bill is a job killer that runs completely contrary to the discussions that we had with President Obama at the White House a few days ago. A bipartisan majority in the House supports a clean bill to ensure that no American faces a tax increase in this difficult economic environment.

Mr. Speaker, we call on Speaker Pelosi to stop the gimmicks and allow all Members of the House--Republicans and Democrats--to vote on legislation that would prevent tax increases for all.

Mr. Speaker, since the beginning of the program, YouCut has offered the potential for Republicans and Democrats to join together to begin tackling America's unsustainable fiscal situation. That's why I was encouraged yesterday when President Obama embraced an idea originally chosen by YouCut voters by declaring a freeze on all non-military Federal employee salaries for the next two years.

This proposal was not an easy one for the President to make, nor was it a pain-free vote for House Republicans when we offered it back in May, as there are thousands of Federal employees who do important work for our country. But make no mistake, no one said that getting America back to opportunity, responsibility and success was going to be easy. We have to make tough choices together if we want to get our economy back to where it needs to be.

This week's YouCut proposal was developed by Chris Lee and would eliminate the mandatory printing of bills introduced before Congress, a practice that wasted nearly three million paper copies and approximately $7 million taxpayer dollars during the 111th Congress alone. With all of the digital technology that's available, surely Congress can find a more efficient and fiscally responsible way to do its business. Changing this body's printing practices would be a simple and important step in the right direction. We must start injecting some common sense into Washington, and this is a no-brainer.

As we look to the new Republican majority, YouCut will serve as an important tool as we strive to transform the culture of spending in Washington into one of savings. As we wrap up this Congress, Mr. Speaker, I encourage our Democrat friends across the aisle to join us in voting for this common sense spending reduction.

The material previously referred to by Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart of Florida is as follows:

Amendment to H. Res. 1742 Offered by Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart of Florida

At the end of the resolution add the following new section:

Sec. 2. Immediately upon the adoption of this resolution

the Speaker shall, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XVIII,

declare the House resolved into the Committee of the Whole

House on the state of the Union for consideration of the bill

(H.R. 4640) to amend title 44, United States Code, to

eliminate the mandatory printing of bills and resolutions by

the Government Printing Office for the use of the House of

Representatives and Senate. The first reading of the bill

shall be dispensed with. All points of order against

consideration of the bill are waived. General debate shall be

confined to the bill and shall not exceed one hour equally

divided and controlled by the Majority Leader and the

Minority Leader or their respective designees. After general

debate the bill shall be considered for amendment under the

five-minute rule. During consideration of the bill for

amendment, the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole may

accord priority in recognition on the basis of whether the

Member offering an amendment has caused it to be printed in

the portion of the Congressional Record designated for that

purpose in clause 8 of rule XVIII. Amendments so printed

shall he considered as read. At the conclusion of

consideration of the bill for amendment the Committee shall

rise and report the bill to the House with such amendments as

may have been adopted. The previous question shall be

considered as ordered on the bill and amendments thereto to

final passage without intervening motion except one motion to

recommit with or without instructions. If the Committee of

the Whole rises and reports that it has come to no resolution

on the bill, then on the next legislative day the House

shall, immediately after the third daily order of business

under clause 1 of rule XIV, resolve into the Committee of the

Whole for further consideration of the bill. Clause 1(c) of

rule XIX shall not apply to the consideration of H.R. 4640.

Madam Speaker, the issue is about spending. It is about stopping the rampant spending in Washington. And on November 2, Americans spoke decisively and sent an undeniable message to Washington to end wasteful spending.

In the new Republican majority next Congress, Madam Speaker, the YouCut program will be an integral part of our efforts to transform the culture of spending in Washington into one of savings. More than 2.4 million YouCut votes provide us with a clear mandate to rein in spending and make the tough choices to get America back on the right path.

This week's winning item, Madam Speaker, is a proposal developed by the gentleman from Colorado, Representative Doug Lamborn. This proposal would eliminate taxpayer funding for National Public Radio. When executives at NPR decided to unfairly terminate Juan Williams for expressing his opinion and to then disparage him afterwards, the bias of the organization was exposed.

To be clear, it is not the government's job to tell a news organization how to do its job. But what's equally as certain is that it should not be the taxpayer's responsibility to fund news organizations with a partisan point of view. Eliminating taxpayer funding for NPR is precisely the kind of commonsense cut that we have to begin making if we want to fundamentally alter the way business is conducted in Washington.

Over the past 2 years, Americans have become exasperated as they've watched the Federal Government grow

to an unacceptable level of spending, by spending record levels of money it simply doesn't have. In order to get America back to opportunity, responsibility, and success, Republicans and Democrats must come together and begin making tough choices. Today's YouCut vote is an opportunity for both parties to come together and to tell the people that have sent us here--message received.

I thank the gentleman from Florida.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the way this bill has come forward and to the rule upon which we are voting.

As our surging debt rises to unsustainable levels, the majority's desire to spend and spend shows no signs of abating, but now the American people are speaking up and are saying that enough is enough.

Through the YouCut program, the American people have found a vehicle to actively shape how their government spends public dollars. YouCut voters have helped House Republicans offer more than $120 billion in spending cuts--money that would go straight back to the taxpayers if not for the majority's refusal to bring even one single reduction of spending before the House for a vote.

This week's winning item is a proposal by the gentleman from Minnesota, Representative Erik Paulsen, to finally bring closure to the TARP program and to put those moneys towards retiring the national debt. The plan would wall off TARP as a source of funding for any further bailouts, saving the taxpayers several billions of dollars. It would reduce moral hazard across numerous industries and government programs while signaling that the days of bailing out irresponsible decisionmakers are over.

Under Speaker Pelosi and President Obama, the size and scope of government have ballooned while the private sector workforce has shrunk. Mr. Speaker, the answer to our economy's ills does not rest in more spending, taxation, and government regulation. It rests in private sector growth, entrepreneurship, and innovation, spurred by lower taxes and economic freedom. That's why, Mr. Speaker, we must move forcefully to trim spending and focus like a laser on fostering an economic atmosphere conducive to investment, innovation, and job creation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the employees of Aerojet-General Corporation's Orange, Virginia production facility and their achievement of the milestone delivery of the 1,000th solid propellant rocket motor for the Nulka active ship decoy system to the United States Navy.

Aerojet is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader principally serving the missile, space propulsion and armaments markets. This most significant milestone will be commemorated with a celebration ceremony held in Orange, Virginia on Thursday, September 30, 2010.

Nulka is a rapid response active expendable decoy system that protects naval surface combatants from the threat of anti-ship missiles. The Nulka solid rocket motor is the prime propulsion system for the U.S., Royal Australian and Canadian navies, and has been manufactured in Orange, Virginia since 2004. Nulka is one of a number of U.S. and allied Navy propulsion programs produced at Orange which utilize advanced technologies to protect our Nation's servicemembers and those of our allies, while also generating significant employment opportunities for the area.

On the occasion of this milestone, I am proud to recognize the dedicated, hardworking employees of Aerojet in Orange and this latest of their many achievements in support of our courageous men and women who serve in the U.S. Armed Forces. These Virginians are working hard to ensure our men and women in uniform are protected and have the resources they need to carry out their missions effectively and quickly and they are most deserving of our sincere appreciation.

I thank the gentlewoman.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the rule and to the motion on ordering the previous question.

I do so because, this summer, while Members were back home in their districts, they heard the growing frustration of the American people firsthand. Hardworking Americans can see that our Nation is at a crossroads. We have a $13 trillion national debt. That works out to be $42,000 for every man, woman and child in America.

Yet what is the Democratic majority doing today? They are bringing a bill to the floor to spend another $5 billion that we don't have to continue their failed stimulus policies. All the while, the American people are saying that the rampant Federal spending in Washington has to stop. The people are speaking out through the YouCut program with over 1.7 million votes. The YouCut movement continues to encourage people of all stripes to go online and to take an active role in determining how their government spends taxpayer dollars.

YouCut voters have helped Republicans bring to the floor more than $120 billion in spending cuts, only to be blocked every time by the Speaker and the Democratic majority. This week's winning proposal under the YouCut program is an idea put forward by the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Chaffetz) to require the collection of unpaid taxes from Federal employees. While all Americans have an obligation to pay the taxes they owe, Federal employees can be seen as especially obliged to pay their share of the taxes because they draw their compensation from American taxpayers.

Addressing our staggering national debt is not a partisan calling, Mr. Speaker; it is a national imperative. And I urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote to bring this week's YouCut proposal to the House floor.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to recognize Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) for its victory in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) Championship on March 31, 2010.

VCU is located in Richmond, Virginia and is one of the premier institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The University fosters an enrollment 32,436 total students, including 21,149 undergraduates. VCU maintains a Division I athletic program offering 14 varsity sports which includes a men's basketball team that rosters 12 talented young men from around the world. In March of 2010, VCU junior Larry Sanders was named Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Defensive Player of the year and earned first team ALL-CAA honors while teammate Joey Rodriguez earned second team ALL-CAA honors.

On March 31, 2010, the VCU basketball team rallied from a 9 point deficit at halftime to defeat Saint Louis University for the second straight game by a score of 71 to 65 in the best of three championship series, capturing the CBI championship. The VCU basketball team won the CBI championship under the guidance of their first year coach, Shaka Smart. During the final game, Junior Brandon Rozell scored a game high 27 points and his teammate Joey Rodriguez scored 13 points on his way to capturing Tournament MVP honors. The VCU basketball team finished their season with 27 wins, the second most wins in school history.

VCU President Michael Rao and Athletic Director Norwood Teague have done an exemplary job of supporting this successful athletic program and the gifted student-athletes of the Rams basketball team. The VCU athletes and coaching staff have earned the pride and respect of the VCU students, faculty, alumni, all Rams fans and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Madam Speaker, please join me in congratulating the Rams for their successful 2010 basketball season and their achievement as CBI champions.

I thank the gentleman.

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to this bill and ask that finally we in this House turn towards the matter of such concern to the American people, and that is, the growth, incredible growth, in size of Washington and its government.

With 1.5 million votes cast, Madam Speaker, the YouCut movement continues to give Americans a vehicle to help put a stop to Washington's never-ending shopping spree. House Republicans have already offered more than $120 billion in commonsense budget cuts. Yet, week in and week out, our colleagues on the other side of the aisle have voted against the will of the people and blocked these commonsense spending reductions.

Madam Speaker, maybe today is the day when that changes. This week's leading vote-getter is a proposal sponsored by Congressman John Linder of Georgia. It would save the taxpayers $1.1 billion by eliminating the advanced earned income tax credit, a program plagued by waste, fraud and abuse.

The idea was first put forward by our friends on the other side of the aisle, Madam Speaker, and for many of us in the minority, it was heartening to see our colleague in the Democratic Caucus embracing the commonsense spending cuts that this Congress so persistently refused.

Addressing our staggering national debt is not a partisan calling. It is a national imperative because our country stands at a crossroads.

Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote to bring this week's YouCut proposal to the floor.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding educator and

coach who graced the hallways--and the gridiron--of some of the finest academic institutions in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Harry W. ``Red'' Caughron, an All-Conference tackle for the College of William & Mary in the 1940s and longtime head coach and athletic director at Woodberry Forest School in Madison County, VA, died May 28, 2010.

Coach Caughron was described by admirers as ``the very best of the principles that should imbue sport.'' A native of Sevierville, Tennessee, he played freshman football at William & Mary before serving with the 78th Infantry Division, 2nd Battalion, and the 84th Infantry Division during World War II. After the war, he returned to William & Mary, where he co-captained the squad that defeated Oklahoma State in the 1948 Delta Bowl, and completed both undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Caughron coached at James Wood High School in Winchester, Virginia, and at Hammond High School in Alexandria, Virginia, before joining Woodberry Forest in 1960. He became athletic director at Woodberry in 1961.

Over 31 seasons as Woodberry's head coach, Caughron compiled a record of 217 wins, 56 losses, and seven ties--one of the best among Virginia high school coaches. His teams, eight of which were undefeated, earned 15 conference championships. He was an eight-time Virginia Prep League Coach of the Year, and was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.

Caughron was a modest man who, while committed to winning, was even more invested in developing young men of sterling character who played by the rules and exhibited good sportsmanship. It is my privilege to honor the memory of Red Caughron.