Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I want to again thank and recognize the gentleman from Wisconsin (Chairman Sensenbrenner), the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble), and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) for bringing this amendment forward. I would just like to reiterate and rise in support of this amendment.

As the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) indicated, this amendment is about stopping terrorists. And as we are deliberating on this bill as a whole and the purpose being to do everything we can to stop terrorism, this amendment speaks right to the point.

As the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble) indicated, there are real cases that have been uncovered and have been tried in court in which known terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah have been engaged in the illegal trafficking of cigarettes from low tax states into high tax states using that money to fund their terrorist activities. That is what this amendment does. And as the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) has said, all the modifications make sure that there is no impact on tribal sovereignty.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Kentucky, and I want to salute him as well as the gentleman from Texas for their remarks this evening. I also want to recognize the importance of this debate that we

are having here tonight to point out where we are in Iraq, to salute our men and women in uniform, and to really set the record straight.

As the gentleman from Kentucky has said, there has been much rhetoric tonight in this Chamber and throughout the last couple of months aimed at the President's policies and our policies, the American policies in Iraq. And, in fact, it is those policies that I think represent a bold approach to safety for the citizens of this country. They are also a bold approach which represents and reflects an awareness that we must act in this country, in a new world and a new paradigm, against an enemy the likes of which we really have not seen before.

It is this so-called Bush doctrine that takes a very courageous stand against the terrorists and says that we will never, ever condone the killing of innocent people. It is that sense of moral clarity that governs the actions of this administration, and I salute this President for his strength and his courage.

But I think there are some important points that we ought to make this evening, an evening that is just 1 day after the 1-year anniversary of the return of sovereignty to Iraq. A few points I would like to make are, number one, we must fight the terrorists abroad, otherwise the terrorists will strike us here at home.

And thank God, Mr. Speaker, for the men and women in uniform who have sacrificed so much to go over there to defend our liberty that we may enjoy here while they are abroad. I salute them and I salute their families for what they do for all of us here in America.

Secondly, our mission in Iraq is clear: we must help Iraqis build a free nation, strong enough to defend itself and also to advance freedom in the broader Middle East. This, Mr. Speaker, will make us more secure here at home by closing yet another potential terrorist outpost around the world.

Mr. Speaker, it is this notion, that we must seek out the threat and go after it before it comes after us, that this President has pursued. That is our mission in Iraq. That, unfortunately, is what the other side of the aisle has consistently condemned this President for, the strength and courage that he has exhibited.

Thirdly, Mr. Speaker, I would say that the sacrifice that our troops make, the sacrifice that their families make is difficult and often painful. But, clearly, Mr. Speaker, their efforts and their sacrifice are worth enduring because it is that sacrifice that lays the foundation for peace for our children and our grandchildren and the future generations of this country.

Fourth, I would say that our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines serve with pride. They serve with pride and honor despite the attacks, despite what I call the irresponsible rhetoric that has come from many of the leaders on the other side of the aisle in this body and others questioning the sense or the wisdom of our mission in Iraq.

Once this mission has taken place, once we have gone over to Iraq, the mission the President has set out is very clear. We are there. The exit strategy is for the Iraqi soldiers, the Iraqi security forces to be in place, to be able to defend that country. That is when we will leave. These young men and women have fought bravely, and they deserve our respect and certainly our honor.

I would like at this time to bring to Members' attention a letter from one of my constituents currently serving in Iraq. I think it demonstrates really the sense of pride that is felt by our young men and women in uniform.

Marine Corps Captain Matthew James Markham is an F-18 fighter pilot. He wrote to me recently, ``I am about to begin my fifth month of deployment to the Al Anbar province of Iraq, where I am serving as a pilot with the Fighting Bengals, an F-18 Marine Fighter Attack Squadron. Our squadron was here for the election, and I was proud to be piloting a Hornet over Baghdad on that historic day. Since then, we have provided overwatch for many convoys, directed cordon and searches, located and destroyed enemy mortar sites, and provided air cover for many special operations forces raids. While all these jobs are important, nothing has excited us more than to see the increased role the Iraqi security forces and Iraqi defense forces have been providing in defending this young democracy.

``Morale among our individual Marines remains high. I am amazed how enthusiastically our Marines perform their jobs despite the intense heat and long hours, and I am honored to lead such individuals.''

Mr. Speaker, I submit that the morale of our troops is high, their mission is clear, and thank God for the young men and women serving in the United States military.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn), and I commend her for conducting this Special Order tonight. It is a great opportunity for us to gather here and to really do a number of things. First, to set the record straight after responding to the comments made from the other side; but also, as the gentlewoman pointed out, to talk a little bit about our vision for America and what the majority has been doing in pursuing that vision through legislation that we have worked on here in the House of Representatives.

First of all, I would like to join the gentlewoman in supporting her statement that we are here as shepherds of the people's money. It is and should be our aim to give back as much of the money that is earned by the taxpayers, to the people that are earning that money, so they can use the money and put it to the work in the best way and the most efficient way possible.

In that spirit, Mr. Speaker, I would also point out that the other side, in making the comment that the President nor the leadership has noticed that there is a problem with the deficit, nothing could be further from the truth. All that needs to be done is if they would look back to the deficit, to the budget that we passed to deal with the deficit. The President has set the goal that we must halve the deficit within 5 years. And this House of Representatives along with the entire Congress managed to pass a budget which for the first time in at least 8 years begins to chip away at the so-called entitlement programs. And we will have a bill later this year which does that, to begin to arrest the exponential growth in those programs.

But also we passed a budget that actually achieves an approximate 1 percent across-the-board cut in nondefense, non-homeland security spending. Although those savings may seem meager, this is the first time that we have done that since the Reagan era. So, Mr. Speaker, I would differ strongly with the statements made by the other side to remind the people across this country that we are serious. We are serious stewards of their taxpayer dollars, and aim to be able to give back more of the hard-earned money that the families and businesses across this country earn on a daily basis.

Now, let us turn to maybe the accomplishments that the gentlewoman talked about just now, and make an introductory remark about how we are leading this country, how we are responding to those issues that are on the top of people's minds across this country, and certainly are doing everything we can to make safer our young men and women in uniform as they have volunteered their time and made a sacrifice for us to go over and to conquer the enemy that poses a tremendous threat to our freedom.

First of all, almost 4 years ago, on September 11, 2001, there is no question that all convention in terms of security was turned on its head. It was on that day, Mr. Speaker, that we saw 19 terrorists kill 3,000 Americans in about 20 minutes with box cutters on a plane. And that was something that was really demonstrative of the fact that we were not thinking the unthinkable. I dare to say that not many of us would think that such an awful, awful terrorist attack could occur on our own soil, but it did. And as the gentlewoman mentioned, we rose to the occasion and we passed the REAL ID act to make sure that no longer could a terrorist have access to false identification issued by any State government to board an airplane and use that airplane as a missile to kill thousands of Americans. No longer will that happen.

And as the gentlewoman points out, we were able to garner an awful lot of support on the other side. But mind you, it was not support coming from the ranks of the minority leadership, but rather it was the leadership on the Republican side of the aisle that took the lead on that issue.

But in terms of security and what is going on here at home, we are also dealing with a very real problem, and that is the spread of gang violence. This is not only a State problem, it is a national problem. It is an international problem that reflects the growing influx and occurrence of terrorists making it across the border, joining gangs, and participating in some very violent acts.

A little over a month ago here on the House floor, we passed what was called the gang buster bill to provide Federal law enforcement with extra tools to go ahead and identify and apprehend individuals connected with these gangs, and also to strengthen penalties so that we can put an end to violent activity in our community.

Once again, leadership position that was taken on the majority side of the aisle and, frankly, has not been at all echoed or supported by the other side's leadership. None of this, Mr. Speaker, none of this would be possible if we do not ensure that our economy remains strong.

In going back to the point the gentlewoman made about ensuring that the more taxpayer dollars that we can return to the people that earn it, the better off and the more productive our economy can be, we have witnessed over the last several months an incredible surge in the rate of job creation in

this country. We are at about a 5.1 percent unemployment rate nationally, which is a lower rate, the lowest rate that we have experienced in this country since September of 2001.

I can say, Mr. Speaker, in my home State of Virginia, we have an approximately 3 percent unemployment rate, which again demonstrates the productivity gains that we have made, but also demonstrates that we have got an environment where individuals have taken to putting their capital at risk to create jobs and creates value.

Now, we all know we are in a 24-7 global economy. We make no mistake about that. I think it is an agreed-upon fact that today we in this country, it is not just that our constituents are competing across town, that it is not the competitor there that we are only worried about, but the competitor across the globe.

You talk to some of the economic developers that are active in today's global economy and they will tell you there is just as much of a chance that an individual or company looking to invest resources would do so in Lima, Peru, as they would in Lima, Ohio. That is the reality of today's global economy.

That is why we must compete. We must ensure that our tax laws are competitive. That is why we need to make sure that we enact some permanency in the Bush tax cuts because there is nothing more obvious than the impact of those tax cuts on the economy itself and the tremendous surge that we have experienced.

We need to make sure that the regulatory environment is competitive. We cannot have our regulators promulgating burdensome regulations that inhibit capital formation in this country, because literally we are competing with every nation in the world.

Mr. Speaker, we also must be mindful of what we have seen as the proliferation of junk lawsuits. Nothing can be more inhibitive of capital formation than for an individual or a company to realize that they may be subjected to frivolous lawsuits and exposure to liability that simply is not warranted.

All we have to do is recall the class action suits against some of the fast-food chains that posed a potential risk to them, exposing them to liability for making hot coffee. Frankly, for an individual to drive up to a drive-through window, purchase a cup of coffee and then not realize that it is so hot that if it spills on them it would cause a burn, to me, defies common sense and reason.

It is those types of frivolous lawsuits that were included in this class action reform bill that we have passed and the President actually signed into law. It is that type of legislation that has been guided through this House, through the support of our membership, and certainly at the direction of our Speaker and our leadership.

Mr. Speaker, we have a daunting task ahead of us in approaching the very real problem of Social Security. This is one of the most successful programs that we have ever faced in this country; but yet it is a program, given the demographics that we face in this country, that frankly is unsustainable.

The law, as it stands today, will not allow us to continue on the current course, and we have got to do something to bend the curve to ensure long-term solvency of our Social Security system and, at the same time, ensure that it is not only today's seniors that are beneficiaries of that program but it is our children and our grandchildren.

That is what we and the majority side of the aisle have set out to do. That is where the proposals have stemmed from. It is from the majority side of the aisle, and to date, Mr. Speaker, save but one Member on the opposite side of the aisle, we have seen nothing, nothing, no contribution from the other side of the aisle, not even contributing to the discussion that there is a problem facing the Social Security system today.

It is on that note, Mr. Speaker, with an issue of such import that I implore the other side of the aisle to join our discussion, to contribute to trying to come up with solutions for the American people. I implore the other side and the leadership there to begin to join the discussion in arriving at solutions for the American people.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.

Mr. Chairman, the United Nations for too long has failed in its mission to serve as a world mediating body. One of the great and glaring failures of the U.N. is most evident in its treatment of the State of Israel. For 57 years, Israel has been a glowing light of democracy and a staunch American ally in the Middle East. Sadly, in the eyes of the U.N., Israel's defense of its democracy and its citizens is worthy only of condemnation.

Israel is treated as a lesser nation, with reduced membership privileges. While genocide in Yugoslavia and Rwanda went unrecognized, the U.N. found time to hold repeated emergency sessions to condemn Israel for acting in its own self-defense. Nearly a third of the criticisms of the Security Council have been devoted to one single country: Israel. While the U.N. Commission on Human Rights often consists of delegations representing maniacal tyrannies, it has issued over a quarter of all official condemnations to a single democracy: Israel. It is no wonder we have lost confidence in the U.N.

The goal of the United Nations should be to spread freedom and democracy throughout the world, not entrench tyranny. I urge the passage of this legislation and hope we can bring long overdue change to a very troubled world body.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of this amendment to increase the ability of the United States to protect our world from the spread of nuclear weapons to dangerous governments.

This amendment does two things: first, it calls for the U.S. permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency to do all it can to ensure that Iran be cut off from any nuclear material technology and assistance.

Secondly, the amendment provides for penalties for any country that continues to provide assistance to Iran's nuclear efforts.

Mr. Chairman, for over 35 years Iran has been a non-nuclear party to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. As such, it is bound by the treaty to open up all of its nuclear program efforts for international inspection. Despite this obligation, Iran has continued to pursue the development of nuclear capability in the dark without transparency.

Two years ago, an Iranian opposition group revealed the location of hidden facilities used for the development of a nuclear program, locations which have since been verified by the IAEA. As the gentlewoman from Florida (Chairman Ros-Lehtinen) pointed out just yesterday, Iran acknowledged working with plutonium, a possible nuclear arms component, for years longer than it admitted to the IAEA. We also found out it had received sensitive technology that can be used as parts of weapons programs earlier than it originally said it did.

Iran claims these efforts are for a peaceful purpose. But how can one really believe that Iran needs a civilian nuclear program when it sits on the world's second largest proven reserves of natural gas, not to mention its petroleum deposits? Clearly, Mr. Chairman, I posit Iran cannot be trusted.

As Iran has repeatedly lied to the world regarding the extent and sophistication of its nuclear program, Tehran serves as the world's capital for the export and sponsorship of terrorism. It has demonstrated a willingness to provoke its neighbors, as well as the United States and Israel. Past efforts to stop Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons have obviously failed.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment makes a clear and unequivocal declaration to Iran, as well as to the nations of the world, that the United States is serious about stopping Iran's development of nuclear weapons. I urge the passage of this amendment.

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

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

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from California for his leadership and also the gentlewoman from Nevada. But I do want to take this time, Mr. Chairman, to recognize the extraordinary leadership of the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Hyde) of the Committee on International Relations.

The gentleman from Illinois is truly a man with a backbone of steel and a heart of gold. He is an icon of this institution; and I, for one, know I am joined by every Member of this House in thanking him for his leadership on this bill and the number of other measures that he has worked on and done such a tremendous job with.

I am proud to be here in support of the Henry J. Hyde U.N. Reform bill, and I know my colleagues join me in thanking the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Hyde) for all that he does.

In paraphrasing a well-known phrase, I would like to just say, Mr. Chairman, I sleep better every night knowing that Henry Hyde is here fighting for America.

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

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the passing of Nathaniel Krumbein. Nat Krumbein was a pillar of the Richmond community and a key figure in the growth of the Richmond-based Heilig-Meyers furniture company.

Mr. Krumbein was a successful pharmacist in Charlotte, North Carolina before moving to Richmond in 1950 in order to help with his wife's family business. He worked with Chairman and CEO Hyman Meyers and President and Vice Chairman Sidney Meyers to help Heilig-Meyer become the nation's largest furniture retailer. As one of the owners and the creative force behind the company, he is credited with the expansion of product lines to include non-furniture departments and was responsible for initial store acquisition and construction for all the company's locations. The company had more than 100 stores by the time he retired as vice chairman of the board in 1984.

Mr. Krumbein was also a dedicated philanthropist and activist. He served as Chair of the Virginia Chapter of the Anti-Defamation League as well as on the National Board. For his service, he was made an Honorary Life Commissioner of the ADL. Also, Mr. Krumbein's commitment to the fair treatment for all people led to his involvement in the development of the Council of America's First Freedom. He was a strong proponent of education, conservation, and equality for all and worked enthusiastically throughout his life to improve our society. Among all of his commitments, Mr. Krumbein continued his work as a pharmacist and received the Virginia Outstanding Pharmacist Award in 2002.

Mr. Krumbein is survived by his wife of 61 years, Amy Meyers Krumbein; three sons, Charles Krumbein, Michael Krumbein, and Lee Krumbein; and one daughter, Joyce Slater. Mr. Speaker, I hope you will join me in honoring Nathaniel Krumbein and offering our sincerest condolences to his family and friends.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to talk about a serious challenge facing our government. Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare are growing at alarming rates. By 2042, these three programs alone are going to comprise 26 percent of our gross domestic product. This number far exceeds today's entire Federal budget in relative terms, which is roughly 18 percent of GDP.

Our focus now in this House should be to strengthen Social Security and to ensure that it is around for our children and grandchildren. Along with the leadership of President Bush, this House must commit itself and take advantage of an opportunity to enact real reforms to the Social Security system, making this vital program better for all recipients.

We can no longer afford to have partisanship prevail on the other side of the aisle, and instead invite all to join the debate of ideas to ensure progress in this crucial debate.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the modern day state of Israel on its 57th birthday. In 1948, facing overwhelming odds, Jews living in their historic homeland, survivors of the Holocaust and refugees from around the world stood in a small room in Tel Aviv to announce the creation of the Jewish state. In the shadow of the murderous genocide of the Holocaust, the State of Israel was created so that Jews around the world would always have safe refuge from oppression and annihilation.

On May 14, 1948, years of Zionists' dreams culminated at this historic moment as David Ben Gurion announced to the world that once again Israel was to be a free and independent state. Founded on principles of freedom and democracy, the new state of Israel was quickly recognized by the United States as a welcome ally in the Middle East. Unfortunately, within hours of this historic declaration, the neighboring Arab nations attacked and sent Israel into its first war as an independent nation. Despite conventional wisdom, and to the great surprise of many around the world, Israel survived the attack, but at a heavy cost to the young nation.

Today, Israel is a thriving democracy and one of the United States' strongest allies in our War on Terror. Israel has demonstrated to the world that democracy can thrive in the Middle East and that freedom of religion, freedom of the press and basic human rights can work in a region that is otherwise dominated by terror and oppression. Israel, with a free market economy and a commitment to human rights, serves as an inspiration for other nations and new democracies struggling to take hold in the Middle East.

I stand today to congratulate Israel on its strong dedication to freedom and democracy throughout its 57 years of existence. I look forward to strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship and continuing to celebrate Israel's independence in years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1544, the Faster and Smarter Funding for First Responders Act of 2005. This essential legislation establishes common guidelines for the federal departments that currently oversee our Nation's existing terrorism preparedness programs.

Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, our Nation has greatly reinforced our terrorism response capabilities. Over $30 billion has been invested in state and local terrorism and natural disaster preparedness programs. Still, more needs to be done.

We must remain vigilant and continue to strengthen our defenses, take proactive measures, and ensure that first responders are properly equipped. Though difficult, it is vital that we balance resources between all Homeland Security related fields to maximize our ability to protect the American people.

This legislation will provide assistance to areas of our country facing greater risk, while ensuring that all areas are provided the necessary support, streamlining existing terrorism preparedness grants, establishing measurable goals, and creating new regional terrorism preparedness grants.

In addition, a board of appropriate Homeland Security officials will be created to evaluate the nation's high risk areas. I will fight to illustrate the vulnerabilities and high level of risk that confronts the 7th District of Virginia on a daily basis. I will ensure the proper data illustrating the risk to these localities is taken into account.

First responders are America's first and last line of protection against murderous terrorists who seek to harm the innocent. Ensuring effective and efficient funding for our first responders is one of my highest priorities as a member of Congress.

I urge passage of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the crisis in Social Security. The current system in place is based on demographics in America that are reflective of 1935, not 2005.

Currently, 45 percent of senior citizens rely on Social Security as their sole source of income. We, in this House, will not let them down. We also cannot lose sight of our goal, though, to preserve Social Security for our children and our grandchildren.

Our goal in this Congress, as leaders, is to help real people, not engage in political posturing. It is our duty as public servants to ensure a strong and solvent program. For today's seniors and those nearing retirement, the system should not change. But we owe those younger workers across America and our future generations more than just a stopgap fix. We owe them the best system that we can provide to suit their needs in their golden years.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to express my strong support for H.R. 1279, the Gang Deterrence and Community Protection Act of 2005.

I have spoken with sheriffs and police chiefs back in my district and they tell me: we need to be ready; we need to learn how to confront these gangs. This legislation will do just that, it will provide local, State, and Federal law enforcement and legal authorities with personnel, equipment, and training needed to combat violent criminal gangs.

In Virginia, no urban area has gone unscarred by criminal gangs. Across Virginia, officials estimate that as many as 80 gangs totaling 30,000 members or more roam our city streets.

The Commonwealth's law enforcement and prosecutors will now have greater resources to combat violent criminal gang activity. We must act now, if we are to protect Virginia's families and communities.

I urge passage of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my strong support for H.R. 1268, the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief. This essential legislation will support and defend America's values both at home and abroad.

Our troops serving in Iraq will have the necessary tools to continue their rebuilding efforts in Iraq and to continue the War on Terror. At home, the REAL ID provisions will strengthen our Nation's driver's license laws, providing each citizen with another layer of security.

Until now, terrorists could easily exploit weak driver licensing laws and obtain fake documents. With a license in hand, terrorists were better able to blend in, avoid detection, and harm our nation's citizens. This is exactly what several of the 9/11 terrorists did, using drivers' licenses to board airplanes and murder thousands of innocent Americans on September 11, 2001.

We in Congress have been working on ways to prevent our Nation from experiencing another terrorist attack by establishing stronger and more secure national programs. Stronger driver's license standards made possible by the REAL ID provisions will be another step towards American security.

The REAL ID provisions will close dangerous gaps that remain in our current licensing law and that allow terrorists to abuse our asylum and driver's license systems. The new law will protect innocent Americans by setting up national driver's license standards, networking State motor vehicle data bases, and linking visa and license expirations.

In 2003, the former Attorney General of Virginia, Jerry Kilgore, and I worked together on the Driver's License Integrity Act. That legislation required non-immigrant aliens to show

their visas when applying for State identification and tied the expiration date of the identification to that of the visa.

Due to Mr. Kilgore's leadership on this issue, the Commonwealth of Virginia was one of the first States to clamp down on terrorists' abuse of the trust that a driver's license conveys. Today, I am pleased to see Virginia's Driver's License Integrity Act provisions in this piece of legislation before us in the House of Representatives.

Since the beginning of the War on Terror, Congress has fought daily to ensure that our Nation never again suffers at the hands of terrorists. The provisions in this bill provide us with more weapons in our arsenal against terrorism.

I urge passage of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, on Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Memorial Day, to honor the memory of the victims who perished in World War II during the Holocaust.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Europe from the evil hands of the murderer Adolf Hitler. Hitler's shadow caused darkness to fall upon the earth.He slew the innocent and pure, men and women and children, with vapors of poison, and he burned them with fire. When the light of freedom shined again, tens of millions were dead, cities and nations were in ruin, and a world stood awestruck at the horrors that had occurred.

Justice Robert Jackson, a justice on the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg in 1945, said:

The wrongs which we seek to condemn and punish have been so

calculated, so malignant and so devastating that civilization

cannot tolerate their being ignored, because it cannot

survive their being repeated.

We in the United States, the birthplace of Thomas Jefferson and Martin Luther King, enjoy a great deal of freedom. We must not take these freedoms for granted. We must not forget that genocide and human rights abuses have occurred and continue to occur around the world. We must not remain silent. We must dedicate ourselves to continuing to educate people around the globe about the horrors of the Holocaust. We must be forever mindful of the danger of such intolerance and ensure that it never happens again.

Let us stand here today and affirm our obligation to civilization that we will never forget.

Mr. Speaker, Social Security is undoubtedly the sacred bond between the United States Government and the American people. The Social Security debate is one about how to best protect the interests of today's seniors while preserving benefits for our children and our grandchildren.

When visiting citizens in my congressional district over the last several months, I was able to hear from students, seniors, employers and others about their thoughts on the problem facing the Social Security system. Undoubtedly, I heard the message that the Social Security system is headed for a crisis. In the 1930s when Social Security was created, there were more than 40 workers for every retiree. Today, there are just over three workers for every retiree. By 2018, there will be less than three workers for every retiree. These are the facts. This is our reality. To ignore this problem or to claim that there is no problem is plain irresponsible.

I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to produce a solution for the American people to save our Social Security system.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to speak in favor of the Federal Deposit Insurance Reform Act. This important piece of legislation modernizes the insurance funds on which Americans depend.

The current amount of deposit insurance coverage has been the same since 1980, so it is important that we make these necessary increases to keep up with inflation and encourage people to save. This bill raises the coverage on savings and retirement accounts and gives reassurance to investors saving for their future.

Increasing the amount of deposit insurance coverage will benefit all banks, small and large, by providing more certainty to the investment community. It is important that we give every American peace of mind when placing their money in our savings system.