Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, there is a no-spin zone in my district called Radams. As a family-owned agriculture supply store, this is a place where normally 40 to 50 farmers and growers meet every morning before the sun comes up to talk about the issues of the day. I was there last Friday, and the mood was not a happy one because we all learned the day before the Judiciary Committee had marked up this immigration bill, and I do not think there was a single hearing on that bill.

I am one that does not believe you can do a broad, bipartisan comprehensive immigration bill without including provisions related to guest workers. My district is a microcosm of the country. That means I have agriculture. In fact, I have a ton of fruit and vegetable growers, and they rely on good, migrant labor to harvest their crops, starting with asparagus in the spring, going through apples in the fall. None of those family operators, none of them, can survive without migrant or seasonal workers. Many have between 50 and 150 workers. Yet in this legislation there are no provisions, none, that will help my growers keep a viable workforce in order to pick their crops.

Whenever I raise this issue, this shortcoming in this bill, I am told the Senate will deal with it. They will save it. They will take it up.

Mr. Speaker, why are we punting on the issues? Amendments were submitted to deal with this, but they were rejected by the Rules Committee. That

means if this rule passes, there will be no debate, let alone a vote on whether these provisions should be included. I think that is wrong, and I would urge my colleagues to vote no on this rule so amendments can be considered. This is too important an issue to gag this debate. Let us have a real debate, a constructive debate that will actually do something about the problem of illegal immigration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise too, along with all my colleagues, to congratulate our dear friend, John Dingell, on his 50 years of service as a Member of the United States House of Representatives. Today, we honor not only his work in this Congress but also his lifetime of service to his community and to his country.

Born July 8, 1926, John Dingell served as a page in this institution, served as a soldier in the United States Army, a forest ranger, and assistant Wayne County prosecutor before replacing his father as Representative from Michigan's 15th Congressional District on December 13, 1955, 50 years ago.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to insert into the Record at this point a Certificate of Proclamation from the Governor of our great State making this day Congressman John D. Dingell Day, as signed by the Governor:

State of Michigan Certificate of Proclamation

On behalf of the citizens of Michigan, I, Governor Jennifer

M. Granholm hereby proclaim December 13, 2005, as Congressman

John D. Dingell Day.

Whereas, For five decades, Congressman John D. Dingell has

worked tirelessly for the citizens of Michigan, working for

the things that matter most, including a strong manufacturing

economy, good paying jobs, a clean environment, and

healthcare for every citizen; and,

Whereas, In celebrating his 50th anniversary in Congress,

Congressman Dingell is now the third longest serving House

member in history; and,

Whereas, Over the course of his 50 years in Congress,

Congressman Dingell has cast more than 21,800 roll call

votes, served under 10 presidents, and led the House Energy

and Commerce Committee; and,

Whereas, Together, Congressman Dingell and his father have

represented the citizens of the Detroit area since the Great

Depression, a testament to the hard work and dedication the

Dingell family has in representing and advocating for the

working people of Southeast Michigan; and now therefore be

it,

Resolved, That I, Jennifer M. Granholm, Governor of

Michigan, do hereby proclaim December 13, 2005, as

Congressman John D. Dingell Day in Michigan. I thank

Congressman Dingell for being a man of integrity, a man of

the people; and most of all, I thank him for his

extraordinary commitment and service to the citizens of the

great State of Michigan.

Jennifer M. Granholm,

Governor.

Mr. Dingell is not only a dear friend; he is an avid hunter and an outdoorsman. And maybe that is why he is such a straight shooter. In my 14 years serving on the Energy and Commerce Committee, I have found that it is far better to have him on your side than having him as an adversary. But when he is, you have to beat him on the merits. Otherwise, you lose.

He has served as an expert on so many subjects that this Congress has dealt with, from telecommunications, to health care, to trade, to energy, and even little things called the Tucker Act. He may be the only Member that really knows the history of that act, which means a lot in the history of this Congress.

He shares with all of us the drive to go after fraud and abuse. In fact, I think it was my very first subcommittee meeting when he was chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, and we were grilling a guy by the name of President Kennedy. No, that is not John F. Kennedy, that was President Kennedy, the former President of Stanford, and the abuse that that university did with taxpayer money.

Mr. Speaker, the current chairman, Mr. Barton of the Energy and Commerce Committee, recently remarked at the wonderful tribute for John Dingell, that he thought that most historians would put this gentleman, Mr. Dingell, in the top ten of all the Members, Republicans and Democrats, that have ever served in this body. I would agree with Mr. Barton's assessment. It is a lot of Members, a lot of years, and we are fortunate to have someone of Mr. Dingell's caliber for the years I have served.

For some 50 years, the gentleman from Michigan can be proud, so proud knowing that he indeed made a difference for his country on the field of battle in the Army, but also in the Halls of Congress as a most distinguished and very respected Member.

He is also a Wolverine. That means he represents the University of Michigan, another proud institution, and he has always looked out for the interest of education as well in this body, whether he served on the Education Committee or not.

Mr. Speaker, I join with all of the House in recognizing a wonderful friend, a dear colleague, a great husband, and I know Debbie is here someplace watching; and I simply say, well done. Many of us look forward to serving with you for a long time yet to come, as you continue to make a difference for the people of southeast Michigan, and all of the people that live in this great country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Bronson Methodist

Hospital in Kalamazoo, Michigan for providing outstanding health care to the residents of Southwestern Michigan. Bronson was recently honored with the 2005 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, which is our Nation's highest Presidential honor to commend quality and organizational performance excellence.

The 6 recipients of the Malcolm Baldrige Award were selected from a highly competitive field of 64 nation-wide applicants, which were rigorously evaluated by an independent board of examiners.

This prestigious award will come as no surprise to the folks of Southwestern Michigan who have for years relied upon the hard work and treatment provided by Bronson Methodist Hospital. There is nothing more important to us than our health and the health of our family members. I would like to thank Bronson Methodist Hospital for the continued quality service they provide our community and congratulate them once again for being recognized nationally for their hard work and dedication. We are truly fortunate to have such an exemplary hospital working for us in our corner of Southwest Michigan.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. William C. Richardson, who for the past ten years has shown great leadership and vision as the President and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Throughout his lustrous career, Bill has tirelessly worked for the betterment of his community and has significantly impacted countless individuals both professionally and personally. Although he will be retiring at the end of this year, the dedication and mission to promote and improve philanthropy that Bill has set forth will no-doubt continue long into the future.

Dr. Richardson has been exceedingly active within the public, private, and non-profit sectors of society. He has served as president of the Johns Hopkins University, executive vice president and provost of Pennsylvania State University, and dean of the graduate school and vice provost for research of the University of Washington.

In addition to his great work with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and our institutions of higher education, Bill is a trustee of the Council of Michigan Foundations, a former chair and board member of the Council on Foundations, and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Public Health Association.

Dr. Richardson has received numerous honors throughout his distinguished career, and I am pleased to call him a friend. I have known Bill for a long time and have often looked towards his leadership for guidance. The great work that Bill and the Foundation have accomplished over the past 10 years has stretched throughout our country and world. The impact that Bill has had on countless communities throughout his career is truly awe inspiring. The folks of southwest Michigan are fortunate to call Bill a neighbor. On behalf of the Sixth District, I wish Bill and his family all the best in retirement--we are all better off because of his service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute and to honor Kalamazoo Public Schools' recently announced scholarship program: The Kalamazoo Promise. In a single word this program is tremendous. It is difficult to comprehend, but through the extreme generosity of an anonymous donor, or group of donors, every student enrolled in Kalamazoo Public Schools will now have the opportunity of receiving scholarship funding to attend one of Michigan's many superb public colleges.

The Kalamazoo Promise will cover 100 percent of tuition and mandatory fees for graduates who have been enrolled in KPS since kindergarten and whose parents live in the school district. A partial scholarship of between 65 and 95 percent will be given to students who enter after kindergarten and before 10th grade.

This is such terrific news for the folks of the Kalamazoo community. This remarkable scholarship program will promote a better educated work force, a friendly place to do business, and an unprecedented boom to business and economic development.

A college education is the dream of our youngsters, and this great program will turn dreams into reality for literally thousands of students. With the ever rising costs of higher education, the Kalamazoo Promise sets a new incentive for our students to work hard and earn good grades so that they can attend a college of their choice.

I would especially like to thank the donors whose generosity will not only bring the dream of a college education to the future of our students, but will also continue to make Kalamazoo a great place to live. I would like to also congratulate KPS Superintendent Janice Brown on this wonderful gift.

Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the Telco Subcommittee, I want to focus for a second on the DTV provisions. Last year the Congress passed the 9/11 Commission Report Implementation Act, which contained a sense of Congress saying that the Congress must pass comprehensive DTV hard date legislation this session and that any delay would delay the ability of public safety to get much-needed spectrum for interoperability. Mr. Speaker, today we are taking a significant stride towards fulfilling that commitment that we made to public safety. The legislation before us sets a hard date of December 31, 2008, for the end of the DTV transition, at which point the broadcasters will return their analog spectrum. Setting such a hard date will enable public safety to get access to that spectrum for interoperability, spectrum that it was promised way back in 1997. It will also enable the auction of the remainder of that spectrum for advanced wireless services.

Moreover, it will give consumers adequate notice and time to get ready for the transition and this legislation sets aside a portion of the spectrum proceeds to fully fund a robust digital-to-analog converter box program.

The legislation also included a provision that I helped author with the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), the gentleman from New York (Mr. Fossella) and the gentleman from

New York (Mr. Towns) to set aside $500 million of the spectrum auction proceeds to assist State and local public safety agencies in acquiring interoperable communication systems. That amendment enjoyed widespread support within the public safety community. I would urge my colleagues to support this bill so that we can, in fact, see this provision enacted.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Paula Dawning who recently was awarded the honor of State Superintendent of the Year for 2006 in the State of Michigan. Dawning has been the Superintendent of Benton Harbor Areas Schools since July of 2002 after she retired from her career as an executive at AT&T.

The Benton Harbor school system has made progress by leaps and bounds under her direction of during the past few years. Her constant commitment to academic improvement and reform--including additions like the new freshmen academy, improved reading programs, and her fiscal responsibility--have helped bring about a new sense of hope and achievement in a school system that has faced difficult challenges.

The award came as a surprise to Paula, who was not even made aware of her nomination until she had already received the award. In her usual humble demeanor she accepted the prestigius award that recognized her as an outstanding school superintendent; evidence that she stands out as the best among many highly qualified school system administrators.

I want to personally thank Paula for her service which has improved not only the education, but also the lives of the students in Benton Harbor. Paula's hard work and dedication to the children of her community make her a living example to all of people of Southwestern Michigan. I congratulate her once again for her distinguished award.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 268) expressing the sense of the Congress regarding oversight of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 268. As a cosponsor of this resolution, I want to thank Mr. Doolittle, Mr. Boucher, and Mr. Goodlatte for their bipartisan leadership in introducing it. I also want to thank my chairman, Chairman Barton, and the House leadership for their willingness to expedite the consideration of this resolution on the floor this afternoon.

Today's Internet has resulted in a flow of information and commerce to the farthest reaches of the globe that was not imaginable even a little more than a decade ago. The Internet has evolved into the greatest global communication the world has ever seen, precisely because we have kept it free from the heavy hand of government control.

Currently, a private, nongovernmental, nonprofit organization called the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN, regulates and manages the Domain Name System under which IP addresses and registration of top-level domains like ``dot-org,'' ``dot-com,'' and ``dot-gov'' are assigned. ICANN operates under a contract through the Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce, and this relationship stems from the U.S. Government's original development and funding of what has become the Internet. While not everyone may agree with every decision that ICANN has made over the years, including myself, it is a model for Internet governance that has served the global Internet community quite well.

However, some countries have wanted to radically alter the way in which the Internet is governed. Rather than maintaining the current nongovernmental system and working to improve that successful model, these countries sought to scuttle ICANN and put the U.N. in charge. Putting the U.N.'s international governmental bureaucracy in charge of the Internet would have a disastrous consequence for the functioning and operation of the global free flow of information and commerce.

This resolution expresses the sense of Congress that it is incumbent upon the U.S. and other responsible governments to send clear signals to the marketplace that the current structure of oversight and management of the Internet's domain name and addressing service works and will continue to deliver tangible benefits to Internet users worldwide.

In the future, as well, the authoritative root server should remain physically in the U.S., and the Secretary of Commerce should maintain oversight of ICANN so that ICANN can continue to manage the day-to-day operation of the Internet's domain name and addressing system well and remain responsive to all Internet stakeholders worldwide and otherwise fulfill its core technical mission.

Mr. Speaker, last night I was very pleased to learn that our government's superb team at the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunisia successfully negotiated an agreement which was a complete vindication of the principles embodied in this very resolution before us today and is our government's position.

My understanding is that the agreement was unanimous among the more than 100 countries participating in the process, which means that the global consensus is now consistent with these principles as well. I want to especially commend our Secretary of Commerce, Carlos Gutierrez, originally from Michigan, I might add; Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, Michael Gallagher; Fiona Alexander, the Office of International Affairs; and many others at the Commerce Department and the NTIA.

I also want to commend our Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice; State Department Ambassador David Gross; Richard Beaird; Sally Shipman; and many other wonderful, dedicated, hard-working staff members at the Department of State.

Mr. Speaker, to paraphrase from what Winston Churchill once said about democracy, it has been said that ICANN is the worst form of Internet governance, except all the others that have been proposed.

Mr. Speaker, I would urge all my colleagues to support this resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Cannon), cosponsor of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman (Mr. Hayes), a co-sponsor of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Doolittle), the author of the bill, the original sponsor.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this legislation. Again, it is bipartisan. It is the right thing to do. I would like to think that we will have a very strong vote for it.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra League, which is celebrating its 75th Anniversary with a performance by the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra on November 18, 2005.

The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra League was founded in 1930 by Leta G. Snow

and was originally known as the Women's Committee. Through the years the League raised over $1.7 million and offered many community and educational programs to folks in the Kalamazoo area by making orchestral music a part of their daily lives.

The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra League provides services to our District that far surpasses the vital cultural contribution that their musical performances provide. I would like to acknowledge the many contributions of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra League, congratulate them on 75 impressive years of entertaining the residents of Southwestern Michigan, and wish them many more years of continued success.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 444) supporting the goals and ideals of National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 444.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 444, the Gynecological Resolution for Advancement of Ovarian Cancer Education, or ``GRACE's Resolution.'' I would like to thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton) and the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Deal) of the Energy and Commerce Committee, as well as the leadership, for bringing this bill directly to the floor today. I would also like to commend the author of this legislation our friend, Mr. Hall, for his work in Congress to improve health care for all Americans. I know that this is a very personal issue that hits so close to home for him, and I fully support him in his efforts.

It is an unfortunate fact that ovarian cancer affects one out of 57 women. In 2005, it is expected that more than 22,000 women will be diagnosed with the disease and an estimated 16,000 will die from it.

In my own State of Michigan, there are an average of 515 deaths per year from ovarian cancer and an average incidence rate of 760 people per year.

Ovarian cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States. Fifty percent of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer die from it within 5 years. However, if it is detected early, the disease, in fact, is very treatable. In cases where ovarian cancer is detected before it has spread beyond the ovaries, more than 90 percent of women will survive longer than 5 years. But sadly, only 19 percent of ovarian cancer cases in the United

States are diagnosed in the early stages.

Unfortunately, ovarian cancer does not share the same positive statistics as other cancers. In the most recent report put out by the American Cancer Society, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, there were many great developments in cancer trends. Among men, the incidence rates of all cancers were stable from 1995 through 2002. Among women, however, the rates increased by 0.3 percent annually from 1987 to 2002. However, death rates for men and women decreased 1.1 percent during that same period of time.

While death rates decreased for many cancers, they have stayed consistently high for ovarian cancer. As the National Cancer Institute statistics demonstrate, a woman's risk of dying from ovarian cancer is not less today than it was 10 years ago.

Education is the key to detecting this cancer early. Currently, 86 percent of women state that they have little to no knowledge of gynecological cancers. Forty-five percent of women are unaware of risk factors associated with developing a gynecologic cancer, and 47 percent are unable to name any symptoms of gynecological cancers. Perhaps most startling, 43 percent of women believe that they are not at risk of developing gynecological cancer. As the resolution states, ``Awareness and early recognition of ovarian cancer symptoms are currently the best way to save women's lives.''

Early detection of ovarian cancer is possible. In a national study done by Dr. Barbara Goff of ovarian cancer patients, 95 percent of women had experienced symptoms prior to their diagnosis. We need national awareness among the medical community and among women themselves that ovarian cancer is not a silent disease, the label that it was given many years ago. There are symptoms that can lead to early diagnosis when the disease is beatable and obviously then treatable.

Ovarian cancer often presents with persistent symptoms such as abdominal pressure, bloating, discomfort, nausea, indigestion, constipation, abnormal bleeding, unusual fatigue, unexplained weight loss or gain, and shortness of breath. There are also groups of women who are at higher risk of developing the disease. They include women of increasing age, women who have a personal or family history of ovarian, breast, or colon cancer, and women who have not had children.

Since these symptoms are so common, ovarian cancer is often a missed diagnosis. There are several reasons for patient-related delays in diagnosis, including a lack of pain, fear, and ignorance regarding cancer symptoms. Additionally, doctors often attribute the symptoms to stress, gastritis, irritable bowel syndrome, or depression. Thirty percent of women are treated first for another condition before they find out that they have ovarian cancer.

One of the reasons the survival rate for ovarian cancer remains low is that, so far, there is not a reliable test to detect the disease. Researchers have determined that the disease is related to the BRCA gene, and that women who inherit the BRCA 1 mutated gene have a 20 to 40 percent chance of developing ovarian cancer.

Family members diagnosed with ovarian cancer can get a blood test to determine if they have the BRCA-mutated gene.

Researchers around the country, as well as the National Cancer Institute, have been working towards a solution; but progress is slow. More ovarian cancer research is needed to develop early detection tools, prevention methods, enhanced therapies, and obviously a cure.

There are still large gaps in knowledge on key scientific aspects of the disease. For example, we still do not know if all ovarian cancers are the same disease. There is still no reliable and easy-to-administer screening test for ovarian cancer like the pap smear for cervical cancer or the mammogram for breast cancer. Healthy women have no alternative for screening but to be aware of the ovarian cancer symptoms.

Research on ovarian cancer is underfunded relative to the high mortality rate. In 2002, the National Cancer Institute allocated only about one-fifth as much money to ovarian cancer research, $93 million, as to breast cancer, $522 million, and one-third as much to prostate cancer, $278 million, two diseases whose mortality rates are proportionately lower than ovarian cancer.

I am heartened to see that we are battling these other diseases and winning the war over them. We need still to pay a lot of attention to the needs of ovarian cancer patients.

Once again, I would like to commend my friend from Texas (Mr. Hall) and all the other cosponsors for bringing this resolution to the floor today increasing our awareness of this deadly disease. I would encourage my colleagues to adopt this resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and the sponsor of the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers and am prepared to yield back, with one brief comment to my friend from Texas.

I am sure that everybody here in this Chamber does know somebody who has suffered with ovarian cancer. Hopefully this bill, the ``Grace Bill,'' will make it a few less down the road. We appreciate the gentleman's leadership and her continued charge for this legislation as well.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Paul Hillegonds, an individual who has served the residents of Michigan through the years with great distinction. Throughout his career in public service, Paul tirelessly worked for the betterment of our great State and continues to impact countless individuals through his professional and community affiliations.

Paul served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 1979 to 1996, and was speaker his final two years in elected office. In 1997, Paul embarked on a new path of service, taking the reins as president of Detroit Renaissance, a non-profit, civic organization comprising Southeast Michigan's business leaders.

Paul has received numerous honors throughout his distinguished career, and I am pleased to call him a friend. Paul and I go back a long way--all the way back, in fact, to when he was Administrative Assistant for U.S. Representative Ruppe and I was a staffer for Representative Dave Stockman.

Our friendship has only strengthened over time. His wife and kids are good family friends and we have enjoyed each other both in and out of public service. Paul has always stood for the right things and he has displayed the utmost integrity. Unfortunately term limits cost us his leadership as speaker of the Michigan House, but his leadership for the folks of Michigan continues.

I look forward to many more years of Paul's friendship. We are all better off for Paul's service to the State of Michigan, and I wish him continued success.

Mr. Speaker, what have Members been hearing in their districts? I will tell Members what I have been hearing: There is a constant uproar and anguish about the gas prices across this country.

One of the home builders that I met with earlier this week, it cost him $94 to fill up his pickup. Sadly, I do not see that price going down any time soon. This is a long-term, not a short-term, problem.

Worldwide, we consume what we produce. This country uses 25 percent of the world's energy, yet we have only 2.5 percent of the world's energy reserves. And in fact in Alaska, we are getting 50 percent of what we got only 7 years ago.

The energy bill signed in August will help us in the long term, but it will not help us in the short term. This bill will help us in the long term, not in the short term.

We have heard the arguments. We have fewer refineries than we had 30 years ago. We have not built a new refinery in a generation. We need more, and this bill will bring that about.

We have dozens of boutique fuels, 45 different blends of gasoline to serve this country. That means we have a different blend for St. Louis than Milwaukee than Detroit than Los Angeles than Houston than Philadelphia than Washington. It is crazy.

This bill is going to reduce that from 45 blends to no more than six or eight.

The bottom line is if we are not happy with $3 gas, we need to vote ``yes'' on this bill. We need to send it to the Senate. I will remind my colleagues that this bill passed by a voice vote after 16 hours of markup, and I applaud the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), my chairman, for making sure we did it in a bipartisan way.

Mr. Speaker, Ben Franklin certainly would be proud, because as the father of daylight savings time, we are finally implementing his ideas in this legislation.

I want to thank the many Republicans and Democrats that are supporting this legislation in both bodies. And, of course, on daylight savings time today, it starts the first Sunday in April, it goes through the last Sunday in October.

We learned, my coauthor, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), and myself learned that there was a U.S. Government study done back when maybe I was in junior high school that we said that we would save 100,000 barrels of oil a day for every day that we extended daylight savings time. That was when we had 50 million fewer Americans.

Well, guess what we do in this bill? Beginning in 2007, we will change daylight savings time. It will start now the second Sunday in March, it will go through Halloween, through the first Sunday in November.

We know that traffic fatalities will decrease. We know that crime rates will decrease. We know that folks will get home with an hour more of sunlight, whether they are coming home from school or whether they are coming home from work. And by having it kick in 2007, we will allow other countries, whether they be Canada, Mexico, perhaps Europe, to establish their timelines the same as ours. We will add a little more sunshine to everybody's day.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 376) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Federal Trade Commission should investigate the publication of the video game ``Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'' to determine if the publisher intentionally deceived the Entertainment Software Ratings Board to avoid an ``Adults-Only'' rating, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material on the same.

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

Mr. Speaker, last week I was appalled to hear about the release of the new version of the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas having a back door to porn embedded in its files. That kind of material would have certainly earned it an ``Adults-Only'' rating rather than the ``Mature'' rating that it has been marketing. I cannot imagine how a good player in the video game industry could make an honest mistake of something like that, so you have to wonder just what they are trying to do.

We have had hearings on rating video games as well as music and movies in our committee, and I believe fully that parents are the first line of defense for controlling what their kids watch. Up until now, parents have been able to trust the Entertainment Software Ratings Board, ESRB, to give them credible information about exactly what is in a video game. I want to make sure that that remains the case.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, the FTC, parents are involved in the purchase and rental of games more than 8 out of 10 times, better than 80 percent, making it indisputably clear that parents are the gatekeepers when it comes to deciding what games they bring into their homes.

The facts about consumer awareness and use of the ESRB ratings: 78 percent of parents are aware of the rating system, up 8 percent in the last 2 years; 61 percent of parents are aware of content descriptors, up 53 percent in the last 2 years; 70 percent of parents regularly check the rating before making a purchase. If this company purposely hid that information or material to make a sham of the ratings, it is nothing less than deceptive advertising and it ought to be punished, in this case severely.

My resolution, coauthored by the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), calls on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Rockstar Games to see if they intentionally deceived the ratings board to avoid the Adults-Only rating, and, if they determine that such deception or fraud has taken place, that they apply the very toughest of penalties or sanctions. The video game industry has gone into great detail to define their ratings, but I want parents to feel confident that the labeling of the video games that they allow their kids to play or purchase is reliable and that bad actors do not get away with deceptions like this.

Mr. Speaker, if these ratings were willfully violated, they ought to be punished, and a firm should not be allowed to profit from that outrageous circumstance when those rules are followed by so many families when they buy or see the video games in their homes. This resolution calls for that.

Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record a letter that I sent earlier this week to the Chair of the FTC signed by more than 75 Members of Congress, the cover letter signed by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell), the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), the

gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) and myself, asking that the FTC take every action that they can if, in fact, the material shows that it was wrong in terms of getting the ``M'' rating.

Congress of the United States,

Washington, DC, July 21, 2005.

Hon. Deborah Platt Majoras,

Chairman, Federal Trade Commission,

Washington, DC.

Chairman Majoras: We write to express our profound concern

regarding the sexually explicit material contained in the

rated ``M'' video game ``Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.'' We

ask for your attention to this matter and to determine if the

publisher, Rockstar Games, intentionally deceived the

Entertainment Software Rating Board to avoid an ``Adults-

Only'' rating. We believe that they may have and the toughest

penalties need to be applied.

The recent release of ``Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'' was

widely anticipated by consumers, but an ``Adults-Only''

rating would have severely limited its sales in retail

outlets. It appears that the publisher has blatantly

circumvented the rules in order to peddle sexually explicit

material to our youth, and they should be held accountable.

We stand in agreement that parental involvement is the most

important line of defense in determining the type of content

suitable for children, and the ratings system empowers

parents to do just that. Unfortunately, this latest incident

of deceit has severely degraded the integrity of the ratings

system. How can parents trust a system in which game makers

do an end-run around the process to deliver pornographic

material to our kids?

We appreciate the ESRB's swift action in investigating the

matter and revoking the M rating and ensuring any further

sales of ``Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'' will be under an

AO rating. But this action should have never been necessary

had Rockstar Games complied with industry standards from the

outset.

We respectfully request that you investigate this matter,

and if Rockstar Games is found to have intentionally deceived

American consumers, we ask that severe sanctions are imposed

to the greatest extent under the law. This type of

profiteering from peddling smut to minors must not be

tolerated. A company cannot be allowed to profit from deceit.

We appreciate your attention to this matter and look

forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Fred Upton, Ed Markey, Joe Barton, John Dingell, and 75

other Members of Congress.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I am a dad. I have got two teenagers. My son has an X Box game. We are very careful in terms of the games that come into our house, both when we go to the store to purchase them as well as what both he and my daughter watch. It is my clear understanding, and the gentlewoman from Minnesota and my colleagues here know it is our understanding, that this particular video game never should have had an ``M'' rating. It always should have been an ``Adults-Only.'' Had it had an ``Adults-Only,'' it would not have been on the shelves of a number of different major retail stores, whether they be Best Buy, Sears, Wal- Mart, et cetera. It was appropriate that they immediately remove those games from their shelves.

It is not appropriate. We are thinking that we are taking the right steps to send that message for all families across this country. Not only did we get the letter that was signed literally in about 10 minutes by more than 75 Members of this House in a bipartisan approach, but I have called the FTC to talk with them as well to make sure that if, in fact, they did violate the standard that they ought to use every sanction that they can to go after this particular manufacturer.

But this resolution spells it all out as well. And I would urge my colleagues to support this resolution because that indeed will send the message not only to this particular gamemaker but to use all the strength that the FTC has for those who violate those standards that we ought to seek sanctions appropriately to go after them so they do not profit from despicable games like this that no 13-year-old ought to be exposed to, let alone families across the country.

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the committee on both sides of the aisle, particularly all of the parties. I just want to explain, when I was in Michigan this last week, over the July 4th recess, I met with my Corps of Engineers as it related to the harbor in St. Joe and Benton Harbor.

They asked that we take steps necessary to lower the depth of the harbor from 21 feet to 23 feet, which would be consistent with the other harbors along Lake Michigan, Holland, as well as Muskegon and Traverse City.

I realize that it is too late now, as the rule has been pending, to offer that as an amendment. And I would just like to receive an assurance from both sides that we will work together in conference to include the appropriate language, so that, at the end of the day, in fact, that we will be able to see this harbor dredged, obviously with the correct appropriation from the proper subcommittee.

I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee.

Thank you.