Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 2830, the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2008.

I would like to thank both the Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Chairman Oberstar, and especially the Chairman of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, Chairman Cummings, for their leadership in crafting this important piece of legislation.

I have always been a strong supporter of the Coast Guard and providing it with the resources necessary to protect our Nation's coasts, ports and waterways, particularly the Port of Houston which I represent.

H.R. 2830 is also important to me because it contains provisions relating to the security of vessels and facilities that transport or process Liquefied Natural Gas--or LNG--in the United States. Demand for clean-burning natural gas is building up across our economy, and energy proposals Congress has passed and is currently considering will only accelerate this demand. I believe all of us here agree on the need to ensure the safety of LNG shipments to the U.S., but Congress should do so in a responsible way that does not unnecessarily impede future shipments of this clean-burning fuel.

Chairman Cummings understood these concerns and included new language that would maximize the resources available to the Coast Guard for enforcing LNG security zones; maintain the multi-mission function of the Coast Guard; and mitigate bureaucratic hurdles in the LNG security process. While not perfect,

these changes are an improvement from the original bill and reflect a more workable approach than first proposed.

I want to again thank my good friends Chairman Cummings and Chairman Oberstar for working with me and other Members to consider America's need for both energy security and homeland security when crafting this legislation.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2830.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5613, the Protecting Medicaid Safety Net Act. The rules issued by CMS in August were said to be cost saving measures and a way to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse.

If these 7 regulations go into effect Texas would lose $3.4 billion in Federal Medicaid funding over the next 5 years and nationwide cuts to Medicaid funding could total around $50 billion. These regulations attack the core mission of Medicaid by eliminating much needed services for children, the elderly, and the poor.

These cuts will also have a devastating impact on state's Medicaid funds; consequently hurting the most vulnerable populations who are helped by the Medicaid safety net. This population accesses services and support care from Medicaid because they cannot access services elsewhere due to costs or restrictions on benefits.

If these regulations go into effect, I don't know where the states will find the funds to continue operating programs such as school administrative and transportation services, coverage for rehabilitative services, and outpatient hospital services. Especially since the lack of Medicaid funding will create budget crises in most states as they scramble to pay for services or eliminate them altogether.

This bill gives Congress enough time to understand the consequences of these regulations and come up with a solution we all can agree on rather than cutting these necessary services.

I am disappointed that the Administration has threatened to veto this bill. This piece of legislation is the result of a lot of hard work on both sides of the aisle.

I am particularly upset that the Administration seems to have forgotten once again about its Texas roots. Texas, along with California and New York stand to lose the largest amount of funding from these Medicaid cuts and this is money our states cannot afford to lose.

This bill has the support of 2,000 organizations and the National Governors Association. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and stop these cuts.

Madam Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 5715, The Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act of 2008.

I would also like to thank Chairman Miller of the Education and Labor Committee and Chairman Hinojosa of the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness for their work on this important piece of legislation.

Getting a college education has never been more important, and this bill will help ensure that students will still have access to the Federal loans they need to pay for college in the coming months.

In recent months, uncertainty in the U.S. credit markets has made it difficult for some lenders in the federally guaranteed student loan program to secure the capital needed to finance college loans. Because of this, some lenders have scaled back their lending activity.

While no student or college has reported any problems accessing Federal student aid to date, it is important that the Federal Government take steps to ensure that students will continue to have access to funds regardless of what happens in the U.S. credit markets.

A viable Federal Family Education Loan Program is extremely important in my home state of Texas. The FFELP participants provide nearly two- thirds of the student financial aid awarded annually to Texas postsecondary education students and parents contrasted to only 56 percent nationally.

Our students can now breathe a sigh of relief knowing that there will be liquidity and continued, uninterrupted access to Federal loans thanks to this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the State of Israel on its 60th anniversary and help kick off a series of weekly bipartisan speeches leading up to Israel's 60th anniversary.

As cochair of the Democratic Israel Working Group, I want to thank my colleague, Congressman Reynolds, and other members of the Republican Israel Caucus for joining us in this effort to honor and recognize the contributions Israel has made during the last 60 years.

I've been to Israel several times and can personally vouch for Israel's contributions to the global community, particularly to agriculture techniques, solar power generation, seawater desalination, academia, telecommunications, and medical technology.

In my home State of Texas, we have an economic cooperative agreement with Israel, which is one of the oldest state-to-state relationships in our country. Israel's success in innovative programs constantly serve as ideas for addressing problems facing citizens in Texas.

In the last 60 years, Israel has faced many struggles, conflicts with its neighbors, terrorism on its borders and in its neighborhoods, and led peace efforts by leaving Gaza and southern Lebanon only to be attacked from these locations.

Despite these struggles, Israel has grown from a state of less than 1 million people in 1948 to a state of over 7 million people committed to promoting human rights, protecting the rule of law, and to open and fair elections.

Israel is truly an inspiration to people around the globe. And I would like to again congratulate the Israeli people and join them in celebrating the 60th anniversary of Israel's independence.

Madam Chairman, I rise today to show my support for H.R. 5501, the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008. This important bill will aim to address the devastating effects of AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis on our global community.

Numbers from the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS show that since AIDS was identified in 1981, about 65 million people have been infected with HIV and more than 30 million have died from AIDS. These numbers include the figures from 2005 that show more than 2 million of those living with HIV/AIDS were children and the daily infection of an estimated 1,500 children worldwide was due in large part to inadequate access to drugs that prevent the transmission from mother to child.

Additionally, programs within the Department of Health and Human Services account for 71 percent of the total amount spent, with the U.S. as the largest single contributor to the Global Fund, an independent foundation dedicated to disbursing new resources in developing countries aimed at combating AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

This bill will further these efforts that we started 5 years ago by raising the United States' contribution to $50 billion over the next 5 years. I am also encouraged that this bill will encourage the development of a TB vaccine.

The TB germ is constantly changing and drug resistant strains have been found in 28 countries on 6 continents, including right here in the United States, where it is estimated that 10 to 15 million people in the U.S. have latent TB. These drug resistant forms of TB have severe implications both internationally and domestically.

The World Health Organization recently released its new tuberculosis drug resistance surveillance report. The WHO found that the MDR and XDR strains of TB are at their highest levels ever. Both of these strains are far deadlier than normal TB, and are much more difficult and expensive to treat.

In fact, the Department of Homeland Security recently identified XDR- TB as an ``emerging threat to the homeland.'' For this reason, we need to devote resources to stopping this disease and developing a new vaccine is the first step. This is not a partisan issue.

Some of my colleagues might ask why an AIDS reauthorization bill should be the vehicle for doing this; there is a very simple reason. TB is the number one infectious killer among people living with HIV/AIDS, and accounts for up to half of HIV/AIDS deaths in some parts of Africa. If we do not address TB in a systematic way and work to develop a vaccine, then much of the progress that we have made on addressing HIV/ AIDS globally will be undone.

Studies also show that the 10-year economic benefits of a TB vaccine that was only 75 percent effective could result in an estimated savings of $25 billion dollars. There is no denying that this is a significant amount. Our current TB vaccine, BCG, is more than 85 years old and is not compatible against pulmonary TB, which accounts for most TB cases.

This legislation is a good start in our critical battle against TB. Finally, I am happy to see that this bill will encourage public-private partnerships in combating these diseases. The Baylor Pediatric AIDS Initiative has been working in Africa for several years, and the government should work with this and similar programs to leverage the expertise that they can provide.

I support these strong health initiatives across the globe and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Israel on its 60th anniversary of independence on May 14, 2008.

Since Israel's birth it has been a beacon of inspiration and hope for oppressed people all across the globe, and Israel has continued to flourish by striving for peace and prosperity even in the face of the violence that has tormented it since its declaration of independence.

Israel and the United States have been close friends and allies for the past 60 years.

Our relations have evolved from an initial American policy of sympathy and support for the creation of a Jewish homeland in 1948 to a key partnership based on common economic interests, common security interests, and most of all, common values. We must continue to cultivate this relationship.

For the last 60 years, Israel has also been a leader in technology and innovation as they have helped lead the way in science, technology, medical, and agricultural breakthroughs. I applaud Israel for these efforts.

I have been fortunate enough to have had the privilege to visit Israel on several occasions, and have seen the struggles Israelis face daily. However, I have also seen their perseverance and determination to create a peaceful and prosperous state and this gives me hope for future peace in the region.

I would again like to congratulate Israel on 60 years of freedom and independence and I look forward to many more years of working together.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Jewish Herald-Voice on their 100th anniversary on April 20, 2008. The Jewish Herald-Voice is the longest continuously running Jewish newspaper in the Southwest and one of the oldest in the country. Founded in 1908 as The Jewish Herald by local printer Edgar Goldberg, the Jewish Herald-Voice has continued through the dedication of 3 owners. Through its pages, the Jewish Herald-Voice connects the community to important causes, large and small, calling its readers to action, and especially by connecting its readers to issues affecting Jewish communities around the world.

Over the past several decades, the Jewish Herald-Voice has been recognized for excellence in journalism and in design by the Texas Press, the Texas Gulf Coast Press, the Houston Press Club, and American Jewish Press associations. For its community service, the

Jewish Herald-Voice and its owners, Joe and Jeanne Samuels, have been honored by a plethora of Jewish organizations, both local and international.

One 100 years ago, Edgar Goldberg envisioned a newspaper that would reach everyone in Houston's diverse Jewish community, crossing denominations, transcending organizational boundaries and providing a platform for every Jewish citizen, regardless of affiliation. For 35 years, Joe and Jeanne Samuels, with their dedicated and talented writers and staff, have successfully continued the founder's dream and kept the promise of being ``the voice'' of the Jewish community of Greater Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast. Joe and Jeanne Samuels are great Americans, personal friends, and serve our community well.

Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Jewish Herald-Voice for their 100-year tradition of service to the Jewish community and the city of Houston.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and colleagues.

Today I rise to honor a hardworking labor leader, Cesar Chavez, who founded the United Farm Workers Union and dedicated his life to promote nonviolence through boycotts and strikes that would protect farm workers from the dangers of pesticides, low wages, and the denial of fair and free elections.

I met Cesar Chavez in the 1970s when he came to organize farm workers in Texas. I was a young Texas State Representative and was inspired by his leadership then and as he inspires people today in this century.

Cesar Estrada Chavez was born on March 31, 1927, in Yuma, Arizona. It was 10 years later in 1937 that like many other migrant families, his parents lost their farm and their home. This was a hardship that led them to join thousands of other migrant farmer workers to toil in the California fields.

In 1944 Cesar Chavez enlisted in the U.S. Navy where he served and fought for the United States in the Pacific during World War II. He later married Helen Fabela and fathered eight children. Although Cesar Chavez was not able to complete high school because his family required his helping hands in the California fields, he not only endured the hardships of migrant working conditions but experienced the injustices that he later made into a personal crusade for the migrant farm workers.

His personal struggles as a migrant farm worker led him to find a nonviolent way to help Hispanic farm workers. In the 1950s, Cesar quietly began to study and work for the better working conditions of migrant workers. His persistent struggle to help Hispanics led him to organize the National Farm Worker group in Fresno, California. Cesar Chavez was one of the first Hispanic activists that begun what was a series of boycotts and strikes against California grape growers. Most notably, he called a boycott against Schenley Industries, a major California grape producer. His series of boycotts and strikes caused a national awareness that provoked the late Senate Robert F. Kennedy to criticize local officials after uncovering strike-breaking practices against farm workers. The National Farm Workers Union later reached a groundbreaking settlement with Schenley Industries that marked the first contract ever signed for farm workers in the United States.

This was a monumental achievement that the United Farm Workers would not have been able to accomplish without the hard work and determination of this courageous individual.

As the struggle to protect farm workers continued, Cesar Chavez even sacrificed his health several times by fasting. He saw his fight as a personal fight to end the terrible suffering of the farm workers and their children.

Cesar Chavez worked tirelessly to improve the lives of America's farm workers by securing their rights to organize and bargain collectively for fair working conditions. Chavez showed us that together we can make a safe and prosperous America with a strong and vibrant economy--an America with good jobs and good pay. Fifteen years after his passing, his life's work and legacy continues to inspire millions.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of a resolution offered by a fellow Texan, Congresswoman Granger, recognizing the month of March as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

There are few diagnoses that strike more fear into Americans than being diagnosed with cancer. More than 10 million Americans currently live with cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 1.4 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed this year.

In the United States, colorectal cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men and women. If it is caught early, it is often curable. Regular colorectal cancer screening or testing is one of the best ways to prevent colorectal cancer.

Once abnormal cells start to grow, it takes approximately 10 to 15 years to develop into colorectal cancer. Regular colorectal cancer screening can prevent colorectal cancer altogether because some polyps and growths are identified and removed before they turn into cancer. Screening can also result in finding colorectal cancer early, when it is highly curable.

Houston's MD Anderson Cancer Center is located near my district so I have seen the effectiveness of research and treatments that have come from investment in cancer research programs. However, the easiest way to prevent, treat, and recover from cancer is to find it early.

That is why recognizing the month of March as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month is important. Letting people know that they should be regularly tested for colorectal cancer is the first step in saving lives.

I want to thank my colleague, Representative Granger, and urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 145 and 146, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today to show my support for H. Res. 1024.

This resolution recognizes the 187th anniversary of the independence of Greece and celebrates Greek and American democracy.

On March 25, 1821, Greece declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire, and the United States and Greece have had a longstanding relationship ever since.

The Greek community is particularly active in our own country.

Greece shares our democratic values and principles and has been an important ally to the United States, particularly since World War I.

As the most senior EU and NATO country in their region, they serve as a great role model for democracy, stability, and security for other countries in their region.

I look forward to continued bilateral relations and friendship with Greece as we work together to address the issues in Southeast Europe.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to explain my absence from votes cast on March 4, 2008. I was in Houston for the Texas primary election.

On rollcall vote No. 88, to approve H.R. 1143, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

On rollcall vote No. 89, to approve H.R. 1311, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

On rollcall vote No. 90, to approve H.R. 816, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Madam Speaker, Sunday, March 2, 2008, marked Texas Independence Day. 172 years ago that day, the Texas Declaration of Independence was ratified by the Convention of 1836 at Washington- on-the-Brazos.

Driven by the same spirit of freedom that drove the patriots of the American Revolution to throw off the shackles of tyranny and oppression, the Texas Declaration of Independence was produced, literally, overnight. Its urgency was crucial, because while it was being prepared, the Alamo in San Antonio was under siege by Santa Anna's army of Mexico.

Immediately upon the assemblage of the Convention of 1836 on March 1, a committee of five of its delegates was appointed to draft the document. The committee worked long into the night to prepare the declaration. It was briefly reviewed, then adopted by the delegates of the convention the following day.

The declaration was an announcement to the world that all Texans would fight to protect their rights. The declaration stated that they would no longer live under the dictatorship of Santa Anna or a government that had been ``forcibly changed, without their consent, from a restricted federative republic, composed of sovereign states, to a consolidated central military despotism.''

It spoke of the numerous injustices inflicted upon the settlers of the state then known as Coahuila y Tejas: the elimination of the state's legislative body; the denial of religious freedom; the elimination of the civil justice system; and the confiscation of firearms, this last one being the most intolerable, particularly among Texans.

The declaration stated that Texas was `a free, sovereign, and independent republic . . . fully invested with all the rights and attributes' that belong to independent nations; and a declaration that they `fearlessly and confidently' committed their decision to `the Supreme Arbiter of the destinies of nations.'

The Texan Army was ready to defend itself from the oppression of Santa Anna and his army. Outnumbered by the vastly larger Mexican army, approximately 200 Texans and Tejanos under the leadership of Lt. Colonel William Barrett Travis and Tennessee Congressman David Crockett made their stand in the defense of Texas at an old Spanish mission known as the Alamo.

They bravely held their position for 13 days, enduring wave after wave of attack, and on the morning of March 6, 1836, they made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom as they were killed in action defending Texas at the Alamo. Two weeks later on March 27, 1836 Colonel James W. Fannin and 300 men under his command were massacred by Santa Anna's army at Goliad.

The sacrifices made at the Alamo and Goliad would not be forgotten as they became the battle cry of the Texan Army: ``Remember the Alamo. Remember Goliad!''

On April 21, 1836 a much smaller Texan Army led by General Sam Houston launched a surprise attack on the much larger Mexican force at San Jacinto. After only 18 minutes the Battle of San Jacinto was over, and Texas had won its independence.

That battle is memorialized along the San Jacinto River with the San Jacinto Monument in Baytown, Texas in the 29th district, the district I represent.

Texas Independence Day is important to all Americans because the events show that the brotherhood of freedom can be stronger than the brotherhood of ethnicity or nationality, as Tejanos proved at Gonzalez, Bexar, Goliad, the Alamo, along the banks of the San Jacinto River, and in the government of the Republic of Texas.

People sometimes wonder what makes Texas and Texans so different, and I believe part of that answer is that the desire for freedom that gave us the first Texas Independence Day is still alive today.

Madam Speaker, I hope that Congress and this whole country join all Texans in honoring these brave men who stood up for liberty and freedom 172 years ago. God Bless Texas and God Bless America.

Mr. Speaker, I've always believed as a Nation we should wean ourselves from our dependence on fossil fuels and invest in the energy of the future. However, I also believe we must promote the technologies of tomorrow in a way that will benefit, not harm, our constituents and our long-term energy security.

Today, the House is making its fourth attempt this Congress to pass a renewable energy tax package, H.R. 5351. I supported the first attempt last January, H.R. 6, even though I feared it could reduce incentives for domestic production.

Every House package since includes a new or different combination of revenue raisers that target the energy industry and extract billions more than prior versions. If Congress singles out one industry for billions of dollars, you cannot go back for more and expect enough gasoline for our cars and fuel to heat and cool our homes.

Compared to the original H.R. 6, H.R. 5351 includes $17.6 billion in new taxes on the energy industry. That's an increase of over $10 billion in just 1 year. House debates on these measures have been filled with misinformation and unwillingness to review the facts. If Congress took a moment to inject objective analysis in the debate, we could see that the profit margins of energy industries are in line with and, in many cases, below that of other industries.

For every dollar of sales in the third quarter of 2007, the oil and natural gas industry earned 7.6 cents in profit margin, compared to 21.6 cents for the beverage and tobacco industry, 18.8 cents for the pharmaceutical industry, 14.6 cents for the electrical equipment industry, and 14.5 cents for the computer equipment industry.

Again, nationwide, all manufacturing companies, excluding the struggling automotive industry, earned 9.2 cents per dollar of sales, as compared to energy that was 7.6. So there may be great profits in it, but there are also great profits in other corporations.

So are the profits of the energy industry disproportionate with most U.S. industries? Clearly the answer is no. If you evaluate industry tax contributions, we would see that companies are paying more than their fair share and growing the numbers in the coffers of State, Federal and local governments.

In 2006 the effective tax rate for the top energy companies was 37 percent, more than the top corporate tax rate of 35 percent. Between 2004 and 2006, the total current income taxes paid by the 27 top energy companies nearly doubled, nearly doubled in 2 years, growing from $44 billion to $81 billion. So we do have a progressive tax, and it has doubled with the profits.

Recently, the amount that ExxonMobil, a frequent target of criticism, paid in U.S. taxes actually exceeded their U.S. earnings by $18.7 billion. So ExxonMobil is paying a lot of taxes. And I'm not so sure that ExxonMobil or Chevron or ConocoPhillips, or any of the energy industry, if they pay more taxes in this bill, that it will actually not go back to the bottom line that we're already paying at the pump, or to pay to heat and cool our homes.

I wish I could tell you they're going to take it out of their profits, but they're not required to do that. They could just raise prices, and so we'll see even more price increases.

Despite these figures, no industry is as heavily scrutinized as America's oil and natural gas companies. That's probably because most of the production in our country comes from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Alaska. Most States don't want it. But they always want their lights to be turned on and their cars to be filled up.

What's most concerning is we continue to move tax packages that target this industry and expect different results.

The Senate has twice failed to reach cloture on these provisions, and the President continues to issue veto threats.

We're debating press releases and not actually legislating. We did legislate last January and we had a tax package that passed this House with only four negative democratic votes. But since then we've had problems with it.

It's time we get serious about our renewable energy and conservation policy. Let's put rhetoric aside for a moment and find a way to move forward on a renewable energy package that can actually become law without jeopardizing our energy security.

Mr. Speaker, I have always believed that as a Nation we should wean ourselves from our dependence on fossil fuels and invest in the energy of the future.

However, I also believe we must promote the technologies of tomorrow in a way that will benefit, not harm, our constituents and our long term energy security.

Today, the House will make its fourth attempt this Congress to pass a renewable energy tax package with H.R. 5351.

I supported the first attempt in January of last year--H.R. 6--even though I feared it could reduce incentives for domestic production.

Every House package since includes a new or different combination of revenue raisers that target the energy industry and extract billions more than prior versions.

If Congress singles out one industry for billions of dollars, you cannot go back for more and expect enough gasoline in our cars and fuel to heat and cool our homes.

Compared to the original H.R. 6, H.R. 5351 includes $17.6 billion in new energy taxes on U.S. companies. That's an increase of over $10 billion in 1 year.

House debates on these measures are filled with misinformation and an unwillingness to review the facts. If Congress took a moment to inject objective analysis into this debate, we would see that the profit margins of energy companies are in line with, and in many cases, below that of other industries.

For every dollar of sales in the third quarter of 2007, the oil and natural gas industry earned 7.6 cents in profit margin. Compare this to the: 21.6 cents earned by the beverage and tobacco industry; 18.8 cents for the pharmaceutical industry; 14.6 cents for the electrical equipment industry; and 14.5 cents for the computer equipment industry.

Nationwide, all manufacturing companies--excluding the struggling automotive industry--earned 9.2 cents per dollar of sales.

So are the profit margins of the energy industry disproportionate from most U.S. industries? Clearly, the answer is ``no.''

If we evaluate industry tax contributions, we would see that companies are paying more than their fair share and growing the coffers of Federal, State, and local governments.

In 2006 the effective tax rate for the top energy companies was 37 percent, more than the top U.S. corporate income tax rate of 35 percent.

Between 2004 and 2006, the total current income taxes paid by the top 27 energy companies nearly doubled, growing from $44 billion to over $81 billion.

Recently, the amount that ExxonMobil, a frequent target of criticism, paid in U.S. taxes actually exceeded their U.S. earnings by $18.7 billion. That's right. They paid more in U.S. taxes than they earned in the U.S.

Despite these figures, no industry is as heavily scrutinized as America's oil and natural gas companies.

What's most concerning is that we continue to move tax packages that target the energy industry and expect different results.

The Senate has failed twice to reach cloture on these provisions and the President continues to issue veto threats.

This is debating press releases and not legislation. It's time to get serious about our renewable energy and conservation policy.

Let's put rhetoric aside for one moment and find a way forward to support a renewable energy package that can actually become law and won't jeopardize our energy security.

Our Nation and our constituents deserve that opportunity.

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 59, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''