Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague from Pennsylvania for his diligence in working on this issue.

I understand tourism is Florida's biggest producer of revenue, and a lot of people go there. But if we don't pass an amendment that will help us get more natural gas, people at Disney World are going to have to be drinking their Cokes, or whatever they drink, out of something other than a plastic cup.

Our plastics industry in our country is made from natural gas, not only the feed stock, but the actual plastic. And so I don't know what we are going to do in our country if we continue to see high natural gas prices. We are already paying huge amounts to cool our homes in our part of the country, or heat our homes in the north. But we have a chemical industry that may not be popular if it is down the street, although it is in my neighborhood. But it produces jobs, high-paying jobs; and it produces this plastic that we drink from every day. And if we don't come up with some other way to lower the price of natural gas, we can just kiss this plastic goodbye.

Eighty percent of our U.S. offshore waters are currently excluded from production: the eastern gulf, the Pacific, the Atlantic coast and some coasts of Alaska. Only Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama have coastal production.

100,000 jobs have been lost because of the high prices of natural gas. And these are high-paying manufacturing jobs that we desperately need to keep in our country.

We have the highest natural gas prices in the industrialized world primarily because of our offshore moratorium. Even Northern Europe has cheaper gas, and I know we have had jobs move from my district to Northern Europe because the price of natural gas there is so much cheaper. And their environmental laws are so much stronger.

Norway, Great Britain produce off their coast. Are we saying that they are not concerned about their beaches? It is ludicrous.

We only have two options to prevent the loss of jobs, either import more LNG, liquefied natural gas, which we will bring in, or produce offshore. There is no alternatives. We have got to have it.

Mr. Chairman, I urge Members to vote against the Putnam-Capps amendment.

Eighty percent of our U.S. offshore waters are currently excluded from production--the eastern gulf, the Pacific, and the Atlantic coast, and some coastal areas off Alaska. Only the Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama coasts have production.

This contributes to high natural gas prices that have cost the U.S. nearly 100,000 jobs, primarily high paid manufacturing jobs.

We have the highest natural gas prices in the industrialized world, primarily because of our offshore moratoria. Even Northern Europe has cheap, because they produce in the North Sea. Norway, Great Britain, who have drilled off their coasts with strong environmental laws.

We only have two options to prevent the loss of further jobs--we can build more LNG import plants and we can produce more gas offshore. There is no alternative to natural gas in many cases.

Unfortunately, the opponents of both options are often the same pepple--they oppose LNG and they oppose drilling for gas. Maybe they think energy and plastics are made from thin air.

Natural gas is the cleanest energy source we have besides solar or wind, and it is a critical fuel for industrial facilities and is a feedstock for the petrochemical industry that makes plastic.

If we cannot produce natural gas here, we are going to have to import gas to heat our homes and import more plastic in bulk or in consumer products. That hurts our balance of trade.

Canada has been producing gas-only wells in Lake Erie for decades. Any producer would rather have oil too at these prices, but if Congress says ``gas-only'' then it will be gas-only, and there will be no chance of oil spills.

Mr. Chairman, I urge Members to support U.S. jobs, U.S. energy, and reducing the trade deficit by supporting U.S. natural gas. And oppose the Putnam-Capps amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the budget resolution.

The budget is a reflection of this country's priorities.

According to this budget, however, our priorities are not sound.

This budget prioritizes deficits over balanced budgets, and tax cuts over the health and education of the American people.

By eliminating 42 education programs, the budget disappoints our children and wastes our opportunity to invest in their future.

It hurts low-incomes students' shot at the American Dream by wiping out the GEAR-UP program that prepares them for college.

It threatens our future economic competitiveness by eliminating the vocational education programs that help our students gain the skills to compete in a global economy.

It abandons health care research by cutting the budgets of 18 out of 19 institutes within the National Institutes of Health.

It cuts programs aimed at preventing illness and disease while also slashing programs that train health professionals to treat these diseases.

Without doubt, sacrifices must be made to successfully implement the war on terror and equip our troops.

But war costs are not even included in this budget, and the cuts on the domestic side are doing nothing to reduce our deficit.

In fact, this budget puts us on a path to post a deficit of $348 billion for 2007--one of the largest deficits in our nation's history.

Mr. Speaker, we have a Democratic substitute before us that reflects America's true values and would avoid the fiscal train-wreck that we're currently facing.

Mr. Spratt's amendment puts us on the path toward balanced budgets and would achieve a balanced budget in 2012.

It implements common-sense budget enforcement rules that require the cost of any new mandatory spending or tax legislation to be fully offset.

By exercising fiscal discipline, the Spratt proposal would achieve balanced budgets while keeping our commitments to the health and education of the American people.

It would increase our country's investment in education by $4.6 billion and adequately fund our health care priorities--including medical research at the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control.

It also keeps our promise to our country's veterans by rejecting the administration's proposal to increase health care fees on military retirees enrolled in TRICARE.

There's no question that the Spratt substitute strikes the best, most practical balance between maintaining fiscal discipline and funding national priorities.

I urge my colleagues to stand up for American values, get our fiscal house in order, and put our nation back on track by opposing this budget resolution and approving the Spratt substitute.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Cinco de Mayo. Cinco de Mayo is not only a celebration of the victory of a small Mexican militia over the Napoleonic French forces at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, but also the commemoration of the friendship and goodwill that exists between the United States and Mexico to this day.

Following the Mexican War of Independence, Mexico found itself heavily indebted to Spain, France, and England. England and Spain quickly settled their debts, but Napoleon saw this as an opportunity to expand his empire and reclaim a portion of the New WorId.

France invaded Mexico in Veracruz, but was stopped from gaining passage to the Nations seed of government in Mexico City by General Ignacio Seguin Zaragoza and his small militia. Napoleon; however, would not be deterred. He sent 30,000 more troops and began a three month siege of Puebla, who finally surrendered and eventually took Mexico City. Napoleon appointed his cousin Ferdinand Maximilian of Austria as Emperor of Mexico. He was in power from 1864 until 1867 when the United States was able to provide assistance to Mexico after the conclusion of the Civil War and helped Mexico expel the French. Shortly after the French expulsion Maximilian was executed in Mexico.

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Battle of Pueblo in 1862 where General Ignacio Seguin Zaragoza and his small militia valiantly prevented the invasion of Mexico. This brave group of 4,500 men was able to prevent 6,500 French soldiers from marching on to Mexico City.

Mexico, and more recently, the United States both celebrate Cinco de Mayo. It represents a victory for the Mexican people and the beginning of a wonderful diplomatic relationship between the United States and Mexico that is not simply intertwined geographically but also culturally.

As a Texan I have an added respect for General Ignacio Sequin Zaragoza. He was born near the town of Goliad, Texas on March 24, 1829. A ten foot stature honoring General Zaragoza was dedicated in Goliad, Texas as a gift from the Governor of Puebla, Mexico.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Denver Harbor Senior Citizens, Inc. on twenty-five years of service to the senior citizens of Denver Harbor, Texas. Since its founding in June of 1980, Denver Harbor Senior Citizens has provided an outlet for seniors in our area to get together on a regular basis, socialize, and maintain meaningful friendships.

On any given weekday, the Denver Harbor Recreation Complex is visited by a large group of active senior citizens. Many gather in groups to play dominoes, bingo, or Loteria, a traditional Mexican game. While the games often bring out some good-natured competition among the players, everyone enjoys the camaraderie and laughter that the group activities provide.

Without doubt, Denver Harbor Senior Citizens, Inc. is one of the most active senior centers in Harris County. In addition to the programs provided in the new and beautiful Denver Harbor Recreation Complex, the group sponsors numerous senior outings and trips to Austin and other areas within the State of Texas, where the members can recall the Texas history lessons we all learned as schoolchildren.

Denver Harbor Senior Citizens also provides hot meals for its members, an invaluable service ensuring that senior citizens have well- balanced meals. As we age, the importance of nutrition cannot be underestimated and is critical to our good health. This group has taken that principle to heart and has put in place the benefits and services that keep our senior citizens active and healthy--in body, mind and spirit.

On May 19, 2006, Denver Harbor Senior Citizens will officially celebrate its twenty-fifth anniversary with a dinner reception and dance at the Denver Harbor Recreation Complex.

I would like to extend to this group my heartfelt congratulations and thanks for twenty-five years of dedication to Denver Harbor's senior citizens and wish them all the best in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate both our ranking member and the Chair of the committee for the bill that they put together. This is a fair reauthorization bill.

Mr. Speaker, I do have some concern, though, that the bill does not do enough to address equipment shortages from our Reserve and National Guard units returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of these units are forced to leave their equipment in the theater when they return home, and this has resulted in some Reserve and National Guard units having less than one-third of the equipment they had prior to being deployed.

Conservative estimates state that it would cost nearly $20 billion for National Guard and Reserves to re-equip to pre-Iraq war levels due to the extensive wear and the extreme conditions and loss of equipment in the theater.

Many areas of the gulf coast are prone to flooding, and with hurricane season less than a month away we need to make certain that the Guard and Reserve have the resources and the equipment necessary to response to natural disasters.

In June 2001, just days into the hurricane season, Tropical Storm Allison caused extensive flooding and damage in our congressional district, and the National Guard and Reserves were instrumental in providing assistance and rescue in high water.

We saw again last year when Katrina and Rita hit the gulf coast how important our Reserve and National Guard units are to natural disaster response. Congress needs to ensure that the equipment necessary to perform these duties is available if similar strikes occur.

Mr. Speaker, we must ensure not only that our troops have the necessary equipment to fight overseas, but that troops serving here at home have the equipment to protect Americans and respond to natural disasters.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution and thank my colleague from Ohio for all eligible beneficiaries to enroll in part D before Monday's deadline. Last night our office did hold two enrollment workshops to help seniors in our district navigate the Medicare Web site to choose a plan that best suits their needs.

Large numbers could not choose a plan because of the confusion that they had, even though they walked out with the principal versions from our volunteers who worked the Internet.

I didn't vote for the Medicare Modernization Act, and we could have provided seniors with a more comprehensive and less confusing benefit. But make no mistake, I want every Medicare beneficiary to get the most out of what benefit Congress did pass. That is the reason I support the resolution. What I question, however, is the House Leadership's decision to schedule this particular bill.

We could be spending time on legislation to actually fix the problems associated with part D. We could consider legislation to reduce the price of the drugs by allowing Medicare to negotiate with the pharmaceutical companies. That was a question my seniors had at the workshop.

We should also consider legislation to extend an open enrollment period and give beneficiaries a one-time chance this year to change plans if they decide to instead of discussing ways to improving the clearly flawed plan, which does nothing substantive for our seniors.

Also, my colleague from Connecticut talks about CMS actuaries. These are the same actuaries I think that told us this plan was going to cost 400 billion. Now we know with the money we may spend on it we could actually give seniors a quality plan without so much confusion.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a man who is a living legend to golf, Byron Nelson.

Throughout his career, this Native Texan has exhibited sportsmanship and a competitive drive unparalleled by most athletes.

In 1945, Byron Nelson achieved 11 simultaneous wins--a record that stands today.

He has won the Masters twice, the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship. He was also the first winner of the Shell Houston Open in 1946.

He has been named ``Male Athlete of the Year'' twice by the Associate Press, and led the U.S. to defeat Great Britain to win the Ryder Cup in 1965.

While these accomplishments are impressive, Byron Nelson is also known as a great philanthropist.

The Byron Nelson golf tournament has raised well over $88 million to provide educational and mental health services to thousands of children and their families.

In addition, he has been involved as an honorary chairperson of Meals on Wheels for the Dallas Metroplex area.

I believe Byron Nelson exhibits the qualities worthy of a Congressional Gold Medal.

His accomplishments on the golf course are impressive, but his commitment to improving and helping his community over several decades speaks to his character.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and grant Byron Nelson the Congressional Gold Medal.

Mr. Speaker, as a cosponsor of this legislation, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Con. Res. 392, to honor the 58th anniversary of the independence of the State of Israel. I would like to congratulate the Israeli people on this significant day, and join them in celebrating the 58th anniversary of the Jewish state.

After nearly 2,000 years without a homeland, Jewish independence was restored with the creation of Israel in 1948. The creation of Israel gave the Jewish people a state in the land where their religion, culture, and history date back over 4,000 years.

In the last 58 years, Israel has faced many struggles: conflicts with its neighbors, terrorism on its borders, and problems with many

in the international community regarding the Palestinian people.

Despite these struggles, Israel has grown from a state of less than a million people in 1948, to a state of over seven million today. The Israeli people have created one of the strongest democracies in the world, renowned for their scientific, technological, medical and agricultural innovations. Their commitment to promoting human rights, to protecting the rule of law, and to open and fair elections is unparallel in the region and is an inspiration to oppressed people around the globe.

Today, 58 years after declaring its independence, Israel and the United States continue to share the common values and ideals of advancing democracy and promoting human rights around the globe. As our strongest ally in fighting terrorism, Israel, a country which has had to fight against terrorism and attacks from its neighbors for its entire existence, continues to play a vital role in promoting American interests.

In return, we must continue to help Israel in its struggle for security by helping reach a lasting peace with its neighbors so that as future generations celebrate this day, they may do so without fear of the violence that has plagued the Jewish state since its independence.

Mr. Speaker, I would again like to congratulate the Israeli people and join them in celebrating the 58th Anniversary of Israel's independence, and look forward to working with them for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation gives the FTC explicit authority to define and prosecute price gouging by gasoline retailers and wholesale distributors.

Given the amount of anger that Americans are feeling at the gasoline pumps, we should have enacted similar legislation in law long ago.

There are certainly some price gougers out there, especially in situations with tight supplies during emergencies, but the American people should know that this legislation will not bring relief at the pump this year.

First, the FTC will take six months to define price gouging before they can enforce the new law.

Second, when the price of oil is $75 like it is this week, the price of gasoline is going to be high, without any price gouging by anybody.

The price of oil used to be controlled by OPEC, but most energy experts believe that stable OPEC nations are producing at near full capacity.

The two major reasons why prices are going up is because of high global demand, particularly the booming economies of China and India, and instability in producing nations.

Iraq's oil production has never recovered to pre-war levels due to the insurgency, and many believe that Iran's oil production could soon be reduced due to our tensions with that nation.

In addition to being a large oil producer, Iran sits on the Straits of Hormuz between the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean.

If conflict were to occur in that global oil shipping choke point, the price of oil will increase even further.

Unfortunately instability in oil producing countries is not limited to the Middle East. Nigeria, Angola, and other areas of Africa are experiencing civil wars which are limiting oil exports.

Our Administration has been engaged in a war of words with the President of Venezuela, which is one of our major oil suppliers.

Bolivia just sent the army in to occupy its oil and gas fields, some of which had been jointly explored with Spanish and U.S. oil companies under contracts approved by previous governments.

With all of these developments in oil producing nations and the surging global economy, the price of oil has gone up dramatically and the price of gasoline tracks the price of oil.

If a gas station or a gasoline distributor wants to use the background of a rising market price to engage in price-gouging, they should be stopped and punished.

The legislation by my friend Bart Stupak may be superior to this legislation in some ways, and if the House was under Democratic control we would have a more democratic process.

But this is a decent piece of legislation that gives the FTC authority to investigate price gouging, so for that reason alone we should approve it.

Mr. Speaker, the Refinery Permit Process Schedule Act sends the right message--more refinery capacity in this country is a good thing.

Unfortunately this legislation did not follow the Committee process, since the House leadership is struggling to appear like they are doing something about gas prices, which they know are beyond their control.

As a result, this legislation probably could be improved with hearings, amendment, and more careful consideration.

However, I will support the legislation because it does not alter or repeal any environmental rule, regulation, or law. The bill would just ensure that permits do not sit on any federal bureaucrat's desk for too long.

That is a worthy goal, and I believe that if Chairman Barton could do this bill his preferred way, then he would have brought this legislation to the Committee for a hearing. But the American people are very angry with energy prices right now, and during these politically- charged times the House often operates differently than it should.

Many Americans and Members of the House are upset that we have not built a new refinery in this country in 25 years. That is true but that is also irrelevant, because it is much cheaper and more efficient to expand existing refineries than to build brand new refineries.

Since 1994, U.S. refiners added 2.1 million barrels of capacity, which is the equivalent of adding a larger than average refinery each year.

Over the next several years, capacity will increase another 1.2 million barrels per day. For example, here are some refinery expansions that have already been announced:

Chevron--80,000 barrels per day at its Pascagoula, MS, refinery.

CITGO in Lake Charles, LA--105,000 barrels per day.

Coffeyville Resources in Kansas--15,000 barrels per day.

Flint Hills Resources in Minnesota--50,000 barrels per day.

Holly Corp. in Artesia, NM--10,000 barrels per day.

Marathon Petroleum--180,000 barrels per day in Garyville, LA, and 26,000 barrels per day in Detroit, MI.

ConocoPhillips will spend $3 billion over four years on refinery expansion, which means tens of thousands of extra barrels per day.

Motiva Enterprises is considering doubling the capacity of its large refinery in Port Arthur, TX.

Sunoco recently announced plans to commit $1.8 billion over the next 3 years, leading to thousands more barrels per day.

Tesoro Petroleum Company will devote $670 million in the next year alone to refining facility expansions.

And the Nation's largest refiner, Valero plans to spend $5 billion to add over 400,000 barrels per day of new capacity nationwide.

So the debate about a lack of new refineries is a red herring. We should really focus on expansion projects, since that is where the action is.

If this legislation fails to gain the required \2/3\ support by the full House, I hope we could revisit this legislation in Committee.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 114 I was unavoidably detained at an energy meeting. Had I been present, I would have noted ``yea.''

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to H.R. 4975, the fake lobby regulation and transparency act.

This is an attempt to fool the American people into thinking that this body is doing something substantive to reform the way lobbyists and Congress do business.

This bill does no such thing.

This legislation does nothing to address the larger issues of ethics reform. It does not address corporate jet travel, tougher gift rules, or financial perks provided by lobbyists.

The temporary suspension of privately funded trips offered here today is not good enough. We should commit to ban private corporate travel. I understand there is some sentiment that we should wait for the Ethics Committee to issue rules on this issue. However, if we want a ban on corporate travel, then we should pass such a ban now.

Also, we've heard a lot of talk about strengthening gift rules, but there is no disclosure. We need to tighten gift rules to ensure that people abide by them.

The gift rule should address the sometimes extravagant receptions honoring Members of this body paid for by lobbyists and corporations. This bill does not require the disclosure of such events.

We could have started to address these issues had the Rules Committee allowed amendments on the Floor today that would have addressed these issues.

I offered an amendment to bring transparency to State governments using tax dollars to hire lobbyists here in Washington.

The State of Texas hired lobbyists for over $1 million and we have no idea what they have done to earn that money.

They have never called, e-mailed, or come by my office or any other Democratic Member's office from Texas in the years they have been under contract.

We have written Governor Perry twice asking what these lobbyists are doing and he has ignored our requests.

The bottom line is this bill does nothing to bring true lobbying reform to Congress and we owe the American people better than this.

The people of this country can not be fooled. They will not tolerate anything but real lobbying reform that contains true transparency of all lobbying transactions and an ethics system that works.

This Republican majority arbitrarily changed the House Ethics rules last year and removed the republican chair and Members who were trying to do their job.

Then, they terminated Ethics Committee staff members for partisan reasons. They do not want real lobby reform.

I urge my colleagues to vote against H.R. 4975 and support the motion to recommit.

Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to address the most pressing problem facing our country and the health care system of our country: the growing number of uninsured.

Since 2000, the number of uninsured has grown by more than 10 percent as an additional 1 million Americans have joined the ranks of the uninsured each year. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recently reported that the number of individuals without health insurance in this country rose to 46 million this year. This is a problem that we literally cannot afford not to address.

In my State of Texas, we have the unfortunate distinction of ranking number one in the country for our level of uninsured, which has reached crisis proportions. Twenty-five percent of Texans are uninsured, compared with 15.7 percent of Americans nationwide. Twenty-two percent of children in our State are uninsured, compared to 12 percent of American children nationwide.

The increase in the number of uninsured is due in part to the changing nature of health care in this country. Gone are the days when we could rely on our employers to provide comprehensive health insurance for us and our families. While more than 90 percent of firms with more than 50 employees still offer employer-sponsored coverage, many smaller firms have found they simply cannot afford to offer their employees health insurance. In fact, only 47 percent of firms with fewer than 10 employees offer employer-sponsored coverage.

We are proud that Texas is a small business State, but an unintended consequence is that many of our small business employees do not have access to affordable health insurance. The result is that many Texans, and folks throughout our Nation, have few choices for health insurance other than the individual market.

For American families near the poverty level, the cost of health insurance has to compete with the cost of putting food on your table or a roof over your heads, which is really no choice at all. The typical family of four at the poverty level brings home $20,000 a year. Given that private health insurance cost $9,000 a year in 2005, it is no surprise that more than half of Americans below the poverty level spent at least some or part of each year uninsured.

The plight of the uninsured should worry all Americans, as the uninsured have less access to care, become sicker, and impose tremendous costs on our health care system. The uninsured are less likely to seek preventative health care and only get care once their health problems reach emergency proportions. A recent study by the Institute of Medicine estimated that 2,500 Texans die each year as a result of being uninsured. In fact, nearly 50 percent of the uninsured adults have postponed seeking health care because they could not afford it. Only 15 percent of individuals with health insurance have postponed care for this reason. The difference can literally be life or death.

For example, uninsured women with breast cancer have a 30 to 50 percent higher risk of dying from the disease than breast cancer patients with insurance, 30 percent higher than people with health insurance. Uninsured auto accident victims with trauma are 37 percent more likely to die from their injuries than their insured counterparts.

Everyone can agree that something must be done to stem the tide of the uninsured. Yet it is important that we put in place policies that not only increase the number of Americans with health insurance but also ensure that they have quality and comprehensive insurance.

Unfortunately, the health savings plans and association health plans supported by the administration and our Republican colleagues are not a silver bullet. The success of any health insurance plan lies in its ability to spread the risk. However, both the Health Savings Accounts and the AHP models would separate out the healthy and wealthy, leaving sicker and poorer Americans to fend for themselves in an individual health insurance market that is already out of reach for low-income Americans. This is not the way to ensure our citizens are healthy and productive members of society.

The Federal Government needs to renew its commitment to the most vulnerable members of our society. Faced with record levels of uninsured, we should be adding people to the Medicaid and S-CHIP rolls, not dropping them. We should expand the S-CHIP program to include parents of CHIP kids. That option alone would provide health insurance to 67 percent of CHIP parents in Texas.

We should restore funding for the Healthy Community Access Program, which in my community has helped enroll an additional 250,000 individuals in Medicaid and CHIP, while also directing the uninsured away from the ERs and toward a more appropriate health care home.

These are the programs that work, not HSAs and the AHPs that will place additional burdens on those who need help the most.

Mr. Speaker, if we are going to get this country's health care system out of the ditch, we have to first stop digging.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleague from Florida, Mr. Bilirakis, in introducing the Health Centers Renewal Amendments of 2006. This important legislation will re- authorize the Health Center program through fiscal year 2011 and enable us to build on the tremendous successes that the health centers have already achieved.

With 46 million Americans currently living without health insurance, health centers have become a critical feature of our country's safety net. Of the more than 14 million Americans served by health centers, 75 percent are either uninsured or Medicaid beneficiaries. In fact, more than 90 percent of health center clients have incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Without health centers to provide quality primary and preventive care, these folks would most likely forgo health care and end up in our hospital emergency rooms.

Health centers are not free clinics. While health centers do not turn away patients due to an inability to pay, every patient pays something based on a sliding scale. This policy improves both financial and health outcomes, ensuring that patients are invested in their health care and follow the doctor's orders.

Another critical feature of the health center program is the community board. For approval and funding as a federally-qualified health center, a center must have put in place a board of directors whose membership is at least 51 percent comprised of health center patients. While communities may initially view this aspect of the health center program as a significant hurdle, this requirement ensures that community health centers are just that--grounded in the community. With a community board governing the health center, patients are assured that all health center policies have been developed with the needs of patients in mind. It is the complementary nature of these requirements that has helped the health center program become so effective and enjoy unprecedented bi-partisan support, from both the Congress and the Bush Administration.

Despite the accomplishments to date of the health center program, much more work needs to be done. While the number of health centers has increased by 58 percent since 1997, the number of health center patients has increased by 90 percent over the same period. There is still tremendous need and, unfortunately, the ranks of the uninsured are only growing.

In the Houston area, we now have nine federally-qualified health centers, an increase from the four centers we had in our area just one year ago. While we have celebrated that achievement, our state of Texas still has the largest percentage of uninsured individuals in the country, and many more health centers are needed in our state to meet our growing need for quality health care that is affordable. This legislation will help us address that need by ensuring the continued authorization of this important program that has improved the health of millions of our constituents.

On a personal note, I would like to thank my friend, Mr. Bilirakis, for all of his work over the years on behalf of our health centers. He is a tireless champion of this program, and I look forward to working with him to make sure that the reauthorization of this program is just one of the many health care accomplishments that will be part of his legacy in Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to observe Yom Hashoah, the Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Day.

The Holocaust was an unprecedented crime that took the lives of 6 million Jews, broke apart families, and wrongfully imprisoned individuals subjecting them to tortures, rape and other horrendous actions.

In 1933, the Jewish population of Europe stood at over 9 million. Most European Jews lived in countries that the Third Reich would occupy or influence during World War II. By 1945, close to two out of every three European Jews had been killed as part of the Nazi policy to systematically murder the Jews of Europe.

Yom Hashoah serves as a reminder that we must never forget the appalling tragedy of the Holocaust, and the 6 million Jews who lost their lives.

It was racism, bigotry, anti-Semitism and general religious intolerance that drove Hitler to pursue the destruction of the Jewish people. To honor the victims who lost their lives in the Holocaust, and to ensure that such acts never happen again, there must be a concerted effort to fight intolerance and discrimination.

Before I was elected to Congress in 1990, my family and I and our two children visited Dachau in southern Germany. It was important not only for my wife and I, but also for our children to see what inhumanity mankind could do to itself; not only for our generation but for our children and the next generation to make sure that it never happens again.

Mr. Speaker, I join with my colleagues on this Yom Hashoah in commemorating those who lost their lives in the Holocaust.