Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, back in November, Homeland Security officials found and deported 85 illegal aliens from Mexico; 63 of the 85 had previously committed such crimes as burglary, drug possession, sexual assault and murder.

In September, 99 illegal aliens were arrested in a sting operation in my home State of Florida. All of them had violent criminal backgrounds. Back in July, officials arrested 29 illegal aliens from South Korea who were operating a sex trafficking business.

If these violent criminals could break through our borders, how do we know that terrorist groups have not also?

I call on my colleagues in the Senate to pass the bill that we have passed, H.R. 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act.

Mr. Speaker, we cannot leave our Nation's security to chance.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mr. Jack Gentry, the winner of the Benjamin Franklin Community Newspaper and Postal Partnership Award of Excellence.

Nominated for this award because of his commitment to provide top- notch customer service, it is an honor to highlight the Florida postmaster's excellence on the floor today.

It is encouraging to learn of the many lengths Mr. Gentry would reach to ensure reliable delivery of the community's newspapers.

Rather than going through the everyday motions of his postal route, Jack helped improve the delivery system--even making it more efficient.

I am sure the members of the community who benefit from Mr. Gentry's dedication to quality service are as thrilled as I am he will be recognized for his great work.

Mr. Gentry will receive this award today at the Library of Congress. I commend him for his work ethic and commitment to community newspapers.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to read a letter that was in today's St. Petersburg Times about the Medicare prescription drug plan. It was from a gentlewoman by the name of Lois Scheff of St. Petersburg, not in my district; but I think she echoes the comments that I have heard from my constituents. The letter says, ``It would be nice to see a positive article about the Medicare part D prescription drug plan. I believe the reason so many people are having trouble with the new prescription drug plan is that the media has been telling everyone how confusing and difficult it is to understand. If you say something often enough, people will start to believe it.''

She goes on to say, ``My experience with the new prescription drug plan has been very positive. Upon filling four of my January prescriptions, I paid about 50 percent of what I normally would have, due to certain deductibles. In February, my four prescriptions cost me less than one would have before the drug plan went into effect. The other day I filled a prescription that used to cost more than $100, and I paid 30 for it.''

She goes on to say, ``We might be elderly, but we are not stupid. Talk to the millions of us who have taken advantage of the program.''

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to this bill. I do not object to the bill on its merits, and when I first knew that the bill was coming up, it was not a problem.

However, upon reading various articles, I do have concerns, and my constituents have concerns. I have heard from several of them. Let me make it clear that my opposition is not partisan, it is not a Republican, it is not a Democratic issue.

Regardless of your personal view of him, Mr. Clinton served this country as President for 8 years and should have his birthplace properly designated as a place in American history. However, before this Congress moves to honor the former President, I think that he has some explaining to do.

You know, most Americans are very outraged over the Dubai Ports deal with the United States, and I am even more outraged when I hear that he may have consulted with the Crown Sheik of Dubai on this deal. So let me get this straight. Not only a U.S. citizen, but also a former President gives advice.

Madam Speaker, how do Republicans or Democrats explain this to our constituents? How do we possibly show that we are serious about protecting the United States from terrorist nations when we are proceeding to possibly honor the birthplace of someone who may have brokered this deal?

Madam Speaker, I cannot support this bill at this time until Mr. Clinton explains his role in the Dubai Ports deal. Reportedly Mr. Clinton has accepted nearly $1 million from the UAE for strategic advice. He is not a registered foreign agent. He also tried to get his former press secretary signed as a spokesman for the UAE. When they did not hire him, Mr. Clinton turned around and spoke against the port deal, and yet there was a reported million dollars here.

Madam Speaker, I think we need to take some time and review this very, very carefully.

Madam Speaker, the nexus to the bill is whether or not this is the time to proceed with this bill.

And so that individuals have an opportunity actually to respond, I am going ask for a recorded vote. It is directly related to the bill. It is directly related to the security of our Nation.

Madam Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

As I said before, my decision to call for a recorded vote is based on the future of our country and the fact that we need to have the information out there about Mr. Clinton's involvement in the Dubai port, the whole issue.

It is about hope, certainly about Hope, Arkansas. I hope to vote for this bill. I had hoped to vote for the bill because I had hoped that Mr. Clinton would do the right thing and register as a foreign agent. That not happening is the reason why I am objecting to the bill at this time.

I also believe that we need to preserve birthplaces of our Presidents, and had we had enough time, I just would have asked the leadership to postpone this vote. I wanted to vote for this bill, but the more information that comes out about the millions of dollars that have been paid by the UAE to Mr. Clinton just gives many Americans the lack of hope for our security. That is exactly why I am going to call for the yeas and nays.

It is not against President Clinton. It is not against him, but rather, I wish we had more time so that the public would know exactly how involved he was in what that million dollars bought when it came to the Dubai port issue.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the bill that we have before us, the Children's Safety and Violent Crime Reduction Act.

February 23 marked the 1-year anniversary of Jessica Lunsford's death. I knew the family; I knew the grandmother. If Jessica were still with us, she would have been in the fifth grade. She would be learning about decimals and fractions and the solar system. Instead, her life was taken by a sex offender who assaulted and murdered her, and then buried her in his backyard. That is what this bill is all about; it is going after those, as someone once described, pond-scum predators.

Congress has responsibility to punish those who perpetrate the worst and most disgusting crimes against our children. My heartfelt thanks to the chairman who was gracious enough to work with all of us on these various bills to protect our children in America today.

Mr. Speaker, we cannot afford to wait one day longer for this bill to become law. On behalf of Jessica Lunsford's family, I urge every Member of this House to vote in favor of this bill. It is important that we send a loud and clear message that Congress is serious about protecting America's children from predators, those same predators who would harm our children, our grandchildren, and our neighbor's children. That is what this bill is all about. It is about protecting America's children and I urge support of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, for the very first time in American history, every senior will now have access to prescription drugs.

In my district on the gulf coast of Florida, we have seen the huge success of the program, within many of the counties over 60 percent of the seniors signing up for the new benefit in just the first month and a half.

As my constituents know very well, one of the strongest supporters of the new Medicare prescription drug benefit has been AARP, the leading advocate for seniors in America.

Like AARP, I have long been going out into my local communities and encouraging seniors to sign up for one of the programs offered in their home area.

Just 10 days ago, I hosted a Medicare outreach bus in Spring Hill. It was there that I heard from a man named Joseph Drexler, who was able to drastically reduce his yearly prescription drug costs. Skeptical of the program when he arrived, Mr. Drexler left the help station saying this about his CMS enrollment counselor: ``She deserves a medal or something.''

Mr. Speaker, it is the experiences of men and women like Joseph Drexler across America that have proven the new Medicare prescription drug plan to be a rousing success.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the fact that Mr. Gingrey is holding these to help inform people of exactly what Congress is doing on the issue of health care. I am sure when every Member here goes back into their district, people ask them about health care.

In my district, of course, the issue is always not only just health care for seniors, but also veterans. And Dr. Murphy was absolutely correct that the VA was the first entity to begin computerizing their records, which is the reason why a veteran can go from New York at a VA facility down to one in Florida, and virtually with a few key strokes, they pull up his or her record. That is a good way to make sure that we have continuity of care.

In Florida, of course, we have many, many nursing homes. People move to Florida, and as they age in Florida, the nursing home industry is a very, very vital part of our economy. When I was a State senator, I worked long and hard on nursing home issues. We did nursing home reform.

And one of the reasons that we did nursing home reform was because we wanted to increase the staffing and make sure that nursing homes provided the kind of quality care that we all want for our seniors who are in nursing homes. But, you know, one of the issues clearly is the cost not just for those living in a nursing home, but also for younger families who have got to care for older parents or loved ones, very often termed the sandwich generation.

You know, long-term care costs can be very, very stifling. And I agree about having them be able to roll into a medical savings account. It is certainly a very important component of what we are trying to do long term.

You know, you do not fix health care forever. The need for health care reform continues as technology improves, as we all age, and also as we take into consideration all of the new pharmaceutical products that are out there that prevent people from going into hospitals, and, many times, nursing homes.

You know, that sandwich generation I was just speaking about, they are the ones who are very often helping to care for their parents. You know, nursing home costs can be upwards of $60,000 if a person does not have insurance. And home health care costs can sometimes reach $20,000 a year.

When we look at the demographics, those who are 85 years of age or older are the most likely candidates for long-term care service. But age is not the only indicator. Actually people of any age with limited self-care or mobility issues are candidates as well.

For the average person over age 50, home health care can cost over $5,800 a year. Even families who have long-term care insurance are facing hefty costs. Kind of base plan premiums run between $564 a year for a 50-year-old, for example, to $5,300 a year for someone who is 79.

When families can no longer cover these costs, Medicaid has to pick up the tab for those who do not have long-term care insurance. And when we look at the spending in Medicaid, one-third

nationwide of all Medicaid spending goes toward long-term care.

Moreover, two-thirds of these funds are used for institutional care, even though consumers prefer to remain in their own homes and communities. I am sure, Dr. Gingrey, that in your State as well as in my State, that they have applied for waivers, kind of all efforts possible to keep people in their own homes.

People prefer to be in their own homes, but there are times when they do need to be in long-term care. One of the bills that I recently introduced that I know many of my colleagues are on, is the Qualified Long-Term Care Fairness Act. We want to encourage people to participate in long-term care insurance.

This bill provides the same tax deduction available to those who itemize as those who do not. Currently only people who itemize on their income tax can take off the cost of long-term care insurance. This was obviously overlooked when they passed the bill, in that they only allow people who itemize.

We want to make sure that this tax deduction may be used for long- term care insurance premiums, activities of daily living, diagnostic, preventative or rehabilitation services, and certainly other services prescribed by a licensed health care practitioner.

My bill also, by the way, covers home health care expenses. By taking out a policy, it really and truly helps the family so very much. We want to make sure that this additional tax deduction can be claimed by people who take that extra care to be sure that if they need nursing home care that they have the insurance to cover it.

You know, Mr. Speaker, in 2001, spending for long-term care services for persons of all ages represented 12.2 percent of all personal health care spending. This was almost $152 billion of $1.24 trillion spent for health care.

Congress should encourage all Americans to purchase long-term care insurance. And certainly this is but one way that we can encourage our constituents to spend that money for a long-term care policy.

If I may take a moment just of personal privilege to tell a story about a very dear gentleman that everyone thought he was my dad; he was not. He had three daughters and he cared about those daughters.

Because he lived in the same community that I did, and because we were very close, people just thought that Arne was my father. Well, let me tell you, Arne was a very, very thoughtful father, because he took out long-term care insurance.

He developed Alzheimer's, and needed to be in a long-term care facility. His wife had passed on and the progression was very, very fast. Arne passed away last year, but I can just tell the Members in the Chamber tonight and those who may be watching in the audience, that Arne's children truly appreciated the fact that he took out that long- term care insurance. Because that way, the insurance paid for all of the time that he had to spend in the nursing home. And he was able to preserve his life's savings to leave to his children, which is really what he wanted. And he also wanted to make sure that he was not a burden on the taxpayers.

I would ask as many people as possible to consider that kind of insurance to make sure that they are cared for and that their children or whoever they want to leave the rest of their savings to, that they are also provided for. I think it is an excellent way to do it.

Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman. And certainly the use of any funds from a health savings account for this purpose accomplishes the same thing. It gives people a tax incentive to save, to also save and preserve their assets for the future.

And, you know, I recently, this past weekend, ran into a young man who was all of 55 years old. He was injured, and spent some time in a rehab center. And, you know, he said to himself, you know, he did not have insurance. When he told me the cost of that rehabilitation, it was astronomical.

So, you know, we all want to believe that we are going to be as healthy tomorrow as we are today. But, that is not always the case. And I remember when I reviewed the policy with Arne, because I was a little skeptical, he was 75 when he first started looking at it, and I was amazed what it did cover and how reasonable the cost was. And, you know, I looked on every line, looking for a loophole. And it ended up being something that I did recommend to him, never realizing that a few years later he would need to have this.

So I commend the gentleman for promoting the health savings accounts and any other way that we can help seniors to better prepare for their future.

Madam Speaker, last week when we were home I had the occasion to present various medals and awards to veterans in my district. The Fifth Congressional District is home to the highest number of veterans of any Member of Congress. There were medals and awards for those who served in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam.

We need to stop and pause and certainly thank our veterans from all of those wars, thank them for the freedoms that we, as Americans, enjoy today. Without a doubt, these people came home from being at war, started their lives, built our country into the great country that it is today, and never really asked for anything back from their country. They did not get a lot of the medals that they deserved.

Now that they are getting a little bit older, they are getting perhaps a little sentimental and they wanted to have those medals. We worked with the veterans and got the medals and presented those awards in the majority of the eight counties that I represent.

My hat is off to the veterans of all of the wars and those young men and women currently serving today. We thank them for their bravery.

I thank the chairman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, today is the first day in which our Nation celebrates the achievements of American women during Women's History Month. Honoring the service of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is an excellent way to kick off this celebration.

When Justice O'Connor first set out on her journey, the dream of attending law school was not something a woman commonly achieved. Women in her day were encouraged to stay in the home, supporting the men who ran the country. Justice O'Connor's success to find work in the law profession exemplifies the determination that she had to achieve greatness. By defying society restrictions, today she offers great hope to the women of every generation.

Justice O'Connor is an inspiration to women across the Nation. She won acclaim as the first woman to be appointed to the United States Supreme Court and her retirement marks the end of an era.

During her service of 25 years on the Court, Justice O'Connor established a reputation as a key decision maker. By sticking to her philosophy of drawing practical conclusions when determining her final decision, she would often cast the deciding vote. Widely known as one of the most influential women in the United States, this title is often attributed to the dynamic Justice O'Connor brought to the United States Supreme Court.

Madam Speaker, little girls and young women take for granted today what women such as Justice O'Connor accomplished in earlier generations. As cochair of the Congressional Caucus on Women's Issues, I am honored to have offered this resolution today to remind us all, both men and women, to remain true to our beliefs and question the obstacles that others have put in place.

I am privileged to have witnessed the work of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, and I look forward to supporting House Resolution 357 this afternoon. I certainly appreciate the Judiciary Committee and our awesome chairman for allowing this to be put on the agenda and that we have it on the floor before us today.

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is March 1, and each March we celebrate the achievements of our American women during Women's History Month.

This year I want to take the opportunity to honor Margaret Rogers Ghiotto from Brooksville, Florida. A decorated and accomplished business leader and humanitarian, she deserves special recognition for her good work and deeds throughout her 89 years. She was a pillar in the Hernando County community until her death earlier last month. Her story is an inspiration to all Americans, but especially women.

Known by her friends and family as Weenie, her success as a businesswoman came at a time when a woman's place was supposed to be in the home. She owned and managed Rogers Christmas House, as well as Jennings House in Brooksville, Florida, that is on the National Register.

It was with great reverence and admiration that friends, family, and members of the community paid their respects to Margaret on February 18, 2006. Margaret's story is an inspiration not only to women business owners but to all residents throughout the Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring to everyone's attention that Customs and Border Protection has recently begun confiscating and destroying prescription drugs intercepted at the U.S.-Canadian border. Unfortunately, CBP is offering no recourse to appeal this action.

While we all know that reimporting prescription drugs from Canada has not been legal in the United States for decades, this practice is not helping our seniors. However, if Border Patrol is suddenly going to enforce a law that many believed that government was no longer interested in enforcing, then they certainly should notify shippers and purchasers. Instead of simply confiscating and destroying these prescription drugs, they should include a warning in the first instance. The majority of the people purchasing these drugs are seniors on fixed incomes and likely do not have the money to repurchase them once they are destroyed.

I urge Customs and Border Protection to at least warn customers when agents intercept these packages. A simple letter would save a lot of grief for many, many seniors who use this procedure and not just seniors but other Americans who choose to purchase their drugs from a Canadian connection.

Mr. Speaker, this country is in dire need of immigration reform and tighter border security. Officials at all levels of government and across party lines have felt this need. However, instead of acting, we are sitting back and debating the details of amnesty or no amnesty, guest worker or no guest worker, et cetera.

I call on my colleagues in both the House and the Senate to move political positioning and think about the men and women that they represent. There will undoubtedly be areas of disagreement, yet this must not stop us from moving forward to secure our borders this year.

Our constituents deserve to know that they are safe and that they can live out their lives without the threat of terror at their doorstep, and they deserve nothing less.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dora Kauffman of Hernando County, Florida. Dora has done something that all of us strives for, but that very few of us will ever accomplish, celebrate her 100th birthday.

Born January 19, 1906 in New York, DORA says that some of her fondest memories of her childhood were times spent playing games. She remembers seeing a dog for the first time as one of the happiest events in her life. She says she loved playing with the dog everyday.

Dora married and was blessed with two children, four grandchildren and several great grandchildren. She says she is happy with her life and would not change a thing if she had her life to live over.

Today, Dora gets the most pleasure from visiting with her resident friends and sitting down to a good hot meal. The one thing she likes most about Hernando County is the people, in addition to the good weather. Her favorite flower is the rose and her favorite color is blue. Her advice to the young people is to, ``work hard and be good and kind to people.''

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me in honoring Dora Kauffman for reaching her 100th birthday. I hope we all have the good fortune to live as long as she has.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Anna Porizo of Hernando County, Florida. Anna has done something that all of us strives for, but that very few of us will ever accomplish, celebrate her 100th birthday.

Born September 20, 1905 in Jersey City, New Jersey, Anna attended school through the 10th grade and then went to work at the Box Company. She has fond memories of cooking with her mother during her childhood years.

Anna married John Porizo and was blessed with a child, a grandchild and 2 great grandchildren. The happiest moment in her life was the birth of her daughter. Anna says that the proudest and most meaningful moments in her life were watching her daughter and grandson grow up.

Anna moved to Hernando County with her daughter and says the weather is what she likes most about the county. Today, she gets the most pleasure from relaxing and enjoying a bowl of cold ice cream. Her favorite flower is the rose and her favorite color is pink. Her advice for the young people is to, ``spend more time with family and do more family things.''

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me in honoring Anna Porizo for reaching her 100th birthday. I Hope we all have the good fortune to live as long as she has.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life and sacrifice of Army SGT Dennis J. Flanagan of Inverness, Florida. Sergeant Flanagan was killed by terrorist insurgents while on patrol in Hawijah, Iraq. In times when children and families need role models to look up to and emulate, Sergeant Flanagan was a true American hero.

A 2001 graduate of Lecanto High School, Sergeant Flanagan was an active member of the Junior ROTC, achieving the rank of First Lieutenant his junior year. Within a week following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Sergeant Flanagan enlisted in the U.S. Army. Serving with the 101st Airborne Division, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, Sergeant Flanagan was part of the air assault infantry that invaded Iraq in 2003.

Following his first tour of duty, Sergeant Flanagan re-enlisted this past September for a second tour in Iraq. He was killed January 20th, along with three other U.S. soldiers when an improvised explosive device blew up his Humvee. Only the driver of the Humvee survived the blast.

Sergeant Flanagan was a soldier who firmly believed in the mission in Iraq and in advancing the cause of freedom. As a young boy, Sergeant Flanagan knew that he wanted to be a soldier in the U.S. Armed Forces. A soldier who felt we must defend America and fight for freedom, Sergeant Flanagan received glowing recommendations from his superior officers and fellow soldiers. One of the principle reasons that he re- enlisted was to act as a mentor to the newly enlisted soldiers and to help train the Iraqi army recruits.

Speaking of his future as a soldier and a patriot, Sergeant Flanagan once wrote a poem that included the words, ``And now, my son, I pray to thee. Never ever forget me; that I died a soldier's death, to keep you free with my last breath.'' The speaker then passes a torch and says, ``Keep it high for liberty.'' These prophetic words show that Sergeant Flanagan knew the risks associated with serving as a soldier and that he was willing to accept that risk fighting for America and for liberty and freedom.

Mr. Speaker, as a mother and a grandmother, I know the pain that comes when a child leaves home for the first time. What Sergeant Flanagan's family must cope with today, however, is the knowledge that their child will not return home. I can offer this pledge, however; that this Congress will never forget the sacrifice Sergeant Flanagan made serving his country.