Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise to support H. Con. Res. 129. To congratulate the accomplishment of Submarine Sailors completing 1,000 Ohio-class deterrent patrols. The people of coastal Georgia have great pride in their Submarine Sailors. It started back in July 1978 when Kings Bay, Georgia was chosen to be home for the Trident missile submarines of the Atlantic Fleet. In November 1981 the USS Ohio was commissioned and became the first submarine to carry Trident Missiles. Ohio made her first patrol 27 years ago this month in December 1982. Over 20 years ago in January 1989 the USS Tennessee became the first Ohio-class submarine to be stationed in Kings Bay. In Spring 2008 USS Georgia returned to Kings Bay to start a new type of mission as an

Mr. Speaker, you know, last year without a single vote from anyone in Congress, the Federal Reserve spent $29 billion bailing out Bear Stearns and then $85 billion to bail out AIG, which has now gone to about $140 billion.

Now, if that is not bad enough, the House Banking Committee wants to codify that authority. That's right: they want to give the Federal Reserve and the FDIC permanent bailout authority so that anyone who comes around that they call a systemic risk can now get permanent TARP money without having to come back to Congress for our scrutiny.

What does this lead to? Well, number one, the Federal Reserve is in charge of monetary policy, not bailouts. It will take the eye off the monetary policy, and if you think the economy is going great now, think what happens when the Federal Reserve is even more distracted.

It will also lead to unfair competitive advantage because if you're too big to fail, that means you can do anything you want to and compete against regular banks who won't get the bailout money. So it is an unfair competitive advantage.

And, finally, it will increase the moral risk, that is to say, you can make crazy loans because you know good old Uncle Sugar is going to stand behind you and bail you out time and time again after your fiscal irresponsibility.

This is a bad bill. This is a bad idea. We need to vote ``no'' on this systemic regulatory expansion bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Dr. Julian Killen Quattlebaum, Jr. who died today at Candler Hospital in Savannah, Georgia.

Dr. Quattlebaum was born in Savannah on January 16, 1926, attended Charles Ellis School, Richard Arnold Jr. High School, Savannah High School, and graduated cum laude from the Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut. He entered the University of Georgia in September 1943 and was accepted as a member of Phi Eta Sigma freshman honor society and Sigma Chi social fraternity.

His formal education was interrupted when Dr. Quattlebaum was drafted into the Army during World War II. He served as an infantryman in the Western Pacific Theater, and as a surgical tech in the medical department after the surrender of Japan, where he was stationed in the Philippines.

In 1947, Dr. Quattlebaum returned to the University of Georgia, graduating as a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honorary scholastic society in 1948. He was also a member of the Gridiron Society.

Dr. Quattlebaum graduated summa cum laude from the Medical College of Georgia in 1951 and was president of the Alpha Omega Alpha honorary scholastic society chapter there. He then pursued six years of surgical training at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. In addition to general surgery, Dr. Quattlebaum's residency provided valuable experience in a wide variety of fields including plastic, head and neck, and cardiothoracic surgery. Johns Hopkins was known for its pyramid residencies in which a number of physicians began their training but only one or two progressed to the level of chief resident and completed the program. Dr. Quattlebaum became one of those prestigious few during his residency, serving as Chief Resident Surgeon from July 1956 to July 1957.

Dr. Quattlebaum next completed a one-year surgical fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota--educating himself always with a vision of bringing the benefits of that gained knowledge home to Savannah. He returned to that city in July 1957 and practiced general, cardiothoracic and laparoscopic surgery here until his retirement in July 2001.

While practicing initially in all nine hospitals in Savannah, Dr. Quattlebaum dedicated himself especially to the creation of the surgical training program at Memorial Hospital. As one of the premiere cardiac surgeons at Memorial, he trained at the National Heart Institute and then raised money in order to establish Savannah's first Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory there. He served as Chief of Surgery at Memorial from 1965 to 1967. He served also in that same capacity at Candler Hospital concurrently and for a total of ten years, as well as the State Board of Health on behalf of Governor Carl Sanders. A massive heart attack in 1967 forced a reduction in Dr. Quattlebaum's schedule; however, he continued to host a monthly Journal Club for the surgical house staff at Memorial for many years.

Among the countless innovations he oversaw, and which advanced the practice of medicine in Savannah, Dr. Quattlebaum introduced the technique of surgery under hypothermia (to allow surgical interruption of blood flow during surgery), this prior to the availability of cardiopulmonary bypass. In January 1990, he performed Savannah's first laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and he was active in advancing use of the laparoscopic technique in numerous procedures of general surgery. Shortly thereafter, he performed the world's first laparoscopic removal of a common bile duct stone.

Dr. Quattlebaum was active also as an administrator: he served on the Board of Trustees of Candler Hospital, was a member of the Candler Foundation Board, and served as the Chairman of Candler's Institutional Review Board for ten years. As well, he was a member of the Georgia Medical Society and the Medical Association of Georgia, serving on its Professional Standards Review Organization Committee's founding committee; and he was a member of the Johns Hopkins Medical and Surgical Society, the First District Medical Society, the Georgia Surgical Society and the Southern Surgical Association.

On October 20, 2009, Dr. Quattlebaum received the Physician Legends of St. Joseph's/Candler Health System award for innovations defining new frontiers and greatly enhancing the quality of patient care. In his acceptance speech before the assembled medical staff, he shared highlights from his career, which began during his teenage years when he regularly assisted his father in surgery.

Outside of the academic world, Dr. Quattlebaum was active in sports car racing. He was an enthusiast, hobbyist and historian, being Regional Executive (President) of the Savannah Region of the Sports Car Club of America. He held Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) national and Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) international competition licenses and raced throughout the area, including at Daytona. He qualified twice for the interdivisional races in California and was an instructor for SCCA driving schools. He was steward for SCCA and FIA races, and he organized and participated with the medical team in several such events.

Dr. Quattlebaum was also a charter member of both the Savannah Sports Fishing Club and the German Heritage Society, of which he was a past President. He served as President of the Cotillion Club and was a member of the Savannah Yacht Club and the Oglethorpe Club. He was a member of the Isle of Hope United Methodist Church and the Seekers Sunday School class, as well as a devoted member of the Rotary Club of Savannah South.

Before and during his retirement, Dr. Quattlebaum spent time gardening and growing fruits and vegetables, including an abundance of raspberries, on his farm in Springfield, Georgia. He particularly enjoyed harvest time, when he shared his fruits and vegetables and visited with family and friends throughout the community.

Dr. Julian K. Quattlebaum, Jr. was predeceased by his parents, Dr. Julian Killen Quattlebaum and Helen Burkhalter Quattlebaum; a sister, Helen Quattlebaum Artley; and a daughter, Christie Elaine Quattlebaum.

He is survived by his loving wife of 38 years, Ruth Allen Quattlebaum; by three sons, Julian Killen Quattlebaum III (Kanittha), David Martin Quattlebaum (Adrian) and John Thomas Quattlebaum (Louise); three daughters, Tracey Quattlebaum McMillan (Gregory), Laura Quattlebaum Gower (Austin) and Katherine Quattlebaum Harper (Benjamin); a sister, Barbara Quattlebaum Parr; and eleven grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, in January, with 8.5 percent unemployment rates, Speaker Pelosi passed an $800 billion pork-laden stimulus bill. In May, unemployment goes to 9.5 percent, and we get an energy tax of $1,500 per household. Now, November, unemployment is over 10 percent and we are about to pass a $1 trillion government takeover of health care. It raises premiums, it raises taxes. It cuts Medicare.

Mr. Speaker, America does not need a government takeover of health care; we need jobs. If your kitchen sink is leaking, you fix the sink; you don't take a wrecking ball to the entire kitchen. This bill is a wrecking ball to the entire economy.

We need targeted, specific reforms to help people who have fallen through the health care cracks, and we have a lot of bipartisan support for that, and I am part of it. The only bipartisanship we have is against this monstrosity. Vote ``no.'' Let's start all over and do it right.

Mr. Speaker, in January, with unemployment at 8.5 percent, Speaker Pelosi passed an $800 billion pork-ladened stimulus bill that was supposed to create jobs. In May, with unemployment up to 9.5 percent, Speaker Pelosi passed an energy tax of $1,500 on every household in America that was supposed to create green jobs. Now in November, unemployment is up to 10.5 percent, we have the highest deficit in the history of the country, a $12 trillion national debt, and Speaker Pelosi wants to spend $1 trillion on a government takeover of insurance.

This bill raises premiums. It raises taxes. It cuts Medicare, and it forces you to surrender your current health care coverage and puts a thousand bureaucrats in between you and your doctor.

The government couldn't even run Cash for Clunkers, and now it wants to take over 17 percent of the economy.

Let's vote ``no'' on the Pelosi plan and support the bipartisan alternative.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, what we have today is another Pelosi plan for America.

But let's remember the Pelosi plan for jobs: an $800 billion stimulus plan that caused unemployment to go from 8.5 percent to over 10 percent.

Let's remember the Pelosi plan for automobiles: Cash for Clunkers, a $3 billion program that even the Democrats agreed did not work and was killed after 3 weeks.

The Pelosi plan for fiscal discipline: a $1.4 trillion debt this year, the highest in history.

And let's don't forget the Pelosi plan for national security: dithering in Afghanistan.

Now we have the Pelosi plan for health care: it kills small businesses and jobs. It raises taxes. It raises premiums. It cuts Medicare. It takes away your current health care coverage and spends $1 trillion.

Vote ``no'' on the Pelosi plan for a government takeover of health care and join the bipartisan Members of this Congress who plan to promote an alternative which is far better.

I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. When I think of China, I think of this health care plan. Centralized planning, that's what it is. Mr. Speaker, I know you and so many others have been spending their weekends reading this 1,990-page monstrosity, which some people think is going to save health care. I think rather it will save the bureaucracy.

This bill, these 1,990 pages, which have yet to be amended with yet another amendment called the manager's amendment. Now, what goes into the manager's amendment are kind of what is the result of having your arm twisted. What did you get for your twisted arm? It will be in the manager's amendment, which is not in these 1,990 pages. But what is?

Premium increases, tax increases, Medicare cuts, bureaucrats between you and your doctor, and at a mere cost of $1 trillion.

In the year that we have had the highest deficit in the history of the United States, $1.4 trillion, the Pelosi plan comes in weighing at $1 trillion, when we just got our unemployment figures back.

Think about this: The President, with an 8.5 percent unemployment rate, pushes upon the Congress a $787 billion stimulus bill, and now unemployment has gone from 8.5 percent to 10.2 percent, and in so many other pockets of America it's 14, 15, and 16 percent.

Where are the jobs? Why have we taken the focus off the main thing, the economy? Why are we going down the track of government takeover of health care and massive mandates on individuals, doctors, and small businesses, just like China? Mr. Speaker, 1,990 pages, it's ridiculous.

The Republican alternative, which is not even half, not even 25 percent, but I'd say maybe 15 percent in size, weighing in at, say, maybe a mere 150 pages: Cross-line selling to bring more competition for individuals. Association health care plans to let small businesses pull together. Expansion of health savings accounts. Medical malpractice reform to reduce frivolous lawsuits. This is the Republican alternative.

The difference in the philosophy is simple. If your kitchen sink is leaking, you fix the sink. You don't take a wrecking ball to the entire kitchen. That's what the Pelosi plan does.

The Republican plan focuses on those who have unfortunately fallen through the cracks, people who may be too young for Medicare, too wealthy for Medicaid. Maybe they're 40 years old, unemployed in this Obama economy, and maybe they have a preexisting illness. The Republican targeted reforms try to help that person. They don't try to take the health care away from the rest of the American public who are happy with what they have. We do not need a centralized command/control government in Washington, D.C., that tries to take away the rights of businesses and individuals in the form of a huge government takeover of health care.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H. Res. 773 that expresses respect for the United States Submarine Force. I rise to commemorate the service of the USS NARWHAL (SS 167) for her outstanding service. USS NARWHAL served our country for nearly fifteen years.

NARWHAL was one of five submarines docked for overhaul at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Gunners from the NARWHAL were in action that resulted in the destruction of two torpedo planes. NARWHAL suffered no damage.

Due to the size and unique design of the NARWHAL she was selected to carry out unconventional missions that led to the defeat of Imperial Japan. NARWHAL served in humanitarian and special operations roles in the campaign against Imperial Japan.

On May 11th, 1943 NARWHAL and NAUTILUS launched Army Scouts to regain control of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. On July 15th, 1943 NARWHAL shelled the airfield on Matsuwa Island in northern Japan allowing LAPON, PERMIT and PLUNGER to escape from the waters of the Japanese Home Islands. NARWHAL played a vital role in assisting the Filipino resistance to the Imperial Japanese Army. In 1943 NARWHAL transported hundreds of tons of ammunition and stores. On one voyage NARWHAL evacuated eight women, two children and a baby from the Philippines to Darwin, Australia. In 1944 NARWHAL continued to provide vital supplies in support of the liberation of the Philippines.

Submarine Sailors such as my childhood mentor, Coburn Kelley, served valiantly on boats like the NARWHAL. Coburn Kelley enlisted on December 23, 1941. He served 22 months on NARWHAL where he was qualified in submarine warfare and served on five war patrols.

I rise today to recognize the courage and sacrifice of our nation's Submarine Sailors who protected the liberties and freedoms of the United States during World War II. I am honored to keep alive their memory on this day November 4, 2009.

Mr. Speaker, I have looked at the revised Democrat health care bill. It raises taxes. It raises premiums. It cuts Medicare. It costs $1 trillion. It puts a myriad of bureaucrats in between the patient and the doctor. Call me thick, but I don't get it. Why are they doing this?

We need targeted reforms. Americans have said loudly, I don't want to give up my health care. I want you to help the people who have fallen through the cracks, but let me keep mine because my program is working. And they're not being selfish; they're using common sense. If the kitchen sink is leaking, you don't take a wrecking ball to the entire kitchen. You fix the sink.

We need targeted health care that doesn't cut Medicare and doesn't raise taxes and doesn't cause premium increases. The Republican Party has offered many of these, and some of them are signed by Democrats. We can put together a targeted, bipartisan alternative, and we need to do it.

Mr. Speaker, the Pelosi health care plan raises premiums, raises taxes, cuts Medicare, and costs over $1 trillion. If you need more reasons to be concerned about it, there are 1,990 pages that will give you all kinds of excuses.

The good news is they're about 20 votes short. The bad news is it's time to make a deal in Washington. So, if you're a swing Democrat and if you need a road or a bridge or a new building or a Federal earmark in your district, walk down the hall, see the Speaker, put your vote on the bargaining block, and you, too, can be won over in terms of government-sponsored health care.

This is no way to run a republic. There are alternatives--targeted, market-oriented reforms that will not raise taxes and that will not cut Medicare.

Mr. Speaker, how does Speaker Pelosi plan to pay for her $1.2 trillion government takeover of health care? Simple--higher taxes, higher premiums and cuts in Medicare. What does this mean to mom and dad back home? It means 6 million will be forced off of their Medicare Advantage Program. It means their doctor will now be assigned to them by a government bureaucrat, not by their own choice.

In the rural area that I represent, they're facing $83 billion in cuts, so rural nursing homes will close down. And for seniors in Medicare part D, a 20 percent increase in drug costs.

This is not a good plan. If the kitchen sink is leaking, you don't take a wrecking ball to the whole kitchen. You fix the sink. We need targeted, market-oriented reforms to make health care more affordable and more accessible for everyone, especially our seniors on a fixed income.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.J. Res. 26 to honor General Casimir Pulaski, a Polish born National hero, as an honorary American citizen.

Casimir Pulaski received designations ranging from ``Soldier of Liberty'' to ``The Father of the American Cavalry'' for his honorable service of fighting for freedom on two continents. In the United States, streets, counties, squares, and even an American submarine bare his name. Both the beginning and end of his noble life are cloaked with mystery--competing stories exist about his birth and death; however, his actions of defending freedom in his homeland of Poland as well as America are renowned.

Casimir Pulaski was born to a family of Polish nobility either on March 4 or 6, 1745, 1746 or 1747 in Winiary, Warsaw, or Waka on the Pilica, Poland. Pulaski's distant relatives give his birth date as March 4, 1747 in Winiary, Poland; however, scrupulous biographical notes of the Pulaski family history state that Casimir was born on March 4, 1746, but gives no mention of the place. On the other hand, baptismal records show March 4, 1745 as the date of birth, connecting his given name to his birth on the feastday of St. Casimir. The date of Casimir's actual baptism was recorded as March 6, 1745 in Warsaw on Nowy Swiat Street. Then again, the National Park Service records his birth date as March 4, 1747 in Waka on the Pilica, Poland.

Regardless of his curious beginning, historians agree that Casimir began his military career at the age of fifteen when young Pulaski joined his father and other members of the Polish nobility in opposing the Russian and Prussian interference in Polish affairs.

After being banished to Paris, Pulaski met Benjamin Franklin who urged him to support the colonies in the American Revolution. Pulaski was impressed with the ideals of a new nation struggling to be free and volunteered his services. Franklin wrote to George Washington describing Pulaski as ``an officer renowned throughout Europe for the courage and bravery he displayed in defense of his country's freedom.''

In 1777, Pulaski arrived in Philadelphia where he met General Washington, the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. After coming to the aid of Washington's forces and distinguishing himself as a talented military tactician, Pulaski was sent south to assist American colonial forces. Georgia became the only American colony to be re-conquered by the British on December 29, 1778, and Pulaski was sent to assist Comte Jean Baptiste Hector d'Estaing and Benjamin Lincoln regain control of Savannah from the British who had amassed about 3,000 defenders.

The areas surrounding Savannah created a difficult environment for the French and American forces. The left and right sides of Savannah are marshlands which created tough obstacles through which to advance. In the front of the city, a cleared plain of small rolling hills made it impossible for a group of soldiers to advance without being seen from the redoubts that encircled the city. The Siege of Savannah became one of the bloodiest battles of the Revolutionary War, and a military failure of colonists with more than 1,000 of the attacking forces killed. In 2005, archaeologists with Coastal Heritage Society discovered the long-lost Spring Hill Redoubt. This unearthed the site of the bloodiest fighting of the siege and scene of the mortal wounding of Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski.

While historians can agree that Pulaski commanded the French and American cavalry during the Siege of Savannah and sustained mortal wounds during fighting from grapeshot on October 9, 1779, consensus ends there.

Two divergent tales of his death continue today--one from a Georgia family, another

from two of Pulaski's officers. The first has injured Pulaski being sent to Charleston aboard the Wasp, but passing on October 15 and taken to Greenwich Plantation, Georgia for burial. In 1854, bones were discovered in an unmarked grave at the former family plantation of William P. Bowen. Bowen said his grandmother and aunt told him the grave was Pulaski's. The bones were then entombed inside the marble cornerstone of the Pulaski Monument in Savannah. Restoration of the monument in 1996 led to another exhumation by Chatham County Coroner James C. Metts Jr. After eight years of attempts, investigators failed to extract a complete DNA sequence to compare with a living Pulaski descendant in Poland. A draft report by Metts' team concluded ``the mystery remains unsolved.'' It also states that ``strong circumstantial evidence does suggest that the remains are Casimir Pulaski.''

However, historical accounts from two officers who served under Pulaski tell a different story. They report that General Pulaski was wounded on October 9, 1776, but that he died two days later on October 11 aboard the Wasp on route to Charleston. The two officers report that Pulaski was then buried at sea near the mouth of the Savannah River where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

Even with conflicting details of his birth and death, General Pulaski's military history is commemorated in Savannah by multiple tributes including Fort Pulaski, Pulaski Elementary, Pulaski Square, and Pulaski National Monument. I am privileged to commend General Pulaski and his admirable service to our Nation and support his honorary citizenship.

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

It is a great honor to be here with Mr. Foster, and I want to thank Mr. Bachus and Mr. Frank and the members of the Financial Services Committee for their support of this commemorative coin bill.

This commemorative coin, like all commemorative coins, will pay for itself. Once it has done that, the additional money that it brings in will benefit the centennial activities of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, as well as helping with some of the repairs of the Juliette Gordon Low birthplace, her childhood home, which is located in Savannah, Georgia.

I think I, like so many people, have great memories of Girl Scouts, even though I wasn't one. My sisters, Betty, Barbara, and Jean, were all Girl Scouts, and they all wore their Brownie uniforms and then their Girl Scout uniforms, and my mother was one of the--I want to say den mother, and, Madam Speaker, I don't know the exact title, but she was a consultant--a leader. A great Girl Scout on the front row, Ms. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, has corrected me. But they had those sashes. And I was a Y-boy and we didn't get sashes.

We didn't get to earn merit badges. But I always thought what a great system of training people. And of course, Girl Scouts got to sell the cookies, of which I not only did not have to sell, but I got to eat. So I got two great benefits from them, and so many other people did the same.

Girl Scout cookies actually started in December 1917, and that was when the Mistletoe Troop in Muskogee, Oklahoma, started baking cookies, and they sold them in their high school that year. And then it grew in the 1920s and the 1930s, Girl Scouts followed suit all over the country and started to sell them. They sold them for 25 and 35 cents a dozen and in time had 11 varieties. And can I get a favorite? I think everybody would vote on a bipartisan basis, it is the Thin Mint.

I will be happy to yield to my friend.

See, Madam Speaker, only the Girl Scouts could bring such bipartisan fellowship here so quickly in a bill.

Juliette Gordon Low was an amazing historical figure. She was actually nicknamed Daisy as a child. Her parents were early settlers, on the dad's side from Georgia, and her mother's family came from Chicago. She was born on Halloween in 1860 and grew up during the Civil War in the difficult Reconstruction period in the Deep South. Her father owned a big house, and she developed a fondness as a child for writing poems, sketching, painting. She acted in plays and became a sculptor and a blacksmith.

Her brother, George Arthur Gordon, described her this way: She was deeply religious, quite superstitious, and a confirmed hero worshiper. Underneath her bubbling, irrepressible gaiety, there was a deep, generous, loyal, loving, striving, brave, self-sacrificing personality. She had her full share of slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, and she not only met them, as the poet advised, by opposing, but in every crisis of her life she faced fate with a smiling defiance that was simply sublime. And that's from somebody who would know her well.

As a child, she started a group called Helping Hands to help make clothes for the poor. She grew up in Savannah but went to a boarding school in Virginia. She made her debut in Savannah and enjoyed the good life. She married a young man which her parents weren't really crazy about because of their age, but they went ahead and got married and I guess, showing her streak of independence, got married on her parents' 29th wedding anniversary date, December 21, 1886, and got married in Christ Episcopal Church, where she was also christened and later would be buried.

Juliette Gordon Low had a hearing problem, and when she was leaving the church, at her wedding, on her wedding day, rice was being thrown, and one found itself lodged in her ear. It caused a problem which caused her to lose much of her hearing, and she went through life almost deaf, which later served her, though, because, as a fundraiser, she could pretend to not understand when people said ``no'' when she was asking for money for the Girl Scouts, so she would persevere and get more money from them.

But an interesting thing happened to Juliette Gordon Low on the way to a good life. After the Spanish American War, her marriage fell apart, and when it did, she wasn't sure what her sense of direction would be and actually considered being a sculptor. But in 1911, she met Sir Robert Baden-Powell who, as we know, started the Boy Scouts in England, and he told Ms. Low about a sister organization that his own biological sister had started in England called the Girl Guides. He recommended to her that she do the same thing.

So, as Mr. Foster has said, when she came back to America on March 12, 1912, she started the Girl Scouts of America, and actually wrote a friend a note and said, come right over; I have something for all the girls of Savannah and all America and all the world, and we're going to start it tonight. And they did start it. And by the time she died, there were 168,000 members of the Girl Scouts from that first 18.

The impact that they had has been national and international. Girl Scouts have been all over the map, and their history has followed the history of the United States. They collected clothes during the Depression. They made quilts. They carved wood toys. They gathered food for the poor. They assisted in hospitals. They participated in food drives and canning programs, provided meals to undernourished program, and in World War II, they operated a bicycle courier service and invested more than 48,000 hours in farm aid projects, collected fat and scrap metal, and grew victory gardens. They also collected 1\1/2\ million articles of clothing that were shipped overseas to children and adult victims of the war.

Nearly 100 years ago this happened, and yet Juliette Gordon Low's legacy of friendship, education and ideals is today shared by 3.8 million girls and women. We should be very proud to live in a country where such an organization exists, and I am proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation.

I rise to honor the Girl Scouts of the United States and their founder, Juliette Gordon Low. H.R. 621 would create a Girl Scouts Commemorative Coin in celebration of their 100th Birthday. Proceeds of this coin will benefit Centennial activities and the Birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low.

Today, the Girl Scouts are known for their cookies--of course--and their blue, green, or brown scouting uniforms, but most importantly, the Girl Scouts are known for their dedication in growing and nurturing life skills of young women around the globe. Scouts can earn over 300 badges and awards throughout their journey as a Scout for completing tasks which expand areas of knowledge and experience. These badges vary from Computer Smarts, to Money Sense, to First Aid, to Sports and Games, and Heritage. Girl Scouts number nearly 3.8 million--2.8 million girl members and 963,000 adult members.

Although cookie sales are the most recognized Girl Scouting Activity, they started on a much smaller scale. Girl Scout Cookies had their earliest beginnings in the kitchens of Scouts themselves--with their mothers' assistance. The earliest mention of a cookie sale found to date was by the Mistletoe Troop in Muskogee, Oklahoma, which baked cookies and sold them in its high school cafeteria as a service project in December 1917. In the 1920s and 1930s, Girl Scouts in different parts of the country continued to bake their own simple sugar cookies with their mothers. These cookies were packaged in wax paper bags, sealed with a sticker, and sold door to door for 25 to 35 cents per dozen. This project has now expanded to 11 varieties of cookies, with Thin Mints as the annual favorite.

Selling cookies began just five years after Juliette Gordon Low started Girl Scouts in the United States in 1912. The Founder, Juliet Gordon, was born in Savannah, Georgia on Halloween 1860. Affectionately called ``Daisy'' (which is now the name of the youngest troop designation) by family and close friends, Juliette's paternal family were early settlers in Georgia and her mother's family played an important role in the founding of Chicago. She was the second of 6 children and grew up during the difficult era of the Civil War and Reconstruction.

Daisy spent her early years in Wayne-Gordon House in Savannah, Georgia. In 1818, Savannah Mayor James Moore Wayne, later a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, purchased a double house lot on the northeast corner of Bull and South Broad streets. The house constructed for Wayne at a cost of $6,500, consisted of a two-story, double town house over a raised basement. In 1831, James Moore Wayne sold the house to his niece, Sarah Stites Anderson Gordon, and her husband, William Washington Gordon I, Daisy's parents. Today, this is the location of the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace and Girl Scout museum.

In this house, young Daisy developed a lifetime interest in the arts--wrote poems, sketched, wrote and acted in plays, and later became a skilled painter, sculptor, and blacksmith. She had many pets throughout her life and was particularly fond of exotic birds, Georgia mockingbirds, and dogs. Daisy was also known for her great sense of humor. Her brother, George Arthur Gordon, described her this way, ``She was deeply religious, quite superstitious and a confirmed hero worshiper. Underneath her bubbling, irrepressible gaiety, there was a deep, generous, loyal, loving, striving, brave, self-sacrificing personality. She had her full share of slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, and she not only met them as the poet advised, by opposing, but in every crisis of her life she faced fate with a smiling defiance that was simply sublime.''

Her dedication to the community started at a young age. As a teenager, Juliette formed her first organization, the ``Helping Hands'', whose activities included making clothes for the poor. Juliette was a great organizer of people and situations, though not particularly organized herself.

Juliette attended school in Savannah, and moved to a boarding school at Virginia Female Institute (now Stuart Hall School) during her teens. She later attended Mlles Charbonniers, a French finishing school in New York City and traveled extensively in the United States and Europe after schooling. After her debut in Savannah, Daisy met the handsome and charming William Mackay Low--nicknamed Billow. Billow's father was an associate of Daisy's father and a prosperous British shipping tycoon with Savannah ties. Although her parents would never approve of a relationship between them, Daisy became convinced if she did not marry him, she would not marry at all. She characteristically continued to conceal her feelings from her family and friends; only revealing her innermost thoughts to her diary.

A year later, she became secretly engaged to Billow in January of 1886. When the engagement was revealed, her parents expectedly opposed the relationship as they felt that Billow was too spoiled and irresponsible to care for a wife and family. However, Daisy and Billow were both of age and Billow was bestowed with his father's fortune. On December 21, 1886--on her parents' 29th wedding anniversary--Juliette married Low at Christ Episcopal Church in Savannah, Georgia. She believed that, since her parents' marriage had been an idyllic one, the date would be lucky for her as well. During her wedding exit, a grain of good-luck rice became lodged in Daisy's ear. When trying to remove the rice, the doctor punctured the eardrum and damaged the nerve- endings resulting in a total loss of hearing in that ear at the age of 26. Her other ear had previously lost hearing because of an improperly treated abscess in 1885.

Juliette would later use her hearing impediment to her benefit. When asking for donations, she would purposely play deaf to not hear the word ``no.'' Instead, she would respond with the date she would come by to pick up the donation. However, her deafness did have an effect in certain social situations--during dinner function, a speaker rose to acknowledge Juliette. She became upset when the audience was not clapping at every pause, so she began clapping--unaware that the speaker was talking about her own accomplishments. A fellow diner had to stop her, as it is not proper to clap for yourself.

Putting difficulty aside, Juliette Low continued the luxurious life of a young Victorian lady during her married years in both England and Savannah. During the Spanish-American War, however, Juliette came back to America to aid in the war effort. She helped her mother organize a recovery hospital for wounded soldiers returning from Cuba. Her father (who had been a captain in the Confederate Army) was commissioned as a general in the U.S. Army and served on the Puerto Rican Peace Commission. At the end of the war, Juliette returned to England to a disintegrating marriage. The Lows were separated at the time of her husband's death in 1905.

Daisy considered herself to be a failure. She had no children, a failed marriage, and was left with little money from her husband. She was looking for something useful to do with her life and was considering becoming a professional sculptor when, in 1911, she met Sir Robert Baden-Powell. Sir Robert, a military hero with a keen interest in young people, was also a painter and sculptor, an interest he shared with Daisy.

He had begun a successful group in England known as the Boy Scouts. He was shocked to discover that 6,000 girls had joined the Boy Scouts, and urged his sister ``do something'' with the girls--so she began a parallel organization called Girl Guides. Sir Robert told Daisy about the two groups; she wrote in her diary after meeting him, ``He has ideas, which if I followed them, a more useful sphere of work might open before me in the

future.'' In 1912, Juliette returned to Savannah and called her cousin, principal of a local girl's school, and told her to ``Come right over! I have something for all the girls of Savannah, and all America, and all the world and we're going to start it tonight!''

That was the beginning of the Girl Scouts USA.

The first Girl Guide meeting in the U.S. was held March 12, 1912. The first two patrols (today known as troops) consisted of 18 girls. They wore the blue uniform of the British Girl Guides and used the same handbook as the British Guides. Juliette, an inveterate fund raiser, would use all sort of baited props to gain donations including a tomato tin with assorted Girl Scouts badges and awards to ``pin'' donors, and a hat decorated with root vegetables. When asked the purpose of her hat, she simply replied that she could not afford to properly decorate her hat as she donated most of her money to the Girl Scouts and then of course asked for an additional donation for the cause.

In 1913, the American girls decided they wanted their own identity and the name was changed to Girl Scouts and Juliette published the first handbook, ``How Girls Can Help Their Country; A Handbook for Girl Scouts.'' In her handbook, Daisy encouraged girls to participate in competitive sports and to develop career skills in short to BE PREPARED for life--still a guiding principle today. Juliette was also known for humorous antics such as standing on her head in a board meeting to show off the new Girl Scout shoes--a move usually saved for an ill niece or nephew.

During the mid-1920s, Juliette Low developed cancer, characteristically, she kept her illness hidden from family and friends. She served as President from 1915 until 1920 then she stepped down and assumed the role of the ``Founder'' of the Girl Scouts. In the 15 years that she worked with the organization, Girl Scouts grew from 18 members in Savannah to 168,000 members nationally.

Juliette Low was honored for her contributions on Georgia Day, February 12, 1926 by the city of Savannah and the state of Georgia in a large celebration held in Forsythe Park. She was able to attend the World Conference of Girl Guide and Girl Scouts in 1926 held at Edith Macy Girl Scout National Center just outside of New York City. Following the conference, she took a trip back to England to say good- bye to her friends. She died at her home on Lafayette Square on January 17, 1927 at the age of 66. Her funeral was held at Christ Church--the same in which she was married and christened--and was attended by hundreds of community members and her beloved Girl Scouts. She is buried in Laurel Grove Cemetery in the Gordon Family plot.

Throughout America's history, the Girl Scouts have reacted to many differing needs During World War I, girls learned about food production and conservation, sold war bonds, worked in hospitals, and collected peach pits for use in gas mask filters. By 1920, there were nearly 70,000 Girl Scouts nationwide, including the territory of Hawaii and new Girl Scout badges included Economist and Interpreter, and revisions already were being made to the Journalist and Motorist badges. Girl Scouts led community relief efforts during the Great Depression by collecting clothing, making quilts, carving wood toys, gathering food for the poor, assisting in hospitals, participating in food drives and canning programs, and providing meals to undernourished children. During WWII, Girl Scouts operated bicycle courier services, invested more than 48,000 hours in Farm Aide projects, collected fat and scrap metal, and grew Victory Gardens. They also collected 1.5 million articles of clothing that were then shipped overseas to children and adult victims of war.

Today, nearly 100 years later, Juliet Gordon Low's legacy of friendship, education, and ideals is shared and perpetuated by over 3.8 million currently registered Girl Scouts and, through USA Girl Scouts Overseas, her influence extends around the world. Every day, the Girl Scouts help mold young women and girls throughout our Nation by empowering them with knowledge and experience. This organization allows girls from all backgrounds to benefit from enriching experiences such as field trips, sporting activities, cultural exchanges, and volunteer work. In its near 100 years, more than 50+ million American women befitted from Girl Scouting in their childhood.

In addition to their National and global success, many former members carry the Girl Scouts legacy. One-third of female elected officials and almost 80% of female CEOs were Girl Scouts, in addition to sports stars, astronauts, presidential families, cartoonists, singers, actresses, Olympic medalists, and even a Supreme Court Justice.

I am honored to support the Girl Scouts 100 years, their dedicated Founder Juliette Gordon Low, and the crucial principles which they instill in each and every Girl Scout member. I wish them another 100 years of success.

Below I have listed some of the more famous Girl Scouts. But most of all I want to give special thanks to Allison Thigpen who helped with the passage of this legislation and without it would not be possible to bring H.R. 621 to the floor.

Bellamy, Carol--Executive Director, UNICEF

Dole, Elizabeth--Former President, American Red Cross

Katen, Karen--Vice President, Pfizer

Marram, Ellen--Former President, Tropicana

Bush, Laura--Wife of President George Bush, Jr (43rd

President)

Clinton, Chelsea--Daughter of Bill Clinton (42nd President)

Gore, Tipper--Wife of former VP Al Gore

Johnson Robb, Lynda,--Daughter of Lyndon B. Johnson (36th

President)

Johnson Turpin, Luci,--Daughter of Lyndon B. Johnson (36th

President)

Kennedy, Ethel--Wife of Robert Kennedy (Presidential

candidate)

Nixon Cox, Tricia--Daughter of Richard Nixon (37th

President)

Nixon Eisenhower, Julie--Daughter of Richard Nixon (37th

President)

Reagan, Nancy--Wife of Ronald Reagan (40th President)

Rodham Clinton, Hillary--Wife of Bill Clinton (42nd

President)

Albright, Madeleine--former US Secretary of State

Napolitano, Janet--D-AZ; Former Governor

Collins, Lt Col Eileen--1st Woman Space Shuttle Commander

Astronaut

6 American Astronauts

Day O'Connor, Sandra--Associate Justice, US Supreme Court

Jones, Starr--Co-host, ``The View'', ABC-TV

Sweeney, Anne--President, Disney/ABC Cable Network

Walters, Barbara--Anchorwoman of ABC ``20/20''

Allison, Jacqueline--Rear Admiral/Navy

Edmunds, Jeanette--Colonel, US Army War Reserve

Elliot, Carol C.--Brigadier General, USAF

Engel, Joan--Rear Admiral, Director, Health & Safety

Fishburne, Lillian--Rear Admiral/Navy

Frost, Kathy--The Adjutant General of the Army

Johnson, Joyce--Rear Admiral, Director, Health & Safety

Kirkpatrick, Jeanne--Former US Ambassador to the United

Nations

McGann, Barbara--Rear Admiral/Navy

Paige, Kathleen K--RADM, VSN

Stierle, Linda--Brigadier General

Widnall, Sheila--US Secretary of Air Force--retired

Williamson, Myrna, Gen.--Retired Army General

Bergen, Candace--Actress

Crow, Sheryl--Singer/Songwriter

Fisher, Carrie--Actress, Author

Lucci, Susan--Actress

Merchant, Natalie--Singer, Songwriter

Reynolds, Debbie--Actress

Stewart, Martha--TV Personality; Martha Stewart Living

Moore, Ann--Publisher, ``People'' magazine

Dion, Celine--Singer

Moore, Mary Tyler--Actress

Fanning, Dakota--Actress

Ackerman, Valede--Women's National Basketball

Bell, Judy--Former President, US Golf Association; amateur

golfer

Blair, Bonnie--'94 Gold Olympian Speed Skater

Fleming, Peggy--'68 figure skating gold Olympian

Hamill, Dorothy--'76 figure skating gold Olympian

Joyner-Kersee, Jacqueline--'88 Long Jump Gold Olympian

MacMillan, Shannon--Women's World Cup Member

Marquis, Gail--Olympic Basketball Medalist; basketball

commentator

McPeak, Holly--Beach Pro Volleyball

McTiernan, Kerri-Ann--1st woman coach men's basketball

Powell, Renee--1st African American Golf Player on LPGA

Redman, Susie--Pro-golfer

Rigby-Mason, Cathy--Olympic Gymnast & TV Commentator

St. John Deane, Bonnie--Paralympic Snow Skiing Medalist

St. James, Lyn--Auto Racing; '92 Indy 500 ``Rookie of the

Year''

Williams, Venus--Tennis Champion

Dove, Rita--'93 US Poet Laureate

Steinem, Gloria--Author

Brandon, Barbara--Cartoonist

Gist, Carole--1st African American Miss USA

Whitestone, Heather--Miss America, '95

Thigpen, Allison--Hill Staffer Extraordinaire

Girl Scout Members of Congress

Baldwin, Tammy--D-WI; House

Biggert, Judy--R-IL; House

Bono, Mary--R-CA; House

Capps, Lois--D-CA; House

Chenoweth, Helen--R-ID; House

Christensen, Donna--D-VI; House

Clayton, Eva--D-NC; House

Collins, Susan--D-ME; Senate

Cubin, Barbara--R-WY; House

DeGette, Diana--D-CO; House

Emerson, JoAnn--R-MO; House

Eshoo, Anna G.--D-CA; House

Fowler, Tillie--R-FL; House

Granger, Kay--R-TX; House

Hutchison, Kay Bailey--R-TX; Senate

Jackson-Lee, Sheila--D-TX; House

Johnson, Eddie Bernice--D-TX; House

Kaptur, Marcy--D-OH; House

Kilpatrick, Carolyn Cheeks--D-MI; House

Landrieu, Mary--D-LA; Senate

Lee, Barbara--D-CA; House

Lincoln, Blanche--D-AR; Senate

Lowey, Nita--D-NY; House

McCarthy, Carolyn--D-NY; House

McCarthy, Karen--D-MO; House

Meek, Carrie P.--D-FL; House

Mikulski, Barbara--D-MD; Senate

Millender-McDonald, Juanita--D-CA; House

Mink, Patsy--D-HI; House

Murray, Patty--D-WA; Senate

Myrick, Sue--R-NC; House

Northup, Anne--R-KY; House

Pryce, Deborah--R-OH; House

Rodham Clinton, Hillary--D-NY; Senate

Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana--R-FL; House

Roukema, Marge--R-NJ; House

Sanchez, Loretta--D-CA; House

Schakowsky, Jan--D-IL; House

Slaughter, Louise M.--D-NY; House

Stabenow, Deborah--D-MI; House

Tauscher, Ellen O.--D-CA; House

Thurman, Karen L.--D-FL; House

Tubbs Jones, Stephanie--D-OH; House

Wilson, Heather--R-NM; House

Woolsey, Lynn--D-CA; House

I reserve the balance of my time.

Will my friend yield a minute?

I just was wondering, can you put those in vanilla ice cream and crunch them the same way you can the Thin Mints? Can you say in your heart of hearts they really have the substance and the property that you're looking for as you bite down? I'm only asking.

Well, let me say to my friend, I stand instructed, and I appreciate being schooled today.

I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Paulsen).

I yield 20 more seconds to the gentleman only because he's a Thin Mint person.

Madam Speaker, if I could ask an inquiry of my friend from Texas.

Now, you have not said which cookie is your favorite. You did kind of sidestep it, saying they were all gourmet, but Mr. Foster and I just want to know.

I yield the gentlewoman 2 minutes on this very important issue.

I would ordinarily tell my friend I am a little disappointed. However, inasmuch as you have explained it so eloquently, I will say we'll give the shortbread honorable mention here.

And I saw Mr. Gingrey raised his hand as a shortbread guy himself.

I yield to the gentlelady.

Madam Speaker, we have no other speakers. I was going to finish a statement real quickly and then yield back the balance of our time.

And I wanted to say with Ms. Jackson-Lee here and Ms. Ileana Ros- Lehtinen that these are two of our Girl Scout Members. I have a list of other Members who I will be submitting for the Record.

But also, Madam Speaker, I want to say that this bill also contains a pair of coin-related technical corrections, one of which allows an extension in the sale of the proof set contained in the 2009 Abraham Lincoln bicentennial one-cent coins because of a manufacturing glitch which slowed down the production of approved sets. Taken together, though, this bill is still budget neutral.

The Senate counterpart bill has more than 70 cosponsors, and I expect swift consideration of this bill there as well.

And so, Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Eldon Roth, a celebrated and respected member of the agricultural community. I am privileged to be joined by the distinguished Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro in recognizing Mr. Roth. It is a remarkable day indeed when we can both wholeheartedly endorse the same objective.

Growing up in rural South Dakota, Eldon Roth learned the values of a strong work ethic and perseverance. Lacking access to electricity and running water in his home, he never allowed the limitations of sheer circumstance to hinder his pursuit for excellence. Eldon and his wife Regina, who is his business partner, started their business in San Francisco back in the 1970s. A self-educated man who never accepted the status quo, Mr. Roth occupied his spare time by employing his understanding of mechanics to improve the efficiency of the meat freezing process.

This focus led him to working with stainless steel firms in the area to develop a large drum. His natural mechanical genius devised a way to liquefy the meat product at the lowest possible temperature. The FMI Roller Press Freezer, a huge piece of equipment, was a new concept for the continuous quick-freezing of ground meats and other similar consistency products. Through his work, the freezing process was trimmed from two days to a matter of mere minutes. It revolutionized the industry and standardized the quick-chill process that now assures high levels of food safety.

Over the years, Mr. Roth continued his innovating work and as a selfless man of integrity, he takes time to share his discoveries with other meat processors to protect consumer health. Mr. Roth has not only developed unique ways to increase the value of beef and pork, but he led a revolution in equipment design. By taking great pride in his work, Mr. Roth undoubtedly raised the bar in terms of excellence for the U.S. meat and poultry processing industry.

Today, the company Mr. Roth founded, Beef Products Inc. is the world's leading producer of boneless beef. Mr. Roth's impact in the market of beef and poultry has justly earned him multiple awards. BPI has built plants in Texas, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska. He is a recipient of a 2008 Beef Industry Division award presented by the National Cattlemen's Foundation as well as the recipient of the 2007 E. Floyd Forbes Award, the highest honor from the National Meat Association.

Along with founding the world's leading producer of high-quality lean-beef trimmings, Mr. Roth made sure to give back to the local community. Last year, Mr. Roth organized an event in Sioux City, Iowa where he hosted a prime rib appreciation dinner Salute to the 185th Refueling Wing of the Iowa Air National Guard. He had about 1,500 Guardsmen with their families and guests to attend at the BPI aircraft hangar, and he and his company staff cooked hot roast beef for everyone! One of his special guests was Congressional Award winner Col. Bud Day, along with other local dignitaries.

Mr. Roth is known as a self-made man who possesses unequaled discipline, drive, and discernment. He is successfully building a legacy of generosity by giving back to the people of his own community. I am proud to stand here today, shoulder to shoulder with Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, to honor Eldon Roth of South Dakota.

Mr. Speaker, as a Savannahian, I am very proud to support this resolution and thank all of the authors of it. I want to say it is somewhat of a shock that we haven't already done this resolution in past Congresses, and so I am very glad we are doing it today. Many of my remarks have already been said, but I think it is well worth reviewing everything.

Casimir Pulaski was a man who fought for freedom on two different continents and is given the title ``Soldier of Liberty.'' He has been honored all over the United States with numerous streets and bridges and roads. In Savannah, we have an 11-foot obelisk that shows where he is buried as his grave and a Civil War fort named after him.

He was born March 4, 1747, in Poland and came from a family of knightly traditions. The Pulaskis took part in the victorious wars by King John III Sobieski against the Turks in the 17th century. By age 21, Casimir Pulaski proved to be a true military talent, fighting in battles across the European continent.

In 1776, Pulaski learned of America's struggle for independence, and as has been said, he met Benjamin Franklin in Paris and learned of the struggle. Inspired by freedom's call, he joined General George Washington in the cause of the American Revolution in 1776 and was soon commissioned as brigadier general. General Pulaski recruited and trained a special corps of American, Polish, Irish, French, and German troops, and became known as the ``Father of the American Cavalry.''

In 1778, he received his commission, and in 1779, he was ordered to South Carolina to support the American General Benjamin Lincoln. Benjamin Lincoln also has a street named after him in Savannah. They reached Charleston in May and helped defend the city against British attack. Later that year, Pulaski joined forces with Lincoln, who was assisted by a French force to defend Savannah.

Pulaski was mortally wounded in that battle on October 9, 1779, but there are actually two stories about how he died. Many believe that he was taken to sea and died 2 days later on board the American ship the Wasp en route to Charleston on October 11. Indeed, there were two people who were wounded and put on the ships because they did not want the British to know which ship was actually carrying Pulaski. So there was a decoy ruse.

The story, though, that we have grown to believe is actually true is

that he died on October 15 and was buried at Greenwich Plantation just outside of Savannah. He was exhumed in 1853 and his remains were placed in the cornerstone of Pulaski Monument.

In 1996, the remains were exhumed again and DNA tests were run to determine if they were indeed General Pulaski's. Some of the smartest people of our day have determined that those bones from the DNA tests were probably General Pulaski's.

Several years ago, October 11, as we know, was named General Pulaski Memorial Day. I think we can be very proud that we are doing what I consider unfinished business to honor someone who has meant so much to the cause of American liberty and to liberty all around the globe. I am very proud to be part of this, and I want to invite everybody to come to Savannah and see Pulaski Monument and we will give you a little tour of the town and take you out to the Thunderbolt, where the USS Wasp departed from when he was on board.

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

I want to tell a story about Kika de la Garza who at one time was chairman of the Ag Committee. Chairman de la Garza came down to Georgia and visited the Kings Bay nuclear submarine plant. At that time, as it still is, our nuclear submarine plant was a marvel of technology and was really a floating and submerged fortress that was one of the most powerful weapons on the globe today.

He asked the captain, Tell me about this nuclear generator. Well, the generator goes on and on, and of course nuclear is a very powerful source of fuel. He said, Well, what would make you turn the submarine around? If the nuclear generation can make this submarine go all over the globe without stopping, without ever having to stop to refuel, what makes you go back to port? And the captain of the nuclear submarine looked at the chairman of the Agriculture Committee with some amazement and amusement and said, Well, Mr. Chairman, we turn around when we run out of food. That's a very profound statement. It's something that as we debate this bill, I think we should be aware of.

Our agricultural policies can be a little peculiar, can be a little bit difficult to follow, and can be open to a lot of criticism, but our food policy works. We have a large food supply, an abundant food supply at very low prices. Indeed, when you go into a grocery store, you complain if you can't get fruit 12 months a year or if the milk isn't at a good price or whatever it is. We have a good food policy in America and, as a result, we spend more time talking about obesity than we do hunger. So I think all Members should be very appreciative of the Ag appropriations conference report. We all support it in some fashion, sometimes not necessarily casting a vote ``yes,'' but the vote, nonetheless, isn't indicative of how we feel about the importance of agriculture.

I have some concerns about this bill. We have worked very closely as a subcommittee. We've had a lot of hearings. The chairwoman is a very vigorous, energized member and has a lot of passion on lots of different issues. We have a lot of great agreements and a lot of disagreements on some things that she feels passionately about and some things I feel passionately about. As she has mentioned, we both have very strong staffs on the majority and on the minority side. We're very appreciative of that, and I think we have got a good ag family. My concerns about this bill though, Mr. Speaker, focus on the spending levels.

This bill was higher than last year when it left the House, and now it's again higher, now that it's come back to the House from the Senate. The bill is nearly 14 percent higher than it was last year. The discretionary spending level is $23.3 billion, and it's about $2.8 billion over last year's level. The mandatory spending is 11 percent higher than 2009. Combined, the mandatory and the discretionary spending levels are about 12 percent higher than last year. I'm concerned about that because, you know, food prices haven't gone up that much.

Think about Social Security. Our seniors will not be receiving a COLA this year because, among other things, Social Security is based on inflation, which has a reflection of food. So they are scheduled not to receive a COLA, and yet people on food stamps are going to get a huge increase. I find that bothersome. If we look at some of the individual accounts, I could tick them off. But I would just say, if you look at some things, why is the spending up so high?

Well, take broadband. Broadband has about $4 million in it this year, yet in the stimulus package which was passed--the stimulus package which was financed not on tax dollars but on borrowed dollars and printed dollars. It's a package that our children's children will be paying for. In that package, the Rural Utility Service received $2.5 billion, not to mention another $2.5 billion--actually, about $3 billion--that was in another account that the Department of Commerce will be funding. None of that has been spent yet. So we've got $6 billion to $7 billion in broadband that came out of the stimulus bill that has not been used, yet this bill gives them another $4.5 billion. That defies common sense.

Food stamps, this bill has $4.3 billion more than 2009. Half of the mandatory spending is in food stamps, $58.3 billion. But in the stimulus bill, food stamps received a $19 billion slug of money. It wasn't because of an increase in food prices. It was allegedly because of new enrollment or anticipated new enrollment. But this bill still gives food stamps an increase. It's ironic, because one of the things this bill also does in reaction to falling milk prices is it gives the dairy farmers more money. So we're giving people who get food stamps an increase.

This bill does not fund Social Security, but just to think about this in a sequence, Social Security recipients do not get an increase; food stamp recipients do get an increase because of a rise in food costs and dairy farmers get money because of falling dairy prices. That's not consistent. I think we could do better than that.

Food for Peace gets $1.69 billion. That's an increase of $462 million on top of what they just got in the stimulus bill of $700 million. I don't think that is justified at this point in time. So I have some real concerns about our spending. Keep in mind that the Obama administration will have the historical record of the highest deficit in the history of the United States Congress, three times as high as the highest deficit in the history of the United States. I want to repeat that. The Obama-Pelosi deficit will be $1.5 trillion this year. That's three times as high as the highest deficit in the history of the United States of America.

Now, we had an opportunity to save some money. We had an opportunity to save $150 million, but instead, what we did in the conference report was air-drop five new pilot programs: a summer food program for $85 million; equipment assistance program, $25 million; WIC breast-feeding outreach at about $5 million; nutrition outreach for day care, $8 million; and direct certification expansion of $25 million. These programs may have some merit. Perhaps we can easily get these programs passed by Members of the House and Members of the Senate, but they did not come through the authorizing committee. They did not come through the Ag Committee. They were not debated. There were not hearings on it. They were air-dropped in this committee, and I'm not convinced that the administration formally asked for them.

There was a lot of discussion about these so-called pilot programs. But why not give the money back to the taxpayers? Why not say, Okay, we have got $150 million. Let's not go out and create new programs because we know what happens to new programs. Ronald Reagan said it best. He said, If you don't believe in eternal life, try killing a Federal program. It's impossible. You find out how many people have a brother- in-law who works for the particular agency anytime you try to kill any program whatsoever.

So I'm very concerned about the spending of the Obama-Pelosi team, and it has less to do with the Ag appropriations bill but much more to do with the direction of Congress. So my worry about this bill was really tied into a bigger picture of spending.

As I said, I think we've done a good job this year. We've worked hard on a lot of things. Many of these accounts are things that I would fight for and I would certainly support 100 percent of what we're doing with them. But I am concerned about the big picture, because when I talk about that big Pelosi-Obama deficit of $1.5 trillion, that doesn't even talk about the $1.29 trillion health care bill that we will be facing soon, which I would say that even if you think a public option is great, if you think that the government who brought us Cash for Clunkers can run health care, you've still got to step back and say, But can you afford it?

So as we look at these appropriations bills, I think more and more people in America are saying, You know what? You Republicans spent too much money, but doggone it if it's not on supercharge right now. You've got to do something about it.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I'll reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would just like to make the point that an earmark that has not been vetted by the subcommittee, not been voted on by the full committee and appears in a conference report is an air- dropped earmark. In this case, the Education and Labor Committee debated these, but they never voted on it. And if they did vote on it, we could have had the vote on the House floor on suspension.

Maybe we could say it's an unauthorized earmark, but it did not come through the House, did not come through the Senate. It appeared in conference committee. And as my friend knows, I have been very steadfast and maybe the only Republican to constantly compliment the majority on a very good job of reducing the number of earmarks. In fact, I have said that at the subcommittee level, at the full committee level, and at the conference committee level. So credit where credit is due. But I really think on this one these things have been air dropped because they did not come through our committee and they did not come through the Senate. Maybe there's a better word than ``air dropped,'' but they were not voted on by the committee.

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about some of the great research that we have done in agriculture which I think is important.

A few years ago I was talking to an ag researcher down in south Georgia, and he's an entomologist and has been doing some work with wasps, and he found out that wasps react differently around gunpowder. And it was a fascinating study because they thought maybe there would be an application in the war on terrorism with wasps, and they might be cheaper than using these very expensive canine dogs to sniff cars. I thought that's pretty interesting. I don't know how they're going to do it. I don't want wasps let loose in my car the way these dogs are. But that's just one example of some of the research that's being done that could potentially save us money.

Another example of some of the great research is, take a city like New Orleans. They have a huge problem with subterranean termites. Termites are a fascinating animal. The more you learn about it, the more you appreciate them. They actually can change sexes. They can live underground in colonies for years and years. But when they run out of wood, they start burrowing holes in all directions trying to find another piece of wood, and when they can't find one, they start coming up to our foundation. Now, that is millions of dollars a year, millions of dollars a year that we have in termite damage that this bill seeks to study.

Another thing, and it doesn't affect my friend up in Connecticut, but everybody in the South who has ever eaten a proper breakfast with grits knows that if you leave the grits in the cabinet too long, it doesn't matter how good your bug spray is. There are grubs coming up. I know I shouldn't be telling you this before I invite you over to eat at my house. But a problem in any household that has flour or something is that after a while, if you leave it on the shelf, you start getting these bugs that get in it. And you wonder how do they get in there? They actually come as part of the meal, and that's not the meal you eat but the meal from the meal. And the question is, how do you stop that problem? Ag research is doing that kind of work, and it's an example of some of the things that we're looking at in this bill.

So while we do have some disagreements on the funding, we both believe passionately, as Mr. Farr said, let the smart guys with the white coats in the back room study these things and come up with new inventions and new technologies.

At the University of Georgia one of the labs is studying getting fuel from algae. And, of course, we know algae can be a problem. If they can figure out how to make fuel out of it, it would be a wonderful thing. Kudzu, a plant that we actually imported from China maybe 60 or 70 years ago to stop erosion in the South, has grown wild, and yet the University of Tennessee is trying to figure out can you get fuel from kudzu?

They're doing the same thing with pine trees. Can you make cellulosic ethanol out of pine trees and, if so, a State like Georgia, which is about 66 percent in trees, we would become the Saudi Arabia of cellulosic ethanol. So it would be a great thing.

We're excited about this. There are so many great mysteries that we have yet to solve in our plants and animal world that this bill does study.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

If my friend will yield.

The great thing about really great grits is you put cheese in them.

But the invitation is open.

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

I just wanted to thank the Chair and the majority staff for all of the good

work. We have had a very good process. I congratulate you on passing this bill as among the very first--and let the record show that if it was up to Agriculture, we would adjourn on time, whenever that may be.

And also I want to thank you for working with us on poultry, as Mr. Davis said. It's very, very important to particular States especially. And having a Chinese market is important but at the same time--you know, what Ms. Kaptur said is very interesting. She said we don't need to be importing food; we need to produce our own food and then exporting that which is left. And yet as important as that is economically, you have always focused on the food safety as you should as the number one value. And I think that's important because if you are importing or exporting food that is not inspected and it is not at the highest quality and standard of food safety, then we're not doing our job.

So I certainly commend you for keeping that bar very high, and yet we were able to work something out. I've enjoyed the whole process.

My concern with the bill--as you know I've been very open about it-- has something to do beyond this room, if you will, in terms of the spending picture. But having been in the majority, I know that your job is to come together with lots of different factions and philosophies, and I think you have done a great job on it. I am proud to be your ranking member and look forward to a long relationship, and you are going to love my grits.

I yield back the balance of my time.