Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I thank my friend from South Carolina for yielding. He is one of the great Members of Congress of our time, and this is a vitally important debate.

Our first speaker on our side talking about fiscal responsibility will be my good friend and colleague from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind), for 1 minute.

Mr. Chairman, I thank my friend from Wisconsin.

I thank the Chair. I yield now 3 minutes to my friend and colleague and fellow Blue Dog, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Ford).

Mr. Chairman, in the time remaining, I am a Blue Dog, I am cochair of the Blue Dogs. Every Blue Dog has a sign outside his or her office that lists the debt, $8.3 trillion, and each American's share of that debt.

It is very important that all Americans recognize the liabilities that this administration has added to our backs. Mr. Spratt said earlier, $3 trillion of this have been added just in the last 4 or 5 years. It took America the first 204 years of its history to get $1 trillion in debt. Now we are doing it about every 18 months.

But don't take my word for it. Don't take the Blue Dogs' word. Look at a book just written by one of the most conservative Republican economists in America, Bruce Bartlett. It is called ``Imposter: How George W. Bush Bankrupted America and Betrayed the Reagan Legacy.'' Now, you might say, well, he is a disgruntled economist, although I would urge everybody who cares about our fiscal future to read this book.

Look at this one. This is from President George W. Bush's Department of Treasury, and they are so proud of this document that it was delivered to this body on Christmas Eve without a press release. In this document, you discover that the deficit last year was not the $319 billion that these gentlemen will admit to, it was $760 billion, over twice as large, and the unfunded liability for America approaches $46 trillion. And this is not according to a Democrat or a disgruntled Republican, this is according to the Secretary of Treasury of the United States.

So it is a vitally important debate, Mr. Chairman. We need fiscal sanity to return in this country.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Mr. Bishop; my friend, Mr. Keller; and also Mr. Porter. This is a truly bipartisan resolution. As has been explained, it expresses the sense of the Congress of the United States that music should be a key part of the curriculum of every public school for every child. Music is vitally important for the education of our young people, and this expresses the sense of this great body, this institution, that it must be a part of our school systems.

Mr. Speaker, I have the privilege of representing Nashville, Tennessee. That is also known as Music City USA, so you would know that I would be for a resolution like this, but all of us should be, in both parties. In the other body, Senator Hatch and Senator Feinstein are likely to be the leads on the legislation, but I hope that every school district across this country, every parent will realize the importance of music as a key part of the curriculum, not a luxury add-on, but a key part of their child's education.

All of us love sports, and most all our schools have pretty good athletic programs. A lot of focus is put on that. But the chance of a child actually becoming a successful pro athlete is sometimes pretty small, whereas the chance of a child who has the ability to learn music, of whatever type, it might be band, it might be piano, or chorus or

voice, there are a variety of opportunities, the chance is probably far greater that that child will be able to go on and develop some sort of career in the musical field; or perhaps music will be a hobby, an add- on to their career.

Some of the most successful people in the world, such as software engineers and mathematicians, other folks like that, have music as a hobby, so it is a vitally important part of our curriculum. I think it is also an emotional need that so many of us have.

If anyone has seen the great movie, Mr. Holland's Opus, it helps show how young people, sometimes unlikely young people, can benefit from a musical education.

So I appreciate my friends across the aisle and my friend Mr. Bishop from Long Island championing this measure to make sure that music is a part of our curriculum in all of our schools for all of our students.

Mr. Speaker, beginning this weekend, more than 3,000 individuals will gather in my hometown of Nashville to celebrate one of the most exciting and fastest-growing segments of the music industry. While most people around the world think of Nashville--Music City--as the place to come to enjoy the best country and bluegrass music in the world, Nashville is also home to another powerful music force: the Gospel Music Association.

From April 1st through April 5th, Nashville will host Gospel Music Week. It is five days of concerts, worship services, performance showcases, educational seminars and exhibits, all culminating on Wednesday evening with the GMA Music Awards. Known as the Dove Awards, this year's ceremony will be held at the Grand Ole Opry House and hosted by Rebecca St. James and Kirk Franklin, both Grammy and Dove Award winners themselves. St. James and Franklin will also perform during the evening's program that will feature artists ranging from soulful gospel to guitar driven pop to powerful quartet harmonizing and more.

The sold-out event is a testimony to the popularity and power of gospel music today. Christian and gospel music sales have increased from $381 million in 1995 to over $700 million annually, an 80 percent increase over the last decade. Over 43.5 million units of Christian and gospel music CDs, cassettes, digital albums, and digital tracks were sold in 2005. That figure represents over 6 percent of all music sales in 2005 and ranks higher than Latin, Soundtracks, Jazz or Classical releases.

As John W. Styll, president of the Gospel Music Association has said, this growth in the Christian and gospel music isn't surprising. ``The heart of gospel music may be in the lyrics, but the soul is in the passion with which these artists perform.''

Clearly, the world is passionate about gospel music and the many outstanding artists who will appear in Nashville in the coming days. I salute each of these individuals, and the Gospel Music Association, as they prepare for the 37th Annual GMA Music Awards and Gospel Music Week and another year of inspiring performances that touch the hearts and souls of music lovers worldwide.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate an extraordinary group of young women from Wilson Central High School in Lebanon, Tennessee--the 2005-2006 Class AAA Girl's Basketball State Champions.

Of the 5 years Wilson Central High School has been in existence, the Lady Wildcats have been to three State championship tournaments. On March 11, 2006, they brought home the State title after defeating Shelbyville Central High School 44-38. The State championship is the school's first State title in any sport. The team finished a remarkable season with a 32-7 overall record. I am extremely proud of these outstanding young athletes for this great accomplishment.

These student-athletes should be honored not only for the feat of winning the Tennessee State Girl's Basketball Championship, but they should also be recognized for excelling in the classroom and maintaining a team grade point average of 3.61. This is certainly no easy task and I am proud of the way they have represented their school and hometown both on and off the basketball court.

On behalf of the Fifth Congressional District of Tennessee, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the following members of the Wilson Central High School girl's basketball team: freshmen Kelsey McGee, Lauren Wasson, Jasmine Hassell, sophomores Heather Simonis, Kristyn Clark, Sydney Ketcher, Rebecca Stewart, Cameryn Calhoun, Shelley Stewart and Rachel Stewart, juniors Tierney Jenkins, Lauren Farmer, Sara Williams and especially to the graduating seniors Elizabeth Martin, Breonna Brown, and Jenny Hall. I commend Nikki Eversole, Brittany Farmer, Courtney Chapman, Kayla White, Melanie Jones and Audriana Saddler for their hard work and contributions to the team.

I also salute their coaches--Head Coach Bud Brandon, his father and Assistant Coach Campbell Brandon, and Assistant Coaches Jay Holladay and Scott Moore for their commitment, expertise and leadership. Campbell Brandon coached the Lebanon High School Blue Devilettes to their State championship victory 35 years ago, in 1971. Today, he shares his son's pride for another team of amazing young women--the 2006 Wilson Central Lady Wildcats.

I applaud the tremendous achievements of these exceptional young players and wish them well in their endeavors on the basketball court and beyond.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert into the Record letters that the entire Tennessee Congressional Delegation recently sent to Alberto Gonzales, Attorney General of the United States and Michael O. Leavitt, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. These letters discuss the case of Cookeville v. Thompson and Section 5002 of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. The U.S. District Court decision in this case awarded 15 Tennessee hospitals up to $100 million in Medicare Disproportionate Share Hospital payments.

Congress of the United States,

Washington, DC, March 10, 2006.

Hon. Alberto Gonzales,

Department of Justice,

Washington, DC.

Dear Attorney General Gonzales: We are writing to express

our deep concern regarding the recent Motion filed by the

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to alter the

judgment in the case of Cookeville v. Thompson based on

Section 5002 of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA). As

you will recall, the U.S. District Court decision in this

case awarded 15 Tennessee hospitals up to $100 million in

Medicare Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments.

The U.S. District Court's ruling, which is now being

challenged, was based on its rejection of the Centers for

Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) DSH policy as a

violation of the Medicare statute. In CMS' 2000 policy

statement announcing the inclusion of certain expansion

population individuals in the DSH formula, CMS stated that

these individuals would only be included in the DSH

calculation prospectively. Hospitals challenged the

prospective nature of the policy and were awarded

compensation for patients treated prior to 2000.

At the recommendation of CMS, Congress included a provision

in the DRA ratifying the 2000 policy and its prospective

application. Tennessee hospitals expressed concern that court

decisions directing CMS to pay retroactively could be

appealed with the new law. During the reconciliation process,

however, CMS continually assured Congressional staff

verbally, and by electronic communication, that hospitals

which had been successful in litigation would still receive

payment. CMS asserted that the new provision would not affect

decided cases and would only be applied prospectively.

In its Motion, however, HHS cites the DRA as support for

the reversal of the Cookeville decision. There is no mention

that the regulation should only apply prospectively. In fact,

HHS' position suggests that recalculation of the DSH formula

should not have been required. Congress intended that this

provision would only be used prospectively. Thus, hospitals

that had been successful in litigation prior to passage of

the DRA would still receive payment. Considering the argument

made by HHS rests upon the DRA, and that it was our

understanding that this provision would not be used to appeal

decided cases, we request further explanation of what we

believe to be a serious miscommunication by CMS.

Thank you for your time and attention. We look forward to

your prompt response.

Sincerely,

William H. Frist, M.D., Majority Leader, United States

Senate, Zach Wamp, John Duncan, Jr., Jim Cooper, Marsha

Blackburn, Harold Ford, Lamar Alexander, William L.

Jenkins, Lincoln Davis, Bart Gordon, John Tanner,

Members of Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I have never made a speech like this before. I am cosponsor of this bill. I think like a businessman, because our companies do need uniformity and simplicity. But I am outraged that a bill like this would come through the House of Representatives without a single hearing. That is the job of Congress, to hold hearings, to find out the facts, to listen to the debate, to sometimes participate in the debate to hear the pros and cons.

I am wondering right now what the food industry is afraid of. Why are they trying to ram this piece of legislation through this House?

Now, if we were to have hearings, I may well vote for the bill because I am predisposed that way. It makes sense to me. But I am not for a cover-up, and that is exactly what you get when you have no hearings on legislation.

This body needs to do its job. So I would urge my colleagues and staff who are watching on television, reconsider, even if your boss has cosponsored this bill. Because what are we afraid of? We need hearings on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to my friend from Arkansas, and I appreciate his yielding to me. I am about to say something that very few people in America know. Hardly anyone in Congress knows it. This is not a partisan comment. I am about to reveal a document printed by this administration that received less distribution than the secret NSA domestic wiretapping activities of the administration.

This is a document that coincidentally was revealed sometime close to Christmas Eve last December. It is a document that was issued without a press release. There was no press notification about this at all. Instead of being like the budget that my friend from Arkansas showed, that was distributed to every Congressman, every Senator's office, with great fanfare, this document was distributed to fewer than 20 Members of the House and Senate. It probably went to about a dozen. It was mailed in. It was not noticed, apparently, by anyone.

And what does the document reveal? Well, first of all, this is it. When I called the Department of the Treasury, they laughed when I asked for multiple copies. This is the Financial Report of the United States Government 2005. This is the closest thing our Nation has to an annual report. Most Americans are familiar with those. All public companies are required to issue an annual report so that the shareholders can find out how the company is doing. Well, this is the annual report for America, and yet it was hidden in plain sight. Hardly anyone knows about this document.

The first page is signed by the Secretary of the Treasury, John Snow, and the first page reveals a pretty shocking fact. It reveals the fact that for all that Mike Ross was talking about, about our terrible debt and deficit situation, situations that are driving up interest rates and putting a terrible debt burden on the backs of our kids and grandkids, according to that green document my colleague from Arkansas held up, the deficit last year was $319 billion. That is a lot of money. That is ``b'' for billion, or ``b'' as in, boy, that is a lot of money. Well, guess what this document shows on its first page, signed by Secretary of the Treasury John Snow? The real deficit last year for 2005 was not $319 billion, it was, get this, $760 billion.

So there are two big questions here. Why did the administration try to hide this from Congress and the American people? Why was there no press release? Why did it receive minimal distribution? And, second, why is the Secretary of the Treasury so heavily at odds with another part of the administration, the Office of Management and Budget and the director there, John Bolton? How could one gentleman say that the deficit was $319 billion last year and another gentleman say it was $760 billion?

Well, the difference is this: the budget of the United States uses what is called cash accounting, and only the tiniest businesses in America are even allowed to use cash accounting. Why? Because it gives you a very distorted picture of a business or of a government. This annual report for America, the financial report signed by Secretary of the Treasury Snow, uses real accounting. It is called accrual accounting, and it keeps the books in a much more accurate way.

So I think most Americans would be shocked, as my colleague from Arkansas knows, that the U.S. Government, Uncle Sam, is keeping two sets of books. One has relatively good news, the other has terrible news in it. And guess what, they are trying to hide the second set of books from the American people.

I would encourage people to go to the Blue Dog Web site. We can allow you to download this document, or you can go to the U.S. Treasury Web site and download the document. It will not be obvious, though, on the Treasury Web site. It is pretty well hidden on that Web site. It is pretty clear on the Blue Dog.com Web site. So I would encourage people to check this out and see what it says in cold hard print and ask the logical question of why the President's budget is so radically and totally different from the document issued by his own Treasury Department.

I thank the gentleman from Arkansas for yielding to me.

I thank the gentleman for yielding, because there are probably some listeners who are confused about cash-basis accounting versus accrual accounting. The simplest way to explain it is this way. If you were to look at giant U.S. companies like General Motors or Ford, they would be just fine today if you look at them on a cash basis because they are generating cash. But if you look at them on a more accurate basis, the way the stock market does and the way investors do, you will see that a cash basis ignores future obligations. For example, for retirees, for health care, for other benefits and obligations that should be kept and that have to be acknowledged.

That is what accrual accounting does. And lest people be confused, accrual accounting is not cruel, the way it may sound. Accrual accounting is actually the most compassionate form of accounting, because cash-basis accounting forgets the retirees and the sick. Accrual accounting remembers them. And it is vital we remember all of our retirees and our sick because their health benefits matter, and we have to take them into account in this country.

I know the gentleman is about to show the rule for business. This is a tough rule, and I look forward to the gentleman's explanation.

Mr. Speaker, let me say amen to my friend's comments from Georgia. That was outstanding.

I have the pleasure of serving on the Budget Committee and this week, probably on Thursday, we will start marking up the budget for the United States of America. That is one of the most serious responsibilities that we could ever undertake. It is an incredibly complex document and process. You are talking about $2.7 trillion. You are talking about not only all the defense programs, you are talking about Social Security and Medicare and a world of other programs, parks, agriculture, you name it; everything that the Federal Government is involved in.

In the span of a few short hours, we will be able to offer a few amendments, and we try to do this on a bipartisan basis. It is hard, but let me report on what happened last year in last year's markup.

I offered a number of the Blue Dog amendments as part of our 12-point plan for reform. They were individual, commonsense measures such as, for example, getting a cost estimate on every bill here so we know the cost of what we are voting on; having a recorded vote so that the members of this body go on record when large amounts of money are spent. We were one of the first groups in the country to go ahead and require transparency for earmarks so the public, everyone, would know what individual spending items were being requested. But probably, most importantly, we favored domestic spending caps so budget spending could not keep going up and up, and a pay-as-you-go approach so expansion of government was paid for, so that this generation paid our obligations, so we did not saddle future generations, including our men and women in uniform, with these terribly burdensome debts.

I offered that last year in the Budget Committee markup. My amendment passed on a 19-17 vote because four brave Republicans were willing to cross over and endorse a commonsense measure like that. But then the chairman of the committee realized that common sense had prevailed, and he leaned over and twisted the arm of a freshman Member of Congress and forced that gentleman to change his vote right in front of everybody. So then it was not a 19-17 victory for our side and common sense, suddenly it turned into an 18-18 tie, and, under the rules of the committee, you lose on a tie vote.

That was as close as we came last year to getting some of these commonsense principles involved. Even most State legislatures have rules like the ones I am describing. Most Americans would be outraged to learn we do not have these rules here.

We are going to try a similar approach on Thursday. I hope we prevail, and I hope Americans will tune in to see what happens, because we do try to work on a bipartisan basis. The Blue Dogs are Democrats and we are proud of that, but we reach across the aisle.

In fact, tonight, most of the Special Order is devoted to revealing the Republicans' Treasury report, because they did not want it to get the publicity that it deserves. This is one of the most important documents of government, and I have yet to meet another Member of Congress who knew about the existence of this document. It has been required by law to be published for over a decade now. Senator John Glenn of Ohio was the first person to author a bill to get this done. The former Secretary of Treasury, Bob Rubin, and the Clinton administration, championed this document. Back then the news was good. We were headed toward surpluses, and we achieved surpluses. But in the last 5 years, this document has been buried deep underground. I think it is high time we brought it above surface.

Are those the famous FEMA trailers?

Who is living in those homes?

The gentleman makes an excellent point. I would like to challenge those who speak after us, if they even know about the existence of this ``Financial Report for the United States in 2005.'' I bet that no Republican in the House even knows this report exists, even though it is signed by the Secretary of the Treasury, it is an official U.S. Government document, and it reveals the true deficit for America last year as being $760 billion.

If my friend would put back up the Blue Dog debt and deficit sign, please, I think it is very important that people compare that. Those numbers are truly staggering, $8.2 trillion debt; and your individual share back home is $27,000 for every man, woman, and child.

But, guess what? That is the good news. If you look at this document from the Department of Treasury, guess what our real debt is? It is not $8.2 trillion. I wish it were. It is a staggering $46 trillion. That is an unimaginable figure, $46 trillion. That is an unimaginable sum of money.

But get this: every American's share, every man woman and child in this country, the share isn't $27,000 like you have on your sign; the share is $156,000 apiece. For every full-time worker's family, the share is $375,000 apiece.

Which is illegal for most every business in America.

Mr. Ross. Yet our very government, which uses a cash-base form of accounting, requires every business in America for the most part to use an accrual base of accounting.

This is real accounting, and people back home need to know that for every working family, it is a $375,000 obligation already. So what the gentleman is talking about, this $27,000, that is the price of a pretty nice car. This is the price of a luxury home. This is what every working family already owes to pay for the promises this Congress and this administration have already made for our Social Security beneficiaries, our Medicare beneficiaries, so many other good and worthy programs.

As my friend, the gentleman from Georgia, pointed out, today we are having to borrow most of this money from foreign countries. President Bush has borrowed more money himself from foreign nations than all previous Presidents in American history combined. That is a staggering thing to comprehend.

I appreciate the gentleman yielding.

Over twice as large as the administration will admit.

If the gentleman will yield for one more moment, the Director of Office of Management and Budget, Josh Bolton, says the deficit is only $319 billion; it is actually getting smaller, it is turning up. He says the President in just a few years will cut the deficit in half.

That is according to the cash basis. According to accrual, according to real accounting, guess what? The deficit is $760 billion, and getting bigger all the time. So it is going in the opposite direction from what Director Bolton says. So who do you believe, Director Bolton of the OMB, or the Secretary of the Treasury, John Snow?

I think the American people need to know that both of these documents exist, both of them are official U.S. Government documents, put out by the Republican administration; but this is the one they have tried to keep hidden from the American people.

Mr. Speaker, you know the 9/11 Commission did a great job in their report. It became a best seller. It was in bookstores all over America, because everybody in America wanted to find out what really happened on that terrible day.

You know, this is a lot like the 9/11 Commission report, because it is very readable, and it needs to be in every bookstore in America. And yet hardly anyone in Congress has seen it, hardly anyone in the Senate has seen it. Everybody needs to read this document, because it is the annual report for America.

It reveals the terrible truth that the real 2005 fiscal deficit for America was not $319 billion, it was $760 billion. And every living American worker already today owes $375,000 apiece. That is what this document says. It is not thick. If you do not find it in the bookstore yet, and it will be months probably before that happens, take it off the Web site.

Look at the BlueDogDemocrats.dot.com. If you do not trust our Web site, go to www.gao.gov, that is the Government Accountability Office, or download it from the U.S. Treasury Web site. But this is a truly startling and amazing document, and hardly anybody even knows it exists.

So I encourage folks not to take our word for it, go look at it yourself and see what you think about the fiscal finances of our country after you read this book.

Forty-one million dollars in an hour?

That much damage was done to our Nation's future just in 1 hour.

And that will continue every hour, every night.

Mr. Speaker, I make remarks today to honor 2000 heroic men--men who fought for freedom and justice and a stronger, united America. These men made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. They gave their lives so that their children and grandchildren and generations to come would know an America where hopes for a better life would be a dream for all to share.

The 2000 men I honor today were members of the United States Colored Troops during the Civil War. They are buried at the rear of the Nashville National Cemetery, their service and their sacrifice too often overlooked by visitors to that hallowed ground.

This weekend, Tennessee will take an important step in saluting, and thanking, African-American soldiers for their important service during the Civil War. Tennessee will become the first state in the U.S. to erect a statue to recognize the bravery of these 2000 men, and all of the 180,000 African-American soldiers who fought in the Civil War. The statue is more than an historic monument. It will be a permanent and powerful reminder for all Americans and the world that the strength of our great Nation comes from the belief laid down by our founding fathers that ``all men are created equal. . . .''

It was a desire to transform that belief into reality that these men took up arms. They believed in a new vision of America and they knew it was an America worth fighting for. And now, during Black History Month, we come together to unveil this statue and to offer the praise and appreciation that has been so long overdue.

The life-size bronze is the result of years of hard work on the part of many. The African American Cultural Alliance and its founder and executive director, Kwame Leo Lillard, led this effort. But many individuals and organizations throughout the community also dedicated themselves to the task. Creative Artists of Tennessee, the Black Veterans Association, the 13th U.S.C.T. Regiment, the Tennessee Historical Commission, Tennessee State University Department of History, and One Point Solutions, along with federal, state and local governments have all been involved in this campaign.

I am proud and honored that Nashville will be home to this important memorial to all those who served in the U.S. Colored Troops during the Civil War. Unlike the battle in so many other cities, the Battle of Nashville did not take place on one battlefield. It was fought in the city itself and at locations scattered around the edges of town. No portion of the city has been preserved as a park to commemorate those who fought and died in this battle. They are quietly honored at the Nashville National Cemetery. And now, with the addition of this statue, all of the troops who sacrificed so much to preserve our great Nation, will receive the special recognition they deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of our nation's most important voices in the fight to protect our children: Dr. Robert Sanders.

Today it is almost impossible to imagine but, as recently as the late 1970s, there were no laws requiring that young children be buckled into safety seats while traveling in a vehicle. Dr. Sanders, a soft-spoken pediatrician from my home state of Tennessee, had seen what happens to children in an automobile accident when they are not protected. He knew that so many of those injuries and deaths were preventable. And Dr. Sanders decided then and there that someone had to speak out on behalf of children and their safety.

Starting with the Tennessee General Assembly, Dr. Sanders and his wife Pat spent countless hours presenting medical data. Their facts and their passion overcame initial doubts. In 1977, thanks to the vision and determination shown by Dr. and Mrs. Sanders, Tennessee became the first state in the nation to adopt a law mandating that all children under the age of 4 must ride in a safety seat. State by state, the rest of the nation followed. Today all 50 states require this protection for young children.

Dr. Sanders passed away on January 19th after a long illness. He leaves behind his wife, Patricia Pelot Sanders, and two children. And he leaves behind a legacy of fighting for the needs of others. Even after he had won the battle for child safety seats, he continued to speak out on issues such as the need for seat belt laws, health care reform and environmental protections. His work earned him the love and appreciation of his community and citizens across the state of Tennessee, as well as awards from groups including the Tennessee Medical Association, the Tennessee Public Health Association and the Tennessee Pediatric Society.

Dr. Robert Sanders believed that each citizen had a responsibility to help others whenever possible. Dr. Sanders lived his life doing that every day. In addition to his public policy work, he served as chief physician and director of the Rutherford County Health Department from 1969 until his retirement in 1991.

Dr. Robert Sanders will be missed in Middle Tennessee. He will be missed by many who, like me, had the privilege of working alongside him as he fought for better health care policies. And he will be missed by all of us who were fortunate to know him as a neighbor, a friend and an inspiration.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to discuss a provision of S. 1932 that has caused great concern among hospitals throughout the State of Tennessee and in my own district. This provision relates to the calculation of Medicare disproportionate share payments for hospitals, commonly known as the DSH adjustment.

Congress created the DSH adjustment to provide appropriate funding to hospitals and other Medicare providers who care for a disproportionate share of low income inpatients. However, since its enactment into law, there has been a dispute between hospitals throughout the country and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) over how to calculate the DSH adjustment. Fifteen hospitals in Tennessee took CMS to court over this dispute in the case of Cookeville Regional Medical Center v. Thompson. At issue in Cookeville was whether CMS should include all Medicaid days related to a patient's stay in the DSH calculation, even if the patient was only eligible for Medicaid benefits through a federally approved Medicaid 1115 waiver program. CMS took the position it would exclude Medicare waiver days from the DSH calculation prior to January 20, 2000, in its discussion of an interim final rule promulgated on January 20, 2000.

On September 30, 2005, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia agreed with the Tennessee hospitals that Medicare waiver days must be included for the years 1994 to 2000. The Court determined that Congress intended to include these days in the DSH calculation when it enacted the Medicare DSH statute. CMS's interim final rule did not change that. For the Tennessee hospitals, the decision in Cookeville means up to $100 million in corrected payments covering the years 1994 to 1999. CMS appealed the District Court's September 30th decision on December 23rd.

Mr. Speaker, I thought that this resolved the matter, however I was disturbed to see language in S. 1932 that CMS might argue applies to the Cookeville case on appeal. Section 5002(b) of the Medicare Title of S. 1932 ratifies the interim final rule promulgated on January 20, 2000 by CMS and makes it effective on the date it was promulgated. In other words, CMS might attempt to accomplish legislatively what it could not accomplish in Cookeville.

I rise today to state, as a member of the House Budget Committee which has jurisdiction over S. 1932, the Deficit Reduction Act, that Sec 5002(b) should not be used to reverse the Cookeville decision and deny Tennessee its correct DSH payments as determined under the Medicare statute for the years 1994 through 1999.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute an outstanding group of men and women--the Tennessee Army National Guard's 168th Military Police Battalion of Lebanon, TN. On Sunday, February 5, the 168th will receive the Valorous Unit Award at a special presentation at the Armory in Lebanon.

The Valorous Unit Award is one of the Nation's most prestigious military awards. It is presented to units of the Armed Forces of the United States for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy of the United States while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing force. To receive this award, a unit must have performed with marked distinction under difficult and hazardous conditions in accomplishing its mission so as to set it apart from, and above, other units participating in the same conflict. Its equivalent in individual awards is the Silver Star.

I know all Tennesseans, and all Americans, join with me in thanking the 168th for their bravery, their commitment and their selfless service while in Iraq.

The 168th received its award for performance of duties from May 20, 2003 through January 31, 2004. While they performed many duties, some of their key accomplishments during their service were to establish law and order operations in all of east Baghdad, establish Iraqi police stations, train Iraqi police officers and establish an Iraqi police academy. The battalion coordinated numerous offensive operations and patrols within its area of operations under very austere conditions. They were responsible for confiscating numerous weapons caches, counterfeit money, and ammunition. And they frequently provided escort and security service to convoys in the region.

During their service, the 168th Battalion and its subordinate units receive numerous Bronze Stars, Purple Hearts, and Army Commendation Medals for Valor. Their service was one that required heroism and courage on a daily basis.

I am honored to serve as the Congressman for Lebanon and privileged to represent these men and women in Washington. We are all blessed to live in the greatest country in the history of the world. And we are particularly blessed that men and women, like the members of Tennessee's 168th Military Police Battalion, willingly put their lives on the line every day so that we may continue to enjoy freedom here at home.

Words cannot adequately thank the members of the 168th for their exceptional service. But I want to take this moment, and this occasion of their Valorous Unit Award presentation, to salute them on behalf of all Americans for their heroic service to our country and to freedom around the world.

Mr. Speaker, if anyone needed evidence that this Congress is being managed in an incompetent and corrupt fashion, tonight's debate is it.

At 2 o'clock in the morning we are finally taking up some of the most important defense bills of the year, only to find them burdened with irrelevant, special-interest measures that have nothing to do with the underlying legislation. Pharmaceutical companies, oil companies, and Lord knows what other special interests are probably smiling at this late hour, but the average taxpayer back home should be ashamed of what we are doing tonight, especially in the name of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines.

We have just learned that many of these special interest provisions were added in the dark of night, with no notice even to the conferees. What are they afraid of? Why don't they want us to read and understand the added language? Why not let the public see what is really going on? It was not enough for the Republican leadership to almost completely exclude any real bipartisan discussion or debate in conference, and to so radically short-circuit the democratic process that this year's process may mark an all-time low in the history of the House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, as our troops risk their lives to promote democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan, we should not be degrading our democracy here at home. I strongly support the troops and the many excellent provisions in the defense authorization and appropriations bills on their behalf. We should honor their sacrifice by passing legislation for them, not using them as a shield for special interests. We should also honor them by refusing the $4 billion cut in the defense budget that was inserted in this bill in order to fund the extraneous provisions. You didn't hear about that defense cut, did you, while the Republicans were bragging on their efforts on defense.

The only reason these special interest provisions have been added is that Republican leadership knows that they could not pass in the light of day, when the public is allowed to see what we are doing. These provisions could not pass on their own strength, in either day or night.

Given the few minutes that we have been allowed to read these conference reports of many hundreds of pages, no one on the House floor tonight really knows what is contained in these bills because all normal House procedures have broken down. Rumors are rampant that other embarrassments have been added to worthy defense bills, simply because they are viewed as ``must pass'' legislation. We simply don't have time to verify or debunk these rumors. The only safe vote tonight for the American taxpayer is a ``no'' vote. Let's stay in session a few more days, even though the Christmas holiday approaches, and do the job right. Our troops deserve no less.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Ross) and, I appreciate your leadership in this Special Order and in so many activities in our Congress.

I want to point out a couple of things, and perhaps you have touched on them already, because from what I have heard of your remarks, I am proud to associate myself with them. You are doing a great job of helping inform the American people about what is really going on with their country.

A couple of things about the Blue Dog chart. Every Blue Dog has a chart just like that outside of their office. It is a little bit scary, because most people who come into our offices do not realize the debt is that big.

But the deficit is about to bust the debt limit cap. Just a few billion dollars from now, our Nation is going to have to ask formal permission to raise the debt ceiling of the United States. Just a few billion dollars from now, we will lose our ability to borrow any more money unless an act of Congress changes that.

And yet the leadership in this Congress is not telling the American people about that. They are going to hide that information until next February, next March, even though, as that chart shows, the debt is already 8.121 trillion.

By the time it gets to 8.170 trillion, we will lose our ability to borrow any more money as a Nation. Our credit card will be maxed out. That is a moment of tragedy for our country because the actual debt burden for working families, if you look at the unfunded obligations of our country, it is not the $27,000, for every American. For a working family, it is $350,000 of debt burden that is already on their shoulders.

So I like to refer folks to a report that came out, it is available on the Internet, it is from the Heritage Foundation. That is not a Democratic group. It is a strong Republican group. But it is one of the scariest reports to ever be issued. It came out on November 30. It is by Brian Riedl. It details how under the Republican budget we can look forward to $800 billion annual deficits, permanent structural deficits that will never go away.

So I just wanted to help folks who may not appreciate Blue Dogs, who

may appreciate Republicans more, that they need to read from the Republican think tank about what the Republicans are doing to our country's finances. This is an issue that should concern all Americans, whether Democrat or Republican.

I am proud of the role that the Blue Dogs are playing in trying to reduce this fiscal insanity, to try to get our Nation back on the right path again. I thank my colleagues, particularly the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Ross).

You have made very powerful statements here tonight. One point that needs to be addressed a little bit more is the fact that we are going to be borrowing even more money from foreigners and the gentleman touched on that, particularly the Chinese. They are lending us more and more money, but I didn't know if you had pointed out so far here tonight as our colleague, John Tanner, has shown in the past that President George W. Bush has already borrowed more money from foreigners in the last 5 years than every previous President in American history combined. That is an incredible statement because that is every President from George Washington through Bill Clinton. They borrowed about $1 trillion in total from foreigners. But already under President George W. Bush we have borrowed over $1 trillion just from foreigners. So the gentleman's very powerful points about cuts to American citizens, cuts that are really going to damage their lives, at the same time we are cutting them, we are going to be paying more interest money to foreign lenders, to foreign bankers.

And talk about wrong priorities. Hurting home folks so we can benefit rich foreigners? That is completely out of hand. But that is what happens when we not only have giant deficits but we have to borrow so much money from foreigners.

Mr. Speaker, the Blue Dog Coalition, of which I am policy co-chair, is going to vote against the budget reconciliation measures coming up this week.

Why? Because after all the sound and fury, these measures will increase the Federal budget deficit, and Blue Dogs are for reducing the Federal budget deficit.

Now, what can be done in a positive manner to address the problem? Don't take our word for it, listen to the chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, Alan Greenspan, who has repeatedly advocated that we return to the PAYGO rules, pay as you go.

If you want to increase spending on a program, find the money to pay for it, the way every household in America has to do. If you want to cut taxes, find the money to pay for it.

America lived under this rule from 1990 to 2002. It worked well. We need to return to PAYGO principles.

Madam Speaker, I think most folks back home want us to get along with each other in order to strengthen our Nation. Well, how can we best do that, especially at a time of contentious budget reconciliation? There is a simple proposal called PAYGO that is not theory; it has worked incredibly well. It worked from the year 1990 to the year 2002 when our friends on the other side of the aisle allowed it to expire.

How well did it work? Well, Alan Greenspan, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, said it is the single most important thing we can do to right our fiscal ship. Pay-as-you-go means that if you want to spend more money, you have to find offsetting cuts somewhere before you can think about spending the new money. And it also means if you want to offer someone a tax cut, that is fine. Just figure out a way to pay for it. It is a simple and clear rule, and it guided our Nation into prosperity from 1990 to 2002.

Why can we not readopt that? It has proven to work and work well for all Americans and to strengthen our Nation. The Blue Dog Coalition has been more consistent in its support for the PAYGO provisions than any other group in Congress. Support PAYGO.