Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, it was an amazing turn of events that made the treatment parity legislation Patrick Kennedy and I introduced, H.R. 1424, the vehicle for one of the most far-reaching bills considered in our lifetime.

This legislation is a rescue bill for the U.S. economy and a rescue bill for the millions of Americans suffering from mental illness and addiction. It will also prevent a devastating tax increase on middle- income families and job creators at a time our families and economy cannot afford more blows.

This vote will mean the end of 12 long years of fighting for treatment parity for mental illness and addiction. This is not just another public policy issue: It's a matter of life or death for 54 million Americans suffering the ravages of mental illness and 26 million suffering from chemical addiction.

Last year alone, more than 30,000 Americans committed suicide from untreated depression and 150,000 Americans died as the direct result of chemical addiction. On top of the tragic loss of lives, untreated addiction and mental illness cost our economy over $550 billion a year.

I'm alive and sober today only because of the access I had to treatment following my last alcoholic blackout on July 31, 1981, when I woke up in a jail cell in Sioux Falls, SD. I'm living proof that treatment works and recovery is possible.

But far too many people in our country don't have the same access to treatment that I and other Members of Congress have had.

A major barrier for thousands of Americans is insurance discrimination against people in health plans who need treatment for mental illness or chemical addiction.

The legislation we are passing today will end this discrimination by prohibiting health insurers from placing discriminatory restrictions on treatment for people with mental illness or addiction.

No more inflated deductibles or copayments that don't apply to physical diseases.

No more limited treatment stays that don't apply to physical diseases.

No more discrimination against people with mental illness or chemical addiction.

The ``Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act'' simply provides equal treatment for diseases of the brain and the body.

Providing treatment equity is not only the right thing to do; it's also the cost-effective thing to do.

All the empirical data, including major actuarial studies, show that equity for mental health and addiction treatment will save literally billions of dollars nationally. At the same time, it will not raise premiums more than two- tenths of 1 percent, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

In other words, for less than the price of a cheap cup of coffee per month, millions of people could receive treatment for chemical addiction and mental illness.

Madam Speaker, Rep. Patrick Kennedy and I have traveled the country from one end to the other--holding 14 field hearings on the critical need for treatment parity.

We heard literally hundreds of stories of human suffering, broken families, tragic deaths, ruined careers and shattered dreams--all because of insurance companies not providing access to adequate treatment for mental illness and addiction. We will change that today.

Madam Speaker, it's time to end the discrimination against people who need treatment for mental illness and addiction. It's time to prohibit health insurers from placing discriminatory barriers to treatment.

It's time to join the coalition of insurance companies and business groups that support parity because they know it's cost-effective and saves health care dollars.

It's time to make this bipartisan legislation the law of the land. The people of America cannot afford to wait any longer for Congress to act.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the revised economic recovery bill.

The inclusion of the mental health parity bill, major tax relief and bank deposit, FDIC, insurance increases caused me to reconsider my position and I believe there's too much at stake to let the legislation fail.

The revised bill is a recovery bill for the economy and a recovery bill for millions of Americans suffering the ravages of mental illness and addiction.

This revised legislation will also protect 22 million middle-income taxpayers from the enormous tax increases of the Alternative Minimum Tax, AMT.

Madam Speaker, the revised bill also extends research and development tax credits to create jobs and renewable energy credits to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. The revised bill also includes higher education deductions and child credits to help families and students.

Also, the revised bill increases bank deposit insurance limits, FDIC, to $250,000 to protect depositors and help small businesses that need credit.

Madam Speaker, I will vote for the revised economic recovery plan to help Minnesota's working families, seniors and small businesses during this historic crisis in our economy. The credit crisis is real, and it's destroying jobs, retirement savings and the American dream.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to oppose the Bush administration's $700 billion bailout plan for Wall Street firms and banks.

The administration's bailout plan imposes great risk to taxpayers and no guarantee of success.

Because this bill was considered in such haste, without adequate hearings or debate, nobody knows what this complex financial scheme will produce so the final cost to taxpayers is uncertain.

Four hundred of the Nation's top economists signed a petition to Congress objecting to the bailout plan, as they are skeptical of the Federal Government buying up toxic mortgage-backed assets from banks and hoping the benefits trickle down from Wall Street to Main Street.

According to these economists, the long-term effects of this financial scheme--higher inflation, a weakened dollar and a greater National debt--will outweigh any short-term stabilization of the credit markets.

Rather than providing $700 billion of taxpayer money to buy frozen mortgage assets to solve the current problem, Congress should adopt the plan to insure mortgage-backed securities through payment of insurance premiums by the holders of these assets.

I urge my colleagues to oppose this bailout.

Madam Speaker, I rise today as a proud member of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus to congratulate Taiwan on its 97th National Day on October 10.

The people of Taiwan have many reasons to celebrate and be proud of their country. Having elected President Ma Ying-jeou, the Taiwanese have returned the KMT party back to power, thereby effectively passing Huntington's ``two-turnover test of democratic consolidation.'' By successfully transitioning from one party to another and back to the original party, the people of Taiwan have proven their democracy is flourishing.

Today, Taiwan is a vibrant democracy with a strong market economy thanks to its strong ties with the United States. Under the new Ma administration, Taiwan will only seek to fortify these ties and continue to prosper as a nation.

Madam Speaker, I would also be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to push for the 111th Congress to pass a Free Trade Agreement with Taiwan. Taiwan is the United States' ninth largest trading partner, with trade flows between the two totaling $64.6 billion last year. A Free Trade Agreement expand trade and improve economic growth, provide enhanced opportunities for U.S. businesses and support an important democratic ally in a strategic region. It is time we put our differences aside and pass this legislation which is long overdue.

Madam Speaker, I rise today as a proud member of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus to congratulate Taiwan on its 97th National Day on October 10th.

The people of Taiwan have many reasons to celebrate and be proud of their country. Having elected President Ma Ying-jeou, the Taiwanese have returned the KMT party back to power, thereby effectively passing Huntington's ``two-turnover test of democratic consolidation.'' By successfully transitioning from one

party to another and back to the original party, the people of Taiwan have proven their democracy is flourishing.

Today, Taiwan is a vibrant democracy with a strong market economy thanks to its strong ties with the United States. Under the new Ma administration, Taiwan will only seek to fortify these ties and continue to prosper as a nation.

Mr. Speaker, I would also be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to push for the 111th Congress to pass a Free Trade Agreement with Taiwan. Taiwan is the United States' ninth largest trading partner, with trade flows between the two totaling $64.6 billion last year. A Free Trade Agreement would expand trade and improve economic growth, provide enhanced opportunities for U.S. businesses and support an important democratic ally in a strategic region. It is time we put our differences aside and passed this legislation which is long overdue.

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

Mr. Speaker, tough economic times are especially tough for America's charitable community. They face increasing demands for services from people in need, and the investments that foundations make in order to grow their endowments have eroded significantly due to market turmoil.

Last year on behalf of the Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee, Chairman Lewis requested comments on the implementation of charitable reforms contained in the 2006 Pension Protection Act.

The bill before us responds to many of the concerns that were raised by the charitable community. Specifically, the bill has seven provisions aimed at relieving burdens on charities and on foundations:

Funds advised by certain public charities and government entities would not be treated as donor advised funds.

Certain scholarships given from donor advised funds would not be considered a taxable distribution.

Thirdly, a special written acknowledgment requirement for charitable contributions to donor advised funds would be repealed.

Fourth, supporting organizations would be allowed to pay reasonable compensation to substantial contributors for the services that they perform without the payment being considered an excess benefit.

Also, certain long-standing Type III organizations with no recent major or living donors would be exempt from payout and excess business holding requirements.

In addition, Mr. Speaker, contributions from Indian tribal governments would be treated the same as contributions from States for purposes of determining whether an organization is a public charity or a private foundation.

Finally, the IRS would be allowed to institute electronic filing for charities that file at least five information returns each year.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to cosponsor Chairman Lewis' legislation, grateful for his leadership of the Oversight Subcommittee and his friendship over the years. His leadership as chairman of our subcommittee has been thoughtful and bipartisan inclusive. For that I am very grateful. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7083, the Charity Enhancement Act to provide relief to America's charitable community.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I yield back the balance of my time.

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

I first want to thank my friend, my brother and my chairman--Mr. Lewis--who represents the absolute best in public service and who is truly the conscience of the Congress. I'm just grateful for his friendship and for the privilege of working with him for the past 18 years.

Mr. Speaker, the legislation before us addresses a very serious situation in America's prisons--rampant tax fraud. I'm deeply grateful to Chairman Lewis for being an original cosponsor of this legislation and for helping me get this crucial legislation on the suspension calendar and here to the floor today.

When I chaired the Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee in the last Congress, Mr. Speaker, we held a hearing that featured an inmate from our Federal prison system. He was known as inmate Dole, a prisoner from South Carolina who single-handedly swindled taxpayers out of $3.5 million by filing fraudulent tax returns. That's right, Mr. Speaker, $3.5 million of outrageous tax fraud committed by a prisoner while he was behind bars, while incarcerated in a Federal prison.

The hearing revealed that this was no isolated incident. There is massive tax fraud going on within the walls of our Nation's prisons. In fact, the IRS reports that 15 percent of all tax fraud committed in America is committed by prison inmates, 15 percent.

As we all agree here, tax fraud in any form is unacceptable and illegal, obviously, but it's particularly outrageous when it's committed by prison inmates who are supposed to be paying their debt to society and not bilking taxpayers. While the IRS is able to catch some of it, far too much inmate tax fraud falls through the cracks. Unfortunately, the IRS is prohibited by law

from sharing information with prison officials, information that would allow them to take action to punish and to stop this fraud from going on in their prison facilities right under their noses. So, in other words, Mr. Speaker, Federal law enforcement is effectively blocked from pursuing these cases because of the ban on information sharing.

Well, this legislation that I have introduced and have brought here today, the Inmate Tax Fraud Prevention Act, would allow the IRS to reveal information on tax fraud to the Federal Bureau of Prisons and to compile statistics on tax fraud in each and every Federal and State prison. The authority for the IRS to disclose tax fraud information sunsets in 3 years, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration will issue a report, so in 3 years, Congress can determine whether the program should be renewed and whether other changes should be implemented.

Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, let me just say that it's obviously time to protect honest taxpayers from this blatant, outrageous fraud that's being committed by prison inmates. I urge my colleagues to protect this commonsense, bipartisan legislation that will protect the taxpayers. Support the Inmate Tax Fraud Prevention Act because the taxpayers of America deserve nothing less.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers.

Mr. Speaker, having no further speakers, I would be happy to yield back my time, and I look forward to Mr. Lewis' closing.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I rise today to inform the House about earmarks that were included in H.R. 2638, The Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009. Here is a brief description of my requests:

Humanetics Corporation, 10400 Viking Drive, Suite 1000, Eden Prairie, MN 55344--$800,000 from the DHP account, to the Humanetics Corporation for Pharmacological Countermeasures to Ionizing Radiation. This research project is in the final phases of a public/private effort to develop orally administered drugs that will prevent harm and decrease casualties caused by exposure to ionizing radiation resulting from a terrorist attack or nuclear incident.

Funding Plan: Development Items FY09--Single dose, dose escalation, safety study: $1,000,000; Pilot Study #1: $500,000; Pilot Study #2: $500,000; Pilot Study #3: $500,000; Safety Study in Humans at Highest Dose: $5,000,000; and Pivotal Study (IM): $2,000,000.

Minnesota National Guard, 20 West 12th Street, St. Paul, MN 55155-- $2,000,000 from the OM account, to the Minnesota National Guard for their Minnesota Beyond Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program. The program provides a comprehensive approach that insures deploying members and their families are prepared for the challenges for mobilization, receive access to support and resources during their mobilization and receive vital reintegration training.

Funding Plan--IDT Travel: $1,390,000; ITOs: $150,000; Materials: $60,000; Mil Orders: $50,000; Daycare: $5,000; Food: $65,000; and Contracts: $275,000.

Eaton Corporation 14615 Loan Oak Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55344: $2,000,000 from the RDTE account, to Eaton Corporation for their Advanced Digital Hydraulic Hybrid Drive System. This is a multi-phase program designed in collaboration with the U.S. Army NAC to develop a production-intent hybrid hydraulic tactical wheeled vehicle. Eaton has begun successful preliminary work on Phase I and the funds received will go to beginning Phase II.

Funding Plan:

20 percent--$400,000--Advanced component testing--Full Authority Pump Motor demonstration.

20 percent--$400,000--System Testing--Lab scale test for insertion of advanced technologies.

10 percent--$200,000--Materials--Full Authority Pump Motor & Next Generation Accumulators:

50 percent--$1,000,000--Labor--Design to develop a retrofit system, Next generation accumulators proof of concept, Develop detailed vehicle model, Develop supervisory control architecture, Develop preliminary controls software.

Third Wave Systems, 7900 West 78th Street, Eden Prairie, MN 55439-- $800,000 from the RDTE account, to Third Wave Systems for their Advanced Modeling Technology for Large Structure Titanium Machining Initiative. The funding will complete the three year effort to develop the current titanium machining technology for structures and components of Manned Ground Vehicles.

Parallel finite element software development for Large Structures (FCS Manned Ground Vehicles)--$400,000.

Development and integration with tool path optimization software for large design models--$300,000.

Subscale production demonstration--$50,000.

Production validation (machining demonstration) on actual FCS components--$50,000.

Ll-Identity Solutions, 5705 West Old Shakopee Road, Suite 100, Bloomington, MN 55437--$1,600,000 from the RDTE account to Ll for Biometric Terrorist Watch-List Data Base Management Development. The Terrorist Watch-List will provide operational enhancements and technology improvements to biometrics-based identification tracking and analysis capabilities in order to ensure real-time actionable intelligence to the war fighter, as well as to the broader community combating terrorism.

Technical Capability #1: Interoperability of Enterprise Data Sharing--Develop system design: $225,000; Develop web-based applications & schema: $265,000; Develop architecture for data sharing: $250,000; and Develop proof of concept: $260,000.

Technical Capability #2: Enhancing Mobile Collection & Field ID Capabilities--Explore engineering trade space $65,000; Preliminary hardware design: $250,000; Software development: $225,000; Integration: $160,000; and Other Direct Costs: $300,000.

Technical Capability #3: Next Generation Algorithms for Face & Iris at a Distance: Algorithm research: $480,000; Software development: $200,000; Small form factor algorithm conversion research: $prototype development: $90,000; and Other Direct Costs: $30,000.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, we would not be having the debate here today without the compassionate leadership of the late Senator Paul Wellstone.

I want to thank the Speaker and majority leader, as well as Chairmen Rangel, Stark, George Miller, Dingell, Pallone and Andrews, for their key support.

The issue before us today is not just another public policy issue. The issue today before us is a matter of life and death for 54 million Americans suffering the ravages of mental illness and 26 million Americans suffering from chemical addiction.

Last year alone, more than 30,000 Americans committed suicide from untreated depression and 150,000 Americans died as the direct result of chemical addiction. On top of the tragic loss of lives, untreated addiction and mental illness cost our economy $550 billion last year, according to the Wall Street Journal. In fact, the Journal cited $70 billion was lost from our economy because of untreated depression alone.

I am alive and sober today only because of the access that I had to treatment following my last alcoholic blackout on July 31, 1981. I woke up that day in a jail cell in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and I am living proof that treatment works and recovery is possible. But far too many people in our country don't have the same access to treatment that I and other Members of Congress, other Federal employees have.

A major barrier for thousands of Americans is insurance discrimination, plain and simple, against people in health plans who need treatment for mental illness or chemical addiction. The legislation my friend from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy) and I have authored, H.R. 6983 before us today, would end this discrimination by prohibiting health insurers from placing discriminatory restrictions on treatment for people with mental illness or addiction.

No more inflated deductibles or copayments that don't exist for physical diseases. No more limited treatment stays that don't apply to physical ailments, no more discrimination against people with mental illness or chemical addiction.

I just want to say a word about the chief sponsor of this legislation, Mr. Kennedy, who has worked tirelessly on this bill. We have worked together for many years now on this legislation since he first came to the House. I want to publicly acknowledge and thank Mr. Kennedy, who has not only worked hard on this legislation, but has been an inspiration to literally hundreds of thousands of Americans as we traveled this country to 14 States, holding field hearings on this important legislation.

Simply stated, the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which has, by the way, 274 cosponsors from both sides of the aisle, simply stated, provides equal treatment for diseases of the brain with the body. Diseases of the brain should be treated the same as diseases of the body.

There is no government mandate. Nobody is mandated to insure anybody for treatment for mental illness or chemical addiction. There is no mandate in this bill. All it says is if your policy includes coverage for mental illness or addiction, then you cannot be discriminated against, that is, those ailments must be treated the same as physical ailments.

Providing treatment equity is not only the right thing to do, it's the cost-effective thing to do. Believe me, we have over the last 12 years assembled all the empirical data in the world, all the actuarial studies in the world, and they all showed the same thing, that equity for mental health and addiction treatment will save, not cost, but save, literally, billions of dollars nationally.

At the same time, treatment parity will not raise premiums more than two-tenths of 1 percent. That's according to the Congressional Budget Office. Let me repeat that. Premiums will not raise more than two- tenths of 1 percent.

So, in other words, for the price of a cheap cup of coffee per month, I am not talking about a fancy restaurant, I am talking about Pete's Diner, where many of us go, millions of people could receive treatment for chemical addiction and mental illness. In fact, 16 million people of the 26 million people in health plans could receive treatment under this bill.

When my friend from Rhode Island and I traveled this country holding field hearings on this legislation, we heard, literally, hundreds and hundreds of stories of human suffering that ripped your heart out, broken families, tragic deaths, ruined careers, shattered dreams, all because insurance companies would not provide access to treatment for mental illness and addiction for people who were in health plans. We could change that here today.

It's time to end the discrimination against people who need treatment for mental illness and addiction. It's time to prohibit health insurers from placing discriminatory barriers on treatment. It's time to join the coalition of insurance companies, yes, I said insurance companies. More than 10 of them now support this, as well as the major business groups who support parity. They know it's cost effective, they know parity saves health care dollars. It's time to make this bipartisan legislation the law of the land.

The people of America cannot wait any longer for Congress to act.

Mr. David Wellstone

Son of the late Senator Paul Wellstone

Co-Founder, Wellstone Action

Statement for the Record in Support of the Passage of The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity

Act of 2008, September, 2008

I am pleased to speak in support of the Paul Wellstone and

Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act

of 2008. This legislation is critically important to the

future of health care, and it is also very close to my heart.

During my father's time in the Senate, he never stopped

fighting for fairness in coverage and treatment for mental

illness and substance use disorders. My family and I are

grateful for the tribute that the Senate and the House have

paid to my father's legacy by naming the bill after him, as

well as his close colleague, Sen. Pete Domenici.

My brother and I founded Wellstone Action to carry on my

father's work, and through this organization, thousands of

people are trained each year to run for office and to develop

grassroots skills in organizing and leadership. But nothing

represents my father's passion and commitment more than his

work to pass legislation that would end the discrimination

against those with mental illness and substance use

disorders. This

legislation is a major achievement and will do so much to end

that discrimination.

For some time, I have been coming to Washington to speak on

behalf of this legislation, but the fight for parity has a

long history with many milestones: the 1996 federal law; the

1999 Executive Order that gave federal employees mental

health and addiction parity benefits; the many successes at

the state level to strengthen their parity laws; the times

that Congress came very close to passing the expansion of the

federal law; and the endorsement by President Bush in 2002.

For my father, these milestones were very personal. His

dedication stemmed from his personal observations of the

terrible conditions in psychiatric institutions when his

brother was hospitalized in the 1950s. These conditions, and

the eventual catastrophic financial toll that my grandparents

had to bear, inspired my father to do everything he could to

make things right for those in similar circumstances.

The legislation that my father and Sen. Domenici passed in

1996 was groundbreaking and important, for it established in

law an important first principle of parity: that those with

mental illness should not be discriminated against in

insurance coverage. But my father knew that it was not

enough, and that is why this legislation is so necessary. It

is the critically important next step toward ending the

persistent discrimination against people who suffer from

mental illness and addiction.

In the House, the tireless leadership of Congressman

Patrick Kennedy and Congressman Jim Ramstad has been

extraordinary, especially with the groundbreaking inclusion

of substance use disorders in the parity bill and their

protection of the rights of patients. They and the House

Leadership, especially Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority

Leader Steny Hoyer, should be proud of their efforts to make

this legislation one that will strongly protect the needs of

millions of Americans who have mental illness and substance

use disorders. In the House, the efforts by the Chairmen

of the Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Education

and Labor Committees should be proud of their successful

efforts to fight for the rights of those with these

illnesses. And, as I know well, nothing is accomplished

without the unflagging commitment of hundreds of dedicated

staff and advocates who have worked so hard to right the

wrong of discrimination that has existed for so long in

our country.

I also want to extend my deep gratitude to former First

Lady Rosalynn Carter for her many years of leadership on this

issue and many other problems related to mental illness. She

and my father worked closely together on parity for many

years, and he was always grateful for her support and

leadership.

We know that mental illness is a real, painful, and

sometimes fatal disease. It is also a treatable disease. My

father used to say that the gap between what we know and what

we do is lethal. Available medications and psychological

treatments, alone or in combination, can help most people who

suffer from mental illness and addiction. But without

adequate treatment, these illnesses can continue or worsen in

severity. Suicide is the third leading cause of death of

young people in the U.S. Each year, 32,000 Americans take

their lives, hundreds of thousands attempt to do so, and in

90% of these situations, the cause is untreated mental

illness. This legislation will save lives. It will also go a

long way toward ending the stigma that is behind the

discrimination.

People have asked me why I am so involved in this issue. My

first response is, ``Because of my father, of course''. I

loved him and I miss him, and I have learned that many others

here in Washington and throughout the country miss him too,

especially his courage and his compassion. He fought hard for

those who had no voice, and he had a strong personal

commitment to helping those with mental illness and

addiction. After he died, Congressional members honored him

and my family by promising to name the parity bill after him,

and this meant a great deal to my family. But I also knew the

kind of man my father was, and the kind of parity bill he

would have wanted finally passed into law, and I wanted to

help ensure that the final bill was one worthy of his name.

The safeguards for patients that have been included in this

final bill, such as protections of stronger state laws, out

of network benefits, oversight of diagnosis coverage, and

transparency of medical necessity, are essential to a strong

law. This Congress can be remembered as the one that had the

courage and leadership to pass a strong parity bill, one

where everyone's voices had a chance to be heard.

I, along with millions of Americans, look forward to the

day when people with mental illness and substance use

disorder receive decent, humane, and timely care. The passage

of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity

and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 brings us so much closer to

this day.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Connecticut, who has been a long supporter of parity, Mr. Shays.

I yield the gentleman 2 additional minutes.

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

Mr. Speaker, I just want to take this opportunity, like the previous speaker, to thank Senators Domenici and Kennedy. It has been a real privilege to work with such committed public servants on this legislation, and also the chief cosponsor in the House, the gentleman from Rhode Island, who just spoke so eloquently about this legislation.

I want to say, as I have said many times before as I have traveled this country, were the gentleman from Rhode Island's uncle, President Kennedy, still alive today, and were President Kennedy to write a sequel to his book ``Profiles in Courage,'' there would be a complete chapter about his nephew, the gentleman from Rhode Island, Patrick Kennedy, because not only has he been right on the policy and has done a tremendous job over the past several years fighting for parity, but also his personal story, which he

shared with people all across this Nation, has literally inspired hundreds of thousands of people to get help. He has been a real profile in courage and a pleasure to work with.

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

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

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

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, who has the right to close?

Are there speakers remaining?

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

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

I yield the gentlelady an additional minute.

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

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

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield an additional minute to the gentleman, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I just want to thank all of those who have brought us to this point here today. As one who's worked on this legislation for 12 long years, it's truly been a team effort. I want to thank all of the organizations, all of the individuals, too many to mention here today, but I want to thank particularly David Wellstone and Allan Garrity from Senator Wellstone's staff who have kept the legacy of Paul Wellstone alive in terms of moving this mental health and addiction treatment parity legislation.

I also want to thank the 274 bipartisan cosponsors of the current bill. I want to thank the leadership of Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer, because without their leadership we wouldn't be here today about to pass mental health parity.

I want to thank the distinguished chairmen of the full committees and the subcommittees and the other side of the aisle whose cooperation has been incredibly positive and helpful; and without their support, every one of you, without your support we wouldn't be here today as well.

I want to thank the leadership and the tireless efforts of my friend from Rhode Island, the chief cosponsor, Patrick Kennedy, who has worked so hard on this legislation from the minute he was sworn in as a Member of the House.

I want to thank all the staff from the full committees, the three full committees of jurisdiction, as well as the three subcommittees of jurisdiction.

And I particularly want to thank Karin Hope, my legislative director, who has worked on this legislation day and night for all 12 years that we've worked together.

Let me just wrap it up, Mr. Speaker, by saying that it's time for Congress to deal with America's number 1 public health problem. It's time for Congress to outlaw discrimination in treatment against people with mental illness and chemical addiction. It's time for Congress to pass mental health and chemical addiction treatment parity.

I yield back.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this bipartisan comprehensive energy bill that opens offshore areas to drilling, provides incentives for the development of renewable energy, clamps down on speculators and requires oil companies to drill on 69 million acres of leased land and water.

I oppose the alternative bill, which would give coastal states that support drilling over $40 billion from oil and gas royalties over the next 10 years. After 2019, the federal government would be required to transfer to coastal states nearly 40 percent of all federal revenues from offshore oil and gas drilling ($6 billion every year).

Even the Administration has told us that such a cost would be too high!

We should not hand coastal states billions of federal dollars, while giving them undue influence over national resource management. And, despite its cost, the alternative plan would do little to increase the supply or reduce the price of oil, according to the Department of Energy.

Congress should debate offshore drilling on its own merits without using resource revenues to buy votes. Our nation needs a comprehensive energy reform policy that will boost supplies of all types of energy, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and lower gas prices. The American people deserve nothing less!

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize all the good people at Hammer Residences, who have come to Washington, DC, to take part in the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR) 2008 Governmental Activities Seminar and ``DSPs to DC'' events.

Hammer Residences is working in my district to provide direct support and services to individuals with disabilities of all ages. Hammer employs 300 direct support professionals who provide a range of supports services 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, to help further the public policy goal of enabling people with mental and physical disabilities to live and work in their community. This outstanding, highly trained, highly skilled and highly committed workforce supports over 400 people with disabilities in our community.

Hammer's services include residential and in-home services, case management and other support services for both children and adults with disabilities.

For most of this week, people from Hammer Residences and all the attendees at ANCOR's events are meeting with their congressional offices. They are discussing the deepening workforce crisis threatening the quality of support services to people with disabilities throughout the Nation.

Without an adequately paid, trained and dedicated workforce, Americans with disabilities and their families face a less secure future. Without the necessary workforce, providers cannot help our nation fulfill its commitment to people with disabilities embodied in the Americans with Disabilities Act and the U.S. Supreme Court's Olmstead decision.

I applaud the people at Hammer Residences for taking a lead on this workforce issue. This is problem-solving at its best, and I encourage all of my colleagues to examine their commitment to providing the best support possible to people with disabilities in their districts.

There is no better way to recognize this workforce's contribution to the Nation than to ensure that these dedicated direct support professionals are fairly compensated. I ask that my colleagues join me in cosponsoring the bipartisan Direct Support Professionals Fairness and Security Act (H.R. 1279) and urging hearings on this important issue in the coming weeks.

Madam Speaker, I rise to take a moment to remember the tragic event that occurred 1 year ago today when an eight-lane bridge on Highway 35-W in downtown Minneapolis collapsed and took the lives of 13 people.

No Minnesotan will ever forget the night of August 1st. No Minnesotan will ever forget the horrifying image of the school bus, barely hanging onto the edge of a piece of concrete. We all wondered how many children were on the bus and how they could be rescued.

But all those children made it off the bus to safety, thanks to the kindness of strangers. And that is what people will remember the most-- the brave first responders and ordinary men and women who risked their lives to save others.

Madam Speaker, our thoughts and prayers are still with the victims and their families, and we must do everything possible to assure a tragedy like this will never happen again.

Minnesota has done a lot this year to improve the quality of its infrastructure. I am proud to say that after a year of hard work and dedication, the bridge is expected to re-open in 2 months, ahead of schedule.

Madam Speaker, my deepest gratitude goes to my colleagues who responded so quickly during Minnesota's time of need, and to every person who responded to this disaster, saving lives, caring for the injured, comforting victims and their families and making our bridge whole again.

Madam Speaker, it is my special privilege to welcome today's guest chaplain, Senior Pastor John Crosby of Christ Presbyterian Church in Edina, Minnesota.

On behalf of the entire House of Representatives, thank you, John, for your moving and timely prayer, and for serving as guest chaplain today.

Madam Speaker, the Reverend John Crosby is a true servant-leader who personifies faith, compassion and service to those less fortunate. He is a true man of God.

Pastor Crosby has been at Christ Presbyterian Church, one of the most dynamic and vibrant faith communities in the Twin Cities, since 1989.

John and his wife, Laura, came to Minnesota from Washington, DC, where they ministered at the National Presbyterian Church. They have two daughters, Maggie, who is a junior at Denver University, and Katy who worked as a congressional intern in my Washington office and is now working here in Washington for Bread for the World. Knowing Katy as I do, I can personally testify to the wonderful job John and Laura have done in raising their outstanding daughters, and I am pleased that Laura and Katy are here today in the Speaker's gallery to see their husband and father deliver the opening prayer.

Madam Speaker, Pastor Crosby is a thoughtful and caring person who applies his faith to daily life and the major issues of the day. He is very interested and involved in policy matters, and he has been a trusted adviser throughout my 18 years here in Congress. John Crosby also has experience working in the United States Senate for former Chaplain Richard Halvorsen.

Our Twin Cities community is truly blessed by Pastor Crosby's strong and principled leadership, as well as his inspiring commitment to help people in need.

Under Reverend Crosby's tenure, the youth program and community outreach at Christ Presbyterian Church have grown exponentially, and have been a great asset, a great resource for our community at large. Over a thousand young people are involved in the youth program at Christ Presbyterian Church. And I will never forget when that youth group lost one of its own in a car accident a number of years ago, a beautiful young woman whose family I knew well, and a thousand young people from that church gathered spontaneously that Sunday night at the church, and John led them in prayer.

Pastor Crosby is a man of God who lives out the Biblical command to love God, love others and serve the least amongst us, and I am proud and grateful to call him my friend.

Thank you again, John, for serving the House of Representatives today and for doing the Lord's work here on the Earth each and every day.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6382, the Pension Protection Technical Corrections Act. Pension technical corrections, Mr. Speaker, are hardly considered glamorous bills. The Tax Code and ERISA which govern pension plans are complicated, to say the least, and the interaction between the

two sets of laws is very complex. So it is no surprise that a pension technical corrections bill is, as named, highly technical.

But that doesn't detract from the importance of this bill. Because of the complexity of this area of law, a number of glitches have been discovered that prevent pension laws from operating the way Congress has intended. This bill will fix those glitches, will correct those errors, whether they are drafting or other errors. This will give much- needed certainty to plan administrators, government regulators, and, most importantly, the people who depend on pensions for their financial security in retirement.

That is the bottom line. This is all about making these corrections so that the people who depend on pensions for their financial security in retirement will have certainty and security.

Mr. Speaker, I realize some people do not fully appreciate what a difficult and painstaking process is involved in technical corrections. In fact, until I got involved directly, I didn't realize how complex a process this was, involving both caucuses, five committees in both bodies of Congress and three executive branch agencies.

In the case of the bill before us today, the process is led by the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation, which did a marvelous job, and includes collaboration from the bipartisan staff of the Ways and Means Committee and Education and Labor Committee, as well as their counterparts from the Senate Finance and Senate Health Committees. All of those staffers should be commended, Mr. Speaker, for the excellent work they did on this legislation. Also involved were representatives from the Treasury and Labor Departments and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

Sometimes, Mr. Speaker, there are disagreements about what should and should not be considered technical. Each participant in the process has a veto. Thus, only items that were unanimously viewed as correcting a drafting mistake are included in the technical title of the measure before us. Getting all these players to agree that the sky is blue is certainly not an easy task, so I can't overstate how monumental it is that we now have a bill that survived that rigorous process.

There is also another title in the bill containing a few other pension-related items that are not purely technical. I want to thank Chairman Rangel and his staff, as well as the Members here before us today, the outstanding Members on the other side the aisle from the committee, Mr. Pomeroy and also the gentleman from New Jersey, for their cooperation and collaboration on the bill.

I also want to thank Mildeen Worrell from Chairman Rangel's staff for working to include the provision that I authored that solves an urgent problem for State employees back home in Minnesota, including many, many first responders, police, firefighters and other first responders, as well as teachers. I am also grateful to Ranking Member McCrery and his excellent staff for their assistance.

Mr. Speaker, let me conclude by saying it is time to provide much- needed certainty to our Nation's pension plans and the people who rely on them. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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

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

Just briefly, I rise again in strong support of the Pension Protection Technical Corrections Act. It truly is a vital piece of legislation for the people of America. I want to again thank Chairman Rangel, Chairman Miller, Ranking Member McCrery, Mr. Pomeroy, and Mr. Andrews for their collaboration on this legislation, and last but not least the unsung heroes who worked tirelessly to put this product together, all the staff members of the respective committees.

I urge passage of the bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, as co-chair of the Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus, I rise in strong support of the bill before us, the ADA Amendments Act.

It is a matter of basic justice for every American to have access to public accommodations and businesses. And every American deserves the opportunity to hold a job, contribute their talents and live with dignity and independence.

That's what the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA, of 1990 was all about--creating access and equal opportunity for millions of Americans with disabilities.

And that's why the recent court cases that have chipped away at the protections of the ADA have been so alarming. This important bill will stop the erosion and clarify that people who use adaptive technology to cope with their disability still deserve the protection of the ADA.

People with disabilities have to overcome obstacles every day. It's time to remove the legal obstacles to their basic civil rights.

It's time to tear down the barriers that keep people with disabilities from fully participating and sharing their gifts. It's time to restore basic justice.

I urge my colleagues to support this important bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a truly great community in Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District which has played a crucial role in the history and development of our region and State.

Bloomington is our State's 5th largest city and this special city will celebrate its 150th birthday on May 11, the same day the State of Minnesota was admitted to the Union.

Madam Speaker, we salute Bloomington for its remarkable success, pioneering spirit, record of public service to help people in need and role in positioning both Minnesota and the U.S. for a prosperous future in the global economy.

Bloomington is a place of historic importance situated near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Minnesota Rivers, and in close proximity to Historic Fort Snelling, completed in 1825. The soldiers of Fort Snelling mediated disputes between Minnesota's Dakota and Ojibwe Indians. In 1843, the first European settlers built a cabin near the current 10th Avenue Circle and taught farming methods to Dakota Indians. The territory to the west opened to settlers in 1851.

Bloomington is a city with tremendous historical pride and patriotism and we honor all of Bloomington's courageous members of our armed forces who have fought for freedom. Bloomington was also the home of Tom Burnett, Jr., one of the heroes of Flight 93 on September 11, 2001.

Madam Speaker, Bloomington is home to 85,172 wonderful people and it has been my pleasure to represent all of them in Washington the past 18 years. Bloomington natives have been leaders in commerce, technology, environmental awareness, sports and the arts. Control Data was born in Bloomington and was one of the pioneering supercomputer firms. For most of the 1960s, it built the fastest computers in the world.

It has been my great pleasure to work with the Bloomington Art Center on the 3rd Congressional District High School Arts Competition every year. Bloomington's public schools have produced some of our Nation's best and brightest. Bloomington is also home to the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, which has been so critical to preserving water quality throughout the Midwest and the Mississippi River Valley all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.

Madam Speaker, you could travel this entire Nation and not find a more caring, committed, hard-working and innovative community. Bloomington is home to Minnesota's first major league baseball and football teams and the world famous Mall of America, and it is adjacent to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Bloomington has been the face of Minnesota to many all across this great land. For that we thank all the people of Bloomington for helping boost Minnesota's image in the eyes of the world.

Madam Speaker, in recognition of the historic significance of the Sesquicentennial Celebration to the Community of Bloomington, to the State of Minnesota, and to the United States of America, we are pleased to dedicate May 11, 2008, as the Bloomington Sesquicentennial Day in Minnesota. Happy 150th birthday, Bloomington, Minnesota!