Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution honoring the city of Minneapolis, first responders and Minnesota citizens for their heroic efforts following the I-35W bridge collapse.

No Minnesotan will ever forget August 1, 2007, the day the 8-lane bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River.

No Minnesotan will forget the tragic loss of 13 people, the serious injuries and incredible devastation caused by the falling bridge.

And Minnesotans will never forget the countless acts of heroism they witnessed that day from first responders and concerned bystanders that ignored danger and rushed to help victims.

In spite of the devastation, chaos and confusion, there was a highly organized response from Minnesota officials, firefighters, law enforcement and EMS personnel, the Minnesota National Guard, the Twin Cities Red Cross, local hospitals and the individuals, charities and businesses that donated time, money and goods. It made me proud to be a Minnesotan.

America also witnessed an incredible story in the midst of that terrible disaster--the school bus on the collapsed bridge filled with children who miraculously survived the ordeal.

Our deepest gratitude goes to every person who responded to this disaster, saving lives, caring for the injured and comforting victims and their families.

A special thanks to Governor Pawlenty for his great leadership, as well as Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek, Minneapolis Mayor R. T. Rybak, the author of this resolution, Representative Keith Ellison, and the dean of our Minnesota Congressional delegation, Jim Oberstar, for his leadership in moving bridge funding legislation last month.

Madam Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to support this resolution honoring the people who responded so bravely to the Minnesota bridge collapse.

I thank the distinguished ranking member, my friend, for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, no Minnesotan will ever forget August 1, 2007. No Minnesotan will ever forget the day the I-35W bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River. No Minnesotan will forget the tragic loss of life, the serious injuries, and the incredible devastation caused by the falling eight-lane bridge. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, the survivors and their families as well as the brave first responders who have worked night and day on rescue and recovery operations.

My special thanks go out to the firefighters, the law enforcement personnel, the EMS personnel as well as the Minnesota National Guard and countless Good Samaritans for their heroic rescue and recovery efforts.

A special thanks, Mr. Speaker, to Governor Pawlenty for his great leadership as well as Hennepin County sheriff Rich Stanek, Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak, Representative Keith Ellison, and the rest of our Minnesota congressional delegation who have come together. I want to particularly thank the dean of our delegation, Chairman Jim Oberstar, for his extraordinary leadership in moving this delegation bill before the House today.

Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask all of our colleagues for their overwhelming bipartisan support to pass this crucial bill tonight so we can authorize funds for emergency repairs and reconstruction of the I- 35 bridge that collapsed last Wednesday. Also, Mr. Speaker, we need the funds for much-needed emergency relief as well.

At this time of great need, Mr. Speaker, the good people of Minnesota are very grateful. We thank all of you for your support. We thank the Nation for their thoughts and prayers. We thank God that we live in a country where we can come together to help each other at our time of greatest need.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding, the dean of our delegation, Mr. Oberstar; and I strongly support this Water Resources Development Act and thank, again, Chairman Oberstar for yielding.

I rise with tremendous sadness and grief about an awful tragedy that took place this evening in Minnesota. Full details on the tragedy are still sketchy, but we know that, as of 6:10 p.m. Minnesota time, during the midst of evening rush hour, a bridge on Interstate Highway 35W in downtown Minneapolis, very close to the Metrodome, collapsed, causing at least 40 cars to fall into the Mississippi River.

As my colleague, Keith Ellison, mentioned, at least three people are confirmed dead. A number of others have been hospitalized at the nearby Hennepin County Medical Center, and now we get word at five other hospitals as well. Rescue operations are still under way at this late hour, as fires continue to burn and people remain unaccounted for.

The Minnesota Congressional Delegation, thanks to our dean, Mr. Oberstar, has already met and pledged our total support to obtain whatever Federal assistance is needed.

In addition, on behalf of Governor Pawlenty, with whom I've been in constant contact, I want to offer the gratitude of all Minnesotans to Speaker Pelosi, who has already pledged her full support for any Federal assistance our State needs to address this bridge disaster.

I also want to pay special thanks to the first responders who are on the scene at the moment and rescue operations and other services. Every single Fire Department in the seven county

metro area is there on the scene, as well as all the Police Departments, emergency medical personnel. And, again, we all thank those brave first responders.

Our thoughts and prayers, Mr. Speaker, finally, are with the families of all those affected by this horrible disaster. We will continue to monitor the situation very closely, of course; and we ask all Americans to pray for the victims, the survivors and their families.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay special tribute to Charles W. Lindberg, who passed away Sunday in Minnesota. Today would have been Chuck's 87th birthday.

Chuck Lindberg was a real American hero and a great patriot. He was a Marine who carried a 72-pound flamethrower into some of the most horrific battles in the Pacific during World War II. He earned the Silver Star for valor, was shot in the arm and was honored with the Purple Heart.

Chuck was a true profile in courage. And if you do not know his name, I guarantee you know of one of his heroic acts. Chuck Lindberg, you see, helped raise the first American flag atop Mount Suribachi on February 23, 1945, during the Battle of Iwo Jima. That historic moment is captured in the famous sculpture at the Marine Corps Memorial by the Pentagon.

Chuck Lindberg truly represented the best of Duty, Honor, and Country and personified our nation's commitment to freedom.

On a personal level, I considered Charles Lindberg a good friend and very much appreciated and enjoyed our visits over the years. I was deeply inspired by hearing about his historic flag raising on Iwo Jima. I will always remember Chuck and that famous depiction of the flag raising will keep his spirit alive forever.

Madam Speaker, Chuck Lindberg will go down in history as one of the greatest Minnesota patriots of all time. He was the last survivor among the men who raised that first flag. Before Iwo Jima, Chuck Lindberg bravely fought at Guadalcanal and Bougainville as part of Carlson's Raiders, an elite unit that operated behind enemy lines.

Chuck was a hero in every way, and he never stopped being a hero. He dedicated his life to raising awareness of the sacrifices made by our Nation's brave fighting men and women.

He reached out to other veterans and he spoke to veterans' groups and at schools. The Minnesota Legislature has passed a resolution in Lindberg's honor and Chuck is mentioned on several Minnesota war memorials.

Madam Speaker, Chuck Lindberg was a modest man, like so many members of the Greatest Generation. Today, in Minnesota and here in our Nation's Capital, we honor him by not being so modest about his great accomplishments. We are deeply grateful for his many selfless contributions to our freedom and liberty.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Chuck's wife of 59 years, Violette, and daughters Diane Steiger and Karen Davidson and sons Rod, Rick, and Jeff.

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is a special day in our community of Minnesota. Tomorrow is the day we welcome four very special new families to our community. Tomorrow is the day we dedicate and cut the ribbon at Wayzata Village Homes, an affordable housing complex built by Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity.

As we dedicate these beautiful new homes and welcome our new neighbors, I'm feeling deeply grateful to live in a community of compassionate, caring and committed people, people who care deeply about people suffering the ravages of poverty, homelessness and hunger, people who reach out to meet the housing needs of people in need, people like John and Nancy Berg.

John and Nancy Berg started a family foundation several years ago to meet the affordable housing needs in our community and have contributed so generously time after time after time. People like Steve and Geri Bloomer, who donated the land for Wayzata Village Homes. People like Wayzata Mayor Andrew Humphrey, the members of the Wayzata City Council and the Wayzata Housing Authority, all of whom have a progressive, enlightened and generous approach to expanding access to affordable housing.

I am also deeply grateful to all the sponsors, donors and other partners, as well as LaDonna Hoy, Jill Kohler and Kim Vohs, and all the staff and volunteers at Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners. Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners is truly the conscience of our community. I am also deeply grateful to Sue Haig, Tony Beckstrom, and all of those with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. Habitat is truly the conscience of our entire Nation in meeting the huge need for affordable housing in our country.

In 1961, on the steps right here at the Capitol, in his celebrated inaugural address, President John F. Kennedy said: ``Here on Earth, God's work must truly be our own.'' In Wayzata, each of these wonderful people answered President Kennedy's call. They helped make Wayzata Village Homes a reality. They answered our community's call. And tomorrow we will celebrate this great affordable-housing success story.

Tomorrow, we will celebrate four new families in our community and extend a special welcome to the proud new residents of Village Homes.

Nobody will give a more special welcome than Rachel Poss. Rachel is a fifth grader at Birchview School in Plymouth. Rachel certainly touched my heart this week with her community service project, which was written up in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, of providing baskets of household items to the new families of Village Homes.

Thank you, Rachel, and to all who made this Habitat project a reality. You showed us what public service is all about.

Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus and proud cosponsor of H.R. 1700, the COPS Improvement Act, I rise to urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Since its creation in the 1994 Crime Bill, the COPS program has been a key component of the Federal effort to keep our communities safe. The program has been widely hailed as a success. It has supported the hiring of over 100,000 officers and contributed to a nationwide decrease in violent crime in the 1990s.

H.R. 1700 makes several improvements to the program to increase public safety across the country. It reauthorizes the COPS hiring program to help put 50,000 new police on the beat in our communities, provides $350 million a year for State and local agencies to develop new technologies for crime prevention and police training and provides $200 million a year for community-based prosecution programs.

In my home state of Minnesota, I've seen, firsthand, the importance of the COPS program to local police in reducing crime and improving public safety.

The COPS program has been an invaluable resource to state and local law enforcement agencies for hiring, technology and school safety grants, and has been critical to providing personnel, equipment, training and technical assistance in the war on drugs and homeland security.

We must never forget our cops are on the front lines--in the war on crime, fighting drug dealers and protecting our homeland.

As Chris Matthews of MSNBC said after the attacks of September 11: ``Before the attacks on our homeland, America's heroes were the rich and famous. Since Sept. 11, America's heroes are the cops and firefighters. And that's good for America.''

Today, America's heroes are counting on us. Congress owes it to these brave men and women who put their lives on the line every day they put on the badge. Our nation's law enforcement officers need all the tools Congress can provide. It's time to honor the sacrifices made by our Nation's law enforcement community and give our Nation's finest the support they need.

Madam Speaker, April 13, 2007, marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of former Minnesota Governor Harold E. Stassen.

I rise to pay tribute to the life of this remarkable Minnesotan and true patriot, who dedicated his life to serving our country.

Born on a farm in West St. Paul, Minnesota, Harold Stassen graduated from law school and earned the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the ROTC by the age of 21. At just 22, he was elected Dakota County attorney, a position he held for 9 years.

In 1938, Harold Stassen was elected Governor of Minnesota, taking office at the age of 31. He was the youngest person ever elected governor of any state, a distinction that lasts to this day. During his tenure, Harold Stassen was a visionary and creative leader.

In his 1942 campaign for reelection, Governor Stassen said that if he was reelected, he would resign after the legislative session to join the U.S. Navy, saying, ``Our boys are fighting for the right of freedom, and I want to be with them.''

As promised, following the 1943 legislative session he resigned as governor and joined the U.S. Navy on the Battleship USS Missouri in the Third Pacific Fleet. He was awarded three battle stars, led the Navy's POW evacuation program in Japan and was on duty on the main deck of the Missouri when the message came that the Japanese had surrendered. In fact, he entered the receipt of that historic message in the USS Missouri's log book.

In February of 1945, President Roosevelt named Harold Stassen as one of eight members of the American delegation to the Founding Conference of the United Nations in San Francisco, where he was later named one of the two most influential people in drafting the United Nations Charter.

Stassen later played a key role in convincing Dwight D. Eisenhower to run for the Republican nomination for President. Upon his election, Eisenhower appointed Stassen Director of Mutual Security, which carried a Cabinet rank and included all foreign operations, foreign aid, relief, military and assistance programs, distribution of arms and technical and educational assistance.

As a member of President Eisenhower's Cabinet, Stassen was also active in implementing the 1955 Geneva Summit, for which he drafted the Arms Limitation and ``Open Skies'' proposals initiated by GEN James Doolittle and presented by President Eisenhower at the summit. Having experienced first-hand the horror of war, Stassen spent the remainder of his political and public life working for world peace.

Harold E. Stassen dedicated his life to serving our country, both in the armed forces and as a public servant and elected official. The country is grateful for his meritorious contribution to the security and national interests of the United States and his long legacy of public service. He died 40 days short of turning 95, on March 4, 2002.

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

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support the Taxpayer Protection Act. This legislation is a package of commonsense reforms that passed the Ways and Means Committee by a voice vote with broad bipartisan support, and I want to take this opportunity to thank Chairman Rangel of the full Ways and Means Committee, as well as Chairman Lewis, the chairman of our Oversight Subcommittee, for working in a bipartisan, pragmatic and commonsense way on this legislation, and for working in a bipartisan way thus far generally in the committee. I also want to thank Ranking Member McCrery for his leadership.

Mr. Speaker, true to its name, this bill will protect taxpayers and expand their rights. One important reform will prevent Internet domains from using the Treasury Department's name or symbol, which is usually done to trick people into giving out sensitive personal or financial information. Clearly, this should not be allowed and should be outlawed, as this bill provides. It

prohibits phishing, and by that I mean phishing with a ``P-H,'' not the kind that Minnesota is famous for. We are referring here to mass e-mail communications falsely claiming to be from the IRS that can lead to identity theft and have victimized too many Americans.

The bill also requires the IRS to notify taxpayers when there is an unauthorized use of the taxpayer's identity. This will help taxpayers take steps to clear their names quickly if and when their identity is stolen.

Another commonsense provision of this bill allows the IRS to return funds directly to a taxpayer's retirement account if the IRS improperly levied fines from that account.

One provision, Mr. Speaker, that received considerable attention in the committee deals with refund anticipation loans. I mentioned in the committee that while I certainly understand the motivation behind the provision and the belief that the IRS should not be a facilitator for predatory loans, I am concerned because the bill does not define ``predatory''; but I trust, Mr. Speaker, that will be clarified in the conference.

I also hope we are not inadvertently making this problem worse by denying lenders information on ``debt indicators'' so that the provision increases the risk that a lender will not be reimbursed by the taxpayer's refund. This could cause lenders to increase fees and interest rates even further, making taxpayers pay even more for early access to their refunds. While I am not opposed to the provision, this should be addressed in the conference.

I strongly support another provision in the bill which would encourage the IRS to do more to ensure that taxpayers entitled to receive earned income credit refunds actually receive them.

Mr. Speaker, as we all know, the earned income credit is one of our most effective antipoverty tools for working families. This provision certainly deserves our strong support.

Mr. Speaker, I am also very pleased that the committee adopted my amendment to prevent tax fraud by prison inmates. This amendment is based on legislation that Chairman Lewis and I introduced in the last Congress in response to a hearing we held in 2005. This hearing revealed massive tax fraud going on within the walls of our Nation's prisons. In fact, the IRS testified that 15 percent of all tax fraud in the United States is committed by prison inmates while in prison. Tax fraud in any form is obviously unacceptable and illegal; but it is particularly outrageous and egregious when it is committed by prison inmates who are supposed to be paying their debt to society, not bilking taxpayers.

For example, we heard testimony, Mr. Speaker, from one inmate who had swindled taxpayers to the tune of $3.5 million in false tax return claims, and this was not an isolated incident.

While the IRS is able to detect some inmate tax fraud, far too much of it falls through the cracks. And, unfortunately, the IRS is prohibited by current law from sharing information with prison officials that would allow those officials to punish and stop this fraud.

My amendment, and I appreciate the chairman's support of this amendment, my amendment would allow the IRS to disclose information to Federal prison officials to help them stop the tax fraud that is occurring right under their noses within the walls of Federal prisons. I hope in time this commonsense provision can also be extended to include State prisons.

Mr. Speaker, it is truly fitting that in a bill entitled the Taxpayer Protection Act we protect honest taxpayers from such blatant, outrageous fraud that is being committed by some prison inmates.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to protect taxpayers and support this legislation.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Herger), a distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee and ranking member of the Trade Subcommittee.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Price), a champion of the taxpayer.

(Mr. PRICE of Georgia asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Madam Speaker, may I just inquire as to how many speakers the other side may have.

Madam Speaker, before yielding back, I too want to express my deepest sympathy to the entire Virginia Tech community. Like every other Member of this body, my thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the tragic and senseless loss of lives.

Having no further speakers, I urge a strong ``yes'' vote for this taxpayer protection.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member, my friend from Florida, for yielding, and also thank the chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Mr. Filner, for his leadership, as well as the author of this important legislation, Mr. Boswell of Iowa, and all of those who have worked to bring this legislation to the floor.

I have talked, Mr. Speaker, to the mother and the stepmother of Marine Lance Corporal Jonathan Schulze of Minnesota. I have talked to the stepmother, who, along with Jonathan's father, took this young marine to the VA hospital seeking admission. Lance Corporal Schulze, back from the war in Iraq, was suffering from depression, post- traumatic stress disorder, alcoholism, and was suicidal.

I have talked to this mother and stepmother who, along with Jonathan's father, are absolutely heartbroken at the loss of their beloved son and this true American hero, Lance Corporal Schulze. He was told by the VA that he was number 26 on the waiting list and would have to wait several months to be admitted for treatment. Five days later, Lance Corporal Schulze hanged himself with an electrical cord.

This brave marine's tragic death demonstrates to all of us, to the Nation, the urgent need to provide greater access to mental health treatment for our returning troops and our veterans.

None of our brave troops, none of our brave troops, suffering from PTSD should ever be placed on a waiting list for treatment. It is absolutely, Mr. Speaker, outrageous, that mental health treatment is not readily available for our brave troops returning from war.

That is why I am proud and grateful to rise as a cosponsor of the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act. This legislation will provide necessary screening to our returning veterans for risk factors of suicide. It will make sure that those found to be at risk will receive the care that they need and deserve.

It is too late, Mr. Speaker, for Lance Corporal Jonathan Schulze of Minnesota, but it is not too late for thousands and thousands of other returning troops and veterans. It is time to pass this critical bill.

But we must do more. We must pass mental health and chemical addiction parity. There are 56 million Americans suffering the ravages of mental illness, most of whom are going untreated. There are 24 million Americans suffering the ravages of alcoholism and drug addiction, many, many veterans who are going untreated.

We must also, in addition to this important legislation, pass the Mental Health Equity Act to provide equitable treatment for people suffering from mental illness and chemical addiction; that is, to put them on the same footing as people suffering from physical diseases.

We also, Mr. Speaker, must pass the Lane Evans VA Reform Act, which is more comprehensive, provides more resources to the VA and more access to treatment for our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, as I said, it is too late for Lance Corporal Schulze of Minnesota. It is too late for Staff Sergeant Omvig of Iowa. But it is not too late for our other veterans.

Let's do the right thing. Let's pass this legislation.

I thank the gentleman for his leadership.

Mr. Speaker, the President has said for more than 4 years that he would follow the advice of his commanders on the ground with respect to troop levels in Iraq. That is why I am both surprised and disappointed the President did not follow the advice given as recently as 2 months ago by the Army and Marine Corps Chiefs of Staff, as well as General John Abizaid, General George Casey, and General Colin Powell. All of these highly respected commanders expressed their opposition to increasing the number of U.S. troops in Iraq.

As General Abizaid, the top commander in the Middle East said, an increase in U.S. troops would be counterproductive because it will perpetuate the dependency of Iraqi forces, create more targets and stretch our military too thin.

Until recently the top ground commander in Iraq, General George Casey, has said that sending more American troops into Baghdad and Anbar province would increase the Iraqi dependency on Washington. As General Colin Powell, one of the most respected military leaders of our generation put it, a surge was already tried in Baghdad last fall and it failed. Now it will only further delay Iraqis taking control of their own security.

``It will only further delay Iraqis taking control of their own security.'' That is from General Colin Powell, who also noted that he had not heard any generals on the ground in Iraq ask for more troops.

Mr. Speaker, the original mission of U.S. troops in Iraq was to liberate the country and turn it over to the Iraqi people. We need to get back to that original mission. Our brave troops have done an absolutely heroic job of liberating the people of Iraq. Now our troops should get back to the original mission of training Iraqi security forces so they can secure their own country and turn it over to the Iraqi people. General Casey has long argued that the principal emphasis of American policy should be training Iraqi security forces and handing over responsibility to the Iraqis.

Mr. Speaker, the resolution authorizing the use of force in Iraq that we passed in the fall of 2002 was never intended to authorize the use of American troops to police a civil war. It was never intended to provide justification for sending 21,500 more American troops into the middle of a civil war. As former Navy Secretary in Virginia, Senator John Warner, put it: ``Whom do they shoot at, the Sunni or the Shia?'' With 325,000 Iraqi security forces already trained, Mr. Speaker, that is according to our Defense Department, it is time for Iraqi troops to step up to the frontlines in Baghdad, Anbar province, and Fallujah. It is time to accelerate the training of Iraqi security forces and the turnover of security to the Iraqis so our troops can come home with their mission completed. It is time for enforceable benchmarks to measure the progress of Iraqi security forces. Mr. Speaker, it is time for a surge in diplomacy, not a surge in troops to mend a broken country. It is time for a stepped-up regional peace effort in the Middle East to settle this conflict.

Mr. Speaker, Congress should listen to our commanders on the ground. We should follow the advice of the Army and Marine Corps Chiefs of Staff. We should follow the advice of General Abizaid, General Casey, and General Powell when they spoke up in December. It is time for Congress to step up and express our strong support of our brave troops, our continued support of the original mission, and our opposition to the increase of U.S. troops to police a civil war in Iraq.

I urge a ``yes'' vote on the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, it is a special privilege to welcome today's guest chaplain, the Reverend Dr. John Ross, Senior Minister of Wayzata Community Church in Wayzata, MN.

On behalf of the entire House, thank you, J.R., as Dr. Ross is known back home, for your moving and very timely prayer and for serving as guest chaplain here today.

I know Dr. Ross and his wonderful wife, Sheila, very well as Kathryn and I, our family are members of Wayzata Community Church. We are proud to call Dr. Ross our senior minister and grateful to call John and Sheila and their four wonderful children our dear friends.

Mr. Speaker, the Reverend Dr. John Ross is a true servant-leader who personifies faith, compassion and service to people in need. Dr. Ross came to Wayzata Community Church in 2004, after a 14-year ministry in Columbus, OH. Our Wayzata Community Church and indeed our entire Lake Minnetonka community are truly blessed by Dr. Ross' strong and principled leadership as well as his inspiring commitment to help people in need.

Every summer since 1996, Dr. Ross has led a mission of primarily young people to Mexico where they have built over 100 homes for the poorest of the poor. As one 8th grader from our church told me, J.R. not only talks the talk, he walks the walk. He is always the first one up the ladder in the morning and the last one down from the roof in the evening.

Mr. Speaker, the Reverend Dr. John Ross is truly a man of God who lives out the Biblical command to love God, love others, and serve the least amongst us.

Thank you again, Dr. Ross. Thank you, J.R., for serving the House of Representatives today and for doing the Lord's work in our church and community every day.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Shaw for yielding.

I rise in strong support of H.R. 6406, which includes the legislation I introduced to extend permanent normal trade relations to Vietnam.

Mr. Speaker, the bottom line here is economic growth and jobs. Fully 95 percent of the world's population lives outside the United States, and the global economy is projected to grow at three times the rate of the U.S. economy. We must, we must, continue to take steps to make sure that American farmers, businesses, and service providers remain leaders in the international marketplace and that our products have fair and open access to foreign markets.

As was said by Mr. Cardin, Vietnam is the fastest growing economy in Southeast Asia. It continues to grow in significance as a United States trading partner. By giving Vietnam PNTR status, our businesses and farmers will be able to take advantage of increased market access opportunities that the Vietnamese have offered in return. And increased market access in Vietnam will also help provide our companies a competitive sourcing counterbalance to China in this region.

Without passage of this legislation, U.S. companies will not be able to take advantage of the Vietnamese concessions. And the United States will not be able to engage in dispute settlement cases with Vietnam in the World Trade Organization. So not to pass this legislation with respect to Vietnam, extending PNTR to Vietnam, is a lose-lose situation.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Thomas and Chairman Shaw for their leadership and key efforts in crafting this package and also for including Vietnam PNTR. The House is truly losing two legislative giants, and it has been a great privilege to serve with Chairman Thomas and Chairman Shaw on the Ways and Means Committee.

I also want to thank my friends on the other side of the aisle, Ranking Member Rangel and Mr. Cardin, for working on this important package in a bipartisan way. It has also been a great privilege to serve with you, and we are going to miss you, Ben, when you move to the other body.

I also want to thank Representative Thompson for his bipartisan support, his steadfast support, and hard work on this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support passage of H.R. 6406.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6111) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide that the Tax Court may review claims for equitable innocent spouse relief and to suspend the running on the period of limitations while such claims are pending, as amended.

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

I rise in support of H.R. 6111, a bill to provide the U.S. Tax Court with jurisdiction to review innocent spouse relief claims. I urge my colleagues to join me in passing this legislation introduced by our distinguished colleague and friend from California, Representative Tauscher.

Under current law, married couples who submit joint tax returns are individually responsible for paying the taxes owed to the Federal Government. The Internal Revenue Service can, however, relieve this responsibility, Mr. Speaker, in situations where one spouse was unaware that the other spouse understated the amount of taxes due on their joint return. This type of relief, called innocent spouse relief, is granted at the discretion of the IRS. Currently, if the IRS denies a claim for innocent spouse relief, the tax court which specializes in tax law, does not have jurisdiction to review the IRS decision. This bill would provide the tax court with authority to review these claims by innocent spouses.

Mr. Speaker, we have the opportunity today to allow innocent spouses to take their cases to the Federal court with the most knowledge and expertise in handling tax matters. The tax court's experience with tax cases should ensure that denials of claims for innocent spouse relief are handled both fairly and expeditiously.

Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague and friend, Representative Tauscher, for her leadership and key work on this issue. The Senate has passed a similar provision, and I urge my colleagues to do the same by voting in favor of this important commonsense legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers on this bill, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6111, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on the subject of the bill just passed.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a dear friend and a true Minnesota hero, Jeffrey Bangsberg.

Jeff will be retiring from full-time work this month, and it is fitting that we recognize the accomplishments this great Minnesotan has achieved and the perseverance and courage he has shown in the face of extraordinary challenges.

Jeff suffered a spinal cord injury 30 years ago. While this injury left him in a wheelchair, he never gave up and became a tremendous advocate for expanding access to health care and other critical services for people with disabilities and the elderly.

Since 1991, Jeff has brought his insight, passion and experience to a variety of important issues, including improving Social Security and the Medicare and Medicaid programs, especially for people living with disabilities.

I have worked closely with Jeff for 26 years on a wide range of legislative initiatives in both the Minnesota State Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. Jeff was instrumental in the creation and implementation of groundbreaking legislation, including the first personal care attendant program in Minnesota, Metro Mobility, Medicaid for Employed Persons with Disabilities, and the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act.

All of these monumental achievements are the result of Jeff's great heart and his passion for helping others. Over the years, Minnesota governors have appointed Jeff to several councils and commissions, including the Minnesota State Council on Disability, the Minnesota State Rehabilitation Council, the Minnesota Health Care Commission and countless advisory committees for the Minnesota Department of Human Services and the Minnesota Department of Health. He was also a presidential appointee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

And in addition to all of these important commitments, Jeff also found time to serve as Government Relations Director for the Minnesota HomeCare Association. In this capacity, Jeff has effectively promoted home care services for seniors and people with disabilities at the local, state and federal levels. Because of his work, countless people are living independently and with dignity.

Jeff is truly an extraordinary person, not only for his ability to overcome obstacles, but also in his dedication to knocking down barriers for others. Jeff understands that we all win when all Americans are empowered to live up to their full potential.

As Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus, I have been grateful for Jeff's invaluable counsel, expertise and friendship over the years. While I could spend hours listing the many accomplishments of this tremendous individual, I can sum it all up by saying Jeff Bangsberg truly represents the best and the brightest, and I am honored to call him my friend.

Congratulations, Jeff, on your well-deserved retirement, and best wishes to you and your wonderful wife, Anita.