Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, in my years of public service, I have benefitted from the efforts of many capable employees on my staff who have come and gone. Yet there has always remained one constant in my office, Martha Franco, and for that I am truly grateful.

Martha was born in Guadalajara, Mexico. Her parents, Maria and Doroteo Franco and her siblings, Jeronimo, Humberto, Benilde, Bertha, Oscar, Abel, Hector, Dinora and Gloria all emigrated to the United States where they settled in the small town of Colusa, California. As a naturalized citizen, she is a model example of someone who made the efforts required to become a U.S. citizen and has gone on to contribute to our country through public service. She is also active in helping needy families in the Sacramento area and from the small village in Mexico where her family is from. Martha first came to work for me in 1984 when I served in the California State Senate.

When I was elected to Congress in 1990, Martha became my Executive Assistant and Office Manager. She has worked for me in Washington and in California, and this year I named her as my Deputy Chief of Staff. Martha's loyal presence has meant so much to my wife, Julie, to me, and to our entire organization. The people who call upon our office have appreciated seeing a familiar face through the years, and I have appreciated having someone who knows the many people who have been important to us throughout my career. Martha's unsurpassed character and dedication have allowed me to trust her with confidential and sensitive materials and to do so with great confidence.

Martha's spirit is demonstrated by her commitment to family and heritage as well. She cares for her father at home and is a wonderful aunt to her many nieces and nephews, their beloved ``Tia Mart''. I know she is looking forward to spending even more time with her large family as she begins a new chapter in her life.

While our work together will soon end, Martha will always remain an important person in our lives. As she looks to new opportunities, I wish Martha all the best, and look forward to her continued friendship in the years to come.

Madam Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to Paul H. Snider. Paul is a loyal American and a fine man.

Paul grew up in Denair, CA and graduated from Turlock High School. After high school he entered the U.S. Maritime Service as a radio operator. Following his Maritime service, he enrolled in Modesto Junior College. While attending Modesto Junior College, Paul and his father started Snider Honey, a business in which they marketed and distributed honey to retailers. One of those retailers was Tom Raley, who at that time had only one store in Placerville, but went on to establish the well-known chain of Raley's grocery stores.

After graduating from Modesto Junior College, Paul joined the National Guard. He was sent to Okinawa for 6 months and was honorably discharged in January 1953. Upon returning to California, Paul began working for his uncle, Stewart Snider, selling Buicks. As was the custom in the early 1950s, Paul went door-to-door after dinner contacting people who had visited the dealership in order to sell them a car.

In 1956, Paul bought his own Chevy dealership in Patterson, CA. In 1966, he bought a Volkswagen dealership in Sacramento. Paul's success continued, and at one time he owned about one dozen dealerships, including Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Volkswagen, Chevy, Pontiac, Isuzu, Hyundai, and Infiniti. Paul has managed to succeed in business without compromising his character; he has remained humble and has cared about his many employees. In fact, Paul hated it when he was forced to fire someone and agonized over the decision each time it needed to be made.

Paul has three children: Shelby, Marcus, and Blake. He is an avid hunter and has been a member of the Safari Club International, Ducks Unlimited, the Lions Club, and the Rotary Club. He has contributed generously and repeatedly to the Red Cross, the Shriners, the River Oak Center for Children Foundation (for children with developmental disabilities), and to Ducks Unlimited and the Safari Club International. Paul is a man who puts his energy behind his beliefs, and he has been a faithful supporter of many conservative causes. I am grateful for his support and friendship and wish him well in the years to come.

Madam Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to Rick Staats, a man whose passion and energy for conservative principles in northern California have made a great contribution to the region.

Rick was born on August 1, 1943, in Berkeley, CA, where he grew up. After graduating from Berkeley High School, Rick left California to attend the University of Oregon.

After college, Rick returned to California and became active in politics. While living in the Bay Area, Rick served as the Alameda County chairman for the U.S. Senate campaign of then-State Senator H.L. Richardson. Rick was also an alternate delegate for the 1976 Republican National Convention in Kansas City. Rick's political activism eventually led him to Sacramento in 1978. At that time, Rick and I served together on the staff of Senator Richardson, and 2 years later Rick was an integral

part of my successful campaign for the California State Senate.

Rick worked for me in many capacities throughout my tenure in the state Senate, including as my district director. When I was elected to U.S. Congress in 1990. Rick chose to remain active in California politics. He served as chief of staff to Assemblyman David Knowles and as a consultant for the Republican caucus in the assembly.

While working in the California State Legislature, Rick remained active in volunteer organizations in California. He served as the statewide president of the California Republican Assembly, chairman of the Placer County Republican Party, credentials chairman for the California Republican Party, and in other important roles for groups that were advocating the conservative principles to which Rick has always been committed.

In 2004, Rick left California to retire in Idaho. Though he is retired, Rick remains active in politics and in public service. He currently sits on the board of directors for the Cabinet Mountains Water District and is still an important figure in California politics. I am pleased to have known Rick for many years as a colleague, a member of my staff, and a friend. I would like to express my gratitude to him for his work over the years for me and for the many causes he has championed, and I wish him all the very best in the future.

Madam Speaker, I would like to take a minute and pay tribute to an old friend and former staffer, Robert C. Faber. Bob is a man of strong ideals and integrity.

I first met Bob when we were in our first year of law school at McGeorge Law School in California. Our friendship began then and has been strong ever since. After law school, Bob and I went our separate ways. Bob worked first at the State Lands Commission and then had a private law practice. I went to work in the California State Senate in Sacramento. Ten years later I was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and when I became Chairman of the Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power, I encouraged Bob to become the staff director of the committee. He graciously accepted the position, and he and his lovely wife, Joyce, moved to the Washington area. In the six years he served as staff director he assisted in moving a number of difficult pieces of legislation and helped the subcommittee conduct many critical oversight hearings and more than a dozen General Accounting Office investigations.

Bob was born in Kansas City, Missouri and grew up in Oregon, Michigan, Indiana and California. He attended high school in La Sierra, California. Bob has the gift of being able to teach people in both personal and professional situations. As early as high school, Bob showed his talent for teaching. He would often help tutor his fellow students at his home, and eventually the group got so large that one of the students asked the teacher if Bob could teach the class, since he was able to better relate to his peers. The teacher allowed Bob to teach the class for about 2 weeks under his supervision.

After high school, Bob attended Andrews University in Southwestern Michigan where he majored in journalism. He earned his undergraduate degree in three years after successfully testing out of one year of classes. While at Andrews, he met Joyce in the communications department, and the two have been married for 35 years now. They have one son, Robert Jr., who is 14 years old.

After law school, Bob frequently volunteered in support of community activities in the Sacramento area. He volunteered as an international moot court justice at the McGeorge law school. He taught bible classes at his local church. He co-founded the local neighborhood association where he lived. And he helped organize a group of fellow bank customers to recover their savings after the financial institution where they had deposits failed.

Although he remains active professionally as an attorney, Bob still enjoys teaching as the opportunities present themselves. He has recently started writing a series of articles combining history, religion, and science.

I am very grateful for Bob's friendship, and I look forward to the many years ahead we have as friends. I wish him and his family much happiness and success.

Madam Speaker, on November 8, 2008, Robert Massey died in Fair Oaks, CA. Born on November 5, 1921, ``Farmer Bob'' (as he is known) contributed to the community throughout his life. As a local historian, Bob frequently shared his knowledge of the area and made a habit of correcting media reports and the Fair Oaks Historical Society whenever their reports conflicted with his own expertise. Bob was a member of the Sunrise Center Toastmasters, sharing with others his great oratory skills and motivational tactics. Many families enjoyed a visit to Farmer Bob's pumpkin patch and truck farm.

While Bob made many great contributions to our region, perhaps his most important work was his strong advocacy for the Auburn Dam. The Auburn Dam Council's website describes Bob as President of the council from 1921-2008. This is an appropriate title for someone who understood the need for greater flood protection and was willing to work for the safety of so many others living nearby. Unfortunately, the dam has yet to be built, but when that day comes it will be in large part thanks to Bob's efforts.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Bob's loving wife of 65 years, Beryl, and the rest of his family and friends. Bob brightened the lives of so many people, and he will be truly missed by those of us who were fortunate enough to have known him.

Madam Speaker, on October 5, 2008, Daniel William Byrne passed away at his home in Tulelake, CA with his wife, Geri, and his family at his side. Dan was one of the finest stewards of our great natural resources that I have ever known, and his contributions to northern California's agricultural community will be sorely missed.

Dan was born on Sept. 19, 1954, in Klamath Falls, Ore., to Robert A. Byrne and Elizabeth (Betty Lou) Byrne (Dalton) Shirley. He attended Newell Elementary School and graduated from Bellarmine College Prep in San Jose in 1972, then earned his Bachelor of Science degree in farm management from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo in 1977. While at Cal Poly, he met his future wife and partner, Geri Bielar, whom he married in 1978.

Dan returned home after graduation and operated the family ranch with his father and his brothers. He demonstrated remarkable intelligence and earned respect as a rancher who took great pride in running cattle while also working in partnerships to improve stewardship of the land. He and his brother, Mike, were awarded the Society for Range Management California Section Award in Excellence in Range Management in 1968 as well as the conservation award from the Klamath Soil and Water Conservation District and the Tulelake-Butte Valley Fair Farmer and Rancher of the Year Award, both in 2007. Dan was also given the California Farm Bureau Federation Distinguished Service Award in 2008. Dan was a good friend and a fine man.

His loved ones were an integral part of his life and his work, and I wish to offer my condolences to the entire Byrne family. Dan is survived by his wife, Geri, of Tulelake; sister, Elizabeth Flynn, of Danville, Calif., and her sons, Michael and Thomas; a brother, Bob, and his wife, Cory, of Tulelake and their daughters, Melissa, Gwen and Katelyn; a brother, Mike, and his wife, Bev, of Tulelake, and their son, Matt, and their daughter, Brianna; a sister, Pat Byrne, of Lodi, Calif.; his stepfather, Bob Shirley, of Chico, Calif.; and his mother- in-law, Joan Bielar, of Rocklin, Calif.

Madam Speaker, on October 30, 2008, Robert Cribbs passed away in the presence of his loving family. Bob was a true innovator who successfully developed five high technology companies. He was also deeply committed to his personal interests, most notably in the area of Egyptian culture. Bob was recognized throughout his life for his great work, and his presence as an entrepreneur, professor, scientist, father, husband and friend will be sorely missed.

Bob came to California after graduating from the Carnegie Institute of Technology with a degree in physics. He arrived with his wife, Donna, and two infant boys, Mark and Bob, to work at Aerojet General Corporation. Soon after, Bob and Donna's daughter, Sherry, was born. In 1967, Bob left Aerojet to form Electra-Physics Laboratories (EPL), located in Folsom. After General Electric became interested in EPL and purchased the rights to work with part of the company, the remaining division was named Folsom Research Inc. (FRI) and moved to Rancho Cordova. FRI was bought by Barco, and soon after Bob formed SoniPulse, Inc., in El Dorado Hills. Bob also co-founded a medical company, LipoSonix, Inc.

Bob was an expert in ultrasound technology. He used this knowledge not only to further important medical research, but also for discovery as he explored the pyramids in the Valley of the Kings in search of the burial chamber of pharaoh Seti using ultrasound and RF equipment to locate the tomb. Bob's keen interest in Egyptian music also led him to prove that Pythagoras actually stole the musical scale from the Egyptians.

Bob's life was full of accomplishments, and those of us who were fortunate enough to know him will miss him dearly. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife of 51 years, Donna; his children Bob, Mark and Sherry; his grandchildren Tensor Chen, Weijing Chen, Jason, Sommer, Royce, Anneleise and Gretchen; and his great-grandchild Adam.

Madam Speaker, I would like to take a minute and pay tribute to an old friend and former staffer, Robert C. Faber. Bob is a man of strong ideals and integrity.

I first met Bob when we were in our first year of law school at McGeorge Law School in California. Our friendship began then and has been strong ever since. After law school, Bob and I went our separate ways. Bob worked first at the State Lands Department and then had a private law practice. I went to work in the California State Senate in Sacramento. Ten years later I was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and when I became Chairman of the Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power, I encouraged Bob to become the staff director of the committee. He graciously accepted the position, and he and his lovely wife, Joyce, moved to the Washington area.

Bob was born in Kansas City, Missouri and grew up in Oregon, Michigan, Indiana and California. He attended high school in La Sierra, California. While in high school, Bob showed his talent of teaching in his early years. He would often help tutor his fellow students at his home, and eventually the group got so large that the class asked their teacher if Bob could teach the class, since he was able to better relate to his peers. The teacher allowed Bob to teach the class for about 2 weeks under his supervision.

After high school, Bob attended Andrews University in Southwestern Michigan where he majored in journalism. He earned his undergraduate degree in 3 years after successfully testing out of 1 year of classes. While at Andrews, he met Joyce in the communications department, and the two have been married for 35 years now. They have one son, Robert Jr., who is 14 years old.

Bob has the gift of being able to teach people in both personal and professional situations. When he was living in California, Bob taught Sunday school at his local church and has been involved with it ever since. He currently teaches the adult group at his local church in Leesburg, Virginia and has recently started writing about Jesus and the New Testament.

I am very grateful for Bob's friendship, and I look forward to the many years ahead we have as friends. I wish him and his Family much happiness and success.

Madam Speaker, Jim Martino was born in 1929 in eastern Pennsylvania. He graduated from Lafayette College and soon after married his lovely wife, Nancy, and joined the army. Jim served in Korea from 1951 to 1953, which was an experience that had a profound effect on his life. In 2000, the 50th anniversary of the Korean War, Jim searched for his comrades and organized reunions to bring together the men he served with and to share their memories and experiences. Their wives also enjoyed the experience, and the group developed into a close family.

After returning from Korea, Jim began a successful career in direct mail marketing. Beginning in Valley Forge, PA, Jim's achievements took him to Dayton, OH, southern California, and eventually Cameron Park, CA. Jim was an accomplished private pilot who flew for business and pleasure, making many trips with his wife across the country between their homes. Jim was also an avid participant in government and politics, supporting candidates he believed in and authoring numerous ``Letters to the Editor'' to express his views.

On August 7, 2008, Jim passed away. He is now buried in the Sacramento Valley Veterans National Cemetery, where he is recognized as a ``Defender of Freedom.'' I was honored to have been one of Jim's many friends. My thoughts and prayers are with Jim's wife, Nancy, their three children and four grandchildren.

Madam Speaker, in my years of public service, I have benefitted from the efforts of many capable employees on my staff who have come and gone. Yet there has always remained one constant in my office, Martha Franco, and for that I am truly grateful.

Martha was born in Mexico and grew up in Colusa, California. As a naturalized citizen, she is a model example of someone who made the efforts required to become a U.S. citizen and has gone on to contribute to our country through public service.

Martha first came to work for me in 1984 when I served in the California State Senate. When I was elected to Congress in 1990, Martha became my Executive Assistant and Office Manager. She has worked for me in Washington and in California, and this year I named her as my Deputy Chief of Staff.

Martha's loyal presence has meant so much to my wife, Julie, to me, and to our entire organization. The people who call upon our office have appreciated seeing a familiar face

through the years, and I have appreciated having someone who knows the many people who have been important to us throughout my career. Martha's unsurpassed character and dedication have allowed me to trust her with confidential and sensitive materials and to do so with great confidence.

Martha's spirit is demonstrated by her commitment to family as well. She cares for her father at home and is a wonderful aunt to her many nieces and nephews. I know she is looking forward to spending even more time with her large family as she begins a new chapter in her life.

While our work together will soon end, Martha will always remain an important person in our lives. As she looks to new opportunities, I wish Martha all the best, and look forward to her continued friendship in the years to come.

Madam Speaker, I would like to take a moment to pay tribute to Bruce Ashwill, a close friend from the Fourth Congressional District of California.

Bruce Ashwill is a legend in California real estate. As a founding partner of Ashwill Burke and the founder of Bishop Hawke and Aborn Powers, it is estimated that he has hired and trained more than 1,700 real estate professionals in his more than 38 years in the commercial real estate business. Bruce is a valued member of local chambers of commerce and many professional trade groups such as the California Association of Realtors and the Sacramento Trade Organization.

We first met in 1983 when I was running for the California State Senate, and our friendship has grown from there. I have been privileged to benefit from the wisdom and experiences Bruce has shared with me, providing great insight into business, politics and life.

Bruce graduated from University of California at Los Angeles, with a Bachelor of Science degree. He and his wife of 46 years, Barbara, live on a ranch in Shingle Springs, California. Bruce and Barbara have been blessed with three children and eight grandchildren.

I would like to wish Bruce and Barbara good luck in all their future endeavors and express to them how much they mean to Julie and me. We look forward to continuing our great friendship for many years to come.

Madam Speaker, Daniel W. Blankenburg first came to Washington in 1994. He began working in Congress for Rep. Don Manzullo and then Rep. Tom Ewing. He then served as Legislative Director to Rep. John Shimkus until he moved to the private sector to work for the National Federation of Independent Businesses. In 2005, Dan decided to return to public service, and I was fortunate enough to have him join our office. At that time, we were looking for a person to build coalitions and form alliances, and Dan's impressive record made him the perfect candidate.

In his role as Chief of Staff, Dan has made each decision with careful attention to ensure the best possible outcome. His meticulous approach, vast knowledge and inquisitive nature have been tremendous assets to me personally as well as to our entire organization. I am always confident that Dan leaves no stone unturned when making decisions on my behalf.

Dan's highly regarded character is demonstrated by his popularity around the capitol. It is difficult to walk down a hallway, enter an elevator or sit at a local restaurant with Dan without striking up a conversation with one of his many friends and acquaintances. While most of us simply wave or exchange salutations in passing, Dan takes the time to catch up with friends whenever possible. There is even a chance for encounters with complete strangers if they happen to be wearing a Bears or Cubs hat.

While Dan's professionalism is truly impressive, his personal qualities are also admirable. Dan often speaks fondly about his family: he enjoys visiting his parents, Millie and Dan, along with his grandmother, Mildred, in Colorado. Dan speaks with great pride about his brothers, Jason and Chip, and his sister, Jodie. He enjoys being an uncle to his nephew, Parken, and his nieces, Jodie and Mattes. Perhaps most notably, Dan relishes every opportunity he can find to talk about his lovely wife Cate, whom he truly adores.

Dan is a man of great talents, and I know he will do well in whatever future opportunities he pursues. I wish him all the best wherever life may take him.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the folio information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 2638, the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009, Section 2, Division C:

Project Name: Transportable Cryofracture/Plasma Arc.

Account: RDT&E, A.

Amount: $1,600,000.

Requesting Entity: General Atomics, 3550 General Atomics Ct., San Diego, CA 92816.

Description: The Transportable Cryofracture/Plasma Arc project is developing a system for the demilitarization of obsolete conventional munitions that combines two existing fixed-site technologies, cryofracture and plasma arc, into a tractor trailer mounted system that meets all National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration, NHTSA, and Federal Highway Administration, FHA, guidelines for size, weight, and safety. Using this technology to demilitarize munitions at their storage areas will be safer, more secure, much cheaper, and meet environmental emission standards.

Spending Plan: Of the $1,600,000 appropriated, $1,500,000 will be spent in the second quarter of Fiscal Year, FY09, 2009 to complete procurement of the demonstration system, $1,000,000 for materials and $500,000 for labor. $100,000 will be spent in the third quarter of FY09 for the same purpose, labor.

Project Name: Hydrocarbon Boost Technology Demonstrator.

Account: RDT&E, AF.

Amount: $1,400,000.

Requesting Entity: Aerojet-General Corporation, P.O. Box 13222, Sacramento, CA 95813.

Description: This program was initiated by the United States Air Force to meet its projected launch needs for the future. Upon completion, the demonstrator will provide technologies that will lead to a liquid engine that is inherently higher performing, more operable, and more affordable that any other U.S. engine. The use of lower-toxic hydrocarbon fuel also promises long-term savings for the Air Force in operation and maintenance costs. Since the Federal Government is the primary end-user, it is logical that Federal funding support the initiative.

Spending Plan: The FY09 $1,400,000 increase is to return the FY09 funding closer to the planned level at contract initiation. The total project is a $109 million/9 year program, and the 2009 funds are intended for Ox rich preburner and turbopump concept designs.

Project Name: Strike Weapon Propulsion (SWEAP).

Account: RDT&E, N.

Amount: $2,400,000.

Requesting Entity: Aerojet-General Corporation, P.O. Box 13222, Sacramento, CA 95813.

Description: The Nation is investing in the development of high-speed weapons that can engage time critical targets at ranges up to 600 nautical miles within 5 to 10 minutes. The required propulsion system operates at temperatures typically exceeding 3,000 to 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit, hotter than conventional rockets and ramjets, requiring advancement in the development of ceramic composite materials. Solutions to this challenge have been demonstrated; however, affordability is the remaining issue. The Strike Weapon Propulsion program's objective is to lower the cost of producing the structure for a High-Speed Strike Weapon Propulsion system by 80 percent. If the effort is not funded, the high speed strike capability will not be of benefit to the future war fighter because it will not be affordable. Other, less effective systems would then prevail based on their lower unit costs.

Spending Plan: The total project will be financed as follows: $1.7 million for the design of ceramic matrix engine structures; $1.8 million for subscale hardware fabrication; $0.5 million for subscale hardware testing; $2.2 million for full-scale combustor fabrication; and $0.8 million for combustor assembly and testing.

Project Name: Validation of Lift Fan Engine Systems.

Account: RDT&E, N.

Amount: $2,000,000.

Requesting Entity: Rotordynamics-Seal Research, 3302 Swetzer Rd., Loomis, CA 95650.

Description: This technology demonstration program will provide benefits to all citizens of the U.S. through the reduction in tax revenues necessary to maintain the fleet of engines for the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. In addition, a new virtual testing capability will be created that has applicability to a wide range of commercial and aerospace systems leading to significant development cost reductions. The near-term specific task to be executed under this effort is development and experimental validation of Rotordynamics-Seal Research's RAPPIDTM virtual testing modeling and simulation software for analysis of lift fan engines with clutches, gears, and splines. RAPPIDTM is a flexible software package for the simulation of propulsion, power, and vehicle systems that enables faster and more accurate evaluation of new systems. For large projects, RAPPIDTM helps program managers plan their resources more wisely and efficiently to enable more cost certainty. The focus of the task is to complete development of software modules necessary for full lift fan engine simulations, to generate test data testing critical components that affect engine vibration characteristics, clutches, gears, and splines, and to use the generated data to validate the resulting software. This is proposed as a 2 year effort. The first year, needed software modules will be developed and validated against existing data and required design modifications will be completed to an existing test facility. In the second year, new validation data will be obtained for the dynamic characteristics of critical components and the validation of the software will be completed. Advanced modeling and simulation software has been developed for determining the remaining life of critical Joint Strike Fighter lift fan engine clutch, gear, and drive train components. This program will extensively validate the key models used in the software through experimentation. The existing test facility developed for this purpose has ``best in the world'' capabilities for measurement of difficult to obtain data sets. This validation will enable engine life assessment modeling tools to be verified for release for fleet management purposes.

Spending Plan: The total project cost is $5 million, of which $4.5 million will be used for

labor, six Ph.D. engineers, four M.S. engineers and four B.S. engineers, and $500,000 will be used for test hardware.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to have heard the tremendous support for our rural schools throughout America. I am bringing this up because the Senate tax extenders package has funding for rural schools in it. We have gone for the entire year without addressing this problem. Our layoff notices have gone out in California already. I have one county, Plumas County, where they will be laying off a majority of their administrators, nearly one-third of their teachers, they will be closing all school libraries and closing some, if not all, of the school cafeterias. This is a problem that cries out for action.

I was very happy to hear the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, as reported to me, that he indicated that he did not have a problem with this. I personally spoke with the President of the United States who understands the problem of our rural schools and is willing to support it. We just can't get the House of Representatives to keep it in the bill when it comes to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, representing the 4,400 schools that qualify for this aid, and the 780 counties in this country where the schools are located, I implore you, we must act to save our rural communities. They are entitled to be included in this bill and to get the funding that they deserve. It is unconscionable that we keep going with bills through this Congress and fail to address this issue.

So please, let's work together on a bipartisan basis and a bicameral basis and take care of our rural communities starting with the Secure Rural Schools and Self-Determination Act for our communities.

Madam Speaker, I have watched over the years on energy what has been happening in this country. Now we are in a big mess, with gasoline prices over $4 a gallon. This didn't just happen by accident; the Democrats have been working to make this happen for the 18 years that I have been a Member of this House. Very interesting.

You know, ANWR exploration, House Republicans, 91 percent of us supported drilling in ANWR. Actually, both houses of Congress in 1995, I believe it was, passed legislation directing drilling in ANWR, and President Bill Clinton vetoed the bill. The Democrats opposed this bill. If we had passed that legislation, if President Clinton had signed it into law, we wouldn't be paying $4 a gallon. And while 91 percent of House Republicans supported drilling in ANWR, 86 percent of House Democrats and President Clinton opposed it.

Converting coal to liquid, 97 percent of House Republicans voted to do that. Do you know that Wyoming is considered the Saudi Arabia of coal in the world? It is one of our greatest natural resources. 97 percent of Republicans voted for that policy to allow the conversion so that it could be used; 78 percent of House Democrats opposed it. It never became law.

Oil shale. We have got lots of oil locked up in shale in the Intermountain West; 90 percent of House Republicans supported oil shale exploration, 86 percent of House Democrats opposed it.

Is there a pattern that you are beginning to see here, Madam Speaker? The fact of the matter is, Republicans have supported every feasible possibility for new forms of energy and it seems like the Democrats, most of them, have opposed it.

I am a Californian. We ought to be drilling right now off the coast of California and Florida and every other place in this country where there are large oil reserves, and there are very large oil reserves in those two cases.

Eighty-one percent of House Republicans voted to do that; 83 percent of House Democrats opposed taking that action.

Increasing refinery capacity. We have heard that we haven't built a new refinery in this country for some 35 years. Ninety-seven percent of House Republicans voted to expand the amounts of refineries; 96 percent of House Democrats opposed it.

Madam Speaker, we didn't get here by accident. Democrats have been talking about energy and opposing effective new ways of developing energy. Republicans' talk has been consistent with our actions.

Now, not all Republicans voted the way I would have liked and not all Democrats voted against our position. But the fact of the matter is, you see these statistics, they have been in the 90th percentile, the high 80s; in one case it was 78 Democrats opposed, 78 percent for the coal to liquid. But everything else I have cited, they have been 83 percent or higher opposed to these policies.

It is no accident gas is $4 a gallon. The policies we vote on do make a difference. Listen and look at the record. The Republicans for years have been trying to get more energy for this country. The Democrats have opposed it. We are reaping a bitter harvest of $4 a gallon plus.