Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3326, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010.

Requesting Member: U.S. Representative Judy Biggert

Bill Number: H.R. 3326

Account: RDTE, DW

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Advanced Diamond Technologies, Inc.

Address of Requesting Entity: 429 B Weber Road No. 286, Romeoville,

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the health care concerns my constituents shared with me last night at a town hall meeting.

Overwhelmingly, I heard from those who legitimately worry that this proposal will force them from the private insurance they enjoy now. One caller told me that she was able to provide for her medically fragile child only because of her employer-provided health care, which she described as ``expensive, but worth every penny.'' She fears that under this so-called reform bill, her coverage options would be limited and her child will be denied the care that she needs.

Many of my constituents who are remarkably well informed about this complex legislation are also outraged by its cost. They question how $1.6 trillion in new spending and 53 new bureaucracies will make health care better. One caller, a Federal employee, was dismayed at the thought of dealing with the same sort of bureaucrats at his doctor's office that he dealt with at his job.

Mr. Speaker, my constituents have spoken. They want commonsense solutions to lower costs, increased accessibility and improved care, and they know that this bill is not it. In short, they want health care reform, not a revolution.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3293, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010.

Requesting Member: U.S. Representative Judy Biggert

Bill Number: H.R. 3293

Account: Higher Education (includes FIPSE)

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Saint Xavier University

Address of Requesting Entity: 18230 Orland Parkway, Orland Park, IL 60467

Description of Remarks: Provide an earmark of $500,000 for Saint Xavier University to develop a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Center on its Orland Park campus to better prepare educators and education students to teach STEM disciplines to pre-school through college-age students. The STEM Education Center will feature a state-of-the-art methods lab that will be used to provide exciting, hands-on science, math, and technology programs designed to increase teachers' knowledge and skills in these areas.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3293, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010.

Requesting Member: U.S. Representative Judy Biggert

Bill Number: H.R. 3293

Account: Administration for Children and Families (ACF)--Social Services

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Little Friends, Inc.

Address of Requesting Entity: 140 N. Wright St., Naperville, IL 60540

Description of Remarks: Provide an earmark of $200,000 for Little Friends, Inc. to offer evaluation and therapy services at an affordable rate. This funding also will enable Little Friends, Inc., to meet the increasing demand for their services. These early diagnosis and therapy services have been proven to be the most effective treatment in ameliorating the symptoms of children diagnosed with autism.

Mr. Speaker, Toni Marie's bakery in my hometown can fulfill your chocolate chip cookie cravings or make an elegant wedding cake for you, which they did for my kids. Imagine if D.C. bureaucrats from a new Federal consumer cookie protection agency require our bakery to use only a new Federal cookie recipe and sell one kind of cookie, sugar free with no flavor, and only certain customers are deemed healthy enough to buy it so they stop going. What happens? The bakery is out of business.

As crazy as it sounds, it's very similar to the Democrats' solution to protect us from our future financial disaster. Masked in rhetoric to simplify and improve our lives, the proposal creates a new agency to tell every community financial business across America which products they can and cannot offer to consumers.

Bigger government and limits on choice won't restore confidence in our financial marketplace. Our system needs a stronger, smarter, regulatory approach which our Republican plan offers to empower consumers, protect against fraud, and preserve consumer choice.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3288, the Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act, 2010.

Requesting Member: U.S. Representative Judy Biggert

Bill Number: H.R. 3288

Account: Rail Line Relocation and Improvement Program

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: City of Aurora

Address of Requesting Entity: 44 East Downer Place, Aurora, Illinois 60507

Description of Remarks: Provide an earmark of $1,000,000 for Ogden Avenue Grade Separation, Aurora, IL: Engineering and design is needed to jumpstart Grade Separation Engineering for IL Route 34 in Aurora, Illinois due to Canadian National Railroad four-fold increase in rail traffic.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3288, the Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act, 2010.

Requesting Member: U.S. Representative Judy Biggert

Bill Number: H.R. 3288

Account: Buses & Bus Facilities

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Village of Tinley Park

Address of Requesting Entity: 16250 S. Oak Park Ave., Tinley Park, IL 60477

Description of Remarks: Provide an earmark of $500,000 for Tinley Park 80th Avenue Metra Station Development, Tinley Park, IL: The Village of Tinley Park has collaborated with Metra to develop a new building, warming shelters, and pedestrian underpass to accommodate increasing ridership at Metra's second busiest location.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2920.

This year, the budget deficit is projected to grow nearly ten-fold from last year, due to several costly spending measures enacted over the past two years by this Congress.

Despite this spending spree, I do believe enacting statutory PAYGO would be good policy. We need to set the tone for long-term fiscal responsibility and prevent costly tax burdens for future generations.

Unfortunately, the bill before us is not a responsible and comprehensive deficit reduction approach that will yield results.

Because H.R. 2920 includes broad exemptions for over one hundred and sixty programs, there will be no way to reform entitlement spending without enacting tax increases to make up the difference. And, there is no excuse for higher taxes.

Perhaps the most glaring error with H.R. 2920 is that discretionary spending would not be subject to PAYGO restrictions.

That's why I supported the substitute amendment offered by Mr. Ryan of Wisconsin.

Mr. Ryan's amendment sets a cap on overall spending and appropriated spending in an effort to prevent our deficit from growing faster and larger than our economy.

Restoring caps on discretionary spending is paramount to fiscal discipline. Discretionary spending represents forty percent of our budget and excluding it from PAYGO requirements, as the underlying bill does, would be fatally irresponsible.

I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 538 and in strong support for Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics.

On June 23, 2009, we will celebrate Olympic Day and recognize one hundred years since the International Olympic Committee was created. Olympic Day encourages universal participation in athletic activities and demonstrates global unity in support of the Olympic Games.

Furthermore, I would like to encourage the International Olympic Committee to select Chicago, Illinois, as the host city for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The 2016 Olympic Games will feature athletes from across the globe, coming together with respect for their teammates and competitors alike.

The city of big shoulders is ready to welcome the Olympics with big open arms. As the host city of the 1893 World Columbian Exposition and the 1933 Century of Progress Exposition, Chicago has a long tradition of showcasing America's greatness, peace, and understanding to the world.

Daniel Burnham, the famous Chicago architect of the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago and Union Station here in Washington, once said, ``make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood . . . make big plans, aim high in hope and work.''

To this day, Chicago embodies this principle. That's one of the many reasons Chicago would be the ideal city in which to hold the Olympic and Paralympic games, marking the century-old tradition of the modern Olympic movement.

I encourage my colleagues to support this resolution and show their support for the 2016 Olympics in Chicago!

Mr. Speaker, I rise to address how this Congress and this administration are handling the number one concern on the minds of Americans today--jobs. Despite promises of quick action and of immediate returns, hardworking parents in my district and around the country are still staying up nights, worrying about whether they will have jobs in the next month, in the next day or in the next week to provide for their children.

In response, House and Senate leaders' only answer seems to be higher taxes and massive new government spending. Already our children and grandchildren are on the hook for the $1 trillion so-called ``stimulus bill'' that has resulted in almost 10 percent unemployment nationwide, even higher in my home State of Illinois.

Now the House leadership seems intent on pushing through another $1 trillion-plus health care takeover that only promises more taxes on small businesses and working families. The result: fewer jobs except for Washington bureaucrats who will be rationing out health care procedures for patients.

Mr. Speaker, we can do better. Let's work together on real solutions to cut taxes, to create the jobs and to rebuild this economy, not just more Washington spending with no end in sight.

I ask for a rollcall vote.

Mr. Speaker, the way that I voted, I expected that there would be a rollcall vote on that. I ask unanimous consent to have a rollcall vote.

Yes, I request a vote.

I ask unanimous consent that there be a vote.

Yes, I was on my feet.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of the H.R. 3183, Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010.

Requesting Member: Representative Judy Biggert

Bill Number: H.R. 3183

Account: EERE--Other

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Packer Foundation

Address of Requesting Entity: Packer Foundation, 1950 N. Washington St., Naperville, IL 60563

Description of Request: The Packer Foundation will manage and coordinate a biomass conversion to fuel demonstration for municipal fleet vehicles with the City of Naperville, College of DuPage, Argonne National Lab, and Packer Engineering. Demonstrating and deploying waste-to-fuel sources will promote environmental responsibility and sustainability while reducing costs to municipalities, and ultimately taxpayers, by reducing high energy costs and operating overhead of local government.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of the H.R. 3183, Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010.

Requesting Member: Representative Judy Biggert

Bill Number: H.R. 3183

Account: Section 206

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Forest Preserve District of Will County

Address of Requesting Entity: 17540 West Laraway Rd, Joliet, IL 60433

Description of Request: Prairie Bluff Preserve occupies much of the groundwater recharge zone for the seeps at Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve. Modifying how storm water is managed at the preserve and using best management practices, along with restoring naturalized plant communities across this portion of the recharge area, will increase water infiltration and stabilize the seepage flow at LPNP. This is important for protecting the rare habitats and would address several goals and objectives contained in the federal recovery plans for these species.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3170, the Department of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2010.

Requesting Member: Representative Judy Biggert

Bill Number: H.R. 3170

Account: SBA Salaries and Expenses

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Benedictine University

Address of Requesting Entity: 5700 College Road, Lisle, IL 60532

Description of Remarks: Provide an earmark of $250,000 for the Women's Entrepreneurial Education and Workforce Development Initiative at Benedictine University. This recently established, innovative program specifically designed to empower women in the workforce. The program is designed to reach diverse, low-middle income women for job skills training and professional development. Students will enjoy financial literacy and collaborative leadership course work in addition to lectures from notable female educators and executives in the Chicago-land area.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I rise today in support of the fiscal year 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations bill. I want to commend Chairman Pastor and Ranking Member Frelinghuysen and their subcommittee for putting together a balanced bill that clearly recognizes the importance of scientific research and energy security to our Nation's competitiveness.

There are several provisions of this bill I'm proud to support. Chief among those is the increase for the Department of Energy's Office of Science. I, along with 70 of my colleagues, asked appropriators for an increase consistent with the President's request to double the investment in the basic sciences within the next decade. The committee provided for $170 million more than the fiscal year 2009. This funding is critical to our basic research infrastructure and national laboratory

work, like that of Argonne in my district.

The innovations and solutions that will enable us to overcome many of our greatest challenges from our economic crisis, environmental concerns, dependence on foreign energy, and escalating health care costs all start with basic research investments.

Economic experts have concluded that science-driven technology has accounted for more than 50 percent of the growth of the U.S. economy during the last half century.

In recent years, Congress has come to recognize that science will be the foundation to address those needs and keep America globally competitive. As evidenced by the American COMPETES Act in 2007, both Democrats and Republicans support efforts to increase basic research in the physical sciences to meet the needs of our growing population. I will insert a copy of our letter in the Record.

I support the underlying bill and appreciate the committee's efforts to carefully balance the needs of our energy future and scientific investments. However, I am particularly disappointed that the committee followed the President's budget request to slash Yucca Mountain funding and the failure to increase important loan guarantees to support a revitalized nuclear energy sector.

Illinois receives almost half of its electricity generation from nuclear power, followed by coal. If we are to work towards a low carbon economy, we cannot pick energy winners and losers to meet the growing energy needs of our population.

Congress of the United States,

Washington, DC, April 3, 2009

Hon. Peter Visclosky

Chairman, Energy and Water Development, Appropriations

Subcommittee, House Appropriations Committee, Washington,