Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, every day between 7,000 and 8,000 people file for foreclosures on their homes. In the next 2 years, one in 33 homeowners is projected to be in foreclosure as a result of subprime loans.

But the housing crisis doesn't only affect families losing their homes. An additional 40 million neighboring homeowners could see their property values drop, with 44 percent of all homeowners likely to feel the ripple effect of foreclosures from subprime loans.

And the overall impact does not end in the housing market. The ripple effects are felt throughout the economy with a reduction in economic activity and severe job loss.

Mr. Speaker, we simply cannot turn our Nation's economy around without properly addressing the housing crisis, and that is exactly what we plan to do this week. Today, House Democrats will bring a package of housing bills to the House floor that will address the current housing crisis, while also seeking to prevent the problem from getting worse. These bills are the appropriate response to a problem that is affecting our families, our communities and our overall economy. I hope it receives the bipartisan support that it deserves, Mr. Speaker.

Madam Chairman, let me start by thanking Chairman Frank and Chairwoman Waters for bringing this critical and much-needed legislation to the floor. I'm proud to have worked with both of them on this important legislation which represents the most comprehensive response yet in the American mortgage crisis.

The package of housing measures that we will vote on today and that I proudly support will help thousands of families facing foreclosure keep their homes. This bill will ultimately help other families avoid foreclosures in the future and help recovery of communities harmed by empty homes caught in the foreclosure crisis.

This legislation comes before us at an important time in the mortgage foreclosure and housing crisis. The Pew Center has stated that between seven to eight thousand people per day are filing for foreclosure. Hennepin County alone, which is the largest county in the Fifth District of Minnesota that I represent, has experienced a 54 percent increase in foreclosures from the year before. Statewide foreclosures have risen by 39 percent.

The legislation we're considering today establishes a $15 billion HUD-administered loan and grant program for the purpose of rehabilitation of vacant, foreclosed homes with the goal of occupying them as soon as possible.

Madam Chairman, let me just say this: The fact of the matter is that for the people who paid every single mortgage payment and were never late even one time, they are suffering because of this mortgage crisis because they live on a block with foreclosed homes.

This bill saves money. Can you imagine the cost to a city, in terms of fire, police and public works resources, just to be able to deal with a home that's foreclosed on a block? This is saving money. This is actually improving the quality of life for people all over America. And this amount of money that we will spend on this bill will pay thousand- fold in terms of quality of life for people all over this country.

And so I'm proud to be able to associate myself with this bill, proud to be able to say that when the people of America face a serious foreclosure crisis that is affecting not just the victims of foreclosure, but others, we responded.

Madam Speaker, today is National Teachers Day, and Mr. Ramstad and I want to pay tribute to all of America's dedicated, talented and energetic teachers who have so much influence on our Nation's children and our country's future. We thank them for their sacrifice, selfless devotion to young people and their public service.

We want to call special attention today to one such teacher, Minnesota's ``Teacher of the Year,'' Carleen Gulstad. Carleen, who lives in Maple Grove, teaches language arts at Hopkins North Jr. High School in Minnetonka, which serves the families of both the 3rd and 5th Congressional Districts. She has been teaching 8th and 9th grade students in English classes at Hopkins North since 1999.

Carleen is truly most deserving of this distinguished honor from Education Minnesota. The award was announced Sunday, May 4, at its 44th annual awards program in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.

Madam Speaker, Carleen says that one of her guiding principles as a teacher is to treat each student as an individual. ``Every kid counts. Every kid has a story. And every kid has value,'' Carleen says. ``I teach them critical thinking. They need to decide for themselves.''

That kind of approach is what makes Carleen a great teacher, and our Nation's outstanding teachers carry those very same traits, teachers who are brilliant in their ability to offer encouragement, who can spark the

imagination, instill in young people the drive to reach for excellence in all their varied pursuits and the confidence to speak their minds.

Carleen's principal at Hopkins North Jr. High, Pat Schmidt, says: ``Carleen has the courage to lead discussions focusing on racial identity, religious affiliations, cultural and ethnic customs and family membership.''

To all of America's teachers, thank you for your steadfast commitment to quality education. Thank you for caring so much about our kids and their future. Thank you for overcoming immense challenges to provide Minnesota's and America's children with the best education.

You hard-working, dedicated educators are Minnesota's and America's unsung heroes. With great challenges ahead, we need more than ever to put partisanship aside, take off our Republican hats and our Democrat hats and come together as Americans. We must find common ground to adequately support public education and provide maximum flexibility at the local level to manage our schools and teach our children.

Madam Speaker, our Nation salutes Carleen Gulstad and all our remarkable teachers who bring an exciting world of opportunity and justice to the door of our children's classrooms each and every day. It is often a thankless and difficult task, but today we thank them for their great perseverance, commitment and inspiration.

Madam Speaker, on April 2, 2008, I inadvertently failed to vote on rollcall No. 155. Had I voted, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall Vote No. 155.

Mr. Speaker, congressional Democrats know that middle class families are struggling to make ends meet in an economy that is simply leaving too many of them behind. That is why we worked in a bipartisan way to pass an economic stimulus plan earlier this year. And starting this week, more than 130 million Americans will receive some much-needed relief in the form of recovery rebate checks.

This is a good start, but more needs to be done. Once again, this Democratic-led Congress is reaching out in a bipartisan way to develop consensus for a second round of economic recovery legislation. We believe that a second economic stimulus plan is needed as the bleak news around the economy continues to mount and Americans everywhere are feeling the negative impact of President Bush's economic policies. Unfortunately, the President has said that a second economic stimulus package is not necessary.

Mr. Speaker, the President is incorrect. The congressional Democrats hope the President will reconsider so that we can work in a bipartisan fashion to get this economy back on track, create jobs, and speed up assistance to middle class families.

I would like to thank you, Congressman Waters and Congressman Lee. Before I got to Congress I thought both of you just were towering heroes of peace. Now that I have been here and had the chance to get to know both of you, I am certain that I was right from the very first impression I had of you. Thank you for standing up and calling this special order tonight.

The point I would like to make is simply this. We see in Iran a country we have not had any open diplomatic relationships with since 1979, except for brief moments around IEDs last summer. The meetings have not been continued, and, in essence, we have had no real diplomatic relationships with Iran in many, many years.

Many Americans don't remember the day when we did have relationships with Iran. Yet, despite all these years of having no diplomatic ties to Iran, no open communications, channels of communications, it really has not solved any of the problems. Not talking has not helped.

I want to join with Representative Waters and Representative Lee in calling for an open dialogue, unconditional bilateral dialogue. Dialogue is not a gift, dialogue is not a present, dialogue is not a reward.

Dialogue is a tool that can help us stabilize the world, bring peace to millions and millions of people all over the world. Dialogues should not be used as some sort of a gift. It doesn't make sense for any nation to say capitulate to our demands, and then we will talk to you. The very purpose of negotiation is to say, let's talk, and the first agenda item could be serious problems we have with one another.

But the start is talking, unconditional talking, talking with a clear agenda in mind, talking with no illusions about differences. But talking, nonetheless, is something that I think we need, and we need it now.

I want to say that our effort to isolate Iran by not talking to Iran, reminds me of our effort of trying to isolate Cuba by not talking to Cuba. Now everybody in the world does business with Cuba except the United States. American farmers wanting to sell grain, Cubans want to buy stuff from the U.S., people wanting to see family, those things are hampered because we are the only ones in the world maintaining this policy of nondialogue. I fear that we could end up in the same way with Iran.

Let me just point out an article in the Times online from March 3, 2008. The headline is, ``Four kisses, then the band played: the day former foes became friends.''

It starts out describing a meeting between Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Nouri al-Maliki. It goes on to talk about how a young girl dressed in a white dress clutched a bouquet of flowers as she waited with a small boy in a smart suit to greet President Ahmadinejad of Iran, who began a historic visit to Iraq.

Earlier today, we heard a speaker who I won't name say that, oh, the United States needs to get with China and Russia to isolate Iran. China and Russia, we can't even get Iraq to isolate Iran.

We can't even get Iraq, a country we have invaded and essentially have taken over, though it does operate under the guise of sovereignty, we can't even get them to say don't talk to Iran. They have open relationships with Iran and are building them more and stronger every day. It doesn't make any sense.

Now, it's not just Iraq that has a welcome mat for Iran. But let me just say that when Americans, Members of Congress go to Iraq, all of us know we go into military aircraft that takes evasive maneuvers into Baghdad, because we are concerned about our safety.

This is a fact. So much for isolating Iran from Iraq. Okay, well, then, what about another country, Pakistan. We send a lot of money to Pakistan. Yet Pakistan announced in a March 5, 2008 article, the Times of India, Iran, on Wednesday, said it was ``ready to sign the India- Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline deal,'' but technical issues between the two are hindering the process.

``We are ready to sign the agreement as soon as possible,'' Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs said. ``Everything is okay from our side. There are some technical issues between India and Pakistan,'' he said.

``The India-Pakistan-Iran pipeline, which is dubbed as the 'Peace Pipeline,' is stuck over issues such as price and transition fees.''

So much for isolating Iran from Pakistan and India. All right, so Iraq, they are talking to them, Iran, Pakistan and India are talking, but, okay, maybe we can still get Russia and China, countries that have militaries, countries that have economies, countries that have been freestanding and independent for many, many, many, many, many years.

Okay, what about Afghanistan? Isn't that country essentially a failed state which we invaded and kicked out the Taliban and now are trying to reconstruct today?

``In the electricity substation just outside of Herat, western Afghanistan, there's the loud hum of power--Iranian power,'' that's right. ``More electricity reaches Herat than the city can use, but the industrial park just across the road from the NATO military base is putting it to good use.

``Small plastic bottles of fizzy orange juice shuffle along the conveyor belt to be labeled and packed--the building is noticeably Iranian in design and the markings on the machinery show exactly which country helped these Afghan businessmen.

``The camels grazing outside cautiously cross the fast, straight, asphalt road--one of the best roads in Afghanistan stretching 120km to the border.

``Soon a railway will link Afghanistan to Europe, or so boasts the Iranian government.''

I would just mention, with a quick Google search, Iraq, India, Pakistan and, now, Afghanistan are all coalescing economically with Iran. We are not talking to Iran. We don't talk to Iran. We don't want to try to get into that market of 70 million people. We don't want to try to open up diplomatic ties and work on issues.

We are not trying to solve this nuclear conflict with dialogue, discussion and open conversation. We are just trying to isolate them, but nothing suggested we are being successful at doing that.

The fact is maybe isolation of Iran is not the right tactic. Maybe the right tactic is to try to talk to them, to try to build a better relationship, to try to have cultural exchange, try to have exchange of views, different though they may be, with an eye toward a more peaceful world, with an eye toward a world in which people can have security and in which an eye toward which the world can rest and feel their children are safe at night.

The fact is this saber rattling, I remember that it was about maybe 16 months ago that I sat in my first meeting that I ever had with the President, with, I believe, Representative Lee and Representative Waters. I think it was Representative Lee who said, are you, Mr. President, planning on hitting Iran? He gave us a sure statement that he was not.

Yet ever since that time, all we have been hearing, time and time again is that Iran is the problem.

I don't know how Iran could be the problem in Iraq without the complicity of the Iraqi government. I mean, I need somebody to correct me on this point because I just don't get it. How can Iran be an issue in Iraq unless Iraq wants them in the country. It just doesn't make any other kind of sense to me, and I need somebody to explain that, because maybe I have just not been in Congress long enough to get it.

Let me just say, I want to move aside now, and I want to thank the two Members who have been leading the charge, along with Congresswoman Woolsey, who is recovering from back surgery. I know if she was feeling better she would be right better with you, the triad, the triad for peace. I admire you so much.

Madam Speaker, I just want to again thank Representatives Waters and Lee and Sheila Jackson Lee.

I just want to make a few quick points. We're under no illusions. I think that by this special order, I don't think anyone intends to excuse bellicose, inflammatory remarks that have been made by the President of Iran. There's no excusing that. But you don't deal with bellicose remarks with a war. You deal with bellicose remarks by issuing a statement condemning those statements, but not with a war. And I don't think any bellicose statements or inflammatory remarks by the President of Iran could ever justify an attack which will result in the massive loss of life.

I also want to say that a strike against Iran, no one can predict what the consequences of that will be. Will it excite the Shiia community in Pakistan, of which 30 percent of the people are Shiia there? What will it do to Afghanistan?

Again, Iran is providing electricity in Afghanistan in an effective way, much, much more than other countries have done. Again, Kabul and Kandajar are not electrified 100 percent of the time.

What will happen in Lebanon? Will that inflame another war such as the one in the summer of 2006? That could inflame the region, and no one knows whether bombs will start falling from other parts of the region.

This war against Iran, a strike against Iran has no clear outcome. It is a very bad idea. And I think that what we must do is pursue diplomatic negotiations, and remember that negotiation is not a reward, it's not a gift, it's not a present; it's a tool for the security of the world.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of Ralph Rapson, one of the country's most influential architects. His Modernist designs were not only significant in the State of Minnesota but can been seen around the world. While I regret to report the recent passing of Ralph Rapson at the age of 93, I am grateful for his talent, his dedication and his passion; all of which we were lucky to have him share with the state of Minnesota.

Born in Alma, Michigan in 1914, Ralph earned his degree in architecture at the University of Michigan. In 1939 he designed a streamlined rocking chair that went on to bear his name, the Rapson Rapid Rocker. From 1942-1946 he taught at the Illinois Institute of Technology and then at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1946-1954.

Mr. Rapson's relationship with Minnesota began over 50 years ago when he came to the University of Minnesota to serve as the Dean of the Architecture School. From 1954-1984 as the Dean he went on to influence the lives and careers of many architecture and design students. Ralph Rapson's defining work was the innovative and asymmetrical themed former Guthrie Theater building across from the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.

Mr. Rapson's resume also includes the Rarig Center for Performing Arts on the University of Minnesota campus, St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in St. Paul Park, the Riverside Plaza housing complex in Minneapolis and the former Pillsbury House in Wayzata and Prince of Peace Lutheran Church for the Deaf in St. Paul. He also designed the United States Embassies in Stockholm, Sweden and Copenhagen. Most recently Mr. Rapson's Minneapolis-based company had developed a line of prefabricated modern houses called the Rapson Greenbelt.

In closing, Madam Speaker, I wish to express my condolences to those surviving Ralph Rapson: his son Rip of Birmingham, Mich., who is president of the Kresge Foundation and Toby, of Minneapolis, who is also an architect and six grandchildren. Mr. Rapson today we thank you.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of Kirkland ``Kirk''

Calvet Anderson, Sr., of Minnesota, a beloved member of the South Minneapolis community. While I regret the recent passing of Kirkland Anderson on March 14, 2008 at the age of 79, I am grateful for his lifelong service to his family, friends and his dedication and love for our community.

A native of Bolton, Mississippi, Kirkland attended the University of Minnesota from 1946-49. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean war from 1950-1953, and returned to Minneapolis, where in 1954 he married Alice A. Gaskins. After starting his career at the VA Hospital and the U.S. Postal Service, Kirk then went on to operate Kirk's Mobil from 1961-2007.

Most importantly, Kirk will be remembered for his ever willingness to lend a hand to his friends and neighbors. Steadfast dedication to his community was evident through his participation on the board of the Blaisdell YMCA, his support for area schools and parks and the local Scouts.

In closing, Madam Speaker, I wish to express my condolences to those surviving Mr. Anderson: his wife, children, grandchildren, great- grandchild, sister, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, cousins, friends, and community. It is an honor to stand in recognition of the memory and life of a man who gave so much. Mr. Anderson, today we thank you.

Mr. Chairman, during rollcall vote No. 170 on H.R. 2016, I mistakenly recorded my vote as ``aye'' when I should have voted ``no.''

Amendment No. 6 Offered by Mr. Altmire

Let me thank my friends from New Hampshire, Kentucky and Florida.

My dad likes to say, ``people respect what others inspect. If you don't inspect, you are not going to get any respect.'' So it is important that we have oversight. It is important that we have a regulatory system.

The market and the public sector should work in a balanced way, should compliment each other. That has not happened, and, as a result of the lack of regulation, as a result of deregulation, Gramm-Leach- Bliley in 1999, and I would like to talk about that in a moment, we have got ourselves into quite a situation.

Let me share with you what the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities issued recently. You probably would not be surprised to know that between 2005 and 2006, the average income of the top 1 percent of households increased by $73,000, after adjusting for inflation, while the average income of the bottom 90 percent, that is us based on our pay here, increased by $20. I am talking about a twenty-spot. You know, bam, that is your pay increase between 2005 and 2006 if you are in the bottom 90 percent of the income distribution.

Now, you might be thinking, gee, that is not good. But let me just tell you, what this means is that the share of the Nation's income flowing to the top 1 percent has increased sharply, as a matter of fact rising from 15.8 percent in 2002 to 20.3 percent in 2006. That means that people in the top 1 percent of our income distribution make one- fifth of the money. That is not good.

Now, you might be thinking, that is kind of bad there. But the fact is that it hasn't been this bad since.

Mr. Yarmuth, when was the last time the top 1 percent were making this much of the money in America? It did happen before, Mr. Yarmuth. I want to ask you if you know?

I know you have an idea, because you were already talking about the era.

The 1920s. It starts with ``Great.'' In fact, Mr. Hodes, your mother was born and lived during this era. When was the last time the top 1 percent made 20 percent of the money in America?

The Great Depression. I am telling you, the signs are not good. We need bold, decisive action which puts the public sector and the private sector in a partnership to look out for the American consumer. This is what we have to do.

You know, Mr. Yarmuth, let me talk to you a little bit about some things you inspired me to think about.

When we had Chairman Frank out to Minnesota, we had a hearing on the foreclosure crisis. One of the pieces of testimony that came out is that a lot of folks actually could not find rent at the amount that they could buy into a subprime mortgage. In other words, they could get into a 228 or a 327, which means you have a low rate for 2 or 3 years and then it jumps way up. The teaser rate was lower than the market rent they could find. Since nobody was checking income, they got into that. Then when the 2 or 3 years expired, they were in a mess. The mortgage jumped up, there was not enough equity in the house even to refinance it, and they were foreclosed upon.

Now, that speaks to another thing we have done in this 110th Congress, and that is invested in a National Housing Trust Fund so we could truly invest in affordable housing, which is part of the equation here.

In America, we need an overhaul of our economic system. We need real progressivity in our Tax Code. We need

real regulation in the financial housing markets, we need to have a real aggressive attempt to support affordable housing, and we need to make sure that people have livable wages to live on. We need a new vision for an economy which puts economic prosperity at the very center dot of what we do around here.

So I yield back at this time.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to support the House Democratic FISA bill, a bill that provides for collection of data to protect America against people who would harm us, but also, and very importantly, provides court approval of acquisition and an ongoing process of review and oversight in order to protect Americans' privacy.

The bill goes beyond the RESTORE Act which we passed in the House, and I supported, by adopting statutory protections for U.S. persons overseas to ensure that surveillance of their communications are always conducted through the courts.

The House bill does not confer retroactive immunity on telecom carriers alleged to have participated under the President's warrantless surveillance program. It provides a mechanism for the carriers to assert existing immunity claims and to guarantee that they have a fair hearing in court currently prevented by the administration's assertion of the State secrets privilege.

In order to fully ascertain the scope and legality of the TSP, the House bill also creates a bipartisan commission on warrantless electronic surveillance activities with strong investigatory powers.

Madam Speaker, today we continue debate on the Democratic budget that boosts economic growth and restores fiscal responsibility. While the Bush administration's budget priorities and policies are responsible for the largest fiscal deterioration in our Nation's history, the 2009 Democratic budget is not only balanced by 2012, but it also invests in our Nation's top priorities.

We reject the President's budget proposal because it creates a $396 billion deficit this year, while cutting funding for Medicaid and Medicare, veterans and homeland security. Our budget rejects the President's cuts and instead fully invests in Medicare and Medicaid, so that the most vulnerable amongst us, our children and our seniors, continue to have access to healthcare assistance.

We also reject the President's proposal to add more than $18 billion, billion with a B, over the next 5 years in new fees for our veterans and military retirees.

We reject the President's attempt to eliminate several State and local law enforcement programs, including the successful COPS, Community Oriented Policing Services program, which has put more police on the street to help reduce crime.

Mr. Speaker, it has been an honor for me to speak in support of the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007. I want to thank both Congressman Kennedy and Congressman Ramstad for their dedication to ending the insurance discrimination and ensuring that all Americans have access to mental health and addiction services.

As a Minnesotan, I'm struck by the emotion of this day because the late Paul Wellstone's tireless efforts to ensure mental health parity might finally be realized. Paul Wellstone knew it was wrong for health insurers to place discriminatory restrictions on treatments, and I am honored to be part of this effort to finally guarantee that millions of Americans who need mental health and addiction services can obtain the services they deserve.

The urgent need for the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act is surely best expressed by those who have seen a loved one in need denied coverage. I think immediately of Kitty Westin, a Minnesotan whose daughter Anna suffered from anorexia, a deadly disease that affects approximately 8 million Americans and ultimately claimed Anna's life. During her daughter's battle with anorexia, Kitty took Anna to the hospital. Anna was refused care by the insurance company because it did not consider access to mental health treatment important enough to cover.

Kitty knows this is completely unacceptable and has been fighting selflessly to make sure that no other family experiences the same frustration and pain. I commend her for carrying on Anna's legacy so impressively through her advocacy efforts and community work. For Kitty and all of those who have encountered insurance discrimination, I carry Paul Wellstone's message that access to mental health and addiction services is imperative and must take place now.

Mr. Speaker, today I voted in favor of House Resolution 951 to condemn rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel and the death and fear those attacks have caused. These rocket attacks must be condemned, and they must be stopped. I've been to Sderot, and I have seen how these rocket attacks cause fear and suffering among the people there, where it is extremely difficult to carry on anything approaching a normal life. The residents of Sderot and now Ashkelon face a daily barrage of rockets, and that is intolerable. Terrorists are bombing citizens, not soldiers. There is nothing in Islam to justify hurting innocent civilians. Bombers cannot use religion to justify what they're doing, and I condemn it.

But this resolution is not enough. If we want to be morally consistent, we must condemn rocket attacks on Israel and also condemn the humanitarian crisis in Gaza too. The 1.4 million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip exist in a state of dreadful isolation, quite literally cut off from the world. Basic supplies and necessities are at a minimum. Ninety percent of the industry has closed down. Unemployment is rampant, and poverty and disease are endemic. Only a few weeks ago, the people of Gaza broke through walls to buy groceries in Egypt. I regret the resolution we voted on today did not devote adequate attention, in my view, to the plight of the people of Gaza.

To suggest that this is the Gazans' just desserts for voting the wrong way in the Palestinian legislative elections in January 2006 does nothing to improve the quality or alleviate the human suffering on either side of the border. We in Congress need to show compassion for the people of Gaza, Sderot, and Ashkelon and the tremendous human suffering they are undergoing. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says he does not want the humanitarian crisis in Gaza to continue, and the Bush administration should do all it can to help him meet that commitment.

This resolution criticizes one of the leading advocates for stability and peace in the region: Egypt. The Egyptian Government has made it clear that it is doing all it can to close off smuggling. What's needed is a greater degree of cooperation with Egypt. This resolution does nothing to advance that cooperation. We need to engage Egypt, not pass resolutions that publicly offend or diminish our relations with them. Absent strong evidence that Egypt is complicit in allowing weapons smuggling to occur, I am not in favor of Egypt bashing.

I understand Egypt is doing what it can to control the border despite restrictions on its security forces imposed by Egypt's peace treaty with Israel. If Egypt had direct contact or diplomatic channels with all parties involved in the conflict, the United

States should prevail upon Egypt to help effect a prisoner exchange, stop the rocket attacks on Israeli citizens, and improve the humanitarian conditions for citizens of Gaza.

It's a fortunate coincidence that the Secretary of State is in the region right now, and I am supportive of her taking an active role in resolving this conflict. Beyond resolutions and expressions of sympathy, we need real actions from the Bush administration to solidify and advance the commitments of leaders in the Middle East to a lasting peace through the two-state solution envisioned well before Annapolis. I ask my colleagues here in the House to join me in urging the Secretary of State to highlight the humanitarian needs of ordinary citizens of Gaza alongside the fear and death among ordinary Israelis as she seeks to mediate the situation so tragic for all involved.

Finally, as a Member of Congress, I am concerned about the resolution's references to Iran. Now, I agree that Iran is playing a negative role in the region, but we have seen what the Bush administration has done with past congressional resolutions. I want to repeat that there is nothing in the resolution that should be construed as a justification for military action. I remain opposed to military action against Iran. We need to start a bilateral dialogue. That has been and will continue to be my position. The most effective way to stop Iran's harmful activities is to engage them directly.

Mr. Speaker, though I wholeheartedly condemn the rocket attacks on Israel, I urge my colleagues to consider the suffering of all of the people, including the people of Sderot, Ashkelon, and Gaza.

Representative Klein, thank you, and your introduction was excellent because it really does set the stage for this new energy future that America is walking into.

Today, the House considered H.R. 5351 which would end unnecessary subsidies to big oil companies and invest in clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency. It is similar to the House bill passed, the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act passed as part of a bipartisan energy package in August 2007.

And I just want Americans to know that when you sent this class, this 110th Congress, this freshman class here to Washington, you expected that we would take a step in favor of our energy future. And I want you to know that we are doing that. We are stepping into that energy future, putting innovation, putting incentives into the hands of people who are going to make the difference, and we are putting the best interests of the American people forward.

As I think about our energy future, I think about it every time I walk up to the pump, Representative Klein. Every time I go to the pump, I am reminded of why we need a new energy future. I remember back in 2001 when I would be able to put that gas pump in the tank, and I think I was paying somewhere around $1.50 a gallon. Well, that is not so today. You and I both, whether you are in Florida or Minnesota, or whether you are in California or Arizona, you are probably paying somewhere north of $3, somewhere close to $3. And that is double what I remember paying. And that is wrong.

And this is especially at a time when we are seeing energy prices go up and food prices go up, because it costs money to get food from one place to another, and we see family budgets being pinched. We are in the middle of this subprime mortgage crisis. And it is time that we get a handle on our energy future, get a handle on not only the issue of global climate change, not only on the issue of pollution, but on the issue of cost to the American consumer that we get our hands on top of this important issue.

So as I hand it back to you, Representative Klein, let me just say that the big five oil companies recently reported record profits in 2007. ExxonMobil earned $40.6 billion, the largest corporate profit in American history. These profits, well, I just want to say that the American taxpayer, we are paying a whole lot more, and it might be going pretty good for some folks, but a lot of the rest of us are hurting.

So let me toss it back to you, Representative Klein, and thank you for leading the charge today on this new energy future.

That is what it means at the pump. But what does it mean in terms of food prices and prices of other things, because you have to ship this stuff, right?

Let me just lend my voice and agree with you. I do believe that the oil companies do not need any more help from the American taxpayer. It's time to repeal these tax breaks and credits, and I am glad that we have done so. I just want to say that the 110th Congress, this Congress that you and I came in as freshmen, as majority makers, really has been productive in the area of energy.

I am so glad that within the first 100 hours, and I know Congressman Klein, you will remember the first 100 hours, that we passed a bill to repeal tax breaks to the big oil companies and to incentivize production of clean and renewable sources. And then, of course, it was just last year that we passed the bill for CAFE standards. So many Congresses, so many years passed where we had no CAFE standards to speak of, no increases in the CAFE standards. Now we are at 35 miles per gallon. I think we should look at this not as some great victory but as a start down the road of progress.

And then again today we passed this I think historic bill and it signals change. It signals change. It signals that the United States Congress is serious about our renewable future. It signals a change that we can have a future where we can have air that we can breathe, where we can be at peace with our environment and not warm up the globe to the degree that no life can live on it, or that the changes in the world temperatures will be so drastically changing that we can't sustain life as it exists now.

And I think that we can also live in a future where we can get around and have transportation that is affordable and make some sense and actually is something that we can all live with and all participate in. But I think that these changes that we have seen in the 110th Congress, the 100 hours, CAFE standards and then today, signal that we are going in the right direction.

We need the American people to continue to fuel the movement that we are on. And one thing we are doing here tonight is trying to let you know what we have done and then ask for your continued participation. Because the American people are demanding change, and I think that the 110th Congress is giving it to you.

Let me just say that those statistics that were just shown about oil profits earned, I just think it is very important to bear in mind that as oil profits have been skyrocketing, the average person that we have seen increases in prices in everything from food to fuel, we have also seen inflationary tendencies, and we have also seen increase in unemployment. We are in a time where clean, renewable energy and a new path towards energy is something that everyone needs, and it is something that I think our entire society, our entire economy, oil companies included, need to take a part in and need to look at the tremendous bounty they have received from being able to be an American corporation and saying that, look, we are going to do something to participate.

I would like to see our oil companies take some of their own profits and invest it into renewable energies. I would like to see them take some of the great bounty they have received and make a commitment to the American people to get into a green future. So again, what we see today is signaling change, sending us in the right direction, and I look forward to going much, much further.

Let me just say that I agree with you. You have to understand that when you borrow all this money to fund the government, you have to pay that back. And that payback accounts for a part of your budget which squeezes out other things you might really want to do. So pay as you go has a whole lot of merit, and I'm glad we are not adding already to the enormous debt. As you know, when this President came into office, he inherited a fairly significant budget surplus. But that is yesterday.

One of the things I want to mention, Congressman Klein, about this important bill, is that provisions are critical to creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying, green collar American jobs. This issue of jobs, green collar jobs, is critical. Green collar jobs are jobs perhaps in the construction industry where people would help retrofit old buildings in order to make them more fuel efficient. For example, green roofs on buildings, more fuel efficiency in buildings, construction jobs, jobs that people can earn a good wage in.

I think it is important to understand that part of the new energy future that we are talking about takes into consideration not just the scientists who are going to be working in labs and not just the folks who are going to be working on the policy issues, but actually hardworking Americans who work every single day to put food on the table for their families. The green collar job is something I think we have to pay close attention to. And as you may know, our farm bill actually included a provision about green collar jobs, which is very important. I was happy to be a part of that.

The preservation of existing jobs relies on these green collar jobs as well. A recent study showed that allowing the renewable energy incentives to expire would lead to about 116,000 jobs being lost in the wind and solar industries through the end of 2009.

Now this is a big deal, because if we incentivize the production of clean, renewable energy, of wind, of solar, of biomass, of cogeneration, of other forms of energy production, it has the effect of spinning off more and more employment. And, of course, as I led in before, the first part of creating a green future for America is in conservation. That which we save, we never have to use energy to fuel. And so in this area of conservation, as I mentioned before, all kinds of jobs in the area of construction, in the area of so many things that would allow people who can make a good honest living and at the same time preserve our energy future and make our economy cleaner and make our economy one in which everybody can even avoid the health risks associated with some of the burning of hydrocarbons.

So, again, green collar jobs is a big part of what we did today, a big part of what we have been doing, and I am proud to be associated with that.

That's right, and I do thank you. I will have to take my leave shortly after making my remarks, but I want to thank you for holding it down tonight. Mr. Klein, you are doing a good job as usual.

But I just want to say as I hear Mr. Hall make comments about young people who are involved in innovation and creative use of their talents and skills, it reminds me of the fact that this bill that we passed today, plus the bill that we passed in the 100 hours, plus the farm bill and the energy bill we have already passed, is a policy that all Americans can get behind, whether you are a young person in high school trying to figure out how much of the surface of your solar vehicle needs to be paneled so that it can run efficiently, or whether you are a person working in a company or whether you are a person who is just trying to earn enough money for a family, this is a bill that meets the needs of many people, which is why it's good legislation.

You ran off a list of supporters of the bill. I also just want to point out that whether you are a mom and a dad or whether you are Home Depot or even Dow Chemical or the Sierra Club, or the United Steelworkers or the National Farmers Union, this is good legislation. This is legislation America can get behind.

I look forward to a more renewable, greener future that we all can participate in, and I just want to say, finally, to our oil companies that have made such monumental profits over the last numbers of years, I do hope that you all look within yourselves and take some of those profits that you have been able to get based on you being an American company and invest in America.