Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, America's economy is struggling. Despite all of the spending and promises out of Washington, a lot of average Americans, more than 15 million, are wondering where are the jobs, because they don't have one.

This Democrat Congress and this White House promised a lot to these workers and to the American taxpayer if they would just give them a blank check, if they could just write money like there was no tomorrow, that they, Washington, would know best how to get this economy back on track.

Unfortunately, the reality of the past 16 months since the stimulus bill passed has unfortunately been much less than what was promised.

The Obama administration likes to tout right now, they call this ``the summer of recovery,'' but you don't see them touting. Because what their original promises were for that $862 billion--more than a trillion dollars, when you add the interest to it, the taxpayers will actually have to pay back. The reality is that the Obama administration, the Democrats in Washington, failed on all three key promises to the American people about its economy.

They said our first promise is if you will pass this stimulus, the unemployment rate would remain below 8 percent. They said nonfarm payroll employment, that's most workers, would increase to 137.6 million by the end of this year. And then finally they said if you pass our stimulus bill, 90 percent of payroll jobs created would be in the private sector.

Well, let's look at the reality. It's been 16 months, a lot of the stimulus has been spent, not all, but a lot of it. So 16 months later, what do we see?

The Obama forecast was supposed to be at this point, almost 7.5 percent. Today it's actually 9.5 percent. That's a little lower than it's been. The reason it's lower: 650,000 Americans last month just gave up, gave up looking for work, gave up hope looking for work.

So that employment rate went down, not because the economy is getting better, but people have given up hope that they will get a job, 16 months after this magical stimulus bill was passed, so the actual versus the forecast is very sad.

Second promise, that the stimulus would raise employment, jobs in America, 137 million. This is where we're at right here, as stagnant as can be. In fact, right now, congressional Democrats and the White House, they are 7 million jobs short of where they promised they would be by the end of the year, 7 million jobs short. The economy has never created 7 million jobs in 6 months before. Short on promise number two, failed by a wide margin.

And here I think is the reason. I think this sums up why the stimulus failed, why so many Americans are disappointed with the Obama administration. I think the last poll was 13 percent of Americans believe the stimulus helped them in any way, 90 percent of Americans believe this economy is in bad shape, and almost three-fourths don't believe it's going to get better any time soon. So, so much for restoring consumer confidence in America's economy. And this is the real reason why, promise number three.

Remember, promise number one, below 8 percent, didn't come close; promise number two, we would have 137 million jobs by the end of this year, 7 million short. This is promise number three, that 90 percent of all the new jobs created by the stimulus would come from the private sector, not from government. They would come from small businesses back home along Main Street, the same small business and private sector jobs that have always brought America out of a deep recession.

Well, here's the actuality: Since the stimulus passed 16 months ago, hundreds of billions of dollars of money spent and wasted in America, guess what's happened? The only sector that has grown--the Federal Government. The Federal Government has added 400,000 government workers. How about the private sector? How about our small businesses in every State across America? Lost almost 3.3 million jobs. Federal Government workers grew. State government came down a little, but they pumped a lot of stimulus money into more government workers. The private sector, the businesses that bring us out of the recession, lost 3.3 million jobs. That's why this economy is so subpar.

America is blessed. We are, I think, genetically predisposed to bouncing back from tough economic times. We hate to be in recession. But not this time. This recession, unfortunately, is continuing, not from a statistical sense, but from a jobs sense. It is one-third as strong a recovery as the Reagan recovery, and we can talk about that in a minute. But here's the reason why.

Washington has poured all this money into government workers and wasteful stimulus spending and they expect the economy to just jump- start. As they said, it will jump-start and consumer confidence will grow. The opposite has happened. Consumers, families are holding on to their money. They're frightened by the dangerous levels of debt in this country. They're frightened by $13 trillion of national debt America owes in publicly held debt. And businesses are frightened these days.

As one of the Secretaries of Labor here in Washington said: Businesses aren't adding jobs because they're waiting to see what government can do for them; businesses aren't adding jobs because they're frightened by what government will do to them. They see an environment in Washington, proposals that dramatically increase taxes, increase regulation, increase their health care costs, increase their energy costs, that broaden government, expand regulation into almost every nook and cranny of this economy. And they look at that and they say, No, you know, we're going to delay rehiring people we laid off, hiring new ones. We're going to delay that critical investment decision, that expansion decision, the decision to buy that new piece of equipment because we don't want to be punished by Washington for adding jobs. We don't want to be punished if we go out and hire that new worker or buy that new piece of equipment. And that uncertainty, unfortunately, is an anchor around our economic recession. And that uncertainty means that American businesses are holding on to almost $2 trillion of cash, $2 trillion, normally enough to, again, start bringing us out of this recession. They're not willing to do that.

They're frightened by this White House. They're frightened by Washington, D.C. They look at what's happening in Congress and these wild proposals, extreme, ideologically driven agendas, and they're saying, We're going to play it safe and stand pat with their money. Consumers are doing it because of the debt, businesses because of these terrible antibusiness, antijob,

growth-killing proposals coming out of Washington, D.C.

We've seen this before. We've seen this before. Economists refer to this phenomenon as ``regime uncertainty.'' What I would call it is a rational expectation. Families know America is so deep in debt, someone's got to pay it back. You can't tax the wealthy just to pay that back. You can double everyone's taxes in America. Double them this year, we would still be running a deficit.

You can't tax away this problem. But businesses and families are worried that's exactly what's going to happen. Middle class, small businesses will end up shouldering a bigger and bigger burden of government. That means less money in their paycheck. They know that. Rationally, they expect it, so they're holding back. Businesses are doing the same.

We saw this before as President Franklin Roosevelt's contradictory and rapidly shifting economic policies delayed recovery from the Great Depression. The U.S. was the last country to recover from the Great Depression.

Today, unfortunately, this White House, this Washington is following the same formula of spending, of uncertainty, of poor governance, poor decisions, and at times, as we saw in the gulf, sheer incompetence. But again, businesses look at what they see out of the White House--higher taxes, new laws, the entrepreneurs who are frightened to hire. That's why--back to this chart. That's why the Federal Government is the only sector that has grown. And whenever there are government jobs, they only last as long as that money keeps coming out of your paycheck. But in the private sector, when a business creates a job, when a local company hires a worker, buys that new piece of manufacturing equipment, those economic benefits multiply across the community. But unfortunately, private sector in America lost over 3 million jobs.

Don't take my word for it. The National Federation of Independent Businesses recently surveyed a number of their small business owners, and here's what they said: U.S. economy faces hurricane-force headwinds and the government is at the center of the storm, making an economic recovery very difficult. This is small businesses.

By the way, I am Congressman Kevin Brady. I represent the Eighth District of Texas. It's a great area--11 counties from the Louisiana border through east Texas and down through Montgomery County and the Woodlands. I'm the fourth senior Republican on the Ways and Means Committee, the ranking Republican on the Trade Subcommittee, and the ranking House Republican on the Joint Economic Committee.

So we've been studying these businesses and these economic numbers for some time. And what the NFIB, the small independent businesses has said, in addition, Either policymakers have no idea how to help the economy or they are intentionally committing it to unsustainable expenditure growth and deficits so large there will be no alternative but to raise taxes, a slow suicide for a dynamic economy. Just what I said, the National Federation of Independent Businesses has confirmed that it is the hurricane-force winds coming out of Washington, DC, that's holding this economy back.

They go on to say this: With an unemployment rate of nearly 10 percent, the President travels the country touting the health care bill that few like, selling wealth redistribution and the need for more taxes. What should ordinary citizens and small business owners expect from all this? A growing and more dynamic economy? Not likely. Taxing success is a terrible path to growth and real investment. And adding to the misery and pessimism, massive government deficits threaten future capital availability for the private sector.

So our independent businesses along Main Street say just what those of us who have been in business before say: It is Washington that's holding back this economic recovery. It's the White House that's holding back this economic recovery with this very extreme agenda.

I'm going to yield in a moment to another Texan, one of our more studious members of the Joint Economic Committee, from Texas, Dr. Michael Burgess, but I want to take this quote from the Business Roundtable, because, while the NFIB represents tens of thousands of independent businesses, Business Roundtable represents businesses from every sector in America who are selling here in the United States, competing around the world to sell American as well.

And here's what the Business Roundtable just said: Many regulations and legislation, both existing and proposed, exacerbate the uncertainty created by today's volatile economic environment. Virtually every new regulation has an impact on recovery, competitiveness, and job creation. Often that impact is negative. On an individual basis, most businesses can cope with each new regulation, but the collective impact on the economy is enormous and often harmful. And with the massive new health care law--this is from the Business Roundtable--with the massive new health care law and financial reform legislation looming, companies are more worried than ever about the impact new regulations and legislation will have on their operations and their bottom line. Not knowing what to expect from these pending regulations, businesses are acting cautiously to forestall any negative impact. These actions are squelching economic growth and job creation as companies are forced to freeze investment and hiring until they understand how they will be affected by these new mandates.

So, despite hundreds of billions of dollars of spending and despite all this government intervention and expansion of government, the American economy is stalled because businesses--those job creators who bring us out of recessions--are frightened by Washington and these policies. They don't want to be pushed. They are holding onto almost $2 trillion of cash, and that capital is what would fuel our economic recovery. So Washington and the White House is the single largest obstacle to America's getting back on its economic feet.

Joining me tonight is a Congressman from Texas who serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee. He is one of the leading Republicans there, but he also serves with me on the Joint Economic Committee. He focuses not just on health care but on businesses along Main Street.

I would yield to the honorable Congressman from Texas, from the Fort Worth area, Dr. Michael Burgess.

Well, I'd like to follow up on your point about unemployment benefits.

The Republicans support helping people when they're down on their luck. There is no question about it. There has been extension after extension. Our point and our principle on this whole issue has been don't make matters worse for people by adding to the debt, by adding to the uncertainty about the economy, by frightening more consumers into saving more of their money. You pay for this bill.

Our point was, White House, congressional Democrats, you haven't even spent one half of that stimulus money yet. You know, some of it has been allocated, but you still have nearly half of it left.

Rather than waste it on what you've wasted it on, I want to talk for a second about our just creating government jobs. Why don't we pay for the unemployment benefits with that money? Let's start just stimulating private sector jobs. Again, we've lost more than 3 million since the stimulus took effect.

Dr. Burgess, you know, people back home look at some of the wildly exaggerated claims from the stimulus. Do you remember all of the phantom congressional districts? This White House actually made up districts that don't exist today and credited them with certain job creations. Some of the examples of job creation were just wild--$1 million for each pair of boots. That it created jobs is crazy. We can look at some of them, you know, from the stimulus money:

$71,000 to the University of Wake Forest, of taxpayer funds, to study the effects of cocaine addiction on monkeys. The University of New York at Buffalo received $390,000 in stimulus funds to conduct a study on the relationship between drinking malt liquor beer and using marijuana. One hundred people were paid $45 a day or will be paid $45 a day for 3 weeks by taxpayers to drink malt liquor to compare it with marijuana. Arizona State University received $500,000 to study the genetic difference between queen and worker ants. There was $3 million awarded for a turtle-crossing in Florida. There was $50,000 granted for a hand puppet.

In the Midwest, Bloomington, Indiana, received $40,000 for 10 solar- powered trash compactors, which reminds me that New York City received stimulus funds for a homeless program, and they said, Well, we didn't ask for this money. We don't have a homeless problem. The response from Washington was, Well, get creative.

I don't know, does that mean get creative in creating homeless people?

With the stimulus dollars, Florida, for example, used $8 million of their funds to pay off a backlog of people who had already completed work for the State. So they used it to pay their bills, creating zero net jobs. The National Science Foundation gave funding to North Carolina University for a dance draw, which involved students' attaching wireless mice to their chests and wrists and dancing to form abstract geometric shapes on a computer.

So, when the President stands at the White House and says that we need help for the unemployed, Republicans agree. We want to stop wasting stimulus money.

Help people who actually need help. Stop playing politics with them. Is money for mice, studying malt liquor beer and the hand puppets more important than helping people down on their luck? We don't think so.

We also don't think adding to this terrible deficit and making it tougher for consumers to have confidence in their country again helps either. I just wanted to expand on that point because I think it's a critical one for people watching tonight who really are wondering if Congress is functioning at all or listening at all. I honestly don't think this Congress is.

I yield back to you, Dr. Burgess.

You raise great points. I would like to follow it up. I don't think this White House or Washington has a clue as to how damaging this drilling moratorium has been just on average American workers who are tied not just to the gulf, but energy production offshore that spreads out. I saw a study the other day, nearly all 50 States, nearly every congressional district risks job losses as a result of this drilling moratorium.

We're already seeing companies who are redeploying their rigs to Egypt, moving their investments out of the United States, to Brazil, West Africa, the Middle East. And those rigs won't be coming back any time soon. Typical rig in the gulf in deep water has 1,500 workers tied to it, a thousand or more vendors. When they leave the gulf they don't come back for years.

So we already have businesses laying off workers, moving equipment, infrastructure outside the United States, already cutting their capital budget for future investment in the United States. And it doesn't take long before you have our energy infrastructure and headquarters leaving the United States as well. There are literally tens of thousands of workers tied directly to the gulf, more than 170,000 at immediate risk of this.

And yet two thoughts: One, Monday the President was in front of the White House talking about playing politics with people's jobs. Playing politics with people's jobs. That's exactly what his drilling moratorium is doing along the Gulf of Mexico.

And I find it frustrating, today I picked up--or actually went online and read The Houston Chronicle. And there it said the President is coming down to Texas, to Houston August 9 to raise money for his party. And I read that, realizing that we have had a standing invitation by letter to the President asking him to come down to Houston to meet face-to-face with these energy workers, the ones whose jobs he is killing right now, and explain to them his reasoning.

Listen to these American workers, Democrat, Republican, independent, it doesn't matter, they are all ages, all ethnic categories, all income categories. They just want to work. And his moratorium is destroying their livelihood. We are still waiting for an answer for that invitation. But apparently he doesn't have time to talk to our workers or to sit down face-to-face with them because he's got to raise campaign cash.

So we said today, we said Mr. President, can you give us an hour to meet with these workers? Can you give us 15 minutes? You know, do you have time at all for workers in Texas along the gulf who now they see their hopes of their small business, of putting their kids through college, of keeping their home dashed because of a poorly thought out drilling moratorium that is taking an environmental disaster in the gulf and creating an economic disaster for a lot of innocent families who had nothing to do with that spill.

I know you sense that in Dallas-Fort Worth, as one business from Dallas told me. He said, what small business can survive without 6 months of revenue? That's a great question, because the answer is not many. Not many at all. Maybe the big guys can. But they're going to be laying people off, they're not going to be buying from vendors. The damage is going to be wholesale.

With that, I know you feel that pain in Dallas-Fort Worth, and I guess we are just frustrated that--I am at least--that the President won't at least listen to reason, come down and face our energy workers. Just have the courage to sit down with them. Give us an hour out of your busy campaign fundraising and tell them your reason.

I yield to you, Dr. Burgess.

I thank you, Congressman Burgess, for joining us tonight on trying to get the economy going, and you are so right. This recovery is so subpar. Most Americans don't realize. I talked earlier about--we are predisposed, excited about bouncing out of recessions as fast as we can, but not this time.

We took a look at recessions the country has gone through since the Great Depression, and the one that's closest to it, that had the most damage, happened in the early 1980s. And if you compare how President Obama's performance was--is today versus

President Reagan's in 1982, 1983, it's pretty stunning.

The Reagan recovery, which had a higher unemployment rate to begin with, and if you look at three key areas, in the first three quarters after the recession ended under President Reagan, his economy grew twice as fast as the Obama recovery. If you look at the number of jobs created, it isn't even close. The first year of the Reagan recovery, the United States added 3 million jobs. We've actually lost them under President Obama. And look at this chart. You can see what the job numbers are. Reagan continues to increase. Obama, even under the best scenario right now, it is a very slow, subpar, very stagnant type of economic recovery. And similarly, the unemployment rate fell by more than 2 points under President Reagan, while it's increased under President Obama.

You ask what is the difference, and it's what Congressman Burgess talked about, two things. President Obama's decided Washington would create jobs. Washington knew best. They didn't put an economic stimulus together; they put a political stimulus together. And what it's produced is government jobs and no economic recovery.

It's also balanced with--offset higher tax increases, higher energy costs, the fear of new health care costs, new regulations, taxes everywhere. So job creators aren't adding jobs.

The Reagan recovery is just the opposite. He created certainty for this country. They lowered taxes. They spurred investment. They told businesses, if you create jobs, you can keep them. You won't be punished; you'll be rewarded. And what did the private sector do? It created jobs. It created jobs in America.

Now what we're facing is a country at a time when we have 50 million workers, almost 50 million workers looking for jobs, many of them who, almost half, have been out of work for more than 6 months. That's the longest since they started keeping numbers.

Those with a high school education struggle with, gosh, it's almost 16, 17 percent unemployment. Certain ethnic categories have much, much higher unemployment rates than others, and it's because this President and this Congress, when faced with the choice between lowering taxes and creating small business jobs or spending, raising taxes, and creating government jobs, they chose the latter.

And so America's recovery has stalled. It is subpar. It offers little hope to most people. It certainly hasn't, as the President claimed, jump-started the economy or restored consumer confidence. Just the opposite.

We talk about taxes. We talked earlier about families so worried about this debt that this country has gotten just a staggering amount of debt under President Obama. In fact, when Republicans lost control of Congress, the annual debt to that year was about $160 million. Too high, in my view, and I think too high in most Americans' views. Now, within 3 years, that debt is almost eight times, almost nine times higher at $1.4 trillion. The Republicans' debts of a year are now the Democrats' debts of a month. Each and every month we're adding that equivalent, and that debt has exploded.

And the cost, a great example. Right now, America's debt is more than 60 percent of the size of our economy. That's in the yellow warning category. If we continue to move this direction, we will be at a hundred percent of the economy by the end of this decade. And it will skyrocket to an incredible, almost 10 times the size of our entire economy, everything we make and produce in America, by the year 2084 if we stay on this path.

And that debt has real cost. It means we have a bigger government for families and workers to drag around on their back. Younger people will pay more out of their paycheck to haul, drag this economy around. It creates an anchor on America's prosperity. In fact, most economists tell us that when a country's debt gets to about 90 percent of the size of their economy of everything that they produce and create, when the debt gets to 90 percent, it drags down your economy substantially by about 1 percentage point. That doesn't sound like a lot, but what that means is, instead of America growing at 3 percent a year--good, steady, strong 3 percent a year--we grow at a more anemic 2 percent a year. So you really lose a third of your economic prosperity. It puts you in the category of Europe, which has had this Big Government mentality. They've had this anchor around their economy, and it's cost them.

I took a look at the five most troubled countries in Europe. We've all been following Greece's problem with their debt, but also what they call the PIIGS, and it stands really for Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, and Spain--the five most troubled European countries. If you look at their gross debt, the United States is right in the middle of them, of the five most troubled countries in Europe. If you look at the budget deficit as a percent of our economy, the United States ranks third worst as well. Third worst in gross debt, third worst in budget deficit, and we are on a bullet headed their direction.

We're not necessarily in the same shape as Greece today, but we're on the trajectory, we're on the path. That's why we need to focus on education, America. Make sure people can say these things. We're on the path to calamity, financially, unless we change our ways.

One thing I want to point to that Congressman Burgess talked about, people know taxes are coming. What's frightened a lot of job creators and I think a lot of just average families--certainly in Texas, in southeast Texas and east Texas that I represent--families tell me spending is out of control and it scares them. Small businesses, they look at all of these programs that House Democrats try to pass each week. They say that won't create jobs or customers. That just frightens people more. They know they're going to end up being taxed for it.

And you look at there's taxes, proposed increased taxes on health care, Cadillac health care plans, on income for Americans, on capital gains, on dividends, on death taxes. There's all the private health insurance plans, pharmaceutical, medical device taxes, the cap-and- trade legislation, which is just a tax on all of the energy you use in your home and in your vehicle. They're talking about now a VAT tax, a value-added tax, which would come on top of what we have today. The value-added tax, which has worked in European countries, added on top of everything we have, it's the politician's perfect tax. It's an ideal tax. It's hidden from the public. It sounds small, and people pay for it in everything they buy. It's hidden. It's a hidden tax. Politicians can play with it any way they choose, and the public rarely knows.

And people look at that and they think the Bush tax cuts, which was so helpful for our economy and our middle class, the average Texas family would have to pay $3,000 more a year if those tax cuts go away, $3,000 more every year. I know in Washington that doesn't sound like a big deal, but for most families across America, that's a lot of money, especially right now. That's all their utility bills for the year, probably throw in this cable bill as well.

I took a look at a study I saw the other day about how out-of-control spending burdens our youth. We all know how much our debt has increased over the last 3 years since Democrats took control of Congress, but just look at two things.

Just look at the impact of the 2008 and 2009 bailouts and stimulus. According to economist Dr. Edward Stringham of Trinity College, just the costs from those two events will cost the average 22-year-old coming out of college this year $145,000 over their working life. That's $280 a month, equivalent of a second car payment. That's the impact spending has on people, and that's just two spending bills. That's not the trillion and a half dollars of debt from last year and the year before that continue to pile up; and, again, we're $13 trillion of spending and getting higher.

I know the excuse in Washington is that it's Bush's fault. Everything is Bush's fault. America's not going all the way in the World Cup was Bush's fault, I think some people believe in Washington. But if you look at where the jobs have traded in America, you can see here is when Republicans fully controlled Congress and added in their tenure 6.6 million jobs. Since Speaker

Pelosi took the gavel, what we've seen is a loss of over 6 million jobs. So almost every job Republicans created, Democrats have destroyed, and the reason this is going to get even worse is because this White House and this Congress is the most job-killing, anti- business, anti-growth Congress perhaps in the history of the United States.

We see this not just in tax increases and cap-and-trade and health care costs but wild provisions coming out of the House and, of course, now the drilling moratorium that is beginning to destroy jobs and lives and small businesses in the Gulf of Mexico. What's, I guess, perhaps most saddening is that along the gulf coast, many families in Louisiana and Alabama and Mississippi who are bearing the brunt of BP's oil spill and bearing the brunt of this administration's failure to contain the spill, they're the ones who are begging this President not to continue this drilling moratorium, allow our workers to go back to work because they know, as bad as the environmental damage has been, the drilling moratorium damage on their jobs and livelihood will add even more misery to their lives. We can't allow that to happen.

Mr. President, I would ask you again, come down to Houston, meet with our energy workers, see whose lives and jobs you're destroying. Meet with our independent businesses. Meet with our mid-sized businesses. Meet with the companies that are out there in the gulf today wanting to go back to work, who don't want their rigs to go to other countries, who don't want the jobs to go to other countries, the equipment to go to other countries, our capital to go to other countries, and eventually our energy infrastructure to go around the rest of the world to the detriment of U.S. energy workers in America.

Mr. President, while you're fund-raising in Houston, give us an hour to meet with our workers. Give us 15 minutes if you're so busy fund- raising you can't spare the time for our workers, to sit down with them. We won't have press there. You pick the workers if you choose. Although, if I were you, I would ask the average Americans who are facing a job loss, so you can listen outside the Beltway, no TelePrompters, no big speeches, just listen to our energy workers and perhaps you will see just how damaging this drilling moratorium is and will be for America.

What you will hear is that they are already suffering and people are being laid off. Businesses are contemplating not being able to survive and filing bankruptcy.

What you will see is that energy prices will go up as a result of your moratorium because the Gulf of Mexico produces so much of the energy we use in America.

What you will hear is that we are giving more power and more energy strength to countries outside the United States, some of whom can't stand anything that America stands for, and that we'll face an energy shortage in 2011, 2012 if this drilling moratorium continues.

You will hear from shallow well operators who have drilled down in the Gulf of Mexico without an incident, but now what they find is they can't get a permit to continue working so they're facing layoffs of their workers and their financial struggles.

In the deep water, which has drilled 14,000 wells around the world safely, but for the BP incident, you will see that one rig is already leaving for Egypt, others are planning to leave and won't be back anytime soon, years perhaps, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years. In the meantime what do our workers do? What do those small businesses do? What do the people who do manufacturing, who do oil field services and supplies throughout the country, who reach literally into every State and almost every congressional district in America, what do those businesses do?

Mr. President, we're not asking much. We're asking you to help get this economy back on track. Take off the table the drilling moratorium, end it today. Take off the table cap-and-trade and the high energy prices that it will create. Take off the table the new regulations, the new taxes. Agree to extend the Bush tax cuts. Don't raise taxes on capital and dividend investment. Lower them to get this economy going. Reassure consumers that we have a path to balance the budget. Reassure businesses they won't be punished for hiring that new worker, bringing back that old worker or hiring that new one, buying that new piece of equipment. Listen to the businesses around you who are telling you that you are the problem, this Washington Congress is the problem, because of the uncertainty, because of the taxes, because of, again, the extreme ideological agenda that is holding our economy back.

Mr. President, if you want to turn this chart around, if you want to--and we'll help Democrats in Congress. We'll help you lower taxes. We'll help you take these items off the table, if you will listen to our small businesses, listen to our energy workers, listen to our families, because right now most people in America believe this Washington is so arrogant, this Congress isn't listening, that they seem to know what's best for them, that they go any route, don't read any bill, rush massive measures through without any knowledge of what their impact is, and we learn months later that they're nothing like they were promised.

So average families are listening tonight. Workers are desperate for jobs. Yet they see a Congress off on cap-and-trade and all sorts of schemes instead of encouraging the job creators to create more jobs.

America cannot survive this job-killing agenda much longer. As strong as we are, as resilient as we are, as quick as we are to bounce back from recessions, it's not happening this time, and Washington is the obstacle.

Look in the mirror, congressional Democrats. President Obama, respectfully, look in the mirror; and if you're serious about changing this economy, if you really want to answer where are the jobs, we'll help you create those jobs where they belong, not in the government but along Main Street in every State and every community in America.

By the way, it isn't enough anymore--the world has changed--it's not enough to just buy American. We have to sell American. We have to sell our products and services all throughout the world. But when we try to do that, what we find is a lot of countries have an ``America need not apply'' sign. Mr. President, you're not doing enough to tear down those signs. Give us a chance to sell American goods and services. When we get a chance to compete, we win; we create jobs; we sell America successfully.

But, unfortunately, this Congress for 3 years has taken off the table any opportunity to go out and compete; and while we've voluntarily benched ourselves, the Democrats in Congress have stopped trade, while the President took a time-out, now starting to step back I think a little more so, but while we voluntarily benched ourselves, other countries--China, Europe, Canada and others--are stepping right around us, cutting agreements that create jobs and sell their products. So U.S. farmers, U.S. businesses, U.S. manufacturers, U.S. service companies, U.S. workers find themselves at a disadvantage because this White House, this Congress are more interested in special interests than in the interests of our workers, of our economy, of our jobs.

So, tonight, I would say respectfully to our Speaker of the House, the majority leader of the Senate, to President Obama: if you want an answer and a partner in creating jobs, Republicans are here. We have solutions and we're ready to fight for jobs, but we've got to tackle the debt. We've got to create incentives to create jobs.

We have got to stop frightening consumers, frightening workers. If we do that, America is capable of bouncing back and getting this economy on the right path again.

Mr. President, work with us. Get America strong again.

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

Madam Speaker, the spill in the gulf coast has produced an environmental tragedy, and obviously losing the lives of 11 American workers has been devastating for the families. Our prayers are with them.

The gulf coast right now, the priority of America has to be stopping the oil from gushing, and it seems to be making progress there, protecting our beaches and marshes. But we have a new threat to the Gulf of Mexico and America, especially its workers, and this is the White House's moratorium on drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

According to the Federal courts, the moratorium has been stayed. It was overly broad without much scientific basis. It didn't result in anything more safe or secure for the gulf. But nonetheless, the Secretary of the Interior has issued a new moratorium, thumbing his nose at the courts and really creating a broader moratorium that has stopped drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

The impact of this is that American rigs are leaving the Gulf of Mexico, and U.S. jobs with it. Capital will soon follow and, ultimately, if the moratorium is allowed to go its full 6 months until the end of the year, we will see a significant, severe dismantling of America's energy infrastructure, future higher gas prices, and we will be ceding more of our energy independence to Middle East and foreign oil.

The truth of the matter is, today, the Gulf of Mexico has been extraordinarily safe to explore for America's traditional energy, our oil and gas. Over 50,000 wells have been drilled in the Gulf of Mexico. This is the first major spill. Over 14,000 deepwater wells have been drilled around the world. This is the first major spill. And just as you don't stop all automobile production because there is a problem with one model, the White House, unfortunately, has stopped all energy production in the gulf because of the disaster with British Petroleum. And the impact on our jobs and our economy is severe. They are laying off workers today. Small businesses are struggling to survive. Rigs are being deployed overseas.

Joining me today to talk about the impact to this economy is Congressman John Culberson of Houston, as well. He and I were in a roundtable last week with a number of our small, midsize, independent businesses who are already laying off workers and redeploying resources as a result of this terrible moratorium that unfortunately is turning an environmental disaster, making it worse by creating an economic disaster, not just in the Gulf of Mexico but one that will reach throughout the United States.

So I yield to the gentleman from Texas, Mr. John Culberson.

I think we probably produce about 30 percent. Much of the specialty oil is for jet fuel and a number of our fuels.

Already, Diamond Offshore's announced that the first rig is leaving the United States for Egypt. They are already leaving, planning to leave others for West Africa, the Middle East, Brazil, and those points. And as they made the point, these rigs, you have them for a limited amount of time. They are well sought

out for around the world. And when they leave, they don't come back for years.

And with them are our energy workers, the companies that support them, American businesses that sell to them and ship to them and provide those services. And as we know, the rest of the world, including state-owned enterprises in China, is now aggressively swooping in to bid for these rigs which, again, takes away our jobs and our prosperity.

I would like to yield to the gentleman from Louisiana who has been a leader on this effort both in trying to compel the Federal Government's response to local and State communities and to keep and protect their beaches and marshes but also to try to stop our energy jobs, our families in the gulf area that have been hurt from being hurt further.

I yield to Congressman Scalise.

Well, this moratorium's impact on our economy is greater than most imagined. It is not just along the Gulf Coast. But imagine, if you will, you have at this point both the 33 deepwater rigs that are now idle, leaving America, along with our American workers and our American vendors, but in the shallow waters, which has even a more sterling record of safe and secure exploration, which now is also idle because the Interior Department is not providing permitting in any timely fashion at all. So those rigs are going away, those workers are going away, and that impact is deep.

On any one of those deepwater rigs, you have got at least 1,500 workers tied directly to the rig, Congressman Culberson, and more beyond that. Each rig may have 1,000 vendors supplying and servicing it, vendors throughout the United States. I am going to talk about that in a few moments with a map we have here on the floor as well.

These companies are not the big companies. These are family-owned businesses, small and medium-sized businesses. They are already starting to lay off workers. They are already redeploying, as I think Halliburton and Schlumberger, or Halliburton Baker Hughes said they have already been forced to relocate some 4,000 jobs. And offshore development impacts at least 170,000 jobs, all of which are at risk with this moratorium.

As small businesses have told us, who said, I have already laid off 20 percent of my workforce. Next week I lay off 50 percent of my workforce. What small business in America, what industry, can hope to survive without six months of its revenues?

The answer is none. Maybe the big guys can, but most companies cannot. So at a time when we have almost 10 percent unemployment, people are desperately looking for work, here we have a White House policy that puts at risk 150,000 good-paying American jobs or more that will impact every State in the Nation.

By the way, Congressman Culberson, there have been studies that talk about what the impact is in various areas. If you think about it, the average salary in the Gulf of Mexico for petroleum-related workers is almost $118,000, average annual salary. Some of those are roughnecks, those who may not even have a high school education, who are getting $70,000, $80,000 salaries. It is a tough job. It is hard work. But it not only produces fuel to drive America's prosperity, but it gives them an opportunity to raise their family, to live the American dream, to put their kids through college, to own their own home. Those jobs are now at risk.

And who is fighting for them? It seems to me the White House, so far, and I hope it changes, has a deaf ear to these American workers. These are U.S. energy workers. There are more than 2 million of them around America. But with this moratorium, as the rigs leave, as the jobs go, as our vendors and small businesses go as well, many of those are not coming back for years. And with it goes the capital, the funding from companies who have to decide soon whether they put money into exploring in the Gulf of Mexico or over in Brazil or West Africa or somewhere else around the world.

Also with the rigs and capital and jobs goes our brain power. We worry about a brain drain of America's best and brightest, energy research and workers that will go. And then ultimately when that leaves, the energy headquarters leave as well, which in many communities along the Gulf of Mexico, make up such a big part, good- paying part of our economy.

So this moratorium, the refusal to allow permits, sort of the tin ear on allowing these safe wells to go back to work, is having a devastating impact.

I have invited, and I know you support this, I have invited President Obama to come to Houston, Texas, to meet with our energy workers, those whose jobs have been lost or are at risk. Just as he has visited every State along the Gulf, come to Texas to see the economic spill of his policy, the economic devastation that is beginning, and can be changed and can be averted, not by stopping a well from gushing, but by stopping bad policy, overly broad, that costs U.S. American jobs throughout the country, raises energy prices, makes us more dependent on countries that frankly don't care much for us.

I yield to you, congressman.

The cost of the drilling moratorium in human lives and jobs, the impact on people's lives and families, is devastating. We face other immediate threats to America's energy future within the next several weeks: The Blowout Prevention Act, through the efforts of Congressman Joe Barton and others, working with Congressman Henry Waxman and others, I think has become a more manageable or acceptable bill. A real concern still exists. The Oil Spill Accountability Act, which will stop exploration in America's gulf; energy taxes that will force, or really drive U.S. energy jobs to other countries. All of this will have a huge impact.

Can I talk for a moment, though, about the lives that are already being affected? We know that the lives of those 11 workers that have been lost, praying for their families and their recovery are a top priority for us. Stopping that spill from gushing further. Protecting the beaches and marshes and seabeds and trying to help the gulf States communities recover have to be our priority. The question is, do we make it worse for the gulf by a moratorium? The answer is yes.

Here is the impact on jobs. Just in the short time the moratorium has been in place, I talked about how companies are redeploying thousands of workers to other countries. As National Oceans Industry Association Chairman Burt Adams said, ``There is right now no clear path for deepwater exploration companies to follow. Until such a path exists, exploration is at a standstill and more jobs will be lost.''

Aker Solutions has workers in Texas now; in Alabama. They have had to refocus their efforts on international projects to compensate for the loss of exploring in the moratorium. Their offshore services work is coming to a halt already. They have about 750 employees in Texas and Alabama, but they are now going elsewhere with their work.

ATP Oil & Gas Corporation, the moratorium caused this company to stop drilling a natural gas development well and release the rig. It went away. The well would have produced 40 million cubic feet of gas daily for America. ATP estimates that they will be penalized about $30 million because of the moratorium and lose over $1 million of revenue a day.

Bollinger Shipyards, family-owned and operated since 1946, employs 3,000 American workers. They say, ``In the 64 years of our existence, we have never been faced with such an uncertain future. This moratorium has created an environment leaving Bollinger Shipyards no choice but to downsize our company, thereby eliminating good-paying jobs.''

They are in Texas, I believe. It doesn't say so right there, I should say.

CapRock Communications. They will be forced to redeploy personnel to different regions or support them finding some other way. They have over 50 field service and operations personnel supporting clients in the Gulf of Mexico; employ 750 people throughout Houston, Lafayette and New Orleans.

C&C Technologies, they expect to layoff approximately 10 employees to begin with; will not be hiring the dozen

or so workers they expected to hire. So they're laying off workers and we're missing an opportunity to put even more people back to work.

Cobalt International Energy with their exploration, their drilling rigs, services, vessels, tools and people that were contracted to support the drilling programs, all have been released. We talked about the rigs go, the jobs go, the businesses go and the capital leaves America. Cobalt will shift its capital spending program and resources to West Africa, because they have no choice. This White House, this government, is forcing them overseas. Again, as you pointed out, those are not only U.S. energy workers but U.S. energy that's leaving with Cobalt.

Davis-Lynch, Incorporated has locations throughout Lafayette, Houston, Corpus Christi. This moratorium leaves them no alternative other than to implement another reduction in their workforce. They employed over 300 people last year, had to cut 100, were starting to hire people back. Now that is being reversed.

Delmar Systems, operations 100 percent directly related to this, to the deepwater semi-submersibles in the Gulf of Mexico. It will directly affect their ability to operate.

Heerema Marine Contractors, their business future is in a state of uncertainty here in the United States. They employ people in Texas and Louisiana.

I will go on and on here a little later, but the point is these are real American workers. These are real American businesses. Some family- owned, some mid-size, some larger. But the economic devastation. I sometimes wonder, are people as important as turtles and birds? We all love our wildlife and are fighting to protect them, but shouldn't we be fighting to protect American workers and their livelihoods? How about American small businesses and their livelihoods? What about their ability to survive, to employ workers? How about an energy worker who had nothing to do with the BP spill, who no longer has a job, no longer has a future, can't put their kids through college? Mr. President, don't those workers count, too? And why won't you come to Texas and meet with them? Why won't you pay as much attention to them as you do other regions and wildlife? These lives and their livelihoods are at stake. They are already paying a price. They didn't ask for this. The energy industry did not cause this spill. British Petroleum experienced this spill. We ought not punish innocent American workers, communities, our future, force higher energy prices, become more dependent on some of America's worst enemies because of a terrible policy response, moratorium, to what has been an environmental and human tragedy of our own making now, an economic disaster of this government's own making.

I would yield.

It is. Well, because they're not permitting. As you know, initially, the moratorium, over the advice of a number of scientists, was extended to both the shallow and deep waters. And then it was lifted in the shallow waters. But no permitting has really--no permit of significance has occurred. So those rigs are idle and going away.

Now the whole moratorium was stayed by the Federal courts and the new moratorium now was put in place. Shallow and deep waters are essentially shut down. And, again, what that means to the rest of America is that workers' jobs are shut down, the ability to provide energy supplies for America is shut down, and our dependence on other countries for our daily energy needs is increased every day because of our wrong-headed government policy.

It is. There is very little activity at all going on.

Mr. Speaker, I will kindly yield to the gentleman from New York.

Thank you to the gentleman from New York. I appreciate that very much.

Joining us today on this very important topic as we look at the devastating impact of this drilling moratorium on American jobs and energy workers is a Congressman from Humble, Texas, who has taken a lead on a number of key national security interests, especially the border, but lives in a community that's adversely affected.

I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe).

Well, I appreciate the gentleman from Texas talking about that gentleman from Houma and about how frustrating it is to see the government ride to the rescue of so many industries and companies and unions and special interests, but when it comes to just an average U.S. energy worker, they go out of their way to actually kill that job or put that person's livelihood or that small business's livelihood at risk. People may think, Congressman, that this is just one or two States, it doesn't affect us in our community, but nothing could be further from the truth.

The International Association of Drilling Contractors, they surveyed a number of members all throughout the country. They surveyed just nine of their members, nine drilling contractors and one boat company just to ask them, Where are your workers at in America? And just nine companies found workers in almost 300 congressional districts throughout the United

States of America. Just these nine companies and one boat company reached through almost 70 percent of U.S. congressional districts. It didn't include tens of thousands of other workers--oil service companies, large and small equipment manufacturers, mom-and-pop operations, oil companies. None of that's included. Just these nine drilling contractors and a boat company, almost 70 percent of the districts in America. You think, well, man, this can't be affecting our neighbors, but it is.

You've got a few examples just from these few companies. You've got wire rope from Missouri and Arkansas that is at risk; workers who build radiators in Minnesota; steel and pipe in Ohio; workers from fabrics and uniform makers in Illinois; those who create protective paints from Missouri; machinery for the offshore oil companies from Michigan; engines from Illinois; corrosion prevention materials from Illinois and Minnesota; Connecticut, workers who make electrical cables; drilling equipment from Illinois; pipe protective chemicals from Ohio; drilling equipment from Kansas; background checks and security services from Wisconsin; safety footwear from Oregon; on and on and on again. These are our neighbors whose jobs are at risk, not because BP didn't follow standard safety practices but because the White House decided these energy jobs weren't worth protecting. They'll bail out the auto unions, but they won't lift a finger to protect these jobs.

These are our people who are researchers and manufacturers. Some of them are roughnecks without a high school education who have the one job in America that allows them to actually raise their family, live the American Dream, and give their kids a college education. And those jobs are disappearing as we speak, and they're not going to come back any time soon. The companies are going. The rigs aren't coming back. The workers aren't coming back. The infrastructure isn't coming back. We become more dependent on foreign oil. Our energy prices for every American will go up. We'll buy more from companies that detest the United States of America.

That's why we have asked the President, Come to Texas. Come see these drilling workers, these energy workers face to face and tell them why their jobs aren't important, why their livelihoods don't matter, why their small business, family-owned business, it doesn't matter if they go away or not. And these people are from all across all walks of America.

I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Culberson).

Well, thank you to the gentleman from Houston.

I'd like to turn to the gentleman from Humble. You're seeing this. You have communities that stretch from the suburbs of Houston over to southeast Texas, which has some of the highest unemployment rates in the State of Texas. These are the workers tied to these companies. You know them. You visited with them. You've had town hall meetings; they're neighbors.

Can you describe how disheartening this is for these workers who had nothing to do with the spill to have their jobs at risk and their livelihoods at risk?

Well, if the gentleman would yield, can we talk a little more about how the loss of energy in America from this moratorium drives up fuel prices, makes us more dependent? Because I don't think most people realize, as you said, the Gulf of Mexico is a key generator of oil and natural gas for America. But it actually is very key to keeping OPEC from controlling energy prices throughout the world.

OPEC controls about 40 percent of the world's oil supply. And what happens is, when what we need as the world gets to about within 2 to 3 percent of everything that's produced, OPEC then has amazing leverage to drive those prices up for American families and workers. The Gulf of Mexico is our relief valve. That's where we produce energy and gas here in America. But because we have that producing, OPEC doesn't have the leverage that it historically has.

But with this moratorium, as you said, the energy supply isn't today. The shortage is in 2011 and 2012, which we know from the last time. When energy went to $4 a gallon, we saw the devastating impact on American energy, American prosperity, our economy and jobs. Man, the average families and small businesses just suffered. We're going to see more of that in the future.

I appreciate the gentleman from Humble and his remarks that are right on target. I have some closing remarks, but I'd like the gentleman from Houston to conclude.

Well, thank you.

And in conclusion, let me just say, these are not Republican workers. These aren't Democrat workers, these aren't Libertarian workers, these aren't tea party workers. They're just American workers. These are their jobs. These are their hopes, their dreams, and they didn't do anything wrong. They've paid for the bailouts of other industries. They're not asking for that. They just want to go back to work on the rig that's been safe.

Historically, these energy workers, 50,000 wells in the gulf, this is the first accident. It wasn't their fault. You don't ground them all because of it.

Yet, their lives are at stake. And our energy prices, our energy independence, revenue to our State and Federal Government, small businesses who will never survive this moratorium ever if it goes the full 6 months, did nothing wrong, whose reach is all throughout the United States of America.

We have a lot at stake here. We are asking Republicans and Democrats in Congress to join us in asking the President to end this moratorium. Accept, adopt the safe practices, the newest, the safest practices proposed by experts in the industry. Allow this safe drilling to go forward. Stop sending our rigs overseas. Stop sending our jobs overseas. Stop sending our service companies overseas, our capital, our best and brightest minds, and ultimately our headquarters.

Keep America going on the path of energy independence. But don't hurt these 2 million workers who are tied to this important industry.

With that, I appreciate Congressman Culberson, Congressman Poe, being here tonight, as well as Congressman Scalise.

These are jobs. Put our American energy workers back to work.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 175th anniversary of the City of Huntsville, Texas, and I extend my congratulations to its citizens on this memorable occasion.

Huntsville has a rich and memorable history that is as old as the state of Texas itself. This great city started out in 1835 as an Indian trading post established by Pleasant and Ephraim Gray who moved to the area from Huntsville, Alabama. Because their trading post was situated near the Trinity River, as trade along the river's banks grew, so did the number of settlers in Huntsville. New residents found the prairie lands in and around Huntsville to be fertile grounds for farming and ranching, and they found lush timber lands for harvesting.

The 1840s and 1850s were prosperous times for Huntsville, as settlers from eastern states continued to arrive and establish homesteads and businesses in the city. In 1845, the city was incorporated by the Congress of the Republic of Texas. In 1849, Austin College was founded in Huntsville. In 1850, the Huntsville Item newspaper was established and continues to be the second oldest continually published newspaper in the state of Texas.

Huntsville is known as the home of the great General Sam Houston, who served as President of the Republic of Texas, Governor of Texas, U.S. Representative, and U.S. Senator. It is also the home of Sam Houston State University, founded in 1879, and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Today, Huntsville enjoys a vibrant economy and still maintains the natural beauty that attracted many of its earliest settlers. Tourists come to Huntsville to visit the Huntsville State Park, the Sam Houston National Forest, the Sam Houston Memorial Museum and statue, HEARTS Veterans Museum, the Texas Prison Museum, and the nearby attractions of the Trinity River and Lake Livingston.

In keeping with the traditions of its founding, Huntsville remains a friendly city that welcomes new families and individuals to enjoy life in the Piney Woods region of Texas. It is a place that values hard work and entrepreneurship and a place where residents respect and honor the freedom provided by our Armed Forces. Its citizens are some of the most patriotic and philanthropic you will find anywhere.

Madam Speaker, it is a privilege to represent the citizens of the city of Huntsville, Texas, in the House of Representatives. In the words of John W. Thomason, Jr., one of Huntsville's most notable residents who wrote many years ago, Huntsville continues to remain a ``place of prominence: notable for culture, for manners, and for morals.'' Please join me in congratulating the citizens of Huntsville on this momentous occasion.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in solidarity with Americans who are telling this Congress to stop spending.

More than a million votes have been cast this week as part of the You-Cut initiative, which gives Americans the chance to say what spending we need to eliminate.

This week, the American people said we need to stop paying federal workers to conduct union activities.

These are bureaucrats who are paid by taxpayers but spend 100 percent of their time helping their unions. Their salaries should be paid for by union leaders--not hard-working American families.

These workers cost taxpayers $1.2 billion

This is not the ethical government the American people were promised, and today, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote to stop this unfair funding.

Yesterday, China and Taiwan signed the free trade agreement to open up markets, create jobs and strengthen their economies. You have to ask yourself, if these two bitter political rivals can work together to boost their economies, why isn't this Congress taking up the free trade agreement with Colombia?

Colombia's one of America's strongest allies. With our help, they've instilled rule of law, defeated the FARC terrorist group. They've created labor rights and lowered their crime rate, violence rate by 90 percent. For 3 years, this Congress has done nothing. Other countries have now moved in line ahead of us, and our U.S. farmers are losing their sales to Colombia. Congress does nothing. Venezuela has imposed a trade agreement on our ally Colombia. This Congress does nothing. It's time for Congress to take up and pass the Colombia Free Trade Agreement this year.

Before coming to the floor, I was with two couples from back home. Lisa and Fred Koetting and George and Jeanette Coiner and their grandchildren were up here visiting. Mr. Coiner said his goal in life is to make sure he helps leave a country that is better for his grandchildren than the one that his parents bequeathed to him.

They are, like all of us, so worried about the deep debt this country is amassing each day, $10 trillion of new debt over the next decade if these spending plans go forward. On top of a failed stimulus bill, on top of the 2,000-page health care bill no one read, this week Congress is going to take up an almost 2,000-page bill that will institutionalize bailout and, I think, harm our economy.

We don't have a budget for the first time in 40 years, and this week they're going to make up budget numbers. We're not going to have a vote on it, not have a debate. We haven't funded our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. They need money, but it's hung up because people here want to spend it on other things.

We've got to get this deficit under control. We have to do it or we're putting an anchor around our children's necks.

Madam Speaker, I appreciate and applaud the leadership of Mr. Camp on job-creating issues in this Congress.

My friend from Washington is correct; there are no excuses on this bill. Democrat leadership has known for months that this would run out for those who need unemployment, and they did nothing. Now it's lapsed for 30 days, and the question is why.

The answer is, to Democrats deficits don't matter. They thought they could attach this bill to a big spending bill and talk the rest of Congress into adding even more to our deficit, and Congress balked. Today they think they can add another $33 billion to our deficit and Congress will go along with it. But we won't. At a time when Democrats believe deficits don't matter, the rest of the American public says it does matter.

People are frightened by the amount of debt this country owes. They are frightened by how much more dangerous debt is added every day. In fact, every second in America, under the Obama-Democrat budget, every second more is added to the national debt than most average Americans make all year long, every second more debt than most of us make all year long. And there is no end in sight.

Deficits are going to drag this economy down. It's going to put an anchor around the young people's necks, those

of our children and grandchildren. What I think is frustrating is it's so easy to pay for this bill. As Mr. Camp said, a trillion-dollar stimulus bill. They spent $3 million on a turtle crossing in Florida; $50,000 for a hand puppet grant. They have $390,000, this is hard to believe, they spent $390,000 of your money at the University of New York at Buffalo to study the relationship between malt liquor beer and smoking marijuana. Those are your tax dollars. That's what we are spending this deficit on.

And what's even I think worse, as bad as the deficit is, if Democrats in Congress succeed in reinstating the moratorium on drilling in deep water, we will add 50,000 direct unemployed to these rolls. We will lose hundreds, if not thousands, of small businesses who won't be able to survive this moratorium.

The White House is determined to reinstate it, even though a Federal judge said it was completely inappropriate. Let's not turn an environmental catastrophe into an economic catastrophe. Bills like this that get ignored, try to run up deficits, moratoriums that kill more U.S. jobs, we can do better than this. I will vote ``no,'' and I urge commonsense Americans who support a balanced budget to vote ``no'' as well.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5569--To extend the National Flood Insurance Program until September 30, 2010. It's Hurricane Season--we cannot put off the reauthorization of this program. We can no longer wait on the extenders package--we must pass an extension now.

I have constituents in Southeast Texas both in flood-prone and hurricane-prone areas that are unable to access flood insurance. This is a major problem for potential homeowners, if their lender requires flood insurance before closing.

Though I am supportive of this measure, I am advocating for a longer term extension of the National Flood Insurance Program through May 31, 2011. I hope my colleagues will join me in advancing such a measure.

I thank the gentlelady for her leadership and for yielding.

I want to congratulate the Colombian people and President-elect Santos on a successful and democratic election. Madam Speaker, I would like to enter into the Record this editorial from The Washington Post calling on the administration and congressional Democrats to support the incoming Santos administration by acting on the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement.

President-elect Santos will continue the great work done by President Uribe to strengthen the rule of law and improve the lives of all Colombians. Colombian workers are safer now than ever before. Despite this progress, Colombia faces real challenges. Venezuela has imposed a trade embargo because of Colombia's strong support for the United States, severely damaging the Colombian economy. We have a powerful tool to help Colombia weather the embargo, the U.S. Free Trade Agreement with Colombia. With this agreement, the United States would provide both economic and political support for a truly democratic government and a longstanding ally. Unfortunately, Dem- ocrats in Congress have denied us even the opportunity for a simple up- or-down vote on the agreement. But other countries aren't standing still. They are reaching agreements with Colombia, racing ahead to put their workers and their businesses ahead of ours. Just yesterday, the Canadian Legislature ratified the Canada-Colombian Trade Agreement. That agreement could go into effect in just a few months. Colombia is negotiating agreements with Europe, Panama, and South Korea, as a result, American workers are falling behind.

There is no credible reason to oppose the U.S.-Colombia Trade Agreement. It levels the playing field for American workers, creating over $1 billion in new U.S. sales to Colombia. The bill imposes stronger labor protections for Colombian workers, which is why thousands of union workers in Colombia support the agreement. And it demonstrates America's commitment to a valuable and longstanding ally.

The administration says it wants to increase U.S. exports, create jobs, and ensure strong U.S. foreign policy, but none of this is credible while it ignores the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement and does not make it ready for a vote in Congress.

[From the Washington Post, Tuesday, June 22, 2010]

Will Washington Treat Colombia's Santos as an Ally?

Juan Manuel Santos has demonstrated that pro-American, pro-

free-market politicians still have life in Latin America. Mr.

Santos, who romped to victory in Colombia's presidential

runoff on Sunday, has no interest in courting Iran, unlike

Brazil's Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva. He has rejected the

authoritarian socialism of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. A former

journalist with degrees from the University of Kansas and

Harvard, he values free media and independent courts. His

biggest priority may be ratifying and implementing a free-

trade agreement between Colombia and the United States.

So the question raised by Mr. Santos's election is whether

the Obama administration and Democratic congressional leaders

will greet this strong and needed U.S. ally with open arms--

or with the arms-length disdain and protectionist

stonewalling to which they subjected his predecessor, Alvaro

Uribe.

Mr. Uribe will leave office in August as one of the most

successful presidents in modern Latin American history,

though you would never know it from listening to his critics

in Washington. He beefed up Colombia's army and economy, and

smashed the terrorist FARC movement; murders have fallen by

45 percent and kidnappings by 90 percent during

his eight years in office. Though most Colombians wanted him

to remain in power, he bowed to a Supreme Court ruling

against a referendum on a third term--which means that unlike

Mr. Chavez, he will leave behind a strong democratic system.

Colombia has nevertheless been treated more as an enemy

than friend by congressional Democrats, who have steadily

reduced U.S. military aid and worked assiduously to block the

free-trade agreement Mr. Uribe negotiated with the Bush

administration. The Obama administration, which has courted

Mr. Lula and sought to improve relations with Venezuela and

Cuba, has been cool to Colombia, recommending another 11

percent reduction in aid for next year and keeping the trade

agreement on ice.

Mr. Santos's election offers an opportunity to revitalize

the relationship. As defense minister, he demonstrated a

commitment to addressing the human rights concerns that

troubled some in Congress. He has pledged to seek better

relations with both Venezuela and Ecuador, despite the

material support those countries have provided to the FARC.

Ratification of the free-trade agreement would serve the

administration's stated goal of boosting U.S. exports while

bolstering a nation that could be an anchor for democracy and

political moderation in the region. It would also allow the

administration and Congress to demonstrate that friends of

the United States will be supported and not scorned in

Washington.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Joel L. Deretchin, a great community leader and a dear friend. Mr. Deretchin has held numerous leadership roles throughout the community in The Woodlands, Texas. Throughout his distinguished career, Mr. Deretchin has served several executive positions with many respected organizations in the Woodlands area. He held leadership positions at The Woodlands Development Company, served as a board member of The Woodlands Community Association, and served as President and sitting board member of both the Woodlands Association and the Woodlands Commercial Owners Association.

Mr. Deretchin has strived to keep the community focused on improving education in The Woodlands by supporting and establishing The University Center, The John Cooper School and the Academy for Lifelong Learning at Montgomery College--all which have given valuable opportunities to students in and around The Woodlands community. The Conroe Independent School District has recognized and honored Mr. Deretchin's achievements by naming one of their elementary schools in his honor, the Joel L. Deretchin K-6 Elementary School.

As you can see, he has truly impacted innumerable lives in The Woodlands community. His servant leadership on the Interfaith of the Woodlands Board and the South Montgomery County/Woodlands Chamber of Commerce Board are clearly evident as he continuously volunteers his time and lends a hand to organizations and non-profits.

For his countless service efforts, Mr. Deretchin was awarded ``Citizen of the Year'' by the South Montgomery County/Woodlands Chamber of Commerce in 1990. He was also honored in 1999 as a ``Hometown Hero'' during the Woodlands 25th Anniversary Celebration. While these awards and honors are significant, nothing can truly commemorate the extent of service Mr. Deretchin has provided for his community. His leadership and commitment to The Woodlands is selfless and something that merits applauding.

His compassionate heart as well as his desire to help others has continued to drive him to remain active throughout the community--he never expected to be honored with these awards, but boy is he deserving! Wanting nothing in return, Mr. Deretchin committed over 33 years to The Woodlands community and has watched it flourish and grow. I know Mr. Deretchin is proud to have been so heavily involved in the community development of The Woodlands, but I also know The Woodlands is proud to say he is one of our residents. The Woodlands has more than benefited from his leadership, knowledge and philanthropic focus.

Madam Speaker, it is such an honor to recognize Joel Deretchin as a significant part of The Woodlands' community and pay tribute to his contributions to the people of The Woodlands as he retires, however there is no doubt in my mind that he will continue be heavily involved! I urge you to join me in recognizing Mr. Deretchin and his achievements.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Marine Corporal Jeffrey Johnson of Tomball, TX, part of the 3rd Battalion 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division, who was killed on May 11, 2010, while on foot patrol by an improvised explosive device south of Marjah in the Garmsir District of Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He was 21 years old.

In 2007, after graduating from Waller High School, Corporal Johnson accepted the call to become one of the few and the proud as a Marine. In doing so, he joined a family legacy of service to America, with grandfathers having served in the Navy and Air Force and four of his uncles in the National Guard.

His family, friends, and fellow Marines recall Corporal Johnson as a smart, humorous, loving, and hard working person. His father, Jerry, said that his son loved being a Marine and believed strongly in America's fight for freedom and against terrorists overseas.

Corporal Johnson leaves behind a wife, Katy, his parents, grandparents, three siblings, and many other family members. He also leaves behind a very proud community. The people of Tomball and Magnolia, Texas, lined the streets of town to welcome this man home, and stand today behind his family and support them in their grief.

Madam Speaker, the Bible says in John 15:13, ``Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.'' Corporal Johnson paid the ultimate price for his fellow Marines, his wife and family, and this country. May we, as the House of Representatives, never forget that our freedoms are given by almighty God and secured by our Armed Forces, one soldier at a time.

Mr. Speaker, sadly, this isn't a jobs bill. This is pork barrel spending wrapped in tax increases and dipped in debt to China, and the way it treats our local doctors, like beggars, is just shameful.

Continuing to tax and spend like we are Greece is not the answer to getting people back to work or to tackling this growing and dangerous debt, especially when you have tax increases that kill jobs for our small businesses, for our real estate, and for our U.S. companies that are trying to compete overseas.

This is alarming. Sometime this weekend, America's debt will reach $13 trillion for the first time in our history; $13 trillion. So who is responsible for running up all this debt?

A new report by the Joint Economic Committee shows that, since 1946, congressional Democrats have added twice as much to America's debt than have Republicans. They like to blame Bush or Reagan or anyone else for the staggering debt, but they are squarely to blame for generating two- thirds of the Federal debt that American families must now repay through higher taxes or a slower economy, and they're just getting started.

Our national debt is 83 percent of our economy. It's whoppingly huge. It's going to grow to over 100 percent under the Obama budget. Unless we stop congressional Democrats and President Obama from spending us even deeper into a hole, future generations of Americans will be dragging an anchor of debt that will drown their dreams and cripple our Nation's prosperity.

We can start today by preventing another $54 billion in spending we can never hope to repay and that our children can never hope to repay-- $54 billion--larger than our agencies of Treasury, Commerce, and Social Security combined.

So new debt, new tax increases, job-killing provisions. Let's stop the madness. Let's say ``no'' to this bill and ``yes'' to real jobs.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5160, the Haitian Economic Lift Program Act. This bill will provide real economic benefits to Haiti to help it recover from the devastating earthquake on January 12 that claimed so many lives and shattered the already struggling Haitian economy.

The bill also provides trade benefits to Haiti and other Caribbean nations though a long-term extension of the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act, a program that also supports the American textile industry.

I am firm believer that expanded trade can produce sustainable economic development and create jobs.

By providing increased duty-free access to the U.S. market, the bill creates the investment incentives desperately needed in Haiti to keep existing apparel production in the country and encourage even more development in the future. These investments will create badly needed jobs and encourage stability in local communities.

The long-term extension of the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act will continue important incentives that have attracted apparel producers to Haiti and throughout the region to use fabric and other inputs produced in the United States. The U.S. exports generated by these incentives will support American jobs. This is why the long-term extension of the Caribbean Basin Act has been such a priority for the U.S. textile industry.

In addition to these important economic benefits, this legislation demonstrates America's commitment to the region. It has long been America's policy to strengthen economic ties through trade and investment with other countries in the Western Hemisphere.

President Reagan followed that policy by starting the Caribbean Basin Initiative, which forms the foundation of the programs we are extending today.

Presidents and Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle continued this policy by enacting NAFTA, the Andean Trade Partnership Act, the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act, CAFTA, HOPE, the Peru Trade Agreement, and now the legislation before us today. I hope we can add to this progress and create the means to bring the pending agreements with Colombia and Panama to a successful vote.

In addition, this legislation shows again that Congress can and will adjust and expand U.S. trade preference programs as necessary to ensure that they are working properly and providing the maximum benefits possible.

Mr. Speaker, this bill really does get it right: it provides real economic development assistance to Haiti; it supports U.S. jobs; and it demonstrates that carefully balanced, regionally focused U.S. trade preference programs can bring our trading partners, development

experts, and U.S. manufacturers together to support pro-trade legislation. For these reasons, I urge all my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1103, honoring the anniversary of the birth of a great Texan, Sam Houston. Due to a conflict I was unable to cast my vote in support of this bill yesterday.

Sam Houston was a larger than life character who left a lasting impact on the history of Texas. Already an established statesman--as first a member of this body and Governor of the state of Tennessee--Sam Houston's leadership was essential in Texas gaining independence from Mexico and later in achieving statehood. Sam Houston led the Texas Revolutionary forces in the Texas War of Independence and was instrumental in achieving victory over at the Battle of San Jacinto.

The only person to have been the governor of two different states, Sam Houston also was an inaugural Senator from Texas.

I have long been impressed with Sam Houston. In my office, I proudly display two portraits of Houston.

Sam Houston's legacy is important to the people of Texas' Eighth congressional district. A much larger than life statue of Sam Houston greets all who come to Huntsville--the east Texas town where Sam Houston spent his golden years and where his name lives on at Sam Houston State University. At 67 feet tall and 25 tons, the steel and concrete statue aptly named ``A Tribute to Courage'' is a testament to how the Huntsville community continues to cherish Sam Houston.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to celebrate the life of Sam Houston. For all his accomplishments, the people of the great state of Texas remain forever in his debt and will continue to honor his memory and public service on this anniversary of his birth.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself so much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I support American workers and families, and that is why I must oppose the legislation before us that would heap another $18 billion onto the dangerous deficits this Congress has already amassed and that American workers will ultimately be made to pay for in the coming years. On this Tax Day, as an overburdened Nation staggering under dangerous deficits, we need to send this bill back to the drawing board and return with legislation that is paid for that will not create more debt, that will help create more jobs instead of economic uncertainty and, ultimately, more job losses.

The legislation before us would extend for another 2 months special Federal spending programs that today allow unemployed workers to collect up to 99 weeks of benefits in most States. That is nearly 2 years of unemployment checks today which are by far an all-time U.S. record. That compares with a total of up to 26 weeks of benefits payable in almost all States during normal times.

We all want to help unemployed workers who are frustrated by a White House who has taken their eye off the economic ball. They're frustrated by this Congress that has sought an extreme agenda rather than focusing on jobs. But it is impossible to ignore the fact that those extra 73 weeks of Federal benefits paid today, a full 17 months courtesy of Federal taxpayers, come at an enormous price.

In all, this bill would add $18 billion--that is more than the size of the entire NASA budget--add that to this year's trillion dollar deficit, including $13 billion more for the unemployment benefits it would extend. That is on top of the approximately $100 billion spent so far on these programs; and, if extended for the remainder of this year as we expect, another $50 billion more would be added to the national debt.

None of this has or will be paid for. In fact, the Federal unemployment account has long since been bankrupted; yet we continue to spend, and now are being bailed out with general revenues. And who will bail out general revenues when they run out? Taxpayers, through more taxes and more general revenues the government extracts from them.

So far in the past year and 2 months since the President has been in office, taxpayers are paying $2,100 more per individual because of $670 billion in new tax increases. And if President Obama's budget is approved by the Democratic Congress, we will heap almost $3 trillion more on American taxpayers. And what's sad, again, is that we continue to heap debt without any opportunity, without any promise that is kept to pay for them.

When our Democrat friends took office, they promised they would pay for the wars, pay for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, but not a dime yet. They

promised they would balance the budget. Today we see trillion dollar deficits as far as the eye can see. They enacted PAYGO and said we're going to pay for all new spending, but as this bill today shows, they've done nothing of that and, in fact, have invented extravagant loopholes, declared anything an emergency simply as an excuse to continue spending. And, of course, they promised to curb earmarks. In fact, eliminating earmarks could nearly pay for this bill, but they've not kept that promise either.

Mr. Speaker, we can do better than this. What unemployed workers really want are jobs and paychecks, not almost 2 years of unemployment checks and more massive debt for our country. Unfortunately, jobs are something Democrats in this Congress have been totally incapable of delivering.

Instead of creating 3.7 million jobs as promised, their stimulus bill was followed by 3 million more job losses. Instead of holding unemployment under 8 percent as promised, it soared to nearly 10 percent and remains close to that today.

Sixteen million Americans are unemployed, including record numbers for over a year. In fact, the White House promised, if you passed the stimulus, 90 percent of the new jobs we create would be in the private sector. The opposite is true. The private sector has lost 3.7 million jobs, but government jobs have been created--almost 300,000. So the people who are getting these unemployment benefits are the ones whose promises have not been kept by this White House and this Democrat Congress.

We need to start over and actually start paying for new spending, starting with this bill. The only way to do that is to defeat this bill and bring it back in a paid-for fashion.

But beyond that, Mr. Speaker, we also need to do the things that really help create jobs for workers. We can start by stopping frightening the job creators; businesses who are delaying important rehiring decisions, investment decisions, frightened by all of the new taxes proposed in Congress, the new health care mandates, the rising energy taxes, the talk of new regulations. We have to stop frightening consumers who know that, ultimately, they'll be relied on to pay this terrible debt.

We need to reward innovation and small business job creation through lower taxes and support for innovation, and we need to pursue free trade agreements that find new customers for American workers and American companies. That is why, Mr. Speaker, we must send this bill back and make it paid for, and stop punishing American workers and families.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield myself 30 seconds.

I would remind people the Democratic Congress handed President Obama a trillion dollar deficit, eight times larger than Republicans when we held this Congress. The stimulus bill alone was larger than the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. And, unfortunately, only 6 percent of Americans feel the stimulus has helped create jobs in America. What a terrible waste.

With that, I would yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran).

I yield myself as much time as I may consume for closing remarks.

Mr. Speaker, if the Democrat stimulus plan had worked as promised, we wouldn't be here tonight. If we had really created 3.7 million new jobs, as President Obama promised, as this Democrat Congress promised, these programs would have phased out already. Instead, we witness another 3 million Americans sitting home tonight without a job.

If the unemployment rate were 7.4 percent and falling as Democrats promised, these programs would be phased out, and we would be celebrating job creation. Instead, unemployment is near 10 percent and will remain at that level for more than a year. Consider that when the other side says we have to extend unemployment benefits to reduce unemployment, we have to extend unemployment to reduce unemployment. Consider that when the other side claims that Vice President Biden once said we have to spend money to keep from going bankrupt. We have to raise health care costs to reduce health care costs.

Well, we have done the stimulus and spent and spent and spent and added trillions of dollars to this dangerous American debt. Meanwhile, we are 6 million jobs short of where Democrats promised we would be. It hasn't worked. It's time to stop the madness. It's time to stop the spending. Defeat this bill and bring back legislation that will actually create jobs, not add to our Nation's horrible debt.

I yield back the balance of my time.