Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce H.R. 2744, the Equal Rights for Health Care Act--Title 42. The concept of equal rights is a pillar of our Nation and the reason why so many immigrate here to the United States.

Indeed, the U.S. was founded on the principle that all Americans should have the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In order to enjoy this blessing of life and liberty, however, one must be healthy, and that means they have the benefit of equal treatment and research.

For example, men and women have different symptoms when it comes to heart disease. Unlike men, most women do not experience chest pain. Instead, 71 percent of the women report

having flu-like symptoms, and patients, doctors, and researchers need to make sure that emergency attendants, tests, and prescription drugs are informed about the differences that we might have.

H.R. 2744, the Equal Rights for Health Care Act--Title 42, will prohibit discrimination in health care services and research programs that receive Federal funding based upon sex, race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability status.

Civil rights laws have historically been a powerful mechanism for effecting necessary change in the United States. Each law represents a national commitment to end discrimination and to establish a mandate to bring the excluded into the mainstream. These equal rights laws ensure that the Federal Government delivers on the Constitution's promise of equal opportunities so that every individual has the right to develop his or her talents. Health care should be no exception.

In 1971, only 18 percent of women, compared to 26 percent of men, had completed 4 years or more of college. In 1972, the title IX amendment was introduced by Representatives Edith Green of Oregon and Patsy Mink of Hawaii. In 1980, I attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, where I played on the women's basketball team. I witnessed firsthand that there was a difference between playing on the women's team and the men's team. For example, for women, we had to travel in two or three vans to go to all of our away games, where the men were allowed to fly on a plane. You might say why is that something that was important? Well, we lost instruction time, we had time in general lost, preparation was lost, and recuperation was lost. That's why title IX was so important.

In 2007, we celebrated the 35th anniversary of title IX, which assured the women's right to education equality. And the U.S. Department of Education showed that 56 percent of all women, compared to 44 percent of men, now have achieved 4 years or more of college. So title IX has been working.

Federal law prohibits discrimination across a wide array of public policy arenas, none more than when you consider the difference between voting, public education, and now what we should do in health care.

H.R. 2744, the Equal Rights for Health Care Act--Title 42, seeks to have the same effect on the health care community. Despite access to health care, patients are not always in geographic proximity to medical facilities that can provide the consistent care that is needed.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the age- adjusted death rate for all cancers for African Americans in 2001 was 20 percent higher than Caucasian Americans. In 2002, the percentage of Hispanics and Latinos who were 65 years or older and received adult immunization shots was only 47 percent, as compared to 70 percent of Caucasians.

In 2000, the infant mortality rate among Native Hawaiians was 60 percent higher than Caucasians.

And the rate of leg amputations as a result of diabetes is four times greater of African Americans who receive Medicare than their counterparts, Caucasians.

A list of disparities can go on and on, and so we must put an end to this inequality. Therefore, I have introduced H.R. 2744 so that Congress can take another step towards equal rights, and I look forward to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle joining me.

I'm proud to have a long list of diverse organizations that are supporting this legislation, groups such as the Family Equality Council, the Families United States of America, and, lastly, the National Minority Quality Forum.

I urge all my colleagues to support this legislation that ensures that equal services once and for all will also extend to health care as well, from diagnosis to treatment, and it's a part of the fast-growing health care debate. It's important that a statement of beliefs is made when we reform health care. Equality must be a founding principle, and we must insist that as health care debates move forward, we take the time to ensure that all Americans have the same rights. Let's move forward on title XLII as we did in title IX.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 109, honoring the 20th Anniversary of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in the Nation's Capital and its transition to the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure on June 6, 2009. I'd like to thank Chairman Waxman and the gentleman from Virginia, Representative Connolly, for bringing this resolution to the Floor today. It is my strong hope that twenty years from today we will be celebrating the cure and marveling at all the lives that have been saved.

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women worldwide, with more as than 1.3 million diagnosed each year. It is also the leading cause of death among women, 465,000 die each year worldwide. Breast cancer is a disease that knows no boundaries based on age, ethnicity, geographic location or socio-economic status. Fortunately, the United States has 2.5 million breast cancer survivors and we need to work together to educate our community and encourage participation in screenings and mammograms.

Madam Speaker, Nancy Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would do everything possible to eradicate breast cancer. By launching Susan G. Komen for the Cure in 1982, a movement began and more than $1.3 billion in breast cancer research, education, and community health services has been invested by this organization. Today, Susan G. Komen for the Cure is the largest grassroots network fighting breast cancer and is led by thousands of survivors. Local activists are present in 125 communities and have mobilized one million friends for events such as the Komen Race for the Cure. Komen is a unique organization where 75 percent of the net proceeds stay in the communities where they were raised. The remaining 25 percent of the funds are given to Komen's National Grant Program, an innovative leader in breast cancer research. Because of publicly and privately funded research, the five-year survival rate for women with localized breast cancer has increased. In the 1950s, the survival rate was 80 percent and last year the survival rate grew to 98 percent. Last year, the Komen Race for the Cure raised an unprecedented $3.7 million in the National Capital area. As the National Race for the Cure becomes the Global Race for the Cure, we will work with our partners around the world to eradicate breast cancer, a disease that affects everyone in some way.

As we celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Race for the Cure in the Nation's Capital, we will not rest until a cure is found. I urge all Members to join me in supporting H. Con. Res. 109 and honor the women and men who have lost their lives to breast cancer, and celebrate the survivors and friends who are participating in the Global Race for the Cure. I yield the remainder of my time.

Last week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee reached an agreement on the framework for transforming our economy for decades to come while saving the planet in the process, which should be all of our goal. Before the end of the year, we hope to pass comprehensive energy and job-creating legislation to make clean, American energy available for all of us. The clean energy jobs plan is the next step to create millions of American jobs in clean energy, efficiency, modernization, and a smart electrical grid.

Energy, as a matter, is critical to our own national security and to our self-determination to stop our overarching dependence on foreign oil. And in terms of our environment with the same successful bipartisan American solution that we use to fight acid rain, we can crack down on the persistent polluters who damage our air and water.

The time for clean energy legislation is now. It will create millions of jobs, reduce our dependency on foreign oil, and it will retool America's industries.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 2200, and I welcome the opportunity for us to get back on topic of what we're really here to discuss today. I want to applaud Chairman Thompson who has brought forward this legislation in a bipartisan manner. And if it's not my mistake, I believe this very legislation was brought forward to our committee and supported in a bipartisan fashion. So let's really talk about what this bill is about.

This bill is about ensuring that passengers in the United States, Americans everywhere, that we can have a greater ease and comfort as we travel. The power of this particular bill ensures that, yes, we will have the legislation in place to ensure that we can have training and adequate inspection.

In my district I have the Long Beach Airport and the Compton Woodley Airport less than 30 miles from Los Angeles International where we move over 3,000 tons of air cargo and 3 million passengers.

Now is not the time to play games. Now is the time to pass this legislation. I urge my colleagues, let's get past the rhetoric. Let's read the bill and look at the facts. The facts are, this bill will assist travelers, increase training and ensure that we have a vibrant economy.

Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2200, the Transportation Security Administration Act of 2009, which fully reauthorizes the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for the first time since enactment of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001. I want to thank my Chairman, Mr. Thompson for his leadership and skill in shepherding this important legislation to the floor.

I also want to acknowledge the efforts of Congresswoman Jackson-Lee, the chair of the Transportation Security Subcommittee, who worked so hard to produce a bill that will strengthen the ability of TSA to fulfill its mission of securing all modes of transportation including rail, mass transit, trucking, bus, and aviation.

Mr. Chair, H.R. 2200 authorizes nearly $16 billion for TSA for the next two fiscal years. This legislation is the result of months of bipartisan negotiations and cooperation and consultations with key stakeholders, including labor organizations, industry groups, the Government Accountability Office, and the Department of Homeland Security.

Mr. Chair, let me list a few reasons why I believe all Members should support this bill.

My district is home to two airports--Long Beach International and Compton Woodley--and is less than 30 miles from Los Angeles International. Long Beach International alone handles more than 3,000 tons of air cargo each month and 3 million air travelers every year. So this legislation has a particular impact on my district. It protects the travelers and the cargo coming in and out of California that helps to drive the local, regional, and national economy.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Butterfield amendment. This amendment authorizes a study to combine facial and iris recognition that would rapidly identify individuals at security checkpoints. Additionally, this study authorizes the ability to consider environmental and operational factors and any capabilities that would hinder future acquisitions.

As a member of this committee, I support Mr. Butterfield and our chairman in his leadership with this bill, and I urge all of my colleagues to do the same.

I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I have offered an amendment today which would give the FAA administrator 180 days to issue regulations to mandate giving consumers an option for text message and/or e-mail notification from carriers in the event of a delay or canceled flight. The amendment would, consistent with the existing regulations, apply to 18 major carriers who earn at least 1 percent of the domestic passenger service revenue and in that way those carriers could, in fact, provide a commonsense option for all passengers.

The reason for the amendment is that a limited number of carriers offer this service, and those who do often only provide the service to those who are willing to participate in membership clubs or incentives to join. With well-known horror stories of delayed and canceled flights, combined with the widespread capabilities for the use of cell phones and BlackBerrys nationwide, it's time to provide a 21st century solution to the American flying public. Americans and worldwide travelers are calling for solutions that would enable critical information people need to ensure proper planning in the case of a delay or cancellation.

There is overwhelming evidence that delays and cancellations continue to be a common nuisance.

About 24 percent of all flights, that is almost 1 out of 4, were delayed or cancelled in 2008. In a 2006 example that garnered media attention, thunderstorms shut down American Airlines' operations in Dallas-Fort Worth and passengers were stranded for nine hours or more.

Major chokepoints for travelers have been large, hub airports. Even when Chicago, New York, Atlanta or San Francisco is not your final destination, thousands of passengers are routed through those hubs for a connection.

Although, with a decline in air traffic due to our economic condition, progress is still slow in many of our major airports such as JFK or LaGuardia in New York, or Chicago's O'Hare. Even worse, San Francisco International actually saw an increase in delay times by 6 percent from 2007 to 2008.

There are many reasons that a delay could occur and unfortunately most passengers are not aware, for example, of poor weather conditions in other cities that indirectly affect their flight. In one example, a direct flight last year from Denver to Alabama was delayed 8 hours because the airline did not have a plane available. The plane was grounded in Aspen, Colorado due to snow and could not make the trip to Denver.

This is a common example of an airline having prior notice of an upcoming delay. The airline could have sent each passenger who requested it an email or text message, and those passengers could have more time to plan a different route or contact their family with the news.

This past March, snow slammed the East Coast unexpectedly. In the New York region alone, the storm caused 350 cancelled flights at Newark Airport, 115 at JFK, and 450 at LaGuardia.

One woman, Ms. Marreta Rashad, did not find out her flight home to Houston was cancelled until she had already made the long trek to LaGuardia. ``I'm not unhappy about the snow,'' she said. ``I'm unhappy about the fact they don't notify you.''

Customer service matters. Why? It is in the economic interests of this nation for the continuation of a stable aviation industry while protecting their customers and providing them with the tools to make informed traveling decisions. The summer travel season is coming and it is important for every American business, large and small, that folks travel around the country to keep our tourism sector strong.

It is important to note that this amendment does not call for the aviation carriers to provide the service at no cost; similar to if someone makes a 4-1-1 information call on their cell phone, passengers will pay whatever their telecommunications or electronic plan requires. But, passengers should have the piece of mind to know that if they choose, they will be armed with the latest information.

I want to thank Chairman Oberstar and Chairman Costello for their feedback on this amendment. I urge all my colleagues to support this commonsense amendment.

I yield to the gentleman from Illinois.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, it's with great pleasure that I come here today to stand with my colleague, Representative Mike Honda. Some people might ask what would make me come and stand in support.

In my district, very recently, this Congress, in addition, with the support of the President, we authorized the long-time held benefits of Filipino Americans who served in a war side by side with many of our soldiers protecting them, and that was a great day in my district.

As I was growing up and I went to college, I had an opportunity, when I was getting my master's, to travel to China and to go to Shanghai and Beijing and Hong Kong and to see the beauty of different cultures and to understand how people have come here now to the United States, not as a separation or a wall, but, rather, for us to work together and to see the things of how this country could grow. So that's why I am here today, Madam Speaker, and I have a few comments that I would like to share.

I rise today in support of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. I proudly represent California's 37th Congressional District, one of the most diverse districts in the United States. Asians make up 11 percent of my district, and I am the 37th largest Asian population congressional district in this country. That means we are in the top 10 percent.

In fact, my district has the largest Cambodian population outside of Cambodia, only second to the population in Cambodia. And for the last 8 years, I have worked with the Cambodian community as we look at the challenges that we have and how we can better assure that folks understand the resources that we worked so hard to deliver to our communities that they know they are there to help them.

Because of this diversity, I am a proud member of CAPAC, which is the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. I am a member of 30 other caucuses that also advocate to this very Congress. But, together, the three caucuses, the Hispanic Caucus, the Black Caucus, and the Asian Pacific Islander Caucus, were members who worked together advancing the goals of minorities and underserved communities. Although Members represent everyone, there's an inadequate delivery of resources to many of those that we represent.

This year, for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, the theme is ``Lighting the Past, the Present, and the Future.''

The past is filled with rich contributions of cultural, economic, and technological value from the Asian community. One of the main reasons the month is used, this month of May, to honor the Asian community is, as Mr. Honda mentioned, the transatlantic railroad that we saw that traveled thousands, hundreds of miles across the United States, that we would not have had, that we would not have progressed at the level and the speed that we did in this country, had we not had working people who wanted to come and to contribute.

The present demonstrates the great progress we have made as a country together. I have much hope for the future, though, even more so of Asian Americans in our country, but realize that we must all work together and work hard to achieve equality amongst everyone.

Dalip Singh Saund was the first Asian American elected to Congress in 1957. Less than a decade later, Patsy Mink, whom many of us think of fondly, became first Asian American woman elected to Congress; both overcame adversity and paved the way, not only for Asian American Members of Congress, but Members such as myself as well.

Today we have seven Members of Congress, and Mr. Honda is leading the charge of this caucus today. And recently, we had an unprecedented number of three Asian Americans who were recently named to President Obama's cabinet: Energy Secretary, Steven Chu; Commerce Secretary, Gary Locke; and Veterans Affairs Secretary, Eric Shinseki.

One of the simplest ways for Asian Americans to ensure a brighter future that we can all participate in, because isn't that what this country is all about, is to fully participate in the 2010 census. Everyone in our Nation must be accounted for so that Members like Mr. Honda and I, together, can garner the appropriate resources to those communities which they so richly deserve.

Minorities are historically undercounted, sometimes due to language, sometimes due to a concern of why someone is knocking at their door, and they don't know the process of what's happening every 10 years, and sometimes it's just understanding differences. In other countries, it's very common for many members of the family to live together.

And that may not necessarily be the tradition in all of our cities or all of our communities; but in some, it's very much the case.

Minorities historically have had these challenges. In California, we have the largest Asian population in the United States, which both Mr. Honda and I serve. Currently, there are over 5 million Asians--and this number is growing rapidly.

Between 2006 and 2007, the population grew 106,000--that's 2.9 percent--which reflects the largest percentage growth of any group of individuals in this country.

In addition to participating in the census, health care is going to be one of the largest and most important issues that we will tackle on this floor this year. It is critical that within the broad scope of health care reform that there's focus on eliminating racial disparities of research and accessibility.

Last year, I introduced a piece of legislation, and I plan on reintroducing it again this year, and it's very similar in building upon the work of former Congresswoman Patsy Mink as she brought forward title IX legislation.

We all know what a tremendous effect title IX had on gender equality in sports and in programs. I was one who benefited from that. I was one of the first girls in my grade school who got to play with the boys on the playground, playing baseball and basketball. And it took legislation like Patsy Mink's to show that we could work side-by-side and that there should be an equality. Today, we face another tremendous challenge, and that inequality is health care.

Finally, I want to thank Congressman Honda, the chair of CAPAC, which

I proudly serve with him, for organizing this time tonight to celebrate the accomplishments and the work that we still have yet to do. I'm looking forward to celebrating many more accomplishments this year, and beyond, and we're just beginning. I stand side-by-side as we take that trip together.

Billie Jean King is from my district, the Long Beach area.

Yes, she did

From my brothers and sisters of the Cambodian community, Arkon. Chem re lear.

Mr. Speaker, the 111th Congress is moving in a new direction, a new direction with our clean energy jobs plan. Americans all over this country, whether you are from my home State of California or all the way over in Ohio, whether you are an ironworker or a teacher, whether you are retired or temporarily unemployed, Americans all know that we are facing a crisis, a crisis in our economic plan, a crisis with energy and a crisis with our climate.

The Democrats in this Congress have a solution that's a jobs generator and a money saver that will properly address each of these problems. The Democratic solution is our clean energy plan. The Democratic plan invests in clean energy jobs that can't be shipped overseas, in saving money for families and businesses through efficiency, and ending, finally, our addiction to foreign oil.

Republican opponents simply refuse to acknowledge the cause and the magnitude of this problem, and Republicans fail to acknowledge the change required today for the opportunity of growing jobs in this new economy. The U.S. has lost and is currently losing clean energy jobs and market share to China, Germany and Korea.

The U.S. consumers continue to spend $400 billion, that's billion with a B, a year in the Middle East and Venezuela every time we fill up our gas tanks. Fortunately, Democrats in this Congress are working to fix this decade-old problem.

President Obama and the House Democrats have a plan that gets the economy moving again, retooling manufacturing plants, building wind turbine solar panels and clean cars and creating a smart grid, finally investing in energy-efficient jobs that can't be shipped overseas.

The Democratic plan is simple. It makes polluters pay and helps clean companies prosper so that they can hire more workers and we all know that that's what we need. It's the same American solution we put in place to successfully fight the acid rain in 1990, after which time electricity rates fell 10 percent and the U.S. economy added 16 million new jobs.

It's important to point out that the acid-rain solution was a bipartisan solution. My constituents in Los Angeles County don't want more rhetoric, they want solutions and specifics.

Consider what the Democratic energy plan will accomplish for this economy: Clean energy jobs provisions will create nearly 300,000 new jobs. The efficiency savings measures will create 222,000 new jobs by 2020. The clean energy jobs provisions will result in nearly $100 billion in savings for consumers and businesses by 2030. The efficiency savings measures alone will result in nearly $170 billion in utility bill savings by 2020.

The Democratic plan in this Congress will impact every facet of the lives of Americans. We must take care and craft a bill that will promote new job growth around this Nation, a bill that will have energy infrastructure to keep these jobs and industries alive in the United States for generations to come--we have learned that--and a bill that will promote our national and economic security.

The Democratic energy plan is a blueprint for legislation that the American people have called for, a change in a new direction. I look forward to working with my colleagues to moving America in that right direction and finally to true energy independence.

Madam Speaker, we are working to pass this week in both the Senate and the House a budget resolution. It is a long-term economic plan that we are working together with the administration that will mark President Obama's 100th day in service.

The fallout from the failed policies over the last 8 years has made this job even tougher. Let's talk about what has happened over the last 8 years and what exactly President Obama inherited.

A record time during the last 8 years, President Bush--and the Republicans with that--built on a deficit of $5.8 trillion. When President Obama came into this office, a $5.8 trillion deficit; when President Bush came in, he had a $5.6 trillion surplus when you looked at it over this time period.

The national debt doubled, and the amount held by foreign countries of ownership in this country has more than tripled. The smallest rate of job growth in three-quarters of a century. There have been flat wages. And more Americans are living in poverty without health care insurance.

But this isn't anything new to the American people. We have experienced this. We have seen it firsthand. And the

American people spoke back in November with an election and said that they wanted a new direction and change.

Our long-term economic plan takes steps to reduce health care costs, one of the largest contributors to the deficit, and a growing burden on our businesses' ability to compete and families' prosperity.

Our long-term economic plan is something that the American people have been calling for, a true look at transparency, looking at the impacts of the cost of the war in both Iraq and in Afghanistan.

We have to consider in this long-term budget looking at the targeted investments that must be made that will ultimately end in savings; investments in health care, investments in energy, investments in education, and real concrete proposals that will pay for these investments.

This plan marks the beginning of a new era of honesty. I, as a Member, had an opportunity to go before the Budget Committee and to share what my priorities were, as every Member of Congress had an opportunity to do. This is a new era of honesty, budgeting accuracy, and openly representing costs like the war, as I previously mentioned. Previous Republican budgets masked these costs to make the deficit appear to be smaller.

Our economic plan contains key integrity initiatives to protect the taxpayers' money by rooting out waste, fraud and abuse, and saving taxpayers nearly $50 billion.

The American people called for a change, a new direction back in November. That is exactly what this Congress is delivering.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life of Lucille Dotson Francois. I rise in honor of this incredible lady because, although I had not met her in person, but because of the lives that she has left behind, particularly in her daughter, Yvonne Wheeler.

Ms. Francois recently passed after living 85 fulfilling years. She was a devoted public servant. She grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the same area where my own grandmother grew up.

She served in the East Baton Rouge School System until she retired, raising our young people and creating a new generation--one that I think all of us would agree is something we should not take lightly. After that, she extended her services working in the community, enjoying coordinating various events. But most of all what she loved was building young people and building family.

She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. I'd like to personally acknowledge the incredible work that all of her family has done, and particularly that of her daughter, who has led an incredible life and assisted us in California.

May her family be blessed. Please join me, Mr. Speaker, as we acknowledge the life of Lucille Dotson Francois.

Madam Speaker, on Monday, March 9, 2009 I did not vote due to my attendance of the funeral of Los Angeles Police Department's Deputy Chief Kenneth 0. Garner. Deputy Chief Garner attended schools in the California 37th District, commanded over many stations in my district and was instrumental to the success of the Watts Gang Task Force evident by the busloads of residents who attended his service. Deputy Chief Garner will be remembered for his 30 years of service to the Los Angeles community and his achievement of greater respect and peace within the police department and the African American/Latino neighborhoods. Had I been present I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall votes No. 110, No. 111 and No. 112.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the daughter of a musician to honor the Long Beach Municipal Band on their 100-year anniversary. On March 14, 1909, under the direction of E. Harry Willey, the Long Beach Municipal Band gave its first performance at the Bath House Band Shell on the Pine Avenue Pier.

In particular, what I want to say about the band is, following a 6.25 magnitude earthquake in March of 1933 that almost destroyed an entire city, it was the band that remained and played to encourage the families who were left in shelters and in nearby parks.

Since that time, the Long Beach Municipal Band has gone on to perform 57,000 concerts, over 1 million pieces of music. Also, it's known as the longest running, municipally supported band in our country.

Please applaud our great city that has made an investment--the second-largest city in the largest county in this Nation--to remember that art is a part of music, and it's a part of this country.

Mr. Speaker, mistaken policies, misplaced priorities, and profound irresponsibility have brought us where we are today. President Obama and this Congress are committed to real change. And what is that change? We propose solutions, real solutions. An honest budget, rejecting gimmicks, and eliminating the wasteful spending that has brought us to this trillion dollar deficit that we now have today.

What the American people need are tax cuts, and 95 percent of Americans will now receive a tax cut. What do the American people need? A double commitment of the investment of Pell grants, of looking at a commitment to Head Start, and so many of the other vital areas.

When we look at this Congress, we are committed to fixing health care, not to be a party of ``no,'' but to say that we are going to address what is happening for struggling homeowners.

The American Recovery Act addressed and is helping us to bring forward 3.5 million jobs to help stabilize the State budgets and to dig us out of this fiscal mess that we inherited over the last 8 years.

We can recover, we must recover, because as Americans, failure is not an option.

Madam Speaker, today I voted to support H. Res. 34, ``Recognizing Israel's right to defend itself against missile attacks from Gaza, reaffirming the United States' support for the Israeli- Palestinian peace process.''

Likewise, I strongly believe that humanitarian relief must be allowed to reach innocent Palestinian citizens, restore Gaza's electrical power and water infrastructure to prevent the outbreak of a greater humanitarian disaster. Every effort must be made to lessen civilian casualties and international aid organizations should be given consistent access to Gaza.

Hamas and Israel must return and commit to the peace process. I look forward to significant progress with the incoming Obama Administration, and pray for a lasting cease-fire is reached.

Mr. Speaker, over the last couple weeks House committees, including Transportation and Infrastructure, on which I serve, have worked hard to craft an economic recovery package that would address the deep recession problems that we have. Likewise, over the last couple of months, we've worked with President Obama, and we have listened to economists, over 10 of them, all who say action needs to happen now.

Today, President Obama will meet with my colleagues, congressional Republicans, in a bipartisan fashion to really explain why this package is the best way to move forward and to turn this economy around. Conservative economic policies have not worked. In fact, we haven't produced jobs, and there has not been a production of economic prosperity.

The American people demanded change in November. The Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Package strives to do just that, helping to bring American jobs and providing 90 percent of middle Americans an immediate tax cut.

Mr. Speaker, if congressional Republicans really listen to President Obama today, they will support the legislation, and they will join us for change.