Floor Statements

As gas prices rise, an effective way to offer relief is to provide incentives for commuter rail. Commuter rail saves America 4 million gallons of gas a day and saves each individual commuter over $1,600 a year.

Next week, the Speaker will bring up legislation that will offer only Federal employees transit benefits. I support expanding the current Federal transit program, and believe that all Americans should have the opportunity to have this relief at the pumps.

A month ago, I introduced bipartisan legislation, the Creating Opportunities to Motivate Mass-transit Utilization To Encourage Ridership, or the COMMUTER Act of 2008.

Our legislation offers employers a 50 percent tax credit if they provide transit benefits to their employees. According to Forbes Magazine, the average gasoline cost in the 10 worst commuter cities is over $6 a day. Should businesses take advantage of this, we would lower our gas bills, but it should be offered to more than people with a Federal job.

Mr. Speaker, as the co-author of this legislation, the American Veterans Disabled For Life Commemorative Coin Act, I want to especially thank my partner, Dennis Moore of Kansas, for his leadership in bringing this bill to the floor, where we are now, on to the White House for enactment.

Our legislation seeks to recognize the sacrifices made by more than 3 million living disabled veterans by building a memorial for them right here within sight of the Capitol.

In 2000, Congress authorized the construction of this memorial just southwest of the Rayburn building. In December 2006, the President signed a law that transferred control of the land for the memorial from the District of Columbia to the National Park Service. In February 2007, I joined my colleague from Illinois (Mr. Hare) in introducing a bill that extended the authorization for this memorial through 2015, and that was signed into law in October.

Now, the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial Foundation needs to raise approximately $65 million for the construction of this memorial.

Our legislation today will authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to mint commemorative silver dollars that will be sold with a surcharge to help the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial Foundation to raise the money it will need to construct this memorial to our heroes. Not only will these coins be collector's items, but they will help raise millions for the memorial.

In crafting the bill, Congressman Moore and I had the privilege to meet an extraordinary young man, Sergeant Bryan Anderson from Rolling Meadows, Illinois. Bryan's story is, unfortunately, all too common for many veterans from Iraq, but his spirit is very uncommon, and his attitude sets him completely apart from the average person.

You see, Bryan at the age of 26, who finished basic training on September 12, 2001, lost both his legs and an arm to a roadside bomb in Iraq. Bryan jokes that he would have lost both his arms if he hadn't been smoking when the bomb detonated. His constant sense of humor and his determination are clearly apparent and came through loud and clear in a long interview he gave to Esquire magazine.

In it, Bryan said, ``This doesn't define me. It may be how I look on the outside, but it's not who I am. I guess you could remember me easily as being a triple amputee, but it's not who I am, has nothing to do with who I am. I've always been the same person.''

Bryan is a self-described ``adrenaline junkie,'' who hopes to become a Hollywood stuntman. Since his appearance on the cover of Esquire, he's had numerous opportunities to use his story for some sort of political gain, but he has always forgiven that opportunity. For Bryan, he doesn't like to talk about politics, but always wants to talk and support the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial.

Washington has many advocates for many causes here in this town but none more effective than Bryan Anderson. With Bryan, you see what you get. He is a veteran with an inspirational story, who wants to see this memorial built, not just for himself but for all of his disabled veterans from World War II, from Korea, from Vietnam, from Desert Storm, and from his conflicts both in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Bryan is about as genuine as you can ever get, and with passage of this legislation, we come closer to the day when Bryan will return to Capitol Hill to visit the memorial that he helped to build.

I want to thank my friend Dennis and also a member of my staff, Patrick Magnuson, for helping shepherd this legislation through the House.

With more than 3 million disabled American veterans alive today, it is fitting that we now take the time to build a memorial in memorializing their sacrifice here within sight of the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

As someone who is one of the only Members of Congress still serving in the military as a Naval Reserve intelligence officer, it's my honor to be the lead Republican cosponsor of this legislation. It's our hope now that we go to the White House, enact this legislation, mint this coin, raise millions for our fellow disabled American veterans, and then build this memorial, not just to show all of the veterans how much we care about them and honor them but

also to remind future Congresses that freedom is not free, that a price is very high when the President calls on our Armed Forces to deliver, and when they do, we honor them and will always remember their memory.

Madam Speaker, today Representative Steve Cohen and I introduced the Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2008.

In Wadsworth, Illinois, on Saturday October 27, 2007, a double decker cattle truck carrying 59 Belgian draft horses overturned when the driver ran a red light and hit another vehicle.

Residents at the scene could hear the animals kicking and screaming, panicked by their inability to escape. Eight horses died on the scene while another 10 had to be euthanized. After the crash, Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States said, ``What a gory mess we saw recently in Illinois. It must never happen again. . . .''

It is time that we heed these words by putting an end to using double decker trucks to transport horses. This legislation, endorsed by the Humane Society, Animal Welfare Institute, Hooved Animal Rescue and Protection Society, and the Communication Alliance to Network Thoroughbred ExRacehorses would take steps toward preventing this disaster from occurring again.

This bill prohibits the interstate transport of horses in a motor vehicle containing two or more levels stacked on top of one another as well as creates civil penalties between $100 and $500 for each horse involved.

In my own State of Illinois, the State General Assembly has already moved forward and passed similar legislation. I urge my colleagues to become a cosponsor of this bipartisan commonsense legislation.

Madam Speaker, today I join Representatives Castle, Ferguson and Shays in introducing the Assault Weapons Ban Reauthorization Act of 2008. This September will mark the fourth anniversary of the expiration of the landmark 1994 Assault Weapons Ban. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms reported that crimes involving assault weapons dropped by two-thirds while the Federal ban was in effect. As the Nation witnesses a dramatic spread of violent gang activity, it is imperative that we take action to keep automatic weapons out of the hands of these criminals. It is high time to bring back the ban.

This bill will prohibit the domestic manufacture and sale of military-style semi-automatic assault weapons such as AK-47s and UZIs, as well as high-capacity ammunition clips that hold more than ten rounds. It also includes weapons designed to fit accessories such as flash suppressors, silencers, and bayonets--accessories that serve no legitimate purpose outside the military and law enforcement.

The Mexican government is currently engaged in a violent war against heavily armed, extremely violent drug traffickers. Just recently the cartels assassinated the Mexican equivalent of our FBI Director. They are now threatening President Calderon's life.

These gangs operate in every major metropolitan area in the United States, and are increasingly active in suburban America where the local police are ill-equipped to meet this threat. Restoring the assault weapons ban will help level the playing field for these police as they work to keep our communities safe and gang-free.

I urge my colleagues to join me in sponsoring this commonsense legislation.

Madam Speaker, I am very honored to have welcomed Pastor John I. Caples of Jesus Name Apostolic Church to open the House today.

I first really got to know Pastor Caples after the murder of Jarreau Patterson and David Mackins, just 16 years old. It was Pastor Caples that brought together the families of the murdered with the families of the murderers that ended a cycle of violence in my community.

He helped restart an athletic program. And with assistance from the wider community, he built a basketball court in just 8 weeks to relieve some of the tensions of the community. He then started the Family First Center, first in a basement, now three stories tall, reaching out to help at-risk youth turn away from violence and gangs, but especially despair, saving one heart at a time.

Pastor Caples tells us that the government can't do it all, but it can change one heart of one child at a time and make the most difference. He is one of the men I admire most whose ministry saves lives. He changes hearts. And most importantly, he returns the soul to a community that is in need of a very big heart with hope.

I want to thank the gentleman from Virginia for this resolution.

In my judgment, most Members of Congress are quite naive about the security of their offices against an expert cyber attack from a foreign intelligence service.

With regards to China, these types of attack are uniquely damaging to the U.S.-China relationship. While the resolution before us concerns breaches in the security of House computers, we can assume that the Senate is also under attack.

The message we would send to China is that such a cyber attack on the Congress poses unique dangers to the long-term relationship of China and the United States. We all know that a Member of Congress will soon be sworn in as a President of the United States in just 7 months. To the senior leaders overseas that may direct such a cyber attack against congressional offices, I would ask, What are you thinking? The intelligence gained would pale in comparison to the damage directly done to U.S.-China relations.

House Information Systems should dramatically upgrade the protection of U.S. computers, especially in the House, and offer Members secure Blackberries to protect against that unique vulnerability. We should also review other security procedures that should lead the Congress especially to increase the protection of the White House, the Defense Department, and the State Department.

I want to commend my colleague Mr. Wolf for bringing this to the attention of the House and especially the attention of the American people.

Mr. Speaker, the New York Times reports that our Mexican allies are now engaged in a life-or-death struggle against massive drug cartels. These cartels assassinated the Mexican FBI Director and now threaten the President's life. President Calderon has asked us for help, and for the safety and security of American families, we must.

If you see a red star on this map, it means that our Drug Enforcement Agency says that a Mexican drug gang is operating in your congressional district. If you see a green star, like in Las Vegas, Chicago, San Francisco, it means the DEA knows that the drug gangs have a command- and-control center in your congressional district.

Last month the gangs of Mexico topped their murder of hundreds of Mexican police officers with a new practice: beheading people and leaving their heads in coolers. It would be naive to think that such violence remains just south of our border.

That's why Congress should fully fund the Merida Law Enforcement Initiative.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to stand here today to introduce legislation with Congressman Christopher Carney (D-PA) which will provide healthier and more productive environments for students.

As energy prices soar and state budgets shrink, schools around the country need more assistance than ever to keep afloat. Congress can provide a commonsense way to help schools achieve fiscal sustainability by helping them to reach energy sustainability through energy efficient and other green improvements.

According to the independent U.S. Green Buildings Council which established a nationally recognized green school certification program, the LEED rating system, green schools on average save $100,000 per year. This is enough to hire two new teachers, buy 500 new computers or purchase 5,000 new textbooks. In fact, if all new school construction or school renovations went green, energy savings alone would total $20 billion over the next ten years.

Green schools also provide better environments for our children, improving student achievement and health. Students at LEED certified schools perform twenty percent better on reading tests and twenty-four percent better on math tests than the average student. There are nearly forty percent fewer asthma occurrences at green schools, contributing to the decreased number of sick days students experience.

Providing green school improvements are extremely cost effective. Construction costs average less than $3 per square foot more to build, yet save roughly $12 per square foot in energy and water savings.

Some schools are already investing in green school technology to take advantage of all the benefits it provides. I am proud that a school in my Congressional District of northern Illinois, Thomas Middle School, installed a one-kilowatt solar array on its roof in November, 2007 with a $10,000 grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation. The photovoltaic panel produced enough energy to date to offset more than 310 pounds of carbon dioxide. The output so far is equivalent to the energy needed to power 3 homes for one day, or operate one TV for 1,084 hours.

Thomas Middle School teachers also use the solar array data to help teach students about the importance of renewable energy. Classes use the information from the solar panels in experiments about energy conservation and environmental protection.

I applaud Thomas Middle School Principal Tom O'Rourke and science department chair Jay Bingaman for taking such an initiative to improve the school, environment and education of their students.

We are introducing the Green Schools Act to encourage schools all around the country to follow the example of Thomas Middle School. This legislation provides up to $10,000 in matching grants for schools to undertake green construction and improvement projects. The bill would also reauthorize the Qualified Zone Academy bonds program, which is used to fund renovations and repairs at schools in low-income neighborhoods. The bill would require that any improvements or rehabilitations be energy efficient. Since its establishment in 1997, the QZAB program has provided nearly $1.7 billion for school improvements projects.

I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this bill to improve the health and education of our children and provide financial security to schools.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 325, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, our government should fight for the release of a key prisoner of conscience, the first person in the Arab world convicted for what he peaceably wrote on his blog. This case has attracted strong international attention and the personal interest of the President.

Last year, Egypt saw the deterioration of human rights and especially with regard to freedom of expression. Most troubling is the conviction and imprisonment of a young human rights activist and blogger, Abdel Kareem Nabil Soliman. Mr. Soliman, known for his Internet pen name Kareem Amer, was convicted for statements made on his personal Web log condemning Islamic extremism and the poor treatment of women and minorities.

He was sentenced to 4 years in prison, and while we recognize what he said may have offended some, his conviction sets a dangerous precedent on the Internet.

On Saturday, the President will meet with President Mubarak. I urge Members to sign the letter to the President urging him to raise the case of Kareem Amer and to free this man, the first man in the Arab world convicted simply for what he said on his Internet Web log.

Mr. Speaker, Second Life, it's not just a new job or a new start, it's a virtual world online with over 6 million people. Run by the San Francisco company Linden Lab, Second Life allows anyone in their world to do anything. And the labs make $1 million each night.

And what is offered in Second Life? My staff found rooms leading people to commit suicide, satanic worship, buying assault weapons, leading human sacrifice, and rape rooms; game players choose to rape or be raped. This content is totally inappropriate and leads to the objectification lessons that are especially inappropriate for young boys.

Linden Lab claims that it provides a teen area, but the fine print of their user agreement clearly states that adults prowl in the children's area and children are in the adult area.

Second Life's K Street lobbyists say, ``Trust us,'' but I think we should trust informed and aware parents. I urge Members to join me in a letter to the Federal Trade Commission worrying about the dangers of Second Life.

Madam Speaker, as gas prices continue to rise, the most immediate and cost-effective way to offer relief to consumers is to provide incentives for mass transit use. According to a study published by the American Public Transportation Association, public transportation use in the U.S. saves an annual 1.4 billion gallons of gasoline. This represents almost 4 million gallons of gas per day. Factoring in the current average gasoline price in Chicagoland of $3.95, public transit in the region saves consumers more than $1 billion in gas costs in my area alone.

Current law allows businesses, governments, non-profits and employees to purchase tax-free transit benefits. However, there is no tax incentive for employers to directly subsidize their workers' transportation costs. The Creating Opportunities to Motivate Mass- transit Utilization To Encourage Ridership (COMMUTER) Act of 2008 offers employers a 50

percent tax credit for all transit benefits provided to employees, up to $115 per employee per month. Current law allows businesses, governments, non-profits and employees to purchase tax-free transit benefits. Under the COMMUTER Act, employees could receive up to $1,380 in free mass transit funds each year, with the employer receiving $690 in tax credits per employee. This legislation is supported by the American Public Transit Association and all of Chicagoland's public transportation service boards--the Regional Transportation Authority, the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace.

Forbes recently estimated the average commuter's gasoline cost in the Chicago metro area to be $6.23 per day. Should businesses take advantage of the tax incentive and provide transit benefits, they would save each of their participating employees an average of roughly $1,620 per year. As family budgets continue to tighten, an extra $1,600 to $3,200 could help ease the burdens of health care and education or help bolster retirement savings.

A new study by BusinessWeek Research Services estimates that 53 percent of employees in Chicago, San Francisco and New York would take public transportation if their employer provided access to current transit benefits. Out of the respondents, 60 percent said their company doesn't provide tax-free commuter benefits.

I believe we must also work to provide long-term solutions to our energy crisis, such as passing long-term tax incentives for research and development of renewable and alternative energy, fuels and vehicles; eliminating the so-called boutique fuels and offering the nation one clean burning fuel; financing energy development projects in China, central Asia and the Gulf to meet Chinese energy needs apart from oil; and increasing fuel economy standards.

But Americans cannot wait ten, twenty or thirty years for the entire restructuring of our energy policy--they need relief at the pumps now. I am proud to offer the COMMUTER Act with Representatives Judy Biggert (R-IL) and Peter Roskam (R-IL) and Chris Shays (R-CT) to help provide that immediate relief. I hope Congress will act swifly and in a bipartisan manner to pass this important legislation.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to stand here today to introduce legislation which provides for the exploration of methods to eradicate the dangerous Asian carp from the Great Lakes.

Each year, invasive species in the Great Lakes cause more than $5 billion in economic

damage and irreparable harm to an ecosystem that provides more than forty million people with jobs, water, food, and recreation. A new invader, the Asian carp, threatens to further destroy the region's ecosystem and economy, and it is imperative that we act to prevent this catastrophe.

A single barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, built as a temporary demonstration project five years ago, is the only thing preventing these invaders from entering Lake Michigan and drastically altering the entire region's ecosystem. While Congress recently provided full authorization and funding for this critical barrier, it may not be enough to prevent the Asian carp from infiltrating the Great Lakes and the devastating consequences that would follow.

It is therefore critical that we also explore alternatives and supplements to the carp barrier. My legislation would direct the Fish and Wildlife Service in conjunction with the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration and Great Lakes States to conduct a study on the feasibility of a variety of approaches to eradicating Asian carp from the Great Lakes. The legislation specifically directs the agencies to study the feasibility of temporarily harvesting Asian carp as a means to eradicate the invasive species in an environmentally responsible manner.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation to explore all possibilities to effectively eliminate the threat this dangerous species poses to our Nation's most precious natural resource.

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 289, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Madam Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

I rise in strong support of the underlying legislation, which provides critical protection for our Nation's waterways. For the first time, this legislation requires ballast water treatment of ships entering the Great Lakes, which claim to have no ballast water on board. These ships were previously not subject to any exchange or treatment requirements, and that created a massive loophole through which invasive species were introduced in our precious Great Lakes. I am very happy that this provision, similar to one I authored with Mr. Emanuel in H.R. 801, will close this dangerous and expensive loophole that, unfortunately, has so radically changed the Great Lakes environment.

However, there is another loophole which currently exists in the bill which could help spread endemic diseases affecting a myriad of Great Lakes fish. Viral hemorrhagic septicemia, or VHS, is a highly contagious viral disease that caused a significant number of fish deaths in North America since its introduction just in 2005. This virus is only present in four of the five Great Lakes so far, and threatens to cost billions of dollars to the region in lost fishing and tourism revenue.

While the bill currently requires foreign ships to treat their ballast tanks in order to prevent new diseases from entering the Great Lakes, it exempts vessels from treating their ballast tanks when they operate exclusively inside the Great Lakes. This is a loophole which should be closed in the event of an emergency pathogen outbreak. While the Great Lakes ships do not introduce new pathogens into the lakes, they can fully transmit a disease from one lake to another. Currently, Lake Superior is not yet infected with VHS.

My amendment would close the loophole by providing the Secretary of Agriculture with the authority to request that Great Lakes vessels install ballast water treatment systems approved by the Coast Guard, should the Secretary deem it necessary in order to prevent the spread of an infectious disease from one Great Lake to another. The amendment is supported by the Healing Our Waters, Great Lakes Coalition.

I want to thank the chairman and ranking minority member, my colleague from Ohio, for working with me on this very important amendment. It's crucial that we provide the Department of Agriculture with the authority to prevent the spread of VHS to a lake like Lake Superior and to give them the authority to slow down or stop the spread of other infectious pathogens. We must provide officials with all the necessary tools that they need to protect this critical ecosystem, the crown jewel of the Midwest environment.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chairman, just to conclude, the West has the Grand Canyon as its crown jewel of the environment. Florida has the Everglades. But for us in the Midwest, it is the Great Lakes.

We have seen a failure to properly manage shipping in the past introduce a number of alien species. Our environment has suffered from the introduction of the lamprey eel, the rock goby, the fishhook flea, and now viral hemorrhagic septicemia. This legislation is essential to slow down the assault on the Great Lakes with these new species introduced into our critical ecosystem.

I want to thank my colleagues from Minnesota and from Ohio for joining together with this critical legislation, and urge adoption of the amendment.

Madam Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.