Floor Statements

I thank the gentleman for yielding and join this group of what we might call apostate appropriators who are leading the reform cause, because I think we all agree that the current system was broken under Republican leaders and broken under Democratic leaders.

I believe that we should not tax the American people more than necessary, that taxpayer monies should be spent wisely, and that Congress should use its power to cut waste to keep taxes low. Many congressional earmarks are a waste of the taxpayers' money.

I authored the amendment to kill the Bridge to Nowhere. It was a difficult choice, taking on a very powerful Member of Congress who had the ability, in some eyes, to delete all transportation funding for my own district. But I looked at this project, it was an earmark not by the Appropriations Committee but by the Transportation Committee, to build a $320 million structure slightly shorter than the Golden Gate Bridge, slightly taller than the Brooklyn Bridge, connecting Ketchikan, Alaska, population 8,000, with Gravina Island, population 50. Gravina Island has no paved roads, no restaurants, and no stores. It was clear that this was an extravagant expenditure of money by the United States taxpayers to benefit a very, very few number of Americans.

It was also disturbing about how this project was handled, as so many other low quality earmarks are done: air-dropped without consideration by the House or Senate floors; no potential to amend or kill this project by Senators or Members of Congress; added to a conference report, that is a final bill, at the last minute where everyone is only given one vote, ``yes'' or ``no,'' on the complete package and not able to reach in and delete funding for a low quality project.

Our battle, after the Kirk Amendment passed, was a long one, but finally the Governor of Alaska relented. And thanks to public outrage, thanks to congressional scrutiny, thanks to concerned Americans around this country, the Bridge to Nowhere will not be built.

But we have seen so many other projects which do not pass even a laugh test among American taxpayers. For example, a new earmark, I understand, for the Berkeley school system would create French gourmet menus for school lunches, clearly something that does not even pass the laugh test here on the House floor among Republicans or Democrats.

Also, we have seen these earmarks for Monuments to Me. I think it is perfectly appropriate when we see a proud public structure funded by the taxpayers to be named after one of our national heroes, to be named after a great American, or just great humanitarian from history, but not for sitting politicians who currently hold public office. I am worried that, for example, throughout West Virginia we have many Senator Byrd centers. It seems like almost a large part of the State is now named after a sitting Member of Congress, who comes with feet of clay, someone who can have great, great attributes and great detriments, and someone who really should be judged by history before we name great public works after them.

Our reforms talk about ending funding for these Monuments to Me. It calls for an increased level of, I think, appropriate humility in what we fund. In the past, like many of my colleagues, I have requested earmarks because I have been struck by critical needs in my district. But increasingly, in order to get funding for small projects in your district, you are asked to support funding for large projects in other people's districts, for Bridges to Nowhere, for more Monuments to Me, for things that are, quite frankly, not defensible for the public fisc and for the taxpayers' expenditure. I think we have to recognize that some of these earmarks will simply lead directly to higher taxes for the American people and for programs which do not reflect an appropriate decision by the government to remove funding from an individual taxpayer to provide for these projects.

That is why I back this moratorium that we have come forward with and I back the Kingston-Wolf reforms, because I think it is a recognition by members of the Appropriations Committee that the system is broken; that the public's confidence in how this money is spent is not there; that Republicans and Democrats should join together to fix it; that the power of the purse is rightly put by the Constitution in the Congress. But it has to be a power that is respected. It has to be a power in which judgment is leveled and which the burden of proof is against spending the taxpayers' funds so that always we have a feeling towards the bottom line of balancing the budget and making sure the tax burden on the American people is as low as possible.

That is why I thank the gentleman from Tennessee and the gentleman from Virginia for having this Special Order and hope that this legislation can pick up bipartisan steam and be adopted by the American people. They get it, but some of the elected representatives of the American people here still don't get it, and their voices need to be heard.

I yield back to my friend from Virginia.

Madam Speaker, today, along with my colleague Mr. Roskam, I am introducing legislation requiring the Social Security Administration to develop secure Social Security cards to combat the rising problem of identity theft and immigration fraud.

Since Social Security started in 1935, more than 450 million Social Security cards have been issued. Over the years, we've had 50 card variations, but all have one common element--they are too easy to counterfeit.

According to a 2005 Government Accountability Office report, employers reported the use of 1.4 million Social Security numbers that don't exist. Additionally, nearly 1.7 million numbers have been used by multiple individuals, some as many as 500 times or more.

In 2006, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials made 1,272 arrests for identity and benefit fraud. While there is no central database for confiscated fraudulent Social Security card statistics, regional illegal document rings illustrate a systemic problem.

Last April, Federal agents arrested 23 individuals and broke up an illegal document ring in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago. Officials estimated that up to 100 fake Social Security cards were issued each day at the location. According to the Northern Illinois U.S. Attorney's Office, the enterprise netted $3 million per year for a violent Mexico-based crime syndicate.

ICE broke up a similar ring in the same neighborhood in December 2005. Last October, Cook County Sheriff's detectives arrested two individuals for manufacturing hundreds of fake identification documents in Chicago's West Lawn neighborhood. Outside of the Chicago area, one ICE raid in Washington, DC, netted 880 fake Social Security cards.

In Waukegan, police raids discovered numerous crimes of identity theft, including criminals purchasing homes and cars with stolen Social Security numbers. For as little as $100, an individual in Waukegan can purchase a fake Social Security card.

It's time we upgrade Social Security cards with photos and biometric data like a fingerprint to protect seniors from identity theft and prevent draining of Social Security trust funds.

Many government agencies already use secure IDs, including the Department of Defense. An ID with a bar code embedded with biometric data, as well as a picture, will help prevent counterfeiting. We have the technology now--there is no excuse to use a document that anyone can forge at a Kinkos.

To protect seniors, fight identity theft and defend our homeland, I urge my colleagues to join this effort.

Madam Speaker, according to a 2005 GAO study, employers reported the use of 1.4 million Social Security numbers that did not exist. Nearly 1.7 million numbers had been used by multiple individuals, sometimes as many as 500 times for the same Social Security number. In my district, the Waukegan police find that at least 20 fake Social Security cards are found by law enforcement every week.

Now, upgrading the Social Security card should be common sense. It's about seniors. It's about identity theft. It's about illegal immigration. And it's about keeping Americans safe.

When we look at today's Social Security card, we find a 1930s design. It lacks a picture. It lacks a bar code. It lacks a magnetic strip. It poses almost no barrier to the thousands of counterfeiters that make false Social Security cards.

Today, along with my colleague from Illinois Peter Roskam, we have introduced legislation to finally give Americans the choice between the old 1930s design Social Security card and the new secure Social Security card. This card offers enhanced protections across the board. It would replace that flimsy and easily counterfeitable Social Security card with a 21st century identity document that gives seniors real protection. Our legislation and this design is based on the government's common access card. Already the U.S. government has issued 10 million of these cards, and its protections, in our judgment, we believe, should be offered to people in the 21st century against Social Security card counterfeiters.

We think this legislation is important to propose a significant barrier to those who would counterfeit Social Security cards, to help seniors in fighting identity theft, and to make sure that a person who has that number and this card is really who they say it is.

We saw on September 11 that 18 of 19 hijackers had valid U.S. IDs during their crime of the century. I think it's time to make sure that at least the Social Security card has the 21st century protections that we can offer to make sure that we protect seniors, to make sure that we protect all Americans, and to protect the Social Security system. That's why we think that this legislation to create these secure Social Security cards is an idea whose time has come.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the importance of International Networking Week from February 4-8, 2008, and the prominent role my constituents play in preserving our competitiveness in the global economy.

As the co-chair of the U.S.-China Working group and a member of the State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Subcommittee, I know first-hand the importance that international relationships play in both diplomacy and in business.

Of special importance are organizations that create bridges between people for the mutual benefit of their members. As technology continues to bring us closer together, the relationships we forge will be more crucial than ever for companies seeking to grow their businesses.

Whether it is one of the many multinational companies in the 10th Congressional District or a locally-owned small business, networking will continue to play a vital role in the growth of the U.S. economy. From manufacturing to distribution to the point-of-sale, we are stronger for having people throughout the world work together to expand their opportunities.

Madam Speaker, today, along with my colleague Ron Klein (D- FL), I am introducing bipartisan legislation to curb the rise of hate crime violence in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

Acts of violence against Jews and other minorities are on the rise in the former Soviet Union. In Russia, xenophobic candidates are sweeping to power as state-sponsored hate speech incites anti-Semitism and violence. Widespread discrimination persists against religious and ethnic minorities, including Central Asians, Armenians, Roman Catholics and Evangelical Christians.

In Ukraine, neo-Nazi crimes against Jews are on the rise. Just last night, a rabbi was severely beaten on a main street in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnepropetrovsk. The assailants have not been identified and no arrests have been reported. The key test of a democracy is tolerance for minorities--and this fledgling democracy is struggling.

In Belarus, human rights conditions continue to deteriorate. The dictator himself spouts anti-Semitic slurs through government media. The need for emergency resettlement of vulnerable communities may soon emerge.

The Former Soviet Union Minority Relief Act of 2008 would strengthen rule of law and democracy initiatives in Ukraine, undermine hate speech in Russia and Belarus through international broadcasting, and allow for emergency evacuations from Belarus or Russia if the need emerges.

When the Soviet Union fell, we thought the fight for persecuted minorities ended. Unfortunately, widespread discrimination persists against religious and ethnic minorities. The international community needs a wake up call that Jews and other minorities are under attack in the Former Soviet Union.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor 10 members of the North Chicago Fire Department for going beyond the call of duty to save the life of a 10th district resident.

On November 26 of this year, the fire department was dispatched to the scene of a gunshot victim. Once notified that the victim had received a gunshot wound to the face, a Flight for Life helicopter was immediately called. With the gunman presumed to still be in the area, paramedics Patrick Michael and Gerry Goniwicha went to the aid of the victim despite considerable risk to their lives. Patrick and Gerry quickly moved the injured person to the ambulance and began to clear an airway and stop the bleeding.

As the paramedics worked, additional personnel were called to help the victim and establish a landing zone for the helicopter. Paramedics Joshua Rickabaugh and Joshua Monroe came to the assistance of the ambulance crew to help with patient care and transportation to the helicopter.

At the landing zone site, Commander Keith Humphries met with paramedics Chris Shearer, Keith Peacy and Jason Lambert to set up a safe place for the helicopter to land. The firefighters successfully established a landing zone in very tight quarters and the patient was quickly transferred to the helicopter. Once in the helicopter, Flight for Life nurse Julie Heyer, and flight medic Stu McVicar took over treatment until the team reached the Level I Trauma Center at Lutheran General Hospital.

This victim had a shattered jaw and severed carotid artery, with the bullet initially going into the heart. The victim is still in critical condition, but without the firefighters and medical personnel going into an area where a gunman could still be present, performing their skills flawlessly even with the extreme injuries involved, the victim would not have had a chance.

On behalf of the House of Representatives, I commend Patrick Michael, Gerry Goniwicha, Keith Humphries, Joshua Rickabaugh, Chris Shearer, Keith Peacy, Jason Lambert, Joshua Monroe, flight nurse Julie Heyer, and flight medic Stu McVicar for their amazing actions.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Lieutenant Thomas Christensen and Firefighter Jeremy Brown of the Waukegan Fire Department.

As Hazardous Device Technicians, Lt. Christensen and Firefighter Brown were the driving force behind the City of Waukegan's effort to secure a grant from the Illinois Terrorism Task Force for an Andros F6A Robot and transport vehicle to better respond to hazardous device incidents.

Currently there are only 12 bomb squads in Illinois. The Waukegan squad services Lake and McHenry counties in northeastern Illinois. Last year, the squad responded to more than 40 bomb calls. The most notable was a bank robbery where the suspect claimed to have an explosive device which he left on the teller counter after fleeing the crime scene.

With the F6A Robot and transport vehicle, the Waukegan Fire Department is better equipped to respond to bomb related calls. This equipment would not be possible without the diligence of Lt. Christensen and Firefighter Brown. The two men conceived the idea, developed the justifications and specifications and oversaw the construction.

Lt. Christensen and Firefighter Brown represent an outstanding division that was first formed in 1971. The team consists of several certified bomb squad members who put their lives on the line on a daily basis for northeastern Illinois.

I am proud of the achievements of these fine first responders.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Officer Armando Alexander of the Waukegan Police Department for his selfless act of heroism.

On February 3. 2007. Officer Alexander was assisting with closing a local bar. At 2:49 a.m., Officer Alexander heard gunfire erupt in the parking lot next to the establishment. Without regard for his own personal safety, he ran toward the gunfire where he witnessed two subjects firing shots at a victim in a parked car. The victim was shot three times before the suspects fled. Officer Alexander then chased the suspects on foot through a residential development and construction site. He apprehended one of the suspects and recovered the firearm used in the crime. The second suspect was later arrested.

Officer Alexander's outstanding efforts took two dangerous gang members off the streets of my district and made Waukegan, Illinois, a safer place.

As a member of the Significant Incident Group on the Waukegan Police force, Officer Alexander is a leader and a role model for local law enforcement in the 10th Congressional District of Illinois.

I am proud to count this heroic American as a constituent and a friend.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Detective Luis Rivera of the North Chicago Police Department Tactical Narcotics Team. Besides fulfilling his duties as a narcotics and gang investigator since May 2005, Detective Rivera also serves on the North Chicago Police Department Major Crime Evidence Team, as a firearms instructor, tech officer, bike patrolman and former SWAT officer. Beyond his tireless dedication to the department, Detective Rivera has consistently displayed an extraordinary commitment to his community.

In January of this year while working undercover, Detective Rivera purchased 4 ounces of cocaine from a criminal resulting in four arrests and the seizure of 116.6 grams cocaine, one Chevy Blazer and $4,977. Detective Rivera also developed a narcotics gang conspiracy case on members of the Four Corner Hustler street gang operating in North Chicago that came to a conclusion on February 28, 2007. Through the use of confidential informants and undercover officers, 39 indictments were issued on 12 of the Four Corner Hustler street gang members by the Lake County States Attorney office. This investigation halted violence in the area.

In June he developed an informant that infiltrated a crew that was robbing local drug dealers. While gathering information to make a case, the leader of the group and member of the Gangster Disciples street gang committed a home invasion, resulting in the violent death of a young female along with 2 males who

were seriously wounded. Lake County Major Crimes Taskforce investigated the crime and had murder warrants. Detective Rivera then developed an operational plan to take the suspect into custody. The detective used his informant to lure the suspect to a location on July 3, 2007, to discuss doing another robbery. Members of the North Chicago SWAT team arrested the suspect upon his arrival.

Last August Detective Rivera used an informant to infiltrate another armed robbery crew along with an undercover ATF agent. On October 25, 2007, the North Chicago Tactical Narcotics Team. agents from ATF and their SWAT officers as well as Waukegan Net Agents conducted a sting on this crew, arresting four Gangster Disciples and the recovery of a hand gun. All 4 subjects were charged through the United States Attorneys office.

Detective Rivera is truly taking criminals off the streets, making our community safer. Our district is fortunate to have police officers, like the detective, who risk their lives every day. I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring him today.

Madam Speaker, today I am pleased to join with Congresswoman Schakowsky to introduce a resolution honoring and supporting the Hadley School for the Blind.

Dr. William A. Hadley, an Illinois high school teacher, lost his vision at age 55. With the loss of his sight Dr. Hadley believed that he would also lose his greatest joy--teaching. Although he taught himself Braille so he could continue to read, he was frustrated with the lack of educational opportunities for blind individuals.

Dr. Hadley wanted to help others like him gain the skills and knowledge that could lead to independence. In 1920, Dr. Hadley and ophthalmologist Dr. E.V.L. Brown created the Hadley School for the Blind. Today, the Hadley School is the largest single educator of blind persons in the world, reaching 10,000 students annually in all 50 states and in 100 different countries.

The school began with teaching Braille with the innovative use of correspondence courses. While it is still known for its superior Braille curriculum, the school has expanded to offer a high school degree program and adult continuing education classes. In 2008, the School will expand again to include the Hadley School for Professional Studies for professionals who serve those who are blind and visually impaired.

Students from the school have done extraordinary things. Former student Christine Gilson, a blind doctoral candidate and Fulbright scholar from the University of Illinois at

Urbana-Champaign, was the 2007 recipient of the Hadley School for the Blind's President's Service Award for exceptional work in raising awareness of the needs and abilities of blind and visually impaired people. She bridged cultural boundaries by teaching visually impaired Chinese students English language classes online.

I am proud to introduce this resolution that supports an institution that has, for almost 90 years, provided a valuable education for thousands of visually impaired individuals.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein, IL, for being named a 2007 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School.

Nearly 1,500 students, ages 13 to 18, attend Carmel Catholic High School. Carmel Catholic is one of only 5 high schools nationwide to win the Blue Ribbon School award 4 times. With a great devotion to learning and academic achievement, Carmel is a faith-based community that attributes their success to the dedication and hard-work of their teachers. As a result, these students consistently score above State and national averages on standardized tests in all subject areas. In addition, it is the only high school in Illinois and one of three private high schools in the Nation to be recognized.

Carmel Catholic is among 287 schools from across the Nation chosen by the Secretary of Education to receive this acknowledgement. These schools have distinguished themselves by embodying the goals of reaching high standards and closing the achievement gap. Schools selected for this honor either have students from all subgroups that have demonstrated significant improvement or have students that achieve in the top 10 percent of their State on statewide tests.

This is a great honor for the 10th District and I congratulate the principal, Fr. Robert C. Carroll, the students, and teachers at Carmel Catholic High School for this achievement.

I thank the gentleman. And as the leader of the moderates in this, I would say that this issue should unite us all as Americans, not divide us along partisan lines.

I also speak as a Navy intelligence officer that would say that the provision that was newly included in this legislation says that nothing in this act shall prevent an intelligence officer from monitoring someone related to al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden or Ayman al-Zawahiri to prevent an attack against the United States. But so much of our intelligence is beyond the imminent attack on the United States. So much of us in the intelligence world, we have to watch the earliest signs of this.

Let's be clear, this bill before us has nothing to do with the rights of U.S. citizens; those are already protected. As an intelligence officer, we are always drilled on the code of conduct in dealing with U.S. persons. This bill has everything to do with creating new rights for people overseas. And I think we should let our intelligence community monitor whoever Osama bin Laden is talking with to protect the United States, even if an attack is not imminent.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein, Illinois, for being named a 2007 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School.

Nearly 1500 students, ages 13 to 18, attend Carmel Catholic High School. Carmel Catholic is one of only 5 high schools nationwide to win the Blue Ribbon School award 4 times. With a great devotion to learning and academic achievement, Carmel is a faith-based community that attributes their success to the dedication and hard work of their teachers. As a result, these students consistently score above state and national averages on standardized tests in all subject areas. In addition, it is the only high school in Illinois and one of three private high schools in the nation to be recognized.

Carmel Catholic is among 287 schools from across the nation chosen by the Secretary of Education to receive this acknowledgement. These schools have distinguished themselves by embodying the goals of reaching high standards and closing the achievement gap. Schools selected for this honor either have students from all subgroups that have demonstrated significant improvement or have students that achieve in the top 10 percent of their state on statewide tests.

This is a great honor for the 10th district and I congratulate the principal, Fr. Robert C. Carroll, the students, and teachers at Carmel Catholic High School for this achievement.

Madam Speaker, last week, we learned that more than 30 illegal aliens gained access to the most sensitive areas at O'Hare Airport.

Without valid Social Security numbers, illegal aliens were given official badges to access the tarmac and the airplanes.

This is not the first time. It's happened before at airports around the country.

The Congress must set Federal standards for those who seek access to an airport's most sensitive areas.

You should be a U.S. national or legal permanent resident.

You should possess a valid Social Security number that actually belongs to you.

You should have that Social Security number verified through the E- Verify employer verification system.

And you should get your access badge from the Transportation Security Administration--not some rusty old van in the parking lot.

Today, I am introducing the Airport Security Enhancement Act of 2007 to make these standards the law of the land.

I urge my colleagues to join me in this critical national security effort.

Madam Speaker, today is World Diabetes day.

Diabetes is a serious, chronic disease afflicting over 20 million Americans. As the vice-chair of the Diabetes Caucus, I have had the opportunity to meet many people who must deal with the hardships and stress of living with diabetes 24/7. They have taught me what it means to ``go-low'' while participating in sports, to wake twice during the night to check blood sugar levels, and suffer from seizures. This is no way for anyone, especially children, to live.

Over the years, advances in medicine and technology have allowed patients to better manage their disease, but more work must be done in order to find a cure.

It is essential that Congress continue to support groundbreaking research at the NIH. We must also fight for federally funded stem-cell research, the greatest potential for finding a cure.

In honor of World Diabetes Day, I urge my colleagues to join me in the effort to help the millions who suffer from diabetes.