Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Working Families Assistance Act and would like to thank my friend from Virginia for taking the leadership role in this important piece of legislation.

We should be doing everything possible to make it easier for parents to raise their children. The Working Families Assistance Act does just that, by helping to ease the burdens of dependent care for hard working families. Currently, 22 percent of employers offer dependent care flexible savings accounts or FSAs to their employees.

Employees may take $2,500 individually or $5,000 per married couple, put it in that FSA to pay for dependent care. Dependents, for purposes of the FSA, are children under age 13 or individuals such as disabled parents who require full-time care due to physical or mental condition.

Parents can use the money in these accounts to pay for day care, nursery care, or even have an adult relative care for children; but only 14 percent of eligible families participate in these FSAs. Why? One of the big reasons is that, like the health care FSA, employees must forfeit any unused funds back to their employer at the end of the year.

The use-it-or-lose-it provision has made these accounts a bad fit for many families who are trying to create and keep a budget for the year; and for those who use dependent care FSAs, many families are forced to underestimate the amount of money they will need for the year so they do not lose money at the end of the year, essentially defeating the point of the account.

Recently, we passed legislation allowing hardworking families to carry over $500 from health FSAs. That is what we are doing here today for child and dependent care. The Working Family Assistance Act would fix that problem by allowing families to carry over

$500 into the next year's FSA. This change will give parents a safety net as they try to predict their family's dependent care costs.

This bill also gives parents more choices and more flexibility in meeting their family's needs. We should be taking every opportunity we can to let families keep and use their own money to raise their children.

I am pleased to be one of the sponsors of this legislation to help working families meet their dependent care needs. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Indiana for yielding to me.

There are some, both at home and abroad, who would have us believe that Abu Ghraib is the true face of this war, that the acts of a few troubled individuals represent our cause. I believe there is a dramatically different face, and I would like to describe it to the Members.

In a recent news story, Lt. Riley Sharon, an Army emergency room charge nurse from St. Cloud, Minnesota, a city I am proud to represent, and a fellow alumnus from St. John's University, tells of incidents at the Abu Ghraib prison when it came under attack from mortars fired by insurgents, killing scores of prisoners and wounding hundreds of detainees.

In one 4-hour period, insurgents killed 22 detainees and Lt. Sharbonno's group treated over 100 enemy detainee patients. At the time Sharbonno and his fellow soldiers were fighting to save the lives of those who might have gladly taken theirs, they were under such heavy fire, they had to wear a Kevlar helmet and a bullet-proof vest.

As Lt. Sharbonno said, ``I am unaware of any military in the history of war that has built an entire hospital for the exclusive treatment of enemy detainees or POWs. I don't understand the media's insistence on ignoring the atrocities committed by anti-coalition forces or the amazing things that the military has accomplished over here.''

The brave work of the likes of Lt. Sharbonno is the real face of this war. This is the courage, compassion, and humanity of the American soldiers who fight for us all in this war on terror. Too little attention has been paid to their noble work and sacrifices. Too little attention has also been paid to recent successes in moving Iraq towards a democratic form of government.

The Iraqi Governing Council has shown some real initiative recently. They selected a president America supposedly did not want and a prime minister the UN did not want. But by showing independence, they now have more credibility amongst Iraqis and the international community. The Security Council approved of a new government by a unanimous 15-to- nothing vote. The new interim government got to work early, integrated the many independent militias so that they are now part of the solution, not a potential problem, and reorganized Iraqi security forces. Al Sadr is now trying to be a political force rather than a leader of a rebellious militia.

There is no doubt that there will be further bumps in the road on the way to an elected government, but there can also be no doubt that significant progress has been made.

And then we look at the actions of our enemies. If there is any remaining doubt that this is truly a war between good and evil, it should be gone. One can have no doubt at the depths of the enemies will or hatred when we are forced to confront the atrocities committed against Nick Berg and Paul Johnson.

The insurgents attack oil pipelines, a source of hope for the Iraqi people. What is the point in this? Since the liberation of Iraq, the wealth of her natural resources is hers again. An Iraqi-led Oil Ministry controls the pipeline with revenues going to the Iraqi treasury. Iraqi officials disburse the profits for the benefit of Iraqis.

With the fall of the dictator's regime, the money no longer goes to encourage hopeless and desperate Palestinian use to kill themselves while they murder innocent. The revenues no longer subsidize a megalomaniac's architectural fantasies in the form of grandiose palaces. It no longer subsidizes the sadistic whims of the dictator's sons.

The revenue from Iraqi oil are a chance for the Iraqi people to use their own natural resources to educate Iraqi children, to build an Iraqi health care system, an infrastructure, and a strong Iraqi economy.

Mr. Speaker, the important question we should ask ourselves is why are the terrorists so desperate? Why are they willing to commit so many inhumane acts not just against Americans, but against the Iraqi people as well? The terrorist leader Zarqawi's memo to Al Qaeda's leader, Osama bin Laden, in that we find the explanation for their desperation.

When pleading for bin Laden's assistance in the Iraqi insurgency, Zarqawi makes clear that his insurgency has failed to engender support within the country. Zarqawi also acknowledges that they have been unable to scare Americans into leaving, having been disabused of the idea that he had earlier professed that Americans were ``the biggest cowards that God has created.'' We have certainly proved him wrong. He believes that the insurgents might be able to win if they are able to kill enough Shiites so that the Shiites will attack the Sunni minority, that by creating such turmoil, there will be a civil war. They clearly understand what is at stake, the terrorists do. I hope we do.

Mr. Speaker, our country had suffered its fair share of lumps in the 1970s, and in 1980 we were looking for a leader who would draw a line in the sand and say ``no more.'' We found that rare man in Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan succeeded where others failed because throughout his public life he concerned himself with getting things done, not winning applause. In fact, one of Reagan's hallmarks was the plaque he kept on his desk that said: ``There is no limit to what you can accomplish if you don't care who gets the credit.''

As a businessman, I admired Ronald Reagan's dedication to this seemingly modest goal. Putting success ahead of personal accolades is a difficult lesson for many to learn, but a talent all great men seem to instinctively possess. It is an axiom that turns productive individuals into innovative leaders, and it turned Ronald Reagan into one of the greatest leaders and greatest Presidents we have had. Ironically, the more Reagan sought to distance himself from the successes he knew grew from the sweat and tears of the American people, the more it turned out that those people admired him for his principled leadership. That leadership earned Ronald Reagan widespread respect and helped Reagan form broad bipartisan coalitions to renew America. The results were immediate, winning historic legislative victories on providing tax relief and strengthening our military. The economy flourished as our national pride returned.

I can recall what a difference Ronald Reagan made in my own life, from the depressed job market I entered after graduating from college in 1978 to the vastly improved job opportunities I found after graduating from business school in 1983. The world was a wholly different place in those 5 years because the Reagan Era had become the Reagan Revolution.

The impact that Ronald Reagan had on our world is immeasurable. When he took office, our collective national spirit had been lulled to sleep in the morass of the 1960s and the 1970s. Reagan seized the sleeping giant and shook it wide awake with a jolt of optimism and patriotism and a reminder of our destiny as Americans that our best days lay ahead.

May God bless the spirit and family of Ronald Reagan, our 40th President, and one of our true national heroes.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Minnesota Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the Minnesota Department of Transportation on receiving the Mark Trail Award of 2004. Two Minnesotans, Rochester resident Troy Schmidt from the Minnesota Department of Transportation and Woodbury resident Terri Smith from the Minnesota Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, are accepting the award at a ceremony tomorrow, June 4, 2004 in Washington D.C.

Since approaching the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Weather Service in 2000, the Minnesota Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the Minnesota Department of Transportation have expanded the Minnesota NOAA Weather Radio Transmitter network from 12 to 32 transmitters, with 4 more about to go into service. As a result, 99 percent of all Minnesotans are now within broadcast range of a National Weather Radio transmitter.

The statewide NOAA Weather Radio Transmitter network will provide Minnesotans with weather announcements and other emergency messages when necessary. When tragedy strikes, this network will allow for notice of emergencies such as fire, flood, tornado or accidents involving hazardous materials to be broadcast so Minnesotans will be aware of the emergency procedures, and can keep their families safe.

Mr. Speaker, it is important services, such as the National Weather Service, that provide a safe environment for the public. It is my privilege to recognize two outstanding Minnesotans, Troy Schmidt and Terri Smith, for their work. I would like to express my appreciation for the sponsors of the Mark Trail Award and for the Minnesota Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the Minnesota Department of Transportation for their help and achievements in coordinating county, state, and federal services.

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that the name of the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Snyder) be added as a cosponsor of the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

I yield myself 3 minutes.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support the amendment I am offering with my friend, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Snyder). The Kennedy-Snyder amendment repeals the 2-year BRAC delay that was included in the Defense Authorization Act reported out by the committee.

Our amendment also requires DOD to report to Congress on our overseas basing posture and other issues raised by the committee in March of 2005 when DOD transmits its base closure and realignment recommendations to the BRAC Commission.

Under the terms of our amendment, Congress would have 6 months to consider the report before a potential vote to disapprove the recommendations of the BRAC Commission. This would give the House ample time to hold hearings and decide if DOD paid attention to such important issues as our overseas basing structure. Furthermore, estimates show that the 2-year delay of BRAC could waste as much as $16 billion in lost savings.

Mr. Chairman, this is money that would be better used to modernize our weapons systems and improve the quality of life for our service men and women.

I know some of my colleagues on this floor are opposed to the BRAC process. They argue that now is not the time to conduct a round of base closures, not while the country is at war. I disagree. I believe that now is as important a time as ever.

The critical nature of our war on terrorism and our military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan demand we go forward with BRAC. Right now, we have a perfect opportunity to see what infrastructure the military really needs for our modern-day challenges. After all, if it is not essential where our military is engaged in two countries simultaneously, in addition to all of our other responsibilities being undertaken by our men and women in uniform, when will it be needed?

But that is not just my opinion. The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, along with the Army Chief of Staff, the Air Force Chief of Staff, the Chief of Naval Operations and the Commandant of the Marine Corps recently warned a delay in the BRAC amendment will seriously undermine our ability to fundamentally reconfigure our infrastructure to best support the transformation of our forces to meet the security challenges we face now and will continue to face for the foreseeable future.

For this reason, the administration has issued a statement of administration policy that says anything that delays, weakens or repeals the BRAC would trigger a veto.

Mr. Chairman, we cannot afford that risk. For those of my colleagues really concerned about BRAC, I would ask them to remember that the BRAC process works. Congress and the President each must act to accept or reject the recommendations of the BRAC Commission. They do not take effect until both Congress and the President accept the list. That means a vote for the Kennedy-Snyder amendment is not a vote to close any base; it is a vote for a process proven to work, free from political posturing, that puts the needs of the military and taxpayers ahead of parochial interests.

Mr. Chairman, the BRAC process is a significant innovation that relies upon shared oversight to strengthen our military and produce significant savings in the defense budget. We have had significant savings in the past BRAC closings.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Snyder).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk), a Reserve member of the U.S. Navy.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Flake).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe), the very distinguished member and chairman of the Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs of the Committee on Appropriations, former Navy Reservist and Vietnam veteran.

Mr. Chairman, I yield the final minute to the distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston).

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Tom Keating on being named the Minnesota Teacher of the Year for 2004. He received this award at a ceremony on Sunday, May 2, 2004, in front of his wife, Mary Sue, also a teacher, their four children and his friends and colleagues. This year, there were a record 150 nominees for the award, and Keating was selected from among 10 finalists.

Born in Minneapolis, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in health and physical education from St. Cloud State University. He began his teaching career at Foley High School in 1971. In 1982, he joined the Monticello public schools teaching a variety of subjects. He has also developed his own programs, including S.U.P.E.R. (Students Using Peers to Educate Responsibly) and the school's youth service program. In 1990, he went back to school himself and received his M.A. in curriculum and instruction from the University of St. Thomas. He is now a multi-subject teacher at the Turning Point Alternative School in Monticello.

Mr. Speaker, it is teachers like Tom Keating that embody the commitment to students that all teachers strive to possess. His hard work and dedication to his students and his support for children that, in his words, are in danger of falling away, are just two of the reasons he deserved this important honor. I join his colleagues, friends, students, and all Minnesotans in congratulating him on his achievements.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Kansas; and I thank him for his passion for keeping jobs here in America, for growing jobs in America, for understanding what it takes to have that happen.

As I go around my district and talk to businesses that are growing those jobs, health care costs are one of the top issues that they talk about to us. The gentleman has hit right on many of the key issues of medical malpractice driving doctors out of practice, getting them to do what they would tell you is unnecessary practices, just to make sure that they are covered in case something happens. We are going to get into talking about health savings accounts and flexible savings accounts and how we can really help individuals better control costs, and how association health plans can help associations of businesses that do not really have a good program available to them provide that to their many, many employees.

Mr. Speaker, there are two different ways that people think about how do we control costs long term. Some would suggest that we need to move towards a single-payer plan where one government entity is paying all of the health care costs across the country. We know what that looks like. That looks like government rationing. That looks like standing in a queue and waiting forever to get a basic procedure. We see that up in Canada. Canadians come down here to America to get their health care because they know what that looks like.

What we are talking about here is empowering individuals, putting individuals and their relationship with their doctor in charge of their health care, having them control the decision, having them have the say and the knowledge and the ultimate give-and-take on how to move forward. I look forward to talking about how each of the things we are talking about here really addresses that issue.

Mr. Speaker, that is absolutely the case. Health care will be allocated by some means. If it is totally free, totally available in a single-payer plan, then the government will come up with restrictions. We have too much today, even in this country, of government deciding to ration what they are going to pay for health care, ration the procedures, and having businesses make too many of those decisions.

One of the most beautiful things that we have done to advance health care empowerment of individuals is the health savings accounts that we passed as part of the Medicare reform last year. What this does is if you have a high deductible plan, a minimum of $1,000 per person, $2,000 per couple, it can be up to over $2,500 per person, $5,000 per couple, you can put that amount away, tax-free, into an account, use it for health expenditures tax-free. If you do not use it, you can roll it over, earn interest on it tax-free, and build up a nest egg that you can use in your senior years. But what this means is that rather than some impersonal party getting the bill that you never see for your health care costs, you can know what it costs, shop for the best price, and make decisions.

The best example I have is the young woman that helps me in my office on health care matters said that she once twisted her knee, and they had an MRI done. That MRI costs $1,500, and they found nothing. And she said, you know, if I had a health savings account and that was my $1,500 being spent, I might have had a simple x-ray done; and if nothing was broken, I would walk on it for a week before I decided I was going to spend another $1,500.

It is those types of decisions made over and over again that will affect health care costs; and we have seen when these types of programs have been put in place in businesses, they have dramatically reduced costs while, at the same time, they are giving individuals better care and better control over their care.

Mr. Speaker, I can tell my colleague that the health savings accounts let your father and your family be in control.

If a young person starts out and they are putting away the maximum amount you can into a health savings account and they live a healthy life and they spend their money frugally for health care costs, they can build up a pretty significant nest egg by the time they get to be your father's age. When you talk to people approaching their senior years, making sure they can have that control over their medical life and make the medical decisions that they want to are vitally important to them.

That is what I think these health savings accounts will do, ultimately. If they can build up $100,000 or $200,000 of a nest egg over a lifetime, they can make the decisions and have the resources for whatever the health care plan is saying to get that kind of treatment. If they have to go into some type of senior care rather than being forced to spend their way to poverty before we do anything in terms of long-term care, they can work with their children and say, hey, listen, I have this nest egg, so that you can buy the services I need, buy home health care and take care of me, and here is the resources for it.

So I think the flexibility, combined with the market-based services availability we have here in America, is vitally important.

I would also say, if you look to controlling costs, which is what we are talking about here with growing jobs and getting these costs under control, if you look at the growth in costs that we have experienced, whether you are a public or private plan, they are straight up. But if you look at what it is for cosmetic surgery, which is about the most personal and invasive surgery there is, those costs are almost flat.

Now, why are they flat? They are flat because the market is involved. If you look at Lasik eye surgery, the costs are down, because you have both the combination of the market and technology bringing that down. That makes everyone's costs more affordable. That makes our jobs more competitive here in America, and it makes whatever surgery you or your father are going to be having later on in life something that is more likely to be within their means. It is a great move forward, and a step that we are building on with the steps we are taking this week.

Mr. Speaker, we have also added other things in the Medicare bill that we just passed to get us going in this direction. We have strong incentives and encouragement for health care providers to do electronic prescriptions so that we not only have quality because we cannot always read the doctor's signature, but we have the ability to have a travelocity.com approach to getting that prescription. We also have strong incentives and requirements for increased quality reporting; and what we ultimately need to get to is, like you would with any other kind of product you are buying, where you can see it, call it up on the Internet: I am looking for this type of procedure, here is the ranking of the providers in my area, here is what each of them is costing, here is what the quality ratings are on them. Because if I were to look for this podium and want to buy a podium, the market offers me an endless variety of podiums and sizes, colors, styles, shapes, materials in every single product category imaginable except where we try to keep the market out, such as in education, in transportation, frankly, and in health care.

We have got to take away the barriers to providing quality, affordable services to our people, and that is exactly what we have done with the reforms that were part of the Medicare prescription drug bill. It is exactly what we are talking about in the additional reforms we are going to be passing this week in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I would just compare this to how you get your auto insurance. When you buy auto insurance, your auto insurance does not cover filling up with gas. It does not cover the oil change. It does not cover the car wash. It does not cover a whole lot of things.

It covers when you have a major accident and you have a major expenditure, and because of that car insurance, although when you have four teenagers like myself it can be pretty steep, it still has not had the type of increases that we have seen in health care.

We need to have a similar type of approach with what the health savings accounts provide which is basically saying we have catastrophic coverage. You and your employer, either one of you, or your family members, can contribute to the health savings account. You are going to spend those dollars. You are going to shop for the cheapest place for nonemergency service for health care, just like you would shop for the cheapest place for gas which, oh, by the way, if we got this energy bill passed, as my colleague mentioned, would be lower, and this is the type of thing that we need do.

I would just say that one of the things we are doing this week is loosening up the restrictions on flexible savings accounts, and flexible savings accounts are similar to a health savings account, but they are employer offered. They allow cafeteria plans, put in their pretax, but they are not really used because it is a use it or lose it.

We have allowed the rollover option in health savings accounts. Why was it use it or lose it? It is use it or lose it because those that want to have a single-payer government plan know how powerful this approach can be, wanted to limit that. So we are allowing people that have flexible savings accounts offered through their employer. If they do not use it all, be able to roll over $500 to the next year or take $500 out and invest it in their own personal health savings account that they can carry with them wherever they go, and given that the average 32-year-old has been at seven or nine different employers in their life, having that portable plan that is with you always should be a great comfort and a great benefit to them.

These AHPs, or association health plans, are a critical link in lowering the uninsured. Just repeating what you said, 60 percent of the uninsured are employed by companies that really have a hard time getting availability of health insurance. By the time you sell to that small company, it is, as you mentioned, a very high overhead cost.

So many of these would want to pool together, provide a plan that is tailored for the type of employees they have, and lower their cost in a bargaining pool.

Who would these associations be? These associations are like we just had

the Realtors in visiting us today. The major issue they spoke to me about, saying Realtors are a lot of times independent contractors with some umbrella firm. They need to have negotiated lower prices that can combine this with the health savings accounts very nicely, but they need it to be able to offer insurance to Realtors.

Look at restaurants that have a wide variety of full-time and part- time employees. They could tailor a plan specifically for those, again meshed with a health savings account.

So these are the types of plans that are going to really help to let more small businesses offer insurance.

One of the things that is important to point out is I know the gentleman from Kansas represents a rural State and has significant parts of his district which are rural, just as I have. A lot of times in those rural areas, they do not really have options. In our State in Minneapolis-St. Paul, there are multiple health plans available, and there are three or four or five, or significant options and several other smaller options; but if we get out into small-town U.S.A, you do not have a lot of options.

This really has even a stronger benefit for those small businesses operating in the rural areas that can combine themselves with an association health plan that goes across State borders, pools businesses of character. And it just does not need to be businesses; this could be a religious organization, a nonprofit organization, a community service organization. The Lion's Club, of which I belong, could do an association health plan for Lion's Club members.

It opens up the amount of people participating, thinking about how can we offer services to those with a commonality. Having more options is exactly what we need if we are going to really grab control of these health care costs and reduce the number of people that are uninsured.

Mr. Speaker, I would also say to my colleague that, unfortunately, what we see here too much on this floor and what we hear is anger and complaining about health care costs going up, they are being harder for the average family to afford. We agree, but we do not hear very often, unfortunately, except with the great dialogue we have had here tonight, about what the solutions are. And I would like particularly my fellow Members from the other side of the aisle to talk about what their solutions are, talk about how you are going to control costs.

The uninsured is a huge issue. Besides growing jobs, each one of these proposals reduces the level of the uninsured. This is really the most effective way for us to reduce the uninsured.

I would also suggest one more piece in the puzzle, which includes my Fair Care Act, which I have introduced and am pleased to have 127 other Members joining me on. And if we think about it, right now, the uninsured can go into a hospital and get care; but it is through the most expensive vehicle possible, the emergency room, through the EMTALA law. We could provide for that service at one-fifth the cost in a community clinic, if we had an individual on some base level of insurance at least, and probably address the underlying problem of that cost much more efficiently, and let people live a healthier life by letting us also do a better job of controlling costs.

Because what happens when an uninsured comes into a hospital and is not paying for it? It ultimately layers onto the premiums for the insured and increases their costs. As my friend from Kansas mentioned, when the cost goes up more on the insured, it creates a vicious, vicious cycle. My bill, to allow for a $1,000 credit per person, $500 per child, up to $3,000 for a family, refundable tax credit so they can get that insurance, pay for that insurance policy directly, is another piece of this puzzle.

And as we think about the uninsured side, we need to recognize that we have, just as we have in education, left too many of the disadvantaged behind. Thirty-five percent of Hispanic households are uninsured; 18 percent of African American households, with only 11 percent of white. There is a disparity in who is hurting, and we need to address them.

While we address the uninsured, we also get control of costs. By getting control of costs, we make American jobs more competitive, and we keep American jobs here. And I think it is also important as we look off on the horizon at how do we control the long-term deficit, how do we control the long-term liabilities that we have, the unfunded liabilities in Medicare and Medicaid are significant. The number one variable that will determine how we control those will be to help control health care costs.

These measures that we have proposed, that we have talked about tonight will not just lower the uninsured, will not just grow jobs here in America, but will get long-term costs under control so we can control that deficit, which again will help make for a stronger economy now and in the future.

So I thank my friend from Kansas for bringing this very important topic to the floor.

The flexible savings accounts and the ability to roll those over.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time to debate this important issue because I really think ending the marriage penalty is one of the most important accomplishments that we have had in the last couple of Congresses.

We should be encouraging marriage, not discouraging marriage. Married couples should not receive an extra gift at their wedding from Uncle Sam with an extra tax bill. All we are trying to do is keep it neutral, neither discourage or encourage, but certainly not penalize them. If we do not pass this amendment, if we do not reject the Rangel amendment, we will be having a tax increase on married couples coming up next year of $300 or more and even higher in outer years.

Yes, we heard the minority whip say that Democrats support marriage penalty relief. In fact, 72 Democrats did join nearly every Republican in voting for permanent extension. So it is fair to say that essentially all the Republican side and some Democrats do see this. But when it comes to actually coming to the point of saying we support families, we lose too many Members on this important issue.

Now is not the time to have a gigantic tax increase. Our families should not only not be penalized for being married but we should be doing what we can to grow this economy and grow jobs. At a time when we are just beginning to get the economy coming back and growing those jobs, we should not pass a tax increase bill, which this amendment would be, which would devastate small businesses and their job creation. It would be a back-door sneak attack on them. Now is not the time to abandon hard-working Americans and hard-working small businesses that are creating jobs for American families.

The debate really comes down to who should be looked to to come up with solutions for this country. Do we look for government, or do we look for families? We heard a lot of talk on the other side about the deficit of the Federal Government. We have not heard a lot of talk about the budgets of families, which their amendment would increase the cost to them.

We also hear how weak an argument they have against what we are trying to do here by bringing up the AMT. The gentleman from New York said that we needed to be honest and accountable. Well, let us be honest and accountable about the AMT and why increasing numbers of Americans are facing that burden. It is because under Clinton and a Democratic Congress, where we passed AMT without an index, each and every year we bring in more and more hard-working families

in the middle class to do this perversive tax. It comes, if we are to be honest and accountable, from the tax policy that they are now proposing in this Rangel substitute, and it must be rejected.

Look at how far they are searching for excuses to come out against eliminating the marriage penalty. The gentleman from California says that this would certainly stop us from doing the right thing in Afghanistan and Iraq. Now, I am not sure what marriage penalty relief has to do with preventing us from doing the right thing in Afghanistan and Iraq. I do not know if it is the confusion about what the right thing in Afghanistan or Iraq should be, but certainly I think our fighting men and women are doing a wonderful thing of extending freedom and keeping us safe here at home.

This bill will do nothing to prevent the full commitment we have and will give our troops for that. But those troops are hoping to come back to an America that values the families that bore them, that values the families that they are creating themselves, and America cannot at this point in time back away from helping American families, from helping the small businesses that create jobs for those families, and I encourage my colleagues to reject the Rangel amendment and vote to keep marriage penalty relief and not allow a tax increase on hard-working American families.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Cannon) for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 399, a resolution I introduced to honor the life and legacy of Lions Club International founder, Melvin Jones, and to recognize the contributions of this fine organization.

Over 200 years ago at the end of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, a curious woman asked Benjamin Franklin, ``Sir, what have you given us?'' He replied, ``a republic, if you can keep it.'' Part of our responsibility of maintaining our republic is encouraging the active involvement of our citizens and our government in serving our community. No one understood this better than Melvin Jones.

The club he founded, Lions Club International, embodies that spirit through a program called Liberty Days.

The history of Lions Club International of which I am a proud member from the Watertown, Minnesota chapter goes back nearly 100 years. After a humble beginning that began on January 13, 1879 in a dusty cavalry outpost at Fort Thomas in what was then known as the Arizona Territory, Melvin Jones moved east with his family to St. Louis.

Later, in Quincy, Illinois, Melvin Jones attended Union Business College and Chaddock College. After college, he moved to Chicago where he launched a successful career in insurance, first with the Johnson and Higgins agencies and later with his own business, the Melvin Jones Insurance Agency.

In 1909, he married women's professional golfer Rose Amanda Freeman, whose unqualified support was instrumental as Melvin worked tirelessly to get the Lions Club rolling. In 1913, an acquaintance invited Melvin to meet some local men who belonged to a club called the Business Circle. Like many groups at the time, the Business Circle was largely about old school ``scratch my back and I will scratch yours'' club.

After his election as secretary in 1915, Melvin began to wonder how much could be accomplished if only the members of the Business Circle would pool their energies and talent for the greater good of their communities. Despite broaching this novel idea with other business organizations, their feedback was mixed at best. So Melvin put this unique vision into action and launched his own organization.

On June 17, 1917, he assembled 20 delegates representing 27 clubs nationwide in the East Room of the Hotel LaSalle, and a consensus was reached that a national organization should be formed dedicated to community service. After a spirited debate, the club voted by secret ballot to name the new organization the Association of Lions Clubs. Jones advocated for the name of Lions because it was a symbol of courage, strength, fidelity and vital action, which helped set the standard for the club.

Furthermore, during the organization's constitution, he insisted that it include a plank that no club should hold out as one of its objects financial benefits to its members, a principle Melvin followed throughout his entire life.

The Lions Club caught on so fast that it was just 3 years later after its birth that the club became international when it chartered a new club in Windsor, Ontario.

One of the profound moments of the club's history occurred in 1925 at their international convention at Cedar Point, Ohio, when Helen Keller addressed, challenging the attendees, the Lions, to become knights of the blind in their crusade against darkness, and from then on, as my fellow colleagues have noted, the Lions have been serving and bringing sight to the visually impaired and made this one of their central priorities.

In 1927, the Lions Club had the support of 11,063 local clubs and comprised 60,000 members worldwide. In 1950, when Lions membership surpassed the 400,000 mark, the international board of directors conferred upon Melvin Jones the title of Secretary General of Lions Club International which was changed to Founder and Secretary General in 1958.

Throughout his life, Jones' refusal to accept the limitation of old age was an inspirational reminder to all Lions of his dedication to serving others.

In 1960, at the age of 81, even after several strokes the year before, he

commuted to the club each day alone from his suburban Chicago home, never missing a moment of the Lions International Convention where thunderous applause for the Founder shook the rafters.

On June 1, 1961, Melvin's perfect attendance record ended with his passing into the next life. Soon after, the international board of directors proclaimed January 13, Melvin Jones' day as a memory each year for his contributions to the world of Lionism. In 1965, the Melvin Jones Lions International Memorial was dedicated near his birthplace at Fort Thomas, Arizona.

In June 1999, the Lions international board dedicated a prestigious 50-foot spire in his honor as a lasting tribute to his memory.

During his remarkable life, Melvin Jones accumulated dozens of award, honors and accolades, including participation in a White House business leaders conference to discuss the economy in 1932 and representing the Lions Club at the preliminary planning for the United Nations in 1945.

Today, the Lions Club International is the largest network of service clubs in the world, comprising more than 46,000 clubs and 1.4 million members in 193 countries.

In addition to bringing sight to the blind, the Lions help build a brighter future for their communities by performing a wide range of services from cleaning up local parks and developing youth programs to assisting the hearing impaired and promoting diabetes awareness.

One of the Lions' newest and most exciting programs is the Liberty Day Program. Unfortunately, as most of us are well aware, over the years civics education has become only voluntary in many schools across the country. Even where it is taught, many American government and history books have left out the two most important documents in our history, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. These omissions will have a detrimental effect on our republic, with young people learning less about our founding and how precious our democracy is.

As Members of Congress, we have a responsibility to give back to our communities and combat the cynicism and apathy that some of our constituents have towards government.

In the summer of 1966, two members of the Youth Service Committee of the Lions Club in Denver, Colorado, started a small program in Denver schools to distribute books containing the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. The program immediately got traction and volunteers sought out private donations for the printing of these little booklets.

Other Lions Club members and volunteers pitched in and recruited elected State officials in Colorado ranging from the Speaker of the State House, Russell George, to former Senator Gary Hart and Attorney General Gale Norton to speak to classes and distribute the books. The response was unbelievable.

Soon, every State had its own booklet on Liberty Day, and many have Statewide Liberty Day coordinators, who are continuously seeking to promote and collect private donations to print these books. In fact, in 2000, both the House and the Senate passed resolutions honoring and recognizing the contributions of Liberty Day.

I am proud to be State Chairman of Minnesota's Liberty Day program. In my State, I have had the honor of participating in more than a dozen of these celebrations, talking to thousands of students and adults, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

Liberty Day has evolved into more than just a celebration for students. It is a celebration in which the whole community can participate. Many communities celebrate by holding public lectures, displaying sections of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution in public places and staging mock debates on issues our Founding Fathers grappled with more than 200 years ago. These celebrations are terrific opportunities to connect with our constituents and provide an example and opportunity to give something back to our communities who have entrusted us with the responsibility of doing the people's business. It is also a chance to leave a lasting impression in the minds of young and old alike and erase some of the cynicism they have towards government and public officials.

In closing, none of the outstanding programs and services provided by Lions Club International that have touched the lives of many millions around the world would have been possible without the selfless dedication of Melvin Jones and the millions of volunteers who have followed in his pursuit of serving others.

I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution and give Melvin Jones and the Lions Club International the congressional recognition they deserve.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

The Chairman pro tempore. The Clerk will designate the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 2 minutes.

The amendment today addresses the big issues surrounding this year's road bill: how to expand capacity, how to do so without increasing taxes or expanding the deficit, and how do we address our overreliance on the gas tax.

The degree to which the FAST Act, introduced by myself and the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Smith), has attracted strong bipartisan support reflects the success in addressing these issues by expanding capacity by removing an outdated prohibition again fee-based lanes on the interstate but preserving the trust of the driving public, by doing so only if the fees are charged on new lanes so we have new tar or concrete, charged electronically so there are no toll booths, the fees go away when construction and maintenance costs are provided for, and use of the lanes are optional to drivers and optional for States to use.

It has a broad base of support, and I do believe that this could add $50 billion in capacity to our roads over the road bill period.

I appreciate the chairman's efforts to reflect FAST concepts in the bill and have been very open with him about my intent to offer this amendment, but my concerns are this in TEA LU: that it limits the ability to increase capacity by limiting its FAST-like sections to only three projects; it allows tolls to be charged on existing lanes; it allows tolls to be charged indefinitely; it allows funds raised under these toll programs to be diverted to other uses.

Long term, FAST-style fee lanes can be major solutions to relieving congestion but only if we preserve the trust of the driving public. The types of provisions included in TEA LU could lead to the same distrust and resistance that has resulted in every State referendum on increases in gas tax being defeated. When used with FAST-style protections, it has been accepted by drivers, as witnessed by a recent Minneapolis Star Tribune poll that shows 69 percent in support of FAST-style provisions.

I urge my colleagues to join those that are supporting us, because this is increasing capacity, like the Associated General Contractors, the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, and the American Association of State Highway Officials, those who are users like the American Trucking Association, Owner-Operator Individual Drivers, NFIB, Food Marketing Institute, and taxpayer groups like the National Taxpayers Union, Americans for Tax Reform, and Citizens for Sound Economy to support this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Smith), my cosponsor in the FAST Act which had 73 co-sponsors and a perfect partner for bus rapid transit.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns).

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time.

I appreciate the comments from my fellow colleagues from Illinois and Oregon and just want to clear up a couple of possible misconceptions.

Our FAST Act does provide for those connections. It does provide for maintenance, and it is a perfect complement to some of the most efficient transit options that are out there in the form of bus rapid transit. If you use congestion pricing on a fast lane, which is provided for, you can make sure that everybody's going 50 miles an hour or above, make it a very attractive option for bus rapid transit. Bus rapid transit is allowed to use these lanes, paid for by the users, free. You can combine it with car pools.

So this is not something that takes away any of the funding for transit that is currently available, can be meshed with bus rapid transit in a very complementary fashion; and when we talk about capacity, six States were mentioned by my friend from Illinois, but it is only six projects in six States.

If we are concerned that this road bill does not provide enough capacity to end the congestion around the country that is keeping people stuck in their traffic too long and away from families and work, why are we not letting fully bloom the FAST Act which could be $50 billion or more if we then try to nitpick it around the six projects in six different States.

Furthermore, the tolling sections that have been put in prior bills and in this bill have so many caveats that they will likely never be allowed to be used. We need a new source of funding. This provides a new source of funding, allows projects like the Katy Freeway in Houston to get done quicker, therefore, cheaper, frees up resources from other projects where the FAST Act would not apply.

If there is a market for the road, the road can be built there. It embraces public/private partnerships. It would encourage us to address the needs that are affecting our economic competitiveness, and this is ultimately about a user choice.

Yes, this amendment would take away the ability to put fees on existing lanes. This is an amendment that does take away the ability to put tolls in existing lanes. We will lose the trust of the driving public if we do so, but it does provide a price-value relationship. You only do FAST if it is on new lanes; therefore, they are getting something in return for it. They are paid for.

If you are stuck in traffic at 10 o'clock in the morning, you should have a choice. Use crosses demographic background. It benefits everyone.

This is the pro-capacity vote. This is the pro-taxpayer vote. That is why it will be scored by the Americans for Tax Reform and the National Taxpayers Union.

I encourage my fellow Members to stand up for drivers around the country and support the Kennedy-Smith amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Sauk Rapids-Rice Storm on their victory in the Minnesota Class A Boys Swimming and Diving State Tournament. This is the first State title for the Storm after finishing second last season.

Coached by Tom Swanson, the Storm narrowly defeated Hutchinson, 237- 233, by placing first in the last event of the meet, the 400 freestyle relay. Two seniors on the relay team had been involved in the swimming program since the seventh grade--Jason Timmer and Connor Ziegler. Timmer also placed first in the 50 and 100 freestyle, posting All- American times in both events and setting a state Class A record in the 100.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the students, coaches and fans from Sauk Rapids-Rice High School on their championship season. It's a great tribute to their hard work, dedication and overall team effort and I know everyone in Minnesota is proud of their accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Centennial Cougars, of Circle Pines, Minnesota, on their victory in the Minnesota State High School Class AA Boys Hockey Tournament. The Cougars captured their first title in their first state appearance. Centennial draws students from Lino Lakes, Circle Pines, Lexington, Centerville and Blaine.

The Cougars, ranked first in the state, ended the season with an impressive 30-1 mark, defeating Moorhead 1-0, on a goal by Mike Montgomery, for the championship. Goalie Greg Stutz recorded three shut outs, a tournament record, for the Cougars. Additionally, Greg Flynn received the Herb Brooks award and Tom Gorowsky was named the 2004 Mr. Hockey of Minnesota. Centennial is coached by Erik Aus.

In Minnesota, we are justifiably proud of our hockey tradition. The Minnesota State Hockey Tournament is one of the preeminent hockey tournaments in the country. Featured in Sports Illustrated, the tournament draws larger and larger crowds every year. In fact, the tournament this year set an all-time attendance record--120,092 people watched the Class A and AA hockey tournaments.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the students, coaches and fans from Centennial High School on their championship season. It's a great tribute to their hard work, dedication and overall team effort. I know that everyone in the State of Minnesota is proud of their accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the St. Michael-Albertville Knights on their victory in the Minnesota Class AA State Wrestling Tournament. This is the Knights' seventh consecutive and 14th overall state tournament appearance, and their third championship.

Coached by Gregg Greeno, the Knights finished a perfect 32-0 this season, winning all of their meets by at least 10 points. This was truly a team effort; they rose to the challenge in big meets and avoided injuries during the season.

Individually, the Knights qualified 12 of a possible 14 individuals for the state tournament. Two wrestlers, 112-pounder Mike Thorn and 160-pounder Chas Betts, won individual championships and six others finished in the top six.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the students, coaches and fans from St. Michael-Albertville on their championship season. It's a great tribute to their hard work, dedication and overall

team effort and I know everyone in Minnesota is proud of their accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Elk River Elks on their victory in the Minnesota State High School Class Double-A Girls Hockey Tournament. The championship game on Saturday, February 28th, capped the 10th year that girls hockey has held a state tournament.

The Elks finished a 29-2 season with a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory over North Saint Paul, before a crowd of almost 2,500 fans from across Minnesota. This was the first trip to the state championship game for both teams.

Coached by Barry Hohlen, the Elks came from behind to tie the game in the 3rd period on a goal by Erin Olson, her second of the game. 59 seconds into overtime, senior Anya Miller, a Ms. Hockey finalist, scored on a slapshot to give Elk River the title. Both Olson and Miller were named to the all-tournament team.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the students, coaches and fans from Elk River High School on their championship season. It's a great tribute to their hard work, dedication and overall team effort. I know that everyone in the State of Hockey is proud of their accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, rise today to call attention to the accomplishments of a great man and a great Minnesotan, Charles L. Horn.

As a businessman, he set standards. As a philanthropist, he transformed a community. Indeed, it is safe to say rarely has one man made himself so singularly important and particularly indispensable as Charles L. Horn made himself to the city of Anoka, and the state of Minnesota as a whole.

In 1922, despite the fact that he ``knew nothing of ammunition,'' Charles Horn had built up such an impressive record as the young President of the American Ball Company that he was asked to come to Anoka to run the defunct Federal Cartridge Corporation. He accepted this opportunity with characteristic eagerness.

Through his innovative marketing and distribution techniques, ambitious agenda for growth, and his revolutionary ``dealership network,'' Horn guided F.C. Corp from a startup straining for market- share among such goliaths as Remington and Winchester, to a leadership role in the industry. In doing so, he helped bring hundreds of jobs and stimulate the economic growth of an entire community.

Perhaps more impressive than his storied successes in business are his wonderfully generous philanthropic efforts through which he established himself as a pillar of the community in the city of Anoka and beyond. As the chairman of the Olin Foundation, Horn directed donations in excess of $425,000 for college scholarships and educational buildings, a feat impressive enough to lead 12 different colleges and universities to award him with honorary doctorates. In 1951, Horn began a long relationship establishing himself as one of the most important benefactors in community history by donating funds on the behalf of F.C. Corp to help pay for lighting a recreational field. Thereafter he established the George Green Scholarship award for deserving seniors from Anoka High, created two Charles L. Horn Math Scholarships at St Cloud University, donated $50,000 to the Mercy Hospital fund drive, and sponsored a yearly Christmas party for the children of the community. Finally, further cementing his invaluable role in community life, Horn authorized $635,000 to complete a new City Hall for Anoka.

Mr. Speaker, Charles L. Horn was a true American icon. A successful businessman who gave generously to his community, Horn will long be remembered in Anoka and throughout our state as an innovator and a dedicated philanthropist who truly embodied the values Minnesota holds so dear.