Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, virtually every day John Kerry and his campaign are telling America that our best days are not ahead, that our economy is not growing, and that President Bush has not waged a tough war on terrorism. Fortunately, most Americans, as we hear when we are out in our districts, as we see in the polls, most Americans are seeing through Candidate Kerry's empty rhetoric.

For the past several months, our economy has shown strong growth. I have here with me tonight an article from the National Tennessean. It is headlined ``Nashville area added 11,308 in fiscal year 2003-2004.'' The article notes that these 11,308 jobs are five times last year's total. Mr. Kerry may not want people to know, but this is an indication of real economic growth and what is happening out there in the heartland.

No matter what John Kerry or CBS might tell us, President Bush and this Congress are making the right decisions for our economy and for the war on terrorism.

Another subject that has been getting a great deal of attention from the left is health care, specifically the Health Savings Accounts that were created last year by this body. And for months Kerry and the Democrats have been calling choice, flexibility, and ownership in health care a bad idea. But they are absolutely wrong. The Health Savings Accounts are all about giving the consumer power over their health coverage, over health decisions, and over those precious health care dollars.

Republicans do not favor a one-size-fits-all universal health care system. We understand what a one-size-fits-all system does. We know that that would mean universally poor care that leaves consumers basically with no power and no rights in the management of their own health coverage and their own health decisions.

Outside the Beltway, people are excited about Health Savings Accounts, personal health accounts. This editorial from the National Business Journal is titled ``Health Savings Plans Can Help Business.'' This recognizes that small businesses will be able to offer health care to employees in a way that reduces paperwork and empowers the employee. As the editorial states: ``This is part of an ownership society,'' something that we are hearing the President talk about daily. An ownership society. What this means is more health care coverage, more options, more power for consumers in those personal health accounts, and we think that that is a very good idea.

In another article that I have, this time from the Memphis Business Journal, the other end of my district, it has said that the new health care items, this is what is ``getting the enthusiasm,'' is the health savings accounts. And why? Because they function like a health care IRA, giving consumers ownership over a tax-free account. What a great idea.

Mr. Speaker, regardless of what Candidate Kerry and the liberal left would tell us, it is clear that Americans are increasingly aware of what President Bush and the Congress have done to reinvigorate our economy, to expand health care options, and to win the war on terror. Faced with the horrific attacks on America, a trillion dollar hit to our economy, and a preexisting recession, the Bush administration and this Republican Congress have made significant strides in the right direction. And that is something we are looking forward to continuing in the year ahead.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take the time of the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster).

Mr. Speaker, this past weekend, like so many of my colleagues, I spent time at a memorial ceremony, several in my district, to remember the victims of September 11, to honor the soldiers who have bought our security with their lives, and to pray for those who battle at this very moment in Iraq and Afghanistan to preserve our freedom. Today, I traveled to Fort Campbell in my district to spend the day with our 101st Airborne soldiers and to join Secretary Rumsfeld as he held a town hall meeting with the community there at Fort Campbell.

Mr. Speaker, it occurred to me while surrounded by those thousands of Americans, all united, all prepared to do what it takes to win this war on terrorism, it occurred to me that the terrorists sorely have misjudged our Nation and that they certainly have misjudged our President and his leadership team.

On September 12, America made a conscious decision to change the world, not to withdraw from it. And President Bush deserves credit for not wavering, for realizing the time had come for America's military might to be used. The terrorists never expected we would have the fortitude to invade Afghanistan, to remove the Taliban, to hunt down and destroy two-thirds of the al Qaeda leadership.

The attacks were meant to change us, but only those who have a fundamental misunderstanding of what makes America unique could think that that is possible.

Today, the al Qaedas, the Saddams, Qadhafi in Libya, Iran's President, Mohammed Khatami, and North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Ill, they understand us better and they know that America is not the one who will change.

Some say that Iraq was not worth it. These are the same people who believed we could win the Cold War with nothing more than diplomacy, and these are the same people who think U.N. sanctions are the answer to the world's problems. But what I have found and what I saw today was that most Americans want a substantive, serious debate on what direction we should take in the war on terrorism, not disagreement for disagreement's sake, which is what I believe Candidate Kerry is giving them. I think they respect the job that President Bush has done and is continuing to do, and they understand that what we are doing in Iraq is something that needs to be done. They understand that much better than most politicians.

People across America, our constituents, know that Iraq is tough. They understand it is a struggle, but they also realize that we have no choice but to change the world, to change the Middle East if we hope to have a chance to end terrorism. Containment and detente simply do not work when we are talking about planes being hijacked and when we are faced with people strapping bombs to their bodies and annihilating crowds of civilians.

So I support President Bush. He has helped America stand tall in the face of terror. He told the world that America would not be changed by their threats of terrorism; and today, we are on the offensive in this war on terrorism for the first time. We must not change course now.

Americans have always recognized leadership when they saw it; and today, they see it. President Bush is a leader who is not afraid to make the tough decisions, and that is what our Nation needs.

Mr. Speaker, today I want to take a moment and thank a leader who has served not only his community in Tennessee, but also our Nation. After a lifetime of service as an officer in the United States military and as a physician, Brig. Gen. Donald H. Polk, M.D. is retiring.

In 1976, my friend Dr. Polk began working with the Tennessee Army National Guard. As Deputy Commander, State Area Command, Tennessee Army National Guard, General Polk has been responsible for supervising and training 3,000 combat service support soldiers of the Tennessee Army National Guard. Over the years Tennesseans have come to know and respect his leadership abilities.

And as a family physician in Wayne County, Dr. Polk has cared for thousands of people across our community. Again, his leadership abilities shone through as Medical Director of Emergency Service at Wayne Medical Center.

We are grateful for Dr. Polk's dedication and today I am pleased to honor and recognize his many years of service.

Madam Speaker, today I want to thank the Reverend David O. Jones of Franklin, Tennessee, for joining us to deliver the opening prayer for this day of session in the U.S. House of Representatives.

As we near the third anniversary of the September 11 attacks on America, it is more important than ever that we continue to seek the guidance of our creator.

Reverend Jones has a long and distinguished history of dedication to his faith and to his community. He is a pioneer in the home-school movement who has made a real difference in the lives of thousands of Tennessee children and their families, and has worked to ensure that we protect the sanctity of life as an example to each and every one of us.

We begin each day of legislative session with a prayer, and I am thankful that on this day Reverend Jones could join us as we begin our work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the rule. There is a campaign of disinformation that is being waged against the overtime pay reforms put in place by the Department of Labor late last month, and I would like to speak to that.

The administration has guaranteed overtime protection for 6.7 million working Americans, and it is a reform that was needed and it was overdue. We have not seen millions of workers lose their overtime pay. In fact, we have watched as 1.3 million additional Americans have gained their right to claim overtime pay.

The previous system was outdated, it was unfair, and the Bush administration deserves credit for reforming the system, even though they knew the political interests aligned against the President would try to frame it as a negative.

The old status quo was a 54-year-old regulation. That is what the critics are claiming was fair. Under that regulation, someone earning as little as $8,060 would be classified as a white collar employee and prevented, prevented, from receiving overtime pay. No more, Mr. Speaker. This new policy is worker-friendly, it is fair, and I support the rule.

Mr. Speaker, I am hearing from my constituents on the Sandy Berger sloppy socks scandal. They are horrified, absolutely horrified that somebody who was trusted with our Nation's security would stoop to such a level of carelessness that now we have the situation where it appears he has stuffed it in his socks, in his pants pocket, in his jacket pocket and has taken frequent, frequent restroom breaks.

What happened with the documents?

They are offended that the former President would make this a laughing matter and talk about how he laughed about the carelessness.

Let me tell you, my constituents want some answers.

Here is an e-mail from one of my constituents. ``I do not care when it was discovered or when it was released, only that it took place. I am very concerned that any government representative would minimize the action or regard it as sloppy, careless or a mistake. It is a crime.''

The people want answers. They expect a full investigation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I find it so interesting that some of our colleagues today are trying to talk about all sorts of other issues, and some that support same-sex marriage are just saying this is an election year ploy to get votes.

I can tell you that for my constituents in Tennessee, they support what we are doing here today, and they are not concerned about whether or not it is an election year or not. They are concerned about protecting marriage, because they know that marriage is an institution that is at the very core of our existence, and that is why we are here today, to protect marriage.

I think it is very sad, very sad, that some courts and some activist judges have taken it upon themselves to usurp the will of the people. Let me remind my colleagues who oppose this that we are acting in the will of the people today.

Already there is a lawsuit that is being brought by same-sex couples in Massachusetts to force other States, like my State of Tennessee, to accept their Massachusetts marriage license, and it is contrary to the Defense of Marriage Act, and it is contrary to the will of the people.

Mr. Speaker, in late October, I had the opportunity to be in Iraq as part of a bipartisan female congressional delegation, and to visit there with our military men and women. Also, while I was there, I had the opportunity to visit and meet some of the Iraqi women who are taking a very strong and very decisive stand for freedom in that country.

Since returning from that trip, I have participated in the Iraqi Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues, and I would commend my colleague, the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Dunn), for her incredible work on pulling that caucus together and for her efforts in continuing to work with and supporting the Iraqi women.

We had the opportunity last week to have some of those Iraqi women here. A group of Iraqi women were here to look at how we participate in freedom, how we learn to run for office, and how we learn to take a leadership role. They had a fantastic story to tell, and it is a story that we should be listening to. We should be participating with them in celebrating the successes that they are having and the achievements that they are making over in Iraq.

Mr. Speaker, I find it really quite amazing that much of the liberal media chooses not to communicate the story of the great successes that are taking place there in Iraq. At a policy committee last Thursday morning, we had many of these women with us and we listened to them, and it was a wonderful opportunity for our Members to ask questions of these Iraqi women. Many of them did, and the responses were phenomenal. I wish each and every Member could have heard some of these responses.

One of our colleague's asked, what do you say, what do you say when Members and constituents will say, well, I do not think we should have gone into Iraq. What do you say? How do you reply? And the responses from those very brave and courageous Iraqi women ranged from, well, you waited too long; to, if you leave, 25 million Iraqis will be subjected to torture; to, a mother who told us about trying to take a telephone call from her son when his tongue had been cut out by Saddam's regime; and the affliction that is felt when 48 of your relatives are killed; and the sorrow you feel when a million of your fellow countrymen are missing.

These are all stories that we need to hear, and then celebrate and support the success that these women have as they are accepting the responsibility of freedom.

Mr. Speaker, I had this article forwarded to me yesterday by General David Patrias and his wonderful wife Holly. They have just left the command at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. General Patrias commanded the 101st and is now back over in Iraq. This is something that probably we are never going to see on the front page of many of our Nation's major newspapers, and certainly on many of the networks we are not going to hear this story. It comes from a military training post in Jordan, and it is a story about not the first but the second group of Iraqi women to complete military training.

This is about 39 women who have graduated from the military training camp here in Jordan on July 8. And, listen to this, all, all, each and every one of them, all, with the hope of making a differences for their country, and none thinking about that they are making history.

And look at this, the reason they are doing this. These women are committed to freedom. They know that the terrorists are now using women more often in attacks. So these women are coming forward. One of them says, ``From when I was young, I dreamed of being in the military.'' Dreamed of fighting for her country; dreamed of fighting for freedom. ``I have some fears, but we have to control them. I'm optimistic about the future.''

They have such a hope for what can happen in their country, and they want to be a part of it. They want to support freedom. Then this quote I really love. ``Everything starts from scratch.''

They realize it is going to be a long time in coming, but they continue their commitment.

Mr. Speaker, I brought a little article down here with me tonight because I think it is kind of instructive. Sunday morning I was watching some of the talk shows and doing a little reading, and I heard a spokesman for the Democratic candidate say, ``Well, you know, this administration has wrecked the economy.''

At that point in time, I happened to be reading an article here. It says, ``Sales Survey: Economy is Still Picking Up Speed.''

What this is talking about is the amount of growth in Tennessee's economy. Over 370 sales professionals were surveyed for their second quarter sales; 69 percent of them saw sales up over first quarter numbers.

Mr. Speaker, I think this just reminds us and proves to us that tax relief works. Continued tax relief for the American people works. Jobs are being created, over 1 million jobs in the last few months. Over 91 million Americans saw a tax cut last year. The Bush tax cuts are working.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the new Wilma Rudolph stamp that is now being issued by the U.S. Postal Service.

Wilma Rudolph was a native of Clarksville, Tennessee and an Olympic gold medallist. As a child, she battled polio; and she won. This was just one of her many ``wins.'' At the 1960 Olympic games, she won three gold medals in track and field, a truly amazing feat--especially for one who'd been afflicted by polio. In 1983, she was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.

I thank Mayor Don Trotter and Clarksville Postmaster Wayne Scott for submitting Wilma's name for consideration for this honor.

This stamp is a fitting reminder of her accomplishments, and I know that many Tennesseans will be purchasing her stamp when it is released in her old neighborhood of St. Bethlehem.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to support the RSC budget amendment. It is a responsible amendment, and necessary in a time of war budgeting--and I would suggest, it should even be applied in times of peace.

Congress can act to reduce spending. Public support is there--I hear it from constituents all the time. People have priorities--the war on terror, economic growth through tax relief, and Less Government. They don't want millions more spent on wasteful programs that benefit narrow special interests.

We passed record tax relief and it has helped fuel growth and to create jobs. Now we can put in motion a plan to bring down federal spending--This is the next step in the Republican economic plan for America.

This amendment reverses the cycle of higher spending and higher taxes; it balances the budget within 5 years through spending caps and real deficit reduction.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the importance of Blues

music in the Memphis region, across Tennessee, and to people the world over.

The Blues is a historic treasure that must be preserved and studied for posterity. The Blues, created to express the hardship and tough times faced by many in the Delta region, have comforted millions, brought diverse communities of people together, and created a uniquely American tradition.

Almost all the music we know and love today--including jazz, country, even some classical--has been influenced by the Blues. America's musical heritage cannot be understood without the Blues, and Rock and Roll as we know it wouldn't exist.

Memphis has been a wellspring of musical creativity since the first Mississippi Delta bluesmen started drifting north. When the great W.C. Handy arrived on Beale Street from the Delta in 1908, he brought along this magical new genre. Memphis legends like W.C. Handy and B.B. King are just a few among the many legends of Blues music in the United States who should be recognized.

As Co-Chairman of the House Songwriters Caucus and a Tennessean, I am proud to help represent one of America's true music capitals.

Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in support of H. Con. Res. 13.

Mr. Speaker, this is a great day for the people of Tennessee. It is also a great day for the people of Texas and Washington State and Florida, Wyoming, Nevada, and South Dakota because today we are going to pass the American Jobs Creation Act in this House. In that bill, there is a provision that restores the deductibility of sales tax to our Federal income tax filing. For those of us in States that do not have a State income tax, deducting that sales tax is important. For our 5 million Tennesseans, this is a great day.

Mr. Speaker, I started my fight for tax fairness when I was a member of the Tennessee State Senate, and I have continued that upon coming here to Congress. I want to thank Congressman Kevin Brady, Majority Leader Tom DeLay, and Chairman Bill Thomas for their leadership and their outstanding work on this issue of tax fairness.

This is an enormous step forward. It is one that we have waited for since 1986. It is a great day for Tennesseans. I thank them for their leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman for his work on this issue.

As we pass the American Jobs Creation Act today, this is a great day, a great day for the people of Tennessee and Florida and Texas and Washington and Wyoming. There are 55 million people in the U.S. that live in States that do not have a State income tax, that have a State sales tax, and restoring the deductibility of that State sales tax to our Federal income tax filing is important.

It is important in my State. I started working on this issue when I was in the State Senate. This means $1 billion a year to Tennessee's economy, and let me tell my colleagues, Mr. Speaker, that means jobs because Tennessee is a small business State. This will assist us in creating jobs, good, solid, home-grown jobs, that are going to stay right there with us.

I want to thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay) for their work on this important piece of legislation and especially thank our chairman.