Floor Statements

Offered By: Mrs. Blackburn

Amendment No. 43: In paragraph (1) of the item relating to

``State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance'', after the

first dollar amount, insert ``(increased by $221,000,000)''.

In the item relating to ``National Science Foundation--

Research and Related Activities'', after the first dollar

amount, insert ``(reduced by $221,000,000)''.

Offered By: Mrs. Blackburn

Amendment No. 44: In paragraph (1) of the item relating to

``State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance'', after the

first dollar amount, insert ``(increased by $310,000,000)''.

In the item relating to ``National Science Foundation--

Research and Related Activities'', after the first dollar

amount, insert ``(reduced by $310,000,000)''.

Offered By: Mrs. Blackburn

Amendment No. 109: At the end of the bill, before the short

title, insert the following (and make such technical and

conforming changes as may be appropriate):

Sec. 534. Each amount appropriated or otherwise made

available by this Act that is not required to be appropriated

or otherwise made available by a provision of law is hereby

reduced by 1 percent.

Offered By: Mrs. Blackburn

Amendment No. 111: At the end of the bill, before the short

title, insert the following (and make such technical and

conforming changes as may be appropriate):

Sec. 534. Each amount appropriated or otherwise made

available by this Act that is not

required to be appropriated or otherwise made available by a

provision of law is hereby reduced by 5 percent.

Offered By: Mrs. Blackburn

Amendment No. 112: At the end of the bill, before the short

title, insert the following (and make such technical and

conforming changes as may be appropriate):

Sec. 534. Each amount appropriated or otherwise made

available by this Act that is not required to be appropriated

or otherwise made available by a provision of law is hereby

reduced by 2 percent.

I want to thank the gentleman and also Representative Larsen for allowing me to work with them on this to help ensure that our American innovators' intellectual property is protected as we move forward in this international community transition to green economics.

American innovators hold 50 percent of the world's patents granted between 2002 and 2008 in the clean-energy field, and I will note that

Tennesseans alone hold 1 percent of those worldwide patents in the hybrid/electric vehicle market. It's serious business for our American patent holders. They have invested a lot of time, passion, effort, energy, and economic capital in developing these technologies. It is therefore incumbent upon us in Congress to protect what they have created.

The draft U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, for example, includes language supported by extreme carbon-emitting nations like India and China calling for a multilateral technology climate fund housed inside the U.N. This new fund would require noncommercial transfers of patent-protected technologies as a price for developing nations' participation in any new international agreement to reducing global emissions. These demands would lead to outright theft of our American intellectual property and indirectly benefit the world's most prominent CO2 emitters.

Our amendment, which is supported by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Emergency Committee for American Trade, would protect American intellectual property rights and help block any patent transfer to a new multilateral fund. In the context of any international framework that deals with energy and environment technology, the amendment declares that it is official American policy to defend the rights of our creators.

Mr. Speaker, there are few issues that divide the American conscience like abortion. There are few topics that are fraught with such conviction and emotion.

Last month the President, speaking at Notre Dame, called ``for open hearts, open minds, and fair-minded words'' on abortion as he pled with the country for greater understanding. The actions of his administration and this House belie the hope that the President's words implied. While calling for a constructive dialogue on one hand, on the other, he and many of my colleagues commit tax dollars to fund a practice so many find abhorrent.

This Chamber and the President seem to have forgotten that for many, tax dollars are a deeply personal contribution to our government. They are the product of hard work and often represent dreams and opportunities delayed for yet another year as we give the taxman his due. To take those dollars so patriotically sent to Washington and apply them to abortion in our Nation's Capital and abroad is heartbreaking to many Tennesseans. His administration's policy is not open minded or open hearted. It is, I believe, a cavalier disregard not only for life but for those who defend it.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania, and I do rise to support the Intermediate Space Challenge.

Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, many of the young people that are growing up and participating in this are going to find they are going to grow up in a very different America than we have grown up in because of the increase in taxes that are taking place every single day and the way this crowds out opportunity for young people.

Indeed, my colleagues across the aisle have become the party of punishment, and that is what I am hearing from my constituents as I traveled across the Seventh Congressional District this past week, and they are very, very concerned.

What they are telling me is they know that clean air and clean water and clean energy are important, and, Mr. Speaker, I think we as politicians would say we are even for clean mud. We are just not for taxing people out of their house and home to pay for clean energy. And that is exactly what this cap-and-trade bill, or cap-and-tax, as we call it, cap our growth, tax our people, trade our jobs, and that is what it is going to do, as the Democrats put a price on the very air that we breathe.

The cap-and-trade bill that came out of the Energy and Commerce Committee last week, the Federal building standards that are in that bill are of concern to our Realtors, to our commercial property holders, knowing that there will be these standards that are going to be very, very difficult for them to comply with, knowing that there are going to be energy audits put on their houses, knowing that they are going to have to buy carbon credits if they don't have solar panels on their roof or a windmill in the yard, knowing that they literally are going to see the air that they breathe taxed.

As my colleague from Georgia had previously said, you know, groceries don't grow in a grocery store. They don't grow in a grocery store, Mr. Speaker; they grow out in the fields. They require this carbon dioxide in order to grow and be green and be healthy and provide the food and the forestation that we need here in the United States and certainly around the globe.

The cap-and-trade bill is something that is going to limit opportunity. It is something that we are going to see affect jobs and future jobs. We know that it is expected to cost us over 1 million jobs lost and that we are going to see our unemployment numbers rise substantially, and we are going to see our electricity rates go up by 90 percent.

When we were in committee, we offered an amendment that would have ended cap-and-trade if gas went over $5 a gallon. Mr. Speaker, our colleagues across the aisle sought to defeat that.

We said, let's end it if unemployment goes past 15 percent, and our colleagues across the aisle said no, they were not going to end it if employment went past 15 percent.

We said, let's tell everybody what this costs, how much is it increasing the cost of your electric power, how much is it increasing the cost of the gas you buy, how much is it increasing the cost of the food you eat. And our colleagues across the aisle said no, they were not going to disclose that and vote for and support that amendment.

We even offered an amendment that would protect the innovators of tomorrow who are going to solve the energy issues that we have before us, and they sought not to provide that intellectual property protection for all these young boys and girls, many who are going through the Intermediate Space Challenge now, many who will be the innovators of tomorrow, who will solve the energy issues for future decades, who will create the electric cars.

Indeed, when you look at the electric cars and the lithium ion batteries, the three States that hold the most patents for furthering this invention are California, Ohio, and my great State of Tennessee. Intellectual property protection should have been provided for those. Many of those innovators of tomorrow are in this program that we are celebrating. It is very sad that the party of punishment doesn't provide the protection that those young men and women need to be the innovators of tomorrow.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Massachusetts for his wonderful words about Governor Wilder. I will tell you, though, we probably are having Governor Wilder and some of his friends listening in Somerville, Tennessee, today who are saying, we need an interpreter on that one so that they can understand that wonderful New England accent to our Southern ears. Thank you so much for those gracious words.

It is indeed an honor to stand and to recognize Governor Wilder. And as the gentleman from Massachusetts said, today is his birthday. He is 88 years old today, so it is wonderful that we are having this resolution come forward today and that we are able to designate the post office in Somerville, Tennessee, for this dedicated public servant.

He chose to be a Democrat, but he legislated from the center. And it is so amazing when you look at his career and all that he accomplished, because, Madam Speaker, he chose to build a bipartisan conservative governing coalition. And he really took a great amount of pride in the fact that he established that for the State of Tennessee. Indeed, when you look at the fact that the legislature in the State of Tennessee is a coequal branch with the executive branch, you see Governor Wilder's handprints on this.

Those of us who had the opportunity to serve in the State senate and serve with Governor Wilder did have the opportunity to participate in the way he addressed that coalition. He really is the embodiment of ``public service.'' And as has been stated, he served under the leadership of both parties.

He served as Lieutenant Governor when our now senior Senator, Senator Alexander, was Governor. Lieutenant Governor Wilder was indeed the Lieutenant Governor under his time of service. And indeed Governor Wilder is the one who granted Governor Alexander an extra 3 days on his term when Governor Wilder moved forward with what he called ``impeachment Tennessee style'' for the incumbent Governor who was in place prior to Senator Alexander taking the reins as Governor of our State.

Indeed, Lieutenant Governor Wilder served as Lieutenant Governor when my predecessor in the Seventh Congressional District seat, former Congressman and former Governor Don Sundquist, was in office. So Lieutenant Governor Wilder has a storied career. I also have the opportunity to serve as his Member of Congress now. And when he was in the State senate and speaker of the senate and Lieutenant Governor, I shared the representation of many of those west Tennessee counties with Governor Wilder.

So he has truly had such an incredible career in public service that it is an honor for me to be able to stand here and to recognize him and to make certain that we in this body pay tribute to him by naming that post office for him there in Somerville, Tennessee. I know some of my colleagues have come to the floor to speak on this resolution. And, Madam Speaker, as we all know, in the State of Tennessee, anyone who serves in public office has sought the advice of John Wilder. So whether you served with him in the State senate or not, everyone went to him for advice and counsel as to how they would carry forth their public duties and how they would serve in the State of Tennessee.

So I thank the gentleman from California for yielding. I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for his very kind words. And I thank my colleagues for joining me on my bill, H.R. 1817, to appropriately honor and recognize our former Lieutenant Governor.

I rise today to pay tribute to John S. Wilder, former Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee, and to express my support of H.R. 1817, legislation to have a Postal Service office building in Somerville, Tennessee named the ``John S. Wilder Post Office Building.''

Mr. Wilder commendably served the state of Tennessee for just shy of fifty years, in part as a member of the Tennessee Senate and as Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee. He served as Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee and Speaker of the Tennessee Senate from 1971 to 2007, becoming both the longest serving Lieutenant Governor and the longest serving head of a legislative body in United States history. For his extraordinary life achievements, I today honor a man who through example has exhibited devotion to his community and to the state of Tennessee.

Today, June third, Mr. Wilder celebrates his eighty-eighth birthday. The first born son of Martha and John Wilder, John Shelton Wilder grew up in Fayette County. He enlisted in the army and served our country during World War II. After the war, he attended the University of Tennessee School of Agriculture, and then enrolled in Memphis State University, now the University of Memphis, from where he obtained a degree in law.

Mr. Wilder was first elected to the Tennessee Senate in 1959. In January 1971, the Tennessee Senate elected Mr. Wilder to be the Speaker of the State Senate, which also made him Tennessee's Lieutenant Governor. During his tenure in the Tennessee Senate, Mr. Wilder was noted for his exceptional leadership skills and his ability to cross party lines

in garnering the support of both Republicans and Democrats. His reputation with both parties enabled him to be continuously re-elected Lieutenant Governor every four years from 1971 until 2007.

Moreover, he served as a state senator until 2007 concluding his remarkable career in public service.

Mr. Wilder has been a member of many commissions, association and committees, including the Southern Legislative Conference Executive Committee, the Tennessee Judicial Council, Tennessee Industrial and Agricultural Development Commission, and the National Conference of State Legislatures Legislative Leaders. In addition to his legislative work, he has an active business career as director of Health Management and Cumberland Savings Bank, chairman of the board of Cumberland Bank Shares and First Federal Bank FSI Holding Company, and he continues to participate in the management of Longtown Supply Company, a family owned cotton business founded in 1887. Additionally, he has worked as an attorney in the town of Somerville.

Mr. Wilder has been an extraordinary public servant for nearly fifty years. With gratitude for his service to the state of Tennessee, I ask all members to join me in support of H.R. 1817.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Chief Master Sergeant John Sledz upon his upcoming retirement from the United States Air Force after 30 years of service to our country.

Chief Sledz has reached the pinnacle of enlisted service, the rank of Chief Master Sergeant. Less than 1 percent of airmen are allowed to hold this rank, and achieving it is a testimony to the extraordinary abilities that Chief Sledz has put to work for the protection of our nation.

He has been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal (with five oak leaf clusters), the Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, among many others awards and decorations. He has served on three continents and five different states, and is concluding his career in

the position of Chief, Fuels Management Flight, 43rd Logistics Readiness Squadron at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina.

By focusing his career on the critical logistical tasks required in maintaining the Air Force's ability to launch aircraft, Chief Sledz's efforts have contributed mightily to the safety and well being of the citizens of this country and the stability of the world. We owe him a debt of gratitude that is impossible to repay. He has set a high example of service, leadership, caring, and commitment that all would do well to follow.

Madam Speaker, I congratulate Chief Sledz and his family on his well- deserved retirement, and ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating his accomplishments.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to H.R. 915. The legislation before the House today detrimentally impacts American job creation, and will further exacerbate the federal deficit during an economic downturn. Both effects of the legislation are inexcusable while Americans strive to cope with

difficult economic times, and I urge my colleagues to defeat the bill when it is considered later this afternoon.

The legislation includes two provisions that if adopted, will almost certainly lead to job loss and the prevention of economic expansion for successful American corporations. Primarily, H.R. 915 rewrites modern aviation labor law by requiring FedEx Express employees to organize under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) rather than the Railway Labor Act (RLA). Organization under the RLA allows for a symbiotic and prosperous relationship between FedEx Express management and its employees, and has been a successful organizing tool for both since 1971.

Amending current law to force FedEx Express employees under the auspices of the RLA will almost certainly disrupt the company's plans for economic expansion. According to FedEx, the change in law would threaten ``FedEx's ability to provide competitively priced shipping options and ready access to global markets.'' Both of these elements are critical to the company's growth over the past 38 years, and would be detrimentally altered by the legislation before the House today.

Furthermore, H.R. 915 would terminate airline code-share alliance agreements between airlines and the U.S. Government after three years. In so doing the legislation will disrupt antitrust protection that is considered critical by the airline industry, and threaten at least 15,000 domestic airline jobs.

Finally, the legislation authorizes an $84 billion outlay from a federal budget already stretched thin by trillions of dollars in deficit spending. This massive spending increase impacts both mandatory and discretionary spending, and will only add to the credit card tab mounting at an astonishing pace in only five months of unified Democrat leadership.

I urge my colleagues to oppose H.R. 915.

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 915, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2009. I also want to thank Chairman Oberstar and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure as they continue to mire in the details of our national transportation projects. They face not only the reauthorization of the FAA but also reauthorization of SAFETEA-LU and other major legislation in the areas of transportation--I look forward to working with them on the many projects going on in Texas and my district of Houston.

Mr. Chairman, as the Subcommittee chair for Transportation Security and Infrastructure protection, with jurisdiction over TSA; I am pleased to see that this Act authorizes $70 Action for the FAA through FY 2012.

Funding `Guarantees'

Mr. Chair, this legislation amends current law that ``guarantees'' the availability of funding in the Airport and Airway Trust Fund by requiring that the total budget resources available from the trust fund are equal to the level of estimated receipts, plus interest. The uncommitted cash balance in the trust fund has declined substantially in recent years due to over-optimistic revenue projections. This allows not only the committee but the Agency to ensure committed projects get the funding they need. This legislation also:

Provides for the robust capital funding required to modernize the Air Traffic Control system, as well as to stabilize and strengthen the Airport and Airway Trust Fund. It includes $16.2 Action for the Airport Improvement Program, and $39.3 Action for FAA Operations. It also provides significant increases in funding for smaller airports.

Provides $13.4 Action for air traffic control including for accelerating the implementation of the Next Generation Air Transportation System, enabling FAA to repair and replace existing facilities and equipment, and implementing high-priority safety-related systems.

Includes a fiscally responsible increase in the general aviation jet fuel tax rate in order to modernize air traffic control.

Increases the maximum Passenger Facility Charge to $7.00 from $4.50 to combat inflation and to help airports meet increased capital needs. Based on the needs of the airport, local governments and airport authorities decide on these fees, which could raise an additional $1.1 Action for airport modernization to help fill the gap left by the federal program.

Creates an independent Aviation Safety Whistleblower Investigation Office within the FAA; also mandates a two-year ``post-service'' cooling off period after FAA inspectors leave FAA, during which they cannot go work for the airline that they were previously responsible for overseeing.

Requires the FAA to submit a strategic runway safety plan to Congress.

Requires the FAA to contract with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study on pilot fatigue, and update, where appropriate, its regulations regarding flight and duty time requirements for pilots.

Requires airlines and airports to have emergency contingency plans to take care of passengers who are involved in long onboard tarmac delays, including plans on deplaning after a lengthy delay. These plans must account for the provision of food, water, clean restrooms and medical care for passengers. DOT can fine those who fail to develop or comply with these plans.

This bill will not impede ongoing alliances such as United Airlines and Continental Airlines by any Antitrust provisions in the bill. This is an important alliance to keep U.S. Airlines competitive.

Directs the FAA to meet with air carriers, if flights exceed FAA's maximum arrival/departure rates and are adversely impacting the airspace, to ensure flight schedule reductions.

In 2005 the FAA, Texas Airports Development Office selected the Houston Airport System (HAS) as Airport of the Year. The Texas Airports Development Office makes a selection of the outstanding primary- commercial service airport each year. There are twenty-six primary- commercial service airports in the state of Texas--each enplaning in excess of 10,000 passengers annually. I believe the Houston Airport System can achieve this again next year.

As Members of Congress, we are continually flying back and forth from our District offices to Washington, DC. As a subcommittee Chair responsible for TSA and Transportation Security I pay particular attention to the safety of the employees and the public in our airports. I believe this Act will improve both of these issues. Mr. Chair, I proudly support this reauthorization Act for what it does to support transportation and aviation safety goals for our nation.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate, Federal Communications Commission member from 2005 to 2008, on the occasion of her receipt of the 2009 International Telecommunication Union (ITU) ``Telecommunication & Information Society Award.''

The World Telecommunication & Information Society Award is presented by the ITU in recognition of individuals or institutions that have made a significant contribution to promoting, building, or strengthening an individual-focused, development-oriented and knowledge-based information society. The 2009 award

was presented to individuals dedicated to global Internet connectivity, promoting innovation, and protecting children online.

Commissioner Tate won international praise during her service at the FCC as a leading voice on issues affecting families and children, and helped craft communications policy to ensure that advances in communications technologies benefit all Americans in a safe, secure manner. As a result, she is known throughout the telecommunications industry as the ``Children's Commissioner'' for her dedication to online safety.

Receipt of ITU's Telecommunication & Information Society Award further cements Commissioner Tate's impact on the communications space during her service at the FCC, and follows a litany of awards following her departure from the Commission, including an Award for Outstanding Public Service from Common Sense Media, the Good Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America, the Carol Reilly Award from the New York State Broadcasters Association, the Touchstones of Leadership Award for Public Service from Women in Cable Television, the YW Award from the Academy for Women of Achievement, and the Jerry Duvall Public Service Award from the Phoenix Center for Advanced Public Policy Studies.

On behalf of constituents throughout Tennessee's 7th District, I applaud Commissioner Tate for her lifetime body of work, and congratulate her well-deserved receipt of the 2009 Telecommunication & Information Society Award.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I want to first express my appreciation to Mrs. Capps, who is also a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and has been a very outspoken and consistent supporter of women's health and women's health issues, and we have worked on many of those in committee and certainly continue to raise awareness of women's health.

One such instrument that is placed before us that we can use is National Women's Health Week, and May 10-16 was that week, and this is, as Mrs. Capps stated, the 10th annual National Women's Health Week. And I think it is so fitting, Mr. Speaker, that it was kicked off this year on Mother's Day and how very appropriate that it started on Mother's Day. And I think the gentlelady from California will join me in saying it's also Grandmother's Day, those of us who do delight in those grandchildren.

The nationwide initiative empowers women across the country to make their health a top priority and ensure they take the steps to live a longer, healthier and happier life. And certainly, we are so pleased that there is that emphasis on women's health and having women make the decision to have their health and their well-being be a top priority in their life.

I would like to express my gratitude to the national and community organizations in working to promote public awareness of National Women's Health Week and provide the proper information to encourage women and girls that healthy habits should begin at a very young age.

The efforts of the national community to support regular checkups and preventive screenings will help to prevent diseases that commonly affect women.

I would also like to thank the author of the resolution, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Hinchey) for taking his efforts and energy and his time in order to place an emphasis on women's health, and to say thank you for his leadership in improving awareness of women's key health issues.

I encourage all of my colleagues to vote in favor of the resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, at this time there are no further speakers from our side of the aisle, so I will thank Mr. Hinchey for his wonderful work on this. I will thank Mrs. Capps for the bipartisan efforts that we have put into addressing the issues that affect women in leading healthy, productive lives.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to say thank you to our President. I am grateful that he has reversed his decision on releasing the alleged detainee abuse images.

It was the right decision to come to. It was the right decision to make, and I congratulate him. I thank him. I think we are all grateful to him.

I am glad to see that he listened to his team of national security advisers and realized that releasing those images is not in our national interest.

It does not make this Nation more safe. It makes it less safe. It does not help our troops in the field. It makes their job more difficult, more dangerous, and it makes their lives less safe every day.

Having Fort Campbell in my district, with troops just returning, having our Tennessee National Guardsmen just now deploying to Afghanistan, what we need to do every day is say thank to you these men and women and make certain that our service honors their service. And I thank the President for joining us in reversing his decision.

Madam Speaker, I would like to submit the following memorandum: