Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, on the day following the President- elect's call for a new $1 trillion spending package free from earmarks, House Democrats are bringing to the floor two bills that represent little more than an earmark for the trial bar.

Given the current state of the economy, it is inconceivable that Congress move forward with more ways to restrict the ability of honest employers to run their businesses. Instead, we need to focus our attention on stimulating the economy without earmarks for special interest groups. Congress can do this by providing tax cuts to spur investment on alternative energy--or how about first-time home purchases?--and implement commonsense tax changes like the State and Local Sales Tax Deduction Expansion Act, which I am introducing today.

These ideas will stimulate the economy immediately without hurting small businesses. It will be helping small businesses. Let's reject earmarks for the trial bar. Let's pass tax relief for working Americans and spur job growth.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 34, legislation that not only recognizes Israel's legitimate right to defend itself from terrorist threats, but also expresses this body's steadfast commitment to a strong, vibrant, and long-lasting relationship between the United States and Israel, the only functioning democracy in the Middle East. While rockets, mortars, and homemade weapons continue to rain down on Israel from Lebanon and inside Palestinian controlled territory in Gaza, this resolution places the world on notice that the U.S. House will not waver during Israel's hour of need.

The violence and terror inflicted on the people of Israel by agents of Hamas and their sympathizers represents a continuation of the organization's blood-stained history, and is little more than an extension of a decades-long campaign designed to destroy the State of Israel. It is a moral imperative to stand alongside the people of Israel while their government repels and quells the violence inflicted by Hamas, and today's consideration of H. Res. 34 provides much needed leadership that the international community would be wise to follow.

Make no mistake: the violence, death, and destruction suffered by both the innocent citizens in Israel and the Palestinian people is a tragedy that no man, woman, or child should be forced to endure. Yet this tragedy suffocating the innocents on both sides is not born of a decision taken by the Israeli government, it is singularly the result of a long-planned paramilitary campaign of terror initiated by a terrorist organization.

Madam Speaker, I rise not only to support this timely resolution, but also to join the chorus of voices in this chamber calling for the terrorists in Gaza to put an end to their campaign. Let the violence stop, and the healing process begin. Only then can the diplomatic process have a chance to work towards the international community's goal of a democratic, free, and vibrant State of Israel living side-by- side a peaceful and stable Palestinian community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today on the occasion of her promotion to the rank of Brigadier General to honor and congratulate Delilah R. Works for her many years of dedicated service to the State of Tennessee, the Tennessee Air National Guard, and to our Nation.

General Works earned her commission through Officer Training School at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, in April 1980. In the years that followed, she distinguished herself in assignments in the Air Force and the Air National Guard that took her from Alaska to

California and finally back to Memphis, Tennessee. At the 164th Airlift Wing in Memphis, General Works served as Maintenance Squadron Commander and Wing Chief of Staff among other assignments. Most recently, General Works was appointed the Director of Staff for the Tennessee Air National Guard in Nashville.

General Works has been a leader not just in our Armed Forces, but in our community as well. She is a member of Leadership Memphis, Women in Aviation, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and strongly supports the Adopt-A- School program.

Again, I ask my colleagues to join me in offering sincere congratulations to BG Rita Works, her husband Lavon, and their family. We can all take pride in her example of leadership, service, and selflessness.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Billy Jim Vaughn as the Brentwood Rotary Club will present him with this year's Community Service Award on October 17, 2008.

For 73 years, Billy Jim Vaughn has served as Scoutmaster for Troop 1, thought to be the oldest continuous Boy Scout troop in the United States. With his love for nature, athletics, and above all other people, Billy Jim has been a part of Troop 1 B.S.A., as a scout and leader, for a total of 82 years. With the pride of a father, Billy Jim has inspired countless young men through scouting by providing the direction, purpose, leadership and teamwork skills needed to develop into strong individuals and community leaders. The entire

Brentwood community holds Billy Jim in the highest respect, and as a result of his dedication, the Billy Jim Campership Fund for Needy Scouts was established in his name.

Billy Jim's immeasurable impact on the community is not limited to the world of scouting, however. During World War II, Billy Jim served in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps, and he has developed a long record of service to the Nashville and Brentwood communities since that time. At Brentwood United Methodist Church, Billy Jim has taught 9th grade Sunday School for the past 54 years. Additionally, he has served on the boards of directors for American Red Cross, Hemophilia Foundation, and YMCA, among others. He worked at the United Methodist Publishing House for 44 years, and with Randstad Staffing Services for 30 years. He served as president of the National Association of Purchasing Managers, and has been recognized numerous times for his contributions to the business community.

Billy Jim Vaughn has set an example of service, leadership, caring, I and civic participation that all would do well to follow. Madam Speaker, I congratulate Billy Jim Vaughn on this well-deserved award, and ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating his accomplishments. We congratulate Billy Jim and his family on this wonderful occasion.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and congratulating Michael W. Smith on his rich 25- year career and innumerable contributions to contemporary Christian music. He will be recognized next Sunday, October 12, as the Nashville Choir hosts ``A Light for the City 2008''--A 25th Anniversary Celebration of Michael W. Smith. With many special guests, including Rev. Franklin Graham, Max Lucado, Amy Grant, Bill and Gloria Gaither, Jordin Sparks, Wynonna, Ricky Skaggs, Melinda Doolittle, Phil Stacey and Michael Tait, the Nashville Choir will pay tribute to Michael W. Smith and thank him for his contributions to the Nashville community and indeed the entire globe.

Not only has Michael W. Smith garnered significant accolades as a recording artist and song writer, including 5 Platinum and 16 Gold certifications, over 15 million sold albums, and several GRAMMYs and GMA Dove Awards; he has moreover accomplished outstanding work as a citizen, humanitarian, and public servant. In addition to acting as a spokesperson for Compassion International and serving as vice chair of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation, he has shown commitment to the local Nashville community especially through work with New River Fellowship church and the establishment of Rocketown, a safe and engaging concert venue, coffeehouse, and skate park. Husband to Debbie and father of five, Michael W. Smith has above all remained committed to family and his faith.

On behalf of all who have been inspired by his work, I ask my colleagues to join with the Nashville Choir, family, friends, fans, and colleagues in the music industry to recognize Michael W. Smith's legacy and his music which has touched countless lives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support for S. 3325, the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2008. This critical legislation will not only provide more resources for law enforcement to enforce existing copyright laws, it will also promote better coordination of U.S. intellectual property policy in the executive branch.

These are two important policy goals for my constituents in Tennessee's 7th District. Tennessee's economic engine is built upon the strength of the creative community's intellectual property, and industries from auto manufacturing, film and entertainment, recording arts, and live performance depend ont he Federal government enforcing their property rights.

The music industry in Nashville and Memphis alone accounts for nearly $7 billion in economic impact per year, and create than 20,000 jobs. Film, television, and cable broadcasting account for bills more. In 2004, for example, the Oscar-winning film Walk the Line shot for over 45 days in Memphis and Nashville, generating between $18 and $20 million in economic impact for the local economy, and hundreds of high paying jobs. And before Nissan moved its North American headquarters to the Nashville area, Tennessee was already home to nearly 1000 auto- related manufacturers, 159,000 jobs, and a payroll of over $6.6 billion.

These industries are based on the development, nourishment, and incubation of intellectual ideas before they evolve into marketable products. This process is not free, and instead dependent on an implicit understanding that appropriate compensation will result from investment and hard work.

Unfortunately, these industries are suffering from rampant theft of their intellectual property online, and in marketplaces around the world to the tune of $58 billion each year. The Institute for Policy Innovation estimates intellectual property theft and copyright infringement costs American workers 373,375 jobs per year, $16.3 billion in earnings, and $2.6 billion in tax revenue for governments at every level.

These statistics are alarming and unacceptable, but demonstrate the U.S. must continue a vigilant effort to increase enforcement efforts. S. 3325 would provide the Federal government with new tools and information sharing capabilities consistent with this important goal, and I urge all my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Webcaster Settlement Act of 2008, and want to thank the gentleman from Washington for his leadership in bringing this resolution to the floor.

H.R. 7084 is a simple yet critical legislative solution that allows private sector actors to keep a negotiating process alive. Why? Because Internet radio royalties operate under a government license, and Congressional approval is necessary to allow a private sector agreement to effectuate outside the government process.

This is a good thing. After all, if I have a choice between a government mandated solution and a private sector agreement, I will take the private sector agreement almost every time.

The Webcaster Settlement Act of 2008 guarantees that our nation's performing artists, musicians, record labels and webcasters can continue copyright negotiations that are making slow but steady progress. And a resolution to the issue is critical, so Internet radio listeners can keep on listening and the people performing those songs can be properly compensated.

The Copyright Royalty Board is small government body tasked with determining royalty rates for the use of music over Internet radio. It is obscure to some, but its decisions are critical to my constituents in Tennessee and Internet radio users across the country. Unfortunately, this body was tasked with the authority to adjudicate a rate structure at the direction of Congress back in 2004. This proved to be unwise, since the Board's decision announced in March of 2007 sparked a lengthy lobbying battle and an acrimonious relationship between two important members of the music industry's family; the copyright holder and the copyright deliverer.

We now understand that the parties are gradually coming together, and growing closer to finding common ground. Congress should do everything in its power to ensure the negotiations continue, and H.R. 7084 is the vehicle to guarantee the talks will continue.

I urge my colleagues to support it, and yield the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is becoming painfully clear to us and now we know that Americans should not be forced to endure a prolonged and painful economic downturn to pay for the sins of Fannie, Freddie or discredited Wall Street executives. The question that is being asked by many of our constituents is, all right, now what are we going to do?

So let me be clear. I do not support a bailout of Wall Street firms funded by hundreds of billions of taxpayers dollars. There are smarter ways for us to handle this.

The President and congressional leaders should set a timeline for legislation, come to mark it up, and look at things from both the short and the long-term. We have learned that the ad hoc approach to bailing out companies in the past few weeks just has not worked. What we need is a workout plan that leverages Wall Street's assets and ingenuity to bring the economy back to health while protecting the American taxpayer.

Any deal that comes forward should limit the cash available to Secretary Paulson. We cannot write one man, no matter how experienced or smart, a check for $700 billion of the taxpayers' money.

Mr. Speaker, I hope that we continue to work forward on this and keep the American taxpayer first and foremost in our thoughts.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 6842, The Second Amendment Enforcement Act. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court rightly overturned the unconstitutional gun ban enforced by the District of Columbia.

The Court recognized what Tennesseans have always known, that the second amendment applies to individuals, and that all law-abiding Americans have an inherent right to self-defense. The ruling was a victory for freedom and constitutional rights.

Sadly, the District of Columbia has chosen to turn a blind eye to the court and the constitution by re-legislating the gun ban piece by piece. DC has legislated that guns must be trigger locked or disassembled in the home, rendering it nearly impossible for law- abiding citizens from purchasing guns in the District.

When the court overturned the ban, I breathed a sigh of relief for the young women on my staff who are now able to appropriately defend themselves. Imagine my surprise when the District dictated that those same staffers store their guns in pieces or with trigger locks until an ``immediate'' threat presents itself. Have you ever heard of anything so ridiculous? When a threat is immediate, you don't have time to find a key or put together a gun!

I stand for the right of all Americans to defend themselves and in support of H.R. 6842, which will make the policy of the District of Columbia consistent with the ruling of the court and the clear intent of the Constitution.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding the time.

You know, this has been such an interesting discussion that we have carried forth on this bill. It has lasted for weeks. And finally the majority decides they're going to do something about it. But you know, it really is a bait-and-switch-type issue with the American people because the American people are for drilling on American soil for American energy resources because they want to move to energy independence. They want to lower the price at the pump. And the bill that we have in front of us is not going to do that.

Indeed, Mr. Speaker, if you get into section 101 of this bill, what is it that you find right out of the gate, right from the start, what is it that the majority wants to do? And now bear in mind this bill never came to the Energy and Commerce Committee. It didn't go to the Energy Subcommittee. The 290 pages of this bill was dropped in the dark of night last night and brought to the floor today.

But in section 101 of the bill, what do you have? Putting permanently off-limits some of the richest reserve areas in the Outer Continental Shelf.

So it's like that situation where you want to give a little and take a lot, which is not appropriate when we have the price of gas in our States at all-time record highs today.

Other things that it does not do is to address renewables without tax hikes. If you want renewables, run the taxes up, is what the majority says, what the Democrats say. Oil shale exploration? Not going to do that. Arctic coastal plain, ANWR? Not going to do that.

If you want nuclear--in TVA and Tennessee, we're looking at a 20 percent electric rate hike. But this bill would make it more difficult for expanding nuclear. There's nothing in there for emission-free nuclear. And we know that our rates are going up 20 percent. We know that moving from hydroelectric to nuclear is an imperative for us.

I encourage my colleagues to vote this bill down and vote for the American Energy Act, all-of-the-above.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for yielding, and I must first thank my colleague and cosponsor from Tennessee, Congressman Cohen. This resolution would not be possible without his hard work. Vital business in Tennessee has delayed his arrival on the floor today, and I know that if he were here with us that he would speak better than most about his constituent and his good friend Isaac Hayes.

Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor for me to share the representation of Memphis, Tennessee, with Congressman Cohen. We are honored to represent its people and its proud traditions. Memphis has contributed so much to our State and indeed to our country, and perhaps the greatest contribution that there is is that ``Memphis Sound.'' The Memphis Sound really is the soundtrack for America. It captures the rhythm of the region, as well as the hopes, the frustrations, and the aspirations of so many Americans.

We do stand on the floor today to celebrate the life of the man who gave so much of that music its soul, Isaac Hayes. Isaac was one of the driving forces behind the legendary Stax Records that created and amplified the Memphis Sound. Collaborating with David Porter, Isaac wrote some of our most famous songs: ``Soul Man,'' ``Hold on, I'm Comin','' and his own hits like ``Walk on By'' and that groundbreaking musical score and the theme song from the movie ``Shaft.''

I first came to know Isaac when I was at the Tennessee Film, Entertainment and Musician Commission, heading that body, working on issues that were so important to our songwriters. And I found that Isaac was fiercely proud of the Memphis sound that he had helped to give birth to and the different genres that had been spawned by that, and I know that all of Tennessee today is fiercely proud of Isaac and his work.

Isaac was more than a great musician. He was also a noble humanitarian, as we have just heard from the gentleman from Virginia. I found the Isaac Hayes Foundation and their work to be something extraordinary. It was founded by Isaac Hayes, and it was done so to promote literacy and music education. He constructed an educational facility in Ghana.

I last saw him and visited with him at a ceremony in Memphis this spring. He was being honored not only for his contributions to Memphis music but also his contributions and his humanitarian work for the City of Memphis. He grew up in Memphis. He graduated from Mannassas High School in 1962, and even after he achieved worldwide acclaim, he always remained loyal to the Memphis community.

You know, I didn't know it then, but I am saddened now that that was going to be the last visit that we had. But I will tell you, Isaac Hayes and David Porter were still talking about intellectual property, protecting songwriters, and making certain that songwriters were paid.

Indeed, Memphis has lost a champion and an inspiration, but they still have his music and his soul.

As co-chair for the Congressional Songwriters Caucus, I am honored to bring this resolution to the floor of the House today, and on behalf of Isaac's family, the songwriting community in Tennessee and for listeners worldwide who have been touched by the Isaac Hayes sound, I urge all Members to join me in supporting this resolution.

Madam Speaker, It is a privilege for me to rise today and honor Mrs. Yvonne Leander as she retires from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

As a young graduate from the University of Georgia with a degree in economics in hand, Yvonne Leander began her career in public service after accepting a position as an economist in HUD's Atlanta office. After taking that first position, Yvonne would quickly rise within the agency and take on wide ranging managerial positions that include Chief of the Management Branch in HUD's Atlanta Property Disposition Center, Community Builder in HUD's Nashville office and Field Office Director of HUD's Memphis Office.

A dedicated public servant, Yvonne has touched countless lives as she has helped many proud Americans experience the joys of becoming a homeowner for the first time. With a reputation for being an innovative leader in the community, Yvonne coordinated a national award-winning project that successfully relocated 186 very low-income families from Lane Garden Apartments in Nashville with the help of business and community partners. Throughout her time with HUD, Yvonne has consistently provided wisdom, encouragement, and counsel to many families that have found themselves experiencing difficult times.

Madam, Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me today in thanking Yvonne Leander for her 38 years of Government service and wishing her the best in her well-deserved retirement.

Mr. Speaker, we have all seen the dismal approval ratings the American people have given Congress. And who can blame them? My goodness, they have really grown so ill and fatigued of all the excuses they hear from our leaders. And that is why over the past 5 weeks, 137 Republicans have spoken here on the House floor in favor of American energy and in favor of solving this problem for the American people.

Although Congress was in recess and the lights were turned out and the microphones were off and the TV cameras were quiet, we brought our constituents onto this floor to demonstrate that we are willing and ready to go to work. And still, there is no vote, no vote scheduled on legislation to increase American energy development and to decrease our reliance on foreign oil.

Should Congress promote increased production of American energy? Should

we promote conservation and efficiency? Should we encourage the use of alternative and renewable fuels? The answer to all of the above is yes. That is why we need an ``all of the above'' energy strategy. We need a vote, Mr. Speaker. We need a vote on the House floor.

Madam Speaker, I rise to express my sincere disappointment with the liberal Democrat leadership of this House.

I think it's important that they realize the price at the pump is not a hoax, it's not a mirage, it is not a bad dream, it is real life. And to my constituents in the Seventh District of Tennessee, they are angry with the price at the pump.

What we are hearing from them is this, Madam Speaker: we can't afford the change the Democrat Congress has wrought. We can't afford the price that they have delivered at the pump. And we definitely cannot afford for the Democrat Congress to vote themselves an adjournment resolution and leave for 5 weeks--5 weeks, while the price at the pump continues to rise, while the price of electric power rises, while home heating oil prices are going to triple.

This is reality. It is real life. And it is what is facing our constituents every single day. Take some of the power you're using to save the planet and use it to address this issue.

Mr. Chairman, Fort Campbell, one of the Army's largest posts and home to the 101st Airborne Division, is in the seventh district of Tennessee, which I am honored to represent.

Currently, over 700 Tennessee National Guardsmen and the bulk of the 101st Airborne are deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.

With this in mind, I'm particularly gratified that this House is finally discussing an appropriations bill today. Funding for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs certainly warrants our attention.

The brave members of our military, and the families that support them at home, are fulfilling the commitment they made to our Nation by fighting and serving to help protect it.

The federal government must in turn fulfill its commitment to provide top-quality equipment, facilities, and training for these heroes, and the best possible care upon their return.

On behalf of the men and women in uniform, veterans, and military families in Tennessee's 7th district, I urge my colleagues to support today's measure for MILCON-VA appropriations.