Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 10 o'clock and 45 minutes p.m.), the House adjourned until tomorrow, Friday, March 6, 2009, at 9 a.m.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Vincent Femia--a resident of my district in Upstate New York--for his outstanding achievements at the 2009 Special Olympic Winter World Games held in Boise, Idaho. Vincent played an integral role in helping Team USA capture a gold medal during the 4x1K freestyle cross-country relay. He also earned a silver medal for his performance in the 7.5K freestyle cross-country race, and a bronze medal in the 5K cross-country race.

At only 24 years old, Vincent has a long and distinguished history of participation in the Special Olympics, earning eight gold medals in Nordic skiing over the past 15 years. Since first taking to the slopes at the age of five, Vincent's stamina and strength have earned him the nickname, The Machine.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor Vincent's accomplishments in the Special Olympic Games, and look forward to tracking his future success. Please join me in congratulating Vincent on this occasion.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform be discharged from further consideration of House Resolution 183 and that the resolution be re- referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 183) expressing condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the victims of the crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 183.

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

I want to express my deepest sympathies to the families who lost loved ones in the tragic crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407. I can say, as an upstate New Yorker and as an American, the families and friends of those who were lost are in our thoughts and in our prayers.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Clarence for his leadership in bringing this resolution, and also I'd like to thank him for the courage that he showed. As soon as this happened, he immediately recognized where his duty was, and that was to be home in Clarence, and he immediately headed home to be there to help to show leadership, to show his constituents where his priorities were; and that was at home where he was needed most.

So I thank him for what he has done. Clearly, this has been a shock to his community and to the entire country. Certainly, while the whole country has felt it, no one has felt it more than western New York.

I would like to yield 3 minutes to my colleague from western New York (Mr. Higgins).

Mr. Speaker, I would just like to again thank my colleague, Mr. Lee, for his leadership on this bill. And I would urge a ``yes'' vote on this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding young athlete, Erin Hamlin, on her victory in the 41st Luge World Championship in Lake Placid, New York on February 6th, 2009.

Erin snapped a twelve-year German winning streak by posting times of 44.113 and 43.985 seconds, a new Lake Placid track record, for a combined time of one minute, 28.098 seconds. She is one of only two U.S. athletes ever to win a luge world crown.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to represent Erin, who was born in New Hartford and raised in Remsen, both in New York's 24th Congressional District. In 1999, at the age of 12, Erin was introduced to the sport of luge through a Verizon/USA Luge Slider Search in Syracuse, New York. After being selected to a development team, she began training in Lake Placid.

Erin earned two Junior National Championship titles and a collection of Junior World Cup medals as a member of the U.S. Junior National Team from 2003 to 2006 and as a competitor on the Junior World Cup Circuit from 2002 to 2005. After making the World Cup Team in the fall of 2005, Erin earned a spot on the 2006 Olympic Team. At the Winter Games in Torino, Italy she slid to a 12th place finish, and was named to the Senior National Team the following season. Erin is also the reigning 2008 Verizon U.S. National Champion.

The accomplishments of Erin and the entire USA Luge team cannot be applauded without commending the efforts of their coaching staff. Senior National Team Head Coach Wolfgang Schaedler, Assistant Coach Klim Gatker, and Team Manager Fred Zimny guided the USA Luge team to victory this year. On behalf of my colleagues in Congress and all of Upstate New York, I wish to congratulate this team on their success and recognition.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues join me in congratulating Erin Hamlin and the entire USA Luge Team, and to support them in their future endeavors as they continue to inspire athletes across the country.

Thank you. Thank you for organizing this today and for the advocacy that you do on behalf of not only your constituents but of all Americans.

I would like to just associate myself with the words of my former colleague from the Rules Committee, Ms. Sutton. I think no State has been hit as hard as Ohio has over the years, and I think her remarks certainly ring true for all of the country, including my district that I represent in upstate New York.

As the economy falls deeper into recession, economists tell us that we must act quickly and that we must act boldly. That is exactly what the House did last month when we voted on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. We must--and I repeat this--we must send a final bill to the President's desk this week. Every day that we wait and every moment that we hesitate come more and more layoffs to regular people. These are working people in our backyards. These are people who we go to church with on Sundays. These are people who we work with and who we see at the supermarkets. These are people who we know are losing their jobs. Let me just talk a little bit about that because, to my way of thinking, nothing is more important and nothing is more significant than trying to help the people who have lost their jobs.

In my district, I represent about eleven counties, all or part of eleven counties, actually, in upstate New York. Broome County, which is where Binghamton is located, has an unemployment rate of 7.1 percent. Almost 7,000 people are unemployed there. Tioga County has 7.2 percent. In Herkimer County, it's 7.7 percent. In Oneida County, it's 6.7 percent. Nearly 7,500 people are out of work in Oneida County. In Cayuga County, it's 7.4 percent. In Chenango County, it's 8.2 percent. In Otsego County, it's 7.3 percent. In Seneca County, it's 6.9 percent. In Ontario County, it's 6.8 percent. In Tompkins County, it's 4.7 percent, and in Cortland County, it's 9.1 percent.

These are real people. These are more than 35,000 people in my district in upstate New York who are out of work. This is why we need to stop talking, why we need to stop debating and why we need to put a bill on the President's desk.

Last year, more than 2.6 million jobs were lost here in the United States, and economists warn us that without immediate action here in Washington those numbers will and can be significantly higher in 2009. In fact, we have already seen a significant jump in the number of job losses over the last 3 months. The numbers that I just gave you were for December. That's the frightening thing. They were for December when employment is supposed to be lower as a result of people going to work at the holidays.

What will the numbers be like in January? Congress must support an economic recovery package that creates and saves 3 million to 4 million jobs over the next 2 years.

You know, I want to talk about something. I was in my office, listening to my colleagues just a little while ago. I don't like to point fingers, but there was a point when I just had to respond. They talk about the deficit's being $9.7 trillion. They're right. It's very high. But where have they been? We've been talking about that deficit for years. We've been talking about the problems of spending, spending, spending. Yet they continue to vote for it.

The thing that troubles me so much is that they had no problem at all in voting to build roads in Afghanistan, that they had no problem in voting to fix the water systems in Iraq and that they had no problem in voting to build schools to help educate children in Iraq and in Afghanistan. That is noble, but you know what? It is just as important to educate and to make sure that our children have the very best schools, that our roads are safe, that our bridges are safe, and that our water systems work. This stimulus plan not only will employ 3 or 4 million Americans, but it will restore the infrastructure in this country to the degree that it needs to be. It will help to fix our education system.

Domestic spending is important. How is it that people on the other side of the aisle have absolutely no problem whatsoever in voting for funding for foreign countries, and yet, when it comes to domestic spending, they stand up here and poke fun at it and say it's not necessary? I would submit it is critically necessary to this country, that it is critically necessary to our future and that it is critically important to the 35,000 people in my district who are out of work.

We cannot afford to wait, as some of my Republican friends suggest. Economic experts have warned us that the longer we wait, the more difficult it will become for the economy to turn around. The time for talk is over; the time for action is upon us.

Madam Speaker, we cannot afford to delay. Congress must act this week to begin the long process of saving and creating jobs.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Herkimer County Community College (HCCC) Women's Track and Field Team in my congressional district in Upstate New York. In 2008, the team won its fourth regional championship and its first ever national championship. Altogether, HCCC's athletic programs have won 72 regional championships and 31 national championships.

The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III Region III Women's Track and Field Championships were held at the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Technology at Alfred from May 2-3. The Lady Generals came in first with an impressive 163.5 points. Chantal Salamone, from Little Falls, placed first in the triple jump and 100 meter hurdles, and was named the Women's Field Athlete of the Meet. Amanda Davey, of Amsterdam, won in the 400 meter hurdles. Betheny Jennings, of Sylvan Beach, was first in the shot put, while Sarah Lazarus of South New Berlin was first in the 3000 meter steeplechase.

The NJCAA Division III National Women's Track and Field Championships were hosted by SUNY Delhi from May 8-10. HCCC won the meet with 135 points. Chantal and Amanda again won the 100 and 400 meter hurdles, respectively. As a result of their wins, Chantal and Amanda were named First Team All-Americans. They were also named Second Team All- Americans for their second place finishes in the triple jump (Chantal), heptathlon (Amanda), and 3200 meter relay (both).

Joining Chantal and Amanda as Second Team All-Americans were Sarah and Theresa Lazarus from South New Berlin and Krysta Estey from Little Falls. Sarah was second in the high jump and was also a part of the 3200 meter relay team, while Theresa was second in the 400 meter hurdles. Krysta was a member of the relay team.

Amanda Link from North Patchogue, and Grace Hall from Herkimer also helped HCCC to achieve victory in the regional and national championships.

The Lady Generals were led by Head Coach Sharon Howell and Assistant Coach Julie DelMedico. Howell was named Coach of the Meet for both the regional and national championships.

Madam Speaker, please join me in congratulating the Herkimer County Community College Women's Track and Field Team on their victories. I am proud to represent such talented athletes, and I wish them the best of luck with their future athletic and scholarly pursuits.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and congratulate the State University of New York, SUNY, College at Cortland Men's Cross Country Team on its 2008 NCAA Division III championship win.

I am proud to share with my colleagues that on November 22, 2008, the SUNY Cortland Men's Cross Country Team achieved its first-ever national title at the NCAA Division III finals against Hanover College. I am pleased to count SUNY Cortland amongst the many distinguished institutions of higher learning in my district, and this title win is yet another shining example of the high intellectual and physical caliber of the students attending this fine college.

The SUNY Cortland Men's Red Dragons had an outstanding season in 2008, winning the 32-team cross country championship with a final score of 80 points. This final tally pushed the Red Dragons a total of 25 impressive points beyond their nearest competitors and contributed to a top-four national ranking for the third straight year.

Four Red Dragons earned All-American honors by finishing in the top 35 of the 278-runner pool. Junior Seth DuBois of Altamont, NY, finished in 7th place; senior Shamus Nally of Burnt Hills, NY, finished 11th; senior Josh Henry of Truxton, NY, placed 15th; and junior Justin Wager of Guilderland, NY, finished 28th. Additionally, the remaining three runners on SUNY Cortland's Men's Cross Country Team all finished in the top 75. Junior Kyle O'Brien of Monroe, NY, placed 61st; sophomore Stephen Scrafford of Cooperstown, NY, placed 65th; and junior Jerry Greenlaw of Warwick, NY, finished 73rd.

Madam Speaker, I also wish to recognize first-year head coach Steve Patrick for his guidance, leadership, and commitment to the Red Dragons. Mr. Patrick was deservingly named the NCAA Division III Men's Cross Country National Coach of the Year by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for his contributions to SUNY Cortland's sports program. I also wish to praise his assistant coaches, Kathryn Wagner and Jacob Smith, and thank them for their dedication.

Madam Speaker, I congratulate the SUNY Cortland Red Dragons on their impressive achievements in 2008 and I wish them much luck and success in their future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Herkimer County Community College, HCCC, Men's Soccer Team in my congressional district in Upstate New York. This year, the team won the National Junior College Athletic Association, NJCAA, Division III National Soccer Championship. Herkimer defeated Triton College 2-1 on November 9 at the tournament hosted by Richland College in Dallas, Texas. The victory marks the HCCC Generals' seventh NJCAA Division III National Championship in soccer and the 31st team National Championship for all of the school's athletic programs.

HCCC finished with a record of 20 wins. 3 losses and 0 ties. Over its history, the team has amassed a total record of 472 wins, 75 losses and 26 ties. Four student athletes were named to the Final Four All- Tournament Team. They include Demetrius Lawrence of Reading, England; Kariym Balthazar of Brooklyn, New York; Sean Trinidad of White Plains, New York; and James Taber of Liverpool, New York. Fellow team member Joeski Williams of Bronx, New York, was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

Five of the team's players received the designation of All-Conference this season, and seniors Harry Appiah and Lee Martins were named to the NJCAA All-American Team. Martins was also named the 2008 National Soccer Coaches Association of America Junior College National Player of the Year, and the 2008 NJCAA Region III and Mountain Valley Conference Player of the Year.

The team's coach, Pepe Aragon, was named NJCAA National Coach of the Final Four tournament after earning his 200th win this season. In his 11 seasons coaching the team, Aragon has amassed a record of 203 wins, 19 losses and 1 tie. For these impressive accomplishments, he was also inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to represent the Herkimer County Community College Men's Soccer Team and their coach. Pepe Aragon, who are to be commended for their great accomplishments. Please join me in congratulating the entire team on their victory.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the State University of New

York (SUNY) Cortland Men's Cross Country Team, which won its first ever national title on November 22. During the NCAA Division III Championships at Hanover College in Hanover, Indiana, the Cortland Red Dragons beat 31 competitors with a score of 80 points. The team solidly outpaced the second and third place finishers who scored 115 and 129 points, respectively, and improved on their previous finishes of fourth in 2006 and third in 2007 to win this year's title.

Four of the team's runners earned All-America honors by finishing in the top 35 competitors over the 8,000-meter course. Junior Seth DuBois finished seventh; senior Shamus Nally, 11th; senior Josh Henry, 15th: and junior Justin Wager, 28th.

The team was led by first year head coach Steve Patrick and assistant coaches Kathryn Wagner and Jacob Smith. Coach Patrick was named the 2008 Division III Men's Cross Country National Coach of the Year by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Overall, the win marks SUNY Cortland's 22nd national team title, including 16 NCAA crowns in seven different sports.

Madam Speaker. I am honored to represent such skilled and hard- working athletes in my district. Please join me in congratulating the team and wishing them the best of luck in their future athletic and scholarly pursuits.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1516 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions). All time yielded during consideration of this rule is for debate only.

General Leave

I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous materials into the Record.

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

House Resolution 1516 provides for the consideration of H.R. 7201, the Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 and H.R. 7202, the Temporary Tax Relief Act of 2008.

The rule provides 1 hour of debate, equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority members of the Committee on Ways and Means for both H.R. 7201 and H.R. 7202.

Mr. Speaker, allow me to cut right to the point here. We're here again to consider a rule that will allow us to debate two very critical pieces of legislation: The first, the package that invests in clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency to help create thousands of new green-collar jobs and lower energy costs for the American people; the second, a package that extends several key tax credits and deductions for small business owners and working families across this country.

This Congress has shown a strong commitment to the pay-as-you-go rule adopted last January. Both pieces of legislation that this rule provides consideration for are fully paid for. Let me repeat that. They are fully paid for. That means neither of these bills would add to the enormous national debt that continues to haunt us.

In terms of substance, the two pieces of legislation we will consider would extend and modify critical tax credits for the production of electricity for renewable sources, ranging from wind, solar and geothermal energy to closed-loop and open-loop biomass.

They would provide tax credits for the production of efficient home appliances. They would provide tax incentives for consumer purchases of energy-efficient products.

It would extend for 1 year the personal income tax deductions for tuition and education expenses, helping more middle class families send their children to college. It extends the State and local sales tax deductions. It provides our teachers with the ability to claim a credit for out-of-pocket expenses they incur when purchasing classroom supplies to better educate their children. It would extend the new standard deduction for State and local property taxes and for the child tax credit so working families would have more of their hard-earned dollars to spend where they would need it most--on their families. It would extend the research and development tax credit.

Last but certainly not least, it would provide a 1-year extension of the Secure Rural Schools program, which is not only important to the western Members of this body but also to my constituents who live near the Finger Lakes National Forest in Upstate New York.

There are tax credits and extenders that just about every Member of this body can agree on, and supporting this rule is simple common sense. We can provide tax relief and incentives to middle class families. We can spur innovation. We can create tens of thousands of new jobs, green-collar jobs. We can reduce our dependence on oil from hostile nations, and we can reduce greenhouse gases at the same time. We can do this all in a fiscally responsible way, without pushing the burden back on the shoulders of our children and of our grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this rule and the underlying legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

At the present time, I have no speakers.

Mr. Speaker, my friend from California talks about what the Senate is going to do, as he often in Rules talks about what the President is going to do. The fact of the matter is that the Constitution calls on the House of Representatives to initiate any tax bills. That is what this is. I don't understand why he is arguing that we should wait and see what the Senate is going to do. This bill is generated from the House of Representatives, where it should be.

I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Tanner).

(Mr. TANNER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Tanner).

Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) 1 minute.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida, my colleague from the Blue Dogs, Mr. Boyd.

I will yield the gentleman an additional minute.

I yield an additional minute to the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to let my friend know that I am about to withdraw this rule. So if he has any statements that he would like to make, I would like to offer him an opportunity.

Mr. Speaker, I would just like to point out in response to my friend from Texas for his comments is that he said that when the Republican Congress came in during President Clinton's administration, it was all about balancing the budget. It may very well have been. I wasn't here at that point.

It's just when I think about it, it's unfortunate that they forgot about that when President Bush took over the White House. Totally forgot about it. And in fact built up the largest deficits that we've ever seen in this country.

And they had some other priorities, and that was giving tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans, spending the surplus that we had on tax breaks for America's richest people, and that's unfortunate.

Mr. Speaker, under the rules, I withdraw House Resolution 1516.

Mr. Speaker, I send to the desk a joint resolution and ask unanimous consent for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns on this legislative day, it adjourn to meet at 8 a.m. tomorrow.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1490 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions). All time yielded during consideration of this rule is for debate only.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous materials into the Record.

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

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1490 waives a requirement of clause 6(a) of rule XIII requiring a two-thirds vote to consider a rule on the same day it is reported from the Rules Committee. The resolution applies to any rule reported on any legislative day through September 27, 2008, providing for consideration or disposition of a measure to

provide incentives for energy production and conservation, to extend certain expiring provisions, to provide individual income tax relief, and for other purposes.

I rise today in support of this rule because American families and small businesses need tax relief now more than ever. This rule will allow us to bring legislation to the House floor later today that will not only strengthen our economy by directing tax relief to middle class families and creating jobs at small businesses, but also will help to bring this country into a new alternative energy future that will help to create green collar jobs right here in America, jobs that cannot be outsourced to foreign countries or overseas.

Since being elected to Congress, I have voted, along with this body, to cut taxes for middle class families and small businesses on at least 14 separate occasions. In doing so, this Congress has upheld its pledge to the American people, and I have kept the promise I made to my constituents to provide much-needed tax relief and incentives for economic growth.

I know that there are many families and businesses in my district that are struggling in the current economic crisis. With talk of a $700 billion plan to bail out Wall Street, we cannot, in good conscience, fail to take action to help so many families facing the ever-escalating costs of gasoline and home heating fuel into this winter.

This legislation we will consider provides tax relief and incentives to those who need them most at a fraction of the cost of bailing out the financial industry.

This Congress has shown a strong commitment to the pay-as-you-go rule that we adopted last January. I applaud my Blue Dog Coalition colleagues for their outspoken leadership on the PAYGO consideration and the PAYGO issue. When I explain to folks back home what PAYGO is, I ask them a question: You have to balance your books each month, don't you? The individuals say, of course. They, of course, understand what it means to balance their books. They would not think of spending more than they earn. Businesses would not think of spending more than they earn. You have to ensure that you have enough income coming in to cover your expenses, and, of course, they respond with a nod of the head. They understand it. They get it. And then I say: Shouldn't the Federal Government operate in the same way when it involves spending your tax dollars?

The legislation this rule will allow us to consider today will extend a number of critical tax relief measures targeted at middle class families and small businesses to improve the quality of life and strengthen our economy. Supporting this rule and the tax legislation we will consider later today is simple common sense.

We can provide tax relief and incentives to middle class families, spur innovation, create tens of thousands of new green collar jobs, reduce our dependence on oil from hostile nations and reduce greenhouse gases--and we can do it all in a fiscally responsible manner. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this rule and the underlying legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would inquire of my colleague, my friend Mr. Sessions, if he has any further speakers. I am prepared to close.

Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Vermont, my colleague from the Rules Committee, Mr. Welch.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey).

I am prepared to close, so I would reserve the balance of my time.

I thank my friend from Texas.

Mr. Speaker, when you listen to the people on the other side of the aisle, you would think that everything that's happened is the fault of the Democratic Party.

They have had the White House for 8 years. We see oil prices as high as they have ever been. Two oilmen in the White House, yet we still see that. We see the economy as bad as the economy has ever been. We're talking about bailing out Wall Street with $700 billion that we're borrowing.

This rule today for this bill is about tax extenders, and that is extenders that would create incentives for alternative energy to help us wean ourselves off of our addiction to foreign oil. And we're doing it in a prudent way, in a way that doesn't borrow and spend, doesn't dump this on the backs of our children and grandchildren, but rather as a paid-for.

The bill that my colleague from Washington spoke about, it's a very good bill, but it hasn't been paid for. These tax extenders today that we're talking about have been paid for. They are extenders that are prudent and responsible.

Supporting this rule and the tax relief legislation we consider later today is simply common sense. We can provide tax relief and incentives to middle class families, we can spur innovation, create tens of thousands of new jobs, reduce our dependence on oil from hostile nations, and reduce greenhouse gasses. And we can do all of it in a fiscally responsible way.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the previous question and on the rule.

I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.