Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to recognize Mr. Larry Binger for his service and dedication as a veteran and accomplished wheelchair athlete. Mr. Binger is a disabled veteran who has become an enthusiastic competitor and an inspiration to the people of Delaware. As he has for the past twenty one years, he will serve as Delaware's lone representative at the twenty eighth National Veterans' Wheelchair Games in Omaha, Nebraska starting July 25.

Beginning in 1981, the Veteran's Affairs department and Paralyzed Veterans of America began the National Veterans' Wheelchair Games. The Games host nearly six hundred athletes from forty six states with the help of hundreds of sponsors. These athletes range from survivors of World War II to those who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. More than twenty five percent of the athletes have been disabled for more than twenty five years. The Games allow participants to compete in various sporting events despite their physical challenges.

While serving in Vietnam, Mr. Binger injured his back working on his ship, the USS Shangri La. Following his injury, in order to stay active, Mr. Binger began competing in wheelchair marathons. He represents Delaware at the National Games in multiple events including javelin, discus, archery, bowling, trapshooting and various fishing events. Mr. Binger competes in the masters division of these events, with an excellent showing last year. In addition to his perseverance and rigorous training, Mr. Binger is passionately committed to serving other veterans. He has been a member of the Patriot Guard Riders for several years, considering it an honor to attend the funerals of fallen comrades. In competing as a disabled athlete, Mr. Binger strives to set an example that will give hope to both long-time and recently disabled veterans in the tri-state area. The highest commendations should be bestowed upon this devoted individual.

I acknowledge and thank Mr. Larry Binger for his exceptional service to the Navy, our country, and now the community of Delaware. Our veterans here are truly privileged to have such an excellent competitor represent them in the National Veterans' Wheelchair Games. I am confident that Mr. Binger will continue to serve Delaware with honor. I wish him the best of luck at the Games next week and with all of his endeavors henceforth.-

Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to recognize the Honorable J. Benjamin Ewing, State Representative for the 35th Representative district for the great State of Delaware. Representative Ewing has represented his district honorably and with great distinction since 1987. However, his public service did not begin then but rather as a young man when he served our country in Korea in the United States Marine Corps and then for 20 years with the Delaware State Police where he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. His work in community service, government and politics has provided Delawareans and the constituents of his district with tremendous peace of mind knowing that an individual of Representative Ewing's stature was always willing to look after the best interest of his constituents while giving them the best possible service.

During my years as Governor and in the U.S. House of Representatives, I have always enjoyed working with Representative Ewing to assist him and the constituents of his district on issues relating to social security, highways, postal service, development, health care, and the many other issues his constituents face on a daily basis. During his career in government, Ben has always put the people of his district first and worked diligently on their behalf. While the people of the 35th Representative District will elect a new Representative this fall, they will have a difficult time finding a Representative as qualified, humble, or one who works as patiently on a daily basis to assist their each and every need.

Ben was instrumental in identifying the need to renovate and develop the new visitors center in Bridgeville, Delaware as a combined State Police barracks, paramedic unit and service center, and as a result it now bears his name. His commitment to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, NRA, American Legion and his Scottish heritage is without question.

I want to publicly thank, recognize and acknowledge Ben Ewing for his many decades of service and numerous contributions to the State of Delaware. He is an excellent role model for those who aspire to serve their community through public service and he has raised the bar for all who follow in his footsteps. While I will miss working with Ben on a regular basis to solve issues facing our constituents, I hope to continue to seek his counsel and advice on issues of importance to all Delawareans. He has been a good friend to me and all Delawareans.

I thank the gentleman from Washington for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I do rise in opposition to the rule for consideration of the fiscal year 2009 Intelligence Authorization Act.

As a former member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, I strongly believe we must enact all of the 9/11 Commission's intelligence recommendations, even those that apply to our own congressional committees.

In its final report, the 9/11 Commission concluded that, ``Of all our recommendations, strengthening congressional oversight may be among the most difficult and important. So long as oversight is governed by the current congressional rules and resolutions, we believe the American people will not get the security they want and need.''

The bipartisan 9/11 Commission report and the subsequent 9/11 Public Disclosure Project recommended three alternatives for reforming congressional oversight of intelligence. These options include:

One, establishing a joint committee on intelligence modeled after the old Joint Committee on Atomic Energy;

Two, establishing House and Senate committees on intelligence with authorizing and appropriating authority; or

Three, establishing a new appropriations subcommittee on intelligence.

In the wake of the terrorist attacks of 2001, Congress enacted a large majority of the commission's recommendations. However, as it turns out, it has been those recommendations that apply directly to the tangled rules and procedures here in the United States Congress which have been left unfinished.

Last year, Congress applied a Band-Aid to this problem by creating a powerless Intelligence Oversight Panel that has very little control over actual funding decisions. Despite what I am certain are sincere efforts on the part of members of this panel, this is clearly not what the 9/11 Commission recommended. In fact, its report plainly states that ``tinkering with the existing committee structure is not sufficient.''

As a result, experts on the 9/11 Commission, including a leading Democrat from the commission who I happened to speak with this morning, are concerned that intelligence agencies can dodge effective oversight by going around the authorizing committees that scrutinize them most closely. For example, last year, the ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee described what he called a ``consistent pattern'' in which the authorizing committee held in-depth hearings and then made specific funding recommendations for several secret programs only to have appropriators go in a dramatically different direction.

Yesterday, Congressman Shays and I appeared before the Rules Committee and offered a simple amendment to the bill before us calling for a sense of Congress that this House should act at the start of next year to implement these crucial 9/11 recommendations. Unfortunately, despite vocal support from both Democrats and Republicans on the Rules Committee last night, this amendment was denied under today's rule.

I have no doubt that implementing this proposal will be a challenge, yet we cannot continue to just sweep this vital 9/11 Commission recommendation under the rug while at the same time calling for other government agencies to make reforms. A former 9/11 Commission member, Tim Roemer, noted recently, ``Out of all the many recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, the congressional reform one might be the hardest, but it may be the single most important.''

Mr. Speaker, the American people have insisted that we implement all of these important recommendations, even those that are difficult. We will be doing this country a disservice until we put in place an effective committee structure capable of giving our national intelligence agencies the oversight, support and leadership they need.

Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) such time as she may consume.

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

I would also like to congratulate the Arizona State University softball team. I watched some of the softball on television, and these are dynamic athletes doing a wonderful job of dealing with what has become a very fast sport.

This team was extraordinary. Their victory against Texas A&M in the World Series, 11-0 victory shows just how great they really are.

Beyond that though, I would just like to say that the Arizona State softball is not only an inspiration to student athletes in Arizona and across the United States, but a beacon of higher education as well. Arizona State University is a knowledge and discovery enterprise advancing teaching and research focused on the most pressing challenges that confront global society. A comprehensive public metropolitan research university enrolling more than 60,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students on four campuses. ASU is a federation of unique colleges, schools, departments and research institutes that comprise close-knit but diverse academic communities that are international in scope. ASU champions intellectual and cultural diversity and welcomes students from all 50 States and more than 100 nations across the globe.

I congratulate everybody who had anything to do with the softball victory this year, and I congratulate Arizona State University on being an outstanding university in our country.

I yield back the balance of our time.

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

I rise today in support of House Resolution 1259, congratulating the Hamilton College Continentals on winning the NCAA's women's lacrosse championship.

On May 18, 2008, the Hamilton College Continentals women's lacrosse team captured the NCAA Division III championship and completed the very best season in the team's 29-year history. The 13-6 victory over the Franklin & Marshall Diplomats secured Hamilton's first national title in any sport.

The Continentals entered the weekend as the number four-ranked team in Division III but knocked off number one Salisbury University 11-10 on Saturday before they defeated the defending champion and third- ranked Diplomats. Hamilton also avenged a 14-13 loss to Franklin & Marshall suffered in Florida on March 19. The loss was the lone blemish on the Continentals' 2008 record. The Continentals completed the 2008 season with a remarkable 21-1 record and won 19 straight games, which is the longest winning streak in Division III women's lacrosse.

Four Continentals earned All-American awards this year. Six players were selected to the All-Region team, and nine players were selected to the All-League team. The Continentals are truly shining examples of the products of hard work and commitment, and they have inspired and brought pride to their community as well as their loved ones and the students and alumni of Hamilton College.

Head Coach Patty Kloidt also merits recognition and praise for guiding the Continentals to their championship win. Coach Kloidt and her staff were named the Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year in 2008. Coach Kloidt was also named the NCAA Division III women's lacrosse coach of the year.

While the accomplishment of capturing a national athletic title deserves our recognition today, we should also take a moment to reflect on Hamilton's commitment to academics. Hamilton is a liberal arts college with an emphasis on individualized instruction and independent research and is a national leader in teaching effective writing and persuasive speaking. Founded in 1973 as the Hamilton-Oneida Academy, it is the third oldest college established in New York State. Hamilton's curriculum provides its highly motivated students with both the freedom and responsibility to make educational choices that emphasize breadth and depth. In short, Hamilton College is the finest college in the United States.

I graduated from there 40-some years ago.

Through independent projects, The Senior Program, and summer internships with faculty, Hamilton provides an increasing number of opportunities for students to engage in significant--often publishable--research at the undergraduate level.

I am happy to join my colleagues in honoring Hamilton for its many achievements. I extend my congratulations to Hamilton's President Joan Stewart, Athletics Director Jon Hind, Head Coach Patty Kloidt and her staff, the players, the fans and to Hamilton College.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers. I'm prepared to yield back my time.

Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Nunes) such time as he may consume.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Radanovich) such time as he may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I'm prepared to yield back. I'd just like to make a comment or two and I will do so, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I would like to thank all of those who were involved in this. Mr. Cardoza couldn't be here to speak, but I thank him as well for his interest in this.

And I would just like to congratulate everybody involved with Fresno State. I watched some of these games on television. You see a Georgia versus a Fresno State and your immediate thought is, well, gee, Georgia must be dominant in this situation as they are a very dominant athletic team in the country. But indeed, Fresno State fought to win two out of three of those games and I think deserve a tremendous amount of credit, especially considering the year that they had gone through.

This is an excellent school, and sometimes outside actions cause us to look at other things. And looking at the academics at Fresno State, which include a broad array of offices and services, including over 50 academic departments, eight colleges, a Henry Madden Library, the Division for Graduate Studies, the Division of Continuing and Global Education and dozens of centers and institutes, all these are designed to support the central academic mission of the university, that of creating an environment of engaged, student-centered learning. And they I think deserve to be congratulated for the academic side of what they're doing, as well as their great victory in the NCAA baseball tournament this year.

I congratulate them.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1088, recognizing and commending the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for 50 years of service as a vital American cultural ambassador to the world.

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was formed in March 1958. Led by Alvin Ailey and a group of young African American modern dancers, their combination of technique, repertoire, and high-energy performances changed forever the perception of American dance.

The dance company began to travel throughout the country, and in 1960, the AAADT became a resident company of the 51st Street YWCA's Clark Center for the Performing Arts. It was during this time period that Ailey choreographed his signature work ``Revelations'' which has been seen by more people across the globe than any other work of dance. In 1962, the company was chosen to tour the Far East, Southeast Asia, and Australia as part of President John F. Kennedy's ``President's Special International Program for Cultural Presentations.''

AAADT made its performance at the New York City Center in 1971, where it is currently the resident company. AAADT celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1980 and its founder, Alvin Ailey, received the United Nations Peace Medal in 1982. When Ailey died in 1989, Judith Jamison, a former principal dancer, assumed the role of artistic director.

Despite the loss of its founder, AAADT has thrived. Following tours in Russia, France, and Cuba in the 1990s, as well as residency in South Africa in 1997, the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation broke ground for a new dance complex in Manhattan. It is the largest facility dedicated exclusively to dance in the United States.

Every year the company provides more than 100,000 youth from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to explore their creative potential and build their self-esteem through its Arts in Education and Community Programs, including nine Ailey Camps in cities throughout the country.

Today, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has gone on to perform for an estimated 21 million people in 48 States and in 71 countries on 6 continents, including two historic residencies in South Africa. The company has earned a reputation as one of the most acclaimed international ambassadors of American culture, promoting the uniqueness of the African American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of American modern dance.

I ask my colleagues to support this resolution.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I also rise in support of House Resolution 1261, congratulating the East High School in Denver, Colorado, on winning the 2008 ``We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution'' national competition.

Every year since 1987, the Center for Civic Education has sponsored ``We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution,'' a competition for American high school students held in Washington, D.C.

The primary goal of the competition is to promote civic competence and responsibility among the Nation's elementary and secondary students. What makes the program successful is the design of its instructional program, including its innovative culminating activity.

The instructional program enhances students' understanding of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, while also discovering their contemporary relevance. The culminating activity is a simulated congressional hearing in which students testify before a panel of judges. Students demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of constitutional principles and have opportunities to evaluate, take and defend positions on relevant, historical and modern day issues.

In the 21 years of competition, East High School has gone to the ``We the People'' nationals 19 times, placed in the Top Ten 16 times, placed in the Top Three eight times, and placed in the Top Two four times. However, this year East High School placed first in the national competition.

The 27 team members, under the leadership and guidance of their coach, Susan McHugh, are to be commended. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the team's accomplishments.

From the earliest days of American democracy, the study of history has been essential to the preservation of freedom. This competition is a great forum in which to strengthen the teaching, study and understanding of our Nation's history and culture. ``We the People'' is a wonderful opportunity for American youth to develop an understanding of the documents upon which our Nation was founded. Therefore, I ask my colleagues to support this resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus).

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

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

In returning to the resolution at hand, congratulating the East High School in Denver, Colorado, I would just like to ask that all of us be supportive of this, not just to recognize that school but to recognize that program and what we the people have done to educate people about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and make all of us better citizens.

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

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail Designation Act (H.R. 1286), which would designate the 600-mile route stretching from Rhode Island to Virginia traveled by Revolutionary War General George Washington and French General Count Rochambeau as a National Historic Trail, connecting the States of Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. The creation of this Trail will celebrate the Franco- American alliance and the victory of Generals Washington and Rochambeau who faced seemingly insurmountable odds. Importantly, H.R. 1286 will enable the National Park Service to support groups, projects, and activities associated with the trail's preservation and interpretation.

The Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail Designation Act was introduced to ensure that this history, in all its rich detail, is not forgotten. Although we often remember the victory at Yorktown, too often we lose sight of the heroic efforts of two nations, two armies, and two great men that made it possible. During this historic period the armies marched to Wilmington, Delaware, where the bankrupt Continental Army borrowed from Rochambeau to pay American troops. This designation has the strong support of many state, local, private, and public historic preservation groups and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support its passage.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6184, the America's Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008, which I am pleased to support with my friends, the gentlelady from New York (Mrs. Maloney), and I appreciate her kind comments here on the floor, and the gentleman from Chicago (Mr. Gutierrez).

This is an easy bill to understand and I hope an easy bill to like. It was popular enough, as the Congresswoman from New York pointed out, in committee to have passed by a 58-0 vote 2 weeks ago.

We all know the popular 50 State quarters program which sequentially honored every State in the Union with a design of its choosing on the back of the quarter. There are just two more States, Alaska and Hawaii, to be honored. Next year, there will be quarters honoring the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the territories, and the program will be done.

Mr. Speaker, the 50 State quarters program met or exceeded every goal. It honored every State in such a way that educated the rest of the country about things that made that particular State so special. The national parks quarters program is a follow-up to the State quarters, and I believe nothing could be more logical than recognizing the sites all America hold most dear, places like Yosemite, Yellowstone, or Glacier National Park.

The national parks quarters program will focus on the great natural beauty of our country or on other national sites important to history or conservation, such as seashores, forests, wildlife refugees, or monuments.

Just to mix things up a little, instead of honoring the States in the order they were admitted to the Union, this legislation honors national sites in the order in which they were recognized. I note with some chagrin but in the spirit of fairness, Mr. Speaker, that this will honor the western States that joined the Union later before the original 13 States, and ensures that my own State of Delaware will not again be first. As a matter of fact, we do not have a national park; we will be last in this particular sequence.

The bill also creates a special new investment-grade coin that will be three inches in diameter and made of five ounces of silver. These noncirculating coins will bear exact duplicates of each quarter and will be available only in the year in which the equivalent quarter's design is issued. Although normally our investment-grade coins are distributed only through a small network of highly specialized dealers, this legislation allows the National Park Service to buy these bullion coins in bulk so they may be sold as souvenirs to visitors.

The national park quarters program will start in 2010, after the completion of D.C. and the territories quarters, which is why it is so important for us to send this bill to the Senate and President quickly. We must ensure adequate time is given for the United States Mint to work with the Interior Secretary, other Federal officials, and State Governors to honor the best sites and choose each design. The Mint has done a terrific job with the State quarters, and I have great faith that the artists, engravers, and the excellent staff there will do a great job for this program as well.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to work on this effort with Mrs. Maloney, who joined me as a tireless and skilled supporter of the Presidential $1 Coin Act and with Mr. Gutierrez who chairs the Domestic and International Monetary Policy Subcommittee that I once chaired. Their input and suggestions from the Mint before introduction of this bill have certainly improved it. I would also like to thank Chairman Frank for his willingness to move this bill along. I urge immediate passage of this bill, and urge the other body to move it on as swiftly as well.

I would point out to the Speaker that the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the territories are included already in this legislation, which they were not originally as we know in the 50 State quarters program.

I yield to Mr. Price such time as he may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to yield back our time at this point.

Mr. Speaker, may I ask for a point of clarification.

About 10 or 15 minutes ago, I said I was prepared to yield back the balance of my time. I don't know if there was a ruling on that.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to reclaim my time.

Mr. Speaker, could I get a clarification.

I'm not certain I yielded back the balance of my time. I don't

know who was responsible in the Chair at that point, but I indicated I was prepared to yield back. I'm not sure if there was a ruling at that time. Could that be clarified.

The words I uttered were, ``I am prepared to yield back the balance of my time.'' And then I believe the gentlewoman from New York was called on at that point without the ruling from the Chair. That's why I am asking for the clarification.

I do ask unanimous consent to reclaim our time.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

At this time I would yield to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden) such time as he may consume.

We do have an additional speaker.

I will yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Price).

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

I thank the distinguished gentleman from California for yielding. I do rise today in support of the ADA Amendments Act entitled

I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the legislation's amendment before us today. I never thought I would be involved in a love fest in a discussion for reauthorization of Amtrak. I would like to credit that to Chairman Oberstar and everybody on the committee who put this together. On Monday I submitted an important amendment to the Rules Committee which fortunately has been included as part of this manager's amendment.

For anybody who has driven on I-95 recently, it is strikingly clear that highway congestion has become a critical problem threatening business productivity, increasing safety risk and hindering efforts to improve air quality. In fact a recent study found that road congestion in the top four metropolitan areas cost Americans 4.2 billion hours and 2.9 billion gallons of fuel sitting in traffic delays. Try multiplying that by $4.

In contrast, passenger and commuter rail systems have proven to be the most efficient options for travelers in heavily congested areas of the country. Between Boston and Washington, ridership on Amtrak has surged 20 percent with nearly 2,000 trains operating along the corridor every day. Clearly the Northeast's entire transportation system would stagger to a halt if these trains ever stopped running. In fact, a few weeks ago, I was pleased to welcome Ranking Member Mica to my home station in Wilmington, Delaware, to discuss the importance of rail transportation in alleviating congestion in the Northeast.

In this era of high gas prices, congested roadways and overcrowded airports, rail transportation has become imperative for many travelers. For this reason, I strongly support the provisions in the bill to begin developing a high-speed rail corridor between New York and Washington,

Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to recognize the 2008 Graduating Class of the James H. Groves Adult High School. These students have worked diligently to complete their education and are an excellent example of perseverance and dedication to the State of Delaware.

The James H. Groves Adult High School provides students who have officially withdrawn from high school the opportunity to earn a State of Delaware diploma and further their education. Additionally, the institution provides technical and workplace training to the citizens of Delaware. This institution carefully tailors their program to meet each individual's needs and help them receive their diploma in a timely and affordable manner. Graduates from James H. Groves Adult High School are provided with the foundational knowledge to achieve social, political, and economic independence so they may excel in a technological and global society.

The class of 2008 is comprised of forty-five graduates, twenty-three male and twenty-one female students. Their ages range between eighteen and fifty-eight years of age. Some of these students have been working diligently to achieve their diploma since 1999. One exemplary student has had a perfect attendance record for the three years she attended the institution, earning 8.5 credits towards her diploma. These citizens have toiled industriously and thoroughly to complete their high school education. The highest commendations should be awarded to this 44th graduating class of James H. Groves Adult High School.

I acknowledge the 2008 graduating class of James H. Groves Adult High School for their commitment to finishing their education and the exceptional example they provide to all citizens seeking to complete their high school education. The James H. Groves Adult High School is extremely proud of their graduates and I am confident they shall go on to perform outstanding in their fields and become a vital part of the workforce of Delaware.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman for yielding, and I do rise in opposition to the rule and the bill. I don't think in my entire time in Congress I have ever opposed anything that provides additional funding for education, but I think this bill has many underlying elements we have to pay some attention to.

I don't disagree with virtually anything I've heard from the other side of the aisle in terms of what this might do. There is, as Mr. Miller indicated, a desperate need for rebonding and renovation. We do need good schools. I think it would help our children. I'm in full agreement with all of that.

I'm also in full agreement with the gentlewoman from Ohio who said there's hundreds of billions of dollars of these kinds of renovations which are needed out there in the referenda for many of those things which are going on.

The issue is what else is needed to be done in education and what can we afford to do at the public government level.

If you look carefully at this bill and analyze the bottom-line expenditures, it's $6.4 billion for the first year of fiscal year 2009. It sets some thereafter for the basic renovations. There's $100 million for each of 5 years for emergency help in those States which were so devastated by storms which perhaps could be done separately, and I would have no problems with them, Louisiana, Mississippi, et cetera.

The title III provision is the green provision which calls for a percentage of this money to be spent for green aspects of our schools, as we should be doing. This is something the Federal Government has not done heretofore. We have had certain responsibilities either assigned to us or done by statute in some way or another, and one of those is an amendment which I introduced saying that before we do this, we should fully fund the authorization of title I. It is very arguable that if we have good schools, our students will do better. I think it's even more arguable that if we have the necessary teachers and other personnel to make absolutely sure the kids are going to be well-educated, they will do even better than that.

In title I last year, we appropriated $13.9 billion, but we have authorized $25 billion for title I. IDEA is not a part of this bill in particular, but again, we're not up to the statutory mandate of that which is up to 40 percent of contribution by the Federal Government; and if we were to add the $6.4 billion to that, we would get very close to that number which would be $17.3 billion.

This is money that we should be spending, and we can't afford to for one reason or another. I've heard the old saw about spending on the war, or whatever it may be. But the bottom line is there's going to be so much spending on education and other resources this year, and my judgment is that we are really opening the door here. If we open this door at $6.4 billion without hundreds of billions of dollars that are needed, we're going to find that that's going to double almost overnight when they find out there is a Federal resource for it.

The pressure in this place to take that up to $10 billion, $15, $20 billion a year is going to be overwhelming, and all of a sudden, the education programs which we have a responsibility to be funding, which was so important to the basic instruction of kids, will fall by the wayside.

I would urge all of the Members oppose this rule.

I thank the distinguished gentleman from California for yielding. Let me try to put this in perspective.

We are talking about Federal dollars here. We have never at the Federal Government level funded school construction. Perhaps in emergency situations, but other than that, we have not.

We do have certain responsibilities that we do need to fund, and one of those is clearly under the No Child Left Behind. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act is title I. The ranking member from California has already pointed this out.

But the bottom line is that when you look at the funding which we have here, which fundamentally is $6.4 billion in title I. There's another $100 million in title II of this legislation. But if you take that $6.4 billion and you add it to title I, you get very close to that amount of money that we have already authorized in our committee under the jurisdiction of all of us involved with this committee.

I think we clearly recognize the importance of title I. It brings in the teachers, it brings in the help. It brings in the people who are going to help our children in schools which are most in need of money. And we would get at least a lot closer to the $25 billion. Right now we only have $13.9 billion appropriated.

And then you look at IDEA. Everybody here, Republicans and Democrats alike have fought hard in recent years to increase IDEA to help our children with disabilities, the Individual Disabilities Education Act, and with that extra $6.4 billion, as this chart shows, IDEA could be funded at $7.3 billion, getting very close to the 40 percent requirement in the statute with respect to where we should be with helping those children with disabilities.

My concern is, where are we spending our Federal money?

My other concern is, and I hope my friends in the Blue Dogs are listening to all of this, but my other concern is we are opening a door here. We are opening a door which is very large, and we're opening it somewhat wide. You haven't even begun to see where we're going to go. The $6.4 billion for fiscal year 2009 is followed by whatever sums thereafter, that's going to go up dramatically very, very quickly, in my judgment. And when all of the local entities realize that perhaps they can

come to the Federal Government and get money, maybe they'll try to whittle down the title III of this so they don't have to worry about the green aspect of it quite as much, and they're going to go for more money. That's going to be the key to it and you're going to see huge increases. I think the 6.4 is merely a beginning. And all this is going to, in my judgment, take away from whatever money is needed for education.

Yes, we can argue that the money could come from war or this or whatever it may be. It's not that simple. The bottom line is that people are going to look at education, and I'm afraid they're going to say, we're putting it in construction, therefore we can't put it in title I, we can't put it in IDEA, and I think that would be a mistake.

I believe that this bill is well-intended, and I agree with everything that's being said on the other side about the good it can do as far as schools are concerned. But I have a strong disagreement with where the Federal Government should be in this. I think it should be a local and State issue in terms of construction, and we need to fund those things that we have agreed to fund. We need to fund title I. We need to fund IDEA. We do not need to open up a whole new source of funding that we simply cannot afford at this time.

So I would encourage defeat of the legislation and, hopefully, we can make sure that we're funding programs we should be funding in education.