Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in really strong support of H.R. 2824.

I think if we go back to the President's original candidacy, he said: Listen, if you want to continue to make electricity using coal-fired power plants, you can do it, but we are going to bankrupt you.

There is no question about the war on coal. It is factual. Now, we come here today, and I think that--the area of the country that I represent is western Pennsylvania. It is hard to look at a source that is so abundant, so accessible, so affordable, so reliant, and so sustainable that keeps our energy costs lower and creates thousands of jobs.

The administration's efforts have not only eliminated people who are mining coal, they have absolutely eliminated entire communities and wiped them off the face of the Earth.

Now, we look at a piece of legislation, and we say wait a minute. In 2008, we had a rule that received certification from the Environmental Protection Agency and complied fully with the Clean Water Act.

So the question becomes: How good does the coal energy have to become in order to receive a pat on the back from the administration?

The answer is they can never reach that level. They will never be accepted. It will never be part of our energy strategy. It will never lead America to be independent from every place else in the world.

All you have to ask yourself is: What in the world are we doing to the people we represent?

This is not a Republican strategy or a Democrat strategy. This is an American strategy. If it is truly about energy and about creating jobs and protecting our environment, it is all there, gentleman, and has been there for years.

Why would the administration spend $10 billion to get an answer that didn't comply with what they thought it was going to be? So automatically, the answer has to be: These folks didn't do the test the right way. They didn't come up with the results that we needed, so we are going to get rid of them and get somebody else in here.

Mr. Chairman, the lights are going out across this country. Our position in the world is being challenged right now, in a country that has been so blessed for so long with abundant, affordable, and accessible energy, and to sit back and say: You know what? They are getting better, but they are never going to be good enough for us; they are never going to quite reach that metric they have to reach.

In fact, the bottle of water the gentleman just showed, I have got to tell you: Take a bottle of Fiji water off the shelf; it won't comply either.

So we have got to start asking ourselves, where is it that they are going with this? Is this a way to prop up an agenda by the administration or is this a way to prop up the American success story? Are we going to go forward and truly achieve independence from energy from anyplace else in the world other than our own or are we going to continue to fight over things that don't make sense to the American people but yet somehow make sense in this House?

Listen, what we are doing today just makes sense. We have already run the traps on it. We have already run the tests. We have done all the metrics. Coal is good for America. Coal has always been good for America. Coal has

cleaned itself up incredibly and will continue to do so. These are the most responsible people. I would invite some of my friends who have never been down in a coal mine, travel with me to western Pennsylvania. Go down in the Bailey mine. Go down 700 feet and see how they are scrubbing coal, and then say to me that they are not doing it the right way.

Mr. Chairman, I really want to ask my colleagues today, let's take a real good look at this, at what we are doing. In a country that so badly now is looking for leadership across all phases so that we can retain our position in the world, let's take a look at where we are today with this coal strategy. If it is truly a war on coal and if it is truly a war we can't win, then I say that is not why we came here.

I strongly urge the passage of H.R. 2824.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Slippery Rock University on celebrating its 125th anniversary this year.

In 1887, the citizens of Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania saw the need for affordable and accessible higher education in their community. In less than 18 months, Slippery Rock raised funds, acquired land, erected buildings and gained approval to be a state normal school. Slippery Rock State Normal School opened its doors on March 26, 1889 to its first class of 168 students with its ``ultimate object . . . to make the student, as far as possible, an educator.'' The Norman School became Slippery Rock State Teachers College after it was purchased by the Commonwealth in 1926. In 1960, it was renamed Slippery Rock College and was granted university status in 1983 to become Slippery Rock University.

Today, Slippery Rock University offers a broad array of undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 8,000 students. The University is a recognized leader in evidence-based planning and decision making. The approximately 80,000 alumni have served in occupations across the spectrum. Slippery Rock University has consistently been recognized not only as one of the best universities in the Northeast but also as a great place to work. Shaped by its normal school heritage, Slippery Rock University is characterized by its commitment to intellectual development, leadership, and civic responsibility.

Mr. Speaker, in light of Slippery Rock University's 125th anniversary, I ask that my colleagues join with me today in recognizing its educational leadership in Pennsylvania for more than a century.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3771) to accelerate the income tax benefits for charitable cash contributions for the relief of victims of the Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the subject of the bill under consideration.

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

Madam Speaker, I applaud the efforts of my colleagues. This is a commonsense way of doing things, and I don't think that many Americans realize the total devastation that Haiyan caused when it hit the Philippines, when you look at the loss of life, when you look at the number of displaced people, when you look at how many people it totally affected.

Now, when it comes to loss of life, we are talking about 6,200 people killed by this storm, 4.1 million displaced; and it affected over 14.1 million people.

The purpose of this legislation is kind of common sense. It allows people up to April 15 to go ahead and make a contribution to try and stem the effects of those losses. It just makes sense. It is something we have always done as Americans.

When we look at the special relationship we have with the Philippines, I don't think we can really look too far beyond where our history has been together as a people to understand that, when times get tough, when things happen to other folks, and when we can step in and help them, that we always do. It is just who we are. It is unique to America.

So I thank the gentleman for bringing it forward. I think it makes sense to all of us. This is truly bipartisan.

At a time when most people think that this House of Representatives can't do things that are bipartisan and doesn't act in the best for all people concerned, I think this surely does show that, by allowing Americans up until April 15 of this year to be able to make a contribution to help ease the devastation in the Philippines and still be able to use taxes from 2013. That is unique, and that is something I think we should do.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I will continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time. So at this time, I will reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank both Mr. Thompson and Mr. Swalwell so much for bringing this bill forward.

Again, I would just like to point out the uniqueness of the exceptional country that we live in. There is never a time that Americans don't always stand up. We are the first responders anytime there is any kind of crisis or tragedy anywhere in the world.

I think it just points out uniquely how we are so exceptional in a world right now that seems to be torn apart and seems to be upside down in almost every measure, so to be able to be here today with you to take a look at our friends in the Philippines and understand the devastation that they have gone through and say we are just doing something, that makes sense. This is not a Republican issue or a Democrat issue; it is simply an American issue. Once again, American hearts have always pulled together anytime people really needed us.

I don't know if people realize that the gentleman from California (Mr. Swalwell) just arrived here, and it is a fete for him to be able to do this, to get this piece of legislation through.

So I strongly urge all of our colleagues to push forward on H.R. 3771. I just think it is unique for us at this time, especially, to get this done.

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

I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, there are very few times in my life in which I have really had the privilege of representing people who are so dear to me. I just think, if you were to look at our generation, we would all have to agree that we grew up in the greatest towns, at the greatest times, with the greatest parents, preachers, teachers, and coaches, grandmas and grandpas, and aunts and uncles.

This is the people's House. This is not a Republican House or a Democrat House. This is the people's House. What are we talking about today?

My goodness. This is so disappointing that we are so worried about the next election that we can't see the direction that we are going in--to be able to offer peace of mind to those folks who have made the greatest sacrifices, who have made the greatest contributions, and who have done the best that they could to make sure that the next generation had the same opportunities they had.

This is not a doc fix. This is a senior fix.

As my mother lay dying and my sister and my father, they were surrounded by a loving family, and they were also surrounded by caring doctors. Why would we make this about an election? Why would we not look inward to whom it is we are trying to protect? Why can we not protect the most vulnerable in our society right now, especially in their end days and in their end times and say, ``You can lay your head on a pillow tonight, knowing that your doctor is going to be there for you, that I will be beside you, that I will be by your bed, saying the rosary; and when you have finally gone, I can't wait until the next time we are able to meet each other again in Heaven''? Why would we make their last days so difficult? Why would we make it so uncertain?

So we talk about an SGR, but where I come from, it is not bad, and it is not a doc fix--it is a senior fix.

When can we possibly put politics behind us and start to look at what is best for the people we represent?

I am a Representative of Pennsylvania's Third District--so privileged and so proud to be able to do it, not boastful proud, but thankful proud that I can actually go and do something for the people who raised me, who taught me, who coached me, and who have walked me through the most difficult parts of my life and that I can look back at their lives and say, ``But you sacrificed so much that I could be here.''

Can we not just come together and do something that really is a big thank-you and a kiss on the forehead as they lay there, wondering, ``Where are those folks that we did so much for?''

My goodness. My friends on the other side, this is not about politics--this is about people. We are in the people's House, and these are things that we must do.

Mr. Chairman, I thank you so much for doing this and for bringing peace of mind to the people we represent, but I can't tell you how disappointing it is today to hear this turn into some kind of political debate that has nothing to do with the fate of those seniors and of those people whom we love so much and who have done so much for us.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to describe the unique opportunity for the United States to meet a number of national goals through the utilization of nuclear energy.

The nuclear industry has played an instrumental role in promoting economic growth and energy security in America. I have witnessed firsthand the benefits of nuclear energy back home in Western Pennsylvania, where the Westinghouse Electric Company employs thousands of hardworking Americans. Founded in 1886 by American entrepreneur and engineer Thomas Westinghouse, the company was initially known for helping to bring electricity to homes throughout our country. Today, nearly 50 percent of the nuclear power plants in operation worldwide, including nearly 60 percent in the United States, are based on Westinghouse technology.

These positive impacts on our domestic economy are only a part of nuclear energy's overall benefits. The U.S. commercial nuclear energy sector yields enormous influence over global nonproliferation policy. The sector is also responsible for assuring international nuclear safety through the exportation of U.S. advanced reactor designs and America's operational expertise. Thus, by exporting U.S. nuclear technology, we ensure the highest levels of plant safety and influence over nonproliferation policies throughout the globe.

Mr. Speaker, a successful nuclear trade and export policy is paramount to international nuclear nonproliferation and power plant safety. I urge my colleagues to recognize the benefits of our nation's participation in the expanding global market for nuclear energy technologies.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 499, a resolution condemning the violation of Ukrainian sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity by military forces of the Russian Federation.

This resolution is a loud, strong message from this body, the House of Representatives, the People's House, that the people of the United States stand firmly behind the people of Ukraine in their mission to maintain their independence, free from Russian aggression.

Our friends in the world must always have full assurance that we are with them, that our resolve is unshakeable, and that nothing will intimidate us.

This resolution lays out what our game plan looks like as we take concrete steps to back our friends in Ukraine. I want to focus on one key part of this plan: achieving energy independence for Ukraine and the region.

For too long Russia has used the threat of manipulating energy prices and supplies to impose economic and political pressure on Ukraine and other countries. This has got to stop.

We can provide a reliable source of energy to our partners in Europe. Congress is ready to do its part. However, the Obama administration needs to speed up the permit approval process to get liquid natural gas flowing to our friends in Europe, approve the Keystone XL pipeline, and take other pro-American, pro-growth, pro-energy actions. There is truly no better time than now.

We can hit Vladimir Putin where it hurts--in the wallet. We can strengthen Ukraine's hand in the short run and sell them the fuel they need for the long haul. We can create jobs for American workers--good, meaningful jobs. It just makes sense.

I urge support for H. Res. 499.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 938, the United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014.

At a time of regional turmoil and uncertainty, as Iran continues its relentless drive for a nuclear weapons capability, it is absolutely crucial that we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel, our close friend and ally.

H.R. 938 strengthens this key alliance by designating Israel as a ``major strategic partner'' of the United States. The U.S.-Israel relationship is truly multifaceted and thus this bill expands our cooperation in military and homeland security areas as well as in the areas of trade, energy, water, and agriculture.

Passing this bill will give continued assurance to our ally Israel that the United States is no fair weather friend but is truly a friend for all seasons.

I urge support for H.R. 938.

I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, this is very clear, the purpose of today's debate. The Take Care Clause is to faithfully execute laws that are passed. This is about standing statute. In fact, this is the centerpiece of the President's whole Presidency. He is choosing what will be enforced and what will not be enforced. The Take Care Clause, known as the ``Faithful Execution Clause,'' was actually derived from Pennsylvania's 1776 constitution, crafted by Pennsylvania's State executives during the Revolutionary War.

I want you to just let your mind drift back to when people left Europe to come to America. They got in rickety, old, wooden boats with not very good nav systems, but they came here for a reason. They set their course true north. They were coming to get away from a monarchy. They were coming to get away from an imperialist. They were coming to get away from tyrants. Why did they come here, and what did they craft? It is so carefully laid out in our Constitution. So why are we having this debate about this being silliness? This is who we are, not as Republicans and Democrats, but who we are as Americans. Why would we turn our backs on our Constitution?

I understand the Executive Office has great power. I also understand that the Constitution harnesses that. It does not allow it to run roughshod over the people.

Mr. Duncan very clearly talked about the State of the Union, when the President says to this body:

America cannot stand still, and neither will I. So whenever

and whatever steps I can take with that legislation, that is

what I am going to do.

That is chilling. People gave him a standing ovation--and not just a standing ovation, but from the House of Representatives, where that very power is being taken from. That is our responsibility. That is our duty.

You cannot take that pledge and then turn around and say, Well, this is just about some kind of political maneuvering. This is not about a political maneuvering. That is about the protection of our Constitution. These things have been enshrined for us.

It is critical that we look at this. The Executive cannot make exceptions and just enforce the law as he or she wants. That is not who we are as a people. We left monarchs and tyrants to come here.

This is a government by the people, for the people, and of the people. If we ever forget that is what our job is as Members of the House of Representatives, then what are we doing here?

I would just ask my colleagues on the other side to please take a look at this. This is very chilling. You may like where the President is taking us, I may not like where the President is taking us, but there is a process that we all must follow. This is statute that is being trampled upon by an Executive that has an overreach that we have never seen before.

Can we not please return to those days and why those folks came here. What were they seeking? Freedom and liberty. What have we allowed those people to do? Turn their back and turn away from it and turn away from a Constitution that over a million people have given their lives to make sure that we could have this today.

So, Mr. Speaker, I would hope that some sense of responsibility, and not politics, comes into this House.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas and also my friend from Pennsylvania.

As you heard Congressman Barletta talk about, 90 percent of the 1,800 fire departments in Pennsylvania are all volunteer. These are men and women from the community that just come forward to serve.

When you look at what is going on right now, what we have tried to do is close a gap. This is Treasury guidance, so by no means has it been codified. I think what we are doing with this piece of legislation, with H.R. 3979, we make certain--in a time where there is so much uncertainty--that these folks will be protected, will not be looked at in a way that does not make sense to them.

Now, I have got to tell you that I was at an installation of officers back in my hometown of Butler. Ed Kirkwood, the manager of Butler Township, when asked about what could possibly happen, said:

The township has over 130 volunteer firefighters serving

the community. By my calculation, if this is not fixed, the

township could go bankrupt. It would require a tax increase

of 13.56 mills, or an increase of over two-and-a-half times

the current rate to comply.

Basically, if this is not fixed, Butler Township either doubles its taxes or loses their volunteer fire department.

Chief Mike Cadman of Jamestown, when asked about this, said: that would be political suicide.

I would venture that it is worse than political suicide. It is putting our citizens at risk when we don't have to.

Now, at a time when it is so hard and the public looks and says you guys don't get along on anything, this is something, I think, where we have come together and say let's just do something that makes sense. Let's just do something that puts into effect now--it eliminates all the guesswork that these folks are not going to be looked at in a different way under the Affordable Care Act.

And a piece of legislation, the Affordable Care Act, which is so hard to understand and so many are wondering what exactly is covered and what is not covered and how would I comply and how would I not comply, this is just commonsense legislation out of this body that makes sense for all of those volunteers that spend countless hours and time serving the needs of our communities all over our country.

But in Pennsylvania, as I said, 90 percent of our 1,800 fire departments are all volunteer--all volunteer. These folks give up their time and their hours to train, so that they can serve others.

I thank the gentleman for his legislation.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman, a good friend and great colleague, for bringing this RAPID Act forward because I strongly support it.

I want to just reflect. Go out of these hallowed Chambers and go into the private sector, and think about going through a permitting process and think about the longer you delay, the more you have to pay. It is just that simple.

You can drag these things out and drag these things out and drag these things out. And when you ask people: What is it that I have to do? I have already done everything you required me to do. It is just a little bit more. So the answer is: How long is a piece of string? We don't know.

What we are doing by not getting this done, and we have talked about the number of jobs that are waiting. If we are talking about improving the economy--and these are not Republican jobs or Democrat jobs. These are American jobs. And what are we doing? American projects to help the American economy.

So today to even have a debate--and this is a bipartisan effort; there is no question about it. We both feel the same way. We both know what the problems are in our country right now. We have too many people unemployed. In fact, we have too many people who have given up even looking for a job. That is the unreported number that we never reflect.

But in this case we know that delaying only increases what we have to pay. And who is picking up the tab on this? It is hardworking American taxpayers. It is just not that much-maligned 1 percent that doesn't want to pay their fair share. This is every single American woman and man that is out there. It affects how they live their lives. It affects how they pay their bills. It affects the future of our economy.

So I know we have to have debates, and this is not a debate that is heated, but it is about heat in a way. This week we have talked about: let's heat American homes; let's make sure that we have a sustainable path; let's make sure that we are not putting on the backs of these folks too much.

There is an old saying where I come from. It is: Don't worry about the mule, just load the wagon.

Gentlemen, I have got to tell you, right now, the mule is about ready to unhook himself from the wagon and say: You have asked me to pull too much for far too long.

So, with Mr. Marino and what he has brought forth today, a commonsense approach to creating jobs and getting improvements in our country, not improvements for just Republicans but improvements for every single American, isn't that why we are all here?

I know I represent 705,687 western Pennsylvanians. I don't know how they are registered; I don't know how they vote; I don't know how they worship; but I do know this: they sent me to Washington to represent their best interests and, in a larger sense, the State of Pennsylvania and the whole country. If we cannot agree on things like this, my goodness, where do we go from here?

So I would just ask my colleagues--and this is a truly a bipartisan effort. Mr. Marino, thank you so much for what you have done. This just makes sense. And Lord, in a town where common sense is found in so few places, let's look at this and understand the uplift for the American people and for our economy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my heartiest congratulations to Tech Molded Plastics Inc., a family-owned injection mold company, on being named Plastics News' Processor of the Year.

Located in Meadville, Pennsylvania, Tech Molded Plastics celebrated its 40th year in business just last year. In 1973, Bill Hanaway and his wife Eva started their family business in a rented garage. Over the years, Tech Molded has expanded and diversified its business through smart investments in their people and technology. In the mid-1990s, Tech Molded erected the factory building that now houses its company headquarters. In 2011, the company expanded again by purchasing the building adjacent to it with an investment of more than $1.5 million. Today, sons Scott, Mark, and Doug still run the family business along with their mother, Eva, manufacturing precision parts for the electronics, automotive, and medical industry. Employing 120 Pennsylvanians and generating sales of $17.7 million, Tech Molded Plastics embodies the best of America's family-owned small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, in light of being awarded Processor of the Year, I ask that my colleagues join with me today in recognizing Tech Molded Plastics for its national leadership in the plastics industry and for the invaluable contributions of the Hanaway family to the citizens of Meadville and Western Pennsylvania.

Mr. Chairman, I am a cosponsor of the Electricity Security and Affordability Act. We have heard a lot of rhetoric on the floor about what is going on, but I want you to understand something. In Pennsylvania, over 40 percent of the electricity is generated by coal-fired power plants.

If you go back to the election, during his candidacy the President said very clearly that if you want to continue to produce electricity using coal-powered power plants, you can, but we will bankrupt you. The only thing he didn't add to that was ``period.''

That is the war on coal. That is where we are going.

When we talk about these things, and we talk about the numbers of people in our society right now, not just the middle- and the lower middle-income, but the low-income people, what are we affecting? Everything that they put in their mouth, everything they put on their backs, everything that they do to heat and light their homes.

The sum total of the cost of anything is everything that goes into it.

The cost of energy and using coal to get there just makes sense. Coal has done so much for this country for so many years. I am not just talking about a few people. If you do not believe this is affecting people, please come back to western Pennsylvania. Walk with me. Go into these little towns where there no longer is a coal mine open. Not only that--their towns are shut down.

Now isn't that a marvelous thing to accomplish and champion and say we are doing the right thing for America? We are going to drive your energy costs up and make it impossible for you to heat and light your homes. We are going to change the cost of everything you use to raise your children. It affects the cost of everything. The sum total is made up of energy costs also.

What we will do is we will raise the bar so high that it will no longer be possible for these people to operate at a profitable level and then we will back off and say, My goodness, they just couldn't meet the standard.

We ask, What does the standard have to be? Just a little bit better than it is now.

We say, How would we begin to measure it? Well, we haven't determined that yet. We have set standards for you, but we don't have any way of doing it. We can't get to the point where we can measure the metrics on it.

I would just ask you for one thing: I want you to think about those thousands and millions of people who have forever relied on coal and the electricity that we can supply and the energy we can supply at a unit that is low enough that they can continue to live a normal life. That is all we are asking.

This bill is common sense, which is so devoid in this House.

I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this act. It is really just common sense, is it not? And I think it

best exemplifies how America handles crises. They adjust. They make an adjustment.

This certainly could be called a heated debate because we are trying to make sure that our constituents have that ability, to heat their homes during one of the longest winters. We don't use the term ``polar vortex'' back in Pennsylvania. We just call it winter.

It has been a long, long winter, and we are looking at the adjustment that would take place. It is just about transportation. It is about allowing these people that deliver this energy, this propane to these homes.

In Pennsylvania, we have over 180,000 people who rely on the delivery of this product to keep their homes heated. That is not a difficult thing to understand. I think for this body to be able to just on the run--on the fly, as it were--make sure that our constituents have the ability to heat their homes, this is so fundamentally basic, and it is just common sense.

So I thank the chairman for bringing this bill forward. It makes sense to everybody back where I live, as they bundle up and continue to worry about when spring is finally going to get here.

We are able to release that now, change the transportation laws a bit, just so they can get there, and we are saying let's do it until May 31. Let's not do it the way we are doing it now.

Chances are, by May 31, that crisis will be gone, but the ability to get propane to their homes is very critical right now.

So I thank the chairman and ranking member for what they are doing. We are doing things that make sense for the American people, and every single American citizen benefits from this.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the piece of legislation we are talking about.

I think it is rather chilling that 223 years ago, our First Amendment rights were enshrined in our Bill of Rights. We have all taken the same oath. We said, to the best of our ability, we preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. I am hearing now dollar signs or dollar numbers being there saying, well, we can't afford to spend this kind of money.

Never before in America were we ever worried about the cost of money when

it comes to defending our freedoms and liberties under our Constitution and our Bill of Rights. It has no dollar attached to it. It is basically fundamentally American.

When we talk about American citizens not being able to talk that way--the First Amendment, by the way, protects us and enshrines us, 45 words in the First Amendment that protect and enshrine our rights.

This is not a political issue. This is not about an ``R'' or a ``D.'' This is about a ``we.'' This is about the entire country. If we are going to sit here and say: Oh, no, this just has to do with an election--an election--really, an election?--we cannot allow the voice of the people not to be heard in our town squares. When they need to speak out, they need to know that they can speak out without being threatened or without being worried about what is going to happen to them.

This is so basically who we are as Americans. It has nothing to do with Republicans and Democrats, Independents and Libertarians. It has to do with who we are. If we cannot see that and we turn this into a political agenda and talking points, then, my gosh, how far we have fallen from what the Founders intended at the very beginning.

We cannot have this debate in seriousness and say we are spending too much money to protect the rights of our American citizens. That is absolutely foolish.

I am very, very strong on the protection of what we are talking about. H.R. 3865 reconfirms what the American people need to know. They can speak out on anything, anytime, anywhere they want, without having to be worried about anybody interfering with it, especially a government.

This is a government that serves the people; this is not a people that serve our government. And to think that we have to have a piece of legislation in addition to our First Amendment rights on the floor is absolutely so different than what we think.

Again, the voice of the American people has got to be heard. I don't care--conservative, liberal, I don't care where you are coming from. You have the right to speak out anytime you want.