Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I thank the distinguished chairman for yielding, for his unyielding work on behalf of America's working families, and in this case today for the creation of jobs, to grow our economy and to help those who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own.

I am grateful to the distinguished ranking member, Mr. Lewis, for his courtesy. Yes, my apology. I didn't realize the debate would go to this point. But I did want to take the opportunity to talk about jobs to our colleagues and to this Congress in general.

Just to put it in perspective, 1 year ago, in January, the job loss was 740,000 jobs for that 1 month alone. Fast forward to now, and the job loss for November is 11,000 jobs. Seven hundred forty thousand 10 months ago; 11,000 jobs this month. We don't want to lose any jobs. But we are on the road to recovery, and we are there because this Congress made some very important and difficult decisions to take us there. We are on the road to recovery because of the leadership of President Barack Obama, who stood on the steps of the Capitol on his inauguration and asked for swift, bold action now so that we could take the country in a new direction and create jobs and grow our economy.

One week and 1 day from the President's inaugural address, this House of Representatives passed the Recovery Act. We were able to do so because we were ready. We had been ready with job creation packages, but we could not get the resources until we had a new President to make the investments, which took us from 740,000 jobs lost in January, in the first month of this year--the President, I am reminded, was inaugurated on January 20, toward the end of that month--and then 11,000 jobs.

I also want to call to our colleagues' attention back to the first quarter of 2009, and the GDP rate of growth was a negative. It was a minus 6.4 percent, a result of the failed economic policies of the previous administration. As of November 24, 2009, the GDP has a positive 2.8 and is growing; a swing of 9.2 percent in the GDP from negative, minus 6.4 to positive 2.8.

At the same time, I call to the attention of my colleagues that because of this new direction to grow our economy, the stock market was at a nadir. The first of 2009, we're at 7,000. We are now over 10,000, an increase of over 3,000 points in the stock market. Economists tell us that some of this change is directly related to the recovery package that we passed in January, the fiscally sound budget that we passed 100 days after the President's inauguration, which was a blueprint for the future, a statement of our national values that talked about how we could create jobs, lower taxes for the middle class--over 95 percent of the American people got a tax cut--and how we could reduce the deficit. It's all about job creation and reducing the deficit.

Three pillars of changing the economy in that budget were investments in health care, in education, and in energy to prevent climate change, to create new green jobs for the future, and to do so through science and innovation. Innovation begins in the classroom and is central to our competitiveness--innovation to reduce the cost of health care to families, to businesses, to our budget, and to our economy to make us competitive and keep us number one in the world's economy. All of this was passed by the House of Representatives: energy, climate change, education, and health care.

Then finally, this past week, we passed the regulatory reform legislation. Mr. Frank is here, our chairman. It is the work of many people in this Congress. We passed regulatory reform to hold Wall Street accountable, to say that the party is over, to say that we are creating jobs for Main Street, not just wealth for Wall Street. We respect the creation of wealth and what it means to an economy and how it relates to the creation of jobs, but we cannot have a creation of wealth at the exploitation of the American worker. We did pass this regulatory reform without one Republican vote to hold Wall Street accountable, without one Republican vote.

So here we are today, after this plan that started on the steps of the Capitol--the inauguration of our new President--that had deep seeds in what we had tried to do before we had a Democratic administration but what we had been working for, so we were ready. And now today we want to pass this legislation which does two things: It creates jobs and saves jobs by investments in building the infrastructure of America. It doesn't do everything we would want, but what we do in there is paid for, building the infrastructure of America.

What it also invests in is to help States, cities, and localities keep their fiscal soundness so that they don't have to lay off teachers, firefighters, police officers, and people who work to meet the health needs of people in our community. This is important not only for public safety. That is self-evident. It is not only important because we don't want to lose our teachers. It is about the education of our children and how seriously that can be undermined with the layoffs and the uncertainty in the local and State budgets.

But on top of all of that, while we're concerned about what this does to working families and how important it is for people to have their jobs--they are also consumers--to the extent that they lose their jobs, our economy loses consumers. And when our economy loses consumers, we're in big trouble, economic trouble. We cannot let that happen.

So today, we have before us that package for job creation and job retention which is fiscally sound and which is paid for by using TARP funds, the unused TARP funds which were the subject of great debate but which, I do believe, saved us, pulled us from the brink of the financial crisis we were in as our recovery package later pulled us from the brink of economic disaster.

In addition to that, we have some safety net provisions about the extension of unemployment insurance, of COBRA to meet the health needs of those who are unemployed, which all expire the end of December, and other issues that relate to the well-being of America's working families, to address the concerns of the unemployed but, in addition to that, to create jobs in a fiscally sound way.

Fiscal responsibility is very important to us. It is our responsibility to our children not to increase the deficit, and that is why our health bill does not add one dime to the deficit; in fact, it decreases the deficit. I see Chairman Rangel shaking his head. It is an important part of paying for that legislation. And Mr. Miller and Mr. Waxman were so much an important part of that health care bill.

So here we are today with an opportunity to modestly and in a paid- for way address the issue of jobs. It's a four-letter word. Let's use that four-letter word everyplace we go--jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs.

I urge my colleagues, while some of your districts and some of your States may be doing better than other parts of the country, this is the time for us to recognize that we are a national economy and that what happens in one State has an impact on our national recovery.

I thank Chairman Obey for his great leadership in putting this package together. I urge our colleagues to act on behalf of America's working families through the creation of jobs in a fiscally sound way, to honor our responsibility of public safety by protecting our first responders and our responsibility to our children to make sure that their education does not have a gap, because we have a budgetary gap, and understanding the role that consumers play in our economy. I hope that we will have a strong ``yes'' vote on this legislation.

With that, Mr. Chairman, I commend you again.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I rise in strong support of the Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act. I would like to acknowledge the great leadership of our chairman, Chairman Berman, and the ranking member, Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen, for their efforts and leadership to bring this legislation to the floor.

All Members of Congress, regardless of party, agree a nuclear Iran is simply unacceptable; it is a threat to the region, to the United States, and to the world. The American people have great hopes for our friendship with the people of Iran. We look forward to a day when Iran is a much more productive member of the community of nations. Until that day, though, we must ensure that Iran is prevented from obtaining nuclear weapons that would threaten the security of the world.

Iran must take the necessary steps to demonstrate its willingness to live as a peaceful partner in the international community. And we must use all of the tools at our disposal, from diplomacy to sanctions, to stop Iran's march toward nuclear capability.

Today, with this legislation, we give the President a new option, a new tool, the power to impose sanctions against companies that supply Iran with or support its domestic production of gasoline and other refined petroleum products. By targeting Iran's ongoing dependence on largely imported refined petroleum, we reduce the chance that Iran will acquire the capacity to produce nuclear weapons.

A pillar, Mr. Speaker, of our national security is diplomacy; and in the case

of Iran, we must use it. We must exhaust every diplomatic remedy. I commend President Obama for standing with other U.N. Security Council leaders earlier this year to condemn Iran and to work toward an agreeable diplomatic solution to end Iran's proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

However, as we have seen, Iran has refused to accept a reasonable offer that was put on the table a couple of months ago. Instead, it has reiterated its resolve to continue its uranium enrichment program, the cornerstone of its nuclear program. The international community must, therefore, consider stronger options. We have that opportunity today to give the President the option with a waiver to use in the best possible way.

Now, I have heard mention of the State of Israel in some of the debate here today, and Israel certainly has proximity to Iran. Iran is increasing its capability both to develop a weapon of mass destruction and the delivery system to deliver that bad news. But this isn't about Israel. Israel, again, is close, and this development of a weapon of mass destruction is a threat to the region. But the development of a weapon of mass destruction anyplace in the world is a threat to the entire world, and it is not in the national security interest of the United States. So while Israel may bear the brunt or be the closest target--or target of words, if, hopefully, not anything else--they have carried this fight, but it's not just their fight. The fight is all of ours.

I mentioned diplomacy as a pillar of our national security. Another pillar of our foreign policy and of our national security is stopping the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Imagine what the reaction would be if Iran had a nuclear weapon, what that would evoke in the Arab world in terms of their interest in having weapons of mass destruction. It simply cannot happen. With this legislation today, we strengthen the President's hand to use or to withhold this particular sanction, but to have the capability to use diplomacy in a stronger way.

I urge all of my colleagues to support the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a great American and public servant, the Legislative Counsel of the House of Representatives, Ward Hussey.

Ward Hussey's career was defined by service. He stood on the front lines of World War II and stormed the beaches of Okinawa. He got little attention in the public eye, but for 43 years in the Office of Legislative Counsel, he was the wordsmith of the House; a core player in the legislative process; a truly indispensible voice and a source of institutional knowledge and intelligence for every Member of Congress.

Ward Hussey held no allegiance to party or partisan causes--only to his country, the Congress, and the people of the United States.

His job was to give form to ideas and to turn vague proposals into concrete pieces of legislation. Always remaining behind the scenes, he called himself a ``catalyst,'' a man who ``filled in'' the details and made sure all sides were represented. Always an example of hard work, commitment, and duty, his colleagues called him a kind and decent man, who brought an extraordinary knowledge and discipline to the job.

Ward Hussey left a deep imprint on our national identity, our social fabric, and our daily lives. His fingerprints can be found on the Marshall Plan, the interstate highway system, and Medicare. Most significantly, his words and expertise formed the foundation of our modern tax code.

Over more than 4 decades of service, Ward Hussey's, achievements became the cornerstones of our common progress as a country.

I hope it is a comfort to Ward Hussey's children, grandchildren, great-grandchild, family and friends that the House of Representatives mourns the loss of this giant of the Capitol and is praying for them in this sad time. May his legacy live on in our ongoing pursuit of legislative achievement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 21st annual World AIDS Day, and to remember, reflect on those we have lost, and recommit to ending HIV/AIDS. This year's theme, ``Universal Access and Human Rights,'' is a call to action, a sign of the continued urgency of this moral challenge, and a reminder that HIV/AIDS is still with us in a very major way. The fight to end this disease must go on. The moral case alone is reason to act, but we also know that the spread of infectious diseases, especially HIV/AIDS, can destroy the very fabric of nations and create a fury of despair.

American leadership is essential to preventing suffering and instability in the developing world. Since the first World AIDS Day in 1988, we have made enormous progress. We have dramatically increased resources for both domestic and international HIV/AIDS prevention, care, treatment, and research. These investments have provided lifesaving anti-retroviral treatment to millions of people while also taking critical steps to prevent millions of new HIV cases.

Reiterating our commitment, Congress recently passed, in a bipartisan way, and President Obama signed into law the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act, continuing this essential lifeline of care, treatment, and support for more than half a million low-income Americans living with this disease. And around the same time, the President lifted the ban on entry of individuals with HIV/AIDS into our country. This was good news for all who were concerned about the global AIDS conference that's going to be held in the United States in 2012.

When Congress and the President make the dream of health insurance reform a reality for all Americans, we will improve access to lifelong medications and open the door of high-quality medical care to more low- income, uninsured, HIV-positive individuals before they confront the nightmare of full-blown AIDS. This is better for their health and lowers costs for all of us.

Today, on World AIDS Day, we remember all that we have lost but also all that we have to hold on to, our hope, our optimism, our steadfastness, and our determination to fight against this disease, to respond to the needs of the people who have it, and one day, and hopefully that will be soon, to end the HIV/AIDS disease.

I thank the gentleman for yielding, for his kind remarks and for his tremendous leadership on bringing this legislation to the floor. Thank you, Congressman Rob Andrews.

Madam Speaker, today as we all know is an historic moment for our Nation and for America's families. For nearly a century, leaders of every party and political philosophy have, as far back as Teddy Roosevelt, called for health care for the American people.

For generations, the American people have called for affordable, quality health care for their families. Today, the call will be answered. Today, we will pass the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

This legislation is founded on key principles for a healthier America: innovation, competition and prevention. It improves quality, lowers cost, expands coverage to 36 million more people, and retains choices.

Our innovation began in the recovery package in January with $19 billion for health IT, the first step in lowering cost and improving quality, and $8 billion in investments for biomedical research. This legislation will mean affordability for the middle class, security for our seniors and honors our responsibility to our children, adding not one dime to the deficit.

For all Americans, this legislation makes a big difference: no discrimination for preexisting medical conditions; no dropped coverage if you are sick; no copays for preventive care. There is a cap on what you pay in, but there is no cap on the benefit that you receive.

It works for seniors, closing the doughnut hole, offering better primary care and strengthening Medicare for years to come. It works for women, preventing insurance companies from charging women more than men for the same coverage. No longer will being a woman be a preexisting medical condition.

It works for young people, offers affordable choices and copays for preventive care to stop problems before they start, and allows young people to stay on their parents' insurance until their 27th birthday. It works for small business owners, providing access to affordable group rates and creating a tax credit to help them insure their employees. It works for consumers, keeping insurance companies honest and encouraging competition with a public option.

This legislation puts you and your doctor in charge. No longer will the insurance companies come between you and your doctor.

President Obama has said that health care reform is entitlement reform, and this legislation proves that point. It is fiscally sound, it is paid for, and it reduces the deficit by tens of billions of dollars over the next 10 years.

This legislation is the result of extensive deliberation here in the Congress, where we have held more than 100 hearings and is the product of extensive input from the American people. Members of Congress have held over 3,000 town meetings. It has resulted in a better bill than H.R. 3200. However good or excellent that was, this bill is a better one with significant differences, and my colleagues have pointed them out, as did Congresswoman Dina Titus, who just spoke before me at the podium.

We are brought to this historic moment in our Nation for our families because of the work of our chairmen: Chairman Henry Waxman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Chairman Charlie Rangel of the Ways and Means Committee, Chairman George Miller of the Education and Labor Committee, and Chairwoman Louise Slaughter of the Rules Committee. I thank all of those committees, including the Rules Committee, for being in so late so that we could have this legislation on the floor today and for their ongoing service to the Congress.

More than 300 groups representing tens of millions of Americans have expressed their support for the bill: the AARP, American Medical Association, the American Nurses Association; the list of medical groups goes on and on. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association. And I am particularly proud the Consumers Union has endorsed the legislation. My colleagues, this morning we were part of history, and we are this evening as well.

But a particularly poignant moment occurred when Chairman Dingell took the Chair to preside over the debate, the beginning of the debate for health care. When he was a young man as a Member of Congress, he gaveled Medicare into law. It had been, as one of our colleagues said, in his DNA, this pursuit of health care for all Americans. His father had introduced the bill over and over again when he was in Congress and, as his successor, he continued that great legacy. Today he will see a lifelong dream of generations in his family come true as we begin the process of making this a reality.

It's impossible to talk about health care reform in America without talking about Senator Edward Kennedy. His leadership and his contribution to this debate is boundless. Health insurance reform was the cause of his life. He called it ``the great unfinished business of our society.'' On this issue he said what is at stake ``is the character of our country.'' When the President came to address the joint session, he quoted those comments by Senator Kennedy from a letter that the Senator had sent to him. What the Senator also said in the letter that was sent to President Obama before he died was this:

``I entered public life with a young President who inspired a generation and the world. It gives me great hope that as I leave, another young President inspires another generation and, once more on America's behalf, inspires the entire world.''

He acknowledged President Obama's ``unwavering commitment and understanding that health care is a decisive issue for our future prosperity.''

President Obama's leadership gives our Nation hope. Today, with this legislation, we will give them health. President Obama has said, ``We will measure our success in the progress that is made by America's working families.''

Today, with the passage of the Affordable Health Care for America Act, we will make history. We will also make progress for America's working families.

I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

I thank the gentleman for his kind remarks, and I accept them on behalf of the entire House because we have worked in a bipartisan way on behalf of our men and women in uniform and our veterans. I particularly want to salute Chairman Edwards' outstanding leadership in that regard in his position as Chair of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs Subcommittee of Appropriations.

Mr. Speaker, words fail when a tragedy of this magnitude comes in such an unexpected way, that someone who had the confidence of the military, within its own walls, would perpetrate such a tragedy on people whose lives are dedicated to protecting the American people. It was an unspeakable tragedy, of course, for the families, soldiers, civilians, and support staff on the base at Fort Hood. But it was also a wound to our country.

Our brave men and women in uniform train day in and day out to preserve our security. They should never have to face or fear the forces of violence here at home.

At Fort Hood yesterday, ordinary citizens performed extraordinary acts when they were called upon. They were heroes. In the face of great cowardice on behalf of the perpetrator, Americans demonstrated great bravery from stopping the gunman from causing more loss of life to coming to the aid of those who were wounded and protecting the lives of others.

The entire Nation and this Congress stands with the members of the military every day. I hope it is a comfort to the families affected by this, and everyone in America has been affected by this, but those who have lost their loved ones and the families of those who are seriously wounded and those who have been shaken at Fort Hood, that our entire country mourns the losses of those who were killed and are praying for them at this very, very sad time.

I said to Mr. Carter, Congressman Carter, who represents Fort Hood, and Mr. Edwards, who had represented Fort Hood and many of his constituents worked at Fort Hood, that whatever this Congress can do to ease the pain, to help the recovery, we stand ready to do. And we do that on both sides of the aisle.

I thank you, Mr. Edwards, for the opportunity to extend my condolences and that of the Congress to the families affected.

I thank the gentleman for yielding and thank him for his longstanding leadership on this issue that relates to the economic well-being of America's families.

Anytime families gather across America at their dinner table to see how they are going to make ends meet or struggle through the loss of a job, they know they have a friend in Jim McDermott in the Congress. This has been one of his premier issues, and he has served them and this Congress and this country excellently in that regard. I thank him for bringing this legislation to the floor.

We passed this bill over a month ago. At long last it is back, but we are glad it is back, no matter how long it took. I am pleased to rise to support the legislation.

The bill will mark another step forward to boost our economic growth, and it will make a critical investment in our families and our workers.

This legislation offers a lifeline to out-of-work Americans, to the men and women hardest hit by the recession, by extending unemployment benefits--you have heard it over and over--by 14 weeks nationwide and an extra 6 weeks in States suffering the highest jobless rates. It's a smart choice for our Nation's economy. Every dollar spent on unemployment benefits generates more than $1.60 in new economic demand. It's good for businesses. It's good for workers.

This money, because it is so needed by these out-of-work families will, again, be spent immediately, inject demand into the economy, creating jobs, to the tune of $1.60 for every dollar. It's hard to think of any other initiative we can name that is as beneficial to job creation.

Its original purpose is fairness to those workers who have paid into the insurance system, and now they are getting an insurance benefit. But it also has an impact as a stimulant. It means more Americans will have access to the support and assistance they need to get back on their feet, reenter the workforce, contribute to our economy and succeed.

The bill also places a down payment on the future of our middle class because it extends for the first-time homebuyer a tax credit, helping more Americans purchase homes and making it is a little easier for families to move into a new house and keep a roof over their heads.

This initiative has already been successful. We have seen the positive impact, the steadier foundation in our housing market. Most significantly, we have watched new generations of Americans start living out their dream of homeownership and economic security.

The bill also has the net operating loss carryback, which businesses tell us is necessary for them to succeed and to hire new people, and also to mitigate some of the damage that has been done to the economy from past policies.

Taking action now to turn around our country is our most urgent and pressing challenge. It must be our top priority, regardless of party. That is why I am so pleased that we are going to have such a strong bipartisan vote. Mr. Brady, thank you today.

The House acted more than a month ago, as I mentioned, to pass the bill and help 1.3 million Americans set to lose their unemployment benefits by the end of the year. Today, we are proud to see the Senate version come back to the floor, to this Chamber. We would have wanted it sooner, but here it is.

The Nation's leaders have a responsibility to give every American the opportunity to recover, to thrive, to reap the rewards of our common progress and to take part in our prosperity. Today's vote is about a never-ending effort to put our economy on the road to recovery, create jobs, and establish the building blocks for growth in the long term.

President Obama has said over and over again, and so eloquently, that our success here would be measured only in the progress made by America's families as they get back on their feet and as we help them address their economic struggles.

The economic security of America's families is important to them, to their children, to their children's future; and it is important to the strength of our country. For that reason, I again commend Mr. McDermott and Mr. Brady and urge all Members to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate our team that won so decisively last night. Mr. Boehner and I were there to cheer the Democratic/Republican, Republican/Democratic team on.

The good news is that they won; the bad news is they beat the Capitol Police. So I don't know what that means.

But the fact is that it was great teamwork between the Democrats and the Republicans, which was saluted in the Rotunda earlier today. Senator Edward Brooke, whom we had honored with the Congressional Gold Medal, was pleased to hear about this teamwork between Democrats and Republicans. And, indeed, it got a standing ovation from those folks who didn't even know about the game until then.

But you should have seen our guys. They were so great.

Mr. Shuster, congratulations. Congratulations to Heath Shuler. The last time I saw them, they were playing baseball. They go from baseball to football, all-round athletes; great teamwork, great leadership. Congratulations to our team.

And I, too, want to join in thanking the Capitol Police. I know they went all-out last night because they always go all-out for us.

Congratulations. We were suited up, but we were not called upon.

Madam speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the life and legacy of Donald Fisher, an innovative business leader and civic-minded philanthropist, who passed away on September 27, surrounded by his loving family. Don used his remarkable business success for the good of his community and our Nation and he will be long outlived by his legacy to the economy, the arts, education, the environment and sports.

A third-generation San Franciscan and graduate of Lowell High School, Don attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he was an all-American swimmer and water polo player. In 1969, Don and his wife Doris opened the first Gap store on Ocean Avenue in San Francisco, drawing from the City's culture to influence casual style in the U.S. and throughout the world.

Growing a single Gap store into a multinational and multi-brand corporation, Don used his remarkable success to promote corporate philanthropy. In 1977, Doris and Don created the Gap Foundation to help underserved youth in developing countries where Gap Inc. conducted business. Don was a renowned art collector and served on the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's Board of Trustees. Before his death, Don announced a partnership with the museum that will allow its visitors access to his extensive private collection of contemporary art.

Doris and Don were instrumental to the founding of the KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) schools, a national charter school program based in San Francisco that has grown from 2 schools to more than 80 across the country.

Don was an early supporter and a Board member of the Presidio Trust. He was committed to the creation of a world class urban national park from this former military base, for use by neighbors as well as the world.

Don was a proud son of San Francisco, and his work for the common good is seen not just in these examples but in every corner of our city. However, he was proudest of his family, and his children and grandchildren will carry on his work. I hope it is a comfort to Doris, his three sons, his grandchildren, and the many others who loved him that so many are mourning his loss at this sad time.

Mr. Speaker, for almost two decades, the Ryan White Act has played an essential role in the development and maintenance of systems of care for people living with HIV and AIDS. Today, Congress has the opportunity to continue this lifesaving work.

Essential to our efforts has been the leadership of Chairman Frank Pallone of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health. And I want to especially acknowledge Chairman Henry Waxman for his decades of magnificent and determined leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS. From day one of this epidemic, Henry Waxman has been on the frontlines leading the charge.

I also want to pay tribute to another great leader who was there from day one of this epidemic: Senator Edward M. Kennedy. Senator Kennedy was tireless in his efforts to ensure the federal government, and the entire health system, eventually rose to the challenge of this crisis with the resources and commitment it demanded. His legacy lives on in the Ryan White Act and the hundreds of thousands of people each year it helps access the medication and primary care they need to stay healthy.

As everyone knows, San Francisco was hit early and was hit hard by the devastation of AIDS. But San Franciscans responded to the needs of our neighbors by developing a system of community-based care that became the model for the Ryan White CARE Act when it was first enacted in 1990. As a result, San Francisco produced data that showed the country comprehensive HIV/AIDS care and services not only saves lives, but also saves money by keeping people healthy and productive.

Today, Ryan White-funded initiatives are a fundamental component of the systems of care upon which low income individuals with HIV and AIDS rely. Declines in AIDS deaths are a direct result of the therapies and services that have been made more widely available through the Ryan White Act to large numbers of uninsured and under-insured people living with HIV and AIDS.

Each year, this legislation ensures access to lifesaving medical services, including pharmaceuticals, for over 500,000 clients--almost half of the individuals living with HIV/AIDS in this country. Passage of the Ryan White reauthorization will continue to increase access to primary care and medications by providing additional resources and facilitating the transition to HIV reporting.

The Ryan White Act has always focused on establishing and maintaining effective systems of health care. This means avoiding drastic cuts that destabilize existing resources. For this reason, many of us were disappointed when the Bush Administration implemented the 2006 reauthorization in a way that caused drastic cuts to several jurisdictions, including the San Francisco Eligible Metropolitan Area. Unfortunately, Senate Republicans objected to correcting these implementation flaws in this reauthorization. However, I remain committed to responding to these needs through the appropriations process, as we have done each year since the Bush Administration first attempted to impose these destabilizing cuts.

The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act will continue our commitment to hundreds of thousands of low income people living with HIV/AIDS. In so doing, we will save lives, save money, and help create a healthier America. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, last week the Bay Area lost a fourth- generation San Franciscan and a proud American, Paul ``Red'' Fay.

Over his long life, Red was a devoted public servant, a successful entrepreneur, and a noted philanthropist. Above all, Red was a much- beloved friend to many. He was a man of great humor and an indefatigably good spirit.

Red became a close confidant of President Kennedy when they served together in the Navy during World War II. He worked on all of the President's political campaigns, and was an usher at the President's wedding. He was proud to serve as Undersecretary of the Navy in the Kennedy Administration. Their friendship lasted until President Kennedy's death.

Red was a successful entrepreneur, leading the Fay Improvement Co., his family-owned contracting business and a successful investment firm.

Mr. Fay was a generous supporter of many worthy causes. Proud of his Irish heritage, he was a champion of the American Ireland Fund. He donated his time to the Robert Odell Foundation and the Robert F. Kennedy Foundation. But the cause he devoted the most to was Youth Tennis Advantage, which helped teach underprivileged children the game of tennis that Red enjoyed so much.

Red is survived by his beloved wife of 62 years, Anita, his three children, Paul, Katherine and Sally, and seven grandchildren. I hope it is a comfort to them that so many people are mourning their loss and praying for them at this sad time.

I thank the gentleman for yielding and for giving us this opportunity to come to the floor to express on the floor of the House our condolences to the people of Georgia in this very, very sad time.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and Members of the Georgia delegation, for calling attention to the serious flooding in Georgia and other parts of the American southeast and again with this resolution to offer our condolences on behalf of all Members of the Congress.

Of course, we offer our condolences to those who lost their lives. We are sad for those who have lost their homes and their livelihoods. Those lost, as Mr. David Scott referenced, include nine people dead, dozens stranded and more than 30,000 without electricity. Those lost included a teenage boy trying to rescue another in danger; a mother of two young children; and a very young child, 2 years old, swept away from his father's arms. When that word came over the TV, my colleagues, all of America wept. It is just so sad. Our hearts ache for those who have lost so much.

But in the emerging sun, what do we see? We see neighbors coming to the aid of neighbors and the tireless work of our first responders.

Members of Congress are being briefed on the ongoing events by our members of the Georgia delegation. Thank you, Mr. Lewis, for being the author of this resolution. We are all trying to reach out to see what we can do to help individually in conversation and as a Congress.

I know that President Obama will act upon the request that he has just received. He has received the request from Governor Perdue. Now he has received the formal documentation from FEMA, and I am certain that it will be addressed immediately.

The thoughts and prayers of this entire Congress and the people we represent, the American people, are with

the people of Georgia today and in these days ahead as we work with them to ensure that they have all that they need. I hope it is some level of comfort to them that their representatives on both sides of the aisle from Georgia have made us fully aware of the direct impact that the rains have had on Georgia. We stand ready to help with whatever we can do officially, but always with what we can do in our prayers.

Thank you to the chairman for giving me this opportunity to come to the floor in strong support of the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act. I do so because education is the best investment individuals can make in themselves, parents can make in their children, and a Nation can make in its citizens and in its future.

Today is possible because of the leadership of the distinguished chairman of the Education and Labor Committee, Congressman George Miller. Students across America have no better advocate for affordable and accessible higher education. Thank you, Mr. Miller.

I would also like to acknowledge the chairman of the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness--I love that trio of jurisdiction--and a national leader on college affordability, Congressman Ruben Hinojosa. To them and all of the members of the Education and Labor Committee, we are all in your debt.

We all know that for every additional year of higher education, an individual's earnings increase about 10 percent. We know that education is key to the prosperity of our Nation, the prosperity of the individual, the prosperity of the Nation.

But for far too many, a quality higher education has been simply unaffordable. I have heard of cases where parents have been hesitant to encourage their children to strive for college because they can't afford to send them. What sadder testimony could there be for prospects for that person.

Expanding access to higher education is essential to building America's way out of recession and keeping our Nation competitive. Innovation begins in the classroom. It is essential that we prepare our students for 21st century jobs by providing all Americans with the skills they need to compete.

When Democrats came to the majority in 2007, we passed in a bipartisan way the College Cost Reduction and Access Act. That was the single largest investment in education since the GI Bill in 1944, until today.

Today we will make the largest investment in making college more affordable in the history of our Nation. On the 100th day of President Obama's presidency, in the House and in the Senate, we passed the budget. The President had three pillars for turning the economy around, for creating jobs in that budget, to create jobs to give tax breaks to the middle class and to reduce the deficit. The three pillars for turning the economy around and creating jobs were investments in education, in health care, and in a new energy policy for good, green jobs for the future.

Today, we are passing legislation to support the education pillar of that budget. Again, education is essential to the fulfillment of individuals, the competitiveness of our Nation, and it is the foundation of our democracy.

This bill is a great bill, and I want to again reiterate what others have said. It invests $40 billion in Pell Grants and increases the maximum grant that can be awarded. That makes a big difference to our students. It invests more than $2.5 billion in Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions, a big issue for Mr. Hinojosa and for many of us here. It strengthens the Perkins Loan Program that provides low-cost loans to students. It keeps interest rates low for those who have Federal student loans. This is very important.

This means that more students will enter college, that they will graduate with less debt, and that the Federal loan initiatives that they and their families depend upon are strengthened for decades to come. On top of all of that, taxpayers will save money.

Under Mr. Miller's leadership, we are investing in our children without heaping mountains of debt upon them. This legislation is fiscally responsible, following the strict standards of the pay-as-you- go spending and saving for the taxpayer.

You heard all the things I said about Pell Grants and college investments and Perkins loans and low interest rates. With the $87 billion in taxpayer savings that this bill achieves, we are able to do all of that by switching to a Direct Loan Program. So it invests $77 billion back into the education of our people while reducing the Federal entitlement spending by $10 billion. That's billion with a ``B.''

This legislation seizes the opportunity to strengthen our Nation by making an historic commitment to our students and a landmark investment in our future. I urge my colleagues to join the distinguished chairman and members of the committee in a bipartisan way and vote ``aye.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer deep condolences to the victims of the recent California wildfires and the residents who have lost their homes and businesses; and to pay tribute to the brave firefighters and first responders still standing in harm's way.

The wildfires broke out in the last week of August. Since then, more than 160,000 acres have burned. More than 160 structures--houses and businesses--have been destroyed; nearly 4,000 more remain in harm's way.

At this stage, thousands of residents and families have been affected by the flames--forced into shelters; displaced; facing the horrifying prospect of a home burned to the ground or a workplace caught in the blaze.

The prayers of every Member of Congress go out to every resident impacted by the fires.

As the Nation has watched the rapid spread of the wildfires, no one deserves greater praise or gratitude than our firefighters on the front lines.

These dedicated men and women stay through the night to get the job done. Their bravery is unparalleled, their heroism unmatched. Their efforts are the front line of defense against the fires, and their sacrifice is saving lives.

Two of these firefighters paid the ultimate price for the safety of LA County's residents.

Captain Tedmund ``Ted'' Hall and Specialist Arnaldo ``Arnie'' Quinones represent our nation's best values: service and sacrifice, an obligation to help others and a responsibility to protect your community.

To ensure our firefighters have the resources they need to beat back the flames, Congress provided nearly $490 million in extra funding this year, boosting the federal government's commitment to helping the people standing in the line of fire each year.

Congress will continue to watch closely the developments and spread of the wildfires across the State of California, and we will remain steadfast in our support for state and county emergency agencies in their efforts to protect local residents and rebuild in the days ahead.

In the words of this resolution, the Congress ``condemns the acts of arson perpetrated in igniting the Los Angeles County Station Fire,'' and we extend our appreciation to the volunteers, law enforcement and medical personnel for helping evacuees, sheltering the displaced, and treating injuries in recent weeks.

I thank the gentleman for yielding. I thank Congressman Ackerman and Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen for bringing this opportunity to the floor to speak about the unspeakable horror of 9/11.

When we talk about this subject, Mr. Speaker, we are treading on sacred ground, a ground we thought we would never see in our country.

But as Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen said, it has defined us, how we dealt with it, and how we carry on afterward. One of the goals of terrorists is to instill fear. So not only do they take lives and destroy a community, try to destroy a community, they also instill fear as to how we will act upon the challenges that we have as we go forward. That did not happen with 9/11.

The American people rallied in a way that removed all doubt that we would not suffer that consequence. But it's the families of 9/11 who made the biggest sacrifice, that's self-evident. But when they turned their grief into action, working with the 9/11 Commission to help ensure that this doesn't happen again, they did a great service to our country.

In just a few moments, in the Capitol, we will unveil a marker of bravery to recall the sacrifice, in particular of the men and women on Flight 93 who died in rural Pennsylvania. We gather to honor their families, who will be with us. This is the day that they have chosen for that and to ensure that we never forget their heroic deeds, their bravery and the sacrifices of those individuals. They made a decision in that flight not to fly into Washington, D.C., perhaps into this Capitol.

Again, it is to those families that we owe so much, whether it was in rural Pennsylvania, in the Pentagon, or in New York at the Twin Towers.

Following that ceremony, we will go to Statuary Hall where leaders of both parties in both Houses of Congress will gather to recognize the heroes of 9/11, the firefighters and first responders, the rescue workers and all who perished on Flight 93, in the Pentagon and the World Trade Center on that terrible morning. It is in their names that we mark this day.

It is in memory of those who died that we, in the words of this resolution, renew our devotion to the universal ideals that make this Nation great: freedom, pluralism, equality and the rule of law. It is their voices that remind us not just of the images of destruction and despair, but of the unity we all felt in the wake of the attacks and of our common humanity and shared strength, of our potential to move forward as one community, one Nation. When we take inspiration from the memories of the heroes of 9/11, may this resolution rekindle a spirit of service and sacrifice among all Americans.

May God continue to bless the United States of America.