Floor Statements

I thank the gentlelady from Minnesota for yielding me some time to talk about a very important subject. As you mentioned, as the new father of triplets, looking at this budget is pretty frightening, not just for me, but obviously what I feel for them and my older daughter as we have in this budget an unprecedented level of spending and also some policy issues that are going to cost them and many in my State of Ohio a tremendous amount of money.

So this budget has real consequences on real people. In fact, the chart behind me demonstrates a little bit about that budget and what that budget does to our national debt. This debt, as you see in red, is representing the administration's budget, a staggering number that will go up considerably if this budget, which is being debated in the House Budget Committee this week, presumably on the House floor, next week, if it passes, as it is, this will be the result, a doubling of the debt held by the public. It is unbelievable.

Who is going to pay that debt? It is going to be our children and our grandchildren. They are going to be saddled with unprecedented debt, debt as far as the eye can see.

When I got elected to Congress in 2001, when I was sworn in, you can see where the national debt was. The Republicans and the administration during the last 8 years were criticized for not dealing with that debt in blue. And it went up. And it went up entirely too much. But not nearly as much as it is going to go up if this budget passes. The consequences are devastating to our economy.

In fact, within that budget is something called ``cap-and-trade.'' It is an energy issue to deal with the issue of global warming. But in Ohio, what it will do is devastate our already ailing economy. It will cause people to leave and businesses to leave. In fact, within my district, there is a municipal power company. It will create the loss of jobs as well. Within my district and many other districts in Ohio there are municipal power companies, not investor owned, but owned by municipalities. And one such one has said that it will quadruple, quadruple the rates that their ratepayers pay. Quadruple. Now my mom and dad, who are on a fixed income, will see their electric go up. They will see their gas bills to heat their home go up. They will see their gasoline that they pay for in their 14-year-old car go up in cost. This will be a huge, huge tax increase on them not to even mention the goods and services that will go up, just the energy tax alone.

We on this side of the aisle believe that an all-of-the-above energy approach to solving our domestic energy needs should be debated rather than a cap-and-tax program that will devastate economies like Ohio's economy. It will be absolutely a killer to jobs in our State.

Now the other issue that you may hear about in the next week is spending, that my colleagues and friends on the other side of the aisle are going to constrain spending. Well, here are the facts, the Congressional Budget Office facts. The blue has been the spending over the last 8 years. The red is the spending over the administration's budget. Clearly, we are going to see an incredible amount of new spending.

So the problem in Washington, D.C. is not a revenue problem. The problem in Washington D.C. is a spending problem. There is no such thing as a spending restraint.

Ladies and gentlemen of the House, this is an eye-popping proposal, one that is going to have huge consequences to our economy, to our children, to our grandchildren, to our way of life. We must, we must put a stop to this proposal, and the only way we can do that is with the help of the American people because, quite frankly, this side of the aisle just doesn't have the votes. The other side of the aisle does, and we need the American people engaged in a proposal that will have a killer effect on our economy and one that will have a devastating effect on the future of our children and our children's children.

I yield back to the gentlelady from Minnesota.

Thank you for your leadership. I would certainly like to thank you for bringing this matter to light this evening and last week. I know both of you have shared the same experience that I have shared back in my district. People are dying to know what happened and when? Who was responsible for this? As you said, the Senator from Connecticut has said that somebody from the administration or somebody from Treasury instructed them to put this language in the bill.

I think it is interesting to note the language behind me that you talked about earlier wouldn't have gotten in the bill if, if we had transparency from the beginning, something that the new President has talked about, talked about during the campaign, talked about repeatedly during the campaign. In fact, as both of you know, our Speaker of the House talked about transparency before she became Speaker and how this was going to be the most transparent House ever, the people's House, and the fact is, not only on this legislation, but this certainly demonstrates it, but on countless pieces of legislation, there has been anything but transparency. And transparency has led to what this chart is really all about, and that is finding out who knew what when?

People in my district are outraged that this language ended up in this stimulus bill without anybody knowing about it, anybody but apparently the author of the amendment, but most everyone else, allegedly, didn't know about this important wording that allowed AIG officials to receive millions of dollars in bonuses.

In fact, I don't know if the gentleman has an answer for this, as I digress a bit, there was a news report today that

over half of the bonuses that were paid to AIG went to non-Americans.

We are getting more questions on the table than answers. And that is what happens when you don't have transparency. That is what happens when backroom deals are cut, backroom deals on this stimulus bill that was done back in February.

In fact, Mr. LaTourette, I will quote from a Los Angeles Times article back in February that in the first major piece of legislation pushed by the President, transparency was missing. In fact, the President has no constitutional authority to set rules for Congress. But he suggested he would use his influence to see that Congress doesn't conduct its work ``in the dead of night and behind closed doors,'' which is exactly what happened in this process.

The Times article goes on to say, Mr. Speaker, maybe we can add a picture here to your graph, important negotiating sessions devoted to the stimulus took place in a congressional office outside public view, Representative Henry A. Waxman (D) Beverly Hills said he was in the meeting about the stimulus plan Tuesday night in the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) San Francisco. Among the participants was White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

So, one person who says he was in the meeting in negotiations was the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee. But still, my question back to you would be, do you have to be in the meeting to instruct conferees in the dead of night in one of these offices to put something in this bill? Because you could still have the Treasury Secretary instruct everybody else that this is an important measure by telephone, couldn't you?

If the gentleman will yield, certainly I think as we continue forward having a special investigation, an Inspector General report trying to get to the bottom of this, if someone doesn't come forward and say, yes, this is the language that I wanted, and this is the reason why, and X number of people that were paid were paid retention bonuses, and by the way, we weren't able to retain them, and by the way, over half the bonuses were paid to non-Americans, which is outrageous in the first place.

Would the gentleman yield? And you're being far too modest because the resolution does much more than that. And in fact, in reading a poll today, over half of the American people believe that AIG should be broken up. And part of your resolution does just that, if you want to expand upon that.

I know that you're pushing that legislation. You have many cosponsors. But some think we are too busy to deal with that important legislation. I think you have a chart that demonstrates maybe we are not.

The gentleman from Ohio has a chart that just shows an amazing----

I think the gentleman is right on target here. And as stocks tank, let me tell you, it impacts everybody. It impacts those police officers that protect our streets, firefighters, who are working in a courageous line of work, teachers in Ohio, as you know, who are part of a state teachers retirement system. As someone whose dad lost his pension and health care and job in high school, when someone sees their pension related to the stock market tank, sees their moms and dads seeing their children's college funds absolutely go into the ground, this is important. It impacts every single family out there as this market has tanked. And what are we doing? We are debating the Shark Conservation Act. In fact, the last several weeks, to your point, we have debated noncontroversial issues that have passed nearly unanimously, and not taken up the hard stuff like your resolution that could come to the floor.

In fact, let me just add one thing. Today the leader, John Boehner, put together a working group with respect to savings, and I was part of that group. And we unveiled a blueprint that will help American families and American savers. And unfortunately, based upon past history, that piece of legislation will not see the light of day. And it is not like we are spending a lot of time around here passing substantive pieces of legislation. And when we do, we don't get to read it.

And what else was in that stimulus bill that was as controversial as this? We don't know. That may be another exercise for us to find out what other controversial measures, in addition to the game of Clue, I think we know it was the Speaker's Office, based on press reports, but maybe it was the Senate leader's office. Maybe it was on the other side of the Capitol.

Not to interrupt, but should we add the Budget Director to the chart?

I think what he is saying is three Members of the Senate. We have two Members of the Senate on the Clue board, so I keep, you know, I keep wanting to take names off, but maybe we should add another picture there. We have got to figure out who the other Senator was that he is speaking about.

I do think we can take off the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Mr. Rangel. I feel pretty confident he wasn't the one.

I think we can take the chairman of the Appropriations Committee off. But I am thinking we need to add a couple too.

I think again it is important to note, interrupting, and I apologize for interrupting, what Mr. Austria said earlier in which Americans are beginning to find out and are very troubled with, is that the American people own 80 percent of AIG. So somebody had to approve it with the Federal Government, and maybe that is the smoking gun.

Or the conference room.

Will the gentleman yield?

Clearly, to your point in this exercise, most would point the finger at the Senator from Connecticut--

--which probably means he didn't do it, which probably means it's somebody else, because he is the most obvious choice having played the game.

Well, yielding back to me again--and I appreciate that--I think what we found in his comments last week in that impromptu press conference is that, one day, he said he didn't know anything about it, and the next day, he said, ``Well, yes, I did do it, but it was at the direction of somebody in the administration.'' Obviously, he doesn't want to throw somebody under the bus, but he has already been thrown under the bus, so I would hope that we could end this rather quickly with: Who is it?

Will the gentleman yield?

To your point, I would like to submit this for the Record as well. It's a Los Angeles Times article from February.

[From the Los Angeles Times, Feb. 14, 2009]

Private Talks for Public Stimulus; Obama Has Said He Wants Congress to

Work in the Open. But He Isn't Troubled by the Recent Negotiations

(By Peter Nicholas)

Washington.--Upending Washington's entrenched ways of doing

business is proving tougher than President Obama may have

assumed.

The nearly $800-billion stimulus bill served as a test

case.

During the campaign, Obama released a position paper

stating his commitment to open government. As president, he

said, he would not only insist on transparency in his own

administration, he would press Congress to revamp its

practices as well.

Obama has no constitutional authority to set rules for

Congress, but he suggested he would use his influence to see

to it that Congress doesn't conduct its work ``in the dead of

night and behind closed doors.''

In the first major piece of legislation pushed by Obama,

transparency was missing.

Important negotiating sessions devoted to the stimulus took

place in congressional offices, outside pubic view. Rep.

Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills) said he was in a meeting

about the stimulus plan Tuesday night in the office of House

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco). Among the

participants was White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

``We had to do some hard bargaining,'' Waxman said.

The abundance of private deliberations made for some

comical moments.

Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.) was walking through the Capitol on

Wednesday on his way to a public meeting in which Senators

and House members were supposed to hash out differences over

the stimulus. As he passed the Rotunda, Camp spotted Senate

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) holding a news conference

announcing that a deal had already been struck.

``This is the largest spending bill in the history of the

United States, and I believe the public business should be

done in public,'' said Camp, who had been appointed to the

10-member conference committee created to reconcile

differences between the two chambers.

``President Obama made that commitment repeatedly in his

campaign,'' he said.

Obama aides say that the president is still committed to

transparency in government.

He reiterated the pledge during the transition, posting a

promise on his website to ``restore the American people's

trust in their government by making government more open and

transparent,'' and cited closed conference committee sessions

as a practice ripe for overhaul.

But the White House isn't apologizing for how the stimulus

bill was handled. Given the dismal economic climate, White

House aides said, the country needed a stimulus bill--fast.

Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, asked abut the private

negotiations, said that Obama wasn't troubled.

``He's pleased with the process and the product that has

come out,'' Gibbs said while briefing reporters Friday. ``I

think when the process is done, the American people will be

proud of the product that we believe and we hope will begin

to stimulate the economy.''

Democratic leaders said the bill was handled according to

procedures and customs that have been in place for years,

including when Republicans controlled Congress.

Waxman said Congress' treatment of the bill was fairly

standard. Could Congress have demanded that all negotiations

play out in public? Waxman said that would have been

impractical.

``There are too many moving parts in this bill,'' Waxman

said. ``We would be sitting in an open conference committee

meeting for weeks, if not a whole month, to process all the

amendments that would have been offered.''

Again to your point, this says the President has no constitutional authority to set rules for Congress, ``but he suggested he would use his influence to see to it that Congress doesn't conduct its work `in the dead of night and behind closed doors,' '' when in fact, in this particular exercise, as we know and as your chart indicates and as the Senator from Connecticut has indicated, these words came from the administration and were put into the

stimulus bill in the dead of night. We still don't know who in the administration. We don't know everybody who was in the room from the administration, so the administration can claim they have nothing to do with Congress.

Based upon the documents from the press that we have submitted tonight and that you have submitted tonight and based upon the shuttle diplomacy that occurred during the days before the stimulus vote, there were top administration officials involved, in the room, writing the bill in the dead of night, with no transparency, no Republicans, no press, no C-SPAN, with nobody witnessing what was being done. The product you have at the end of the process are these 50 words that nobody in America is taking credit for. Your resolution tomorrow will begin to get to the bottom of this, unfortunately, if someone does not come forward.

Let me just, again, thank you for your leadership on this. I would hope that we don't have to come back next week and add pictures and subtract rooms, but I am willing to do that if nothing occurs tomorrow. I certainly would not want to be in the majority--a Democrat in a competitive district--having to defend a ``no'' vote on your resolution tomorrow and a ``yes'' vote on a bill that allowed these 47 words to go forward and millions and millions of dollars to citizens and noncitizens of a failing company that should go into bankruptcy or should be split up into several different companies. This is an outrage. Americans are outraged. We will get to the bottom of this, and at the end of the day, I predict that we will find out who was responsible for that pen.

Ladies and gentlemen, in the coming weeks, we are going to debate the budget for the United States of America for the next 10 years, for next year and beyond. This budget clearly taxes too much, spends too much, and borrows too much from the American people. In fact, not only does it do that, but for someone like my mom and dad who are on fixed incomes, seniors, this will cause their taxes to go up every time they fill the tank of their 14-year-old car, turn on the lights of their 35-year-old house, or turn up the thermostat to heat or turn it down to cool their home.

This is a huge tax on American consumers, particularly from my State in Ohio, with this cap-and-tax issue that is within this budget, a debate that we're going to have in this House this month and next month.

Americans deserve better. They deserve better solutions. Republicans in the minority here are willing to be part of those better solutions. I hope that the Speaker and the leadership of the House will be partners with us for those better solutions.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1512.

As the gentleman from Georgia said, this is a straightforward bill to provide a 6-month extension of the various excise taxes that support the Airport and Airway Trust Fund as well as the trust fund's expenditure authorities. These taxes and authorities are currently scheduled to expire at the end of this month, and today's legislation will permit Congress the time it needs to consider a longer-term FAA reauthorization bill.

As the ranking member of the Select Revenues Subcommittee, I'm pleased that Chairman Rangel has asked our panel to examine tax issues related to the transportation trust funds, including the Airport and Airway Trust Fund. I certainly look forward to working with Chairman Neal, Chairman Lewis, and all the members of our committee over the months ahead as we determine whether modifications to the financing structure of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund are warranted going forward. Ways and Means is clearly the appropriate committee of jurisdiction regarding these tax issues, and I anticipate working with other members of the Ways and Means Committee of both parties to ensure that our committee continues to shape the FAA reauthorization process this year.

I would note for my colleagues that under the CBO baseline, expiring excise taxes that are dedicated to a trust fund are assumed to be extended at current rates for budgeting purposes. Consequently, the Joint Committee on Taxation is expected to score H.R. 1512 as having no revenue effect, Mr. Speaker, no revenue effect, just as it has with similar short-term extensions of FAA taxes in the past. While many Members on our side of the aisle would argue that CBO and Joint Tax should make that same assumption about expiring tax cuts as well, that's a bigger debate for another day.

For now it's important that we all extend the current FAA excise taxes on a temporary basis, and I am pleased to join with my colleagues from the other side of the aisle and Chairman Lewis in support of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to recognize Mr. Dana Gioia for his service and tenure at the National Endowment for the Arts.

Mr. Dana Gioia has been a tireless advocate for bringing the arts to communities across the country. Through his NEA National Initiatives, such as The Big Read, Poetry Out Loud, and American Masterpieces, Mr. Gioia has given all Americans the opportunity to enjoy the finest artistic and cultural programs. During his two terms as chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts he has successfully worked across party lines to bring broad support and enthusiasm to the arts and art education.

As a lifelong trumpet player and a member of the National Council on the Arts, I have seen first hand the positive impact art education can have on a person's life. It has been a pleasure working with Mr. Gioia during his two terms as chairman, granting more opportunities for more Americans to experience the arts. Mr. Gioia has traveled to my district and many others, educating members of the community and promoting the grant process at a grassroots level. Through the Challenge America: Reaching Every Community initiatives, he has guaranteed that direct grants will reach art organizations in every congressional district in every State. Many of these organizations are first time recipients of Endowment support. Mr. Gioia is continuously ensuring all communities have the ability to bring the arts home.

For his life of service to the arts and consistent hard work toward the betterment of our country, I commend Dana Gioia upon his retirement from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Madam Speaker, it is with bittersweet sadness that we are here today. We thought that earlier this year this would be awhile before it came, but it is here before we know it. And it is not really an overstatement to say that these three individuals that we are honoring tonight have dedicated their lives to public service and serving our communities and serving our great State of Ohio, and certainly our country, spending so many years on the ground, in fact 70 years of service to this United States House of Representatives alone.

Ralph Regula, who served in our military, who served in the Ohio House and the Ohio Senate before being elected to this body in 1972, I will never forget his service to the Appropriations

Committee and all the fine work he did for so many people across our State and across our Nation and across the spectrum of labor, health, human services and education, and his work in Interior.

And Dave Hobson, ``Uncle Dave'' as we affectionately call him, for his years of service to our country, as well to our military and the Ohio Senate before coming to the United States House of Representatives. His work with respect to our military men and women is unparalleled, an advocate, the best advocate for the young men and women in uniform here in the United States and those serving abroad and his work on the appropriations committees to help them and help so many others across our State as well.

And Deborah, who served as a judge before coming to the United States House of Representatives, and her work in our leadership for so many years and guiding our party. Her work on children's issues and cancer research, again, has been unmatched and will be missed. But I know all three will continue serving in so many other different ways.

I will miss Deborah and Dave on the plane ride to and from Columbus every week, all three have been amazing friends. They have been more than just friends. They have been teachers, they have been mentors, they have been everything you could ask a colleague to be or more. They have represented the best of what this body inspires us to do. They have represented our State and our country in great ways.

Thank you all for your guidance, your wisdom, your service and your friendship. You set a standard to which those of us who follow hope to someday achieve.

Madam Speaker, today we commemorate International Literacy Day, a day that provides us an opportunity to assess the status of literacy and adult learning both in our country and around the world.

While much progress has been made since the first Literacy Day 42 years ago, much remains to be done. According to United Nations estimates, some 774 million adults lack minimum literacy skills. One in five adults is still not literate and two-thirds of them are women.

Fortunately, there are countless organizations and individuals dedicated to ensuring that every man, woman and child has an opportunity to learn basic skills. In my home state, the Ohio Literacy Network has been meeting the needs of adult learners for 21 years. Since its inception in 1987, the network has played a leading role in promoting awareness of adult literacy needs, advocating on behalf of adult learners and service providers, encouraging public-private literacy efforts and facilitating the exchange of literacy information. In short, the Ohio Literacy Network is dedicated to building stronger communities by providing opportunities to any adult wanting to learn basic literacy skills.

I salute the Ohio Literacy Network, and similar organizations throughout the world, as they man the front lines in the battle to better the lives of individuals by improving their basic skills.

Madam Speaker, congratulations are in order for the Ohio Newspaper Association, which is celebrating 75 years of service to its members and those who read and use newspapers every day. The ONA represents 83 daily newspapers, more than 170 weeklies, and over 150 newspaper Web sites.

As you might expect, the ONA provides effective representation for its members before all levels of government, but it does far more than that. The association has long been a strong advocate for open government, benefiting all our citizens. It also provides seminars, workshops, and other tools for professional development.

Just as important are the activities of the affiliated Ohio Newspapers Foundation. This charitable organization provides scholarships and internships for journalism students, assistance to high school newspapers, and sponsors projects promoting literacy across Ohio.

For 75 years, the Ohio Newspaper Association and its members have provided leadership in promoting freedom of the press and a well- informed society, ideals that are important to all of us. I join others throughout our State in wishing them decades of more success.

Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise to recognize the community of Delaware, OH. Ohio Magazine recently named Delaware one of Ohio's Best Hometowns.

Praised for its small town atmosphere, eclectic character and friendly neighborhoods, Delaware is a charming place to call home. Kindness and hospitality are lifelong qualities of this community and its members.

As one of Ohio's fastest growing communities it's easy to see why Ohio Magazine has named it one of Ohio's Best Hometowns. Home of the Little Brown Jug, Ohio Wesleyan University, and the Central Ohio Symphony, Delaware has much to offer its residents and visitors alike. The blending of old and new has created an energetic and historic downtown while preserving the personality of small-town America.

I offer my congratulations to Mayor Windell Wheeler and the members of the Delaware community. All have produced a welcoming place fur Central Ohioans to call home.

Madam Speaker, it is with pleasure I congratulate the Golden Eagles of Big Walnut High School as the Division III Football State Champions!

Head Coach Scott Wetzel, in his twelfth year leading the Golden Eagles, found his team tied 10-10 in the fourth quarter. With less than 10 minutes to play, Joe Reed scored on a 54-yard interception return which clinched the title for his team in the 17-10 victory over Licking Valley.

This season brought many firsts for this team, high school and county. This was Big Walnut's first-ever championship game appearance, and also the first time a Delaware County high school earned a state title! This 2007 football team advanced further than any other team in school history.

I'm proud to congratulate this team and community and join with them in celebrating the history made with their State Championship title!

Madam Speaker, Ohio is known for football. Many players from the State's two NFL teams, and our No. 1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes have been playing football in Ohio since childhood. The rich football tradition was again highlighted in my district, as I am proud to recognize Newark Catholic High School as Division VI State champions.

Head Coach Bill Franks's team didn't have an easy road to get the championship title, it was a road paved with hard work and determination. This wasn't the first trip to the big game for Newark Catholic, as they have seven State titles under their belt. Even with a strong team, the competition was harder than ever this season. Newark Catholic had gigantic wins over both the second and sixth place teams, which earned them a ticket to the championship game against an unbeaten Bascom Hopewell-Loudon.

I feel honored to represent such a rich history of football at this high school. Newark Catholic won its first title back in 1978 and since then the Green Wave has claimed six championship titles. There is even a book telling the story of the exceptional football program at this high school titled, ``Growing Up Green: Newark Catholic Football and the 1985 State Championship.''

After the 28-14 win on December 1, the school can proudly display their eighth title win. With a history like that, I'm sure the future is bright for this football program.

Congratulations to all of the coaches, players, families and community.

Madam Speaker, as many of my colleagues know, today is America Recycles Day. Celebrating its 10th year, America Recycles Day is dedicated to raising awareness about the benefits of recycling and encouraging Americans to increase their involvement in recycling at home and work. It also serves as a reminder of the social, environmental and economic benefits of recycling.

We're familiar with many recyclables, as more and more Americans take them out to their bins every day. Cardboard boxes are recycled and re- appear as new boxes. Yesterday's front page of a local newspaper may show up as a sports page next month. Glass bottles, aluminum cans, and plastics are also fixtures of daily recycling habits. According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, recycling is conservatively projected to have saved 900 trillion Btus, equal to the annual energy use of 9 million households, in 2005.

But it's also important to recognize that recycling is much bigger than just the daily household products that end up in the curbside bin. More than 150 million tons of old cars, tires, materials from buildings that have been demolished, and a wide variety of left- over manufacturing materials are recycled in this country every year.

Scrap recycling is a $65 billion industry in the U.S. that employs over 50,000 people. It also invests significant capital in high-tech, environmentally designed manufacturing machinery that is used to sort, pack, transform, process, manufacture and ship materials to become new products. The scrap recycling industry is also a leading exporter, sending more than $15 billion a year in products to over 140 countries around the world.

I hope all Americans will take a moment to think today about the role recycling plays in their daily lives, the environment, and our economy, and dedicate themselves to doing more.

Madam Chairman, I offer an amendment.

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

I would like to thank Chairman Frank and Chairman Waters for their leadership on these issues. For the, last 6 years I had an opportunity to work with both in the Committee on Financial Services and Housing Subcommittee on very important issues. Unfortunately, I am no longer on the committee but the issues are still very important to me.

This amendment today is about empowering home buyers. It would require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to ensure high- risk borrowers and borrowers who are applying for zero down-payment loans to receive housing counsel. Under the current bill, the language allows the Secretary to provide counseling; this requires it.

Madam Chairman, as a former Realtor, I have seen firsthand the benefits, the joys, the importance of homeownership in America. However, given the current environment in our country, we need to make sure that there are safeguards put in place to protect homeowners to ensure fiscal responsible homeownership and guard against further default, bankruptcy and loss of home.

Buying a house today arguably is the most important and biggest investment in a person's life. Counseling, I have found, plays a very important role in empowering consumers, leveling the playing field, and making sure they have all of the right information to go into owning their own home.

In the past year, Ohio, California, Florida, Michigan and Georgia have comprised over half of our Nation's foreclosed homes. Recently Ohio, under the leadership of Governor Strickland, established the Ohio Foreclosure Prevention Task Force, which is comprised of various advocates and people in the housing community throughout the State.

In their report, they listed seven recommendations. One of those recommendations was to focus on expanding housing counseling services and making it available to everyone.

This amendment today only deals with two classes of borrowers: high- risk borrowers and those who are applying for zero-down loans under this legislation.

I believe it is very, very important, critically important, Madam Chairman, to make sure these borrowers understand the importance of homeownership, the responsibilities of homeownership. Madam Chairman, it is important because if we are going to take a bite out of this problem, and a bite is all this does today with this amendment because it only deals with those two types of borrowers, we need to make sure that every single borrower who is applying for a home under these two circumstances get all of the education that they need and deserve.

So I urge the adoption of this amendment. This is about empowering consumers, and I hope the House supports the amendment.

Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Would the gentlewoman yield?

Yes, I think we can take a look at the best of what is happening in Ohio right now. We are doing some pretty innovative things. I am sure in Massachusetts and Illinois there is some innovation going on as well.

The intent at the end of the day is to help the borrower and level the playing field. And so yes, I would be happy to work with the committee.

Madam Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time.

I thank the chairman and the gentlewoman from Illinois. Just a point of clarification: Some of the things that are happening now in Ohio is you have online counseling that is taking place for people that don't have access maybe in person to a counselor. So there is room to grow here, Chairman Frank and Mrs. Biggert.

I think we have an opportunity to empower consumers and look forward to working with both of you. I urge adoption of this amendment, and urge passage of the bill.

Offered By: Mr. Tiberi

Amendment No. 2: Page 17, strike lines 3 through 16 and

insert the following:

``(I) At application.--At the time of application for the

loan involved in the mortgage, a list of counseling agencies,

approved by the Secretary, in the area of the applicant.''.

Page 18, strike lines 20 through 22 and insert the

following:

``(i) Requirement.--The Secretary shall require that the

mortgagor shall''.

Page 19, strike lines 4 through 5 and insert the following:

``(I) prior to closing for the loan involved in the

mortgage;''.

Ladies and gentlemen of the House, my heart goes out to Paul's wife, Karen, and his five children.

As Mr. Obey said, I can't believe it, either. I first met Paul Gillmor when he was president of the Ohio senate and served in the senate. He had a very distinguished career before having ever come to the United States Congress, a career that many would admire, just there in our statehouse in Ohio.

His reputation was as a man of great humility. Something that we all could learn a lesson from is Paul Gillmor's humility, the gentleness of Paul Gillmor, the way he treated people, the way he loved to serve the public of Ohio and northwest Ohio and the constituents he was so proud to serve.

Paul was an Air Force veteran. Many didn't know that. He was a proud graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University in my district, and, for an Ohioan, a proud graduate of the University of Michigan's law school.

Paul was known around the statehouse as a very gentle person, as a man who rose to the top of the political game, but never forgot where he came from, a successful politician, a successful public servant, a successful businessman.

Yesterday I had the opportunity with a couple of other Members, Congressman Jordan and Congressman Hobson, to sit in the airport in Columbus in the afternoon to chat with Paul as we were coming back to Washington, DC.

I had the added opportunity to spend some time with him on the airplane sitting next to him. I will remember Paul in the way that I have always known Paul, a very happy warrior, a man who loved what he did on a daily basis. He enjoyed August, reaching out to community after community in northwest Ohio at town hall meeting after town hall meeting, up at the lake with friends and family. He enjoyed August. He had a smile on his face. He enjoyed public service. He enjoyed representing the people of northwest Ohio.

That's how I will remember Paul Gillmor. We lost a good friend. Ohio lost a native son. And America lost a patriot.