Floor Statements

Offered By: Mr. Sessions

Amendment No. 43: Page 348, line 2, after the dollar amount

insert ``(reduced by $446,900,000)''.

Page 359, line 22, after the dollar amount insert

``(increased by $446,900,000)''.

Madam Speaker, at this time, I would like to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden), the chairman of the Republican leadership.

Madam Speaker, the cynicism on the part of the Democratic leadership is interesting. It was just announced yesterday that the Obama health care plan will net lose America 800,000 jobs. But it's also true that it will create millions of jobs, but it destroys millions more, a net 800,000 jobs. The Republican Party is here because of the miserable failure of the Democrat leadership in this House of Representatives and our President who has ruined millions of jobs in this country, and that is why the Republican Party is here to do something about that. Don't worry, we'll be adding millions of jobs.

Madam Speaker, at this time I would like to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Scott), a freshman member of the Republican leadership.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from South Dakota (Mrs. Noem), a member of the Republican leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the favorite son of the State of Illinois (Mr. Roskam).

Mr. Speaker, my point to the Democratic Party and the leadership of that party is, wait no longer. The Republican Party is now in charge in this House, and our agenda is about jobs. It is about reducing spending, and it is about reducing the size of government.

And today, after 9\1/2\ hours of debate, we start with rules and regulations that not only stifle innovativeness, that stifle inventions, and jobs, and job creation, but it is harming the way of life of the free enterprise system and sapping the energy from that system.

By reviewing existing, pending, and proposed regulations from agencies of the Federal Government, Congress can begin to assist small and large businesses to focus on job creation, economic growth, and innovation. We first need to understand the too true impact that is being placed upon the free enterprise system.

We know with the current rules that are in place, $1.75 trillion dollars is the cost annually to the U.S. economic free enterprise system. It's time for Congress to reevaluate these rules and regulations.

Regulatory burdens are hindering job growth. They're hindering investment,

and innovation is eroding from the most basic elements of freedom in America. Congress and this administration must work together.

It made me proud to hear the minority leader, Steny Hoyer, say today that he would be a part of and vote for this bill. However, our opportunity today must direct our committees and the entire focus of Congress to take the first step in reining in Big Government, reducing our deficit, and encouraging job growth and economic prosperity. This bill will shine the light on that process and will provide the necessary transparency and accountability for Congress to be looking at Federal agencies and rules and regulations.

Mr. Speaker, my Republican colleagues and I remain committed to putting America back to work. And this legislation is a step in the right direction. I encourage my colleagues and all of the Members of the Congress who are here today to say that we want to bring jobs back to America, but we're going to look at the rules and regulations that inhibit that. I say we should all vote ``yes'' on H. Res. 72.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 73 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to my friend the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

House Resolution 73 provides for a closed rule for consideration of H. Res. 72. It provides 9\1/2\ hours of debate, divided by the committees outlined in H. Res. 72, and provides the minority a motion to recommit with or without instructions.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this rule and the underlying bill. This legislation is simple, direct, and easy to understand. The text of the three-page bill was posted last week on the Rules Committee Web site. This legislation is an attempt and an effort to provide more transparency and accountability in the government regulatory process, something that my colleagues and I have called for numerous times over the last two Congresses.

The legislation before us today calls for 10 House committees to review existing, pending, and proposed regulations and orders from agencies of the Federal Government, particularly with respect to their effects on destroying jobs and economic growth.

With the current high unemployment rate, it is essential we do everything reasonably possible that we can to look at and to reduce government rules and regulations that impede job creation and economic growth, that discourage innovation, hurt or harm global competitiveness, limit credit, create economic uncertainty, impose unnecessary paperwork and cost on small businesses, and that result in large-scale and often unnecessary unfunded mandates on employers.

That is exactly what this legislation would do, and we are on the floor today to talk about this as an important component of allowing America to get back to work and to highlight these rules and regulations that stifle not only investment but also job creation.

Every single Member of Congress understands and believes that regulations are needed to provide the rules, safety, and structures for this society to function properly. While regulations are important, they can also cross that fine line and can become too burdensome. It is essential to strike a balance to ensure that the imposed rules and regulations do not lead to higher costs and less productive societies.

The Federal Government creates an average of 4,000 final regulations each year with about 500 to 700 that are reviewed by the White House.

According to a recent report from the Small Business Administration, the total cost of Federal regulations has increased to $1.75 trillion a year from the U.S. economy; $1.75 trillion is what this burden is on the free enterprise system. Additionally, the study shows that regulatory and paperwork costs were found to be more onerous for smaller firms than their larger counterparts. More specifically, the costs of regulations per employee for firms with fewer than 20 employees is now $10,585, a 36 percent difference between the costs incurred per employee by a larger firm.

This is absolutely outrageous. This is outrageous because small business is the backbone and the engine of our economy. It represents 99.7 percent of all employers. Small businesses, according to the Small Business Administration, have generated 64 percent of net new jobs over the past 15 years while employing over half of all private sector employees. One of the fastest ways to put Americans back to work, Republicans believe, is to limit the regulatory expenses that these small firms have to comply with simply to satisfy Federal Government regulations.

Regulatory burdens are hindering job growth. Regulatory burdens are hindering investment and innovation while eroding some of the most basic and fundamental freedoms in America. Congress and this administration must work together to do more than prevent harmful new regulations. They must also review, study, and eliminate unnecessary rules that are already on the books.

On January 18 of last month, President Obama signed an Executive order to provide a government-wide review of the rules already on the books to remove outdated regulations. In an op-ed placed in the Wall Street Journal last month by the President, he clearly states that ``sometimes, those rules have gotten out of balance, placing unreasonable burdens on business, burdens that have stifled innovation and have had a chilling effect upon growth and jobs.'' Mr. Speaker, I applaud and I appreciate the President for recognizing this, and I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to understand what we are attempting to do today, and that is to support as best as we can not only the ideals that the President talked about but also a focus on these rules and regulations that stifle innovativeness, create costs, and ruin jobs in America.

Mr. Speaker, while the President is now taking a step in the right direction when it comes to regulation, in the last fiscal year alone the Obama administration unleashed 43 major new regulations that will cost America more than, new, $28 billion annually. These costs will affect Americans in many ways, from raising the price of cars, where we buy food, where we eat, and every single one of these stands in the way of making the free enterprise more efficient and somehow does not help in creation of jobs.

The President will have to take a step back from some of the major bills that he signed last year, and I believe he can do that by employing the ideas that he had in this op-ed. He can do something about it, and that is join Republicans who today are attempting to work with the President. If the President is serious about reducing regulatory burdens impacting every American, we can do this job together. Fifteen of the 42 regulations proposed last year were from the Frank-Dodd financial regulatory bill. Another five stemmed from the ObamaCare bill, and 10 others come from the Environmental Protection Agency, or what is known as the EPA, including the first mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas emissions.

The annual compliance costs constitute only a part of the economic burden of regulations on business. Many of these new rules curtail the purchase of new equipment, conversions of industrial practices, and are about revising data collection and reporting procedures. One example is the new restriction on short sales from the Frank-Dodd bill that requires the Securities and Exchange Commission to make modifications to computer systems and surveillance mechanisms for gathering and managing this information that will cost over $1 billion. Mr. Speaker, that defies balance and I think ultimate accountability of what the regulations should be about.

Mr. Speaker, we have an opportunity today to direct our committees to take the first step in reining in Big Government, reducing our deficit, and encouraging job growth and economic prosperity. This simple bill is three pages long, and it shines the light on the regulatory process and provides the necessary transparency and accountability on Federal agencies that has been lacking for years.

My Republican colleagues and I remain committed to putting America back to work through creation of new jobs. This legislation is a way to be a part of that good start. I encourage all my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the rule and ``yes'' on the underlying resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the words of my friend the gentleman from Florida. I would like to state that the bills we have done in the Rules Committee during these 12 bills have been about original jurisdiction by the Rules Committee, which is what this bill is. This bill is a jurisdictional issue where the Rules Committee, through the legislation that my name sits on as the chief sponsor, is directing other committees to have hearings, to be part of an open process, to do the things that will be necessary not only for minority participation but any Member who chooses in these committees to come and have their voices heard, for hearings to be held, for thoughtful people across this country to come and provide us information about the way they see the regulatory burdens that are being placed upon them. If someone thinks that what we are doing today is all about trying to stifle regular order, it's completely the opposite. Nine-and-a-half hours of debate, which is unheard of for a three-page bill, is all about regular order and is exactly what I've been arguing for for years. That's what the Republicans are delivering today on the floor of the House of Representatives.

Notwithstanding that the gentleman brought up some good ideas about job creation, I would like to just put it into some bit of context. Today what we are trying to do is to gather steam behind rules and regulations that stifle the ability for the free enterprise system to employ people. But in the larger scheme of things, our friends on the other side are upset because what we as Republicans are going to do is to find a way to live up to our campaign promises to cut spending during the year by $100 billion.

Now some people say, oh, that's not enough amount, or it's too big of an amount because it will mean all these draconian cuts across the government. Well, I would remind this House that $100 billion is a small part of the $3,000 billion spending plan that the Congress has already given to government--$3,000 billion--and what we are talking about not just today and not just over the past few weeks but taking $100 billion and trying to take that as a burden off the American people. The reason why is because 30 percent of all government spending today or more ends up as debt, meaning that we have to borrow it from somebody else.

``But this is so important, we've got to make sure we do it.'' Well, Republicans disagree. We think not only a review of regulatory process but a review of spending is important in Washington. Mr. Speaker, I refer to what might be a sheet of paper that was in print described as Obama Announces Review of Government Regulations. Within this paper, there is a paragraph, a short paragraph that I would like to read which perhaps embodies exactly why we are here today:

``Business leaders say government regulations, including those being written for health care overall and financial reform, have hurt job creation at a time of high unemployment.''

In fact, the Department of Treasury describes where we are as chronic unemployment for today and our immediate past for as far as the eye can see. Last year at some point even the longest projection by this government showed no net new job creation. That is what Republicans have inherited. We intend to be serious about what we're doing, and we intend to make sure that the American people see this for what it is, and that is an opportunity by Congress to work on the issues that they're demanding.

[From FoxBusiness.com, Jan. 18, 2011]

Obama Announces Review of Government Regulations

President Barack Obama said on Tuesday he would order a

government-wide review of regulations with the goal of

eliminating those that hurt job creation and make the U.S.

economy less competitive.

In an op-ed piece in The Wall Street Journal, Obama said

some government regulations have placed ``unreasonable

burdens on business--burdens that have stifled innovation and

have had a chilling effect on growth and jobs.''

He said he would require that in the future government

agencies ``ensure that regulations protect our safety, health

and environment while promoting economic growth.''

The president has recently ratcheted up efforts to soothe

relations with the business community, after alienating

corporate America through rhetorical attacks against Wall

Street and an agenda heavy on regulation.

Business leaders say government regulations, including

those being written for the healthcare overall and financial

reform, have hurt job creation at a time of high

unemployment.

``It's a review that will help bring order to regulations

that have become a patchwork of overlapping rules, the result

of tinkering by administrations and legislators of both

parties and the influence of special interests in Washington

over decades,'' Obama wrote.

Noting that small businesses create most new jobs in the

economy, he said he would direct the government to make a

greater effort to reduce the burden regulations place on

them.

While vowing to eliminate rules that are ``not worth the

cost, or that are just plain dumb,'' the president said his

administration wouldn't shy away from writing new rules to

address obvious gaps in government oversight.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am joined by the chairman of the Rules Committee, and I will tell you that he is so pleased that we have not only this bill that has been brought to the floor, but he is so pleased that we are taking the time to speak about the facts of the case. And one fact is that the first bill that we took up was the bill to repeal ObamaCare. It had nothing to do with the Clean Air Act. It had everything to do with a bill which has caused an amazing number of regulations.

And I would like to quote, if I can, a fact that, since the passage in March 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which is known as ObamaCare, has added 6,123 pages of regulations, and the Federal Register has printed those just over the last 9 months. Secondly, according to a September 2010 report from the Small Business Administration, total regulatory costs amount to $1.75 trillion annually, which is nearly twice as much as all individual income taxes collected last year. That means that the ability for a person to have to fill out all of their paperwork, the cost of that is twice what we even collected in taxes. There is a balance here that's been overrun.

House Republicans: Identifying and Removing Onerous Job-Destroying

Regulations

This week, House Republicans are bringing a resolution to

the floor directing the committees to inventory and review

federal agency rules and regulations that may unfairly harm

the ability to create jobs and grow the economy.

While the nation suffers from 21 straight months of

unemployment at 9 percent or higher, President Obama and

congressional Democrats have doubled down on their strategy

to burden job creators with more government red tape.

With the U.S. economy struggling and American families hard

pressed to pay their bills and put food on the table, the

costs of federal regulations have never been more

significant. The fact is that federal regulations increase

the cost of doing business and destroy jobs.

Undue and archaic government red tape takes money out of

the hands of families and businesses. Agencies should not be

authorized to heap billions in new added costs on the economy

without reducing another burden elsewhere.

Job-Crushing Regulations--By the Numbers

During the Democrats' leadership of Congress, unemployment

skyrocketed from 4.6 percent to 9 percent as the economy has

lost more than 6.8 million jobs.

With 243 expected rulemakings from the Democrats' permanent

bailout of Wall Street law, and the inestimable number of

regulations to come from ObamaCare's government takeover of

healthcare, the President's newfound concern for the

regulatory burdens facing employers does not match his

actions over the past two years.

The Obama administration has not shied away from flexing

its regulatory muscle since taking office. A recent study by

the Heritage Foundation found that an unprecedented 43 major

regulations were imposed in fiscal year 2010 with a total

economic cost of $26.5 billion, the highest total since at

least 1981.

Since passage in March 2010, the Patient Protection and

Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) has added 6.123 pages of

regulations and Federal Register notices in just its first

nine months.

According to a September 2010 report from the Small

Business Administration, total regulatory costs amount to

$1.75 trillion annually, nearly twice as much as all

individual income taxes collected last year.

Who Is Paying for this Reeulatory Burden? America's Small Businesses

and American Workers

The cost of regulations is felt even harder by America's

small business owners, the engine of our nation's economy.

According to the Small Business Administration, the average

small business with less than 20 employees faces a cost of

$10,585 in federal regulations each year per worker they

employ.

Businesses with fewer than 20 employees spend on average 36

percent more per employee than larger firms to comply with

federal regulations. These small employers represent 99.7

percent of all businesses and have created 64 percent of all

new jobs over the past 15 years.

The cost of federal regulations to small businesses must

either be passed on to the consumer or workers, either in the

form of lower wages or a shortage of jobs that would have

been otherwise paid for with money spent complying with

federal regulations. Imagine if small businesses could put

the $10,000 they spend on federal regulations directly back

into new jobs.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews) coming down to the floor. I would like to let him know that we are doing 9\1/2\ hours of debate, and at the end there will be an opportunity for a motion to recommit with or without instructions that has been lacking for the previous 4 years by my colleagues on the other side, that they extended to us. So you will have every single opportunity, if you want, just to use your brainpower and put together that great jobs bill that you want to talk about.

But I would say to the gentleman, we have chosen to talk about the things which stifle jobs, and we believe that as we talk about these that a lot of the American people will get it. For instance, if you lived out in the country--I will just bring up one example.

The EPA has issued a draft policy doubling the stringency of the standard by which dust is regulated--dust. Now, the Speaker would understand dust because he is from a rural State. I understand dust from some perspective, being from Texas. But the EPA regulates dust, and they are going to issue a draft policy--or already did--that doubles the stringency of the standard. Many farming activities kick up dust: tilling the field, operating a feed lot, driving farm vehicles, even dusty roads.

I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey.

Well, that's a good point. I don't think the gentleman was up in the Rules Committee yesterday to hear this, but the Rules Committee has original jurisdiction on this bill. We are sending this bill, when passed on the floor, to 10 committees, asking them to look at specifics, and dust will be one of those issues. It will be in front of a committee, probably the Agriculture Committee. Perhaps it could be in front of the Resources Committee, where they will look at what this proposed ruling is.

I continue to yield to the gentleman.

Reclaiming my time, the answer is because this floor is the wrong place to do it, and we need to do it in reverse order. We need to go--and I know this is a new concept to a lot of people on your side. We are going to send it to the committees. We are going to let there be hearings about it. We are going to let the Democrats and the Republicans have an opportunity--for instance, the gentleman from Minnesota, Mr. Collin Peterson, as the former chairman of the Ag Committee, will have an opportunity in working with Mr. Lucas, the chairman of the Ag Committee now, on who those witnesses will be who are experts.

I don't think we have enough intellectual content because we don't spend time on farms, I don't, to where I can make an accurate decision. But if I review the transcript and listen to what happens in the committee of jurisdiction, regular order, like the 10 other committees, then it gives us a chance to realistically understand, study, talk about, and receive feedback.

I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey.

Reclaiming my time, Mr. Speaker, and I do appreciate the gentleman. This House of Representatives, after 9/11, debated to the fullest extent not only the issues of the Patriot Act, but we have had continuing hearings and dialogue on that. There's a requirement that these be looked at, and we intend to make sure that there's a full debate on this.

Mr. Speaker, I do appreciate the gentleman engaging me. I would also make my point that the economic impact of the regulation of dust that it will have on farmers, that it will have on people who live in rural areas, is enormous. And this is part of that overall cost. It's not a hidden cost; it's a real cost that makes us unproductive and costs consumers a lot of money. And this is the kind of discussion we're going to have.

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute.

Mr. Speaker, thanks for the opportunity to be here today on this important bill. What I want to say to you is continually we need to make the point that this bill is all about referring to committees the opportunity for them to look at onerous rules and regulations.

I would like to bring up just one more burdensome regulation. Milk contains animal fat, and the EPA has suggested that milk storage could be regulated under the Clean Water Act as large oil tanks. It is estimated that it would cost U.S. dairy farmers thousands of dollars to come into compliance with such a regulation that would be exactly the same as large oil tanks. The EPA, only after congressional pressure, has signaled that it would finalize an exemption for milk. However, it has yet to do so and continues to drag its feet. Meanwhile, farmers are having to face what is a burdensome regulation.

Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier), the chairman of the Rules Committee.

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

Mr. Speaker, Big Government is still alive and well on the floor today. Big Government is going to spend people's money from back home. Spending, spending, spending--all about the government.

Well, that's why the Republican Party is the majority party on the floor of the House of Representatives now, because the American people saw the effects of huge government, bigger government, and rules and regulations.

Mr. Speaker, you heard me earlier say that my Republican colleagues and I are committed to putting Americans back to work. We believe that what happens in Washington can aid and help the free enterprise system by telling the story, putting the spotlight, showing the light of day on the rules and regulations that are costing business $1.7 trillion a year, which takes resources away from the activities that they would have of job creation and keeping our job growth, innovation, and our economy stable.

While small businesses are getting hit harder than any other firms in the United States, now is the time to provide that relief to these businesses so that they can reinvest in themselves, create jobs, and level out the economy. This Republican Congress remains committed to scaling back some of the 43 major regulations imposed in the last year by the Obama administration that would add $28 billion annually.

Mr. Speaker, it's obvious to me that we must do better.

The material previously referred to by Mr. Hastings of Florida is as follows:

An Amendment to H. Res. 73 Offered by Mr. Hastings of Florida

At the end of the resolution, add the following new

sections:

Sec. 2. Immediately upon adoption of this resolution the

Speaker shall, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XVIII, declare

the House resolved into the Committee of the Whole House on

the state of the Union for consideration of the bill (H.R.

11) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the

Build America Bonds program. The first reading of the bill

shall be dispensed with. All points of order against

consideration of the bill are waived. General debate shall be

confined to the bill and shall not exceed one hour equally

divided and controlled by the Majority Leader and Minority

Leader or their respective designees. After general debate

the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-

minute rule. All points of order against

provisions in the bill are waived. At the conclusion of

consideration of the bill for amendment the Committee shall

rise and report the bill to the House with such amendments as

may have been adopted. The previous question shall be

considered as ordered on the bill and amendments thereto to

final passage without intervening motion except one motion to

recommit with or without instructions. If the Committee of

the Whole rises and reports that it has come to no resolution

on the bill, then on the next legislative day the House

shall, immediately after the third daily order of business

under clause 1 of rule XIV, resolve into the Committee of the

Whole for further consideration of the bill.

Sec. 3. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the

consideration of the bill specified in section 2--of this

resolution.

(The information contained herein was provided by the

Republican Minority on multiple occasions throughout the

110th and 111th Congresses.)

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

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 73, I call up the resolution (H. Res. 72) directing certain standing committees to inventory and review existing, pending, and proposed regulations and orders from agencies of the Federal Government, particularly with respect to their effect on jobs and economic growth, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 9 and the promise of providing health care solutions that bring American's access to quality affordable health care of their choice. This resolution shows that my Republican colleagues and I are committed to the future of health care in this Nation. Allowing the appropriate committees to provide solutions for our Nation's health care problems is the first step to that commitment.

I look forward to exploring and expanding high risk pools to create universal access to those with pre-existing conditions; real and meaningful tort reform so doctors do not have to practice defensive medicine; the creation of small business health plans that generate larger insurance pools and drive down health care costs. We should be rewarding innovation and allowing States more flexibility to create efficient and successful ways in dealing with their uninsured populations; allowing for greater portability for individuals to purchase health care across State lines; encouraging the Nation as a whole to live healthier lives. Lastly, it is absolutely essential to give every American the same tax advantage that Unions and corporations enjoy in the purchase of health insurance.

There is no shortage of great ideas on how to reform our health care delivery system, and most of them steer clear of creating new entitlement programs that will bankrupt our country. In the wake of record debt and deficits now is the time to work together for common sense solutions that provide individuals the access to quality health care without threatening the doctor patient relationship. I am a proud cosponsor of the Resolution we are discussing on the floor today and I look forward to voting for it later today.

I want to thank the majority leader, the gentleman, Mr. Cantor.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that the Democrats' health care law will do for health care what the stimulus did for jobs. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle promised the American people greater access to quality affordable health care. Well, the only problem is that the law does not increase quality and does not save Americans one dime on their health care cost. In fact, what is known as ObamaCare will end up costing every single American more in health care premiums and in taxes to pay for the $1.2 trillion gross expansion of the Federal Government.

Mr. Speaker, the Democrats' health care law is about taxes, it's about mandates, it's cuts to Medicare, job losses, deficit spending, and new Federal bureaucracies. The reality is that we cannot pay for the health care entitlements we have, much less a new government takeover of health care that adds trillions of dollars to our existing liabilities, driving up costs even further and puts the Federal Government in charge of health care decision-making.

The path to greater choice for patients and lower costs all must be a part of an answer that is about repealing this costly health care bill. I support the repeal today and will vote tomorrow for the resolution to replace it with the promise of real solutions.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Sarah Brachman, the National Down Syndrome Society's 2011 Advocate of the Year.

Sarah Brachman has interned countless hours for my office as well as our colleague Congressman Ben Chandler. Some of her duties have included, but not limited, to the expansion of membership for the Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus while garnering support for legislation important to the caucus' initiatives. Sarah single-handedly recruited over 30 Members of Congress to join the caucus.

Sarah courageously speaks with individuals and groups about her daily life as an individual who lives with Down syndrome. As a direct result of Sarah's dedication and leadership, countless individuals have been educated on the concerns of the individuals with Down syndrome.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my esteemed colleagues to join me in congratulating Sarah Brachman for her devoted service as an advocate for Down syndrome.

Mr. Speaker, I join with my colleagues today with respect to the delegation from Arizona who suffers and yet today comes to the floor of the House of Representatives to do their duty. To the colleagues of Ms. Giffords who today join in support, not only in prayerful support but as we stand together we speak clearly to say that the support for Congresswoman Giffords and all the victims of this tragic shooting and their families need to be remembered, and we offer full support.

I was deeply shocked and saddened by these heartbreaking events and I join my colleagues and I know all of America looked on TV on Saturday as we all condemned not only in our own hearts but also as our families spoke around the tables about what had happened. We condemn this senseless act of violence.

Congresswoman Giffords is a dedicated public servant and has served the people of Arizona for over 10 years. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2006. She is known as a steadfast leader in Congress for her constituents. I would see her often on the airplane as we would travel back every weekend. She is known by each of us as a kind and wonderful person who serves with honor and who is a very deeply genuine and a warm person with friends on both sides of the aisle.

All Members of this body understand the high honor it is to serve our constituents every single day and I would like to join my colleagues in standing together today to guarantee that the inhumane acts of this last Saturday will not deter us from our duty. This heartbreaking event has left Americans astonished and speechless. Those participating as Members of Congress today should stand up and say that we will stand behind Gabrielle and look forward to her safe return to be with her colleagues. We offer a prayer for her support.

Good morning, Madam Speaker. Welcome to this week of Christmas.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I want to thank the gentleman from Massachusetts, my friend Mr. McGovern, the vice chairman of the Rules Committee, for bringing this martial law rule to the floor of the House of Representatives today.

Madam Speaker, the 111th Congress is in its final days, or so the body hopes. The rule before us today provides for an expedited same-day consideration of all legislation brought forward until Christmas Eve and extends suspension authority for that same period. This martial law rule consists of the ability of the Democrats to bring 4 more days of expedited consideration on top of the 11 days my colleagues gave themselves on the 8th of December.

This Congress has seen a record number of restrictive rules over the past 2 years. In fact, we have not debated one open rule in this Congress. I don't believe that closing debate, limiting amendments, and shutting down Democrats and Republicans out of their thoughtful solutions on the House floor is what we were promised by Speaker Pelosi. Speaker Pelosi openly told the American people that she would run the most open, honest, and ethical Congress. Madam Speaker, I would say to you that as we started, so are we ending, in chaos.

It seems like every time I come to the House floor I point out that my Democrat colleagues are using an unprecedented, restrictive, and closed process. This is not what the American people wanted, and I believe the American people truly do want their Member of Congress to be able to come to Washington, DC, to fully participate in the process. And unfortunately, we find ourselves here again today with Members simply sitting back in their offices, wondering and waiting what is next, what are we even debating, what are we doing, rather than being actively involved in this democratic process. Madam Speaker, that's why people came to Congress.

This Congress has managed to rack up a record $1.4 trillion deficit in 2009, more than three times the size of the deficit in 2008, and it hit a $1.3 trillion deficit this year. Additionally, we have seen unemployment at or above 9.5 percent across this country for over 18 consecutive months and a national debt that has now ballooned to $13.4 trillion, and yet we see no end to the spending, which is evident by the rule that we are here discussing today. No discipline; no feedback from Members,

Members of this body coming faithfully to do their job, not even knowing what is happening and what is next, purely speculation. No sharing of information; no plan that can be executed based upon the Members of this body understanding what we're doing, where we're going, and what is next.

Madam Speaker, if there ever was a time when the American people need to know what the plan is and Members of Congress need to know what the plan is it would be now. It would be now for us to determine not only how to have fiscal restraint, but also, a majority who offered leadership, leadership on a budget process, leadership on a transparency process, leadership on the ability for Members of Congress to come and effectively represent their district and, perhaps more importantly, not just a budget that was never produced, how about an appropriations bill that was properly done.

Every single business that I know of--State and local government, families, schools--everybody has a budget. Even nonprofits who try and work in the best interest of a smaller group of people recognize you've got to have a plan. That's an exception for this Federal Government. It's an exception by this Congress, and that is not leadership.

As the chairman of the Budget Committee once said, If you can't budget, you cannot govern. I think he's right. That's exactly the truth of what Chairman John Spratt said. And if the shoe fits, we're wearing it right now. Unfortunately, we've come to expect this behavior from this majority, but, once again, there is always tomorrow. Republicans have made a pledge to America, and we intend to keep it.

I am happy to report that very soon, on or about January 5, 2011, there will be a significant course correction in this House of Representatives. Members will be expected to, and allowed to, read legislation before they cast their votes, take part in the activities of not only their committees, but also come to the Rules Committee with their ideas to take part in the process that they want to do.

I think open rules will make a triumphant return to the House floor, and elected Representatives, Members of Congress, will have a chance to fully contribute in this legislative process. It does not make me happy when I recognize that there is no Member, freshman Member of this body, who has not, for the last 2 years, seen this body work the way it was designed--a legislative process that would be open, a legislative process that would be ethical, and a legislative process that would be transparent for people.

So here we are, once again, the week before Christmas. I can handle that. I'm here ready to work but, like the rest of my colleagues, waiting for a small cadre of people to let us in on the plan.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this rule. We've got to return to a process which is prepared for the future and prepared for Members to fully participate.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

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

Madam Speaker, it is my understanding from prior conversations with the gentleman from Colorado (Mr.

Polis) that it would be his idea we would take the minimum amount of time, and I appreciate him yielding the customary 30 minutes to me and trying to work through the loads so we are able to get home.

I would like to inquire of the gentleman if he has any further speakers that he would anticipate at this time on his side.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, today is a historic day, also, as two of the stalwarts of this House of Representatives perhaps are here tonight to argue as chairman and ranking member of the Appropriations Committee on behalf of not only themselves, their committee, but also the teams they represent. The gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) perhaps will be on the floor tomorrow, I don't know, but tonight I will be here, and I would like to recognize the service that Mr. Obey has given the United States Congress. I have been with Mr. Obey over a number of times in the last 14 years up in the Rules Committee. I have seen him very early in the morning and very late in the day. Mr. Obey has presented himself not only in a professional manner, but represented his party and its thoughts very well. It would be my hope I would be able to offer a warm hand and extension to him to say: Job well done, sir.

Also, on my side, the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis) will be on the floor in just a few moments as they present this final spending package, the CR. Mr. Lewis has been a very dear

friend of mine over the years. He has been very gracious about hearing the activities I believe are important, including those of the gentlewoman from Wisconsin who sits in the chair tonight as the Speaker pro tempore, for issues related to sight, retinal issues, and the ability we have to create a better life for those who have lost their sight. Mr. Lewis has been very responsive to not only this Member but also to others in this body in dealing with health issues, understanding that research and development is a key part of technology in medical breakthroughs for people who count on us making wise choices with how we spend people's money.

So I would want to extend to both of these gentlemen thanks for a job well done, knowing that tonight they will be ready to go home for Christmas and the holidays.

Madam Speaker, the Republican Party finds itself in the position where we are here on the floor just a few days before Christmas. The gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis) has outlined the exact need of not only this administration but, I believe, forthrightly, the American people and certainly this Congress, the ability to make sure that we act responsibly, that we provide the funding that is necessary. The President of the United States has asked for this. The President of the United States has a constitutional authority to move forward, and I believe that that is a rational argument.

The Republican Party finds itself in a circumstance where we have attempted, for quite some time, to bring to the attention of the majority what we believe is an overriding need to cut the amount of spending that is taking place by the United States Congress. I believe it has created excessive not only spending, a bloated government, and an inadequate ability by the free enterprise system to get out of the way of government; that a government that is empowered to roll over the free enterprise system and individuals who are in the marketplace perhaps, also. In the scheme of things, the Republican Party is worried about the future of this country and what our children and our grandchildren will have to pay with a monster debt that looms over us.

I recognize, I think the entire country recognizes, that this debt, the doubling and tripling of debt that is underway, came as a result of a political opportunity with the Democratic Party by the President, the House, and the Senate to collectively determine that they were going to go and increase spending in a dramatic basis.

The Republican Party, through myself as the Rules Committee person, recognizes that we, once again, are here on the floor of the House of Representatives at the late hour, even though I believe what is inevitable is here with this continuing resolution to say, We believe there should have been a better effort on behalf of this majority to substantially review not only the excessive spending but to put into place those stopgap measures which would prove to the American people that Washington, D.C., does get it.

What we need to get is this: as we loom and roll forward in the future, another debt limit opportunity vote that means that we will have to take the tough votes here on this floor and raise that debt limit so that we are as responsible as we are tonight, what has been described by Mr. Polis, about making sure the government funds itself.

The Republican Party believes we should have immediately last year when we recognized not only continued unemployment, massive debt, have done something about stopping the spending. We spend about $4.5 billion too much every day, more than what comes in. And that $4.5 billion is important. When you add it all up, it amounts to about 40 percent of all of the spending going to debt.

So we don't have to yell and scream. We have to succinctly come to the floor. We have to protect the turf that we believe is best for the American people, and that is, I will tell you, on January 5 when we elect a new Speaker and the Republican Party becomes the majority, we pledge ourselves to having not only the ideas about how to turn this country around, but I believe we will have the guts to make tough votes. And we will ask the American people to listen and look at every single vote we make.

Today, we are kicking the can down the road. Today, I guess we are ready to go home. The Republican Party is here to say, We disagree. We think every dollar and every penny that is being spent to the detriment of the future of this country is a problem. So that's what we are doing here today.

I appreciate the gentlewoman not only for her efforts of tireless sitting in the chair today, but I also recognize our leaders, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey), the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis). I thank the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis) and wish him the very best of holiday seasons.

Madam Speaker, just this morning, I stood right here to do a rule and pointed out that my democrat colleagues continue to use an unprecedented, restrictive, and closed process on the House floor, and here I am again to tell the same story. In fact, this is the third Continuing Resolution rule I have done this month.

Week after week my friends on the other side of the aisle continue to bull-dose their massive spending agenda through the floor of the House with no Republican input, and no regular order.

What was promised to be the most ``open, honest and ethical'' Congress by Speaker Pelosi when she took the gavel, has been the most closed, and one-sided Congress in history. The American people asked for changes in 2008 and they got something far worse. They received a Democrat Congress that doesn't listen to the American people, and a Congress that acts on their own interest and not the interest of the American taxpayer.

Madam Speaker, in two weeks that will change. But until then, I am here to discuss another closed rule for another Continuing Resolution. The legislation before us continues to overspend--a common theme over the last two Congresses.

The underlying legislation is a CR to keep the government running for 2 months. The Democrats provided no budget for this year and the President has not signed one appropriations bill into law--so this legislation and rule is just another tactic to keep the government running until the Majority can kick the responsibility to the Republicans next Congress.

Over the past three years, non-defense, non-homeland security, and non-veterans affairs discretionary spending has increased by a staggering 88 percent. In the meantime, the Nation's debt has risen to $13.5 trillion, there have been yearly record deficits since the Democrats took the Majority, and the unemployment rate has been at or above 9.5 percent for 18 consecutive months.

This CR does almost nothing to reverse this trend and instead continues the unsustainable, high rate of spending passed the Democrat Majority this year. This includes more spending for many federal agencies that received massive increases with the Democrat Stimulus bill in 2009. My Republican colleagues and I have pledged to cut non-security spending back the fiscal year 2008 levels which would save American taxpayers nearly $100 billion in the first year.

The American people are fed-up with the tax, borrow and spend policies of the past 4 years, which has brought nothing but unemployment, debt and deficit. Americans have called for an end to reckless spending and a new era of fiscal discipline, yet it continues to fall on deaf ears here today. This country needs leaders that are willing to make the tough fiscal decisions that will provide economic stability and job growth, not just more of the same.

In true fashion, my democrat colleagues continue to push their own agenda on the American people. They have shut out Republicans over the past 4 years, and they continue to shut out the American people. Continuing on the path of reckless government spending, will only put the U.S. further in debt burdening future generations. Congress must do better for the American people. I oppose this rule.

Madam Speaker, you have heard me say it over and over, but the American people we promised an ``open, honest and ethical'' Congress, and that is not what they have received. Congress only received the text of this legislation a few hours ago. American's have called for transparency and bipartisanship and have only seen a secretive dictatorship.

I ask my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the rule. Vote no to stop the reckless fiscal policies that Speaker Pelosi and the Democrats have pursued over the last 4 years. It is time to end the idea of big government and big spending.

I yield back the balance of my time.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I want to thank my friend, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis) not only for his friendship but also for being with us today as we approach the floor on H. Res. 1776.

Mr. Speaker, just last week, I stood right here to do a rule and pointed out that my Democrat colleagues continue to use an unprecedented restrictive and closed process on the House floor, and I am here today to tell the same story.

At least this is very consistent behavior. For 2 years, we have had nothing but closed rules, and here we are today, in fact, in the same place, except what we are doing here today, again, is discussing a long-term continuing resolution, a resolution that went nowhere in the Senate. Yet we are here again today, doing another continuing resolution so that our government does not shut down on Saturday.

Last week, the Rules Committee, under Democrat leadership, reported out an unprecedented long-term martial law rule. They gave themselves 11 days to bring up any bill under a rule that same day, and just yesterday, they reported out an additional martial law rule through Christmas Eve. This only continues the backroom, closed deals that have been pursued throughout the 111th Congress.

What was promised to be the most ``open, honest, and ethical'' Congress by Speaker Nancy Pelosi when she took the gavel has turned into the most closed, one-sided Congress in history. We tax too much. We spend too much. We regulate too much. We listen too little.

Mr. Speaker, the American people asked for changes in 2008, and they got something that was far worse. In 3 weeks, that will change; but until then, I am here to discuss another closed rule for another continuing resolution.

This day continues to bring about more overspending, which has been a common theme of the last two Congresses--not just another CR but another omnibus. The underlying legislation is a CR to keep the government running until Tuesday. That is true. The Democrats provided no budget this year, and the President has not signed one appropriations bill into law this year. So this legislation and the rule is just another tactic to keep the government running until the majority can figure out its next priority. Well, I assure you it will be all about spending.

Over the past 3 years, nondefense, non-Homeland Security and non- Veterans Affairs discretionary spending has increased by a staggering 88 percent. In the meantime, the Nation's debt has risen to $13.5 trillion. There have been yearly record deficits since our friends, the Democrats, took the majority and record unemployment. The unemployment rate has now been

at or above 9.5 percent for 18 consecutive months.

Republicans want to take spending levels back to 2008, which would save American taxpayers nearly $100 billion in the first year. I think the American people are fed up with taxing, borrowing, spending, closed rules, and more rules and regulations than we have seen in the past 4 years, which has brought us nothing but more unemployment, higher debt and a monster deficit. Americans have called for an end to the reckless spending and for a new era of fiscal discipline. Yet it continues to fall on deaf ears even today.

This country needs leaders who are willing to make tough financial decisions and fiscal decisions that will bring back our economy, stability, job growth--not just more of the same taxing and spending.

Mr. Speaker, as if continuing the spending levels from 2010 weren't enough, my colleagues on the Democrat side of the aisle are here, acting only today to await a possible Senate omnibus bill that has a total price tag of $1.1 trillion more to be spent in the next 10 months. That's not called ``running the government.'' Running the government has already been taken care of. This is $1.1 trillion.

When will the majority recognize that this simply cannot and should not continue? When will the Democrats understand that taxing and spending and putting our children in an unfavorable position for their futures will not be tolerated?

In true fashion, I know, the Democrats have an agenda, and they need to continue it until the very end, and that is what they are doing. They have shut out Republican ideas for the past 4 years. They continue to shut out the American people. Continuing on the path of reckless government spending will only put us, our children, and our future in debt. Congress must do better.

So, on behalf of my party, the Republican Party, we are on the floor today to recognize H. Res. 1776. We are going to oppose this rule. We are going to oppose the additional spending, and we promise to do better.

Just last week, I stood right here to do a rule and pointed out that my democrat colleagues continue to use an unprecedented, restrictive, and closed process on the House floor, and here I am again to tell the same story. In fact, last week I was standing here before you Mr. Speaker discussing a long term Continuing Resolution--a resolution that went nowhere in the Senate. Yet, here we are again today, doing another Continuing Resolution so our government does not shut down by this Saturday. Week after week my friends on the other side of the aisle continue to bulldoze their massive spending agenda through the floor of the House with no Republican input, and no regular order. Last week the Rules Committee, under Democrat leadership, reported out an unprecedentedly long martial law rule. They gave themselves eleven days to bring up any bill under a rule the same day, and just yesterday they reported out an additional martial law rule through Christmas Eve. This only continues the backroom, closed deals they have pursued throughout the 111th Congress.

What was promised to be the most ``open, honest and ethical'' Congress by Speaker Pelosi when she took the gavel, has been the most closed, and one-sided Congress in history. The American people asked for change in 2008 and they got something far worse. They received a Democrat Congress that doesn't listen to the American people, and a Congress that acts on their own interest and not the interest of the American taxpayer.

Mr. Speaker, in three weeks that will change. But until then, I am here to discuss another closed rule for another Continuing Resolution. The legislation before us continues to over-spend--a common theme over the last two Congresses.

The underlying legislation is a CR to keep the government running until Tuesday. The Democrats provided no budget for this year and the President has not signed one appropriations bill into law--so this legislation and rule is just another tactic to keep the government running until the Majority can kick the responsibility to the Republicans next Congress.

Over the past three years, non-defense, non-homeland security, and non-veterans affairs discretionary spending has increased by a staggering 88 percent. In the meantime, the nation's debt has risen to $13.5 trillion, there have been yearly record deficits since the Democrats took the Majority, and the unemployment rate has been at or above 9.5% for 18 consecutive months.

This CR does almost nothing to reverse this trend and instead continues the unsustainable, high rate of spending passed the Democrat Majority last year. This includes more spending for many federal agencies that received massive increases with the Democrat Stimulus bill in 2009. My Republican colleagues and I have pledged to cut non- security spending back to the fiscal year 2008 levels which would save American taxpayers nearly $100 billion in the first year.

The American people are fed-up with the tax, borrow and spend policies of the past 4 years, which has brought nothing but unemployment, debt and deficit. Americans have called for an end to reckless spending and a new era of fiscal discipline, yet it continues to fall on deaf ears here today. This country needs leaders that are willing to make the tough fiscal decisions that will provide economic stability and job growth, not just more of the same.

In true fashion, my democrat colleagues continue to push their own agenda on the American people. They have shut out Republicans over the past 4 years, and they continue to shut out the American people. Continuing on the path of reckless government spending, will only put the U.S. further in debt burdening future generations. Congress must do better for the American people. I oppose this rule.

Mr. Speaker, you have heard me say it over and over, but the American people we promised an ``open, honest and ethical'' Congress, and that is not what they have received. Congress only received the text of this legislation a few hours ago. American's have called for transparency and bipartisanship and have only seen a secretive dictatorship.

I ask my colleagues to vote no on the rule. Vote ``no'' to stop the reckless fiscal policies that Speaker Pelosi and the Democrats have pursued over the last 4 years. It is time to end the idea of Big Government and Big Spending.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and remember my friend, Dr. James Edward Byrd. He was kind and generous and a man of great character that deeply loved God and country. Dr. Byrd passed away on November 23, 2010 after suffering complications from heart surgery.

Born and raised in Arkansas, Dr. Byrd was a proud graduate of Ouachita Baptist University, where he was a ROTC student during his tenure and the recipient of the Distinguished Military Student Award. Upon graduation, he received his commission in the Army as a Second Lieutenant and proceeded to serve as the Executive Officer, 2MTB 67 Armor and then as the Accountable Officer, 9th Quartermaster Battalion in Germany. Dr. Byrd also earned a Masters in Psychology and a Ph.D. from Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Most recently, he served as the Vice President for the Texas Baptist Missions Foundation where he traveled around the State of Texas raising money for missions, ministering to local churches, and emphasizing the importance of sharing the gospel. His love for people and winning them to Christ was evident in his actions; I know Dr. Byrd touched countless lives.

I had the distinct privilege and pleasure of having Dr. Byrd serve on my U.S. Academy Selection Board for thirteen years. He proudly served our country as a member of the Arkansas National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserves, with his military career spanning over twenty-three years. His record of exemplary military service and background in education made him well-suited to serve on my Board. He was deeply committed to selecting the best candidates for our military academies; these students who would go onto serve as the next leaders of our military in the generations to come. There are no words that are capable of fully expressing my heartfelt gratitude for his dedicated service to our great Nation.

Dr. Byrd is survived by his loving wife of fifty-one years, Wencie; his sons, Scott, Lance, and Bart; his brother Bill; sisters Alice and Lela Mae; and grandchildren Daniel, Lauren, Blakely, Ryland, and Margaret.

I am honored to have known him and called him my friend. He will be greatly missed. May the peace of God be with those he loved and sustain them through this hour of sorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), my friend, for yielding me such time as I may consume today. And I want to thank the gentleman for the considerations that he has given me personally and professionally over the last year, and I would wish him the very best in this holiday season.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to this completely closed rule and to the ill-conceived underlying legislation. Week after week, my friends on the other side of the aisle continue to bulldoze their massive spending and overregulations bill to the floor of the House with no Republican input and no regular order. As a matter of fact, even today at least one Member of the Democratic Party showed up with a darn good idea, and it was slam-dunked ``no'' on a party-line basis. By the way, the Republicans voted for that good idea.

What was promised 4 years ago was that this House would be the most open, honest, and ethical Congress, by our current Speaker Pelosi when she took the gavel. But this has been the most closed, secretive, one- sided, and flawed Congress, I believe, in history, matching the previous Congress.

The American people asked for change, and I think they got far worse in the election to elect this current Congress. They received a Democrat Congress that didn't listen to the American people and a Congress that acts on its own interests and not the interests of the American people or the taxpayer. And that's why we suffer from such low numbers of support by the American people.

Mr. Speaker, soon that, however, will change. But today it is more of the same, and I am here to discuss the rule for the continuing resolution, known

as a CR, for fiscal year 2011. It also includes the food safety bill which has been attached to that CR. So it is not a clean bill. My colleagues and I have not even had 24 hours to review the text of this legislation. This legislation, once again, continues to overspend and overregulate, a common theme over the last two Congresses. And we won't even use regular order to establish the process.

The underlying legislation is a CR to keep the government running through the rest of this fiscal year. The President has not signed one appropriations bill into law for this fiscal year, and our friends, the majority Democrats, have provided no budget. So this is their last- ditch effort to provide funding to keep the government running. Over the past 3 years, nondefense, nonhomeland security, and nonveterans affairs discretionary spending has increased by a staggering 88 percent. In the meantime, the Nation's debt has risen to $13.5 trillion--and that means that there is an additional $4.5 billion in deficit spending every single day. There have been back to back yearly record deficits day after day after day. The unemployment rate has risen--it is now at 9.5 percent--for 18 consecutive months. I might add that it rose to 9.8 percent in the latest economic report.

This CR does nothing to reverse this trend and, instead, continues the unsustainable high rate of spending passed by the Democrat majority, aided by, supported, and abetted by the President of the United States, our President, Barack Obama. This includes more spending for Federal agencies that already had seen huge dollar increases with the stimulus bill in 2009.

Mr. Speaker, my Republican colleagues and I have pledged to cut nonsecurity spending back to the fiscal levels of 2008, which would save the American taxpayers nearly $100 billion for what will end up being the next year of spending. Mr. Speaker, I believe that any responsible action by this House of Representatives should have been and should be to avoid raising the debt limit by making tough decisions today to avoid placing our children and our grandchildren in a further diminished position.

Mr. Speaker, I believe the American people, as they look at their own personal circumstances and as they look at the irresponsibility out of Washington, unfortunately continue to see taxing, borrowing, and spending as a national problem. And that has brought us nothing but the results of higher unemployment, more debt, more bankruptcy, more homes being lost, and more debt. Americans have called for this endless spree to end and for an era of fiscal discipline. I think, once again, even though we are after the election, that message continues to fall on deaf ears again today.

This country needs leaders who are willing to make tough decisions, fiscal decisions that will empower not only economic stability but also bring back to the American people jobs, the opportunity for them to be in a competitive marketplace and to understand that America must have jobs if we are going to provide our children and grandchildren with the future that they can believe in.

Once again, it is the Congress of the United States that continues to lead the effort of us towards higher deficits, higher unemployment, and higher problems for people back home. We disagree with that.

Mr. Speaker, as if the rampant spending wasn't enough, my colleagues, once again on the other side of the aisle, had to add what I consider to be an unfair and overregulated Senate food safety bill to the underlying legislation. Republicans remain committed to legislation that ensures the safety and security of America's food. However, this legislation comes at a heavy toll on producers and does virtually nothing to hold Federal bureaucrats accountable for their role in preventing food-borne illnesses. Oh, I'm sure we are going to hear about the number of people who get sick every year. We are going to blame everything on food processors and that process when, in fact, what we need to do is put rules and regulations in place that will better people's lives, and to allow the Federal Government to effectively work with consumers. That's not what this food safety bill does.

The food safety measures in the underlying bill impose significant regulatory and cost burdens on the food processing and food producing system.

It increases costs for food producers and, ultimately, consumers and does not require the Federal Drug Administration to spend one additional penny on the inspection of food for safety purposes.

The bill expands the FDA's authority to dictate on farm production practices and performance standards. This means Congress is about to give the FDA, who is already overworked and has limited resources and even less expertise, the specific power to dictate to U.S. farmers how best to farm. Our Nation's farmers do not need more Federal Government bureaucrats who sit behind a desk in Washington telling them how to do their job.

Additionally, this legislation institutes and expands registration requirements for food processing facilities, which essentially amounts to a Federal license to be in the food business. This would make it unlawful to produce food without a registration license, allowing the FDA to suspend a company's registration, once again a big Federal empowered government in Washington, D.C., at the expense of jobs and the price that consumers have to pay.

Like any Federal agency, the FDA makes mistakes, yet this bill does nothing to ensure agriculture producers don't take massive financial losses caused by the mistake of the FDA. For example, in 2008 when the FDA mistakenly attributed an outbreak of salmonella to tomatoes, it cost the industry $100 million.

Mr. Speaker, there is no way for us to legislate out of Washington, and there is no way to ensure that the FDA will not make such mistakes again in the future and wrongly implicate agriculture processing to food-borne disease outbreaks that can once again cause severe economic losses to the farmers and ranchers of America who cannot only not afford them, but who produce the highest quality of safety products anywhere in the world to American consumers. This is not going to be addressed properly in this legislation. It is simply about empowering Federal bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.

In an article in The Wall Street Journal from December 2, 2010, related to the food safety bill, it states that ``food-borne illnesses have fallen by nearly one-third over the last decade, largely because businesses have already every incentive to police themselves.'' Yet this legislation gives the FDA new powers over the 2.2 million farms and the 28,000 food producers in America.

In true fashion, my Democrat colleagues continue to push their own agenda, overwhelming the American consumer. They have shut out Republicans over the last 4 years, and they continue to shut out common sense and the American people. Continuing on the path of reckless government spending will only put the United States further in debt, burdening future generations.

Mr. Speaker, we disagree with taxing, spending, and overregulating. Overregulation that increases costs to consumers and food producers will add just another fiscal restraint on families, not just in the congressional district that I represent, but all across this country. Congress must do a better job. We tax too much, we spend too much, we regulate too much, and we listen too little in this Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I think you can count me in that I oppose this rule and the underlying legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, as a matter of fact, I think the gentleman from Massachusetts is right. Much of what this President does propose and in these last two Congresses what they proposed, Republicans have objected to them, and it is for a simple reason: We don't want to support the things that don't work. We want to support the things that will help the American people not only to have a better economy and to take care of themselves, but we are not for growing the size of the Federal Government that is in our lives now, a food safety bill that will do what I believe is quite the reverse but will be expensive and will come at the cost of consumers bettering their ability to have a safe food chain.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Cheyenne, Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas).

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

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman, Mr. Lucas, the gentleman who was selected today by the new Republican majority this next Congress to be the Agriculture Committee chairman. The gentleman, Mr. Lucas, spoke very clearly not only on behalf of farmers and ranchers across this country, but really on behalf of a group of people who are in the food chain of this country, who all the way up through grocery stores and providers of content make sure that the food safety lines of this country are properly taken care of.

There are so many food workers all across this country who have established not only high standards as a result of their advocacy for not just their job, but the greatest opportunity around the world for us to make sure that consumers get the benefit of clean food, the opportunity to know more about not only the caloric intake, but to make sure that the value of our food is held for consumers at a proper price.

The gentleman, Mr. Lucas, has noted a number of times on the floor that this industry, the agricultural industry, and the supermarket industry really have taken steps to ensure that their products are not only safe and secure, but that consumers have an opportunity to understand how to utilize those products when they receive those products from a store, perhaps, or where they buy their products. And this is part of that chain that I believe that this legislation just misuses. And consumers, through their ability to use food, whether it's refrigeration, whether it's in cooking procedures, whether it's mixing these products, how they would hold these out certainly has a lot to do with the food safety and the aspects that come as a result of that.

Mr. Speaker, you have heard me say it over and over, but the American people I think expect something better and different. I must confess that in the near future that what we will do when Republicans come to the floor this next Congress starting January 5, we will take the legislation and run it through committees. We will include feedback and ideas from not just Republicans, but also the Democrats who want to be a part of this process, who get up and come to this town to represent their people, people who have elected them, people who have confidence in the way we do things.

Taxing, spending, overregulating is not the way that this Congress should run; and the American people feel that, unfortunately, so plainly. Today all the way to the end, it is yet another example about how the American people see because they hear firsthand about overregulation, excessive spending, and continuation of more of the same.

So, Mr. Speaker, I would ask my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the underlying legislation, to vote ``no'' to stop the reckless fiscal policies that not only Speaker Pelosi but the Democratic Party have pursued over the last 4 years. Irresponsible not only in terms of the fiduciary responsibility that they had to openly discuss with the American people, the appropriations process, the budgeting process, but perhaps more importantly, I believe what is the responsibility of this body to work effectively as a purveyor of the taxpayer money in working with the administration.

All we have done is send them a signal, you go spend all the money you want, we will make it available to you, rather than an understanding of the give and take of the expectations of performance by the American people of where each of these dollars should be spent and what we should expect back in return. I think it's always bad when a blank check that's filled in is given to somebody without an understanding of that. The United States Government should not allow this. That will change.

A vote ``no'' is going to allow farmers and food producers also, because this bill is together, it's going to take away their rights, it's going to add more rules and regulations, it's going to add more government interference, it's going to get in the way of what I believe is a food safety issue.

It's time to end the idea of big government and big spending. We are here on the floor again to make sure that the American people understand this, that there is a group of people who will certainly see things differently.

But I would like to say, Mr. Speaker, we will show up with better ideas. Get ready, hope is on the way.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Vietnam War Veterans of the Oak Cliff Lions Club. It is my great privilege and pleasure to honor these individuals.

On November 3, 2010, the Oak Cliff Lions Club paid special tribute to its members that served in the Vietnam War. This group of distinct individuals includes Captain Stan Altschuler, USA; Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert Bown, USN; Airman First Class Danny Boyce, USAF; Colonel Rich Buickerood, USAF, Ret.; Major Durhl Caussey, USA, Ret.; 1st Lieutenant Scott Chase, USA; Colonel Ken Cordier, USAF, Ret.; Lt. Colonel Stoney Green, USA; Captain Ray Morey, USAF; 1st Lieutenant Edwin Strom, USA; Sgt. Joe Wells, USAF; Captain David Mills, USA, USAF; and Spec. 4 Jim Foster, USA.

These veterans deserve our deepest gratitude for their great sacrifice made in defense of liberty, freedom, and democracy. No words can ever fully express our gratitude for all they have done for our country. Their patriotism, courage, and selflessness is commendable and deserves our highest regard.

Madam Speaker, I ask my esteemed colleagues to join me in expressing our gratitude for their service to this great Nation.