Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I think we have a ``stop the presses'' moment. I think there is new news that has come upon this Congress that we can celebrate, take this bill out of the record and hit the reset button, because the good news is that President Obama's own economic team or those that are poised to become that economic team have said there is good news for a new idea. And the new idea is this substitute that is offered by Mr. Camp and Mr. Cantor that says for half the cost it can have twice the impact. That is powerful. And if we are truly in a spirit of bipartisanship, if we are truly, as the President says, in a moment where authorship doesn't matter, then we need to stop the presses.

Mr. Chairman, we can create 6.2 million jobs in 2 years based on this substitute. And where I come from, that is good every day all the time.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

So much material and so little time. You know, we heard the President in his speech talking about putting aside petty recriminations, and he characterized that as, actually, childish arguments. And I think that some of the tone that I have heard tonight, we can rise above.

You know, I find it ironic that the gentleman from California referred favorably, maybe for the first time in his career, the first time in my hearing, favorably quoting and referring to Republican economists as ``persuasive.'' I had never heard that from him before, Mr. Chairman.

But I would like to quote from our President. In his State of the Union Message, he said something that I think actually brings us all together, it's really poignant, and I think it's beautiful. In fact, it says it has been risk takers, the doers, the makers of things who have carried us up the long rugged path towards prosperity and freedom. The market's power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched.

Here we are, on the verge of the majority spending $825 billion in a spending plan, the likes of which we have not seen before, with only $40 million in tax relief for small business. When the President came in, he seemed surprised at those numbers, by comparison, $40 million to the risk takers that we all say are the economic engine that are going to move us into the future.

We can do better, and I think it's incumbent upon us to take up that challenge.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize an important community service organization located in Elmhurst, Illinois in my congressional district called Special Kids Day.

Special Kids Day was created in 1990 as a holiday event for children with special needs and their families to visit Santa Claus without obstacles. This venture has evolved into a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing celebratory events for children with disabilities and their families in an environment designed to accommodate their special needs.

On the first Wednesday each December, Special Kids Day holds their flagship event. Volunteers help children get their picture taken with Santa and distribute goodie bags with toys and candy. Other surprises from face painters to balloon animals help make these events a memorable time for special needs children. All of this allows these children and their families to enjoy the magic of the Christmas season without some of the challenges of making a trip to the mall at the holidays.

Today, the Special Kids Day organization has grown to include dozens of volunteers who serve hundreds of families in the Chicagoland area. For the first time, Special Kids Day also began holding a Carnival Day at the Annual Elmfest in Elmhurst this year.

Madam Speaker and distinguished colleagues, please join me in honoring the time and effort of Special Kids Day volunteers. This organization's selfless, charitable spirit is what makes Illinois' Sixth District such a pleasure to represent.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Saint Francis Spartans football team for their remarkable victory in the Class 5A Illinois State championship on November 29, 2008.

Saint Francis' road to the State championship is a great story of success through hard work and determination. In the previous two seasons, the Spartans struggled vigorously to overcome many obstacles. This year, all their hard work paid off. The steadfast Spartans pulled off a tremendous turnaround, ending the regular season with a record of 9-1.

In Saturday's championship game, the Spartans faced off against the top-ranked, 9-0 Metamora Redbirds. The Redbirds entered the game with a 27-game winning streak. Despite the steep challenge ahead, the Spartans stayed focused on the game. They tenaciously persevered, beating the Redbirds 49-35 and breaking the record for the most points scored in the 5A title game.

Madam Speaker and distinguished colleagues, please join me in commending the Saint Francis players and coaches for their intensity and dedication throughout the season. Their incredible performance in the State championship is a tribute to long hours of hard work, both on and off the field.

Spartans, your families, your school, and your community are extremely proud of what you've accomplished. I wish you all the best in the future. Go Spartans!

Mr. Speaker, I want to applaud the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich) with his passion and his clarity really, but really want to urge a little bit of caution. And I think the reason for caution was on display today in the House Financial Services Committee on a different issue. We had some hearings on some oversight as it relates to the $700 billion bailout. And it was really, in my hearing, and during the time that I was there and watching on television also, it was really overwhelming to watch Members of Congress talking to members of the administration and almost talking past one another, you know, interpreting things differently, and I don't think that's what the legislation meant and so forth and so on. And so here we are $700 billion later, and administration and Capitol Hill talking past one another. And I think we're on the verge of doing that same thing here if we're not careful, because I represent a district, the western suburbs of Chicago, with a lot of auto supply manufacturers. But there's no guarantee that that money that we're contemplating tonight is going to get to the folks in my district. There's no guarantee that the type of pressure that has been put on the auto manufacturers is going to come to fruition and actually come up with something good.

What happened to the December 2 deadline? What happened to the December 2 moratorium by which there was going to be a new declaration and a new plan? And it has now been postponed now to the end of the first quarter.

So clearly, there is an urgency here to work. Clearly, there is an urgency to get something done. But heaven help us if we pass the same type of statute that was enacted with such urgency only 2 months ago.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to be added as a cosponsor to H.R. 2205.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the celebration of Diwali, the ``Festival of Lights.''

It is during this time that the Hindu people celebrate their heritage with festivals, fireworks, and worship.

I would like to acknowledge the thousands of Hindus in my Congressional District and their valuable contributions to our community as citizens of strong faith, families with deep

cultural roots, and business leaders of unmatched work ethic and ingenuity.

Diwali marks the Hindu commitments to faith, peace, family and heritage.

Madam Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, please join me in acknowledging the celebration of Diwali and wishing the Hindu people of Illinois' Sixth Congressional District a peaceful holiday.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of introspection, fasting and spiritual renewal.

Throughout the entire 9th month of the Islamic calendar year, Muslims demonstrate their devotion by fasting from sunrise until sunset. The month of Ramadan is also an important time for Muslim families and communities as they join together in expression of their devotion.

Many Muslims use this time to seek physical and spiritual renewal. In fact, more than 25,000 Muslims in my Congressional District observe this celebration to mark their steadfast commitments to faith, family and heritage.

Madam Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, please join me in acknowledging the celebration of the month of Ramadan and wishing Muslims a peaceful holiday.

First of all, I want to thank Chairman Oberstar for his leadership and for his willingness to listen and for his thoughtful approach on this and for how he has brought, really, a bipartisan group together in trying to drive towards a solution.

Since coming to Congress, I've noticed that, many times, what we need to do is to spend time bringing statutes up to date, and this is just one of those examples. We've been struggling over these past several days with the financial markets and, in many cases, with a regulatory environment that isn't regulating properly. Well, here is an

opportunity for us to be proactive and to bring a regulation up to date to really deal with current needs. Giving the Surface Transportation Board the authority to consider a couple of things, I think, is very thoughtful and very wise and very measured. This is what this bill is about.

It says that the Surface Transportation Board in these transactions has to consider a couple of things. It has to consider the impact on safety and the environment. It has to consider the impact of grade crossings, of HAZMAT, of emergency response time, and of noise. In my view, those are not unreasonable requests. It doesn't predetermine an outcome. It doesn't say what they need to do with that information, but it says, as a matter of record, that they have to consider that.

Now a word about Canadian National: Whether or not Canadian National decided to show up at a hearing is really their prerogative. I just confirmed with the chairman that they were welcomed to show up. This is a pattern, frankly, that we've seen with Canadian National in our community where we were told they would show up at any time and at any place to talk to anyone, but when a forum was created, they waived off of that.

Now let's just set that aside. Here we have a chance to create a statute that says, if you're going to increase rail traffic through a community, you've got to consider the cost, and you've got to consider the cost on the community.

The gentlelady from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) spoke a couple of minutes ago about the cost of one of these rail crossings and of the cost of a grade separation. They are a thing to behold, and they are incredibly expensive. The fact that Canadian National in this particular case has several tens of millions of dollars on the table doesn't anywhere near answer the cost to local taxpayers who would be asked to bear the burden with very little benefit.

So I think the chairman's approach on this--the way he has brought a bipartisan group together around it and the thoughtfulness of it and, really, the holistic way that this would be evaluated--is a very light touch, in fact, and he is not coming down with a heavy hand. I am strongly supportive of it.

Madam Speaker, it is a real honor for me to be here with my colleagues from Illinois to honor two men who have really served admirably and have brought great pride to the Land of Lincoln.

The first is Congressman Jerry Weller who I got to know in the Illinois House of Representatives, and I served for one term with Congressman Weller. When he was in the State House of Representatives, he had a reputation of somebody who knew how to come back.

And he got involved in a tough election, and I won't drag you all through the weeds of that tough election, but he got dealt a tough blow in that many people thought he fairly won that election, but for a whole host of political reasons, he wasn't seated in that election. Do you know what? Rather than going home and say, oh, woe is me, Jerry Weller came back and he went out and he campaigned, and he earned the confidence of the voters of that district. He earned the confidence of his neighbors in Morris, Illinois, and he came back, and he was there to greet me when I first went to the House of Representatives in 1992.

Then Jerry Weller was a part of the historic class of 1994 that came in, and as has been previously mentioned by Mr. Manzullo and Mr. Shimkus, he was the person who focused in on repealing that marriage penalty, and I remember him talking about that to me. I remember him focusing on that. I remember reading about Jerry Weller pursuing that and pursuing that and pursuing that, and as we all know, it is a very difficult thing to pass a major piece of landmark legislation like that. There's a lot of exit

ramps around here for good ideas. There's a lot of trap doors for good ideas. But Jerry Weller was tenacious and he was able to put together the coalitions. He was focused and he got that done, and today, millions of Americans have fundamentally benefited because of his tenacity and the political savvy with which he moved that through the House and ultimately through the Congress.

He had other successes as well, and that was the transformation of the Joliet arsenal in Illinois, and that was property that had not it been for his leadership in his district, it could have essentially gone by the wayside. But because he was tenacious and he was focused, it's been turned into a good thing.

So Jerry Weller, we are going to miss you, and it is with regret that we're here tonight. But it is with a great deal of hope and optimism that we'll see you and your tenacity and the glint in your eye.

The other person that we're here to honor is also another member of that class, and that is Congressman Ray LaHood. Congressman LaHood has been described by Mr. Shimkus as a man of the House, and I kind of feel like he has the demeanor of sort of Dad coming home. When he would be in the Chair and the House would be raucous and a little bit spunky, he would gavel that down, and he was entrusted with the gavel during some of the most historic times.

And he is a man of history because he serves in the same seat that Abraham Lincoln served in. He's from the same hometown as another Illinois great, that is, Everett Dirksen. He served also at the side of Bob Michel, and these are great Illinoisans.

I'm pleased that now the Easter Seals of Peoria, Illinois, has chosen to honor Congressman LaHood and his bride by setting up the Ray and Kathy LaHood House for Children with Special Needs.

I think it's indicative of the type of person that he is, the type of integrity, the directness with which he interacts with his colleagues, and I know that that's great encouragement not only to me but I know it's great encouragement and a great example for all Americans.

So for these two men who have chosen to sacrifice so greatly and serve our State so well, I can tell you, Madam Speaker, that it is with a great deal of pride that I say it's been an honor to serve with Congressman Weller. It's been an honor to serve with Congressman LaHood, and I look forward to our paths crossing many, many times in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4081, the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking, PACT, Act of 2008, and commend Mr. Weiner and Mr. Smith for their hard work on this important bill. By some accounts, my own State of Illinois has lost $214 million last year alone due to smuggling, counterfeit products, and Internet sales.

The illegal trafficking of cigarettes not only results in the loss of Federal, State and local taxes on those products, but it is also of very serious consequence because much of these profits is going to fund criminal and terrorist activities.

Currently, there is technology available that can dramatically improve the States' tobacco tax security systems. One such system, currently in use by the State of California with great success, about to be implemented by New Jersey and under consideration by other States as well, is manufactured in my district. My hope is we can move forward on this issue to ensure these new technologies can be part of a bigger solution.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working with my colleagues in the future to pursue ways in which the Congress can assist States in understanding and implementing such systems to combat smuggling of tobacco products.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the remarkable accomplishments of Sean Rooney of Wheaton, Illinois, and his contributions to the 2008 U.S. Olympic Men's Indoor Volleyball Team's triumph to win the gold medal in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

At Wheaton-Warrenville South High School in my district, Sean was a standout player who

garnered Illinois State Player of the Year honors and led his team to a State championship in 2001. He then went on to Pepperdine University, where he became one of their top players and helped lead them to a national championship in 2005. After graduating in 2005, Sean continued to pursue his love of the sport, playing professionally for 2 years.

Then, Sean was selected to represent his country on the international stage as a member of the United States' Men's Indoor Volleyball Team in the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing, China. As the competition was beginning, though, the team faced a tragic setback when Todd Bachman, the father-in-law of the team's coach, Hugh McCutcheon, was fatally stabbed and his wife was seriously injured following an act of random, senseless violence.

In the face of this adversity, the team rallied behind their coach and his family to win three games. When their coach returned for the remainder of the tournament, the team won five more games, including an incredible upset victory over the top-ranked team from Brazil to win the Gold Medal.

The Olympic Games are a time for countries to come together in the spirit of competition and sportsmanship. They are a time to showcase the best our country has to offer. Sean Rooney and the Men's Volleyball Team showed outstanding courage, commitment and athleticism at the Beijing Olympics and our country couldn't be more proud.

Madam Speaker and distinguished colleagues, please join me in recognizing Sean Rooney and the entire Men's Indoor Volleyball Team for their remarkable performance in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Moon Khan for his devoted service to DuPage County and the State of Illinois.

Moon started serving the community as an anchor on the Indian community's cable television program Bharat Darshan, also working as Community Editor of the India Tribune and Chief Editor of Spotlight Weekly. After earning M.A. and M.B.A. degrees from Northern Illinois University, he founded the Asian American Caucus of DuPage, serving as its first President. From his early dedication to scholarship and community service, Moon has become heavily involved in local government and commerce, serving as a vocal advocate for the Asian American community.

As a member of the Illinois Ethnic Coalition, Moon has advocated for the rights of new immigrants and various ethnic groups, assisting them in the transition to American culture and

helping with the preservation of their heritage. His commitment to unity resulted in Moon being presented the Americanism Award by the Society of Daughters of the American Revolution in 2005.

In April of 2005, Moon was elected as a Trustee for York Township, becoming the first Asian American to be elected to that office and the first Muslim elected to government office in the State of Illinois. As a result of his commitment to serving the Asian American community, Moon was appointed as the Asian American Liaison of the DuPage County Republican Party.

Moon Khan has been an advocate for the rights of immigrants, Muslims, and other ethnic groups. His committed service to empowering all ethnicities has affected countless lives throughout the State of Illinois.

Madam Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, Moon Khan is a remarkable man who has dedicated his life to serving the people of DuPage County and the State of Illinois. Please join me in honoring him for his public service and recognizing the important work he is doing to build a stronger, better America.

Madam Speaker, I don't know about you, but sitting here and listening to these speeches, I'm ready for some good news. And the good news is we are joined today by a constituent of mine named Charles Hooker, who is a young boy who wrote an essay. It's short, it's sweet, it's succinct, and I'm going to read it to you. It is a result of him winning the Character Counts Contest in Elmhurst, Illinois. This is what young Charles says to us.

``If I were Mayor of Elmhurst, I would be fair to everyone by treating everyone the way I would like to be treated. I would listen to the requests of the young and old equally, because they both matter. I would be honest, be fair, and most importantly give credit to anyone who helped make things possible. I would also make sure I communicated well to show I'm trustful and responsible in all things. I am a Christian, and I would represent God in anything I do.''

Madam Speaker, as we listen to these challenges that have been outlined today, I think that's a good word for us all, and I offer great congratulations to young Charles.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, listening to the debate, I appreciate the tone and even the urgency with which Congress is wrestling with this, and there is no question as you look into this bill there are some good elements to it. But there are some substantive reforms to GSEs that I think we can all come around. There are some elements that are very distasteful, from my point of view, and they have been articulated well. And as the chairman has said, there is even a time to put aside some of that and to all come together.

But there is, in my opinion, Mr. Speaker, an element to this bill that isn't just slightly distasteful but it's a deal breaker. And that's the blank check within this bill. When the Secretary of the Treasury came in and briefed a number of us, he said that they wanted this authority to move forward, an unprecedented amount of authority, and then almost in the next breath--I don't want to overly characterize what he said--but almost in the next breath he said, ``But don't worry. We'll never use it.''

Well, I think that should give us all a reason to pause. The notion of giving a blank check to anyone for any circumstance is an idea that I think is a deal breaker, and we will rue the day that we gave that kind of authority away. I find it ironic that the other side of the aisle that has pounded on this President for the past 7 years as being an almost imperial President is willing to yield this type of authority to him and literally give him or anyone a blank check.

My predecessor, Henry Hyde, urged a great deal of caution at what he characterized as the greased chute of government. And this is the greased chute of government moving very, very quickly.

I urge us to pause. I urge us not to give a blank check to anyone. We can do much better than this.