Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Thomas Pritzker on being named Chairman of the Art Institute of Chicago, and to honor him on his many years of service to the people of Chicago.

For more than a century, Chicago's Art Institute has served as one of America's premier centers for art education and exhibition, nurturing the abilities of talented young artists, and bringing important works of art to the people of Chicago and the nation.

This great Chicago institution has been home to great American artists such as Grant Wood, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Orson Welles. I have no doubt that under Mr. Pritzker's lead, it will continue to contribute profoundly to the American cultural landscape.

A lifelong Chicagoan, and graduate of The University of Chicago's Schools of Law and Business, Mr. Pritzker has tirelessly supported the city's institutions of higher learning throughout his career.

Mr. Pritzker's dedicated service includes years of philanthropic work with The University of Chicago, where he sits on the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees, and 18 years as a Board Trustee for the Art Institute.

Mr. Pritzker's important philanthropic gifts have enabled The University of Chicago and The Art Institute of Chicago to consistently operate at a high degree of excellence, and remain at the forefront of education and innovation.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Fifth Congressional District of Illinois, I congratulate Thomas Pritzker on his new title of Board Chairman of The Art Institute of Chicago, and thank him for his many outstanding contributions to the city of Chicago.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the contributions that my constituent, Ms. Jean Juske, has made to her community. For more than 25 years, she has served as an officer with the Brickyard Seniors Club, and for the past few years she has served as that organization's President.

The Brickyard is an important organization for seniors in northwest Chicago that provides opportunities for socializing, community activism, and education. As President for the past several years, Jean Juske made sure that Brickyard members had lively meetings on the first and third Monday of the month that featured not only bingo games and other activities, but also included guest speakers and visits from elected officials.

Ms. Juske also arranged holiday dinners, special events, and day trips to regional points of interest. During her tenure at the Brickyard, Ms. Juske developed an expertise in a variety of programs and benefits designed for senior citizens, and served as a first point of contact for members who needed assistance.

Ms. Juske has provided a valuable service as a President of the Brickyard Seniors Club, and I would like to express my deep appreciation to her.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor my friend and colleague, Congressman Lane Evans, for his service in the House of Representatives and his dedication to the people of the 17th district of Illinois and veterans around the nation.

Congressman Evans has served honorably in this chamber for eleven terms, and leaves

with a long record of unwavering advocacy for his constituency and the welfare of the American public.

Throughout his tenure, Congressman Evans has been a staunch supporter of our Nation's servicemen and women, serving on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee since 1983. His ten years as ranking member have earned him the admiration and respect of every major veteran service organization.

A former Marine, Congressman Evans is acutely aware to the needs of our men and women in uniform, and has advanced several important pieces of legislation which provide our servicemen and women with the proper care they are due.

Acting as one of the strongest voices for Desert Storm veterans, Congressman Evans succeeded in raising awareness of the important specialized treatment returning veterans required, and ultimately enabled them to receive this life-saving care.

Congressman Evans has also provided dedicated service to the troops currently serving our Nation in harms way, providing vigorous oversight of our military's spending and readiness as a member of the House Armed Services Committee.

Mr. Speaker, Lane Evans has provided twenty four years of steadfast and honorable service to this great Nation, and I am proud to call him my colleague and friend. I would like to thank him for his career of service, and wish him the very best in all of his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of a great and respected Chicagoan, Justice Seymour Simon, who recently passed away at the age of 91. Seymour was a dear friend of mine, and a passionate advocate for justice who exemplified all of the finest qualities of true public service.

Seymour was born on the 10th of August, 1915 in Chicago, IL. He attended law school at Northwestern University, graduating first in his class. He served his country in World War II and was honored with the Legion of Merit medal.

After his service in the Pacific, Seymour returned to his hometown to practice law and serve his community in elected office. He served two separate terms as alderman of the 40th Ward, from 1955 to 1961, and then from 1967 until 1974. From 1961 to 1967, Seymour represented all of Cook County on the Cook County Board of Commissioners, rising to board president in 1961. During his career Seymour also served as an attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division, as president of the Cook County Forest Preserve District and as a member of the Chicago Public Building Commission.

In 1974, he was elected to the Appellate Court, on which he served for 6 years. He was elected to the Illinois Supreme Court in 1980. As a member of the Supreme Court, Justice Simon exhibited a moral drive that led him to dissent from the court's decision in many cases, and earned him the enduring admiration of his colleagues and the people of Illinois.

Justice Simon was an adamant opponent of the death penalty and sided against the court in several decisions which were later reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court. In retirement, he continued to fight against inequities in the prosecution of Illinois death penalty cases. Former Governor George Ryan cited several letters from Justice Simon as a factor in his decision to impose a moratorium on all executions in the State of Illinois.

Seymour's life of public service was honored with numerous awards, among them an honorary doctor of laws degree from John Marshall Law School and the Northwestern University Alumni Association Award of Merit. Seymour passed away in Northwestern Memorial Hospital on September 26th after battling with cancer.

Mr. Speaker, Seymour Simon was an inspiration to all who knew him, and I am honored to have considered him a friend and mentor. I wish to express my deepest condolences to his family, and I ask all of my colleagues to join me in remembering the life and legacy of this great American.

Mr. Speaker, in March of 2003, Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz said: We are dealing with a country, Iraq, that can really finance its own reconstruction, and relatively soon.

Well, I guess 3 years doesn't count as relatively soon. According to a new report by the Iraqi Special Inspector General, the Iraqi oil industry lost $16 billion because of violence, theft, and corruption. In fact, 3 years after Secretary Wolfowitz's confident predictions, Iraq is actually paying billions of dollars to import refined petroleum. Iraq is importing refined petroleum products.

In the words of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, ``stuff happens.''

Maybe if this Congress had questioned Wolfowitz on his calculations a little closer, maybe if the President had given the commanders on the ground the troops they needed, maybe if this Congress had conducted and sought accountability into Iraq's reconstruction, we wouldn't be dealing with quite so much ``stuff.'' But I guess under Republican leadership, you end up with the leadership you have, not the one you want.

Madam Speaker, the Iraq war has gone from shock and awe to shocked at how awful it is.

On the heels of the public disclosure of the NIE estimates, today's Washington Post reports that the Baghdad Police College was so poorly constructed it might need to be demolished.

Special Inspector for Iraq Reconstruction said, ``This is the most essential civil security project in the country. It is a failure. The Baghdad Police Academy is a disaster.''

There are foundation problems, tile floors are warped beyond repair, faucets leak, toilet waste flooding all over the second and third floors.

The Parsons Corporation did such a bad job with the $75 million in U.S. taxpayer money it was awarded to build the new facility, the whole facility may need to be torn down. The Persons Corporation received a $1 billion contract.

$12 billion gone, wasted, unaccounted for in Iraq. But what is $12.5 billion among friends? That wasted money follows a long line of other costly mistakes, including this Congress's refusal to hold anybody accountable.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in proud recognition of The Chicago Academy for the Arts, recently awarded this year's Creative Ticket National Schools of Distinction Award from the Kennedy Center's Alliance for the Arts Education Network.

The Chicago Academy for the Arts High School has served the students and families of the city of Chicago as well as students from Indiana and Wisconsin since 1981. The students at The Chicago Academy for the Arts have established an impressive record of academic achievement as well as artistic talent ranging from fine arts to acting to costume and set design. Ninety-seven percent of the Academy's graduates go on to top colleges and conservatories.

Since 1981, The Chicago Academy for the Arts has served as one of five private, independent, college-preparatory arts high schools in the United States. In addition to a traditional high school curriculum, students are given intensive training in the fields of: Music, Visual Art, Dance, Theater, Musical Theater, and Media Arts. Each day, students spend 5 hours in academics and 3 hours in their chosen art major, all of which include classes in theory, history, and technique.

The Chicago Academy for the Arts is designed to maximize each student's potential to communicate through the arts. The Arts Academy strives to prepare students to think critically and independently in order to prepare them to succeed in both higher education and their chosen field in the arts.

Alumni from The Chicago Academy for the Arts have gone on to attend schools such as the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, The Julliard School, Brandeis University, and New York University and include such notables as actors John Cusack and Lara Flynn Boyle; screenwriter and director Adam Rifkin; and composer Alex Wurman as well as members of the Joffrey Ballet, New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes.

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Congressional Arts Caucus, I believe that it is important to support and recognize quality education in the arts. The Chicago Academy for the Arts is a shining example of art in education at its best. I am proud of the students, faculty and families of the school and I wish them continued success in the coming years.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 622, recognizing and honoring the Filipino veterans who fought during World War II.

Filipino soldiers fought and died alongside American troops at some of the war's most horrific battles like Bataan and Corregidor. During the infamous Bataan Death March, over six thousand Filipino soldiers lost their lives.

The courage of these soldiers proved crucial to turning the tide of the pacific war against the Japanese forces occupying the Philippines, and in ultimately securing victory for the United States and the newly independent nation of the Philippines.

In appreciation of the courage and sacrifice of the Filipino veterans, President Harry S. Truman stated: ``They fought with gallantry and courage under most difficult conditions. I consider it a moral obligation of the United States to look after the welfare of the Philippine Army veterans.''

Yet for all their sacrifices, Congress in 1946 divested Filipino soldiers of their military benefits while soldiers of other allied countries retained their status and privileges as American veterans. In 2003, Congress finally acted to give Veterans Health benefits to the surviving Filipino veterans, and I am proud to have supported that effort, as well as current legislation to grant full veteran status to Filipino veterans.

Mr. Speaker, young Filipino men responded to the call of duty over sixty years ago and fought valiantly under the American flag. I am proud today to support H. Res. 622 and to extend my gratitude towards these veterans for their dedicated service and sacrifice.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the President told the world that building a more hopeful future in the Middle East is ``the greatest challenge of our time'' and ``the calling of a generation.''

There is no question the President's policies in Iraq have created the greatest foreign policy challenge of a generation. What started off as a battle between democracy versus stability has now become a civil war between the Shiite and the Sunni. It became that way because of our incompetence and failure to plan.

We shouldn't expect a plan soon, because the President's Iraq Study Group just announced they will not release their plan for Iraq until after the November midterm elections.

Quote: ``We think it's more important, frankly, to make sure whatever we bring forward is taken out of domestic politics.''

This is how we are teaching democracy in the Mideast. Keep the voters in the dark until it's too late.

I will end the suspense. The new plan for Iraq, there is no plan and there never has been one. According to Brigadier General Mark Scheid, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld threatened to fire anyone who tried to come up with a plan for the postwar and hostilities.

The President tells us we're in a long war, but thanks to this White House's refusal to plan, it has become an endless war.

It's time for a new direction.

Mr. Speaker, 9 months ago the Speaker said, ``Now is the time for action'' on real lobbying and ethics reform. At the same time, the current majority leader said we must act ``because of a growing perception that the United States Congress is for sale.''

And yet here we are today discussing legislation that will do nothing to prevent the abuses that have occurred on the Republican Congress' watch by both parties and both parties' Members. In short, business as usual continues here in the people's House.

When Members of Congress make millions from land deals tied to earmarks, you know something is wrong in the people's House. When Members' spouses are paid six-figure salaries for ``no-show'' lobbying jobs, you know something is wrong in the people's House. When a mid- level staffer gets a $2 million buyout from a lobbying firm only to have the revolving door return him to his old job on the committee, you know something is wrong in the people's House. And this bill simply tells all the current players that the House remains open for business. Business as usual continues.

When the Speaker's gavel comes down, it is intended to open the people's House, not the auction house. The fact is we have an institutional problem requiring an institutional solution.

To that end Representatives Van Hollen, Doggett, Delahunt, Bean, Barrow, and I introduced real earmark reform legislation yesterday to eliminate the abuses. Our bill prohibits earmarks that personally benefit Members, their spouses, and immediate family members. It bans earmarks that benefit lobbyists who chair a Member's leadership PAC. It prohibits earmarks to any entity or lobbying firm employing the spouse, family member, or former staffer of the earmark sponsor. Finally, it eliminates the ``sweetheart'' tax provisions for a single individual or corporation, and it ends the practice of adding new earmarks into conference reports in the dead of night.

This is real reform the American people are demanding, and I challenge my colleagues to let us have a vote on it. But I know they won't because 12 years ago the Republicans came to Congress to change Washington and in those 12 years Washington changed them.

It is time for a new direction. It is time for a change. The ``for sale'' sign still exists on the West Lawn of the people's House.

I ask permission to speak out of order.

Madam Speaker, over the weekend we have heard from two generals who have a role to play in our war in Iraq. Brigadier General Mark Shide stated that during the runup to the Iraq war, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld threatened to fire anyone who tried to plan for the postwar environment.

I am quoting General Shide. He said that Secretary Rumsfeld did not want any planning for the postwar environment, quote, because the American public will not back us if they think we are going over there for a long war.

Well, that strategic thinking has given us a long war. Also, on the front page of the Washington Post on Sunday, the general and a director that is head of the military for Anbar Province says he has too few troops to secure the western part of Baghdad and Anbar Province and make what needs to be done, rather than as insurgency there, as the security in that area, that is mainly a Sunni area, we have a rapid insurgency that says it is now out of control.

There is no precedent in American history for a Secretary of Defense to intentionally send too few troops into battle without the equipment that they need, and without a plan to finish the job. Nowhere in American history has a Secretary of Defense made such decisions that put men and women in the American national security in harm's way than Secretary Rumsfeld.

The Secretary tried to hide a long war by creating an endless war, and in the process he gave the insurgency in Iraq room and air to grow into a full civil war to where General Abizaid, the other day in front of the Senate, testified we are on the doorstep of a civil war.

I am going to tell you, General Shide is not the only general that says this. Major General Batiste, who commanded 22,000 troops on the ground in Iraq, quote, Rumsfeld and his team turned what should have been a deliberate victory in Iraq into a prolonged challenge. General Anthony Zinni, former commander of the U.S. Central Command for the Mideast, quote, we are paying the price for the lack of a credible planning, for the lack of plan. Ten years of planning were thrown away, thrown out the window. Major General Paul Eaton said of Secretary Rumsfeld, he has shown himself incompetent strategically, operationally and tactically.

Lieutenant General Newbold of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who is head of all operations to the Joint Chiefs of Staff: ``My sincere view is that the commitment of our forces to this fight was done with a casualness and a swagger that are the special province of those who have never had to execute these missions--or bury the results.''

Now, I do not think that our Armed Forces is a place of social promotion. These men that we invested in did not get to their positions as generals or lieutenant generals or brigadier generals because they are fools. They have all come to the conclusion that the Secretary of Defense, Don Rumsfeld, has led our Armed Forces as the Secretary of Defense poorly and to the point that we have the greatest strategic challenge, national security challenge, of a generation because of Secretary Rumsfeld's failures to execute his responsibilities. He sent too few troops and he sent them in without a plan for the occupation knowing full well we were going to have it, as if he was hiding something from the American people, which has now become fully obvious to the American people we are in for the long haul here.

And what do the Republicans and this Congress make of this record? Vice President Dick Cheney said the other day, Sunday, on the show: ``If we had to do it over again, we'd do exactly the same thing.'' Just more of the same. Albert Einstein said the first sign of insanity is doing the same-old-same-old and expecting a different result.

Now, the President keeps giving the Secretary of Defense a pass. In the words of Lieutenant General Newbold, the head of operations for the Joint Chiefs: ``The Bush administration and senior military officials are not alone in their culpability. Members of Congress, from both parties, defaulted in fulfilling their constitutional responsibility for oversight.''

General Newbold is right. When Secretary Rumsfeld came out with a plan for war that didn't include a plan for the peace or the occupation, this House, the Republican House, refused to ask why.

When Army Chief of Staff Eric Shinseki told Congress it would take more than a couple hundred thousand troops more than Rumsfeld was planning to use, this House refused to ask why he was sacked and why Secretary Rumsfeld disagreed.

When Secretary Rumsfeld sat by when Paul Bremer disbanded the Iraqi military in his plan of de-Bathification, sending half a million Iraqi soldiers into the insurgency, this House, the Republican House, refused to ask why.

According to Colonel John Agoglia, ``That was the day that we snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and created an insurgency.''

It is time for a new direction in the war on terror. It is time for a new direction in the war in Iraq. The Democrats will provide that leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and unable to be on the House floor for rollcall votes 412 and 413. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on both votes.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the distinguished history of the Our Lady of Victory Parish on the occasion of its 100th Anniversary. Over the last century, Our Lady of Victory has provided spiritual guidance and quality education to generations of families throughout the Jefferson Park and Portage Park communities on the north side of the City of Chicago.

Our Lady of Victory was originally established on September 10, 1906 as a mission of the Saint Edward's Parish. Reverend Martin M. Lennartz served as this Catholic community's inaugural Pastor. Its first Eucharistic celebrations were held in an unassuming hall located at the corner of Milwaukee and Lawrence Avenues.

It was not until 1907, and the community efforts of Elizabeth Massmann, that the congregation was renamed, ``Our Lady of Victory,'' after her memory and the name of her childhood church located in the state of Ohio.

The cornerstone of Our Lady of Victory's current location was laid on May 22, 1910. The three story structure located at 4444 North Laramie Avenue is now but one of the parish's many buildings.

Today, Our Lady of Victory serves approximately two hundred elementary school aged students. It has served over 3,000 families throughout the Chicagoland area in its one hundred year history.

And on October 8, 2006, parishioners and distinguished leaders of our community will come together to celebrate this momentous anniversary. The Gala Centennial Dinner will take place at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the citizens of the north side of Chicago and the constituents of the Fifth Congressional District of Illinois, I wish to recognize the Our Lady of Victory Parish and its Centennial celebration. I wish all the best for its clergy, for its families, and for its success in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the distinguished history of Engine

Company No. 106 of the Chicago Fire Department on the occasion of its 100th Anniversary. Over the last century, the firefighters of Engine Company No. 106 have shown an enduring commitment to community service and have worked tirelessly to keep our communities safe.

Fire-related fatalities in Chicago are at a 25 year-low, thanks to the life saving efforts of Chicago's firefighters and community outreach efforts by firefighters to schools, senior centers and neighborhood associations. Chicago's citizens are now better informed about how to prevent and handle emergency situations, and they view their local firehouse as an important and valuable resource in the neighborhood.

I have visited Engine Company No. 106 many times. This company has always epitomized the exemplary values of honor and protection that the Chicago Fire Department and the Maltese Cross have become known to symbolize. All too often we take for granted the heroic efforts of these dedicated public servants.

Fire Marshal and Chief of Brigade, James Horan originally established Engine Company No. 106 on December 31, 1906. As a part of the Fourth Fire Battalion of Chicago, the original firehouse was located at 2754 North Fairfield Avenue, near the intersection of Diversey and Fairfield Avenues.

The original members of the company roster included Captain Alexander Kopeto, Lieutenant Thomas Mulcahy, Engineer Henry Clohecy, Assistant Engineer Thomas Walsh, Pipemen Frank Mashek, Thomas Cavanaugh, Frank McDermott, and Thomas Hogan, and Drivers John Murphy and Thomas McCarthy. Today, Captain Kenneth Soo of Engine No. 106 and Captain Steven Kierys of Truck No. 13 continue this tradition of excellent service for our community.

This year's Grand Gala celebrating Engine Company No. 106, Truck No. 13, and Ambulance No. 48 will take place at the current firehouse location at 3401 North Elston Avenue. This will be a wonderful event that will memorialize this important anniversary: Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the citizens of the north side of Chicago and the constituents of the Fifth Congressional District of Illinois, I wish to recognize the past and current firefighters of Engine No. 106 for their dedication and commitment to service. Moreover, I wish all the best for the future firefighters of Engine No. 106 and their families.

Mr. Chairman, I believe there is great potential in the widespread adoption of health information technology. By expanding the use of health information technology, we can reduce medical errors, improve the quality of care and patient safety, enhance efficiency and significantly reduce health care costs.

However, the bill before us fails to make any progress toward greater adoption of health information technology.

H.R. 4157 fails to provide for the development or adoption of interoperability standards. It also fails to provide adequate funding to assist providers transitioning to an electronic medical records system, and it greatly weakens Medicare's fraud and abuse laws.

The RAND Corporation recently estimated that by implementing health information technology, we can save as much as $162 billion per year. Unfortunately, H.R. 4157 accomplishes so little that we would fail to yield any of these potential savings.

The most troubling aspect of this bill is its failure to protect an individual's medical privacy.

Even the President of the United States, believes an individual's medical information should be protected. On January 27, 2005, the President stated, ``I presume I'm like most Americans--I think my medical records should be private.'' And on May 22, 2006, the President stated, ``Our goal, by the way, is for every American to have an electronic medical record. And--but, by the way, with a guarantee of privacy.''

During the committee process, Mr. Doggett and I offered an amendment that would have strengthened privacy protections for individuals. Specifically, the amendment: (1) expressly recognized the right of an individual to privacy and security; (2) required individuals to consent to having their information shared; (3) allowed individuals to prohibit access to particularly sensitive information in their health record (i.e., HIV, mental health, genetic information); (4) required individuals to be notified if their health record has been breached, and (5) allowed individuals to obtain damages from an entity that wrongfully uses or discloses identifiable health information.

Unfortunately, our Republican colleagues did not share these goals and voted against these provisions on numerous occasions. Yesterday, we joined our colleagues from the Energy and Commerce Committee and offered a similar amendment again before the Rules Committee. The amendment was blocked there as well.

As we move forward on health information technology, it is absolutely essential that an individual's most personal and vulnerable information is protected. In a digital environment, HIPPA is just not enough.

Mr. Chairman, I strongly believe in the potential of health information technology. Unfortunately, I cannot support the legislation before us because it fails to truly make any progress in achieving that goal.