Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, to my two former speakers on the Republican side, one who described the Republican stewardship as ``terrible,'' the one thing you can say after 6 years of Republican rule with President Bush is that we will forever be in your debt.

You are right. $3.8 trillion in new debt under your stewardship, and so we are always going to be in your debt. And I just can't you thank you enough on behalf of the American people, because the reason you would use the adjective ``terrible'' to describe your record is for the fiscal mess you left. And when you describe $9.8 trillion in debt, don't act like, ``look mom, no hands.'' You had something to do with it, 6 years of your control.

This budget is a beginning, because what is a budget? It is a blueprint for the future. And, yes, we will make it. President Kennedy once said, ``to govern is to choose.'' We are making choices here. We are preserving middle class tax cuts and beginning to put our fiscal house in order and investing in education, health care and technology to start to grow the economy back. That works for middle class families.

Under your stewardship, middle class household income shrunk by $1,100. Costs for education, health care and energy went up. This is about turning the country around and changing the direction of this country.

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the 2008 Hispanic Heritage Youth Award Recipients. This award has

grown into the most prestigious Hispanic honor and event for Latino youth in the United States.

Since 1998 the Hispanic Heritage Foundation has been celebrating Hispanic pride, culture, and accomplishment in the community and in classrooms throughout the United States.

Latinos are our Nation's largest minority and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation works to make sure that our Nation's Latino youth are prepared for the challenges to come. Through leadership, cultural, educational, and work programs, these future role models are identified, inspired, and instilled with the knowledge and experience to succeed.

Over 1,500 students have been awarded more than three million dollars in educational grants through the Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards. There are seven categories for these students to demonstrate their ability to excel in their areas of focus, with three finalists in each category from the Chicago area.

I am proud to recognize two winners from the Fifth Congressional District, Thalia Urbina and Estefanie Garcia. Thalia Urbina from East Lyden High School has earned a gold medallion for her commitment to education and Estefanie Garcia from Notre Dame High School for Girls has earned a bronze medallion for her excellence in journalism. These winners of the 2008 Hispanic Heritage Youth Award are part of the best and brightest in the Chicago Region.

This year's Chicago Regional award recipients will be honored with a special ceremony hosted by local businesses and community leaders to pay tribute to their accomplishments at the University of Chicago tonight.

Madam Speaker, Thalia and Estefanie have earned tonight's honors through hard work and dedication. I am proud to serve as their representative in Congress, and I wish them the best of luck tonight and in all of their future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Chicago Shakespeare Theater on earning the 2008 Outstanding Regional Theatre Tony Award. The honor, presented annually to a non-profit professional theater company in the United States, recognizes the hard work and dedication of Chicago Shakespeare artistic director and founder Barbara Gaines and the entire Chicago Shakespeare Theater staff.

The Tony Award for outstanding regional theatre was first presented to the Virginia Barter Theatre in 1946 and has been presented annually since 1976 to a theater company that maintains an unremitting level of artistic achievement while advancing the development of theater nationally.

From its home on Chicago's Navy Pier, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater meets and exceeds that high standard. With over 600 annual performances during its 50-week season, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater reaches an audience of 225,000 per year. The theater has 20,500 subscribers and is the largest employer of Chicago actors.

Founded by Ms. Gaines in 1986, the theater staged its first performance, of ``Henry V,'' on the rooftop of the Red Lion Pub in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. Since that show, the theater has grown into one of Chicago's leading cultural establishments.

In addition to its award-winning Shakespeare adaptations, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater reaches out to over 50,000 students and teachers yearly through a program entitled ``Team Shakespeare.'' This program aims to make Shakespeare more accessible to a whole new generation and will reach its millionth student this year.

The Chicago Shakespeare Theater becomes the fourth theater based in Chicago, Illinois to earn the outstanding regional theatre title. Along with previous Chicago-area winners the Steppenwolf Theater Company, the Goodman Theater, and the Victory Gardens Theater, these theaters and others throughout Chicago make up an artistic ensemble that rivals any group of theaters throughout the world. Their work is a testament to the quality and commitment of those who write, produce, and perform theater in Chicago.

Madam Speaker, I once again congratulate the Chicago Shakespeare Theater on this accomplishment, and I hope my colleagues will watch as the Chicago Shakespeare Theater receives their award on June 15th at the 62nd Antoinette Perry ``Tony Awards'' from Radio City Music Hall in New York.

Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, I was absent from the Chamber for rollcall votes 367, 368, and 369 on June 3, 2008. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on all three votes.

The prior speaker said you can't have a plan for 1 year. What he didn't mention is that the Bush administration and the Republican Congress hadn't had a plan for 7 years, and look where it's gotten us.

The fact is a lot of people want to talk about you have to have a balanced approach. That's true. You do have to have some drilling. There are 9,300 permits owned by the oil companies here in the United States for drilling that they do not use. Close to 72 percent. They don't use. They are not drilling. Could alleviate today. They are waiting for the price to increase before they drill. Those permits have been issued. So that is part of a plan.

What we are talking about today is seizing future energy sources, be that wind, solar, biomass. In fact, today, the

Wall Street Journal, lead story, the Pentagon knows and it is launching, according to the headline, an alternative fuels strategy. The Pentagon knows that. Corporate America is investing in alternative energy sources. They know that. The American consumer knows you have got to have a different strategy than the one that depends only on oil. The only people that don't know that you need to have a diverse energy policy is the White House and sometimes I believe some of the Republican Members of Congress here.

We need an energy policy so it begins to invest in 21st century energy sources, like wind and solar, and stop subsidizing 20th century energy sources, which is only oil. This gives us an agenda, a strategy to look to the future, build new technologies, new industries that will employ hundreds of thousands of people, and invest and give America its energy independence.

Second, it does not cost the American taxpayer. This is a paid-for piece of legislation by closing offshore deferrals where a lot of people hide their income in offshore deferrals. In fact, Congressman McCrery and Senator Grassley both acknowledge it is a decent way to pay for something. Whether they agree for this, they do agree it's a legitimate pay-for.

Third, there's a lot of talk about middle class and the suffering in the middle class. This legislation provides property tax relief for middle class families.

Remember that this is the first step toward energy independence and making sure that we build on the progress we have made, such as CAFE standards for cars.

Will my colleague yield?

We can have a legitimate debate about Alaska. We have had 20 years of it. What I am suggesting, and you would agree that Alaska is 10 years down the road.

Alaska is not today. There are 9,300 permits that have been issued today for onshore drilling not being exercised by the oil companies.

Would the gentleman yield?

Will you yield for a second?

Just one second.

About a week ago, this Congress passed the most comprehensive update of the GI Bill of Rights for both Active Duty, Guard and Reserve soldiers. We follow up that legislation with what we are doing today to also update our laws as relates to active duty soldiers and their families.

The fact is, as my colleague from the Philadelphia area said, this war is different. We have noted the difference. We need to adjust our policy and our legislation and our laws to the fact that this war has gone on longer than anybody predicted, cost more in lives, treasure, and reputation than any war in America's past.

So today we take another small step to change our laws to reflect this different kind of war to make sure those soldiers and their families are represented in the laws we pass today. Now many will talk about some of the benefits, and they should. I want to talk about one particular provision that I put in here with my colleague from Indiana, who you will hear from later, Congressman Ellsworth, about how we pay for this, because it doesn't add one penny to the deficit.

It closes down a tax loophole used by KBR, a company, that it set up offshore in the Cayman Islands a subsidiary, and it never paid Social Security taxes, Medicare taxes, unemployment insurance taxes to 10,000 workers. Never paid any of those taxes on any of those employees. This legislation shuts that down.

Those employees were over there. And what happened? This company gave contaminated water to our soldiers, who ended up, many of them, in the hospital getting health care by the basic facilities we have over in Iraq. Our soldiers got contaminated water, our taxpayers got ripped off because they had to cover for another company what they didn't pay in their fair share, and a company was set up offshore to do all of that.

It's ironic that it took 4 years to close this offshore loophole. But we are shutting it down and paying for all these other benefits to ensure that this company and other companies like it who set up in the Cayman Islands do not go around the law of the United States to come in under budget, knowing the fact they never paid their fair share of taxes.

It's a small step. It also is an indication we need to start changing the law because there is over 12,000 companies in the Cayman Islands alone set up over there, avoiding their fair share of taxes while the American taxpayers have to pay their portion.

So I am pleased that we are doing this, giving the benefits to the GIs and their families, but, most importantly, closing down an egregious loophole to do that.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to join with the people of Portage Park and all of Chicago in congratulating Washington D. Smyser Accelerated School on their 75th Anniversary. This milestone will be marked by a 75th Anniversary Gala at Biagio's Banquets in Chicago, Illinois.

During the past 75 years, Smyser Accelerated School has educated thousands of children and has been an anchor for generations of families in the Portage Park community. The Smyser School mission to provide high quality educational services to all children within the Portage Park community has been evident through their role in the community as well as through recognition by the Illinois State Board of Education.

Smyser School has also been selected as one of 508 ``Spotlight Schools'' in Illinois. Spotlight Schools have a high poverty rate, yet maintain a high academic performance. The Spotlight Schools recognize low-income students and schools that overcome limited resources to show impressive academic performance.

The Smyser School philosophy is that all children are entitled to an outstanding education rich in opportunities and rewarding experiences. They are committed to providing all children with a love of learning and pride in Smyser School as well as their community. They provide their students with opportunities for academic, athletic, and artistic growth while instilling values that will serve its students throughout their lives. These activities and experiences teach students the importance of academic achievement.

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the Smyser School's faculty and staff for the contributions they have made to their community.

They are shaping today's youth and tomorrow's future. As their representative in Congress, I am proud to congratulate Smyser School's alumni, students, teachers, and staff on its achievements over the last 75 years, and I wish them the best of luck and continued growth in the future.

Madam Speaker, I was absent from the Chamber for rollcall vote 320 on May 14, 2008. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues from Wisconsin and from Pennsylvania.

This is about our eighth war funding supplemental, emergency spending for the war. But what's intriguing about this one is that, in every other war supplemental, we've asked the American taxpayers to give the Iraqis approximately $50 billion to rebuild their country, schools, hospitals, roads, electricity, all so Iraq can rebuild after the war. And this is the first supplemental that we've asked to rebuild America. These kids lives, approximately the same amount of money.

Over the last eight funding bills for the war, we've dedicated approximately $50 billion of American money to rebuild Iraq's schools and roads. We're asking approximately a little over $50 billion to help these kids, our GIs, to rebuild their lives, to get the education that they've earned, to start on a new life for them and their family, whether they be Guard, Reserve or active duty.

So there has been no conscience, no problem when it came to Iraq's roads. They got the money. There was no problem when it came to Iraqi schools and hospitals. We said that was our moral obligation, to help Iraq get back on their feet.

What moral obligation do we have to our own GIs to get back on their feet?

Where is the decency to these kids who we've sent, not once, not twice, some of them three times who signed up to be Guard or Reserve and then we've implemented a stop-loss program that totally changed the contracts?

We have an obligation to these children to restart their lives.

At the height of 1949, the original GI Bill of Rights for World War II was 1 percent of our GDP. This is far less. And look how well that paid off for this country. Everybody knows somebody who went to school on that GI Bill. We are doing right by those kids who are doing right by us.

You have compared this war with the equivalent of what we've done in World War II. Well, let's make it the equivalent by giving these kids a GI Bill. They've earned it every day doing something that not one of us have done in this context.

And yes, we've asked those who are the most well-off in this country, people we all know, to pay a little so these kids can go to college and pursue their dream that they made possible for us because of their sacrifice. And I know a lot of those people, and they're willing to pay a little more to make sure that these kids have an opportunity for the American Dream.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 322, recognizing the 60th anniversary of the founding of the modern State of Israel. Yom Ha'Atzmaut, Israel's Independence Day, marks a day when Theodor Herzl's prophetic words became reality: ``If you will it, it is no dream.''

Since its founding on May 14, 1948, the modern State of Israel has established itself as a dynamic and democratic nation with a thriving economy, a pluralistic political system, and a vibrant cultural and intellectual center. The Israeli people have contributed greatly as scholars, innovators, educators, and more, and I am pleased to have this opportunity to recognize their accomplishments as well as those of Israel.

Israel has been a vital ally of the United States since the beginning of its existence, sharing democratic values, friendship, and respect and enjoying a strategic partnership. America and Israel shall remain close friends for years to come, particularly as Israel continues to seek peace with her neighbors. H. Con. Res. 322 reaffirms these bonds of friendship and cooperation and expresses a commitment to strengthen these bonds.

On the Jewish calendar, Israel's Independence Day falls on the 5th of Iyar, corresponding this year with May 8, 2008. This day is a joyous time to reflect with pride on the work of the men and women who knew that one day the dream of the State of Israel would become a reality.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to be a cosponsor of H. Con. Res. 322 and wish to extend warm congratulations and best wishes to the people of Israel as they celebrate this 60th year of Israel's independence. I wish them peace and prosperity in the years to come, kein yehi ratzon.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Maestro Riccardo Muti on being named the next music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO). Maestro Muti will become the 10th music director to take the baton in that capacity for the CSO.

Maestro Muti will succeed Daniel Barenboim, who held the position of music director at the CSO for fifteen years when he left in 2006.

I am proud that Chicago will have a world-class maestro to follow in the footsteps of legends like Sir Georg Solti as music director.

Maestro Muti's background is impressive and commands immense respect in the musical community. He has conducted many important orchestras around the world, including the New York Philharmonic, the Orchestre National de France, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Philharmonic, and more.

Maestro Muti already has some familiarity with our City's outstanding orchestra, having conducted the CSO at Ravinia in 1973 and returning to Symphony Center in 1975 as well as three decades later in 2007. When he begins his tenure as music director in 2010, I know that he and the CSO will continue to excel in the years to come.

Madam Speaker, I congratulate Riccardo Muti in his new position as music director at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and wish him the best of luck as Chicago's new maestro.

Mr. Speaker, a number of folks have mentioned on the other side, brought up stories about talking about the Speaker and what Democrats claim.

In 2005, when the Republican Congress passed the President's energy bill, let me tell you what some folks said. The minority leader at that time says, ``This will lower energy prices for consumers.'' The minority whip, Mr. Blunt, said, ``Vote for lower gas prices and increase energy independence for America.'' This is what was offered and was sold when you did your energy bill. That's what you claimed.

My colleague from Illinois, Congressman Shimkus, says, ``I do believe that it will help us become more independent of foreign oil, will expand our use of renewable fuels, and will make our electricity production and transmission more reliable. All of which will help slow price increases.''

That hasn't been accomplished by any stretch of the imagination. When you passed it at that point, gasoline was at $59 a barrel. Today, as you know, it's 124 bucks a barrel. So it hasn't accomplished any of that goal. This is all what you claimed in your marketing at that point when you had an energy bill on the floor in 2005 because you only had one strategy. You didn't want to do anything about conservation. You didn't want to do anything about renewable energy sources and investment in future technologies. And you didn't want to do anything, as my colleague from West Virginia told you, that there were over 9,800 permits out there, force American companies to start drilling in those permits rather than holding those permits here in the United States where we have some of the energy. There's plenty of that to go around.

What we've done is put a budget together that breaks with the past. It offers a change in the sense it puts our budget in balance. It invests in education over what the President does. It invests in energy technologies for the future, and also, it ensures that the middle class gets a tax cut. This is a budget that's not only in balance but is in balance with our values and our priorities here.

Now, you all have come up with a unique slogan, change you deserve. That's what you've marketed. All you've offered is more of the same, more of the same of $3 trillion of debt, the largest increase in debt in the shortest period of time in American history. That's the change America deserves?

You've offered 10 million children without health care to go walking. Is that change you can deserve?

You've offered an energy policy that has continued to rely on just drilling without looking at conservation, without looking at future technology. Is that change you can deserve?

The American people deserve better, and they're offered here in a budget that is in balance with our priorities, balance with our economic goals. We put resources towards our education,

towards energy technology and towards, in fact, making sure the middle class get a tax cut.

In 2005, when you controlled the House, the Senate and the White House, you put together an energy bill that led America to where it is today. I think the American people deserve a change.

Mr. Speaker, picking up on what my colleague from Connecticut said, which is nobody says this is a panacea, but all experience shows, both the Harvard study and the Department of Energy study, shows that about 20 percent, which would be about $25 a barrel drop in price, would occur because of this.

There is plenty of blame to go around. Nobody is suggesting this is going to resolve the energy crisis. It is a short-term alleviation of high prices that would, in fact, allow us to take the steps that we have not taken for 20 years.

And also in the last 5 or 6 years, when the Vice President derided conservation, you acknowledged on the floor the importance of conservation. It was dismissed as part of our arsenal in our energy policy. When those of us who talked about investing in new alternative energy, wind, solar, thermal, it was also dismissed, and continues to not only be dismissed, but vetoed. That, too, is unilateral disarmament by the United States.

So you are right. There is plenty of blame to go around. But there are plenty of solutions to also be picked up. Conservation was denied as a national policy. And we have paid the price as a country. Alternative energy was denied and denied for years and issued veto threats by the President of the United States. And we pay the price because of that policy.

This is a short-term solution, $25, which means a lot to Americans, a barrel, but it gives us the breathing space to do what we need to do and take care of America's energy independence.

Now no one is going to claim that in 2005 when you all did pass your energy bill, let me quote your minority leader, ``the Energy Policy Act of 2005 is a balanced, bipartisan bill that will lower energy prices to consumers and spur our economy.'' Nobody is claiming that. This gives a short-term alleviation to allow us to tackle a problem that has been festering for 25 years and denying what all of us should have done in Washington, invest in long-term, alternative energy and technologies that will give America its leg of independence, as well as adopt an energy policy of conservation, it would also save.

That is the strategy we are talking about. This is the right thing to do. It has been proven that when we have instrumented this tool, that is to stop purchasing from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, that in fact there will be immediate reduction in the prices at the pump and also a barrel of energy. That is the right thing to do.

But let there be no mistake. In every step of the way for the last 6 years, the President of the United States has either issued veto threats or leaned on

only one side of the policy, and that policy was dig, dig, dig. In fact, there are 9,300 licenses to drill here in the United States that the energy companies are not using.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Jewish American Heritage Month.

In 2006, Congress unanimously passed H. Con. Res. 315, a resolution urging the President to issue a proclamation for the observance of an American Jewish History Month. I was an original co-sponsor of that important legislation, and following our action, President Bush proclaimed May as Jewish American Heritage Month as a means of celebrating the Jewish community's history in America in addition to their contributions to American culture. On April 29, 2008, President Bush reaffirmed his commitment of celebrating Jewish American heritage by making May 2008 Jewish American Heritage Month.

Since 1654, the American Jews have contributed to American life and society in all walks of life. The achievements of American Jews span all fields including medicine, law, entertainment, public service, technology, and literature. I take this time to celebrate those who have served our nation and propelled it successfully into the 21st century.

Throughout more than 350 years, American Jewish culture has become intertwined with American culture. The Jewish faith and spirit in combination with Jewish history and culture serve as an integral part of what this nation is today.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to commemorate Jewish American Heritage Month and hope that my colleagues will join me in celebrating the American Jewish community and its commitment to enriching American society and culture.