Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, yesterday Press Secretary Scott McClellan said, ``We are moving on to the priorities of the American people. That is our focus.''

Well, Scott, here are the headlines my constituents care about:

``Ex-CIA Official Says Iraq Data Was Distorted; White House Knew of Levee Failure; Brown Faults White House and Agency for Poor Response; Doctors, Pharmacists Say Medicare Benefit Limits Drugs For Seniors; Government Will Forgo $7 Billion in Oil, Gas Royalties; Bush Budget Would Kill Popular Health Projects; Government Was Underpaid $345 Billion; American Bar Association Says Bush Exceeded Constitutional Powers in Surveillance Program; Washington Lobbyists Spent $1.6 Billion in First Half of 2005 Lobbying Congress; Photograph Shows Abramoff with Bush in May 2001; Iran Restarts Uranium Program.''

Scott, if you are listening, the American people are ready and waiting. As they say in the news industry, good night and good luck.

Mr. Speaker, the special interests may have gained access to the Capitol, but the American people are paying for it.

My colleague from Oregon talked about the prescription drug bill. It is a classic example when you see what happens to seniors across all of our districts who are not more than confused but have to fill out more than 30 pages of forms to get a single drug, where the drug companies or HMOs or insurance companies that are providing the plan can switch drugs like that at any moment, but they cannot switch out.

The basic tenet of business is to take care of the customer first. If this was designed with the customer in mind, it really does come as a surprise.

But I will tell you what is happening in the industry of healthcare specifically as we talk about the pharmaceutical industry and the prescription drug bill is happening in the energy area. The energy industry last year spent $87 million to lobby the United States Congress. Now what did they get for that $87 million? They got $14.5 billion in taxpayer support to drill for oil. We are paying ExxonMobil, Texaco $14.5 billion to drill for oil when energy is at a little over 60 bucks a barrel. For their $87 million of investment, they got taxpayers to fork over $14.5 billion. And we pay at the pump nearly 3 bucks a gallon, the highest price in a long time, and yet we also pay on April 15 with tax breaks for big oil, Texaco, ExxonMobil, Chevron, and all the other big oil companies, BP Amoco.

They also got a waiver in the lost revenue from royalties, that they are supposed to pay about $7 billion in royalties for drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. We also support them with another $2 billion for deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. So $87 million has gotten big oil companies $14.5 billion in taxpayer support, passed on $7 billion in royalties that they own, and another $2 billion on top of that for deepwater drilling, a little north of $20 billion. You cannot get a return on your investment like that even on Wall Street, but that is just one area where the American people are paying for the type of access that the special interests have.

There is a for sale sign here on the People's House, and for the last 5 years that for sale sign has allowed any special interest access and the American people are paying for it. When the Speaker's gavel comes down, it is intended to open the People's House, not the auction house; and for the last 5 years it has been nothing but an auction house here.

My colleague talked about the prescription drug companies. They are going to get, over the next 8 years, an additional $139 billion in profits that they would not get, a 25 percent, 28 percent increase in their profit margin. They spent about $173 million lobbying the United States Congress. They got $139 billion in additional profits. The HMOs and the private insurers got an additional $130 million they would not have seen any other way if it was not for the prescription drug bill.

And what did our seniors get? Plans in which none of them can figure it out, total confusion, drugs that are being dropped, some drugs that are skyrocketing. When they used to pay 4 and 5 bucks, they are now $150, and other drugs have dropped. Absolute confusion and plans that are locked in for 1 year.

All the while, what else do they get? We cannot negotiate prices just like Sam's Club does when they do bulk purchasing. We cannot allow our seniors access to Canadian and British drugs and drugs from Ireland and France and Germany so they can get competition from free trade and choice, and we cannot allow generics on the market quicker so that they can compete with name brand drugs. In every step of the way, that prescription drug bill avoided and outlawed the very principles of a free market, all in favor of creating a captive market for the prescription drug companies; and, once again, the taxpayers and the seniors are supporting and literally backstopping the prescription drug companies and HMOs and insurance companies. We taxpayers are paying for it.

As my colleague said, the bill was sold here on the floor for $394 billion. Before the ink was dry, it was reported to cost $790 billion, twice the actual cost. There are some in government that knew that was what it was going to cost. So all of the taxpayers now are going to have to pay $800 billion over 10 years; and the pharmaceutical companies, HMO companies, and private insurance companies are going to walk off with huge profits.

And all the while what has happened to the American people? Energy is up, in the last 2 years, 78 percent. Gasoline. Health care costs are up 58 percent. On average for a family of four, $3,600 over the last 5 years. College costs are up 38 percent; yet we may end up cutting college aid.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to note that we have a for sale sign on the front of the lawn here at the people's Capitol, and this November this election should be to return that gavel to its rightful owner, the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the achievements of the Korea Town area of Chicago's 5th Congressional District.

Chicago is home to many culturally and ethnically based communities, and Korea Town is one of the most thriving and influential areas in our city. Anchored on Lawrence Avenue, local businesses both serve and showcase the Korean community and its heritage. The residents of this neighborhood have played a large role in its recent revitalization, boosting civic pride as the neighborhood has flourished.

Korea Town is home to many Korean restaurants, merchants, and bars popular among both residents of and visitors to Chicago. The area also serves as the hub for Chicago's communication among the Korean-American community, as it boasts Korean television and radio stations, newspaper and magazine headquarters, and other businesses that cater to the growing number of Koreans and Korean-Americans in Chicago.

Recently, the Illinois Department of Transportation put up a designation marker on Chicago's John F. Kennedy Expressway to show the way to Korea Town. This sign will lead visitors to a symbol of over 40 years of hard work of the Korean American community, as well as the many successes of immigrant communities in Chicago and across the country.

Korea Town is one of the neighborhoods that make Chicago great, boasting some of the city's wonderful opportunities for dining, shopping and family-friendly recreation. Last year, both the Chicago City Council and the Illinois General Assembly passed resolutions honoring the cultural heritage of Korea Town and the contributions of Chicago's Korean community, and I am proud to represent Korea Town and many Korean-Americans in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in recognition of the rich cultural heritage of Chicago's Korea Town, and honor the many contributions of Chicago's Korean-American community.

Mr. Speaker, the real estate bubble may be bursting in some markets around America, but here in Washington, D.C., real estate is still a great investment.

You may have missed the listing, but it appears that the U.S. Capitol, the People's House, was bought with a down payment of a mere $1.6 billion, $1.16 billion from lobbyists here in town. Or at least that is what the special interests spent on lobbying the Republican Congress in the first 6 months of 2005.

And what exactly does about $1 billion from lobbyists get you these days in a home like the People's House?

If you are an oil and gas company, you have done $87 million in lobbying expenses. What does it buy you? $14.5 billion in subsidies from taxpayers. $14.5 billion from taxpayers in subsidies so you can just do your business plan. They spent $87 million and got a $14.5 billion gift from the taxpayers.

$87 million will also allow to you pump about $65 billion worth of oil and gas from the Gulf of Mexico, and you do not pay a single royalty, costing the taxpayers $7 billion. That is $7 billion that could pay for child support collections, $7 billion that could pay for college education, $7 billion that can create new broadband expansion, everything that we would be doing. $7 billion could pay down the deficit.

No, taxpayers have been asked to forgo all the royalty that is owed to them, and the oil and gas companies walked away with it, $14.5 billion in taxpayers subsidies. All the while, while energy is about little north of 60 bucks a barrel. That is right, 60 bucks a barrel. We are subsidizing big oil and big energy companies who also have made record profits.

Now, I think that is great. I think Exxon Mobil should make all the money they want to make. But why are subsidizing them when they are making record profits to do nothing but their business plan? I don't know of another family that has their family budget subsidized by the rest of the taxpayers to this level. $87 million investment and contributions got them $14.5 billion in taxpayer subsidies and basically a pass on $7 billion they owe the taxpayers for having drilled in the Gulf of Mexico.

But that is not just alone in the energy sector. Let us talk a look at the health care sector. They have given about $173 million in contributions, lobbying activities, all types of expenses. Drug manufacturers saw an extra $139 billion in profits over the next 8 years from the prescription drug bill. HMOs, $130 billion in additional profits through Medicare overpayments. There is actually a section in the prescription drug bill called the HMO slush fund for $10 billion. Where else can you get an investment like that? You cannot get an investment that gives you 100 percent return on your money on Wall Street.

My grandmother used to say, with a deal like this, where you basically give $173 million and you get $132 billion profit, such a deal is what my grandmother used to say. Nowhere except in Washington, D.C., in a Republican Congress can you give $87 million and get $14 billion in return. Give $173 million and get $132 billion in return. That is close to a hundred percent return on your money.

So what do the American people get out of this blue-light special and how do we get out of this? We have created a structural deficit to the system and a system that works against the American people and the taxpayers, whether you are a senior citizen who is struggling with this prescription drug bill which is total chaos but has guaranteed and locked in profits for HMOs and pharmaceutical companies, or whether you are a consumer going to pump paying close to three bucks a gallon, and yet we are also paying on April 15 subsidizing the big companies. Yes, there are 30 different insurance forms for a senior citizen to try to figure out which drug they can get matched with.

Now do you think the oil and gas companies fill out 30 different forms for oil and gas leasing or for their $14.5 billion in taxpayer subsidies? No, they do not. Now there are over 100 questions for a kid who is just trying to apply for a student loan for about $2,000, yet we do not force oil and gas companies, pharmaceutical companies, HMO companies to fill out forms like that when it comes to the subsidies we are providing these companies.

It is time to end corporate welfare as we know it. The People's House and the Speaker's gavel when it comes down it is intended to open up the People's House, not the auction house. In the last 5 years, this place has looked like an auction house, whether it is oil and gas companies, whether it is HMO companies, whether it is pharmaceutical companies. In fact, last year, we had a corporate tax bill on the floor. It was supposed to solve a $5 billion problem. By the time the Republican Congress was done with it, $150 billion it cost the taxpayers. Time and again, we are paying for the types of wheeling and dealing and what goes as business as usual.

If you go out to the north side of the lawn here at the People's House you will see the for sale sign, and the lobbyists have paid a little over a billion dollars and gotten everything money can buy. So it is time in this election that we turn the People's House back and that gavel back to its rightful owner, the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the memory of the four chaplains who gave their lives in service of our nation while serving on the U.S.S. Dorchester during the Second World War. The Dorchester, known as the `Grey Ghost' by U-boat crews, carried nearly 1 million U.S. troops to Europe during her tenure, which came to a tragic end 63 years ago today.

At 12:55 a.m. February 3, 1943, a German U-boat launched a torpedo that struck the Dorchester, killing many of the 902 aboard instantly, injuring hundreds of others, and creating chaos as the ship took on water.

Captain Hans J. Danielsen gave the order to abandon ship. As men struggled amid the turmoil to board life boats, the ship's four chaplains, Lt. George L. Fox, Methodist; Lt. Alexander D. Goode, Jewish; Lt. John P. Washington, Roman Catholic; and Lt. Clark V. Poling, Dutch Reformed, offered solace and counseled courage.

As the supply of life vests dwindled, each chaplain removed his own life vest and handed it to a soldier. ``It was the finest thing I have seen or hope to see this side of heaven,'' said John Ladd, one of the 230 survivors.

Survivors recount their last glimpse of the U.S.S. Dorchester in the icy waters off the Newfoundland coast: The four chaplains linked arms in prayer and went down with the ship. We mark their heroism today, February 3, as ``Four Chaplains Day.''

I want to thank Commander of the Combined Veterans Association of Illinois Victor Cibelli and event chairman John Bigwood for arranging a tribute to the four chaplains at the Northwest Suburban Jewish Congregation in Morton Grove, Illinois.

Mr. Speaker, this tribute provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the spiritual strength, patriotism, and dedication to their fellow sailors exhibited by these four chaplains as they made ultimate sacrifice. I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring the memory of the four chaplains of the U.S.S. Dorchester.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my deepest condolences to the people of Poland in their time of national mourning following the building collapse disaster in Katowice on Saturday, January 28, 2006.

I sympathize with those families who have lost loved ones as a result of this catastrophe and join the world in prayer for a swift recovery for those who were injured.

I would also like to offer my appreciation to the brave men and women who selflessly rushed in to the building to conduct the search and rescue operations in freezing temperatures and saved so many lives.

Mr. Speaker, I join with the residents of the 5th district indeed all of Chicago in offering our thoughts and prayers to the Polish people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Coretta Scott King, and I offer my condolences to her family after she passed away in her sleep early this morning. She was a remarkable human rights advocate who was a living symbol of the struggles and successes of the civil rights movement.

Mrs. King was best known as the loving wife and widow of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. She provided invaluable support to the man who became the Nation's leading civil rights advocate and an international icon. She stood by him as he was harrassed, intimidated and eventually assassinated for fighting for equality.

Her grace and dignity after her husband's death showed the country that she was more

than just a strong wife. Alone with four children, she did not retreat but instead insisted on continuing the mission that her late husband had started. She continued the march in Memphis before his funeral. As time progressed, she spearheaded the effort to create a federal holiday to honor her husband. Her strong insistence on furthering Dr. King's ideals led to the creation of the holiday in 1983.

Mrs. King quickly became an internationally known figure who embodied the spirit of non-violent resistance and human rights advocacy. Her work was not limited solely to civil rights; She worked tirelessly for other noble causes, becoming a leader in the women's liberation movement and vocally opposing apartheid in South Africa.

Mrs. King's life is an inspiration to millions of people worldwide who struggle to overcome human rights issues. She overcame her own personal tragedy to keep her family together and further the causes of the civil rights movement.

Mr. Speaker, Coretta Scott King has been a role model for those seeking to overcome tragedy and discrimination with grace and determination. I rise today to honor her life and her legacy.

Mr. Speaker, last night the President said that in order to keep America competitive, we need to invest in America. So what is the first thing the Republican Congress does? It cuts $12.5 billion from college assistance for kids who are trying to go to college. It is a fascinating way to invest in America's competitiveness and the future. I wonder why nobody else has thought of that.

This is the Republican Congress where the rhetoric of the President last night meets the Republican reality. We kept $14.5 billion in subsidies to big oil and big gas companies, $22 billion in subsidies to the HMO slush fund, and $49 billion for the pharmaceutical industry, all the while we cut $12.5 billion from children trying to go to college, $8 billion from child support collection, and $16 billion from Medicaid.

We increased copayments and premiums leaving thousands of children without children's health care; but we kept in place the subsidies to big oil, big energy companies and big health care interests. What has happened in America?

We have seen a 38 percent increase in college costs in the last 5 years under the Republican watch, and you guys cut $12.7 billion from kids going to college in assistance. We have seen a 78 percent increase in the cost of energy; yet you subsidize Big Oil with $14 billion in taxpayer subsidies. We have seen a 58 percent increase in health care premiums, $3,600 to the average family in America. So what do you do? You cut 6 million children from health care and give the HMOs a $22 billion additional hit for their slush fund and give pharmaceutical companies everything they need.

This budget maintains the status quo. It says of the last 6 years, if you like the economy you have, if you like the investments you have, we will give you two more years to sign on for that.

It is time for a change. It is time for a new direction. It is time to put the American people first by investing in their education, their health care, and child support collection. It is not just the poor that are being affected. This budget and these cuts affect the middle class.

As my colleague from Alabama said, we have heard the word toughness, but we have not heard the word fairness from you. It is not every American in the boat. This is a narrow budget that divides America, rather than unites America.

While Americans are struggling with wages and incomes that have been stagnant for 5 years, with rising health care costs, rising college costs, and rising energy costs, you guys cut children on college assistance, nutrition, health care, and child support. When it comes to women and children, you give a whole new meaning to women and children first. It is time to put the American people first and to set new priorities and change the direction.

Mr. Speaker, I was not present in the Chamber on Thursday, December 15, to cast my votes on rollcalls 636 through 641. Had I been present I would have voted in the following ways: Rollcall 636--Nay; Rollcall 637--Yea; Rollcall 638--Yea; Rollcall 639--Yea; Rollcall 640--Nay; and Rollcall 641--Yea.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Sherman Dickholtz, a World War II hero, beloved husband and father, and valued member of the Illinois legal community. Mr. Dickholtz passed away on Saturday, December 3, 2005 at the age of 80.

As a member of the 17th Airbone Division, Sgt. Dickholtz distinguished himself as an infantryman, paratrooper and parachute rigger. He participated in campaigns in France and Germany including Operation Varsity, the last full-scale airborne drop of the World War II. On March 24, 1945, he and the other members of the 17th parachuted behind enemy lines east of the Rhine River, and capture key points in order to assist the advance of ground troops. Sgt. Dickholtz was awarded the Bronze Star for gallantry and meritorious service.

Upon his discharge from military service, Mr. Dickholtz went on to graduate from John Marshall Law School, working his way through school by driving a taxi for the Vets Cab Company. At that time, veterans were not able to obtain taxi medallions, and Mr. Dickholtz participated in a protest ``cabalcade'' of taxis from Chicago to Washington, DC to protest. Mr. Dickholtz gained national recognition for his participation when his picture was published in newspapers across the country.

Mr. Dickholtz had a successful career as an attorney, and in October of 2005 was conferred the title of Senior Counselor by the Illinois Bar Association. He was also a member of and proctor for the American MENSA Society.

Mr. Dickholtz's wife Darlene was not only legal secretary and office manager for her husband, but also his best friend. Together they raised seven children in a very busy and loving home.

Mr. Dickholtz was the proud grandfather of 10 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. His family has continued his legacy of service and success in both the public and private sectors. Mr. Dickholtz will be dearly missed by his family and community. I am privileged to pay tribute to this great American.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation is a missed opportunity.

As my colleague from Maryland just noted, I have sponsored legislation on the automatic enrollment and 401(k) plans, direct deposit of tax savings into a savings plan, and the savers credit for people with moderate income, to start saving. Why? Because basically almost 80 percent of small business employees have no retirement plan outside of Social Security. For approximately 38 percent of the households in America, the only savings plan they have is Social Security.

By doing what is right, by helping people start up their personal savings through 401(k)s and other types of personal savings, we would actually encourage people to save for their retirement. So this legislation on the defined contribution level takes the right step. And it is so unfortunate because we can get an overwhelming vote for those provisions to help Americans save outside of Social Security. And I am glad we took this year to stop the privatization of Social Security. But in doing that, they have added the provisions on the defined benefit plans. On a stand-alone, none of that would pass. So what they are trying to do is get the goods through Customs using the defined contributions to get through what I think are some very dangerous provisions as it relates to the defined benefit plans for millions of workers who have basically negotiated a deal with their employers. Because what does this legislation do?

It makes a bad situation worse.

The PBGC and the Congressional Budget Office have estimated that in fact $9 billion in defaulted plans would be left on the taxpayers. We started 3 years ago with the PBGC, which guarantees all retirement plans in this country, with a surplus. Today, we are running a deficit, and this legislation would make that situation worse. As the old saying goes, when you are in a hole stop digging. This legislation would dig even faster.

Companies, and we know them all, we have seen the stories, are using our bankruptcy laws to literally dump their pension systems, and it is a backdoor to walk out of their obligation. This legislation does nothing to stop companies from dumping their plans, and it does not ensure fairness between workers and executives. So while there are good provisions that relate to the defined contributions, it makes the defined benefit plans much worse.

Mr. Speaker, here is a recap of the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit headlines and highlights: $400 billion cost increases to $800 billion, and not one drug was dispensed.

The program failed to lower the cost of prescription drugs. In fact, drug prices continue to outprice inflation.

The Web site explaining the program did not work and had the wrong information.

When the government sent out the wrong information on the program, they sent seniors the wrong information.

Just this morning, the New York Times reported on delays in processing applications for the new drug benefit. Because of these delays, seniors may not be getting the identification cards they need in time for the January 1st start date, meaning they might not be able to get their prescription drugs.

It is no wonder that President Bush called the benefit program perplexing. But what do you expect? This is the same crowd that mangled the response to Hurricane Katrina and bungled the early stages of the war in Iraq by sending too few troops without proper equipment. It seems the Republican Congress, with this President unchecked, could mess up a one-car parade. Mr. Speaker, it is time for a change and a new set of priorities.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 535, a resolution honoring the memory of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin on the tenth anniversary of his assassination.

Prime Minister Rabin served the people of Israel for two terms as Prime Minister, as well as previous roles as Ambassador to the United States, Minister of Defense and Member of the Knesset. Among his many accomplishments, it is his role as a visionary peacemaker which has ensured him a place of honor in history.

Mr. Rabin began his career during Israel's War for Independence as a member of the Jewish Defense Forces. For the next 19 years, he held various positions in the Israeli Defense Forces, ending his tenure there as chief of staff. In this role, he was able to strengthen Israel's ties with the United States, fostering the special relationship which continues to benefit these two nations.

Mr. Rabin also had a distinguished five-year tenure as Israeli ambassador to the United States. At the height of the Cold War, he encouraged Israel to stand strongly on the side of the United States. The relationship between the two countries blossomed in this period as

Israel established itself as a trustworthy ally in the Middle East.

During his tenure as Prime Minister, Mr. Rabin made remarkable progress in the Middle East peace movement. Teaming with former rival Shimon Peres, Mr. Rabin entered peace negotiations with then-Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat in 1993 in Oslo, Norway. Prime Minister Rabin, Mr. Peres and Mr. Arafat all received the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts.

As a member of the Clinton Administration, I had the pleasure of witnessing the signing of these historical accords on the White House lawn. Meeting Prime Minister Rabin was an honor I will never forget, and his example continues to inspire me to this day.

Prime Minister Rabin was revered by the Israeli citizens for his unwavering commitment to the peace process. Tragically, the life of this man of peace was cut short by an extremist gunman on November 4, 1995. I would like to express my condolences to the family of Prime Minister Rabin on the tenth anniversary of his death.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for introducing this important resolution, and I urge my colleages to honor the memory of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize one of Chicago's treasures, Mrs. Irene Alexander.

Today Mrs. Alexander will perform a concert of Chopin and Gershwin pieces for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Following that, she will visit Walter Reed Hospital to perform for wounded soldiers. Her final performance of the day will be for Navy veterans at a concert in Bethesda, Maryland. While this schedule would be too much strain for most, it is the norm for Mrs. Alexander, who is 85 years old.

When she is back home in Chicago, Mrs. Alexander shares her musical gifts at nursing homes throughout the city, performing approximately 150 concerts each year. An accomplished pianist, she has played at Chicago's Orchestra Hall and at venues in Israel and China.

Mrs. Alexander has overcome several personal hardships in order to serve others. As a child, she overcame polio, and as an adult she battled breast cancer. For the past 15 years, she has suffered from macro-degeneration of the eyes, and is legally blind today. Through it all she has continued to perform and serve as a source of inspiration for many.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand in recognition of Chicago's most generous and talented citizens, Mrs. Irene Alexander.

Mr. Speaker, right now it is 25 degrees near Washington, DC. It is 22 degrees in my home in Chicago. It is 3 degrees in Denver and a chilly 19 degrees in Dallas. As the song goes, ``Baby, it's cold outside.''

But for millions of Americans this cold snap is just the beginning of a long cold winter. Why? Because while the mercury drops outside, inside home heating bills are getting a little too hot to handle. In fact, on Tuesday the Energy Department reported that the average homeowner's home heating bill will increase by nearly 26 percent, the largest increase in 5 years. Those who heat their homes with natural gas, nearly half of all Americans, can expect their home heating bills to increase by 38 percent; but taxpayers and seniors cannot expect any help from this Congress.

In fact, the Republican Congress is cutting, cutting home heating assistance to our elderly; and the energy bill we passed this summer will do nothing to lower the cost of energy or gas at the pump, in fact, despite having handed out $14.5 billion to the energy companies in taxpayer subsidies.

Mr. Speaker, these are the wrong priorities. You cannot hand out money to energy companies while cutting assistance to seniors. It is time to return the people's House to the American people. It is time for a change.