Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, the first Vioxx lawsuit to reach trial is currently being played out in Texas. The case focuses on the needless death of Robert Ernst, a produce manager at Wal-Mart who also ran marathons and worked as a personal trainer. He took Vioxx for 8 months before he died of an irregular heartbeat.

As the New York Times reports today, it turns out that Merck and other pharmaceutical companies may have knowingly misrepresented the dangers of its drug, Vioxx, to doctors and patients and the public as a whole. Yet, while this trial is going on, this Congress is planning on protecting the pharmaceutical industry from such lawsuits.

On the right side of the screen, a family is fighting an injustice. On the left side of the screen, this Congress is mounting a rear-guard action to protect the pharmaceutical industry. If next week we plan on bringing up the medical malpractice legislation and have a blatantly beneficial provision for the pharmaceutical industry and only the pharmaceutical industry, I will introduce the Vioxx amendment to strip the bill of this provision.

Mr. Chairman, I join my colleague from Michigan and echo a couple of points that he made in opposition to the Rogers amendment.

This is nothing but a backdoor attempt to permit oil drilling in the Great Lakes. We have all cited the statistic that 20 percent of the world's fresh water comes from the Great Lakes, that in fact 30 million Americans get their daily drinking water from the Great Lakes. If we were to have eight separate policies, the impact just to Lake Michigan, if Michigan decided to start drilling in the Great Lakes and have an accident, it would affect Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois and all of the individuals of the States who get their fresh drinking water from that area.

This is a backdoor attempt to do what has been tried before. We tried in past legislation to deal with banning an official because the moratorium is up on oil drilling in the Great Lakes. This is a backdoor attempt to allow oil drilling in the Great Lakes and endanger what has been a bipartisan consensus when it came to the Great Lakes. We should not concede Federal responsibility and role in maintaining a standard for the Great Lakes and for the 20 million Americans who get their daily drinking water from the Great Lakes.

I commend the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Stupak) for his opposition to this amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take my time out of order.

Mr. Speaker, my Republican colleagues have recently unveiled a new plan to carve out private accounts from the surplus of the Social Security trust fund. This is the same trust fund that President Bush said was nonexistent just a few months ago. The President traveled with great fanfare to West Virginia where he said, There is no Social Security trust fund, just a bunch of IOUs stacked in an old filing cabinet.

Let me tell the Members something. That old filing cabinet was a new filing cabinet before it got $639 billion taken out of it; and before the year is up, it will be $800 billion that was taken out of the Social Security surplus used for anything but Social Security. That is the problem.

And now it seems that the Republicans in Congress have come to a stalemate. The President wants to privatize Social Security and cut benefits for the middle class. The congressional Republican leadership would rather avoid benefit cuts, but they too want to privatize Social Security.

While the White House and congressional Republicans struggle to decide which privatization plan they want to be for, I suggest a totally different approach to Social Security: save Social Security first. The surplus should have been for Social Security. It should always be for Social Security. And my suggestion is on the $800 billion they already took out of it, before they do anything else with some grand plan to cut benefits or privatize it, pay back the $800 billion they took.

I worked in an administration where we cut taxes for the middle class, balanced the budget, and extended the life of the trust fund by 10 years. Why? Because we had an economic plan that worked. It grew the economy. It grew middle-class incomes. It helped homeownership. It reduced the poverty rate, and we added 10 years to the life of the Social Security trust fund, and we cut taxes for the middle class, and we balanced the budget, unlike the $2 trillion of additional debt we have added on to the books and on to the shoulders of our children. But it requires leadership and priorities, which is in short supply around here.

Before we create any private accounts or do anything else to fundamentally alter the character and nature of Social Security, our task here is to strengthen Social Security for the future and guarantee its future. And none of the plans, none of the various privatization plans, none of the ideas of benefit cuts or raising the age, none of that adds to the solvency. And the task here, Mr. Speaker, is to strengthen Social Security.

The American people have rejected the President's plan. They have rejected the congressional plan. They have rejected anything to do with privatization because they know it is the wrong way. I am going to tell the Members something as a person who represents a lot of employees from United Airlines: folks like the security that comes with Social Security.

They have had it up to here with risk, and all they are providing with privatization is more risk on top of more risk. They have it in their health care. They have it in their jobs. They have it in their own retirement savings. They do not need more risk, and they like the foundation of security that comes with Social Security. Ask any steel worker, any person who works for United Airlines or the airlines industry who lost their pensions or the 14,000 people at Hewlett- Packard, and they will say that privatization of Social Security is a nonstarter.

Middle-class families are struggling. They have flat wages, a 55 percent increase in energy costs, 10 percent increase in health care costs, 11 percent

increase in college costs. And what are we suggesting? Putting more risk in their retirement plans. Public servants such as teachers, police officers, fire fighters are being pressed out of the housing market. American families face more risk today, not less; and they do not want the risk they are selling.

With a savings rate at a historic low, falling to just 1 percent last year, we can pass the right legislation now to help people save for their retirement. Privatization stands in the way. Privatization of Social Security has become the poison pill to progress.

The truth is both Republicans and Democrats have good ideas on retirement savings, and we could take several steps right now to help Americans save for their retirement outside of Social Security. First, Congress should appoint a commission like in 1983 that said no to privatization and we developed a plan that saved Social Security for 75 years and in the meantime developed a bipartisan consensus on how to help Americans save for their retirement.

I have a couple ideas on what to do. First, I have introduced legislation on the automatic enrollment into 401(k)s so people are automatically enrolled in 401(k)s. My employees at RR Donnelley did that, a Fortune 500 company; and their participation of savings went from 62 to 92 percent of employees participating. The Wall Street Journal reported today that 21 percent of all companies have implemented automatic enrollment, up from 14 percent last year. This is good news, but we can do more.

Second, at tax time, when people are filling out their taxes, allow direct deposit of tax refunds into the savings account. Once a year about $215 billion gets moved. It should not be moved to consumption, but to savings. And if people pick 10 percent, 50 percent, 100 percent of their tax returns to go to savings, we would add not only who saves but the amount of money that is saved in this country. A report by the Retirement Security Project of the Brookings Institute found that for every year, 100 million people receive a Federal income tax on average of $2,000. We can have that directly deposited into their savings accounts like companies do today, and more and more Americans will not only save for their retirement, but more dollars will be added to savings.

Third, the Retirement Savings for Working Americans Act of 2005 makes the saver's credit; so people who are earning $60,000 or less, the first $2,000 that they save would be matched by $1,000 by the Federal Government. It would help 50 million families with new incentives to saving.

Fourth, we should consolidate the confusing ``alphabet soup'' of 16 different savings plans into one portable pension.

Mr. Speaker, the vast majority of Americans have rejected the idea of privatization of Social Security. By taking these steps, we can boost savings outside of Social Security and provide Americans with a real savings plan.

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow the Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan will testify before the Committee on Financial Services on the state of the economy. During his testimony, Chairman Greenspan will undoubtedly argue that ours is a healthy growing economy. But while he is explaining the flattened yield curve, I am hoping he will take the time to explain the curve balls being thrown at America's middle class.

As the Wall Street Journal reported today, ``In the past few years, overall consumer prices have risen a little over 8 percent while wages have remained flat for the middle class.''

Gasoline prices, up 55 percent; electricity, 11 percent; health care costs, 10 percent; college costs, 12 percent; and the ability to save for retirement is getting harder and harder. For public servants, like teachers, police officers, and firemen, they are being priced out of the housing market.

While he expounds on America's monetary policy, the 10-year note, the housing bubble, Chairman Greenspan should take the time to explain what is happening to America's middle class as they face a flattened wage and rising costs. As their incomes remain unchanged, the barrier to the middle class keeps rising.

Mr. Speaker, the questions that Chairman Greenspan needs to answer are the challenges that face today's middle class, not just the 10-year note.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take the time of the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton).

Mr. Speaker, a lot has been made lately about leaks coming from the White House, and the outing of CIA Agent Valerie Wilson was admittedly an egregious act.

But I, for one, would like more leaks, not less from this White House. And let me quote the President. Bring it on.

Let me be clear. I am not looking for more of the kind of leaks that have tripped up Karl Rove and Scooter Libby. It is generally not a good idea to out undercover CIA agents working on behalf of America's national security. Those are the types of leaks that can lead to unfortunate consequences, like people getting killed and national security being breached.

Even if you leak on double super secret background you might get caught. And if there is a special prosecutor involved, well, look out. You could end up, as the old cliche in the book says, the former White House official is doing time in Allenwood.

The kind of leaks I am thinking about might include like the real cost of the prescription drug bill for Medicare or the secret plan for Social Security solvency. Those are the types of leaks that I wish this White House would provide and knew. It would have been useful, for example, if someone had leaked the true cost of the Medicare prescription drug program before Congress had voted to commit future generations to twice the obligation we were told.

Originally they told us that the prescription drug bill would cost $394 billion over 10 years. The American people are going to pay $800 billion. The administration actually kept secret the extra $400 billion from the Congress and the American people. And they even threatened to fire the government actuary who wanted to just simply tell the truth. All along they knew that it was going to be $800 billion and all along they repeated that it was $394 billion.

Now that was the type of leak that is worthy of a good Washington leak. And I think I know something about leaks.

And it certainly would have been nice if some brave soul in the White House had told the American people that the President's tax cuts would raid the Social Security Trust Fund for $639 billion, explode the deficit, all the while benefiting the wealthiest Americans. Instead they told us we could have a big tax cut, balance the budget and strengthen Social Security. Of course, former Secretary of Treasury Paul O'Neill eventually blew the whistle on what the real cost of the tax cut was. But by that time it was too late for him and too late for the American people, and Social Security is $639 billion less today in the trust fund, all because nobody wanted to tell the truth when they knew it.

But these are not the only examples of not willing to tell the truth to the American people, and wanting to hold back information when they should have done what their instincts were, which was to leak. Remember when we had the terrorist report from the State Department and somebody actually had to doctor the data to say that in fact there was a decline in terrorism when all along they knew there was an increase in terrorism. And Secretary Powell had to come back with a new report, a fresh report to show what the actual data said originally, which was there was a rise in terrorism in the last number of years.

Then there was the mercury report from the EPA which was doctored and played with, and they tried to doctor up; as the British like to say, they had to fix the data. Well, they had to go back and fix the data again and come back with the truth.

But really who can blame this White House for not leaking? Karl Rove knows that if the American people knew the facts they would not support the policies of this administration. No, this White House is silent about everything it should leak and loose lipped about matters better kept secret. They actually have a bad case of having it all backwards.

So next time when you see the truth, my recommendation, try leaking it.

And I know the American people and particularly our military families would appreciate a White House leak today on our double secret plan to accomplish a mission in Iraq and bring our boys and girls home. I ask Karl Rove to share that next time with a reporter.

Heck, we are still waiting for someone to leak the President's plan on Social Security. So I say do not stop here, Mr. Rove. Do not stop here, Mr. Libby. Dishing the names of our national security agents may be your idea of political, quote, fair game. But turn up that leaky faucet and tell us what we really need to know, which is the truth.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Water Resources Development Act.

As Congressman Mo Udall used to say, Everything that has been said has been said. It just has not been said by everybody that needs to say it.

There are a lot of good things in this bill. I am particularly supportive of the sections pertaining to the Mississippi and Illinois rivers.

Enlarging and improving the navigation on these rivers will create jobs, promote economic growth, and also strengthen the environment by providing $1.6 billion in environmental restoration funding. This is good for the economy and the environment.

If everything we did in this country was like this legislation on other pieces of legislation, other problems that we were trying to tackle in this country, we would be a better place and a better country.

Navigation in the upper Mississippi supports more than 400,000 jobs and 90,000 high-paying manufacturing jobs. Every year, shipping in the upper Mississippi River adds up to about $1.2 billion to our economy. Lock modernization will provide 48 million man hours of labor for Midwest workers. But just as important, the bill provides $1.6 billion in Federal funding for environmental restoration which will also be important economically. In fact, under the bill, for every dollar spent on construction, we spend $2 on environmental restoration.

Mr. Chairman, this is a good bill. It is a balanced approach. It is right for the economy. It is right for the environment, and it is good for the Nation.

Mr. Speaker, you cannot solve a problem if you do not acknowledge that you have a problem. In that light, I appreciate and applaud the comments of outgoing Under Secretary of Defense Doug Feith made to the Washington Post concerning the costly mistakes made in Iraq.

During a recent interview, Mr. Feith said, ``It is an extremely complex judgment to know whether the course that we chose with its pros and cons was more sensible.''

Further, he noted the transfer of power to Iraqis did not happen fast enough and that we were not able to train the Iraqis.

Mr. Feith's comments stand in contrast to the President's inability and unwillingness to acknowledge any errors made in the Iraq war effort.

The administration did a great job planning for a quick victory on the battlefield and for occupation, yet things have not turned out as planned. Some of today's challenges are a direct result of those mistakes made by the administration.

After 1,800 American lives, more than 10,000 wounded American GIs and $340 billion with no end in sight, now is the time to level with the American people. If we are going to be successful, we must work together, and to work together, you must be frank and honest.

Mr. Feith, thank you for your recent candor. Mr. President, we can do it. We are here to help, but it starts with truth and candor.

Mr. Speaker, today in the Washington Post, we found out that a key adviser to President Bush on the Intelligence Advisory Committee has been instrumental in helping China and the Chinese oil company put together their bid to purchase Unocal.

The other day, the Center For Public Integrity disclosed that big drug companies spent $800 million in the last 7 years to influence the Congress, the Senate, and the legislation and the policies we have here; and then just last year we passed a pharmaceutical prescription drug bill that ended up producing or will produce $132 billion in additional profit for the pharmaceutical industry.

The tobacco industry donated over the last few years $40 million to the Republican Party, and then they get a sweetheart deal by the Department of Justice for just pennies on the dollar when it came to settling a lawsuit. They settled for 8 percent of what they had originally gone in for, $10 million versus $130 million. USA Today points out that corporate donors have given more than $120 million to Republicans during the last election, and now they are receiving their reward. For some businesses, invest a little now and get a larger return later. That has been the motto.

Just take energy prices. Big oil and big energy companies has been a major contributor to the majority party, the Republican Party. Oil is at $60 a barrel, approximately, and yet we talk about giving a $8 billion taxpayer give-away so big oil can do what? Drill for oil. I thought that was their business plan. So what we are asking the American taxpayer to do is pay once at the pump and again on April 15. Why? Because big oil is a more influential player here in Washington.

Special interests have attached themselves to Congress, and this parasitic relationship is having a corrosive effect on our Nation of and for the people. When the Speaker's gavel comes down, it is intended to open the People's House, not the auction house. And lately when we look at the tobacco industry, the energy industry, the pharmaceutical industry, those who lobby on behalf of major interests like Chinese oil companies, we can see something that is happening as it relates to the People's House.

The relationship between lobbyists and lawmakers has become far too cozy and close. Professional lobbyists and the lobbyist profession have become a back office for Congress, serving as travel agents, employment agencies, and authors of legislation. In fact, in the past 6 years, lobbying expenditures have more than doubled to $3 billion annually. Yet while the number of professional lobbyists and their fees have increased, only one in five lobbyists actually register as required. Of the 250 top lobbying firms, 210 failed to file one or more of the necessary documents.

The special interests have benefited from the weak reporting, nonexistent oversight and toothless penalties while the credibility of the United States Congress suffers. We have had a debate about campaign finance reform here in this Congress, a debate that ultimately put some distance between donors and candidates. Now we need a similar debate as it relates to lobbyists and Members of Congress.

We tell, in this institution, corporate America how to clean up their act. We tell professional sports teams how to clean up their act. Yet when it comes to our business, how we clean up our house, we are not very good at that. We think business as usual is just fine.

It is time we updated our laws to reflect the explosive growth and increasing influence of the professional lobbyist community. It has been 10 years since we have done anything. The gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Meehan) and I have introduced the Lobbying and Ethics Reform Act. Our bill creates a code of official conduct for Congress. In the coming days, we will have a Senate bill, itself, introduced by a colleague of ours. This code of conduct would close the revolving door by requiring former Members and staff to wait a minimum of 2 years after they leave Congress before becoming lobbyists to work back here influencing legislation and trading on their knowledge. The bill would end the practice of lobbyists serving as congressional travel agents by arranging lavish junkets for Members of Congress. We also require lobbyists to disclose their past connections, previous Hill employment and financial activities on a public database.

The Meehan-Emanuel bill increases the penalties for failing to comply with the Lobbying Disclosure Act. It also creates a bipartisan House task force to recommend ways to reinvigorate ethics oversight and enforcement. And it would require the Government Accountability Office to report twice a year on the state of oversight and enforcement.

Mr. Speaker, the gavel should mark the opening of the People's House, not the auction house, and that is what the American people now see this Congress doing. Unless we reform the relationship between the lobbying community and Members of Congress, we cannot restore the public's faith in the People's House. We are suffering from a systematic problem requiring an institutional solution. We need more sunlight, more transparency, better oversight and stiffer penalties. The Meehan-Emanuel bill provides that transparency. And let me add that this is not a partisan issue. I hope that Members of both parties will join us in working together to pass these important reforms.

Mr. Speaker, we have a duty to ensure that the voices of the American people are not drowned out by the professional lobbyists working the halls of Congress. Only through lobbying reform can we return the People's House to the American people.

Mr. Chairman, in the Committee on Ways and Means we are debating CAFTA, and market analysts estimate the U.S. economy is losing up to $1.24 billion annually in agricultural exports alone because of the Cuban embargo.

According to the USTR, CAFTA would bring $1.5 billion in agricultural trade. Six countries, $1.5 billion; one country, $1.24 billion in trade.

The administration says CAFTA is a way for America to support freedom and democracy and economic reform in our hemisphere, yet the Cuban embargo they say is also a way to support freedom, democracy and economic reform to developing Cuba.

The consistency in your trade policy would bring a smile to George Orwell's face.

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, oil topped at $60 a barrel, and yet the House energy bill contains more than $8 billion in taxpayer funded giveaways to oil companies.

American taxpayers are being asked to subsidize big oil to do one thing: execute their business plan. So we pay twice, once at the gas pump and once on April 15. That is just business as usual here in Washington.

As USA Today points out today, corporate donors have given more than $120 million to Republicans during the last election, and now they are receiving their reward for loyalty.

Tobacco companies gave more than $40 million to Republicans, and they got a sweetheart deal from the Justice Department.

Pharmaceutical companies gave over $100 million to the Republican party and got a prescription drug bill resulting in $138 billion in additional profits.

To those industries, it is just good business: Invest a little now for a bigger return from Congress.

Special interests have attached themselves to Congress, and this is a parasitic relationship that is having a corrosive effect on the People's House. Congress has told corporate America to clean up their act. We have told professional sports to clean up their act, but when it comes to the People's House, things are squeaky clean.

The gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Meehan) and I have introduced lobbying reform legislation.

Mr. Speaker, when the gavel comes down, it should mark the opening of the People's House, not the auction house.

Mr. Speaker, our Republican colleagues have unveiled a new proposal to privatize the Social Security surplus. Maybe I am a little confused, but was President Bush not just in West Virginia saying the Social Security trust fund and its surplus did not exist? In West Virginia the President said, There is no Social Security trust fund, just IOUs stacked in an old filing cabinet.

In Washington, D.C., this discovery of the surplus counts as progress. I welcome the Republicans' discovery of the Social Security surplus. The problem is in the last 5 years they have spent $630 billion of the Social Security surplus on everything under the sun but Social Security.

Privatization of Social Security is the poison pill to progress. Our first priority should be to save Social Security first. That is the position of the American people, and that is the position of the Democratic Party. Before we create private accounts or do anything else to fundamentally alter Social Security, we must guarantee its future. The goal is to strengthen Social Security for the future, something privatization fails to do. The American people have rejected the President's privatization proposal of Social Security, and they will undoubtedly reject this unbaked new idea.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 458, the Military Personnel Financial Services Protection Act. H.R. 458 is identical to legislation passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of 396 to 2 in the 108th Congress. Unfortunately, the Senate did not act on that legislation.

Last year, I worked closely with Financial Services Committee Chairman Michael Oxley, Ranking Member Barney Frank and Capital Markets Subcommittee Chairman Richard Baker in holding hearings and developing legislation to add new protections for enlisted personnel.

The legislation we produced last session is before us once again today. The Military Personnel Financial Services Protection Act will go a long way toward eliminating these abuses and protecting our troops.

First, and most importantly, H.R. 458 bans the sale of contractual mutual funds on military bases. These expensive funds disappeared from the civilian market in the 1980s because their first-year commissions are equal to half of all contributions.

If they are not good enough for civilians, why should we allow them to be sold to our men and women in uniform?

Many of our enlistees are of modest financial means and need to cash in food stamps to feed their families. None of them can afford a 50 percent commission, and often, they do not realize they are paying so much.

If we want to give financial services firms access to military bases, that is one thing. But we cannot allow our young men and women to be used as laboratories for expensive financial products or to be seen as ATM machines, and that is what contractual mutual funds have made them.

This legislation also includes new disclosure requirements for life insurance products, so it is crystal clear what is being sold. H.R. 458 requires companies to provide recruits with a ``Plain English'' document telling them

subsidized life insurance is available from the Federal Government and that the Government does not endorse, recommend or encourage them to buy the product.

Finally, H.R. 458 clarifies the authority of state insurance regulators to act against bad actors on-base. The States are also directed to create uniform military personnel protection standards and to work with the Department of Defense to carry out those standards.

Mr. Speaker, it is time to end a culture on military bases that too often favors financial interests over the interests of our troops, their families, and their futures.

I encourage my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, last week my colleagues and I began a memorial tribute to read the names of over 1,900 men and women who gave their lives in service to our Nation in Afghanistan and Iraq. We read about 860 of those names. We recited the name and rank of each servicemember who fell in Iraq and Afghanistan theaters of war from 2001 through the beginning of 2004.

For the next hour we will continue this reading, honoring the fallen of 2004 and 2005. We will continue to do this reading on the floor of the House, the people's House, until we have recognized all who have given their life in service of this Nation. In this Chamber we often invoke their sacrifice in general, but we seldom take the time to recognize them individually.

By reading these names into the Congressional Record, it is our hope that our Nation will never forget their sacrifice. God bless and keep each of the brave Americans whose memory we now honor:

1. Private First Class Marquis A. Whitaker

2. Specialist Jacob R. Herring

3. Staff Sergeant Kendall Thomas

4. Sergeant Adam W. Estep

5. Specialist Martin W. Kondor

6. Sergeant Landis W. Garrison

7. Staff Sergeant Esau G. Patterson, Jr.

8. Staff Sergeant Jeffrey F. Dayton

9. Sergeant Ryan M. Campbell

10. Specialist James L. Beckstrand

11. Specialist Justin B. Schmidt

12. Private First Class Ryan E. Reed

13. Private First Class Norman Darling

14. Private First Class Jeremy Ricardo Ewing

15. Petty Officer Second Class Jason B. Dwelley

16. Petty Officer Third Class Christopher M. Dickerson

17. Corporal Scott M. Vincent

18. Corporal Joshua S. Wilfong

19. Specialist Trevor A. Wine

20. Specialist Ramon C. Ojeda

21. Sergeant Joshua S. Ladd.

22. Specialist Ervin Caradine, Jr.

23. Private Jeremy L. Drexler

24. Staff Sergeant Todd E. Nunes

25. Petty Officer Second Class Michael C. Anderson

26. Petty Officer Second Class Trace W. Dossett

27. Petty Officer Second Class Scott R. Mchugh

28. Petty Officer Second Class Robert B. Jenkins

29. Petty Officer Third Class Ronald A. Ginther

30. Captain John E. Tipton

31. Gunnery Sergeant Ronald E. Baum

32. Staff Sergeant Erickson H. Petty

33. First Lieutenant Christopher J. Kenny

34. Sergeant Marvin R. Sprayberry III

35. Sergeant Gregory L. Wahl

36. Private First Class Lyndon A. Marcus, Jr.

37. Corporal Jeffrey G. Green

38. Private First Class Jesse R. Buryj

39. Specialist James E. Marshall

40. Private First Class Bradley G. Kritzer

41. Corporal Dustin H. Schrage

42. Staff Sergeant Hesley Box, Jr.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro).

Ms. DeLauro.

127. Lance Corporal Juan Lopez

128. First Lieutenant Andre D. Tyson

129. Sergeant Patrick R. McCaffrey, Sr.

130. Staff Sergeant Charles A. Kiser

131. Captain Christopher S. Cash

132. Specialist Daniel A. Desens

133. Lance Corporal Manuel A. Ceniceros

134. Specialist Jeremy M. Heines

135. First Sergeant Ernest E. Utt

136. Lance Corporal Patrick R. Adle

137. Sergeant Alan David Sherman

138. Corporal John H. Todd III

139. Specialist Robert L. DuSang

140. Sergeant Kenneth Conde, Jr.

141. Lance Corporal Timothy R. Creager

142. Sergeant Christopher A. Wagener

143. Staff Sergeant Stephen G. Martin

144. Lance Corporal James B. Huston, Jr.

145. Second Lieutenant Brian D. Smith

146. Corporal Dallas L. Kerns

147. Lance Corporal Michael S. Torres

148. Lance Corporal John J. Vangyzen IV

149. Lance Corporal Scott Eugene Dougherty

150. Private First Class Rodricka Antwan Youmans

151. Corporal Jeffrey D. Lawrence

152. Lance Corporal Justin T. Hunt

153. Private First Class Samuel R. Bowen

154. Sergeant Michael C. Barkey

155. Specialist Jeremiah W. Schmunk

156. Sergeant Robert E. Colvill, Jr.

157. Specialist Joseph M. Garmback, Jr.

158. Specialist William River Emanuel IV

159. Specialist Sonny Gene Sampler

160. Private First Class Collier Edwin Barcus

161. Specialist Shawn M. Davies

162. Corporal Terry Holmes

163. Sergeant Krisna Nachampassak

164. Private First Class Christopher J. Reed

165. Staff Sergeant Trevor Spink

166. Sergeant First Class Linda Ann Tarango-Griess

167. Sergeant Jeremy J. Fischer

168. Staff Sergeant Dustin W. Peters

169. Sergeant James G. West

170. Specialist Dana N. Wilson

171. Private First Class Torry D. Harris

172. Corporal Demetrius Lamont Rice

173. Private First Class Jesse J. Martinez

174. Staff Sergeant Paul C. Mardis, Jr.

175. Lance Corporal Bryan P. Kelly

176. Specialist Craig S. Frank

177. Sergeant First Class David A. Hartman

178. Sergeant Dale Thomas Lloyd

179. Private First Class Charles C. ``C.C.'' Persing

180. Staff Sergeant Michael J. Clark

181. Corporal Todd J. Godwin

182. Specialist Danny B. Daniels II

183. Lance Corporal Mark E. Engel

184. Private First Class Nicholas H. Blodgett

185. Sergeant Tatjana Reed

186. Private First Class Torey J. Dantzler

187. Lance Corporal Vincent M. Sullivan

188. Specialist Nicholas J. Zangara

189. Sergeant DeForest L. ``Dee'' Talbert

190. Private First Class Ken W. Leisten

191. Gunnery Sergeant Shawn A. Lane

192. Lieutenant Colonel David S. Greene

193. Specialist Joseph F. Herndon II

194. Specialist Anthony J. Dixon

195. Specialist Armando Hernandez

196. Sergeant Juan Calderon, Jr.

197. Specialist Justin B. Onwordi

198. Corporal Dean P. Pratt

199. Private First Class Harry N. Shondee, Jr.

200. Sergeant Tommy L. Gray

201. Captain Gregory A. Ratzlaff

202. Gunnery Sergeant Elia P. Fontecchio

203. Lance Corporal Joseph L. Nice

204. Sergeant Yadir G. Reynoso

205. Private First Class Raymond J. Faulstich, Jr.

206. Specialist Donald R. McCune

207. Sergeant Moses Daniel Rocha

208. Specialist Joshua I. Bunch

209. Lance Corporal Larry L. Wells

210. Corporal Roberto Abad

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Washington State (Mr. Baird).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. McCarthy).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone).

Mr. Speaker, I reclaim my time.

547. Corporal Matthew A. Wyatt

548. Sergeant Michael L. Boatright

549. Sergeant Cari Anne Gasiewicz

550. Staff Sergeant Salamo J. Tuialuuluu

551. Sergeant David A. Mitts

552. Corporal Joseph O. Behnke

553. Staff Sergeant Marvin Lee Trost III

554. Staff Sergeant Kyle A. Eggers

555. Specialist Edwin William Roodhouse

556. Private First Class Andrew M. Ward

557. Corporal In C. Kim

558. Captain Mark N. Stubenhofer

559. Sergeant First Class Todd Clayton Gibbs

560. Sergeant Arthur C. Williams IV

561. Private First Class Christopher S. Adlesperger

562. First Lieutenant Andrew C. Shields

563. Chief Warrant Officer Patrick D. Leach

564. Corporal Kyle J. Renehan

565. Lance Corporal Gregory P. Rund

566. Specialist Robert W. Hoyt

567. Lance Corporal Jeffery S. Blanton

568. Staff Sergeant Melvin L. Blazer

569. Lance Corporal Hilario F. Lopez

570. Corporal Jason S. Clairday

571. Corporal Ian W. Stewart

572. Sergeant Jeffrey L. Kirk

573. Lance Corporal Joshua W. Dickinson

574. Private First Class Joshua A. Ramsey

575. Sergeant Tina Safaira Time

576. Lance Corporal Richard D. Warner

577. Private First Class Brent T. Vroman

578. Specialist Victor A. Martinez

579. Corporal Michael D. Anderson

580. Lance Corporal Franklin A. Sweger

581. Sergeant Barry K. Meza

582. Staff Sergeant Donald B. Farmer

583. Sergeant Lynn Robert Poulin, Sr.

584. Specialist Thomas John Dostie

585. Specialist Nicholas C. ``Nick'' Mason

586. Sergeant David A. Ruhren

587. Sergeant First Class Paul D. Karpowich

588. Chief Petty Officer Joel Egan Baldwin

589. Specialist Cory Michael Hewitt

590. Private First Class Lionel Ayro

591. Specialist Jonathan Castro

592. Captain William W. Jacobsen, Jr.

593. Staff Sergeant Robert S. Johnson

594. Staff Sergeant Julian S. Melo

595. Staff Sergeant Darren D. Van Komen

596. Sergeant Major Robert D. O'Dell

597. Lance Corporal Neil D. Petsche

598. First Lieutenant Christopher W. Barnett

599. Lance Corporal Eric Hillenburg

600. Lance Corporal James R. Phillips

601. Corporal Raleigh C. Smith

602. Staff Sergeant Todd D. Olson

603. Specialist Jose A. Rivera-Serrano

604. Seaman Pablito Pena Briones, Jr.

605. Staff Sergeant Jason A. Lehto

606. Staff Sergeant Nathaniel J. Nyren

607. Private First Class Oscar Sanchez

608. Specialist Craig L. Nelson

609. Sergeant Damien T. Ficek

610. Lance Corporal Jason E. Smith

611. Lance Corporal Brian P. Parrello

612. Specialist Jeff LeBrun

613. Sergeant Thomas E. Houser

614. Specialist Jimmy D. Buie

615. Private Cory R. Depew

616. Specialist Joshua S. Marcum

617. Specialist Jeremy W. McHalffey

618. Sergeant Bennie J. Washington

619. Private First Class Curtis L. Wooten III

620. Sergeant Christopher J. Babin

621. Specialist Bradley J. Bergeron

622. Lance Corporal Julio C. Cisneros-Alvarez

623. Sergeant First Class Kurt J. Comeaux

624. Sergeant Zachariah Scott Davis

625. Specialist Huey P. L. Fassbender

626. Specialist Armand L. Frickey

627. Specialist Warren A. Murphy

628. Private First Class Kenneth G. Vonronn

629. Private First Class Daniel F. Guastaferro

630. Corporal Joseph E. Fite

631. Specialist Dwayne James McFarlane, Jr.

632. Staff Sergeant William F. Manuel

633. Sergeant Robert Wesley Sweeney III

634. Specialist Michael J. Smith

635. Private First Class Gunnar D. Becker

636. Lance Corporal Matthew W. Holloway

637. Sergeant First Class Brian A. Mack

638. Lance Corporal Juan Rodrigo Rodriguez Velasco

639. Corporal Paul C. Holter III

640. Sergeant Jayton D. Patterson

641. Sergeant Nathaniel T. Swindell

642. Specialist Alain L. Kamolvathin

643. Private First Class Jesus Fonseca

644. Private First Class George R. Geer

645. Private First Class Francis C. Obaji

646. Staff Sergeant Thomas E. Vitagliano

647. Captain Christopher J. Sullivan

648. Sergeant Kyle William Childress

649. Captain Joe Fenton Lusk II

650. First Lieutenant Nainoa K. Hoe

651. Staff Sergeant Jose C. Rangel

652. Sergeant Leonard W. Adams

653. Sergeant Michael C. Carlson

654. Private First Class Jesus A. Leon-Perez

655. Sergeant Javier Marin, Jr.

656. Staff Sergeant Joseph W. Stevens

657. Sergeant Brett D. Swank

658. Captain Paul C. Alaniz

659. Staff Sergeant Brian D. Bland

660. Corporal Jonathan W. Bowling

661. Specialist Taylor J. Burk

662. Lance Corporal Jonathan Edward Etterling

663. Sergeant Michael W. Finke, Jr.

664. First Lieutenant Travis J. Fuller

665. Corporal Timothy M. Gibson

666. Corporal Richard A Gilbert, Jr.

667. Captain Lyle L. Gordon

668. Corporal Kyle J. Grimes

669. Lance Corporal Tony L. Hernandez

670. Lance Corporal Brian C. Hopper

671. Petty Officer Third Class John Daniel House

672. Lance Corporal Saeed Jafarkhani-Torshizi, Jr.

673. Corporal Stephen P. Johnson

674. Corporal Sean P. Kelly

675. Staff Sergeant Dexter S. Kimble

676. Sergeant William S. Kinzer, Jr.

677. Lance Corporal Allan Klein

678. Corporal Timothy A. Knight

679. Lance Corporal Karl R. Linn

680. Lance Corporal Fred L. Maciel

681. Corporal James Lee Moore

682. Corporal Nathaniel K. Moore

683. Lance Corporal Mourad Ragimov

684. Lance Corporal Rhonald Dain Rairdan

685. Lance Corporal Hector Ramos

686. Lance Corporal Gael Saintvil

687. Corporal Nathan A. Schubert

688. Lance Corporal Darrell J. Schumann

689. First Lieutenant Dustin M. Shumney

690. Corporal Matthew R. Smith

691. Lance Corporal Joseph B. Spence

692. Lance Corporal Michael L. Starr, Jr.

693. Sergeant Jesse W. Strong

694. Corporal Christopher L. Weaver

695. Corporal Jonathan S. Beatty

696. Private First Class Kevin M. Luna

697. Captain Orlando A. Bonilla

698. Private First Class Stephen A. Castellano

699. Specialist Michael S. Evans II

700. Sergeant Andrew K. Farrar, Jr.

701. Chief Warrant Officer Charles S. Jones

702. Specialist Christopher J. Ramsey

703. Staff Sergeant Jonathan Ray Reed

704. Staff Sergeant Joseph E. Rodriguez

705. Specialist Lyle W. Rymer II

706. Sergeant First Class Mickey E. Zaun

707. Civilian Barbara Heald

708. Lieutenant Commander Edward E. Jack

709. Sergeant Lindsey T. James

710. Lieutenant Commander Keith Edward Taylor

711. Private First Class James H. Miller IV

712. Lance Corporal Nazario Serrano

713. Lance Corporal Jason C. Redifer

714. Lance Corporal Harry R. Swain IV

715. Sergeant First Class Mark C. Warren

716. Corporal Christopher E. Zimny

717. Specialist Robert T. Hendrickson

718. Lance Corporal Sean P. Maher

719. Captain Sean Lee Brock

720. Lance Corporal Richard C. Clifton

721. Sergeant First Class Sean Michael Cooley

722. Sergeant Stephen R. Sherman

723. Sergeant Daniel Torres

724. Staff Sergeant Steven G. Bayow

725. Lance Corporal Travis M. Wichlacz

726. Specialist Jeremy O. Allmon

727. Staff Sergeant Zachary Ryan Wobler

728. Specialist Jeffrey S. Henthorn

729. Sergeant Jessica M. Housby

730. Staff Sergeant William T. Robbins

731. Lance Corporal Richard A. Perez, Jr.

732. Staff Sergeant Kristopher L. Shepherd

733. Specialist Robert A. McNail

734. Staff Sergeant Ray Rangel

735. Sergeant Chad W. Lake

736. Sergeant Rene Knox, Jr.

737. Specialist Dakotah L. Gooding

738. Private First Class David J. Brangman

739. Sergeant First Class David J. Salie

740. Private First Class Michael A. Arciola

741. Specialist Justin B. Carter

742. Specialist Katrina Lani Bell-Johnson

743. Specialist Joseph A. Rahaim

744. Sergeant Timothy R. Osbey

745. Sergeant Adam J. Plumondore

746.`Staff Sergeant Jason R. Hendrix

747.`Sergeant Christopher M. Pusateri

748.`Sergeant Frank B. Hernandez

749.`Sergeant Carlos J. Gil

750.`Specialist Seth R. Trahan

751.`First Lieutenant Adam Malson

752.`Corporal Kevin Michael Clarke

753.`Specialist Clinton R. Gertson

754.`First Lieutenant Jason G. Timmerman

755.`Staff Sergeant David F. Day

756.`Sergeant Jesse M. Lhotka

757.`Corporal John T. Olson

758.`Lance Corporal Trevor D. Aston

759.`Staff Sergeant Eric M. Steffeney

760.`Sergeant Nicholas J. Olivier

761.`Specialist Jacob C. Palmatier

762.`Staff Sergeant Daniel G. Gresham

763.`Staff Sergeant Alexander B. Crackel

764.`Specialist Michael S. Deem

765.`Specialist Jason L. Moski

766.`Specialist Adam Noel Brewer

767.`Private First Class Colby M. Farnan

768.`Private First Class Chassan S. Henry

769.`Lance Corporal Andrew W. Nowacki

770.`Private First Class Min-Su Choi

771.`Private Landon S. Giles

772.`Private First Class Danny L. Anderson

773.`Second Lieutenant Richard Bryan Gienau

774.`Sergeant Julio E. Negron

775.`Specialist Lizbeth Robles

777.`Specialist Azhar Ali

778.`Sergeant First Class Michael D. Jones

779.`Sergeant Seth K. Garceau

780.`Corporal Stephen M. McGowan

781.`Specialist Wade Michael Twyman

782.`Sergeant First Class Donald W. Eacho

783.`Captain Sean Grimes

784.`Specialist Adriana N. Salem

785.`Staff Sergeant Juan M. Solorio

786.`Sergeant Andrew L. Bossert

787.`Private First Class Michael W. Franklin

788.`Specialist Matthew A. Koch

789.`Petty Officer First Class Alec Mazur

790.`Specialist Nicholas E. Wilson

791.`Staff Sergeant Donald D. Griffith, Jr.

792.`Lance Corporal Joshua L. Torrence

793.`Specialist Paul M. Heltzel

794.`Staff Sergeant Ricky A. Kieffer

795.`Staff Sergeant Shane M. Koele

796.`Specialist Rocky D. Payne

797.`Private First Class Lee A. Lewis, Jr.

798.`Specialist Jonathan A. Hughes

799.`Sergeant Paul W. Thomason III

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Members from both sides of the aisle who have participated over the last two days in reading the names into the Congressional Record of those fellow citizens who have fallen both in Iraq and in Afghanistan. My colleagues and I will continue this tribute on other evenings as we finish up the over 1,900 fellow Americans who have given their lives, and intend to continue by recognizing each of our fallen heroes by name on the floor of the people's House.

On behalf of my colleagues, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the brave men and women and their families who continue to serve our Nation in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your families.