Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to bring an important anniversary to my colleagues' attention. My elementary school, Maedgen Elementary School, in Lubbock, TX, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Maedgen first opened in the spring of 1955 and has been educating Lubbock's youngest citizens ever since. The school was named in honor of Charles Ernest Maedgen--1882- 1964--an early resident of Lubbock who had a strong interest in the community and in education.

I am proud to be a Maedgen alumnus and am looking forward to attending the anniversary commemoration on February 24, 2006. I have many fond memories of my elementary school years. Mrs. Dunn, my first grade teacher, had a big influence on my life. I particularly remember a chart she placed in the front of the classroom to teach reading. Mrs. Dunn, using that chart, unlocked the world of reading for me. I also have memories of Mr. Ford, my principal. Some days I think I spent as much time in his office as he did

Many things have changed in our world and in education over the past 50 years. Teaching methods have changed, and technology that we never could have imagined 50 years ago now plays a big role in students' education. For example, computers, instead of charts, are used to teach reading now. I am pleased that Maedgen Elementary School is still serving the Lubbock community by teaching our children and giving them the tools to build a successful life. Congratulations to all who have worked over the past 50 years teaching and serving Lubbock children at Maedgen, and best wishes for much success to all future students, teachers and administrators.

Mr. Speaker, last month, Texas lost a law-enforcement officer in the line of duty. Trooper Matthew DeWayne Myrick lived in Hereford, TX, and served as a State trooper for 2 years. He died in an automobile accident while responding to another accident south of Hereford.

While I didn't have the honor to know Trooper Myrick personally, I did have the opportunity to pay my respects at his memorial service. There I learned about a remarkable man who loved God, his family and his country.

Trooper Myrick served his country as a member of the U.S. Navy. He then earned both his undergraduate degree and a masters degree in Agronomy from Texas Tech University. He was a devoted husband of Christy and loving father of four children, Matilyn, Tate, Luke and Embry. A family man, he was well known for his strong faith in God. His love for God was the center of his life and affected every part of his life.

Trooper Myrick leaves behind a great legacy of faith, love for his family and public service. He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him and by those West Texans he served through his work with the Texas State Patrol. His family and community can be proud of his life of love and service. He is an example to us all of a life well- lived.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me this time.

Like many of the previous speakers, I, too, am very disappointed this evening that we did not have an opportunity to bring some real reform to this process. The committee, I think, worked very hard in making sure that we move down the road of transitioning this insurance program back to the private sector, which is where it belongs. Unfortunately, the version that we are considering tonight will not do that.

Another thing that is extremely disappointing, I think, about tonight's version is that, in the event of a catastrophic event, the American taxpayers were going to step up in a gap basis but eventually get all of their money back. In this particular bill, that will not be the case. This is an area where the government, I think, stepped in at an appropriate time to shore up the marketplace, the insurance marketplace; but I think one of the things that is very important is that, as we move forward, while we are going to extend this for a period of 2 years, I think it is important that the committee continue to work very diligently to make sure that we work towards a process working with the private sector, ensuring that we move and transition in a way that really puts this back into a free marketplace, which is where it belongs.

So I want to thank the chairman for his hard work. I know that he shares in the disappointment that we are not really considering the House version, which is a better version, tonight and which was a more fiscally responsible version.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Oxley and Ranking Member Frank.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3422 would exempt public housing authorities with 250 or fewer public housing units and section 8 vouchers combined from the requirement of submitting an annual plan to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

In the 108th Congress, the House passed a similar legislation sponsored by former Congressman Doug Bereuter. The Senate, however, failed to take up this legislation.

I represent a rural West Texas district. Most of the public housing authorities in my district have fewer than 250 housing units and/or vouchers. Several have part-time directors or directors who split time between public housing authorities.

The annual plan process, mandated by Congress in 1998, requires a significant amount of time and resources for

these public housing authorities. This mandate is especially burdensome on our PHAs, our small ones, because they have few staff resources to devote to the annual plans. While HUD has taken regulatory steps to reduce the reporting burden for small PHAs, the plans still require much unnecessary paperwork and additional time.

Reducing the unnecessary paperwork and reporting will help smaller PHAs better serve their communities and focus on their mission of providing affordable rural housing to rural residents in need.

H.R. 3422 only addresses annual plans. Small PHAs will still complete their HUD 5-year plan.

This legislation also requires PHAs to continue providing their residents with opportunity to help set goals and policies for the housing authority and to continue to certify their civil rights compliance with HUD.

However, I would note that the intent of this legislation is for HUD to keep the annual certification process as simple as possible and not create additional requirements and additional reports for PHAs.

This is a small bill, but it has a positive impact on PHAs in rural areas in my district, and I ask the House that this much-needed, commonsense regulatory relief for small public housing authorities be passed.

As the ranking member said, one of the things that makes sense is when government oversteps its bounds, it is appropriate for government to step back in and correct those. I think this is a much-needed correction so that we can let these small public housing authorities focus on the tenants and not on the paperwork.

I thank, again, the chairman and the ranking member.

Mr. Speaker, the federal government is facing a serious deficit due to recession, attacks on our Nation and the ongoing war on terrorism. The good news is that the deficit is going down and, although it doesn't go as far as I would like, this legislation reduces the deficit further.

Much-needed tax relief helped boost the economy and create more than 4 million jobs since May of 2003. Following three straight years of tax relief, tax revenues are up and the deficit is down by nearly $200 billion.

The growing economy makes a difference, but Congress must also take action on the spending side of the equation. For the first time in more than 20 years, we are on track to reduce discretionary spending by almost one percent. However, more than half of federal spending takes place through programs with budgets that essentially run on auto-pilot. Until we address the runaway spending growth in these programs, which is outpacing growth of the economy, Congress will never be able to balance the budget.

Republicans in Congress have developed a plan that will reform these auto-pilot programs and save taxpayer dollars in order to reduce the deficit. The Deficit Reduction Act includes program reforms totaling nearly $50 billion in net savings over the next five years. To put this in perspective, this slows the rate of growth in the automatic portion of the budget by one-tenth of a percent. No, this is not nearly enough to close the deficit gap, but it is an important start that will have positive effects.

Although I support the savings in this bill, I am extremely disappointed that the portion of our plan that would reduce dependency on foreign oil by allowing exploration in a small portion of the Arctic Refuge was struck from the bill. Raising $3.678 billion over five years through oil and gas leases would not only help reduce the deficit but would also increase our energy security. The House has overwhelmingly voted to open ANWR in the past, and there is no good reason why this bill should not include it.

All areas of government must contribute to the savings in this bill, and agriculture is no exception. However, with high fuel costs, the last thing our producers need is to bear a disproportionate burden of the deficit-reducing effort. I worked to ensure that agriculture's contribution treats farmers fairly, protects the core policies of the 2002 Farm Bill, and looks at all areas of spending within USDA. Our plan reduces farm program direct payments by just one percent for the next four years and delays elimination of the Step 2 cotton competitiveness program until August, 2006.

I support the reforms we are making in the food stamp program to help ensure that benefits are going to those who are truly eligible and in need. Despite the claims to the contrary, we are not reducing nutrition assistance for a single U.S. citizen who meets the eligibility requirements. Rather, our reforms will direct benefits to U.S. citizens and discontinue

the practice of automatically granting enrollment to certain groups of recipients without first determining their eligibility. This irresponsible practice has resulted in millions of dollars of benefits going to those who are not eligible.

Our plan strengthens Medicaid, which has helped many low-income Americans gain access to healthcare. Federal Medicaid spending has increased 97 percent since 1995 and will continue to grow by an unsustainable seven percent each year if no reforms are made.

Because Medicaid also represents a large share of state budgets, provisions offered by a bipartisan coalition of governors are included in our plan. These provisions include requiring more accurate prescription drug pricing and closing loopholes that have allowed wealthy Americans to deplete their assets and collect benefits intended for those who truly need them. We also require states to better enforce current laws and prevent illegal immigrants from getting Medicaid. These reforms will save $12 billion through the end of this decade.

Some in Congress, and their allies outside these halls, attack this plan and willfully misrepresent the effects it will have on Americans. Let's be clear: Congress is not cutting programs. What we are doing is taking a step to slow the unsustainable growth rate of these programs and reform them to prevent waste and abuse.

Those who criticize this effort have offered no alternative of their own. Because they are bereft of new ideas, they are content to carp from the sidelines. But left to their own devices, they would increase taxes on hard-working American families to grow the size of an already massive and wasteful government. The bottom line is that real solutions and responsible leadership are needed to balance the federal government's checkbook. By reforming government and renewing our commitment to hardworking American taxpayers, our plan will continue to reduce the deficit and expand the economy.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. James Reckner, Director of the Vietnam Center at Texas Tech University.

Dr. Reckner, a combat veteran who served two tours in Vietnam, is a dedicated historian who has created an internationally renowned program dedicated to all aspects of the Vietnam War. The main focus at the Vietnam Center has been the Virtual Vietnam Archive. Second only to the U.S. National Archives, Texas Tech University is home to one of the most complete collections of artifacts related to America's involvement in Southeast Asia.

Dr. Reckner's vision began in 1989 when he asked his freshman history class to name a general from the Vietnam War. He was amazed to discover that only 1 student out of 100 knew the name of General William C. Westmoreland, the commander of American military operations during the Vietnam War.

As a result, Dr. Reckner organized a meeting with a group of West Texas veterans to talk about what steps could be taken to preserve the stories, information, and lessons from the Vietnam conflict and pass them on to future generations. It was then that the Texas Tech Vietnam Center was born.

For 15 years, dedicated veterans, scholars and students have been collecting and preserving materials relating to the American Vietnam experience. The Virtual Vietnam Archive now contains more than 2 million pages of material. Earlier this year, James Harton, a Rating Specialist with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs sent a letter to U.S. Representative Steven Buyer, Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, outlining the successes of the archive. Mr. Harton wrote, ``Because of the documents provided by Texas Tech, I am often able to resolve a veteran's claim within fifteen minutes as opposed to the request sent to the USASCURR.'' Often times requests sent to the U.S. Armed Services Center for Unit Record Research take 6 to 12 months for a reply. With the help of Texas Tech's virtual archive, Mr. Harton has been able to resolve over 500 veteran's claims in the past four years.

America's men and women in the military give their time, and in many cases life and limb, to serve our country. Dr. Reckner served his country admirably during the Vietnam War. Today, he continues to serve this country and the memory of a significant time in American history. Thanks to his efforts, the Vietnam Center at Texas Tech University will assist future generations in remembering the Vietnam experience.

It is our duty to ensure that our children and grandchildren never forget our country's finest heroes and always know of their sacrifices. Their sacrifices and those of our military families serve as freedom's foundation. Without the brave efforts of all the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines and their families, our country would not stand so boldly, shine so brightly, and live so freely.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Old Jail Art Center in Albany, Texas on its 25th anniversary. The Art Center first opened on December 19, 1980 and, as the name indicates, is located in the first permanent jail built in Shackelford County. The historic location in combination with the excellent permanent art collection and other exhibits gives Albany an important cultural

center that receives over 30,000 visitors a year.

Texas Monthly magazine has called The Old Jail Art Center the best small-town museum in the state and it is easy to see why. It has a permanent collection of over 1900 works of art, including modem paintings by artists such as Thomas Hart Benton, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Pablo Picasso. The museum's Eastern Art Collection displays thirty- five Chinese terra-cotta tomb figures from the Han and T'ang dynasties. The Old Jail Art Center provides art education opportunities with 43 Big Country school districts. In addition, the museum offers historical archives and serves as a research library for Shackelford County. I am pleased to honor this full service art center that contributes to the cultural and educational opportunities for my constituents in the 19th Congressional District of Texas.

I would like to congratulate all those involved with making this museum such a success. The citizens of Albany and all Texans can be proud of the Old Jail Art Center and its programs.

Mr. Speaker, this year is the 40th anniversary of Medicare. Medicare has come a long way. Initially, it started off as a hospitalization policy. Later we added physician benefits and physician visits and even some tests. Now we have put the third leg of that stool on; and we are going, effective January 1, to add prescription drugs to Medicare, making Medicare now a full health care policy for our seniors.

The reason that Congress did this was because many times the physicians would prescribe prescriptions for our seniors, yet they would have to make a decision between buying food or the prescription. Congress did not think that was a good idea; and so effective January 1, seniors will have a prescription drug option. The sign-up begins next Tuesday, November 15. We encourage seniors to begin to go shopping.

I held a town hall meeting in Abilene, Texas, on Monday at the Rose Park Senior Center and encouraged our seniors to go shopping. One of the things that was so important about this new process was that we allowed seniors the ability to make their own choices and brought competition in it.

I urge our seniors to look very closely at this new great prescription drug benefit that has been provided for them.

Mr Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Drake) for recognizing me.

Mr. Speaker, I have had the great honor on two occasions since I have been in Congress to go to Iraq and Afghanistan. I went early in November of 2003 and then again back in March of this year. What a difference those months have made. One of the things that I was awestruck by was the amount of progress that has been made in the country of Iraq since the beginning of the war when we overthrew Saddam Hussein.

One of the things that I am puzzled by is that, when I go back to the district and start talking about how things are going in Iraq, my fellow Texans say, ``Randy, why do we not ever get to hear about that when we watch the news?''

You know, that is a really good question. One of the things that I think is

important for the American people to realize is the amount of progress that we have made over there. In a very short period of time, we have liberated Iraq from a terrible dictator, a killer, a murderer, and that country is moving forward to install a democratic government. That is happening. They have met every deadline that they have established for themselves.

In December, they will have a very important democratic election to elect their new parliament.

One of the other things that is going on that is so important is that the Iraqi people are participating in a major portion of the defense of their country. That is an important part of our strategy.

Our strategy is two-fold, to help the Iraqi people to learn to be able to defend their country themselves and also to help them move in a way to establish this democratic government.

I think it is a great tribute to our men and women that, just the other day, 63 percent of the Iraqi people turned out to vote. I wish in some of our elections 63 percent of Americans turned out.

You have to understand the conditions that these people turned out. Sixty-three million people turned out to vote in conditions where it was not snowing or raining, but they were risking their lives; and over 78 percent of those people so far have supported this new constitution.

On a recent trip back from Iraq we stopped in Amman, Jordan, where about 120 or 130 Iraqi women had risked their lives and driven to Amman, Jordan, to participate in a conference to learn how to participate in this new democracy that they are about to inherent.

And one of the things was I was sitting at the table with some of those women at lunch, and we were discussing different things about their coming and risking their lives to come to that. And I asked them, I said some people back home asked if the Iraqi people appreciate what the Americans have done for them, and the allied forces.

This one lady, I will never forget, with tears streaming down her eyes, she said, ``Mr. Congressman, you have to understand. We are mothers. We are wives. We are sisters. We are aunts. And we understand the huge price that mothers and sisters and wives and Americans have paid for our freedom. And we shall never forget.''

And it is important that America not forget the tremendous contribution that our young men and women are making. As I go around, I always take an opportunity to thank the families, because, right along with our men and women that are in harm's way, those families serve right beside them. They are back home holding down the fort, making sure the kids get to school, making sure the car gets fixed and the house is in repair. We cannot forget them.

On Saturday, unfortunately, I had the opportunity to have to go to a funeral in Dimmit, Texas, for Jacob Dones. J.J. he is called by his friends. But you know what? It was an opportunity to go and be a part to celebrate the life of a young hero.

As I travel back and forth to Iraq, one of the things that I am awestruck about is the enthusiasm and the dedication and the commitment that our young men and women have to the job that they are doing over there; and I always ask them, is there a message that you want me to take back home? And they say, ``Congressman, tell the folks back home what a great job we are doing and how important it is that we finish this job.''

To get back to Lubbock, Texas, and back into District 19 each week, I travel and I stop at DFW airport. There are always young men and women going and coming from the battlefield, and I always take an opportunity to say thank you for your service.

And one of the things that they start, without me even asking them, they say, ``Congressman, it is important that we finish this job.'' I wish you could see the children that are going to school, boys and girls that get to go to school now, and the fact that electricity is on in parts of the country that in the past it was not and that water systems are in place and that an economy is beginning to emerge in Iraq.

So, as I close and thank the gentlewoman for this opportunity, I want to say to our young men and women, thank you again. We pray for you. We are glad you are doing the job you are doing. We are proud of you. And to those families we say thank you, also.

So God bless them, and God bless America.

It is very humbling, and as we sat and participated with those Iraqi women and talked about, you know, how they began to participate in this democracy and whether it is at the local level or at the state level or at the parliament, but the commitment and the courage that they had already shown.

I think, as you have heard this story before if you have been to the theater, about the fact that the insurgents are now targeting the Iraqi people because they realize what is going on over there, that the Iraqi people have a hunger for this new gift that we have given them. So they are targeting these recruiting stations where some people were killed maybe the day before, and the very next day there will be long lines of young Iraqi men and women coming forth to serve.

It is very encouraging. I want the American people to know that they can be very proud of their soldiers.

I want to thank Chairman Hunter for arranging this Special Order Hour tonight as well as all of my colleagues who are taking the time tonight to honor our troops and show support for the brave Iraqi people.

Two and a half years ago, the United States military and its allies embarked on a difficult, yet noble mission: Rid the world of a murderous, lying, and unpredictable dictator and, by doing so, allow the people who had lived for so long under the shadow of totalitarianism to experience the light of freedom.

Our troops and the Iraqi people have risen to each challenge in front of them. Establishing a democracy takes persistence and dedication, and the Iraqi people continue to prove that they are capable of this tremendous task by meeting each deadline on the way to democracy.

Much progress has been made over the past 17 months on the political front. In June of 2004, the Coalition Forces handed over control of the country to Iraqis. A date of January 30, 2005, was set to hold democratic elections for a transitional government.

Despite the threats of terrorists attacking voters at the ballot box, millions of Iraqis turned out on January 30 for a historic democratic election.

This newly elected government was tasked with drafting a constitution and putting it up for a national referendum in October. Right on schedule, on October 15, millions of citizens from Iraq's eighteen provinces stood together to vote on a document that will guarantee and protect their rights and serve as a blueprint for their nation's future.

In this latest vote, 63 percent of Iraq's 15.5 million registered voters once again defied the threat of terrorist attacks and voted. The result: 78 percent of voters backed the constitution.

And the role of women in establishing this fledgling democracy should not be overlooked. In April, I took a trip to the Middle East, including Iraq. While on the trip I attended the Iraqi Women's Democracy Initiative Training Conference held in Jordan. At this conference, women came from all parts of Iraq. Many of the women tell me they were threatened because of their desire to come to the meeting. Several report that they were shot at. In total, about 130 women were in attendance.

These women were thankful. I told them that the folks back home want to know if the Iraqis appreciate what America has done.

They do, and they also realize the price that many Americans have paid. They said that they are mothers and wives themselves, and they know that mothers in America have lost sons, and wives have lost husbands.

The military has seen its share of successes as well. These successes began with the swift removal of Saddam Hussein from power and his ensuing capture, and have continued through the creation of Iraqi security forces.

One by one, Iraqi Army battalions have stood up and joined the fight to defend their homeland. By the end of October, a total of 206,500 Iraqi Security Forces have been trained and equipped.

Parts of the country that a few months ago were hotbeds of insurgency are now controlled by Iraqi forces.

Our military is now fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with their Iraqi counterparts to track down terrorists every day. Top al-Qaeda leaders have been caught or killed. Stockpiles of weapons and ammunition are being uncovered

Tough times--both politically and militarily--may still lie ahead for this young democracy. The terrorists will undoubtedly attempt to thwart the will of free people. And Iraqis will need to return to the polls in December to elect a full-term parliament.

However, the Iraqi people have met their challenges and have overcome obstacles at each step along the way. I am confident that as long as Iraq and its allies continue to stand up against terrorism, I am optimistic that more successes lie ahead.

The mainstream media has a habit of only reporting the bad news coming out of Iraq. So it can be tough for some Americans to remain optimistic about our efforts in Iraq. This would not be the case if everyone had the chance to talk with many of the brave men and women who are serving in Iraq.

Since the War began in 2003, I have visited Iraq twice. On each trip, I have had the opportunity to talk with our troops on the ground.

Let there be no misunderstanding: our troops are proud of their accomplishments. We should be too.

Because of our troops and the bravery and fortitude of the Iraqi people, young Iraqi boys and girls are attending schools.

Electricity is being restored to all parts of the country, not just the regions favored by a dictator. Iraqis are beginning to protect Iraqis.

Men and women are participating in the democratic process.

And, most importantly, a ruthless dictator who terrorized his own people and his neighbors, and who had shown a willingness to obtain and use the worst weapons known to man, is no longer in power and will stand trial for his crimes.

Let me end with this message to our troops and their families: We are proud of you, we thank you, and the American people continue to stand behind you.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Leach amendment. H.R. 1461 clearly stipulates that the new regulator for Fannie, Freddie, and the Home Loan Banks has the authority to increase the minimum capital levels ``to the extent needed to ensure that the regulated entities operate in a safe and sound manner.''

This is a broad grant of authority to this new regulator. The Leach amendment, however, begins to limit the discretion of the regulator by adding several competitive issues in the determination of the minimum capital.

The Leach amendment would effectively establish minimum capital at an arbitrary decision, by equating that to banks. Let us be very clear that these entities are not banks. One of the things that we need to make sure of is that if we are going to form a world-class regulator for these entities and that we are going to put in place people to manage that process and to regulate these entities, we need to give them the discretion that they need to make sure that as they set those capital levels that they are considering the economy, the state of the markets at that particular time, and have the ability to regulate to those entities and not try to make those entities something that they are not, and these entities are not banks.

The gentleman's amendment does not do anything to increase the safeness and the soundness of these institutions. By the very fact that the regulators will have the ability to do that, set those minimum capital levels at a level that they need to be, gives them the flexibility to do that.

And so I would urge Members to vote against the Leach amendment.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for organizing this important debate this evening.

I think what has been pointed out is there are some very important challenges facing this Congress and facing this Nation. We are defending America in the war on terror, both abroad and domestically. We are grappling with rising energy prices. We are trying to figure out how to get a lid on health care in our country and how we are going to continue to grow this economy and provide jobs for American citizens, as well as how we are going to deal with this catastrophic loss of property that has been experienced by these hurricanes.

There are those that want to say, well, we will just push that problem down the road for someone else; that this is just a little blip on the screen; that we do not need to pay for this relief. We will just borrow money. But those same people were the people that we are talking about that our deficits are rising at too fast a rate.

So what does this call for? It calls for a sound fiscal policy. It is what the American voters sent us to Congress to do. They sent us here to make these difficult choices, to make policy that makes sense, to make policy that they have to live with at home, and that is we have a certain amount of money coming in, and we have a certain amount of money to spend.

But what is interesting here, and it has been brought up tonight, and I want to reiterate it, is we do not have an income problem in our country, we have a spending problem. In fact, tax revenues, as the gentleman pointed out, have been increasing over the last few years, and, in fact, what we found is when we put more money back into the American taxpayers' pockets, they spent that. When the small businesses had more capital to invest in their businesses, they invested.

They created jobs and our economy is growing; and now, for that reason, our deficit this year is projected to be $80 billion to $100 billion less than what was originally projected.

But the problem is that our spending is growing faster than our economy. Currently, over the last 5 years, the Federal budget has been increasing at an annual rate of 6.3 percent. However, our economy has only been growing at an annual rate of 2.75 percent. So you do not have to be an economist to figure out that if the government is growing at this rate and the economy is growing at this rate, that we are never going to be able to balance our budget. So what it causes is for the Republican-led Congress to take action and to begin to work on this spending problem.

What you did not hear from the other side of the aisle tonight was any spending cuts, any program reform. What you heard is their solution is to continue to raise taxes for the American people and to take away the momentum that we have already given this economy by the fact that we are putting more money back in their pockets. What has happened because of these reductions in taxes is that the economy is now growing this year at 4.2 percent and that Federal tax revenues have risen $360 billion since 2003 and that a 22 percent reduction in the Federal deficit has occurred since 2004.

We have frozen nondefense discretionary spending. Now, I know we are using a lot of Washington kind of talk.

So what is discretionary spending? That is the spending each year that Congress gets to vote on. So each year, the budget chairman brings before the Congress and the appropriations chairman, they bring a plan of how to spend the American taxpayers' money, and we get to vote on that, and we have made progress on that. But let me tell you where the real problem is in our country. The programs that were put in place many, many years ago are growing at such a fast rate, and these are programs that we do not get to vote on on an annual basis, so we go through this process called reconciliation.

What is reconciliation? Well, really what that is is how we look into that budget and say, are these programs relevant today and should we or could we do something to stem the rate of growth. Now, the colleagues on the other side talked tonight about all the cutting we are doing. What we are doing is we are talking about slowing the accelerator down. We are talking about reducing the rate of increase, reducing the rate of government. That is why we are going to go through this process.

What we are doing, just talking about over the next 5 years, is finding at least $35 billion, because as the gentleman made the point awhile ago, we are spending $7.257 trillion in 2006 alone. So how do we do that?

Well, one of the things that I have proposed, as the gentleman alluded to, is to look at some ways to offset say some of the spending that we are going to have to do for those devastated areas in the gulf coast. By the way, I have been to the gulf coast, and I have seen that devastation and I have seen what has happened to the lives of those people down there; and, certainly, there is a role for the Federal Government, but there is also a role for the private sector down there. What we need to make sure of is that the Federal Government does not preempt the private sector's ability to go down and make sure that we begin to rebuild those communities.

There is a little box that you checked when you did your tax return in April, and it says, I want to give $3 to the Presidential campaign. You know what? The American people less and less and less have thought it was a good idea to give money to Presidential campaigns and to their conventions. So I have introduced a bill that would allow the deletion of the payment to political campaigns and to the parties' conventions. Hey, let us spend that money for our efforts in Iraq. Let us spend that money for relief for Katrina, or maybe let us use that money to pay down debt, instead of putting monies into political campaigns. In fact, the campaigns themselves have started turning down that money because they feel like that leaves them at a disadvantage, and so many of the major campaigns over the last few years have not even used that money and turned it down.

So we can save $200 million alone by just saying to the political parties, hey, go raise your own funds.

So what we are talking about tonight is in that quest to balance the budget and not leave our future generations with a debt they cannot pay, we are talking about slowing down the rate of growth in our government. We are talking about getting the rate of growth of government to coincide with the rate of growth of our economy.

As a small note, I started a little tradition a few years ago with my grandsons, and each evening when I come home, I put the change in a little coffee can, and when the coffee can gets full, we go down to the toy store, and we count how much money we have in the coffee can. So my 2 grandsons, who are 5 and 7, we go into that toy store knowing how much money we have to spend. They are 5 and 7 and they already understand how much money they have to spend. So they ask what each item that they are looking for might cost, and they try to figure up, do they have enough money to buy that purchase. Some of those purchases are more than they have, so they cannot make that purchase.

That is what the American taxpayers expect the United States Congress to do. It is a concept that 5- and 7-year-olds understand, and it is certainly a concept that Members of the United States Congress need to understand. We cannot afford not to have this debate. I welcome the other side to come up with some solutions and some ideas on how we can reduce this rate of growth of our government, because our future generations are depending on it.

Madam Speaker, I yield back to the gentleman from Texas.

That is correct. The State of Texas is looking for innovative ways to make sure that we cut down on the waste, fraud, and abuse and also to deliver that service in the most cost-effective way.

The gentleman is correct. Because what happens is when we begin to think outside the box and be creative and innovative, what we actually do is we save the taxpayers money, but we also at the same time generate more program money for those people that really need those benefits.

Mr. Speaker, Lance Armstrong won an unprecedented seventh Tour de France race over the weekend. His life, both on and off the race track, is a great example of hard work and perseverance. Albert Carey Caswell, a U.S. Capitol Tour Guide, who is also a prolific poet, wrote the following poem in tribute to Lance Armstrong and his accomplishments. I believe that reading this poem will provide encouragement and inspiration to my colleagues as we consider Mr. Armstrong's great accomplishments.

A Real Fine Tour De Force of Life

With Heart and Soul, Body and Mind . . . and Legs and Armstrong

This force, this presence . . . which guides us along life's

path and roads . . .

Directing us from deep down within . . . this burning force,

which lasts in life we follow as we go.

As emanating, from so very deep within our very souls, this

voice . . . of this our chosen goal, of this our life's

Tour De Force of Life as shows!

While, riding along life's roads,

As there upon our paths as rode, embarking on this journey we

call life . . . as ever onward we go . . .

To win the race of life, we all must follow a code of courage

and sacrifice . . . until, approaching our final

nights, upon this our earth as rode.

For in the game of life, there is but one thing which makes

us bright . . . of which makes us all contenders.

Just one difference between winning and losing . . . for it's

``The Heart'' from which all great things are so

rendered!

For True Champions come in all shapes and sizes . . . but,

it's what's found within their hearts as where lies

their true and golden splendor . . .

While, traveling through life's country sides,

As over her mountain tops we climb, as along life's rivers

which we wind . . . as by her we glide . . .

In this our most valiant of quests, To Be The Best . . . as

before us so lies the answer so . . . Of this great

test, within our hearts inside . . .

Do we get up when we fall down?

While, upon each new stage in this race called life . . . do

our hearts burn bright in our souls as found?

For in this our greatest of quests, To Be The Best . . . will

we one day because of these our precious gifts, perhaps

be so Heaven bound?

In Life . . . to go for the Gold!

To cheat death, to reach down inside of yourself as your soul

stretch . . . until, none is left, oh, so very bold!

To be a true Champion, To be The Best, to rewrite history and

the records books while upon our life's valiant quest .

. . as Lance so-Gold.

A True Great Champion . . . among just mere men.

A winner, a man of courage . . . of passion . . . of fury and

heart . . . from the start . . . to the middle . . .

until, the very end!

A man who knows but only one creed . . . who knows no bounds

. . . to push the envelope as he is found . . . as his

quest for victory never so ends!

A Real Fine Tour De Force of Life . . . A Real Tour De France

. . . as is this Tour De Lance!

A True Terminator, among his fellow athletes as a most

historic creator . . . as ever onward he'll advance . .

.

For there is no mountain too steep for him to climb, no cure

too sharp for him to ride in time . . . with but one

thing on his mind, that Golden Chance!

With Heart and Soul . . . Body and Mind . . . and Legs and

Armstrong!

As this great American Hero, has shown to this our world . .

. why, with his character he so belongs . . .

For in Sir Lancelot, we see this Valiant Knight of Courage's

Quest . . . reaching deep down into our souls, as with

his tests . . . his sweet life's song!

While, there looking into the very face of death!

Pedaling uphill, how Lance achieved the ultimate victory . .

. while ``cheating death''. . . in his most valiant of

all quests . . .

But not to lull, but to move ever forward somehow . . . on so

courageously now . . . while, to this our world he's

shown his very best!

And, as Lance rides onward into history. . .

My child, I bid you to learn and see . . . and glean from his

life lessons, all about what's within a heart you need!

What it takes to wind and to succeed, about hope and faith,

about character and courage and dedication within great

hearts within you to succeed.

In traveling down the road of life,

For in Lance, we so see A Great Fine Tour De Force of Life,

to so carry with us in our hearts about God and Faith

and Sacrifice!

A true celebration of the Heart and Soul of Courage and Faith

. . . and it's true fine worth in Gold, this his A Fine

Tour De Force of Life!

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the USA PATRIOT Act. Nearly four years ago and shortly after terrorists maliciously killed thousands of Americans on September 11, 2001, Congress passed the PATRIOT Act. This act provides law enforcement officials the tools they need to save lives and protect this country from future terrorist attacks. Today, we are at a critical point as Congress considers extending 16 important provisions of the law.

I have looked carefully at the law and I have heavily weighed the constitutional questions some have raised. In the end, I wholeheartedly support all 16 provisions. I believe that the tools provided under the law are consistent with our long cherished values and consistent with our rights under the Constitution.

I especially support the provisions which take important steps to ensure information sharing and cooperation among government agencies. By providing these necessary tools, the PATRIOT Act builds a culture of prevention and makes certain that our government's resources are dedicated to defending the safety and security of the American people.

For decades, terrorists have waged war against freedom, democracy, and U.S. interests. Now America is leading the global war against terrorism. As President Bush has said, ``Free people will set the course of history.''

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to return to Washington, DC, in time for votes on Monday, July 11, due to official congressional business in Texas. I testified yesterday, before the Base Realignment and Closure, BRAC, Commission meeting in San Antonio in support of Dyess Air Force Base which is located in my congressional district. As a result, I missed rollcall votes Nos. 363 and 364. Had I been present I would have voted ``aye'' on both votes:

Rollcall vote No. 363: H. Con. Res. 168--Condemning the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for the abductions and continued captivity of citizens of the Republic of Korea and Japan as acts of terrorism and gross violations of human rights; and

Rollcall vote No. 364: H. Res. 333--Supporting the goals and ideals of a National Weekend of Prayer and Reflection for Darfur, Sudan.

Mr. Chairman, my amendment will prohibit the National Institute of Mental Health from further funding two grants whose research falls outside the mission set by NIMH. The amendment would not reduce overall research funding. Rather, it would focus the funding toward serious mental health issues.

According to NIMH, its goal is to ``reduce the burden of mental illness and behavioral disorders'' and prevent ``disabling conditions that affect millions of Americans.''

This is a noble goal. Serious mental health diseases such as autism and Alzheimers do affect the lives of many Americans. And finding cures and treatments for these debilitating diseases is something we all hope for.

This is why I was curious when I saw that two NIMH grants have been going on for years that do not focus on our most pressing mental health issues.

For nearly 15 years, more than $1.5 million has been awarded to study ``Perceptual Bases of Visual Concepts.'' According to NIMH, this study trains pigeons to distinguish between natural and man made objects.

Now on its fifth year, a second study has spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to determine how the self-esteem of newlyweds affects their marriage. Now, I am a fan of marriage. In fact, I have actively participated in one for 35 years. But what does this research contribute to the effort to find better treatment, or even a cure, for Alzheimers or autism or Schizophrenia? Whatever scientific merits these research projects may have, they are not directed at serious mental health disorders.

Sending millions of dollars to research that falls outside the mission of NIMH is problematic enough. However, this problem is compounded when you look at the list of grants that have been rejected over the same time period. If you look at the list, you will find grant after grant which specifically targets serious mental health diseases, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

According to a 2003 study done by a group of mental health professionals and entitled, ``A Federal Failure in Psychiatric Research,'' only 1 out of every 17, 2002 research grants is reasonably likely to improve the treatment and quality of life for individuals presently affected by serious mental health illness.

Some here today may feel hesitant about ending these grants. But, ladies and gentleman, as members of Congress, we must become better stewards of taxpayer dollars.

I urge my colleagues to support research on serious mental health issues by supporting the Neugebauer amendment.