Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 80) authorizing the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for an event to celebrate the birthday of King Kamehameha.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous matter on the concurrent resolution now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution authorizes the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for the birthday celebration of King Kamehameha.

King Kamehameha is credited with unifying all the islands of Hawaii into the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810. During his rule, he established trade with other countries, promoted agriculture, and reigned in peace after the unification until his death in 1819.

In honor of his lasting legacy to the people of Hawaii, every year he is remembered in a statewide celebration for his accomplishments as King. The celebration will be on a Sunday so it won't disrupt the use of the CVC or tours of the Capitol.

I urge Members to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Hawaii, the sponsor of the resolution, Ms. Mazie Hirono.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie).

Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega).

(Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to pass this resolution honoring King Kamehameha, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library held its organizational meeting for the 111th Congress on Thursday, April 23, 2009. I am honored that the committee elected me its chairman. I look forward to working with my committee colleagues to discharge the panel's responsibilities.

As required by the rules adopted by the committee, I submit those rules for publication in the Record:

Rules of Procedure of the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library,

111th Congress

title i--meetings of the committee

1. Regular meetings may be called by the chairman, with the

concurrence of the vice-chairman, as may be deemed necessary

or pursuant to the provision of paragraph 3 of rule XXVI of

the Standings Rules of the Senate.

2. Meetings of the committee, including meetings to conduct

hearings, shall be open to the public, except that a meeting

or series of meetings by the committee on the same subject

for a period of no more that 14 calendar days may be closed

to the public on a motion made and seconded to go into closed

session to discuss only whether the matters enumerated in

subparagraphs (A) through (F) would require the meeting to be

closed followed immediately by a recorded vote in open

session by a majority of the members of the committee when it

is determined that the matters to be discussed or the

testimony to be taken at such meeting or meetings--

(A) will disclose matters necessary to be kept secret in

the interests of national defense or the confidential conduct

of the foreign relations of the United States;

(B) will relate solely to matters of the committee staff

personal or internal staff management or procedures;

(C) will tend to charge an individual with a crime or

misconduct, to disgrace or injure the professional standing

of an individual, or otherwise to expose an individual to

public contempt or obloquy, or will represent a clearly

unwarranted invasion of privacy of an individual;

(D) will disclose the identity of any informer or law

enforcement agent or will disclose any information relating

to the investigation or prosecution of a criminal offense

that is required to be kept secret in the interest of

effective law enforcement;

(E) will disclose information relating to the trade secrets

or financial or commercial information pertaining

specifically to a given person if--

(1) an Act of Congress requires the information to kept

confidential by Government officers and employees; or

(2) the information has been obtained by the Government on

a confidential basis, other than through an application by

such person for a specific Government financial or other

benefit, and is required to be kept secret in order to

prevent undue injury to the benefit, and is required to be

kept secret in order to prevent undue injury to the

competitive position of such person; or

(F) may divulge matters required to kept confidential under

the provisions of law or Government regulation. (Paragraph

5(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate.)

3. Written notices of committee meetings will normally be

sent by the committee's staff director to all members at

least 3 days in advance. In addition, the committee staff

will email or telephone reminders of committee meetings to

all members of the committee or to the appropriate staff

assistants in their offices.

4. A copy of the committee's intended agenda enumerating

separate items of committee business will normally be sent to

all members of the committee by the staff director at least 1

day in advance of all meetings. This does not preclude any

member of the committee from raising appropriate non-agenda

topics.

5. Any witness who is to appear before the committee in any

hearing shall file with the clerk of the committee at least 3

business days before the date of his or her appearance, a

written statement of his or her proposed testimony and an

executive summary thereof, in such form as the chairman may

direct, unless the chairman waived such a requirement for

good cause.

title ii--quorums

1. Pursuant to paragraph 7(a)(1) of rule XXVI of the

Standing Rules, 4 members of the committee shall constitute a

quorum.

2. Pursuant to paragraph 7(a)(2) of rule XXVI of the

Standing Rules, 2 members of the committee shall constitute a

quorum for the purpose of taking testimony; provided,

however, once a quorum is established, any one member can

continue to take such testimony.

3. Under no circumstance may proxies be considered for the

establishment of a quorum.

title iii--voting

1. Voting in the committee on any issue will normally be by

voice vote.

2. If a third of the members present so demand, a recorded

vote will be taken on any question by rollcall.

3. The results of the rollcall votes taken in any meeting

upon a measure, or any amendment thereto, shall be stated in

the committee report on that measure unless previously

announced by the committee, and such report or announcement

shall include a tabulation of the votes cast in favor and the

votes cast in opposition to each measure and amendment by

each member of the committee. (Paragraph 7(b) and (c) of rule

XXVI of the Standing Rules.)

4. Proxy voting shall be allowed on all measures and

matters before the committee. However, the vote of the

committee to report a measure or matters shall require the

concurrence of a majority of the members of the committee who

are physically present at the time of the vote. Proxies will

be allowed in such cases solely for the purpose of recording

a member's position on the question and then only in those

instances when the absentee committee member has been

informed of the question and has affirmatively requested that

he be recorded. (Paragraph 7(a)(3) of rule XXVI of the

Standing Rules.)

title iv--delegation and authority to the chairman and vice chairman

1. The chairman and vice chairman are authorized to sign

all necessary vouchers and routine papers for which the

committee's approval is required and to decide in the

committee's behalf on all routine business.

2. The chairman is authorized to engage commercial

reporters for the preparation of transcripts of committee

meetings and hearings.

3. The chairman is authorized to issue, on behalf of the

committee, regulations normally promulgated by the committee

at the beginning of each session.

Madam Speaker, the GPO is currently distributing copies of the latest edition of the U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual, the first revision to this authoritative style guide since 2000.

The GPO Style Manual, as it is popularly known, is issued under the authority of section 1105 of Title 44 of the U.S. Code, which requires the Public Printer, as head of the GPO, to ``determine the form and style in which the printing . . . ordered by a department is executed . . . having proper regard to economy, workmanship, and the purposes for which the work is needed.'' The Manual is prepared by the GPO Style Board, composed of proofreading, printing, and Government documents specialists from within GPO, where all congressional publications and many other key Federal Government documents are produced.

The first GPO Style Manual appeared in 1894. It was developed originally as a printer's stylebook to standardize word and type treatment and remains so today. Through successive editions, however, the GPO Style Manual has come to be widely recognized by writers and editors both within and outside the Federal Government as one of the most useful resources in the editorial arsenal.

The new edition of the GPO Style Manual has been thoroughly redesigned to make it more modern and easier to read, and the content has been updated generally throughout in keeping with current usage. In addition, a variety of suggestions offered by users since the last edition was published have been incorporated. In addition to Members of Congress, copies are being distributed to Federal agencies and Federal depository libraries, and are being offered for sale to the public. There is also a free online version of the Manual at http:// www.gpoaccess.gov/stylemanual/index.html.

As Chairman of the Joint Committee on Printing during the 110th Congress, when the new edition of the Style Manual was prepared, I commend the staff of the GPO for the production of this handsome volume, and I commend its use to my colleagues and their staffs in both this House and the Senate.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 749) to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to permit candidates for election for Federal office to designate an individual who will be authorized to disburse funds of the authorized campaign committees of the candidate in the event of the death of the candidate.

Mr. Speaker I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous matter on the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 749, a bill to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act. This bill will allow Federal election candidates to designate someone to disburse their campaign funds in the event of their death. The candidate would simply file an appropriate form with the FEC and could also revoke or change the designee at any time.

H.R. 749 will assure candidates for Federal office that the funds raised by their campaign committees will be distributed in accordance with their express wishes after they are deceased.

H.R. 749 is a commonsense fix to the Federal Election Campaign Act. It would provide clear direction to campaign treasurers, who face a wide range of conflicting and confusing State laws. I urge all Members to support this legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

I would also like to thank Walter Jones for this make-sense resolution. I am in favor of this resolution and urge an ``aye'' vote.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1679) to provide for the replacement of lost income for employees of the House of Representatives who are members of a reserve component of the armed forces who are on active duty for a period of more than 30 days, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous matter on this bill now under consideration.

I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1679 will replace lost income for military reservists working for the House of Representatives when they are activated for more than 30 days. I introduced this bill after discussion with several House employees who also serve as members of armed services. When they are called up, these men and women must leave their homes, families and jobs, often for an undetermined and unpredictable amount of time.

While on active duty, men and women earn the wages of full-time servicemen and forfeit their regular salary. Many leading companies have helped families survive during this troubling time by paying the difference between their usual salary and their active-duty pay.

This bill would do the same thing for House employees. It requires the CAO to provide that supplement for House employees when they are activated involuntarily. This is a good bill that honors the devoted public service of House employees who not only serve as stewards of the democracy at home but as her defender abroad.

I thank the ranking member, Mr. Lungren, Mr. McCarthy and now Mr. Harper for working with us on this legislation. I urge all Members to support it.

I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives, Committee on Standards of

Official Conduct,

Washington, DC, April 21, 2009.

Hon. Robert A. Brady,

Chairman, Committee on House Administration, House of

Representatives, Longworth House Office Building,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Brady: We write to you regarding H.R. 1679,

the ``House Reservists Pay Adjustment Act of 2009.''

H.R. 1679 contains provisions that fall within the

jurisdiction of the Committee on Standards of Official

Conduct. Specifically, Clause 8 of House Rule XXIII (the Code

of Official Conduct), is amended to provide a new paragraph

``(d)'', providing that ``[n]othing in this clause may be

construed to prohibit the disbursement or receipt of any

payment authorized under section 2 of the House Reservists

Pay Adjustment Act of 2009.'' We write to confirm the mutual

understanding of the Committee on House Administration and

the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct that this

provision does not waive, reduce, or otherwise affect the

jurisdiction of the Committee on Standards of Official

Conduct to exercise its jurisdiction in this area in the

future.

We recognize and appreciate your desire to bring this

legislation before the House in an expeditious manner and,

accordingly, we do not plan to act on this bill prior to its

consideration on the Floor. However, we agree to waive

consideration of this bill with the mutual understanding that

our decision to forgo action on the bill does not waive,

reduce, or otherwise affect the jurisdiction of the Committee

on Standards of Official Conduct over certain provisions in

Mr. Speaker, I urge an ``aye'' vote, and I yield back the balance of time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 586) to direct the Librarian of Congress and the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution to carry out a joint project at the Library of Congress and the National Museum of African American History and Culture to collect video and audio recordings of personal histories and testimonials of individuals who participated in the Civil Rights movement, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the bill now under consideration.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 586, which would create the Civil Rights History Project. The bill directs the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution, through the Museum of African American History and Culture, to collaborate and establish an oral history project. This joint venture will collect and preserve audio and video recordings by participants in the civil rights movement.

A fundamental principle of our American democracy is that individuals stand up for their rights and beliefs, and pursue justice through peaceful action. Many who participated in the civil rights movement did so at great personal sacrifice. Their actions were heroic and tireless and challenged the practice of racial segregation in the Nation. They challenged the status quo and won equal rights for all American citizens.

Much of this history has never been written down from the perspective of those who were there. As these pioneers age, it is important that their memories of events are documented so that future generations can witness their testimony regarding the lives and times of that era. This bill would ensure that the record of this important period of our Nation's history is not lost.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I submit the following Committee report regarding H.R. 586:

Mr. Speaker, I urge an ``aye'' vote.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 86) authorizing the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for the unveiling of a bust of Sojourner Truth.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the concurrent resolution now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, this bill authorizes the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for the unveiling of a bust of Sojourner Truth.

Born Isabella Baumfree in 1791 in upstate New York, Sojourner Truth is one of the lasting icons of the dark ages of slavery and an important symbol of the resiliency of the human spirit.

A slave for more than 20 years, Baumfree escaped to freedom in 1826, a year before the New York State Emancipation Act was passed. In 1843, Baumfree changed her name to Sojourner Truth, citing a religious awakening. For more than 40 years, Truth traveled the country preaching religious tolerance, pacifism and gender equality.

Sojourner Truth's lasting legacy is now being recognized in the form of a bust commissioned by Congress. Her image will grace Emancipation Hall, serving as a reminder of our capacity to change and our willingness to endure. I urge passage of this resolution to honor her history.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would now like to yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee), the author of the resolution.

(Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman.

I thank the gentlewoman for her remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate joint resolution (S.J. Res. 8) providing for the appointment of David M. Rubenstein as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous matter on the joint resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, S.J. Res. 8 would appoint David Rubenstein as one of the public regents to serve on the Board of Regents for the Smithsonian Institution. The Board of Regents has nominated him to join their ranks, and legislation appointing him has been sponsored by all of the members who serve on the board.

Mr. Rubenstein is a co-founder and managing director of the Carlyle Group, one of the world's largest private equity firms. He holds an undergraduate degree from Duke University and a law degree from the University of Chicago. Before co-founding the Carlyle Group over 20 years ago, he had a distinguished career as an attorney in private practice, at the White House, and here on Capitol Hill.

Mr. Rubenstein also has a long history of giving back to the community. He serves on the boards of three of our Nation's most prestigious universities, as well as the Lincoln and Kennedy Centers for the Performing Arts and numerous other charities. He has demonstrated his service on the boards of the Museum of American History and the Museum of Natural History.

The members of the Committee on House Administration had an opportunity to meet with Mr. Rubenstein before bringing this nomination to the floor. We appreciated his thoughts regarding the future of the institution, and we are confident that he will be a positive addition to the board.

I urge the passage of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 101) providing for the acceptance of a statue of Ronald Wilson Reagan from the people of California for placement in the United States Capitol.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous matter on the resolution now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution provides for the acceptance of a statue of Ronald Reagan from the State of California and authorizes the use of the Capitol Rotunda for an unveiling ceremony. Title II of the United States Code allows for each State to choose no more than two statues to represent that State in the Statuary Hall collection. The State of California has chosen to replace the statue of Thomas Starr King. The new statue represents Ronald Reagan, who served as President of the United States from 1981 to 1989. I urge that the House pass this resolution for the ceremony acceptance of the statue.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve my time.

Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve.

Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve my time.

I will continue to reserve, Mr. Speaker.

I reserve the balance of my time.

No, I don't.

Mr. Speaker, I urge an ``aye'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 54) permitting the use of the Rotunda of the Capitol for a ceremony as part of the commemoration of the days of remembrance of victims of the Holocaust.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks in the Record and to include extraneous matter.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, this concurrent resolution provides for the use of the Capitol Rotunda on April 23, 2009, as part of the commemoration to honor the memory of the victims of the Holocaust. I support the resolution and thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman) for sponsoring it.

Mr. Speaker, the Holocaust is one of the most shameful and horrifying events of human history. It is imperative that we honor the memory of those who died so senselessly and provide them their due recognition.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 151) to establish the Daniel Webster Congressional Clerkship Program.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks in the Record on this bill and include extraneous materials.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H.R. 151, which would establish the Daniel Webster Congressional Clerkship Program. This program would bring the most talented law school graduates across the country to Washington, D.C., and offer them an opportunity to be employed as congressional clerks in the House of Representatives or the Senate.

This program is modeled after the judicial clerkships offered in the Federal courts. H.R. 151 would offer no fewer than six 1-year clerkships in each Chamber. The clerks would be apportioned equally between majority and minority offices within each Chamber. H.R. 151 would give recent law grads invaluable insight into the functions and operations of the Federal legislature, and I urge my colleagues to support this program.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Zoe Lofgren), my colleague.

Mr. Speaker, I also urge all Members to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1299) to make technical corrections to the laws affecting certain administrative authorities of the United States Capitol Police, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous matter on the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

I am pleased to present the Capitol Police Administrative Technical Corrections Act of 2009.

As its title suggests, H.R. 1299 is not intended to make substantive policy changes for the Capitol Police. It corrects drafting errors, modernizes outdated terms, and repeals redundant and inconsistent provisions already on the books. My favorite correction is the long overdue repeal of the 1868 law requiring Capitol Police officers to buy their own uniforms. Congress decided years ago to provide the uniforms but has never repealed the 1868 law.

Chief Phillip Morse requested most of these corrections; the committee found others. The bill has the support of Chief Morse and our House Sergeant-at-Arms Wilson Livingood. The House passed a similar bill last fall, which failed to pass the Senate before final adjournment.

It was a pleasure to work with the gentleman from California (Mr. Daniel E. Lungren) and his staff on this measure, and I urge an ``aye'' vote.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge an ``aye'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I call up House Resolution 303 and ask unanimous consent for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I send a resolution to the desk and ask unanimous consent for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 294, I call up House Resolution 279 and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 279.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

House Resolution 279 is the primary expense resolution to fund the standing and select committees of the House for the 111th Congress.

Every 2 years, Congress must decide how much money its committees will spend. The Committee on House Administration holds hearings on the needs of the committees for the entire Congress. We then write a resolution to authorize funding for those committees. During our hearings on February 11 and 25, we heard from all the chairmen and most of the ranking members from other committees.

Let me describe what we have done with this amendment to the funding resolution. Over the last Congress, the committees of the House conducted far more hearings and did far more work than in recent years. They did all this without an increase in funding. Last Congress we were not even able to keep up with inflation. All of the committees have been struggling to operate on limited funds, and they have even more work to do in this Congress because of the challenges of our economic situation and other legislative priorities.

At the same time, we know that the economic status of the Nation means that we must do more with less. So we are not going to be able to give the committees all the funds they have requested, the amounts stated in the resolution as introduced.

In general, this substitute gives each committee for 2009 the lower of either the amount they requested, or an increase of 4.78 percent over their funding in 2008. That percent equals the cost-of-living increase for Federal employees in D.C. for 2009.

There are a few exceptions in this substitute. First, we have provided additional funds to the Judiciary Committee to undertake its mandated inquiry into judicial impeachment, which is not an ordinary cost of that committee. Next, the Energy and Commerce Committee, the Financial Services Committee, and the Small Business Committee have each undertaken extra responsibilities this Congress. These three committees have special legislative duties to deal with our financial situation, our health care, and our energy policy.

The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct will receive additional money as well, reflecting their request and our commitment to ethics oversight.

Finally, we have not increased funding over 2008 for the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. That committee had substantial funds left over in 2008. In addition, we have already expanded the oversight work of all committees in this Congress by amending the House rules in H. Res. 40.

When you add it all up, this keeps the total committee funding for 2009 at just 4.78 percent over the total funding from 2008.

In 2010, the committees will receive an across-the-board increase of 3.9 percent which, in our estimation, an inflationary increase is needed to keep staffs paid in the coming year.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I'd like to just tell my dear friend from California that I don't need glasses either. I just need longer arms.

I'd like to recognize for such time as she may consume the chairwoman of the Standards of Official Conduct Committee, the gentlelady from California (Ms. Zoe Lofgren).

I yield such time as he may consume to a colleague on the Committee of House Administration, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Capuano).

I recognize the gentlelady from New York, the chairwoman of the Small Business Committee, Ms. Velazquez, for such time as she may consume.

Mr. Speaker, this is a tough bill. None of us on either side of the aisle want to tell our colleagues ``no,'' and we also have to have the responsibility of making sure that we can tighten our belt and let the citizens of the United States of America know that we are not out there just spending freely. It is a tough bill to calculate, it is a tough bill to come up with the right, proper figures that we need to make all our committees' work viable and do the job that they need to do. They do a tremendous job, and much more work than they had in the past Congress due to the economy of the United States of America that we are in right now.

But we wouldn't be up here and be able to do this without cooperation, so I would like to thank my ranking member, my friend from California, for all the cooperation that he has given. It wasn't easy. It wasn't an easy fight. We do converse back and forth. We do talk. We don't always agree, but we are not disagreeable, and we made that pact and we are going to keep that pact. And not only with my colleague on the other side of the aisle, the ranking member, Mr. Lungren from California, but his staff and our staff.

It is a tough thing to do, tough to crunch these numbers. Every time they show them to me, without a doubt when I am done looking at them I get a headache, and I give them back to them to give them more headaches, on our side of the aisle and on their side of the aisle.

It's a tough bill to do, but we had to do it. And we had to do it by today, or tomorrow it would really be April Fools for all of us because we would be out of business in our committees, which would essentially shut this House down.

So, Mr. Speaker, again, I thank my colleague for his support and his cooperation, and I am looking forward to continued support and cooperation.

I urge all Members to vote in favor of this resolution so the committees can continue to do the essential work of the Congress.

I yield back the balance of my time.