Floor Statements

Mr Speaker, I rise today to commend and honor the Hardenbergh Insurance Agency for 50 years of venerable and dedicated service to the families and business of our region. Since its founding in 1954 by the late Richard C. Hardenbergh, the Hardenbergh Insurance Agency has expanded its services to provide commercial business insurance, health benefits, personal insurance, bonding, and risk management services. The agency currently covers a wide range of prestigious clients including public entities, private businesses, not- for-profit groups, real estate owners, school districts, and others.

In recognition of the agency's admirable growth, Richard J. Hardenbergh, son of the late Richard C. Hardenbergh, has changed the agency's name to the Hardenbergh Insurance Group on its fiftieth anniversary. Under the direction of Richard J. Hardenbergh, this agency operates as a family and has established a considerable reputation of good will and professionalism within their industry and New Jersey. Hardenbergh Insurance Group serves as an inspiration within its industry, and indeed to all businesses of the great Nation of the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the retirement of Chaplain (Major) Floyd L. White III from the United States Army Reserve, and to recognize his years of service to his community and country.

Chaplain White served his country for 20 proud years, from June 4, 1983, to November 7, 2003. His role in the U.S. Army Reserve took him across the country and across the world. He served as a Battalion Chaplain for the 457th and 451st Chemical Battalions in Greenville, SC, and as a Brigade Chaplain for two brigades at Fort Dix, NJ. He served overseas in South Korea in Operation Team Spirit in 1990, and in 2001 he served in a Warfighter Exercise in Grafenwoehr, Germany.

Chaplain White is also a dedicated and motivated community leader. He is the Pastor of the Woodland Avenue Presbyterian Church in Camden, NJ, and is President of the Woodland Community Development Corporation. He serves on the boards of the Cooper University Hospital Foundation, the United Way of Camden County, the Camden Eye Center, and the Cooper Ferry Camden Waterfront Development Board.

Mr. Speaker, it is a great privilege to honor Chaplain White today. He embodies the American spirit of service to one's family, community, and country. I thank him for his dedicated service and wish Chaplain Floyd White all the best in his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to praise the Government of Cyprus for its recent decision to take a monumental step towards peace and reunification of the island. Yesterday marked the beginning of the Cyprus Government's initiative to clear all Cyprus National Guard minefields within the buffer zone that divides the island.

Over the next year, an estimated 2,300 mines will be cleared from eight minefields--an area that covers more than 100 miles. Ever since the Turkish invasion more than 30 years ago--and today with Turkey's continued occupation--Cyprus has been a country that has struggled to achieve peace. The Government of Cyprus' endorsement of this program demonstrates its strong commitment to break down the physical barriers that separate Greek Cypriots from their Turkish Cypriot compatriots.

Further, the program illustrates the government's broader commitment to the international community as it joins the international fight against mine proliferation, and supports the United Nations Policy of Mine Action.

The Cyprus Government has been working with the United Nations Peace Keeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) since January 2002 in order to enact this de-mining project, and it should be praised for this dedication and tenacity.

I wish to make special note that these actions are being taken unilaterally by the Republic of Cyprus. Unfortunately, the Turkish side has not yet agreed to the de-mining of 27 minefields in the buffer zone laid by the Turkish occupation forces. We can only hope that the Turkish side will someday join the Government of Cyprus in taking this necessary step towards removing these dangerous explosives.

Recent statements by the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr. Mehmet Ali Talat, that the Turkish side intends to proceed with the destruction of its minefields in the buffer zone are encouraging. It is my strong wish that the Turkish occupation forces decide to go ahead with the de- mining process, as this would be a positive development that could contribute to further reducing the tension on the island.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Gloucester City Open Access Learning (GOAL) Center at the Mary Ethel

Costello School in Gloucester City, New Jersey, as well as its staff and participants. With funding from the 21st Century Community Learning Center program at the Department of Education, the Camden County United Way, and the Bureau of Child Nutrition at the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, the GOAL Center provides valuable services and opportunities to children and families in my district.

Housed at the Mary Ethel Costello School and also open to students from the St. Mary's Elementary School, the heart of the GOAL Center's programming takes place in the after school hours. Children in grades four through six participate in organized recreation and exercise followed by nutritious snacks which are provided in cooperation with the Bureau of Child Nutrition. The students then receive homework assistance, and take part in other types of tutoring and enrichment activities. The Center also hosts special events, such as field trips to museums, plays, and libraries, movie showings, and game tournaments, as a reward for the hard work the students do during the week.

In addition, the GOAL Center's positive community programming extends beyond the elementary school students. Computer classes and arts enrichment courses, taught by personnel from Camden County College, are offered for families and their children. Camden County College staff also teach free college courses to both parents and high school juniors and seniors in the evenings, and parents can participate in parenting workshops offered in cooperation with the Camden County United Way. These sessions are designed to give information about helping children deal with change, such as starting school, divorce, moving, and other potentially stressful events.

Those who choose to participate in the GOAL Center's programming have demonstrated a clear dedication to improving both themselves and their community, and I believe they deserve recognition. The following students have shown a notable commitment to the goals of the program: Briana Angier, Christopher DiDomenico, Jacob Franchetti, Brianne Goffney, Thomas Hellings, Katie Morgan, William Tozer, Jessica Valcarcel, Ashlee Cruz, Joseph Hamaker, Tamasa Nobles, Kyle Pollandar, Drew Pollitt, Erika Raiken, Matthew Sacilowski, Chelsea Amwake, Alexandria DiDomenico, Lori Mangini, Amanda Martin, A'niah Nobles, Jamie Phillips, Kevin Brown, Zachary Carey, Richard Mercedes, Sydni Durity, Kathleen O'Brien, Laura Casasbuena, Tracey Causey, Charles Clair, Edward Coleman, Kimberly Dieterich, Kevin Dickson, Ashley Egbert, Stevie Gallagher, Nicole Groves, Chelsea Gunning, Kyle Harkins, Damein Hart, Devon Huaca, William Jacobs, Ronnie Joshi, Daniel Karpinski, Lauren Klipp, Paige Kopras, Samantha Mease, Jessica Medina, Kwanna Mosley, Janee Powers, Thomas Raymond, Jennifer Reyes, Alexis Sabatini, Samantha Schultz, Kayla Skotnicki, Xavair Stang, Brianna Bangle, Tina Davis, Ariana Dragone, Joseph Foley, Kyle Gaff, Alex Gallo, CJ Genarie, Thomas Gorman, Brielle Gorski-Schultz, William Gross, Edward Gunning, Mathew Hender, Brittany Higginbotham, Courtney Iacovone, Chelse' Kiefrieder, Zachary Cooper, Harley Marks, Sarah Knipp, Jack Markiewicz, Angelica Medina, Michelle Moler, Thomas Moore Jr., Kevin Mottas, Alexis Naumann, Elizabeth Salvitti, Ryan Schafer, Carla Smith, Devin Vautier, Angelica Wunsch, Dana Arroliga, Christopher Bittner, Samantha Bruccoliere, Chelsea Clair, Denise Duterich, Randy Forte, Michael Gorman, Danielle Groves, Jimmy Baehr, Devin Jaskulski, Brian Donaghy, Deanne Cobb, Steven Karpinski, Hyeji Lee, Jennifer Liebrand, Melissa Miloshevsky, Ryan Moore, Robert Mortimer, Markita Nelson, Carlos Nieves, Jessy Perez, Scott Scomolia, Corey Scott, Gabrielle Spagnolia, Marissa Wood, Destiney Woodward, Alicia Yourison, Steven Kumpf, Andrew Morgan, Andira Morgan, Joseph Cipriani, Jordan Brady, Donna Weatherly, Jessica Meller, Regina Corvino, Jessica Finch, Racheal Finch, and Raquel Cannon.

Similarly, the following staff deserve recognition for the time and energy they have put into making the Center a success: Superintendent Mary Stansky, Business Administrator James Devereaux, Mary Ethel Costello School Principal Nancy Thomas and Assistant Principal William Marble, Director of Curriculum Sue McComb, GOAL Center Coordinator Catherine George, Public Information Officer Lynda Lathrop, Teaching Staff Members Lisa Amrosino, Patricia Duer, Gina Shank, Carl Kohler, William Kohler, Darcy Fox-Fuchs, Marge Dantonio, Marilyn Holmes, Dolores Militti, Cindy Kumpel, Janeen Thomas, Kathleen Davi, Kate Narducci, Guy Groff, Christie Murray, Lorri Stasium, Christine Wilson, Betty Averell, Craig Reinhart, Ellen Richards, Renee Robson, Ellen Conway, Mary Ann Woodrubb, and Don Dantonio, and Board of Education Members Judith A. Alberti, Robert H. Bennett, Sr., Sandra Lynch- Cowgill, Joanne Gurick, Patrick Healey, Edward Hubbs, Lousia Llewllyn, Bruce Marks, Danny O'Brien, Jr., and William Lunemann.

The GOAL Center is truly a complete program in that it assists students in the crucial areas of health, nutrition, and academic achievement. It also helps to foster a desire for life-long learning, and serves as a valuable resource for families and adults seeking development opportunities. I congratulate all the current staff and students on the hard work they put into the program, and wish them and the Center continued success in the future.

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

I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon) for offering this amendment. His wealth of experience on the front lines in the first responder community shows, once again; and I am honored to join with him in this amendment.

I thank the gentleman for his years of dedication to first responders in this country, long before Members talked about them on this floor.

The gentleman from Pennsylvania and I share a geographic area. Our districts are separated only by a river. If, God forbid, there were a terrorist attack, a mass crime, a natural disaster, his constituents and mine would be responsible for responding to it. We are proud of the fact that locally in our area there is cooperation. But the fact of the matter is cooperation now happens by accident, not by design; and our amendment is to change that. It requires that the director of FEMA do three things: first, that the director of FEMA catalog examples of cooperative agreements and compacts around the country.

Second, it requires that the FEMA director issue guidance on best practices, what is working. We are going to hear from the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) talk about the capital area plan that is working very, very well.

Thirdly, it requires an up-to-date accessible inventory of Federal resources that would be available. In the golden hour that takes place after such an attack or disaster, we do not have weeks or months to study a problem. The chiefs on the ground have to decide right there and then what to do. By making this resource available to them, I think we will save lives and minimize disaster. I thank the gentleman for offering this amendment, and I hope Members on both sides of the aisle will vote a resounding ``yes.''

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton), whose capital area response plan has set the model for how to go about this regional planning and serves as an example to others.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon) for his efforts. I also thank Mr. Dozor from the gentleman's staff, and Mr. Knotts from mine for their great effort.

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

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of efforts that have been taken to address the concerns of the private security industry in the 9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act. Under the wise guidance of the Judiciary Committee leadership, provisions have been included in this bill that will have a positive effect on the overall dependability of private security services. While I would contend that these provisions do not go far enough, they are a clear improvement, and I urge my colleagues to support their inclusion in the law.

The relevant provisions, which were included in H.R. 10 with industry-wide support, allow private security guard companies to have access to federal background checks unless prohibited by their home state, and also provide for the creation of a national clearinghouse to be used in processing these requests. Federal background checks will ensure a safer, more secure private security industry, and will allow private security companies to protect themselves against the increased liability that could come with hiring an individual with a relevant criminal history. In addition, the realization of the national clearinghouse is absolutely essential, given the excessive delays that are often incurred within the varied state systems that are currently used in processing these background check requests.

While allowing private security companies to receive criminal background information on prospective employees through a streamlined process is certainly a positive development, I contend that more should be done to secure this vital industry. Background checks should be required for all private security guards, to ensure that dangerous criminals and terrorists are never employed in positions of such power and responsibility.

Again, I thank the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee for their efforts in addressing this important issue, and I hope to continue working with them in the future to ensure that all of our nation's assets are adequately secured.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Turner) for yielding me time. I would like to congratulate and thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Cox) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Turner) for their outstanding leadership. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Turner) will be missed. I know he will contribute to this country in many ways in the future.

The underlying bill represents a squandered opportunity to advance a consensus of the 9/11 Commission's report. The Menendez substitute represents that consensus, and it ought to be adopted.

The 9/11 Commission said that one of the flaws that led up to the 9/ 11 attack was that our intelligence agencies did not have incentives to share information with each other. The Menendez substitute provides those incentives. The underlying bill does not.

The 9/11 Commission acknowledged the fact that terrorists will strike a variety of targets. It acknowledged the fact that 90 percent of the critical infrastructure of this country is in private lands, nuclear power plants, chemical plants and other such facilities. The Menendez substitute picks up the 9/11 Commission's report and requires an analytical toughening of our defenses of that critical infrastructure. The underlying bill ignores that problem.

The 9/11 Commission report pointed out the travesty that on 9/11 police officers and fire fighters in New York City literally could not talk to each other because of the problem of the interoperability lacking among first responders. The Menendez substitute directs that that problem be fixed and funds it as per the 9/11 Commission. The underlying bill does not.

This bill will be back before us as a conference report. I hope that a strong vote for the Menendez substitute will add impetus for that conference to add here to the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission report and fix these problems.

Let us not squander an opportunity to advance a national consensus as set forward by Governor Kean and Congressman Hamilton. Let us advance that consensus tonight by voting ``yes'' on the Menendez substitute.

I would like to thank my friend for yielding me this time.

Mr. Speaker, if you had a leaky faucet and your plumber told you it was going to cost $150 to fix the leak, you would not go out and put a $100,000 second mortgage on your house. That is what this bill does. We had a $4 billion problem, a very real and serious problem with respect to trade with our European allies and trading partners. What we now have to fix that $4 billion problem is a $140 billion raid on the Treasury.

I know we are going to be told that this bill is paid for. That is an incredible fiction, it is a delusion, because most of the way this bill is paid for is to assume that the tax breaks that are enacted in this bill will be repealed in a couple of years when they expire. You could make a fair amount of money if gambling were legal betting that that would not happen and it will not happen.

It is bad enough that we are going to reach into the Social Security trust fund again and we are going to reach out to foreign creditors again to borrow the money for these tax breaks; but when you look at what they are for and what they are not for, the bill becomes even more odious. What they are for in large part, $42 billion worth of tax breaks for American firms to support their overseas operations.

I want to repeat that. At a time when virtually everyone except apparently the Secretary of Labor thinks that the outsourcing of jobs is a major problem in this country, this bill is going to borrow $42 billion to reward American companies for creating jobs outside of the United States of America. That is pretty bad. What makes it even worse is the choice that this bill makes not to do as the gentleman from Massachusetts talked about a few minutes ago. There was an effort in this bill to provide tax relief for employers who voluntarily pay full salaries to members of the National Guard and the Reserve serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. So an employer who voluntarily says that he or she is going to keep paying a Guardsmember or a Reservist while he or she is overseas was going to get some help. That was taken out of the bill. What was left in was the tax breaks for the sonar detection of fish.

I have a suggestion, Mr. Speaker, that the sonar detector would very clearly detect a fish here. It is a rotten fish. It does not smell very good at all. This is a bill that borrows money for the wrong reason. The rule should be amended so we could fix these problems in the bill. I oppose the rule and would urge my colleagues on both sides to do so.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking the gentleman from Wisconsin (Chairman Sensenbrenner) for his help and cooperation and that of his very fine staff; the ranking member, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers), and his fine staff; and my friend, the gentlewoman from Texas

(Ms. Jackson-Lee), for her help and support. Most especially I would like to say to my coauthor, the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Cannon), it has been a pleasure to work with him on a commonsense approach to solving a problem that is a wave of the present.

The law dates back 16 years, but the technology is changing every minute. What seems to be a simple change in this bill I think will have a profoundly positive effect on businesses, small and large, around the country.

As we have an increasingly diverse workforce with people from all over the world enriching our economy and our country, that workforce carries with it the responsibility to maintain records on the legal status of various workers. The maintenance of those records is burdensome, expensive and done in an ungainly way, an unseemly way in some cases, under present law.

The purpose of our bill is to make it much more simple. We say to employers that at their option they may retrieve these documents and create these documents and store these documents on electronic records rather than paper records. It is a small improvement for business, but I think it is a significant improvement that will make the records more accurate, more accessible, less burdensome to maintain and less expensive to maintain. This is how business ought to be done here.

I again thank the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Cannon) for his leadership on this and all others on both sides of the aisle. I would urge our colleagues, both Republican and Democrat, to vote ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I oppose the draft, and I understand the reason why we are having this debate.

What I do not understand is when are we going to have the debate about the flawed intelligence that led up to the war. When are we going to have the debate about the disregard of the recommendation of General Shinseki and now Ambassador Bremer? When are we going to have a debate about a failure of international negotiations to bring more coalition partners in?

This is a worthy debate, but it is not worthy of the sacrifice that these men and women are making around the world. Let us have a real debate about the real issues that confront us in Iraq.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee AIPAC. For over fifty years, AIPAC, acknowledging that the security interests of Israel and the United States are intertwined, has worked diligently to strengthen the relationship between Israel and the United States. They have educated members of Congress and the public alike on the issues that Israel faces in its quest to remain a stable, democratic ally to the United States in a part of the world where such nations are scarce. Even in the face of the ongoing unrest in Israel, AIPAC continues to work tirelessly towards an end to terrorism, and an achievement of peace and security in the region.

In recent weeks, our friends at AIPAC have been the subject of allegations that question their dedication to the preservation of national security within the United States. Accusations such as these, which lack substantial credible proof behind them, have no positive effect. These baseless claims make it impossible for AIPAC to defend themselves, and uphold the favorable reputation that they have earned through their efforts. In this case, such charges also threaten to intensify the plague of anti-Semitism that AIPAC has tried to fight throughout its history. It has been my experience that AIPAC and its members care deeply about the collective security interests of the United States and Israel, and I continue to stand by them in their noble efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Daniel Craig Myers, a young man who embodies the American principles of hard work, dedication to one's family, and service to one's country. He exudes positive energy and spirit, even through troubled times, which radiate to friends, family, community, and country.

Daniel Myers has been exceptionally active in his local high school: leading his fellow students as part of the student government; participating in numerous school activities; and receiving numerous awards for brilliant academic success. Daniel graduated from Fowlerville High School on June 6, 2004 with honors as Magna Cum Laude.

Daniel's service to his community as part of the Order of DeMolay has been tremendous. He has been involved in his state's DeMolay since 1997, and has held numerous offices. This past August, Daniel was elected as the 69th State Master Councilor of Michigan, the highest elected position possible in the state's DeMolay. Elected by his peers, the State Master Councilor is responsible for representing hundreds of members throughout the state, and overseeing all local chapter activities.

Mr. Speaker, it is a great privilege to honor Daniel C. Myers today for his dedication and leadership within his community. Daniel is an inspiring role model for the young people of this country, and I wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding me time.

I rise in opposition to the conference report. A few minutes ago, my friend from Arizona said we should talk about what the bill does. Here is what the bill does.

It does some very desirable and popular things for taxes for families in the country, which is good; and it pays for those tax reductions by borrowing $146 billion from the Social Security trust fund and from creditors who will collect those debts from our children in the future.

Now, there was another way to do this. The other way to do this would have been to make a modest reduction in the tax cut that the people at the very top of the income scale would have gotten. We had an amendment that would have said let us just marginally reduce, somewhat reduce, the tax cut that the people at the top 2 percent or so get and let us pay for the tax cut that way and not reduce the deficit. We were not permitted a vote on that idea.

So the choice is, deliver these popular tax benefits by borrowing the money to pay for them or not deliver them. It is a difficult choice. I come down on the side of saying we cannot deliver them by borrowing the money.

I hear my friends talk about restraint of spending. Earlier this year we had an omnibus appropriations bill that spent more than $800 billion. Only 83 Members voted ``no.'' I was one of the 83 Members. That was a bad political vote because the bill had lots of things in it that people liked; but because I did not want us to borrow the money, I voted ``no.''

Tonight, we have a choice where there are all kinds of popular tax breaks for people. It is a bad political vote to vote ``no.'' I am going to vote ``no'' because we should not borrow the money to do this. People do not trust American government anymore. This is why, because we tell people that they can have everything and not pay for it. Stand for integrity and vote ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Judith Berstein-Baker as a 2004 recipient of the Mary Philbrook Public Interest Award. This award is given annually by the Women's Law Caucus and the Association for Public Interest Law, in cooperation with the Rutgers University Law School and its Alumni Association, to acknowledge gifted, dedicated individuals who contribute outstanding work on behalf of social justice and equality.

Ms. Bernstein-Baker currently serves as the Executive Director at the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society and Council Migration Service of Philadelphia, which works to ensure the protection and fair treatment of immigrants and refugees, to assist such persons in their efforts to become productive members of society, and to educate the larger community about the positive ways in which new Americans contribute to society. She brings to this position a lifelong commitment to fighting poverty and prejudice. Born to a Jewish immigrant who had fled Poland to avoid persecution, she worked first as a social worker helping to organize communities and improve neighborhoods. Ms. Bernstein-Baker went on to graduate from Temple University Law School, as well as to serve as Counsel to the Support Center for Child Advocates and to found the nationally-known Public Service Program at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She continues to contribute valuable leadership in the field and has done notable federal appellate work as well.

Mary Philbrook, for whom the award is named, was the first woman admitted to the New Jersey Bar and a founder of the state's first statewide legal aid society, as well as an eminent leader in the efforts for women's suffrage and the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. It is in this tradition that the award is given each year, and it is clear that Ms. Bernstein-Baker's work has made her more than worthy of this recognition. She truly has demonstrated the difference that one person can make in the lives of others, and I offer her my congratulations and best wishes in her future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Carole Wood as a 2004 recipient of the Mary Philbrook Public Interest Award. This award is given annually by the Women's Law Caucus and the Association for Public Interest Law, in cooperation with the Rutgers University Law School and its Alumni Association, to acknowledge gifted, dedicated individuals who contribute outstanding work on behalf of social justice and equality.

Ms. Wood currently serves as the Immigration Coordinator at the Camden Center for Law and Social Justice. She has spent much of her career as a devoted advocate for indigent immigrants, beginning first with her work as a VISTA volunteer following her graduation from Chicago-Kent College of Law. From there, she went on to serve as supervising immigration attorney at Community Legal Services in Philadelphia, where she not only represented clients, but also trained attorneys and assisted community groups in their efforts. In addition to her current role at the Camden Center, which includes working with clients, training attorneys, and supervising students at the Rutgers Immigration Pro Bono Project, Ms. Wood is the Southern Regional Coordinator for the New Jersey Immigration Policy Network and the regional representative on statewide committees, a Lead Trainer for the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, an extremely active member in the National Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), and a member of the Diocese of Camden's Racial Justice Committee.

I have also had the honor and privilege of working with Ms. Wood personally. She has proved extremely responsive in the context of emergency constituent cases with which my district office has dealt and has been more than willing to share her vast knowledge of immigration law with my staff in their efforts to aid my constituents. Additionally, over the past several years, she has proved invaluable in her efforts to assist my district office with the process of restructuring our immigration casework system. She has devoted considerable time to reviewing our existing system and meeting with the relevant staff in my office to

modify the casework procedures to meet the new standards of the United States Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. Her suggestions and expertise were also instrumental in assisting my efforts to dramatically expand the BCIS presence in South Jersey; now, individuals needing the agency's services do not have to travel long distances to other parts of the state to have access to them. It is this dedication and assistance on the part of Ms. Wood that demonstrated to me why she was worthy of my personal nomination for this award.

Mary Philbrook, for whom the award is named, was the first woman admitted to the New Jersey Bar and a founder of the state's first statewide legal aid society, as well as an eminent leader in the efforts for women's suffrage and the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. It is in this tradition that the award is given each year, and it is clear that Ms. Woods' work has made her more than worthy of this recognition. She truly has demonstrated the difference that one person can make in the lives of others, and I offer her my congratulations and best wishes in her future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding me time.

I wanted to set the record straight, Mr. Speaker, on this discussion of taxes that we keep hearing about, my friend from Wisconsin, when he raised taxes. And he can correct me if I am wrong about this, but every time he has attempted to make an amendment in order on these appropriations bills, in committee and here, and when he was permitted to have an order, a vote that would have amended the budget resolution, every time, if I am not mistaken, the bottom 99 percent of American families would not have had their taxes raised at all.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) if that is correct.

I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin.

Reclaiming my time, it is also my understanding that to the extent that we have talked about restoring the tax rates that were in effect in 2001, a tax code which by the way created 22 million new jobs in the last decade, that the gentleman from Wisconsin's (Mr. Obey) proposal simply reclaimed a portion of the tax cut that people in that top 1 percent would have received.

In other words, even under the gentleman from Wisconsin's (Mr. Obey) proposals, they would get a tax cut because the amount reclaimed was less than the amount received.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) if that is correct.

I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin.

Mr. Speaker, I also want the Record to reflect this choice: As our constituents sit in traffic tonight, as they cannot get home because of suburban sprawl and the lack of mass transit, as they cannot deal with the many, many problems they have, the majority has made a choice and its choice is a huge tax reduction for the top 1 percent of the people in the country or an honest choice which we would make which we would say, the top 1 percent could do without that huge tax reduction. Let us not raise taxes on the other 99 percent and meet the needs of this country.

That is the real choice. I understand why the majority wants to obscure it because they are making the wrong choice.