Floor Statements

I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I appreciate your hosting this very special Special Order this evening.

Where I come from in Ohio, we are very, very hard hit. Our unemployment rate is one of the highest in the State in our district. I represent the largest manufacturing district in Ohio. I represent the largest agricultural district in Ohio. At this time last year, we were, according to the National Manufacturers, about the ninth largest in manufacturing.

We were at this time last year, but we've slipped to 15th now.

Yes.

Absolutely.

Well, I'll tell you. You know, when we were all home during the August work period, I went through I don't know how many different factories, and I went through lots of small businesses.

As one example in particular, I had a gentleman walk up to me. He was a factory worker. He said, You know, I'm really not sure what you all are talking about there in Washington. He says, If I can't put a roof over my family's head, if I can't put food on the table, health care is not the top issue for me.

People are all concerned about health care, but as to where it is in the priority ranking, it's at survival right now. We've got a lot of folks out there who need to survive. At the same time, you have a lot of these smaller businesses--you know, when I talk about

smaller, it could be a factory of about 150-170 which is now down to 29-35 people, and they're just hoping they can keep the lights on. When they see and hear that Washington might impose a mandate on them, especially at that 8 percent level, they say, Well, we're not going to survive.

Absolutely.

Absolutely. You hit the nail on the head.

All of these companies that are out there struggling right now look at everything. Health care is a huge issue to them. Cap-and-trade is an issue out there--the electricity costs to keep the machines running. Then we had the second highest corporate tax rate here in the United States.

If you put these all together, plus you throw in the EPA and the environmental things that have to go on at these companies, and if they're owned by a parent company that has a plant someplace else in the United States, they can say, as in our situation, Well, you know what? Your costs go up too great in Ohio. You're just going to have to move.

There are some companies out there that are multinational and they've said, You know what? We're to the point that, with any more costs, it would be cheaper for us to actually make it on the Pacific Rim and ship it here, and then we won't have to worry about all of these costs, and there's the product.

Yet, you know, health care is one of those things that everybody wants to make sure that we have; but at the same time, we've got to do it in the right manner, and that's what a lot of folks back home are very concerned about, because I don't care if you're a senior citizen and you're on the Medicare side or if you're a businessowner. Again, these businessowners are the ones who are very frightened because they're the ones who keep people employed on Main Street.

In talking about Main Street, not too long ago, I was out on one of my Main Streets in my district. One of the businessowners asked, Bob, you know, is this thing going to pass? He said, You know what? You're looking at my business right now, and I will not be able to survive, with the numbers that I'm seeing from Washington right now, under this legislation.

If the gentleman would yield.

You hit on a very important point right here. One of the things they're talking about right now is that we've been coming out of this recession into a jobless recovery. When you have these unemployment rates----

It's the way they define when you're coming out of a recession.

Back in 1982, when I look at that recession, one of the things that a lot of people point to is that it was very, very tough. We all remember coming out of the Carter administration with double-digit unemployment, with double-digit inflation and with a 21\1/2\ percent interest rate. A lot of people also said the same thing: You know what? It's tough, but at the end of the day at some point, that factory down the street is going to reopen, and I'm going to get my job back.

In this case, we've got so many companies out there, especially in my district, that are saying, You know what? We've cut as much as we possibly can. We're going to do as much as we possibly can to make sure we can just keep the doors open, and we find right now that we can survive with what we've got.

When they say ``what we've got,'' it's the employees who are on the floor right now. They say, We're not going to hire anybody else.

That's the scary thing because now, all of a sudden, we're going to have all of these young people coming out of high school, coming out of trade schools, coming out of community college, and coming out of college. Where are they going to go? Because we've got more and more people saying, I can't retire. I've got to keep working because I'm not sure what I'm going to have down the road.

There are all of these things that, I think, have got to really be looked at. That's why, I think, the American people have said to us, especially in my district, We all agree. There's not one person in this body right here who would say we should not do something about health care in this country; but it's how we do it, how we proceed. It's slowing it down. The American people

want it to be the best thing, not something that's rushed through, not something that's in a 1,990-page bill.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Again, that's what happened during the month of August and when we were back home. We were out in our districts, and the people got to see us and talk to us face-to-face, and that's what they really want to do. They want that opportunity to say, I want a piece of my voice to be heard on this.

One of the things, I think, that has been missing in this is that I came from the Ohio legislature, and I chaired a couple of committees in the house and the senate. One of the things that, I think, is very important is that we have people come in, be able to testify and be able to face the members.

I think what we ought to have been doing during this whole period of time here is that we should have taken this back onto the road, and we should have had committee hearings across this country so that Americans could have gone to their States and to wherever it would be that the Members would be holding the hearings for the three different committees here in the House which were hearing this piece of legislation. I think that's what we should have been doing because, again, people feel left out. The most dangerous place for me to go, for my wife to send me, is to the grocery store after church.

Well, it's the grocery store.

Because what happens is that people come up to me, and they want to talk. I go home every weekend, and I don't care if it's at the grocery store or at the gas pump. You know, it could take 45 minutes to an hour sometimes.

The American people want to be heard, and I think that is one of the things they are really saying here is wait a minute, I don't think we are being heard in this discussion.

If the gentleman will yield, when we are talking about punitives, we are not going to say to people limit the economic damages. It is the noneconomic damages. Because it took us quite a few years in the Ohio legislature to finally get a small portion of that passed, but we saw changes almost within a year in what was happening out there.

That is one of the things we had to do on some of the noneconomic damages, and, again, it was only a small portion, because we had to pick certain areas and we picked the one area, and we watched those things come down. Because what happened was as soon as we passed the legislation, as soon as it was signed into law, it was challenged in the Ohio Supreme Court and it was upheld for being constitutional. But those are the things you have to do.

Those are the things when you are talking about doctors not having to practice that defensive medicine, instead of running four, five or six tests, maybe they only have to run the two. But they are going to run the four, five or six tests. Why? Because if it is in your neighborhood and the courts have been saying why haven't you done this, you have got a problem. That is why these doctors say I have to do it, because otherwise I am going to get sued and my malpractice insurance is going to say you didn't do what you should have done, and now you are in trouble.

Mr. Speaker, during the August work period, I had the privilege of visiting many of the plants and factories in my district. At one plant, a worker approached me and said he didn't understand what we were doing here in Congress. He said he had to have a job that put a roof over his family and food on the table. He is worried about health care, but the first two took priority.

People back home get it. They ask very direct questions about health care. How are we going to pay for it? Will it cost more than I pay now? Will I have the same coverage and doctor? Will it cost more jobs? How much more in taxes will I pay?

The Congressional Budget Office scores Speaker Pelosi's bill at over $1 trillion. New taxes on small businesses and individuals will run over $729 billion.

Being close to the Canadian border, I have been approached by Canadian doctors who are now practicing in Ohio. They can't understand why the Democrats are taking this course. They tell me this same thing: Why do you think we came to the United States?

Mr. Speaker, I come from northwest Ohio. I know that many of my colleagues from around this House go home every weekend, and it wasn't very long ago I was home and I was speaking with one of our small business owners.

He came up to me and said, Bobby, I have a question to ask you. He said, Where are we on this health care?

I told him. I said, This is where it looks like we are going.

He said, Do you think it is going to pass?

I said, I am not really sure right now.

But he said, You know what? I am going to tell you something. I have been trying to read these bills to the best of my ability to find out what is in them. I am going to tell you right now, if this bill passes, there is no way I can survive. I am going to have to close up.

We are talking about people and their health care, and it is very important. There is not one person in this Chamber that would say we should not be doing something about health care in this country. But we also have people out there trying to put jobs out there so people can work. And when I looked around that business where he was, you start saying, Where are these people going to go after this? We have over 10 percent unemployment in Ohio, and it is getting tougher. The worst is yet to come.

Mr. Speaker, the American people want health care reform, but we have to do it responsibly.

I thank my colleague.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 734, which I introduced on September 10, honoring and supporting Constitution Day. I have always been grateful that so many of our country's greatest leaders and statesmen were able to be on Earth at the same time and place to draft the Constitution. Within this document are the fundamental principles of the American system of liberty. Our Constitution has been that beacon upon the hill, that guiding star at night in that shining city that millions of people around the world have long been guided by within their own countries.

The Constitution took 4 hard, acrimonious months from May to September 1787 to actually bring it to fruition through their hard labor. Again, the citizens that attended the convention in Philadelphia were some of our greatest leaders and scholars of government and history: Madison, Franklin, Hamilton, Morris, and Washington. Many different ideas were brought to the convention. Were they only empowered to amend the Articles of Confederation? There is great debate about that. Could they go farther and start from scratch? Many a discussion was held in Philadelphia's boarding houses and taverns.

These members began debates on creating three branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial. James Madison, the Father of our Constitution, was one of the first to arrive in Philadelphia, and he brought with him his specifically researched ideas while others had theirs. You know, it turned out to be a very hot summer that year. There was no air conditioning. Secrecy was enforced. The proceedings mandated that all windows and doors be shut. Tempers flared, but through it all they worked because these men knew that they were creating a document that would be there for a Nation and for the ages.

The birth of a new Nation was being watched by the powers around the world. As mentioned, 55 delegates attended the Constitution Convention with 39 of them signing the document. What emerged was a document containing 4,400 words. The story goes that when asked what kind of new government was formed, Benjamin Franklin replied, ``A Republic, if you can keep it.'' The Constitution is both the oldest and shortest written constitution of any form of government in the world.

Again, personally I marvel at what these individuals did and what they could accomplish in 4 months. Today, citizens should look to guidance from our Forefathers. All Americans should read this great document because, since the Constitution's ratification, it has been the framework for our great Nation. Not only did great men bring forth great ideas, but for 222 years, this great experiment that we call America has been paid for by hundreds of thousands of lives, the lives of our brave military men and women. Let the living always remember to give thanks to our honored dead, who have paid the ultimate sacrifice that the Constitution of the United States remains our guiding light.

Too few citizens today have read this important document and understand its importance. It is short, and it should be learned, and it should be studied. The preamble of our document states that ``We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.'' The words ``We the People'' affirm that any power of the Federal Government is given to by the people of this great land, and we in Congress must always remember that.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, section 101 of the bill requires an annual registration for a facility. The term ``facility'' means any factory, warehouse or establishment, including a factory, warehouse or establishment of an importer that manufactures, processes, packs or holds foods.

The user fees under this section require registration each year starting in 2010 to be $500 and each subsequent year to be adjusted for inflation. This will affect small businesses and impose tax increases. For companies and individuals that own or operate multiple facilities, a maximum level for total fees per year is set at $175,000. These will have to be passed on to the consumer and will raise the price of food to cover the fees associated under this bill.

I encourage my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this bill under suspension so that Congress may debate food safety and come to an agreement on how to protect our Nation's farmers and food facilities in order to maintain the United States as having the world's safest, most economically viable food source.

Mr. Speaker, America and Ohio are hurting. Ohio has an unemployment rate of 11.1 percent. My district, the Fifth District, is the number one manufacturing and number one agricultural district in the State of Ohio.

One of my counties, Williams, has an unemployment rate of 11.6 percent. I was up there this past weekend and the people were all asking me the same question: Where are the jobs? Where are the jobs? They want jobs today.

The President said this past year that with the stimulus bill, America wouldn't have an unemployment rate of 8 percent. Now it is 9.5 percent. Ohio is 11.1 percent. Since January, America has lost over 3 million jobs. Three million jobs.

This last month, the Democrats passed the cap-and-tax bill. It is estimated it is going to cost millions of American jobs. Millions. Now the Democrat House bill that is before us on health care could cost over 5 million jobs. Five million jobs.

My folks are scared, and they want to know where the jobs are.

Mr. Speaker, we ask for jobs today.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3228, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010.

Requesting Member: Congressman Robert E. Latta

Bill Number: H.R. 3228, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Account: Federal Agency Administration; Airport Improvement Program

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Sandusky County Regional Airport

Address of Requesting Entity: 101 South Front Street, Fremont, OH 43420

Description of Request: $500,000 for the Sandusky County Regional Airport (S24) Approach Lowering project. The first part of the project is the 405 topographical survey that is required before an GPS/LPV approach can be approved. The second item that the Sandusky County Regional Airport Authority (SCRAA) is proposing is to extend its parallel taxiway approximately 1,700 feet providing the Sandusky County Regional Airport (S24) a full length parallel taxiway. The existing 3,800 feet of taxiway, currently named taxiway ``b'' and ``c'', was constructed in two separate phases. The preliminary purpose to complete the parallel taxiway is to increase the Airport's level of operational safety. The completion of a full-length parallel taxiway at the Airport would eliminate the hazards of ``back-taxiing'' on the runway. A full length parallel taxiway makes it possible for a landing aircraft to exit a runway more quickly, allowing other aircraft waiting to land to get on the ground sooner. A full parallel taxiway would enhance airfield safety and reduce the risk of runway incursions. Additionally, the project will have an impact on the overall County's (and surrounding counties') public safety, as it will allow the Life Flight helicopter, which is based at the airport, the ability to return to its pad once critical missions have taken place. I certify that neither I nor my spouse has any financial interest in this project.

Requesting Member: Congressman Robert E. Latta

Bill Number: H.R. 3228, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Account: Housing and Urban Development (HUD); Economic Development Initiatives (EDI)

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Board of Fulton County Commissioners

Address of Requesting Entity: 125 South Fulton Street, Suite 270, Wauseon, OH 43567

Description of Request: $250,000 for the Northeast Fulton County water system project. Northeast Fulton County is a portion of the County that consists of four Townships (Amboy, Fulton, Pike and Royalton), two Villages (Metamora and Lyons) and the Evergreen Local School District. This project, as proposed, consists of installing water mains and facilities to provide for safe drinking water supply to these areas through a connection into an existing regional water system. The route of this water supply system through the four Townships would provide drinking water to 1100 people within both Villages and an estimated population of 1350 people outside both Villages. The Evergreen Local Schools District is one complex for 1400 high, middle and elementary schools students. I certify that neither I nor my spouse has any financial interest in this project.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3293, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010.

Requesting Member: Congressman Robert E. Latta

Bill Number: H.R. 3293, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Account: Department of Health & Human Services; Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)--Health Facilities and Services

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Van Wert County Hospital

Address of Requesting Entity: 1250 South Washington Street, Van Wert,

Mr. Speaker, the people of the Fifth Congressional District of the State of Ohio of the United States all want a job. Last year at this time, the Fifth Congressional District, according to the National Manufacturers Association, had the ninth largest

number of manufacturing jobs in the country. When the new numbers just came out, we're down to 15.

When you look at this map of the State of Ohio, looking at Williams, Fulton, Defiance, Paulding, Crawford, and Huron--those are some of my counties--when I've got counties over 15 percent, folks back home want to know what this Congress is doing.

What this Congress passed before we went on the Fourth of July recess was the national energy tax, the largest tax that we're going to see that puts businesses out, that puts people out of work, and that's what we're doing.

People want to know what we're going to do for them, not what we're doing to them. And I'm telling you that folks back home, when I go home every weekend, want to know what are we doing. When you look at the State of Indiana right here, right next to us, they're in as big trouble as we are.

When the Heritage Foundation came out with their report, of the top 20 congressional districts in the country that had problems under cap- and-tax, Ohio and Indiana ranked right in the top, 16 out of 20.

We've got to do something. We've got to act right now.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3183, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010.

Requesting Member: Congressman Robert E. Latta

Bill Number: H.R. 3183, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Account: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Section 205

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: The Village of Ottawa

Address of Requesting Entity: 136 North Oak Street, Ottawa, OH 45875

Description of Request: $217,000 for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for funding regarding the Village of Ottawa Flood Control and Mitigation Reconnaissance and Feasibility Studies. Funding would be used to complete the Section 205 Feasibility Study of flood risk management plans for the Blanchard River at Ottawa, Ohio. The funding would fulfill the Federal share needed to complete the Feasibility Study. In addition, the funds would be used to begin the design and implementation following the Section 205 Feasibility Study of flood risk management plans for the Blanchard River at Village of Ottawa, Ohio. I certify that neither I nor my spouse has any financial interest in this project.

Requesting Member: Congressman Robert E. Latta

Bill Number: H.R. 3183, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Account: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Section 205

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: The Village of Findlay

Address of Requesting Entity: 518 Dorney Plaza, Room 310, Findlay, OH 45840

Description of Request: $248,000 for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for funding regarding the Village of Findlay Flood Control and Mitigation Reconnaissance and Feasibility Studies. Funding would be used to complete the Section 205 Feasibility Study of flood risk management plans for the Blanchard River at Findlay, Ohio. The funding would fulfill the Federal share needed to complete the Feasibility Study. In addition, the funds would be used to begin the design and implementation following the Section 205 Feasibility Study of flood risk management plans for the Blanchard River at Findlay, Ohio. I certify that neither I nor my spouse has any financial interest in this project.

Requesting Member: Congressman Robert E. Latta

Bill Number: H.R. 3183, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Account: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Construction; Ohio Environmental Infrastructure OH

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Village of Polk, Ashland County, Ohio

Address of Requesting Entity: 200 East Congress Street, P.O. Box 206, Polk, OH 44866

Description of Request: $400,000 for the design, construction, and operation of a centralized collection and treatment system. The Village is under Ohio EPA Findings and Orders to address a large number of failing household septic systems in the Village. The collection will consist of a combination gravity/pressure sewer system, potentially two (2) lift stations, 50,000 gallons per day (gpd) average daily design flow (ADF) package extended aeration wastewater treatment plant suitable for direct discharge to Katotawa Creek. The existing on-lot systems will be demolished when the replacement system is available. The Village has 357 residents, with 129 homes and businesses. A recent income survey conducted by the Ohio Rural Community Assistance Program confirmed that the Village's Median Household Income has dropped significantly since the last census, and is now only $35,000. An earlier survey conducted in 2007 also showed that the Village qualifies for CDBG funding with a Low-to-Moderate-Income (LMI) percentage over 60%. USDA Rural Development has advised the Village it needs to obtain additional grants in order to be funded by their program. Design engineering is underway. I certify that neither I nor my spouse has any financial interest in this project.

Requesting Member: Congressman Robert E. Latta

Bill Number: H.R. 3183, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Account: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Construction; Ohio Environmental Infrastructure OH

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Village of Risingsun, Northwestern Water and Sewer District, Wood County, Ohio

Address of Requesting Entity: 12560 Middleton Pike, Bowling Green, Ohio 43402

Description of Request: $400,000 for extension of a public water main to provide fire protection and drinking water to the residents of Risingsun, Ohio. The Village of Risingsun &

US 23 corridor, including Lakota School, relies on private wells for water supply. Recent testing of groundwater indicates petroleum hydrocarbon contamination in several area wells. This project will greatly impact the environment by improving drinking water and fire protection in the Village and surrounding area. I certify that neither I nor my spouse has any financial interest in this project.

Requesting Member: Congressman Robert E. Latta

Bill Number: H.R. 3183, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Account: U.S. Department of Energy; Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Bowling Green State University

Address of Requesting Entity: 106 University Hall, Bowling Green, OH 43403

Description of Request: $1,000,000 for the Coastal Ohio Wind Project: Removing Barriers to Great Lakes Offshore Wind Energy Development. Funding would be used to support a workforce for Bowling Green State University to undertake the design parameter data gathering while the University of Toledo undertakes development of the advanced concept offshore Wind Turbine Generators (WTG). The long term goal is to reduce the cost of installation, operation and maintenance of WTG's on Lake Erie, in order to jumpstart offshore development of the Great Lakes and to support the transition from rust-belt to green-belt manufacturing. The project will build on a proven two bladed, teetered hub WTG design. This phase of the project will design a foundation and tower structure capable of surviving the severe wind, wave and ice loading conditions on Lake Erie. I certify that neither I nor my spouse has any financial interest in this project.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 2647, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010.

Requesting Member: Congressman Robert E. Latta

Bill Number: H.R. 2647, National Defense Autorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010

Account: AirForce; Research, Development, Test & Evaluation, Air force (RDAF)

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Metals Affordability Initiative (MAI)

Address of Requesting Entity: 1138 by-the-Shores Drive, Huron, OH 44839

Description of Request: $10,000,000 for the initiation of 4 new, more immediate high-impact programs, as well as sustaining ongoing programs. These new industry-led programs will be directed at improvement in total systems cost, fuel savings/energy management, ``green'' (environmental impact), sustainment/life extension, and access to space. The mission of MAI is to innovation to maintain leadership in the strategic aerospace metals industrial sector by using technology innovation to maintain global competitiveness while improving performance and increasing affordablity of weapons systems. MAI's main economic impact will be to maintain leadership in the strategic aerospace metals industrial sector by using technology innovation to maintain global competitiveness. This industrial sector continues to be under pressure by foreign manufacturers, and investing in technology will help sustain jobs. I certify that neither I nor my spouse has any financial interest in this project.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information for publication in the Congressional Record regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 2996, the Fiscal Year 2010 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.

Requesting Member: Congressman Robert E. Latta

Bill Number: H.R. 2996, Fiscal Year 2010 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act

Account: EPA; STAG Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Project

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Village of Tiro, Ohio

Address of Requesting Entity: P.O. Box 31, Tiro, OH 44887

Description of Request: $500,000 for the Village of Tiro Water Distribution System. This project consists of purchasing treated water from the City of Shelby and transporting it to Tiro via 32,500 ft. of water main. 10,700 ft. of water main will be constructed in the Village for distribution of water. A booster pumping station, storage tower, and fire hydrants will be included. The Village of Tiro currently has no municipal water system. Water is collected or hauled into shallow wells or cisterns. The Village has tried for several years to secure a source of water and funding. The current project is the closest this village has come for a safe water supply. I certify that neither I nor my spouse has any financial interest in this project.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to this massive national energy tax.

You know, we are all for clean energy. And Republicans have put forth an all-of-the-above strategy, and that's the strategy we need to do in this country. We can't pick winners and losers.

I represent a very interesting district in Ohio. Not only do I represent the largest manufacturing district in the State of Ohio, I represent the largest agricultural district. Ohio uses 87 percent of its coal for our generation. What this bill is going to do is kill jobs in Ohio, and we are struggling right now. It's tough.

One of the things that a lot of people don't realize out there because we have so few farmers out there that are left, less than 1 percent in Ohio, is that we have so many of our farmers, my relatives included, that not only work a full day on the farm, but they go out and work all night on another job. But we've got to have jobs going both ways parallel with each other.

This bill is not going to help these people out there. This bill is going to kill jobs across this country. And when the Secretary of Agriculture was before us not too long ago, I posed this question: Is China going to comply with what we're going to do? And the answer was, Well, maybe not this month, or maybe not next month, but it's going to happen.

We can't put the American farmer behind the proverbial eight ball. We've got to be able to compete against the world, and this bill is going to kill that ability to do that.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I appreciate the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, last night we brought, in my opinion, a very important amendment before the Rules Committee dealing with what I called the Homeland Security Administration run amok with their bureaucrats. And what this would do is, this amendment would prevent the Homeland Security Administration from being able to utilize the dollars under the bill to say that over 36 million Americans that have a certain type of pocketknife, I don't care if it is from a hunter or a fisherman or a farmer or a person that works in a factory or a police officer or a firefighter, and make these illegal. And it is sad that we have to do it this way, that instead of bringing them here to the floor that we have to go through the Rules Committee. But I think that the amendment that we offered last night, along with my colleague from Idaho (Mr. Minnick), that it is an important thing to save jobs in this country. I think he said in his district alone it would be over some 200 hundred jobs. Nationally you are looking at over 4,000 individuals in a time when we are losing jobs in this country; 4,000 jobs could be affected, and ancillary jobs by over 20,000 jobs. So I really stress that this is an important amendment. I appreciate the gentleman for yielding.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Chair, last night we were in Rules on, I believe, a very important amendment that Mr. Minnick and I offered. It was really to save jobs; and it was also really to put a hold on what was happening with Homeland Security and also what was going on with the folks at Customs, trying to put forward a regulation, a rule that's going to put Americans out of work.

At the same time it's also not only going to put Americans out of work, but we're looking at 35 million Americans that have a certain type of knife. I do not believe that a rule should be done that Congress in 1958 defined what a certain type of knife was. So last night of course we were there, and we shouldn't have been there. We should have been here on an open rule and with an amendment on the floor and not in the Rules Committee because this is important.

Again, as I said, this is going to cost jobs, jobs at the Buck Knife Company up in the northwest part of the United States--hundreds of jobs. It's estimated that over 4,000 individuals in this country could be affected just in the knife industry alone. Not only those 4,000 individuals there, but there is about 20,000 other ancillary jobs out there. That's why it's so important we should be talking about this. But unfortunately, again, where we were last night, we weren't doing what we should have been doing. We should have had the amendment here on the floor because I believe it's absolutely important that we make sure the House is headed in the right direction, the way it should be going; and that's through the process that we should be in, the normal process, not the process that we're in today.

But I thank the gentleman for yielding because I think that the debate that we're in is very, very vital to this country.