Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Charlie Winters. Mr. Winters was an ordinary Florida businessman who played an extraordinary role in history.

In 1948, he provided an aircraft to the Jewish armed forces in pre- war Israel for its defense during the Israeli Independence War. Had Mr. Winters and other Americans not provided this assistance at such a critical time, Israel may not have survived as an independent state and become one of our Nation's staunchest allies. However, Mr. Winters was not honored at the time for his heroism. Instead, he was arrested and convicted under the ``Neutrality Act'' for his role in Israel's founding. In fact, he was one of a handful of Americans convicted and he was the only one to serve a prison sentence.

Mr. Winters was released from prison on November 17, 1949 and lived a humble and quiet life thereafter in Miami. In 1984, Mr. Winters passed away, and never told his family about his story. But, his obituary in the Miami Herald was entitled ``Charles Winters, 71, Aided Birth of Israel,'' and noted that he was honored by the late Golda Meir, and had earned ``a place of distinction among the Americans who banded together clandestinely at the end of World War II to help Jews establish a state in Palestine.''

Last year, several of my colleagues and I sent a letter to the United States Justice Department, asking for a posthumous pardon for Mr. Winters. We are grateful that President Bush issued a pardon in December, thereby clearing Mr. Winters name and providing comfort to his family.

Today, the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County's Jewish Community Relations Council will be hosting Jimi Winters, the son of Charlie Winters, to honor the memory of his father. While I regret that I cannot be with them today, I join them in their celebration of Mr. Winters' memory. Mr. Winters' actions helped secure the independence of the state of Israel, thereby establishing a beacon of democracy in the Middle East.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 915, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2009, and to commend Chairman Oberstar and Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Costello for their leadership in bringing this bill to the floor today. This ambitious legislation will address the complex challenges facing our nation's aviation system, from the way we track our planes to the way we treat our passengers.

I was proud to author a provision in this legislation that would add an important layer of protection for consumers who endure unacceptable travel conditions. It came as a response to the alarming rate of complaints our constituents had over the past few years.

Clearly, there are problems with our airline system. An aging infrastructure, outdated technology, unrealistic flight schedules, an overstretched workforce, and poor weather have all been cited as problems.

It's true that despite these challenges, lots of passengers reach their destination without difficulty, and it's a great compliment to the men and women who work at the airlines to keep the system moving as scheduled. But one can't deny that many Americans are frustrated. One of my constituents sat on the tarmac for three hours before her flight was canceled and couldn't board another flight until the next day.

Mr. Chair, the American people deserve better. They've paid their hard-earned money to fly on a plane, so they should get to their destination without serious problems.

My provision in H.R. 915 will add an important layer of protection by requiring the Department of Transportation to investigate consumer complaints for a broad range of issues, including flight cancellations, overbooking, lost baggage, ticket refund problems, and incorrect or incomplete fare information.

My provision won't try to reinvent the wheel. The Department of Transportation already operates a division that handles airline consumer complaints with authority to issue warnings and fines.

What I am proposing is a simple expansion of the division so that they have the authority and resources to investigate a wide range of legitimate consumer grievances. I think that's a fair and reasonable response to the overwhelming problems the American people have endured.

As we move forward to conference with the Senate, I also want to emphasize the important safety measures in this legislation.

Proper safety begins with having enough inspectors on the ground. This is a continuing concern at a general aviation airport in my district, where inspectors are not based at the airport, and random and scheduled inspections don't seem to meet the airport's needs.

Fortunately, H.R. 915 will provide a much needed boost in the number of safety inspectors to ensure that every plane in the sky has been thoroughly cleared for takeoff.

This legislation will also hold the FAA accountable to the highest safety standards possible. Over the last several years, the FAA unfortunately had wavered from their core mission by treating the airlines, and not the American public, as its customers. The results were serious safety lapses. In the worst case, Southwest was allowed to fly 117 of its planes in violation of mandatory safety checks.

H.R. 915 will create an independent whistleblower investigation office to help serve as a watchdog, and it will close the revolving door between FAA officials and the airline industry. Make no mistake: the buddy system between FAA and the airlines must end.

Finally, I am pleased that both Congress and the Obama Administration are reaffirming our commitment to the dedicated men and women who operate our air traffic control towers. Staffing shortages at many towers are at a critical mass, forcing controllers to work longer hours and potentially exposing them to dangerous levels of fatigue.

We must turn the page on the old way of treating our air traffic controllers and end the standoff between them and the FAA. Central to this will be a collective bargaining agreement that's fair and worthy of the men and women who keep our skies safe.

I am hopeful that the current negotiations ordered by Secretary LaHood will be fruitful. But if not, the binding arbitration process set up in this bill will be important. I participated in numerous arbitration hearings as an attorney, and I believe this strategy will be a smart way forward to a new collective bargaining agreement.

For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 915.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to submit a record of how I would have voted on May 20, 2009 when I was unavoidably detained.

Had I voted, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 274 and ``aye'' on rollcall No. 275.

I thank the gentleman and thank him for his leadership.

As a Member from the Commonwealth of Kentucky, obviously you have a great deal of understanding about energy needs. The cities in Kentucky, the rural areas of Kentucky, the great equestrian and horse industry in Kentucky, all of those require the types of energy that we know are future energy sources for America.

I think this is just such a moment in time that really allows for an excitement. Now, these are challenging times, make no mistake about it. In my lifetime--and I'm 51 years old. Mr. Yarmuth is probably somewhere in that range as well.

Well, as Americans we understand challenges. We understand crises. Our fathers, our grandparents, our great- grandparents were certainly the architects of us getting through world wars. They fought, they innovated, they came out of it even stronger. My mom was a public schoolteacher, taught second grade, taught me about how important education is to make a success of one's self.

My dad was a small businessman. I don't know if you remember five- and-ten-cent stores. We called them variety stores. We had them in Cleveland, Ohio, where I grew up, and I worked there since I was 8 years old. And my dad taught me what it was like to balance the books, not borrow unless you absolutely have to. I understood what it took to make payroll. We had eight employees and we took care of them. These were people that he was loyal to and they were loyal to him, and he taught me about work ethic.

But most importantly, he taught me about what it takes to be an American, and given those opportunities to succeed, you will succeed.

And that's why, to me, at this moment of great challenges in our economy, people's jobs may be being lost permanently, that this is the moment that we shouldn't just be incremental. We shouldn't be small thinking. We should be thinking big and look at this as an opportunity, an opportunity to truly change the direction of America.

And that direction takes in a lot of different pieces, but of course, it starts with a solid education. And I know that when my mom made it a necessity for me to go to school, college, I was able to borrow money through the student loan programs to get there. That was an opportunity and allowed me to be standing here today representing people in south Florida. But most importantly was that education that allowed me to see what our great universities can do in terms of innovation and science and business and to combine those great things together.

We know the story of John F. Kennedy, when that little Sputnik went up in space, and for those people who were living at that time, that little can that went up in space was the Russian statement to the world that they were going to be dominant in space, and that scared Americans. Not because they knew that it was a direct threat, but they didn't know what it meant with this Cold War going at that time.

But what John F. Kennedy did by saying, I'm going to put a man on the moon at the end of the 1960s is, he said that we're going to put science first and innovation and challenge, and we built a NASA program, and we put a man on the moon not by 1970, but in 1969, in July. I remember that.

And to me, that is the kind of inspiration that I think our President today is presenting to us, President Barack Obama, about using science, using technology, using business innovation to earn our way and work our way out of this recession. It's not going to be something we're going to tax our way out of. We're going to grow our way out of this with jobs, with clean energy, with energy innovation, with energy products that not only are going to make us safer and more secure from a national security point of view--because we already know we import 60 percent of our oil from countries outside of the United States, and God only knows that is the wrong place for us to be at any moment in time.

We want to be self-reliant, and we have the capacity to do that with not only oil and gas but solar and wind and wave and nuclear and a whole lot of different things.

And it's about time that we sort of say this is our time, this is our moment to get it back on track. And I think that is what the President is saying to Americans. That's what the President is saying to American business.

I would share with the gentleman from Kentucky--he knows this because he helped write this bill. The big bill that we passed recently, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the stimulus bill it's called, it has some incredibly positive things in it, not only to stimulate the economy but on energy. It has a smart grid, advanced battery technology effort, and it's millions and billions of dollars for our universities, for our businesses to come together, putting the smartest people at the table from a business point of view, how to take a product to market, as well as the science point of view, to get these batteries for all electric cars and for all sorts of innovation, to come together and say we're going to focus and we're going to do it. We're going to be more successful than any other country in the world.

And you know something, we're not only going to make it good for the United States; we're going to export those products and license that technology. And all the other countries of the world, instead of, you know, exporting to us, we're going to start exporting to them. Great opportunity there.

There are also a whole lot of really good things about energy efficiency, energy savings at home, encouraging people to buy products and giving them tax incentives to buy products that save on energy. Green jobs, green buildings, all these kind of things just offer such great opportunities. So, you know, I look at this moment when we're discussing energy, and not just about a drill, drill, drill issue. That's not the issue. Of course oil's going to be part of our national energy policy and so will natural gas, and we have more natural gas, and that's good.

But I'm from Florida. Florida should be leading the world right now in solar power. We're the Sunshine State, and every State in the country has something to advertise. People come to Florida for our sun. Well, we should be leading in solar technology at our universities and for consumer purposes.

So I thank the gentleman for raising this today. We're going to be working on this issue. And again, this is not just about climate. This is about energy. This is about environment. This is about national security. Any one of those three, pick them, and I think that we could recognize this is the time for us to really put our foot down and make something happen.

I thank the gentleman for yielding. When I think about, when people talk about the best investment you can make is in yourself, and I know that over the years I've known people that were very successful in their own business and then they sort of went outside, they had a little extra money and they went outside their comfort zone and invested in something they maybe didn't know enough about and sometimes they lost money in that way.

I am so strongly in belief, as you just said, that investing in American scientists, investing in American business entrepreneurs, investing in the confidence that American consumers have, that we cannot only emerge in a stronger position, but we will absolutely dominate this energy field. And I'll give you an example.

The light bulbs that we see up here. These are incandescent light bulbs that were designed by Thomas Edison. The technology, long, long ago, a hundred years ago. And over the years we've made certain improvements to them and things like that, but they're very energy oriented. They really consume a lot of energy.

Well, you've now seen these new bulbs, that sort of circular, looks like a loop kind of thing, and those save a lot of energy. Now, they cost more at the store right now if you go to one of the stores because obviously there is a supply-and-demand issue.

But one of the things that we can do in government that doesn't cost the taxpayers a dime is we can create market, something Europe has been doing for a long time. And an example of this, and I know the gentleman from Kentucky is aware of this: Last year we passed a bill that will phase out the old-fashioned light bulbs over the next number of years, transition. And when we say ``phase out,'' they're going to have to put in, you know, they'll basically be selling new light bulbs, new energy- efficient light bulbs.

Well, guess what that does. Without the government spending a dime, without anybody doing anything, it gives businesses and business entrepreneurs and scientists a signal, a market signal that says there are going to be 450 million light bulbs sold in 2012 of this type, a big, big market in the United States. That's not the real number, but some extraordinary number, and then around world.

That means that if you design and can build in a cost-effective way and manufacture a light bulb that meets these specifications, there is a big market out there. So it certainly gives you, as an entrepreneur, as a businessperson, the signal to say, I'm going to invest in something that I know there's going to be a big market. And over the next number of years that market will only grow and expand. It's the same thing that we've seen with appliances. It's the same thing with our heating and air-conditioning systems. The refrigerators that were built 20 years ago used, I think, something like 10 times as much energy as they used today, even though today's average refrigerator is larger, does more functions and everything else. And that's because over time, you know, people understood, they wanted it more efficient, they wanted to pay less. So they paid a little more for the refrigerator up front, absolutely recouped that over time.

So, to me, these are the exciting things when it comes to electric automobiles and hybrids and all sorts of new technology that will make our homes more efficient, our buildings more efficient where we work. And it's a moment where I think with a partnership of government sending the right signals and the right tax planning, and businesses and consumers wanting to make these changes, wanting to succeed and create these jobs and wanting to be successful, it's the perfect combination.

And I yield back.

Thank you. And I absolutely agree. And if you think about, you know, the automobile, I'm in full agreement. I think it's exciting, and I'm glad to see that our people at the automotive companies understand this challenge, are not standing in the way. They're embracing it, and that's pretty exciting. And I think they're embracing it because they know that their survival is dependent on selling a car that the American consumer will want to buy, will get efficiency in operation, will last, and the maintenance will be minimal. There's a strong warranty behind it, things that were the mainstay of the automobile industry in the United States for a long time and, you know, sort of tapered off over the last few years.

But there's absolutely no reason in my mind why an American automobile can't be as good or better than any automobile in the world and why our

scientists and engineers can't create the best automobile.

There's a company in New Jersey that has been working on a different kind of concept which is very interesting. They're actually pushing--or not pushing. I think they've got the Government of Israel to support this, and I think Finland also, where in Israel they're going to be converting their entire--all their automobiles to electric automobiles over the next number of years.

And here's the simplicity of how this works, because I love when people say, Well, we can't do it, and the naysayers. And, oh, it's too expensive or too this. It just takes a little bit of thought to get it through.

Here's the simple idea. Right now, we have a tank of gas that may get you 200 miles, 300 miles, and then you run out of gas. Okay? So it's finite. It's not like your car runs indefinitely. You have to stop at a gas station. And, of course, in the United States, we have gas stations a lot of different places, but there aren't a lot of places you can get flex fuels and a lot of other, which has held up the alternative types of engine development in the United States.

This group has a car that has a battery, and the battery, I think right now the electric charge is maybe 100 miles, which, by the way, for most people, you don't go more than 100 miles in any city during the day. You may go 30, 40 miles, and then you can swap the battery out. You go to a gas station, which is now a service station. You swap the battery out just like you did with your old--your telephone battery kind of thing, and then you pop it back in and you're ready for the next charge. Or you plug in at night at home.

Now, if you think about it, our utility plants right now operate at peak capacity during the day. In the middle of the night when factories aren't necessarily operating and the peak load for electricity is down, they're operating at 30 percent, 40 percent, 60 percent, whatever the number is. So if you were to plug all these cars in at night with a nominal amount of electricity, no big deal. It makes full use of the existing capacity. You don't need another megawatt of electricity to do this, and you've got a car that has no emissions whatsoever.

We also know that this 100-mile charge, in the next couple of years it's going to be 120 and then 150 and then 200, because the technicians and the science people are going to get these batteries up and running, just like they make cars more efficient over time.

I thank the Senate for passing the Credit Card bill. I think that's a very exciting bill that the House passed already--it's called the Credit Card Consumers Rights bill. I think in a bipartisan way many of us in the House were very excited about the opportunity to try to get some balance in the credit card world for consumers, particularly at a time like this. So I appreciate the work of the Senate. I know we're going to be working actively to get that bill resolved.

But just to finish the thought, if I can, the gentleman from Kentucky, is just to say that this electric car concept, it's exactly-- whether that is the prototype for what is going to work in America, I can't tell you. But I love the idea that great thinkers are out there coming up with new ideas. The simplicity of being able to plug a car into a wall--there's a plug in the most rural areas or there's an electric outlet in the middle of the city.

So I think that's the kind of thinking that I would love to see as we move forward. I know that the tax incentives are in place for the development of our companies in the United States that develop these. I know the American people are ready for the jobs and our economy is ready for rebuilding. I think this is that moment in time as we pass this stimulus bill and we're now moving into the phase of letting the companies compete for these grants and letting our universities participate in the development with our greatest scientists and greatest engineers to take us to the next level so we will have energy security, national security, cleaner environment, and the kinds of economy that my kids, your kids, maybe our grandkids in the future, will be able to enjoy and participate in.

I thank the gentleman. I think when we talk about polls, obviously it's interesting to hear what the American people have to say because those are the people impacted by the decisions that are made here in Washington. And particularly at home right now, I know where I live in south Florida, people are hurting, they're suffering. They're looking for what is going on for the future of their jobs, their businesses. If they're senior citizens, they're concerned about what's going on in the economy.

But I think what is going on is there seems to be a little bit of a glimmer of some turn here. It's going to take time. What we all inherited--I'm talking about America, I'm not talking about this Congress--but all of us as Americans, we inherited, unfortunately, a pretty deep situation with the bank crisis and things like that.

We all go through recessions. Recessions cycle out. We do everything we can as a country, both public and private sector, to contract the amount of time it's going to take to allow a recession to go through.

But, again, I see this as a time also with the new President, President Obama, as really taking this moment to say we're going to have to fix some of the problems that have been festering a long time. We have an investment in roads and infrastructure and schools and bridges and things like that.

We have an investment in health care--to try to fix the health care system. We're debating a lot of new ideas right now. I know that every one of us has a family situation with a preexisting condition. My sister had cancer diagnosed recently, and she's going to have problems with insurance. You know something? This is that moment when you need insurance--not a perfectly healthy person.

But whether it's energy or health care or education or the bridges and roads and universities, things like that, these are the things that I think are really beginning to come out. The polls can say something, as my friend from Kentucky said, but these are Americans talking. These aren't Democrats or Republicans or Independents. These are Americans from all walks of life, from all 50 States, rural areas and industrial areas, areas where there's been a great history of success and areas that are now having great difficulties.

I think that's why it is exciting to have the kind of energy and the kind of leadership that's coming out of the White House. We may not necessarily grant every single thing, but I think that what's going on right now in Washington, there's a great amount of trying that's going on, a great amount of effort going into passing things.

There's been a number of bills passed--everything from health care to the energy issues. We know that as we move forward there are going to be greater issues to tackle. And I know that all of us feel very strongly this is a moment where we want to hear from our constituents, to talk to us, to let us know what is on their mind; not get caught up on the discussions on cable television. Obviously, everybody's got an opinion.

Literally, when we come home and we're talking every day at home with what Americans are talking about, what is important to them, this is that time to share with us. I know that many of you do. I just want to continue that conversation as we move forward.

I just wanted to thank the gentleman for bringing us here tonight to talk about energy because this is something that is going to have one of the biggest impacts on our future, both our foreign policy and our domestic policy. I look forward to working with you and all the Members of Congress on making sure we get it right.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman and rise in strong support of H.R. 2187. This important legislation will fund much- needed repairs to public school buildings, reduce their carbon footprint, and maximize scarce education resources by saving our schools money on energy costs. By investing up front in sustainable renovations to our public school facilities, we can help slash their energy bills by as much as 33 percent in the long term and free up more money to invest in teacher retention, textbooks, after-school activities, and a number of other things that are so important to our children's education.

In my home State of Florida, school construction and renovation projects for school buildings are a desperate situation. Unfortunately, they have been postponed indefinitely time and time again as our schools struggle to fund their most basic needs, such as school supplies, school lunch programs, teacher salaries, and general operating costs. These Federal funds that we are talking about today will help bring these school buildings up to code, all while creating thousands of jobs in the construction industry, an industry hit particularly hard in these tough economic times. We are talking about a great benefit from this bill. It is short term in terms of construction jobs and support for the schools, and long term in terms of better quality school buildings.

I was proud to support, along with my colleague, Congressman Blumenauer, to facilitate greater bicycle and pedestrian access to our Nation's schools. When I went to school when I was a kid, I rode my bike to school, I walked, and all of these things today are the kinds of things that we want to encourage in the future. By authorizing funds to facilitate healthy alternative modes of transportation to our schools, we can also reduce the cost of school buses and various other things. We can reduce vehicle congestion on our roads, decrease emissions, and improve the health and well-being of our students.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Congressman Chandler for introducing this important legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to lend my strong support for the supplemental aid funding that the House will be considering this week. This bill represents accountability to the taxpayers and a robust commitment to our national security and stability around the world.

In December, I had the privilege of visiting with our troops and military leaders in Afghanistan. I met with Americans who are doing incredible work to help the Afghani people take ownership of their economy and provide security in their neighborhoods. The administration's plan for refocusing our attention on Afghanistan incorporates both the U.S. military component but also builds up training for the Afghan military and police, government reforms, funding for economic development, and training of the Afghan people to grow alternative crops and build roads and irrigation systems.

I want to ensure that our troops in Afghanistan are as safe as possible. Therefore, I'm proud to support the fiscal 2009 supplemental bill which includes $2.2 billion more than requested for mine- resistant, ambush-protected vehicles to protect our troops. Not only is it imperative that we provide servicemembers everything they need to complete their mission safely, we must also provide them with everything they have earned upon their return to civilian life.

Our troops and their families have given everything to this mission. We know that some of our troops have missed family milestones, others have suffered financial setbacks, and many others have experienced psychological trauma. This bill provides for expanded counseling services, state-of-the-art equipment for our wounded warriors, and funds to reintegrate our troops back into civilian life and the workforce when they return home.

Some members of the military were told that their service would last a certain amount of time, and then they were told that they would be ``stop-lossed''--that means that their tour would be extended. To me, this shows a certain amount of disrespect for those who put on the uniform. It was a difficult decision to ask them to go back, but there also needs to be a sense of fairness on how they're compensated for that. It doesn't help their readiness or our readiness for our national security to have low morale among our troops. That is why I am very proud that this supplemental retroactively pays servicemembers and veterans $500 for every month that they've served under stop-loss orders since 2001. This is long overdue, and it's the right thing to do.

Our troops in Afghanistan will also be safer if we find regional solutions; that will include strengthening our current initiatives in Pakistan. Recently, General Petraeus, who is doing an excellent job for us, came to Palm Beach County in Florida in my district. We talked about it, and he told me--and I think we all understand this, as members of the Foreign Affairs Committee, that Pakistan and Afghanistan have become a single threat and a single issue because of this threat.

Training the Pakistani security forces to confront the Taliban will help the Pakistani Government regain its foothold and prevent it from being a failed state, which is an unacceptable threat to us and the region. This could not be more urgent. Our aid must communicate security priorities, including the Pakistani Government's assurances to safeguard the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan, and also to secure the nuclear facilities and weapons that they have.

Lastly, I would like to touch upon how the supplemental aid bill treats aid to the Middle East.

President Obama, Secretary Clinton, and Special Envoy Mitchell have provided U.S. leadership in the region to advance the causes of peace and security. However, the engagement would become more difficult if the Palestinians were to form a national unity government, including Hamas.

I support our current policy--no aid to terrorist organizations, no aid to any group that incites violence, promotes and implements terrorist attacks, and kidnaps young men without regard to human rights. This bill that we're considering is clear: no aid to Hamas.

In the event that a unity government denounces violence, abides by PLO and PA agreements, and recognizes Israel as a Jewish state, then we can start the conversation about aid. In that case, according to this bill, if the President can certify that these conditions have been met, then aid can be released to the unity government and only under those circumstances.

Furthermore, current restrictions maintain that U.S. taxpayer funds to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA, which administers aid to Palestinian refugees, may not be used or diverted to fund terrorism or any activities of a terrorist group. I would urge the State Department to ensure that these restrictions are followed in both the letter and the spirit of the law, and to remain absolutely vigilant in investigating any possible infractions.

Finally, I would like to continue to bring attention to the cause of Gilad Shalit, who remains captive by Hamas. He was kidnapped in 2006. I urge all interested parties, including Egypt, to use their influence to ensure his safe return. Though not included in the legislative language, I urge the State Department to make it clear to all aid recipients of this bill that Gilad's return remains a foreign policy priority.

Mr. Speaker, I conclude and ask for this legislation to be adopted by this House to send a strong message to our troops.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 338, supporting the goals and ideals of National Community College Month.

Community colleges offer the opportunity of an affordable college education to students, working adults with busy schedules and people looking for an alternative to a traditional liberal arts education. Their programs help address some of the most pressing workforce demands in our country, including nursing, engineering technology, allied health, law enforcement and computer technology among others. More recently, community colleges have heeded the call for skilled workers necessary to build and maintain wind and water turbines, solar panels and other technology needed to produce a clean, renewable energy infrastructure here in the United States.

During these tough economic times, the need for advanced education and skills is more important than ever to finding well paid work in an increasingly competitive workforce. Community colleges like Palm Beach Community College and Broward College located in my congressional district offer customized continuing education programs to fit the needs of emerging and evolving industries in our community--with online, distance learning courses to better accommodate working adults with families and busy work schedules. The flexibility and affordability of many community college programs allows Americans from every walk of life to pursue an advanced degree or certification that they may not have had the opportunity to pursue otherwise.

By providing everyone in the United States with the opportunity to further their education, we can build a more competitive, innovative workforce, capable of addressing the most pressing issues of our time, and restoring our place as a leader in the global economy. Community colleges will play a vital role in preparing young people and adults looking to further their education, with the skills they need to advance their careers, provide for their families, and get our economy back on track.

Today, I rise in recognition of the National Education Association's National Teacher Day. Few professionals touch as many lives as teachers do. They provide us with the knowledge and skills we need to succeed in life, and their dedication deserves national recognition.

That is why I have introduced legislation again this year calling for the establishment of an officially recognized National Teacher Day.

The education of our children is critical to the future success of our country, and despite limited compensation and increasingly high expectation, our teachers rise to the challenge each and every day.

Teachers are a critical component to increasing our global competitiveness and once again establishing our country as a world leader in science, math, and other fields.

My mother was a public school teacher, and I know the hard work that she put in to ensure that every one of her students was prepared to success in the classroom and in life.

To all the teachers of south Florida and across the country, thank you.

I thank the gentleman. There are serious problems with the way some mortgages were sold over this past decade. I have heard from constituents who were fully taken advantage of by lenders who used a variety of different techniques. Florida, my home State, was particularly hard hit by fraud and unscrupulous lenders, unfortunately. There's plenty of blame to go around.

However, on a going-forward basis, we must ensure that these problems never happen again, and it's essential that we reform the current mortgage underwriting legislation.

Senator Leahy's legislation and my colleagues in the House here have put together an excellent bill, the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act, which is part of a comprehensive effort to reform mortgage underwriting standards and, most importantly, restore consumer and investor confidence in the system by expanding criminal penalties for fraudulent activity by mortgage brokers and lenders.

In addition, this bill expands the scope of securities fraud provisions and extends the prohibition against defrauding the Federal Government to the TARP program and to the stimulus bill.

The bill also authorizes additional appropriations to investigate and prosecute fraud, and creates a Senate Select Committee to examine the causes of our current economic crisis.

All these measures, when taken together, will help restore confidence in the American economy, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation so we can get on with business.

Madam Speaker, Thursday, April 23, 2009 I was unavoidably detained. Had I voted, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall No. 200.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of National Autism Awareness Month.

Each April, Americans have a special opportunity to learn more about autism. In south Florida, we have a vibrant community of activists and families fighting every day to raise awareness and funds for scientific research on the causes of and cures for autism. Two of the strongest voices in our community belong to Suzanne and Bob Wright, the founders of Autism Speaks.

In just 4 years, this extraordinary organization has committed an unprecedented $128 million in new research funding to uncover causes, treatments and cures for autism. In addition to supporting scientific research, Autism Speaks builds community among families with autism, and it raises awareness in south Florida, around the country and around the world.

In recognition of Autism Awareness Month, I commend Susan and Bob Wright and Autism Speaks, as well as all of the families in our community facing autism.

Thank you, Dr. Kagen. Certainly it is an honor and privilege to be here and to talk about

this issue in the House of Representatives, because I know people at home are trying to figure out what it is that they can do, what ideas that they have, what ideas doctors have, hospitals have, caregivers have, to try to fix the system that in the long term is not sustainable.

It is not sustainable through Medicare and Medicaid based on the costs. It is not sustainable if you are a private-sector business and you are providing health care to your employees. You obviously want to do whatever you can to keep them healthy. You spend a lot of time training them, and we want them to come to work every day and be healthy and not have to end up in the hospital where they don't have coverage and obviously all the problems that go along with that.

So we have some serious issues out there, and I think this is one of those moments in time in America where we have to come together. This is not a Democrat, Republican or Independent issue. This is an American issue. This is something where we have to sort of in a nonpartisan way figure out what is working in the system and preserve that, and what is not working in the system and fix that.

There are lots of issues we know that are not working, and I will just give one perfect example, which I know when I am speaking on the floor of the House this evening a lot of people will be able to share and empathize with this scenario I am going to give you.

We have a very close friend. We have known them for many, many years. Their daughter has cystic fibrosis, and it could be any number of diseases that any of our families unfortunately have with their children.

This gentleman owned a business, a family business, for decades, a long, long time, and the business, based on what is going on right now over the last number of months, had to close. Well, fortunately, for all the years that he has been raising his family, they have had a good health insurance plan that the business paid for. Obviously, it was something that gave them peace of mind, knowing that when their daughter needed hospitalization or therapy or treatments, she could get it.

Well, when your business goes out, there is no COBRA, and a lot of people are not aware of that, because there is no underlying policy. The reality is for him to find an insurance policy, a health insurance policy right now that will take care of his daughter with her preexisting condition, that is what it is known as, it is almost impossible to get that coverage, and, if you can get it, it costs a fortune and usually has all sorts of exclusions and limitations.

The same example for women who have had breast cancer. Literally millions of women that have had breast cancer, generally speaking after they have had breast cancer, they are going to have a difficult time getting coverage. And guess who needs it the most? Someone who has cancer. God forbid, if it ever comes back, you want to know if you need surgery or an oncologist or a second opinion or to have whatever, a lumpectomy or whatever it may be, that you will have the hospitalization and care.

Unfortunately, this is a big gap. And ``gap'' is really not giving it the right feeling, because ``gap'' is just a word. But this is a crisis. This is a crisis for families who can't afford or can't get that kind of health insurance. And there is no reason.

There is a very simple answer, obviously. What is insurance? Insurance is supposed to spread the risk. When you have a large pool, when a large corporation has 10,000, 20,000, 100,000 employees, they buy a policy and it spreads the risk. And, God forbid, if one of their employees has a serious illness or car accident, that is covered in the big pool by all the rest the employees. That is how insurance is supposed to work, whether it is homeowner's insurance or any kind of insurance you buy. Health insurance is the same.

The tragedy, of course, is that over time we have allowed a system to develop where there are large gaps in our delivery of health care. We have to fix it. It is the right thing to do.

I will turn it back to the gentleman from Connecticut who is running this discussion tonight and thank him for allowing me to participate.

I thank the gentleman. And just to add to that,

I would like to thank the gentlewoman from Nevada for calling us together tonight because I think, as we realize, all over the United States, tourism, the flow of people, the flow of goods that go with the people, the fact that people come from all over the world to our great, wonderful attractions, whether they be in Las Vegas, or whether they be in Florida, where I am from. I am from the southeast coast of Florida, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, all over Florida and I know that all over the United States there are some just unbelievable places to go. And the good news is there are actually some good buys right now.

But besides that, the more important part though is that tourism is a very, very important part of our economy. It is important on so many levels. Economically, let's just start with the jobs. I know that you feel so strongly about, Congresswoman Berkley, the jobs that are created in the hospitality industry, the construction jobs that go along with it, all the ancillary services and support and the food and the, all the entertainment and equipment and things like that. They are very much a part of our economy all over the United States.

Certainly it is not just where the people actually travel to. It is the fact that the things that supply the equipment, the buildings, all the support services come from 50 States. Every State is impacted by a strong tourism trade. And it is just very exciting to be part and to live in a community where we have tourism as such an active part.

Being from South Florida, we not only draw people from all over the United States to Florida, but we get people from all over the world, as you do as well. And I know just from the Latin American community, the European community, Asian community, they come to our beaches, they come to our attractions, our wonderful hotels, the great quality of life, the diversity of our culture, the diversity of the people in Florida, incredible restaurants to choose from. But, you know, obviously, in struggling times we know it affects everybody. It affects the discretionary dollar.

But I think one thing we do want to encourage, and certainly with the economic stimulus package that has now been presented, we are now beginning to work through some of these difficult issues with the banks and the credit which have a lot to do with supporting our economy throughout the United States. This is going to take a little bit of time.

But I think everyone should have that confidence level to know that, as Americans, we are going to get through this. The goal is to contract what is going on right now.

The reality is, at the same time, people still need to get out; they still need to do business, and certainly, as we know, even as unemployment has moved up a little bit, we still have over 90 percent of Americans who are gainfully employed. There are wonderful opportunities to travel to our great places all over the United States, to spend a few dollars, to stay in a wonderful place, to have family time, business time, to eat a good meal, and it is just all very exciting because we do have this great infrastructure and this great entertainment system in place, but it is the lifeblood, in many ways, of our country's economy.

I just want to thank you for not only being a leader in understanding tourism, but also, in the recovery and reinvestment bill that we did, there is so much in there which is going to help support getting our economy moving again and in building that confidence to know that people should travel and should enjoy the tourism industry--our hotels, our properties and just get a great benefit out of it. So I would like to thank you for calling us together. I am glad to support this great initiative that you have put out there.

Absolutely.

If the gentlelady would yield, I would be more than happy to respond. Thank you for yielding to me.

The answer is, yes, there has been an impact. We have a lot of hotels that do a lot of business travel. We have convention centers in Miami, in Fort Lauderdale and in West Palm Beach, of course, and in the rest of Florida, also in Orlando, which is a huge destination.

I don't know if it's the second best. It may be the best. Maybe we have the second largest number of hotel rooms, but again, great choices all the way around.

Yes, Florida has been hit hard. A lot of people travel to Florida and plan business conventions 1 year, 2 years or 3 years in advance. There have been some cancellations.

What it does, of course, anywhere is if, in fact, a hotel has a certain less number of room nights--of which we know ``room nights'' are the number of rooms times the number of nights for a particular convention--and if a convention has 100 rooms and there are 5 nights, which is 500 room nights, that's a big impact. It's not just the hotel. It's the food that goes with it. It's all of the hospitality.

Absolutely.

That's right, and there is some great shopping in local communities, of course, that goes with it.

You know, it has had an impact. Again, I think that our businesses are doing what a lot of businesses are doing right now. They're clamping down. They're making sure that their systems are running as efficiently as possible, but they are great optimists, and the properties are just wonderful. We have a new one--I won't give a particular plug--but it's down in Miami. It's the Fontainebleau----

Which is a world famous hotel.

That's right. They are. They're the same owners. They just put $1 billion into a property down there, but it's not just that hotel. There are so many wonderful hotels. We have large hotels, boutique hotels. Again, people love to come to the beaches and relax.

And you can get a very good deal, so keep that in mind if you're looking to travel.

But it is true. This economic downturn has made a lot more rooms available, and that does have a broad impact, which is why I am so supportive of these initiatives that we are taking right now to rebuild confidence in the economy.

The President's Reinvestment and Recovery Act is very much a part of recognizing, yes, we have to fix the banks and that, yes, we have to fix the mortgages. We are beginning to really move in some positive directions there. Yes, we had to do a stimulus plan, and the stimulus plan may not be perfect, but it is designed to be monitored very carefully so that, as we look every 30 days, we ask: Is it creating jobs? As for all of these outcome measurements that we're expecting, the key to all of this is that, if it's not working in creating jobs, it gets cancelled, and we move on to something else, but it's all about, in our local communities, doing things that will get the economy up and running, making people feel better about themselves so they can buy and sell businesses and houses.

No. I would just support what you're saying.

First of all, I think your idea of branding of the United States as a place for travel and tourism is a wonderful idea. You see the Philippines. You see, you know, countries do this. In Florida, we have something called Visit Florida, which is a public-private partnership, set up a number of years ago, which brands Florida and promotes it in different places.

I support the idea of branding the United States as a place and then, obviously, letting local communities co-op together, putting leverage those dollars and doing it. I think you're all right.

One other point: We're talking about big. Let's also talk small. In your community, I'll bet there are lots of small businesses--bed and breakfasts and lots of other things--that are just wonderful places. These are people who are very dependent and who are also in cooperation with our large properties.

If I can add to that, I think let's talk the positives. We've been talking about a little bit of the risk side. But I think what we're all saying is the same thing. And that is the business side that gets done at conventions or travel to any one of our communities or any one of the 50 States, the notion of either playing golf in Florida or going to any one of the entertainment venues that any of us have or the ecotourism or the beautiful sceneries that attracts us, this is where business gets done. This is where families spend vacations.

And this is a time and place where people need to recognize, even though times are a little tough, business is going on, the economy is still going on, people are living their lives. You make maybe a different choice than maybe you did before, but there are great opportunities. But like everything else, supply and demand. Right now, you might even get a better buy than if you had planned a year ahead of time. And that's okay. That's just part of the deal, but that still makes the flow. That still makes the hotel full, it still makes the restaurants full, the suppliers and all of those things go.

I think it is a very exciting opportunity. And again, I just see this as an opportunity as we talk about these things back home what we're doing here in Washington on fixing the credit on the reinvestment act and the recovery act, this is all about putting all of the pieces in place so that everything will turn. And it will turn. It's just a matter of whether it is this amount of time or this amount of time. But we're going to get through this. And if it's a matter of going forward and planning the next trip, the next business meeting or whatever, that needs to go forward because every business needs to be in the best possible place when things start clicking again on all eight cylinders.

Every time I see Congresswoman Berkley, there is not enough infectious energy there of her passion for what she does. You are probably the greatest representative that Las Vegas has ever had because of your beliefs in the industry.

The issue with tourism, though, as you just said, it's ecotourism. It is environmental. It is the culture. It is the arts.

I see on the other side of the Chamber is the congressman from Ohio. I'm from Ohio originally. They have the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

But everywhere you go in the United States, there is the opportunity for tourism. And the most important recognition of this is it is about who we are as Americans, it's about the rest of the world getting a piece of our culture. We export a lot of great things in our entertainment industry. But bringing people to the United States, getting a feeling for what we're all about, our democracy, our values that express themselves in the way we maintain our national parks, the way we--the Everglades, which is one of the great creations. The Grand Canyon. These are all things that when people leave the country----

I think we could all go on for a while.

I would agree. It is patriotic for Americans to see America. And it is also a wonderful way of showing what America is like to people around the world because when they go home and they can share their experiences of what they have seen and what they have felt and what Americans are like and what this particular destination, this ocean, this Grand Canyon, Lake Erie, any combination of things that are part of who we are as a country, I think it adds so much to us as America. It promotes our interests worldwide as well.

I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Chairman, Members, I rise in strong support of this amendment and the underlying bill. Congressman Teague and I introduced this amendment in order to clarify the services that could be formed by Veterans' Corps volunteers anywhere.

I represent Palm Beach and Broward Counties in south Florida, home to many of our Nation's veterans. We all agree that when Americans who wear the military uniform return from service, they deserve to be treated with the highest level of respect and dignity that they have earned. This includes making sure they receive the benefits they are entitled to, and I know we all share that commitment.

While the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and military staff work hard to ensure that every veteran gets full advantage of the benefits they have earned, some veterans still have difficulty navigating the system and coming up with all the necessary documents. By allowing trained Veterans' Corps volunteers to guide them through this process, we can ensure more veterans obtain the benefits they were promised.

With thousands of new servicemembers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq, the job of the Veterans' Corps is more critical than ever. As of September 2008, 330,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans have filed disability claims with the VA; yet, 54,000 are still waiting for confirmation that the VA even received their claims. The average wait for a disability claim is more than 6 months. This amendment could help these veterans access the services they need.

I can think of few priorities greater or more urgent than providing basic services such as these to our brave men and women who serve to protect our country, secure our peace, and safeguard our way of life.

I would like to thank my colleague, Congressman Teague, for working with me on this amendment, and particularly Chairman Miller for introducing this important piece of legislation, which will enable hundreds of thousands of Americans to dedicate their time to a cause that is bigger than themselves through volunteerism and community service. I urge adoption of

this amendment and a ``yes'' vote on the underlying legislation for the betterment of our community and our country as a whole.

Mr. Speaker, this week, we took important action to address a critical issue in south Florida and around the country, to improve access to credit for small business owners.

Small businesses generated more than 70 percent of the new jobs every year for the past decade, and even beyond that. And they will fuel our economic recovery, both where I live in south Florida, and nationwide.

I recently visited Uniweld Products, a family-owned business in Fort Lauderdale. This small business has been operating for 60 years, yet because of the frozen credit markets has been unable to secure vital loans and has been forced to lay off a quarter of its workforce in recent months. The plan announced by the administration this week will help businesses like Uniweld access the credit they need to keep their doors open and to thrive.

I strongly support this aggressive and immediate action and look forward to continuing to work with entrepreneurs and community leaders in south Florida to support our small businesses as they lead our way toward economic recovery.