Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, although I voted for all amendments and for the motion to recommit, because of responsibilities in commemorating Apollo 11 in Houston, I missed the final vote on H.R. 3293, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, the appropriations bill, on Friday, July 24, 2009.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

On July 25, the Sunday Chronicle read: Houston fair draws more than expected despite the stifling heat. Thousands sweat out the chance to get Federal jobs. Houston fair draws more than expected despite the stifling heat.

A Federal jobs fair that was held by my office in Houston on this past Saturday, July 25, shows that Texas is vulnerable to the unemployment numbers, and it also shows why the stimulus dollars do count.

Houstonians and Texans and Americans want to work. These stimulus dollars are beginning to impact our communities, even those who are viewed as not being vulnerable to this high unemployment. We realize that we have to face this while we rebuild our economic structure. That is what we are trying to do with the passage of health care reform and in providing more jobs for our constituents.

I will have another Federal jobs fair in collaboration with many of my friends--with the private sector, with community colleges, and with others--to ensure that Americans know that their tax dollars are working for them. We want Federal jobs to be known and to be available throughout America beyond the beltway, and we'll be working with our government, with our administration and with our Department of Labor to let Americans know there are jobs there for them that their tax dollars are paying for. In essence, we need you to work for the United States Government, and jobs are there for you.

Houston, we will be back again for a second U.S. Federal jobs fair.

Let me thank the gentlelady from Ohio. And I appreciate her anchoring this Special Order in order to pursue a very important discussion on the leadership of the Congressional Black Caucus and the Health Task Force, along with the work of so many of our Members who are on the jurisdictional committees, and also, as I indicated earlier, the importance of the CBC Health Task Force, of which I have served on for a number of years.

I, too, want to add my appreciation to that task force, to the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, and as well the chairperson of the Health Care Task Force and Health Reform Task Force, Dr. Donna Christensen, who was just on the floor, thanking her for leading us through the years. I have worked with her through the years as we were able to get the CHIPs program and a number of other steps toward complete health care reform, and I am glad to have been able to do so.

I have an idea, and we have entered into some discussions, to add to the

TriCaucus, which includes the Hispanic Caucus and the Asian Pacific Caucus, the Progressive Caucus, for which I serve as the vice Chair. I am also part of the Progressive Caucus negotiating team on health care reform, and we have done that. We have found that we have had now maybe a quadruple caucus that has overlapping issues equaling more than 100- plus Members, maybe upwards of 200 Members who have a common goal dealing with health disparities as well as dealing with the question of public option.

So I would like to, just for a moment, Congresswoman Fudge, go through some of the important issues.

I think we should reestablish the fact that there are 47 million uninsured Americans. Many people want to break that down. There are people who don't want insurance. There are others who have other problems. Why don't we just say that we have 47 million uninsured who have not been given any other option, so they are uninsured? And who knows, if they were presented a plan that addressed their needs within a reasonable cost, small businesses included, which of course hire or are, in fact, the employers, small businesses, of upwards of 50 million-plus individuals--I think the number is larger than that. If we gave small businesses, if we gave the uninsured--because many of the people are working, they are in small businesses, they are uninsured; not because they don't want that opportunity, but because they have invested every single cent that they have in that small business, and many of the small businesses are sole proprietors.

I believe the work that the Congressional Black Caucus and this quadruple caucus conglomeration, along with our caucus, really is emphasizing how we expand these various aspects of ensuring that Americans get insurance.

Now, you could point to the fact that maybe one poll would not be accurate, maybe two polls, but we have four polls here that say that people want a public health insurance option. And the interesting thing is, as this is a very strong element of the Congressional Black Caucus, is that the public option has three elements to it: It has the basic plan, the premium plan, and the premium plus. It means that this is not a second-class plan. And I think most Americans realize--the highest number is the NBC WSI poll, 76 percent; CBS poll, 72 percent. The EBRI poll, which speaks about the public option having 83 percent of the support of the American people because they know that we are not constructing a second-class plan. We are constructing a plan that will give the option for so many different people to be engaged.

In addition, one of the emphases that we have had is this question of reducing health disparities. This is enormously important. And included in that, we have the Secretary of HHS is required to conduct a study that examines the extent to which Medicare providers utilize or make available information on various aspects of disparities, which I think is very important.

This legislation also provides for promoting primary care, mental health services, and coordinated care, key elements. We all know that we passed the mental health disparities bill. This keeps that in place, but it also has provisions to promote and support the increased primary care physicians, which means that we are trying to get people to the doctor before they are, in essence, ready to be admitted to a hospital. This is a very important aspect of preventative care. You come for a checkup, not come to be admitted to the hospital. And this is an element of that.

And one of the disappointments I had is that the Congressional Budget Office, which is only language that people inside the beltway understand, called the CBO--in headlines across America you hear the term ``CBO''--has not given us a real figure for how much money we will save by upping the amount of preventative care. And I think that is key and something that the members of the TriCaucus, and now with the addition of the Progressive Caucus, have in fact supported emphasizing.

I want to go to the question of this economy. We inherited this economy, and I think it's important to own up to the facts. Some people may argue that this administration has been overly busy, has done a mountain of legislative initiatives. What more are they going to do?

Well, the facts are that our economy was crumbling when this President took office. The bailout structure was already in place. The TARP moneys were already in place. The automobile industry was already collapsing. And we simply had to come in as the Red Cross, as the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts and try to make our camp better than we found it. That's what we are doing here today.

And part of the work that is being done by this number of caucuses, including the Congressional Black Caucus, with the emphasis on preventative care and the public option will do this: the program will ensure early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment; case management for chronic diseases; dental and mental health services; and even language access services. So we are getting ahead of the problem. We are diagnosing what the problem is. These percentages show that the American people understand where we are trying to go.

And I just want to add this, as I talk about the President and his whole concern on this question of the economy, to make mention of the fact that the economy generates unemployment. In my district I hosted this past Saturday a Federal job fair because I believe that since we know that there are about 600,000 Federal jobs, we need to break outside the beltway and get out in America and tell Americans what options there are for public service first and, two, to work for the United States Government.

We had an organized effort, a very open facility that had free parking. But we were expecting about a thousand to come. Over 3,000 Houstonians came in the heat of the day to be able to access U.S. Federal jobs. I would guesstimate that the large percentage of those who came do not have health care. And that's why we are here on the floor today. Unemployment equals not having health care for yourself or for your family. Many of those were long-term workers, some of those were recent graduates, and some of those were people who had been chronically unemployed for a period of time through no fault of their own.

But they came because they want to work, but they have no health insurance. What we are doing now is on the basis of responding to that need.

And let me tell you a component of this health reform that I believe we need to work a little harder on, and that is to recognize the value of what we call physician-owned hospitals. In a recent meeting, a Member got up and explained in the far reaches of New England how physician-owned hospitals are crucial in instances where there are no hospitals for miles and miles around and particularly where there is no other competition.

As we stand today, physician-owned hospitals under the current health reform bill, 104 physician-owned hospitals underdeveloped, 42 of which are scheduled to come online by the 2010, would have to be shut down. We have a simple fix. It's to change the date which these hospitals will be grandfathered in to the date of enactment of this bill.

And what that would mean is that you would keep 104 hospitals which are at risk right now, 20,000 new jobs would be lost in 21 States and over 40 hospitals in my own home State as well. At least $5 billion in current investments will be lost. It will also affect hospitals that were built to serve working men and women with little or no insurance. This is not a partisan issue. This is about providing more care through the physician-owned hospitals. And as well, it would highlight the work that physicians do to maintain health care, because if they are invested, they are obviously concerned about their work product.

As an example, I just want to cite St. Joseph Medical Center. In August 2006, over 80 medical staff members out of 500 elected to purchase a stake in the hospital to keep it from closing. Because of this partnership, St. Joseph Medical Center remains today as a viable institution caring for hundreds of thousands of patients each year through the various services of this general acute care inner-city hospital with an emergency room, the only downtown hospital with 4 million workers in that surrounding area.

Nearly 5,000 new Houstonians are born annually at this hospital, the first maternity hospital in Houston.

So as we look to ensure that we have value in our health care reform, I believe that we are going in the right direction. I believe we should do this now. But as we do so, let us not leave out institutions that have been very helpful in the past and let us look to our physicians who have both the management aspect of a hospital and really the caring part of it, the nurturing, the medical aspect of it, what a wonderful partnership, and not close those hospitals in 21 States because we have an arbitrary date of January 1, 2009.

It is, of course, something I think can be resolved just as I believe that we can resolve the issue dealing with home health care. More and more of us of all economic levels are finding it more fiscally responsible to have our care at home. Whether you are ethnic, African Americans, Hispanics, or Asian, or whether you are in the majority, these are resources that can provide the kind of comfort of care at home. Let us not undermine the home health care. Let us make it more fiscally responsible. Let us make it more efficient. But let us not undermine it.

Let me conclude my remarks by making sure we emphasize, as I move this chart, that people want a public health insurance option. Don't let any media or any advertising that is bias that is going to tell you that this is going to take away your own private health insurance, that it is going to be second class or third class. The American people know what they want. They understand that the public option will have to be competitive.

Be reminded in 1965, prior to that we did not have Medicare, and we saw the mortality rates, the passing away of Americans at a younger age over and over again. If you take the statistics of what age you passed that before 1965 because of poor medical care, you see the distinctive difference in today where we have centenarians, those who are living past 100 years, those who are in their 80s, and might I say they are living well because they have Medicare. The American people understand that.

But as I close, I think it is important to note that when we look to our friends who are on the other side of the aisle or trying to oppose working together in a collaborative way, it says the organizational chart of the House Republican health plan, and it's very colorful, but it is full of questions because we don't know what the plan is.

We do have to make sacrifices. We have to make sacrifices to work together on preserving physician-owned hospitals. It's not just St. Joseph Charity Hospital in Houston, Texas, in the inner-city with 1,800 full-time jobs that adds to the economy, paying millions of dollars in taxes, providing $40 million of uncompensated care each year. It says Sisters of Charity, $40 million in uncompensated care. That means that's what they give to the indigent. This is a chart that says nothing will happen.

I believe it is important for the efforts to be made in collaboration with the Congressional Black Caucus, which really was out front on this question of inequities in health care, the disparities in health care. We have a decade-long history on working on disparities in health care, and it is economic disparities as well. It means people who have less means are not getting access to good, quality health care.

I don't know what the answer is with this plan. It's all questions. I don't know what the answer is to preexisting disease. I don't know what the answer is to home health care. I don't know what the answer is to providing a huge segment of preventative care or producing more primary care doctors or nurse practitioners. I don't know what the answer is here.

But we in the Congressional Black Caucus want to make sure that we move this legislation forward, that we have an opportunity to make people whole, and that we look on the fact that any State that is looked upon such as Texas as not being vulnerable to unemployment, that we are supposed to be the shining example of not having problems, then you can imagine what is happening across America. People are unemployed. We know that we are going down in the economy before we go up. The stimulus is going to work, but we must have a public option plan that America wants, and we must have it now.

I want to thank the gentlewoman from Ohio for allowing me to participate and to be able to emphasize the importance of moving forward on this health care reform with viable changes that will make it better for all Americans and particularly to thank the Congressional Black Caucus for starting out 10 years ago on this question of disparities, this question of access to health care, and this question of recognizing the need for 47 million uninsured Americans to cease and desist.

And might I say the American people are wise because they know if we do not do it today, it will be 47 million, 57 million, 67 million, maybe upwards of 100 million who will not be insured and not have the ability to take advantage of good health. That is what this Special Order is about.

I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

I enjoyed having the opportunity to be here with Congresswoman Watson from California. I know that she has been steady on these issues, and I think it is extremely important that we do work together.

One of the points I think we will have an opportunity to engage in discussions on as we continue to make our way through the putting together of this bill is to ensure that we each have an opportunity to reflect on some of the concerns that can help make the bill better. Here are some of the issues that I think will help make the bill better.

I am interested in grants to high schools and middle schools that would increase health care professionals, particularly those in underserved communities. I mentioned a week or so ago that I was visiting in New York and met a nurse who started the program through his hospital where he would go to middle schools and high schools and allow the children to dress up in scrubs and participate in mock operating sessions or operating rooms. What a difference it makes. It is almost like our children would dress up as firefighters or police officers. That would incentivize the children to think of the medical profession as something they are interested in. I am looking at hopefully submitting a proposal for that.

Next, an amendment that will address the question of providing incentives for the development of community health care centers that are housed in healthy green buildings, because we will be seeing a large amount of money going out to increase the number of community health centers, qualified Federal community health centers. I think they are excellent sources of health care. Why not incentivize them to make sure they are put in green buildings that are free of various toxins that would probably undermine the good health that people are coming there for.

Tax credits for employers who not only provide good health care benefits, but encourage their employees to utilize these benefits. So education, outreach, making sure that employees have information about accessing their health care.

A pilot program to study and demonstrate the benefits of proven alternative medical techniques and medicines. These are simply to look at holistic ways of being healthy as well as making sure people have access to the information.

A program to study this ongoing problem of people who seek to overutilize prescription drugs. That is, to work with doctors, nurses, clinics, hospitals and other health professionals to educate us about the issue of using prescription drugs.

So I am hoping as we make our way through and as we continue to work with the Congressional Black Caucus on these very important issues of a public option, of ending health disparities, of ensuring that we have universal health care, as Americans seemingly have come together to rally around, I believe we will have a better product by listening to the Members who have some constructive thoughts and proposals that don't undermine the basic structure of the bill; not undermining the public health option. Not taking away large sums of resources so that we cannot in the right way give quality plans, but various small proposals that would enhance the bill is the way I think we should go, and keep the basic structure of what we are all committed to, the public option and complete health care reform that will help the American people.

Madam Speaker, tonight, I come before you representing Texas' 18th Congressional District in Houston. As some of you know, my hometown of Houston is the 4th largest in the country. Houston is home to some of the nation's largest oil companies: Citgo North America, Conoco Phillips-North America, El Paso Corp., Halliburton, Kinder Morgan Energy, Marathon Oil Company, and Shell U.S. Oil Division. Yet as the economy has declined and the nation has begun to shift towards greener fuels, the petroleum business in my District and throughout Texas has also seen a decline.

Today, my state of Texas is facing an unemployment rate of around 7.5%, the highest it has been since in the past 16 years. Additionally, Texas lost 40,600 jobs last month alone. Thus, the six figure jobs common to Houston that have attracted people to my District from all over the country are being slashed. And as my constituents, many of them well-to-do middle income and upper income Americans, have lost their jobs and their businesses, they have also lost their health care.

Truly, Madam Speaker, this issue of health care is not a poor people's problem it is an American problem. And thus, I rise today with my fellow members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus to urge all of my colleagues to get behind this health care bill and pass it before we leave for the August recess next week. Today, while I stand as a representative of Houston, I believe I represent hard working men and women, young and old who can't wait till after recess for health care. They risk bankruptcy and even the poor house because of the rising costs of health insurance. Some of them have cancer, some of them have diabetes, and some of them have simple tooth decay that requires a root canal. However, root canals are not covered by most basic health insurance plans. As such, some of them are now finding that their teeth have become infected and the infection has entered their blood stream and some of them now face terminal illness--all because they lack the health care that many of us in this body take for granted.

Madam Speaker, my colleagues on the Republicans side have partnered with some insurance companies to misrepresent the facts about health care and are now using scare tactics to prevent the health care bill from being voted out of the Energy and Commerce Committee. These forces have pressured conservatives in the Democratic ranks to stall the process. The other side holds up the process of change while over 47 million Americans remain uninsured, while Americans with health care pay as much as $207 billion excess in

health related taxes, and while hospitals and clinics around the country continue to shutter their doors.

A brighter future is on the horizon with the health care bill now stalled in committee. Central to this bill is its public insurance option, which as the President said, is designed to keep the large insurance companies honest. And as my friend Michael Moore documented in his acclaimed film ``Sicko'' we cannot always trust our insurance companies. The Public Option, similar to Medicare, will provide a publicly driven health care system, unique to the U.S. and separate from what is in place in any other country. The program will ensure: (1) Early and periodic screening, diagnosis and treatment; (2) Case management for chronic diseases; (3) Dental and mental health services; (4) and even language access services.

Though this health care plan solves many of our nation's health care woes, there are still more improvements that are needed. And I believe that the Democratic leadership is open to good ideas to improve this legislation, improvements from the Progressive Caucus, from the Blue Dogs, from the New Dems, and even from the Republicans.

One of the ideas that I hope to work with Chairman Rangel, Health Subcommittee Chair Stark, Chairman Waxman and our leaders to address are ways to allow for the spread of good serving physician owned hospitals, many of which are caring for those with little to no insurance who would otherwise go underserved populations. And just what is a physician owned hospital . . . as its name implies, it's a hospital that has been started by, purchased by, or in some cases invested in by physicians. While some fear that such hospitals will allow physicians to skim off high end treatment and ignore routine procedures, I believe these concerns focus on only the few bad apples and not the lot of physicians who believe in their oath not to harm and to place people over profit.

So where do we stand today with physician owned hospitals. Under the current version of the health reform bill, 104 physician owned hospitals under development, 42 of which are scheduled to come on line by the end of 2010, will have to shut down. These 104 hospitals at risk represent more than 20,000 new jobs which will be lost in 21 states, over 40 in my home state of Texas. At least $5 billion in current investments will be lost. It will also affect hospitals that were built to serve working men and women with little or no insurance. I and other Democrats and Republicans urge the leadership to change the bill by eliminating the retroactive date in the bill and ``grandfather'' all the existing hospitals with physician ownership, including the 104 hospitals under development.

In addition to threatening physician owned hospitals under development, the current bill also limits growth of existing physician owned hospitals. Of the 223 physician hospitals now in operation in 32 states, only three would qualify to apply to the Secretary of HHS for permission to expand. The remainder of the hospitals would have future growth frozen and would likely close because they could no longer be responsive to the medical needs of patients, the community and physicians.

My solution is to eliminate the conditions for growth in section 1156 and the HHS application process, and allow ``grandfathered'' physician owned hospitals, including projects under development that qualify for the grandfather provision, to expand and respond to the expanded needs of the communities they serve.

Finally, the current bill repeals the whole hospital exception in the Stark law, thus prohibiting physicians from investing in new hospitals that were not grandfathered. This provision aims to discourage entrepreneurship and risk taking in health care. However, I believe that there are doctors who can do good and do well at the same time. As such, I urge the leadership to amend the exception to allow physicians to invest in acute general care hospitals, hospitals that serve a significant population of the uninsured, or hospitals on the verge of bankruptcy where physicians are the only interested investors.

Such was the case for St. Josephs Medical Center in my district. St. Joseph Medical Center is the first and only hospital in Downtown Houston--a metropolitan area that has grown to over 4 million. In August 2006, over 80 medical staff members out of the 500 on staff, elected to purchase a stake in the hospital to keep it from closing. Because of this partnership, St. Joseph Medical Center remains today as a viable institution, caring for hundreds of thousands of patients each year through the various services of this general, acute care, inner- city hospital. Nearly 5,000 new Houstonians are born annually at this hospital--the first maternity hospital in Houston.

St. Josephs remains the only hospital in Downtown Houston, and without it hundreds of thousands of individuals each year would not have a convenient place to go for their inpatient and outpatient care. With two medical towers adjacent to the campus, physicians' offices are close by, making this a one-stop shop for many who come downtown for their healthcare. Bus lines, rail lines, and two major freeways run right past the hospital, making it even more convenient for the populations that surround it--many of whom have limited or no transportation options.

This model of physician partnership works and in addition, adds 1,800 full time jobs to the Houston economy, pays millions in taxes and provides 40 million dollars of uncompensated care each year, and continues the traditions of the Sisters of Charity--to provide quality healthcare for all. This model saves hospitals in underserved areas and is part of the solution to the health care system problems, not the cause of them. Only to serve as ``buyers of last resort'' in communities that have a critical access problem and are otherwise providing good care to patients across the country. Thus, I look forward to working with the leadership to reward, not punish, such physician owned hospitals.

Other good proposals that I'm recommending are:

Grants to high schools and middle schools to increase health care professionals, particularly those in underserved communities;

Providing incentives for the development of Community Health Care Centers that are housed in healthy green buildings;

Tax credits for employers who not only offer good health care benefits but encourage their employees to utilize these benefits;

A pilot program to study and demonstrate the benefits of proven alternative medical techniques and medicines; and

A program to study this ongoing problem of people who seek to address depression or enhance athletic performance by abusing prescription drugs.

Madam Speaker, I believe that these are good proposals and if adopted will improve the outstanding work done by our leaders. Furthermore, while I seek changes in the health reform bill, I'm not at all about to stand in the way of change, my goal is to inspire change. Moreover, I'm not going to succumb to scare tactics aimed to put politics over people, people who deserve health reform now, not next week, next month, or next year.

Mr. Speaker, forty years ago today, millions of Americans and other people around the world, sat tuned in to the most advanced media device of the day, the television. Millions more, gathered around radios. While still others simply raised their heads and fixed their eyes to a common sight--the moon. Yet, on this day, 40 years ago, the moon was markedly different. For on that day, mankind, represented by a young 38-year-old American, Neil Armstrong, set foot on the moon.

On this day, 40 years ago, the country and the world were divided along many fronts. This country was reeling following a spate of high profile assassinations that took the lives of John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert Kennedy. The world was divided by ideology, separated into blocs of countries aligned with the Soviet Union and those aligned with the west. Finally, this country was in the midst of a bitter conflict in Vietnam that robbed this country of the lives of thousands of young men and women.

Yet, despite these divisions, the nation and the world was united, united in the celebration of an achievement for mankind. And while the world had not yet seen the internet, the I-phone, or Twitter, we were all connected, connected by a single feat.

Today, forty years later, while there are still some sources of division, the world stands today connected in a variety of ways. The step onto the surface of the moon left more than a mere foot print in the moon sand, it created a technological movement that has resulted in many of the devices that define our life today.

This feat happened because of the combined determination and diligence of an entire country. From the inspiration of a young President who challenged us to set our sights on the moon, scientists developed new materials, engineers manufactured innovative equipment, and factory workers assembled cutting edge transport crafts. Together, these Americans proved that by working together, toward a common purpose, there is nothing beyond our reach. It was true then, I have no doubt that that fact will remain true today.

President Obama has convened a commission to chart our next steps into space. The President is confronted with several choices. With soaring deficits facing our states and the looming costs of health care reform and energy reform before the nation, some may argue that we cannot afford such a risk.

Yet others realize the gains of that small step. Gains that created new innovations in agriculture, architecture, and even health care. The pacemaker is just one of the many life saving technologies that has resulted from that same small step.

Mr. Speaker, I urge President Obama to follow the lead of that young visionary President that preceded him 40 years ago. I urge him not to shy away from continuing the investment made by the past generation of Americans. I encourage the President to move ahead and continue the nation's investment in space exploration.

I am confident that the President will move forward. He's already shown his vision by recently appointing Marine Corps Major General Charles F. Bolden, Jr. as NASA Administrator. General Bolden graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1968, nearly 20 years after the first Black to graduate from that institution, Wesley Brown.

Upon graduation from the Naval Academy, General Bolden accepted a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. General Bolden was in flight school, when former Navy aviator, Neil Armstrong, landed on the moon. This feat kept General Bolden motivated and after two years of flight training, he was designated a naval aviator in May 1970. He flew more than 100 sorties into North and South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, in the A-6A Intruder between June 1972 and June 1973. Upon returning to the United States, General Bolden began a two-year tour as a Marine Corps selection officer and recruiting officer in Los Angeles, followed by three years at the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California. During his free time, General Bolden returned to school to earn a Masters degree in Systems Management from the University of Southern California in 1977.

In June 1979, he graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, Maryland, and subsequently served as an ordnance test pilot and flew numerous test projects in the A-6E, EA-6B, and A-7C/E airplanes. As a pilot, he has logged more than 6,000 hours flying time.

General Bolden was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in 1980, and became an astronaut in August 1981. A veteran of four space flights, he has logged more than 680 hours in space, including 444 orbits of the earth. General Bolden served as pilot on STS-61C (Space Shuttle Columbia, January 12-18, 1986) and STS-31 (Space Shuttle Discovery, April 24-29, 1990), and was the mission commander on STS-45 (Space Shuttle Atlantis, March 24, 1992--April 2, 1992), and STS-60 (Space Shuttle Discovery, February 3-11, 1994). During his first Discovery mission, General Bolden and his colleagues successfully deployed the Hubble Space Telescope while orbiting the earth from a record setting altitude of 400 miles. The second Discovery mission was the historic first joint U.S./Russian Space Shuttle mission with a Russian Cosmonaut as a crew member.

General Bolden also held two administrative posts at NASA during these years. Following the Challenger accident in 1986, he was named the chief of the safety division at the Johnson Space Center, overseeing safety initiatives in the return-to-flight effort. From April 1992 to June 1993, General Bolden served as Assistant Deputy Administrator for NASA.

In 1994, General Bolden returned to active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps as the Deputy Commandant of Midshipmen at the Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland. In July 1997, he was assigned as the Deputy Commanding General, I MEF, Marine Forces, Pacific. From February to June 1998, he served as Commanding General, I MEF (FWD) in support of Operation Desert Thunder in Kuwait. In July 1998 he was promoted to his final rank of Major General and assumed his duties as the Deputy Commander, U.S. Forces, Japan. General Bolden then served as the Commanding General, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, serving from August 9, 2000 until August 2002. He retired in August 2004.

Following retirement, General Bolden became active in the corporate sector. Since 2004, he has been the owner and CEO of Jack and Panther LLC, a privately-held military and aerospace consulting firm in my district of Houston, Texas. Having recently been confirmed by the Senate and assumed his post, General Bolden is the first Astronaut to lead NASA. As an Astronaut, General Bolden understands NASA's mission, its operations, and its most valuable resource, its personnel.

With a background of achieving in the face of obstacles, General Bolden is well positioned to help NASA define its role in the midst of our nation's fiscal crisis. Moreover, General Bolden in his new role as NASA Administrator has the potential of inspiring a new generation of young people, much like I and many others were inspired by Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins forty years ago. I urge support for this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking Congressman Bart Stupak, for introducing this legislation. Every year on July 1st, I look forward to officially celebrating the establishment of Canada and all of its wonderful accomplishments. Canada has proven to be one of our nation's most trusted allies and as a member of the Homeland Security Committee, I personally work closely with Canadian officials to ensure the 5,500-mile border that we share remains secure. In this era of heightened security, the United States and Canada have renewed cooperative efforts to safeguard the movement of people and goods, improve information-sharing, and strengthen border infrastructure and technology across the border.

In a world in which too many nations still choose conflict over cooperation, and erect barriers instead of bridges, the U.S.-Canadian partnership has been and must ever be a model for others, and the foundation on which to build a common future. Indeed, our relationship is centered on a shared continent, shared values, shared aspirations, and real respect for our differences.

Over the years, our nations have forged the most comprehensive ties of any two nations on Earth. They bind not only our governments, but also our economies, our cultures, and our people. From NORAD to NAFTA, Canadians and Americans have seized opportunities to provide for our common security and prosperity. We've tackled tough problems from acid rain and water pollution to differences over beer and grain in the spirit of friendship and in pragmatism.

Addressing the Canadian parliament 50 years ago, President Truman declared that the success of the U.S.-Canadian relationship was due to ``one part proximity, and nine parts goodwill and common sense.'' Goodwill and common sense remain the foundation of our friendship.

In Texas, the territory of the Consulate General in Dallas and the Canadian Consulate in Houston encompasses five states with over 36 million people. Bilateral trade with the region is over $30 billion each year; therefore I am very aware of how important a strong trade relationship is for both countries.

Specifically the cities of Alberta and Houston share a number of distinguishing features which make them sister cities. Over the past 10 years Alberta has had the strongest economy in Canada, with an average rate of growth of 3.7 per cent per year, while Houston continues to thrive as the energy capital of the United States. Canada is the U.S.'s most important trading partner, with over $570 billion

dollars in goods and services being traded between the two countries in 2006. Canada and the U.S. enjoy an interdependent energy relationship, trading oil, natural gas, coal, and electricity. Canada has a reported 178.8 billion barrels of oil reserves as of 2006, second only to Saudi Arabia. Over 95% of these reserves are in oil sands deposits in Alberta. Moreover, Canadian oil sands in Alberta have made Canada the largest exporter of oil to the U.S. and has helped alleviate our dependence on foreign sources of oil from parts of the world which geopolitically face much more risk than our neighbor to the North. Recent proposals by Canadian companies such as Enbridge and Altex to build oil pipelines from Alberta to Houston seem very promising, and I look forward to the progress they make. These 2,000-mile pipelines, which are targeted to be in service by 2010, will send over 500,000 barrels of oil per day.

I would like to congratulate Canada on its many accomplishments over the years and remain appreciative to the people and Government of Canada for their long history of friendship and cooperation with the people and Government of the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking Congresswoman Janice Schakowsky for introducing this legislation. It is with great pride that I encourage the International Olympic Committee to select the fine city of Chicago, Illinois, as the host city for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Since World War II, at least eighty-one athletes who were either born in Texas or lived in the state at the time of their competition, have won Olympic gold medals. From Michael Johnson to Tara Lipinski, from Nastia Liukin to Sheryl Swoopes, the list is filled with the world's best athletes. These great athletes represent eleven different sports, with track and field, the premier Olympic sport, having the largest number. Therefore, I know the value that the Olympic spirit can have on the citizens of a city and country, and I fully support Chicago in their efforts to bring this worldwide event to their city. Chicago, Illinois, advocates the ideals of the Olympic movement and governments from across the United States, including Houston, are joining together to show their support for bringing the Olympic Games to Chicago, Illinois, in 2016.

The Olympic movement has built a more peaceful and better world by educating young people through amateur athletics, by bringing together athletes from many countries in friendly competition, and by forging new relationships bound by friendship, solidarity, and fair play. June 23rd, Olympic Day, is a unique, global event held every year. National Olympic Committees (NOCs) around the world share this universal festivity with their respective communities, making it the most celebrated Olympic event after the Olympic Games.

On June 23, 2009, Houston celebrated Olympic Day with a special event featuring former Olympian Leigh Barczewski at the NFL Youth Education Town #2 at James Driver Park Boys and Girls Club facility. Leigh presented on one of the 4 Olympic values, Respect, as well as shared with the children his experience as an Olympic cyclist in the 1976 games. Olympic Day has greatly impacted the youth of the world and is teaching them important lessons that they will use for a lifetime.

In a world where many nations are still choosing conflict over cooperation, Olympic Day is a venue through which countries all over the world are exhibiting the Olympic values and choosing friendship and respect over conflict and discord.

I would like to congratulate the city of Chicago on its many accomplishments over the years and hope that they will be awarded the great honor of hosting the 2016 Olympics.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking Congressman John Shimkus, for introducing this legislation. I would like to congratulate the people of the Republic of Lithuania on the 1000th anniversary of Lithuania. Lithuania, a full and responsible member of the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the European Union, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, has proved resilient in overcoming many obstacles and has achieved many great accomplishments: Lithuania founded Vilnius University in 1579; in 1990, the Republic of Lithuania was restored and Lithuania became the first Soviet republic to declare independence; in 1918, Act of Independence of Lithuania led to the establishment of Lithuania as a sovereign and democratic state; in 2007, the United States Government and the Government of Lithuania celebrated 85 years of continuous diplomatic relations.

I commend Lithuania for successfully developing into a free and democratic country, with a free market economy and respect for and adherence to a rule of law. The U.S. welcomes and appreciates efforts by the Government of Lithuania to maintain international peace and stability in Europe and around the world by contributing to international civilian and military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Georgia. Since 2005, Lithuania has been leading a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) of Ghor Province in Afghanistan. They have worked to help Afghanistan become a secure, democratic and self-sufficient state. Lithuania has been dedicated to the success of the UN-mandated ISAF operation and to working with the international community in Afghanistan motivates our involvement.

The vast Lithuanian community in the United States has preserved its spiritual, cultural and family ties with their historical motherland during the long years of living overseas, which translated into active cultural and business cooperation between Lithuania and the United States. The activities of Lithuanian Americans have greatly contributed to the restoration of Lithuania's independence and to the membership of Lithuania in NATO. Today their active participation greatly adds to the promotion of Lithuania's foreign policy goals and the strengthening of cooperation between Lithuania and the U.S. As a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I recognize firsthand the importance of Lithuania's global foreign policy efforts, and they are to be commended.

The Lithuanian American Community, Inc., (LAC) is the network that keeps Lithuanians connected in the U.S. They have 60 chapters in 27 states and the District of Columbia. The Houston, Texas chapter is an active and vibrant group, and they remain engaged in the community and strive to educate their fellow Houstonians on the rich culture of Lithuania. Lithuanian American community maintains regular contacts with the Lithuanian Embassy and other Lithuanian Government institutions.

Lithuania is a strong and loyal ally of the United States, and the people of Lithuania share common values with the people of the United States. I would like to congratulate Lithuania on its many accomplishments over the years and remain appreciative and grateful for their long history of friendship and cooperation with the people and Government of the United States.

Because this bill does have the right priorities for HBCUs and Ryan White treatment dollars and teen pregnancy, I support this legislation and the priorities of this committee.

Mr. Chair, I stand here today to express my support for H.R. 3293 the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriation Act of 2010. With an emphasis on job training, increased educational opportunities and the implementation of health and social safety nets, H.R. 3293 ensures that we will be able to effectively rise up out of the ashes of what has been categorized as the longest and deepest economic downturn since the Great Depression. The national economic crisis has begun to infiltrate every corner of this country, and my home State of Texas is no exception.

In Texas, unemployment has climbed to a staggering 7.6 percent, and in my own district of Houston, unemployment has risen to an unprecedented 6.4 percent. In January 2009, it was documented that Texas experienced an extensive job loss of 75,800 nonagricultural jobs. Accordingly, I am taking every possible measure to help the people of Houston, right down to hosting a comprehensive job fair for the people of my district this coming weekend. While States across the country reduce vital services, including those services that provide aid to the most vulnerable among us, we must make every legislative effort to remedy the negative and wide sweeping impact of this most devastating recession.

To tackle unemployment, joblessness and disparity, we must address the roots of the problem head-on. We need to invest our resources in the people of this country, and H.R. 3293 provides much needed assistance to do just that. The FY 2010 Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations Bill is legislation that makes the necessary investments in our Nation's greatest treasure, our future.

Increasing Funding for Education

Increasing educational opportunities for students of every level, from every socio-economic background throughout our Nation will yield the greatest return on our investment. Providing access to educational opportunities is critical to the Nation's long term prosperity. H.R. 3293 will make the necessary investments to provide children with a 21st century education, will provide the resources to modernize our schools and colleges, and will provide funding to make college more affordable.

Just as I supported past legislation like H.R. 3081, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which placed a premium on providing funding for and lending institutional support to our Historical Black Colleges and Universities, HBCUs, and Predominantly Black Institutions, PBIs, H.R. 3293 also provides a comprehensive fiscal plan for 2010 to ensure that adequate funding is allocated to our HBCUs and PBIs.

HBCUs and PBIs as defined in the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, HEA, as the following: A historically Black college or university is an institution of higher education established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of Black Americans, and that is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association determined by the Secretary to be a reliable authority as to the quality of training offered or is, according to such an agency or association, making reasonable progress toward accreditation. Historically Black colleges or universities also include any branch campus of a

southern institution of higher education that prior to September 30, 1986, received a grant as an institution with special needs under HEA Section 321 and was formally recognized by the National Center for Education Statistics as a Historically Black College or University.

Predominantly Black Institutions are defined in HEA Section 318. These institutions meet basic eligibility under Title III, Section 312(b) and serve at least 40 percent Black American students. Basic eligibility under Title III, Section 312(b) of the HEA is met by institutions that: have low educational and general expenditures, E&G, or seek a waiver by submitting evidence that is both persuasive and compelling to have this requirement waived; have a requisite enrollment of needy students; are legally authorized within their respective State to award bachelors degrees or are a community college; and are accredited by a nationally or State recognized accrediting agency.

An institution is considered to have met the enrollment of needy students criterion if (1) at least 50 percent of its degree-seeking students receive financial assistance under one or more of the following programs: Federal Pell Grant Program, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program, Federal Work-Study Program and/ or the Federal Perkins Loan Program or (2) the percentage of its undergraduate degree-seeking students who were enrolled at least halftime and received a Federal Pell grant met or exceeded the average for similar institutions.

We must invest in our Nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities, HBCUs, and other Minority Serving Institutions. A digital disparity between HBCU campuses and their counterparts currently exists. There is a significant need among HBCUs to update technological equipment and to develop advanced and cutting edge educational and technological opportunities for students. In the face of the adversity that outdated technology poses, HBCUs continue to generate thousands of African-American graduates who are prepared to compete in and contribute to our global economy. HBCUs represent 9 of the top 10 colleges that graduate the most African-Americans who go on to earn Ph.D.s. HBCUs and PBIs continue to provide opportunity and advancement to African-American students, and therefore are worthy of federal support.

Accordingly, this bill provides $653 million to strengthen the capacity of HBCUs and PBIs, Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities and Native American-serving Institutions, Asian Pacific Islander, and Native American Institutions. This is $110 million over the President's request and $146 million over 2009. Additionally, H.R. 3293 provides for $178 million new loan guarantees for HBCUs and University facilities, which is nearly triple that of the 2009 level. As a Representative from the 18th Congressional District of Texas, I know firsthand that this will enable HBCUs like Texas Southern University in my district and Prairie View A&M University just outside of my district to thrive.

H.R. 3293 also provides an investment of $15.9 billion for Title I Education for the Disadvantaged Children Account, which will provide much needed support to underprivileged children in grades K through 12, and will give hope to the low income families in my district in Houston, that their children will receive quality education. This funding also places an emphasis on early childhood and family literacy programs. Furthermore, the bill provides $446 million for a Teacher Incentive Fund, which supports school districts and States that aim to reward effective teaching through compensation systems that reward entire high-need schools on the basis of increasing student achievement.

Green Jobs

Finally, this bill provides the necessary funding for increased employment opportunities and job training. H.R. 3293 appropriates $50 million, the same as the President's request, to prepare workers for careers in energy efficiency and renewable energy. This new administration initiative will support pre-apprenticeship programs and new careers for more than 8,000 workers in emerging green industries. In the tradition of our new administration, this Congress understands the energy concerns of the American people and we continue to work to ensure this Nation moves in a new direction to achieve energy independence and energy security.

I have long been a proponent of green education. For example, during the 110th Congress, I successfully offered amendments to the Comprehensive Energy Independence bill that was introduced late last year and voted out of the House.

Specifically, I have offered past amendments that would provide scholarships for post-secondary study in ethanol, wind, solar energy, and other green alternatives to petroleum. I have also offered an amendment to establish Energy Centers of Excellence, which would provide a consortium of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, HBCUs, Hispanic serving institutions, tribal universities, and majority serving institutions to develop curriculum and programs in green energy. Moreover, my amendments provided scholarships, and academic opportunities for minorities to study green energy. Thus, I have long been a proponent of the type of education and job provisions that this bill requires.

Indeed, I count myself as one on the forefront of this cause. As a representative of the 18th Congressional District of Texas, which includes the energy capital of the world, Houston, I am especially pleased to support this bill. This bill fosters education and increased job opportunity in green energy, which increasingly is becoming a viable alternative to petroleum.

Today, we as a global community must take the time out to appreciate the natural resources our planet has provided. It is also a day where we must better examine energy alternatives to carry forth the advancement of mankind and the preservation of the world at large. I have long been a proponent of green jobs, as evidenced in my support of H.R. 957, the Green Energy Education Act of 2009, which provided an opportunity to learn about the positive actions that we as a Nation can take to improve energy efficiency; to develop safe, renewable energy sources; to design goods that are durable, reusable, and recyclable; and to eliminate the production of harmful waste, while protecting our environment and encouraging sustainable development throughout the world.

H.R. 957 empowered leading authorities to teach and conduct the necessary research on energy consumption throughout our Nation. The research and studies are highly detailed, and carefully constructed to be statistically representative of the entire population, and are indicative of the indispensable analysis and policy planning required to execute a comprehensive green initiative. By providing the necessary funding to implement green research programs and new green job opportunities, policy planners will be in a position to better identify the highest-value energy efficient methods to decrease our dependency on foreign fuel.

Along with rising gas prices, weak economic growth, continued environmental warnings and scientific studies pointing to global warming, many Americans continue to worry about the state of energy security in the world. Adding green space in urban areas, investing in alternative energy, and ensuring our participation in the conservation of our planet's resources are just some ways that we can preserve our wonderful planet, and plan for our future. We now turn to our Federal Government to provide us with the resources to do so. I urge my colleagues today to pass this critical piece of legislation, as our Nation's long-term prosperity hangs in the balance.

I thank the chairman very much and the ranking member.

I rise to support the rule that has already passed and the underlying bill.

Mr. Chairman, this is a very important step forward for the infrastructure of America, covering transportation and housing, and housing is part of infrastructure. It creates a holistic neighborhood.

I want to thank the committee for the Federal Transit Administration $10.48 billion, which will impact the growing metro system as a New Start. I am hoping as we move forward and metro in Houston is defined as a New Start, we will also be able to use and continue to use those stimulus dollars because we are in the process of creating jobs as we speak.

I believe it is very important to support the high-speed, inner city passenger rail grants. We in Texas are working very much on high speed and believe that that is part of the transportation system of tomorrow.

I am also grateful for the airport modernization, safety and efficiency grant of $3.5 billion representing Houston Intercontinental Airport, one of the largest airports in the Nation, modernizing air traffic control. Just recently, we met with our air traffic controllers, and I would hope as we make our way through this particular legislation we'll also focus on encouraging the FAA to be able to work on the negotiations with the air traffic controllers for a better quality of life, better work conditions.

I am grateful as well for the number of dollars being put in for vouchers for homeless veterans, $75 million for homeless veterans; 10,000 of those veterans will be served, $1.3 million for low-income housing. In addition, I'm delighted that we're working for more

affordable housing. We in the City of Houston are in great need, and I've been working on affordable housing for a long time.

I hope in the dollars that are going to our communities we also will be using them for what we call senior housing repair. In many of our cities, our housing stock is enormously old. It impacts our seniors, and they're in great need.

I thank the gentleman very much.

I have a large population of public housing--we call it housing development--and I'm very grateful that $4.8 billion has been implemented or used for that, $200 million above the President, $345 million above 2009 for maintenance and crime prevention and energy costs, two very important aspects.

Let me just say by concluding I thank the gentleman for his work and for his housing efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I think the real truth is that Americans want real health care reform. They understand that families are paying $1,800 a year for the uninsured, $1,200 if you're a single individual, costs that will continue to grow without health care reform. Fourteen thousand Americans lose their health care every day. All of the issues that my friends on the other side talk about they know are workable issues.

The bottom line is access to health care. In Texas, our effort and intent is to embrace and work with physician-owned and specialty hospitals. We want to make sure that they are protected in this health care reform. Why? Because they provide services to Americans and Texans that others cannot provide. We want to ensure that there is access to health care all over, but we also don't want to have smoke and mirrors. My friends on the other side should get at the table of negotiation, make sure our specialty and physician-owned hospitals are protected and allowed to grow if they are in the process of building, not use the arbitrary deadline; but, yes, we should face the question, save Americans $1,800 a year, $1,200 for an individual, stop the bleeding, stop the 14,000 that are losing their health care.

Let me thank the distinguished gentleman from Florida. There are two distinguished gentlemen from Florida, the manager of this particular legislation, H. Res. 654, and my dear friend who has been leading the Organization for Security and Cooperation for a number of years.

I rise to support this resolution in honor of the efforts by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation because I believe, as a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the efforts of collaboration that we have addressing the questions of peace and security are crucial.

I'd like to acknowledge some of the aspects of the OSCE's work. The 1999 Istanbul document, the OSCE participating states encourage the Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation to draw on the expertise of the participating states in setting up structures and mechanisms in the Mediterranean region. As well, you can also believe or manage to see that the OSCE provides the kind of bridge of cooperation that is very, very important. We welcome the representatives of OSCE that are here. I want to thank Mr. Hastings for his great leadership in this effort.

Madam Speaker, I rise to express grave concern for one of our soldiers being held in harm's way by the Taliban in Afghanistan. I join with Secretary Gates to call this disgusting. Knowing the brave men and women of the United States military, I know they will not leave one soldier behind. The 18th Congressional District has approximately the largest number of active duty soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The numbers are large throughout the State of Texas. We have grave concern and are in sympathy with his family. We want them to know that we do care. We want them to know that as the soldiers are on the battlefield in Afghanistan, we will not stop until he is found.

It is necessary to express our belief that our soldiers are precious. We thank them for the sacrifice they make on behalf of our freedom and know that we will not leave one behind. It is disgusting, and the Taliban need to know we will never give up.

Madam Speaker, as a 12-year member of the House Science Committee and a resident in Houston, Texas, I too rise to celebrate and to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11.

This coming Friday, the NASA community and all of Houston will join in a splashdown celebrating the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 at Space Center Houston.

Madam Speaker, I cannot tell you the great excitement in our community, because NASA has been a real anchor both economically, but really one of great pride, even though we realize it is a national treasure.

The words of a young President John F. Kennedy in his May 25, 1961, speech to Congress rings clear in our ears because he challenged America. He challenged those who had the ability to dream and gave them the goal of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth.

The Apollo 11 program was designed to achieve the goal established by President Kennedy, by sending a crew of three astronauts to the Moon and returning them safely, but he didn't realize the drama and the excitement and the inspiration that that would provide. He did not realize what it would mean when Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins took flight in Apollo 11. He did not realize that when the crew of Apollo 11 launched into space aboard a Saturn V rocket on July 16, 1969, was almost equal to, I guess, the discovery of this Nation.

And then on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin successfully piloted the Eagle lunar module to the

surface of the Moon. And who can forget ``The Eagle has landed.'' It was exciting for all of us who really believed in the greatness of America, but also the peace that America generated.

And then on July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong took his first step on the Moon, he became the first person to walk on the surface of another celestial body. We know his famous words that, in fact, as I paraphrase them, one step for man and one giant step for mankind.

And so we recognize how important it is to celebrate 40 years, because we want there to be another 40 years of NASA, to recognize the economic arm that it presents, to recognize the value of the inquisitiveness of scientists, mathematicians, doctors, those who are engaged in the business of exploration and human challenges.

Astronauts have come from all walks of life. They've happened to be my neighbors. We've lost some in Columbia and Challenger. We mourn for their families, but we celebrate their families and thank them for their sacrifice because we recognize that this is a time that we are now to pay tribute to them by continuing our work with NASA.

How excited we are to have retired General Charles Bolden to be the new NASA administrator, a former astronaut, the first African American, a Houstonian in the years that he lived there.

And so we celebrate and hope that this inspiration goes into the nooks and crannies of prekindergarten, kindergarten, primary, secondary education, college, graduate school. Let us send forth more astronauts, chemists, physicists, biologists, doctors, mechanical engineers, engineers, all of the people that can help us discover a peaceful way to live in this wonderful universe. That's what Apollo 11 was all about. Showing us that it is a place of peace, the Moon, that we can explore, we can find out information, we can make lives better for Americans and others around the world.

I always believed in the international space station. As a member of the Science Committee, I was able to craft legislation to create a safety scheme, if you will, to ensure that the international space station is safe. We see now that there are constant checks and constant emphasis on ensuring the safety of this particular large building in space, if you will, the size of large football fields. We know that that is important, even to the extent of fixing a toilet.

So, Madam Speaker, I rise to support and to salute Buzz Aldrin, the lunar module pilot; Michael Collins, the command module pilot; and Neil Armstrong, the mission commander, who understood what it was to make this giant step.

His other words as well, as we came in peace for all of mankind, that should be the mantra, the standard, the medal, if you will, the heart of NASA as we explore: We come in peace for all of mankind.

Let me thank the gentlelady from Ohio, first of all, for bringing this important Special Order to the floor of the House tonight and for her continued leadership. Allow me to thank Mr. Speaker for his leadership as well on these many issues because this is a dialogue with our colleagues on an important topic.

And so I would like to begin by just congratulating you for focusing on the mental health issue, and some of our colleagues were focused on preventative medicine, and certainly, our majority whip indicated, in essence, a message to the American people of just what would be occurring.

I would like to follow suit and try to walk us through the construct of what we're trying to do here in the United States Congress in the light of day, if you will. The Tri-Committee, members of those three committees, have marked up their bills in an open process, starting last week. That markup is continuing. Members will have an opportunity to engage in issues that they believe are extremely important.

But while I discuss the bill, I think it is important that I point out that this is, in fact, the organizational chart of the Republican health care plan. I hope everyone can see it, and so as I discuss it we see that there is one option. It is the option that the President and the Democratic leadership and Members of Congress, which we hope will be bipartisan, will focus on curing the cancer, if you will, of uninsured people in America. When I say cancer, of course I'm speaking in the metaphoric manner, meaning that it is a cancerous sore to have people that cannot have access to health care.

On July 25, I am going to hold a job fair because Houston has the highest unemployment since 1987, and many people believe Texas has been immune. And of course, I know that some will pick up on that and suggest that they told you so about the stimulus. We understand that the stimulus is making its way into our communities, and we know that jobs are being created and jobs are saved. But it's hit a point where various cities are being impacted at different points of time. So we'll have that job fair, and we expect any number of employers to come and we expect to have success.

But in the interim, we realize that people are without health insurance. They are part of the 47 million-plus, including those who have never had health insurance, including those with preexisting diseases.

So what is the Democrats' health insurance about? It is about closing the loopholes. It is about answering the call of Americans who cannot find pediatricians to take their children to, who have the elderly who need home care, who have articulated the major disparities in health care.

You know, I heard my good friend from Texas rise today and talk about the Native Americans. I'm glad to tell him that the Tri-Caucus, Asian Pacific, Hispanic Caucus and African Americans, are way ahead of that question, and so we're focusing on the issue of disparities in health care.

Just this past weekend I joined with Organizing for America to work with volunteers as they were calling to explain to constituents just what this health care package is about because we're not trying to hide the ball. And so it is about reducing costs, because rising health care costs are crushing the budgets of governments, businesses, individuals, and families, and they must be brought under control. That's what we want to do.

It's about guaranteeing choice. Every American must have the freedom to choose their plan and doctor, including the choice of public insurance, a vigorous and robust public option.

Ensure affordable care for all. All Americans must have quality health care. And unfortunately, I'm hoping that we are watching the plan that our good friends have so we can realize how important it is to focus on what we're trying to do, and it is complex.

What we're trying to do in this health care reform is to answer the call that more than 8 in 10 of those Americans surveyed say: It's extremely or very important that the legislation make health insurance more affordable. We think that's very important.

Without reform, the cost of health care for the average family of four is projected to rise $1,800 every year for years to come.

And so our draft legislation has--and I want us to have the comparison of what we're seeing from our friends on the other side of the aisle, we will have no more co-pays or deductibles for preventative care. Can I use a term we use in our communities? Hallelujah. Can you imagine? Can you imagine?

I know that you have the Cleveland Clinic. I have come and admired that. It's in your district. You have done great work for the Cleveland Clinic. Can you imagine those scientists and doctors will have the ability to design a preventative medicine program? I am sure they have one. The Texas Medical Center will be able to design a preventative program.

Dr. Lovell Jones, who heads a minority populations program at the M.D. Anderson, will be able to finally get his way to work on the issue of disparities in health care but work on prevention.

No more rate increases for preexisting conditions, gender or occupation.

An annual cap on your out-of-pocket expenses. How many of us have heard the stories of catastrophic bankruptcies, financial collapses, because families have had to deal with catastrophic illnesses?

Group rates of a national pool if you buy your own plan and guaranteed affordable oral, hearing, and vision care for your kids. I have worked on the issues of vision care, and I know as Chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus children, as Chairwoman Barbara Lee said, are the most vulnerable.

So we realize that we've got to do something. By a 23 point margin, 56 to 33 percent of Americans endorse the idea of enacting major health care reform this year. Half call it extremely or very important, and the idea of not having a health plan is really nightmarish, if you will.

It is a fact that 68 percent of all personal bankruptcies are the result of health care expenses and that 75 percent of those are filed by people who had health insurance. Given that, it is clear that the existing system of private health insurance companies is no protection against financial ruin.

That's why we need a robust financial option, and I refute the arguments that are being made that if we have a robust public option that all the people in the private sector will run for this. No, they won't, because obviously there will be criteria. There will be standards which they will meet, and there will be standards which we meet. There may be extras that the private insurance has. We wish them well, and they will be judged by the market, and their particular members will be subscribing on the basis of their desires and their ability.

But I think one thing that we need to be careful of, and we need to find language to ensure that--we know they're writing the bill. We cannot allow willy-nilly for corporations to close their doors on the most sick of their employees and throw them, in essence, without their will, without their desire, into another plan. That's what we have to protect against, and I believe that we'll do so.

The public option is going to be a very good plan, but if you are any corporation, and you're an employee, then you should not be thrown unless you desire to go into the public plan. And so we will protect against that.

But I think it is important to note that our plan is, again, not one that is throwing money out and around and flooding, if you will, the streets like greenbacks by throwing them out on the street. We're not talking about that. We are talking about being fiscally responsible.

Let me tell you how we're doing that--and this is important because the argument has gotten that this is a tax bill, that this brings no relief to anyone, but let me tell you, we don't ultimately know how it will manage in the size that it is to be fully paid for. But we are committed to being responsible with taxpayers' dollars.

We are going to be working on programs that will prevent waste, fraud and abuse. This is going to be a health care reform with integrity, and I ask

the American people, lift up the curtain. We have the lights on right now. You actually see what is going on as we mark up this bill.

But I tell you what we're going to do. We're going to strengthen Medicare and Medicaid program requirements for provider, suppliers and contractors. No more willy-nilly rates and having no knowledge of how much things cost. I think there's a way of doing it. There is one position being proposed that some of us do disagree with, but I do believe that we can find a way to have common ground.

We'll require providers and suppliers to adopt compliance programs as a condition of participating in Medicare and Medicaid. We'll require Medicare and Medicaid integrity contractors that carry out audits and payments reviews. We're going to be looking at why are you charging this amount for renting something--I just saw an expose today about paying $1,200 to rent a wheelchair, and you can buy it for $300. Let's slash that out. Let's slash and burn that out. That's what we're going to be doing, and the American people should understand that.

Then we're going to improve screening of providers and suppliers. Create a national preenrollment screening program to determine whether potential providers or suppliers have been excluded from other Federal or State programs, that have revoked licenses; allow, in any state, enhanced oversight periods or enrollment moratoria in program areas determined to pose a significant risk of fraudulent activity; and require that only Medicare-enrolled physicians can order durable medical equipment or home health services paid for by Medicare. And a number of other checks that we are going to have.

This is a not a fool-around-type effort. This is going to be a serious effort.

May I share with you just a few other thoughts, and I will show you how our plan is going to be work. I am likewise very pleased to have been part of the CBC health task force for a number of years, but I, too, want to congratulate the Congressional Black Caucus health task force and Donna Christensen, who I believe is right now involved in marking up the bill.

We have worked for a long time as a Tri-Caucus on this issue called disparity, and since my colleague was speaking just a few moments ago about Native Americans and that public system, and you know what, I agree. It has not been the best. It hasn't been run by a health care system. It's run by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. We need to overhaul that as well.

A robust public option does not entail the kinds of abuses or misdiagnoses that my good friend was talking about. And let me tell you why the Tri-Caucus of Hispanic Caucus, African American Caucus-- Congressional Black Caucus and Asian Pacific Caucus, includes Native Americans. And what we are going to be doing is ensuring that community-centric health efforts, particularly those that will expand access to care and improve the health and well-being of communities that are the hardest hit by health inequities--and that happens to be Native Americans among others--are integrated into health reform.

So as we improve health reform we'll be looking to fix the broken native American health system. It is broken: high rates of diabetes, high rates of heart disease, bad nutrition in many instances, not good care for children. We're looking at turning Americans, all Americans, on this soil into healthy, healthy individuals.

This is what I really like: prioritize prevention and public health promotion in both clinical and community settings. We couldn't have it any better. Recognizing that the traditional medical home has been the office of the family and other primary care provider, efforts must be undertaken to increase their numbers and the reimbursement, and they must be an integral part of this process.

These words are very important. Every measure must apply equitably to American Indian tribes and the territories, and barriers to Federal health programs and the territories must be eliminated. This comes out of the Tri-Caucus health care reform, and we are working to make sure that we get those elements in our particular health care reform.

I want to conclude by suggesting that after you see this health care plan, organizational chart of Republican health care plan--and we'll look forward to maybe something coming on this chart, but I think this is easy to read. This is the path to health care for all, and this has been done by my good friend. I am vice Chair of the Progressive Caucus.

We are working together. So this has been done by my good friend, Keith Ellison, Congressman Ellison of the Progressive Caucus. And I believe that this is a straightforward, neutral presentation that anyone of whatever viewpoint they have that wants health care reform can understand how this can be the path to health care for all, every American.

Employer-based insurance, exactly what you have now, except costs less. No more discrimination for preexisting disease, and at least 85 percent of premiums must go to patient care. Would anybody refute and reject that? I think not.

Public programs--Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP--still available to children, seniors, and families below the poverty level. In fact, we're going to reinvigorate Medicare. We're going to make that vigorous and ensure that payments are made. Then, health insurance exchange, individual, small businesses, subsidized for up to 400 percent of the poverty level, which will include a public plan and private plan.

The good news is that small businesses--and small businesses can be one person that wants to go out and follow their dream. They want to be inventive. They want to be creative. They want to do what they had desired to do maybe from a child. Now they are without health insurance. Their families are without health insurance. Their mother that they may be taking care of, their father, their elderly relative is without health insurance. We give them the opportunity.

And so I want everyone to set their eyes on this as I come to a close about a very important point, and I hope that I can encourage you to be interested in this point, and that is the issue of physician-owned hospitals and specialty hospitals.

I am hoping that we will have an opportunity to recognize how important these hospitals are in care. For example, in the State of Texas, let me make it clear, the economic impact of physician-owned hospitals, which cover eight States, concluded that Texas physician- owned hospitals employ over 22,000 Texans, have a net economic impact of nearly $2.3 billion in Texas, and will pay approximately $86 million in taxes in 2009.

What are they? Many people believe that they are boutique hospitals. No, they're not. They're hospitals in the valley, where people in the valley of Texas--we call that south Texas--had no hospitals. They're a hospital in the heart of downtown Houston in the 18th Congressional District where the hospital was about to close, and it serves a population that some are below the poverty line, some are above it, but it is called St. Joseph Hospital. It was the only hospital that stayed open during Hurricane Ike. So we want to ensure that public hospitals or physician-owned hospitals have their fair chance.

Very briefly, the emergence of physician-owned special hospitals focusing on high-margin procedures have generated significant controversy; yet it is unclear whether physician-owned special hospitals differ significantly from nonphysician-owned specialty hospitals.

The scrutiny on this lacks significant merit. Our objective is to support physician-owned specialty hospitals that deliver a significant share of their services to underserved. That could be part of the criteria. Currently, the House Tri-Committee bill contains provisions that effectively eliminate these services. We would like to see a revision of that.

We have--when I say that many of us who represent these hospitals, I have visited them. I visited one that is in south Texas. It's state-of- the-art. People are healthier. Emergency rooms work, and it works.

I do want to conclude and share just a comment and yield to the gentlelady. I think this is my third one, but I am concluding.

I hope the bill will include a review or that we can review this issue of physician-owned general acute hospitals in

underserved areas. They should not be penalized.

I would like to make sure that we increase health care professionals--I think that is already in the bill--in underserved communities, and especially provide grants to secondary schools.

I came across a program in New York where a nurse by the name of Jose--I'll just call him Jose--is going out to high schools, taking his staff and doing mock operations and having them dress up in scrubs and getting high school and middle school students exposed to health care professionals. I like that idea, and I'd like to see it supported.

Provide tax incentives for the development community health care centers that are environmentally safe. Introduce language providing employers a tax credit to develop preventative services for all employees, and launch a pilot program that seeks to discover proven alternative medicine and also to address the question of abuse of prescription drugs.

Mr. Speaker and to Congresswoman Fudge, let me thank you for the opportunity to share these thoughts and to be here to show the comparison between the work that's being done by the Democratic leadership and our caucus and the work that is being done or represented to be done by the critics who are, at this point, criticizing the plan.

Let's roll up our sleeves, let's work, and let's do what is right for America, a good health care reform package.

I yield to the gentlelady.

Will the gentlelady yield for a moment?

You have eloquently articulated, I think, what our marching orders should be. I would just like to add an addendum to the vastness of what we're doing.

I want to congratulate you for that amendment. With the rising number of seniors who are now reaching the point where good medicine is keeping them where they can be with their families, this bill is going to be looking at home care. We appreciate the vast network of nursing homes, but we're finding out that that's more efficient, to be able to keep seniors in their home, giving them good care.

I'm experiencing it firsthand with a senior mother who is lively at home and enjoys the neighbors but needs home care. And it's a very important aspect of our work. We're going to do that.

I love the expression or the emphasis on prevention. Why weren't we doing this before? We can then have a generation who has been engaged in preventative medicine, making them healthier middle-aged people or healthier seniors.

The other point I think is important is the returning soldiers that will be coming home--some on active duty. They do have a system of health care. It's called TRICARE. I'm very glad one of our hospitals has been named a TRICARE site, historically black hospital.

But we'll have all of those individuals that will be out and about needing health care, whether its veterans, whether it's through the TRICARE system, or whether or not they will be going to a civilian system. That is why health care is so important.

I yield back to the gentlelady by simply saying I'm proud to be able to stand by a system that responds to the needs of all Americans.

Today, I stand with my fellow colleagues in an unprecedented era, an era that can bring about change that all of us can believe in. During the 2008 campaign, the American people cast a vote for change, and in an unprecedented move elected Barack Obama as the 44th President. With his election, the country made a bold statement. They realized the Nation was in peril with skyrocketing costs--that were driving many in the 18th Congressional District and other throughout this country into bankruptcy.

Faced with these challenges, America decided to make a calculated risk of monumental reform. Today, as we tackle this reform of the Nation's health care system, we must not become idle spectators and allow any debate over policy divide our country and serve as an excuse to maintain the status quo. The fact is, those who are not eligible for Medicare, Medicaid, or any form of private insurance, in most cases end up in a dangerous position, uninsured. Today, there are over 47 million Americans uninsured.

I am required to alert the citizens of America that this single issue affects every single American and if we do not enact the appropriate kind of reform, Congress will have failed by giving the American people less than what they deserve.

The rising uninsured Americans and medical costs today are a direct link to the economic future of America. Healthcare reform is no longer a choice for Congress to make, it is a necessity. So I pose the question, what will be the reform needed to ensure a brighter future in our health care system? From a cost savings analysis, having a public option included in our reform is the least expensive option that will ensure quality affordable coverage for all Americans. In fact, the House Tri-committee bill has been confirmed to remain deficit neutral by the Congressional Budget Office.

The Public Option, similar to Medicare, will provide a publicly driven health care system, unique to the U.S. and separate from what is in place in any other country. The program will ensure: (1) Early and periodic screening, diagnosis and treatment; (2) Case management for chronic diseases; (3) Dental and mental health services; and (4) and even language access services.

The U.S. healthcare system is broken and if not remedied in the immediate future, consequences will be far greater than anything we

can measure. That is why many of us are fighting for reform to improve the health in every State, city, county, and American.

However, though a public plan will ensure so much, there are still some issues that need to be addressed in the Tri-Committee bill.

(1) Ensure physician owned general-acute hospitals that provide services in underserved communities are protected;

(2) support and strengthen language to increase health care professionals in underserved communities, especially provide grants to secondary schools in underserved communities;

(3) provide tax incentives for the development of Community Health Care Centers that are environmentally safe;

(4) introduce language to provide employers a tax credit to develop preventive services for all their employees;

(5) launch a pilot program that seeks to discover proven alternative medicine; and

(6) in the wake of ongoing abuse of prescription drugs, introduce language that will launch a Pilot Program to Reduce Abuses of Prescription Drugs.

This legislation will not be easy, but if we want true reform we must guarantee no one will fall through the cracks. This means solidifying every hole in our current health care system. In order to ensure this, allowing those hospitals that serve a high indigent patient base maintain daily operations. The emergence of physician owned hospitals has generated significant controversy. Yet, it is unclear whether physician owned hospitals differ significantly from those not owned by physicians. Currently the House Tri-Committee Bill, contain provisions that will effectively eliminate physician owned hospitals. ``The Economic Impact of Physician-Owned Hospitals in Eight States'' concluded that Texas physician-owned hospitals, which employ over 22,000 Texans, have a net economic impact of nearly $2.3 billion on Texas economy and will pay approximately $86 million in taxes in 2009.

St. Joseph Hospital is a general acute hospital, in Houston, TX, and the only hospital in the Houston area to remain totally operational throughout Hurricane Ike in September 2008. The limitations in the health care bill will particularly harm the hospital's ability to deliver much needed services to underserved communities. If a hospital like St. Joseph is eliminated, countless people in Houston will not receive adequate care. I seek to work with all my fellow colleagues, even those across the aisle to introduce language to exempt those hospitals like St. Joseph.

Achieving diversity in our health programs must include diversity in our health profession. We need to enact a system that includes people of every race, religion and socio-economic backgrounds. By proposing language that awards grants to the secondary education system in underserved areas to encourage students to seek health professions will improve our health care system. Encouraging young teens and young adults to pursue health care careers in areas of low population are often times only done through scholarships and grants to relieve those financial barriers that keep so many young children reaching for their dreams.

With the recent passage of the Clean Energy Act, a call for new advances in technology can be implemented in our health care system. Permitting incentives for the construction and renovation of community health centers to one of the four standards set by the National Green Building Association--Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Emerald, will ensure that the patients will be treated in an environmentally safe building. Increasing funding aims to improve the air quality and other environmental features of buildings used for the provision of health care services particularly targeting underserved communities.

While these services are great for physicians and the patients who see them, Americans are having a harder time preventing ever seeing a medical physician. Safeway has implemented a program that provides preventive services to their non-unionized employees. Based on the belief that rising health care costs are mostly driven by behavior (smoking, eating poorly, not checking your cholesterol, etc.), I seek to introduce language that will allow companies to establish a program that gives periodical screenings, questionnaires, prevention-related facilities like fitness clubs, along with advice and referrals to help improve behavior. Ensuring discounted premiums or refunds for those employees passing the screenings or showing improvement and establishing higher premiums for failing tests and no measurable improvement in behavior will hold people accountable and gives them incentives to live a healthy life style. This is the approach of Safeway, and it has kept Safeway's health care costs to $1 billion or so a year, mostly flat over the past five years. This achievement few other companies can claim.

When it comes to healthcare, just about everyone wants alternatives, especially options that include alternative and complementary medicine. This is why introducing an amendment to provide what a large majority of respondents expect healthcare providers to do is so important. The majority of society wants more research dedicated to alternative medicine, and believes insurers and Federal healthcare programs should cover the cost of those therapies. Seventy-seven percent of the public favor more research. I seek to work with my fellow colleagues to introduce an amendment to launch a pilot program to prove alternative medical treatments, medicine, and services are safe. In doing so legislation can be enacted and will ultimately lower costs and provide the majority of the population requested sources.

Though this reform seeks to improve the lives of every American citizen, it's important we consider every American citizen. In the sudden and tragic death of Michael Jackson, introducing language to study the abuse of prescription drugs by professional entertainers. Abuse of drugs often times has an impact that goes well beyond the individual performers, and frequently encourages impressionable young people to imitate this behavior. Depiction of such conduct in film and other video programming may also lead young people to mimic harmful behavior therein relating to prescription drugs. With this study, Congress can be guided on how best to address this dilemma and ensure the life of our children and celebrities alike.

It brings great joy that the Congressional Black Caucus are at the forefront to lead our country in taking the initial steps to secure our economic future, health of our society, and the ideals of our country. There are those who want to destroy our initiatives, seek to divide our country, and maintain the status quo, and I ask my fellow colleagues in Congress to ensure the quality of our life will not fall to the ideals of those who seek this effort. It's been a long time coming, but in this Congress and administration, America will now see a brighter day.