Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the author of the resolution currently before us, our colleague from the State of Montana, Representative Dennis Rehberg.

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

I support the resolution before us, H. Res. 1473, recognizing the value of recreational aviation in backcountry airstrips.

Aviation provides access, as we've heard, to the most remote and scenic areas of our national landscape, and not just for recreational users. Backcountry airstrips also provide access for those who do not have the physical ability to get to these areas any other way. The airstrips also serve an important safety function as emergency landing sites in the event of severe weather or another emergency. Sustaining these airstrips is critical to preserving safe flight and access to the American wilderness. It is important to promote and maintain the public use of backcountry airstrips for future generations. Additionally, we should be proud of the individuals and private organizations that donate their time and resources in order to sustain these airstrips for public use and benefit.

Mr. Speaker, I support this resolution and urge its passage by the House today.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the senior Republican on the full committee, my colleague, John Mica from Florida.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York, Chris Lee.

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

In May 2009, the House passed H.R. 915, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2009. Four months ago, the Senate passed its own FAA reauthorization bill, which the House took up, amended, passed, and sent back to the Senate.

Since that time, staff from both Chambers have been in informal discussions to reconcile the two versions of the bill and bring a negotiated FAA reauthorization to the floor.

While these discussions have led to tentative agreements on nearly all of the provisions, a few controversial issues have stalled progress on a final agreement. Therefore, with the FAA's authorities set to expire on Sunday, we, again, find it necessary to extend those authorities.

Like the 14 earlier extensions, H.R. 5900 would extend the taxes, programs and funding of the FAA, this time through September 30, 2010. This bill will ensure that our National Airspace System continues to operate, and that the FAA continues to fund important airport projects while Congress completes action on a final reauthorization bill.

I remain very disappointed that a few issues in the reauthorization package are holding up final agreement and delaying important safety improvements. That's why I support the inclusion of the bipartisan and bicameral airline safety and pilot training provisions in this clean FAA extension bill.

The airline safety and pilot training provisions are in response to the terrible loss of life resulting from the crash of Colgan Flight 3407 in February of 2009.

Among other improvements, these provisions strengthen pilot screening and training standards, increase flight hour minimums, and require the FAA to conduct a comprehensive study on pilot fatigue.

The FAA is also directed to create a consolidated database of pilot records, and all air carriers will be required to access this database and pre-screen pilot candidates before making hiring decisions.

The families of Continental Flight 3407 must be recognized for their tireless efforts to see this legislation pass. I'm very grateful for their work and their dedication over the past 17 months since that terrible crash.

I want to thank Representative Chris Lee, Representative Louise Slaughter, and Representative Brian Higgins for their work in getting these safety provisions enacted.

And I'd also like to thank Chairman Oberstar and Ranking Member Mica, as well as my chairman, Jerry Costello.

The airline safety and pilot training provisions were drafted in an open, bipartisan fashion. And we all agree that adding these safety provisions to this extension is the right thing to do, both in memory of those who lost their lives on Flight 3407, and in honor of their families and friends who have dedicated themselves to seeing that the aviation safety improvements are made the law of the land.

Finally, I want to recognize Ryan Boyce and his hard work and service on the Aviation Subcommittee. Ryan is headed off to law school, and I want to wish him all the best.

I'd urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5900.

I yield back the balance of my time.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my strong support for the resolution before us, and I am pleased to be a cosponsor. While I am pleased we are considering House Resolution 1401, I am disappointed that none of the suspensions we are considering today are Republican bills. However, I understand that the chairman of the full committee has scheduled three Republican bills for markup this coming Thursday.

House Resolution 1401 congratulates our Nation's air traffic controllers for their service and their dedication to protecting the flying public. Aviation safety is the product of many professionals in all sectors of the industry who are performing their best at all times. With nearly 87,000 flights operating over the United States daily, keeping the system safe is no small feat. The hard work and commitment of air traffic controllers play a key role in our exceptional record of aviation safety.

Over the past decade, nearly 1 billion passengers have successfully traveled aboard 93 million commercial flights. Thanks in part to the commitment of air traffic controllers, our Nation's air transportation system is the safest in the world. As air traffic demand is forecasted to rebound and grow, it is important to sustain investments to modernize air transportation technologies and procedures.

According to the FAA, NextGen infrastructure and procedures will change the role of air traffic controllers, equipping them with the tools they need to manage the anticipated growth in air traffic demand. Air traffic controllers are an important part of improving air traffic control efficiency through NextGen, and I welcome their input in advancing these efforts.

I honor the hard work and dedication of our 25,000-plus air traffic controllers, and I join in commending their service to the Nation's air travelers. I fully support the adoption of the resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the ranking Republican on the full committee, my colleague, the gentleman from Florida, Mr. John Mica.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 1504, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Today, we commemorate the 20th anniversary and enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act and we celebrate also the positive changes in our workplaces, our public facilities and, indeed, in our Nation's understanding of the challenges and the triumphs of individuals with disabilities.

The Americans with Disabilities Act is an example of bipartisanship at its best. Members on both sides of the aisle came together 20 years ago to craft meaningful protections for members of our society who, up until this law's enactment, had too often been denied the opportunities and accommodations necessary for them to thrive.

In the 20 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act became law, we have seen firsthand the contributions made by individuals with disabilities when obstacles are removed and ignorance gives way to understanding. By simply leveling the playing field, our society is richer.

This law has been a remarkable success, but with the passage of time came the need for improvements. That is why Members on both sides of the aisle came together once again in 2008 to modernize the law and ensure its protections today fulfill its promise made 20 years ago.

I applaud the brave individuals who 20 years ago fought to shine a light on the discrimination and lack of basic access afforded to many individuals with disabilities. I applaud the legislators on both sides of the aisle who heard those stories and who responded with this landmark legislation. I also applaud the employers, State and local governments, and facilities owners across the Nation that have taken the letter and the spirit of this law to heart and opened their doors and extended their opportunities to all Americans, regardless of disability.

Today, we take the time to appreciate how this House and, indeed, how our Nation as a whole has benefited from the Americans with Disabilities Act. I am pleased to join my colleagues in support of this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my distinguished colleague from the State of Wisconsin, F. James Sensenbrenner.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to our colleague from the State of Washington, Cathy McMorris Rodgers.

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

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

I rise in support of House Resolution 1048, honoring and praising the Sojourn to the Past organization on the occasion of its 10th anniversary. Since 1999, Sojourn to the Past, a nonprofit organization, has taken thousands of students out of the classroom and across the country for a life-changing educational experience via hands-on lessons on the civil rights movement. Through a sometimes emotional and eye- opening 10-day journey through a period of segregation in the Deep South, students learn the history of the civil rights movement in the United States.

Sojourn to the Past is the longest-running civil rights education and outreach program in the United States. It has conducted 55 sojourns and introduced over 5,000 high school juniors and seniors to the history of the civil rights movement. This organization teaches high school students how the lessons of the civil rights movement are still relevant today.

We recognize Sojourn to the Past for teaching younger generations of people about the history of the civil rights movement and challenging them to make a difference in their schools and their communities, and I support this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

I rise today in support of the resolution before us, House Resolution 1543, honoring the educational significance of Dr. Jane Goodall's work on this, the 50th anniversary of the beginning of her work in Tanzania, Africa.

Dr. Goodall is one of the world's foremost authorities on chimpanzees, having closely observed their behavior for the past quarter century in the jungles of the Gombe Game Reserve in Africa, living in the chimps' environment and gaining their confidence. Her observations and discoveries are internationally heralded. Her research and writings have made revolutionary inroads into scientific thinking.

Dr. Goodall received her Ph.D. from Cambridge University in 1965. She's been the science director of the Gombe Stream Research Center since 1967. In 1984, Dr. Goodall received the J. Paul Getty Wildlife Conservation Prize for ``helping millions of people understand the importance of wildlife conservation to life on this planet.'' Her other awards and international recognitions fill pages.

Dr. Goodall's scientific articles have appeared in many issues of National Geographic magazine. She has written scores of papers for internationally known scientific journals. Dr. Goodall has also written two books, ``Wild Chimpanzees'' and ``In the Shadow of Man.''

Dr. Goodall has expanded her global outreach with the founding of the Jane Goodall Institute based in Ridgefield, Connecticut. She now teaches and encourages young people to appreciate the conservation of chimpanzees and of all creatures, great and small. She lectures, writes, teaches and continues her missions in many inventive ways, including the Chimpanzee Guardian Project.

Today, we honor Dr. Jane Goodall for the significant role that her research has played in recognizing the behavioral differences in humans and other animal species.

I support this resolution and ask my colleagues to do the same.

Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

I rise today in support of House Resolution 1456, congratulating the University of Dayton's men's basketball team for winning the 2010 National Invitation Tournament basketball championship.

On April 1, 2010, the University of Dayton Flyers defeated the University of North Carolina Tarheels 79-68 in the finals of the National Invitation Men's Basketball Tournament. The Flyers men's basketball team now holds 40 all-time victories in the National Invitation Tournament, or NIT, the second-most victories in tournament history.

Flyers Coach Brian Gregory led the team to victory in his seventh season as Dayton's head coach, every season of which has been a winning season. Head Coach Brian Gregory has also led the team to two NCAA tournaments and two National Invitation Tournaments.

Flyers player Chris Johnson earned the 2010 NIT most outstanding player, and Marcs Johnson was selected to the NIT All-Tournament team. The Dayton Flyers finished the 2009-2010 season with 29 wins and 14 losses, ending the season with the team's third NIT title.

Although we are celebrating the University of Dayton's athletic excellence, we should take a moment to recognize the quality of the University of Dayton's academic programs as well. The University of Dayton is a top-tier national doctoral-level university, and one of the 10 best Catholic universities in the Nation, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Founded in 1850, the University of Dayton's offerings include 70 high-quality undergraduate programs in four divisions and graduate programs at the master's and doctoral level, as well as a law degree. The largest private university in Ohio, the University of Dayton, is a leader in higher education. So I extend my congratulations to University of Dayton President Daniel Curran, Head Coach Brian Gregory and his staff, the hardworking players, and of course the fans. I wish all continued success and ask my colleagues to support this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the author of the resolution, a representative of Dayton and surrounding areas in Ohio, Mike Turner.

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

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 275, expressing support for designation of the week beginning on the second Sunday of September as Arts in Education Week.

Arts in Education Week highlights the benefits of exposing students to the arts, and it recognizes that arts can play a role in educating youth. Many localities have rich art communities. Exposing youth to the museums, artists, and workers of art within these communities can help to provide cultural experiences, foster creativity, and support classroom learning about the arts.

Many States and communities are taking efforts to ensure students are exposed to the arts. Most States, specifically 43 States, require schools to provide art instruction, and many schools have integrated art education into their other areas of study. Many instructors in schools take advantage of the local art industry by introducing students to the various points of access to the arts within their communities.

Parents play a vital role in exposing youth to the arts as well. Weekend trips to a local art museum or a night out to see a local play are just two examples of ways in which parents can educate their children about and ensure their children's participation in the arts.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 226, to commemorate the end of World War II by observing ``Spirit of '45 Day.'' On August 14, 1945, the people of the United States received word of the long awaited end of the war. While there was celebration, there also was recognition of the 400,000 Americans who gave their lives to this effort.

This day marks the gratitude we have for our veterans, their families, and their sacrifice. We reflect on the beginning of a new era following the war, and the rebuilding of nations with the common goal of developing and maintaining a more peaceful global community. We celebrate the strengthening of American democracy, freedom and service to community and country. We are proud of the unprecedented national effort to defeat forces of aggression.

The achievements of the past continue to be relevant today. The World War II generation, often referred to as the Greatest Generation, is a model of courage and determination that serves as a source of inspiration not only for the men and women serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world, but for civilians as well. It is important we recognize and honor their dedication and self-sacrifice.

That is why as we approach the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II, I proudly support the observance of the second Sunday in August as ``Spirit of '45 Day'' to commemorate the end of World War II on August 14, 1945.

Mr. Speaker, after four stimulus packages over the past 2 years, Americans are asking: Where are the jobs? Why aren't businesses hiring? In a word, uncertainty.

We've seen a great deal of activist government over the past 2 years with enormous budget deficits, the government takeover of car companies, bank bailouts, mandatory national health care, misguided financial regulation and more. Still, President Obama and the congressional leadership have additional disruptive plans on tap, including big tax increases and cap-and-trade legislation. Not only are businesses being burdened with new taxes and other requirements, they also know that further afflictions are coming, but the form and extent of those afflictions are still a mystery.

Business people plan to succeed, but when the government is making major burdensome and, as yet largely unspecified, changes, it is very difficult to plan. Rather than hiring and investing, many are choosing to wait and see.

America's working people are the victims of this administration's and this Congress' rampant activism.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Representative Davis from Kentucky, for yielding me this time. And I also would like to express my appreciation for the way that my subcommittee chairman, Mr. Costello, and chairman, Mr. Oberstar, and my colleague, Mr. Mica from Florida, have all been working on this conference and on this legislation now for longer than we would have liked. It's too bad that we have to do what will be, I guess, our 14th or 15th extension of the existing law. But it is, unfortunately, necessary to do that to give us time to complete work on the conference, which actually is well underway.

In May of last year, we passed the Reauthorization Act of 2009, H.R. 915. This March the Senate passed its own FAA reauthorization bill, which the House took up, amended, passed, and sent back to the Senate. While a conference has not been called, staff from both Chambers have been in informal discussions for months to reconcile the two versions of the bill. And while these discussions have led to tentative agreement on the vast majority of provisions, and there has been good work on both sides of the aisle on this, a number of controversial issues have stalled progress on a final agreement.

I am disappointed, myself, that several issues unrelated to important safety and modernization provisions in the reauthorization package are holding up final agreement on this legislation. Nevertheless, in order to allow the

FAA to continue operating uninterrupted, I support passage of the bill before us to extend FAA's funding and program authorization.

H.R. 5611, the bill before us, would extend the taxes, programs, and funding of the FAA to August 1 of this year. This bill provides just over $3.5 billion in Airport Improvement Program funding, extends the War Risk Insurance program, and extends other authorities related to Small Community Air Service, airport, and safety programs.

That will ensure that our National Airspace System continues to operate, and that the FAA continues to fund important airport projects while the Congress completes action on a final reauthorization bill.

I want to urge my colleagues to take advantage of these extra 30 days to reach compromise on the few remaining controversial provisions in the FAA bill. This bill contains critical safety provisions that must not be delayed any longer. We owe it to the families of Flight 3407 and to the traveling public to reach agreement and send a good, bicameral, bipartisan FAA bill to our President.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5611.

Madam Speaker, today, I am introducing the Making Work and Marriage Pay Act of 2010. This legislation will establish a bipartisan commission to study the negative impact that high effective marginal rates can have on families as they attempt to improve their circumstances through work or marriage. The National Commission on Effective Marginal Tax Rates for Low-Income Families would provide an important opportunity for removing the disincentives that hold many back, in spite of their personal efforts to get ahead.

Federal and state governments provide financial assistance to low- income families through many means-tested programs and a variety of income tax credits. Each of these benefits is income-based, and as income rises benefits are reduced through phase-outs. These reductions occur at various earnings levels and on differing schedules.

While it is appropriate for benefits to be withdrawn as family income increases, little thought has been given to the combined impact on behavior of these multiple phase-outs. Different programs are created within separate Congressional committees and are implemented by assorted federal and state agencies. No one entity has the authority to consider our vast system as a whole. The Commission established under this Act would be given this task and charged with the responsibility to propose a legislative package to remove the disincentives to work and marriage that these high effective marginal rates impose.

Marginal rates matter. Economists have long contended that high tax rates affect the investment decisions of affluent individuals. People at all income levels, however, respond rationally to economic incentives and disincentives. If we want people to work their way into the middle class, we need to change a system which says that if you're poor and you struggle to earn a higher income, you won't be able to keep enough of it to make it all seem really worthwhile.

I have looked at the impact these marginal rates have on a typical single mother with two children living in Wisconsin. From $17,000 to $40,000 in earnings, this single parent would experience combined effective marginal tax rates in excess of 50 percent--averaging 59 percent between $24,000 and $41,000. At lower income levels, she even approaches a rate of 100 percent. Putting this into perspective, the U.S. corporate tax rate is 35 percent (one of the highest in the industrialized world). The highest U.S. income tax rate for individuals is also 35 percent.

Thus, for every dollar of new income earned by increased effort or the acquisition of new skills, this single mother finds herself only incrementally ahead and, perhaps, wondering whether her hard work is being justly rewarded. Despite the good intentions, these programs, in effect, offer no incentive to get ahead. Rather, the incentives are backwards and low-income workers often are encouraged to stay where they are.

The same dynamic can also affect an individual's decision whether to marry. Experts from across the political divide agree that marriage is good. Government policy, however, as enacted in this assortment of programs and phase-outs actually discourages marriage among low-income couples.

Varying benefit levels across the fifty states produce different results, but in Wisconsin, for a married couple with two children, the marriage penalty starts rising from about zero at $19,000 of combined income to $7,000 in after-tax income at $28,000 of combined earnings, which is what you get if two people earn minimum wage. At $42,000, the cost of being married reaches $8,154. That's a high price for a marriage license.

This penalty results from the high effective marginal tax rates produced by taxes and the phaseout of various benefit programs. As income rises, taxes go up and benefits go down. The couple that has combined their lives and their income sees a steeper loss of income than does the comparable couple that has remained unmarried. If marriage is a recognized good for both society and the individual couples, then government policy should not stand in the way of people choosing to marry.

It's time that Congress rationalizes this web of programs to ensure that hard work brings rewards by removing the punishingly high effective marginal tax rates faced by low-income individuals and families.

This is why I am introducing the Making Work and Marriage Pay Act.

My bill would authorize a Commission made up of Cabinet Secretaries, Governors, and recognized policy experts to recommend solutions for the problems posed by these high effective marginal tax rates. The Commission would be constructed to achieve partisan balance, input from states offering a varying level of income support, and expert participation from government and private sector experts.

The Commission would be charged with seeking a solution along certain policy lines, but would have full authority to offer additional policy recommendations. The Commission's recommendations would be in the form of a legislative blueprint to ease consideration of its comprehensive solution by the wide range of Congressional committees.

For too long, Congress has neglected to clean up the mess of uncoordinated federal benefit programs. The Making Work and Marriage Pay Act is the first step toward a benefit structure that rewards work and effort and reflects our shared belief that marriage is the basis of stable communities. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, each and every year since passage of the Budget Reform Act of 1974, this House has managed to produce a budget resolution, a document necessary for responsible governing--each and every year except this one.

What's the problem? In addition to outlining spending for the year ahead, budget resolutions include plans for multiple years, laying out anticipated spending and revenue and calculating anticipated deficits and surpluses. If the House were to pass a 2011 budget resolution, it would establish as official House policy that we will run enormous deficits for as far as the eye can see, but several Democrats here are reluctant to associate themselves with

such an irresponsible document. Of course it's theoretically possible that the current House majority could propose a budget resolution mapping a path back to balanced budgets. But no. Substantial numbers of the Democrats here think we should be spending more, not less.

With Members in the majority party pulling in opposite directions, the majority leadership appears to have given up on finding the votes necessary to pass an official budget whether big spending or responsible. This is a failure of mammoth proportions.

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

I rise in support of the resolution before us, House Resolution 1389, recognizing the immeasurable contributions of fathers in the healthy development of children, supporting responsible fatherhood, and encouraging greater involvement of fathers in the lives of their children, especially on Father's Day, and really on every day.

Children with involved, caring fathers have improved educational outcomes compared with children whose fathers are absent. A number of studies suggest that fathers who are involved, nurturing, and playful with their infants have children with higher IQs, as well as better linguistic and cognitive capacities. Toddlers with involved fathers go on to start school with higher levels of academic readiness. They are more patient and can handle the stresses and frustrations associated with schooling more readily than children with less involved fathers.

The influence of a father's involvement on academic achievement extends into adolescence and young adulthood. For instance, a U.S. Department of Education study found that highly involved biological fathers had children who were 43 percent more likely than other children to earn mostly As and 33 percent less likely than other children to repeat a grade.

Fathers play a significant role in shaping the character of their children. By spending time with their sons and daughters, being stern yet fair disciplinarians, and listening to their experiences, fathers mold and shape children into the men and women they will become. They instill important values and prepare their children for the challenges and opportunities ahead by demonstrating true leadership.

On Father's Day and every day, we honor our fathers and celebrate the

special bond between a father and a child. I rise today in support of this resolution and ask my colleagues to do the same.

I yield such time as he may consume to my colleague from east Tennessee (Mr. Duncan).

I yield such time as he may consume to my colleague from Pennsylvania, Joe Pitts.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support for the resolution before us, have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

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

I rise today in support of the resolution before us, House Resolution 1414, congratulating Urban Prep Charter Academy for Young Men-Englewood campus for achieving 100 percent college acceptance rate for all 107 members of its first graduating class of 2010.

In 2002, a group of motivated African American civic, business, and educational leaders, organized by former Hales Franciscan High School president Tim King, determined to establish a new high school in Chicago focused on providing a strong college-preparatory high school option for boys in underserved African American communities. African American males have been and continue to be the lowest performing demographic in Chicago's public schools. A recent University of Chicago study published in 2006 reported that only one in 40 African American boys in Chicago public schools eventually graduates from a 4-year university.

The Chicago Board of Education approved Urban Prep Academy's charter application in 2005, and Urban Prep opened its first school, Urban Prep Charter Academy for Young Men-Englewood campus, the subsequent September. It is the first charter high school for boys in the country and currently enrolls 550 students in grades nine through 12. Urban Prep's second school opened in the East Garfield Park community in 2009, and the third will open this fall in the South Shore community.

The mission at Urban Prep Academies is to provide a comprehensive,

high-quality, college-preparatory education to young men that results in graduates succeeding in college. Urban Prep's first graduating class, the class of 2010, is well on its way to fulfilling the school's mission. The entire graduating class has been accepted to more than 80 colleges and universities and will receive nearly $4 million in scholarships and grants.

The students' 8-hour day consists of a heavy math and science course load, an emphasis on studying a foreign language, plus two periods of English every day. In addition, students spend more than an hour a day with a mentor. The school fosters an environment where students can thrive. Failure is not an option.

A 100 percent college acceptance rate is clearly phenomenal. The Urban Prep Academy students should be commended for all their hard work and ability to beat the odds.

In addition, today we recognize Tim King, the president and CEO, the faculty and staff for providing these students with the support and encouragement they needed to succeed. I support this resolution and ask my colleagues to do the same.

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