Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker and Members of the House, I stand in opposition to this rule and in sincere but deep opposition to this $63 billion massive spending bill, and particularly the war spending component of the bill.

I speak, I believe, on the behalf of the hundreds of thousands of brave men and women who serve America in the Middle East with neither a defined objective nor the ability to assess victory or defeat; and on behalf of families of our military personnel around the world who have lost their fathers or their mothers or their sons or their daughters in a valiant but shortsighted effort and battle that can never be won; and on behalf of the American taxpayers who have seen more than $1 trillion poured into an attempt to fight terror, where there is not even a remote relationship to the welfare of the American people; and really, also, on behalf of the innocent children who have had the misfortune to simply be in the ever-changing line of fire and the vicinity of terrorists who move effortlessly from Iraq to Somalia to Yemen to Paraguay to Afghanistan like the Whack-a-Mole at the county fair in the form of unconventional and ill-defined tribal warfare that 2,000 years have taught us we simply cannot fight.

I think it was November of 1952, when I was about 6 years old, that Charles Schultz and his Peanuts comic strip came out with the annual saga where, every year, Charlie Brown comes up to the football, and Lucy tells Charlie Brown year after year, ``Just one more time we'll let you kick ball.'' And each year, she pulled the football out, only to find Charlie Brown on his rear end.

I would suggest to you, Mr. Speaker and Members of the House, in this somewhat stretched analogy, that a series of Commanders-in-Chief are Lucy, and we're Charlie Brown, and the football is the illusive promise of a goal that we simply cannot reach. We cannot force a culture to accept our values, and we cannot impose Western democracy on a people who don't understand or accept it and whose leadership is corrupt and antidemocratic beyond repair. And we cannot continue to spend the billions and, arguably, trillions of dollars of the hardworking men and women in this country in a venture that has no objective, no end game, and no proximate connection to the well-being of our Nation.

In conclusion, Mr. Speaker and Members of the House, we cannot afford economically, we cannot afford militarily, and we cannot afford as a people to pass this bill. This President who, frankly, won an election based on his strong antiwar message, like many of his predecessors, asked us one more time to spend a few more billion dollars--in this case $38 billion--a few thousand more men and women in an effort to kick the football just one more time. It simply isn't doable.

I suggest to you, Mr. Speaker and Members of the House, that this rule underlies a bill that the vast majority, I believe, of the American people don't want. I represent a district in central Illinois, and I think I speak in many ways for middle America. I voted for the authorization of force in Iraq and, frankly, Afghanistan; and I believe, like many of us, I may have questioned my vote. But I believe that we're the greatest nation on Earth, thanks in large part to the generations of fighting men and women who have given their lives to this great cause and democracy and this great Nation of ours.

As we prepare to celebrate our independence in a few days, I think I speak on behalf of the average American citizen who says, For what? What is this money being expended for? Why are we doing it? And what's the end game? And I would suggest to you, Mr. Speaker and Members of the House, that there is no end game, and I would respectfully ask that this rule and the underlying bill be defeated.

Madam Speaker, unfortunately this morning, Tuesday, June 29th, I was unable to cast my votes on Approving the Journal, H. Res. 1439, and on the Motion to Adjourn and wish the Record to reflect my intentions had I been able to vote. Last night I was conducting a town hall meeting at the Philo City Hall in Philo, Illinois and was unable to catch an airplane that would get me to Washington, DC in time for the 10:30 a.m. votes.

Had I been present on rollcall No. 395 on Approving the Journal, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present on rollcall No. 396 on suspending the rules and passing H. Res. 1439, Congratulating the Chicago Blackhawks on winning the 2010 Stanley Cup Championship, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present of rollcall No. 397 on the Motion to Adjourn, I would have voted ``aye.''

Madam Speaker, unfortunately last night, Monday May 24th, I was unable to cast my votes on H. Con. Res. 278, H.R. 1017, and H.R. 5330 as I was conducting a townhall meeting at the Tolono Public Library and wish the Record to reflect my intentions had I been able to vote.

Had I been present on rollcall No. 291 on suspending the rules and passing H. Con. Res. 278, Expressing the sense of Congress that a grateful Nation supports and salutes

Sons and Daughters in Touch on its 20th Anniversary that is being held on Father's Day, 2010, at the Vietnam. Veterans Memorial in Washington, the District of Columbia, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present on rollcall No. 292 on suspending the rules and passing H.R. 1017, the Chiropractic Care Available to All Veterans Act, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present on rollcall No. 293 on suspending the rules and passing H.R. 5330, to amend the Antitrust Criminal Penalty Enhancement and Reform Act of 2004 to extend the operation of such Act for a 5-year period ending June 22, 2015, I would have voted ``aye.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a constituent of mine, David Clark, who has announced his retirement after serving at the Illinois Fire Service Institute (IFSI) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for over 34 years.

Mr. Clark joined the faculty of IFSI in 1976, rising to deputy director in 1998 where he has served ever since. Throughout his time at IFSI he has trained tens of thousands of firefighters throughout Illinois and the nation and has conducted groundbreaking research in firefighter life safety issues. His dedication, expertise, and passion have impacted so many firefighters throughout his time at IFSI, and his impact on the field of firefighting will be sorely missed.

A member of the Illinois Terrorism Task Force since 2000, a volunteer firefighter for 20 years, and a member of the United States Army, David Clark has served his community, state, and nation selflessly, and I rise to thank him for that service and wish him the best in his retirement.

Madam Speaker, unfortunately last night I was unable to cast my votes on H.R. 4543, H. Res. 1103, and H.R. 4861 and wish the Record to reflect my intentions had I been able to vote.

Last night, I was meeting with constituents of mine who represent various student organizations from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and I was unable to arrive in Washington, DC to cast my votes.

Had I been present on rollcall No. 221 on suspending the rules and passing H.R. 4543, the Anthony J. Cortese Post Office Building, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present on rollcall No. 222 on suspending the rules and passing H. Res. 1103, Celebrating the life of Sam Houston on the 217th anniversary of his birth, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present on rollcall No. 223 on suspending the rules and passing H.R. 4861, the Steve Goodman Post Office Building, I would have voted ``aye.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Charles ``Kenny'' Hill, one of the hard working employees of the House Wellness Center. Kenny is retiring from duty as a Members' Wellness Center Attendant after 41 years of service to the Architect of the Capitol. He and his wife Carole look forward to enjoying his retirement with their children Lisa, Kenny, and Tony and their grandchildren Christopher, Charlie, Pamela, Tiffany, Elizabeth, Wayne, and Kyle. The Members of the 111th Congress would like to thank you Kenny for all your years of hard work and dedication. You will be missed.

Madam Speaker, unfortunately last night I was unable to cast my votes on H. Res. 1145, H. Res. 1170, H. Res. 1163 and H. Res. 67. I was speaking at Mahomet-Seymour High School BullDog Pride Night at Mahomet-Seymour High School and I was unable to arrive in Washington, DC to cast my votes.

Had I been present on Roll Call #112 on suspending the rules and passing H. Res. 1145, Recognizing the University of Arizona's 125 years of dedication to excellence in higher education, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present on Roll Call #113 on suspending the rules and passing H. Res. 1170, Congratulating the winners of the Voice of Democracy national scholarship program, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present on Roll Call #114 on suspending the rules and passing H. Res. 1163, Recognizing Washington State University Honors College for 50 years of excellence, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present on Roll Call #115 on suspending the rules and passing H. Res. 267, Recognizing the cultural and historical significance of Nowruz, expressing appreciation to Iranian-Americans for their contributions to society, and wishing Iranian-Americans and the people of Iran a prosperous new year, I would have voted ``aye.''

Madam Speaker, unfortunately last night I was unable to cast my votes on H.R. 4425 and H.R. 4238 and wish to reflect my intentions had I been able to vote.

Last night, I met with constituents of mine in a town hall forum at the Champaign County Nursing Home and I was unable to arrive in Washington, DC to cast my votes.

Had I been present on Rollcall No. 49 on suspending the rules and passing H.R. 4425, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2-116th Street in North Troy, New York, as the ``Martin G. `Marty' Mahar Post Office,'' I would have voted ``yea.''

Had I been present on Rollcall No. 50 on suspending the rules and passing H.R. 4238, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 930 39th Avenue in Greeley, Colorado, as the ``W.D. Farr Post Office Building,'' I would have voted ``yea.''

Madam Speaker, unfortunately last night and earlier today I was unable to cast my votes on H. Res. 779, H. Res. 942, H. Res. 894, H.R. 1517, and H.R. 3978 and wish the record to reflect my intentions had I been able to vote.

Last night, I met with constituents of mine in a town hall forum at the Prairie Winds Retirement Center in Urbana, Illinois and I was unable to arrive in Washington, DC to cast my votes.

Had I been present on rollcall No. 969 on suspending the rules and passing H. Res. 779, Recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals of National Runaway Prevention Month, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present on rollcall No. 970 on suspending the rules and passing H. Res. 942, Commending the Real Salt Lake soccer club for winning the 2009 Major League Soccer Cup, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present on rollcall No. 971 on suspending the rules and passing H. Res. 894, Honoring the 50th anniversary of the recording of the album ``Kind of Blue'' and reaffirming jazz as a national treasure, I would have voted ``aye.'' One of my constituents, Lamont Parsons of Urbana, Illinois, is a regionally famous jazz guitarist who has inspired in

me and many of my constituents a lifelong appreciation for jazz and its influences and it truly is a national treasure.

Had I been present on rollcall No. 972 on suspending the rules and passing H.R. 1517, To allow certain U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees who serve under an overseas limited appointment for at least 2 years, and whose service is rated fully successful or higher throughout that time, to be converted to a permanent appointment in the competitive service, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present on rollcall No. 973 on suspending the rules and passing H.R. 3978, First Responders Anti-Terrorism, Training Resources Act, I would have voted ``aye.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the achievements of Dr. Lawrence B. Schook, who recently led an international team in the sequencing of the swine genome. Dr. Schook is a distinguished Gutsgell Professor and Director of the Division of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he has spent the past nine years researching genetic resistance to disease, regenerative medicine, and using genomics to create animal models for biomedical research.

The draft sequence will allow researchers to pinpoint genes that are useful to pork production or are involved in immunity or other important physiological processes in the pig. It will enhance breeding practices, offer insight into diseases that afflict pigs (and, sometimes, also humans) and will assist in efforts to preserve the global heritage of rare, endangered and wild pigs. It also will be important for the study of human health because pigs are very similar to humans in their physiology, behavior and nutritional needs.

With the growth of our world's population and subsequent rise in interaction between both domesticated and wild animals it is imperative that we continue to fund researchers such as Dr. Schook. The recent outbreak of H1N1 is a great reminder that the work of Dr. Schook and his colleagues is of upmost importance, not only to our world's food supply, but to our health as well.

I would ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating Dr. Schook, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and all of the team members under Dr. Schook who made this discovery possible.

Madam Speaker, unfortunately earlier today I was unable to cast my votes on H.R. 3288, H. Con. Res. 199, H. Con. Res. 206, and H. Res. 940 and wish the record to reflect my intentions had I been able to vote.

Last night, as you are aware, there were no votes in the House of Representatives due to the White House Christmas Party. I took this opportunity to meet with some of my young constituents at the Farmhouse Fraternity on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign to discuss agricultural issues and the implementation of the Farm Bill. Early this morning I boarded an airplane in Champaign, Illinois, and unfortunately due to weather, my plane was drastically delayed, I was unable to arrive in Washington, DC to cast my votes.

Had I been present on rollcall #931 on the Motion to Instruct Conferees on H.R. 3288, Making appropriations for the Departments of Transportation, HUD, and related agencies for FY 2010, I would have voted ``aye''. This vote would have blocked any attempt by the Majority from using H.R. 3288 as the vehicle for an Omnibus Appropriations bill and require that the language for this bill be posted online for 72 hours prior to any vote. Madam Speaker, omnibus appropriations bills that are hundreds of pages long and have not been fully vetted is no way to fund our government and I urge you to refrain from using this bill for those purposes.

Had I been present on rollcall #932 on suspending the rules and passing H. Con. Res. 199, Recognizing the 10th Anniversary of the activation of Echo Company of the 100th Battalion of the 442d Infantry, and the sacrifice of the soldiers and families in support of the United States, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present on rollcall #933 on suspending the rules and passing H. Con. Res. 206, Commending the soldiers and civilian personnel stationed at Fort Gordon and their families for their service and dedication to the United States and recognizing the contributions of Fort Gordon to Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and its role as a pivotal communications training installation, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present on rollcall #934 on suspending the rules and passing H. Res. 940, Recognizing and honoring the National Guard on the occasion of its 373rd anniversary, I would have voted ``aye.''

Madam Speaker, unfortunately Monday night, November 2, 2009, and the morning of November 3, 2009 I was unable to cast my votes on H.R. 1168, H. Res. 291, S. 509, H.R. 3949, H. Res. 398, and H. Res. 866 due to a scheduled town hall meeting in Cerro Gordo, Illinois.

Had I been present for Rollcall No. 832, on suspending the Rules and passing H.R. 1168, the Veterans Retraining Act of 2009, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present for Rollcall No. 833, on suspending the Rules and passing H. Res. 291, Recognizing the crucial role of assistance dogs in helping wounded veterans live more independent lives, expressing gratitude to The Tower of Hope, and supporting the goals and ideals of creating a Tower of Hope Day, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present for Rollcall No. 834, on suspending the Rules and passing S. 509, to authorize a major medical facility project at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Walla Walla, Washington, and for other purposes, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present for Rollcall No. 835, on suspending the Rules and passing H.R. 3949, Veterans' Small Business Assistance and Servicemembers Protection Act of 2009, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present for Rollcall No. 836, on suspending the Rules and passing H. Res. 398, Recognizing the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift's success, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present for Rollcall No. 837, on suspending the Rules and passing H. Res. 866, Expressing support for designation of a National Veterans History Project Week to encourage public participation in a nationwide project that collects and preserves the stories of the men and women who served our Nation in times of war and conflict, I would have voted ``aye.''

It is my fervent hope that my absence in no way be interpreted as a lack of support and enthusiasm for these important issues and undertakings. Congress' schedule in recent days has been subject to sometimes unpredictable additions and subtractions of days. As the original schedule had established an adjournment date of Oct. 30, 2009, I felt safe in scheduling a town hall meeting the evening of Monday, Nov. 2, for the purpose of meeting with and hearing from my constituents--the voters and citizens who are critical in guiding my votes and my conscience on the important issues we all face.

Madam Speaker, unfortunately on October 26, 2009, I was unable to cast my votes on H. Res. 368 and H. Res. 562 and wish the Record to reflect my intentions had I been able to vote.

Had I been present for rollcall No. 814 on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 368, Congratulating the University of Iowa Hawkeyes wrestling team on winning the 2009 NCAA Division I National Wrestling Championships, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present for rollcall No. 815 on the motion to suspend the rules and pass H. Res. 562, Congratulating Syracuse University for winning the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Mens Lacrosse Tournament, I would have voted ``aye.''

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on project funding, I am submitting the following information regarding project funding I requested as part of Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Appropriations bill--H. R. 3326:

Requesting Member: Timothy V. Johnson

Bill Number: H.R. 3326--Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Appropriations bill

Account: Research, Development, Test and Evaluation--Navy

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: University of Illinois

Address of Requesting Entity: College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1308 West Main Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801

Description of Request: $1,500,000 for the University of Illinois to establish the Center for Assured Critical Application and Infrastructure Security (CACAIS) which will address the development of trust validation tools for critical computer infrastructures of particular importance to the nation, namely defense applications, financial systems, and electrical power, to ensure public confidence in these systems. It is my understanding that of this amount $1,000,000 is for equipment, facilities, and laboratory costs; $375,000 for personnel; $75,000 for technology transfer; and $50,000 for computer costs.

Requesting Member: Timothy V. Johnson

Bill Number: H.R. 3326--Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Appropriations bill

Account: Research, Development, Test and Evaluation--Army

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Construction Engineering Research Laboratory-

Address of Requesting Entity: 2902 Newmark Drive, Champaign, Illinois 61826

Description of Request: $2,500,000 for the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Construction Engineering Research Laboratory to field validate large-scale Zinc-Flow electrical energy storage to improve the energy security, fossil-fuel consumption and carbon-footprint of our military bases. It is my understanding that of this amount $950,000 is for energy storage systems; $400,000 is for equipment, installation, test, and data acquisition; $975,000 for personnel; $175,000 for administration.

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 621, I was present on the House floor and voted immediately before and immediately after this vote. I was in the chamber in front of the wall, sought recognition by the Acting Speaker to vote. Despite my presence and my request, in the clear view of the Acting Speaker, my request was not recognized. While the High Speed Rail project addressed by the Amendment could potentially affect the 15th District of Illinois, the $3 billion cost is also a significant factor in consideration thereof.

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