Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the new House Republican standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information.

Bill Number: H.R. 3293, Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Act, 2010

Project Name: Bio-Security Level 3 Lab

Amount Provided: $650,000

Account: Health Resources and Services Administration

Recipient: Iowa State University

Recipient's Street Address: 1750 Beardshear Hall, Ames, IA 50011

Description: In order to contribute to the nation's pressing biosecurity needs, and to develop strategies for safeguarding the nation's animal agriculture and human populations from such highly infectious agents as influenza, Brucella, and West Nile virus, the funding will be used to help Iowa State University expand its high security, Bio-Security Level 3 facilities. Iowa State University's College of Veterinary Medicine long has been preeminent in the field of infectious disease research in domestic animals. More recently, in response to public health and national security concerns and in an effort to protect and secure the nation's animal agriculture industry, ISU has focused on research that addresses new and novel strategies to prevent and control foreign animal and zoonotic diseases. Zoonotic diseases are pathogens carried by animals that may be spread to humans, and many modern diseases, including various epidemics, initially were spread this way.

Bill Number: H.R. 3293, Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Act, 2010

Project Name: Electronic Medical Record System

Amount Provided: $250,000

Account: Health Resources and Services Administration

Recipient: Madison County Health Care Center

Recipient's Street Address: 300 W. Hutchings, Winterset, IA 50273

Description: The funding will be used to install and implement an electronic medical record program which will improve the quality of health care provided to rural Iowans while reducing the potential for medical errors as well as realizing a reduction in costs through eliminating duplicity and paperwork.

Bill Number: H.R. 3293, Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Act, 2010

Project Name: Health Occupations Training Simulator

Amount Provided: $165,000

Account: Employment and Training Administration--Training & Employment Services

Recipient: Iowa Valley Community College

Recipient's Street Address: 3702 South Center Street, Marshalltown,

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida for the time.

I rise in opposition to this rule because I do not want to lend my support to a politically cooked process that freezes the American people out of having their say through a constructive amendment process. I know the large number of the majority Members do not want this process either for the same reasons that I don't. The majority may think that they are freezing out the minority in these rules, and they are; but more importantly, they are freezing out their own constituents and all of our constituents.

The truth of the matter is that these closed and structured rules are designed to avoid the tough votes, and those familiar with the situation know that. On the surface, the rules may be promoted as a means of moving the process along in a timely fashion, and there may be some tone of truth to that; however, the real issue is the difficult votes, and that's sad, because that's what we get paid to do here. We don't get paid to duck tough votes around here.

I have to wonder sometimes if our predecessors from both parties are not looking down from the big chamber in the sky and wondering what in God's name are we doing to the process that they left us. One thing we know we're doing is cheating the American people.

The administration says that this bill is about making long-term infrastructure investments. If that is true, then our investors, or our constituents, should have a say-so in how those investments are made. Right now they have no such say, and that's a shame.

As an example, I had an amendment to move $3 billion in ``parked'' money in a high-speed rail appropriation to be put--to use in the Highway Trust Fund where we desperately need those funds. The administration wants us to bail out the Highway Trust Fund, for those of you who don't know that. And I want to note, too, that in the stimulus package there is $8 billion sitting there for high-speed rail, none of which will be spent this year.

Also, there was an agreement between the administration and Congress

saying that with that $8 billion we would appropriate $1 billion a year for the next 5 years. My amendment would have honored the administration's request in that agreement, leaving $1 billion in the high-speed rail account. My amendment was not made in order. That $3 billion could have been used as an investment in my State and all of your States in a much-needed investment in the highway infrastructure that would actually create jobs now.

For some, however, that would have been a tough vote, because even though that money won't be spent on high-speed rail for a couple of years, at least, a vote to transfer to the trust fund, where it's needed today, would be a vote to remove it from the rapid trail category now, a vote that would not have been politically fashionable for some in this Chamber, and that's the reason it's not in order.

The net result is that an important investment amendment will now not be put to the investors, the taxpayers. Instead, we will institutionally duck the vote and, thereby, rob the investors of their say-so in this worthwhile investment.

I want to say, Madam Speaker, that this bill could have been a bipartisan bill. Chairman Olver and I worked together all through this process. We had hearings. We worked in a constructive way.

And I think it is an outrage and an insult to Chairman Olver for the Rules Committee to say that you're questioning his competence and his ability to handle issues involved in this bill.

This could have been a bipartisan process. This could have been something that everyone in this House could support if, in fact, we had a process that respected the chairman, his abilities, his competence, and respected the interests of all of our constituents.

To close out people, our constituents, the people who own these investments, is simply wrong, and I ask everyone to please vote against this outrageous rule and respect the chairman, respect what the rights should be in this House of Representatives and have been since the beginning. And I would encourage everyone to vote against this outrageous rule.

I thank the chairman and yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, today is an important day in the House because we are considering a bill that has far-reaching impacts on the transportation infrastructure across all of our districts and on all of our constituents in one way or another.

For that reason alone, we should be considering this bill under an open rule so that our constituents have some say in how their tax dollars are being spent. Sadly, this is not the case.

Before I go any further, I want to tell the membership that I have really enjoyed working with Chairman Olver, and look forward to continuing to do so. While, like he said, we don't always agree on everything, and especially the 25 percent increase in the allocation over last year, but that fact does not take away my belief that he is truly a devoted chairman who focuses on the resource needs of the entities under the jurisdiction of this bill, and I very much want to personally thank him for his consideration and kindness and working together. It's been a real pleasure.

I also want to tell both the majority and minority staffs that I sincerely appreciate their work throughout the process and commend them for a job, I think, very well done. And I salute all of your many hours that you put into the process, your forbearance in this often dysfunctional environment. We couldn't do it without you. And again, thank you on both sides of the aisle.

Mr. Chairman, as I said, the funding allocation for this bill for FY 2010 is 25 percent over the FY09 level. That is a huge increase, and one for which we ought to have a number of perfecting amendment votes as part of a serious debate, if for no other reason than to allow our constituents to have some say in how those funds are spent. At some point, it should start dawning on all of us that the reason we're hearing a lot of noise about some of the spending that's going on is that our constituents are waking up to the fact that they don't have a say in these exercises.

Mr. Chairman, as the administration has said about this bill, ``these infrastructure investments will help build a new foundation for long- term economic growth to benefit the American people for years to come.'' And I agree. If we are, indeed, making long-term infrastructure investments, then the investors, or our constituents, should have a say-so on how those investments are made.

One of my biggest concerns in this bill is that we do nothing to address the coming situation with the highway trust fund that runs out of money. At a point, we will have to bail out the fund with general fund resources. I know that's not in our jurisdiction as such, but the hour is getting late, and we should all be looking for the most expeditious ways to make any contribution we can to provide the resources that allow highway infrastructure and other transportation programs to continue with some predictability.

I had an amendment to help the trust fund situation, as I mentioned earlier today, in consideration of the rule. It would have transferred $3 billion from the Rapid Rail appropriation to the trust fund, these funds that will not be spent any time soon, while our highway trust fund screams for additional resources.

The $3 billion are also funds that were not requested by the administration for Rapid Rail, probably because the President knows they could not be spent any time soon. Right now they are ``parked funds,'' at a time when we do not need to be teeing up more resources to be spent on something such as an infrastructure bank which, at this point, is only a vague concept.

In the end, the amendment was not made in order, and I assume for political reasons, unfortunately. Had it been made in order, it would have given me some faith that the majority was serious about having a genuine debate on this bill which, in turn, might have drawn a few more supporters than might otherwise be the case.

I will offer a different amendment to strike the $3 billion, which will take the Rapid Rail funding to the President's request. Let me reiterate, that's the President's request. The $3 billion is over and above that, and I believe the President's request was a reasonable number.

It will also cancel the transfer authority to this unknown infrastructure bank that has not been authorized. Without the absence of any knowledge of where a Rapid Rail program will go or what the bank will look like, or even if any submitted rail projects are feasible, we simply do not need $3 billion of taxpayer money being set aside for simply a concept.

Mr. Chairman, I would be remiss if I did not say that there are some good points in this bill, absent a few billion unneeded dollars, to make it a very attractive legislative product.

With respect to HUD, I only want to say that this bill fully meets the government's obligation to renew all rental assistance, support the homeless, increase support for low-income elderly and the disabled, and provide additional rental assistance for veterans. But we cannot continue to put forth resources that cannot be deployed in the near term. We simply don't have the money.

And at this point, I thank you, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette), who has brought a lot of knowledge and insight to the committee.

I would yield to the gentleman from Ohio 2 more minutes.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished ranking member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica).

I yield the gentleman from Florida 2 additional minutes.

I yield the gentleman an additional 2 minutes.

I yield the gentleman 1 additional minute.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I continue to reserve.

I continue to reserve.

I continue to reserve.

I continue to reserve, please.

I have no additional speakers and, again, I want to personally thank the chairman for his consideration and again say thank you to the great staff that we have on both sides of the aisle. It's been a real pleasure working with you. I appreciate it.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I would ask for the time in opposition, although I will not oppose his amendment.

Let me just express my frustration in this amendment, and they're all good projects. There are five amendments, all Democrat amendments, all of substance, that we could have agreed on. But also, looking through the list here: We have another four or five amendments that we could have agreed on, of substance, and we will agree on.

Again, I go back to the fact that the Rules Committee, the process is just totally out of whack, and the fact that while I don't oppose these--actually, one of the projects that Mr. Braley referred to is something that I started several years ago and has been very, very successful as far as using soybean grease as far as lubricants on railroads. It's been in practice now for several years.

It's the frustration I have that we couldn't have substantive amendments made in order. We have five Democratic amendments put in here, of substance, while we were denied that option. I think it is extremely unfair and really brings shame upon this body and the process that should be in place for all of our constituents to have their Representatives here to decide and vote on amendments which would be of importance to their districts and to the Members' constituents.

I just, again, express my total frustration with the Rules Committee. I don't blame the chairman at all, but it's just the process has totally fallen apart.

With that, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Broun).

Again, I just want to reiterate, these are good, substantive amendments. All have merit. The frustration I have is that all five are Democrat amendments, never even an opportunity. And there will be several more Republican amendments here that we'll probably agree on. I don't know why we couldn't do this. But it's frustration I have with the process, and it's very concerning to me.

I will support the gentleman's amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

I thank the chairman very much. This really is a very simple amendment. I seek to bring the funding level for high-speed rail back down to the President's request of $1 billion and strike the transfer authority for the National Infrastructure Bank.

When the stimulus deal was announced by the President and the Democrat leadership, we were told that the plan was to provide $8 billion for high-speed rail in the stimulus and another $1 billion a year for the next 5 years. My amendment meets the President's goals and his plans. We are just now embarking on this high-speed rail initiative. The stimulus funds are still in the Treasury. They haven't been spent, and there is little reason to dump another $3 billion on top of an unspent $8 billion since the committee hasn't even had the time to do any oversight at all in this area.

I know the chairman is going to reference that there is pent-up demand for high-speed rail, and he is going to mention $100 billion in grant applications. Are we really ready to embark on a $100 billion endeavor on top of the million-, billion- and trillion-dollar endeavors already under consideration? We don't even know if those grant applications have any feasibility at all.

Second, this amendment would strike the transfer to the National Infrastructure Bank. The administration requested $5 billion for a bank in their budget requests, but it didn't include any authorizing language at all. I know there are a few bills out there that would authorize this, and those proposals should be considered in the regular authorizing process. However, there is no bank today. There is no authorized bank in which to put this money. I'm not opposed to the bank idea, but I believe we should know what the activities and programs are that we are paying for up front.

The bill before us gives authority to transfer $2 billion to the bank on October 1, 2010, should the bank ever be authorized by that date. Now, October 1, 2010, is actually in the 2011 fiscal year, and this committee will have the opportunity to consider funding that bank within the budget priorities for fiscal year 2011 under that 2011 allocation. There is absolutely no reason to do that now.

I did have an amendment to transfer the $3 billion to the highway trust fund, but the Rules Committee was probably too worried that the amendment may pass. However, without the transfer, this is still a good amendment. Cutting an extra unrequested $3 billion from this account still meets the President's request, his commitment, and would give me good reason to support this otherwise pretty good bill.

I urge the adoption of my amendment. Again, I just want to make sure people know that this is $3 billion on top of the $1 billion the President requested, $2 billion of which is set aside--people talk about this money going to high-speed rail. It's not going to go there. This is set aside in a fund basically to be held so that just in case this infrastructure bank is authorized, the money will go there. This has nothing to do with high-speed rail. It has everything to do with making this a bill that people can support.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I will reserve at this time.

I will reserve at this time.

I yield myself the remainder of the time.

I will have to say I'm a little bit confused. First they're saying that this is a cut to high-speed rail, and then the last speaker got up here and said, Well, no, that money is not for high-speed rail, it's for some program that hasn't even been authorized yet. I'm not quite sure where we are here, because we're talking about spending the same money two or three times. I would suggest to the gentlewoman from Connecticut that there is no authorized bank. And by the language in this bill, those dollars could not be transferred until the next fiscal year, which means that the whole next year's cycle, if this bank is authorized, if that money is needed, we can do that next year.

But to have this money sit in a slush fund basically and do nothing-- and everyone knows it's not going to go out the door, and the gentleman from Massachusetts knows--my chairman, who I love dearly--but he knows that I made this statement in committee. I'm not against high-speed rail. As a matter of fact, I made the statement on two different occasions that I think the $787 billion of stimulus money could have had actually been well spent and we could have a national high-speed rail system and actually accomplish something if we would have spent all of that money in the stimulus just on high-speed rail. We would have the Eisenhower Interstate Project. I'm not against it, but I'm just saying to have this money sit here and do nothing when we've got a critical issue, as far as the highway trust fund that needs funding immediately, is simply wrong.

Let's save the money, let's make the bill acceptable to a lot more people who can support it on a bipartisan basis.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

I will join the chairman, and we will certainly be glad to accept the amendment.

Does the gentleman yield?

I rise in support of the amendment also.

Would the gentleman yield?

I certainly would support the gentleman's amendment also.

Mr. Chairman, I claim time in opposition.

The purpose of the service commitment was sound at the time, and it still is. Residents were asked to participate in making their community better, improve the social interaction, and provide services for their communities including day care, education, after- school monitoring, and facility management.

No one that is unable to participate is penalized, whether elderly, students, working parents, or any other of a long list of exemptions that are allowable under the law.

The intent is not to make people work for their money. It's to ensure that those who live in the community participate in keeping it safe, sanitary, affordable, and a vibrant community. This is what we ask of ourselves and our neighbors.

For those who do participate, flexibility is the centerpiece of the requirement. Residents have great flexibility over what service is provided and when it's provided. Every attempt is made to ensure that the services of the parent can be made to benefit the children or the elderly citizens living in the authority.

Keep in mind, we're only talking about 8 hours a month. Eight hours a month. This is not a hardship.

It has provided a great benefit to each housing authority where it's been actively implemented. If this requirement is removed, those services will be lost because every indication from the housing authority leadership indicates that there are no funds to replace the services now being provided by those residents.

One of the arguments I've heard is that it's hard on the PHAs to administer the program. This is just ridiculous. Authorities receive millions in Federal funds each year to administer Federal requirements, and if the service is lost, I don't see anyone proposing to reduce the administrative funds provided in this bill. PHAs receive funds for federally required activities, and they should use them for those purposes.

Frankly, I think it's a requirement that should stay in place and is no more than what we all require of ourselves and our communities. When I go home it would be pretty hard to explain to my voters that 8 hours a month is just too great a burden to ask in order to ensure that their investment in the well being of the people and property is sustained.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I would yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette).

May I inquire as to how much time remains.

I would yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Ohio.

I claim the time in opposition.

I would like to recognize the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Whitfield).

I reserve the balance of my time.

I will yield the balance of my time to a colleague from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette).

Would the gentleman yield?

I just want to make the comment that, unlike Doyle Drive, you have not come to the end of your useful life.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

In its current form, I am.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

In its present form, I am, yes.

Mr. Speaker, I thank you very much. I want to wish the Members a good evening. I'm sorry about the delay here.

Mr. Speaker, this motion to recommit is really quite simple. It simply reduces the accounts that exceed the levels recommended in the budget request back down to the President's proposed level. I'm quite confident the funding levels proposed by the President are sufficient, and frankly, if the higher levels of funding were required, the budget request would have identified higher funding levels.

Let me say again that I would be a strong supporter of this bill if the funding levels weren't so astronomically out of proportion with the current reality. I hold a very positive view of Chairman Olver and admire his thoughtful and fair approach to this bill, but a 25 percent increase over the funding level of fiscal year '09 is absurd, especially in the context of the huge sums of funding provided to the Department of Transportation and HUD through the stimulus bill. This bill would fund these agencies at $68 billion on top of the more than $61.8 billion they received through the stimulus. How can these agencies possibly spend through this funding in an efficient and effective manner?

So in response to this reckless pattern, my motion would reduce the bill's bottom line by cutting only those accounts that were funded over and above the President's request. This motion to recommit saves the U.S. taxpayers $5.4 billion.

I would ask for your support for this motion to recommit. I think in today's fiscal climate, it is totally appropriate and is something that we should do. This is about our kids and our grandchildren in the future. And just to bring it back to the President's request, I don't think this is something that is too much to ask from anyone.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the new House Republican standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information.

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

Project Name: Clear Lake, IA

Amount Provided: $910,000

Account: Corps of Engineers--Section 206

Recipient: Rock Island Illinois Corps Office

Recipient's Street Address: Clock Tower Bldg Rodman Ave Rock Island,

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the House Republican standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information.

Bill Number: H.R. 2997--Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Project Name: Minor Use Animal Drug Program

Amount: $429,000

Account: Research & Education

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Iowa State University

Address of Requesting Entity: 1750 Beardshear Hall, Ames, IA 50011

Description of Request: The Minor Use Animal Drug program is used to identify animal drug needs for minor species and minor uses in major species, to generate and disseminate data for safe and effective therapeutic applications and to facilitate FDA approval for drugs identified as a priority for a minor species or minor use.

Bill Number: H.R. 2997--Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Project Name: Northeast Iowa Community-Based Dairy Foundation

Amount: $159,000

Account: National Institute of Food & Agriculture

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Northeast Iowa Community-Based Dairy Foundation

Address of Requesting Entity: 1527 Hwy. 150, S., Calmar, IA 52132

Description of Request: The Dairy Education project aims to increase the success of American dairies by providing education on production technology, environmental stewardship, marketing and competitiveness. The project has goals of retaining, growing and fostering the development of the industry. The dairy industry is a major component of the Midwest's economy and the project aims to develop successful farms that are vital to local communities.

Bill Number: H.R. 2997--Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Project Name: Center of Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD)

Amount: $412,000

Account: National Institute of Food & Agriculture

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Iowa State University

Address of Requesting Entity: 1750 Beardshear Hall, Ames, IA 50011

Description of Request: The Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) Biofuels Impact Analysis project at Iowa State University provides unbiased analyses of the effects of changes in technology and policy on the production of biofuels and on the cost and manufacturing of traditional agricultural and energy products. These analyses are based on supply and demand models of agricultural products, biofuels, and traditional, crude oil based energy markets, both domestically and internationally. Results of these analyses help key decision makers and citizens of Iowa and the U.S. make informed choices between alternative policy options, by providing answers to pressing questions about the impacts of those options on agricultural prices, net returns, production, consumption, and government spending. Using existing measures of the net carbon emissions per unit of agricultural output for each agricultural commodity in each country, the CARD program also will develop a methodology to measure the worldwide carbon footprint of agriculture and incorporate this footprint measure into existing multi-country, multi-commodity models.

Bill Number: H.R. 2997--Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Project Name: Animal Food Science & Food Safety Consortium

Amount: $939,000

Account: National Institute of Food & Agriculture

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Iowa State University

Address of Requesting Entity: 1750 Beardshear Hall, Ames, IA 50011

Description of Request: Animal Food Science & Food Safety Consortium addresses potential threats to food safety during the production of the live animal, processing, distribution, and consumption. When necessary, this initiative develops sampling and testing strategies to rapidly identify contaminants and determine the distribution of the contaminant in the food supply. Additionally, program staff are working to establish intervention strategies to minimize the threat of contaminants and to assure a safe food supply. The program also is developing recovery strategies and training procedures for these industries in the event of a natural or intentional contamination event. The potential introduction of natural or intentional contaminants into agricultural products could have a dramatic impact on the United States: citizens' health would be at risk and the economy could suffer because of the likely loss of international markets for U.S. products.

Bill Number: H.R. 2997--Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Project Name: Food and Agriculture Policy Research Institute (FAPRI)

Amount: $1,139,000

Account: National Institute of Food & Agriculture

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Iowa State University

Address of Requesting Entity: 1750 Beardshear Hall, Ames, IA 50011

Description of Request: The Food and Agriculture Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) project will be used to deploy an updated system to measure the impacts of large disruptions to world agricultural sectors such as new trade agreements, for ongoing estimation of the impact of the 2007 Energy Act on agriculture in the U.S. and around the world, and for evaluation of the use of carbon offset options for U.S. biofuel producers. With the new carbon model FAPRI researchers are uniquely placed to evaluate policies designed to reduce carbon emissions from agriculture. Research staff will use baseline projections from the analyses to determine the effect of various influences including agricultural prices, net returns, production, consumption, the net carbon balance, and government spending on the profitability of agriculture in the United States and in other major producing countries.

Bill Number: H.R. 2997--Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Project Name: Midwest Poultry Consortium

Amount: $471,000

Account: National Institute of Food & Agriculture

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Iowa State University

Address of Requesting Entity: 1750 Beardshear Hall, Ames, IA 50011

Description of Request: The Midwest Poultry Consortium provides a structure to encourage multi-disciplinary research networks which enhance limited state and industry resources. For example, the project can focus on respiratory diseases, such as avian pneumovirus, which have resulted in losses of millions per year in Midwestern states, rank among the most important factors affecting the competitiveness of the poultry industry and are responsible for millions in losses to turkey and broiler production nationwide each year. In total, disease costs in poultry are estimated to be in the $15 billion/year range.

Bill Number: H.R. 2997--Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Project Name: New Century Farm

Amount: $282,000

Account: National Institute of Food & Agriculture

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Iowa State University

Address of Requesting Entity: 1750 Beardshear Hall, Ames, IA 50011

Description of Request: The New Century Farm is the first integrated and sustainable biofuel feedstock production system of its kind and will play a critical role in fulfilling this vision. It will serve as a living laboratory for developing and testing sustainable biomass systems through rigorous integration of agronomic, environmental, and socio-economic research. The New Century Farm at Iowa State University will be the first integrated, sustainable biofuel feedstock demonstration farm and research biorefinery in the United States, serving as a model for American biorenewable energy and bioproducts production and helping to transform the nation's agricultural enterprise to one that is feedstock ready.

Bill Number: H.R. 2997--Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Project Name: Bio-Safety Institute for Genetically Modified Agriculture Products

Amount: $259,000

Account: Animal Plant Health Inspection Service

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Iowa State University

Address of Requesting Entity: 1750 Beardshear Hall, Ames, IA 50011

Description of Request: The Bio-Safety Institute for Genetically Modified Agriculture Products will assist enterprises seeking technical assistance on bio-product-related issues that would enable them to expand effectively. Helping these biobased product employers do so will improve the quality of the environment, revitalize the manufacturing sector and rural America, and enhance national security by reducing U.S. dependency on foreign oil.

Bill Number: H.R. 2997--Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Project Name: Certified Environmental Management Systems for Agriculture

Amount: $288,000

Account: Natural Resource Conservation Service

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Iowa Soybean Association

Address of Requesting Entity: 4554 114th St., Urbandale, IA 50322

Description of Request: The Certified Environmental Management Systems for Agriculture program provides innovative technical assistance to individual farmers, helping them document baseline and performance data to measure environmental and economic results of their management practices and incorporate that data into continual performance improvement. It is an adaptive management system based on ISO 14001, addressing energy efficiency in farming and environmental, agronomic, and economic performance goals. Appropriations will support continued technical assistance for current and new participants; expand the use of the energy efficiency module piloted in `08 and adjust documentation and data aggregation procedures to enable the soybean and corn industry to benefit from documented data revealing the improved energy efficiency, carbon savings, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions associated with current farming practices, as well as potential improvements made possible by CEMSA management planning; expand the use of the new carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas emission reduction, and wildlife habitat planning modules and indices being developed and piloted this year.

Bill Number: H.R. 2997--Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Project Name: Watershed Demonstration Project

Amount: $134,000

Account: Natural Resource Conservation Service

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Iowa Soybean Association

Address of Requesting Entity: 4554 114th St., Urbandale, IA 50322

Description of Request: The Watershed Demonstration Project will help Iowa farmers identify and reduce their contribution to water pollution by providing technical assistance to groups of farmers in targeted watersheds and by collaborating with other watershed stakeholders to plan and implement watershed-specific strategies, measure outcomes, and adjust practices to optimize results. The proper management of natural resources related to cropland and the planning and implementation of conservation systems on cropland, especially in watersheds of impaired streams, is part of the federal mission, which this project helps to further. The work of improving and maintaining watershed health and water quality in agricultural watersheds will always require federal investment, and due to the downstream impact of Midwest agricultural water quality concerns all the way to estuary waters, such as the Gulf of Mexico, projects such as these are increasingly important.

I thank the gentleman.

Everyone understands that we are in the middle of a very difficult downturn in the economy, a recession. It is difficult enough today to create jobs. We have the second-highest tax rate in the world. We have the most onerous regulatory burden in the world. We have the most litigation in the world. So how do we create new jobs? Well, it is not with this tax-and-cap bill.

I will tell you, in China today they must think that Christmas is coming in June. If you look at this box here, it says ``To China from the U.S. Congress.'' Well, let's see what is inside of it, okay?

What is inside of it is U.S. jobs. This is going to cost 17,000 jobs in Iowa in 2012 and each year after that. Nationwide, 2\1/2\ to 3 million jobs will be lost because of this bill.

If we are going to do anything to help the economy, let's not put another burden, let's not make us less competitive in the world, and let's not destroy hope for the next generation, which this bill does.

Please vote ``no'' and save our country.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the new House Republican standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information.

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

Project Name: Readiness Center Addition/Alteration, Iowa Falls, Iowa.

Amount: $2,000,000

Account: Army National Guard

Recipient: Construction and Facilities Management Office (CFMO), Iowa Army National Guard

Recipient's Street Address: Camp Dodge, Building B-61, 7105 NW 70th Avenue Johnston, Iowa 50131

Description: The purpose of this project is to renovate and provide an addition to the Iowa Falls National Guard Readiness Center (armory). The project is a complete renovation of the existing facility to modernize administrative and training areas to meet new Department of Defense force structure requirements. The addition to the building will address deficiencies in supply space, vault space, classroom space, the electrical system, HVAC system, Anti-terrorism/Force Protection (AT/FP) measures, information technology/telecom systems and military parking space.

Bill Number: Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Project Name: Garner Wastewater Treatment Plant/Trunk Sewer Reconstruction

Amount: $500,000

Account: STAG Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Project

Recipient: City of Garner

Recipient's Street Address: 135 West 5th Street Garner, IA 50438

Description: Construct improvements, including upgrading current aerated lagoon system to sequencing batch reactor mechanical plant and reconstruction of approximately 3000 feet of undersized trunk sewer line. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has mandated construction of wastewater plants to meet ammonia nitrogen standards. Trunk sewer carrying 70% of the community's flow needs to be upgraded from 12'' diameter pipe to 24''. The City's aerated lagoon system is no longer capable of meeting standards for ammonia nitrogen, and the DNR has mandated construction of a new plant. The project is extremely significant locally. Without securing outside funding, sewer rates will be triple what they were in 2005 for at least the next 20-25 years. This is a major expense for families in economic times that have hit Hancock County's employment base harder than the national average.

Bill Number: H.R. 2849, Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Project Name: Iowa Central Law Enforcement Training Center

Amount: $500,000

Account: OJP--Byrne Discretionary Grants

Recipient: Iowa Central Community College

Recipient's Street Address: One Triton Circle Fort. Dodge, IA 50501

Description: The Center provides an economical and efficient platform for multi-discipline training programs for first-responder law enforcement personnel from across the state of Iowa. Thus far about 26,000 personnel have been trained.

Bill Number: H.R. 2849, Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Project Name: Internet Scale Event and Attack Generation Environment

Amount: $400,000

Account: OJP--Byrne Discretionary Grants

Recipient: Iowa State University

Recipient's Street Address: 1750 Beardshear Hall Ames, IA 50011

Description: The funding will be used to continue the program, which simulates technology cyber attacks on a virtual internet for the purpose of researching cyber defense mechanisms and analyzing attacks.

Bill Number: H.R. 2849, Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Project Name: Iowa State Forensic Testing Lab

Amount: $1,300,000

Account: OJP--Byrne Discretionary Grants

Recipient: Iowa State University

Recipient's Street Address: 1750 Beardshear Hall Ames, IA 50011

Description: The funding will continue this project, which involves cutting edge developments in forensic analysis and evaluation techniques, and the conduct of training and lab management programs for state and local (and some federal) entities.

Bill Number: H.R. 2849, Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Project Name: Law Enforcement Visual Intelligence Tool

Amount: $200,000

Account: COPS Law Enforcement Technology

Recipient: Pocahontas County Iowa Sheriff

Recipient's Street Address: 99 Court Square Pocahontas, IA 50574

Description: The purpose of the technology is to aid local sheriffs in North Central Iowa by providing a special aerial imagery and geo- spatial visual intelligence tool that can help law enforcement personnel view and analyze an enforcement target location, building, intersection, etc.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the new House Republican standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information.

Bill Number: H.R. 2892, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2010

Project Name: Emergency Operations Center

Amount: $600,000

Account: State and Local Programs

Recipient: City of Ames, Iowa

Recipient's Street Address: 515 Clark Avenue, Ames, IA 50010

Description: This project is a renovation of the current Emergency Operations Center in Ames, IA. It is necessary to accommodate updated incident command facility needs--in cases of both natural disasters and man-made incidents. Local emergency operations centers are critical components in the nation's emergency network. The Ames, IA Center is particularly important as it is located in an important agricultural production region that is crucial to the nation's food supply; the Ames Emergency Operations Center is also located near the National Animal Disease Center, an important player in any agro-terrorism incident. Given the significance of the threat of agro-terrorism, it is important that this Center be as-up-to-date as possible in its operating capacity.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Lawrence Chiou, of Ames, Iowa, who is among the outstanding U.S. high school students selected to attend the annual Research Science Institute sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Education and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

The mission of the Center for Excellence in Education is to nurture young scholars to careers of excellence and leadership in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The Research Science Institute is a highly competitive six-week program which emphasizes advanced theory and research in mathematics, the sciences, and engineering. Lawrence was selected for this program upon scoring in the upper one percent of U.S. student PSAT exam scores. From June to August 2009, Lawrence will learn from distinguished professors and conduct a research project at MIT.

I commend Lawrence Chiou for his commitment to academic achievement and leadership in science and technology. He is a future leader of this country of whom Iowa is very proud. I am honored to represent Lawrence and his family in the United States Congress and I wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Hancock County Conservation Board on their 50th anniversary. The Hancock County Conservation Board serves over 12,100 citizens in Hancock County in North Central Iowa.

The first board was appointed by the Hancock County Board of Supervisors (HCCB) in 1959. One of HCCB's priorities is to provide park areas and protect the natural areas for wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation. In the past 50 years they have acquired 4 parks, 15 wildlife areas, 2 wildlife refuges for a total of 21 areas, and 1,211 acres of valuable wildlife habitat.

I applaud HCCB's long history of impressing the importance of conservation from one generation to the next. I know my colleagues in the United States Congress join me in congratulating the Hancock County Conservation Board, Director Tom Haan, and Naturalist Jason Lackore for their fifty years of success, and I wish them an equally storied future.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Andrey Danilson, a 13- year-old seventh-grade student from Sacred Heart School in Boone, Iowa.

Andrey recently won the Boone Lions Club ``Peace Poster Contest.'' Each day, Sacred Heart students take time to pray, and Andrey has taken it upon himself to focus on peace. Using his passion for art to further the cause for world peace, Andrey's art advanced to the state level of competition after it won the district level.

Adopted from Russia less than four years ago and unable to speak English at the time, Andrey's success in art and dedication to important causes serve as a wonderful example of the promise of today's youth as tomorrow's leaders. I am proud to represent Andrey Danilson, his family, teachers and classmates in the United States Congress, and I know that all my colleagues join me in congratulating Andrey on his success and commending him for his devotion to peace and making a positive difference.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize MSG Douglas A. Rustan of Ayrshire, Iowa, as a recipient of a Bronze Star Medal for heroic achievement during combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Bronze Star is the fourth highest award that the Department of Defense gives for bravery, heroism, and meritorious service.

Master Sergeant. Rustan earned the Bronze Star while serving at an overseas forward operating base. Master Sergeant. Rustin, a 1982 graduate of Ayrshire High School, is a senior intelligence analyst with 20 years of military service and is assigned to the 70th Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing, Fort Meade, Laurel, Maryland.

I commend MSG Douglas A. Rustan's courageousness and service to our great nation. His sacrifices go above and beyond what we are asked of as citizens of this nation. I am honored to represent Master Sergeant. Rustan in the United States Congress and I know that all of the members of this body join me in thanking him for his service to this great nation and wishing him the best in his future service.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Christopher H. Moffitt, an automobile dealer and resident of Boone, Iowa.

Christopher, president of Moffitt's Ford Lincoln Mercury, was recently nominated for the 2009 TIME Magazine Dealer of the Year award sponsored by TIME Magazine and Goodyear Tire. Christopher was nominated by Gary W. Thomas, President of the Iowa Automobile Dealers Association, and recently was honored at the National Automobile Dealers Association Convention & Exposition in New Orleans. The TIME Magazine Dealer of the Year award is one of the auto industry's most prestigious awards, recognizing both success in auto sales and outstanding community service.

Christopher is a third generation family dealer who owns a dealership that was first opened by his grandfather over 81 years ago. He began washing cars at the dealership at age 13, and while attending college at Iowa State University, he began selling cars part-time before becoming a full time sales manager after graduating in 1987.

In addition to his dedicated service at the dealership, Christopher has spent considerable time giving back to the community. From 1993- 2000, Christopher was chairman of Good Connections, an organization that employed mentally and physically challenged individuals. He also received a YMCA Leadership Award after playing a pivotal role in reopening the Boone County Family YMCA in 2005 while serving as board chairman. The location had closed in the 1990's but is now growing and serving all of Boone County.

I know my colleagues in the United States Congress join me in congratulating Christopher Moffitt for his nomination for TIME Magazine Dealer of the Year, and thank him for his dedicated community service efforts. It is an honor to represent Christopher in Congress, and I wish him and his family happiness and success in the future.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Amanda Zimmerman on her exemplary basketball career and congratulate her on being named Iowa's 2009 Miss Basketball.

Amanda is a senior at Ballard High School and will be attending Iowa State University to continue her illustrious basketball career. Amanda has been recognized with a variety of accomplishments including being named to the Class 3A All-State team four consecutive times, four straight state tournament appearances with her Ballard teammates, and helped lead her team to become the Iowa High School Class 3A State Champions this year.

Amanda is a shining example of Iowa's talented youth and the rewards that come with hard work and determination. It is an honor to represent Amanda Zimmerman and her teammates in the United States Congress and I know my colleagues join me in wishing her the best in furthering her education and athletic career.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Beryl Presley, a kindergarten teacher from Milo, Iowa.

Beryl has received the ``My Favorite Teacher Award'' given by WOI television station in West Des Moines, Iowa. She was nominated by her former student, Billie Jo Marsh, who is now a co-worker of Beryl's. When Billie Jo was in fifth grade, she was inspired by Beryl to become a teacher, and they have now worked together at Milo Elementary School for over 17 years.

Beryl has been a teacher for 34 years and takes an immense amount interest in all of her students. She tells her students that they will receive an engraved recess whistle if they graduate with a degree in education. Eleven years after Billie Jo had Beryl as her teacher, she received her whistle on graduation day.

I congratulate Beryl Presley on her well-deserved award, and I'm certain that she will continue to touch the lives of many youth in her community. It is a great honor to represent Beryl in the United States Congress, and I wish her continued success.