Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform be discharged from further consideration of House Resolution 245 and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform be discharged from further consideration of House Resolution 1262 and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform be discharged from further consideration of House Resolution 1122 and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measures just considered.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to William Clay, Sr., my father, and a former United States Congressman from the 1st Congressional District in St. Louis, Missouri. Bill Clay has fought a long and historic battle in defense civil and human rights for all Americans throughout his life. His dedication and service to our Nation as a leader on education, labor rights and civil rights, aptly earns his place in the Missouri Walk of Fame and the privilege of being honored today before Congress.

William Lacy Clay, Sr. one of six children was born on April 30, 1931, in St. Louis, Missouri to Luella Hyatt and Irving Clay. He is happily married to his wife of 55 years Carol, and they have raised three children, Vicki, Michelle and William, Jr.

When Bill Clay was elected to Congress in 1968, he was the first African American member elected from Missouri and one of only two African American representatives from states west of the Mississippi River. Throughout his 16 terms in Congress, he gained a reputation as an effective legislator. A staunch advocate for civil rights and social justice, he also served as one of the founders of the Congressional Black Caucus. From 1991 to 1995 he chaired the House Committee on the Post Office and Civil Service and served as the Ranking Member on the Education and the Workforce Committee until he retired.

His success can largely be attributed to his belief that there were no permanent friends or permanent enemies in politics, just permanent interests. He was a true advocate for the people that he represented, and he served them well. He's been credited with turning back racial discrimination throughout his career and remains an outspoken leader in our community. An accomplished author, he has documented he history of not only St. Louis, but the political arena throughout the Civil Rights era up to and including the present.

He worked tirelessly on behalf of the poor and disenfranchised, always seeking to give them a voice in Congress. During his tenure he authored the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Capital Financing Act, which provided $375 million in federal loan guarantees for construction and renovation projects at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and played a key role in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, including efforts to reduce early grade class sizes by hiring 100,000 teachers nationwide.

Throughout his illustrious Congressional career, Clay co-sponsored 3,403 bills, of which 279 were enacted. Of the 248 bills that he sponsored, 16 were enacted. Bill Clay was the key sponsor of the transcendent Family and Medical Leave Act, the first bill signed into law by President Bill Clinton. This bill helped change the life of American families. He was instrumental in passing the Hatch Act which reformed the political activities of federal employees.

He continues to contribute to the American political landscape through his work as a successful author. He has authored several works including Just Permanent Interests: Black Americans in Congress, 1870- 1991 (1992), which many view as essential American political reading. He continues to be a wonderful husband, loving father, and grandfather.

Madam Speaker, my father is my hero and I am proud to salute him for his lasting contributions to both our local St. Louis community and to our Nation. His outstanding leadership and sincere commitment to justice make him more than worthy of receiving our recognition and I urge my colleagues to join me in commending Former Congressman William Clay, Sr. for his induction into the Missouri Walk of Fame and his legacy of serving our Nation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Honorable Alan Wheat, former Congressman who represented Missouri's 5th District from 1983 to 1994. Born to James Weldon and Emogene Wheat in San Antonio, Texas on October 16, 1951, Alan is one of three children.

Congressman Wheat made history by becoming one of the Nation's first African-Americans to represent a district with a white majority. Although it was suggested that he would only support African-American issues, one-third of Wheat's vote total in the primary came from white voters.

Throughout his career, Congressman Wheat earned the widely respected reputation of being a strong political leader and coalition builder. This well earned reputation led to him becoming the youngest member and only the third freshman Congressman in history to be appointed to the powerful Rules Committee. Dedicated to public service, Congressman Wheat ran for the U.S. Senate in 1994, won the Democratic primary and became the first minority candidate selected as a major party nominee for statewide office in Missouri. When Congressman Wheat made his bid for the Senate, he was described as ``a new kind of black candidate: not simply a representative of black America but a bridge-builder between black and white America.''

In 1995, Wheat became vice president of public policy and government relations for the CARE Foundation, an international relief and development organization, one of the largest of its kind in the Nation.

In 1998, Congressman Wheat formed Wheat Government Relations. With his unparalleled knowledge of the legislative process and his reputation for promoting bipartisan support, Wheat Government Relations has established him as a successful, bipartisan liaison between the government and the private sector.

Congressman Wheat holds a Bachelor of Arts from Grinnell College. He is married to Yolanda and has three children.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to induct Congressman Wheat into the Missouri Walk of Fame. I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring Congressman Alan Wheat for his commitment to the great state of Missouri.

Mr. Speaker, for 8 years, Washington Republicans have favored record profits for Big Oil while Americans are paying record prices at the pump. Congressional Republicans say they want an all-of- the-above plan, but their actions speak differently. Republicans have voted against every piece of legislation that would responsibly invest in renewable energy and would bring down gas prices for consumers.

We proposed legislation to crack down on price gouging and curb excess speculation, but House Republicans said no. We proposed lowering gas prices immediately by tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which lowered prices by 33 percent when the President's father took similar action in 1991, but Republicans said no. We proposed legislation that would force Big Oil to drill on 68 million acres of land to increase oil production here at home. Again, House Republicans said no.

This week, the Republicans will have the opportunity to support real reform and say yes.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6575) to require the Archivist of the United States to promulgate regulations to prevent the over-classification of information, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 6575, the Over-Classification Reduction Act, addresses the ongoing problem in the Federal

Government of over-classification. This bill was introduced by the chairman and ranking member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Henry Waxman and Tom Davis.

The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, known as the 9/11 Commission, recommended limiting the unnecessary classification of documents and providing incentives for information sharing. Yet as we mark the 7th-year anniversary of the September 11 tragedy, our government still is not sharing important information. Some information must be protected to avoid threatening our national security. But going too far by over-protecting information is also damaging. Over-classification hurts our efforts to fight terrorism because it prevents agencies from sharing information with relevant stakeholders, including State and local law enforcement and other Federal agencies. It also undermines public access to this important information.

H.R. 6575 calls on the Archivist to promulgate regulations to prevent the over-classification of information. In addition to reducing over- classification, the Archivist would consider what classified information should be prepared in an unclassified format. Agencies would be required to give employees training and the opportunity to challenge classifications, and agency inspectors general would randomly audit classified information to ensure that it is properly marked.

This bill is being considered with an amendment that makes clarifications and addresses concerns raised by the administration and some Members of Congress. For example, the amendment ensures that the bill is consistent with executive order 12958 as well as other existing laws and programs. The amendment also clarifies that the regulations required by the bill be developed in consultation with the heads of affected agencies. It is essential that the Director of National Intelligence play an important role in developing policies related to the declassification of intelligence information. The Archivist also should consult with relevant agencies such as the Department of Defense regarding information about military operations or the Department of Energy regarding safeguarding nuclear facilities.

This bill takes a government-wide approach to improving information sharing. By doing so it will help strengthen our national security.

I would like to thank Chairman Reyes and Representative Harman for working with the Committee on Oversight on this bill. I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would just like to urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 6575, the Over-Classification Reduction Act, which addresses the ongoing problem in the Federal Government of over- classification. Let me thank again Chairman Waxman as well as Ranking Member Davis for their sponsorship of this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my name as a cosponsor of House Concurrent Resolution 362.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1318, I call up the bill (H.R. 5811) to amend title 44, United States Code, to require preservation of certain electronic records by Federal agencies, to require a certification and reports relating to Presidential records, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to recognize and yield 5 minutes to the chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Mr. Waxman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Hodes).

Mr. Speaker, to get back to the subject matter before the House, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman).

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 2 minutes to my good friend from Illinois (Mr. Davis).

Mr. Speaker, before returning to the subject matter before

the House, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

I'm pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 5811, and H.R. 5811 seeks to modernize the requirements of the Federal Records Act and the Presidential Records Act to ensure the preservation of e-mails and other electronic messages.

This bill was introduced by Chairman Waxman, Representative Holt and myself on April 15 and reported as amended from the committee on June 11. I want to thank Chairman Waxman and Representative Holt for their dedication to this important issue.

Now, my friend from Virginia and others have made some statements that I would like to refute, and one is that this bill strikes a careful balance. It's not going after this administration, but the Act itself recognizes the President's authority to carry out the day-to-day management of his records. This bill preserves that framework.

The Federal Records Act gives the Archivist the authority to conduct inspection of agencies' record keeping programs, but the Presidential Records Act does not include such language. This bill does not give the Archivist any new authority to conduct inspections of Presidential records. And also, the Archivist has the expertise and the responsibility to determine how records should be managed and preserved and to certify that it is done properly.

The status quo of having those at the White House make the decisions has not worked, and so, therefore, Mr. Speaker, we know that this bill is needed. And that's why we have it under consideration on the floor today.

I urge my colleagues to safeguard our Nation's rich history. Therefore, I urge swift passage of the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve.

Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve.

Mr. Speaker, this bill addresses a real problem, and that is a government operating in secret. And it requires agencies to electronically preserve e-mail records.

Additionally, the bill has new requirements for the maintenance and preservation of e-mail records that are sent and received by Presidential advisers. The bill calls on the Archivist of the United States to establish standards for the management and preservation of these records.

It's ironic, Mr. Speaker, that the other side has talked about energy during this entire debate when this administration's energy policy was conducted in secret, which may explain why the country is in the position it is in now because there was no openness to the policy, and this certainly wasn't the correct path to take.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I hope we can go on and pass this bill and open up our government for public perusal.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the instructions of the House on the motion to recommit, I report the bill, H.R. 5811, back to the House with an amendment.

I thank the chairman from West Virginia for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2176, legislation that would ratify a longstanding tribal land claim in the State of Michigan.

The Bay Mills Indian community and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe have worked for over a decade to achieve an agreement with the State of Michigan that would reinstate land rights that these tribes lost shortly after signing a treaty with the Federal Government in the 1850s.

In an effort to achieve justice for these tribes, who have sought to reclaim their lands for over 100 years and to protect the homes of over 100 families who currently reside on the disputed land in Charlotte Beach, the State of Michigan negotiated a land-swap settlement. That agreement would give the Bay Mills Indian community 20 acres of land in Port Huron and give the Sault Tribe up to 40 acres in Romulus or Flint. Under Federal law, the new lands provided to the tribes would be eligible for gambling casinos, just as the Charlotte Beach land would be eligible. The purpose of the land claim agreement is to give alternative land that has the same property rights as the land that was stolen from these tribes.

Mr. Speaker, two Governors from the State of Michigan and those Members of Congress whose districts are most affected have all endorsed the land-swap agreement that would give these tribes new lands in exchange for the 110 acres of land they lost in the 19th century.

There is no authentic argument against this bill. The legislation before us does not expand gaming, as some opponents have erroneously charged. This legislation simply restores justice to Native Americans in the State of Michigan and provides these Indians there an opportunity to raise badly needed revenues.

I urge adoption of the bill.

Parliamentary Inquiry

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 370) expressing support for designation of September 2008 as ``Gospel Music Heritage Month'' and honoring gospel music for its valuable and longstanding contributions to the culture of the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I gladly join my colleagues in the consideration of H. Con. Res. 370 which expresses support for the designation of September 2008 as ``Gospel Music Heritage Month'' and honors gospel music for its valuable and long-standing contributions to America's culture.

H. Con. Res. 370 was introduced by the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) on June 10, 2008, and is cosponsored by 53 House Members. The bill before us was reported favorably from the Oversight Committee on June 12, 2008, by voice vote.

Gospel music is a unique national art form that truly exemplifies the American ``melting pot'' concept. Its diverse influences include African-American spirituals, traditional African music, ragtime, jazz, and blues, as well as Irish folk songs and hymns.

While some originally deemed the fusion of secular music with sacred lyrics, which characterizes gospel music, to be unconventional, gospel music has quickly grown into an integral part of American culture. The influence of gospel music extends throughout practically all forms of secular music performed today, including rock and roll, country, soul, and rhythm and blues.

Gospel music has motivated innumerable musicians over the years, including such greats as Tommy Dorsey, who is sometimes credited as the ``Father of Gospel Music,'' James Vaughan, Diana Washington, Smokie Norful, Yolanda Adams, Sam Cooke, Mahaliah Jackson, Elvis Presley, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Buddy Holly, Bob Dylan, and the list goes on.

Mr. Speaker, it is important that we as a Congress honor the enormous and beautiful contributions that gospel music has given to not only America, but to the world by designating September 2008 as Gospel Music Heritage Month. I urge the swift passage of this bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to recognize the sponsor of the resolution, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) for 3 minutes.

I yield the gentlewoman 2 additional minutes.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson).

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) for 3 minutes.

(Mr. PAYNE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

I yield the gentleman 1 additional minute.

Mr. Speaker, I wholeheartedly support House Concurrent Resolution 370. I urge my colleagues to support it.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1283) expressing heartfelt sympathy for the victims and their families following the tornado that hit Little Sioux, Iowa, on June 11, 2008.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I rise in support of House Resolution 1283 which expresses our heartfelt sympathy for the victims and the families following the tornado that hit Little Sioux on June 11.

At 6:35 p.m. on June 11, a tornado touched down at the Little Sioux Boy Scout Ranch near Little Sioux, Iowa. The tornado, which tore through the ranch with the greatest force of nature, caused a rock chimney to collapse into the bunkhouse where the Scouts sought shelter. In the aftermath of the tornado's destruction, 43 individuals were injured, and four, Sam Thomsen, Josh Fennen, Ben Petrzilka, and Aaron Eilerts, were tragically killed.

Mr. Speaker, the Boy Scout community and America at large will grieve the loss of the four Scouts whose lives ended so suddenly. With this bill, we have the opportunity to commemorate the lives of these individuals and to convey our gratitude to all those who so swiftly responded to the disaster, and I urge the adoption of this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker I continue to reserve.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

(Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of this resolution and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 195) expressing the sense of the Congress that a National Dysphagia Awareness Month should be established.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am proud to join my colleagues in the consideration of H. Con. Res 195, which expresses the sense of Congress that a National Dysphagia Awareness Month should be established.

Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, is a medical disorder currently afflicting nearly 15 million Americans, with another million Americans diagnosed each and every year. Moreover, among those over 60 years of age there is over a 50 percent probability of experiencing dysphagia at some point. Unlike many other medical disorders, dysphagia has not gathered the national attention that it deserves, despite the fact that more than 60,000 American deaths occur annually from dysphagia-related complications.

Mr. Speaker, I urge swift passage of H. Con. Res 195, as it will shed national attention on dysphagia, which is afflicting so many of our fellow Americans and costing us over $1 billion to treat annually.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 970) expressing support for designation of June 30 as ``National Corvette Day''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

Mr. Speaker, being a car enthusiast, this is one bill that gives me great pleasure. And I stand to join my colleagues in the consideration of H. Res. 970, which supports the designation of June 30 as National Corvette Day, offered by my friend from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus).

Mr. Speaker, when we think of American-manufactured sports cars, one of the first vehicles that probably comes to mind is the Chevrolet Corvette. The Corvette debuted fresh off of the assembly lines back in 1953 as part of Chevy's new wave sports cars. Since then, the Corvette has become a hallmark in the automobile industry both here in America as well as around the world.

Mr. Speaker, the Corvette has been America's favorite sports car for the past 55 years. And in honor of its performance, prowess and prestige, I urge my colleagues to join me in expressing support for the designation of June 30 as National Corvette Day by voting in favor of H. Res. 970.

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

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to enthusiastically support this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.