WIXLIB

H11398minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)Ms. SOLIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise todayin strong support of the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act,which the House will consider today.This bill would create a national affordable housing trust fund to be administered by HUD, the Housing andUrban Development Department. Thetrust would increase the supply of decent quality affordable housing, especially for low-income families.Owning a home is an American value,but many are not able to acquire thatdream. With rising housing coststhroughout the country, affordablehousing for low-income Americans hasbecome nearly impossible.For example, in 2006 Los AngelesCounty residents needed to make atleast 50,000 a year to afford a two-bedroom apartment. That income is significantly more than what social workers, preschool teachers, and in-homehealth care aides earn on average. Thegap between wages and housing costsin Los Angeles County and nationwidehas skyrocketed.I urge my colleagues today to votefor the final passage of H.R. 2895 so wecan help all our constituents realizethe American Dream.fhmoore on PRODPC68 with HMHOUSEU.S. ECONOMY AND TAXES(Ms. FOXX asked and was given permission to address the House for 1minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, America’seconomy is increasingly complex.While we hear reports of uncertainty,we also see many fundamental signs ofhealth in the economy.The latest good news is the recentjobs report that found the economyadded 110,000 jobs in September and89,000 jobs in August, a massive turnaround from the previously reportedloss of 4,000 jobs in August.With 200,000 new jobs added to theeconomy in the last 2 months, we onceagain have proof that Republican economic policies of cutting taxes to spurgrowth are still working. But we cannot keep our economy thriving on thetax cuts of yesterday. Congress mustwork to keep taxes low for America’sworking families.We have already seen a Democraticbudget that assumes a tax increase ofnearly 400 billion. If there are signs ofuncertainty about the future of oureconomy, such a financial hit to American taxpayers would undoubtedly undermine the positive steps Republicanstook to ensure economic growth andstability.Everyone wants a strong U.S. economy. Let’s keep it that way by preserving low taxes and not preying onthe wallets of the families that workhard to keep this economy humming.VerDate Aug 31 2005October 10, 2007CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE23:54 Oct 10, 2007Jkt 069060b 1015IN SUPPORT OF SCHIP(Mr. SESTAK asked and was givenpermission to address the House for 1minute.)Mr. SESTAK. Mr. Speaker, I rise tospeak in support of the SCHIP bill,which will provide health insurance for4 million uninsured children, expandeddental care, and, for the first time,treating mental disabilities and mentalillness on a par with physical disability. The bill also contains premiumassistance subsidies, so that at least 70percent of these children’s parents remain in employer-based private healthinsurance plans. But I rise most because of what I saw when my 4-year-olddaughter was given 3 to 9 months tolive and we lived on a cancer ward inthe city. And this Nation, because ofmy military service, gave me the besthealth care possible for her to have anopportunity, her roommate was ayoung 21 2-year-old boy diagnosed withacute leukemia whose parents did nothave health insurance and social workers had to discuss whether that boywould, with my daughter, have an opportunity to live into life.I rise in support of this bill for thatyoung boy.fSTOP OVERTAXATION ANDOVERSPENDING(Mr. WILSON of South Carolinaasked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr.Speaker, I rise today to say that Democrats remain ready to tax and spend asmuch as they can. Whether it’s a wartax, an Internet tax, or a cigarette taxthat will overly burden low-incomefamilies, the first Democrat solutionseems to be to tax hard-working Americans.And when they are not trying toraise taxes on American workers, theyare spending their hard-earned moneyat reckless levels. The 23 billion innew domestic spending this majorityhas proposed is just another sign thatthey feel they know better how tospend your own money.We must restore fiscal sanity to government, but we should do that bymaking the necessary decisions here inWashington to save taxpayer moneyand spend wisely. Both parties need topass fiscally responsible appropriationslegislation rather than wait until weare forced to vote on a giant omnibusspending bill that will be full of earmarks. Let’s stop asking Americans topay for government’s inability to getthe job done.In conclusion, God bless our troops,and we will never forget September the11th.fIRAQIS MUST RESOLVE THEIRDIFFERENCES(Mr. COHEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1PO 00000Frm 00002Fmt 7634Sfmt 0634minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I just hadthe opportunity to travel in a bipartisan codel to the Middle East, particularly to Baghdad.Robin Williams had an album at onetime, ‘‘Reality, What a Concept.’’ Ithought about it while I was there. Isaw a lot of reality. I saw our soldiersin life-and-death situations and doingit in a heroic fashion. They told meabout their need to be redeployed overthere not every 15 months, but every 12months because the pressure is wearingon them and on their personal lives.The divorce rate is high, and it reallytakes a toll on their lives. They see thepeople working for the private companies over there making so much moremoney than them, the contractors, andthey say, why should we re-enlist. Butthey do it because they’re proud Americans.But then we met with Prime MinisterMaliki, and he said the sectarian warwas over. Well, Prime Minister Maliki,it’s not, and until the Iraqis deal withreality and deal with the Sunni andShia differences, there won’t be peacein Iraq and our soldiers will be workingfor a group that doesn’t understand theproblem, which is their own internalpolitics. The Iraqis must resolve theirdifferences.fMORATORIUM ON EARMARKS(Mr. FLAKE asked and was givenpermission to address the House for 1minute.)Mr. FLAKE. Mr. Speaker, earlier thisyear, new earmark reforms requiredthat Members’ names be attached totheir earmarks. Unfortunately, transparency alone has done little but airour dirty laundry without cleaning it.Transparency is not a substitute foroversight. Earmarks have names nextto them now, but little else haschanged. The House has approved thousands and thousands and thousands ofearmarks so far this year, and more arelikely to be added in the conferencecommittees. However, we know fullwell that not all of these earmarkswere given the scrutiny that Federalexpenditures deserve.Every week, I highlight an earmarkby making an admittedly lame jokeabout it, but we need a process that inspires confidence, not jokes or humor.And,unfortunately,transparencyalone has not gotten us there.Until this body has a process thatcan trusted, Mr. Speaker, I believe thetaxpayers would be best served by amoratorium on earmarks, and I willsoon introduce legislation to imposesuch a moratorium.fOVERRIDE THE PRESIDENT’SVETO OF SCHIP LEGISLATION(Mr. BLUMENAUER asked and wasgiven permission to address the Housefor 1 minute.)Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, itwas important to allow our RepublicanE:\CR\FM\K10OC7.002H10OCPT1

October 10, 2007colleagues an extra 2 weeks for theveto override vote. It’s important forthem to get the facts right, importantfor them to listen to their constituentsand actually read the bill, not just accept the President’s talking points.It’s ironic that one of his argumentsis concern about adults who are covered by SCHIP. Yet the States havebeen encouraged to experiment to helpuninsured working families, and theWhite House, George Bush, has approved those waivers that allowedthem that coverage.The bill he vetoed was actually morerestrictive than current law. It wouldend coverage for adults after a transition period. It would prohibit the Bushadministration, or any administration,from approving more waivers for newStates, and parents already enrolledwith Bush approval would get reducedmatching funds.It’s time to stop making phony arguments; to listen to the Governors andthe overwhelming majority of our constituents and override this cruel vetoof health care for our children.fNATIONAL SAVE FORRETIREMENT WEEK(Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas askedand was given permission to addressthe House for 1 minute and to reviseand extend his remarks.)Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr.Speaker, this year National Save forRetirement Week is going to takeplace October 21st through the 27th.National Save for Retirement Week isthe first congressionally endorsed, formal event publicly urging employers topromote the benefits of saving for retirement, and encourage their employees to take full advantage of employersponsored retirement and savingsplans. Hopefully this week will makeemployees more aware of how criticalit is to save now for their financial future and learn how to take advantageof free money when saving for retirement by contributing enough to the retirement plan to receive the companymatch.To learn more about National SaveforRetirementWeek,visitchoosetosave.org. I urge you to takecharge of your retirement now.hmoore on PRODPC68 with HMHOUSEfCHIP BILL & BUSH’S VETO, THEPRESIDENT’S RHETORIC VS. REALITY(Mr. HARE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1minute.)Mr. HARE. Mr. Speaker, last week,President Bush used his veto pen tostrike down a bill that would providehealth coverage to 10 million children.In explaining his veto, the Presidentused rhetoric that has no basis in reality. The President claims that thefocus of the SCHIP should be on poorchildren rather than to expand the program. But the fact is this bill does notexpand the program, it simply allowsVerDate Aug 31 200523:54 Oct 10, 2007H11399CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSEJkt 069060for the coverage of more kids who arealready eligible. As Republican Senator HATCH pointed out, for those whoargue that it’s out of control, 92 percent of all the kids who will be coveredby this bill will be families under 200percent of the poverty level.The President also falsely says thatthe bill would cover kids in familiesearning 83,000 per year, but no Statecovers kids at that level now, and thebill actually reduces Federal supportfor coverage of children at higher income levels. The President’s claims aresimply wrong.Mr. Speaker, the question now forHouse Republicans is, are they going tostand behind the President’s falseclaims about the children’s health bill,or will they join us in overriding thePresident’s veto?fCHRISTIAN BLIND MISSION(Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina askedand was given permission to addressthe House for 1 minute and to reviseand extend his remarks.)Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina. Mr.Speaker, I rise today in recognition ofWorld Sight Day and the tireless leadership of organizations like the Christian Blind Mission headquartered inGreenville, South Carolina.Christian Blind Mission is an international aid organization that specializes in improving the quality of life forthe blind in the world’s poorest countries.Each year, organizations like Christian Blind Mission recognize WorldSight Day as a time to focus global attention on vision and blindness. Thisyear, World Sight Day will take placetomorrow, October 11, and will emphasize the tragedy of blindness in children. There are an estimated 1.4 million blind children in the world, themajority of whom live in Third Worldcountries. Remarkably, 75 percent ofall major blinding conditions are preventable or curable, and the ChristianBlind Mission has taken the lead inperforming over one-half million cataract surgeries and distributing overone-half million tubes of tetracyclineeye ointment to combat trachoma.Once again, it’s an honor to recognizeChristian Blind Mission-USA for theirhumanitarian efforts worldwide. Everyday, thousands of children receive thegift of sight because of the hard workand initiative that organizations likethe Christian Blind Mission provide.fSCHIP OVERRIDE(Mr. PASCRELL asked and was givenpermission to address the House for 1minute.)Mr. PASCRELL. It’s time, Mr.Speaker, for truth in advertising tocorrect some of the misinformationbeing used to justify President Bush’sinexplicable veto of the children’shealth care bill.The bipartisan Children’s HealthCare Program reauthorization does notPO 00000Frm 00003Fmt 7634Sfmt 0634expand the Children’s Health InsuranceProgram; it maintains current law.The agreement is targeted towardsState needs. Responsible spending tocover low-income children is incentivized in the bill.The belief that SCHIP will lead to socialized medicine is nothing more thana red herring. The fact is that the bipartisan compromise combines the bestof public and private approaches toprovide health coverage for children.Now for the biggest lie: Those sidingwith President Bush’s claim that theagreement provides health coverage toillegal immigrant children are alsowrong. Undocumented immigrants, illegal immigrants, have never been eligible for Medicaid or SCHIP. Read thebill. Read the law.The bipartisan agreement requiresproof of citizenship before enrollmentin SCHIP, similar to requirements forthe Medicare program. Get it right, tellthe truth to the American people, andget on with it.fOPPOSING ARMENIAN GENOCIDERESOLUTION(Mr. WHITFIELD asked and wasgiven permission to address the Housefor 1 minute.)Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I risetoday to oppose a nonbinding resolution that will have serious negativeconsequences to our national security.H. Res. 106, the Armenian Genocideresolution, is a dangerously shortsighted and controversial resolutionthat is being marked up in the ForeignAffairs Committee today. This resolution will jeopardize our relationshipwith a strong NATO ally, Turkey, andhinder our ability to combat the globalwar on terror. This resolution makesassertions about facts that historiansto this date still debate.I might add that every living formerSecretary of State, both Democrat andRepublican, recently sent a letter tothe Speaker stating that passage ofthis resolution would ‘‘strain our relations with Turkey, endanger our national security interests, including thesafety of our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.’’I would also point out that in today’sWashington Post in an editorial, it saidthat ‘‘passage of the Armenian Genocide resolution would be dangerous andgrossly irresponsible.’’ I hope the Foreign Affairs Committee today will reject this resolution.fUNIVERSAL ACCESS TOAFFORDABLE CARE(Mr. KAGEN asked and was givenpermission to address the House for 1minute.)Mr. KAGEN. Mr. Speaker, we mustbegin to think differently in Americaand begin to work together to guarantee universal access to affordablecare for every citizen everywhere inthese United States, and, without question, to all of our Nation’s children onwhose future we all depend.E:\CR\FM\K10OC7.004H10OCPT1

H11400Every day until we vote to overridePresident Bush’s morally unacceptableveto of the bipartisan State Children’sHealth Insurance Program, I will behere to share with you here in the people’s House views of ordinary peoplefrom Wisconsin, people like Dan fromCrivitz, who writes, ‘‘We want healthcare like you have in Congress.’’ AndStephanie, who says, ‘‘Insurance isnumber one on my list. My current employer can’t afford to give us health insurance, and I can’t get independentcoverage. Help, please.’’I look forward to sharing the views ofordinary people later this evening withyou. And now more than ever we mustwork together to guarantee access tocare for everyone and build a betterNation for all of us.fCOAL-TO-LIQUID AS ANALTERNATIVE ENERGY(Mr. STEARNS asked and was givenpermission to address the House for 1minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, according to the Energy Information Agency,the United States currently importsabout 60 percent of its oil, and thatnumber is expected to rise to 75 percentin the coming decades.As a country, we need to reduce ourdependency on foreign fuel sources andstart implementing alternative energysources that can be found domesticallyhere in the United States.Imported fuels such as crude oil andnatural gas are costing the country billions of dollars a year, accounting forabout one-third of the United Statestrade deficit. At 45 a barrel, liquidcoal fuel is a desirable alternative tothe 60 plus or more per barrel of oilwe’re paying today. Not only does thisinnovative fuel source cost less, butalso coal is one of the most abundantnatural resources in the United States.As Congress continues to explore theuse of alternative energy sources, weneed to look closely at the enormousbenefits of coal-to-liquid technology.MAY THIS CONGRESS ALWAYS REMEMBER THE SERVICE OF CONGRESSWOMAN JO ANN DAVIS(Mr. PENCE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, Saturday,Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis passedinto eternity after a long and courageous struggle with cancer. The gentlewoman from Virginia was elected in2000, the same year I arrived in Washington, D.C., and we became fastfriends. From the start, Jo Ann Davisstood out. Her commitment to her family, her devotion to God, and her commitment to a strong defense and traditional values were inspiring.On the day I met Jo Ann, she said tome very simply, ‘‘Mike, the Lord putme here. I am going to serve Him everyday that I am here.’’ Representative JoAnn Davis kept her word.May our Savior, hers and mine, comfort her and Chuck and the boys withthe words, ‘‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’’ May this Congress alwaysremember the service of Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis.fb 1030hmoore on PRODPC68 with HMHOUSEThe President’s third veto came onthe war funding bill that finally included a deadline to bring our troopshome from Iraq. Again, Republicanssided with the President, and ourtroops continue to be bogged down in awar that the President himself sayscould continue for another decade.Then, last week, the President vetoed afourth bill that would provide privatehealth insurance to 10 million low-income children. It received strong bipartisan support in Congress, and thereare enough votes in the Senate to override the President’s veto.The question now is will House Republicans once again side with thePresident or will they stand with the 10million children who need and deservehealth care.fHOUSE REPUBLICANS NEED TOREALIZE THAT BUSH’S VETOESHAVE BEEN BAD FOR AMERICA(Mr. ARCURI asked and was givenpermission to address the House for 1minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)Mr. ARCURI. Mr. Speaker, over thelast 7 years, President Bush has onlyvetoed four bills. The President’s firsttwo vetoes involved legislation thatwould expand Federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, which hasthe potential to unlock the doors tocures for diseases like diabetes and Alzheimer’s. Two times, congressional Republicans sided with the President enabling his veto to stand and thereby denying hope to millions of Americanfamilies.VerDate Aug 31 2005October 10, 2007CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE23:54 Oct 10, 2007Jkt 069060fTHE COST OF THE WAR IN IRAQCOMPARED TO HELPING CHILDRENWITHTHEIRHEALTHCARE(Mr. YARMUTH asked and was givenpermission to address the House for 1minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, lastweek President Bush vetoed a bipartisan bill enacted pursuant to the authority vested in Congress by article Iof the Constitution that would provideprivate health insurance to 10 millionlow-income children here in America.His reason, the bill was too big.While the President refuses to fundhealth care for our Nation’s low-income children, he has no problem sending billions of dollars to Iraq with absolutely no questions asked. Todayalone, the President will spend 300million funding the occupation of Iraq.With that money, we could insurePO 00000Frm 00004Fmt 7634Sfmt 0634246,000 low-income kids. Over the nextmonth, the President will spend awhopping 9 billion in Iraq, whichwould allow us to insure 7.4 millionkids.Mr. Speaker, time and time again,congressional Republicans have approved blank checks for the Presidentto send billions to Iraq, and now theyare concerned about 35 billion for improving the lives of 10 million low-income children? It is time they reevaluate their priorities and join us nextweek in overriding President Bush’sveto.fPROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATIONOF H.R. 3056, TAX COLLECTIONRESPONSIBILITY ACT OF 2007Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, Icall up House Resolution 719 and askfor its immediate consideration.The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:H. RES. 719Resolved, That upon the adoption of thisresolution it shall be in order to consider inthe House the bill (H.R. 3056) to amend theInternal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal theauthority of the Internal Revenue Service touse private debt collection companies, todelay implementation of withholding taxeson government contractors, to revise the taxrules on expatriation, and for other purposes.All points of order against consideration ofthe bill are waived except those arisingunder clause 9 or 10 of rule XXI. The amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Ways andMeans now printed in the bill, modified bythe amendment printed in the report of theCommittee on Rules accompanying this resolution, shall be considered as adopted. Thebill, as amended, shall be considered as read.All points of order against provisions of thebill, as amended, are waived. The previousquestion shall be considered as ordered onthe bill, as amended, to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hourof debate equally divided and controlled bythe chairman and ranking minority memberof the Committee on Ways and Means; and(2) one motion to recommit with or withoutinstructions.SEC. 2. During consideration of H.R. 3056pursuant to this resolution, notwithstandingthe operation of the previous question, theChair may postpone further consideration ofthe bill to such time as may be designated bythe Speaker.The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. PASThe gentleman from California isrecognized for 1 hour.Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, for thepurposes of debate only I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlemanfrom Texas (Mr. SESSIONS). All timeyielded during consideration of the ruleis for debate only.TOR).GENERAL LEAVEMr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I askunanimous consent that all Membershave 5 legislative days within which torevise and extend their remarks onHouse Resolution 719.The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is thereobjection to the request of the gentleman from California?There was no objection.E:\CR\FM\K10OC7.006H10OCPT1

hmoore on PRODPC68 with HMHOUSEOctober 10, 2007Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I yieldmyself such time as I may consume.Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 719provides for consideration of H.R. 3056,the Tax Collection Responsibility Actof 2007 under the traditional closedrule. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chairman and rankingmember of the Committee on Ways andMeans. The rule waives all points oforder against consideration of the billexcept for clause 9 and 10 of rule XXI.Finally, the rule provides one motionto recommit with or without instructions.Mr. Speaker, the bill before us today,H.R. 3056, implements several measuresto protect the interest of taxpayers andthe integrity of our tax system. First,it would once and for all repeal theIRS’s authority to contract with private debt collection companies. Thecollection of Federal income taxes isinherently a governmental functionand at the crux of what governmentalresponsibilities should be. This wasstated as early as 1819 by Chief JusticeMarshall. It was reaffirmed by Congress in 1874, when the Ways and MeansCommittee said that ‘‘any system offarming the collection of any portionof the revenue of the government isfundamentally wrong.’’Tax farming, giving a private entitythe right to collect taxes on a commission basis, has created modern-daybounty hunters who have no regard forthe taxpayer, only regard for theircompany’s bottom line.Taxpayers are heavily pressured toreveal their Social Security numbers,last known address, date of birth, andother confidential information over thetelephone to private contractors working on commissions of up to 25 percentof their take.In this modern day and age whereidentity theft runs rampant, whywould we want to turn over people’sSocial Security numbers and whoknows what other confidential i

U N Congressional Record U M E P L RI B U S United States of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 110 th CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g.,b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H11397 Vol. 153 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY .