W. Akin

Mr. AKIN

Mr. AKIN. So by August 1, we're going to take 20 percent of the U.S. economy and turn it over to some czar or commissioner or commissar or something, and this is the flowchart of what's going to happen.

Mr. AKIN. If you are an employee and you don't have a plan that an employer offers because you don't like it, you're going to be forced into that plan. So you are not going to like it. How about if you are the employer? I'd like to go to my friend, Mr. Hoekstra.

Mr. AKIN. So we already know that people who have a private plan that they like are going to lose that. So if you have a private plan you like, certainly you don't like this.

Mr. AKIN. Wow, you've got another category. So let's keep this list going. If you're an employee in a company and you're currently not taking that particular insurance, you're going to be forced to do it. So you're not going to like this bill because it's going to force you to do something you didn't want to do.

Mr. AKIN. Or is it the czar? It was commissioner.

Mr. AKIN. Okay.

Mr. AKIN. So if you don't like the idea of illegal immigrants, you're having to pay for their health insurance, then you wouldn't like this bill either; is that right?

Mr. AKIN. They will get it?

Mr. AKIN. So part of the reason for doing this bill, at least supposedly, other than just this uncontrollable desire for the government to run that, but aside from that, there's some 40 million people that don't have health insurance, and this is supposed to help fix that problem. But you are saying 10 of those 40 at least are illegal, and the way the bill is set up there's nothing in there that says that the illegals don't get free health insurance.

Mr. AKIN. Okay. So I'm just trying to think of people who would want to vote ``no'' on this bill. Go ahead. I yield to Dr. Broun.

Mr. AKIN. So if you came to America before--and we had some people coming in with the drug traffic and they also smuggled individuals into our country through illegal immigration. If before we had trouble with people coming here illegally, if we give them free health insurance and health coverage, that's going to make it more attractive for them to come, right? So if you don't like illegal immigration then you are not going to like this bill either, are you?

Mr. AKIN. About 10 million?

Mr. AKIN. And is this bill basically going to give illegal immigrants free health care?

Mr. AKIN. Let's talk about people who would be against this bill. We've already said people who are pro-life are not going to like it. If you're an older person, you don't want rationed health care. You don't want Medicare savaged financially. If you think that it's important to have innovation and new technologies, if you're a cancer person or someone else, you're going to want that new technology marching along to hopefully protect you there, and so those are people that are not going to want this full government takeover of health care. Let's talk about people in this country, I mean, we all have constituents. Don't you have some constituents that don't like illegal immigration?

Mr. AKIN. It goes back to that phrase, you know, it would be nice if the government gave you a free home, but do you want to live in government housing.

Mr. AKIN. It is the private sector that comes up with things?

Mr. AKIN. Those different technologies and developments, were those a product of the government coming up with those things?

Mr. AKIN

Mr. AKIN. Americans love records. How fast can you go? How high can you go? How deep can you go? We love to set records. Why, the Democrats just set a fantastic record of the biggest tax increase in the history of our country. And was it clever? It was really clever. All you have to do is flip a light switch to pay a tax. And spending. Oh, we've done a great job of spending it. As a result of taxing and spending, more records. Why, in the last 6 months, we have lost more jobs than any 6- month period since World War II. There's a record for you. Here's another record. We have, in the last 6 months, used up more jobs and lost jobs than we created over the Bush years over the previous 9 years. That's the only time that's happened since the Great Depression. And here's another record, too: That is, the jobs that we've lost have been longer than any time since we've been measuring unemployment in 1948. I wish we didn't set quite so many records. We don't need the Democrats' help for this kind of record. Where are the jobs?

Mr. AKIN

Mr. AKIN. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3183, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010. Requesting Member: Congressman Todd Akin Bill Number: H.R. 3183 Account: Army Corps of Engineers, Construction Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Monarch-Chesterfield Levee District Address of Requesting Entity: 17627 Wildhorse Creek Rd., Chesterfield, MO 63005, USA Description of Request: Provide an earmark of $3.331 million to complete construction of closure structures and pump stations. Funding from this request could be used to construct the Baxter Road closure structure and initiate design of the Walnut Grove flood wall at Long Road. These structures will augment completed earth works that provide 500-year protection to over 700 businesses. This request is consistent with the intended and authorized purpose of the Army Corps of Engineers, Construction account and has previously been authorized by the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2000, Section 101(b)(18). The Monarch-Chesterfield Levee District will provide its cost share in accordance with Federal cost-sharing requirements for Federal flood protection projects, 65 percent Federal, 35 percent non-Federal, and the non-Federal funding will come directly from the Levee District. Requesting Member: Congressman Todd Akin Bill Number: H.R. 3183 Account: Army Corps of Engineers, Operation and Maintenance Legal Name of Requesting Entity: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District Address of Requesting Entity: 1222 Spruce Street, St. Louis, MO 63103 Description of Request: Provides an earmark of $44.130 million This project extends from the mouth of the Missouri River at St. Louis 105 miles upstream to the tail waters of Lock and Dam 22. Funds could be used for current-year O&M as well as for deferred maintenance on an aging system of locks and dams (Locks and Dams 24, 25, and 26 (Mel Price)). Basic Operation & Maintenance would provide a nine-foot navigation channel, regulating works, dike and revetment, dredging, environmental compliance and environmental stewardship. Requesting Member: Congressman Todd Akin Bill Number: H.R. 3183 Account: Army Corps of Engineers, Construction Legal Name of Requesting Entity: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District Address of Requesting Entity: Clock Tower Bldg, PO Box 2004, Rock Island, IL 61204 Description of Request: Provides an earmark of $20 million. This project addresses adverse impacts to the aquatic ecosystem caused by maintenance of the river's navigation channel. This includes habitat rehabilitation and measures to determine if enhancement projects are effectively preserving and improving fish and wildlife habitat on the river. Requesting Member: Congressman Todd Akin Bill Number: H.R. 3183 Account: Army Corps of Engineers, Construction Legal Name of Requesting Entity: City of Valley Park Address of Requesting Entity: 320 Benton, Valley Park, Missouri 63088 Description of Request: Provides an earmark of $600,000. The flood control portions of this 3.2 mile levee project in St. Louis County, Missouri on the left descending bank of the Meramec River are largely complete. Funds would be used to install seepage controls at railroad embankment, prepare the final operation and maintenance manuals, prep final as-built drawings, conduct final reviews and audits, and perform financial close-out of the flood damage reduction component of the project.

Mr. AKIN

Mr. AKIN. Reclaiming my time, what you're depicting sounds like to me is one of those things they used to do, they charge people money. They get a railroad track with two huge steam locomotives, they charge them money, and they'd run them. It was a classic train wreck. It sounds like basically what happened was the government engineered a train wreck in health insurance. Dr. Roe, you were the doctor--you're a medical doctor. I assume you got into the doctoring business because you wanted to take care of people. What was it like to be there? I yield.

Mr. AKIN. Reclaiming my time, I would like to introduce another gentleman here who has been joining us at a number of key points and junctures, Congressman Scalise from Louisiana. I would appreciate your jumping into the conversation here for just a minute or two.

Mr. AKIN. I thank the gentleman. That's a great summary, and I appreciate your perspective from Louisiana. I think a lot of other people are seeing it this way, particularly the gentleman from Michigan, Congressman Hoekstra, with all of those--and he kept reading that word ``shall,'' ``shall,'' ``shall,'' ``shall.'' This doesn't look like any kind of free enterprise to me. I would like to recognize the doctor from Georgia, Dr. Gingrey. I thought you said you wanted to do about a minute or so before we call it here.

Mr. AKIN. I think that, perhaps, may be the Democrats' biggest nightmare--the fact, if we have time to read the bill, that the people will see that what is promised and what the bill says are two different things. That is certainly what we're dealing with here. You have the Blue Dogs. These are Democrats. They're asking their leadership to have this flexibility, and the bill goes the exact opposite of what they're saying. I would yield to the gentleman from Michigan, Congressman Hoekstra.

Mr. AKIN. You know, I really appreciate your summary, and we're getting close in time. A number of you have come to this same basic position. What we're really talking about here is freedom, isn't it? It's a subject of freedom.

Mr. AKIN. Okay. I'll finish up and reclaim some time. Go ahead.