Jason Altmire

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to recognize MEDRAD Incorporated as a recipient of the 2010 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award--the nation's highest presidential honor for excellence in manufacturing. MEDRAD began in the kitchen of its founder, Dr. M. Stephen Heilman, more than forty years ago and continues to showcase western Pennsylvania as a leader in medical technology. Today, the company manufactures cutting edge medical devices used for diagnosing and treating diseases. MEDRAD's international headquarters are located in my district and it employs more than 1,400 individuals throughout the Pittsburgh region. The company is recognized as a market leader in the United States and Europe as it continues to produce quality medical equipment for healthcare providers and patients. MEDRAD has been a pioneer in medical imaging technology, enabling doctors to get specific scans that lead to faster, more accurate treatment. The company has also been an excellent source of job creation and economic development in western Pennsylvania. It has helped the region transform itself from one dominated by the steel industry and manufacturing to an emerging medical, life-science, and technology hub. The Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award recognizes exemplary companies committed to high achievement and superior performance strategies. Congress established the award in 1987 in an effort to enhance the competitiveness of U.S. businesses through recognition of model companies. Madam Speaker, since 1988 only 86 organizations have received this award. As a previous recipient of this award in 2003, MEDRAD becomes one of only five repeat-winners in the award's 23-year history. I would like to extend my congratulations to MEDRAD and its employees for receiving the 2010 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. I thank the chairman. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to the Garrett amendment to the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill which would transfer $7 million in funding for the grants for construction, minor projects account into another unrelated account. This amendment would adversely affect veterans in my district by shifting funding away from priority construction projects, such as the domiciliary extended stay unit in Butler, Pennsylvania. That facility is a vital source of shelter and rehabilitation for homeless veterans in western Pennsylvania, and I will not allow its upkeep and improvement to be compromised by this type of unwise amendment. Last-minute shifts in funding for parochial concerns take away from priority projects and plans that the VA has determined to be necessary for veterans' health and safety nationwide. I ask my colleagues to join me in strongly opposing the Garrett amendment to prevent harmful construction project cuts for the VA.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to recognize Robert F. Lark on the occasion of his retirement as Chairperson of the Mercer County Democrat Committee. Bob served faithfully as Chair since 1988. His 22 years at the post makes him the longest serving Chairperson in the Committee's history. Bob comes from a family of committed public servants and knows the value of giving back to his community. His grandfather served as a Precinct Committeeman in the 1930s and 1940s and his mother was also a Precinct Committeewoman in the 1950s and 1960s. During his time as Chairperson, Bob helped encourage the formation of the Democrat Women and Young Democrats organizations in Mercer County and was enormously successful in registering voters across western Pennsylvania. A lifelong Democrat, Bob worked for fairness in elections and voting and was not afraid to make his voice heard if he felt that an individual of either party was engaging in misconduct. His dedication to being a responsible citizen was evident in his service to the Mercer County Democrat Committee and to Pennsylvania. Bob's commitment to his country extended beyond his service as chairperson, however. As a teacher for 40 years, Bob prepared future generations for life beyond the classroom. His work with students through the years is equally commendable. Bob believed that one must be judged not by the promises a person makes, but by the promises a person keeps. Madam Speaker, Bob Lark was a man who kept his promises to his fellow Democrats in Mercer County and I am pleased to honor him for his efforts.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Mr. Speaker, next month marks the 75th anniversary of Social Security, which has been there for generations of Americans and will be for generations to come. Social Security is a bedrock promise to all Americans. You have paid into the system, the money is yours, and it is our responsibility to do everything we can to guarantee that it will be there for you when you retire. That's why we are so fortunate that our friends on the other side of the aisle were unsuccessful in their attempt to privatize Social Security at exactly the time the American financial markets were nearing collapse. 401(k)s and IRAs lost one-third of their value during the stock market plunge of 2008 and 2009. Imagine what would have happened to those retirees' income if their Social Security earnings had also been gambled away in the stock market. Mr. Speaker, rather than risk a lifetime of savings, Social Security will continue to be the stable, reliable, safety net that it was created to be 75 years ago.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my resolution to honor National Physical Education and Sport Week. More than one-third of America's elementary school children are overweight or obese, and more than 13 percent of America's high school children are overweight or obese. As a result, these children are now developing diseases and vascular conditions that were once thought to affect only the middle-aged, such as type II diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. In addition, research has shown that children that participate in physical activity perform better in the classroom. So the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that children engage in 60 minutes of physical activity 5 or more days per week. However, only 35 percent of our Nation's children regularly meet this recommendation. This resolution, which I introduced, acknowledges that physical activity and sports play a central role in creating an opportunity for children to build lifelong healthy habits. And it's for this reason, Mr. Speaker, that I introduced this resolution, and I encourage all of my colleagues to support it.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. I thank the gentleman from Connecticut and I wanted to reiterate: in the district I represent just across the border from Mr. Ryan's district and very close to Mr. Boccieri's district, the similar experiences that they talk about are happening in western Pennsylvania as well, and we did have a choice to make in the late winter, early spring of 2009, when we as Members of this House had to make a decision on what to do when we as a Nation were literally looking off the cliff into the abyss with an economy that was on the verge of collapse in a very literal sense. We could have done nothing. We could have done more of the same. Those were certainly two of our options, and there were people on the other side of the aisle who wanted to take that approach, to continue to pursue the policies that led us being in that position in the first place; but we chose not to do that. We chose to take action in a very forceful and a very proactive way. And now, we're nearly a year and a half later and where are we? It's fair for the American people to ask, well, what's been the benefit of this? This was a huge bill. This was a monumental vote, and it was a vote that many of us took with the knowledge that there were things in the bill that we could support. There were a lot of things that we knew moving forward were going to have a tremendous impact on the Nation and in our districts; and as we've seen from some of the charts that we're holding today, a year and a half later we've seen an incredible difference in our economy, both as a Nation and in our districts. Six of the last 7 months we've had positive job growth; and, yes, we're at the time of the decade once a decade where you hire census workers to go out, and some folks on the other side are going to say, well, those numbers are inflated by census numbers. Yes, there are census numbers included in that, but private sector job growth has gone up over that same period of time up by the hundreds of thousands in the previous 2 months, and we expect a strong number again for the month of June. Also, at the end of June we're going to have our fourth straight quarter, a full year of positive GDP growth, and this is to be compared with where we were at the beginning of 2009 when we had a negative six GDP number, and by the end of 2009, the end of that very same calendar year, the end of the year that we passed the Recovery Act, we had plus six GDP growth, almost plus six. And it was the largest calendar year increase in more than 30 years in the gross domestic product from negative six to nearly plus six. We saw the jobs go from negative 700,000 a month on average every month leading up to the time we passed that stimulus, the Recovery Act bill, to at the end of the year starting to see the numbers turn around. And again, where we are today, six out of the past seven months, positive job growth 5 months in a row. We expect that to continue. The stock market that bottomed out at 6,500 almost precisely at the time the Recovery Act began to take effect is now up over 10,000. These things didn't happen by accident. And we talk about manufacturing. In the district that I represent in western Pennsylvania as in the Ohio districts and I presume Mr. Murphy's district in Connecticut as well, we have a legacy of manufacturing and we have a lot of folks who, because of the recovery, are doing better today than they were a year ago, much better. The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boccieri) listed some companies. I have some in my district. I can think of Ellwood Forge and Ellwood Quality Steel. Both are doing a lot better this year than they did last year, not only because their companies are doing better but because as a country we're doing better. That's what it means when manufacturers see an increase in orders. It means that we're stimulating our economy, we're growing, we're moving again, and that's what that symbolizes. That's the first thing that turns around is that manufacturing sector, and in western Pennsylvania we're seeing that impact very directly. We've seen it in some of the infrastructure projects in all of our districts across the country to have something of lasting significance that's going to be there in the decades after we've recovered. Now, is everything in the economy where we want it to be? No, of course not. It hasn't fully recovered. We're not out of the woods yet. We're not completely out of the hole that it took us decades to dig, but we're getting better. Again, GDP growth is strong, stock market has recovered to some extent, jobs are much better, and we're moving in the right direction. And that would not have happened were it not for the actions that this Congress took.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Mr. Speaker, I would ask my friends to take a walk down memory lane and consider where our economy was at the beginning of last year compared to where it is today: 2009 had the biggest single year turnaround this Nation has seen in more than 30 years, going from negative 6 GDP in the first quarter of last year to plus 6 GDP in the last quarter. And we are currently in the midst of our fourth consecutive quarter of strong GDP growth. We have had positive job growth for six of the past 7 months, and the stock market, which bottomed out at 6500 just before we passed the stimulus, is over 10,000 today. Housing starts are up, consumer confidence is on the rise, the auto industry is coming back, and manufacturers are increasing orders and hiring back thousands of workers. No, everything is not where we want it to be or even where we need it to be, but things have gotten better, and there can be no doubt that the bold action of this Congress is the reason why.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Mr. Speaker, as we prepare to commemorate Memorial Day, it's appropriate for us to look back at a few ways this Congress, in just the past year and a half, has worked to ensure that this Nation keeps its promise to our Nation's military veterans. We expanded the new GI Bill college benefits to the children of all troops fallen since September 11, 2001. We passed landmark legislation for wounded veterans by providing help for family members and other caregivers and eliminating copayments for severely wounded veterans. Since 2007, we've increased funding for veterans health care by 60 percent, including the largest single-year increase in the 80-year history of the VA. While we have accomplished a great deal to repay the men and women in uniform for their service, we still have more to do. Let us use the occasion of this Memorial Day weekend to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice and recommit ourselves to continuing to fight for the troops that have fought for us.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate May as Older Americans Month. Older Americans offer wisdom and guidance that our constituents treasure as invaluable assets to our families and our communities. By the year 2025, one in four drivers in this country will be age 65 or older. Without safe roads on which to travel, older Americans will have dramatically limited mobility options. We must ensure that older Americans are as safe as possible as they go about their daily lives, which is why I have introduced H.R. 3355, the Older Driver and Pedestrian Safety and Roadway Enhancement Act. My bill, which has 34 bipartisan cosponsors, will make roads safer for both older drivers and pedestrians by implementing recommendations from the Federal Highway Administration's Older Drivers Handbook. I urge all of my colleagues to honor Older Americans Month and the contributions of their older constituents by joining me in the fight for their safety and mobility.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. I appreciate the gentlewoman yielding her time. And it's wonderful to have the opportunity to be here tonight to talk about the success of some of the actions that this Congress has taken on the economy. I had a town meeting almost a year ago to the day. It was at the end of April in 2009, and there were a lot of folks there who were complaining about the vote for the Recovery Act, the stimulus bill. And I said to them at that time, look, I'll make a deal with you. How about we have this discussion today, but we also have this discussion a year from now. Why don't we reconvene and have a discussion about what has happened over the past year. And so I would invite anyone who wants to have that discussion in this Chamber or across the country, let's take a walk down memory lane. And as the gentlewoman talked about, let's take a look at where we were at the end of April in 2009. The 6-month period ending at the end of April 2009 resulted in an average monthly loss of over 600,000 jobs per month every month for that 6-month period. For that same 6-month period, ending at the end of April 2010, we have averaged over 100,000 jobs gained, including 290,000 jobs created in the month of April alone. The stock market bottomed out in the middle of March 2009 at 6,500. Today, a little bit more than a year later, we're around 1,500. Gross domestic product, the first quarter of 2009 was minus six. By the end of 2009, it was plus six, which was the largest calendar year turnaround in 30 years in this country. And we've now had three consecutive months of positive growth. So the job market is exploding. Gross domestic product we're now likely in our fourth straight quarter of positive growth. The stock market has done quite well. And you might say, well, what does that matter? If you have a 401(k) in this country, if you have a retirement plan, as many people do in this Chamber and certainly in our districts, we care about that, and that's something our constituents care about. And some other numbers that I took down before I came down here, the consumer confidence level rose in April, reaching its highest level since September of 2008. The consumer spending is up for the sixth straight month, surpassing the pre-recession levels. Manufacturing activity has increased for the ninth straight month. And what I say to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz) and my colleagues from Pennsylvania and New York is all of that happened almost like precision clockwork at exactly the time that the Recovery Act bill passed, that turnaround. The gentlewoman, I'm sure, will show the chart again later and other charts that are similar. These numbers started to turn around exactly at the time that the Recovery Act began to take effect. Another issue that we're going to talk about tonight, as was reported in the national media very recently with tax day having just passed, is that we have the lowest tax rate in this country in the past 60 years. It hasn't been since 1950 that the tax burden to the individual has been lower in this country because we, in this Congress, as part of the Recovery Act, cut taxes for 95 percent of Americans, 95 percent of families. I'm sure we're going to talk about that. And all of these things didn't happen by accident. They happened because this Congress took a very difficult vote at a very important time for this country, and the success is there for everyone to see. So I'm proud to have cast that vote, and I'm proud to be here tonight to talk about it. I would yield now to my colleague from Pennsylvania (Mrs. Dahlkemper).

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, and I'm a proud cosponsor of this legislation to strengthen our Nation's global competitiveness. Foremost, this bill will create jobs. For example, it will give small- and medium-sized manufacturing companies pursuing cutting-edge technology access to capital. It will prepare the next generation of Americans for the jobs of tomorrow by improving science, technology, engineering, and math education. It will also keep our Nation on a path to doubling funding for scientific research in the next decade. I'm pleased to note that this bill also includes provisions to help women enter science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. Mr. Chairman, I have offered an amendment to this legislation with my good friend from Pennsylvania, Congressman Patrick Murphy, that is in the en bloc amendment before us. Our amendment would authorize competitive grants at the Department of Energy for colleges to provide degrees in energy-related fields. Colleges and universities would be able to use the funding for degrees and courses in engineering and energy systems science. Schools could also put the funding toward expanding current programs. And I'd like to point out that community colleges, of which my district has three, would also be eligible to compete for these grants. Finally, authorizing these grants will not cost the taxpayers one penny. Our amendment simply allows the Department of Energy to redirect some of its existing education funding towards this valuable new program. I urge support for the Murphy-Altmire provision and for the overall COMPETES Reauthorization Act.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I introduced two bills designed to incentivize small modular reactors, one of the most promising areas in the future of nuclear power. One-third the size of today's plants, small reactors are cheaper and take half the time to build. These reactors offer more siting options and provide additional safety benefits. The Nuclear Power 2021 Act is modeled for small reactors after the successful Nuclear Power 2010 program, and the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative Improvement Act requires the Department of Energy to develop a strategy to lower the cost of constructing and licensing nuclear reactors, including small reactors. In seeking a bipartisan solution, I introduced these pieces of legislation working in concert with Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Joe Barton and a bipartisan group of 19 other Members. I look forward to continue working with my colleagues to expediently bring small reactors to the market.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Mr. Speaker, this week is National VA Research Week, recognizing 85 years of VA medical research. Since 1925, the VA has led the way in cutting-edge medical research, turning ideas into discoveries and into innovations which have improved the quality of life for generations of our military veterans. Many Americans may not realize that some of medical science's greatest achievements have been as the result of research conducted at the VA. The CAT scan and the cardiac pacemaker are but two of the trailblazing innovations made possible through VA-funded research. Today, the VA is the worldwide leader in important medical research, such as in the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injuries and of neuroprosthetic technologies related to amputations and to spinal cord injuries of our brave wounded warriors. So, this week, as we celebrate the pioneers of the past 85 years, let us also recognize today's VA researchers, who are leading the way to finding the medical breakthroughs of tomorrow.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Madam Speaker, I rise tonight to speak on behalf of America's small business owners and small business owners in western Pennsylvania who have recently finished filing their taxes with the Federal Government and have struggled over the past year to provide goods, services, and jobs during this recession. As we all know, April is tax month for American citizens. And as a member of the Small Business Committee, I had the opportunity to hear testimony by Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Douglas Shulman on April 14. Commissioner Shulman walked through the service and disclosures provided by the IRS during tax preparation season. He described outreach being performed on many levels to aid small businesses in complying with the convoluted tax system they faced as American job creators. While the IRS has a responsibility to use its funding to conduct outreach and facilitate voluntary compliance with tax laws, it's Congress that has the responsibility to hear the calls of America's small businesses for more streamlined and simplified tax regulations. The outreach and disclosure by the IRS is certainly helpful. However, I would prefer to see it become less necessary. If America's small business owners were not spending so much valuable time deciphering codes and regulations, they could be growing their businesses to earn profits, create jobs, and lead America back to prosperity just as they have always done through past recessions. Less time spent complying with the Tax Code would increase tax revenue by allowing small businesses to focus more time on running their businesses, meanwhile saving the IRS time and money in outreach and instruction on their intricate rules and requirements for every small business in America. I hope that by April of next year Congress can find the time to work on behalf of America's small businesses and simplify the Tax Code.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Madam Speaker, I continue to hear my friends on the other side of the aisle refer to the stimulus bill as a failed policy, apparently in the belief that if you say it over and over again it will be true. But it's not true, not by a long shot. Last year at this time, the stock market was at 6,500 and today it is at 10,600. One year ago, during the first quarter of 2009, GDP came in at a staggering 6 percent decline, but in the last quarter of 2009 it rose almost 6 percent. And monthly job losses, while not where we want them to be, are literally 20 times better than they were a year ago today. Some may say this would have happened anyway and that the stimulus had nothing to do with it, but I would ask my colleagues, Madam Speaker, to consider that would be quite a coincidence, don't you think, for all those economic indicators to begin such a dramatic turnaround at precisely the time the stimulus passed. Quite a coincidence indeed.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Mr. Speaker, the American people have demanded that Congress begin working together to solve this Nation's problems, and we have done just that. On Monday, our friends across the Capitol, in the other body as we say, passed their version of the jobs bill by a vote of 70-28. We, in this House, have already passed a different version, and yesterday we passed by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 406-19 a long overdue elimination of the antitrust exemption that health insurers have enjoyed for decades. We hope our friends in the other body will join us in a similarly bipartisan vote to send that bill to the President. And today a bipartisan group of congressional leaders meets at the White House to discuss ways to bring down the cost of health care for every family and every business in America. While we're not yet finished, and there's clearly much work yet to be done, Congress this week has made great strides in moving forward on the issues that are of most concern to the American people.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania and I thank everyone who has spoken tonight. I want to talk about western Pennsylvania and what Jack meant to western Pennsylvania, his home region and my home region. A lot has been said over the past few weeks, and certainly tonight, about the impact that this ``giant of the Congress'' made on this institution, that he made on this country, and certainly the impact that he had on the American military, and there is nobody here that supported them more than Jack Murtha. I wanted to talk about the impact he had on his home region. I am fortunate enough to represent a district that is intertwined, due to gerrymandering, with Mr. Murtha's district, the district that he represented for so many years. I was born in a hospital that is in the district that he represented. I grew up in a town that is in the district that he represented. And I can tell you that we have lost a giant in this Congress and we have lost a giant in this country, but we've lost a giant in western Pennsylvania. He will not be forgotten in his home region. And it should not be forgotten that this is somebody--and we talk about the work that he did as a member of the Appropriations Committee. He put, over the course of his career, $1.5 billion into breast cancer research. He put nearly $1 billion into diabetes research as a member of the Appropriations Committee. I don't think that there is anybody in this Congress that has a record that can match what he has done in promoting health and promoting wellness--yes, in our military, but across all segments of society. And again, this is somebody, as Congressman Doyle talked of earlier, that epitomizes the work ethic that represents western Pennsylvania and the constituency that we represent. I am fortunate to have known Mr. Murtha. I count him as a true champion of the region that I grew up in and somebody who will never be forgotten. There will never be his like again in western Pennsylvania, in the Congress, or in the country. I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for the time.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Madam Speaker, I would like to wish the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Organization of Chinese-Americans a happy and healthy New Year for the year 4708, the year of the Tiger. I hope this New Year brings the Chinese-American community of Pittsburgh much joy and thanksgiving. I am thankful for the positive impact this organization has had on the lives of Chinese-Americans and Pittsburgh as a whole. Chinese-Americans have greatly contributed to the progress of Pittsburgh as well as the entire nation. I am very honored for this opportunity to wish them a very happy 4708. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in wishing the members of the Organization of Chinese-Americans a very happy and prosperous New Year.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. I thank the gentleman and I thank him for his kind words as well. He hit the nail right on the head, Madam Speaker, I think it is appropriate today to take a look at what was happening 1 year ago today. A year ago today, the budget deficit was forecast by the Congressional Budget Office for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, to be $1.8 trillion. The jobs that were lost in the month of January were more than 700,000 jobs 1 year ago in January. The stock market was trending straight down, and it bottomed out in March at 6,500. We had just had a loss of 6 percentage points for the quarter in GDP, one of the largest in recent memory drops in gross domestic product. That is what we were facing 1 year ago today. As the gentleman from Ohio said, this Congress was elected to make difficult decisions. This Congress was elected to work together and do give and take. Look, every bill that you pass is going to have some things that you like and some things that you don't like, but when the country is staring into the abyss, literally facing economic calamity if we fail to act, 1 year ago moving into the spring of 2009, this Congress did act. In fact, February of 2009. What has happened since then compared to 1 year ago today? I talked about how the budget forecast was expected to be $1.8 trillion in deficit. Well, we ended at about $1.2 trillion in deficit. Now I am not going to have a big party here, because that is the largest deficit that we have ever faced because of some of the circumstances that the gentleman described that were beyond control and unforeseen because of the economic catastrophe, but we saved $600 billion from the deficit because the economy was starting to rebound in a way that the Congressional Budget Office did not foresee. The gross domestic product, instead of losing 6.5 percentage points in a quarter like a year ago, we are on the verge of announcing back- to-back quarters of positive growth in GDP, and we expect a very strong number for the last half of 2009. We talked about all of these factors relating to our economy, and things are starting to improve. We are certainly not out of the woods yet. But it was the actions of this Congress, instead of sitting on our hands and saying, Well, let's just let everything solve itself. That is how we got here in the first place. That is how we found ourselves in the hole that we are in the process of digging our way out of. What I would say to the gentleman is, you cannot solve our long-term budget circumstance, our deficit, as the gentleman eloquently said, without addressing the cost of health care. Health care affects everybody in this country, every business, every family, every level of government--Federal, State, and municipal. We are at a competitive disadvantage to all of the nations that we have to do business with. The gentleman represents a district similar to mine. He is in the Youngstown area; I have southwestern Pennsylvania, very hard-hit by losses in manufacturing. A lot of that has to do with health care costs. A lot of the competitive disadvantage that America has with foreign nations is because of the cost of health care. But businesses every day struggle to make that decision: Are they going to be able to continue to offer coverage to their employees for one more year facing another 20 percent rate increase? Senior citizens in my district on average saw a 45 percent increase in their Medicare Advantage plans. A 45 percent 1-year increase. That is simply unsustainable, and the government certainly is never going to balance its budget without addressing the cost of health care.

Mr. ALTMIRE. The gentleman talks about the impact that policies have. And exactly right on the point of job creation. We are in a brand new decade here. Look at the decade past. It was the first decade since they started keeping the statistic on job growth over the course of a 10-year period. The first time we went through an entire decade and did not have a statistically relevant increase in jobs. Went an entire decade basically flat line. Well, that is not helping anybody. When we talk about the Clinton budget in 1993, sometimes when I am researching different Members' positions on issues, I will go back and look at some of the things that were said on this floor back in 1993, saying that if we passed the Clinton plan to balance the budget that we were going to cause the greatest recession in American history and collapse the economy. And some of the arguments that were made, I think it is fair to say, were proven false when the last 4 years of the Clinton administration we had four consecutive budget surpluses, the last four budget surpluses that we have had in this country. Now, I don't want to go back and battle old battles or rehash old fights, but the point is past is prologue. And you can look at the fights that we are having today, and the same people who were predicting disaster if we passed those policies are the same people who are trying to prevent this Congress from addressing the systemic issues that we face right now.

Mr. ALTMIRE. I yield to the gentleman from Connecticut.

Mr. ALTMIRE. That is right. And as we have continued to talk about the key issues to balancing our budget have to be paying for any increase in expenditures or decrease in revenue. And the gentleman talks about his surprise to hear that people would oppose taking a look at the way Wall Street firms do business and taking a look at the way things have been run over the last several years and what that led to a year-and-a-half ago. I was just as surprised as the gentleman to learn that there was opposition to the concept that we should have to pay for things that we pass in this House. Because I mentioned the four straight budget surpluses that President Clinton had in the last 4 years of his administration. That was due largely to pay-as-you-go budget scoring, which to give credit where credit is due, was instituted by President Bush's father in 1990. It was in effect throughout the 1990s. Wildly successful time in our economy. And as I said, four straight budget surpluses. So this Congress, before myself and Mr. Ryan became Members, allowed it to expire, allowed pay-as-you-go budget scoring to expire. And now what have we had? Instead of having four straight budget surpluses, we are approaching 10 straight budget deficits. Deficits extended as far as the eye can see. So in this House we had a debate on whether or not to require any piece of legislation that comes through this House that raises revenue or that raises expenditures or decreases revenue, very simple concept, you would have to have an offset for that. Find somewhere else in the budget to make a cut. Find somewhere else in the budget to come up with the money to pay for whatever the policy idea is that you are putting forward. It is what every family and every business has to do every day in this country. If you want to spend more money on one side of the ledger, you have to find it on the other side of the ledger. Well, this Congress over the past 10 years has not operated under that commonsense accounting rule, and it has led to these enormous deficits, and in the long term the incredible astronomical debt facing this country. So I was surprised to hear some of my colleagues on the other side oppose the concept--pretty simple--pay for what you want to spend. Pay for revenue decreases. We don't even find agreement on that in this Congress. It doesn't bode well for having a debate, an informed debate on how to solve these key problems of our economy at this important time.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Mr. Speaker, it was not long ago that our economy bottomed out and we were on the brink of an economic catastrophe. We avoided a complete collapse, but that is little consolation to the Americans who lost trillions of dollars in retirement savings due to the years of reckless behavior on Wall Street. As we continue to show positive signs in our economy, this House last week passed legislation to make sure that we never again find ourselves in such a dire situation. The regulatory reform bill we passed creates an orderly process through which large, failing financial institutions can effectively be dismantled. No more ``too big too fail.'' We end taxpayer bailouts by ensuring that in the future, Wall Street, not the taxpayers, will pay to dismantle endangered firms. And we end the predatory lending practices that helped cause the crisis by requiring banks to ensure that they only lend to borrowers who can actually repay the loans. These changes are long overdue but come just in time for the American taxpayer.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Madam Speaker, I rise tonight to pay tribute to Bobby Bowden, who will coach his last game on January 1. Coach Bowden will retire following the Gator Bowl, ending an amazing career as one of college football's most successful coaches. Many of us may not realize that Bobby Bowden was an outstanding football player in his own right. He graduated from Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, and he achieved his dream of playing quarterback for the University of Alabama before transferring to Howard College, now Samford University. After college, Bowden worked his way up to becoming head coach for 4 years at Samford, and he later was head coach for 6 years at West Virginia, but it's his 34 years as head coach at Florida State for which he will most be remembered. In 1976, he took the reins of his Seminoles team that had gone winless the previous season. From that unlikely beginning, he built one of the powerhouses of modern college football. During his 34 years at the helm of Florida State, he led his teams to 31 bowl games, including the past 28 years in a row, during which he once went 14 consecutive bowl games without a loss. He was named coach of the year six times, and is already a member of college football's hall of fame. From 1987 to 2000, Bowden's Florida State teams compiled a streak of 14 consecutive years in the season-ending top 5. During that time, he coached two Heisman Trophy winners, and his Seminoles played in five national championship games, winning two. It was in the beginning of that streak in the late 1980s that I first encountered Coach Bowden. As he did with so many, he left upon me an indelible impression. As a walk-on on the Seminole football team, I had the good fortune to see firsthand Coach Bowden's rare skill on the practice field, but it was his kindness and generosity away from football that I will most remember. While serious about winning, with the results to prove it, what most stands out about Bobby Bowden is his love of people. Known for his down-to-Earth colloquialisms and disarming Southern drawl, he can charm even the most intense personality. He is never at a loss for words, and sportswriters across the country will surely miss his quick wit and accessibility. On the Seminole practice squad, I occupied, perhaps, the lowest possible position on the team, yet Coach Bowden treated me and every player with respect. When you crossed paths with him, he never failed to ask about your schoolwork, your family, your hometown or about some other personal facts about you that he somehow remembered. I used to think that this was just coincidence or somehow related just to me, but what you quickly learn in spending time around Bobby Bowden is that he is like that with everyone, not just on the team or on campus but anywhere he goes in the country, whether it be to an alumni meeting, to a business luncheon, or to a church service. He has that rare ability to make a personal connection with everyone he meets. It is why the National Citizenship Award, presented annually by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, now bears his name. So, for all of his success as a football coach, the true legacy of Bobby Bowden is the impact he has on people and on the lives he has touched. Just as much as his coaching record, the relationships that he built and the friends he made during his 80-plus years and counting will long be remembered. My best wishes and congratulations go out to Bobby and Ann Bowden as they now embark on this next chapter of their lives together.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Madam Speaker, since our economy bottomed out in late winter and Democrats took bold and decisive action, the stock market has risen 4,000 points and America experienced its first positive GDP growth in 15 months. But more can be done and more must be done. So as we recover from one of the most severe recessions in our Nation's history, Democrats will focus on helping Americans on Main Street, not Wall Street. We will build upon the momentum we have created for positive growth in our economy and bring to the House floor strong legislation to create jobs. American families are depending on their leaders to focus their attention on job creation and make the difficult decisions necessary to curb employment and begin growing our job force once again. Americans expect nothing less, and House Democrats are committed to bringing to the floor a strong jobs bill and work to turn around our Nation's economy.