Jason Altmire

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate the incredible life of a truly great man, Monsignor William Kerr, who died last week at the age of 68. Monsignor Kerr was known, respected and loved throughout the world and his loss will be felt around the globe. His professional life began as a parish priest in his hometown of St. Louis, and ended as Executive Director of the Claude Pepper Center for International Dialogue in Tallahassee, Florida. In between, he spent his entire career traveling the world working for peace, fighting for human rights, and promoting education and diplomacy. He spent the majority of his professional life in Pittsburgh, Washington, DC, and Tallahassee, home of his beloved Florida State University, where he received multiple degrees and spent the early part of his career as an adjunct faculty member and an instructor of history, in addition to his position as Catholic Campus Minister. Throughout his life, Monsignor Kerr traveled the globe to carry out his true callings of spiritual ministry and education. His travels gave him the opportunity to meet and befriend countless dignitaries, and to advance the cause for which he dedicated his life, human rights. He served as a vice president at Catholic University here in Washington, DC, and as president of La Roche College in McCandless, Pennsylvania. It was at La Roche College that I first met Monsignor Kerr. As a Trustee at La Roche, I worked closely with him and witnessed first-hand his love of education and the ease with which he interacted with people, whether they be Heads of State or freshman students. During his twelve years as president of La Roche College he created programs to educate future leaders and assist students from war-ravaged countries to get an American education. The Pacem in Terris Institute, which he created at La Roche, established a scholarship program for outstanding college age men and women from conflict and post-conflict nations, such as Bosnia and Rwanda. The students would receive an education at La Roche to study leadership and diplomacy in return for their agreeing to return to their home country after graduation to help rebuild their nations. In all, 450 students from 21 countries received scholarships. This program fulfilled Monsignor Kerr's dream of educating the future leaders of developing regions as a way to stem conflict and promote peace. Through this program he developed a life-long friendship with many world leaders and throughout his life he cultivated a wide and eclectic network of friends and colleagues. And while he was comfortable hosting high profile dignitaries, Monsignor Kerr was at his best when he was among the students that he loved. It seemed that he knew the names and life details of every student he encountered during his daily walks across campus, and he could often be seen sharing laughter and camaraderie with groups of students in between their classes. After leaving La Roche College in 2004, he returned to Washington, DC, to become the director of the Pope John Paul II Center, where he stayed until returning to Tallahassee to lead the Claude Pepper Center. Through it all he maintained his commitment to spiritual leadership, and he continued to celebrate mass. And it was during his celebration of mass at the Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Tallahassee that he suffered the stroke that claimed his life at the age of 68. I count myself fortunate to be one of the many that have had the opportunity to know and work with Monsignor William Kerr. He had a profound impact on my life as he did the lives of nearly everyone he encountered. His like will not be seen again, and he will be deeply missed.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. I have been listening to what the two Ohio Members have been saying. To put this in perspective for our colleagues and for the American people, I would like to talk with regard to the stimulus and the budget. People talk about the fact that we are running up a tremendous deficit this year, $1.8 trillion. It is an inconceivable amount for a 1-year deficit. We are reducing the deficit over the course of 5 years by two-thirds, from 12 percent of GDP to 3 percent of GDP. People in my district when I tell that story will say that is great, but you need to do more. Why can't we do more? Why is that a great feat that we have cut it by two-thirds? Going to what the gentleman said with the VA, let's look at the budget that we have control over, what is the discretionary control that we have. If you look at $3.5 trillion in budget, the entire Federal budget for this year that we passed, most of that Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, interest on the national debt, Federal employee pensions, veterans retirement benefits and pensions, those are mandatory accounts. That money goes out without Congress having year-to-year control over that amount. So what Congress actually has control over, the discretionary account, is about $1 trillion; $1.1 trillion. It is a very high amount of money, but compared to $3.5 trillion, not nearly enough to make a dent in that deficit that we are talking about. Now, half of that trillion dollars that Congress has control over is defense. Nobody thinks we should cut defense. We increase spending for defense by 4 percent. It is what we need to do to keep us safe and secure. We all agree, Republican and Democrat, that is what we need to do. So you take that $530 billion out of the equation, and you are left with about $500 billion. Now, that is what we have discretionary control over. That is the post office, that is scientific and medical research, that is the national parks, that's student loans. That is our embassies overseas. That is Federal law enforcement, border security, FBI, CIA. And as the gentleman talks about, that is the VA hospitals in this country, funding for veterans health care. That is keeping the lights on at every Federal building in the country. That is our Federal roads and highways. That is everything that the Federal Government does. When you think about the Federal Government on an annual basis, that is what we have discretionary control over. If we were to say, you know what, American people, people in our district, the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania, the people in Ohio, we are so committed to deficit reduction and we are so committed to cutting the budget this year, we are going to shut down the government. We are going to shut down everything that we have discretionary control over this year. We are not going to deliver the mail this year. We are going to lay off every Federal employee in the country for 1 year. We are not going to do student loans and Federal law enforcement. We are going to close every Federal office building in the country, no scientific research, no national parks, close our embassies overseas, bring everybody back home, shut down the Congress and the White House, everything that we have control over. If we did that for 1 year, we would cut the Federal deficit for this year from $1.8 trillion to $1.3 trillion. That's how deep a hole we are in. So when I say to the gentleman from Ohio, Madam Speaker, that we cut the deficit by two-thirds over 5 years, a 1.9 percent growth over a 4- year period, the slowest projected growth rate in the history of the country, that is a monumental achievement. And we do it all while preserving our commitment to our Nation's veterans, as the gentleman talks about, making sure every veterans hospital in this country is adequately funded, and that every veteran in this country has access to the highest quality health care available anywhere in the world. We preserve that commitment while we do the best job we can at reducing the deficit that this President inherited, because we are not starting from zero. I think everybody realizes that. And it is pointless to talk about the past and to point fingers, but it is instructive to take a look at how we got here, why we are here, and the fact that we have very difficult decisions to make moving forward. The only way we are going to bring down these costs and bring down the deficit and bring down the debt is by making the difficult choices, and that is what this Congress is going to continue to do.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. I thank the gentleman, and I rise today in support of the public lands bill which includes my amendment to protect the rights of our Nation's sportsmen. The language that I worked to include in today's bill is a hard-fought victory for sportsmen and the preservation of their access to public lands. Within the three main sections of this bill, those related to the National landscape conservation system, rivers, and trails, and heritage areas, protections are included to ensure sportsmen are able to hunt, fish, and trap on millions of acres of public lands. These protections and my amendment are strongly supported by the National Rifle Association. And as an unwavering supporter of the second amendment, I share the concerns of Mr. Hastings, Mr. Bishop, and others, about the recent district court decision limiting the ability of citizens to carry concealed weapons in national parks. However, that decision does not in any way relate to my amendment, and it certainly doesn't create a loophole. I agree that the right-to-carry issue is vitally important, but it is a separate issue based on a court ruling that took place after this bill was finalized. I look forward to working closely with Mr. Hastings and Mr. Bishop to address this important issue through a more appropriate legislative vehicle. Today's action by the House protects the rights of our Nation's sportsmen and their ability to hunt, fish, and trap on millions of acres of public land. The language that I worked to include makes it clear that the fundamental rights are protected, and I ask my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Mr. Speaker, with passage of the long-overdue SCHIP bill, Congress and the President expanded health care coverage to 4 million American children who were previously uncovered. This single step did more to improve our health care system in one day than we had seen in 8 years. But there is still more to be done. Every individual, every family, and every business in America struggles every day with health care costs. Their inability to afford coverage and the increased cost for goods and services as a result of health care costs for their business, this issue affects everybody in every way. But for the first time, the President and Congress plan to consider health care reform as part of the budget process so we can accurately account for the true costs of doing health care reform and of not doing health care reform, which would be the price of inaction. Health care cost increases are on an unsustainable course, and we can no longer hide behind budget gimmicks and just pass along the tough fiscal decisions for future Congresses. The time has come to act.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill to rename the Freedom Post Office honor of John Scott Challis, Jr. John Challis inspired all of us with his determination to live every single day to the fullest. On June 23, 2006, John was diagnosed with liver cancer. He was only 16 and had just completed sophomore year at Freedom High School. John and his family had a lot of questions after the cancer diagnosis: questions for the doctors about the disease, his treatment, and how it would impact his life. But, in these most difficult of circumstances, John found answers. In a Pittsburgh Post Gazette article from May 2008, John's father, Scott Challis, recalls this time: ``He's always been one who had to try and find an answer for everything. He wants to figure things out.'' The article continues, ``Through his own thoughts and through his deep Catholic beliefs, John believes he has `figured it out.' When asked where he gained his wisdom, he answered, `Through cancer.' '' Despite his illness, John made the most of every day he had. Although he was too ill to play sports, Freedom baseball coach Steve Wetzel invited John to join the team and became one of John's closest friends. In battling cancer, John had come up with a message: ``Courage Plus Believe Equals Life.'' It was a message that along with his name, he inscribed on the inside of his baseball cap. His teammates followed suit. Then came the moment John had been waiting for, his opportunity to play. Coach Wetzel asked John to pinch-hit in a game against Aliquippa. John wasted no time. On the first pitch, John hit a single to right field that scored a run. After the game, John's story and message garnered national attention. He was featured on ESPN, invited to speak at a Pirates game, and watched the Penguins in their Stanley Cup playoff run. Unfortunately, John lost this battle to cancer on August 19, 2008. But he left us with an important legacy. In his last few months, John was quoted as saying, ``Life ain't about how many breaths you take. It's what you do with those breaths.'' John was an inspiration to me, to his local community, and to the lives he touched. He will always be remembered. However, even after his death, his inspiration and work continue. Last summer, John helped to start a foundation, the Courage for Life Foundation, to help other student athletes with life-threatening illnesses be involved in sporting events. I have a few articles about John's life and his impact on those he touched. I ask unanimous consent to enter them into the Record. Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Chairman Towns, for the opportunity to honor John Challis. [From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 4, 2008] Teen Is Running Out of Innings, But the Game Still Isn't Over (By Mike White) The 18-year-old kid dying of cancer gets his wish, a chance to swing a bat maybe one last time in a real baseball game. He hasn't played in a few years, but he's called on to pinch-hit. His eyes light up at the first pitch and he puts all of his 5-foot-5, 93-pound frame into one mighty swing, making contact and sending a line drive into right field for a single--if he can reach first base. The cancer he's been battling for almost two years has spread to his pelvis, making running nearly impossible. The kid worries about falling as he hustles down the first- base line. When he gets to the base, he lets out with a yell. ``I did it! I did it!'' Safe at first with a hit and an RBI, the kid is hugged by a crying first-base coach. The opposing pitcher takes off his glove, starts applauding and his teammates follow suit. The kid's teammates run onto the field to celebrate. It sounds like the climax to a heart-tugger movie. But there was no producer or film crew at the game between Freedom and Aliquippa high schools two weeks ago. The scene was as real as the tumors in John Challis' liver and lungs. John is a kid with cancer, a senior at Freedom in Beaver County who was told a few weeks ago by doctors that cancer was winning and it was close to the end. The disease that started in his liver was now taking over his lungs. ``They said it could be only two months,'' he said, fighting back tears. He paused before his seemingly never-ending optimism came through again. ``I told my mom I still think I can get two more years.'' But his story isn't about dying. It's about inspiring. His story, words, actions, beliefs and courage have become known around Freedom and surrounding areas in Beaver County, bringing people together from other communities and other schools. Three weeks ago, Freedom baseball coach Steve Wetzel organized ``Walk For A Champion'' on Freedom High's school grounds. The purpose of the walk-a-thon was to raise money for one of John's wishes--a last vacation with his mom, dad and 14-year-old sister, Alexis. More than 500 people took part, including baseball teams from eight Beaver County high schools and members of Center High School's football team. John also used to play football at Freedom. Mr. Wetzel, who calls the teen his hero, hoped to raise $6,000. That total was easily surpassed ``and people are still calling with donations,'' he said. The family has booked a cruise for June. The Challis effect A Beaver County church had planned a fundraiser, but John and his family asked the church instead to conduct the event and give the money to a fifth-grade boy in Beaver County who has a brain tumor. ``His family can use it more than we can,'' John said. ``That's just common sense. Someone does something good for you, then you help someone else.'' Actions and statements like those are what has inspired so many others. All of Aliquippa's baseball players wear John's jersey number ``11'' on their hats. At the walk- athon, Aliquippa star athlete Jonathan Baldwin, a Pitt football recruit, presented him with a ball signed by Pitt players. After the walk, John addressed the crowd. ``He spoke from his heart,'' Mr. Wetzel, the coach, said. ``He said, `I've got two options. I know I'm going to die, so I can either sit at home and feel sorry, or I could spread my message to everybody to live life to the fullest and help those in need.' After hearing that, I don't know if there were many people not crying.'' Last Thursday, Beaver pitcher Manny Cutlip tossed a three- hitter against Freedom as John watched in street clothes. After the game, every Beaver player came up to him and shook his hand. Some hugged him and some said they were praying for him. Manny Cutlip asked Mr. Wetzel if he could go to lunch some time with John. It happened the next day. ``I don't know what to say. I just wanted to get to know him better and see if I could learn anything from him to help me in my life,'' said the young pitcher, an imposing 6-foot- 3, 225-pound standout athlete who will play football at IUP. At lunch, he gave John a new football with a handwritten personal message on it. Part of the message read, ``You have touched my heart and I will always look up to you as my role model.'' Talk to John and you'll laugh at his sense of humor when he says things such as, ``You can't let girls know that you know how to text message because they won't leave you alone.'' But listen to his mature views on life and his philosophies . . . and you might cry. ``I used to be afraid, but I'm not afraid of dying now, if that's what you want to know,'' he said. ``Because life ain't about how many breaths you take. It's what you do with those breaths.'' Figuring it out It's been almost two years since John found out about his cancer. He knows the date like a birthday. June 23, 2006. He discovered only recently that doctors didn't expect him to last through that first summer. ``To me, that's already an accomplishment,'' he said. In the first few months after the cancer discovery, John's father, Scott, would get up in the middle of the night, peek into his son's bedroom and see him wide awake, staring at the ceiling. ``He would just be thinking,'' the elder Challis said. ``He's always been one who had to try and find an answer for everything. He wants to figure things out.'' Through his own thoughts and through his deep Catholic beliefs, John believes he has ``figured it out.'' He answers questions with maturity, courage and dignity, traits that have become his trademarks. John requested that his mother, Regina, not be interviewed for this story because it will be too hard for her. He talks to his father about what to do after he dies. ``I sit up with him at night until 1 or 2 in the morning,'' Scott Challis said. ``He'll tell me, `Dad, when I'm gone, you have to do this or that. You have to watch your weight.' He's worried about my weight. He tells me I have to take care of mom. ``When the doctors told him a few weeks ago about how the cancer was winning, he had a lot of questions about what it was going to be like and about being comfortable. Later on, he broke down with me and you know what he did? He apologized. He was upset because he felt like he was letting everyone down who had been praying for him.'' Scott Challis has found talking about his son makes the situation easier to deal with. But many people like to talk about John. Shawn Lehocky is a senior and one of Freedom's top athletes. For every football and baseball game, he wears a red wrist band with John's No. 11 on it. ``It seems like everyone in this community knows who he is now and he really has brought so many people together,'' Shawn said. ``He's always on my mind. To see him and what he's going through, I don't know if I could act like that. He said some pretty strong words at that walk-a-thon that you don't hear 17- or 18-year-olds say every day.'' John fought back tears a few times during last week's interview. ``Sometimes I cry, but people cry for all different kinds of reasons,'' he said. ``Sometimes I just want to know why, but I think I figured that out. God wanted me to get sick because he knew I was strong enough to handle it. I'm spreading His word and my message. By doing that, I'm doing what God put me here to do. ``It took me about a half year to figure all that out. Now, when I'm able to truly believe it, it makes it easier on me. And when you know other people support what you're thinking, it makes it easier.'' When asked where he gained his wisdom, he answered, ``Through cancer.'' ``They say it takes a special person to realize this kind of stuff,'' he said. ``I don't know if I'm special, but it wasn't hard for me. It's just my mind-set. A situation is what you make of it. Not what it makes of you.'' He regularly wears his Freedom baseball hat. Under the bill of the cap is his name, plus this line: ``COURAGE + BELIEVE =

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Madam Speaker, I would like to salute Doreen Welsh of Ambridge, Pennsylvania for her heroic and selfless action on U.S. Airways Flight 1549, now known as the ``Miracle on the Hudson.'' Doreen Welsh served as a flight attendant on Flight 1549, which made a successful emergency landing on the Hudson River on January 15, 2009, and helped to safely evacuate the flight's passengers. The heroic deeds and masterful skills of Flight 1549's crew is something our nation will never forget. Despite being injured during the landing, Doreen Welsh helped to evacuate passengers and ensure that no lives were lost that day. All western Pennsylvanians should be proud that one of our own played such a crucial role in saving the lives of 150 passengers and making this a truly miraculous landing. I want to salute Doreen Welsh for her admirable service and thank her for sacrificing her own comfort for the safety of the passengers in her care and inspiring Americans everywhere in the process.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Mr. Speaker, for the first time in many years, this Congress is moving forward with long overdue legislation to reform our Nation's health care system. With 47 million Americans without health insurance and costs rising well above the rate of inflation, health reform is an issue that can no longer be ignored. Health care affects every individual, every family and every business in America. Less than half of all small businesses in this country can afford to offer health insurance to their employees. Tens of millions of insured Americans live in fear of losing their coverage due to skyrocketing health care costs, and families are one accident or illness away from losing everything. Together we can put an end to the decades of roadblocks that have prevented meaningful health care reform. Let us not let this opportunity pass us by again.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my amendment to the public lands bill S. 22. I commend my colleagues in both the House and the Senate for their efforts to advance the over 150 largely noncontroversial bills that are included in the underlying legislation. This bill preserves key components of America's natural heritage for generations to come. However, as passed by the Senate, this bill did not do enough to protect the rights of our Nation's sportsmen. For this reason I worked to include in this bill language to rectify that oversight. I am pleased that the House has added my amendment to the public lands bill we're considering today because unless Congress includes the specific protections my amendment adds to this bill, efforts to regulate or limit hunting, fishing, or trapping could potentially move forward in the future. Last year I offered an amendment to protect the rights of sportsmen on nearly 27 million acres of public lands within the National Landscape Conservation System. It passed the House 416-5 and is maintained within Title II of today's bill. Today we simply extend those same protections to two other sections of the bill: rivers and trails in title V and heritage areas in title VIII. This ensures that nothing in these sections of the bill shall regulate hunting, fishing, and trapping or limit their access to these public lands. My amendment is straightforward and simple. It's supported by the NRA, and with its inclusion, I urge my colleagues, especially supporters of the second amendment, to vote in favor of this public lands bill today.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. I thank the gentleman, and I thank my colleagues for joining us tonight in this important discussion. I want to focus on the President's budget and, in particular, on what is different about this budget in that the President has looked in a comprehensive way at our economy, not just at the crisis that we find ourselves in today, at this moment in time, but also at how to get ourselves out and where we want to be a year from now, 5 years from now, 10 years from now. We all understand that. What the President has done with his budget is include within it segments of our economy that have been ignored in budgets over time-- things like health care, like energy and like education--because what we understand in this Congress is we cannot move forward as a nation; we can't solve our economic problems, and we can't move this country forward and continue as the preeminent Nation on the planet in this global economy unless we reform our health care system, unless we find a way to get ourselves off of our addiction to foreign oil and unless we continue to improve the quality of the education available to all students in this country and make education more accessible so we can continue to be competitive in the global economy. What we have set before us is the realization that every family, every business and every individual in this country is impacted by the cost of education, by the cost of energy and by the cost of health care, and we are going to talk about those issues tonight and certainly going forward. I want to focus specifically on health care. The President has laid out an ambitious agenda, and he has done something that is unique. He has allowed Congress to have a say in it in a way that has not been the case in previous health care discussions. The President has said, ``These are my priorities, and while I'm willing to work with the 435 Members of the House and with the 100 in the other body, let's work with the American people,'' because, in heart, that's what we are. We are Representatives. Let's put together a plan that can solve this crisis that we face, not just with our economy but in the health care system. So what are some of the things that we hear when we go back and we have Congress on Your Corner? Well, when we talk about the cost of health care, I often hear people say, ``Well, why are you taking my money? I'm happy with my insurance. I'm covered. I have a job. I'm fine.'' Somebody will say, ``Why are you taking my money and giving it to somebody else who doesn't have health care? I understand that that's a problem and that that's unfortunate, but why are you spending my money on them?'' What I try to explain to people is they're already paying for the costs of that person's health care. The most obvious example that you've heard many times is, when that person needs health care, he goes to the emergency room, which is the least effective, the most costly and the most inefficient setting that you can possibly get for primary health care. So we're forcing them into that setting to begin with, and they get covered, and they get reimbursed, if you're the hospital, because that's our money. If you go to the hospital, the reason an aspirin costs $10 is because of the cost shift that takes place. When you have someone show up who doesn't have insurance, the hospital or provider will shift that cost to somebody else. That's an obvious way. What people don't think about is that your State taxes are higher because of exploding Medicaid costs all around the country. States are forced to pay for the Medicaid program. They shift that to the costs of the State taxpayers. Think of the delivery chain, the supply chain. At every level, health care costs impact the cost of the consumer. You've heard many times with regard to the auto industry, which is certainly struggling right now, that $1,500 from the price of every car made in this country is due to the health care costs of the automaker. Think about that. For every good and service that the American people buy on a daily basis, there is the cost to manufacture it, the cost to ship it, the cost to store it, and the cost to sell it. In every segment of that supply chain, there is a component that adds a premium for the cost of health care for the employers and for the employees who are involved in that little piece of the supply chain. The salary and wages of the American people are lower because of the health care costs of the employer's, because they're offering health care to their employees. Therefore, the salaries are lower. We as an American people are already paying in a variety of ways for the people who don't have health insurance. We hear about the 47 million Americans who lack health insurance. We also need to remember the tens of millions more who live in fear every day of losing their coverage. They are one accident or illness away from losing everything. Less than half of small businesses in this country are able to afford to offer health care to their employees, less than half, because of the double digit increases that we've seen year after year after year. This is simply an unsustainable course that we're on, but rather than looking at this in isolation as one problem that's separate from the economic situation that we face, the President and this Congress are going to work together and are going to look at those items together, along with energy independence and along with education, in a way that we haven't done before in taking a comprehensive look at it. These are the things that we're going to be talking about moving forward, and these are the things that this group is going to continue to discuss in these forums. So I thank the gentleman from Kentucky, and I look forward to continuing the debate.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. And I thank the gentleman from Connecticut. And the gentleman is absolutely correct on a number of points. He mentioned that he came to this Chamber for this discussion just as the previous group was wrapping up. I had been here a little bit longer and got to hear some of what they had to say, Mr. Murphy and Madam Speaker. Mr. Murphy mentioned that we have a Republican Party that is joining the debate and having the discussion. I didn't hear a whole lot of joining the debate going on. I heard a lot of, as the gentleman from Connecticut said, revisionist history. And one of the items of revisionist history that I'm most intrigued by that you hear not just during these Special Order debates, but from talk show hosts around the country, and others, is the revisionist history that Franklin Roosevelt had nothing to do with the recovery that took place after the Great Depression. I don't recall learning that in school when I was growing up. I don't recall that talking point being a part of the discussion. But now we're hearing a lot about, well, the New Deal really didn't work, and nothing that was accomplished by that administration solved any of the issues that they inherited during the Great Depression. And I think about that when I hear some of the discussion that our colleagues on the other side bring to these Special Orders. And many of them have become friends and colleagues and people that I admire. But the discussion that I hear, I wouldn't consider that to be a debate. I don't think that we're hearing good faith efforts to reach compromise and to work together. I think what we're seeing is a lot of finger pointing. I think we're seeing a lot of blame being cast around and a lot of passing the buck because, as Mr. Murphy said, we have not yet heard anyone own up to the fact that this Nation is in the economic crisis that it is in today because of the policies of the very recent past. And we can point fingers and we can cast blame, and that's not what this is about, that's not what we're doing today. But it is instructive to think about how we got to where we are. And when you hear prescriptions being put forward for getting us out of this incredibly deep ditch that we find ourselves in, the people who are bringing forward these prescriptions have a record, they have a record of success or not. So I think the reason it's instructive to look at the decisions that were made in this Congress that led us to where we are today, when you hear people stand on the floor and say, here's my point of view, this is where I'm coming from, this is the way I think we can get ourselves out of this economic situation, let's take a walk down memory lane. Let's think about, well, what is that person's track record in voting for economic plans? And I do want to remind Mr. Murphy and Madam Speaker that we have a country now, eight straight budget deficits, these deficits are now forecast as far as the eye can see, we all know that. And we're going to talk about the economic recovery plan tonight and we're going to talk about the details of what was in that plan and what was not in that plan, equally important. Because I heard a lot of discussion about things that weren't even related to what was in the economic recovery plan. We'll have that discussion in a moment. But what's important to think about when you consider what individuals have credibility and what groups have credibility when talking about the budget deficit and which do not, it has to do with the fact that these eight straight budget deficits that we've had followed four consecutive budget surpluses that President Bush inherited. And one of the things about the economic situation that we find ourselves in is when we get out of this--and we will, as a Nation, get ourselves out of this, as the President said last night--when we get out of this, we're going to be able to step back and look at the fiscal policies that worked and didn't, and look at the people who were in power that made those decisions that led to success and lack of success on the economy. Because it's a pretty clear discussion that you have when you say, here's the economy that President Clinton had, a very slow economy, to put it kindly. He had an enormous budget deficit--the largest budget deficit ever recorded was under President Bush's father up to that time--President Clinton inherited that situation. When President Clinton left office, the four straight budget surpluses that I was just discussing--and those surpluses were forecast as far as the eye can see, the 10-year budget projection, as we've talked about many times, Mr. Murphy, was $5.6 trillion over 10 years. That was in surplus. If we had just kept in place the fiscal policies that we had at that time when President Bush put his hand on the Oath of Office--Bush 43--if we had just kept in place those fiscal policies, we could have nearly paid down the entire national debt as it existed to that time now 8 years later. But of course we didn't keep those fiscal policies in place, we went in a completely different direction, which is the way it works; when one party controls the White House, they implement certain policies, when one party controls Congress, they implement certain policies. When the same party controls both the White House and Congress at the same time--as happened during the first 6 years of President Bush's term--they chose to take the economy in a completely different direction, and boy did they ever. The economy went in a completely different direction than those four straight budget surpluses and one of the fastest periods of expansion and growth in economic history in America. So now we find ourselves with a new administration. And yes, that administration has a Congress that is of the same party affiliation, and we will see how that plays out. But where I'm going with this, Mr. Murphy, is, policy discussions in the future, you will be able to see very clearly what happened during the Clinton administration with the economy, what happened during the Bush administration; where did they begin, what did they leave their successor? And of course history has yet to be written about where President Obama leaves the economy. But I think it's safe to say it couldn't possibly be worse than what he inherited.

Mr. ALTMIRE. I thank the gentleman. And as I indicated earlier, one of the things that I think the American people find so troubling about the direction the debate is taking, let alone the policy implications, is exactly what the gentleman from Connecticut talked about, that there appears to be a strategy of betting on success for the Democratic side and the Republican side appears to be betting on failure. I will leave it to others to speculate on what their desire is for the outcome. We will trust their motivations, but they certainly think that we're in failure mode. Now, I find that to be very troubling because I want to have a Congress that works together where all sides are heard. And President Obama made every effort to reach out to the Republicans and solicit their opinions. And I do think, Madam Speaker, that when you hear things like we heard earlier, a discussion on how this economic recovery plan that we passed was going to lead to government-run health care, well, there is no provision in that recovery plan that alludes to, relates to, correlates to, leads to government-run health care. It is not in the bill that we passed, which is now law. There is no provision for the field mouse in San Francisco that we heard so much about. There are no earmarks in the bill. We heard when the President referenced earmarks, there was derision from the other side last night during the President's remarks, which I think the American people find disingenuous because there are no earmarks in the bill. There are zero earmarks. So when I'm thinking about how I'm going to vote and I'm thinking through what's in the bill and what my constituents want me to do and I have people weigh in with an opinion, one of the things I'm going to consider is what's their motivation in offering that opinion, but is it an informed opinion? And if an individual comes up to me and complains to me about field mice in San Francisco or earmarks in the bill or how the bill is going to lead to universal health care, it's pretty clear that person has either not been truthful about what's in the bill or not made an effort to learn what's in the bill. Neither of those leads to good policy decisions. And I think that's what the gentleman from Connecticut and I are getting to. So I am going to have the very, very high honor at this time of doing something that we don't do very often here in the 30-Somethings. We have five core members, Ms. Wasserman Schultz from Florida, Mr. Ryan from Ohio, Mr. Meek from Florida, who are the leaders and the originators of the group from back before Mr. Murphy and I were able to win election to this House. Mr. Murphy and I have participated and are going into our second term now. So we are very honored tonight, and as everyone knows, Madam Speaker, who watches this over the airwaves, we have just a tremendous fan base for the 30- Somethings. There are countless individuals.

Mr. ALTMIRE. A handful of people that do actually pay attention to the 30-Something Group. So for them this is a very exciting moment because we are tonight going to initiate a new Member into the 30- Somethings with his maiden 30-Something speech, a great Member also from Ohio; so he is very close geographically to both Mr. Ryan and my district, which is in Pennsylvania. And at this time for all of those 30-Something junkies that are out there and pay attention to what we have to say, the very small group that that is, I would turn it over to Mr. Boccieri from Ohio.

Mr. ALTMIRE. The gentleman was correct in pointing out where the middle-class Americans in this country were before this recession even started. And the economic policies that were in place actually led to a decrease in real dollars of median household income over the 8 years President Bush was in office. And that was the case even before the recession started in December of 2007, a real decrease in median household income over the term in office. Now, that's not something that people in western Pennsylvania want to hear. That's something that was a cause of alarm that was not dealt with in previous Congresses or by the administration. And, unfortunately, what we had was, in the early part of the administration especially, the enormous spending that took place, without pay-as-you-go budget scoring--which we have talked about many times--without that offset that says, very simply, you have to have money on one side of the ledger if you want to decrease revenue or spend more money on the other. It's a very simple concept. We all do it in our own home checkbooks and every business in America has to do it, balance budgets. If you want to spend more, you have to pay for it somewhere else in the budget. Well, that wasn't happening, and the outrageous spending that took place, running up literally trillions of dollars in debt, was running the country on a credit card. We have talked many times about the policies that were put into place as a result of that, all the spending that took place. They were running the country on a credit card. Well, guess what? Like any credit card that any American would use, eventually the bill comes due. And that's what this recession is about. The bill has come due. Now, with any credit card, there is interest that's accumulated with that. And we have talked before and it's incredibly important to the discussion to think about when you think, where are we going to go with this stimulus plan, is this the right course of action. One of the largest line items in the entire Federal budget is interest on the national debt. It's going to be somewhere in the neighborhood of $300 billion this budget year for just interest on the national debt--$300 billion. That's a lot of money. That's money that's going to interest. And that's because of the decisions that had been made in the past, but there is nothing we can do about that. There is nothing we can do about what was in place when President Obama took office and when the 111th Congress took office. But what we can do something about is where do we go from here. So we have talked enough about how we got here. Where do we go from here? It was the vast majority of the American people and certainly the majority of both the House and the Senate believed that the best course of action was to immediately inject some funding into the economy, yes, in the temporary way that's going to increase our debt even more, which is what we heard from the previous special order. But the cost of doing nothing would have increased the debt even more. Because when you have a downward spiral in the economy like we have, when you lose 500,000 jobs in November, 550,000 in December, 600,000 in January, and you see that that is going to be the continuing process if we do nothing, those are people that are no longer taxpayers, because they are out of work. Those are people that, in many cases, are now receiving social services, often Federal money; that, instead of paying into the system, are receiving from the system by the hundreds of thousands every month with no end in sight, if we do nothing. The economy, the economic slowdown, the lack of credit, the foreclosures that take place, all of that, along with unemployment, increases our debt more in the long term and even the short term than we had to do with our stimulus. So that's what that was about. It was about putting money back in the hands of the American people through tax cuts that affect 95 percent of the American people, a tax cut for 95 percent. It's about putting money in every sector of the economy, spreading it and casting that net as wide as we possibly could to connect to every community in the country and make sure that they can share in the economic recovery that we hope this plan leads to. There is no guarantee of what that level of success is going to be. In fact, there is no guarantee of success at all. We are very hopeful, but there is one guarantee: If we had done nothing, the situation would get worse. That is the guarantee. Mr. Boccieri.

Mr. ALTMIRE. I thank the gentleman. Tomorrow, on Thursday, we expect the President to drop off his budget here in the Congress so we can all have a look at the details of the plan that were discussed last night. And what I find so exciting and so refreshing about the approach that we are going to see with this budget is we are going to consider the economic policies, moving forward, in their entirety. What are some of the major issues that affect every family, every individual, every small business, every business in this country? Well, energy, health care, and education. Those are three things that have been neglected for a very long time in Congresses both Republican and Democrat. But that is over, because we have a President, as we heard last night, who understands that the only long-term solution to the economic problems that we have today is to solve our energy crisis, our dependence on foreign oil that Mr. Boccieri referred to. We have to find a way to improve our health care delivery system, to increase access, so that we don't have 43 million Americans that lack any health insurance, we don't have small businesses that experience double-digit cost increases year after year. Less than half of small businesses in the country are able to offer health care to their employees at all. And by including in the discussion on the economy health care, energy, and education, we are taking a comprehensive look at the future of America, at the issues that are going to allow America to remain the preeminent Nation in the world for knowledge and innovation and technology. And that's something that, by looking at it together, we are going to be able to continue that success, dig our way out of the ditch that we are in right now with the economy, but not forget about the issues that have to be a part of that, moving forward, including a look at government spending, as we have talked about, and the other policy issues. Mr. Boccieri.

Mr. ALTMIRE. I thank the gentleman. I will take the opportunity to wrap up. We have, over the last two election cycles, heard the message from the American people. I think the first time around it was a referendum on the policies of the past, that they wanted to move in a new direction and they weren't happy with the way things had gone. But the second election, the one that we just came through several months ago, was about turning the country around and moving in a new direction, and that is what we have done. We can have disagreements. I am sure the gentleman from Texas is going to express some of that disagreement following us, which is great. That is what democracy is all about. But I do want the American people to consider, Madam Speaker, that they have got what they voted for over the past two election cycles. They got a change in direction. They got new policies in this Congress, new policies at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue. And we are all hoping for success. I am sure my friend from Texas is hoping for success as well. We need to turn the country around. But I do want the American people to know that this Congress and the new administration are dedicated to moving this country forward, to implementing the changes that the American people voted for and asked us to engage on in their behalf. So I would thank the gentleman from Connecticut and thank the gentleman from Ohio and welcome him to the 30-somethings. And I would say that any American who wants to learn more about Mr. Boccieri and the 30-Something Group can go to the House Web site, which is speaker.gov/30something with the number 30, and learn all about our new member from Ohio and any other member of the 30- somethings they want.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. I want to thank the gentleman from Connecticut. There's no one in this House--a lot of us care and work hard for health care-- but that works on health care more and cares more than Mr. Murphy, and I appreciate you putting this together. And the reason this is an important issue is because it affects everybody. It affects every individual. It affects every family. It affects every business in America. Health care is something that we all need, and health care is something that we all have a right to. Now, there's differences of opinion on what reform should look like, but there's no difference of opinion that our system is broken. And if you look at the facts, we as a Nation spend almost $2.5 trillion on health care as a country, far more than any other country in the world; yet we still get mediocre results when compared to other countries in some things like life expectancies and infant mortality, and Mr. Kennedy talked a little bit about that earlier. Now, we're the not in the middle of the pack. We're in the bottom of the pack in some of those when compared to other countries. Now, if you can afford to get in and if you have access to the system and if you're one of the fortunate that has a quality health plan and you don't have any preexisting conditions, then you might say, well, we have the finest health care system anywhere in the world. And that's true, too, for that segment that's able to access our health care system. The problem that we have is we have 50 million Americans, approaching that number, that lack any health insurance at all; 50 million people with no health care. As the gentleman from Connecticut talked about earlier, it's a common misconception to say those are people that it's their own fault, they should have health care, they should get a job. Three-quarters of those people have a job or they live in a household where the head of the household has a job. They don't have health care. We passed an expansion of SCHIP in this Congress in the past 2 weeks here, signed into law by President Obama, that extends 4 million children access to the SCHIP program. Those are working families. Those are kids that didn't have health care. They live in families that work hard and play by the rules, but they can't afford health care for their kids. Is there anything more important that we could be doing for our children than making sure they have access to quality health care? And if you look at our country, a big issue that we talked about in the stimulus was the information technology system in this country. And I just think it's crazy that you can go--I live in Pittsburgh. So somebody who lives in San Diego, they might not think this is so crazy. But if you live in Pittsburgh and you go to San Diego and you put your bank card in the ATM machine, you can pull up all your records in a safe and secure way, all your financial documents, get your balance. You don't worry about it. You don't think about privacy. But if on that same trip you show up in the emergency room in San Diego and you need services, they can't pull up your record. They don't have your family medical history. They don't have your allergies. They don't have your imaging, your X-rays. They don't know anything about you, and you start from scratch, and they're going to ask you half a dozen times when you're there, what are you allergic to. It's crazy that health care is the only industry in the country that doesn't have an interconnected information technology system. You would think that would be the most important one to have it. We don't have it. Now, there are some health systems in this country, including the VA, that has done a pretty good job of putting together an information technology system, but what we can't allow happen is that we develop a nationwide network of small information systems that are incompatible with each other because that doesn't solve the problem at all. So, what we tried to do in the discussion of the stimulus package was put together a roadmap for the future with information technology systems so that anywhere you go in this country, if you need health care, you can pull up your records in a safe and secure way. And with health care changing the way that it is and treatment protocols changing, the patient will have access to that, and in some cases, in a safe and secure way, the patient who is a diabetic from home that does their own self-tests can update their own record in conjunction with their physician. So these are things that we need to aspire to in the future. We cannot allow our health care system to continue to languish behind the times of technology, and we certainly cannot continue to allow 50 million Americans and growing every day to go without health care. Because it's been said many times in this hour and many times before, we have people that do have health care outside of that 50 million that are one accident or injury or illness away from losing everything. The gentleman said it a moment ago. Those are the people that are lucky enough to have health insurance. I hear from small businesses in my district all the time, with say 10 employees. They will say if one of their employee's kids, not the employee, the employee's kid gets sick or injured, they get a phone call from the insurance company, and they say, well, you're too big of a risk, we have to drop you. What's the point of having health insurance if you only have it until you need it, until somebody needs to use it? That's not what health insurance is supposed to be about. We need to find a way to allow small businesses to pool their employees, either through their States or their regions or metropolitan statistical areas or, moving forward, the entire Nation. Put them all in the same community-rated risk pool and say that your individual health status doesn't matter when setting your rates. You can still have the same choices in the market. You can still, as an employer, choose what coverage you're going to offer your employees. And you as an employee have the same choice, but the insurance company can't use your individual health status to set your rates. And that would make the system more fair. But the larger issue moving forward, as the gentleman said, and I'll conclude, is we have to find a way to ensure the highest quality care that is available to some parts of our society is available to everyone, to all 300-plus million Americans in this country, has access to the highest quality care, and they have health care not just when they do need it, but when they do need it. That's the key. Again, we're going to have a long discussion about what does reform look like. We've talked about it before. And that's an issue that this Nation needs to come to terms with. But there can be no disagreement on the need for health care reform which, once we get past this economic situation that we're in now, has to be the number one course of action for this Congress. I thank the gentleman.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Tomorrow we commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. While it's tempting to think that there could not possibly be anything original or profound left to say about Lincoln, that's not why we commemorate this occasion. The life of Lincoln is more than the story of our greatest President. It is the story of America itself. We are not here to repeat the history of the man who was elected at a time of unprecedented national challenge, tested time and again by adversity, and taken away during his moment of greatest glory. All of that is known and has been discussed and studied by students and scholars the world over. But that is not what this bicentennial was about. This is a celebration of America, because the life of Abraham Lincoln is, in and of itself, a celebration of America. Abraham Lincoln is the everlasting embodiment of the American dream-- the belief that any American, through hard work and determination, can achieve anything their imagination and perseverance can conceive. Born in a Kentucky log cabin in 1809, he would have seemed to be among the least likely Americans to live a life of distinction. That is why his story is so important to America. It could have been the story of any one of us--of any American. Throughout his early life, he was never considered extraordinary. He tried many jobs and went through many phases. Farmer, rail splitter, raftsman, shopkeeper, lawyer, and politician. And through it all he met with his times of failure, but he also had his times of success. He served just a single term in this U.S. House of Representatives, and would not achieve national prominence until much later, when his own ambition collided with our Nation's destiny. And it's what came next that brought Lincoln to his moment and America to her rebirth. We know about the Lincoln-Douglas debates, the Gettysburg Address, and the Second Inaugural. We know about the Emancipation Proclamation, the Team of Rivals, and the ups and downs of the Civil War. We know about the surrender at Appomattox and that fateful night at Ford's Theater. All of those are etched into our Nation's history. They're the reasons that Abraham Lincoln, the man, is immortalized. But they are not the reason that we commemorate the bicentennial of his birth. Now and forevermore, the role of Lincoln in the American memory is to remind us that, in America, everything is possible. Like Lincoln's own life, our Nation's history has not been perfect, it has not been without tragedy, and not been without adversity. But, also like Lincoln, as we strive for recovery, endure our hardships and mourn our losses, we as a Nation will always overcome. And, in the end, we celebrate our success. And Abraham Lincoln is one of our Nation's greatest successes. Now, a lot has been written and said about Abraham Lincoln over these past 200 years. In fact, more words have been written about Abraham Lincoln than any other American. Every one of our 50 States and many of our cities have some sort of memorial to him, the most famous of which is located just down the National Mall from this Capitol building. And that Lincoln Memorial, which we treasure, and we can see from here, was dedicated in 1922--87 years ago. Four score and 7 years ago. In life, he was taken from us far too soon, but in history he will always endure. Now and forever he truly does belong to the ages. Some have said that without Abraham Lincoln, there may not be a United States of America. Well, this can be debated, but one thing is certain. Without a United States of America, there could never have been an Abraham Lincoln. And that is what we celebrate.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Mr. Speaker, to paraphrase an old NFL films episode, there are 31 teams in the National Football League, and then there are the Pittsburgh Steelers. By winning their NFL record sixth Super Bowl this past Sunday, the Steelers have now truly gone where no team has gone before. I want to congratulate the Rooney family, especially team owner Dan and president Art Rooney, the architects of yet another championship team. Head coach Mike Tomlin now goes down in history as the youngest coach to ever win a Super Bowl. And while every player played a role, special congratulations go out to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who engineered one of the greatest clutch drives ever, linebacker James Harrison, who scored on the longest play in Super Bowl history, and game MVP Santonio Holmes, whose spectacular touchdown catch sealed the win. Congratulations again to ``Six-Burgh'' and fans across the Steelers Nation.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. I thank the gentleman. Mr. Chairman, today this House will vote on the largest economic recovery package in this Nation's history. After weeks of discussion and debate, we have come to a compromise bill that incorporates different points of view and makes the necessary hard choices. Funding in this bill rebuilds crumbling roads and bridges, locks and dams, it improves security on our borders and our ports, it repairs and maintains our VA and DOD health facilities, modernizes our schools, laboratories and classrooms. But, most important, this economic recovery package will put people back to work and put money back in their pockets with a tax cut for 95 percent of working families in America. It will create jobs, get the economy moving again, and leave this country with items of lasting significance to show for it. Mr. Chairman, we simply cannot wait any longer to help our economy and get this country moving again. Passage of this bill is a necessary step in that direction.

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 4707, the year of the ox. 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 4707. 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. Madam Speaker, remember the ``Drill here, Drill Now'' rallying cry we heard nonstop on this floor? Even when the lights were off and Congress was in recess, the other side stood here in the dark, with their charts and graphs, blaming Democrats for high gas prices. If only we would allow drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf, they said, the oil companies would expand exploration and produce oil in record amounts. Well, we opened up the OCS for the first time in 20 years, and now the oil companies are free to explore and drill without restriction. But the oil companies are reducing exploration. That's right. We opened up the OCS to the oil companies and they responded by cutting back on exploration. Where is the outrage from my colleagues on the other side? Congress did its part. So when gas prices inevitably go back up, I hope they will focus their ``Drill Baby Drill'' chants directly on the oil companies.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Madam Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Education and Labor be discharged from further consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 1440) expressing support for designation of the month of October as ``National Work and Family Month,'' and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. ALTMIRE. I have an amendment to the preamble at the desk.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Education and Labor be discharged from further consideration of H. Res. 875 and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.