Earl Blumenauer

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. I would be honored to.

Mr. BLUMENAUER. And I continue to yield.

Mr. BLUMENAUER. I want to thank the chairman for his expression of support. I just would conclude by saying that we want to make sure that this bill goes forward for the things the American people need, and we can work on the long term for these other solutions. And I appreciate the gentleman's clarification----

Mr. BLUMENAUER. I appreciate the gentleman yielding me this time to speak on this, and his leadership in bringing this measure to the floor. This is an important element to bring together to finally wrap up and end a game of political ping-pong. We have passed four times through the House of Representatives these critical energy provisions, along with the tax extenders. We have a proposal before us today that is something that our friends on the other side of the Capitol ought to be able to accept. It meets all of the needs of things that we all agree should be part of this legislation, and it is paid for by using provisions all of which have already passed the other body. These are not controversial. These are things on which there is agreement. We can meld these together and be able to have the provisions that are so critical for research and development, for solar, for wind. There are others obviously that deal with important parts of our economy and items that relate to individual families in terms of tax extenders. There is something in this legislation for virtually everybody on the floor of the House, for the people that we represent, and in terms that do not have to be controversial. Indeed, our chairman of Ways and Means took out a provision that is near and dear to his heart, a proposal that was a recommendation from the President of the United States, to keep the American commitment at Ground Zero; not that it's not important, but it's not there in order to make this a clean tax bill and to minimize controversy. There have been some concerns about the rural schools provision. I come from the State of Oregon. I have been here working in a bipartisan basis, to atone for what the last Republican-controlled Congress did, where they allowed this provision to expire. The Republicans chose not to renew it, so we started from scratch. We had to scramble to find a budget home. I see my colleague, Peter DeFazio from Oregon here, who's been a champion trying at every turn to move this forward. And we've actually got it through in several provisions through the House of Representatives. It's ironic that there are some who would come to the floor, and sadly, as we heard them, attack the Speaker, the Rules Committee Chair in the past and others who are trying to help us and whose leadership is critical. I've talked to the majority leader a few minutes ago. You just heard his words on the floor as he told me privately that he would continue to work with us. We're not done yet. Let's look for a provision in which we could get help for rural school. The best way to do it is to take people at their word, yes, try and work with them, and yes, not to insult the people who we're relying on to help us guide it through. I would hope we are people of goodwill. The rural schools funding is not a tax provision and not germane. I hope we can find an opportunity in an economic stimulus bill or something else, that is appropriate. I want to deal with the problem at Ground Zero. But let's not muddy the waters on this bill. Let's not vote against the rule. Let's not disparage people whose help we need at a time when there are all sorts of things going on here and we're going to need to work together cooperatively.

Mr. BLUMENAUER. And your leadership.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, today we take up the final Defense Authorization bill of the Bush administration. Those who know me and know my record will understand why, although I support the progress we've made at rolling back some of the most egregious Bush defense priorities, I cannot vote for this Defense policy bill. In this time of extreme economic uncertainty, we cannot afford to prop up a bloated Department of Defense. Defense Authorization bills outline priorities and benchmarks for spending, and I believe this bill proposes levels that are too high and for the wrong priorities. For eight years we have seen the Defense budget balloon under President Bush and today we spend more on defense than the rest of the world combined. I have long pointed out that programs like the Future Combat System's fighting vehicles and the National Missile Defense system would be justifiable if the major threat to our security was a modern version of the Soviet Union. It is not. I applaud the Democratic cuts to the funding levels requested by the President, though we must do better. As with other programs, the quantity of money spent says little about the quality of return. Indeed, investing in outdated systems makes us less secure and comes at the expense of smarter, modern defense tools. We must invest in systems that confront the real and looming threats of terrorists and rogue states. We must cultivate our personnel into a smart and agile force with a range of tools to engage the world. We must create a security strategy that recognizes the equal importance of diplomacy, development, and defense and understands the linkages between poverty, environmental health, and economic security. In particular, I would like to see the Pentagon institute strong safeguards regarding the interrogation of prisoners and fully invest in the environmental restoration of past defense sites. I thank Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter for the progress we've made so far on these issues, and for supporting my unexploded ordnance amendment which made detection technology a priority for the Pentagon. There are the beginnings of a major shift in this Defense Authorization bill. I believe that after the upcoming election, when the nation has time to evaluate just how out-of-touch the Pentagon is, we will be able to have a more thoughtful assessment of what our Defense Department should look like and what activities it should be engaged in. I look forward to this thoughtful discussion.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, while there are some positive steps taken in this legislation to help those hurt by recent disasters, additional funding for cleaning up unexploded ordnance around the country, and some important funding for our veterans, I am extremely disappointed that this bill does not include an extension of the Secure Rural Schools program. The expiration of this program would be a true disaster for my state of Oregon. While the Pacific Northwest states may be the hardest hit by expiration of the program, more than 40 other states from California to Louisiana to Texas will also feel significant impacts. Clackamas County, in my district, could lose nearly $12.5 million in funding that is crucial to its public and ecological health. In addition to having to lay off teachers and other school employees, other important county programs will be curtailed. Clackamas has already discontinued their road maintenance program this year. The county is also planning to close community health clinics because it is unable to continue the necessary level of funding. I hope that the House leadership will figure out some way to extend this safety net for rural counties before the end of the year. I also oppose this bill because it is letting our decades-long moratorium on drilling offshore expire. This means that, starting next week, the Interior Department can prepare leases for oil rigs as close as 3 miles off our coasts. While I may disagree with my Republican colleagues about the environmental and economic impact of drilling on our nation's coasts, there is little disagreement about how this will impact gas prices-- because it won't. Even the Bush administration's own Department of Energy agrees that more drilling will make no difference for at least a decade, and even then any impact on the price at the pump would be insignificant. I had hoped that we would at least be able to include provisions of the House-passed energy bill that extended the moratorium to 50 miles off shore, but it appears that even that reasonable compromise is not enough for those who want to keep America addicted to oil. I don't think this is the end of the story, and I hope the new Congress and new administration will move quickly to enact sensible protections for our coastal communities. Lastly, I feel that holding funding to fiscal year 2008 levels for many important domestic programs from education to health to transportation will further hurt families at a time when they are already being squeezed by higher food and energy prices and a slumping economy.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, the alternative minimum tax was introduced to the tax code in 1969 to capture a small number of millionaires who had escaped tax liability. Since that laudable beginning, however, the tax has morphed from a millionaire's tax to a middle class tax. In fact, a failure to pass an alternative minimum tax patch this year will result in millions of additional families being subject to that tax. In my district alone, H.R. 7005 will prevent over 40,000 additional taxpayers from facing the AMT. Nationally, the alternative minimum tax would, but for this bill, affect over 50 percent of taxpayers with incomes between $50,000 and $100,000 this year. This is a tax on nearly every middle class family-- and it falls hardest on those raising a family. A 1-year patch is necessary to protect those families. It is for those reasons that I reluctantly voted in favor of this legislation. However, a piecemeal, year-by-year approach that places the burden on our children's credit cards is insufficient for a challenge of this magnitude. When Congress returns to this issue, I am looking forward to permanently reforming the alternative minimum tax in a way that does not add to our national deficit.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, it has been a painful experience for all of us watching this slow-motion economic train wreck get worse and worse. One of the lessons over the last dozen years that I have been in Congress is that it matters deeply who is in the White House. One can just look at the bankruptcy legislation, the so-called ``reform,'' as it worked its way through Congress getting actually worse in various iterations. When Bill Clinton was no longer there to veto it, it was embraced by the Bush administration and enacted into law to the detriment of the vast majority of American citizens. One looks at how for 13 years when the Fed Chairman refused to use the authority to reign in the subprime mortgage madness, the ``froth'' that Mr. Greenspan referred to. We went from the firm leadership of the Clinton White House Treasury Team of Rubin and Summers to the drift of the Bush Treasury with O'Neill and Snow. I appreciate the efforts by Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Frank to protect the taxpayers, to rein in the people who have driven these companies over the edge and our economy into the ditch, to assure that they don't profit from any Federal bailout, to stop the golden parachutes. This may seem to some to be relatively small potatoes given the hundreds of billions of dollars that are being tossed around, but it is incredibly important in terms of the signals we are going to send to people who are going to behave recklessly in the management of corporations. It is critical that we don't rub the nose of the public in this failure by rewarding people who have helped create this disaster. It's important that we take the time to craft this properly, to have a shorter leash for the Treasury, particularly because there is such a dramatic difference that we are hearing on the campaign trail between a Senator McCain, who has repeatedly said that the fundamentals of the economy are strong even as he has advocated policies and has been counseled by people like Phil Gramm who helped make those fundamentals weaker. Senator Obama has appropriately highlighted the problems, proposing reasonable solutions, while convening groups of people who understand the problem, who have credibility, and the reasonable principles and solution. Some of the key elements that should be pursued from my perspective are, first and foremost, to not put the taxpayer on the hook for any more than is absolutely necessary. That sounds simple, but we see proposals coming forward that would have us not simply mark to market, to just buy the value of the damaged items but things that are going to actually accelerate the amount of loss. It is important that we get something in return, get back equity. This is not unprecedented. This is just what happened a few days ago with insurance giant AIG, and it should be a principle that is applied to any other institutions that are going to receive Federal assistance. It is absolutely critical that we focus on two groups that we need to be more sensitive to than the reckless and the greedy: homeowners and retirees. It is important to stabilize the middle class housing market on which so much of not just our economy but the stability of our communities relies. Today's retirees are in danger of paying the greatest price of all. Many are already losing what they thought were lifetime guarantees of health care and pensions as corporations they retired from rewrite the rules. Too many have less saved, they have longer lives in retirement, and they are going to be forced to deal with more risk than ever before. All of this suggests, while I think we are moving in the right direction changing some of these proposals, just because the Secretary of the Treasury and the Fed Chair made some rash comments about urgency, Congress should not rush it; it needs the time to get this right.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, I opposed the 2005 Bankruptcy Act in part because of its egregious support for abusive credit card practices. H.R. 5244 works to knock down some of those supports. This bill represents one step toward fixing some of the worst aspects of that bankruptcy bill and one step towards resolving the challenges facing our nation's consumers and I support it. It is outrageous that as the financial crisis has spread, credit card companies have imposed higher delinquency fees. Double-cycle billing, unfair penalties, and arbitrary rate increases likely are also part of the credit card industry's response. This bill would put a stop to many of the most egregious practices by credit card companies. This bill ends ``double-cycle billing,'' where consumers pay interest and fees even where they have paid their obligation fully and on time. This bill also requires that cards allocate consumer payments proportionally to debt carrying different interest rates--rather than allocating the payment to the debt carrying the lowest interest rate. In short, I support this bill because it provides added protections for consumers, and I will continue to work to end abusive credit card and bankruptcy practices.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3036, the No Child Left Inside Act of 2008. This bipartisan legislation extends the National Environmental Education Act through 2009 and strengthens the Environment Education Training Program. It also establishes a capacity building grant program to help States and school districts expand environmental education. Today's students are our future workforce and they must be quipped to face the myriad of challenges that threaten our Nation. Our country faces an energy crisis, air quality concerns, climate change, and diminishing natural resources. It is vitally important that environmental education become an integrated part of the curriculum, and that our students be trained in the tools necessary for future careers in green technology. In my home State of Oregon, Portland State University has a renowned sustainability program that has just been boosted by a $25 million foundation challenge grant. PSU already partners with schools throughout the community to teach children about environmental sustainability. Because of today's legislation, schools across the country will have similar opportunities as those students in Oregon to learn the value of our resources and gain the skills necessary to be key players in America's future green economy.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chairman, the Childers amendment to the National Capital Security and Safety Act is deeply flawed. We continue to treat the residents of the District of Columbia as members of a colony, hampering their ability to govern themselves. We ought not to have Congress be the State legislature or city council for 580,000 people. For the tens of thousands of Oregonians who visit our Nation's capital each year, traveling with their children to experience America's history and culture, and as someone who lives in DC for 30 percent of the year and has worked with victims of gun violence, this legislation is neither comforting nor sound policy. The imposition on local government would throw out all locally approved gun safety measures, including handgun registration and the semiautomatic ban, and even go as far as removing all age restrictions on gun purchase, permitting a 6-year-old to purchase a deadly weapon. It is best for Congress not to do the National Rifle Association's bidding, forcing DC to be their showcase for eliminating all boundaries of gun safety. I urge my colleagues to respect home rule and common sense.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the ``Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act.'' It looks like the Republican mantra of ``drill, baby, drill!'' and their threat to hold the entire operation of government hostage in order to eliminate the decades-old ban on drilling off our coasts may actually end up doing a favor to those of us who want a comprehensive and sustainable approach to energy policy. Ironically, there is not much controversy about the impact of more drilling on gas prices. Even the Bush administration's own Department of Energy agrees that more drilling will make no difference for two up to decades, and even then any impact on the price at the pump would be insignificant. When it comes to drilling, the real issue is about surrendering more of our energy future to a handful of large oil companies to develop when they want to, according to their terms, and whether or not we are going to get full value for the taxpayer dollar. The American citizens, after all, own our oil and the evidence is that other countries drive a stronger bargain for their oil than we do. Indeed, the comic, yet tragic Inspector General's report about mismanagement, collusion, conflict of interest, partying, and even sexual liaisons between the Three Stooges operation that is the Minerals Management Service and the industry they are supposed to regulate, is an example of the failure of the Republican oil administration. It is also the fault of the Republicans, who ran Congress until recently, and who are even less concerned about providing adult supervision. I am proud that the Democrats have responded today with a wide- ranging proposal that offers opportunities for some responsible drilling for gas and oil, but goes far beyond just drilling This bill ensures that taxpayers get fair value for the oil from public lands and waters and provides additional incentives for renewable energy and conservation. It presents another opportunity to extend the production tax credits so essential to the emerging new sustainable green energy sources like wind and solar which, despite having passed the House five times, is still resisted by Republicans in the Senate and the President. I am also pleased that this bill recognizes that giving Americans transportation choices will help reduce the pain at the pump by expanding service and reducing transit fares for commuter rail and buses. This legislation puts all the pieces together in a comprehensive, thoughtful way that answers the legitimate concerns of the American public with more than a bumper sticker solution. As is always the case in the legislative process in a democracy, this bill is not everything that anyone person would want. For example, I would prefer to extend the moratorium on drilling off our shores for more than just 50 miles. However, compared to the Republicans' one-dimensional, disingenuous approach to energy policy, in which they seek to obscure their 7\1/2\ years of mismanagement and misdirection, this bill is certainly light- years ahead. It will also provide a framework to look at the big picture between now and November and an important point of departure for a new administration and Congress to follow through. We are not going to reverse years of myopia and mismanagement overnight; certainly not in one bill in the few remaining weeks of this Congress. Today, we do have an opportunity to tie the pieces together in a way that will move us further along to solving the problem rather than dueling sound bites.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. I appreciate the gentleman's courtesy, and I appreciate this coming forward. It's somewhat ironic to listen to our friends on the other side of the aisle dust off the old canard about earmarks. It's a bit awkward for them, as we're finding out that Governor Palin was not just for them but aggressively lobbying for them before she was against them. And all the earmarks the gentleman talks about were under the Republican watch. They controlled the last transportation bill. But I am pleased that the administration has had a change of heart. It's withdrawing its veto threat to ensure the fulfillment of the highway trust fund. This is serious business, and I hope it would be one of the areas where we Republicans and Democrats could come together. Making sure that we don't lose the over $14 billion of highway, bridge and other transportation funding and hundreds of thousands of construction, engineering and design jobs that are at risk right now is absolutely essential. I'm pleased that Congress is taking this step to make sure that we do not move in the wrong direction because communities, large and small, urban and rural, are suffering from failing infrastructure. I spent last week with my friend, Mike Simpson, in Idaho, dealing with those issues in his State, and it's nothing partisan or ideological about it. It's time for us to come forward and make this initiative. It's so bad that the American Society of Civil Engineers has given our Nation's infrastructure overall a grade of D minus. Today the Federal Government is investing less than we have as a percent of our Gross Domestic Product than we have for 50 years. And we're falling behind our competitors around the world. I'm hopeful that we can move forward today with this as a first step towards a comprehensive approach to deal with rebuilding and renewing America dealing with its energy needs, its water, transportation and infrastructure, so that we can make sure that all our communities are livable and our families safer, healthier and more economically secure.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, on the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, I join every American in honoring the innocent men, women, and children who lost their lives to those attacks. I pay tribute to their memory, and extend my deepest sympathies to the loved ones they left behind. I also honor the brave first responders--the firefighters, policemen, and ordinary citizens--who so courageously risked and, in many cases, gave their lives for others. Over the past seven years, Americans have worked tirelessly to prevent further attacks and protect the American people. The 110th Congress joined them by focusing on keeping our country safe and has wisely implemented the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. We now have vastly improved security on our rail and public transit systems, more robust screening of aircraft and seaborne cargo, and strengthened law enforcement capabilities. Those who perpetrated the attacks of September 11, 2001 must be brought to justice. I am determined to see the next administration rectify the grave mismanagement that has allowed many of these terrorists to go unpunished. We must also acknowledge that today's threats--terrorism, global economic upheaval, worldwide epidemics, and environmental devastation-- are nuanced and interconnected and cannot be addressed by military force alone. Protecting our security demands that we cooperate with our neighbors and promote wise governance. We must address global poverty, promote wise stewardship of natural resources, and provide aid to developing and devastated peoples. It is the first-order duty of Congress to keep Americans safe. As we commemorate the seventh anniversary of 9/11, I join Americans across our Nation in grieving for loved ones lost, and in honoring the heroes among us. I resolve to do all in my power to prevent a tragedy like this from happening again.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I strongly supported H.R., 3221, the American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008. Buried in the provisions of this bill, however, in section 3082, on page 680, is an expansion of the Gulf Opportunity Zone to two additional counties in Alabama. One of these counties is nearly 300 miles from the coast. This section doesn't have much to do with housing. This expansion is designed to provide a subsidy for National Steel Car, a Canadian rail car manufacturer. This subsidy is unnecessary for two reasons. First, the plant is already under construction and will be operational by this time next year. Second, Alabama was under a contractual obligation to provide the subsidy itself if Congress did not. The United States has a domestic rail car industry, with plants and facilities around the country. In fact, one borders my district, and it recently laid off over 100 employees because of the economic pressures on the industry. That company also has a facility in Alabama, but it won't benefit from this tax provision. In Congress, we often talk about not picking winners, of letting the market make these decisions rather than the Congress, of leveling playing fields rather than tilting them. But here we picked a winner. We held a secret bidding process and a Canadian company won, despite the fact that they would have made this investment anyway. The longer we pursue this method of doling out tax breaks, the harder real reform will be. The legislation I introduce today will ensure that these Alabama counties are able to benefit from the expanded GO Zone. The legislation also ensures, however, that taxes paid by the domestic rail car industry do not go to subsidizing their competitors and that we remove this rifleshot from the tax code.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. I appreciate the gentlewoman's courtesy in permitting me to speak. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule and the underlying bill. This is a critical piece of legislation that speaks to the quality of life of our men and women in uniform. One of the consequences of having the most effective, powerful military force in the world is that we have a great deal of activity that takes place training and operating military facilities across the country. And, sadly, Mr. Speaker, one of the areas that we have not been quite as good as we should is dealing with the consequences of those military operations. The American landscape are littered with the residue of past military operations, base operations, and training exercises. There are bombs, explosives, military toxins and environmental hazards in every State of the union, over 3,000 sites across America. One of the things I have worked on since I came to Congress was to have the Department of Defense and, most important, we in Congress do a better job of helping the military clean up after itself. I have come to this floor repeatedly with examples where bombs have turned up in people's backyards. I see the former chairman of the committee from California on the floor and am reminded of the three young children in San Diego who discovered bombs in a subdivision, and two of them were killed. Over 60 more people have been killed according to my research here in the United States. It is time for us to take responsibility to clean up that explosive and toxic legacy, in part because it's not going to get any cheaper. Over the years it's going to cost more and more. Failure to do this right puts innocent children's lives at risk. Remember when we came to the floor with a coloring book that told children what they should do when they found unexploded ordinances near their schools. The Pentagon had Larry the Lizard trying to tell them what to do, when they found a shell . . . rather than spending money to clean it up and remove that hazard. I am pleased that this year we are fully funding the--the 2005 BRAC account. I am pleased with the leadership from Chairman Edwards, Ranking Member Wamp and my good friend Mr. Farr from California, who has been struggling with this issue for years in his district, they were able to put an additional $80 million to clean up the legacy of BRAC sites. I appreciate that this is a difficult budget year but it's always a difficult budget year, and we never seem to quite have enough to deal with the environmental problems that face our Department of Defense. I hope that this is a start in the right direction for a renewed commitment to clean up this toxic legacy that risks American lives here in this country and will develop new technology that will actually save American lives overseas in places like Iraq and Afghanistan if we do it right. I hope it makes possible more progress in the future, and I urge support.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. I appreciate the gentleman's courtesy in permitting me to speak on this measure and for the hard work that the chairman and the ranking member have done. This is truly a landmark reauthorization. We're all pleased to see it come forward. The major challenge of this century is literally the future of the planet, global warming, sustainable development in a water-stressed, energy short, carbon-constrained world. To help us cope, this higher education reauthorization incorporates the provision of our Higher Education Sustainability Act. Inspired by the late Debbie Murdock from Portland State University, it will fund programs in our colleges and universities for research, for training of students, for sustainability practices on campus. It also does direct the Secretary of Education to convene a sustainability summit to be able to showcase all these best practices. One of the things that I am pleased about as I travel around the country, is looking at the environmental progress on our campuses. This legislation will help accelerate that vital process, and I deeply appreciate what the committee has done.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentlelady's courtesy in permitting me to speak in favor of this rule and the underlying bill. It's exciting to see this landmark reauthorization come forward, and particularly given the range of advantages that are going to be given to young people around the country strengthening communities and opportunities for higher education. Mr. Speaker, one of the major challenges we face at this point deals literally with the future of the planet dealing with global warming and sustainable development in a water-stressed, energy-short, carbon- constrained world. I have been pleased to look in my community at colleges and universities that are doing pioneering work with developments on campus for sustainability, training students, and doing research. I am pleased that this legislation incorporates our Higher Education Sustainability Act of 2007, H.R. 3637, which provides provisions here that will help fund this research and training, sustainability practices on campus, to be able to make sure that the best practices that are being developed across the country can be incorporated into the day-to-day operations, that we can do more research, more training of students, and that we will be able to incorporate them into how campus life itself operates. Last but not least, I am pleased that the provision that would direct the secretary of education to convene a sustainability summit to have a national showcase of these best practices has been retained. This is an important element to make sure that our colleges and universities continue to be the change, the engine of innovation for the most vital challenge of our time dealing with global warming and sustainable development. I strongly urge support of this legislation and that each and every one of my colleagues look at these sustainability provisions and look at how they can be applied to their colleges and universities back home.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mark Covert who, on July 23rd, harked the 40th anniversary of an unparalleled running streak. Covert, a running coach and former elite athlete, has run at least one mile every day since July 23rd 1968. Overall, he has run 140,045 miles--and counting--since the streak began. The United States Running Streak Association lists Mark Covert as the current U.S. leader for the longest continuous streak. Although he currently lives in Lancaster, California, where he coaches the Antelope Valley College cross country and track teams, Covert's streak is actually a significant part of Oregon history. One of the most important ``daily runs'' of the streak came in 1972, when Covert ran in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials at the University of Oregon, in Eugene. Even though he just missed making the team, he still made history by being the first athlete to cross a finish line wearing an unusual pair of shoes with rubber soles that were made on a waffle iron. These so-called ``moon shoes'' were invented in the kitchen of an enterprising entrepreneur named Bill Bowerman. Bowerman, along with his partner Phil Knight, based an entire company and, indeed, an entire fitness movement, on these revolutionary shoes. The company, of course, is Nike, and Covert was one of the first employees in the early 1970s. He has stayed true to the legacy by running 117,028 miles in Nikes over the years. The partnership continued at this year's Olympic Track and Field Trials--held, once again, at the University of Oregon's historic Hayward Field--where Nike sold T-shirts honoring two different athletes--legendary Oregon runner Steve Prefontaine and, you guessed it, Mark Covert. As an important part of the U.S. running movement in its early years, Mark Covert's place in history was already secure. Now, through his current unmatched running streak, he continues to inspire and motivate thousands of runners around the country and around the world. I'd like to thank him for his commitment and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. I appreciate the gentleman's courtesy in permitting me to speak on this critical legislation. I rise in strong opposition to my friend from Arizona's assessment and in strong support for this legislation adjustment. The United States does have more and better infrastructure than any country in the world. The problem is that much of that infrastructure is fraying. It is being worn out. And it's not equal to the challenges that we have today for our own communities, much less to the international competition that we're facing around the world. We are facing a situation today with a highway trust fund that is going into deficit and it's going to be more serious over time. It would be the height of irresponsibility for this Congress to fail to keep pace with the needs of those programs. As my friend, Mr. Oberstar, who knows more about this than anybody in Congress, provided the context for the trust fund, and he could go on at great length about how the general fund, for years, was robbing the highway trust fund, using that to prop up and to disguise the nature of our true deficit. The fact is that uncertainty today with significant projects around the country in virtually every one of our States is going to have significant consequences in those communities if they're not cleared and move ahead. Many of these have complex funding projects. I was in southern Ohio and Kentucky this weekend where they're looking at a multi-State, multiyear project. If we have a cloud over our ability to keep these commitments, it slows and it confuses. It is going to cost jobs. It is going to cost economic activity. I think you can make an argument that it actually will end up costing the general fund money over time because of the hundreds of thousands of jobs that will be in limbo. I hope to continue to work with the Ways and Means Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to have a sustainable path to meet our transportation objectives in the future. Indeed, I hope to introduce legislation this summer for a water trust fund to be able to help some of those other responsibilities. It is important for us not to back away from our commitment to State and local partners. Time does not permit to talk about the potential byplay where ultimately it's not going to make any difference in terms of the deficit. It's just going to unravel projects and create problems down the line. Last but not least, the notion that somehow those Member-requested projects, God forbid, for street cars, for hiking paths, for bike trails that are among the most requested, the most popular, the most important, and I would daresay in a time of $4.50 a gallon gasoline and morbidly obese fourth graders, having bike and pedestrian activities not only saves energy, it's good for health. It's good for the economy of this country. I would strongly urge that each and every Member support this important legislation. And, more important, that they commit themselves to work with the Ways and Means Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to deal with the long-term financial and the long-term vision of how we're going to renew and rebuild America at a time of energy shortage, at a time of water stress and at a time of economic uncertainty. This is a way to make this system work better. I strongly urge its support.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Thank you, Mr. Neal, for your leadership and your courtesy. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support this package as it brings much- needed reforms to the industry, supports homeowners around the country and is much needed. I think it represents a lot of good, hard work. But I must make one point, because buried in the provisions of this bill in section 3082 on page 680 is an expansion of the Gulf Opportunity Zone to two counties in Alabama. One of those counties is 300 miles from the coast and doesn't have much to do with housing and has nothing to do with damage for Katrina. The reason I'm speaking to it is because it is an expansion designed to provide a subsidy for National Steel Car, a Canadian rail manufacturer. A subsidy unnecessary for two reasons: because the plant in question is already under construction, and that Alabama was already under a contractual obligation to provide this subsidy if Congress did not. The United States has a domestic railcar industry, with plants and facilities around the country. I put in the Record a list of the 18 factories around the United States and the four American corporate headquarters. U.S. Rail Car Facilities American Railcar Industries (2095 Employees as of 12/31/07) Corporate Headquarters, 10 Clark Street, St. Charles, MO 63301, 636-940-6000. Marmaduke Plant, 7755 Highway 34 E, Marmaduke, AR, 870-597- 2224. Milton Plant, 417 North Arch St., Milton, PA. Paragould Plant, 901 Jones Rd., Paragould, AR, 870-236- 6600. Trinity Industries (Rail Group: 7470 employees as of 12/31/07) Corporate Headquarters, 2525 Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, TX 75702, 800-631-4420. Longview Plant, 607 Fisher Rd., Longview, TX. Oklahoma City Plant, 2033 SW 22nd St., Oklahoma City, OK, 405-632-6631. Saginaw Plant #1, 104 E Bailey Boswell Rd., Saginaw, TX 817-232-3650. Saginaw Plant #2, 2850 Peden Rd., Saginaw, TX, 817-236- 7141. Ft. Worth Plant #1, 2548 NE 28th St., Fort Worth, TX, 817- 665-1400. Ft. Worth Plant #2, 1901 Brennan Ave., Fort Worth, TX, 817- 625-6225. Springfield Plant, 1849 North Park Avenue, Springfield, MO 65803-1985, 417-831-6797. Cartersville Plant, 190 Old Grassdale Road Northwest, Cartersville, GA 30121-5097, 770-382-9400. Winder Plant, 880 Airport Road, Winder, GA 30680. Freightcar America (576 employees as of 12/31/07) Corporate Headquarters, Two North Riverside Plaza, Suite 1250, Chicago, IL 60606, 312-928-0850. Danville, IL Plant, 2313 Cannon Street, Danville, Illinois 61832, 217-443-4106, Fax: 217-443-0750. Roanoke Plant, 830 Campbell Avenue SE, Roanoke, VA 24013, 540-853-3221, Fax: 540-853-3254. Johnstown, PA Facilities--JUST CLOSED, 17 Johns Street, Johnstown, PA 15901, 800-458-2235, Fax: 814-533-5010. The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. (Gunderson: 1036 employees as of 7/21/ 08) Corporate Headquarters, One Centerpointe Drive, Suite 200, Lake Oswego, OR 97035, 503-684-7000. Portland, OR Plant (Gunderson), 4350 NW Front Avenue, Portland, OR 97210, 503-224-1973. Progress Rail Corporate Headquarters, 1600 Progress Drive, Albertville,

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, we are soon going to be greeted by a photo-op in the Arctic with some of our Republican friends doing a little flyover. It is an example of their ``drillusion.'' We have been fighting the Republican energy policy that is trapped in the 1950s. For the first 12 years I was in Congress they made it impossible, indeed, sometimes even illegal to even study improving fuel efficiency standards for cars. For the last 7\1/2\ years, we have had two Texas oilmen in the White House, their secret energy task force, their disastrous 2005 Energy Act and, by the way, their Dept. of Energy which missed all 34 deadlines to improve appliance efficiency. And what do we get from years of Republican control and their energy policy? $4.35 cent a gallon gasoline. Democrats, from the beginning, have provided new energy incentives. We have improved auto fuel efficiency standards for the first time in 30 years. And today we are going to have the Drill Responsibly on Leased Lands Act, the DRILL Act, to use the millions of acres they already have to be able to provide oil for this country. Together we can solve this gas price crisis which is the result of the President's failed energy policy and our addiction to foreign oil.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. I was sort of shocked to hear my friend from New Mexico complaining about rules and regulations that fetter the oil- extraction industry as restrictions that make us Third World. Well, you know, think for a moment about the abuses we see worldwide in terms of corruption and environmental abuse, and we have those for a reason. But even if you're going to ignore that, if you think environmental protection and administrative controls are infringements on freedom and unnecessary, gee, as my friend from West Virginia points out, you passed an energy bill in 2005 that was supposed to streamline it. The Republicans and two oilmen have been in charge for the last 7\1/2\ years. If it doesn't work right, whose fault is that administratively? I would suggest the gentleman look in the mirror and then vote for our legislation.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased that the Democratic majority has taken a thoughtful and bipartisan approach to this year's Intelligence Authorization bill. I have expressed my concerns about the health of our intelligence community and appreciate the work that has been done to strengthen the Inspector General, increase contractor oversight, and invest in the training of our operatives. However, I am deeply troubled that this bill does not contain a prohibition on torture, which I believe is absolutely critical. Torture violates not only the laws and values of our country, but all standards of decent human conduct. I have consistently spoken out against the stonewalling and equivocation surrounding this administration's ``interrogation'' of detainees. I find it appalling that it has fallen solely to the legislative and judicial branches to set interrogation and detention standards worthy of our Nation. Yet I remain hopeful that the abuses of this administration will be checked by wise and thoughtful policy. I applauded the recent ``Boumediene v. Bush'' Supreme Court ruling that guarantees Guantanamo Bay detainees the right of habeas corpus. Further, I believe that extending the rules of the Army Field Manual to U.S. intelligence personnel sends a clear signal that we have broken with and are rolling back the abuses of this administration. I support a great deal of what this bill includes, yet my greatest concern is with what this bill omits. It is my hope that Congress will come together in conference to send a message to this administration and the world at large that Americans do not approve of, and will not stand for, torture.