Roy Blunt

Mr. BLUNT

Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Green).

Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 45 seconds. I would just remind the Members in the debate that this is about not $12 billion; it is really about $50 billion, $50 billion that the American people decide they want to give to charities to help their fellow citizens, and certainly that makes a difference in the character of the country. Anytime we individually reach out, frankly, that is more character developing than seeing the Government reach out. It does not mean there is not a place for the Government to reach out, but to suggest that it is a bad thing in any way to encourage people to reach out or to suggest that people who give money to church and charity every month will lie about whether they gave that money is inappropriate. I want to say how much I have appreciated the opportunity to work with the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Ford), my good friend. We came to Congress at the same time. We developed a bill here that has broad bipartisan support. That was voted unanimously out of the Committee on Ways and Means. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Ford).

Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Crane).

Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Crenshaw).

Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Feeney), the former Speaker of the House of Florida.

Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to say as I yield myself the remainder of my time that I appreciate the character of the debate, I appreciate the opportunity to work with the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Ford) and the members of the Committee on Ways and Means in bringing this bill to the floor. We look forward to passage today and a quick effort to work with our friends in the other body and see this bill on the President's desk become law and make a difference in the way people are encouraged to do things for others in their community and in our country and around the world.

Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Herger), a member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that the underlying parts of the Cardin substitute is of course the bill that we have on the floor today. The bill is provided for in the budget document we voted on some time ago. This is well within the amount that we had set aside for tax reduction. But this tax reduction multiplies many times the good things that are done for people with the money spent and the good things are done for society when you encourage people to give their money to others, to help others. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts).

Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Weldon).

Mr. BLUNT

Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, we come here today to remember the tragedy of 2 years ago and remember the changes that it has made in our country. Two years ago this morning, early in the morning, a beautiful day, much like today, we were at the end of a fairly long period of time in this country when there was a sense that there really was no role that only the Federal Government could perform, that many things that were done could be done at better places. By noon on this day 2 years ago, there was an understanding that there were some jobs that had to be done on behalf of all of us, from those of us who had the responsibility to work here in the Nation's Capitol. America was changed that day. I am pleased that the Congress has responded in the way it has, to quickly act in the environment that the founders did not intend to be quick, to even on that week 2 years ago respond and still today to have the ongoing concerns of establishing a new department, of facing our enemies in the world, of reaching out and putting our arms around those who suffered the tragedies of September 11. Certainly, that was a moment that changed America, a moment that changed this Congress, and it was a moment that changed the world. That was a moment that we recognize not just in silence but we recognize today in our activities all over the globe, at home and abroad to ensure that the enemies of freedom never prevail, and those who love freedom always know that they have strong friends in the United States of America and that we intend to be the symbol for freedom and free people everywhere.

Mr. BLUNT

Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that during consideration of H.R. 1528 pursuant to House Resolution 282, notwithstanding the ordering of the previous question, it may be in order at any time for the Chair to postpone further consideration of the bill until a later time to be designated by the Speaker.

Mr. BLUNT

Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, the purpose of this request to postpone votes or further consideration of the bill until a later time to be designated by the Speaker is just simply to allow the Members, and families that are in town and intend to go with them, to go to the picnic at the White House this evening. By moving these votes until tomorrow, we allow that to happen, and I hope that allows the family members who are here and intending to go to this event with Members to have as much of the evening as they anticipated having.

Mr. BLUNT

Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BLUNT. If the gentleman will continue to yield, we intend to bring that bill to the floor this coming week, I think on Wednesday or Thursday.

Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland, my good friend, the Democratic whip for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker, the House will convene on Monday at 12:30 p.m. for morning hour and 2 p.m. for legislative business and will consider several measures under suspension of the rules, and a final list of those bills will be sent to Members' offices by the end of this week. Mr. Speaker, any votes called on those measures will be rolled until 6:30 p.m. On Tuesday, we may consider additional legislation under suspension of the rules as well as the conference report on S. 342, the Keeping the Children and Families Safe Act. Next week we expect to consider several bills under a rule, including H.R. 8, the Death Tax Permanency Act; H.R. 1528, the Taxpayers Protection and IRS Accountability Act; and H.R. 660, the Small Business Health Fairness Act. I would like to note for all Members that we are making a change to schedules that were sent to offices at the beginning of the year, and we do not plan to have votes next Friday, June 20.

Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BLUNT. We look forward to a fair and full debate on that bill. Our rules generally leave that to the Committee on Rules, but if the proposed substitute is within the rules of the House, that is normally the procedure.

Mr. BLUNT. By the speed of some of the things we do, my friend, a couple of Members stepping up in 10 minutes of time is almost an avalanche. The gentleman may be right about that.

Mr. BLUNT. I would not want to overclaim where our votes were, but I was told we had more people in the elevator getting here. I think the gentleman's comments about time and ability to get to the floor were well taken, and I am sure the Speaker and the leaders on both sides of the aisle will take that under serious consideration.

Mr. BLUNT. I would only say that the motion to instruct was a much narrower decision than the vote on the bill itself. There were many Members not making that vote. Certainly the motion to instruct did carry, but perhaps it was because of those elevators that Members were stuck in.

Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BLUNT. It is always difficult to expect anything out of a conference committee, but it is certainly possible it could happen that quickly; but it is possible that is a little quicker than the conference could move. That would be some time within the next 2 weeks. I do not think that is impossible, but I think it might be a little optimistic.

Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Whip, I do not have any specific feel for that, but I have heard that the other body has indicated a willingness to go to conference fairly quickly on that. I would expect that conference to move in the relatively near future.

Mr. BLUNT. As the gentleman knows, the Committee on Appropriations has begun to move forward on these bills. Two bills, Military Construction and Homeland Security, were able to mark up their bills this week. We believe the Committee on Appropriations will have several additional markups in the next week. I would anticipate that we would have some of these appropriations bills on the floor this month.

Mr. BLUNT

Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I am here in favor of the rule and, of course, the underlying bill, and looking forward to the debate today. This is an issue that we have brought to the floor now for the last several Congresses. And every time we do it, I see our Members on both sides of the aisle, many of whom will vote for it on both sides of the aisle, begin to understand that this is a great opportunity to talk about how badly the current system works. A debate that we used to dread, a debate that we used to fear, a debate that we used to be concerned about, now our Members are eager to talk about because of the incredible abuses out there in the system. We will see the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Goodlatte) and others stand up here during the day today with chart after chart after chart that shows what happens when consumers are unfairly treated in this system. The changes we advocate today create an environment where the people that are impacted have a better chance to get money rather than the lawyers who put these class action suits together. It creates an opportunity to go to a court that will look carefully at the issues. We are going to see example after example of the millions of dollars that go to the lawyers involved and the $1 coupons and the smallest box of Cheerios and the 33-cent check that goes to the people in the class. Obviously, the lawyers thought the class had very little impact, as demonstrated by the settlement that they were willing to agree to. If people were affected by this terrible thing that the lawyers contend happened, how is 33 cents a proper settlement? How is $1 a proper settlement? How is a coupon with money off, to go back to the same company that apparently had been so dastardly in launching suit, how could that possibly be a proper settlement? How could any attorney spend time and go to the court and say to them at the end of this case, I want you to give my client a $1 coupon? I want you to give my client the smallest possible box of cereal? I want you to give my client a check for 33 cents? This system is terribly abused. It needs to be changed. Vote for this rule. Seeing Democrats and Republicans on the floor today vote for the bill sends a message that will change this system in a way that benefits consumers and benefits justice.