Judy Biggert

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. I yield to the gentleman.

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Chairman, I do support the amendment. I think it simply lays out examples of electromechanical storage technologies to make sure that they are included in this bill. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim the time in opposition to the Holt amendment, even though I am not opposed to the amendment.

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Chairman, I support the Holt amendment. I think that this amendment makes clear that the pilot program was intended to include agricultural and construction nonroad equipment. Therefore, I do support the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim the time in opposition to the Marshall amendment, even though I am not opposed to the amendment.

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Chairman, I am supportive of the Marshall amendment. As the amendment states, there are unique challenges facing rural areas, especially in regards to refueling and infrastructure for alternative-fuel vehicles, such as those that run on natural gas and hydrogen or electric or plug-in electric hybrid vehicles that require an electrical outlet. I thank Mr. Marshall for trying to ensure that rural Americans have the same benefits in this area as their urban counterparts. With that, I would support this amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim the time in opposition to the Cohen amendment even though I am not opposed to the amendment.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, tonight when the President addresses the joint session of Congress, I hope that he will turn a new page in the health care debate, setting aside demands for a government-run, taxpayer-funded health care system and instead he will express support for real reforms that will reduce costs and increase access to quality health care for everyone regardless of preexisting conditions. I hope to hear that the President finally will fix the medical malpractice crisis that continues to drive costs up and drives doctors out of Illinois and other States. I hope the President will finally commit to our small businesses by allowing them to band together in an association health plan so that they can provide affordable health care to their employees. And, finally, I hope that the President will join Members on both sides of the aisle to end waste, fraud and abuse plaguing Medicare and robbing seniors of much-needed health benefits. It is my hope that after tonight's address the President and congressional Democrats will focus on bipartisan, commonsense reforms that will actually increase health care affordability and accessibility for all.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the improved Oversight by Financial Inspectors General Act of 2009. I would like to thank my colleagues, Mr. Driehaus and Mr. Lee, for introducing this bill and thank the chairman of our Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, Mr. Moore, for his work on this issue. H.R. 3330 makes technical corrections to the monetary thresholds that trigger Inspectors General to launch an investigation in the failure of a financial institution. Financial Inspectors General must dedicate resources and personnel to investigate failures like that of AIG because their finding can present critical evidence about what caused the financial crises. Congress, Federal regulators, and the administration can better target reform to our broken financial regulatory system. In May, the Financial Services Committee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing on the role of financial services Inspectors General. We heard from Inspectors General about their difficult task to tackle the waste, fraud, and abuse that is at the heart of our financial crisis. Fraud and abuse were two of many significant factors that contributed to the financial crisis, especially in Chicago. In March, the U.S. Attorney General in Chicago, Patrick Fitzgerald brought mortgage fraud indictments against two dozen players. They are brokers, accountants, loan officers, processors, and attorneys. Mortgage fraud comes in all shapes and sizes. Scam artists inflate appraisals, flip properties, and lie about information including income and identity on loan applications. Some use the identity of deceased people to obtain mortgages, and other desperate thieves bilked out of their homes and home equity the most vulnerable homeowners and seniors in dire financial straits. To get the economy back on track and credit flowing again, we have to address what was at the root of the mortgage meltdown in the first place, and that is mortgage fraud. Inspectors General hold key positions to investigate mortgage fraud and really get to the bottom of the turmoil that plagues today's financial markets; what went wrong, who broke the law, were the laws enforced, were laws and regulations adequate. To restore confidence in our markets and address any failings in our system of regulation, including enforcement, we must determine the answer to these questions. The sooner we get to the root of these matters, the sooner we can get the financial institutions off the Federal dole and our financial markets and economy back on track. H.R. 3330 will help us get there. I applaud all of the Members who have worked so hard on this issue and urge my colleagues to support the bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3326, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010. Requesting Member: U.S. Representative Judy Biggert Bill Number: H.R. 3326 Account: OM, AF Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Chemring Scot Inc. Address of Requesting Entity: 2525 Curtiss Street, Downers Grove, IL 60515 Description of Remarks: Provide an earmark of $2,000,000 for Chemring Scot Inc. for the procurement of Joint Aircrew Combined System Testers (JCAST). The JCAST is a self-contained, portable tester, eliminating the need for multiple pieces of equipment to test aircrew flight equipment.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3326, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010. Requesting Member: U.S. Representative Judy Biggert Bill Number: H.R. 3326 Account: RDTE,A Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Argonne National Laboratory Address of Requesting Entity: 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439 Description of Remarks: Provide an earmark of $5,000,000 for Argonne National Lab, which is collaborating with the Commonwealth of Kentucky in an industrial consortium to advance battery materials and manufacturing. The main objective is to make breakthroughs in new battery materials and electro-chemistry critically needed to move forward to practical, competitive transportation solutions and for efficient storage of electricity generated from distributed renewable energy sources.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3326, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010. Requesting Member: U.S. Representative Judy Biggert Bill Number: H.R. 3326 Account: RDTE, DW Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Advanced Diamond Technologies, Inc. Address of Requesting Entity: 429 B Weber Road No. 286, Romeoville, IL 60446 Description of Remarks: Provide an earmark of $2,500,000 for the development of wearable diamond-based MEMS biosensors for real-time detection of weaponized pathogens in Romeoville, Will County, IL.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the health care concerns my constituents shared with me last night at a town hall meeting. Overwhelmingly, I heard from those who legitimately worry that this proposal will force them from the private insurance they enjoy now. One caller told me that she was able to provide for her medically fragile child only because of her employer-provided health care, which she described as ``expensive, but worth every penny.'' She fears that under this so-called reform bill, her coverage options would be limited and her child will be denied the care that she needs. Many of my constituents who are remarkably well informed about this complex legislation are also outraged by its cost. They question how $1.6 trillion in new spending and 53 new bureaucracies will make health care better. One caller, a Federal employee, was dismayed at the thought of dealing with the same sort of bureaucrats at his doctor's office that he dealt with at his job. Mr. Speaker, my constituents have spoken. They want commonsense solutions to lower costs, increased accessibility and improved care, and they know that this bill is not it. In short, they want health care reform, not a revolution.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, Toni Marie's bakery in my hometown can fulfill your chocolate chip cookie cravings or make an elegant wedding cake for you, which they did for my kids. Imagine if D.C. bureaucrats from a new Federal consumer cookie protection agency require our bakery to use only a new Federal cookie recipe and sell one kind of cookie, sugar free with no flavor, and only certain customers are deemed healthy enough to buy it so they stop going. What happens? The bakery is out of business. As crazy as it sounds, it's very similar to the Democrats' solution to protect us from our future financial disaster. Masked in rhetoric to simplify and improve our lives, the proposal creates a new agency to tell every community financial business across America which products they can and cannot offer to consumers. Bigger government and limits on choice won't restore confidence in our financial marketplace. Our system needs a stronger, smarter, regulatory approach which our Republican plan offers to empower consumers, protect against fraud, and preserve consumer choice.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3293, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010. Requesting Member: U.S. Representative Judy Biggert Bill Number: H.R. 3293 Account: Higher Education (includes FIPSE) Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Saint Xavier University Address of Requesting Entity: 18230 Orland Parkway, Orland Park, IL 60467 Description of Remarks: Provide an earmark of $500,000 for Saint Xavier University to develop a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Center on its Orland Park campus to better prepare educators and education students to teach STEM disciplines to pre-school through college-age students. The STEM Education Center will feature a state-of-the-art methods lab that will be used to provide exciting, hands-on science, math, and technology programs designed to increase teachers' knowledge and skills in these areas.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3293, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010. Requesting Member: U.S. Representative Judy Biggert Bill Number: H.R. 3293 Account: Administration for Children and Families (ACF)--Social Services Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Little Friends, Inc. Address of Requesting Entity: 140 N. Wright St., Naperville, IL 60540 Description of Remarks: Provide an earmark of $200,000 for Little Friends, Inc. to offer evaluation and therapy services at an affordable rate. This funding also will enable Little Friends, Inc., to meet the increasing demand for their services. These early diagnosis and therapy services have been proven to be the most effective treatment in ameliorating the symptoms of children diagnosed with autism.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3288, the Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act, 2010. Requesting Member: U.S. Representative Judy Biggert Bill Number: H.R. 3288 Account: Buses & Bus Facilities Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Village of Tinley Park Address of Requesting Entity: 16250 S. Oak Park Ave., Tinley Park, IL 60477 Description of Remarks: Provide an earmark of $500,000 for Tinley Park 80th Avenue Metra Station Development, Tinley Park, IL: The Village of Tinley Park has collaborated with Metra to develop a new building, warming shelters, and pedestrian underpass to accommodate increasing ridership at Metra's second busiest location.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3288, the Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act, 2010. Requesting Member: U.S. Representative Judy Biggert Bill Number: H.R. 3288 Account: Rail Line Relocation and Improvement Program Legal Name of Requesting Entity: City of Aurora Address of Requesting Entity: 44 East Downer Place, Aurora, Illinois 60507 Description of Remarks: Provide an earmark of $1,000,000 for Ogden Avenue Grade Separation, Aurora, IL: Engineering and design is needed to jumpstart Grade Separation Engineering for IL Route 34 in Aurora, Illinois due to Canadian National Railroad four-fold increase in rail traffic.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2920. This year, the budget deficit is projected to grow nearly ten-fold from last year, due to several costly spending measures enacted over the past two years by this Congress. Despite this spending spree, I do believe enacting statutory PAYGO would be good policy. We need to set the tone for long-term fiscal responsibility and prevent costly tax burdens for future generations. Unfortunately, the bill before us is not a responsible and comprehensive deficit reduction approach that will yield results. Because H.R. 2920 includes broad exemptions for over one hundred and sixty programs, there will be no way to reform entitlement spending without enacting tax increases to make up the difference. And, there is no excuse for higher taxes. Perhaps the most glaring error with H.R. 2920 is that discretionary spending would not be subject to PAYGO restrictions. That's why I supported the substitute amendment offered by Mr. Ryan of Wisconsin. Mr. Ryan's amendment sets a cap on overall spending and appropriated spending in an effort to prevent our deficit from growing faster and larger than our economy. Restoring caps on discretionary spending is paramount to fiscal discipline. Discretionary spending represents forty percent of our budget and excluding it from PAYGO requirements, as the underlying bill does, would be fatally irresponsible. I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 538 and in strong support for Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics. On June 23, 2009, we will celebrate Olympic Day and recognize one hundred years since the International Olympic Committee was created. Olympic Day encourages universal participation in athletic activities and demonstrates global unity in support of the Olympic Games. Furthermore, I would like to encourage the International Olympic Committee to select Chicago, Illinois, as the host city for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The 2016 Olympic Games will feature athletes from across the globe, coming together with respect for their teammates and competitors alike. The city of big shoulders is ready to welcome the Olympics with big open arms. As the host city of the 1893 World Columbian Exposition and the 1933 Century of Progress Exposition, Chicago has a long tradition of showcasing America's greatness, peace, and understanding to the world. Daniel Burnham, the famous Chicago architect of the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago and Union Station here in Washington, once said, ``make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood . . . make big plans, aim high in hope and work.'' To this day, Chicago embodies this principle. That's one of the many reasons Chicago would be the ideal city in which to hold the Olympic and Paralympic games, marking the century-old tradition of the modern Olympic movement. I encourage my colleagues to support this resolution and show their support for the 2016 Olympics in Chicago!

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to address how this Congress and this administration are handling the number one concern on the minds of Americans today--jobs. Despite promises of quick action and of immediate returns, hardworking parents in my district and around the country are still staying up nights, worrying about whether they will have jobs in the next month, in the next day or in the next week to provide for their children. In response, House and Senate leaders' only answer seems to be higher taxes and massive new government spending. Already our children and grandchildren are on the hook for the $1 trillion so-called ``stimulus bill'' that has resulted in almost 10 percent unemployment nationwide, even higher in my home State of Illinois. Now the House leadership seems intent on pushing through another $1 trillion-plus health care takeover that only promises more taxes on small businesses and working families. The result: fewer jobs except for Washington bureaucrats who will be rationing out health care procedures for patients. Mr. Speaker, we can do better. Let's work together on real solutions to cut taxes, to create the jobs and to rebuild this economy, not just more Washington spending with no end in sight.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. I ask for a rollcall vote.

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, the way that I voted, I expected that there would be a rollcall vote on that. I ask unanimous consent to have a rollcall vote.

Mrs. BIGGERT. Yes, I request a vote.

Mrs. BIGGERT. I ask unanimous consent that there be a vote.