Judy Biggert

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to engage in a colloquy with the chairman of the Housing Subcommittee of the Financial Services Committee. I would like to thank the chairwoman and express my appreciation for all she has done for this, and to express my appreciation to my other chairman, Mr. George Miller, for his outstanding work on behalf of homeless people, and for working with our Financial Services Committee to recognize the educational and housing needs of homeless children and youth. I would also like to thank Representative McCarthy and Representative Geoff Davis for their work as well. As you know, the Education and Labor Committee has jurisdiction for the McKinney-Vento Education For Homeless Children Act, the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act and Head Start. H.R. 7221 will broaden HUD's definition of homelessness to include a subset of children and youth who meet the definition of homelessness used by other Federal statutes. We appreciate the inclusion of these children, and believe it is a step in the right direction. In particular, it covers those children and youth who, either on their own or as part of a family, have experienced a long-term period without living stably or independently in permanent housing. Madam Chairwoman, as this term ``long-term period'' is open to interpretation, is it the committee's intention that any regulation that interprets this provision would acknowledge that ``long-term period'' should be viewed from the perspective of children and recognize their unique developmental needs?

Mrs. BIGGERT. Again, Madam Chairman, thank you for all your work, and Representative Geoff Davis and Representative McCarthy. I look forward to working with you moving forward on this issue. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 7 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky, Mr. Geoff Davis, who has worked so hard on this issue.

Mrs. BIGGERT. I have no other speakers, but I would yield myself such time as I may consume to close. I spoke earlier a little bit about my friend and constituent Diane Nilan of Naperville, Illinois, who has done so much for the homeless. She has worked tirelessly for 20 years to provide a home for homeless children and families across the country, and I think she has seen firsthand the mental, physical and emotional degradation that children and families experience with homelessness. In her testimony before the Financial Services Committee last October she said, ``Homeless service providers in communities of all sizes await the day that HUD provides the opportunity for people in all homeless situations to receive the assistance they need. They long to be free to focus on easing homelessness as it appears in their communities, on the street, doubled up or in motels, instead of having their hands tied with arbitrary rules and restrictions. They desire Federal resources to supplement local efforts to house and assist the growing number of families without a place to call home.'' I would also like to thank Carol Simler of DuPage PADS and all the wonderful people in my district who help with homelessness. I know we all have so many stories in all of our districts. With that, I would urge my colleagues to vote for this bill.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today in reluctant opposition to this massive bailout of Wall Street. I understand why many of my colleagues are inclined to support it; the urge to act now and do something-- anything--to restore investor confidence is very compelling. Our economy faces great risks, and I agree wholeheartedly that the government must intervene in some way to restore stability. But the plan that we are considering today is not what my constituents want, it's not what's best for the average American taxpayer, and it's not what's best for this economy. As a member of the working group assigned by GOP Leader Boehner to explore alternatives to a massive taxpayer-funded bailout, I was very pleased this weekend when we were able to develop a very realistic, workable alternative option to shore up these mortgage-backed securities. We took a long, hard look at the market and saw that a government-backed insurance plan could go a long way toward returning market value to many of these assets. It would address the market's aversion to these investments, and it would be entirely funded by risk- based premiums leveled on the holders of the assets, not taxpayers. Our premise for this plan was and remains that Wall Street should pay for Wall Street's mistake. In addition, we outlined a tax proposal that would have injected billions into the private market, restoring liquidity and credit available on Main Street America. By temporarily removing the disincentive to repatriate, or bring back to America, profits made by American companies overseas, we could open the floodgates of capital into our marketplace. These are ideas that can work. But instead leaders have only agreed to attach a watered-down version of the insurance proposal to the same $700 billion bailout that the administration originally proposed. It creates an insurance purchase option for financial firms but then offers them the alternative of free taxpayer money. I wonder which one they will take? I'm very pleased that this plan has been improved over the past few days, especially the provisions limiting golden parachutes and allowing the public to share in the profits that may be made. But I am not convinced that we have taken the time to really come up with a strategy that truly protects the taxpayers. Let's take another look. Maybe we should start over. We discussed looking at the S and L crisis. The administration discounted that. Let's go back and look at the FDIC and doing away with mark to marketing. Instead of banks using fair value accounting, the SEC should use true value, giving immediate positive impact on the financial industry. Madam Speaker, we can and should do better. Main Street Americans deserve no less.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for H.R. 4120, the Effective Child Pornography Prosecution Act. I am very pleased to be the lead Republican cosponsor, and I thank the gentlewoman from Kansas for all of her hard work on this legislation that will close an unacceptable loophole in the Federal criminal code. Last year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit overturned a lower court's decision in U.S. v. Schaefer and freed a defendant who had been convicted of receiving and possessing child pornography. The case was not overturned for lack of evidence, but rather because the prosecution failed to prove that images downloaded from the Internet moved across State lines in ``interstate commerce.'' The judges who decided this case pointed out that the use of the phrase ``in commerce'' instead of ``affecting commerce'' in the law signaled Congress' intent to limit Federal jurisdiction in the prosecution of child pornographers. As co-chair of the Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus, I can assure you, Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the truth. We in Congress know the horrible consequences that result from the sexual exploitation of children used to create these images. We also take very seriously our duty to do everything in our power to protect children, punish predators and deter future acts of abuse. That is why the bill we are considering today deserves our full support. It will close the loophole in current law by replacing the phrase ``in commerce'' with the phrase ``affecting commerce'' in the child pornography statute. I also was pleased that the Senate chose to include additional provisions making it easier to prosecute those who willfully access child pornography on the Internet. These changes will give prosecutors the tools they need to ensure that predators who use the Internet to transmit or access child pornography end up behind bars, where they belong. I would like to take this opportunity to again thank the gentlewoman from Kansas, my good friend, Nancy Boyda, for introducing this legislation. I also would like to thank the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for their assistance and counsel in drafting the bill. Mr. Speaker, as a mother of four and grandmother of seven, I know there is nothing more important than safeguarding our children from predators. We must not allow those who sexually exploit children to avoid prosecution because of a technicality. I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 4120 and send this important bill to the White House for the President's signature.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the TRACS Act legislation being presented here. I thank the chairman of the committee, Mr. Oberstar, for all of the work that he has done on this bill, and I'm really very proud to be an original cosponsor on it. I really believe in the rail system. I believe in our transportation system, and I think that we have always put our railroads in a very high context as far as being able to move our goods across this country and being able to ship at a reasonable rate. A situation has come up, something that, I think, is very unfair, and I think it is what this legislation will address. In considering a merger, the STB is required to look at how it affects Congress. If there is just one major rail, just one--a class A--then they don't have the same requirements that other mergers have. If it's a class 1 and more than a class 1, then the STB, the Surface Transportation Board, is required to consider the safety and environmental effect of the proposed transaction, including the effects on local communities: the traffic congestion, the grade crossing, the public safety, the socioeconomic impact, and the traffic congestion-- commuter rail and Amtrak. The clarification that we want to make is, if there is just one of the class 1 rails, then they need to take these same things into consideration. Mr. Whitfield of Kentucky talked about the rural area. I think we're really looking at congested areas, when a merger is to take place that will affect an area of densely populated areas such as the suburbs of our great cities. It's not just one area that's going to be affected. Mark my words that these types of merger requirements will affect so many more than just the Chicago area, as was suggested by the chairman of the subcommittee. I don't think that our purpose here today is to kill any merger. It is to clarify and to make sure that there is fairness in what the Surface Transportation Board will look at. Will they look at just the commerce and competitiveness of two rail lines and how it will affect all of the competition between all of the rails or will they also take into account the effect on the public interest and on the communities that are involved? Now, in the area that we've been talking about in Chicago, I have to say that this is an area that has grown up around the railroads. It has increased to such a dense population that socioeconomic issues are affected, that public safety is affected and that traffic congestion is affected. All we want is to clarify that the Surface Transportation Board can take that into account. I have just one other clarification about mitigation. I didn't want to get into specifics, but in this issue, the mitigation would be $30 million. Now, I have in my community a rail crossing that is being put underground, and it has nothing to do with this other line. The cost of that is $53 million to have a separate grade crossing. So, when we talk about $30 million that would affect at least 40 communities and at least 141 rail crossings, I think this is something to consider. So it's just a clarification, and I would urge my colleagues to vote for it. I thank the chairman so much for bringing this up and for having a hearing which, I think, was very open.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to give serious consideration to the alternative rescue plan that my colleagues and I have hammered out over the last few days and announced yesterday. Unlike the Paulson plan, our plan makes Wall Street pay for Wall Street's mistakes. Unlike the Paulson plan, it calls for a workout, not a bailout. By requiring owners of mortgage-backed securities to purchase insurance, we put the ball squarely where it belongs, with those who were responsible, not the innocent, hardworking taxpayers. Let's not play the blame game. Let's work together to find a solution. We have a terrible problem here right now. Let's find that solution.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 7081, the United States-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and Nonproliferation Enhancement Act. This landmark legislation will ensure India's continued access to safe, clean carbon-free nuclear power while guaranteeing, through international inspections, that India's nuclear ambitions remain peaceful. Mr. Speaker, I have been a strong proponent of nuclear power because it is an efficient and inexpensive way to meet our growing energy needs. In fact, my state of Illinois derives 50% of its power from nuclear energy. In my district, Argonne National Laboratories has been at the cutting edge of the next generation of nuclear power. Most recently, they have helped to develop an advanced nuclear reprocessing technology called UREX, which literally re-burns spent fuel to extract more energy. At the same time, it improves efficiency and vastly reduces the toxicity, volume, and danger of the final waste product. As the global appetite for energy continues to a row, nuclear technology will become increasingly important if we are to meet this unprecedented demand. This agreement will allow India, which has one of the fastest growing economies in the world, access to advanced nuclear technology. Cheap and abundant nuclear power will ensure that their economy can continue to flourish, without the pollution that plagues many other rapidly modernizing nations. This agreement also has built in safeguards to ensure that sensitive nuclear technology is not compromised. India has agreed to prevent any third-parties from accessing their nuclear technology and to allow international inspectors into 14 nuclear sites around the country to enforce this agreement. These provisions will ensure that sensitive nuclear info does not end up in the hands of terrorists or rogue nations that would seek to do us harm. The United States and India have a long history of cooperation stretching back over half a century, and I am pleased that we can continue this productive partnership. I urge all of my colleagues to support this historic legislation.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mrs. BIGGERT. I thank the gentlelady for her comments, and I would yield myself time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as the author of H.R. 3018, the Family Self-Sufficiency Act, I strongly encourage my colleagues to support this important legislation. First, let me thank Congresswoman Waters for working with me to include the language of this bill in the section 8 reform bill, H.R. 1851, the Section 8 Voucher Reform Bill Act of 2007, which the House passed on July 12 of last year by a vote of 333- 83. Not to anyone's great surprise, the Senate has yet to take up this larger section 8 reform package. My hope is that the House will pass this bill today, and the Senate will, at a minimum, move this smaller but very important noncontroversial bill. The bill will strengthen the Family Self-Sufficiency Program, or FSS, and help more disadvantaged families gain independence from government assistance. The FSS is offered in connection with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program. It provides homeownership counseling, job training, child care, education and other services to help individuals obtain work. Let me take just a minute to give you just one example of a Family Self-Sufficiency Program success story from my congressional district. Angela, a single mother of two from Willowbrook, Illinois, served 6 years in the Navy. When she finished her service, she got a part-time job and, thanks to the GI Bill, enrolled as a full-time student. Yet she still struggled to make ends meet. In stepped the wonderful team at the DuPage Housing Authority. Through their Family Self-Sufficiency Program, they helped Angela with the rent for a dozen months, moving her and her two children from tenant-based rental assistance to the Housing Choice Voucher Program. During this time Angela was able to complete college and obtain a degree with a double degree in human resources management and psychology. The FSS program then connected Angela to a resume-writing class offered by the Illinois Employment Training Center. Within just 1 week of posting her new, polished resume, Angela secured three interviews and a new part-time job. This March, Angela secured full-time employment as a human resource assistant at the Edward Hines VA Hospital. Angela now earns twice the hourly wage she did when she started working with the FSS program. But the story doesn't end there. FSS also connected Angela with a financial planner who helped empower Angela with a little financial literacy to improve her budgeting and asset management skills. Today, Angela is working to prepare herself for homeownership, a long way to come from public housing. Now, Angela is also giving back. She is an active member of the FSS program in DuPage County, providing insights and suggestions to help keep the program relevant and effective for local participants. Even amidst record-high energy prices and other challenges facing our economy, there are bright stars like Angela who, with a little help, can successfully make ends meet, raise children, get an education, secure a job and achieve the dream of homeownership. What better way to help more of our neighbors in need than to support this bill today. It's a simple, bipartisan step that we can now take to ensure that a brief period of economic hardship doesn't turn into a lifetime of poverty and dependence for many of our Nation's most vulnerable families. It does so by addressing the lack of consistent Federal funding for administering FSS services. The bill establishes a minimum ratio of program coordinators to participants, with funding for one coordinator per housing authority, serving an annual average of 25 or more families enrolled in FSS, two coordinators for 75 or more families, and three coordinators for 125 or more families. It also requires HUD to establish and implement performance measures, collect data on FSS programs, evaluate their effectiveness, and report to Congress on its findings. Finally, the bill provides some funding flexibility to reward innovative and successful FSS programs. These are good, flexible programs that help put disadvantaged families on the path to independence. Public housing can be an important safety net, but it is not a permanent solution. Let's give these individuals all the support we can to help them stand on their own two feet. Before I conclude, I would like to thank John Day, president of the DuPage Housing Authority; Jeffrey Lubell, executive director of the Center for Housing Policy; and the folks at the American Association of Service Coordinators, the National Housing Conference, the New America Foundation, and the Corporation for Enterprise Development, for making this bill a reality. I would, of course, like to thank Angela for her courage and willingness to let me share her success story with all of you today. I would also like to thank the gentlelady from Wisconsin for managing this bill and all the hard work that she puts into the Financial Services Committee. With that, I urge my colleagues to support the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield as much time as she might consume to the gentlelady from Texas (Ms. Granger).

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scott) for his very kind words. I really appreciate it. He is a wonderful member of the Financial Services Committee and is always there and always knows what is going on and always participates and does a good job. I thank you for all your work. With that, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as the author of H.R. 3019, the Expand and Preserve Home Ownership Through Counseling Act, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. First let me thank Congressman Ruben Hinojosa for being the lead Democrat on this bill. In 2005, we founded the House Financial and Economic Literacy Caucus, which is now over 75 members strong, and we have been working together on this issue for a very long time. This bill is just one more example of how financial literacy can promote economic security and empower Americans to make more informed decisions. Second, I would like to thank Chairman Frank and Ranking Member Bachus for their support for this legislation. Both the chairman and ranking member have included the language of this bill in various mortgage and housing packages, two of which, as Mr. Scott said, have previously passed the House but not the other Chamber. The first time was in November of 2007, and the second time was in H.R. 3221, and that bill passed the House on May 8 of this year. Unfortunately, the Senate has not yet acted on this important legislation. It is my hope that the Senate will consider the bill as a stand-alone measure and send it to the President's desk before we adjourn this year. What does the bill do? Well, it elevates housing counseling within the Department of Housing and Urban Development by establishing an Office of Housing Counseling and a director of that office who reports directly to the Secretary of HUD. The office will be tasked with carrying out and coordinating HUD's Home Ownership and Housing Rental Counseling Program, targeted at low and moderate income individuals, the homeless and the seniors, just to name a few. More specifically, the bill authorizes $180 million over the next 4 years for HUD to operate this office, offer grants to State and local counseling agencies and launch a national outreach campaign. The bill also calls for the office to provide a report to Congress on the root causes of defaults and foreclosures, including recommendations for policy reforms and best practices, as well as identification of populations most in need of counseling. Mr. Speaker, counseling can help guide homeowners into a loan that best meets their budgets and needs, steering them way from possible foreclosure down the road. Housing counseling, one form of financial literacy, is often the first line of defense that first-time home buyers have against predatory lending practices. In addition, counselors can save the homes of borrowers currently facing foreclosure. So many troubled mortgage holders genuinely want to pay for their home and had solid payment histories before their rates were reset. These are people that if given the right refinancing options, can and would be able to make their monthly payments. But they need someone to help them evaluate their options, guide them through the process and facilitate discussions with their current lenders. One thing that we have learned during this downturn in the housing market is that many Americans need to better understand the terms of financial products, including and especially mortgages. Education is one of the most important tools in our arsenal to keep our economy and American families on sound financial footing. It is my hope that by providing greater access to home counseling services, we can help to prevent a repeat performance of the recent housing bubble. Mr. Speaker, I would like to conclude today by thanking the folks at the DuPage Homeownership Center of Northern Will County in Illinois. They have helped so many residents of the 13th Congressional District of Illinois to secure sound mortgages or avoid foreclosure. And I would like to thank all the counselors and organizations across the country that are now involved in the HOPE NOW initiative, which reported last month it had helped over 2 million homeowners to avoid foreclosure. With that, I would urge my colleagues to support the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. I thank the gentlelady for yielding. At this time I would like to submit for the Record a letter addressed to Speaker Pelosi from the National Alliance on Mental Illness in support of this legislation. National Alliance on Mental Illness, Arlington, VA, September 16, 2008. Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Speaker Pelosi: On behalf of the 210,000 members and 1,200 affiliates of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), I am writing to offer our strong support for the Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act of 2008 (H.R. 5772). As the Nation's largest organization representing people with serious mental illness and their families, NAMI is especially grateful to Chairman Barney Frank and the bill's sponsors, Representatives Chris Murphy and Judy Biggert, for their leadership in moving this legislation forward. As you know, Section 811 is a critical affordable housing resource for non-elderly people with severe disabilities. While the program has been effective in developing permanent supportive housing, improvements are needed. H.R. 5772 will streamline and simplify the existing process by which 811 sponsors compete for new projects. It will also reform Section 811 and create an important demonstration program to allow for investment of new capital resources from programs such as the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and HOME in supportive housing developments. Finally H.R. 5772 would resolve the current threat to the program from the Section 811 ``mainstream'' voucher program. NAMI applauds their commitment to improving supportive housing options for people with severe disabilities. Thank you for bringing this legislation to the full House. NAMI urges all members to support passage of H.R. 5772. Sincerely, Michael J. Fitzpatrick, Executive Director. Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to rise today as the cosponsor of this legislation, and I certainly urge my colleagues to support it. I would also like to thank my good friend, Congressman Murphy, who introduced the bill, the Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act of 2008, and thank him for his hard work to modernize the Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD's section 811 program. For the past 4 years, this administration has proposed deep cuts to the section 811 program. In response, for the past 4 years we have sent letters to the Appropriations Committee leaders urging them to reject those cuts and fully fund the program. Why? Because section 811 is the only Federal program that funds housing and vouchers for people with disabilities who seek to live as independent members of the community. I am pleased to report that for the last 4 years, Congress has agreed to fully fund this important program. This year, we are going beyond the appropriations. We are seeking to modernize the program, which hasn't been updated for over 15 years. H.R. 5772 is critical to the goal of increasing the number of affordable units for people with disabilities. By better aligning this section 811 program with other Federal, State and local funding resources, it allows nonprofit sponsors to more easily leverage additional financing, thereby maximizing Federal dollars. By requiring HUD to simplify its more than 400 pages of guidelines, it streamlines the program. In addition, it delegates grant authority to State and local housing authorities, which housing experts agree will make the program more efficient. Finally, the bill calls for a new demonstration project that is estimated to generate as many as 3,000 new units of housing for nonelderly people with disabilities. The bill we are considering today will make the program more user friendly and attractive to nonprofits. Before I close, I would like to once again thank my colleague from Connecticut, Congressman Murphy, for working on this bill. In addition, I would like to thank Chairman Frank and Ranking Member Bachus, Chairwoman Waters and Ranking Member Capito, as well as their staffs, for helping us with this legislation. Of course, I cannot forget to thank one of my constituents from Tinley Park, Illinois, Tony Paulauski, the executive director of the Arc of Illinois, who testified before our committee about the need for these reforms. On a similar note, I would also like to thank the wonderful people in Illinois that work for Trinity Services and Cornerstone Services, as well as all of those volunteers, parents and other members of the community who have reached out to express their support for this legislation. Mr. Speaker, this is a commonsense bill that modernizes an important Federal housing program that hasn't been updated. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the false choice being offered to America on the House floor today. Despite months of pleas from the American people, the Democrat leadership of this House is still trying to dodge the issue of real energy reform. We can't expect this country to break its addiction to foreign oil if we continue to address only half the problem. But that's exactly what this bill does. It includes numerous provisions aimed at boosting conservation. I support them. In fact, I'm the lead Republican cosponsor on a bill that closely mirrors a section of this legislation dealing with clean buildings. I'm also a strong supporter of the development and deployment of renewable and alternative energy technologies like hydrogen, cellulosic ethanol, geothermal, solar and wind. But to call this bill we're considering today a comprehensive energy solution is just plain wrong. Some on the other side of the aisle would have us believe that this bill will open new areas of the Outer Continental Shelf to offshore exploration. Instead, it discourages States from allowing drilling off their shores. By not allowing States to share in the royalties from offshore oil and natural gas exploration, we virtually guarantee that no State would permit production off its coast. In addition, it includes no new refinery capacity, no clean coal, and zero nuclear energy. In my home State of Illinois, we rely on nuclear power for 50 percent of our energy needs. It's safe, carbon-free, and could provide sustainable domestic energy for decades to come. Scientists at our national labs have developed new reprocessing technologies that will allow us to reburn spent nuclear fuel, vastly reducing the toxicity and the volume of waste. With this new process, we can solve the waste problem. Does anything in this bill take advantage of the advances we have made in nuclear power? No. Instead, the bill includes a renewable energy mandate that will raise energy costs for consumers who live in States like Illinois that rely heavily on clean nuclear power. Mr. Speaker, we can do better. Let's work together on the all-of-the- above energy package that embraces long-term energy solutions while also boosting production and conservation to provide near-term relief at the pump.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and to thank the men and women of the Bureau for their dedicated service to the American people. Over the last century, the FBI has been an unwavering and powerful force in the ongoing struggle to protect the United States from terrorism and enforce our laws against increasingly sophisticated criminal forces. Formed in 1908 when then-U.S. Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte asked Stanley W. Finch to lead the Department of Justice's primary investigative division, the FBI began as a relatively small team of 34 Federal agents with no special name or designation. Over time, it grew into a strong and effective leader among U.S. law enforcement organizations. Today, the FBI has 56 field offices here in the United States, as well as close to 65 legal attache offices across the world. The Bureau employs roughly 30,000 people, 12,000 of whom are sworn Special Agents. All of these highly-trained men and women deserve our deep gratitude and respect for putting their lives on the line each and every day to protect this country from enemies foreign and domestic. I also would like to express my thanks to FBI Director Robert Mueller for his steadfast leadership of this dedicated group. My home district, the 13th of Illinois, falls under the jurisdiction of the FBI's Chicago Division. I would especially like to thank the men and women of that office who have dedicated their careers to the protection of individuals and families--including my own--that reside in the Chicago region. Under the capable leadership of Special Agent In-Charge Robert D. Grant and Assistant Special Agents In-Charge Bob Holly, Mitch Marrone, Bob Shields, Bill Monroe, and Arthur Everett, the highly-regarded Chicago Division has been a powerful force against criminal elements both in the city and throughout northern Illinois. This Friday, July 25th, the Chicago Field Office will join the Chicago chapter of the FBI Citizen's Academy Alumni Association at Chicago's Navy Pier to celebrate the Bureau's 100-year anniversary. I wish them and all of the other field offices and alumni chapters celebrating this milestone the best as they toast to their past and look forward to future success. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating the FBI on the occasion of its 100-year anniversary, and thank the men and women--both those serving today and those who sacrificed so much for us in the past--for their tireless service. Truly, they have fulfilled their duties in accordance with the Bureau's long-held motto of ``fidelity, bravery, and integrity.''

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, Americans across the country and in my congressional district are feeling the pain as a result of the instability in the housing market, and they're feeling the pinch at the pump because of high energy prices. Congress should act responsibly to address both issues. We need a serious energy debate now. The American people cannot wait any longer. At the same time, it is clear that we need to restore investor confidence in the housing market. And that is why we're here today. For starters, we need to pass critical housing reform bills, an effort that could have been a slam-dunk last year. We could have given the regulators some teeth to shore up our financial institutions and prevent similar turbulence in the housing market in the future. But we did not. Instead, critical housing bills were littered with controversial provisions, and the process was drawn out. So here we are today, at a ``take-it-or-leave-it'' moment, considering a number of items that should not be on the table but are, unfortunately, fused to the three most important parts of the housing stimulus legislation. I feel like we're in a catch-22 here, for in order to enact the good, we have to swallow the bad. What is the good? It's restoring investor confidence in the market, plain and simple. It's also GSE reform, FHA reform and increased funding for housing counseling, all of which are badly needed and long overdue. Counselors can help prevent foreclosures by guiding homeowners into a loan that best meets their budget needs. My colleague, Ruben Hinojosa, and I have been two of the leading advocates in Congress for financial literacy, which includes housing counseling. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of housing counseling for homeowners in trouble or those seeking to purchase a home for the first time. Counselors are working hard in my congressional district helping people save their homes. I would like to thank them and all of the counselors across the country. And I'm hopeful that this bill gives them more tools to accomplish their mission. The FHA and GSE reforms in this bill will add much-needed liquidity to the market while providing consumers with an alternative to bad, subprime loans. I'm also pleased that the FHA reform bill increases the loan limits so that the low- and middle-income Americans living in the high-cost areas like Chicagoland also can secure their piece of the American Dream through FHA-backed mortgages. The GSE reform bill will rein in Fannie and Freddie so that these housing giants will more safely and soundly adhere to their missions to foster affordable housing opportunities for Americans. Are these two reform bills enough? No. But they're a good start. It's too bad that Congress waited so long before agreeing to the significant changes for the GSEs, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The House began the process 3 years ago when it passed a bill, with my support, that would have improved regulation of these companies and may have averted some of the financial turmoil that they're now experiencing. But now we have to move forward, and we have to move forward in this Congress on a bipartisan basis. I think that the House and Senate have wasted time outbidding each other on how much taxpayer funding to spend on bailing out some of the irresponsible lenders and those who speculated that the market would go up forever. Now they have run out the clock and Congress is being forced to risk taxpayer dollars in order to avert the economic crisis that could occur if the two companies failed. That kind of leadership is not acceptable. The final version of the bill also includes some measures that I fought against in committee in what amounts to a tax on middle class homeowners. It siphons money from Fannie and Freddie to pay for a new congressional fund for housing programs. The bill also puts into place an FHA refinancing scheme that will benefit lenders and borrowers who acted irresponsibly. The block grant provision has no safeguards and could be ripe for fraud. And the list goes on. Do I think the excess provisions in this bill are necessary to stabilize the housing market? No. Is this Congress mandating that the taxpayers foot the bill for these excesses in order to bring stability to our economy and the housing market? Sadly, yes. However, because of the urgent need to stabilize the marketplace and restore investor confidence, I support the bill, and I congratulate the chairman of the committee for his work on this.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Madam Speaker, tonight I rise because my constituents in my district are sick and tired of paying record-high gas prices while Congress does nothing to increase domestic energy production. Imagine for a moment that you are a regular working mom struggling to make ends meet. You need to get the kids to and from school, you need to get to work, you need to buy groceries, you need to do all of the things that millions of working parents do every day. Then at the end of the week, you stop by the gas station only to find that prices are so high that you can't even afford to fill your tank. What do you think she would want from her representative in Congress? I know what my constituents want us to do. Everything. We should allow exploration of America's own energy reserves in places like ANWR and the Outer Continental Shelf waters. We should bring new carbon friendly nuclear reactors online and begin the reprocessing of nuclear energy. We should invest in clean coal plants with carbon sequestration technologies. We should invest in research and development of alternative energy technologies, be that wind, hydro, geothermal, solar, and we should provide the tax incentives necessary to accelerate their deployment. In short, we should do all of the above and more. America can neither drill nor conserve its way to cheaper energy. We must have a comprehensive approach that does have both short- and long-term solutions. Madam Speaker, as a member of the House Science and Technology Committee, I have been a long-time advocate for research development for energy technologies like hydrogen, cellulosic fuels, solar, wind, and green buildings. In my own district, scientists at Argon National Laboratory are leading the way on the development of specialized batteries for special hybrid vehicles. They will allow motors to drive 40 miles before using a drop of gas. That's more than enough to cover Americans' commute to work and back. Then they can just plug the car into a regular electric socket and recharge it for another 40 miles. I believe that the significant advances in these energy technologies are just around the corner, but in the meantime, we must provide relief to hardworking Americans being squeezed by soaring gas prices, and that means increasing the domestic supply of energy. America is the only industrialized Nation in the world that prohibits oil and glass exploration in its Outer Continental Shelf waters. Foreign nations, like Cuba, are permitted to drill closer to our shores than the American companies; and yet instead of opening America's vast energy reserves, Congress forces us to rely on expensive oil from the Middle East. I agree that examining futures markets for excessive speculation and exercising proper oversight is fine and good, but if we want to effectively curb speculation in the oil market, we should show that we are serious about developing our own energy reserves. When more supply is on the horizon developing our own energy reserves, speculators will have much less incentive to invest in oil commodities. This debate isn't just about the price that Americans are paying at the pump. It's about the growing threat to our economy and our security. Last year alone, America increased its dependence on foreign members of OPEC by an additional 7 percent. How much more money and control are we willing to turn over to nations in these unstable regions of the world? And yet despite this growing threat, Congress is still debating legislation that holds zero potential to increase domestic energy production or help break our addiction to foreign oil. Madam Speaker, I'm glad that the House leadership has finally realized that we need to bring bills to the floor to address America's energy needs. I just wish the legislation considered today was up to the task.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Madam Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise to congratulate the Hinsdale Central Red Devils on winning the Illinois State Boys Tennis Tournament held at Hersey High School in Arlington Heights. This year's State finals mark the second consecutive State championship for Central's boys tennis team. Team member Augie Bloom placed third in singles and the doubles team of Dan Ballantine and Ian Tesmond placed fifth in the State. Additionally, teammates Krishna Ravella, Paul Cooper and Josh Sink all contributed to brining home the prize. Their outstanding performance on the court won 37 points, a one-point margin of victory. Guiding the team to victory were coach Jay Kramer and assistant coaches John Naisbitt and Bro Ballantine. Madam Speaker, our community is very proud of these champions, who worked so hard for this victory. Their dedication and fighting spirit is a testament to their school and the State of Illinois. Again, I congratulate the Hinsdale Central Red Devils on their state title, and wish them the best of luck in future seasons.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Madam Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise to congratulate the Waubonsie Valley Warriors on winning the Illinois State Girls Soccer Championship. In the final tournament, the Lady Warriors won three consecutive games to capture the State title against an exceptionally competitive field. Despite the loss of Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year, Bri Rodriguez, who suffered a torn ACL in the quarterfinal match, the team notched a 3-0 victory over Belleville Althoff in the championship. This is the second consecutive State championship for the Waubonsie girls soccer team, which this season recorded an undefeated record of 26 wins, zero losses, and 1 tie. Kiki McClellan, Vanessa DiBernardo, and Megan Green each succeeded in scoring hard-earned goals during the championship game. And Claire Hanold kept her goal-keeping streak alive by blocking five shots and securing her 22nd shut-out of the season. Indeed, every member of the team stepped up to bring the trophy home through her outstanding play. And guiding them to the championship was Coach Judy Bergstrom. Madam Speaker, the Warriors' success can be attributed to their determined spirit and strong work ethic. These talented young ladies have made their community and the entire State of Illinois proud. So once again, I congratulate the Waubonsie Valley Warriors on this historic achievement and wish them continued success in the years to come.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, does the gentleman from Kentucky have any further speakers?

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the lead Republican sponsor of H.R. 5524, the Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of 2008. I am pleased to be here with my good friend the gentleman from Kentucky, Congressman John Yarmuth, as we consider this important bill reauthorizing and strengthening the Runaway and Homeless Youth Program, set to expire this year. Mr. Speaker, each year, between 1 and 3 million children in the United States find themselves on their own and on the street. Throughout our Nation, local shelters, like NCO Youth & Family Services and Aunt Martha's in my district rely on Federal support to keep these children safe and off the streets. Congress first enacted the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act in 1974 and has regularly reauthorized it to ensure a basic level of support for unaccompanied youth. To meet the needs of these children, the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act authorizes three major programs: The Basic Center Program, the Transitional Living Program and the Street Outreach Program. The Basic Center Program, or BCP, provides youth with emergency short-term shelter, food, clothing, counseling and referrals for health care. The BCP seeks to reunite young people with their families whenever possible or to locate appropriate alternative placements. In 2006, BCP grantees served more than 48,000 youth. The Transitional Living Program, or TLP, assists older homeless youth in developing skills and resources to promote their independence and prevent future dependency on social services. In 2006, TLP grantees provided services to more than 3,600 youth. The Street Outreach Program provides emergency shelter and related services to young people who have been or are at the risk of being sexually abused or exploited. The goal of these efforts is to inform young people about services that can help them find suitable housing and address the problems that lead them to be on the street. In 2006, the Street Outreach Program served over 619,000 youth. The bill before us today reauthorizes the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act through fiscal year 2013. Under the bill, the Department of Health and Human Services would establish grantee performance standards and provide a periodic estimate of the incidence of youth homelessness. H.R. 5524 also creates a National Homeless Youth Awareness Campaign that will focus on increasing awareness about the issues facing runaway and homeless youth and the tools available for preventing runaway and homeless youth situations. While the prevalence of homelessness is difficult to measure, it is estimated that about 5 to nearly 8 percent of youth experience homelessness each year. More can and must be done. The Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act will strengthen Federal efforts to keep our children safe and off the street. I would like to take a moment to share the story of one of these kids, Dennis, a constituent of mine, whose life changed as a result of one of these programs strengthened in this bill, the Transitional Living Program. As a senior in high school, Dennis began to isolate himself from family and friends. He was diagnosed with a bipolar disorder, and even though he was prescribed medicine, he didn't take it. According to Dennis, he felt ``walled off to a point where it just crushes in on you, it was like someone turned off the switch. It was very, very difficult to see joy.'' After months of bitterly fighting with his parents, Dennis packed up his car and ran away. He stayed on the couch of friends and family for the remainder of his senior year in high school and continued to deteriorate. Fortunately, that year, Dennis learned of the NCO Youth and Family Services Transitional Living Program, and he decided to use it for housing. He needed a place to stay. But the program was not just housing, it taught him to manage his disorder, as well as training and managing, budget, cooking and cleaning, monitoring his credit, applying for a job, securing transportation and locating an apartment. The program helped Dennis secure a job, giving him the hope and determination to make something of himself. After successful completion of the Transitional Living Program, where is he now? Well, Dennis is an Army private serving honorably in Kuwait. According to Dennis, without the program, he would be half dead now. He says, ``If I hadn't come to NCO, I think I wouldn't have made it.'' Because of the stories like this and the success that we have seen, I am really proud to join Mr. Yarmuth, my fellow sponsor, in support of this bill. This bill is about helping homeless children, and I strongly support it and urge its passage. We need to start thinking about how to help families facing the prospect of homelessness because they are being squeezed by high energy prices, rising prices for gasoline needed to get to and from a job, for the food needed to feed their families and even for natural gas to keep their homes warm in the winter and for electricity needed to keep them cool in the summer, we are putting enormous pressure on the American families that can least afford it. In addition to helping homeless kids, this Congress must take action to increase the supply of oil, reduce the price of gasoline and support the development of advanced energy technologies and alternatives to oil and gas. Just this past weekend, the national average price of gasoline hit $4 a gallon for the first time. Well, I can assure you that for my constituents in the Chicago area, $4 for gas would be moving in the right direction. We have been paying well over $4 a gallon for weeks. While I urge my colleagues to support this bill today, I also urge this House to take action to address the high price of energy generally and gasoline in particular, which, if left unchecked, will certainly increase the ranks of homelessness in the U.S. With that, I thank my colleague, Mr. Yarmuth, for working with me to produce the bipartisan bill we are considering today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, in closing, let me just thank, again, the gentleman from Kentucky and the gentleman from Texas for their work on this bill and also the staffs on both side of the aisle from the Education and Labor Committee for all of their work. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.