Marsha Blackburn

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. I hope our service does credit to the men and women in uniform who have served us so very well. God bless Gabby Giffords, bless her staff, her constituents, the other innocent victims, bless this House and our great Nation.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Speaker, today we do begin a very important process, and it is a solid first step. And I stand to support this rule and to support repeal of this law, because we have on the books a law that doesn't improve the quality of health care. It will not reduce the cost of health care, and it is going to add billions to the exploding national debt. We have listened to the American people. They are smart, and they know that this law is unworkable. It won't deliver on the promises that they made, and the American people voted in overwhelming numbers to repeal it and replace it. That is the action that we are going to take. Congress cannot wait any longer to get this irresponsible law out of our doctors' offices, out of our lives, and off the books. We in Tennessee have lived through the experiment of government-run health care called TennCare. Tennessee could not afford it, and the American people know that this Nation cannot afford a TennCare-type program on a national level. I support the rule.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I humbly rise today to welcome home the heroic soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division's Task Force Rakkasan after a year's deployment in Afghanistan. Mr. Speaker, this morning we read aloud the document we are all sworn to protect and defend. None defend that document and our freedom better than those deployed in harm's way. Many of the members of the Rakkasan have been deployed five times since September 11. They are part of the most deployed unit in the history of the U.S. Army. They have my profound gratitude for that service. These brave soldiers served in and around Khost, Afghanistan. Together with their Afghan allies, they took 2,000 insurgents out of the fight and cleared the way for expanded Afghan governance. The Rakkasans arrived in a region that was controlled by the Taliban. They leave an area where children are free to go to school, play cricket, fly kites, all activities that the Taliban forbade. Tomorrow, Tennessee will welcome these heroes home. We will open our arms and embrace them and thank them for their service and their sacrifice. We will also remember those who are not returning. I hope that my colleagues in this body will take a moment today to reflect on how our service should honor the service of those who serve us so well.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Steve Cropper. On October 17, 2010, Steve was inducted into the Nashville Songwriter's Hall of Fame. He has been listed as one of the Top 100 guitarists of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine, and for good reason. Being raised in Memphis, Steve bought his first guitar at age 14. Since then, he has led a musically charged life of which most could only dream. He has played and co-written with the Blues Brothers, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding and Eric Clapton, just to name a few. ``Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay'', which he co-wrote with Redding is the 6th most- played song of all time. Steve is a friend and a true asset to our great state of Tennessee and it is a privilege to recognize him here today.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1326. It is time to reunite the families torn apart by the abduction and retention of American children in Japan. In Tennessee, we have personally been affected by this issue. Sadly I have constituents that await the passage of this resolution with high hopes and are eager to see their children returned home. Without an agreement on international child abduction between the U.S. and Japan, many children are left in limbo between feuding parents. Custodial arrangements are created to provide the optimal environment for children after a divorce. When foreign countries choose to not recognize these agreements, they are harming the well being of the children. The best and most immediate solution to this issue is for Japan to adopt the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. This agreement protects the rights of both parents while ensuring the heath and safety of the children.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Marty Dickens on his receiving the Joe and Honey Rodgers Leadership Award. Named for Honey and the late Joe Rodgers, former United States Ambassador to France, it is fitting this award honor Marty Dickens. From hosting international students, to leading major corporations, to serving on local boards, Dickens shares the drive and example set forth by Ambassador Rodgers. Following the vision of evangelist Billy Graham, the Operation Andrew Group was launched to meet the spiritual and social needs of Middle Tennessee. Bringing together 250 churches, from a broad spectrum of Christian faiths, the Operation Andrew Group seeks to unify faith-based organizations to act as the catalyst for change. Operation Andrew Group's first major outreach project, The Gathering, attracted over 8,000 attendees in joint worship and praise. Similar events are held annually to focus the faithful of Middle Tennessee on the mission of the Almighty. I appreciate all the churches, businesses, and civic agencies who from their offerings meet the changing needs of growing community. I also appreciate Marty Dickens for his dedication to Nashville and the surrounding community. I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Marty Dickens for his outstanding leadership, commitment to character, and consistency in living the Christian faith.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. I want to thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cooper) for his leadership on this issue and for bringing forward this memorializing resolution for us to remind--it's a great way for us to continue to remind our citizens of the importance that our State played in passing the 19th Amendment. I thank Mr. Cohen for his leadership in managing the time and the preparation for presenting this Amendment today. With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith) for the purpose of a unanimous consent request. (Mr. SMITH of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentleman from Tennessee for his kind remarks about the 19th Amendment. And as the only woman in our Tennessee delegation, and on behalf of the women from Tennessee who have preceded me in service to this body, Louise Reece, Irene Baker, and Marilyn Lloyd, I treasure the role that our State played in ratifying the 19th Amendment. I will note that we still in Tennessee have not had a woman from our State serve in the Senate, in that body, nor have we had a female take the office of governor in our State. We have all heard the story about that wonderful day in August 1920. And indeed, as Mr. Cohen was saying, it was a thrilling day in our State's history. This Chamber knows well the story of Tennessee Representative Harry Burn and how he received that message, how he changed the rose on his lapel to a yellow rose, and then how he changed his vote. And that was a swing vote that did indeed change history. I want to tell you about another swing vote that helped to set the stage in the suffrage story. And it is one that is important to our State of Tennessee, and it is one that transpired right here in this Chamber 91 years ago. Representative Thetus Sims was born in Wayne County, Tennessee. He lived in Savannah, Tennessee, and he practiced law over in Perry County, Tennessee. He later represented all of those counties and some others that today are represented by Mr. Davis and Mr. Tanner and Mr. Gordon, as well as the portions of his district I represent. Now, Mr. Sims was the first Member of this Chamber to occupy 217 Cannon, which is the office that I now occupy in the Cannon House Office Building. Ninety-one years ago, before the 19th Amendment could go to the States for ratification, it had to be discharged from this Chamber. The first attempt to do that was in 1915, and it failed. Thetus Sims voted against the 19th Amendment at that point in time. Well, he had the opportunity to vote again on the 19th Amendment in 1918. And it was a very dramatic day right here in this Chamber. It was perhaps one of the most important days that had transpired in this Chamber. Supporters of the amendment were unsure they had the votes to discharge the amendment. The galleries around us were packed with suffragettes. They were packed with journalists. Everyone was watching. On that day, Thetus Sims surprised the Nation. Between 1915 and 1918, the suffrage movement had heated up not only here in D.C., but all across the Nation. Riots had broken out here in D.C., and women were jailed for wanting the right to vote. The D.C. commissioner who put them behind bars was a gentleman named Louis Brownlow. Louis Brownlow was Thetus Sims' son-in-law. With such influences, it is hard to see how Thetus Sims could see his way to vote ``yes'' on this amendment. But Louis Brownlow wasn't the only person talking to Thetus Sims at the family dinner table. Congressman Sims also had daughters. And in Washington, the Sims daughters were known as consummate hostesses. Back in Tennessee, everyone knew them for being crack shots with their rifles. Well, here in D.C. Elizabeth Sims was a suffragist leader. And her arguments evidently beat out those of her husband, Louis Brownlow. So the day finally came in 1918. And on his way to the vote, Thetus Sims took a very bad fall, and he broke his collarbone. He refused to have it set or to take pain killers for fear he would miss the vote. So, he came to the floor and he flipped his vote. He voted ``aye,'' and he became the hero of the day. Well, needless to say I am very proud of Thetus Sims' vote that day. I am grateful for how he represented Tennessee. And I am so pleased that he listened to his iron-jawed angel daughter, and that he voted for women. I am honored to represent much of that district now, and I am honored to occupy his office, 217 Cannon. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Speaker, I think that it is important for us to realize what is happening here today, and I do oppose the legislation that the majority is bringing forward today. Today, we are being asked to raise taxes for 10 years in order to pay for Medicaid for 6 months. Now, think about that. Only here in Washington would an action like that seem to make sense or even be thought to be sustainable: 10 years to pay for 6 months. Now, this is why the people across this Nation oppose this type action, and I think if my friends were home listening instead of here in D.C. spending some more that what they would hear from people is they are sick and tired. They have really gotten their fill of continuing to tax, continuing to spend, robbing Peter to pay Paul, and going through this process of kicking the can down the road but not addressing the problems. The spending is out of control, the American people are overtaxed, this government is overspent, and it is time that we demand accountability.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Speaker, the Music City family is known the world over for reaching out and helping up. One of our shinning stars, five time GRAMMY award winning artist Wynonna Judd will be awarded the Cecil Scaife Visionary Award for her countless contributions to the Nashville community, and to future generations who wish to pursue a career in the music industry. I rise with friends, artists, and fellow musicians who are gathered to celebrate the many contributions of Wynonna Judd. I rise also today to thank all those who offer their devotion to the Cecil Scaife Music Business Scholarship. The Cecil Scaife Business Scholarship Endowment provides for an educational scholarship. Named for Arkansas native Cecil Scaife, the award honors Scaife's love of the music industry and his vision to see the formation of an educational program to produce successful musicians, artists, and music business leaders. Working with the great artists of our collective legacy, Charlie Rich, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash, Scaife pioneered the way for future legends of the music business. Calling Nashville home in 1979, Wynonna continues to leave an indelible mark on the Middle Tennessee community, as well as causes around the world. Devoted to a wide range of needs from children in crisis, to the United Way, and to the men and women who defend our precious freedom, Wynonna participates in assisting over 100 charities per year. Following consistently her instincts, Wynonna sings the songs of the familiar, the comfortable and the faithful. Her inspirations come from rock, her passions from blues, and her notes from great men and women of music. Her idol list reads like the who's who of the music business. Seven studio albums later, she is still making opposing musical choices the binding notes of her story. Like the icons of country past, Wynonna has not been afraid to shy from the controversial, leading us all to higher growth. Wynonna's successes are vast: holding multiple gold, platinum, and multi-platinum certificates from RIAA, took her place on the New York Times bestseller list, written with John Rich, covered Elvis, sang for Lilo and Stich, and having seen her notes executed with perfection by figure skating champion Brian Boitano. Awards and causes too many to mention, but championed all with great strength, this Top Female Vocalist of the Year crafts her art with the grace of a prophet and the resilience of a saint. I ask my colleagues to join with me in celebrating Wynonna Judd on receiving the Cecil Scaife Visionary Award as she continues to bring the best of hope to all who listen and dream.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to mark the accomplishments of the women of Music City. ``Let's Hear It For The Girls,'' the 2010 Source Awards, celebrates the women who helped found the Nashville music industry. Celia Froehlig, Carol Phillips, Sherytha Scaife, Elizabeth Thiels, Ruth Bland White and Jo Walker Meador Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Frances Williams Preston will be honored at the 8th annual event. ``In the long run, you make your own luck--good, bad, or indifferent.'' Loretta Lynn's words many triumphs ago speak still for the women of today's victories who blaze the musical trail of their own luck. Nashville's music industry has a dazzled history of women pioneers. Mother Maybelle Carter created the Carter scratch. Kitty Wells was the first female artist to have her own LP. Patsy Cline paved the way for women to sell records as well as men. And Loretta Lynn was the first woman in country music to have 50 Top 10 hits. Paving the way for Dolly Parton's songwriting strengths, Tammy Wynette's sultry vocals, and Reba McEntire's awarded success, the women on whose shoulders today's stars stand are a present part of Nashville's legacy. The call of women to the varying notes of the music industry is just as strong today as when Sarah ``Minnie Pearl'' Cannon first graced the Grand Old Opry in 1942. Women have come a long way in the music business, and Nashville continues to celebrate their success in paving the way for tomorrow's high notes. Founded in 1991, Source began the work to unify women executives and professionals that work and succeed in all facets of Nashville's music industry. With backgrounds as singers, songwriters, pianists, producers, publishers, mothers, wives, sisters, and performers, the honored at the 2010 Source Awards are tied together by the love of music and the stories Nashville tells in the notes she plays. I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the accomplishments, vision, and success of the women of Nashville's music industry.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Speaker, across the country partnerships built of people, governments, and communities are coming together offering health services to local patients. Health care centers serve 20 million people nationally and improve access to care for millions of Americans. I rise today in support of National Health Center Week and two centers, Three Rivers Community Health Center and Perry County Medical Center, who are celebrating accordingly. Built by community initiative, health care centers are community- driven and patient-centered. In 23 centers, over 300,000 patients are treated throughout the great state of Tennessee. Regardless of insurance status or ability to pay, patients receive preventative and accessible care when healthcare is needed but scarce. The Three Rivers and Perry County Centers focus on high-need areas identified by elevated poverty, higher than average infant mortality, and few physicians in residence. By reducing costly emergency, hospital, and specialty care, Community Health Centers save the health care system $24 billion a year. During National Health Center Week, we celebrate the care offered to the nation's most vulnerable populations. I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking the Three Rivers Community Health and Perry County Medical Centers for providing access to affordable, high quality, and cost- effective health care to the citizens of the 7th District.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Speaker, I rise today and ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing those artists and actors who recently participated in ``Nashville Rising: A Benefit Concert for Flood Recovery'' to aide those affected by the catastrophic flooding in Tennessee. Just a few months ago, historic flooding--a 1,000 year flood-- affected 46 counties in Tennessee. The flood waters left damaged homes and hearts. With rain-soaked hands, volunteers offered what they could, and Tennessee lived up to its name as the Volunteer State. I want to thank the many who supported Tennessee's flood relief efforts. Led by Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, artists--Amy Grant, Billy Ray Cyrus, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean, Julie Roberts, LeAnn Rimes, Luke Bryan, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Martina McBride, Michael W. Smith, Miley Cyrus, Miranda Lambert, Montgomery Gentry, Taylor Swift, Toby Keith, and ZZ Top--performed, and with messages from Reese Witherspoon, Matthew McConaughey, Craig Ferguson, and Dolly Parton--all joined together to help raise over $2.2 million for flood relief efforts. Music has the hope to heal what the flooding left behind. I ask my colleagues to stand with me in thanking those who offered their time and talents to the Nashville Rising Concert, and all who have helped their neighbors during this time of need.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Speaker, 150 years ago, four women from Somerset, Ohio arrived in Nashville, Tennessee to establish an Academy for the higher education of young women in the Diocese of Nashville. Run by the Congregation of St. Cecilia, Tennessee's only Motherhouse of Dominican Sisters, St. Cecilia's Academy boasts 2,500 alumnae from the oldest continuously operated school in Nashville. I rise today with gratitude for the hard work and dedication by the Sisters of St. Cecilia, and the faculty and staff of St. Cecilia's Academy. St. Cecilia's Academy, the only all-girls, Catholic high school in Middle Tennessee, first opened its doors in October of 1860 in North Nashville. Borrowing lanterns from local rail yards to light the grounds, the first commencement exercises were held in June of 1862. Two young women of St. Cecilia's Academy celebrated their graduation that day, along with a thousand guests, all in the throws of the Civil War. Despite the financial toll of the War, St. Cecilia's remained operational, and indeed flourished in the years to follow. Additions to the school on the hill came in 1880, 1888, and 1904. Following the westward expansion of Nashville, 92 acres of land was purchased in West Nashville in 1923 and the site of the current campus was established on the feast of St. Cecilia, 1956. What began with as a small boarding school is now the academic home for over 250 witnesses to the school's belief in the dignity of the individual, made in the image of the Almighty. Grounded in rich academic traditions, St. Cecilia's Academy has four times been recognized by the Acton Institute as one of the top catholic high schools in America. I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the sesquicentennial founding of St. Cecilia's Academy as we look with great hope to the next 150 years of excellence in education.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, my home State of Tennessee has an employment rate of over 10 percent. The Tennesseans that I know are very frustrated with Washington. They've lost faith that this Chamber can or will do anything meaningful about jobs this year. They look at Washington and see us living out that maxim: if at first you don't succeed, spend and spend again. They look at us and they said where are the jobs. Now Tennessee's Governor and State legislature have made some very different choices. Instead of expanding the size of government, they scaled it back. Instead of increasing taxes, they've offered incentives for investment. Many in this Chamber say those are policies of the past. Well, in Tennessee, those choices have worked. They attracted over $4 billion of investment in the past 18 months. It is investment that creates sustainable growth and good, solid paying jobs. By contrast, the stimulus program we hear so much about in this Chamber has sent just over $1 billion to the State of Tennessee. At 10 percent unemployment, what do Tennesseans have to show for those stimulus jobs? No jobs and a lot of expensive road signs.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the journey of Ed Moody. Entrepreneur, citizen, veteran, and family man, Mr. Moody celebrates his 90th birthday among family, friends, and those who in the past nine decades are friends who have become Mr. Moody's family. While stricken with the mumps, brothers Tom and Ed Moody passed the time by dreaming of opening a business of their own. Delayed by his honorable service in World War II, Tom Moody opened Moody's Tire Company doors April 1, 1944. Ed Moody joined his brother two years later. Constantly seeking to offer a service of necessity and patriotism, Moody's Tire Company learned to re-tread tires after a freeze was placed on creating a new product. This spirit of devotion to community and country is woven throughout Ed Moody's life. Ed Moody is known in his community as ``Mr. Franklin.'' His perfect attendance at the Franklin noon Rotary meeting, his devotion to the Boys and Girls Club of Franklin and Williamson County, and his commitment to the ideals of the greatest generation are just a few of the accolades his wife Eileen, their daughters Patsy and Rebecca, his four grandchildren and the rest of the Moody family celebrate today. I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing ``happy birthday'' to Mr. Ed Moody. As we celebrate his birth and his lasting mark on the community of Franklin, Tennessee, we wish him many more years of life and love.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Speaker, I want to recognize the leadership and contributions of Jimmy Wayne to the State of Tennessee and the United States of America for his remarkable efforts to combat homelessness. Jimmy Wayne began his ``Meet Me Halfway'' journey on January 1, 2010. He is in the midst of a 1,660-mile walk from Nashville, TN, to Phoenix, AZ, to raise awareness about the plight of the homeless youth in our country. Being raised in a foster child system, Jimmy knows far too well the challenges and heartaches that go with being homeless. He grew up in multiple foster homes and periodically found himself homeless as a teen. Luckily at age 16 he met Bea and Russell Costner who took him in and gave him a fresh start and a new lease on life. They gave him a place to stay but only if he agreed to ``meet them halfway,'' by following the rules of their house. I wish to honor Jimmy for using his ``Meet Me Halfway'' campaign to not only raise awareness but to raise funds for organizations that benefit homeless youth including Nashville's Monroe Harding and Phoenix HomeBase Youth Services. Through these groups, essential services are continuously provided to the homeless, allowing so many who fought the same circumstances as Jimmy did growing up a chance for a more productive, healthy and self-sufficient life. Madam Speaker, all people should educate themselves about the impact of homelessness on teens and children in their communities. It is my hope that individuals will help address the problem of homelessness in our country by volunteering and donating their time and/or money to the foster child and foster parent programs in their local community. Thank you, Jimmy Wayne, for your work, and I look forward to congratulating you once you finish this campaign.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to praise two outstanding high schools in Tennessee's Seventh Congressional District. Collierville High and Houston High Schools, both in Shelby County, Tennessee, have been named by Newsweek magazine among America's top high schools. Only 6 percent of America's high schools make this list. This is an important accomplishment that comes because of hard and diligent work not just from students but faculty, staff, principals, from parents and from lots of participation from the community. I congratulate Principals Leisa Justus of Houston and Tim Setterlund of Collierville, along with the faculty and most importantly the students of both schools for all the hard work that has led them to this important achievement.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Speaker, affecting countless across the world, cancer strikes at the core of our lives, our health, our families, and our communities. Sometimes silent, sometimes ravaging, and often all- encompassing, cancer can take what we hold most dear: life. Events like Relay for Life allows communities to come together, tennis shoes laced, and fight against such an enemy. The multi-purposed Relay for Life generates awareness, promotes outreach, supports recovery, and builds survivorship. In it's 26th year, Relay for Life is held across the country, in more than 600 communities internationally, and spans 21 countries. I congratulate the participants of Williamson County's Relay for Life event. By honoring those who lost their battles with this horrific disease and celebrating those who have yet to cease in the struggle, your hopeful passion encourages us all. I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking the event's organizers, team captains, walkers, and all who still seek a cure.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Speaker, for the past 48 years, members of this great government have taken pause to honor law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty. Remembering the sacrifice of their fallen brethren, the men and women of the 317th Military Police Battalion gathered to hold their annual Law Enforcement Memorial and Candlelight Vigil. I am proud to join with them as they pay tribute to the last great offering of freedom given by thirty-eight United States Army soldiers, eight United States Air Force airmen, eight United States Navy sailors, five United States Marine Corp Marines, and four civilian police professionals. As the roll was called and Taps played, the 317th memorialized those who fulfilled their mission in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Bannering this event the words from Tacitus: ``In valor, there is hope.'' I ask my colleagues to join with me in thanking those who protect the liberties of this great Nation. May these words from ancient Rome remind us all of our duty to service, and may they offer us a light of gratitude for those whose service does not lead them home.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. I thank the gentleman for yielding. We know that since the time that that budget was presented to us we have passed a health care bill. And we know that last week even CBO came back and said guess what, we misfigured. We are going to change these projections. So already those expenditure and outlay projections are off because we have the trillion dollar-plus health care bill that we are going to be looking at. That is something that certainly is on the minds of the taxpayers. They want to see the out of control spending stop. And I think that they are sending a message loud and clear. The focus should be on the economy. It should be on jobs. Constituents every day are saying, Where are the jobs? You have stimulated big government, but you haven't stimulated Main Street. Where are the jobs? And they are focused on the out of control spending from Washington on programs they do not want. And they know that not only they the taxpayer, we the people cannot afford, but the Federal Government cannot afford to be spending our money on those programs. I yield back.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Our average, under Republican control, the average annual deficit has become what now, under Democrat control, they are running in deficit averaging on a month. And I think that's what causes concern to people. April, the deficit was four times what it was last year. These are numbers that cause people to say, Wait a minute. We have to put the brakes on. We are on the wrong track, and it is time for Washington to get its fiscal house in order. You know, one of the things that I will ask when someone says, Well, we need to be spending more on this and we need to be spending more on that; people need to be paying more in taxes so that the Federal Government can spend more, is, Well, how much is enough when it comes to taxes? How much is ever going to be enough? How much spending is ever going to be enough? And those are questions that, when you stop and think about it, is there ever going to be a time when those that want to spend taxpayer money get enough? I think we would all agree, Washington does not have a revenue problem. Washington has a spending problem. And the way we begin to get the spending under control is to have a budget that is going to spend less. That is going to be the first step. Now, the gentleman from Georgia had the charts, and he was talking about an estimated, I think it's $2.3 trillion in revenues and the $3.8 trillion in outlays, and that was the budget that the President had proposed. And I ask the gentleman, do I have my figures correct? $2.3 trillion and change for the revenues and $3.8 trillion and change for the expenditures?

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Thank you, and I want to thank the gentleman for yielding. And my wonderful district that goes from Memphis to Nashville and all the way to the Kentucky border, of course, right now we're fighting floods, and so many of our residents have been, are suffering the adverse effects of all of those floods. And we remember them every day and want to let them know that we're thinking about them. I'm glad that we're talking about the budget issue because budgets are to lay out the priorities of the Federal Government, and they're to define for our taxpayers and our constituents where this money is going to be spent. And as the gentleman just said, it is our responsibility. This is supposed to be done. Congress is charged with having control of the purse of the Federal Government, and we are to do this, as the gentleman said, by April 15 every year. Now, what some of my constituents are asking me, as we talk about fiscal responsibility, is: Why aren't they doing a budget this year? What are they afraid of? And what is the reason that they would choose not to do a budget? Because budgets are to outline those priorities, and they're to be a roadmap. And you know what is so interesting is so many of our constituents like following the budget process. When we send that link to the President's budget, when we send that link through our Blackburn Report to the budget document that the House has under consideration, they follow it, and they like to see where their taxpayer dollars are being spent. I had one constituent who said, you know, I think this is so disrespectful of the American taxpayer that they would, in their arrogance, say, Trust us. We don't have to do a budget document. Just trust us. We're going to keep spending. We're not going to curtail our spending. Just trust us. And the American people are listening to that, and they're saying, You've got to be kidding. As Mr. Jordan said, you know, families do this, small businesses, everybody's been tightening their belts. Our colleges, our universities, our counties and our cities, they're all doing their budget hearings right now, and they're perplexed that Congress would consider moving forward. Now, the gentleman from Georgia talked a little bit about past spending. And I think as we talk about deficits and the debt, that the gentleman from Georgia and I probably agree that--and I know I certainly talked with President Bush and I think he did, too, many times. I felt that President Bush spent too much. CBO says when you look at the years of Republican control from 1994 to 2006, our average annual deficit was about $104 billion per year. And then you go in, and the gentleman has the chart that shows what happened when there was Democrat control of Congress, the 3 years that they have had it, 2007, 2008, 2009. Well, our $104 billion a year deficit, which was way too much--we should never have a deficit, or it should only be in extenuating circumstances. We all support a balanced budget. We support a balanced budget amendment. We support bringing that in, like the RSC did last year, having a balanced budget. But when you look at the fact that $104 billion, as opposed to $1.11 trillion, which has been their average annual deficit, it causes people to say, My goodness. You mean our average annual deficit has become their monthly deficit?

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Speaker, it is a privilege to rise today to honor Paramedic Bret Anderson for being selected as the Bartlett Fire Department's 2009 Firefighter of the Year. Since joining the Bartlett Fire Department in 2006, Bret Anderson has been known around the fire station for his positive attitude, his compassion, and his high regard for patients which has brought peace and comfort to many in times of crisis. After learning the ropes as a rookie and a lot of hard work, Paramedic Anderson has established himself as one of the premier first responders in Shelby County. Paramedic Anderson has displayed this knowledge and skill through several high impact incidents over the past year where his expertise contributed to positive outcomes. I am pleased to know that experienced first responders like Bret Anderson are hard at work each day keeping the citizens of Bartlett safe. With his broad knowledge of life saving techniques, many people are alive today due to his quick action and high regard for the people he is treating. Paramedic Anderson has my deep gratitude and respect as he continues to selflessly serve our community each day by providing swift medical treatment wherever lives are on the line. Please join me in honoring Bret Anderson and wishing him and his wife Farrah and their two children Zack and Taylor the best on this well- deserved award.