Marsha Blackburn

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, this is interesting, hearing our colleagues talk about this bill. I think that people and many of our colleagues know that this bill has been born out over 4 years of hard work, hundreds of hearings, hundreds of hours of testimony. It is a balanced bill. Mr. Speaker, I certainly believe it is one that bridges the needs that we have today with where we need to be in the future as we look to renewable energy sources and alternative sources. One of the things that the chairman mentioned a few moments ago is bipartisan support that we have had on some of our initiatives, and certainly we feel like we will see this on the energy bill. We saw it in committee, and I would commend the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Barton) for the wonderful work he did on the bill in committee. Over the past few weeks, we had 122 Democrats that voted with us on the continuity of government bill, 50 Democrats voted with us on class action, 73 Democrats voted with us on bankruptcy reform, and 42 supported us on repeal of the death tax, and our REAL I.D. Act. I hope this is a sign of things to come, that there will be bipartisan cooperation as we look to this energy bill, because it is a fair bill. It is a fair rule that addresses this bill. Mr. Speaker, supporting this rule and supporting this bill is good for small business. It is great for American small business, for Main Street, for jobs creation. We have an economy that has created nearly 2 million jobs in the past couple of years, 3 million jobs in the past couple of years. We are excited about what is happening with the growth of the economy. We know that this bill is going to do good work in continuing to support Main Street, support our small business community, support our small business manufacturers, and will address some of the concerns they have about energy policy, oil policy, electrical policy and how it affects the business that they carry forth every day. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support the rule and to support the bill.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the minority leader of this body slammed the good work we did in repealing the death tax. She called it ``reverse Robin Hood.'' Well, Mr. Speaker, in my opinion, the minority leader owes an apology to all those families that will get to keep the family farm and to all of those small businesses that will survive a second generation because of this tax relief, and she owes an apology to the 42 Democrats who voted with the Republican majority for this very important tax relief. One has to question the choice of leadership across the aisle. The liberal leadership has opposed repealing the death tax, which is a triple tax on America's working families. They have opposed an energy bill for years now, and they have not supported strengthening our immigration laws. Now they are fighting tooth and nail to prevent Social Security reform. Mr. Speaker, my constituents are asking what, if anything, do they stand for? In my opinion, they stand for more tax and more spend, everything costs more. I want the American people to know the Republican majority in this House is going to fight to be certain they do not get their way.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to be here on behalf of the Republican leadership in the House. It has been so interesting listening over the past hour as my colleagues from across the aisle have talked about various and sundry issues, as they have gotten around to talking about Social Security. I am here to talk about energy tonight, but before I do that, I want to spend just a few moments and dispel some of the myths that we have been listening to for the last hour. I think that possibly my colleagues do not intentionally mean to misrepresent the facts. I think, though, that they are just sadly misinformed many times and have a misunderstanding of some of the facts. I would like to, if I can, clarify a few of these, dispel a couple of myths. We have heard that Social Security is fine until 2052. Then we have turned around and heard that benefits are going to be cut immediately, and that is of concern to me. I think we all know that there is a date, 2018, and 2018 is the date when the Social Security system will stop running a surplus. Now, this is important to us, because it is at that point in time when those IOUs that the government has been writing, the Social Security system, the Social Security fund, those are going to come due in 2018. Now, 2042 is the date that the IOUs run out. The question for us to answer is this: what are we going to do? How are we going to pay it from 2018 until 2042. My colleagues have come against the President for raising this issue. I would like to commend the President for having this discussion with the American people, for encouraging us to talk about how we go about addressing Social Security. It is important for those of us, the Members of the House elected from 435 districts around this great Nation, to decide what is going to be the best way to address Social Security. With my constituents, we look at it as two tracks. One, the stabilization and solvency, how are we going to address this? The other we look at is the enhancements. That is where we begin talking about the personal accounts. Mr. Speaker, one of my colleagues today has called it a privatization scheme, and I find that very sad. Because the money that men and women, each and every one of us, pay into Social Security is money we have earned, and that is something that we deserve to have, that our children deserve to have as a nest egg to build from as they get ready to retire. It is not a scheme. It is called working and earning a living and setting aside, and that is money that you have earned and you deserve to have, to be able to pass on to your heirs. Personal accounts is your own personal lockbox to be certain that that money is going to be there at the time that you get ready to retire. I have also heard them talk about we need to stop deficit spending. Well, lo and behold, I would just love it if they would join us as we as the majority try to work on deficit spending. But do my colleagues know what happens? Every single time we talk about reducing a program, every single time we talk about eliminating a program that has outlived its usefulness, every single time we talk about government efficiencies, what do they want to do? They want to grow the program. They do not want to cut a program. Mr. Speaker, Ronald Reagan said the closest thing to eternal life on earth is a Federal Government program, and he was right. Because once you got it, it is so incredibly difficult to get rid of it. So I invite our colleagues from across the aisle to join us. We passed a budget this year. We have done some great things this year, and I commend our Republican leadership for some of the steps that we have made, such as the budget. Our budget chairman, the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Nussle), did a great job working with the committee bringing forward a budget that has a reduction in nondiscretionary, nonhomeland security defense spending. Many of our colleagues wanted to vote against that and did vote against that, because it was not spending enough. Mr. Speaker, you cannot have it both ways. You cannot have it both ways. So we invite our colleagues to work with us to get the spending down. We also want to be certain that we take a look at some of the things that need to be addressed as we talk about Social Security, as we talk about the future, as we talk about education for our children, as we talk about opportunity. One of my colleagues said they went to college on a scholarship and talked about scholarship and loans and ways to get through college. A lot of us did like me: worked, worked hard, worked hard selling books door to door to get through college. And for many, many American men and women and young people today, they are working and they are striving to get that education so that they can enjoy hope, opportunity, and benefits of this great Nation, so they can build a nest egg and have a great retirement and a solid future, not only for them but for their children and for their grandchildren. So we invite our colleagues from across the aisle to join with us to reduce this spending and to address the solvency of the Social Security system, to join with us as we talk about passing a budget that is going to reduce spending, cut the deficit in half in 5 years. One of the reasons we are here talking about this deficit, and Mr. Speaker, I just cannot let this go by, they say you have to cut it, you have to stop spending. We have this national debt. Do my colleagues know how we got here? We got here because of 40 years, 40 years of Democrat control, Democrat spending, programs that were growing and growing and growing and were not being called into accountability; 40 years of just taking that credit card and running those numbers off, swiping them away, run it up, run it up, run it up. Pass that debt on. Let future generations worry about it. Live for today. Enjoy it. It is the Federal Government's money. Spend it all before you get to the end of the year. I commend our Republican leadership here in the House: our Speaker, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert); our leader, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay); our whip, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt); our conference chair, the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Pryce); and I commend the President and our administration for working with us to say, let us begin to turn this ship around. We did not get here overnight. We did not. And we are working diligently every single day to turn this around. I think we are seeing great success. As I mentioned a moment earlier, we have had a busy agenda. Despite what my colleagues from across the aisle would like to say, we have had a busy agenda this year. We have gotten a few good things done. We have passed class action reform, which has been a long time in coming. Greedy lawyers, greedy trial lawyers have just had their way too often for too many years with the American court system. As I said, we have passed a budget that puts us on the path to fiscal responsibility. It is not going to be done overnight. It is not going to be done today or tomorrow. It is going to take us some time. We are having a national discussion on the issue of Social Security. Yesterday, we passed a permanent repeal of the death tax, which is a triple tax on many farmers, on many small businesses in my district in Tennessee. Today, we passed bankruptcy reform. All of these are steps in the right direction. They are good things. At the same time, we have been talking about reducing taxes and cutting spending. We have to have that discussion one with the other. You cannot leave it unattended. At my town halls over the past couple of weeks, we have heard a lot about Social Security. We have heard a lot about immigration, also; and, Mr. Speaker, I hope that at some point we will be able to come back to the floor and address that. But we are also hearing about energy and about the price. One of my colleagues earlier this afternoon said, we need immediate relief from $2 a gallon plus gas, and we need to do something right now. There is something that we can do, and it is called passing an energy bill, because it is a step in the right direction; and there are few issues that are more central to our economy and to our national security than energy and having a good, solid energy policy. There truly is no single American whose livelihood, whose standard of living, whose security as a citizen of this great Nation does not depend on our access to a stable and abundant energy supply. Now one would think, given the absolute critical nature of this issue, that we would have been able to easily pass a national energy policy bill several years ago, but, Mr. Speaker, that has not been the case. I commend our chairman, the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Barton), for the great work he has done on this issue this year. We are going to hear over the next week as we bring this bill to the floor that, oh, my goodness, it was passed in haste. Well, let me tell my colleagues what. We started a hearing on April 6 with opening statements. We finished in committee last night, which was April 13. And I would remind my colleagues that during the 107th Congress, from 2001 to 2002, the Republican-led Committee on Energy and Commerce held 28 hearings related to the comprehensive national energy bill. Mr. Speaker, in 2002, the Committee on Energy and Commerce spent 21 hours marking up an energy bill and considering 79 amendments. In 2003, they spent 22 total hours and 80 amendments. In 3 years, House Republicans have held 80 public hearings, with 12 committee markups and 279 amendments. Senate Republicans have held 37 public hearings and 8 markups. What is the common theme here? The common theme is that conservatives keep pushing for reform, and conservatives keep pushing for a national energy policy. We get it. Republicans in Congress have dedicated hundreds, if not thousands, of hours over the past several years making energy policy for this Nation a priority. During the 107th Congress, we proposed the Securing America's Future Energy Act. In the 108th Congress, it was called the Energy Policy Act of 2003. And while many across the aisle opposed this effort, we are not giving up. This week at the Committee on Energy and Commerce we met for nearly 28 hours and considered almost 70 amendments. Thanks to the leadership of the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Barton), we were able to pass this bill out of committee; and it is a tremendous step toward a goal of national energy policy. It is a big step toward having a national energy bill, and I do commend all of my colleagues on the Committee on Energy and Commerce and our chairman for their diligent work and tremendous efforts. Time and again, we face Democrats in the House and the Senate who put their pet projects over this matter of national security and economic security, this energy bill. Mr. Speaker, part of the hold-up on this issue has been a group of extremely liberal ideologues who think we should require half the Nation to give up their cars and bike to work. They have made every attempt to halt progress on this bill because the bill will help open new domestic sources of oil, domestic oil that will ease some of our reliance on foreign sources. I want to say that one more time, to be certain that everyone gets that. They have opposed it because this bill will help open new domestic sources of oil, domestic oil that will help ease our reliance on foreign sources. And that must be a priority. And I agree there has to be a balance between efforts to develop alternative energy sources, but that cannot come at the expense of our current need for access to oil and gas supplies. And I believe the bill that the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Barton) has put together meets all these needs, and it should have the support of every single Member of this body. I would like to spend a few moments with this poster right now and go through some of the things that we have covered in our Energy Committee this week and things that the American people and the Members of this House are going to become very familiar with over the next week as we look at energy policy. At the top we have got a quote from our chairman, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), who said, I agree with our President, 4 years is long enough for an energy bill. That is how long we have been working on this. And for individuals who will say we have not spent enough time on it, I do not think there is ever going to be enough time spent on it. And the reason for that is this, because they are just not getting everything they want; and so therefore, they are going to try to keep the bill from moving forward. Four years is enough. The Energy Policy Act of 2005, this is what you are going to find in that bill. It improves our Nation's electricity transmission capability and reliability. Mr. Speaker, this Nation has suffered a series of blackouts over the past decade. All of us remember the August 2003 blackout that affected the Northeast. And that is what we are trying to prevent with this legislation. We are providing incentives for transmission grid improvement and for strengthening reliability standards. It is important to do that. It is important to be proactive, to provide those incentives for the grid improvements. This is about providing the resources our economy needs so that it can grow and about protecting ourselves from future blackouts. We have heard some discussion today about needing jobs, needing to grow the economy. One of the ways we can do that is having a stable, safe, secure, dependable energy supply. One way we can do that is by reducing our reliance on foreign oil sources. Number two, the bill will also encourage development of new fuels, of hydrogen fuel cell cars, and give State and local governments access to grants that will support acquisition of alternative-fueled vehicles. And that program with the alternative-fueled vehicles is the Clean Cities program. This is something that will provide those communities that are dealing with transportation the opportunity to look at alternative-fueled vehicles. We are going to see some of these alternative fuels come about. It is important to Tennessee, my State. It is important to others. We are hearing a lot about biodiesel, about ethanol, about the hybrids that some of the auto manufacturers are producing. And of course in Tennessee we have a Nissan plant. We have a Saturn plant, and we know that research and development and new design for hydrogen cell cars is there. It is on the drawing board. We need to do what we can do to encourage that. This bill will do that. Number three, we have also made sure this effort does not ignore clean coal technology, renewable energies like biomass, wind and solar hydroelectricity. Number four, the Federal Government is going to help lead the effort in energy conservation through this legislation by requiring Federal buildings to comply with efficiency standards. We can help set the example, and we should be setting the example, and we are going to do that with this piece of legislation. We are targeting those high utility bills. When it comes to liquefied natural gas, we are clarifying the government's role in the process of choosing sites for natural gas facilities. By streamlining the approval process for this important energy sector's facility construction, we can provide some stability to those large segments of our country that depend on natural gas for fuel. Mr. Speaker, every American knows our country is dependent on oil. It is essential to our economy. By increasing oil and gas exploration and development on nonpark Federal lands, and by authorizing the expansion of the strategic petroleum reserves capacity to a billion barrels, we are doing everything we can to meet our domestic demand and to protect ourselves from future shortages. Both nuclear and hydropower have a significant role in providing energy for millions of Americans, and our legislation will allow the Department of Energy to accelerate programs for the production and supply of electricity and set the stage for construction of new nuclear plants and improving current procedures for hydroelectric project licensing, looking to the future, and looking to the nuclear and the hydropower and the role that they will supply. Mr. Speaker, all of this is good for our economy, and it is good for our national security. We know that. We know it is important that we continue to have a ready energy supply for manufacturing. One of my colleagues earlier today was talking about, my goodness, you know, China, and dealing with China and the currency there, it concerns us. It concerns us when we see jobs leave. It concerns everyone. And one of the ways that we make sure manufacturing continues to grow as it has done over the past 2 years, and I will remind my colleagues this past quarter we had the best manufacturing numbers we have had in this country in about 2 decades. We give this Republican leadership in the House and the Senate and the Republican leadership and the administration a little bit of credit for working to create the environment that the private sector needed to do what, go create jobs, two million new jobs, and also, to increase the productivity and the output in manufacturing and also, as that has happened, to increase the capital investment. It will become a little bit better, a little bit more affordable for the private sector to create those jobs and to increase that manufacturing output when we have a stable, a dependable, an affordable energy supply. And that is one of the things that the Energy Policy Act of 2005 will help to do. Now, I heard one of our colleagues earlier talking about the gas shortages of the 1970s. And I think that many of us can remember those. And everyone who does agrees that economic security and national security, when it comes to energy, certainly go hand in hand. And for those across the aisle, many, like the minority leader across the aisle, who have worked against our effort to secure America's energy sources, I hope that now, after the Republican leadership has made the case for this bill and legislation, and after 4 years, 4 full years of work, that they will join us, that they will vote for and support this legislation. And if the liberal leadership in Congress does not really see the light on this issue, let me help to clarify this. I would like to show our second chart. Mr. Speaker, this is where we have been over the past two Congresses, the 107th, the 108th, and the 109th Congress. On the left, you will see that you have the Congress and the energy legislation that the Republicans tried to pass, but were unable to get through because of Democrat opposition. And on the right you have the national average prices of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline for the second week of April each year that this legislation was going through the floor, and each time the Democrat leadership was fighting passage of an energy bill. And I hope that the individuals that are watching are going to see a trend here, because we have had a lot of inaction since the 107th Congress. And with that inaction, guess what has happened? Higher prices. Democrat obstructionism means a bigger bill at the pump. And for my colleagues that earlier today were saying you have got to do something, gas is over $2 a gallon, well here is the something to do. It is called vote ``yes'' on the energy bill. Let us move this process along. There are Members that have been obstructionists for too, too long. Let us vote ``yes'' and let us move the process along. Now, during the 107th Congress, in 2001 and 2002, we pushed a comprehensive energy bill. And at that time the gas prices averaged $1.46 a gallon. During the 108th Congress, in 2003 and 2004, Republicans in the House were again supporting a national energy policy. Gas prices had increased by an average of 20 cents, and they were at $1.69 a gallon. Mr. Speaker, now the 109th Congress, we are facing $2.28 a gallon. My question is, how can the Democrats continue to say no? They need to join us and show some support for the energy bill. This bill is a bill about options. It is a bill about options for today, more affordable oil and gas. It is about options for the future as we look at research and development, as we look at new technologies. And it is important for our Nation's economy and for our Nation's security that we move this along. So I hope that next week, as we take up the national energy policy act on the floor of the House, that Democrats will enthusiastically and finally join Republicans in passing this legislation. Time for inaction has long passed. Mr. Speaker, I think it is time we passed this bill next week and that we answer that question that some of our constituents are asking: What are you going to do about it? We are going to do what we have been trying to do for 4 years. We are going to pass an energy bill. We hope that the Democrats across the aisle will join us in passing this bill, helping to secure our Nation's energy supply and helping us plan for the future.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I want to rise in support of the rule that will allow us to consider the permanent repeal of the death tax. Mr. Speaker, I think it is so appropriate, so very appropriate that this week, as millions of American taxpayers are finalizing their Federal income tax filings that we are looking at what is one of the most egregious taxes and most unfair taxes to our small business community. I am one of those that fully believes that the death tax is the triple tax, because Americans pay tax when they earn their income. Then they turn around, they buy an asset, and they spend their money, and they are paying a tax on every bit of that. And then, when an American dies, they have to pay the tax again. This tax affects every American, especially our small business owners. I have found it very curious that some of my colleagues across the aisle continue to say it only affects the rich. Well, in my district, do my colleagues know that it affects thousands of farmers, thousands of small business owners who are very upset about the death tax? Families everywhere would benefit from the repeal of this tax. When 70 percent of family businesses do not make it to the second generation, there is a problem; and we know we can fix part of that problem, because it is the death tax. For too long the death tax has been a major factor in the failure of family businesses. The tax not only forces American families to hand over their hard work to the government; family businesses spend millions of dollars every year trying to comply with these regulations. In addition, it discourages savings and investment, and it is costing our economy hundreds of thousands of new jobs. Mr. Speaker, 89 percent of Americans want death taxes repealed. Small business owners get it, seniors get it, the farmers in my district get it. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join the leadership and to support this rule in favor of H.R. 8.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, today I was coming back to D.C. reading the Nashville Tennessean, the local news section, and my attention was drawn to a headline here: ``State's March Sales Tax Revenue up $14.8 Million Over Estimates.'' Mr. Speaker, there is a reason that the State sales tax revenues are up so much in the State of Tennessee, and it has to do with actions that this body took last year. Last year, we voted to restore the deductibility of sales tax to those of us from nonState income tax States. Tennessee, Texas, Washington State, several States are affected by this provision. It proves the point, you want more of something, you lower the taxes. Things that are taxed less are going to flourish. I would like to say thank you to our Speaker, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert); to our leader, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay); and to our whip, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt), for their leadership and their support in restoring the deductibility of sales tax for my State, Tennessee, and the other States that fund their State governments by State sales tax.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, you know it should be no secret to anyone in this body that immigration reform is a top priority for millions of Americans, and I doubt that most of us have had a single town hall meeting during this past recess when we have not been asked by our constituents to address the concerns of illegal immigration. I can tell you, I have heard time and again from my constituents who want to know why it is so incredibly difficult and it seems so difficult for the Federal Government to enforce these immigration laws that are currently on the books. They absolutely cannot understand why some politicians in Washington seem to fail to understand that illegal immigrants are in fact breaking our laws and if they do indeed actually cause a security risk. As our constituents are preparing to pay Federal income tax, as millions of Americans are preparing to pay their Federal income tax this week, I was asked time and again in town hall meetings this weekend if we did not consider the costs, the extra cost to the American taxpayer of illegal immigration. And I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, I certainly sympathize with my constituents and I empathize with their concerns and their consternation, and I truly share their frustration when I read some of the things I read about illegal immigration. We have an obvious flouting of the laws, and yet there are some who think that we should actually ignore this problem. Thankfully, we have made some progress this year, and we should credit the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) for much of his hard work and the Committee on the Judiciary for much of their hard work when they worked on the Real ID Act. This body passed that, and certainly it will beef up the identification security measures, many dealing with our driver's license provisions. It will speed up the construction of border barriers, and it will make it tough for those with terrorist ties to gain asylum in the United States. But, Mr. Speaker, I think we all know that that is absolutely not enough. Just yesterday morning, the Washington Post ran a story with the headline ``Probe Faults System For Monitoring U.S. Border.'' Now I have been working with my colleagues here in the House to target waste, fraud and abuse in government spending; and I have also been a proponent of tackling our enormous illegal immigration problem. The Washington Post story contains just an astounding level of waste, fraud, and abuse in spending; and it should be a wake-up call for those who do not think immigration reform is a priority. Clearly, the system we have got is not working. According to a General Service Administration investigation, American taxpayers footed the bill for $239 million surveillance system across our borders. And what do we have to show for that, sir? A lot of broken equipment and lax border security. This is absolutely incredible. You have got a bunch of concerned citizens who got tired of all the excuses so they have gone down to the Arizona border to observe illegal immigration and report to the border agents, and apparently they have been pretty effective. Meanwhile, the Federal government has a $239 million pile of useless equipment. This is waste, fraud, and abuse; and this is lack of attention to border security. This is an issue that has my constituents talking at length in town halls, talking about how we are spending the tax money that they are writing the check for this very week. This article is further confirmation of our belief that the borders are too open, our system is too easily abused and our government is not doing enough. I hope that my colleagues will join me in my effort to eliminate the seemingly endless examples of waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars. Mr. Speaker, to those who have been opposing immigration reform for years now, the time has come for America to address the growing problem of illegal immigration. Our constituents and our national security demand it.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time of the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Gutknecht).

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, in July 2004, I addressed the Sandy Berger ``Sloppy Socks Scandal'' here on the floor. At that time, many of the liberals here in Washington said that the former Clinton national security aide had done nothing wrong, that he had not stolen Top Secret documents regarding the Clinton's administration terrorism policies. Well, today we know the truth. Sandy Berger did indeed steal and destroy Top Secret documents. In fact, it is such a clear case of theft and such a disturbing crime against this Nation that Mr. Berger has pled guilty to taking classified material. He has pled guilty to taking classified materials. The punishment does not fit the crime. I was stunned to learn that for stealing national secrets and for putting his own interests and that of the Clinton administration above America's war on terrorism, that he will simply have to pay a $10,000 fine and relinquish his security clearance for 3 years. This is outrageous. Those of us who are shocked by this outcome will be watching to be sure that no future Democratic administration ever gives Mr. Berger a job in the national security arena again.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, as Members return from their districts, I know many will have heard from their constituents who would want to do more to show their support for our men and women in uniform. Like us in Congress, the Department of Defense has heard that call as well; and to answer it, they have put together a wonderful effort. It is called America Supports You. A few weeks ago, I met with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Allison Barber, to discuss the importance of letting our military men and women know just how much we in America appreciate the sacrifices they are making in this war on terrorism. That is what America Supports You is all about. I would like to encourage my colleagues, Democrats and Republicans alike, to tell their constituents about this effort and to post a link on their congressional Web site to www.americasupportsyou.com. Everyone should take a few moments to send a message of encouragement and thanks to our men and women in the military and to their families and let them know how much we appreciate the efforts that they are making for peace and to fight in the war on terrorism.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, you know, over the break I had the opportunity to spend some time in the Middle East. And just this past week I have returned from Israel, Jordan, Iraq, visiting with our men and women in uniform, and talking with them about their impressions of how we are doing in the war on terrorism, talking with them about what they see as their strengths and the weaknesses and what we can be doing better. And, you know, the progress is really remarkable. These men and women in uniform are really remarkable. I had last traveled to Iraq in October 2003, and at that time the coalition forces had removed Saddam Hussein's regime, and the Coalition Provisional Authority governed the nation, and there was still a lot of unrest on the horizon. That unrest is still there, but progress is being made. Today we have an elected government in Iraq. It is representing Iraq's ethnic and religious factions, and they have peacefully reached an agreement to name a Kurd to the Presidency. There are two Vice Presidents; one is a Shiite, the other a Sunni. They have also agreed that the Prime Minister is a Shiite. The naysayers said that successful elections would be all but impossible. They said that the people did not want democracy, that they did not understand democracy. But on election day, each and every one of us, everybody on the face of this Earth, saw the long lines, they saw people braving potential terrorist attacks, and in the words of one Iraqi, a Nation was born in front of a watching world. I think that is very true. They did that. They took those risks in order to vote. The result is a democratic government. And, yes, it is shaky, but it is free, and it is elected, and they are proving the naysayers wrong. They are taking those baby steps towards freedom. Mr. Speaker, it is clear that many things have changed in Iraq since October of 2003, but, from my observation, one thing that has remained consistent and true through thick and thin is our military men and women, the Armed Forces. These folks in uniform have not faltered, not for an instant, in their dedication to this mission. They have demonstrated an unparalleled level of commitment toward reshaping the nation, the Middle East, and the terrorist network that runs through that region of the world. Over the last couple of days, I have spent some time on the telephone calling their families, letting them know how proud of them, how much I appreciate their sacrifice, how much I appreciate the families and the support that they are giving their loved ones in uniform. I am also letting them know how much our constituents in the Seventh Congressional District of Tennessee appreciate them. You know, and America needs to know, that the Iraqi people are appreciative as well. Following Iraq, I was able to speak with a small business owner, an Iraqi woman who had traveled to America about a year ago and shadowed me for a day. And she thanks the American military, and because of the freedom that our men and women in uniform have helped to deliver there on the ground, her Iraqi sisters are now elected officials. Imagine that. A woman in Iraq, many women in Iraq who are holding elected office. It is change. It is a step forward. While we were in Israel, we talked peace, not just a distant hope for peace generations from now, but of a long-term agreement and soon. This is because of our steady and dedicated commitment to involvement in the Middle East. In Iraq, we reviewed the Iraqi military training with General Petraeus, who had been the commanding general at Fort Campbell. This American-Iraqi military training is going to help give that nation the protection, the ability to protect from the insurgents who are there every day, growing weaker; but they are there. It will help the Iraqis take responsibility for their security. We have got about 150,000 Iraqis that are trained; and some of our big Tennesseeans, the 278th regiment from east Tennessee, they are working hard, and they are helping train many of the Iraqis. In Jordan, we visited with the Iraqi police training facility. We have got about 50,000 Iraqis who are now trained, carrying on the work of the police force in Iraq. When you are there in Iraq on the ground, you cannot help but notice the green fields and the sense that order is taking place to their daily lives, not only in government but also in business. The progress made in Iraq is sending shockwaves throughout the Middle East. We have seen the Lebanese people resist the Syrian domination of their government. In Saudi Arabia and Egypt, there is movement. It is slow, but there is movement towards democracy. None of this would have been possible without our military men and women, and it is that change that is going to destroy terrorism. Mr. Speaker, I just stand today to commend the men and women in uniform, to say a special thanks to our Tennesseeans who are serving, and I know that America joins me in thanking them and their families for their sacrifice, their bravery, and their dedication.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, we all know that there are deep emotions that are involved in this debate tonight. And earlier many of us met with Terri Schiavo's brother, and I do not think that anyone can truly convey what that family is going through. And as a mother, a tragedy of this type is my worst nightmare. But, Mr. Speaker, we, this Congress, we are not here simply because we believe in our hearts that a great mistake is about to be made. We are here because all of us, each and every one of us, Americans, Members of Congress, we all know and we understand that the most basic, most fundamental right guaranteed by our Constitution, that is the right to life. And it is our responsibility to protect that right. Now, I interpret and a lot of people have looked at the decision by the Florida judiciary and they interpret this as something that says our society, our country should be willing to accept and facilitate the murder of an adult human being, a human being who has not committed any crime at all whatsoever. I do not think the Founders of our country or our Constitution would agree with that decision, Mr. Speaker. I think it is entirely appropriate that the Federal courts consider this matter, a matter that so clearly speaks to the core of our belief, the belief that every human being has worth, every human being has a value, and every human being has a right to live. Our hearts are with Terri Schiavo and her family. Our reason and our intellect are with the Constitution.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Speaker, we have a wonderful gentleman who was a Tennessee resident, citizen and someone we are terribly proud of. His name is Alex Haley, and many around the world know of his writings. And one of the things that Mr. Haley would often say is ``Find the good and praise it''. And that is something that we have more or less adopted in Tennessee, when folks do things that should be praised. And today I want to recognize some of our outstanding citizens in our State. One is Mr. Hubert Seaton of Henderson, Tennessee. And he was recognized during the annual Henderson, Tennessee Membership and Awards Banquet, and the Chester County Chamber of Commerce named him as their 2004 citizen of the year. What an outstanding honor for an outstanding man who was the first citizen of Chester County to be drafted during World War II. He devoted himself to serving his country with honor and dignity and was awarded both the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. In 1960 he was elected to the Chester County Quarterly Court and faithfully served his community for 42 years. While presiding as a county judge and chairman of the court he continued to demonstrate his devotion to the citizens of Chester County, a life well lived, an honor well deserved. We also honor today Mr. Ed Rufo. He is the recipient of the Army Public Service Award, and it is the second highest distinction granted to a civilian by the Secretary of the Army. As founder and president of Operation Eagle's Nest, Mr. Rufo has contributed enormously to providing both financial and moral aid to Fort Campbell soldiers and their families. This started out as a fund raising endeavor to assist the families of soldiers deployed to Iraq. Operation Eagle's Nest rapidly obtained support from the Military Affairs Committees of Hopkinsville and Oak Grove, Kentucky and Clarksville, Tennessee, which is in my 7th Congressional District. To date contributions total more than $250,000. It is clear that Eagle's Nest is having a substantial positive impact on the lives of our soldiers. When our Nation called Fort Campbell and the 101st Airborne to Operation Iraqi Freedom, they responded with enthusiasm and with dedication. When Mr. Rufo saw an opportunity to thank the men, women and their families, he answered with Operation Eagle's Nest, and we thank him for that. We have got a couple of educators that are doing great work. Since 1990 Dr. Ronald Griffeth has dedicated himself to the students and the faculty of Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, Tennessee. He was the academy's president and headmaster. And while everyone in our community is sad to see him retire, we know that he is leaving a lasting legacy in the community. And in recognition of that legacy, the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools honored him with the distinguished Sawney Webb Award. Not only has he helped to lead and expand the academy, he has been actively involved in the community with Boys and Girls Clubs and with working with young people in so many endeavors. Mrs. Pam Stackhouse also works with young people. She has been recognized as the Wal-Mart Tennessee Teacher of the Year Award Winner. She received a $10,000 education grant to benefit her school, Selmer Elementary. She has demonstrated tremendous enthusiasm for learning for her students, and for more than three decades she has devoted her energy and her talent to Selmer students. As a music teacher for the last 8 years she has given her students appreciation for all things good. The Selmer community is truly blessed to have her enriching the lives of their children. And Madam Speaker, I rise to wind up talking about our Chester County girls basketball team. They have had a tremendous season, and Saturday night these young women won the Tennessee AA State Championship. We know that great basketball brings small towns together across Tennessee, and in Henderson they have been coming together for years to watch the Eaglettes hit the hardwood. And while dedicated to their team, the fans have been waiting nearly 3 decades to take another shot at that title. The wait is over. After 27 years the Eaglettes carried home the State championship trophy and had three players make the State All tournament team. One was the MVP, the other Tennessee's Miss Basketball. Congratulations to all of the team members. Madam Speaker, we want to say congratulations to all these outstanding constituents who allow us to see their good and to praise it.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, it is with sorrow that I rise to mourn the loss of Spring Hill, Tennessee, mayor Ray Williams. He was elected in 1999 and proved to be an effective and dedicated public servant during his years as mayor. Mayor Williams both managed Spring Hill's tremendous growth over the past few years and helped preserve the wonderful standard of living the community enjoys. He ran an efficient government and lowered property taxes every year that he was in office. He set a standard many of my colleagues here in Congress should adopt when he instituted the Spring Hill Taxpayer Bill of Rights. It is a resolution that requires any proposed property tax increase to be approved by the taxpayers and that surplus funds be returned to the taxpayers. It is clear that Ray was a wonderful public servant, a loving, devoted husband and father; and we thank his family for his service to our community.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time of the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton).

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Fayette County, Tennessee, Mayor Rhea Taylor. As the Fayette County Mayor since 2002 and a public servant for years, Rhea Taylor has been actively involved in planning for the rapid growth of Fayette County. And during their annual awards banquet, the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce named Mayor Taylor the 2004 Citizen of the Year. During Mayor Taylor's tenure, Fayette County has been designated as a Three-Star Pilot Program county by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. In addition to facilitating growth planning and recruiting industries to the county, Mayor Taylor is working to create a county-wide fire system and a justice complex. The list of achievements goes on and on, but it is clear that Mayor Taylor has worked tirelessly on behalf of the County's residents. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Mayor Taylor on his record of achievement and thank him for his continued good service to the people of Fayette County, Tennessee.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. 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. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Kentucky for yielding and allowing me to participate in this debate. Madam Speaker, as we begin tonight, I tell my colleagues I just have to comment, listening to my colleagues from across the aisle, one would think if they were listening to this great debate that we are having here that they believe everything depends on the government; the panacea has to be the government; the solution to the problems, it has all got to be the government. As we talk about Social Security, we want to welcome them and invite them to come participate in the debate, but I find it so interesting. They do not bring new ideas to this debate, and they keep saying let us let the government tend to it, but they do not want to talk about the importance of developing an ownership society. They do not want to talk about giving power to the people. I always wonder when I hear someone say government is the solution, government has got the solution, leave it to government, let them work it out, let us grow a bigger government. I think about Ronald Reagan and how he always said it is all about the people. It is all about the people. That is where the solutions lie. Whatever the debate is, whatever our colleagues across the aisle, whatever their view is on Social Security reform, I would hope that no one will oppose a discussion on this issue. We are brought here to Washington, those of us that are elected, and we come to Congress to participate in big issues that are going to impact individuals' lives and the American people's lives. It is true that our country has a range of problems that we are facing right now, but I think it is fair to say and I think that my colleague would agree with me that strengthening and stabilizing Social Security is at the top of that list. I would invite our colleagues from across the aisle to join us in this debate, bring some ideas and to participate in how we should look at Social Security for future generations. I think it is very unfortunate that so many across the aisle are following the lead of the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the minority leader, and nearly every Democrat in the House has chosen to stifle debate, rather than to engage in it, and I think that is not leadership. It is really obstructionism. Madam Speaker, about a week ago, President Bush visited Memphis, Tennessee, which is just outside of my district, and I would have liked to have been there and been a part of that, but things did not quite work out that way for me on last Friday. That did not stop the Democratic National Committee from attacking both the President and me in a statewide radio ad. Their ad was misleading at best, and it essentially said that we should not even debate reform. They are essentially saying that we should bury our head in the sand and ignore the problem until it just goes on and runs over us. I can tell my colleagues, the DNC attack ad generated two calls. Only two calls to my Shelby County, Memphis, area office in opposition to any type reform. They spent all their money, 70 stations, State-wide, and we got two negative calls. Fifty calls from people who said I think we can talk about Social Security reform but let us not squash the discussion. In fact, I have an e-mail from a man in Collierville, which is in Shelby County near Memphis, and he says: I was listening to WREC radio today and heard a rather obnoxious DNC commercial telling me to contact you to vote against the President's effort to modify Social Security. I am contacting you but rather to encourage you to work with the President to pass a reform. On the day of the President's visit, a front page article in the local news section of the Nashville Tennessean read, Bush trip puts Democrats' focus on Blackburn. President in Memphis for next stop in Social Security debate. All this because we want to have a discussion. We want to talk about a very real problem and what we are going to do about it. Now, is it not amazing, here in America, here in the United States House of Representatives, here in Congress, when you want to lead on a discussion and bring to the attention of the American people something that is a problem, then it makes you a political target. That is absolutely incredible. Facing a problem, addressing and defining a problem and then working to find a solution, that is what is called leadership. Since last fall, I have been holding town hall meetings and discussions across my district, and we have been talking about Social Security reform in these. We are letting constituents know the process that we are going through and how we are searching for the right thing, the right steps to take, and I will not sugarcoat things here. Some people are absolutely opposed to the discussion. They will not consider the idea of reform, any kind of reform, but that is not the norm. I found that most people are not only willing to discuss reform, but they have their own ideas of what we should do, and that tells me something. People are thinking about this issue. The Democrats in the House are unwilling, really unwilling to discuss the topic. They refuse to come to the table and say, okay, let us see what we can do to fix this problem. They are out of touch with mainstream America. They were out of touch in the last election cycle, and they remain out of touch today. I have brought with me today, Madam Speaker, a handful of the thousands of e-mails that I have received to share with you. Here is one from a gentleman in Arlington, Tennessee. It is also in Shelby County, down near Memphis, and he says: While I agree privatization accounts should not be the number one focus, they are a significant factor in this issues reform. Please accept the correspondence as a vote in favor of President Bush's proposal. He goes on and details some of the things that he likes and does not like about what he is hearing. On the other side, I have got one from a woman in Nashville, Tennessee: I am opposed to the privatization of Social Security. I am in favor of reform, but there are many people who could pay more into Social Security or maybe take less out. Another man from Collierville, Tennessee: Can you help pass Social Security reform? I would appreciate the opportunity to invest a percentage of my Social Security payments. Does that not sound like a pretty good debate. These people are not afraid to discuss it. America is discussing the issue. We would like to think that the Democrats would also. We have several bills in the House and the Senate that are proposing different reforms, and I want Tennesseans to know that I am going to continue to review these ideas, to talk with them about the bills that are being brought forward, and we will continue to support committee action on a range of proposals. Some of the e-mails that I have received ask why we are doing this now, why we cannot just put it off for another decade. It is similar to refinancing your house. You refinance your home mortgage today and get a much lower interest rate than you could probably 10 years from now. Why would you wait when conditions will never be better than they are now? Well, that is where with what we have to do with Social Security. Conditions for reform will not get any better than they are now. It makes no sense to wait. Last week I wrote an op-ed that ran in the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper where I talked about four indisputable facts regarding Social Security that we should all be able to agree on regardless of our party affiliation or ideology. Those facts are these: in 1950, there were 16 workers paying into Social Security for every one retiree. Today there are only 3.3 workers for every retiree, and by the time my two children who are in their mid-twenties retire, there will only be two workers for every retiree. We have 13 years when the Social Security will begin taking in less money than it pays out to retirees. It is time for us to move forward. We know that the American people are engaged in this debate. We know that they are participating in this debate. I have had a survey on my Web site running for a week now, and I have had a tremendous response to this. I will tell my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, they had better start taking part in this very real, very lively discussion because there is a widespread view that we should do something and do it now. The only people willing to work on this are the Republicans and the Republican leadership in Congress. It is a disservice to our Nation that our colleagues across the aisle do not want to participate. It is not why we were sent here to Congress.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize and congratulate Workforce Essentials in Clarksville, Tennessee, for its innovation and its attentiveness to the needs of the area it serves. In Clarksville, we have a great program that is in place. It is an initiative called an Army of One Plus One. The program is attuned to the needs of the areas veterans, military spouses and retirees. Their good work was recognized last Friday night by the National Association of Work Force Partnerships as this year's recipient of the Theodore E. Small award, which recognizes the successful implementation of the program, which is a partnership with the 101st Airborne at Ft. Campbell and alongside the Tennessee Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the U.S. Department of Defense by identifying the military as a primary sector of the workforce. The spouses of soldiers, the veterans and the entire community have benefitted from this partnership. The CEO of Workforce Essentials, Ross Jackson and his great team plus the outstanding team at Ft. Campbell, led by General Turner and Colonel Ruggley, are to be commended for providing their great work.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, today is International Women's Day, and I come before the body this morning to salute our Iraqi women friends. I have with me a group of e-mails that I have received the past couple of days from the Iraqi women that we have been working with; and they are expressing their thanks to our military men and women who have fought so diligently and have worked right alongside with them and with their country to help their country go through successful elections, to recognize the freedom that they have sought and that they have fought for and longed for for 30 years. So it is with great excitement today that they are communicating with us as a free people and as free women. Not only are they grateful to our military, Mr. Speaker, they are grateful to those of us in the Congressional Iraqi Women's Caucus, from both sides of the aisle here in this body, a group that has come together to walk with them as they walk toward opportunity and hope and freedom. I would like to express my thanks for the leadership in that caucus to our former colleague, Ms. Dunn, who put a tremendous amount of leadership in this, and to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Granger) and the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne), who are continuing to work and lead this group as we seek to help the Iraqi women. I would like to share with the body some of the e-mails and some of the communication that has been expressed from these women as women and as free people to speak on International Women's Day. This e-mail says: this is the second year Iraqi women have contributed to this important international gathering as free and independent people. They had a goal of 25 percent representation rights for women in the National Assembly in Iraq. Iraqi women have reached a target beyond that, with 31 percent representation. Spectacular. Spectacular. Another, ``Iraqi women are now in the future that we all dreamed of. Iraqi women are heroes. They deserve to be leaders. They deserve to participate in building the bright future for their children. We owe our brave brothers and partners their support and understanding. Together, we all celebrate the International Women's Day.'' And another, ``This day, March 8, is a sign of civilization and democracy. Let us celebrate together.'' Another, ``Your voice is reaching other countries in the Middle East. Our sisters in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Kuwait are also rising. People are speaking out and enjoying democracy. Congratulations to all, celebrating the spirit and courage and contributions of Iraqi women who have added to the vitality, the richness, and the diversity of Iraqi life. In this amazing transformation to democracy in our country, we must recognize women's historic accomplishments and always honor those who have left us behind to carry through.'' Mr. Speaker, I am so encouraged by the voices of freedom that we hear in this budding democracy. I stand today to salute the Iraqi women and to encourage them as they continue to work toward freedom, hope and opportunity in their country.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Texas. And I would like to commend him for meeting with the students and working with the students from Grace High School in Tyler, Texas, and for their study, their caring about the free enterprise system and seeking greater information on that. How exciting that they are doing that. You know, Mr. Speaker, one of the things we are hearing from business schools all across the country, one of the things we are hearing from high schools, from tech schools is that more and more people are saying, I want to be an entrepreneur. I want to start my own business. I want to see if I can grab on to that American Dream of owning my own company, starting a company, having an idea, watching that idea come to fruition in the form of a company that creates jobs. And it is so encouraging to me that the Republican leadership and our majority in this House is committed to doing the things that are going to be necessary to continue economic growth, long-term sustained economic growth like we have seen over the past 40 months. I have got another article from washingtonpost.com that I had pulled today. This one is really interesting. Construction spending rose a strong seven-tenths of a percent in January, a month when generally they are not going to see that kind of increase. This pushed total construction activity to a record high of just over $1 trillion at a seasonally adjusted annual rate and followed an even larger 1.2 percent rise in December. What we are seeing is confidence and belief and the fact that people believe in the strength of this economy. We have a freshman Member from Kentucky (Mr. Davis) who has joined this Congress this year. He is with us for just a few moments to talk about some of the good things that are happening in his State. I yield to the gentleman from Kentucky.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, as we talk about the economy and talk about the need to have an economic Renaissance, to see this continue. As I said earlier, we have had 40 consecutive months of economic growth. A lot of times women do not look forward to that 40th birthday, but when we talk about the 40th month of economic growth, that is certainly a date that we want to celebrate. The gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King) mentioned tax reform and the cost of 22 cents of every dollar of manufactured good in this Nation being eaten up by compliance, and the importance of us having a wonderful debate about how we lower that cost so that every sector of our economy is going to see greater productivity and is going to see growth. We know that working on our tax reform issues, working on tort reform issues to eliminate frivolous lawsuits, are going to be a way that we can begin to benefit, that we can see the products that are manufactured here be more competitive in a global marketplace. As we look at the opportunities for trade in Tennessee, for example, where our exports have increased every year for the past 5 years, and we know that does equal jobs. Over the past 2 years, as the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King) said, we created about 2.7 million new jobs, and that will soon in a couple of months be 1.5 million new jobs per year. There are a couple of industries that have seen good growth in the past couple of months: Apparel, textiles, transportation and equipment, electronic components and equipment, chemicals, industrial and commercial equipment and computers, instruments, photographic equipment, metals, food, wood and wood products. Virtually every State in the Union can claim at least one of these industrial sectors. In fact, one of the things that we have seen about job creation is that in 48 of our 50 States we have seen jobs growth. That is impressive. Over the past year, 48 of our 50 States have seen jobs growth. That is why we are beginning to see this 40 months of overall economic growth, 21 straight months where we are seeing increases in the manufacturing sector, and we know all of this means jobs. It all means jobs that are being created. We know that there is a lot of work ahead that we need to do to be certain that this economy keeps growing. Mr. Speaker, much of our focus this session is going to be on economic growth, economic competitiveness, doing the things that encourage, that create the right environment. Our government does not create jobs, it is this free enterprise system that creates jobs, and doing things so we help create the right investment, focusing on tax reform and trade issues, on regulatory reform and on energy independence. These are the areas that are going to have a tremendous impact on our economy as it expands. We will continue to see growth in those sectors. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) who is new to us this Congress. The gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) has come to our Congress this year and is serving on the Committee on Education and the Workforce. And much of her focus, even though her Ph.D. is in education, she understands the importance of an educated workforce and lifelong learning and developing the skills that are so necessary to be productive in your job, to be satisfied in your job. The gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) has some thoughts she would like to share with us tonight on economic competitiveness.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, we are going to talk about economic competitiveness in the economy tonight, but before we start on that topic, I just want to draw attention to a couple of things that have appeared in the newspaper and talk about Iraq and the Middle East. There is an article that I pulled from the wires today, 2,000 demonstrate at an Iraqi bombing site, and this is really quite an amazing story, Mr. Speaker. This is from Baghdad: More than 2,000 people demonstrated Tuesday at the site of a car bombing south of Baghdad that killed 125 people chanting no to terrorism. Mr. Speaker, our hearts go out to those individuals and their families, those that have lost their lives, and certainly our hearts continue to go out to the families of each and every man and woman in our military service. I think we join with every one of them, all of our military families and with all of these Iraqis who love freedom and are loving having the opportunity to grasp on to freedom, and we join them in saying no to terrorism and standing strong for freedom. Another article that I saw today from Newsday, Mr. Speaker, some Arabs see beginning of a new era, and I think this is very important that we pay attention to this. One of my colleagues was talking about the headlines that we do not see on some of the national media, some of the leftist media, and I think this one is worthy of a mention. It was a scene the Arab world's autocratic regimes have dreaded, and through the power of satellite TV, it could catch on as fast as the latest music video. Peaceful, enormous crowds carrying flags and flowers, bringing down a government. What happened in Lebanon this week, analysts say, is the beginning of a new era in the Middle East, one in which popular demand pushes the momentum for democracy and people's will can no longer be disregarded. Mr. Speaker, our President has said that would happen. Repeatedly, he talks about how in the heart of every man and woman is the desire to be free and to seek that freedom and to have hope and to have opportunity. We have all heard our President say freedom is not our gift to the world; freedom is God's gift to all people. It is so appropriate that we acknowledge that freedom, that we appreciate the sacrifice that is there for that freedom because it is through the expansion of that freedom that we enjoy the fruits and the benefits of a free society. One of those is the opportunity to dream big dreams and have great adventure, have great successes and to see that lived out in our lives. For many Americans, that is the opportunity to reach economic goals; to build businesses, to have a better life for their family. And tonight we are going to spend an hour discussing the Republican policies about encouraging entrepreneurship and economic growth in this great Nation. We are going to highlight the Republican agenda for creating jobs in America. And it is clear that after battling the recession of 2001, weathering a terrorist attack cost us billions. There are even estimates that the cost to the American economy of September 11 and the travesty that took place there was $2 trillion, a full quarter of our Nation's productivity for a year. After fighting an expensive global war on terrorism, being in the middle of that fight, we have faced significant challenges and we have made some very wise decisions. Over the past couple of years, despite very heavy criticism from some of our colleagues and from the tax-and- spend liberals, we, as a Congress, have made tax cuts, have reduced the tax burden that the American people are paying. Mr. Speaker, it is certainly something that I know, as millions of Americans tonight are sitting down at their kitchen tables with pencil and paper and beginning to look at those forms, filling out their Federal income tax filings, that they are noticing the difference that the tax cuts we have passed are making in their lives. Certainly in Tennessee, I know there are Tennesseeans noticing for the first time in 20 years that they have the opportunity to deduct the sales tax they are paying from their Federal income tax filing. It is amazing to me, and should be troubling to many Americans, that many across the aisle had the audacity to oppose this tax relief we have passed. They have opposed making some of these cuts and reductions. We are trying to be certain that the American public has more money in their pocketbook; that they have the opportunity to decide how to spend that money; and that they have the opportunity to grow those businesses. We have known that small businesses and working families need tax relief, and we have fought hard to make that happen so that we see the opportunity right there for our economy, for the growth in our economy, for the opportunity for competitiveness not on just a local scale, not just on a local scale, but on a global scale. Mr. Speaker, our support for tax relief has been vindicated, and we see that in the economic figures that are out there. This past week we found the economy grew faster than expected in the last few months of 2004. They revised the growth estimate up from 3.1 to 3.8. And for a lot of folks who are economic news junkies, they know that 3.8 is a pretty good rate. For those that are casual listeners, that is something we can be proud of, and we can talk about that. A 3.8 percent growth is very substantial. In February, we had the twenty-first consecutive month, that is twenty-first consecutive months, of increased economic activity in the manufacturing sector. I want to be certain everybody hears and understands that: Twenty-first months of consecutive increases in economic activity in the manufacturing sector. That is nearly 2 years of growth. I think that is absolutely outstanding. For some of the tool and die manufacturers that are in my district, from some of the manufacturers that we see of various component parts, of items that are being created, how exciting that they are seeing growth; that they are seeing growth in their jobs that they have right there in these local communities. And that is not all of it. The overall economy grew for the fortieth, that is 4-0, the fortieth consecutive month in February. That is more than 3 years of solid economic expansion. Mr. Speaker, these are figures that are hard to argue with. That 3.8 percent was our economic growth. That got revised up for the last quarter of 2004. We have had twenty-first consecutive months of increases in productivity in the manufacturing sector. We have had 40 consecutive months of overall economic growth. That means something is working right. Something is working right. Tax relief was needed, and we see that that tax relief is beginning to pay off. I have another article here. I had the opportunity to do a little reading over the break, Mr. Speaker. This one is from the Financial Times. Look at this headline: ``U.S. Chiefs' Confidence Highest in 3 Years.'' Well, that is a pretty good thing. The people that are running the companies, the people that are deciding whether to expand, whether to make capital investments, whether to create new jobs, they have a great deal of confidence. It says here: ``Confidence in the economy at the U.S. biggest companies has soared to the highest level in 3 years as increasing numbers plan to spend more on capital investment.'' Well, who would have thunk? You never would have thought that was happening if you were listening to some of our friends across the aisle. Because they do not want to talk about the good news. They do not want to talk about 21 straight months of manufacturing gains, 4-0, 40 consecutive months of overall economic growth. Here is one that describes the results as ``extremely positive''; another one, talking about capital investments by business, ``are the best indicators of growth at this stage of recovery,'' and that this bodes well for the economy. Now, mind you, these are not small businesses. These are big companies. So we are seeing it with our small businesses, and we are seeing it with some of our new companies. Republicans believe that government must remove the obstacles to growth. And it does not matter if you are a big or small company, it does not matter if you are an entrepreneur, it does not matter if you are new or some of our wonderful companies that have been there for 100 years. We have to get rid of some of the obstacles. And though some of our folks do not like to talk about rolling back taxes, rolling back those taxes is removing an obstacle. Another obstacle is the high cost of compliance with those taxes. Another obstacle is onerous regulation that comes from some of our Federal agencies. Well, what do you know. When you start rolling that back, making the system easier to comply with, American entrepreneurs expand and they create jobs. That is something, is it not? Get the government out of the way, and you are going to see free enterprise go do what they are geared up to do, do what they are best at doing, do what they dream about doing, what they spend their lives trying to figure out how to do: how to create jobs, how to build a better mousetrap, how to get out there and sell that better mousetrap to people that are ready to buy improved products. It is a great system. The way this economy works is something to get excited about, and I am thrilled that we have had the opportunity to see this kind of economic growth. Mr. Speaker, I am joined here on the floor tonight by one of my colleagues, a gentleman from the freshman class I served in in the 108th Congress, the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King). He knows a lot about how the economy works. He is a small businessman, a farmer, and he does a lot of thinking when he gets out there on that tractor, and he brings a lot of wisdom to this Chamber. So, Mr. Speaker, I yield to him at this time.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. I thank the gentlewoman for bringing her perspective to the debate and for celebrating, allowing us to celebrate with the good people of Forsythe County, North Carolina, as they welcome 700 new jobs to their area. How exciting that is, and how exciting for us that we have a program like the workforce development programs that are very successful, that assist in retraining folks. I know in my 7th Congressional District in Tennessee, we have seen tremendous success with the workforce development program. As a matter of fact, we have a program in Montgomery County, Tennessee, that is really attuned to the needs of our veterans and to our military spouses and our military retirees. And they are going to be honored later this week for their excellent work that they are doing for jobs retraining, helping people focus on the importance of developing and having that career. Jobs and education, they go hand in hand. They are very important components of our economic competitiveness, just as tax reform, just as tort reform and the other things that we have discussed this evening. Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to recognize a member of the freshman class, new to us, but with a tremendous amount of experience in his home State of Texas where he has been a part of the business community, has served as a judge, and is a skilled legislator. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert) is going to speak with us for a few moments about some of the things that are happening in Texas as in the process with our economic competitiveness issues.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. I thank the gentleman from Kentucky for talking with us a few moments about what he is seeing happening and his desire to see some changes take place here in the policies that we will make, the things that we will implement in this Congress, in the 109th Congress. Mr. Speaker, one of the things that I do a lot and that I had the opportunity to do over the break is to visit with small business owners. I heard repeatedly from them that what they do not want and what they do not need is more taxes, more regulation, and more government. We hear them. The Republicans hear them. This majority hears them. We understand what they are saying. Unfortunately, I have a lot of colleagues who are not listening to these small business owners. I think it is important to note, small businesses in America represent over 90 percent of all employers and employ half of all private sector employees. They pay 44.3 percent of the total U.S. private payroll. That is our small businesses and entrepreneurs that we have talked about today, the people that are starting businesses, that are creating so many of these jobs. Small businesses generate 60 to 80 percent of the net new jobs growth annually. That is why it is so important that we carry forth on this commitment to be certain that we have the right environment for an economic renaissance in this country. Small businesses are the Nation's economic engine, and Republicans have worked to reduce their tax burden so that they have the ability to create more jobs. We have passed legislation that will give them more affordable health care options for their employees, Association Health Plans and Health Savings Accounts. Republicans have passed legislation to stem the tide of frivolous lawsuits, and we are continuing to do more on the tort reform issues. We are planning and continue to work daily on trade and opening foreign markets for American-made goods so that our employers in our local communities have access to markets around the globe, ways that they can place their products before a world that is ready to buy them. And we are trying to make certain that manufacturers are not being treated unfairly and that they have the opportunity to be competitive in a global marketplace. Republicans want to pass a comprehensive energy policy so that America's economic growth is not held hostage to foreign energy production. We want to harness more of our domestic energy. We believe excessive government growth in spending crowds businesses out of the marketplace. We know that when there is a need, if government fills that need, then the private or not-for-profit sector does not move in and fill that need. We know that the growth of government needs to be curtailed so that less of the taxpayers' money is being required to pay for the government, so that taxpayers keep that money in their pocket. Reducing the size of government is what we have talked about over the past couple of weeks as we have talked about rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse and reducing the size of the Federal Government. Mr. Speaker, we have a plan that will drive economic growth, that will continue to drive economic growth. We have had 40 months of overall economic growth. We would like to see another 40 months of economic growth and job creation for Americans. We have had 2.7 million jobs created in just under the past couple of years. We have 21 months where we have seen manufacturing increases. We had our last quarter of 2004 with 3.8 percent economic growth. The fundamental difference between Republicans and Democrats is that we have a plan to continue to drive economic growth. And all of our small business owners, myself included, we know the cost that regulation imposes and the importance of rolling back regulation. Among the top complaints that we receive from small business owners has to do with the Federal Tax Code, the cost of compliance. The gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King) spoke to that earlier. Twenty-two cents of every single dollar of manufactured goods in this Nation is spent in compliance. That is an obstacle that we need to get rid of, and we are committed to working on that. We know this Tax Code is overly complicated, it is time-consuming, and it is incredibly frustrating for millions of small business owners in this Nation. That is why Republicans are committed to a code that is flatter, that is fairer, and absolutely is simpler not only for individuals but for our Nation's small businesses. Mr. Speaker, all over we have got a plan. It is the better plan. And we know the problems that are facing our Nation's economy. We know the problems that are facing this Nation's employers, whether they be small or whether they be large, whether they are small businesses or whether they are big business. And, Mr. Speaker, one thing that we know for sure in this 109th Congress, we are committed to moving forward on commonsense reforms that will continue to work toward greater effectiveness and greater competitiveness for our Nation's economy.