Marsha Blackburn

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia for providing some of that information. It seems that our colleagues probably are so wrong on this bill they cannot even talk about it. They want to come down here and talk about all sorts of other things that are not involved in class action. They are talking about protection. Well, I would like the American people to know and our colleagues to know we are talking about protection. We are talking about protecting Americans' pockets books, because our constituents know somebody is going to pay, and if greedy lawyers are getting big settlements, they are going to be paying more at the cash register every single time they go buy something. An entire industry has grown up over attorneys seeking cash in these class-action lawsuits. Our courts are to be designed for fairness, a forum of fairness and justice, but they have become a virtual ATM for greedy lawyers when it comes to class-action lawsuits. Lawyers go file a class-action lawsuit and collect millions of dollars, just as the gentleman from Georgia was saying; and the clients, who they barely know, most times they have never even met most of these folks, those clients are receiving pennies. Mr. Speaker, my colleague spoke saying this would not help the victims. I would like people to know the Class Action Fairness Act does not restrict true victims from filing class-action lawsuits. It will prevent attorneys from choosing which State to file in, because we know sometimes they choose where they think they can get the biggest monetary award. We are putting the focus back on justice, back on justice in this bill. In addition, the reform provides greater consumer protection by allowing our courts to scrutinize those settlements that provide victims with coupons while those attorneys are getting millions and millions and millions of dollars. Mr. Speaker, this is an overdue reform. We have worked tirelessly on this in the House, and I urge everyone to support it.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Chairman, our committee chairman is exactly right; we can go to page 384 in the 9/11 Commission Report. And I encourage all of my constituents to do this, look at this: ``For terrorists, travel documents are as important as weapons.'' And what is the number one travel document? It is a driver's license. It is a huge gaping hole that we have. That is why it is imperative that we pass the REAL ID Act today and we set a national standard. Maybe that is just too much common sense for some of my friends that do not want us to do that, but if someone is going to use a travel document as a driver's license and use it as a way to circumvent our laws and harm our citizens, then it is imperative that we close that loophole. Having standards that all the States would follow is a great way to close that loophole. I would encourage my colleagues to support the REAL ID Act. I thank the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Tom Davis) for his good work on this issue, and I encourage our constituents to read this report and see the importance of the actions that we are taking today.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Yes, that is correct. I thank the gentleman from Mississippi for bringing that point up, because we were concerned about the use of credit cards, primarily looking at what was taking place in DOD, and knowing that there was an opportunity there to rein that spending in. Last year, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson) and I worked with Senator Grassley, and we did introduce a piece of legislation that would bring that into line, because we feel like there is an opportunity to save about $100 million annually by putting some proper controls and working to be certain that there is not waste and that there is not fraud in the use of government credit cards by employees. That is just one of the many ways, just one of the small ways. As I said earlier, we can go about this one dollar at a time, because those dollars mount up to hundreds, to thousands, to millions, to billions of dollars. And over a period of 5 years or 10 years, which is really not that long a period of time, it is substantial savings for the American taxpayer as they are working to fund government. It is so important, I say to the gentleman, as he has pointed out, that government can do better and that we realize that and that we challenge our constituents to work with us on this. It is also important that we participate by being certain that we stop funding things that do not work. If it is not working, if it is a program that is not working or has outlived its usefulness or is duplicated in other ways, then we need to look for ways to be certain that we are not funding things that are not working.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, that is right. The Office of Management and Budget in their budget of the United States Government, fiscal year 2003, people can go to page 48 in that report and they will see how the OMB shows us that 21 of 26 departments and major agencies received the lowest possible rating for their financial management, meaning that the auditors cannot even express an opinion on their financial statements. Our colleague from Texas, who is a CPA, understands exactly what that means. We had 21 of 26 departments and major agencies that got the lowest possible rating. Now, what we are saying, as the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Wicker) said, government can do better, we can do better. The American people, as taxpayers, expect us to do better. It is our responsibility, being a good steward of those dollars, that we do a better job, that we require government to do a better job. That is the purpose that we are setting forth. I agree and I join each of the gentlemen who has spoken tonight in commending our President and our leadership in saying, the time has come to address this. We have to rein the spending in because we need to know what we are spending, where it is going, and what the American taxpayers' dollars are being used for.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I appreciate the gentleman's comments so very much, and I appreciate his insights and his wisdom that he brings to the discussion. And he is exactly right. Government can do better, and it is our responsibility to challenge government to do better, to challenge our systems of accounting, to challenge our systems that we are using to track the agencies and the outcomes that are there. Everything is funded by the taxpayer's dollar, and we do want to invite the American people and our constituents to join us and be a part of this team as we look for ways to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in our system. We want to be certain that for future generations, for my children, for my grandchildren, that this is a healthy, vibrant nation where hope and opportunity continue to live and continue to be realized by every American man, woman, and child who seeks to find that American Dream. And I agree with the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Wicker) that all too often some of the liberal elites, those that are government elitists, their answer to everything is, just give us a little more money and we can make it right. And we know that does not work. Higher taxes do not yield greater outcomes. What yields greater outcomes is finding ways to do things better, constantly challenging ourselves to do things better, constantly working to find ways to root out that waste, fraud, and abuse that have become so rampant in our governmental entities. Mr. Speaker, we are joined tonight by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling), who joined me in our freshman class in the 108th Congress, and he has been a leader in the effort to target waste, fraud, and abuse in the Federal system. He has done a tremendous amount of work on this issue. He has made it his cause and his challenge. He is a member of the Committee on the Budget and lends to that committee much of his expertise on how we can go about creating a better budget process and strengthening our government and strengthening our freedom for future generations. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling) for his thoughts.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Mississippi for joining us tonight. I yield to my colleague from Texas for any final remarks that he may have.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, it is certainly a privilege to stand here tonight and to talk with my colleagues and discuss what we have going on with the President's budget that has been submitted, and also with the desire of the President and of our leadership to begin to get their hands around the spending issue and to address the spending issue. Mr. Speaker, one of the things I hear regularly from my constituents in Tennessee is it is time to stop spending so much of the taxpayers' money. And one of the things that people in my district constantly remind me of, and a message they want me to bring to Washington is: it is not the government's money. The government is not creating a product; the government is not selling a product. It is the taxpayers' money, and they want accountability with that money. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, this morning I think that the taxpayers across this country woke to the kickoff of a national scare campaign, and it is aimed squarely at the President's budget and at this Congress' efforts to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in government. Listen to some of these headlines that we found in the newspapers out there. This one from Illinois: ``Bush Budget Includes Steep Cuts.'' In Tennessee a paper said: ``Bush Budget Axes Scores of Programs.'' In Oregon, news sources said: ``Domestic Programs Sacrificed in the Budget.'' And in California, newspapers declared: ``The President's Budget Proposal Cuts Vital Funds For Safety Net.'' Now, all of this is coming about, Mr. Speaker, because finally, finally this Congress and this President are answering a need and a desire the American people have, and that is to reform government, to reduce the amount of money that we are spending, and for us to come up with a 21st-century delivery of government services that is more effective and more efficient, that is going to meet the needs of government, that is going to avail itself of new technologies, and that is going to be fair to the taxpayer. That is what they want. They want to be certain that we, the Members of the U.S. House, are going to be good stewards of the tax dollars that they send here. Because they want to see a system that is more fair to the taxpayers, to the working men and women that every single day get up and leave their homes and go to work; and who, with every single paycheck, look at that paycheck and look at the amount of money that is withheld from that paycheck to do, what? To fund government services. Mr. Speaker, since when did eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in government become a bad thing? And to listen to some of my colleagues here on the floor this evening, one would begin to think that trying to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in the Federal Government is a bad thing. But my constituents and millions of Americans think this is the right thing to do and now is the right time to do it. Listening to my colleagues speak tonight, one would begin to think that demanding results, demanding positive outcomes of government programs is a negative. But I hear from constituents and Tennesseans every single day that say let us demand results. Let us be certain that programs are producing the right outcomes that we expect from them. That is a positive, not a negative; and the American people are ready to see that kind of accountability. Why, Mr. Speaker? Because it is their money. It is their money that they have earned that is coming into the government coffers and is being spent on programs that are to benefit the American people. I would like for every American to know that President Bush and this Republican Congress are not content to sit idly by while even a penny of taxpayer dollars is wasted, and let me tell Members there is significantly more than a penny of waste that we can target in this budget. I am proud of the leadership of this House, the Senate, and the President and his team for saying we are going to roll the spending back. I agree with them. We can save America one dollar at a time, and that is what we are going to do. We are going to take these first steps and put it on the road, saving America one dollar at a time. What those headlines should be saying is this: President Bush and the Republican Congress believe taxpayer dollars ought to be spent wisely or not spent at all. Sounds like something ours grandmothers probably told us. If you are going to do it, do it right. If you are going to do it, do it right the first time. If you are going to make some money, save it. If you are going to spend it, spend it wisely or do not spend it. In Tennessee we call that good old common sense. It makes sense, but I guess that is why a lot of the liberals do not like it, because it is good old common sense. That is what this is all about. It is about our firm belief that the American people work far too hard and far too long to have half their earnings taken in taxes and then squandered by the government. Taxes, that is the single largest part of a family budget. They spend more on taxes than they do for food, for education, or for transportation. Taxes, and it is an imperative that we be good stewards of that money, that we be accountable for that money, and that we look for every single possible opportunity to save and manage wisely those taxpayer dollars. Mr. Speaker, according to the Congressional Research Service, there are approximately 1,200 Federal Government programs, and I hope Members heard me say approximately because that is exactly what I meant to say. There are so many programs out there, we do not even know how many programs we have. We know we have approximately 1,200 programs. So what our President is saying is, all right, folks, let us look at 150 of these, the really egregious examples of waste, and let us find some savings. Let us start to whittle away and find what works and what does not work. Let us look at the programs that have outlived their purpose, their usefulness, let us find the things that are duplicative, let us find the things that have turned out to be failures and are not producing the outcomes that we want and have not yielded an acceptable return for the investment of taxpayer dollars that have gone into those programs. There is not a single thing radical here. As I said earlier, it is common sense, it is fiscal responsibility and the Republicans are committed to it. Why should an agency have its budget automatically increased year after year? Most people do not get automatic increases every year. Ask a lot of the folks working in my district. It is not a given that they are going to get a raise every single year, so why should an underperforming Federal Department get a budget boost every 12 months? For too long in Washington, a Federal spending increase has been a certain thing. It has been as certain as the sun rises and that it is going to set in the evening. It is time to reform that process. Here are some great examples of things that we need to get behind: the Forest Service. They could not figure out for what purpose it spent $215 million out of its $3.4 billion operating budget in fiscal year 1995. They could not figure it out. They did not know what they spent $215 million on. Has anyone mentioned that since 1992 the Rural Utility Services Electricity Loan Program has canceled $4.9 billion in debt? That essentially means it loaned $4.9 billion of taxpayer money and then said do not worry about paying us back. CEOs go to prison for things like that. Did Members know that the State Children's Health Insurance Program, the SCHIP program, is currently insuring childless adults in two States at a cost to taxpayers of at least $330 million? The program, a good program, was created to provide health insurance to uninsured children, not uninsured adults. This is not an isolated problem. We have other examples, and it is not a rare thing that programs waste taxpayer money. In fact, the Committee on Government Reform where I served last Congress found that the Office of Personnel and Management's Inspector General recovers $12 in fraudulent spending for every $1 spent by its office. That is just the tip of the iceberg. The Veterans Administration, we know there are $3 billion in outstanding loans and that processing errors and program fraud account for $125 million annually in VA pension overpayments. These overpayments comprise about 4 percent of the $2.9 billion in total pension benefits that the VA paid out in fiscal year 2001. Mr. Speaker, given this information, how can we not work to reduce spending and insert accountability? How can we not say to these agencies no more funding increases until you prove you can handle what you have already got? Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to have an expert on some of these issues join us this evening here on the floor. The gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Wicker) is out of Mississippi's first district and he is a part of the Republican leadership here in Congress. He does a wonderful job for the people of Mississippi and does a wonderful job for our leadership. He is a deputy majority whip, a member of the Committee on Appropriations; and he knows a lot about our budget and what we can do to work on being more accountable in our government budget system.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for joining us this evening. Mr. Speaker, before I came to Congress, I had the opportunity to represent Tennessee's 23rd State senate district. While I was in that body, I had worked on government reform issues and came up with a plan that would have called for across-the-board spending cuts. I certainly believed that State agencies could get in there and find waste, fraud, and abuse within their operations, and they could cut it and better serve the taxpayers of my State. Of course, at the time that I came up with my plan, the 5 Percent Solution, it was criticized by so many as being too harsh. The word was, well, people will not accept that kind of accountability. A few years later, many of those reductions were actually put in place. And do my colleagues know what? Things started working a little bit better in Tennessee. Today, we see some of that same press in Tennessee calling the taxpayers and the President's plan, Congress' plan far too harsh. I read some of those headlines earlier. But I do not think that some of the media, the liberal media has been paying attention to what has been taking place in some of our States. According to the National Association of State Budget Officers, in fiscal year 2002, 26 States implemented across-the-board spending cuts, 15 States downsized State government employment, and 13 States streamlined government programs. We hear all the time that our State governments are great laboratories for new programs and new projects and creative government solutions, and this should be a lesson to us here at the Federal level, because it is not impossible to root out waste, fraud, and abuse. It is our responsibility to do so. Here are some of the headlines that we have found of what is going on in some of the States. In Alaska where Governor McCaskey proposed cutting 21 State programs and 200 jobs; in Colorado where the legislature passed an $809 million budget-balancing package which eliminated some 200 State employees. We are looking forward, Mr. Speaker, to working with the leadership in rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling) for being here to talk with us this evening and reminding us of some points that are so very important. I hear from my constituents, as he does, about that language of Washington and understanding when something is actually a reduction and when something is just slowed growth when some of the spending has been moderated. The gentleman is so exactly right. What we would like to do, what the American people would like for us to do, is root out that waste, that fraud, that abuse of the system; get rid of the duplication of programs; eliminate the bureaucracy here that soaks up the money and allow that money to go to the local programs where the rubber meets the road and be certain that the dollars are spent wisely. As I said earlier, spend them wisely, or not at all; make sure we are making good decisions and being good stewards. The gentleman mentioned a little bit about economic development and tax relief. As the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Wicker) said earlier, it is the reduction in taxes that has helped to spur economic growth, which is such a vitally important part of working on waste, fraud and abuse; the fact that we have a growing economy. The other part, that we reduce spending; that we take a good solid commonsense approach to this; that we create the right environment for business to be successful; and that we continue to reduce programs that are not helpful to that, that add to the cost of free enterprise, that slow down the process of delivering government services. These are good, commonsense approaches. I do applaud our President and our leadership for taking a stand and moving us in this direction. Mr. Speaker, we are joined also tonight by a new Member of this body, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Conaway), and we are so pleased to have him here with us. He is out of Texas' Eleventh District. I particularly like the fact that he has brought a lot of common sense to Congress with him. He is a good old Texas Aggie from Texas A&M, spent some time in the U.S. military, has appreciation for freedom, for protecting freedom, and understands the importance of protecting individual freedom and free enterprise. At this time I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Conaway).

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield for just a quick point, it is so refreshing to see members of the freshman class come in and join us on this issue. My freshman class made waste, fraud, and abuse its class project. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling), who was just here, was one of the founders of a group that we call the Washington Waste Watchers to draw attention to this subject. So we are so pleased, after having put a tremendous amount of work over the past couple of years on this. Also, the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Davis), who chairs the Committee on Government Reform, has put an incredible amount of time over the past 2 years with that committee, holding hearings and having reports, getting things on paper so that we are beginning to find out what is and is not working; who is and is not accountable for their money, what agencies are producing results, what agencies are not producing results. We can go back and look at the Treasury books from the year 2001 to see that the Federal Government cannot account for $17.3 billion. Now, to my constituents and for all of us, that is not acceptable.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, there are few greater causes than serving your Nation. Generations of Americans from every single walk of life have dedicated themselves to defending our Nation as part of the United States Armed Forces. They are worthy of our thanks, our praise, and over the past few days we have watched them bring great honor to our Nation. Yet today many of our country's law schools are treating America's military with disdain and disrespect. I bet there are millions of Americans who have no idea that many of the Nation's elite law schools, schools that receive tax dollars in the form of loan subsidies and grants, are refusing to allow military recruiters on campus. They allow the well-heeled law firms from New York, from Washington, Chicago on campus to recruit; but they say no to this Nation's military. I ask all my colleagues to join the gentleman from California (Chairman Hunter) in his efforts today to ensure that our institutions of higher learning treat the American military with the respect and the access that it deserves. I ask them to support House Concurrent Resolution 36.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, it is impossible to declare these elections in Iraq anything but a success, and we Americans join the Iraqis in their celebration, and rightly so. I have been in e-mail contact with some of the Iraqis that I have met during my visit there, and I heard from some of our men and women in uniform, and they are proud of what they have achieved, and they are ready to keep working hard. But, Mr. Speaker, no discussion of the election success is complete without recognizing the active duty, Reserve, and National Guard men and women who have given their lives in this war on terror in the Middle East. It is their sacrifice that is putting terrorism on the run. We cannot forget them, and we must not forget their families. That is why the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson) and I have introduced the Blackburn-Wilson Honoring Our Families and Fallen Soldiers Act today. We are joining Senator Allen in this effort. I ask my colleagues to cosponsor the legislation to increase to $100,000 the death gratuity benefit the family of a soldier killed in combat receives. Our bill would also make this benefit retroactive to October 1, 2001. Mr. Speaker, it is the right thing to do.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I want to say thank you so much to the gentleman from Georgia for taking the time to bring this issue not only to the Members of this body, but to the American people. Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank the gentleman from Georgia for taking the time to bring this incredible photograph to the floor and let us continue to just feast our eyes on the contentment and the joy that is expressed in this Iraqi woman's face as she has dipped her finger in that blue ink which has become the indelible mark of freedom, which shows the world that she, as a free woman, has exercised her right to vote. I thank the gentleman for that. Because we watched this take place, and what an incredible display it was as we saw the Iraqi people stand and fight back terrorism and to rejoice in the work that they have done. The entire nation rejoiced. Our military men and women rejoiced with them, and I think the entire world has gathered to offer praise and congratulations. At the same time, it was amazing as this took place to listen to some of the liberal leaders in Washington and around and about talk about how important it was to not overhype these first elections. The gentleman from Utah provided some wonderful perspective to that. Mr. Speaker, I can understand why those on the left and some of those that have harangued the President for months would start to feel as if they are feeling some political heat because, indeed, I think they are. They were wrong. They were wrong. They had too little faith in America, they had too little faith in our military men and women, and they had too little faith in the Iraqi people and the power and the desire for freedom and what that would do in their country. Some of those liberals like to say that Iraq was out of control and that the terrorists would destroy the election, and America was losing and that we should postpone the elections. Certainly, some like Senator Kennedy even called for an almost immediate withdrawal of American forces. They wanted us to tell the world that the United States did not have the strength and the determination to defeat terrorism, and they were wrong in every instance. This President stood tall. Our Armed Forces did not waiver. The American people refused to yield to tyrants and terrorists, and we watched the Iraqi people refuse to yield to tyrants and terrorists and the pressures. Today we know that our President was right. Despite all the doom and gloom and despite the constant focus on every single failure that could have possibly taken place in Iraq, despite seeing those ``two steps forward and one step back'' as we marched towards success, we somehow managed to hold safe and orderly elections in Iraq. And I think that tells us all something. It tells me that the national media had already decided in their minds that Iraq was not going like it ought to go, and they reported everything and anything that they thought could make it look like it was going to be hopeless. They ignored every little single shining success. They thought that they could ignore it. They ignored progress and heroism and they had their version of what they thought they wanted Iraq to be. They were against the war, and they manipulated coverage to suit their personal views. Thankfully, the American people did not believe that national media. They stuck with the President, and today the Iraqi people are seeing what freedom means. Today we know that America has struck a demoralizing blow against terrorism. We are taking valuable territory from the terrorists. They no longer have an assured safe haven in either Afghanistan or Iraq. Pakistan is working with us to track terrorists. Libya has even begun seeking diplomatic relations with the United States. Mr. Speaker, over the past 2 years I have had the opportunity to be in Iraq and to make friends with some folks in Iraq, and it is amazing. We have had some of these women come here to America as we have been there to visit with them. Some of these I e-mail with frequently, and we have shared our vision for what an alliance can be between our nations. Other Members of this body have joined in working with some of these folks. It has been absolutely extraordinary. It would have been unthinkable 4 years ago, and this is how we are going to win the war on terrorism, is building these relationships. In the hours just after the election, I received several e-mail messages from some of my Iraqi friends, one in particular from an Iraqi woman who ran for Congress, and I would like for you all to just listen to this for a moment. It says, ``Dear American Friends, a warm hug of appreciation from Iraq to the good hearts in the United States. Congratulations for us and for you on Iraqi Elections Day. ``Today we are not only free but we have stood united in democracy. Today we marked our history with bright words of Winning the War Against Terror Against Dictatorship. Today we won our identity in front of a watching world. Today Iraq is for us and we are for Iraq, while yesterday Iraq was Saddam and Saddam was Iraq. ``Today Iraq is for all: Arabs, Kurds, Assyrians, Turkomans and many others, while yesterday we were all looking for a home of dignity, humanity and peace. ``After all this, just tell me how can I say thank you. Thank you for every spirit you have given from families and friends to Iraq. Thank you for every minute you contributed from your life to Iraq. Thank you for every word of support, for every courage moment. Thank you for every aid, every project, every rebuild. Thank you for being the best friend Iraq ever had. Thank you on behalf of or tortured men and women in the prisons of Saddam. ``Thank you on behalf of all Iraqi innocents who have given their lives for the freedom price. Thank you on behalf of next generation of love and peace in the Middle East. Thank you and a warm hug from Iraq to the brave hearts in America.'' Mr. Speaker, that message is for all of us. It is for our country, it is for our President, and it is an absolutely beautiful thing. I know some of those across the aisle will continue to criticize our every move in Iraq; and, sadly, much of that criticism comes from the powerful leaders of the left. But to my colleagues across the aisle who know better, speak up, challenge your leadership, work with us in Iraq rather than against us. To our allies in Iraq, America says a hearty congratulations. We are ready to stand by your side as you rebuild. We will not cut and run. America looks forward to your help as an ally in the war on terror. Mr. Speaker, God bless our active duty, our Reserve and our National Guard men and women as they work to protect us all over the world tonight.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 12 I was in the Chamber seeking recognition but the vote was closed. Had I been able to vote, I would have voted ``no.''

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, country music mega-star Darryl Worley ``Has Not Forgotten'' his community or his country in his rise to the top of his profession. By practicing what he preaches in his Gold Record #1 hit Have You Forgotten, he has spent many days each year traveling to the Middle East and entertaining and encouraging our troops. He has also never forgotten his friends and neighbors. He sponsors and performs at the ``Darryl Worley River Run'' each year in his home county, which raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities, this year expanding to benefit St. Jude Children's Hospital in Memphis. And he has not forgotten his family. This year he presented the Hardin Medical Center with a check for $40,000 in memory of his grandfather who suffered from cancer. In his honor the recently renovated hospital named a new wing the ``Darryl Worley Outpatient Chemotherapy Clinic.'' Darryl Worley is a great American, and a true hometown hero to Savannah, Tennessee, and today we honor his commitment to our great nation.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, Tennessee is known as the ``Volunteer State'' because we have a proud tradition of giving back to our community and our country. Today the students at Heritage Elementary School in Thompson's Station, Tennessee are reaffirming our state's reputation for volunteerism by working to support America's military families. Our men and women in uniform have sacrificed for our security, and their families bear a burden each and every day. The students at Heritage Elementary have made it their mission to give all they can to Operation Stork Support, a program that presents gift baskets to expectant mothers in the Fort Campbell community. These moms-to-be are separated from their loved ones by war, but we can help lessen their burden and show them how much we care. The Heritage Elementary students have raised $740 in pennies--that's 74,000 pennies--for Operation Stork Support. I thank them for their contribution, their concern, and not least, their love for our military families.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the Speaker, Majority Leader, Chairman Hunter and Chairman Sensenbrenner for their hard work on this important piece of legislation. Unfortunately, I must oppose this bill. It contains provisions to reform our intelligence procedures, and it includes a provision to help private security companies--like Guardsmark, which is headquartered in my district-- access criminal history background about prospective employees who guard the nation's critical infrastructure. However, this legislation does not contain essential provisions included in the House-passed bill to improve our asylum process or driver license procedures. The 9/11 Commission report found that a number of terrorists abused the asylum system, and that once they found a way into the United States they often remained in the country by committing immigration fraud. The House bill also had a provision that would keep aliens who have received military-type training from terrorist organizations from being admitted to the United States--unfortunately, this provision was stricken from the conference report. This conference report removed the provision from the House bill that requires temporary driver's licenses to expire when an individual's visa expires. Finally, the conference report does not include important provisions that would prevent certain states from issuing driver's licenses to individuals who cannot demonstrate that they are lawfully present in the United States.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the service and commitment of a beloved Tennessean. Dr. Adrian Rogers, pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church of Memphis, Tennessee, will be retiring in the spring of 2005. Under his leadership since 1972, Bellevue has grown from 8,000 members to almost 30,000 members. Through his Love Worth Finding ministry, Dr. Rogers is able to reach listeners around the world everyday. Through television and radio, Dr. Rogers' message is seen on over 14,000 screens and heard on 1,100 radios in the United States and in 150 countries across the globe. Pastor Rogers has been called three times to lead the Southern Baptist Convention, which is the world's largest Protestant denomination with over 14 million members. He is the only man to have served three terms in that capacity under the present bylaws. Dr. Rogers is an accomplished author and is considered one of America's most respected Bible teachers. Throughout his career he has been praised for his work. The Reverend Bill Graham has this to say about Dr. Rogers: ``We need for ministers of the Gospel to defend the Bible as the infallible Word of God . . . I believe in my heart that Adrian Rogers is such a man. I know God's hand is upon Adrian Rogers as he proclaims the Bread of Life from his church and through radio and television.'' Though, perhaps of all the titles that have accompanied Dr. Rogers: doctor, pastor, teacher, pioneer, and author, the most cherish is husband, father, and grandfather. It is with great appreciation that I rise to honor Dr. Adrian Rogers for his ministry and service to our community, to Tennessee, and to the nation.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I want to take time today to recognize someone who has been a true public servant in Williamson County, Tennessee. Few communities are fortunate enough to have someone like Mary Mills. But we in Tennessee have been blessed by her hard work and dedication for years now. Williamson County Commissioner Mary Mills has consistently and without fanfare worked to improve her community. As a former educator and an active member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Commissioner Mills has been a leader in everything she does. This week she's being recognized by the United Community Resource Foundation with a Lifetime Achievement Award, and I join the people of Williamson County in thanking Mary for her dedication.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank our chairman for the excellent work he has done this session as we have looked at immigration issues and have worked hard to be certain that we address the things that are of great concern to the American people and to our constituents. And it is of concern that we have this motion to instruct to strip apart H.R. 10. And, of course, our opponents of H.R. 10 and our colleagues across the aisle are using impassioned talk to generate emotion on this issue, but what we have contained in H.R. 10 and in the provisions that they are wanting to lift out of that bill, wanting to move away, are just good, solid, common-sense legislation. I disagree with my colleague across the aisle. He was talking about law enforcement officials and asking if they had lost their minds. I do not think they have. The ones in my district definitely have not. They are very concerned about this, and I have been working with them since my days in the Tennessee Senate, working to address the driver's license issue and how that affects the American people. And they would choose to remove that from H.R. 10, and it is important. We have got to be certain, as we look at our Nation's security, that we take very careful steps not to reward individuals who are going to choose to break the law to get here. We have to have great respect for the rule of law and be certain that we continue to have policies that require and reward those that respect the law. Section 3052 that they are wanting to pull out does address the driver's license situation, having legal documents for driver's licenses. It is not a mandate. It does not set up a national database, and this section has been worked on very carefully. The gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis) out of the Committee on Government Reform, and the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller), who was secretary of state, have worked diligently on this issue to be certain that we know that the people who are getting a driver's license, a valid government I.D., are here in this country lawfully, that they have an official passport to be here lawfully. And it gives guidance to our States so that States can continue to have reciprocity for the use of those driver's licenses. The provisions that are contained in 3052 are good, solid, common- sense provisions. It is something that our States, every single State in this great Nation, will know that they can depend on, that other citizens will know that they can depend on, that the individuals that work the TSA, that are looking at driver's licenses, that are allowing people to get on planes, they will know that this is a valid document and that the person who holds that document in their hand is who they say they are and that they are here and having presence in this country legally. I would encourage my colleagues to oppose the motion to instruct. I would encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 10, the provisions that have been worked on, the provisions we have worked on with our State legislators so that we help them, help them to have the assurance that the documentation that is before them is real, it is valid; and so that the immigrant community knows that we are honoring those that choose to obey our laws, to work hard and to come here seeking hope, opportunity, and freedom.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, today we are talking about homeland security; and it is an honor for me to stand here and honor one of those unsung heroes, our law enforcement officers. This is a gentleman who is a hero in our community, in Tennessee's Seventh Congressional District. He has been named Tennessee's Sheriff of the Year. And it is our Montgomery County Sheriff, Sheriff Norman Lewis. Sheriff Lewis is a 48-year veteran of law enforcement. He began his career as sheriff after retiring from the Tennessee Highway Patrol. He has dedicated 4 decades of his life to keeping us safe, and we really cannot thank him enough. Not only has the sheriff set an example for his colleagues in the field, Sheriff Lewis has also worked to ensure that our State's laws are sufficient to protect our citizens and our law enforcement officials. He has consistently gone above and beyond the call of duty for his community. And today I join many who are congratulating him and extending thanks to Sheriff Lewis, our Tennessee Sheriff of the Year.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the rule, and I also want to commend the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas), for his excellent work, the work of the Committee on Rules and also to commend the conference committee for their good work on this issue. This is a fair rule. It is a good conference report. And it is time for us to take action on this. The issue that we have before us is about tax fairness, it is about equity, and it is about jobs growth. Mr. Speaker, as I was listening to my colleague from across the aisle talk about tax cuts, you would think that they think that the tax cuts are bad, that reducing the tax burden on the American citizens is a bad thing to do. I am here to tell you from my constituents in Tennessee, reducing that burden is a very good thing to do. It is something that the jobs growth bill does. And so I do rise to enthusiastically support it. There is a provision in this bill that is of great importance not only to my constituents in Tennessee but to 55 million Americans. As we were hearing from the chairman, he mentioned this was help for farmers, help for Main Street, and help for Main Street is what I want to talk about, because restoring the deductibility of sales tax to the Federal income tax filing for those of us that are in States that do not have a State income tax, that choose to fund our State governments by sales tax, that is an issue of tax fairness. It is also a way to help out Main Street and provide an economic boost that is truly needed in our communities. This is a provision also that is very important to thousands of female-owned small businesses: increasing expensing, leasehold provisions, deductibility of sales tax that provides more traffic on Main Street for our thousands of female- owned businesses. This is a very positive move.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor one of my constituents, someone that many of my colleagues may know, Darrell Waltrip. My colleagues might know him by his 84 racing victories, third best victory in NASCAR circuit or from his newest career in broadcasting. In middle Tennessee, we also know that he is a successful businessman. But to those suffering with Multiple Sclerosis, he is more; he is a hero. This year, Darrell is being honored by the Mid South Chapter of the National MS Society with the MS Hope Award for his outstanding dedication to helping end this devastating disease. Darrell has given of his time and of his heart to educate the public on what we can do to help eradicate MS, and his support of the Mid South Chapter has been to expand the advocacy and research. Today, I want to join those honoring Darrell Waltrip and thank him for his continuing fight against MS.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor a legend as she celebrates her 80th birthday. Phyllis Schlafly has been a national leader of the conservative movement since the publication of her best-selling 1964 book, A Choice Not An Echo. Mrs. Schlafly worked shoulder to shoulder with other conservatives to create a movement. In 1972 she started a pro-family organization based on the values she knew that Americans shared with her, and helped America regain its moral footing. For the next three decades her work helped guide young conservatives, and to this day, the organization she created, the Eagle Forum, continues to fight for conservative ideals. This year the Phyllis Schlafly Report begins its 36th year, her syndicated column appears in 100 newspapers, and her radio commentaries are heard daily on 460 stations across the nation. And, what I know she'd consider one of her crowning achievements, Mrs. Schlafly raised six children and was named Illinois ``Mother of the Year'' in 1992. President Ronald Reagan said it best when referring to Phyllis Schlafly's work as ``an example to all those who would struggle for an America that is prosperous and free.'' Mrs. Schlafly serves as an inspiration to all of us who work to preserve our important American values--family, faith, and freedom.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank our majority leader for his leadership on this issue. It is an honor for me to stand here with my colleagues today to protect marriage. To my colleagues who oppose this amendment, they want to argue that marriage is a right that should be extended to relationships beyond those of one man and one woman. They want to claim that the effort to protect marriage is about discrimination. Mr. Speaker, I have a statement I want to enter into the Record. It is from one of Boston's most respected African American leaders, Reverend Richard Richardson of the St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, standing in support of marriage, working to help protect marriage. The statement is as follows: ``As an African-American, I know something about discrimination. . . . The traditional institution of marriage is not discrimination. And I find it offensive to call it that. Marriage was not created to oppress people. It was created for children. It boggles my mind that people would compare the traditional institution of marriage to slavery. From what I can tell, every U.S. Senator--both Democrat and Republican--who has talked about marriage has said that they support traditional marriage laws and oppose what the Massachusetts court did. Are they all guilty of discrimination?'' Mr. Speaker, there is an emotional appeal to their arguments, but we are not here to legislate on emotion, and this is not comparable to the civil rights movement. We are here today, Mr. Speaker, because logic, because reason, because experience tell us that marriage is something that is worth preserving and protecting. Despite what some of my colleagues will say, we are not here for malicious purposes. We are here to ensure that our marriage laws protect an institution that is part of the bedrock fiber of our society. To determine whether or not a law is discriminatory, you have got to have an understanding about something of the purposes of that law. Is Social Security age discrimination because only people of retirement age are affected by that? Of course not. Similarly, common sense, experience, and social science will tell us that the purposes of our marriage laws are neither ugly nor invidious. Marriage is a social institution. Individuals freely decide to enter marriage, but they do not have a right to redefine its basic nature because they disagree with our shared American understanding of what marriage is. They do not have that right any more than an individual can privately redefine the meaning of other basic social terms like ``property'' or ``democracy'' or ``church'' or ``corporation.'' A vote for this amendment is a vote to preserve and protect an institution that is critical to the well-being of American families and children. Mr. Speaker, today we are going to stand with a basic element of our society. We have an obligation to preserve it.