Marsha Blackburn

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to talk about jobs and to talk about the success that we are seeing from the Bush tax cuts that this body passed last spring. The child tax credit, marriage penalty, expensing, depreciation, those are working for small businesses. They are working for entrepreneurs. They are working for the people that make this economy grow. I want you to take a look at this article. I found it this weekend when I got home sitting on the top of my desk: ``Boom times ahead. LLC Formations Soar.'' What it tells us is that in Tennessee where these tax cuts are working, the State registered 15,064 new corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships. That topped the previous high of 14,500 in 1997 and is up 22 percent. Now, jobs growth is working for small business. This is working for women, because the fastest growing sector of small business growth is women, women-owned businesses. Tax cuts are working in Tennessee. I commend this body and the President. [From the Nashville Business Journal, March 17, 2004] Boom Times Ahead? LLC Formations Soar (By Holly Dolloff) The formation of limited liability companies in Tennessee has soared over the past two years, a trend that could mean the region's bleak jobs picture may soon brighten considerably. The Tennessee Secretary of State Division of Business Services registered 7,412 LLCs last year--500 more than were formed in 1998, the previous high mark, and 49 percent more than in 2001. The number of LLCs registered last year was more than double the number of 1995, when companies first gained that option from the state. Local attorneys attribute the recent boom to several factors, from increased comfort levels with the process to a sluggish economy. ``The LLC has come into its own,'' says Leigh Griffith, an attorney at Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis. ``It's the entity of choice for closely held companies.'' Total for-profit business formation also set a new high. The state registered 15,064 new corporations, LLC, limited partnerships or limited liability partnerships. That topped the previous high of 14,565 set in 1997 and was up 22 percent from 2001. Griffith speculates the 2003 boom may have resulted from the down-turn that began in 2001. ``As the economy gets softer, people get laid off and start their own businesses,'' he says. A very similar dynamic applies to higher education and particularly graduate and professional programs. When the economy goes south, enrollment very often will rise as out- of-work professionals seek new opportunities or new skills. Though their greater numbers may often be attributable to past bad news, new LLCs could end up improving the local and state economic picture as they grow into bona fide businesses with multiple employees. At this point, it is very unlikely that many of the new companies are being counted in the local or state economic statistics that show a stagnant job market despite optimism from both consumers and business owners. The record number of LLC formations last year also marked only the second time--1998 was the first--that Tennesseans created more LLCs than for-profit corporations. The year saw 7,209 corporations formed, up less than 1 percent from 2002 and 5 percent below their 2000 level. Fellow Waller attorney Michael Yopp, who recently published ``Tennessee Limited Liability Companies: Forms and Practices'' (DataTrace Publishing, 2004), says the 1996 renovations of state law facilitated understanding and increased employment of the structure. ``Fairly extensive'' litigation involving LLCs in the late '90s has also contributed to the higher numbers, he says. Yopp is part of a group of attorneys currently revising the LLC statutes. Griffith was a prime author of the original statutes creating LLCs and remains a proponent of them. He says the most obvious benefit of an LLC is limited responsibility for liabilities incurred by others, particularly in small businesses. ``When you realize the fate of your company is in the hands of a 19-year-old delivery boy who may be hung over from the night before, and he hits someone with the delivery vehicle, your house is on the line,'' says Griffith. Partners in LLCs could lose their businesses in a smaller situation, but their personal property is immune from seizure. And the LLC format offers breaks from the taxes and red tape that corporations incur. ``You don't have to have annual meetings and you're covered by operating agreements and not by-laws or restrictive stock,'' says Larry Papel, managing partner at Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz, who has registered several LLCs for clients. One such client was a restaurant group with multiple locations. Papel says such businesses may be better off registering each entity separately, an assessment with which Griffith agrees. ``If each restaurant in a chain is an LLC, they won't all suffer if one has a problem,'' Griffith says.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this rule because I think it is a fair rule for a worthy resolution. And like a lot of my constituents, I have spent time reflecting on what September 11 and the war in Iraq has meant to our country, how terrorism affects our lives, and what all of this means in the context of our world community, and I have come to the conclusion that as complicated as our world is and as tangled as the diplomacy surrounding our economic and military ties with the rest of the world become, I know that there are certain basic truths. And one of the great basic truths is the constant struggle between good and evil. And there are times in our history when the struggle is very clear, and today we are at one of those moments of such clarity. The lines are drawn, and we know who is aligned on each side. America leads a fight that we did not seek against a movement founded on distorted religious views and failed nations. This resolution marks a victory for good, and it is so very important that when good triumphs and advances that we celebrate that victory. This resolution honors our men and women in uniform. They have made the world a safer place for our children, and there are fewer greater gifts than that. And today we are welcoming the Iraqi people into the community of free nations. The resolution says to the world that America was willing to take on this fight to dedicate the fruits of her labor to free a horribly, horribly oppressed people a world away. Iraqi success in rebuilding and being free is our greatest weapon against terrorism. Terrorism seeks to destroy. Freedom builds. And that is why we are in Afghanistan and why we are in Iraq. Mr. Speaker, I thank our troops, I thank our families, and the communities that have supported them. And may God bless America.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, there is no better way to strengthen your country, than by strengthening your community. One great American has been strengthening her community for 50 years as a member of the Brentwood Garden Club. Frances Harris was one of the founding members of the organization in 1954, and she is the only original member still actively involved with the club. The Brentwood Garden Club holds an exceptional flower show each year, and they have successfully organized projects such as home and garden tours, and refurbishing the landscaping at public buildings. Frances is an accredited flower show judge. She is also a member of the Association for the Preservation of Antiquities and a founding member of the Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County. Through her community involvement, she has worked to make America beautiful. All of our nation's communities should be so fortunate to have a Frances Harris. I thank her for preserving our communities and promoting good citizenship.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, last week there was a quote attributed to John Kerry, the Democratic nominee for President, who said ``I've met foreign leaders who can't go out and say this publicly, but, boy, they look at you and say, `You got to win this; you got to beat this guy; we need a new policy,' things like that.'' He has not denied the statement. Quite frankly, whether the statement is accurate or not, and I do not believe it to be accurate, America's foreign policy decisions are not designed to win popularity contests. They are designed to protect and defend America, her citizens, and her allies. In the days since September 11, there have been those who actually seem to believe that if we had been more understanding of extremist regimes and terrorists that perhaps they would have left us alone. There is a troubling trend in this campaign season. It has become almost formulaic, and we are hearing it from everybody, from the Democratic Presidential candidates on down. Criticize the President, criticize our foreign policy, criticize our country, criticize what we offer, and do it as loudly and as often as they can. The alternative to President Bush's bold, tough foreign policy that puts terrorists and rogue regimes on the run is one that relies on the international community to take collective action. We have been there. We spent 12 years letting the U.N. throw paper at Saddam Hussein while Saddam's military launched missiles at our pilots, at American pilots enforcing the U.N. no-fly zones over Iraq. For 12 years the U.N. turned a blind eye while such as France allowed its citizens to profit from the Iraq Oil for Food or, as some call it, the Oil for Palaces Program. International consensus, multilateralism? These are terms the policy wonks and the intellectual elites love to use. They are terms that sound great on paper, but an unyielding dedication to them has proven disastrous in the real world. Multilateralism and collective action are terms that we in the real world know to mean that America should stop leading and let the status quo remain. Those who profited from a status quo that allowed Saddam to remain in power, that allowed terrorists to grow and flourish in Afghanistan do not want us to act. Nations that have neither the will nor the military capability to take on terrorism on a truly global scale should not criticize those that do. It was 3,000 Americans, our buildings, our Pentagon that were targeted on September 11, and those responsible needed to know that we were going to do more than lob a few missiles. We have taken steps to reshape the world for the better, and whether this pleases the French is irrelevant. We alone have the capability and the responsibility to stamp out terrorism, and it is to President Bush's credit that he was not deterred by apologists for terrorists and Saddam. Should America make a turn backward, back to the days when multilateralism and collective action were more important than promoting freedom and targeting terrorism, when we relied on the U.N. to slap dictators on the wrist and sit idly by as Afghanistan became a giant terrorist training camp? If we take that step back, then we are signifying our weakness. The debate is very clear: Do you prefer that we act preemptively to prevent another September 11? Do you believe swift, decisive action in lands breeding terrorism is preferable to emergency response on the streets of our cities in the aftermath of an attack? Do you want American foreign policy dictated by your elected leaders or those in Europe? I think the answer to this is clear. We all know the answer to this and, certainly, when we read polls like this one from the Iraqi people who say their life is better today than it was a year ago, we know the answer to that question.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take my Special Order at this time.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, a few months ago I came down to the floor to talk about our economy and the steps that President Bush and Congress have taken to offset the recession and the trillion-dollar impact of September 11 on our economy. Part of my remarks that day focused on tax relief and the effect it has had in helping our families, working families, and small businesses weather what has been some tough economic times; and I think it is important that we reiterate our support for tax relief because there are those across the aisle who are increasingly supportive of raising your tax bill. I want to let my constituents in the Seventh Congressional District of Tennessee know that I am standing beside tax relief legislation. I stand with cutting their tax bills. In 2003 under Republican leadership and under Republican tax legislation, 91 million taxpayers received on average a tax cut in the amount of $1,126. This is real relief for 91 million Americans. So when the rhetoric from the other side of the aisle starts flying that tax relief is only for the rich, you can judge for yourself whether you think 91 million Americans would consider themselves rich. A few months ago, candidates for the Democratic nomination were all calling for tax increases. Virtually all of them opposed the tax relief which has allowed 91 million Americans to keep more of their hard- earned paychecks. On July 28, a Washington Post column proclaimed: ``Candidates Not Shying Away From Tax Talk: Candidates Discuss Raises, Not Cuts.'' It is important to note they may think you can tax your way to prosperity, but you cannot. You cannot. We know that it is important to leave that money with the taxpayer. Well, today we have a single Democratic candidate, and he is on record for raising some income tax brackets to pre-Bush levels. The question every American needs to consider is this: Why should we raise taxes? What do higher taxes do to the economy? It is a simple answer: higher taxes take capital out of the private sector and give government more money to spend. I think a vast majority of Americans, and I know the folks in my district, know that higher taxes do not grow our economy; they grow the government. Something else I think the American people should know is that the tax relief that we have passed, the tax relief responsible for giving 91 million Americans an average of $1,126 in relief last year is not permanent. In short, this tax relief will end in 2011; and at that point, virtually all taxpayers will start facing higher tax bills. Democrats largely do not support making this relief permanent. Americans will again be subject to the marriage tax, the death tax. A family of four making $36,268 will see a tax hike of over $2,000; that is if we do not make permanent our tax relief legislation, and that is something that we are working to do. The President and this Congress are working to ensure that this relief is permanent, and I look forward to the debate because we are on the side of lower taxes, economic growth, not tax hikes and big government. We are for leaving the money with those who earn it.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to a great Tennessee leader. State Senator Ben Atchley--better known as Gentle Ben--has served in the Tennessee General Assembly since 1972, where he began his service as Senate Republican leader in 1986. It is appropriate that today we take time to thank Senator Atchley for his service and provide that the East Young High Pike U.S. Post Office in Ben's hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee be named in his honor. Senator Atchley graduated from Young High School, just down the street from this post office. When Ben and his wonderful wife Sue were first married, their apartment window looked out across the street to this very post office. Later, Ben worked next door to the post office, which will now be named after him. From high school student to Senate Leader, Gentle Ben has given back so much to his community and Tennessee. I am pleased to recognize Senator Atchley for all of his many accomplishments and his work in the Tennessee General Assembly. The Tennessee congressional delegation and the U.S. House of Representatives proudly designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 137 East Young High Pike in Knoxville, Tennessee, most suitably, as the ``Ben Atchley Post Office Building''.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak of a courageous woman in America's history, a woman who fought relentlessly for 69 years to establish equal rights for women, slaves, and the unborn. Her name, Susan B. Anthony. She had a deep desire, dedication and passion that our country live up to its promise that everyone be treated equally. Her leadership helped lead to the adoption of the 19th amendment, giving women the right to vote. On this 184th year following her birth, let us honor the woman who fought for equality for all by continuing her legacy today and voting for the Unborn Victims of Violence Act. This act recognizes the rights and values of women and unborn children, and Susan B. Anthony would be proud to see this extension of her life's work by protecting the defenseless and speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, America has a long tradition of producing great generals; and Major General David Petraeus, the Commander of the 101st Airborne Division, has joined the ranks of America's great military leaders. Like his predecessors, Generals Washington, Patton, and Eisenhower, to name a few, he has spent a career defending our Nation and bringing freedom to people all over the world. I have been to Iraq and I have seen General Petraeus' leadership firsthand, and the awards and distinctions that he has received in his career are not empty. The true meaning behind each of these commendations is crystal-clear when you meet the men, women, and children who would have lived a lifetime of terror under the old Iraq had the General of the 101st Airborne from Fort Campbell not helped lead Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is an example of why the American military is so great. He is a true leader. Today, we join the newly-free people of Iraq to thank him for his dedication to our Nation and our belief that no people should be denied freedom.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak on the enormous deficit spending that is before Congress this year. It is expected to be between $477 billion to $530 billion. As a fiscal conservative, I find it unacceptable. One of the core values of conservatism is to fight for limited government, wise use of taxpayer money, and fiscal restraint. This body falls short on being an example of these values. We need only to look to last year when we had several opportunities to cut out waste in government programs, but did not do so. One prime example is where Congress would not pass a simple amendment which would have prevented the funding of sexual arousal and porn studies granted through the National Institutes of Health. I voted for the amendment which would have prevented the use of taxpayer money for these ridiculous studies. I think most constituents agree with me on that. Also numerous amendments by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Toomey) were presented to reduce spending by across-the-board cuts. What a great idea. We failed to take measures there. Mr. Speaker, it is time for us to realize the government will continue to borrow for the present by mortgaging the future.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of this rule to reauthorize the Community Services Block Grant Act. I oppose the substitute because it would repeal current law and strip faith-based organizations of their right to hire the candidates they feel are most qualified for the jobs. These same rights are guaranteed to faith-based organizations under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and have since been consistently upheld in the courts. Last year, I brought the Committee on Government Reform to Franklin, Tennessee, and we heard from groups of all sizes that helped the needy in Franklin and Middle Tennessee. One of those that testified was Onnie Kirk. He runs the Family Foundation Fund, an organization that helps fatherless children. He testified that they would not accept Federal funds if these funds compromised the character and the purpose of his organization. The amendment would remove those protections. We should not bend to the false arguments and overburden the very organizations that serve the most needed needy in our society. These organizations have higher success rates than many government programs. The Community Services Block Grant Act did not and still does not permit Federal funds to be used for the purposes of promoting religion. It allows faith-based groups to use Federal funds for secular purposes, feeding, clothing its needy, helping the out-of-work find jobs, without compromising their essential character. We should keep it that way. I ask my colleagues to join me in opposing the substitute to H.R. 3030.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Chairman, I would like to rise in support of the amendment and to commend the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary for offering this important amendment. As we have noted, last March this body did pass important bankruptcy reform; and that is very important to my folks in Tennessee, but unfortunately it has languished over on the Senate side. I have heard from credit unions and banks in Tennessee. Their message is very clear. Bankruptcy is all too often used as the first resort instead of the last resort, and this makes it increasingly difficult for them to operate in a State where small business is our major employer. As the number of bankruptcy filings continues to rise, bankruptcy losses have a heavier impact upon those credit union members and on the banks who are fiscally responsible. What we have seen since 1998 when bankruptcies topped 1 million in their filings, they are up over 150 percent. We know the trend is continuing upward. I do feel this amendment is a compassionate one. People who seek bankruptcy because of job loss, medical problems, divorce and other personal problems will be unaffected. Mr. Chairman, it is time for us to move forward. Announcement by the Chairman

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to congratulate Governor Schwarzenegger on his efforts to ``clean house'' in California. Since he took office last month, he has been implementing many reforms to California's economic and security problems. He has rescinded a $4 billion car tax, called for a constitutional amendment to limit State spending, and worked with the legislature to repeal the law that allows illegal aliens to obtain driver's license. Instead of hiding his head in the sand as his predecessor did, he has shown the courage to balance the State's budget without raising taxes and to protect the security of the State. I would also like to speak on another admirable Californian, Judge Janice Brown. Judge Brown is the daughter of a sharecropper who has beat the odds to become one of the finest judges in America. Critics claim she is an extreme conservative who is outside of America's mainstream, but they are the ones who are outside the mainstream. These critics have intentionally disregarded her judicial opinions that have upheld due process rights for criminal defendants and consumer protection for Californians. This body must stand with Californians, like Governor Schwarzenegger and Judge Brown, who are working to make a difference.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an incredible citizen of the 7th district of Tennessee. Jim Ayers is the founder of the Ayers Foundation; since the fall of 2000, the Ayers Foundation has given as much as $4,000 a year in scholarships to every high school graduate from Decatur County who agrees to go to college or technical school. Yes, I said every high school graduate. Jim is a success in the health care, banking, real estate businesses to name a few--however, he has never forgotten his native Decatur County. Every community would be fortunate to have a Jim Ayers. It took Mr. Ayers about eight years to put together an endowment and a staff of counselors to work with the students of Riverside High School and Scotts Hill High School. The benefits that the students of these schools have received is evidence that Jim Ayers is doing a great thing for our young people. Only 25 percent of Riverside graduates pursued some form of postsecondary education before the scholarships were available. But the participation rate immediately shot up to 75 percent when the Ayers Foundation began. And now 90 percent of students at this school are able to further their education beyond high school. He not only provides financial assistance to the aspiring high school seniors, he has a direct talk with the students--telling them ``if anyone is going to take care of them, it's got to be themselves.'' It is with great appreciation that I honor Mr. Jim Ayers for his service to community and for his commitment to education.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 648, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to talk a little bit about the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell, which is in Clarksville, Tennessee, and in my district. And I have visited with General Petreaus, commander of the 101st, and members of this elite group of American soldiers in Mosul where they are working to stabilize Iraq. Their work in Iraq is absolutely astounding. What they have accomplished is astounding, and it is a testament to their training, to their dedication, and to their love of liberty. For the past 2 weeks the activity has absolutely broken our hearts. We have lost some of our Nation's finest, and Fort Campbell has lost some loved ones. And to the family, the friends, and their colleagues, we offer our thoughts and our prayers. And we want them to know that America is grateful not only for their service but certainly grateful for their sacrifice. Throughout the history of the 101st, this country has relied on these brave soldiers, these brave defenders of freedom, to keep us free; and today is no different. We ask that God bless America, that He bless our Fort Campbell families and our fallen heroes.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to one of Nashville, Tennessee's most beloved citizens. Through many years of public service, he is building a legacy of selfless devotion to his state, his home city and his state senate district. Senator Douglas Henry is being honored this weekend by the Friends of Radnor Lake for his three decades of commitment to conservation issues. In 1973, Senator Henry worked tirelessly to be certain that Radnor Lake was named Tennessee's first state natural area. He has continued to work to protect the lake and the funding necessary to support the protection of the natural area. Senator Douglas Henry could be honored on this floor for any number of reasons. He has chaired the Finance committee of the Tennessee senate for many years, he is a staunch supporter for the rights of women and children and has a deep interest in public policy affecting them. He has served as chairman of the Southern Legislative conference and the Council of World Regions, the Law and Justice Institute in Washington, DC. However, it is my pleasure to stand today and honor him, not only for these accomplishments but for the commitment to preservation and conservation that he has to his district and our state.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, we are coming up on Veterans' Day, and I rise today to honor and say thank you to the over 65,000 men and women who are veterans and constituents of Tennessee's Seventh Congressional District. I thank them one and all for their service, for their sacrifice, their valor and for their commitment to duty, which has been to stand vigilant, strong and to protect our freedom that we enjoy. I also want to say thank you to our troops and to their families. Our Seventh Congressional District is home to many of the families from Fort Campbell, who are part of the 101st Airborne and the Special Operations Forces, and we are also home to many of the National Guardsmen and the Reservists and their families who are deployed and who are now defending freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq. We appreciate their sacrifice. We thank them for the job that they are doing so very well.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman so much. You know, the gentleman just used the quote from former Secretary Madeleine Albright, and I heard some about this this weekend while I was back in Tennessee, people who were disappointed, Democrats who were disappointed that she had chosen to make that remark of saying that our policy and our President's policy was not good for America and not good for the world. This past weekend, I was literally all over the State in Tennessee. We were over in Memphis, in Shelby County, which is part of my district, the seventh district of Tennessee. Also part of the ninth and eighth districts of Tennessee. And then I was over with our good colleague, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Wamp), in his district, the fourth district, and up in Knox County, with our colleague, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan), in his district. And I can tell my colleague that I was very encouraged with the way Tennesseeans support our President, the way they support our troops, they way they support our leadership in fighting this war on terrorism, the way they recognize that this is a global effort to destroy terrorism. And, Mr. Speaker, the people back home are really watching this. They are listening to the news, they are getting their information on the Internet, they are paying attention. They know that there are numerous links between Iraq and terrorism, and they understand the importance that it is. They know that it is vital that we secure an ally with Iraq; that we help them build a free and open society; that we help them get the underpinnings and the foundation so that they have a productive and aggressive economy. And they are committed to working with us as we get through the war on terrorism. I even had one of my constituents this weekend say that they thought that it was only in this stratified Potomac fevered air of Washington that people did not have the courage and the commitment to see this war through. Mr. Speaker, I was today reading some e-mails that had come to me, and one of them I thought was just terrific. It came from a gentleman who is a Vietnam veteran who said some things so very well, talking about how when he was serving in Vietnam that the liberal news media flamed the sparks of unrest and how that played on Congress and how Congress' decisions during that time affected him as a soldier. It was interesting to sit here and to read all of this. He went on in his e-mail and he used the Patrick Henry quote that I absolutely love: ``Give me liberty or give me death.'' And as he has watched the war in Iraq, he said this had come back to him so many times and how he thought that that is so true, that without that personal freedom, which is the foundation of our constitution and of our society, then nothing else means as much, and how important it is that we recognize what a threat terrorism is; how important it is to win this war in Iraq; how important it is to build an ally with Iraq. And, of course, we have talked much tonight about the gentlewoman from California, the minority leader, and her comments in December of 1998 when she gave her floor speech characterizing Saddam Hussein as a tyrant, which we all believe he is; and a threat to international security, which we all agree that he is. We have been through that quote tonight, but I want to go back into it. There is plenty of proof he had engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction. I agree with what the minority leader said at that time; we all do. We need to realize that in 1998 Bill Clinton was the President. Today, we do have a different President. And President George Bush is leading us in this war on terror. Our colleague from Texas just talked about the great work that the men and women are doing over in Iraq and the difference that they are making. I look forward to going and seeing this firsthand. Now the minority leader is coming along and she is questioning what we are doing in Iraq, and she is charging the administration with having a failed plan. The only thing this administration has failed to do, I believe, is to foresee how quickly Saddam Hussein's regime was going to collapse. To some extent, I think they have been victims of their own success. Because as our colleague from Texas pointed out, things have moved rather quickly. No one expected Baghdad to fall that quickly. They thought it was going to take months instead of weeks. I would like to quote from another Member of the minority party, who, unlike Minority Leader Pelosi, is considering the big picture. This is a quote from the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), he is a Democrat, and he is considering the big picture. This is what the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) had to say in September of 2003, this year, in the publication ``The Hill,'' and I quote. ``The media stresses the wounds, the injuries, and the deaths, as they should, but for instance in Northern Iraq, General David Petraeus,'' and I will pause here and say General Petraeus commands the 101st Airborne from my district, ``has 3,100 projects, from soccer fields to schools to refineries, all good stuff and that is not being reported. Failure is not an option. Should the reconstruction effort fail, Iraq would become a snake pit, a haven for terrorists.'' Mr. Speaker, we have learned the lessons of World War I. We learned from the successes of World War II. We know it is incredibly important that we see Iraq through to being firmly planted and seated on a firm foundation so they can be a success. I do not think it is patriotic for us to sit back and let terrorism take hold there or come over here and take ahold on our shores. I do not think it is patriotic to let tyrants kick dirt in our faces for a decade. I know the people in my district are tired of America choosing rhetoric over action, and they are pleased with the action that they are seeing. September 11 gave us cause for action. There is a great song that one of my friends and songwriter, David Worley has written. The song is Have You Forgotten, and that song is a reminder to each and every one of us that September 11 occurred, that men and women lost their lives, that terrorism brought its war to our shores, and it is important that we support the reconstruction in Iraq and support our leadership as they lead through this.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that it shall be in order anytime without intervention of any point of order to consider in the House H.R. 2535; the bill shall be considered as read for amendment; the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure now printed in the bill, modified by the amendment that I have placed at the desk, shall be considered as adopted; all points of order against the bill, as amended, shall be waived; the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill, as amended, to final passage without intervening motion except, one, 1 hour of debate on the bill, as amended, equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure; and, two, one motion to recommit, with or without instructions; and the amendment that I have placed at the desk shall be considered as read for purposes of this unanimous consent request.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, today I wanted to take time to honor one of Tennessee's most accomplished Memphians, Judge Kay Spaulding Robilio of the U.S. Circuit Court, Division 5, 30th Judicial District. For more than 20 years of dedicated service as a judge and the 2002- 2003 president of the Tennessee Lawyers' Association for Women, Judge Robilio has committed her life to the pursuit of justice and equality for all. She has helped open the way for women interested in serving on the bench and in public office. And as a mother and volunteer, her dedication to the community extends beyond her profession. Her dedication to exploring legal issues surrounding emotional abuse claims is helping expand recognition of the problem and establishes her as a true pioneer. Judge Robilio is an asset to Memphis and a shining light in our legal community. I want to thank Kay for her decades of service and let her know we look forward to many more years of legal excellence and integrity from her court.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, sometimes I think that too many of us are ignoring the big picture during this debate, and sometimes we lose sight of what this money will mean, not only to America but for the entire world. I have got an article off of CNN.com that just came out that shows that Damascus even ended up voting for the Security Council resolution this morning. They want stability, they want security. There is another part of this debate that we get caught up in. We all agree that the $66 billion portion of the supplemental is absolutely critical for our troops, for their well-being as they are defending freedom. The debate that we have set about today and through the past couple of weeks, not only as a legislative body but as a people, has really focused on the remaining $18.6 billion of the appropriation. Let me put it this way: In my district, one of the things we have talked about is that the $66 billion is for the military, and that $18.6 billion that is for reconstruction, that is for you, Mr. Speaker, it is for me. That $18.6 billion is for every single American man, woman and child who never, ever, wants to see another September 11 take place. It is for every American who understands that we have an opportunity, a very unique opportunity, to help reshape a region of the world that has been a breeding ground for hatred and for terrorism. I have visited with my constituents at Fort Campbell, people that have family members deployed over there. I have stood on the tarmac to shake the hands of the men and women that are returning from over there. These are people that are on the front lines and they understand what is at stake, and they have told me that they think it would be a mistake to withdraw now; if we choose to leave, we will have done a tremendous disservice to our children, to our country; that the work there that we are doing is an investment in making the world a safer place. I am going to be going to Iraq this month because I want to see the progress that we have made there. I want to see it with my own eyes. I want to thank our men and women in uniform, and I want to let the Iraqi people know we understand that they will be an important and valuable ally in our war on terrorism, but only if we do what is right and necessary for the future and for our kids' futures by providing a critical investment in that country. We can talk all day about domestic needs and different needs and all sorts of programs that are great programs, but there will never be an end to these, and it is necessary that we fight the war on terrorism. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to step back, take another look at the bigger picture, to support this.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank our chairman for his excellent work on this issue, and I do rise today to support H.R. 3108, the Pension Funding Equity Act. We have talked about all the reasons that have caused this, the stock market fluctuations, the growing retiree population, interest rates, and that the plan is underfunded. Over the past year, we have heard from so many of our constituents about the concern of the condition of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and concern with its weakening and with the deficit of $5.7 billion. What we have got, basically is $80 billion in unfunded pension benefits among financially weak companies that are looming on the horizon, those pension benefits that may eventually come to the PBGC and be their responsibility. This Pension Funding Equity Act creates a short-term replacement for the 30-year Treasury bond interest rate and allows us to work out a long-term bipartisan solution. I join my colleagues in urging all of our Members to support H.R. 3108 and support our constituents who are indeed very concerned about this issue.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Speaker, in every one of our lives there are people and places that are really unique, and they are so special that they become an essential part of who we are and who our communities are and what they become over time. Today, I want to recognize two people and one place that have not only helped shape who I am, but they have touched the lives of our entire community and thousands of people. Quite simply, they represent what is the very best about Tennessee. This month Sherythia Scaife, a member of the board of directors for historic Belmont Mansion in Nashville, will receive the Helen Kennedy Award for volunteer service. The Belmont Mansion is truly one of those historical treasures in Tennessee; and Sherythia, the best way to sum it up is she is simply one of our treasures, such a wonderful woman. As everyone involved in charity work can tell us, fund-raising is a tough job; but Sherythia committed her energies to preserving the Belmont Mansion, and she has helped lead the effort to raise funds for the Belmont Mansion. We are lucky to have this wonderful part of the past with us still, and we are even luckier to have someone like Sherythia Scaife here to help protect Belmont Mansion for the future. In the city of Franklin, Tennessee, where I have one of my district offices, there was a man whom everyone knew. He was our friend, a leader, a small business owner. He was truly a pillar of the community. Ralph Duke started out as a grocery bag boy, and he ended up as our town's main street pharmacist and civic leader. We lost Ralph just a few days ago; and in thinking about what he meant to all of us, I was amazed at just how much he had accomplished in his lifetime. He filled close to 1 million prescriptions over the years to keep us healthy. He served us as an alderman and worked to improve police and fire service to help keep us all safe; and Ralph, above all else, took the time to say hello and to care about people, making us all feel that part of the community was important. Ralph will be missed, but he is with us in our memories, and his family is with us in our thoughts and prayers. A church is not just a building. It is also a source of strength and solace for a community of people. It is a place to offer our thanks to the Lord and Johnson's Chapel United Methodist Church in Brentwood, Tennessee, will be celebrating its 200th birthday on October 4, 2003. While the church structure has been destroyed by fire and renovated by man over those 200 years, the place has been one of God for all this time. It is a wonderful thing to think of the comfort and love that is so strong and true in this single location, a place that brings people together to worship our Lord, to honor our families, to celebrate some of life's most special occasions, like my niece's wedding, and sends them out into the world renewed, energized and excited about the word of God. Madam Speaker, I imagine that all of my colleagues have stories like these of the wonderful places that exist in each of our districts, the things that make America and our communities so unique, a Nation where people like Sherythia Scaife and Ralph Duke can give of their time to others and a place where we can freely assemble in places of worship, such as Johnson's Chapel United Methodist Church.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the conference report on the partial-birth abortion ban. Every year thousands of women are subjected to this traumatic medical procedure. It is routinely used during the fifth and sixth months of pregnancy. I know it sounds horrendous, and it is horrendous because it kills the baby just seconds before he or she takes their first breath. This congressional body must act now to preserve the future of the next generation and of their mothers, or this Nation will reap the horrible consequences of allowing partial-birth abortion to continue. Some opponents like to say that it is safe, that the procedure is safe, and they are wrong. They have not informed the public on the effects of this practice on women. Numerous medical practitioners and the AMA have testified in committee that partial-birth abortion is never medically necessary in any situation and is severely below the standard of good quality care. Partial-birth abortion seriously threatens a mother's health and her ability to carry her future children to term. I urge my colleagues to remember their duty and vote for the conference report.