Jim Cooper

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, you know the 9/11 Commission did a great job in their report. It became a best seller. It was in bookstores all over America, because everybody in America wanted to find out what really happened on that terrible day. You know, this is a lot like the 9/11 Commission report, because it is very readable, and it needs to be in every bookstore in America. And yet hardly anyone in Congress has seen it, hardly anyone in the Senate has seen it. Everybody needs to read this document, because it is the annual report for America. It reveals the terrible truth that the real 2005 fiscal deficit for America was not $319 billion, it was $760 billion. And every living American worker already today owes $375,000 apiece. That is what this document says. It is not thick. If you do not find it in the bookstore yet, and it will be months probably before that happens, take it off the Web site. Look at the BlueDogDemocrats.dot.com. If you do not trust our Web site, go to www.gao.gov, that is the Government Accountability Office, or download it from the U.S. Treasury Web site. But this is a truly startling and amazing document, and hardly anybody even knows it exists. So I encourage folks not to take our word for it, go look at it yourself and see what you think about the fiscal finances of our country after you read this book.

Mr. COOPER. Forty-one million dollars in an hour?

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I make remarks today to honor 2000 heroic men--men who fought for freedom and justice and a stronger, united America. These men made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. They gave their lives so that their children and grandchildren and generations to come would know an America where hopes for a better life would be a dream for all to share. The 2000 men I honor today were members of the United States Colored Troops during the Civil War. They are buried at the rear of the Nashville National Cemetery, their service and their sacrifice too often overlooked by visitors to that hallowed ground. This weekend, Tennessee will take an important step in saluting, and thanking, African-American soldiers for their important service during the Civil War. Tennessee will become the first state in the U.S. to erect a statue to recognize the bravery of these 2000 men, and all of the 180,000 African-American soldiers who fought in the Civil War. The statue is more than an historic monument. It will be a permanent and powerful reminder for all Americans and the world that the strength of our great Nation comes from the belief laid down by our founding fathers that ``all men are created equal. . . .'' It was a desire to transform that belief into reality that these men took up arms. They believed in a new vision of America and they knew it was an America worth fighting for. And now, during Black History Month, we come together to unveil this statue and to offer the praise and appreciation that has been so long overdue. The life-size bronze is the result of years of hard work on the part of many. The African American Cultural Alliance and its founder and executive director, Kwame Leo Lillard, led this effort. But many individuals and organizations throughout the community also dedicated themselves to the task. Creative Artists of Tennessee, the Black Veterans Association, the 13th U.S.C.T. Regiment, the Tennessee Historical Commission, Tennessee State University Department of History, and One Point Solutions, along with federal, state and local governments have all been involved in this campaign. I am proud and honored that Nashville will be home to this important memorial to all those who served in the U.S. Colored Troops during the Civil War. Unlike the battle in so many other cities, the Battle of Nashville did not take place on one battlefield. It was fought in the city itself and at locations scattered around the edges of town. No portion of the city has been preserved as a park to commemorate those who fought and died in this battle. They are quietly honored at the Nashville National Cemetery. And now, with the addition of this statue, all of the troops who sacrificed so much to preserve our great Nation, will receive the special recognition they deserve.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of our nation's most important voices in the fight to protect our children: Dr. Robert Sanders. Today it is almost impossible to imagine but, as recently as the late 1970s, there were no laws requiring that young children be buckled into safety seats while traveling in a vehicle. Dr. Sanders, a soft-spoken pediatrician from my home state of Tennessee, had seen what happens to children in an automobile accident when they are not protected. He knew that so many of those injuries and deaths were preventable. And Dr. Sanders decided then and there that someone had to speak out on behalf of children and their safety. Starting with the Tennessee General Assembly, Dr. Sanders and his wife Pat spent countless hours presenting medical data. Their facts and their passion overcame initial doubts. In 1977, thanks to the vision and determination shown by Dr. and Mrs. Sanders, Tennessee became the first state in the nation to adopt a law mandating that all children under the age of 4 must ride in a safety seat. State by state, the rest of the nation followed. Today all 50 states require this protection for young children. Dr. Sanders passed away on January 19th after a long illness. He leaves behind his wife, Patricia Pelot Sanders, and two children. And he leaves behind a legacy of fighting for the needs of others. Even after he had won the battle for child safety seats, he continued to speak out on issues such as the need for seat belt laws, health care reform and environmental protections. His work earned him the love and appreciation of his community and citizens across the state of Tennessee, as well as awards from groups including the Tennessee Medical Association, the Tennessee Public Health Association and the Tennessee Pediatric Society. Dr. Robert Sanders believed that each citizen had a responsibility to help others whenever possible. Dr. Sanders lived his life doing that every day. In addition to his public policy work, he served as chief physician and director of the Rutherford County Health Department from 1969 until his retirement in 1991. Dr. Robert Sanders will be missed in Middle Tennessee. He will be missed by many who, like me, had the privilege of working alongside him as he fought for better health care policies. And he will be missed by all of us who were fortunate to know him as a neighbor, a friend and an inspiration.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to discuss a provision of S. 1932 that has caused great concern among hospitals throughout the State of Tennessee and in my own district. This provision relates to the calculation of Medicare disproportionate share payments for hospitals, commonly known as the DSH adjustment. Congress created the DSH adjustment to provide appropriate funding to hospitals and other Medicare providers who care for a disproportionate share of low income inpatients. However, since its enactment into law, there has been a dispute between hospitals throughout the country and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) over how to calculate the DSH adjustment. Fifteen hospitals in Tennessee took CMS to court over this dispute in the case of Cookeville Regional Medical Center v. Thompson. At issue in Cookeville was whether CMS should include all Medicaid days related to a patient's stay in the DSH calculation, even if the patient was only eligible for Medicaid benefits through a federally approved Medicaid 1115 waiver program. CMS took the position it would exclude Medicare waiver days from the DSH calculation prior to January 20, 2000, in its discussion of an interim final rule promulgated on January 20, 2000. On September 30, 2005, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia agreed with the Tennessee hospitals that Medicare waiver days must be included for the years 1994 to 2000. The Court determined that Congress intended to include these days in the DSH calculation when it enacted the Medicare DSH statute. CMS's interim final rule did not change that. For the Tennessee hospitals, the decision in Cookeville means up to $100 million in corrected payments covering the years 1994 to 1999. CMS appealed the District Court's September 30th decision on December 23rd. Mr. Speaker, I thought that this resolved the matter, however I was disturbed to see language in S. 1932 that CMS might argue applies to the Cookeville case on appeal. Section 5002(b) of the Medicare Title of S. 1932 ratifies the interim final rule promulgated on January 20, 2000 by CMS and makes it effective on the date it was promulgated. In other words, CMS might attempt to accomplish legislatively what it could not accomplish in Cookeville. I rise today to state, as a member of the House Budget Committee which has jurisdiction over S. 1932, the Deficit Reduction Act, that Sec 5002(b) should not be used to reverse the Cookeville decision and deny Tennessee its correct DSH payments as determined under the Medicare statute for the years 1994 through 1999.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute an outstanding group of men and women--the Tennessee Army National Guard's 168th Military Police Battalion of Lebanon, TN. On Sunday, February 5, the 168th will receive the Valorous Unit Award at a special presentation at the Armory in Lebanon. The Valorous Unit Award is one of the Nation's most prestigious military awards. It is presented to units of the Armed Forces of the United States for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy of the United States while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing force. To receive this award, a unit must have performed with marked distinction under difficult and hazardous conditions in accomplishing its mission so as to set it apart from, and above, other units participating in the same conflict. Its equivalent in individual awards is the Silver Star. I know all Tennesseans, and all Americans, join with me in thanking the 168th for their bravery, their commitment and their selfless service while in Iraq. The 168th received its award for performance of duties from May 20, 2003 through January 31, 2004. While they performed many duties, some of their key accomplishments during their service were to establish law and order operations in all of east Baghdad, establish Iraqi police stations, train Iraqi police officers and establish an Iraqi police academy. The battalion coordinated numerous offensive operations and patrols within its area of operations under very austere conditions. They were responsible for confiscating numerous weapons caches, counterfeit money, and ammunition. And they frequently provided escort and security service to convoys in the region. During their service, the 168th Battalion and its subordinate units receive numerous Bronze Stars, Purple Hearts, and Army Commendation Medals for Valor. Their service was one that required heroism and courage on a daily basis. I am honored to serve as the Congressman for Lebanon and privileged to represent these men and women in Washington. We are all blessed to live in the greatest country in the history of the world. And we are particularly blessed that men and women, like the members of Tennessee's 168th Military Police Battalion, willingly put their lives on the line every day so that we may continue to enjoy freedom here at home. Words cannot adequately thank the members of the 168th for their exceptional service. But I want to take this moment, and this occasion of their Valorous Unit Award presentation, to salute them on behalf of all Americans for their heroic service to our country and to freedom around the world.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, if anyone needed evidence that this Congress is being managed in an incompetent and corrupt fashion, tonight's debate is it. At 2 o'clock in the morning we are finally taking up some of the most important defense bills of the year, only to find them burdened with irrelevant, special-interest measures that have nothing to do with the underlying legislation. Pharmaceutical companies, oil companies, and Lord knows what other special interests are probably smiling at this late hour, but the average taxpayer back home should be ashamed of what we are doing tonight, especially in the name of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines. We have just learned that many of these special interest provisions were added in the dark of night, with no notice even to the conferees. What are they afraid of? Why don't they want us to read and understand the added language? Why not let the public see what is really going on? It was not enough for the Republican leadership to almost completely exclude any real bipartisan discussion or debate in conference, and to so radically short-circuit the democratic process that this year's process may mark an all-time low in the history of the House of Representatives. Mr. Speaker, as our troops risk their lives to promote democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan, we should not be degrading our democracy here at home. I strongly support the troops and the many excellent provisions in the defense authorization and appropriations bills on their behalf. We should honor their sacrifice by passing legislation for them, not using them as a shield for special interests. We should also honor them by refusing the $4 billion cut in the defense budget that was inserted in this bill in order to fund the extraneous provisions. You didn't hear about that defense cut, did you, while the Republicans were bragging on their efforts on defense. The only reason these special interest provisions have been added is that Republican leadership knows that they could not pass in the light of day, when the public is allowed to see what we are doing. These provisions could not pass on their own strength, in either day or night. Given the few minutes that we have been allowed to read these conference reports of many hundreds of pages, no one on the House floor tonight really knows what is contained in these bills because all normal House procedures have broken down. Rumors are rampant that other embarrassments have been added to worthy defense bills, simply because they are viewed as ``must pass'' legislation. We simply don't have time to verify or debunk these rumors. The only safe vote tonight for the American taxpayer is a ``no'' vote. Let's stay in session a few more days, even though the Christmas holiday approaches, and do the job right. Our troops deserve no less.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Ross) and, I appreciate your leadership in this Special Order and in so many activities in our Congress. I want to point out a couple of things, and perhaps you have touched on them already, because from what I have heard of your remarks, I am proud to associate myself with them. You are doing a great job of helping inform the American people about what is really going on with their country. A couple of things about the Blue Dog chart. Every Blue Dog has a chart just like that outside of their office. It is a little bit scary, because most people who come into our offices do not realize the debt is that big. But the deficit is about to bust the debt limit cap. Just a few billion dollars from now, our Nation is going to have to ask formal permission to raise the debt ceiling of the United States. Just a few billion dollars from now, we will lose our ability to borrow any more money unless an act of Congress changes that. And yet the leadership in this Congress is not telling the American people about that. They are going to hide that information until next February, next March, even though, as that chart shows, the debt is already 8.121 trillion. By the time it gets to 8.170 trillion, we will lose our ability to borrow any more money as a Nation. Our credit card will be maxed out. That is a moment of tragedy for our country because the actual debt burden for working families, if you look at the unfunded obligations of our country, it is not the $27,000, for every American. For a working family, it is $350,000 of debt burden that is already on their shoulders. So I like to refer folks to a report that came out, it is available on the Internet, it is from the Heritage Foundation. That is not a Democratic group. It is a strong Republican group. But it is one of the scariest reports to ever be issued. It came out on November 30. It is by Brian Riedl. It details how under the Republican budget we can look forward to $800 billion annual deficits, permanent structural deficits that will never go away. So I just wanted to help folks who may not appreciate Blue Dogs, who may appreciate Republicans more, that they need to read from the Republican think tank about what the Republicans are doing to our country's finances. This is an issue that should concern all Americans, whether Democrat or Republican. I am proud of the role that the Blue Dogs are playing in trying to reduce this fiscal insanity, to try to get our Nation back on the right path again. I thank my colleagues, particularly the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Ross).

Mr. COOPER. You have made very powerful statements here tonight. One point that needs to be addressed a little bit more is the fact that we are going to be borrowing even more money from foreigners and the gentleman touched on that, particularly the Chinese. They are lending us more and more money, but I didn't know if you had pointed out so far here tonight as our colleague, John Tanner, has shown in the past that President George W. Bush has already borrowed more money from foreigners in the last 5 years than every previous President in American history combined. That is an incredible statement because that is every President from George Washington through Bill Clinton. They borrowed about $1 trillion in total from foreigners. But already under President George W. Bush we have borrowed over $1 trillion just from foreigners. So the gentleman's very powerful points about cuts to American citizens, cuts that are really going to damage their lives, at the same time we are cutting them, we are going to be paying more interest money to foreign lenders, to foreign bankers. And talk about wrong priorities. Hurting home folks so we can benefit rich foreigners? That is completely out of hand. But that is what happens when we not only have giant deficits but we have to borrow so much money from foreigners.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, the Blue Dog Coalition, of which I am policy co-chair, is going to vote against the budget reconciliation measures coming up this week. Why? Because after all the sound and fury, these measures will increase the Federal budget deficit, and Blue Dogs are for reducing the Federal budget deficit. Now, what can be done in a positive manner to address the problem? Don't take our word for it, listen to the chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, Alan Greenspan, who has repeatedly advocated that we return to the PAYGO rules, pay as you go. If you want to increase spending on a program, find the money to pay for it, the way every household in America has to do. If you want to cut taxes, find the money to pay for it. America lived under this rule from 1990 to 2002. It worked well. We need to return to PAYGO principles.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Madam Speaker, I think most folks back home want us to get along with each other in order to strengthen our Nation. Well, how can we best do that, especially at a time of contentious budget reconciliation? There is a simple proposal called PAYGO that is not theory; it has worked incredibly well. It worked from the year 1990 to the year 2002 when our friends on the other side of the aisle allowed it to expire. How well did it work? Well, Alan Greenspan, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, said it is the single most important thing we can do to right our fiscal ship. Pay-as-you-go means that if you want to spend more money, you have to find offsetting cuts somewhere before you can think about spending the new money. And it also means if you want to offer someone a tax cut, that is fine. Just figure out a way to pay for it. It is a simple and clear rule, and it guided our Nation into prosperity from 1990 to 2002. Why can we not readopt that? It has proven to work and work well for all Americans and to strengthen our Nation. The Blue Dog Coalition has been more consistent in its support for the PAYGO provisions than any other group in Congress. Support PAYGO.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Chairman, I come here today to praise the men and women of the 118th Air Wing who fly out of Nashville, Tennessee. They have been mistreated by this BRAC process. I do not blame the BRAC Commission. I think the fault lies originally with the Pentagon recommendation because they simply did not take into account one of the best flying units in America. They are proven, they are ready, they have performed valiantly every time the Nation has called them to service. They have volunteered for extra duty. They fly C-130s. We have, and we soon will miss, those eight C-130 airplanes. The bottom line for the Pentagon decision, did it really have anything to do with military judgment for value or cost savings? No. What did it have to do with? A political calculation on the part of the Pentagon that because Tennessee had a great air unit in Memphis with C- 5s and a great air unit in Knoxville with KC-135s, that therefore, Nashville had to lose one of the best Air Guard units in the country. Now, they did not close down our base entirely; they did not have the temerity to do that, but they took all our aircraft. They took the ``air'' out of the Air National Guard in Nashville, Tennessee. Now, Members might say, well, I am just protecting a local interest. Look at the facts. First they came at us with wrong data because the Air Guard unit there does not own the runways; we only lease them from a fine commercial airport. We got no credit for that. So we addressed that problem. Then they did not take into account the fact that we had some of the newest and best facilities in all of our military, the number one best hangar in America, brand new, barely opened, and it will probably never see an airplane. It won the top Air Force award for best hangar in the country, so why did American taxpayers pay $55 million for that hangar never to see it used? Guess what, almost every other facility on that base is less than 2 years old, and we are taking away all of the aircraft. How does that make sense? It only makes sense if you look at the politics. Tennessee had three bases; they wanted to cut us down to two and distribute it more evenly around the country. So they can take our airplanes, are they going to train the new air crews at these other bases? Are they going to build them brand new and wonderful facilities and hangars? Will that save the American taxpayer money when we already had one of the top units in the country in Nashville performing perfectly? If you ask Secretary Rumsfeld, he knows about the men and women from Nashville who have flown him wherever he needed to go, in the Middle East or other places in the world. So I am in an ironic situation. I believe in the BRAC process. I do think Congress needs a restraint. We cannot just all protect our local bases, but the Pentagon's recommendation has to be based on sound military judgment, and at least in this one small case, it was not. Unfortunately, the BRAC commissioners did not have the temerity to override in this case, at least, the Pentagon recommendation. If Members talk to top folks in the Pentagon, they will tell you that from the expected savings from the BRAC round, they are virtually gone, because the BRAC Commission did interfere in a lot of other bases, and some services, so 70 to 80 percent of the expected savings are not there. I think history will chalk this up as a failed BRAC round, not because of Nashville but because of larger issues. So I hope and pray that when the next BRAC round comes around, we will do a better job starting with the Pentagon and through the BRAC Commission. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in favor of H.J. Res. 65, which would reject the recommendations of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee I initially supported the BRAC process. It is very important that the composition of our bases and infrastructure support the operational needs of the 21st century--a century that is emerging to be as dangerous and challenging as the 20th century. We must adapt to new threats and challenges. But our decisions concerning future base structure must be based on what best supports the national security of the United States. The BRAC decisions regarding the Air National Guard do not meet this test. Consequently, I disagree with the Department of Defense's recommendations concerning the Air National Guard. Our citizen soldiers of the Air National Guard are a critical part of our defense structure. They have done heroic work since 9-11. We simply would not have been able to sustain the current pace of our operations without the Air National Guard. The Air Force BRAC recommendations failed to fully consider the unique capabilities and civilian-military partnerships of many of our Air Guard facilities and the legitimate recruiting, training and retention concerns of the state adjutants. Moreover, the BRAC analysis did not address the potential impact of realignments on State homeland security missions. These ill considered recommendations generated almost unanimous opposition from State Adjutants. Despite the efforts of the commission, this entire process has done great harm to the vital relationships between the Air National Guard and the Air Force. This harms our national security. Let me briefly discuss these flaws using the 118th Air Wing (AW) stationed in Nashville as an example. The decision regarding the realignment of the 118th AW, one of the premier C130H flying units in the United States, illustrates the nature of the flawed recommendations that grew out of a closed process. First, the loss of aircraft from the Air National Guard and the movement of aircraft to fewer sites will have negative impact of the retention of our most experienced air crews and maintenance personnel. Unlike active duty airmen and pilots, Air National Guard personnel do not just pack up and relocate with their aircraft. It is highly unlikely that the majority of the 118th AW's highly experienced pilots and maintenance personnel will move with the C130H aircraft to new base locations. Next, consider the airmen and airwomen left behind in enclaves. The realignment of the 118th and many similar units across the country essentially takes the ``air'' out of Air National Guard. Attracting and retaining highly motivated young men and women for a placeholder organization with no real mission will be difficult, if not impossible. Third, rebuilding the deep operational experience and cohesion of units like the 118th AW, forged through multiple deployments and demanding combat missions that have continued through the rescue and recovery efforts associated with Hurricane Katrina will require many, many years. The direct and indirect personnel costs of realigning units like the 118th AW do not appear to have been considered in the BRAC process. It takes time and money to recruit, train and develop experienced pilots and co-pilots and highly skilled maintenance and support personnel. Indeed, duplicating the skill, experience and dedication of the 118th AW may be impossible. Fourth, it appears that the Air Force failed to fully consider the military value of the Air National Guard facilities under consideration. For example, in Nashville, we have spent over $55 million over the last five years on military construction to include a new state of the art hangar/maintenance complex that won an Air Force design award. Yet it appears much of this new construction was not considered in the evaluation of the 118th AW's ``Military Value.'' Consequently, these excellent facilities will remain in limbo--neither closed nor fully operational. Where is the efficiency, cost savings or operational advantage in this arrangement? Finally, the overall BRAC savings are minimal. According to the Base Closure and Realignment Commission, the Department of Defense claimed that their recommendations would save $47.8 billion over twenty years. The Commission concluded that once one time up-front costs of $21 billion are subtracted and personnel costs are accurately calculated the total savings to the American taxpayer will only be $15 billion. This figure is likely high because costs for the retraining of pilots, air crews and mechanics are not factored into the up-front costs. This is extraordinary. Consequently, I have concluded that the marginal fiscal benefits of these recommendations do not out-weigh the costs to our Air National Guard flying formations and our national security. I will vote ``yes'' on H.J. Res. 65.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and celebrate the birthday of a dear friend and a distinguished member of the Nashville community, Mrs. Jeanette Cantrell Rudy. Mrs. Rudy is a generous philanthropist, an accomplished sportswoman and a true friend to many in Tennessee and across the nation. She celebrates her 78th birthday on October 27th, 2005. When you look at everything Jeanette has accomplished in a mere 78 years, it is clear she is a woman of fierce commitment, incomparable energy and true generosity. As someone fortunate to have worked with Jeannette on various community initiatives, I can tell you there is no one you would rather have on your team when you launch a new project. Born October 27th, 1927 in Sheffield, Alabama, Jeanette enrolled in the Saint Thomas Hospital School of Nursing in Nashville following high school graduation. She received her nursing degree in 1948. That occasion changed her life--along with the fact that she also met her future husband, Mr. Daniel Clees Rudy, about this time. Daniel Clees Rudy, cofounder of the Rudy's Farm Sausage Company, and Jeanette married on February 20th, 1949. The Rudys made their home in the Pennington Bend area on the Cumberland River until Mr. Rudy's death in 1984. Jeanette served her community as a public health nurse for seven years. But that was just the beginning to her commitment to better health care for all of Nashville. In memory of her late husband, Jeanette helped to establish and fund the Dan Rudy Cancer Center at Saint Thomas Hospital in 1985. Also in 1985, Jeanette and her sisters, founded the Felix A. and Edna L. Cantrell Endowment Fund in honor of their parents. This special endowment has helped a host of nurses reach their educational goals and advance in the nursing field. A long-time supporter of the nursing program at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee, Jeanette was recognized for her efforts with an honorary doctorate of humanities from Cumberland University in 1990. In addition to her commitment to public service, Jeanette is a passionate hobbyist. She has assembled the finest privately held collection of State and Federal duck stamps, including the very first stamp issued in 1934. Jeanette served as a judge of the Federal duck stamp competition in Washington, D.C. in 1992. In 1996, the Smithsonian Institution established, in her honor, the Jeanette Cantrell Rudy Duck Stamp Gallery at the National Postal Museum. Jeanette's energy and zest for life do not stop there. An avid sportswoman, she held the title of Ladies State Trapshooting Champion for nine years, was named to the women's all-American trap team twice, and has been an ardent hunter and angler since 1949 over much of North America. Jeanette has also spent endless hours helping many organizations and educational institutions in Middle Tennessee. She served on the boards of Cumberland University, the Saint Thomas Hospital Auxiliary, the Saint Thomas Foundation and the Nashville Zoo, and she is a major supporter of the Nashville Police and Fire Department and the National Police Memorial in Washington, DC. She is the recipient of the 1992 Seton Medal for her service to patients of Saint Thomas Hospital. She authored a book, ``A Bend in the Cumberland,'' which traces the history of the Pennington Bend area, where, for many years, her husband and his brother operated the Rudy's Farm Sausage Company. And, now, as a Commissioner of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency since 2001, Jeannette is dedicated to raising funds for projects that will help preserve, conserve and enhance Tennessee's population of fish and wildlife. Jeanette's devotion to public service and her long-standing advocacy for nursing are truly remarkable. I thank this spirited American for her unwavering compassion and desire to make life more positive for others in her community. Today, I join my distinguished colleagues--Representatives Bart Gordon and John Tanner--and all Tennesseans in congratulating and extending our warmest and best wishes to Jeanette Cantrell Rudy for a happy 78th birthday. Jeannette, may you have many more rewarding and life-enriching experiences ahead.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 80th anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN. As one of the most renowned traditions in American music and broadcasting, the Grand Ole Opry continues to entertain and delight music lovers around the globe every week. Broadcast live from the Opry stage every Friday and Saturday night, the Grand Ole Opry is the Nation's longest-running radio show and the beloved home of our Nation's most celebrated music. The show's original host, George D. Hay, introduced the first performance in 1925: 77-year-old Uncle Jimmy Thompson, who could ``fiddle the taters off the vine,'' played ``Tennessee Waggoner.'' Since then its audience has grown from a group of local Nashville listeners to the millions of music fans who tune in through satellite radio, television, and the internet. The Ryman Auditorium's original well-worn oak wood Opry stage has moved with the show's changing venues through the years and has hosted some of America's most legendary country musicians--Patsy Cline, Roy Acuff, the Carter Family, Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and Bill Monroe. For many generations of Americans, Minnie Pearl's cheerful shout of ``How-dee! I'm just so proud to be here!'' will forever signify the start of another memorable and captivating Grand Ole Opry show. My own personal connection to the Grand Ole Opry began when I met the legendary Opry duo Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt during my father's 1950s political campaigns throughout Tennessee. Like so many others, I tuned in every week to listen to the gifted musicianship of the performers. And in a visit I shared with Earl Scruggs not too long ago, he told me that growing up in Shelby, North Carolina, he would walk across the hollow to a neighbor's house just to listen to the show every week because his family didn't have a radio. Both accomplished musicians and fans alike continue to hold the Grand Ole Opry in the highest esteem among America's musical traditions. While the Opry has always stayed true to the musical roots upon which it was founded, it continues to evolve with the latest country sounds. The Grand Ole Opry's elite membership now includes accomplished artists like Martina McBride, Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Vince Gill, Brad Paisley, Patty Loveless, and Dierks Bentley who continue to entertain fans on the same oak wood stage every week. In its 80 years, the Grand Ole Opry has come to mean something more than a weekly country show. In addition to extending Nashville and America's musical traditions throughout the country and world, it is a way to connect with and pay tribute to America's musical influences and heritage. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the importance of this beloved American musical institution and to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, any day now, the United States of America will have borrowed over $8 trillion. That is not an occasion to celebrate. That is an occasion to be very worried about the future of our country. $8 trillion is a fantastic sum of money. To see how long it is, all those numbers stretched out, just look outside the office of any Blue Dog Member of this Congress and you will see a chart like this, because it will show you that as of today, the debt is $7.989 trillion. That means we are only $11 billion away from passing the $8 trillion threshold. How quickly are we approaching that threshold? We are borrowing almost $1 billion a day. That means within the next week or two, we will pass the $8 trillion threshold. Of course, much of the money we are borrowing, we are borrowing from foreigners, and increasingly from the Chinese. So all Americans need to be on alert, because this is something that has never happened before in all of American history. We have had ups and downs, we have had the Depression, we have had the Civil War, but we have never been borrowing money at this rate. Let me put it in historical perspective. It took the first 204 years of our Nation's history to accumulate $1 trillion in debt. And now we are doing that every 2 or 3 years. Our Nation's top accountant, David Walker, of the GAO has said that arguably the year 2004 was the worst year in America's entire fiscal history. Why would our top accountant say something like that? First of all, because he believes it is true, and it is also because this Congress promised $13 trillion worth of new spending in one year, none of which is paid for. Imagine promising $13 trillion and not even beginning to pay for it. Later this week under a newly resolved Republican majority, they are planning on increasing the amount of reconciliation that we will undertake by some $15 billion. That sounds mighty good on the surface, but that is about 2 weeks' worth of this borrowing. I do not think 2 weeks' worth is going to be good enough for our kids and grandkids who want to know that we are leaving our Nation stronger than the way we found it. Instead what this Congress is doing and this administration is leaving us weaker than we used to be. There should be more leadership in this body, but with 435 people all contending to represent their districts back home, it is hard to characterize Congress as much more than an organized appetite. That is why our wise Founding Fathers gave us what they thought would be presidential leadership. That is why they gave the President the veto, for example, so that he could take a congressional bill and veto it. Right now under President George W. Bush, we have the first President since James Garfield in 1881 never to have vetoed a single bill. 1881 was a long time ago. Poor President Garfield was only in office for 6 months. President Bush has been in office for 5 years, without a single veto. So you really have to go back even further than President Garfield to find a President who has accepted every bill that Congress sent him as if it were perfect. For that, to find a President who served two full terms, you have to go back to President John Quincy Adams. You can see his portrait right outside this Chamber. That is not a record to be proud of. Because this Congress needs to be tamed, it needs to be disciplined and the veto is the constitutional power the President has to do that. But that is not the only power the President has. He also has the power of rescission. Every President since Richard Nixon has had that power. Every President since Richard Nixon has used that power except for President George W. Bush. He has never used the power. Let me give you an example. President Clinton used it 163 times. President Bush, Sr. used it, I think, 400 times. President Reagan used it 600 times, saving billions and billions of dollars of unnecessary spending as they use it. President Bush has never used that power.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the perfomling rights organization SESAC for 75 years of service to the creative forces in music. We in Music City U.S.A. are grateful to SESAC for its continuing work on behalf of the songwriters and publishers who make music happen. SESAC, which is based in my district in Nashville, has been a valuable force in protecting the rights of songwriters and publishers by defending copyrights against infringement and ensuring that artists receive the royalties they are due. Over the years, the many distinguished artists that have relied on SESAC to protect their artistic creations have included such singer-songwriter legends as Robert Johnson, Bob Dylan and Neil Diamond, Tennessee artists Arlos Smith, Sam and Annie Tate, and Jo Nichols, jazz luminaries Cassandra Wilson and Steve Coleman, R&B/Hip-Hop songwriters Bryan-Michael Cox, Swizz Beatz, and Teddy Riley. SESAC's musical library also includes such classics as Sweet Caroline, I'll Fly Away, and Forever Young, and renowned musicians such as Garth Brooks, U2, LeAnn Rimes, and Luciano Pavarotti, perform songs written by SESAC artists all over the world. In addition to its representation of songwriters and publishers, SESAC should also be commended for its work to foster public awareness on the importance of copyright protection and the damage done by piracy. As part of the Music United Coalition, SESAC took an active role in the debate surrounding the legality of file-sharing, which was the subject of a recent Supreme Court case. This year, SESAC also sponsored the first Recording Arts Day in Washington, which gave lawmakers an opportunity to leam about the many complex and controversial issues surrounding the music business. On behalf of my constituents in the Fifth District of Tennessee, I commend SESAC for its years of service and advocacy on behalf of the Nation's songwriters and music publishers, and wish the organization a happy 75th anniversary.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure today to recognize and pay tribute to this year's Angels in Adoption awardees from the Fifth District of Tennessee--James and Virginia Lawrence. This honor is given by the Congressional Coalition in Adoption to extraordinary individuals, like the Lawrences, who have made a tremendous difference in the lives of foster children. In 1992, after raising four biological children, James and Virginia Lawrence welcomed into their home their first foster child. Little did they know that this decision would be the first step in what would become a life-long commitment to helping needy children. Over the last twelve years, the Lawrences have tirelessly devoted their lives to caring for, loving, and supporting more than 200 children who have come into their home through Tennessee's foster care system. The Lawrences stand out as foster parents for two reasons: their absolute devotion to the children who come into their home, and their tireless work to reunite children with their birth parents. According to Mrs. Lawrence, many of the birth parents ``needed parenting themselves. We taught many of them how to be parents, by providing counsel, offering advice and by our example.'' Whenever it became clear that returning to a birth parent was not a good option for one of their foster children, the Lawrences knew what to do--they simply adopted the child. Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence have extended their loving family by adopting Alisa, now 24, Peggy, 21 and Shelby, 18. Mr. Lawrence said that, before retiring from the city's police force, he was greatly affected by the many children taken from their families. That experience moved him and his wife to open their home to children in need of a healthy, secure home environment. He added that, ``helping children has been a blessing for him and his wife as well.'' Virginia Lawrence said that, ``having the kids around keeps your heart beating another day.'' She continues to teach the four foster children currently in their home the independent living skills they'll need to build a promising and rewarding life. The Lawrence's big hearts, patience and devotion is evidenced by the countless number of children they have reached out to over the years; and in their willingness to continue opening their doors to young people in need of a warm, secure and loving home. On behalf of the Fifth District of Tennessee, I congratulate and thank the Lawrences for setting a wonderful example of what it means to make a difference in the community and in the lives of our most vulnerable children. I hope we'll all reflect on the Lawrence's model ``of ordinary people, doing extraordinary things'' as we reach out to help those affected by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I think the Rules Committee has made a terrible mistake here, and not the usual Rules Committee sort of mistake, because they have actually allowed to come to the floor a substitute that is so clearly superior to the AHP bill it is amazing. Now, let my friends on the other side understand, I am not against AHPs. I am an original cosponsor of the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Johnson's) legislation. AHPs would be an improvement over current market conditions, which are appalling. But this plan put forward by the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews) is better than AHPs, and let me describe some of the ways. First, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Boustany) mentioned choice earlier. Under the AHP approach, the average small business might be able to offer their employees one or two insurance plans, and that employee of the small business would have no idea whether their doctor was going to be a apart of one of those plans. But under the Federal employee approach, such as the one that we enjoy in this House of Representatives, they could have 10 or 20 or more plans to choose from, and the likelihood that their physician, their caregiver, would be part of one or more of those plans increases substantially. So when you are talking about unleashing the free market to work for the individual, the Federal Employee Health Benefits-type plan, and this would not infringe on Federal employees' benefits, but it would set up a parallel organization that small businesses could benefit from, the opportunities for the small businesses of America are magnificent under this approach. Another key aspect of this is the substitute approach is more likely to work. AHPs are largely a thought experiment. They have never really worked anywhere. But the Federal Employee Health Benefit System has worked well for decades, 30 or 40 years of a magnificent track record of experience. It has got bipartisan support. Men and women of goodwill on both sides of the aisle know that this sort of approach works; it lowers the sales load, it increases the risk pool to the maximum size which you need for lower group rates. It really is the fairest and best way to approach this nagging small business problem that we have had. It is also going to be more affordable, because while it lowers the sales load and increases the size of the risk pool, it is fairer to all industries. There are probably going to be a lot of insurance companies that want to offer insurance to software companies, because those employees tend to be young and healthy. How many are going to be eager to insure older Rust Belt industries? The tax credit approach that my friend has mentioned has had to be adjusted for purposes of this substitute, but we need to acknowledge, as my friend from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews) mentioned, health care is already seriously subsidized in this country. All we are trying to do is make that subsidy fairer. I think also the substitute approach would make the system higher quality. First of all, under AHPs, there would be minimal solvency requirements. By completely overturning all State regulation, as AHPs would do, that is a truly radical approach, and while my friends on the other side may be radicals in this regard, I think they are going further than they realize. These insurance plans need to be thoroughly solvent. You need to have adequate capital requirements so that you know the insurance is going to be there when you need it. I think you would have better benefits under this plan, too, because you would have more proven traditional insurance policies that I think more folks who work for small businesses are accustomed to. Let me admit, Mr. Speaker, in closing, our approach is less famous. Why? Because we do not have every PAC and trade association in Washington, D.C. favoring this because they stand to personally benefit from promoting AHPs to their members. They are desperate for non-dues revenue for those associations. For any tourist who comes to Washington, if you do not think these PACs and trade associations are rich enough, come visit again. You will see skyscrapers full of these folks all over town, and they would love to make money as insurance salesmen to all the small businesses in America. That is not doing justice for our folks back home. As I say, AHPs are an improvement, but they are not as good as the Kind-Andrews approach. Please vote for Kind-Andrews.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to be present for a series of rollcall votes occurring the morning of July 22, 2005. During that time I was attending a memorial service for my friend, Avon Williams III, held at the Pentagon. I was also unable to be present for a series of rollcall votes held on the evening of July 25, 2005. During that time I incurred an unavoidable transportation delay. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: On rollcall No. 415, the Velazquez amendment to H.R. 3070, I would have voted ``aye.'' On rollcall No. 416, passage of H.R. 3070, I would have voted ``aye.'' On rollcall No. 417, passage of H.J. Res. 59, I would have voted ``yea.'' On rollcall No. 418, passage of H. Con. Res. 181, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate U.S. Army Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester, a recent recipient of the Silver Star Medal--the Army's third highest award for valor in combat. On June 16 in Iraq, 23-year-old Sgt. Hester became the first female soldier to be awarded the prestigious Silver Star Medal in more than 60 years. At the awards ceremony at Camp Liberty, Sgt. Hester was recognized ``for exceptionally valorous achievement'' during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sgt. Hester serves in the 617th Military Police Company, a National Guard unit from Kentucky, and was working in my hometown of Nashville when she was called to duty. Sgt. Hester comes from a family dedicated to serving our country and fighting for freedom on foreign soil. Her grandfather won a Bronze Star in World War II. Her uncle served valiantly in Vietnam. When asked about her service in Iraq and her Silver Star, Sgt. Hester told one newspaper that she was simply ``doing my job like any other soldier here.'' On March 20th, while her unit was being ambushed by enemy fire and under counter attack, Sgt. Hester helped to thwart an insurgent assault against a convoy of 26 supply vehicles that were ambushed by about 50 insurgents, southeast of Baghdad. According to an Army account, ``[Sgt.] Hester led her team through the `kill zone' and into a flanking position, where she assaulted a trench line with grenades and M203 grenade-launcher rounds.'' Sgt. Hester killed at least three insurgents according to her award citation. We honor Sgt. Hester now because the ``job'' she chose to do on March 20th was one so many Americans before her have also selflessly chosen: she put the lives of her fellow soldiers before her own. Her bravery distinguished her that day, just as her love of country and passion for freedom led her to join the National Guard in April of 2001. Sgt. Hester has said she is looking forward to the day when her service in Iraq will be complete. She is looking forward to spend time with family and friends and her hopes for a new career. Sgt. Hester wants to continue to protect the lives of others when she comes home. She plans to pursue a career in law enforcement, a goal she has had since she was a child. On behalf of the 5th District of Tennessee and the members of the House of Representatives, I thank Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester for her commitment to service--service to her country, her community and her fellow soldiers on the field of battle. I am honored to salute her today for her courage and her achievements. My thoughts and gratitude go out to her, her family and all of our men and women in combat who work to protect this Nation and bring peace to the world. And I look forward to the day when I can join with her friends and family in welcoming her back home.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to be present for a series of rollcall votes occurring on the evening of June 29, 2005 and during the day on June 30, 2005. During this time, I was on official business attending a regional hearing held by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission in Atlanta, Georgia, on behalf of the 118th Air Wing of the Tennessee Air National Guard. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: on rollcall No. 341, the King amendment to H.R. 3058, I would have voted ``no''; on rollcall No. 342, the Herseth amendment to H.R. 3058, I would have voted ``no''; on rollcall No. 343, the Hooley amendment to H.R. 3058, I would have voted ``aye''; on rollcall No. 344, the Souder amendment to H.R. 3058, I would have voted ``aye''; on rollcall No. 345, the Davis (FL) amendment to H.R. 3058, I would have voted ``aye''; on rollcall No. 346, the Lee amendment to H.R. 3058, I would have voted ``no''; on rollcall No. 347, the Sanders amendment to H.R. 3058, I would have voted ``aye''; on rollcall No. 348, the Rangel amendment to H.R. 3058, I would have voted ``aye''; on rollcall No. 349, the Souder amendment to H.R. 3058, I would have voted ``aye''; on rollcall No. 350, the Garrett amendment to H.R. 3058, I would have voted ``no''; on rollcall No. 351, the DeLauro amendment to H.R. 3058, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from South Carolina for yielding. I want to take a little bit different tack, because I think our audience has heard a blizzard of numbers and sometimes it is hard to take in all that data at one time. This chart shows right here a few dates on our calendar. One date is the year 2004, last year. Most Americans got through that year all right, and they do not realize the fiscal gravity of our situation. Do not take my word for it. Our Nation's top accountant said that the year 2004 was ``arguably the worst year in our fiscal history.'' That says a lot. That is a big statement. That includes the Great Depression, that includes all the world wars, the Civil War. How on earth could 2004 have been ``arguably the worse year in our fiscal history?'' Because in that one year, Congress promised $13 trillion worth of future spending that is completely unpaid for. Never in American history has Congress been that irresponsible, and that is why our Nation's top accountant made that declaration about 2004. We will look at some future years. The debt that we are running up that our colleagues have explained so well is going to cost us so much in interest, that by about the last year of the Bush administration, we will be spending more money on interest payments to our Nation's creditors than we will be on regular domestic government in America. In a sense, it will be a better deal to be a creditor of this country than to be a citizen of this country, because the creditors will be getting more money than we will be, if we look at regular, nondefense, discretionary spending. Let us look at another key date in our future. This was in the Wall Street Journal. At the rate that foreigners are lending us money, buying our debt, by February 9, 2012, the Chinese will have bought the last bond from a U.S. citizen, and then they will own all of our foreign debt. Their pace of buying our debt, of loaning us money, of getting us dependent on their credit is so ravenous that just a few short years from now, they will own all the foreign debt, if current trends continue. Look at another key date. By the year 2017, that will be the first honest picture of the deficit in American history, because today the true size of the deficit is being disguised by the Social Security surplus. Last year, people like to say the deficit was $412 billion. Well, the true deficit was $567 billion, because $155 billion of Social Security surplus was used to disguise the true size of the deficit. We owe that money to Social Security recipients. That is one of the most solemn obligations our country has ever made, and yet people never mention the true size of the deficit. Well, by 2017 there will not be a surplus anymore, and then the true deficit will be revealed. Look at the year 2035. A reputable group, Standard & Poor's, they rate all of the debt in corporate America, all the debt in the world. They are predicting that the U.S. Treasury bond by that year will achieve junk bond status. If that is not a dire warning, I do not know what is, because the U.S. Treasury obligation is the soundest obligation on this Earth. We have always paid our debts as a Nation. That is the gold standard of bonds. But here is Standard & Poor's, the most reputable private sector debt-rating organization, saying that if current trends continue, our bonds will be junk bond status. Look at the final date on here. I think it is 2040. That is when, again, our Nation's top accountant says that it will take all revenues collected by the Federal Government to do one thing; every penny collected from Federal income tax, Federal corporate tax, all the other taxes to do one thing. What? Service the debt, pay our creditors. Interest alone. There will not be one red cent left for any national defense, for any Social Security, for any Medicare, for any anything. That is not my prediction; that is our Nation's top accountant. That is the sort of fiscal hole that these numbers that my colleagues have revealed are leading us into. This is a problem. This is a true crisis. I have called this the ``road to ruin.'' That is what it is. We have to change course. Let me show my colleagues this. A lot of folks say, well, 9/11 did all this. What people do not realize is the Cato Institute revealed in a recent study that President George W. Bush and the Republican Congress are the biggest domestic spenders, nondefense spending, since Lyndon Baines Johnson. The title of the report is called ``The Grand Old Spending Party: How the Republicans Became the Party of Big Government,'' and this graph shows it. One might think that some previous Democratic Presidents were big spenders, but look at this: Carter and Clinton, they are down toward the bottom. Lyndon Johnson did try to give us a guns-and-butter budget, but only President George W. Bush has approached him in terms of growth of domestic spending. These are the true numbers; this is what the American people need to focus on. We have a dire deficit situation, and we need action. So I appreciate the gentleman, my good friend from South Carolina, holding this Special Order. It is very important that all the business people of America, all the citizens of America, wake up and take notice of this situation, because they are not seeing it on regular television, they are not hearing the truth, they need to focus on reality.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Ron Crowder for his extraordinary accomplishments as the founder of the Street Works HIV prevention and education center in Nashville, Tennessee. Ron was recently selected as one often people to receive the nation's most prestigious community health leadership honor--the Robert Wood Johnson Community Health Leadership Program Award. This recognition, which carries with it a $120,000 award, is given to those who have overcome significant challenge and demonstrated an exceptional and effective approach to addressing the many health care challenges facing communities across the country. After hearing Ron's remarkable story, I can think of no one more deserving of this distinguished award. Ron Crowder, an African-American, grew up in a home with nine other children in a segregated, impoverished section of Nashville. After dropping out of high school at the age of 17, he served his country as a rifleman in the Vietnam War. The constant fear and stress of combat led to his 20-year drug addiction and contraction of HIV. Ron turned his life around in 1991 and has been drug free for 14 years. He graduated from Tennessee State University in May 1993 with a Bachelors Degree in Accounting. In 2000, he completed the Institute for HIV Prevention Leadership Program that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention--Association of Schools of Public Health, and has since devoted his life to uplifting and educating others. Ron's personal battle with drugs and HIV fueled his desire to start Street Works, which he founded in 1997 on a shoestring budget. Using his car as his headquarters, Ron walked the streets distributing HIV and AIDS prevention information to those in the community whom no one else had tried to reach: drug dealers, addicts, prostitutes, and inner- city youth exposed to drugs and sexual promiscuity. Today, thanks to his tireless leadership and dedication, Street Works operates two all night drop-in centers and helps ore than 5,600 Tennesseans annually, with a focus on reaching minority populations. Street Works provides a variety of HIV and AIDS-related prevention and care services at locations where high-risk behavior is most likely to occur and at the hours when most other outreach services are closed. On behalf of the 5th District of Tennessee, I congratulate Ron Crowder for overcoming adversity and committing his life's work to improving the conditions of others through HIV and AIDS education and prevention. Through Street Works, he has brought help to Tennessee's disenfranchised and is an inspiration to all who work to end this terrible disease.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding. The gentleman was focusing on one of the gravest problems our Nation has ever faced, one of the gravest threats to our children's and our grandchildren's well-being, because those debt payments the gentleman is talking about, the interest payments, they are like a tax that can never be repealed until our Nation one day, we hope and pray, will return to a surplus. We had a couple years of surplus under President Clinton, but, sadly, those days are gone. Now we have plunged deep back into debt. As the gentleman points out, the debt now is $7.7 trillion. We all as Blue Dogs have signs like this outside of our office doors so that anybody who visits our offices here in Washington or back home, and for me that is Nashville, Tennessee, can see exactly the hole that we have dug for our Nation's future and how much it is per person, $26,000 per person. So I appreciate the gentleman's focus on this grave problem. Blue Dogs have been great leaders on this issue. We will talk in a few moments about the 12 step plan that the Blue Dogs have put forward to try to rescue our Nation from this debt binge that we have been on. It is kind like the 12 step plan for Alcoholics Anonymous, 12 steps to get out of a problem that so many Americans are unwilling to face up to and recognize. Before we do that, I would like to take a moment to give our friends in Congress and across the country some key dates so they can write these down and look at the deficit and the debt from a little bit different perspective. Date number one is last year, 2004. Why is that significant? Because the auditor for the United States of America, David Walker of the GAO, said it was ``arguably the worst year in American fiscal history.'' That is pretty grave news. If you had a company and your auditor said you have been through one of the worst years in history, you would probably be facing bankruptcy. That is what the U.S. auditor said about last year. Most people do not know about that. That news should get out. Take the year 2005, this year. What did we do about the deficit and the debt? Well, the Republican majority rammed a budget through this body, $2.6 trillion, in a record-setting 2 hours. That is from start to finish, from the first moment we could look at the document to final passage vote, never get to see it again, $2.6 trillion in 2 hours. If that is not financial mismanagement and irresponsibility, I do not know what is. The next date is 2009. That is the date when we will be spending more money on interest on the national debt than we will on all regular domestic government in America. Due to the deficits and the debts that the Bush administration has accumulated, our debt burden will be so great by then, by the last year of the Bush administration, we will have to spend more money to our creditors than we will on our citizens. In a sense it will be a better deal then to be a creditor of this country than to be a citizen of this country. That is an outrage. That is the first time in American history that has ever happened. Another key date is the year 2012. That is when the Chinese, if current rates continue, will own all of our debt. In fact, a firm in Connecticut has predicted by February 9, 2012, the Chinese will own all of our foreign debt. That is another outrage. The Chinese are not necessarily the friendliest holders of this debt. To be financially beholden to them is really a national security risk. Another key date is 2017. That is the date we will have the first honest deficits in America, because that is the date the Social Security surplus will diminish down to zero. Then the true size of the deficit will be unveiled, because, as the gentleman knows, the deficit last year was not $412 billion, like most people think, which is still an all time U.S. record. The deficit was $569 billion, because the Social Security surplus was $155 billion last year, and it was used to hide the true size of the deficit. Another key date is 2035. That is when Standard & Poor's, the bond rating agency, says that American debt will become junk bond debt because we will have so little financial credibility in the markets. That is not from a government official, that is from the official business rating agency. Finally, probably the worst number of all, this is truly so hard to believe that I think it needs a chart to display it, the General Accounting Office says that by the year 2040 it will take all revenues collected by the Federal Government just to pay interest on the debt. In other words, by the year 2040, just 35 years from now, there will be no money left, not one red cent, for any of our national defense needs, for any Social Security, for any Medicare, for any anything. It will take all of that money just to pay interest on the debt. That is an outrage, and it is a particular outrage if our only creditor then is the Chinese government. We are clearly on a road to ruin. We have to change our course. We need to change our course immediately. Sadly, this Congress is not doing that. They need to follow the Blue Dog 12 step plan. I appreciate the gentleman's great leadership on this issue as one of our leading Blue Dog Members.

Mr. COOPER. The gentleman is exactly correct. We are the greatest Nation on Earth, we are the greatest Nation in the history of the world, and that will probably end well before 2040 if we keep on the current path.