Shelley Capito

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker, tonight we are going to talk about the energy problem across America, and we are going to talk about some solutions and some ways that I think we can look to the future to try to solve some of the problems. Mr. Speaker, the energy crisis in California has been devastating communities across the western United States, and its effects are being felt across many industries. Our Nation has been blessed with an abundance of natural resources from which our energy can be produced. Mr. Speaker, I feel that this unfortunate situation in California is one that need not be repeated, and we must work to ensure this. At a time when we have the technology to produce energy in a much cleaner, more efficient way, we should be devising the long-term solutions to help prevent situations like the one in California from occurring again. We are seeing the prices of services rise as the funds to pay for these services are depleting. Today, it costs more to operate businesses, drive our cars; and in West Virginia, the cost of cooling and heating our homes is rising. Unfortunately, the demand for more energy is not decreasing, and companies are being forced to close, vital members of our Nation's workforce are losing their jobs. With California's economy representing 13 percent of the total U.S. Gross Domestic Product, it cannot survive under these conditions; and unfortunately, a poorly thought out deregulation plan has severely damaged the world's sixth largest economy. Mr. Speaker, in my home State of West Virginia, we have an abundance of coal and natural gas; but many of these resources have lain asleep, untapped, due partly in effect of the overly restrictive regulations that have prevented the extraction, the production and transportation of these sources of energy. Today, many of these resources could serve as a lifeboat to our friends in the West if only we had recognized these sources' potential contributions and had been wise stewards of them. But a decade of ignoring our domestic sources of energy and stifling energy production has unfortunately left some classrooms in the dark, some businesses offline, and some local infrastructures paralyzed. But this is not a hopeless situation, and that is why we are talking about it tonight. This country can chart a new course for the history books, one that includes a natural energy policy that utilizes our domestic resources and promotes speedy, efficient, and environmentally-sound production of energy. We can do this at the same time by instituting meaningful means of conservation of our precious energy resources. I look forward to working with the rest of Congress in developing the smart plan for our future, and I thank the gentleman from Michigan for engaging in this conversation. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to the role that West Virginia will play in the development of a comprehensive energy plan for our Nation. I think West Virginia's abundant resources can be used effectively, can be burned environmentally in a cleaner fashion; and it can give us, I think, a good baseline of the energy production that we desperately need in this country. I look forward to working with the gentleman to try to solve this problem.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to raise attention to the energy problem and how it is affecting people in the Second Congressional District of West Virginia. The recent energy crisis in California has become front-page news in papers throughout the country and rightfully so. Other regions are suffering too, though, and unless action is taken soon, the problems of Californians will become the problems of everyone. Evelyn P. Jones of Montrose, Randolph County, West Virginia, is a citizen in my district whose plight is particularly distressing. Her caring son, James A. Jones, who is the workers' compensation program manager for the Library of Congress, brought Evelyn's situation to my attention. I want to tell her story because I think that it is representative of others in my district and state as well as throughout the country. Evelyn Jones is a retiree living on a fixed income of $500 a month. She lives on the family farm and takes care of her 90-year-old sister. The rising cost of home heating oil has placed Mrs. Jones in a terrible financial quandary. Her heating oil bills from last September 12 through March 3 totaled $1725.55. Fortunately for Evelyn, she has a close-knit family, many of whom live in nearby Elkins and help her buy food, medicine, and other necessities. Were it not for Evelyn's family, she would likely have to make the difficult decision of choosing between adequate heating, food, or medicine. I have little doubt that many citizens of a similar disposition do, in fact, have to make such decisions. Congress has provided some relief in the form of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). However, many citizens in need are either not eligible for this program or do not like the idea of government help. Clearly, a more comprehensive policy approach is needed to provide both short-term relief and long-term solutions to high prices and energy shortages. The Washington Post reports that gas prices have risen to a nationwide average of $1.68 per gallon of regular unleaded. The Energy Department has estimated that the cost this summer will range from $1.50 to $1.75, a five percent increase from last year. In some areas of the country, prices may reach $3.00 per gallon. The rising price of gasoline is representative of the rising prices of petroleum products in general. Certainly a great many causes factor into such prices. A decline in domestic production and infrastructure accompanied by an increase in demand has left the country ill prepared for the current struggles. Congress and the Bush Administration must be receptive to new ideas and solutions to correct the neglect of the past. The current energy situation was not created overnight and it will not be corrected easily. I look forward to working with my fellow members in the House of Representatives as well as the President and his administration to begin to solve this complex problem. The Evelyn P. Joneses of our country demand that effective action be taken soon.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. That is right. I appreciate your bringing that to my colleague's attention. When you lose that many jobs, it not only guts the community in terms of the economics, but also the local involvement, the church, the Little League teams, school fund-raisers, all of these things start to fall apart when you lose a large employer like that.

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of our Committee on Small Business for yielding to me. I come to the floor today as a member of the Committee on Small Business to recognize the significant role of small businesses in the spirit of National Small Business Week. In my home State of West Virginia, where small business is big business, 90 percent of the businesses employ less than 20 people. Those smaller-sized firms employ nearly 60 percent of West Virginia's private sector employees. They are at the forefront of job creation, adding a net total of 4,700 employees between the years of 1995 and 1996 in West Virginia alone. These numbers prove that small business is the backbone of our economy. But small businesses often serve other roles: as a second family to the employees or as pillars to their community. Often small businesses invest time and resources in other causes and organizations, or they become involved in local schools, churches, and sports teams. In Charleston, West Virginia, my home, Bill Signorelli, the owner of Security America, sponsors a Little League team, along with volunteering much of his free time to the Charleston area chamber of commerce. Bill has built his business from the ground up, and now his business works to encourage the same work ethic that he used as a young person in many children through their baseball team. In Lewis County, West Virginia, a man by the name of Frank Brewster owns and runs Sun Lumber Company, a company that employs about 10 employees. Aside from running his own business, Frank spends many hours of his valuable time as the head of the employer support of the Guard and Reserve for West Virginia. Frank's tireless commitment helps strengthen our country by easing the way for other small businesses to serve in the National Guard and in the Reserves. That kind of spirit and local involvement is not unique to these particular small businesses; rather, it is very common among small businesses across the country. That spirit is why I stand here today, and that is why I wish to join in the celebration of National Small Business Week. So today, and for the rest of the week, we recognize, celebrate, and commend the vital and significant contributions of small businesses, not only to our families, to their employees, but also to our local communities and our country.

Mrs. CAPITO. Yes. Over the last several months we have lost an enormous employer in Roane County, in Spencer, West Virginia, which actually had a factory for clothing and textiles sewing. So we would have liked to have had that business in Spencer, West Virginia. It was a small business, and it has kind of gutted the community now that they have left. So if the military is going to rebid that, we sure want to be in on that.

Mrs. CAPITO. Yes.

Mrs. CAPITO. Yes.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I come before you today to honor Kristin DeVaul of Mannington, West Virginia. Kristin has accomplished a most amazing feat, of perfect attendance, through the first thirteen years of her education, from kindergarten all the way through high school. North Marion High School is lucky to have such an outstanding student who is committed, to what she believes. Kristin, by attending every day, through sickness, conflict, and affliction, has show that she truly believes in the importance of an education, and recognizes at an age when not all others do, the value of being educated. It is students like Kristin that make the fight for better educational standards worthwhile. Marion County, West Virginia is home to a person with an amazing will to accomplish what she sets her mind to, and she will undoubtedly succeed in life with the strong resolve that she possesses. I would like to extend my congratulations for a job well done, and for an outstanding commitment to education!

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, most of the talk on tax relief this year has focused on how cutting taxes would stimulate the economy . . . and that it would. But let's not lose focus of the other important issue here, the issue of tax fairness. The marriage tax, is most simply stated, unfair. A couple's wedding day should never be an excuse for the government to siphon off more money from taxpayers. Our tax laws should never discourage couples from marrying by making it financially undesirable. H.R. 6 is a step in the right direction on the road to tax fairness. The bill corrects the glaring inequity in our tax code that discriminates against married couples. In my home State of West Virginia, over 137,000 married couples will no longer be burdened by the marriage tax. Now, 137,000 couples may not sound like a lot of people to my colleague from California or Texas or Florida; but in a state where the total population is 1.8 million, that's a lot of people who will now see meaningful tax relief. Married life and raising children are never easy tasks. They require constant work, stewardship, compromise loyalty and responsibility. Today, Congress has an opportunity to make it a little bit easier on married couples and parents. Today, we have the opportunity to remove needless financial burdens, allowing Americans to focus more on where our country's future lies: in our homes, with our children. Let's do the common sense thing. Let's do the fair thing. Let's do the right thing and end this inequity and repeal the marriage tax penalty.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the last version of this publication, the 1990 edition, contained biographical information on 66 African Americans who served in the House and Senate, from 1870 through 1990. The updating of this publication will allow Members, scholars and the public access to information on every African American to ever serve in Congress, including the 40 Members who have entered the House and Senate after the printing of the last edition of this book. The first African-American Member of Congress, Hiram Rhodes Revels of Mississippi, served in the Senate during the 41st Congress. Since that time, more than 100 other distinguished African-American legislators have served in the Congress. It is appropriate that, as we start the first Congress of this new millennium, that we recognize the service of African-American Members, and I urge my colleagues to support the passage of H. Con. Res. 43. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 43.

Ms. CAPITO

Ms. CAPITO. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to urge all of my colleagues to support the small business paperwork relief act, H.R. 327. Many who have spoken have cited the various benefits of this bill to small businesses: reduced costs, greater efficiency and new jobs. But I would like to highlight yet another benefit of this bill, greater business opportunities for women and more women-owned businesses. Women have made great strides in the workplace, especially as entrepreneurs. Between the years of 1987 and 1997, the number of women- owned businesses has increased by 89 percent. In my State of West Virginia, small business is 80 percent of the businesses in West Virginia. In February of this year, six of my constituents received Small Business Administration loans. Four of these business owners were women. All of them are happy to receive the financial support, but they would be even happier if the government would remove some of the unnecessary regulations and paperwork that prevent them from doing such things as offering expanded health insurance policies or creating new jobs, all these things that could be done with the costs they expend on filling out large amounts of Federal paperwork. As leaders entrusted with the responsibility to preserve the ideas that this country was founded on, we need to be constantly vigilant, recognizing these needless barriers that unduly burden small business. We need to be constantly aware and unwilling to tolerate the unnecessary obstacles that prevent all Americans, men and women, from achieving the American dream. If we fail our country and our constituents of this responsibility, then we cheat our national economy of many talented and capable workers and potential commercial assets. I cannot help but wonder how many more women or minority entrepreneurs we could have if we made starting and running a small business a little bit easier. I urge my colleagues today to recognize this. Today we have the opportunity to preserve and extend the idea of the American dream to millions more women who think that when it comes to starting and running a business it is just too hard. Send them a message that the true entrepreneurial spirit is available to them. I urge support of H.R. 327, the small business paperwork relief act.

Ms. CAPITO

Ms. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was unable to attend the recorded votes today, February 14, 2001. I was traveling with President George W. Bush on his visit to my district in West Virginia. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on both rollcall No. 14 and 15.

Ms. CAPITO

Ms. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 11, I was not present due to erroneous information. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''