Shelley Capito

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Chairman, I, too, would like to thank the Chair for his support of this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Smith), one of the cosponsors of this amendment.

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer a bipartisan amendment highlighting the importance and need for an Office of Rural Health within the Department of Veterans Affairs. I'd like to commend the chairman and the ranking member for their good, solid, hard work on this bill and the tribute it pays to America's veterans. I would also like to thank Mr. Salazar of Colorado and Mr. Smith of Nebraska for their work on this bipartisan amendment. I was pleased that language was included in the legislation that was signed into law by the President last year calling on the Department of Veterans Affairs to create an Office of Rural Health within the Office of the Under Secretary for Health. However, the Department has yet to make any progress towards establishing this very important office. This is a simple amendment that should encourage the Department to make the Office of Rural Health fully operational as expeditiously as possible, and provide them with the resources needed to do so by rerouting $5 million in the Medical Services Account to help fund the Office of Rural Health, thus making it revenue neutral. Rural Americans face different and unique challenges than our fellow citizens who reside in urban and suburban areas, and this is no different for our veterans and their ability to seek the services and the treatments that they need. For some rural veterans, a simple trip to the doctor can often involve hours of travel to reach the appropriate facility within the veterans health facilities health system. It is my hope that the Office of Rural Health will shed light on many of these challenges, and will be a resource with many new and creative ideas for methods to help our rural veterans receive their much- deserved benefits in a manner that is efficient, and allowing them to stay as close to home as possible. One of the great challenges we are beginning to face is the number of servicemen and -women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who have sustained a traumatic brain injury. The Department of Veterans Affairs has four large polytrauma centers, in Richmond, Tampa, Minneapolis and Palo Alto, California. These facilities provide first-class treatment for veterans suffering polytrauma, and also provide inpatient rehabilitation services. Despite the services provided at these facilities, many veterans will eventually return to their homes in the rural areas of America, but they will still need care and treatment. The Office of Rural Health will be the basis for new ways to provide rural veterans with polytrauma with the care that they need. Another development within the Department of Veterans Affairs that has been going on for a while are the Community-Based Outpatient Clinics, or CBOCs. Often serving rural areas, CBOCs are a tremendous asset to the delivery of care for veterans, allowing them to seek treatment closer to their home. Unfortunately, underserved areas still remain in the rural areas. Again, the Office of Rural Health will be an excellent resource for new ways to provide primary outpatient care. Mr. Chairman, I urge passage of this commonsense amendment so that the rural veterans concerns can be appropriately addressed. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Chairman, I would like to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to my colleague from Colorado (Mr. Salazar).

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my colleague from Florida and her amendment that will enhance the ability to secure our borders. The enactment of the Secure Fence Act last year was a step in the right direction because this act recognized that most illegal immigrants do enter from the southern border. The Secure Fence Act directs the Department of Homeland Security to construct hundreds of miles of reinforced fencing, not just fencing, but additional physical barriers, roads, lighting, cameras and sensors along that southwest border. Building the fence is a very expensive and urgent construction project. My constituents in West Virginia, who do not have a border, say, What is taking so long, and why are so many people still able to enter our country illegally? Unfortunately, part of it has been a lack of funding. So with this amendment, I think the gentlewoman from Florida has put forth a good-faith effort to see that this fence not only is built, but is built quicker and that the border becomes more secure. I support her amendment.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, on March 21 of this year, a West Virginia leader in work site safety, J.F. Allen Company, marked a milestone of 1 million safe hours of work. I rise today to honor the company and join its employees in celebrating this outstanding accomplishment. Established as a small family business, J.F. Allen Company has grown into one of the largest heavy highway construction firms in our State. The company's contributions can be seen in all corners of my district, including Stonewall Jackson Dam and Interstates 79 and 81. J.F. Allen's contributions to the State are critical to our infrastructure development and maintenance. However, it is their commitment to employee safety that is the most important contribution to West Virginia. Thanks in large part to an award-winning safety program, employees are safe at work, logging 1 million safe hours since 1994. Mr. Speaker, small businesses are the heart of our economy, especially in rural States like West Virginia. J.F. Allen Company's record of worker safety and commercial achievement is a model for all companies and represents the very best of West Virginia's workers and businesses.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank my colleague from Michigan for his leadership on the Page Board and for his deep compassion for what the Page Program has done for the youth of America historically and for this particular group today. As he said, we're not here to say goodbye; we're here to say farewell and Godspeed and good luck. As any ending is, the ending of this year is a new beginning for you all to return to your homes, your families and have a good summer at the same time. I'm very proud of the 70 pages, 33 girls, 37 boys, that represent 26 States and one territory, and I would like to congratulate you on the completion of your Page Program. I asked several pages throughout the day, have you enjoyed your time here? How has it been? And one said to me very poignantly, he said, I have enjoyed every single day. And I think that is shared across the board by the 70 bright smiling faces I see at the back of the Chamber today. It certainly has been a historic year for this Congress under the stewardship of the first woman Speaker of the House of Representatives. So, for all the female pages, it has been a source of great pride for all of us. So I thank you for your leadership. I think it's important to note that not only will we be seeing you again, we'll be seeing you in different iterations of your life, as many former pages are now Members of Congress, Senators, corporate leaders, Governors and future leaders of our States and our Nation. So I say, thank you, from the Cloak Room on the Republican side. Ms. Pat and Ms. Doris say thank you very much for all of the help you gave to them in helping us, and on the other side, I'm sure that's true. So I say, good luck, make sure you don't forget us, and I won't forget the most I think vibrant day in the House of Representatives, which is the day that the President comes to give his State of the Union address, and the first thing I notice is the excitement of the pages, getting to see that for the first time, lined in the back, hoping to catch a glimpse or a handshake or a pat on the back from their President. So good luck to all of you and thank you very much, and I thank the gentleman from Michigan for yielding.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the passing of a great patriot, public citizen, and revered member of his community, Mr. Robert M. Steptoe. Born in Clarksburg, West Virginia on May 15, 1920, Mr. Steptoe grew up in north central West Virginia and thereafter attended Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia. He continued his studies at Haverford College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Shepherd College in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. At the outbreak of World War II, Mr. Steptoe served in the United States Navy as the commanding officer of two ships in the sub-chaser class. Mr. Steptoe was involved in the invasions of Sicily, Anzio, southern France, and a brief stint in the Southern Pacific. He retired from the United States Navy with the rank of lieutenant commander. Following his service during World War II, Mr. Steptoe graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in February 1949 and began a career in law that spanned over 50 years of distinguished legal practice in Martinsburg, West Virginia. A member of the West Virginia State Bar, the West Virginia Bar Association, the Berkeley County Bar Association, and the United States Judicial Conference for the Fourth Circuit; Mr. Steptoe was awarded the Award of Merit by the West Virginia Bar Association in 2003 in recognition of his years of service. Mr. Steptoe was also an active public servant who was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates for four terms and the West Virginia Senate for two terms. He also served as a judge of the West Virginia Court of Claims. In addition to his professional activities, Mr. Steptoe was an active member of the Rotary, Trinity Episcopal Church, and a member of the Elks Club. Above all, Mr. Steptoe was a proud and dedicated husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. Mr. Steptoe's life and accomplishments are truly representative of the courage, character and altruism that is often associated with members of our ``Greatest Generation.'' West Virginia was well served by this great American and he will be sorely missed by those who knew him.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine as a leader in the study and practice of rural medicine. The need for primary care physicians in rural areas is of great importance to our Nation's overall health care delivery system. These providers are often on the front lines of health care delivery and provide much needed care to our sick and elderly populations. Since its first graduating class in 1978, the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine has countered this need by producing gifted physicians prepared to practice rural medicine. In fact, nearly half of the school's graduates go on to serve in rural communities that are in desperate need of their care. Often understaffed and covering large geographic areas, these communities require accommodating physicians with a range of services. Madam Speaker, as today's medical profession is glamorized in the public consciousness by popular television dramas it is the graduates of West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine who go on to serve in rural communities that deserve to be celebrated. I thank the school's students, faculty and staff for their service and wish them continued success in the future.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the importance of preventive care in the Medicare program. As we all know, the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 made many important and much-needed changes to the Medicare program. The creation of the Medicare prescription drug benefit was a critically important modernization of the program and has been especially successful in my home State of West Virginia, with 287,000 beneficiaries. But the prescription drug benefit is just one component of the overall changes in Medicare. If we can encourage more seniors to actually use the preventive benefits, we can help them prevent more costly procedures and longer stays in the hospital. That is why the ``Welcome to Medicare'' screening is so vitally important. Many of the elements that seniors face today can be effectively managed with prescription medicine and regular visits to their physicians. However, disease management is only effective if we catch the disease early. I would like to encourage my colleagues to educate their constituents about these important modernizations to the Medicare program so we can all better serve our senior citizens.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1615, Securing Aircraft Cockpits Against Lasers Act of 2007. The bill amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft or at the flight of an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. In the last 15 years, the FAA reports over 500 incidents where people have aimed lasers into airplane cockpits. FAA research has shown that laser illuminations can temporarily disorient or disable a pilot during critical stages of a flight such as landing or take-off, and in some cases, may cause permanent damage. This type of interference cannot be tolerated. This is a good, commonsense measure aimed at deterring and prosecuting those who commit a senseless act of potential sabotage. I congratulate Congressman Keller, the sponsor of this legislation, for his leadership and dedication to this issue. I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Madam Speaker, today, I have the distinct privilege to recognize a man of remarkable vision and unyielding commitment to the community of Hurricane, WV. Mr. Peak is a native of Dakota, WV, where he began his career of public service in the school patrol. His family relocated to Putnam County in 1948. In 1951, Mr. Peak was elected to his first public position in Hurricane as city recorder, which he held for 4 years. The job carne right after graduation from Morris Harvey College, now the University of Charleston. In 1957, Mr. Peak ran for the office of mayor pledging to build a city Hall. He accomplished that promise in two construction phases with no long-term indebtedness to the citizens. Mr. Peak served in the West Virginia House of Delegates from 1973 to 1977. In his desire to see small towns and cities grow, he was instrumental in the organization of the West Virginia Municipal League and served as president and he was a charter board member of the Regional Intergovernmental Council, serving twice as Chairman. Peak has been a mentor to young people in the Hurricane community for several generations, as a math and business teacher, band instructor and girl's basketball coach at Hurricane High School. He was always available to read aloud in the elementary schools and to attend extracurricular events to recognize students. Serving the community as mayor of Hurricane for 40 years, recently Mr. Peak has brought about a new $1.8 million municipal complex, a $10.6 million upgrade to the regional wastewater treatment facility, and water improvements to a system that has received the 2006 Drinking Silver Award. Perhaps Mr. Peak's greatest accomplishment is his bond he unwaveringly nourishes with his family. Mayor Peak and his wife, Gloria, are enjoying a marriage of 52 years. They are blessed with three children, five grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. Through the leadership of Mayor F. Raymond Peak, the city of Hurricane has experienced growth and prosperity. His good works have been enjoyed by generations past and will continue to benefit generations to corne. Madam Speaker, I ask you to join me and the community in expressing our thanks and to honor Mr. Peak's accomplishments and commitment to public service. His commendable service serves as an attribute which we should all strive to emulate as we attempt to make the world a better place. As he leaves the mayor's office, we extend our best wishes for joy and happiness in the months and years ahead.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the historic Robey Theater, one of the longest continuously operating motion picture theaters in the United States. Since its establishment in 1907 as the Dreamland Theater, it has been central to the lives of the citizens of Spencer, WV. The theatre actually changed locations 4 times across Main Street during its first decade. When it first opened, the Robey family had to run movies as many as 6 times a night to meet demand. The facility mixed live theater with silent pictures by putting scenery around the screen. Even remodeling couldn't keep the theater from entertaining locals. Upon refurbishment in 1926, Mr. Robey moved the screen to a local school field and created a `tentorium.' The movie star Little Jackie ``Hoo'' Ray performed at this event. Later that year, the theater hosted Congressman Harry Woodyard to celebrate its grand reopening. Robey Theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. Despite numerous technological updates and the addition of new releases to the theaters' showings, the theatre remains a small intimate setting to watch a movie, just as it was 100 years ago. I join with the residents of Spencer and Roane County to recognize the Robey Theater for its 100 years of service.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Madam Speaker, I proudly pause to recognize the achievements of Clyde R. Westfall, husband, father, and devoted citizen of Braxton County, West Virginia, who passed away on April 13, 2007. Mr. Westfall had a passion for infrastructure improvements in his community. His perseverance to the Curry Ridge Water Project was instrumental in bringing many parties together to complete the goal of running, potable water in the homes and businesses of this community. Mr. Westfall not only provided his valuable service to his fellow citizens, but as a foreman in the coal industry. His character brought credibility to his works. He was steadfast in his desire for the betterment of his community. His diligent work, particularly to the Curry Ridge Water Project, will be beneficial to many citizens and industry for years to come. Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in honoring the life of Clyde Westfall, whose dedication and service is truly admirable. He will be sadly missed by many.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mrs. CAPITO. Madam Chairman, I would like to thank the chairman and ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee for their hard work on this important legislation that will help provide our military with the resources they need to successfully execute their mission. I have a very simple amendment today expressing the sense of Congress that the Arlington National Cemetery shall provide a site for a memorial marker to honor the lives of United States Armed Forces members who died in an air crash at Bakers Creek, Australia, on June 14, 1943. The amendment provides that the Secretary of the Army shall have the exclusive authority over the design of the memorial and the selection of the site. This little-known tragedy occurred during World War II, a conflict that was fought and won by what has been called America's Greatest Generation. Unfortunately, the men who died in the Bakers Creek crash were never recognized as belonging to that group of great American heroes. During their service in the South Pacific, they were on a routine flight from Australia, returning from a week's leave for R&R. The plane crashed in Bakers Creek, Australia. Unfortunately, due to orders to keep the Allied presence in Australia a secret, the crash was kept a secret by the military. Thankfully, many of the families, some of whom live in my district, now know the true story of how their relatives died. My amendment would merely recognize their sacrifice by honoring their service with a memorial marker at Arlington National Cemetery.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank the gentleman from Tennessee for yielding, and I'd like to thank the leadership on the Transportation Committee for the creative solution that you have brought back with H.R. 1773 because it places important restrictions upon the pilot program planned by the Department of Transportation to allow Mexican trucks to operate across this country. My first concern with the pilot is its impact on the safety of our Nation's highways. This Congress gave this department specific criteria to ensure adequate safety and security measures were taken prior to allowing Mexican trucks to travel on our highways. I believe it is important that all of these criteria are met prior to the start of any pilot project on our Nation's highways. I am also very concerned about the economic consequences of allowing Mexican trucks to operate within the United States. It is my hope that if this pilot program is indeed implemented, the Department will work closely with State and local law enforcement to ensure that the prohibition on point-to-point deliveries within the United States by Mexican trucking companies is enforced. I am especially pleased that this bill will require a plan to enforce existing English proficiency regulations prior to the start of any pilot program. It is critical for the safety of anyone on the road that truckers are able to understand traffic and warning signs and are able to communicate with law enforcement and emergency management officials. It is absolutely critical that we stop the Department from implementing their pilot program until we can ensure the safety of our American motorists and our American highways. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize four constituents in my district who achieved the distinguished rank of Eagle Scout. As members of the Pendleton County Boy Scouts and the brotherhood, Order of the Arrow, they demonstrate the high standards of Scouting and citizenship. I would like to take a moment to highlight their individual accomplishments: Mathew Tyler Putz of Franklin, West Virginia achieved the rank of Eagle Scout on February 19, 2006. In addition to Scouting activities; Mathew plays football and track for Pendleton County High School and is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Future Farmers of America. Jeremy Allen Hottinger was officially recognized as an Eagle Scout on August 2, 2006. He plays football for the Pendleton County Wildcats and is a member of the Upper Tract Volunteer Fire Department. Julian Achetta Siapno became an Eagle Scout on August 22, 2006. He is currently serving our country in the United States Air Force. For their final project, Matthew, Jeremy, and Julian worked together to improve a picnic shelter at a local Navy Base in Sugar Grove. Matthew built a wooden bridge across a ravine; while Jeremy made a gravel path at both ends of the bridge. Julian painted and improved the picnic area. They are members of Scout Troop 162 in Franklin, West Virginia. Travis Allen Day, a member of Troop 499 in Circleville, joined the prestigious league of Eagle Scouts on December 28, 2006. He cleaned and remodeled the United States Forest Service public rifle range at Brandywine, West Virginia. Travis also plays baseball for the Petersburg High School Vikings baseball team. I would like to congratulate these four young West Virginians for their adherence to the Boy Scouts of America. I want to extend to them my most sincere gratitude for preserving and improving their communities. I look forward to the future accomplishments of these promising young citizens.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. House Concurrent Resolution 124 authorizes the use of the Capitol grounds for the annual National Peace Officers' Memorial Service to be held Tuesday May 17, 2007. The Grand Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police and its auxiliary annually sponsor this event honoring some of America's bravest men and women. Since the first recorded police death in 1792, there have been more than 17,900 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. The memorial service will honor the 145 Federal, State, and local law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting their communities in 2006, as well as all law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. This will be the 26th time that this event has been held on the grounds of the Capitol. This memorial service is part of National Police Week, which was created by law in 1962 and runs this year from May 8 through May 15. Police Week draws officers, their families and survivors of fallen officers from around the country and includes such events as the Blue Mass at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, the candlelight vigil at the National Law Enforcement Memorial, and a police unity tour featuring officers and historic vehicles. The memorial service begins at noon on Tuesday. Following the ceremony on the Capitol Hill grounds, there will be a procession to the Law Enforcement Memorial and a wreath-laying ceremony. I encourage my colleagues to attend this much deserved memorial service and honor those who protect our communities on the front lines. I support the measure and encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. CAPITO

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

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the Lady Vols on winning the 2007 national women's basketball championship. You are probably wondering why someone from West Virginia is joining in the celebration. That is because Alexis Hornbuckle, a starting guard for the Lady Vols, is a native of West Virginia, and I actually have been privileged throughout the years to watch Alexis play not only with my daughter in AAU, but also since she was an 8-year-old girl she was a phenom on the court and we knew only great things were ahead of her. She is a wonderful student. She played on a four time State championship basketball team in high school. She is from a wonderful West Virginia family, and we join today as West Virginians to say congratulations to UT and congratulations to Alexis. I would also like to say congratulations to her coach, Pat Summitt. She is a phenomenal coach of young women, and is growing future leaders of America. Just to show you the quality of Pat Summitt, when she recruited Alexis, when she knew she was going to UT, Pat Summitt came to Alexis' church to meet not only her parents, her friends, but also her church family. So I say a job well done to the University of Tennessee Lady Vols, and especially to West Virginia's own, Alexis Hornbuckle.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers and urge passage of this important legislation. As has been said by all of the other speakers, victims' rights is a very important issue and we don't want to forget those who have been victimized by crimes across the Nation. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. I am glad you brought up medical malpractice reform because in West Virginia we have lived this subject since I have been in Congress. In the campaign of 2002, many doctors were leaving the State of West Virginia, closing up shop, early retirement, choosing to try another State because of either the unavailability of medical malpractice insurance or the astronomically skyrocketing escalation of medical liability reform. So an interesting thing happened. West Virginia is known to be a State that is very tort friendly. So people asked me how did the State legislature, which is predominantly Democratic, and the Governor, who was Democrat, how were they able to pass with relative ease such massive medical malpractice reform legislation. I know exactly how because I was in that campaign in the 2002 year. It was people coming up to you on the street saying my doctor's leaving. It was grandparents, it was seniors, it was pediatricians, OB/ GYNs, neurologists, trauma specialists. Our largest hospital in my community had to close and be downgraded in terms of their trauma because the trauma surgeons left because of the high cost of medical liability reform causing, in one case, a young child in Putnam County, which is like 30 minutes away, had to drive all the way to Cincinnati, he and his parents, 4 hours away, to have a penny removed from his windpipe because there was no one to do it in our local area. That could have been a life-ending experience for that family, a very, very tragic one, and actually had a happy ending. So the legislature got on board, the Governor got on board and passed State medical malpractice reform with a cap. I believe it is a half million dollars on noneconomic damages. I am not 100 percent sure. There was a debate on 250 or 500, but I think it was 500. They created a West Virginia Mutual Insurance Company, and according to the statistics that I have in front of me, those medical malpractice premiums have gone down 5 percent in not only general practice but also in the specialties. The large hospital I referred to earlier, where they could not recruit and retain physicians, they now are adding 49 and 50 new positions a year, whereas before they were afraid they were not even going to be able to attract 15 or 20. So this medical liability reform has had a phenomenal effect in our State of West Virginia. And if I can get my other chart out here real quick, this shows some States that are considered to be in crisis, which I notice your State is in crisis over here, and West Virginia would have been in the red, in the crisis area, but we moved ourselves out to caution. We are in the yellow area, where we were actually considered one of the most difficult climates for practitioners of medicine to come. We are not a State where we are able to retain and control, and it is directly attributable to the medical liability reform bill that we passed, that the State passed in 2003.

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Missouri for participating tonight. He is a very able debater. I learned in our first debate when we debated tax reform that you are a wonderful closer too, so I hate to close. But I would like to talk a little bit about civility, because it is very important to me. It is about being polite. It is understanding that we have different views and that we don't disrespect one another because of that. It is about believing that our ideas, yes, we believe our ideas are the right ideas, but it doesn't necessarily mean that the opposite ideas or a different idea doesn't have merit. It also doesn't mean that because we are in different parties, we don't have a lot of to give and we don't have a lot to share. I think a lot of that gets lost here on the floor of the House. My great fear is because of the partisanship and the evolved incivility of our debate, that when that person turns on that TV or that young person turns on C-SPAN to watch debate, they see the rancor and they see the acrimonious debate and some of the language that is used, and what do they do? They turn it off. And then what are they doing? They are not listening to the merits of the topic. They are not listening to tax reform ideas or medical malpractice reform ideas or the war in Iraq differing ideas, because of the tone, and the way it is delivered and the words that are used have lost their way and have turned the American public off. Now, when I go and speak to people in my district and I begin to talk like that, people start nodding their heads, you are right. We do stop listening. We are no longer interested. So I think while these hallowed halls have had more than their share of vigorous debate, there is a good way to do it, and there is a good way to convey our ideas in a very civil way. I really appreciate the way, when you said that Gerald Ford and Hale Boggs used to drive over together and then have lunch afterwards, I think it is a little late for lunch tonight, so I think we will have to do that another time. But I have enjoyed debating this topic. I look forward to the next topic that we debate. I hope that when we get together again, maybe we can get some of our other colleagues here and have more of a round-robin so we can get our colleagues not only involved in the debate on the topic, but also demonstrating a civil way to present ideas to the American public.

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for staying up late, and I thank all those who are listening. I think we have talked a lot about our different perspectives on tort reform. I have talked about the need to rein in the system, because we are losing jobs. We are costing the American public, each individual, $880 is the cost for every individual for the lawsuit glut that we have in this country. Unfortunately, some of those who are damaged or who are due and willing are unable to get into a clogged-up court system. We are losing jobs in some of our manufacturing segment because of the exorbitant cost of litigation. In many States, we have a medical liability crisis where physicians are paying exorbitant amounts of their hard-earned dollars for the cost of medical liability insurance, and it has proven in my State, at least, if you pass good sense medical liability insurance reform, you can rein in the cost of insurance and can make the system better. I understand there are other players at the table here. There is the Bar, there is the individual, there is certainly the business community and there is the insurance community. I think the best solution to this enormous problem, this very costly problem to the American economy, is to get everybody at the table for common sense reform. We passed class action reform, and it is helping to weed out some of those large and unwieldy cases and make them adhere to more stringent requirements. With that, I yield back to the gentleman from Missouri to close on this topic.