Dennis Cardoza

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, it is with the greatest pleasure and gratitude that I rise today to recognize Soroptimist International of Modesto as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary. Soroptimist International of Modesto is one of the first service organizations for women in Modesto and has been an important part of our community as a leading service club for seven decades. This organization is dedicated to making a difference in the future of our community by working together with local community and government leaders in addressing issues that women value and by developing and promoting projects in education, environment, health, human rights/ status of women, international good will/understanding, and social and economic development. Their membership is composed of women of all ages, cultures and ethnic groups who are committed to making a difference through service. Soroptimist International of Modesto is also a leading philanthropist in our community who donates generously to the Modesto area through their service projects such as the Community Christmas Tree at Vintage Fair Mall, scholarships and other local community organizations and projects such as the MOMobile. Soroptimist International of Modesto truly makes a difference in the lives of citizens because of the energy and passion of its members. I am honored to recognize this outstanding organization and all of the members whose time, energy, vision and commitment has made the organization the involved, informed and active part of our community that it is today. Their efforts have undoubtedly made a difference in lives of the residents of our community and I commend each and every one of them for their efforts. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to represent Soroptimist International of Modesto in the United States Congress. I ask that my colleagues join me in offering our congratulations on its 70th Anniversary and in extending our best wishes for continued success and prosperity for many years to come.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Madam Speaker, the past few years the Republican rule in Washington has left our Nation severely crippled with debt. Reckless fiscal policies have turned record surpluses into record deficits in 6 short years. Democrats believe that fiscal responsibility is a crucial ingredient in good government. When we assume the majority in Congress next year, Democrats in this body will implement a pay-as-you-go plan for spending that will put our Nation back on the right financial path. Pay-as-you-go is the policy that helped us create those record surpluses in the late 1990s, surpluses that have been eliminated with tax breaks for the wealthiest few over the last 6 years. We must be accountable for every dollar that is allocated through this Congress, not constantly passing massive debt on to our children and grandchildren. Madam Speaker, after Republicans refused to live up to their promises of fiscal restraint, the American people turned to Democrats to get our Nation's books out of the red. When the next Congress begins, we will start the process by using commonsense measures such as pay-as-you-go.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Saturday, November 18, as National Adoption Day and to celebrate all adoptive families. On the Saturday before Thanksgiving, courtrooms across this country will come together to dedicate the resources of our judicial system to finalize adoptions of kids currently in the foster care system. In the 5 years since National Adoption Day was established, it has truly grown into a national celebration. Last year, 3,300 adoptions were finalized as part of 227 nationwide events. These finalized adoptions are cause for celebration. This is a time to commemorate those families that have decided to make a difference in the life of a child. I commend these families and hope that the children across the Nation will find a place to call home this Saturday as part of National Adoption Day. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Saturday, November 18th as National Adoption Day and to celebrate all adoptive families. On the Saturday before Thanksgiving, courtrooms across the country will come together to dedicate the resources of our judicial system to finalize adoptions of kids currently in the foster care system. In the 5 years since National Adoption Day was established, it has truly grown into a national celebration. Last year, 3,300 adoptions were finalized as part of 227 nationwide events. Unfortunately, despite the declining number of children waiting in foster care, there are still 118,000 children seeking adoption. This is simply unacceptable. It is our duty as a prosperous Nation to unite and ensure these children find safe, loving homes. Six years ago, my wife and I decided to expand our family and open our home to two foster care children. Like many adoptive families, we faced many challenges during this process. But these experiences have only made our family stronger. The adoption process is often complicated and riddled with paperwork, meetings, and home studies--important factors when accessing the ability of a family to care for a new child--but they can also discourage qualified parents from embarking on the adoption process. The foster care community has been working with Congress and State governments across the country to streamline the adoption process and focus on limited resources, such as requiring frequent home visits and experienced caseworkers. As Members of Congress, it is our job to be the voice for foster children and make sure their dreams are recognized. We owe it to them to streamline the adoption process to ensure positive outcomes for these kids. It is important that we continue to make this process more accessible to families so that these children can be welcomed into loving homes. Despite the obstacles that we still need to overcome, this is a time to celebrate those families that have decided to make a difference in the life of a child. I commend these families and hope that children across the Nation will find a place to call home this Saturday as part of National Adoption Day.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Saturday, November 18th as National Adoption Day and to celebrate all adoptive families. On the Saturday before Thanksgiving, courtrooms across the country will come together to dedicate the resources of our judicial system to finalize adoptions of kids currently in the foster care system. In the five years since National Adoption Day was established, it has truly grown into a national celebration. Last year, 3,300 adoptions were finalized as part of 227 nationwide events. Unfortunately, despite the declining number of children waiting in foster care, there are still 118,000 children seeking adoption. This is simply unacceptable. It is our duty as a prosperous nation to unite and ensure these children find safe, loving homes. Six years ago, my wife and I decided to expand our family and open our home to two foster care children. Like many adoptive families, we faced many challenges during this process. But these experiences have only made our family stronger. The adoption process is often complicated and riddled with paperwork, meetings, and home studies--important factors when accessing the ability of a family to care for a new child--but they can also discourage qualified parents from embarking on the adoption process. The foster care community has been working with Congress and state governments across the country to streamline the adoption process and focus on limited resources, such as requiring frequent home visits and experienced caseworkers. As Members of Congress, it is our job to be the voice for foster children and make sure their dreams are recognized. We owe it to them to streamline the adoption process to ensure positive outcomes for these kids. It is important that we continue to make this process more accessible to families so that these children can be welcomed into loving homes. Despite the obstacles that we still need to overcome, this is a time to celebrate those families that have decided to make a difference in the life of a child. I commend these families and hope that children across the nation will find a place to call home this Saturday as part of National Adoption Day.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Madam Speaker, American seniors are facing their first full week of the donut hole. This gap in prescription drug coverage for thousands of seniors is the direct result of the Republicans' dedication to increasing drug company profits. As a clear giveaway to the big pharmaceutical companies, the Republican prescription drug benefit does not require that the Federal Government use its huge purchasing power to bargain for lower cost drugs. On three occasions since 2003, House Republicans had the opportunity to support Democratic amendments to reduce drug prices through bulk purchasing. Passage of our amendments would have provided Congress with the money to fill the gap in coverage and eliminate the donut hole. But, no. This would have eaten into drug company profits and threatened the friendship that exists between the Republicans and the drug companies. Mr. Speaker, we can still correct this injustice visited upon our seniors before we recess. Today, we should give the Secretary of Health and Human Services the power to bargain those prices down and permanently close the donut hole. America needs a new direction.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Madam Speaker, the Truth Squad on Waste, Fraud and Abuse has been tasked with holding this administration and this Congress accountable for mishandling of taxpayer dollars. Last week the Truth Squad recognized the first two winners of the Golden Drain Award, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. We created this award to bring attention to the waste, fraud and abuse in government. Otherwise it will never stop. Overseeing a department that has squandered billions of taxpayer dollars, Michael Chertoff and Donald Rumsfeld are clearly deserving of this inauspicious honor. In FEMA alone, we have seen billions of dollars go down the golden drain as a result of no-bid contracts and fraud during the aftermath of the Katrina crisis. The Defense Department has been unable to produce a clean audit, and the Pentagon's track record of waste, fraud and mismanagement in Iraq under Mr. Rumsfeld is disgraceful. All told, the Truth Squad has identified over $150 billion that has gone down the golden drain. Republicans believe that government does not work, and this administration seems to prove it every single day. Enough is enough. It is time for a new direction.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate Mr. Ross yielding me this time. I want to start this evening by thanking Mr. Tanner. In the 4 years I have been in Congress, he has been one of the true leaders of the Blue Dogs. I think of him as the conscience of the Congress these days with regard to the issues of fiscal responsibility and accountability and making sure that our government does the right thing. Mr. Ross, I want to thank you. I have traveled to your district. I know how much your constituents respect you on this matter and others, but it is really so important for the American people to understand the magnitude of the challenge that we are facing with regard to the national debt, and your leadership each and every week here on the floor means so much not just to me and the Blue Dogs but to the entire country. I want to talk about my recent work with my colleagues on a task force on waste, fraud and abuse. My distinguished colleagues, Mr. Waxman from California, Mr. Tierney from Massachusetts, and Mr. Tanner who you just heard, serve as Members of what we call the Truth Squad, which is charged with holding the Bush administration accountable for the mishandling of taxpayer dollars. That is something that this Republican Congress has simply failed to do. The Blue Dogs are committed to ensuring that this government account for its stewardship of taxpayer dollars. You heard Mr. Tanner: currently, 19 of 24 Federal agencies can't pass a simple, clean audit. That is happening under a Republican watch. This administration touts itself as being a businesslike administration, yet no business in America would tolerate the fiscal irresponsibility that is being conducted by this administration. It is really little wonder that with their lack of oversight of this Congress and lack of oversight in the administration, that we continue to see abuse and waste on this scale. The Blue Dogs believe that all Federal agencies should be required to pass a clean audit. The American public deserves nothing less. I introduced a bill this year, along with Mr. Tanner's piece of legislation, that says that any Cabinet Secretary who can't pass an audit for 2 years in a row can't run his agency, basically, couldn't run a business if he was running a pharmacy in Prescott or Hope, Arkansas, Mr. Ross. If you ran that and couldn't pass an audit, couldn't pay your bills, your wife, Holly, would say come back and run this business right. The reality is that we need to recall this administration and this Congress and tell them to run the business right. They are simply not doing it. As co-chair of the Truth Squad, I am working with my colleagues to bring attention to the most egregious waste of taxpayers' dollars, the places where we are absolutely wasting taxpayers' dollars and putting that money down the drain. In fact, we have unveiled a new award called the Golden Drain Award. All told, the Truth Squad has identified with the help of our staff over $150 billion of American taxpayer dollars that have gone down the golden drain of waste, fraud and abuse. Mr. Waxman's Democratic side of the committee has documented all of these facts and has put out a report to this end. We created this award because it is essential that we bring attention to these outrageous instances of waste, fraud and abuse, otherwise they will never stop. Sadly, there is seemingly an endless list of nominees for this award under this Congress and this administration. We will unveil one or two or three on Thursday. Mr. Ross, since we have been here talking, we have talked about the waste in Iraq. You and I went together to your home district and went to the Hope airport to see the FEMA trailers, nearly half a billion dollars of FEMA trailers, that never got delivered to the people that needed them, but the taxpayers sure paid for them. We see how we have wasted money on homeland security and the borders and the airports, and they are still not secure. The ports certainly are not secure enough. The list goes on and on. The administration's track record for no-bid contracts, for waste in contracting, for lack of oversight in contracting is truly appalling; and we talked in a press conference 2 weeks ago, the Truth Squad did, about these egregious behaviors. Mr. Speaker, enough is enough. It is time for accountability. It is time to audit the books. The Blue Dogs that serve in Congress are fully committed to this. The Democratic Caucus is fully committed to this. It is time that the entire Congress be committed to this. Mr. Ross, I will close tonight's activities with one last thought, and that is that we owe the taxpayers more than we are giving them with the jobs we are supposed to do. We should be accounting for their money every single day we are here.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, the Truth Squad on Waste, Fraud and Abuse is charged with holding the Bush administration accountable for its mishandling of taxpayer dollars. That is something that this Republican Congress has failed to do. On issue after issue, from Katrina to Iraq to border security, to health care, we have seen outrageous waste of American tax dollars. And this Congress has repeatedly failed to hold the administration accountable for it. Today, the Truth Squad is unveiling the Golden Drain Award, which you see next to me in this picture. The Golden Drain is an award that will be displayed in my office, and it will be given each week to a recipient who has been most derelict in their duty as stewards of American taxpayer dollars. We will award this award next week for the first time. All told, the Truth Squad has identified over $150 billion of American tax dollars that have gone down the drain of waste, fraud and abuse. Enough is enough, Mr. Speaker. It is time for accountability. It is time for a new direction. It is time to audit America's books.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, it is with the greatest pleasure that I rise today on behalf of my colleagues Rep. Jim Costa, Rep. Devin Nunes, Rep. Richard Pombo and Rep. George Radanovich to honor Stephen K. Hall, the Executive Director of the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) for his outstanding contributions to California agriculture and the California water community. The recognition that my colleagues and I are offering today is well deserved and long overdue. Throughout his career, Steve has remained a champion for California agriculture and for the protection and delivery of safe and clean water. Soon after graduating from California State University, Fresno in the early 1970's, Steve began his career as General Manager of the Tulare Lake Drainage District. In the years following, Steve founded the Land Preservation Association, an organization created to help develop and implement irrigation and drainage policy in California, and the California Farm Water Coalition, a pioneer collaboration of agricultural water users and water agencies. In 1992 Steve became the Executive Director of ACWA, and in the years since has helped shape the laws and policies that affect California's cities, farms and businesses. Under Steve's guidance and leadership, the ACWA has been a leader in California water issues. Devoted to promoting the development, management and reasonable beneficial use of water in an environmentally balanced manner, Steve has been involved in many major statewide water issues affecting California's local water agencies. He was a lead negotiator in the three-way negotiations between agricultural, urban and environmental water representatives that led to the creation of the CALFED Bay-Delta Program and the passage of Propositions 204 and 13. Steve Hall's expertise in California's water issues and water policy has been recognized and utilized by many as he has served in numerous appointed and advisory capacities to Governors Deukmejian, Wilson and Davis. Currently, Steve serves on the Boards of Directors for the California Water Institute and the California Infrastructure Coalition, as a member of the UC Davis Land Air and Water Advisory Committee and the California Bay-Delta Public Advisory Committee, and is the co-chair of the Water Supply Sub-Committee for the California Bay-Delta Water Authority. Mr. Speaker, on the occasion of Steve Hall's 55th birthday, it is with the utmost respect and appreciation that my colleague's and I acknowledge his enormous and lasting contributions to the future of California and America in his continued commitment to sustaining our most precious resource, water.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Madam Speaker, I rise to express strong support for Israel's right to defend itself against unprovoked acts of terrorism. On June 25, members of Hamas attacked an Israeli army post, killing two Israeli soldiers and kidnapping another, Corporal Galid Shalit. Israel responded with appropriate force, seeking the return of its soldier and an end to rocket attacks coming from the Gaza Strip. Then, on July 12, Hezbollah terrorists attacked an Israeli military unit patrolling the Israeli border south of Lebanon, taking two Israeli soldiers hostage. They also began firing dozens of Katyusha rockets at northern Israel, including Haifa. The acts of terrorism perpetrated by Hamas and Hezbollah created the situation that the world confronts today. Israel could not tolerate such assaults on its soil, against its citizens--no nation would. Israel responded to these acts of war by defending themselves. They entered Gaza and Lebanon to try to rescue their kidnapped soldiers and prevent terrorists from committing further attacks on their homeland. Both of these attacks were calculated acts of war--attacks on Israeli soldiers guarding undisputed Israeli territory. The attacks by Hezbollah are blatant breaches of Security Council resolutions 1559, 1655 and 1680, which certified Israel's full withdrawal from Lebanese territory and called for the disarmament of all militias in Lebanon and an end to attacks across the Israel-Lebanon border. Unfortunately, the government in Beirut has not done its part to enhance the security of both nations. In fact, the attacks against Israel are the result of Iran, Syria, and certain factions of the Lebanese Government's inaction towards these terrorist organizations in their country. Let's look at the facts. Despite the Security Council resolutions, Hezbollah remains an armed militia group that controls 23 seats in the Lebanese parliament and 2 ministers in the national government. According to the State Department, Hezbollah receives between 30 and 40 million a month in cash, aid and arms support from Iran. Additionally, the State Department reports that Syria is an active partner with Iran in supporting and funding Hezbollah. At the same time, the leadership of Hamas recently called Hezbollah's actions ``a heroic operation.'' It is clear that, despite optimism that Hamas would transform into a secular, stable government, it is sticking to its roots as a terrorist organization, supporting and encouraging attacks against innocent civilians. Given these facts, I believe it is time for the world community to take action against Hamas and Hezbollah and the nations that support both regimes. The United States should demand that the Government of Lebanon immediately release the abducted Israeli soldiers. The same holds true for the soldier held by Hamas in Gaza. At the same time, we must insist that Iran and Syria immediately cease interfering in the internal affairs of Lebanon and the Palestinian Territories by ending all support for Hezbollah and Hamas. The United States must also continue to provide Israel with consistent and broad-based support, since an even greater destabilizing force is developing in the region--a nuclear-armed Iran with terrorist allies in Hezbollah and Hamas. I also believe the United States must also play an active role in forging a solution to this conflict and its underlying cause. Let us not forget that it is not only the lives of Israelis, Lebanese, and Palestinians threatened by the fighting. Press reports indicate that approximately 25,000 Americans are in Lebanon, many of whom are trying to leave that war-torn area. The best deterrent to future acts of terrorism is the presence a unified world community. In the days ahead, I hope the Bush administration works to build a broad global alliance to deal with the current crisis in the Middle East, which will act as a powerful deterrent against similar acts of terrorism in the future. We cannot afford to let Israel go it alone in this conflict--we need the engagement of the Bush administration and the world community to punish the regimes that support terror, while also supporting the moderate voices in the Muslim world. At this time of struggle and great peril, we need to stand firmly with the people of Israel and their government. Our country will stand with the government and people of Israel as they defend themselves. As an independent sovereign nation, Israel has every right to respond to acts of aggression against its homeland and the soldiers who defend it.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2389, the Pledge Protection Act. While I strongly support the Pledge of Allegiance and the use of the term under God, I oppose this misguided legislation because it would strip all federal courts, including the Supreme Court, of the jurisdiction to hear First Amendment challenges to the Pledge of Allegiance. In the process, this legislation would strip federal courts of their important role in safeguarding Constitutional rights and freedoms. It will also work to undermine public confidence in the federal courts by expressing outright hostility to their role as a neutral arbiter of constitutional claims. Through passage of this legislation, this body is endorsing the dangerous premise that Congress is above the Constitution. So in response, I ask my colleagues this question: do you believe our founding fathers designed the Constitution to protect the people from their government, or to regulate the conduct of its citizens? I submit that if we strip federal courts of their judicial independence, nothing stops Congress from preventing courts to rule on other freedoms protected in our Bill of Rights, including freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, freedom of worship and freedom to assemble. Is that really the precedent we want to establish? I believe we need our judicial system to protect our rights--and this bill prohibits the courts from doing just that. Indeed, I believe enactment of this legislation would have a dramatic impact on the ability of individual Americans to be free from government-coerced speech or religious expression. In our system of democracy, our government works on a system of checks and balances. Instead of stripping power from the courts, I believe we should follow the process prescribed in our Constitution-- consideration of a Constitutional amendment. In fact, as a member of the California Legislature, I passed a bill calling on Congress to pass a Pledge protection amendment, and I believe that is the appropriate way to address this issue. I happen to believe that the inclusion of the term under God in the Pledge is appropriate and constitutional. Further, should the Supreme Court ever rule that the term is unconstitutional, I would vote for a constitutional amendment to it ensure its presence. I support the Pledge because it is an important part of our American fabric, and an important symbol of the rights our founding fathers fought so desperately to preserve--liberty and justice for every American. But our justice is protected by our independent judiciary. Let us keep it that way for all Americans. Oppose this bill and support and protect our Constitutional rights.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Jacuzzi tubs. It is amazing.

Mr. CARDOZA. Certainly.

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Arkansas (Mr. Ross). You have been so gracious to lead the Blue Dog effort here on Tuesday nights for several weeks now, and I consider it an act of patriotism what you are doing here because, truly, it is something that the American people must know, and it is what we will do to strengthen our country and our fiscal order if we can simply pass half of the accountability measures that the Blue Dogs have put in place, the 12-step Blue Dog program that I am sure you have talked about tonight because you have talked about it so many times on the floor. Hopefully, the American people are listening and the Congress is listening that we must, in fact, bring accountability to our government. As you said, the Blue Dogs have been fighting for greater accountability in Washington for over 10 years now. We have argued for a return of pay-as-you-go budgeting to balance our budget. And as I said, we offer a 12-step reform plan to cure our Nation's addiction to deficit spending. We have argued that all earmarks should require written justification from a Member of Congress before being considered, and now the Blue Dogs have authored and endorsed two bills that strike at the heart of this administration's mismanagement and its fiscal mismanagement of our government. We have introduced the Blue Dog accountability package, and one is a bill that I authored which requires the reconfirmation of any Cabinet official whose agency cannot produce a clean audit for 2 consecutive years. The second piece of legislation, written by our colleague from Tennessee (Mr. Tanner) requires an oversight hearing 60 days after the Inspector General reports waste, fraud and abuse above $1 million in any Federal Department. I would like our audience tonight to consider these facts: in 2004, the Federal Government spent $25 billion of everyone's tax dollars, yours, mine and everyone else who pays taxes in America, $25 billion that it cannot account for. Now, Mr. Ross, you and I, when we write a check out of our account, we have a check stub. But for some reason the Federal Government has lost $25 billion in check stubs. They are our tax dollars. That same year, 2004, only six of the 63 Pentagon departments were able to produce a clean audit, about 10 percent. For 2005, the General Accounting Office reports that 19 of the 24 Federal agencies can't produce a clean audit or fully explain how they have spent our taxpayer dollars. In March of 2005, the Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued a report calling for agency information systems to be upgraded for security purposes. As you probably know, no action was taken; and since that time, the personal information of millions of our veterans has been stolen or lost, putting millions of our veterans' personal information and virtually their financial history in jeopardy.

Mr. CARDOZA. I thank the gentleman for the correction. I am not sure that 18 out of 24 is a whole lot better than 19 out of 24. Maybe they got one of the little departments to come into compliance. I think the year before I think it was 16 out of 24 or 23. So it is sort of like the Bush deficit numbers. You inflate them one year so you can show improvement the next. It boggles my mind that they can't find $25 billion in check stubs. You would think that they would be able to do that. But I guess when they think it is not their money, they are not so worried about it. But I have got to tell you, I am worried about it, and I know you are, Mr. Ross, because when we lose the confidence of the American people for our voluntary tax system that we have, and when people don't think that their money is going to be used the correct way, I think this Nation is in serious, serious trouble.

Mr. CARDOZA. I thank the gentleman. And in fact I will describe it. But before I do, I just want to say one thing. You know, you talked about your growing up in rural Arkansas. I grew up in rural California. My grandparents were all Portuguese immigrants. They all naturalized, became legal citizens, proudest day of their lives was when they got their citizenship papers. And they imbued in me and my parents, who couldn't speak English when they were growing up, a sense of duty and responsibility. And you did the right thing. I will never forget my grandmother, she wasn't so excited when I got into politics because she said, you know, Dennis, that is a dirty game sometimes. And if you are going to get in that business, you just make sure you do the right thing. And when I introduced the legislation that you described, it is really holding us to a higher standard. And the legislation says that if you break the public trust and you enrich yourself while you are standing here in the Halls of Congress that you would have to serve the time that you would get convicted for fraud or for all the other kinds of things that you can do to get put in jail, but you would have to serve a sentence enhancement for two additional years because you broke the public trust, the trust that the people gave you when you signed up to run for this office. And I hold that sentiment very strongly, that that is something that we should all stand up and be held accountable to a higher standard if we are going to take the oath of office. So I thank you for raising that issue and that I could talk about my bill tonight. I want to also tell you that the work that we are doing with regard to oversight and demanding that this Congress do oversight, that is one of the fundamental jobs of Members of Congress, to hold hearings and to examine where our tax dollars are going. And we simply, as a Congress, are not doing that anymore. It is part of the problem with having one- party government that there is nobody to hold it accountable. And we can't get the power of the subpoena to go in there and look and see what is going on. And we need to examine the books. We need to audit the books in a more effective way. We need Mr. Tanner's bill that says if the Inspector General finds fraud and abuse, that we will, in fact, do a hearing in the Halls of Congress. And I see you putting up a poster.

Mr. CARDOZA. I have been there. We went together, and we saw, talk about waste, fraud and abuse. What we could do for $1 billion in this country is just amazing. We can educate so many kids, send our kids to college. We can do so much good for $1 billion. And here we are looking at about a half a billion dollars. You tell the story, Mr. Ross, because this is in your district. You took me down there. We did some uncovering of some waste, fraud and abuse. And I will yield back to the gentleman from Arkansas.

Mr. CARDOZA. That is what we call them where I come from, even though that might not be the brand.

Mr. CARDOZA. The gentleman is absolutely right. And it is interesting that so many of our Departments are run this way. But the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security Department, which FEMA is part of, was quoted recently as saying: ``Unfortunately, the Department had made little or no progress to improve its overall financial reporting during the whole fiscal year of 2005.'' And KPMG accounting firm was unable to even provide an opinion on the Department's balance sheet because the books were in such bad shape. Another example is the Inspector General for NASA, in its 2005 financial statement said: ``In the enclosed report of independent auditors, Ernest & Young disclaimed an opinion on NASA's financial statements for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005.'' The disclaimer resulted from NASA's inability to provide Ernst & Young with auditable financial statements and sufficient evidence to support the financial statements'' that they did have ``throughout the fiscal year and at year end.'' Basically it is what we were talking about earlier. The Federal Government is writing checks and does not even keep its check stubs. They cannot find $25 billion of our taxpayers' money, and then they want to spend more of it. And it is just a crying shame that we cannot do a better job, and it is a crying shame that we are not doing the accounting and the investigative hearings and the oversight hearings that is the job of this Congress. It is an abdication of our duty as Members of Congress, and it is an indication that we need to change the one-party system that we have got going on here because we need to audit the books. It is just a basic fundamental necessity of running a good government. And what it means is that we have gone, like that chart you showed, from a situation where when we had a Democratic President, we were actually paying off the national debt, and now we are going in the wrong direction. We are going into a deep trough, and I see the slide that you have put up now. This is what the resulting action is. First of all, we are not able to do what we need to do for education, send our kids to college, do all the things that we need to do proactively to prepare our country for the next century, but we are having to do instead what you are about ready to talk about, Mr. Ross.

Mr. CARDOZA. Is that Communist China, Mr. Ross?

Mr. CARDOZA. I thought it was.

Mr. CARDOZA. I would just like to say thanks to the gentleman from Arkansas for hosting this once again. We are going to make fiscal responsibility a priority for this Congress. It is a shame that we have not spent more time this year dealing with these matters. Hopefully, we will have some oversight hearings. Thank you for conducting this, and I just say we will continue to work on it.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, it is with the greatest sincerity and respect that I rise today to honor Floyd Weaver, longtime community activist and icon in Stockton, California. He has recently been honored by the Stockton Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Mr. Weaver has taught in the Stockton Unified School District for 39 years, with over 20 years of experience in city government. It truly is an honor to join the NAACP in recognizing his notable contributions and dedication to our community. Floyd Weaver is an innovative thinker, a highly respected leader and an individual with an unwavering commitment to the Stockton community. Throughout his career, Mr. Weaver has distinguished himself as a pioneer in the education realm, starting out as one of few African American males to teach in the Stockton Unified School District and later becoming the first African American Male Principal in the school district. After 39 years with the Stockton Unified School District, Mr. Weaver moved into the realm of city politics. While serving on the Stockton City Council, he founded and chaired the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Recognition ad hoc Committee and later developed a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Trust for charitable events. The then City Councilmember became a two term Vice Mayor, another first for African Americans in our community. During his tenure as Vice Mayor, Mr. Weaver witnessed the realization of one of his proudest achievements, the Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza in the heart of downtown Stockton. Floyd Weaver's service has reached beyond the City to Stockton to the county and state levels. In 1997 Mr. Weaver began serving on the Board of Directors for San Joaquin Regional Transit District, including two terms as Chair and three terms as Vice Chair. In October 2003, he was appointed to the California State Reclamation Board by Governor Gray Davis. More recently, he has been recognized for his efforts in renaming part of Charter Way in Stockton to honor civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. In addition, Mr. Weaver serves on several local advisory boards and committees and continues to be recognized with numerous awards for his ongoing involvement and unmatched devotion to the community. Mr. Speaker, the recognition that I am offering today before the House of Representatives for Mr. Floyd Weaver is clearly deserved and well overdue. He is an esteemed member of our community, a lifelong activist for all people young and old, and an outstanding human being who will leave behind a legacy to be admired for generations to come. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring him for his remarkable career and untiring dedication to a vision for a better tomorrow for the people of our community.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Chairman, I would like to once again thank the chairman for working with me on this and appreciate his accepting the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.