Dennis Cardoza

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Madam Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 108 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. CARDOZA. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Harman).

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I would like to now yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin, my very good friend, Mr. Kind.

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar).

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I would like to now yield such time as he may consume to Mr. Tanner to insert an item into the Record.

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 40) amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to require each standing committee to hold periodic hearings on the topic of waste, fraud, abuse, or mismanagement in Government programs which that committee may authorize, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to my good friend, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Tanner), the author of the measure.

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on House Resolution 40.

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, make no mistake about it, these are tough times for our country. The United States is facing an economic disaster unlike anything we have seen since the Great Depression. In the coming weeks, there will surely be differences of opinion as to how to best address the ailments of our Nation. But one thing is certain: Now, more than ever, it is time to ensure that government spends the taxpayers' money wisely. For the first 6 years of the Bush administration, there was virtually no oversight by the Republican-led Congress. This led to rampant fraud and abuse, and billions of dollars of taxpayer dollars that were squandered by the administration, particularly regarding Iraq reconstruction and the response to Katrina. Beginning in January of 2007, the Democratic Congress turned a new page and took numerous steps to begin changing the way we do business by restoring accountability and oversight. House Resolution 40, introduced by my very good friend and fellow Blue Dog colleague, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Tanner), and myself, simply adds another layer to the rigorous oversight measures that we have already established. This resolution amends the House rules to require each standing committee to hold at least three hearings per year on waste, fraud and abuse under each respective committee's jurisdiction. It requires a hearing in the event that an agency's auditor issues a disclaimer that the agency's financial statements are not in order. It also requires a hearing if an agency under that respective committee's jurisdiction has a program deemed by the GAO to be at high risk for waste, fraud and abuse. Mr. Speaker, at the request of my friends on the other side of the aisle, there are two other stipulations. First, that the resolution shall be considered in light of existing House rules governing the conduct of committee hearings, including hearings held in executive session and the treatment of executive session materials; and, second, to require that committee activities reports identify the hearings held under the resolution. Friends, plain and simple, it is now time to audit America's books. This resolution will add another level of accountability by shining light on the most egregious cases of government waste. I would add, Mr. Speaker, that I am very encouraged by President- elect Obama's statements regarding his intent to pore through the budget line-by-line to eliminate wasteful spending. However, while I take the President-elect at his word, this resolution demonstrates that this Democratic Congress will not turn a blind eye to government waste simply because there is now a Democratic administration. Free passes are over, and we must build upon increased oversight and accountability efforts. We have an opportunity to reinvent government and adhere to the fiscal accountability measures that Blue Dogs have long advocated. This will require tough decisions. But given these challenging economic times, cutting out waste, fraud and abuse must be among our top priorities in this Congress. All this requires is some bureaucratic soul-searching. I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join the Blue Dogs in this quest. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CARDOZA. I thank my colleague and friend for yielding and for his thoughtful suggestions. In fact, yes, the Committee on House Administration is covered under this resolution, and the other measures, as you have indicated, have already been incorporated as well.

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining on both sides?

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the thoughtful words of both our previous two speakers. I think their suggestions are very well-taken. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York, the chairman of the Government Oversight Committee, Mr. Towns.

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois, a leader in the effort to bring fiscal responsibility back to this institution, Ms. Bean.

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Childers).

Mr. CARDOZA. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. CARDOZA. I very much appreciate the gentleman's request. I think we have enough time for the concluding speakers.

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I am also prepared to close, so I will allow the gentleman to close.

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to conclude my remarks by simply saying this: As we know all too well, despite the Blue Dog Coalition's best efforts and the efforts of many other efforts on both sides of the aisle in this Chamber, cutting spending is never easy, but ladies and gentlemen, enough is enough. It is high time that we audit America's books. It is a moral imperative that we stop spending taxpayer dollars with reckless abandon and start making tough decisions, because the choices we make today will impact what we will be able to do to provide for our children and for our grandchildren tomorrow. I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this commonsense legislation.

Mr. CARDOZA. I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Madam Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, at the beginning of the 110th Congress, the new Democratic majority reinstated the proven PAYGO rules that were abandoned by President Bush and the then-Republican Congress as an important first step in ending reckless spending and getting our country back on track fiscally. I am proud to say that the House rules package for the 111th Congress maintains the Democratic commitment that government should live within its means--just as every family across America must live within its own budget. While the House of Representatives consistently adheres to the PAYGO rules, the fact remains that these are tough times for our country economically and financially. Millions of American families' jobs and livelihoods are at risk and we have the responsibility to react in a timely and efficient manner. As such, Blue Dogs have worked to include an emergency exception to the House PAYGO rules, similar to the emergency provisions used throughout the 1990s, so that Congress has the flexibility it needs to respond to extraordinary circumstances. Let me be clear: this is not just simply a way around PAYGO. This can only be used in the event of true, defined emergencies such as war, a response to an act of terrorism, a natural disaster, or even the current economic crisis. What is profoundly difficult in all this is that just 8 years ago, President Bush inherited--and squandered--a projected $5.6 trillion surplus from President Clinton. Had President Bush not abandoned the Blue Dog principles of fiscal responsibility that we have long preached, the projected $5.6 trillion dollar surplus would have been available for us to respond to the economic crisis in a swift and effective manner, without having to ask foreign nations such as China, Saudi Arabia, and Iran to pay our bills. In spite of our Nation's current ailments, one thing is for certain. PAYGO is and must continue to be our guiding principle. We should not be in the economic and fiscal situation that we are today, and it's high time we start doing the right thing by paying for what this country buys.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to strongly condemn attacks against Israel in recent weeks. I deeply regret the loss of innocent civilian life in Israel and Gaza and urge Hamas, for the sake of its own people and those in the region, to immediately cease the attacks and agree to a lasting truce with its democratic neighbor. As our strongest ally in the Middle East, I believe Israel has the right to defend its citizens from the constant barrage of Hamas rocket attacks from inside Gaza. For too long, Hamas has used terrorism against Israel to destabilize the region and prevent peace for the people of Israel and the Palestinian territories. As long as Hamas continues to attack innocent Israelis and use ordinary Palestinians as human shields, I will continue to support Israel's right to self-defense and its stated goal of preventing Hamas from firing rockets into Israel. I remain hopeful that the United States and its allies can help bring a sustainable ceasefire to the region through diplomacy and create the conditions necessary for a durable peace.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Madam Speaker, I along with Congressman Costa rise today to commemorate the 75th anniversary of E. & J. Gallo Winery, a historic company that embodies California's agricultural prestige. Over the last 75 years, E. & J. Gallo Winery has transformed the winemaking industry in the United States and has made significant contributions to the economic strength and vitality of California. Following the Prohibition era in 1933, two brothers, Ernest and Julio Gallo, decided to start their own winery. After discovering an old University of California pamphlet on winemaking in the basement of the Modesto Library, they began their business with only $5,900 on hand, a keen business sense, and an entrepreneurial spirit. Over time, they grew their small, family-owned business into one of the largest wineries in the world. The Gallo brothers recognized the fertile soil of the San Joaquin Valley as an ideal location for starting a winery. Competing against hundreds of startup wineries across California following Prohibition, they quickly rose to the top by making wine affordable to everyday people instead of marketing solely to the upper echelons of society. Their business model caught on and E. & J. Gallo Winery quickly became one of the most respected in the business. Decades later, E. & J. Gallo Winery has become one of the most influential wineries worldwide, with over 60 unique wines from a wide variety of locales. They have made a commitment to environmentally sustainable farming and have become a model for the rest of the industry. The Gallo Winery employs 4,600 people in the state of California, providing critical highly skilled employment opportunities in the San Joaquin Valley. E. & J. Gallo Winery has been honored with countless awards for achievement in winemaking, including the American Society of Enologists Merit Award--the wine industry's highest honor--in 1964 for outstanding leadership in the wine industry, the Gold Vine Award from the Brotherhood of the Knights of the Vine wine fraternity, the 1983 Distinguished Service Award from The Wine Spectator, and the Winery of the Year Award in both 1996 and 1998 by the San Francisco International Wine Competition. Few companies rival the generous spirit of E. & J. Gallo Winery. Throughout the state of California, they invested in local communities, including an endowment for the Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto, and the establishment of the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at the University of California at San Francisco for research into genetic, biochemical and neurobiological aspects of alcohol abuse. Madam Speaker, it is our great honor and privilege to recognize E. & J. Gallo Winery on the advent of their 75th anniversary. Their contributions to the wine industry, to agriculture, and to the San Joaquin Valley are an inspiration to us all and we continue to wish them great success for many years to come.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Chairman, I rise in full support of the recent passage of the amended version of H.R. 6842, the National Capitol Security and Safety Act. This legislation will finally bring the District of Columbia into compliance with the Second Amendment rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution. On June 26, 2008, the United States Supreme Court correctly struck down a 32-year-old ban on handgun possession and ownership in the District of Columbia in District of Columbia v. Heller. This handgun ban required that all firearms within the city boundaries be registered, all owners be licensed, and prohibited the registration of handguns after September 24, 1976, making it one of the strictest in the country. The District Council responded to the Heller decision with a temporary, emergency law that made some advances in returning gun rights to District residents but, unfortunately, retained a number of discriminatory obstacles to handgun possession. H.R. 6842, as amended, will revise the District of Columbia code to remove these unnecessary and unconstitutional hurdles to gun ownership. Among other things, the legislation will amend the registration requirements so that they do not apply to handguns, remove arbitrary limits on ammunition and repeal some criminal penalties for carrying unlicensed handguns. In total, H.R. 6842 will allow residents of the District to finally exercise their right to bear arms in a responsible manner, without unnecessary government regulation. Throughout my tenure in Congress, I have consistently co-sponsored legislation to end the DC handgun ban and to expand and preserve Second Amendment rights within the District. While I certainly appreciate the desire to consider rates of violent crime when crafting gun control legislation, our country is based on the premise that enforcement of our fundamental rights cannot be haphazard. Those rights, especially those clearly enumerated in the Bill of Rights, must not be dismissed or diluted. As a hunter and lifelong gun rights advocate, I applaud the passage of the amended version of H.R. 6842 and I look forward to Senate action on this measure.