Dennis Cardoza

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), who absolutely has been an undying advocate on behalf of those who need it the most, those who are going hungry in our country.

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I was remiss when I introduced my colleague, Alcee Hastings from Florida, for his undying support and work with regard to specialty crops. He was joined in this effort by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mahoney) who has been just a stalwart in helping me get the specialty crop title into this bill. And I would like to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mahoney).

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind).

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings).

Mr. CARDOZA. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 1189.

Mr. CARDOZA. For the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings). All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only. General Leave

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the comments of my colleague from California. I would just like to reiterate that this bill and this rule fully complies with the Senate PAYGO rules and it is totally in keeping with the spirit of PAYGO by complying with the 2007 PAYGO baselines as my Republican colleague, Mr. Neugebauer, said last night when he presented the rule to the committee as the Republican ranking member at that time, and his words were that this bill is fully PAYGO compliant. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern).

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, this is a once-in-a-lifetime bill that will meet our country's needs. Every major group, commodities, specialty crops, nutrition groups, conservationists and others support this bill. A ``yes'' vote on this rule and the underlying bill is a vote for America's hungry, a vote for our environment, a vote for United States' energy independence, and a vote to deliver on our long-standing commitment to rural America. Mr. Speaker, I ask all of our colleagues to support this rule and to support the underlying bill. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the rule and on the previous question. The material previously referred to by Mr. Hastings of Washington is as follows: Amendment to H. Res. 1189 Offered by Mr. Hastings of Washington At the end of the resolution, add the following: Sec. 2. That upon adoption of this resolution the Speaker shall, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XVIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5984) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the limited continuation of clean energy production incentives and incentives to improve energy efficiency in order to prevent a downturn in these sectors that would result from a lapse in the tax law. The first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. General debate shall not exceed one hour equally divided and contolled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means. After general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. All points of order against provisions in the bill are waived. No amendment to the bill shall be in order except any amendment which the proponent asserts, if enacted, would have the effect of lowering the national average price per gallon of regular unleaded gasoline and diesel fuel by increasing the domestic supply of oil by permitting the extraction of oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Such amendments shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for thirty minutes equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole. All points of order against such amendments are waived. At the conclusion of consideration of the bill for amendment the Committee shall rise and report the bill to the House with such amendments as may have been adopted. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and amendments thereto to final passage without intervening motion except one motion to recommit with or without instructions.

Mr. CARDOZA. I object.

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on consideration on this point of order, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, when the gentleman says we talked about other issues in the last point of order, I was trying to be gracious with regard to the time and the discussion and allow the gentleman to speak. I raised an issue on the point of order on PAYGO because we are going to discuss that in the rules discussion, in the discussion of the rule. I would just remind the gentleman that in the time he has taken on these two points of order, he will probably have discussed this bill more than any other Member on the floor, even after we agreed to give him 20 minutes of debate on this topic. So I think that the gentleman thus protests too greatly, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I want to emphasize that this conference report fully complies with the earmark rule. In my opinion, it fully complies with the spirit of PAYGO. Mr. Speaker, I would now like to yield to the chairman who would like to respond on that question as well.

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I control the time under the remainder of my motion, and I believe the gentleman is discussing the rule. I don't yield, and if the gentleman from Washington would just suspend for a moment, I just would like to say that I do not yield because we are talking about a whole different topic here. I would like to make sure that we consider the point of order that has been raised directly by the gentleman from Arizona and not make this a wide-ranging debate with regard to the rule.

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1189 provides for consideration of H.R. 2419, the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, the continuation of the Farm, Nutrition and Bioenergy Act of 2007 which we passed off this floor in September of 2007. Mr. Speaker, the conference report rule waives all points of order against the conference report and against its consideration and provides that the conference report shall be considered as read. The rule provides for 1 hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Agriculture, and it also provides one motion to recommit. It should also be noted that despite the blanket waiver, the conference report does not violate clause 9 of rule XXI. Furthermore, I want to point out that the conference report uses the CBO 2007 baseline, the year in which the bill passed both the House and the Senate, and under that baseline, CBO has determined that this conference report will not increase the deficit in either of the years 2008 through 2012 or in the years 2008 through 2017 scoring window. Therefore, while there is a technical violation of clause 10 of rule XXI, this conference report complies with the rule by remaining budget neutral with no net increase in direct spending. In other words, Mr. Speaker, this bill does not increase the deficit and it is PAYGO compliant. Mr. Speaker, as chairman of a subcommittee on the House Agriculture Committee, and as a member of the Rules Committee, I'm pleased to offer the Farm, Conservation, and Energy Act conference report for consideration today. This bipartisan conference report represents the blood, sweat and tears of many Members of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees, including myself. I would be remiss if I did not single out a few individuals at this time. First, I must recognize Chairman Collin Peterson, without whom this farm bill would have never been completed. His unwavering dedication to seeing this bill through to completion should be an example to us all, and I am indeed grateful for his commitment, especially in the face of tremendous adversity. I also want to thank Ranking Member Goodlatte, Leader Hoyer, and certainly, not least, our Speaker of the House, Ms. Pelosi, for their steadfast commitment to creating a farm bill that we can all be proud of and to stand behind, and because of her leadership, there is, in fact, significant reform in this bill. It is hard to believe, but we actually started this process nearly 2 years ago, starting with traveling to nearly every corner of this country to hear directly from farmers and ranchers from all walks of life about what they needed in a modern farm bill. We took these wide- ranging comments to heart and crafted a fiscally responsible, equitable and unparalleled farm bill. I wish I could say that it was all a walk in the park. The House and the Senate passed their respective bills in 2007, and since January of this year, Members of the House and the Senate have been hammering out a compromise. There have been many battles, but in the end, this conference report is something I believe this House should be very proud of. While people didn't get everything they wanted, the country got what it needed. That speaks volumes about the quality of this bill and tells me we ended up in exactly the right place. The Farm, Conservation, and Energy Act builds upon the past successes of Federal farm policy by maintaining the farm bill's safety net, while at the same time providing for substantial increases in conservation, nutrition and energy. However, I'm most proud of the $2.3 billion in new Federal investments for specialty crops, an industry that has been uniformly neglected in previous farm bills despite comprising nearly 50 percent of total farm gate value. Furthermore, this farm bill contains unprecedented reforms to commodity programs by revising program eligibility and strengthening payment limitations. Through major changes to the crop insurance program, we have also increased government efficiency and reduced the waste, fraud and abuse identified in the current farm programs. More importantly, this bill is completely paid for. Through PAYGO, Democrats are fulfilling our promise to live within our means like every household in America is forced to do, and I believe the PAYGO rules, Mr. Speaker, made this a leaner, meaner and better bill, despite the complexities that the new rules presented at times. We pledged to stop writing blank checks with reckless abandon and shouldering our country's needs on the backs of our children and grandchildren. Make no mistake about it, Mr. Speaker, this legislation adheres to the spirit of PAYGO, proving that it can be done. Mr. Speaker, our farmers have the capacity for immeasurable innovation and success, and they deserve the Federal Government's commitment that's included in this bill by supporting this farm bill. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to telling my constituents of the 18th District of California that the United States Congress has accomplished what many thought was an impossible feat in coming to an agreement on a farm bill. Mr. Speaker, I strongly and wholeheartedly urge my colleagues to support this rule and the underlying legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Madam Speaker, it is with the greatest pleasure that I rise today to honor a woman who has become a fixture in local politics in my District. Sandy Lucas is not an elected official or a paid political operative, but has become what can only be described as the voice of common sense in our community. After graduating from the University of Arizona, with a bachelor's degree in history, Sandy began her career in public service in 1974 as Director of the Counseling Job Corps in San Jose. In 1975, she became Director of Polydrug Abuse and Heroin Detox for Santa Clara County. By 1976, Sandy had obtained her license as a Marriage and Family Therapist. She currently serves as the Director of Family and Probate for Stanislaus County. While Sandy's list of professional achievements is lengthy, it is her accomplishments as a volunteer on local government boards that make her the ``go to'' person when gauging the pulse of the community. As a member of the Modesto School Bond Committee, she worked to successfully pass much needed school bonds. She has served for 6 years on the Stanislaus County Commission on Aging, and most recently acted as a member of the Modesto City Charter Review Committee, working hard to update antiquated rules governing a city of more than 200,000. Sandy Lucas has also been active on a statewide level with the Democratic Party. She spent several years as a California Democratic Party Regional Director, ensuring the voice of California's Central Valley was heard by party leaders. Being heard has never been a problem for Sandy Lucas. Her quick wit, tempered reactions, and oh so colorful responses to various occurrences in our community have garnered the respect of area leaders. Sandy's training as a mediator has served her well in politics and given her the ability to see highly divisive issues from every angle, thus bringing workable solutions to the table. On May 2, 2008, Sandy will receive the coveted Liberty Bell Award from the Stanislaus County Bar Association for all of the aforementioned reasons. Sandy has been a gem to our community, and I am honored, Madam Speaker, to have this opportunity to thank her for her selfless service and wish her the very best in continued community involvement.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Madam Speaker, it is with the greatest respect and admiration that I rise today to honor the late Mr. John Joseph Souza. As a lifelong resident of Atwater, California, John was not only a beloved member of our community, but he was an endearing, personal friend of my family. At the age of 77, John Souza passed away on Thursday, April 10, 2008. John was born in Atwater, California on August 8, 1930 to John and Palmira Souza. He attended Atwater Jordan Elementary School, and then Livingston High School where he gradated in 1948. In 1951 John served in the U.S. Army in Korea, and in the years following he married the love his life, Madeline Perry. Upon beginning their life together, John and Madeline purchased the Souza family's ranch. John operated the Souza Dairy for 16 years, owned Souza's Automotive Service in Atwater for 8 years, and then founded Souza's Bailbonds Company, which has been open for the last 34 years. As his lifetime of service reflects, John was a true entrepreneur who happily wore a number of different hats on a daily basis. Not only an avid businessman in the community, John was also a devoted member of St. Anthony's Catholic Church, participated in a number of fraternal organizations, served as Director of the Merced Trade Club, was a member of the Winton V.F.W. and was a Director of the California Bailbond Association of America. In addition to his extensive community service, John was also a member of the U.S. Marshals Posse, the Merced County Sheriffs Posse and Merced County Search and Rescue. He thoroughly enjoyed being a member of the Sheriff's Posse with his horse Blaze, with whom he traveled to Washington, D.C. to ride in the Presidential Inauguration Parade for President Bush. Throughout their lifetime together, John and Madeline traveled to every state in the country, as well as a number of international destinations including Portugal, Mexico, Italy, Canada, Greece and France. Traveling was a favorite pastime for John and Madeline, often venturing down an unknown road just to see where it would take them. In addition to his passion for travel, John's Portuguese heritage meant the world to him. He was a true historian of Portuguese information surrounding the Valley and was fond of attending any Festa he could. John was preceded in death by his son, John Joseph Souza, Jr. He is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Madeline; his son Thomas and daughter-in-law Molly; his son Daniel and daughter-in-law Julia; his grandsons Thomas John Souza Jr. and Timothy Manuel Souza; his brother David Souza and sister Mamie Angelo; and numerous nieces and nephews. Madam Speaker, it is my distinct honor and privilege to join the Souza family and my hometown of Atwater in remembering my dear friend, John Joseph Souza. His life was dedicated to his family, friends and service to his community, and in his passing we have lost greatly.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Madam Speaker, it is with the greatest pleasure that I rise today in recognition of the Central Valley Health Network as they celebrate their tenth anniversary. Comprised of 13 private, non-profit community health center systems, the Central Valley Health Network currently operates 116 clinic sites throughout 20 counties in California, providing high quality health care to those most in need. In the 10 years since its inception, the Central Valley Health Network has provided families throughout the region with health care that is cost-effective, accessible, comprehensive, coordinated, compassionate, and culturally competent. Serving more than 530,000 patients, the Central Valley Health Network facilitates 2.1 million patient visits annually, providing care for low-income individuals, of which 75 percent are at or below the Federal poverty level, 50 percent of whom are enrolled in Medi-Cal, and 35 percent who are uninsured. Combined, it is the chief health care system for low-income families throughout the Central Valley, and in many communities the Central Valley Health Network's clinics are the only primary health care option available. The Central Valley of California consistently experiences far greater physician shortages and dramatically increased rates of chronic diseases than other regions in the State. To address these imbalances, the Central Valley Health Network's mission is to support their member community health center systems in the effective delivery of high quality accessible health care with a special focus on advocacy for attaining optimal health for the medically underserved. Furthermore, the Central Valley Health Network's presence in the region has made a significant impact in local economies, generating over $200 million in Federal funds and creating over 2,000 jobs. The Central Valley Health Network contributes greatly to the improvement of the overall quality of life for families throughout the Central Valley of California. Madame Speaker, I respectfully ask my colleagues to rise and join me in thanking everyone involved with the Central Valley Health Network for the work they do each and every day to provide the people and families of our communities with essential health care services. There is no more important or rewarding work than helping a fellow citizen in need, and through their dedicated and compassionate efforts, thousands of lives have been touched. We all owe them a great debt of gratitude, and I am proud to represent their efforts in Congress.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, it is clear that President Bush is out of touch with today's consumer. First, he refused to accept that the economy was heading in a downturn. Now, it takes a reporter's question for him to realize that gas prices in this country will soon reach $4 a gallon at the pump. Despite being reported in newspapers around the Nation, President Bush has told reporters last week that he didn't realize that $4 gas was possible. The President's energy record leaves a great deal to be desired. Since he took office, gas prices have doubled, and home heating costs have tripled. While President Bush remains out of touch, House Democrats acted last week to ease some of that burden. We passed legislation that repeals unnecessary tax subsidies to big oil companies, which reported record profits last year and last month. Instead, the subsidies will go towards tax incentives for clean, renewable energy. Mr. Speaker, President Bush should recognize that his energy policy has failed the American people, and that he should join us in supporting legislation that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the bill just considered.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Madam Speaker, I just want to thank my colleague, the very capable and wise gentleman from Oklahoma who has been a great friend throughout the years that I have been here and thank him for his assistance in this legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CARDOZA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 2571) to make technical corrections to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.

Mr. CARDOZA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Senate bill 2571 provides a technical correction to the reauthorization of the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act approved by the House and the Senate and that was signed by the President on October 9, 2007. As my colleagues know, EPA is currently responsible for regulating the sale, use, and distribution of pesticides. In order to facilitate and expedite the approval process, pesticide manufacturers and other registrants have supplemented EPA's annual budget for a number of years. It's a win-win process for both the manufacturer and the end user and a clear example of good government at its best. Unfortunately, EPA has interpreted the PRIA reauthorization approved by Congress to collect fees for chemicals that are not part of the Interregional Project Number 4, a popular research program that assesses tolerance levels for pest management chemicals applied on specialty crops. These IR-4 chemicals have historically been exempt from fees prior to the enactment of the PRIA reauthorization, and it was not the intention of the House nor the Senate to suddenly assess fees on all these chemicals. This bill will simply restore the status quo for these particular products and reassert congressional intent. Because the program fees are being assessed on IR-4 chemicals as we speak, it is vitally important to address this situation immediately. While the farm bill would be the natural vehicle to make this technical correction, EPA is currently unable to process any registration applications without these fees being paid. Therefore, while this fix is not controversial, it is extremely time sensitive, and the uncertainty of the farm bill process dictates that Congress must take action now. Restoring congressional intent by passing this technical correction to PRIA will prevent delays and backups of applications and stop EPA from collecting and then reimbursing the fees for these chemicals. It is important that we continue to encourage the type of public- private partnerships envisioned in PRIA. I urge my colleagues to support this technical fix and the underlying goals of the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Madam Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise today to speak on the passing of an esteemed colleague and a true friend, former Congressman Tom Lantos. Tom's dedication, passion, and fervent commitment to human rights will be deeply missed by our Nation and, indeed, around the world. As the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to Congress, Tom fought every day to give voice to the voiceless and make true our commitment to the words ``never again.'' Only 16 when he was rounded up in his native Hungary by the Nazis where he saw most of his family perish, Tom was a living embodiment to the ideals of courage and human rights. First elected to Congress in 1980 after a distinguished career in academia, Tom was a tireless advocate on behalf of his constituents and a fine public servant. Representing parts of San Francisco as well as his hometown, San Mateo, Tom zealously represented the interests of his District and, speaking as a Member of the California delegation, I was proud to serve with him and call him friend. While Tom had a remarkable career of over a quarter of a century in Congress, it was his last year as chairman of his beloved House Foreign Affairs Committee that he seemed to relish the most. From that perch, he was able to advance the cause of human rights and to shine a light on long ignored parts of the globe. Tom is survived by his loving wife Annette, by his two daughters, Annette and Katrina; by 17 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.