Chris Chocola

Mr. CHOCOLA

Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment. The Chairman pro tempore. The Clerk will designate the amendment.

Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, my amendment is simple, straightforward, and based on common sense. I think we have all driven down the highway and have seen trucks parked at night at rest areas and truck stops and we have seen that they are idling or running. The reason that they are doing that is because the drivers inside require electric power to run their heat or cooling or microwave or whatever other electronics they may have in their cab. The problem with the trucks idling or running all night is that they use fuel and they emit pollutions into the environment. So my amendment simply would allow a 400-pound exemption to encourage trucks to utilize on-board independent power systems. According to studies by the EPA and others, long-haul trucks, they idle up to 8 hours per day over 300 days per year. They consume about .8 gallons of diesel fuel each hour that they idle, and that adds up to over 1,900 gallons per year, and they emit 19 metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere while they are idling. So by reducing the unnecessary truck idling, we can save fuel, we can reduce greenhouse gases, we can cut air pollution, and we can save money. For the past 6 years, the companies in the country that have worked on these independent, on-board power systems, they have worked with the EPA and they have worked with the Department of Transportation to come up with systems that provide the power necessary to run the heating, air-conditioning, and other electronic needs. The tests that they have run on these systems have yielded a 65.5 percent reduction in the idle time of trucks that use them and a 59.6 percent reduction in fuel consumption. According to the EPA, we would reduce greenhouse gases, we would reduce nitrogen oxides, we would reduce particulate matter emissions, and save nearly $3,000 a year in fuel costs and lower engine maintenance costs as well. I think my home State of Indiana is a great example. Indiana alone has 17,000 truck parking spaces; and if you drive down the highway at night, every one of them is filled. So, Mr. Chairman, I believe that by offering this exemption we can encourage the use of this technology, resulting in reduced truck emissions, reduced fuel consumption. It would be very beneficial to the United States, and I think that everyone can agree that this is a very beneficial amendment. The amendment is supported by the American Lung Association, the American Trucking Association, the National Association of Truck Stop Operators, and the EPA, and Schneider International, the Nation's largest trucking fleet. Mr. Chairman, the bottom line is we are asking for a one-half of 1 percent weight exemption to implement a very common-sense solution that helps our environment, helps our energy needs, and certainly I think we should pass this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This is a very commonsense approach to a real problem that we have in our Nation's highways and Nation's environment; 400 pounds is one-half of 1 percent weight exemption on an 80,000 pound rig. So adding 400 pounds is a relatively lightweight solution. So I think it is very much based on common sense. It is a simple approach to a real need we have. It is a specific solution that I think that we can implement today by passing this amendment that will not only help our environment; it will help our Nation's reliance on foreign energy. Over $3,000 a year, as the price of fuel goes up and savings goes up, that will be beneficial to every single American. I do not think when you take the risk-reward analysis that the risk is too great when we add \1/2\ of 1 percent to an 80,000 pound rig, as compared to the reward that really every American is going to benefit. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Chairman, that is correct.

Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Chairman, this solution gives all options available. Certainly the Idle Air technology is still very valid. It is very beneficial. And trucks that travel routes where Idle Air technology is available, they certainly can avail themselves of that. But the technology that I am promoting is portable. It can be installed on any truck in the Nation. So it makes the benefits of the Idle Air technology available nationwide. And so by adding this exemption, every truck has the opportunity to enjoy the reduced idling benefits even if the Idle Air technology is not available in their region.

Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I do think it is a commonsense approach to a problem that we have. There are different ways to approach this problem that have benefits. But the one I am suggesting makes available to every truck on the Nation's highways the opportunity to incorporate reduced idling technology anywhere in the country in that they can have the opportunity to shut their engine off at night, quit polluting our air, quit using fuel unnecessarily. And I think everyone will benefit from that. We can continue to look for new solutions, but this is something we can do today to help our trucking industry, help our economy, create jobs, and help our environment all at the same time. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. CHOCOLA

Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Speaker, during the next 3 months, Medicare beneficiaries will begin to see real savings on the cost of their prescription drugs with the help of voluntary Medicare-approved discount drug cards. Starting in April, Medicare beneficiaries will be notified by mail of their discount card eligibility, discount card offerings, and enrollment procedures. By June, all Medicare beneficiaries, except those who already have Medicaid drug coverage, will be able to buy a card for about $30 and take it to their local pharmacy and receive 10 to 25 percent off of the regular cost of their drugs. People with incomes below 135 percent of poverty who sign up for the card will be eligible for an additional $600 of additional assistance per year to help further reduce the cost of their prescription drugs in 2004 and 2005. This low-income assistance will benefit over 12,000 Indiana Hoosiers in my district, the second district of Indiana, and almost 200,000 Hoosiers statewide. Mr. Speaker, I applaud my colleagues who voted to support the bipartisan Medicare bill and the creation of a discount drug card program that will reduce the cost of prescriptions for our seniors and provide additional relief to low-income Medicare beneficiaries.

Mr. CHOCOLA

Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr Speaker, I rise today to congratulate two of my constituents for receiving recognition by the ninth annual Prudential Spirit of Community Awards; Alexandra Holderman of Mishawaka, Indiana, and Karva Vaidyanathan of Granger, Indiana. These awards constitute America's largest youth recognition program based exclusively on volunteerism. The program was created by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals in 1995 to impress upon all youth volunteers that their contributions are critically important. Alexandra was named one of the top two youth volunteers in Indiana for 2004. She will be honored at the national awards ceremony in Washington, DC, this coming May. Nominated by LaSalle Elementary School, Alexandra has collected and delivered more than 1,200 bundles of baby clothing, blankets, diapers, and other supplies over the past five years for infants born to needy single and teen-age mothers. Karva has been named a Distinguished Finalist by the program's judges, and will receive a bronze medallion for her outstanding volunteer work. Karva collected 25 cartons of school supplies and $3,000 to purchase computers for orphans attending a vocational training school in India. I am proud of the work accomplished by Alexandra and Karva, and I commend them for taking an active role in their communities. They have demonstrated a level of commitment and accomplishment that is truly extraordinary in today's world, and they deserve our sincere admiration and respect. Their actions show that young Americans can--and do--play important roles in our communities, and that America's community spirit continues to hold tremendous promise for the future.

Mr. CHOCOLA

Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Speaker, one of the most important issues that we face as a Nation today domestically is the rising cost of health care. The most effective way to address that issue is to return more ownership and control of health care coverage. That is exactly what the health savings accounts created under the bipartisan Medicare bill do. HSAs are portable accounts that allow individuals to save and withdraw tax-free dollars for their health care needs and medical expenses not covered by their insurance. Individuals own the accounts and the savings can be carried over year after year and from job to job, and people can build wealth into their retirement. By offering individuals ownership and control of their health care coverage, we return control to the patients; and that is exactly where it should be. Mr. Speaker, I applaud my colleagues who have voted to support the bipartisan Medicare bill which will help reduce medical expenses and improve the health care system in America.

Mr. CHOCOLA

Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a fellow Hoosier legislator, Senator Kent Adams, for his many years of dedicated service to the citizens of Indiana and to congratulate him upon the occasion of his retirement. Senator Adams obtained his Bachelor of Science Degree from Manchester College. He then continued his education, earning his Masters of Arts from Ball State University and a Degree in Education from Walden University; Senator Adams also attended the State Police Academy at Indiana University. Senator Adams has dedicated himself to public service throughout his life. Upon completing his degrees, he pursued a career in education as a teacher and a school administrator. In addition, Senator Adams also served as an Indiana State Trooper. Senator Adams was first elected to the Indiana General Assembly in 1988. He served two terms in the House of Representatives and was named Outstanding Freshman Legislator in 1989. Then, in 1992, Senator Adams was elected to the Indiana Senate, and currently serves as Chair of the Governmental Affairs & Interstate Cooperation Subcommittee and is a ranking member of the Environmental Affairs and Natural Resources committees. He also serves on the Pensions and Labor committee. Senator Adams was recognized for achieving a one hundred percent voting attendance record, having been present for all 570 roll-call votes recorded during the 16 week long 2003 legislative session. In addition to his duties at the Senate, Senator Adams has also been actively involved in his local community as a member of the Kosciusko County Historical Society and the Kosciusko County Retired Teachers Association. He has also served as a board member for the Bowen Center for Human Services and the Warsaw Community Development Corporation. After 16 years in the Indiana General Assembly, Senator Adams recently announced that he would not seek re-election to Indiana Senate District 9 in 2004. Upon the completion of his third term, Senator Adams looks forward to spending more time with his wife, Nancy, and their five children and fifteen grandchildren. Mr. Speaker, I know his constituents will be sorry to see him leave. But both they and his family can take comfort in the knowledge that he has both capably and honorably represented District Nine for the past 16 years. I know that all of Senator Adams' colleagues agree with me in saying that they are proud to have served with him during his long and distinguished career. I wish him and his family well.

Mr. CHOCOLA

Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Indiana State Representative Richard W. Mangus. He will be retiring from the Indiana House of Representatives this year after a long and distinguished career. Representative Mangus was first elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in November, 1972. Since that time he has served the people of St. Joseph and Elkhart counties honorably; always seeking to improve the legislative process while representing the needs and sentiments of his constituents. During his sixteen terms in office, Representative Mangus has served as the Ranking Member on the Environmental Affairs Committee; Ranking Member on the Constitutional Law Committee; Ranking Minority Member on the Natural Resources Committee; Chairman of the Elections and Reappointment Committee; Chairman of the House Environmental Affairs Committee; a Member of the House Human Affairs Committee; and a member of the House Public Policy Committee. He is currently serving as the Ranking Minority Member on the House Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Rural Development. He has been honored and recognized by many organizations and fellow legislators throughout his sixteen term career. Some of these distinguished awards have been: Fraternal Order of Police Legislator of the Year; Professional Firefighters Legislator of the Year; District Soil and Water Conservation Special Recognition Award for Support of District Programming; 4-H Leadership 20 Year Service Award; Izaak Walton League Environmental Achievement Award; State of Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award; and the Jr. Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Citizen of the Year Award. Representative Mangus was born in Lakeville, Indiana, in 1930. He and his wife Mary still remain in Lakeville where their five children were raised. Representative Mangus is a member of the Lakeville Lions Club, Lakeville Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, Scottish Rite, Order of the Eastern Star, Lakeville Commerce Association, County Line Brethren Church, and Toastmasters. Mr. Speaker, I know the citizens of St. Joseph and Elkhart counties join me in congratulating Representative Mangus and wish him continued success in the future.

Mr. CHOCOLA

Mr. CHOCOLA. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Chairman, the banking industry estimates that it spends approximately $25 billion annually to comply with the regulatory requirements imposed at the Federal and State levels of government. While some of these regulations help to ensure the reliability of our financial services sector, many of the mandates that emerge from Washington, D.C. are overly burdensome, unnecessarily costly, and oftentimes hinder profitability, innovation and competition. Whenever we can identify examples of unnecessary regulatory obstacles, Congress should act to eliminate them. H.R. 1375, the Financial Services Regulatory Relief Act of 2004, is a well-crafted bill that does exactly that. It allows credit unions, savings associations, and national banks to devote more of their resources to the business of lending to consumers and less to the bureaucratic maze of compliance with outdated and unnecessary regulations. It contains a broad range of provisions that, taken as a whole, will help grant parity among financial institutions of all characters and sizes as well as the agencies that regulate them and, most importantly, the customers they serve. Of the many important provisions in this bill, several are significant for Indiana's credit unions. For example, access to the Federal Home Loan Bank is available only for financial institutions that are federally insured. H.R. 1375 contains a provision that would allow privately insured financial institutions to join the Federal Home Loan Bank. The Federal Home Loan Bank is a significant low-cost source of funds that a credit union can use to expand loan products, especially mortgage loans, to its members. Indiana has more than 20 privately insured credit unions, including Elkhart County Farm Bureau Credit Union, whose members could benefit from access to the Federal Home Loan Bank. Currently, credit unions may only offer check cashing and money transfer services to members. H.R. 1375 contains a provision that allows credit unions to offer these services to anyone who is eligible for membership but has not yet joined the credit union. This would allow credit unions to extend services to underserved consumers at a lower cost than check cashers and money transfer providers, while introducing them to mainstream financial services. By passing this legislation, Congress will demonstrate its commitment to reducing the regulatory burden. I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1375.

Mr. CHOCOLA

Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Speaker, later today we are going to have a debate about a resolution of Iraq, and we will hear a lot of debate about whether America is safer because of our successes in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mr. Speaker, there really is no debate, and I saw the proof with my own eyes when I recently traveled to Libya and met with Muammar Qaddafi, and I heard Muammar Qaddafi say with my own ears that he did not want to follow the path of Saddam Hussein and that is why he had decided to dismantle his weapons of mass destruction and abandon supporting terrorists. Mr. Speaker, some of my friends on the other side of the aisle do not understand that we are winning the war on terror, but Muammar Qaddafi understands it perfectly clear, and he wants to be on the winning side.

Mr. CHOCOLA

Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to offer an update from the Washington Waste Watch. Every year the Federal Government wastes billions of dollars as a result of overpayments of government agencies, misuse of government credit cards, abuse of the Federal entitlement programs, and the mismanagement of the Federal bureaucracy. The waste exists in every program in every agency, in every Department of the Federal Government. Mr. Speaker, let me share a few examples with you. Accounting errors prevented the Department of Agriculture from being able to account for $5 billion of its receipts and expenditures. The Department had no way of knowing where the money came from and where it had gone. The Department of Defense spent $41 million to develop a system to track its ammunition, but 8 years later no system had been created or was close to completion. Individuals defaulting on their student loans cost the Department of Education $4 billion in 1999 alone. An audit of the Department of Energy discovered that the Department had incorrectly listed $900 million in assets instead of liabilities and could not account for $56 million in missing funds. That is not all, Mr. Speaker. A 2000 audit of the Department of Labor discovered that 35 percent of the recipients of dislocated worker benefits were ineligible for the program. More than a quarter of the IRS's earned income credit payments were improper. The error rate is consistently between 27 and 32 percent of the total claims. In 1999 alone it cost the American taxpayers $8.1 billion. The Veterans Affairs Department continued to pay the daughter of a veteran $78,000 in benefits after the veteran had died. Now, Mr. Speaker, these are amazing examples. But what I think is even more amazing is that the Democrats want to raise our taxes to pay for more of this. Mr. Speaker, these are but a few of the examples of the enormous amounts of waste that the Federal Government generates every single year, but these are only the tip of the iceberg when compared to the total amount of waste in Federal Government. Mr. Speaker, as long as the Democrats continue to define the value of programs by how much we spend rather than how well or how effectively we spend, the taxpayers will continue to suffer. Yet, Mr. Speaker, the Democrats still want to raise our taxes for more of this.

Mr. CHOCOLA

Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, March 2nd, and Wednesday, March 3rd, I was on official government travel in Libya and missed several votes. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall votes 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 and 37.

Mr. CHOCOLA

Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Rochester High School Lady Zebras on their Indiana High School Athletic Association Girls Basketball Class 2A state championship. When the final horn sounded on Saturday, March 6, at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, over 9,000 fans witnessed the young women of Rochester High School's girls basketball team win their first ever state championship over Heritage Christian 51 to 40. As a team, the Lady Zebras set championship game marks for free throws made (25), free throws attempted (28) and free throw percentage (89). It was the Zebras' 14th consecutive victory. Their state championship win leaves Rochester at an impressive 25 and 2 mark for the year. I would like to acknowledge Coach Tony Stesiek and Assistant Coaches Katie Felke, Jason Snyder, Stacy Stesiak, Andrea Milliser and Randy Wynn on an exceptional season. On behalf of the citizens of the Second Congressional District, I would like to congratulate all of the players including seniors Lindsey Dishman, Courtney Felke, Jamie Fornal, Brooke Riddle, Aubry Roe, juniors Randall Heyde, Morgan Thomas, sophomores Ryleigh Carr, Jenna Easterday, Kendra Howard, and freshmen Lesley Cox, Cassie Greives and Bethany Sewell. Student managers Lindsey Helstern, Ali Hunt and Stephen Williams and Athletic Training student Lindsey Bright also deserve a special congratulation. I would also like to take a moment to recognize senior Courtney Felke. She was named the 2004 Patricia L. Roy Mental Attitude Award winner for Class 2A. At the conclusion of the girls basketball state finals, the IHSAA Executive Committee presents the award to the outstanding senior in the state finals competition. Courtney's grit and determination to win this state title began four years ago when she, along with the rest of the seniors, started shooting free throws in the mornings before school began. It paid off in Saturday's title game. Mr. Speaker, I know that everyone in Fulton County, Indiana, from Principal Dennis Eller, Assistant Principal Steven Lyng and Athletic Director Mark Miller, to every one of their parents, is extremely proud of these young women. Again, I would like to congratulate the Rochester High School girls basketball team on winning their first-ever state basketball championship.

Mr. CHOCOLA

Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for bringing us together tonight to talk about a very important subject. Mr. Speaker, it is a bit unfortunate that we are actually here tonight, that we have to talk about the facts, that we have to cut through the rhetoric, cut through the misinformation that has revolved around this very important bill that delivers a very important benefit to our seniors. The facts are that the Medicare bill is a voluntary bill, and no one has to do anything that they do not want to. They can keep the Medicare exactly the way it is, or they can add a very significant benefit. The facts are that they have a choice, they have a choice that will best fit their individual needs, and they can change that choice as their needs change. They can also save about 50 percent on their prescription drug needs. This bill will lower the cost to the average senior by about 50 percent for their prescription drug needs. But the facts are, we are here because we have to focus on those facts, as our colleagues are doing tonight. Like my colleagues, I did about 10 to 15 town hall meetings on this issue; and what I found is people came with a sincere interest to learn, a sincere interest to cut through the rhetoric and understand how this Medicare bill impacts them in their daily lives. I appreciate the comments that my colleagues have made to help clarify how this impacts our seniors on a day-to-day basis. But one of the most difficult questions that I got during those town hall meetings was the question, Why can we not bring cheaper drugs in from Canada? The answer, Mr. Speaker, is that we can bring cheaper drugs in from Canada, so long as the Food and Drug Administration can guarantee their safety. Because what we do not hear, Mr. Speaker, is there is a provision in this Medicare bill that allows Canadian drugs to come into the United States so long as the FDA can guarantee their safety, just like we ask the FDA to guarantee the safety of every single drug that is sold in America. I asked the question, Why would we ever let a drug come into the United States that does not live up to the same quality and the same safety standards as every drug that is sold inside the United States? I had one lady stand up and she said, Well, do not give me any safety arguments. Do not talk about counterfeit drugs. I asked her, Well, why should I not do that? She said, Because I have a bottle here that says made in the USA. In fact, it says Eli Lilly, made right here in the State of Indiana. I said, Well, ma'am, how do you know that those are not counterfeit drugs? She said, I know because I am smart. And I said, Well, with all due respect, ma'am, it does not have anything to do with how smart you are or how smart I am; it has to do with whether you have a chemical engineering degree, or whether you have a chemical lab in the back seat of your car or your basement, because the only way that you can determine whether those drugs are counterfeit or not are to do the chemical analysis. Although she did not necessarily agree with that, she wanted to keep talking about it. I said, Well, let me share with you a story. This is a story that happened right here on the floor of the House of Representatives last summer. Last summer I came on the floor and I sat down in the aisle right behind me and I sat down next to the chief of staff of the Committee on Agriculture on which I serve. The chief of staff turned to me and said, You know what? An hour ago we found out that there was a cow in Canada with mad cow disease. Mr. Speaker, one may ask, What does mad cow disease have to do with counterfeit drugs coming into the United States? The reality is that within 12 hours we had shut down our borders. There was no cow that was going to come in to the United States from Canada because we were concerned about mad cow disease infecting the citizens of this country. Well, Mr. Speaker, the reality is, do my colleagues know how many people have ever suffered from mad cow disease in the history of the world? A little over 100, not one of those people in the United States. So we have a national outcry. When one cow in Canada is infected with mad cow disease, we will not let one cow cross that border. We will not let one ounce of beef from Canada come into the United States. Yet we will talk about allowing prescription drugs that could be counterfeit coming across those borders. Mr. Speaker, I think we as Members of Congress have a responsibility to share the facts of the Medicare bill, and we have the responsibility to stand up and not do what is politically popular, but what protects our constituents, protects consumers of the United States, and focus on the real issue, which is the affordability of prescription drugs. And this bill addresses that problem with the high cost of drugs, because it has a discount card that will provide a 10 to 25 percent immediate savings for seniors, it brings market competition into the prescription drug health care marketplace, it has health savings accounts, as my colleagues have talked about tonight. There are a lot of other things we could discuss about the real issues; but we should not engage in scare tactics, and we should not put the health care at risk of all of the citizens of this country by bringing counterfeit drugs in from anywhere, not just Canada, but anywhere from outside this country.

Mr. CHOCOLA

Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in opposition to this amendment. The reason I rise in opposition is because I think it reduces the effectiveness of faith-based organizations because it prevents them from hiring people that share their values and their beliefs. I think the most effective organizations in many of our communities, and certainly in the second district of Indiana, and I do not think my district is really any different than any other, that some of the most effective organizations that serve our communities' needs are faith- based organizations. With any organization, whether it is faith-based or not, it is the people that make it effective. It is not the building, it is not the computers, it is not anything other than the people that breathe life into that organization. And it is the people that share common values, common beliefs, and share a common mission that truly make it effective and truly help it serve our communities' needs. Now the supporters of this amendment want to prevent that from happening. They want to prevent people coming together that share common beliefs from serving community needs. Before we vote on this, I ask every Member of this body to examine their own hiring practices. When we hire people to work in our offices, do we not ask them what their values and beliefs are? Do we not require that the they share our beliefs in their view of the role of the Federal Government? Do we not ask them to share our beliefs in how we should spend the taxpayers' dollars? Do we not ask them to share our beliefs in our political philosophy? So, Mr. Chairman, I urge a ``no'' vote on this amendment because I do not think that we should ask anyone to do things that we are not willing to do ourselves. We ask people who work for us in our office to share our values and beliefs so they can be effective in serving the people of this country. I think we should ask no less to allow faith- based organizations to ask people what their values and their beliefs are so they can serve the communities across this country in each and every one of our districts as effectively as possible.

Mr. CHOCOLA

Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank him for his leadership in bringing us to together tonight to really discuss what has been pointed out, I think, as one of the historic bills we will consider in our career, no matter how long we serve in this body and have the privilege of representing the people in our home districts. We have had a lot of talk about all the provisions that are in this bill and how important they are, and certainly the prescription drug provision is very important in the basis of this bill, and I join my colleagues in saying it is about time that we live up to the promises that we have made to our seniors and really live up to our responsibility to deliver the prescription drug benefit under Medicare that they deserve. Really, what I would like to do tonight is focus on another provision of the bill that I think is equally important and really has an impact on every single working family in our country. Not only does it impact retirees, not only does it impact Medicare recipients, but it impacts every single family in this country, and as the gentleman from Georgia pointed out, that is health savings accounts; and the reason I want to talk about this is because ever since the day I decided to run for Congress, every single conversation that I have had about health care in America has revolved around the following conversation. Basically, health care reform is the most important and complicated domestic issue that we face as a Congress, and the only way that we are going to see true health care transformation in this country is to have individual ownership and control of health care coverage; and the only way that we are going to have individual ownership and control of health care coverage is to have what we used to call medical savings accounts, but now we call health savings accounts, because it rewards people for shopping for their health care services on economic, not an emotional, basis, and it is an opportunity for people to build wealth over a period of their life, over the course of their career, and they can use that wealth to cover their retiree health care needs. I used to be a small business owner, as the gentleman from Georgia pointed out, and we had about 1,300 employees. We provided very generous health care benefits for our employees, but every year it was harder and harder and harder to be able to keep those benefits in place at a reasonable cost to the company and reasonable cost to the employees; but every single day I saw the magic of ownership in accounts like profit sharing plan accounts, like a 401(k) plan. People that live paycheck to paycheck did not have bank accounts, took 100 percent personal responsibility in those accounts because they knew it was their money, and if it was managed well, it would benefit their retirements and their family. I thought every day as I watched the magic of that ownership, why can we not apply these same principles to health care coverage in America, and that is exactly what health savings accounts do. As an employer would it not be great if we could establish a system that says that the employer can contribute and the individual can contribute on a tax-free basis into an account that covers a high-deductible policy? Mr. Speaker, for those that are not familiar with what health savings accounts are, basically they are a high-deductible health care policy, and the high-deductible portion of that policy is owned by the beneficiary of that policy. They make the decisions on what medical services they are going to buy. They make the decisions on how much they are going to pay for those medical services; and if they are good shoppers and they are relatively healthy, and certainly our experience in our company, I do not think it was too different than most experiences, in that the 80/20 rule applies. Eighty percent of the people are pretty healthy, and they do not really need expensive health care coverage. Twenty percent of the people do encounter health care needs, and they will be covered by the catastrophic portion of their coverage; but for the 80 percent, they will be able to shop wisely and save money. That is in their account on a year-by-year basis. That money will grow tax free year over year and grow into an asset that they can utilize in their retirement to purchase qualified health care needs. Mr. Speaker, I do not think there is anything we can do that would be more responsible as Members of Congress than to free the American people to have wealth for their health care retirement needs. Certainly Medicare is a very important provision. It has been a great law in this country and has covered many people in a very responsible way. As this whole debate goes on this week, we will all recognize that since 1965 health care in America has changed, and we need to change Medicare to reflect that change. And we certainly need to provide a prescription drug benefit for our Medicare recipients. But would it not be great if we could provide every single American working family the opportunity to build wealth and be able to be free to have a substantial account in the bank, to be able to have the flexibility to have the health care services they desire, no matter what those are, when they retire? So, Mr. Speaker, I think it is so important that we do not forget how important this provision is. And as we talk about how do we lower health care costs in America, just think of this: When is the last time you changed the oil in a rental car? If we do not own it, we do not take care of it. If we own our health care coverage, we have every incentive to take care of ourselves. We are rewarded for having health prevention and we are rewarded for buying our health care costs on an economic basis. And there are two examples to show how powerful that is. Three years ago, I had LASIK surgery. And 3 years ago, I paid $3,000 to have that LASIK surgery so I could see. Today, you can probably go for 30 to 40 percent less to have that same surgery. The only difference in that medical procedure is that it is not covered by insurance. It is paid for by people out of their own pocket. They shop, and economic and market forces have driven that cost down. The same thing with elective surgery. People who have plastic surgery, those costs have risen slower than the cost of inflation. So, Mr. Speaker, it is possible to bring health care costs down in America. It is possible to live up to our responsibility to our seniors. It is possible to give every American family the freedom and the flexibility to have the wealth to take care of their retirement health care needs if we pass this bill. So I join with my colleagues here tonight to encourage every Member of this body to pass H.R. 1 and live up to our responsibilities to the American people.

Mr. CHOCOLA

Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the young men and women of St. Joseph High School Indians' boys and girls soccer teams. St. Joe High School, located in my District in South Bend, Indiana, has about 750 students. On a cold Sunday, the 22-member boys team set out to win their first-ever state championship. Mr. Speaker, these young men not only captured their first Indiana High School Athletic Association State Soccer Championship, but they did it in dramatic fashion. They finished with a perfect record-- twenty-four wins and no losses. This great triumph is a direct result of years of hard work, discipline, dedication, and devotion to the sport. In fact, I know that the 10 seniors on the team have been playing together since the age of 8. The players, coaching staff, and parents brought the game of soccer to new levels, and the entire team should be congratulated for a season that will no doubt go down in school history. The girls soccer team also had a fantastic season. Finishing with seventeen victories, the Lady Indians marked their return to the state finals with a valiant effort. They should be very proud of their runnerup state champion title. I would like to acknowledge Coach LeRoy Krempec and Coach Johan Kuitse for their brilliant seasons. On behalf of the citizens of the Second Congressional District, I would like to congratulate Brian Wynne, Joe Leary, Raynor Dongieux, James Urbany, Andy Urbany, David Pope-Davis, Sam Fallon, Michael Hughes, Spencer McCollester, Jason Bathrick, Alejandro Gurule, John Cananaugh, Collin Fitzsimmons, Peter Sabo, Patrick Bishop, Logan Conner, Patrick Murphy, Mike McDonald, Patrick Kelly, Wil Banik, Michael Brady, Matthew Pellegrino, Assistant Coach Todd Peterson, and student manger Kevin McCombs on their state championship. Additionally, I would also like to congratulate Alison Smith, Carolyn Murphy, Julie Veldman, Stephanie Horvath, Kristen Hayes, Meg McHugh, Susan Pinnick, Meghan Paladino, Alison Lindsey, Jenny Thornton, Christine Sweeney, Julie Paunicka, Lizzie Gerard, Ali Nellis, Erin James, Cathrine Guentert, Collen Kelly, Morgan Cox, Lindsey Hyduk, Caitlyn Edmonds, Kelly Roberson, Allison Sweeney, Assistant Coaches Phil DePauw, Marianne Ciolitto, and Carrie Applegate for their remarkable season. Mr. Speaker, I know that these young men and women will go far in their future endeavors. They have already demonstrated they have what it takes to be a champion. I wish the seniors the best of luck. Again, I would like to congratulate the St. Joe High School boys soccer team for winning their first-ever state title and the girls soccer team for their exceptional runner-up finish at the state tournament.

Mr. CHOCOLA

Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Concord Marching Minutemen on their Class B Indiana State School Music Association Championship. The young men and women of the Concord High School marching band, located in my District in Elkhart, Indiana, competed in the ISSMA championships on Sunday, October 26, in the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana. On this day, Mr. Speaker, Concord marched out of the RCA Dome as champions. Concord was the final band to compete in the class, proving the old adage ``Save the best for last.'' I've been told the band delivered a flawless performance of its colorful ``Guitarras Espanoles,'' which includes ``La Fiesta Mexicana'' and ``Malaguena.'' This was the band's second championship. They won their first in 1992. I'd like to congratulate drum majors Ryan Tahara, Sarah Nagy and Patrick Doherty for leading their band to victory. The 2003 Class B champs include: Piccolo: Amanda Bechtel, Brynne Bourdon; Flute: Kelly Aaron, Peter Boshart, Alyssa Byrum, Ashley Hardy, Danielle Hudkins, Anita Kaoma, Renae Kerwood, Mindy Lux, Rachel McKenzie, April Miller, Erica Moskowitz, Luke Overton, Emily Parks, Amber Parsons, Cassie Rhude, Erica Schmucker, Whitney VanHook, Brittany Victor, Brandi Walters, Libby Watson, Kim Yoder; Clarinet: Audrey Acosta, Marisa Amos, Kate Barghahn, Christine Cameron, Heather Collins, Lacey Conwell, Daniela de la Reza, Diana de la Reza, Kimberlie Dina, Dustin Doherty, Julie Elmore, Amy Guarnuccio, Megan Gunn, Jenni Hillyer, Mandy Himes, Michelle James, Alarice Johnson, Kylie Kern, Kayla Killian, Catie Lynch, Nicole Lynch, Kaitlin McClure, Holly Meyers, Jessica Miller, Larisa Murray, Laura Pauwels, Jordan Reyes, Erin Shroyer, Mark, Smith, Nicole Smith, Monica Torres; Bass Clarinet: Ana Rodriguez, Kimberly Berndt, Logan Bourdon, Carl Byler, Cora Christophel, Amy Fager, Jon Rhoades, Andrew Troyer, Brian Zimmerle; Alto Saxophone: Cameron Bradley, Megan Cikara, Deb Elliott, Lizzie Fish, Celby Hadley, Dustin Knight, Mike Koscielny, Ryan Perkins, Matthew Schmucker, Stephanie Stevens, Aaron Yoder; Tenor Saxophone: Josh Cranmer, Ian Faigh, Ryan Shroyer, Kayleigh Shurtz, Daniel Weaver; Trumpet: Blake Baker, Missy Barton, Megan Bortner, Mark Brown, Andrew Christophel, Vanessa Clark, Thomas Davidhizar, Andrew Davis, Ryan Detwiler, Colin Doherty, Daniel Fischer, Evan Jarvis, Bradley Kime, Grant Longenbaugh, Richie Lutes, Tyler Maxey, Julie McCarty, Keith McCrorey, Jason Miller, Justin Moore, Jared Nymeyer, Jeremy Parker, Ross Sawyer, Kelly Schaffer, Laurie Schalliol, Jim Schoeffler, Craig Searer, Sam Shafer, Nakia Simpson, Andrew Smole, Bryce Victor, Justin Watts, A J Willett, Ellen Wilson, Adam Yoder; Mellophone: Melanie Gingerich, Genni Housman, Stephen Kauffman, Mike Kennel, Amy Kronemyer, Kathy Lambright, Samantha Nagy, Megan Shaw, Melissa Toby; Trombone: Sean Allison, Jeremy Crawford, Katie Dina, Derek Eller, Sean Emmons, Chad Hoien, Brandy Jackson, Steven Karanja, Brent Lehman, Kevin Lipp, Veronica Meade, Betsy Ritchie, Alec Sanderson, Brandon Schenk, Andrew Stout, Kenneth White, Teneen Zimmer; Baritone: Jeffrey Eads, Bryan Eichorst, John Kauffman, Matthew Lanouette, Derek Lipp, Ryan McCarty, Trenton Prieshoff, Robert Stout, Alan Tack, Paul Tucker; Tuba: Aaron Bowser, Jonathan Freel, Suzanne Holcomb, Jared Klingler, Brandon Long, Jeremy Rowe, Andrew Trosper; Guitar: Jordan Swartzendruber, Matt Tompkins; Snare Drum: Lisa Bennett, Jennifer Bollero, Eric Rhude, Nick Stubbs; Quad Drums: John Bibbee, George Wright; Bass Drum: Justin Miracle, Derek Richard, Michael Johnson, Susie Bower, Brandon Dascoli; Cymbals: Bryce Canen, April Mascola, Dustin McLain, Bryant Quist, Sarah Runswick; Percussion Pit: Cory Allison, Amy Clark, Jonathan Faloon, Eric Foley, Matthew Schnaars, Andrew Stevens, Mark Wyrick; Color Guard: Elise Arvidson, Alicia Baer, Tiffany Baker, Mandy Beer, Karen Berndt, Ashley Bunch, Heather Dean, Hillary Durie, Mikala Ellsworth, Ashley Faloon, Ashley Guerra, Olivia Guevara, Chrissy Hoover, Jessica Hoover, Brittney Houston, DeAnna Jackson, Danielle Johnson, Leanne Johnson, Audrey Lanning, Allison Matthews, Jessica Meade, Amber Miller, Kourtney Mumaw, Kelly Perkins, Jessica Scott, Tara Scott, Jill Sheldon, Rachel Sirinek, Sierra Smith, Kristen Weaver. I would also like to congratulate Director of Music Max Jones, Associate Band Director Scott Spradling, Assistant Band Directors Scott Spradling, April Duffey, Bryan Golden and Steve Peterson, Dance & Color Guard instructor Colleen Piekarz, Sound Technicians Aaron Ulrich and Scott Preheim, and Percussion Specialist Amy Davis for developing an award-winning program. Shirley Dyer, Dianne Jones, Matt Hall, Kelly Novy, and Katie Shoufler also deserve a note of thanks for helping make things run smoothly. Mr. Speaker, you have to admire the dedication of the students, instructors and parents. It takes a lot of long hours and hard work to be a champion and the young men and women at Concord High School have proven they have what it takes to be champions. Again, on behalf of the citizens of the Second Congressional District, I would like to congratulate the Concord Marching Minutemen on their Class B state championship. We are all proud of you.

Mr. CHOCOLA

Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I rise today in support of the supplemental. Mr. Chairman, I do not think the case for support of this supplemental can be made any better than by a young woman I met in Iraq recently. Recently, I was in the town of Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown; and I met a young woman who is a private in the Marines. I asked her, as we were having dinner with several other soldiers, what would you like me to tell people when I go back home? And she said what I want the people at home to understand is that I am here in harm's way. I am here because I want to protect my family at home and my country at home. She went on to explain that if we are successful in this effort, Iraq will become a free, democratic, prosperous society that will be a model for the Middle East; and it will have ripple effects of stability and peace and security not only through the Middle East but all over the world. And she said if we do not succeed, Iraq will become the home of terrorists and radical Islamists and jihadists that will export hate, murder, and violence all over the world. So, Mr. Chairman, this is an issue that is much bigger than $87 billion; it is much bigger than the people of Iraq. It is about the future of the Middle East; it is about the future of our globe and having the opportunity to bring much stronger stability all over the world, which will protect every single American at home. So, Mr. Chairman, I strongly encourage every Member of this body to support the supplemental of $87 billion.

Mr. CHOCOLA

Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Chairman, I rise with great reluctance in opposition to this amendment from my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence); but I feel it is important that I must speak out about what I view is the right thing to do. I am joined by many of my colleagues who have been to Iraq. Certainly I cannot speak for every Member who has been to Iraq, but everyone that I have spoken with has seen the hope and seen the optimism, seen the possibilities that our support of the Iraqi people can bring, not only to Iraq but to all Americans here at home. We realize this is not only an investment in the Iraqi people; this is an investment in the future generations of America. Because if we can help the Iraqi people build a secular, strong, free government and a viable economy, the ripple effects of freedom and democracy and stability will reach our shores in great waves. Mr. Chairman, I will say that we will be paid back, that we must make this a grant; but we will be paid back in the dividends of freedom and hope and stability and more security right here in our country. And I think that is the most valuable dividend we could ever receive.