Russ Carnahan

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, last November the American people demanded dramatic changes and provided a substantial Democratic majority. Since the election, President Bush has yet to show he got the message. While an overwhelming majority of Americans are demanding that the Iraqi Government take more control, the President has, instead, proposed an escalation plan that flies in the face of military experts, the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, Democrat and Republican leaders in Congress and the American public. While the President continues his failure to listen when it comes to Iraq, I hope tonight he will actually propose some helpful solutions to some of the most pressing concerns of hardworking middle-class Americans like those I represent in the State of Missouri. This Democratic House has already produced positive results for the American people, passing our promised 100-hour agenda. I hope the President embraces these policies tonight and shows the American people that he has heard their discontent and plans to work with the Democratic Congress that the American people chose to take us in a new direction.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I stand before you today to honor the efforts of Kirkwood police officers Chris Nelson and Gary Wagster in their rescue of Ben Ownby and Shawn Hornbeck. Because of these officers' keen skills, these young boys have been reunited to their families and may return to the business of growing up. By their efforts, Officers Nelson and Wagster have given hope to the many families who long for their children's homecoming. The officers may say that they ``simply did their job.'' However, Madam Speaker, this simply demonstrates the importance and value of the police officers who serve and protect our communities. Officers Chris Nelson and Gary Wagster are every day heroes, and I am honored to recognize their great work. I thank them both for their service to our community.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, today I would like to honor Saint Louis community leader Isadore Erwin ``IE'' Millstone for his centennial birthday that occurred on January 6, 2007. In the past several decades, Mr. Millstone has been nothing less than a business and civic visionary, contributing greatly both to the Saint Louis region and to the larger world. With his firm, Millstone Construction Company, I.E. Millstone has literally built Saint Louis. His works include the Busch Memorial Stadium, highway 64/40, and the Federal Building downtown. His company has constructed everything from office towers to shopping malls to bridges and you can witness his work throughout the area. Not content with achieving merely financial success, Mr. Millstone has been a dedicated philanthropist as well. The impact of his leadership and generosity has been felt far and wide, from his local efforts, securing the Jewish community center for the St. Louis Jewish population and providing the resources for scholarships and various campus structures at Washington University, to his international efforts in Israel, building sustainable housing for new immigrants and helping to establish the Hebrew University. For his hard work the world over, Mr. Millstone has been honored with numerous awards. He has earned the respect and admiration of not only family and mends but his community. Madam Speaker, Mr. Millstone has been a true patriarch of the Saint Louis area, and it is my honor to recognize his 100 years of life.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, special thanks to the leaders on this debate, the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. DeGette) and the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle). They have been great leaders in a strong bipartisan effort that has brought us here to this floor again. I stand here today for my constituents in Missouri in strong support of H.R. 3 and its strong ethical standards. Stem cell research holds real promise of cures for many, many diseases we have heard about today. Expanding the President's artificially restrictive policy will support the hopes of millions of Americans who struggle every day to survive under the burden of a life-altering diagnosis or a life-ending disease. Science, not politics, should determine the future of this vital research. Last Congress, this House passed this legislation with extraordinary bipartisan effort. It is my sincere hope that we will not have to wait much longer before this bill becomes law. Every day we wait is another day that people suffer needlessly. We stand here with the tools in our hands to ease the pain of so many across this country. Decades ago, Martin Luther King called Americans to act with fierce urgency of now. Today, it is time to act with fierce urgency on life- saving cures. Let's pass H.R. 3 and the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act again, and we all urge the President to reconsider his veto. Parliamentary Inquiry

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, today was a remarkable day in this new 110th Congress. This House in a bipartisan way came together, under the leadership of Congresswoman Diana DeGette of Colorado and Michael Castle of Delaware, to pass a bipartisan measure with a strong vote, 253-174, a bill that would expand the stem cell research in this country and lead to great cures, cures which promise to help people turn around their lives, people that have suffered through debilitating and life-threatening diseases. Stem cell research holds the promise to help those who suffer from heart disease, various cancers, diabetes, Alzheimer's, kidney disease, liver disease, Parkinson's, to name a few. Breakthroughs in research are happening every day. But with the bill passed today in this new Congress, even more can be done to provide hope and lifesaving cures to the millions of Americans affected by these diseases. While there are ethical issued surrounding medical research of any kind, I do not believe that we should unreasonably restrict new medical research and prevent Americans from receiving lifesaving treatments. President Bush's current restrictions are unreasonable and arbitrary. I believe it is imperative that legislation concerning stem cell research contain strong ethical standards over the conduct of research, and the bill passed today provides such high standards. Many people have asked me about my best day during my first term in the 109th Congress that just concluded. I can say, without question, the day was May 24, 2005, because it was a day that gave the best hope for lifesaving cures for so many. Those hopes were, unfortunately, dashed when President Bush vetoed the bill, H.R. 810 in the last Congress. We have come together again, passed this bill with an even stronger bipartisan vote, and I expect it will go to the Senate and pass there again with another strong bipartisan vote. And I would urge the President to reconsider his position. So many people's lives, the quality of lives for their families depend on this research continuing. This bill, as I said, contained detailed ethical standards on this type of research, and that is an important part of this legislation going forward. This issue has united Americans and actually united this Congress in powerful ways and with a strong voice. My home State of Missouri has taken a lead in this debate. Expanding stem cell research is supported by 72 percent of Americans from across the political spectrum, and that goes for my home State of Missouri. This past November, Missourians came out to the polls in record numbers in support of stem cell research that holds the potential for lifesaving cures. Our State passed a ballot initiative that ensures Missourians will have access to any stem cell research and cures that are allowed under Federal law and available to other Americans. And it also included strong ethical standards for conducting that research. Acting in response to the countless Americans who want a new direction in this new Congress, we have begun to respond. Today, the people's House actually acted on behalf of the American people and generations to come. Members from both sides of the aisle came together in support of the pursuit of lifesaving cures and passed H.R. 3, the Stem Cell Research Act. It is my strong hope that the message of hope sent by both the American people and their Representatives will be heard by President Bush. By signing this vital legislation now into law, the President can provide the hope of potential lifesaving cures to millions of Americans.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, last month the American people demanded change from Washington, and in January they are going to get it. Over the last couple of years, the American people have grown increasingly disillusioned with a government that was not working for them. It is time that Washington stop listening exclusively to the elite special interests and start listening to the people who send us here. That is why Democrats want to repeal billions of dollars in tax breaks for big oil companies to instead invest in new energy technologies. Rather than handouts to Big Oil, we should be working to make America energy independent. The inclusive Democratic agenda starts us down that path. Our agenda also looks out for American seniors over the interests of drug companies. There is simply no reason why our government shouldn't negotiate for lower prices. The government already negotiates on behalf of our veterans, and they are now enjoying a 42 percent savings on their drugs. Democrats and Republicans have heard the loud voices of Americans. Their voices should be echoed in this people's House by every Member of this new Congress.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 1078, a resolution congratulating the St. Louis Cardinals on winning the 2006 World Series on October 27, 2006. This Resolution commends the players, coaches, management, and other personnel of the St. Louis Cardinals on this victory. This achievement is heightened by the fact that this is the 10th time the St. Louis Cardinals have won the World Series, which is a truly remarkable feat as it is the 2nd most World Championships in the history of baseball. Manager Tony LaRussa is one of only two managers to win the World Series in both the National and the American League. St. Louis has a storied baseball tradition. We have the best fans in the Nation, who have faithfully and unwaveringly supported the team. In the recent past, some of the Cardinals players have been awarded a variety of honors, including the Most Valuable Player Award, the Cy Young Award, the Gold Glove Award, the Silver Slugger Award, and the Rookie of the Year Award. These honors place the players alongside some of the Cardinals most respected legends, including Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith, Curt Flood, Willie McGee, and Stan Musial. The 2006 World Series Championship has added to this remarkable tradition of St. Louis Cardinals' Baseball. Again, Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this Resolution to honor the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the STOP Act. This bill is the result of a lot of hard work by its authors and represents a strong effort to reduce underage drinking. The diligence put into drafting this bill is reflected by the broad support of this bill by the beer and wine industries. Many in the industry have worked hard to curb underage drinking for years. As a result of these efforts, underage drinking has been significantly reduced, evidenced by recent data showing that over 70 percent of youths aged 12-20 do not drink. I commend the beer and wine industries as a whole in their efforts to decrease underage drinking. This bill will continue and strengthen these efforts, and I am pleased to support it.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, may I make a parliamentary inquiry? Is that ruling tantamount to an objection to this?

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, as the major oil companies know, it pays to have friends in high places. The Bush administration and this Republican-controlled Congress have an all-too-cozy relationship with Big Oil that has helped those companies rake in the largest profits in American history. The American people paid the price. Throughout the summer, record high costs at the pump hit families hard. Now, as the winter months approach, these same working families know they may soon face soaring home heating bills. Yet House Republicans refuse to repeal the $8 billion in tax breaks to their friends in Big Oil. Democrats want to repeal these outrageous subsidies and use those funds to provide consumers with real relief and real investment in new fuel technologies and biofuels from America's heartland, including my home State of Missouri, and not the Middle East. House Republicans seem dead set on standing with Big Oil instead of American consumers. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up a bill I am proud to cosponsor, H.R. 4479, which repeals the oil companies' subsidies and gives those breaks instead to consumers, small business and funds the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, President Bush and congressional Republicans are out of touch with the economic conditions faced by millions of working Americans today. If they would only take time to talk with any working Americans, they would hear that most fear they are losing their piece of the American Dream. Most Americans are not asking for much. They want to keep their heads above water without going into debt so they can provide a better future for their children. Unfortunately, most Americans believe the American Dream is getting harder to reach, and many fear their children will be worse off in the future. Working Americans are justifiably skeptical about today's economy. While overall productivity is up, monthly paychecks are stagnant, forcing most families to stretch paychecks just to make ends meet. This is not how our country is supposed to work. Unfortunately, Washington Republicans continue to ignore the needs of the middle class. Democrats have a proud history of fighting for working families and will take our country in a new direction, one where their needs are addressed, not ignored.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, there is an old saying that goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Well, just the opposite is true when it comes to the Republican prescription drug plan that is seriously broken. We must fix it. This week, the average American senior will be denied payment of their drug costs through the private plans they have selected because they have fallen into the so-called doughnut hole. Under the Republican plan, seniors lose drug coverage after they have spent $2,250 in out- of-pocket costs, and they won't be eligible for more assistance until they have spent $5,100 for the year. It is expected that more than half of the seniors who fall into the doughnut hole will not be able to escape it. This is simply not fair. Many seniors on fixed incomes will be forced to cut back on their prescriptions, regardless of the consequences to their health. Democrats in this Congress want to take a new direction to eliminate the doughnut hole. We believe that any prescription drug plan should provide enough monthly assistance so seniors no longer have to choose between putting food on their table or having the prescription drugs they need to live longer and healthier lives.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, the President says America is safer today than it was before 9/11, but according to a new report recently released from Foreign Policy magazine at foreignpolicy.com, an overwhelming majority of America's foreign policy experts across the political spectrum believe we are less safe today. Eighty-four percent of those interviewed for the survey said we are losing the war on terror, and 86 percent said the world is becoming more dangerous for the U.S. and for the American people. Again, this is a study of the top 100 national security experts in our Nation, weighted for balance between conservatives and liberals. Leslie Gelb, the president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, stated, ``Foreign-policy experts have never been in so much agreement about an administration's performance abroad. The reason is that it's clear to nearly all that President Bush and his team have had a totally unrealistic view of what they can accomplish with military force and threats of force.'' In other words, our Nation not only needs a military strategy, but it also needs a diplomatic strategy. It is time for a new approach, a new direction that includes both.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, with record temperatures set in the first half of 2006, with hurricane season upon us, the need for Congress to address global climate change is more pressing than ever. There is no longer debate within the scientific community. Global warming exists, and we need to do something about it. We have the opportunity and the responsibility to take action to reverse the negative impacts of global climate change. However, this must be done both domestically and internationally. It is time the U.S., with the international community, fully address the issue of global climate change. Congressman Jim Leach and myself have introduced H. Con. Res. 453, a bipartisan resolution expressing the need for the U.S. to participate in international agreements that address global climate change. I invite my colleagues to cosponsor this bill and join us in taking this step and begin addressing global climate change

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of this amendment, which is being offered by Congressman Smith and Congresswoman McMorris. This amendment, which establishes a 2-year project to demonstrate the impact of HIT on chronic disease management within the Medicaid population, will add a vital component to the underlying bill. I applaud Congressman Smith and Congresswoman McMorris for their leadership on this issue. I also rise today in strong support of forward movement on the implementation of health information technology, which has the potential to save the United States billions of dollars in health care costs each year. The bill before us today is not perfect, but it's a start. I look forward to continuing the debate on this issue and improving this bill in conference.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I would really just echo some of the comments that you made about interoperability. When I have met with our police and firefighters, our emergency personnel, our front line responders back home, I mean they tell me that loud and clear. I mean, they are not only being given greater responsibility and greater burdens and greater costs to do all of those things we are asking them to do, but they are getting insufficient help to do it. If there is anybody that I have ever seen as committed to their jobs, with passion and belief in what they are doing, it is those public servants. They are some of the best. But so they tell us that loud and clear. The 9/11 Commission identified interoperability of communications as critical, critical to effectively respond to a natural disaster or a terrorist attack. And yet in response to what we hear locally, what the 9/11 Commission has done, the administration did not request any funds or grants to enhance interoperability. Again, I think a very big disconnect from what the vital need is on the ground in our communities. And certainly, if you look at, I want to mention port security, as the Port of St. Louis is the second largest inland port in our country. I have followed that closely. But there has been underfunding in the port security program. It has been eliminated. And it has just been put in with a pool of other security measures, along with rail, mass transit and other infrastructure. So it is competing with other separate programs instead of having its own stand-alone designated funding. And cargo security did not receive any increase, and the entity that is charged with performing security checks did so in only 13 percent of the 10,000 companies that it is charged with checking. And, again, with regard to our ports, the President's budget has delayed by 25 years the overall development of the Coast Guard cutters and aircraft that we are using to patrol our ports and coastlines. So, again, I think there is a very big disconnect between the clear needs we see on the ground, the discussion we hear in Washington among Members from both sides of the need to take care of our homeland security, and the budget priorities that we have seen the administration present.

Mr. CARNAHAN. I wanted to say also, I think it is so critical that we listen to our first responders. I think the administration and some in this Congress have really, I think, turned a deaf ear to many of these concerns. If they listened to those first responders, I think we would see very different actions coming out of the White House and coming out of this Congress. Also, listen to the bipartisan experts. Some of the best experts in our country came together in a bipartisan way to make these recommendations on the 9/11 Commission that have yet to be fully implemented. It is really unconscionable to me. So Democrats have committed, from our leadership all the way down, when the new Congress comes in January, to make that one of our top priorities in January, in our new Congress, to fully implement those recommendations in the 9/11 Commission report. I think it is just critical to our country and to really get these sound recommendations through this Congress, supporting those front-line responders that have told us what they need and what works in their communities.

Mr. CARNAHAN. It is good to join you tonight, my fellow Members from the freshman class of 2004. This obviously is something that when I go back home to Missouri, whether I am at a Veterans' Day function or a 4th of July function and I talk to our veterans that have served so well and so ably, this touches their hearts. They are so proud of their service and what they have done to make our country what it is today. But there is a certain element of surprise when they talk about the disappointment that the government is not doing everything it should to take care of our current veterans, but also to take care of this new generation of veterans that we are producing in Iraq and Afghanistan today. We have a VA hospital back home in St. Louis. Like many of our colleagues, we hear continued concerns about the access and the service. I have seen a statistic that more than 60,000 veterans today are waiting more than 6 months for an appointment at a VA hospital. Part of what we have proposed as Democrats in this House is to increase funding by $1 billion to the VA to help address those issues, the resource issues and the priority issues, and also to require the VA to pay veterans $500 a month when their disability claims have been left pending for over 6 months. They should not have to suffer because the government does not have the resources or has not made it a priority to take care of them. Our employees at the VA work in this environment of decreasing budgets, crippling administration policies and overall neglect. The administration has, frankly, misplaced priorities, and we see that on the ground when we talk to folks back home every day. I am sure you have seen that, the gentleman from Colorado and the gentlelady from Pennsylvania, when you talk to your veterans and veterans organizations back home. I believe it is our job as Members of this body, and it is not just the Democrats' job, it is the job of everybody in this House that represents people back home. This should be, if anything, a unifying issue and a unifying cause in this Congress, taking care of those who have served our country and made it what it is today.

Mr. CARNAHAN. There is a new set of challenges out there, not just taking care of our current veterans, but this new generation of veterans that are coming back with unique challenges. You mentioned posttraumatic stress issues that we have seen really cropping up from many who have served. But the other thing we witnessed firsthand in a delegation that traveled to Iraq last year, the doctors there in the military hospitals told us many more soldiers are being saved from battle injuries, dramatically more are being saved. Although we are having fewer lost lives, we are having more lost limbs, and although technology has improved in terms of prosthetic devices, there will be a whole new generation of these veterans coming out of service that will need those kind of specialized services, and we cannot let them down.

Mr. CARNAHAN. I would like to follow up on the issue of the screening of containers. You know, as we said, there is just a small fraction of this gigantic volume of containers coming into our ports. And they are not only coming into our ports, but then they are being loaded on trucks or barges and then they are scattering throughout our country. So it is critical we get on top of that. We had an opportunity in this House to vote on an amendment that would have required 100 percent of the containers coming in this country to be scanned before they came into our country and were distributed. And shockingly, to me, we were not able to pass that. You know, the Democrats in the minority here, we are in favor of that; it was defeated by the majority here. But the granddaddy of being out of touch with our port security was when the President proposed turning certain of our port operations over to a foreign entity. Again, just a whopper of being out of touch, particularly given where we are in this country today. And I think we saw the public rise up, we saw this Congress eventually rise up to say, you know, no. You know, that is not good for us right now. We can't do that and we shouldn't.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, it is bad enough that out of the 201 days this year this House has only been in session for 63. We are on track for this House to meet even less than the notorious ``Do Nothing Congress'' that Missouri's Harry Truman ran against in 1948. But now the House Republican leadership has dedicated themselves to a distract and divide agenda, even while we face growing challenges at home and crisis abroad. This week their agenda called for supporting President Bush's veto of the landmark stem cell bill that would move us closer to lifesaving cures for diseases like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and cancer. Majority Republicans are cutting off hope for millions of Americans, all so they can satisfy their base on the far right. Do they really want to keep research from finding cures to these diseases so we can save millions of lives? Their agenda is not our agenda. With only one week left before the August recess, House Republicans refuse to address the issues that are of real concern to American people. It is time we take America in a new direction.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this landmark stem cell bill and in opposition to President Bush's unbelievable first-ever veto. We reached an historic crossroad today in Washington. With the stroke of his pen, the President could have signed stem cell hope and ethical standards into law. But, sadly, the President has delayed medical advances for years. H.R. 810 will provide the Federal resources necessary to unlock the door to lifesaving cures for millions. It was passed after extraordinary debate and historic bipartisan cooperation. It holds the promise of major advancements in science. I am deeply disappointed by the President's veto, as are millions of Americans and thousands of my fellow Missourians that have been working, hoping and praying for the approval of this bill. We will not soon forget what happened today. We will not give up. This issue has united Americans into action with a powerful voice. I strongly urge my colleagues to override the President's veto, to continue the work of embryonic stem cell research and to provide hope for those who need it most.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, last year this House passed the landmark stem cell bill, H.R. 810. We know that President Bush has already authorized research, even though it is arbitrary and artificially restricted, when he made his executive order allowing research on existing stem cell lines before 9 p.m. August 9, 2001, and prohibiting them after that date. We know that in 2001 it was believed 78 stem cell lines existed. But now we know there are only 22 that are viable, and they have been contaminated with mouse stem cells. We know that we are at a historic crossroad in Washington this week. We are either days away from this Congress passing this stem cell bill, or we are going to see delays for years. We know that this issue has united Americans into action across party lines. It includes over 80 Nobel Prize scientists. It counts hundreds of disease-fighting groups advocating for 110 million Americans who are afflicted with a genetic sentence to disability or death. We know President Bush has signed over 1,000 bills into law. This is not the time to start with the Presidential roadblock of a veto.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Colorado for her leadership on this important issue. I rise today to talk about S. 3504, the Fetus Farming Prohibition Act of 2006. Sponsors of this bill say it is necessary to ban the practice of fetal farming, which is the development of embryos for the sole purpose of research in questionable ways. I support this bill and intend to vote for it, but at the end of the day this bill does little more than ban researchers from taking actions they don't want to take anyway. It does draw a line in the sand which I think is important to have in our law, but it does nothing to advance scientific research in our country. It does nothing to fulfill the promise of stem cell research. I understand just minutes ago the other body passed H.R. 810, a landmark bill that would allow the kind of research necessary to help tens of millions of Americans who suffer with a genetic sentence of disability or death. H.R. 810, which passed this House last year through an extraordinary bipartisan effort, would apply strict ethical guidelines to and expand Federal funding for the most promising methods of stem cell research. H.R. 810 is the only bill this Congress has debated that has the potential to truly unlock the doors to treatments and cures for so many who really need them. I am bitterly disappointed that the President has threatened to use his first veto to stop this important scientific progress. Unfortunately for some, the bill before us now has been a distraction, or worse yet, a source of political cover for those who do not support this landmark bill, H.R. 810. I urge my colleagues to continue the bipartisan spirit that this House started last year that could be so meaningful to millions of people around this country. Let's continue this work for meaningful progress in stem cell research. Let's not get sidetracked by political gamesmanship. The American people demand it.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, this Congress has been consumed with giving tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans, and it is time we look at some of the average Americans and facts about the minimum wage. Congress has not raised the minimum wage since 1997. The minimum wage is now at its lowest level in 50 years adjusted for inflation. Does anyone really believe it is possible to make even the most basic ends meet on $5.15 an hour? A minimum-wage worker working full time all year will earn just $10,700. It takes a full day's pay for a minimum wage earner to pay for one tank of gas today. 6.6 million people will benefit from a rise in the minimum wage. Eighty-six percent of Americans support the rise in a minimum wage according to a Pugh poll in December of 2005. It is time this Congress listened to the American people and minimum-wage workers, and it is time that we act.