Jason Chaffetz

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 320, honoring the life and achievements of Dr. John Hope Franklin. Dr. Franklin was born in Oklahoma and graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa. He graduated from Fisk University in 1935, and earned a doctorate in history in 1941 from Harvard University. Dr. Franklin was a dedicated educator, whose career in teaching included periods at many prestigious institutions of higher learning, including Fisk University, St. Augustine's College, North Carolina College, the University of Chicago, Duke University and its law school, and the District's own Howard University. In 1956 Dr. Franklin became the chair of a major history department when he joined the faculty at Brooklyn College. Dr. Franklin spent his life on the front lines of social change in the United States of America. In the early 1950s, he served as a historian consultant to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund team led by future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall that helped develop the brief in Brown v. Board of Education. That brief led to the historic decision ending legal segregation in America. Dr. Franklin was a prolific writer, and from among his works is perhaps best known for ``From Slavery to Freedom,'' first published in 1947, and continually updated. More than 3 million copies have been sold. Throughout his career as a historian, Dr. Franklin was the recipient of many honors and accolades, including the Society of American Historians' Bruce Catton Prize for Lifetime Achievement in 1994, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor in 1995. In 2006 Dr. Franklin was announced as the third recipient of the John W. Kluge Prize for Lifetime Achievement in the study of humanity. Dr. Franklin also served on many national commissions and delegations, including the National Council on the Humanities, and the President's Advisory Commission on Ambassadorial Appointments. He also served as the United States Delegate to the 21st General Conference of UNESCO. Dr. Franklin also served as the President of the American Historical Association, the American Studies Association, the Southern Historical Association, and the Organization of American Historians. He was a member of the Board of Trustees at Fisk University, the Chicago Public Library, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association. Sadly, we lost Dr. Franklin in March, but his work and his impact and his contributions live on. Dr. John Hope Franklin dedicated his life to education and the study of history, and his achievements can be summed up in his own words: ``You can't have a high standard of scholarship without having a high standard of integrity because the essence of scholarship is truth.'' Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers at the moment, but I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. What began with 300,000 Irish immigrants in 1776 has grown to more than 44 million Irish-Americans today. Throughout our Nation's history, the Irish who came to America saw the promise and hope for their future. Once here, they have been instrumental in building a Nation from the ground up--working on farms, constructing railways and creating major centers of commerce throughout the country. The Irish have done much to build up this country with their blood, sweat and tears. We have all seen countless ways in which these Irish-Americans have advanced our Nation politically, economically and culturally. Since first arriving here, the Irish in America have demonstrated a commitment to the growth and prosperity of the Nation through their talent and their values. Their contributions have represented the depth and breadth of American society from the most humble to the most exalted. Nineteen Presidents, including George Washington, and at least eight signers of the Declaration of Independence were of Irish ancestry. Two hundred sixty-three recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor were born in Ireland, and the list of contributions by Irish- Americans goes on: Elizabeth Cady Stanton's successful fight for women's voting rights; John Barry, the first flag officer of the United States Navy; James Hoban's architectural design for the White House; and Annie Moore's brave passage through Ellis Island as America's first immigrant. The Irish in America have recognized and have spread the message of opportunity as a result of their great success in our country. The history of our country has shown that the Irish have strengthened the United States in all facets of our growth and development. One in four Americans can trace part of their ancestry to Ireland, including ancestors on my mother's side of my family. Therefore, it is no wonder that the Irish in America have in the past and will continue in the future to strengthen and enrich our country. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support this resolution. Having no additional speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of House Resolution 214, recognizing the efforts of the countless volunteers who helped the Commonwealth of Kentucky recover from the ice storm of January 2009. This past January, the massive ice storm that devastated States from Arkansas to West Virginia hit Kentucky the hardest, leaving more than 700,000 homes and businesses without electricity. This violent storm was Kentucky's worst natural disaster in the State's history as it pounded the area with an inch or more of ice, causing trees and power lines to fall, forcing Statewide evacuations, schools and businesses to close, fuel shortages, as well as causing debris to block more than 5,000 linear miles of roads following the storm. The ice storm left more than 35 people dead, making this the State's most lethal storm in memory and one of Kentucky's deadliest modern weather events. On January 27, the Kentucky Governor declared a state of emergency for roughly 100 counties, all of which President Obama soon after declared as Federal disaster areas. The Governor also for the first time activated every member of Kentucky's National Guard, dispatching all 4,600 guardsmen to assist with the crisis. With around-the-clock help from local, State and Federal officials and emergency personnel, many working in subzero conditions for days, relief efforts were carried out quickly and safely. It is important that we recognize the generous support of the many volunteers, private and corporate donors, religious groups, and charitable organizations that assisted the communities in Kentucky in their time of need. This resolution expresses a sincere sympathy for the victims of this devastating storm, and recognizes the action of their public servants, citizens and community leaders who helped hundreds of thousands through this Statewide hardship. Once again, we are reminded of the strength of the people of this country, and applaud the citizens of Kentucky who in this very difficult time became beacons of light for those who suffered as a result of this icy disaster. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. My wife and I have three young kids. My son, Max, just turned 16. He got his driver's license. I want everybody to be warned that my son now has his driver's license. You have all been warned. I really worry, though, about the legacy that we are leaving our kids. My son is going to inherit something if the Democrats pass the budget that they propose, where 30 cents, 30 cents of every dollar spent, nearly 30 cents of every dollar will be spent by the Federal Government. I just think that is wrong. He is entering a world where they are going to have the single largest tax increase in the history of the United States of America where their debt has been doubled. We have got to stop running this country on a credit card. People have to pay that debt. And it is mere kids and our grandkids. So I reject this budget that is proposed. I think we need to look closely what is the proper role of government. I think every time we send a dollar of the American people's money, we have to remember that we are reaching into everybody's pocket and pulling that money out and giving it to somebody else. Is that the proper role of government? Who is in the best position to actually spend those dollars? There are some that argue that only government can solve our problems. I reject that. It is only the American people that can grow this economy and grow this country. It has been on the backbone of the American entrepreneur, the woman who opens a business, it is the local small business man that is going to grow this country. It is not this government. And so I reject this budget. We are going to find out real quickly if those Blue Dogs are Blue Dogs or if they are lap dogs. Because we have the chance to reject this budget and get fiscal constraint in order. We cannot be all things to all people. We have to learn to say ``no.'' Government is not here to solve all of our problems. It is about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And I want my son to enter that world as optimistic as he can possibly be and a government that gets out of the way.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness: that is what the American Dream is all about. It's been the American entrepreneur, it's the American family, it's the individual who starts and wants to build their own business that's going to drive this country and this economy forward. It's not Big Government that's going to get us out of this. It's going to be the American family and the American entrepreneur. I look at the President's budget, what the Democrats are proposing and, quite frankly, it spends too much, it taxes too much, and it borrows too much. We will literally double the debt in this country that will be paid at some point by our kids and our grandkids. We have an opportunity to reject the overspending; we have an opportunity to reject the idea that we are going to continue to run this government on a credit card. That's why I urge my colleagues to look very strongly at this budget and just say ``no.'' We can no longer afford to continue to spend the way Washington, DC, spends. We need to operate this country in a fiscally disciplined manner. That's why I encourage my colleagues to look strongly at the Republican alternative, because in that budget you will see responsibility.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Reclaiming my time, Mr. Speaker, my question for the gentleman from Virginia, I wonder if the gentleman from the State of Virginia knows that this Democratic budget raises taxes by $1.2 trillion or that it makes each American's share of the national debt $70,000. Or that it opens the door to a national energy tax that will cost every family at least $3,128 a year. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield some time to the gentleman from Virginia to respond.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly) just indicated his support of this bill. I have a brief question. I would like to yield some time to him. He was quoted in the Washington Post as saying, ``We need to reverse the Bush economic policies by balancing the budget.'' My question to him is does he intend to support the President's budget today which would double the national debt? I yield time to the gentleman from Virginia.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Hill introduced H.R. 1029, the Alien Smuggling and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2009, which improves the Federal Government's ability to combat alien smuggling. I am a cosponsor of this legislation. But alien smuggling defines a group of crimes that involve the recruiting, transportation or harboring of an alien who does not have the lawful authority to be in the United States of America. This legislation is a direct response to the increasing concern of Federal prosecutors that the current alien smuggling statute is inadequate in the face of rampant alien smuggling and human trafficking by organized criminal syndicates. The current statute is a patchwork of amendments that does not provide the tough penalties necessary to punish these dangerous criminals and to deter the criminal organizations that dominate the smuggling world today. These organizations are increasingly sophisticated, international, profitable, and their means are ruthless and inhumane. For example, the recent media reports indicate kidnappings on the rise in Phoenix, Arizona. There were almost 370 reported kidnappings for ransom there last year. However, it is difficult to know how many kidnappings actually occurred because many kidnappings were not reported to law enforcement officials. Most of the kidnappings involve drug smugglers and human traffickers preying on one another. The kidnap victims are typically drug or alien smugglers or their family members who are taken by fellow criminals and held for ransom. These victims are inviting targets because they often have a lot of money, or can raise large sums of cash on short notice, and are unlikely to go to law enforcement. It may only be a matter of time before the kidnappers start targeting law-abiding citizens, so we must do more to deter, identify and arrest these alien smugglers. H.R. 1029 directs the Department of Homeland Security to check the names of alien smuggling suspects who have been interdicted at a land, air or sea border against all available terrorist watch lists. The bill also creates enhanced penalties for alien smuggling, including tough sentences for smuggling that results in serious bodily injury or death. Any person convicted of kidnapping, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to kill as part of an alien smuggling scheme will now face life in prison. H.R. 1029 imposes a penalty of up to 30 years imprisonment for smugglers who know that the alien they bring to the United States intends to engage in terrorist activities. Lastly, the bill amends the criminal statutes to add penalties for maritime offenses committed in the course of smuggling, trafficking, shipping, stolen property or drug trafficking. H.R. 1029 will help Federal law enforcement and prosecutors put alien smugglers behind bars and send a clear message that these criminal syndicates and the violence they pose to innocent civilians will not be tolerated. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. I have no more speakers as well. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I would just inquire as to how many more speakers.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Thank you. The people in Ohio, so much like what is happening in California and which is what is happening in Utah. I look at the State budget in the State of Utah for the entire State. Everything they need to do is roughly $11 billion. And here this Federal budget is going to be nearly $4 trillion. It's a number so big we can't even fathom how big it is. I heard this great stat that is just mind boggling. It says if you spend $1 million a day every day, it would take you nearly 3,000 years to get to $1 trillion. And we're going to spend 4? The numbers are so astronomical. I really believe the heart and soul of what we've got to do is get back to the proper role of government. The former Secretary of Agriculture wrote a great talk that's turned into this pamphlet. It talks about the proper role of government. And the essence of it is we can't be all things to all people. The government is there to provide some very basic needs and services to protect the community. But it is not there to be all things to all people. We vote on a regular basis in the United States Congress for things we, as a Federal Government, have no business doing. And when we have men and women, businesses that are struggling, how can we look at a budget and look at this chart here, where based on the President's own numbers, his scenario, that we will double the debt? How can you look at--look. We cannot run this government on a credit card. We've been doing it. Too many people in the United States have been doing it. But it just gets you further and further into trouble. I feel a duty and obligation to leave this country better than how we found it. When you have a budget that spends this much and taxes to the degree it does and it borrows at these record levels, I just don't think that we can sustain that. And certainly for my kids it is not going to leave the world a better place. Nearly 30 cents in this budget, nearly 30 cents of every dollar. Think about that. Nearly 30 percent, 30 cents of every dollar will be spent by the Federal Government. What about Bob? Who do you think is better to run Bob's transmission shop? Bob or Washington, D.C.? The Federal Government? It's Bob. And that's fundamentally what I have challenges with. I would like to yield some time to the gentleman from California, Duncan Hunter.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Again, September 12, 2008, in Dover, New Hampshire, Barack Obama said, ``I can make a firm pledge. Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains tax, not any of your taxes.'' One of the very first bills he signed, tax increase on cigarettes. That affects Americans across the board. This energy tax, the so-called cap-and-trade, will affect 100 percent of Americans. Every single American's going to have to pay this tax because those energy needs affect every single industry, every single product, and every single household. This is not the time to be raising taxes, and I think there's something to be said about self-restraint, self-responsibility, personal responsibility. You know, you look at Wall Street and you look at some of these big fat cats, and you see this greed and it makes you mad. It makes you mad, especially when you know that the government went into everybody's pockets--I mean, this is what I try to tell my staff, my kids, myself. When we have an expenditure before the United States Congress, what you really need to ask yourself is, is it right for the government to reach into the people's pockets, everybody's pockets, and pull out money and give it to somebody else over here? Is that right? I mean, that's the prism by which I think we should be asking are these expenditures proper, are they right, and is this what we should be doing. And yet, as I look at that, I just think, my goodness, we cannot keep pulling money out of people's pockets. We just can't keep doing that. There's no way for the American entrepreneur to thrive if you continue to do that. What about the Bobs of the world? How are they going to grow their business? So I look at that, and I get so infuriated because we have such great opportunities. We're the greatest country on the face of the planet, but as I look at this idea of personal responsibility, you know, cable television in this country is not a right. It's not a right. You have to get out there and earn it. You've got to go take care of it, take care of yourself, take care of your family. We're turning into this nanny State. People get all uppity when I say we're turning into this socialist Nation. How can you look at the definition of that and say, no, that we're going in the opposite--we're just not going in the right direction. We seem to have this socialist mentality that we've got to take care of everyone and everything, and yet this country was founded on the idea of the right to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. Remember when President Kennedy said those famous words, probably some of the most famous words ever uttered by a President of the United States: Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country? And yet look at where we are today. Everybody's got their hand out, and it just feels so wrong and so wrong that our government just wants to pull more out. They want to spend more, and if they don't have the revenue, well, they just keep borrowing more. So we have to have I think a gut-check and a realization in this country that we can't be all things to all people. We're going to have to make some hard decisions. The President campaigned on that. I campaigned on it. I think you gentlemen campaigned on that. We've got to make some hard decisions around here. We can't be all things to all people. With that, I'd like to yield a moment to my friend, Duncan Hunter from California.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Thank you. I think you're exactly right. Somebody has to pay the bill. You know, you can't just take and take and take and not actually produce things. I worry that this country has this mentality that manufacturing's bad. Manufacturing's good. We have to remember in this country, we succeeded when we created things, and that manufacturing is so critical and important to our future. We actually have to create and invent and get up out of our seats. When the going gets tough, we ought to get going. And I would expect that people take on their own personal responsibility, that they set greed aside, that they remember the words of John F. Kennedy: Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country? Great words. The reason we learned them in school is because they're so profound and they withstand the test of time. And so I still have the greatest optimism about the United States of America. The reason we spend time away, all of us, from our families night after night to serve in the United States Congress--it's a great honor, it's a great privilege--but the reason I think we fight and have that passion and we're fired up about the United States of America is we want it to go the right direction. I, too, was elected. I think if we can get back to those core principles of fiscal discipline, limited government, and a strong national defense, that will empower the Bob Johnsons of the world to be that entrepreneur, be the best they can be, provide for their family, get up off their tush and actually get out there and make things happen. I know that the gentleman from Ohio shares those same values. I want to yield my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Thank you. It really is about personal accountability, about getting up, whatever your situation in life is and, believe me, people are hurting. We know that. The question is how do we best move forward. There's some that would argue that only government, only government, can solve these problems. I don't think so. I beg to differ. I think it's the American entrepreneur, it's the American families, it's the strength of the individuals collectively within this country that, given the right set of freedoms, the right set of liberties, that can pursue their own happiness. That's what makes this country great. That's what makes this country so strong. It's also the right and the opportunity to vote and participate. I've got concerns about another big initiative that's being slammed down the Americans peoples throats, and that is card check. I recognize the right of people if they want to gather together and join a union. But how we do that--if we don't get the process right, we can't ever get good results. I look at the way we look at things in the United States Congress. When the single-largest single spending bill in the history of the United States came before this body and we just over 13 hours to review it, there was not one Member of the United States Congress able to read it. It's physically impossible to go through the 1,400 pages of a $1 trillion bill, the single largest bill in the history of the United States, and actually try to consume that. So if you don't get the process right, it's really hard to get a good result. Mr. Gohmert's here with us from Texas. I'd appreciate it if he would join us. I'd like to yield to him because I'm really concerned about this card check and what it's going to do to the American way of life.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Thank you. Thank you for your service. It's an honor to serve with you. We're on a committee together. I want to talk about another bill that recently passed the United States Congress--something that I voted against. It's the so-called GIVE Act. Now think about this. Again, I think the way we ought to be looking at whether we ought to be spending money is to say: Is it right, is it proper to put the government's hand in everybody's pockets and pull money out and give it to somebody else. If the answer is yes, so be it. National defense? Absolutely. It's in the Constitution, it's in all of our best interests. We have to have it in order to survive. Yet, that is the place that the President is trying to cut the budget. That's a proper role of government. The so-called GIVE Act was going to be a program for paid volunteers. Now, to me, that is an oxymoron. It doesn't seem right. We are going to pay and compensate volunteers. It's just amazing to me. Pete Roskam pulled out these quotes--a colleague of ours here in the House--the President said, ``The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works.'' Moments later, he said, ``Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, the programs will end.'' I also remember the President said ``we go line-by-line through the budget.'' Line-by-line. Have you heard anything that we're going to cut, other than national defense, one of the key cornerstones of things that has to happen in this country? I haven't heard that. Where is that middle-class tax cut. I haven't seen it. To think you're going to get an extra $10. You can barely get through Quiznos to do that. Yet, they pass this GIVE Act--over $5 billion in new money. There's a great Web site out there called ExpectMore.gov. It's put out by the Office of Management and Budget. There are over 1,100 Federal programs. Go to that Web site--ExpectMore.gov. You can look it up for yourself. One of the things that was funded in the GIVE Act was Learn and Serve. According to the Office of Management and Budget, it is described as, ``not performing; results not demonstrated.'' It also funds AmeriCorps, the National Civilian Community Corps, which the OMB described as, ``not performing. Ineffective.'' Yet, they just got a huge funding increase. And the President promised us, ``Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, the programs will end.'' I hope partly what I can do, Mr. Speaker, in my career, leaving at whatever point I do, that I can leave some mark at some point to say that we shrunk the size and scope of government, because we can no longer be all things to all people. We cannot take 30 cents of every dollar in this economy and spend it through the Federal Government. That is not the way to prosperity, that is not the way to pursue life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It's the American entrepreneur, it's the American family, it's the American businesswoman, it's my 16-year-old son who's getting ready to go in the world. And look at the debt. Governments going to do everything. No, it's not. And until the American people get fed up, they stand up, they call their representatives. There are a good number of people here on both sides of the aisle. But we cannot be all things to all people. We have to say ``no.'' You do it in your life, business does it every day. And this government and this President fails to do it every day. Get fired up. Get all a hold of your representatives. We cannot have a budget that spends this much, that taxes this much, and that borrows this much. You're going to double your debt. Would you let that happen in your family? No. Would you let that happen to your business? No. Your government's doing it right now. Please, stand up and get involved. Mr. Austria from Ohio, Mr. Hunter from California, a host of other people, they are passionate about this. We can't do it ourselves.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Well, thank you, and thank you for your personal service to this country. I know that you have served and have served with honor, and I know that your father has served in this body. He was a great inspiration to me and to a lot of Americans, and I appreciate your commitment to making sure that our United States military is taken care of. You know, when we passed the stimulus bill, I did not vote for it. In fact, 100 percent of the Republicans did not vote for it. It took $1 trillion and sprinkled it over 106 Federal programs and grew government. The loser in this budget, in addition to the American people with the debt that they are saddled with and the overspending that is there and the borrowing that has to happen, is the military. We are in the middle of armed conflicts, and the United States of America can never, ever be second. It can never, ever be close to somebody else. We have to have the very best intelligence. We have to have the very best equipment. We have the best men and women, but we are not taking care of those men and women. I wish this budget that we are looking at would take care of those men and women and would take care of the weapons systems and things that we need to do to keep this country safe and to keep the world safe. The sacrifice that those men and women give and that the families give is just unparalleled. It is absolutely amazing. I want to tell a quick story here--a little perspective if I could-- of a man who served in Vietnam. He happens to be my brother Alex's father-in-law. His father-in-law is named Bob Johnson. You know, when I think about this budget and about what is happening, I think about Bob. I think: What about Bob? You know, what about Bob? Because Bob is just a great American. He is working hard. He is doing exactly what we want him to do. Yet this budget and this administration seem to want to punish success and reward failure. It is exactly the opposite of what I think we ought to be doing. And on March 16 of 2009, the President said--I want to read a quote from an address he gave related to small business, and I am extracting one paragraph, but I would encourage everybody to go back and read it for themselves. In one paragraph, he said, ``Small businesses are the heart of the American economy. They are responsible for half of all private sector jobs--and they create roughly 70 percent of all new jobs in the past decade. So small businesses are not only job generators, they are also the heart of the American dream. After all, these are businesses born in family meetings around kitchen tables. They're born when a worker takes a chance on her desire to be her own boss. They are born when a part-time inventor becomes a full-time entrepreneur, or when somebody sees a product that could be better or a service that could be smarter, and they think, `Well, why not me? Let me try it. Let me take a shot.' '' The President delivers it a little bit better than I do. I understand that. He's the President of the United States. I agree with everything that he said in that paragraph. But as I look at this budget, it fundamentally does not help the small businessman. Because it extends spending, it increases taxes, and puts borrowing at record levels. Literally double. Let me tell a really quick brief story here about Bob Johnson, what about Bob, in Topeka, Kansas. Bob has lived his whole life in Kansas. He was raised on a farm with six brothers and sisters. After high school, Bob joined the Marines. He wanted a better life for himself. He served in Vietnam and was honorably discharged. He went back home to Kansas, married his high school sweetheart, Janet. Together they raised a daughter, Christy. Bob spent his days and nights learning a trade, and when he mastered that trade, he opened up his own transmission shop in Topeka, Kansas. And for the past 30 years, Bob Johnson has worked his tail off to make sure that the Topeka Transmission Service is the most successful, most disciplined, cleanest-run shop in town. People who know Bob know they are going to get good service, and a lot of people in town know Bob. He's using the skills he learned as a farmer and a marine to teach his employees that character, skill, and hard work are the formula for success. And Bob has undoubtedly been successful. His daughter was the first in their family to graduate from college, the University of Kansas, the Jayhawks. His business has been successful. His employees have earned their paychecks. Bob cares about their success and his customers being happy. And Bob's business pays their taxes so this Congress has resources to spend. So I ask what have we done to support Bob lately? Bob is the heart and engine of the United States. He's the heart and soul of the dream. It's what drives this country forward. Well, lately he's probably seen his savings get obliterated like the rest of the hardworking Americans. As a small business owner, he appears to be the target for a tax increase. That's Bob's reward. Work hard for 30 years, do everything right, and now suddenly we're going to tax him more, we're going to spend more and we're going to leave his family and his grandkids, Jake and Taylor, a legacy of debt. So what do you think Bob's choices will be? Do you think he will be in a position to give his employees a raise? Do you think he will be in a position to hire more people? Or do you think Bob Johnson will get more protective of what he has and worry more about how he's going to meet his payroll and how he's going to keep the employees he has and the savings he's worked so hard for over the last 30 years? I don't think we're doing him any favors with this budget. There is nothing in the stimulus, there is nothing in the bailouts, there is nothing in our tax policy that rewards Bob Johnson. And yet Bob Johnson--I agree with the President--he's the heart and soul of what is going to drive this country forward representing 70 percent of the new jobs. The Obama budget spends at record levels, it taxes at record levels and doubles our national debt by spending, taxing and borrowing too much. That's what we're doing to destroy the American dream. I have another colleague here who is also a freshman. He didn't create any challenges, but like me, he's here to help clean it up. I would like to yield some time to my friend from Ohio, Mr. Austria.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Thank you. I appreciate the impassioned gentlemen and their commitment to a pro-life agenda. I truly do. I stand tonight and rise because of my concern about the direction of this country. I was elected here as a freshman. I did not create this problem in Washington, D.C., but I am here to help clean it up. We have the greatest opportunities ahead of us. The United States of America is the single greatest country on the face of the planet, and every time we are faced with a challenge, we overcome the obstacles that are thrown ahead of us. I would like to see our government get out of the way and stop being an impediment. I want to make sure that it is the American entrepreneur who is emboldened. It has always been the American entrepreneur who has driven this country forward. As I rise today, my concern is that often what we hear and see in Washington, D.C., is not a reflection of the reality. The rhetoric has been very strong, but with all due respect to our President, of whom I have the greatest admiration--he is a great success story--what I hear and what I see tend to be two different things. There has been some good work done by Phil Kerpen of the Americans for Prosperity. I appreciate the work that he has done. I want to touch on a few points that I have great concern about. We were promised by this administration and by the Speaker of the House, Mr. Speaker, that we would have this sunlight before signing things. In this body right here, the House Republicans and Democrats unanimously passed a resolution that said we would have 48 hours to review a bill before we would sign it. Yet, shortly thereafter, the single largest spending bill in the history of the United States passed out of the Rules Committee. It was just around midnight when we got the final copy of the bill, the so-called ``stimulus bill.'' Just over 13 hours later, we had to vote on it. That is absolutely the wrong direction. Then candidate Barack Obama said, ``Too often, bills are rushed through Congress and to the President before the public has the opportunity to review them. As President, Obama will not sign any nonemergency bill without giving the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House Web site for 5 days.'' That does not happen on a regular basis, and it is wrong. It needs to change. We need to live up to those campaign commitments. They are not happening now. The American people were promised that lobbyists would not be participants in this administration. On the Barack Obama Web site, it says, ``No political appointees in an Obama-Biden administration will be permitted to work on regulations or contracts directly and substantially related to their prior employer for 2 years, and no political appointee will be able to lobby the executive branch after leaving government service during the remainder of the administration.'' That is not happening. That is not happening. During the campaign, we talked about there being no tax hikes on the poor. On September 12, 2008, in Dover, New Hampshire, the President said, ``I can make a firm pledge. Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase--not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains tax, not any of your taxes.'' What was one of the first bills that the President signed? A tax increase. It was the SCHIP bill. It was under the disguise that we were going to help children with their health care insurance. He raised the taxes on cigarettes. That affects a host of Americans. Now, I don't smoke; I don't advocate smoking, but the reality is there are a whole lot of smokers who make less than $250,000 a year. That was a tax increase. That was in opposition to what the President said he would do. There are other examples. We were encouraged by the President to pass in this body legislation free of earmarks. We were promised earmark reform. The statement on earmarks that came out on March 10: ``The system is broken. We can no longer accept a process that doles out earmarks based on a Member of Congress' seniority rather than the merit of the project. We can no longer accept an earmarks process that has become so complicated to navigate that a municipality or nonprofit group has to hire high-priced D.C. lobbyists to do it, and we can no longer accept an earmarks process in which many of the projects being funded fail to address the real needs of our country.'' When the President addressed the joint session of Congress, I was sitting right there in the seventh row. The President said he wanted no earmarks. The very next day, the United States Congress, despite a lot of us who voted ``no'' against it, passed a $410 billion appropriation with no less than 8,500 earmarks. The President signed it. Big government: In the joint address to Congress, the President said, ``Not because I believe in bigger government--I don't.'' Now, I want to believe the President when he says he doesn't believe in big government, but we have the single largest expansion of government in the history of the United States happening, one of the largest tax increases in the history of the United States of America. So, when I look at the President's budget, when I look at what Nancy Pelosi is proposing as the Speaker of the House, Mr. Speaker, I have serious questions and reservations because I believe that this budget that I am looking at and that we are going to be asked to vote on very soon spends far too much money; it taxes us on too much money, and it borrows too much money. We are fundamentally compromising our future. You know, I have worked for big companies. I have worked for small companies. I have owned my own company. I have spent 16-plus years in the local business community. I have hired people in the past, and there is a fundamental thing that I look for. I just want to hire people who will do what they say they are going to do. I think the American people should demand that with regard to what is happening in Washington, D.C. I think we should demand that at every level of government. Earlier today, we saw the next nominee for the Secretary of Health and Human Services admitting that she had failed to pay taxes. Shouldn't there be a standard, a level, that says, ``You know what? If you can't figure out how to pay your taxes accurately or if you can't hire the right person to get your taxes done properly, then you're probably disqualified for being a secretary-level person in this United States Government''? It is so disappointing. It is so disappointing. We have great hurdles, great opportunities ahead of us. There is probably nothing stronger in this country and more fundamental to what we should be doing in this government than our national security. I am joined today by somebody who is passionate about national defense, about the great work that men and women are doing all across the world to help us, to protect us. During my campaign, I had an opportunity to meet a number of soldiers who did not come home to this same kind of welcoming that they thought they would. They were injured. They came back to families who were so concerned because the breadwinners in their families could no longer win the bread. These were brave men and women, soldiers, who fought and sacrificed for our country. I fundamentally do not believe we are taking as good of care of them as we should be. These are people who are giving so much. It is not welfare. It is not a handout for us to take care of the men and women who are taking care of us. So, as I look at all of these broken promises, at all of these things that we are supposed to be doing--basic, fundamental things within our government--I find that one of the true, proper roles of government and that one of the things we really should be doing is making sure we are taking care of our military. So I would like to take a moment, if I could, and yield for a time to my friend, the gentleman from California, Mr. Duncan Hunter.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. I thank the gentleman from California. You're exactly right. I mean, just look at this chart. You look at the spending, and yet, didn't we all hear in the campaign from the President that we were going to rein in spending? How many times did we hear during the campaign, ``a debt we inherited''? Well, I ran against it. I ran against the Republicans. I'm a Republican and I ran against it. I said, look, they had the House and Senate and the Presidency and they blew it, they overspent, but somehow we were going to change. That change under this budget represents a doubling of the debt and all-time record-high expenditures. No matter which financial statistic you want to do, this is the biggest, especially if you look at it as a percentage of the gross domestic product, nearly 30 cents of every dollar.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen).

Mr. CHAFFETZ. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 838, the Miami Dade College Land Conveyance Act. This bill was introduced by the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen). The act would convey a parcel of land held by the Bureau of Prisons to the Miami Dade College, which is adjacent to the Bureau of Prisons facility. The parcel of land is now used as a parking lot by the Bureau of Prisons facility. As a result of this act, the college will be permitted to use the parcel as a site for the new building that will include a garage parking area. That parking area will contain 118 secured parking spaces that will be designated for use by the Bureau of Prisons. This conveyance outlined in this bill will benefit both the Bureau of Prisons and the Miami Dade College. The Department of Justice has reviewed the bill, and does not oppose its enactment. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 838. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. The question that I had, Mr. Speaker, is had the gentlewoman actually read the stimulus bill before she voted on it? I wanted to ask the gentlewoman if it was her opinion that the administration is doing everything it should to prevent these bonuses from going through? I also wanted to ask the gentlewoman did these bonuses happen under their watch? Finally, I wanted to ask her, Didn't the White House ask Senator Dodd?

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. A moment ago we heard you stand up and say that there is a question about whether or not the freshmen were engaged. You had questions about whether or not we would be bipartisan. Are you kidding me? Seriously. We have been here in this body. Look, I am a freshman; I didn't create this problem, but I am here to help clean it up. And the idea and the suggestion that there was no idea, no sense that the freshmen had an idea, because it would come from the Republican side of the aisle. It is not in the spirit of this body to make a question about whether or not we are going to be participants in this. Absolutely, the Republicans have suggestions. We have been excluded from this process. We were promised time and time again that we would have time to see and read bills, and that has not happened. I would encourage both sides of the aisle, but especially my friends on the Democratic side of the aisle, to stay true to their word and actually engage and allow us to participate in the dialogue that should be in the best interests of the United States of America and in this body. Again, I didn't create this mess, but I am here to help clean it up. And any suggestion that says that you didn't know that there was a bill introduced, come on. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore