Jason Chaffetz

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. I yield such time as he may consume to my distinguished colleague from Louisiana (Mr. Boustany).

Mr. CHAFFETZ. It's an honor to stand and rise in support of H.R. 2972 and the great American hero that we know as Conrad DeRouen. I appreciate bringing this to our attention, and we look forward to having this post office named after him. It's the least we could do from a country that's so grateful. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I sympathize with the anguish and the agony that my colleague from Massachusetts must have in reading and supporting this resolution. I can only hope that this is truly captured on film for future use. I rise in support today, as a Utah Jazz fan, in recognizing a great accomplishment in the world of sports. What these athletes are able to do and how they do it is truly remarkable. So I rise in support of H. Res. 566 to congratulate the 2008-2009 Los Angeles Lakers in bringing home their 15th NBA championship. For the Lakers, this was a season of redemption that ultimately ended in victory and a historic achievement. The conclusion of the 2007-2008 season saw the Lakers experiencing a humiliating 39-point blowout to the Boston Celtics in game six of the NBA Playoffs, I will remind my colleague from Massachusetts. From that moment, the storied franchise made a commitment to redeem themselves and immediately began the long, arduous process of working their way back to championship glory. One year later, this long and difficult journey culminated with victory and established themselves as the standard against which every franchise in the NBA will be measured. While the entire Lakers organization can be proud of this team's accomplishments, the season saw some amazing individual milestones. Coach Phil Jackson cemented his status as one of the winningest coaches, not just in the NBA but in all of professional sports, capturing an unprecedented 11th championship ring. Truly amazing. Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, who came to the season as the league's reigning MVP, coming off a summer in which he helped lead Team USA to the gold in Beijing, won his fourth NBA title and his first NBA Finals MVP. Pau Gasol of the Lakers was selected to his second All-Star appearance, his first as a Laker, and was the first Spaniard to be on an NBA title team. Individual accomplishments aside, there is no question that this team was just, indeed, that, a team, receiving significant contributions from a host of role players that made winning this championship possible. Shannon Brown, acquired as a throw-in in a midseason trade, played his way into the playoff rotation and made a number of significant three-pointers in key playoff games. Derek Fisher, one of my personal favorites, the old veteran guard who was slumping his way through the playoffs, emerged in game 4 of the NBA Finals to hit a game-tying three with 4.6 seconds remaining to push the game into overtime. He followed it up with a go-ahead 27-footer that would give the Lakers the lead and the game. Collectively, this team all season long maintained their commitment to excellence and mental toughness. They were a reflection of the entire organization--owner, Jerry Buss; general manager, Mitch Kupchak; Hall of Fame coach, Phil Jackson--and are a model of excellence; in other words, they are truly champions. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I am confident the Utah Jazz will be back at some point, but for now, congratulations to the Los Angeles Lakers. I, too, will be supporting H. Res. 566. Congratulations. With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield as much time as he may consume to my distinguished colleague and friend from the State of Florida, Mr. Rooney.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H. Res. 350 honoring the voice of the Philadelphia Phillies legendary broadcaster, Harry Kalas, for his contributions to the national pastime of baseball, to the greater Philadelphia community, and to this Nation. Mr. Kalas graduated from the University of Iowa in 1959 with a degree in Speech, Radio and Television. Upon graduation he was drafted into the United States Army, and when discharged he began working as a broadcaster. He began his 44-year career as a Major League Baseball broadcaster with the Houston Astros in 1965. Kalas called the first game at Houston's famed Astrodome. In advance of the 1971 season, he was hired by the Philadelphia Phillies. There he would remain for the next 39 seasons, 27 of which Kalas was paired in the booth with Richie ``Whitey'' Ashburn. Harry Kalas made many memorable calls while broadcasting for the Phillies, including every start of Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton's Phillies career, and Mike Schmidt's 500th home run on April 18, 1987. Of course, when Harry called the dramatic Schmidt home run, he intoned the player's full name, Michael Jack Schmidt. His most memorable call, however, came last October 29 at the culmination of the Phillies championship run. As the pitcher struck out the last batter, Kalas' golden voice erupted: ``The Philadelphia Phillies are the 2008 world champions of baseball.'' He had a number of signature calls, but none was more famous than ``That ball is outta here!'' home run call. Mr. Kalas' contribution to baseball did not go unrecognized during his years as a broadcaster. He was inducted into the broadcaster's wing of the baseball Hall of Fame in 2002, and was named Pennsylvania Sportscaster of the Year 18 times. In addition to his work with the Phillies, Kalas was also the voice of NFL films and called various sporting events over his career, including Notre Dame football. Sadly, Mr. Kalas passed away here in Washington, D.C. at Nationals Park in the visiting team's broadcast booth on the afternoon of April 13, 2009, while doing what he loved, preparing to cover a Phillies game. I ask my fellow Members to join with me in honoring Harry Kalas for his exceptional contributions to baseball and, through that, for his contributions to the community and to the Nation and people like Mr. Rooney, who grew up hearing his voice and coming to enjoy that. With that, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H.R. 3119 to designate the facility at the United States Postal Service located at 867 Stockton Street in San Francisco, California, as the ``Lim Poon Lee Post Office.'' Born in 1911 in Hong Kong, Lim Poon Lee moved to San Francisco with his family when he was just 8 months old. The son of a laundry operator, Mr. Lee went on to college, graduate school, and law school after serving as a U.S. Army counterintelligence specialist during World War II. He often told stories about serving in Japan and how he was the only U.S. Army representative there who spoke Japanese, Chinese, and English. His multilingual mediation skills helped to quell a riot between Chinese POWs and their Japanese captors when news of the Japanese surrender came through. After serving in World War II, he continued mediating and became a social worker and juvenile probation officer. Mr. Lee was also very much a community activist and worked with the Chinese community, World War II veterans and the Democratic Party. In addition to working as a campaign organizer for many local Democrats, Mr. Lee was also a founding member of the Chinese American Democratic Club, an organization that played a key role in securing rights for Chinese Americans. For his tireless efforts in the San Francisco community, in 1966, Mr. Lee was appointed Postmaster of San Francisco. At the time, it was the highest Federal appointive post ever held by a Chinese American. Though Mr. Lee once said his only experience with the U.S. Postal System was ``walking up to the window and putting down a nickel for a 4-cent stamp,'' Mr. Lee mastered the nuances of his new position. During his 14-year tenure, Mr. Lee greatly increased the hiring of minority and disabled persons and even started an alcoholic recovery program. Best said by retired California State senator John Burton, ``By the time Lim finished with it, it looked like the face of San Francisco, with Asian, African American, Latino and female workers.'' Perhaps most notable was Mr. Lee's establishment of the post office at 867 Stockton Street in the heart of Chinatown in 1977. Recently, this post office celebrated its 30th anniversary, and fittingly, recognized Mr. Lee for his significant contributions. Sadly, Mr. Lee did not live to see this celebration. He passed away at the age of 91 on June 7, 2002. Though his life ended, his legacy remained and is felt far beyond the post office at 867 Stockton Street. The executive director of the Chinese American Voter Education Committee reflected on Mr. Lee's life: ``At a time when there were few role models, few political leaders, Lim Poon Lee was someone Chinese Americans could look up to.'' In recognition of Mr. Lee's contributions to his community and the city of San Francisco, let us now recognize his many years of service by naming the post office he established in San Francisco, California, as the ``Lim Poon Lee Post Office.'' I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise with deep concern about the families of the United States of America. The economics of this credit card Congress are not working. Where are the jobs? We cannot tax and spend our way out of our challenges. I firmly believe that President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and the Democrats in Congress are taxing, spending and borrowing too much money. This credit card Congress has now put us nearly $12 trillion in debt. We are spending nearly $600 million per day just in interest on that debt. Bailouts and stimulus money by the billions of dollars are not helping the average person at home, and now we have a proposal to slam through a government-run, Chinese-financed health care system that puts a Washington, D.C., politician between our doctor and my wife. The tax-and-spend, credit-card-driven, Chinese-financed economics driven by the Democrats doesn't work. We need fiscal discipline, limited government, accountability, and a strong national defense. We need to restore liberty for the American people and for small businessmen and -women. That's where you'll find the jobs. Stand up, America. Let your voice be heard. Put a stop to this credit card Congress.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity. I am from Utah. Out West we actually deal with the horses and burros that we will be talking about and debating in this rule. Now, for whatever reason, a variety of reasons, this emergency meeting had to happen yesterday. Somehow this legislation, which had passed out of committee in April, was suddenly at 2:20 yesterday called up in an emergency meeting and that the Rules Committee had to meet at 3:30 in the afternoon. Now, I know it's normal and customary and regular that the rule vote generally goes down partisan lines, but I would urge my colleagues to reconsider this. There is no reason to rush this legislation through. I tried to offer an amendment. That amendment was not heard in the Rules Committee despite it being delivered and given on time. Minor, minor amendment. I still have underlying concerns about the overall bill. I would still vote against it, but I've got to be candid, I think there's some adjustments that could be made. And I'd like to take a moment here and just talk a little bit about the amendment that I was trying to make, and I would hope that my Democratic friends and colleagues would at least allow it to be heard. I think that's the American way, and I think there's a pattern here of terrible frustration, not being able to be heard on this floor about amendments that we, the people, are here to do. The amendment I was simply trying to offer is that this board that's going to oversee the horses and burros is consisting of 12 people. We're trying to add a few more people to that board: two representatives from State grazing boards or equivalent State agencies who are not State employees; and we're trying to add two representatives of Indian tribes who manage wild horses and burros. Now, if you're out West in a State like Utah and several of the other Western States, you have Indian tribes who have a vested interest in the management interest of the horse and burros. For the Democrats to actually deny us an opportunity to allow Native Americans to be represented on the board is just ridiculous. It shows the arrogance and the heavy-handedness of this Congress. Time after time, we have offered amendments to appropriations that never get heard on this floor. I, too, was elected. I'm a freshman. I didn't create this mess, but I am here to help clean it up. They tell us a lot in meetings that when we talk about rules and we talk about process, it's not that sexy and we're not going to win elections based on that sort of thing. But if we don't get the process right, we're not going to get the end result right. To take a bill that, as introduced, has a $700 million price tag to it, rush it through Rules in just over an hour, offer an amendment on time, then not being allowed to hear it where we're just simply trying to get, for instance, members of Native Americans to participate in the horse and burro bill, is just symptomatic of what is wrong and what is broken here in this process. I have deep concerns about this bill overall. I know there's a manager's amendment. I know there's a substitute amendment. But let's also understand in this bill that we're dealing with overpopulation here. There are over 30,000-some horses and burros that are incarcerated or being held, however you want to term it, out in the Western States predominantly. You know, they talk about save our mustangs as if it's some endangered species. It's not an endangered species. They are rampant everywhere, destroying the land, going onto private landholders' land and destroying their crops. And now we're offering this $700 million program and, you know what, to suggest that there's no cost to the manager's amendment I don't think is accurate. We're dealing with an overpopulation here with huge, huge price tags to it and a huge burden upon the rural Americans that live out West and have to deal with these horses. I would encourage my colleagues to look deeply at this rule. Please, just because it's offered doesn't mean that it has to be approved. I appreciate the opportunity to stand here and share this with you today.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Say it isn't so, Joe. Yesterday, with all due respect to our Vice President, we heard him say, We have to spend money to keep from going bankrupt. An amazing, amazing philosophy that gives you great pause. It's no wonder why this country is nearly $12 trillion in debt. We are now spending nearly $600 million per day just in interest payments. This credit card Congress can no longer continue. We cannot spend our way out of our challenges. We have to be fiscally responsible in this country. We cannot spend our way out of these challenges. You don't do it in your family, but this Congress does. Every time we hear a challenge, all we hear about is the need for more spending. Today we will consider a bill, a horse and burro bill, that will be nearly $700 million in new spending--$700 million in new spending to tackle horses and burros that are exploding their population in the West. Please, Madam Speaker, I implore my colleagues, we have to stop. We have to cut our spending.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with grave concern about this ``credit card Congress.'' Every problem seems to come with a spending plan, and no amount of money seems to be enough. The national deficit is our annual discrepancy between tax revenue and public expenditures. We just exceeded the $1 trillion deficit mark for this year, and we still have a long way to go this year. Our national debt is the cumulative amount of money the American people owe; and over the course of the past Congresses, it, too, has skyrocketed. As of June 30, the national debt stood at $11.5 trillion. During the month of June, the national debt increased by over $223 billion. The government spent over $18 billion in interest payments in just the month of June. That is $600 million a day. Because the Congress did not have the self-discipline to spend less than it took in, $600 million of your money is going out the door in interest payments. We can no longer afford to run Congress on a credit card.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise with deep concern about the so- called cap-and-trade. If the Democrats and President Obama get their way, we will have one of the single largest tax increases in the history of the United States imposed upon the American people at a time when we are struggling for jobs. We need to remember in this country that manufacturing is good. It is good. Now the administration will tell you that rebates will come for those that are in the middle class, but the bill cuts off assistance for families making more than $42,000 or individuals making as little as $23,000. The Congressional Budget Office expects major increases in bureaucracy, adding some $800 million in administration costs annually for just the first 10 years. Let us remember that the cap-and-trade is one of the largest tax increases in the history of the United States, this despite the President's promise that 95 percent of Americans would not see one dime in new taxes.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I hold in my hand the voting card of the United States Congress. Now, this is the ultimate credit card. There's no limit and there's no penalties. And it's wrong. Every time I hear a solution from the Democrats, it's about spending more. We have got to stop running this country on a credit card. The problems that we face in this Nation, the challenges that we face are not solved by charging things on the credit card. The American Dream is not about overspending and being in debt. It's about hard work and perseverance and liberty. Every time we add dollars to this card, we take away that liberty. I urge my colleagues, come up with solutions that don't include an increase in spending. Cap-and-trade is one of the largest tax increases in the history of the United States of America. Please, let's stop running this government on a credit card. Institute fiscal restraint, and remember that it's the people's money. It's not the Congress' money.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my distinguished colleague from the State of Ohio (Mr. Latta).

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of this legislation, supporting the goals and ideals of Flag Day. The American flag has been our national symbol for 232 years, and it remains a symbol of freedom wherever it is flown. In 1777, when the Second Continental Congress adopted the stars and stripes and its beautiful red, white, and blue design, our flag has stood for liberty and justice. Flag Day was first celebrated throughout the country in 1885, as one early supporter, Bernard Cigrand, a Wisconsin schoolteacher, wanted June 14 to be known as ``Flag Birthday.'' The idea quickly caught on and many people wanted to participate. In 1894, the Governor of New York asked that all public buildings fly the flag on June 14 to begin observing Flag Day. And in 1916, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Flag Day as a national celebration. However, the holiday was not officially recognized until 1949 when President Harry Truman signed the national Flag Day bill. Since the beginning of our Republic, Americans have flown the flag to show their appreciation and pride for this great Nation. Every day Americans pledge their allegiance to the flag, and our troops carry the flag as they defend the liberties for which it stands and which represent this country, the United States of America. On Flag Day, we remember the importance of our oldest national symbols and reflect the loss of loved ones who have died in defense of this great Nation. Let us pledge allegiance to this flag to declare our patriotism and raise its colors high to express our pride and respect for the American way of life. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I want to also echo my compliments to Chairman Towns for his bringing this forward; Ranking Member Issa who has a keen interest in this area for his work; and the Chair of the subcommittee, Mr. Lynch, who is truly a gentleman and a great person to work with. I also want to put comments in for the good men and women throughout our Federal Government that are working in all of these types of functions. I was excited to participate on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee because of the tremendous workload that they have. There's a great expectation from the American people that we deal with their money fairly and honesty, that we make sure that every dollar is accounted for; and we've seen too many mishaps where dollars have been overspent or overused. Certainly as we look at what is going to be, surely, the single-largest tax increase in the history of the United States with the so-called cap-and-trade, as the Democrats move this bill forward, if it were to pass, literally hundreds of billions of dollars taken out of the pockets of Americans all across the country that will be spent on who knows what, we have got to make sure that every single one of those dollars is accounted for. Even though I voted ``no,'' this body passed a $1 trillion stimulus package, again, pulling $1 trillion dollars out of our economy, pulling $1 trillion out of Americans' pockets, handing it out to somebody else, bailouts and the rest of it. We need to make sure that the independent auditing, the people who are involved in oversight and government reform at every agency across the Nation throughout our government are doing their job, paying attention and making sure that every dollar is accounted for. Having no other speakers, I will yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. As we all noted this year, oversight and accountability are vitally important, and the Inspectors General are on the frontline of this effort. This bill will enhance the independence and effectiveness of the IGs at several critical institutions. Currently the IGs at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the National Credit Union Administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System are appointed and can be removed by the head of the institution. This structure could limit the IG's independence. This bill will make these IGs Presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed, reducing the risk of undue influence by the heads of these institutions. Although additional Senate-confirmed positions are unnecessary in most cases, it is important that we preserve and enhance their independence within these organizations. I want to thank our colleagues for working with us to improve this bill and making several important changes. We now ensure that the positions covered by this bill will not suffer a reduction in pay and the individuals will remain on par with similarly situated senior individuals at the institution. More importantly, we also provide IGs with subpoena authority, an important tool for oversight and accountability, as we all know from our work on the Oversight Committee. Finally, the bill requires the regulatory agencies to take some action on the deficiencies identified by the IGs. These agencies cannot simply ignore the findings. Madam Speaker, given the enormous role these institutions play in our Nation's financial sector, it is important that the IGs have the tools and independence to ensure that these institutions operate above reproach. I urge my colleagues to support this measure. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of this important resolution recognizing Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been an integral part of the fabric of American life since the first Japanese immigrants arrived in the United States on May 7, 1843. Asian Americans worked as coal miners, on farms and orchards, and as laborers. It is estimated that 14 million Americans, if not more, can trace their ethnic heritage to Asia or the Pacific Islands. Establishing May as Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month affords educators throughout the country the opportunity to create learning experiences that teach the history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders during the school year. Observing Asian American and Pacific Islander contributions highlights their importance in the building of our country, in our fabric. For example, Chinese immigrants played a significant role in the construction of the first transcontinental railroad, which was completed on May 10, 1869. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have significantly contributed to this country through the arts, sciences, math, sports, commerce, and every other aspect of American culture since they first arrived in the 19th century. Whether it is in the arts or government or science or the many other fields of endeavor, they have played a fundamental role in our Nation's technological and economic expansion as well as every other fabric of life that we can think of. Their accomplishments are too numerous to count. Their influence is felt throughout our country. The month of May once again gives us the opportunity to thank and honor Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and recognize them for their many contributions now, in the past, and certainly in the future.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

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

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I yield as much time as the gentleman may consume to my distinguished colleague from the State of Texas (Mr. Hall).

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of this resolution designating February 8, 2010, as ``Boy Scouts of America Day.'' On February 8, 1910, a Chicago publisher, William Boyce, founded the Boy Scouts of America as an organization dedicated to instructing and infusing patriotic values and ethics in America's youth. Within a few years, the organization had spread to every State and in 1916 was granted a Federal charter by the United States Congress. Since its inception, the Boy Scouts of America has grown to a membership exceeding 111 million Scouts, with over 1 million adult volunteers, and has corresponding organizations in over 85 nations around the globe. Its national and global presence has made it a compelling organization in the growth of our Nation and other countries over the past century. The Boy Scouts of America has hosted events, such as the National Jamboree in Washington, D.C., since 1935, which attracts thousands of Boy Scouts to the D.C. area. The youth who participate in Boy Scouts acquire fond memories of leadership training, adventure, camaraderie, and the joys of outdoor activities. Through the varied activities of the Boy Scouts, these young men are provided with a safe, constructive, and educational experience where they can acquire essential life and interpersonal skills. The impact of the Boy Scouts of America can be seen every day on Capitol Hill. Nearly 60 percent of the current congressional membership have participated in Scouting in one form or another, including roughly 145 Members in the House of Representatives. Between the House and Senate, about 25 individuals have actually achieved Boy Scouting's highest honor, the Eagle Scout. The Boy Scouts of America have become a mainstay of American tradition. With its powerful influence on America's youth for the past century and the presentation of its 2 millionth Eagle Scout Award this year, it is appropriate that we honor the 100th anniversary of this outstanding American organization. Madam Speaker, on a personal note, I have to tell you, as a parent, my son Max, who was awarded the Eagle Scout not too long ago, for me and my wife, Julie, to watch the presentation where he got that Eagle pin, where he pinned on his mother the mother's pin, that's a great moment. And so many parents have been so grateful for the great work the Boy Scouts have done. I am personally in debt and gratitude to this organization for the great leadership that it brings upon the youth of America. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, America lost one of its quiet, humble heroes on Friday, Major George E. Wahlen, Utah's sole surviving World War II Medal of Honor recipient. Wahlen earned the Medal of Honor as a Navy corpsman at the Battle of Iwo Jima. Despite being injured three times during the battle, he refused to leave the battlefield. He was an angel of mercy, and saved countless lives through his heroic efforts, despite his own injuries. This selfless act typifies the men and women of ``The Greatest Generation.'' Unfortunately, we are losing these heroes. Wahlen received the Medal of Honor from President Harry Truman in 1945 in recognition of his heroism during the tide-turning battle. He then re-enlisted and served in Korea and Vietnam, after which he served other veterans as a 14-year employee of the VA. In 2004, Congress named the VA medical facility in Utah in his honor. The VA had this to say upon his passing: ``This modest hero truly exemplified the meaning of patriotism, commitment to service, and love of country. The people of Utah, this hospital and the veterans he tirelessly served have lost a remarkable man.'' Indeed, they have. We all have.